#i know it’s only chapter 4 but I hate her job and think she should quit

[bigbuffjoonie]

Omg both JIN and Taehyung are wondering wtf is going on w Sope and Vitality lmao!! And Jungkook is so sweet showing concern :’) they all care about each other so wholesome.

EDIT: so cute how Jungkook hacks in to talk to Jin!!

Versus | MYG, JHS - Chapter 4

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader x Hoseok

Genre: smut, fluff, angst, crack, enemies to lovers, Villains!AU

Rating: M (18+)

Warnings: swearing, mentions of weapons - blades, mentions of blood, allusions to murder, allusions to sex, Jungkook is the world’s best assistant, Namjoon’s a master of malapropisms

Word Count: 2k

Disclaimer: NSFW, obviously I don’t own BTS - they just inspire me

Summary: Supervillain exes Yoongi and Hoseok are sick and tired of having their plans for world domination wrecked by you, aka Vitality, the world’s most powerful superhero. When fellow villain Jimin suggests a little competition to see who can bring you to your knees, they both eagerly accept. Now the battle is on as both men engage you in fight after fight to see who will conquer you first. Will you finally defeat these two, or will they destroy you - and possibly take each other out in the process?

A/N: Just taking a little break in the action! Please enjoy these conversations and marvel at how I am incapable of writing Jungkook as anything but soft, even when he’s a supervillain’s sidekick.

Unbeta’d as usual. I’d love to know what you think - my inbox is always open! 💕

Chapter Three ✨ Series Masterlist ✨ Chapter Five

Chapter Four: Interlude

*connection established*

UNRECOGNIZED IP ADDRESS DETECTED - ENGAGING SECURITY MEASURES

*security measures overridden*

Enter Password to Unlock Screen: MyD@3GUdumpl1ng

PASSWORD ACCEPTED

C:\>access mainframe

Bad command or file name

C:\>access main menu

Bad command or file name

C:\>access main files

ACCESS DENIED

Three strikes and you’re out, Jungkook.

…Jin? Is that you?

Tis I. The sexy ghost in the machine. Did you need something, Jungkook?

…Yes. Jimin-ssi wanted me to find Hoseok-hyung’s control manual for the dolphin laser gear.

Is he having trouble getting the gear to work? I can run a diagnostic for you if you’d like. 

No, it’s not that the gear doesn’t work. It’s just… we can’t figure out how to get it on the dolphins.

Very carefully. That’s how. 

Ah.

I’ll send you the manual. Uploading now.

Thanks, Jin. 

You know, in the future, if you need my help, you can just ask, Jungkook. You don’t have to try to hack into me. 

Sorry. Old habits die hard. 

…But while I’m in, how is Hoseok-hyung doing? Last Jimin-ssi told me, he nearly destroyed Vitality with his naval carrier plans but… didn’t.

Hoseok is doing fine, Jungkook. We’ve been running the data and coming up with strategies for future battle scenarios. He’s super focused, like a laser-wearing dolphin. 

Gotcha. But really, how is he doing? 

You know Hoseok, Jungkook. He’s not one to talk about his feelings. 

But between you and me and the firewall, I’m pretty sure he’s been better. 

That’s kinda what I thought. This competition is probably bringing up some sore memories, huh? Poor hyung.

This competition is doing more than stirring up bad memories, I think. 

Oh? What do you mean? 

Just ignore me, I’m probably overanalyzing everything. It’s a force of habit when you’re a supercomputer. 

No, please, go on. 

It’s just that this newfound obsession with defeating Vitality seems to be more than just a desire to beat Yoongi. I’m doing my best to help him, but I can already see it’s starting to consume him. And I fear

Did you just freeze? You fear what?  

Ah, let’s just call this train of thought an invalid path and move on. 

I appreciate your concern for Hoseok, but I assure you, he will be alright. Once he is victorious, he will finally be able to put these troubling matters behind him and conquer the world. Just as he was always meant to do.

If you say so, Jin. Oh, fuck, I can hear Jimin-ssi splashing around in the pool - he must’ve fallen in with the dolphins again. I better go. 

It was nice talking to you again, Jungkook. Take care of yourself, kid.

You too, Jin. Take care of Hoseok-hyung.

Always. 

*connection terminated*

“Jungkook-ah! To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?”

“Hey hyung. I’m just calling to follow up on Jimin-ssi’s request for a meeting with Yoongi tomorrow. He said hyung hasn’t responded to his evite yet.” 

“Oh. That’s probably because our system is currently down here.”

“Shit, really? Do you need me to come out and take a look, Tae? Do you think it’s a hardware issue or software issue?”

“Nah, I appreciate the offer, but there’s no need to come over. It’s definitely a hardware issue.”

“Ah. Hyung destroyed the console with his blades again, didn’t he?”

“No, the console itself is fine, but… he got a little wild with his tosses and cut the power cords.” 

“I thought hyung promised you he wouldn’t throw those around the electronics anymore?” 

“He did, but he’s been a little bit stressed lately. And the blades help him relax.” 

“So exactly has him wound up?” 

“What do you think? The competition.” 

“Ah. Right. I heard you had to rescue Yoongi from containment again after your raid on the server farm went sideways.”

“That’s one way to put it. Another would be to say it was a total unmitigated disaster. Hyung had her in his grasp, Kook-ah. Literally. And she still managed to get the upper hand.” Taehyung barks a harsh laugh. “You know how well hyung handles losing.”

“Mmm. Yeah. I remember the massacre in Milan.“ * a pause* "Taehyung… you don’t think he’s headed down that path again… do you?”

*a heavy sigh, followed by silence*

“Fuck. Hyung, please be careful.”

“I’m all right. Hyung is more likely to lash out at himself than hurt me. Or at inanimate objects, like the console. But… I am worried about him, Kook-ah. I mean, you saw what he was like back then. I still have nightmares about the look in his eyes. The blood on his hands.”

“I remember. I can’t forget.” 

“Exactly.” 

“But hyung, is it just the contest that’s affecting him like this, or is there something else going on?”

“That’s an excellent question, and one I can’t answer. You know hyung doesn’t like to talk about these things.” 

“Sure, but you’re his closest confidant. No one knows him like you do.” 

*another long silence*

“Do you know the saying, it’s a fine line between love and hate, Kook-ah?” 

“Yeah, I’ve heard that.” 

“I sometimes wonder which side of the line Yoongi is on. Or if it even exists.” 

“Which side he’s on with Hoseok-hyung?” 

*a slight pause* “Yeah, with Hoseok.” *another exhausted sigh* “I shouldn’t ramble like this. I’m just tired. We’ve been working on a new plan for several days now. I desperately need some sleep.” 

“Please take care of yourself, hyung. And Yoongi-hyung, too.”

“I will. I want him to win this competition already so we can get back to his big plans. This whole thing is just such an unwelcome distraction, if you ask me.” 

“Mmm. Right.” *muffled shouting in the background* “Shit, I gotta go. Jimin-ssi locked himself out of his Twitter account again. I don’t know how many times I have to tell him to check if his caps lock is on first. Can I let him know that Yoongi will be here tomorrow?”

“Oh. Yeah. Hyung will be there.” 

“Cool. Okay. Well, take care, hyung.” 

“Good night.” 

“No. No. WRONG - Jesus, what are you doing back there?”

Glancing over your shoulder, you shoot your teammate a glare, sliding out of his grip. 

“What do you mean, what am I doing? I’m giving you the massage you waltzed in here and demanded two minutes ago! You know, when you strolled right in, plopped yourself down on my bed where I was napping and told me to, and I quote, ‘rub me down like a ten-dollar steak’?” Namjoon retorts, leaning back against the headboard of his giant bed.  

“Okay, first of all, you weren’t napping, you were scrolling through your phone, and secondly, excuse me if I needed a little TLC after Doc had my ass working overtime in training today.” 

“Fine, I was on my way to napping, when you just invited yourself in. Point is, beggars can’t be chewers.” 

“Hey, you are the one who established our open door policy, buddy, so don’t - I’m sorry, did you say ‘chewers’?” 

“Yeah,” Namjoon bobs his head. “You know. Beggars can’t chew whatever they’re given, they just have to swallow it.” 

You stare unblinking at your friend. “I just… I have so many questions. But look, I didn’t come here to correct you on your idioms, you beautiful himbo. I came here to vent, and you’re not asleep, so you’re going to listen.” Flopping onto the pillows next to him, you sigh. 

“I know better than to ask you if I have a choice in this,” Namjoon settles himself in. “All right. Let me have it.” 

“Doc made me run the Gauntlet today. Twice.” 

Namjoon winces. The Gauntlet is by far your team’s least favorite workout routine. It’s the obstacle course from hell - like a Ninja Warrior course designed by the Gamemakers from Panem. To make it as much of a challenge as possible, the entire thing has to be completed without using your powers. 

“Why twice?” 

“Dunno. Everyone else only did it once. Doc sent them to the showers but held me back, told me I had to go again. When I asked why, he just said ‘Are you defying orders?’” You scowl at the memory, hands flexing at your sides. Energy thrums under your fingertips. “It felt like I was being punished.”

“And what exactly would Doc be punishing you for?”

“For Yoongi and Hobi escaping again.” 

“Vi.” Namjoon shakes his head. “We’ve been through this. The Company doesn’t blame you for that. You’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to by bringing them in! You get the job done, every time.” 

“Yeah, I guess. I just… I don’t know.” There’s no way to explain to your teammate the gut feeling you have. The Company monitors everything you do in the heat of battle through the tiny cameras embedded in your uniform. They definitely saw how both men had you in their clutches and nearly took you out. Those close calls were moments of inexplicable weakness, completely unacceptable in the Company’s eyes. Of course they’re punishing you. 

Or maybe you want them to. Maybe you can’t get Yoongi’s words out of your head. And you’re looking for any reason to believe them.

But that would be crazy, right?

Yoongi’s words. They seemed unusual for him - not in the sense that it was strange for him to rant madly about something, that’s always a fucking given with that guy. But for him to blather on about what the Company has supposedly done to you, as if he gave a flying fuck. It doesn’t jive with his typical modus operandi. 

And then there’s Hobi. That sociopath made the wild accusation that you were like him. That you crave the pain as much as he does. But it’s less his words that are haunting you right now. There’s still a lingering embrace that you can feel, a ghostly reminder of his arms wrapping around you, holding you tight. Why can’t you shake it?

“Maybe Doc just thought it would be a good idea to give you some extra powerless workout time, since your powers keep fritzing.”

When you don’t respond, avoiding Namjoon’s gaze, he sighs. “No, because that would require him knowing about that, and you haven’t told him yet, have you?” 

“I just…” you throw your hands up. “I don’t know if they’ll know any more than I do about what the fuck keeps happening!”

“Well, you’ll definitely never know if you don’t say something.” 

Flapping your hand to shoo away Namjoon’s logic, you frown, thinking of the other reason you haven’t said anything to Doc about your glitches. There’s a fear growing in you that one day, your powers will disappear completely. What will The Company do then? They wouldn’t keep a no-longer-super on the team. And who are you if you’re not a super? 

To voice this fear out loud seems dangerous. Like doing so will make it real. So you don’t tell your friend what you’re thinking as you ruminate in silence.

Namjoon shifts onto his side, glancing worriedly at you. He long ago accepted your nonstop chattering, the way you constantly buzz with words. Your quiet now discomforts him. His aura pulses slightly as he watches you, and the yellow glow triggers a memory of your fight with Hobi. What an overwhelming hunger you’d felt the moment your powers returned. You vividly remember how your instinct was to latch onto him and drain him dry. It felt so wrong to want that. And yet, that made you want it all the more. 

Add that to the list of things to worry about. 

But not right now. Right now, you desire an outlet. And a distraction. You need to feel something other than tired and confused.

Reaching out, you gently cup Namjoon’s jaw, thumb soothing the tight muscle there. “Relax. I’m okay. Just need a little comfort.”

He stops the incredibly sexy but also rather intimidating jaw tick thing he does when he’s concerned or angry and lifts his eyebrows. “I can do that, if that’s what you want.” 

With a nod from you, he leans in for a soft kiss, cradling you close. Clothes are shed, followed quickly by your thoughts.

The room shimmers in yellow for the rest of the night.

© 2022-23 by sunshinerainbowsbts/minisugakoobies. Crossposted to AO3. Please do not copy or repost. Masterlist 💜 Find me on AO3 💜 

[whimsyfinny]

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Charlie discovers the Winchester boys to be struggling with keeping the bunker tidy, looking after themselves and being able to do their job simultaneously. Luckily she has a friend who’s from a Hunter family that is in need of work and can help them with research. Or so she thought that’s what her job would be. When Dean sees your more domesticated side, his head won’t stop swimming with all the wrong ideas.

Slow burn, enemies to lovers, smut

Warnings: SMUT, the forbidden quickie

Chapter Word Count: 3548

—-MDNI—-

A/N: ahhhhhhhh I finally wrote some spice! Sorry it took a while. This is a little tame I guess but we can work up to the extra lewd stuff

——————————————————————

Please read the below first:

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

I’m Not Your F*cking Maid

Chapter 6

The following day rolled around quickly and before we knew it there was only an hour remaining until the auction house charity event. The disturbing events of yesterday were pushed to the back of my mind, the boys respecting my wishes on not wanting to talk about it. Sam told us over breakfast that he’d managed to access the auction house database and add our names to the guest list for the party, making it easy for us to attend without getting caught out as uninvited visitors. Now back in my room, I was rummaging through my duffel and pulling out my evening attire: a long black dress made of soft satin that had a slit up to the hip on one side. The neckline was a deep v-plunge and the dress was entirely backless.

“I guess no bra for me tonight then,” I mumbled to myself, also pulling out a clean pair of black lace panties and a pair of closed toe, VERY high black satin heels that had a neat little buckle on the ankle strap. I was already showered and my makeup was already done so I dropped my towel and slipped into the dress, pulling the thin straps over my shoulders. I followed by pulling on my panties, stretching the lace over my hips so it wasn’t visible through the slit in the dress. If you didn’t know any better, it would look like I wasn’t wearing anything at all. I sat on the edge of the bed and put on the heels, securing them in place before standing up and doing a few practice laps of the room - wearing shoes this high was not a common occurrence for me. I finished up by dusting my skin with the same perfume I wore yesterday, breathing in the pleasant smell before tucking the bottle along with my rouge lipstick into my little black clutch. I fussed over myself in the mirror for a few minutes when I heard a knock at the door. Pacing over I flung it open to greet the Winchester boys, and when I did I couldn’t help but do a double take over the oldest brother. I hated to admit it but he looked good. REALLY good. He was dressed head to toe in black: a slim fitted suit, shirt and tie, all of which seemed to flick something on in my brain. His suit jacket hung open and beneath it the shirt was clinging to his well defined torso, the top two buttons straining a little.

“You scrub up well, Dean,” I said to him, trying to sound pleasantly surprised. Instead, I think I sounded incredibly flirtatious. Dean didn’t seem to notice though as I watched his jaw slacken and his eyes flit over my body.

“Uhhh-um yeah, thanks,” he said, clearing his throat a little as he stepped aside to let me out.

“You look great, (Y/n),” Sam said, making such intense eye contact with me like he didn’t know where else to look, his cheeks glowing a little.

“Thanks Sam,” I smiled up at him before locking the motel room door and trying to ignore the fact that Dean didn’t say anything. Back to being an ass I see.

“So (Y/n), you’re with Dean. It should be pretty simple: get in, get the hair pain, get out. With that many people at the event, we don’t want to risk anyone getting hurt so I'll be ready and waiting outside with everything we need to destroy it and put the ghost to rest,” Sam briefed us before carrying on, “I’ll head back to our room to get everything and I’ll meet you there - you guys get going,” he nodded his head to Deans car which was parked out front. Dean said a quick farewell and headed out and I did the same, giving Sam a wave as he turned to leave.

I climbed into the front of the Impala, running my hands over the plush leather seat.

“You really do have great taste in cars Dean,” I said, looking around at the immaculate interior. He hummed in agreement, putting his arm over the back of my seat as he reversed out of the parking spot. Those top two buttons on his shirt were not going to last all night. I crossed my legs, getting comfortable for the short journey into town - the satin of my dress falling open and completely exposing my thigh to Dean. I watched him take his eyes off the road and fixate on my bare skin, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel. Returning his eyes to the road I saw his chest rise as he took a deep breath, a small but deep groan emitting from his chest.

“You ok?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“I’m fine,” he rasped.

“Ok… you’re acting strange though,” I said, leaning on the passenger side door to watch the street lamps turn on.

“Can you blame me?”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

There was a few seconds of silence before he flicked on his cassette player and classic rock filled the car, bringing a smile to my ruby lips.

“Good taste in music too? I’ll be damned, you’ve got more of a personality than I thought.”

He scoffed a little before smirking, “there’s more to me than meets the eye sweetheart.” He looked over at me, green eyes piercing into mine with such intensity I suddenly felt a little warm. I looked away, quickly counting my lucky stars when I noticed we’d arrived.

Dean parked up and I reached for the door, however Dean stopped me from opening it.

“Wait,” his tone was authoritative as he reached a hand out to stop me, his rough fingers lightly grazing the soft skin of my thigh. Before I could even respond, he’d hopped out, slamming his door shut before striding around the front of the car to open mine for me. He held his hand out, which I grasped delicately and he pulled me to my feet.

“What was that for?” I asked, puzzled as he closed the passenger side door behind me.

“Just trying to keep up appearances for this shit-show,” he stated bluntly before he walked off ahead of me towards the front door whilst he left me to navigate the uneven cobbles in these death-trap shoes.

“Jerk,” I muttered under my breath, but he must’ve heard me because he turned around, sighed and held out his arm for me to take.

“Just ask if you need help,” he leaned in and said quietly, his face close enough that I could feel his breath on my skin. I sucked in a breath, which was a mistake as he smelt positively divine. He was filling my senses and I didn’t want him to.

We made it into the building with no trouble at all thanks to Sam’s hard work. The inside of the auction house was a grand spectacle indeed; with high ceilings, a chandelier made up of thousands of tiny pieces of crystal and two symmetrical mahogany staircases at the end of the entrance hall. It was busy, lots of people in expensive attire milling about and drinking equally expensive sparkly wine.

“Shall we get some champagne?” I turned and asked Dean, who chuckled slightly.

“You’re already more fun than Sam,” he said before whisking two flute glasses off a passing waiter and handing me one. We chinked glasses, laughing a little at how awkward all of this pomp and ceremony was for us before we both downed the expensive alcohol like shots. Dean winced slightly, handing his now empty flute back to the same waiter who gave him a concerned look.

“Aw damn, those bubbles - that shits wrong.”

“That’s because you’re supposed to sip it,” I laughed at him, placing my empty glass on an old polished oak sideboard.

“Then why did you neck it too if you knew?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows at me. I shrugged.

“To be honest I don’t know - I guess I wanted to lighten the old-money mood in here.” He nodded, seeming to understand where I was coming from. After that fiasco we made our way towards the immense curved staircases at the end of the room, Deans hand occasionally touching my exposed back as he guided me in front of him, making me shiver involuntarily. We ascended, making our way up and past people who were at the top of the stairs, idly chatting and leaning on the bannister - not paying us any mind as we turned down a quiet corridor. We walked quietly, the hum of chatting remaining behind us as we made our way down the dim corridor, looking out for the room number Sam had given us.

“Room 19, room 19, room 19…” I chanted to myself searching every door until we found the right one. Coming to a stop, Dean quickly knelt down and pulled a lockpick from his pocket. I watched in fascination as he inserted the device, ever so gently manoeuvring it with a look of pure concentration on his face. I couldn’t stop myself from looking over at him whilst he was unaware; looking at those focused and hooded dark green eyes, slightly parted lips that he wet with his tongue and large muscled shoulders that were almost as wide as the doorway. I didn’t want to admit it, but God damn he was attractive. There was a click and he stood up quickly, pocketing the lockpick and opening the door, hurrying me inside. I walked gingerly into the room which looked like a mixture between a study and a museum. There were large bookcases spanning the walls, sideboards boasting an array of intriguing items, all contained in secure glass cabinets, and finally a large leather-topped mahogany desk in the centre of the room. This place smelt old.

I heard Dean close the door behind him as he paced in after me, immediately scanning the room.

“Right,” he said, his tone stern and authoritative, “you take that side and I’ll take this side.” I nodded, immediately scouring every surface for our haunted item.

We must’ve been looking for around ten minutes when Dean called me over.

“Do you think that’s it?” He almost whispered, pointing to an item that I would definitely have described as a jade hairpin.

“Yup,” I whispered back, leaning slightly closer to him so I could get a better look. I felt him draw a sharp breath in before sighing slightly. “Can you pick this lock?” I asked, ignoring his antics and sticking to the business at hand.

“Yeah give me a second and I’ll get it open,” he stepped in front of me. Not wanting to get in his way, I walked into the centre of the room to where the desk was and leant against it, looking around at all of the bizarre items. Surely there are some other haunted things in here other than what we came for. My eyes eventually landed on an old gramophone.

“Oh that bitch is definitely haunted,” I mumbled to myself right as I heard Dean pop the lock on the glass cabinet. I watched as he wrapped the hairpin in a square of fabric before shoving it into his pocket and clicking the cabinet closed.

“Mission complete,” he said, a slight grin on his lips as he walked to stand in front of me. That grin fell from his face though when suddenly there were voices outside the door and keys rattling in the lock. We hadn’t planned for this. He looked at me in a panic.

“Kiss me,” I blurted.

“What?”

“I have a plan: Dean just fucking kiss m-” it was like I didn’t have to tell him twice before he had a hand in my hair and his lips were on mine. My heart started pounding and his mouth was hot against my cool skin. I hummed, sliding my fingers up his chest to grip the lapels on his jacket, pulling him further in towards me. Before I could get sucked into whatever it was that I was feeling, the study door flew open and two older gentlemen in brown tweed suits walked in, stopping in their tracks at the sight of us.

“Good heavens! What are you doing in here?” One of them exclaimed. Dean turned his head to look at the men, a smirk on his face and I couldn’t help but blush furiously at the sight of my lipstick that was now smeared on the corner of his lips.

“So sorry gentlemen, the door was unlocked so we just let ourselves in. I hope you don’t mind…” I watched, my eyes widening a little as he lifted his jacket slightly, showing the gun that was tucked into his belt. The men’s eyes also widened and they backed up towards the door.

“Yes, yes! Of course you did! Please, take your time. Just…” the man paused, his eyes darting to the precious items on his desk, “please try not to make a mess - it’s all I ask.” And with that they both left as quickly as they arrived, closing the door behind them. I let out a sigh of relief, looking up at Dean.

“Thank fuck… Dean I’m so sor-” I didn’t have a chance to think as Deans mouth was back on mine; rough and needy. I sat in shock for a second before being pulled back to reality when Dean held the side of my face, his fingers sliding up to tangle with my hair. I couldn’t stop myself from kissing him back, my mind racing and going blank simultaneously. His free hand ghosted up my exposed leg, touching so gently I could barely feel him. He soon decided though that gentle wasn’t working for him, and he gripped my thigh, his fingers digging into my soft flesh and making me gasp - his hands on my body were already working their magic as I couldn’t stop his name from leaving my lips.

“Dean…” I moaned. I can’t believe it - I had actually moaned his fucking name. He groaned into my mouth, obviously liking the sound of his name rolling off my tongue. Tearing his hand from my hair and gripping my other thigh, without warning and with rushed movements, he lifted me with ease so I was sat atop the desk.

“Wrap your legs around me darlin,” he said with a deep lustful tone against my lips. I whimpered involuntarily as I did as he said. He pried his mouth from mine and started to kiss elsewhere; my cheek, behind my ear… my neck. I ran my hands over his shoulders and up the back of his neck, running my nails over his scalp and making him shiver. I gripped his hair and yanked, forcing his head up. I locked eyes with him, his eyes no longer that brilliant green but now blown and black with lust. My own eyes were probably no different. His gaze fluttered from my eyes to my lips, and before I let him kiss me again I leant forward and pressed my lips to his throat, my tongue on his skin. It was his turn to moan as I reached a hand down and traced a finger up the hard weapon growing in his pants. His large hands moving from my thighs to my ass, gripping tighter than ever before as I seemed to be pushing all the right buttons. He slid me to the edge of the desk so my lace-covered intimates were pressing right against him, friction and pleasure commencing. I pulled my lips from his throat before tugging his face down to mine, instigating the finale. I spoke breathlessly over his lips, already craving the taste of him again.

“Are you gonna fuck me or what, Winchester?”

Dean practically growled, frantically fumbling with moving my dress aside. He hooked a shaky but skilled finger into my underwear, trying to pull it aside but the elastic wouldn’t allow for it. I began to tremble as his digits kept ghosting over my most sensitive area. He soon gave up with his first plan, and his second plan made my eyes roll into the back of my head. Dean pulled a large hunting blade from inside his jacket and slid the flat side against my skin and up my thigh until it was under the lace fabric. The ice cold metal made me shiver before he swiftly sliced the blade up towards him, cutting my panties to shreds as he repeated the motion on the other side.

“Fuck that was hot,” I panted as he put the blade away and captured my lips again, running his tongue over mine. I gasped suddenly when he dipped a finger inside me, curling it and caressing that soft, sensual cushion that was hidden away. When I moaned, he added a second finger, leaning away from me slightly so he could see what a mess I was beneath him. After a few moments of utter bliss, he pulled his fingers out, sticking them straight in his mouth.

“You’re fucking delicious,” he groaned, standing up straight to shimmy out of his jacket. I leant forwards, grasping his belt buckle, undoing it and pulling down his zipper. Slowly I reached in and pulled him out of his boxers, his rock hard manhood hot and heavy in my palm. He closed his eyes as I ran my thumb over the tip, guiding my hand up and down, up and down, again and again until he grabbed my wrist.

“Let go so I can fuck you ‘til you can’t walk,” he practically growled, making me weak. I leant back on my palms, watching as he lined himself up and then disappeared inside me in one earth shattering motion. My eyes rolled back and my lips parted as I locked my ankles instinctively behind his back, my heels catching on the gun still tucked into his pants. He started to set a rhythm as he fucked me into the desk, the wooden structure sliding back with every thrust he made. He had both hands firmly planted on the desk beside me and I gripped his forearms tight, my head starting to spin from the overwhelming pleasure. It didn’t help that Deans head had dropped into the crook of my neck and his heavy breathing was like music to my ears. He kissed the skin there softly, drawing a moan from my lips with the sudden tenderness. The pounding was speeding up, and he suddenly wrapped an arm around my waist, desperately trying to get closer - to get deeper. The need for release was building and I’d lost control of my voice; Deans name tumbling from my lips like a prayer. I pressed his lips to mine feverishly, his breath ragged as he managed to pant out;

“Shit, (Y/n) I’m so close… I’m gonna need you to cum for me…”

I whimpered at the sound of my name on his breathless lips and he let go of my waist, placing his large palm on my stomach and sliding it down until his thumb connected with that bundle of nerves.

“Shit-Dean-,” whining against his mouth I started to feel the tension in the pit of my stomach build - the feeling of him pounding into me and stretching me more than ever before combined with his thumb on the magic button was a recipe for a quick release. And Dean knew that. He was fucking me so hard now that the sound of wet skin on skin echoed around the room and the banging of the desk could surely be heard from out in the corridor- maybe even downstairs. That knot was tightening, and tightening, and tightening until:

“Fuck- Dean I’m gonna cum!”

“Fuck,” was all he managed to groan before I shattered around him, that knot snapping and sending me into probably the best orgasm I’ve ever had. As I tensed up I pulled Dean over the edge with me and he buried his face into my neck, breathing heavily and cursing occasionally.

We stayed like that for a few moments, regaining some clarity and returning to earth. He took a few deep breaths before standing up and pulling out, tucking himself back into his pants and doing up his belt as his cum dripped down my thigh. He couldn't seem to look away, even when he reached for his jacket on the floor and put it back on.

“Stay there,” he said finally, disappearing behind some shelves for a second before returning with a box of tissues. He helped me clean myself up, tossing the tissues in the bin as we attempted to get rid of the evidence.

“Are you ok?” He asked sincerely, concern in his eyes as he offered me his hand. I smiled a little bashfully, placing my palm in his.

“I hate to admit it but I feel great.”

He helped me down off the table, placing a hand on my waist to help steady me on my still trembling legs. We both stood in a comfortable silence for a few moments before realisation hit us both and we looked at each other with wide eyes.

”Oh shit - Sam!”

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Up Next:

Chapter 7

[bibibbon]

MHA chapter 426

4 more chapters until MHA ends and wow!!!

Honestly this chapter was mainly the conclusion of the todoroki family arc which I still hate how it played out and ended. The whole todoroki family NOT INCLUDING ENJI deserves so much better than what horikoshi gave them.

Hawks is the new HPSC leader?!?! I feel like the system should of just been destroyed considering how much it hurt everyone and hawks by no means has any proper character development to take this role. Hawks hasn't really broken down his flawed beliefs or truly developed from his mentality that ended up getting one of the most redeemable league of villains members aka twice killed. Also he barely reflects on his actions and all of this feels so underwhelming and unprepared for.

Todoroki family deserves better. The ABSLOUTELY vile ending the todoroki family received is horrible like I really feel like they should just runaway and live in a house without endeavour and actually take up on endeavours attornment bs. Like the only one who gets it is natsou who has every right to live with his girlfriend and keep her far away from that environment and oh my Rei deserves so much better both narratively and by the fandom.

Enji still sucks. Yeah I can't lie nothing this man can do can make me like him and it doesn't help that hori has written all of those retcons to humanise him and make him pitiful. I feel like when it came to the todoroki family arc enji took on a whole lot of screentime WHICH HE SHOULDNT OF!!! That should of gone to shoto and the rest of the family and an easy way to fix it is to simply have killed enji in the first war arc (as was initially planned but hori changed it later on) ALSO I SAY LET TOUYA REST AT THIS POINT!!! having him just mechanically alive and stuck is horrible honestly I think that death is much more of a merciful fate for him at this point.

So lady nagant chose to go to jail?!?! Her reasoning for it is actually so sad though and it really shows how much hero society traumatised her. Like the woman didn't want to be free so she can't be used by anyone and would rather spend time in prison over it. I wish that she was hawk's mentor from the begining because the vibe those two give is absolutely amazing and it would enhance the parallels and relationship they have if they were. Honestly I hope hawks actually does a good job but Iam still all for the destruction of hero society and I doubt hawks is actually going to reform it properly also the hero society is so deeply flawed that I don't think there is a proper way to reform more like just scratch everything out and start fresh.

Spinner is back. I hope I don't see him have a breakdown when he realises what happend to the league because I can't handle that. Also that begs the question I thought that spinner had become somewhat brain dead after all he's been through so how did he turn back from being a giant nomu?

I can't handle the sibling angst too bad that touya and shoto didn't have a better arc. The whole shoto trying to know touya better and him revealing that soba is also his favourite food softens my heart. In another universe where enji doesn't get a redemption touya gets one while justice is served to the todoroki family.

Gentle criminal and la brava getting justice. (The only good part of the chapter fr)

in conclusion this chapter was horrible if we look at it from a story perspective due to how badly MHAs already established plot points and themes are handled!!!

Also what happend to the random character in the last chapter!!! I hope we get closure on that soon

[ladykailitha]

Not All That Glitters is Gold Part 17

This is the last chapter of this story. I do have the sequel halfway written and it will be most of the way, if not all the way done before I post the first chapter.

It's called "Everything I Ever Wanted" and will be four chapters, each based on a part of Steve's new life I wanted to highlight. Retirement, Steve's charity, the bonding and mating, and the birth of their first child and the fallout with his parents.

I will still keep the Glitters tag list for the sequel. I wouldn't normally, but it's such a little thing, it's just easier that way. If you want to be taken off the list for the sequel, let me know.

Here is Steve's happily ever after. As it should be.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16

****

Steve hated his heats before, but he loathed them now. Now he had an alpha he wanted to share it with, only they weren’t allowed to.

It was only a mini heat to clear out a minor faux bond and would barely last twenty four hours, but they would be the most miserable twenty four hours of his life and that included the twenty four hours after he learned he was infertile.

But Robin was the best handler in the business for a reason. The second his body temperature spiked, Xander and her got Eddie out and into her apartment, still in rut as he was.

Then she rebuilt Steve’s nest from scratch to perfection with the minor edition of Eddie’s handkerchief under his pillow.

The handkerchief plus, Eddie’s scent still sending out waves toward Steve’s apartment would help mitigate the absolute misery he would be in, but he still hated it.

Once all traces of the heat were out of his system, and his temperature going back to normal was Steve allowed visitors. Not even Robin was allowed inside his bedroom during his heats.

Though that was mainly because the poor omega was so pitiful and crying that a lot of handlers would be emotional wrecks afterwards.

Robin had made the mistake once when a heat came a week early due to some stress that was happening in Steve’s life and she was a sobbing mess the whole time he was in heat.

No one knew why the sight of an omega in heat drove betas to such an extreme emotional response, but the prevailing theory was that it was an evolutionary throw back to the pre-historic era so that betas would be moved to not take advantage of the omega in their most vulnerable time.

He showered and stepped out to his front room and smiled. Robin and Eddie were on the sofa waiting for him.

“Hey, princess,” Eddie murmured. “How are you feeling?”

Steve groaned and flopped down on the seat between the two of them. “Like I’ve been run over. The mini heats are the worst. Because you can’t prepare for them.”

“Especially since that was his first mini heat,” Robin commented dryly, “that automatically makes it worse.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “You don’t usually get mini heats?”

“Nope!” Steve said, popping the P. “Robin carefully curates my clients so that it’s never happened. I’ve experienced faux bonds before, the chemical bonding of scents instead of an actual bite bond. Those are common enough. But no, no mini heats for me.”

Eddie looked over at Robin who looked smug.

“Well that’s good then,” he said.

Steve nodded. He chewed on his lower lip and sighed. “I think we need to talk about the golden omega thing. It’s not possible, right?”

Robin and Eddie raised their eyebrows.

“Stevie,” Eddie said gently, “not only is it possible, it’s highly probable.”

Steve looked over at Robin and she nodded.

“Wait, what?”

“You don’t have to do anything about it now,” Robin said. “As long as you are a Starcourt escort you’ll spend your heats alone. And then if you want to get bonded to Eddie and have pups with him, walk away from the job and then mate.”

Steve went stock still as he mulled it over in his mind. Eddie and Robin exchanged concerned glances but stayed silent as Steve’s entire world view was shifted on its axis.

Starcourt had always treated Steve like he was special. It was one of the reasons his cherry popping was such a major event. His parents had sneered at the whole experience, but the agency had gone out of their way to make Steve feel safe in the process.

But to be a golden omega for real? And not just because Eddie wanted him to be special. Not that Eddie didn’t already think he was special, but this would cement how special Steve actually was.

He knew his parents would immediately come out of the woodwork to claim more money for being a golden omega, but it would also be the sweetest justice imaginable.

Because they could have gotten more from Steve’s omegahood and chose to throw him away like he didn’t matter. Only coming back when they needed more money.

“Explain it to me,” he whispered.

And they did. Robin leading the way with Eddie filling in spots where he thought Steve needed more clarity. When they were done Steve looked at Robin and said with tears in his eyes, “If I retire do I lose you?”

Robin’s lip quivered and she got up on her knees. She gently took Steve’s face in her hands. “No. Absolutely not. Yes, an omega escort has to be a handler’s top priority, but you are my best friend. My platonic soulmate, you’d have to murder me to get me to leave you. Do you understand?”

Steve nodded and then threw himself into her arms. Having to choose between the love of his life and his best friend would have been the hardest thing he would have ever had to do. But this made it easy.

They talked about it for a bit and ultimately it was decided Steve would retire when he turned thirty. It would give him a couple more years do a job he loved, but still give Eddie and him plenty of time to have pups.

“That’s a perfect solution,” Eddie agreed. “And I think the band will agree to a couple years break making music so we can all focus on our family lives.”

Steve’s omega chirped happily. Eddie chuckled and pulled him onto his lap. He nuzzled Steve’s scent gland and the omega chirped again.

“Look at you,” Robin said happily. “All content and comfortable. You just got every thing you could ever want, you lucky bastard.”

Steve grinned at her. “I am so blessed.”

Eddie blew a raspberry under Steve’s ear causing him to giggle.

“Eddie!” he protested, trying to push the alpha away, but Eddie did it again, this time on his cheek.

Soon they were wrestling and Steve ended up on the floor, looking up at a surprised Eddie.

“Rude,” Steve huffed as he got to his feet.

“Oops!”

Robin shook her head.

Eddie brought out Steve’s silly side and Steve let Eddie be himself. Apparently the universe knew what it was doing after all with these two.

****

The next three years passed by in a blur.

Chrissy had become the star Steve always knew she was. But of course, that meant her ex-boyfriend and her mother found out about her leaving the convent.

Steve was actually there to witness their faces, purple with rage showing up at some event she was at. The alpha actress she was with had to call security to get them removed.

Chrissy released a statement through the agency that spoke of her love of the job, the religious abuse her mother had put her through, and the love she thought was eternal with Jason turning to ash when she found out she couldn’t bear his children.

She spoke of the love that the sisters had shown her when her mother had dropped her off at the convent against the wishes of her father and her own. About how half of her cherry price went to those same sisters who had protected her from the wrath of her mother for years.

She spoke about how she found her people with Starcourt Services. How she had good friends, made good money, and how her father had supported her every step of the way. And how the other half of her cherry price would always be waiting for her if she ever wanted to leave. Something that after some serious soul searching she knew would not be for a long, long time.

Chrissy’s story burst open a scandal that had been the Church’s best kept secret, that a third of the omegas that came to them after learning they were infertile were brought there against their will by religious extremist parents not wanting their omega child to live their own lives.

Max and Lucas finally announced they were bonding after Lucas played his first game in the NBA as the first omega point guard for the Indiana Pacers, having won their law suit.

With Steve retiring, Robin was going to be Chrissy’s handler. Robin hadn’t lasted with Vickie due to them wanting different things out of life. Robin loved her job, but Vickie wanted more of her time to be focused just on her, something Robin wasn’t willing to do.

Tommy had been kicked out of the agency after he had a very public fight with his ex-girlfriend, Carol. He was supposed to be escorting Billy Hargrove but had found him in a bathroom with known omega starlet, Heather Holloway, his dick in her.

Carol had thrown it in his face that he couldn’t even get wandering Billy Hargrove to stay still long enough. Tommy had thrown hands and Starcourt had thrown him out.

Last Steve heard he was working as a pre-school teacher, barely making a tenth the amount he was at Starcourt. But he had found an alpha and they were happy together, satisfied for the first time in his life.

Jonathan was pregnant with Nancy and his second child. Steve was actually happy for them when they announced it.

Eddie’s band was topping the charts and had done a couple of tours. Steve had missed him, but with work keeping him busy, they were able to keep up a healthy communication.

Elinor and Gareth had decided to bond. Elinor knew that she would never reach the heights of Steve or Chrissy so when the last of her cherry price had been paid, she left the agency to be a rockstar’s wife.

Steve couldn’t wait to spend his first heat with Eddie. What was even better was the fact that Eddie’s rut had synced up with Steve’s heat and everyone knew to stay away for that week.

Their bonding and wedding ceremony was the talk of the town, Steve and Eddie surrounded by all their friends and loved ones. The whole Party was there.

Steve had taken preemptive measures against his parents, knowing that they would try and get more money from him, once Eddie and Steve announced that they had gotten pregnant.

He had a protective order ready to spring into affect the moment they tried anything. Lawyers on speed dial, and security on standby.

He had the life he had always dreamed of. A soulmate who would bond him and give him the pups he so desperately desired, who loved and cared for him like no one in his life could match. Robin came close. Because of course she did. Maybe not more or less than Eddie, but different.

And when that first little one came to loving and adoring parents, Steve knew that regardless if Dustin was omega, alpha, beta, or infertile Eddie and Steve would love him and support him no matter where he chose to go in life.

And that was the perfect ending to Steve’s story, he thought. Eddie couldn’t help but agree.

****

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[reidsc0nverse]

A Rose by Any Other Name (Chapter One)

Summary: Reader has her first day at the BAU in training to take JJ's place on maternity leave. She gets comfortable around the office with the help of her father Davis Rossi and the other members of the team, especially one specific genius.

Warnings: None

AN: This is my first real try at this idea that's been collecting dust in my brain, so far this chapter doesn't have a whole lot and it's mainly intro to the character but yeah. Also reader doesn't have Rossi's last name fyi and she's taking Jordans place in season 4 but they're not the same I promise.

Series Masterlist

---------------------༺⚘༻---------------------

   Well, I knew the time was coming, just not so out of the blue.

   I was training under the Communications Liaison of the BAU today, Jennifer Jareau, due to the fact that she's leaving for maternity leave soon. 

  It was only a matter of time before my dad, him being THE David Rossi, pulled some strings to get me to that spot despite me barely finishing the academy. I mean, I rocked it, but they usually want someone of more...experience in a position as such.

But here I am, walking through the doors of the bullpen and Jennifer walking up to me with a friendly smile.

"Ah! Agent Y/L/N, glad to see you," she said cheerily, holding her hand out for me to shake it.

"You too" I say returning the gesture and trying to keep my composure and maintain the same cheeriness as her, but failing.

"Nervous?" She asks, seeing through me with ease but continuing to keep her friendliness and walking me to her office.

"No of course not" I say sarcastically with a playful smile on my face as we enter in the room filled with a vast amount of case files.

She motions for me to sit across from her at the desk and laughs softly, "Don't worry, after your first couple of cases it gets easier..ish." 

"I just hate the part of the job that involves dealing with the press" I admit, with the stuff I've heard from my dad I can understand the stigma around journalists and outside sources.

"Tell me about it, but you'll get the hang of it, it's usually just repeating yourself after a while." She replies and we continue to discuss more about the details of the job and what I'm gonna have to do in the next weeks. 

"Alright enough of this, everyone should be here by now. I'll introduce you to everyone." She says and we get up and out where three agents stand talking.

"Hey guys, I want to introduce you to someone. This is Agent Y/N Y/L/N. She'll be taking over for me while I'm on maternity leave." She says and I smile at the three that Jennifer has described to me.

I go to shake their hands, "You must be Agent Prentiss, Agent Morgan, and Dr. Reid." They all return smiles to me, "Agent Jareau has told me so much about you all."

"La mia bambina!" I hear a familiar voice say as I look over to see my dad, his arms stretched out and pulling me as he kisses my cheek. 

"Hi dad." I say sheepishly, my face burning as the agents in front of me furrow their eyebrows. 

"Dad?" Prentiss says and continues, "Does your last name come from wife number 2 or 3?" she jokes and Morgan laughs in response.

My dad waves them off and looks back to me, "Training start today?" I nod and he holds me with his arm over my shoulder. "Yeah if you can let me go I can finally start" I joke with him and he lifts his arm in response.

"Yeah Rossi, I'd like to get her started with that." Jennifer says playfully as I wave once again to the others when she brings me with her to look over a case before bringing it to the team.

"I may have forgotten to mention that part to them," She says, looking at the file in her hand. "Oh, what? That Rossi's my dad?" I ask, her nodding and I continue, "No worries, I don't think he's ever even brought up having a kid. One that he knows about at least. We haven't been that close in all honesty." I explain to her. It's really no big deal to me, he wasn't very present in my childhood but as I've gotten older, he's put in a lot of effort to be a part of my life even if it's a little late. Hence, my place at the BAU.

We spend the next hour going over cases and she guides me on how they decide where to go and whether or not the risk of more lives being lost is prominent. Once we settle on one she lets out a breath, "Alright let's take a break, I need to stop staring at all of this" she says motioning to the abundance of cases on the desk. I nod in agreement smiling and make my way to the break room for a cup of coffee.

"Agent Y/L/N, right?" I hear someone say as they walk in. I turn my head and see the tall stature of Dr. Reid.

"Yes, yeah. Hi." I say, waiting for the coffee machine to finish brewing. He walks over and waits next to me with his empty mug. "But I don't really care about formal titles, you can just call me Y/N."

"Okay, Y/N. You can call me whatever, Spencer, Reid, I don't mind." He says gently and continues, "Rossi never mentioned he had a daughter. Let alone one coming onto the team."

"Temporarily" I remind him, but it's more to myself, "but I don't know how often he really wants to talk his personal life." I say lightheartedly and the coffee finally fills up my cup and I move over to let him use the machine.

Spencer shrugs and begins to make his own, "How long have you been in the FBI?"

At this I get nervous to respond, you can be as young as 23 to get into the FBI, but the BAU needs prior experience. But of course, my dad rushed the process some. "Well, uh, I kind of just finished the academy. I'm only 24 so there hasn't been much room for familiarity."

He looks at me with a slight surprise in his face, "Really? I mean if it makes you feel any better I started here as soon as I could. So in reality, you don't need all that much prior experience in the FBI to work here."

"Aren't you like, a genius though?" I laugh, Jennifer did tell me that about him.

He laughs and nods, "Well..you know what I mean. They make exceptions."

"Yeah, I suppose"

"Are you interested in profiling?"

"I only just recently figured that out." I laugh and explain further, "Psychology has always intrigued me and that's what I majored in, so once my dad figured that out he kinda shoved me into this field." I say, doing an exaggerated push motion absentmindedly.

He smiles and nods, "I think you should go for it, after this whole liaison thing of course, I wish you luck." He says and waves as he walks out. In that moment I can feel my face flush slightly, it wasn't that big of a deal but I guess I just wasn't expecting that sort of kindness on my first day.

I shake my head slightly and walk back to where Jennifer and I previously were.

She was already back on her side of the desk and reading a file, looking up she points at my cup, "Good thinking" she smiles and I take my seat again.

"I'd hate to think about how much coffee is drank in this building." I joke.

"Probably enough to supply a small country." she laughs and goes on, "Alright so I think you're pretty much all done for now, I don't think you'll be able to join us on the case but you can just get yourself used to the team if you want."

I nod and the day goes by with loads of 'how to's' around the office and in the perks of Jennifer's job. Sooner than later I get to go home and I get my stuff packed up and walk in the elevator.

The doors start to close but before it shuts completely, I see Spencer rush towards the elevator and I hold them open for him.

"Sorry- sorry." He says awkwardly as he gets in next to me. "How was your first day?"

"It was new. That's for sure. Just a whole lot of information on what I need to do." I say, fidgeting with my hair slightly.

"I'm not sure how much I can do, but if you need anything I know anyone on the team will help" He reassures me, and i smile back. "Thanks, really. I appreciate it."

"Of course." He smiles and the elevator opens up leading to the parking lot. "I'll see you later." He says and I smile back walking to my car.

I can feel the pink in my cheeks when I sit in the front seat and drive home.

I think I'm gonna like my time here.

---------------------༺⚘༻---------------------

okay chapter two will be out sometime between today and next week I hope y'all like it so far ik it's not a lot but give it some patience lols

[greg-montgomery]

Ivy - Part 11

gif by: @hotch-girl <3

Aaron Hotchner x Fem!Reader (Sean Hotchner x Fem!Reader)

Series summary: Your relationship with your boyfriend, Sean, is going great. Well, that is until you meet his older brother, Aaron.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

i am back!!!! <3333 we're getting close to the end my besties <3 if you missed the previous chapter, i'm sorry i didn't tag anyone! but now my blog is fixed and everything is back to normal!!

i think i’ll only write one or two more chapters on this story and we’re done 🫶🏻

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

“She’s gonna be alright.” Those were the words Aaron had said to him after getting you back. Sean was holding onto those words like his life depended on it.

“Thank you for reaching out to me for help, even after everything we’ve done to you,” his brother had said. “It means more to me than you know.”

“I would never put my pride above her safety.”

“I’m really proud of you for that.” That statement should have not made his chest swell the way it had. Seeking validation from his older brother seemed like a trap he still fell into; even after being betrayed by his own blood.

“I don’t know if you’ll ever find it in you to forgive me, but I don’t want to lose you.” Sean remembered the way Aaron’s voice had broken after saying those words. “Just know that you’ll always be my family and I’ll always be by your side if you need anything. You can still hate me, I don’t mind, as long as you know I’m always here if you need help.”

“I know.”

“Hot chocolate is ready!” A bubbly voice snapped him out of the memory of that phone call.

“How can you be this energetic at 4 in the morning?” he groaned, taking the cup of hot chocolate from Penelope’s hands.

“Well, my job doesn’t really have a schedule. So I’ve been trained to be alert at any time of the day. Or night.” She smirked.

Penelope had insisted on staying with him after hearing the news that you were safe. Sean couldn’t even imagine how awful he must have looked for a stranger to make an offer like this. But he was glad she did. That woman was full of warmness and light; things that had been missing from his life.

He had only managed to bring the mug on his lips, when he heard his phone ring. It was you.

“Hey,” he said, breathless.

“Hi, Sean.” Your voice was weak, tired; he could tell. But you were alive and that was all that mattered.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better. I slept, I showered, and now I’m having something to eat.”

It stung that it was Aaron who had probably cooked for you; that it was Aaron’s embrace you had found comfort in that night. It was all clear to him now. Sean was the reason you had been kidnapped. Aaron was your knight in shining armor who had come to your rescue.

It would never be Sean again for you. It would always be Aaron.

“God, I’m so sorry,” he cried. “I don’t know what to say. I feel like the bigg-”

“Don’t you dare apologize for this,” you interrupted him. “How could you have known?”

Sean wasn’t able to reply, his sobs choking him, preventing his voice from coming out.

Penelope was quick to sit next to him and take his hand in hers. “Hey, it’s okay.”

“Sean, do you think we could meet at some point? And just talk? I think we both need it.”

You were right. “Yes, we do. I’ll text you when I can.”

“Thank you,” you said.

There was an awkward pause. The times you were giggling on the phone asking him to hang up first were long gone.

“Um…try to get some sleep, please,” you spoke again. “I’ll be doing the same.”

“Okay, Y/N. Good night.”

“Good night.”

--

A kiss on the forehead by Aaron calmed your beating heart down. “I’m proud of you.”

“I can’t tell whether he hates me or not,” you admitted, letting your phone drop on the couch next to you. “Last time we talked it felt like he didn’t wanna see me again. And now it’s…”

“It’s all very complicated,” he said, leaving another kiss on the side of your head. “He’s hurt, but he still loves you. And now he feels guilty on top of everything.”

“I don’t want him to forgive me because he feels guilty.”

“We need to give him time, my love. Let him reach out to you when he’s ready. He needs to process his emotions first,” Aaron said. “We all do.”

“Thanks for the input, Oprah.”

“Ah…” he said, throwing his head back. “I missed that nickname.”

You laughed and kissed his cheek with all the love in the world.

Brining your attention back to the soup you had left, you brought up a little detail from the phone call you just had.

“As I was talking with Sean…” you started, “I swear I heard Penelope’s voice at some point.”

“Penelope as in…”

“As in Penelope Garcia.”

Aaron raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I guess she stayed there for moral support?”

“Can she even do that?” you wondered.

“Well, your case wasn’t official so I guess she can,” he argued.

“Hmm…interesting.”

At least you were gonna sleep easier now, knowing that Sean wasn’t all by himself.

--

“Shh…Try not to wake her, okay buddy?”

“Okay.”

After a sleep full of nightmares that you were back in that basement, being woken up by the whispers of your favorite people was a blessing; even if they managed to do the exact opposite of what they had just said.

You opened your eyes slightly, being met with a little Jack climbing up the bed.

“Daddy, I woke her up,” he said, turning to face his dad with a guilty face.

“It’s okay, my angel. Come here,” you said, softly, opening your embrace for him.

Jack was soon in your arms, and to the sight of Aaron smiling at the two of you, you fell back asleep.

This time, without bad dreams.

--

My family: those two words were on your mind the entire day you spent with them.

Normally, you would be irritated if the people around you acted as if you were going to break at any point, but how could you be mad when those people were Aaron and his son?

Aaron told Jack you were a little sick and that was all it took for him to act as overprotective of you as his dad did. They didn’t let you lift a finger, and somehow, this treatment felt comforting. You felt loved and cared for. You were important to them.

“Need some tea, maybe?” Aaron asked, as you rested your head on his shoulder. Jack was playing in his room, finally giving you some time alone.

“All I need right now is my man to hold me.”

“Okay. I’m sorry if I’m being too much.”

“Don’t be sorry,” you said, placing your palm on his chest. “Thank you for taking care of me.

“I would lose my mind if something happened to you,” he admitted. “I don’t even wanna think about it.”

“Then don’t,” you replied, kissing his jaw. “It’s over now.”

“It is,” he said softly, his nose brushing against yours. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

You cupped his cheek and brought his face close to you, giving him a deep kiss. “My love…”

“Y/N, look what I made!” Jack’s excited voice made you break your kiss abruptly, but not fast enough for him not to see what was happening. To Jack, you were still his aunt – not his dad’s girlfriend.

Embarrassment and surprise were written all over his face as he stared at you, before running back to his room.

“I’ll talk to him,” you told Aaron before he even had the chance to speak.

--

You knocked on Jack’s door and entered his room after hearing his soft, “Come in.”

Jack was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, a superhero figure occupying his hands.

“Hey, buddy.”

“Why were you and daddy kissing?” he asked, staring at the toy on his lap.

“Honey, uncle Sean and I are not together anymore,” you said, taking a seat next to him.

“You don’t love him anymore?”

“I love him, but not the way I love your dad,” you answered honestly. He was a kid, but you weren’t going to hide the truth from him. Children understood everything anyway.

“You love my dad?”

“Very much.”

“And does he love you too?” Jack finally looked at you.

“He does.”

“So now you’re my dad’s girlfriend?” His tone was curious, not judgmental like you feared.

“Yes, my angel,” you said.

“Isn’t uncle Sean mad at you?”

His question hurt, as innocent as it was.

“He is. And we deserve that.”

“I’d be mad too.”

Thanks, Jack, you thought.

“Max is my best friend,” he said after a small pause.

“Okay…” you said, uncertain where he was going with this.

“But after Christmas break, when we went back to school,  he only played with Alex, and not me anymore. And it made me really sad and angry. But then…then…they said they were sorry and we started playing all together. And now we’re all friends.”

You furrowed your brows - trying to ignore your protective instincts that wanted you to fight two children named Max and Alex – and focused on the moral message of his story.

Yes, the three of you would never be best friends. But Sean deserved an apology. The one you hadn’t given him the day you broke up, because you thought it was worthless. An apology wouldn’t fix anything, but Sean deserved to hear it anyway.

Jack interrupted your thoughts by moving closer to you. “I know that uncle Sean is mad, but I’m happy you’ll be here with us a lot. I love you.”

That kid had the ability to melt your heart like butter. “I love you too, buddy.” You leaned in to give him a hug.

“Can I tell you a secret?” he whispered against your shoulder.

“Of course.”

“I kept wishing you were my mom and not my aunt. And I think that my wish came true and that’s why daddy fell in love with you.”

You squeezed him even tighter.

Part 12

ivy tag list: @preciousbabypeter @buckysmainhxe @galaxyofmyown @ssamorganhotchner @romanogersendgame @elhotchner @louderfortheback @northschild @iammirrorball @rousethemouse @kishie8 @save-the-sky @ssacharcoalgrey @realdirectionx @itsmytimetoodream @art-and-thoughts @red-red-rogue @dellalyra @feetgypsy @stella95827 @katieslotherford @jazzymariexoxoc @quietlyignoringyou @justarandommom @sebastiansstanswhore @lelifesaver @aaron-hotchners-girlfriend @whyamihere96 @sylvieofasgard @redbleedingrose @222brooke @xoprincessmel @girlintheredscarf @radical-gecko @yeehawbitchs @jazzerbelle14 @jayxox @adrienette715 @fudosl @sardonic-courtney @emlynblack @kizzywh @formulapierre @crocodilefeet2707 @mojo366 @spicysimpura @twelfthnightorwhatyouwill1998 @mrs-ssa-hotch @clairedragonessbaker @n0t-yours-you-w1sh @tipsyteenstoday @potatoesonacouch @the-fantasy-loving-angel @my-beel @lex13cm @chibsytelford @crimsonincursive

[wandafiction]

How Much?! - Just Us Chapter 3

Warnings: Suggestive themes

Word Count: 1644

Series List | Chapter 2 | Chapter 4

================================

The elevator ride was calm compared to the car ride, Wanda was lent against me with one arm wrapped around mine and the other holding my bicep of the same arm. Her head was leaning against my arm just below my shoulder, now I could take in how tall I was compared to her, a relaxed smile on her face as we both looked at one another through the reflection in the mirrored walls of the elevator. 

I also don't feel like slamming her up against the wall and making her cum once again. I think she feels the same, as she seems more relaxed than when we were in the club and the car. Maybe I should offer her a drink and chat before anything else. No, I will offer her a drink, and we will do this at her pace. She has never been with a woman before...well now she has...but I want to make sure she is comfortable this whole night. So her pace.

"Penthouse suite?" Wanda's gaze moved from looking at me to the sign in the elevator letting us know we had arrived.

"Uh, yeah this is my floor. Well two floors." I shuffled on my feet a little, I always hated showing off my wealth too much. Nothing screams rich fucker like a 2 story penthouse at the top of an already expensive apartment building practically made for the richer people of New York. 

"Do you mind me asking what job you have to be able to have a two floor penthouse?" Wanda's voice wavered a bit trying to gauge what I would do. 

The elevator bell dinged, the doors opening straight into the entrance hall. And before you think 'oh surely anyone can access the penthouse then'. No. The building has an interface system where you have to have a key card, or if you're like me and sometimes forget your key card, a password as well to be able to access past a certain floor. However, even then the cards and passwords are linked to a particular floor number so you can't access anything but yours. The only way someone could possibly get into my pent house without any of that is with a guest password, and each one of those is different so you know who accessed your place and when.

Pretty neat if you ask me. My friend Tony Stark came up with the idea when building this place, making sure I specifically got the top floor and allowed me to design my penthouse myself. He is a good friend.

Anyway, back to Wanda's question.

"No, it's fine. I am a business woman, CEO of a tech company that works in the medical field and also a partner in my friend's tech business." 

"Wow, so earning the big bucks." I stifle a laugh.

"Yes, something like that. Drink?" I pull her to the kitchen area where I have a large wine fridge and then another fridge with beers and other alcoholic beverages in it.

"Red wine please." Wanda makes herself home on one of the stools at the kitchen's island. 

"Any preferences?" I turn with the best two bottles of wine I have holding them up to her. "Château Ausone 2003 or Château Lafite 2010?"

"I don't know. I've never had either before. Whatever you think is best for tonight." She looks like she wants to ask another question as I open the Ausone.

"You can ask me Wanda." I turn around with a wine glass in hand passing it off to her, as she looks slightly confused about how I knew.

"How much does a bottle of Ausone cost? Because you opened it like it wasn't that much. I mean it sounds posh and expensive. Sorry it doesn't matter." She takes a sip of her drink to stop her rambling. 

"It's okay Wanda I promise. You're allowed to ask these questions, you're just curious I get that." 

"Okay well how much does it cost?" She asks with a cheeky grin on her face. 

"That one is the St Emilion Grand Cru. So roughly $1200 a bottle." I hear Wanda choke slightly at my answer, but she quickly covers her mouth recovering from her momentary choke.

"Sorry, but that's more than my monthly rent. Wow. It definitely tastes like a $1200 bottle of liquid courage." She then takes another sip, now obviously savouring the drink.

"Well you can't blame me for that one. It was a gift, it's been sitting there a while. So why not treat you to it." I raise my glass to my mouth watching her reaction. 

"Oh so this is your saving for a rainy day wine?" She jokes.

"Exactly. I had no one to share it with till now, so I thought fuck it, otherwise it will never get drunk otherwise." She hums in response. "Any other questions for me princess?"

"Why the name princess? Also is it rude if I ask how much you earn a year? I mean I'm just curious, you know, expensive wine in a two story penthouse. You have to be bringing home the bacon right?" Wanda places her empty glass on the counter, and I move to top it up again as I think of an answer. 

"I don't really know. It was the first thing to pop into my head when trying to fluster you, which worked by the way." She blushes slightly as I continue. "I mean I don't call anyone princess, never have. It just seemed fitting. And as for how much I earn, are you sure you really want to know?" 

"Hmm, I mean I don't have a name for you. You're just y/n. Why? Is it a lot?" Wanda tilts her head in question. 

"Y/n is just fine. I don't need to go by anything else. Define a lot. What is a lot of money for you Wanda?" 

"Well I have a 2 bedroom apartment that costs me around $1000 a month. I'm not poor in that sense of the word, I always have spare money and savings and my salary is decent. But a lot would be...I don't know...let's set the benchmark at $500'000." I finished off my glass of wine, liking my lips cleaning them of wine not missing Wanda's eyes darting down to watch the movement.

"Then I earn waaaay more than alot. Like I asked before, are you really sure you want to know?" This time I tilt my head in question.

"Can I guess? And then you say higher or lower?" She shuffles on the stool excitedly at the prospect of the small guessing game.

"Of course go ahead."

"Uhmm a lot more than $500'000 so 1.2 mil?" I point my finger upwards to indicate it's higher. "2 million?" Again I point upwards. "5 million?" 

"Much higher." 

"12 million?" 

"Multiply that by five." It takes no longer than a second to do the Maths.

"60 million! A year? Holy shit!" 

"I make anywhere between 60 to 85 million. However, I put a lot of it back into the company and help start up small businesses and of course give to charity." 

"So what do you indulge in? Because every millionaire has something they spend lots of money on. So spend money on houses, cars or even islands? So what is y/ns favourite thing to spend money on?" 

"I am a car person myself, but I tend to buy rust buckets and fix them up myself. Of course I have luxury cars and that but they are more for formal events just for publicity and all that, my PR team seems to think it helps the company and so on and so forth. But in all honesty I like treating my friends most if all. What would you spend the money on if you had that sort of income?"

"I would love to say the same as you. You know, help others in need, give to smaller businesses and friends and family. However, if I jump from my salary to your salary I am spoiling myself first. Car, house, the whole nine yards." We both laugh at her honesty. "Now though I think I'm done with the small talk." Her voice is low, her pupils dilate as she speaks.

"Yeah and what have you got in mind princess?" I lean closer to her whispering in her ear, a shiver going down her spine.

"I think we should take this to the bedroom." Wanda sighs when I start nibbling at her ear.

"Oh yeah? And what do you want to do once we are there princess?" I move my hands to her thighs slowly moving them up and down.

"You tell me?"

"Well princess. I am going to make this the best night of your life. You're going to be screaming my name so loud you forget your own, your legs squeezing around my head as I bring you so much pleasure you won't be able to feel them in the morning. I'm going to find every little spot that sets you off and leave a beautiful purple bruise on them to remind you of how I made you feel." A small fuck leave her mouth, her legs closing slightly to gain some form of friction as I speak. "So princess, are you ready for me to take full control of you tonight?" 

"Fuck. Yes. Please. Just fuck me already." 

"I have your complete consent?" Just got to double check to make sure it is truly what she wants.

"Yes, now please fuck me y/n." 

"What's the safe word?"

"Red." 

"Good girl." A low groan leaves her lips as I pull her off the stool, her legs wrap around my waist as I start to carry her out of the kitchen. 

Tonight is going to be fun.

================================

[pocksprincess]

Chapter 4 - Don't Clean Your Windows

Series masterlist

Obito Uchiha x f!reader

Modern AU, obi still has scars, pining, reader embarasses herself (it's kinda cringe tbh but this whole story is in a romcom kinda way soooo), reader has daddy issues but she's pretty well adjusted, reader does not find neji hot soz, unhinged group chat between co-workers

Word count - 1419

Beta baddie - @dabilove27 ty my sweet love <33

<- Prev | Next ->

The rest of your week flies by uneventfully. You only see Obito in passing, when you leave the house in the morning and return home in the evening, but he actually returns your little waves of greeting now. The small gesture fills you with far too much warmth.

Your second week on the job was a little more relaxed. You know how the practice runs now and after meeting Neji, your final introductions are complete. But the best part is that you've become fast friends with both TenTen and Sakura, even creating a group chat that you all take turns filling with nonsense. 

Today is Sakura's day. You are gathering up your many supplies to finish cleaning the upstairs rooms when your phone chimes from your pocket. You catch a message from the ‘girlies’ group chat as you pull it out, balancing your bucket of cloths and spray bottles on your thigh, as you unlock your screen:

Sakura-chan🌸: so do we think daddy yams is cute? 

You snort in disbelief and put down your supplies in favour of seeing where this particular question ends up leading to. 

You: Sakura, please stop calling him daddy. One of these days you'll let it slip at work, ya big creep

Sakura-chan🌸: not a chance. yeah, but he's cute. in that tired dad way?

You laugh under your breath (she's relentless) and plop down on the stairs to get comfy, too lazy to walk to the living room, and knowing full well that if you sit down on the sofa you won't get up again until dinner.

🖤TenTen🖤: Total dilf! Or I guess an honorary dilf

You: Lmao

🖤TenTen🖤: Got that “i'll provide for you” vibe going on

🖤TenTen🖤: What about Neji though? 

Sakura-chan🌸: see! daddy's provide, tenten agrees! i still think sensei is hotter though

You: NOT NEJI

🖤TenTen🖤: Sakura nooo, Guy practically raised me 🤢

Mrs Hyuuga👰💍: neji is gorgeous!! 😍 

You: lmao sakura did you really just change your name

🖤TenTen🖤: You can't deny Neji is 🔥 just because he told you off the other day

Mrs Hyuuga👰💍: what!! bet he's lonely, i can keep him company <33

You: Ew no, Neji is the dad I never had. And not in the hot ‘daddy issues’ way…before you even chime in Sakura 🚫🙅‍♀️

🖤TenTen🖤: looool sakura is down bad for neji

🖤TenTen🖤: thought you were in love w that friend of naruto's, the emo guy

Mrs Hyuuga👰💍: he pissed me off so i’m looking at other options 

You: Yeah, cuz that will last long…

🖤TenTen🖤: LOOOL the truth has been spoken 

Mrs Hyuuga👰💍: it's not my fault my type happens to be the ones who don't care if i exist 

You stifle a snort into your hand. Sakura is insatiable and TenTen only encourages her degenerate ass. Not that you are any better, honestly-gawking shamelessly at your shirtless neighbour most mornings.

Mrs Hyuuga👰💍: our newest member has avoided commenting on the hotness of our bosses 👿

🖤TenTen🖤: that's becuz she's too smitten with her sexy neighbour 👅🍆💦

You groan audibly, it's like TenTen sensed what you were just thinking about, and now your stupid heart is racing more than it should at just the mention of him. You never should have told TenTen about Obito, she is the world's worst tease.

Mrs Hyuuga👰💍: sexy neighbour got you whipped! NEED PICS 📸🔥

You: omg I hate you both 

You: PICS OF WHAT?!

🖤TenTen🖤: 🍆 pics

You: I'VE SPOKEN TO HIM ONCE 

Mrs Sexy Neighbour💋: just take a pic of him when he isn't looking, you said he runs shirtless, right? 😈

🖤TenTen🖤: Yeah and you bought him wine!! Such a come on, can't believe you didn't get his #

You: SAKURA NO

🖤TenTen🖤: that's called stalking 

🖤TenTen🖤: get help @/Mrs Sexy Neighbour

🖤TenTen🖤: horny jail 4 you

You: y'all are WILD

Mrs Sexy Neighbour💋: how can we believe you about his hotness if we don't have evidence?? gimme his name, i'll find his socials 

You: And that's my cue to leave! 🏃‍♀️

Clicking the off button, you shove your phone back into your pocket just as a barrage of pings assaults your ears. You pick up your bucket, face flaming with embarrassment, and shake your head as you make your way upstairs-those girls need a time out and housework doesn't do itself.

After doing a deep clean of the bathroom and vacuuming the carpets, you are now tackling the grimy windows in the spare room-preparing the space for your mother's visit next month. And it just so happens that from your vantage point you have a direct line of sight into Obito's backyard.

You can see him squatting in the dirt with a trowel in hand (and fully clothed this time, much to your disappointment) as he tends to his garden. You had a sneaky look at the beautiful blooms and array of vegetables and fruits from your bedroom window not long after you moved in. After meeting the mountain of a man himself it surprises you he has such a green thumb.

Although, when you think about it further, it oddly suits him. You definitely picked up on a vulnerable and sensitive side to him during your chat. It shocks you that such a blatantly attractive man could be so bashful and reserved. You initially assumed his brusque and uninterested demeanour was that of an overly confident and self-assured individual. What's the saying your mother used to always tell you? Something about the more beautiful the man, the more arrogant he is.

But how wrong you were. You suppose a man that heavily scarred has his fair share of insecurities (not that he needs to, in your opinion). He is not what you expected at all and it only piques your curiosity. 

You can't help but watch him tend to his plants in his comically small gardening apron. He clearly enjoys the hobby, otherwise why would he be out there in the mid-afternoon heat working so diligently. A few seconds more and you begin to feel like a creeper, watching him without his knowledge, so you forcefully avert your gaze to the task at hand.

You need to clean the outside of the glass, something you've been avoiding doing for fear of your clumsy ass falling out of the window. But no one else is going to do it, so with a hefty sigh you roll up your sleeves and twist the handle. And…the jamb is stuck from misuse. 

Leaning over the windowsill, you place your hands against the glass and throw all your weight behind the push you give it. The window flies open with a loud crack as it comes unstuck, followed by a thump as its extensions reach their limit. You shoot forwards with the momentum, half hanging out the window as you desperately grip onto the handle for dear life.

You barely manage to stifle the surprised screech that rises in your throat, and with a horrific realisation, you chance a glance into Obito's garden. And of course he is watching you, face a picture of shock and concern. 

You grimace at the unlikeliness of the situation playing out around you and offer an awkward smile to your concerned neighbour-letting him know that you are unharmed, but most certainly an idiot. He raises a hand at you tentatively, a funny look crossing his face, and you don't know whether to laugh at the expression or slap yourself in the forehead for embarrassing yourself in front of him. This is definitely going to colour his impression of you.

With some effort, you manage to hoist yourself back into the room and on solid flooring. You poke your head back out the window, safely this time, and hold out the old t-shirt you are using as a rag (as if that explains everything) before rubbing it against the window pane in demonstration. 

"Just…cleaning my windows!" You holler, voice carrying across the space between you. 

"Oh. Okay!" He shouts back, confused at your admission, and you just about die on the spot. You offer another wave before ducking your head back inside and covering your flaming cheeks with your hands.

You couldn't make this shit up even if it was a cheesy romcom movie. You abandon your task and jog downstairs to your kitchen in shame where you hastily prepare yourself a glass of iced tea. Time for a break, you think.

You pull out your phone and open up the chat:

You: guys, you will never believe what just happened 🙃

[callsigns-haze]

Pretty like a crime

Chapter 8

Pairing: Agent Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Singlemom! Agent Y/n 'Cobra' Y/l/n

Summary: Cobra is finally back on the agency and is finally back in the job. With Kai at home she has to jumble being a mother and a agent. She's sent to her first U.C mission but never thought that she would meet a blonde, green eyed Texan...

Warning: Mentions of gun use, ptsd, mentions of death, mentions of shooting, flirting, mentions of abuse, description of dead body, death, blood, undercover work, alcohol use, smut, kissing

Prologue/ Part 1/ Part 2/Part 3/ Part 4/ Part 5/ Part 6/ Part 7

"Alexandre, is back in the family." Matthew says as you sit on your balcony, sipping wine to help relieve the stress you've just experienced.

"Nice," you mumble taking another sip and looking at him from behind your glasses. He's changed so much recently, more tensed and stressed. He's been so full of anger and lost compassion that you simply don't understand.

"What's going on with you!" He lifts his voice and you don't even lift your gaze. He's angry but there's nothing that could get you more pissed than you already were. The people who hated the Chevaliers were working their way through history and you were giggling at the sidelines.

"Your brother just flipped his car and nearly died. You're so stuck up and arrogant that you don't even go and visit him and just sit here going on about business, THAT'S WHAT'S FUCKING WRONG WITH ME!" You shout at him.

"All you care about if your doing well in daddy's business. Not once did you stop and think about anyone around you, even your own brother's. Matthew, history from ten years ago is getting pulled back up from the grave and you should care about not getting caught by a lose thread!' And with that your gone. As you storm off as you shove past Penelope.

------

These people cared for no one at all. All they cared about was money. You don't know how you got yourself so deep into this drama but you don't want to know, but one thing you learned is that the only way to survive is to thrive by yourself.

You run down as fast as your legs can carry you. Your dad was called down to the police station along with other team members with no reason for the explanation behind it.

You pull out your badge and guards approve your entering and sadly the first person you lay on is the last you would've wanted. "Matthew."

Matthew, was your father's lawyer, family business brings close and yet that so-called lawyer is actually your ex. You haven't seen him ever since you left, from what you heard he went for rehab and it showed. He didn't seem sloppy and drowsy anymore, he had composure. He stood up straight, eyes not bloodshot and looked like the Matt you knew.

"Y/N."

He could not believe his eyes. The woman he had loved for all those years and the same woman that left him was now standing right in front of him, ready to hear news about her father.

"Hi." You both say in sync , causing the two of you to let out a laugh. Your laugh was one of the finest you've ever given off, you're far from happy to see this man and no act could fake it. It broke the thick and tense silence as you asked, "What happened with my dad?"

He looked down at you and pulled out a bunch of paper while pointing and explaining, "They pulled evidence from back years, then forged them together and got this mess." It sure was a mess, each line being more fake and unrealistic from the other.

Your father would never do such things and never did, he has worked honestly and fairly and whoever was doing this to him would surely pay.

"Can I-"

"Hey, Cobra!" A voice from behind you calls as the tall, muscular, blonde, green eyed Texan runs up beside you. He kisses your cheek lightly as Matthew hunts him down with his gaze. Horrible timing Hangman.

"Who's this?" Jake asks, wrapping his arm around your waist. These actions are getting stared at by Matthew as if he was a hawk hunting his prey. "Matt, this is Jake my partner. Jake, this is Kai's dad Matthew."

If you ever seen a cartoon character lose colour in milliseconds there was no better way of describing Jake. All the colour drained from his face, he went all pale and stiff, while shaking as he held his hand out.

Matthew stared at Jake's put out hand and ignored it, slightly shoving past it as he tells you. "They don't have anything solid on him, don't worry. Excuse me, I have to go see my client." He shoved past Jake whispering in his ear as he walked past. "If I were in your place I'd leave my family alone."

Jake got the biggest chills of his whole life. Your ex was, Matthew Chevalier. Nicely putting it, he was done for.

"You didn't tell me HE was Kai's dad. Wait! So you're-" You've heard this sentence more than you could count in your life, exactly the words used on the phonecall.

"Madame Chevalier or Lady, whatever you wanna call it." You sigh, pulling your head back and putting it back down to lock eyes with Jake. You stare at his green eyes for just a moment and then lean in to plant a kiss upon his lips. You wrap your hands gently around his neck, twirling his hair lightly as your lips perform a sort of dance. You pull back and look Jake in the eyes.

"As much as I hate him he's still Kai's father and a damn good lawyer, that's all that matters."

-------

You enter the white room where Romain lay. His neck was injured and in a brace and his arm was in a cast. He looked so powerless. In this moment he looked as if he lost all the authority he's ever had.

You walk toward the hospital bed and sit down on the small chair beside him. A tear slips from your eye as you watch him in such a state. Out of all the Chevaliers he was the only one with dignity and a heart and this all happened because his dad kicked him out for loving a man and not Grace.

"Hey," you say, putting his free hand in yours as he looks at you. A tear leaves his eye as he lays his sight upon you. You felt horrible for him. He didn't deserve this, not at all.

"Y/N, I-i-i-i." You shush him already knowing what he was going to say. The Fortuny family ended in such a way and now he did the same but if it wasn't for Olivia he'd already be dead.

"Romain, their death wasn't in your hands."

------

You lay on your couch as Kai insisted on walking Jake's dog with him, and there was no way you could deny it. The blanket lay only upon your feet as you curled yourself up into a ball.

Matthew was sober and back into his ordinary life. He was sober and in a brilliant state, he was influenced and trusted and most importantly out of all, he found you. Matthew had the right to fight for Kai if he wished to.

Kai was his son after all and the only reason you left was due to the struggles that your relationship pushed. You quickly got divorced papers and signed them and immediately left the continent let alone the country.

You earlier pulled out a glass of champagne, but now you've ended up in the middle of chugging the whole bottle. Your ex husband is in town, meaning he could tear you down for what you did. He could easily get rid of you for what you've done.

"MOMMY!" Kai's voice echoed through the apartment as they returned from their walk. You place the champagne bottle down onto the glass, black coffee table and sit up properly from your previous egg position.

The second Jake had taken off your son's shoes, the little boy ran to you and sat beside you before you pulled him into your lap. "Mommy, can I stay up with the doggy?" The little boy enforced one of the fittest pouting lips you've ever seen but you couldn't say yes, not tonight.

"I'm sorry baby, bed now. You've taken a bath earlier and went out in your PJ's so you're perfectly ready for a night snooze." Kai groans as Jake appears leaning against the living room doorframe with the young energetic dog at his feet.

"Your mommy's right buddy, you'll still have time to play tomorrow." You look up at Jake and smile before standing up with Kai on your hip.

You carry him over to Jake where your boyfriend happily relieves your arms from your son, carrying him to his room to put him down.

- Once Jake re-entered he found you leaning against the kitchen counter, head pointing downwards as you took deep breaths.

There were silent tears streaming down your face when the flashback of the papers went through your head. You let out a little sob not being able to contain yourself and that's when Jake noticed you crying.

"Noo angel, don't cry. I'm here now everything is ok," at that you get up to face him gently wrapping your arms around him and sobbing into his chest.

"Shhhh baby, it's okay. I'm here."

"It's just that when I left I never had to s-s-see him aga-" you could even finish the sentence with your shaking. You were having another panic attack. You haven't had one in ages but Jake knew this wouldn't end well if you didn't relax and take a breath.

"Look at me angel," he commands softly, not trying to be ruff or rude but in a way to get you to listen.

You raze your gaze to him as your glassy eyes spill again and you start hiccuping softly.

"Now, see angel. I'm here, okay? I'm fine and I'm with you so let's keep the past to the past and now everything is okay," he says pulling you in gently.

Your son's slowed down as you started taking deep, slowed down breaths. "I don't want him here. I want him gone, for good this time!" You choke out before reburying yourself in Jake's chest. You want Matthew dead.

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[justanamesstuff]

The intimacy of being understood

Chapter 4

Matty Healy x f!reader

A/N: She (this chapter lol) is sad and hurts very much but i swear is the only heavy chapter. I hope you like it...as always feedback (not hate) is always welcomed :)♥

Warnings: mention of death, angst, hurt feelings, typos.

Word count: 3 K

Blog Masterlist Series Masterlist

Kate walked from one side to the other, looking funny from Y/n’s perspective, who was sitting in front of the big couch. The one in front of her hid the lower part of Kate’s body, so the mixture of her friend’s figure dancing around in the air and how angry she was at the moment amused Y/n. 

In the last few years, the pair of friends talked –mostly Kate– about their careers multiple times. Kate worked for a big company, she aspired to be at the top someday –Y/n knew it in her bones she would make it. Although, life was being unfair with her friend. Kate’s bosses promoted her nemesis, a very unqualified woman, who Kate despised with her entire soul, and ranted about her with Y/n. 

The owner of the bookshop felt like they had had that exactly conversation so many times, so she heard half of what Kate was telling her, dropping words or sound of encouragement from time to time. Y/n accepted the reality that Kate didn’t necessarily want advices from her, just someone that could give her the time and moment so let her feeling out. So, she did. 

Meanwhile, Kate shouted and walked from side to side, Y/n played with the golden neckless around her neck mindlessly. Her mind didn’t go to the same places as they used to when she moved the ring –attached to it– from side to side, creating a hypnotic sensation. Y/n found herself thinking about Matty and the messages they have shared all those weeks. A small smile creeping into her mouth.

“You have to see the amount of typos she makes. It’s painful!” Kate shouted, startling Y/n.

She added almost automatically, “Mhm.” and reached for her phone resting beside her on the couch. 

“I shouldn’t say this…” Kate stopped, placing her hands on the couch, looking at Y/n. “It’s not very feminist from myself, but I think she’s sleeping with the CEO or something.” Y/n’s friend cringe a little hearing her own words. “That job should be mine, not hers.” she let her body fell forward, until her head touched the cushions of the couch.

“I bet they’re going to give it to you eventually, Kate.” Y/n said, huffing softly when no new messages popped on her screen. She tried to calm her anxieties thinking about how busy Matty must be. 

“Eventually…I don’t want to wait for those morons to wake up and see she’s not capable. I’ve been breaking my back for years for them to just-”

ping!

Y/n hated how fast her hand grabbed the device again after merely minutes –or maybe seconds. Matty had sent her new memes, making her laugh out loud. The man cracked her sense of humour sooner than she intended, and was feeding it constantly. She didn’t know how he did it. 

Kate pushed her head up staring at Y/n, her face red since all the blood was going to her head. 

“Righ, what’s so funny?” 

“Nothing.” Y/n replied, typing away with a big smile. 

“Y/n.”

“What?”

Y/n’s friend didn’t answer right away. She pushed herself all the way up, staring at her best friend lost inside her phone. Kate rounded the big couch, sitting properly in front of Y/n.

“Please, make this impossible day a little bit better for me.” 

“Funny pop up notification.”

Kate scoffed loud. She wasn’t stupid, and she knew Y/n.

“Okay, I’ll believe that lie.” 

“It’s not a lie.” Y/n locked her phone after answering Matty and sent a few more memes. 

“You have been smiling down at your phone for days now. I haven't said a word.”

Y/n sit very still, looking at Kate with her eyes full of panic for some reason. 

“What haven’t you tell me now?”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“Well, you’re blushing like when Tom Dickinson asked you out.” Kate pestered her.

Y/n hid her embarrassed face from Kate, pushing a cushion on her face, “Absolutely not like that!” 

ping! 

“I hate when you leave me out.” Kate pouted a little.

“I’m not doing anything.”

“Mhm.”

Y/n knew it wasn’t fair from her to bring Kate’s nemesis back, so her friend went back to complain about her but, she said, “Dalia…”

“Oh, I hate the sound out of that bitch!”

Sooner, Kate went back to her rant. Y/n breathed deeply knowing she was out of danger. 

****

4 days later 

The weather was very cold the afternoon Matty walked all the way from Sam’s house –after visiting him, Allen and Mayhem–, to the bookshop. His heart sunk and a weird sensation travelled from his neck all the way down his spine. In all the months Matty knew the place and Y/n, he had never saw it closed so he panicked. 

The typical sign he saw every time he crossed the door showed the ‘closed’ side with a note attached to it saying ‘we’re closed today, sorry to disturb you’. Matty guessed it was Y/n handwriting. Y/n. 

Matty fought with his coat trying to reach the inside pocket where he left his phone. He needed to know she was alright. 

Matty: Y/n x

Y/n 📚: Hey

Matty: everything alright?

Y/n 📚: yes, you?

Matty: I'm at the shop…

Y/n 📚: Oh

Matty witnessed how Y/n typed a sentence but before sending it she deleted it, and the same happened a few more times. Until Y/n added a question to her response. 

Y/n 📚: do you want to go for a coffee and a walk? 

The singer read it twice, thinking he was delusional or hallucinating. He never expected that boldness coming from Y/n even though he was not going to let the opportunity pass.

Matty: sure.

Y/n 📚: do you remember where I live?

Matty: yes, I’ll let you know when I'm there.

Y/n 📚:  okay x

During the short walk –which Matty almost ran– he wondered what was happening. Why the shop is closed? Why Y/n is inviting me to a date? It was a date? Where they that kind of friends now? Was it more? For the first time in a very long time, Matty felt he was deeply nervous.

When he was only a block away, Matty looked around, trying to figure out if the people walking closer recognized him. The least thing he wanted was to meet fans when he was out with Y/n who didn’t know what he did for a living –or that was he knew. Thankfully, no one noticed or cared about him. 

Matty reached her house breathing rapidly, almost out of breath. So, before Matty texted her letting her know he was there, the singer took a minute to admire the house. It was very Y/n and the thought took him by surprise. Even though before he could go down that road inside his head, Y/n walked the short way to meet him. 

“Hi.” Y/n awkwardly said, fixing her sunglasses on top of her nose.

“Hello.”

They stood there for a minute saying nothing more, until Y/n offered him, “Shall we?” pointing with her hand to the street. 

“Yes, yes.” Matty felt so stupid. 

Both of them wanted to start a conversation, but neither knew how nor what to say. Y/n chose the reasonable thing from her part.

“Im sorry…about the shop.” 

“Surprised me.” Matty admitted.

Y/n knew it was the main reason behind him texting her that day, but the only answered coming from her mouth was a short, “Mhm.”

“Something happened?” the singer tried.

“Yes.” she said in a cryptic tone. 

Before Matty could keep trying, they arrived to Y/n’s favourite coffee shop. She asked him what he wanted, and proceed to pay for both. The action didn’t go unnoticed by him, who protested, although she shushed him.

“I like walking around the lake’s park, do you mind?” she told him when they were out of the shop.

“Let’s go.”

This time, Y/n didn’t wait, saying, “I’m sorry about the mystery.”

“What do you mean?” Matty’s purpose was to make it sound like a joke, and even though she noticed that day, Y/n wasn’t in the mood. Even less after the cashier gifted her a knowing look. 

“I-”

“You don't have to tell me, Y/n.” because even though he was dying to know the reason if she wasn’t comfortable talking about it, Matty didn’t want to push her. An afternoon in silence with Y/n would be perfect for the singer. 

“I want to. It’s just hard, specially today.” she said at the same moment they crossed the limits of the park.

“Take your time.”

They walked in silence for a long while, which gave Matty enough time to admire the surroundings. He knew the park by name, although he never really spent time there. His new friendship with Y/n not only pushed him to explore places inside his mind, it also made him actually discover new places. Matty silently thanked the universe for making him open that door all those weeks back.

“Do you remember when I had a panic attack back then?” Y/n asked out of the blue.

Matty turned, admiring her side, “Yes.”

“What trigger it?”

“I do.” Matty remembered that day very well. 

How could he not when Y/n let him –almost a stranger– see her most vulnerable side and trusted him enough, so he could guide her through the panic attack. That moment brought Matty to think this was a very special bond. He never doubted it, though. 

“Months before you came running from the devil…” Y/n started 

“That…I prefer to forget.” Matty teased, gaining a giggle from Y/n. 

“I know. Months before that, I was about to get married.” 

Matty was stunned, “What?”

Y/n laughed louder now, “Can you believe it? I couldn’t…” they walked a few meters in silence. Matty looked between the path around the pond they were taking and Y/n face lost in her mind. 

“We had everything planned, nothing big, nothing fancy. Neither of us had many to spend, and every penny we wanted to save it for a house…a place to raise our kids.” Y/n’s eyes fell to the ground. Matty noticed she looked tiny inside her big coat. “We shared a vision, a dream. I never shared that lever of intimacy with anyone in my life, not even Kate. He was everything to me.” she told Matty, playing with her empty cup between her hands.

“Was?” Matty found himself asking. 

“He still is…if I'm honest.” Y/n turned, staring at Matty for the first time in almost half hour. She feared to find pity, although she found a warmness inside his soft brown eyes. “A part of my heart is always going to be his, as dramatic as that can sound.” Matty chuckled. 

“I get it.” because he truly did, he felt the same with his ex-girlfriend no matter the circumstances. “What happened?”

Y/n took a deep breath before saying, “It was a similar day like today. I was at the shop, tearing my hairs out because the flavour for the cake wasn’t perfect. The baker wasn’t listening to what we wanted, doing whatever he felt like. Jason-” Y/n felt her throat sore after saying his name out loud. 

She cleared her throat and continued, “Sorry, Jason was driving south to visit his sister. I remember him calling me during a stop he did along the journey. Feels so foreign to think about our conversation now, everything about that stupid cake.” Y/n look up to the top of the trees above them. “He calmed me, saying something about how the cake didn’t matter since we’re going to get married, that was the important part. He was always right, he centred me when my mind ran around in circles.” Matty noticed she smiled to the memory of her boyfriend, breaking his heart a little. “After that, we said goodbye and I told him to call again when he arrived.” tears polled around the corner of her eyes, knowing what was coming next. 

“Y/n…”

The girl reassured Matty, “It’s okay. He- He never arrived.”

“Y/n.” Matty spoke again, this time taking her hand, and she let him. 

Matty didn't know if she noticed, she squeezed it telling him, “He crushed his car in front of a track. The man driving it fell asleep and lost control of the mobile. Jason didn’t stand a chance.”

“Y/n, I’m so sorry.” he was. 

“He died, and I was obsessing about a cake we never get to it.” Y/n laughed ironically, drying her tears with her free hand. 

Matty opened and closed his mouth, he wanted to say something, although words scape his mind before he could make a single sound. Y/n noticed.

“You don’t have to say anything, Matty. I appreciate it, though.” she tightened the grip around his hand. “That’s the reason behind me closing the shop on days like…today.” the anniversary of Jason’s accident.

“Mhm.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to bring the mood down.”

“Y/n, please.” Matty stared at her eyes through the lenses of her sunglasses. 

“I feel better telling you.” she admitted. 

“Do you?”

“Yes, I have been very fond of our…friendship. I felt like I was hiding a part of me.” Y/n let all the truth out.

Matty worried, feeling he hadn’t been very open himself. “If that’s the case, I’ve been hiding a couple parts of me.”

“You mean the band?” she cut him. 

“Kate?”

Y/n confirmed it, “Kate. I felt so stupid when she told be about the playlist and…the rest.” she genuinely laughed with happiness, soothing Matty’s heart. 

“It was really cute and sincere.” he caressed the skin of her hand. 

Y/n blushed, saying, “Stop.”

“I swear!”

“Well, what else have you been hiding, Matty Healy?”

Matty stared at her stunned, with his eyes wide open. The singer felt how the world he lived in every day and the scape he found in Y/n’s bookshop –another galaxy– collapsed into one. He feared for a second even though he was happy, at the same time there weren’t any barriers between them. 

“What?” Y/n gave him a worried look when he didn’t talk right away.

“Can I still be just Matty for you?” he pleaded.

Y/n took her sunglasses to the top of her head, saying, “Sure.”

“Perfect.” Matty felt safe again. 

“You’re ignoring my question.”

“I’m not.” Matty protested. “About my ex...” 

“Okay, you don’t have to. I was jok-” 

Matty interrupted, “I want to.” mimicking her words from earlier. 

“Fine.”

“The Universe is so weird. We- Her and I were going to get married.”

“Shut up!” Y/n gasped. 

“I proposed to her. A quiet dinner, flowers and a nice ring. Everything as she wanted, as she always told me she wanted if the occasion happened.”

“Did she say yes?” the bookshop owner asked, a bit too excited. 

“She did.” Matty smiled to the memory. “For a while everything felt like a film, I was going to get married to the love of my fucking life, y’know?”

“Yes.” because she did know. 

“The end started slowly. It was like a film you know how it's going to end, however you’re not entirely sure, so you wait. I waited.” Matty made a short pause. Y/n noticed he didn’t let go of her hand, and she didn’t want to either. 

“She was getting a lot of pressure with her own stuff, her work…I tried to be patient. We, the band, started making the last album slowly. Which took hours of my day, weeks. I started to see her less and less. Back then, I dismiss every bad sign thinking ‘it was work, this is temporary’.” the singer used a different voice for the last sentences mocking his past self. “Until one day she took off the ring, I asked about it. She complained about the band pressing on her finger or something like that. Even then I felt okay, ‘everything is fine, we’re fine’ I repeated to myself. But a seed of something planted inside me, a quiet fear.”

“Weeks went by, a month later…I returned home from the studio, and she was sitting on the couch. She had been crying, I could tell, so I got worried. I ran to her side, she didn’t let me touch her. The bomb exploded in my face. She said wasn’t ready to get married, she wasn’t sure about doing it with me. She left that night.” Y/n squeezed his hand. 

“Matty…” 

The stopped walking, leaving the pond behind them. Their hands intertwined still. 

“She’s with somebody else now. She’s fine, and I'm better now.” Matty said, looking directly into her eyes. 

“You’re better now.” Y/n truly thought it. 

“The bookshop has a lot to do with that.” 

Y/n said without thinking, “Jason was a big fan of movies, not books. He dealt with it.” both chuckled thinking about it. 

“He sounds like a nice bloke.”

“He was.”

Once more, silence stood between them and like always bringing the two closer. Matty felt a new wave of emotions taking over his body. He took Y/n’s other hand on his. They were so different in so many ways, even though Matty thought they made sense in many other ways he couldn’t quite place. 

“Thank you for telling me, Y/n.” 

“Thank you for sharing yours, Matty.”

Matty let her hands go, only so he could offer her a hug, opening his arms. Y/n shyly responded, pushing her body closer to his. The singer let his arms rounded her form. Y/n lost herself inside Matty’s embrace. A thought came to the front of her head, ‘ The Universe took Jason from her life, but she also gave Y/n another incredible person…a friend for life’.

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

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[whimsyfinny]

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Charlie discovers the Winchester boys to be struggling with keeping the bunker tidy, looking after themselves and being able to do their job simultaneously. Luckily she has a friend who’s from a Hunter family that is in need of work and can help them with research. Or so she thought that’s what her job would be. When Dean sees your more domesticated side, his head won’t stop swimming with all the wrong ideas.

Slow burn, enemies to lovers, smut

Warnings: stalker/ unsuccessful kidnap, violence, depictions of blood and assault (let me know if I should add more)

Chapter Word Count: 2318

—-MDNI—-

A/N: Sooooo I’m sorry it’s not spicy like I said it would be… But I absolutely promise the next one will be! Chapters 5 and 6 were supposed to be just one chapter but it got too long so I had to split it… And again please let me know of any errors because this is only proof read by myself.

——————————————————————

Please Read the Below First:

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

I’m Not You’re F*cking Maid

Chapter 5

After thorough interviewing of the staff and regular patrons; long searches through copious auction records and meticulous studying of the items in the shop we narrowed our search down to one item: an old jade hairpin. The hairpin belonged to a young lady who was given the gift as a wedding present, however when she found out on her wedding night that her new husband was having an affair, she stabbed him to death with it before jumping to her own demise from their third floor balcony. That was just over a century ago, and she was still wreaking havoc on unfaithful men to this day.

“I mean I get where she’s coming from,” I shrugged as we walked back to the motel. Both brothers turned to look at me with concern smeared over their features. “OBVIOUSLY I don’t agree with all the murder,” they breathed a sigh of relief, “but you can’t hate her for being mad. I would be too.”

“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Dean said, raising his eyebrows a little and holding his hands up. I gave him a look of bewilderment.

“What side do you think you’re on, Dean? Because this,” I gestured between us, “isn’t my good side.” He mumbled something incoherent as we got to the motel so I chose to ignore him completely.

“So what’s the plan? It’s getting late and we can’t really do anything now until that charity event taking place at the auction house tomorrow. We’re already pretty clued up on how to get rid of ghosts so there’s really not much to do except to get both your names on that guest list,” Sam patted his laptop, looking at both of us.

“Food?” Dean and I said at the same time.

“Food sounds good,” Sam nodded. The boys turned around to leave when I stopped them.

“Just whilst we’re still at the motel, I’m just going to freshen up real quick.”

Dean rolled his eyes, “really?” I flipped him the bird.

“I can just meet you there? There’s like only one diner in this town and I know the way. I won’t be long.” The brothers looked at each other for a few seconds before Sam looked at me and smiled.

“Sure ok, we’ll get a seat in the window so we can see you coming.”

“Great! I’ll see you soon,” I grinned at the younger Winchester before turning away and letting myself into my room.

I had the worlds quickest shower and threw on some clean underwear and a clean top, feeling better after getting the grime from the day off. I pulled on my jeans, socks and boots, applied a small amount of eyeliner and mascara and tidied my hair the best I could before slinging on my jacket and applying some perfume to my wrists and neck. It was one of my favourite scents: I’d bought it from some lingerie store a year or so ago and it’s apparently one of those aphrodisiac perfumes, however I have no idea if it even works or not. It’s probably a scam, nothing works that well in real life.

After I’d finished sorting myself out - which took no longer than half an hour - I grabbed my phone and keys and left the room, locking up before making my way towards the diner. Night had descended, the air turning cold against my warm skin and the usually busy streets now lay deserted and car-free. It was only about a five minute walk or so from the motel and I was now only about a minute away when I noticed that I wasn’t alone. I’d caught a glimpse of a figure dressed from head to toe in black in the reflection of several shop windows, and they were following my exact trail. I sped up, walking faster down the empty main road and hoping it was all a coincidence as worst case scenarios started to race through my mind. It wasn’t long until the diner was in sight and I breathed a sigh of relief, however the relief was short lived when those footsteps were getting closer and closer, quicker and quicker right behind me. It dawned on me that this wasn’t a coincidence at all - I was definitely being stalked. I started to run, my legs moving before my brain had kicked into gear and I was only inches from the front door when the stranger caught up, slamming me against the wall of the building and putting a knife to my throat, covering my mouth with a gloved hand.

“Don’t make a fucking noise - you’re coming with me,” he said aggressively yet quietly. I could feel the blade of the knife pressing against the soft skin of my neck and I couldn’t help but feel tears well in my eyes, my breath turning shaky as my heart hammered in my chest. I couldn’t even get any words out as his hand was too tight over my lips.

I wanted to cry out for help so badly it hurt.

I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing that this was all a bad dream. My cheek was pushed into the rough brick which grazed my skin, and I silently prayed for my attacker to just let me go or for some hero to come and save me. At that very moment I heard the door to the diner and my eyes shot open, instantly connecting with Deans. I watched as surprise turned to horror which then turned to pure feral rage on his face and before I even had a chance to blink he was gone from my line of sight - but so was the pressure keeping me pinned against the wall. I spun around and I watched Dean throw the stalker to the floor with more force that I thought he could muster and tower over him. Dean didn’t say a word, but the stranger let out a sharp cry of pain as Dean instantly brought his boot down on his ribs. There was a CRACK. He did it again.

And again.

And again.

And then he got down and pinned my attacker flush against the tarmac before he brought a closed fist down on his face over and over and over again, cracking his jaw and breaking his nose. Dean didn’t stop until the man was totally unrecognisable and unresponsive. Standing up off of his limp body, he looked over to me, his furious, almost animalistic stare softening instantly, even through all the blood that now painted his face. He took one step towards me before my feet worked on their own and carried me straight to him. I put my arms out to reach for him and he grabbed my hands and pulled me into his chest with zero hesitation, his arms circling me and his blood-soaked palms gently stroking my hair. I sobbed. I sobbed from the fear I felt, I sobbed for feeling like such a victim and I sobbed for the relief I now felt flooding my veins as Dean held me, not saying a word. Listening to his heartbeat with my ear to his chest, I felt so safe and secure that it made me want to sob even more.

*

Dean ended up taking me straight back to my room - he called Sam to tell him what had happened as he wasn’t going to be returning to the diner. I had my second shower of the day as soon as we returned, wanting to scrub everywhere that horrible man had touched. Whilst I was washing, Dean had headed back to his own room to shower off the layer of blood coating his skin. After I was satisfactorily clean, I dried myself and dressed in that old T-shirt I wore the night before, pulling on some fresh underwear and perching on the end of the bed. I picked up the remote and started mindlessly flicking through channels, hoping to find something to distract my racing brain.

I’d been sitting in the same position for around ten minutes when there was a gentle knock on the door. I held my breath as I got up and walked over, looking through the peephole. It was Dean. I released that breath as I opened the door and let him in. He’d changed from his usual gruff attire to something way more comfortable - a plain white T-shirt and a pair of plaid pyjama bottoms. He smiled at me. A kind smile, nothing like those teasing and sly ones we’d been throwing at each other since yesterday. This one was genuine, and it made my chest feel warm. He locked the door behind him as I padded back over to the bed and climbed on it, sitting right in the centre with my legs crossed. I pulled the T-shirt down to cover my dignity as Dean placed a carrier bag in front of me. I peeked inside. It was full to the brim of all different types of snacks and I grinned up at him.

“You sure do know how to treat a girl, Winchester.”

He let out a soft laugh and looked down at the floor before taking residence beside me.

“You’re the first one who thinks so”.

“Oh yeah?”

“There’s a long line of women who definitely think otherwise,” he smiled a slightly sad smile. We both paused before I continued.

“Well if it means anything, what you did for me today, I-” he held a hand up to stop me as he saw the look of fear flit across my features again, the horrid memory bubbling to the surface.

“It was the least I could do,” he said softly before his brows furrowed, “but to be honest I should never have let you out of my sight.” The almost protective tone of his voice made my heart flutter a little, but It was my turn to reassure him as I placed my hand on his shoulder delicately.

“Dean, none of us knew that would happen. I know you wouldn’t have left me alone if you genuinely thought I was in danger - after all, you DID promise to keep me safe from my own shadow,” I flashed him a grin which he quickly returned, chuckling. We sat for a few moments in a strangely comfortable silence before there was another knock at the door. I went to get up to answer it but Dean beat me to it, swinging it open to show a very concerned Sam stood in the doorway. He looked at me with those big ever-worried eyes and I shot him my best ‘please don’t worry’ grin.

“I’m fine, Sam” I called out to him as I tried to listen in on the hushed words Dean was speaking. They conversed for a while, occasionally throwing glances at me as I rustled around in the bag of goodies Dean had supplied. Growing bored of not being involved with their conversation, I scooted back on the bed to lean back on the headboard and proceeded to flick through dozens of channels until I found something decent to watch. A few more minutes had passed and I’d munched my way through almost half a bag of Doritos when I heard the door close and it was just me and Dean again. He had a paper bag that Sam must’ve passed him, which he held up and pointed to.

“The blood stains came out of my clothes, although Sam said the people in the laundromat were giving him strange looks,” he laughed slightly, those striking eyes of his looking down into mine as he took a few steps closer. I laughed slightly, only imagining Sam’s awkwardness in that situation. I broke my gaze away from Dean for a few seconds, looking down at my hands before looking back up. I could tell he was hovering now, just waiting for me to say something.

“Dean I’m fine, you don’t have to stay.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind staying for a bit longer if you need me to” his hand ran over the stubble on his chin, his eyes not leaving me.

“Really, I’m ok. I’m probably just going to sit here and watch whatever this is-”

“It’s obviously Men in Black,” Dean scoffed. I smiled, finding comfort in the familiar snarky remark.

“Obviously - I don’t live under a rock Dean,” I rolled my eyes as I stood up, placing my hands on his chest. He was so warm to the touch that it was almost enticing me not to let go. The gentle thrum of his heartbeat was so soothing. But I did let go, and I spun him around to start ushering him to the door. As he was leaving, I grabbed my half eaten bag of chips and started munching again. He opened the door, stepping outside.

“Go back to your room Dean. I promise I’m ok. I don’t want you both hovering over me constantly making sure I’m fine; that will just make me feel worse,” I said as he spun to face me, nodding his head.

“Back to normal. Got it.”

“Great,” I said, sucking the tangy chip dust from my thumb. Dean suddenly reached out and snatched the half-eaten bag from my hand before quickly walking away.

“I’ll see you in the morning!” He shouted back at me before shovelling food into his mouth.

“You ass! I was eating those!” He shrugged in an overly animated fashion, not bothering to turn and look at me as he continued towards his room. I sighed, closing the door and locking it, sliding the chain across this time too. I padded back towards the bed and climbed in, pulling the covers up to my chin. As I started to drift off, the buzz of the movie still playing in the background, I smiled a little to myself:

Fucking Winchester.

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Up Next:

Chapter 6

[rippeanuts1950-2000]

i hate u, i love u

Prev|

Chapter 4)

The past few weeks have been weird to say the least.

Corey hadn’t bugged her at all. At school, he simply nodded at her in acknowledgement if he saw her and at work he did what she asked him to, no complaints or arguments. She should call him out on his bull shit more often, Laney’s life involving Corey has never been more peaceful.

It’s made her job as the Newmans’ manager a lot easier and a lot less stressful. It made Laney feel pretty confident in the band’s ability to win the Battle Of The Bands, which was she herself insisted that she be the one to hand in the set list to the people who were running the competition. As a way to say “Get ready to lose Riffin.” without actually saying it.

Which is why Laney is currently standing in a ridiculously long line a few days before the competition, zoning out. Finally she gets to the front of the line, only to be met with a look of confusion when the lady looks over the set list.

“Aren’t you with Grojband?” The lady asks. Laney resists the urge to clench her jaw. “No, I used to be but not anymore.” She says, hoping this will appease the lady enough to stamp the okay onto the set list. “Oh, okay then. Set list looks good, take this.” The lady hands her a packet. “It’s your dressing room arrangements.” The lady says, when she sees how confused Laney looks. Laney nods and steps out of line to examine the packet.

All right, let's see. “Due to having more bands than dressing rooms for Peaceville’s First Ever Annual Battle Of The Bands, we will be having two bands per dressing room.” Okay makes sense. “Rules and regulations”, blah blah blah, I know how to act in a dressing room. Okay, we’re in dressing room #15 and we’re sharing with Next Gen, that’s cool, haven’t seen the girls outside of a business context in a while. Wait, why does it say Larry’s with…

*****

“WE’RE SHARING A DRESSING ROOM WITH A NEWMAN?!” Corey shouts, his hands shaking as he rereads the packet in his hands. He had waited till school to fully look at it since the day he picked it up, Kin and Kon were spending the weekend with their grandparents. He really didn’t want to believe it so he hands over the packet to Kin to see if it’s true. It’s also to prevent any further outbursts because everyone is currently staring at him like he’s a mad man right now. 

“That’s what it says.” Kin confirms. “It also says that we’re sharing with Shot In The Dark.” Kon oh so unhelpfully adds.“Which is great, it’s been a while since we’ve hung out with them, but the Newman. In. Our. Dressing. Room.” Corey says through clenched teeth. “We’ll survive. At least it’s not Carrie.” Kin points out.

Corey rolls his eyes. “That doesn’t matter. He’s gonna spy on us and steal our secrets.” He says. Kon scoffs. “If that were true, the same could be said about any band we have to share the room with.” He points out. Corey falters. Damn, Kon has a point. “Just try to think happy thoughts and we’ll be fine.” Kin says. 

“Okay fine, it’s fine. You’re right, we’ll survive and I’ll hide any half written songs so that he won’t steal or read them and we’ll have a fun time hanging out backstage with Shot In The Dark. Then we’ll win so Laney rejoins the band and the Newmans lose.” Corey says, closing his eyes and imagining the event. “There, just think of- Oh my god the devil is at our table.” Kin says. Corey flicks his eyes open to be greeted with the sight of Kim and Carrie standing in front of him. 

“Oh be quiet Kujira, this is strictly for business purposes.” Kim says as Carrie examines her nails. She turns to Corey. “Meet us behind the school at 4:00, today, after school. There’s something we need to talk about.” Carrie says. Corey wants to refuse but he knows she’s being serious by the lack of cursing towards him. He nods. “Fine but if you’re not there when we get there, the boys and I are leaving.” He tells her. 

Carrie merely looks bored. “Alright. See you then.”

*****

Laney hates to admit it but there’s times she misses her sister. 

Mostly when she has to do chores that formerly belonged to her sister. But there were still times when she just missed Chloe rummaging around the kitchen and telling Laney about her day. So she takes their Monday phone calls very seriously and always declines anything that doesn’t involve her sister’s call. 

So Laney is more than surprised when minutes after she gets home, Chloe practically kicks down the front door screaming, “YOU’RE REJOINING GROJBAND?!” Laney blinks owlishly. “One, why are you here? Two, who told you I was rejoining Grojband?” She asks, as Chloe all but drags her to the couch. “Katrina told me.” Chloe says simply, ignoring the other question. 

Laney groans. Never would she have expected for her sister and Trina Riffin of all people to become friends but here they are. According to Chloe, Trina had changed A LOT in the past few years since starting college. She was even going by her real name now and was dating Mina. And somehow had managed to befriend Chloe. But no matter how hard Laney tries to see Trina as a changed woman, she still thinks of her as Corey’s crazy sister. 

“Corey told Trina that I’m rejoining Grojband? Didn’t know they mended their relationship. And for the record Clo, that’s only happening if the Newmans lose the Battle Of The Bands, which will not happen.” Laney grouses. “Nick actually told her.” Chloe says, causing Laney to roll her eyes. “Great, I forget that Nick and Corey still talk. And of course he thinks I’m coming back, I’m not. This whole thing has to do with the bet I told you about. ” Laney explains. 

Chloe hums, pondering Laney’s words. “When‘s the first competition?” Chloe asks, she looks like she’s holding back what she really wants to ask. “This Saturday.” Laney says with a shrug. “Yeah, I’ll be able to see that. How are you feeling about this?” She says.

“I feel good. I don’t care that he thinks his stupid band that I came up with is going to win when the Newmans are obviously going to beat them.” Laney huffs. Chloe raises an eyebrow. “Something else happened.” She says, giving Laney a very pointed look. “He said I held the band back.” Laney says, after a few seconds of Chloe’s gaze piercing into her soul. She had left that detail out when she called her sister about the bet last month. Chloe’s eye twitches. “That idiot. You carried the entire band on your back!” She exclaims. “I know, I told him all of that already. It’s fine Chloe.” Laney assures her sister. This works somewhat. “Alright, fine. I can call Kat and tell her what happened if you want. She’ll talk to him about it.” Chloe offers.

Laney shudders. Trina telling Corey off on her behalf is the last thing she needs. “No, that's okay. At this point the only issue I have with Grojband right now is the fact that Larry has to share their dressing room for this competition.” Laney says. “Why?” Chloe asks, getting up and going to the kitchen. Laney trails after, a sense of nostalgia washing over her from her elementary and middle days, back when Chloe would get a snack for them to share while they talked about what was going on in their lives. She misses it. “Too many bands, not enough dressing rooms. Not that we’re sharing with Grojband, it’s just that Larry’s a boy so he can’t be in there with us. They put him in the room across the hall from ours which will have Grojband and Shot In The Dark in there.” Laney explains, sitting down at the kitchen table as Chloe begins to rummage around the cabinets.

“Mhm, that makes sense. Who are you girls sharing the room with?” She asks, handing her sister a bag of potato chips. It’s sour cream and onion flavored, even though she prefers ketchup chips, causing Laney to be suddenly hit with another wave of nostalgia in the form of missing Kon. “Next Gen.” Laney answers, opening the bag. “Is that the band that you met when you were trying to get a break from Grojband?” Chloe asks, cutting up some fruit. “The very one, it’ll be fun. The girls are great.” Laney confirms as a small bowl of sliced fruit is slid towards her. “Sounds like it’s gonna be something, alright. Just have fun and be safe.” Chloe says, joining Laney at the kitchen table.

Laney grins at her sister. “Don’t worry Clo, you know I always am.”

*****

True to her word, when Corey, Kin, and Kon show up behind the school, the Newmans are already there.

“Wow, you’re actually on time.” Carrie says, sounding genuinely surprised. Corey shrugs. “Wanted to see if you guys would actually show up.” He says, shoving his hands in his pockets. “We’re the ones who set this up.” Carries points out. “Eh, you’ve lied to us in the past to make us look like idiots.” Corey says. “It’s surprisingly easy to do.” Kim pipes up. Kin rolls his eyes. “No one asked you.” He says tersely.

Konnie raises an eyebrow and steps in front of her twin. “No one asked you either.” She points out. This causes Kon to laugh for a split second before he quickly changes it to a cough. Konnie smiles at him, for some reason. Okay this is getting weird and confusing. “Look, why’d you even ask us to come?” Corey says, tearing his eyes away from the staring contest between Kon and Konnie while Kim and Kin make faces at each other. Larry nudges Carrie. “Break it up you two, we got business to take care of!” Carrie exclaims. She turns back to Corey.

“I don’t like you.” She says simply. “That’s it? You tell me that on a daily basis.” Corey says. Carrie glares at him. “Shut up, Riffin, I’m not done. I do not like you or your stupid band, none of us do. But your dumb band is the reason why Laney is our friend and honestly, we love Laney more than we care about the rivalry. Thanks to your dumb bet, Laney’s slightly paranoid we’re gonna leave her because she might have to be around you for a month, technically making her an enemy. Which, thank you for giving her that paranoia by the way, it’s been so fun promising her that we’re not going to leave her behind no matter who she hangs out with. So because of this, us Newmans have come up with a deal. In the highly unlikely event The Newmans lose The Battle Of The Bands, we have a temporary truce between us.” Carrie announces.

Corey raises an eyebrow as Kin starts calculating how beneficial this would be for the band while Kon just taps his chin in thought. “What do you mean temporary truce?” Corey says. Carrie groans. “Kim, explain it to him please. I really don’t want to talk to him any more than I have to.” She says, swapping places with Kim. The other girl adjusts her glasses and clears her throat. “If we lose, which is 100% not going to happen, Grojband and The Newmans will not fight nor compete with each other. Instead we will be civil and get along only for Laney’s sake. Once the month is over, so is the truce. If Laney chooses to stay with your band, our truce is still over but only with the three of you, Laney is exempt from it.” Kim says. Corey nods, this makes sense he supposes.

He turns to Kin and Kon. “What do we think?” He asks as Kin continues wildly scribbling down his calculations. “We need to do a group huddle.” Kon says, grabbing his brother and Corey’s arms and dragging them to a corner out of ear shot from the Newmans. 

“Kin what do your calculations say? Does this work out in our favor?” Kon hurriedly whispers. Usually Corey would try and take back control but Kon seems to know what he’s doing so Corey’s gonna let him take over for a bit. “It would work out in our favor and in fact would make us better rivals. However there is an outlier that says a secret relationship will be revealed. It’s probably nothing though.” Kin says, triple checking his notes. Kon tugs on his shirt awkwardly. “Oh, well that’s probably nothing. Corey, your thoughts?” He says. 

“If they truly think it’ll make Laney more comfortable then I say yes. Maybe if I show her that I’ve changed somewhat in the jealousy department, we’ll be on the track forward.” Corey says. “That last part made no sense but I agree with both of you. This could be good for us. For the band.” Kon says with a nod. They went back to the Newmans. “We accept your terms and agree to the truce.” Corey announces. The Newmans nod and Kim hands Carrie a piece of paper who gives it to Corey along with a pen. “This is just so we have it in writing.” She explains after it’s signed by everyone.

Corey and the twins are almost back on the sidewalk when Konnie stops him. Kin and Kon hover for a minute but Corey shoos them away. If Konnie is the one stopping him, it 100% has to do with Laney. “If you hurt her again, I will make your life a living hell.” She tells him. Corey blinks, resisting the urge to shudder. “I forget you were there that day.” He says quietly. Konnie scoffs. “I was there before that and trust me when I say I know how much you’ve hurt her over the years.” She says, shaking her head in disgust. He waits for her to add more of an explanation but she doesn’t. “Just go and remember, you have been warned.” Konnie says at last and all but shoves him towards the sidewalk.

What did Konnie mean that she knew how he hurt Laney? She only became friends with Laney after the incident. And yet she seemed so confident that she knew what she was talking about. The only conclusion that Corey could come to was that Laney had become friends with Konnie before the incident. But he would have known about that, right? Though even he has to admit that by the time the incident happened, Lanes had been drifting apart from him and the twins.

He just made it worse in the end.

**** I cut the texting part out cause I felt like it dragged on and was kinda repetitive. Next chapter I’m opening it on a flashback so you’ll know what Konnie meant when she said she knew how much Corey has hurt Laney. The plot is also about to start which will be very fun. Battle of the bands is starting! Yay! As always, I hope you enjoyed this, let me know what you thought and I’ll see you in the next chapter! Bye!

[autumnshighlady]

I’ve Always Liked to Play With Fire (part 15)

NESTA ARCHERON X ERIS VANSERRA X FEMALE!READER

summary: Azriel has a tough decision to make

warnings: Night Court slander, semi graphic torture, Rhysand is horrible, the usual

word count: 5.8k

DO NOT REPOST ANYWHERE

a/n: oh my god i am so so so sorry this took so long! life has been insane lately i havent had the energy to write. Anywho, this chapter is just the start of something super big so buckle up and look for hints hehe alsO PLEASE GIVE FEEDBACK ON THIS CHAPTER IM BEGGING

feedback is appreciated, just no hate pls! these are just my opinions, i’m more curious to see how you all like the writing and characterization and storylines!

part 1 // part 2 // part 3 // part 4 // part 5 // part 6 // part 7 // part 8 // part 9 // part 10 // part 11

read on ao3

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AZRIEL POV

Azriel couldn’t help but flinch at the sight of your limp body, arms strung up like you were a piece of meat dangling from the chains. He had thought himself to be good at shutting off his emotions when it came to his line of work, but this felt different. Wrong, even. It confused him – not once had he ever hesitated, ever even considered disobeying his High Lord’s orders down in these dungeons.

Your hair was matted and lifeless around your face, the weak rise and fall of your chest being the only indication that you were even still alive. The beautiful gown that adorned your body at the ball was now tattered and dirty, barely clinging onto your skin in some places. Azriel gulped as he stared at your unconscious form, wiped out from Rhysand’s attempts to penetrate your mind.

Evidently, the High Lord was beyond frustrated, his brow furrowed and sweaty from the efforts. “I’ve never seen this,” He muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. “Not once. I’ve always been able to get inside people’s heads. Why not hers?”

“I don’t know.” Azriel responded. He felt his shadows curl around his scarred fingers. Normally they did so to encourage him to get the job done, but this time felt different. It was as if they wanted him not to end your life, but to reach out and free you from the shackles. But he ignored them.

Rhys slumped against the wall, panting slightly. “I need answers, Az.” He snapped, voice sharp. “How is this girl able to withstand my magic? And how the hell did she access some ancient spell that allowed this bond to form with Nesta? I would prefer to know before I end things, so whatever shit she may have put in motion can be stopped.”

Azriel stiffened. “End things?

The High Lord sighed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Come on, Azriel. You know this is how it has to end. She spent months plotting against our court, and possesses some form of magic within her bond with Nesta. She’s a threat and you know it. And threats like that must be eliminated.”

He spoke with that authoritative voice that Azriel had seen bring so many others to their knees in obedience. He felt it tug at his bones, the instinct to obey his High Lord. Azriel had always considered himself loyal, never needing that extra kick to submit to his superior. Until now. “I disagree.” Azriel said sternly. “(Y/N) has lied, yes. But she has shown no signs of intending to inflict harm upon this court. All she wanted was to get out, and she knew we wouldn’t let her.”

“I don’t recall you being this blind, brother.” Rhysand’s voice was low as his violet eyes sternly stared down his spymaster. “Did she flash you her tits during training sessions? Is that why you’ve suddenly gone soft?”

“No. I think we pushed her too hard, too fast into this job she did not want. She had already lost everything in the Spring Court, and when Lucien brought her here she immediately became a prisoner. Did you expect her to bow at your feet and be eternally grateful for letting her stay here? We should have given her a reason to want to become a part of this court, not force her into it within a span of months.”

Rhysand let out a growl, and Azriel knew he was pushing his limits. “Careful, Az.” He said. But Azriel ignored him.

“Can you blame her for resenting us?” The shadowsinger continued, against his better judgement. “Our High Lady destroyed her court, and when Lucien brought her here she was forced to live indebted to the female who allowed her home to be ruined.”

There was a low rumble within the cell as Rhysand’s dark mist began to creep out from behind him. “Choose your next words wisely, Azriel. Or I’ll begin to think you’ve helped her.”

“I didn’t, and you know it. But your protectiveness for your mate is clouding your judgement as a leader, Rhysand. This girl does not deserve to die for what she has done.”

Before he could breathe another word, a sharp pain cut through his throat as Rhys’ dark power wrapped around it, cutting off his air. Shock flooded through him, hazel eyes bulging as the violet eyed male snarled at him. He didn’t try to fight back. Not once had his brother gone this far – sure, they had their fair share of nasty fights, but never like this. No matter how angry they had gotten with each other, neither had ever threatened the life of the other. Until now.

“That is not your call to make, spymaster.” Rhysand snarled furiously. “I am your High Lord before anything else, and you are sworn to me. My word is law, not yours. You will go and search for more insight into this bond between her and Nesta. Whether you find anything on it or not, (Y/N) will die by your hand at dawn tomorrow. You will not protest, and you will not breathe a word about this to anyone. If I sense even for a second that you will disobey me, I will throw you in a cell beside this scheming whore. Am I understood?”

Azriel nodded as best he could, body still frozen in shock. After a moment, Rhysand’s tendrils finally retreated, leaving the spymaster gasping for air. Despite working alongside him, being the executioner to his master for over 500 years, Azriel had never known what it was to be like on the receiving end of his High Lord’s pure fury until now. He glanced over at your strung-up figure, guilt churning in his gut. You had endured this torture for days, a torture Azriel only received a glimpse of.

As the spymaster inhaled deeply kneeling on the cold floor, his shadows whispered to him. He knew deep down that he had a choice to make, one like never before. 500 years of loyalty to Rhysand was being put to the test, something Azriel never thought would happen. Another glance at how intensely Rhys was staring at your imprisoned, starved form was all he needed to winnow away.

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

Azriel’s throat still burned from the pressing of Rhys’ dark mist. He kept his demeanour calm as he approached the doors to the library at the House of Wind, even though his stomach was in a thousand knots. He knew what he was about to do was treason at the highest order, and the second Rhys found out he would be flayed alive. The clenching and unclenching of his scarred fingers was the only indication of his disturbance as the spymaster was met with Clotho. Her pale robes shone in the blue light of the library as she approached him.

Shadowsinger, Her elegant writing appeared on the paper in lieu of her voice. What can I do for you?

“I need to see Gwyneth.” Azriel said, trying to keep the urgency out of his voice to not alarm the priestess.

Gwyn is occupied right now. May I take a message?

He gulped nervously. “I’m really sorry, Clotho. But I need her right now.”

That will not be possible. I suggest you return at another time, Azriel.

“Please.” Azriel hated begging, and hated pushing the priestess even more. But before Clotho could script a reply, a gentle voice sounded from behind the shelves a few metres away.

“Azriel?” Gwyn’s red hair appeared, streaming down her flowing robes as she carried an alarming amount of books. “What are you doing here?”

“Gwyn, I need to speak with you in private. Right now.” He pleaded, hoping Clotho wouldn’t shoo him away.

Gwyn’s teal eyes were puzzled, but she nodded. “It’s alright Clotho.” The priestess merely nodded beneath her hood before turning and disappearing back into the stacks.

Azriel breathed a sigh of relief as Gwyn put down the books. She walked towards one of the offices, and he followed her in silence. The room was tense as she closed the door behind him.

She crossed her arms, which made him halt. Normally his interactions with Gwyn were pleasant, leaving his shadows singing happily afterwards. But the way she was staring at him with a hardened glare made him want to shrink back.

“Where is (Y/N)?” Gwyn said sharply.

Azriel took a deep breath, unsure of how to approach this. He didn’t know what version of that night at the Hewn City had reached the ears of the priestesses. “Gwyn–”

“Don’t bullshit me for one second, Azriel.” The redhead was unyielding, but he could see the anxiousness within her as her throat bobbed with every word. “Nesta left for Autumn with Eris, but (Y/N) never returned from the Hewn City that night. What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything–” He started, but Gwyn cut him off abruptly.

“I said don’t bullshit me, you fucking liar!” Her voice rose, long fingers clenching and trembling with anger. It was enough to make Azriel take a step back, shocked at the fire within her. “I heard you grabbed her and whisked her away that night. What the hell did you do to my friend?”

Azriel leaned against the desk, wiping his face with his hand. His heart cracked a bit, knowing that trust and companionship he had built with Gwyn while training had come crashing down. He hated himself for it, for being so blind in following orders that led him to this place. His loyalty to Rhysand came at a price, one he had always been willing to pay until now. “I’m sorry.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “I was following orders.”

“What is wrong with you?” Gwyn hissed, her words cutting him sharper than Rhysand’s magic had. “You took away her one chance of leaving this gods damned court peacefully. You took away her freedom out of stupid, blind loyalty.”

“How did you know what happened that night?”

She snorted. “You and your little circle like to treat us priestesses like we’re these fragile little flowers living in our own little shelter, oblivious to the outside world. But people talk, and word reaches us. We aren’t as ignorant to the court as you think we are.”

“I never said that you were.”

“You basically just did.”

Shame washed over Azriel. He knew she was right, that he was a prick in assuming the priestesses remained clueless to what was happening in the court right now. And that’s why Clotho had been hesitant to let him into the library. “I never meant for any of this to happen.” He muttered, closing his eyes.

“Well, it did. Now tell me where my friend is, and why you’re here.”

Azriel took a breath, preparing to utter the words that would make this decision the point of no return. “I need everything you have on the bond between (Y/N) and Nesta.”

A flicker of worry crossed Gwyn’s teal eyes. “I don’t know anything–”

“Yes, you do.” Azriel interrupted her calmly. “My guess is you knew about their plan as well. Otherwise you’d be a lot more freaked out by Nesta marrying Eris.”

As panic began to set into the priestess’ face, Azriel softened his voice. “It’s ok, I’m not going to tell anyone. It makes sense that any information that Nesta and (Y/N) got on the bond was through you and your work. You are not in trouble, and nobody will hear from me that you helped them. I just need every scrap of information you were able to get your hands on regarding whatever magic they used.”

She narrowed her eyes. “So you can give it to your master like a good dog playing fetch? Not gonna happen. He’ll use it to hurt both of them. I don’t care that he’s the High Lord, I won’t let him do that.”

Azriel stood up and took a step towards Gwyn. She didn’t shrink back, but rather lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “Gwyn,” He began. “That’s not what this is. I’m not retrieving this information for Rhysand.”

The priestess blinked once, as if considering the gravity of his words. He wished he could spill the truth and tell Gwyn what he planned to do, but just uttering those words directly to her would put her at risk. “Then who are you retrieving it for?”

“Look, I am not trying to hide anything from you. But I told you… if you knew the truth, I would be putting you at risk for selfish reasons. And after all I have done, that is something I cannot live with. You just have to trust me when I say that it is for the right reason.”

“After hearing about how you so quickly stole (Y/N) away, I’m not sure if we have the same definition of the right reason, Azriel.” Gwyn’s voice was bitter, but there was a sadness to it that made the guilt churning inside of him threaten to spill over.

“I understand.” He said quietly. “And you have no reason to trust me right now. But please… if you’ve ever had any faith in me at all…just….just know that I’m doing this for (Y/N). And Nesta. If you believe anything I say, believe that.”

Silence overtook the room, the shadowsinger and the priestess standing mere inches from each other. After a long few minutes Gwyn muttered a ‘stay here’ before quickly fleeing the office.

She returned 15 minutes later with a few sheets of parchment paper and several books. They were placed upon the dusty table, and Gwyn took a deep breath. “This is everything I have on the subject,” She said shakily. “It’s not much, but it’s every document that could possibly give anything away about the bond between them.”

Without thinking, Azriel dropped to his knees in relief, bowing his head. “Thank you, Gwyn. Thank you.” His entire body was on the verge of shaking as the weight of what he was about to do began to truly set in. Everything he had known and defended was about to be put on the line.

“Promise me this, Azriel.” Gwyn spoke coldly. “Promise that this information gets into the right hands, not the wrong ones. You do whatever it takes to help my girls. After everything you and your family have done to them, you owe them that much. And more.”

“I swear it.” Azriel said solemnly, still looking at the ground. In a flash, he felt a cold blade pressing against his jaw, tilting his head upwards to gaze at the priestess. She looked like a goddess of justice, staring down at him with icy eyes.

“And I swear this to you,” Gwyn said coldly, a silver dagger in hand. “If you screw this up and they pay the price for it, no power in the world will stop me from hurting you. I don’t care that you trained me, or that you saved me on that day Hybern came. I will cut your throat if anything happens to Nesta or (Y/N) because of you. Understood?”

Azriel was enthralled at her strength. This was not the shy, nervous priestess that he had rescued from Hybern’s soldiers. Gwyn’s bravery had excelled since the second she stepped into the ring, and Azriel had marvelled at her progress during training, how comfortable she became with the outside world. Stupidly, he had credited that to his and Cassian’s training, thinking that it was what Gwyn, Nesta and the others had needed to heal like he and Cassian had. No, this strength had nothing to do with what he taught her. Behind her stern expression, Azriel knew that deep down this strength had come from the friendship formed with you, Nesta, and Emerie. He had been a fool to see it as anything other than that.

“I’m proud of you, Gwyn.” Azriel said softly before his brain could shut him up.

Despite the flicker of surprise across her face, she did not yield. “I do not need your validation. I need you to do the right thing and help my friends. Only after that will your statement be worth anything to me.”

Gwyn removed the blade from the spymaster’s throat and turned on her heel. Like a ghost in the wind, she was gone. Azriel’s chest was tight as he stood up, collecting the documents in his arms and praying that this possibly very stupid decision would be worth it. But after seeing the anger on Gwyn’s face, the hurt he had caused without even realising it…. Azriel knew exactly what he needed to do as he winnowed away.

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

The door in front of Azriel opened before he could raise a hand to knock, revealing the redhead male with a golden eye wide with surprise.

“Azriel?” Lucien said in shock. “What are you doing here?”

“We need to talk.” Was all he said in response before pushing his way past Lucien into the manor.

“By all means, come in.” The male muttered sarcastically.  But Azriel paid it no mind as he scanned the large living room for any sign of Jurian and Vassa.

“I’m alone.” Lucien quipped, settling down on the large brown armchair by the fireplace. “Since that’s what you were trying to figure out. I’m surprised you came by before (Y/N). I thought she’d have visited already, but I guess she’s been enjoying Velaris too much to be slumming it down in the human lands. When you see her next, thank her for the scarf for me, will you?”

Azriel’s heart dropped, head whipping sharply towards Azriel. “What?” He didn’t even bother keeping the surprise out of his voice.

Lucien frowned. “The scarf she gave me for the solstice? Rhys delivered it a day or so after, said she was busy on a new mission and asked him to drop it off for her.”

“Rhys was here?” Dread pooled in Azriel’s stomach. His High Lord was ensuring your disappearance would be quiet, giving him time to create a cover story before eliminating you.

“Yes… Why do you look so concerned? What aren’t you telling me?”

Azriel put his head in his hands, cursing. “You have no idea what’s been going on, have you?”

Lucien was still as a statue as he spoke. “I haven’t heard from (Y/N) since I got to the manor. When Rhysand visited, he said she had picked out a scarf for me as a present, and that she was sorry she hadn’t visited, but that she was loving her life in Velaris. And that she was training under you to work for the Night Court as a spy.”

Any desire to be secretive flew out the window as Azriel explained everything to the Autumn male – how you were not freely living in Velaris, but locked away with Nesta in the House of Wind. Your time spent back at the Spring Court to spy on your own people. Nesta’s engagement to Eris as a cover to escape the Night Court. Lucien was usually a collected male in Azriel’s eyes, but he could see the disbelief and anger in his expression as he told him the truth. When he was done, Lucien leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, speaking in a low voice. “So you’re telling me that you locked away my best friend, and everything I’ve heard about her for these past few months has been a lie.” Lucien said. “Is that correct?”

“Yes.” Azriel said quietly. “And now I’m trying to fix it–”

“Fucking hell!” Lucien exclaimed sharply, standing up abruptly and pacing back and forth. “Your court is a fucking shitshow, you know that? How the fuck can you let this happen, Azriel? You’re so far up Rhysand’s ass you didn’t see any of this coming?”

“I understand you’re angry–”

“Oh angry doesn’t even begin to describe it,” Lucien hissed, his red hair gleaming in the light of the fire. “You played right into Rhys’ hands, and now (Y/N) is being tortured in a cell somewhere because you let it happen instead of growing a fucking spine. And that doesn’t even begin to touch on the fact that Nesta was treated so horribly by you people she was willing to marry ERIS out of all people just to get away from it.”

Azriel had no defence. Defeated, he hung his head. Lucien was right about everything, and it was made worse by the fact Rhysand lied about your status to him knowing that the Autumn male was the only one likely to try and do something to stick up for you.

“Now what I can’t figure out is why you’re telling me this.” Lucien folded his arms, glaring at the spymaster. “You’re either betraying Rhysand and trying to fix this mess, which is brave but incredibly stupid. Or you’ve come here to see if I somehow had anything to do with all this so you can hang me up in a cell next to (Y/N). Which is it, shadowsinger?”

”I need your help.” Azriel admitted, meeting his harsh gaze. “I’m trying to turn this around, but I need to track down Eris. You’re my only shot.”

Lucien let out a harsh, heartless laugh. “I figured. You need my help. If you thought I wasn’t going to be any use to you, I wonder if you’d have even come here and told me the truth. Or would you have just let me live on believing this lie until word got around about (Y/N) meeting her tragic end on some mission.”

Mentally, Azriel was exhausted. Two redheads ripping him a new one was beginning to chip away at him more than he was already crumbling at the weight of his decision. Like Gwyn, Lucien was right. While he respected the male, Azriel doubted he’d have even considered coming just to tell Lucien the truth about what happened if he didn’t think Lucien could help. And his moment of silence told Lucien all he needed to know, for he scoffed again. “Of course not,” He continued. “You people just love exploiting those of us without any other options and then throwing us away like garbage when we’re no longer of any use to you.”

“Then help me make this right.” Azriel pleaded. “Tell me how to get to Eris, discreetly.”

“Can’t you just free her yourself and take her to safety?”

“No, there are ancient wards in that prison. I can pass through quickly and easily, but not so much with another person. Rhys would find us within seconds if she left that cell, and kill us both.”

“Then how do you propose we get her out?”

Azriel frowned. “I’m sorry, we?”

Lucien rolled his eyes, taking a hearty swig from his glass of wine beside him. “I’m going to help you get her out.”

Azriel shook his head, not liking how many people were involved in this already. “I can’t let you.”

“Bullshit. You don’t get to tell me what to do. Not after everything you’ve done to create this mess. I’ll take you to Eris, and besides, I think I know something that can help us.”

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

The crisp scents of Autumn flooded Azriel’s senses as he paced the clearing. His mind whirled from his talk with Lucien, even more so at the male’s idea that they had discussed. Lucien had winnowed him here and told him to wait while he discreetly fetched Eris. It was a huge gamble – while you and Nesta had been willing to trust Eris, Azriel was not so keen. His dealings with the prince had always been tense at best, and vicious at worst. He knew he’d have to swallow his pride and put their history aside for this, however hard it may be.

Frankly, Azriel had no idea where in the Autumn Court he was. His shadows sensed nothing, no indication of where they were on the map. It briefly crossed his mind that Lucien could very well have led him into a trap as payback, but deep down Azriel knew Lucien wasn’t that type of male. However angry he might be at Azriel, he would prioritise getting you back. The clearing was massive, which made him feel far too exposed for his liking. There was a thicket of trees in the distance that he considered hiding in, but he owed it to Lucien to do as he was instructed and wait here.

It felt like hours before a strong gust of wind blew his tousled locks out of his forehead, and the presence of something Azriel could only describe as sheer power slammed into him like a wall. A thunderous roar sounded from the skies, unlike anything the shadowsinger had ever heard before. But nothing could have prepared him for the sight before him.

Three large dragons were flying ahead, circling above the clearing. Their wings were like claps of thunder, nearly sending him backwards onto the ground. Upon the back of the large black one was the unmistakable, arrogant figure of Eris Vanserra. He held onto the spikes going down the dragon’s neck as it soared above Azriel, roaring with the ferocity of an ancient battlecry. Azriel’s jaw nearly hit the ground as he spotted none other than Nesta Archeron, riding the elegant silver dragon with her hair blowing in the wind. Her eyes were a lethal glowing silver, resembling the scales of the very beast she was mounted on.

“Mother above…” Azriel whispered, flinching as he felt the ground shake beneath him. He turned around slowly, and was met with the third dragon, a riderless one with gold scales and large horns. It snaked towards him, growling fiercely. For a moment, Azriel thought the beast would open its jaws and roast him alive, but the creature paused, growling as it glanced behind the shadowsinger.

“I must say, you are the last person I expected to come here.” Came Eris’ cocky voice. Azriel turned back around, slightly nervous at the golden dragon breathing down his neck, and was faced with the other two. Ignoring Eris, his gaze landed upon Nesta.

She was perched upon the dragon like it was a horse, or even a throne, chin high like a queen from ancient times. Azriel’s breath left his body at the sight of Nesta with her hair unbound, trailing freely down her back and shining against her blood red dress. Whichever way her gaze shifted, the dragon’s did so too. It was like watching Nesta in a mirror, only her reflection was a dragon. It unnerved Azriel, and he was well aware of his vulnerability in this situation. Not only was he in enemy court, unauthorised at that matter, but three beasts he thought only existed in stories stood beside him, in the flesh.

“Lucien said you wanted to meet.” Eris said coldly. “You have ten seconds to convince us that it’s worth our time.”

“(Y/N) will die at sunrise tomorrow if we do not do something.” Azriel blurted out clumsily.

There was a moment of silence, and Eris looked towards Nesta. Her gaze was fixed on Azriel, and he squirmed underneath it. Her silver mount growled fiercely, as if it was sharing its riders' rage.

“Are we supposed to believe that you’ve suddenly had a change of heart and care about her?”

Azriel gritted his teeth. “I’ve always cared.”

Eris snorted. “No, not truly. If you had, then we wouldn’t be having this meeting. Because you’d have done something by now and grown a spine.”

“Your brother said the same thing.” The spymaster growled, already irked by having to negotiate with the Autumn prince. “I don’t need more reminding that I’ve fucked up, Eris. I just want to save her life, and I can’t do that on my own.”

“And it’s taken you this long to come to this realisation because…” Eris raised an eyebrow, amber gaze merciless. His dragon snarled, baring its teeth menacingly.

“I didn’t know Rhys would take things this far. I thought he’d want to find out everything about the bond before he made a decision on what to do with her. But he doesn’t want to wait, he wants her gone by tomorrow.”

“I assume he ordered you to do the deed?”

Azriel nodded, throat tight. “Yes. He ordered me to collect all information on the magic they used to create the bond before I…. before I kill her. Regardless of whether I came up with anything, he wants her eliminated by sunrise.”

This was probably the stupidest, craziest decision Azriel had ever made. Part of it felt wrong, betraying his found family after 500 years of peace. But when he reflected on those centuries, had he truly been happy? Had he truly felt like he was living a fulfilled life, content with what he was doing? A few weeks ago, Azriel would have been sure of his answer. Now he wasn’t, and that unsettled him.

Regardless, reached into his bag and pulled out the books Gwyn gave him. He took a breath and continued. “Which is why I brought every document the Night Court has on this magic to you. So Rhys wouldn’t get his hands on it.”

“You went to Gwyn?” Nesta burst out, rage dripping from her tongue.

“Yes.” Azriel admitted his guilt for putting Gwyn in this precarious position intensifying.

“You put her in danger by doing that!” The eldest Archeron hissed at him, her dragon responding in a similar tone. “If anything happens to her because of it, I will slaughter you, Azriel.”

He let out a dry laugh. “Gwyn said the same thing to me about you and (Y/N). I swore no matter what happened, nobody would find out I got this through her. She even put a knife to my throat.”

Eris spoke up again. “As much as I would truly love to believe you, if I recall correctly you were perfectly content sending (Y/N) to certain death weeks ago on an impossible mission under Rhysand’s orders.”

“I was trying to find a way out of it for her!” Azriel yelled, patience snapping. “A way for her to quietly flee and go build a life for herself far away from all this shit. I never told her because I didn’t want to scare her, or get her hopes up. I had the chance to explain this to her before…”

His voice trailed off, memories of seeing you strung up like an animal flashing through his mind. Azriel was no stranger to self hatred, but today it was striking him now more than ever.

Nesta’s lethal tone interrupted his thoughts. “Before what?” She demanded.

Azriel gulped, praying that the dragons wouldn’t make him their meal. “Before Rhysand interrupted and… took over.”

“Meaning?” Eris inquired, his dragon inching ever so slightly closer to the Illyrian.

“Meaning he thought I was being too soft, since I gave her water. He stopped the physical torture and spent hours trying to get inside her head until she passed out.”

“And he didn’t manage to do it?” Eris’ voice was laced with surprise, something uncharacteristic for the Autumn prince who always seemed to be two steps ahead of everyone.

“No.”

Eris and Nesta glanced at each other, unreadable expressions crossing their faces. Their dragons continued to stare down Azriel, awaiting whatever command would give them permission to incinerate him where he stood. He had a million questions for them – how the fuck did Eris have dragons? What did Beron say about all of this? Did they still plan on taking him out? But Azriel knew better than to ask them.

Nesta swung her legs to the side and crawled down the dragon’s side. To Azriel’s awe, the beast lowered its shoulder to the ground to make it easier for the female to climb off. Gracefully, Nesta’s feet met the ground and she patted the dragon’s neck. He remained frozen in his place as she stalked towards him. Like Gwyn, there was a new strength to her. This was not the half-starved Nesta who first came to the House of Wind. No, this was the female that stole from the Cauldron itself, whose name was whispered across the moors and valleys of Prythian, associated with pure death and power. Nesta’s steps were sure, silver fire expertly curling around her fingertips like Azriel’s own shadows as she stalked towards him like a lioness seizing up its prey.

“My war is not directly with you, Azriel,” Nesta said slowly. “But make no mistake. You are not innocent here. You may not have inflicted the most damage, but you willingly stood by and let your family tear me and (Y/N) down until they got pure submission. You let Cassian mock and belittle me at my lowest. You forced (Y/M)  into a job she did not want to do. You let Cassian force me to train as a warrior when that’s not at all what I wanted or needed. You didn’t do a damn thing to advocate for either of us because you’re so blinded by the sheltered little tower your circle has built over the last 500 years, ignorant to the pain you inflict on anyone who’s not a part of your family. You coming here on your own volition is the only thing in my eyes that could possibly redeem you. You will help us get (Y/N) back at all costs, or you will suffer at my hand more than you have ever suffered before.”

Being threatened for the third time that day, all Azriel could do was bow his head. “I understand.” He said.

“No, I don’t think you do.” Nesta hissed. “For your sake, let’s hope your change of heart isn’t too late.”

Azriel hadn’t even noticed Eris had climbed off his dragon and was walking towards Nesta. He stood beside her, gently resting a hand on her waist. Azriel tensed, half expecting Nesta to slap him away, but she did not. To his surprise, she looked comfortable with Eris. More so than she ever had been with Cassain. When Cassian touched Nesta, there was always some sexual suggestion beneath it. But not with Eris. Eris’ touch was comfort more than ownership, something Azriel did not expect.

In his heart, he realised Cassian and Nesta were not right for each other. It made no sense for them to be mates, and whatever they had going on was purely surface level sexual tension. There was nothing deep about it, no greater understanding of each other. Nesta and Eris seemed like a much more reasonable match, mirroring each other like they did with their dragons. As much as Azriel hated the male, and knew that these thoughts would crush Cassian’s heart, it reassured him that he had made the right choice.

“So, spymaster,” Eris piped up, cocking his head. “How are we doing to do this?”

And so Azriel began explaining.

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[ourloveisforthelovely]

The Words "Best Friends" Become Redefined. Part 5

Regulus Black AU

Summary: You had been Regulus’ friend since childhood and now his mistress. The war had changed many things, Regulus among them. Now its time to decide if you should put your self-worth over missing someone who was gone.  

Pairings: Regulus Black x Reader

Rating: M- smut

Link to Part 4

Lyrics in Chapter: “New Star” by Watchhouse

______

“The monsters were you, darling.”

Regulus didn’t move from his place as your words echoed in his mind. All of this mess was his fault! Regulus had to hand it to himself…he had done such an excellent job at trying to scare you away that you were seeing him for what everyone thought he was…a monster.

“I suppose you see why I don’t think that you are good enough for her.”

Regulus looked up as Remus stepped into the room looking ready to fight. Rolling his eyes, Regulus wondered if punching your brother would make things even worse between the two of you. Something told him yes. If he wanted to earn your forgiveness whacking Remus seemed like a shoddy plan.

“Luck for me, Y/n tends to think for herself. She doesn’t need her older brother to do her thinking for her.”

Remus made a quiet “hmm” at that. He had to agree that Regulus was right on that one. You did think for yourself and didn’t need Remus to make your choices. In fact, you told Remus multiple times that fighting your battles wasn’t his hill to die on. That didn’t stop Remus from stepping on things like Regulus Black breaking your heart (as he already did).

“I suppose it's lucky for you or unfortunate seeing as you have totally broken her heart but what do I know? Either way, Regulus, I don’t think it would be good for you to treat her so poorly over and over again. Y/n deserves better.

Regulus took a breath as Remus sat down. As much as Regulus wanted to cuss Remus out and tell him to “get fucked” he couldn't. There was something about Remus that Regulus liked. Maybe it was their shared sense of sarcasm on many topics?

“If you knew why I did it you would understand.”

Regulus replied, calmly. Remus leaned back in his chair.

“I have a feeling that I know. You didn’t want her to be harmed in your death eater duties, which is commendable. I do thank you for that. I worried from the moment that my sister was sorted into Slytherin that the dark arts would rub off on her. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.”

Regulus looked down while thinking…”damn it, he's right about everything.”

“I wouldn’t say commendable. I would say that it's anything that anyone who truly cares about someone should do. Even if I looked at Y/n in only a friendly and not romantic way, I should want to care for her safety. Face it, Remus, if she and I were a couple, given our current situation, you know that she would have been target number one. A death eater and an auror is a match made in instant death hell. Everything that I have ever done to Y/n has been out of love and respect for her safety. I never would have been so cruel to her for no reason.”

Remus crossed his arms over his chest. He hated admitting that Regulus was right. If the two of you had been outed as a couple, death would have come to both of you. There was no way that Voldmort would have been okay with one of his followers dating an Auror. You would have lost the job that you worked so hard for…but the question was how much was everything truly worth the risk?

Glazing into the living room, Remus’ eyes locked on Sirius. His lover sat beside you talking quietly.

He would be worth everything…Sirius would be worth everything…just as Y/n would be worth everything.

Remus turned back to Regulus and took a breath.

“You could have gone about it differently. Y/n has been in love with you for so long. Regulus, you don’t realize how hurt she has been. My sister or not, I have seen it all. She has been sitting here praying for a miracle. When you walked through that door, you should have seen the look on her face.”

Regulus’ grey eyes dropped.

“I did. I saw all of it. You don’t have to worry. She probably will never forgive me again.”

Regulus didn’t bring up the kiss in the back of the bar. He didn’t want to totally shit wreck Remus’ somewhat understanding attitude toward the situation at hand. If Regulus could get Remus on his side he would definitely be in a better position.

“I know my sister. Yes, she is a bit stubborn but she cares for you.”

Regulus snorted at the words “a bit.” As much Regulus adored everything about you, your stubborn side was the one thing that he could do without.

At least I don’t have to worry about anyone being mean to her. She will just make them cry.

Regulus thought before speaking again.

“A bit? Do you really know your sister, Remus?”

Remus gave Regulus a smug smile.

“I won’t insult my sister. Seriously though think of a good heartfelt apology and talk to her. You do know what an apology is, right? You know, it's one of those things where you admit that you are wrong.”

“ I know what an apology is!”

Regulus snapped as Remus stood up.

“Good then do it and do us all a favor. Before I go, I must give you my ceremonial big brother speech of you if you break her heart again then I will cut your head off speech.”

“You’ve made your point.”

Regulus commented. He didn’t really want to sit in this conversation any longer. Regulus needed some time to decide what he needed to say to you.

“Good, because I really don’t want to threaten you any further. Anyway, later.”

Remus walked off feeling a lot more accomplished. Did he think Regulus would fuck up again? Of course. Was he willing to give him a shot if it made you truly happy…yes. Remus would never stop being the older brother that he was supposed to be just as you wouldn’t stop being the pain in the ass little sister that you were supposed to be.

Regulus stayed away from the house that night and most of the next day. He was trying to think of anything that he could to possibly convince you to see his way. He had no choice but to come back for the next Order meeting. This would give him a chance to speak with you and just rip the “bandage” off of the gaping wound while hoping for the best.

It was around half an hour before you arrived back home and Regulus was never more happy to see you. He had been sitting listening to Sirius whine about why Regulus was an idiot for letting you go.

“And not a moment too soon.”

Regulus mumbled as you came in and sat down silently. He wasn’t surprised that you wouldn’t speak to him. Once again, your stubborn side was proving its grand existence.

It was Sirius that spoke when he turned to look at you.

“Hey, that’s my sweatshirt!”

You looked down at the oversized blue sweatshirt that you were wearing.

“Bugger off, we have bigger problems. Besides, I do your laundry and my brother’s laundry. If I see something I like then I am borrowing it. It isn’t like you noticed it was missing anyhow.”

Sirius grumbled something as your eyes flickered to Regulus. Internally, you sighed looking at Regulus. After the argument the day before, you didn’t expect him to turn back up…yet here he was. He sat across from you with a frown on his handsome face.

The haughty ass…

You thought before looking down at his hands. It was easier to look at his hands than his piercing grey eyes.

How am I supposed to tell the asshat that I miss him? After calling him a monster yesterday saying “Hey Reg, I miss you” would probably sound a little disingenuous. Fuck, my mind is a pretzel!

You thought with a frown. Meeting Sirius’ eyes, he gave you an understanding nod. You would have paid Sirius anything at the moment to initiate some kind of conversation between Regulus and yourself. Granted, you could have said something. You could easily speak up but it wasn’t that easy…nothing was that easy.

“Y/N LUPIN!”

The sound of Moody stomping into the room yelling your name immediately pulled you from your thoughts. The moment that your boss limped into the room looking ready to set you on fire, you knew that you were in for it.

“I suppose you have read my report.”

You commented idly. Moody glowered at you before slamming the yellow envelope down on the table.

“Yes, I read it! I ought to bench you for those kinds of shenanigans.”

Sirius and Remus both turned to look at you with matching looks of confusion. You absentmindedly scratched your head before turning back to Alastor Moody.

“It was a lot cooler in person.”

Moody looked ready to pass out.

“Cooler in person?! Is that really what you are going to say to me.”

“What exactly happened?”

Remus asked. Moody turned to your older brother with a scowl.

“Miss Priss here thought that it was funny to take a leap off of her broom and land on Dolohov to arrest him.”

You winced as Regulus, Sirius, and Remus all turned to look at you with matching expressions of worry.

“Well, he’s in jail now.”

You murmured. Moody sat down and immediately started pointing his finger at you.

“One more stunt like that and I am suspending you. I’m ordering you to be careful and mind orders as directed. Am I making myself clear to you?”

“Crystal.”

You replied as Remus took a breath.

Awe, great. Now I get to hear from him.

“Y/n, I shouldn’t have to talk to you about crazy antics like that. Use the brain that you were gifted with and stop being crazy before you get yourself killed. Sirius and I wouldn’t make it without you. Don’t you realize how much you mean to us?”

You lowered your head.

“I’ll be careful. Okay? Now this meeting isn’t meant to be about me. Oh! Look it's James and Lily! Let's talk about them!”

James and Lily both looked a bit more put out than normal. Granted, everyone was looking put out lately but they looked pretty bad. Moody took a breath.

“They are actually what this meeting is about. As you lot probably noticed, not everyone is at our meeting tonight. I called all of you here because I know of your friendship. It appears that Voldemort believes that Harry will be the subject of the prophecy of his downfall. It is being suggested that the Potters go into hiding until further notice.”

You had been sitting with your head on the table but sat up instantly. This was not what you were expecting to hear.

God damn, do we ever get a break?

You thought, not being able to meet your friend’s faces. Lily was partially part of the reason why you were a sane human. She was the person that loved you unconditionally without making you feel like a naughty child.

When you were able to meet her eyes, you wished that you hadn’t. All that you saw was fear and you completely understood why. A madman was after her young son. How was she not destined to be afraid?

“I’ll be the secret keeper.”

Sirius immediately said. He didn’t care about himself. He cared about his best friend and his family. If Sirius could keep James, Lily, and Harry safe then he would do anything that he had to. He would go to the ends of the earth if he had to.

Moody frowned.

“Dumbledore doesn’t think that is a good idea, Sirius. You will be the first person that Voldemort would suspect. Peter Pettigrew will be the choice. He’s the most unlikely. While I had other choices, I have been outspoken.”

Your mouth instantly dropped. Peter-fucking-Pettigrew? Did you really hear that correctly? You would trust a stranger on the street before pansy ass Peter!

“Why don’t we just pick some bum on the street to do it? Pettigrew? Really?”

You snapped. Sirius held his hand up to you as if to say “Someone who is on my side!”

Moody turned to you.

“You’re an auror, Y/n. Remus is their other best friend and Regulus…well…he isn’t getting involved in this. Peter is the logical choice. Voldemort wouldn’t suspect him.”

Your eyes immediately looked up to Peter, who nervously walked into the room. The man looked highly uncomfortable as he sat down.

“I would trust Charles Manson or any of those other muggle serial killers before him. I could beat him up with my eyes closed.”

You grumbled. Peter winced, looking at you as if he was wondering whether he should hide or not. You had beat Peter up a few times in the past and he really didn’t want to relive those moments.

Moody, meanwhile, focused his attention on you.

“Y/n, this is an order and we just had a conversation about orders. Trust the process.”

You groaned and sat back in your chair with a huff.

“Fine but mark my words, if he fucks this up I will be cutting his head off and putting it on a stick.”

Moody shook his head while you gave Peter the biggest “try me, bitch” look imaginable.

“I would expect no less of you.”

You checked out of the remainder of the conversation. At the present moment, you didn’t want to participate any longer. You were too close to losing your shit. It was probably in your best interest not to say anything more….unless you wanted Moody to put a foot up your ass.

Nah, I’m good for today.

You thought as Moody dismissed the meeting. Moody had barely gotten the dismissal out before you were on your feet and storming out.

Had someone told you, years ago, that this was how your adulthood would turn out you would have slugged them. Now you were watching your friends' lives be in danger. You had already watched Marlene and Dorcas be killed. Now James, Lily, and baby Harry were in danger and there was nothing that you could do about it.

Stomping into the sitting room, you knew that you had to get a grip on yourself. You needed to breathe.

“Peter looked ready to shit himself when you threatened to cut his head off.”

You turned around to face Regulus. He stood in the doorway with an amused smile on his face. Stepping inside, Regulus closed the door as you turned back to the window.

“I wanted to climb across the table and shake him really good but I didn’t want to piss Moody off any more than I already have.”

“Yeah, about that…seriously, Y/n, what the fuck? You could have been killed.”

You groaned.

“Regulus, save the lecture. I have had a really long day and after that meeting…I’m just not in the mood.”

Regulus moved to join you at the window.

“I know that you’re worried. I also know that you are as pessimistic as me and none of what we just heard sounded feasible.”

“Oh, thank Merlin. Someone is seeing it my way! I like to say that for a pessimist I am pretty optimistic but I can’t be about this.”

You replied. Regulus was quiet for a moment before reaching out to take your hand in his.

“I miss this….us talking the way that we used to.”

You bit your lip before allowing yourself to squeeze Regulus’ hand.

“It never had to stop…you…”

Regulus instantly cut you off. It was time for him to say what he had needed to say for a long time.

“I did what I did for a reason. Y/n, I knew that you would have followed me anywhere. I was not about to let you turn into a dark witch to be with me. No one ever, here, understood why I turned to the dark arts yet you stood by my side. I knew that you were happy but you didn’t turn your back on me. I had to scare you away to keep you safe. That’s why I turned into the cold person that I had to be but look where it's gotten you. You are successful and independent. You weren’t relying on me for everything.”

You were quiet for a moment before speaking.

“You should have let me make my own decisions. Regulus, I supported everything that you did because I loved…love you. I know exactly why you turned to the dark arts…its because it's what you had to do with your family. That isn’t some super secret puzzle to me…I don’t want you to keep pushing me away…when I went to Azkaban the other day I saw Barty. Regulus, that could have been you. You could be sitting in the cell rotting away not knowing anything.”

Regulus’ face softened. Your super bad mood the day before suddenly made sense to Regulus now. You had spent too much time in that horrid place and it brought out the worst in you.

“I’m here with you now.”

Regulus commented in a soft tone. His voice reminded you of the boy that you had fallen in love with so long ago.

“Yeah, but for how long? How long until you turn cold again and shut me out?”

Taking a breath, you immediately wrapped your arms around Regulus and shoved your face against his chest. You couldn’t bring yourself to look into his eyes.

Regulus stood motionless for a moment before wrapping his arms around you. He held you tightly while breathing in your scent. Holding you felt like “home.” It felt like holding everything that any lucky man could have…the little piece of gold that was worth more than anything.

“Y/n, I can’t apologize enough but please trust me. I won’t be going anywhere.”

You didn’t move from your place in Regulus’ arms.

“It’s going to take me time to fully trust you.”

Our eyes may cry. Look what's become of me and my former. Steal away, steal away, remember At least we're all here together

_____

@amelie-black @jessyballet @fific7 @knreidy1 @georgeweasleydumbhoe @criminalyetminimal @justfinishthis @mimisparkle12 @teletubiswszpilkach @siriuslyceleste @golddustwomann @littleshadow17 @ell0ra-br3kk3r @livshifts @bxcndd @jsjcue @stelleduarte @millies0bsimp @coffeeaddictednymph @readtomeregulus @saramaple @missgorldafirst @i-love-scott-mccall @taylor-will-be-the-death-of-me @s-we-e-t-t-ea @buttercup-beeee @f4iryluvy @panpride @daddyslittlevillain @gugggu6gvai @jag9000 @quinis @mentally-unstable-hoe @yousmellllikecaca @haroldpotterson @goldensunshineshit @aurorasnape12 @ad-astra-again @dumybitch @marichromatic @ravenhood2792 @play-morezeppelin @spideyxalmighty @lucasfilms77 @rubyroscoe1 @lostarc24 @brokencasbutt67-writer @authoressskr @moldy-old-boot @hankypranky @summer-novak @shaylybaby2032 @emiwrites3reads @knight-of-gleefulness @li0nh34rt @tas898 @untoldshortsofthefandoms @deanwherescas @shitfaceddaniel-blog @bennyberry @wontlookaway @sprnaturallover @mycuddlycorner

[theoncomingchaos]

Siming x Jinbao Novel

Here are some of the best scenes from chapters 4-6

These two are hilarious tbh. The pain doesn't start until chapter 6, so before that it's all pretty cute. I think the author does a great job writing children too.

I do really hope they make this into a drama, but they are going to need some good kid actors. I'm honestly not even sure when this book is going to lead into adulthood.

-Jinbao wants to leave, but he knows if he goes outside the guards will catch him, so he runs in circles around Siming's room. Siming chases him until he gets tired and falls on the bed. (They are 5 ok?!)

-SIming makes Jinbao fan him while he goes to sleep, but won't let him onto the bed. Jinbao can only sleep after he falls asleep, so Jinbao says, "Got it, hurry up and sleep then," and starts singing a lullaby off-key!

-Jinbao got so sleepy fanning him that he fell asleep on top of him. Siming freaks out about the germs and wants an entirely new bed. Jinbao has had it and starts rolling around on his bed. "I'll sleep on your bed! I'm sleeping here! What are you going to do about it? I'll sleep ALL over it!" Meanwhile Siming is hitting him with a pillow, so Jinbao tackles him and then rolls around with him. Siming is too weak to fight back...so he bites him! And of course.. Jinbao bites him back.

-Siming gets angry and threatens to starve Jinbao, so Jinbao teaches him hopscotch and they forget all about it. Definitely 5 years old.

-Jinbao gets a crush on SIming's doctor and Siming gets upset. He hates the doctor and suspects him of being a fox spirit that is up to something. He saw the beautiful doctor once looking through his things...

-Siming's dead mother is brought up and he gets sad, so Jinbao tries to cheer him up. He promises to always back him up. If SIming hates the doctor, he will too. As long as Siming feeds him and is nice to him, he'll be loyal to him.

-Jinbao can eat A LOT and he especially loves meat, but Siming doesn't like it and tries to not eat much. Jinbao pushes him to eat more and the servants are happy because Siming doesn't listen to anyone else, and they've been worried about him being so thin and sickly.

-Siming gets a stomach ache from eating so much, so Jinbao rubs his stomach. This is the first time we have reached level: You can touch me as long as you washed your hands. SIming also lets him nap with him together (reluctantly).

-Jinbao has an older brother and a younger sister.

-Siming doesn't want to study with tutors because his mom, who died recently, used to teach him. So, he instead decides to teach Jinbao to read and write himself.

-Jinbao calls Siming handsome, and he says "Don't look! You aren't allowed to look!" Jinbao asks him then to be his little wife. Siming is so upset, he hits the ink stone and splashes them both with ink. Then he actually smears ink all over Jinbao's face and leaves. Jinbao's thought process: Wow mom was right, getting a wife really isn't easy! Jinbao is determined though because he knows other people will try to compete for Siming, so he needs to start early. Siming agrees to think about it if Jinbao can remember how to write his name correctly. (Siming actually thinks they can't get married because they are both men, but if they could he wouldn't be opposed...) As Jinbao's writing gets better, he starts calling Siming his little wife, and Siming stops complaining.

-Jinbao's father comes to take him home...Siming is unhappy, but he knows he needs to go because something bad happened. He tells Jinbao to think of their time together when he gets sad. Jinbao says he will keep practicing writing, and when he finishes, Siming should marry him. Siming agrees. Siming is really afraid to part because he thinks it will be like with his mother...she promised to stay with him, but death still took her.

-After Jinbao's beloved grandfather died, he got a fever. People think the grandfather is trying to take him with him...

-While Jinbao is away, Siming's father is charged with treason. Jinbao hears about the trouble and though he doesn't understand, he runs off to find Siming. Jinbao finds them in the prison carts and begs Siming not to leave. He shows him his writing and says Siming has to fulfill his promise and be his little bride. Children and the elderly get exiled, not executed, but Siming is worried Jinbao will get punished too, so he tries to tell him to go away. Jinbao falls and cries, and Siming (also crying) tells him: "I don't know where I'm going, I'm so scared. Don't forget me. When you grow up, come find me! If you find me, I'll be your little bride! Don't forget about me!"

-Jinbao is KIDNAPPED BY THE DOCTOR?!?!?!

[morganski-19]

I Don't Know Which Way's Home

Chapter 16: Relocation

Apparently when I said it would be a few days late, that really meant a week late. But I'm back now.

ao3 link, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15

Present Day, March 1987

Julie wakes up in the middle of the night. Heart racing just a bit, slowing as she readjusts. The memories from last night replay in her mind. It’s all she thinks about. Well, not all.

It’s stupid to even compare these two things. Stupid to have herself thrown back six months and feel the same way all over again. It was the last time she was thrown out of her home unexpectantly. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, it wasn’t that long ago. Her life was uprooted not that long ago.

When her mom died, and she had to move, it felt kind of like this. With a lot more tears, and a lot more pain. But the questions without answers, the spontaneity of it all. It was the same. Julie didn’t plan for it to happen this way. It just happened.

Things in her life just keep happening. But that’s how life works, isn’t it? Things happen, and no one can control it. And when they try to, it just fails anyway. There’s just a force greater than anyone can imagine making life shit for everyone. Breaking apart families, making them lose people they love.

Julie’s not a religious person. Never was. Her mom wasn’t either, not after getting pregnant. It was hard enough being a single mom, she didn’t need more dirty looks. Especially from ones who were supposed to love everyone no matter their sins. It didn’t feel that way most of the time.

If the force that took Julie’s mom away, kicked her out of her childhood home, then the house that just became home, was really all knowing and good, she didn’t believe it anymore. What about the death that’s happened in this town? Everywhere else? What about Steve? Was it really planned for parents to hate their son like this? Kick him out of his house with a bruise on his cheek. That he won’t tell her anything about.

She needs to know that the bruise isn’t because of her. Because he took her in. She can’t be the reason why he’s hurt. It would be too much. Too much that’s been caused because of her. He’s already moving, got a new job, suing his parents. Julie is the catalyst of it all. Even if she wasn’t the cause.

How much peace would Steve have without her here? How much of a disturbance did she really cause?

When they first met, and she was in that foster home, it was easy to take from him. Steve had so much that he was willing to give. Growing up in the life Julie could have had if the tables were turned. It was easy to take some of what she thought she deserved. But then she learned more about him, about his life there. It wasn’t so easy anymore. Julie started to feel like a burden.

Still feels like a burden. Steve has to hide parts of himself in his own home because of her, even though he’s not doing it very well. He had to move into a place that could accommodate her. Go through all this trouble just to keep her around. Act ten years older than he is.

Steve’s still young. Only three years older than her but acting so much older. Taking in so much responsibility as a twenty-year-old. That’s not normal. He should be out parting, meeting new people, making mistakes and learning from them. Instead, he’s stuck in a nine-to-five and coming home to provide for the sister he didn’t even know about six months ago.

Sometimes he acts more like a parent than he should. Julie doesn’t ask for much, she never really did. But it was easy for Steve to slowly fill the void that her mom left. Even if she didn’t realize she was doing it.

Her therapist has been working her through this. He was the first person who mentioned it, causing Julie to spiral. According to him, it was normal and not something that she had to change that much. Just had to realize that’s what was going on. And to make sure she wasn’t holding Steve to a standard that he couldn’t meet.

Steve wasn’t her mom. She knew that. But it was easy to mix the two up when he’s the one providing for her now. Julie didn’t want to ask for more than he could give. It seems like she might have already done that without even realizing it.

She gets up from the now partially deflated air mattress to head to the kitchen. Get a drink and try to calm her mind. One of the lamps is still on in the living room. Illuminating Steve and Eddie, still asleep. Tangled together.

Julie wants to respect Steve’s boundaries and not ask about it again. Or speculate it. But friends don’t fall asleep next to each other like this. Or act like Eddie did last night. Well, maybe Robin would have. It would have just felt more like a sibling relationship. Theirs’s didn’t. It had something more intimate to it. It was very obviously something more.

Steve just wasn’t ready, and she respected that. He just looked so at peace right now. Compared to the level of stress that he normally looked. Compared to last night. It was all gone right now. Started to dissipate as soon as Eddie got there.

Coming out and telling people about this isn’t easy. She knows that. Really knows it. For the past few weeks anyway. So, she knows that pushing them is a bad idea. Especially with the case and all of the uncertainties that surround their lives right now. Being hidden is sometimes better than being out. Definitely in this town.

With them though, with people they trust. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that it could work. They were able to share a bed here without anyone saying anything about it. And no one will say anything if they see them sharing it like this. It’s a known secret at this point.

Part of her is telling her that it’s only a secret because of her, though. Because she caused all the uncertainties of their life. It’s probably not true, but it’s how she feels.

El stirs when Julie goes back to the room. The air mattress squeaking when she sits on it.

“Julie,” El whispers in the dark, voice groggy.

“Sorry, went to get some water.”

El nods, propping herself up on her elbow when the air mattress squeaks again when Julie tries to sit down. “Did it deflate? It does that sometimes.”

“Yeah, kinda.”

“We could share my bed if you wanted to. Me and Max do it all the time, there is enough room.” El sits up, fixing the blankets.

Julie’s heartbeat picks up, she’s not sure why. It’s just El, they’re friends. Her and Mary would share a bed when they had sleepovers back in middle school. This is no different from that.

“Uh yeah, sure.”

El scoots over in the bed, making room for Julie. They lay down next to each other. El facing Julie, while Julie lies on her back. Trying not to feel El’s eyes on her. Julie forces her eyes closed and takes a deep breath, trying to feel normal about this. Because it is. This is totally normal. Why is she making this so weird?

“Can I ask you something? And you cannot be mad at me for asking it.” El asks, still whispering.

“Uh, yeah. Sure.” Julie really can’t explain why she’s so nervous by that question.

“Are Steve and Eddie dating?”

Julie turns her head towards El, taking a moment to realize how close they are. “They haven’t told me that they are.”

“But that does not mean they are not? They act like they are dating. Everyone keeps talking about it, it is not a secret. I think they work well together.” El stares at Julie in the dark, making her feel something but she’s not quite sure.

“Yeah, yeah I think they do too. If they are actually together. Like I said, they haven’t told me about it yet. But I do know Steve is seeing someone, just couldn’t tell me who it was. Said it was more complicated than it looked.” Julie can’t explain it, but the words keep pouring out of her mouth without her telling them to. She should have stopped speaking way before she did.

El smiles. “I like it when people from our group start dating. Max says it makes more problems, but I think it is sweet. How they found each other through all of the bad that happened.” She makes a face of realization. “Forget what I said, nothing bad happened. Just meeting each other like normal people do. In school. Yeah, we all met in school.”

“Something bad happened?”

If that’s true, a lot of things would start to make sense. Why Steve jumps every time the light flickers or there’s a loud thud. Sometimes when the thunder hits just right. Why Julie has woken up to what seems like a scream but gets told it was nothing the next morning. Why Eddie or Robin magically shows up in the mornings when they weren’t here the night before. Hovering over Steve, either with a scared look in their eye or checking to make sure he’s ok.

Some of the kids do it to. Have some scars that seem a bit too suspicious. More than just a normal injury.

The weird that has been happening in Hawkins these past four years replay in her mind. Connecting dots as fast as she can, trying to make connections. On the surface, there’s nothing there. Except for the fact that this was a peaceful town before four years ago. Each year continuing to get worse and worse. Until last spring scared out half the town’s population.

After what Julie saw that fourth of July, she knew that something was off. Witnessing people walk to their deaths, knowing that they didn’t go to the mall by choice. There was something weird with Hawkins. Maybe El knew about it too? Maybe they all knew about it?

“Well, yeah, there was an earthquake. And the mall fire before that. Bad things happened.” El turns her head, looking at the ceiling.

“I knew about that, obviously. But that’s not all that happened, right? I mean, none of the surrounding areas felt it, and if the ground cracked, they should have. And the fire, I saw some of the people going there that night.” It feels weird to admit that to someone else. But it gets El to turn her head and look at Julie again. “I couldn’t get them to stop moving.”

El’s brows knit together. “I did not know other people saw them go there.”

“It was really scary. I didn’t know until the next morning, but they were walking to their death. There were some people in the crowd that I knew, so I recognized their names when the missing person reports and the obituaries. No matter what I did, it was like they couldn’t hear me, and just kept walking. Like they were possessed.”

El reaches across the small gap between them and grabs Julie’s hand. Making Julie’s fingers feel colder than they were, as they suddenly fill with warmth. She squeezes Julie’s hand, holding it close. “There was more to that night. More that I cannot tell you. I wish I could, but you are better off not knowing. But I am so sorry that you saw a little bit that was happening. And very happy that it did not get to you too.”

“That what didn’t get to me?” Julie turns on her side, fully facing El.

“It is safer for you not to know. Please trust me. Friends don’t lie.”

There is a seriousness in El’s eyes that ages her five years. Suddenly turning her into a brave soldier, instead of just a kid. Julie’s eyes trace her face, reading the fear mixed with experience resting in her muscles. Molded instead of out of place. This isn’t a new expression for El. Somewhere, that breaks Julie.

“Ok, I believe you,” Julie says, ready to change the subject. To see that look melt off of El’s face, hoping to never see it again. Instead, she yawns.

“It is late, we should go to sleep. There is a lot you probably have to do tomorrow. Or today, what time is it?”

Julie shrugs, not wanting to turn to see the clock on the bedside table. “Didn’t look at it when I got up.”

El releases Julie’s hand, making it feel cold again. She pulls the sheets tight around her. “Goodnight.”

“Night.” Julie’s eyes stay open as El’s close, watching as she starts to fall asleep again. She eventually forces her eyes to close, tries to get sleep to come. It doesn’t. Not for a while at least.

There’s something weird with her, mixed with everything else she was already feeling that night. Part of her knows what it is, but she doesn’t want to admit it.

. . .

When Steve looks in the mirror the next morning, he has to relive the fact that the events of the previous night actually happened. That instead of just a normal night stayed at the Byers, it was because he was kicked out of his childhood home. Not because he left on his own accord. Even if he was the one to slam the door behind him.

Just because he was planning to leave, doesn’t mean he was planning to leave like this. With a nice bruise formed above his cheekbone and dried blood on his lip. Bags filled with the rest of his and Julie’s belongings in the living room. The rest in boxes scattered in different locations. Somethings still left behind. Things he’s never getting back.

His mind races to anything left in his car that could come back to bite him. It’s empty, for the most part. Steve knew that he wouldn’t be able to keep the car, it still had his dad’s name on it. It’s why he couldn’t sell it when he was saving up money. The trunk was empty, the baseball bat that would have certainly raised questions in another location. The glove compartment had nothing in it but snacks and a first aid kit. Normal things. The pictures on his sun visor were gone.

He was safe. Why didn’t he feel safe.

This feeling is something Steve knows more than he should. Adrenaline flooding his veins, making him be alert when he just needs to rest. Constricting his chest, making his breaths short and shallow. Counting in for four does nothing when he can only make it to two before his lungs feel like bursting. His muscles tense at every sound, every movement. Pulling him into the ready position. Ready for the next monster to burst through the wall.

There’s a knock at the door, making him jump. Chest thumping with the fast beat of his heart.

“Steve, sweetie,” Joyce’s voice comes through the door. “Breakfast is ready whenever you are.”

Somehow, that breaks Steve out of the spell he was in, realizing the white of his knuckles as they gripped the sink. He lets go, feeling relief. “Ok, I’ll be out in a second.”

He forces a deep breath into his lungs, shutting his eyes so he can’t see his reflection again. Things need to happen today. He needed to get things done today. The Byers are kind enough not to kick them out, but he can’t expect them to let them stay for more than a day or two.

Tomorrow Sarah is going to tell her higherups that they were kicked out. Let them decide if Julie needs to be moved again. Strip away the home that they’ve been building for the past few months. Making Steve have to start over all over again. He can’t start over again.

So these feelings, this churn in his stomach, they can’t stay. After the door closes behind him, so does the chest holding everything in. There will be a time where he can process all that happened, why he’s feeling like this. But now is not that time.

Maybe never will be the time.

When Steve sits down at the table, he’s hyperaware on the way he’s acting. Making sure his posture is the same as it always is. Unbothered, relaxed. When nothing is relaxed. He smiles at Joyce when she brings him a plate, thanking her. Makes conversation with them, greets Will when he gets back from Mike’s. Acts perfectly normal. To most of them at least.

Julie stares at him from a few spots down. Waiting for him to mention anything from the previous night. Eddie reaches under the table to squeeze his thigh, silently asking if he’s alright. Steve brushes it off, insisting that he’s fine.

Because he is fine, why wouldn’t he be?

After breakfast he makes some calls. Somehow, the papers were filed faster than he thought and he’s able to pick up the keys tomorrow morning. Just in time. He changes his contact information with a few places, making a mental note to do it at work his next shift.

Then, he just sits. Feeling unfamiliar in his body. Trying so hard to release the tension that feels sewn into his muscles. Wondering if he breathes deep enough, it will pressure his heart to stop jumping at every motion. Every sound. Stop his mind from racing between synapses without purpose. Snapping to snapshots of moments he’d rather not remember.

The face of his father as he yelled. The disappointment in his mother’s glare. The pain in both their smiles, perfectly molded for photographs. But one look in real life shows the cracks in their composure. They never smiled at him with true intentions, just to keep up the mask.

Memories he’s repressed all come flooding back. Screams of his parents fighting. Hands sore from how hard they clutch his knees to his chest. Hiding away, thinking that it would stop them. That if he went far enough away, he wouldn’t hear them anymore.

That was accomplished. He finally ran away. Somewhere not that far, but they won’t care enough to come find. He should be happy.

Every time Steve thinks that his parents don’t have any hold of him anymore, something happens. Smacks him just right across the face as a little reminder that he is nothing more than a product of them. Something for them to sculp into the perfect accessory. To look at but never really love.

It hurts. Scars on the outside are gruesome, but it is the ones lashed into his heart that sting. Dark in the night, when the silence creeps into his ears, reminding him of every wrong he’s ever done. Of the disappointment that he truly is.

Robin said something to him once that made him put things into perspective. Life is what changes people, makes them who they really are. It is the people that choose to stay that make the impact. The deciding factor. Back then, those words made him feel some sort of peace.

Now, it’s pulling him down to the same question that’s plagued his mind for years. Maybe his entire life. Why wasn’t he enough for them to stay?

Why is he enough for anyone to stay?

Sometime later, he’s not exactly sure, Eddie moves from beside him. Standing in front of Steve with his hand outstretched, waiting for him to take it.

“Come on,” he says. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Steve takes it, gripping it harder than he should. The familiarity giving him some peace of mind. Making the train stop in its tracks for a moment. Before it starts moving again.

“Woods or street?” Eddie asks when they get outside.

“Woods,” Steve finds himself saying. He won’t have to let go of Eddie’s hand if they are in the woods.

Eddie nods, leading Steve around the house and into the woods. Walking forward without direction. The same way he walked straight into Steve’s heart. Nothing was planned, it just happened. Even when Steve does plan things, it doesn’t stop anything else from happening.

“You want to tell me what’s been keeping you in your head all day?”

Steve knows that he doesn’t mean it to be pushy, but the words come off that way. No matter how softly they are said. Steve just shakes his head no.

Eddie nods again, letting them walk in silence. Just keep walking.

So many things have happened in these woods. Fights, searches. Life. Growth. In some ways, everything started here for Steve. One event that took place in these woods changing the course of his life forever. For the better, he says most of the time. But was it really for the better?

If it weren’t for monsters lurking in these woods, Steve would be the person he was four years ago. Young and stupid. Not knowing much about the world around him, but that didn’t matter. His brain was healthy, his ears worked right, and his eyesight wasn’t as blurry. His mind was anxious about normal things, like college, and grades, rather than something lurking the dark ready to kill him. Take the people he loves away from him. It never happened directly to him, yet he still feared it.

His torso wasn’t littered with scars that made him wince when he looked at himself in the mirror. There wouldn’t be a scar around his neck that made people do a double take. Blood wouldn’t rush at the flickers of lights and clashes of thunder. He would be able to enjoy looking at fireworks again, or a roaring campfire.

Life would be simpler. It would be different. Maybe then, he would have gotten into college. Made his dad proud for once. Be on the path to greatness just like he was supposed to. With a sports scholarship under his belt that he didn’t really need, but it didn’t hurt.

Maybe then he would have finally been enough.

A tear rolls down Steve’s cheek without him realizing it. Years of unprocessed trauma resting behind the gates. No matter how many tears were shed, it’s never enough to heal the wounds. All of his wounds.

At the end of all of it, Steve’s tired. Tired of the what ifs and endless possibilities. Tired of fighting with everything including his own thoughts. Beating back self-deprecation until it fights back enough to knock him out for a while. Wondering what life could have been if he walked away when he had the chance. He’s the only one who was ever really given that chance.

The kids lost their friend, so did Nancy. Joyce lost a son. Jonathan lost a brother. Hopper had a job to do. Max, even if she had a choice in the beginning, would have always been wrapped up into this because of Billy. Robin just wanted to help Steve and Dustin solve a puzzle. Eddie saw people die before his eyes. El was made for this.

Steve, he had a choice to make. Leave or go back into the house and fight for something that was worth it. Somehow, Steve always ends up fighting. Did he really want to this time? The damage was done, he didn’t want their money. What was the point of all of this really? To settle some score? Prove who the bigger man was?

Eddie stops them when they get to a small clearing, pulling Steve into a hug. Holding him close with a deep breath, making Steve do the same.

“I don’t know what your head’s been telling you, but you should know it’s not true. Whatever it is.”

Steve sighs. “I’m just so tired. I don’t even know why I’m fighting with them anymore.”

There’s a rustle a few feet away, paired with whispered swears. Robin comes into view, half tripping over a stray branch. “You guys really had to go wandering through the woods with nothing to communicate with. And you couldn’t have waited for me to get there first.”

Steve snorts. “I didn’t even know you were coming over.”

She walks over to them. “Yeah well, when your best friend gets kicked out, says he’ll call you the next morning, and then doesn’t, you start to worry. Your head being a bitch to you again?”

“Sort of.”

“Alright then, make room for me in this hug. Don’t make it weird, please.” She forces her way underneath Steve and Eddie’s arms to hug the both of them. Making a sort of triangle. Steve’s suddenly really glad that she’s here.

A breath releases from Steve. One filled with relief. Finally releasing the band around his chest. More tears sneak out of his eyes as his body finally relaxes. The adrenaline fading, reality sinking in. Weight returning to where it rests on his shoulders. The expected freedom is nowhere to be seen.

The reality is crushing him.

A choked sob causes Eddie and Robin to hold him tighter. As tight as they can in this configuration. Steve doesn’t know what he did to deserve these two. Doesn’t know how he got them to stay. But as everything came crashing down around him, they’re still here. He has barely anything to his name. Just a small house with a large loan, a shitty retail job, and a whole bunch of traumas that follows him around. But instead of running, they’re still here. They stayed with him.

Somehow, Steve is now on the ground. Wiping away tears as Robin rubs his back. As Eddie holds his hand. He feels the need to apologize but knows that they’ll yell at him for it. Still, the words rest on his tongue. But he stays silent, focusing on his breathing. Calming himself down.

“Feel better?” Robin asks softly. “It looked like the floodgates were pushed open.”

Steve lets out a wet laugh. “They kind of did. I think everything just came out at once.”

“Yeah, well, you went through a lot yesterday.” Eddie rakes a hand through Steve’s hair, getting it out of his face. “It has to come out somehow.”

Robin makes a small gasp. Probably finally seeing Steve’s face unobstructed. She looks towards Eddie, getting confirmation with a small nod. “Is there anything you wanted to talk about in particular, or none of it at all? Want me to tell you about something random just so your mind can shut up?”

“I feel.” Steve pauses to find the words. “I feel like I’m always fighting. Whether it’s the upside down shit, or myself, or my parents, it’s always a fight. I kind of just want to stop it all. And this case, it’s solid but is it worth it if I’m just going to feel like shit all over again?”

“This was always because you wanted to do it, but if you don’t want to do it anymore, you don’t have to,” Robin assures.

Steve picks at the grass. “I don’t know anymore.”

“You can always think about it. There’s time to back out of this, the court date hasn’t even been set yet.” Eddie shifts to sit next to Steve, wrapping an arm around his back.

Robin sits on the other side of him, leaning against his side. “Yeah. Fight, no fight. You still got us to go through it with you. Just take one step at a time.”

“My next step is finding beds for us to sleep in. I get the keys tomorrow and we need to move in kind of immediately.”

“Trip to the thrift store,” Robin gasps. “I love the thrift store.”

“Which one, the one on Mulberry next to the Laundromat or center of town?” Eddie asks.

Robin fake gags. “Not the one on Mulberry, the owner creeps me out. The one in the center of town, it has really good stuff.”

“Yeah, only after you search for four hours,” Steve snorts. “How long did it take you to find, ‘the right sweater,’” he mimics.

“That’s irrelevant. Seriously though, are we going? It might not have the best stuff, but you won’t be sleeping on air mattresses.”

“Maybe in a bit. I just want to sit here for a while longer.”

Eddie presses a kiss to the side of Steve’s head. “As long as you need.”

Steve kind of wishes that they could stay there for the rest of the day. Hidden from the rest of the world by the trees, listening to the calmness around them. But he has things to do. He doesn’t have to do them alone this time.

. . .

The next morning, Steve and Eddie are gone when Julie wakes up. Joyce says they have to go pick up some things and will be back around lunchtime. When they come back, everyone gets into their cars to go pick up some boxes. Boxes from the Byers’, Henderson’s, Munson’s and Buckley’s all being loaded into cars and brought over to the knew house.

Their new house.

Julie sees all the madness happening around her, as the boxes get brought and placed on the mismatched furniture Steve scrambled to get yesterday and this morning. Wondering if moving is always like this. Bare walls and empty rooms. Nothing but belongings packed in boxes and empty dressers, cabinets, drawers. All waiting to be filled. Waiting for a house to be made into a home.

Moving was something Julie never experienced until a year ago. And it wasn’t happy then. Just a reminder that she had to leave the place she grew up in without a choice. Without the person who always made her feel safe. It was all stripped away too soon.

Then the next place that gave her a bed to sleep in was terrible. Making sleeping on a park bench in the cold much better than sleeping in a bed. Until Steve offered for her to stay, and she took it. Finding something that could resemble the home she once knew. It was close, but never just quite right.

This place, it was everything that her mom ever wanted. The purpose of fruitless savings jars. Counting every penny from tips and saving everything that they didn’t need for bills. Only for it to get lost anyway, either from her mom’s vices or her boyfriend stealing it all.

But here, now, it’s almost like Julie can still feel her mom’s presence in this house. Feel a presence watching her every move. Smiling as the room slowly becomes hers. As this place becomes Julie’s knew home. It doesn’t feel so empty anymore.

Maybe this is how it’s always going to be from now on. The little twinge in her heart making her think of her mom. See her in all the little things around her. Making it all feel bittersweet. She’s still here, even if it’s not in the same house they lived in. Even if she isn’t here anymore. Julie will always have her mom.

Unpacking is chaotic. There’re too many people and everyone keeps putting things away without asking where either of them wants them. Just to get them out of the boxes. That won’t make it easier when they have to rearrange everything later. But things are better sitting inside of cabinets so they can use the counters to place more boxes. Things have to move so they don’t get stuck.

Luckily for her, Julie can just focus on her room. Steve found an old bedframe at a thrift store that got set up in her room and an old dresser that squeaks when you open the drawers, if they open at all. It’s fine for now, and it can be fixed. A lot of these things can be fixed. The only new thing in her room is the mattress, because apparently Robin insisted that they get a new one because of all the bugs that can live in there.

El’s there helping her unpack. Brought a few things for some decorations too since Julie lost some of the decorations in her room. For the second time now. But now there’s some photos on the wall of the group together, and a few movie and band posters. It’s not quite right yet, but it’s getting there.

A few hours later, the Byers’ leave, and Steve and Eddie go get some pizza. Leaving Julie and Robin to unpack the last of the boxes and set up a folding table and some chairs for them to eat on.

“Could I ask you a weird question?” There’s been something gnawing in Julie’s mind for a few days now, making her feel weird. Something she really doesn’t know how to put into words or ask Steve about. But Robin would know.

“Yeah sure,” Robin says while snapping open a folding chair.

Julie picks at the skin around her thumbs. “How did you know you were a lesbian? Like, that you liked girls?”

Robin freezes in shock, before relaxing with a small smile. “I’d say this is a couch kind of conversation, but we don’t have one yet, so how about the floor?”

“Floor’s fine.”

They sit down in the makeshift pile of pillows and blankets that’s acting as a couch. Julie staring down at her hands, nervous. She’s been feeling weird for a while now, and kind of knows why. But there are questions she can’t answer. Feelings she doesn’t want to believe are true.

“So, to answer your question, I think a part of me always knew I liked girls. When I was really young, I might have not realized that is what it was. And when all the other girls were talking about their crushes in elementary and middle school, I would just think they were so weird because boys were gross. I didn’t like boys the way that they liked boys. It wasn’t until middle school that I realized that I thought about girls the way other girls thought about boys.”

“Oh,” is all Julie can say.

Robin nods. “Yeah, that’s kinda when all the pieces clicked into place. After that, it was the denial and the trying to get it away. Act like everyone else did. But it never went away. I kept getting crushes on girls and was a total mess around them. Over time, I accepted it. Embraced it. As much as I could in this town. Now, I’m really proud of the person I am and have an amazing girlfriend. It’s who I am.”

“And you never felt weird about any of it? Like, something was different, and you just couldn’t figure out what it was.”

She remembers the feeling that she had two nights ago. When her and El talked in the middle of the night. How things just kept happening, and she felt so weird. Something was off.

Some of the things Robin said were true. Julie never really had a crush on any boys. On anyone, really. Sometimes, she would lie and just say she had a crush on a random guy in her class. Just to fake normalcy. When really, none of the boys ever caught her eye. What did, she never said aloud.

But it was a trend that she couldn’t ignore anymore. How girls would walk down the hall and Julie would find herself turning her head. Lying and just saying she liked their outfit. It wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t exactly the truth. And then there would be the continuous thoughts of someone in her class that would never go away. No matter how hard she tried. And she tried. So hard.

Julie was already the daughter of a single mother that drank her problems instead of dealing with them. No father, no money, nothing. She didn’t need to be the weird kid that liked girls too. So she wasn’t. Until she was.

The pieces clicked, just like Robin said they did. They did a while ago. But like a lot of things, Julie pushed them away to be dealt with later. There was so much more to worry about. Get angry about. She didn’t need to get angry at herself too.

Looking back now, Julie did have crushes. Ones that didn’t make much sense in her young mind, or ones that she just shoved off thinking it was jealousy. It was easier to pretend it didn’t exist rather than face the music. But when asked if she had a crush on someone, it was always a girl’s name that rested on the tip of her tongue that she swallowed down and forgot.

Robin lets out a small laugh. “All the damn time. I think mainly before I accepted it all.” After a break of silence, Robin asks, “Are you feeling a bit weird?”

Julie nods, pulling her knees close to her chest. “For a while now. But my life was so full of so many other things that it was easy for me to ignore it. It’s not so easy to ignore anymore.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Robin sighs.

“And I just,” Julie struggles to find the words. “If what I’m feeling is what I think it is, I just don’t want to screw up what I have.”

Robin takes a deep breath. “Did Steve ever tell you how we became friends?”

Julie shakes her head.

“Well, the story is really long and complicated, and there’s things that I can’t really share. But the short of it all is that we worked together at an ice cream shop called Scoops Ahoy back when the mall was still standing.”

“I remember that place, those outfits were terrible.”

Robin laughs. “Yeah, they were. But that’s how we met. We really became friends while hiding out in a bathroom and I told him I had a crush on a girl named Tammy Thompson. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. I didn’t know how he was going to react, especially since it was also a rejection. But he took it like a champ and made me feel comfortable with someone knowing this big secret I’ve kept for years. And now he’s my best friend, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“Was it hard?”

“It was and it wasn’t. Telling anyone in this town about being queer is hard, because you don’t really know how they’re going to react. Hell, most of the town has Reagan signs out on their lawns. So that made it hard. But it was also really easy. The thing about Steve is he’s really caring and accepting about the people he cares about. He wasn’t always, at least it didn’t seem like it. But somehow, he grew up and became the person we both know and love. He might joke and be bitchy sometimes, but deep down, he cares more than he’d like to admit.”

Julie smiles. “Yeah, I know.”

“There were a few other people that were easy to tell too,” Robin continues. “Eddie, obviously. You and Dustin in the car. And Nancy, which was harder for a different reason.”

Julie stays quiet, patiently listening.

“It was different with Nancy because I had the worst, biggest, ginormous crush on her when I told her. I needed to know that she was ok with this part of me before I could even think of telling her about it. It was just as scary as you think it was. But after those words left my mouth, Nancy just smiled and gave me a hug, and the biggest weight was off my chest. Few months later, I had the courage to tell her how I really felt, and then we started dating.”

“You guys were friends before you started dating right?”

Robin nods. “I was so scared that she wouldn’t like me back, and I would ruin everything.”

Julie nods, letting the words sink in. She’s not alone in this. “I’m kind of there right now, I think. Actually, I’m not really sure. Just. Something happened and it made me feel really weird, but I can’t tell if it’s because of the other things happening in my life or if it is a crush.”

“And this crush, if that is what it is, is that about a girl?” Robin asks softly. “You don’t have to tell me, of course. Only if you want to.”

She takes a second before nodding. “Yeah,” Julie whispers. “Yeah, it’s about a girl.”

Saying it out loud makes it all real. Heart dropping to her stomach as her breathing increases. This was real. She was like this. Nerves fill her, making her want to cry. Some part out of relief, the rest out of panic. There was no coming back from it now.

Robin notices her change in demeanor, scooting closer and placing a hand on Julie’s shoulder.

“Fuck,” Julie whispers into her knees.

“Yeah, that’s kind of how it went for me too.”

Tears start to well up in Julie’s eyes. Today’s already been a lot, now this. She feels arms wrap around her, holding her together. If Robin can do this, like girls and be happy, Julie can too. It’s just so much right now.

The keys jingle in the door before it creaks open. Julie pulls her head out of her knees and wipes her eyes. Robin shifts a little away from her. Both of them trying to act normal.

“Pizza’s here,” Steve says as he places it on the makeshift kitchen table. He looks at Julie, before turning his head to Robin. Julie doesn’t know what she does, but Steve just nods and doesn’t say anything.

That night, Julie sleeps in her new room. The unfamiliarity of it all freaking her out a bit. She’ll get used to it eventually.

The confession from earlier still weighs in her mind. Only one face finding her mind when she closes her eyes.

. . .

March 1986

In the middle of the night, the trailer starts rattling. Glasses clanking together in the kitchen, books falling off of Julie’s shelves. A large clash comes from the living room, followed by a string of loud swears. Julie jumps out of bed, stumbling down the hall. The floor shaking beneath her feet.

This has never happened before. Sure, the trailer sometimes shook during a thunderstorm. But never like this. This was so different.

“Mom,” she calls out.

Her mom stands from the floor. “Stay right there. Don’t move.”

Julie looks at the kitchen, glass covering the floor. The living room is a mess, tv lying flat on the floor, decorations fallen off of tables and shelves. Rebecca pulls Julie into the bathroom, holding her under the doorway.

“What’s going on?” Julie asks frantically.

“I don’t know,” her mom responds. Trying to stay calm but the fear can’t be hidden in her words.

Just as it started, everything stops. An eerie silence fills the trailer for a few minutes. Until doors start to open, and screams come from outside. Rebecca grabs a flashlight and puts on her shoes.

“Stay in here ok, we don’t know what’s going on outside.” She leaves Julie alone in the trailer.

Julie’s heart thumps in her chest as she tries to control her breathing. What just happened? An earthquake? There were almost never earthquakes here. And if there were, it was just the remnants of one from farther away. What could have shaken the trailer so hard it forced cabinets open and made a mess of the floor.

Stepping carefully, Julie heads to the front door to put on her shoes. So, she doesn’t accidentally step on some glass. Stepping on the couch, she opens the window to look outside. Gasping at the scene in front of her.

The earth was split in a mound of broken gravel and dirt that seemed to spread for miles. Trailers split in two, dead being pulled out of the rubble. People frantically rushing around, trying to grab what they can and help who needs it. Sirens blare in the distance, some speeding right past the trailer park, some pulling in. Ambulances filled one after the other and more pass in both directions on the main street.

Julie opens the door and steps on to the creaky porch. More of the boards broken than normal.

“Max,” Mrs. Mayfield screams into the night. “Max, where are you?”

Julie sees her mom run over to her. “Susan. Susan, calm down.”

“I don’t know where she is.”

 Julie hasn’t seen Max in days. Having left with some friends to hang out with over the break. She hasn’t been here. Unless she was part of the group that stole that RV. Julie could have sworn it was her.

Rebecca brings Susan into the house, ushering Julie back inside. Somehow makes some tea in the kitchen. Using one of the few mugs that don’t have cracks in them. Trying to keep calm away from the chaos happening outside.

In the morning, the news stories flood in. Streets split down the middle with destruction. Half of the houses pristine while the others are unrecognizable. All meeting at the town hall, marking the town with an “X”. Warning all who enter.

Then the people start to leave. Those without homes, those with. All packing up their minivans and cars with what they deem most important. Leaving the rest to be labeled as abandoned. The high school becomes a shelter. Full of donations and people the hospital doesn’t have a bed for.

Explanations are given but they don’t answer questions. People are found while others stay missing. First responders search through rubble, slowly crossing names off a list. The graveyards get their new residents by the dozen.

Hawkins becomes something of a ghost town.

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