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morgansmoreid · 3 years ago

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Do You Still Love Me • Derek Morgan • Chapter Nine

Chapter Name: " Reasonable"

Fic Masterlist

Italic writing stands for flashbacks.

Content/Trigger Warnings: Parental Abuse, Drugs Mention, Homophobia

Bold Writing stands for what happened at the station while Y/n was not present

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One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Four.

Y/n's feet clacked against the concrete floor.

Rubbing the palm of her hand against the outline of the pills, Y/n moved along the cars as she slowly walked to the station, this time her mind as empty as an open field.

The station was in her view quicker than anticipated. She pulled open the front door, the bell above it causing everyone who was in ear's views to turn their heads. Scanning each face carefully, relief swayed through Y/n as no face was anyone she dreaded to talk to.

Her relief was cut short as Aaron walked down the hall to her left with the team, her father, and James.

"That was all we needed to know," She heard him say as Aaron shook her father's hand.

James was the first to see her, alerting the rest of the people surrounding him by clearing his throat. Y/n made eye contact with James, her breaking first as her eyes fell to her feet. Thoughts of turning around and sprinting on her heels again popped in Y/n's head, but she ignored them and just looked to the floor.

"Y/n Y/L/N-Fields, please come with us." Emily moved from the center of the group and to Y/n, reaching out her hand to lead Y/n the way of the interrogation room. Y/n took it, keeping her head down as they walked past the group, eyes burning through her back as the pills in her pocket scream her name.

Emily opens the door and lets Y/n take a seat before heading outside again. Everyone is looking at the young female through the one-sided window, their eyes still leaving the same burning gaping hole.

Aaron and David come in, both faces stoic and tense. In hand, Aaron has a yellow pad and a pee cup while David has a blood test. Y/n's eyes grow wide at the objects placed in front of her before she sits up straight and lays her hands on the table.

"You aren't drug testing me." She says, her tone assertive but calm.

"But we are," David replies, looking over to Aaron.

"You understand that this is a federal investigation now? If you comply, these samples will not go on record but will be used for further inference. If you don't, they will go on your job record and you will be on leave effective immediately." Aaron threatened, leaving Y/n no choice.

"I'm clean." She mumbled as she rolled her sleeve for the blood test. Even if she wasn't, it wouldn't show for another 2 days, so it would be negative anyway.

Aaron said nothing as he opened the blood kit and wiped Y/n's inner arm with a sanitary wipe. Y/n winced at the needle entering her arm, the pain lasting as blood filled four tubes. Placing a bandaid on her arm, Aaron disposed of the needle in a different bag before opening the door and handing it to a hand outside.

Y/n may have not seen the person who took the bag, but she saw Derek. He was leaning against the wall across from the door, arms crossed. They made eye contact, this time neither one breaking it, just before the door closed.

"Do you need water?" David's voice pulled Y/n out of her thoughts.

Yes. Her throat was dry and scratchy.

Yes. Water would go well with the pills in her pocket.

"No thank you," Y/n looks up to David. He gives her the look of pity and sorrow and she feels herself hanging on by a thread.

"Come with me then," David holds the look as he turns around, cup in hand, and opens the door for Y/n.

Walking out, Y/n and David turn to the right from the small room while the team and others are on the left. David stands outside of the unisex bathroom as Y/n pees in the given cup. Washing her hands, Y/n stares at herself in the mirror.

Her eyes are red and her arm is now in pain. She feels like she's in one of those bad teenage romcoms, where the main character fucks up her life and in the end, it gets better. She's just waiting for her cue.

The silence lasts in the bathroom as Y/n bags her cup and places it on the small window ledge. She could run right now if she wanted to, but it wouldn't be worth it. Y/n turns on the bathroom faucet again and pulls out the baggie of pills from her pocket. 7 white tablets look at her as she takes one into her hand and shoves the rest back into hiding.

Just before she could bring her hand to her mouth and consume the evil, little miraculous wonder, David knocked on the door causing her to drop the pill in fright. Right into a puddle of "water," the pill went as Y/n hissed at the closed brown door.

"Fuck!" Her words echoed in the small room.

"Y/n? Is everything ok in there?" David's voice is muffled on the other side.

Instead of answering him, Y/n grabs the cup and pushes open the door, slamming the cup into the elder's hand and walking back into the integration room. She passes everyone, this time not bothering to even acknowledge Derek's presence, or his attempt to talk to her.

She slacks down in her seat and waits for the next person to walk through the door. It's Aaron again, with Penelope's laptop and a tape recorder in hand as he carries a file in his armpit.

"Before we start, shall I address you as Fields or Y/L/N?" Aaron precautions.

"Y/L/N, and only Y/L/N," Y/n says, voice cold as ice.

"Ok then, for the record, can you please state your full name, your age, and the year?" The first question leaves Aaron's lips.

"My name is Y/n Y/L/N, I am 29, and it's the year 2008."

Hotch scribbles Y/n's words down and opens the laptop. When he turns it to her, it's already open to a cheer photo from Y/n's sophomore year of high school.

"Please state who you recognize in this photo." Aaron opens the file that was once under his arm.

Eyes read the screen multiple times as the memories resurface in Y/n's head and the names leave her mouth.

"Sabrina Chains, Joanna McCarter, Daisy Miller, Rose Henry, Arianna Anderson, Megan Smith, Daniela Choi, Christina Middleton, and Catarina Paredes."

It's not in order, Sabrina is actually next to Daisy and Joanna is standing next to Daniela, but when Y/n recognized the face, she said the name.

"And who is this?" Aaron hits the right arrow key to move to the next slide. Y/n is horrified by what she sees. It's not another group picture or even a single picture of one of the women, it's a crime scene photo.

It's Arianna's crime scene photo, the only crime Y/n wasn't surrounded by the group for. The hotel room is way messier than others, the behavior completely changed from the last 3. Blood is everywhere, money and jewelry are splattered across the floor and there are no numbers on top of the body or anywhere for that matter. If the other kills weren't personal, this was. Arianna was killed by someone in rage and mixed emotion.

Just how Y/n left the team.

She can only look at the gruesome crime scene for so long until she reaches for the hood of the laptop to shut it off. Aaron is quicker and pulls it out of her sight as he switches to another picture of the crime scene, this time the bathroom.

Two looks and Y/n is ready to throw up. She trained for this, she worked her ass off for the last 5 years on how to keep her composure, yet, she's failing to keep herself together. The bathroom is a mess, clothes are ripped and makeup is smeared on walls, this unsub lost control or this is a new killer. Either way, it's not Y/n and there is no way that the team can possibly deem her that low.

"Please turn it off." Her voice is tense and demanding.

Aaron does shut the laptop and turns it to him. He takes a minute to write down his observations and proceeds with the integration further.

"When you left the Police Station, you were gone for 2 hours and 13 minutes, where did you go?" He asks, writing down the question as he says it.

"James, where is she?" David asks, handing Spencer a miniature Newton's cradle to calm him down.

Everyone looks at James for an answer. After Y/F/N was questioned, he and James were separated for the sake of the case. James was working on a different case file, wrapping it up on the end of the conference table while the team focused on Y/n.

"I'm not positively sure," James lied, rubbing the back of his neck as his handwriting started to get sloppy against the manila folder and its contents inside.

"Well, where do you think?" Derek spoke, his tone snappy and agitated.

After Y/F/N gave up his truth about Y/n's past and her drug problems, Derek was also questioned, not officially, just about how much he knew and what he wasn't letting on. Derek was honest with Hotch and the team, telling them he had no idea about Y/n's problem. Yes, it was true sometimes it intrigued him when they had date night and she never drank anything besides sparkling water, but when she blamed it on "past issues," he assumed it ran in the family.

He assumed because he trusted her.

And she broke that.

"Michael? The guy that Chief Fields couldn't stand? He lived right over here." James gets up and points to the computer screen. Y/n's last coordinates were still up so he dragged his pen across the screen, measuring out the distance for the team as he landed on the only colorful house in satellite view.

"I thought Michael was who introduced her into the drugs in the first place?" Aaron walks over to James.

"It's not really his fault, I've always told Y/n that she could've said no," James responds, becoming silent from everyone's glare at him.

"Saying no isn't easy," Derek mumbles, so low, no one heard him.

No one could say anything as another policeman came into the room frantically about a new body.

Y/n had only been gone 34 minutes at most. There was no way it could be her so quickly, but that didn't stop everyone's thoughts from going to the deep end.

As the team flies into the SUVs, Aaron orders Penelope to keep watch on Y/n's coordinates and dig very thoroughly of the lives of the 9 women, 5 now potential victims.

"Someone has it out for these women, and I wouldn't put it past that Y/n is the glue." He said, tightening his holster.

"I just walked around, took time to clear my head." Y/n lied.

Everyone knew where she was, but Aaron didn't call her out on her false truth and asked the next question.

"When was the last time you purchased any narcotics of the sort, Opioids, Cannabinoids, Hallucinogens, and or Stimulants?" Aaron asked, unsure he wanted to hear the answer himself.

"Last time I was in town, 5 years ago." Y/n lies again.

This time, half of the team is unsure if it's true. James knows deep down it's a lie, but the rest of them don't want to believe it.

So Aaron doesn't push.

"And the last time you consumed any of the narcotics listed before?"

This question, everyone wants the truth, everyone is determined to figure out if they let another team member sink into their addiction before their eyes or if Y/n truly did put her life here behind her.

"As I said, last time I was in town, 5 years ago," Y/n says, her tone changing. It speaks of truth, which tells everyone, even her father that she lied about the last time she bought drugs and where she was, but they don't care about that at this moment.

All they care about is her sobriety, they were still her family after all.

Aaron smiles internally as he writes Y/n's answer on the yellow pad, then ripping the sheet off and sliding it underneath the cardboard. When he does this, the next yellow sheet visible is not blank, it's all of Y/F/N's previous questions. The horrible lights make it hard to see all of them but it still shines bright on the first one.

"What was discipline like as Y/n grew up?" Aaron asks his first question.

The question throws Y/F/N off guard. That had nothing to do with the investigation, what did the FBI want to know about his parenting?

"I believe you were asked a question," David says beside Aaron, arms crossed.

"This has to do what with the investigation?" Y/F/N asked, finally understanding the concept of what he was being asked.

"Agent Hotchner, are you implying that I abused my daughter?" He accused, now not feeling so compliant.

"I didn't say anything to imply, did I, Agent Rossi?" Aaron says loud and clear, bringing the tape recorder to him.

"Not at all, but I think you should repeat it, someone seems confused," Rossi taunted.

"Y/F/N Fields, what was discipline like as Y/n, your daughter grew up?" Aaron demanded an answer.

"Reasonable," Y/F/N said.

"Reasonable how?" Rossi pressed.

"If needed, I taught my daughter wrong from right," Y/F/N replied confidently.

"Did you at any given point in time, use your power as a parent to hit Y/n as a punishment?" Aaron asked bluntly. He hated abusers, it was something about finding pain and taking it out on others that he just could never understand.

"I did. But like I said when it was reasonable." His mouth forms into an undeniable smirk.

Y/F/N's hand went across Y/n's face.

"I said I was sorry!" The girl cried, she was only trying to show her dad an A+ she got.

"You're always sorry, there was no reason for you to knock that down." The angry male pointed to the empty cup on the floor.

Out of excitement, Y/n's elbow hit the plastic cup and knocked it down, but she was backed into the wall before she could pick it up, dropping her graded test midway.

"Reasonable," Y/F/N mumbled to himself.

Anger filled Y/n as her eyes went over the word reasonable.

Never once was Y/F/N reasonable.

Never.

Clenching her fists, Y/n sits up straight and zones back into her conversation with Aaron.

"Can you ask it again?" She says, making straight eye contact.

"Your relations to Daniela Choi?" Aaron asks.

Y/n doesn't know how to reply, she knows Derek is watching so she has to careful with her answer.

"I was-," She gathers her thoughts. "We were pretty close."

It's not a lie. They were close, extremely.

"Who would you say Y/n was closest to?" Aaron asks James.

The team started the investigation from the very beginning, so now everyone was a suspect.

"I've got a funny feeling about that dude, Hotch," Derek says, but his judgment is clouded, he's angry and hurt so to make him feel better, Aaron took James in for questioning.

"Daniela." James's answer is short.

"Why?"

"They dated, for a long time, blew up our whole group," James explains.

"What group?" Aaron flies through the files that he brought in.

Instead of answering, James takes out a picture.

"He's prepared." JJ points out.

The picture is a cheer team, James is nowhere to be found but the first person to catch Aaron's eye is the babyface of Y/n, she in middle, engulfed in a hug by a female with curly mixed hair- Arianna he later finds out. He wants to question why James has this but James continues to talk.

"Not everyone was supportive."

"What?" Rose asked.

"I'm dating Y/n," Daniela said slowly, it was time the two told their friends, the thought of banishment slipping their minds.

"You and Y/n? But your both girls!" Rose exclaimed, as the pastor's daughter, she was raised to what she thought was right.

"So? My mom said it doesn't matter and we both know Y/F/N won't bat an eye." Daniela spoke for both her and Y/n.

"Guys! Help me out here, tell them it's wrong." Rose looked around the booth, empty cups filled the large table as her high pitch voice filled the empty diner.

"How is it wrong?" Caterina scoffed, she could never have the courage to do what Danny and Y/n are doing but she'll stand by them no matter what.

"The bible-" Rose protests.

"For the last time, not all of us live by the damn bible!" James slammed his hand on the teal table before them.

Everyone loved each other, no one cared for anyone's flaws, like Rose's, who always ignored everyone when they try to tell her they don't want to hear bible quotes, or Y/n who always inserts herself into drama.

They were each other's little family and until now nothing has torn them apart.

"I refuse to be around them and their sins," Rose shoved her finger into Y/n's, finally the young girl to stand up.

"And we refuse to be around you." Y/n's tone is cold and tense.

"We all do." Arianna stood up.

"Christina?" Rose looked at the oldest for help.

"You heard them, you can't hate one without hating all of us." She said.

Christina's word was final. If she said someone was out, they were out, no discussion. She just had to say the words.

"Rose, are you staying or leaving?" She asked.

"I'm leaving, my dignity lasts." Rose proudly held her head high.

"Bye then. You longer are allowed to hang out with us." Christina said with much more pride.

The 10 at the table watched the first walk away.

"Not everyone agreed." James rephrased his sentence, fists clenching in anger.

As James told Aaron how the day that Rose left the group went, his fingers dug deeper into his hand, and when he finally let go, crescent marks left their place.

"When you say close, what do you mean?" Aaron wants to hear from Y/n, James is not trustworthy enough right now.

"I had a relationship with Daniela," Y/n admits.

Hearing the words makes Derek turn on his heels and leave the group in the hall. He needs air, he needs to be away from Y/n right now. He told her he was sorry about her friend and she just went with it, in his eyes, she lied to him.

She did the one thing that he always asked not to.

"Derek?" Spencer's voice called from behind him.

"Not now," Derek says, but it's more of a plead. He doesn't want to take his anger out on someone who doesn't deserve it, he wants to take his anger out on Y/n.

Spencer leaves him alone and Derek takes a few minutes to himself. When he heads back to the station, he refuses to join back with the group, he heads back to the table in the conference room and starts working, the way his handwriting fills each paper and picture easing his mind.

As the minutes feel like hours, Y/n's interview is finally done and she feels bare. She hates how much she revealed, she hates how much has been stripped, how her walls came down and she had no say.

She hates most of her answers were lies that found their way into her truth.

But she won't tell them that, they don't need to know.

They don't get to know.

Aaron lets Y/n head to the hotel first, but when she steps outside, it's dark. Her phone is dead and her body is tired, yet her feet take her to the hotel doors, they let her step into the elevator and into her room. Her hands ache but they plug her phone in and they pull her shirt off. Her hands ache but they turn the knobs of the shower and unbutton her pants. Her legs hurt but they step out of the jeans and help her feet kick them to the side. Her body is a temple of pain but as she removes her bra and underwear, as she steps in the shower, as her fingers run over her body and squeeze the soap out of her cloth out, letting it slide down her figure, she finds her self sitting in the middle of her bed, the air silent where she finally lets her self cry.

So many years of bottling up feeling, so many years of trauma, and it took 34 questions to strip her of who she was. Every single question she counted, every single time she felt betrayed, she counted, her life was out there to know, memories she hid taunt her.

A knock on her door pulls her out of her thoughts.

When she gets up, she takes notice of the black shirt she was wearing 24 hours ago. The feeling of Derek's hand run up and down her body in chills as she walks closer to the door.

24 hours ago everything was peaceful.

Now it's a shithole.

Cracking open the door, Y/n is surprised, to say the least. Both people are silent as she opens the door more and lets the person step in.

"Derek-" She tries.

"No. You don't get to talk. It's your turn to listen." He says, meaning every fucking word.

#derek morgan #derek morgan fic #Chocolate Thunder #derek morgan x reader #bau x reader #reader insert #mjmoreid #Criminal Minds #Criminal Minds Fanfiction #criminal minds fic

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agentnico · 3 years ago

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The Suicide Squad (2021) Review

This may be the better of the two, but the first Suicide Squad film will always hold the crown for managing to win an Oscar... somehow.

Plot: The government sends the most dangerous supervillains in the world -- Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Harley Quinn and others -- to the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Armed with high-tech weapons, they trek through the dangerous jungle on a search-and-destroy mission, with only Col. Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave.

“So that’s it, huh? We’re some kind of suicide squad?” says Will Smith in the original first film, with the line in itself being a poor attempt at a fourth wall break, yet, that movie never reached that promise of being a true Suicide Squad film. Because hardly anyone died, and as a whole David Ayer’s film was a generic mess, regardless of studio interference or not. In comes James Gunn from Marvel, who seems to have cracked the code for how to bring this comic book series to live action in proper gratuitous form, with even the ‘The’ in the title symbolizing that this is the one!

I remember going to see the first Guardians of the Galaxy film at the cinema, and back then I was still only just getting acquainted with watching western media, and that included superhero films. Heck my first ever Marvel movie was Thor: The Dark World! I know, what a banger to start with.......NAAAWT!! Anyway, I went to see Guardians and it was one of the first superhero films I came out of feeling like I truly witnessed something special. It had action, comedy and a good heart to it, and wouldn’t you know, my good old pal James Gunn was behind that flick. I don’t know why I called him my good old pal, I don’t even know the fella. Except in my dreams, but we don’t talk about that. So, flashforward to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which I absolutely hated, and for that movie I’m pretty sure Marvel gave Mr Gunn mostly full reigns of creative freedom, as long as he kept it family friendly, and the result was a mess. Hence naturally now I was really sceptical when James Gunn ended up at Warner Bros. following the controversial moment when cancel culture decided to aim it’s slimy fingers at him, as he was given directing and writing duties for this new The Suicide Squad film, and also it was heavily insinuated that Warner Bros. basically told him he could do with the movie whatever the f*** he wanted, excuse my French. And we remember how it panned out last time when James Gunn was given a lot of creative freedom.

Flashforward to present day; here I am wondering and scratching my head thinking what in the heavens has happened, as by golly I am happy to report that The Suicide Squad is a total winner and a blast with a capital B - Blast! Gosh goodness golly goblin, this movie is so much fun from beginning to end. Right from the opening sequence you know that this film isn’t holding back any punches. It’s going at a 447.19 km/h speed of a Koenigsegg Agera RS crashing through any barriers like it’s nothing. Speaking of the opening sequence, it establishes why the movie is called what it’s called from the get-go. You straight away are proven how not a single character is safe, minus the obvious one that we know who it is, as there ain’t no way Warner Bros. would have allowed James Gunn to kill off that one character. But besides that person, everyone else feels like they could die at any given moment. That’s really a big charm of it, as it is frustrating how in many superhero films, let alone any blockbuster action flicks, so many characters always feel so safe and unstoppable, no matter how many times they get shot or how many buildings crash down upon them. And yes, this movie features a certain CGI character that constantly gets that treatment and survives, although it’s very self aware in that regard and is purposefully humoristic. But overall the entire set of characters feel easily disposable, and so so many of them die in such gruesome fashion, so indeed don’t get attached, as they don’t.

Speaking of which, this movie is hardcore gory! You see limbs and intestines flying round left and right, a guy gets ripped in half by a humanoid shark, another’s face gets teared off by a shotgun bullet and so on forth in all kinds of gruesome fashion. Visually this is one for the big screen, as here’s the thing: you’re either a mummy’s boy or you grow some cojones and go see a man’s heart get stabbed with a piece of debris glass in 4K high rate definition! Your choice! Oh, and it’s not just the violence, also the cinematography and the practical set pieces all look incredible. This is easily James Gunn’s best looking movie. The entire think LOOKS incredible!

We also have to talk about the cast, as they are all great! There literally isn’t a single weakling among them. Each one, no matter how big or small their role is, brings something to the table. I can’t talk about all of them, as we’d be here all day, so I’m simply going to mention a few of the stand-outs. Idris Elba comes in to replace Will Smith as a character called Bloodsport, who is in some ways a different character but evidently is a replacement of Smith’s. But that’s no bad thing, as with any ensemble movie you still need a main character to latch onto and have an emotional hook towards, and he is that character. In fact, I’d say he’s arguably better than Will Smith in the last movie, or at least he seems to be having more fun here. He works as a solid leading man, however what works even more is his banterous competitive genital-size-measuring back and forth with John Cena’s Peacemaker, who by the way is awesome as that character. He is not a good character, in fact he is as bad as a bad guy can get, especially cause he’s someone who believes that what he is doing is right, making him much more of a dangerous wild card. This is easily John Cena’s best role, with him adding to the comedy one-liners, but also delivering such an interesting character who I’m looking forward to seeing more of in his standalone spin-off show confirmed for next year. Oh, and he wears a toilet helmet on his head which he defines as “a beacon of freedom” which says it all. We also have returning characters from the last film Joel Kinnaman and Viola Davis as Rick Flag and Amanda Waller respectively, and both are given much more room to stretch their talents and spread their beautiful acting wings like the Hollywood angels that they are. Kinnaman’s Rick Flag is the moral compass of the group, as even though Elba is our main guy, he’s nonetheless a villain still, whilst Flag is a genuinely good guy and what is defined as a true American hero, to which Kinnaman fits the part well. And Viola Davis as Amanda Waller is on an absolutely different level. You can tell she’s an Academy Award winner through and through, as she plays such a serious character in an otherwise goofy movie, and so her presence is felt and it is felt BAD! She’s such a despicable yet intimidating personality and she gravitates all of the screen presence to herself. Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn, and she gets even more chance to develop this character that she’s played in multiple DCEU films now, and as per usual the Harley Quinn shtick works well for her, though I do kind of wish she didn’t always get all the attention. Look, I think she’s a fun character and Robbie plays her well, however she’s constantly used to overshadow others in these films which I don’t think is too fair, and its evident as ever in this film too. Anyway, the remainder of the cast including Jay Courtney as Captain Boomerang, David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, Michael Rooker as Savant, Nathan Fillion as TDK, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2 (who gave me strong A Plague Tale: Innocence vibes) and many more all play villains, but villains that don’t have particularly great superpowers. This is where the tragedy of Task Force X as a team plays a part, as many of these villains aren’t even good at being villains. They are useless, and the movie is really self aware of this and so treats all characters as they should be. Dare I also not forget to mention the CGI characters in this film, with both Weasel and King Shark being absolute scene stealers!

The Suicide Squad is the type of wham-bam-thank-you-mam batshit crazy entertainment which exists for the pure reasons of fun. It doesn’t set out to be the best superhero film ever, nor does it need to be. It’s an exhilarating, shocking, funny and amusing ride from beginning to end, with the energy never stopping, and is easily the best time I’ve had with a comic-book film in a long while, and I’m even talking about before COVID! Do yourself a favour and watch this one as soon as you can, as I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - The Suicide Squad is a BLAST!!

Overall score: 9/10

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theyreonlynoodlesmike · 4 years ago

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Oh, Loverboy: Part 7 (everyone x everyone, Star x Fem!Reader Centric)

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Warnings: roasting Michael, slight angst, anxiety, vampire lore, canon divergence begins here folks, Michael canonically acts like a total dick in this scene so-

Word Count: 1.8k

"And don't tell me it doesn't make her a bad person, Mike!" The little boy yelled as he cowered under his covers. You stood there, staring at the brunette. The tension was thick, and all the adoration and kindness he'd held for you had left. You could see the apprehension in his eyes, and the anger mingling within it.

"Why did you let David take me there tonight, y/n?" He said, and you clicked your jaw. You could've guessed he would've been upset, but you didn't expect him to shift some of the blame onto you. It wasn’t like you had wanted to show him. And what other choice did you have? Cause a scene by arguing with David? Let him go without you?

"Who's David?" The little boy interrupted, and you shot him a look. One that made him clam his lips together and hide his face from you. Your eyes turned back to Michael, and you moved your fingers. You were trying to think of a way to explain, a way to ease the tension. The only thing you could think to say was,

"You wanted to go with them, Michael. What- What was I supposed to say?" But you were interrupted again, and you smelled her before you even heard her voice. You turned your head, just a fraction of a second before her voice rang out,

"Michael! Y/N!" And you swore under your breath. Part of you wondered if she even knew what had happened, but that didn't stop you from turning and hanging your head out the window. She stared up at you, worry clear in her eyes. "I have to talk to you and Michael! Can I come up?" She asked and you sighed. This is why you wanted them to turn. If she was fully one of you, she wouldn't be so out of the loop. But you pushed that argument off for another day and waved her up.

It only took her a second, and, by the time you'd turned around, she was by your side. You reached for her hand, holding it tight. It felt good to have her next to you, to have her hand in yours. Especially when Michael was going to be this way. Even if she might agree with him more than you liked.

"You know where they took me tonight. Don't you, Star?" Michael said, and you felt Star give your hand a squeeze before she was stepping closer. You didn't like that he was targeting her and you moved with her, just a step behind.

"Yes. It's my fault. If you hadn't met me, if I hadn't liked you." And you made a small noise and reached for her waist. It wasn't her fault, but you knew Star had a tendency to blame herself. To let others walk all over her. It wasn't like Michael hadn't followed you around the entire boardwalk. She turned to give you a look, and you didn't say a word. You turned your eyes back to Michael, and she continued, "We tried to warn you." She said, and that part was true. You'd tried to get David to let him leave, to let him go home. Star had even told him that it was blood.

"It was that night at the cave, wasn't it? That wasn't wine they gave me to drink. It was blood." And you gave him a look. It seemed he'd finally pieced it together. Took long enough, you thought. "It was David's blood." You were half tempted to correct him, to speak of your sire, but an earlier command made you bite your tongue. And the kid shrieked,

"You drank somebody's blood? Are you crazy?" And you nearly wanted to give the kid something to scream about. Still, Michael had seen that you'd wanted to speak, and he stared at you. You were too busy looking at the girl besides you, who's eyes had cast down to the floor. You saw the look in her eyes, the regret on her face. You could already imagine what she must've been telling herself.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" He snarked, his eyes trained on you. And that was it. Any resolve you had snapped. Your eyes flicked to him and you took a step forward, passing the girl next to you.

"I know you're upset. I know you're hungry. I know you want someone to chew on." Your words were hard and heavy. Heavy enough to even silence the boy cowering in the corner, and especially the boy standing in front of you. Michael watched you come closer, seeming to lose a little bit of his hot air as you came closer. As if he was remembering what you'd done less than an hour before. You took a step with end of your words, until you were only a few inches from him. "But, it's not gonna be me, and it's not gonna be Star. Got that, loverboy? You followed us the first night, you came with us to the cave, and you drank from the bottle." You punctuated your words with a hard jab to his chest each time, your eyes flickering yellow as you stared into his baby blues. "We're not the ones that tricked you, and we're not the ones that have been hazing you. I went there tonight to watch out for you and I came here to make sure you were okay, because I care about you and so does Star." You gestured to yourself and then to the girl behind you. "So, cut the attitude or you're on your own, loverboy. And trust me, our kind doesn't last long by themselves." The threat lingered in the air, and you watched as Michael clicked his jaw. He smiled for a moment, before looking away and lightly shaking his head. But he exchanged whatever smart remark he had for,

"So, what? I'm just like you and David now?" He asked, and you frowned. His voice had cracked, and his face had changed. A sliver of fear, of distraught, had poked through. You didn't like how he said it. How he seemed to think that this was a bad thing. You looked away for a moment, and Star spoke up behind you,

"No, you're not. You're like Laddie and me. We're not like them until-" But it seemed the kid had no problem cutting off Star.

"Until you make your first kill!" And the three of you were silent. Michael stared at the both of you, but you could feel the weight of his eyes gravitate towards you. You'd never felt like the odd man out before. You had your place, you belonged to the coven. But, now? Surrounded by humans and halfs? You gulped and shifted your feet. You felt Stars hand slide into yours, and you tightened your fingers around her. Michaels voice shook as he asked,

"Why didn't you two kill me last night?" And you stared at him. You were almost shocked that he'd even asked, and the words were leaving your mouth before you could even think about them.

"Because you're one of us, Michael. We would never let anything happen to you." And Michael laughed, like what you said had to be a joke. But it was the truth. Even if the boys hazed him, Michael was one of you. And covens protected their own. You frowned, your eyes quick to turn into a glare. Before you could snap at him again, he said,

"One of you? Why am I even one of you? Why didn't you kill me the first night?" You paused. You had to admit, that was a good question. It was something you'd started to wonder yourself. You looked over at Star. Her mouth opened, but she hesitated. As if she didn't know what to say. And, as you watched the water pool in her eyes, you decided to break a rule. One that you were sure that would bite you later on.

"I think- I think it had to do with my dad." You started, and you watched as confusion took over Michaels features. He seemed to forget all about that awkward first meeting, and you didn't necessarily blame him. After the feeding, you were sure he wasn't thinking about much else. "He- The boys don't just turn anyone. It's a big, big, decision. Usually. But they," You trailed off. You remembered that night, how you'd gotten a bad feeling. You were starting to feel the same one now. "David talked to my dad that night. They told me to go inside. I thought it was just- y'know, coven stuff. But-" Your eyes were flicking between different spots on Michaels chest, before they flicked up to his eyes. His clear, baby blue eyes. A thought occurred to you then. A thought that made the bad feeling crawl into your throat, as if to stop whatever words were threatening to spill out. "I think my dad told David to turn you."

"Your dad?" Star asked, in just a whisper, but you didn't pay her any mind more than a simple nod. You were trying to piece this together, trying to find an explanation.

"Max." You said emptily into the open air, and the word stung your tongue. Of course, Star knew. She had to. She knew what you were, she had to know what your dad was. Even if he'd tried to keep it from her as long as possible. And Michael knew. He'd met him. So why did it feel like you were disobeying him?

"But he passed the test!" Sam exclaimed, and you turned your eyes towards him then. He'd been so quiet that you'd forgot that he was there. Your own eyes filled with confusion. Test? He seemed to shrink away from your gaze as you finally put together what he'd been saying. How he knew the things he did. He'd known you were one of "them", known about the first kill, and now he was testing your dad? You realized then that you were staring into the face of a baby hunter, and your hand gripped Stars tighter as panic spiked up your spine.

"What tests? What tests, Sam?" Michael asked his brother, and you watched as the little boy pushed himself up. You nearly shrunk back, stepping towards the wall. Blocking the girl next to you half-way from view. The urge to flee filled you as the little boy, now known as Sam, rattled off a series of tests,

"Garlic, water- He even had a reflection!" And you scoffed impulsively. Garlic didn't even work, regular water didn't burn, but a reflection? While that was tricky, it was an easy fix. Before you could stop yourself, you said,

"Well, someone invited him in." And you realized a moment too late that maybe you shouldn't have said that.

#the lost boys #the lost boys 1987 #star the lost boys #the lost boys star #sam the lost boys #the lost boys sam #michael the lost boys #the lost boys michael

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tcm · 4 years ago

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Interview with Richard Benjamin on Making Comedy Look Easy in MY FAVORITE YEAR (’82) By Donald Leibenson

To hear Richard Benjamin tell it, MY FAVORITE YEAR was a charmed production. For his first film as a director, he had been looking for a comedy (“I’m just kind of bent that way,” he jokes) and the stars aligned to bring him a script that, he says, was everything he knew. He had Mel Brooks as the film’s guardian angel. He had a bona-fide movie star that his wife, Paula Prentiss, recommended after another actor regretfully declined the film’s plum role. And he heeded Carl Reiner, who gave him succinct advice about making a comedy: “Get funny people.”

Which he did. The film is character actor heaven, with Joseph Bologna, Anne de Salvo, Selma Diamond, Adolph Green, Basil Hoffman, Lainie Kazan and Bill Macy.

MY FAVORITE YEAR is set in the mid-1950s when television was live and comedy was king. Mark Linn-Baker stars as Benjy Stone, a young comedy writer on a variety show reminiscent of Your Show of Shows, where he ardently pursues the show’s not-amused production assistant (Jessica Harper). During one life-changing week, he is assigned to chaperone the show’s guest star, his idol, former swashbuckling screen hero, Alan Swann (Peter O’Toole in an Oscar-nominated performance), who has a penchant for drink, womanizing and otherwise behaving badly.

Benjamin spoke with TCM about casting O’Toole, trying to pin down Mel Brooks and why you should never end a comedy in a graveyard.

To quote Alan Swann’s great line, dying is easy, comedy is hard. With MY FAVORITE YEAR, you make it look so easy. How did the project come to you?

Paula and I were in New York. My agent, David Gersh, sent the script by Norman [Steinberg] and Dennis [Palumbo, credited as co-writer due to the Screen Writers Guild arbitration]. I remember reading it in the hotel room and as I finished, I said, ‘This is everything I know.’ I was in high school when Your Show of Shows was on. I would get on the phone with my friend Shelley Berger, who I am still close to, and we would do all these routines they had done on the show on Saturday night. I grew up loving Errol Flynn and those swashbuckling movies. I had also worked at 30 Rockefeller Plaza [the film’s setting] as an NBC page and guide, and I knew every inch of that place. [The script] was right up my alley, as they say.

Brooksfilms produced the film, and Mel Brooks was a writer on Your Show of Shows. Did he serve as the film’s guardian angel or offer any input?

Guardian angel’s good. He kept saying he would give Norman and I two full days to sit down and go over the script to see if we could make it even funnier. The truth of the matter is that the script didn’t need much of anything, but he promised that. Trying to get Mel to stop moving is a feat. We went to his house, and he invited us in and then said he was going out. He said he had to walk the dog. Then he comes back, and he said he had to go, that there was a crisis at Fox. I said, ‘No there’s not,’ and he said, ‘Well, there could be.’ So, what he ended up giving us was two hours, but it was a great two hours. And the next thing you know, he was gone.

But Norman and I came up with one of the best jokes in the movie while we were standing in his driveway watching him drive away. It’s the one where Swann falls off the roof and plummets past the two elitist guys. And one says, ‘I think Alan Swann’s beneath us,’ and the other guy says, ‘Of course he’s beneath us, he’s an actor.’

I cannot imagine anyone but Peter O’Toole as Alan Swann. Was he the first choice?

Albert Finney had been offered the role, but he had not committed. He was up in Sausalito making SHOOT THE MOON [’82]. They told me I had to go up there and convince him to do the film; otherwise they couldn’t make the movie. The list of people M-G-M would go with was very short, because who are you going to believe with a sword in their hands? So, I’m on this mission, because if he says yes, I’m going to get to make a movie. We arranged to have lunch together. He’s completely charming. I get ready to ask the question – which could change my life, by the way: ‘Will you do it?’ He said, ‘Well…,’ and I could tell it was going to be a no. He thought the script was really good, but he had done two or three movies in a row and he said he wanted to get back to the theater. Then he said to me, ‘Why don’t you get O’Toole?’ He said, ‘We do this all the time. I turn something down, he does it, he turns something down, I do it.’ When I got back home, Paula who had made WHAT’S NEW PUSSYCAT? [’65] with Peter, said, ‘Get Peter. He is perfect for this.’ Finney said it, Paula said it. And I asked [co-producer] Michael Gruskoff if M-G-M would make the film with O’Toole, and Michael said yes.

What was the meeting with Peter like?

(Laughs) That meeting! That meeting was quite something. First of all, we couldn’t find him. We could tell we had the right person because the behavior was just like the character. He had a farm in Ireland with no phone. You had to call this pub to get a message to him. I called the pub and they said Peter wasn’t there. His agent didn’t know where he was. I called his manager and said, ‘We’re trying to find your client.’ He said, ‘He’s at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. He’s been here for a week.’

So, I’m actually talking to Peter O’Toole, and he said he had heard about the project and to send him a script and we would get together the next day. I go over and there he is in a beautiful suite wearing a smoking jacket; he is the character. He said, ‘Here’s the thing…’ and I thought, ‘Here we go again.’ He said he liked it very much, but he hadn’t read the last ten pages and to please indulge him and he would call tomorrow. The next day, on the dot, he called and he said to turn to the last page of the script.

Now, in the original script, there’s a scene which I shot that would have played after what’s in the movie. It took place in a Hollywood cemetery, and Benjy is walking past the gravestones. He says in voiceover that Alan Swann made him promise he would do something on his birthday every year. Alan has passed away, and Benjy comes to his grave, kneels down and pours a bottle of Courvoisier over the tombstone. That’s what’s on the last page. Peter asked me to read the date that was on the tombstone. It was Aug. 2. He said, ‘Aug. 2 is my birthday; did you know that?’ I asked Norman if he knew that, and Norman said no, he had made it up. And Peter says, ‘Therefore, I must do the film.’

What happened to that scene?

I was terribly reluctant to take that out because Peter did the movie because of it. But people at M-G-M said I couldn’t end a comedy in a cemetery. We had two audience screenings, one with that ending and one without it. In the screening with it, the audience enjoyed the picture, but the scene put a pall over things. Then we had the screening without it and the audience was very enthusiastic and very up as they came out.

How did you find Mark Linn-Baker?

Our casting director Ellen Chenoweth said the first person to get was Mark Linn-Baker. Mark came in and read and was terrific. I said, ‘This is my first movie, I can’t cast the first person who walks in here.’ I saw maybe 25 to 35 more—some really good people—but she was right, so after all of that, I said to get him.

Peter and Mark had great chemistry.

They seemed to hit it off right away, but later, back in L.A. after we shot the long scene on the roof, which played like a mini-farce, Peter came up to me and said, ‘I like the lad, you cast him well.’

Was Peter game for the physical stunts?

I couldn’t stop him from doing them! The bathroom scene required him to fall headfirst into the wall. I came to him before we shot and I said, ‘The camera is so close, I can’t pad this wall.’ He said, ‘I was brought up in music hall. I can do this all day. Don’t concern yourself.’

Director Howard Hawks once said that a good movie was three or four good scenes and no bad scenes. I lose count watching MY FAVORITE YEAR of how many great scenes there are in it. Between those driven by comic banter, the TV sketches, the physical comedy scenes, the quieter romantic scenes and even the dramatic confrontations, did you have a favorite type to direct?

I can’t say there was a favorite. It’s all of a piece. I will tell you that one of the scenes I like is in the Stork Club and getting to do something that reminded me of all these kinds of wonderful comic movies I loved growing up. I do remember that one of the first things we shot was the scene in Central Park where Alan Swann mounts the horse. It just seemed to lack energy. And I was thinking, ‘I have to go tell Peter O’Toole that he has to pick up the pace and it has to be lighter.’ I went up to him and said, ‘It’s good, but…’ and before I could finish, he said, ‘You want it faster and funnier.’ I said, ‘You’ve got it,’ and he said, ‘And you shall have it.’ And I thought, ‘This directing thing is not so hard.’ (laughs)

Were there directors you worked with as an actor who particularly inspired you when you became a director? For example, you worked with one of the best, Mike Nichols.

Mike, yes. He directed me in the national company of Barefoot in the Park and [the film] CATCH-22 [’70]. Mike’s thing was he’d come up to you very quietly and say, ‘Just like in real life.’ That was his main thing. It meant that there should be no ‘acting’ here; your character responds to situations as they would in life. It’s like what [critic] Walter Kerr once said about Neil Simon’s jokes: They have the truth in them. This is what funny people know: You can’t try to get a laugh, because you won’t get it.

At one point, Alan Swann says that doing the TV show was the most fun and the hardest work since the world was young. Was that what making MY FAVORITE YEAR was like for you?

It was the most fun, there’s no question of that. It was a magical experience because of the screenplay and everyone involved. Everyone’s game came up because of Peter. You don’t need many takes with him, that’s for sure. But how all of this came about and got to the point where I would be offered this, and what has to happen in your life to come to that moment – you can’t make it up. And when that moment comes, you’re hopefully ready. I was really fortunate.

#Interview #Richard Benjamin #peter o'toole #Mel Brooks #comedy #old hollywood #new hollywood #cinema #Donald Leibenson

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ingravinoveritas · 2 years ago

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<3 all ur d&m pics that show them as a couple. how many ppl who say that get as much stupid mail as u do? probably not many which sux. u say what everybody sees and then ppl get butthurt.

Aww thank you, Anon! I appreciate this so much. Yes, I have definitely had more than my share of stupid/hate mail (which you can see in my #the fact that i even gotta respond to this and #fandom woes tags) over the past few years. And it seems like every few months, a thread pops up on Twitter of people bashing RPF or anyone who talks about the possibility of Michael and David as a couple. I saw one such thread last night (not linking to it, cause it's not worth it), but I was struck by how...pointless...it seemed.

Because what I see--overwhelmingly--more than threads like that is comments like the Pinterest ones I've recently highlighted. Sometimes I see comments that are from as far back as four years ago, but I've seen a lot more newer comments, too. So the people who waste their time railing against RPF/shipping Michael and David seem willfully ignorant of the fact that a) A lot more people either don't care anymore because it's not a big deal/we have bigger issues to contend with; and b) Michael and David ship themselves with each other more than anyone else ever could.

It is interesting to me, what you said about this being something everyone sees. If that is the case, I do have to wonder why there is such an issue with me saying it out loud. Michael and David are over here calling each other their "other partner," "other wife," "lover," "emotional support pet" and so on and that's somehow fine, but then I get attacked for pointing out the possibility that maybe--maybe--they might not be joking. Or are telling the truth in the guise of a joke. And what really grates my cheese is that I've always said that I am more than open to the idea that Michael and David are just friends and nothing has happened between them...yet the anti-shipping crowd won't even consider the idea that something has, or that they could be more than friends.

I also think it's noteworthy that there truly are countless pictures of Michael and David looking like a couple. Not only from the GO press tour, and not only from 2019, but consistently over the past four years. Even when they're not in the same room, that 'vibe' is always present (such as on TLL, when Michael straight up bought David on national television and said he was going to keep him in his basement). And that's what I see people commenting on--casual fans who (for any number of reasons) more often than not pair Michael with David (and vice-versa) instead of their own partners.

So yes, it has been frustrating to see people getting butthurt (that Twitter thread from last night got under my skin somewhat because I was just starting to write a new MS/DT fic, and it felt like someone throwing a wet blanket on my ideas). But as I've said before, I would much rather people come for me than another person who would be far more affected/devastated by it. I will always talk honestly about the things I see and the observations I make, and I'm happy that my blog has become a place for people to safely share their thoughts, too.

Hopefully the discourse will improve some when GO 2 comes out (and if/when there is a press tour) and we get to see Michael and David together again. In the meantime, I'm so glad to have received your message, Anon. Thanks for writing in! x

#anonymous #reply post #michael sheen #welsh seduction machine #david tennant #soft scottish hipster gigolo #fandom woes #i'd rather look like a 'bad' fan and talk about the reality of the situation #than look like a 'good' fan by ignoring it #michael ships himself with david more than anyone else ever could #the fact that there are countless examples by now should be enough to make people stop attacking shippers #and yet #good omens rpf #ineffable lovers #discourse

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poge-life · 4 years ago

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The Cut } Finn Shelby chap. 1

introduction prologue chapter 2

Never in a million years did anyone think Tommy Shelby, notorious gang leader, would be getting married. But here Penelope was, getting ready with Willow, Lizzie Stark, Ada Thorne, Polly Grey, and her mother.

"Willow, I swear if you pull my hair one more time, I'll cut you." Penelope threatened as her best friend was doing her hair.

The four older women let out a laugh at the two girls, used to their threats. Penelope and Willow had met after the boys came home from the war and had been best friends' sense; along with Finn and Isaiah. You never saw one without the other these days.

"I wouldn't have to pull so hard if you actually brushed your hair everyday." Willow defended, tugging on the blonde's hair again.

"Willow!" Penelope groaned, moving her head away from the girl. Audrey let out a chuckle, moving to stand behind her daughter, "Alright, Willow finish getting dressed. I'll do her hair."

Willow gave a final tug on Penelope's hair, quickly moving out of the way to avoid getting hit by her best friend. Audrey had gently brushed through Penelope's hair before pinning the front pieces back and bringing them together with a braid in the back. Audrey added a few hair pieces that Grace had loaned them and placed a kiss on top of her daughter's head.

Penelope looked at her mom in the mirror as Audrey wrapped her arms around her shoulders, "Had Finn seen your dress yet?"

Penelope let a smile make its way across her face at the mention of the red-haired boy. Her and the youngest Shelby were 6 months apart, the latter being older. They were thick as thieves growing up; as John and James went to school together and Tommy and Camden being the same age. Finn took pride in the fact Penelope chose him. Out of all the boys in Birmingham, she chose him.

"Not yet," She replied, "I've managed to hide it from him."

"I know he'll be speechless when he sees you." Audrey smiled at her daughter.

Audrey absolutely loved her daughter and Finn being together. Everyone often joked that Audrey preferred Finn over Penelope and Audrey has yet to deny it.

It was no secret to anyone that Penelope was Audrey and David's pride and joy. But that didn't mean they loved James and Camden any less. They knew it was because she was their little girl. Penelope got her mothers looks and her fathers brains. A dangerous combination. Penelope was often used as bait to get men to pay the money they owed her father and the Shelby's. She knew her father nor Tommy would let any guy touch her. And if they did, the would have to deal with not only her father, but her brothers and the Peaky Blinders as well.

A knock sounded throughout the room and Lizzie moved to answer the door, "Audrey. It's David and your sons."

Audrey motioned for them to be let in and Lizzie moved off to the side as they entered. David was followed by James and Camden as they greeted each lady with a kiss on the cheek before making their way to Audrey and Penelope.

"I do believe I am the luckiest man in the world." David smiled, wrapping his arms around his wife as Penelope turned to face her parents.

The Longfield siblings idolized their parents and the love they had for each other. Audrey and David met when Audrey's family moved from London to Small Heath and David had been the one to show her around the little town. Most women were expected to leave their jobs when they fell pregnant but not hers. David respected his wife. Treated her as an equal and higher. With him having many flourishing businesses, he stayed home for a while after Audrey went back to work after every child was born and he would stay home for as long as Audrey needed.

"We had to pay Isaiah and Michael to keep Finn away from here." James laughed, taking a seat next to Polly on the couch, sending her a cheeky smile as he wrapped his arm around her, "Boy is nearly going mental without you."

"They're in love," Polly smiled, nudging the blonde, "Leave them be."

"Besides, this is the longest they've been away from each other since they were born." Ada added as Polly and Audrey agreed.

"Oh come off it." Penelope groaned, walking over to the divider where her dress was. She signaled for Willow to come help her, as she wouldn't be able to do the buttons on her dress.

"I think it's adorable how much you two love each other." Willow smiled, nudging her best friend as she helped Penelope into her dress. The dress she would be wearing was from her mothers collection that wasn't out yet and Penelope was in love with it.

It was a velvet green dress that fell to just under her knees. It had a pink flower sheer lace over the entire dress and had slits filled in with green lace all around the dress and she paired it with white heels.

Willow and all the ladies were wearing something made by Audrey. Grace had even come to Audrey about making her wedding dress and Penelope was excited to see what her mother had come up with.

Despite everything that Grace had done to the Shelby family a few years back, they had all learned that Grace was pregnant and it was Tommy's. And two years later, Charles Michael Shelby was born and he was a beautiful little boy.

Willow helped Penelope fix her hair and her jewelry before they stepped out from behind the divider. The room had gone quiet, causing Penelope to look down at the ground.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, Penny." Lizzie smiled causing Penelope to lift her head. The other ladies agreed as David made his way over to the blonde, "Absolutely stunning, my shiny Penny."

David pulled Penelope into him as she wrapped her arms around her father. David Longfield was an exceptional man and an amazing father. He always gave to those who weren't as fortunate, offered hot meals and a place to stay for anyone who needed it. He played the father figure to the Shelby's after their father took off and David considered them his honorary kids. He was there when the three eldest Shelby boys and his boys were drafted for war and he was there to help them all find their way out of the dark.

"Alright," Audrey clapped, "the wedding starts in 15 minutes so we need to leave."

David placed a kiss on Penelope's head, pulling away from her as Penelope linked arms with Willow and Ada, making their way out of the room.

"I can tell you're nervous and there's nothing to be nervous about," Ada spoke, "Finn absolutely loves you. You could be wearing a sack and he'd still think you look stunning."

Penelope felt her face heat up at the older girls words. It was no secret to anyone on how much the two teenagers cared for each other. Even at a young age, the two were head over heels for each other. Penelope had made the first move, considering Finn was shy, but he was slowly breaking out of his shell.

They made quick small talk as they made their way to the front of Tommy's house, where the rest of the family was. Willow sent Penelope a wink and a smile before making her way over to her brother and father. Ada gave her arm a squeeze before making her way towards her brothers, turning Finn around to face his girlfriend.

Penelope took small steps as Finn did the same. He moved some hair out of her face, placing his hand on the side of her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheek, "You look...wow. You are so gorgeous."

Penelope let her eyes trail over his figure; he was wearing a dark brown suit under his coat with his peaky cap in his pocket. He had a red flower pinned to his lapel and she noticed he left his hair natural, his wild red curls were styled up with some gel, "You clean up well, Mr Shelby."

Finn smiled before leaning down to place a kiss on her lips. They pulled away with a smile and Penelope noticed the nervous look on his face, "What's wrong?"

Finn looked over her shoulder before looking back at her, "Your dad 'nd brothers have been watchin' me since I walked over 'ere."

Penelope groaned before turning around to throw a glare at her brothers, causing them and her father to walk over to the couple, "Any reason why you lot are terrifying my boyfriend?"

Camden shrugged, throwing his arm around Finn's shoulders, "Just making sure Finny Boy is being a gentleman."

Everyone knew Finn was terrified of Penelope's dad and brothers. Hell, so were the Shelby boys, well, they were scared of her father. Tommy looked up to David, as did his brothers. He had a beautiful wife, three wonderful children, and many successful businesses.

"Please," Penelope scoffed, glaring at her oldest brother, "You know Finn's a gentlemen."

Finn was the favorite Shelby, besides Ada, to the Longfield's. He was innocent compared to his brothers. He hadn't seen the troubles of war and he hadn't killed anyone. He always, well most of the time, used his manners and treated Audrey and Penelope with respect. But, there was a part of Finn that wished he could be like his brothers. Yes, he got respect only because of his last name but his brothers got respect because of the type of men they were.

"He better," James smirked, "because he knows what'll happen if he isn't."

Finn paled at his words and looked at Penelope, who elbowed her brother in the stomach, causing him to double-over, before looking over at her father, who was looking quite amused at his children. David chuckled before grabbing both of his sons, "Alright. Leave your sister alone. She can handle it."

Penelope stepped forward to straighten Finn's coat before pulling him down so she could kiss him. She pulled away when she realized he was stiff and shook her head, "At least act like you like me, Finn."

He placed a kiss on her forehead before offering her his arm. He led them over to the rest of the group before they all made their way to the church. Tommy and Arthur were already at the end of the aisle and Penelope smiled at the content look on Tommy's face. The same couldn't be said about Arthur's.

Penelope noticed the many red coats on Grace's side of the church and she quickly looked for her brother's and John. John, James, Camden, Arthur, and Tommy all held the same distaste for the red coats. When they went off to war, they were to dig tunnels to get into the enemies camp. The tunnels had collapsed and they waited for three days for the Calvary. For three days, they suffered in the dark, only with each other, waiting for the bloody red coats to help them.

Penelope made eye contact with her mother and motioned to the left side of the church, causing Audrey to look over before whispering to her husband. David looked around for his two kids before quickly grabbing them before they could leave the church.

Finn and Penelope made their way through the pew and Penelope stopped in her tracks when she noticed she would be sitting next to Linda. Arthur's very religious wife. She turned to look at Finn, who just sent her a cheeky smile. She quickly elbowed him before sitting next to her. Her parents were behind them with Isaiah, Willow, and her brothers sitting next to them.

Penelope put a little bit of space between her and Linda, sending her a smile. It's not that Penelope didn't like Linda, it's just that Linda had a very...strong opinion about the Shelby and Longfield's lifestyle. Yes, David's businesses were 100% legal but he did start sending some of his whiskey out with Tommy's when they did business with Alfie Soloman's. And Linda had a very strong opinion about all of it.

John and Esme were sat with one of their kids next to Finn with Ada, Karl, and Michael at the end. John was staring at the red coats and Finn was mouthing off to them. Penelope rolled her eyes and turned to look at her brothers who were in the same state as John.

She turned her attention back to Grace's side of the church and narrowed her eyes at the blonde who was making heart eyes at Finn. Penelope put her hand on his jaw, turning him to look at her before she pulled him into a deep kiss.

They pulled away after a bit and Penelope wiped her lipstick off his lips as Finn stared at her. She heard her mother and Polly chuckle at her action as Isaiah and Willow let out loud laughs, no doubt noticing the blonde staring at Finn.

"What was that about," Finn asked, "Not that I'm upset about it."

Penelope pecked his lips before smiling, "Just letting them know neither of us are available."

Finn smirked at his girlfriend before setting his hand on her thigh. Jeremiah, Isaiah and Willow's father, made his way up to where Tommy and Arthur were and she noticed how appalled Grace's family looked.

Her and Finn turned to look at their best friends, knowing that was something that they dealt with more than they liked. The twins sent the couple a reassuring look, letting them know they were okay.

Penelope met Isaiah and Willow after her brothers came home from the war. Audrey, Polly, and David had thrown a dinner for the return of their families. Finn had dragged Penelope with him to introduce her to his new friends; the four being inseparable since.

The Wedding March played throughout the church as all the guests stood up. Grace was wearing a beautiful purple silk dress with a dark purple veil that went over her head. She looked absolutely stunning. Audrey really out did herself.

"Here comes the fucking calvary. Late as usual." John mumbled, causing Penelope to bury her mouth on Finn's shoulder to hide her laughs. Penelope had smiled at the sight of Tommy and Grace and she wondered if that's how her and Finn looked at each other.

The ceremony was beautiful and none of them cared at the looks they received from Grace's family at the loud cheers they let out as Tommy and Grace kissed.

They all made their way outside for the pictures and Penelope let out a loud laugh as Finn twirled her around before setting her down. She noticed that all the boys, including James and Camden, had their peaky caps on and she rolled her eyes at the sight.

A few of the girls from Grace's family were fighting over the bouquet and Penelope and Willow shared a look before laughing. Arthur ushered the girls away so that they could take the picture. Finn wrapped his arm around her waist as she placed one of hers on his chest as she looked up at him.

Finn had grown up in the last two years. His freckles had darkened and he had grown considerably taller than her. He filled out in muscle and was close to catching up with Arthur and her father in height. Penelope realized how handsome he was and how she was lucky to have him.

"What?" Finn asked, pulling her from her thoughts as she smiled, "You're just so handsome."

Finn smiled at her before placing a kiss on her forehead before turning to face the photographer. She blinked a few times as the flash went off twice, causing her to blink rapidly.

"Sorry Finn," Willow called, tugging the blonde away from said boy, "I'm stealing your girlfriend."

Willow and Penelope quickly made their way through the crowd as Finn chased after them. The girls let out giggles as they ran through the grass, hand in hand, holding up their dresses with their free hand. They slowed to a stop as they neared Tommy's drive way, waiting for everyone to catch up.

"What was that?" Penelope panted, looking at her best friend. Willow looked at the group of people before looking back at the blonde," Michael was walking towards me and I don't want to talk to him."

"I thought you two were together?" Penelope furrowed her eyebrows at Willow who just shook her head, "We are. I think. We argued the other day and we haven't talked since."

"What did you guys fight about?"

"I told him I loved him but he didn't say it back." Willow whispered. Penelope pulled her into a hug. Ever since Michael came to Birmingham, he was infatuated with Willow. She happened to be the only girl besides Penelope that didn't fall for him. But once Isaiah took Michael under his wing to show him the ropes, Willow started feeling something for the boy.

"I'm sorry, Will."

Willow let out a few sniffles before pulling away, " 'Saiah's been trying to get me to talk to him but I don't think I'm ready."

"You can be my date for the rest of the night. Finn can put his big boy pants on and deal with it."

Willow giggled at the blonde's word and intertwined their hands, leaning her head on her shoulder. The two were often seen holding hands and touching in someway but no one ever dared to say anything about it due to their connections to the Peaky Blinders and because of Penelope's family.

Tommy and Grace were the first to arrive and Penelope and Willow pulled the two newly weds into a hug. The two girls were the only people that Tommy would hug besides his family but he rarely did it in public. The newly married couple made their way onto their house as the rest of the guests arrived.

Finn was walking with Isaiah and John before he spotted his girlfriend and his best friends sister. Penelope and Willow gave him a big smile before they made their way into the house, ignoring the looks from Grace's family at the sight of the two holding hands.

Penelope was halfway through her first glass of champagne when arms wrapped around her waist, "You're hiding from me."

She placed her glass on a tray before turning to wrap her arms around Finn's neck, looking up at him, "And you found me."

"This mean I get a reward." Finn smirked, giving her waist a squeeze. Penelope lightly ran her nails over the back of Finn's head, causing him to close his eyes, "Mm, come find me at the end of the night and we'll see."

Before Finn could respond, the two were pulled away from each other by Willow and James, "Tommy's called a meeting in the kitchen."

The four made their way to the kitchens, taking a few wrong turns but eventually finding it. Finn and her brother made a beeline for the food while the two girls made their way over to Tommy.

"Where are they?" Tommy asked as Johnny Dogs came through the side door, "Where's John and Arthur?"

Finn made his way over to Penelope with Arthur, Michael, and her brothers in tow as John and her father came through the servants entrance. Finn moved to stand by Penelope but Camden put him in a headlock, pulling him in between him and Johnny Dogs as James stood next to Camden. Penelope shot her oldest brother a glare as she moved to stand between Isaiah and Willow, Arthur and her father sitting on the end of the table as Tom stood in the middle of the room.

"Alright, boys, Penny, Willow, you're all here," Tommy started, "Today is my fucking wedding day."

"Yeah," John spoke, "And you said there'd be no bloody uniforms."

David sent his two sons a look as they went to agree but quickly shut their mouths.

"Nevertheless," Tommy said, "Nevertheless, John, James, Camden. Despite the bad blood, I'll 'ave none of it on my carpet. Now, for Grace's sake, nothing will go wrong."

"Those bastards, out there, are her family," he continued, "and if you fuckers, do anything to embarrass 'er, your kin, your cousins, your horses, you fucking do anything-"

"Tom." Isaiah spoke, causing Penelope to groan

"What?!?!"

"What about snow?" Isaiah asked

"Oh bloody hell." Willow groaned as John grabbed Isaiah by the back of the head, "yeah, their women are sport, I'll give them that."

"No, no," Tommy spoke, "No cocaine."

"No sport. No telling fortunes." He pointed to John

"No racing." Next was Arthur. Tommy moved to grab Finn's face, "No fucking sucking petrol out of their fucking cars."

With a smack, he turned to face the two girls, "No gambling with them to get their money." The two girls shared a smirk before agreeing. The two girls were often sent into David's casino's to try and get money out of potential dealers for David and Tommy.

Penelope noticed the dazed look on Willow's face and followed her line of vision to see her staring at Michael, who was staring back at her with a smirk. Penelope just raised her eyebrows at him before nudging Willow, snapping her back into reality.

"And you, Charlie," Tommy had turned to face his uncle, "quit telling yearns about me, eh?"

"I'm just trying to sell you to them, Tom."

Tommy rubbed his eyes in frustration and Penelope leaned forward to look at her dad, signaling for him to say something. David moved next to Tommy and patted him on the back, "If Tommy or myself hear that any of you bastards did anything to make Grace or her family upset, I'll personally see to that you are dealt with."

Now everyone didn't even think about fucking the night up for Tommy and Grace. David Longfield wasn't someone you wanted to cross.

"Thank you, David." Tommy nodded his head in appreciation at the older man before looking around the room again, "But, the main thing is, that the bunch of you fuckers, despite the provocation from the calvary, no fighting."

Tommy immediately looked towards the eldest Jesus sibling and Willow snorted in amusement as their father covered his mouth.

"No fighting." He pointed to Isaiah, "No fucking fighting." John was next, "No fighting." Arthur raised his hands in surrender as Tommy just pointed at Michael as he always kept his clean since he dealt with the legal side of the business. Tommy then turned to look at Finn and Penelope's brother, "No. Fucking. Fighting!"

They all let out sounds of agreement as Tommy nodded. David handed Tommy his as jacket as a waiter made the mistake of bumped into him, "Get the fuck off me!"

With that, the waiter was on the ground, the wine bottle shattered and Arthur threw his half eaten carrot at him. David placed his hands on Tommy's shoulders and led him out of the room before he actually killed one of them.

Finn threw his arm around Penelope's shoulder as they made their way up to the dining room, "is that what you and Isaiah do when you two go out?"

"Don't know what you're talking about, Penny." Finn answered, giving her a smile.

Penelope was sat between Lizzie and Finn with Michael on the other side of him. Tommy and Grace were at one end of the table with Penelope's parents at the other.

Finn had one hand on her thigh and the other was holding his whiskey while Penelope had one hand around Finn's neck, lightly dragging her nails over the short hairs. Penelope often cursed Tommy for their ridiculous haircut as she loved Finn's wild curls. Up until this year, he used to try and tame his curls by gelling them down but ever since he, Isaiah, and Michael were no longer 'junior peakey's' he opted cutting his hair shorter, losing almost all his curls. Most days he just styled his curls up and on days he attended events with his brothers, he would gel them down.

"There's a blonde girl who keeps undressing Finn with her eyes sitting across from you." Lizzie mumbled, bringing her glass up to her lips. Penelope turned to see the same blonde from the church doing exactly what Lizzie said she was doing.

She threw the rest of her drink back, turning to face the women, "She was doing the same thing in the church and I practically made out with Finn to prove he wasn't available."

"Girls like her are used to getting what they want," Lizzie spoke, "And since she knows Finn is with you, she'll try everything to get him."

"Not if I have something to do about it. She can try but she won't get very far." Penelope mumbled causing Lizzie to laugh. Penelope turned her attention back to Finn as he seemed bored and would rather be anywhere else. She grabbed his hand in hers and intertwined their fingers, "What's on your mind, love?"

"Just thinking about my reward later." He smirked, giving her hand a squeeze as she rolled her eyes. She leaned her head on his shoulder, looking at the blonde sitting across from them, "That girl is making it really hard for me to listen to my dad 'nd Tommy."

Finn looked up to see what girl she was talking about and the girl winked at him and Finn felt Penelope's grip tighten on his hand, causing him to look back at her.

After the most weird toast given by Arthur, the guests made their way into the ballroom.

Penelope had her arm linked with Finn's as they made their way through the crowd; trying to find someone their own age. Willow pushed people out of her way as she stepped in front of the couple, "Who's the whore with Michael?"

Penelope and Finn both looked over to see a girl with short brown hair in a white flapper dress standing very close to the boy.

"She tried getting snow off Isaiah when we got 'ere," Finn explained, turning to face the girl, "she's very eager to get it off someone."

"She's never done it," Penelope smirked, looking between the two, "If she had, she wouldn't be so obvious about getting some. Let alone being obvious about it at Tommy Shelby's wedding."

The two just looked at her in wonder, causing her to roll her eyes, "My dad owns casino's and pubs. I know snow and peoples behavior."

Finn and Willow both nodded in realization. Penelope knew when people were using snow; considering her and Finn had done it a few times. But being at her father's establishments, she knew when people had never done it and when they had. And this girl had definitely never done it before; being so obvious about it.

John and James had walked up to the trio, John whispering in Finn's ear as the boy nodded. Finn pulled Penelope with him as she grabbed Willow, following the two older boys.

"What's going on?" Penelope asked as they walked through the house

"There's something going on and Tommy wants us to make noise. So, Arthur and meself rallied together the fucking calvary to some racing and Finn boy will be riding."

Penelope perked up at the sound of Finn getting to race. She knew how much he loved horses and he took care of Tommy's and her father's any chance he got. Finn was an excellent rider and almost never lost a race. She loved watching him race and everyone knew it.

"What's that got to do with me?" Penelope questioned

Finn, who somehow ended up with his peaky cap, shrugged off his coat, putting it around his girlfriend's shoulders. He pulled off his jacket and handed it to her, quickly followed by his waist coat and his button up. Leaving him in his suspenders and undershirt. He pulled Penelope to him by her waist and tilted her head up to look at him, "Yer dad doesn't want you near the house when it's happening, so, you're going to stand there and cheer for me, while I show the fucking calvary, you don't fuck with the peaky blinders."

He placed a deep kiss on her lips and pulled away, following after his brothers.

Penelope blinked a few times, trying to process the last 30 seconds as she turned to face Willow walked up to her, "What?

Penelope pulled Finn's coat tighter against her, looking over at Willow, "I think Finn turned me on without touching me."

#peaky blinders #peaky blinder imagine #peaky blinder fanfic #peaky blinders imagines #peaky blinders imagine #finn shelby #finn shelby imagines #finn shelby imagine #finn shelby fanfic #harry kirton

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airis-paris14 · 4 years ago

Text

Wonder What She Thinks 3

Summary: She learns to put herself first and he loses the best thing he ever had.

Masterlist || 3 || 4

I can’t predict my fate but I can’t be his no more… two years enough, few days but my week with you means more. - “Natural” Sabrina Claudio

So why are you still single?”Iman swirled her straw around her glass of mango lemonade. The man took a sip before answering, “Before now, I didn’t feel like my career was in a place where I could balance spending time in my relationship. I wanna do it right. I don’t want to look back and realize my career was the reason it doesn’t work out.”

Iman nodded and looked down, thinking on her on and off situationship with T’Challa. She hadn’t heard from the king in months. He’d been all over the news with his various dates and suspected engagements. At first the nurse was hurt, but she decided that maybe it was for the best. She and Michael had cultivated a close bond with each other. Instantly becoming fast friends after the game night. They hadn’t talked explicitly about being together. She knew that Michael had once been interested, but she couldn’t be sure anymore. They hadn’t talked about her and T’Challa either. Truth be told she didn’t know if she was ready to be in a relationship either right now. “I understand that. It’s great that you’re thinking through it. You wanna give that person your all.”

“Exactly,” the actor nodded. “What about you. I’ve known you for almost a year now, and I still don’t know why you haven’t settled down.”

“It’s complicated,” Zoe-Iman shrugged. “But why? Zoe I’ve seen the way men look at you when we’re hanging out. I can’t believe old dude hasn’t officially snapped you up yet,” Michael leaned back. “It’s his career too. It just isn’t the right time. Or wasn’t the right time. I haven’t heard from him in months so I don’t even know what we are either way.” Zoe sighed and frowned. “Zoe, I’m sorry I didn’t know. He’s stupid for that Ma. He doesn't know what an amazing thing he gave up.”

Zoe shrugged, “I guess. I mean we weren’t exclusive or anything but we’ve been friends forever. I at least expected a goodbye.”

“For sure. He definitely shouldn’t have disappeared on you like that. Are you alright?” Michael asked. “I don’t know honestly. It was most likely for the best. I doubt it would have ever been ‘the right time’ like he kept promising. I should have moved on a while ago,” the woman explained. “Well here’s to new beginnings,” Michael raised his glass. “What’s your new beginning?” Zoe asked as she raised her glass.

“My career is finally in a place where I can invest in a relationship,” the actor winked.

****

“Let’s go Zoe!” Kenois slapped her door frame twice before continuing down the hall. “I’m coming dang,” Zoe slipped on her heels and pressed send on a text message. She grabbed her little clutch and hightailed it out of the room. Sylia and Kenois had planned a group outing to a new 70s themed disco that had opened in the city. Named Studio 54A, in honor of the infamous disco from back in the day. With a guest list and dress code as exclusive as the original establishment, she wondered how her friends had secured all of them a spot on the VIP list. She was sure it had something to do with Michael, who ironically was the only one who could no longer make it. They all piled into the Uber black truck that was waiting outside and settled in for the ride.

Zoe heard her phone ping as they pulled off. “You look good mama,” Sylia complimented. “Yeah I haven’t seen you this excited to get dressed up and go out in a long time. Michael’s gonna be mad he missed this outfit” Kenois teased. “We’re just friends, besides I’m mad he’s not coming. He was my disco partner,” Zoe pouted dramatically. She slipped her phone out and read the message.

Michael: I’m sorry Zoe-Zoe.

Zoe-Iman: It’s okay. Work comes first. You gotta get that money.

Michael: no you come first.

Zoe’s heart stopped as she re-read his message before another followed it.

Michael: my friends and quality relationships should always come first. Especially good friends like you.

Zoe-Iman: But I and everyone else understand. Get some rest before your early shoot Mr.GQ x2

Michael: Only cause someone else dropped out.

Zoe-Iman: You’re still on the cover so it counts. Go to sleep.

Michael: Send me pictures and I promise I’ll make it up to you. Just you and me will go. And we can dance your little disco heart out.

Zoe-Iman: Shut up

Michael: Have a good time.

Zoe-Iman: I will. We will. Night.

Michael: Night.

“Is there something going on between you and Michael?,” Kenois smiles as they pull off the highway. “No,” Iman fought back a blush. “Yes there is!” Sylia pushed,”I knew y’all were getting close this past year, but it’s changed. The matching outfits, the way you grin at your phone when he texts.” Kenois added on

“I just enjoy his company,” Zoe shrugged. “Um hmm,” Sylia hummed. The truck reached their pit stop. The door opened and Trina, David, and Camden piled in. “Hey, y’all,” the woman smiled as she settled in. “What’s up?” Camden and David nodded and shut the door.

“Y’all look great!” Zoe smiled. The group was dressed to impress in vintage, and 70s inspired, outfits. “Where’s Michael?” David asked. “Something came up at the last minute and he couldn’t be out partying late.”

“Dang. Good thing I invited T, so we won’t be so outnumbered.” David sighed. “Nigga what?” Sylia stared at him. Trina and Kenois glanced over at Zoe who felt frozen in her seat. “Why would you invite T?” Trina turned to David, “you know he hasn’t been around lately.”

“That’s why I invited him.” David looked to Camden for help. Camden shrugged and sat back, opting to stay out of trouble on this one. Atleast for a little while longer. “You didn’t think that maybe he wasn’t around for a reason?”

David threw his hands up, “I figured the man was busy with being the prince of a whole country. I thought he could use a night out with some friends from college. Sue me!”

“It’s not that,” Kenois started. “Will y’all stop beating around the bush. Y’all obviously know something we don’t.” Camden finally interjected. “All of the women turned their heads to Zoe Iman. The boys leaned up in their seats from the back. “Me and T had a friends with benefits type thing for about the past year, then he ghosted me,” Zoe explained. Her eyes invested in the city outside her window.

“Y’all were fucking and ain’t tell nobody!”

Trina slapped David on the back of his head. “Shut up! You don’t see that driver sitting right there. Yelling out people’s business,” Trina muttered. “What he meant to say was why wouldn’t y’all tell us?” Camden corrected.

“T didn’t want anyone to know. And I didn’t want anyone to know that I was his dirty little secret. These three found out because they came back from some event early one night and heard us.” Zoe sighed, finally turning to look at two of her closest guy friends. “Yeah and she was always spending the night over there. We woulda found out anyway.” Sylia shrugged.

“I’m sorry Zoe, I wish I had known,” David frowned, his earlier amusement gone. “We’ll jack him up. All you gotta do is say the word. He had no right to ghost you like that and be out here going on dates with other chicks and shit.”

Camden nodded in agreement, “You know all of y’all like my sisters. Ain’t no dude gon mess with y’all and just walk away with both legs.”

Zoe-Iman offered a small smile, “It’s okay y’all. I’m good. I’m just trying to move on, and I hope he finds what he’s looking for.” She shrugged, turning back in her seat as the car pulled to a stop. “Besides I didn’t spend two months learning disco moves to not show them off now.

“I know that’s right, and the way that dress is looking with them heels, he gon be on his knees by the end of the night,” Trina grinned. Zoe-Iman turned to the boys, “Please don’t feel bad about it. I’m good, y’all enjoy time with him. He was y’all’s friend first. He hasn’t done anything to y’all.”

“We understand, but he hurt you.”

David agreed, “Him hurting you, is him hurting us. And best believe we gon be talking about it tonight.” The boys got out of the car before Zoe could ask them not to. Once she sighed as they walked ahead, anticipating the awkward night ahead. She desperately wished she hadn’t told Michael to go to sleep.

*****

“What time should I expect you back?” Nakia wrapped a scarf around her hair as T’Challa grabbed his wallet off of the night stand. “I am not sure,” the king sighed, turning to face his father’s choice. “Are you sure I cannot accompany you? I want to meet your friends,” the woman smiled and turned to face him. “Not this time,” he turned, avoiding the disappointment he knew was plastered all over her face. “Are you ashamed of me?”

“No. Goodnight Nakia.” T’Challa hurried out of his hotel room. He slid into his waiting car and sighed. He prayed to Bast that Zoe-Iman was there. He’d deleted her number after Nakia became insecure about and suspicious of how often he was texting and meeting up with her. He knew that dropping Zoe like she meant nothing was the worst decision he’d ever made, but he needed to keep Nakia happy and by his side. However he missed his best friend and lover. She was like a drug, and he was well overdue for a re-up. The future king knew that she would be upset at first, but he knew that he could explain what had happened and they’d be able to fix his mistakes and get a life saving dose of his Iman. What the prince was not expecting, was outside intervention in his plans.

His car pulled up to the club and he breezed through the front door. Once inside he spotted his friends and walked over, disappointed to see that none of the women were present. “The king is in the house!” David stood and greeted his friend. “Stop it. I am not a king yet,” T’Challa laughed. After hugs and daps were exchanged they settled into the booth and T’Challa ordered his usual whiskey on the rocks. “So who’s this girl we’ve been seeing you all over the news with?”

T’Challa sighed and sipped his drink, “She is my father’s choice for a wife.”

“And you going along with it?” Camden raised an eyebrow. “It is not that simple,” he offered as an excuse. “Where are the girls?”

“They’re on the dance floor somewhere,” David pointed vaguely, “but you really worried about everybody or Zoe-Iman in particular?” T’Challa looked at his friend over the edge of his glass, “they are all my friends and I miss them equally-“

“Cut the bull lover boy,” Camden sat his drink down. “We found out you were messing around with Zoe-Iman.” T’Challa’s heart dropped. He and Zoe had promised they wouldn’t diverge their secret to the group. “And nah she ain’t tell us, the other girls did,” David clarified, “they came home early and heard y’all one night.”

“Well what about it? We’re both adults,” T’Challa shrugged. “It’s not even about that T! Nigga you really over here playing with her heart like it’s nothing.” David fussed. “I am not playing with her heart,” the king insisted.

“Then why she look like she was gon have a heart attack when I told everyone you were coming,” David fussed, “cause you making her look like a fool. Out here with other women in public, then ghosting her when your other chicks ask you too.”

“How did you-“ T’Challa started.

“We are not stupid bruh. You used to look at ol girl like she was your sun and moon. It had to take another girl to make you just ghost her.” Camden rubbed his temple.

“Iman knows what’s going on with my family.”

“That don’t make it okay T! You know she’s like my little sister and I hate seeing her all sad and shit over a nigga. And my friend at that! The only reason I ain’t jumped on yo ass is cause she begged me not too.” David fussed.

“She sat in the van after everyone found out and still defended you man. Cause she loves you, and you out here dating other chicks?” Camden chimed in. “I should just go you all wouldn’t understand,” T’Challa threw back the rest of his drink and reached for his wallet. “Understand what huh?” David pushed, “We want to understand but you keep pushing us away, just like you pushing Iman!”

“I can’t marry an outsider!”

The table went silent. “T do you love that girl?” Camden questioned a beat later, his hand stopping T’Challa’s from placing the money for his drink on the table. “More than I could ever explain,” the prince answered. “Then fight for her! Change the law!”

T’Challa places his money on the table, “Who could do that? It is tradition!”

“I thought you were the next king?” David shot back, “act like one and set a new precedent.”

“It is not that easy,” T’Challa insisted.

“It can’t be that difficult either.”

“Goodnight gentlemen,” T’Challa stood and strolled out of the bar.

“Oh shit,” Kenois mumbled as their college friend turned monarch stormed out of the bar. Zoe looked up and froze as his silhouette moved outside. She looked back at her friends once he’d left and they were all ready staring at her. “Go get your closure,” Trina pushed her with a sad smile. Zoe nodded and followed her lover out of the doors.

“Challa, wait!” She called. She sighed in relief as he paused getting in the car. Once she was close enough, he recognized her and pushed her into the car. “Drive around the block,” he ordered before raising the partition. “What are you doing? Someone could have seen us!” Zoe’s nervous smile fell and her anger kicked in. “I’m sorry, I forgot you don’t know me when we’re out in public,” she scoffed.

“It’s not like that and you know it,” T’Challa fell back into his seat. “No, I obviously don’t know that because I thought I could talk to my “friend” in public, but I guess I’m too lowly for that privilege as well.”

“Zoe-,” the king started. “No, just drop me off at home,” the nurse frowned, turning to look out the window. “I apologize Iman,” The king broke the tense silence.

“Um hmm,” she hummed, staring out of the window. “You’re not even going to look at me?”

“I don’t even know the man I would be looking at any more.” Zoe wiped a tear that had fought its way down her face. “I am still the same man,” The Royal reached for her hand and she snatched it away. “Do not touch me,” the woman hissed. “Iman, baby please,” He pleaded, moving closer to her.

“Please what? Ten minutes ago you were angry that I had the audacity to call your name out on the street.”

“It is not like that, you know that I have to keep my charade up in the public eye, there were cameras-”

“Outside of the club. I get that, but you can’t have a friend? It is not like your family does not know who I am. And you’ve been flipping back and forth between women lately like it's a tennis match, no one would even care T’Challa.”

“Those women are different Iman, and you know that.” The king sighed.

“Different how?”

“I don’t love them. I love you, and the media would see it as clear as day on my face if we went out together.”

Zoe Iman froze as T’Challa sighed. “And it was so hard to pick up the phone and say that. You just dropped me like I meant absolutely nothing to you. That hurt me T’Challa.”

“It was not like that,” The king tried to grab her hand again and she moved away. “Then tell me what it was like.”

“I- my father- has selected his top candidate and she became suspicious of us, so I let her delete your contact-”

“But you love me right?” Zoe chuckled and rolled down the partition, “Zoe wait,” the king tried to remove her hand. “Do not touch me your majesty! Okoye, take me home please. I have nothing left to say to his majesty tonight.”

“Okoye, keep driving around,” the king ordered. He grabbed Zoe’s hand and pulled her closer to him, “Let me go!”

“Not until you listen to me!”

“Why, so you can lie to me and then get me in your bed again?” Zoe growled, “Okoye, stop the car!”

“No Iman, listen to me,” The king grabbed both of her hands and fought over what he was about to say to her. “I have to choose a bride soon, and I am tired of lying to you and my father.”

“So what does that mean?”

“I am gonna make everything right,” The king smiled as her posture relaxed slightly, “I promise.”

“I don’t need promises, your majesty, you made enough of those when we had sex in your hotel room last month.”

“But this time I am not drunk,” the king reassured, “and I intend to keep them this time.”

Zoe looked out of the window to think, watching as her neighborhood came into view. “Do not bother your majesty. A drunk mouth speaks a sober mind, and all your sober mind seems to be filled with is empty promises and sweet nothings.” Iman grabbed her things and wiped the tears that had started to fall.

The king’s face fell, “Iman please, I want you-”

“Yes, but just in your bed for the night. Go home to your fiancée,” She sighed digging around her purse for her keys as Okoye pulled up to her driveway. “How did you know I had proposed?”

Zoe-Iman James’s heart broke, as he confirmed what she’d suspected since the night they’d drunkenly fallen into bed two months after he ghosted her, “I didn’t. You just told me.” Her lips quivered as sobs clawed their way up her throat.

The king sat back, the full gravity of what had just happened settling squarely on his shoulders. “Have a good night Your majesty,” Zoe croaked before climbing out of the door that had been opened for her.

A few minutes later, Ayo re-entered the car and Okoye began driving off. “I hope you have made the right decision T’Challa,” the guard raised her eyebrow at the king. “It was the only decision Okoye,” he wiped a tear that had fallen down his cheek. “With all due respect your majesty, all three of us know that it was not.” Ayo frowned before closing the partition to give the young man some space.

Taglist: @almostpurelysmut @blackbypurpose @nyneebee @hutchj @tchoking @sisterwifeudaku @wikiwakanda @royallyprincesslilly @90sinspiredgirl @strictlyashley @afraiddreamingandloving @thedelightfulone @autumn242 @purple-apricots @kumkaniudaku @queertrex @kaciidubs @halfrican-heat @skysynclair19 @dramaqueenamby @gorjiss @leahnicole1219 @kreolemami @mzbritt @yoyolovesbucky @derangedcupcake @builtalongthewayside @ilcb7 @chaneajoyyy @lalapalooza718 @ororowrites @leahnicole1219 @dopegalkk @sarcastic-sunshines @sarahboseman @shesakillerkween @waitingonafriend @faatassbitch @lady-love-and-glitter-roses @cxnismajcr @tchallasbabymama

#tchalla fanfiction #tchalla #tchalla imagine #tchalla x reader #blackpantherimagines #tchalla x black! reader #apbpfics #tchalla x black!oc #tchalla x oc #tchalla x you #t’challa x oc #t’challa x reader #t’challa udaku #T’Challa #t’challa #wonderwhatfic #wwstfic

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whateverthedragonswant · 3 years ago

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Holy crap this episode was funny as hell until it wasn't and then we were plunged right back into the intensity. But great episode!!! I don't lb so I don't get spoilers but man I had a lot of reactions as I watched. Ngl, a lot of cursing and caps ahead but damn was this such a good episode:

“One minute before the blackout” - now we’re to 1 minute from 1 week last week

“The place where this heart’s from, it was a tragedy. But once we land, it’s gonna turn into a miracle, right?” “Yeah, I like that” -- so once we land and settle after all of this craziness, a tragedy will turn into a miracle? I like that *looking at you Eddie*

EDDIE GET OUT OF THAT CHOPPER RN, DO NOT DO THIS TO ME AFTER SEASON 4, DO NOT!!!

Bobby going in to save the heart, hmm...

Oh, thank God - Eddie, Hen, and Bobby are all safe

Dr. Salazar - we need more of her. I love her so much.

4 Days later - hmm...

Wow, they’re really bringing Harry to the forefront here, this whole kidnapping thing is going to happen isn't it?

Harry charging neighbors and Michael and David in a sort of co-parent situation - first of all, Harry you are a GENIUS and love that Michael and David with Harry are being focused on in this episode, ahem, is there possibly a reason...?

Lou survived!!!! THANK GOD

Nearly 5 days Lou was in hospital

5 day head start for Hudson - is there something with 1, 3, 4 and now 5? I'm keeping track here, Tim

Buck is the power czar LOL - omg I love this man so much

Ravi!!! We need MORE Ravi!!! but where is Albert???

CHIMNEY!!!!! OMG I LOVE YOU - "Give me a charger or Uncle Buck will never see his niece again" - "Give him a charger" - "Well played" - "Let this be a lesson, never give that man a clipboard" - "Excuse me for being efficient" - "That’s one word for what you are" - okay #1 I will forever be in love with Chimney, probably one of my top favorite characters on this show & #2 LOVE this whole brothers interaction, Albert may not be there but Buck and Chim are still going with the whole older-brother-is-exasperated-with-the-younger-brother's-shit vibe

Oh God, here comes more cringe, yay... not so much

Eddie kisses Ana on the cheek AGAIN (Eddie, can you hear me? This is your subconscious speaking, when are you going to end this, my man?)

Ana says going to visit was Christopher’s idea since he missed Eddie and thought he was hungry - muy interesante

Buck rushing over to greet Christopher and hugging him tight is a moment I live for - outside of the whole Buck and Eddie story, I LOVE this relationship with all of my heart, I am so glad Christopher has Buck, he really is his second dad (with or without Eddie being involved)

Eddie not introducing Ana to Ravi (nor Buck saying hi) - Buck’s expression - “You must be Eddie’s wife” Christopher: “Not yet” I FUCKING LOVE THIS KID, OKAY!!!! Buck’s smile, he loves Christopher, too - love how Ana and Eddie don't say anything to dispel or clarify this

SAME FUCKING TRIGGER AND THIS TIME BUCK SEES IT!!!! OMG (Eddie, this is your subconscious again, you need to listen! The universe and I are trying to tell you something, please before any more shit hits the fan like me having to watch more uncomfortable interactions between you and your placeholder friend!)

Eddie sending Ana and Christopher on a tour with Ravi IN THE DARK at his work place so he can put SALADS AWAY

Buck’s expressions the entire time - Buck knows something's up

Ana’s expressions the entire time - she KNOWS

Thank God Bobby wasn’t around - hear me out, I have a reason for this that I am still working on in this long ass meta

Buck makes sure to not make eye contact with Ana (except quickly when Ravi is waiting to be introduced), even when Ana laughs at his “Constantly”

Eddie being a probie when Shannon came back in season 2 (and Eddie pulled her into the locker room to talk) & Ana being left to tour the station house with Ravi aka Probie - hello parallels & contrasts, my old friend

“I don’t want these things to wilt” - interesting choice of wording there, Eddie (newsflash, it's already wilting, Eddie)

I almost feel a little bad for Ana here because she did do something nice and she gets the brushoff and some discomfort/embarrassment in return (I mean the woman brought three salads in the middle of a blackout that she most likely made herself, come on - I'm sure some people think salads are easy to make but to those of us in the inexperienced/uninitiated cooks' club, it's not that simple)

Lila dead - hmm...are we surprised? (Hudson didn't give a fig about her and what's sad is Lou would have saved her)

“I think she was smitten like those other fools. I think she saw him being led away in cuffs and she intervened on his behalf” - interesting line there, Athena...

I need more scenes with Athena and Elaine - I know Elaine is the captain and Athena is on her own with no partner but I gotta say I am enjoying this

Athena! Why are you not warning the survivors!!! I mean I get it but still!!!

OMG “He takes Christopher all the time, he’s got the place memorized” - BUCK LISTENED TO EDDIE IN 3x03 - OMG!!!

Oh Buck my poor baby, he knows what they’re walking into - I LOVE Hen’s line of “Just smile, Buck” and then Eddie and Chim both smile wide at him - OMG I AM LIVING FOR THESE SCENES WITH THE 118

“Welcome to the Jungle” - nice touch 911

OMG Buck you are cracking me up - no animals are getting past him

1 hawk or eagle or raptor maybe? I’m not good with bird species okay!!!

3 emus again

1 bird I have no idea what kind (wondering if that’s what we saw the back of last episode near the emus)

Giraffe again

3 wolves

3 camels

Elephant

“The animal makes a move, control it” - YOU GOT THIS BUCK (yes we are finally getting that scene we saw filmed!!!)

Buck’s expression when the camel runs by is KILLING ME 'yeah, that's right Camel, back up, back up, you don't want any of this, yeah that's right'

Stuffed animals in the souvenir store, interesting

2 for $5 sign - even more interesting

1 alpaca

I guess I kind of wonder why Hen didn’t become a vet at one point in her life? Like I’m glad she’s a first responder and about to be a doctor but damn she knows so much about animals, she’s like the 118’s resident animal expert, that’s my girl

“We were gonna get one” - um...what? Hen...

“I wouldn’t” LOL oh Bobby you slay me

Is it just me or do we hear ET almost type music in the background as Hen lays chips down for the alpaca? Bobby mentioning the Reese’s Pieces, the flashlight shining on the Alpaca when it steps into view...are we getting an ET reference?

“It’s calling its friend!” *another Alpaca appears through coats “Clever girl” - a Jurassic Park reference - It’s a fucking Steven Spielberg reference, holy shit!!!!

Okay so that scene was Eddie looking over at Bobby, got it, near the fire trucks

Oh Buck I love you so much “So you ran from an Alpaca?” “Two Alpacas and no one was running” - both Buck’s and Eddie’s faces and then laughter are freaking hilarious

Chimney: “After careful consideration, I have decided not to endorse this park” - OMG I have not stopped laughing for like five minutes straight, can you imagine a Jurassic Park AU for this team? - shot of T-rex above Ripley’s Believe It Or Not (nice one, 911)

Weird looking bird that I've never seen before and 2 emus and 2 vulture, 1 hawk/raptor bird, 1 rhino

May is awesome!!! And so are those neighbors!!!!

Eddie in the tank top!!! Buck with a clipboard!!!

“Hey are you sleeping or just pretending?” Buck is taking no prisoners today

Buck is trying to make sure he’s not having any symptoms, omg, seriously how do you not love this guy???? Eddie you better make an honest man out of him soon, I'm not sure how much longer I can take this

“You don’t give up, do you?” Oh Eddie you did not just say that, to Buck of all people, come on man (hello season 3 Eddie, my old friend)

Get him, Buck! Get him!

“Since when do you panic?” “That’s what I said, I don’t panic” Buck once again out there proving that he knows Eddie better than anyone else

Oh wow!!! Eddie came right out and said it “If I’m being honest with myself I think it was Ana”

And there it is folks “She’s been a constant through all of this, staying with Christopher”

“Somehow we became a ready made family and I don’t know if I’m ready for that” - wow, this is an excellent scene, he’s totally letting that wall down to talk candidly with Buck, nice - and him being stripped down to a tank top for this scene just reiterates that fact, he's baring some things

“I think I’m gonna stick it out. Ana’s the first woman I’ve wanted to spend this much time with since Shannon” - oh Eddie, you really need to shit or get off the pot my friend, this isn’t good for you, Christopher or Ana - how can you sentence all three of you to this? come on

“My kid loves her” but YOU DON'T - okay my heart is breaking, Eddie is making the same goddamn mistake all over again just like we predicted - Eddie please, what did Carla just say to you three episodes ago? Where the hell is Carla btw????

“Stick it out? That’s not the way you talk about someone you’re in love with” “That enough?” - thank you Buck, seriously THANK YOU

Okay my heart just broke again but for Buck this time “Eddie, I have been Ana” - aww =( I love my chaotic firefighter son with all of my heart

And of course Denial!Eddie aka repressed!Eddie are back, sigh - 5x03 has to be where it all comes to a head, it has to be, now even Buck is forcing him to face what he's trying so hard not to - word of advice Eddie, my repressed firefighter son, you can try to deny it mentally/emotionally all you want but it will come out one way or another, just like it's coming out in panic attack symptoms and anxiety - you have to end this, sweetie

And I think it’s very interesting that Eddie looks right at Buck during “If I’m being honest with myself” *looks away then right back at Buck* “I think it was Ana”, “staying with Christopher”, then right after “I don’t know if I’m ready for that”, “I think I’m gonna stick it out”, “Ana’s the first woman I’ve wanted to spend this much time with since Shannon” “My kid loves her”

OMG Eddie’s expression when Buck says “I know what it’s like to be in love with someone who’s not all the way in and deep down you know it and it hurts. It hurts worse than the truth” — RYAN WHERE IS YOUR GODDAMN EMMY??? If anyone ever doubted that Eddie was in love with Buck, there’s the freaking proof written all over Eddie’s face at Buck’s line!!! It’s not something he thinks he can have and it hurts

Okay seriously, Eddie saying “Ana’s the first woman I’ve wanted to spend this much time with Shannon” — VERY PURPOSEFUL MENTION OF A WOMAN HE’S WANTED TO SPEND TIME WITH, EDDIE PLEASE, CAN YOU HEAR ME!!!!

Then they go right to Chim calling Maddie, uh huh, I see you 911

I really love Hen’s full support of Maddie btw & I love how Chim is able to talk to Hen about it all

Oh no!!! Maddie please don’t fall asleep!!!

Oh thank God!!!! It’s going to be okay, Maddie, you got her, it’s going to be okay - I seriously want to give my girl a hug and tell her it's going to be okay

Omg Jee-Yun is so cute!!!

Day 4 or day 5 hmmm - I'm still keeping track, Tim

“Why is it every time the world ends, it ends some more?” “It just keeps us on our toes” “More like knocks us on our asses” - Universe is that you?

Awww Bobby just called Athena “baby” <3 I'm not crying, you're crying

YES more Athena and Elaine

Lou is awake!!!!

Awww Lou =( I may or may not be ugly crying rn

I cannot tell you how relieved I am that Lou is alive

Oh God!!!! Athena get the cops there now!!!!

Yeah you should have let Harry charge them Michael lol, of course they were there to just use the generator power (though I love and appreciate the contrast they gave us in the neighbors who helped the boy with the ventilator so we know not all people take advantage)

OH NO GET AWAY FROM HARRY YOU BASTARD!!!!

On a side note, it’s nice to see more Michael and David but at what cost, Tim? Can we please get more of them and especially David in a more lighthearted episode for crying out loud? Is that too much to ask???

Go Bobby!!!!

Good for you, Athena!!!

Omg this is practically Athena’s nightmare come to life, shit

Omg Hudson unplugged the goddamn generator, THAT FUCKING ASSHOLE!!!

HARRY!!!!!!

I’M SORRY BUT ARE YOU TELLING ME THERE’S NO BOLO WITH A PICTURE ON THIS GUY?!!? - oh right, no power, but STILL

Okay that was super intense, I really hope Athena is the one to take Hudson down, just like Bobby said

I have a few more rewatches to do before breaking things down but damn, I think I need a drink after that one.

#911 fox #911 spoliers #911 5x02 #911: desperate times #buddie mention #eddie and ana mention #bathena mention #911 fox posts

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fanficshiddles · 4 years ago

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Butterfly Into Chains, Chapter 9

Esme’s eyes flew open when she woke the following morning. Light was just coming in through the curtains, she had a slight panic as she took in her surroundings. But suddenly everything came flooding back to her. The ache between her thighs was a stark reminder of what had happened.

She tried to concentrate on her breathing, keeping quiet, as she gazed around the room. Tom was lying on one side of her, David on the other. Michael and Ben were on the other bed while Chris was asleep on the chair in the corner of the room. All of the Alphas were half naked, just wearing trousers. While she was still butt naked.

Being as careful as possible, she shimmied down the bed between the two Alphas and slipped off the bed. Her clothes were in a pile by the bed, she gathered them up quickly and rushed into the bathroom.

The Alphas all started to stir when they heard the bathroom door closing.

Tom stretched as he got up, grabbing his shirt he went over to the bathroom door and tried it, but it was locked like he suspected. He knocked twice. ‘Esme?’

‘Ye… Yeah?’ She called back.

‘Come and open the door, love.’ Tom said softly.

‘I… I’m just about to have a shower.’ She said again, Tom could hear the uneasiness in her voice.

Before he could reply with a demand, he heard the shower being turned on. He sighed and looked to his pack, they were all starting to get their shirts back on and waken up more. Ben turned the kettle on and started preparing tea.

Esme deliberately took her time in the shower. Her mind was racing with everything that happened last night… With everything that happened to her.

After washing her hair for the third time, she decided she couldn’t really stall for much longer. She had a feeling the Alphas would be getting antsy now.

She had just finished putting her clothes on when there was a knock on the bathroom door again, making her jump a little. She had been hoping to slip out quietly and make a run for it without having to face them.

‘Esme, come on out, love.’ Tom called through, making her stomach leap.

She did have so many questions after last night. Tom had knotted her… Claimed her… Did that mean she was his omega now? What about the other Alphas, they’d taken her too, even though they didn’t knot her. Did that mean she belonged to all of them?

‘Esme.’ Tom called again, his tone slightly firmer than before.

Esme reluctantly unlocked and opened the door. She peered out and saw Tom standing there, his face softened when he finally saw her. She opened the door further and stepped into the room.

‘Morning, lovely. Are you alright?’ Tom smiled.

She looked to the side and saw the other four Alphas hovering close by too. All of them watching her, but with a gentle look about them. Putting her at slight ease.

‘I’m fine… I uh, I had a good time last night.’ She blushed. ‘I should probably get home though, my parents will be wondering where I am and will no doubt be worried.’ She smiled up at the Alphas.

Tom reached out and stroked her hair, tucking it back behind her ear. ‘You should come with us this morning, come back to our home.’ He hummed.

‘I… I can’t. I can’t leave this town.’ Esme said quietly, feeling a little nervous.

Michael moved in closer and leaned against the wall next to her. ‘Darling, you just slept with five Alphas. Do you think your parents and the town will appreciate that? You know some of them tried to run Mason out just for attempting it.’ Michael said in a caring and gentle tone, looking concerned for her.

‘But… I… I don’t know.’ Esme said sadly, her stomach sinking as she hadn’t thought about that. But he was right, surely her parents would disown her. And the town, too. Not only had an Alpha claimed her before her heat, but she had slept with five Alphas!

Esme tried to hold back her tears, she was scared now. She didn’t know what she would do. Looking up at Michael with sweet doe eyes. ‘Maybe… Maybe they will forgive me, my parents might understand.’

‘Esme.’ Tom hooked her chin and turned her face towards him. ‘I claimed you last night. In the eyes of the law, you are my omega now.’

That hit her like a ton of bricks. She wasn’t sure what to think, or do. Tom noticed her shaking a little bit under his gaze, at the realisation of everything.

‘I want you to come with us, Esme. We will look after you, you are our omega and we won’t let anyone hurt you.’ Tom said, his tone soft as he brushed his fingers up her cheek before letting go of her. ‘Now come, have some tea before we head off.’

But Esme was frozen to the spot as Tom and Michael walked over to join the others, Ben handed them their tea and he held one out towards Esme.

‘Esme.’ Tom said firmly, looking at her with a certain look that made a chill run down her spine.

She timidly walked over to join them, taking her tea from Ben she sat down slowly on the edge of the bed and just sipped on it.

‘Good girl.’ Tom purred.

David sat down next to Esme and rubbed her back slowly. ‘You’ll be better off with us anyway, poppet. You’re far too good for this town.’

Esme gave a half smile and nodded once, though she didn’t really believe it. She was starting to wonder whether she should really have trusted them. Tom lied to her, he said he wasn’t going to knot her. But he did. Now she belonged to him… And the others. As it was clear they were all a package kind of deal.

She just drank her tea quietly. The Alphas talked around her a bit, they tried to include her but she wasn’t really focusing much. Once she finished her tea, she decided to try and be brave.

‘I am really not sure I want to leave.’ She blurted out, looking between them all.

Tom sighed and crouched down on front of her. He rubbed her arms gently and smiled. ‘Look, love. You really don’t have much of an option here. You’re my omega, so at the end of the day, you will do as I say. And I want you to come with us… Besides, you will be chased out of town once word gets out about what happened last night. Then where will you go? Hmm?’

‘They won’t. They wouldn’t.’ Esme choked out, her eyes started watering but she did her best to keep it together.

‘They will.’ Tom stated firmly, giving her upper arms a gentle squeeze. ‘In their eyes, you will be damaged goods now… But not to us. You’re a beautiful, wonderful omega. And we will cherish you, protect you and care for you. We can give you a fantastic life. One you could never have here.’

Esme breathed out shakily, she wiped at her eyes to stop herself from crying. She felt trapped. Like she truly had no options now. Tom was right. What if the Alphas all leave, then she gets told to leave town for what happened. She would have absolutely no-one and nowhere to go.

‘Ok… I’ll come with you all… If you’re sure you want me.’ She said quietly, fiddling with her hands in her lap.

Tom gave her a large smile. He cupped her face and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. ‘Of course we want you.’ He purred.

The next ten minutes was a bit of a blur for Esme. The Alphas left to get their things together from their rooms, but Tom waited with Esme until Michael returned first, then he went to get his stuff.

‘You’ll love your new home, darling. It’s wonderful, has everything you could ever need.’ Michael said excitedly as he smoothed his fingers through her hair. She gave him a small smile in return.

When the rest of the Alphas returned with their bags, Tom put his hand out towards Esme. ‘Your phone.’

‘My… my phone? Why?’ Esme frowned, slowly reaching into her bag to retrieve said phone.

‘Hand it over, Esme. You won’t be needing it anymore.’ Tom said in his Alpha tone.

She gulped and handed it to him, he then put it in the drawer of the desk.

‘Can I… can I go home and get some things? Say goodbye to my parents?’ She asked when Ben took her hand and started guiding her out of the room.

‘No, sweetheart. We need to get going, it’s best to just leave.’ Ben said, keeping a firm hold of her hand. Not that she would try and run, she wouldn’t disobey her Alphas. Her inner omega was too well behaved in that regard.

When they got down to reception, Tom went to check out on behalf of them all. While the other four Alphas took Esme out to the cars.

Esme glanced around, feeling really scared. Was this really it? She was about to leave her town? She felt like she was going to be sick.

Ben led her into one of the cars, into the back seat. He then got in the driver’s side while David got into the passengers. Michael and Chris got into the car on front. Esme looked out the window and saw Tom coming out of the hotel. Part of her was really hoping he was going to get into the other car, so she could get a little breather. He intimidated her the most now, probably because he was her Alpha after last night and had been the one to lie to her in the first place.

To her relief, Tom did get into the other car. She slumped down a little in the seat.

‘Road trip!’ David cheered playfully, making Ben chuckle.

Esme kept quiet as they set off. She couldn’t hold in her tears any longer as they drove through the town, crying quietly. They even went past her home… She put her hand on the window and felt like her heart was being torn in two as they drove on by.

Richard and Wendy were really worried when they woke up in the morning to find Esme not in bed.

‘Didn’t she come home last night?’ Wendy asked her husband.

‘I never heard her. I assumed she would be home late, you know what like she is.’ Richard sighed.

Wendy phoned a few of Esme’s friends, in hope she had decided to crash at one of theirs. But they all responded with the same answer, they hadn’t seen her at all yesterday.

Sharing a look, Richard and Wendy rushed out and into the car, Richard drove as quick as he could to the hotel where the Alphas had been staying. When they got into reception, Wendy was almost hysterical with worry.

‘Have you seen Esme? The Alphas, are they still here?’ Richard asked the receptionist.

‘I haven’t seen Esme, no. The Alphas checked out a few hours ago, they left quite early. Is everything ok?’ She asked, worried.

Richard ran his hand down his face. ‘What rooms were they in? Can we please have access?’

‘Uh, sure. They rented the entire top floor.’ The receptionist quickly typed something into the computer then pulled up keys for all the rooms.

‘You really didn’t see Esme with them this morning?’ Wendy asked, pleading for something.

‘The leader of the pack, Mr Hiddleston, checked out this morning for them all, I never saw the other four leaving. I’m sorry, Wendy.’ She said sadly.

Richard and Wendy rushed to the lift and the receptionist went with them too. They went up to the top floor and checked in the rooms, but they were all empty. Then they reached one of the last ones and there was the clear smell of sex in the air.

‘Oh god.’ Wendy sobbed, she ran to the bathroom to be sick at the realisation of something happening in there with her daughter.

Richard felt sick too, but held it together. He took his phone out and called Esme’s mobile, hoping to reach her before it was too late. His heart sank upon hearing it ring in the room.

The receptionist went over to the desk and opened the drawer, she pulled the phone out and showed it to Richard.

‘I think they’ve taken her.’ She said, swallowing hard.

‘No… Not my Esme.’ Richard choked.

#Butterfly into chains #fan fiction #tom hiddleston #michael fassbender #benedict cumberbatch #chris evans #david tennant

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sillyrabbit81 · 4 years ago

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Her Heavy Cross

Summary: Three years after tragedy hits, Lana she decides to start dating again. She meets Will through a dating app and they begin an online romance. After months of constant requests, Lana relents and agrees to meet and go on an irl date with Will. But is Will who he says he is? Lana is quickly pulled into an intense relationship forcing her to confront her tragic past. Will Lana face it or will she close her heart forever?

Pairing: OMC x OFC

Word Count: approx 3.8k

Warnings: swearing, angst, mentions of death,

Authors Note: The story started as a Henry Cavill fanfiction but I changed it to be an original character, but shades of Henry are still there. Hope you enjoy the story and thanks for reading.

Part 17 Part 19

Part 18

It was a crazy week, and by Wednesday, I had had enough and wanted it to be all over. It was the last day of school for the term. The kids were rowdy, and it was hard for them to concentrate. I gave up structured lessons after the morning session, and we did Easter craft. Still, even craft was hard for my kids. Most of them can't use scissors without assistance or had to use modified ones set into a wooden block. It wasn't a bludge, but it was much less stressful for both the kids and myself.

I had playground duty at lunchtime. Some of the older mainstream kids had heard about Liam, and a few would walk past me and sing the theme song to his superhero movies. Others would have a conversation with me and sneak in a movie quote. Lucky for me, most of Liam's films weren't appropriate for children, so there were only a few they could use. The kids would run away giggling, and I would shake my head. I wasn't upset by it, kids are kids, and at least they made their fun to my face.

The parents were awful. The mums would go quiet when I was near them, and I would hear laughter or whispering as I walked away. The dads looked at me just that little bit longer, making me feel uncomfortable. I just tried to remember Liam's arms around me, the way he made me feel safe in his arms. I found myself touching my earrings a lot. They soothed me.

The worst part was the other staff. Not all of them, just a couple of the younger ones and newer ones. Their eyes seemed to bore into me in the staff room and in meetings. The ones who had been here when Andy died were good. They appeared to be on the same page as Marla had been. The rest of the support class teachers and TA's were kind. They actually asked me to my face about it, seemed happy for me, and then that was it they moved on.

My boss, Michael, did call me into his office on Monday afternoon. He was good about it mostly, just concerned because apparently, the office staff had received a few phone calls from a couple of media outlets trying to get in contact with me. The staff were good enough to hang up on them. I was honest with Michael and said I didn't know what my plans were, just that we were dating. I did tell him about how it would be official on Thursday, but it worked out well because the office would be empty for two weeks, and by then, I'll be old news.

When I spoke to Liam on the phone, I had told him about how I was feeling. I was honest about it as much as I could be.

Liam was empathetic and seemed sincere when he said I didn't have to go. "If it's too much, we can wait for another time. The dress you have will be as good in a few months as it is now. Or we can return it all and try again later." Cheekily he said, "I'll let you keep the earrings."

I declined. I wanted to get it over with. I figured the quicker it was done, the quicker no one would care, and I can go back into hiding. It was like ripping off a band-aid. Just do it.

When I had gotten home from work on Tuesday, I had decided to do the hardest thing of all. I called Andy's mother.

Anthea was born in Greece and immigrated to Australia with her family in her early teens. She had met Andy's dad, Tim, a white Australian with Irish heritage, and they had a beautiful marriage. They had five children, three boys and two girls. Andy was the youngest son and was the unofficial favourite. She had always been lovely to me. She always called me Little Lana and would always hug me and insist I ate. On my birthday, she would make me galaktoboureko. She still calls me for my birthday and invites me over for Orthodox Easter and Christmas. I don't go, but I always make sure to call and send presents for my two godchildren.

"My Little Lana," Anthea gushed. "It is so good to hear from you. How are you going? Tim, Lana is on the phone! He will be so happy you called. Yes, Timothy, it's Lana. Yes, Tim says g'day. How are you? We miss you. How is work? How are your precious children? You do such good work, Little Lana."

Did I mention she talks a lot? She was one of those people who seemed to speak without having to take a breath.

"Hi Anthea, I'm doing well. Work is great, really good. I have a great bunch this year."

"Yes, you sound happy, Little Lana. Your new boyfriend must have something to do with it? He is very handsome. Not as handsome as Kamari mou but handsome. I showed all my friends, and they tell me you are still so beautiful and your hair is still so pretty and long. So long now. You've grown it."

I was stunned. I tried to talk, but the lump in my throat was so big, I couldn't swallow. I tried to say something, but all that came out was a huge sob, and I broke down.

"I'm sorry, Anthea, I am so sorry."

"Why are you crying? Stop it. Alana, why would I be upset? Why are you crying? Don't cry, silly girl. You should be happy. I do not expect you to be wearing black, like an old lady from my old country, for the rest of your life. I know you loved my son. but you're too young to grieve forever."

"I wanted to call you and tell you, but it happened so fast." I was still crying, but it wasn't so bad now. Anthea had comforted me in a way that I hadn't even known I needed. That she still loved me when I had started dating another man was incredible to me.

"You shhh, Little Lana. Listen to me. You have obviously called me for permission whether you know that's what you were doing or not. You have it, my blessing. Kamari mou wanted you to be happy also. He would not want you to be alone forever. You know this. Go speak to him, speak to Andy, and you will know."

"Thank you, Anthea."

"There now, Little Lana, you will be ok. Now no more speaking of sadness. I must tell you all the wonderful news. You will be an Aunty again soon."

Anthea talked to me for a little over an hour. Talking to Anthea was being talked at, but I needed it. I promised to call her again soon. She, of course, invited me to Easter but didn't expect a reply.

I felt lighter after talking to her. She was right. I had needed to know from her that she was ok with it. I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't been. I don't think I would have ended it with Liam. I think I was in too deep, but it would have been much harder to go on.

Anthea was right about something else too. I needed to talk to Andy.

So after school on Wednesday, I drove to the cemetery. I went and saw my Dad first. I didn't have much to say to him. I just sat there and let the memories come to me.

I remembered when I was six, and he shaved his moustache off, and I hadn't recognised him. I had run screaming to my Mum that there was a stranger in the house. I remembered how he would take us to see the fireworks on New Year's Eve, getting there early to get good spots and watch in awe as the fireworks exploded over Sydney Harbour. Nothing was as breathtaking as my home city on New Year's Eve. I thought about how he loved David Bowie, and he had even convinced my mother to name my brother after him. Dave and I had taken Dad to see David Bowie a few years before he passed away, and it was one of the most incredible nights of my life. The Labyrinth is still my favourite kid's movie, and Jareth was my first crush. He looked so good in those tights.

I went to see Andy. I don't see him very often. I go on Boxing Day, his birthday and our anniversary. As had become my ritual on those visits, I had his old phone and listened to his playlist. I laid down on the grass next to him and looked up at the sky. After a while, I started talking.

"Hey Butthead," I started, smiling as I said our private nickname. "I've got some things to tell you. First of all, I miss you. But surely you know that. And I know you know I will always love you. You were such a beacon in my life. A light for me when everything else was dark. I was like a moth to your flame. You drew me in, making me want to be close to you. You always made me feel like everything would be ok if I just stayed in your light. Things were so dark when you were taken from me. For so long, I felt nothing. Everything was dark.

"But then I started feeling better. I still missed you every day, but I wanted to find that again. Feel that love and safety again. I started dating about six months ago. Online mostly, you know, how the kids do it these days. I went on a few dates but felt nothing. Or if I did feel something, I felt like they weren't as good as you. Why would I settle for anyone who wasn't as good as you?

"I don't mean the same as you. I mean someone who moves me the way you did. Someone who showed me kindness like you did, someone who made me laugh, made me feel giddy. Someone I was attracted to. But also someone I wanted to do things for, someone who I wanted to go out of my way for, not because they forced me, but because I wanted to because I knew they would do it for me.

"I was about to give up. I only tried dating for a few months, but it felt so futile that I didn't care anymore. Then this guy started messaging me. He was sweet and funny, a Pom, but don't hold that against him. Anyway, I liked him instantly. It scared the shit out of me. I made him wait three months before I agreed to meet him. I was so scared because I knew I could fall for him.

"And when I met him, the sparks were there. It was instant. He was all the things I wanted. He's not like you. You're both very different. I mean, he doesn't like Mad Max for God's sake. But he makes me feel the way you made me feel. And Andy, I am falling for him."

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

"Lana, hold still." Jen was pulling my hair. I looked over at Riza, who was covering her mouth with a magazine. Her shaking shoulders gave her away, though, and I could see she was laughing her arse off. "I only have a couple more to do, and then you can go home and sleep."

I was at Riza's place. I had to see Jen after I spoke to Andy. Jen wanted to put my hair in pin curls. She had washed my hair and then got started pinning small sections of my already curly hair into curls.

I thought it was weird, but she said the hair has to be curled in the right direction for the style to work. She also said that the longer the curls were in, the better the result. That's why I was at her place, getting my hair done 24 hours before the event. How do celebrities live like this?

"How the hell am I going to sleep in this?" Riza's dropped all pretence and was laughing openly at me now. "Get bent, Riza."

"Hey! You're the one who looks like a 1950's housewife right now."

"1940's babe," Jen admonished. "Get it right."

When she finished, she wrapped my hair in a silk scarf. "Did you buy me an apron to go with the barefoot in the kitchen look?" I asked.

Jen laughed. She knew me well enough to know it was a joke. "Trust me. You're gonna love it."

"So when do I take the clips out?" I asked Jen.

"Not until I do your hair."

My eyes bulged. "I'm going to Liam's place hours before you're going to get there."

Riza pissed herself laughing, and Jen just said, "trust me."

When I got in bed, I rang Liam. I Facetimed him. Maybe if he laughs at me now, he won't laugh at me when I'm there, which would break my heart. His reaction surprised me.

"Why are you wearing a scarf? Please tell me you didn't dye your hair." He looked devastated.

"And what if I did?" I asked.

"You would still be you. It wouldn't change anything." He sputtered.

"Nice save," I laughed.

"I think being a redhead suits you. It makes you a little different."

I told Liam it was to protect the pin curls so they don't frizz. "You don't have to worry about me dying my hair until I start going white. I've never died my hair. It's my natural colour."

Liam's lip twitched. "I've noticed." He said.

I could have died.

On Thursday morning, I skipped the gym for obvious reasons, showered carefully so as not to wet my hair and started to get ready. I packed my bag and packed a bag for Perrin with his bed, crate, and food. I did a quick run through the shops to the dressmaker to pick the dress up from the dressmaker and to buy underwear for the dress. I didn't need a bra, but I wasn't going without underpants.

In the morning, I pottered, waiting for lunchtime to arrive and for Liam to finish his half-day at work. I was so jittery I had dropped my coffee this morning, and the mug had smashed. Not having anything to do and waiting for hours made it all worse. I had to do something, so I painted my nails and watched Kill Bill Vol. 1.

The story took me over, and soon I was transported with the action and exceptional dialogue. I decided the only person who could convince me to be an actor would be Quentin. I even went and got out my "Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino" hoodie for added comfort. When it was over, I did feel a little better and whistling the song from the movie, I got Perrin and went to Liam's.

By the time I got to Liam's house, the nerves had come back. I found it hard to concentrate and almost just walked Perrin into the backyard. I sighed and put Perrin on his leash and texted Liam that I was here, and walked to the park with Perrin. We had planned a way to introduce the dogs during the week. The snag was I had agreed to it before I knew about the hair situation. But I found an old bucket hat of Andy's that fit and hid most of my head. I still felt ridiculous, but at least the hat somewhat normal.

When I saw Liam, my heart leapt. I wanted to run to him, have him hold me, soothe away all the pain of the last week and fear of tonight. But we had to introduce the dogs first.

We walked to each other as Perrin and Cole had a little sniff of each other. There was no immediate dislike.

"Hello, Sweetheart." His voice took my breath away.

"Hi," I said.

"Cute hat."

"Arse." I was smiling, though.

"I've missed you," he smiled broadly.

I gave him a small smile.

Liam farrowed his eyebrows. "These two look like they are ok," he said. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"

I nodded, and Liam leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before we started to walk. We went side by side, keeping the dogs apart. Liam put his arm around my shoulder.

"You're very quiet this afternoon," he said after a few minutes.

"I'm nervous."

"About the dogs or tonight?" He asked. "Or something else?"

"Tonight." I felt like a petulant child with all these short remarks, but I couldn't give him anymore just yet. I let my head rest on his shoulder to try to let him know he wasn't the reason I was acting distant.

Liam squeezed me. "You'll be ok. You're going to be dressed beautifully and appropriately. No one is going to laugh at you. You'll see. Myra and Boyd are all excited to meet you. This is Myra's boyfriends first red carpet, too, so you won't be the only virgin." He paused and chuckled. "Although, I had better keep you two apart. He's a sparky? I think that's the word. I don't want him stealing you away from me. I know how much you love tradies."

I laughed. Liam had said all the right things in a few moments, and I felt calm again. At least calm enough that I can have a conversation. "Thanks, Liam," I said and kissed his cheek.

We walked for about half an hour. The dogs walked together for a bit. Perrin, being so old, was pretty laid back about the whole thing and Cole, while curious, just seemed happy to be making a new friend.

When we got back to Liam's house, we let them leashes off, and Perrin had a sniff around the yard. Cole either followed behind him or bounced around in front of him as if he were saying, "come look at this place over here."

While Perrin explored, Liam stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes a moment, listening to the sounds of the city.

"You're such a good hugger," I told Liam as I turned around in his arms and put my arms around his neck. I buried my face into his shirt, seeking his warmth and familiar scent.

"A compliment. From you? With no sarcasm?" Liam teased. "It must be my lucky day."

"Just shut up and kiss me," I said, and I lifted my head to meet his. Our kisses were soft at first, but they became more than that very quickly.

Liam pulled away and said, "we aren't alone. Ryan is here." Liam suggested that Ryan stay with the dogs while we were out. He would be back on Sunday and Monday, too, to take Cole for a walk and play.

I sighed. "Riza will be here soon anyway. We better get these guys inside and settled."

We took the dogs inside and got them set up. Then and I met Ryan, who was working in Liam's study. I don't know what I expected from Ryan, but a Scottish Hercules was not it. He was at least as large as Liam, had dark hair and green eyes and although he paled in comparison to Liam, he was handsome and instantly likeable.

We shook hands, and he said, "it's nice to meet you, Lana. I've heard a lot about you, so it's nice to put a face to the name." His accent was noticeable but not thick, and he spoke with a confident calmness that must be essential in his job. He doesn't mention or look at my scarf, which is a relief. I smiled and said, "Same. I keep hearing all these names, so it's nice to meet finally."

Liam gets me to put Ryans number in my phone. He said I should call Ryan if I need to contact him if he's not reachable while filming. I look at Ryan, and he nods as he says, "it's my job."

I do it, but I roll my eyes. He's not my assistant.

We let Ryan get back to work, and we go out to my car to bring my stuff in. By the time I've set up Perrin's things and sorted out my put my bags away, Riza and Jen arrive.

Liam opened the door for them, and Riza stood stunned for a moment. "Damn, you're built like a brick shithouse." Riza was very petite, half a head shorter than me, so you'd think she'd be used to everyone being bigger than her.

Liam, bless his cotton socks, laughed and put his hand out. "You must be Riza."

Riza took his hand, "yeah, mate, how's it going?" Liam stood aside to let her come in. She was hauling a massive makeup case, and Liam offered to take it for her. I thought she would bristle at his offer, but instead, she just gave it to him.

I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head, indicating my surprise. She just shrugged and gave me a strange look, and looked straight back at him. Riza is a pocket rocket type and prefers to be seen as one of the boys a lot of times. Andy even invited her to his bucks weekend despite her being my maid of honour, so the whole interaction was unusual.

Jen came in and introduced herself to Liam, and it was a much more civilised exchange than Riza's.

I gave them both hugs and kisses on the cheek. "Thanks for doing this, Jen and you too, Riza."

"No worries," Riza said.

Liam offered them both some wine and looked at me to see if I wanted one. I agreed, and we all sat in the lounge room.

Riza grabbed my hand when Liam had his back turned, "Sorry Lans, I think I got star struck. I'm a fucking dickhead."

Jen and I laughed at her, and I said, "serves you right for taking the piss out of me last night."

Liam came back with glasses and a bottle of white wine and poured us all a drink before taking a seat next to me. He sat next to me, resting his arm on the lounge behind me and put his ankle on his knee. His foot bounced, and I looked at him, and it struck me that he was anxious.

I put my hand on his foot to soothe him and turned to Riza and said, "did I tell you that Liam planned a trip to Mt Hotham this winter? I think it was June? Queens Birthday weekend? Before your Mum comes. Anyway, Riza, you spent a few winters there. Got any ideas for some good runs?"

That was it, the two of them talked about skiing, and the tension in the air lifted. I even swapped seats with Riza and sat with Jen for a bit. Once I could tell Liam and Riza were comfortable with each other, I asked Liam where Jen could set up.

Liam said to go to the master on the third, and he went to get up to take us there. I told him Jen, and I could be fine, and he smiled at me and kept talking to Riza. Jen and I smiled at each other and went up to get ready.

Part 19

#original character #original fiction #romantic story #happy ever after

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thoushallnotfall · 4 years ago

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Hi! Would you say David was obsessed with Michael or had real feelings for him? I saw a girl talking once about how David, even after his brothers getting killed, still talks to Michael to "stop fighting him" and still asks him to join them. I was thinking about that and I wondered if this was just a form to David to tricky him again or he was really trying to convince Michael to give up and stay with him? And if so, would it be because of feelings or because he hates to not get what he wants?

Real talk? 100% honest opinion? David is a repressed bisexual wreck and this movie is as gay as the Fourth of July.

Now I feel like I’ve touched on this a little bit in some of these previous “deep dive” questions (thank you guys so much for continuing to send me these I swear I am on cloud nine right now) but honestly what I personally feel the characters themselves would realistically do/feel/how they would react to things as real beings with complex emotions/backstories, and how this 1h 38m horror/comedy movie treats their reactions are not the same thing.

Look, as much as we love the characters and as writers and fans have expanded on them as much as we can and actually care about them as individual characters with like, actual thoughts and feelings--they’re the monster antagonists of the film. This was also the 80s. They’re not really meant to have complex motivations.

Even when I read the prequel script Schumacher literally cares so little about developing the personalities of the other lost boys that aren’t David he just kind of throws their names in at random when they have to talk, and I know that because at the end when the fifth lost boy that was just in the prequel script had died, they still gave him a line postmortem because they literally don’t care who says the line--they just plug their names in at random.

All the personality we get for the other boys comes 100% from the actors, from how they developed their characters. Yes, they get direction and I’m sure Schumacher had an idea of what he wanted for each one, but I think it was only at a surface level (I would murder someone for a copy of Lost in the Shadow so I could read more about this, but c'est la vie). They’re background props in the movie; I mean I don’t even remember hearing Dwayne’s name in the movie. He’s got like, maybe three lines? One of which we all just choose to ignore as writers because it’s so out of character for him. (I cringe whenever I get to that scene in the movie every. single. time) It took the actors actually caring about their roles and trying to develop them further for us to be able to pick up on all the little things and wring out what personality we can from their performances.

So as far as the David/Michael dynamic. I would say David 100% has feelings for Michael. No doubt in my mind. This movie is gay to the max. I already talked about the reasoning behind David changing Michael in relation to Max. I think he brought him into the cave with the intention of having Michael be Star’s first kill, but I think David and the boys genuinely enjoyed hanging out with/messing with Michael and on a whim David changed his mind and decided to turn him. But if we’re being real I think David was repressing a mad crush he was forming on Michael at the same time.

That is the face of a conflicted bisexual man who’s suddenly realizing, “Oh no, he’s hot.” I don’t make the rules.

Seriously though, I think David genuinely had feeling for Michael. It’s not like David and the boys hang out with other guys on a regular basis aside from each other, and I see their relationship with each other in a more brotherly way rather than sexual, particularly when you look at their relationship from the prequel script (are you guys tried of me talking about the prequel script yet?). So for David, this would be the first time in probably 80ish years that he’s actually just hung out and had fun with another guy that wasn’t one of his brothers. He’s probably feeling a lot of repressed feelings coming to the surface and Michael’s a good time, so why not? Plus he’s a snack. So I agree with the movie on this part, I think David would have gone through with turning him for his own reasons (not because of Max).

But after his brothers were killed I don’t think David would have still been trying to recruit him. I think the movie is sincere in this line though.

I think movie!David is still trying to get Michael on his side, most likely because of Max (again, from my previous post, I really think the secret villain reveal hurt the characters in the movie more than it helped) because Max still wants Michael to join them because he wants Lucy.

I think if we’re being fair to the character though, no matter how heartless people might think David is, even when it comes to the other lost boys, (I’ve talked about that too) he’s not. This is an 80s horror movie, this is before the villains/monsters were allowed to be complex and have real feelings (fun fact: that tear David sheds in the movie after Marko dies and the Frogs/Sam flee the cave? It was actually because the glass contacts Kiefer had to wear. You could only keep those things in your eyes for like 5 minutes before they dried your eyes out really bad, hence the tear; but Schumacher liked that it fit the scene so he kept it in the movie. That’s the only reason we get even an inkling of emotion from them post-Marko death.) so we don’t get to see the complexity of his character as much as we’d like. I do think Kiefer, the absolute king he is, really did an amazing job of trying to throw in a lot of layers to the character.

So to wrap up my rant here, I personally think there are two answers to your question.

I think, in the movie, David is genuinely still trying to get Michael to join him. Whether it be for Max’s benefit or not I can’t say, but I think, for the sake of the movie, yeah, that’s what that scene was trying to do. I think movie!David is totally crushing on Michael and that’s why he turns him, but I don’t think that has anything to do with why he’s still trying to get him to join after the boys are dead. Pretty sure that ship sailed; it’s all business now.

But if this character was allowed to exist outside the sphere of a 90 minute movie? If he was allowed to deviate from furthering the agenda of the “secret villains” plot? No. No way in hell would David still be okay with Michael after what he’d done to his boys. He’d being flaying him alive.

Thank you so much for the question! It was such a good one! ❤️ Feel free to send me any more! I am always down to answer these kinds of questions. (I’m genuinely surprised anyone actually want me opinion on this stuff. It’s bonkers. You guys are amazing.)

-Rachel

#the lost boys #the lost boys 1987 #asks

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