#i was sooo worried but this beta hit just right

[truecharged]

My life is over 😭

Also bonus feat. this HIGHLY relatable hunter in my lobby

[owaowabetch]

Uh Oh (Sykkuno x F!Reader)

Oneshot (maybe part of a series??? idk we’ll see): The Prequel to “Impasta” in which reader meets the gang for the first time and experiences a betrayal. Mainly Friendship

Warning: non-beta, I wrote this in one go and full sent it. 

You were a small time Twitch streamer that had recently befriend a streamer with a much larger audience, ValkyRae.  You had been talking back and forth for quite some time, since Rae’s dm to you weeks ago. You were mainly an rp channel where you played games like GTA, The Sims, and Animal Crossing. Though you gained a lot of your followers from playing League, though it mostly consisted of hate-followers that would only critique your gaming, even though you were pretty good at it. But it doesn’t bother you too much *que sob*

You were streaming GTA on a RP server playing an amish girl on a Rumspringa and wreaking havoc. You and your ‘gang’ had successfully finished hitting a bank truck ,causing your character to rake in a few thousand dollars, when you got a message from Rae asking you if you had wanted to play a few rounds of the popular game among us. 

“Alright guys, a friend asked if I wanted to join her lobby of among us. I know it’s different from the stuff i usually stream, but is that something you guys would be cool with?” You asked your chat and watch an influx of people messaging ‘yes’ or ‘pog’. You take a sip of your Starbucks and picked up your phone to message Rae that you’ll be joining. “Fair warning, I’ve never played among us. So we’ll see how this goes, guys” 

While you waited to be invited to the discord and into the lobby, you chatted with your viewers for a bit. “I just realized that I’m really awkward around new people. Like when I’m playing on the GTA Rp Server, I’m not myself, I’m a character you know? So it’s easier to talk with other people, cause they’re also role playing. Plus I don’t think I can call anyone in the discord a musty dusty rat bitch lol or sell them drugs, it’s not that kind of game...unless?...” You laugh as you login to your discord and accept the invite to the discord “alright guys! here we go~”

You enter the discord call and hear people talking. 

“Y/N!” Rae exclaims “Guys this is my new friend y/n”

“Hi” Responding to the various voices greeting you

“OK, so the code is in the chat and so are the bubbles, so your chat can see who is talking and what not” Rae explains

You input the code and saw your little character in the space ship. “Oh god guys look at us!” You ran your little character around the ship “How do we change colors? I’m not feeling this blue and I saw Rae with her lil creepy mask”

You read your chat tell you what to do so you went to the little computer to change the blue to white and clicked through all the hats til you decided on the pink flower. “How about this guys? Yellow is my favorite color but its taken”

“Alright, you ready y/n?” Rae asked

“Yup” you respond by running circles around her character

“OK i’m starting. Don’t forget to mute and close chat. You can open it back up if your imposter or dead” Rae sang “Good luck~”

“Alright chat I gotta close you til the game is done? I guess” You hum as the words ‘crewmate’ pop up. “Well at least i’m not imposter, i know the game. I mean who hasn’t at this point. I just never played it, seems to be to nerve wracking”

You open the map icon and run to where the closet yellow exclamation point was, which was admin. You make sure to note all the colors around you in there as you swipe your card “Alright, green, yellow, brown,red, and orange” You repeated the colors over and over again as you make your way into electrical when you notice something “Ok uh green is following me? I don’t know why but its freaking me out.” The lights turn off and you start freaking out “Oh god, this is where I die. Don’t I? You know what do it. Kill me! It’s probably a good idea. I’m kind of an idiot and it’ll help me figure things out on my own without the pressure” You follow the arrow pointing to a panel and you click on it “What am i supposed to do? You know green, this would be the perfect opportunity to murder me in cold blood... is this how you do it?” You flip the switches so that they are all bright green and the lights turn on “YAS BITCH, I did it” 

The green character kind of just circles your body as you do tasks in electrical, you do download, wires, and power diverter. “Ok BUT WHY IS HE FOLLOWING ME!!” 

An orange body had been reported and that two others had died (bright green and pink) and the person who reported the body was black or as his name read ‘Abe’ “Ok, so this body was in admin on card swipe”

“Well this body couldn’t have been me or y/n” Sykkuno says “I was following her this entire time”

“Yea, I’d like to know why lol? You were kinda freaking me out dude” You laugh a bit trying to play off how nervous you were to call him out on it

“Oh No! I was protecting you” Sykkuno explains “I promise”

“Sykkuno? Are you already simping for someone?” Rae feigns exasperation 

“No really guys!” He explains nervously “The new person always dies first, so I was just trying to protect her.”

You hum and smile mischievously “Unless, your just trying to gain my trust only to murder me in coldblood in front of my bestie Rae, to prove your superiority over her!?!”

Rae gasps “Really Sykkuno!?! I’m voting you just for that!”

“Wah? No wait! It’s not like that really” Sykkuno starts laughing as Rae votes “Oh God did you really vote for me?”

“Yes” Rae says and you start laughing 

“So anyways, Leslie’s body is in admin?” Hafu says wanting to talk more about the body and get all the sus’s and clears

Though you gasp when you realized a few things “wait I have some info to share” teasing Sykkuno had loosened you up a bit “it was me,green,yellow,brown,red, and orange in admin. Then me and green, uh Syyykkkuunnoo? Sorry if i didn’t say your name right, left and went into electrical, then lights were called and I fixed them before finishing off my tasks in there. So the body must’ve died during lights unless she left and came back into admin after lights were fixed? which doesn’t make much sense, sooo yea” you smiled “look at me chat! being all smart and shit” 

“yes” Poki agrees “I left admin also with Rae just before lights were called”

“Ok, so I know that puts sus on me, but I went straight to lights when they were called” Hafu says “Someone on the right side must’ve vented when lights were off. Like I was entering the hallway from storage with Tina when lights got fixed and we went to reactor room together. So it couldn’t have been me. Maybe Tina? I dont know which way she come from, but it was not me”

“That is true. I did meet up with Hafu at storage, but I don’t know man” Tina says “ I was doing download in comms”

“Oh god” You tell chat “I don’t know whether to believe Hafu or not. I know she is really good, along with Toast, but he hasn’t said anything”

“Well it is seven and we don’t vote on seven, so we can skip. Just putting a sus on Hafu” Rae says

“Yes please do” Hafu says as she votes to skip

“Do we know where the other bodies are?” Poki asks as the seconds start to dwindle down to zero “Also Toast? Why are you so quiet?”

“I’m trying to figure out a new strat, so don’t you worry. I’ll catch the killers” Toast starts to evil laugh and that was the end of the meeting.

“Ok we’re susing Hafu for this.Though I don’t think it’s her only cause I remember watching one of her imposter plays and it would be a too obvious kill,since so many people were there, it just doesn’t make sense, so someone venting in and killing is plausible or could be a self report? I don’t know lol It’s my first game” You run with Sykkuno and finish up your tasks together. Though lights were called when you both were at shields, you can see the vent pop open and in your little vision bubble you see a flash of red “Whelp this is where I die, I’d like to rate Sykkuno an 8 out of 10 for protecting me, but obviously I am now died” True to your word Rae killed you and you saw Sykkuno running around like a headless chicken when he reports your body 

“Oh God! They got her when I was trying to protect her!” Sykkuno exclaims 

“Sykkuno! You were supposed to be protecting her!?” Rae shouts “What happened? Did you kill her in cold blood? hmm?”

“smh Rae, you murdered me right in front of Sykkuno” You sigh “Well chat looks like I’m dead and we can speak now”

“No!” Sykkuno denies “I said I was going to protect her. I wouldn’t kill her after saying that”

“Well she’s dead now Sykkuno! Where’s the body?” Toast dramatically says

“It’s in shields. It happened when lights were off” Sykkyno says “I’m sorry y/n, I couldn’t protect you”

“Aw that is so cute” You pout at his apology, it wasn’t his fault. It was dark, so obviously he couldn’t see

“Well I don’t think Sykkuno did this, He said he was protecting her to everyone, so I can say that he’s crew” Hafu says “I’m at light panel, I remember seeing Poki and Tina there”

“I can confirm this” Poki says “So Toast let’s hear your big brain play. What’s your strat?”

It was silent for a minute, before Toast admits that he doesn’t have one.

“Ok so we can all agree that Toast is the imposter right?” Rae says “Vote him outta here!”

“Yep” Tina agrees hitting that vote on him and many follow suit

“Wait guys! WAIT! I do! I do have a strat” Toast screams out “Uhhh... wires! The wires guys!”

“Lol they’re gunna vote him off” You watch people voting “Rae is probably gunna win this”

“Yea, you’ve done that pay before” Poki laughs

“Don’t worry I’ll skip Toast” Sykkuno says 

“Why would you skip if we’re on 6?” Rae asks “Is Toast your imposter buddy?”

“Wah? I said I was protecting y/n, why would I kill her?” Trying to make his innocence obvious 

“Unless you killed her by accident or Toast did and you’re trying to protect him like the Simp you are!” Rae accuses him

Tina starts to also question Sykkuno “Wait a second, I dont think I’ve seen you do a single task this entire game! You’ve just been following y/n all around! We should vote him off next!”

“Guys, I swear it’s not me, it just doesn’t make sense” You can hear him plead “Oh no guys, how did this get twisted? It’s Rae! But how did it go to thinking Sykkuno as imposter?”

The meeting ends with Toast screaming into the abyss as he is yeeted out with Sykkuno telling him that he voted to skip.

“Ok then chat, looks like the imposters are gunna win, lets talk for a bit” You sigh and start reading the comments “ I know that I didn’t talk much with them, but I’m just awkward in general and I don’t know what to say to them. This is the first time playing with a group like this where i’m supposed to be myself and not a character.”

The words Defeat appeared on screen and there was Hafu and Rae as imposter. “I honestly didn’t think it was Hafu”

“Hafu was that you that killed Leslie in admin? I didn’t think it was “You asked when you returned to the lobby

“NO! I got framed by my own partner” Hafu explains before taking her bathroom break

“How did Rae get that kill cause I was with her?” Poki asks

“I vented from Caf back into admin when lights were off” Rae laughs “and I vented into shields and killed y/n right in front of Sykkuno!”

“Im sorry for not being able to protect you” Sykkuno runs circles around my character “Next round I’ll do better! I promise”

You laugh and start chasing after him in the ship “What if you end up as imposter?”

“Then I’ll have to look away as my imposter buddy kills you” Sykkuno laughs behind his hand and clears his throat “Im joking, Im joking, I promise”

“Wow Sykkuno” You tsk and run over to the opposite side of the room “I don’t know if I want your protection services now”

“Uh” Sykkuno splutters “I’m joking I promise! I won’t kill you as imposter”

“Wait til Corpse hears you simping over someone else” Poki says before starting the game

“Wait Hafu is still in the bathroom!” Rae exclaimed, but it was to late to stop the game from starting, so she’ll have to jump in when she comes back. Though you swear you feel your heart jump out of your chest when the words Imposter read on you screen. The 1st of the night for you and another in a row for Hafu.

“Oh God guys. Hafu is in the bathroom, but she has to carry us” You start to panic “What we do we do!?! Wait is Sykkuno seriously gunna follow us? Should we kill him or would that be to obvious?” You see the chat tell you that it would be to obvious and that it would be better to maybe frame him, but it seems to mean to you “Should we kill someone in front of him? You know to test his loyalty? It’s a terrible idea”

Though before you go on to fake tasks, you see Sykkuno standing on top of Hafu’s body, so you also go ontop of Sykkuno’s and to the outside perspective you are protecting Hafu, but really for you it’s to ensure that your imposter partner is going to be walking around and killing people,once she comes back from the bathroom. It seems that Hafu is back from the bathroom as her yellow character starts making her way away from you both. You and Sykkuno make your way to admin when lights get called and Sykkuno starts to wiggle his body around into a corner. It seems as though he wants you to stack with him in a corner, but before you do you double back when you see a body pass by and kill them, though you start to laugh when you see your character kill Rae, before ‘stumbling’ into Sykkuno’s view in the corner. You both stay there as lights turn back on and go on card swipe. You think about juking Sykkuno, but realize that it’ll look sus on you for ditching him. So you two just walk around ‘completing’ tasks as every once in a while the lights would go off and you two will stack on each other or wait for doors to open which you had been closing alot of them. 

“Honestly guys I’m at a point were I just wanna murder someone in front of him” You start to evil laugh as you both stack in the corner of medbay as lights start turning on when a body got called

“It’s toast, it’s toast, it’s toast” Hafu chants as it was her who reported the body “I saw him kill Poki”

“oh she self reported” you note and click on Toast’s name but not locking in your vote just in case. You also noticed that four people had died “She killed three people!?! Wow she is beast in this game! Holy Shit guys”

“see, from my perspective it’s hafu. I didn’t see the kill, but I did see blood splatter and Hafu immediately reported the body and blamed me, so it has to be Hafu. I’m voting her” Toast explains and votes her

“no no no no no no no. I saw you kill her when lights got fixed.” Hafu describes her side and what she did in that round “ Ok guys I was afk for like the first 20 seconds and I see Sykkuno and y/n there standing on me in caf., and I’m just doing my tasks, which I finished by the way, so I’m just going back and forth going to cams and just walking around to find any dead bodies. So if you saw cams on in the last 30 or so seconds it was me. I’ve also been fixing lights too! Peter and Leslie should be able to vouch for me on that! But on this round of lights I’m making my way to go help fix them when i see blood flicker in my little bubble and as it starts to get bigger I see Toast walking away from it. Its Toast. It is 100% Toast.” She locks her vote on him “Vote him please. If you don’t vote then you’re either imposter or just throwing”

“I don’t know guys” You start and hover your mouse over the green checkmark next to Toast’s name “I’ve been with Sykkuno the entire round and we did guard Hafu’s body. For Hafu to say that she saw Toast kill, but toast didn’t see Hafu kill? It just doesnt make sense so I’m voting Toast” You lock your vote in when Hafu reminds everyone that crew has to vote together since it is on six. Reminding Peter and Leslie that Hafu has been fixing lights got their votes, but Sykkuno was hesitant “You know I can never vote Toast guys, but I have been with y/n this entire time and I know it’s not her. So, I’m sorry Toast but uh” He locks his vote in for either Hafu or Toast? Who knows if he’s simping over Toast hard.

“Sykkuno?” You can hear Toast tremble his voice “Sy-sykkuno? Who did you vote for? Sykkuno!?!?! Do- Don’t tell me...did you really vote me?”

“I uh “ He clears his throat as the votes get out and all of us had voted Toast 

Toast gasps “Sykkuno!?! How could you!?!?!”

“I’m sorry! I just trust y/n!” Sykkuno explains as Toast’s body once again gets yeeted out into space. 

“Wow guys, looks like we’re gunna win our first imposter game!” You wiggle around happily “and we literally did nothing...wait we killed Rae! We got our revenge from the last round mwua hahahahaha”

Sykkuno and I run circles around each other before walking back into medbay. You can see Hafu kind of trailing behind and the doors get locked with us three in it, but Hafu is just standing there. “Chat what is Hafu doing? Why is she just standing there” You can see Sykkuno step on the med scan “Wait she wants ME to kill SYKKUNO! Oh god that is so evil lol but i’m so useless as imposter, so I might as well get in at least 25% of the kills” 

Once Sykkuno steps off you just murder him and you see that you had won.

“I- I can’t believe you just killed me!?! I trusted you y/n” Sykkuno exclaims

“Sykkuno” Rae sighs “she KILLED ME in caf! Why did no one NOT SEE MY CHOPPED BODY IN CAF!”

You just laugh “I’m sorry Sykkuno, but my chat was telling me that Hafu wanted me to kill you”

“Yea, cause I did like all of the kills and sabotages” Hafu recounts who and how she killed 

“Sykkuno, you giant simp. I can’t believe you vote me” Toast tsk’ed 

“I can’t believe y/n was the imposter! and she killed me!” Sykkuno shakes his head “you know what i’m no longer protecting you anymore”

“Wait Sykkuno I’m sorry. Really” You giggle 

“No no no it’s ok, it’s all part of the game” Sykkuno reassure you that he is not actually mad and that he hoped you had fun “But i wont be protecting you from now on, I have scars now”

So, you play a few more games before calling it quits and end your stream. Later on, you find that Sykkuno started following you on Twitter and Instagram, You totally did not stalk both of his pages and you totally don’t think that he’s cute.....

SideNote: You totally murdered someone in front of Sykkuno and he totally didn’t snitch on you. Instead he protected you as you ran around killing more people in front of him and like the giant Simp he is he totally went ‘I neva snitch on you Daddy, I hold a brick for you Daddy’.

[moccahobi]

Dear Diary [Jimin x Reader]

Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff

Rating: E for everyone

Summery: You’re moving! Finally. Getting into a masters program in South Korea meant soooo much to you and it also offered the perfect opportunity to move in with your favorite pen pal and high school friend from an exchange: Park Jimin. A sweet and caring squirrel hybrid.

Word Count: 6.3k words

Genre: Fluff, Hybrid AU, Roommates AU, Friends to Lovers

A/N: OMGGGG. Formatting this was soooo annoying. Never again am I going to do so many dividers. It was not it chief. Lolol. I love this fic though! It is part of a collab for hybrids (check out the masterlist here) you should totally check them out! All the authors here are soooo amazing and their works are amazing in this too! Also! Thank you to @jung-hoseok-s-airplane​ and @spicykoreantatertots​ the two amazing people who betaed this fic for me! They helped soooo much!

Unlocking the door to your shabby apartment, you were struck by how empty it looked. It was really more of a ghost of your apartment at this point. You’d been slowly shipping your stuff over to South Korea for almost a month (really, as soon as you were accepted to Seoul University’s master program and Jimin agreed to be your roommate) and by now, all you had to take with you on your flight tomorrow was a small day bag with your necessities and a suitcase full of the clothes you’d worn this week. Your empty apartment really made the move feel real (something your job’s kind send off party hadn’t done). This move was real.

You had gotten accepted into your dream program across the world.

Tomorrow afternoon you’ll be leaving this area and moving in with Jimin.

You giggled and sat on your couch with a dazed smile stuck on your face. It wasn’t really your couch anymore was it? Your landlord was keeping all the furniture. Not that you really cared. How would you have possibly carted your large furniture across the world anyways? 

After almost four years of living here though… you’d be leaving behind many memories stored in this apartment. Like when one of your friends spent the night here after an evening of clubbing and ended up vomiting all over the rug you’d placed in the living space. He promised to pay for a deep cleaning the next day, which you took him up on… but then he just rented a steam cleaner. He was a funny person like that. Although… it was much less expensive than a cleaning service probably was. Looking back, you laughed at how worried you were of him finding one of your many journals stored on your bookshelf, so worried that you hid them under your bed. Not that it really mattered. He was a sweet friend and your journals just looked like notebooks.

Had you packed them? After shoving them under your bed all that time ago, you didn’t even think about looking back on them. Maybe if you hadn’t been reminiscing, you would’ve forgotten them here and lost them forever. Surely your landlord would just throw them away without a second thought. 

You’d been sleeping on an empty mattress and a small pillow for three days now, your comforter and sheets already in Korea with Jimin. You shuddered against your cold floor as you knelt down on the cold hard floor to grab your almost forgotten journals. With them in hand, you settled onto your pillow-less couch and carefully opened up the last journal you’d written. It was from the study abroad you did in South Korea in your last year of high school. Without that study abroad, you’d never have met Jimin and you most definitely wouldn’t be moving across the world for your masters program.

You wouldn’t want to do anything else though. Jimin was probably your best friend and this program was the opportunity of a lifetime. With a nostalgic smile on your face, you started to read.

Dear diary, 

Something crazy happened today! Ahhh! I was so shocked when Jimin, THE social butterfly of my school, came up and started talking to me. He’s a hybrid of some sort, not that it matters to me. He’s got a black bowl cut too… it looks funny with his furry pointed ears sticking out of it. Anyways, the conversation was a little stunted at first… I barely knew Korean and Jimin barely knew English but somehow we had a really good conversation. I am honestly so shocked. Here I thought that as an exchange student in South Korea, I’d just talk to other exchange students and mumble a few words to other students. I mean… I know Korean some but not much. It was… AHHH! I had so fun talking to Jimin. He’s so sweet and kind. I even added him on Kakao. He’s my first non-exchange family member on my Kakao. I can’t wait to get to know him more.

Dear diary, 

Jimin and I talk almost daily! Mostly through text because we don’t see each other much during school but that’s ok! He is in a lot more advanced classes than I but I think we are planning on meeting up for lunch this Wednesday. He even asked if I wanted to join him at the dance club but I said no… I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of my only friend. Given, Jimin is so friendly and sweet that I bet he’d just laugh and try to teach me but still. Besides, he apparently competes. That’s what I’d heard from others at school at least. I don’t want to distract him from preparing for competitions. 

Dear diary,

I went to a karaoke booth with Jimin and some of his friends. It was so fun! Jimin’s friends were a little shy to talk to me but they opened up as we started to sing more. I didn’t expect them to be such weebs like me! Lol. They all joined in to sing the current theme song of One Piece. It was soo funny. The mic didn’t know who to focus on and we got such a baddddd score. Jisoo was sooo funny while singing (Jisoo is a sweet cat hybrid). Jimin is surprisingly a great singer though! I was surprised. Is there anything he is possibly bad at? I don’t know. 

After karaoke, he and I went to a park and just chilled. Instead of sitting at a bench, Jimin dragged me off to a small clearing and sat on a low tree branch. It was the first time I really thought of him as a hybrid because… like… sitting on that tree with his tail swaying slowly as he ate ice cream… I don’t know. It was nice to just be with him there but still. It didn’t help that he kept batting at me with his tail until I joined him on the branch. I could have sworn the branch shook as I joined! We probably both almost died because of that branch broke, we would have fallen! I am exaggerating… but still. 

You were such an extra kid at times. A laugh left you as you thought back on that afternoon spent talking while chilling on the tree branch. Now you knew there was no way you would have died even if the branch fell. The worst thing that would have happened would have been a broken bone (although with Jimin’s quick reflexes and hearing, he might have noticed the branch start to splinter before it even became an emergency for both of you). 

Looking over at the clock, you noted that it was almost nine at night. Jimin would wake up soon and start his last day roommate-less. You chuckled thinking about what he might be doing right now. Maybe he’d be meticulously rolling over his couch so that his hair wasn’t all over it when you first sat down, or he was washing all the blankets to make sure they were extra soft (in reality, he was probably hitting snooze for the 100th time that morning).  Either way, he was probably just as excited to see you again as you were. Sure you’d texted each other almost daily but it wasn’t the same. You both became super busy and the time zone difference made it hard to video chat often. 

Life happened and no amount of texting or video chatting seemed to make up for that.

For all you knew, Jimin looked so different from what you remember that when you arrive at the airport and look for him holding the “Welcome Y/n” sign he made, you will only be able to recognize him by the sign (and his tail… unless he dyed the dark brown tail to be some other color). 

Maybe you’d changed too. Your hair and style have undoubtedly changed… but would Jimin notice changes other than that? Maybe your scent had changed. You knew that hybrids had more sensitive noses and often identified people by scent (you learned that the hard way by trying to play hide and seek in the dark with Jimin and some of his friends at a party… never again). During your exchange, Jimin claimed you smelled like blossoms (from how you’d read about smells in the past, you knew there was more to one’s smell than just one thing but you didn’t push Jimin for more). Maybe you’d ask Jimin again sometime.

A vibration from your phone took you out of your thoughts and when you checked the notification, you chuckled. It was as if Jimin knew that you were thinking about him. 

Jimi: I built your bedframe~

Jimi: When your sheets arrive today I will make your bed. That way you don’t have to worry about all that after such a long flight. 

Jimi: Can’t wait to see u again!

You: Thank you

You: I am excited to see you soon too!

Looking down at your worn journals and gently rubbing their spines, you decided you wanted to have a journal for this journey too. Given your track record of starting and dropping journals, you’d probably only keep at it for a month or so but could still be very nice. There was one simple issue with your plan though, you didn’t have a notebook to write in… or a pen. Those things were in Korea by now. 

You’d have to leave the house to get that stuff… or you could just buy it at the airport tomorrow. The airport only sold overpriced stuff though… plus it would be cool to start writing now.

With that thought, you got up, put your shoes on, grabbed your wallet and keys, and walked to the closest general store. After little deliberation, you bought a slender black dotted notebook and gel pens. Excitement bubbled up inside you as you sat on your couch again, pen poised to write. This would be fun. 

Dear diary,

I am moving tomorrow. 

I am moving halfway across the world to live with Jimin, a squirrel hybrid and my best friend. I was accepted into my dream masters program and will be living in South Korea on a student visa. I am so excited to see Jimin again. Has he changed much or is he still the same old sweet guy who hid in trees to think and talks to strangers? I’ll know soon. 

Well… it won’t be that soon. I have to fly to South Korea first. 

It’ll be a long flight. I’ll arrive in Seoul tomorrow at 5pm and Jimin will take me out to dinner with some of his friends before we just relax at our shared apartment. Almost all of my stuff is already in the apartment. I’ve been shipping them across for a little over a month or so now. 

I am so excited. 

I should probably eat something and go to bed though. Tomorrow will be long and full of tedious airport procedures… yay! Note the sarcasm. 

Good night. 

Let’s see if I use you.

Dear diary,

It is almost time to board. I am so excited. When I was packing, I thought that I would be more anxious about the move and make a little sad about leaving my friends and family behind, but I don’t feel anxious or sad. Ok… I am a little sad. But my excitement outweighs my sadness. I’ll be leaving some friends behind but I will be making so many more! And I’ll finally get to see Jimin again as well. 

Oh.

My flight is about to board. I guess I will talk to you later then!

You were exhausted by the time you finally sat down in your seat, ready to see Jimin again and sleep in a made bed. The flight would be a long slog full of you getting up to use the bathroom, walking down the isles just to move, reading a book because it was one of the few forms of entertainment you had, and drinking lots of water. It was exhausting (somehow), yet time moved and eventually you found yourself staring out at Korea’s landscape. 

The city was alive and so pretty. For a moment you forgot that you were tired. Given the second you got up, you remembered it all again. Your legs felt sore and tired from sitting in one spot for so long and your eyelids were almost sheets of lead by now. As you waited for the people in front of you to leave the plane, you turned your phone back on (you’d bought a cellular plan last week for when you would be in Korea). As soon as it connected to your new plan, you were bombarded with excited messages from Jimin that he’d sent all through his day. From photos of food he’d cooked for your first dinner together to the ‘Welcome to Korea Y/n’ poster he made for you. It made you smile and  as you neared where he said he would be waiting for you, you grew even more excited once again. 

Would you get along with his friends?

Would your schedules match? 

Jimin came into view before you could keep thinking, his “Welcome to Korea Y/n” sign much bigger and grander than you imagined. There were two hybrids flanking either side of him, one you recognized as Jisoo from high school and the other you’d never met before. Even from the six or so meter distance you were at right now, you could see Jimin’s tail quiver excitedly. You sped up. Six meters couldn’t end soon enough. Jimin handed the poster to one of his friends and engulfed you in a suffocating hug, his warmth flooding you. Almost immediately, you felt a sense of home in Jimin’s arms, your bodies melding together nicely and a sense of calm settling over you. You didn’t want to let go. It wasn’t until one of his friends coughed awkwardly that Jimin released you and held you at arms length while giving you a once over. 

He looked good. 

Not that you expected much else from the dancer. Numberless days spent in the studio sculpted his body better than any artist you knew or studied could have done. Miraculously enough he’d somehow developed a sense of style. You especially loved his colorblocked button up shirt that seemed to shine in the dingy airport. 

“Nice to smell you again, Y/n-ah.” Jimin said, a shit-eating grin splitting his sweet smile as he winked at you.

A loud snort left one of Jimin’s friends, who appeared to be a pig hybrid. A cute pig hybrid at that. A shy blush bloomed across his handsome and plump face before he asked to take your suitcase (something you happily let him take). Jimin chittered quietly next to you as you quickly introduced yourself to his friends (the pig hybrid’s name Minju and the other, a mutual high school friend, Jisoo). The four of you started to leave the airport. 

“I wouldn’t have invited Jisoo and Minju to come and pick you up but I don’t have a car… I figured that you’d rather not lug all your stuff around the subway.”

“Out of all three of us – four of us I guess– I am the only one with a car.” Jisoo injected happily, twirling his keys around one of his slender fingers.

You laughed and nodded. Content to just listen to the three of them banter and talk as you were led to Jisoo’s car. They seemed content to embarrass each other by telling you about things they’ve done in the past that varied in severity from mistakes while dancing to drunken nights spent together. At one point, you even added in a story of Jimin and Jisoo fighting with sparklers, getting burned, and then burning all the sparklers as “revenge”. The banter didn’t stop until the car stopped and by then you’d felt as if you had spent more than just one year and a car ride with them.

“Now, Y/n-ssi, I know that you and Jimin talked about going back to his place and having a relaxing night–”

“We did and I’m excited to eat the food Jimin made. If it’s edible.” You added, smiling as Jisoo laughed and Jimin shouted.

“Yes. Well, Jimin had to make a deal with me to get me as a chauffeur.”

“It was a damn rotten deal.”

Minju laughed, “Whatever you say Chim. He’s still gotta honor it. So we are getting some food.”

A large and towering building faced you from outside the car and if the sign was anything to go by, it was more than just a restaurant. It was a karaoke place. A smile grew on your face as you looked up at it. Tonight would be fun… even if you were tired.

Dear diary,

Tonight was amazing. Sure I’d hoped to just settle into Jimin’s and my apartment and go to bed early after eating… but instead Jimin treated Minju, Jisoo, and I to dinner at a karaoke place. I’d have to look but it might have been the same place Jimin, Jisoo, some of Jimin’s friends, and I went to in high school. Not that it matters too much. We had so much fun! By the end of the night I even had Jisoo’s and Minju’s phone number too. Hopefully we can all be friends. 

Jimin has changed in ways I hadn’t noticed when we talked online. He seems to have picked up this habit of chittering. I want to try to figure out if there is something that causes him to chitter or if it just happens. Near the end of the night I tried paying attention to that but it was hard. Almost always when he started chittering, I was doing something. It’s good to be around him again. I missed him more than I realized.

Dear Diary, 

I start classes tomorrow! Yay!!! I also have a job interview tomorrow… which is less exciting. I knew that I would need a job and that I would have to wait until I had officially signed the lease (which happened literally the day after I moved in), but it was still so much work! Jimin has been helping me through which has been suuuuper helpful. After he comes home from the studio and eats– I have been cooking for him since he’s been busier than me– he’s been helping me modify and send in my resumes to places. It’s nice. We sit next to each other on the couch and just… put our heads together to get it done. 

After finishing that, he and I watched a movie after (this has happened two times!). We’ll cuddle together and watch some movie Jimin’s decided I need to watch. He’s a good cuddle buddy. I’ve enjoyed it. Well… wish me luck on my job!

“You’re back? That was fast! I barely had time to finish making dinner!” Jimin called out as you entered, tired from a long week (more like a long month or two by now) of classes and work but nonetheless happy to be home with Jimin. 

Throwing your bag on the closest chair, you went to him and gave him a tight side hug. Almost immediately, you felt some of your built up stress leave you. He was magical like that. You could be having a horrible day and just the sight of your best friend would make it all so much better. The nights where you would sit on the couch together and read or watch tv or just talk were your favorites. Jimin’s head would slowly drift into your lap and you would start to play with his soft hair and ears, your eyes trailing his beautiful face. Tonight would probably be one of those nights if you had any say in his evening plans. 

Jimin’s tail quivered and tickled your nose.

“I am sorry you had such a rough day, Y/n-ah.” Jimin said with a whine and you felt him move to set whatever he was holding down.

“It’s life, I guess.”

“That doesn’t make it any better, ”Jimin turned around and started hugging you tightly as well, gently rubbing his cheek against your neck, “I don’t like it when you’re this stressed, Y/n-ah. Let me take care of you tonight. I don’t want you stressing anymore tonight.” 

You laughed but gave in as Jimin started leading you to the couch before he started to bring the food he made into the living space as well. Soon enough, you were being coddled by Jimin who was making sure you ate and cuddling you as the two of you watched some random show. Sleep didn’t find you that night though. For some unknown reason, butterflies were hatching in your stomach and all you could do is feel them flutter around while wondering why you were possibly feeling such flutters. 

Less than a month later, as snow started falling down rapidly, you found yourself in a similar situation. It was your turn to make dinner, which wasn’t a problem because it also happened to be one of the rare days you had off. It was almost 8 at night by the time you finished dinner, the sun long set and Jimin would be home soon. You’d just finished setting the table and were scared by how harshly Jimin slammed the door shut. Normally he was so careful with closing the door, respectful of your neighbors and not wanting to damage anything. 

“Jimin-ah? Is that you?”

“Who else would it be? Have you been giving spare keys to your friends?”

You laughed and grabbed his backpack from him, “Aish. Why would I do that? We agreed not to. How was your day?”

Jimin walked into his room, his door open as he started changing. All the while he was venting. The students didn’t catch on to his newest dance as fast as he’d hoped and during break he heard them complaining. Then he ended up needing to take on an extra class because one of his coworkers bailed and he didn’t have time to practice for his showcase next week. Which was also a complete mess because everyone was being complete idiots, not that Jimin would ever tell them that.

“I’ve been looking forward to dinner all day though.” Jimin said with a large smile on his face as he sat down at the table, you joined him.

After dinner, you and Jimin sat on the couch and as Shrek was playing, he curled up next to you and rested his head on your lap, demanded pets. You wanted to laugh and make fun of him for being so clingy but refrained. He was so stressed. Now wasn’t the right time to make fun of him and his vulnerability. Plus, part of you relished in him wanting cuddles from you. 

Dear Diary,

I am sorry that I’ve been neglecting you. Lol. I’ve been so busy! Being a student full time with a part time job is stressful. Who would have thought? Jimin’s been stressing sooo much over his latest dance performance. It is honestly stressing me out. 

It probably isn’t healthy for him either. He literally spent the whole weekend practicing at the studio… I dropped off lunch for him both days. AND yesterday was one of his days to make dinner and instead of telling me that he couldn’t, he simply didn’t return to the apartment until, like, 10pm. I was so worried. THEN! He got upset at me for assuming he’d be cooking when his show is this Friday. Like, sorry I wasn’t informed that you wouldn’t be. 

More importantly though, I am worried about Jimin. He used to come to me before his performances and we would talk. I was a person he could turn to for stress relief, but all he’s done leading up to this performance is snap at me and hide away in his studio in preparation. I don’t want him to be this stressed out… 

What should I do?

By the next day, you’d figured out what must be done. You were going to forcefully bring Jimin home and the two of you would relax. All of Jimin’s favorite foods were laid out on the living space’s coffee table and you’d even gotten some extra skin care stuff because you knew Jimin loved that. This night would be all about relaxing. Hell, you were even prepared to massage Jimin’s gross feet and back. You’d do anything to make sure that Jimin could relax some. 

You just had to… go to his studio and interrupt him in the middle of his practice… and forcefully bring him home. 

No big deal. You could do it.

Right?

Right.

With a deep sigh, you gave your relaxation set-up a final once over and left the house. It was already 5pm and if you were going to make Jimin relax, you were going to need to start it soon. All throughout driving to Jimin’s studio, you were thinking over the many ways you could try to convince Jimin to relax and when you finally made it to the studio, you realized another issue: 

You had no idea which room he had rented out today.

With an awkward smile and a nod at the receptionist, you made your way into the building. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too hard to find Jimin… 

Of course it was hard. He just so happened to be in the third floor studio furthest from the stairs. When you found his room, you noticed he wasn’t alone. Minju was also visiting him. Neither of them noticed you approaching the door. Both were sitting and talking and when you reached the door you started to be able to hear tidbits of what they were saying.

“You’re going to… Seriously?”

“Yeah. I figured it’d be a super sweet way to confess. It’s why I am stressing so much about this performance. It has to be perfect.”

Oh.

You didn’t open the door.

Jimin liked someone? 

Why didn’t you know?

You were best friends right?

Best friends were supposed to tell this stuff. 

Sadness and disappointment filled your stomach and you contemplated turning around and just letting Jimin practice. Clearly this was important to him. You didn’t want to get in the way of him and another person.

“I don’t know man. Y/n… like this.”

“Like you would know? You’ve known her for the equivalence of a year and then some! I have been… five years now. I was… and as she celebrated!”

“Woah, Jimin-ah… I’m going to go now. Good luck.”

What?

Your brain was short circuiting. He liked you? You must have misheard that. That wasn’t possible. Jimin was… he was a catch and you were just you.

Did you even think of him that way? 

“Oh! Hi, Y/n-ah. Crazy seeing you here!” Minju practically shouted, a smirk on his face as he looked back at Jimin. 

Fuck! Somehow you managed to mumble a hello to Minju before shuffling into the dance studio and looking at Jimin. He looked tired. He also looked shocked and afraid. 

You weren’t supposed to hear what you just heard.

“O-Oh… Y/n-ah! What are you doing here?” 

“Well… I, uhhh, I came because I was worried about you. You’re coming home whether you like it or not and you’re going to relax with me.” You tried to be assertive but all the gusto you’d worked up seemed to have disappeared with Minju. 

“O-Ok.”

“How much of that c-conversation did you hear, Y/n-ah?”

You sighed, “I…,” Were you about to be honest about this? 

Did you want him confessing in front of a crowd of people?

No.

“I think I heard you say that you were planning on confessing to me after your performance?” You didn’t sound sure of yourself, not in the slightest. Not that you knew how anyone could possibly be sure of themselves in such a situation. Jimin himself seemed to deflate, his eyes wide.   

“Fuck. This isn’t how you were supposed to find out. I had–”

Butterflies erupted in your stomach at his confirmation of wanting to ask you out.

Why?

Did you have a crush on him?

“So you were planning on confessing?”

“Yeah? I am so sorry if this makes you uncomfortable. Fuck. I didn’t think this through. We’re roommates. This–”

“I’d be down for a date…” 

“What?” Jimin jumped up, his tail quivering and ears twitching.

“I’d be down for a date. I… I don’t know if I like you back, romantically at least… but I might and I won’t know unless we try.” Jimin looked at you with shock and you started to feel much, much smaller than Jimin.

“What? Really?”

You nodded.

“Omo! Omo! You won’t regret this one bit!” Jimin was bouncing around the room, excitement clearly evident on his face as he celebrated. 

Next thing you knew, you were being pulled into a tight hug, Jimin gently rubbing your neck and repeatedly saying “thank you”. Those damn butterflies never left and as you looked at him, you started to really enjoy the idea of dating him. 

He was your little squirrel… but he wasn’t that little.

“When do you want our first date to be? Oh! I need time to plan! Can we have it after my performance? I really need to keep practicing for it… even if I’m not confessing to you after it anymore. Is that ok with you?” Jimin pulled away from the hug, holding you at arms length and looking worried once again. His brows were furrowed and his teeth worried away at his plump lips.

Huh… You’d never noticed just how cute his plump lips were.

“Hmmm… no.” Jimin paled once again, “Our first date… will be… right now.” You said with a smile and a laugh as his brows furrowed deeper. 

You reached up and soothed the space between his brows with a soft coo, “You’re super stressed, Jimin-ah. I don’t enjoy seeing you stressed. I planned to take you away from the studio tonight. I have skin care and food back home… and if we want we can also go to your favorite bibimbap restaurant before going back to the apartment. How does that sound?” 

Jimin looked conflicted, his cute beady eyes searching your face and moving around the room as he thought. Unless he spoke, you wouldn’t know what he was thinking over and you had half a mind to ask him to speak but instead, you simply waited for Jimin to come to a decision.

“I mean… I was hoping to have some really extravagant first date,” He started but he had already moved to his bag at the side of the room, “This does sound like a great date though… maybe more of a second date or a third date in my opinion–”

“Let’s count it as our second date then. No need to split hairs, Jimin-ah. I’ll wait for you outside the locker room.”

Without giving Jimin time to say anything else, you left and made your way down the stairs to where the locker rooms were. Jimin ran quickly down the stairs and bolted into the locker room, his soft brown ears pinned to his head from how fast he was going. You laughed before settling onto the floor outside the locker room and playing one of the games on your phone. It would be a flip of the coin to see how long Jimin would take. You were personally betting that he is so excited to go on the date that he rushes and is out in fifteen, but he could also want to look good for the date and in turn take an hour. 

Not that he didn’t always look good. 

Even when you just thought of him as a friend, you knew he looked good. Did you think of him as more than a friend? Possibly, yeah. The idea of going on dates with him and being romantic with him sounds amazing. You were really excited to see how this date will go. Distractedly, you tapped away at your game, your mind in la-la-land as it started to think up a future with Jimin. 

“Ready, Y/n-ah?” Jimin asked when he finally finished in the changing room. 

In the end, he took a whole hour and a half to get ready and you were almost positive that you saw Jisoo sneak into the changing room with a bag from your apartment, his sleek tail almost hit you in the face as he exited the locker room. As you looked up at Jimin, you were once again struck by just how handsome he was. He styled his hair away from his face somehow and he looked unfairly good in his black skinny jeans and an oversized sweater. 

You clambered up onto your feet, your legs numb from sitting in one spot for so long, and nodded at him with a shy smile. Gingerly, as if he was scared of breaking you, he grabbed your hand and the two of you left the dance studio. 

Dear Diary,

Jimin asked me out! I was so shocked! Like… it isn’t bad at all… It is actually nice. Really nice. I like it a ton… and even though we’ve only gone on one date so far, I am really starting to like the idea of dating Jimin. He is so… so cute and kind and attentive. We got bibimbap and then just did skincare and stuff. 

Something I am really glad about though is that I found out tonight. Apparently, Jimin was hoping to ask me out Friday after his performance… which would have been so embarrassing… (Imagine the pressure and… PDA is roughhh)… but I overheard him talking to Minju. Gosh. I wonder how Minju thinks of this. Did Jimin text him that we started dating? Is he just waiting until we see each other next? I don’t know what I’d prefer. 

But uhhh… Jimin and I talked about having a “real” first date after his performance. I’m a little apprehensive though… I don’t want him to be exhausted during our first date. I trust Jimin though. He knows himself better than anyone else and if he thinks that he can handle a date after his recital… then so be it. 

AHHH! I am so excited! Wish me luck. I really hope this works out. 

You adjusted anxiously in the theater seat, your dress feeling all too tight in all the wrong places as you looked over the recital directory. Jisoo and Minju were next to you, glancing at you and smirking every once in a while. Jimin most definitely told them that you’re dating… and it doesn’t help that you showed up to the recital over-dressed in preparation for your date with Jimin afterwards. Which was at some super fancy place… how he roped you into that? You don’t know. You were just glad that he’d agreed to go dutch. There wasn’t any way in the world that you’d let him pay for both of your meals at such an expensive restaurant. 

The recital hall was packed, people murmuring and talking excitedly. All of it stopped though when the lights dimmed and the host (a stout looking woman with some sort of large ears on her head) came on to introduce people. Soon enough the recital started and you became entranced by the many dancers who flounced around on stage. They all seemed so… natural up on the stage. Your breath was completely taken away when Jimin performed though. He was practically flying on stage and the way he moved was so… graceful and fluid. All too soon he was done. He’d taken the show. All throughout the rest of the recital you were transfixed. Jimin’s dance was playing on repeat in your mind, your breath stolen and thoughts completely empty. Soon enough, the show finished up and everyone around you was cheering. Almost half-heartedly, you joined along and followed Minju and Jisoo to where the meet-up was. 

Why were you so anxious about seeing Jimin now? You were about to go on a date with him and yet all you could think about was his dance. In no time, Jimin was bouncing over in a nice suit of his own. 

How were you supposed to function? 

Not only was he the best dancer in… in the world but he was also undoubtedly the most handsome man you’d ever met. The three were talking around you but you were still transfixed. A hand gently touched your back and you jumped. 

“Are you ok, Y/n-ah?" 

It was Jimin. He was looking at you with concerned eyes and a soft smile. Minju and Jisoo were gone. You two were alone. 

"I… Yeah. You were amazing out there. I am just… speechless.”

Jimin laughed quietly, a smug smile on his face as he wrapped his arm around your waist.

“You’re ready for our date?" 

You nodded excitedly, walking out of the theater with Jimin in tow. This was going to be an amazing night. 

Dear Diary,

Tonight was AMAZING. I know I was apprehensive before about dating Jimin but OMG IT WAS SOOOO GOOD. He was such a gentleman and when we held hands I felt butterflies erupt and it just.. It felt so nice. Tonight literally couldn’t have go-

Dear Y/n’s Diary,

I promise to take good care of her. We had a great night and I plan on making her my girlfriend soon. Now if you excuse us, I need cuddles from her.

Jimin.

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

SAFE

Marcus Álvarez x Reader

Anon asked: Hi! I'm sooo in love with ur writing!! Anyway I'm wondering if I can have an Alvarez one were the reader gets jumped and beaten by some guys and shes found by him but he thinks shes dead the whole time on the way to the hospital and super super fluffy and the reader gets out and he goes on a man hunt to kill them? I'm sorry if it makes no sense it's a rough idea I had of my own XD

Thanks to my lovely beta reader @chibsytelford​  ✨

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: NSFW, smut

Author comments: I hope you all enjoy. Gif isn't mine, credits to the author.

Tag list: @starrynite7114 ​ @chibsytelford ​ @dazzledamazon ​ @mara-mpou ​ @sammskellington ​ @gemini0410 ​ @1-800-imagines ​ @briana-mishell24 ​@sassymox @whyisgmora @aquamento @sadeyesgf @viviansafizada @samcrobae @jade770 @witchy-wish @rebel-without-cause-x ✨ (if you wanna be tagged, send me a message!)

The only thing you can feel besides the pain running up your spine, focusing in your head through your neck, is two hands holding your left tightly. A soft kiss on the back of it and some tickles because of the facial hair. You’re trying to open your eyes, turning the gesture into an agony. His voice sounds so far that you’re not sure what he’s trying to tell you, but at least, knowing that he’s there calms all the nerves that were consuming you seconds before. And you don’t know how much time passes when your throat begins to work again. Babbling word with no sense, stirring slightly above the mattress you notice that the edge sinks a little more.

“Whe— Where I am…?”

Taking your time, you’re finally able to talk only opening your right eye. The left seems like it’s covered by a cotton patch and hurt like hell. You don't need to be a genius, looking around you, to figure out that you're at the hospital. Some flashes about last night squeeze your mind. You just closed the bar, outside of Santo Padre, guiding your walk towards your car after a long Saturday dawn. And everything you wanted was coming home faster than other days and lie down on bed. You weren't even in the mood for take off your clothes. But you remember a hand tangling your hair in his fingers, before you could open the automobile, pushing you to the ground. Your head hit it, feeling how the asphalt and your neck got wetted by the blood. Disoriented, you didn't know where the kicks came from straight to your stomach, your back, your arms and your face.

“You know… who I am, chamaca?”

Your gaze quickly reach Marcus, with a worried look on his face and two dark shadows under his eyes. Your orbs tour the largest fingers caressing yours, laying your head above the pillow needing to be more comfortable. You're supposing, because of the pain and the punts, doctors could think that maybe you could need some time to also remember your name. But they're wrong. You can feel the fright wrapping the mexican when there's no answer from your lips, narrowing your hand a little more hoping that the gesture can help you.

“Ma— Marc… us Álvarez”. Muttering for a second, you provoke a soft laugh full of happiness pouring out a tear whilst leaning to you, so he can leave a kiss on your temple.

“You're thirsty, mi niña? Do you want water?”

You nod as you can, moving your chin for one second, trying to get up by your palms. The man helps you after pressing a button on a side of the bed, so it can lift up the headrest. Serving some water in a plastic cup and guiding it close to your lips, he places his free hand on your nape making it easier for you to drink from it. Your throat feels somewhat better, even if the liquid forces you to cough two times.

“I'm so sorry, (Y/N). This is my fault”. Álvarez says leaving away the cup, sitting down on the edge of the bed caressing gentle your bruised cheek with his fingertips. He looks disappointed, upset, sad. His gaze over your hand between his again, but you can't understand why he's blaming himself. “Those perros... are Mayans enemies. They should heard me talking about you”.

“Did you…”

“Bishop”. He doesn't need to listen the whole question. “I brought you there. I thought you were dead, and I didn't care anything else. You're safe now”.

That's enough for you, closing your eye nodding as wrapping his arm to pull him closer until your nose touches his chest. He was just another client of the bar you were working in, but with time he became a friend. You started to assist to Mayans parties, helping them when you were free. And El Padrino was always jumping around you, even when you couldn't notice him. His eyes are always on you, controlling everything surrounding you just to work on making you feel comfortable. Last night was like a blind point.

The days pass between some visits by cops trying to get something out of you about that night, Mayans watching the place and the amazing care of Marcus, until they get you on medical discharge. And even if you would like to go home, as a club decision you're going to stay at the clubhouse till the mexicans find the men who assaulted you.

You're falling asleep under the soft blankets with your gaze on the big window covered by the wooden blind, when the door gets opened. Marcus walks inside without turning on the light, sitting on the edge of the bed. There are no words. Just a heavy sigh escaping from his lips, rubbing his face with both hands and giving you his back. Every night since you're staying there, he comes after being outside all day long to know how you feel, how you are and what you need. But now it's different. You can notice that his whole body is too tense. His breathing is somewhat shaky as his heart beating. Crawling with your knees above the bed, you reach him in silence. You don't need a single word to know that they already found those guys who almost killed you. Marcus is tense because you're going to leave the clubhouse by morning, coming back to your house, so he will not able to see you as much as he would like.

With your fingertips touring his shoulder blades slow, going up to both sides of his neck, you leave your arms falls down on his chest feeling how your skin get wet slightly for what you know it's blood. But you don't care. Not even a little.

“What if I don' feel safe?”

You mutter on his ear, touching it with your nose in a smooth caress. You have never felt insecure, because your father taught you pretty well. That night they just caught you off guard. And Marcus knows that right now you're just pretending because you also want to stay with him. But neither of you are too good expressing yourselves.

“You would have to stay here, till you do”. He just replies, lying his back on your chest as you sit on your heels.

“And you would come every night?”

“I would do anything you want”.

His eyes are closed when your lips reach his left cheek, trailing down every mild kiss towards his jaw, till them find his neck. The simple fact of having his scent so close flooding your lungs, provokes a soft chill going up over your thighs. Your fingers sliding under the kutte the enough to take it off and leave it on a corner. You know how tired Marcus is, so you're good if he doesn't move yet, enjoying every touch of yours. And what you have inside your mind it's not to thank him for taking care of you, but because you truly feel things for him, as he does for you. While your mouth and your tongue are focused on his neck, biting, sucking and tasting it taking your time to memorize every inch of him, your fingers unbutton one by one every button his shirt, playing and trying to desperate him just a little.

“Come here”. He demands with a soft growl on air, grabbing your waist as good as he can, to push you on top of him.

His legs between yours, sitting on his lap and facing each other. When his lips almost touch yours, you feel like you could die right then and there. You both have waited for this too long, so when he kisses you taking away your breath, you don't care about anything else. Getting comfy above him with both hands placed on his head, your lips conform to his and every move they made. You're feeling as if you were on top of the world. Marcus nails his fingers on your thighs, dragging them up under the fabric of your shirt. You know that he wants to be careful, being a little convalescent yet, but if you can't even keep your calm, how are you going to ask him to?

Taking off and throwing his black shirt away, his hands travel over your skin up by your sides so soon as your shirt can fly off from your body running the same fate. Your hips begin to dance over him, noticing the lump under his jeans, listening in the background how his boots falls down too. The friction of the rough fabric rubbing your panties with some delicious pressure provokes you a moan sinked on his mouth. You need him more than you could need anyone, letting your hands travel as if they had a life of their own to unbuckle his belt with trembling fingers, unzipping the jeans faster than he can even think. Helping you to slide them right to the floor beside his boxers, you lick your lips having a quick look of his hard cock touching your abdomen. Latent lust burning in your eyes, getting up of Marcus the enough seconds to pull down your panties by the waistband being grabbed by your hands. You're not going to lose more time, you want to feel him inside you, filling you completely.

Tangling his fingers with yours, pushing you slow to him and touring your whole body with his dark eyes wanting to lease it from memory, you crawl above him attacking his lips again. One of your hands go among your skins holding his hardness, stroking him with necessity while the kiss becomes impure and naughty, with your tongues colliding and tangling with each other. Marcus' breathing starts to be more frenetic and wild, stopping just for a second when you tuck his dick between your legs sinking it in your wetness without expecting. It's fucking delirious. His hugeness breaking through inside you, no waiting for your body to amold wrapping his heat, your hips bounce on top of the mexican whilst your lips being unable to separate from the others.

“Fuck, chamaca…” He growls satisfied with every touch, every move and every sensation you give him.

Forcing you to spread your legs a little more and his dick digging inside you deeper, your uncontrollable moans becomes somewhat louder. You don't care if someone can hear you, because everybody knows that this would happen sooner or later. And even if you have to wait too much, no one could stop you now. Marcus is all you want, not needing to go into details, and you are all he needs to keep his feet on the ground. Like the two pieces of a puzzle, fitting perfectly.

Turning you above the bed, pushing you to the middle of it without pulling himself out of your inland, the man roams his mouth over the skin of your throat biting it so gentle that ends up bristling it. Every delicious thrust with his abdomen hitting yours, makes you beg for more and he absolutely loves it, pounding you somewhat faster nailing his cock and playing with your body. One of his hands pinches your nipple, touring them with his tongue and tasting every inch of your breasts, whilst the free arm is surrounding your waist completely. Marcus needs to have you close, letting him do whatever he wants with your anatomy ready to please him, even if the only thing he wishes at this moment is show you every damn thing he can feel for you without using more words than necessary.

Your legs get tangled in his when the man lies down on top of you, looking for your mouth with somekind of filthy desperation devouring them as soon as he reaches them. You can't describe every sensation that it's running through your body ending up concentrating on your lower abdomen, giving you delectable tickles on it.

“Cum insid' me, please, Marcus…” You beg throaty against his face, while he bites your inner lip hitting your body more anxious.

You don't need a nod, nor an agreement, to know that he's going to do it. And even if you aren't using a condom, having left that idea more than discarded for your first time, you don't care about the risk. There are no hazards when you're together and both are conscious about that fact. You can't help but arching your back as soon as he filled you up with his heat and his teeth biting your lips to silence the way that he has to fall apart under your warmth. The ecstasy finds you after some hard thrusts that almost hit your soul, with his hungry tongue tasting yours. Your hands placed on Marcus' head, being easier to drown his full name wrapping by the undeniable pleasure he provokes you, even when his moves become slowly and leisurely, going rough at least till your bodies can't handle it.

You can feel his seed spilling down by your thighs, when the mexican falls exhausted by your side with a fleeting smirk on his face and a hand lying on his chest. Turning his head to yours, he doesn't waste any more time, wrapping you into his arms whilst you two are trying to recover yourselves.

“Maybe… I could feel more safe sleeping with you”. You mutter sinking your nose on his sweated skin, like yours is.

“Then, I will have to stay”.

[waywardfangirl]

Both @captain-aralias and @palimpsessed ​did really nice posts to share their fics from this year as well as their thoughts on what they wrote, and I enjoyed reading their posts (and their fics!) so much that I thought I would take them up on their open invitation to do one too! I’m a big believer in keeping lists of your accomplishments to look at on days when self-doubt creeps in, so I encourage anyone else who might be interested to do this too! (All the questions are copied from @captain-aralias)

List of Completed Fics this year:

I wrote ten fics this year, as well as starting a ton of WIPs, which is amazing to me, considering I have only written fic once before in my life!

Slow - General, 3k

We’re Not in Genovia Anymore - Teen, 28k

Promises - General, 3k

A Privilege to Love You - Teen, 7k

Early Riser - General, >1k

Write This Down - General, 3k

As You Wish - Teen, 13k

The View from the Veranda - General, 4k

Down By The Sea - General, 2k

Just Want You to Know Who I Am - General, 1k (written in 2020, posted in 2021)

Total: 10 fics, 67k words, 100% Snowbaz

Pretty good for what is truly the first year that I have been an active participant in fandom!

Questions answered below the cut.

Best/worst title?

A Privilege to Love You is my favorite title, because I think the line is just so sweet, and it makes my heart melt.

We’re Not in Genovia Anymore is definitely my worst title, because that was just the placeholder name I gave the WIP, but then I got so used to it I forgot to change it to something better before posting. I still cringe a bit at that one.

Best/worst summary?

l am horrifically indecisive, so I have a few summaries that I like. Just Want You To Know Who I Am is short and sweet, and I think it conveys exactly what I want it to:

Baz is fine. He's fine. Everything is fine. (It just isn't.)

~A fic about being loved in all the little ways~

But I also really liked the quotes I pulled for The View from the Veranda, As You Wish, and A Privilege to Love You.

Early Riser also has a summary that I let break my heart:

Baz wakes up early now, even though Simon doesn’t.

I does very little to convey what the fic is about, but after reading the fic it hurts like I wanted it to, sooo.....

I think that Promises has the worst summary though:

Inspired by the song "Promises" from the musical Hadestown.

Simon and Baz have spent the last three years working on themselves and on their relationship. Now it's time for their next step together.

Best/worst first line?

Baz says it best to open The View from the Veranda:

I am not a man accustomed to enduring want.

However, Simon deserves an honorable mention for starting us off right in As You Wish:

Baz is such a prick.

As for worst opening lines, I don’t really think I have any. I have some that stand better as an opening paragraph than an opening line, but I place a lot of importance on the first line of a story, so I like to make sure all mine are strong.

Best/worst last line?

I am not going to spoil any last lines for anyone (I cover up the last page of books when I read to reveal it slowly, word by word, so I take last lines seriously!), but I will say that As You Wish has an adorably predictable last line that I love.

For worst last line, I have to say Slow. I liked the line itself when I wrote it, but then I learned later that people were interpreting it in a more steamy way than what I had intended, and because I feel like Slow is such an innocent fic and really highlights how important it is for Simon to not be rushed into every decision he makes, I don’t like that it sounds like he and Baz rushed into something else. (I just meant that they talked and maybe kissed a bit! That’s it!)

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted?

On December 31st, 2019, I was pet sitting when I came across a prompt for a Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement Snowbaz AU. I impulsively started to write, even though I had only written one other fic in my life (Check, Please!), and I had never written Snowbaz before. I kind of thought that maybe I would write one fic and that would be all, and that maybe one fic is all I would ever write, but I am so happy to have been wrong about that! I wrote way more than I could have predicted, and I even did NaNoWriMo! (I failed NaNoWriMo too, and I’m okay with that, because I want writing to be something I do for fun, not something that stresses me out.)

As a fun side note, Carry On is a fandom that I have returned to many times in my life, and it seems to have a special place on New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day for me. I was given Fangirl as a Christmas present, and started reading it on New Year’s Eve, only to finish it and realize that the new year had arrived while I was engrossed in the book. I have spent multiple New Year’s Eves since engrossed in a reread of the book, or reading fic, and so it feels really fitting that I got into properly writing fic for Carry On as the year turned over.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?

Literally all of this was unexpected, as I never planned on writing any more fic, but I think I am most surprised to have written multiple songfics. I never read many songfics, and didn’t often care for them, but I wrote Promises off of the song from Hadestown, Write This Down off of George Strait’s song, and then Just Want You to Know Who I Am because Caity got the Goo Goo Dolls stuck in my head.

What’s your favourite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest.

My favorite might actually be my most popular, so I’ll go with my close second favorites (it’s a tie)

A Privilege to Love You is a soulmate au, and those are my favorite things ever. I also received some of the best feedback on this one, and I feel like I did a lot of things that worked really well in this fic.

The View from the Veranda is just so wonderful for me though, it combines my love of history with absolute silliness for a friend (I love you Liz!!!), @krisrix did some INCREDIBLE art for it, and I just had so much fun writing it.

Okay, NOW your most popular story.

As You Wish was the most popular, hands down, with more hits, kudos, comments, and bookmarks than any other fic I wrote. It’s also the fic of mine that I reread the most, because it makes me so happy and I love all the silly moments.

Story most underappreciated by the universe?

We’re Not in Genovia Anymore is probably the answer here. This isn’t entirely backed up by metrics, since it does have more hits and kudos than some of my other fics, but for how long it is and the work that went into it, I think it only got a portion of the attention I was hoping it would. That’s mostly my fault though! It was the first fic I wrote for this fandom, and so I have definitely grown as a write since! Additionally, while I feel like it has a lot of great moments and fantastic lines, I have some lackluster bits too, and it really suffered from not having a beta (I was too shy to ask anyone back then). It’s also an AU of a movie that isn’t as widely viewed as I previously thought, so that didn’t help either, and as I already said, this fic could have a much better title.

All that aside though, the people who have read and talked to me about this fic have really seemed to like it, so I’m glad that I did right by my fellow Princess Diaries 2 fans! (and all of the wonderful people who read it and commented nice things having never seen the movie, y’all rock!)

Story that could have been better?

Everything I wrote before asking someone to beta. I just talked about what I would improve in We’re Not In Genovia Anymore, but Promises could use some work too. Having a few wonderful friends help me edit my fics has really improved what I post!

Sexiest story?

Oh gosh, I am not someone who writes sexy things.

Having said that, The View from the Veranda was written in the style of a bodice ripper, so I think that makes it the sexiest story by default. Kris’s art also enhances its sex appeal by at least 200% (I laughed out loud when I was making the list at the start of this post, because I had entirely forgotten that fic is rated G - honestly, that tells you everything you need to know about me, my romance novel fic can be read by children haha) (I might give it a T rating at some point, just because I feel like it should have that)

**I just remembered the bonus chapter for As You Wish.... that might be the sexiest thing I’ve written haha 🤣

Saddest story?

Early Riser - I am a big believer in giving everyone who deserves it a happy ending, but this one is just an interlude of sadness and depression without any resolution in sight.

(If you read it though, please know that in my head they do get therapy and things do get better! Snowbaz always has a happy ending in my fics, even if I don’t write it out fully)

Most fun?

As You Wish - this one to me feels like the happy chaos of running and sliding around a big house in stocking feet, and I don’t have a better way to describe it than that. There’s a tiny bit of angst from Baz, and a little bit of panic from Simon, but I was smiling and having so much fun while writing this fic, and I really think it comes across.

Story with single sweetest moment?

A Privilege to Love You - I’ll let you decide which of the many sweet moments is actually the sweetest ❤

Hardest story to write?

Promises, no question about it. I had written two fics by that point, and people had been so nice, and some of you lovely folks had even started tagging me in WIP Wednesday posts and in Six Sentence Sunday posts, but I felt like I had no inspiration left and I kept worrying that I wouldn’t be able to write again. So, I forced myself to write something, and it felt like pulling teeth (and it honestly wasn’t very good), but I gifted it to the person who had been my biggest cheerleader and who had tagged me a million times, and that’s how @foolofabookwyrm and I became friends. Writing the fic sucked, but her friendship is worth it, a million times over 💜💜💜

Easiest/most fun story to write?

The View from the Veranda. I’m a historian, and I work a lot with primary sources and spend time speaking with others in 18th century language, so once I got into my “work mindset” the words just flowed. This was also a silly, happy story for me, because I included a lot of jokes for Liz, and there are a ton of details that are just hilarious if you work at the same place I do (sorry that none of you do, but let me just tell you, the descriptions of Simon are all based off of my most attractive colleague, and at least 15% of this fic is silly quotes from work). I think this was only supposed to be about a thousand words long, and I messaged Kris multiple times while writing just to tell him that it was getting out of control and I couldn’t stop writing 😂

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

Writing for Agatha in We’re Not in Genovia Anymore really made realize how much some of her (canon) story resounded with me, and I liked the deeper character study I ended up doing for her. I’m still always going to be the most in love with Baz, but I have a deeper connection to Agatha now too.

Most overdue story?

It’s still overdue. I have so many WIPs, at least seven of which are soulmate AUs, and I just keep starting more. In terms of actual planned release date though? I started writing a The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue AU for NaNoWriMo, with the intention of publishing it in January. It’s already the longest fic I’ve ever written, and I don’t think I’m even a quarter of the way done with it. I wasn’t happy writing for NaNo, because I don’t do well with creativity on a deadline, and I chose to pause work on that fic so I can actually enjoy writing it and end up with something I like once I finally return to it. Apologies to those who are anxiously awaiting the fic, I do hope to finish it this year, and I won’t post until it’s all done, so you’ll get a very rapid update schedule when it does come out!

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

I signed up for my first fandom event! I participated in the Secret Snowflake event, and wrote Down By The Sea for the wonderful @fight-surrender (and ended up with ideas for some other new fics too)! Even though I was actively failing NaNoWriMo when I signed up, I did manage to complete my fic on time, and I learned that it wasn’t quite as daunting as I was expecting it to be. (My biggest problem was my laptop breaking and having to do almost everything on my phone - I also learned once again just how amazing Liz is, as she helped me format and post to ao3, since I couldn’t do that properly without a computer)

I struggle with being creative on a deadline, but wanting to write a little over 1k in a month was much more achievable than feeling stressed about writing 50k in a month!

This year’s theme and the story that demonstrates it most:

I like the idea of the inevitability of love. I adore soulmate AUs, because I love the idea of a universe where not only does someone have a perfectly matched other person, but that there is a surefire way to find them. Even though I only published one soulmate AU this year, I feel like every time I write Snowbaz I am writing about a couple where love will, inevitably, win. In my mind they are always going to have a happy ending somewhere down the line where they are just purely in love. Even though love doesn’t magically fix everything, it’s still incredibly powerful, and I only want to create stories where Simon and Baz truly love each other.

Of course, with that as the theme, A Privilege to Love You has to be the fic that best demonstrates the idea of inevitable love - it’s a soulmate AU and a universe where Simon exercises his free will.

What are your fic writing goals for next year this year?

Finish and publish my Gentleman’s Guide AU

Finish and publish more soulmate AUs (I have so many WIPs you guys)

Plan more before writing

Work on improving dynamic scenes and the overall flow of my fics - I sometimes feel like I have too many lulls, and I want to write in a more engaging way

Promote my own work more! I am partially doing this post because there are multiple fics that I never shared on here! I plan to make banners for all of the fics I write this year, and to post them on tumblr at the same time I upload them to ao3.

The last few years have been a time of tremendous personal growth for me, and I really feel like I’m starting to understand who I am as a person, settle into myself, and like who I am. I’m thrilled to discover that fandom is still part of who I am and what I enjoy, and that I have more creative outlets in my life now than I ever expected to. My biggest goal is just to keep building on all of that, to use fic to explore who I am, to reflect what I like, make myself happy with my writing, and to hopefully make at least a few of you happy with my stories too!

[xxwritemeastoryxx]

Unexpected Savior

Author: xxwritemeastoryxx

Request:  Hi! Can I please request a Kol x Tiny/innocent!Human!Fem Reader where she moves to Mystic Falls, not knowing of supernatural stuff. She meets Kol & he gravitates toward her for her sweetness, feels the need to protect her. He saves her from danger & she finds out he’s a vampire & he calms her down, brings her home to his home to let her rest from the shock + his siblings take care of her too, they all become protective of their human (who Kol is falling in love with, & she’s falling for Kol too) - @kpopgirlbtssvt

Pairings: No set parings. Eventual Kol Mikaelson x Reader

Word Count: 3K

Warnings: Blood and gore - all canon typical things, underage drinking, thats about it. 

Beta: By the lovely @xxsoveriegnsarayaxx​ Thank you so much for looking this over!

Author’s Note: It took me forever to get this one done and I am sooo sorry! But here it is! I practically spent all day writing it because of how much I wanted to get this one done. I do love how it came out and I hope you guys enjoy it as well!

Feedback gives me life and motivation for future things. ♥

Fear coursed through you as you ran through the woods. Bare branches scratched at your clothes and skin leaving welts in their wake. No matter how fast you run, you never once looked back. For if you did, you were afraid to see the monster that wanted you dead drew closer. 

You never believed a night out with friends would turn out as it did tonight. Images of blood and people being bitten flashed through your mind as you ran. How you managed to escape as you had, you'd never know how. Besides the thought of dying tonight at the hands of a creature you believed only existed in lore, you hoped that once you reached the other side of the woods that you'd be safe. 

Moving and living in Mystic Falls had been the fresh start your family needed. While you had your doubts about moving across the country to a small town in Virginia, it began to grow on you. You had made friends quickly and before you knew it, you were being invited to places to spare the boredom you felt living in a small town. 

One of those nights just happened to be tonight. While your parents took off to Richmond for a night out to themselves, you went out with your friends for a party out in the woods. Nights like this were becoming routine for you and you actually enjoyed them when they happened. 

It started out as any normal night. Drinks were being passed around, music blared from a set of speakers someone had managed to set up, and even several fire pits were going to keep everyone warm. There was nothing that would even make you begin to suspect something was wrong. Even the conversations were normal as always. 

"Think Mikaelson will show up?" Your friend Gabby asked as she nudged your arm. 

You looked down at your still full cup, trying to hide the small smile that wanted to form. "I doubt it." You said as you looked over at her. "He hardly comes to these things." You shrug your shoulders. 

"Ah, so I'm definitely not the only one that noticed he likes to skip the fun parties." Your friend Alice chimed in. "Yet he'll attend anything you invite him to."

"He's a friend." You said with a shake of your head, not wanting the attention on you anymore. "I actually invited him, but he's got a family thing going on that they all needed to be there for."

You had met the whole Mikaelson family a month into your stay. You had been out with the girls at the grille when it had been used as a party space. They had come in late and it wasn't hard to see how the others had stopped and looked at them. Something you were all to familiar with the first few days there. 

Of course while it seemed like a majority of them either kept to themselves or stayed with a particular group of people, there was one that Mikaelson that managed to immerse himself in the crowd. At least that was until Kol Mikaelson had met you. 

The two of you had easily fallen into conversation. There was something about him that seemed so inviting, despite the warning looks you had received from a few of the other people there. You two had been talking well up until closing when his older brother had to interrupt the two of you reminding him it was time to leave. But since then, you two had been close friends. 

"Whatever." Alice said as she drank the rest of the beer in her cup before reaching out for yours. You handed it over easily since it was mostly for show, before she drank the rest of it. "I'm going to get another drink and find a more interesting conversation than your denial."

Alice barely had time to walk a few feet away before the screams started and chaos began. 

It seemed like in a blink of an eye, things had gone from everyone having fun to blood and bodies falling here and there as several other people began attacking everyone. Instinct kicked in and you began running with Alice and Gabby following you. At least they had been for the most part. The sounds of their screams filled the air moments later, letting you know that something happened to them. 

You were too afraid to look back. You knew that all that mattered was getting away. While the thought of death filled your head, you hoped that the light in all the darkness of your thoughts would be enough to keep you alive. 

As you run, you weren't even sure that you were going the right way. You only been to the Mikaelson's twice and even then it wasn't like you got a proper tour of the place to know what the back of the property looked like. 

Hope was the only thing you could hold onto in that moment. Hope that even though you might be going in the wrong direction, that there would be something to run to. Anything to save you from what was currently chasing after you. 

All the hope you held onto died the moment someone grabbed a hold of you from behind. As much as you tried to fight, nothing seemed to work. The dark chuckle coming from the creature that held you caused a shiver to run through you. A scream of pain passed your lips as you felt as teeth tore into your neck. 

It was in that moment that you begun realizing your life was coming to an end. Your mind fed into the darker thoughts that had began to form the moment you had began running. You were being killed by a creature you believed was never real in the first place. A part of you would have laughed at the situation had been any other time. 

Your pain continued for a moment longer before you felt the vampire being forcefully pulled away from you, causing you to stumble slightly. Against your better judgement, you turned to see what had happened. As you did, you found Kol Mikaelson standing there with his arm shoved in the vampire's chest. 

You weren't sure what scares you more, the fact that you had almost died by the hands of a vampire or seeing Kol standing there as if what he was doing was normal. With wide eyes, you took several shaky steps back before reaching a tree, stopping your movement. You watched as Kol pulled his arm out, with a heart in his hand, as the body hit the ground. 

It was as he turned towards you that you noticed how dark his eyes were along with the fangs he bared before it quickly vanished as he looked at you. He dropped the heart quickly and took a step towards you. 

A whimper left your lips as he did, causing him to stop in his tracks. "I promise I'm not going to hurt you, Y/N/N."

You shake your head, not sure if you believe him. Not after what you had witnessed. "You- he." You took a shuddering breath as you watched as worry filled his eyes. "You are like them." 

The small chuckle that passed Kol's lips should have frightened you. But for some reason, it had brought you a small resemblance of comfort. "It's more like the other way around." He took a few more careful steps towards you. "That's a nasty bite, darling. No doubt the adrenaline you are feeling is what is keeping you on your feet right now. If you let me, I'll help you get cleaned up and I'd be happy to explain everything."

You looked down at yourself at that moment. Blood covered your neck and stained the fabric of your shirt and jacket. You brought your shaky hand up to your neck, wincing at even the slightest pressure before pulling it away and looked at the blood that covered your hands. The sight of the blood along with the decrease of adrenaline, you swayed on your feet about to collapse.

"I've got you." Kol said as he caught you just as you did. He bit into his wrist and held it up to your lips. You shake your head denying his wrist. He sighed softly. "I know right now is a bit chaotic, but you need to drink some of my blood. I promise I will explain everything once you've healed."

You eyed him for a moment before you latched your lips onto his wrist and drank his blood. While your head was spinning from what you've been through, you still trusted Kol to an extent. He saved you from being killed tonight. If he was willing to heal you, you doubt he wanted to harm you. 

As you drink the blood, as crazy as it sounded to your own mind while doing it, you started to feel better. The haziness that came with your blood loss was gone. The pain that came from your neck slowly subsided before it was gone altogether. 

"There we go." Kol said as he pulled his wrist away from your mouth and stood you up on your own. 

You took a step back as your hands went straight for your neck. The wound that you were sure had been there earlier was now gone. The only evidence of it happening was the drying blood that covered you. "How?" You asked as you looked back at Kol.

"That's actually a rather long story." He said as he slowly lifted his hand up and wiped the bit of blood that was still on your lips. "One I can tell once you feel safe inside."

You shake your head slightly. "How did you know I was here? That I needed help?" Your lips trembled slightly as you tried to hold yourself together. You may have been healed from all physical injuries but your mind was going crazy. 

"I heard you scream." He admitted. "It didn't take me long to find you after that."

You were running in the right direction. He had been able to hear you scream the moment you had been hurt. A small sigh of relief passed your lips as you moved to hug Kol. The moment you had your arms wrapped around him, the tears you so desperately tried to keep at bay finally spilled. 

He quickly wrapped his arms around you, keeping you close. "You're safe, I promise." He said as he kissed the top of your head. 

Despite knowing that Kol could easily be a monster similar to the one that tried killing you, you did feel safe with him. Your plan of going to him for help had worked. Even if you never reached him, he came and helped you. There was no reason to be afraid of him. 

"How about we get you inside and cleaned up?" He asked as he pulled back slightly. He brought a thumb up and wiped the tears that were still falling from your eyes. 

You simply nodded your head and moved with Kol in the direction he was walking. You kept your face resting on his chest in some way. You didn't want to look around and see the body that lay on the ground. You didn't want to see the reminder that you had almost died if it hadn't been for Kol. 

"How is she?" Rebekah asked the moment Kol walked into the house with you. While you had spent a lot of time with Kol, you had gotten to spend a lot of time with his siblings as well. Rebekah happened to be one of the other siblings you had become friends with. 

"As can be expected." He still kept you close as he walked passed Rebekah and towards one of the guest rooms down stairs. "Could you please go into that oversized closet of yours and pull something out for her?"

"Of course." Rebekah said with a nod before heading up the stairs. 

Once you were in the comfort of the room, Kol's hold on you loosened.  He moved the hair out of your face, causing you to bring your attention up to him.

"There is a bathroom right through there." He tilted his head towards the opened door in the room. "Get yourself cleaned up and I'll be here to answer whatever questions you have."

You hesitated for a moment before stepping away and heading towards the bathroom. Looking over your shoulder you watched as Kol gave you a small smile before watching as you closed the door. 

It wasn't long after that you were cleaned from all of the blood you had been wearing. The warm spray of the water was enough to keep you in there longer with your thoughts. You were still trying to wrap your head around everything that happened. 

Kol was...something. Your mind still refused to acknowledge that there were vampires in the world. That this must have all been some weird dream that you were having. But no matter how many times you tried pinching yourself to wake up, this had all been real. 

As you stepped out of the shower, you found a neat pile of clothes sitting on the counter. You hadn't even heard Rebekah drop them off. It only added to the list of things you were unsure about. You quickly dressed, hoping that the faster you got answers, the faster you could go home and try to forget about what you've seen. 

It was as you opened the bathroom doors that you could easily hear several people talking just outside the door. None of the voices you heard had been unknown to you. You could tell the Mikaelsons had been arguing over something. 

"I should have been out there with her instead of here listening as you two fought over how to handle the damned situation." You heard Kol say as you stepped closer to the slightly opened door.

"We had no idea what they would have wanted." Elijah's voice had been calm compared to Kol's.

"The whole point had been to taken them out before they even attempted to do anything. That plan failed miserably." Kol's voice filled the room once more. 

You leaned in closer, listening. From the amount of space in the open door, you could see Rebekah take a step closer to Kol. "I understand why you are angry, Kol." She said, placing her hand on her brother's shoulder. "But Y/N is safe. You got to her before she was killed. We killed the others that were out there. We handled it without any casualties that we care about."

Kol shook his head. "And what am I to tell her about her friends?"

"You could always compel her." You didn't have to see Klaus to know he had shrugged his shoulders at the suggestion. "Toss in a bit of survivor's guilt over an animal attack in the woods and call it a night."

"Are you mad?" You watched as Rebekah turned towards Klaus, a glare could easily be seen on her face. "Was it not just yesterday that we had discussed enlightening Y/N about the world she lives in? Now you want to compel her to forget the whole thing happened. This will be a way to keep her in the loop as we wanted."

"Rebekah is right." Kol said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "While we have discussed this, it will ultimately be up to Y/N if she wants to be compelled or not. As much as it would be easier to have her around without needing to be careful of what we say or do around her while she is here, I would never think to force this on her."

Hearing what you had made your head spin. There was still so much you needed explained about tonight, but the one thing that has stuck out like a sore thumb was the fact that it was suggested you be made to forget what happened tonight. That itself scared you more. 

You could eventually get used to the idea that the world held supernatural creatures in it. You could handle that you would have died if it hadn’t been for Kol. But the one thing you wouldn’t be able to handle was have your mind messed with, even if you couldn’t remember that it happened. 

“I’d like to not be compelled.” You said as you pulled the bedroom door opened. “If me knowing makes things easier and so that I won't be caught off guard like I was tonight, I don’t want to forget it.”

The others turned towards you. Kol had a small smile on his face at your words. While they hoped that you would be accepting of what they wanted to tell you, tonight they had expected you to run for the hills after what had happened. 

“Are you sure?” Kol asked as he walked over to you. “You haven’t even heard the full story yet.”

An actual chuckle passed your lips. “I doubt you telling me everything is going to make me run.” You were being honest. “I trusted you enough to heal me and to come back here with you. If I didn’t completely trust that I would be safe with you and your family, I would have taken my chances out there in the woods.”

Rebekah laughed as she came over to join you two. “Told you she’d be okay.”

You were as okay as you could be in that moment. Kol gave you one more smile before taking a hold of your hand and leading you to the couch not far from you. As you sat down, he still kept a hold of your hand.

“My family and I are the original vampires.” He began. “Minus Klaus who happens to be our half brother and currently a hybrid. We’ve been this way for a thousand years.”

As Kol continued to tell their story, you never once thought of running. The rest of the siblings added in details that Kol couldn’t provide. You had actually threw a couch pillow at Klaus from when the siblings mentioned Kol being daggered. The siblings laughed at that. 

By the end of it, you had known the good and the bad. You learned that you wouldn’t turn as long as you were safe for the next 24 hours as the blood left your system. Kol made the promise that he would be there ensuring your safety. At least that was until the others chimed in that they would take turns on ensuring nothing happened to you. 

It wasn’t done out of obligation. They wanted to do it because someday in the future, when you thought it was right, you’d become apart of their family. Where you would continue to be protected, always and forever.

Always & Forever Tag: @taylordrunkonwhiskey​ @thewolf-and-thesheep​ @wayward-dan​ @neeadinghugs​ @fafulous​ @kenmen02​ @elizamonet​ @dora-the-grownup​ @mschellehitt​ @xanderling​ @fandom-princess-forevermore​ @buckysarm4​ @hi-my-name-is-riley​ @helenasingers​

Unexpected Savior Tag: @nyctamaximoff​ @nj01​ @takeabreathandbeanxious 

Bold tags mean for one reason or another I couldn’t tag you in this. If you would like to be added to, or taken off, any of the taglists, please let me know. 

[rhabakoli]

“I will ruin you, all you will be able to think about is me.” for Geralt & Jaskier pls?

Big thanks to @riviawitch3r for being such an amazing beta, thank you sooo much.

have fun, y’all.

**

Geralt was seething. The tavern was loud and full, patrons stacked to the roof, all coming to see the mighty White wolf. But being ogled wasn’t why Geralt was desperately trying to hold on to his sanity.

No.

It was that fucking bard.

That one bard, that had not only wormed his way through Geralt’s walls and didn’t take any of his moods seriously, but also managed to aggravate him by simply not being next to him, by his side. Which, is a yet unexplained phenomenon, as Geralt didn’t want anyone’s attention. He didn’t need anyone, and he was glad no one needed him.

No one, but that fucking bard. He turned everything around and now his skin itched and his fingers wanted to tousle his hair and find out if it was as soft as it looked. Geralt had whole dreams about his eyes, those deep blue seas that always seemed to see right through him. 

That fucking bard, who was currently leaning against the bar, ale in one hand, grinning at the people around him, laughing with them. Enticing them, luring them, getting their fucking attention. Geralt’s blood was well on its way to boiling. How could Jaskier ignore him? He wanted to be the only one the bard looked at, ever. Not the blonde guy next to him whose hand smoothed down his arm nor the dark haired woman on his other side who looked at his bard as if he was prey. 

How could he do that, how could Geralt accept the scene playing out in front of his eyes? Letting them touch him, their hands all over him, their eyes raking down his lithe body, hungry and lusting, their intentions clear as day and filthy as the dark alleys of this godforsaken town. It didn’t matter if it was a man or woman, Jaskier had them all in his pocket. And they loved to be there. At least until the first glamour wore off.

But that’s only where his best traits began. Jaskier was smart, kind, compassionate, and so soft. He was all Geralt wasn’t, kept all his best traits hidden from the world - and Geralt wanted to lay him open, strip him bare in every way possible. Wanted to learn his body and his soul, with his fingers, his lips, his cock. Geralt groaned at the thought of the small bard writhing on him, moaning and screaming. His voice had captured Geralt’s attention long before he was aware. He’d dreamt of it. He’d fantasized about the noises he could lure out of Jaskier, if the young man just let him. Had dreamt about how he’d take him, make him sing for his ears only. 

His brain delivered the fitting pictures, and his sanity snapped like a twig in a storm. 

**

Jaskier was enjoying himself and the attention he got – something he felt his travel companion failed to give him -, when a hand grabbed his coat and pulled. He lost his balance, tumbled back and sloshed ale everywhere; his adoring fans right in the middle of it.

Oh. Great.

The two of them looked pissed, ready to throw fists, when Jaskier realized who exactly had pulled him away. That was the exact moment his face drained of all blood and he gave them a tiny, nervous smile. He really hoped they wouldn’t start a fight; this wouldn’t end well and this tavern was one of those that actually served good ale and passable food. Would be a shame to get banned.

So he glanced at Geralt, whose hand was still fisted in the material of his jacket and – oh god. His eyes were aflame. There was no other way to call it. It was terrifying and so was the clench of his jaw and the flare of his nostrils. It looked like he was sniffing them out – well, if he did, he just had gotten a good whiff of Jaskiers nervous arousal.

“Move.”

Jaskier didn’t even try to suppress the shiver that ran through him at the gravelly voice; it was futile, really.

The bard had just barely gotten his feet to obey, when another hand shot out and grabbed his arm. Both Jaskier and Geralt looked down, heads snapping, eyes widening. But while Jaskier was astounded at such idiocy, Geralt was short of pulling out a weapon and cleaving that dude into the floor.

“Hey, we aren’t done having fun yet!”

Geralt took a step forward, his size and height intimidating on their own, but paired with the eyes and the hair and the reputation – Jaskier hadn’t seen him like this, ever before. This was whole new level of fury, of anger, the emotions radiating off him, broadcasting his intentions, if that fucker didn’t back off. Geralt was feral and Jaskier was trying not to piss himself. He wasn’t even target of Geralt’s anger. At least he thought so.

“Let. Go.”

“I think the little bard can speak for himself.”

There was a growl vibrating deep in the witcher’s chest, his free hand curled into a fist, the hand on Jaskiers back shifted to his neck; almost a possessive display? Jaskier wasn’t sure, but he also didn’t get to intervene or think about it any longer.

Geralt had had enough. With an ugly snarl, he took another step forward, shielded Jaskier and rammed his elbow into the other guys arm, broke the hold he had on the bard and then, no hesitation, let his fist collide with his jaw.

By the time the stranger had hit the floor, Geralt had grabbed Jaskier by the back of his neck again, and left the tavern.

**

“What were you thinking?”

Jaskier wanted to answer but he was too busy trying not to fall on his face, as he stumbled through the dark.

“Didn’t you notice they were trying to get to you?”

“Of course I did, I’m not stupid.”, he mumbled. And then he squeaked, as his body collided with a tree; Geralt shoving his back against it, to be able to face him.

“Please repeat that, I think I misheard.” 

While Jaskier knew Geralt wouldn’t hurt him - beyond the occasional punch he probably deserved anyway - the look on his face and the pure fury in his voice had him worried.

“I’d rather not.”

Geralt was right in his face, the hand on his chest holding him in place.

“Did you not think of what could happen to you?” 

Jaskier snorted. “Oh, trust me, I did.”

He licked his lips, manic smile stretching his face. Something in him had snapped. What did he care? Wasn’t like it affected him in any way. “Who told you I didn’t want it?” 

Geralt reared back, quick enough to make the Bard flinch. His chest was heaving, his hands in fists at his side. With a grunt he turned on his heels, stomped away. Jaskier was breathing hard just the same, but didn’t really know if it was arousal, anger or fear. Maybe it was a bit of everything. His hand rubbed over the spot were Geralt has held him, his eyes on the floor. Of course he’d be disgusted. The bard knew that. Why did it still hurt then? 

“No.” 

Huh? Jaskier looked up, just in time to see Geralt descending upon him like a wild animal. Then there was lips on his, heat, slickness, a tongue teasing him. Hands were on his body, running down his sides, squeezing when they found his waist, moving to the small of his back and his cheek, to haul him closer. Geralt’s voice was like a thunderstorm – captivating, gravelly, electrifying, absolutely wild.

“No. You don’t get to do that.” 

The hand on his back was sneaking down, grabbed his bum and pulled groans from both of them. 

“You don’t get to come into my life, make me care about you, protect you,-“ a vicious nip to his lips, then his head was moved, turned to the side so Geralt could easily access his neck; continue his assault there. 

“Fucking burrow your way into my brain, heart-“

Hips rolled against his, dick against dick. Jaskier thought he was dying. What in the world?

“-into my fucking dreams.” 

Geralt pulled back, eyed Jaskiers clothes. With a grunt he reached for the jacket, pulled it off his bard and then there were hands on hips, fingers dipping into breeches and Jaskier thought he was gonna pass out. Maybe, just maybe, Geralt wasn’t exactly as disgusted as he’d first thought.

All the while, Geralt was groaning and moaning directly into his ear, with that fucking voice of his. 

“You don’t get to.” 

Geralt whirled Jaskier around, pressed a hand between his shoulder blades to make him bend at the waist.

“Brace yourself.”

 If Jasker hadn’t popped a boner the very second his back had hit the tree, he would now, at the latest. He liked being manhandled by Geralt, the big bad witcher showing him so obviously, so blatantly, that he did care. That he did feel something for Jaskier. 

So he followed his lead. Hands against the three, head low to watch the witcher’s legs, ogle those delicious goddamn thighs all he wanted. If he also arched his back and shoved his ass back into Geralt’s grip – who could blame him?

A groan, from behind him. A hand gliding from the back of his thigh up, dipping between his legs, just for a second. Hot breaths against his neck, a hotter body aligned with his own, blood rushing in his ears. 

“Look at you.” A smack, then a bite at his shoulder, a soothing lick. Jaskier’s buttcheek stung, but he loved it. He was getting goddamn giddy with excitement, giddy at the possibility of Geralt being serious about this. And if not - he’ll get a couple good fucking orgasms out of this. He ignored how his insides churned at that, ignored the sting at the thought. He preferred to be in the here and now, enjoy whatever Geralt was ready to give.

Said man was pressed along the line of his body, hips nestled against his ass in a way that made the bard wish he was naked and ready, and possibly equipped with the ability to stop time forever.

The hands were wandering again. Up his legs, over his hips, slipping underneath his untucked shirt- Jaskier let out a breathy moan, let his hips move against the broad man currently driving him crazy. His nails scratched, fingers tippity-tapped, and then Geralt kissed right behind his ear and pinched his nipples. Which almost made Jaskiers knees buckle – fucking hell. 

“You’re so infuriating. So fucking annoying, with your big pretty eyes, and those fucking lips.” 

His right hand came up, wrapped around the bards throat, the thumb found his lips.

“So fucking soft, I bet they’ll feel great wrapped around my cock.” 

Lips were brushing the shell of his ear as the witcher continued: “I know they’ll look fucking divine.”

Jaskier couldn’t hold back. He wouldn’t. “Geralt, please-“ 

“Shut up.”

The harsh, commanding tone had him weak, his dick twitching in his pants. The hand around his neck squeezed and then shifted, enough to grab Jaskier’s jaw - fuck, how huge were his hands? - and turn his head. Geralt captured his lips in a bruising kiss, noses bumping, neck straining but, oh royal fuck, this was Jaskier’s personal heavenly hell. 

The hips pressed into his ass rolled, Geralt’s dick nestled against Jaskier’s ass – he could feel the size of him and holy fuck. 

Geralt broke the kiss to bite his lower lip, then nip at his jaw and breathe a moan against his skin. 

“Please.” Jaskier was out of his mind. He’d lost all orientation, body and mind hyperfocused on the bulking figure pressed against him, the man playing him like his favourite instrument. He loved it, loved how good it made him feel, how wanted, desired, cherished. 

Geralt’s hand came back around his throat, the weight of it heady and promising. It was a total show of dominance and strength, and it warmed the bard from the inside out, burnt him, until he was begging for Geralt like a man dying.

“Please, Geralt, please.”

A growl, low enough for the bard to feel it.

“You want to say something?” 

Geralt’s free hand undid the laces on the bards breeches, then found its way into them and cupped Jaskiers dick. “You want to be loud?” 

The bard whimpered, pressed his eyes closed, completely lost in the sensations. “You want to sing?”

A hard tug, a bite to his neck, then Geralt’s lips against his ear. He sounded like a man driven mad, anger mixed with frustration, desire and the need to claim Jaskier, mark him as his and make sure the bard knew it. 

“I will make you fucking sing. You will be so sore tomorrow, you’ll beg for some relief. You won’t be able to perform for a week, when I’m done with you.”

Jaskier was shivering now. He was barely able to stand, not with the heady mix of a rough hand in his pants and rougher voice in his ear, hot breath on his skin and hotter body against his. It was too much. It was too much and still he wanted more. He wanted this borderline feral man to take him and never let go again. 

“When I’m done with you, you will be just as lost as me.”

Geralt huffed out a laugh, humourless and gave a sharp thrust against Jaskiers ass. 

“When I’m done with you, you won’t know your own name. You will be mine, and no one will dare to ever touch you again.”

Jaskier’s eyes were rolling back, his dick straining against Geralt’s big, calloused hand. He was dripping precum, made a mess of his breeches. Geralt tutted at his whimper, bit the shell of his ear, lowered his voice to a lethal whisper.

“I will ruin you, all you will be able to think about is me. You. Are. Mine.” 

[angelaiswriting]

Listen to Me | Tommy Shelby x reader

[original picture from pinterest]

✏️ Pairing: Tommy Shelby x fem!reader

✏️ Requested by Anonymous: I love that you're doing the Peaky Blinders boys now! I'd very much enjoy some possible fluff and/or smut with an over-protective Tommy?? Or anyone else?? I'm a sucker for a protective boi haha! Love your blog!! 💞

✏️ A/N: thank you sooo much for this request (and the compliment, I’m sobbing)! It made me so excited I was literally trembling and unable to write for a while haha hopefully you’ll enjoy this! It’s not smut yet, but it could be one day. Also, if you want to be added to my brand-new Peaky Blinders tag list, hit me up! Meanwhile, I’m just tagging peeps that could be interested. Also, many thanks to my MB @sweetvengeancee for being my new beta, apparently haha ily 💞 

✏️ Warnings: implied illegal activities I guess ? + pre smut, and yet not NSFW ? so at the discretion of the reader

✏️ Word-count: 2,650

PART ONE: LISTEN TO ME  |  >> part two: kiss me >>

The Garrison was packed, buzzing with life as men, both drunk and sober, chatted and joked the night away.

It was the ordered chaos Thomas Shelby enjoyed, a nice distraction from the upcoming race he was planning on fixing and from that nagging thought that followed him from a distance any time his plan popped up unsolicited in his mind. He was a good horse, Monaghan Boy – black and strong and magnificent, a born winner. But if Tommy wanted to go far, if he wanted to take Kimber’s place, he had to play all his cards and he had to play them right.

Y/N was the only one who knew – she had torn the truth out of him with that sinful mouth of hers, a few days before, in that very private room he had just got out of. She had always had her own way of doing things, ever since John had brought her home one day after school, and it had been her bluntness and utter lack of fear – probably her madness, too – that had never managed to tear her away from her Shelby friends first and the Peaky Blinders later, when they had all outgrown their childhood.

It was exactly her he didn’t expect to see that night at the bar. He had told her many a time he didn’t want her at the Garrison, didn’t want her around the men he so frequently had to deal with – he knew how they were, the things they did and how, exactly, they did them.

And yet, there she was, sitting at a table opposite Polly and with Finn cuddled up in her lap. They were laughing at something his youngest brother was saying, probably one of the crazy stories he made up with his friends, both women sipping on freshly-poured booze.

“For fuck’s sake.” The words punched their way out of his mouth without him being able to stop them as he leaned against the counter. The more he told her what to do, the more she did the opposite. Whether it was her wicked way to wrap him even tighter around her pinkie finger or something she did out of habit, Tommy truly didn’t know.

What he did know, though, was that he didn’t want her here. And as he gestured for the bartender to come, all he wished for, was for her to fucking listen for once.

Harry, ever zealous as he was, was in front of him in a second, a bottle of Irish whiskey raised in mid-air as the silent question lingered in the space between them. It was an almost automatic choice by now, but when the Blinders were involved, he’d rather not make a mistake.

Tommy gave a curt nod of his head as his left hand came up to massage his forehead. It had been a longer day than usual and while he did his best not to pay them too much attention, the worries that floated around Sunday’s race and his plan for success bubbled up in his mind like the bubbles in a glass of champagne.

“Leave the bottle,” he groaned the second before downing the contents of his glass. He was going to need all the whiskey he could get his hands on if he wanted to keep sane. “When did they arrive?”

Even without saying the names, the bartender knew who the question was about. Polly Shelby had put him back to his place when she had marched into his bar with her kid nephew and Y/N by her side and had demanded he gave her and her guests a table. It hadn’t sounded like such a bad idea when he had cleaned a table for those women, and even less when they had ordered their drinks, but as he met Tommy’s gaze now, he found himself wishing he hadn’t given in to their request.

“Don’t know,” he tried to shrug it off. “Must be twenty minutes at most.” It had been double that time, almost as long as the private Shelby meeting in the back room had lasted. There was nothing else he could do, though, as the very Polly Shelby that turned his bones into a quivering mess sent him a glare that could have been translated as behave! at best and I’m going to fucking kill you at worst.

“Fuck.”

Tommy poured himself some more whiskey. He turned around for a moment, met Y/N’s playful gaze as she looked up at him from above Finn’s ruffled hair and wondered, why her. It probably hadn’t been a conscious choice – she hadn’t been a conscious choice.

She had just been there, at the station, when he and his brothers had come back battered and broken from France. She had been there before that, too, and he knew she was still going to be in his family’s life years from now.

She had also been there when the idea of laying eyes on a woman repulsed him, his mind still struggling in the mud of the recently-won war. A friend of John ever since their school days, Tommy had ended up growing attached to her more than he cared to admit. When opium was the only remedy to the gurgling void he carried inside, she was there, her hand on his, shooing the bombings away. He had ended up taking more than she had initially offered and she had ended up taking all he had to give – skin, wounds, Romani words whispered in the semi-darkness of his room as the ricocheting echoes of the nightmares he had found himself living in for four years tumbled down those four walls that always seemed to close in on him, turning everything into a never-ending tunnel.

“Fuck,” he groaned again, unable to help himself.

Her stubbornness had been one of the things that had helped his business stand on its feet while he, Arthur and John had been away, he was sure of that, but now he needed her alive. Needed her safe. Safe from what he knew his life could cause her.

“Have you seen who’s come?” John sounded both happy and tired as he called him from behind before moving to stand by his side. He took a glance at the bottle of whiskey on the counter before pouring himself some into his brother’s tumbler.

Tommy’s answer was a groan.

“Polly will go bonkers when she finds out we had a meeting without her.”

“Oh, she already knows,” Tommy sighed, daring another glance behind his shoulder. “That’s why she’s here. And that’s why she’s brought Y/N.”

“To cause a bigger scene?” John joked, but his chuckle faded into silence when he met nothing but steel in his brother’s eyes.

“You come with me now,” the oldest said, taking a swig from the bottle and relishing in the burning that scratched down his throat. “And you take both Finn and Poll home. Make sure Finn’s in bed before you update her.”

“She won’t listen, you know that, don’t you?” John smirked, turning to glance at his childhood friend. There was no need to specify it was her he was talking about because he was more than sure that his brother knew. “She never does. That’s why I like her: she just doesn’t give a fuck about who we are.” And with a chuckle, he shook his head.

*

“There was no need to send Finn back home, it’s still early,” Y/N half-heartedly complained when Tommy pushed her into the tranquillity of the Shelbys’ private back room. “He just wanted to hang out around his brothers. You know he admires you.”

He didn’t turn to look at her: he simply walked past her and, unhurried, closed the small window that gave on the counter of the bar, providing them with much-needed privacy in a place like the Garrison. He didn’t need to see those loose hair that had escaped her hairdo and that he found stupidly… cute. Nor did he need to put two and two together and focus on the fact that she was wearing the dress he – he – had given her on her birthday.

Instead, he focused on the table in front of him: he walked up to it, put the bottle of whiskey he had left the counter with down on it and moved the glass ashtray closer to where he was going to sit. “It’s not Finn’s presence that bothers me,” he said eventually.

“Polly’s always-”

“What do I always tell you? This place-”

“If you’re implying that it’s my presence here that bothers you, Tommy Shelby, you can stick it up your-”

“Those are strong words for a lady.” He stared at her as he fixed a cigarette between his lips, lit it and took a first drag. He was trying to keep the ice in his eyes, but it never lasted, not with her. Not when she was the light next to him in the tunnel, not when she was the burning day that dug the French darkness away.

She shrugged, taking a step forward to rest her hands on the seatback of one of the chairs. Freshly manicured nails, painted red, for once – a clear sign that she had spent the day with his sister Ada. “Foolish of you to think, after all the years we’ve known each other, that I am a lady.”

Tommy smirked. “You like to pretend you are one, though.”

For a moment, her only answer was a chuckle as she bent forward to steal the cigarette from his lips. He watched as she took a drag, mere centimetres from his face, her twinkling eyes set on his, before she exhaled the smoke when she moved ever closer and her cheek brushed against his.

She was warm against him, with that perfume of jasmines wrapping her like a bridal veil. “Only with you, Mr. Shelby.”

She straightened her back, then, stood as tall and proud as only she could be in that blue dress of hers. Before he could stop her, she put out the unfinished cigarette in the ashtray.

He sat back, unbothered, and lit himself another cigarette and in the process, he never took his eyes off of her. He looked at her, he truly did, maybe for the first time that night.

She was a dream. A dream and a nightmare all in one, for she was stubborn and headstrong and probably had more balls than many of the men at his service. She never cowered – not under his gaze, not under Arthur’s, and even less under John’s. His men didn’t scare her, his business didn’t scare her, the dark corners of Small Heath didn’t scare her. That was probably the reason why he had taken it upon himself to protect her – from bullets, from secrets, from any bad dream-inducing aspect of his life.

Not that she needed it, but a man could still dream.

“How many times have I told you not to come here at night?” he asked her, puffing out smoke in her direction, twirling the cigarette between his fingers.

The right corner of her lips rose up into a half-smirk as she exhaled from the nose, loudly, trying to keep in the chuckle. “I don’t know,” she answered, drawing her shoulders back a little. “I seldom listen when you talk.”

Tommy resisted the impulse of pinching the bridge of his nose, but not the one that pushed him to close his eyes for a couple of seconds before grunting. “Do you at least know why I ask you the things I do?”

“Tommy Shelby never wants me to have fun, officer!” she drawled out, reminding him more of John than of the serious young woman she knew how to be.

“Stop being foolish and come here.”

She grabbed onto his outstretched hand and let him gently pull her forward until she was standing next to him. A more demanding tug on her arm forced her between his legs before he hoisted her up on the table. “Stop being so serious, Tommy.” She rested her hands on his, still on her hips, and dragged a foot along his thigh. “What’s the answer to that question?”

God, the things he couldn’t tell her!

“The men could get the wrong idea.” It was true, it was a possibility, one very near and always looming over any nice lady that walked through the doors of the Garrison.

She nodded. “I’m not scared of these men.”

“You should be.”

He couldn’t tell her he was doing anything in his power to protect her because she wouldn’t listen and in her haste to prove him wrong, he was sure she would end up proving him right.

“Half of them is too drunk to piss outside their pants and the other half of them is not drunk enough to fight a Shelby. And the ones that don’t know who you are, who this place,” and she gestured vaguely at the walls of the room, “belongs to, don’t scare me because I always have a knife in my boot.”

He wasn’t shocked to hear that revelation. And if he had to be honest, finding out that she walked around unarmed would have left him speechless.

“I still need you to listen to me when I talk to you.” He was slowly pushing the gown of her dress up her legs, exposing the silk of her tights. Hands rough and calloused against her clothed skin, he felt her boot until he found her knife. And smirked.

Tommy Shelby rarely smiled but his smirks were still enough to make Y/N’s heart stop beating for a second before starting to race like a racehorse.

“I’m listening now,” she breathed as he stood between her legs, his hands coming up her shins and pushing the dress over her knees.

“I want you to do the things I tell you to,” he continued.

“I take no orders.”

He leant forward, his lips as light as the touch of a feather against the base of her neck. “If I tell you not to come to the Garrison alone at night, you don’t come.”

“I wasn’t alone.” She was panting, her hands now supporting her weight on the table as he made her lean backwards a little. “I was with Polly. And Finn.”

He didn’t say anything, he let his touches speak for him. His lips kissed up the side of her neck, the tip of his tongue coming out to swipe along her skin every now and then as his hands moved from her knees to her inner thighs and inched closer to her core.

“Tommy…”

“If I say, listen to me, you do,” he whispered in her ear, lips brushing against the lobe before moving to kiss just below it. Her breath shivered against the skin of his cheek as she tilted her head back slightly. “If I want to keep you safe, you better let me.”

“You worry too much.” Her voice was a breath against his lips when he cradled her face in his hands. Lips brushing against lips, she could barely keep her gaze focused on his.

“And you worry too little.”

He kissed her, then. Slow and tender at first, almost innocently, before he let his tongue swipe along her lower lip, tasting the wax of her lipstick, and the kiss deepened. She tasted like whiskey and there was a hint of cigarette from when she had taken a drag from his.

“I’ll make sure you listen this time,” he murmured against the skin of her neck as his hands slid down her sides and back between her legs, fingertips gently tracing a line on her covered core.

“I won’t.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” he chuckled, pushing the table back and kneeling down in front of her.

Please, please, please, let me know how this story was. I’m new in this fandom and I’m both excited and terrified haha

Again, if you want to be tagged in my PB stuff, just let me know somehow :)

TAGS (to be added to or to be removed from any list, shoot me an ask)

Everything: @idhrenniel @saibh29 @fuckthatfeeling @aya-fay @pebblesz892  @mblaqgi

People that might be interested: @sweetvengeancee @kind-wolf @flowers-in-your-hayr

[peacekeeper-xiv]

The Second Shard

Ikara had spent the night arguing, and then making up with Beta, but the next morning she was determined to contact as many people as she could think of that Lloire might want to fight. First at the top of the list was Helene. She just hoped the linkpearl frequency was still the same. Testing it out a bit she called over the pearl, "Helene, its Ikara... you there?"

There was silence on her hand for a few beats before the line came through crystal clear. In the distance came the heavy rumble of a giant waterfall along with the usual sound of her armor shifting against itself. "Ikara! Long time no see, yeah?"

Ikara breathed a sigh of relief that the linkpearl connected and was beaming on the other end, "Hey! I'm glad you didn't change linkpearls. It’s been too long! How are you?"

Steels slid into the sheath at her side and she let out a long exhale. "Ahh, ya know. Keepin' busy! Wouldn't change lines unless I lost it, yeah? Gotta keep up with people." She could hear Helene dusting off her gloves together. "Oh! Got married. That uh, yeah sorry I didn't invite ya. Was kinda sudden. But hey! You sound like you are doing well, yeah?"

Ikara blinked at the news and squealed happily on the other end of the line, "Oh my goodness!! I am so happy for you! I mean... you should have invited me... but Uh.. I have kind of been out in the burn for moons anyways, so it’s not like you could have reached me. Man... I really want to catch up, but you know how things go. I've got some good news and bad news, and I'm guessing you want the bad first."

Chance had been looking over the ledgers with the quartermaster and growling over some of the expenses when he looked over his shoulder as Helene went from a smile to her more serious expression. Work almost never made her wear that look, so he could safely bet it was something more personal. A heavy sigh left the wolf but he'd let her finish her call before pressing for details. Besides, there was still plenty he needed to work out on the books.

Helene Ashton had pressed her hand against her ear as if it would help make the call as crystal clear as possible. "Figured ya had some reason aside from catching up. Hit me with it. You need help? You okay?" Her footing shifted into a balanced stance out of habit.

Ikara laughed a little, "One of these days I am going to call just to shoot the shit... but really I always feel bad doing that. With the way folks I know are, they are likely to be in the middle of a battlefield." She sighed a little and considered, "Well, on the plus side I have good and bad news. Good news is me, I'm actually excellent, but we'll get to that. I don't even really know how to easily explain the bad. Its magey bullshit that Niisan... I mean Lloire, Lion... well shit... no wonder... too many names, Anyways, Lloire did some dumbass magic crap to himself. He is... okay, ish. It’s like his aether is a big old mirror and he put his fist through it, and now he has a bunch of different personalities and is intent on fighting all his friends to prove to himself they can protect themselves or some bullshit. So, he will likely try to find you and pick a fight with you with one of his... now many facets. I already fought one of them. They are entirely made up of his aether, but it didn't seem to physically hurt his real body when I kicked his aether butt."

Chance frowned. If her words weren't enough to put him on edge, her sudden statuesque nature certainly was. A low growl left his throat, rumbling enough to put the quartermaster on edge.

Helene Ashton had fallen silent and let her statuesque form scream for her. A deep breath was pulled, and she looked down to the ground. “Okay…ish?” Her lips pressed together, tensing her muscles through her neck. “Aye, aye I see. You’re okay though, yeah? He didn’t hurt ya too bad, did he? I’ll sock him one extra If he did. He would want me to.”

Ikara waited on the other end for Helene to say -something-, and when she finally did Ikara breathed a little easier. Helene was so used to weird shit from the Order, she just needed the important stuff to know how to win. "He is okay, I think. Its, like he only has a certain amount of control over it. I mean, looking at his aether is disturbing, and I offered to try to fix it, but I mean, I'm not sure I could have. I'm fine, promise! I won! I mean, I almost didn't, Niisan is a pain in the ass when it comes to his magical talents and now I have to figure out what the hell that last spell he used was, but no, I'm fine. I realized at the end of the fight that his .. facet is made of Aether.. and well, that is my specialty... manipulating aether.. so I just kinda... disrupted the whole facet. I may have had my eyebrows singed off though, but thats okay... they'll grow back."

Chance spun around at her last words looking furious. He wasn't fool enough to react without the full story, but this had begun to sound domestic and if Lloire had put his hands on Velestine, there was going to be blood.

Helene Ashton heard him shift behind her and she cast her bright emerald hues over her shoulder to him. It wasn't going to help the fire, she was 'Shield' more than 'Hells' in that moment. if protective had a facial expression, she was the poster child of it. Helene Ashton then muttered a bunch of incoherent colorful commentary low enough that only a word or two could be made out. Stubborn and Fool, respectively and clearly not meant for her Wolf.

The quartermaster had tried to regain Chance's attention, but with the look Helene wore, there was little chance of that. He simply growled a dismissal and the man gave a hurried salute before beating a hasty exit.

Helene Ashton noted the poor quartermaster and couldn't help her smirk. She continued the conversation, though. "Glad you are okay. Eyebrows or not, I’m bettin' you're still cute so don't worry about it, yeah? Said you didn't hurt him, right? Nothin' you did had any affect?"

The merc was now both angry and confused. He paced slowly back and forth, waiting for an explanation.

Ikara huffed a laugh, "Like I said, they'll grow back." Thinking on how to explain it she finally settled on an answer, "Well, the real Lloire, like his physical body collapsed. This ... second Lloire, appeared. It was entirely made of aether, but a physical thing. Like, if I cast spells at it, it bled, I burned its arm off. But the damage I did to the facet didn't appear on the real Lloire. I'm not a hundred percent sure what killing it would do to his main aether to be honest, but he claims that it should actual mend what’s wrong. Though, again, I don't know. I basically disrupted it and reshaped it into a staff instead so he could always still have access to that part of himself, without taking the risk of breaking it. I don't know how it would go in a physical fight to be honest. I know you -can- win, and you -can- hurt it, but these facets are how he sees those parts of himself, so they are a hard fight."

Helene Ashton cast her features up to the heavens and let out a hard exhale. "Aye, well, I can't shape aether or even cast any of it so I am gonna have to do it the old fashioned way an' hope. Thanks for the heads up, Ikara. You call Vele--no, wait, it's Lion. He wouldn't give ya that info. I'll call his girlfriend and give her a heads up, yeah?"

Chance was even more confused now, but his hackles went down ever so slightly. Her words about doing it the old fashioned way seemed to annoy him more though.

Ikara perked up a bit, "Oh! I did headbutt it in the face and crack his nose, so physical hits work. I um.. he mentioned this new girlfriend of his. I told him he didn't need to fight folks, he needed a therapist, he said he tried that and ended up dating her and that he'd introduce me later, but yea if you can get a hold of her all the better, cause I don't know how."

Helene Ashton then laughed. "Oh, aye, he is dating his therapist alright. Wait 'till ya meet this one, Ikara. He has tried so hard to run from her. Anyroad, once this is done, we should have dinner at Lion's place an' you can meet her and my Husband, yeah? He owes us after this."

Her 'Husband' huffed as the conversation seemed to derail and stopped pacing. Whatever the news was, obviously Helene didn't see it as terribly threatening.

Ikara laughed and had a big grin that could be heard in her tone, "That sounds like a really good plan. We'll make him cook for all of us as contrition for being a dummy and I can meet people. Just, I wanted to warn you cause I don't think he will go with a surprise attack, but I didn't want you to be unprepared. Also, tell your new Husband that I am asking very nicely for him to please not kill my big brother for being a dumbass. I would really appreciate it. I imagine anyone that you marry would be perfectly willing to put him in the ground for hurting you, so yea.. speaking of... so that good news.. something good to leave off on anyways, Beta proposed annnnd after I stared at him like he had grown a second head, I said yes. Sooo eventually I'll get to invite you to -my- wedding. Not anytime soon though. We aren't in a hurry."

Helene Ashton still was holding her balanced stance and tightened frame but given her armor, that wasn't showcased as easily. Her tone was still 'forced' in a way he may pick up on. Helene Ashton then turned some to look at Chance. Now he could see that it was on purpose. "Ayyy!!! 'Bout time!! Congrats girly, I will be there front row and center for your big day. We will talk more on that and get back to easy conversations soon, yeah? I should talk to Wolf before he pounces on me here. He's givin' me the look of death since this is one sided convo, yeah? Thanks for the warning, though. I'll update ya if he shows."

Chance was unsure who she was speaking with and took the tone at face value at first. He rose a brow as she continued though and shook his head at her 'look of death comment' but held his tongue since it was clear the conversation was wrapping up now.

Ikara giggled across the line, "Oh yea, I didn't realize he was there, oops! I should have. Yea we will catch up soon. Kick my brother's ass yea, but don't go killing him or he can't cook us all dinner. Go and I'll talk to you soon."

Helene Ashton gave a curt nod. "Aye, aye. Miss ya, kid. See you soon."

"Miss you too. See you."

With that, she took her hand down from the pearl and twitched her nose enough to shift her wrinkles about on her cheeks. “Oi..”

The merc crossed his arms, his expression not changing one ilm. "So... who needs to die, and who are we congratulating on something?"

Helene Ashton cleared her throat. “Ikara is Lloire’s little sister in the fact he ‘adopted’ her into his care. She’s the one that called. She’s marrying his ‘son’ Beta. So, there’s the good news, yeah?” She then shifted her footing to dig her heel in as if waiting for the heavy blow. “Lloire’s gone and gotten his aether all shattered or something into different manifestations of his personalities and is off fighting his friends to prove a point. Ikara fought him, burned off his arm and headbutt him and it hurt the ‘form’ of him, but not….his real form. It’s confusin’, yeah? Anyway he ended up burning off her eyebrows in the fight but otherwise, she’s fine. Not shockin’ to me as she is the strongest aether user I ever heard of. But, I’m not. I don’t even have any and he is likely headin’ this way at some point and likely lookin’ to take me on.”

Lloire Peace, sort of, stepped into the doorway and lifted his visor. "Not you, actually, Shield sister." The spear was drawn from his back and pointed at Chance. "Him. He's your other half... I would know that he can defend you as easily as you can defend him." Chance took a step to the side, not even having had an opportunity to ask about the insanity Helene had just explained. "Are you crazy?" The wolf asked angrily. "Who the hell are you to think we owe you some test of our might?" Lloire lowered the spear. "I am Warrenson. A son of Peace. Accept my challenge, or do not... I will accept a forfeit."

Helene Ashton had moved on instinct at hearing Lloire. Given the context of the call from Ikara, her immediate response was to pivot and put herself between her brother-in-arms and her husband. “Oi!” Auburn locks were tied back but had grown long enough now that they collected to the opposite shoulder with the fluidity of her motions. “Lion. Let’s just talk this out, yeah? What’s got you doin’ this anyway?”

Lloire Peace shook his head slightly. "Not Lion... He'll be here for you later. Warrenson." He frowned as he looked between them. "I was listening... did the girl not explain it properly?" The spear rose again at a movement from Chance and his brow rose. "I hope you are not without honor mercenary... Your wife has asked a question... Do not engage me before I have answered her." Chance sneered but stopped moving. "The hell, Hels... I say I just kick his ass and we can ask him what the hell his issue is after this part's been beaten and broken..."

Helene Ashton huffed and looked over her shoulder to Chance but not enough to take Lloire out of her peripherals. “Don’t kill Lloire. Not sure what these… aether things do to him if they die but don’t attack him directly.” She then set her sharp gaze on ‘Warrenson.’ “Where is he?”

Warrenson grinned at her words and motioned behind him, outside. "The vessel is quite fine. He's resting. He'd thought to come explain it all to you himself, but when I heard you speaking with the girl... well, no sense explaining what's already been said, is there?" He gave her a simple nod. "You can check on him if that's your desire." His spear arm stiffened. "But I would have an answer to my challenge first." Chance growled and moved to Helene's side, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Idiot's gone and gotten broken as fuck in the head... but I doubt that makes him less dangerous... Your call, wife... He's your brother... Shall I oblige the ass, and kick it?"

Helene Ashton had always been the type not to swing too far off into the emotional spectrum of life. When it came to those she cared for, she would shift into her ‘Shield’ persona that she earned the name for. But in that moment, the way he spoke about Lloire and challenged Chance, questioning his ability? Hells hath no fury. “The ‘vessel’?” Chance coming to her side and setting a hand to her pauldron was enough to let the fire out of her veins. Her glare upon the apparition was heated and steady, her palm resting tightly to the pommel of the steel at her side, but she flicked her gaze away to lock it to her Wolf’s own hues. “Fuck him up, yeah?” And oh, how she grinned.

Warrenson smiled at the answer he'd been given. He turned without another word and stepped outside. Chance put down pressure on the pauldron beneath his fingers and nodded as he moved around her. "I love it when you talk sexy like that." His own spear was shook at his side as he moved to follow the false-Lloire and swapped it between hands as though to loosen up his grip. When he was out in the sunlight there was a clear divide between the two. Chance, the golden wolf. Lloire, the silver Lion. "Any rules to this duel of ours, False Lloire?" The other glared at Chance. "You will address me as Warrenson, or Son of Peace. Do not trifle with me, mercenary..." The merc simply grinned. "Shouldn't let me get under your skin so easily False Lloire..."

Helene Ashton winked as he moved around her, but she wasn’t far behind. Stepping out with them, she noted their positions, armor, weapons, the field on with they would play, everything. Both arms crossed upon her chest as she then took the moment to look for her brother.

Warrenson lay unconscious on the ground behind 'Warrenson' near the water. From where Helene stood, he seemed hale and whole, though completely unmoving aside from the steady rise and fall of his chest. Warrenson took a moment to adjust his gauntlets and shook his head. "Outside of the fact that this battle is between you and I, no. No other conditions or handicaps." Chance rolled his shoulders, letting his neck crack several times before nodding. "Alright... Let's get on with this then. I win how?" Warrenson pulled down the visor on his helm and smirked. "Despite the requests of the ladies... You only win if I am completely defeated. Slay me and win... fail to do so and I win... proving you don't have what it takes..."

Helene Ashton tucked her tongue into the curve of her cheek as she listened to the rule set. But again, that grin showed on her features and made her freckles rise. “Never said he couldn’t put you in your place. I said he can’t touch my brother.” She pointed to Lloire by the water. “Far as I’m concerned, he can hand you your teeth one by one, yeah? But if my brother starts feelin’ the pain, I’m gonna take issue.”

Warrenson scoffed. "The vessel will remain whole. Do not worry." The spear was rose aloft and he spun it once before settling into a stance. "Ready yourself mercenary!" With that, the battle began in earnest. Warrenson struck first. He leapt into the air and came down, getting the jump on Chance with speed that the mercenary had not expected from a mage. It was a glancing blow, but it stung all the same. Especially that Lloire had drawn first blood. "Remind me again Hels, what all is this asshole trained in?"

Helene Ashton shifted her footing as Chance took the hit first, but she kept her features neutral for the moment. “…Everything.” Arms tightened upon her chest as she adjusted them to get comfortable. “He spent a lot of time with every weapon he could get his hands on.”

Warrenson took a step back, letting the weapon in his hand twist around to his side again, 'allowing' Chance a moment to recuperate from the attack. The mercenary frowned at his wife's answer. "Well that's just -great-... Fuckin' Gillionaires... too much damn time on their hands, not enough real work to do." Chance shifted his left shoulder again, adjusting his grip on his own spear. "Well, there's something to be said about specializing." He charged Lloire, forcing the Hyur to lift his lance defensively. The mercenary feinted though, slamming his own spear into the dirt and using it to launch dirt and sand up and into the other's eyes. Warrenson stumbled back wiping at his eyes angrily as Chance rushed forward with the followup attack.

Helene Ashton winced at Chance’s response to the information but smirked as Warrenson was faked out. Memories. “He an’ I have that whole ‘hero’ complex in common, yeah? I know my way ‘round a few weapons so I can be ready. Same for him.” Holding conversation as if Warrenson was nothing more than a trainee being tested, she kept it casual now and glanced around the area, but Wolf would know her best. Her footing gave away everything.

The wolf was many things... but a hero, was never among them. Prideful, conceitful, no. He was practical. His enemy was blinded. His enemy was agitated. Pride was a weakness to exploit. His spear found its mark. Between scales, center mass, he buried it so far into the other Hyur that even Helen could see the other end from her position. Warrenson gasped out as the weapon rammed through him, blood splattering Chance in the face as they were now but a breath apart. The merc remained stoic and calm. "Something wrong? Looks like you might've broken a few... vessels there..."

Helene Ashton unfolded her arms the minute she watched the spear tip explode out the back of Warrenson. Pride may have been his weakness, but the sin shown clear as day all over her form for the man who claimed her. A few steps carried her down the makeshift ramp as she looked from her Wolf, to her Brother laying by the water. Little care was given to their enemy in that moment as she was focused on the rise and fall of Lloire’s chest; looking for blood.

Lloire Peace, even now seemed the perfect picture of health. A unique look for him all things considered. Chance watched the enemy carefully as he pulled in ragged breaths and Helene passed. When she reached Lloire his eyes fell to her. "He alright?" He asked with concern tinting his voice.

"I... told... <coughs blood> you.... he was... fine." Chance's pupils immediately dilated as he turned his attention to the enemy whose free hand now gripped tightly to the others spear. Warrenson leaned back for a fraction of a heartbeat before he slammed his head forward, helm crashing into Chance's unprotected face, blood splattering all around it from the impact. Chance fell back, losing his grip on the spear as he stumbled back from the blow, holding his face. "You thought this..." He motioned to the spear jutting through him now, "...would kill me? You know NOTHING about me!"

Helene Ashton had lowered down into a crouch to check on Lloire’s pulse, his breathing, and set a hand over his chest where the spear had hit its mark. All clear. She let out a slow breath before touching his cheek briefly. That was cut short as she heard the collide behind her and quickly rose to look back on the fight. That glare leveled on Warrenson as Chance stumbled back and she took a few steps closer, keeping her hand off her sword so as not to provoke intent.

Warrenson ripped Chance's spear from his gut, now holding both his own and Chance's crimson stained weapon. He was quickly bleeding out now, but seemed in no hurry to fetch a healer nor to slow down. Instead, Chance's weapon was lifted over his head and directed at the merc. "You should have ended it... now your wife has to watch you die... Even if I fall... slaying you will prove the vessel's fears true... I will lay down my life to ensure that Peace survives!"

Helene Ashton dug her feet to the ground and launched herself forward with speed. Despite the armor, despite the weight of her shield, she moved as if neither had been upon her in that moment. Sunlight glinted off the broad surface as she ducked down, leapt, and planted her feet suddenly, swinging her arm wide with enough force behind it to hopefully send Warrenson careening into the pillar close by.

Warrenson hadn't expected the rules to be ignored. He went flying, staggering towards the pillar and crashing into it. Stunned, he collapsed to the ground, shaking his head. "Foul!" He cried and he and Chance forced themselves to their feet. "That was outside the rules! This was between he and I!"

Helene Ashton slowly pulled steel from its home at her hip, letting the song ring out for his ears. Emerald hues were locked dead to his features as she righted herself and rolled the shoulder of the arm that held tight to that shield. Her tone had dipped into a serious edge, yet she smirked. “Like you said…” The sword swung this way and that as she warmed up her hold. “…you know nothing about me, yeah? Lloire wouldn’t kill the man I loved nor would I allow him, to kill Lloire.” Her steps brought her between Chance and Warrenson once more. “Hero.” She shrugged.

Warrenson staggered to his feet. "Very well hero... when the vessel remains broken... we will be sure that he knows it was your interfe--" Before the last word could leave his lips his head jutted backwards with the impact of something slamming into his face. The body that had been Warrenson slid down the stone column until it then fell over to the side, an expertly thrown knife jutting from one of his eyes.

Helene Ashton widened her gaze as the man fell over with a new addition for his trouble. A step or two brought her closer but she didn’t let it keep her attention. Instead, she looked back to Chance.

The merc was wiping blood from his nose with one hand, the other still pointed in the direct of his throw. "Live through that, asshole..." Chance staggered a moment in place before the arm dropped to his side and he frowned. "Thanks, Hels..." He remarked, gratefully. Before she could respond though, the being that had called itself Warrenson began to break apart into the base blocks of aether it had been formed of. They lingered in the air for several heartbeats before then moving back to Lloire and coalescing around him. There was a soft glow there for several moments but soon it faded and Lloire seemed to become restless in his slumber.

Helene Ashton softened at the fact he was standing upright. “Never need to thank me. Wasn’t sure you’d have enough time to throw it.” She then turned back to watch the figure break apart. “We didn’t shake on the rules anyway. Lloire knows our shake.” Her own defenses were up as she continued to watch her brother until he moved. Helene exhaled. “Good. He’s comin’ to.” The sword and shield were tucked away as she approached Chance to check on him. “How’s the nose?”

Chance reached up, growled beforehand, and pushed it back into place, causing a bit more blood to rush. "I'll live." He commented as he tore at a sleeve and used it to stanch the bleeding. "Fucker's pretty tough to take down, even broken as shit like this... I see why you two get 'long..." He moved to her side as Lloire began to move more. "Should we get him inside?"

Helene Ashton scoffed. “Should’ve seen him with an axe, yeah? Downright frightening.” Once she was sure he was alright, she turned and looked to Lloire once more. “Aye. He is likely feelin’ like a truck hit him by now. Also, remind me never to take you on and mean it.” Once more, pride shown in her features as she smiled to him before moving over to where Lloire lay. “Oi, you ‘wake?”

Lloire Peace seemed as though he were working on regaining consciousness but wasn't there quite yet. Chance followed her and shrugged. "I'd hope our vows prevented that all the same..." He wasn't quite clear on the aether and magic aspects of all that had occurred. Warrenson had felt plenty real to him afterall. "Let's get him inside then. He moved to help her carry the Hyur inside. "Maybe he'll be able to tell us something helpful... I don't recommend we just let him go out and try to kill people."

Helene Ashton lowered down and scooped Lloire up under one arm, helping get him up to move. “I didn’t think he’d go as far as trying to outright kill you, yeah?” Concern etched at the corners of her features as she looked to Lloire and then Chance. “I can’t let him leave if he is heading out to kill his friends, yeah?”

Chance Ashton helped Helene with the weight of the Hyur and nodded. "Though, I'm gonna guess with all his magic and fuck all crazy, talkin' him outta it or keeping him pinned down are gonna be tough. But we gotta try, I guess. Maybe find out who is next at least."

Helene Ashton shook her head. “Aye, who knows what his magic can do now. But maybe he’ll talk. Startin’ to think I need to get everyone in the same room and help protect them.” As they entered the barracks, she pushed the door open with her foot and helped take Lloire inside. She then nodded to one of the beds. “There or the bench?”

Chance Ashton shrugged and motioned towards the closest bunk. "There's fine. Not like he's bleedin'. Benedict won't mind." A heavy sigh rattled from him. "I swear... this Lion better not be gunning to fight right away..."

Helene Ashton helped haul her brother to the bed and get him situated upon it. She then dusted off her hands and took a step back. “He said he would be comin’ for me later. Not sure what that meant but if Lion is ‘Lion’, like the nickname I gave him? It’s not goin’ to be a pretty fight, Chance. He is full blood berserk mode in that moment, yeah?”

Chance Ashton's brow furrowed as she explained. "Well, I see no reason I can't give you a hand with him. Doesn't seem these 'rules' of theirs mean shit." A groan alerted the couple to Lloire regaining consciousness and the Hyur reached up and rubbed his forehead gingerly. "Lion'll wait... He's not ready to fight. Wants the other sides to lose before he bothers to rouse..." He shook his head as his eyes adjusted to the light. "Well fought, both of you..."

Helene Ashton turned as Lloire came to. She waited for a beat to be sure he really was alright before slamming her gauntleted, mhigan fist into his gut to take the wind from him if possible. “That was for trying to kill Ikara. An’ you should be -real- fuckin’ apologetic for tryin’ to kill Chance because I am this close...” she pinched her fingers together for him “…to givin’ you a throttling.”

Lloire Peace took the hit with a loud "Umphh!" as she got her wish and the air was robbed from him. He took several moments to regain his breath and moved to a sitting position. "Yeah, I likely deserve that..." He said sheepishly as his other hand reached up to rub the back of his head idly. "I'm glad you're both okay..." He let out a sharp breath and shook his head. "You and Ikara both... Look, Hels, Chance... Let's say I go against this plan... and I decide I don't trust you all to win... Then what's gonna stop Shade or Lion from deciding to just surprise attack and kill the people I care about when they are in control. Right now there's an uneasy truce in my head. They all get a shot to prove they are the side that’s too dangerous to be part of me... that I can't have companions... If I go against that... They are just gonna take control when they damn well please and do what they want like they have been.”

Helene Ashton set her hands on her hips as she listened to the explanation and she was kind enough to at least do that. “Lion…no, droppin’ nicknames for now, Lloire! How is -killin- your companions any fuckin’ better, yeah? You an’ I both know that if you had killed Ikara, Chance, Me, or even Velestine, you would come out of it worse than before. Stop bein’ an’ idiot and let us help. You aren’t alone.”

Chance Ashton nodded, agreeing with Helene, for lack of a better option. This all sounded utterly insane to him. Lloire frowned. "Don't you understand Shield? This -is- me letting you help. This -is- me trusting you all. Maybe Ikara could fix my aether, but the underlying trauma would still be there. It'd shatter anew..." He frowned deeper. "They killed Claudettea... The Galreans know who Velestine is now... That says nothing about you or Ikara... add that to the fact that another one beside Balmora's taken an interest in me... do you really think they'll afford any of us the chance to put me through years of aethereal and psychological therapy? Do you think Shade would...? I trust you all to take out these shadows of mine... To prove to my subconscious that I really don't have to worry that I'll be the death of everyone -else- I hold dear. That not everyone is Aliya or Claudettea..."

Helene Ashton lofted her brows at the mention of Claudettea and her shoulders sunk a little. “I’m sorry ‘bout Claudettea, Lloire. I liked her.” A sigh. “Always have to mess with ya, don’t they?” She could have spit if she wanted to but sucked air through teeth instead. “Why not just gather all your companions and take out Balmora 2.0, yeah? Wouldn’t that prove we could handle it? The Warrior of Light doesn’t even work alone half the time and he has had his own shit to deal with.” A beat was given as she shifted her footing once more. “Look, I get it, yeah? But now that I know you are out tryin’ to -kill- us, I’m havin’ a hard time not packing up and following you.”

Chance Ashton nodded. "Or knock your ass out and go handle the Imperials ourselves, yea?" Lloire shook his head. "I was unconscious the last time I fought someone Chance... It wouldn't really do much good if I can manifest elsewhere..." He returned his attention to Helene. "I get your side... but if you tried, most of the shards would just refuse to fight and I'll stay... fragmented. Is this an elegant solution, even a wise or practical one... hell no. But it's better than slamming a dagger in my heart or turning myself over to the Garleans like I nearly did... so..." He huffed. "You're gonna have to trust me. And I have to trust all of you. And hopefully nobody gets killed in all this and I can be thoroughly proven wrong."

Helene Ashton turned and looked at Chance as if asking permission to beat the snot out of him in some respects. Though she didn’t move to do such, she stood there staring at her husband, taking his presence as a form of strength. She then looked to Lloire. “Couple things, yeah? You try to kill yourself again, and I will find someone to drag your ass back from the void. If anything, you fighting all of us should fuckin’ prove how loved you are by many even when you are as ‘broken’ as you are. Two, when you put yourself together again, you are marching your scrawny ass back here and planning an attack on that Garlean trash that messed with you, yeah? Three, you are makin’ everyone dinner.”

Chance Ashton nearly laughed as his Wife laid out her conditions and simply crossed his arms as though to show there was no arguing these conditions. Lloire listened and nodded, without a word. "You got it. When this is said and done... We'll put together a damned Company of Heroes and go bring the fucker to justice and then I'll hold a victory feast."

Helene Ashton stared at him for a few moments again and lifted an eyebrow. “You don’t think you’re comin’ out of this, do ya?”

Lloire stared up at her with a soft expression and shook his head. "On the contrary... I believe with all my heart that I will. I just need all of you to believe it too."

Helene Ashton wrinkled her nose as those freckles danced with the motion. “That was the fastest you ever agreed to somethin’ I said. So, you either must believe that you will, or you are staying positive so we will.” Both hands lifted to rub her temples then. “But I know you are too stubborn so I’m goin’ to trust ya on this one this time.”

Chance Ashton placed a hand on her shoulder and turned to Lloire. "My conditions now brother-in-law... Since this was my fight in theory... One... You don't have to stay here... you are too stubborn to do so... but you will rest before you go seeking anyone else out... Two... You tell us now who is next... Three... know that if my Wife comes back with even a single digit less than she has now... I'll carve from you anything she loses..." Lloire looked between the two and shook his head with a laugh. "I'll rest before the next fight, don't worry. I have to so my aether reabsorbs properly... I'm close to where my old friend Tyranie lives now... so she is likely next... Anything I take should be taken from me. I accept that... But I suspect she will do fine." He turned to Helene and smirked. "You really did need a Sword... He's exactly what I expected for you."

Helene Ashton glanced to Chance and smirked at his list. The last one made her look to Lloire with a grin. “Good. Glad ya agree, yeah?” His comment on ‘Sword’ made her roll her eyes. “Us stubborn types need someone that enables as well as puts us in check. He’s perfect at both.” Leaning down to get to eye level with him now, a mischievous hold took over her grin. “Sound familiar? How’s that Lion tamer of yours?”

Chance Ashton had to hold back from barking a laugh at her comments. Lloire however looked impassive at the taunting. "We'll have to see. You all have been through more of my..." Chance interrupted, "Insanity?" Lloire continued, "...life than she's had to so far, but she's seen enough to maybe have second thoughts by now. I'll let you know at the victory feast." The blue-haired Hyur made to stand. "I need to be on my way Shield, Sword. Thank you both... Continue to take care of one another..."

Helene Ashton took a step back to let him stand. “Let -her- make that choice this time, yeah? Since you’re keen on us proving ourselves.” She let it drop then and switched gears by coming in to wrap him up in a hug this time. Normally tensing at such a motion, she was rigid for a moment in the start, then settled, giving him one good squeeze. “I believe in you an’ all of us. I will see ya at dinner.” She then let go and stepped back like nothing happened, clearing her throat.

Lloire had been surprised by the hug but returned it with a smile before nodding at her and then Chance. "Aye. That's the plan." He stepped past them both, offering Chance another brief nod of respect before heading to the door. He paused as his hand wrapped around the handle. "Just make sure... you don't hold back when the time comes to face Lion, okay? You have to be at your best." With that, he was out the door and heading away.

Helene Ashton nodded to the comment. “I am back on training regimen first thing in the morning.” As he left, she gave a short wave and looked to Chance. “I’m going to need the best gear we can afford.” Despite her cockiness at the best of times, there was a small hint of fear in her gaze.

Chance Ashton took both of her shoulders into his hands and nodded. "Alright. We'll get it figured out." He smiled, his reluctant rare smile. "And you and I will spare between exercises. You'll be more than prepared for him."

Helene Ashton looked down between them and exhaled slowly from puffed cheeks. “It’s mostly the blows from the axe I’m worried about. He isn’t goin’ to tire in that state and that is how you get at that weapon. You tire the user.” She then looked back up at him and shifted her footing into a relaxed state. “But we’ve got time. First, let’s get ya to Benny so he can heal that nose, yeah?”

Chance Ashton nodded quietly. "Yea, let's go poke the bear." He smirked. "I think his new look will surprise you..." With that he took her hand into his and started for the door.

[until-theend-oftheline]

When They Had Nothing - Part 3: Friends for Life

Pairing: Stucky (Eventually)

Warnings: Fragile Health, The Cyclone (yes that’s a warning - ask Steve), Puking (Blame Bucky for that one), Character Death.  

Word Count: 3500ish

A/N: This is my new Stucky series. It starts with the boys as kids in Brooklyn and follows CAFA but from Bucky’s POV rather than Steve’s. I am sooo excited about this series which I have been working on for about 6 months as it’s written for @cabigbang

Art Inspired by WTHN by: @ischa-posts - thank you so much for taking the time to create art for my series!

Betaed by: @blacktithe7 @emilyevanston and @ifyougetkilled-walk-it-off - Thank you so much for all your help!

***My fics are not to be saved nor posted on any other sites without my express written permission.***

MASTERLIST - CABIGBANG MASTERLIST + AO3 LINK

April 26th, 1935

“Come on! You can’t back out on me like that! It’s tradition by now,” Bucky practically whined, giving Steve a small push. They were walking home from school for the last time that summer. Every year for the past 3 years they had gone to Coney Island the first weekend of their summer break before picking up whatever odd job they could to help out their parents. Money was tight. More so for Sarah and Steve than Bucky’s family, but that didn’t mean times weren’t tough all around.

“Buck. Mom is sick. I can’t go this year. You know that” he sighed, before coughing as the dust from one of the passing cars hit them. Bucky noticed. He always noticed, but he also never pointed it out. Steve was treated as either a victim, small enough to pick on or a patient that needed looking after by just about everyone else. He didn’t need that from Bucky too. If Steve needed his help he was there, but coughing fits and heaving for breath Bucky usually pretended to ignore.

“I told you Mom said Sarah could come to stay at our place for the weekend. It gives us your place to ourselves too,” Bucky smirked, causing Steve to roll his eyes at him. Bucky was good looking and charming. He didn’t have to try hard to get girls’ attention, while Steve either didn’t seem very interested or have the same luck Bucky did.

Having a place to bring girls wasn’t Bucky’s real plan though. As fun as it was seeing how far they let him go with them without being forward, Steve was way more important to him. Sarah wasn’t getting better. She had good days, but other’s the tuberculous almost prevented her from getting out of bed. Bucky worried about Steve being in the house with her. He didn’t exactly know how the illness worked, but Steve managed to pick up just about every bug as long as people just sneezed within a mile of him.

It wasn’t even about that either though. Steve deserved a break from it all. He deserved a few hours to forget his mom was sick and that they had to struggle to get by. Bucky wanted him to have a good time, just like they used too before Sarah had started coughing blood.

“Bucky…” Steve began protesting in that voice that made him sound twice his age, and now it was Bucky’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Stevie…” Bucky mimicked sending Steve a smirk, and much to his relief, it broke the younger boy into laughter.

“You’re not giving up are you?” Steve sighed, and Bucky grinned, wrapping his arm around his shoulder, leading him down the street.

“Nope. We’re going,” he answered, knowing the battle was won. Steve needed a day away from everything as much as Bucky wanted him to have it.

They did go too. As soon as Bucky got home he arranged with his mom and dad to have Sarah picked up the following morning. She, like Steve, didn’t take kindly to needing looking after, so Winifred planned a weekend for them, pretending to have some changes around the house she needed Sarah’s opinion on.

Steve had become like family to the Barnes, much like Bucky had to Sarah. Just like Bucky’s place used to have been Steve’s getaway while his dad was alive, Steve’s had now become Bucky’s. At the Rogers’ there was no one making remarks about his grades or what he should be doing with his life. There were no remarks about wasted time or not being enough. There was warmth and hugs when Bucky brought Steve back home after having saved him from yet another beating. There were smiles and teasing. There was freedom for Bucky to be who was and accepted or even loved for it. Bucky didn’t just worry about Sarah for Steve’s sake. He worried because he loved her too. She was family, too.

So the next morning, after finally shaking his little sister that had insisted on coming, Bucky headed out the door with Steve after hugging their moms goodbye. Bucky kissed his sister’s cheek before he left, promising her a trip for the three of them before summer was over. A promise that made her face light up before hugging him goodbye, knowing that her brother didn’t make promises he didn’t intend to keep.

“We could have brought her with us you know?” Steve said, looking over at Bucky as he let himself fall down in the train seat next to Steve. Bucky just rolled his eyes, giving Steve his trademark grin.

“Nah this is our tradition. Besides having her pester mom and dad for money to go too will earn us an extra trip, just like every year,” Bucky laughed. It was Steve’s turn to roll his eyes, but he didn’t object.

It wasn’t really why Bucky never wanted Rebecca to come with them on their first trip of the year. He loved his sister, and unlike a lot of other older brothers, he didn’t mind having her tag along most places. Coney Island, or at least this first trip of the summer, was different though. It was the first trip that he and Steve had taken together that required a bus or train ride. It was theirs. Something they did together and Bucky wanted to keep it that way. He liked having something with Steve that was just for the two of them and no one else.

This year was different though. Steve was quieter, and no matter what Bucky tried he didn't seem to have fun. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and he didn’t talk back as much when Bucky got snarky with him.

Normally by this time, Bucky would have found a couple of girls he tried to halfway impress and halfway talk Steve up too. It never felt completely right, but not wrong either. Bucky wasn’t even sure why. When he was his own the nagging feeling was never there, only when Steve was around. The truth was he preferred spending their time alone together, but he also knew Steve. He was too shy to walk up to a girl on his own, so it was Bucky’s job as his best friend to help him out. Right?

Today that wasn’t Bucky’s concern though. It was just to get Steve to let loose and have a good time. He wanted him to smile and have some fun. Steve carried the weight of the world at times, but Bucky would happily carry him if it helped ease his pain a little.

“Let’s go on the rollercoaster.” Bucky tugged Steve’s arm, grinning as Steve’s eyes widened. They had been to Coney Island as kids with their families, and Sarah had given Steve strict orders to never ride the Cyclone. Sarah however, wasn’t here now, and for 2 years the boys had followed her orders while coming here on their own. Maybe it was time to break a few rules.

“Have you lost your mind?” Steve looked up at the wagons with screaming people rushing past above their heads, and Bucky threw his head back in laughter.

“Oh come on Stevie. Live a little!” Bucky met Steve’s doubt-filled eyes, raising his eyebrows and smirking, knowing just how to get him to finally cave. “You’re not making me do it on my own are you?”

Just like Bucky knew he would, Steve had taken the challenge with a groan, following a laughing Bucky to get in line for the hell ride. Bucky knew the little trick had gotten Steve’s mind off home as his eyes warily followed the movements of the line and the carts rushing by above their heads.

Bucky, however, started to rethink the sanity of his idea as he and Steve got strapped in. He looked tiny next to him, but the look of absolute determination pushed Bucky’s doubts away. The world might have seen Steve as just small and fragile, but Bucky knew he was so much more than that. He was tougher than most kids. Not physically but mentally. If he decided he could do this, Bucky knew he didn’t have anything to worry about. Even if he still did a tiny bit, he would never let Steve know that.  

As soon as the ride got going Steve was cursing Bucky out with every jerk and bump, and it was all he could do not to laugh as the two of them were tossed about and into each other. He laughed even if he felt as if his bones were rattling and teeth almost broke as his mouth was forced shut a few times. Honestly, he was just lucky his tongue didn’t get in the way because then he might have lost it.

Bucky felt a bit like hammered meat as they got off the rollercoaster, but he was still in good spirit. Steve, however, was pale as a ghost as he waddled off, heading towards the nearest trash can. He, however, missed reaching it by a few feet before he bend over, emptying the content of his stomach onto the pavement. Bucky knew he should feel horrible, but the thing was he knew Steve better than anyone. He knew the levels of his breathing and how sick was sick enough that it was cause for concern. This was not it, so rather than pitying him and rushing him to sit down, Bucky stuck the hands in his pocket and walked up beside him, trying to hold back his laughter as Steve looked up at him, glaring in anger.

“You might wanna pay attention to where you are aiming pal. I’m not sitting next to you on the train home if your shoes stink of puke,” Bucky snarked as another flood came through Steve’s mouth.

“I hate you,” he grumbled. “You’re such a jerk!”

“Well you’re a punk,” Bucky laughed, helping Steve into an upright position. “Let’s get you something to drink to get rid of that taste, huh?”

As soon as Steve had regained some strength and gotten some food and liquid back into his system, he cheered up just like Bucky knew he would. He was proud that he had done what some of the other boys at their age didn’t even dare. He was back to his old self-laughing, talking and getting into trouble with some guys that were cutting line. Guys Bucky naturally ended up having to fight off when Steve got knocked on his ass, but he didn’t even care. Not this time. Not as long as Steve had gotten out of his head and was himself for a few hours. Seeing Steve relax and smile was all that mattered. That had been the entire purpose of their trip after all, even if Steve didn’t know it.

October 17th, 1936

The past year had been rough. Steve had barely started school before he had dropped out. He had to work so he and his mom could keep the apartment. She still did odd jobs, but the hospital had fired her for being a health hazard. Neither Steve or Sarah would take up the Barnes’ offer to let them move in with them. They knew money wasn’t flowing as easily through Bucky’s home as it had in the past either, but more than that, the Rogers’ were stubborn. They wanted to do things on their own, so even if Steve was sad he had to leave school he still did it.

Bucky, Rebecca, and Winifred did their best to help them out the best they could. They brought by whatever food they could spare. Winifred and Rebecca helped around the house with various chores, and Bucky brought by school books for Steve to look through. He spent hours going through notes he had taken in class with him during his sleepovers before they fell asleep close together in Steve’s bed. Bucky drifted off listening to Steve’s breathing, worrying about every little irregularity. They were normal for Steve. Bucky knew that, but seeing the decline in Sarah’s health scared him. He didn’t want to lose Steve. He didn’t know what to do without him. Truth was, people thought Steve needed Bucky to look out of him and to fight his battles, but Bucky needed Steve just as much. He reminded him of all the things he could be and always supported him in making the right decisions. So seeing Sarah getting sicker and sicker, knowing how susceptible Steve was, scared the living shit out of Bucky.  

Even George worried about the Rogers’ and drove Sarah and Steve too and from the hospital whenever either of them needed it. Steve and Sarah were grateful for the help even if taking it also slightly embarrassed them. The Barnes’ didn’t take no for an answer. Sadly no matter how much they helped, Sarah kept getting sicker and sicker. Right up until that October day when the Barnes’ all gathered at her house. Bucky was sitting at the foot of her bed with teary eyes as he watched Steve hold his mom’s hand, saying his final goodbyes.

Bucky quickly dried his eyes as Sarah’s eyes sought him out, meekly raising her hand for him to take it. He got up to sit by her side, opposite of Steve. Sarah smiled weakly, looking at the two boys.

“I was given one beautiful, perfect son, but along the way, I gained another. Promise me you’ll look out for each other,” she forced out her words, between fits out coughing.

“I promise,” Bucky’s voice was thick with grief as he spoke, but Steve barely managed to get out the words.

“We will.”

Sarah heard them, giving the boy’s hands a gentle squeeze before her eyes slowly closed, and she drew her last breath. Bucky wasn’t sure how he gathered the strength to get up and around the bed in time, but he did. He caught Steve before he fell to the floor; crying.

Bucky stayed on the floor with him, his arms wrapped around his best friend as he let him pour out his grief. Bucky’s heart was breaking, but as much as he loved Sarah, he knew it couldn’t compare. Not only did Bucky still have a mom he loved very much, but Steve and Sarah had been through so much more than most. They had leaned on each other through Joseph’s abuse. Sarah had been at Steve’s side every time he had almost died as a child, and Steve had been at her until her last breath. Bucky couldn’t begin to understand, and still, somehow he did. He did because he knew and loved Steve. He also knew he would die before he broke the promise he had just made Sarah.

The Barnes’ kept Steve close the next few days until the funeral. Steve decided to follow his mom’s wishes and have his parents buried next to each other. Bucky didn’t understand. He knew Steve put a lot of weight in his mother’s memories of the man she had known before the war, so he let it go. It wasn’t his choice anyway. His only job right now was to make sure Steve made it through okay.

Steve barely noticed the world around him for a while. He was still the same polite boy Bucky had grown up with, but the light in his eyes was gone. Bucky knew he felt as if he had nothing. He just wished he knew how to make him realize that it couldn’t be further from the truth. Come what may, Steve would always have him, just like Bucky knew he would always have Steve.

The funeral was tough on everyone. Sarah was a respected and loved woman. A lot more people than Bucky had anticipated showed him. People from the hospital, stores where she shopped, and random strangers she had helped with what little she could. So many people that Steve somehow managed to escape Bucky’s sight. Winifred was as unhappy about that fact as Bucky was. His parents had hoped to drive him to the cemetery and bring him back home with them for at least a few days. Bucky had no objections to sharing his room with Steve. If his parents wouldn’t have offered on their own, Bucky would have asked if he could let Steve stay at their place anyway.

He still had every intention to when he crossed town, heading towards Steve’s apartment. Everything was still empty and quiet when he got there. Steve wasn’t back yet, and Bucky knew he had probably taken a longer route home to clear his head. He could wait however long it took for him to get there. So instead of going home, Bucky headed to the sidewalk, sat down against the wall and waiting for Steve to get back home.

Memories of a childhood spent together filled his thoughts. He could no longer remember a time when Steve wasn’t there. All his best and worst memories held his best friend. He was the happiest when he was with Steve, and no matter what, Bucky wasn’t going to let him think he was alone in this.

“Bucky,” Steve greeted, pulling Bucky from his thoughts, and he looked up as Steve passed him heading for his apartment, knowing Bucky would just follow him. He did. Starting a conversation was hard though. Steve hardly ever shared how he felt and Bucky didn’t want to push him. He just wanted him to know he was there for whatever Steve should need.

“We were looking for you after,” Bucky spoke quietly. “My folks wanted to give you a ride to the cemetery.”

Steve didn’t look at him. He just continued his path up the stairs to the apartment followed closely by Bucky.  

“I know. Sorry… I just… I kinda wanted to be alone,” Steve walked with his head down and hands buried in his pockets. It was the pain in his voice as much as his word that cut Bucky’s heart. He didn’t want him to be alone. He wanted him to know he never would be alone. He didn’t say anything though, and even if the pain was evident on his face for a moment, Steve’s back was turned so he didn’t see.

“How was it?” Bucky asked instead, not really knowing how to get to the point he wanted to make, but he would get there. He had too.

“It was okay. She’s next to Dad,” Steve answered even if Bucky already knew. The repeating of facts made Bucky sigh silently, before putting on his brave face. He had never treated Steve as if he was fragile and broken. He wasn’t going to start now either. They would get through this together without changing who they were.

“I was going to ask,” Bucky tried to sound a little more chipper, wanting to trick Steve into thinking the offer was just going to be another fun thing to do together like when they were younger.

“I know what you are gonna say, Buck,” Steve interrupted, but Bucky didn’t let him. He just kept talking like he always did when he was trying to convince Steve to do something he was hesitant about.

“We can put the couch cushions on the floor like when we were kids.” Bucky nudged him, hoping some of what was Bucky’s happiest memories would trick Steve into agreeing. He watched his friend search for his key for a few seconds, but he already knew he wasn’t going to find it. Winifred had locked up, leaving the key was the Rogers’ always left it.

“It’ll be fun. All you have to do is shine my shoes and maybe take out the trash,” Bucky continued to halfheartedly joke. He still pretended none of this was a big deal as he kicked over the rock where the key was hidden, handing it to Steve. “Come on?”

“Thank you, Buck,” Steve nodded slowly before looking up at him. “But I can get by on my own.”

His words cut Bucky deeper than anything ever had before. He hated Steve couldn’t see it wasn’t about that. It wasn’t about Bucky thinking he couldn’t do it. He just didn’t want him too. He didn’t want Steve to be alone when he could be with him.

“The thing is…” Bucky shook his head slightly, trying to find the right words before his voice softened. “You don’t have too.”

Bucky took a step forward. looking into Steve’s pain filled eyes as he laid a hand gently on his shoulder. “I’m with you till the end of the line pal.”

Bucky could see the tears pool in Steve’s eyes as he took a deep breath, nodding. He was agreeing, and Bucky breathed a sigh of relief. He was never going to break that promise either. No matter what the two of them were to face from here on in, they would always have each other.

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[perpetuallurkernazanin]

Toby Fox spoiled my novel-length fanfic’s ultimate plot twist (an “it happened to me” story???)

New content in the Switch release of Undertale last week contained a major revelation about a canon character… and confirmed a major headcanon / plot twist that I had been gradually foreshadowing in my WIP backstory fanfic for over two years and almost 100,000 words (and the fanfic is only about 2/3 done, so the twist wouldn’t have been revealed for like another year yet.)

For a week I’ve been caught between amazed elation and an undertone of exasperation. I feel like I need to make some public record now… as proof it happened this way??

(The fic is “The Problem of Bodies” by Mz_Mallow on AO3.)

Explanation / spoilers under the cut.

With the addition of the Mad Mew Mew battle, Toby Fox revealed that Mad Dummy is a trans woman, just like Mettaton is a trans man.

TBH when first planning The Problem of Bodies I was going to simply make Mad Dummy a grouchy uncle/aunt… It was my amazing fiancée & beta-reader who convinced me to write MD as sibling to Mettaton and Napstablook and as a trans girl.

So, as a record, here’s an account of the foreshadowing in The Problem of Bodies. (EDIT: I had forgotten one instance of foreshadowing when I first posted this... it’s item #3)

1) No pronouns used for Feisttablook in narrative voice. Other characters refer to Feist as they/them in dialogue, but the narrator avoids pronouns for the character altogether. Happstablook got no narrative pronouns either until he had a personal revelation of his gender at the end of Part 1, Chapter 7, the final line of which is, “Happy hovered at the sideline for a minute before yelling, loudly, deeply, a crow of pure joy; and he threw himself into the pile-up.”

2) Feist’s first experience wearing clothes in Part 1, Chapter 7, which is meant to be an echo of that classic narrative of the first time a trans femme person sees herself in feminine clothes. Feist’s overall love of fashion is drawn from original game canon, ie the dream of becoming a fashion mannequin recounted in the Mad Dummy boss battle.

3) The first line of Part 2 Ch. 4, when Feist is going to see Hark’s bodies for the first time: “Phasing through the floor into the room below, Feisttablook almost landed directly on top of a pink plush doll [...]“

And then halfway through that chapter, as the city ghosts are talking about their feelings re: becoming corporeal: “Feist felt dizzy as the lingering fear of rejection and ridicule dissipated. In some ways these stories were similar to what Feist felt… but somehow different, as well. It was that undefinable difference that left Feist reluctant to share more.“

4) Feist’s thoughts on first possessing the dummy body, in Part 2, Ch. 4: “Was the body perfect? Of course not. There were things Feist would have changed in the design — a more rounded head, more like the cute version of the everyman design used for smaller dolls; a lower center of gravity; curved mammalian-type lines — but it was so much better than having no body.”

5) The fact that Feist becomes pregnant in Part 3, but is unable to impregnate another ghost.

6) Feist’s experience of being pregnant in Part 3, Ch. 3: “The idea of pregnancy had been frightening — expecting restlessness, volatile moods, compulsively chasing away other ghosts — but instead, Feist had found a sense of deep calm, like making a new family this way wasn’t just life-affirming, but self-affirming. Finding new ways of expressing love, through courtship and now through expecting the child, felt intimate and important; like when Feist found clothes that fit just right.”

Contrast with Happy’s reaction to the suggestion that he might be or could become pregnant, from Part 2 Ch. 2: “Comprehension hit, and for a moment Happy was terrified that Staid saw something true, that there were strangers growing inside of him. (Not strangers, he would later correct himself, More of us, more of myself.) The beat of fear and repulsion he felt at the thought gave him reassurance: ghost pregnancy came from satisfaction and hope, not anxiety and doubt. He was all set for prophylactic cynicism.”

(These reactions are NOT intended as statements on how all men or all women feel, or are expected to, or are supposed to feel; the contrast is simply a part of fleshing out these two characters)

7) Feist’s thoughts on trying to find a new body in Part 3, Ch. 11, in which she longs for a feminine body the way Happy longs for a masculine body, but unlike him is not yet able to recognize her feelings as having to do with the way the body will be gendered: “A body. Not just a tool made for someone else and repurposed; a personal, personalized body. With personality. One that was strong and flexible and adaptable. One that expressed the soul inside instead of obscuring it. A body to fuse with. The dream grew and took on dimension and weight, as if the dream itself were becoming corporeal.

“What stood in the way of realizing this dream? The curiosity or censure of other ghosts? After all that had happened, Feist was beyond worrying about what other ghosts thought. The impossibility of the body itself? The dummy body wasn’t bad, it was just insufficient, lacking in some way… and that could be figured out, with a little room to experiment.”

Sooo… TPoB fic will proceed as it’s been planned from the beginning, moving forward to and through and beyond in-game events… Except that I never guessed that Alphys would have a life-sized plush Mew Mew Doll in her house (WTF, Alphys), and that it would be found by Mad Dummy / Feist… so that will be written in, when the plot eventually gets to that point.

I do have another major plot twist planned for Part 4 that is not in Undertale canon… and I know Toby Fox will not spoil this one, because (1) it’s based in originally existing game canon, and (2) it involves mature-rated thematic elements. Take THAT, Toby you marvelous troll. XD

[demonic-activity]

Love the player, hate the game

Malec fanfic // read here on AO3 // based on this brilliant ask // brilliant beta @brooklynxmagic

Because Alexander Lightwood would never cheat ♥ 

“You’re cheating.”

Magnus’ voice cuts icily through the loud and excited chatter in the loft. His eyes are narrowed, flashing with anger and betrayal.

Alec feels his heart stop for one second before it starts beating furiously in his chest.

“Wha… Magnus, no I would never.”

“Oh you can drop the act Alexander,” Magnus hisses, and he leans forward over the table, something dangerous and predatory to his expression and the way his body moves.

Around them, the room has gone quiet and his siblings and friends shift uncomfortably in their seats. Jace clears his throat and almost imperceptibly shakes his head.

Fuck. Alec desperately wants to wipe his hands on his trousers, since they’re sweating out a seemingly infinite supply of perspiration, but he’s afraid it would immediately give him away, what with Magnus’ unrelenting gaze focused on him so closely. For a fleeting, almost hysterical moment he wonders if it’s possible to get dehydrated just from sweaty palms.

He tries his best placating voice, “Magnus don’t be crazy,” shaking his head as if he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “I’ve never even done this” he gestures between them “before and by the Angel, I barely know what I’m doing!”

“Typical shadowhunter,” Magnus says, mockingly, “Such hypocrites. Oh I think you know perfectly well what you are doing. I’ve been counting your every step and there’s definitely foul play. Don’t give me that incredulous face, you’ve been having a little something on the side, haven’t you?”

“Babe, c’mon, I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Liar,” Magnus huffs, jabbing his finger accusingly. “I saw you stuff it in when you thought nobody was looking.”

Alec’s mind is going a hundred miles per hour; he doesn’t know if he can keep this up any longer. He inhales once, deeply, trying to keep a steady voice. “Why? Why would I do that, betray you like that? It’s all just for fun, right?” Alec meant for that last part to be a rhetorical question, but Magnus latches on to it.

“Funny. That’s not the impression you gave when I landed on Marvin Gardens with two of your hotels.”

Alec scoffs, “You earned that back thrice over by now!”

Magnus’ eyes gleam as he says, sweetly, “Exactly, my dear Alexander, which begs the question…How are you still afloat, especially considering those taxes that hit you pretty hard last round?”

The rest of the group watch their exchange with increasing nervousness, eyes shifting back and forth between the two of them.

Alec swallows, hands pretty much dissolved into puddles at this point, “Beginners luck?”

“Right. So if I were to search your trousers right now I would find nothing?”

“Well, not nothing.” The reply comes automatically and he blames in on gin and gin alone.

Simon coughs loudly, barely keeping from suffocating mid-margarita.

Alec can’t help the left corner of his mouth turning up as he continues to hold Magnus’ gaze, but he can see a similar twitch on Magnus’ face and Alec thinks he might be saved.

That turns out to be a serious miscalculation. (Not like the “miscalculation” of paying Jace with a couple of tens instead of hundreds; it’s not his fault if they’re similar shades of yellow and Jace is generally too eager to count).

Suddenly, Magnus leans back in his chair, leisurely folding his hands over his chest. “Alright,” he simply says.

Alec quirks an eyebrow at this sudden change of demeanor.

Magnus smiles at him and it’s somehow so much more terrifying, “So what you’re saying is that you aren’t able to repay my $750 loan yet?”

“See for yourself.” Alec gestures at the meager amount of bills before him. “What you see is what you get.” And Alec flashes him a grin, “I’m a simple man.”

“Hmm,” Magnus hums noncommittally.

“No worries, it’s a, how do you say this? An IOU?” He quirks his head, “You trust me – to pay you back – right?”

Jace is shaking his head even more vehemently now and Izzy and Clary are whispering amongst each other, Simon has gone completely - unnaturally - still.

Magnus gives him another one of his smiles, alarming in its sugar-coated sweetness. “Of course.” And as he drums his fingers lightly on the oak table, he continues, tone casual, “Since we’re in such a trusting and transparent relationship, I feel obligated to point out that you just rolled a five right before this conversation. Now I’m sure you can do the simple math, but let me help you out. I believe that five puts you on Boardwalk. My Boardwalk.” He quirks his head, as though in deep thought, “Hmmm rent, plus a hotel, oh dear, oh dear, I do believe that would mean you’ll be paying me $2,000.”

This is met by a chorus of gasps from the room.

Alec can only just bite back a loud groan and Magnus himself is still sporting a neutral expression, but his eyes belie him - they always do - and now they shine wickedly as he looks down at Alec’s sad little stack of cash. Magnus tuts, “Except, oh no, it looks like you won’t be able to afford that after all.” His eyes snap back up to Alec’s, “That is… if that truly is all you have?”

Magnus lifts a single elegant eyebrow and Alec grits his teeth. Well damnit. Catch, meet 22.

“Fine.” Alec bites out, hating his own stubborn ass, as he pushes his last few bills over to Magnus and flips over all his cards, mortgage side up. He plucks a few more bills for that from the bank – with a little more aggression than necessary – and gives Magnus a look as to say You happy? But Magnus’ gleeful look as he counts his obscene pile of fake money is just…all telling and quite disturbing if Alec is completely honest.

Next to him, Simon groans excessively loud. “Alec, noooo! Now he’s going to be absolutely invincible.” And insufferable Alec adds in the privacy of his own mind. He gets up and mumbles, “I’m gonna get another drink.”

It is all downhill from that moment on.

Alec sits next to Jace slumped low on the couch, watching it all unfold. It’s just Simon, Clary, and Magnus left in the game and it’s not lost to Alec that they all had a mundane childhood (never mind that Monopoly had not been invented yet when Magnus was born). How Simon hasn’t declared bankruptcy yet is anyone’s guess, but Clary is tenacious and almost as fanatic as Magnus. Izzy, it turns out, is a pretty disastrous choice for bank. His sister may be crazy talented in many, many things, but finance isn’t one of them. The rate at which she’s downing margaritas is not exactly helping either. Chaos is soon ensuing, Jace has started shouting unhelpful comments at Clary, second-guessing her every decision. Izzy is pretty much asleep at the wheel – almost literally, just dozing off before snapping to attention and just doling out money left and right, completely arbitrary. Simon is making a lot of money from Clary, profusely apologizing while doing so, which just seems to be increasingly irritating her. And there is Magnus, with still that crazy almost maniacal gleam to his eye, desperately trying to determine Simon’s strategy, which seems to be altogether absent.

Alec is just observing it all from a far. “You know,” he comments nonchalantly to no one in particular, sipping his gin, “Monopoly was created to show that unchecked capitalism was a bad thing. Not to mention,” he adds, “the game is actually named after a mundane financial crime. Quite bizarre if you ask me.”

From the table he can hear Magnus mutter under his breath “Barely know what I’m doing, my ass.”

Not much later, when the shouts are getting louder and the chances of serious bodily harm higher, and someone somehow managed to flip the board, Alec sighs and finally gets up.

Everyone is long gone when Magnus and Alec have found their way to the couch together, halfway lying down, curled up and making out enthusiastically. Apparently, capitalistic board games get Magnus excited in more ways than one, but Alec isn’t exactly complaining this time. Magnus presses him further into the couch and Alec grunts when something painfully pierces his side. He plucks a pewter battleship token out from under him, tossing it away without bothering to open his eyes. His head is swimming, his senses full of MagnusMagnusMagnus and he vaguely registers Magnus’ touch darting lower and lower down his front, till it reach his belt buckle and Alec makes a needy little noise, lifting his hips off the sofa. Alec is so grateful for Magnus’ nimble fingers as he works his belt open with one hand, moaning when he feels Magnus’ hand finally skimming the waistband of his boxers, only to dazedly open his eyes in confusion as Magnus’ weight is suddenly lifted off of him.

“AHA! I KNEW IT!” Magnus exclaims, frantically waving three $1,000 bills through the air and Alec drops his head back in defeat.

“Alexander Lightwood, you are a liar and a cheat. And I don’t know whether to feel proud of abhorred that you took to the rotten heart of this game so quickly.”

Alec licks his lips, “You’re not… mad?”

“What makes you say that darling? Oh but we’re definitely done here,” Magnus says as he gestures between their two half undressed bodies.

Alec squints his eyes close and groans as he mourns the lost prospect of tipsy couch sex. “Fuck, Magnus.”

“Oh come on Alexander.” Magnus grins. “You and your siblings weren’t exactly going soft on me either.”

“We’re shadowhunters, we give no quarter.”

Magnus scoffs in reply.  “Next weekend then?”

“Magnus! You’re crazy if you think I’m ever letting you play that game with us again. You’re lucky I’m not burning that board to a crisp this very second.”

His boyfriend raises a hand to his chest in mock affront, though Alec fears it is only half in jest.

They just lie quietly for a moment, too tired to do anything else but still too high on adrenaline to fall asleep.

“Sooo,” Alec tries one more time, “You sure there wasn’t still an IOU I can cash right now?”

“Oh, I think we’re way past IOUs.” But Magnus’ expression has turned fond and he’s caressing Alec’s cheekbone, settling closer to him on the couch.

Alec yawns. “You’re right. I already owe you so much, it would seem silly to keep count.”

To that, Magnus gives a little whine of disagreement. Alec drops an uncoordinated kiss to his head. “Way too much to ever repay. But it’s a debt I gladly accept, and will carry with me wherever I go.”

[a-dracon]

To Allure and Impede

SUMMARY: Marvin Lockens was fifteen when he was brought under Jameson Jackson’s wing and first started learning how to control and use his magic. Since then, he’s met Henrik Schneeplestein, the Castle’s doctor and his father figure, Chase Brody, the Castle’s Third in Command and best archer around, Jackie Bullmon, the Second in Command and Head Guard who’s always wearing red, and Sean McLoughlin, the King Himself, as well as various others. Yet, despite being with them for more than four years and proving to be a skilled mage, they all still treated him like the shy child they first met. And he was tired of it. What happens when he meets a stranger in the woods, who gives him cards to hand out and disappears into the shadows? What happens when he hides it from everyone? What happens at the Masquerade?

W̙͍̠̿̄͘h̬̲͇̻͎̍a̖̣͇̯͌̈͆ͯ̒͊̿t͇̗̖͕̻̽̄̑ ͚̼̜̪̥͎ͪͬ͊ͦͫ̉̚H̻̯͈͎͇͎͇ͣͣ͛͛ͣ̇ã̠̼̝̖̫̌̽ͯ̍̑p̝̌̐̿̔ͩͤṗ̷̻̳ͤ̂͋ͬ̋͒e̫̪̣̽̐ń͓͚̞͈̲̯͡s̶̀̐͋͂̈?̥̖͊͘

Chapter One Word count: 1532 Warnings: Manipulation, Anti, mild swearing A/N: Thank you to both my beta readers @jackjames-exe and @lin-apples for giving me feedback on this! I was listening to songs in my music playlist, and Ready as Ill Ever Be decided to pop up. I got hit by a bus called inspiration, made a basic character info sheet a couple nights ago and even did a bit of art. Next thing you know, bam over four pages of words and two beta readers to give feedback. So, thanks for reading!

Also, ill be tagging this TAI AU, and ill also make a tag list for those who are interested! Now, ONTO THE STORY!

next

"Why the hell can't I transfer words from my head to my mouth?!"

Marvin Lockens groaned, his checkered mask shifting slightly as he let his face fall into the spellbook. "I know magic Jamie, why can't I make this easier?" A few feet away, the mute Castle Mage seemed to chuckle, setting his own spellbook on the desk. 'That would be called cheating' he signed. "The world giving me magic and not a way to control it immediately is also cheating yet here we are," Marvin shot back, green orbs looking at brown. 'Thats......fair, I suppose.' Jameson signed back, taking a moment to think. 'But even if there were a method of making spell learning easier, you would have to learn that as well. ' "So basically, there's no winning." 'Winning would be learning the spell, Marvin.' He paused briefly to flick the checkered feline mask that covered half of Marvin's face. 'For now, take a break. I do believe Chase had something to show you.' His eyes seemed to light up. "Alright! So I'll see you later, Jamie?" 'Jameson to you, apprentice. But yes, I do want to see you after dinner.' "Gotcha!" Marvin grinned, shooting up from his desk . He waved goodbye to his magic instructor, making sure to grab his cloak on the way out. Jameson only smiled and watched his apprentice run off. Despite being 19 already, the mage in training still was as adventurous as if he was the 15 year old found accidentally burning a tree. Not much seemed to change, save for his way of talking around them and his control over magic. To this day, he was still very, very grateful for finding him before anyone else did. If anyone found him and knew what he was capable of, well, it would end in a war gone very, very wrong. Not that he needed to know. Not yet, at least. He sighed, picking up the spellbook forgotten on Marvin's desk. No, there was plenty of time before it was necessary to tell him, he thought as he bookmarked and reahelved the leather book.

Chase strode through the halls, looking out the tall windows. Four years ago and he would have stopped to admire the view. Well, that or get lost in the maze of a castle. Then again, he hadn't been in any other castle, so who's to say this wasn't normal castle floor plans? He blinked, looking away from the window when the sound of footsteps came closer. "Oh hey Jackie!" He greeted the Head Guard. "Do you know where Chase went? Jamie said he had something to show me." Jamie shrugged, readjusting the two books he was currently carrying. "I think he mentioned something about heading to the gate. The one that leads to the westward forest?" "Thanks Jackie! See you later!" "No problem Marv! Don't get into too much trouble! Oh, is Jamie in his room or his office?" "Office!" He called back, jogging off in the direction of the gate.

"Chase!" Marvin called, stopping briefly to catch his breath. "Jamie said you wanted to see me?" "Yeup!" The slightly older guard grinned, hopping down from the chestnut mare he had just been riding. "I was out doing a bit of patrol work earlier, and found something really weird and more your department than mine. Figured I should show you and get your input about it. I saddled up Sal for you already, shes in her stall." "Thanks, but how'd you know I'd be able to come with you and not stuck studying my spells?" He questioned, walking with chase the short distance to the stables. "I didn't. That's why she's still in her stall."

"Sooo.....what are we lookin for?" Tjey were both doing a simple trot, Chase leading on his mare Kit while Marvil followed on his own paint. "Well, I saw footprints earlier, " He glanced back at the apprentice. "Would've dismissed it, with this being a forest and all, but they seemed like they were coming from the castle. And since i know none of the staff like to go in these woods, I went to check em out. After a while, I reached a clearing and poof, they dissappear right smack in the middle." "So?" Marvin tilted his head a bit. "Couldn't they have just stepped on something, like a stone, to hide their footprints? Or really dry ground?" Chase shook his head. "Nope. There were stones around, but no footprints after that. And the ground was all muddy too, from yesterday's rain. Speaking of stones, they were really weird." "Weird how?" "laying ring around the rosy weird. Literally. They were in a ring." Chase deadpanned. He paused momentarily, looking around and shifting directions slightly before continuing his trot. "And you went to me instead of Jamie because...?" "I have less of a chance feeling like I dissapointed you than Jameson if it's actually just nothing. That and i still don't completely understand sign." He shrugged. "Chase Brody: Most skilled marksman, can shoot down anything a mile away...never understanding sign." Marvin teased, speaking in a stereotypical murder mystery tv show host voice. "Hey, I just dont want to say fuck you instead of hello to someone in sign!" Chase replied, going along with the tease as he spoke overdramatically. "I'm pretty sure it's practically impossible to confuse a wave and flipping the bird Chase" " Well excuuuuse me princess!"

"Is this it?" Marvin looked around, taking in the view. It seemed peaceful enough, about an acre of slightly muddy grass. A few feet away, footprints were left in the mud that moved towards the middle of the clearing. It ended abruptly at a ring of almost completely white stones, the last pair of footprints in the middle of the ring. After that, there were none. No signs of backtracking either. "Yeah. Weird, isn't it?" Chase commented, not bothering to dismount. He wasn't the mage, afterall. "Definitely. But never fear. Marvin the magnificent shall figure this out!" He exclaimed, overdramatically dismounting his horse. "Yeah yeah, " Chase snickered, doing the best mock bow he could from the back of a horse. "The floor is yours, Marvin the Magnificent." Marvin snorted, walking closer to the odd ring. He shut his eyes, and let himself sink into his magic, let himself reach out- "Wha - Hey! Easy girl, easy! Sal, come back!" A distressed Chase called out. Marvin looked back at the mares, watching his run off after being spooked by something. Chase pulled on the reins of his own, attempting to calm her a bit while also turning to go after Marvin's. "Don't worry, I'll go get her! You work your magic! " he called, galloping after the paint that ran into the woods. Marvin blinked, watching them for a moment before shaking his head. Clear thoughts, afterall. Focus. Sink into his magic. Let himself be surrounded. Let himself be aware of it all around him. Let himself feel for the traces of magic around the st- His thoughts were cut off as a sharp cry escaped his lips. Back colliding and sliding across mud and wet grass, Marvin seemed to be pulled into the shadows of the woods. The Mage scrambled to his feet, hand moving to grip the hilt of the blade that was always by his side. Right now, he was just dragged by something and could sew absolutely nothing but darkness. "they don't appreciate you, do they~?" "What...who...of course they do! Who's out there!?" He looked around wildly, trying to find the source of the scratchy voice. "You know they see you as a child." "No they don't! shut up and show yourself!" Marvin cried out, unsheathing his sword. "They don't see you as someone who they can really depend on." "Of course they do! They're my friends!" Though, he wasn't entirely sure. His grip faltered slightly. "Are they? Or are they only entertaining you? You know how he is afterall..." "Shut up! You're wrong!" Tears pricked the corner of his eyes, his stance becoming stiff and sloppy. "No one sees what you can do. What you can accomplish." Green eyes peered at him through the darkness. They looked at him, curious. "I can make them see the power you hold." "...really....?" Marvin lowered his sword, blinking away tears. "Really. Come now, I've been honest this far. Put a little trust in someone." The eyes disappeared, and Marvin felt clawed hands wrap around his shoulders, someone leaning onto their back. "....what do i have to do...?" Eyes narrowed, Marvin still kept his guard slightly up. It was a stranger, afterall. But the offer that was given....it was too intriguing. "Simple. Show your magic to the town. Your true magic, " the person purred, slipping a small deck of cards into his hand. "The townsfolk already love you for your false tricks. But, try using these. They are, of course, real magic, made to assist with every card trick in the book. And let each person have a card until there are no more. Let them have something to remember your name by~" One clawed finger continued tapping the deck.

"Will you accept~?"

[thethingwewrite]

War Game (Part 4)

Summary: The council just announced (Y/N) pregnancy. Is there something else to say? What will Dean do to Nathan? So many questions and just little answer.

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Word Count: 4368

Warning: Angst, illusion

A/N: Hey Guys, here is the fourth part of War Game. I am not late this time! With the way the story is going, there will definitely be other part coming. But there won’t be any for a long time.  I am putting this fic on hold, for now, to continue writing others fics that need to be working on. Also, I am currently writing a request I am not sure when it will come out and another fic with @secretlyfurrydragon which I am looking forward to show you. This fic is also part of  @like-a-bag-of-potatoes Potato’s Power Ballad Challenge too. This time I had We Don’t Need Another Hero by Tina Turner. Hope it does fit the song. Thanks to @mrswhozeewhatsis, @blacktithe7, and @aingealcethlenn for betaing this.

Fic Masterpost 

Back to the present:

(Y/N) Pov

“Rachel. Don't!” you ordered her.

“(Y/N/N)! He is going to kill you,” she protested.

“He is not!” you assured her.

Dean scoffed, “Sure, sweetheart, I won't!”

“(Y/N)! Come on! Don't let your hormones blind you!” Rachel scolded before knocking Dean on the head with the gun.

The knife slightly cut you as Dean fell to the ground. You grimaced before you turned to see her looking rather upset. “Told you--” you began.

“Shut up! I am not going to let you make assumptions, because of this thing inside you!” She pointed at your belly with the gun. “Now what do we do with him?” She handed you a tissue.

Three weeks ago: One hour after the pregnancy revealing.

You were walking in circles in your cell with the last word of the council in mind: “pregnancy.” You knew you should have been careful, and with Dean being a hunter, there was a high chance that, after everything, you wouldn't be able to get through the pregnancy in one piece. Did you want to keep it? To have it grow up the way you did? Should you tell Dean? So many questions you weren’t able to answer, and so much more in your mind.

“If you plan on renovating the place. Why not call in an expert instead of just pacing a giant hole in the floor,” Rachel jested.

You stopped and sighed. “Rach, what are you doing here?”

She rolled her eyes and leaned against the door. “Pleased to see you, too,” she said sarcastically.

You walked towards her. “Well, as you can see I am very pleased. What happened to you?” You pointed at her bruised cheek.

“The hunter. He escaped,” she calmly said.

You widened your eyes. “Rachel! I told you to look after him!”

She pressed her lips together. “He’s a hunter, (Y/N/N)! You upset him after pretending to kill his brother! What did you expect?”

You looked down. She was right. After the way she treated him, he certainly wouldn't believe that you had played him. You sighed. “Right. Where is he now?”

Rachel shrugged. “Last time I checked, he was with Nathan.”

“Oh god. Glad he doesn't know this place.” You rubbed your face.

“Sooo… how do you I free you?” she queried.

You shook your head. “I can’t leave Rach.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Why the hell not?”

“Because I am pregnant!” you announced.

Rachel giggled and shook her head, amused by your comment, which made you frown. When you figured she wasn't stopping, you realized that she was the reason the council asked for a reset. “That’s right. It’s me,” she grinned.

You rolled your eyes. “Rachel. You shouldn't have. They’ll know I am not!”

“Well, more reason for me to take you out of here. Don't you think?” she pointed out.

Again she was right. If the council found out, they would punish her for her lies and reinstate the decision they’d made before her interruption. You looked at her and sighed. “Fine. Let’s go.”

Rachel grinned and pushed the door open. You shook your head. Of course, she was always one or two steps ahead of everyone, including you. She was far too smart for her own good. You walked out of the cell then followed her into the hallway. “We will need to find Sam Winchester,” you told her and bumped into her back.

She turned to face you. “Like hell we are! I am helping you now, but that doesn't mean I will risk everything for a hunter, even one as handsome as he is."

You furrowed your brow. “Alright. Don't help, but I will look for his brother. It's the least I can do for him,” you said.

“Girl, you are head over heels on him.” She shook her head.

You shrugged. “Now please take this bracelet off of my wrist.” You extended your arms to her.

Rachel bit her lips. “It’s kind of complicated for me. I still can't control my power yet.”

You rolled your eyes and sighed. “Ok. Let’s go before they figure things out.”

Both of you started to walk down the long dark hallway. The council’s prison was built to make anyone who wanted to escape go nuts before they even reached the exit. It made them wish they would be back in their cell. The guard would find them curled on themselves and bring them back to their cell. But if you knew the place and their trick you would be able to escape.

A few minutes into your semi-victorious escape, a fog appeared in the hallway. You raised an eyebrow at it. “Rach. Please tell me you can see the fog?” you asked as you looked up at her. But the second you realized she wasn’t around, you knew that the spell had worked on you already. You were smart enough not to panic as the fog began to get deeper and deeper, not allowing you to see anything. It was wrapping around you. You called for Rachel twice, but there was still no answer coming from her.

“(Y/N),” whispered a voice you couldn't describe.

You stupidly turned around, but you couldn't see anything with this dense fog. You still tried to think straight, to make sure you wouldn't worry while you knew it was an illusion.

“Y/N,” the voice whispered again, but this time you recognized it. It made you close your eyes for a second. You didn't want that, and you didn't need that at the moment.  

“(Y/N). I need you,” it said this time.

You took a deep breath before opening your eyes and following the sound of the voice calling you. The more you walked toward it, the more the fog began to fade away until you came face to face with him, your father, although he was slightly taller than you, and you still had to look up to see him. Startled by his presence, you stepped back, your eyes widening, and you swallowed hard. “Dad?” you marveled.

He smirked. “(Y/N), come with me,” he said, extending his hand toward you.

You shouldn’t take it, and you didn’t even want to. Your eyes moved from his hands to his eyes; you gasped at how deep and dark his stare was. His blue eyes pierced you, and automatically your hand reached up to him. The contact of your hands sent an electric wave running down your spine. Immediately, you fell down, and your body began convulsing and shaking. The last thing you remembered before passing out was Rachel’s voice calling your name from a distance.

Dean POV

It had been one hour, a long hour, with Nathan looking almost everywhere in town to find Dan Scott. It seemed like the man had disappeared off the surface of the planet, or Nathan was playing to buy (Y/N) some time. Either way, Dean didn't like the situation. He wasn’t a patient guy, and what little patience he had was dissolving fast. One hour was a miracle.

After the 10th failed stop in the search, Nathan called his father; Dan answered his phone, and Dean put it on speaker while he drove, not caring that Nathan was glaring at him.

“Nathan, I am swamped with work. I can't talk right now!” Dan grumbled.

“Dad. W...I need to find (Y/N)! Where is she?” he demanded.

Dean frowned, even if he couldn't see it, he was sure Dan rolled his eyes before saying, “She is taken care of, son. You don’t have to worry about her anymore.”

Nathan glanced at Dean for a second then opened his mouth, but Dean was faster.

“Listen Douchebag! I got your son, and if you don't bring me (Y/N) immediately I will take care of your son myself,” he threatened.

Dean raised an eyebrow as he heard Dan’s laughed coming through the speakers. He frowned, not liking the mocking sound of his laugh.

“Dean Winchester, the fearless hunter, wants to save the slutty witch he banged. Please correct me if I am wrong,” Dan mocked.

Dean felt Nathan's glance at him. Dean didn't need to look at Nathan to know that the way he looked at him was a mix of questions and suspicions.

“You are wrong! I want to kill her myself!” He growled.

“Tough love,” Dan rasped. “You know, Dean, There is a witch at every corner of the street. One call and Nathan is rescued, while you won’t be around to see us punish (Y/N) the way she deserves. Might as well come and enjoy the show,” he taunted. “Now stop acting tough and let him go,” he said before hanging up the phone.

“Son of a bitch!” Dean shouted through the beep of the phone. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man who looked distinctly out of place. He was sitting at a table drinking some tea near a fruit and vegetable stand and seemed perfectly normal until the teapot levitated in front of him. Dean hit the brakes, stopping the car with a loud squealing noise. He noticed the scared look Nathan had, but didn't care about it as he climbed out of the car. He grabbed his gun as he made his way toward the tall man, who was now calmly stirring milk and honey into his teacup.

He was wearing a black jacket, a colored scarf, and a blue shirt with black pants. He barely had the time to register the sound of screeching tires when Dean grabbed him. Holding him by his jacket collar with one hand and pressing his gun on the man’s temple with his other, he pushed him to the side of the store. Nathan tried to pull him off the man, but Dean ignored his protest. “You have two choices. Lead me to your damn council, or this store will be painted with your brain," Dean threatened.

The man chuckled. “You can't kill me. It won't hurt me.”  

“Yeah, if it was regular bullets, but these are witch killing bullets,”  Dean informed him.

The smile the man had immediately disappeared from his face. “I can't do that."

“Sure you can!" he insisted with a menacing smile.

The man was shaking. “No. Dan Scott is going to kill me if I tell you,” he squealed.

Dean’s anger started to get to him, especially because this whole situation was ridiculous. “Listen up buddy. If--”

“Carl, is that right?” Nathan interfered, earning a glare from Dean, which he dismissed.

The man raised an eyebrow, not sure what was going on, but he eventually nodded. “Good. You need to tell me where the council is, and I’ll make sure no one hurts you,” Nathan said, trying his best to convince the man.

Carl hesitated for a brief second. “If you promise to keep me safe, then I will talk,” he offered.

Nathan nodded while Dean slightly frowned. “I promise,” Nathan said sincerely.

Carl took a deep breath. “The council coven is in city hall. Except, you can’t go inside like that and expect to walk around and find the council chamber. You need to be a witch or an almost witch to find it. Like your brother was,” he explained.

Nathan frowned. “How do we get there?”

“You can’t get there. Only the first-born child, meaning only a potential witch can,” Carl said.

“Well then, we don't need you anymore,” Dean pointed out.

“Wait... No. There is another way. You need to go to the bridge. It’s the emergency door, in case there is a hunter or Men of Letters invasion.”

Nathan raised an eyebrow. “Hunter? Men of Letters?” he asked, obviously clueless about the situation.

Dean rolled his eyes; he didn't have time to explain everything to Nathan. He knew if he let go, Carl wouldn't hesitate to warn Dan and the council. Without saying anything, Dean grabbed anti-witch handcuffs and put them on Carl’s wrist.

“What the hell? I thought you would let me go!” he snapped.

The glare Dean sent him made Carl quickly quiet and pale. “We never said we would,” Dean smirked.

Nathan stepped in front of Dean. “Come on, I promised nobody would hurt him.”

“We’ll keep that promise, but I let him go now and your daddy will know about our next move,” he pointed out, grabbing Carl by his shirt collar and leading him toward the Impala with his gun pressed against his back, making sure no one saw them.

Nathan’s Pov

Nathan didn’t like the situation he was in; he didn’t like the way Dean was acting to get revenge, even if he knew that there was a sort of trial going on. But he didn’t want to leave. Then again, he wasn’t even sure if he was allowed to go. Nathan believed that if he stayed, he could have an impact on Dean. That way he was sure nobody would get hurt like he did with Carl. Even though he ended up in the trunk. It was better than him being dead.

They reached the bridge 5 minutes later. Nathan followed Dean out not saying a word.

Dean turned toward him. “Listen, kid, this will be dang--”

“Don't you think it’s a little too late, now that I’m here?” Nathan pointed out while rolling his eyes.

Dean shook his head, then went to the trunk and opened it, grabbing Carl by the arms. “I guess there is a password or a magic spell?” he interrogated him.

Carl raised his hand up; he didn’t look very comfortable to be there, as if he betrayed his kind and would probably die soon. Nathan could understand somewhat and pitied him. He looked at Carl and tried to encourage him to talk.

“Man, if I tell you, I will die, and your protection won’t change anything,” Carl conceded.

“Well, if you don't talk you are dead, too." Dean pressed his gun against his temple.

Nathan rolled his eyes and rubbed his face.  “This won't help,” he grumbled, although he stepped back when Dean pointed the gun at him.

“Do you want to get the bullet instead?” he suggested harshly.

Nathan held his hands up. His mouth dried. This was a scary situation for him, Dean was more unpredictable than he ever expected.

“Wait! I will open the door for you, but you will have to let the kid alone,” interposed Carl while sliding between Nathan and Dean, in a protective way in front of Nathan.

“Go ahead, make your mojo work,” Dean ordered.

Carl stepped close to the bridge ramp. His hand moved in the sky as if he was praying. Nathan looked at Dean, who had the smirk on his face. Nathan frowned, not liking the idea of putting him in danger for Dean’s benefit. He didn't have time to talk to Dean before Carl started to chant. Nathan tilted his head to the side to focus on each word Carl was pronouncing.

“Ostendō me via.”  (Show me the way.)

Nathan tried to concentrate on every word, barely recognizing any of them, as the ramp turned into a gate. He came closer just in time to see the water under the bridge spread apart like what Moses had done millennia ago. The past days had been rough for Nathan, his world changed in an instant, overwhelmed by everything. Another world he never suspected, or maybe he did, but never would have believed existed was standing in front of him.

“Let’s go.” Carl's voice brought Nathan down to reality. He raised an eyebrow, then opened and shut his mouth.  He watched Carl open the gate, a spiral staircase slowly uncovered itself like an invisible curtain was shadowing it from everyone's eyes. Dean grabbed Carl before he even started moving.

“Easy Tiger. Stay near me,” he ordered.

Nathan shook his head at the sight of the man in front of him. He understood Dean’s motivation, but the way he was acting started to get on Nathan’s nerves. Even though he was scared of him, or mostly afraid of the gun he was carrying, he was behaving like a hero that needed revenge. Nathan was sure nobody needed a hero like that. Yet, he stayed silent and followed them down the stairs to a hole in the ground that looked like a door. Nathan stopped, not sure if it was safe to go inside it.  A feeling told him not to, but with Dean out of control, Nathan followed them.  As he walked into what looked like a cave, the world around them started to make a fuzzy dance; his lungs didn’t seem to be working anymore. He gasped, placing his hand on his throat. He kneeled and saw Dean fall on the floor. It was the last image he saw before everything became dark.

A Few hours later

Dean POV

Dean gasped for air as he opened his eyes. He coughed and sat up slowly, his head screaming in pain and his brain bouncing against his skull. He groaned and rubbed his face.

“Well well, looks like you are trapped, hunter.” Dan’s voice taunted.

Dean rolled his eyes, and once again his head was pounding. He groaned in pain and tried to understand what Dan meant. Dean slowly turned his head toward him, not wanting another headache.

“I like how this prison works, creating illusions just for you, making you see the one person you need the most,” Dan said.

Dean frowned as a vague memory was trying to pass through the fog in his head, but the more he tried to remember, the stronger his headache became. Dan’s laugh didn't help Dean, either. A groan caught his attention. It came from the other cell. He was hoping it was his brother. He hoped everything was a dream, and his brother was alive again. He quickly stood up and walked toward the bar that connected him to the other cell, not caring about the pain in his head. “Sam?” he asked.

Dean frowned when he saw Rachel. He shook his head and walked away from the bars. The word disappointed wasn't the one he would use to describe how he felt at that very moment.

“Not who you thought she was? Is she too ginger? Not top-heavy enough?” Dan hinted.

Dean sent him a death glare. “Where is she?” he asked.

Dan rolled his eyes. “It’s getting old don't you think? ‘I want to kill. Grrr give me my revenge,’” he said mocking him.

Dean scoffed. “Laugh all you want, but when I get out, I will make sure you eat that smile of yours,” he threatened him with the same death glare.

“I wish you good luck,” he said, turning to leave, then stopped next to Rachel. “Told you to keep an eye on them, not join them.” He scowled but didn't let her speak and left.

Dean stared at her with an angry look. It seems everyone in this town underestimated him, but he knew they would regret it when he had his revenge.

“Cowboy, not for nothing, but the last time someone looked at me like that, I got laid.” She rolled her eyes.

Dean sneered. “Thanks, but I’ll pass,” he said, even though the way she was laying against her cell bars made her look attractive. He glanced at his cell to see if there was a small chance for him to escape.

“Good luck with trying to find a way out,” Rachel stated.

Dean ignored her, not wanting to deal with her right away. But, this didn’t seem to stop her.

“Come on, Cowboy, be smart this time. Listen to me,” she insisted.

Dean rolled his eyes. “Just shut up. Rakel,” he growled. “I don’t need your help!”

She frowned. “Sure you don’t.” Dean looked up at the ceiling, annoyed by her attitude. It was similar to (Y/N)’s, but unlike her, it didn't hit him where (Y/N)’s would have. He knew she only pretended to be tough, to be someone she wasn't, and came to the conclusion that it was a coping mechanism for the way Dan treated her. A part of Dean wanted to protect her, to kill Dan for her, not only for Sam. Except for the other part of him that wanted revenge for Sam. It made him close his fist, and his blood boiled again. She killed Sam, tricked him into believing Sam was still alive and trapped Dean in her apartment. He gripped the cell bars, anger was driving him crazy.

“Wow, easy Cowboy. They put a spell on the cell, making anyone give in to either their fear or their anger,” Rachel warned.

“Really? Well, I am going to give in then. When I find her, I will kill her,” he growled, pushing the bar then groaned in pain.

Rachel scoffed. “Good luck with--”

“Yeah, I know. This sham of a council is going to take care of her,” he grumbled.

“I mean, good luck with getting out of here. As for (Y/N), she will be safe until you find her, I presume,” she said.

Dean raised an eyebrow and turned his head toward her. “Where is she?” he asked suspiciously.

Rachel hesitated a second. “I’ll show you where she is,” she offered .

Dean shook his head. “Where is she!?” he yelled.

Rachel pressed her lips. “Yelling at me won’t help, you know?” She pointed. “I am going to get us out of here, but you have to promise not to hurt me.”

Dean shrugged. “I don’t care about you! I want (Y/N) and that asshole!” he growled, getting more and more upset just by thinking about them.

She shook her head. “Now, calm down. I will get us out of here. I will need a few minutes,” she said, showing her wrist. “This doesn’t allow anyone to use magic,” she said.

He groaned, starting to get more upset by her attitude, by the fact that she was here instead of (Y/N). All he could think at the moment was what he would do to her once she was in front of him.

(Y/N) Pov

Your eyes shot open while you gasped for air like you were brought back to life. You slowly sat up and rubbed your face, trying to remember what had happened.

“Sweetie, don't sit up.” Your Aunt Deb comforted you and made you lay down on the bed.

“Aunt Deb?” you weakly puzzled, looking at her.

She caressed your hair, a smile on her face, and nodded. She always acted like a mother to you, even after what happened to your birth parents. You could always count on her, no matter what. Despite the fact that Dan sent you away, she was still there to protect you, probably behind his back. Although the dynamic slightly changed in the two years after Nathan’s birth and before you were shipped to boarding school, her visits slowing down with her added responsibilities as a new mother.

“What happened?” you almost whispered.

“You don't remember?” She frowned.

You slowly shook your head. “The last thing I remember is the trail." You thought to try to remember, but your memory couldn't come back for some reason.

Deb sighed. “Love, you tried to escape with Rachel, but the spell stopped you,” she explained.

You gripped the sheets, no memory of that moment came back, but what did come back was the fact that the council reset the trial due to your pregnancy. Your hand found its way against your belly and tears formed in your eyes. “Please tell me this isn’t true,” you weakly asked.

Deb took your hand in hers. “Sweety, you are. We will get through this don’t worry. I will be here every step of the way,” she reassured you and pressed a kiss on your forehead before hugging you.

You hugged her back. “Thank you, Aunt Deb,” you whispered as a tear fell down your cheek.

The door opened and crashed into the wall, startling the both of you. You gasped, pulled away from your aunt and pressed yourself against the headboard while you widened your eyes when you saw Dan. He was furious and clearly in a rage as he came toward you.

“You fo--” he started but was interrupted by Deb coming between you.

“Don't even think about it, Dan!” Deb warned, pointing her fingers at him.

The way your aunt would be so strong and determined surprised you. It was probably the first time you had ever seen her like that. You weren't sure, but for a brief second, you swore Dan was destabilized by her self-awareness. He quickly recovered, though, and was back to being the man he always was, arrogant and a dick.

“Dear Deb, you realize that because of her, two of my sons are in the hospital!” he reminded her.

“She has nothing to do with that. You are responsible for this. For the mess you caused with her, and I let you,” Deb accused. “I swear, if you touch her this time, Lucas won't be here to save you,” she threatened him.

This time Dan’s reaction surprised you. He stepped back and glared at you. “I don't care what you need to do, but by the time Nathan is awake, I want you out of my town,” he growled, then walked out of the room slamming the door shut.

Deb turned to face you and hugged you. “It's going to be ok,” she whispered.

You hugged her back tightly. It was when you pulled back that you realized you were shaking. You took a deep breath to calm yourself, never before having seen him like that. Or maybe you were in denial? Your attention was brought back to your aunt Deb as she placed a hand on your cheek.

“Nathan’s condition is not on you. Do you hear me?” she said, tears in her eyes. “It’s on me. Like everything that happened to you since Dan came into my life.” She then pressed her forehead against you. “I told him to protect his big sister,” she confessed.

Tag:  @dr-dean, @helvonasche, @wevegotworktodo, @thorne93, @aprofoundbondwithdean, @faith-in-dean, @roxy-davenport,  @fangirl1802, @percywinchester27,  , @girl-next-door-writes, @kittenofdoomage, @supernatural-jackles, @mysupernaturalfics, @izawrites,  @jelly-beans-and-gstrings , @ariannnawinchester, @thing-you-do-with-that-thing, @jensen-jarpad, @secretlyfurrydragon, @thisismexxo,  @wonderfulworldofwinchester, @just-another-busy-fangirl

Spn Tag Sheet: @thinkwritexpress-official , @itsemmyb , @ezauraemmaline, @charliesbackbitches, @deandoesthingstome, @deerlululucy, @walkingencyclopediaoffandom , @gryffindorable713 ,  @manawhaat, @growleytria, @thegleegeneration, @samtomydeanwinchester , @supermoonpanda , @sis-tafics , @amaranthinecastiel @becs-bunker , @meganwinchester1999 , @samanddeanwinchester67 , @ferferelli, @iridianuniverse , @the-morning-star-falls , @ackleslaugh , @fangirling-instead-of-working , @hellbentcrowley @eyes-of-a-disney-princess , @kayteonline ,  @spnsimpleman,  @mamaimpala @for-the-love-of-dean , @winchesterfiesta ,  @salvachester, @sleep-silent-angel,  @gadreelsforbiddenfruit , @trenchcoats-and-bees , @curliesallovertheplace, @jencharlan ,  @skybinx-blog,

[thorne93]

Old Flame, New Problems

Prompt: You’re in a serious relationship with Sebastian Stan, when news from your first love, Hayden Christensen, informs you that he’s now single and in need of a friend. Will your old flame burn out or will the flames get fanned and consume you?

Word Count: 2263

Warning: language, angst, fighting (verbal), drama

Notes: This idea came to me when news hit about Hayden and Rachel splitting. Of course I’m sad that a long time relationship such as theirs is ending, but it also means he’s single sooo…I’ve been wanting to write a “true” Hayden fic for a while.

Also, no hate towards Rachel. I don’t know her, don’t know what really happened between them, etc. It’s a fic and in no way reflects what I think of either of them or their precious daughter ^.^

I’m so sorry I haven’t gotten anything out to y’all. I’ve been busy every weekend with parties, birthdays, and other stuff. This was written but I kept editing it. But it’s a pretty long fic sooo…here we go! Thanks a million to my patient and lovely beta @like-a-bag-of-potatoes

Forever Tags: @amarvelouswritings @cocosierra94 @essie1876 @magpiegirl80 @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @iamwarrenspeace @marvel-imagines-yes-please @superwholocked527 @myparadise1982sand @missinstantgratification @thejulesworld @rda1989 @marvelloushamilton @munlis @thefridgeismybestie @bubblyanarocks3 @random-fluffy-pink-unicorn @hardcollectionworldtrash @igiveupicantthinkofausername @kaliforniacoastalteens @feelmyroarrrr @kaeling

Sebastian Stan Tag: @nedthegay @lostinspace33 @alwayshave-faith @elleatrixlestrange @buenostardissherlock @lenawiinchester @the-red-world-of-jess-chibi @memory-of-a-goldfish @mellsstark

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

“I hate you,” you whispered angrily.

In front of you was a mocking blinking cursor on a blank Word document. The deadline for five short stories were coming up for you to be added to a book of short love stories and so far, for three weeks, no inspiration had struck. Nothing. Zero. Zilch.

Writer’s block was one thing, but you’d fallen into this black hole that was devoid of creativity. You had tried the parks, watching movies, reading other people’s work…But nothing…

With a goan and a sigh, you shut your lid to your laptop and got up. The apartment was a bit of a wreck since you had been so busy trying to pull some sort of inspiration from somewhere. In an attempt to just completely forget about writing at all, you decided to work around the apartment.

First was the master bathroom - you deep cleaned it. Scrubbing the sink, shower, and toilet. Hand scrubbed the floors. Organizing the cabinets. Then you moved onto the master bedroom. In there, you changed the bedding, organized and cleaned the night stands, dusted everything, and swept. You continued your festival of deep cleaning throughout the apartment until everything was spotless. This took all morning and a little into the afternoon.

Grabbing your keys and purse to head out to pick up some groceries, your phone rang.

“Hey, babe!” you greeted happily while you leaned on the island in the kitchen.

“Hey! We took lunch, so thought I’d give you a call,” Sebastian stated on the other side of the phone. “How’s the writing coming?”

“It’s not,” you informed in an annoyed grumble.

“Nothing yet?” he asked, mild shock in his voice.

“No,” you sighed.

“Well keep at it,” he tried.

“Actually, I’ve been cleaning, trying to not think of it. You know, the old thing where if you don't’ think about it, it’ll come to you. I’m about to go out and get something for dinner what would you like?”

You heard Sebastian laugh away from the phone, and say something indecipherable before putting the phone back near his face.

“Seb?” you tried again.

He was still chuckling a little bit when he answered, “I’m sorry, what?” Immediately after he asked though, another loud ripple of laughter left him.

You sighed and slightly rolled your eyes. You didn’t mind Sebastian having fun, but you hadn’t seen him for about six months due to filming all over and premieres and interviews for I, Tonya. He had just gotten back two weeks ago, and was already at another small table read for another movie today. The two of you didn’t have a lot of time together this whole year, and now you have five minutes on the phone and he couldn’t even give you his full attention.

“I’ll just let you go,” you solemnly said, admitting defeat.

After a second, he finally returned. “Hmm? Oh. Alright. Have fun! I hope the writing gets better. Love you, bye!”

“Love you too. Bye.”

You hung up, dropped your phone in your purse, and shook your head.

Two years together. You lived together, and yet, you hardly ever saw each other.

In the two weeks he’d come back, he’d been entirely aloof, nearly ignoring you. Dinners together he was entirely entranced in his phone, texting, reading, calling. If he wasn’t ignoring you for his phone, he was otherwise disregarding you for something else. Friends, sleep, anything. You were barely there to him and it was really starting to hurt and wear on you.

Snuffing out the thoughts, you decided not to dwell on it. He was happy, having fun, and that’s all that mattered. You left the apartment and went shopping.

—————–

Once you returned with two armfuls of groceries, you sat to work on a nice meal for Sebastian. You knew how he hated eating out all the time so you thought this would be a good change of pace. Not to mention it might demand some new attention.

After all the goods were stowed away in their rightful place, you set to work on the meal. You decided to do dessert first, to let it set and chill. Raspberry tiramisu coming up!

Next was the lasagna. Your mom’s award winning recipe. You had never had a lasagna as good as hers…ever. There was so much cheese and flavor, with a little bit of a kick to it. Your mouth was watering just thinking of it. After the messy ordeal of making it, you cleaned up your countertops, popped the divine dish in the oven, and began making the garlic cheese bread. Finally, the salad. The veggies were rinsed, chopped, and tossed, it was just awaiting the dressing.

Everything was coming together. You sat the dining room table with a white linen cloth, the one you only pulled out for incredibly special occasions, and set the table. A plate on each end, a napkin with silverware on the side, two glasses on each end - one for wine and one for water. You fluffed the bouquet you’d picked up on the way back from the store and lit two candles in crystal candelabras. It was a romantic dinner fit for royalty.

As you were putting the finishing touches on everything, your phone rang. You picked up your phone and saw the caller ID and frowned.

“Hello?” you answered with a high inflection, confused as to why this person was calling.

“Hey, Y/N, long time no talk,” Hayden greeted on the other end. Immediately you knew something was wrong. His voice was doing that thing were it sounded like he was trying not to laugh and cry, which usually meant he was faking a happy tone over sadness.

“Hey, Hayden,” you responded lightly. “Yeah, haven’t talked to you since your birthday, which still weirds me out that you share a birthday with my brother,” you noted with a laugh. When you didn’t hear much of a reply on the end, you asked, ���Everything okay?”

After a moment of quiet, which made you worry, he answered, “Uh…No…No it’s not…Could you come see me?”

The wind was sucked out of your lungs.

You hadn’t seen Hayden in years. Probably about six years since you’d physically seen each other. Other than that, it was Christmas cards every year, a text on Thanksgiving, and a phone call for each other’s birthday.

Hayden was your first love, and why wouldn’t he be? You dated for five years from the time you were twenty. He was a budding young star in New York for interviews and press, and you were and up and coming writer at NYU. At that time, you were working on screenplays and you had caught the attention of some producers on Broadway, the only person in your entire class to get work that prestigious while still attending. Your paths crossed through mutual friends and your worlds eclipsing, you had met each other and fallen in love.

“Uh…Where are you?” you questioned, tracing lines in the marble countertop mindlessly.

“Toronto. Please? I need a friend.”

“What’s going on, Hay?” you asked in a serious tone, your worry settling even further.

“Rachel and I…uh…we split up and I really don’t want to be alone. She’s out in LA with Briar Rose and…” He stopped, probably to keep himself from crying.

This news hit you like a ton of bricks. They would be the last couple in the world you would’ve thought would get separated.

You bit your lip in thought. “Hayden, I don’t know if it’s such a good idea…”

“Please?” he begged again, so much emotion in his voice it broke your heart.

A moment or two passed while you thought. “I’ll see what I can do,” you acquiesced. This was dangerous…

“Thank you,” he breathed with relief lacing into his voice.

“Any time. Talk to you soon.”

“Thanks. Bye.”

You hung up, took a deep breath, ran your fingers through your hair, and set off toward your laptop.

——————

Throwing shirts and jeans into your suitcase on the bed, Sebastian walked in the door.

“Babe? You here? I’m home!” he called out.

“I’m back here!” you responded, your heart hammering. You knew you’d have to explain your sudden departure, and when he would hear of the reason why, he wasn’t going to be happy.

Sebastian came to the bedroom and saw what you were doing.

“Um…Whatcha doin’?” he asked, concern on his face and in his voice.

You looked up as you continued your path of moving from suitcase to closet, closet to suitcase.

“Packing,” you said simply. “Dinner is in the oven.”

Sebastian stood with a mask of utter confusion and shock on his face. “Where are you going?”

At his question, you stilled, you still had a sweater in your hand as you started to bend down to put it in your suitcase. You sighed and took a deep breath. He needed to know.

“I’m going to see Hayden,” you informed and his eyebrow perked up. “In Canada. He and Rachel are splitting up and he called and asked if I could come up and keep him company.”

“Hayden…as in your ex Hayden?” Sebastian stated. “And you didn’t think to talk to me about it?”

“What’s there to talk about?” you asked as you went back to packing. You went to the bathroom to grab the toiletries and convert them to airplane friendly containers.

Sebastian followed your frenzied body all over the master suite.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe you should ask me before you just head off to your ex’s,” he suggested with sarcasm.

“So I have to ask your permission?” you questioned, a hint of irritation on your voice.

He sighed and threaded his fingers into his hair. “No, that’s not what I’m saying.”

“Then what are you saying?” you questioned with exhaustion.

“Y/N, stop, look at me,” he ordered gently. “Y/N,” he said again. “Y/N,” he repeated with a raised voice as he grabbed you around the upper arms to keep you still. “Stop,” he softly commanded. “Can’t we just talk about this?”

You shrugged and he took it as a yes. He let you go.

“Okay, so he wants you to come up there, why?” he asked firmly.

“He said he needed a friend,” you offered simply with another shrug, shampoo bottle in your hand.

“Doesn’t he have other friends?” he questioned.

You shrugged. “I don’t know, Sebastian. I didn’t ask. He sounded really broken up so I told him I’d try to make it up there.”

“Okay…” he started, dragging the word out. “So you’re just going to go up to your ex’s house…alone…who’s recently split up…This doesn’t sound bad to you?” he asked, his brows knitting together.

You sighed. “I know it does. I know you two don’t like each other. But…he needs a friend. Don’t you trust me?”

Sebastian took a moment to answer. “Yes…of course…But I just got back and now you’re leaving. How long are you even going to be up there?”

Again, you shrugged. When it came to Hayden, you didn’t really think. You just jumped in, you dove in head first. He had that sort of power over you where it was hard to deny him anything.

“I’m not sure. Two days, three, maybe a week, I don’t know.”

“Oh well that makes me feel better,” he sarcastically responded. “I don’t like this.”

“I know this isn’t what you want to hear. I know how this sounds….But he said he needed me, he needed a friend and I would think you’d be supportive of that,” you tried desperately. Your eyes searched his, but they seemed to be clouded with a million worried thoughts. “Are you honestly worried I would be unfaithful to you?” you questioned. “I would hope after several months away from each other, and the million opportunities I had to cheat on you, I wouldn’t wait for Hayden to call and tell me he’s splitting up to commit infidelity.”

Seb nodded at this. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. Now I need to finish packing, my plane leaves in an hour and a half.”

“Tonight?!”

“Yes. Tonight.”

“Why do you have to leave now?” he demanded.

“I don’t know. I don’t see a reason to wait. Between my writing and you being gone all the time, it’s probably best if I just leave tonight,” you stated, trying to rationalize it.

Sebastian stood stunned as he stared at you.

“Dinner is in the oven, salad is on the table, the dessert is in the fridge,” you informed as you finished packing and zipped up your bag.

“So that’s it? You’re just going to leave?” he asked as you started to get your things gathered and got near the doorway.

“What do you want me to do, Sebastian? Leave tomorrow? What’s the difference? You’ll be at work.”

“Can you at least stay and eat? It seems like you went to a lot of trouble,” he desperately requested, his eyes had a strained look to them.

You shook your head. “No. I really need to go. I’m sorry.” You petted Spinee’s head, the dog Sebastian had adopted a few months before you met, and told him goodbye before kissing his nose. “I love you,” you quietly said as you walked over and hugged him. You kissed him but it felt cold on his side.

A sad smile touched your lips as you left the apartment and headed for the airport.

[captainswanandclintasha]

Awake and Alive - Chapter 9 (9/20)

Summary: While Emma and the other Nevengers are leaving Storybrooke for Neverland to search for Henry, a misterious and unkown woman comes in Storybrooke, looking for a long lost man and some answers about herself. Meanwhile in Neverland Emma and Hook discover something about themselves that is going to change their lives forever.

Rated M for future chapters and HA for HARD ANGST. Yet no one is dying. I promise. Thought I can’t say the same about the readers (or the writer) and F for fluff (also for future chapters)

Many many thank to Cathy (@ultraluckycatnd​) for her help in betaing this story!

Tumblr: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8

FF.NET | AO3

As always tagging  @cinnamonduckling, @captainswan-shipper88, @tirsu, @tomeandflickcorner. Let me know if you want to be tagged for future chapters!

Sooo um…. That M from the rating? IT’S COMING MY DEARS! This chapter is hard M especially at the end. I want to let you know that after I finished writing it, a full week I wasn’t able to write anything at all! It burned my brain but it was so worth it. Many many thanks to @mahstatins​ and @sambethe​ who also helped me with a certain part of the chapter. 

Also I want to thank you for the responses at the last chapter, because I was so afraid that people will yell at me but noo! You actually liked it! So thank you thank you! 

Enjoy chapter 9!

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Killian woke up with a tremor. It was dark around him, darker than he had ever seen and he just knew it; knew that this was it, this was his death. Apparently for him, death was a dark, cold place where he was just a lonely soul waiting for God knows what. But despite being alone, something inside him told him to start walking in the darkness. He started to walk and at one point, he felt he needed to start laughing at himself. After all this time, after having the darkness roaming inside of him making him crazy with revenge and taking him down villainous paths, now, he was drowning in it, both literally and figuratively.

He didn’t know how much he walked or if he walked at all since it was hard to tell in all that darkness, but slowly his mind drifted to Emma. The last thing he felt was Pan’s shadow pulling out his own, while the last thing he saw before the darkness overtook him was the white that was surrounding him, hearing Emma’s pained scream at the same time. Magic, he told himself. The white light was Emma’s magic and he was glad that she finally used it but at the same time, he was sad that he wasn’t there to see it fully. He cursed himself for that. He promised her that he would live long enough to help her save Henry and get them back to Storybrooke safely. They did save Henry, but they were still on the island; the others most likely waiting for Emma to return to the Jolly with him because she came after him. She didn’t want to leave him alone in the middle of the jungle.

Killian closed his eyes and touched his lips. He remembered the way they almost kissed that morning, before Snow White interrupted them and then again earlier, just before his death. Maybe he would have had a much more peaceful death if he had kissed her before. Maybe the thought of kissing her calmed him, made him be at peace with the thought of dying.

“Hook,” he heard Emma’s voice come out of nowhere. “Wake up, Killian!”

“Bloody hell! This place is mocking me. It’s hell!” Killian yelled out loud.

“I’m sorry I killed you. I’m sorry I never told you how I really feel. I am so sorry Killian,” he heard again. This time, he could also hear her sobbing between words..

It hit him then that it should have only been a fragment of his imagination. The Emma he knew would never be like this, crying over a dead man, telling him she’s sorry. It had to be just his imagination that was playing games with him, even now when he was dead. He continued to hear Emma’s voice, pleading with him to wake up, telling him how sorry she was for doing this to him. He wondered if this was his punishment after all the years he lived. If hearing Emma’s voice over and over again would haunt him for all eternity in this infinite darkness.

But then he felt something on his skin. A hand perhaps? No, not a hand. It was the feeling a hand leaves on someone’s skin when someone else is stroking that person’s skin. It felt more and more like Emma’s touch, but how was that even possible? He was dead; he wasn’t supposed to feel anything.

Then he felt water on his face. He looked up but there was nothing. Yet, his face was getting wetter with every minute.

“What the bloody hell is going on?” he said.

He then felt a light press on his lips. Was that the feeling of another pair of lips on his? He kissed so many people during his 300 years of being alive to know well enough what kissing felt like, so he was sure that what he was feeling right now was a kiss. He closed his eyes, trying to feel more and, surprisingly, he did. As he closed his eyes he concentrated on the feeling of the foreign lips on his own. Someone, or something, was kissing him, but who? Why? How was that possible? He knew deep down that the lips that were kissing him were soft and he could feel an actual breath on his face. He could have recognized that feeling anywhere.

“Emma?” he said shocked, opening his eyes.

Emma was kissing him? She was finally kissing him? She was kissing him and he was dead, not being able to respond to her kiss? Now Killian was really angry. Emma, the woman he dreamed about since the moment he laid eyes on her, was kissing him and he was dead, not being able to answer her kiss and show her how much he cared about her.

The feeling of Emma’s lips didn’t go away so he concentrated on them, wishing with all his heart that he was able to kiss her back and say her name over and over again in his mind. As he did that something happened behind his eyes. The darkness started to fade, and the same bright light he saw earlier when he died fell over him like a veil.

He felt the press of the lips harder and harder as the light was falling all around him. He closed his eyes, the light being too bright for him and tried to open them again after a few moments.

He opened his eyes just a little and was met with Emma’s closed eyes, her lips pressed on his. He wasn’t able to fully realise what was happening, but he continued to kiss her, putting a hand around her when he felt her trying to pull away. Emma fell on his chest, dropping both of her hands around his torso.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he heard Emma saying, feeling her lips starting to form a smile.

“No, don’t stop. If this is heaven, I don’t want it to stop,” Killian said, smiling too.

But Emma stopped the kiss and leaned on one hand, rising from his chest. Killian opened his eyes and looked at her. Her eyes were red from crying, but she had a smile on her face. Her golden hair was falling around her face and Killian could have swore he had never seen someone more beautiful.

“You’re alive,” she said, awe being present in her voice.

“I am,” he said, mirroring Emma’s smile.

“How?”

“I hoped you could have told me.”

“I don’t know. I was kissing you-”

“Thank you very much for that, by the way,” he stopped her and then nodded to continue.

“And then you were kissing me back,” she said still smiling.

She continued to look into his eyes and caressed his cheek for a bit but then her face became serious.

“But you were dead,” she said.

Killian sighed and rose to a sitting position. He felt no pain in his body when he did that and it felt good after having dealt with so many days of fighting with the pain in his bones.

“I was. I know that for sure.”

“Then how are you still alive? Because I tried every single first aid method I know.”

“First aid method?” Killian asked, slighty confused.

“Pressing on your chest, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Things like that.”

“Ah, I understand.”

“Yeah. I tried those and none of them worked, but then something inside me told me to kiss you and I did, and you just… woke up.”

Woke up by a kiss, Killian thought to himself.

He had heard stories about people being woken up by kisses. Hell, Emma’s parents were one of those couples he had heard about. But in all those instances? They were woken up with True Love’s Kiss. That wasn’t possible for him, was it? You had to love the other person with all your heart for the kiss to work right? Killian was sure of his feelings for Emma, but he wasn’t sure about her’s for him.

He looked at Emma and saw that she was lost in her thoughts. One of her hands was still on his chest, her fingers moving without direction, but her eyes were lost. He wanted to know what was going on in her mind and what was she thinking about.

“Emma? Say something?” he said.

“I was thinking... ,“ she said, looking at him.

“About?”

“My parents? And Henry.” Killian nodded. Of course she was worried about them. She was, after all, in the middle of the forest and they were on his ship, with the Shadow still flying around most likely.

“They are safe on the ship,” he tried to assure her.

“No, no, no. My parents did this…,” she said, moving her hand between them, “twice… Waking each other up with a kiss... And… um… I woke up Henry once like this as well. By kissing him. He was poisoned, cursed actually, with the same Sleeping Curse my parents once dealt with,” Emma explained. He knew, of course, of her parents’ story. But Henry? That was a story he wanted to hear.

“And what happened?”

“I don’t know how it was for my parents but with Henry, there was magic, a rainbow or something; a bright light around the both of us. There wasn’t anything when we…”

“When we kissed,” Killian finished her thought.

Emma nodded at him. Confusion was present on her face and he could tell that she wanted to know what was going on and what exactly woke him.

He thought back to the moment he started to feel her lips on his. The darkness that surrounded him until that moment started to slowly fade. He didn’t pay much attention then, too focused on what was happening with him but now that he was thinking back to that moment, the darkness started to fade around him, making place for the light that in the end woke him up. The light. Emma said there was a bright light when she woke Henry. Maybe the same bright light woke him up as well. He felt his eyes grow bigger as he looked at Emma.

“What?” Emma asked curious.

“A bright light. You said there was a bright light when you woke Henry. I saw that too.”

“What?”

“After the Shadow attacked and tried to pull out my own shadow, I woke up in darkness. That was all I could see, but then I started to hear your voice. At first, I thought it was just my imagination. How was it possible to hear your voice when I was dead, right? But then I felt your touch on my face, your lips pressed to mine and slowly the darkness started to fade. Before I woke up, there was a bright light that came over me so I closed my eyes. And when I opened them again, you were there and I was alive.”

“Do you think it was that? For us? Do you think it was True Love’s Kiss?” Emma asked, this time looking intensely into his eyes.

“I don’t know what to think.”

“But that would be impossible, right? I mean, we haven’t spent that much time together. We have to… to love each other in order for it to work, right?”

“Emma, when we first came to Neverland, I told you that I fancy you. I am quite sure of my feelings, even now,” he said seriously.

“Well, I am not,” she replied, looking at him. She probably saw the way his face fell at her words. “That came out wrong. I mean, I care about you a lot. I just don’t… know… I’m scared, to be honest ,” she stopped, looking at him apologetically.

“I understand, Emma. I am kind of scared too,” he admited.

“You are?”

“Of course I am! One moment, I’m dying and in the next, I am here, alive, thinking about the possibility of being someone’s True Love. After so many years of thinking that I had to suffer and I didn’t deserve to be loved, it’s a lot to take in,” Killian finally admitted to her.

“For a very long time I felt the same. And then Henry came, and my parents… And I’m not saying that it’s impossible for me to love you, because it’s not… But this kiss... It means we’re True Love. We are meant to be together,” Emma said, and he could see that she was still not sure of herself or her words.

“Emma, as I said, I am absolutely sure of my feelings for you. Even if you might not be ready to hear that, know that they are there and they won’t change,” Killian said, knowing very well that Emma wasn’t ready for a real declaration of love. So instead, he knew that for the time being, he needed to settle for this.

“You are very sure of yourself,” Emma said with a huff.

“Of course I am. Trust me, my feelings will stay like this for a very long time,” Killian promised her.

She leaned down and pressed her lips to his. It was something quick and if he wasn’t close to her he would have missed it. But then again, Emma was still there, close with her forehead pressed to his.

“Thank you. Just… be patient with me. Please,” Emma said softly, her eyes pleading with him to just give her time.

“Always,” he said truthfully.

She moved away from him and picked up his discarded shirt that had been tossed aside when she was trying to take care of his wound.

“We should go back to the ship,” she said, placing the shirt in his hand.

“Aye,” he said, starting to redress. “They are probably wondering where we are.”

“Oh gosh. David is probably planning a search party by now,” she said waiting for him to finish dressing.

“Aye. I can see that happening,” he said, smiling.

“What are we going to tell them?” she asked when they started to walk back to the beach.

“That you found me in the woods and that on the way back, we were attacked by the Shadow and we fought with it,” he replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Ok, that might work. But there is a little problem,” Emma said, avoiding his eyes.

“What?”

“I told them that you were dying. Tink knows that you were poisoned,” she said this time while looking at him.

“Why did you tell them?” Killian asked, shocked by the fact that Emma told everyone about his secret, even if she promised not to.

“I was worried when you didn’t show up on the beach. I wanted to come after you and they asked why I was so sure that you wouldn’t come. So I told them that you were dying but I didn’t tell them how. And then I told Tink that you had been poisoned because I wanted to ask her if there was any way to save you that maybe you missed,” Emma explained. Killian just nodded at her, understanding why she did it, even if he didn’t like it.

“Well, obviously there was.”

“Yeah, Tink said that light magic could do it.”

“From what I heard years ago, a True Love’s Kiss needs light magic,” Killian said, stopping to look at her.

“So I used magic,” Emma said, not really asking, but instead saying it more like a confirmation for herself.

“We can tell them that you used magic to fight the Shadow, which you did, and that it was that same magic that healed me as well,” he proposed.

“Do you think it could work?” she asked, looking at him.

“Of course. They weren’t there, so only we know the truth.”

“Okay then, that’s what we are going to do.” Emma agreed and without another word, started to walk again.

They continued to walk towards the beach in silence and when they finally arrived, they were able to see the ship close to them. Killian was glad to see his home again after so many days in the forest, and especially after dying.

He started to walk in the sand when he turned to look at Emma who should have been next to him. Only Emma wasn’t there. She was behind him, still at the edge of the forest.

“Are you okay?” he asked her.

“I… I want to keep it between us for now. If that’s alright with you.”

“Didn’t we just agreed on that?” Killian asked her, not really understanding what she wanted to say.

“No, I meant the True Love part. I want to keep it between us until we, I, figure out how I really feel.”

“Of course, Emma,” he said with a soft smile.

He expected that. Knowing Emma, he didn’t expect her to be excited from the first moment they found out they were True Love and he definitely didn’t expect her to jump up and down out of happiness and run to tell everyone. Half of him even agreed with her. It was better to keep it a secret until they figure it out on their own.

Emma smiled and then came closer to him and together they started to walk down the short path in the sand towards the ship.

Emma POV

“Emma! Hook!” Emma heard Mary Margaret’s voice as soon as they stepped on the deck.

“Mom!” Henry yelled and started to run, hugging her when he was in front of her.

“Oh, wow, easy kid,” Emma said with a smile while putting her hands around his shoulders and hugging him back.

“We were so worried, Emma,” Mary Margaret said while coming towards her with David by her side.

“Why?” acting as if nothing had happened in the time she was in the forest with Hook.

“We saw the light!”

“What?” Emma started to panic. Maybe they saw something she didn’t.

“That big, white light. It was visible from here. What was that by the way? Regina said it was magic. Light magic to be exact,” Mary Margaret explained.

“Yeah, that it was,” Emma said awkwardly, looking at Hook for help. But before he could say something, Henry started to talk.

“You used magic?” he said looking at her excited. “That is so cool, Mom! How did you do it?”

“Calm down kid. It happened once and I don’t think it’s going to happen again,” Emma tried explaining to him

“It should happen again, Miss Swan,” Regina said coming in their direction. “That was light magic; very powerful magic.”

“And?”

“How did it happen? What did you do to make it work?” Regina said, ignoring Emma’s comment.

“Nothing. The Shadow attacked us and I just… had to do something. I thought about protecting us from it and it just happened.”

“And speaking of the Shadow,” Killian said coming to her rescue, “we should get ready to leave this island. The Shadow may reappear at anytime.”

“It won’t, Captain,” Gold’s voice came from the other side of the deck. “Miss Swan’s magic was so powerful that it was destroyed.”

“I destroyed the Shadow?” Emma asked amazed by herself.

“That you did,” Regina admited.

“Still, Hook is right,” David started. “We should get ready to leave this island before anything else happens.”

“Aye, I’m gonna start preparing the ship. Tink I’ll need your help. Yours too, your Majesty,” Killian said looking at Regina.

“First, though,” Mary Margaret said, “I have to ask. How do you feel, Hook? Emma told us that you were dying before she left.”

“I’m no longer dying, actually. When Emma used her magic to destroy the Shadow, it also helped heal me,” he said with a small smile, following the little lie they concocted.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Mary Margaret said with a smile, looking from Hook to Emma.

“Enough of that,” Regina said. “Hook, what do you want me do to?”

As Hook started to explain to Regina and Tinkerbell what he wanted them to do, Emma took Henry away and hugged him again.

“I missed you. I am so glad you are finally safe,” she told him.

“I missed you too, Mom. I’m glad everyone is fine. Everyone got really scared when they saw the light in the forest,” Henry explained to her.

“Trust me, kid. I was scared too,” Emma said, thinking back to the moment when she thought she was going to lose Hook forever. And for a few minutes she really did. “I can’t wait to get back to Storybrooke.”

“Me too! I miss Granny’s hamburgers!” Henry exclaimed.

“And her hot chocolate,” Emma said smiling.

“With cinnamon!” they said at the same time.

“You have to tell me everything that happened here when we get back. I want to know everything!”

“It’s really not that interesting,” Emma said, thinking back to fights with the Lost Boys, Pan, and the Shadow.

“Doesn’t matter Mom! I want to know!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you,” she promised, happy that she had her amazing kid back.

She watched with Henry how Hook, Regina, and Tinkerbell prepared the ship. They worked together to make the ship fly thanks to both the little magic Tink had left and Regina’s magic.

“Second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning,” Henry murmured to her when the ship was up in the sky.

She smiled, getting the Peter Pan reference and then turned her eyes to Hook who was doing what he did best: being the Captain of the Jolly Roger. He was concentrating on his moves, holding the helm with his hand and his hook and moving it from left to right, guiding them in the sky.

“Emma?” Emma’s thoughts were interrupted by a small voice behind her.

She turned to see Tink with a big smile on her face, hands together in front of her.

“Tink,” Emma said, smiling at her.

“Can we talk?” Tink asked, looking from Emma to Henry and then back to her again.

“Sure,” Emma said, moving her attention to Henry. “Do you mind going around the deck or something?”

“Nope,” Henry said. “I’ll go and see how Mom is,” leaving the two women to talk.

“So?” Emma said looking back at the fairy, not knowing for sure what she wanted.

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Tink stopped, looked behind Emma and then back at her again. “About Hook,” she said tentatively.

“Oh. What about him?” Emma asked warily.

“How exactly did you heal him? I heard something earlier, but not everything,” Tink asked Emma.

“I… um.. the Shadow attacked us and I had to use my magic to protect us. I’m not sure how I did it, but there was this light and then the Shadow disappeared and Hook was healed,” Emma explained, hoping that Tink would believe the lie.

“Just like that?” Tink asked suspiciously and Emma just nodded.

“Yeah. Just like that.”

“Emma, I know I don’t have my magic anymore, but I also know that dreamshade is not that easy to heal, even with light magic like yours,” Tink said, looking at Emma. Then she continued, whispering “and I also know some things about True Love.”

Emma felt all her blood leave her body and she froze at what Tink said. Tink was looking at her with an eyebrow raised and before she could answer, Emma darted her eyes from Tink to Hook. He wasn’t paying any attention to them, though. He was still concentrated on what he was doing. So Emma looked back to Tink and started to talk.

“What do you mean?”

“I haven’t seen you two together for long, but today when you went after him, you were very worried. And then when you came back, there was something between you two. Something not everyone could see.”

Emma knew very well what was between her and Hook when they came back, but she hoped Tink didn’t and she just wanted to get something out of Emma. Or was she just jealous? She remembered that in the book and the movie, Tinkerbell was jealous of Wendy, and Emma didn’t know this Tink for very long. She could be just like her book version. Besides,, Emma still didn’t know if there was something between the fairy and the pirate.

“Maybe it was nothing,” Emma tried to brush it off.

“Emma, what are you two trying to hide?” Tink asked bluntly.

“Nothing,” Emma answered too quickly for Tink’s liking.

“Did you two kiss?” the fairy asked again.

“No!” Emma answered again, too fast.

“Emma?”

“Okay, maybe?” she finally said with a sigh. “He… died, and I tried to bring him back and it just… happened,” Emma explained, not sure of how good her explanation was.

“He woke up,” Tink stated, sure of her answer.

“Yes,” Emma nodded.

“That’s True Love’s Kiss, Emma.”

Before she could answer, Emma looked around her to make sure that no one was around to hear her answer and to hear her admit to the fact that she and Hook were True Loves. When she saw that everyone was concerned with their own business, Emma finally gathered her courage and answered.

“Yeah, we figured that much.”

“I am so happy for you two!” Tink exclaimed. “He was miserable when I first met him.”

“Woah, Tink, easy there,” Emma said before the whole ship could hear Tink.

“Why?”

“We have to figure out what this means to us, both separately and then together. Nothing is going to happen for now.”

“I take it that it’s a secret?”

“Yes. Please don’t tell anyone,” Emma told her, hoping that Tink would keep the secret.

“Don’t wory, Emma. I will keep it to myself,” Tink said.

Emma tried to read her, tried to see if there was any lie to her words, but Tink moved her head quickly, looking behind Emma. She turned to see where Tink was looking, but the fairy was watching Hook, who was curiously looking at the two of them.

“Maybe you two should talk,” Tink said, moving her eyes from Hook back to Emma.

“We did. The ball is in my court now. He’s… being patient with me.”

“That’s good. He was never patient with me,” Emma looked at Tink with an eyebrow raised, wondering what prompted her to say that. Seeing Emma’s expression, Tink quickly reacted.  “Oh, don’t worry Emma. I promise nothing ever happened between us. He cared too much about his revenge. Now, it seems his priorities changed.”

Emma turned to look again at Hook, who was still looking at them. She remembered the moment they met a few weeks ago and realized that Tink was right. At that time, all he cared about was killing Rumplestiltskin, but now? Gold was on his ship and the two of them didn’t look ready to kill each other. She only hoped things weren’t going to revert back when they arrived back in Storybrooke.

“I will leave you alone because he looks this close to coming over here and sending me away,” Tink said smiling at Emma.

“He’s not,” Emma said rolling her eyes.

“He is, trust me,” Tink said, leaving Emma alone.

After Tink left Emma was, once again, alone with her thoughts. She still couldn’t believe that she admitted out loud to someone that what she and Hook shared in Neverland’s forest was a real True Love’s Kiss. But she also knew that there was no point in denying it, not to Tink at least, and she could see that the fairy was being honest with her. She would not tell anyone what Emma told her. She looked towards Hook, ready to go and talk to him, but he was with David and she didn’t want to go over there while he was standing with Hook. So she resigned herself to watching the view overboard.

She didn’t get another chance to talk to Hook after that. Her parents, Henry, and even Regina drowned her with questions about her magic. As the night came, Mary Margaret found something to make a small dinner for everyone and then, one by one, they started to go to sleep. Hook offered his cabin to Henry, saying that after so many days of sleeping on the ground, the kid finally needed a bed. But Henry refused, saying that he wanted to spend some time with his mothers.

So Emma, Henry, and Regina closed themselves off in a small cabin with two small beds and started to talk. As time passed, Henry started to get sleepy and Emma decided that it was time for him to go to sleep. Regina asked Emma if she would be ok with allowing her to stay in the cabin with Henry for the night. Emma didn’t have it in her to say no, even if her heart was screaming at her to stay in the room with her kid. So after a kiss to Henry’s cheek, Emma got out of the cabin and went in search of another place for her to sleep.

There was another cabin where she would have had some place, but her parents were in it and she didn’t want to spend the night with them in the same room. The other two cabins were with Gold and Tink. Tink would have let Emma sleep with her in the cabin, but she saw that the room was small enough for Tink alone; there wouldn’t have been any place for Emma as well. Tink suggested that she could try Killian’s cabin since he would be on the deck all night, and after a little thinking, Emma started to walk towards his cabin. She knew she should have went and asked him if she could stay in his cabin for the night. She knew that she was intruding on his personal space, but she was too tired and in need of a bed to do that.

She found his cabin and entered. She couldn’t see much, thanks to the dark of the night, but she found a candle and lit it. In the middle of the room was a table with a bottle of rum on it so she decided to take a small sip of it before going to bed. She sat at the table, took a hold of the bottle and drank. No sooner had she took a drink when the door opened, revealing a stunned Killian Jones.  

Killian POV

As Killian climbed down the stairs to his cabin, his mind drifted back to Emma and everything that happened during the day. It was all coming over him slowly and more than once during the day he wanted to go and talk to her. But every time he tried to get close and talk to her, David or even Henry came to talk to him. Now, seeing how late at night it was, he was convinced she was with her son, sleeping. So Killian continued to walk down to his cabin, trying to convince himself that there was time for talking tomorrow.

As soon as he opened the door to his cabin, he saw there was a small light inside and he was stunned when he entered the room and saw her. The very same person he was thinking about just mere minutes ago was right there, sitting on a chair at his table with a bottle of rum in front of her.

“Emma?” he asked stunned. “What are you doing here?” making sure the door was closed behind him.

“Couldn’t sleep?” she said taking one more sip from the bottle, her reply coming out more like a question.

Her tone made him think that she was lying and she was there because of something else. “We are no longer in Neverland’s forest and the Lost Boys are far from here, Emma. Why don’t you tell me the real reason?”  

“I’m not lying. I can’t sleep. Probably because I’m too tired to fall asleep,” she said, putting down the bottle with a sigh.

“Is that even possible?” he asked, getting closer to the table.

“It is for me. It’s happened before,” Emma explained.

“So? What can I do to help you?”

“Stay with me? Talk to me?” she asked softly.

“Ah, so I am so boring that just me talking makes you fall asleep?” he said laughing.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she replied, smiling and pointing her hand to the other chair.

Killian took another look at the door before he started to walk toward her. He took off his long coat, threw it on another chair nearby and then sat at the table in front of Emma.

“How is Henry?” he asked, truly wondering about how the boy was feeling, especially after he refused to sleep in this very cabin, just to go and spend time with his mothers.

“Asleep, with Regina close to him,” Emma said with a grimace.

“By your tone, I take it you are not really happy with that?”

“I am; Henry is her son too. I just…,” she said, not being able to finish her sentence, instead taking another sip of rum.

“You wish to spend time with him too,” Killian ended for her, taking the bottle from her hand and taking a sip.

“Yeah.”

“You will get to spend plenty of time with him back in town. He’s safe now,” he said, trying to encourage her, putting a hand on her chin and lifting it up so he could look into her eyes.

“Thank you for everything you did for us.”

“You’ve already said that.”

“Well, I am really thankful,” she said, still looking into his eyes and smiling at him.

Killian opened his mouth again to say something, maybe talk about the new bond between them, when Emma yawned.

“We will arrive in Storybrooke in the morning. Why don’t you try to get some sleep?” he asked, moving his hand to her cheek.

“I don’t even know where to sleep,” she said, tilting her head.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the only place that has one free bed is in my parent’s cabin. And to be honest, I don’t want to sleep with them there.”

“You could sleep here,” Killian suggested, not thinking very much about what he was saying.

“That was the idea, to be honest. That’s actually why I was here,” Emma smiled, her cheeks turning pink.

“Oh,” he said, amazed by the fact that she was there for that.

“But you are here now and I guess you want to sleep so I better let you do it,” she said, preparing to leave.

“Nonsense!” he said, not wanting to let her go. “You sleep here tonight,” he said, and he amazed even himself at the determination in his voice.

“What about you?” she asked.

“I won’t. I’ll go on the deck and do... pirate stuff,” he said. He was tired, yes, but he could sleep on the deck. It wouldn't be the first time, anyway. Besides, she needed her sleep more than he did.

“Pirate stuff?” she asked laughing.

“You know... be sure that we are on the right path, watch the stars, and stuff like that.”

“Watching the stars sounds more romantic than what a normal pirate should do,” she said with a soft smile.

“You can join me anytime to see just how romantic is it,” he said in the same tone.

Without another word, Emma leaned in and pressed her lips to his. He could taste the rum on her lips, combined with the sweet taste he could tell was specific to Emma. He wanted to deepen the kiss, but he couldn’t do that while he was still sitting on a chair on the other side of the table. So breaking the kiss, he rose from his place and went to stand in front of Emma. He looked into her eyes and when she nodded, he put his hand on her cheek and pressed his lips to hers again. Letting out a moan, she rose from her place on the chair and put both of her hands on his hips.

They continued to kiss, his good hand moving from her cheek to her hip while the hook moved to her back. Emma’s hands traveled from his hips to his neck, keeping him in place, moaning. Feeling her cold hands on his neck made Killian let out a deep groan.

“Emma,” he moaned when she moved one of her hands to the uncovered patch of skin onn his chest.

Emma didn’t say anything. She just continued to kiss him, drawing desperate sounds from his mouth at the same time he was drawing moans from hers. Killian pushed her back until she was trapped between his body and the table before lifting her to sit on the surface, parting her legs to make room for him between them. Killian broke the kiss, moving his lips along her jaw to her neck. Emma tipped her head back, making space for his lips on her neck. Emma’s moans, together with her taste, made Killian grow harder in his pants and something deep down told him to stop; to stop before it reached a point where it would be impossible for either one of them to stop.

He broke the kisses to her neck and pulled back; not too far, though, because he stayed between her legs.

“Emma, we need to stop,” Killian said, out of breath.

“No, we don’t,” she leaned back in, her lips ghosting over his.

“I don’t want you to regret this later,” Killian said, keeping his hands on her hips.

“I won’t,” Emma said in a sensual voice and Killian was sure that she used that voice just to drive him mad.

“Are you sure?”

Instead of answering, Emma moved her hands to his shoulders and started to push his coat off, while placing another kiss on his lips. Once his coat finally fell to the ground, Killian started to lift her shirt. He glided his hand and hook along the soft skin of her stomach, his thumb hooking along the fabric and pulling it up as he continued his movement upwards. After Emma’s shirt was off, Emma moved her hands to his own.

“You wear too many clothes,” she said tugging at his shirt.

“I can say the same about you, love,” pressing another kiss on her lips before pulling back. “Although, I like this very much,” he said, tracing a finger along the edge of her bra.

“Get your shirt off while I take my bra off,” she demanded.

“No, no. Allow me,” he said, pulling off his shirt in a single move, and then helping Emma rise to her feet.

He was in his trousers, his chest bare in front of her, while she was in just her bra and jeans. Killian pressed his lips to her neck again as he moved his hand and hook to open her jeans and pull them off. When she was left just in her bra and underwear, Emma pulled away from his lips and started to move her hands along his chest. She traced the muscles there, fingers twining in his chest hair, making him groan at the feeling.

She moved her hand to his trousers and opened them, drawing them down his hips. She glanced up and smirked at him when she found him to be commando and he grinned back at her. She took a look down at his member and hummed.

“See something you like, Emma?” he asked, following her eyes as she studied him.

Instead of answering, she brought his lips down to hers again and kissed him. As she continued to kiss him, sliding her tongue along his, her hand traced down his side and along his hip. He rolled his hips as she teased her fingertips along his skin, drawing them down before finally wrapping her hand around his considerable length.

He found it hard to breath as she continued to touch and tease him, alternating between barely there sweeps of her fingers and long, drawn out glides of her hand. “Emma,” he sighed, moving his lips to her neck and kissing a path to her ear.

“Take my bra and underwear off,” she commanded, letting her head fall to his shoulder.

“As you wish.” He brought his hand up from her hip to the back of her bra, twisting his fingers in the clasp to open it. He nudged the straps down as it loosened before drawing the tip of his hook beneath the fabric of her underwear and ripping it off of her. Killian pulled away from her to look at her.

“You are so beautiful.”

“I don’t want to talk right now.”

“Aye,” he agreed, lifting her up from the table and carrying her to the small bed in the cabin.

When the back of her knees touched the bed she sat down, pulling him down with her. He was now on top of her, on the bed, their skin touching while they continued to kiss. Killian felt like he was going to combust at the sensations that were running through his body in that moment. Having Emma there with him made him feel overwhelmed and happy at the same time. It wasn’t what he had in mind when he went back to his cabin earlier, but he wasn’t one to complain. Not when Emma’s hands were moving along his back and her nails were burying themselves in his hair.

Killian pulled away from her lips and moved his mouth to one breast while his hand was playing with the nipple on the other breast. He sucked on her nipple, making her moan and arch her back. His hand traveled from her breast, down her belly and stopped at her entrance while two of his fingers rubbed at her clit. Emma moaned harder as his fingers were playing with her clit, his movements varying in speed. Emma parted her legs more, suddenly desperate for his touch and pressed her body harder against the bed.

“Don’t stop,” Emma let out a gentle whimper.

Killian’s mouth let go of her nipple, and suddenly his head was replacing his hand on her clit. He started to suck on it, making her let out moan after moan, thrusting herself closer to him, needing the friction. He nibbled and sucked on her clit harder, occasionally flicking his tongue from side to side, making her move wildly against his mouth. Emma pressed both of her hands in his hair, while he wrapped his arms around her thighs and held her tight, pulling her tighter against his face.

“Come on Emma. Lett go, love,” Killian said with a groan.

For Emma, the feel of his mouth on her pussy and his rough voice made her tighten, making her cum harder than she ever did, moaning and gripping the bed sheets.

“Killian,” she gasped as he continued to suck on her clit through the orgasm before running his tongue over her and tasting her.

He slowly came back up to be face to face with her. He was hovering over her, pressing kisses on her neck and her lips, his good hand supporting his weight. Emma put her hands on his cheeks, pressing her lips against his and tasting herself on his tongue. The taste made her moan.

The feeling of his length on her stomach made her insides scream for more. She was trembling under his touch, his kisses over her skin made her head spin, and she just needed him again.  

“I need you in me,” she said between hard breaths.

She looked him in the eyes and then pulled him down to kiss him. One of her hands grabbed his dick and started to moveup and down on it, guiding it closer to her entrance before he slowly slid in. He let out a hard moan as he sank deeper and deeper inside her. He stopped when he was finally fully seated in her and looked down at her.  Emma’s head was tilted back, her eyes closed as she let out little whimpers of pleasure.

“Open your eyes, Emma. Look at me, love,” he said with a trembling voice.

She opened her eyes and expected to be scared of what she saw there, but the fear never came. The look in his eyes was soft but silently asking her if she was ready.

“You can move now,” she whispered.

At first his pace was slow, but as he moved in and out of her, Emma started to need more; to feel him deeper inside of her.

“Harder, Killian,” she said between moans.

Killian lowered his lips to her ear and began murmuring between moans words Emma was sure she wouldn’t remember the next day. She was shivering under him as he rocked against her. His thrusts became faster and rougher as Emma let out stifled cries, trying not to yell too loud, not wanting the rest of the people that were on the ship to hear her and know what they were doing. The room was filled with their moans, deep breaths, and the sound of skin slapping together.

“Yes,” Emma cried through panted breaths as she felt her insides tighten around his cock. She rocked back against him, feeling the oncoming waves building.

“Killian, come,” Emma moaned in his ear.

“Emma” he let out a shaking breath.

“Come with me. Together,” she said again.

He kept rolling his hips, pushing himself rhythmically in and out of her. Emma came hard, her moans muffled by his mouth. Killian’s thrusts became frantic, slamming his cock deeper inside her, his body going rigid and still as he came inside her. His grip on her hips tightened and he let out a growl as the waves of pleasure consumed him too, her name falling from his lips like a prayer. Unlike many other one night stands, this time, Emma felt as though time had stopped completely; like her body was floating on its own thanks to the pleasure that was rolling through her body.

Killian fell on top of her as their orgasms started to fade., The only thing that could be heard around them was their hard pants. Killian put his head on her chest while Emma moved one of her hands into his hair, stroking through the hair at the nape of his neck. He was still inside her and she could feel him starting to soften.

“That was…,” he started to say, but couldn’t finish due to his hard breathing.

“Amazing. Best sex ever,” Emma said smiling.

Killian rose from her chest and looked at her softly.

“Best sex, huh?”

“Fuck. Your ego is too big for things like these.”

“I think you just saw how big my ego was.”

“Huh,” she said bringing his head down to hers and kissing him again, slowly, with more passion than before.

Killian let himself fall back on the bed, both of them letting out sighs when he slipped out of her. Emma moved after him, putting her head on his chest and a hand around him, as Killian put his hand around her shoulders. She wasn’t the type of person to cuddle, normally she hated to cuddle, but something in everything that happened in the last twenty four hours made her want to do it with him. A comfortable silence fell over them as he drew her into his arms, holding her tightly in his embrace. Emma’s fingers played absently with his chest hair as his fingers were playing with her hair.

Emma smiled but said nothing, her eyes slowly falling closed as she laid there in his arms, his lips pressing small kisses in her hair from time to time. That’s how they fell asleep, minutes later.