#it’s why she couldn’t be there for the twins confrontation

[laniidae-passerine]

everyone wondering, if Curtain actually doesn’t have any qualifications, how the Institute gained popularity and accreditation and I would just to put forward ‘Dr Garrison, international science and education world celebrity’

[billymayslesbian]

Before Lionblaze could argue, another shape burst through the billowing smoke to stand beside Squirrelflight. His eyes glared; his gray fur was matted together and stuck with bits of burnt leaf and twig. Confused by the smoke and flames, Hollyleaf almost thought she was seeing one of her warrior ancestors, until she recognized Ashfur.

Squirrelflight dropped the branch. “Help me push it into the fire!” she yowled.

Grabbing the branch in strong jaws, Ashfur thrust it past the wall of flame and into the ever-narrowing patch of ground where Hollyleaf and her brothers huddled. But Hollyleaf didn’t feel any sense of relief. There was a look in Ashfur’s eyes that she didn’t understand: the look of a cat who had just spotted an unexpected juicy bit of prey.

The branch made a bridge through the flames, but Ashfur stood at the other end of it, blocking the way to safety. Lionblaze nudged Jayfeather to his paws; Hollyleaf took a step toward the branch, then paused. She felt a cold weight in herbelly when she looked into Ashfur’s glittering blue eyes.

“Ashfur, get out of the way.” Squirrelflight’s voice was puzzled. “Let them get out!”

“Brambleclaw isn’t here to look after them now,” Ashfur sneered.

Hollyleaf felt her fur beginning to rise. What did Ashfur mean?

Lionblaze’s golden pelt was bristling, too. “What have you done with my father?” he howled through the flame.

Ashfur looked at him pityingly; his eyes were twin points of fire amid the burning forest. “Why would I waste my time with Brambleclaw?”

The main branch was too solid to catch fire easily, but the leaves on it had shriveled and the twigs were beginning to smoke. Hollyleaf realized that they didn’t have much time before their bridge to safety would be ablaze.

Squirrelflight staggered up to Ashfur. Hollyleaf had never seen her mother so angry. Her fur bristled with fury; she looked like a warrior of TigerClan. Yet it was obvious that the climb to the top of the cliff, followed by her struggle with the branch, had weakened her, and she was exhausted.

“Your quarrel with Brambleclaw has to stop,” she hissed. “Too many moons have passed. You have to accept that I’m Brambleclaw’s mate, not yours. You can’t keep trying to punish Brambleclaw for something that was always meant to be.”

Ashfur’s ears flicked up in surprise. “I have no quarrel with Brambleclaw.”

Hollyleaf exchanged a shocked glance with Lionblaze. “That’s not how it looks to me,” he muttered.

“I couldn’t care less about Brambleclaw,” Ashfur continued. “It’s not his fault he fell for a faithless she-cat.”

Faithless? A growl began to build in Hollyleaf ’s throat, but then she stopped and watched the cats on the other side of the blazing branches. Something ominous was taking place in front of her, and even with flame roaring around them she felt a sudden chill. She shrank closer to Lionblaze and Jayfeather, whose head was up, his sightless eyes intent, as if he could see the confrontation between his mother and Ashfur.

“I know you think I’ve never forgiven Brambleclaw for stealing you from me, but you’re wrong, and so is every cat that thinks so. My quarrel is with you, Squirrelflight.” Ashfur’s voice shook with rage. “It always has been.”

Horrified, Hollyleaf took a step back and felt her hind paws begin to slip on the edge of the cliff. Her head spun as lightning stabbed out and thunder drowned all other sounds, even the roaring fire. For a heartbeat she dangled over empty air, and she let out a strangled yowl.

Then she felt firm teeth meet in her scruff; blinking against the smoke, she realized that Lionblaze was hauling her back to safety. But there was no safety: only the hungry flames, and Ashfur blocking the end of the branch with fury in his eyes. Fiery sparks floated down on all three young cats, scorching their fur, and flames licked the underside of the branch; fear flooded afresh through Hollyleaf when she saw that it was already beginning to smolder.

Ashfur has to let us get out! But Hollyleaf couldn’t find any words to plead with him. What was happening here didn’t have anything to do with them, even if they died because of it.

“All this was moons ago.” Squirrelflight sounded puzzled. “Ashfur, I had no idea you were still upset.”

“Upset?” Ashfur echoed. “I’m not upset. You have no idea how much pain I’m in. It’s like being cut open every day, bleeding onto the stones. I can’t understand how any of you failed to see the blood. . . .”

His eyes clouded and his voice took on a wild, distant tone, as if he could see the blood spilling out of him now, sizzling on the burning ground. Terror burst through Hollyleaf and she pressed closer to her brothers. This cat was more dangerous than the storm or the fire, or the fall lurking perilously close to her hind paws.

Desperately she tried to step onto the end of the branch. At once Ashfur rounded on her, fully conscious again, his teeth bared in a snarl.

“Stay there!” Turning to face Squirrelflight but keeping one paw on the branch, he hissed, “I can’t believe you didn’t know how much you hurt me. You are the blind one, not Jayfeather. Who do you think sent Firestar the message to go down to the lake, where the fox trap was? I wanted him to die, to take your father away so you’d know the real meaning of pain.”

Hollyleaf ’s shocked gaze met Lionblaze’s. “He tried to kill Firestar?” she gasped. “He’s mad!”

Determination glittered in Lionblaze’s eyes, and he bunched his muscles for a giant leap. “I’m going to fight him.”

“No!” Hollyleaf fastened her teeth in his shoulder fur. “You can’t!” Her words were muffled now. “He’ll just push you into the fire.”

“Brambleclaw saved Firestar then,” Ashfur went on to Squirrelflight. “But he’s not here now. He’s not here—but your kits are.”

Squirrelflight’s eyes blazed. For a heartbeat Hollyleaf thought she was going to pounce on the gray warrior, but she knew that exhausted and in pain, her mother would have no chance. Squirrelflight seemed to realize it, too. She drew herself up, head high; she was trembling, but her voice was clear and brave.

“Enough, Ashfur. Your quarrel is with me. These young cats have done nothing to hurt you. Do what you like with me, but let them out of the fire.”

“You don’t understand.” Ashfur looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time; his voice was puzzled and petulant. “This is the only way to make you feel the same pain that you caused me. You tore my heart out when you chose Brambleclaw over me. Anything I did to you would never hurt as much. But your kits . . .” He looked through the flames at Hollyleaf and her brothers, his eyes narrowing to dark blue slits. “If you watch them die, then you’ll know the pain I felt.”

The flames crackled threateningly closer; Hollyleaf felt as if the heat was about to sear her pelt into ashes. She edged backward, only to feel the edge of the hollow give way under her hind paws. The three of them were pressed tightly together, so close that if one of them lost their balance, all three would be dragged off the cliff. Hollyleaf couldn’t control the trembling that shook her whole body as her glance flickered between the cliff and the fire.

Jayfeather was crouched close to the ground, looking tinier than ever with his pelt slicked flat by the rain. Lionblaze’s claws were unsheathed, glinting as the lightning flashed out again, but the tension in his haunches didn’t come from preparing to leap at Ashfur; it came from the effort of keeping himself on the top of the cliff.

Squirrelflight raised her head, her gaze locked on Ashfur’s crazed eyes. “Kill them, then,” she meowed. “You won’t hurt me that way.”

Ashfur opened his jaws to reply, but said nothing. Hollyleaf and her brothers stared at their mother. What was Squirrelflight saying?

Squirrelflight took a step away from them, and glanced carelessly over her shoulder. Her green eyes were fiercer than Hollyleaf had ever seen them, with an expression she couldn’t read.

“If you really want to hurt me, you’ll have to find a better way than that,” Squirrelflight snarled. “They are not my kits.”

[screeching-bunny]

Part 2 on the Yandere supernatural heram please.

Yandere! Supernatural Harem pt.2

Warnings: Obsessive Behavior, Yandere Thoughts, Bad Writing, Stalking, Possessive Behavior, Reader is Referred as ‘You’

Pt.1

Your first ever viable memory was of a supernatural creature. At the young age of three, you encountered an extremely tall woman with long black hair dressed in a white dress. Looking back at the memory, she ended up turning out to be an urban legend called Hachishakusama. The eight feet tall women loomed down over you and followed you wherever you went. Everytime she was nearby you could hear her utter the sound “po” over and over again. Anytime you brought this up to your parents they would just brush it off as you being imaginative and thought that you made an imaginary friend. “Would your friend like to join us for dinner tonight?” Never, would they actually take your comments.

It wasn’t until you got tired of her appearance did you actually start to confront her. With your limited variety of vocabulary and baby voice, you spring out the sentence of “Why you follow me?” Only to be met with silence as you stomp your little feet on the ground. Geez how rude of her didn’t she hear that you asked a question?

Suddenly, the woman reaches her arms out to grab you. The grip of her hug was strong and firm. You were barely able to move around that much. Your tiny little brain panicked as you struggled to get free. It was the first time that you’ve ever experienced real fear. Soon, the woman opened her mouth and said, “Won’t you come home with me child. I’ll make sure to take care of you and treat you better than your biological parents.” You didn’t get a chance to respond before your mother burst into your room and screamed.

After that incident your parents took you to a Buddhist temple so that you could be dispelled from evil spirits or entities. This however, never really worked because some form of shape or another they just kept on crawling back. When your parents thought that you were safe you were finally able to leave the temple. Your parents wanted you to be extra safe so they decided to move out of the house and buy a new one. Thankfully, due to this incident they were more aware and took your concerns about others very seriously from then on.

Another vivid memory that you could recall was when you were at the age of eight. It was at the time when your new neighbors moved into the house next to yours. Your father wanted to greet your new neighbors and took you along with him. You remember waiting on their doorstep as your father knocks on the door. A few minutes pass and he knocks again. “Maybe they're not home, let’s come back later.” Just then the door swings open and out comes a tall blonde man. “Hi, we’re your new neighbors. We just came by to greet you and welcome you to our neighborhood.” The blonde man stared for a second before saying, “Thanks so much for that and your formalities. You have such a cute kid. I have two twin boys about their age, do you think they could play together?”

Just like that you were in the neighbor’s yard with his two twin sons. They were definitely an odd bunch with long bangs covering your eyes. Even though you couldn’t see them, you could feel their eyes following your form. As time went on hanging around them wasn’t that bad; they were very nice to be around and listen to basically everything you said. The only problem was that they were overly clingy, everywhere you were they just had to be as well. Another red flag was that they would never allow you to see their eyes no matter how much you pleaded and pestered, they would never allow you to see their eyes.

By the time that you were in the fifth grade, you three were inseparable best friends. During your time with them however, students at your elementary school started to go missing more frequently. An incident that you could remember was when you told the twins that you liked some kid and were planning to confess soon. A few weeks later your crush was missing and a community search was sent out. No matter how hard everyone looked no one could find them, it was almost as if they had disappeared out of thin air.

As the years went on more creatures showed up to you but they seemed to be intercepted by some weird force. You made sure to keep this a secret from everyone but your parents. It wasn’t until your senior year of high school that you found out the truth about your two best friends. One day, you just got so curious about what their eyes looked like that you peaked at one of the twin’s eyes when he was his face. His eyes were pitch black and darker than charcoal. Even though you didn’t know it at the time, they were called black eyed children.

Safe to say, you were extremely creeped out by this discovery but were even more creeped out that they were planning on kidnapping you to some faraway place. Yeah heck no, so on the day of graduation, you decided to run away from home to get away from them. You then wrote a letter to your family basically saying, “Yeah, so my childhood friends aren't actually human and it’s best I leave before anything happens to you or me peace out, xoxo your child.”

Leaving home was pretty rough for you. You’ve never felt so alone before in your entire life and to top it all off you were a newly fresh adult. Making it into an adult transition was difficult and confusing but you somehow managed with that.

Blasting into the future now, you were in quite a predicament. Waking up with your limbs tied to a bedpost was not your ideal way of starting your morning but hey at least your kidnapper didn’t you hard rope. Instead, it was a really thick ribbon and lace that bonded your arms. Your eyes start to adjust to the light as your vision starts to get clearer you notice that most of the furniture is Victorian styled. Soon you hear footsteps reach to the and it starts to open.

“My love, it seems that you're finally awake. Oh how I’ve dreamed of this moment, I can’t believe that this is real.” Wow this was totally not creepy whatsoever. Taking in his appearance you notice his sharp fangs and long glistening hair. Yeah he is definitely a vampire, this is so annoying you really did not feel like being a blood bag right now.

“Can you please untie me? I promise not to run away.” Before you could get a response from him, the ground suddenly started to shake, and you could feel your arms being freed. As you get up to run from your captor, you feel the arms of someone grabbing your waist. In a blink of an eye, you feel someone lift you up and fly you away from the vampire. “GOD DAMN IT, NOT THIS AGAIN.”

[amoreva]

girl i beg you i need reader x luke based on gorgeous by taylor swift... its been on my mind for like past week

FESS UP!

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pairing: luke castellan x reader

summary: you still have some unresolved feelings about a certain Hermes counselor.

warnings: cursing, implied reader is halfblood, sexual innuendo, dorky, drinking, kinda loser!reader

a/n: is it dorky? probably, lmk with feedback in the comments. every one is appreciated and helps me write towards your liking.

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You were a coward.

Not with everything, because gods forbid you’re afraid of monsters despite having demigod-blood in you.

No, you were a coward with confrontation. With emotions, with love. Mainly love. You couldn’t even confess to a someone without your stomach churning.

And how you expressed attraction was…not ideal, according to Silena. You kind of, sort of—just a tad made fun of some things you found attractive of them.

Ideally, you wanted to leave yourself out for the harpies to maul you when your crushes give you a look (you knew you fucked up).

Which is why you have stuck to the tactic of watch and admire from afar and be happy with just friendship.

A classic.

The bonfire burned high and orange as many of the older campers and counselors, including yourself, were hanging out without the responsibilities of taking care of your younger siblings.

The typical red solo cups were in the hands of every demigod. A mysterious mixture made by Dionysus’ twins, Pollux and Castor, occupied the container. They never told anyone the recipe or what’s in it, but it left a warm feeling in your chest.

“You keep staring and he’s bound to notice.” Silena sat next to you. “Or your eyes fall out.”

“I hate him. Why does he have to look like that?” You groaned and sipped your drink to distract you from your current crush.

Luke Castellan. The golden boy of Camp Half-Blood. He could charm anyone’s pants off with a smile. It was frustrating how good looking and friendly and cool and kind he was. Fuck him.

He was talking the Chris and Beckendorf about who knows what. Somehow, the Hermes counselor has yet to have a girlfriend. He’s probably a virgin. You could fix that.

“Honey…” Silena looked at you with concern in her eyes and a polite smile. “The whole sit and admire tactic is redundant. Talk to him.”

“Silena…” You whined and the girl was preparing herself to listen to your list of excuses of why you can’t.

“No, no—don’t whine like a baby!” Silena dumped the rest of her drink into your cup. Taking initiative, she made your chug like half. “Fess up or mess up! Take some liquid courage and go talk to him.”

“Silen—” You sputtered as your chest grew as warm as the bonfire. Your throat burned in a good way.

Whoever said Silena was the Camp’s Cupid was right and she was quite determined to get a start on pairing you and Luke. Just to see how it turns out, of course.

Next thing you know, you’re dragged over to Luke, Chris and Beckendorf; interrupting the boys’ conversation. Silena made up some lame excuse and said a quick introduction before shoving Chris and Beckendorf away from Luke and you.

Gods, he’s so gorgeous. His curly hair tosseles over his head. His eyes meeting yours as he sipped on his own drink. That amused smirk that paired so well with his scar—both working in favor of his boyish charm.

And suddenly he’s moving his mouth.

“Hey.” He said normal and polite as one would do. Obviously.

And you can’t help but think of Tangled. Specifically, the scene when Flynn Rider is tied up to a chair with Rapunzel’s hair. She interrogating him and all he could muster was a smolder and the word “Hey”, to try and charm his way out.

Luke looks out quizzically as you poorly try to stifle a mix between a giggle and a snort behind your hand. He must’ve thought you were crazy for laughing or extremely rude.

It’s frustrating how nervous you can be in front of your crushes.

“Hi—sorry…” You managed to quiet your laughs and awkwardly sip your drink. “I was thinking about how you remind me of Flynn Rider from Tangled. How are you?”

“Tangled?” Luke tilted his head in confusion. Oh gods, has this boy never experience Disney movies? This just made it even more terribly awkward if he didn’t get the reference.

“Y��know…the girl with the glowing hair locked in a tower until Flynn Rider gets her out to see the lanterns in exchange for the crown?” You explained.

“Oh! Rapunzel.” Luke nodded. “Yeah I remember that. I always loved the lantern scene.”

“Me too! I’ve always wanted to experience something like that.” You agreed and looked over at the bonfire. Silena and Beckendorf encouraging you to keep talking to him.

Though Luke and you fell silent. Your mind wracking topics to talk about with him, but all you can think of is how handsome he is. Now looks aren’t everything, but his personality was a gorgeous as Elysium.

“Gods, you are just so handsome.” You find yourself admitting without even thinking about it. You find the words to talk to him about anything and everything, but your stumble.

Luke grabbed your arm. Stars dotting your vision. The “liquid courage” Silena forced down your throat catching up to you. “Hey, I think that’s enough drinking. Yeah?”

“Yeah…” You mumble as Luke leads you away from the bonfire and towards your cabin.

“Let’s get you back to your bunk, yeah? S’not good to be so drunk now.” He cared enough to walk you back to your cabin! It left a warm feeling in your body, or that was the Dionysus twins’ special drink.

The cabin door creaks open and Luke procures some water. You drink it as Luke crouches to get your converse off. Again, your heart is warm inside, but that could just be the alcohol.

Luke laid your blanket over your body. An amused smirk on his face. He found you drunk cute. So, he decides to admit something hoping you’d remember tomorrow. You’re already half asleep when you hear this.

“I think you’re cute too. Let’s start out with watching Tangled first before we do anything, yeah?” Luke laughed quietly, trying not to wake your siblings. He wanted it to take it slow with you. Was this some drunk dream?

“Yeah…” You find yourself mumbling. Your eyes drooping shut before opening again. Struggling to stay awake to keep talking to Luke, you fall asleep.

Silena was a damn good Cupid.

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[sublimeinal-messages]

How great would it have been to have Lila and Diego’s marital problems actually be that they’re both tired of normal marital life, when both of them are secretly getting back into the superhero / assassin gig behind eachother’s backs?

Like, ok Diego can still has his infidelity suspicion plot, thinking lila is cheating on him with five (which is fake. Didn’t happen at all. We all agree right?) but it turns out that Lila and Five are actually meeting up to plot, talking about old commission stuff on the downlow. Diego sneaks out to find them having dinner and he’s heartbroken, but it’s actually them eating takeout over assassination plans with files all over the table detailing how to kill someone without a trace, with pictures of alleyway vantage points and sniper rifles.

I didn’t expect this to end up being A Whole Thing but I had to write it out. Full thing under the cut:

Meanwhile, Diego’s been lying to Lila about losing his job. He hasn’t shown up for work in weeks, and recently got fired. Levaing the family financially unstable. Diego’s still showing up to be a dad during his usual scheduled times, but he hasn’t been paid in a while and both parents seem to be pulled away in different directions. And now the kids have begun to notice. This comes to a peak when one of their kids spot someone in their house at night dressed in black, and they tell Lila later that they saw Batman. Obviously Lila sees right through this and confronts Diego, who confronts her right back over her infidelity. Lila laughs in his face, because he’d have to be insane to think she’s ever do that, and with Five?? The barely-legal teenager who killed her parents? Are you stupid?? (Stares directly at the camera). But Diego’s hurt. He can’t get a clear answer on what they’re doing because she doesn’t want to admit she’s tired of being a housewife and wants to kick ass again. All they can agree on is that this isn’t working anymore, neither of them are happy, and they just hurt each others feelings.

So this fight ends in Diego storming out. They’re on a break. Lila is heartbroken, the kids don’t know what’s going on, and Diego throws himself wholeheartedly into being a vigilante again. It’s shown he’s fighting some shady organization that seems to have far reaching ties—related to Reginald, Abigail, and their new reset empire. Lila doesn’t know what to do, she gets some in-laws to stay over and look after the kids as she goes out to look for him (to no avail) and it ends up being the day she and five planned on their big assassination happening. Lila caves and says to five he’s gotta do this himself because her family is falling apart. Five is annoyed and makes a quip about how this is why he never lets romantic attachments get in in the way of him doing a job (stares directly into camera).

So five takes his sniper rifle and goes to the location early, where he’s positioned to take out their mark. Lila is out looking for Diego, and Diego is kitted up, on his way to take out these shady people he’s been making a case on, and intends to stop what they’re doing before they do it.

Anyone pick up where this is going yet?

Diego shows up at the location—a shady laboratory owned in secret by Reginald Hargreeves. The place is familiar. Diego slips into an alleyway. but what’s this? We’ve seen It’s the exact same alleyway but from a different point of view! Five is perched on the roof with a sniper, looking down at him. He gets his quarry in his sights and takes one final, steadying breath. This mission is going exactly as planned. The idiot showed up right as predicted. He didn’t even come with backup this time. It’s a textbook fish in a barrel. It’s almost disappointing how this couldn’t be an easier kill. But maybe Five’s glory days are just behind him. He puts his finger on the trigger.

Cut to diego and Lila’s house. It’s dark inside. Gracie and the twins have been put to bed and the in-laws are tired and in the living room. A phone rings, and it’s Lila, calling to say she hasn’t found Diego and is hoping he came back, but it’s not the case. Lila says she’ll be back soon and the in-laws begin packing up to go home. Gracie stands in the hallway, overhearing. To her, her whole world is falling apart, and she runs back to the twin’s bedroom in tears. She can’t believe this is happening. The lights are turned off in the hallway and the house grows quiet. The front door opens and closes and it’s implied that the in-laws have just gone home. Mum will be back soon, but the twins won’t stop crying, so Gracie gets up to get them some milk and cookies to make them happy again. She steps out into the dark hallway

To see a man dressed like Batman, in full fight gear. And she looks up at him with hope in her eyes, saying “daddy?”

Only surprise! It’s not, and they grab her as she lets out a scream. We cut to Diego as he reaches to open the door at the end of the alley only to find it locked, and realize he’s been set up. He spins around only for a gunshot to sound, and it cuts to black.

Lila comes back to the house. Finds it trashed. Finds her Inlaws murdered in horrific fashion in the driveway. Gracie and the twins are gone. And the little domestic life she and Diego made destroyed as we cut back to Diego, bleeding out in the street from what looks like a fatal gunshot.

Then five comes down from his perch to confirm his kill, only to realize what he’s just done.

So there. Here’s a dramatic, non-cheating subplot that has a similar amount of stakes that we could’ve had with season 4. Maybe Lila and Five end up going on a crusade for everyone to get their powers back so they can bring Diego back from the dead. Maybe this is what leads them to the subway, to mess with the timeline again, because as commission agents they can’t let go of the idea that time can be fixed and it isn’t theirs to mess with anymore. Maybe this sends Lila over the edge, and when trapped in the subway with five—she tries to murder him instead!! After all, he’s not only killed her parents, he’s now killed her husband! Why not have five scramble to figure out a way back for all those years while running for his life? (While a scooby-doo like soundtrack plays and they get all turned around and confused). Maybe Diego isn’t actually dead in the end, and it’s all a bait and switch to fool Reginald, who was watching and lines the whole thing up to fuck with them. Taking the kids as a deterrent so they won’t dig any deeper. But maybe in the last second before five pulls the trigger five hesitates. Maybe he doesn’t have what it takes to murder anymore. He swore it off earlier—what glory is he really chasing anyway? Maybe he recognizes the gait of the person in the alley and makes a non-killing shot to just take them out. Maybe he saw ahead that this was a setup by Reginald and made an agreement with Diego and filled his vest full of blood packets. And he fully knows Lila and Diego are both doing secret little vigilante gigs behind each others backs but tells neither because he really doesn’t want to get in the way of some stuffy marital dispute. Nooooo thanks. He had enough of that when he and Delores were together and bickering constantly. Five just wants his family alive and happy in whatever timeline they end up. (Chokes the spirit of Steve Blackman just a little bit harder)

Anyway, everyone else thinks Diego is dead; and all get together again. Weddings and funerals uniting them once more, and each of them reveal how life didn’t turn out how they wanted on their own, and they get to bond and unite to track down Gracie and the twins. “One last time” they agree, to be heroes and finally do something right. To save some little kids. Members of their family! Innocent ones, who don’t deserve to be caught up in their mess. And it culminates in confronting Reginald once and for all and destroying the ill-gotten gains he warped the universe in his favor for. And Reginald’s gone the rest of them can finally have peace of mind. Maybe the timeline genuinely gets better now that one monocoled megalomaniacal maniac isn’t in the centre of the universe anymore. The very thing that doomed the timeline before. And now the umbrellas are able to disband and go on in their lives as normal people in a timeline that exists with no favouritism at all. It’s all just what they make of it

(and hey! Maybe Diego comes back out of hiding and saves the day! And he and Lila both confess they want to take more active roles outside of being parents. And their kids are wowed by the fact that their parents are both superheroes. And it’s cool and awesome and I don’t sob at a very tragic defeatist ending of all I hold dear).

I don’t know guys. There’s so many different ways the final season could’ve gone, but not in a million years would I have chosen to make it go the way it did. That��s a whole other post—but in the end, I just know I’ll be entertaining my own little ideas for what happens to these characters I’ve grown and loved, and keep them alive in my own heart and AU story ideas. Thats the true canon for me, and the rest is just… fuss and marigold dust

[cheriladycl01]

My love, is mine all mine - Max Verstappen x Norris! Reader x Charles Leclerc Part 3

Plot: Norris' Twin sister is also a driver in the 2021 line up and is in her rookie era. Not only do the commentators struggle to now talk about the pair in the race, but they also struggle to talk about talent. What happens when two drivers find her eye-catching.

After the Charles incident you didn’t really know what to do. The next weeks to come you continued straight on from France into 2 rounds at the Red Bull Ring. Of course everyone was looking to Max for the wins as this was the home for the team.

Practice hadn’t gone well, and it was completely your fault.

You’d gone 12th fastest in FP1, however when your best friend from home surprised you at the track you had the time to confide in her.

You told her all about what had happened with your twin and with Charles and Max. She was just as shocked as you were.

You showed her everywhere while you guys went to get some snacks to bring back to your drivers room.

You ended up bumping into some of the drivers, but the one you stuck around the most was Max, he asked you how you were after the post France fiasco and you’d asked him to drop it.

He ended up changing the conversation to your friend asking who she was and you guys all spoke about that instead which as a delight for you.

Eventually Max needed to go for some kind of Red Bull test, and he left you two to get back to the McLaren Paddock.

You guys gossiped like two little girls until Zac and Nico your race engineer came into your drivers room telling you it was time for FP2.

After having that pep talk from Y/BF/N you went 2nd fastest only 0.3 of a second behind Max himself. You were glowing when you came out the car. Everyone was congratulating you and the McLaren admins were taking pictures and videos of you happily getting out of the car!

However, when you turned your head looking towards the garage entrance you couldn’t see Y/BF/N anywhere. You finished up your media duties, talking about the pace of the car and how your head was clear on the flyers you did in FP2.

You spent ages looking for you friend, you assumed she’d stay in your hotel room with you so you were looking for her all around the track.

You eventually gave up sending her a text instead asking where she was to which she sent a short reply explaining she was back at her own hotel.

You went back to yours, laying awake thinking of qualifying and how tomorrow would go.

You thought you’d have a really good day today, you woke up extra early having a nice hotel breakfast and going to the paddock in a really nice outfit from one of your clothing sponsors Versace.

But when you got the the paddock seeing Y/BF/N kissing Max Verstappen’s cheek you were confused. He handed her the jacket she’d been wearing yesterday and you couldn’t help but think the worst.

You wanted to confront him, but with FP3 coming up you knew it was about time you’d have to get ready so you try to ignore it as much as possible. However it was the only thing on your mind.

Max had been so nice to you in your first season. And you always fell for the nice guys, who turned out to be twats. But you didn’t think he was a twat.

If anything you were more upset at the fact that Y/BF/N had potentially lied to you about where she was, and you didn’t know why she would feel the need to do that.

FP3 was awful, and you went 17th fastest a stark contrast from yesterday. Mick in the Haas was faster than you and if that wasn’t a wake up call you don’t know what was. The only comfort was that your brother was P19, so it wasn’t just a you thing the car wasn’t at peak performance.

Come qualifying your cars performed better, especially Landos where he went all the way to Q3 taking second row in P4. You on the other hand only made it to Q2 and was left starting next to Sebastian Vettel behind Yuki Tsunoda and Carlos Sainz. You were hoping the Ferrari could give you a slip stream and you’d be able to move up to go for an overtake on George.

You started off really well, doing exactly as you said. You dived in between Carlos and Yuki, both distracted attacking and defending each other you managed to get ahead.

You stormed through the field overtaking Lance and George consecutively, your gotten yourself to P9, left to take over the Alpine and then make a move on Charles. However, Lance came up too close behind you going into turn 4 your car spinning out because of how he hit you in the side.

The car went straight into the barriers not stopped by the gravel and the car was buried. There was no way for recovery.

"Are you okay Y/N?" Nico asks and where you are so winded you don't reply for a second.

"Y/N are you okay?" Nico asks again, you have a little shake of your head now that you breath is back and not caught before you reply.

"Yes. I'm okay. I don't know what happened i was turning on the inside line and Lance was just in the side of my car and I spun out" you say, looking at your hands waiting for Nico to reply.

"Stewards are reviewing footage now, come back to the garage and we'll see you in medical" Nico says.

You switch everything off chucking the wheel out the car onto the gravel before pulling yourself up over the halo. Lance had managed to continue his race but would need to put for wing damage. You came back with a Marshall to the McLaren garage profusely apologizing to Zac who had come to see you from where he had been sat on the pit wall.

"It's okay Y/N! This is your first DNF, there's no need to worry okay? This wasn't your fault at all!" he tells you rubbing your shoulder. You nod and watch as he shows you the decision made by the stewards. Lance was being made to do a stop and go 10 second penalty.

The race ended with your brother up high in the points making up for your unfortunate end to the race and getting the team the much needed points.

All the post race interviews you were asked about the incident with Lance and whether you were happy with the decision made by the Stewards. You kindly explained that you trusted the FIA in their decision making and the penalty clearly paid off as Lance was kept out of the points.

As Lando had done really well, you agreed to take him out to dinner that night. You'd asked Y/BF/N if she wanted to come but she said she'd be staying at the hotel because something in the McLaren hospitality hade made her sick so she'd be having plain toast at the hotel.

You and Lando dressed up really nice as you were taking him to a fancy restaurant so you didn't have to deal with the agg of the media or fans as the crash had really taken a lot of your energy.

You were seated at a central table one where you both had a view of the whole restaurant which was perfect as you could both people watch and comment on all the funny things people were doing. It was a little past time you and Lando had since you were kids.

Where it was one of the nicest restaurants in Austria, you guys saw some of the other drivers. Lewis, Sebastian and Valterri came in, and sat 4 tables down from you both, then Charles and Pierre came in together and sat in the seats behind you.

You were just served your starter when you looked up to thank the waitress, when your eyes locked on Max Verstappen walking in with Y/BF/N.

“Y/BF/N?” You ask in shock, where you ask loud enough for them to hear both their attention is now on you and the rest of the people sitting in your vicinity also look up.

“I thought you said you were to sick to come celebrate with Lando and I?” You ask offended that she’d ditched your for someone else and not told you, you wouldn’t have had a problem if she’d told you.

Not only that but it irked you she was with Max and you didn’t know why.

Did this mean that she had in fact been with Max when she said she was in her own hotel room? Did she even have a room?

“What are you guys doing here?” She laughs awkwardly before looking up at Max who now looks like a deer caught in headlights.

“I told me Lando and I were going out for dinner, to celebrate?” You say as if trying to jog her memory.

“Yeah but let’s be for real it’s you and Lando, I would expect your celebratory meal to be McDonalds and class it as cheat day for your insane diet!” She exclaims making you recoil a little.

“Is that why you said no? Because you didn’t think we’d take you someone nice, so you went with the person that had the better offer?” You ask looking up at Max who was trying to avoid all eye contact by looking everywhere but you.

You couldn’t believe it, was your childhood best friend about to admit she was only your friend for the money?

“Y/N that came out wrong. Looks let’s just enjoy our nights out, and we can talk about this on the plane home tomorrow!” She offers reaching a hand out to you.

“Im not going home tomorrow, I have another race here next weekend. Me and Lando are staying here because it’s cheaper. I told you that the other day” you voice before going back to sit down with Lando and enjoy your meal.

The hostess guides them to the other side of the restaurant, as they didn’t want any more disturbances so both Max and Y/BF/N are out of sight.

“Hey are you okay?” You hear from behind you making you turn round to see Charles turned round on his booth seat looking at you, Pierre also sending you a kind smile.

“Im fine, why wouldn’t I be” you smile but it really is the furthest thing from the truth.

You try to enjoy your night, but it’s constantly playing on the back of your mind.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc @mirrorball-6 @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @the-fem1n1ne-urge @21stcenturytaegi @dark-night-sky-99 @spideybv28 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @kapsylia @laneyspaulding19 @lazybot @malynn @cassielikereading @viennakarma @teamnovalak @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @jlb20416 @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @seomako @urdad-hot

[zablife]

Now You Know the Truth (Part 5)

Summary: You don't understand why you're unsettled by your seemingly perfect life with Tommy until the family gathers together at Christmas.

Author's Note: There's one more part to come!

Warnings: pregnancy, flashbacks

Part 4

Tommy wrapped his strong arms around your waist and hips protectively, placing a kiss to your midsection. "You're perfect," he praised against the slight swell of your stomach, voice muffled in the plush velvet of your gown.

You stroked the shorn sides of his head and down his neck in slow, soothing strokes. However, the gesture was mostly to calm yourself. Unsure if it were the hormones or the house full of relatives waiting downstairs for Christmas dinner, your body hummed with nervous energy.

Sensing the slight tremor in your hands, Tommy placed his palm over your fingertips to still you as he murmured. "It's going to be different this time."

Pulling back from him, you stared intently into his crystal blue eyes. "What do you mean, Tom?"

Growing serious, he stood to meet your eyes, cupping your face in his palm as he instructed, "You're to look after yourself. Follow the doctor's orders to stay home and avoid exertion." He stressed the last part and you bit your lip as you nodded slowly in understanding.

“Yes, I know. The dizzy spells..." Looking away from him shamefully you added, "I know I shouldn’t have been on the stairs when I was unwell.” You recited the words you’d been told repeatedly since your hospital stay to prove you'd listened to the advice, even when it left a bitter taste on your tongue.

"That's my girl," Tommy beamed, offering his arm to escort you downstairs. "Now shall we announce the good news?" he asked jovially.

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

The shouts of congratulations had barely died down when Frances appeared with a message. "Sir Mosley is on the line, Mr. Shelby," she informed your husband quietly.

A look of bewilderment crossing your face, you objected, "But it's Christmas!"

"I won't be long. Open the champagne," Tommy said placing a kiss to your temple. Watching him stride away to his office, Ada distracted you by asking, "Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"

"I hadn't thought about it," you admitted, fidgeting with your wedding rings.

"If Polly were here we wouldn't be having this discussion at all, would we?" Ada joked with a wistful laugh.

An inebriated John threw his hand up in protest. "Pol didn't always know best," he interjected. "Remember when we had the twins, Es? Two boys she said!" As he turned to his wife, you found yourself drifting from their conversation, eyes wandering across the hall toward your husband.

Watching him absently swirling the whisky in his glass, a sense of deja vu struck you like a bolt of lightning and your limbs suddenly froze. Your eyes slowly swept from his hand to his face as a distant voice echoed in your head like a faded record. "Pol didn't always know best. She wanted me to make an honest woman of ya... I wish I'd just gone on paying you for it."

You inhaled a sharp breath as a rush of memory came over you all at once. You felt your pulse quicken, heart knocking against your ribs as you recalled Tommy's humiliation of you in the parlor followed by a frantic rush to pack and then the confrontation on the stairs. Doubling over, you clutched the back of the sofa to conceal your unsteadiness. However, you couldn’t hide the look of horror in your eyes as you relived every hateful word, stomach lurching with the final memory of crashing down the stairs. "Even if you die, you die mine."

"Y/n? Are you alright?" Ada asked, touching your forearm gently.

"Just a bit dizzy," you mumbled the half truth.

"Oh, that's right. Your condition. Have you found anything that helps?" she asked, viewing you with sisterly concern.

"I think I know what to do about it now," you said, cutting your eyes back at Tommy and feeling the spite grow within you.

Part 6

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

Tag List:

@peakyswritings

@evita-shelby

@shelbydelrey

@lovemissyhoneybee

@red-riding-wood

@polishcrazyone

@elenavampire21

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@thenattitude

@happyadventurer77

@emmanuelle19

[invissimp]

Yule Blue ||

Authors notes: I didn't expect to finish this until Saturday or Sunday but Suprise!

Part 1

my requests are open!

Silence, that’s all you and your friends sat in after you confessed your feelings for a certain Slytherin. Hermione wasn’t surprised at your feelings just shocked you said it out loud and around Harry and Ron. The latter let out a gasp and told Harry to pinch him to make sure he wasn’t dreaming which he did and Ron responded with “I didn’t actually mean it!”

Harry just remained sat at the couch with a unreadable expression on his face but it slowly turned into a smile, just a small one which he hasn’t done a whole lot these days. Well at least Harry and Hermione was fine with it. You couldn’t tell with Ron at this point because he was just confused with all the information.

They all sat in a circle around you listening to what you told them about how Draco confronted you in the hall, and how you simply ran away from him.

Thankfully the common room was empty since everyone was either asleep or doing a potions essay. Shivering at the thought of the essay due in a couple of days that you haven’t started on.

“Well why didn’t you just tell him that you fancied him?” The weasley asked like it was the simplest thing in the world.

Harry shook his head at his bestfriends words while you and Hermione just rolled your eyes. Godric you loved Ron as a friend but he really couldn’t read a room for his life.

“Well Ronald if you must know he told me in Hogsmeade that he asked damn Pansy Parkinson to the Ball.”

That was news to your friends, this time it was Hermione’s turn to gasp at your words while Ron and Harry jaws had practically dropped to the floor.

They weren’t stupid by no means, it was obvious something happened with you and Draco but none of them would guess something like that could’ve done it.

“Let’s just talk about it tomorrow, yeah?”

��———

The conversation did not continue into the next day, a week had pass and it was now the day of the Yule Ball. Obviously you avoided Draco, you could feel him staring at you in the Great hall, in classes, the hallways, everything.

He of course tried to talk to you but thankfully one of your friends were always by your side, one time even the Weasley twins stared him down to get him away from you.

Although you were thankful about your friends being protective, you wished that you could just take a stroll around the school without being followed.

As of now you were sitting in the common room with Harry and Ron, the two boys were talking about dates for the Yule ball while you were writing a letter to Narcissa Malfoy.

It seemed as though Draco didn’t inform her about you ignoring him, since his mother seemed very happy in her letter saying how she wants you to come over during the summer holiday for a week.

Narcissa was a very kind woman and a wonderful mother to her son even if he was a brat sometimes to people. She would be devastated if she found out Draco’s only true friend was purposely ignoring him about a stupid ball.

You decided to simply face Draco, standinf up from the floor just to be asked, “Y/N can you go to the ball with me, I’m only asking because I need one. Just as friends though.”

The boy who lived asked you to the Yule ball. As friends but still. You expected to be standing in the corner watching your friends dance with each other and Draco dancing with Pansy.

But now? Now you can go with one of your best friends and simply enjoy with others although it wouldn’t be as fun if you could dance with Draco. But not everything works out fine.

“Yeah Harry that’s fine.” You could tell by his shoulders going down some to signal that he was less stressed by the pressure of having to find a date, even if it was just a friend. Harry of course would’ve preferred to go with Cho Chang but just like you not everything works out fine.

Ron groaned in his hands, “Blimey i’m the only one that doesn’t have a date in the whole school ain’t I?”

Laughing at Ron’s words, even though he shot a deadly look at you. Harry just rolled his eyes at his friend and thanked you for going with him last minute.

Nodding at his gratitude before sitting back down to finish your homework. It was really last minute since the ball was tomorrow. Which meant Christmas was tomorrow.

———

Waking up to the sound of Lavender squealing about how it was Christmas and the Yule ball. Rolling your eyes at her voice.

Walking down to the common room to see your friends already sitting waiting for you. “Happy christmas.” You grumbled rubbing your eyes.

Opening up your presents, A couple muggle books for Hermione that she heard you talking about, Ron gave you a chess board claiming that “it can finally help you beat me.” Harry got you some new quills since you were running low on them.

Opening up one last gift you already knew who it was that gave it to you. He still cared enough to give you a Christmas gift. Unwrapping the small gift to see a small box which opened.

Opening it up to see a necklace with a small black swan it. Just like how he said his ornament was going to be. You hadn’t looked at the trees at all so you had no idea if he did stick to his end of the deal, you did though.

Putting the necklace on and it felt right at home like it’s been there ever since you were born. Maybe you should try to talk to Draco tonight at the ball.

Hermione pulled you up to the dorm to get ready for the ball. Although you weren’t all that nervous but Hermione was rambling about how she hopes she doesn’t embarrass herself in front of Viktor and everyone during the opening dance of the champions.

Now your stomach was doing flips, you completely forgot about having to dance with Harry in front of everybody. You weren’t nervous about dancing with him, just hoping that you wouldn’t end up tripping and falling in front of everyone.

You assured Hermione that everything would be fine with Viktor and how great they would be tonight together.

———

Doing the last finishing touches on yourself, your hair was now done, along with your makeup. Hermione left just a few minutes ago. Realizing that you were running out of time and quickly put on your dress.

Harry told you that he was wearing simple black robes so the color of your dress didn’t have to match with his thankfully. You had chosen a simple long green dress. Making sure that you still wore your necklace you received this morning.

Walking out of the Gryffindor common room and down the steps to where mostly everyone was waiting to go. The hall erupted into whispers with everyone gasping and pointing up at you.

You saw Harry standing with the other champions by the doors which were starting to open. You locked eyes with a pair of grey ones. Bloody hell did Draco look nice tonight.

Putting on a normal face while walking by him. Feeling him pull your arm towards him and him leaning down to whisper in your ear. “You should’ve been here tonight with me. Not potter, not that damn Steven Bottom either.” He whispered with no remorse in his voice. It was all in a demanding type of way.

Swallowing nothing in your mouth before walking away and up to Harry. You could feel the blood rush up to your face. “What did Malfoy want?”

“I’ll um tell you later.”

Nodding at your response. After a short while everyone was in the great hall and it was time for the Champions to come in.

Now you were on the dance floor with Harry and the other Champions. Looking over at Hermione to see her smiling at Viktor. You saw Ron standing next to Padma looking like he would rather get bit by Sirius in his dog form again.

You felt someone staring holes into the back of your head. You didn’t even need to turn around to know that it was a Malfoy.

The music started playing, you and Harry started dancing together. It was just two friends dancing together. The opening dance didn’t take long thankfully and Harry excused himself to talk to Ron.

Nodding at him while deciding to go talk to a few of your other friends. Stopping by Fred, George and Angelina to talk with them.

Walking over to the trees which were decorated. You were informed that the professors decided what was the best ornaments and they would be hung up. Right dead in the center of the biggest tree was a Black swan right next to a White one.

So he did stick to his end of the deal. Smiling softly at the thought of Draco. Interrupting your thoughts was a cough next to you. It was Draco you recognized it immediately, since it was his fake one which he used to get your attention in class.

“They make quite a good match dont they?” He said more like a statement than question. Nodding at him, what he said earlier in the hall still hadn’t left your mind. That’s all you could think about.

“I mean what I said earlier, I shouldn’t have been such an idiot about not asking you to the ball. I’ve fancied you since second year and I have no clue why I haven’t done anything about it.” Taking a deep breath at his words before going on, “It made me feel some type of way when you said Bottom was practically asking you to this and when I saw you with damn Potter. It just wasn’t right. You should be my date right now.”

Taken aback by Draco Malfoy basically love confession to you. Taking a glance at him to see he was staring right at you waiting for your response. “Your a bloody idiot you know that right? You're lucky I fancy you to.”

He seemed visibly relieved by your words. He took a step closer to you, closing the distance “So you wouldn’t be bothered if I did this then?”

Letting out a weak no to his question before he leaned down and connected your lips with his. It was pure bliss, nothing you’ve ever felt before with a person.

Breaking the kiss between you two, the slytherin stood up straight.

“I believe you owe me a dance.”

———

Taglist

@le000xxgrd @ttsbaby01 @princessvader15 @naya29 @ashdoctor

[space-blue]

Melina, Messmer and the Gloam Eyed Queen.

Disclaimer : this is not my theory. I saw it in a buried youtube comment and it rings so damn true I want you all to see it! From this guy, in this video.

OK so I was watching a lore video and disagreeing with a lot of it. Good stuff though, and the comments were fun. As I scrolled, I saw this, which blew my socks away and is definitely my personal take now! (the comment is edited for readability)

Melina is a daughter to Marika and Radagon. This is confirmed as she’s represented by a butterfly. The butterflies we can find in game all represent the children of Marika and Radagon.

Nascent butterfly represents Miquella, Aeonian butterfly represents Malenia, Smouldering butterfly represents Melina. And then in the dlc we’re introduced to Messmer and Black Pyreflies.

I like to believe that the children of Marika and Radagon come in twos. First came the twins Melina and Messmer, and then came Miquella and Malenia. The later share a contrasting theme, Miquella is cursed with eternal youth while Malenia is cursed with Scarlet Rot which caused her to rapidly decay, symbolizing old age and death.

And then we have Melina and Messmer who both share the theme of fire. Messmer has his own flame, a flame which is notably different from any other pyromancy in the game, his fire is more red and more aggressive. He is able to share his fire with his followers, his fire knights who cast incantations of Messmer’s flame. Then when we kill Messmer, we obtain his flame as a physical item.

Now Melina’s flame was black flame, and in contrast to Messmer’s flame which could burn away all physical things, Melina’s black flame could burn metaphysical things (being burned by black flame does hp damage because it’s burning your very soul) and just like Messmer, Melina was able to pass on her black flame power to her own ‘knights’ the Godskins.

And so Messmer went on to use his flame to burn the enemies his mother pointed him at, where as Melina desired to burn the things that she could, she wanted to burn the Erdtree.

Marika couldn’t risk Melina tearing down everything she had worked for, so she had Maliketh confront Melina and defeat her. Maliketh then took Melina’s black flame just as we take Messmer’s flame, and he converted it into destined death, giving Maliketh sole control over the only thing that can kill the soul, thus truly killing someone once and for all.

(Note, Maliketh didn’t have destined death when he defeated Melina, which is why she’s still around, he killed her, but couldn’t get rid of her for good, nor did he need to once he took her power away.)

So when we meet Melina, she doesn’t know who she is or what her purpose is, but in time, she ultimately arrives at the same conclusion once again, she wants to burn the Erdtree, even without her black flame, she’s still the same person. We can then see to her wishes and use her to burn the Erdtree OR we can spare her and burn the Erdtree with the flame of frenzy.

And then in the flame of frenzy ending, we see Melina take on a new form, her original form, the form of The Gloam-Eyed Queen. Why has she reverted to this old form?

Because we kill Maliketh and unleash destined death, thus returning Melina’s black flame power to her.

The idea of Melina and Messmer being twins is backed up further by their association with the serpents. Messmer’s association with the serpents is obvious, where as Melina’s connection relies on the theory of her being the Gloam-Eyed Queen, where she’d then be associated with the Godskins, and we know the Godskins are associated with serpents.

My own musings...

What if Maliketh defeated Melina/the Gloam Eyed Queen, but let her be. Deafeated doesn't mean killed. It's possible she was burnt and bodiless because Messmer destroyed her. Marika already makes him do her dirty deeds with his subjugation of the shadowland, isn't it possible he requested he burn his sister so she could better control her as a spirit?

Things that don't really gel : why would Melina be "queen" of anything. Where would she have ruled? If she's an empyrean, as we know she was, where is her shadow bound beast, and more importantly, why wasn't Messmer? We know both Miquella and Malenia have no shadows (as far as we can tell) but were also both Empyreans despite the curse.

Perhaps it's because Melina inherited Grace, while Messmer didn't.

Perhaps the flames aren't the curse, but only the serpent inside of him. Making him uneligible, not only for grace, but also for empyrean status.

Now that I think about it, there's NOTHING to support this, but it's possible that Melina could have been the queen Marika puts in charge of all the shadowlands while she's off with Messmer in the Lands Between. There is a lot of death there. Maliketh and Messmer could have come for her together, Messmer burning her/returning her to Marika to control (and use later on).

[enemiestolovershoe]

A Saturday to Remember

Summary: Y/N Thornton, her twin brother Topper, and their friends Rafe Cameron and Kelce spend a day golfing and partying at Tannyhill. As the night unfolds, tensions rise and unexpected events test the bonds of friendship and loyalty within the group.

Word Count: 1800

Warnings: Alcohol and intoxication, Mention of drug use (just talked about it), Sexual content (no smut), Strong language, Vomiting, Mild violence (verbal confrontation)

The summer sun hung low in the sky as Y/N Thornton and her twin brother, Topper, walked alongside their friends toward the country club. The warm breeze and the scent of fresh-cut grass set a relaxed tone for the day. As always, they were joined by Rafe Cameron and Kelce, the group’s usual weekend companions.

“Perfect day for golf,” Kelce announced with a grin, adjusting his golf bag.

Y/N looked at her brother with a smirk. “Perfect if you’re into hitting tiny balls into even tinier holes.”

“Oh, come on, Y/N, you might find you enjoy it once you give it a chance,” Rafe said, shooting her a playful grin.

Topper nudged his sister with a knowing look. “Watch out, Rafe’s on one of his ‘flirt with Y/N’ kicks today.”

Rafe’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Guilty as charged. Can’t help it when someone’s so charming.”

Y/N felt her cheeks warm slightly but quickly masked it with a grin. “I’ll try not to let it distract me from my game.”

As they set up for their round of golf, the playful banter continued. Rafe stayed close to Y/N, offering unsolicited but well-intentioned advice on her swing. His hands brushed against hers more than once, and each touch sent a shiver up her spine. Topper, ever the watchful brother, kept an eye on the interaction, clearly uncomfortable with Rafe’s proximity to his sister.

“Seriously, Rafe,” Topper said as he watched Y/N line up a shot. “Maybe give her some space?”

Rafe chuckled, stepping back with a mock apology. “Just trying to be helpful. I promise I’ll give her all the space she needs… once she’s perfecting her swing.”

Y/N shot a warning glance at Topper but couldn’t hide a smile when Rafe’s gaze lingered on her.

The day went by with the usual competitive spirit, but the flirtation between Y/N and Rafe was unmistakable, much to Topper’s chagrin.

By late afternoon, the sun began to set, and the group made their way back to Tannyhill for the party Rafe had been planning. Rafe’s family was away, and it was clear he was looking forward to making it a memorable night.

The house was already buzzing with activity when they arrived. Music pulsed through the speakers, and the scent of grilled food filled the air. People were spread across the lawn, enjoying drinks and laughter. Rafe led Y/N and the rest of the group through the crowd and into the kitchen, where he poured drinks with a flourish.

“Cheers to a great day!” Rafe toasted, clinking his glass against Y/N’s.

Y/N’s heart fluttered as their glasses met, and she took a sip of her drink, feeling the effects of the alcohol quickening. Rafe’s gaze was intense as he watched her, his attention unwavering.

“Want another?” Rafe asked, already reaching for the bottle.

“Sure, why not?” Y/N replied, her voice a little slurred from the drink she’d just had.

As the evening progressed, Rafe and Y/N took shots together, laughing and enjoying the effects of the alcohol. The more they drank, the more their flirtation intensified. They danced together in the middle of the living room, their bodies pressed close as they swayed to the music. Rafe’s hands lingered on Y/N’s waist, his touch sending tingles up her spine. Y/N’s laughter was bright, mingling with Rafe’s deep chuckles.

At one point, Rafe leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. “You know, you’re even more incredible when you let loose.”

Y/N turned to him, her eyes slightly hazy but sparkling with amusement. “Is that so? You must be quite the expert.”

Rafe grinned, his eyes dark with desire. “I’ve been known to have a good eye for things.”

They clinked their glasses together, taking another round of shots. The alcohol made everything feel more vivid and exciting, and the connection between them felt electric. Rafe’s hand brushed against Y/N’s as they walked through the house, heading for a quieter spot. They found themselves in a dimly lit hallway, the party noise fading into the background.

“Want to get away from the crowd for a bit?” Rafe asked, his voice low and inviting.

Y/N felt a thrill of excitement. “Sure, where to?”

Rafe’s grin widened as he took her hand. “I’ve got a place in mind.”

They navigated through the bustling house, passing groups of people taking shots, dancing, and laughing. The energy of the party was electric, but Rafe and Y/N were focused on each other. As they climbed the staircase, Y/N could hear the upbeat music and the sound of people dancing below. Rafe led her down a dimly lit hallway and opened the door to a guest bathroom.

Once inside, Rafe’s lips were on hers, his kiss urgent and passionate. Y/N’s hands roamed over his back as she kissed him back, every touch sending electricity through her body. Rafe’s hands moved quickly, finding the hem of her dress and pushing it up. Y/N responded eagerly, her fingers gripping his shirt as they stumbled against the counter.

Their passion intensified as they fumbled with each other’s clothing. They were lost in each other, their breaths mingling as they exchanged heated kisses, their passion overtaking every thought. Their panting and moans blended with the intensity of their connection overwhelming the surroundings. The rest of the party faded into the background as they surrendered to the moment. The heat of the moment made it impossible to focus on anything but their connection.

But the moment was abruptly shattered by the sound of the door being flung open.

“What the hell?!” Topper stood in the doorway, his face a mix of shock and anger. Y/N and Rafe pulled apart, their breaths coming in quick, uneven gasps, quickly getting dressed again.

“Topper, I—” Y/N began, but Topper’s glare silenced her.

“Rafe, what the hell are you doing?” Topper demanded, his voice rising. “You’re supposed to be my friend.”

Rafe held up his hands in a defensive gesture. “Topper, calm down. It’s not what you think.”

“It’s exactly what I think,” Topper shot back, his eyes burning with fury. “You’re crossing a line.”

Rafe’s expression hardened. “Topper, don’t forget you were messing around with my sister my sister not long ago. You have no right to be judging this.”

The mention of Sara hit Topper like a punch to the gut.

Topper’s anger was palpable. “You’re not just gonna hurt her—you’re making a mess of everything. And I’m supposed to stand by while you do it?”

Rafe’s expression was a mix of guilt and frustration. “Topper, I never meant to—”

“Save it,” Topper interrupted, his voice cold. “I’m done here.”

With that, Topper stormed out, leaving Y/N and Rafe in the small, tense space of the bathroom. The door slammed behind him, and the sound of the party downstairs felt distant and hollow.

Y/N turned to Rafe, tears in her eyes. “I didn’t want this to be the outcome.”

Rafe reached out, hugging her, his expression earnest. “Neither did I. I really care about you, Y/N. I didn’t think…”

Y/N nodded, trying to steady her emotions. “I know. But right now, things are a mess. And we need to figure out how to handle it.”

As they rejoined the party, the vibrant energy around them felt like a stark contrast to the heavy conversation that had just taken place. Topper’s words and the implications of their actions lingered in Y/N’s mind, casting a shadow over the night’s festivities.

Y/N, overwhelmed by the evening's events and the emotional fallout with her brother, sought solace in a relentless stream of alcohol. She threw back shot after shot, hoping to numb the sting of her twin’s anger and the emotions she felt. As the night wore on, the alcohol took its toll. Her movements became increasingly unsteady, and her once clear thoughts were now a fog of inebriation.

Stumbling into the garden of Tannyhill, Y/N tried to find a quiet spot to escape the chaotic party. Her steps were wobbly, and she struggled to keep her balance. The cool night air did little to counter the haze of drunkenness that enveloped her.

Rafe, still reeling from the confrontation with Topper, wandered through the garden in search of Y/N. When he spotted her slouched against a garden wall, he rushed over. “Damn, girl, how much did you drink?” he joked, trying to lighten the situation. But before he could react further, Y/N lurched and began to vomit.

Seeing her so clearly distressed and sick made Rafe’s playful demeanor vanish instantly. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he knew he couldn’t handle this alone. He pulled out his phone and dialed Topper’s number, his voice urgent and edged with frustration. “Man, I know we’re in the middle of a fight, but your sister is wasted as hell. I need help getting her up to bed. Please, come down here.”

Topper arrived outside quickly, his face a mask of anger and worry. People at the party began to notice the commotion, their laughter and whispers adding to the mounting embarrassment. Topper’s eyes narrowed as he took in the scene—Y/N was slumped against the wall, her face pale and her condition dire.

“What the fuck did you give her, Rafe?” Topper yelled, his voice trembling with a mix of rage and concern. “I swear to God if you gave her coke—”

“Man, calm down!” Rafe shot back, frustration is evident in his tone. “You know I’m clean. She walked away after your outburst, and I found her like this. ''Now help me, damn it! Everyone is staring already.”

Topper’s anger flared but was quickly tempered by the urgency of the situation. He moved to Y/N’s side, helping Rafe support her as they guided her towards a quieter part of the house. The party’s noise faded as they focused on getting her the care she needed, all while the weight of the earlier arguments loomed large. “Up the stairs to my room,” Rafe instructed Topper.

Topper shook his head in disbelief. “Oh hell nah, she’s sleeping in the guest room.”

Rafe’s frustration boiled over. “Top, she’s going to vomit in her sleep and choke if she’s alone. Help me get her into my room and stop complaining for once. Remember, you’ve messed around with my sister too.”

Topper’s expression shifted, his anger giving way to concern. Realizing the gravity of Rafe’s point, he reluctantly helped as they carried Y/N up the stairs. The situation was dire, and despite their earlier confrontation, the priority now was ensuring Y/N’s safety. The weight of the night’s events settled heavily as they made their way through the house, determined to address the immediate need and put aside their differences.

A/N: Let me know if you want a Part 2. :)

Masterlist

[joshfuckingkiszka]

『era two』

jmk x f!reader

sowwy guys hope it's good enough to make up for my sins

THIS SERIES IS 18+ MINORS DNI

chapter warnings: SMUT, josh is so cute, confrontation, unprotected sex (you all know what to do), god i love fluffy joshy

✮

Before you knew it, life moved on, you settled into the ebb and flow of a normal college routine. All of sudden, you were a senior, then walking the stage at graduation, and suddenly working a “big girl” job, where you went out for drinks with coworkers on Friday nights. 

You never got too drunk, seeing as you no longer wished to spend Saturdays in bed, hungover. When you saw a familiar, but not the same, head of curls, you thought you were plastered.

It wasn’t until Danny and Sam approached you that you realized just how sober you were. They slid in on both sides of your now empty booth, and traced your eyes to your dancing coworkers. 

Then you hoped they didn’t notice the alarms going off inside you when one of them approached Josh, a flirtatious smile on her beautifully made up face. She pointed over at your table, presumably trying to show the friends she came with. Upon his eyes noticing his brother’s hand high in the air, and then subsequently your face, you felt hot, almost embarrassed. 

Why should you be embarrassed, though? Your situationship with Josh was just that. You certainly hadn’t owed him anything when you fell in love, breaking the unspoken contract you had created. 

When your eyes refocused, Josh was no longer with your friend, and you noticed him weaving through the thick crowd to get to you. 

“Oh fuck, oh fuck,” you found yourself repeating in various stages of distress. Danny and Sam were confused, as no one else knew about what you and Josh previously had, you were just a friend of the group - including Josh’s identical twin - who all of a sudden stopped showing up to invites. 

“Well, if it isn’t a picture of a memory,” Josh spoke, and you noticed that his voice held no anger. 

“Maybe you can get her to explain herself.” You playfully elbowed Sam. A look Josh gave the two told them to leave, and Josh took Danny’s spot beside you. 

“Hey,” you settled on. 

“You ghosted me.” Okay, straight to the point.

“I did.” Good, noncommittal. 

“Do you think I deserve an explanation?” Fair. 

“I don’t know. Do you?” Fairer. 

“Yes.” Damn. 

“Okay. You wanted to fuck. That’s why I ghosted you.” You took a sip of your empty drink, but he could barely hear the ice over the music. Led Zeppelin, you think it is. You bet that Josh would know, he was so good with old music. Jake was slightly better, but you would never say that out loud. 

“I-I thought that’s what you wanted. Was it not?” The fear in his voice worried you. 

“Yes!” you said quickly, like you were terrified of disappointing him. Maybe you were. “It was. Well, at first.” 

“Care to elaborate?” He threw his arm around you, and it made a noise as it hit the vinyl of the seat. It was nicely toned now, he had been rather lanky by your memory. His hands had changed too, though you weren’t sure how. 

“I was okay with our…situation at first. I was always stressed with class and you were a great stress relief. But, you kept inviting me out, with your friends. You kept holding my hand in public, buying me food, and singing in my shower.” 

“Okay. Should I not have been your friend?” He asked earnestly. 

“But we weren’t friends, Josh. I fell in love with you, but you wanted to fuck, so I ghosted you. It was immature and I could have handled it better, but I don’t regret it and I will not apologize for putting me first,” You explained, and you couldn’t find it to meet his gaze.

“You’re right, you could have handled it better. Never once did I say that a relationship was off the table, but I understand your thought. Had you told me, I would’ve told you that I was in love with you too.” 

His fingers caressed your jaw, bringing you to finally look at him. His eyes held a new weight in them, but looked no different than they had before. That beautiful mahogany color still darkly colored his iris. His lips were exactly as you remembered them, soft and flavored grapefruit by his favorite drink. 

He let you catch your breath for a minute, and ordered you another drink. 

Then he asked, “How have you been?” 

“Good, working a boring job, living with my parents, surviving Michigan winters. You?” 

He looked down then back at you. “We’re still in the band, and it’s doing…really well. We signed to a record label and actually just got back from a tour.” 

“Wow. Any Grammys?” 

“Uh, yeah. Strangely enough.” Wow. You had been joking when you asked but the uncharacteristically serious look in his eyes told you he wasn’t. 

“Oh. Didn’t realize I was sitting next to a world famous rockstar,” you lamented jokingly, bowing your head at him, “Does that mean you’re rich enough to buy the next round?” 

His cheeks burned that shade of scarlet you had missed so much and you were immediately compelled to tell him you were joking. 

“I know, mama,” God, after all this time. The effect that nickname still had on you was absolutely detrimental. “I’m actually probably rich enough to take you on a real date. If you’re up for it, that is.”

You wanted to yell that of course you were up for it! That you had waited years in solitude for those words to slip from those beautiful lips! 

But you managed a simple, “I would love that, Joshy.” 

Your first date with Josh Kiszka was, in simple terms, a disaster. He had lost track of time and picked you up an hour and a half late, but that was okay because you had just finished getting ready as he arrived at your door, a work project taking a bit more time than anticipated. Traffic had been terrible on the way to whatever surprise location he had in store for you, but it worked out as it allowed him time to show the music Greta Van Fleet had been putting out in your absence. You decided that “You’re the One” was your favorite, but that they were all beautiful and telling of who they were and had become. 

When you thought nothing else could go wrong, your reservation wasn’t held, not that you could blame them, and you were forced to find another dinner location. During rush hour. On a Friday. Every other restaurant within a 50 mile radius would have at least an hour wait time, so Josh decided to take it upon himself and grab takeout form what he claimed was “the best Chinese place ever” and the two of you sat in the park, eating crab rangoons and reminiscing about your glory days. 

“You thought I was ghosting you?!” He laughed, but as he contemplated why you would think that, it hit him. “Oh my God, I am so stupid! I would open your texts, forget to respond, think that I had responded and get upset that you hadn’t! Then, of course, I would go back to the messages, see I never actually texted you, and hope you wouldn’t be upset.” 

“I don’t know that I ever truly was,” you claimed, “I mean, I didn’t love feeling ignored, but whenever you would finally text me, it was like nothing had happened - a clean slate. Eventually, I got to the point where I needed something I felt like you couldn’t give me, and I knew it had to end.” 

His face had fallen, and you immediately scrambled to defend him. 

“Don’t, mama, I don’t want you to pretend like you’re okay with what I did to you. I’m not okay with what I did to you. But, if you’ll let me, I promise to try and make it up to you.” 

How could you deny those puppy dog eyes? 

Josh was serious about making it up to you. He randomly brought you flowers of differing varieties, trying to identify your favorite without being told. His kitchen was a regular space of brownies and cookies, trying different recipes he would find on Pinterest. Your date nights were compilations of various cute TikToks you both had seen. 

As you sat at his dining room table, acrylic paint in a variety of colors spread between the two of you, you couldn’t hold back giggles as you dramatically portrayed his features. He couldn’t help but do the same. As you showed each other your - frankly, horrible - portraits of each other, tears streamed down your faces and your stomachs hurt from the laughter. 

Once the two of you settled down, you moved to clean up the mess the two of you - but mostly Josh - made. Setting the small easels that held your artwork to the side so you could clean the table, you bent slightly at the waist to get one tough spot of brown paint. Suddenly, a pair of large hands were on your hips, and a pair of lips were tickling your neck. 

“Josh,” you groaned, “I’m trying to clean your mess!” 

“We’ll do it later,” he said matter-of-factly, trying to persuade you. Would it be wrong to say it was working? 

“No, you won’t. It’ll dry and,” you shuddered as his lips loosely trailed down your neck, “n-never come o-out. Stop!” You didn’t want him to stop and, based on the smirk you could feel on your shoulder, he knew that. 

His hands moved lower, gripping at the supple flesh of your ass. “I’ll buy a new table,” he spoke against the very top of your spine.

“W-why would you d-do that when I can just clean i-it?” His hands had moved around to the front of your body, his fingers slipping just beyond the waistband of your jeans. 

“Because I’ve got some other interests I’d like to take care of right now,” he spoke as he popped the button on your jeans. 

His fingers stayed on the outside of your underwear, lacy and begging to be pulled off, but trailed down your mons, nonetheless. 

“Still wanna clean?” His fingers hovered over where he knew your clit was, and you felt like testing him. 

“Yes.” It was stern. He shrugged and pressed the pad of his finger into your clit, over your underwear, and you fought to hold back your back. 

Josh moved his finger so slowly that you almost felt like crying. 

“Well,” you looked at him, expectantly, “clean, mama. Don’t wanna see a single fucking spot on this table.” You could feel spit on your ear from his speaking through gritted teeth. 

With how slow he was going, you figured you could easily clean at the same time. That said, you were trying to ignore just how wet you were getting. 

You leaned over - and he followed - as you wiped the table. You could be wrong, but it felt like he was…speeding up? You ignored it, trying to focus on the paint on the table. No, he was definitely increasing the speed of his finger. 

Biting your lip, you paused cleaning to let out a small moan. As soon as you did, his finger returned to its original snail pace. You whined at him. 

“Only good girls get to cum, don’t forget that.” He held your jaw in his hand as he spoke to you.  Looking over your face for any signs of discomfort, and not seeing any, he kissed you deeply. 

“C’mon, mama, you wanted to clean so badly, do it.” His finger slid inside your panties, and the hand that wasn’t occupied with a sponge was white-knuckling the table. 

“Josh,” you whined out his name, and all of a sudden he didn’t care about upholding you to cleaning. 

One of his arms swept anything that remained on the table to the floor, and the other turned you around. His body pushed yours to meet the wooden surface as he kissed you passionately. Your hands roamed his chest under his shirt, warm and golden from the sun. He pulled away only for a second to remove your barrier, and you smiled at him as thanks. Your nails lightly scraped at his pecs, and he groaned at the feeling. Moving your hands down, you pulled at his belt harshly until it eventually came off. He giggled into your mouth, and you followed suit. 

He pushed your shirt up lazily, not even bothering to take off your bra either. Simply pulling down the cup, he took your nipple in his mouth. You moaned into his mouth, reaching your hand into his boxers. In return, his hands inadvertently tickled down your sides until he returned to your waistband. His mouth never leaving your chest, he managed to pull down your pants and underwear to your ankles. Josh’s pointer and middle finger joined forces to gently toy with your clit until you were whining for much more. 

Deep brown eyes bore into yours as his lips trailed down your stomach and then began an assault on your bundle of nerves. Your hands instinctively went for his hair, unruly and so so curly. Your thighs wrapped around his head and he smiled into your cunt. His tongue created unknown patterns around your clit, occasionally switching to fuck you with it. When you came, you swore you were seeing stars. 

You moved down to return the favor, but he pinned you back with his body, holding your hands captive above your head with one of his hands. The other hand moved to just barely reveal his cock to you. Before you could say anything about how badly you needed it in your mouth, he was ever-so-gently sliding into you. In tandem, you let out loud moans, thankful Jake wasn’t home. 

Thrusting slowly at first, he slowly built up to a nice pace. One that had him hitting that spot inside of you each time, and making you slightly gasp for air. Meanwhile, his gaze was transfixed on watching it slide in and out of you. Lips parted slightly, and wet from his tongue darting out to moisten them, he let out small pants.

When you began to moan his name, your arousal visible on the base of his cock, he sped up more, his gaze meeting yours. He leaned down to kiss you, and you were suddenly aware of how much sweat the two of you had produced. He was sticky with it but you couldn’t care less as you wrapped your body around his. This unknowingly allowed him to reach a much deeper spot inside you and you both moaned when you felt it. Again, he sped up and his jaw clenched as he tried not to cum before you. He brought one of his hands to your face, gently goading you to suck on two of his fingers. Once he was satisfied, he brought those fingers between your bodies, making quick circles on your clit. This quickly brought you to the edge. 

“C’mon, mama, cum for me.” And that sent you right over. 

“Want you to cum for me, Joshy. Wanna make a mess on me? Hm? Get me all dirty?” You whispered the last word in his ear, and he groaned as he pulled out and spilled on your stomach. 

That goofy smile returned, and then he was off to grab something to clean you up. After his cum was wiped off of your belly, he gently moved you to stand, searching your body for any signs of bruising or discomfort. Then, he was picking you up, bringing you to the bathroom where he filled up the tub with warm water and epsom salts so you wouldn’t be as sore. 

“Joshy?” You spoke as he turned to leave the bathroom.

“Hm?” 

“Will you…get in with me?” 

“‘Fcourse, mama, anything for you.”

〚taglist〛

gvf: @doodle417​ , @brokenbellz​, @gretavanfleas​, @pyrojoshy​, @greta-van-chaos​, @xserenax-13​, @hayley1623​, @kdarling1​, @autumns30, @keighoe, @chalametpwk​, @sammysvanfeet​, @shawnsthighs​, @gretavanbitches​, @sammiejane22​, @gretavanbestie, @jordierama​, @alexxavicry​

josh: @prophetofthedune​, @loofypoofy, @gretavangrace​

this series: @gvfpal

[anki-of-beleriand]

Bad Liar ch. 10

Summary: Life is about lessons, and Wanda has been learning some harsh facts that had define her life and taken her to a place in which she was given a second chance. Then, all of a sudden, she meets you, and she realizes why it's easier to lie to yourself than to accpet what's right in front of her.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff/ Female!reader - America/Kate - Mentions of past Vision/Wanda - past Natasha/Reader - Some Female!Reader/Carol Danvers

Warnings: Slow burn - slightly Enemies to friends to lovers - Mentions of abusive relationships - Toxic relationships - angst - drama - mentions of abuse - idiots in love - homophobia - more tags as the story progress.

Author's note: There are some revelations as Reader takes a leap of faith and Wanda is finally confronted with her emotions, Kate is finally getting some progress, and someone just spot the twins in the mall.

As always, English is no my mother tongue, so please forgive the grammar, spelling and funny mistakes!

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 18

Chapter 10

Breaking the distance

The snow was falling slowly right outside your window.

There was a small smile playing on your lips, you could hear Maria giving you a full debrief of the latest developments on the different projects you were leading. A part of your mind was on what she was saying, but your other half, the one daydreaming at the moment was replying to the last couple of days inside your head.

From the moment you met her, you knew there was something about Wanda Maximoff that would either drive you mad or make you fall in an instant. It wasn’t only about her looks, for you had always thought she was a beautiful woman, it was more about her own personality, her stubbornness, and her witty nature that made you believe she was out there to drive you off the wall.

Then, you actually got to know her.

She wasn’t as self-centered as you thought she was, and she certainly wasn’t as strong or as bitchy as she pretended to be. What you discovered behind those green eyes was someone vulnerable, someone reaching out to protect her children and to feel loved. Whatever scars she was carrying from her past were deep enough to make her vulnerable and strong and the same time.

You couldn’t help but remember the recent weekends you spent in her company; you never thought you would look forward to meeting with her or her children, to actually spend such special moments with her while fully aware of the growing tension between the both of you. It had been subtle at first, perhaps the tension carried by the fact you had been a bitch to her, and she was still slightly guarded around you. Then, you realized there was something else in there, you knew you were attracted to her that was the reason why you were so careful with your own delusions.

Yet, you couldn’t deny the recent looks she sent your way, or the lingering touches or the deepest of your conversations whenever you two were alone. You couldn’t help but long for these moments to be real, for those accidental touches and that timid smile to mean what your heart craved. That weekend, while America was trying to ease the pain on her back with the twins helping her around brought you closer to Wanda. In your mind, her green eyes lingered, her words, and the softness of her lips on your cheek moments before she left with the promise of coming back the next day. And the day after that, and the day after that one.

Your heart trembled, and your jaw clenched tightly at the overwhelming emotions running rampage inside you.

“You’re not paying attention to me. Again.” Maria huffed leaning back against her chair, the cold reproach in her voice broke you from your thoughts, you turned around smiling apologetically at Maria before settling yourself on your seat.

“Sorry, Maria, not my intention.” You laced your fingers together your eyes drifting to your mobile then back to Maria. “I just got a lot in my mind, what with the festival coming over next week and…”

“And Wanda.” Maria finished shaking her head. “Really, if I didn’t know better, I would say you two had a date tonight.”

“I wish.” You mumbled lowering your face to hide your blushing cheeks.

“You two still in the ‘we’re only friends’ phase?” Maria stated amusedly, she put her tablet on the table taking a closer look at you.

Maria Hill had been your father’s personal assistance, when he died, she took it upon herself to teach you the general workings of the company before presenting her resignation letter. She didn’t assume you would stay with her by your side, but it was obvious to you the woman was a valuable asset and a great friend you couldn’t let go. So Maria stayed and since then, she had always been the voice of reason around the company.

The older woman had seen you as of late, the moment Wanda Maximoff came into your life she had seen the changes from that fake annoyance in your voice whenever you mentioned her to the subtle affection in your tone as of late, Maria knew there was something there. You had changed so much; you were heard humming happily whenever you thought no one was looking. From time to time, a content smile would decorate your features, while your fingers tapped happily on any surface.

Whatever was happening with Wanda Maximoff certainly had a positive effect on you, and the other woman. Maria had heard Natasha talked about the other woman as well, how she was more relaxed as of late, how her smile was easy on her lips and she was always just waiting patiently to go into her phone and continue a conversation she had left unfinished with you. Natasha had seen Wanda grow while, at the same time, giving herself the chance to be herself without anyone dictating her life.

Now, if they both stopped being so stupid, everyone would be happier for them.

“We are friends, you know?” You rolled your eyes when Maria merely snorted.

“Right, but you want to be something more, don’t you?” Maria inquired, leaning forward.

You hesitated for a moment before shrugging in defeat, “I do but I think…I just don’t know how to approach this, Maria, she is just…confusing at times, you know?”

“No, not really, what do you mean?”

You contemplated the hard surface of your desk, your mind going through all the moments you had shared with Wanda so far. The mixed signals, as well as those conversations that had left you wondering if perhaps the woman was really looking for something else or she was just being nice. You really had been diving into an ocean of confusion that was finally catching up to your resistance and it was starting to drive your crazy.

“I just think…well, she has children, right? And a husband, right? I mean, she is not even divorced yet and well, nobody assures me she will get one any time soon. And perhaps I’m reading too much into her being nice.” You intertwined your hands rolling your eyes. “I feel like an idiot.”

Maria offered a comforting smile, she had never found herself so inclined to broke a promise she made to Natasha as she felt at that moment.

“You are overthinking, Y/N. You are not an idiot, but I do think you should have a serious conversation with Wanda.” Maria trailed off for a moment before continuing. “You have been dancing around this topic for far too long, why don’t take a chance? Why don’t just be honest?”

“What if I am wrong?” You asked softly, Maria smiled at you and the question that left her mouth next made you tremble with anticipation.

“What if you are not and you are actually loved?” Maria hesitated for a moment; she locked her eyes with you before continuing. “Don’t let this chance slip away from you, Y/N. Life is too short, and taking a leap of faith may lead to that happy ending you and her deserve.”

“Why do I have the feeling that you know something I don’t, Maria?” You retorted narrowing your eyes at Maria, the other woman shifted on the chair looking away from you.

“Talk to Wanda, Y/N. This is not my story to tell.”

“Everyone seems to know that story but me, why?”

Maria grimace shrugging, “not really my place, boss, now if you don’t mind me getting away from this conversation we could continue talking about your projects, and what we have been doing with Jarvis.”

You opened your mouth ready to protest but decided against it, Maria would not tell you what you wanted but mostly what you needed. And Maria was right about something, you needed to talk to Wanda and get the full story from her before making any rash decision. With a heavy heart, and a whirlpool of thoughts, you gave your full attention to the report and the situation with Jarvis.

________________________

When Wanda glanced at her reflection in the bathroom mirror she found herself looking into the eyes of a completely different woman.

A year ago, Wanda found herself scared to death while the cries of her children were muffled by the basement door. Vision had been furious after a party in which Billy, Tommy and Wanda had failed to make a good impression and had costed Vision a business deal with an important businessman. The twins had been locked the hole weekend, and Wanda…

Wanda shivered at the memory of the abuse she suffered that day.

But now, almost a year later, she was different.

She was no longer Wanda Jarvis, nor was she Wanda Frank.

She was Wanda Maximoff.

The only way she got to be closer to her mother, her brother, and her family.

Now that Wanda was looking at her reflection, she could see the longer hair and the green eyes gleaming with life. The traces of fear were no longer marking her features, and while letting go of her past was hard, she no longer feared her home, or loud noises, or the fact she was not on time with her house chores. And her children were free, they had grown so much in the last couple of months, the fear left them completely and instead of running from their neighbour, they were just excited to see them, to share time with them and have Wanda just as happy as them. 

No, the woman looking at her back was a woman that was discovering new things about herself. 

Wanda offered a tentative smile, her hand lifting up to the spot you had kissed that morning before saying goodbye. It was a foolishly gesture, something you had taken upon yourself to do whenever the both of you parted ways. The kiss was simple enough, but it lingered in Wanda's cheek with a burning fire Wanda was still uncertain to admit. 

She dropped her eyes, her phone unlocked and open in the conversation she was having with you. Since America had gotten into her little accident whatever time Wanda spent at home she either spent it at your place or hers. It had become a habit, preparing dinner and sharing some good conversation as well as watching some silly TV show in the company of the twins and America. 

And every morning, whenever you two crossed paths before going to your respective jobs, you would just approach Wanda wished her a good day and kiss her cheek. Wanda placed a hand on her face, her cheeks burning up and her lips curling slightly. She felt like a teen all over again, experimenting the tingling emotion of new discoveries, new relationships, new attractions. 

Attraction. 

Yes, because Wanda could no longer kid herself with what she was feeling, you had become an important part of her new life, and with you she had discovered something she thought buried a long time ago. She was attracted to you, she liked your smile and your silliness as much as she found exasperating your smugness and know it all nature. Wanda found herself thinking about you, waiting to see you, wanting to talk to you and that scared her in ways no many could comprehend. It wasn't only the fact that Wanda didn't think you would find her remotely interesting to consider anything at all with her, it wasn't only the fact that you were dating someone already. It was also the fear Wanda kept in her of getting lost in another relationship, of losing herself once more and not being able to be her. 

“You are thinking too hard, Wanda.”

Wanda jerked away from her reflection turning to see Natasha standing by the door of the bathroom. The older woman smiled at her, a single eyebrow lifted while her long legs carried her to the sink. 

“Are you alright?” Natasha inquired in the same sisterly tone she had taken to use with Wanda. 

“Yes, I am just… Nervous.” Wanda revealed, Natasha took that chance to teased her. 

“Nervous about our meeting with Y/N, or about the divorce papers?” Natasha gauged her reaction; Wanda opened her eyes wide hiding away her blush by bussing herself with her phone. 

“The… The divorce, of course.”

“Of course.” Natasha rolled her eyes but said nothing, she then put on a serious mask making sure Wanda understood the seriousness of what she was going to say.

“I know that this is a huge step, but you just have to sign them with the full custody of the twins papers and I will take care of everything else.” Natasha could see the tension building in Wanda, but this time around it came with a silent anger and determination she didn't feel months ago. 

Natasha was happy to see the progress, and if everything went fine the man would spend the rest of his life in jail. 

“I know, I already signed them, I just…” Wanda hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I really don't want to see him anymore, and this is going to be a long process that may come in the way…”

“You don't have to worry about that, Wanda. We have you covered and he would never know where you are hiding.”

Natasha could see there was something else bothering Wanda she waited putting a hand on Wanda’s forearm. Wanda lifted her eyes giving in and saying what was really tormenting her. 

“I haven't told Y/N the complete story, you know? What if… What if she finds out?” She sounded vulnerable, as if the mere idea of you knowing such a detail of her life really scared her. 

“Why haven't you told her?” Natasha asked but Wanda merely shrugged. 

“I just didn't want her to think less of me, I guess.” Wanda heard herself shaking her head and breaking into a bitter smile. “I just didn't want her to know how weak I am.”

“You know Y/N thinks the world of you, right?” Natasha balanced the knowledge she had of you and Wanda, of the growing relationship between the both of you before deciding she could push Wanda in the right direction. 

“She does?” Wanda looked surprised at this, Natasha nodded and continued. 

“You are a strong woman, Wanda. And Y/N can only see in you a strong woman, and someone she has come to really like.” 

There was a flicker of doubt shinning behind those green eyes, Wanda couldn't deny these words were somewhat comforting to her. But her doubt was rooted in the knowledge that you might had entertained the idea of liking her. Perhaps as something more than a friend.

“Don't think too much, Wanda,” this time around Natasha allowed the small contact with the young woman, her hand comforting on Wanda's shoulder, “let it flow, and let it be for the time being. You are doing fantastic so there is no rush.”

Wanda offered a tiny smile, she sighed following Natasha right outside the bathroom to the huddle room where you were waiting patiently for them to come in. 

Your face lit up at the sight of Wanda, and soon the both of you engaged in an animate conversation as if you had not seen one another in quite some time. Natasha observed from afar, she analysed your every gesture and your every word and soon she knew that all Wanda and you needed was time. 

Because everything else was already there. Two fools in love. 

_____________________

America had been out of commission for more than a week, she had tried to keep up with her physical therapy and her heart had been jumping in joy when Kate had joined in the different routines making sure America got them right. 

It had been a moment America had treasured greatly, Loki and Yelena had congratulated themselves for such a magnificent plan until Kamala chimed in to remind them Kate and America were technically still friends. 

This of course, didn't stop the pair who had everything planned out in the best way possible. Hence America nagging you with her plans for the day.

“So you're going to the movies?” You asked slightly confused by the comment. 

“Yes.” America nodded bouncing on her feet, she glanced at you then at her phone.

“I thought you were gonna babysit the twins while Wanda and I went to the school.” You made a gesture with your hand, trying to make sense of the request. 

“Yes, and I thought that we could see a movie with everyone else.” America leaned forward wiggling her eyebrows at you. “It will give you more time with Wanda, you know? And Billy and Tommy would be in good hands.”

You frowned looking away from your sister. 

“Have you told Wanda about this?”

America winced rolling her head, “Well, no. I haven't but… I have a card under my sleeve.”

You arched a brow at her, your chest filling with dread when you caught sight of her mischievous smile. 

“What did you do, America?”

“My dear sister, I know what you are experimenting and what you are going through.” America stated moving closer to you, her hands on your shoulders. “I have only cared for you to be happy, Y/N, and I can see Wanda makes you happy.”

Your body tensed completely, you tried to look away from America but whenever she stood her ground speaking at you with such a serious stare you knew there was nothing much you could do. America dropped her shoulders, her eyes hiding away the conflict inside her mind. 

“I don't want you to get hurt, you know?”

“I know.”

“If Wanda is someone you want then, the least I can do is to make sure you can be with her.” America offered a half smile, her hands squeezing your shoulders comfortingly. “But you need to do something already, this indecision would only create more confusion to you, to her and to the twins.”

“The twins?” You repeated blinking slowly. 

“Of course! They had noticed, you know?” America rolled her eyes at you. “They had noticed the changes in Professor Maximoff and in you, the amount of time we spent with one another, they may not understand but they know something is going on.”

You never stopped to consider that Wanda's children would be aware of what was happening. You didn't even consider the possibility, not because you thought they were fools, but because they were children. America opened her mouth to say something else but she stopped before anything came out of her mouth, while it was true that you shouldn't jump into any kind of relationship with a woman you didn't know too well, it was not her place to share her discoveries, Kate had explained to her that much. America stepped back, she knew what she had to do and that opportunity would present to her sooner rather than later, as soon as you and Wanda stopped dancing around one another. 

“So, you think…I mean, not that you are right but… You think there is a chance that anything may happen?” You asked casually, America snorted hugging you tightly. 

“You are an idiot.��

“Thank you, Lil sis, that's what I need to hear.”

America chuckled before going back to her initial request. 

“So, about the car…”

“Ugh, let's see first if Wanda agrees with this crazy plan then the car is all yours.” 

“Yes!” America punched you on the shoulder strolling down the hall calling her friends to share with them your approval. 

You snorted shaking your head, your eyes lifted to looked out of the window to the next-door house wondering what kind of conversation Wanda was having with her children. There was a moment of silence, your eyes fixated on the house next door until an idea formed in your mind; that Saturday would be the best chance you got to be with Wanda alone. It would be the chance to…

You sighed grabbing your phone and looking for the familiar name in your contact list. You chewed on your lower lip, if you didn’t take a leap of faith…you would never know, right?

“Hey, Ajak, how is it going?”

******

Just as America had told Y/N, the twins had noticed the changes in their lives.

It wasn’t that hard, the had spent most of their childhood afraid of the clock marking a specific time, or the door opening and closing, they had been afraid of the smell their dad usually brought with him when screaming and hitting at them. They had seen their mother cry, and they had seen and experimented the pain and the suffering the same way as Wanda did.

Then, one day, they just went inside a care and their mom took them down different roads, crying and confused until they reached anew house. It had taken some time, but Billy and Tommy had come to love their new home. They liked America who was always nice with them, she was always playing games with them or reading them stories or actually treating them like big boys. Tommy like Y/N first, while Billy just thought she was a silly woman.

Tommy disagreed with his brother, he had seen first hand how nice Y/N was and how good she was with medicine. Then, Tommy had seen how her mom smiled more often whenever Y/N was closed, and Billy had grumpily agreed with Tommy because Y/N seemed to be a constant figure in their lives.

And their mom liked Y/N.

Of that, the twins had not doubt.  And if their mom liked her, then they could like her as well, right?

The confusing part was to define what exactly meant for their mom to like Y/N; Balder had said that they wanted to kiss, but it was not possible because they were girls. Then, they started their own investigation when Balder told them that Nathaniel a boy in their class had two daddies, and then Balder talked about Val a friend of their dad that lived with another girl and they kissed one another.

It was confusing, but if their mom was happy then…well, then she needed to kiss Y/N.

It was either that, or their dad coming back. But they hated this idea, and they would prefer their mommy alone than back with their dad. Of that, their little minds were completely sure.

Now, the only thing they needed to do, according to Balder, was to make sure their mom knew they agreed to her and Y/N to kiss. It was only that, right?

Billy and Tommy glanced at one another; Tommy opened his eyes really big mouthing something to his brother. Billy scowled grabbing his glass of milk before speaking.

“Mommy, do you like Y/N?” Wanda was caught off of guard, the question made her choke on the coffee she had been drinking. Tommy gave his twin the thumbs up, but Billy was still scowling openly at his mom.

Wanda was coughing trying to recover ignoring that Tommy was swinging his legs in the air, his hand grabbing the spoon filled with cereal.

“I like Y/N! She is funny, and nice and she is… Warm.” Tommy scrunched up his nose, not really sure he had chosen the right words. 

“I…I…Warm?” Wanda stuttered.

“You are all red when she is here! Like when is hot in the house!” Tommy exclaimed as if that was enough explanation, Wanda winced trying to hide her mortified expression from the twins. 

“She makes mommy smile too.” Billy lifted his eyes to Wanda blinking innocently as he waited for an answer to his question. 

Wanda tried to take another sip from her coffee, her eyes glancing everywhere but at her children who were now focusing their attention on her. 

“Mommy?” Billy asked again, Wanda sighed placing her mug on the counter. 

“Yes, Billy, I like Y/N.” Wanda answered casually trying to quiet down the butterflies flying around her abdomen. 

“I like her too.” Billy nodded in agreement; Tommy grabbed another spoonful of cereal. “She is pretty.”

Wanda had to silently agreed with Billy, she softened her eyes slightly knowing her children really liked you a lot. It was one of the things that had made Wanda feel attracted to you. How easy you fit in with the twins, how you had earned their love and their friendship by being just plain silly with them. You and America had taught them how to be children again, how to let go of their fears of watching the clock every once in a while or trembling when the door opened and closed, or to let go of Wanda and run freely to have fun. 

“Mommy, do you have to go today?” Tommy asked softly, Wanda opened her eyes at the question, she had told them already that day they were needed it back at school to finish the decorations for the ball. 

“Yes, Tommy, but mommy won't take too long, and America is going to watch over you…”

“Can Y/N stay here too?” Billy asked and Wanda winced lightly at the request. 

“No, Billy, she will come with me to school.” 

Billy and Tommy glanced at one another; Wanda narrowed her eyes at the sudden spark of mischief that shone in their eyes. 

“Can we watch a movie?”

Wanda leaned forward waiting for the real request. 

“Yes, of course.” She answered tentatively. 

“Can America take us to the theatre to see a movie?” They both asked at the same time, Wanda opened her eyes leaning back as they grinned widely at her. 

Wanda hesitated before shaking her head. 

“To the cinema.” She clarified then, “you mean, to the mall?”

Billy and Tommy nodded eagerly, Wanda opened her mouth then closed it again, her mind going through the possibilities of her children going to the mall with America. Then, as she went to drink another sip from her coffee she almost choked again at Tommy's next words. 

“We promised we won't get mad if you and Y/N kiss each other, Mommy!”

“Tommy!” Billy exclaimed hitting his brother while Wanda tried to recover. 

“What?”

“Balder said you and Y/N want to kiss one another but that you need to be alone because that's what you do when you like someone.” Tommy said in one breath trying to get away from Billy who was trying to shut him up. “and you say you like Y/N!!”

“Tommy!! You ruined it!!” Billy scolded his brother crossing his arms and glaring at his twin. 

Tommy crossed his arms as well, red and slightly guilty at what he just said. Wanda placed a hand on her face, she was trying to collect her thoughts and had a serious conversation with her children when the doorbell sounded tearing her attention from the current situation to be door. 

“We will have a serious conversation about this, guys, but now stop glaring at one another and behave. I'm going to see who it is.”

Wanda was trying to regulate her heartbeat that actually skyrocketed when she opened the door to see you standing there. You were dressed rather casually, with a light jacket on and a scarf that helped out a little in the cold winter weather. Your grin showing off the dimples on your cheeks, with your eyes gleaming warmly at the woman standing in front of you. 

“Y/N!” Tommy was the first one to come running towards you, he wrapped his arms around you grinning while looking around until his eyes found America and he went right in to greet her as well. 

“Hope we didn't interrupt anything?” You asked after the silence stretched out for far too long. 

“Oh, no, no we were having breakfast.” Wanda stated not overly excited to tell you what she had been talking about with the twins. “Would you like to come on in? I was getting ready, but I thought we will go later today.”

Billy was standing to the side, his eyes narrowed and the small scowl he had been wearing before was back on his face. You hesitated before going over to him, your hand stretched out. 

“Good morning, Billy.” The boy glance at your hand, then at you and Tommy before taking your hand. 

“Hi.” He then stepped back and went to hug America who winced at the force the twins had greeted her with. 

Wanda winced but you merely chuckled, shrugging. 

“So I know we said later but… I have a proposal for you.” Your grin was infectious and soon Wanda found herself smiling back. 

America held back the twins, whispering with them while glancing at the adults every once in a while. 

“What proposal?”

“Well, you can have lunch with me.” You sounded more confident that what you really felt, your heart was threatening to leave your chest and your palms had gotten sweaty all of a sudden. “I mean, we could have lunch and then go to the school. America and her friends were thinking of doing something today and well, that includes taking Tommy and Billy to the movies… If you agree?”

Wanda soon found herself being cornered by her children, one teenager, and you all four looking at her with puppy eyes and pleadingly smiles. She gave in, it was hard not to do so even with the latent fear of having her children going outside with people that was not her, and perhaps risking their well-being by getting spotted by someone of their previous life. 

“We're not going to be alone, though.” America decided to intervene, she had the twins on each hand making sure she could show just how responsible she was. “Thor and Sif will come with us, Balder is also and we were actually going with them because they are planning Loki’s birthday party so… We won't be alone.”

“And, it's free lunch, so it's a win-win situation.” You completed it, Wanda knew her battle was lost the moment she found herself looking into your warm eyes smiling back at you with a hint of disbelief in her features. 

It was such a foolishly thing to fall for, she decided to ignore the warmth filling up her chest as well as the fluttering wings of butterflies in her lower abdomen. She felt her mind melting at the sight, and her cheeks coloured pink when you winked at her. 

“And mommy can kimphf.” Billy and America both grabbed Tommy silencing him before he could finish the sentence. 

You furrowed your brows, America was shaking her head while smiling apologetically at you. Tommy and Billy were arguing while Wanda had placed a hand on her face, slightly mortified and embarrassed. 

“So, what did I miss?”

“Nothing, just never mind, I think that's a good idea.” Wanda spoke quickly placing a hand on your forearm. “I was finishing something up, and then I guess you guys can go and…”

“And we can go too. Excellent, need any help?”

By the time midday arrived you were on the road with Wanda glancing at her watch and phone every chance she got. The car drive was silent, with not a single word shared between you just as you drove down streets Wanda had barely recognized. 

“They're gonna be fine, you know?” You finally said glancing at the woman beside you out of the corner of your eye. 

Wanda let out a snort, her eyes closing lightly before she leaned back on the seat. 

“I know.” She hesitated playing with the idea of telling you her real concern before dismissing the idea with a sigh. “I just… I have never let them go out without me, you know?”

You pursed your lips before speaking, “if you want we can join them, I can take the exit down there and we will be there in twenty minutes.”

Wanda turned sharply at you, her eyes opened and her brows lifted. 

“Really? You… You would do that?”

“It is obvious you are not comfortable, Wands, and that you want to be there with them.” You explained softening lightly, your hand sneaking around to grab hers in yours. “If it is important to you, then it is important to me.”

Wanda swallowed down her emotions, her hand squeezing yours. She played with the idea of accepting your proposal, she had this bad feeling with her children but she was also conscious this was due to her paranoid mind. She glanced at her hand and yours, before shaking her head. 

“I just think I need time, that’s all. We don't have to go over there.” Wanda felt her hand twitched before she let it rest against yours. “We haven't been this far from one another in a while, and well…”

Wanda trailed off she was not ready to share with you her tumultuous past. Or the story of her abusive husband. She was happy with the knowledge you had only seen the new Wanda, her new family and no what she was. 

“I can't even imagine what would be when they are dating.”

You chuckled, a content smile playing on your lips while you drove with a single hand. 

“I don't think it would be that terrible, you know?” Your eyes wandered around the mirror to take a look at Wanda. “Are you afraid they would bring a girl or a boy home?”

Wanda found herself shocked by the question, she looked out of the car thinking over before speaking her thumb caressing the palm of your hand absentmindedly. 

“I'm afraid they will bring a bad person home. I just want them to be happy with the right one.”

You could tell there was more to that story, but your attention was soon grabbed by your mobile announcing the proximity of the restaurant you had been looking for. Wanda leaned forward finding Olympia in all her glory standing proudly in the midst of powerful decorations of ancient times. 

“Today we're going to try a different setting, if you don't mind?”

Wanda tilted her head curious, she then smiled at you. 

“Not at all, free food, right?”

You chuckled parking the car while tilting your head to the side, “free food.”

The place was still packed, and this time around Wanda didn’t feel the pressure of being around so many people as she felt it before. There were families and group of friends all around the restaurant, the noise increased as they stepped further inside the building. You had said no word to Wanda yet, but to ensure she was never too far behind you grabbed her hand in yours leading her through the tables and the people until you found yourself at the back of the building.

Ajak was waiting for you there.

The older woman had the same smile she wore last time, in her eyes Wanda could recognize the traces of intelligence mixed up with the knowledge of unknown secrets. She was standing by a glass door, inside Wanda could see a world filled with colours, and she couldn’t help but stepped forward her curiosity sparked by the beautiful sight in front of her.

Your eyes followed Wanda around, there was no doubt in your mind that seeing the smile on her face and the innocent excitement in her expression was enough for you to be happy as well. Ajak snorted knowingly stepping aside while showing the doorknob decorated with golden holding the glass door closed.

“I hope traffic was not too bad, Y/N.” Ajak spoke her eyes going from Wanda to you.

“Not at all, Ajak, how is business so far?”

“You know, this is the best season for me.” Ajak shrugged this time around turning to Wanda. “And, Wanda, I hope your children are doing okay?”

Wanda was slightly taken aback; she offered a tentative smile nodding.

“They are, thank you.”

Ajak offered a tilt of her head before placing her hand on the doorknob, there was a strange tension in the air and Wanda had just noticed this section of the restaurant was not that busy. She looked around the place before her eyes settled in you, you shifted with some hesitation before stepping forward.

“Well, as always, I’m glad to make my customers happy, so I hope you liked what we did here.” Ajak opened the door stepping aside, her eyes following you and Wanda inside the glassed domo.

The theme chosen to decorate this place had been nature.

Wanda gasped the cold of the day forgotten as a warmth breeze caressed her skin, the sweet aroma of flowers and nature filled her nostrils while her eyes were enchanted by the sight of colourful flowers and multiple plants that create a path stretching out deeper inside the dome. Wanda had forgotten all about you, she just stepped inside touching the leaves of the closets tree finding this was actually a real tree and not some artificial creation. She walked down the road, her eyes gleaming excitedly taking notice of the sunflowers and the roses, she even got sight of orchids and some palms.

“You really know how to woo a girl, don’t you?” Ajak whispered beside you, you almost jerked away forgetting all about the older woman.

When you turned to face her, Ajak was already smiling knowingly at you. There was no use in denying what was happening or what you were trying to accomplish, you shrugged lightly lowering your face before speaking.

“Do you think…she likes it?” You finally asked, Ajak placed a hand on your forearm shaking her head.

“I think she loves it, and I think you are in deep trouble.” Ajak didn’t let you defend yourself, she merely nodded towards the greenhouse placing a gadget on your hand. “Everything is ready over there, Thena was already warned so you just had to press the button and they will bring everything, okay?”

“Thank you, Ajak, I really owed you one.”

Wanda was already walking down the artificial road by the time you caught up with her.

The young woman turned to you, and the sheer happiness she was wearing at the moment was something you realized you were not familiar with. Something inside you stirred with affection, your own expressions softening while it was quite evident you could not look away from her.

“This is amazing, Y/N, how did you find out about this place?” Wanda asked never losing her smile.

“Well, Olympia is really famous for being a themed restaurant and having the best food in the country.” You replied standing closer to Wanda. “And this place, is a new environment she was trying to get tested, so…I thought, why not?”

Wanda offered a tentative smile, looking away while trying to understand why she was feeling disappointed. You opened your mouth to say something else, but decided against it, your hand twitched at your side until you made up your mind and soon you were grabbing Wanda’s hand in yours.

“I hope you like it, I just thought of you when they offered me to try out this place.” You waited until those green eyes turned to you, this time around Wanda broke all pretences and there was a glint of vulnerability in her stare.

“Really? Why did you think about me?” Wanda could tell her question made you nervous, you avoid her eyes while stepping back bringing her over with you walking slowly down the road.

“I can’t seem to stop thinking about you, Wanda.” The sheer honesty behind your words made the other woman hesitated, you didn’t dare to look at Wanda and instead of that you turned around your voice being carried by the echo in the greenhouse.

“I couldn’t help but think you may really like this place, and perhaps that I could make you smile.” Then you tilted your head back, and the smile that showed on your face was one filled with doubts and longing. “I hope I am not overstepping or that you I mean, I just I’m not sure if…”

“This is perfect, thank you for the gesture.” Wanda didn’t let go of your hand, but her body language turned confusing for you it was as if Wanda was fighting with herself, she had stepped closer to you yet her eyes turned into stormy whirlpools of green.

There was an obvious tension around you two, and you knew if you were to lean in you would be able to discover the taste of her lips. Wanda was standing there, her eyes travelling around your face falling always on your lips before she returned to your eyes; she wished she was stronger, that she probably was more daring to end with her confusion and her curiosity but…what if you didn’t want to? What if you rejected her? What if Wanda was reading the situation incorrectly?

She could lose everything, and what she had found with you was something she didn’t want to let go off anytime soon.

“Can you show me around?” Wanda finally whispered; your stomach dropped in disappointment but you didn’t give up. Instead, you just put on a smile leading Wanda around while telling her the story of Olympia.

The greenhouse had been built right outside the main building, it was erected with tempered glass that gave the place the right environment to keep most the plants and flowers alive. The road had been made with wooden planks that twisted and turned around the place giving the visitors a nice view of the flora growing inside the dome. The main dining area was actually at the very centred, in which a pond rested filled with water flowers and a huge Oak tree. The dining sets were all made of bamboo, simple yet fashionable and comfortable; Wanda was beyond herself surrounded by such beauty.

It wasn't only the sight of the trees, or the flowers, not even the warm climate or the pond that was giving up the impression of a multicoloured source of water.

“This is amazing.” Wanda said breathily, she walked towards the only table that had been set up, her heart fluttering in her chest. What was the meaning of all of this?

By the time Wanda turned to you, it was easy to read the questions and the confusion inside her eyes. You wished there was an easy explanation for what you had done, for what you had planned in less than an hour that very morning. But the truth was, you couldn't. Whatever explanations you might have gone out of the window when she faced you with such a gleeful expression.

“I'm glad you like it, we are the very first ones to try this place out so…” You walked past her putting the chair out, your hand showing off the empty chair. “Madam, if you might…”

Wanda dipped her head hiding away the flush on her cheeks, with a hesitant step she went to the offer chair sitting down. 

“How did you do it?” Wanda asked, waving her hand at you as you sat in front of her. “How did you get a table in this place?”

“Oh, Ajak was a friend of my parents, my father even provided some investment to her business.” You shrugged. “She has always been kind to us, and she always has a table for my family.”

“But this is a new environment.” Wanda could see your shifting on the chair, your eyes looking everywhere but at her.

“Yeah, Ajak was needing some testers, and I thought we could be those testers.” You tried to sound casual, fixing the napkin on the table before lifting your eyes offering a half smile. “She is supposed to open this formally by the end of the year.”

Wanda placed her elbows on the table, her eyes dancing around the place before she set them on you firmly.

“Well, this is nice, thank you again.”

“I think your smile is thank you enough, Wands, you really should try smiling more often.” You replied before you could stop yourself, Wanda’s smile grew just a little with her cheeks colouring pink.

“I…” Wanda bit her lower lip ready to ask something when the sound of footsteps called her attention.

Your eyes lit up, and as soon as the owner of those footsteps show up you stood up and met the older woman halfway. Wanda shifted uncomfortably on the chair, her stomach twisted unpleasantly while her hand grabbed the closest napkin tightly; Wanda rolled her eyes turning around to fixed her attention in something else when the older woman leaned in to place a kiss on your cheek.

“You look just as beautiful as I remember, Y/N.” Thena leaned in, her clear eyes falling on Wanda that had her back to you two. The older woman raised a single elegant eyebrow, her attention coming back to you.

“And you, my dear Thena, are as flirty and as mischievous as I remember.” You shared a smile; the older woman placed a hand on your shoulder before stepping forward to go over to Wanda.

“And you must be, Mrs. Maximoff, am I right?” Then stretched out her hand to Wanda who looked like a deer caught in the headlights, she put her chair back her hand trembling as she grabbed Thena blinking away her confusion.

“I…yeah, yeah, you are…”

“The chef.” Thena lifted a single hand and soon two waitresses came right in. “As a courtesy, I would like to offer you a simple appetiser with drinks, you will have a chance to look at the menu and as soon as you decided you can go ahead and call for us.”

“Thank you, Thena.” You sat down looking excitedly at the table, wiggling your fingers as everyone set up the table.

“Don’t even mention it, I am always more than happy to attend to you and any of your women when you come here. Please, enjoy.”

You opened your eyes wide at those words, you opened your mouth to protest but Thena left as fast as she had come. Wanda frowned lightly, waiting for the rest of the people to leave before she set her eyes on the menu in front of her.

“So, you bring many women here? Is that it?” She asked coldly, you gulped shaking your head.

“No! I don’t…” You sighed rolling your eyes before closing them. “I haven’t brought anyone here since Shuri.”

Wanda made a face, a mixture of disbelief and curiosity that didn’t went amiss by you. You fixed on your chair, selecting your favourite dish from the menu before speaking again.

“We were together since high school, you know? I thought we would be forever, it was strange mainly because of our backgrounds.” You leaned forward making explanations that Wanda was not asking for but you had the need to share.

“When did…” Wanda trailed off, hesitating for a moment until your hand found hers on the table.

“What is it?”

“You may think I’m a fool.” She mumbled looking away from you, you chuckled brushing your thumb on the back of her hand.

“Come on! Nothing you said may make me think that, what is it?”

Wanda glanced at your joined hands, her heart skipping a beat feeling the overwhelming emotions drowning her senses. Whatever was happening at the moment, whatever had pushed you to invite her over for lunch that day and to spend the day alone with her, Wanda was still afraid of crossing over that thin line that had been drawn between the both of you in the last couple of weeks. But being here with you, enjoying the soft music playing in the air, and the beautiful place you had brought her to, Wanda could feel her resolution crumbling the moment you offered that tiny smile and those gleaming eyes.

“When did you realize you like women?” Wanda asked in a thin voice, almost shyly waiting for you to laugh or make fun of her question.

The question caught you by surprised, it didn’t make you laugh but it ignited some hopeful flame inside you. You shifted slightly, leaning to the side while never letting for of the hand you were holding.

“I mean, you don’t have to answer, is just, I was curious, I have never I mean…”

Wanda tried to let go of you, but you were faster than her, and her breath caught in her throat when you intertwined your hand with hers giving her a comforting squeeze. You relaxed into the chair, making sure that the other woman was as comfortable as she could be while you started sharing your story.

“Well, actually, it was quite funny, you know?” The world soon disappeared and in the midst of the greenhouse, near a pond and nature, you started sharing a part of you that not many had worried to ask before.

And, as you words filled Wanda with images of your memories, she herself felt a tug in her heart wanting nothing more than to know more about you, to know more about your process…to perhaps get to see if she was just as brave as you had been when you realized you like women.

______________

The mall was packed.

It seemed as if everyone had decided to go out on that very day to make any shopping and go to the movies. Billy and Tommy were excited to just go outside with America and her friends, they had learnt the hard way to never get too far from the grown ups and as memory goes, they didn’t remember the lats time they were allowed outside in such a place without the watchful eye of their father on them.

As soon as they arrived at the mall, Balder and Loki joined them with Thor and Sif trying to set up some ground rules from the teen and child they were chaperoning for the day. Minutes later, America and Loki had been joined by Kate, Yelena, Kamala and Peter all of them ready to go to the movies before going for something to eat.

“You are a grown man, Loki, so I expect you to be in your best behaviour.”

“Yes, brother, I will be.” Loki rolled his eyes when Thor placed a hand on his shoulder trying to make the same gestures Odin used on him.

“Sif and I will start the shopping list, and we will be around if you need us,” this time around Thor redirected his attention to the rest of the group, “don’t get th youngest out of your sight, and if anything happens…”

“We will scream and ask for help, we know, Thor stop it!”

Thor opened his mouth, but stopped himself when Sif came in, this time around Loki gulped dropping his shoulders and submitting right away.

“We are just concern, Loki, and since you have three young boys under your care we want to make sure everything goes well.”

“We know, Sif, don’t worry, we have your phones and we won’t leave them alone.” Loki grumbled crossing his arms, Sif smile nodding and stepping away.

“Then we will see each other in the food court at 3pm, don’t be late.”

“No, ma’am.”

America held back her laughter when Yelena made a whop sound at Loki’s words, the young man glared at her while Kamala and Peter snickered. Kate held Billy’s hand in hers, she and America glanced at one another and decided to start walking down the hall towards the cinema. Tommy was holding onto America, his eyes huge glancing around the place quite excitedly, squeezing America’s hand while pointing around to the stores.

“America! Look! Look! Did you see that?” Tommy squealed dragging America to a toy store, America chuckled following him with a smile in place.

“Yeah, Tommy, this is one of the biggest toy stores in here, if you want we can go in after the movie.”

Tommy turned to her wide eye, his mouth hanging open.

“Really?”

America almost winced, it was as if Tommy really was completely shocked to be on a place like the shopping centre and more so that he would be allowed to go into a toy store. Kate stood by her side, Billy was standing by her but his eyes were just as wide as those of her brother’s.

“Yeah, kiddo, really.”

America felt a hand on her lower back, she turned to see Kate smiling at her reassuringly, and the young woman returned the smile leaning into the touch. Billy lifted his eyes curious at the interaction, with Tommy blinking with curiosity before grabbing Kate’s hand. The young brunette lowered her stare and her heart almost exited her chest when Tommy joined her hand with that of America, the both of them blushing just as Tommy and Billy each one of them stood by the corners with America and Kate standing closed to one another.

“You know? Those two are far more subtle than you two.” Kamala stated to Loki who had just giving Peter the task to take care of Balder.

“So it seems.” Loki smirked, turning to Yelena and Kamala before speaking loudly, “did you see Chavez and Bishop blush like a pair of schoolgirls with a crush?”

“Shut up, Loki!” America and Kate exclaimed at the same time.

Tommy and Billy had taken it upon themselves to make sure Kate and America were as closed as they could be without crossing the line between friendship and something else.

By the time the movie had started they both sat closed to one another, with billy sitting at America’s right and Tommy sitting at Kate’s left side. America accommodated herself on the seat, her eyes would seek Kate every once in a while finding the other teen smiling at her while also engaging Tommy in small conversation.

“I think this is a good idea.” Kate whispered in America’s ear, the young woman shivered turning to see Kate’s face was dangerously close to hers.

“Wh-what?” America winced at her stutter, Kate merely rolled her eyes leaning closer resting her head on America’s shoulder.

“I think this is a good idea, Tommy and Billy are really enjoying the movie. And I bet your sister is having a good time as well.”

“Oh, yeah, I think so to. But this is thanks to you, Kate.” America hesitated before placing a single kiss on her friend’s forehead.

Kate smiled contentedly, “I guess we really are good together.”

America’s breath caught in her throat, she dared to grabbed Kate’s hands in hers knowing Kate could hear the hammering of her heart at the moment.

“I guess…I guess we do.”

Kate smirked into the movie, she knew it would be just a matter of time, she really hoped so because she was tired of playing the game of mouse and cat with America. Without anything else to say, they spent the rest of the movie holding hands ignoring the knowing glances their friends were sending their way.

By the time they exited the movie, it was almost three in the afternoon.

The movie had been silly, and they found themselves laughing and having a good time shooting cautious glances at one another all through the movie, leaning closer to one another until it was quite obvious tension had been building amongst them. The group had decided to move onto the food court while Loki tried to contact Thor and Sif.

America winced seeing the place completely packed, it seemed as if every single person in the city decided to go that day to the shopping centre.

“There are too many people.” Kamala made a face standing on the tip of her feet trying to look around.

“Ugh, I’m hungry, we should have eaten before going to the movie.” Peter tilted his head grabbing his stomach. “Come, Kam, let’s see if there is anything at the back.”

“Be right back, guys.”

America watched as Peter and Kamala left, and Yelena and Loki made a quick exploration of the different food stalls. Kate observed as Tommy rubbed his eyes, he yawned turning to America and tugging on her sleeve.

“Are you okay, Tommy?” America knelt, tilting her head.

“I’m sleepy.” Tommy yawned again wrapping his arms around America’s neck, the young woman melted picking him up in her arms.

Kate came around with Billy who was still quite active shooting his brother curious glances.

“Is everything alright?” Kate turned to the food court rolling her eyes when she spotted the rest of the group still struggling to get a table.

“Yeah, Tommy is tired, and I think we won’t find any place to sit.” America made a face with Kate wincing as well.

“I think you’re right.” Kate then perked up her eyes growing wide. “Oh, what if we grab the food and go back to your place? Tommy and Billy really looked tired and well…”

“Can we?” Billy mumbled as well, “I’m tired too.”

America shrugged fixing tommy in her arms, Kate melted lightly at the overprotective nature of America with these kids that had ended up becoming like little brothers to her. Kate hesitated for a moment before stepping closer to get Tommy in her arms, America furrowed her brows but the young woman merely shook her head.

“Your back is not completely healed yet, and you look as if you need a hand.” Kate blushed lightly when her hand brushed against America’s. “Besides, you’re the only one that can get them to behave.”

“Thank you, Kate.” America made sure Tommy was comfortable, she leaned closer until her eyes met those of Kate. For a brief moment the both of them looked at one another, like this America could see the soft pink colour in Kate’s cheeks.

Then, as if she just thought about that, America leaned in placing a kiss on Kate’s cheek.

“I’ll be right back then. Billy you take care of them.”

“Yes!”

America winked at Kate turning around to get Loki and the others. Billy shot a curious glance to Kate who was smiling like a fool, her cheeks completely red by now. Tommy stirred in the young woman’s arms, his eyes going wide when he spotted a woman right at the other end of a store. He shivered trying to hide his face while holding tightly onto a very distracted Kate.

Billy stood right beside Kate, talking once more about his favourite cartoon before Balder and the others joined Kate.

No one of them, not even Thor and Sif once they caught up with the group, realized they were being watched. None of them noticed the older woman stepping out of the store with her phone on her hand, her eyes going wide and a frown adorning her features as she went through her contacts to dial a familiar number.

“Vision dear, I hope you’re doing okay.” Agatha Harkness smiled into the phone, her eyes losing sight of the twins but she had already seen enough. “I’m good thank you, I was visiting my sister here in the city when, you won’t believe who I just saw, dear. Your children are here, Tommy and Billy. No, Wanda is not with them. Of course, let me tell you everything.”

The lights in your house and Wanda’s were out.

You parked the car right outside Wanda’s garage, the other woman had fallen asleep along the way knowing her children had gotten home earlier than expected and were just sleeping happily in your home. Snow had started falling by the time you two made it back, the school organization had taken most of the afternoon and the evening, but everything had been left ready for the kids to have a nice festival during the week, and the seniors to have a good dance on Friday.

You turned to Wanda, the young woman was facing you with her right arm around her abdomen and her mouth slightly open. You chuckled leaning in to see if she had started drooling yet, but seemed as if she was just in the early stages of sleep.

That day had been magical.

Wanda had been opened as well, she told you about her childhood back in Sokovia, she was happy telling you about her brother and her mother and how they had learnt English through old sitcoms while their father found a way to move permanently to the States. You had told Wanda about your first time facing your sexuality, and how you went through a lot of dates before finding Shuri. You told her about the tumultuous past with that relationship, the break-ups and the reconciliation, the lack of character on your part to end something that was going nowhere.

Then, everything turned into funny stories of failed mischief.

And her laughter had filled the auditorium while you supervised the set-up of the ice skat rink, and they set-up the music and the platform for the main event.  Your heart crushed under the overwhelming affection you felt for the woman sitting beside you, there was a hole in your abdomen filled with butterflies and uncertainty of what exactly you should do. Should you lean in and kiss her? Should just keep sending her messages about how much you like her?

You sighed turning to the house, then back to the woman that was still fast asleep. You wished you were braver than this, that you would just cross the line without the latent fear of losing everything if you were to finally close the distance between the both of you.

“I’m an idiot.” You mumbled before turning around and placing a single hand on Wanda’s cheek. “Hey, Wands, we’re here.”

Wanda stirred leaning into your touch with a single smile decorating her lips, she let her eyelids fluttered for a moment before letting out a yawn she tried to cover with her hand. You chuckled tugging a strand of hair behind her ear, your eyes softening lightly finding her green ones staring at you.

“We’re here already?”

“Yeah, just on time, is starting to snow.”

Wanda stretched out blinking away her sleepy state, she glanced out of the window grinning at the sight of snow falling right outside her window.  

“I love this season, you know? It reminds me of home and Pietro.” Wanda leaned back on the seat, wiggling her hands together before turning to you wrapping her arms around you, her mouth close to your ear. “Thank you, today was amazing, Y/N.”

“I’m glad you like it, Wands.” You smiled into the embrace, your hand drawing soothing circles in Wanda’s lower back. “I imagine you could use some grown up time, and I just…I want to see you smile.”

“Why?” Wanda leaned back, but not enough for you to not feel her warm breath on your face.

“You have a beautiful smile, Wands. I think you already know that.” You replied letting your fingertips played with some locks of her hair. “I thought it was pretty obvious how smitten I am for that smile.”

You knew that day you had been playing with fire, and while you had taken a leap of faith, Wanda was still as confused as ever. The young woman didn’t move from her position, and you almost choked yourself with your spit when she leaned over to place a single kiss on your cheek.

“You are not the only one smitten, Y/N, I also like it when you smile.” Then she leaned back and turned to your house. “I think we better go inside, it’s getting cold already.”

Without any more words, the both of you exited the car strolling down the entrance leading to your house; all the lights inside were off but you could see a silver one coming from the basement.

You made your way to the door with Wanda following you closed behind, by the time the both of you got to the bottom of the stairs you had to snort in disbelief at the scene.

“Seems like your house was the center of a sleep over.” Wanda wrapped her arms around herself, her lips curling into a soft smile that you shared with her.

“Looks that way, I guess we should let them, right?”

Tommy and Billy had arranged themselves at each side of Kate and America that were sharing the same space, Loki and Yelena were snuggling closer to one another, while Kamala and Peter were sprawled on the corner. There was a movie playing on the TV, but you decided to just leave it there. Everyone was fast asleep, and you could only guess the day for them had been just as tiresome as it had been for you.

“I think we better leave them be.” Wanda grabbed your hand tugging you to her and going upstairs, your heart skipped a beat at the gesture and soon you and Wanda were closing the door of the basement and moving to the kitchen.

“I guess I should get going, I mean…”

“You can stay, you know?”

There were no lights at home, and Wanda was still holding your hand in hers. The younger woman didn’t dare to look you in the eye, and you knew that if she did you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself. Wanda gulped chewing on her lower lip, you stepped closer shivering under the stare of the other woman.

“I shouldn’t.”

“Why?”

Wanda sighed but did not make any attempt to step back, “you know why.”

You tilted your head, your face falling and your eyes showing your shattered heart.

“I really don’t understand it.” You replied furrowing your brows. “I thought…”

Wanda shook her head, this time around she let go of your hand and her hands cupped your face. She was trembling, much like you were at the moment, and as you locked eyes with her you could see the struggle she was living. The tears in her eyes, the storm going on inside her head.

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Y/N, and being near you fills me with unbelievable happiness and I am scared.” Wanda fluttered her eyes close, and you could see a single tear rolling down her cheek. “there are things you don’t know and I wish…I want to tell you, but I just…”

“You need time.” You stated brushing tenderly the tears, Wanda nodded and her lower lip quivered waiting for an answer.

You nodded allowing your arms to sneak around Wanda’s waist pulling her closer to you until you were hugging her comfortingly in your arms. Wanda let out a sob and buried her face on your neck allowing the gesture while her hole body tingled with anticipation.

“So, this means…I didn’t read wrong any of this?” You mumbled softly, “I am known for reading incorrectly into many situations, and I don’t…”

“You didn’t. But I’m not…I just…” Wanda hid herself in the crook of your neck. 

“Cool, that’s okay. Don’t worry, I can wait.” You took a deep breath wondering at what moment this outing became such a deep revelation. Having Wanda in your arms felt like heaven, and you really wished you didn’t need to let got.

“You can stay still, you know? I have a guest room and if you…agree to stay with me I will behave.”

This last part made Wanda giggled, she stepped back with her cheeks turned completely red.

“What if I tell you I may not behave myself?” She asked with a glint of mischief in her eyes, you opened and closed your mouth scratching the back of your head feeling the heat rush to your core.

“I would say, follow your heart?”

Wanda laughed leaning in to place a single kiss at the corner of your lips, you closed your eyes only to open them and find her looking at you.

“I think the guest room is okay.”

“Good, then…let’s go.”

That night as you rested on your bed, your eyes fixated on the ceiling you couldn’t stop thinking about the woman sleeping in the other room. Your heart swelled with affection, your mind replaying all that happened that day and how close you felt to Wanda. That day you had crossed one line, and if what Wanda needed it was time, you could give it to her without any issue; you had come to realize she was worth it of the wait. With a single smile on your face, you turned around and fall asleep. Tomorrow would be another day.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Next Chapter: The Yule Ball is here! There is a Winter Festval everyone is enjoying and Wanda finally learns the meaning of family. Reader is determine to win her over, and Wanda is finally done waiting. There is a kiss, and some tragedy waiting to happen.

[morgana-larkin]

First of all I live for your writing!!

And second I have a chessy prompt!!!

Basically r is a poet but doesn’t really talk about it and r decides to write a poem to chessy explaining her feeling for her but doesn’t write her name on it on purpose to have a clear state of mind or something idk😭

Anyways chessy find out that it was r from her handwriting and confronts her about it and r starts rambling and chessy shuts her up by kissing her and says something hot after the kiss then r kisses chessy back and you can go on from there!!

Hi! You’re so sweet! Thank you for the compliment 🥹❤️ . I thought this prompt was so cute. Now, I’m no poet so the poem might be terrible but I tried. I would have had this out earlier but I watched the new episodes of Bridgerton finally and got distracted. Not edited in the slightest and I hope you like it!

On another note: I made Chessy a bottom as I heard someone’s favourite is a bottom Chessy. I’m still taking requests and prompts for every character on my masterlist.

In Writing

Warnings: Smut, Bottom Chessy, Top Reader, lots of fluff

Words: 3.8k

You glance up from your journal, you’re on one of the lounge chairs in your bikini with a see through cover up robe on. You see Chessy playing pool monster with the twins and it’s adorable. The way they swim away from her in a fit of giggles, and how she spins them around and then throws them in the water when she catches them.

You’ve found yourself admiring Chessy a lot lately, just something about her that grabs your attention. You met Chessy awhile ago when the twins were first born. She watched over you a few times as you were 12 years old when the twins were born and you loved spending time with her then, she’s a lot of fun, and it seems that hasn’t changed. Chessy sees you staring and smiles at you.

“Wanna join us y/n?” She asks and the twins both look at you with big smiles.

“Yes! Join us please?” Hallie begs.

“Yes please! It would be so much fun!” Annie said, agreeing with her sister. You loved watching Annie grow up. They were both your nieces, as you were Elizabeth’s younger sister, but you will always feel closer to Annie. When her and Nick split, you didn’t understand why they separated the twins but you respected their decision, even if you didn’t agree with it. Elizabeth made you and the family swear to never tell Annie that she has a twin sister.

As soon as everyone reunited again, Elizabeth invited you to come and meet Hallie, which you agreed to quickly. Here you are 2 years later and you’ve been living with them for a year now. When Nick and Chessy saw you again, they almost couldn’t believe it, the last time they saw you, you weren’t even a teenager. Now here you are, 24 years old, all grown up.

“Wow, y/n, you’ve grown up.” Nick says, still a bit shocked.

“Ya, time has a way of doing that.” You joked with him. You always liked Nick, he was a good guy and good to your sister.

“Everyone! I made some…” Chessy trails off as she sees you. “Y/n?” She asks and you smile and nod. You then run over and hug her.

“Good to see you again Chessy!” You exclaim when you pull back from the hug.

“Ya, it’s good to see you too. My, how you’ve grown.” She says and looks you up and down. “Are you still a little trouble maker like you were years ago?” She asks and you laugh.

“Not a lot of time for trouble but it seems my nieces are picking up the mantle. My sister told me everything that happened.” You say to everyone and the twins smile. “Btw, it’s nice to meet you, Hallie.” You tell her and she waves at you. “I never understood why you split them up.” You say and the twins look at you.

“Wait, you knew?” Annie says and you nod.

“Of course, chess brought me to the hospital to come meet you guys when you were born.” You say and you don’t see Chessy blushing at the nickname.

You and Chessy spent weeks catching up on what you’ve missed. You were able to bring your work with you as you were a designer like your sister and she hired you as soon as you graduated. You were both happy to have it as a family run company.

Besides designing, you also liked to do poetry. It’s a hobby you took up in high school as a way to get your feelings out. Being someone who liked girls when it wasn’t acceptable was hard. You often felt like there was no one to confide in, to talk about it with, so instead you wrote down your feelings, in the form of poems.

You were usually seen writing down in a journal in your free time. And if you weren’t then you were hanging out with someone in the house. I mean there are 6 people plus Sammy in the house, there was always someone there.

“Y/n?!? Are you gonna come?” Annie asked, breaking you out of your little walk down memory lane.

“Oh alright. I’ll join.” You said getting up and putting your journal down. You took your transparent robe off and then walked to the pool. Unknown to you, Chessy was checking you out the entire time. When Chessy used to watch over you when your family visited the twins, she always thought you were special, an adorable kid with an eye for mischief. You remained that little girl to Chessy for so long that when she saw you again, she was shocked. It took her a little bit to stop seeing you as the 10-12 year old girl she knew all those years ago, and start seeing you as a woman. And when she started seeing you as a woman, feelings started with it.

“Alright, what game are we playing?” You said as you jumped into the pool.

“How about Marco Polo?” Hallie suggested and everyone agreed.

“Alright, who's gonna have their eyes closed first?” You ask and the twins and you look at Chessy.

She sighs and then huffs. “Fine, but y/n is next.” She says and you wink at her. She closes her eyes and counts to 10.

“8…9…10! Marco!”

“Polo!” You all say in unison. Chessy swings around and walks a little bit, trying to find and catch you guys. You then get an idea, you haven’t played a trick on her in years. You dive under the water and swim to her.

“Marco!”

“Polo!” The twins say, very interested in what you’re doing.

Chessy notices that your voice is missing and says it again. “Marco!” She says and you get to the bottom where her feet are and you tickle them and then come to the surface, giggling. “Ahh!” Chessy yells and then hears your giggling a couple seconds later. “I see someone is up to their old tricks again.” Chessy says with a smile.

“Once a trickster, always a trickster.” You say and then dive underneath the water again. You do your best to emerge silently and you're right behind her.

“Marco!”

“Polo!” You all say in unison. And Chessy jumps and then spins around and catches you. You tried to flee from being caught but were a second too late. Chessy opens her eyes with a smile and sees your pout and she laughs.

“You tried but I’ve had years of practice with a trickster kid.” She tells you and she beams at you.

It was now your turn to try and catch one of them. “8…9…10! Marco!” You shout.

“Polo!” They all say in unison. You hear Hallie being close by and you turn around and jump forward and miss her.

“Marco!”

“Polo!” They shout back and they’re all at the other end of the pool. You turn around and start walking to the other end.

“Marco!”

“Polo!” They shout and they’re all closer but not close enough. You were about to shout it again when all of a sudden, you feel hands pull your arms to your side and then have arms wrap around your waist.

“Omg!” You shout in surprise.

“You’re not the only one who can do tricks!” You hear Chessy say and you can tell she’s smiling.

You end up switching games and you each have a twin on your shoulders, trying to knock the other one off. You have Annie and Chessy has Hallie.

Nick and Elizabeth were watching from the door and they’re smiling. It was so nice watching you all play together. They know Chessy loves having you back after years apart as you two were close. They see that you’ve gotten close with Hallie as you two were trying to find things in common to bond over in the beginning. As it turns out, you and the twins all have quick wit and a sense of humour. Nick, Elizabeth and Chessy love hearing you banter with the girls as it’s often entertaining.

“You and Hallie are going down!” You tell Chessy and she laughs.

“No, it’s you and Annie who are going down.” She retorts back. It turns out that both twins fell at the exact same time and it was a tie.

That night, you write down your feelings, and it all happens to be about Chessy. How you feel about her. You think you might have had a small crush on her back when you were 12 but you weren’t sure. But now you know for sure that you’re attracted to her and have a crush on her.

You rip the piece out of the book, you were about to crinkle it up and throw it away but then decided to keep it instead. You put it in your journal and then you put the journal on your nightstand, and then you go to sleep.

The next morning, you were going to accompany Hallie to see her horse and pamper the horse with her. You walk out of the house with your journal, unknowingly dropping the piece of paper where you declared all of your feelings about Chessy on. The piece of paper fell to the ground and no one noticed until 10 minutes later when Chessy comes back into the house with Sammy and picks it up. She turns the paper over and instantly recognises your handwriting. She then sees that you wrote a poem and she can’t help but read it.

What one could say except I like you

I love everything about you

Who you are, how you look, how you act

How could one not fall for you

In your presence I feel myself wanting more

More than a friendship with you

For I know we are two women

When I’m with you, I simply don’t care

All that occupies my mind is thoughts of you

Of us holding hands in the field

Us cuddling together on the couch or in bed

Going to the market or cooking together

Or to be able to finally know

What it’s like to have your lips on mine

Chessy reads it and smiles. It was beautiful and heartfelt. She had no idea you were good with poems. She wonders who it was about and then she hears you coming back with Hallie. She folds the piece of paper and puts it in a pocket to ask you about later. Then she gets started on lunch.

“Hello girls!” She greets you both and you both smile at her. “I’m just getting started on lunch, hope you’re hungry.” She says.

“Starving.” Hallie says.

“Well how about you go get your sister and bring her over here.” Chessy says and Hallie bolts off to find her sister. You then turn your attention to your journal and notice the piece of paper missing and you look around you. “Something wrong?” Chessy asks when she turns around to face you.

“Um ya. I had a piece of paper in here and now it’s gone. Have you seen a piece of paper on the floor” You tell her. She knows exactly where it is, it’s in her pocket right now.

“Uh no. Didn’t see anything. Was it important?” She asks and you stop in your search for it.

“Oh um, not really. Well yes, important to me anyway.” You say and she smiles at you.

“Well I hope you find it.” She tells you and goes back to making lunch.

That night, Nick, Elizabeth and the twins all go upstairs to get some sleep. You and Chessy remain on the couch and you yawn.

“I should probably get some sleep too.” You tell her and she looks at you.

“Can I ask you something first?” She asks and you look at her.

“Of course, you can ask me anything Chess.” You tell her and she smiles then frowns again. She reaches into her pocket and pulls your poem out.

“I found your poem.” She says as she unfolds it and shows it to you and your eyes widen. “Who’s it about?” She asks you and you snatch it from her.

“Nobody, it’s about nobody.” You say really quickly.

“Really? Cause it seems to be about a woman that you have feelings for.” She tells you and you look at the floor. “Y/n, I already knew you were into women. I figured it out when you were 12.” She tells you and you look at her confused.

“How could you have possibly known then? I was 12. I- I didn’t even know until I was 19.” You tell her.

“I recognize the signs that I saw in myself when I was that age.” She tells you with a shrug.

“Wait? What? Wait, are you…”

“Into women?” She finishes for you and you nod. “Ya, I am. I was hoping I’d be around for you so you have someone who’s like you, to talk too. While it’s more acceptable now then it was when I came out, I know it’s still frowned upon.” She tells you.

“When you came out? How old are you? You look no more than 35.” You say and she laughs.

“You think I’m only 9 years older than you?” She asks and you shrug. “Hate to break it to you but I’m 39.” She says and starts twirling your hair in her fingers. “You always had such beautiful hair.” She tells you. “So want to tell me more about that poem you wrote?” She asks and you stare at her.

“Well yes it’s about a woman. I may have feelings for someone. I wouldn’t put much thought into it if I were you. Not interesting at all. I mean it is someone you know but still not anything interesting. Just me and a crazy crush on-” and she cuts you off by putting her lips on yours. It takes a second before your brain processes that you’re not talking at the moment and you’re kissing, kissing the person the poem is about. You kiss her back and she smiles into the kiss. She pulls back a few seconds later.

“Was the poem about me?” She asks and you nod. “If I recall correctly, cause I obviously read it multiple times, you wanted to know what it's like to have my lips on yours.” She says and you nod.

“I did say that yes, and I like it.” You tell her and she hums.

“Well would you like to know what it’s like to have my lips on other places of your body?” She asks and you short circuit. You respond by kissing her again. Chessy eagerly kisses you back, wanting to kiss you for a while now but she had no idea if you were out yet. When she read the poem, it gave her hope that you figured it out and she could finally take the chance. She wasn’t blind, she knew about your feelings for her but didn’t want to do anything in case you didn’t know you were into women yet.

Chessy pulls back after a few seconds. “Is that a yes? Cause as much as I enjoy…kissing…you.” She says while giving you little pecks. “I do need a verbal confirmation.” She says and gives you another peck and you hum.

“I want to feel more than just your lips everywhere. I want to feel your lips, tongue and fingers.” You tell her and she smiles. Where did that sudden boost of confidence come from? You’ll never know. She was about to comply when a sudden thought strikes her.

“Wait, y/n. Are you a… a virgin?” She asks and you shake your head.

“I’ve already had sex with a guy. But never with a girl.” You tell her and she smiles.

“Well I’m going to make it memorable for you. Just not here. Let's go to my room.” She tells you and she gets up and extends her hands to you. You take both of them and she pulls you up and to her room.

She closes the door and starts kissing you again, only this time she deepens it by putting her hands in your hair and doesn’t pull away any time soon. You put your hands on her hips and pull her body closer to yours. You move your hands to the buttons of her shirt and you start undoing them one by one until you are able to yank the shirt off of her. “You wear far too many clothes.” You tell her playfully as you see her in a tank top and pants still.

She looks at you with a soft smile and hums. “Well what are you going to do about it?” She questions and you smile then push her down onto the bed. You quickly take her pants and tank top off and look at her body in just a bra and underwear and you lick your lips. “See something you like?” She teases as she sees your reaction to her body.

“Not something but someone, with an amazing body.” You tell her and straddle her lap as she sits up to hold you.

You kiss each other again and you trail down to her neck and she moans. “Oh god! Y/n.” She moans out as you suck her neck. You unclip her bra and tear it off her and go push her down onto the bed. You then go and suck a nipple and she tries to buck her hips under you, but can’t as you’re straddling her lap.

After you're satisfied you’ve teased her nipples enough you pull back to look at her and put your hands on her boobs and massage them. “Chessy, I just love your breasts, they’re so big and perfect.” You tell her and she smiles at you. She then gets impatient as you’ve teased her quite a bit.

“If you’re done admiring them, could you shift your attention downward.” She tells you and you quirk an eyebrow at her.

“I’ll obey this time but next time you complain then I’ll make you wait longer.” You tell her.

“Already wanting to do this with me again?” She asks cheekily as you slide her underwear off.

“Of course, I’m really enjoying myself, learning about what you like and what sounds I can get out of you.” You say and spread her legs. You climb on top of her and settle yourself on a leg then lean forward so you can kiss her lips. At the same time as you kiss her, you slide a finger inside her and it goes in easily. “Wow, you’re really turned on, it just slipped right in there.” You tell her and then add another one and she gasps out. You then begin pumping in and out of her and she’s moaning and gasping underneath you.

“Oh god! Y/n, I’m so close.” She almost yells and you go to kiss her again so she doesn’t wake anyone up, much less your sister. She then comes a few seconds later and she gasps into the kiss. You pull out of her and then just stay there until she’s ok with you to move.

“Sit on my face.” She tells you and you look at her.

“What?” You ask as she said it quietly.

“Sit on my face, I want to eat you out but I don’t think I can move. You really know how to finger a girl.” She tells you and you smile.

“I still have all my clothes on though so give me a minute.” You say and before you move, she takes your top off and unclips your bra before it goes flying off. She then quickly unbuttons your jeans then she pulls them down as well as your underwear, you then take them off the rest of the way.

“Wow, you really are beautiful.” She tells you and you blush.

“Thank you.” You tell her and then you climb up to her face. “Wait shouldn’t we do this near the headboard in case I have to -” At that moment she pulls you down to her mouth and immediately starts licking you and you get cut off. At one point you fell forward and you stayed leaning on your hands the rest of the time. “Oh god, Chessy. I’m close.” You tell her, trying to stay quiet. When you do come, you accidentally gasp out a bit loud and you hope you didn’t wake anyone up. You take a minute to catch your breath before you get off of her and flop down on the bed.

Chessy goes to clean herself up and when she comes out, you ambush her and pin her to the wall. You get her worked up again and she then just noticed you’re wearing a strap. You then slide it into her and you cover her mouth with your hand when she begins to gasp loudly. You start pumping in and out of her when it’s all the way in and then you go faster and faster. Chessy wants you to go faster when you’re already going as fast as you can in this position. So you pull out of her and bring her to the bed quickly and she gets on her hands and knees so you can pound into her from behind.

She ends up grabbing a pillow so she can muffle her sounds when she’s close. She gasps into the pillow when she comes and you come right after as the strap was rubbing your clit. You pull out of her and take the strap off and you both catch your breath.

“You couldn’t have done that before I cleaned myself up.” She tells you while trying to catch her breath.

“Are you complaining?” You ask her and she giggles.

“Only because I have to clean myself up again.” She tells you and you go to get a cloth for the both of you.

The next morning, she’s making breakfast for everyone when you come up and hug her from behind. She leans into your touch and you begin planting kisses on her neck and she giggles. She turns the stove off then places a hand in your hair as you continue to kiss her neck. You then hear someone clear their throat and you pull away from each other quickly and see everyone standing there.

“Oh, hi guys.” You say and Chessy is too nervous to speak. The twins then go to the table as Chessy begins putting breakfast on plates and Nick and Elizabeth walk over to you both. Elizabeth speaks low enough so the twins won’t hear.

“While I’m happy for you guys, I didn’t want to find out from the noises last night.” She tells you and both your cheeks go red.

Taglist: @esposadejoyhuerta

@imaginesmultifandoms

@idonothingalldays-blog

@sexysapphicshopowner

@dvrkhcld

@lilfartbox1

@ricejucie

@unicorniusfallapatorius

@a-queen-and-her-throne

@sleep-deprived-athlete

@og-kxsh-420

Let me know if you want to be added!

[yuesya]

Twin AU Muneyoshi: It's for the best that Shiki dies, it's for the clan and Satoru's future, Hina will understand. Well, surprise! Hina DID NOT understand and used all the rest of her life to protect her daughter, FROM you and said clan. Muneyoshi reeks of copium and self-justification, and was probably only truly called out and confronted with his bullshit when Satoru killed him for it. His wife apparently killing herself over it never got through to him. Yue, what did that 'rampage' look like?

Muneyoshi is calm.

His calmness is one born of faith in his clan, and confidence in his elders. He knows what they have planned, in order to remove the imperfection staining the honored one. It would take… extreme measures, quite understandably. The case that they were dealing with was unprecedented, after all. In all cases of cursed twins throughout the clan’s history, there had never been a case of twins bonding with each other as Satoru had done with… as Satoru had done.

It couldn’t be allowed to stand.

Satoru, he thinks helplessly, Why can’t you just understand?

His son is entirely much too like his mother; the thought strikes him with fondness, and sorrow.

Because the whole point of Muneyoshi dirtying his hands with the deed in the first place was so that Satoru would be free from it. Free, and unchained. Muneyoshi wouldn’t let anything –anyone– hold his son down, and yet Satoru saw fit to snap manacles into place around his own wrists, and willingly chain himself once more.

But he would see reason, someday. Muneyoshi was sure that he would. He was sure that he–

The doors behind him abruptly slam open, and the scent of blood fills the air. Muneyoshi exhales slowly, knowing that the deed is done. His son is finally his own once more. Now, all that’s left is to placate the boy and calm him, so that he will know to–

“Got any last words?”

Muneyoshi turns around with a reprimand on his tongue, and his voice dies in his throat.

… Satoru?

His beloved son is covered in blood. There’s a bloody gash split down the middle of his torso, and Muneyoshi’s mind flickers back to what the elders had said –exceptional circumstances, so exceptional measures will have to be taken– but there’s just, there’s just so much blood.

If he didn’t know any better, he’d say that it looks like they’d tried to split Satoru open.

But… evidently, that hadn’t actually been the case here. Satoru is bloodied and swaying on his feet, but in one piece and standing, whereas the open doors behind him reveal a conspicuous trail of blood and corpses.

Muneyoshi’s throat tightens. “What have you done, Satoru?”

His son laughs. “You’re asking me? Really? Why don’t you think a little harder about what you and the rest of the clan did?”

The man purses his lips. “This was… necessary. Satoru, you are the honored one. Blessed with Six Eyes, and Limitless. The fate of the clan falls upon your shoulders, and it is your duty to lead the jujutsu world–”

“A world like this? I’d rather burn it to the ground before I lift a single finger to lead it,” his son says coldly, and Muneyoshi flinches at the cutting tone. “Shiki wasn’t hurting anyone. You really couldn’t just leave us alone?”

“She’s a cursed spirit!”

“Yeah, ‘cuz you made her into one!” Six Eyes flash with an unholy, burning glow, and Muneyoshi finds himself frozen in place with sudden terror. “And the brilliant idea of putting together that mockery of a ritual to dig her out of me with a carving knife? Yeah, if I didn’t have Shiki with me, I would be dead, thanks for that!”

Muneyoshi shakes his head vigorously. “No, no, no. You have this wrong, Satoru! The elders wouldn’t have–”

“I was dead for ten solid minutes while Shiki was literally putting me back together!”

Muneyoshi stares blankly at his son, uncomprehending. “… But you’re alive.”

The white-haired boy hisses, a frustrated sound. “Whatever. It’s like talking to a brick wall, I swear… if you don’t have anything sensible to say, then I’m just going to go ahead and get this over with.”

Ah.

… Patricide, is it?

Muneyoshi looks up at his son, who stares down at him like a vengeful god, then nods and carefully places the last few sticks of incense in front of Hina’s shrine. His son can’t hear Muneyoshi’s words, and he’d killed all the elders who’d only wanted what was best for him. Years of effort, all down the drain… but oddly enough, Muneyoshi can’t find himself to be upset about it.

Instead, there’s something inside his chest that feels almost… relieved.

“Not in front of your mother,” is his only request. Muneyoshi closes his eyes. “I… won’t apologize. I regret the pain that this has clearly caused you, but it was necessary, Satoru. I’m not sorry for it.”

His son snorts. “Go to hell.”

[megamindsecretlair]

Be My Little Darling - Chapter 11

Chapter 10 Chapter 12

Pairing: Loki x Black!Fem!reader / Plus Size reader

Warnings: 18+. Minors DNI. You are in charge of your own reading experience. ANGST. Dirty talk, mentions of grief and violence. Soft Loki, Jealous Loki

Summary: Loki is the exclusive owner of the hottest club in New Asgard. Dubbed the Nine Realms, each of the nine rooms represent a different realm. You are his second in command, working the floors and ensuring everyone is having fun. It has been a week since the dust up with Loki and you are not sure how much more you can take.

Word Count: 3,939k

Masterlist

A/N: I'm sorry it's been so long! My family are my opps. I will try to update this a little quicker, I'm excited to see where these two go. A little something something before we get into the nitty gritty. Likes are always awesome. Please consider commenting and reblogging to help support writers! I block ageless blogs!

Taglist: @cantstayawaycani @braverthanthenewworld @monaeesstuff @chaos-4baby @dayjlovesromance @soft-persephone @mybonafidefeelings @nerdieforpedro @browngirldominion @thecookiebratz @we-outsiiiide@foxherder @itzgabz22

“I hate it when Mom and Dad fight,” Sweetie muttered, just loud enough for your benefit. You ignored her just as you ignored the rest of the staff all week. They weren’t stupid, they could pick up on the tension between you and Loki. 

You weren’t ignoring him, not completely. He’d throw too big of a temper tantrum. But he was also unwilling to talk about what happened when you saw Thor. You just wanted him to budge, even a little.

He had forced you to confront things you hadn’t been ready to. Forced to draw out those deep grooves in your heart and put them up to a mirror in all its ugly glory. You cried in front of him. Bared your soul and body to him in a way you never had before. And what did he do? Completely shut you out.

You couldn’t survive in half a relationship. So sue you. You weren’t a half measure type of person. You loved and hated in absolutes. You didn’t know how to give up. It was why you were still looking for your family five years later with all evidence pointing to the inevitable truth: Thanos snapped them away.

Your heart cracked thinking of such a thing. That they were just…gone. There was no body to bury, no tomb to mourn. You couldn’t accept it yet. You couldn’t look your siblings in the eyes and tell them that there was no hope left to give.

So no. You weren’t giving up on Loki and you didn’t care how old he was, how powerful, or how much he considered himself a god. He would have to use his big boy words. 

“Sweetie, I’m expecting a visitor today. Please make sure to notify me,” you said. It wasn’t her job, but you smiled at her so that she got the message. 

“Do we need to Parent Trap them?” Honey asked, not bothering to be subtle. She sat with her usual suspects hunched over cups of coffee, bottles of water or juice, and random pastries. 

You grabbed your coffee, unable to fight the smile at the reference. Movies were something you all enjoyed once coming to Earth. As far as being stranded, it wasn’t that bad of a place to be. You all have torn through plenty of movies so far, Parent Trap being among the favorites. You were still shocked that the little girl wasn’t a real life twin. 

You walked over to the table while the group looked at you expectantly. Some leaned forward as if you were going to share something juicy. Others looked almost genuinely worried for you. You hated the pity. You didn’t owe them an explanation. 

“The saboteur has been too quiet lately, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled. This person likes to watch the chaos from the front seat,” you said. You smiled when they groaned and leaned back. 

“Princesa, please! We cannot live like this!” Honey said, her face scrunching up comically into a heartbroken frown. 

“You make it sound like we’re in Hel,” you said and chuckled. 

“He’s miserable without you,” Sugar said. 

You took a sip of coffee to stop yourself from going on a rant. You were their boss, not their friend. Though, some dark pleasure rippled through you at the thought of him suffering. You hoped your scent still lingered in his bed. The gods knew that you tossed and turned in your bed thinking of him between your legs.

And…that was enough of that thinking. You took a deep breath. “Loki is a god, as he likes to remind us. He’s fine,” you said.

They didn’t believe you. You didn’t give a shit. You had more pressing matters to worry about. Like supply requests and restock. A prickling awareness settled over you and you straightened up. 

Eyes snapped towards the door. This was all so dreadfully dramatic. You turned towards the door and saw Loki looking as delicious as ever. He couldn’t be that miserable and still look that damn good. It was unfair. His hair should be messy, clothes unkempt. Something. 

Your eyes skittered over his before you looked away. It still hurt too much that he didn’t trust you with the truth. And you weren’t the begging type. So you walked over to him. “Loki,” you said with a nod.

“Is it me or is it fucking icy right now?” You heard somewhere behind you.

“Mom and Dad need to figure it the fuck out,” you heard as well. 

“Darling, good morning,” he said. He stood and stared at you, making it hard for you to deny that there was anything amiss. He also blocked the damn door. 

“Morning,” you said, nodding towards the door. Loki dug his hands in his pockets. You glared at him but his face didn’t change. Nothing about him did. Your hand was beginning to shake. You longed to run your hands through his hair, pull him to you, and demand kisses and smiles. 

The staff was right, this was icy. Nothing like the heat and passion he was capable of. You moved to walk past him and he cut you off.

“We have to talk about the VIP list tonight,” he said. There. A wince. A crack. A glimpse into that stormy brain of his. 

“Well in hand, Loki,” you said. You smiled, turned around and bowed for the audience. “And scene. Back to work, you bunch of lazies,” you said. The tension in the room melted a fraction before you shoved past Loki and out into the hallway.

Loki trailed behind you. He made no sound but you were attuned to him like never before. You were always aware of him before. How he moved, how he talked, that smile that never failed to trick and tease. But it was amplified now. As if invisible strings connected the both of you. 

“Darling, stop,” Loki said. You took a deep breath at his deep timbre. That voice. Hell, let’s be honest. Everything about him drove you crazy. And you had resisted for five long, beautiful, torturous years. It was hard to quit cold turkey. 

Still you marched down the hallways towards your office. You weren’t going to make a scene here. 

Loki’s strong fingers wrapped around your arms, pulling you to a halt. You swung your arms wide, careful to avoid any slippage of your coffee. You growled, facing Loki finally. 

“You’re such a child,” you hissed. 

“You’re the one ignoring me like one,” he said. 

“I’m not ignoring you, I’m busy. Work, remember? The thing you hired me for?” You asked.

“Fine, then you’re fired,” he said.

You giggled. You immediately shut up because it wasn’t funny, not at all. You drank your coffee to hopefully scald your throat and prevent you from letting any more giggles escape. You weren’t done being angry. 

“You won’t even look at me anymore,” he whispered. His hand left your arm and he brought it to your face. He stopped before touching you and you finally looked into his eyes. The sight nearly robbed you of breath.

Away from prying eyes, he let you see the raw pain. The whites of his eyes were wide, mouth straining, jaw clenching. 

“Ready to talk about why you blew up at me?” You asked. 

“I already said–” 

“I have things to do, Loki,” you said. You turned on your heel. Turned away from that look in his eyes. If you stared too long, you’d cave. And you didn’t want to. You did the work and now he had to as well. 

Loki didn’t leave it there. He followed you to your office where he waited for you to settle behind your desk. He leaned into the doorframe, watching your every move. You moved a pen here, opened a folder there. But there was no way you were getting work done while he was here. His presence made your brain foggy and hands shake. 

Finally, the mounting pressure got to you. You slammed your hands on the desk and looked at him. “Why are you still here?” You asked.

He crossed his arms and took a deep breath. “I don’t like that you’re mad at me. Not when we’ve come so far,” he said. 

You leveled him with a stare. “This is on you. You love to talk but won’t talk about this. With me,” you said. 

“That’s not it,” he said with a scowl. 

“If you won’t talk, I don’t know what to think,” you said.

His jaw flexed more as he spoke. You’d give anything to know what he was thinking, what he was running through his mind. 

“Believe it or not, I have a hard time admitting faults,” he said, chuckling to cover what he said. 

“So you can stick your dick in my mouth but can’t tell me what’s on your mind?” You asked.

“Don’t be so crass,” he said. 

You’d have to be the bigger person here. Which you hated. But you took a deep breath and looked skyward, praying to the gods and ancestors in Valhalla for strength. “I told you no more running. I meant it. But as much as you say otherwise, I need this to be as equal as possible. You cannot demand everything from me and give none of yourself,” you said. 

“People are entitled to lick some wounds in private,” he said. 

“I’m not asking for every detail of your sordid history. I just want to know why you blew up at me. I only asked about why you didn’t want to speak to Thor,” you said.

Loki finally looked away from you, drawing his eyes downward. He frowned as he picked at an invisible lint on his jacket. “I can’t,” he said, with a sniff. He looked back at you briefly. 

You slowly nodded. “At an impasse, then. Get out, Loki,” you said. Your voice sounded tired to your own ears. You were weary, downtrodden. Maybe it was unfair to demand so much from him, something he clearly didn’t want to talk about. 

You had enough on your plate without worrying about Loki and his moods. You had decided over the course of the week that it hadn’t been a mistake sleeping with him. You had known bliss in his arms and that couldn’t really be a mistake. It just likely wasn’t going to happen again anytime soon. Not while he held on to whatever the fuck was preventing him from speaking. 

Never one to listen, Loki approached your desk. He leaned over it, planting his hands on it and leaning further still. His hair dropped forward like a curtain pulling open for a dramatic scene. His face could technically qualify as a dramatic scene. So many lines and planes, mouth made for sin and eyes dancing with mischief. 

“Darling, please. I–” he paused and just looked at you. His eyes moved, taking in your face. You didn’t know how you looked to him. Just another angry and bitter lover? A messy subordinate with a mouth that gave as good as it got? A once irreparably damaged Asgardian without a clue in the world? 

“I don’t like this between us. I finally got you in my arms, in my bed. I finally got a peek inside and it feels like you’ve closed the doors forever,” he said. 

“You’re the one unwilling to walk through it,” you said, softly. 

“And have you told me everything then? Every dark and horrible secret in your past? Like where you run off to every few months, disappearing at the drop of a hat? Every scar on your skin?” 

Your heart roared in your chest. It beat wildly, thumping against your rib cage. “You should know that I’ve shared far more than I ever cared to with you,” you said. You thought back to the day in his office when you finally let yourself feel. 

For the first time in a long time, you stopped disassociating. Stopped trying to hold it all in. You stopped trying to take flight while your feet were planted on the ground. And he helped you. 

“If you want to know where I disappear off to, I’ll tell you. It’s no secret. But only if I get to demand something too. Only if you let me in,” you said. 

“Ask me for anything else,” he whispered. His voice was so soft, softer than a raven’s wing. He rounded the desk and moved to stand in front of you. He got to his knees and looked at you. He was still damn tall, practically eye level with you. 

He grabbed your hand and brought it to his lips. “Ask me for anything else and I’ll give it. But not that,” he said. 

He kept his eyes on your hand, his lips resting softly against it. You brought your other hand to push his hair behind his ear. “That is my price, Loki.” 

He loosed a breath while your phone rang. The damn thing was still foreign, even after five years. You answered it. The front desk host let you know that your visitor was here. 

You pushed your chair back away from Loki and moved around him. He said nothing and made no noise while you left the room. Your heart felt like a rock in your chest. Each step you took from him felt like lead in your shoes. 

Still, you marched on. You walked to the front and greeted the Asgardian tracker you hired. He was impossibly tall, taller than Loki even. With smooth bronzed skin, short hair, but a host of tattoos criss crossing his bare arms. You didn’t know how he wasn’t freezing in this type of climate, but well, you weren’t going to complain. 

“Erik!” You said, wide grin splitting your face and you hugged him. 

He turned when he saw you, grinning. His smile was so heartbreaking. Why couldn’t you be head over heels for someone like him? He held on a second too long, having last seen him months ago. 

You grew up with Erik in your village on Asgard, running through the streets and getting into all kinds of trouble together. You had entertained something between you many, many years ago, but it was clear that you were better off as friends. You had already given your heart away a long time ago. 

You sat on a lounge chair in the front and tried to temper your expectations. But hope was a cruel thing. It cropped up, over and over no matter how many times you tried to squash and burn it within you. Erik settled next to you, but he wasn’t smiling. 

“No word yet on your family. The universe is very large,” he said. 

You nodded. You figured as much. You tried to hold it together, but throwing that door open within you opened yourself to it all. You felt the tears but you weren’t completely transformed. You blinked them away and squared your shoulders.

“I have people on it though. They’re out there,” he said. 

You shook your head. “They’re not.” You took a shuddering breath at that realization. Five years was too long to keep searching for people that clearly weren’t here, wasn’t it? The fall of Asgard had to have spread by now. For half of life to be eradicated, even people who had never heard of Thanos likely knew his name now. 

If not, well, they knew that those people were gone. Vanished from their lives. Turned to dust and never to be seen again. If Thor was here, all hope was truly lost. The Avengers he so affectionately ran with over the years had gone all but silent. If they were hopeless… 

“Perhaps it’s time to involve Heimdall,” Erik said.

You shushed him. You didn’t need that man turning his gaze on you. He was so eerie, seeming to know so many things. His eyes, like galaxies, were far wiser than your age. 

“I can’t. I can’t just walk up to him and ask. Maybe it’s time to call it,” you said. You didn’t want to say it. That same crack in your chest split wide open at the thought of stopping your search.

Erik grabbed your hand. “Hey, I’m not giving up,” he said. 

You patted his hand. “I’ve taken enough of your time. You have more important people to track down,” you said. Your voice warbled. You hated this. This was why you kept this shit locked away and buried at sea. 

“No one is more important than your family. They’re my family too,” he said. He scooted closer to you and drew you into his arms. You greedily took the comfort. He was always so warm and solid, giving the best hugs you’d ever known. 

“My, Darling, who’s your friend?” Loki’s voice cut into what had been a sweet and peaceful moment. 

You cracked one eye open, trying to disengage from Erik. But he was slower to let you go. He hadn’t missed the deadly tone of Loki’s voice. Where the hell did he come from anyway? 

Erik stiffened, turning fully around to face the larger threat. Loki had a devilish smile on his face, but his eyes were seething. 

“Loki, this is Erik,” you said. Before you could explain further, Erik stood up and blocked your view of Loki for a moment. Erik held out his hand and Loki shook it, keeping that smile on his face.

“Erik, haven’t seen you around,” Loki said. His eyes slid towards you and you inwardly groaned. 

“Erik has–” 

“I pop in every few months to check in on her,” Erik said. 

“Every few months? Really?” Loki smiled at you. Shit, shit. 

“He’s–” 

“Any friend of Darling’s a friend of mine,” Loki said. 

You narrowed your eyes at Loki. You didn’t know what game he was playing but you weren’t in the mood. “Erik has been looking into something for me. Right, Erik?” You stood up and nudged his shoulder to agree with you. His eyes were still trained on Loki. What was this, a fucking pissing match? 

“I was just telling Darling that I’d like to meet more of her friends. We see so little of them,” Loki said. He sauntered around Erik, putting his arm around you. “I like to make sure she’s happy. Always.”

Your eyes bugged out of your head. Erik took in Loki’s arm around you and lifted an eyebrow. “Keeping secrets, are we?” Erik asked. He crossed his arms and stared at you, putting you on the spot.

You licked your lips slowly, trying to describe what you and Loki were to each other. Boyfriend? Boss? Occasional sadistic charmer? 

Loki hugged you close and you looked at him. He smiled at you, leaning down to kiss your cheek. “Didn’t tell him about me? I’m a little hurt,” Loki said. Still with that damn smile. You were starting to panic. You might’ve been a little afraid of what he’d do. 

Loki moved his right hand to lift up your chin and plant a small, but sultry kiss to your lips. You gasped and he drank it down with a low hum. “Always so private,” he said against your lips.

You were going to murder him. Your hands itched with magic dancing between your fingertips. A dagger? A sword? You were going to cut him down where he stood. 

“Erik, he’s–” 

“Loki, of Asgard, everyone knows,” Erik said. He raised his eyebrow at you but you didn’t know what he was trying to communicate. 

“Will you two shut the fuck up?!” You yelled. You drew the attention of some patrons who cast little glances towards you. The host stood in the corner with a few staff members, Honey among them, as they stared at all three of you. They saw the kiss. Your shoulders deflated. There went the little bit of respect you had around here. 

“Erik is a childhood friend who has been looking for my family. They went on a trip when the Snap happened so I don’t know if they’re out there, looking for us, or if they’re gone,” your breath hitched on the word ‘gone’ but you persisted. “Loki is…Loki. We’re figuring it out. Now, say hi to Denby for me,” you said, looking at Erik who slowly smiled. 

You shoved off Loki’s arm around you. “As always, you’ve gotten what you wanted and made out like a thief,” you tossed at him. 

“You’re no better than he is,” you told Erik.

You stormed off. Leaving everyone in the dust. An ache thumped in your head. You needed away. Away from here with all of its bullshit. 

“Darling!” Loki called after you. This time, you heard his steps behind you, heard him walking down the hall. You ignored him. Your fists clenched and unclenched. Your teeth grated. You were fuming with nowhere to direct the anger.

Loki caught up to you outside of your office once more. You pushed him when he was in arm’s reach. “What the fuck was that?!” You yelled. 

You were in the back, well away from any patrons. The hallways had music playing, soft muzak that kept up the hazy and alluring vibe of the club. Each room played its own music so there was no danger of being overhead. Except the staff. You imagined the rumors flying like wildfire, distracting the staff and performers. You were going to be sick. 

“A miscalculation,” he said. 

“What?” You said. He swooped in and waved his stake in the air like you were some prize he won over a miscalculation? 

“I didn’t know about your family–” 

“You would have. I would have told you. As always, you want and you want and you-”

“I have always maintained that I want you because you’re mine,” Loki said. All sense of propriety was gone. Extra eyes be damned. He advanced on you and pushed you against the wall. 

“Completely mine. Mine to do with as I please,” he said. His lips traveled from your temple down to your neck, bypassing your lips. Your body instantly reacted. Craved him. Craved another hit of what he could bring you. 

You grabbed his jacket and turned around, pushing him against the wall. He grinned as if he won. As if you would give in and forget all about your ultimatum. You licked the long expanse of his neck and his breath fanned over your skin. 

You pulled back and smiled at him. He grinned back, hanging his head and looking up at you through his pretty eyelashes. Then you slapped the smirk right off of his face. He licked his lips as if he meant to taste the sting. You raised your arm again and he caught your wrist.

“Darling, not in mixed company,” he said. He gave you a wink. “Save it for later.” 

“You are the most arrogant, infuriating, child-like, obnoxious–”

“Do keep going,” he interrupted.

“Confusing man I’ve ever met! You irritate the fuck out of me! You…bastard,” you said. 

“I don’t know how else to be,” he said.

You yanked your wrist out of his hand. You were breathing too heavy. You couldn’t get enough air in your lungs. You wanted to smack him. You wanted to curse him. You wanted to toss him into hot lava and see if he’d melt. You wanted to kiss his stupid face. 

“We promised no lies between us. And if you can’t give me that Loki, you can’t have me.” 

He opened his mouth to say something, all hints of playfulness gone. But then the lights went out and the screaming started.

Masterlist | Chapter 10 | Chapter 12

[crazyunsexycool]

The love we gave away

Chapter 7

Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x Reader

word count: 4.0k

Word count: Some angst, talk about a surgery but nothing graphic, bit of a cliffhanger

A/N: So here we go with the next chapter. This is a bit of a filler/set up for what's to come. It's a bit dialogue heavy so I'm sorry if you don't like that! Next chapter is where were start really fixing things between reader and Ransom.

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It was just after 1:00 pm when Bertie’s friends had finally shown up for their lunch date. The restaurant was busy as usual but their usual table was always available for them. From their vantage point they could see most of the dining room. It was perfect for Bertie’s friends who had a pension for gossip and this particular place was a hot spot for people that ran in their social circle. It was in the middle of their latest gossip fueled conversation that Ransom walked in. 

“So are you and Ransom officially over?” Lily asked Bertie as she watched him sit down. The question was innocent enough but Bertie knew where the conversation would go.

“Seems like it.” 

“Ransom single again? That’s dangerous. Do you think he’ll start making his usual rounds?” Gretchen, Bertie’s other so-called friend asks. 

“Why don’t you ask him yourself.” Lily motions over to where Ransom was sitting. “Only if it’s ok with Alberta, obviously.” 

Both women look at Bertie but she’s looking at Ransom. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion when a set of teenagers head toward Ransom’s table and hug him.

“What the hell?” 

“What?” Lily and Gretchen both turn around to see what Bertie was looking at. “Since when does he hang around kids?”

“Ew, he’s not a perv is he?” 

“No, he isn’t.” Bertie mumbles. 

Lily gives Gretchen a conniving glance. If there is anything that they liked more than money it was using Bertie. They did that with Bertie a lot. She was their main source of entertainment in their dull lives. So it took them no time at all to push Bertie into confronting Ransom about what happened at the wedding. 

**** 

“So, how’s school?” Ransom asked once Abigail and Theodore had settled down. 

“It’s fine.” 

“Just fine?” 

“Well,” Theo says before smiling. “I made the hockey team.” 

“That’s fantastic.” Ransom praises. “What about you princess?” 

“It’s alright. I’ve mostly dealt with assholes. Teddy is becoming the popular one.” 

“You’ll get there too princess.” 

“Ransom?” 

Ransom, Abby and Teddy turn to find Bertie standing beside the table. She looks at the twins first and then at Ransom. Behind her Lily and Gretchen had little matching smirks. The smile Ransom had completely disappears and a scowl takes its place.

“Bertie. Slut 1 and slut 2, what are you doing here?” 

Abigail tried to suppress her laugh while Teddy just stared in slight shock. Gretchen glared at Ransom while Lily mumbled an ‘asshole’ under her breath. Bertie however was looking between Ransom and the twins, she could immediately see the resemblance. 

“Who are they?” She asks. 

Ransom rolls his eyes as Teddy grabs his phone from his pocket. 

“It’s mom.” He whispers to Abby and he walks out to answer the phone. 

“Why don’t you go with him?” 

Abigail looks from the women to Ransom but before she could even get up Teddy was back. 

“Hey, mom needs us back at home.” He tells his sister. “It’s nothing serious but we have to go.” 

Abigail gave Ransom a sad look. They had been looking forward to seeing him and you since you’d gone to the wedding. Now the time had been cut short. 

“Don’t worry about it, kid. We can meet up again.” Ransom says softly, catching Bertie and her friends off guard. 

“You’re not going to introduce us, Ran?” Lily spoke up, hoping to get some information. 

“No.”

“Oh, come on Ransom. We’re friends aren’t we? Why are you being so secretive?”

“We’re none of your damn business.” Abigail snaps, her eyes holding so much annoyance Ransom couldn’t help but be proud. 

“Go, we’ll talk later.” 

Teddy takes Abby’s hand and leads her out of the restaurant. Ransom stares at Bertie before glaring at her friends until the two left. With a sigh Ransom stands, dropping some bills on the table for the drink he’d already had. 

“Ransom what is going on?” Bertie asks. 

“We should talk. I’m staying nearby, come on.”

“Who are those kids?” Bertie asks as soon as the door to Ransom’s suite is closed. She was just curious. Ransom was usually so guarded and closed off. The only emotion he showed was lust or annoyance so to see him smiling and relaxed had caught Bertie off guard.  

Ransom sighs as he makes himself and Bertie a drink. 

“I know I don’t deserve any favors from you but I need you to promise me that what I tell you stays in this room.” Ransom says. “Not for me but for them. I need to protect them.”

That confuses Bertie even more but she nods. Curiosity getting the best of her. 

“I need you to say it.” 

“I promise, anything you say stays a secret.” Bertie reassured him. 

“I’ll answer any question you have but to answer your first question, they’re my kids.” 

Bertie stares at Ransom in complete shock. Out of all the things she expected him to say, that wasn’t it. Before she can ask anything else Ransom speaks up with a lot more vulnerability that she thought he was capable of. 

“No one outside of my immediate family knows about this so I’m trusting that you really won’t say anything. I know I’ve been an ass and I deserve whatever you throw my way but please leave them out of it.” He says before taking a deep breath. “Their mother and I dated in high school. She showed me what it meant to love. Obviously having kids at 17 wasn’t part of the plan but it happened.” 

Bertie listens to everything Ransom has to say. From finding out he was going to be a dad to having to give the kids up and finally how the relationship ended. Of course Ransom never said your name in order to protect you. He then explained how the kids are back in his life and how he got back in touch with you. 

Bertie couldn’t help but shed a few tears as she listened to him speak. All of it explained his bitter view of the world. Add that to the strained relationship, if you can even call it that, he has with his family and she could better understand that the man in front of her was only trying to protect himself. 

“So that’s it, that’s everything. You’re the only person I’ve ever told any of this to.” 

Ransom breathed a sigh of relief. It was a weight lifted off his shoulders to be able to tell someone. He watched Bertie just sit there in a sort of stunned silence. He’d liked her enough. Bertie wasn’t like the rest of the women in their social circles and if he had to, he’d stay in a relationship with her. But once you were back in Ransom’s life he’d realize that he should want more. He didn’t want to settle and end up resenting Bertie for something that was not her fault. Bertie deserved better too. She was kind in a world of backstabbing, self centered, egotistical assholes. 

“You have kids.” It’s the first thing she says. “You have kids. I didn’t think you even liked children or would want any.” 

Ransom gives a slight shrug of his shoulder. 

“I don’t know that I do like children. The twins are 15. The last time I saw them was the day they were born. They were probably little shits in between.” 

Bertie’s eyebrows lifted in surprise at his words. 

“Who am I kidding? They were great when they were little too.” Ransom smiled proudly at the thought of his babies. 

It softened Bertie’s heart. She had been so angry with him when he first broke up with her. She was under the impression that although the relationship wasn’t perfect, they were heading in the right direction. That, maybe, with enough time Ransom could love her. That’s why she showed up at the wedding, to show him that she was serious about them. Never in her life did Bertie think that there was someone else in Ransom’s life.

“And their mother?” Bertie asked. “Are you and her back together or working it out?” 

“I don’t even know. I fucked that up.”

“What happened?” 

“I may have said some harsh things I definitely didn’t mean.” Ransom runs a hand over his face and sighs. “But I messed up even before the wedding. There was a lot left unsaid between us.” 

“The wedding? Was she there?” 

Ransom stares at Bertie for a moment before giving a slow nod. Her shoulders slump from their usual tense posture. 

“Then I showed up and ruined anything you’d done.” 

“This isn’t on you. It was my responsibility and I was an asshole.” 

“Still,” Bertie sighs. “I love a happy ending. Even if it isn’t meant for me.” 

“Bertie-“

She holds a hand up, stopping Ransom. “You don’t have to apologize. If anything I feel like I should. You had a chance to make things right and I ruined it for you. I hope you can figure it out.” Bertie stands up and runs her hands down her outfit to smooth it out. “I should go.” 

Ransom stood and followed her to the door. She turns and looks at him, cupping his face she places a kiss on his cheek. 

“I hope we can stay friends.” Bertie murmurs. 

“Of course. If you ever need me to tell someone off I’ll be more than happy too.” 

Bertie smiles sadly and steps away from Ransom. With one last look at him she walks away. It was done and Ransom couldn’t be more relieved. Now all he had to do was show you that he was serious about being with you. 

“I’m not liking those two fabrics together.” You shake your head at one of your assistants. With some sketches in hand you go back and forth between fabric swatches trying to find something you’d really like but you feel as if you’d hit a wall. It wasn’t good considering that fashion week would be around the corner and you were changing a few designs around. 

“Y/N,” Wanda places a hand between your shoulders to gently get your attention. “Annie is here and she says she really needs to talk to you.” 

You turn to Wanda and see the worried look on her face. Without missing a beat you drop everything and head to your office where Wanda had her waiting. 

“Annie? Is everything ok?”  

The older woman stood as soon as you opened the door to your office. She looked consumed with worry and you felt a pit in your stomach.

“Is it the kids? Are Abigail and Theodore ok?” 

“Yes they’re fine, they’re meeting up with Ransom for lunch. I just…” she looked a bit lost so you guided her to sit again and then grabbed a water bottle from the mini fridge you keep by your desk and handed it to her. “Thank you.” She says after taking a sip.

“Is everything ok?” 

“I didn’t want to bother you with anything but there’s an emergency back in Ohio.” She begins to explain. “I feel so awful asking anything of you.” 

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m here for whatever you need.” 

“My mother needs to have emergency surgery. My sister says things aren’t looking good so I need to be there. I don't know how long I’ll have to be out and I can’t pull the kids out of class. My job is going to let me work remotely for the next few days, maybe even weeks but Abby and Teddy…” 

Your heart beat wildly as you thought about what she might ask of you and you were ready to say yes. 

“They can’t stay alone for that long. Knowing them, they’d cause some type of chaos.” Annie took your hand in hers and looked at you straight in the eyes. “Would it be too much if I asked you to look after them?” 

You wanted to scream at the top of your lungs with excitement. Being able to spend more time with Abigail and Theodore had been on your mind lately but you didn’t know how to broach the subject about them spending the night at your place. Now there wouldn’t be any awkwardness, at least from your part, when it came to asking. 

“I would love to help in whatever way I can.” Annie immediately relaxed when she heard your answer. “Do they know? Would it be ok if they stay at my place with me? I can have someone go to your place and check in every few days if you’d like.” 

“That would be great. I haven’t told them anything yet though. I didn’t want to worry them until I knew what you would say. Now I just have to figure out travel arrangements. Hopefully I can get there by the time the surgery finishes. Thank you so much, Y/N. It’s been so hard without Daniel and I was so worried that moving here was the wrong thing to do but I’m glad I did.” Annie says with tears in her eyes. It was obvious she was overwhelmed so if there was anything you could do for the woman that had given your children a loving home you would do it.

“Well you aren’t alone here, you have me and I know if you needed him, Ransom would be happy to help you too. Now why don’t you let me make the travel arrangements for you. I’m sure I could get you back home by tonight and you go back and tell the twins. Then I’ll pick you and the kids up.” 

“That sounds great. Thank you so much Y/N, really. I don’t think I could ever repay you.” 

“You’re letting me be in Theodore and Abigail’s life, that’s more than enough payment.” You stand when Annie does and she brings you in for a hug. 

“Still, this means so much to me. I’ll get everything ready, including all of the kids’ important documents just in case. I don’t think I mentioned it but I added you as an emergency contact at the school so I’ll let them know you’ll be the one to reach if they need anything.” 

That piece of information caught you by surprise but it warmed your heart. Annie trusted you enough to watch over the kids and be an emergency contact for them. You smile and nod while following Annie out of your office. She pulls you in for a hug before leaving. Wanda was close by waiting to see what was going on. You asked her to have your private jet prepared and then you called your maid to get two of your guest rooms ready for Abigail and Theodore. Now all you had to do was wait for Annie to be ready. 

Annie had been dropped off at the airport by you. Her jaw dropped when she realized you’d arranged for your private jet to take her back home. At first she shook her head and said she couldn’t accept it but with help from Theodore and Abigail you managed to convince her to go. After that it was a trip straight to your penthouse. 

You were very anxious about Theodore and Abigail staying with you. It wasn’t bad but you weren’t sure how they would react to your home. Would they see that you were doing well for yourself and question why you didn’t keep them? 

It made no sense but at the same time you couldn’t help but wonder. They deserved the best out of life and at that time you had nothing. It didn’t mean you couldn’t give them everything now. 

Seeming to notice your anxiety Theodore grabs your hand. The gesture surprised you but when you look up at him he gives you a small shy smile. Your breath hitches, Theodore reminded you so much of Ransom it made your heart ache. If Ransom had grown up with loving parents you were sure he’d be more like Theodore.

The elevator doors open right into your foyer. Both kids had their jaws on the floor as they took in your apartment. It was warm and inviting and full of colors. The foyer leads down to the living room which has huge floor to ceiling windows giving them a spectacular view of the city on one side and huge colorful and beautiful paintings on the others.

“Wow.” Abigail whispered as she walked past the couches and straight to the windows. “This is amazing.”

“It looks better from the terrace.” 

“Can I?” She motions towards the glass door that give way to the outdoor space. 

“Yeah, I’ll show you around, come on.” 

You lead the way and open the doors, letting them both go out first. Abigail and Theodore start talking over each other about the pool. They’re so excited as they roam around the terrace and it chokes you up a bit. You take a deep breath to calm yourself before ushering them back inside. Then you proceed to show them the kitchen, dining room, family room, your office, the small work room you have for yourself before taking them upstairs to where the bedrooms are. 

“I hope it’s ok. I know the rooms look plain compared to the rest of the place but I didn’t want to decorate them. I thought you could do that yourself.” You say as you show them where they’ll be staying.

The bedrooms are across the hall from each other and they each have a bathroom attached to them. The rooms themselves are huge and you made sure to have basic necessities in the bathroom as well as some other things they might like in their rooms. 

“Really?” Abigail asked excitedly.

“Of course.”

“Any way we want?” Theodore asked but there was a hint of mischief in his eyes. The same you saw in Ransom many times before. 

“Any way that’s appropriate.” You narrow your eyes in his direction and he grins. “I thought that we could maybe do it together.” 

“I’d love that.” 

“Me too.” Theodore agrees and your heart feels lighter. “Thanks for everything.” 

“You don’t have to thank me.” 

“We do,” Abigail nods before walking in front of you and giving you a hug. “You didn’t have to arrange a private jet for mom but you did it anyway. I know she thinks we don’t realize how hard it’s been for her not having dad around anymore.” Abigail pulls back. “But we do and you stepped up to help her. It means a lot to us.” 

You give her a smile as you try to blink back tears. 

“It really does. And I’m glad we get to spend some more time with you too.” Theodore adds and now you can only wipe away the tears that fell. 

“Ok well if your intention was to make me cry then you’ve done it.” 

Abigail giggles before hugging you again. You loved every single one. 

“How about you get settled and we can order dinner. Then we can watch a movie.” 

“Can we invite Ransom? We didn’t get to have lunch with him because we had to go home and pack.” Theodore looked at you with hopeful eyes and you knew you couldn’t say no. 

“I’ll yext him since he’ll need my address. I’m going to shower real quick and I’ll be down.” 

You walked down to your room and leaned against the closed door. With a groan you send Ransom a quick text letting him know that the kids wanted to see him and give him your address. His response was quick and you start to dread seeing him but the kids want to and you won’t deprive them of being with their father.  

You were standing in the foyer waiting for the elevator to finish ascending. The doorman had called you to let you know Ransom had arrived. The last time you’d seen him was a few days back when he made that promise to make things right again. You weren’t sure he’d be able to. 

The elevator dings and the doors slide open. You take a deep breath as Ransom steps out. He’s wearing a black leather jacket with a white t-shirt underneath and dark wash jeans. His hair wasn’t pushed back how he normally wore it instead it fell over his forehead just enough. You stared at him for a moment, Ransom looked good. 

“Hey Thimble.” Ransom said quietly. Too quietly for him anyways. “Where should I set this down?” 

You realized for the first time he wasn’t empty handed and You immediately moved to grab some bags from him. He followed quietly as you made your way to the spacious kitchen and set everything down. Ransom had his chest practically glued to your back as he settled the bags in his hands down. When you turned around he was holding up your favorite flowers. It was a small bouquet and it reminded you of the first time he ever got you flowers. 

“I hope they’re still your favorite.” He says softly. 

You looked up at him with a mixture of anger and nostalgia. It didn’t seem fair that he was using your shared past to get on your good side. The worst part was thinking that it might actually work in his favor. It didn’t mean you’d make it so easy for him if he truly wanted to fix things.

“They’re fine.” You say as you snatch them from his hand and he smirks. 

“Ransom.” 

“Hey princess.” Ransom turns around just in time to catch Abigail in his arms. He lifts her up and she giggles as he does a quick spin before setting her back down. “Hey, bubs.” 

Theodore is just behind Abigail and to your surprise he also leans in for a hug. Ransom then presents Abigail with flowers as well. 

“They’re beautiful, thank you.” She looks up at him lovingly. “It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten flowers.” 

Ransom’s chest puffed up and he couldn’t help the smile he had as he looked over at you. You gave him a small nod, to let him know he was doing something right before turning to find two vases. 

“What, I don’t get flowers?” Theodore joked but Ransom pulled out a box of chocolates. 

“Annie said you have a sweet tooth.” 

“Thanks.” Theodore looked down at the box of chocolates and smiled realizing they were his favorites. “I’m starving.” 

“Well good thing the food is here. Why don’t you grab the bags and I’ll bring in plates.” 

Abigail gives you her flowers and grabs the food along with her brother. Ransom walks around the island to stand by you. 

“Where is everything we need?” 

You point at the cabinets behind you and he quickly moves to get what’s needed and he heads towards the dining room. After taking a second to calm yourself you grab drinks and join Ransom and the kids. 

****

“One more time. I’ll catch it, I swear.” Theodore laughs before waiting for Ransom to throw a dumpling into his mouth. And he does catch it. 

The moment is fun and light between the four of you. At that moment you aren’t thinking about what happened in the wedding. You’re just enjoying being together. It’s a glimpse of what could have been. 

“So who’s Bertie?” Abigail asks after the joking was done. 

You immediately tensed and Ransom looked across the table at you but you wouldn’t meet his eye. He sighs and takes a sip of his drink. Theodore looks at him expectantly and Abigail is doing the same. 

“She’s my ex-girlfriend.” 

“Oh.” Abigail nods. “And slut one and slut two?” 

“I’m sorry?” You look from Abigail who was sitting across from you to Ransom and he grimaces. “You called women sluts? And in front of our daughter?” 

Hearing that pissed you off so much and your voice was much more harsh than you intended. 

“Is Bertie why you two are being weird around each other now?” Theodore interrupted. 

You and Ransom both turn to look at him and he just shrugs. 

“Seriously. Tension, meet knife.” Abigail adds. “What’s going on?” 

“Look, as I said Bertie is my ex. She showed up at the wedding unannounced, after we broke up. But I talked to her and she understands that it’s over.” 

“So what? Were you getting back together at the wedding?”

“I’d rather not have this conversation with everyone that’s present at the table.” You say. 

“Fine by us. We’ll go watch a movie and you figure this out.” Abigail grabs her plate and drink. Theodore follows his sister’s lead and they leave you alone with Ransom. 

Ransom can’t help but chuckle.

“Did you put them up to this?”

“Hell no.” He shakes his head. “But I’m more than happy to talk this out.” He leaned forward again, resting his forearms on the table. “Please.” 

Ransom wasn’t one to use his manners. You wanted to kick him out and keep your distance but there’s that part of you that wants to work out whatever this is. It’s the part of you that still loves him. The part that promised that you’d love him forever. It was winning the fight in your head. 

“Fine, talk.” 

Ch. 8

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