#i know i’m being silly goofy but this chapter is really impressive to me? i think that’s the best way i can put it | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

m1ckeyb3rry · 2 months ago

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This wasn’t supposed to take me that long to reply to but I got mobbed by irl shit but um anyways

No because that’s what I’m saying idk why there’s a need to give everyone a backstory and make everyone relevant instead of focusing on better developing a certain set of people like realistically unless they’re really going to expand on the whole bllkverse post-Isagi protag storyline which is highly unlikely….

LMAOOOOO speaking of my comment from earlier too lowk I bet Kunigami could pop out something sassy every now and then!! Gives you an excuse to keep the non-ginger male lead streak going LOL

But FRRRRR the fact that they all acknowledge he’d treat a girl right so real and literally I’m ngl I laughed off the ln as a goofy moment like lmaooo ok no social skills bros stalking but WHAT WAS THAT PROFILE??? Literally jaw on the floor speechless I’m going to pretend I didn’t read that

Otoya would be so happy that eightbit is hyping him up sm I need more scenes of that for Karasu too I’m lowk a little sad the pose of him standing on (?) the ball just didn’t have the same vibe as the manga (don’t get me wrong still not bad but ykwim)

LMAOOO shippers will fr take whatever crumb of interaction (or even lack thereof) they can get im crying though I still can’t get over how a sukuna ship found its way to bllk

Wait I’m also still not over that how did not a single soul request nagi???? Ngl maybe I should’ve sent one in I was under the assumption that he would’ve been a no brained though so uh. But LMAOO it’s funny reading this in hindsight so I guess you’ve settled on an otoya req it seems it’s back to otoyalations everyone

BAROU???????? HIDDEN BAROU CAMEO lmao I’m crying you really said “yeah no romance for Kunigami”

OH HEAH I SAW THAT you’d be glad to know that when I saw that my first thought was hollyhock before anything else LMAOOOOO Omg but Rin being hollyhock y/n’s number one fan I can see it thatd be so funny

LMAO the next sae one you have to make should be that really…um..interestingly proportioned one…from like the first few chapters of the manga (I’m pretty certain I passed by a goofy post of yours with it somewhat recently)

Karasu flying across the field to jump on his teammates back and hype up the goals LMAOOO truly THE biggest bird on the field (I’m thinking of a very specific tiktok audio that I haven’t heard in awhile so if you know which one I’d be pretty impressed)

So real I’m also planning to watch it all in one go maybe even along with s1?? Actually maybe this calls for episode nagi then s1 then s2 bllk marathon LOL but wait you’re right I didn’t pay attention before but Rin and otoya lowk giving emo twins?? If we didn’t know otoyas personality he’d look so emo LMFAO

- Karasu anon

AHAHAA IT’S OKAY i randomly fell asleep instead of responding to this it happens i’m kinda bad abt punctual replies too sometimes so trust i will never judge 🔥

OKAY BUT LISTEN if kaneshiro wants to give us episode karasu i won’t mind /j on the fr side yeah i think ensemble casts are difficult to work with as is and the more you expand the worse that gets!! i mean people are still hoping for KIRA to come back and bro was in ONE EP 😭 so there’s rlly no need for so many characters to be given “depth” (depth which ironically makes them feel shallower at times) it’s okay for some to just be filler with surface level lore

HELP OKAY SOMEBODY COMMENTED SENDOU ON THAT POST AND IT OPENED MY THIRD EYE??? idgaf abt sendou so i didn’t even think about him but he’s literally PERFECT for the role omg like he’s so boyfailure boyfriend-in-law with silly slightly sassy advice (secondhand aikulations perhaps??) PLUS because he’s friends w aiku he def would have relevant opinions on otoya DHFSJAJ not that that’s a prerequisite because his role is rlly small like i said but it gives in verse depth to it

NO LITERALLY at first i was like oh haha cute he just wants to be friends with karasu but he doesn’t know how…now i’m like NAH GET KARASU IN WITNESS PROTECTION ASAP 😭🙏🏻 /j anyways yeah everyone acknowledging that karasu would treat a lady right YUP love to see it he absolutely would and we love him for that (i miss my handsome glorious king why’d i have to get inspired for otoya before him 😒)

YEAHH i feel like they took a bit of karasu’s smugness away almost?? he’s still cocky and analytical and talented and stuff but i feel like he’s not giving that same smug villainy vibe that he had in the manga LMAOAOA it made isagi’s infamous line not hit as much because now it just looks like he’s crashing out due to karasu being better than him and calling him out on being weak meanwhile in the manga you can def tell that karasu actively looks DOWN on isagi yk so the “he’s…a villain 😨” line makes a bit more sense there

NO LITERALLY I THOUGHT NAGI WAS A SURE SHOT I CANNOT BELIEVE NO ONE REQUESTED FOR HIM 😭 forever in shock that the wider public associates me with SAE over NAGI 😱 and yeah i used that ugly ass panel for my hbd sae post (felt obligated since i’m an honorary sae blog) DJSIHDJS HE LOOKS SO WEIRD IN IT i never ever want to see a sae fan complaining abt the anime they yassified him SO MUCH in season 1 all of them have to be on their knees thanking 8bit 🙂‍↕️ and actually nope HAHA i don’t even have any otoya reqs in my inbox surprisingly i was just inspired on my own…let’s just saw we can call this one based on true events 🙏🏻 once i post and we debrief i’ll lyk what parts have and have not actually happened to me FKFHSJAN anyways yeah this is more of a karasu bfb “i have an idea and a character and i’m just going to see where it goes” vibe than it is a specific prompt or anything!! just writing smth silly for me…it’s what i deserve after that kaiser req 😰 HOPEFULLY IT DOESN’T TAKE AS LONG/END UP AS LONG AS KARASU BFB THOUGH i feel like i’m jinxing myself now so just keep your fingers crossed for me and my sanity 🤞🏻

HIDDEN BAROU CAMEO and the boy that died at reader’s uncle’s hand was also loosely based off of niko!! we fr got the entire oaeu up in this bitch ig this is what they do when aiku’s not home 😭 NO ROMANCE FOR THE LEPRECHAUN ONG 🔥

HOLLYHOCK MENTION LFG yeah omg rin would actually def stan her and she would probably love him for that…omg isekai rin x hollyhock reader when?? imagine he’s hit by a soccer ball to the head (probs by shidou) instead of a bus and he ends up in yukimiya’s body on the day yuki sends otoya after the hiiragi’s so he ends up changing the timeline around so he can fall in love w reader instead of the “lukewarm ninja bastard” bonus points if she ends up with karasu due to his meddling instead because gardener swordsman karasu 😫 /hj

THAT ONE AUDIO THAT’S LIKE “i’m the biggest bird i’m the biggest bird” RIGHT?? LMAOAO I HAVE BEENNN CHRONICALLY ON TIK TOK FOR YEARS NOW OFC IKWYM!! speaking of which i have more to show you 😜 but anyways yeah it’s hilarious how he just ends up there and nobody even questions it…ig he’s rlly competitive and stuff so it makes sense that he’d consistently be getting the most hype plus he’s one of the characters that seems to get along w everyone at the same level??? like barou didn’t seem to be mad abt him doing the arm-around-the-neck thing (tbf he only rlly cared abt getting nagi off atp), isagi seems to find him chill, he was getting along with reo/aryu/tokimitsu (as well as yuki and otoya ofc) during their “economics of bllk” meeting, and he somehow even managed to be friends with NAGI when they were all in the arcade which given how standoffish nagi can be is saying smth ☝🏻 truly he is so beloved by the fandom and the characters alike

YUP MY PLAN EXACTLY i’ll probably do epinagi -> s1 (since epinagi glosses over a lot of second selection which is the best part of s1) -> s2 rewatch…yeah otoya gives emo just as much as rin they lowkey have the same hair just diff colors HAHAHA omg wait i saw a tik tok MONTHS ago talking about how niko watches anime and wondering if he freaked out when he saw nagi because he knows that white haired characters are always insanely talented and to extrapolate on that i wonder if he felt the same at seeing otoya 😭 even though otoya doesn’t rlly give white hair energy tbh i forget most of his hair is pale because i so heavily associate him with the Green ™️

OKOK MORE TIK TOKS again you’ve probably seen a lot of them but OH WELL you will see them again 🔥:

KARASU MEME had me crying it’s too real…fr giving “shidou…isagi…stop 🥺🥺🥺 this isn’t you 🥺🥺🥺“

kaiser slander so truly refreshing to see on the fyp even if it is isagi committing it…enemy of my enemy is my friend ig

okay this edit is making me consider aikuism fr JSBXSJBS why’s he kinda…like that one panel of him catching the ball w his chest…NOPE anyways we MUST STAY STRONG 😭🙏🏻 dw he’s still in the problematic bestie zone for me but now he’s like a problematic bestie that i have weird tension with and everyone’s lowkey like yo is smth going on and we’re both like nahhh that’s my homeboy!! but like. ARE we just homeboys???

THE WAY KARASU SAYS ISAGI’S NAME DJFHSHSJS ISAGI MOVEEEE IT’S MY TURN

LORENZO MEME idk why this is just making me laugh this is def smth he would do in the oaeu though specially at aiku (and niko who literally did nothing but got involved by accident)

#answered asks

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tranquilitybasehotelcasino · 3 years ago

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i replayed deltarune chapter 2 for a refresher this past week and if you’ll excuse me for being earnest for a second here something that i think toby fox is really really good at is framing things so that the mood of the situation is exactly what he wants it to be.

on the one hand, this manifests itself as pinning silly circumstances on threatening characters (like undyne accidentally setting her own house on fire and making funny faces during her battle or all of mettaton’s deadly game show segments being full of stupid jokes), but on the other hand, it also manifests itself as pinning threatening circumstances on comic relief characters (like sans judging you at the end of all your routes or everything with alphys and the true lab).

the way this phenomenon affects deltarune is fascinating because it’s what gives us stuff like the main antagonist and biggest threat of chapter 2 (queen) being an objectively pretty goofy person that’s clearly genuinely fond of noelle, or gimmicky minor characters like jevil or k round turning out to be tough battlers.

all this to say the whole segment before the fight with spamton neo when kris is in the queen’s basement alone between inserting the disk and susie showing up with ralsei to start the battle proper was for me one of the most genuinely unnerving parts of the game! and i’m very impressed by toby’s ability to take spamton (who up until then had been mostly silly and apparently inconsequential) and, by giving him the barest hint of a history, literally flip him on a dime into something that kris in particular is extremely scared of.

since every detail of spamton’s backstory is never actually laid out (the closest we get is the monologue from the addison, but we don’t know everything because the addison doesn’t either) it becomes a lot easier to match up the pieces with what we know of kris and turn him into a freaky mirror of their situation—the bad end, the worst path, the logical conclusion—which is made all the worse by the fact that he seems to be actively projecting on them, forcing them (and by extension, us) to come to terms with a possible future. it’s a slap in the face for them, a very very real sense of “this could be you”.

the spamton neo fight (and particularly the lead-up) did unironically creep me out a little—i think a lot of it has to do with the dialogue? he just says a lot of bizarre, unnerving shit, that clearly gets under kris’ skin much more than susie and ralsei’s. because susie and ralsei just see some… guy, some weird guy that’s trying to hurt them—kris sees a future THEM and that sticks with you HARD.

we have no clue who actually made spamton the way he is, who he’s actually been on the phone with, but we know exactly who’s manipulating kris—we are. they’re the heart on our chain. and whether kris ends up like spamton or like jevil or like someone else entirely, in the end it’s always going to be our fault.

and that’s what i mean when i say that toby fox is an amazing storyteller. the man doesn’t really take any prisoners. because even knowing all of this—even knowing what you’re doing to kris, how badly you’re scaring them—you want to know what happens next. so you’re still gonna play the game. aren’t you?

#deltarune

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firstofficerwiggles · 4 years ago

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Chapter 2: Adventures in Space Babysitting

Link to Chpt. 1, Chpt. 3

Pairing: The Mandalorian x female reader

Rating: T

Warnings: Mild swearing, sexual arousal, references to sexual relationships, canonical violence

Word Count:~5600

Summary: Caretaker reader is settling into her job and she realizes she has a crush on Mando. Some fluff, action, and little angst in this chapter.

Author’s Note: Welcome to Chpt. 2! I haven’t really written anything with angst before so I hope you think that part went okay. Thanks for reading!

The little green body launches itself up onto your bed yet again waking you in the early hours of the morning. The child snuggles up close to your chest and you can’t help but rub his little back with soothing motions. You have tried to get the child on a routine these past few weeks, and this seems to be the one pattern he’s most pleased to follow every day. The first time he showed up in your bed you thought Mando had placed him there as a subtle hint that it was your turn to be on child duty. However, when you heard Mando frantically looking for the toddler that first morning, you knew the little one had managed to sneak his way over to you all on his own. Neither you nor Mando know much about the child’s life before Mando rescued him, but it seems to you that it must have been difficult, because he appears to be starved for affection and he seeks it out every chance he gets. You’ve always been a cuddler yourself though so you are happy to oblige him and honestly although it means you don’t get to sleep as much as you used to, you love your early morning snuggles with him. Besides, it helps keep your mind off how much you’d like to snuggle Mando.

This silly crush on Mando has hit you out of nowhere and you feel like a complete fool for even acknowledging it. You suppose it can’t be helped to a certain extent, as he has to be hands down the nicest man in the entire galaxy, implausible as it may seem. He’s a gun-for-hire, rough and tough bounty hunter, covered in armor and weapons, and yet he has been nothing but thoughtful and respectful towards you. When you first spoke to him about establishing a better schedule for the child and working on some developmental milestones, he listened carefully and encouraged you to do what you felt was best. Other men you’ve known in the past would have questioned your recommendations or only half-listened to you dismissively. But Mando asked thoughtful questions that showed you he valued your opinions and then he was sure to comment on how well things were going after you began implementing the changes. You couldn’t remember the last time an employer gave you a compliment on your work, and it was just nice.

Then there was the first time he brought back a bounty to the ship. He’d been gone for about two days and when he returned, he was dragging a large alien man behind him. While you tried not to be overly curious, you couldn’t help but watch him as he manhandled the guy into the carbonite freezer. You were impressed with his strength, but it also made you feel a little bit wary as he next strode over towards you and the child. Your cautiousness melted away quickly though as Mando placed a bag of berries on the crate sitting next to you, mentioning that he noticed how much you seemed to enjoy them and thought you’d like to have some more. The thought of him noticing such a detail and then taking the time to stop and buy the berries for you made you want to swoon. You told yourself you were being ridiculous and that it was clearly just an overreaction to someone finally being nice to you.

The child is starting to get squirmy and you know that means he’ll be looking for breakfast soon. You listen carefully for Mando and realize that he must either be still asleep or up in the cockpit. Either way, you doubt he’s eaten any breakfast yet as he seems to prefer your cooking over his own. You toss back your covers and get yourself ready for the day. You decide to make eggs this morning, the little one’s favorite food that isn’t sugar-based. You are just finishing cutting up some fruit to go with the eggs, when you hear Mando’s boots behind you.

“MMM, smells good.” He says sounding still a bit sleepy. “I’m starving.”

You turn around with a plate all ready for him and a cup of caf, telling him “Lucky for you, I knew you would be.”

“Thank you, I don’t know how I survived without you,” Mando replies. Your heart sings at his words and you quickly turn back to the food so he can’t see the goofy smile breaking out on your face.

“Mostly on ration bars it seems.” You noticed he had quite the stash of them when you were first on board. Fortunately, you’ve convinced him to try to get a greater variety of food whenever possible.

“Well, my taste buds thank you too.” He carries his breakfast into his bunk where he can eat in privacy. At first, you felt sad for him always having to eat by himself, but you realize he must be so used to it that it probably doesn’t bother him. Nonetheless, it hasn’t stopped you from thinking up ideas for a shared meal sometime in the future, maybe when he knows you better and his trust in you is stronger.

After breakfast, you’re getting the child ready for a day out on the town. Mando is dropping off several bounties today which means you’ll be able to stretch your legs off the ship and visit the market in Batuu. As the ship lands, Mando is already back in the hull quickly reviewing all of the safety protocols for leaving the ship. He does this each time and at first it was rather annoying, it’s not like you’re an idiot, but then you realized he does it because he simply cares that much about the child’s and your wellbeing. While his protectiveness towards the child is completely logical, you still can’t get over how much it extends to you too. You’ve been responsible for yourself for so long; it never occurred to you that another adult would care so much about protecting you.

“Before I forget, I found a holster for you.” Mando is holding out a leather belt for you. “You shouldn’t keep the blaster in a bag; you can’t get to it fast enough.”

“Oh, thank you.” You say politely, although you’re hoping that just once he’ll fail to remind you to take the blaster along. You know he said you have to take it with you every time you leave the ship, but you still feel uncomfortable carrying it around. At least when you could shove it into your bag, you could pretend you didn’t have it, but now, it’ll be right there on your hip, much harder to ignore. Your fingers fumble with buckling the holster; knowing that he’s watching you intently makes you nervous. Mando steps closer to help you, softly brushing your hands away. Maker, he’s so close to you and each time his hands brush against your waist as he secures the holster you need to remind yourself to breathe.

“There you go.” Mando finishes but lets his hand linger for a moment on your hip. You feel his thumb brush back and forth just a bit before he sharply pulls away as if realizing what he was doing. You slip the blaster into the new holster, and he gives you a nod, “Looks good.”

You feel your face heat up as you realize he’s staring at your hips and you distract yourself by making sure the child is ready to go, “Ready to explore?” you ask him, and you hear a happy coo in response from the pram.

You follow Mando down the ramp of the ship, glad to be out in the fresh air and sunshine. Shopping for supplies never seemed like anything interesting in the past, but now that you get to visit different markets on new worlds you’ve never seen before, each little shopping trip feels like a new experience. The colorful stalls filled with all types of wares beckon you to explore and discover some exotic fruit or an old book that you might never see anywhere else.

Oh, speaking of books, “I thought I might try to find a few children’s books for the child, if that’s ok?” you ask Mando.

“Are you trying to teach him to read? Is he ready for that?” Mando sounds curious, but not skeptical in any way.

“No, not yet, but I know he likes hearing stories,” you explain, “and I’m not sure how much more I can keep inventing ones to tell him.”

“Have you just been making those stories up yourself?” He nods in approval, seemingly impressed. “You have a good imagination.”

“Oh, um, thank you.” You’re caught off guard there for a moment, as you hadn’t realized he’d paid much attention to the stories you tell the little one.

“Yeah, I liked the one you told him about the magic frog. It was funny.” He surprises you again. Not only was he listening, he remembers the silly story you made up, and he liked it.

“Thanks,” you say again, stunned by his comment, but it’s his next suggestion that totally floors you.

“You should write them down, make your own book.”

“Make my own book?” The idea would never have occurred to you.

“Why not? Maybe you can even get the kid to draw pictures for it. You can get him some coloring pencils too.” Mando turns and hands you some extra credits. “I need to take care of some business, now, but you two will be safe here. Meet me by the fountain in 30 minutes. Do not be late.” He punctuates that last statement with a point of his index finger and then turns to go.

You watch him head towards a cantina and then just stare down at the credits in your palm. How is he so nice but then also kind of scary? And why does it make you ‘feel’ things? You shake your head at your own silliness and then look down at the little guy and say, “Well, let’s go find you something to color with.”

Perusing the stalls, you find plenty of items to fill up your bags and empty your wallet. You discover a great notebook with plenty of space for writing and pictures. The more you think of the idea of creating your own little book with the child, the more excited you get. You find a few children’s books too, so that you can be sure to keep the little one entertained when he’s tired of drawing. Cognizant of the time, you start to head to the fountain in the center of the market, Mando’s designated meeting spot, when you smell a delectable aroma. The baby smells it too and immediately begins whining and reaching out his little hands. You head to the source of the scent to see several types of kebabs at a nearby stand. You still have some credits and are preparing to order but the little one is too impatient and before you know it, two kebabs are floating to the pram.

“Hey! You have to pay for those!” The man behind the stand yells at you.

“I was; I mean I am,” you quickly tell him, “I’m sorry, he’s just so sneaky and fast sometimes.” You offer him a smile, hoping to smooth things over. What’s more, you pray the man thinks the child just grabbed the food and that he didn’t notice anything magical about it. “How much are they?”

The man looks you over for a moment and then his demeanor changes, “Well, for you, mama, I’m sure we can work out a little deal.” He leers at you.

“That’s ok,” you say uncomfortable at the look in his eye, and you let your smile drop from your face, “I’ll just pay the regular price.”

“Ah, c’mon, there’s nothing like a little discount among friends.” He steps out from behind his stall to stand right in front of you. He reaches out and brushes a hand down your arm, “You’d like to be my friend, wouldn’t you?”

You take a step back and say, “I’d just like to pay you for the food.”

“We can call it even, if you give me a little kiss.” This gross creep moves closer to you again, this time leaning down.

“I have credits.” You tell him, attempting to sound firm while you start to step back again, but he anticipates your move and reaches out to grab your wrist pulling you up against his body. You push on his chest, trying to pull away when you hear the sound of a blaster priming and then a raspy modulated voice says, “Let her go.”

The man drops your arm instantly and you can finally back away from him. You’re very grateful to see Mando with his weapon pointed directly at the man’s head. The man holds his hands up, “We were just having a friendly little chat.”

“Didn’t look friendly to me.” Mando deadpans, but he holsters his blaster now that it’s clear you’re safe. He comes over to you, placing a hand on the small of your back and turns you to walk away with him.

“Hey! She still needs to pay me for the food,” the man protests.

“What did he want for the food?” Mando asks you.

“A kiss,” you reply sardonically.

Mando shrugs, then turns back to the stall, approaches the man quickly and then just head-butts him hard with his helmet. The creep lets out a loud yell of pain and collapses to the ground.

“There you go, a kiss from a Mandalorian.” Mando drawls, before turning and striding back over to you.

Oh damn! That was the hottest thing you’ve ever seen and you feel your body flood with desire. Ok, so maybe that was a blatant show of male posturing, and as an educated, modern woman, you probably shouldn’t be so aroused right now. But some primeval part of your brain has taken over, and the only thought you have is how great a protector Mando is and how much you want him to protect you. You can’t even say anything to him right now because you’re just replaying the moment over in your head. It isn’t until you realize that Mando is saying your name, repeating it, that you finally snap back to reality and remember to thank him.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Mando is saying, “Are you ok?” He asks you slowly to make sure you’ve understood him. It’s possible he’s already asked you that but you were too swept up in your cavewoman thoughts.

“Oh, yes, yes, I’m fine,” you reassure him, “That creep just made me uncomfortable, but he didn’t hurt me. But, thank you again.”

“You’re sure?” Mando asks, a bit doubtful. What are you supposed to tell him? That your dazed look is because you’re turned on by him right now. Super inappropriate, having a major crush on your boss! You take a deep breath and remind yourself yet again that Mando is your employer.

“Really, I’m fine, thank you.” You’re pleased that you managed to get that out in a normal sounding voice. Mando considers you for a moment.

“Why didn’t you pull your blaster on him?” He wants to know.

“I don’t know,” you tell him truthfully, “I guess I’m just not used to reacting that way.”

“Hmm, we’ll need to work on that.” He seems satisfied at that and starts walking back towards the Crest. You force your feet to follow him, telling yourself to pull it together.

“Is that really considered a kiss from a Mandalorian?” You can’t help your stupid mouth from blurting out your question.

He laughs, surprising you because it’s the first time you’ve heard it. “Technically, yes, we call it a Keldabe Kiss.” He chuckles again and then says, “But there is a much softer version too between lovers.”

Ok, you almost become a puddle hearing him say the word ‘lovers’, and thankfully he’s still amused by your question that he doesn’t seem to notice your mouth dropping open and your feet stumbling a little. Instead, all he says is “Let’s get back to the ship, kid’s got the right idea, I could use something to eat.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later, Mando powers up the engines and you figure you’re off to the next planet, but instead he keeps the ship in the atmosphere, taking you away from the town. He lands in a clearing near a forest, and says, “This will be a good spot to practice.”

“Practice?” You’re confused.

“Yeah, I told you we’re going to work on your reaction to threats.” He says this in a matter-of-fact voice, “Plus, I know you said you could shoot, but I want to see how you handle that blaster.”

Sighing internally, you put the holster back on and collect the blaster from the weapons locker before following him down the ramp. The baby toddles down the ramp too, curious to see what’s happening.

“Alright, Miss Top-Marks-in-Shooting, let’s see you hit that tree.” Mando’s tone is rather chipper as he points out a large tree directly across from where you’re both standing. It’s a very easy target; he must think you exaggerated your skills.

You draw the weapon smoothly and shoot, just as you were trained to do, hitting the tree with ease. You fire four shoots in a small cluster pattern, to show that you are capable of accuracy.

Mando nods his head once, “Ok, now hit those five trees in rapid succession.” He points to a line of smaller trees further away to your left. You turn and successfully hit all five in what you consider to be a decent pace.

“Not bad, but see if you can go faster.” He instructs you. You try again, hopefully quicker this time. He nods when you look back at him and then points out a new target. You both keep repeating this pattern and he offers some critiques as you shoot, but generally, he seems satisfied.

“You did well,” Mando tells you after a bit, “You ever hit a moving target?”

“Uh, no.” You look at him cautiously, wondering what he has in mind. Your eyes must show how anxious that makes you, because he says, “We’ll work on that another time.”

You can’t help but let out a small sigh of relief. You figure practice time must be over for now, but then he says, “Let’s work on that reaction time for when someone is in your face. Just let me tell the kid first.”

Mando walks over to the little one who has been sitting on the ramp watching you shoot. “Ok, kiddo, this is just pretend. You understand? No one will get hurt, so no powers, ok?” The baby coos up at him and Mando nods.

“Gotta make sure he doesn’t try to fling one of us into a tree.” He says to your bemused expression. Mando returns to face you and steps close until he’s practically touching you. Your heartrate immediately picks up and your body starts to feel hot.

“I want you to draw your weapon on me, but do not shoot me,” he says definitively.

“What? No, I can’t do that, Mando,” you tell him in protest.

He reaches out lightning fast, grabs your wrist, and hauls you up against him in a similar manner to the jerk in the marketplace. Your positioning might be the same, yet this time you don’t feel creeped out, no, instead you like it, your traitorous body even pushes you a little closer to him.

“Draw your weapon on me. I’m a threat to you.” Mando tells you in a gravelly voice. Stars above! You have to bite your lip hard to keep from moaning. What is wrong with me? You realize he’s not going to let you go until you draw the blaster and so you finally comply with his order.

Mando releases you with small chuckle, as he says, “Ok, let’s try that again only not in slow motion.”

“Wait, wait, I’m not ready.” You’re panting like you just ran a race.

“That’s the whole point,” he replies, “Threats don’t just wait until you’re ready to shoot them.” You could swear he’s smirking at you under that helmet.

“No, I mean, give me a second to imagine I’m being threatened,” you are trying to buy yourself time before he decides to touch you again. “I need to visualize it.”

“Are you saying I’m not threatening enough?” Mando sounds skeptical and maybe a little insulted.

“No, I mean, of course, you are, you’re very threatening and wanted men everywhere should fear you, but I don’t fear you because I know you’ll never hurt me,” you explain to him in attempt to cover up the fact that you’re so damn attracted to him right now.

“You’re right; I would never do anything to hurt you.” He nods in agreement. “But wanted men everywhere should fear me, huh?” He sounds amused by that.

“Yes, yes, you’re very scary.” You tell him, rolling your eyes slightly.

“Ok, so pretend I’m someone you do fear.” He advances toward you. This time you think of Lieutenant Sauckel, an odious man from Imperial Intelligence that you despised. When Mando grabs you again, you imagine Sauckel’s black eyes and yellow teeth and draw your blaster as Mando pulls you to his chest.

“That was better, but still too slow.” He makes you try over and over, and each time you picture another terrible Imperial officer, Commander Brack, Major Frick, Junior Lieutenant Hess, and then finally Ensign Kerrick Hoven, the man who broke your heart and betrayed you. Imagining Kerrick’s smug face appears to do the trick, because it’s the fastest you’ve drawn the blaster yet, and you manage to wrench your arm away from Mando for the first time.

“Good!” Mando praises you enthusiastically, “That was really good.”

“Thanks.” You’re pleased to hear his words of encouragement, but your voice doesn’t show it. Picturing Kerrick again is enough to send you into darker emotions and you feel anger and sadness swirl in your stomach. Your face must give away your unhappy thoughts, because Mando suggests you stop for the day.

You stow your blaster in the holster and then head over to the child who’s been thoroughly entertained watching you both pretend fight. You reach down to pick him up and hold him close to your chest in a hug. There’s just something about his sweet little presence that makes you feel better. You’re smiling again when you pull away and head back into the ship. Mando follows you up the ramp and he’s quiet but you can feel him watching you as you stow the blaster in the weapons locker and remove the holster from your waist.

“Everything alright?” He asks you.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. I-, Thank you for taking the time to work with me on that. To practice, I mean. I know you’re very busy.” It really does mean a lot to you that he took time out of his schedule for you and you feel your heart swell as you think about his protective nature.

“You’re welcome,” he says, his voice a little softer, “Your safety is important to me. Plus, you need to be able to help keep the child safe too.”

“Yes, of course,” you nod in agreement.

“It’s helpful that you’re a good shot.” He praises you again, and this time you smile at his words.

“Thank you,” you reply sincerely. While you haven’t seen him shoot, you know he’s clearly an expert and it really does mean a lot to hear him praise your skill.

You turn back to the child, “I think it’s playtime now, what do you say, buddy?” He chirps in agreement and you head over to his small stash of toys and place him on the floor so he can start pulling out his favorites. Before you clamber down to join him, you feel Mando’s hand cup your arm just above the elbow. You turn back towards him with an inquisitive look. He just seems to stare at you for a moment, still holding your arm before telling you, “I’ll going to get us on our way to the next planet.”

“Ok, we’ll be alright down here. I’ll bring you up some dinner later.” You give him another smile and a quick nod.

“Good,” is all that he says and then he gives your arm a little squeeze before heading to the cockpit and you can’t help but feel a little fluttering in your stomach at that touch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of your afternoon passes swiftly as you and the child take his plushies on a heroic quest across the metal wonderland (the hull) to the black cliffs of mystery (a stack of crates) where you must find the golden treasure (a box of cookies). It’s a much more enjoyable game of pretend seeing as you’re not imagining Imps threatening you. It puts you in a cheerful mood and you’re still grinning to yourself when you bring Mando his dinner tray. You feel a pang of regret for him that he’s missed out on the fun afternoon with you and the child and it’s compounded by the thought of him eating his dinner alone too.

“Mando?”

“Yeah?”

You want to ask if there’s any way you could keep him company while he eats, promising to face away from him the entire time, but it feels too pushy to ask him for that. Besides, you’re probably just projecting your own feelings onto him. He’s likely much more comfortable knowing that you and the child are safely shut away from him downstairs and there’s no way he can break his creed while he eats. So, you just tell him, “I hope you enjoy your food.”

When you head back downstairs, you’re mentally kicking yourself for getting too attached. Your job is to take care of the child and make sure his needs are met. It’s nice of you to take care of Mando a little too, but he doesn’t need you to keep him company or worry about him being lonely. I’m being pathetic. You turn your attention back to your little green charge and decide it’s time to give him a bath and get him ready for bed. Still though as much as you try, you can’t stop your thoughts from wondering back to Mando. It’s hard to forget what it felt like pulled up against his chest while you were practicing your self-defense. And you may have replayed the whole head-butt scene in your head a dozen times. Stars! Am I really so desperate that I’m falling for the first man who’s nice to me? You try again to push images of Mando out of your head and focus on the baby. It works until he’s sound asleep in his little hammock and you don’t have a distraction any more. Maybe you can just grab your holopad and read up in the cockpit. That way you can satisfy your need to be close to Mando but also keep from bothering him. You make your way up the ladder, making sure it’s ok to enter the cockpit in case he still has the helmet off, before flopping down in the passenger seat on Mando’s right. You sit there and fiddle with the holopad trying to find a story that will entice you enough to keep your eyes on it, instead of tossing glances at the armored man sitting next to you. Turns out it doesn’t matter though because Mando feels like chatting.

“Kid get to sleep ok?” he asks you.

“Yes, he was pretty sleepy after his bath,” you reply.

“Probably tired after that epic adventure you went on too,” he huffs out a laugh, “I heard you doing all the voices for the toys.”

“Oh, yeah,” you’re a little embarrassed by that as you know you can be pretty goofy when you’re pretending with the child, “He really seems to like it though.”

“Sure he does, I could hear him giggling too.” Mando confirms for you. “I’m glad he’s having this time to be a child. I don’t know much about his past, but I don’t think he’s had a lot of fun in his life.”

“Well, I’ll try to make sure he does something fun every day.” You already love the little one so much, anything you can do to make him happy brings you joy too.

“Who were you picturing when we were practicing your reaction time?” Mando changes the subject abruptly.

You take a moment to process his question, and then tell him, “Just some Imperial officers from my past.” You shrug, “I figured that would be good motivation to draw a blaster.”

He seems to consider you for a moment, and then asks, “What about the last time? Who was that?”

“Oh,” you try to let out a little laugh to ease the discomfort welling up in you, “That was the man who broke my heart.”

“An Imperial officer?” Mando sounds surprised at that.

“He wasn’t an Imperial officer when I first knew him. He was in the graduating class before mine. We dated when we were in school together and we stayed in contact after he graduated. He’s the one who convinced me to do the exams for the ‘research group’.” You make quotation marks with your hands when you say those last two words.

“He mislead you?” Mando asks.

“No, he didn’t know what it really was then either. He had only just heard about it and was trying to get a job there and convinced me that it would be great for the two of us to work together.” You pause there not sure if you really want to keep telling Mando this story.

He’s curious though, as he asks, “What happened when you both found out you were working for Imp Intelligence?”

“We were both shocked and we turned to each other for comfort. It was intense, because I still had old feelings for him, and at the time, I believed he was the only one who understood how I had been deceived because he was right there with me. For a while, it felt tragically romantic, like we were two people clinging to each other in the midst of a terrible situation.”

“So, how did he break your heart?” Mando questions softly.

“I didn’t realize how one-sided our love affair had become. I thought he shared my horror for the Empire and their actions, but little did I know, he was buying into the Empire’s message more each day. As I was trying to disrupt the intelligence, Kerrick was weaseling his way closer to the officers, trying to spend time with them or impress them with his work. They awarded him the rank of Ensign when he turned me in for sabotage.” You can’t help the tear that manages to sneak out and slide down your cheek. You look out to the stars as they swirl by you in hyperspace.

“What was his name? His full name?” Mando asks.

“Kerrick Hoven, why?”

He ignores the question and asks, “Is he still alive?”

“As far as I know, yes.” You’re not sure why that matters to him.

Mando just makes a little hmm noise and then says, “No wonder you drew your blaster so quickly.”

“Well, that’s my sad story of heartbreak. How about you, Mando? You have a heartbreak story of your own?” Now that you’ve bared your sad past to him, you’re curious to hear about his.

“No.” Is all that he says.

“No? Nothing?” You push back a little; he must have something to share.

“Not really. Never get too attached or involved with a woman.” He punctuates this with a shrug.

“What about when you were a bit younger? No love affairs?” You can’t stop yourself from being curious about his romantic past; you just want to know a little something about it.

“I’ve had lovers, but nothing long-term or serious.” he states, “Relationships don’t really go with being a bounty hunter.” He sounds rather blasé about his love life or lack of one, as if he doesn’t spend any time thinking about it at all.

You feel your heart drop at that and all of your fantasies about the two of you being together someday seem exceedingly ridiculous right now. Of course he isn’t a man who gets into relationships, and if you became his lover, it would probably be a short-lived fling that would burn itself out once the novelty of new passion was gone. You feel foolish and tired. The fun of hearing about Mando’s love life has dissipated completely for you. So you change the topic and ask, “Where are we headed to next?”

“Bespin” Mando says. “It’s a mining planet with a city high up in the clouds in the upper atmosphere.”

You listen politely as he tells you some other facts about the planet. It sounds interesting enough, but you’re not really paying that close attention as you’re still somewhat wrapped up in your emotional reaction to his dismissal of relationships. You take a deep breath to center your thoughts and then focus in on his words, telling yourself that this is for the best, that you need to let your stupid crush die and just do your job. If you can’t do that, you’ll just set yourself up for another heartbreak, and what will that get you?

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

Thank you for reading! Link to Chapter 3, Lust Actually. Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future chapters.

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if-music-be-the-food-of-love · 3 years ago

Text

Happy Birthday

Robbe IJzermans!!

“I Want it All” ch. 8 Sneak Peek: Robbe’s Birthday

Summary: Sander goes all out for Robbe’s birthday. So much fluff. All fluff. Amelia is cute. Still rated T. This takes place about halfway through the chapter.

**Disclaimer: This is a rough draft. Please forgive my typos and inconsistencies. As always, it’s long (7k). Enjoy!

Link to fic on Ao3. This is not posted there. Preview below only:

Amelia - almost 12 months

Sander

“Bye, Laurence,” Sander said before hanging up the video call and closing his laptop. He stood, and reaching his arms overhead, stretched side to side before arching his back and twisting a few times. As he rolled his shoulders, he heard giggling coming from the kitchen, and a slow smile spread across his face.

Curious, he left their bedroom and followed the sound to the kitchen, where he found Amelia in her high chair, cackling and clapping her hands as Robbe ‘found’ Cheerios in her ears. He’d show her his empty hands and then reach for one of her ears where he’d miraculously ‘find’ one and give it to her to eat. Her eyes grew wide every time he brought the Cheerio in front of her, sheer adoration and amazement all over her face. She’d squeal as she reached for the cereal and laugh and clap her hands as she popped it into her mouth.

After four more Cheerios received the same treatment, Sander strode forward casually, hands in his pockets, and said, “Still don’t think that’s the best way to impress the girls.” He ruffled Amelia’s hair and gazed down at Robbe, a teasing smile on his lips. “Glad to know those magic tricks paid off. Longest investment I ever made.” He then ruffled Robbe’s hair, and muttered, “Dork.”

Robbe snorted in response and blushed prettily as he rolled his eyes up at Sander. “It’s your fault. You can only blame yourself. And,” he poked Amelia’s nose and made another Cheerio appear out of it, eliciting more loud giggles, “Amelia is clearly impressed. Aren’t you, sweet girl?” He asked, speaking directly to her, his voice dropping into a goofy drawl. “You think I’m amazing, don’t you? Forget what your silly daddy thinks. He’s just jealous.”

Sander bit the inside of his cheek and pursed his lips, his head shaking side to side. “If I’m jealous of you,” he finally said, “I guarantee it’s not about the magic tricks.” He winked at Robbe, pursing his lips into an air kiss, and then swooped down to kiss the top of Amelia’s head.

“How’s Laurence?” Robbe asked, refocusing his gaze on Amelia and continuing her magical meal.

Sander shrugged, stepping up behind him. He waved his hands forward a few times, and understanding him immediately, Robbe scooted to the edge of his chair. Sliding in behind him and then pulling Robbe back into his chest, arms still wrapped around his middle, he answered, “Tired. They’re afraid the baby might have colic, but it’s a little too soon to know.” Robbe shivered beneath him at the thought. “He looks like a zombie. Did we ever look that bad?” He rested his chin on Robbe’s shoulder.

Robbe chuckled lightly and turned his head to kiss his cheek. “Yes, we did. At one point, you looked like death, and I was seriously worried. Remember? I had to stage an intervention. I’m sure I didn’t look much better. Those first few weeks...just thinking about them…it was rough.” Robbe shuddered again, and Sander gave him another squeeze.

He kissed the space between Robbe’s shoulder blades and then rested his cheek on his shoulder, lips lightly touching his neck. He let his eyes close, and a companionable silence descended between them as Robbe continued to feed Amelia her snack while Sander rested.

Several minutes later, Robbe’s fingers touched his hands, pulling him out of his light doze, and he said, his voice coming across gravelly because Sander’s ear pressed into his shoulder, “I’ve been thinking.”

“Mmhmm,” Sander responded, his eyes still closed.

“Amelia’s birthday is three days after mine, and I know we already have some big plans. You know, all the chaos and people and food. It’s a lot to plan and manage. Maybe this year we don’t do anything for my birthday. Just stay home, nothing special. Its--”

“No,” Sander cut him off, snuggling in a little more. “Absolutely not.”

As if not hearing him, he continued, “Maybe in the future we could just do a combined birthday or something.”

“No. No. No,” he hesitated for a moment and then added, “No. C’mon, Robbe, I’ve been making a fuss about your birthday for almost two decades. You really think I’m going to stop now just because our daughter’s birthday is so close? Please.” He let out an exasperated “pfft” into Robbe’s neck.

“But, it just makes sense, especially this year,” Robbe tried. “We should focus on her. It’s her first birthday. It’s a big deal.”

Sander sat up, his voice turning serious. “And so is your birthday. The day you were born is a big deal to me. You are the most important person in my life, and I want to celebrate the fact that you exist. Would you deny me that?”

Robbe turned to look at him, and Sander thrust his lower lip out into an exaggerated pout. Robbe shook his head in response, but the corners of his mouth twitched. “That’s kind of sappy, San.”

He dropped his forehead onto Robbe’s temple and said, “You make me sappy. Not my fault.”

“Hmmm,” Robbe responded noncommittally. A second later, he surprised Sander with an elbow to the stomach, saying, “And honestly, not fair. You know I’d never deny you anything. Turning it on me so that I’m doing it for you? Pathetic.”

Sander grinned and hugged him closer. Bringing his lips to Robbe’s ear, he whispered, “Yet effective.”

“Ugh,” Robbe groaned, but he leaned back into Sander, clearly giving in already.

“Anyway,” Sander continued in a normal voice, “This is the first birthday where I can show you exactly how much I love you. I’m going all out, baby! I already have everything planned, and Zoë offered to watch Amelia before I even asked. So...you’re stuck.”

Robbe moved like he was going to protest one more time, but they were interrupted by a stream of babble from Amelia. She had about a dozen Cheerios on the tray in front of her, but she kept clutching at her ears and then looking disappointedly at her hands. Each time they came up empty, she chattered at them as if giving them a pep talk before trying again.

“Oh no!” Sander guffawed. “What have you done?”

Unable to control himself, Robbe’s body shook with laughter. “I...I...well...oops.”

“Oops is right. Let’s hope she doesn’t try to pull Cheerios from anywhere else.”

“Sander!” He elbowed him in the stomach again, but they both laughed. They laughed so hard Amelia finally gave up looking for Cheerios and stared at them in confusion, completely at a loss for why they were giggling so much.

Robbe

Robbe’s birthday dawned wet and cloudy, but the grey atmosphere did nothing to dampen Sander’s spirits. He woke up early to make Robbe a ‘real’ breakfast before work and shoved him out of the door with a dozen kisses and a promise to come directly home.

When Robbe arrived back at the flat, he found Sander’s backpack stationed by the door and Zoë’s shoes resting next to Amelia’s. He gave the backpack a second curious glance and then followed the sound of voices to the kitchen.

“Dada!” Amelia’s voice called, and Robbe immediately redirected from looking for Sander to searching for Amelia. She stood next to the couch, holding on with one hand, her chubby legs steady beneath her.

“Hey, princess,” he said, squatting down a few feet away from her. She took confident steps toward him, hand sliding along the couch in support, and then in her excitement at being near him, she let go of the couch and half toddled, half fell forward into his arms.

He held her for a moment, unmoving; then his jaw dropped, and he looked up, seeking Sander’s eyes. When he found them, shining and surprised, he asked, “Did you see that? Did it count? Do you think it counted? Did she walk?”

“I saw at least two actual steps before she fell forward,” Zoë said helpfully.

“I think I saw three,” Sander agreed. “I think it counts.”

Robbe squealed, lifting Amelia into the air as he stood, and swung her around. “You did it!” he shouted over and over again. He hugged her to his chest and showered her in kisses.

Then it was Sander’s turn. He hugged them both, liberally peppering them with kisses as he said, “And you did it on your daddy’s birthday! What a sweet girl! Happy Birthday!” He gave Robbe a loud smack on the lips.

“B-tday.” Amelia mimicked, clapping her hands, and they both erupted into even more praise.

“Best birthday present ever,” Robbe said, giving her cheek a final kiss before putting her back down to play.

“I dunno about that. Til now, maybe, but I have plans to top it. Just wait,” Sander said, bumping his shoulder.

“Oh really?” He wrapped his hands around Sander’s waist and looked up into his face, eyes teasing. “You really think you can top my daughter’s first steps as a present?”

“Definitely,” Sander said confidently, his mouth spreading into a broad grin.

Sander’s confidence gave Robbe a moment of pause. What could he possibly have planned that he was sure would top this? He was even more curious about the bag by the door.

When they reached the sidewalk outside, Amelia already being happily spoiled by Zoë inside, Sander took Robbe’s hand, and they turned towards the bike rack.

“So,” he said, “We have a few options. We can’t head to the main event until 20:30, and then we’re having dinner afterward. So between now and then we can do whatever you want.”

“Wait, what? The main event? Wouldn’t dinner be the main event?”

Sander smirked down at him, saying smugly, “Nope. You’ll see. So--” He clapped his hands together, rubbing them quickly while lifting his eyebrows playfully at Robbe. “What should we do now? I’m all yours.” He opened his arms and turned to walk backwards in front of him.

Grinning at him, Robbe said, “Oh, I’m well aware.” He then gave him a light shove and took his hand again to pull him alongside. “I thought you had it all planned. Now you’re making me decide. Rather unfair, don’t you think?”

Sander snorted, dropping his head forward. “Ro-obbe, this is part of the plan. You get to decide how we kill time together. Just us.” He looked up, his hand reaching out to caress Robbe’s long hair. “No babies. No friends. No responsibilities.” His fingers trailed down Robbe’s cheek. “Just us.”

Robbe’s breath caught, and when he met Sander’s eyes, he could clearly see how pleased he was with himself. Robbe rolled his eyes at him, bumping his shoulder with his forehead as he mumbled, “You can’t seduce me in the street, you know.”

Sander’s teasing voice lilted, “But I can make you blush.”

Robbe groaned, but when he lifted his head a soft, dreamy smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. Sander beamed back at him and kissed his forehead. He then tucked Robbe under his arm and led him to the bike rack. They unlocked their bikes and set off, heading in the general direction of the Schedlt.

In the end they decided to just walk along the riverfront, lingering anywhere that struck their fancy. Sander took about a hundred pictures of Robbe as they went, much to his consternation, which eventually led to him running away and them chasing one another around. Teasingly, Robbe would let him catch him, or he’d tackle Sander out of nowhere; but after a few kisses, he’d slip out of his grasp and dart away again.

At one point Robbe leaped at him from behind a tree, wrapping his legs around his waist, and it surprised Sander so much his legs buckled; and they tumbled to the grass. Robbe rolled to his stomach and kissed Sander’s cheeks and forehead apologetically while his hand snuck into his pocket and stole his phone. When he pulled it out, he snapped three photos of his shocked face in quick succession and then leapt to his feet and ran down the walkway. Sander shouted, “You little shit,” behind him, and rose to his feet more slowly. He took off after Robbe, laughing and glaring simultaneously. Robbe turned around, jogging backwards, and pointed the phone at him again, zooming in on his face.

“Not as much fun on the other side of the camera, is it?” he called.

“Robin, you ass!” he growled back.

Robbe stopped abruptly, and raising both eyebrows as he cocked his head, he pouted, “But you loooove me.”

Sander slowed to a walk, approaching him with outstretched hands. Slightly out of breath, he huffed, “Yes, I love you, idiot.”

Robbe giggled in response, lifted the phone up, and snapped several more photos of Sander’s exasperated face before racing off in a new direction, taking photos randomly as he went. He chuckled to himself thinking about all the pictures Sander would have to sort through and delete.

As he darted around the next tree, he took pity on Sander and turned around to allow him to catch him. Sander slammed into him, and Robbe wrapped his arms around his middle, burying his face into his chest. Sander burrowed his nose into Robbe’s hair and murmured, “You gonna give me my phone back yet? I do actually want to document some of tonight for posterity’s sake.”

Robbe kissed his chest and then lifted his face to nuzzle into his neck. “Only if you promise to be in more of the pictures. No more random ones of just me. I want us. Together.”

“Fine,” he said, smiling into Robbe’s hair.

“Excellent.” Robbe lifted the phone, flipping the camera, and took several selfies as they hugged and kissed against the tree. “Better,” he said a few minutes later, finally handing the phone back to Sander.

Exhausted, they strolled back towards the path and collapsed onto a bench facing the river. Sander rested his arm on the bench behind Robbe, as they leaned into one another, watching the sun begin to set over the city, the orange rays fighting through the remaining clouds. Several minutes later, interrupting the calm that had settled over them, Sander said, “We’re going to have to go soon.” Robbe made a quiet, guttural sound in his throat, and Sander chuckled, knocking his knee into Robbe’s. “I promise. You want to go. You’re going to love it.”

“More than Amelia’s first steps?”

“Yes,” he said confidently. Then he paused, adding, “Maybe. Probably. I mean, they’re such different things you can’t really compare them, but I guarantee you, you’ll like this. So,” he nudged Robbe’s foot with his own, “We should go get our bikes.”

Robbe begrudgingly agreed and allowed Sander to pull him to his feet. They walked briskly back to their bikes, and Robbe followed Sander, now almost overflowing with curiosity. Where on earth was Sander taking him?

As they ascended the elevator in the Sint-Annatunnel, Sander lifted an eyebrow at Robbe, saying one word: “Race?”

Robbe grinned back and said, “You’re on.”

As soon as the doors opened, Robbe stood and put his full weight on his pedals, propelling himself forward. He and Sander raced neck and neck, occasionally avoiding pedestrians and other cyclists. About halfway through the tunnel, their eyes met, and without saying a word, they slowed to a more reasonable pace.

Sander pulled out his phone and aimed it at Robbe. Shaking his head, Robbe admonished, “Selfie mode, baby. Selfie mode.”

Sander rolled his eyes but acquiesced, flipping the camera and taking several photos of the both of them as they neared the exit.

When they arrived at their destination, Robbe’s eyes grew wide, and he asked, “The pool?”

“Yeah, the pool. Our pool.”

“Our pool,” Robbe repeated under his breath as he locked his bike. Knowing their destination wasn’t helping. He was as confused and curious as ever.

Sander shrugged on the backpack, and turning to Robbe, said, “Okay. So I need to go get the key. There’s something I want you to see around the corner, so just stay here til I come back.”

“Okay,” he answered. As he waited, he began to fidget nervously, alternately pacing and bouncing on his toes. What were they doing here? What mad scheme had Sander come up with for his birthday?

About two minutes later and just after Robbe had to clasp his hands in front of him to keep them from shaking with nervous energy, Sander returned, jangling a set of keys from pinched fingers.

“Alright,” he said, grinning, “We’re good to go. The pool’s ours for the next hour.”

“It is? Just us?”

“Yep,” Sander confirmed, wrapping his arm around Robbe’s neck and pulling him in. “I gave our old coach a call, and he was willing to do me a favor as long as I promised that we’d continue coming for lap swim. There might have been something about volunteering at the next swim meet as well, but I’ll deal with that when I get the email.”

“Wow. Okay,” Robbe said, still confused. “Now what?”

Sander kissed his temple and said, “Don’t worry, Robin. I’ve got it all covered. Now,” he swept his arm forward in an arc, “I wanna show you something. Let’s go.”

Sander steered him to the end of the building and around the corner. About halfway down the alley, he stopped and said, “Pull out your phone and turn on the flashlight.” Robbe did as he said, facing the light towards the ground. “Okay,” he continued, “Now point it over here.”

It wasn’t full dark yet, but since it was overcast, the sky was darker than usual. Robbe lifted the light, directing it to where Sander indicated, and he gasped.

On the wall, in bright oranges, reds, browns, and yellows, was an enormous robin, its wings outstretched as if landing on a branch, its feathers ruffled around the neck, its brown eyes fierce and piercing. As Robbe took it in, his eyes darting from one detail to the next, Sander came up behind him and wrapped both arms over his shoulders, pulling him into his chest.

“Before you worry,” he whispered, “I had permission.”

“This is like your tattoo,” Robbe finally managed.

“Yes and no. They are similar,” Sander kissed Robbe’s temple, “But if you look closely, you’ll see that this one is quite a bit more aggressive. The one on my hip...that one is softer, sweeter, a more cuddly Robbe--the one I see at home. The one I’ve known and loved almost my whole life. This one is a bit more badass, more intense--the focused scientist the world gets to see.”

Robbe swallowed, unable to form words, and continued to stare at the robin, his robin. Sander was right. Apart from being a robin with outstretched wings, they were completely different. The robin on Sander’s hip was etched permanently in his memory. He’d spent hours studying it, tracing it, and kissing it. It was softer, the edges less harsh, the expression less intense. He wasn’t entirely sure he deserved to be labeled a badass scientist, but he could definitely see the differences in the two birds.

Kissing his ear, Sander continued, “And anyway, my tattoo is special, so much more special.”

Robbe turned a questioning face up at him, still unable to speak, and Sander breathed a quiet laugh, answering his unspoken question, “Because it’s our secret. It’s just for us. The world can see this one, the awesome, amazing, intelligent chemical engineer who gets published in fancy journals. The other one is ours.”

Finally finding his voice, he whispered, “How? Why?”

Sander laughed in earnest, his whole body shaking, taking Robbe along with it. “Really, Robin? Do I ever need a reason to draw you?”

Robbe ducked his head, pressing a shy smile into Sander’s bicep.

“Okay, but really. I’d been wracking my brain, trying to think of what I could do for your birthday, and I had this idea. I knew this wall was here because we used to run around back here. I asked the pool owner if it was alright, and she said yes. What I wanted to do was cover this entire wall with your face. You know, because that’s how much I love you.”

Robbe’s stomach fluttered suddenly, and he placed his hands on top of Sander’s, briefly kissing the soulmark on his left wrist.

“But,” Sander continued, “I didn’t think you’d appreciate your actual face on display, possibly for years, so I sprayed the next best thing, your namesake. And voila! You got a three meter high Robin. Happy Birthday!”

Overcome with emotion, Robbe again couldn’t respond with words, so he spun in Sander’s embrace, sliding his hands up to his face. The light was dim, but he knew Sander could see him well enough; so he gazed directly into his eyes and put all of his feelings, his love, his complete devotion to and adoration of Sander into his look, trying to express how he felt about the gift without words--that he loved it, thought it was amazing, and was honored to be the subject of Sander’s skill.

Slowly, Robbe lifted up onto his toes and kissed him softly, worshipping his lips with lingering kisses and caressing his skin with light fingers, as if he were the most precious treasure that deserved care and attention and love.

Sander had always been great with words, but he truly expressed himself best in his art. Such a large, public piece of art was a declaration of love, as or possibly more meaningful than his words. He poured his heart and soul into his work, but this was a full exposure. There was no way Robbe, or anyone who knew the backstory, could deny the depth of Sander’s feelings, and knowing that until two months ago, he could not have done this, couldn’t have shared his love at all, let alone this loudly, filled Robbe with love and longing. Sander had waited so long to love him openly, and it was almost exploding out of him uncontrollably. It had exploded onto this wall, in vibrant colors, and Robbe could only imagine where it would surge out next.

His wonderful, beautiful, talented Sander was the most loving person in the world, and he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to finally have him, all of him. The feeling was overwhelming, and he started to deepen the kiss, pulling Sander closer and trying to plaster himself to his chest.

Sander smiled beneath him and leaned back a little. “I’m so glad you like it, and while I’d love to do this all night, we have to be out of the pool by 21:30. So…”

Robbe lifted up on his toes one last time, leaning forward to peck his lips. “Fine,” he sighed, “There better be more kisses coming, though.”

Smirking cheekily, Sander gave Robbe another quick kiss and said, “I promise. You will get more kisses.”

“Good. Lead the way, then.”

The purpose of the backpack became clear the second they entered the pool’s changing rooms. Sander had packed their towels and swimsuits. They changed quickly, and then, leaving their things behind, strode out into the large, echoing chamber.

Sander lifted an eyebrow and, repeating himself from before, said, “Race?”

Robbe nodded. “Race.”

They made their way to the blocks. “Fifty or one hundred meters?” Sander asked.

With a wicked gleam in his eye, Robbe answered, “One hundred. Butterfly.”

Sander groaned, and Robbe grinned evilly. He knew exactly how much Sander hated the butterfly.

“Fifty?” Sander hedged.

“Fine. Fifty. But then we do one hundred free. Deal?”

“It’s your birthday,” he said, stepping onto the block.

“Yes,” he agreed, smugly, “Yes it is.” He stepped onto the adjacent block.

They took a few seconds to set their hands and feet, and then Sander began the countdown. “On go, three, two, one, go!”

They dove into the pool, and Robbe almost immediately regretted choosing butterfly, as neither of them had goggles. Valiantly, he struggled on, kicking hard and sweeping his arms wide, opening an I when he could. Still, it was no contest. Even without proper equipment, he was back at the start while Sander had over half a length to go.

He swam over to the lane divider, and crossed his arms over the blue plastic, waiting for Sander. Once he touched the wall, he turned to face Robbe, sputtering, “I hate you.”

Robbe reached his toe out, poking him in the side, and said, “No, you love me. That’s why we’re here.” He tickled him with his toes, making Sander squirm back. He giggled proudly, and snarked, “You ready for the next one, or does the old man need a moment?”

“Old man?” Sander sputtered again, spraying water everywhere. “You’re the one who’s actually older today, and twenty six is by no means old.”

“Well,” Robbe said, reaching out again with his foot, “I’m only turning twenty four, so...math. It never lies. You’re old.” He extended his toes to poke Sander again, but this time Sander grabbed his ankle and pulled him under and toward him.

He came up sputtering and spitting, wiping water out of his eyes. Sander gave his chest a slight shove and backed him up into the side of the pool, placing one hand on either side. “So,” Sander teased, his eyes heated, “What you’re saying is that you like older men.”

Robbe wrapped his legs around his waist, hands braced on his shoulders, and said, “I love you. I like whatever you are. So I guess I like older men.”

Sander rolled his eyes. “Of all the things I am, you went for old. Thanks.”

“Sander?”

“Yes.”

“Shut up.” And Robbe curled his arms around his neck, running his fingers up into his hair, and kissed him. The kiss was less successful this time because neither of them could stop smiling. Finally, Robbe mumbled into Sander’s lips, “Okay. You’ve had a long enough break. Let’s go.”

Together they lifted themselves out of the pool and climbed onto the blocks. Sander counted down again, and they dove into the water. Freestyle was Sander’s stroke, so it didn’t matter how long they raced. He’d win. Every time. Robbe didn’t really care. He was just happy to be spending some carefree hours with Sander on his birthday.

As expected, Sander won, finishing several lengths ahead of Robbe. “Now who’s old?” he asked, as Robbe touched the wall.

“Still you,” and Robbe splashed him with an avalanche of water.

They spent the next twenty minutes fooling around in the lap pool. As with everything they did, there was a mixture of teasing, bickering, wrestling, and kissing. With the added element of water, there was also a considerable amount of splashing.

At one point Robbe had to stop Sander from tackling him because he’d splashed water up his nose. Immediately redirecting his momentum, Sander scooped him up in his arms and kissed his nose while Robbe recovered.

When he finally felt better, he snaked his arms around Sander’s neck and pulled him into a soggy kiss, Sander still cuddling him to his chest.

Robbe marveled at how different things were between them now and yet how familiar the whole evening felt. They’d spent years training and messing around in this pool, playing together, racing, competing, acting foolish--much as they were now. The pool had been their safe place, their neutral ground. Since they went to different schools, having somewhere they both felt at ease had been important, and somehow they’d begun to associate one another with water. Now, even as adults, it was where they came together, meeting up after work to trade out Amelia and exercise.

The main difference was the kissing. When they were kids, it had been about fun. Now, it was still fun, just in more ways, ways they could never have imagined back then. And honestly, the kissing was nice, better than nice. Kissing Sander felt like a miracle, something he craved like an addict. After being denied for so long, it felt wonderfully luxurious and overwhelming and special, like his body came alive and every nerve ending was ramped up, feeling each sensation that little bit more intensely. He was so lucky, so damn lucky they’d figured everything out. It almost made him cry, but he focused on Sander’s lips, slick with chlorinated water, and his own hands, as they ran over the muscles on Sander’s back and shoulders.

Robbe kicked out his legs, freeing them from Sander’s grip, and wrapped them around Sander’s waist again, giving himself a better angle to kiss and caress his soft, golden skin.

Sander, however, had a different plan. As Robbe aimed a kiss at his neck, he pulled away, panting as he disentangled Robbe’s arms and legs from his body. “Wait. Wait, Romeo.”

“What?” Robbe whined, his lip jutting out petulantly.

Sander laughed at him and cupped his face. “I told you. I have the whole evening planned.” He jerked his head over to the diving pool. “We have a date with my old nemesis.” He jokingly glared at the diving platform.

“We do?” At Sander’s nod, he shrugged and said, “Alright.”

They swam to the edge and crawled out, holding hands as they strode to the deeper pool. “Any chance,” Sander hesitated, bumping Robbe’s shoulder, “That I could convince you to...uh…” He snapped the waistband of Robbe’s swim trunks. “Remove these?”

Robbe turned to him, aghast, whispering furiously, “What? No, there are cameras! There have to be cameras here. No way, San. No way!”

Clearly disappointed, Sander frowned but nodded and began chewing on the inside of his cheek. His eyes searched the cavernous room, and he looked thoughtful. As if coming to some decision, one that pleased him, a slow grin spread across his face--an obvious warning that Robbe probably should heed but was willing to ignore--and clutched Robbe’s hand tighter, pulling him toward the ladder.

Robbe ascended first, and Sander gave his ass a light slap before he followed, making Robbe smile. Robbe reached the top and moved aside so that Sander could climb up behind. Sander’s fear of heights hadn’t followed him into adolescence, so venturing up here today wasn’t an issue for him. Robbe was sure he was doing it more for nostalgic reasons than anything else.

As if he could read Robbe’s mind, Sander said, “Remember when you punched that kid for me.” He pointed to the space in front of the bleachers. “It was over there.”

Robbe nodded, wrapping his arm around Sander’s waist.

“You were my hero, you know,” Sander said quietly, earnestly. “I was in such awe of you. This little tiny thing, dripping wet, hauling ass out of the pool to deck that asshole, someone who’d been tormenting you for months. That you, the kindest, most caring person I know, would defend me like that. It was...you were magnificent, and I loved you so much for it. That might have technically been when I fell in love with you, but since I was ten at the time, I definitely didn’t realize it.”

“Hmpf,” Robbe grunted. “He deserved it. He could have killed you. Even thinking about it now makes me--” His body shook, and he growled.

“I know, baby. I know.” He hugged him tighter. “It’s fine. We’re fine. And anyway, let’s enjoy ourselves. We’ve never been allowed to do this.” He spread his arms out, indicating the platform.

“What? You mean be up here together?”

“Yeah. We definitely need to take advantage because you know they’ll never let us do it again.”

“True,” Robbe agreed. Then he had a thought, and he turned an excited, crooked grin at Sander. “Amelia’s going to jump off this thing one day.”

Sander’s jaw dropped, his eyes going wide as an expression of sheer panic came over him. He shook his head dumbly, finally saying, “No. Nope. No. I can’t handle that.” He looked over the edge, shivered, and said, “No,” one last time.

“C’mon, San. It’s not like it’ll be next week, but yeah, it’s gonna happen. Our girl is a daredevil. We’re doomed.”

“I know,” Sander said, frowning slightly. “We are so doomed.”

Robbe kissed his shoulder and bumped him with his hip. “Stop worrying, and let’s jump off this thing.”

Sander stepped aside, still holding Robbe’s hand, and doing the one thing they were never allowed to do at the pool as kids, they took three steps forward and jumped into the water together.

Robbe hit the surface with a splash and plunged underwater. Somewhere along the way, he had lost Sander’s hand, so he used both arms to swim to the surface. Taking a deep breath, he noticed that Sander hadn’t surfaced yet. He searched around, looking for a dark shape. A few moments later, Robbe saw Sander rising beneath him. His body almost grazed Robbe’s as he broke the surface, appearing directly in front of him. Their eyes met, and immediately Robbe was suspicious. There was a playful, teasing glint in Sander’s eyes, a smug, self-satisfied glimmer that alerted Robbe to mischief. The question was what.

Before Robbe could ask, Sander blurted out, water spraying into Robbe’s face, “You know, I think I would have jumped off the platform sooner if you’d been allowed to go with me. That was a stupid rule. I’m glad we’re breaking it now.”

Robbe smooshed his hand into Sander’s face but smiled in agreement. “You’re probably right, but you eventually did it. On your own. And that’s all that really matters.” His fingers traced the shell of Sander’s ear before returning to the water to help him stay afloat. “I was so proud of you. I almost went hoarse cheering. You were amazing, baby.”

Robbe glided forward, reaching out to pull him into a kiss, and then stopped abruptly. Wait. Was Sander-- He slid his hand down Sander’s chest, following the curve of his ribcage down to his hip, and--

Nothing.

No swim shorts.

Robbe’s hand was now on Sander’s bare ass. He lifted his eyes to Sander’s and found that playful, pleased look again. He winked. “Enjoying yourself, IJzermans?”

“Sander, what the hell?” He pulled back, his arms and legs treading water madly. His eyes darted around, searching for Sander’s shorts on the bottom of the pool.

Sander began swimming in a slow circle around Robbe, leaning to the side. “You were worried about the cameras. Well--” he grinned, “The cameras can’t see underwater, so we’re safe.”

“I--err..umm...San, I don’t know,” Robbe stuttered.

“Don’t worry, baby. I have a plan. We’ll be able to retrieve them before we leave.” His eyes grew soft, and his lips pouted. “Please, baby, indulge me.”

Robbe knew he’d lost the second Sander turned on the pleading eyes. He rolled his eyes and sighed, moving his hands to his waist.

“Oh no, baby. Allow me,” Sander interrupted, stopping his hands. He brought his hands to Robbe’s waist, accidentally kicking him a few times as he treaded water, and unknotted the shorts. He then pushed them down and taking a deep breath, he plunged below the surface, arms reaching overhead. Robbe could feel him working them the rest of the way down.

When he could see a dark shape sinking toward the bottom, Sander popped up again in front of him, once again grinning. “Now doesn’t that feel better?”

“Honestly,” Robbe answered, “It feels kind of weird and not weird. Weird because we’re here, and I’m freaking out a little. But not weird because I’m with you, and it’s not like I’m not naked in water all the time at home. Well, except usually it’s in a shower, not an enormous, chlorinated bathtub.”

Sander barked out a laugh, leaning his head back. “Only you, Robin, would be analyzing this right now. Just go with it, baby.” At his words, he began circling Robbe again, his eyes turning predatory.

“Should I be worried?” Robbe asked, lifting an eyebrow and turning his body to face Sander as he moved.

“Not at all.”

“Are you sure? You’re kind of circling me like a vulture.”

“I’m just enjoying the view,” Sander stated, matter-of-factly.

“Pfft. You’re ridiculous.”

“Robbe?”

“Yeah.”

“Take a deep breath.”

“Wha--” Robbe began but stopped when he saw Sander dive beneath the surface, his pale bottom peaking out momentarily before his feet kicked up behind him.

Before Robbe could process what was happening, he felt Sander’s hand close around his ankle, and he was barely able to suck in a deep breath before he was pulled underwater.

So surprised by the turn of events, Robbe’s eyes shot open, and he looked around. Sander floated directly across from him, his dark hair undulating slowly above him. His eyes were open, focused on Robbe, his gaze intense.

Robbe realized what was about to happen just moments before it did. The bottom dropped out of his stomach, and his chest ached, his heart beating like a hummingbird in anticipation. Sander’s arms pulled back, propelling him forward, and then his hands reached for Robbe’s face. Robbe’s fingers automatically found Sander’s neck, and within moments they were kissing. This was happening. It was happening!

And...it was interesting, a little bizarre. Their lips pressed together softly, the water providing a surprising resistance.

As he tried to deepen the kiss, an air bubble escaped Robbe’s mouth, and as he opened his lips for Sander’s tongue, a gush of chlorinated water flooded his mouth. He exhaled it out, closing his lips around Sander’s, and kicked his legs, propelling them upward.

When they reached the surface, they broke the kiss briefly to breathe and then slammed their lips together, kissing more successfully and furiously, hands caressing whatever they could reach.

Even as his mind registered how romantic this was--that Sander had paid attention when they were watching Romeo and Juliet and understood how much Robbe wanted to try this, that Sander had fabricated this whole evening to give Robbe the romantic moment he wanted, that kissing Sander anywhere at any time was still his favorite thing to do--his brain couldn’t stop thinking about how awkward it was. Sander didn’t taste like Sander. Water still dripped down their faces, getting in their eyes and tickling their cheeks. Their hands were occupied, holding one another closer, which made treading water harder. They were so close, their legs kept kicking one another. The whole thing was a bit of a mess, sloppy and uncoordinated.

Even so, Robbe enjoyed it. He was here. He was with Sander. They were kissing in their childhood pool, and Sander loved him, a fact that still staggered him, crushed him, made him feel weak and the happiest, luckiest person alive all at the same time.

And everything so far tonight screamed how much Sander loved him. The date night, the robin, the pool, the underwater kiss. It was all so much, so wonderful, so ridiculously over the top, just like Sander, that Robbe couldn’t contain his feelings. Even as his body fought to stay in the kiss and his mind analyzed it, his heart exploded with love, overwhelming him. He needed more. He needed to be closer to Sander. He wanted to show him how much he loved him, how grateful he was to have him in his life.

Without thinking, he wrapped his legs around Sander, and within seconds, they sank below the surface. It didn’t take long for them to come sputtering back to the surface, laughing uncontrollably.

“Someone got carried away,” Sander snickered.

“Yeah well. You’re hot, and I love you,” Robbe countered.

“Touché.”

“Sander, that was...that was…”

“Awkward,” Sander supplied.

Robbe ducked his head, blushing because that’s exactly what Sander had thought it’d be like. Softly he continued, “I was going to say mind blowing, and it was,” he emphasized, responding to Sander’s incredulous look. “But yes it was also super awkward.” He blushed again and ran his knuckles along Sander’s cheek. “But thank you. You are the best, baby. This whole thing,” and he waved around at the pool in general, “Has been so amazing and wonderful. I can’t show you how much I love you right now because we’d drown, so I’ll tell you. I love you.” He gazed earnestly into Sander’s eyes, willing him to understand the depth of his feelings. “So much. You are truly the best, and I am so, so lucky.”

“I love you too, Robin, and don’t get too excited. I’m not done yet.”

Robbe startled back, “What? You’re not?”

“I actually have one last gift for you.”

Robbe looked at the clock on the wall, 21:20. “Well, you can give it to me soon, then. We have to leave in a few minutes. I mean, that is, if you’re giving it to me here.”

“Oh, I’m giving it to you now.”

“You are? How?” Robbe asked, confused.

“I have it right here,” Sander said, opening his arms wide.

Robbe looked at him, completely bewildered. Sander was naked. His pockets were in his shorts, which were currently at the bottom of the pool. What? How? Robbe’s eyes darted all over, looking for a clue, but he found nothing.

How could Sander have one more present to give him? What was it?

**Lets pretend this is one of the selfies they took at the tree…

Thank you for reading and celebrating this fictional boy’s birthday with me. I don’t think there’s any possible universe where Sander doesn’t spoil Robbe rotten on his birthday. Again, please forgive my mistakes (I was rushing to get it done), and I look forward to sharing the rest of the chapter with you….what is Sander’s surprise gift? Wait and see! 💖💖

#wtfock #wtfam #sobbe #Robbe’s bday #robbe ijzermans #sander driesen #I want it all #I hope you like this bc I’ve been thinking about this for months #it ends on a cliffhanger #that was intentional #I don’t want to give it all away #Did I look up the forecast in Antwerp for this? yes I did.#tho i don't know if this is what happened #do suspend your disbelief about the legality of all this #sorry if any of it seems weird #there really is a reason for everything Sander is doing #I promise #a good reason (that will hopefully make sense later)

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klbwriting · 4 years ago

Text

Unexpected Allies - Chapter 9

Fandom: Six of Crows

Pairing: Kaz/female!Reader

Summary: The Dregs finally have some bonding time but its ruined

Note: So complete honesty, the second song that inspired this fic makes an appearance in this chapter and its uh ‘I2I’ from A Goofy Movie so yes, you can all imagine my surprise when I heard this play for my kids and instantly said ‘the Dregs would love this shit’ and well, I went with it, also I think I used this gif already but I love it so its appearing again

Taglist: @amwitherspoon @mcntsee

Y/N spent the next day trying to catch up with everyone from her past, seeing old friends and even training the new Grisha that were volunteering for the army. It was refreshing after being forced to play a role she hated for so many years. She felt freer than she had in a long time and she felt herself coming out of her shell more. She struck up an instant friendship with Nina as the women trained the up and coming Grisha and she finally asked about Kaz's time in Ketterdam more. "So in Ketterdam you were a servant?" Y/N asked, staring at Nina surprised. "And I knew Kaz was in the Dregs but he wasn't the actual leader?" "I was an indenture," Nina corrected. "And no, Kaz was second in command to Per Haskell and well, I guess since Per didn't survive the assault Kaz is sort of in charge now. He probably said he was in charge to impress you." Y/N blushed and tried to brush it off. "I don't think Kaz goes around thinking about how to impress me," she said, sitting down at the dinner table with her plate of food. Nina smiled and shook her head. "Look, we all know that you and Kaz have a thing, Jesper can't keep his mouth shut, but we've all agreed that we don't want to say anything because no one wants to die by caning," she said. "So yes, Kaz Brekker thinks about impressing you, and apparently stalks you since that's about the 6th time I've seen him looking at you since lunch." She nodded her head towards the line for food where Kaz was standing. When Y/N looked and saw him he looked at Matthias as if he had been listening to what the giant was saying. Y/N shook her head and looked back at Nina. "I'm impressed that you somehow broke through that icy wall he has around him." "I don't think I broke it, feels kind of like I just found a small door and crawled through," she said. "I mostly just want him to be happy, well as close to happy as Kaz Brekker gets. Though I'm not made of kruge so I doubt he's that happy." "Who knows, maybe he likes you more than kruge," Nina said. Both women started laughing, drawing some attention to themselves. Jesper and Inej soon joined them with Wylan coming soon after. Matthias was next and finally Kaz. He approached the table and cleared his throat. Wylan looked up from his spot next to Y/N. "What?" he asked, noticing the murderous look on Kaz's face. Y/N rolled her eyes but smiled. "Move merchling before he gets angry," Jesper said, pulling Wylan closer to him. "I don't know how you tell...he always looks angry," the boy grumbled as he started eating. Y/N saw Kaz throw him a look before he started eating himself.

A few minutes into the conversation about the possible job that was going to be given to the Dregs Wylan threw a hand up and it smacked Kaz's shoulder. Kaz had let down his guard some, not really paying attention and didn't expect the interaction. He paled and felt a little dizzy for a moment, the world going a little fuzzy. He hadn't had an incident like this in a long time. He had come to expect the small bumps and touches from others and braced himself all the time for them. Now however, after the journey and him having held hands with Y/N last night, he had let down that guard thinking he was getting better, but this proved him wrong. No one else seemed to notice that he was struggling and he was glad, he didn't want them to see his weakness so clearly on display. He had to recover quick but at the moment he didn't know how, his vision wasn't refocusing and he could feel his chest closing, feeling sickness rising in him. "Kaz, listen to me." Her voice, he heard it in his head. At least he thought that's where it was. "Breathe. Breathe again. One more time. Now close your eyes and open them. Look at me." He did as she said and when he opened his eyes and looked at her he saw they were alone at the table. She smiled at him. "I told them you were still tired from the journey, they went to set up a fire circle for tonight, asked for us newcomers to join them." "Alright," Kaz said. He was still focusing on her voice, letting her talk and letting the sound ground him. From the way she was looking at him he thought that she knew what he was thinking so she kept on the conversation for them both. They wanted her to bring her guitar, wanted to hear her sing something. She hoped she didn't embarrass him with her song choice, it was going to be a silly thing she had written while in school. "Do you think you can stand and walk, they're waving us over now," she said. He hadn't realized it had gotten truly dark already. He was going to need to be better about keeping his guard up, he couldn't let something like that happen again. He nodded and stood, leaning more on his cane then normal. Y/N rose and kept a good distance between them, giving him space that he desperately needed and he appreciated her for it. They worked their way to the other Dregs and sat on seats around a roaring fire.

"Could have used your help with this thing Miss Inferni" Matthias said, giving her an annoyed look. Nina elbowed him in the ribs. "I could light your coat on fire if you really want to use my powers like I'm a trained dog," Y/N shot back, sitting down. Jesper had run to her tent and gotten her guitar. He sat down and handed it to her. Kaz sat down next to her and she felt his mood shift, his panic attack was over and he was back. He looked at her and nodded, confirming he was alright and she nodded back. "Play the song, I think we all want to hear it," Wylan said. The others murmured agreement and Y/N blushed. This song was so dumb and she was going to be mortified but she had promised. "Alright so remember I wrote this when I was around 14 so its going to sound like silly fantasy nonsense," she said. She tuned the guitar a little bit to make it sound brighter and started playing. It was more upbeat than anything she had played recently and she was really struggling with getting the rhythm down until she heard someone playing what sounded like drums near her. She looked up and Wylan had a bowl and some spoons and was making a beat for her to play too. 'Thank you' she mouthed to him and he smiled brightly back as he kept playing. She finally found the beat and started to sing.

"I got myself a notion, one I know that you'll understand To set the world in motion by reaching out for each other's hand"

She teasingly reached out to Kaz, a smile on her face so he knew she was playing. She expected him to blow her off, roll his eyes and look away, but to her surprise he actually squeezed her hand for just a moment before pulling back. She felt her heart do a little leap in her chest. It was one thing for him to touch her in private, where no one could see, but out here with friends was another story, he was comfortable with her and was showing it around others. The others didn't seem to notice as they were having fun moving in their seats, sometimes making wooping noises to the music as she kept singing about love saving the world. It was silly but it made everyone smile and that was what she was hoping to do. They deserved this time to bond as friends again. As the song ended they heard a mocking clapping from nearby. Y/N turned to look at who was ruining this moment and saw an older man who looked rough, and well, his eyes held evil in them, covered in a thin layer of cruelty. "That was lovely, just so sweet to see the Dregs back together," he said, voice light, like he was talking to old friends. Inej stood up, folding her arms. "Not now Rollins, we will speak later," she said. It clicked for Y/N who this was. Pekka Rollins. The man who had nearly destroyed Kaz. Rage roared inside her and she stood abruptly. She could feel the anger radiating off of Kaz next to her but he was controlling himself, biding his time.

"O, want to give me a private show little lady?" Pekka said. This brought Kaz to his feet. He had felt more then seen the rage that had filled Y/N when she realized who this was. He was practiced at containing his malice for Rollins but she wasn't. When she stood he stayed seated, hoping that Rollins would just finish whatever business he came here for and then leave. Apparently that wasn't going to happen. "What business?" Kaz asked like they were in Ketterdam again. He figured that's not how things worked around here but it would hopefully remind Rollins of whatever he came here to do. Rollins laughed. "Living in the past my friend, time to catch up. I just came to thank you Brekker, breaking me out of that Fjerda prison saved my life. If I hadn't be escaping I wouldn't have heard those Second Army shits talking about demolishing Ketterdam. Thanks to you I got most of my crew out, sorry about yours though, shame you couldn't get them out," he said. Kaz took a deep breath, remembering that his time to kill Rollins was fast approaching. He would do it in secret of course, take his time in the night and make sure that by morning the body would be unrecognizable. This mantra kept Kaz from striking the bastard right here. But it didn't keep Y/N at bay. Before anyone could react she threw a large rock right at Rollins's face, cracking him in the nose. Blood poured and he cried out in anger and pain. "You bitch!" he said. Y/N had a fireball in her hand ready to fire. "Leave now, your business here is finished," she said, becoming every inch the Darkling's second in that moment. Kaz could see her where someone evil, someone like him, could trust her, deep inside she was the same, she just worked to suppress those traits while he relished in them. Rollins took the hint and walked away, some of his crewmates coming over to help, glaring at Y/N as they left. Kaz and Y/N sat down again and they looked at each other. He was asking her to help him kill Pekka Rollins, tonight, without saying a word. She understood him completely and nodded. "Tonight," she said. He wished she hadn't spoken it aloud but it didn't really matter. "You can't kill him Kaz," Inej said. He looked at her with raised eyebrows. "His death is mine to collect," he said. "I call the shots for the Dregs and I saw when I take a life." Inej took a breath and he saw her change, her demeanor becoming one of a leader, ready to compete with him instead of work under him. "It doesn't work like that here Brekker," she said. "Pekka Rollins did get most of his crew out so our people from Ketterdam joined together, everyone was a Dime Lion or a Dreg and we were forced to become partners. If you kill Pekka Rollins then those sides will start infighting and this resistance already has enough of that. Leave him be, a Dreg cannot kill a Dime Lion." Kaz gripped his cane tight and stood, turning and walking a few steps. He stopped and glanced back, knowing that Y/N was following him. He let her catch up to him and they walked back to his tent. "I have a plan," she said as they entered. Kaz looked at her a little surprised and a little proud. "Let's hear it," he said. He knew they probably were thinking of the same plan but he would let her have the credit for it. "I'll get Rollins, if I had to subdue him I will but with how he looked at me I think he'll come willingly. We got out of camp and then you can have your revenge. I'll burn the body after. If he's found everyone will think I did it and after my display tonight I'm sure no one would be surprised. I'll make sure to distance myself from you and the Dregs out there, make sure they can't pin it on you guys," she said. Kaz smirked and nodded. Well, think you can work your magic in about an hour? Head out of the camp and go east, I heard there's a hut there for skinning animals, I think I'll borrow it," Kaz said, feeling the sick thrill of knowing he was going to do something truly horrifying.

#six of crows #kaz #kazbrekker #kaz brekker #kaz x reader #kaz brekker x reader #unexpected allies series

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spc4eva · 4 years ago

Text

Star-Burned: Chapter Two

Ngl, reader is well endowed in the breast department. hate me. trust me, reader is gonna complain about it later about her back hurting.

Paz fluff is probably my favorite thing to write. This fic is undoing me. Goddammit.

Word Count: 8,626

Rating: M (+18) oral sex m!receiving

Masterlist

Cross Posted on AO3

Paz barely understood what was happening when he'd crash landed, falling out of hyperspace and being thrown around the hull of his ship like a tin can before crash landing. It was miraculous he'd survived with just broken ribs. An even bigger miracle that he'd been found.

You were a pretty young lady with more hair than should be humanly possible, a ray of sunshine, and so hilariously goofy that Paz was smiling beneath his helmet half the time as you trotted in with meals for him, eying him beneath your mop of hair --- which you often tried to manage in a ponytail, though ringlets would fall free and cascade into your face smattered with a constellation of freckles. That's why he named you Tranyc -- Mando'a for sunny or quite literally translating to 'star-burned', because you were the ray of sunshine on his day while he was stuck in bed healing. You were good company, easy to talk to, never berated him despite how much of a burden he was. Took him less than a day to realize you were on your own, running the entire moisture farm on nothing but cultivated crops and several cups of caf a day. And despite how often you fumble over words, you were smart.

There wasn't much to do and the highlights of Paz's day consisted of you spending time with him. You had piled all your holobooks near him, given him the remote for the television, and anything else you thought he might like while you wandered off to go make repairs and tend to your livelihood. You must've been tired. The farm was a fulltime job on its own and now you had to look after him. Paz felt guilty, because you'd not complained once, not asked him for credits or when he might be leaving. You were cautiously curious, but not impolite with your questions. Not many people would have chanced bringing a Mandalorian into their home, let alone a young woman on her own. That was what was different about you and maybe it had to do with Paz's sheer luck of landing on a relatively backwater planet where people weren't in fear of their lives constantly.

Paz had lucked out.

He hated feeling weak, being unable to walk on his own, but you were blissfully patient and kind, cracking jokes and making silly faces, telling him how he'd be good as new to start back up on hunting -- or whatever it was that Mandalorians did. And while he was eager to not have his ribs feel as if they'd been kicked in by a bantha, he was also ruing the countdown for when he'd have to return to his ship and leave you behind. Despite it being a few scant weeks, Paz liked you. Not just because you were pretty, but he found your demeanor relaxing. So when he managed to get to his feet to go to the kitchen and he saw your hair sticking out on the couch, he trotted over without an afterthought to check on you.

He hadn't been expecting to see your coveralls crumpled on the floor and your beet red facing eying him in horror. Originally, he'd believed you were hurt from when he'd fallen on you. After all, you were a small thing. Despite being lean from working the farm you were dwarfed by him. And when the blanket had fallen over... Paz's mind began turning, the gears clicking into place, the disbelief that the pretty ray of sunshine had been caught in the midst of masturbating. To the thought of him.

Until that point you'd been hospitable and courteous, it was the last thing he expected and dangling deliciously in front of him like a forbidden fruit. He more than owed you at this point. He owed you his life and getting you off wasn't really repayment. In fact, Paz had enjoyed it, thinking the situation was more self indulgent than selfless. You became putty in his hands, passing out from a mixture of exhaustion and satisfaction. That brought a smile to his face -- well, there had already been a smile -- but it was bigger now.

He didn't mind cleaning you up and putting you into some more comfortable clothing, tucking you into the large bed that had obviously been yours. He had found discarded hair elastics under the pillows and a few socks that had been lost to the depths of the sheets. You had taken care of him, he could manage picking up your tiny form and putting you to bed. You didn't come around until morning when Paz was up in the fresher, still testing his weight on his aching chest.

"You can walk now," you popped your head through the open door, stating the obvious, but it made him smile that you weren't half as doleful as he'd thought you'd be after yesterday. "Um... I can make breakfast real quick and then there's something I wanna show you if you're up to it."

"If I'm up to it?" Paz rumbled, he still couldn't wear his armor, the weight would be too much of a burden. "How are you feeling?"

Your face brightened with blush immediately, matching the hue of your flaming locks at the sheer mention. "G-good, th-thank you."

The moment he'd put you to bed, he'd staggered off to the fresher to relieve himself and the throbbing erection he had from going through his ministrations. Not that you needed to know that he had been wanting more. Yesterday hadn't been about him. The last few weeks you had doted your attention on him.

"Good."

You darted away, back in your usual attire which consisted of mechanic coveralls, boots, and a tightfitting short sleeve shirt in russet. Your arms were bared from the bicep down and you wore a pair of beat up leather gloves, hair cinched at the base of your neck with a straining scrunchie that fought desperately to contain all the curls which rebelled at being held against the back of your slightly too large overalls.

Truthfully, you were very nervous over what had happened yesterday and even more distressed that you had slept away the entire freaking day. The hardworking farmer in you was berating you with every step, unbelievable, you slept the entire day until breakfast. Now, when drifters had stayed and you had slept with them, you had woken up and prepared breakfast without an afterthought. There was no guilt, no twisting of nerves in your tummy, because you knew that what had happened was a simple arrangement of two lonely people breaking up the cobwebs. What happened with the Mandalorian should have felt the same, but it didn't. Only one man had stayed a few days and engaged in multiple trysts and by the end, he'd been asking you to leave behind the moisture farm to go adventuring with him. While that was a very... juicy prospect, you couldn't think about leaving behind the canyons you'd known your entire life. You loved it here, even if it was solitude and silence.

From the views up on the plateau where your farm was located, a bird's eye view of the spanning clay walls, billowing in waves of amber, brown, and orange. Your favorite days were the overcast ones where the clouds would sweep low and fringe the mountaintops with mist. That was during the wet season when the lowest parts of the canyons would fill with turquoise water from the rain. The only freestanding water you'd ever gotten the luxury of seeing and it was still a trip on your speeder bike since you lived pretty high up on the plateaus. Wasn't that time of year though, it was still the dry season and so you had to keep regular maintenance on the farm to suck every bit of moisture up.

You kept mostly grains on the farm, but had a few animals to include tip-yips which produced eggs. Otherwise, any greenery you had was produced in your greenhouse, utilizing misty puffs of water to keep it nice and humid inside. Without it, you certainly wouldn't have been getting enough nutrients to live out this remote. You would stock up on seed every six months and grow leafy greens, root vegetables, had a few berry bushes, and rhubarbs. They were genetically modified to have additional benefits, keeping you going and healthy. You loved checking in on them, standing in your little bubble of green, imagining other planets that looked just like it but instead of being in a little capsule -- the entire planet was green. That was hard to fathom, giving the landscape you'd grown up on, but so were oceans and you knew they existed.

Jumbles followed you out to the coop, drooling all over the dirt as you scolded him for getting too close. His head drooped and he stayed behind while you picked out some fresh eggs and threw fodder out for the tip-yips. You knew if you didn't keep the birds carefully locked up, Jumbles would gobble them all up. "Calm down. I'll give you some eggs you beast," you chided as you stopped in the green house to pick a few vegetables and fruit before going back inside. You'd never wanted more aside from companionship and to not be alone. You loved your farm so much and all the work you had put into it. You loved this dry, arid planet and the raw beauty you got to witness. But you weren't perfectly content.

You were lonely.

Paz was waiting in the kitchen at the table, which was funny, considering he couldn't actually eat with you. Humming to yourself, you put a pot of caf on and then frowned at 6PO, who wandered around aimlessly. "6PO please make yourself useful. Go sweep out the greenhouse if you can't decide on what to do," you sigh, the droid looking as confused as ever, before creaking out the front door.

"Where did you get that droid?" Paz asked curiously as you set a skillet on the stove and began heating it up.

"Found it," you shrug. "Wasn't in one piece, so I scavenged parts and put it all back together again. Some of the neural harnessing was missing, so the droid will never be complete unless I replace it entirely."

"You mean you reprogrammed it?" he actually sounded sort of impressed.

You rolled your shoulders again. "Yeah, suppose so. Wasn't too hard. Lots of trial and error... and caf." And time. During the wet season you had more time on your hands and so typically that's when you'd spend it on projects.

"How'd you learn how to do that? Droids are complicated pieces of tech."

"My dad taught me. He was an engineer, could run this whole place without even trying. Always knew how to fix everything," you gave a sad chuckle at the thought of your parents. You missed them so much. Maybe if they hadn't passed you wouldn't be half as lonely and feeling as if there was something missing in your life. "Studied on... Coruscant, I think? Before the war broke out. Round 20BBY he came out here with my mom and I because they wanted to avoid the fighting."

"And he taught you everything he knew," Paz assumed.

"Oh, well, I mean, probably not everything. He probably would have found a way to fix 6PO completely."

"Do you mind if I ask what happened?"

The corner of your mouth quirked involuntarily and you stared down at the pan as you began sautéing the cut up tubulars. "We get a wet season here every standard year. The canyons are vast, mostly stone, and not porous. My mother was sick, so they had to make a visit to the city which is a 2 day trip on bike. Usually, we don't leave during the wet season. Too dangerous. But mom's condition wasn't improving and so my father decided the risk was worth it.

"In order to get to the city, you have to go through the canyons. This time of year, no big deal, but during the wet season? Can start raining without warning and when it does, the crevasses act as funnels, diverting water to the lowest point, which... you're catching my drift, right?" You glance up, not particularly fond of explaining how nature worked around here, especially when it had taken your parents from you.

"Flash floods?"

"Mm," you began cracking the eggs. "Can't outrun a flash flood. Not on a speeder bike. They drowned. So-" you drew in a sharp breath. You had rationalized this several times over. Never really talked about it, but it didn't make you cry anymore. This planet had been good to you. Better than most people could hope for when they settled on a farm. You knew that you were lucky because of that and you couldn't resent the planet even if it took your parents from you. "The Jawas found them a little while after that. They know us, we trade with them -- I still do -- and they brought my parents back for me. Despite what people say about them, they didn't ask me for payment."

"I'm sorry... was that six years ago?"

"Mhm," you confirmed, wiping your hands off and picking up a few eggs, cracking them over your massiff's eagerly waiting mouth. "Not your fault. Might be safe from raiders and looters, but it's a harsh unforgiving landscape. Sometimes you get too comfortable and forget about that. My dad knew the risks when he took my mother. They lived a good life, just wish they didn't have to go that way." You wish you hadn't been left alone.

"Where's the closest neighbor aside from the Jawas?"

"Hundreds of miles," now you were plating the food and grabbing mugs for the caf. "The canyons are the best place to set up moisture farms. The deserts soak up all the water from the wet seasons, but due to the stone around here, it's a lot easier for moisture to be trapped in the vaporators. However, they're remote and a lot of the plateaus are too dangerous to set up on because the foundation of stone is likely to crumble. Only about three farms in all of the canyons and this is one of them. We're the highest producers of water on the planet, especially during the wet season. 'Bout the only time I see starships since the city will come and pick it up."

You slapped Jumbles on the nose as he leaned over the counter toward one of the freshly assembled breakfasts, causing him to whine. "Oh shut it you baby," you hadn't even hit him that hard, just a little boop on the nose and he was pretending you'd wailed into him. "Drama queen."

You brought Paz's food over for him and went to grab your own. "I can go outside. A few things I can start on before we head out."

"Sit down and eat first," he invited, which confused you, because how were the both of you going to eat with the whole helmet situation. "If you sit at the counter with your back to me, it'll be fine."

Oh, well that went against what he said about only removing his helmet when he was alone. But... that also meant he trusted you. How many opportunities did you have to remove his helmet? The first day you probably could have if you weren't terrified of being shot. Until you'd gotten to know Paz better, he had been the big scary Mandalorian and not the patient and easygoing one you knew now. "Are you certain? I mean, it's not a big deal. I eat on the go all the time," you object kindly, not wishing for him to feel obligated to have you in your own kitchen.

"Sit," he insisted.

"Well, I mean-" you grabbed a chair, mostly talking to yourself when you muttered those words and pulled it up to the counter. Jumbles was drooling on your leg, looking at you as if you hung the stars, which admittedly -- was quite cute except for the fact that you knew he just wanted your leftovers.

"Where'd you get a massiff?" There was a click and a hiss, the helmet disengaging and being set on the table. You tried not to think about how easy it would be to turn around and finally get a look at him, focusing on your cup of caf instead.

"Kind of just... found him," you reveal, thinking about the day you'd stood toe to toe with the beast, your arms full of scrap metal, wondering if you were going to have to use the bacta shot after getting munched on by the creature. "Thought he was gonna try and eat me."

"It's wild?" Paz's voice was different, unmodulated. There was still the same warmth you were used to, but the lack of the radio static and translation from human to droid made your skin hot, little lances of static playing down your spine as the deep bass in its full glory.

"Uuuuh," you almost forget that you're eating, your egg falling off the fork and onto your lap. Jumbles gobbles it up before you even think about grabbing it. "Jee-uh-yeah. Started feeding him scraps, probably shouldn't have done that, and then he kinda just started listening to me. I read that on Tatooine Tusken Raiders keep them as hounds, so I thought that maybe they're just partial to bonding with sentient beings."

Honestly, you'd always been good with animals. An uncanny, unnatural, totally unexplainable ability you'd possessed since you were a kid and ran into a wild dewback and nearly pissed yourself. Instead of swallowing you whole, the dewback had palmed your hand and then trotted off. The canyons were host to a plethora of fauna, many of which were quite dangerous. Having Jumbles had actually saved your skin more often than not, as the canine was keen on keeping his source of food around.

"When they're raised from pups they are," Paz informed you.

"Oooh. Well, I found Jumbles when he was an adult," you gave the dope a fond pat on the head. He leaned into your gloved grasp and harrumphed contentedly. "Maybe he was already trained and got lost." Yeah, that sounded more logical than your weird animal whispering abilities. "He's been good. If not for him, I don't think I would have found you. He's the one who led me over to your starship." And that's when you realized something. "H-hey, Jumbles is living and your helmet-"

"I'm not worried about a massiff seeing me," Paz chuckled. "I'm not going to shoot your dog."

"I-I didn't say you were," you stammer, heart fluttering a little bit as you gripped one of the massiff's spines to comfort yourself. He could very easily shoot your dog. Did he want to shoot your dog? You didn’t think so, but you weren’t keen on losing him. "Just you said no living thing and then you'd only take your helmet off alone..."

"No living sentient thing," he corrected, his silverware clattering before the helmet clicked back into place. A tiny wave of disappointment washed off you, almost as if you were expecting to get a little more time with his raw unfiltered voice. "Thank you for breakfast. Good as always."

You blushed slightly at the compliment. It was just simple food, hearty enough to keep you going throughout the day. Standing up, you nearly whirled into the Mandalorian's chest as you went to retrieve his things for him. Catching yourself before you did, you offered an apologetic smile before frisking the plate from him and placing it in the sink for later. It was a sonic sink, you were very careful about how water was used. Only for food and growing plants.

Out by the front door you grabbed your outing belt, which had your blaster and a set of tools that you'd been using. Picking up the sack beside it, laden with a few canteens, ration bars, and holobooks you glanced back at Paz. He still didn't have his armor on, but he did adorn his belt with a vibro-blade and pistol. "C'mon," you told him, offering a small wave before striding out the front door and into the crisp, sunny morning.

Drinking in a deep breath of dry air, you gave a dizzying and pleased smile before beginning to talk. "Now, I told you that I borrowed your speeder bike to get us back up here. There was a bit of damage to it since it took a beating during the crash. Most superficial, which I managed to get the dings out of the metal and replace the exhausts which were nearly crushed. Probably needs a new paint job, but I didn't have any paint laying around," you explained, bringing him over to the bike. You'd doted a bit of time on it, because you knew bikes and it was easy for you to fix. Plus it was nicer than the one you had on the farm, so you'd been using it to go back and forth between the ranch and his starship.

Paz's helmet was craned down as he gave the bike a one over and your original pride began to fizzle out with each beat of silence. Finally, "You did a really good job. It... didn't take up too much of your time, did it?"

"Hm? Oh no, not at all. Bikes are easy, fixed plenty of bikes in much worse condition than this," you gave it a fond pat, relief flooding you that he wasn't upset that you'd fiddled with it. "But this isn't what I wanted to show you," you climbed on. "Hop on!"

Paz chuckled at your overexuberance, the way the bike looked much too big for someone of your stature. Afterall, it was his bike and so he'd gotten one that would fit his physique. Your arms were stretched upward to meet the accelerators and it was quite comical from the dopey, excited smile on your face to the way your legs barely reached the stirrups. He sat on behind you, edging up comfortably so that his thighs framed you.

"Might wanna hang on," you warned mischievously.

"What, this isn't going to be a leisurely ride?"

"The canyons look much the same when boxed in. Trust me, just hang on," you told him, feeling your cheeks roll was heated pleasure as strong arms encircled you and his pelvis pressed tighter to your backside. Oh, that felt really good, almost enough that you could lean back into his strong embrace and relax as you started this ride. But... No. You chased away the devious thoughts and tried not to fixate on the sturdy Mandalorian behind you as you revved the engine. It purred like a loth-cat, humming deliciously before you kicked off and started whistling down the hill and into the chasm that led into the canyons.

He wasn't expecting how quickly the two of you rocketed off. Arms tensing around you to prevent himself from sliding right off as gravity snared him, he let out a breathy laugh. "You weren't kidding."

"Tried to warn you," you laughed at him, shouting over the din of the motors that echoed against the canyon walls. Bowing your head ever so much, you went up another gear and stuck the wide turn. He grabbed on again, his chest now flush to your back as you dared to accelerate again.

"Where-" his voice was breathless in your ear. "Where did you learn how to drive like this?"

"Mom," you grin. "Dad was the engineer. Mom was the podracer."

"Kriff!" he cursed as you hooked the bike, reversed the thrusters, and then sputtered a sharp turn that should not have been possible except for the trick maneuver. During down time and on your long journeys to the city, you'd picked up a thing or two from your mother. Speeder bikes were easy compared to podracers, she'd tell you. Small, streamline, and capable of quite a few tricks if you understood the inertia, gravity, and capabilities of the machine you were on. Passing the signs out for the Jawas, you curved the halt, brakes slamming as the sideways turn kicked up clay sand and dust. He was still clinging to you even after you'd stopped.

"Did I frighten the big Mandalorian?" you teased, his vice grip finally relenting after taking a moment to realize that you stopped.

Paz's muscles were vibrating from the adrenaline filling him from helmet to boot from the ride. The last thing he'd been expecting from you, the little farmhand mechanic, were daring turns and hiking the bike up to full speed without as much of an ounce of panic as you tried to take a 90 degree turn. Even Paz wasn't as gutsy with a bike to attempt what you had done, but you'd stuck the turn gloriously and were laughing at him now. He hadn't realized that he could like you more, but you were filled with pleasant little surprises.

"Can you podrace too?" he countered as he let you go and you hopped down, springy, unaffected and brimming with joy. Your hair was scattered a bit, a few curls puffing loose from your scrunchie.

"Never tried, but can't be too difficult," you reply. Not arrogance or mock confidence, just... the comprehension of someone who knew a lot about machines and how they worked. "Now, come take a look. Gotta talk to you about somethings-" you padded away, leaving Paz to dismount and trail after you.

The ship still had a hole in the hull, landing gear squashed, but the supply crates had been moved back inside. For something that had crash landed, Paz was astonished how intact it appeared. The reason for his confusion was soon explained as you brought him inside and he saw that wires had been soldered off and repairs had been made.

"So, I've been heading out here when I can to make sure the thing didn't leak its fuel lines everywhere," you started, gesturing to the neatly arranged containers. "Now, I'm not a starship mechanic, but I have a few old holobooks and the manual that was laying around in here. I read up on them and was able to figure out that the fuel line was cut -- managed to fix that -- and the engines were running at 10% capacity after debris got sucked in. That's how the thing didn't explode on impact, the thrusters were still working enough that it padded your landing.

"Landing gear is shot. I don't have any lifts strong enough to hoist the ship up or the proper caliber of steel to fix the hull. I got the engines to bout 50%, so theoretically that should get you to the spaceport on the other side of the planet. Gonna be crunchy, don't know what's hiding underneath here. So you've got a few options -- try your best to get to the spaceport and the pay for repairs there, you can try to get off planet, though next planet over is Tatooine and you'd pay an arm and a leg for shoddy repairs, or we can try trading with the Jawas. They've got their sandcrawler which might have the capability of picking your ship up, but won't be cheap. Even with my connections they're gonna want something good."

Paz was flabbergasted and at a loss for words as he looked at the work you'd done on top of the farm, on top of taking care of him, and how candid you were about what solutions he had going forward. "How did you have the time to do all this?" he asked.

"Hm?" you were looking over at a few wires that needed to be routed properly. "Uh, lots and lots of caf."

No wonder you had passed out for over 16 hours yesterday. Additionally, you'd read dry holobooks on starships and for what? To help him? At this point he knew that you weren't expecting anything out of it. He'd not been to a lot of backwater planets, but he was beginning to realize that people like you were more common in these quiet remote locations, just happy to be helping. Why that nearly broke him right there, he couldn't say, but he was absolutely moved by your selfless compassion that you didn't even really acknowledge, because it was all so natural to you. A little gem in the canyons, hiding up on your plateau farming water.

"What do I owe you? Repairs like this cost a lot... you've saved me a lot of credits, Tranyc."

You were a little distracted, admittedly, your eyes finding the problems you hadn't remedied yet. "Owe me?" you repeated before finally looking back toward the visor. "You're my guest. Don't worry about it. Consider it a little bit of desert hospitality. There's still some work I need to do, haven't gotten round to it, but I figured you'd want to see your ship."

He didn't owe anything. How didn't he owe anything? Paz was shell shocked as you turned away, removing a set of pliers from your tool belt as you started working on the frayed wires that were getting on your nerves. People always wanted something, no matter how minute or simple it was and yet... You were fiddling along, pleased as a womp rat in sand you continued to chug along as if he weren't even there. And you'd learned how to do this in weeks? Taught yourself how to do it? Your parents had to have been smart and if your father studied at university on Coruscant -- you might've been modest about it, but that meant he'd imparted the same years of study into you while you grew up.

He knew how to make baseline repairs, how to weld, and keep the ship from falling apart. What you were doing -- he had no idea how to do. Truthfully, the gunship needed a lot of work before it was going to be good enough to leave the planet and you were correct -- parts were needed. Sitting on a storage crate, he placed his helmet in his palm and rubbed his aching ribs, trying to think of which path would be the best option. Going to the spaceport meant that he'd leave you behind. He also didn't know how much repairs were going to cost on this planet. Flying to Tatooine was just a bad decision all around, who knew if the ship could handle it. Then trading with Jawas... It would keep him around you for a bit longer and you knew the Jawas. He was bound to have something that they wanted aboard the Kote. He could also use a talented mechanic, but somehow doubted that you'd be willing to part with your farm.

The way you'd talked about your home, you were very proud of it and you loved the landscape. But still... all alone... he didn't like the thought of that. Even if this planet was relatively safe, what if the Jawas found your body in the canyon ravines?

He had been lost to his thoughts as you worked, the ship heating up in the midday sun. You'd flipped down the straps of your coveralls to work and that's when he noticed. A thin sheen of sweat decorated your arms, a few curls sticking to your face as you hunched over the controls for his cryo chamber. But that wasn't what attracted his attention. No, it was the swell of your breasts beneath the fitted shirt you wore, the perky mounds that were well sized for your slender form. The fabric left little to the imagination, mostly because you weren't wearing a bra. Why would you? You lived on your own and bras were awful, constricting things that made you even clammier on hot days. Plus they were stupidly expensive.

The coveralls usually kept them hidden, but with the thick panel of fabric cast down, Paz was staring. He'd been distracted by your lower half yesterday, but not his fixation was on the top. How could you look so good in just a tight fitting shirt that didn't betray any cleavage? He estimated that each would be more than a handful for him, the nipples pressing through the fabric and you didn't notice, completely unaware of the lack of decorum because you were a farmer and those sort of things probably didn't pop into your mind. Which was why he felt a tiny bit ashamed watching you, eying you from the protective mask of his helmet. Would you want him to touch you again? You had told him that you'd been getting off to him, but perhaps that was in the moment when he'd caught you.

Neither of you had broached the subject this morning, but nor were you being incredibly demure or shy. You were just being normal.

"Wanna toss me a canteen from in there?" you asked, pointing to the bag you'd dumped by the hole in the hull.

Paz tore his eyes away, glancing down, retrieving the requested item. Tossing it to you, you caught it and upcapped it, taking a few generous gulps and spilling some on yourself. He gritted his teeth as you wiped your mouth, the soft plush lips having been locked around the rim, the water seeping into your shirt. Your shirt. Dank farrik. Now he was staring again, hopelessly pressing his palms together as he tried to keep it together. Stars, he wanted more of you than just the bit of pleasure he'd brought yesterday, but it wasn't his place to take it. You'd already gone above and beyond in assisting him and so he couldn't just ask you to sleep with him, no matter how much he wanted it. That felt... wrong. Like a dirty, awful thing to request after he'd come to like you -- only utilizing you for your body in the end and not the company he'd grown fond of.

"Did you think about what you're gonna do?" you ask him, drawing his visor back up to you.

"The Jawas--" his voice was kinda hoarse, which made you tilt your head. "Might have something on here that they'd like."

A smile unfurled on your face, because secretly you'd been praying that he'd choose that option. Just stealing more time with the Mandalorian, despite the fact that he was stranded. You didn't want him to leave, but it was going to happen eventually, just like it did with everyone else who came here. Everyone left. Everyone but you and the animals. You were pretty sure you were gonna cry like a baby when the Mandalorian finally departed. "I can send 'em a transmission tonight. Probably will take them the better part of a day to get here, but they'll come."

"Thank you again," Paz insisted, but you brushed it off with a silly and overly dramatic hand wave.

"There's gotta be some kindness in this galaxy. 'Else it'd be a sad, miserable, hopeless place," you counter, springing back to your feet, dusting your gloves off animatedly. "Let's finish up in here and then head back. Got some work I have to do on the farm too."

Sonic showers weren't the best, but they were all that you knew. Aside from when the rain would billet down during the wet seasons, you didn't know what an actual water shower felt like. Either way, you needed to get the sweat and grime off of you by the end of each day, so you trotted out with your pajamas on and into the Mandalorian. You'd already contacted the Jawas and were getting ready to tuck in for the night when he caught you. "Oof, sorry... I-I didn't hurt your ribs did I?" Your eyes flitted to where his injury was immediately.

"I'm fine," he assured you, large hands butterflied against your sides where he'd caught you from doing too much damage by trolloping right into his chest. Big. His hands were big. So large that they covered your ribs entirely when gripping your sides. They lingered, the skin beneath growing hot and beginning to tingle. Then he removed them, as if he were worried about overstaying his welcome.

Your skin sighed where he released and you glanced up chewing your lip. "Um..." uncertain -- you didn't know where this was going, but why the hell not. What did you have to lose? He was stuck here until his ship was going to be fixed. "Yesterday--"

"I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have done that," Paz interrupted, launching your heart up into your throat.

"Wha-no, I liked it," you assured him, feeling courageous enough to take his hands in yours. Maker, you looked like a child, holding those large calloused palms in yours. "I... wouldn't mind more. I-i-if that's what you want, of course," you sputtered, cheeks sweltering and ears about to rocket off from the intense embarrassment you felt in suggesting such a thing. It'd been easier before. You could see the faces of your guests, gauge what they were thinking, see the lust in their eyes that you could give right back. They'd never stayed this long, never gotten to know you this well, and... you didn't want to make him uncomfortable because you felt a little horny with him around. But Maker, how was that not possible? He was an absolute unit, pure muscle, easy conversation, and had a voice that shattered your resolve like an earthquake.

"Would I want more?" he repeated slowly and your stomach sunk into the abyss, blood draining from your face. The leap of faith had been in vain and instead of swan diving into water, you'd hit stone. And then suddenly his hands were on your chest, driving the air from your in uncontrolled gasps as he squeezed. "Maker--" he cursed, vocoder breaking up as you almost melted on the spot. "So... you're so mesh'la. Had my eyes on you all day while you were working. You're such... a distraction."

He wasn't rough, despite holding onto your breasts, moving carefully over the fabric as he caressed you. In the past, your chest had been a fixation of other lovers because you were well endowed and you were accustomed to rough squeezing to the point where it was painful. It was almost as if most men just wanted to push them until they popped or just liked the pillowy sensation of squeezing and didn't care much for how it felt for you. They were bloody sensitive and you didn't appreciate them being manhandled -- except for right now, right now was good. Better than good in fact.

"Distraction? I'm the one doing all the work," you mumbled, leaning into his touch as he palmed you and rubbed circles over your breasts, the nipples stiffening beneath the fabric and dimpling it. "While you just... just sit there."

"I'm still hurt," he didn't sound very convincing, maybe that wasn't the point.

"Too hurt to be doing anything too... arduous," you pointed out, humming as he gave another gentle squeeze. "Last night did you-- I sort of just--" passed out. Say it. You passed out and left him there with an erection. That couldn't have been too pleasant. To top it off with a cherry, he'd put you to bed with clothes on.

"I took care of things, mesh'la. You left me with some... good visuals," his thumb was circling your nipple, still separated by your shirt, the careful flicking making you shudder. Your entire body was reacting, legs weak and the same radiating heat vibrating between your thighs.

"Bu-ut it couldn't have been that great. N-not like..." you fell off, head lolling slightly as his hands flipped the hem of your shirt and began cruising the plane of your tummy, scratching its way to your breast. A hot palm met skin, a low moan echoing as he grasped you firmly, but not too hard.

"Stars, you're so soft," he murmured, pushing the shirt up -- higher and higher until your breasts were revealed to the air. "Maker, look at you."

The praise made your thighs clench together. They didn't usually talk. Not as much as Paz was, which was somewhat ironic considering he had a helmet on and was a mysterious Mandalorian and yet he filled your ears up as he roamed you. No, it was all typically rushed, frenzied, and to sate both parties. Honestly, the sate part was just the rutting, having to take your own hands to your clit while your past lovers plowed into you. There was no copious foreplay aside from a little making out and breast squeezing and while they'd called you pretty, it never really felt the same as the way as Paz's voice. The way in which he was breathy, as if he couldn't believe his eyes, and that you'd been put on the planet delicately by the Maker himself. It made your heart rush, galloping forward, and it made you want him more.

"Le-let me," you found your hands, having been savoring his exploring before brushing the hem of his trousers. You had felt him, sort of, yesterday but you didn't actually know what was beneath the belt. From how tall and broad he was, you had an assumption of what was there. "Y-you're still hurt, s-so..." pitifully tinny, your voice was sliding away as you offered to give him something in exchange for what he'd done for you.

"Mesh'la... I-you have already done so much-" he protested.

"But yesterday--" you were whining now, hand coasting down more until you cupped his groin, feeling his length twitch. He was already hard. You weren't even undressed and he was already rock solid. "It'll feel better this way."

"Is... is that what you want?"

You nod, waiting for permission.

He couldn't say no. Not while your palm was between his legs and you were staring up at him with big, round, imploring eyes. In fact, he didn't think he could possibly deny you anything, removing his hands, the shirt falling back down over your spectacular chest. "I-Yes," he confirmed, drawing a shaking breath which made his ribs ache.

You undid the belt buckle, hands scrambling slightly from nerves before undoing the buttons. Coming down on your knees didn't really work, there was still too much of a height difference, forcing you to half-crouch as your fingers slipped beneath the fabric of his boxes and untucked his manhood. Now it was your turn to be wordless. You had expected it, but expecting and witnessing were two very different things. He was massive, just the sight of him making your core twitch painfully, imagining trying to accommodate him, doubting that he'd even be able to fully sheath himself in you without pushing into your tummy. If he could even get in.

Ok, so when you had offered to do this you thought he would fit in your mouth. Doubt welled in your stomach and he must have noticed as you stared down his cock, brushing a hand over your loose hair. "You don't have to-" he soothed. But the challenge spurned you on, undaunted and a little over zealous to be honest.

"You'll tell me... what you like?" you had just flattened your tongue against the weeping head of his cock, licking like a kitten, lathing him before you'd attempt to take more.

His thighs shook and he gave a terse nod.

You weren't extremely experienced in this field. Just enough that you knew now not to bite someone. But this wasn't just 'someone'. You liked Paz a lot and wanted it to feel good for him. To chase away the pain in his chest and to show how much you appreciated what he'd done for you. Guys liked blowjobs, didn't they? That's why they were requested so much, you just assumed that he'd like it all the same, and honestly you wanted to become more intimate with his cock after feeling it pressed beneath your leg.

You ran your tongue along his shaft, trailing back around before leaving saliva. Your hand smoothed the wetness over him, pumping a few times over his length to help lubricate him. Then you made your first attempt, tongue over your lips as you pushed his girth into the damp chasm of your mouth. He groaned, fingers tightening in your hair, which gave you the courage to take him deeper. The head of his cock met the resistance of the back of your throat and you gagged, eyes watering and jaw aching. "Relax, mesh'la. Relax your throat-" he managed gently through tight breaths.

Easier said than done, forgetting to breathe, your throat clenching, you were forced to pull away for a moment.

Spittle trailed down your plush lips, cheeks flushed wildly as you considered your next approach. You were a sight for sore eyes, Paz's own glued to you as you gasped for air. You'd bitten off more than you could chew, but he admired your undaunted commitment as you sank back onto him and closed your eyes, clutching onto his leg for balance. This time, you were able to take his guidance better, breathing through your nose before easing your throat. Your mouth was small, tight, and damp. With the accommodation of the back of your throat, Paz's hips bucked and a strangled moan crackled through the modulator.

"G-good. Fuck -- so good, mesh'la," he praised, beginning to move in tandem with you, fucking deeply into your throat. Your face was hot and wet, tears leaking out from your eyes at the sensation of your throat being stretched. The noises were wet and sloppy, punctuated by sharp hums as you tried to do well, to do what he wanted, to keep going -- but Maker, it hurt. Your attention was fixated completely on pleasing him, forgetting entirely about your own climbing heat, just trying not to clench your throat or forget to breathe through your nose. Then you dared it, reaching up and grabbing his balls, massaging them in your palm gently as he pushed into you. "Ahh- oh, fuck-- I'm going to cum. Do you want me to--"

You managed the smallest nod, squeezing him tighter as his thrusts rocked you, shattering almost all your resolve as you gagged. Ropes of cum splattered in the back of your throat, your lips suctioning to him as he stuttered to a halt, palm on the back of your head. His skin was like velvet on your tongue, slightly salty, but smooth and soft. Lavishing the last drops from his cock like precious water from the desert. In fact, it was more precious than water, more rare.

"Mesh'la... ohh," he keened softly, his hand spreading over your hair, petting you, brushing the curls from your face - which was wet with spilled tears, saliva, and a little cum. Releasing him from your sweet mouth, he brushed the white droplets from the corner of your lips, which you sucked off after it being offered. "W-what did I do?"

You tilted your head in confusion.

"What did I do to deserve you?"

You tried to talk, but your voice crackled in the back of your throat, so hoarse and quiet that you simply shut your mouth and blinked. Oh fuck. Had he broken your vocal chords? Panic began to seize you and you clutched his leg and offered a very broken, "UhhhmmMm."

He bent down, cupping your face, holding it between his palms as he took a good look at you. "I was a little too rough, wasn't I?"

"S'okay," fuck that hurt. Hurt to talk. Least you still had a voice.

"What do you want? Do you want me to--" His helmet was so close, almost brushing your nose as he looked at you. For a brief moment, you felt as if you were gazing into his eyes. What color were they? Brown? Green? Hazel? Maybe blue?

You shook your head and gave him a weary smile. That had literally taken everything out of you and you just wanted a cold glass of water and to curl up in bed. "Water. Sleep?..." you had to swallow again, struggling to get the words out. "W-with you?"

"Just... that?"

Oh no, had you chosen wrong? Did he really want to play with you? Honestly, you were good. Just making him finish had been enough for you. Your legs and throat ached, it had been a long day. You offered a dejected nod. No one ever really cuddled with you and you assumed that he'd be warm, comfortable, and feel like a blanket of protection. You wanted to feel that, even if only just once. Having sex wasn't as important as this to you. Sure, sex with him would probably be amazing, but you didn't want to overexert him because you were being greedy. Despite getting it infrequently, you'd never gotten a good cuddle. Not since you were a little girl and curled up in your parents' arms.

"Ok, ok, mesh'la," he agreed, smoothing your hair again before pushing his helmet to your brow. The gesture lit your cheeks up and felt... strangely intimate. Cool beskar kissing your sweating skin, chasing away the sweltering blush and just a thin layer between you and the Mandalorian. It felt like a kiss, but it wasn't. So gentle and tender that you let it linger and closed your eyes. "C'mon, it's been a long day," he muttered, gripping you beneath your elbow and guiding you to your feet. Your bed was just a few paces away and you were already dressed for it.

Who would have thought that a Mandalorian could be this... kind? From all the stories you'd heard, you had half-expected him to be a broody tin can that barely offered you the time of day. But there was a man underneath, a man who had desires, who had feelings, and who could be delicate. He wasn't all blasterfire, beskar, and war -- he was still a man.

He put you into bed, leaving the room for a moment to get a glass of water. You smiled at his return, accepting the offered water, and gulping it down. Your throat ailed and your jaw was already beginning to groan in protest. But the water helped. Putting it down on the nightstand, the Mandalorian removed his boots and climbed into bed with you, just trousers and an undershirt. Offering an open arm, his impressive bicep being revealed from beneath the short sleeve of his shirt.

You snuggled forward, heart pounding solidly in your ears as you tucked into his side. Maker, you loved this, the way his arm coiled around you, planting against the small of your back before tugging you in tightly. It wasn't as if you didn't feel safe in your home, you always did, but this was different. You trembled slightly because you'd yearned for this proximity, not just a rush of passion, but what came after and the security of him. From the strength of his muscles, to heat of his skin to yours, and the smell of him so close. This is what had been missing. The last piece to the puzzle that was home, the rut in your belly and soul curling pleasantly as you melted into him. Please never end. But you knew morning would come and one day he'd have to leave like everyone else. And you knew that day would be soul shattering. Because once again, you'd be alone.

#paz vizla x you #paz vizsla x reader #paz vizsla x you #the mandalorian fanfic #the mandalorian fanfiction #paz vizsla smut #smut with plot #smut with feelings #star-burned

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super-unpredictable98 · 4 years ago

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Foreign Dreams (Mute AU - Luba x Reader)

Chapter 2: Safe and Sound

Warning: Strong language, nudity, mention of death

(Foreign Dreams Masterlist)

When your shift was over you could barely believe how easy that was. Looks like seduction was natural for you after all, or maybe it was your pure, chaste front that attracted the guys so much and a few girls as well. That was arguably messed up, but as long as the money was coming, you were happy.

It wasn't as weird as you thought it was gonna be, most people were respectful and fun to talk to, which you were grateful for, and if someone wasn't, Luba was quick to take care of it. Rhonna and the security team seemed very much worried about everyone's well being.

"Here, sweetie," Luba handed you half of the tips for the night.

"Are you sure?" you took the money reluctantly.

"Oh, yeah... This is way more than I usually get, you really made those horny bastards open their wallets," he chuckled.

"That's good I guess..."

"I might wanna keep you around for a couple more nights, Mausi" he winked, putting on his long faux-fur coat. "So, would you like me to walk you home?"

"Sure," you smiled.

Oddly enough, Luba wasn't always this sexual creature you met at the parlor. He could be sweet, funny, and even goofy at times, you were enjoying seeing this new side of him as you talked about anything and everything on the way to the hostel.

The conversation never felt forced, there were no awkward silences, it was like the two of you really connected on a deeper level, like long time friends. You were never able to open up to anyone before, but something about him just made you feel protected.

"Well, this is it, home sweet home," you stopped and turned to face the not-so-inviting establishment.

"You're living here?" Luba grimaced.

"Yep, that's all I can afford right now, the plane tickets left me pretty much broke."

"Ok, this might be insane and if you're some kind of serial killer I'm totally fucked, but my roommate just... She just... Went away," He shook his head as if trying to shake away a bad memory. "Why don't you stay with me? At least for a couple of weeks while you get back on your feet?"

"Luba... I don't know what to say," you stared into those deep mossy eyes. No one has ever been so nice to you without any ulterior motives, it almost felt like a trap, but you trusted Luba.

"Say yes, this place isn't safe, especially not for a girl like you."

"See, you keep saying girl like me," you giggled. "I'm not this damsel in distress that you think I am."

"I know, but you're inexperienced, you spent your whole life sheltered from the world, and trust me... I know how bad people can get. Worse than your father, worse than anyone you've ever met."

"Why are you so worried about me?" part of you expected him to say he liked you, but it was silly to think of that, you barely even knew each other.

"I've heard stories, insanely scary stories," he held tightly to your arms. "I don't know what kind of people are in there, for all I know one of them could be like Ca... One of them could hurt you and I would never forgive myself for knowing I could've done something to stop it."

"Okay, let me get my things, I'll be right out."

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"It's not much, but it's safe," Luba opened the door to his flat and gestured as if to say 'ladies first'. "Help yourself, darling, if you're hungry or thirsty the kitchen is over there, the bathroom is the door on the left, and I'll show you where you can put your stuff in a minute, make yourself at home."

"Not much, you say? This is a palace compared to that hostel or the tiny room I grew up in," you spun around the living room, fascinated by the massive window that was almost like an entire wall. You could see all of the beautiful lights of Berlin and the drones flying around, but no one could see you, just like you always wanted.

"See? That's why I like to have you around, you get impressed so easily," Luba dropped his stuff on the couch and sat in front of the huge vanity on the corner to take off his make-up.

"That's the only reason then?"

"What other reason did you expect?" he quirked an eyebrow.

"I don't know... That you think I'm a nice person?" you filled a cup with water and sat on the couch.

"Well, that goes without saying, I wouldn't have invited you if I didn't like you."

"What's this?" you pointed at the wigs and foam pads piled up next to the vanity.

"Oh, this is my drag paraphernalia."

"Drag? What's that?"

"It's an art form, usually it's when a guy dressed up as a girl, but anyone can do it, it's like an exaggeration of the female features. Some of my clients like it."

"I think I've seen a couple of those back in Hollywood."

"I bet you did," Luba laughed. "I love doing it, it's a lot of fun, except for the shoes... ARGH, those high heels kill me! I always feel stupid when I'm walking in heels, looks like I'm drunk."

"You seem so graceful, I can't imagine you ever looking stupid."

"Well, thank you, but I definitely do..."

Luba got up and grabbed your bag, waving for you to follow him into the room. This room hasn't been used ever since Naadirah died, so it was hard for him to be there, but he couldn't stand the idea of letting you stay in that hostel with all those potentially dangerous people.

You couldn't help but watch as he placed your bag on the desk by the wardrobe and got a fresh set of sheets and a blanket. He looked very different without the make-up and with his hair down, just as handsome, but very different.

"What?" Luba looked back at you with a silly smile when he noticed your eyes on him.

"Nothing," you looked away from his pretty face, feeling your cheeks blush. You had no idea a person could be this beautiful.

After you two made the bed, you went straight to the shower, exactly what you needed after a long night of trying to look sexy for people you didn't know.

It was still hard to believe that you actually had a huge bed like that for yourself and a bathroom that you only shared with one other person... It was like a dream.

"Hey, y/n, what would you like for dinner?" Luba came into the bathroom as you were drying yourself.

"Jesus Christ!" you jumped, covering your body with the towel by instinct.

"Oh, Mausi, let's not pretend like I haven't seen you naked before... Well, I actually did much more than just see" he giggled and ran his fingers over your naked shoulder. "Is that why you left the door unlocked? You secretly wanted me to come in?"

"I just got scared," you panted. "I-I forgot to lock... I'm sorry"

"It's fine, here, it's not a big deal," Luba said as he took his own clothes off. "It's just a body, right?"

Your widened eyes and heaving chest brought an amused grin to his face as he stepped into the shower.

"I guess..."

"Tell you what, why don't you order some food? Take my phone, order whatever you want and we can watch a movie or something."

"Don't you think it's a bit late?" You rolled yourself on the towel, trying very hard not to stare at Luba's nakedness.

"Well, my shift at the parlor doesn't start until 4 and our shift at the club doesn't start until 8, it's not like we have to get an early night."

"Yeah, yeah, of course... Is pizza ok?"

"Sure, sounds great," as you took the phone and headed to the living room, Luba turned to face you. His blonde curls damp and his body dripping hot water. "You can stay and watch me if you want. I don't bite... Unless you want me to."

"I don't think that's a very good idea," you reached for the door, feeling that growing tingle on your lower stomach.

"Are you scard of me, Sonnenschein?" he taunted.

"N-no... Why would I be?"

"Oh, I see," he looked you in the eye while rubbing soap on his chest. "You're scared of yourself, of the way I make you feel."

You ignored the commend and left to order dinner, but deep inside you knew, his words couldn't be more accurate. The worst (best) part was that Luba seemed to enjoy how flustered you got, so something was telling you that the teasing was just beginning.

The pizza arrived just as Luba was leaving his room, he was wearing a pair of pink pajama shorts that matched the pink flowy silk robe. His curls were still wet, heavily falling on his shoulders and he smelled like lavender.

You both sat on the couch, the box between you two, and Luba put on an old movie you had never seen before: The Princess Diaries.

"What year is this from?" you asked.

"2001, my mom loves it."

"Nice, I love classic movies," you finally started to get comfortable there, it felt like home.

"Why is this pizza half plain?" Luba grimaced as soon as he opened the box.

"It's my favorite," you shrugged.

"Not even some pepperoni?"

"I don't eat pork."

"And you chose to come live in Germany?" he laughed. "Oh, Mausi..."

That was the first night, in a very long time, that you could actually enjoy yourself. The food was delicious, the movie was great and the company was nice.

You have been living on the run ever since you managed to escape the farm, at times you felt like that chase would never be over, but now... Now you had finally found your place. Maybe this is where you're supposed to be after all.

——————————————————-

You didn't remember falling asleep, it must've happened somewhere in the middle of Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. You didn't wake up on the couch though, you woke up in your bed, with the sound of a soft melody coming from the living room.

When you walked out of your room, you couldn't hold back a loud gasp: Luba was in front of his vanity, finishing up his make-up, his hair completely up. He was wearing a black mini-skirt and a matching black top that usually would be too big for him, but he had a pair of fake boobs on.

"Oh, hi there, Dornröschen," Luba smiled as he put on mascara. "How did you sleep?"

"I haven't slept that well since... Ever," you smiled. "I just don't remember going to the room."

"That's because I carried you," he looked at you through the mirror. "I couldn't let you sleep on the couch, right?"

"Thank you, that was really nice of you."

"No problem, you looked so adorable, I didn’t have the nerve to wake you up... So do you think this outfit goes better with blonde hair or red hair?"

"I like the red."

"Yeah, me too... Makes me look like Jessica Rabbit."

Luba quickly put on a wavy red wig, it was obvious he had lots of practice. Then he put on the high heel shoes and stood up, he turned to give you a full view.

"You look... Fantastic," you stared in awe.

"Danke," he walked towards you, noticing you staring at his breastplate. "Do you like them?"

"They look good on you."

"I'm glad you think so... I gotta go to work now. Do you know how to get to the club from here?"

"Yeah, don't worry," you assured. "If I need help I'll just use the self-navigation."

"Okay, if you need anything send me a text, huh?"

"Sure, have a nice day at work, and thank you so much again... For letting me stay."

"It's nothing, it's good to have company" Luba held your face with one hand and gave you a long kiss on the cheek that made your knees tremble. "See you later, Mausi."

Tag list: @elliethesuperfruitlover @crisis-of-joy @badsext (if you wanna be tagged, let me know)

#mute #mute fanfic #luba mute #mute netflix #luba x reader #robert sheehan character fic #fanfic #imagine #multichapter #mute imagine #robert sheehan x reader

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pines-troz · 4 years ago

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Weekend With The Warners: Chapter Seven

Summary: When the CEO assigns Pinky and The Brain with the important task of watching over the Warners for the weekend, Brain is prepared for any antics that the children have in store. What he didn’t take into account was forming a familial bond with the kids.

Warning: This chapter has some intimate content between the mice, but nothing lewd or explicit.

Word Count: 4,895

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27849962/chapters/72272373

Ten minutes had passed and Brain was starting to grow impatient. The mouse was exhausted after a long and busy day tending to the needs of the Warners and all he wanted was to relax in the comfortable queen bed. Whatever Pinky was planning had better be the surprise of the century.

The grunts from the bathroom ceased and were quickly replaced with the soft pitter-pattering of Pinky’s feet.

“Okay Brain!” Pinky chirped from the floor while bouncing up and down. “It’s ready!”

Brain rubbed his eyes and forced himself to get out of the comfortable bed. “This surprise of yours better be worth the wait,” He mentioned. As he pondered about what exactly Pinky had in store in the bathroom, he raised an eyebrow when he addressed another issue. “And sanitary as well.”

Once Brain landed on the floor, Pinky gently took his paw and led them down a trail of rose petals towards the bathroom. The chubby mouse was admittedly impressed with Pinky’s keen eye in regards to tasteful displays of romance. He assumed that Pinky must have made a few additional purchases with the golden credit card while on his shopping spree with Yakko and Wakko.

When they entered the dimly-lit restroom, Pinky swiftly scooped Brain up in his arms, causing the smaller mouse to let out a short gasp. The lanky mouse carried his partner bridal style towards the tape measure. With a swift kick, they ascended their makeshift elevator and arrived on the counter. The moment Pinky stepped off the tape measure, Brain couldn’t believe his eyes.

In between the sinks, there was a white cereal bowl filled to the brim with hot water, surrounded by rose petals and the wafting aroma of vanilla-scented air-fresheners.

“Poit! I almost forgot about the bubbles,” Pinky said as he gently lowered Brain onto the counter. The taller mouse ran over to the Alka Seltzer box and retrieved two tablets. Heaving the small tablets over his head, he dropped them straight into the tub. Within seconds, the bathwater was coated with large bubbles. “I just love the bubbles!” Pinky gushed as he hugged himself.

Brain stared at the tub in astonishment. Pinky took the time to prepare a nice bath he intended to share with him. It was a particularly nice way to wind down after a long and busy day.

The taller mouse looked over at Brain and dramatically presented his jazz hands. “Ta-Da!!”

Brain looked into his partner’s twinkling blue eyes. “You did all this…for me?” He softly inquired.

“Well, of course, Brain!” Pinky replied. “You must be tired after such a hectic day. So I decided to draw us a bath. Zort!”

The taller mouse picked up an empty box of animal crackers and placed it in front of the cereal bowl as a makeshift step ladder to access the tub. “I was originally gonna buy scented candles, but Yakko reminded me of the hotel’s no-candle policy.”

Brain was stunned that Pinky would take the time and effort to prepare such a marvelous display of intimacy.

“Why Pinky, I’m impressed by this romantic gesture.” Brain complimented.

“Looks like my years of watching soap operas and romantic comedies have finally paid off! Zort!” Pinky said confidently.

“Indeed it did.” Brain agreed. He looked over at Pinky and felt a pang of guilt. Pinky went through all this effort for him and Brain was initially skeptical of what his partner had in store for him. Pinky was simply too good for him.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve this.” Brain muttered.

Pinky’s ears perked upwards when he heard Brain doubt himself. The taller mouse marched over to his partner’s side. With his arms crossed, he stared down the smaller mouse with a hardened frown. “Brain, now what did Dr. Scratchinsniff say to you about having a self-deprecating outlook on things?” He gently reprimanded.

Brain looked into Pinky’s hardened stare and sighed. He was still working on improving his sense of self. Years of being fodder for science at Acme Labs combined with the countless failed schemes to take over the world had drilled the terrible idea that Brain didn’t deserve anything good and decent in this world, which stemmed from the conditioning from the traumatic experiment during his youth. But Pinky proved him otherwise. He still stood by his side all these years and supported him and was more than willing to give affection. And with the additional help from his therapist, Brain was working on bolstering his self-esteem and learning to love himself.

“You’re right, Pinky. I deserve nice things.” Brain softly admitted.

“Yes, you do!” Pinky exclaimed. His goofy smile returned as he pulled Brain into a hug, nuzzling his cheek. Once they broke apart from the embrace, Pinky stared at him with sultry eyes. “Now why don’t you hop in the tub, where we can relax and admire each other.”

Brian lightly chuckled at his partner’s innuendo. Oh, he looked forward to admiring Pinky all right. The Warners were already fast asleep, so there was no issue with the two of them spending some alone time together, doing some rather adult activities.

“Yes Pinky, there’s nothing I want more than to admire you all night long…” Brain said in a husky voice, trying his best to sound flirty. Pinky’s cheeks turned pink at Brain’s suggestive comment and pressed his paws to conceal his blush.

The smaller mouse carefully took off his plush robe, folded it, and placed it next to the towels. He climbed up the animal cracker box, approaching the edge of the tub. He dipped his toe in the water and was content that it was a suitable temperature. Hot, but not boiling. Brain slowly entered the tub and submerged himself into the heated water. He closed his eyes and let out a blissful sigh. The hot water soaked through his ivory coat, soothing his tired muscles. After tending to the kids’ needs for the past two days, it was truly rewarding to be soaked in a hot bath lovingly prepared by his partner.

“Ah, sweet euphoria.” Brain said.

“Oh Braaain!” Pinky sang.

The pudgy mouse opened his eyes and turned to Pinky, who flirtily batted his eyes. Brain noticed that Pinky purposefully exposed his right shoulder from the purple robe. The lanky mouse loosened the belt of his robe, swiftly yanked it off, and tossed it over to the side. With a seductive smile, Pinky dropped the robe onto the floor. Now only wearing his white fur, he placed his hands on his hips as he strutted over towards the tub.

Brain couldn’t help but stare with saucer-sized eyes as he watched Pinky flirtatiously swish his hips, humming seductively. “Yeeesss!!” The eloquent mouse cried out.

Pinky giggled as he looked at his awe-struck lover. As he ascended the makeshift step ladder, he accidentally tripped over his foot. Pinky waved his arms around in a feeble attempt to maintain his balance, but to no avail as he plunged into the water with a tremendous splash.

Brain’s eyes widened with alarm. “Pinky!” He shouted, thrusting his arms through the bubbled water to get his grip on his partner so he could pull him up. Fortunately, the taller mouse broke through the surface with a silly grin and his hair shielding his eyesight.

“Oh, what a rush!” Pinky guffawed as he lifted up his hair tufts, his blue eyes gleaming with joy.

Brain was overcome with relief that Pinky wasn’t seriously hurt from his fall. The smaller mouse placed his hands over his beau’s right hand, giving a gentle squeeze. “Please don’t scare me like that again.”

“I won’t,” Pinky reassured as he gently placed his left paw on Brain’s shoulder. But the taller mouse immediately noticed how stiff it was and became concerned. “Oh dear,” He muttered. “I guess watching the little kiddies has worn you out?”

“Yes,” Brain admitted. “While I certainly made many treasured memories bonding with the kids, it really did a number on my physical state.”

With a gentle hand, Pinky tilted Brain’s chin upwards and gazed into his precious pink eyes. “Not to worry Brain, I know how to help.”

Brain smiled gratefully at his lanky partner. Pinky was more than ready to shower his affection. Fortunately, the lanky mouse prided himself on being a skilled masseuse, well-versed in different techniques.

Pinky brought himself closer to Brain’s side. With gentle arms, Pinky grabbed his partner’s waist and hoisted him onto his lap. The lanky mouse let his hands travel over to Brain’s soft belly, and he couldn’t help but playfully squish the folds of his fur. “Oh Brain, I just love your jiggly-wiggly tummy-tum!”

Brain became a flustered, insecure mess at the mere mention of his potbelly and immediately yanked Pinky’s hands away. “Pinky, stop this foolishness at once.” He commanded, trying to conceal his self-consciousness over the one part of his body he saw as a blemish.

Feeling guilty, Pinky pulled Brain closer and rested his chin underneath his chubby head. “Poit! I’m sorry Brain. But I love your tummy just as much as I love every part of you!” The eccentric mouse reassured as he placed his hands on the smaller mouse’s shoulders.

“I know…” Brain admitted. He couldn’t bother to protest his partner, who only saw the beauty of everything, including his rotund belly.

Pinky began to massage Brain’s shoulders. The eloquent mouse felt at ease as he allowed his partner to gently caress him. With deft hands, Pinky carefully applied an appropriate amount of pressure onto Brain’s shoulders. While working on his shoulders, Pinky peppered small kisses on the top of Brain’s head.

Brain eased into the taller mouse’s hold and began to ponder. How could someone like Pinky, who likes to suck on his toes and watch those dreaded finger puppet videos on YouTube, be so knowledgeable in romantic manners such as this?

The lanky mouse then let go and focused his attention on Brain’s chubby head. Gently placing his hands on his partner’s large cranium, he carefully kneaded his fingers in a soothing motion.

Brain blissfully sighed as he felt Pinky’s tender paws work their magic. He always loved when Pinky massaged his head. The small mouse prided himself in his intellect, but his normally dim-witted partner knew exactly how to care for his abnormally large head. He closed his eyes as he felt Pinky’s fingers carefully caress through his fur. Such dexterity! What careful precision!

“Yeeesss!!!” He exclaimed.

Pinky smiled. He was glad to see Brain so happy after a long weekend. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, Brain. After watching the kiddies all weekend, it’s nice to relax in a nice bath.” He remarked.

Brain opened his eyes the moment Pinky mentioned the Warners. “Yes, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.” He said as he carefully got off Pinky’s lap and moved over to face him.

“I’ve been pondering a lot about parenthood.” The eloquent mouse began. “I’m sure you recall the fond memories we had with Roman.”

“Oh, watching our little Romy grow up was the best two weeks of my life!” Pinky crowed. “We should give him a call tomorrow night! I bet he’s doing wonderful with his career in ventriloquism.”

“Absolutely.” Brain concurred. It’s been a while since they last conversed with their cloned son, and he was curious to hear how Romy would react to his and Pinky’s weekend shenanigans with the toon kids.

“Oh, what I’d give to be a parent again.” Pinky sighed, his eyes gleaming with nostalgia and desire.

Brain smiled, fully understanding his partner’s sentiment. He placed a paw on Pinky’s cheek, turning his head to face him. “Perhaps we could become fathers once more, dear Pinky.”

Pinky’s eyes widened with excitement while he instinctively held Brain’s hand, which still rested on his cheek. He never thought that he would have more kids, after Romy and that brief time watching over that adorable alien baby. But balancing a family and a career proved to be too much of a challenge. But now that Brain was feeling more and more sure of himself after seeking professional help and their blossoming romantic relationship, the lanky mouse was eager to hear what Brain had to say.

“Really Brain?” Pinky asked enthusiastically. Brain nodded as he carefully retracted his hand from his partner’s cheek and opted to hold his hand instead.

“When we first accepted the babysitting job from the CEO, I initially did not think much of it, besides an obstacle that interrupted my plans for world domination. But after spending some time with the Warners, I found myself growing emotionally attached to the children. And, much to my surprise, they seem to reciprocate those feelings.”

“I know Wakko and Dot are on board!” Pinky eagerly interjected. But a small frown slowly crossed his face. “Poit. Although Yakko was having trouble seeing us as parent material since he’s been looking after his siblings for so long without any help.”

Brain pondered as he looked over to the slowly dispersing bath bubbles. “I can understand why he would feel that way…” The mouse returned his gaze at Pinky, who stared at him with a worried expression. “However, I believe that Yakko will eventually warm up to us after some time.”

“You really think so?” Pinky softly inquired, his voice filled with hope.

Brain gave his partner a confident nod. “I’m certain of it.”

If the Warners still wanted to have him and Pinky around after the weekend, then he would be able to provide them with parental affection. If it came down to being a mere lab mouse or the guardian of three wacky children, then Brain would be more than happy to leave his days at Acme Labs behind.

Brain looked back at his beau. “You know, Pinky. I think I’m ready to get back on the saddle again.”

Pinky’s eyes lit up. “Oh, goodie!” He clapped, but then a sad frown crossed his face. “Oh, but wait! No, no…”

Brain’s ears drooped, feeling crestfallen by Pinky’s sudden refusal. He showered unconditional love to the Warners, even gushing over becoming a parent again. What was going on in that strange head of his?

“What is it?” Brain asked worriedly.

“I forgot my saddle at the lab,” Pinky explained forlornly. “Had I known that you wanted to play horsie over the weekend, then I would have had it packed in my suitcase.” But the mouse’s eyes widened when he thought of something and gave Brain a flirty smile. “Although, we could make it work without a saddle!”

Brain blushed furiously as he massaged his forehead. “I wasn’t referring to one of our roleplaying sessions, Pinky!” He splashed his hand into the water to get his partner’s attention. “I was talking about becoming a father again!”

“Ohh…” Pinky muttered in realization. But then he became excited by Brain’s admission. “You really want to be a dad again!?”

“Absolutely,” Brain replied. “Not to mention how Wakko and Dot already referred to us as their fathers. But the more I think about it, there are several benefits to adopting the Warners.”

“Like what?” Pinky eagerly inquired.

“Well, for one thing, we would no longer have to reside in the lab and go through the rigorous experiments that take a tremendous toll on our physical and emotional well-being.” Brain explained. “Granted, the only downside is that the water tower doesn’t have the necessary lab equipment or other resources to aid my quest for world domination, but I’ll figure something out.”

Pinky’s eyes lit up at the idea of moving into the water tower. “You mean I can finally live out my dreams of being a homemaker?”

“Absolutely, dear Pinky.” Brain fondly replied, his ears contentedly flattened. “And we can apply the lessons we learned from raising Roman to the Warners. I won’t make any attempts to force my desire of world domination onto the kids, and you won’t overly smother them with affection.”

“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try my best,” Pinky mentioned. “Oh! And Romy can finally have younger siblings to play with! Narf! And the four of them will have such a fun-fun, silly-willy time together!”

Brain chuckled. He had to admit that they were getting ahead of themselves, pondering over the possibilities of returning to fatherhood. Of course, it all came down to whether the Warners wanted to have them back in their lives, and the consensus is that they have a two-out-of-three approval rating. But the smaller mouse was desperate to make sure that everyone was on board before making any life-changing decisions.

The small mouse cleared his throat. “Tell you what, we’ll take the kids out for a nice brunch at a fancy restaurant, and then spend the afternoon at the park.” He explained while rubbing the back of his head. “But before we return to the Warner movie lot, we’ll ask the children how they feel about being adopted. And, if they say yes, then we’ll kiss Acme Labs goodbye and start a new home with the Warners!”

Pinky’s blue eyes glistened with joy. “Egad, brilliant Brain!” He cheered, clasping his paws together and letting out a contented sigh. “But do we have to kiss the lab?”

Brian rolled his eyes at his partner’s ludicrous statement. “No Pinky, that’s just a figure of speech.”

“Ohh,” Pinky uttered.

Brain allowed himself to smile at his clueless partner. “You know, I’m actually glad that we took this babysitting gig this weekend, Pinky.” He said as he moved closer to Pinky with the intention of giving him a passionate kiss.

“Me too.” Pinky agreed. Pinky leaned closer to Brain, who had his eyes closed in preparation to lock lips with his partner. But before Pinky could seal the deal, he remembered something incredibly important he wanted to share.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Pinky exclaimed, startling Brain.

“About what?” The smaller mouse inquired.

“Since we were talking about saddles earlier, we should buy one of those dad saddles for the man-suit and we could take turns riding the kids around as they pretend to be cowboys and pirates! Narf!”

“Pinky, I am not stooping so low as to purchase a degrading joke toy that would chip away at my dignity!” Brain argued.

“But just imagine how much fun the kids would have! And since we would be giving them horse rides with the suit, we wouldn’t have to worry about back pain, and-”

In an effort to shut Pinky up, Brain propped himself across his partner’s lap, cupped his face, and proceeded to kiss him. Pinky’s eyes widened in surprise. Normally he would be the one to make the first move. But in a subversive turn of events, Brain was the one initiating the intimate moment. Pinky closed his eyes and savored the kiss.

Once they parted lips, Pinky saw Brain’s cheeks flushed. The lanky mouse smiled warmly at his pudgy partner, gazing into his pretty pink eyes. He leaned in, kissing his partner back.

Pinky tenderly placed his paw on the smaller mouse’s right cheek as their lips collided. Brain immediately wrapped his arms around Pinky’s neck, bring himself closer. Feeling rather frisky, Brain inserted his tongue into Pinky’s mouth, causing his partner to elicit a contented moan.

Both mice were in bliss.

But the intimate moment was broken the moment they heard the door open. The couple broke away from their kiss and turned around, only to find Wakko waiting by the doorway and staring at them with wide eyes.

The mice and the middle child proceed to scream at each other.

Wakko pointed at the mice as he stared at the terrifying sight of two grown-ups doing very grown-up things. Brain clung onto Pinky’s chest, while the taller mouse grabbed a handful of bubbles to cover his modesty, not taking into account that the bubbles were now roughly the size of his fingertips.

Just when things couldn’t possibly get any worse for the mice, they heard a pair of shuffling feet approaching the doorway.

“Wakko, what’s wrong?” Yakko asked as he rushed towards his sibling’s side with Dot following his trail. But the eldest sibling was surprised to see the mice sharing a tub together. “Woah there!” He exclaimed in a disbelieving smile.

The mice stared at the three children like deer in headlights. Brain felt his cheeks burn at the thought of Yakko constantly bringing up this moment in private conversations (though Yakko was a chatterbox, he would never intentionally spread malicious gossip about his co-workers). The mortified mouse was never going to hear the end of it!

Dot also appeared by the doorway and was immediately overjoyed by what she saw. “Aww, you two are sharing a romantic moment together!” She inquired, her eyes sparkling like gemstones.

Before Brain could make a sardonic response, Pinky lifted his hands and gathered another small pile of bubbles. “No, we weren’t!” He lied with a nervous chuckle. “We were just having a foam party!”

“A foam party? Well how come we weren’t invited?” Wakko questioned, feeling a little sad at the thought of being left out of a fun party.

“Oh dear,” Pinky mumbled, for he didn’t think this through. Snapping his fingers, he came up with a fib on the fly. “Well, this foam party is exclusive, and uh, only adult mice are allowed! Troz!” He explained while flashing a guilty smile. Brain smacked his paw against his forehead and groaned.

Dot knew that Pinky was lying, but couldn’t help but joke. “Well, shame on the party planners for holding such segregationist attitudes.” She replied, feigning offense.

Yakko smirked at the two mice. “So, what kinda party games were you two playing? Seven minutes in heaven?” He inquired with bouncing eyebrows.

“As a matter of fact, we were.” Brain retorted. He turned his direction over to the middle child, seeing that their overreaction alerted their siblings, which led to this awkward and mortifying mess. “So Wakko, is there anything you need?”

“I only need to use the potty,” Wakko answered their older brother’s question before turning his attention back to the mice. “But I can wait if you need some extra time alone.”

The mice exchanged worried looks and decided to put an end to their romantic time in the tub.

“There’s no need for you to wait on our behalf,” Brain assured as he quickly emerged from the makeshift tub. “Just give us a moment to leave and we will allow you to do your business.”

The moment Brain stepped off of the animal cracker box, he noticed how sopping wet his fur was. Pinky quickly followed as he hastily exited the tub and tripped onto the counter. Brain took a towel and wrapped it around his waist, while Pinky wrapped his towel around his chest. The smaller mouse retrieved the plush robes and grasped his partner’s hand. Dot offered her hands out and the mice quickly jumped onto her palms. Once she carried the beaus from the bathroom, Wakko immediately ran in and slammed the door shut.

After a moment, Yakko was the first to break into a fit of laughter. He collapsed on the bed, kicking his legs and clutching his stomach as cackled. Dot and Pinky couldn’t help but join in as well while Brain stood in her palm with an irate frown.

“This is most undignified.” He grumbled.

“Aw Brain,” Pinky comforted as he pulled his partner into a side hug. “You have to admit, that was pretty funny!”

At this point, Yakko’s laughter had died down and after hearing Brain’s complaint, he felt a little sorry for unexpectedly invading their personal space.

“Hey now, we didn’t mean to cause any trouble,” Yakko assured.

“Even if you two looked adorable in your moment of intimacy.” Dot added.

At that moment, they heard the toilet flush and the sink going off. Brain was thankful that Wakko had the decency to wash their hands. The bathroom door swung open and Wakko leaped onto the bed, joining their siblings.

“I’m sorry for interrupting your foam party…” Wakko apologized in earnest.

“Not to worry dear!” Pinky acknowledged.

Despite his embarrassment, Brain couldn’t help but smile at the middle child’s sincerity. “There’s no need for you to apologize, Wakko. Pinky and I should have been more thoughtful about using the bathroom for our own selfish purposes.”

“Like making out?” Yakko asked with a mischievous grin.

“Yes, always.” Brain responded sarcastically with flushed cheeks. “Now Dot, would you be so kind as to put Pinky and me back in our beds?”

Dot wordlessly nodded and gently placed the mice back on their mattress.

Brain turned over to the three children. “Now I want you all to get some sleep. Pinky and I are going to be taking you out to an exquisite brunch tomorrow morning and I expect you all to get up at a decent hour.”

“Okay!” The Warners chorused.

Brain nodded, pleased that the rambunctious children understood the game plan for the following day. He and Pinky tossed aside their towels and dressed in their plush robes. Once the mice were comfortable, they tucked themselves under the covers. Wakko leaned over the nightstand and turned off the light once more.

Brain laid awake. Even after such a romantic moment spent with Pinky, only to be accidentally spoiled by the Warners, it was going to be difficult to fall asleep after that incident.

On the other mattress, Yakko himself was also having trouble trying to sleep. Nights were usually the hardest for the teen because he had a lot on his mind. The well-being of his siblings, the state of his career, the very nature of his existence as a toon. It was a lot for a youngster like him to take in, even if he had been the same age for decades. He wished that there was something to take his mind off of such dreadful topics.

“Hey Brain,” He heard Wakko loudly whisper. “Are you up.”

“Yes,” The mouse groggily answered. “Is there anything you need?”

“Well,” Wakko began, sounding rather sheepish. “Could you sing me to sleep? I can’t go to sleep and I don’t wanna wake Yakko up.”

Yakko was stunned to hear his sibling be considerate of his feelings. Yakko wanted to swoop in and tend to Wakko’s needs, but he tossed that idea aside because he wanted to see where this situation was going.

“Very well. I’ll make sure it’s extra boring so you could fall asleep faster.” Brain humored.

“Yes!” Dot quietly interjected.

Yakko was surprised to hear his little sister pipe up. Usually, she was out like a light within ten minutes. He supposed that Dot was curious to hear Brain singing once more. And the oldest Warner couldn’t blame her. He too was interested in hearing the usually serious mouse lull his siblings to sleep.

Brain knew one particular song that would do the trick. Although the tune of ‘Camptown Races’ wasn’t the typical song one would use for a lullaby (Brain had a strong preference for Brahms’s ‘Wiegenlied’), he knew that his own set of lyrics would make Wakko and Dot fall asleep.

“Pinky, would you care to join me as I sing about the parts of the brain?”

“Narf! Absolutely!” The lanky mouse cheered, a bit too loudly for his partner’s liking.

Brain tugged at Pinky’s ear. “Now I understand your enthusiasm, Pinky, but the objective is to lull the little tykes to sleep.” He commanded in a hushed voice.

Fortunately, Pinky seemed to understand. “Right-o!” He whispered.

Brain began to hum the opening melody to ‘Camptown Races’ to get into the mood before singing about the various parts that make up the human brain.

Neo-cortex, frontal lobe. Brainstem! Brainstem!

Hippocampus, neural node. Right hemisphere.

Pons and cortex visual. Brainstem! Brainstem!

Sylvian fissure, pineal. Left hemisphere.

Cerebellum left! Cerebellum right!

Synapse, hypothalamus, Striatum, dendrite.

As the Brain hummed the chorus, Wakko and Dot were entranced by the mouse’s soothing voice. Even Yakko was starting to feel tired. He struggled to keep his eyelids open as he heard the eloquent mouse’s little ditty.

Axon fibers, matter gray. Brainstem! Brainstem!

Central tegmental pathway. Temporal lobe.

White core matter, forebrain, skull. Brainstem! Brainstem!

Central fissure, cord spinal. Parietal.

Pia mater! Meningeal vein! Medulla oblongata and lobe limbic.

Micro-electrodes…Naaarf!

The Brain!!!

Once the mice finished their quiet rendition of ‘Brainstem’, they were pleased to hear three distinct snores coming from the other bed.

Brain smiled, satisfied that his little tune did the trick. “That ought to keep the little squirts happy.” He said smugly.

He turned over to see Pinky quietly clapping with that big silly grin of his. “Egad, Brain! Brilliant!” He whispered, trying very hard to contain his enthusiasm under control.

“Yes, Pinky. Perhaps it’s time that we turn in, so to speak.” Brain mentioned.

“Into what?” Pinky asked, but then figured out an answer right away. “Oh, are we gonna turn into a big spoon and little spoon?”

“Yes, we are, Pinky.” Brain answered. Despite their romantic moment in the makeshift tub was unintentionally spoiled, he was certain that he and Pinky can still share some more intimacy together in the bed without worrying about the curious eyes of the Warners. “But on one condition.”

“What’s that, Brain?”

“I get to be the big spoon.”

AN: Hey y’all! Here is a little romantic chapter for Valentine’s Day weekend! I wanted to have a Brinky-centric chapter, but I was initially worried about this chapter being too risque and out of place, but my friend @shuunthenonbeliever (cheeserollcall on AO3) mentioned that it would make sense for Pinky and Brain to want to spend some alone time together to do some intimate couples things (and the ‘foam party’ explanation Pinky gives was also borrowed from shuun)

The tub sharing was based off of two issues in the Pinky and The Brain comics. From Issue #19 the AWPWIP exchange where Pinky replies “I think so Brain! You draw the bath and I’ll fetch the Alka-Seltzers and candles.” to which Brain responds “Maybe later, Pinky.”, as well as the moment from Issue #26 where Brain closes his eyes while taking a bath. Pinky leans in as if he’s about to kiss him, Brain opens his eyes, and they both scream. Brain yells “What are you looking at?!”, Pinky responds “I’m not looking, I’m admiring” whilst staring at him with sultry eyes, and Brain replies “Oh, that’s reassuring!”

The moment where Brain goes a little further with his kiss was inspired by the clip of Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche attending a convention, and Rob yelling “Egad, Brain! Put your tongue in my mouth!”

The moment where Pinky tries to lie about having a bath by saying it was a foam party was borrowed from my friend shuun over on discord.

I was having trouble coming up with a lullaby and was originally gonna use the Brownian Motion lullaby Brain sings in the reboot, but I thought it was too short. So I decided to have him and Pinky sing a quieter rendition of Brainstem because it’s longer and has more sciency words.

The next chapter will feature some more mice and Warners bonding, and some major angst, so I’ll do my best to finish it as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading!

#animaniacs #pinky and the brain #patb #fanfiction #brain #pinky #yakko warner #wakko warner #dot warner

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yurtletheturtlehenderson · 4 years ago

Text

COSMIC - S3:E1; Chapter One, Suzie, Do You Copy? - [Pt. 4]

A Will Byers x Reader Series

Summer brings new jobs and budding romance. But the mood shifts when Dustin’s radio picks up a Russian broadcast, and Will senses something is wrong.

Warnings: Hopper being a c*p 🤢 [ACAB BABEY], mentions of animal death, very brief mentions of anxiety

**Y/H = your height, ex; short, tall etc H/C = hair color**

||𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

"Alrighty. One scoop of chocolate, that'll be buck twenty five."

Steve places the cone in the girl's hands, smirking to himself when her hands meet his. With a shy yet charming grin he mumbles a soft 'there you go' and suddenly her hand is no longer touching his. The brief physical contact didn't seem to mean quite what it meant to him, as she looked rather eager to get back to her day at the mall. But Steve still saw a fighting chance when he spotted the gold letters displayed across her sweatshirt.

"Ah, Perdue." His eyes light up in recognition, and he sends her a silly smile. "Fancy."

She smiles brightly and Steve's spirits lift. She nods, handing over the money and readjusts her purse. "Yeah. I'm excited."

"Ah, you know I considered it." Steve nods, fingers flying across the register. "Perdue, but then I was like, you know what?"

A light air of resolve falls over him and the across the counter begin to shift as uncomfortable smiles flit across their faces. The second even trying to wipe the amused expression off of her face at Steve's obvious attempts at her friend. A knowing look is then passed on between the pair as Steve continues, seemingly unaffected.

"I really think I need some real life experience, ya know, before I hit college. See what it feels like to, kinda uh, like, I don't know," He shrugs with a charming smile that doesn't quite reach the girls who now boredly lick at their melting ice cream cones. "See what it's like to earn a working man's wage, you know and uh-"

The register he fiddles with decides his time is up, its circuits shorting out as they did every few weeks and stuck itself into one endless high pitched beep that cuts him off. Flustered, Steve attempts to save the conversation not before subduing the intrusive noise, as he mutters a quick apology.

"-I think that's really important, and uh,"

"Yeah, totally," She responds, choking back a pathetic laugh.

Rolling with the punches, Steve shrugs goofily still wearing his best smile.

"Yeah, anyways, this was like, so fun," he laughs, the nerves now overtaking him. "We should, like, I don't know, maybe hangout? Like this weekend or something-?"

Yet again, he is cut off as the change he intends to give her spill out of his hands and onto the counter.

"Oh, sorry about that," he fumbles as she begins collecting the scattered coins off the counter. "Uh, I don't know, maybe next weekend?"

"Uh, I'm busy." She laughs uncomfortably as she tucks the coins away into her purse.

"Oh, that's cool. And I'm-" Steve nods, scratching his head. "I'm working here next weekend so... the following weekend is probably better for me."

"Uh, no. I'm sorry, I can't."

Her friend begins to laugh into her ice cream and even she is biting back a smile as she hurriedly collects herself to leave and Steve nods.

"Okay," The girls chuckle to themselves as they make their leave for the door. "Thanks."

"I..." Steve stumbles, his voice awkwardly trailing off as they do. "This is my first day here, so..."

But they were already filing back out into the crowds, giggling between each other at his poor attempts. Not that he could blame them.

"And another one bites the dust."

He sighs heavily, head sagging over his shoulders before swiveling around to face the girl carrying a mischievous glint in her eye and that damned scoreboard. Scrawled across the top of the divided two sections; YOU SCORE, which remained completely blank, and YOU SUCK which carried a total of five--

"You are oh for," --now six. "six, Popeye."

Steve nods bitterly with his arms folded over his chest. "Yeah, yeah, I can count." He sighs.

"You know that means you suck."

Against all odds - and the bitter taste of annoyance on his tongue - Steve still finds a smile creeping up on his face, however forced.

"Yep, I can read, too."

The spark of mischief in her eyes is fueled like a small flame, and a cocky smile twists her lips. "Since when?"

"It's the stupid hat." Steve groans, ignoring her comment and saunters over to lean against the back counter. "I am telling you, it is totally blowing my best feature."

Robin tucks away the menu-turned-score board back against the wall before folding her arms on the counter, draping herself lazily in the back window.

"Yeah, company policy is a real drag." She drawls. "You know, it's a crazy idea but have you considered... telling the truth?"

"Oh, you mean, that I couldn't even get into Tech and my douchebag dad's trying to teach me a lesson, I make three bucks an hour and I have no future? That truth?"

Robin's eyes drift past his shoulder and she quickly gestures. "Hey, twelve o'clock."

Steve's head whips over his shoulder to find a small parade of girls striding towards the counter, reigniting the nerves in his gut. "Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Okay... Uh..."

He turns back to Robin, his eyes darting across the counter as his mind races. Robin can practically hear the silent pep talk he's giving himself.

"I'm going in. Okay?" He says, more to himself than her. He nearly whips around to face them had it not been for the sudden hesitation brought on by a burst of confidence. "And you know what?"

He rips the tacky sailor's hat off his head pulling a curl loose that dangled on his forehead as he smirks. "Screw company policy."

Less than impressed, Robin doesn't even attempt to hide her boredom. "Oh, my god, you're a whole new man." She deadpans.

"Right?" He shakes his head around on his shoulders in a goofy manner as he backs away, drawing out a weak chuckle from the girl.

In one step he whirls himself around to face the small posse of girls at a frightening speed, even startling several gasps out of them.

"Ahoy ladies! Didn't see you there," he shouts, propping himself up on the counter with his arms. Several girls in the group watch him wide eyed and still a bit off put. "Would you guys like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me? I'll be your captain. I'm Steve Harrington."

"Oh, god." The red head mutters to herself, exasperated as her friends begin to giggle.

"Can I get you guys a little taste of Cherries Jubilee? No? Anybody? Banana Boat? Four people, four spoons?"

Robin watches from the back room as the fire spreads, a wince overtaking her face as she steps back to her board, uncapping her pen as his boisterous voice echoes throughout the ice cream parlor.

"Sharing a booth? Anybody? It's hot out there."

Make that oh-for-seven.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"And I know this is a difficult conversation to have..."

Hopper's unsteady voice travels at a slow pace as he digests the words on the scrap of paper in his hands. His face is contorted in an uncomfortable grimace as he hears them leave his mouth but he tries to persist.

"but I hope you know that I care about you very much. And I know that you-"

"Eye contact-" Joyce softly reminds, from where sits opposite, her legs dangling off the empty pharmacy counter.

There's a brief lull in the station between songs before a familiar melody spills from the wire speakers in the corner of the store, Patsy Cline's She’s Got You. It's quiet and hard to hear but the lyrics still seep into Hopper's subconscious, briefly aiding his nerves in throwing his attention off course as he meets Joyce's deep brown eyes.

"And I know that... we both care about each other very much." Immediately he rejects the words coming off his tongue and shakes his head at her choice of words. "This does not sound like me at all."

"Just keep going. Come on." She reassures.

Hopper draws in a deep breath, clutching the makeshift script between his balled fists that were tucked nervously in between his knees. "Which is why I think it's important to establish these boundaries..."

He squints, straining against his anxieties to remember the words she had helped him brainstorm. "moving forward..."

he sneaks a peak at the crumpled up paper in his hands, earning a soft chiding from Joyce who shakes her head.

"No looking. You know this. Come on."

Another deep inhale brings an uneasy look on Hopper's face as he shakes his head, tucking away the paper back in between his knees.

"so we can build an environment... uh... where we..."

Joyce silently watches with a series of encouraging nods, her hands gently waving like that of an orchestra conductor.

"all feel comfortable and trusted and open..."

Joyce nods once more, a light in her eyes as that silently encourages him. That puts him at ease. "'Share our feelings'..."

"...to sharing our feelings-- This isn't gonna work." He shakes his head, giving into the discomfort building all around him and he rises to his feet. "Um, it's not gonna work. It's not gonna work."

"Yes, it will!" She scolds. "I promise."

He shakes his head as he expels another patch of nerves, and joins her on the counter.

"Oh, come on." She pleads softly.

"Maybe I'll just kill Mike," he grunts sarcastically. "I'm the chief of police, I can cover it up." [👁👄👁]

Joyce gives his knuckles a reassuring pat before she sends him another encouraging smile. Even as he leans against the counter that she is currently hoisted onto, he still manages to tower over her.

"You got this." She gives another reassuring squeeze, and Hopper feels like a cheesy bastard for noticing the timing of it all. The swelling of the music and the spark she left whenever their hands met in the past few months, but he didn’t mind. "I promise."

The music seems to grow louder around them, and she still hasn't taken her hand from his. He finds himself smiling down at her with that goofy smile he had been wearing a lot lately. It only seemed to make an appearance around her, and he knew this.

"I really don't know what I know,"

Joyce meets his eyes with a genuine look, something familiar brewing in both of their chests. And that scares her. Her mind returns to Bob and the grip of fear tightens around her heart as Hopper looks at her like that.

"You want to have dinner tonight?" He asks, finally breaking more than one kind of silence that lingered between them.

Her heart catches in her throat, and she looks away growing bashful. And uncertain. Joyce can still feel his eyes on her and as he grins down at her flustered expression.

"You can give me some more pointers."

"Oh, I... Um..." Her hand leaves his and settles on her knee, and she returns her gaze to him with an apologetic look swimming in her eyes. "Um, I... I have plans."

"Okay, sure." He smirks, much too enamored with the awkward smile that graced her face to be offended by her answer.

Another comfortable silence befalls them as they sit enjoying one another's company. But even this moment is short lived in the wake of the customer bell announcing a new visitor to the store. Joyce perks, gesturing excitedly to the front as she excuses herself.

"Oh, a customer." Breathlessly, she heaves herself off the counter and eagerly makes her way to the woman up front. "Hey, Carol!"

"Oh, hi, Joyce!" The woman beams as Joyce scurried across the store to meet her. "How are you? So good to see you."

Hopper watches the exchange from where Joyce had left him standing, his eyes locked on the woman who had so quickly and so sneakily became such a vital part of his life. It was only logical to him that this friend of hers, Carol was so happy to see her; Joyce had a way with everyone she met. Not a single person left her company without their day brightened. She knew how to make everyone feel welcomed, heard and loved.

"She's got you,"

Looking at her now, there was no denying it. Not anymore. Hopper wanted that for her, and he hoped more than anything he could be the one to give her that.

||𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

The sun beats heavily down on my neck and shoulders the most, and I shiver every once in a while when I feel a bead of sweat fall down my skin. With a groan, I readjust the backpack on my shoulders and put all my energy into just keeping up with Max and Lucas and not on the burning sensation on my skin.

"This isn't fair," I pout. "Heat's my whole thing, I shouldn't be sweating like this."

"Well, good news is we're nearly there," Dustin assures, though I do not feel very comforted.

"Aren't we high enough?" Lucas asks, tugging at the large bag he was lugging over his shoulder.

"Cerebro works best at a hundred meters."

I groan up at the sky as I continue the hike up.

I began to hear spouts of quieted laughter from behind me but it's quickly cut off by Max's flat remark.

"I'm pretty sure people in Utah have telephones."

"Yeah, but Suzie's Mormon." Dustin replies.

"Oh shit." Lucas says surprised. "She doesn't have electricity?"

She's five or six steps ahead of me with her back turned and yet I can still make out Max's eye roll. "Oh, that's the Amish." She corrects tiredly.

"Mormans are super religious white people," Dustin begins. "They have electricity and cars and stuff but since I'm not Mormon, her parents would never approve. It's all a bit... shakespearean."

"Shakespearean?" Max indulges, a smirk in her voice.

"Yeah," Dustin answers, puffing his chest out a little. "Star crossed lovers."

"Right."

"Well, regardless Dustin," I begin, sharing a smile with Will. "I can't wait to be introduced."

I see Dustin perk up even more, and my smile grows. "Yeah?" He asks hopefully.

"Yeah!" I answer. "I wanna be a good sister. Can't wait to repay you for being so cool with me and Will, ya know?"

"Guys?"

I bite back a laugh but my smile is still triumphant. Dustin stops in his tracks, the others stopping as well seeming more than relieved. When Dustin turns to look at me, his face is hardened completely in a threatening glare.

"If you do or even say anything, I swear I will-"

"GUYS!"

Me and Dustin break away from our small fight and everyone turns to find Mike and El several feet down the hill. They're standing hand in hand and sending us all weak apologetic smiles and I feel my heart sink.

"This was fun and all, but uh..." Mike trails off, tapping his watch obnoxiously.

"I have to get home." El finished.

All mischief I was previously feeling with Dustin vanished, quickly replaced by guilt as I stole a quick glance at his saddened expression and the duo before us.

"We're almost there!" He says, completely bewildered and I can hear the hurt in his voice.

"Sorry man," Mike says, not sounding very sorry at all. "Curfew."

He starts to back away down the hill and he takes El's hand and whispers something to her that I don't catch.

El sent us all a warm look, as if nothing was wrong and for the first time I was upset to see her smile.

"Good luck," she says, before following on Mike's heels with an elated giggle.

I stare after them, my eyes burning holes in their backs and my hands no doubt burning holes in my pockets if I wasn't careful enough.

"Curfew at four?" Dustin asks, finally catching on to the majority of our summer without him.

"They're lying." Lucas huffs.

I see Will shrug angrily next to me. "It's been like this all summer."

"It's romantic," Max offers but even she doesn't sound so convinced.

"It's gross."

I shake my head, letting out a short sigh.

"It's... not healthy." Another flicker of anger attacked me suddenly, and I looked at all my friends bewildered before my glare landed back on the retreating couple. "And what the hell happened to 'friends don't lie'?"

"I don't know but it's bullshit." Dustin replies, his voice sad and filled with disappointment. "I just got home."

I look back over my shoulder and give my brother a sympathetic smile but I know it won't fix anything.

"I'm sorry Dustin. I really didn't think they would do it this time. They seemed so excited for you to come home."

He meets my eye and nods. If I look close enough I can see him rebuilding himself.

"Whatever... They're loss, right?" He smiled at us all and gestured to the hilltop behind us. "Onwards and upwards."

He takes off for the hill at unnatural speeds for our condition and cheers excitedly into the air. "Suzie awaits!"

Well shit, more climbing.

I groan, head landing on Will's shoulder in a tired pout. My voice isn't alone for as soon as I do I hear Max and Lucas throw back similar whines at the remaining trek ahead.

By the time I pick my head up off of Will's shoulder, everyone else is already several steps ahead. I sigh, ripping my stiffened and tired legs from where they rooted into the ground and start after them. Readjusting the backpack over my shoulder, my eyes drill into the top of the hill- the finish line - as I push ahead.

"Think they'll carry me if I fake a leg injury?" I chuckle to Will under my breath.

There's a small silence aside from the distant giggling of El and Mike as they descend the hill and the panting of the others as they run out of breath from the climb above us. I look to my right where Will was previously, only to find him several steps behind me. His back was turned to me and he was nervously clutching the bag of wires he had been carrying.

I took a few cautious steps towards him, my heart pounding for reasons I did not understand.

"Will?"

He scrambles back, jumping from one foot to the other as if dancing on hot coals and it looks as if he sees something in the grass.

"What, what is it? Will!"

He snaps out of his trance, turning to me wide eyed and now several steps closer to me. I quickly bridge the gap to stand by his side, searching his eyes carefully. He casts one last lingering glance out onto the grass where he was previously standing before meeting my eyes. There was something he was holding back, something deeply uncertain in the way he held himself and I got a sinking feeling in my gut.

A sinking feeling not unlike the night I found him outside the arcade. Anger quickly bubbles to the surface at the thought of something else getting him, and without a second thought I take his hand in mine.

He seems to relax a great deal at my touch, and he looks greatly reassured and instantly so am I.

He was still Will.

There was a silence that hung between us as he put on a smile for me. It was far from genuine, that I knew and the only thing it reassured me of was the fact that something definitely scared him.

Will looks past my shoulders, and gestures. "Come on, we better catch up. We've got some revenge to enact." Another forced laugh is let loose and he starts off after them.

Tries to at least, but he's pulled to a stop when I don't move an inch, my hand still tethered to his. He stops, looking back at me curiously.

"Will, you know you can tell me anything right?" I see a flicker of fear in his eyes. "I'm always going to be here for you, no matter what. And so are your friends. Well,"

I laugh bitterly.

"you know what I mean."

Will presses his lips into a flat smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes, and nods a little too eagerly.

"I know," he reassures. "I promise."

One final flicker of fear flashes in his eyes as he seems to purge it from his system, quickly replacing it with a bright and happy expression. He tugs gently on our interlocked hands and gestures up the hill.

"Now... you ready to meet Dustin's first girlfriend?" He asks with a growing smirk.

I shake my head as a small laugh bubbles up despite the anxiety brewing fresh in my stomach. It still lingers in the back of my mind, but slowly boils down to a simmer, melting away as I meet the now genuine smile of Will's and I find myself giving in to the temptation of blissful ignorance. My legs begin carrying me to his side and quickly we start pacing up the hill with matching grins.

He might be able to tempt me with the offer of getting back at Dustin for now, but there's still a thought - a feeling - burning in the back of my mind. Something is definitely up with Will. The problem is, I don't know what and even worse, I don't think he knows either.

||𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

The endless parade of rats dart through the overgrown blades of grass, blending perfectly into the summer breeze passing through their surroundings. An undeniable instinct draws them onward to Brimborne Steel Works as sure as it set their skin ablaze in a horrendous flameless fire that ignited their insides just from their path even mingling with the Y/H, H/C girl who lingered nearby. Even a slight change in direction of the breeze had given them, the hosts, a feeling similar to standing atop a fresh layer of cooling magma that sent them scurrying off their path and was even strong enough to send pins and needles in the heels of their masters previous host.

They don't know their master, of course, or what a master is or why they have blended colonies. All they do know is the unceasing pull in their gut to follow orders. Orders to scavenge the unscavengable, feed on the inedible, and flee, flee... Flee.

And now hundreds of them scurry across the dying grass surrounding the abandoned steel works where they soon disappear inside. The wearhouse floor comes alive as hundreds more file in from every nook and cranny that can possibly be found. Their speed is fast enough to create its own gentle breeze that sweeps away several stray leaves that have collected on the concrete over the years as they head for a single steel stairway.

The enclosed space is soon overflowing with a sea of rats that create a symphony of pitter patter as their tiny feet scuttle down the metal staircase and into the deep lake of shadows that sat under the wearhouse. The only light that found its way down in the depths of Brimborne was the skylight leaking in from the doorway that illuminated the only possible clue to the sudden phenomenon;

Scattered across piles of glistening pink and red jelly were the hundreds of rats that had found their way home. The new home promised to them by the seemingly never ending pull in their gut. But the pull had mysteriously stopped when they reached the basement. But the presence of something dark and sinister remained.

The driving force - the pull - had not vanished but had instead morphed into a warm buzzing that grew intensely worse. It grew hotter and hotter, shaking their small bodies harder and harder as it spread to every cell at unnatural speeds that crippled them. They twitched and squealed in discomfort as they fell to the floor, their last cries for help before erupting into the very goo that they laid in.

The basement was filled with pop after sickening pop as the rats exploded into nothing, all of them and their remains glistening in the single beam of light just outside of the realm of shadows that held the true monster.

This monster that had poisoned Hawkins before. This monster that had spread its rot and death, and inevitable decay with everything it touched. However...

This was not the return of the Shadow Monster.

For the Shadow Monster had never left.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · All links are provided in the comments might not be accessible via the app BUT should work on the mobile website and desktop website. Please use them. Possible Warnings to black readers, and any other readers of color who might be triggered I have included several petitions to save POC facing the death penalty. However, first, here is the masterlist of black mental health resources if you need them. I've posted it many times but mental health is so important, and getting treated properly by people who truly understand you and your experiences can make all the difference, im sure. All my love 💓

Black Mental Health Carrd

[picture text id: there are other people on death row who can still be saved, petitions below]

Below is a link to @ SUNSETSAPPHICS twitter thread from the picture up above filled with several links that each take only a couple seconds to sign each, that i strongly urge - that I ask you to sign. You could potentially save a life. Please sign, spread the word anywhere and everywhere, tag people on your message board, tag people here, make a chapter about somewhere, idc just let your voices be heard and make a difference in these people's lives! Save. A life! It has happened before and we can do it again!

[link]

Petition to Abolish the Death Penalty

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Tag List: @dickkwad @aimee-lucass @iblesstherainsdown-in-africa @ @miscellaneoustoasts @happyandlonely-blog @missmulti @youpi-chan @peeperparkour @ba-responds @bibliophilesquared @blogforhoes @witch-of-all-things-soft @shawkneecaps @whothefuckstolemykeds @mirdall @fishswimbetterunderwater @daughter-of-the-stars11 @stranger-things4 @kpopanimegirl @nightbu-g @lozzybowe @bluechildrenlickmytoes

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nerdzzone · 4 years ago

Text

Light After Dark: Chapter Three

Summary: Brooke Harris was trying her best to be grateful. As the world tackled the COVID-19 pandemic, she was healthy and safe and so was the rest of her family, but her dreams had very quickly been crushed by the economic fallout. Trapped on the quaint island of Jersey with nothing, but free time to wallow in her mistakes, Brooke’s mental health was taking a hit, but when she collides with a handsome stranger she starts to realize that the future might not be so bleak and there might still be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Pairing: Henry Cavill x OFC

A/N: This chapter is pretty dialogue heavy so I’m sorry if people find that annoying! I have ideas to make sure that’s not always the case, but obviously most social distance relationships of any kind involve a lot of just talking and not as much in person interacting

I nervously chewed my nails as I stared at the blank phone that was lying on the bed. Surely he wouldn't even notice. He probably didn't even have his notifications turned on or his phone would be buzzing a thousand times a day. Even if he did notice that he had another like, he probably wouldn't even realize it was me.

I'd just managed to convince myself that I hadn't made an incredibly embarrassing blunder when my phone buzzed and the light flashed notifying me that I had a text. I tentatively picked it up and unlocked it, hoping it was just a coincidence, but my hopes were quickly dashed when I read it.

Henry: Are you a big rugby fan?

I groaned, knowing I was caught. For a minute I debated deleting my account completely and feigning ignorance, but I knew I had to be a mature adult, bite the bullet and own up.

Me: Not gonna lie, I was hoping you wouldn't notice 😳 I thought it might get lost in the thousands of notifications you must get everyday

Henry: Thousands? You're overestimating my celebrity! I don't post often enough to get many notifications on a day to day basis...especially not on pictures that are over a year old 😉

My cheeks were still hot, but I smiled at his teasing.

Me: Over a year? Try six months! I barely even had to scroll and I didn't mean to like it

He took a few moments to respond and I worried I'd come off as too rude, but just as I was about to apologize, his reply came through.

Henry: Hmm, if you didn't mean to like any of my posts then why were you even looking at my account?

Me: Perhaps you came up as a suggested account to follow which supposedly means that you were looking at my account first

It was clearly a lie, but I figured it was worth suggesting. Maybe he had stalked me first if he was as intrigued by me as I was by him. But my hopes were quickly dashed once again.

Henry: Perhaps that's the case, but it would be quite tricky for me to have found you when all I have to go on is your first name

Henry: Perhaps it's more likely that you were doing some googling and therefore the internet thought you'd like to know that I have Instagram

Clearly, he was more than just a pretty face so I decided to come clean before I dug a deeper hole.

Me: Alright, Detective Cavill. You win. I was shamelessly creeping and accidentally double tapped a photo

Henry: 😂😂😂

Henry: There's no shame in that! I'm touched that you even cared enough to creep me 😉 and now I can do some creeping of my own, BrooketheBaker

I smiled, pleased that he was actually interested in looking at my pictures.

Me: Oh god, I hope there's nothing too cringy on there...maybe give me a few minutes to wipe all evidence of me being anything less than beautiful and hilarious

Henry: From the brief time we spent together, I find it very hard to believe there is anything that would convince me otherwise

My face heated up again at his compliment and my cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling. I felt like I was a teenager again, giggling and blushing at my phone as I texted a boy, but talking to Henry was fun and I hadn't enjoyed talking to a man this much in a long time.

Me: Well, enter at your own risk then, but the illusion will no doubt be shattered momentarily

Really, there was nothing on Instagram that I would be embarrassed for him to see. I didn't post that often, but I was very much my normal self on social media. I didn't put on an act for the few followers I had, I stayed true to myself. And sure, sometimes that was silly and goofy and not always flawless photos like some people post, but it was me. So, if he didn't like that then it was better for me to know now.

Henry: I'll have to do a deeper dive later, but for now all I can see is a very adorable and talented baker

A notification popped up that HenryCavill had followed me and like one of my photos as I read his text. I clicked through to see which one and saw one of me holding up a massive birthday cake I'd made for Molly's birthday back in February when she'd been allowed to host hoards of her friends. I followed him back before answering.

Me: Aw, shucks. You're too sweet. I still have a lot to learn, but that's half the fun

Henry: Well, my birthday is in a couple of weeks so feel free to send any experimental cakes my way

I made a mental note to check the exact day as an idea started to form. I owed him a thank you for helping me when my ankle was hurt anyway so a cake for his birthday would be a good gesture.

Me: Any allergies or flavour preferences?

Henry: I was only teasing

I was slightly disappointed that he hadn't been serious, but another text came through before I had time to worry.

Henry: But no allergies or preferences. I'll let the expert decide what's best!

I grinned at his compliment.

Me: I will see what I can do then, but I'm a bit rusty after all this time in lockdown so try not to set those expectations too high.

Henry: I'm sure your skills are still far better than mine

Me: I would hope so since I did try to make a career out of it 😉

I heard quiet voices as Cassie and Molly left the bathroom so I awkwardly shifted off my bed, making sure to keep most of my weight on my good foot before limping to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I gave my face a quick wash as well before hobbling back to my room. My phone was flashing on my bed so I picked it up, smiling as I expected to see a text from Henry, but I was shocked to see not only a text, but also a missed call.

Henry: Sorry for being presumptuous. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer speaking over the phone to a long text conversation

My stomach filled with nervous butterflies as my finger hovered over the little phone icon. It was cute that he actually wanted to have a proper conversation, but it was a little intimidating as well. Texting was so much less pressure and gave me time to think over my responses to come off in the best way, but over the phone it was more authentic which was probably his point.

Not wanting to make Henry think that he'd upset me by calling, I took a deep breath and pressed the button.

"Hello, Brooke," He answered right away. "I'm glad you returned my call."

"Of course," I smiled. "Sorry I didn't answer, I was just brushing my teeth."

"Hm, an important thing for a baker, I would imagine. After tasting all those sweet creations."

I laughed as I awkwardly balanced the phone on my shoulder so I could get settled back on the bed without hurting my ankle.

"That's probably true," I agreed. "But as I said, I haven't been making many sweet things to sample lately."

"I’m starting to think I might have to rescind my order for a birthday cake then," Henry teased. "I wouldn't want some sub par cake from an out of practice baker."

"Excuse me," I protested. "I never turn out sub par work! Besides, you said your birthday is in a few weeks so I have some time to practice before then."

"Oh good." I could hear the smile in his voice. "It's May Fifth to be exact, just in case you're wondering."

"Great, I'll write it on the calendar."

My words were dripping with sarcasm, but luckily Henry laughed. It was a deep and warming laugh, there was something comforting about it. I was almost disappointed when he stopped chuckling and spoke again.

"So, how did you get into baking?"

"Really it was just luck and natural talent," I admitted. "I'm not trying to sound big headed, but I used to watch a lot of cooking shows after school so I just decided to give it a go and happened to be quite good at it."

"Wow, that's impressive," Henry praised, making my cheeks blush once again. "I'll admit, I've tried my hand at making bread since this lockdown started, but it wasn't really all that good."

"Ooh, you jumped on the bread bandwagon?" I teased, knowing it was a big trend at the moment. "I'm surprised you managed to get yeast, I hear it's almost as hard to find as toilet paper at the moment."

"Luckily my mother was willing to share her supply," Henry chuckled. "But I think she regretted it when she tasted the final product."

"Don't beat yourself up too much, bread can be quite tricky," I assured him, smiling at the embarrassment in his voice. "You have to get the proofing right or it's a lost cause."

"See, the fact that I don't even know what proofing means is probably a bad sign."

I laughed out loud at that one, covering my mouth as I remembered that Cassie would probably be trying to get Molly to sleep and loud noises tended to be a distraction during that process.

"It's just a fancy term for letting it rise," I explained. "We like to make things sound more complicated than they are so that people don't realize that anyone can be a baker if they try hard enough."

"I very much doubt that's true," Henry disagreed. "There's an art to it. Maybe the technical side comes with practice, but knowing what flavours to use and how to make it look beautiful isn't something that anyone can do."

"That does come with practice too though. It's not like acting where you really need that natural gift."

"I think you need less natural gifts with acting than baking," Henry insisted. "Anyone can learn to act if they have the passion and enthusiasm."

"Hardly," I scoffed. "I can't even lie convincingly, there's no way I'd be able to properly portray an entirely different character."

"With a smile as distractingly beautiful as yours, I would imagine you probably don't need to be a particularly convincing liar."

I bit back a smile at his compliment, but I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the cheese.

"Wow, Mr. Cavill. Do they teach you that charm in acting school?"

"I never went to acting school," He admitted, the smirk in his voice clear even through the phone. "So the charm is all me I'm afraid."

"Hm, that makes it more dangerous then," I teased before turning the conversation onto his career. "So, were you busy working when everything shut down?"

"I was actually," Henry sighed. "I was gearing up to start filming the second season of the Witcher."

"Oh, I've heard of that!"

"Did you watch it?"

"No," I admitted earning another chuckle from Henry. "But I heard a lot of really good things. I'll have to check it out."

"It's worth it," He insisted. "And I'm not just saying that because I'm in it. The material is great and the other actors and actresses are amazing."

"Alright, you've convinced me," I sighed dramatically. "But if I really like it you have to promise to give me all the spoilers for season two."

Another chuckle filled my ears and my stomach fluttered at the sound.

"I can't do that I'm afraid. They swore me to secrecy before they gave me the scripts."

"Oh, so you do have the script then?"

"It's sitting right here next to me as we speak."

I smirked at his confirmation.

"Alright, then if I have any questions after I'm done, I can just sneak into your house and find out for myself."

"You're going to break into my house?!" Henry was trying to sound incredulous, but I could hear the smile in his voice. "I didn't think you were such a criminal!"

"I said sneak!" I pointed out with a laugh. "I'm not a criminal, but apparently you're easily disarmed by a nice smile and I might just have to use that to my advantage."

"Damn, I shouldn't have showed my weaknesses so early in the game," Henry said, regretfully. "But I'll have to warn you, with a massive dog and three kids under ten running around, it's quite hard to sneak anywhere around here."

"That's alright," I shrugged. "Your show might be shit anyway and it won't matter."

A laugh burst through the phone at my ribbing and I couldn't help, but join in. He had an infectious laugh. The deep, richness made it sound like one of those shoulder shaking, full body laughs that puts a smile on the face of everyone in the room. I didn't know any celebrities and I rather presumptuously always assumed that most of them would be quite stand-offish and pretentious, but Henry was delightful. He was easy to talk to and joke with. He seemed very down to earth.

"I appreciate your honesty," He told me once the laughter had subsided. "But I really hope you don't think it's shit. It's my favourite role that I've ever had. I loved the games before there was even a show in the works and the books are incredible. I basically get to make a job out of my favourite hobby now so it's quite dear to my heart."

"That's the dream really," I smiled, feeling a twinge of sadness in my heart as that's what I was also doing before my bakery had been forced to close. "It's like that old saying. If you do what you love, you won't work a day in your life. Or something like that, I might be paraphrasing."

"I know what you mean and it is very true," Henry agreed. "It's brutal work. Some days I'm up at three in the morning for make-up and we don't finish until late, but it's not as tiresome when you're fully invested and enjoying the work."

"I know the feeling. Baking is probably much less physically taxing than what you do, but the days are long and they start much earlier than most people prefer."

"With all that stirring and dough kneading I would think baking could be physically taxing at times."

I snorted a laugh at that comment.

"I've seen your muscles, Henry," I reminded him. "There is no way baking is as physically taxing as a job that requires you to look like that."

"The swords I have to wave around are surprisingly heavy," He admitted. "But you seem quite fit yourself."

"Yeah, so fit that my ankles snap at the briefest impact," I joked. "And my lungs forget how to function after about ten minutes on a treadmill."

"You have asthma. You can't hold that against yourself," Henry lightly scolded me. "But how is your ankle?"

"Much better," I smiled, flexing my foot to test out the pain levels. "It honestly feels almost healed. I still have a bit of a limp, but it's loads better."

"I'm glad to hear that. I wanted to check up on you, but I didn't want to be a bother."

"It wouldn't have been a bother at all," I assured him. "Honestly, it's been really nice to speak to an adult that I'm not related to. I love my family, I do, but it's difficult some days being trapped in a house with them all."

"I understand completely," Henry said with a chuckle. "I'm in the same boat. It's lovely having the chance to be here for an extended period of time with no other obligations weighing on my mind, but it's had it's challenges as well."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one," I agreed as a piercing scream came through the phone. "Sounds like perhaps some of those challenges might be happening right now..."

"It does, but I'm in my room so it shouldn't be a pro-" Before Henry could finish his sentence there was the slam of a door as the wailing of a small child became much more clear. I heard Henry mumble something to the culprit before he turned his attention back to me. "I'm sorry. My niece is rather upset about something that is apparently of the utmost importance so I'm going to have to go."

I laughed, having been in that situation many times myself.

"That's okay, I understand. Thanks for calling though, it really has been nice."

"It has," Henry agreed as the voice in the background whined for her 'uncle Henry'. "Would it be okay if I called you again soon?"

My cheeks felt like they were about to split from how wide I was smiling at that suggestion.

"I would really like that."

"Perfect, I'll speak to you soon then."

"Yeah, speak to you soon. Good luck with your niece."

Henry sighed and thanked me before saying a quick goodbye and hanging up.

I felt giddy. He was so easy to talk to and so refreshing. He made me feel like the little black cloud that had been following me around for the last few months might finally be starting to dissipate. It was one conversation and I was levelheaded enough not to get ahead of myself, but he was starting to remind me that things might not always be as bleak as they seem.

#Light After Dark #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill fic #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill x ofc

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shaekingshitup · 5 years ago

Text

unintended part two

A/N: ALRIGHTY FOLKS! WE ARE BACK WITH SOME MORE ACTION FOR MR. JACKSON! As of now, the face claim for the reader is going to be Keke Palmer

But, if you’re anything like me. All I did was just post a picture of someone who wishes they were you and in this fic with you and Trevor Jackson haha. Whatever floats your boats friends. Please note that echoic memory is a real thing. It just doesn’t work how I described it haha. More like echoic and As always thanks to @glittermakesmesmile for giving me the first feedback and confidence to even post these things. Also big shout out to @twistedcharismaaa who helped me challenge myself to write more even if I don’t feel like it. So, this series will hopefully get some more chapters coming soon!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Pairing: Trevor Jackson x Black OC

Warnings: NONE

Word Count: approx 2500

HERE WE GO!

^ Jayden’s Song Association Fit

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

“Let me take my Black ass to the restroom while we got ourselfs a break. ROCKSY, what’s that cam’ra lookin’ like? We need another battery?”

“We’re good. Jayden, you want a snack?” Roxy redirected at their latest arrival. Jayden tried to sneak a look at the biggest one in the room and failed. He smiled at her. Her glance had caught both of them off guard and it made him feel giddy. It was the most beautiful and natural response she'd received from him-or anyone for that matter- in a while.

“I’m good.” she said hiding her own bashfulness behind her steely exterior. She maintained eye contact with Trevor. Roxy opened up a cabinet to pull out an assortment of Lays and refill the chip bowls that Trevor had demolished when he’d shown up

“ Imma keep tryin. Venmo? Paypal? Zelle? CashApp? Damn, I can get it to you in Bitcoin if that’s what you prefer.”

“How have you done on the game so far?” Jayden again completely ignored his attempts to repay her. She wasn’t concerned about a few extra dollars.

“I’m doin alright so far." He also refused to break contact first "So far Song Association has been the easiest game for me to navigate today.” Jayden blinked and conceded for now. Motivated by his win Trevor strolled over to the living room where she was admiring some of Terrell’s music selection.

“Clever.” she tossed over her shoulder as she reached for a vinyl. In one swift motion, Trevor had taken it from her mid-review.

“Al Green?” He smirked. “ You’ve got taste J. Let me guess.. uh, track 5?”

“What?”

“That’s your single. I see it. No worries though. We can work on that.” he said just as he caught a glimpse of Terrell returning back into the room. Trevor placed the album back in her hands and returned to his stool, readjusting his mic.

“Alright, Mr. Jackson. YA READY?! No more stoppin’ this midnight train to Georgia.” Terrell hollered. Jayden giggled at his silliness as she glanced at the tracklist for Al Green’s Greatest Hits.

Track 5: Tired of Being Alone

Damn he cocky. Jayden thought. At least it wasn’t in an overbearing manner. It was a little endearing. He seems a little goofy. That smile was very telling. But she wouldn’t show that just yet. Sitting back in her audience of one, Jayden watched them continue to play.

“If I gave you the word “Never” what hits your mind?” Terrell asked the singer. Trevor starts going into a Jackson 5 single that Jayden honestly didn’t know. But, she knows that he is DOING IT. Her eyes go wide as his Michael impression is spot on and before she can even register her own body's movements, she's vibing with it. Music always had a way of helping her with her emotions and channeling a less.. “feisty”,as it had been put earlier, connection with herself and the rest of the world. She was moving around in her seat and doing her best not to spill her coffee over herself or her new friend’s floor.

"Oh shit!" she said clamping her hand over her mouth immediately. That was louder than she expected. Especially since it hadn't meant to leave her head at all. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"AHA HA" Roxy guffawed. "I tried to warn you. Don't worry Jayden. We'll fix it in post anyways"

"Jayden you good girl. I had the same reACTion the first time I laid my eyes- I meant my ears on Trevor" Terrell stated taking a very pointed sip from his mug. Everyone knew he'd meant what he'd said the first time and it was causing them all to try not to break into laughter so they could push forward.

"Yeah. Very natural response J. Hakuna matata" Trevor confirmed. Jayden playfully rolled her eyes.

"What's the next word? He's a lil too comfortable" she spoke up.

Terrell nodded at Jayden and refocused on Trevor. "WAY. w-a-y"

Without hesitation, he bursted into song. It was another that Jayden was sadly unfamiliar with.

What is in this man's repertoire?

Soon enough Terrell explained that it was an original off of a project called Rough Drafts 2. At once Jayden grabbed her phone and opened her Spotify app. Creating a new playlist, she glanced up at the boys and locking in on Trevor she came up with an idea. "Thotful n Tired 💭" she titled it. She was adding damn near his whole discography when her ears perked up at the fact that he had an additional 200 unreleased singles on his computer at home. The more time spent in his presence the more the question of "Who the hell is this nigga?" rose in Jayden's mind.

Trevor responded to Terrell all the while staring at Jayden and answering her unspoken question as well.

"So any fans that live in L.A. and you wanna just come and listen to new music not recorded.." he trailed off leaving an open invitation for Jayden and the rest of LA.

He really just said: Come find out

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

Jayden was both relieved and saddened when Trevor was finished with his Song Association. In a very short time, she'd learned a lot about this person she'd never even heard of until that afternoon. As his song had promised, he truly had her beggin for more. The way they interacted and the feelings she felt towards him had grown quickly but it was familiar. It seemed as if they'd already done this dance before. Jayden was trying to figure out how to rationalize this to herself but she couldn't. It was the way that she and Trevor had silently held private conversations in a room with others. Even as they were learning one another, a lot of the pieces already seemed to be connected.

Trevor was filming his spot for Terrell’s outro. It took every ounce of restraint in Jayden not to cackle out loud when he said “I think we’re gonna queue the rain right now. Mm hmm. You feel that? This is not a joke. It’s a motion in your ocean.”

Trevor had made her feel a range of emotions in their time together. Jayden had laughed, she’d pondered a topic or two she’d never fully considered, she’d felt sexy and above all else- she felt noticed. Truly seen. It was a lot. But, the girl was a hustler by nature. So, she was keeping up with each curveball that day had thrown at her.

“Imma run to the restroom” Jayden announced. She wasn’t certain why she felt the need to do so. But it seemed far more courteous than roaming through Terrell’s halls.

“Alright we gotta get ready for you when ya done Miss Jayden!” Terrell called out.

When she returned, there was no Trevor in sight. Just Roxy and Terrell. Jayden wasn’t disappointed for them being there. Although she was a little put off that Trevor had exited so quickly and without saying goodbye? She wasn’t about to let that show though. Sure, she really thought she’d felt a connection with him. But, she wasn’t going to let it get in the way of the single calendar event of her year- outside of her birthweek of course.

“My turn?” Jayden asked as she returned back into the kitchen where the green screen was.

“Mmmhhmm” Terrell affirmed “I just gotta follow you to this res’room. I dun broke my damn seal. Plus, we waitin on Trevuh to finish his call.” As if he heard his queue, the front door opened and Trevor came back in.

“Oh.” Jayden let out. Trevor studied her as Terrell turned towards his restroom. Roxy was on the balcony getting some air and making a call of her own.

She was feening her cool, unbothered mask. But that one syllable had given her away. “What? You thought I left?” he asked.

“I mean you were gone. So, yeah.” Jayden said shrugging her shoulders and throwing her wrist back dismissively.

“Huh.” Trevor stared back quizzically. “I can’t do that just yet. One: I don’t think it’s fair that you got to see mine and I don’t get to see yours and two: I still need to figure out a way to make sure we’re even.”

“Ahh. So you’re stayin?”

“I got a little extra time. Plus, this is definitely worth it. But look, promise me something real quick.”

“Yeah, what’s that?”

“Since you’re so gung-ho on not taking back the money which is owed to you. Let me pay my debt another way.”

“What if I like the notion of Trevor Jackson being forever indebted to me?” The smolder he returned to her made her feel that someone had pressed play on Puddles again. But she simply crossed her arms and cocked her head at him. They were in yet another staring contest.

Trevor let a beat pass as he wound up his pitch in his mind. “Aight, how about-

“Okay. I hope ya’ll enjoyed.. Ya break,” Terrell trailed off as he walked in on the tension that occupied the room. Jayden took a small step back from Trevor. She hadn’t realized that they were all in each other's personal space.

“Yup. I’m ready.” Roxy re-entered from the balcony and grabbed the mic Trevor had used earlier that day to affix to Jayden. “Feel okay?”

“It does.” Jayden said. All of a sudden all of that calm she’d felt left her. She was getting the nerves again. She wasn’t certain if it was because of the game she was going to play or the one she’d been entangled in since she’d laid eyes on Trevor. He himself was still trying to figure out this woman. She had a hard exterior and a beguiling sexual energy that he couldn’t detach himself from. When she sat on that stool allowing Terrell to compliment her outfit and introduce herself a little bit, she radiated. She also had a pretty good voice too for a Shits and Giggles winner.

“I’m mad at you” Terrell said.

“Why?” Jayden

“I hear it. I hear that there in ya throat box. You got them vocals.” Terrell said. “Why you hidin?”

“Ohmygod. Hush. I can hold a tune here and there. But I don’t know about them vocals. I don’t know how to control it.”

Terrell squinted his eyes. “I don’t believe it. Sing that song again. Because you got the emotion. I can tell you feel these songs here. You haf’way there but you too worried about sounded perfect. Let that go.”

Jayden was quick to adapt. She took that advice from Terrell and moments later you could hear the difference. Closing her eyes she tried again

Have you ever found the one

You've dreamed of all of your life

Do just about anything to look into their eyes

Have you finally found the one you've given your heart to

Jayden tried her best not to get into her head about fucking up and pushed the nervousness down within her. Because when she became tense it would lock up her voice and she would miss her mark altogether

Only to find that one won't give their heart to you

She exhaled from her nose and smiled because she’d clearly sounded better than the first time

Have you ever closed your eyes and

Dreamed that they were there

Jayden opened her eyes and stopped. She may not have control; but, she knew her limit

“Now I know you didn’t stop.” Jayden picked up some of the liquid courage Terrell had fixed her. Her coffee was long gone by this point. She couldn’t keep the fear at bay. She didn’t want to make that big of a fool of herself today and have her voice crack like a pre-pubescent teen.

Trevor was taking it all in. She was a whole party when put on the spot and she easily gave off a coolness that made you certain to never cross her. She was not one to be played with. But it was obvious that music opened up another avenue to Jayden. Trevor had seen it when their roles were reversed. She was empathetic to the emotions of whichever song he sang.

Her music taste was eclectic as well. She’d come through with country, gospel, r&b, showtunes and she seemed to have every Chicago rapper’s discography down pat. Trevor was genuinely impressed by her ability to copy and paste an artist’s essence into her own. She was fucking up the game and had songs for every word Terrell threw her way.

“RIGHT R-I-G-H-T” Terrell announced. Jayden glanced a look at Trevor and then she gave her undivided attention to Terrell.

Just stand right here

Let me show you what I'm about

To do to that body

And come down here

Let me show you where to touch my body

Let the foreplay begiiiin

Bet you never had this before

Cause once I go iiiiiiin

I'm gone have you begging for more

Boy, I'm talking right now, right now, right now, yeah

Right now, oh

Can we make some love right now?

Jayden laughed and when she’d finished, there was silence. It was like someone had pressed the mute button in real life. Then the room erupted with noise at once

“UH UH”

“hOw?”

“Whoa whoa whoa” all crashed on top of each other.

“What?” Jayden asked.

“WHAT?! This heffa really just said WHAT? TUH!” Terrell hollered.

“Wait. You said you’d never heard of Trevor before,” said a very baffled Roxy.

“Before a few hours ago, no. I hadn’t.” Roxy said. Jayden gave a shrug in Trevor’s direction.

“But you just sang his song?” Roxy asked

“Yeah. Because I heard him sing it earlier.

“You mean to tell me, that you heard this negro sang that song one time half an hour ago and you committed it to your memory?”

“Yes. I have perfect echoic memory. Obviously I don’t always process this in a way where I can duplicate it perfectly. But, I can mimic it pretty close.”

Trevor finally spoke up. “So when you hear something you can pull up that audio in your mind and not only play it back for yourself but you’ve trained yourself to be able to mimic it almost dead ass spot on?”

“Yeah. That’s pretty much it.” Jayden said as if she’d just read rattled off the day’s weather report. “You’re pretty sharp.” The compliment rolled off of Trevor in his astonished state of mind. Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. “Damn” he muttered looking at the screen. “Aite y’all, that’s my cue.” I gotta head out. Just as his mother had done, Trevor said goodbye to everyone individually. He saved Jayden for last. “Good luck Jayden. It was nice meeting you. Matter of fact, let me get your info so I can follow up with you to see if you really get that perfect score” He offered his phone out to her with the keypad pulled up.

“Oh, you already know that I came to win today.” she tapped some buttons and gave him back his phone. Looking down, Trevor realized that she’d followed herself on his Instagram account. She smiled but her eyes only said one word:

Checkmate.

---

TAG LIST: @twistedcharismaaa @mygirlrenee @glittermakesmesmile @sarcastic-sunshines @chaneajoyyy @shewrites02 @ghostfacekill-monger @raysunshine78 @shewritestheblues @scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade @fd-writes @eyeknowmywrites @thadelightfulone @yoyolovesbucky

Imma update my tag list and this fic soon y’all. Hold me to it.

#shaekingspeaks #trevor jackson #black oc #trevor jackson x oc #fics n shit #Terrell Grice #song association

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justkending · 6 years ago

Text

Used to Be Overlooked. Chapter 9.

Summary: Steve Rogers was walking down the streets of Brooklyn after finishing a mission. The goal was just to take some time to clear his mind along the city streets, but when he runs into a gorgeous young lady that looks extremely familiar… How can he go about moving on? Who is she? What does he know her from? Was that memory even from this decade?

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader (Rosalyn Ember/ Y/N ?)

Word Count: 3900+

Warning: SLOW BURN. Soooo slow, but sooooo worth it...

Series Masterlist

Chapter 9:

As you all herded into the den, Tony approached you as everyone got situated. Steve was close behind, and soon, was by your side once again as Tony asked you what you wanted to drink.

“Anything is fine. I’m not picky,” You said politely as you crossed your hands in front of you. Something Steve noticed you did when you were in more of a business state. He could tell you still weren’t at the stage of seeing them other than acquaintances. He realized they needed to step up their game if they wanted to get to the bottom of your secret.

“You sure? Cause if you say ‘anything’, I’m going to make you a drink, and not a lot of people can hold my drinks,” Tony smirked.

“You underestimate me Stark,” you said with that damn confidence that made Steve’s heart skip a little faster. “Surprise me,” you winked walking over to an empty spot by Wanda, who was kindly patting the spot next to her with a grin.

“She’s got-” Tony started.

“Moxie. That’s for sure,” Steve finished never taking his eyes off of your perfect figure as you sat down elegantly next to Wanda still with enough space next to you for him.

“Hey, you making any progress in the plan?” Tony said bringing him back.

“If you mean, am I trying to get in her pants? No, I’m not making any progress.” Tony rolled his eyes as he went over to the bar and started making you a special concoction. “I am genuinely trying to get to know her. She seems like a nice gal besides the secret. I’m sure she has reasoning behind it, but right now-”

“We don’t know if she has an evil scheme going on in the background Cap. I hate to break it to you, but pretty girls can be evil masterminds as well.”

“You’ve been in the business too long.”

“Apparently, so has she. You should know, you’re the same age,” he huffed.

“We still don’t know if what we found is really anything to support our theory.” Steve defended. He was really hoping they were just blowing things way out of proportion, and you were just a normal girl.

“Exactly. So get America’s ass out there and do some flirting so we can get to the bottom of this,” Tony said, waving his hand over to the empty spot next to you. Steve turned around to see you a little more relaxed in the comfortable setting and laughing at something Clint said with the group. “I’m going to make a special little drink that may help loosen her up a little,” he added quietly.

Steve’s head turned quickly at the comment.

“Are you trying to get her drunk?” he whisper shouted.

“No, I’m just giving her a drink that may or may not be kinda strong. Alcohol is a truth serum in itself,” he said with a devilish grin looking down as he poured a mixture together.

“Tony, if you-”

“She doesn’t have to drink it if she doesn’t want to. She can do with it what she wants,” he shrugged seeing how the idea was effecting Steve. Rogers shot him a glare not happy with what his plan was. “Go sit down by the pretty girl, pretty boy. I’m not drugging her,” he huffed.

Hesitantly, Steve watched Tony make the drink before he slowly walked back over to you. As he got closer, he heard Clint still telling a story. He sat down next to you still giving you room, but enough closeness to seem friendly. You turned giving him a smile before looking back at Clint who was looking around the group as he finished the story.

“I kid you not, the second try and she gets just inches from the bullseye,” he said with a proud wide smile. Mostly likely talking about his daughter who he just got back from visiting. “I couldn’t be more proud of the little up and coming Hawkeye,” he smiled grabbing his drink and leaning back into the large sectional they were all on.

“You know, I’ve tried my hand in archery myself,” You spoke up making everyone turning their heads at you in shock.

“Is that so?” Clint said sitting back up and placing his elbows on his knees.

“How good are you? Think you can strip this one of his bragging rights?” Nat spoke up with a side smirk on her face.

“I highly doubt that,” you laughed making Steve’s lips pull up in a goofy grin at the sound. Tony walked over and leaned down handing you your drink as you laughed.

“Here you are. Special mix for the special lady,” he smiled handing it to you as you accepted and sniffed it before taking a sip. “Now, what was this I hear about beating Clint in an archery contest?” he asked, watching to see your reaction to the highly potent drink.

Anyone who couldn’t hold their liquor or didn’t drink too often would have made a sour face, but you? You didn't seem phased by it. You just raised an eyebrow before taking another sip and keeping it in your hands as you continued the conversation like normal. He shot Captain a look of shock, and Steve read it knowing what he was thinking. He looked back at you and saw that you didn’t think twice of the drink as you continued to talk.

“I never said anything about a competition, but to answer your question Nat, I actually placed in some tournaments when I was younger,” you answered with the slightest form of pride in your voice, but still humble nonetheless.

“Really?” Nat said surprised. “I thought you just lived and breathed science.”

“Not really living if you only do one thing,” you chuckled. “I branched out when I could. There’s always new things to learn and more fields to become an expert in.” You shrugged taking another sip.

“Well, you’re just full of surprises aren’t you,” Bucky said leaning on the back of his seat and throwing an arm over it. “Any other secrets we should know about?”

You blushed at the comment, and Steve shot Bucky a warning look to stop being so forward, but he brushed it off.

“I uh, I can’t really think of any off the top of my head, but I’m sure you all have some interesting things about yourself. I would love to hear them.”

“You’re the guest. You don’t want to hear all of our silly little stories. We want to get to know you,” Tony said trying to bring the subject back to you.

“Well, I mean-” you started taken aback at the attention.

“Tell us anything. We want to hear it all,” Bucky smiled.

You looked back at Steve almost like he was your support net. You weren’t sure what to say, and you were hoping he would step in to help you.

He just looked at you with a grin, and threw his arm around the back of the chair leaning a little closer.

“I’m with them. I want to get to know the mystery girl I ran into at the coffee shop,” he said just soft enough for only you to hear.

You blushed and sighed before grabbing the drink taking a long sip from it.

“In that case, I’m going to need a little more to drink.”

Tony jumped up clapping his hands smiling as if he won.

“I can help with that,” he said coming over and taking your empty glass. “Same thing?”

“Sure,” you said crossing your legs and getting comfortable. “What would you like to know? Ask and I’ll see what I have to say.”

The room took advantage of digging deep. Steve, Bucky, and Tony were surprised at how well you answered even the most random questions. Like how you got into archery, or how you were able to get into college and fend for yourself out in the real world coming out of the supposed orphanage you lived in. Then when people started asking backstories that required more detail, you didn’t even stutter explaining. How did you have the answers locked and loaded? It was like it was all mapped out, and you quizzed yourself beforehand to not raise suspicion. To top it all off on making it even more impressive to the three, you were acting pretty drunk to not slip up even a little. Steve was starting to second guess their whole diabolical plan to expose you. Not that he was mad about it, but it was becoming more and more of a stretch from where they were coming from.

“Ok, Miss. Ember. If you were so good at archery, I challenge you,” Clint said with a few slurred words after drinking one too many glasses of scotch.

“I don’t think you or me are in the right condition for a competition with weapons Mr. Barton,” you smiled slumping in your more relaxed body language and brushing Steve’s hand on the back of the couch.

His hand tingled at the touch, and when you started to fall a little more, he grabbed your shoulders gently to keep you from slumping too much.

“Yeah, I’m going to have to agree with her. I don’t think you guys are sober enough to be shooting pointed objects at things,” Steve said as you giggled at his touch. He chuckled lowly at your giggle thinking about how even drunk you were graceful, and even more adorable.

“Oh, horse shit,” Clint groaned, waving a hand and standing up walking over to where he was in front of you.

You laughed at his cursing, and covered your mouth embarrassed at how school girlish it sounded, but Steve wanted to hear it a million more times.

“What do you say Rosie? Wanna see if you can beat me?” he said putting his hand out for you to accept the offer.

“Rosie, hmm?” you smirked looking at his hand. “You know what? I would love to prove you wrong,” you said, grabbing it and using it for support as you stood with him. You teetered a little but Steve was quick to catch you and had a hand on your waist for balance. “Excuse me Mr. Rogers. I can’t seem to find my balance,” you giggled again covering your mouth.

“Fine by me if I get to help you up,” he smiled looking down at you as you turned to him. Apparently the alcohol was getting to you because besides the drunken stumbling and bet making, you were flushed in your cheeks. The warmth from the drink was showing, but he wasn’t complaining. He got to rest a hand on your hip and see the soft glow on your cheeks. “Are you sure you want to do this? This doesn’t seem very safe,” he said getting concerned now.

“Who said anything about it being safe?” Clint said grabbing your hand and weaving it into his arm as he started to escort you to the target room.

“Yes, Cap. You do know what you do for a living right? What’s the fun in safe?” you said looking back with a playful smirk on your lips, and a sway on your hips. Almost like you were challenging him. You winked before turning back and laughing with Clint.

Everyone watched for a quick second in shock at the change of pace.

“I don’t know about you guys, but this is definitely something I want to see,” Bucky said, standing quickly and moving to catch up with you two.

“I second that!” Sam said rushing as well.

“We should have her over more. She’s fun. Also has a wild side,” Nat said getting up next with Vision and Wanda in toe. “She’ll fit right in.”

As they started following Clint and you, Steve turned looking at Tony who was kissing Pepper goodnight, and walking to catch up with the group.

“Get what you wanted?” Steve asked as they went to follow the group.

“She’s drunk yes, but her answers? No hesitation. Not even having to process them. Either she’s really good, and has everything figured out, or…”

“Or?”

“Or she’s giving herself away by knowing a little too much to answer.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, some of those things we asked? People wouldn’t have any memory of and would just say ‘you know, I couldn’t tell ya.’ Instead she has answer for everything,” Tony said as they turned the corner.

“I see your point,” Steve said almost disappointed that he was onto something.

“On the plus side for you, she’s been sneaking a look here and there at you. Not that you haven’t been doing the same, but your charm is really working for you tonight,” he said elbowing Steve gently as they walked.

“What? No, she hasn’t-”

“Don’t kid yourself Rogers. She’s giving you the googly eyes, and you’re giving them right back. If this all works out and we’re wrong and she is normal. I think you should make a move.”

“I don’t know…” Steve said as they approached the door to the target room Clint usually practices in.

“Sure you do,” Tony said patting his shoulder as he walked in, and left the conversation at the door. “So this is really happening?” he said to the group who was crowded around the two drunkards that were about to shoot weapons.

“A hundred percent,” Clint said grabbing a bow, and a few arrows. “I have a women's bow if you-”

“I’ll use that one if you don’t mind,” you said looking at Clint’s making everyone go wide eyed.

Clint laughed it off though.

“More power to you. It’s a little heavier though, and has more resistance.”

“I think I can handle,” You said crossing your arms and leaning back on your foot more laid back. “After you of course,” you said motioning to the target.

Clint let out a short laugh watching you. He tilted his head and shrugged it off before moving to the target, and lining up. It was a little harder drunk with everything spinning, but he never missed. He took the shot everyone watching, but not shocked when it landed right in the middle of the bullseye.

“Done. Think you can match it?” he said turning smugly back to you, and handing off the bow.

You took it no problem and studied it.

“This is a beautiful bow. What kind is it?” you said twisting it in your hand and Steve moved to the front of the crowd to where he was just a few feet away from you. He was ready to help you stand if your legs and balance decided to finally go out.

“It’s custom made by Tony. Everything from what we wear, to what we use as gear is all Stark made,” Steve answered making you look up and into his blue eyes.

You smiled not realizing he was even there until now.

“Interesting. Wanna come visit the lab at some point, and custom make something for me sometime Tony?” you said looking around Steve’s shoulder at him.

“If you make the shot, I’ll do it for free,” he smirked putting his hands in his pockets.

“Deal,” you said grabbing an arrow and making your way to the target spot. “Now, you’ll have to excuse me. It may take me a minute to find my groundings. All those drinks are making me a little… spiny,” you said giggling at the word that was definitely not something you would say sober.

“Rose, are you sure you should-” Steve said concern filling his voice again.

“Don’t worry about me. I know my limits,” you smiled placing the arrow in its position and turned just your head to look at the group that was on their toes anxious to see if you really were as good as you were leading on. “Jeez, you all look so tense. What do you think I’m going to do? Shoot someone?”

“Maybe, but we’re more excited for you to show up Barton here,” Nat said throwing a thumb the direction of a stern Clint who was watching your stance, and crossing his arms.

“You ready for that Clint?” you asked with a cork of your eyebrow.

“Give it your best,” he said in a cocky tone.

“You asked for it.” You turned back to the target eyeing it and studying it.

Everyone shifted in their spots nervous to see if you were just all talk and drunk. Steve's eyes were glued to you, nervous that you would miss aim and somehow shoot a wall ricocheting the arrow somewhere.

You made everyone a little anxious as you stumbled on your feet a little trying to find the right stance and twitched with the bow trying to balance the weight.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea to give the drunk girl a bow and arrow…

Then almost instantly, your stance straightened and the the shuffling stopped. You were still and completely in control. You raised the bow, propped your elbow, and pulled the string back to your cheek with ease. If they hadn’t seen you drink all those drinks, they would've thought you were sober.

With the light sound of you breathing out in concentration, you let go of the string and the arrow flew straight forward hitting right in the center of the red circle.

Jaws dropped, eyebrow raised, breaths that people didn’t realize they were holding, were let go.

“Holy-” Nat, Bucky, and Sam started.

“Shit.” Clint finished coming around you and looking at the perfect shot. “But you- you’re- How did you-?”

“I told you not to underestimate me,” you said smiling at your accomplishment and turning back to the group with a gloating grin. “I believe you said something about visiting my lab for some updates, am I right Mr. Stark?” you questioned placing the bow down and turning to Tony who still had his mouth open.

Wanda and Nat’s looks turned to impressed smirks as they saw what you did. You played them. Hell, you may have been drunk, but you had a skill that they were not ready for. And you showed them not to underestimate a woman. A powerful one at that.

“Did you just-”

“Prove you wrong?” you finished for him as you walked over and stood next to Steve only a mere foot between you two. “Yes, I actually proved a majority of you wrong,” you grinned. “I could tell you didn’t think I could do it, and when that happens,” you shrugged before putting your hands behind your back. “Well things like that happen,” you nodded back to the target without looking.

“Right. So you played me?” Tony said.

“If that’s how you want to look at it,” you shrugged.

Tony huffed a laugh looking down. “Well!” he said clapping his hand and walking to the door. “I think we all need a drink after that.”

You giggled, and everyone started following Tony out, all muttering to themselves about the surprising scene that they just watched. Steve and you were the last to leave, and as you started walking, you paused grabbing Steve’s arm who was right next to you.

“Mind being my balance beam on the way up. I can’t seem to walk straight after Tony’s drinks,” you laughed.

He quickly extended his arm, and you hooked your hand through it slightly leaning on him for support.

“You sure about that? You seemed to have your balance two seconds ago,” he laughed with you.

“Maybe, but also this gives me a chance to hold onto Captain America. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” you said with a flirty smile.

Steve blushed at the comment and chuckled under his breath as he started guiding you back up stairs.

“Tell me about yourself Steve,” you said randomly as the both of you walked at a slow speed taking your time.

“What?” he said surprised.

“Anything. I feel like I’ve been spilling my guts out about my life to everyone tonight, and I don’t even know anything about you all.”

“Well, you said you watch the news?” he asked looking at you, and you nodded looking ahead. “Then you know about me pretty much. I feel like my story is already out there,” he said in almost a sadden tone.

You turned your head with an empathetic look.

“That’s not true.”

“How so?” he said looking into those big y/e/c eyes.

“That’s just a piece of who you are. Just like I’m one of the youngest female scientist in my field is a piece of who I am. If you can tell from tonight, that’s not all that I am. I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

“That you do,” he laughed. Oh, how you loved the sound of that deep laugh.

“So, tell me one of your tricks.”

“I guess you could say I’m still trying to figure them out. My life has been just constant fighting. Ever since I got the serum I’ve just been part of a war. Defending those who can’t defend themselves,” he shrugged not sure what else to talk about. “Then I woke up, 70 years later, and-” he paused. “More wars and fights still needed to be fought. So… I fought.”

You looked up at him with a sad look. He really had thought that that was all there was to life. He hadn’t been able to live it really ever since the 40’s.

“Ok, what about hobbies? You must have some of those?” You both paused just right outside the Den wanting a few more minutes to yourself.

“Hobbies?”

“You know besides, the kicking and punching bad guys. How do you spend your nights off?”

“Training I guess?”

“Steve, come on. There has to be something else.”

He paused looking at your pleading eyes for more knowledge on him. You really did want to help him see more than just the good fight he had been a part of.

“Um, I guess drawing. I like drawing.” he shrugged as he turned to you.

“Drawing?” you asked looking down with a smile. You remember a certain someone telling you about that. “You any good at it?” you said looking up.

“I mean it’s not professional, but it’s uh, it’s not bad.” he rubbed the back of his neck.

“I would like to see them sometime,” you smiled making him look back up.

“What?”

“Maybe you can bring them on our coffee date.” you said confidently.

“Really?”

“Don’t act so surprised Steve. I would love to go out with you sometime,” you said bringing your hands back in front of you, and folding them.

“I would love that too,” he said shyly.

“Perfect. It’s a date. I assume Tony can help you find a way to contact me,” you winked before walking back to the group.

Steve let out a breath as he watched you walk off with ease. Were you even drunk? You weren’t walking or acting like it anymore? With the amount of alcohol Tony gave you, any woman your size, no matter her tolerance, shouldn’t be acting this put together.

“Who are you Rosalyn Ember? Who are you really?” Steve asked as he watched and slowly made his way back to the group.

Chapter 10

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taehyungiestummy · 5 years ago

Text

Return to Paradise -- Chapter Twelve

Masterlist Previous Next

Warnings: None

Word Count: 3023

“You are so goofy, Tae,” I smile as Taehyung makes a silly face at a baby a few tables over. “That baby is so cute.”

All night Taehyung and I have been having a great time talking and being ourselves. Our meal was delicious, and now we are waiting for our waitress to come back so we can order dessert.

“Your Korean impresses me,” Taehyung looks back at me. “You learned so much so fast for me.”

“I think I know why I am your first true girlfriend,” I brush passed his compliment.

He chuckles. “Why is that?”

Our waitress steps up, taking our plates, “Dessert?”

“Chocolate cake, please,” Taehyung smiles.

“Coming right up,” the waitress nods before walking off.

“You remembered,” I feel my heart skip a beat as my cheeks warm up/

“A love of my jagi, I would never forget,” Taehyung reaches across the table to grab my hand. “Now, why are you my first girlfriend?”

“Because you are so weird,” I giggle.

“What?”

“Like, when you first meet a girl, you are calm and such a sweetheart. Then, you show how goofy and weird you can be, and they can’t handle it. I could. I love your silly side because I have one myself. We fit together so well.”

“I guess, that makes sense,” he smiles.

Our waitress comes back, placing a slice of chocolate cake in the middle of the table. “Enjoy,” she smiles before walking off again.

“Can I feed you?” Taehyung picks up his fork, contrasting with how we have used chopsticks all night.

“I’m not a baby,” I pout.

“I know, its just,” Taehyung bites his bottom lip.

“It is cute and shows everybody that I am with you in that way,” I squeeze his hand. “Go ahead.”

His face lights up, and he is quick to fee me a bit of cake. “Is it good?”

“Amazing,” I run my tongue over my lips to pick up any icing.

“Ah, don’t do that,” Taehyung’s voice comes out lower than usual.

“What?” I innocently look at my boyfriend.

His tongue runs over his bottom lip, “That.”

I chuckle, “Licking my lips? That got you?”

“Hey,” he pouts. “Shut up.”

“Aw, Tae, you are so cute.”

“Why am I never manly?” He grumble.

“Oh, you are so manly in that suit,” I teasingly bite my bottom lip.

“Now you are teasing me,” he takes a bite of cake.

“Just a little. Think of it as revenge for all the times you have teased me.”

“Fine,” he feeds me another bite. “You’re lucky I love you.”

“I am lucky that you fell in love with me. As you are lucky I fell in love with you. That was confusing, but I think I made some sort of sense.”

“Have you planned our next date?”

“I have, and I am not telling you anything about it. It is going to be a surprise.”

“I can’t wait. When will it be?”

“After we are done traveling.”

“Oh, well, that’s fine. We are going to get busy really soon, but we will be together, so I can’t complain.”

“Yeah, traveling starts in a week or something.”

“You know what I just noticed, and I can’t believe I haven’t noticed until now.”

“What?” I barely tilt my head to the side.

“You don’t have your ears pierced.”

“Oh, ha, no, no I don’t,” I reach up with my free hand to touch my ear lobe. “Just not something I want to do. It’s painful, and I am scared of needles, and I just don’t feel the need.”

“I did it.”

“Yes, and you look so hot with your ears pierced. I just, don’t want them. I like necklaces and bracelets. At times, rings.”

“Why aren’t you wearing a necklace now?”

“I didn’t have one that matched. I haven’t had a necklace I love to wear in years, so I don’t have any over here.”

“I’ll change that.”

“Oh, oppa,” I roll the word over in my mouth, still debating if I should use it. “Don’t do that. You don’t need to do that.”

“No, I want to. I’ll get a cute necklace you can wear everyday with any outfit.”

I tenderly smile, “Don’t get anything too expensive. If it comes from you, I will love it no matter what.”

“I will find something when we are traveling. Your birthday present, that’s what it will be. Then, you get to meet my family.”

“Do they know?”

“Know what?” Taehyung eyebrows come together in confusion.

“Does your family know about me?”

“Of course,” he shoves some cake into my mouth to calm me. “I talk about you so much. They want to meet you because of how much I gush over you.”

“That’s good, but not what I meant. Do they know I’m not Korean?”

“Oh, um, yes, they do,” Taehyung nods. “They got over it in seconds when they saw all my pictures of you and how much I love you.”

“Why do you have pictures of me on your phone? When do you take them? Besides our selfies and what not.”

“I take pictures of you all the time when you aren’t paying attention to me. They are all adorable, I promise you. I have them on my phone for when I miss you, and because I love you.”

“Yes, of course,” my cheeks warm up again. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Do you not have photos of me on your phone?”

“No, I do. I save everyone you send to me. I also have photoshoots and whatever else I can find online. Helps when I miss you and can’t video chat.”

“So, my family knows what you look like, jagi. They are excited to meet you, regardless of where you come from. You’ll love them and they will love you.”

“I’m sure we will all get along,” I smile. “How about we finish this cake, and then get going?”

“Are you getting tired?”

“Yeah, not because of you or anything. Just, it’s been a long day, and we’ve been here for a long time. Nari and Emily are going to want all the details of this, so I need to make sure there is enough time to spill everything to them.”

He chuckles, “Of course. They are quite interested in us, and I find that cute. Do I ever tire you out?”

“You make me feel energized, actually, which not many people do. Only Emily is the other person that is constantly in my life that can pick me up.”

“I feel special,” he smiles.

“You are very special to me,” I smile back. “So special.”

********

“Just a few more minutes,” Jungkook messes with the laptop. Being able to understand him has been beyond great for this summer. Being able to understand all the boys has been truly wonderful.

“Every time one of you comes on screen for the first time, we are shouting your names,” I smile, looking around at the seven boys.

“Won’t be the last time you scream Taehyung’s name,” Jimin smirks.

“Jiminie,” I glare at the boy.

“I will kill you,” Yoongi grumbles.

“Screaming my name, hm?” Taehyung chuckles.

“Amber and Taehyung are innocent kids,” Seokjin says. “To an extent, of course. The internet is a crazy place.”

“Yeah, tease Namjoon and Emily,” I sigh. “Namjoon has a lot more experience.”

“Hey, don’t drag me down,” Namjoon shakes his head. “I can’t believe you.”

“Experience?” Emily looks around. “What does that even mean?”

“Namjoon has a dirty mind,” Hoseok smirks. “Like Amber, but like ten times that.”

“Keep me out of that,” I flop down on the couch, pulling Emily with me. “Is the music video live, Kookie? How much longer do I have to wait?”

“It is ready, so you don’t have to wait any longer,” Jungkook smiles, turning the laptop around on the coffee table.

“Okay boys, shut up so we can watch how amazing you are,” Emily says.

“Yeah, the only people who can talk are Emily and I when we shout,” I smirk.

Jungkook pushes play and everyone goes silent.

The Big Hit logo sequence starts up with its soothing tone, lasting a few seconds.

“Kim Namjoon!” Emily and I shout as the boy comes on screen.

Namjoon shakes his head, a smile on his face. The version on the screen is dressed up as what I can only guess is the one who works the elevator.

“Jeon Jungkook!”

The maknae is dressed as a police officer, looking fine as hell.

“Park Jimin!” Emily and I already have big smiles on our faces.

The red head is an office worker. An office worker that is way more attractive than any office worker I know.

“BTS!”

All the boys are on screen for the chorus. All dressed as office workers. My eyes darting between Yoongi and Taehyung.

“Jung Hoseok!” Emily and I don’t miss a beat.

Hoseok is dressed as a race car driver, and he fits the part.

“Min Yoongi!”

I catch Yoongi nervously smiling out of the corner of my eye.

The blond boy seems to be dressed as a military man, and he looks very handsome in it.

“Kim Taehyung!” Emily and I are now leaning into one another.

My boyfriend is dressed up like a detective from what I can gather. He’s cute and hot at the same time which is driving me mad.

“And Kim Seokjin!”

Seokjin is dressed up as a doctor, looking adorable as always. Nari is going to love this look.

The music video is very similar to the dance practice. Just more outfit and setting changes. It’s hard to soak it all in. The video ends and my thoughts are all over the place.

“So, did you like it?” Seokjin asks.

“Like it?” I take a deep breath. “Loved it!”

Emily nods, “Yes. Best music video to date. They just keep getting better and better.”

“The outfits, the dancing, the song. It was all perfect.”

“We have seven talented, hot, amazing friends.”

“Can we watch it again?” I look around at the boys, using my puppy-dog eyes. “Please, I was so into shouting, and I feel like I missed out on like half the video.”

“Of course,” Jungkook hits the replay button. “You can watch it as many times as you want.”

“Thank you, Kookie,” I smile, ruffling his hair.

“Is this all we are going to do today?” Hoseok whines.

“Video game tournament in a second,” I wave him off.

“Just a few more times for the music video,” Emily adds.

I’m not sure how many times we watch the video, but enough that I could recount it scene for scene to someone who has never seen it before. Even though I could look around and see those same boys next to me, I can’t help but love the fact that they could have these different personas.

“Wow, I just love it,” I squeal as Taehyung drags me into his lap. “Don’t you guys like watching it?”

“It is nice to see all the hard work pay off,” Namjoon has pulled Emily into his side.

“We just wanted it to be over with when we were filming,” Jungkook closes the laptop. “It was fun, but also a lot. We had to film as quickly as possible, but there was so much to do.”

“Now you want to play video games, right?” Jimin starts going through the games in the cabinet next to the TV.

“Very much,” I giggle as Taehyung places multiple kisses on my cheeks. “What games do you have that we can play against each other?”

********

“A whole month, well, close to it, traveling with our boyfriends and best friends,” I smile, opening my small suitcase.

“Comeback and then vacation,” Emily tosses clothes out of her dresser into her suitcase. “Sounds like a great few weeks.”

“I’d love to share a room with Yoongi one day.”

“I bet he is good at cuddling,” she teases.

“He is,” I toss some clothes into my suitcase. “That day I was with him at the studio, he held me as we listened to some of his music that he’s working on. He is comfy and warm.”

“That’s cute,” she smiles.

“Anyways, we get to see the boys perform tonight, so that’s cool. Three days without seeing them is hard.”

“Well, we watched their performances the past two days, so it hasn’t been too bad.”

“The first day just sucked because we could have gone to watch them practice, but we wanted them to work hard and focus, so we stayed home.”

“I bet they thought of us all day.”

“Of course,” I shake my head. “I can’t wait to see them tonight. They did so well the past two nights. One more, they can do one more this week.”

“The song is so good; I don’t think we will ever get tired of it.”

“Never,” I plop down next to my suitcase, folding my clothes neatly to fit.

“This summer seems to be lasting longer, yet not at the same time,” Emily kneels by her suitcase, neatly folding her clothes as well.

“It’s the last summer we have to worry about our time over here ending. I don’t know if that helps.”

“You are so sure our parents will let us move over here.”

“I will do something so they can’t say no. Really, once I turn eighteen, I can do what I want.”

“What could you do?”

“Get married.” I burst into laughter. “No, ah, I need parent consent.”

“Would you really get married at that young of an age?”

“No, Taehyung would be too busy, and it would be so hard. Our lives would be so crazy, and even thinking about marriage is something I can’t believe after less than a year is coming up so much.”

“You could just travel with him. We, actually, could travel with the group if you are thinking about that.”

“I guess. I still would want to wait until I’m at least twenty. My parents wouldn’t consent before then anyway.”

“Eh, I don’t know. I bet Taehyung could get them to. All for love.”

I giggle, “I still have the final say. I’m no getting married at eighteen. End of story.”

“Fine, fine,” Emily sighs. “Would you share a room with Taehyung on this trip? Or, better yet, a bed.”

“Maybe,” I zip up my suitcases. “I don’t think we get much of a choice.”

“Same for me. We’ll see what they let us do.”

“I’m ready for all the laughs and fun times.”

“They have to be filmed at times, so we have to be hidden.”

“A small detail. Easy to hide when we can wear face masks.”

“Period week is going to suck for you,” Emily zips up her suitcase.

“Don’t even want to think about it,” I groan. “But, Tae will help me through it, so it won’t be too terrible. Still, I don’t want to worry about it.”

“He can’t be better than me.”

“No one could be better than you, but he can try. He needs to try to live up to your standards.”

“He’ll do a good job; Taehyung seems to be good at things like that.”

“I can’t stop thinking about going to award shows as his girlfriend.”

“Weird to think of, but, I can imagine going as Namjoon’s girlfriend.”

“Walking down the carpet in a beautiful dress, arm linked with Tae’s. Everyone knows us as the goofy couple. Yoongi is keeping a close eye on me. We have to separate as the press can get group photos. You and Namjoon are known as the serious couple.”

“We have matching dresses in different colors. The two of us hang off to the side as photos of the group are taken. Photos of us are being taken too, though. Going public has its perks and drawbacks.”

“Nari would be there once. I know she doesn’t want to be out in the public like that a lot. She comes once. All of us have a grand time. The life of having an idol as a boyfriend.”

“One day, we will be public. We will have to deal with a lot. Love and hate.”

“I can deal with it. I want people to know about our relationship. Hiding sucks.”

“Yeah, it’s a lot of effort to not get spotted.”

“Can’t wait to stop worrying,” I stand up.

“Girls!” Nari’s voice travels from the living room. “The boys are here to take you to the venue! I need to say goodbye and repeat rules!”

“Ah, so soon,” I grab my glasses case off my desk. “It seems so early.”

“Just a tad,” Emily stands up. “Come on, we have a fun night ahead of us.”

The two of us grab our backpacks, leaving the room with our suitcases in tow. We may not be leaving tonight, but it feels like it.

“I feel like I am sending my kids off to college or something,” Nari chuckles, standing behind the couch. “You’re just leaving me for a few weeks, and will be back before I know it. Just like when you leave to go back to America at the end of the summer. You’ll be back before I know it.”

“What are the rules?” I stop in front of my cousin. “That before goodbyes.”

“Only a few rules,” Nari nods. “Call me often so that I know you are doing good and everything is fine. Don’t do anything stupid, and take that anyway you want. Last, have a great time and take in everything around you. Take pictures and buy little knick-knacks.”

“We can do that,” Emily nudges me with her hip.

“For sure,” I widely smile. “We come back tonight, anyways, and we don’t leave for a little bit longer. We are just getting ready.”

“I know, but I still need to make sure you know how much I love you, and how happy I am that you get to do something like this,” Nari smiles. “You are my responsibility, but I trust you. This is good for you. Have a great time, girls.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A bit shorter because another scene would make it too long, and everything is changing, so it makes sense to stop here. Anyways, hope you enjoyed, and I’d love to know what you thought. :D

#BTS #BTS x OC #BTS imagine #BTS fanfiction #Jungkook x OC #Jungkook imagine #Taehyung x OC #Taehyung imagine #Jimin x OC #Jimin imagine #Namjoon x OC #Namjoon imagine #Hoseok x OC #Hoseok imagine #Yoongi x OC #Yoongi imagine #Seokjin x OC #Seokjin imagine #My OCs

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