#i think i’ll do dual pov again…………. dual pov my Beloved | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

nazariolahela · 5 years ago

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Best Beloved: Chapter 1

A/N: Hey y'all! This is a PM AU I’ve been working on. It’s a bit different than my previous fic series and I’m really excited to try something new. I hope y’all enjoy it. This story is told in dual first-person narrative, from Kaia (F!MC) and Damien’s POV. The first half of this story takes place during Kaia’s freshman year and Damien’s senior year of college. The second half is two years after Kaia graduates. There will be sprinklings of canon in this fic, but we’ll try to step out of the box for the most part. Thanks for reading, and please leave feedback, and/or if you would like to be tagged.

Synopsis: What happens when you find yourself crushing on your best friend? For years, Damien and Kaia have been friends, while secretly harboring feelings for one another. Everything changes one night after a little too much alcohol and years of pent up feelings. Can they control their emotions and salvage their friendship, or will the feelings they hold for one another destroy everything they have?

All characters are the property of Pixelberry Studios. Thanks for allowing me to borrow them.

Chapter Summary: It’s the first day of classes at Hartfeld University and that means meeting new faces.

Kaia

Six Years Ago

I raced across the courtyard of Hartfeld University, tugging my backpack higher on my shoulder. It was the first day of the new school year and class started in less than five minutes. Except I was all the way on the other end of campus. Whose bright idea was it to hold college classes at 8 a.m.? Way to make a good impression on the first day, Kaia.

That’s what I got for staying up until 2 a.m. the night before binge-watching episodes of America’s Most Eligible. In my defense, my roommate Victoria and I spent most of the evening getting to know each other. We discovered that we both love the show and are huge fans of Jakenzie. (That’s Jamie x Mackenzie for all you old folks out there.)

We also learned that we were both valedictorians of our respective high schools. So we spent most of the evening sharing stories of our childhood and teen years. We might have also played a few rounds of Truth or Drink. Hence why I was running late that morning. I didn’t even have time to stop at the campus coffee shop for caffeine and eye candy. What? The barista was a total babe.

I eyed the big clocktower near the library and saw that I only had two minutes left. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to make it. I still had to make it to Clark Hall and climb the ninety-million stairs to the third floor.

After finally arriving at Clark and climbing the Mount Everest of staircases, I sucked in several deep breaths and burst through the doors of Professor O'Keeffe’s Composition 101 classroom at 8:03 a.m. The whole class turned and the professor eyed me exasperatedly as I slinked to the back of the room, waving a silent apology as I took a seat. She shook her head and continued going over the syllabus. I pulled my MacBook from my backpack and started taking notes, stopping occasionally to scan the room for signs of anyone I might have met at freshman orientation.

I spotted a girl who sat next to me. I think her name was Sloane. Looking like she just stepped off-campus at a prestigious prep school, she wore a blue long-sleeved turtleneck sweater with a plaid skirt and a gold necklace. I focused my attention between her and the professor, watching curiously as she dug around frantically in her laptop bag, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose every time they slipped down. I spotted an empty seat next to her, so when the professor had her back turned, I gathered up my things, rose from my seat and moved over to the other side of the classroom.

“Hey!” I whispered as I took the seat next to her. She looked up from her bag and grinned when she noticed me.

“Hi, there! Kaia, right?” she asked, extending her hand. I nodded and shook it. “I’m Sloane. How’s your first day going?”

“Well, I was late for my first class and I haven’t had coffee. How’s yours?”

“I can’t find my phone charger. I know I packed an extra one, but it seems to have grown legs and walked off.” She continued shuffling through her backpack, her brows pinched in a V. Her unruly curls fell in her face and she brushed them away frustrated.

I dug through my bag, pulling two different phone charges from the side pocket. I held both of them up to her. “Which one do you need?”

Her eyes widened as she examined both chargers in my hand. Reaching for the Samsung charger, she mouthed a thank you and plugged the USB end into her laptop before plugging the other end into her phone. She glanced at my iPhone sitting face-down on my desk, then turned to me. “I gotta ask. Why do you have two different chargers?”

“My cousin Nadia is always losing hers, so I keep a spare on me just in case.”

She nodded and turned back to the front of the classroom, focusing on the professor. The rest of the class passed by uneventfully. When Professor O’Keeffe dismissed us at 8:50 a.m., Sloane and I gathered our things and walked out of the classroom together.

”Where are you off to next?” she asked, adjusting the strap on her bag.

“Intro to Sociology. You?”

”American Government. Gotta love those Gen Ed courses, ” she said with a laugh. “Wanna get lunch later? I have a free period after 11 a.m.”

“Sure. I’ll text my cousin and see if she wants to join us,” I said, pulling out my phone and shooting Nadia a text.

My cousin Nadia is quite the character. Our dads are brothers, but she and I are so close, people often asked if we were sisters. We grew up together, living three houses down from one another. Since we’re only six months apart, we were lucky enough to be in the same grade from kindergarten all the way through high school. Now, we’re privileged enough to attend the same college. I glanced at her text and shook my head.

Sloane and I exchanged phone numbers and I waved goodbye as we took off in opposite directions. I pulled out my campus map, trying to find Alexander Hall as I made my way across the courtyard to my next class. I wasn't looking where I was going when I accidentally slammed into a brick wall. Except it wasn't a brick wall.

“Whoa! Watch where you’re going!” a deep voice shouted as I immediately went flying backward onto the pavement, my phone and backpack crashing to the ground with me. The sound of breaking glass made me cringe. Well, shit. That’s going to be expensive.

“Are you okay?” his velvety voice probed. “You fell pretty hard.” He hooked his arms under mine and helped me to my feet, checking me for injuries. I released myself from his grip and bent over to pick up the rest of my belongings. I nodded a thank you and dusted off my black skirt, frowning when I saw the run in my pantyhose. I huffed as I picked up my phone and examined the shattered screen. I just got this damn thing in May. It was my present to myself for graduating from high school. Now, I have to pay to have it fixed.

I shoved it into my backpack and took a moment to study him. It only took a few seconds, but I immediately recognized him as my old friend Damien. My eyes widened as I realized who I had just crashed into. “Oh. My. Gods! It’s really you!” I said as I flung myself into his arms.

“You always were clumsy,” he laughed and squeezed his toned body against mine.

It had been four years since I saw him last. Damien and I were next-door neighbors and although he was four years older than me, we spent nearly every day hanging out. I had the hugest crush on him, even though he only saw me as a sister. After years of pining for him, I decided I was no longer going to hide how I felt. I stole two of his dad’s beers, chugged them in rapid succession, and went in search of the boy I’d loved since 7th grade.

We snuck away from his party and hid out at the playground down the street from our houses and about how much we would miss each other after he went away to college. There, under the jungle gym, I drunkenly confessed my feelings for him. That was also the first time I kissed him. After he gently pushed me off of him, he told me that he cared about me, but that I was only 15 and it was inappropriate for a guy his age to pursue me. I was so embarrassed, I ran away from him and hid out at my house for the rest of the night.

He came home for Christmas that winter but we didn’t get to see much of each other. Now that he was here in front of me after all this time, I realized how much he had changed since then. My eyes traveled the length of his denim-clad legs, past the black t-shirt stretching across the muscles of his broad chest, up to his face. He had the softest chocolate brown eyes, wavy brown hair, and warm tan skin. Just a hint of stubble peppered his chin and his defined jaw tensed as he watched me. His intense gaze made my cheeks tint pink.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Are you okay?” I replied. Of course, he was. He barely flinched when I all but plowed into him.

“I’m more worried about you. I’ve never given someone a concussion on the first day of classes before and I’m not looking to start.”

I rapped my knuckles against my temple. “You know me. I’ve got a thick skull. My phone on the other hand, well R.I.P.,” I said, miming pouring out a 40-oz for my now-broken handheld device. He chuckled and his brown eyes bored into mine, making me feel suddenly self-conscious.

“How have you been? How’s your first day going so far?”

“Well, I overslept and was late for my first class, I still haven’t had caffeine, and I bulldozed into a random guy with reckless abandon. So, I’d say it’s going well.”

He laughed again, the sound warming my insides. My eyes scanned his face, taking in his strong features. He was so pretty, I could cry. “So, where are you off to in such a hurry that you’re Miley Cyrusing people?”

“Oh, I’m trying to get to Alexander Hall. I missed out on the campus tour during freshman orientation, so I’m trying to find my way around.”

He took my map from my hand, his fingers brushing mine in the process. The sensation of his touch coursed through my entire body and I had to remind myself to breathe. He retrieved a pen from his backpack, pulling the cap off with his teeth. I’ve never wanted to be a pen cap so bad in my life.

“So, you are here,” he said, marking an “X” where we currently stood in front of Clark. “You’re going to want to keep on this path and head past the library, then take a left at the fork,” My eyes followed the line he drew along the paper. “And then you’ve reached your destination.” He circled the building in question and handed the map back to me, before capping his pen and slipping it back in his backpack.

I opened my mouth to ask him if he wanted to hang out later when a female voice pierced the air, interrupting us. “Babe, hurry up. We’re going to be late for Social Psych.”

Babe? I looked over his shoulder to see a woman with dark brown hair, full lips, and piercing brown eyes making our way toward us. She narrowed her eyes at me, then turned back to Damien, slipping her hand in the crook of his elbow and pressed a kiss to his jaw. He glanced at me apologetically as she pulled him toward Waterfield Hall.

“Be careful out there. And have fun this year. We'll get together soon,” he winked and gave me a wave as the two of them walked away toward their next class.

“Who was that?” I heard her ask, their voices fading with every step.

“Just an old friend,” he replied. My stomach sank. No matter how much I wanted us to be more, we never would be. I glanced at the courtyard and noticed the crowd thinning out, meaning the next block of classes would be starting shortly. I hitched my backpack on my shoulders and sighed deeply as I made my way to Alexander.

***

Damien

Alana’s nails gently scraped up and down my bicep as we sat in the lecture hall, listening to Professor Henderson drone on over the syllabus for this semester. Just two more to go and I’d be done with this place. Don’t get me wrong, I’d enjoyed my four years at Hartfeld, but I was ready to graduate and GTFO already.

Sophomore year was particularly hard. I almost dropped out halfway through fall semester after Dad passed away. Except Mom wouldn’t let me. She begged me to stick it out and made me promise to graduate. I couldn’t say no to her. Call me a mama’s boy if you must, but she’s the most important woman in my life and I couldn't bring myself to let her down. If we’re being honest here, I was doing it for me too. To be the first person in my family to graduate from college was a pretty big achievement.

I struggled to listen to the professor’s lecture, jotting down notes in my notebook. I should have been paying attention, but I had too much shit on my mind. Mainly my schedule for this semester. I needed to meet with my advisor after class and get my internship shit lined up. That’s what you get for waiting until the last minute, Dames. I pulled out my phone and shot a quick text to my advisor, asking if she had a free period this afternoon to get my paperwork filled out.

I looked to my right and saw Alana jotting notes in her notebook as her left hand still stroked my arm. I watched her for a few moments, taking her in. Alana and I met spring semester during our freshman year. We sat next to each other in Western Civ and our class discussion on long-standing issues in Western history turned into a full-blown shouting match. The professor pulled both of us out into the hallway and calmly explained to us that she would not allow that kind of behavior in her class. She then decided the best form of torture was to pair us up for the semester research project.

The first few weeks were hell. Alana and I disagreed on everything. Including the topic for our project. About halfway into the semester, she and I were studying in the library, when she asked me why I was — and I quote — “such a moody little bitch.” I told her she would be too if she had a pain in the ass like her for a partner. She laughed and told me how lucky I was to even be in the same vicinity as her. We exchanged jabs for a good ten minutes before she leaned over and kissed me. When I asked her what that was for, she replied that it was to shut me up.

Not going to lie, I was intrigued. She had a level of snark I had only seen from the women in my family. I knew I was in trouble, but there was just something about her that drew me to her. We began dating a week later and have been nearly inseparable ever since. Being that this was our senior year, I found myself wondering what would happen to us after graduation. I raised the topic of marriage once or twice over the last year, but she was always quick to shut me down. She insisted that she loved me, but didn’t think marriage was “for us.” I shook the thoughts from my mind and peeked at Alana from the corner of my eye. She was still focused on the professor. Good thing she couldn't read my mind.

My thoughts wandered to Kaia. It felt like a lifetime since we saw each other. She had grown up since then. I remembered the last things we said to each other before we parted the night of my grad party. She got drunk and told me she was in love with me. As much as I wanted to return her feelings, she and her cousin Nadia were like little sisters to me, which made the whole situation weird. Plus the whole age thing. I sighed and dragged my hand across my face, trying to clear my head. Before long, the hour was up and our professor released us. Alana and I gathered our things and linked hands as we made our way out of the lecture hall.

“I’ve got some free time before my noon class, so I'm going to head back to the dorms. You wanna come with me?” she said, batting those long lashes my way. My dick screamed yes, so I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pressed a kiss to the spot behind her ear as we walked.

“As long as we’re back in time for my Interpersonal Comm class.”

She rolled her eyes. “I can't believe you, a senior, are taking a 200 level course. Why didn’t you take that class sophomore year?”

I shot her a look. She knew why. She was the one who stood by me during Dad’s illness. I was lucky I was able to finish most of my classes that semester. Interpersonal Communication is the only one I had to drop. So, here I was retaking the course so I could graduate with my full 120 credits.

“It is what it is,” I said as we walked back to the dorms. A few minutes later, we arrived at Richmond Hall where Alana lived. I waved to some guys I recognized from one of my classes last year and followed her inside, checking out her ass the entire time.

When we arrived at her room, she dropped her bag off at her desk and disappeared into the bathroom. I moved around her dorm, looking at the pictures of us on the wall. All the memories we shared in the last four years. The Winter Formal sophomore year. The summer before senior year at the Cape. Our trip to San Francisco junior year over Spring Break.

I rubbed the aching spot in my chest, remembering proposing to her on that trip. She looked like she wanted to throw up when I dropped to one knee in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. She covered her face in embarrassment and begged me to stand up. Confused, I asked her what she meant. She pulled me away from the gawking tourists shooting me sympathetic looks and explained that while she loved me, she wasn’t ready for marriage. I felt like the biggest idiot.

I was still looking at the photos when the bathroom door swung open and Alana strutted out, wearing nothing but a silk bathrobe. Ho-lee-shit. Pretty sure I died and went to heaven. She sauntered up to me and wrapped her arms around my neck, peppering my jawline with kisses. “Is this what you brought me to your dorm for?” I whispered in her ear, taking her lobe between my teeth.

“Mmm...This one is my favorite. Look how hot you are in your board shorts,” she said pointing to the photo of us at Cape Cod. She examined the photo wall while she casually slipped her hand down my pants. I snaked my arm around her waist and slid it down to her ass, which the robe barely covered. My eyes widened when I noticed she wasn’t wearing panties. I turned her around to face me, then grabbed her by the waist and tossed her on the bed. She squealed and reached up to grab my t-shirt, pulling it over my head. I dipped in and began to kiss her neck when my phone went off.

“Ignore it,” she panted, raking her fingernails up and down my back. I licked a trail from her earlobe down to her collarbone, peeling the robe open to expose her breasts. I kissed my way down the swell of her left breast when my phone went off again. I groaned and rolled off her, grabbing my phone from my back pocket, and saw two missed calls from my advisor.

“Shit. I gotta take this babe. Gimme a sec.”

“Are you fucking serious?” she huffed and pulled the robe closed. I grabbed my t-shirt off the floor and slipped it on before stepping out of her room into the hallway. I pulled up my missed calls and hit the redial button. Dr. Griffin picked up on the first ring.

“Mr. Nazario. I’m glad you called back. I have a free period now if you’re available to go over your internship paperwork.”

I sighed and raked a hand through my hair. I really needed to get my internship taken care of so I could get credit for my work, but my girl was on the other side of the door, half-naked and waiting for me. Waging a war with my thoughts, I decided that I’d have to make it up to Alana tonight.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” I told her, then hung up the phone. I steeled myself for the difficult conversation I was about to have with Alana and made my way back into the dorm room. She sat on the bed, a scowl on her face as she looked at her phone.

“Hey, babe. That was Dr. Griffin. I need to go get my internship paperwork taken care of.” Alana rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. I moved in front of her and leaned over until we were at eye level. “I promise I’ll make it up to you tonight. Okay?”

She glared at me, not saying anything. I gripped her chin between my thumb and forefinger and pressed a kiss to her lips. She didn’t pull away, so I knew she wasn’t that mad. I kissed her once more before I turned and headed out of her room.

I made my way out of the dorm and shot her an apology text as I headed across campus to Dr. Griffin’s office. The grey text bubbles popped up, then disappeared a few times, before she replied, “K.” I sighed and slipped my phone in my jeans pocket. I couldn’t blame her though She was mad because she felt I hadn't been the most reliable boyfriend, but if I knew her like I thought I did, she’d get over it. Either that or I’d have blue balls for the next week.

#best beloved #pm au #college au #friends to lovers #perfect match #choices fanfic #damien nazario #kaia park #damien x mc #nazariolahela fanfic

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oveliagirlhaditright · 5 years ago

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Dual Dreams - A Sora, Donald, and Goofy Fic

Part two of what I wrote for Sora’s birthday.

Summary: For Sora's birthday--years after the Master of Masters is defeated--Sora, Donald, and Goofy decide to go on a fun adventure... but only to get pulled into a new plot, dealing with dreams. The antagonist has to do with dreams, as does all the worlds: first world is Inception, though it's not a one-to-one copy of the film.

Dual Dreams Sora’s PoV "You know... despite all the journeys we went on, we never did one for just fun," Donald was telling Sora now, as he examined the sword that Master Yen Sid said had said he should try. But with the way his eyes kept darting back towards “Save the Queen”, Sora couldn’t help thinking that Donald was going to stay with his beloved wand in the end. "That's a good point!" Goofy chirped, as he scarfed down his hot cocoa and then some chocolate cake as fast as he could—nearly knocking over the pastry that the Master had put on his table in such a decorative way. And Sora wondered if Goofy was trying to get both chocolate flavors in his mouth around the same time. Maybe they tasted good together? "Sora, what do you say to us doing that for your birthday?!" Sora considered this offer for a moment as he drummed his fingers on his right leg. He was trying to make this birthday perfect, despite some dreams he'd been having lately… and it had been ages since he'd paled around with these buds of his. Sora nodded his head almost instantly. "Sure! Sounds good to me!" And he let his hand fall atop the other two’s, as they yelled out their standard “All-for-one and one-for-all!” And they boarded the gummi ship for a long journey… but only to be spit out of it before they reached their intended destination, and instead ended up in some strange location. "So, what's this world we're at this time?" Sora asked as he got to his feet and saw a strange mirror standing before him (wait. Hadn’t he done this kind of thing before? And even though he barely touched it with the tips of his fingers, it shattered into a million pieces as if it had never been there to begin with. Sora could have been wrong about this… but this place was very dream-like to him, and already it was worrying him that he had gotten off track already somehow—as he had during his Mark of Mastery exam—and that it would lead to the trapped girl he didn’t know how to feel about, who he was having so many dreams about lately… They weren’t romantic dreams, or anything like that—no, Kairi was the love of Sora’s life and always would be—but rather like a poor soul was reaching out to him for help… but he didn’t know if he should give it or not, because he also got the sense that she was evil. And here Sora had partly come on this adventure to try and avoid all of this anguish! "I don't know," Donald quacked, bringing Sora’s thoughts back to the present, as he led them to a sinking bridge that looked more like it belonged in Shinjuku, than in the way this place had just looked: as if it were a part of La Cité des Cloches. "But it reminds me of an animation I once saw!" "It reminds me... of dreams I’ve had," Sora said, as he remembered how he’d dreamt about falling through his shattering heart platform, among other things "Gawrsh," said Goofy, as he pointed out a man and girl, who were suddenly before them. "Why don't we go talk to that man with the nametag 'Cobb'? The last place we went to on our final quest had ‘cobs’. It can't be a coincidence! That seemed like a large leap in logic to Sora, but since Goofy was, perhaps, wiser than any of them, he thought he'd hear him out. The trio walked over to this Cobb person... and Donald and Goofy received odd looks from the new people on the scene almost immediately. "Who are you?" the woman with the curling brown hair and sharp honey- colored eyes asked Sora and his friends as she seemed to deeply analyze them. "Cobb… are these three part of one of the dream levels?" "Dream levels?!" both Donald and Goofy choked out at the same time, as they gave each other a look before then sending Sora one—clearly worried that he was falling into the depth again. And their concern for him touched his heart. "Do ya mean we're too deep in some place, and there's no hope of resurfacin’?" Goofy asked sadly, as he bowed his head and his ears sagged (Sora's heart went out to him). Meanwhile, Donald was tapping his foot impatiently and muttering something under his breath, that Sora heard—and when the brunet's eyes filled up with wonder and he gasped at the duck's genius, he realized he was right--"I bet this is one of those worlds where they think things happen in the mind and not the heart!" "…Look... as great as all this is. I got to find Mal- I mean finish this mission," said Cobb. But his assistant was already looking at the man incredulously as his first words seemed to catch up with her. "Your thinking about your wife is going to jeopardize us all!' And though Sora really had no idea what was going on here—as per most of his world visits, really—he could understand how the girl could be right. He, after all, had allowed his feelings for Naminé to endanger Donald, Goofy, and himself. And even possibly Naminé herself. So, Ariadne, as Sora would later learn her name was, was right. But he also understood how love made you do crazy things. Sora wasn't in love with Naminé anymore—and really, he never had been. It had always been Kairi for him. And he'd certainly done more than enough mad things for her—but still. "No, she won't, Ariadne. I'll make sure she stays in limbo but doesn't pull us into it. And if these guys are really here to help us—sent by Saito—we'll see if they can help out Arthur give the kick to the others with no gravity. Come on!" So with that, Sora, Donald, and Goofy found themselves following their new friends and getting a bit of a summary of what was going on. It seemed they'd all been right in assuming they were in some sort of dream thing. And Donald had been correct in thinking that this world dealt moreso in minds, than in hearts. Some rich man called “Saito”, wanted the heir to his rival company to dissolve it. And Cobb, Ariadne, and some others, had been sent here to implant the idea into the heir, Fischer’s, head. They had kidnapped the man... and somehow linked up all of their minds together, to try and access Fischer’s subconscious. But since even in dreams, you were always somewhat aware and would fight to protect yourself and your secrets, they needed to go into the deepest level of Fischer’s mind in order to get the idea to hold. But the team needed someone to monitor them on each dream level, so they'd be able to “kick” awake, those who were in much deeper. But in the area where an “Arthur” was on guard, it seemed like he really needed help! And as the group went back to the level of the dream this “Arthur” was on—the third one, maybe?—Sora found himself wondering why he, Donald, and Goofy were here. Every world he had gone to during his previous destiny had happened for a reason—Kingdom Hearts had made sure of that—so Sora tried to guess why he was in this sharply decorated hotel space now... as they fought both “dream security” and Heartless. The only thing he could figure, was if he was meant to find that, perhaps insane, purple-haired-girl from his dreams, and this would somehow lead him there. But that wasn’t important right now! What was important was defeating these Heartless, as always. Sora was surrounded by Soldiers, Neoshadows, and Wizards! And Neoshadows were bad enough on their own... but when you added in Wizards' tough magic and Soldiers headbutting you, it made an already bad day much worse. And ugh! He felt out of practice in using the Keyblade, too. Maybe he’d spent too much time being lazy with Kairi and Riku lately! "Graviga!" Donald yelled—in seeming to have noticed that Sora was faltering—and he succeeded in defeating most of the Wizards, thankfully. And Sora just had to give a few of the ones that had been struck by Donald’s magic, and that hadn’t disappeared yet, one more hit before they were also gone for good. And later, Sora would be glad Donald had dispatched those Heartless so easily. Because they were some of the most skilled magical users, after all, and magic was connected to the mind... which was where dreams were stored. At least here. So, Sora didn't know what kind of damage they could have created, if Donald hadn't prevented it. But Goofy wasn't to be upstaged in all of this! When he seemed to note that the tall, dark man in the tux was getting distracted in worrying about Ariadne right now, Goofy defeated all the Heartless around him with a well-placed Goofy Tornado—and also knocked out some “guards”—and then told Arthur in a very intelligent way, "Gawrsh, Mister Arthur... I know ya like Ariadne, and are worried about her for tha’ there reason. In fact, it's like my little Maxie with his first crush! There wasn’t anythin’ he wouldn't do for Roxanne... But if you can't rely on yourself in danger, rely on your friends. Alright?!" Arthur seemed... a bit uncomfortable with Goofy standing close to him and telling him this, as he blinked his eyes open and closed a few times—what was with some of the worlds’ denizens acting so uncertain around Donald and Goofy? Sora didn't get it—but clearly listened to his words. Arthur regained his focus and did a pretty good job of defeating some more Heartless that showed up, just by punching them. Ariadne whistled. When it seemed like he’d finally gotten it back under control, the trio went with Cobb and Ariadne to the next dream level... which seemed to be an icy hill with a hospital at the bottom of it: which was probably where the most vulnerable part of Fischer’s mind was at, if Sora had to guess. Aaaaaaaand Sora and his friends were getting shot at from it. And Sora deflected each one of them with a sigh—as he had Xigbar’s arrows during the Keyblade War—as Donald used Thunder magic to try and keep them at bay, and Goofy tried to block them with his shield. Meanwhile, Cobb and Ariadne—and someone named Eames, Sora was learning now—were trying to reach the hospital while they were covered by Sora, Donald, and Goofy, and the snow was only a gentle pat on them, instead of the tornado it could be. Truthfully? Sora really hated guns and bullets, and he was starting to regret that he’d unwittingly signed up to spend his birthday around them. He had first been introduced to them through Clayton trying to kill the gorillas. And thinking of what would have been unnecessary deaths upon innocents, made Sora think that if it started to get too much for Donald and Goofy… he would jump out into the open, to try and better defend them. But fortunately, he didn’t need to. Cobb, Ariadne, and Eames came back with glowing faces—making it seem like they’d accomplished their task—and all firepower had stopped. "Alright. You guys go back to the surface, I’m going to look for Sait- Mal." It was Cobb who had said this, of course, as the famous Mal appeared on the scene... somehow having Fischer on her, and stabbing him before everyone’s very eyes… Making Sora tear up and almost feel like he was going to be sick. And what was worse, was that Sora got the sense that the girl he was dreaming about was a lot like this, too! “Are they dead?” Donald whined. And it sounded like he was also about to cry, perhaps in imagining Daisy as the one being stabbed instead of Fischer. As it stood… this trio was just so done with death. “No. Taken into the deepest part of dreams, where you can forget you’re doing that there: limbo. But I can save him and Saito,” Cobb explained, just as Sora muttered how Mal looked like the girl he’d been dreaming about, because he seemed unable to stop himself. And at that, Goofy frowned slightly—as he tried to get his feet out of the snow—and gave Sora a lecture. "Sora… if this is somethin’ like one of Xehanort's plots, let us know! …It's always when ya keep info to yourself, that ya become lost!" And even while Sora tried to focus on the bad right now—as Mal despaired that Cobb had forgotten her and didn’t want her anymore, as she turned the tundra to island: to limbo, apparently—he thought his heart might soar, in knowing just how much Donald and Goofy cared about him. And then everyone was falling into this last dream level, so there was nothing of the ice from before above them and so that they were trapped. ... The island that Sora, Donald, Goofy, Cobb, Ariadne, and Eames were on, wasn't like Destiny Islands to Sora. It was like if Destiny Islands was... colder—and wasn't a burg of light—and had much darker terrain. And the place was literally colder, too… The Keyblade wielder knew it was silly to think this—because he'd yet to be near an ice burg, or anything like it—but in his imaginings, Sora thought this must have been what a body of water in the arctic must look like. The water here was such a white-ish blue, too, and didn't look like it would change at all... and Sora missed seeing water reflect the yellow or pink of the sun. Ariadne—though she did look angry for her part—didn't start yelling at Cobb for leading them here by being unable to let go of Mal, like Sora thought she would. Instead, she—and Eames, for he was motioning with his hands for Mal to go to Cobb and talk and work it out—just implored to Mal, "If you're from a part of Cobb that actually loves him... or if you think you can imagine what the real Mal felt for him, please let him go." Huh. Mal was from a part of Cobb’s head that had tried to recreate his loved one? Well, if that didn’t remind Sora of his unintentionally creating Xion, he didn’t know what did. But it was like the other story he was in now, too… of- of Alma, Sora had to admit. Because as he understood from his dreams… an entire group of people had been put into her special mind and forced to believe they were in reality. Could that have been happening here, too? Even more than what this group had thought they’d tampered with? "And you let us go too, Alma... if you're there, and somewhat controlling Mal here." Alma was the girl that Sora had been seeing in his dreams—or so he thought; the audio was sometimes hard to hear—and he was starting to gather that she had some sort of the same manipulative powers as Naminé… And lo and behold, Alma made an appearance through Mal. And while Sora thought that she might look at him angrily, for destroying her plans—or at least try to—she actually seemed uncertain at first. But after she didn't seem to know what to do with herself, she then looked mad... and then had Mal come flying Sora's way as she did... but Sora had still seen the look that had said it all. "Alma- no, Clancy. I think that’s the name you prefer? I can help you!" But it was too late. The violet-haired-girl—purple. Oh, how that made Sora think of his love, Kairi—was already gone (and Sora could only hope she'd found her Donavan, Perry, Miss Sayee, or even Shari. Hadn't he dreamed of them, too?), and Sora was now in some sort of building with his friends, that was being torn apart. Eames and Ariadne had at least found Fischer, it seemed, and Eames attempted to jump out of the building to wake up—or Sora presumed—and take Eames with him, but he missed his hand as he was going out of the building. Any of the rest of them would have to jump out with Fischer soon, then… if Cobb ever got over his guilt at seeing “Mal’s ghost” here, so they could join Eames. "Cobb!" Ariadne begged with more desperation in her voice than Sora had ever heard from anyone before. "We managed to do what we set out to! Let's get out of here! Now! You can see your kids again! Think about them! Because if you don't act now, you'll be trapped here forever!" Sora was about to step in and tell Cobb to take it from him: it wasn't a good thing to chase dreams, but before he could Donald was quacking and ruining the moment! "Who's Alma, Sora? Another girl who you like?" "No. She's not, Donald," Sora said deadpan, while Goofy laughed, despite everything. "She's a girl who's trying to hurt us, I think. Jeez! I have my head in the game, alright?" And just as Sora and Donald were arguing, Cobb seemed to arrive at the point Sora and Ariadne (and Donald and Goofy, of course) had wanted him to, without any more help from them... which was good, because maybe this meant it would finally sink into him—it was himself deciding all this—and he could let go of all the pain. Hopefully… "You're not her. You're not Mal. You're the best I could come up with, but with all the facets of her... I couldn't even come close. You're a poor imitation, and I’m sorry that I made you this and you can’t be more than that… But I'll leave this poor imitation behind to see our real kids, if I got any of Mal right in you… that should make you happy." Mal's face then was only upset for a second, Sora thought, before it gave way to happiness before she disappeared. And if they had been in a tornado before, they certainly were in one now as the "creator of this world" vanished. "Cobb," Ariadne said surprisingly brokenly, as Sora had thought that Cobb had finally arrived at the right place. But Ariadne was motioning to Sora, Donald, and Goofy that they should say something to him, too, so maybe not... "You have to come now." "I- I will," he promised, as he knelt at the ground where Mal had just been. And with that, Sora was starting to doubt his intentions, too. “Are you sure?” both Donald and Goofy demanded at the same time, as they stepped closer to him. "I- I promise!" Cobb said with much more urgency this time, as he held up a dreidel. How peculiar... "I have my totem." And Ariadne nodded with a small smile, kicked Fischer out of the building, and purposefully fell backwards out of the stories high skyscraper herself. And Sora, Donald, and Goofy—in assuming she had a better idea on how to escape this dream than they did—followed suit. The trio came out of the last dream—limbo—first, and then they were at the snowy hospital… the hotel… and finally on that highway once more. But though Sora, Donald, Goofy saw the rest of the group getting pulled up even higher than that, they didn’t move that way themselves. So Sora could only hope that the team would be okay... And then- then Sora, Goofy, and Donald were somehow in the office of someone who seemed to hate his job? Which should have been fine, but... "I have a bad feeling about this, guys..." Sora muttered, as an equally scared Donald and Goofy put reassuring hands upon Sora’s shoulders. And somewhere out there, a “manipulative girl” laughed.

#kh #kingdom hearts #trinity trio #sora's birthday #sora #Donald duck #goofy goof #donald #goofy #Sora Donald and goofy #fanfiction #my writing #mine #Shanna writes #my work #oneshot #future fic #post-canon

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evanstandefensesquad-blog · 8 years ago

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Paper Moon Part 15

MB - @thecountessakasha - back again. I hope you’re ready for Part 15! There’s no smut, it’s literally all fluff, so apologies in advance.

I’m going to tag a couple people who I’ve told about this and my really special love who keeps betaing this for me @evansscruff - thank you, darling.

A/N: Bucky and Steve end up at a venue that has a 40s night and meet an OFC, Melissa Rose, a singer in a local club. They both are smitten by her, and start to vie for her affections. They end up finding out more about themselves in the process.

This honestly started out as maybe a one shot but as I got going, I decided it’ll be chapters. How many? No frigging idea. This is my absolute first time writing a fic of any sort and yes I did base the OFC on myself. I hope y'all enjoy.

Word count: 3300+ because I am a wordy bitch.

Warnings: FLUFF to the Goddamn max. Gonna rot your teeth. Oh, and cussing. Like always.

STEVE’S POV

To say that the past few months were rough would be an understatement. Word got out about Bucky and me; and that, of course, led to word getting out about Melissa, Bucky, and me. It was strange; there was almost no animosity aimed at him and me, but just as she predicted, there was plenty aimed at her. People had taken to the Internet and the airwaves to voice their opinion of the “old” woman whom they decided was “ruining Steve and Bucky’s happiness” by “insinuating herself” between us.

Hate mail piled up at the club for her. She quit checking it altogether. Bucky would always gather the multitude of envelopes and go through them to sort out what was important and what was trash. Let me tell ya, her recycling bin has been packed full.

People would pop up at her shows to heckle and ridicule her. Finally, the owner raised the ticket prices and added extra bouncers which helped. Though on the plus side, more people came to actually see her perform. She wowed every single one of them. There were rumors of other places looking to steal her away, but she had vowed to never abandon Club Onyx. Or the owner. He’d been far too good to her and she appreciated it more than he would ever know.

The fact that she’s stuck with us is astonishing to me. And every day I fall deeper because of it. She’s so much stronger than she thinks. Not to say there haven’t been some rough patches. Her depression took over, and at times we couldn’t even get her to speak. There were days upon days when she just refused to get out of bed. Pretty sure she’s upped her rum intake. Even now she’s rarely, if ever, seen outside of the club without Bucky unless it’s to come to the tower. But for the most part we’ve really weathered the storm.

I think the biggest change has been with Bucky. He’s no longer chomping at the bit to take every mission he can get his hands on, trying to keep his mind on anything other than his life. He’s actually been turning down those offered to stay with Melissa during this tumultuous beginning.

For the first time since coming back from Wakanda, the light has truly returned to his eyes. And it’s her. Well, I mean it’s probably me, too. Us. But I really think it’s Melissa more than anything. She’s changed him. Made him more comfortable in his skin. Shown him that there’s more to “Bucky�� than just “The Winter Soldier”.

He’s taken to staying at her place more and more. So have I, just not quite as often. It’s not like I get as many opportunities to turn down missions as he does. Part of the mantle of being Captain America, as Natasha is fond of reminding me.

I spend every moment I can with the both of them. Usually at her place. Not because we’re unwelcome at the tower. Far from it. Everyone would like it if we came around more often. They all really like Melissa. Especially Nat, Wanda, Clint, and Sam.

She finally got to meet Thor and was practically gushing about it. She couldn’t stop asking him questions about Asgard, what it’s really like there. She knew all the myths, of course. And how often do you get to meet a god? He in turn, is quite taken with her. Much to Bucky’s dismay.

It’s amazing the effect she has on people. She puts it off as the “southern thing”. Like she’s a novelty. As if that’s the only reason everyone here just adores her. That’s a piece of it, sure, but not all. She’s simply … captivating.

The night after Melissa first came to the tower, we had everyone out to the club to see her perform. Her nerves were on edge all day long.Because of that Bucky and I tried everything we could to keep her calm. She ended up going for a walk, alone, to clear her head. She puts so much pressure on herself.

A good bit of time had passed but Melissa still hadn’t made it back. I was starting to get really worried. Bucky suggested that I head back to the tower to make sure everyone was ready for the evening and that he’d go look for her.

He found her instantly, of course. She’d gone to a little park she discovered one of her first days in New York. It’s a place she and Bucky like to go when they need quiet and anonymity. They’ll put on hoodies and sunglasses and do their best to hide from the world and just sit in the middle of the park, right on the grass. Most times, they don’t even speak. They just exist there in that moment.

Bucky had gathered her up and walked her back to the apartment. The night went off without a hitch and the club received a boost of publicity due to our attendance.

I’ve noticed a change in myself as well. I’m sure Bucky and the others have seen it. I’m not as reckless. That’s the main thing. The idea of not coming back to the two people I love more than anything in this world is a very sobering thought indeed. The mere notion that I would irrevocably hurt them by not returning from a mission is too much to bare.

There are selfish reasons, too. To never be able to look into her dazzling green eyes again, or his shimmering blue ones cuts me to the core. That I wouldn’t be able to touch them, to see them smile, hear their laughter, or the noises they make in the heat of passion is like a stab in the gut.

My world revolves around them. Melissa and Bucky. My twin dark muses. Mes deux muses sombre, as she would say. They hold my heart in their hands. I am nothing without them and I strive every day to show them what they mean to me.

It’s to that end that I’ve decided to surprise them with some gifts. The first one is a simple thing; a sketchbook full of little drawings of the two of them doing mundane activities. Some are individual. Snippets of our everyday lives. Melissa lying in the middle of the living room floor, sheet music strewn around her, forgotten as she buries her nose in some book about Irish peat farmers. Bucky draped across the sofa, headphones on, feet kicking away to the beat of a “new to him” song that she’d turned him on to.

Some are of them together. Bucky is sitting crossed legged on the floor with his back against the overstuffed recliner while Melissa’s legs and arms are wrapped around him as she’s perched in the chair. His head tilted and resting against her thigh as they binge watch House of Cards, discussing what they’d like to do with Claire and Francis. The pair of them in the little kitchen, dancing and singing while they cook dinner for the three of us.

Once I snuck up on them in their little park and sketched them there, laying back on the grass, hoodies and sunglasses on. I watched their chests rise and fall with their breathing, wondering what they’d talked about, what they had been thinking about. Melissa was unaware of my presence, but I’m sure Bucky knew. You can’t fool the super soldier senses, after all.

The other gift is much, much bigger. It’s really a gift for the three of us. I’ve purchased an old brownstone in Brooklyn and am having it renovated into a single dwelling. This dual residence life is wearing on us. We need our own place, private, away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan and the tower. Melissa needs to be able to detach herself from the club. She’s finally gotten the hang of the subway, so I feel confident she’ll be fine with the move. As for Bucky, he’ll be over the moon. He’s been wanting to move back home. And now I can give that to him.

Tony has decided to throw me a big birthday bash this weekend, so I’m going make the announcement then. Probably doesn’t make much sense for me to be giving gifts on my own birthday, but like I said, this is for all of us.

I can’t wait to see their faces.

BUCKY’S POV

I feel like the luckiest man alive. How I ever was good enough to deserve the pair of them, I’ll never understand. Steve, all the hell he went through to bring me back. He fought the world for me. Not many people can say that about their lover. I am his forever.

And Melissa. My beloved Angel. Her love has forged me into the man I am. The one I was meant to be. The longer I’m with her the harder I fall. She believes in me. I cannot explain what that means, how that affects every action I take.

I’ve been spending more and more time with her, staying at her place. I should really just move in with her. She’s suggested it several times and each time I brush it off; I feel like I’m imposing. But I feel far more comfortable at her apartment than I do at the tower. There I feel like a visitor. Not a true part of the team. At her place, it feels like home. Especially when Steve’s able to stay with us.

Melissa and I like to take care of Steve when he’s around. The missions wear him down so we do our best to help him relax when he’s home with us. It feels good to care for him again, like I used to when we were young.

One of my favorite parts about spending so much time with her is having someone to just be with. We go for walks, we do the shopping, we take in movies, we cook meals, we explore the city. She does try to keep herself incognito, because of everything. I dare someone to try something while I’m around. It’s mundane and domestic and I fucking love every second of it.

No missions, no emergencies. Because of her I feel like a normal person. I’ve even been more comfortable about showing my arm in public. Melissa’s not afraid of it and she always, always makes sure that’s the hand she holds.

She sees herself as undeserving of both Steve and me. Especially after all the shit we’ve been through recently; she feels like it’s all her fault. Oh, but she’s wrong. So very wrong. She deserves the goddamn world on a silver platter. And I aim to give it to her.

I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out a way to show her what she means to me. How she’s helped me, how deeply I’ve fallen for her.

Pieces of my life from before have been coming back periodically, and something I’ve discovered recently is that I can play piano. Not only can I play, I’m actually quite good. I’ve been sneaking downstairs to the club while it’s closed with handfuls of her sheet music to practice. Steve has caught me a few times. He must forget that he can’t sneak up on me. He’s never interrupted or bothered me, merely observes, more than likely sketching.

There’s a point to all this. I have quite the surprise for her. I want to play for her, with her. I can’t sing for shit, but I don’t need to. It’s her voice everyone wants. She’s the real star. I just want to be a part of it, to back her up, support her. And it calms me, I really enjoy it.

I’ve been working on one song in particular. I’m going to spring it on her at Steve’s party. By chance I heard her singing it in the shower one morning. She likes to practice there; the acoustics are phenomenal. The piece makes use of her smokey, lower vocals. Mmmm, her voice is like Tupelo honey. I am awestruck every time I’m blessed to hear it. The lyrics themselves, well let’s just say I can picture her saying these things to me and Steve.

I’ve got something for Steve too, of course. It’s hard to think of things to give him, the man who sacrificed everything he had, everything he was, to save me. But I know what makes him happy, what centers him. Anything art related. Anything.

So, with the help of Tony and Natalia, I was able to get a private tour of the Museum of Modern Art for Steve, Melissa, and myself. The card with all the arrangements will be hidden in a whole shitload of art supplies Melissa and I bought for his upcoming birthday.

And well, since we can’t resist, Steve and I have also conspired to give her a gift from the both of us. One we know she’ll appreciate more than anyone else probably ever would. We’re going to give her each one of our dog tags to wear. The originals. We … acquired them from the Smithsonian. Like they would refuse Captain America anything.

If it seems overly sentimental and nostalgic, well, tough shit. I think Steve and I have earned that right. Melissa will understand the significance. She’s a military brat coming from a long line of veterans stretching all the way back to the Revolutionary War. She gets it and I honestly don’t care if anyone else does. Just thinking of her wearing them makes me heart soar.

I love discovering little things about her. I love how she leads me to rediscover things about myself. I love watching her and Steve together, even if it’s just them doing something as simple as lounging together on the floor, books on history surrounding them as they pour over the words. Their heated discussions will go on for hours; I learn more from listening to them than I ever would reading on my own.

The way she looks at him when she doesn’t think anyone is watching her. Him doing the same. The way she’ll sit still, posing for hours on end for him while he draws or paints her. Most times it ends up with her teasing him mercilessly until he drops his tools and quiets her with passionate kisses.

And oh the way we all seamlessly flow into one another in the bedroom. Sometimes with heated, fiery, gnawing need. Sometimes with giggles and laughter until we can’t take it anymore. It has never felt so natural, so right.

I love these idiots more than I could ever express. I would be lost without them.

MELISSA’S POV

My boys, my beloved boys.

I can’t believe they’re mine. I can’t believe they’re still with me after six months of insanity. Six months of all the hate and worry and stress. I can’t believe Bucky has given up missions to stay by my side. I can’t believe Steve continually professes his love for me. I can’t believe they put up with all my baggage. My anxiety, my depression, my health issues.

Without even realizing it, I have fallen head over heels in love with them. Happiness, something that has always been elusive in my life, is now a constant. Which of course leads to the occasional panic attack, since my brain can’t wrap itself around the notion that I deserve this happiness and likes to construct various scenarios where I lose one or the both of them. Either on a mission or from them simply growing tired of me and leaving.

Nightmares haunt me every now and then, my fears manifesting themselves in my subconscious. I’ll thrash and sweat and full on cry until Bucky finally wakes me. He’ll hold me tightly to him as he waits for me to calm down, all the while whispering to me how he’s here, he’s real, he’s not going anywhere, how much he loves me.

One such incident happened when both Steve and Bucky were home. It must have been a particularly powerful one as it nearly sent Steve into a panic before Bucky explained what was happening and showed him how to deal with it. It took the both of them to bring me back around that night.

Bucky puts up with my shit every time we leave the apartment. Hiding myself under hoodies and sunglasses and baggy clothes. He understands. He was at that point himself not long ago. God, he takes such good care of me; he always makes sure I’m comfortable with it all, that I feel safe, loved.

And the way Steve dotes on me, I’ve never had someone so attentive to my each and every desire. Sometimes before I even know what they are. He has a knack for knowing exact what I need when I need it.

Things like that. Dealing with me on days where I couldn’t even function inside my depression. Nights when my anxiety was so high I would just drink myself into a stupor and couldn’t even perform.

And through it all they’re still committed to me. Because of that I’ve taken on my own mission. To keep them happy any way I can. To give in to every whim or wish they might ever have. If it’s in my capacity to do, then it’s done. Period. No questions asked.

These two, I know they have something up their sleeves. They may be super soldiers but they’re shit at keeping secrets. Something fishy’s going on. And Nat! Oh my god, she’s been teasing me to no end about something she knows that I don’t.

She and I have become quite close. Oh, she is fiercely protective of me, too. I adore her. And Wanda and Sam and Clint. They’ve been so, so great to me. The other members of the team have as well, but these guys. Well, let’s just say they’re by far my closest friends here in the city.

I’ve got news for my two big boys. They’re not the only ones who can be sneaky. I’ve got something up MY sleeve. With Steve’s birthday party coming up, I’ll make some time before we leave to give them their presents. I want it to be special, something just between the three of us.

Of course Bucky and I went overboard on our joint gift. We have a tendency to indulge Steve quite often. I’m not sure all the art supplies we bought are even going to fit into the area we’ve cleared out in the living room for his makeshift studio. Oh well. I’m sure he’ll deal just fine. I can’t wait till he sees what we’ve done.

As for my gifts to the pair of them, I hope they’re comfortable wearing jewelry. I didn’t get anything fancy, or gaudy. That’s just not our style. With that thought in mind, I’ve I found a pair of matching stainless steel cuffs. They’re small, like a little bracelet, but you attach them with screws. And I hold the screwdriver.

On the inside of Steve’s I’ve had engraved Mon Soleil. Bucky’s sports Ma Lune. My Sun and My Moon. My two very large, powerful, all consuming forces.

The light and the dark.

Watching them together is one of my major addictions. I love catching each of them looking at the other. It’s like they have a silent language. They’re always in sync. Whether it’s cleaning the apartment, binge watching a show, or when we’re in the bedroom. It’s like they have one mind.

They speak often of having claimed me. Getting me before anyone else could. Snatching me off the market. As if I was even on the damn market to begin with. It always makes me laugh and shake my head. But, if they’ve claimed me then I’ve done the same to them. They’re mine and I will defend that claim all the rest of my days.

I’m with them to the end of the line.

Tagging:

@alievans007 @buckysbackpackbuckle @justareader @anice-1 @hardcollectiontrashworld @always-an-evans-addict @mewsiex

Thanks everyone!

#mb posts #my fic #paper moon #bucky x ofc x steve #bucky x ofc #steve x ofc #bucky barnes smut #steve rogers smut #thecountessakasha #polyamory

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tsfrbss · 8 years ago

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Paper Moon Part 15

MB - @thecountessakasha - back again. I hope you’re ready for Part 15! There’s no smut, it’s literally all fluff, so apologies in advance. And don’t worry, their saga will continue.

Word count: 3300+ because I am a wordy bitch.

Warnings: FLUFF to the Goddamn max. Gonna rot your teeth. Oh, and cussing. Like always.

STEVE’S POV

Bucky had gathered her up and walked her back to the apartment. The night went off without a hitch and the club received a boost of publicity due to our attendance.

I can’t wait to see their faces.

BUCKY’S POV

I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out a way to show her what she means to me. How she’s helped me, how deeply I’ve fallen for her.

I love these idiots more than I could ever express. I would be lost without them.

MELISSA’S POV

My boys, my beloved boys.

On the inside of Steve’s I’ve had engraved Mon Soleil. Bucky’s sports Ma Lune. My Sun and My Moon. My two very large, powerful, all consuming forces.

The light and the dark.

I’m with them to the end of the line.

#submitted #submission #story sunday #thecountessakasha

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nazariolahela · 5 years ago

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Best Beloved: Chapter 4

Catch up here

Series Tags: @burnsoslow @lady-calypso @irishwhiskys-blog

Synopsis: What happens when you find yourself crushing on your best friend? For years, Damien and Kaia have been best friends, while secretly harboring feelings for one another. Everything changes one night after a little too much alcohol and years of pent up feelings. Can they control their emotions and salvage their friendship, or will the feelings they hold for one another destroy everything they have?

All characters are the property of Pixelberry Studios. Thanks for allowing me to borrow them.

Chapter Summary: Damien struggles with the state of his relationship and Kaia meets Hayden.

Damien

I sat at my cubicle on a Thursday afternoon, putting the finishing touches on the report I needed to write up for my internship. I had landed a Securities and Intelligence Analysis Internship with a local security agency. My duties included collecting, processing, and analyzing, intelligence, and providing assistance to the senior analysts within the agency. If everything went well, they mentioned offering me the opportunity to join the agency full-time. To be honest, though, I had bigger dreams.

I was proofreading my report when my phone went off. I looked at the screen and saw Alana’s name flash across it. I sighed and dragged my hand down my face. She had been blowing up my phone all day with text messages. After the frat party last weekend, we got into an argument about how I “disappeared on her” after our makeout session in the bathroom. I didn’t intend to, but when she stormed off and I lost her in the crowd, I didn’t make much of an effort to go look for her.

I felt like our relationship was going in a different direction than I was hoping. You could blame it on our busy schedules, and her turning down my proposal left a sour taste in my mouth. But as much as I wanted to deny it, I felt like Kaia coming back into my life had a lot to do with it. Feelings I didn’t know I had crept up on me every time she was around. Her touch, the sound of her laugh, and the sweet smell of her shampoo stirred up all these emotions in me. I needed to get them in check before I did something I’d regret.

My phone buzzed again and I groaned and dropped my head to my desk. I should have called her back and smooth things over, but I had to get this report done before I left today. I picked up the phone, and stared at it for a moment, then clicked the lock button and slipped in in my pocket.

A moment later, the research analyst I was paired up with rounded the corner of the cube farm and called out as he approached me. “Nazario. Do you have that research portfolio on current conflicts and security threats?”

I reached into my desk drawer and pulled out the manila envelope, handing it to him. He took the files and peered over my shoulder at my laptop.

“Thanks, man. Looks good so far. When you’re done with this, can you compile the materials from the counterterrorism report?”

“Sure thing, Agent McDaniels. I’ll have that to you shortly.”

He nodded and clapped me on the shoulder before walking off. I signed off on my report and hit “send” then leaned back in my chair with a smile on my face. This internship was easier than I thought it would be.

My phone buzzed in my pocket again. I groaned and pulled it out to see another missed call from Alana. I locked my computer and got up from my desk then made my way into the break room. Tapping my phone against my palm, I took a deep breath and dialed her number. She answered on the first ring.

“What?” she snapped.

“Baby, come on-”

“Don’t ‘baby, come on’ me, Damien. I’ve been trying to reach you all day! I’m sick of you always bailing on me all the damn time. First, you ditch me to go meet with your advisor. Then, you disappear during the frat party last week. And yesterday you fucking bailed on our date to go visit your mom. I know you have shit going on, but so do I. And I don’t think it’s too much to ask for a little reliability from my boyfriend.”

I groaned. We had planned to spend the afternoon together after classes, but Mom called yesterday morning, asking if I was able to come home and help her with something. And like the good son I am, I emailed my professors that I’d be absent, hopped in my car, and made the hour drive home. Now, I had to face the consequences. As much as I hated to admit it, I’d been kind of a lousy boyfriend lately. I wasn’t doing it on purpose, but with everything going on this year, I had to prioritize. “I know, Alana. I’m sorry.”

“Are you fucking someone else?” she accused.

“What?”

“You heard me. What about that freshman you’ve been hanging around the last few weeks?” she spit out, the venom in her voice leaking through the phone.

Was she serious? I never told her about me and Kaia, so I don’t know where she even got the idea from. Just because Kaia and I had history, didn’t mean that I wanted to sleep with her. Okay, maybe I did, but I sure as shit didn’t act like it around my girlfriend. I dragged my hand down my face, sighing deeply. “Who? Kaia? She’s an old friend from home. I don’t even like her like that.” Lie. “Why would you think that?”

“It would make sense. Look, I know our relationship isn’t perfect, but if you have feelings for someone else, the least you could do is let me know so I’m not wasting my time.”

I yanked the phone away from my ear and mouthed several curse words. After all that we had been through, she had the audacity to say that to me? I pressed the phone back to my ear. “Excuse me? Did you forget that I fucking PROPOSED to you? And you have the nerve to say I’m wasting your time! What the fuck, Alana?” I growled.

She went quiet on the other end and I had to check to see if she had hung up on me. After several beats, she spoke up. “It’s just...fuck, Damien. I feel like you never want to be around me anymore. Especially since you started hanging around with that Kaia girl. Plus, we're both always so busy, it’s like our relationship got put on the backburner.”

“Alana. If I didn’t want to be with you anymore, I wouldn’t be with you. I get why you’re upset. I do, but you have to understand that I have a life outside of this relationship. This internship is important to me. And my mom’s been having a hard time since my dad passed. I’m sorry for bailing on you, but you can’t go around accusing me of cheating on you every time. This relationship is never going to work if you do.”

“Well, what do you expect me to think, Damien? This new girl pops up out of nowhere, and all of a sudden you’re spending all this time with her,” she huffed.

“We have one class together, Alana. That’s it. We don’t go out to eat or spend time together on the weekends. Other than the frat party, the only time I’ve hung out with her was during our study groups. I’ve had female friends for almost our entire relationship and you’ve never batted an eye over it. Why is this one any different just because I’ve known her since we were kids?”

She sighed. “I really don’t want to talk about this over the phone.”

“I’m at work right now, but I can come over later if you want me to,” I said, tugging at the knot of my tie.

“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea, Damien. I just need time to myself right now. I feel like you’ve been smothering me lately, and I can’t deal with this.”

Jesus, this woman was making my head spin. “I don’t understand. First, you say I’m neglecting you, and now you say I’m smothering you. Which is it?”

“It’s...it’s complicated, Damien. I just don’t know if this relationship is worth it anymore.”

“Babe, what are you saying? Are you saying you want to take a break from us?” My chest tightened as I struggled to say the words.

She paused for what felt like an eternity before answering. “I don’t know, Damien. I’ll call you in a few days,” she said, before hanging up the phone.

I stared at the screen, anger coursing through my veins. I fell back against the refrigerator, digging the heels of my hands into my eyes. My department supervisor entered the break room and saw me leaning against the fridge.

“Hey! Everything alright in here?” she asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“Yeah, just dealing with some personal stuff. It’s taken care of though,” I replied. I slipped the phone in my pocket and made my way back to my desk. I sat down in my chair, powered up my laptop and opened my school email. I noticed two new emails: one from my advisor and another from Kaia. Jesus, talk about shit timing.

I sighed and opened the one from my professor. It was an outline of the things I needed to do to complete the first half of my internship. I skimmed through it, taking note of all the important parts, then replied that I would have it to her by midterms.

I closed out the email from my professor and hovered the mouse over the one from Kaia. I wasn’t sure if opening it was such a good idea, but a voice told me to do it anyway. I opened up the email and started reading.

Hey Dames!

Here are the notes from yesterday’s lecture. I highlighted everything Prof. Ross said would be on the test. Let me know if you need anything else. :)

- K.

P.S. Hope your mom is doing okay. Tell her hi for me next time you talk to her!

Of course. I had texted her on the way to Mom’s asking her to take notes for me in class. Sure, I could have asked anyone else in that class, but let’s be real. I wasn’t going to. Any excuse to talk to her, I snatched it up like a dog with a bone. Her email was innocent enough, but just seeing her name pop up on the screen made my heart beat faster. I swallowed the lump in my throat and closed out the email. That must be why Alana was so upset. I sighed deeply and got to work on my next task. After about thirty minutes of struggling to stay focused, I powered down my laptop and walked over to my supervisor’s office.

“Hey! I have an assignment due tomorrow that I need to finish up. Do you mind if I take off?”

She looked up from her computer and nodded. “Sure thing. Just let me sign off on your timesheet and you can be on your way.” I handed her the sheet required for my internship credit hours and she initialed the document, then handed it back to me. “We’ll see you next week,” she replied, then went back to her computer.

I walked back to my desk, packed up my things and headed out. When I got to my car, I dumped my bag in the backseat, then climbed in the driver’s side. Pulling out my phone, I contemplated texting Alana. But after the conversation we had earlier, I decided to let her have her space. She would reach out to me when she was ready to talk. Until then, I had to be patient. Against my better judgment, I texted Kaia.

My breath caught in my throat. Yep, she was definitely flirting with me. Good lords, this girl was going to be the death of me. I’d been fighting feelings for her since my sophomore year of high school. It was easier back then because she was so young, but now that she was older, I was having a hard time keeping my emotions and my dick in check. If I didn’t get this sorted out soon, I was going to completely fuck up both of my relationships. I shook my head, put the car in drive, and headed back to the dorms.

***

Kaia

Sloane, Nadia and I sat in the library Monday afternoon, studying for our Comp class exam. Even though we were only a couple of weeks into the semester, our professor decided this morning that we needed to have a pop quiz on Wednesday and told us to be prepared.

“Ugh, this stuff is so confusing and not at all pertinent to my degree. What is an independent clause anyway?” Nadia whined, holding her phone in one hand.

Sloane leaned over and tapped Nadia’s note sheet. “It’s a clause that has a subject and a verb and can stand alone. Didn’t you learn this stuff in high school?”

“Psh probably. What does that even mean?”

I sighed. “It’s a complete sentence. You’d know that if you were actually reviewing your notes and not texting Steve.”

Nadia rolled her eyes and went back to her phone. “I wish we all had this class together so I could just cheat off your papers.”

Sloane snorted and I rolled my eyes, throwing a ball of wadded up paper at her. “Shut up and study.”

Nadia laughed and grabbed her highlighter, highlighting some sentences on her study guide. “Prepositional phrases are going to be the death of me.”

Ugh, this was so reminiscent of high school. I love my cousin, but she can be a bit flighty. “I’m going to be the death of you if you don’t study your notes, Miss Art Major. Just because this class isn’t,” I held up my index and middle fingers, making air quotes “pertinent to your degree, doesn’t mean you can slack off and not study. What’s going to happen when Steve gets drafted to the NFL and he dumps you for someone smart?”

“Steve would never do that. I’m too cute,” she gasped. Sloane chuckled and went back to her notes.

Ten minutes later, Nadia looked up from her study guide. “So, you guys going to Homecoming?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” I sighed, not looking up as I turned a page in my book.

“I don’t know, it might be kind of fun,” Sloane said, looking up from her study guide.

A grin spread across Nadia’s face. “I agree, Sloane. Plus, there’s so much to do! There’s the parade, the game, the dance. And Delta Sigma Phi is having another party!”

“They have parties every weekend.”

“Not like this,” Nadia retorted. “This one is supposed to be huge.”

I shook my head and went back to studying my notes. The idea of homecoming made me cringe. I only had bad memories of going. Most recently, my junior year. The game was a total blowout (the other team kicked our asses 55-0) and my boyfriend ditched me at the dance for the Homecoming Queen. I didn’t even bother going my senior year because I knew it was going to be a suckfest.

An hour and several chapters into our composition textbooks, Nadia groaned and smacked her head on the table. “I’m hungry, you guys. I say we take a break. My brain hurts.”

I pressed my forefingers to my temple and sighed. Sloane dropped her pencil on the table and removed her glasses, rubbing her eyes. “For once, I agree with Nadia. We could use a coffee break. I’m kind of going cross-eyed over here from reading and re-reading these notes.”

“Fine. I’ll go grab coffee. Who wants what?”

“Ooh. Get me a Strawberry Passion Fruit Boba Tea, please!” Nadia said. “And a banana muffin.”

“I’ll take the caramel almond latte,” Sloane replied. I nodded and grabbed my purse, making my way to the campus coffee shop. Whoever designed this college to put a coffee shop in the library is a motherloving genius. When I arrived, there was only one person in line in front of me. I perused the menu, trying to decide which caffeinated beverage would give me the boost I needed to power through the last leg of our study session.

When it was my turn, I approached the counter and put in Sloane and Nadia’s orders. The barista asked me if that would be all, and I replied there would be one more drink, but that I was still deciding.

“You should try the Cinnamon Roll mocha. It’s indescribable,” a deep voice behind me suggested. I whipped around and came face-to-face with a tall man with warm brown eyes and jet black hair. His soft pink lips were curled into a friendly smile. It was crazy how suspiciously attractive he was. Was every guy at this school an undercover model or something? He looked familiar and I studied his face, trying to figure out where I knew him from.

“How do you know I’ll like it?” I asked him.

“You seem like the type of girl that likes sweet things,” he winked.

I blushed then turned back to the barista. “I’ll take that.” She nodded and got to work making my drinks. I turned back to the mysterious stranger. “If I don’t like this drink, you have to buy me a new one.”

“That won’t be necessary, because you’ll like it,” he laughed.

I moved over to wait for my drinks as he ordered his. I smirked when I heard him also order the Cinnamon Roll mocha. Okay, guy. I see what you’re up to. As we waited for our drinks, he moved over and grabbed a stirring straw, sticking one end in his mouth. My eyes were automatically drawn to the movement as his tongue swirled around the tip of the straw. He noticed me watching and winked.

I cleared my throat. “So...um. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look really familiar.”

“I should. We’re in the same College Algebra class.”

I paused, cocking an eyebrow at him. “Oh?”

“Yeah, you sit in the second row. Let’s just say, I may have checked you out once or twice. No big deal. And since I helped you out with your drink order, you can help me out by telling me your name.”

I laughed. “It’s Kaia. I knew you looked familiar. And thanks for the suggestion, I guess. We’ll see how you did here in a minute.” He extended his hand and I took it, feeling his warm hand squeeze mine.

“Hi, Kaia. I’m Hayden. And trust me on this. You’re going to be so blown away by this drink, you’ll offer up your firstborn for another one.”

I rolled my eyes and grabbed a stack of napkins as the barista called my name and slid the tray with my drinks across the counter. I moved to collect them along with Nadia’s muffin. Hayden watched me intently as I picked up the cup marked “CR” and took a tentative sip. When the coffee hit my tongue, my tastebuds were transformed to a new world. He must have seen it by the look on my face because a huge grin spread across his.

“What did I tell you? You love it, don’t you?”

“Okay, okay. You were right on that one. Any more life-changing advice you want to give me?”

“You got something… right…” He reached over and wiped a dribble of the coffee from my chin with his thumb, then brought it to his mouth, sucking the liquid off. My breath caught in my throat at the contact. I quickly composed myself and grabbed my items. As I juggled the drink tray with shaking hands, Hayden swooped in and took it from me.

“Need a little help with that?” he asked.

“Thanks. We’re just sitting over here,” I replied, guiding him over to where Sloane and Nadia were chatting. Nadia’s eyes lit up when she saw us approaching.

“Ooh! Coffee and eye candy,” she squealed, leaping from her seat to take the tray from his hand. “Who is this tall drink of water, Kaia?”

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” I eyed her incredulously.

She sat down and handed Slone her drink before taking a sip of her own. “Hey! You can look at the menu as long as you don’t order anything from it. I’m Nadia. And you are?”

I shot her a glare. “Nadia, this is Hayden. He's in my algebra class. Hayden, this is my cousin Nadia and my friend Sloane.” He leaned over the table and shook each of their hands.

“You’re in my American Government class. Do you want to sit with us?” Sloane asked, taking a sip from her coffee.

Hayden looked around the library, like he was waiting for someone, then back to me. “Oh, I don’t want to impose. Looks like you ladies have your own study group going on.”

“Nonsense. Come, have a seat next to my extremely beautiful and extremely single cousin,” Nadia insisted, motioning for Hayden to take the chair next to mine.

“Nadia!” I snapped.

He grinned and sat down, raking his eyes over my body. I blushed as I took the seat next to him. He tugged his backpack from his shoulders and dug around, pulling out a spiral notebook. He then leaned over to see what we were studying. “Well, I don’t have Comp homework, but I guess I can work on my algebra homework.”

I glanced at his notebook and nodded. “I can help you with that when we’re done here.”

He smiled, sending the butterflies in my stomach into overdrive. He had a nice smile. Sloane looked up from her notes and addressed Hayden. “So, what are you majoring in?”

He paused and took a sip of his coffee, eyeing the three of us, then swallowed. “I’m actually majoring in photography.”

“Wow! A fellow art major! How exciting,” Nadia said, extending her hand for a high-five. Hayden laughed and slapped his palm against hers.

“Photography, huh? That sounds exciting! How’d you get into that field?” I asked.

“I joined Yearbook my sophomore year of high school and took pictures for the club, and I just kind of fell in love with it. I started taking pictures for fun and ended placing second in my state’s high school photography competition.”

I placed my elbows on the table and rested my chin in my hands. Listening to him talk about his love for photography made me smile. I wish I was half as passionate about anything as he was about photography.

The four of us settled into a comfortable conversation, neglecting our studying. We talked about our favorite (and not so favorite) professors, which classes we were looking forward to taking the next four years, and which spot in the student union was best for people-watching. We learned that Nadia and Hayden also shared two classes and the same advisor. Another hour had passed when my stomach growled and I looked at my phone to see the time was 5:30 p.m.

“Holy shit, it’s dinner time. You guys wanna go grab a bite?”

“I can’t. Steve gets done with football practice soon, so we’re going out after,” Nadia said.

“I’d love to, but I have a ton of homework I need to get done for my Spanish comp class. Maybe another time.” Sloane said.

I debated texting Damien to ask if he was free, but he sounded really weird when I spoke to him a few days ago, so I let it go. I shrugged and started gathering up my books. Nadia left first, with Sloane taking off shortly after, leaving Hayden and me by ourselves. He shoved the last of his things in his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, then followed me out of the library. We walked through the courtyard toward the dorms, surveying the sun as it slowly set behind the horizon. He stopped walking then turned to me.

“I hope you don’t think I’m being too forward, but would you want to go get a bite to eat sometime?”

I stared down at my shoes, kicking a stray pebble on the pavement. He seemed nice enough. But why was I so hesitant to say yes? I shifted on my feet and looked up at him. “Oh...um...I don’t know.”

He frowned. “Hey, no big deal. I get it. Just thought I’d shoot my shot.”

“No. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that I’m not ready to date yet. I guess I’m still adjusting to the new school year. But if you’re ever up for another study group, let me know.”

He smiled, although it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah, sure. Do you want me to walk you to your dorm?”

“Nah. I think I’m okay. I’ll see you in class.”

“You too,” he replied and winked as he made his way to the dorms. I watched him walk away as I stood in the middle of the courtyard. What was wrong with me? This extremely good-looking and nice guy just asked me out, and I shot him down. It’s not like I already had a boyfriend, so why was I acting like a scared little bitch? I briefly considered chasing him down and saying, ‘lol j/k let’s go out sometime,’ but something held me in place. I just couldn’t figure out what it was.

#best beloved #pm au #college au #friends to lovers #perfect match #choices fanfic #damien nazario #kaia park #damien x mc #nazariolahela fanfic

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