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shitty-marvel-fan732 · 5 years ago

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Comfort Me, Part 1

Author’s Note:

This is going to be a two-shot, and I hope to post the second part this weekend! Let me know with a like or a reblog if yall are excited/want me to post it sooner.

Big shoutout to @twentytwohearts for going through this whole long-ass fic with me and helping with editing. You are a rockstar!

There is a line later on in the story that is written in Spanish. Full disclosure, I 100% used Google Translate to write it! The English translation is at the end of the fic!

Liv POV:

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBE—

I groaned and slapped a hand over my face as my alarm blared from the floor next to my mattress. Rolling over, I fumbled with the source of my abrupt awakening until I finally managed to stop the ear-piercing sound.

Fingers roughly rubbing my sleep crusted eyes, I tried to adjust to the stream of light coming in from my window. Eventually I heaved myself out of bed and softly padded into the bathroom. Grumbling, a dissatisfied grimace threatened to take over my features as my bare skin came into contact with the frigid air. Rubbing my arms vigorously in a vain attempt to warm them, I silently prayed that the heat was somehow just switched off this morning and not cut off for good.

Right. Even half asleep I didn’t quite believe the former.

One squeaky turn of the showerhead later and my suspicions were confirmed. Fuck. I turned off the icy spray before angrily stomping back to my room. Thank God it was only October or else I’d really be fucked. As I made my way down the bare hallway I made a mental note to go and meet with our skeevy landlord later to see what could be done about turning the heat back on. George was pretty pervy, but times like this made that particular trait quite useful. A small bit of makeup and a lower-cut top would be all I hopefully needed to get the heat turned back on, at least for a little while.

I stood near my closet running a hand through my wavy locks and contemplating my options for a moment. I threw on a pair of skinny jeans, some thick socks, my favorite red flannel, and a grey zip up hoodie. Pulling my ratty hi-tops on, I surveyed my appearance in the mirror briefly before heading out of my room and into the kitchen. Stepping towards my jacket, I heard a loud belch from the direction of my living room. I leaned over the couch to see a half naked, 40-something bum passed out. Chortling to myself, I dismissed him as one of my mother’s conquests and reached for my jacket once more, pulling it over my still slightly shivering form. Throwing my hair up into a messy bun, I started to head out the door. Stopping cold and smirking, I turned on my heel to fish through the reeking man’s pockets. Finally finding his wallet, I pocketed it quickly before patting his head gently.

“Sorry man, should’ve stumbled home,” I whispered, smirking and heading towards the door once more.

I exited the shit hole apartment I was unfortunate enough to call home, and walked briskly down the stairs and around the corner. As I walked I began to riffle through the dudes stuff. Finding only $40 in cash, I pitched the rest of his shit into a nearby bush and continued my walk.

Walking briskly to avoid a chill, it was only a few short blocks until I hopped up the stairs of the only place that’d ever felt like home: Peter and May’s place. Shouting a good morning down the hall, I filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove to boil. Busying myself with grabbing two mugs and their respective tea bags, I almost didn’t hear the soft padding of hands and feet near the entrance of the kitchen.

Almost.

“GOTCHA”.

Peter’s cry was immediately followed by an ‘oomf’ as he fell face first into the kitchen’s floor. I grinned to myself from my place at the counter, having moved just inches to the right just before my best friend had made the attempt to tackle me. As far back as I could remember I’d been coming to Peter’s apartment every morning before school – and every morning Peter attempted to scare me. It had only worked once.

The first time.

When we were 6.

Nevertheless, he was determined to make it happen again and his face-plants were near daily at this point.

“Morning Pete, did you eat yet?” I chuckled, not even bothering to turn around.

“No, not yet. Why are you here so early anyways?” he grumbled as he hopped up to his feet.

“Good morning sunshine!” May sang as she entered the kitchen. I smiled widely at the elder Parker, gratefully accepting a peck on the cheek as I handed her morning tea in her favorite mug.

“You’re here awfully early aren’t you?” she mused, blowing on the steaming drink to cool it.

“I was literally just saying that,” Peter stated flatly, rolling his eyes and grabbing some cereal for the two of us. He was always a bit grumpy after he lost our little morning game, but experience told me that he’d be back to his cheerful, dorky self soon enough.

“Heat’s off at home, didn’t feel like freezing to death,” I answered plainly. Eagerly taking the bowl Peter offered, I filled it with my favorite cereal as we all settled into our places at the small table. Peter and May glanced at each other briefly before the former turned his attention back to his food and May shot me a look of concern.

“Why is your heat off? Is it broken?” May asked concernedly. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes as I shrugged non-committedly.

“Probably not. It’s the 10th, so more likely than not Kimberly 'forgot’ to pay the bill,” I answered, exaggerating the air quotes around 'forgot’. Peter’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked up from his breakfast, creating small wrinkles over his normally smooth skin.

“Forgot?” he ground out, mouth still full of cereal and expression one of thinly-veiled contempt. I bit back a giggle when I noticed a dribble of milk making its way out the side of his mouth and down his chin. Leaning forward slightly, I wiped the offending drops away with the pad of my thumb. My small action caused the sweet boy to flush bright red, and I immediately felt myself internally swooning at the sight. Flurries of small flutters began twirling around my stomach at the brief contact, causing me to drop my hand abruptly. Clearing my throat, I sat back into my chair and took another bite of my own cereal.

“Mmmhm. Last night was the first night she’s even been home since last month so she probably spent it on much more important things,” I replied, tone practically dripping with contempt as I attempted to brush off the interaction with Peter with some of my trademarked sarcasm.

I hated to admit it, but lately I’d been harboring some romantic-type feelings for the brunette boy seated next to me. Feelings which I was doing my damndest to push back down to wherever the hell they’d come from. There was no reason for me to feel anything other than platonically for Peter, just like I had for my entire life. The thought of changing our dynamic terrified me to no end. Lately I’d been spending more time than I cared to admit squashing the butterflies that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in my lower belly.

“You’ve been alone since last month? Oh honey, why didn’t you say anything sooner?”, May cooed softly, eyes oozing with sympathy and concern. Gratitude flooded my chest at the welcome distraction from the now-awkward feeling encounter with Peter. I turned towards her and —– ignoring the lingering emotions deep in my chest – shrugged.

"S'not a big deal, May. I stayed with MJ a few nights here and there,“ I soothed the older woman with another, more comforting smile. "Besides, you know me, I like my space.”

May huffed, sitting back aggressively in her chair, arms shoved petulantly across her chest. Peter looked much calmer than his aunt with a mostly blank expression on his still reddened face. His obviously fake passiveness may have fooled his aunt, but I was certain he was just as upset at my current situation as she was, if not more so. He didn’t always look it but Peter was insanely protective over me —especially when it came to matters involving Kimberly.

It wasn’t exactly shocking news that my mother was terrible; she’d been like this as far back as I could remember. She wasn’t abusive per se – but only because in order to abuse me she’d have to actually be around. And being around was not Kimberly’s forte. No, she much preferred her flighty lifestyle of drinking, drugs, and dancing too much to stick around for more than a day or two at a time. I was usually left more or less alone at home — unless you counted the various men and women that were passed out around the apartment on any given day, that is. In all reality, Peter, May, and Ben (before he passed) were the only real family I’d ever had.

“Well until your heat is back on you have to find somewhere else to stay,” she grumbled.

I giggled unintentionally at the sight of May Parker attempting to be strict; arms crossed, brows furrowed, and mouth set into a thin line. Bless her soul. She was one of the kindest people I knew, but the poor woman couldn’t scare a mouse.

“I’m serious Olivia!”.

“I know, I know! That reminds me, I need to borrow a top from you. I, uhm, found $40 this morning, and that plus one of your 'going out’ shirts should be enough to convince George to turn it back on. Got anything that says, 'my mother is an idiot, please don’t let me freeze?’,” I joked, semi-seriously.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Peter exclaimed abruptly. “There is absolutely no way you’re going to grovel to that — that pervert!”

My eyes turned to meet his, and though he appeared somewhat calm, I could tell he was positively fuming. Being that Peter and I had been inseparable nearly our entire lives, I could read his face like a book. And even if I couldn’t, it wasn’t exactly a secret that both Parkers held a massive amount of hatred for my mother. Conversations pertaining to her or my home life had to be delivered carefully to them, because both Parkers were too sweet for their own good. I’d learned over the years that divulging too much information about my home life at once would only cause them undue stress.

Cursing myself internally, I realized I’d been too forthcoming, distracted by my attempts to squash my feelings for Peter. No matter how difficult things got on my end, I vowed early on never to be the cause for them to be anything less than their cheerful, goofy selves. An endeavor I was clearly failing at today. Peter rarely got this worked up over situations like this, and I could instantly tell that any compromise was going to be from my end this time.

“I agree sunshine, you can stay here for a few days,” May nodded, smooth hand coming to rest over mine. “I could actually vomit at the idea of you even approaching that vile man, and you know you’re always welcome here."

I felt my face flush with warmth at her words. It was true – I always knew that the door was perpetually open for me at the Parker household, but I still felt emotional whenever the subject of me staying for more than a night or two came up. Even with the countless number of days and weeks spent at their place I still harbored doubts that I was truly wanted.

I glanced over at Peter with un-characteristic shyness, hoping to confirm that the sentiment was shared. To the delight of the seemingly perpetually active butterflies in my stomach, I found my green eyes locked in with the all-too familiar brown irises that I’d come to love. Peter was studying my pink-tinged cheeks intently, the expression on his face one I’d never quite seen before. Perplexed, my mind briefly wondered if he was feeling the same way I had only minutes ago as I’d watched his own sweet features flushed with embarrassment. I immediately dismissed the ridiculous thought; he was probably just worrying over me the way he always did, and there was no reason for me to think anything deeper was going on in his head.

Seemingly realizing I’d caught him staring, he cleared his throat awkwardly and nodded with his most adorable, crinkly eyed smile etched on his face. Mentally shaking my head, I turned back to May once more, this time with a genuine smile, flipping my palm over to lightly squeeze her hand that still covered my own.

"Thanks May,” I nearly whispered. The older woman practically grinned, the smooth skin around her eyes crinkling slightly with the size of it.

“Uh yeah, but I’m gonna be staying at the Tower this weekend,” Peter stuttered. “Mr. Stark has some, uhm, internship stuff for me to do."

"S'okay Pete, I’m sure May and I will be fine by ourselves for a few days,” I grinned as I ate another spoonful of my now soggy cereal, knowing full well Peter hated when I was left alone with his aunt. May smiled knowingly, taking a sip of her tea and watching our interaction with a sparkle of mischief in her eyes.

You’d think growing up with Peter would mean May wouldn’t have any more embarrassing stories or pictures left to share with me, but you’d be wrong. Left to her own devices May had a rather spectacular talent for finding some long lost photos of a naked baby Peter, or suddenly recalling a story that caused the poor boy to physically cringe when he realized I’d heard. Additionally, I had a habit of messing with Peter when left alone in ways that almost always made him regret ever leaving me unattended. It started out pretty tame: plastic wrap in the doorway, fake bugs or snakes hidden in his pillows, etc., but my jokes had evolved as we’d grown to the point where Peter flat out refused to leave me alone in the apartment.

“OLIVIA MARIE WILLIAMS!”.

I chuckled lightly from my spot on the couch, craning my head down the hall to the source of the noise.

“Yes?”, I called out in a sing-song voice. Grinning to myself, I bit down on my lower lip to keep from bursting into laughter.

“Can you please come in here for a moment?”, Peter called from the direction of his room. To anyone else he probably sounded calm, but this was Peter and I knew his voice better than my own. He was clearly annoyed, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Giggling, I walked slowly down the hall and stopped in the doorway.

“What’s up Petey?” I questioned innocently, leaving on the doorframe and crossing my arms. Peter scoffed.

“Are you joking?” he asked incredulously. I laughed openly at the sight of my poor, disheveled friend. He was perched on the ceiling on all fours with his Spiderman costume still on, sans the mask, and his expression was one of pure frustration and annoyance.

“No, I truly don’t know what’s gotten your panties in a twist,” I replied, still feigning nonchalance even though we both clearly knew what was going on. Peter huffed, and I couldn’t help but find him adorable with all the red splotches decorating his pale face and his brown curls mussed from being encased in his mask only minutes before.

“My panties are NOT in a twist,” he grumbled. “Not that I have— you can’t seriously– Liv! Look at my room!”

I pretended to scan his room before meeting his gaze once more and shrugging.

“The cups Liv. I’m talking about the cups,” he deadpanned, crawling over from his spot on the ceiling near the window.

“Ohhhhh. That,” I chuckled. Peter narrowed his eyes at me, hands leaving the ceiling and coming to rest petulantly across his chest as he flipped upside-down.

“Yes, that!” he practically shouted, eyes blown wide and brows furrowed in disbelief.

A massive amount of small plastic cups, each brimming with water, completely covered the area of his bedroom. There wasn’t a single inch of floor space that wasn’t taken up by cups, 447 to be exact. The laughter that had been building inside me since Peter had first called me over to his room finally came bursting out.

“You know May is always getting on you to drink more water,” I finally gasped out between peals of laughter. “I just thought I’d help remind you!”.

“Seriously Liv?” he whined, puppy dog eyes on full force and lips forming into a small pout. “You’re the worst. Are you at least gonna help me clean this up?”

I shook my head playfully.

“Sorry Petey, you know the rules. You left me here alone, and that means you have to deal with the consequences on your own.” I chuckled, pushing myself off the doorframe and heading back towards the living room. I’d only made it a few steps before I heard the sweet sounds of multiple plastic cups knocking into one another, followed closely by a distinct splashing noise and Peter’s irritated groan.

“Uh-uh. There is no way I’m leaving the two of you alone,” Peter said, shuddering slightly at the implication.

“Awww come on Petey it won’t be that bad,” I giggled. He shot me a look that screamed 'are you serious?’ across the table before standing up and reaching for his backpack.

“Yes. It will. You’re staying at the tower too Olivia, even if I have to drag you there myself."

"Awww I think someone been missing me,” I cooed, standing as well and playfully pinching Peter’s cheek. Another wave of red and pink color began creeping up his neck at my teasing, and he swatted my hand away quickly. Rolling his eyes, he shimmied his backpack straps over his broad arms. I snickered and winked at May who was sitting with a hand covering her mouth in a feeble attempt to mask the massive grin she too sported.

“In your dreams Williams. But I do know that Mr. Stark has been asking about you lately. I’m sure he and Ms. Potts would love to see you anyways,” he replied after awkwardly clearing his throat. My face broke out into an even wider smile at the mention of the power couple.

Ever since Peter had met Tony Stark, the billionaire had become un-characteristically attached to me. Not that he’d ever admit to it out loud. He’d immediately wanted me around more since discovering that I was not only arguably as smart as Peter, but that I was blessed with an uncanny ability to make the poor brunette boy flush or stammer at any given moment. Didn’t hurt that I had an arsenal of embarrassing Peter stories that went back over a decade either. I’d started working with the Iron Man himself in his labs every now and again when Peter stayed at the Tower, and after a few months Tony had become increasingly aware of the state of my home life. I’d never tell him to his face, but I truly believed that my lack of parental guidance or acceptance resonated with the normally sarcastic Avenger.

In fact, he and Pepper had offered multiple times to help me legally emancipate myself from her. I always shrugged off the help, knowing full well that the extent of time she was gone was never actually illegal. The fridge usually had food, and the rent was usually paid, so there weren’t exactly grounds to call it neglect at this point. Maybe when I was a kid, but even then it wasn’t that easy. May and Ben had tried to get me away from her multiple times, and each time it’d only ended with me winding up in an even shittier foster home for a while. Foster homes that I only stayed in for a few weeks, or even days, before my mother had gone crying to the judges to get me back 'home’.

No, I was stuck with Kimberly until my 18th birthday in a couple years, a downright depressing thought that I still wrestled with on a near daily basis. Even with the reassurance and support I received from the Parkers, my other best friend MJ, Peter’s friend Ned, and now the Starks I often felt incredibly low about myself. I mean, my own mother couldn’t be arsed to actually care about me, so how was I supposed to believe that anyone else would?

I was abruptly brought out of my thoughts by a hand lightly squeezing my bicep, the disruption causing me to jump slightly.

“Livvie?” Peter questioned softly, using the nickname I only allowed him and May to call me.

“Hmmm?”

“I said we gotta get to school now, where’s your backpack?” he repeated, hand detaching from my arm and leaving tingles in it’s wake.

I shook off all my depressing thoughts, shifting quickly back to the familiar banter that came so naturally to Peter and I.

“What backpack?” I questioned, voice laced with mock innocence. Peter rolled his eyes, face playfully annoyed. May however, stood from the table and looked about as pure and wholesome as a baby deer, her expression one of utter confusion.

“Liv, sweetie, have you lost your school bag? ‘Cause I can pick you up a new one after work if that’s the case,” she questioned sweetly, making me fall even more in love with my best friend’s kooky aunt. I smiled and waved away her concerns with my hand.

“Nah, don’t worry about it May, I just forgot it this morning in my rush to get out of the house,” I explained lightly, bringing her into my arms as I hugged her goodbye. She embraced me tighter than usual, likely slightly still on edge from this morning’s chat. I reciprocate in kind, taking a moment to breath in her comforting scent and revel in the small circles she rubbed into my back as she held me.

For all intents and purposes, May Parker was my mom. Kimberly may have birthed me, but that’s where her interest in me seemingly ended. May was there for me through everything; she’s the one who took me bra shopping for the first time, the one who got me through my first period, the one to comfort me when I experienced my first real heartbreak. She was at every academic decathlon competition, every sports game when I was a kid, and the one who hung all my artwork from childhood proudly on her fridge. Kimberly may be my biological mother, but May chose me to be the daughter she never had. And I would never be able to repay her for it, even if I tried.

“Hey!” Peter protested from behind me. I turned, arms still wrapped around May. “How come Liv gets a new backpack with no questions asked, and I can’t get a new one without begging?!"

Peter’s expression was one of pure annoyance, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at his frustration. His arms were crossed and his brows were adorably furrowed as he questioned his aunt.

"Because she doesn’t 'lose’ them faster than I can buy them,” May responded plainly, hands leaving my sides to rest on her hips stubbornly. I snorted at the slight indignation taking over Peter’s features before walking through the door.

“Yeah, no it’s because she loves me more. Sorry Petey,” I chuckled, ruffling his hair as I breezed past him. As I jogged down the first few steps I faintly heard the sweet sounds of May’s giggle along with Peter’s scoff from the apartment behind me.

“Wanna stop back at your house for your backpack before we go?” he asked adorably, jogging slightly to catch up to me.

“Mmmm… Pass. Too much work,” I returned, smirking at the incredulous look that overtook Peter’s face.

“Seriously? Don’t you have homework in there?” he asked in disbelief as we hopped down the cement stairs leading down to the train, avoiding several rushing commuters along the way. Once we met at the bottom and passed through the tolls I shrugged as we waited, subway trains rushing by us. Sparing a glance at Peter, I was momentarily stunned by how cute he looked with his brown curls blowing haphazardly around him, highlighting his strong jaw. A jaw that was currently moving as he shook his head and grinned at me.

“Exactly how are you passing again?” he laughed, bumping my shoulder playfully. I giggled, linking his arm through mine as we huddled in front of the tracks.

“Dunno, probably because the smartest guy in school is a good friend of mine,” I reasoned innocently, leaning my head on his shoulder and grinning.

“Mmmm, wow you are lucky,” he chuckled. He ducked slightly, leaning his head down atop mine and messing around with his phone idly. He finally found whatever he was looking for, silently handing me an earbud. We each popped one in our ears, bumping along to the beat and swaying softly as we waited for our train.

I imagine others looking on would make the assumption that Peter and I were together based on our comfortable contact. In fact, people mistook us for a couple pretty almost daily. Historically, I’d chew those people out and remind them that just because Pete was a boy and I was a girl didn’t automatically mean we were dating. Lately though, I found myself wishing it were true, and the reminder that things weren’t like that causing my chest to feel heavy with disappointment. Peter and I had always been incredibly comfortable with one another, and it wasn’t uncommon for us to stand like this or wind up cuddled close as we watched a movie or something. It never meant anything, it was simply the way things had always been. However, as my feelings grew I found myself longing for these moments to last forever so I could pretend things were different for just a bit longer.

But, things weren’t like that, and time didn’t work that way. Soon our train came screeching our way, and we separated, the illusion broken.

“You okay?” Peter questioned softly as we waited for the departing passengers to move out of our way.

“Yeah, I’m great,” came my soft reply, the reflex response tumbling out of my mouth before my brain could even catch up. I’m sure Peter caught my white lie based on the way his eyes sparkled with a hint of concern, but thankfully he let the subject drop. He smiled lightly at me, and we finally boarded the subway car. I forced another smile, taking my place on the busy train beside my best friend.

“So, Kimberly finally showed up huh,” MJ commented flatly as we strode down the bustling, graffiti littered sidewalks that led to my apartment building after school. I hummed non-committedly in response.

“S’possible, almost likely even, given the timing,” I quipped back, tone just as flat.

MJ hated everyone and everything, so naturally we got along extremely well. She was smart, sarcastic, angry, observant, and underneath it all an extremely loyal friend. As much as she usually lived up to her ‘I don’t fuck with you’ image, I was proud to be one of the few things she would actually admit that she cared about.

“In that case, this is where I leave you,” she deadpanned, lingering near the door of my building. I nodded in understanding, squinting my eyes against the sun rays blaring down on me as I looked at the tall girl. MJ hated Kimberly with the kind of dark rage only she could muster. Hell, sometimes I think she hates her more than I do. So seeing her in person was a huge no-no.

“So you staying over tonight? There’s a BLM protest down on 47th and Broadway I was gonna hit up if you want to come,” she offered. She stood facing slightly away from me, arms crossed and eyes trained down on her shoes. To an outsider it would seem the dark-haired girl wasn’t interested in our conversation, but I’d been around MJ enough to know that wasn’t the case. She wouldn’t offer her time or energy if she didn’t really want me around. I absolutely thrived off the fact that I was one of the only people in her life that she actually wanted to be around, and I felt my heart lift slightly with her offer. Nevertheless, I shook my head, opening the door with my key.

“Nahhh, May freaked out over breakfast this morning and now Peter is basically kidnapping me until the heat’s turned back on,” came my response from the threshold. MJ’s right brow raised dramatically.

“Right. Kidnapping you,” she drawled, smirking. Frowning at her, I rolled my eyes and attempted to seem nonchalant. MJ knew all about my blossoming feelings for a certain brunette dork due to her observant nature and her close relationship with the both of us. A fact which she used against me at every given opportunity.

“Mhm, so if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go try and pack my shit and avoid my lush of a mother,” I replied quickly. MJ threw me a mock salute before turning around fully and walking away.

“Make sure you call me tonight so I know you’re safe!” she shouted over her shoulder. I chuckled to myself at her antics and entered the shitty residence I legally had to call home.

Peter’s POV

“Ned, I swear to god,” I groaned, walking down the street, rubbing my eyes in exasperation.

“Oh, come on,” he shot back, clearly just as irritated as me with the topic of our conversation. “It’s so obvious it’s literally painful at this point."

"You’re insane,” I grumbled, pushing past the other New Yorkers bustling past us as we headed up the steps to Delmar’s. “Liv and I are best friends man."

Nodding at Mr. Delmar in place of a hello, I wandered idly down the isles in search of some sour candies.

"Okay first of all, as your best friend I’m offended,” Ned deadpanned. “Secondly, friends don’t act like the two of you; like how you’re always staring at her when you think no one is looking? Yeah, which everyone has noticed by the way."

Despite my best efforts, I could feel the heat rising in my neck and creeping all the way up my face straight to the tips of my ears. As Ned chuckled at my obvious discomfort I scoffed, snatching a bag of gummy worms from the shelf and pushing my way past him.

"So? You’ve seen her, she’s interesting to look at,” I retaliated, hoping against all odds that my voice sounded nonchalant.

It was true. After all, Liv captivated the attention of anyone lucky enough to be in her presence without even really trying. For one thing, she dressed completely differently than any other student at Midtown. Her signature look always involved her favorite pair of ripped jeans, a black band t-shirt from her extensive collection (most of which had come from concerts that she’d dragged me along to), her faded red-flannel, and a pair of either hi-tops or combat boots. Her dark blonde hair was always a mess of flyaway waves and curls, and she had more piercings than I could realistically number.

Additionally, Liv was, and had always been, incredibly outspoken. Even before my hearing became advanced, I could instantly tell when she entered a room, no matter how crowded or noisy it was. If her naturally captivating presence wasn’t enough to announce her arrival, her loud voice and infectious laugh did the trick. It was definitely safe to say, Liv wasn’t like any of the other girls at Midtown, or like any other girls anywhere to be honest.

“Oh, please, looking is the understatement of the millennium and you know it. You freaking gaze at her man. Hand on your cheek, eyes glazed over, mouth open; It’s honestly kind of impressive you’ve not physically drooled at the sight of her yet,” Ned chuckled to himself.

“Shut up, I do not!” I protested as I tossed my stash of candy on the deli counter.

Mr. Delmar turned round to face us, leaning down and resting his forearms on the counter. An amused look overtook his features as he began rifling through the pile of sweets I’d collected.

“Mr. Parker, big weekend with the girlfriend?” he casually asked, smirking knowingly. I groaned and clapped my hands over my face, rubbing my eyes in disbelief.

“Come on man, not you too,” I muttered through my palms. Ned looked at me with an absolutely shit-eating grin, both he and Delmar chuckling at my obvious discomfort.

“What? I know when you get Swedish Fish you’re going to be seeing her,” Mr. Delmar continued, holding up the aforementioned candy and grinning. “And if this un-godly pile of junk is any indication, you’ll be together for a few days. At least I hope so, because this is a disgusting amount of sweets for just one day.”

“Okay, yes, I am going to hang out with Liv this weekend. Because we are friends,” I ground out, arms crossing firmly across my chest. Ned rolled his eyes once more, and Mr. Delmar chuckled and shook his head.

“Él está negando este. Su novia lo mira como si hubiera colgado la luna, ¡y todavía finge que no lo sabe!” Mr. Delmar told his employee loudly, laughing and patting the man’s back. My eyes narrowed, arms crossing even tighter at his comment. My Spanish may not be good enough to know exactly what he said, but I’d have to be an idiot not to know it was about Liv and I.

It wasn’t like I didn’t know what they meant. I’d been in love with Liv since we were practically toddlers, and I’d spent my entire life trying to forget that. When we were kids, I fantasized about us growing up and getting married all the time, but as the years went on, I slowly realized that my feelings were not reciprocated. It was abundantly clear that Liv does not and had never thought of me in that light.

People mistook us for a couple all the time, and she was always quick to correct them. In fact, she usually ended up lecturing them about how old-fashioned it was to assume that just because we were not the same gender that it must mean we were together. Each time someone referred to me as Liv’s boyfriend, I wanted nothing more than to grab her soft hand in mine and grin, proud to be the one she’d chosen.

But our relationship wasn’t like that, no matter how much I wanted it to be, so I just go along with whatever she says. I wish I could say that it’s gotten easier as we’ve grown, but the fact was my feelings for her had only increased as time went on. A fact which I was both painfully aware and completely terrified of.

Ned could pretend he was offended all he wanted, but everyone knew that Liv was my best friend, without a single doubt. She was there for me through everything: Ben’s death, becoming Spiderman, and every single thing in between. She was the person I wanted to speak to most when I first woke up in the morning and the last one I wanted to see before I fell asleep. She knew everything about me and I her, and the thought of losing her to any degree was out of the question. Our friendship was one straight out of a movie or something, a natural dynamic unlike one I’d seen between anyone else. How could I risk that just because of a silly crush I’d harbored since before I even stopped thinking girls had cooties?

I couldn’t.

I’d come to the conclusion long ago that if I wanted to keep Liv in my life I had to do everything in my power to squash my romantic feelings aside. And for a while, that plan worked out just fine. But lately Ned, MJ, and even Aunt May had been pressing me for details about Liv and I, insisting that we belonged together. Though I knew they all meant well, I couldn’t help my growing frustration with their meddling; they just didn’t understand how our relationship worked.

I was getting more and more worried by the day that one of them would end up saying the wrong thing to Liv, and cause her to distance herself from me. The thought alone broke my heart, and I couldn’t even fathom what I’d be like if that day ever came.

“What do you think Murph?” Ned interrupted my thoughts with a coo. He scratched the shop cat’s ears fondly as the lazy feline laid idly on top the deli counter. “Blink once if you think Peter should just man up and tell Olivia how he feels."

Murph eyed me intensely, almost as if he’d understood what Ned had been asking. After a few moments his almond shaped eyes closed deliberately before he continued staring at me. I rolled my eyes in disbelief, already dreading the reaction from the now giddy men next to me. Ned immediately burst into laughter, hands flying to his stomach and head thrown back. Mr. Delmar smiled, sending a knowing glance in my direction as he too laughed.

"For the love of—,” I exclaimed in irritation, practically slamming money on the counter and preparing to walk out the door.

“You can’t argue with that Pete,” Ned chuckled, seemingly somewhat calmer. I pursed my lips in frustration.

“You two are insane,” I complained, hand pushing the door open. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to meet my best friend."

Translation: He is denying this. His girlfriend looks at him as if he had hung the moon, and still pretends he doesn’t know!

#peter parker #peter parker imagine #peter parker fluff #peter parker x oc #spiderman #spiderman imagine #spiderman x oc #marvel fanfiction #mcu imagine #mcu #spiderman fanfic #spiderman fanfiction #peter parker fanfic #peter parker fanfiction #tom holland #spiderman ffh #spiderman homecoming

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askayakashi · 5 years ago

Text

Yakumo Koizumi

A/N: I need more writing for this fandom so I guess I’ll start with adding my own. Here’s a piece for everyone’s favorite professor. Please feel free to jump into my ask box with any requests!

-Admin Chey

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As you strolled through the street, clutching the small package to your chest, you couldn’t help but smile as you imagined giving your friend the gift you had gotten him. After asking your father and you to sit for a painting-- a study in poses, he said-- Aoi had gifted you the art, refusing to take payment for it. You had racked your brain for a way to repay him, against his insistence that there was no need, and finally stumbled across a beautiful set of wooden paint brushes that you deemed worthy of the artist. While smiling smugly down at the package, knowing he would have to accept it, you didn’t notice that you weren’t paying attention to the road until you bumped into a stranger.

The impact caused you to stumble, almost dropping the package in your arms, but before you could feel the crash of colliding with the ground, a strong hand grabbed you by the arm, just above your elbow, and stabilized you. You were mortified at your obvious lack of caution while walking and turned around sharply to face the person.

“Pardon me! I’m so sorry. I must pay closer attention as I walk; please forgive me!” you half-shouted in alarm, bowing deeply in apology and praying that the stranger was not too upset with you.

“On the contrary,” the familiar voice started, “I can’t imagine a happier surprise than the circumstances that led to my running into you, my Sweet Doll.”

You straightened up as your eyes met with the crimson eyes of your father’s close friend and observed his ever-gentle smile as he teased you, “Or should I say, with your running into me?”

You were suddenly overcome with relief-- not only was the person that you had inconvenienced not upset, but it also turned out to be Professor Yakumo, whose presence had always been a comforting one since you were a little girl. At least, that was how it used to be. Recently, the way he always seemed genuinely happy to see you would trigger a nervous fluttering in your stomach. While you always held a gentle respect and admiration for the man, you had more recently begun to develop a sense of overwhelming delight in hearing him call you by his favorite nickname for you.

Ignoring the increased pace of your heartbeat, you gave him a smile in return and greeted him cheerfully.

“Are you out performing a delivery for your father, my Doll? Nothing would make me happier than to have the opportunity to escort you in my carriage.”

You smiled genuinely at his kindness. Regardless of your confusing feelings for the man, he truly was the kindest man that you had the pleasure of knowing.

“Not today, Professor. I’m actually dropping off a present for my friend at the Raccord Milk Hall.” You didn't miss the way his smiled widened slightly. You overheard him mention to your father how glad he was that you had recently seemed to be surrounded by good friends, citing that he didn’t want you to miss out on making important memories in your youth. The fact that he cared so deeply about your happiness only helped to further your admiration of him. “You see, my friend recently painted a portrait of Father and I, and I wanted to repay his kindness.” You gestured to the package in your arms and he was pleased by your declaration.

“Then it is an even greater coincidence that we are on our way to the bookstore next door to the Milk Hall. Please allow me the honour of accompanying you there.”

He offered you his elbow and you took it as he walked you to the carriage. You tried to suppress the butterflies that seemed to flutter at the thought of riding with him. It was far from the first time that you would be riding alone with the man, having often been offered rides to and from school. However, that had been before you began to notice the change in your feelings for the esteemed professor. You graciously, if not shyly, accepted his hand as he helped you into the carriage before it registered in your head that he had said “we” and not “I” when he mentioned the bookstore as his destination. You balked as you entered the carriage, realizing that you were not the only guest that he was accompanying.

Two beautiful young women sat on one side of the cabin together, arms linked, and looked up in curiosity upon your entrance. You took a seat across from them silently as your eyes studied the floor. You had no intention of being rude, but the surge of foreign emotions that bubbled up inside your chest confused you into a stupor. The idea of jealousy was not an unknown emotion, but the disappointment that you felt weighing on you surprised you to no end.

For a moment, you had let yourself believe that you were the only girl upon whom the professor doted so lovingly, but felt a fool when you saw the beautiful girls across from you. Of course the handsome professor was not solely smitten with a girl who was practically still a child when he could have any woman he wanted.

“Hello,” the unexpectedly kind voice broke you out of your internal debate as you met eyes with the beauty who spoke, “I am Miyami, and this is Hiyoko.” She gestured to the girl sitting in front of you who beamed at you with a mischievous look in her eye. Miyami smiled warmly and continued, “I haven’t seen you at the university before; are you coming with us to return some books?”

Before you could answer, the professor finished speaking with the driver and gracefully climbed into the carriage, taking the remaining seat beside you.

“I wasn’t aware that anyone else would be joining us, professor. Won’t you introduce us to your friend?” The girl sitting across from you -Hiyoko- smiled teasingly in your direction as she asked her question. You willed yourself to smile in return, but you knew it must look forced. The situation was making you uncomfortable, if only because you didn’t have the privacy to decode the different thoughts swimming around in your head.

You couldn't help but admire the beauty of the girls in front of you: one with a lively disposition of and the other radiating kindness. You tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear, suddenly feeling self-conscious of yourself.

“Ladies, allow me to introduce you to L/N F/N.” You felt your chest tighten minutely at the introduction. Something about hearing his voice say your name, rather than the nickname he always used with you, made you feel oddly distant from the man who was sitting mere inches away from you. However, this feeling was quickly swept away by a burning heat in your cheeks at the girls’ responses.

“Professor!” Hiyoko gasped excitedly, raising her hand to cover her smirk as she glanced between the two of you. Her friend continued, “I had thought you surely exaggerated her beauty when you spoke of her. But I can clearly see that is not the case.” Your cheeks burned impossibly warmer at the compliment and the insinuation that he had spoken of you often enough for the young women to know you by name alone.

“How fortunate of us to get to meet the girl with whom the professor is so smitten.” Hiyoko continued in a teasing tone, oblivious to your ever-growing blush. Glancing to the man at your side, you found him gently smiling down at you.

“Excuse my students, Doll, it seems they have not yet learned the art of subtlety.” He chuckled pointedly as he glanced at the girl in front of you who seemed unperturbed. So these girls were his students. If you hadn’t been so dejected at the thought of him pursuing the girls in front of you, you might have noticed the western history book sitting in Miyami’s lap-- the very subject that he taught at the university.

“How lucky you are to have such a charming man as the professor pursuing your heart. I must say I almost prefer listening to him talk about you than about the western countries.”

“Hiyoko, I would wish that you don’t embarrass L/N with your exaggeration.” The professor cut the girl’s joking off with a laugh of his own. “She will think that I am incompentent a professor if she believes she is the only subject of which I discuss with my students.” Your heart lightened at the soft laughter that seemed to fill the cabin and willed your blush to cool as you spoke.

“I do not mind much if you should speak of me to your students.” You said, trying to hold back the happiness threatening to burst out of your chest at the thought of him truly only having eyes for you. “But perhaps it is only fair if you also speak of your students to me, so that I may be on an even footing upon meeting them.” You looked into his eyes as you spoke the second half, giving him a smile to let him know you were only half-teasing.

“L/N is quite right, Professor. That seems only fair that you also speak of Hiyoko and I to L/N.”

“Indeed,” Hiyoko agreed with a laugh. “I am wounded that you do not speak of us. Though, I cannot blame you much, I suppose, since lovers have much more interesting things to talk about.”

The girl’s words and exaggerated wink stopped your heart for a split second as you registered what she had said. The blush that had previously begun to reside returned in full force, painting your entire face a shade of red as you stuttered, “L-l-l-lovers? No, the professor and I- we’re not- er-”

Your eyes searched for his in a panic as you wondered what he had possibly been telling his students. However, ever the gentleman, the professor kindly dismissed the notion.

“Ladies, please do not offend Y/N with your assumptions.” He glanced down at you, without a hint of embarrassment in his eyes, and his gentle smile calmed your racing heart. “While it is no secret that I adore her whole-heartedly, she is still young, and has much life ahead of her to live yet before I would ask her to properly consider my feelings.” He spoke to the girls, but his eyes were locked on yours and you felt giddy at the promise in his words. He would wait for you, but he was determined to be yours, should you so choose.

You smiled shyly in return and found yourself becoming lost in his eyes, the eyes that you had spent a lifetime looking into. Eyes that congratulated you on your achievements, encouraged you in your ventures, and assured you in your convictions as you grew. The man who waited patiently and whose declarations of devotion, while oft bringing a blush to your cheeks, never made you uncomfortable. As he stared back into your eyes, the loose strand once again slipped from the cherry blossom pin holding up your hair and he reached up and grasped the strand between two fingers, gently brushing it back behind your ear.

It was not until you heard two synchronized sighs that you remembered you were not alone in the carriage and looked up to find the girls smiling longingly at the scene in front of them. You cast your gaze down to the package in your lap, fiddling with the strings with which it is secured, as the embarrassment swelled within you at having such an intimate moment be seen by near-strangers.

However, Miyami seemed to notice your discomfort and skillfully changed the topic of the conversation.

“So you never did answer my question,” She nodded to the package in my lap. “Are you also headed to the bookstore?”

“Ah, no. I’m actually delivering a gift to a friend next door.” Glancing down at the lap in front of you, you saw the book Hiyoko was holding to be a book that you had once borrowed from Ginnoji. You excitedly asked her about it and were happy as she shared her thoughts on it. You enjoyed the conversation, but could feel Yakumo’s eyes on your the whole time, wearing a smile as he watched you excitedly converse with the girl.

Before you knew it, you had arrived at your destination and the professor helped the girls out of the carriage, offering his hand to them as they stepped out. However, when you had exited the carriage, he kept the grip on your hand and brought it to his lips. You blushed as he placed a soft kiss on your knuckles and glanced up at you from beneath his eyelashes.

“I apologize for my students. Believe me, I had no intention of making you uncomfortable and, while I am not reserved about my feelings for you, it is not fair to expect you to be comfortable with others discussing it as well. I will ask that they refrain from doing so in the future.” His eyes held an ounce of sadness, and any embarrassment from the ride quickly evaporated as you rushed to reassure him.

“Please, don’t apologize.” You blurted, glancing away in embarrassment before steeling yourself and looking into his eyes as you continued. “I may not know much about love, but I do know that you have always been kind to me. I have never be embarrassed by your transparency and your students are very kind. I was simply surprised to find,” you suddenly trained your eyes on the ground, no longer able to face him as you continued with your admission, “That it was not simply out of kindness for your friend’s daughter that you’ve always doted on me, but out of a genuine affection.”

You felt shame tint your cheeks as you admitted that you had always thought his words to be a jest, but his light chuckle grabbed your attention and you trained your eyes on his smiling ones.

“Your candor is one of the many qualities of yours that I find myself ever moved by.” He seemed overjoyed by your admission of finally accepting his feelings to be genuine, his eyes shining with a brightness you had never seen. Suddenly, something over your shoulder caught his eye and his expression became amused.

“Now, I’m sure you must be eager to deliver that gift to your friend.” He abruptly changed the subject, releasing your hand. You let it fall to your side, tensing your fingers at the strange emptiness that came with the loss of his touch. “It was, as always, a blessing to find myself in your company today.” He bowed his head softly but found your eyes again. “However, I do have one parting request if you would be so kind as to indulge me?”

You felt your eyebrows raise in question and you tilted your head quizzically as he continued.

“When you are with me, you needn’t call me Professor.” The corners of his eyes crinkled with the strength of his smile. “There is nothing I want more than to be able to hear my given name on your lips. ”

Your heart began to beat erratically and the butterflies in your stomach returned in full force as you stuttered out a reply.

“Yes, Prof-er I mean--” You glanced away as you finally stuttered out his name in a whisper. “K-ko-Koizumi.”

You swore you heard a quiet gasp, but when you met his eyes again, his sweet smile had returned.

“Enjoy your evening, my Sweet Doll. I look forward to the next time I can be graced with your presence.”

With a final dip of his head, he turned into Ginnojo’s store. You saw the book-lender himself speaking quietly with Miyami, a blush gracing both of their faces as you turned toward Raccord’s front door only to find Oji-san out front with his pipe.

“You sure do have him wrapped around your finger,” He teased as you walked by him, feeling even the tips of your ears burning with a blush. Just as you glanced up to ask him about Aoi’s whereabouts, the boy in question descended the stairs and glanced up at you.

You hoped against hope that presenting the gift to the boy in front of you would distract him from your current abashed state, but even without using his powers, he couldn’t ignore the color that dusted your cheeks.

“Why the hell is your face so red? Do you have a fever?” Ever the mother hen, Aoi huffed in exasperation as he grabbed a glass from behind the bar and filled it with water. “Why would you come all this way if you’re not feeling well?” He sat it down in front of you and placed the back of his hand to your head before putting his hand on his hip. “What’s going on?”

You ignored the soft snicker behind you of Oji-san trying to hold in his laughter and focused on the task at hand, holding his gift out to him, vowing to let yourself think about the events of the day once you’re home in bed where no one can see your blush.

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ramblingthoughtsofayoungadult · 7 years ago

Text

Worst Kept Secret-Tommy Shelby Imagine

Requested: Yes

Warnings: detailed description of a beating and physical abuse in a relationship

The sound that came out of Y/N’s mouth was accompanied by blood spitting out of it. The force of Benjamin’s fist caused her to stumble back a little, but his strong grip on her arm kept her in front of him. She knew better than to face him since it only ever got her into more harm, but she always did.

Immediately, she was met with a punch to the junction in the middle of her nose. Y/N cried out and tears instinctively sprang to her eyes as she wobbled against the wall. Benjamin got closer to her and socked her in the ribs, his breath smelling strongly of Irish whiskey.

The smell alone made Y/N nauseous.

“Ben, stop!” Y/N gasped.

It was moments like these where the delightful, attractive man she met five years ago at Ada’s birthday party had vanished. The life had been sucked from his deep hazel eyes and a vicious snarl was where an easygoing smile once was. He was the perfect man: a successful banker, relatively clean, and his family was welcoming. Everyone else Y/N knew liked Benjamin, well, almost everyone.

She didn’t listen to the naysayers, though, since she was so positive that Benjamin was the one. They got married a year after dating and only a few months in, did he start hitting her. First, it was a slap and she threatened to shoot him. He made up for it the next day, crying on his knees and begging her not to leave him, that he would get help. Y/N knew that it was foolish to believe him and she would have dragged any other woman in the same situation out of the flat, but it was much more complicated.

Now, she lived a life of hiding bruises and trying to compose herself. Y/N would often try to black out and focus on something else until Ben got tired and left her on the kitchen floor. That night, she was hyper aware and she tried to fight back, but Ben was incredibly strong.

He grabbed her by her hair and forced her to look at him. Y/N clawed at his face and he cursed, slamming her head against the wall. Her vision went blurry as soon as the back of her skull connected with the thick wall. All she knew was that she had to get out of there, that she wouldn’t stick around like she had the past four years.

When Y/N’s vision cleared, Ben was kneeling in front of her, holding a butcher knife to her throat. She held her breath and stared at Ben. He’d threaten to kill her so many times before that she believed that this may be the moment that he went through with it. She wanted to fight back but stayed paralyzed as she stared at Ben.

“Every day I look at you, it’s like someone’s stabbing me in the heart. I told you to stay away from those Blinders, especially Tommy, and this is what you do to me? You embarrass me in front of all of Birmingham, laughing with him, drinking with him. You’ve screwed him, I know you have.”

“No, Ben, Tommy and I are just mates, I swear it. I’ve known him since I was a child, he only thinks of me as a sister,” Y/N pleaded.

She hated that she had to resort to pleading to save herself, but she didn’t have any other options. Y/N was positive that trying to fight Ben would result in her death and she couldn’t die, not yet.

Ben didn’t look convinced by his wife’s pleading and snarled. “I loved you, Y/N, I really did, but you screwed it all up. ‘Come to Small Heath, there’ll be plenty of banker jobs here’. You knew full well that there was only one banker’s position and the pay is bloody awful. If we’d stayed in London like I wanted to, we’d be rich, but you had to stay in Small Heath because you had to be close to the Shelbys.” He pressed the knife against Y/N’s y/s/c neck. “You ruined my life, you put yourself here!”

If the walls hadn’t been so thick, Y/N was positive that the neighbors would have heard.

“And now, you expect me to believe that that baby in ya is mine? Bloody whore, aren’t ya, spreadin’ your legs for the gypsy!”

If Y/N hadn’t have been so terrified, she would have definitely snapped at Ben. The Shelbys weren’t just gypsies, they were people, especially Tommy. Tommy was the one who gave her a job, doing the books and everything. It was her job that kept she and Ben in their decent house, a fact that she knew Ben resented. Plus, she was positive that Tommy had no interest in her----Y/N saw how he looked at that barmaid at the Garrison.

“I never did anything with Tommy,” Y/N whispered.

“It feels like someone’s slittin’ my throat every time I look at ya.”

Ben held her against the wall in that position for what felt like hours. Y/N heart was beating in her throat and hot tears poured down her cheeks as she prayed for Ben to release her.

Finally, he pulled the knife away from her and she gasped heavily. He put the knife away and grabbed his coat.

“When I come back, you better be cleaned up and have dinner ready.”

In all their time together, Ben still hadn’t worked out one thing about Y/N: she was not one to take anything lying down. As soon as the door closed behind him, Y/N carefully pushed herself onto her feet and limped over to the phone. She hissed with each number she dialed.

“Who is it?” Arthur asked.

“It’s Y/N, come over to mine. Don’t tell anyone that you’re coming over here or why.”

“What’s happened?”

“I’ll tell you when you get here, just...hurry.”

Arthur hesitated. “All right.”

The eldest Shelby brother arrived at Y/N’s house about ten minutes later. Y/N had managed to sit down in a position that didn’t exaggerate the pain her injuries brought. His eyes filled with rage as soon as he laid eyes on her.

“I’ll kill him,” Arthur said.

“There’ll be time for that later. I need you to take me to Dr. Thompson’s. You brought the car, right?”

“Right. Y/N, you know that when Tommy finds out, he’s gonna kill Ben.”

“Yeah, I know. Just help me, will you?”

Once Dr. Thompson finished fixing up Y/N, she promised Arthur that she would tell Tommy about everything and told the nurses and Dr. Thompson not to let Ben anywhere near her if he figured out where she went. Fortunately, Dr. Thompson was like another uncle to Y/N and agreed to it.

Those five days in the clinic were some of the most relaxing of Y/N’s life. The pain medication that Dr. Thompson gave her put her into the deepest sleep. When she dreamed, she dreamed of putting several rounds in Ben. Mostly, she dreamed of him begging her for mercy. Then, she would dream of Tommy, John, and Arthur doing a real number on him while she watched from the sideline with a cigarette. Occasionally, she dreamt of holding her baby and living in a nice big house in the country, with acres of green grass for her child to explore. Sometimes there was a dog or two, but one common appearance was made by a certain Shelby. Every time Y/N dreamt that, she would shake herself awake.

“Pull it together, Y/N,” she muttered.

She’d practically grew up with Shelby boys since Polly and Y/N’s mother were the best of friends. Arthur was always a laugh, John was ridiculous, and Tommy was well different. He was as clever as a fox and used to trick her into doing some of the worst things a teenager could do. Y/N couldn’t count how many times they’d have to run away from coppers or how many fights she’d been able to pull Tommy away from. Of course, Y/N was well aware of Tommy’s good looks and even harbored some feelings for him at a time, but she wasn’t his type. He’d seen her at her worst and she wasn’t a shiny, pretty thing anymore. In fact ,after being married to Ben, she felt more ragged and worn than a doll. But, they’d never kept secrets from each other and Y/N could barely keep anything down since she hadn’t told Tommy of her whereabouts. She’d been gone for five days and called in a day after the incident to tell Polly that she was real sick and wouldn’t be able to come in for at least a week. Polly had offered to stop by, but Y/N had insisted that Ben and Leah, her housekeeper, would take care of her.

Nurse Whitney, an older nurse with the kindest smile, came into the room with breakfast: porridge and tea. “Afternoon, Mrs. Edwards.”

“It’s Miss Y/L/N,” Y/N muttered.

Nurse Whitney pressed her lips into a straight line. “Yes, I completely understand, my mistake.” She set the tray on the tray table and pushed it so it was set above Y/N’s lap.

“Do you think I could have some tea?” Y/N asked.

“Sure, just no sugar in it for now.”

“I haven’t had any visitors, right?” Nurse Whitney shook her head. “Just Leah but as far as I know, Mr. Edwards hasn’t stopped in.”

“Thank you, Nurse.”

She nodded at Y/N and exited the room. Y/N picked at her porridge and wrinkled her nose at the milk. She’s always had a sensitive stomach but the pregnancy made it worse.

Fortunately, Ben’s beating hadn’t done much to the baby, according to Dr. Thompson. Y/N was an extremely fortunate woman and if she kept getting her way, her child would never meet their monster father.

A few minutes later, Nurse Whitney knocked on the door before opening it. “Miss Y/L/N, I hope you don’t mind but you have a visitor.”

Y/N didn’t have time to react as Nurse Whitney stepped further inside and Tommy appeared in the doorway. Her y/e/c widened and she suddenly felt as though she was about to vomit the little porridge she’d eaten.

“Visiting hours aren’t until eleven,” Y/N muttered.

“It’s half twelve,” Tommy said.

His tone was unsettling and Y/N focused her attention on her tea.

“I’ll leave you two alone then.” Nurse Whitney gave Y/N a bright smile before she walked out of the room.

Tension filled the room as soon as the kind nurse left it and Y/N wished she could have walked out with her. Tommy stood at the foot of her bed, in his long dark coat and Blinder cap, radiating anger. He had a small paper bag in his hand and he look far less than pleased, it was his usual angry face. Unfortunately, it was near the expression he made when he was about to tear apart someone or everyone in the room.

“What are you doing here?” Y/N asked.

“I came to give you soup. Polly made it and insisted that I bring it over since she was busy. I’m sure you can imagine my surprise when Leah told me that you were so sick that no one could be near you.” Tommy moved to stand next to Y/N. “She’s an awful liar.”

“Her job is to clean house----not lie,” Y/N muttered.

“Right, that’s yours. It didn’t take long for me to get the truth out of her.” He set the bag on Y/N’s nightstand and sat in the chair next to her bed. “Now, tell me exactly what the bloody hell happened to you!”

“There’s no need to yell, don’t yell at me.”

“I have every right to yell at ya. You had me worried sick, thinking that you were dying, but you’re here, looking like you just crawled out of hell!” Tommy managed to calm down and Y/N avoided his icy gaze.

“Remember my doctor’s appointment I had a few days ago?” Y/N asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well, I found out I’m pregnant, one month to be exact. That’s why I didn’t drink at the Garrison that night after work. Anyway, I was happy and surprised that I was going to be a mum and I hoped that Ben would feel the same way.”

Y/N looked up at Tommy just to see his eyes darken.

“Ben did this?”

“At first ,he was upset because he didn’t think we could afford it and I told him that I’m making enough money at the shop to sustain every body. Then, he took that as me insultin’ his job. Then, somehow, he thought that the baby wasn’t his but yours and got upset because I had promised him I would stay away from you lot even though I work for you.”

“Why would he think it was mine?” “A few months ago, he convinced himself we were having an affair because you had to walk me back home after drinking at the Garrison. He never checked up on me at the shop, though, so I didn’t think he would know if we were speaking or not.” Y/N sighed. “Anyway, he started hitting me, punching me, and smacking me. I would have fought back, but he held a knife to my neck, and told me that everything was my fault.” Tears welled up in Y/N’s eyes. “That I was the reason his life went to crap and that I was a whore.”

“He called you a whore?” Tommy looked upset.

“He’s called me worse.” Y/N sniffled. “Anyway, when he left, I called Arthur to bring me here and decided to divorce Ben.”

Tommy ran his hand over his face slowly, the way he always did when he was trying to calm himself down. “So, your husband, a man I told you wasn’t right, almost killed you but instead of calling me, you called my brother?”

“It’s not a big deal, Tom.”

“It is a big deal!” Tommy stood. “You’re my best mate, I’m supposed to be there for ya. If something worse had happened to you, I’d go mad.”

“Tom, I’m sorry, I was scared that if you saw me that night, that you’d kill him.”

“He doesn’t deserve to breathe. Look at what he did to you and the baby!”

“I get that, Tom, really, I do. I’ve wanted to kill him for a while now, but I couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

Y/N hesitated. “Because...because I thought that I’d get thrown in jail or be a bleeding spinster for the rest of my life.”

“Your stubbornness is gonna get you killed one day. Besides, if you had killed him, I would’ve helped you get rid of the body.”

Y/N looked up at Tommy and smiled. Most mates joke about helping the other kill someone, but Tommy definitely meant it.

“How long has this been going on?”

“Nearly the whole marriage. First, it was a fluke and he smacked me. He begged me to stay with im, said he’d get help but never did. Soon, I got real could at covering up bruises and blaming my clumisness for broken bones. I guess you could say you were right about him all along.” Y/N shook her head. “I hate when you’re right.”

Y/N broke down again and Tommy gently hugged her. She hated that he was seeing her like this, all broken and upset. She could only imagine the state of her, but the glorious catharsis that came from her sobbing helped take her mind off it.

When he pulled away, Tommy had a weird look in his eyes. “What are you gonna do next?” “Ideally, I’d divorce Ben, move out to a big house in the country, have my kid and raise ‘im there. Realistically, I’ll probably move back in with my parents and you won’t lose your best book keeper,” Y/N said with a small smile.

But Tommy wasn’t smiling.

“You’re not gonna divorce Ben?”

“What’s the point when I know you and the other Blinders are gonna kill ‘im?”

Tommy smirked. “In this big house of yours in the country, you ever imagine room for a father to the baby?”

Y/N’s eyes widened. Tommy couldn’t actually be offering to help her out in that sense, it would be asking for too much from him.

“Yeah, maybe, but I couldn’t imagine you would want that responsibility.” “Why not?”

“Because you’re Tommy Shelby, you go out and charm beautiful women out of their fine dresses all the time. You’d hate me if I tied you down just to help me out.”

Tommy looked upset again, but it was for an entirely different reason.

“First off, I could never hate you. Second, it’s my job as your best mate to help you in any way I can and if that means moving out to the country with you to help the baby, that’s fine.”

“I...I can’t ask you to leave the company for me like this. It’s going so well.”

“I’ll stay with the company, just manage it from the country.” He ran his hand over the top of Y/N’s head.

“And you’re doing all of this so that my child will have a father?”

“Partly. I also wouldn’t mind being your husband.”

Y/N fought to keep her mouth from falling open. Tommy couldn’t be serious, he just couldn’t be. This had to be a joke or a dream and she would wake up any second.

But Tommy had never looked more serious before in his life.

“What?”

“I’ll leave you to think about it.”

He kissed the top of her head and left.

As Y/N relaxed into her pillows, one thing was for certain: Ben was about to learn that Tommy and his family were not simply book keeping gypsies.

#tommy shelby imagine #peaky blinders imagine #requested

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