#it's alright I think I will enjoy you barefoot and pregnant

[gonzodangerfeels]

I was thinking that the odds of carrying 3 for a full term or whatever the normies call it is probably not likely

So I don't know when but hey you gonna do whatever it is you do.

[kaia-adler]

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." — Mae West

When I first ventured out into the world, I wanted to do what I could to make it a better place for all and so I tried. Through the years, I was able to provide children in third world countries with the vaccines they desperately needed to keep them away from illnesses that threatened to plague their villages. I rescued animals and restored their health, I brought vital resources to remote parts of our world, and even saved several species from extinction. What a life, what a privilege to be able to do such wonderful things. In all sincerity, I felt as though my life’s purpose was complete. I knew what I was meant for, my reason for existing. But after many years, I was homesick and needed to take a break to reconnect with the islands I call home. So I came back to Hawai’i.

Being home made me feel like I had lost my way. Relaxing by the beach, surfing with friends, and grabbing lunch to catch up felt like a selfish thing to do. How could I enjoy these things when there was so much suffering in the world? My heart would not let me rest. My mind was unraveling. I didn’t know this was part of the process. I was going through a change, a chapter was ending so another could begin. In the uncertainty of the future, I ventured forward and ended up finding solace in an unexpected place; the soul of Jacob Adler.

I didn’t expect to fall in love like this. To a level where your soul feels at peace and on fire at the same time. A person you could call home. I knew this existed but I didn’t think it would ever find me the way that it did. We married on January 20th, 2024 here in Hawai’i embracing all our ancestral traditions. It was the most beautiful and meaningful ceremony and celebration. On February 14th, 2024, we celebrated again in Como, Italy. The reason? Years prior, I had come across a bridal magazine that had a beautiful spread about weddings at Lake Como in Italy. The model looked so much like me, it was uncanny. I knew then that if I ever married, I would want to have it there. Years later, I was able to do just that.

On July 28th, 2024, our twin boys were born. They are the light of our lives. Our boys are just like Jay and I. Both adventurous, always wanted to be in the water, barefoot and happy. They love our dog, Cupid, who takes his role as older brother very seriously. He’s their protector and we feel at peace knowing we have an extra set of eyes on our boys.

It’s been two years since our twins have been born and though it’s unexpected, I’m pregnant again. Singleton this time. Don’t tell Jay but I’m hoping for a girl. But regardless of who our little one will become, I just know that every little thing, is going to be alright.

XOXO

Kaia Alder

[thesimmermo]

✨Self-Made✨

Volume 1, Edition 3.

Back at the apartment, Morgan and Reece share a shower before they sit down and recap their evening.

Morgan: Dinner was lovely. I enjoyed myself. Reece: It was. My parents called while you in the shower telling me how much they loved you. Morgan: *grins* That's nice of them. The feeling is mutual. Reece: I know. Morgan: How come you've never told me that you wanted 6 kids? Reece: *shrugs* It never really came up. Is that a problem? Because if it is, I can do 5 or maybe even 4.

Morgan: No, Maurice. It's not a problem. I think that a big family is a blessing. Reece: In your ideal world, how many kids would you have? Morgan: 10. Reece: Girl, what the fuck? Morgan: *laughs* I'm joking. I would have 3, give or take. Family of 5 total.

Reece: How long would you need before you thought about truly settling down and starting a family.

Morgan hesitated before thinking. She and Maurice had been dating for over 2 years now. They've never really had this conversation before and she hasn't thought about these things either. Her dad had always told her that she would know when she knows.

Morgan: Honestly, I do know that I would want it with you. My life would only be complete if you were in it. Reece: So you think you're ready? Morgan: If I'm with you, I know I'm ready.

Morgan: Answer this for me. Reece: What? Morgan: With your campaign and the way that your job has you working, do you think you could effectively balance marriage, 6 fucking kids, and your career? Reece: *silence*

She holds him tightly as he thinks and listens to the silence filling the room.

Reece: With the right partner, yes. Morgan: So for your future wife, what would you expect them to do? Reece: What do you mean? Morgan: Stay at home mom? Cook? Clean? What would you want your partner to do? Reece: I've always thought of the old school. Stay-at-home mom and myself the provider. Morgan: Oh. Reece: But, I'm open to my spouse having their own career. That's marriage. We'd have to balance it out.

Morgan gets up. Reece: What? Morgan: Nothing. It's 3 AM. Reece: Did I say something wrong? Morgan: *kisses him* No. We both have to be up early so come on, let's go to bed.

Reece: Are you sure that I didn't say something wrong? Morgan: I promise you.

Reece: You promise? When I said that, your whole mood changed. Morgan: I'm not mad or offended. I respect what you said. I promise that I am not upset.

Reece: If it did, you'd tell me right? Morgan: I would tell you my love. Reece: I know that you're a strong, independent woman. You've never had to be soft or taken care of... But would you let me? Morgan: *smiles*

Morgan: Maurice, I- Reece: You don't have to be so strong all the time. You can enter your "Soft Girl Era" *jokingly* Morgan: I know that.

Reece: I love you. I don't want-- Can't imagine, going through life and you are not in my life. So if I said something that made you second guess or feel like you weren't secure, I'm sorry. You can work, write, and do whatever you need. I... I'm sorry.

Morgan: Maurice Jonathan Hendrickson, I am not upset. *Smiles* I am so happy that you feel comfortable enough around me to tell me your plans and how your perfect future would look. I am grateful for you.

Morgan: You're my one. If you need me barefoot, pregnant, cooking, and carry a baby in my arm, I got you. Just know at night, I will be following my career dreams too.

Morgan: If you got me, I got you. Maurice: I got you.

Morgan: I love you so much. Maurice: I get it. I know. Morgan: Boy. Maurice: I love you more.

Morgan: Besides, I can't wait to tell everyone my baby daddy is Mr. Hendrickson, PRESIDENT. Maurice: *laughs* Morgan: The hoes gone be mad. Oh, I can't wait. Who's you husband? Bitch, who's yours? Maurice: Alright, you're pushing it!

Morgan: You don't even know, I'm just getting started. 6 kids at 10K each? That's 60K a month. Shit, I'm finna be on vacation every month. Maurice: MORGAN! Morgan: I ain't playing.

They laugh loudly and fall asleep in each others arms.

[amjustagirl]

Chapters: one. ~ two. ~ three. ~ four. ~ five. ~ six. ~ seven. ~ eight.

Wordcount: 2.7k

Summary: Being with Miya Atsumu is like chasing a storm - equal parts exhilaration and danger. After all, it’s impossible to tame a storm

Masterlist here 

AO3 Link here

Atsumu didn’t get his name on the National team roster, let alone the Olympic team because of his genius setting skills (unlike dear Tobio-kun),  but because of the stubbornness and determination that he has in spades and figures he might as well deploy these same qualities to win this particular match. Osamu is of zero help here, muttering insults under his breath but fortunately, he has an unwitting accomplice in Shino, who happily babbles about how ‘mama is going to bring her to the park on Sunday’ . 

So armed with onigiris pilfered from Osamu and a box of mochi from her favourite dessert shop, he goes a-hunting for his wife and child at the park on Sunday afternoon and finds them lying on a picnic mat in an open field framed with trees.

‘Oto-san! ’ Shino squeals and dashes into his arms. He lifts her up, spinning her in the air, pressing kisses to her chubby cheeks. 

‘What are you doing here, Atsumu?’ she demands as she sits up. ‘How did you even know we’d be here?’ 

He winks and gives her his most dashing smile. It doesn’t seem to work though - the frown on her face deepens, but he tries not to let her look of distrust slice through the smile on his face. 

‘A little princess gave me a hint that her mama still has a habit of going to the park to watch the birds and clouds in the sky. Right, Shino?’

Shino cheers and waves her arms in reply. 

‘Good girl!’ he laughs encouragingly. 

She folds her arms and is about to retort when Shino demands that ‘Oto-san and Oka-san’ try to catch her - and takes off, barefoot on the grass. Atsumu catches her easily with one hand - because of course he does, a three year old is hardly a match against a national athlete, even with an injury, but Shino pouts when she sees the cross look on her mother’s face, and she has to hastily rearrange her expression into something more acceptable to her daughter. 

He counts it as a point won when they share the onigiris and mochi in silence and watch their little girl chase butterflies in the grass. 

‘What on earth are you doing here?!’ she says, feeling as if she’s woken up from a bad dream to find it actually is her reality. 

Atsumu stands in the foyer of her office building, in the middle of a conversation with Yuna-san, the resident office gossip, who shoots daggers at her when he bounds over to greet her with a peck on her cheek. 

‘I thought I’d surprise my dear wife with lunch,’ he drawls, with an emphasis on the word ‘wife’, passing her a bento box that smells amazing and makes her mouth water despite herself.

‘What are you playing at?!’ she hisses while pretending to tuck his hair behind his ear.   

‘Nothing!’ he answers her, a too-innocent look on his face. ‘And you’re welcome. Enjoy your lunch, sweetheart!’ 

He counts another point won when she’s left gaping at him incredulously as he prances off. 

He pats himself on the back for the stroke of genius that prompted him to pass Shino the three tickets to the Osaka Aquarium. Before she could utter even a word, Shino shrieked in excitement at the thought of being able to see her favourite penguins again, so with gritted teeth, she agreed to bring Shino to meet him at the aquarium on a Saturday afternoon. 

‘Did you know seahorses mate for life?’ he remarks to her as Shino gathers with the other children in front to watch the penguins being fed. 

‘And male seahorses are the responsible ones who bear their young - what’s your point anyway?’ she responds, contempt dripping from her voice. ‘Anyway, never mind that -’ she continues, brushing him off. ‘Have you signed the divorce papers?’

‘I forgot,’ he tells her lamely. 

‘See that you remember to pass it to me next time’, she says, walking ahead to scoop Shino up in her arms. 

Point lost. Time to recalibrate. 

‘Atsumu! What the hell am I supposed to do with FIFTY rolls of toilet paper?’ she shrieks over the phone. 

‘I may have bought a little too much…but there was a great discount!’ he responds sheepishly. 

He’d overheard a conversation between her and Osamu yesterday that she needed to make a grocery run but hadn’t had the time to do so in between endless meetings with her boss. He concedes he may have gone a little...overboard.

‘And how many cans of milk powder did you buy?!’ he continues to hear her scrabble through the cardboard crate outside her home. ‘Atsumu!’ 

‘Gotta go, bye darlin’ - talk to you soon!’, he says, hastily ending the call as she screeches at him. 

Shit. Another point lost.  

He brings out the big guns by buying season passes to the museum of natural history, gambling that a blatant appeal to nostalgia might win him some points. But he knows she recognises his gambit when she corners him while Shino is playing with toy fossils in the sandbox. 

‘Atsumu. When are you going to sign the divorce papers?’ she demands, her grip tight on his elbow. 

Defend. Counterattack. 

‘I’ll sign them after my collarbone heals and my arm is out of the sling, alright? I can’t even hold anything in my right hand, let alone sign anything now’, he says with a false smile.

Hold your opponent off until they start to tire. 

‘Fine’, she mutters, shooting him a hard stare. ‘Make sure you do. I’ll be waiting once that sling comes off’. 

Fuck. He’s backed himself into a corner. This might be a harder match than he imagined. 

He offers to look after Shino on a Friday evening when she mentions to Osamu her boss organised a client dinner that she can’t miss. She’d nodded reluctantly after a moment’s hesitation, and they agreed that he’d drop the little girl off at home around ten p.m. 

He fumbles with the keys pilfered from Osamu, pizza box balancing precariously on top of Shino’s pram and after an undignified struggle, manages to squeeze in through the doorway, finding the apartment completely still. With his one good arm, he lifts Shino from the pram, careful not to disturb her slumber and treads softly to her bedroom, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead as he tucks her in. 

As he returns back to the entryway to fold the pram away, a glint of gold catches his eye, and he forgets to breathe when he realises what it is – the wedding ring he'd deliberately left behind, an act calculated to inflict maximum pain. Wow, he really wishes he could go back in time and punch that stupid prick of his past self - he thinks, holding the ring up to the light, failing to spot any flecks of dust or dullness to the sheen of the ring. She's kept it meticulously clean, sitting in the exact same spot he left it, the sole artefact of their marriage that's been preserved against the passage of time. 

After all, he notices that she’s wiped the place clean of him, that much is obvious when he turns to survey the home he left almost a year ago. There are signs of Shino in the toys scattered all over the worn carpet in the living room, colourful scribbles on the walls that probably makes her fret, and there are little touches that remind him of her - the chipped teacup she insists on using, the set of handmade knives displayed in the kitchen that was always intended by her family as a threat. 

But there are no traces of him - no stray pieces of clothes or volleyballs that he always forgets to put away (that she’d always get on his case for), no picture frames of them, not even the ones from their wedding day that he’d loved because he thought she looked like a snow maiden from a fairytale in her white kimono. 

He’d promised her father that day he’d always take care of her. He wonders when he’d forgotten that. 

‘Tsumu?’ he hears her murmur, and he jumps a little in shock because he hadn’t noticed her curled up on the couch. ‘Have you come home?’ 

Yes – he aches to answer, but does not. 

(Because he knows he chose to turn his back on this little apartment, filled to the brim with happy, golden memories. It’s his fault he can’t call this place home, not anymore.)

‘I brought pizza in case you’re hungry’, he does say loudly – carefully keeping his distance as she sits up and shakes the sleep from her eyes. 

‘Oh. It’s you’, she says, and he can hear cold steel return to her voice. ‘Why are you still here?’ 

‘I brought pizza to share. It’s Friday night, remember?’ he answers, plastering a grin on to his face, gesturing at the pizza box on the kitchen table. ‘I even got pepperoni, your favourite’. 

‘You can’t keep playing this game, Atsumu’, she says, walking over to the switches to flick on the lights. It brings her into clearer focus, allowing him to notice the pink scars stretched across the back of her hand and the front of her knees -  were they always there before? 

His eyes sweep over her form - and oh -  his heartbeat thunders, roaring in his chest because she’s wrapped herself in his old jacket - the same one he’d stolen from Osamu and threw over her trembling shoulders that fateful night when he stole a kiss from her for the first time.     

‘I miss you’. He blurts out, startling himself. ‘I want us to be a family again’. 

‘I don’t’, she answers so forcefully it makes him take a step back. ‘I want a divorce, Atsumu’. 

‘But why?’ he persists, ignoring the spike of panic coursing through his blood. ‘If you give me a chance, we could try to start over again.’

‘How many chances do you think you deserve, because you’ve already left me  twice, damn you!’ she shouts, pulling the jacket tighter around herself, as if to keep herself from unravelling apart. ‘The first time you left me when I was pregnant with our child was enough of a blow – but the second time I fell to  pieces and if it weren’t for Shino and ‘Samu, I would’ve never been able to weld myself back together again. And now after all this time, you want me to take you back?’

‘It’s only been a few months’, he pleads, hating how stupid his excuses sound, even in his head. ‘I should've managed it better, I should’ve talked things out with you instead of just leaving, and if I could rewind time and change what I did, I would, but I can’t, and I regretted it so goddamn much when I got to Milan. I’m back now, I’m begging you - please give me another chance.’ 

‘Why would you even think you deserve another chance’, she laughs, the sound fraying at its seams, sending shivers down his spine. ‘You’ve spent our entire marriage putting your dreams first, Shino a distant second, and me - your fucking wife - dead last. This past year has taught me that I don’t need you, ‘Tsumu, I don’t need your lying, cheating ass in my life when I can manage perfectly fine by myself’. 

‘I didn’t cheat on ya’, he defends himself heatedly, but she levels him a hard glare that makes his gaze slide to the ground. ‘I mean - I thought about it, but I couldn’t go through with it’, he admits, guilt flooding his belly. 

‘Is that supposed to make me feel better?’ she says dryly, rolling her eyes. 

‘Yes - no - I don’t know.’, he answers. ‘Look doll - I know I’ve been an asshole, I know I’ve hurt ya badly, but I know you still love me - you know your face gives ya away when you lie’, he adds, when she opens her mouth to contradict him, and she closes it in defeat. ‘Otherwise you won't be wearing my jacket when you sleep, neither would you keep my ring clean. And if ya love me, don’t ya think you should give me another chance?’

Her face twists in anguish, and there’s a rush of shame in his chest that he tells himself to ignore, reaching forward instead to cup her cold face with his hands. She winces at first, almost as if his touch is scalding, white hot with heat, but soon surrenders when she realises his grip on her is unwavering, lifting her gaze to meet his. 

‘You can’t do this to me, ‘Tsumu’, she says, her voice brittle, echoing with an aching sadness that tears a hole into his already gaping heart. 'You can’t leave as and when you feel like it and return when it suits you – that’s not how marriage or fatherhood works. And it’s not fair for you to try to guilt me into taking you back. Why should I give you another chance only to end up being hurt again? I'm only human, and there’s only so much my heart can take'.

It’s only then that it hits him that while she may have transformed herself in his absence into a woman of iron and steel, her heart is still made of glass, and a single careless touch might shatter her into fragments across the floor. And he knows he shouldn’t strike her any further with his words, but he’s a selfish fool of a man - always has been, always will be - so he pretends he does not see her pain  (looks deliberately away from the fissures in her heart that might cause her to fall apart) and continues to press hard. 

‘Please - just trust me enough not to hurt ya, I just need one more chance. Tell me ya still love me - even now.’ 

‘I do, oh gods, I do, ‘Tsumu-  ’ she gasps, almost as if she’s drowning in a whirlpool of his selfishness, her breath tipping over into a broken sob - ‘I love you, but our marriage is over - it was over the minute you put yourself before Shino and I, and left us behind to fend for ourselves.’

He shakes his head, desperately flailing against the death knell in her words - because it can’t be over, he refuses to accept it’s over, what does she mean it’s over - but he stills when she chokes back her tears to smile, lifting her hand to meet his. 

‘I’ve already paid you with my heart, ‘Tsumu - don’t you think I deserve to be free?’

Her words swirl in his mind as he makes his way back to Osamu’s flat. 

‘Things didn’t go so well, I take it?’ Osamu asks as he lurches through the door with overcast eyes. 

He inhales slowly through his nose. ‘Nope’, he admits, exhaling in defeat. ‘She isn’t prepared to take me back.’ 

Osamu pulls out a chair at the kitchen table and waves him to take a seat, sliding a plate of reheated curry rice under his nose when he does. ‘Eat up’, he says, not unkindly, and Atsumu does, even though the smell makes his head spin and every swallow of food lodges itself painfully in his stomach. 

‘Go on, say what’s on yer mind’, Atsumu says, knowing his brother too well to see through his posture of nonchalance. ‘I know you’re gonna tell me ‘ I told you so ’ and mock me with some insult intended to make me feel worse than I already am’. 

‘I’m not going to gloat, if that’s what you mean’, Osamu says mildly. ‘All I can say is that the heart is a funny, fickle thing, and sometimes it hungers for things it knows will only bring pain. But I think ya know you’ve reached a point where you need to consider whether you can live with yourself for constantly causing her pain.’ 

Atsumu stays silent, fingers tracing absently over the outline of the wedding ring in his pocket. He wonders if he’s imagining the coolness from the metal seeping into his skin.

[extremelyblackandwhite]

innocence - 21

PAIRING: bodyguard!bucky barnes x innocent actress!reader

WARNINGS: age gap, abuse, PTSD

A/N: enjoy xxx

NEXT CHAPTER

Bucky was an observer. It was something that was written in his bones, something he used to think was good when he functioned as a sniper in the 107th, something HYDRA loved in the assassin they had forced him to be, something he had grown to hate after he had gained some sort of control over his life. But now? Now, Bucky was observing something he could look at for the rest of his life, Y/N. 

She had changed into a black cherry patterned dress covered by an oversized white cardigan which every once in a while would slip, exposing her shoulder. He was standing next to her, listen to her echoing voice as she pointed out several little things for his flat yet not listening at all. He was just so enamoured by her. The way her smile pulled at her cheek, how her nose would scrunch up as she picked vases and frames, showing it to him. 

He could almost see gravity acting upon her, the way her hair bounced up and down. Her teeth bitting onto her lip as she studied the details of the bedding fabric. God, Bucky could just look at her and remain like that for ages. He could just follow her into the unknown as long as she held his hand, the touch of her thumb against his flesh hand, the softness her touch held. There was nothing sweeter, purer than her. He kissed her shoulder, nuzzling against the wool fabric of her cardigan.

Y/N smiling, moving her head slightly to kiss his forehead before returning to look at the choice of plates and other cutlery for his kitchen since it turned out he had none and had been living out of paper plates and plastic cutlery. 

      - Do you like the white ones or the blue ones? - she asked, pointing at the two plates on the shelf. 

      - Which ones do you like?

     - C’mon Bucky, I picked the frames so you have to pick the plates. It’s your house. - she crossed her arms playfully. - Pick one. 

     - Listen, back in my day, we handed our plates from generation to generation. In my defense, I was not expecting to ever have to pick out a plate.

    - You cannot use the “I’m old” excuse for everything. Come on, blue or white?

    - Fine. Blue. - he grabbed the cardboard plate holder, putting a dozen plates in before adding the holder to the rest of the stuff on their trolley. - What’s next, princess?

     - Couch, bed, bedding, dresser and you’re lucky you have a built in wardrobe because I love the wardrobe portion of IKEA. 

     - Don’t tell me I’m stealing one of the greatest pleasures of your life, my sweet princess. - he placed his hands on her waist pulling her in towards him, placing a small kiss to her nose. - Have I told you how lovely you look today?

    - At least five times. - she giggled like a little girl, leaning onto his shoulder for a little while before driving him towards the section were most beds were displayed. Bucky watched with a bit of bored wonder, yet he couldn’t help but not to want to be somewhere else, not when she was around looking excited about picking out something as mundane as a bed. He wondered, he wondered how she would look picking out furniture for her actually home, a home ... a home where she would live with him. Their own home, surrounded by a picket white fence with pink rose bushes and as much IKEA furniture as she could possibly want. 

Their own home where she would paddle around barefoot in the mornings to meet him as he took his coffee, or maybe the house with the wooden floors she would walk in maybe someday pregnant. The perfect life, or at least that of what he had envisioned. At least the perfect life he had envisioned when he was younger, not tainted by his own actions. He wanted that life but the thing is, he no longer deserved it and as his sight got lost in the several beds on display. His mind couldn’t help but rush through wondering what picking furniture for his own house would look like, maybe she would be wearing the same dress, a bit tighter around her swollen stomach, his mum’s ring on her finger. Yet those were only delirious dreams of a man who hadn’t dreamt in more than half a century.

     - Are you alright? - she held his hand in hers, thumb caressing the rough skin it found. - You seem a bit dazed. 

    - Yeah ... just distracted by the large mount of beds. 

    - Are you sure you don’t want to sit down? We can stop if you’re not feeling well. 

Bucky couldn’t help but smile at her worry, leaning down to softly kiss her again, unwrapping her hands from the trolley to hold his. He smirked through the kiss, leaning her down on the closest display bed to them, kissing down from her lips to her collarbones making her giggle. 

   - No, I don’t think this is the bed. You should be moaning, not giggling.

   - That’s not how you pick a bed. - she tried to give him the best authoritarian look which failed as he hauled her to another bed. - You’re gonna get us kicked out. 

   - I’m a senior citizen, they can’t kick me out. - he held her by her waist, moving her to another bed before leaning his head in the space between her neck and shoulder, biting her skin softly. - Hm, I think I like this one better. What do you think, princess?

   - I think we should try another one.

   - If you wanted a kiss, you could’ve said so. - he rolled so she was standing on top of him before moving his head up to kiss her. - I think this is the one. 

   - Okay, we will grab one from the end. 

She moved away from him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, hot cheeks as the people who had stopped their shopping to look at them went back to their business leaving the two of them to their own. Bucky laughed at her embarrassment, getting up from the bed before kissing her forehead. The two of them continued to pick furniture until they reached the end aisle with all the packed and ready to go furniture. Bucky was the one to pick it, tossing it onto the trolley as if it weighed nothing. He felt comfortable living in this mundane system, looking at the people waiting in the queue while Y/N commented on furniture she would maybe want in a future house. 

If he were crazy enough he would’ve suggested for her to get that house now, to just drop whatever stopped her from doing what she wanted and go for it yet she was probably still sensitive from this morning’s events. They paid for the furniture and loaded it onto the car driving back to his flat. She was excited, pushing some of his boxes to the middle of the floor to start unpacking them before assembling the bed and the other things they’d bought.

Bucky didn’t have much, it was mostly memorabilia, stuff that his mother had left behind and a hand full of clothing. He was a minimalist yet all his things seemed to hold immense value, specially the stack of photographs that had fallen onto her lap. She looked at him, he was too invested into assembling the couch to notice her, so Y/N started going through his photos.

They were mostly from his youth, a few polaroid shots from the 21st century mixed in but those which she was interested in were the ones where he was in uniform. He was a handsome man and that she already knew but there was this sort of mischievous, joueur de vie spark in his eyes as he posed with several women, Steve always somehow in the back. 

    - What are you looking at? - Bucky sat down on the ground next to her, pulling her to his side before taking one of the photos from the ground. - I haven’t seen this in years. 

    - You haven’t seen your own photographs?

    - The museum sent some over, I didn’t really felt like looking at them. No use crying over the past. 

    - What about the new ones? - she held up one of Steve with a beer in hand laughing at whatever Sam was telling him. - Do you fancy yourself a photographer?

    - I like taking photos of mundane things. - he shrugged, looking through the polaroids scattered around the floor. - Normality amuses me. 

    - I think your photographs are beautiful. - she gave him a soft smile, before sliding another photo into one of the frames. The actress grabbed another one from the pile; it was Steve laying in what looked like a hospital bed alongside Sam and Natasha with silly faces.  - What happened in this one?

Bucky’s throat dried up as she held up a photo up to him, curiosity sketched in her beautiful features but not even her softness could take away from how sunken his heart was at sight of the insignificant photo. It wasn’t his, probably had gotten mixed up but he knew why it was there. Steve had only been in the hospital after serum once and he had been the cause of it. There were scratches and bruises, a lip cut. This was Capitan America rendered hurt by him, the same invincible Capitan America. If Steve Rogers couldn’t be safe from him ... then why would she? 

   - Bucky? - her voice was once again echoey as it was whenever he got lost in his mind. She put her hand on the hardwood floor, pushing herself up, letting the photographs on her lap flow to the ground. Her hand cradled his face, thumb caressing his scrub. - Can you breathe in for me? Please?

   - I’m not a baby, Y/N. 

   - I know but you need to breathe in for me, okay? - her eyes were shimmery, thumb lining his limps. He gave in for her, melting under her touch and allowing air to slowly enter and exit his lungs. - You’re okay. You’re gonna be okay. I love you. 

Other women had told Bucky they loved him. God, he had heard it perhaps too many times but coming from her, coming from her it seemed like love was her own creation and she had slightly opened her heart just for him. In all honesty, he didn’t care if she would ever say it back but now that she had, he just wanted to hear it again. It was everything and nothing at all at the same time yet the mention of those words only made him more scared. He could only picture her in the same situation and it made him out of breathe again, almost as if someone was pushing him into deep dark waters and all he could do was scream helplessly as the water filled his lungs while no one heard a thing. 

She was however very still in her position, caring as she was and those thoughts that she would be eaten alive by her own passions came back to haunt him. Now both her passions seemed to lie in waiting to take a bite of her neck and leave her to bleed. He couldn’t shake that image out of his head no matter how hard he tried.

    - Hey, why don’t we go through the rest of the furniture and take care of the photos later. - she difused the subject before it could explode. - C’mon.

The rest of day of uneventful, mostly just the two of them making his flat look like a home and not a safety investment. By the time the clock hit 9PM, they had assembled all the furniture and added all the rest of their shopping to their due places. After eating Chinese take-out on his new rug while The Crown played on her laptop, they eventually went back to bed. The air was different, she could feel it, she could sense something off and for the first time since the two had fallen asleep together in the same bed she was the one awake. The white linen was draped over her shirtless chest as she looked at the old chandelier over her, her reflection light by the moonlight as she found sleep couldn’t spell her no matter how much she tried. 

Her eyes were fixed on the cracked glass, watching her reflection shatered in different planes. The sleep didn’t seem to come and she remained wide awake until the sun rays broke through the cloudy morning sky, illuminating both her and him. Her hand hadn’t left him, feeling him toss and turn during the night so once the sun rose, he too awoke. 

Almost like a mechanical move, he turned to check on her, finding her eyes looking back at his. Lazily, he kissed her forehead, pulling her to her chest, tucked under his chin before mumbling a good morning to her. Yet, no matter how much warmth he seemed to provide her, she still felt something off. Her suspicions were confirmed once her phone alerted her of a message. 

She grabbed it from the bedside table, eyes rushing through the text before groaning, pushing the covers away from her legs.

   - Where are you going? - Bucky whined, raising his torso from the comfortable bed. He would never admit it, but it was much nicer to sleep in a framed bed than on the ground.

   - It’s my boss, he’s asking for me.

   - What does he want?

   - I would say probably something related to my flat’s incidence. - she bit onto her lip, grabbing her clothing from the door hook. - I’ll take a taxi, you can stay here. 

   - I’m not gonna let you out my sight when someone broke into your flat, Y/N.

   - Yes but you need to finish unboxing your clothing and it’ll be really boring to wait in the car.

   - Y/N.

   - I’ll be fine. - she grabbed her shoes before going up to kiss him goodbye. Bucky didn’t even have the time to argue with her before she was out the door.

Truth was Y/N did not want him going. She knew whatever she was walking into would not sit well with Bucky and she didn’t want him triggered or disrespected by Mr. Hawthrone. She didn’t want him in his winter soldier thinking space and as such she walked straight into the crossfire the moment she entered the taxi.

She pulled at the skin of her nails as she sat on the office of her agency, watching as new talent came in and out. She bite her own lip at the same time, trying to appear tougher than she was when in reality she felt like shattering into a million pieces and as her name was called by his assistance, things seemed to beat faster.

Following the woman inside his office she found him sitting down in his chair, always the calm, stern man. It was almost as if nothing bothered him, he always had such a poker face no one could tell what he was thinking and Y/N in this moment wanted nothing but to be inside his head. He motioned towards the chair before opening his mouth to start speaking.

  - I’m glad to see you’re okay. - he started. - Although I must say I’m quite disappointed you didn’t call our team when it happened.

  - I thought notifying my bodyguard was the most appropriate thing at the moment, sir. - she replied, eyes downcast to her lap. 

  - I was horrified to know what was written in your mirror. - he opened his draw to pull a white envelope, sliding it up to her. - Yet, I do believe there is some blame on you for this. It seems like the public, not to my shock, isn’t very happy with your current relationship.

  - I don’t think the public has anything to do with my relationship. - she opened the envelope to find paparazzi pictures of her and Bucky in less than professional settings. - Have you been following me?

  - I just bought them from the Sun. Clearly, we need to clean up your image to ensure you’re safe. Luckily for us, it’s mostly rumours, no photographs to confirm your affiliations with Mr. Barnes.

  - I don’t think my image is the problem, sir. 

  - I think we need to clear up this whole Barnes mess. I have spoken with several of my male clients and they are thrilled about the prospect of maybe a PR relationship.

  - But I don’t need a PR relationship, I have a relationship.

  - You have a relationship with a man who half the world deems an assassin and traitor to his own country. That is not the image that we want for you and it’s clearly backfiring.

  - I made it clear when I signed this contract that I wasn’t gonna have a PR relationship. It’s just not who I am and ... and Bucky can defend me from whoever comes my way.

  - It is not up to you who decides what PR stuff is done or not. You are an investment, sweetheart and I will not lose money on you just because you refuse to act like a professional actress. I will have Ms. Olson send you a list of potential candidates and you will have your pick on my desk by tomorrow and that is an order.

  - I don’t ...

  - I think our meeting is done. - he twirled his chair, turning his back to her. She wanted to scream at him, shout that he didn’t own her and that he didn’t get to tell her what she should do in her bed or life. Yet, before she could even fight for an option she was escorted out the office by the same assistant before having a door shut on her face.

She remained in the middle of the waiting room, fists clenching onto the white envelope as she wondered what to do. What could she do? With that thought on her mind, she grabbed her phone from her purse.

  - Chuck? I need a favour. 

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[agwitow]

Alpha Wolves

content warning: swearing, mild violence

Marcus yawned, his jaw cracking, and shook out his pants. It had been a long night, helping two pups with their first change. They were already packed into their parents’ SUVs, fast asleep, and on the way to their homes. In a few months they would be good to join a pack. It wasn’t always as simple with new shifters, but those two each had a parent who was one as well. Even at eight and ten, they knew a fair amount of what it meant to be a lycanthrope.

Dressed in sweats and a light cotton long-sleeved shirt, he ran a hand over his jaw and sighed. Full moon changes always made his hair grow. Even though he’d been clean-shaven before the change, he had what felt like two-days of growth now. Shaggy hair didn’t bother him nearly as much as a beard did, though by the end of the three days he’d need to get that trimmed as well.

He padded barefoot into the little cabin that served as his base of operations while helping new shifters and started a pot of coffee brewing. He hated the stuff, but it would be at least a couple hours before he could head home to sleep, so he needed something to keep him awake.

While it percolated, he checked his phone. Three emails from work, two from the pack, and some spam. He’d just opened the first email when the phone rang.

“Porter Consulting.”

“Mr. Porter, it’s Deputy Palerma from the EKSD,” a male with a pleasant tenor said.

East Keddol was a small town several miles from Hapburgh, the city Marcus lived and worked in. It was in the interesting position of being almost perfectly between Hapburgh pack territory and Redview pack territory. Surprisingly few places fell into the odd in-between spaces between packs, and, as far as he knew, no one had developed any specific protocols for dealing with them.

“How can I help you today, Deputy?”

“We have a shifter—twenty-three-year-old male—who attacked his friends when he shifted for the first time. Miss Davidson recommended I call you.”

Kaelyn Davidson did for the Redview pack what Marcus did for the Hapburgh one. She was, if he remembered correctly, also a month or two out from giving birth. Handling an adult shifter who’d already hurt people was probably not high on her list of ways to spend her time.

“I see. Is your new shifter awake?”

“No. We had to hit him with a tranq to be able to bring him in. He’s changed back, but hasn’t woken up yet.”

Marcus snorted. Safety Departments were, mostly, better than the old police system, but sometimes they were still a little too trigger happy. At least it was a tranquilizer dart instead of a clip of bullets. “I’ll send someone to pick him up. He’s going to wake up before they get there, and he’s going to be cranky and hungry.”

“I’ve taken the class on shifters, Mr. Porter,” Deputy Palerma said, sounding offended. “There is a post-shift recovery kit in the fridge.”

He stifled a sighed. “If that’s all you have, that’s fine, but it would be better if the new shifter could get freshly made food. Eggs, nuts, oats, cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, and pumpkin seeds are best. Avoid meat, if possible, especially red meat.”

“I thought shifters need protein the morning after?”

“We do, and the foods I listed are all high protein items. New shifters can find meats to be… an issue at first. As I’m not able to speak with your young man at present, it’s better to be cautious.”

There was a moment of silence on the line before Palerma said, “Alright. Who will be coming, and when should we expect them?”

“It’ll depend on who is free.”

“Can’t you just tell someone to do it? You’re the alpha, aren’t you?”

Marcus had to grit his teeth to keep from groaning. That damn study from the 40s. “That’s not quite how things work. All pack members have proper ID.”

“Fine,” he said, the word ending with an annoyed click of his tongue.

“Thank you. Someone will be there between 10:30 and noon.”

Once they’d said their farewells, Marcus sent out a quick message through the pack’s group chat.

New shifter, East Keddol holding, possible alpha complex. Any takers?

He set the phone down and poured himself a cup of coffee, adding enough cream and sugar to make it mostly palatable, before settling on a stool at the tiny kitchen’s bar-height table. He’d drunk half the cup before a chime indicated he’d gotten a response. Two more chimes rang out before he’d picked the phone back up.

Eddie: I’m free but never handled an alpha complex b4 wdin2k?

Ksenia: lol take a muzzle

Julianne: y can’t the Reds take em?

Marcus rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighed, and replied: Kaelyn’s 8 mo. Pregnant. Take the green SUV, put him in the back, and keep the divider up.

Eddie: is it that dangerous?

Thomas: alpha-complexers are just assholes

Julianne: TOM! There are CHILDREN in this chat

Thomas: no regrets!

Marcus temporarily turned notifications off for the group chat, replied to the most important of the work emails, set up reminders for the other two, then headed for the cabin’s futon. By the time he’d make it to his apartment in the city, he’d barely have any time to sleep before he’d need to head back out to meet the new shifter. So he’d nap on the futon and feel stiff for most of the afternoon.

#

A little after 2pm, the rumbling and crunch of a vehicle coming up the gravel drive to the cabin announced the arrival of Eddie and the new shifter. Marcus set aside his laptop and headed out to the porch to greet them. He was still barefoot and wearing sweats and the long-sleeved shirt, but he’d run a trimmer through the beard so he felt less like a back-woods mountain man.

The car had barely come to a complete stop before the back door opened and a young man stepped out with a glower. He was around average height, with enough muscle mass to indicate he worked out at least somewhat regularly. Dark blond hair hung to his shoulders and a thick beard wrapped his jaw—though whether that was a stylistic choice or the moon driven change accelerating his hair growth even more than it did for Marcus was unclear.

“You Marcus?” the young man demanded.

He raised an eyebrow, crossed his arms, and leaned against one of the porch supports. “I am. And you are?”

“Joseph.”

He nodded and shifted his gaze to Eddie, who’d stepped around to the front of the SUV. “How was the drive?”

Eddie shrugged, his gaze darting to Joseph and then away. “S’okay. Wouldn’t want to do it again, though.”

“Don’t blame you. Thanks for doing it, though. See you next week for a run, okay?”

His shoulders relaxed and he smiled. “Of course. Later, Marcus.”

Joseph scoffed. “Like he would be any good.”

Marcus shook his head and stepped down off the porch. He was a little shorter than the new shifter, though broader in the shoulders and with more muscle mass. “You will respect each and every member of our pack, or you’ll be sent to Palstead Institution. It is not a pleasant introduction to being a shifter.”

“Whatever, man. Just give me whatever stupid speech you’ve got so I can challenge you.”

“There will be no ‘challenging’ here.”

“Fuck that. I ain’t no submissive bitch.”

“What you do or don’t do in the bedroom has no relevance to this situation.”

Red flooded Joseph’s face a moment before he took a swing at Marcus. He’d obviously had a little bit of training, but the movement was still too big to be truly effective.

Marcus side-stepped and twisted a little so that he had more leverage as he placed a palm against Joseph’s arm and pushed. It wasn’t a big push, but the kid had overextended himself and it knocked him off balance enough to make him stumble. He took a step back and waited for the next attack he knew would be coming.

Joseph didn’t disappoint. He came up swinging wildly, rushing toward him as if he couldn’t decide whether to beat his face in or tackle him to the ground.

Marcus calmly deflected each blow, leading Joseph in a circle as he side-stepped and backed away from the attacks. Less than a minute later, Jospeh was panting and struggling to even come close to landing any blows.

“Have you finished with your temper tantrum, yet?” Marcus asked.

Joseph glared at him but stopped, bending over with hands on knees as he panted.

“You seem to be under the misunderstanding that pack members fight each other. Different packs rarely even fight each other.”

“How…how do you know who’s alpha, then?”

“There is no ‘alpha.’ Not the way you’re thinking, anyway.”

“What?”

Marcus sighed and took a seat on the ground. The grass was soft and, thanks to a sunny morning, contained no hint of dampness. After a moment’s hesitation, Joseph slumped down as well. “Pack is family. Would you pick a fight with your dad to try and take over the family?”

“No…”

He shrugged. “Picking a fight with a pack member makes about as much sense. We each have a role to play, and that role is based on our skills and personality and knowledge. Not on who we’re able to beat up.”

“Aren’t we wolves? At least partly?”

“Yes. And that’s how wolves behave.”

Joseph stared at him blankly.

He sighed again. “Come inside. I’ll make you a tuna sandwich and you can read one of the brochures.”

Joseph followed him inside, silent, but with a simmering edge of anger beneath his exhaustion. Once the full moon was over and the forced changes weren’t sapping his energy, he would be a real pain in the ass if Marcus couldn’t nip the problem in the bud.

“Here,” he said, picking up a glossy tri-fold and handing it over. “Have a seat. Read. I’ll make the sandwiches.”

He settled onto a stool, shoulders hunched and brows drawn. “Why Alpha-Dog Theory is BS,” he read. “Seriously?”

“Mhm,” Marcus replied. “Some of the pack wanted to title it It’s Not Your Inner Wolf, You’re Just an Asshole, but that seemed a bit confrontational.”

“… Oh.”

“Mhm.”

(Moon-Bound - part 2)

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[berrynarrybanana]

take it out on me - honeybee extra

A/N: I don’t know if anyone has seen the video of those girls throwing water at Harry’s car but first of all fuck them and second that’s so not chill. I got a little upset but then I started thinking about going home with H and having him take it out on you. And then I started writing this piece which was supposed to be for BFHarry’s fic challenge and then it turned into husband and soon to be dad H with Beatrice and Harry! I am forewarning you that this is filthy and I hope you enjoy. 

Word Count: 3k+

Warnings: Cursing, Crying, Evil “fans”, pregnancy sex, mild choking king, dominant aspects, and cockwarming

Sometime in the fall of 2022

Friday, 6:00 PM, London

Being home in London felt good.

As a little girl, I always dreamed of living in the land of the Queen. I perfected my English accent by the time I was ten, whipping it out at parties and sometimes school plays. When I was 15, a freshman in high school, I auditioned for our school play that would take place in Kent, England. Our sister school would accept us in their homes for six months of the year while we rehearsed and learned together. I was crushed when I didn’t get the part and I was utterly terrified that I would never get the chance to see London or Brighton. But after meeting Harry, it was one of the first serious conversations we had. The third night of our relationship, we were cuddled up in his Malibu home, talking about forever. He mentioned going home to see his Mum after his first solo world tour and though I was upset that he would be so far, I was happy for him. 

“I’m gonna tell her about you, you know?” He kissed over my wet cheeks as I sniffled. “Gonna tell my Mum about the girl I met in L.A and how she’s gonna be my wife someday.” 

Three days. 

That’s how long we had known each other when he said that. 

And he wasn’t wrong about it. 

I stepped out of my London car with my purse and to go coffee mug in hand. The car was far too expensive for my taste, but Harry insisted on having me drive the safest car on the market. Wanda, my very first Audi SUV, was big enough to fit myself, Harry, and the car seat he had installed for our future son. I dropped a free hand to my stomach, softly caressing my baby bump with a smile on my face. Ellis was kicking up a storm as he normally did around this time. I was done with work and the sun was setting which meant that a talk with Daddy would only be moments away. 

“It’s alright little love,” I winced at a particularly hard kick. “Daddy's home, just give me a moment to get inside.” 

I let out a heavy sigh, walking up the few steps to our newest home. 

It still wasn’t quite ready yet, walls unpainted and furniture askew, but it was home. 

I was still working in Milan with Vogue for at least three more weeks and Harry was on his European leg of the tour. I was in town for my doctor’s appointment scheduled for Saturday, and Harry was free of any shows or interview obligations for the weekend. In three weeks, I would officially be home in London and on maternity leave. I would be working from home, skyping with Anna and talking with the board about the new London office, but it would be nice to enjoy some time with Ellis and Harry without any work obligations getting in the way. 

“Darling,” I called out, shutting the door behind me with a smile. “Are you home?” 

“Just in the kitchen, honeybee!” Harry called out. 

I dropped my purse on the table by the front door, dropping my keys inside so they wouldn’t get lost before tomorrow. Next, I slipped off my shoes and then peeled myself out of my jacket. It was by no means freezing in London, but the fall chill was starting to set in. I made my way towards our kitchen, my hands pressed into my bump as my nose picked out the scent of oregano and tomato. Harry’s back was towards me, his hands working on something on the countertop. He looked delectable, as always, his back covered by a black t-shirt and a pair of highwaisted trousers settled on his tiny little hips. With a happy hum, I moved around the kitchen island. 

“Hiya squid.” I pressed my lips over his shoulder, pressing my hands to his hips. 

“There’s my girl.” He peered over his shoulder, dropping the knife he had been using before reaching for a tea towel. “Gimme a kiss.” 

He turned around as I puckered my lips out, kissing him a few times before his hands took over resting on my bump. For a split second, we had a moment to ourselves. But it was over the moment Ellis started kicking around again, angry that he wasn’t greeted by his Daddy before me. 

“Ellis, little man, you’ve gotta stop that.” I frowned, glancing down at my belly. “Mummy and Daddy are trying to say hello.” 

“Is someone being a little bugger today?” Harry hummed, crouching down until he was at eye level with my belly. “That’s not very nice, Ellie, is it?” 

Our son calmed down seconds after hearing Harry’s voice. 

“I think he needs you to fall asleep.” I whispered, brushing my fingers through Harry’s hair as he looked up at me. “He’s been kicking around all day so I know he’s tired.”

“S’alright little one.” Harry kissed over my belly a few times before standing up. “Why don’t you get changed into something more comfortable and then settle in on the couch. Dinner is nearly done and I’ll be right there.” 

“Alright.” I smiled, humming happily when Harry pressed his lips to mine again. “I love you.” 

“Love you too, honey.”

Saturday, 10:00 AM; London 

Harry and I’s pregnancy wasn’t news to anyone. 

Working for Vogue and being Harry Styles’ wife meant that a lot of eyes were on me constantly. Anna suggested biting the bullet and doing a spread for the magazine would be our best option. A few months ago, we agreed. There was a maternity shoot done in our L.A home with me barefoot and pregnant and Harry doting on me as he always did. We did a quick interview on paper, a quick photo shoot, and a small video tour of our home before Anna called it quits. The world went crazy when it all came out, the official announcement on my Instagram promoting the video. Since then, it had been quiet. There wasn’t a lot of fuss over me and Harry was still getting his usual amount of fans at the airport and other places when he traveled, but other than that we were fine. 

Until today. 

“Mr. Styles,” The receptionist at our OBGYN’s office in London looked nervous. “There’s quite a large crowd of people outside of our building.”

“Bloody hell.” He grumbled under his breath, letting out a heavy sigh. “I’ll have it taken care of. I’m very sorry about that, love.” 

“S’alright.” She said quickly. “We’ve locked the doors so no one is permitted in and our other patience won’t be her until after lunch. It should be fine.” 

“Thank you.” She nodded before retreating from our exam room. “I need to let Jeff know. We need someone to have the car pulled around when we leave.” 

“You can go talk to them while we wait, Harry.” I said softly, reaching for his hand. “Or after, even, I don’t mind.”

“M’not really in the mood today.” He mumbled, reaching for his phone. “I want you in the car, untouched and safe more than anything.” 

I didn’t argue with him, nodding along as Ellis moved around in my belly. 

Harry spent most of the wait typing on his phone, no doubt talking with Jeff. I sat there anxiously, twiddling with my fingers while I waited for our doctor to come in. Another ultrasound would be happening today and we would be going over the final steps of my pregnancy and birth plan. When Dr. Hillcrest stepped inside, my heart rate increased. Harry put his phone away, reaching for my hand as she greeted us. 

“So, how have you been feeling Mummy?” She asked, sitting down on her stool with her clipboard in hand. “Any braxton hicks?”

“Once or twice.” I nodded. “First time I thought I was in labor, scared the hell out of me.”

“It is quite scary when you’re not used to it.” She chuckled. “As we’re nearing the end of your third trimester, there are some things we need to go over. We’re doing tests for Glaucoma, Anemia, Hep B, and a few other things. We’ll be going over the final steps of your birth plan today as well. Have you toured any of the hospital’s in Milan?” 

“Yes, I did a few last week.” I nodded. “I’ve decided on Mangiagalli.”

“Perfect.” She said. “I’ll get in contact with the head of the Maternity Ward today and I’ll make sure they have all of the information.” 

“We’re really hoping he’s not born in Milan.” Harry chuckled softly. “It would be a bit odd to have him there while Beatrice is trying to close out the office.” 

“Odd is a very nice way to say it.” I laughed. “But I’m glad we’re prepared.” 

“Babies wait for no one.” Dr. Hillcrest let out a soft chuckle. “I hope you don’t deliver there either, I would love to be there with you when you deliver.” 

It took another hour or two before we were finished in the office. 

I was told that in about four weeks, I would need to stop flying. 

That gave me plenty of time to get things finished up in Milan before making it home to London. Harry had plenty of questions for Dr. Hillcrest and I was thankful that he remembered all the ones I wanted to ask as well. When we were done with the testing and the ultrasound, Harry helped me slip back into my comfortable clothes before lacing his fingers with mine. The nervous smile he gave me meant there was still a crowd outside that we had to deal with. I squeezed his finger, reassuring him that no matter what happened, we would be fine.

“The car is up front.” He said softly. “We’re getting you in first and then me. No stopping, no talking, just get in the car.” 

“Alright.” I said softly. “We’ll be fine.” 

“I know.” He kissed me quickly before leading me outside. 

The cheering increased, loud screams and Harry’s name being chanted nearly shocked me. I hadn’t seen a crowd this big outside of a building before. I glanced over at Harry, my heart rate picking up a little as he talked to a man dressed in all black. Harry glanced back at me, pulling me closer to his side before ushering me to the car. He opened the passenger side door for me, shielding my body from the crowd as my hands started to shake. He reached for my seat belt, his eyes full of worry and anxiety. 

“I’m sorry, honey.” He cooed, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. “S’gonna be alright. Just give me a minute, yeah?” 

“I love you.” I said, reluctant to let his hand go.

“I know, honey.” His lips pressed into mine. “You’ve gotta let go so I can get in, okay?” 

I nodded weakly, loosening my grip up. 

Harry shut the door and I tried to avoid looking out the window, but there was a crowd of girls moving in closer and closer. I was afraid that they would get to the door before I did, but I couldn’t lock Harry out. I gasped when the drivers side door opened, snapping my head around to see Harry. He locked the doors before flipping the car in drive. Seconds after we started moving, I heard thudding against the side of the car door. My anxiety was washed away by anger, water splashing against the side of the car as they continued to throw their bottles at us. 

“Fucking hell.” I snapped, my fingers balling up into fists. “That’s just ridiculous.” 

Harry didn’t say a word, peeling out of the lot and onto the streets of London. 

He was careful not to speed the entire way home, but I could tell that he wanted to. 

At some point, his hand landed on my thigh, squeezing firmly as his jaw clenched. I watched the profile of his face, worried more about how he was taking it than myself. These were his fans that had pissed him off. They had come to close for comfort and they had crossed a line when they started throwing things at us. When we made it home, he slammed the car into the park before getting out. Gently, he helped me out of the car, his hand landing right on my bump as my feet hit the ground. The small action sparked something in me, a pool of wetness beginning to form between my thighs. When we made it in the house, Harry started to move away from me. 

“Wait,” I said, holding his hand tightly. “Where are you going?” 

“Gonna go blow off some steam.” He said. “I’m fucking livid.” 

“I know.” I nodded. “Take it out on me.” 

“What?” He said, his wild eyes growing wider as he let out a bitter laugh.  “I’m not gonna do that, Beatrice.” 

“I want you to take it out on me, Harry.” I stepped forward, reaching for his other hand. “Fuck me.” 

“Beatrice, no.” He said. “What happens if I’m too rough? What happens if I lose-” 

“As if I would let you do anything to harm me seriously, Harry.” I scoffed. “You’ll be fine and I promise to tell you if it’s too much. But please, fuck me.” 

His chest was heaving as he looked down at me, his lips shiny from licking and biting over them nervously in the car. He let out a soft curse before lunging forward, his hands grabbing my face firmly. I whimpered in relief when he pressed his lips into mine, his tongue showing no mercy as it explored my mouth. It had been weeks since we made love and months since we’d had a proper fuck. Things were more tender for us in the bedroom, Harry’s fear of harming me or Ellis ever present at the front of his mind. When my bum collided with the couch, I knew I was going to get what I wanted from him. Harry pulled his lips from mine, tugging my shirt over my head quickly. 

My leggings were next to go, my hands pressed into his shoulders as I clumsily stepped out of them. I didn’t bother with a bra or panties, knowing that our only stop would be the doctor's office today. When Harry’s head disappeared past my bump, I whined. Seconds later, I felt his teeth scraping over my thigh before lightly biting down. I welcomed the sting, a rush of warmth flooding over me as my pussy began to throb before him. Harry pulled back when I started to move my hips closer to his face, wanting to feel his tongue caressing my clit. 

“Not now.” He growled out, standing up. “Upstairs, on the bed.” 

“What?” I squeaked out, sure that I would get my proper fucking right here. “What’s wrong with the floor?” 

“Now, Beatrice.” He gripped my chin with his thumb and forefinger, his voice stern. “On all fours.” 

When I turned around reluctantly, pouting at the missed opportunity for floor sex, I felt a sharp smack on my ass. I cried out, glancing back at Harry as I pressed my hand over my bum. Harry smirked at me, crossing his arms as I waddled away with narrowed eyes. I had asked for it and I was definitely going to get what I wanted. I climbed up the stairs slowly, waddling towards our bedroom. When I made it to our bed, I did as I was told. My hands and knees pressed into the plush mattress, our duvet soft on the skin of my knees. Maybe this was better than the floor. 

After a few moments, Harry was pushing into the room behind me. He wasted no time stripping himself down before kneeling on the bed behind me. I opened my mouth, prepared to make a smart comment about him being eager, but I was cut off before I could even speak. The head of his cock pushed into me first and then the rest followed. I gasped, dropping my head forward as his hips collided with mine. I clenched my eyes shut, welcoming the feeling of Harry’s length. 

“Always squeeze me so good.” Harry moaned out behind me and I could imagine he’d dropped his head back in bliss. “Hold tight for me, yeah? Tell me if it’s too much, Beatrice. Promise me you will.” 

“I promise,” I gasped out as he pulled away, his cock leaving my walls vacant and begging for more. It didn’t last long before was fucking into me again, harder this time as his fingers dug into the flesh of my hips. “Oh!” 

Harry’s soft grunts and the force of his thrusts had me sitting on cloud nine. I was enjoying the pounding I was getting, his hips slapping against mine as he gave me everything he had. I was a babbling mess below him, begging for more, harder, faster, please! Harry met my every need, angling his hips perfectly so that he was hitting every spot within me that I needed to be satisfied. It didn’t take long for me to cum around him, my walls fluttering without warning as my arms started to grow weak. Harry was quick to mold his chest to my back, pulling me up until my head was dropped back on his shoulder. He had no problem fucking me just as hard as I came around his cock. 

“V’got you honey,” He nipped at my ear. “I’ve got you. Gonna make you cum again for me, okay? Can you do one more for me?” 

I nodded, but that wasn’t enough.

“Say it.” He grunted, sliding the hand that was holding my  belly up to my throat. “Use your words.” 

“Please, Harry.” I whimpered as his fingers rested over my throat. “Make me cum again.” 

“Good girl.” His teeth raked over the skin of my shoulder before he bit down on me, a loud moan tearing from my throat. “There’s my girl, so fucking good for me all the time.” 

“Yes, yes.” I cried out as he delivered a few thrusts that were harder than the others. “M’gonna cum, M’gonna-” 

“Do it.” He said. “Cum on my cock honey. Give me a good one.” 

A flash of white took over my senses as I tightened around his cock. 

I wasn’t sure if I had moaned, my mouth dropped open as I reached out for Harry’s hand on my hips. My body jerked against his as he stilled inside of me, grunting loudly in my ear as his hips flexed forward. He pushed his cum inside of me, almost as if he was trying to put another baby in me. When I finally came back to my senses, Harry was slipping out of my walls and I was crying. 

“No, no.” I sniffled, reaching back for his hips. “Stay.” 

“Honey, I’m...I can’t.” 

A soft sob ripped out of my throat and seconds later, Harry was guiding my body to the bed. 

“What’s wrong, honey?” His hands were flying all over my body, pressing into my skin to make sure I was fine. He settled his palm on my belly, his eyes wide with fear. “What hurts?” 

“I just wanted you to stay in me.” I sniffled, reaching up to wipe under my eyes. “I’m so empty now.” 

“Oh, honey.” He collapsed on the bed next to me, kissing over my face. “It’s alright, it’s gonna be alright.” 

I curled myself into his chest, digging my fingers into his sides as he covered our naked bodies with the throw at the end of our bed. He pressed gentle kisses over my forehead, brushing his hand up and down my back in soothing circles to try and calm me down. Rationally, I knew it was pregnancy hormones, but I still felt empty without his cock in me. 

“Turn around fo’ me.” He whispered, patting my thigh. I did as he said, turning on my side as another sob pulled from my throat. “It’s alright, honey. Lift your leg up and put it on the pillow.” 

He guided one under my leg, brushing his hand softly over my thigh as he moved his front closer to my back. Seconds later, I felt the head of his cock at my entrance. 

“Hold on, sweet girl.” He whispered. “You ready?” 

I nodded my head, reaching back to hold onto his hip as he slipped inside of me, harder than he had been earlier when we started our little escapade. 

“So fucking tight, honey.” He whimpered into my ear. “S’that what you wanted?” 

“Yes.” I gasped out wetly, nodding my head. “S’full.” 

“Love you so much, Beatrice.” He whispered as I started to drift off. “Close your eyes for me honey, go to sleep. 

“Love you, too.”

[johnkrrasinski]

𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐞

Chapter 5: Now I’m in Exile

full masterlist // series masterlist // commission open // support my work

Pairings: Dark!Steve Rogers x Reader

Word Count: 8,310 

Summary: Steve Rogers; a Hollywood A-lister and your clandestine occasional hookup. Best friends since childhood, but people change and friendships fall out. Now you were merely strangers with benefits. What happens when one day you stopped being his doormat to be a better man’s queen? The selfish Steve Rogers would not like it. How far is he willing to go to get his favorite possession back?

Warnings: smut, non-con/dub-con, dark Steve (in later chapter), angst, Steve Rogers is an asshole in this one, no redeeming qualities. (MUST BE 18+)

A/N: this series is dedicated to the lovely @belovedcherry​​​ who commissioned this story and developed the concept. thank you for being a friend when i truly needed it. i’m really glad that you trusted me to write this story for you. with all my heart, i sincerely hope you like it. this series will be updated every day.

The calling tone reverberated in your hand as the beaming grin on your face mirrored on the screen. With every passing second, your anticipation grew. You couldn’t control your fidgeting so you took a deep breath and-

“Hey, boo!” Natasha’s voice modulated.

You lifted your right hand to the front camera’s level, revealing the rose golden Cartier wrapped finger as it glimmered under the light.

“Oh my God! Did he…?”

“Mhm,” you nodded. “I’m engaged, Nat!”

Natasha put a hand over her mouth, “holy shit! Girl, I’m so happy for you! Congratulations!” the gaiety on her face was palpable, you could feel it through the screen. There’s a reason why she and Wanda were the first people you passed the happy news to. After your parents of course.

“Thank you so much! I can’t believe it. Eight months ago, I thought I’d be single forever but here I am…”

“Yeah, things escalated quickly for you! Now you are someone’s fiancee and seven months pregnant. It’s mind-boggling,” she spoke like a proud sister. “I’m beyond happy for you. Really, I am.”

“I know this is probably too soon but, will you be my maid of honour, Nat?”

“You know damn well there’d be no wedding if you didn’t ask me to. Hell yeah, I will!”

“Ah, yes!” you hurrayed in excitement. “Alright, I’ll catch up to you later, okay? I gotta call Wanda too.”

“Do whatever you want boo, it’s your day.”

You hung up the phone and went through your contacts list, then clicked the phone number under Wanda’s name. The excitement bubbled up in your chest as you pictured the smile on her face when she sees the new lustrous thing on your finger.

Eight months earlier…

“Hey, y/n. It’s me, Adrian. It was a pleasure meeting you last night. How is the dress doing?”

“She is going for a dry cleaner. It was lovely to meet you too, except for the drink-spilling stain of course.”

“Sorry about that. But it got me your number and I would’ve done it again if that’s what it costs.”

You smiled down at your phone under the warm glow of the morning sunlight. “You showed me pictures of your dogs and cat so it’s a win-win situation for us both.” Wink emoji.

“Perhaps you and I could chat more about my dogs and my cat over a cup of coffee?”

“Will you promise you won’t spill the coffee on my shirt this time?”

“You have my word.”

“I’ll consider it, then.”

“Next Friday, at 7 PM. Write that down on your calendar.”

“I didn’t even say yes.”

He sent an adorable picture of his pomeranian dog looking up at him with pleading eyes. “How can you say no to this face?”

“Say no more. I’ll see you next Friday.”

-

Two weeks after the date.

You regurgitated your guts out in the toilet bowl and held up your hair, trying not to let the vomit splotch a strand of it. This was the third time you had to run to the loo to spew the queasiness in your body. You felt dizziness clouding your head. What the hell is wrong with your body? This had been a daily occurrence for the past one week.

You sat on the toilet lid after everything you swallowed earlier was out. You recollected every food that had made its way into your digestion the past couple of days… Did you eat something inedible? Perhaps that ice cream in your refrigerator had passed its expiration date, but you only bought it three days ago at the grocery store and you swore it could still last for two more months.

Maybe that shrimp that you ate at the Chinese restaurant with Adrian last night was stale. Ugh, you’re gonna need to talk to Adrian about this but you didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. Perhaps, it was just another sickness caused by an unknown bad food.

But you also retrospected the shift in your body for the past couple of weeks. Your period was late this month… It should’ve started three days ago, what is happening? Could it be…? Oh no, there’s no way. You and Adrian hadn’t even moved it to the bedroom yet, so that means… If you are, then… It must be… Steve’s.

Oh hell no.

You recalled, the last time you and Steve met up for your weekly (sometimes more) hookup appointment was the day after you and Adrian met up for a coffee, which was your very first date with him. You didn’t know there would be plenty more to come so you went to what you had planted your soles so deep in, which was Steve Rogers’s penthouse in the upper east.

He had you on top with your arse facing him because he enjoyed the view better than your face. You struggled to bounce yourself up and down on his massive size. He could be such a sluggard sometimes but a man like him would always get his way, and if he needed to fuck out some tension, then he’d use you as a masturbation aid for as long as he wanted.

His grip on your hips was ruthless, you knew it was going to cause some bruises tomorrow but you couldn’t care any less. Not when he was pulling you down this deep that you could feel him penetrating your womb. His grunts filled your ears with eroticism and you picked up your pace to help him reach his climax. You shut your eyes with your mouth hanging open as soft moans escaped through your lips. You clenched around him and you felt his cock throbbed, you knew it was coming. Literally. Your coil shattered just a few seconds before he released his seed deep inside you. He pulled out and went to the bathroom to clean himself up and left you rumpled on the couch.

He left to Atlanta the next day to shoot a new movie. Something about an organization reinforced by the Nazi during World War II, and how the Captain leads an elite combat unit to the battle against an organization called Hydra. You didn’t know that until you looked it up on the internet.

You hadn’t received another booty call for him ever since. He was probably sleeping with twenty-something-year-olds models in Atlanta though.  

And you had made peace with the tragic reality you were stuck in. You had accepted the reality that you and Steve were like riding down a dead-end street. There was no making love on Sunday mornings and have brunch together afterwards. There was no settling down in a countryside house where your kids could run around barefoot on the front yard. There was no marriage vows and walking down the aisle in white for you.

But all that changed when you decided to take a pregnancy test and the result revealed that you were indeed pregnant. You took three more and the results were all the same. Fucking hell. What the hell are you going to do now?

You had to call Steve, right? He was the father after all. You couldn’t tell Adrian because he would despise you for sleeping with another man and possibly carrying his child and he probably would never want to talk to you anymore. He’d probably regret knowing you at all. And you didn’t want to send him away. You liked him, he was good for your heart and the more you explored him, the more mesmerized you become by his magnetic force.

You were distraught. You didn’t know what to do, you didn’t know whom to call, so you just sat there in the tenebrosity of your room, out of options and out of clue.

Eventually, you collected your nerves and you dialled Steve’s number. He didn’t answer. He told you once that he didn’t like being called unless he called you first so you never did, but this time, you had to speak to him. “Please, pick up…” you prayed while on the verge of breaking down completely.

You were directed to his voice mailbox.

“This is Steve Rogers and if I’m not picking up that probably means you shouldn’t be calling me.”

Beep. “Hey Steve, I’m really sorry for calling you this late but I really need to talk to you. Please, it’s urgent.”

Three hours later and there were still no callbacks. You had sent him twenty-eight text messages and his voice mailbox was full. If you waited one more goddamn second, you’d lose your mind. So you picked up your phone and bit the bullet and typed the words; “I’m pregnant and you are the father. Please call me back so we can talk about it.”

It was around 4.30 AM when you checked the time on your lock screen. You were fatigued; both physically and emotionally. You had to unwind from every quandary that impinged you today. It was a lot and you were at a complete loss, but you’ll figure it out tomorrow.

You didn’t sleep well that night, you kept waking up whilst it was still dark out, and you had to wake up at 7.30 tomorrow for work. You kept looking at the sleek device that was left unmuted on your bedside table in case Steve called back. He didn’t though. You only slept for an hour and you really wanted to take a day off but you’d lose your mind if you were left alone with your thoughts and no distraction. So you got out of bed, took a shower and prepared for work, with your thoughts filled with the future of this baby growing inside you and Steve. Why hasn’t he called back or even text at all? Does he really think so little of you?

The impulse to check your phone and call and text him every five minutes was adamantine. You tried to control the itch of sending him another text and voicemail but it failed until you read the words ‘not delivered’ in red under the last text message that you just sent. You tried to resend it over and over again and even tried to write a new message but it was the same result.

You moved to your call feature but after a single ring, you were diverted to voicemail. It took you a few seconds to realize that Steve had blocked you. You went to the last media to reach out to him and it was through his Instagram account. You didn’t even follow each other and you were certain that he received thousands of DMs and notifications every day from his obsessive fans. He had 39 million followers for God’s sakes, the hell is one message from you going to mean anything?

But you were despondent and you needed someone to go through this with, especially the father himself. You did it anyway without thinking twice and told him that you were pregnant and you needed to talk to him. You even sent a picture of those three pregnancy tests and attached it on your message. You couldn’t stop biting your lip and tapping your foot throughout the entire way to your work in the train. Man, were you really going to raise this child alone?

-

Three days later and still no signs of him attempting to return your messages. You had slowly accepted your fate that you were going to carry and raise this child alone. You still hadn’t told Adrian despite talking to him every day and it crushed your heart whenever you heard his elated tone. You could tell that he was really into you and he wanted to take this relationship further but sorrowfully, one way or another, you were going to have to tell him the secret growing in your belly and you were going to have to slaughter this exquisite potential. You wondered if the circumstances were different or you had met at another time or in another universe, would Adrian be the one you were meant to be with?

You made a promise to yourself that you were going to meet him tomorrow and tell him the truth. Delaying it wouldn’t make it any easier and it wouldn’t prevent the doom from happening. If anything, it would only elongate the hurt. So you picked up your phone after you cerebrated it on your mind and clicked on Adrian’s chat room; “meet me at the Drive Brew Cafe tomorrow? Got something I’d like to talk about.”

“Is it something really urgent or you’re just looking for an excuse to see me?” Wink emoji.

“Oh, stop flattering yourself. We really need to talk.”

“Usually, I’d ask a person the matter before I’d decide that it’s important enough for me to meet them in person but I’m giving you a pass.”

“Very generous of you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, y/n.”

-

You arrived ten minutes earlier than the time you both agreed to meet at. The cafe wasn’t too crowded, thank God, so you immediately ordered a cup of Machiatto for Adrian and a cup of hot chocolate to calm your nerves. After the barista called your name, you walked to the corner booth before anyone could occupy it first. You were going to need some privacy. You sat as your hands trembled from edginess. You couldn’t stop fidgeting and tapping your foot as the second passed by on the clock.

Exactly on 6.30 PM, a dashing brunet in a dark grey vest and rolled-up sleeves entered and you stood up to greet him. He just came home from work and man, it was impossible for him to ever look bad even for once, you were so lucky but life just kept finding a way to eliminate the people you cared about.

“Hey, you look good.” his British accent was thick. He kissed your cheek and embraced you with a warm smile.

“So do you. How was work?” You both sat on the opposite chairs of the booth.

“The ordinary. We had a meeting with a director of this historical film to get us to fund the project. How was yours?” The genuinely curious look on his face nearly changed your mind. Oh, how you wish you could hold on to this moment where you could still have him a little longer.

“Nothing new, just another day at work. This one’s for you by the way.” You didn’t know what more to say when your mind was cluttered so you stalled by passing over his drink.

“So, what’s so important that you needed to see me?”

“Adrian, you know, I really like you, right?” you took his hand in yours as you stared into his striking eyes. “And I’ll always be grateful that you were foolish enough to ruin my dress that night.”

He was perplexed. His eyebrows were furrowed. “As much as I enjoy your companion, I’m sure that you didn’t call me to meet you only to thank me for wrecking your dress, right?”

“Yeah, but um… I just, it’s been wonderful knowing you. And… Oh God, this is going a lot harder than I thought.”

He nodded. A dejected look on his face that you wished you could wipe out. “Let me save you the trouble… You are breaking up with me.” He didn’t say it as if he was guessing, he said it as if it was a declaration that he’d figured out before you could even formulate the words.

“Adrian… I’m pregnant. And you’re not the father, so don’t worry. I know when you first asked me out, this isn’t what you signed up for. So I’m setting you free. I’m sorry.”

You expected him to get up and walk out of the door, leaving you with your alienation but none of that was detected on his expression or his body language. “Who is the father?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“Adrian…”

“Don’t I at least deserve to know who my girlfriend is sleeping with before I even took her to my bed?”

Girlfriend. Huh. Well, that’s first.

“Steve Rogers.”

“Steve Rogers the actor?”

“Yes…”

He snickered. That drew a mystification out of you. “What’s so funny?”

“So you’re into the arsehole type.”

“…How do you know what kind of person he is?”

“The movie that we had a meeting about today? He’s going to star in it and I’ve met him a couple of times at some parties. Not the nicest guy, eh?”

“I don’t… I don’t know what to say.”

He sipped a bit of his coffee. “How did you get involved with a bloke like him?”

So you told him everything; the beginning of your friendship, the fallout, the moment he took your V-card in your dorm, and how years later, he still had you on a chokehold. He didn’t seem to mind one bit that the woman that he had been seeing had a history with someone. He’d dealt with much worse scenarios in his former dating lives. He wasn’t going to let other man’s neglected baby stand in the way of what could be something beautiful.

“I’m not walking away.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m staying. I like you and I know you feel the same way too. We are going to raise this baby together. No child deserves to grow up fatherless. I’m going to be its father.”  

“Adrian, but…”

“No buts, we’ll get through this together. Now, let’s enjoy these tasty drinks before they get cold, yeah?”

So you nodded, too dumbstruck by the man before you. You drank your hot chocolate that was cooling down and let his presence soothe you better than the sweet drink on your tongue.

-

Steve went back to New York after spending nearly four months in Atlanta, shooting his movie. Man, he’d lost count on how many extras he had fucked in his hotel room but nothing felt as good as your pussy. He thought about your last text before he blocked you. You had claimed that you were pregnant with his baby. You must’ve lost your mind to think that he’d buy that shit.

So he picked up his phone, unblocked your number and pressed the call button. Three dial tones and a familiar voice answered. “Hello?”

“Hey baby, meet me at my place tonight.”

“Who is this?”

“Hillarious, y/n. I’m too fucking tired for jokes okay? Come here and suck my cock then maybe I’ll listen to your jokes.”

“Is this Steve Rogers?”

“Fuck yeah, it’s me, y/n. Who else do you think I am?”

A pause jammed the line. “I’m done, Steve.”

“What? The fuck do you mean you’re done?”

“I sent you thousands of texts and calls five months ago and you couldn’t even lift your fingers to answer.”

“I was in the middle of shooting, y/n. You know better than to call me while I’m working.”

“Oh, screw you, Steve. I’m pregnant and you didn’t even care? How much of an asshole can you be?”

“You were actually serious about that?”

“Of course you think I was joking. But don’t worry, it’s none of your concern now. We’re done. Don’t call me anymore.”

“Wait, wait! Y/N!” you cut off the line. “Ah shit.”

He tried to call five more times and you neglected every single one of them. In fact, you instantly blocked his number after the last phone call with him. You didn’t want to be associated with him anymore. You thought that Steve had forgotten about you since he blocked your number first so you never had to do it yourself. But of course, an entitled scoundrel such as he is would never stop taking and taking until you had nothing more to give.

It took you years of anguish, an unforeseen mishap and a beautiful stranger that ended up being the stupendous love you’d been looking for to open your eyes to the rotten core of Steve Roger’s heart. He ever only lusted for your flesh, he never gave a shit about you as a person.

You lived for the hope of it all, you cancelled plans just in case he’d call, and you never once suspected the pitfall, but you were no longer that foolish girl anymore. You had met a real man now and he led you to the path of love and happiness and Steve was no longer the most intrinsic thing on your mind.

-

Steve was going apeshit. He had never been rejected or denied before, he always had it so effortlessly. Especially by you. He thought he’d always have you by the palm of his hand, he thought whenever he asked you to jump, you’d always say “how high?”, he thought whenever you’d think about walking near to the door, you’d always turn around with a few sensual touches and sugarcoated words, but the renunciation that came out of your mouth sting like a bitch and he didn’t like his ego being trampled over.

He went to sleep later that night, dreaming about caressing you and kissing you as a lover would. Never once did he ever have such a dream about anyone before. Maybe he belonged to you more than he had realized all this time.

-

It was his fourth time this week of standing on the street of your apartment building after you returned his plenteous gifts that you certainly never even asked for or needed. Why would you? You could easily buy that necklace jewellery, that overpriced velvet dress, and those designer shoes with your own money. And even if you couldn't, your boyfriend could easily afford all those things for you too. But that motherfucker used his money to buy you shoddy gifts such as poorly designed accessories and tacky books and yet you happily accepted them? What a closefisted fool.

But who are we kidding? The sole reason why you didn’t accept those gifts is that you no longer cared about him. Those inducements didn’t work on you anymore. You were much happier with a better man now. What do you have to lose?

Rather than dwelling in self-pity and resentment, he hid in Range Rover in a black baseball cap and Tom Ford shades from the paparazzi and waited. Waited for her to come out. He had been religiously stalking every social media you had from another private account to track your activities. The last photo you posted on your Instagram was a picture of you and the scary college roommate of yours that he’d forgotten the name of. It was last Saturday.

“Always a delight to catch up with this one. Love you @natasharomanoff.”

under 281 likes and 32 comments. He scrolled through every single one of them and searched for any clue that might indicate your next move. Found one.

Wandamaximoff: “Don’t forget about me!! :(” so they are still friends apparently.

Natasharomanoff: “Same time next week? 💕”

“Absolutely,” you replied to the red-head.

Gotcha. He’ll be there.

So here he was, waiting for you to come out of that building to grab an Uber because he knew you weren’t so into driving. Except for that late-night rendevous of course, because he told you once that he’d hate for a single soul to know there was something going on between you and him. You were a secret and he’d like to keep it that way. Sooner or later, people are gonna talk and headlines are going to break the internet.

Two minutes later, you stepped out wearing a beige coloured cable knit cardigan and a grey jersey maxi dress underneath with a necklace around your neck. He couldn’t see it from this distance but the item had made a few appearances in some of your recent Instagram posts, and he already knew that you wore it wherever you go. It was an initial necklace of the letter ‘A’ in silver.

He hated the arising thought but he couldn’t help but think how ethereal you looked in your casual, maternal clothes. Perhaps even more than when you wore those petite dresses that always made you look uncomfortable whenever you wore them. You walked with grace and there’s this elegance that you just exuded without trying too hard. You could be wearing the most boring clothes or doing the most mundane things like looking down at your phone to text your Uber driver and you’d still look enchanting.

Man, how could he had been so blind all this time?

It shredded his heart even worse knowing that the growing fetus in your belly was his, but when that baby borns, another man would hold it instead of him and the kid would grow to learn that another man was its father instead of him. That motherfucker. He didn’t have any right in raising that baby. You were bearing his child. Not Adrian’s. You belonged to him. You always did. Fate had interlaced your paths long before you were given birth to this world. No one knew you better than him and vice versa. Not even that former roommate of yours or Wanda. Only him. He had to have you back. Whatever it takes.

He was so inflamed with debt and feebleness of his childhood that he turned into someone he used to loathe when he was younger. He strayed so far away from the path that his mom had paved for him to walk in and he wasted the one good thing in his life that kept him going when he had nothing. But he couldn’t turn back now, couldn’t cross out the mistakes that he did. The best he could do is make use of what he is capable of now and utilize it cleverly.

A scheme was formed in his head… He’d have you back in no time. One way or another.

-

Months went by and his patience emaciated. He had it all drawn out in his head but he had to be very careful. If he rushed or stepped on the wrong stone, he’d end up being decapitated and his career would burn to ashes. Especially with how the paparazzi and the media were always busting up his ass, like hunters with foxes. He couldn’t have that. He had worked too hard to see it all crumble beneath his feet.

He rejected all film projects and public appearances offered by his agent slash good friend, Sam Wilson. Sam was getting a little frustrated by Steve for being unreasonable. He was his most ambitious client, never one to say no to a good script and occasions that could advance his career and generate more profit for both of them.

But after he returned from Atlanta for his last movie, he had been shutting most people out. Sam was always his most trusted confidant, he was his agent, after all, it was his responsibility to make sure the client that earned him the most income was well in health and aptitude. But he was scratching his head trying to get Steve to open up to him.

Sick of Steve’s shortcoming, he called Steve and told him to come to the office.

“Fuck off, Sam. Why can’t you just talk on the phone?”

“Get your ass down here or I will come to your house myself.”

He groaned and hauled himself to Sam’s office, not in the mood for Sam’s garrulous nagging.

-

Steve knocked on Sam’s door and he saw Sam sitting in his usual black and white attire in his ergonomic chair. He had a frown on his face instead of his usual conceited womanizer charm. “What’s with the long face?” Sam asked.

“Nothing. I’m just worn out.”

“Cut the bullshit. Last time you got your ass to work was six months ago. What the hell is happening with you?”

“I just haven’t found any good script that interests me, Sam. And I told you, I needed a short break. I’ve been travelling nonstop for the past few years to shoot films and press tours, and now I just need to hit the pause button.”

“The Steve Rogers I know isn’t one to rest. He was power-hungry and always craved for more. You also rejected an Oscar potential role. Something’s going on and it’s deeper than just needing a break. C’mon, talk to me man. As a friend, not as your agent. Let me help you.”

It took him a few seconds to brace himself. He didn’t need to tell him the entire truth, he just had to ask Sam fora favour and then the Steve Rogers that made him millions would come back. “You know anyone who’s good at editing photos?”

“…What?” Sam was perplexed.

“Just let me know, Sam. You got any connections to editing experts? Hook me up.”

“What is fueling this?” Sam was bewildered. He looked at Steve like he had just grown two heads out of nowhere.

“Just trust me on this one, alright? You link me to a good editor and business will back as usual.”

“I know a guy.”

-

Your bachelorette party was fun. You, Natasha, Wanda and a few of your fellow colleagues were invited to the tea party at the garden of The Berkeley in London, which is the hometown of your fiance. You loved London and you always had such a good time whenever you paid it a visit with Adrian.

Now that the weekend was over, it was time to pick up little Nathan from your parents’ house. A beautiful baby boy was born three months ago and he was your parents’ joy. You never told them that the real father was the scrawny kid who used to lounge around on their couch every Wednesday afternoon when there was nothing much to do. Your parents loved Adrian as their own and it was all that mattered.

This baby is going to grow up with so much love from his parents and grandparents. From your chosen family who will become his aunties and uncles. He is going to be raised right in gentleness, affection, and sincerity. And it would never matter how he was conceived into this world in the first place.

You refused to leave this baby for more than five minutes but Wanda and Nat kept insisting that you needed some time for your own. One bachelorette party wouldn’t hurt. It’s only one weekend. Besides, your grandparents were obsessed with baby Nathan and they were going to take such good care of him while you were away, celebrating your single life with your girlfriends before you spend the rest of it with someone.

Now you were back home, you couldn’t wait to see your baby. You had been thinking about him endlessly in London and you missed holding him close to your chest. So you put on your coat and took your keys to drive to your parents’ house but you were stopped by a text message before you could open the door of your car.

“Enjoyed your bachelorette party?” An unknown number wrote.

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Who the hell is this?” your thumb typed and pressed the send button.

“You know me. Better than anyone, just like I know you too better than your fiance.”

Your heartbeat quickened. “Stop texting or I will call the police.”

But before you could hit the send button, a picture of your face popped on the screen. But what disarrayed your mind wasn’t your face, it was the body. You were stark naked with your knees on a mattress and your ears teared up, and your lips were wrapped around a shaft.

What. The. Fuck?

“Got plenty more.” the unknown number threatened.

Another picture of you lying on the same bed, except this time you were on your back so your tits were clear cut visible and your mouth was parted slightly like you were moaning. A hand was wrapped around your throat and yours were pinned above your head by another one.

You were frozen in place and the warm autumn air descended into zero degree celsius. Your breath hitched and tears started brimming in your eyes. Who could have these pictures of you?

“I’ve got many more if you’re curious just how much of a slut you can be.”

“Stop. What do you want?” your fingers trembled.

“Meet me at the New York State Pavillon tonight, at 11 PM. Alone. Bring your baby. If you dare to report this to the cops, I will send these pictures to your fiance and post them on every existing site on the internet.”

The words didn’t leave any room for argument or further questions. So you drove to your parents’ house to pick up Nathan for the last time ever.

-

Adrian was working late tonight. He told you over the phone that a big project was in the work and so he and his team had to stay a little longer in the office to get it done as soon as possible. You were a bit relieved because that means, you could save yourself from whatever was bound to happen when you arrive at the abandoned historical world fair.

“Don’t forget to drink water. I love you.” You reminded him.

You wrapped Nathan in a blanket to keep him warm and you placed him in the infant car seat next to you. Your mind couldn’t stop flashing back to those pictures. Who could you possibly have done so wrong that they thought exaction would be the most fitting comeuppance. It took about 35 minutes via Grand Central Parkway which was the fastest route so you took it. Your mind also couldn’t stop asking questions, so many questions… But most importantly, who could this person be? Could it be… No, no way. You knew him. That was the last thing he’d ever do. Not because he wasn’t a nefarious person but because the world was constantly throwing themselves at him, offering him dollars and women.

He had too much in his plate to look over to yours and wanted to steal what was in it too. After months of not a single contact made, he must’ve had forgotten about you right? C’mon. This is ridiculous. But if it’s not him, then who could it be?

You arrived at Flushing Meadows a half-hour later and then you texted the number. “I’m here. What do you want?” you kept Nathan inside, fearing that whoever the culprit is might hurt him. So you stayed inside as consternation overcame you.

A few minutes later he answered, “step out the car and bring the baby.”

“Don't hurt my baby, please. Take me, but let him return safely to his father.”

“He will. Now, do as I say or I will publish these pictures.”

You trembled. You unlocked the door of your car and stepped out of it deliberately holding Nathan to your chest. You were careful to keep him from crying. The crisp air sent shivers down your spine. You closed the door and waited. Your eyes roved to all over the desolated site. Until it landed on those familiar blue eyes that held more ice than the air.

“…Steve?”

The man you used to know was different now. His face that used to be clean-shaven was now covered in a glorious beard that made him indistinguishable. His dusty blonde hair was slightly longer and he dressed in dark clothes that amplified the sinister atmosphere circling him.

You held Nathan closer to you with one hand behind his head, trying to keep him quiet. “Don’t be like that, let me see my son.”

“No. He’s not yours.” You spat.

He scoffed. “Say whatever you want, sweetheart but it’s my blood running in his little veins. In fact, I think we can take a DNA test and send it to your fiance, how about that? Also, how is Mr and Mrs. Y/L/N?”

“Leave my parents alone, Steve.”

“Are you going to cut that attitude of yours or do we have to do this the hard way? Either way, I don’t mind.”

“I’ll be good. Just please, don’t involve my parents.”

“Good, I know the good girl I knew is still somewhere inside you. Now, drop your phone to the ground and smash it.”

“…What? No! How am  I going to-”

He furrowed one eyebrow at you and you instantly understood the peril if you repudiated him once more.

You took out your phone from the pocket of your coat and dropped it to the ground. You stomped it with your foot until the screen was cracked, but Steve wasn’t satisfied enough with its damaged state so he stomped it harder than you did until it was smashed into two.

He led you to his Range Rover that he parked in an empty street and opened the backseat door and you slide into it with Nathan still tucked under your neck. Then he closed the door and walked to the driver’s seat and drove away to God knows where.

“Where are we going, Steve? Nathan needs to sleep. He can’t-”

“Quiet. He’ll be home soon.”

You didn’t dare to ask more questions. The vacancy in his eyes that were reflected on the rearview mirror was petrifying enough as it is. You sat and stared out the window and think about Adrian. Was he home yet? Did he try to call or text you? What would he do when he realizes you weren’t home? You couldn’t help but think that this morning was possibly the last time you’d ever see Adrian. God, you missed him already. You prayed to whatever God was listening that he would save you and your son soon.

Please Adrian, please do something. I love you.

The soft hum of the engine made your eyes feel droopy. You tried your best to stay awake but it was nearing midnight and the jet lag was still encompassing you so the fight in you to stay awake resolved. You gave in to the lethargy with Nathan dozing on your lap.

You were woken up by a shake on your shoulder and you found Steve standing on the open door. “Get up, we’re here.”

In your still languorous state, you got out of the car hugging Nathan close. “Where are?”

The sounds of crickets saturated the ambience as only the faint glow of the moon illuminated the trees around you. There was nobody around except you and Steve -and Nathan if a three months creature counts-. You put two and two together… Did Steve take you into the woods?

“Steve, what are we doing here?”

He didn’t meet your eye or answered you but instead, he walked toward what looked like a mid-century modern wooded oasis perched on a sloping site and set on stilts. The trees blended with the wood side exterior and wraparound decks. You had no idea whose house this belonged to but it was enchanting.

“Go ahead.”

You approached the resident that was incandescent with yellow lights, giving you a little peek to the furniture inside. You hoped whoever owned this property wasn’t sleeping yet, it was literally in the middle of the night, what the hell was Steve even doing taking you to a stranger’s house?

“Steve, I really don’t think this is a good idea…” as you stood freezing on the terrace. “Can we go back now? I really don’t want Adrian to worry.”

He fumbled with a key and unlocked the entrance. “Get in.”

Your eyes scanned the room to make sure there was no one around that might bust your ass tot he police for breaching before you stepped in. Your eyes peregrinated to every corner of the interior, relishing in the smell of oak and firewood.

He then took you for a quick tour to every section of the house without saying anything that would actually straighten your befuddlement. The decorations were full of vintage and antiques. “You like it?” Steve asked.

“I mean… it’s lovely for sure.”

“Good, then that means we won’t have to redecorate.”

“Wait, wait… What?”

“I bought this house for us, sweetheart. I knew you’d love the cozy design and it’s a perfect place for Nathan to grow up in.”

“Steve, what the hell are you talking about?”

“We’ll work things out. I’ll stay here with you for the rest of the weekend and I’ll only leave when I need to work. You won’t have to worry about anything else, I’ll take care of it.”

“God, you are crazier than I thought. I’m going home.”

He stopped you by blocking the entrance door and glared. “You’re not going anywhere, sweetheart.”

“Steve, get out of my way.”

“You are mine. That baby is my son, you hear me? This is where you belong.”

“I’m gonna call the cops.”

“With what? Your phone?” He derided. “You don’t even know where the hell we are.”

“Adrian’s gonna come looking for me.”

“No, he won’t. Because I’ve sent those pictures of you to him and to your boss, who is it? Tony Stark? And you don’t have any life to get back to. This is your life now.”

Your heart sunk. No, no, he can’t be. He promised he won’t if you did what he said, right?

“You’re lying…”

“I did. I sent it while you were snoozing in the car. Shit, I’d pay a million bucks to see the look on that asshole’s face when he realized just how much of a dirty slut his fiancee is… Well, ex-fiancee now.”

“Why would you- you promised you wouldn’t if I did what you asked me to.”

“Well, that agreement has changed,” he said it so nonchalantly as if he hadn’t just pulverized the life you had built for yourself, the happiness you had stacked on a shelf that took you years to collect; a great job, a loving boyfriend, an adorable baby.

You wanted to lash out, you wanted to smack him in the face but you were too wounded by what you just heard. If you returned to Adrian and your work tomorrow, would you still even have them? Would they even accept you at all? You knew better than trying to report a powerful man such as Steve Rogers to the cops, he could bribe them, he could get a qualified lawyer. He could also make you lose the battle you never wanted to be a part of even if you were the victim, he could easily paint you as the mentally unstable woman that wanted to blackmail him for money.

The media had never captured pictures of you sneaking out of Steve’s apartment. Steve never took you for a stroll in the park or Sunday brunch because that’s all you were; a secret. Steve never wanted to be seen with you and Steve never wanted to share you with the world for whatever reason. Steve didn’t mind being photographed by models and other film stars, but not you. And now, he wanted to keep you in this little vault or calaboose so that you’d never escape and the traces of your history would be erased forever from the world’s memory.

Because Steve Rogers was no longer the man you used to ride around the bicycle with during the summer or the scrawny romancer you used to know, but he was a selfish man, a man with enough ego and ego to completely metamorphosed himself into whatever he wanted to be, no matter how ruthless and perilous that person he is. And now here you were, a mere object for him to assert his powers on, and you knew it wasn’t because of his love for his son or for you, but simply because he always got his way. Always.

“Now you can stay here, accept your new life with me and raise Nathan together, or you can face the disgrace that your fiance and your boss see you as. You think he’s gonna let you come back to his house? You think your boss is gonna shrug it off and let you come back as if nothing happened? No. You’re dispensable, and one way or another, you’re gonna come back to me. Even if you don’t, I’ll find a way to make you.”

“Why me? You could have every other woman in the world… Why me, Steve?”

“Because you think that you can repudiate me… You can’t. You think you can take away control from me… You can’t,” he gritted. “Not a single person in the world can.”

The tears in your eyes fell the floor as your legs wobbled. “Now, let’s not keep our son awake any longer yeah? Put him to bed. And then… You can be the good housewife you were meant to be and perform your duties.”

So he led you to the nursery room and you put Nathan in the crib. You wanted to fight, you wanted to reach that door and run… Even if you don’t know where you were going, as long as you could escape from this maniac. But you knew better than running away to in the middle of nowhere at midnight, in the cold with your son. You also knew better than thinking that Steve wouldn’t do whatever he could to get you back under his feet… so what was the point in countering anymore? Men like Steve Rogers always wins.

After you put Nathan to sleep, he led you to the master bedroom and ordered you to strip. The routine revokes old memory. “Get on your knees,” he commanded as he sat on the edge of the bed, like a king waiting to be served.

You did as he says and stood between his spread legs. “Take off my pants.”

You unzipped it and pulled it down along with his briefs. “Good girl, now, open.”

You parted your lips, wide enough to fit him and circled your tongue around the tip. Just like you used to because he liked the buildup and you knew it better than anyone. He grabbed a fistful of your hair and tugged on it harshly then inched himself back deeper into your mouth. You hollowed your cheeks to accommodate his girth as he hit the back of your throat each time he went back in.

“Ah fuck, I’ve missed that sweet mouth of yours…” He picked up the pace and you looked up to him. His face contorted in pleasure while you were feeling anything but. You feel repulsed, you wanted to push him away but you couldn’t. He closed his eyes, relishing in the feel of your mouth around him and threw his head back.

He moaned as he controlled your movement faster, trying to get himself off. Your eyes teared up as you looked up at him, and his cock throbbed. He climaxed deep inside your mouth as he kept your head down so every drop that he had was spilled down your throat. He kept you there until he had no more to offer and then he pulled himself out. “Get on the bed, ass up, face down.”

You followed his command and waited until you could feel him kneeling behind you. “Just like old times, huh?” He chuckled. You could feel the tip of his cock nudging your clit and then he invaded your body through your entrance. “Shit, you’re still so fucking tight. Did that asshole ever fuck you at all?”

You didn’t answer but moaned instead as you could feel him stretching you like he used to. And no matter how many times he had fucked you, you never truly got used to it. Adrian’s face came in flashes; you recalled how he made love to you, how gentle he would be with you and how intimate your lovemaking session was, a stark contrast to how Steve would treat you. You also compared their sizes, Adrian was average compared to Steve. Whenever Steve entered you, it always felt like an intrusion, an unforeseen attack, rather than your fleshes weaving into one.

He retracted himself and then pushed back in brutally and you whined. He held onto your hips in a bruising grip, as he pounded into you because he was never one for a tender start; he only had wanted to get himself off and that was it. “Does he fuck you this good? Bet you think of my dick when he fucks you.”

Your body jolted every time he jerked himself forward and he groaned and grunted. He hammered into you relentlessly and incessantly, causing you to clench around him. The wetness made squelching noises as you could feel your impending orgasm approaching, forming a dam inside you that was ready to break any second now. He sped up and he screamed in pleasure as the coil inside you broke, you reached your peak at the same time and he buried himself deep inside you, spilling every drop that he had deep in your womb.

“Bet that British asshole doesn’t even make you cum, huh? And I know you always fake it to get him off you.” He sneered as he detached himself from you and got off the bed to clean himself off to the bathroom.

You laid there in the same position, feeling voidness creeping up your heart like you once were; unwanted and alone. Steve had stripped you of your pride, dignity and honour once and even after you managed to climb out of that pit, he found a way to drag you back down once more and locked you under.

And there was nothing else that you could do except accepting your fate as his perpetual prisoner, living under the corruption and unforgiving authority of Steve Rogers. You could only hope that once Nathan is grown enough, you could somehow sneak him out of this confinement to live a much better life and eschew himself from turning into the monster that his father is.

[evolsinner]

⊱┊22

i must've fallen asleep in the car because when i wake up, it's 3:00 am, and i'm in bed with a muscular arm wrapped over me. i smile, interlocking my fingers in the bruised hand at the end of it. the fingers gradually reciprocate and i'm at even more peace when i realise that isaac is also awake.

the room echoes with the soft sounds of an electric fan somewhere in the corner. there are blue led lights underneath the bed which lights the room up in a bluey lambent glow. i lift the covers off me, the heat wearing down on me like a hot summer's night.

"where're you going?" isaac questions groggily in his sexy tired voice.

the slightest movement and he thinks i'm in trouble. i imagine he's always gonna be half~awake considering everything i filled him in about. 'twas a lot, would explain why i fell asleep in the car right after.

"gee, relax, just tryna get comfortable."

he snuggles his head into the crook of my shoulder. "thought that psycho brother of yours, kayden, or whatever his name is was gonna steal you away from me again."

“new hotel?” i change the subject.

“yeah. figured a penthouse might expose us.”

"good call. hey...isaac?"

"hm?"

"can we have a black wedding?"

he chuckles, "sure."

"and rainbow bridesmaids and groomsmen?"

he laughs even harder, "i'd like to be in your head sometime, luv, as the stuff you say, brightens my day."

"well, don't get too excited because it's not all sunshine and lollipops."

"of course. anything else you want for the wedding?"

"can it be a destination wedding?"

"check."

"can we have ice cream cake?"

"yum, check."

"oh! oh! also, unicorns and pegasus' and alicorns and~"

"woah, woah, calm down, luv, that's a whole trip to wonderland."

i break into laughter.

he kisses my ear lobe, "missed you, my baby."

that tone in his voice makes me wet weak. it's my favourite one too. although, i guess if his voice affects me then i have always been fucked from the start. because, man, when he would yell in class, yeah, i would be butthurt, 'cept i would also be strangely turned on? like, the fuck was wrong with me?

"missed you too," i giggle as the nibbling travels down my ear to my neck.

"missed you a lot,” he seems to be getting at something...

"doubt it," i flip on my back.

he grins and kisses the tip of my nose. his nose kisses are by far the best. it gives me a sense of protection; humble protection at its finest. it's like springtime with yellow sunlight shining in through the drapes. a peck lands on my cheek and i crinkle my nose as i beam from its tenderness. next, a rare kiss lands on my eyelid when i blink. he’s showering me with kisses and i giggle at each random place he plants them on.

i've looked into hazel coloured orbs, and i was trapped in a painting of a forest fire. i've looked into crystal coloured orbs, and i've drowned in the deepest of oceans. and now these emerald coloured ones, i'm up there with the northern lights, lost in neverland and never do i ever wanna come back down.

i lift my head up and plant a kiss on his sugary sweet lips. an explosion of marshmallows dipped in cherry wine erupts in my mouth. i was craving his taste and this whole time i was taking the wrong doses of another.

he leans further over me and slowly slides his hands up and down my waist. the skin he leaves touched has a tingly sensation to it and goosebumps form all over me. just when i thought i've subdued the sensation, he runs his hand over the area again; there's no break for me.

his lips melt over mine like fairy floss liquefying in the stinging sun and now all i see is iridescent saliva coating his mouth. he deepens the kiss, his tongue fighting a war with mine like he's some warrior on a battlefield.

it makes me remember the first time we kissed and it wasn't even that long ago. please, god, take me back to the first time we kissed. and he does, he does take me back to the first time we kissed.

sir's hand rummages over the bedside table and some things fall down. i'm tryna keep him from ripping his lips off mine. he looks across for a few quick seconds, his hand running over random objects, then he gives up on his objective.

"god," he groans in frustration.

oh. "who cares? just pull out in time."

"luv," he raises his thick eyebrows, "don't think i could do that 'in time' on this particular occasion."

well, damn, he missed me more than i had expected.

"besides, pulling out isn't a safe form of protection," he adds.

"ugh, since when did you care about that?"

"since when i get you pregnant, i don't want it to be by accident. i want to make sure it's the best sex of your life."

i gulp.

"yes," he raises his eyebrows, amused at my shocked expression. "one of these days, i'm going to impregnate you. can't wait to see you grow big, snack on a bunch load of candy, and then have you pop out our precious little one."

i turn crimson.

"be right back," he smiles, sitting up on the bed. "i'll go check if i have some spare protection in my car," and retrieves his fallen phone.

"wait," i get up and lean onto his back. "i'm coming with."

"babe," he chuckles, "i chose the first floor for a reason. the car's right out there. i won't be long, i promise."

"please, i want to go with you," i plea like a little girl. "bad things happen every time you leave me alone."

"alright," he plants a firm kiss on my forehead, his palm resting at the nape of my neck. "let's go on an adventure to the car park, shall we?"

"race you!" i quickly jump off the bed and speed towards the door.

"hey!" he laughs out and chases me. "i wasn't ready, cheater!"

i run down the golden hallway and into the massive oval~shaped space of the reception area. the borders of the walls are painted gold and the walls themselves have a luxurious~looking pattern on it; too detailed to find out how it begins.

i pause, standing in my pyjama shorts with my eyes darting around to locate the exit.

"there!" one of the receptionists catches on and points to the revolver door right at the front.

my face lights up like the cheshire cat. the receptionist dude chuckles. he and his other three colleagues are really enjoying this little show in front of them. i mean, who wouldn't? two guests running around wildly, barefoot, in the middle of the night.

"catch me if you can, jay!" i sprint straight to the glass revolving door.

isaac reaches me a tad bit late and he just misses the slot i get into.

i stick my tongue out at him like 'ha~ha'.

he scoffs, "fuck you."

ah, yes, our 'fuck yous'. our forever and always.

i rush to the car, and once i reach it, i come to an abrupt halt.

a pair of keys jingle obnoxiously behind me.

"guess i've won, sweetheart."

i frown like a child whose third scoop of ice cream has gone crashing to the ground. "you're a cheater," i rebut, heading across to the passenger seat with my arms crossed. "plus, i meant who gets to the car first, not who gets inside."

"ah, rules, rules, rules," he mocks with a sly smile playing on his lips. "always new rules with you."

i purse my lips to stifle a grin.

he walks over to me and cages me but doesn't say anything.

"..isaac.." i break into a diffident smile, glancing away.

"what?" he chuckles.

"stop..doing that."

"'doing' what?"

"that..that eye thing."

"sweetheart, i have no idea what you're talking about."

i roll my eyes, blushing.

he continues to stare.

"see! you're doing it again!"

he laughs, leaning into me, "i can't help it, darlin’, you're just so beautiful."

"whatever," i get way too shy to make eye contact.

the bimmer beeps twice behind me.

i look at isaac with surprise.

"looks like you've won, daisy," and he opens the door for me.

i blush incredibly, chaotically even, and upon his request, i hop inside the car.

that's right, loser, i did win.

-ˋˏ ༻🥂༺ ˎˊ-

there was no, um, you know in the car, so now we’re on our way to the servo to get some.

"this is a nice song."

"you like it?" sir faces me. "it's by that french singer, ah, what's her name. right," he snaps his fingers, remembering, "'indila'."

"'une dernière danse'," i say. "what does it mean?"

he chuckles.

"what?" i beam timidly. "are you laughing at me?"

"no, it's just the way you pronounced it," he shakes his head. "it means 'one last dance', fyi."

"oh."

on the spur of the moment, isaac pulls up to the side of the road.

"what are you doing?" i query.

"an idea popped into my head," he announces. "get out of the car."

"what?"

"just do it."

i take my seatbelt off and exit the car. there, i stand in front of the windshield, freezing my ass off. it's dark as fuck, but the white headlights of the bmw give us plenty of vision. sir takes off his seatbelt and cranks the radio right up. he steps out of the car, leaves his door wide open and meets up with me.

"can you please tell me what's happening?!" i yell over the music.

"we're going to dance!" he places a hand on my waist and another on my shoulder.

"what?!" my eyes bulge out of their sockets. "in the middle of the road?! barefoot?!"

"yeah!"

"we're barely wearing any clothes!!"

"better this way!"

"what if a car comes?!"

"then we die!"

"i can't dance!"

"follow my lead!"

"sir~"

🎶je remue le ciel le jour, la nuit je danse avec le vent la pluie

the chorus hits once again, and simultaneously, isaac brings my waist closer to himself as he takes a full step back. i follow his lead, letting him guide me. backward, left side, forward, right side.

🎶et dans le bruit, je cours et j'ai peur est-ce mon tour? vient la douleur

"oops..!" i step on his foot by accident. "sorry..!"

"don't worry!" he chuckles, twirling me around. "you're doing amazing!"

he repeats the steps, nodding at me supportively. a few vehicles begin pulling up to watch us dance! the rest, however, honk impatiently, heading around to get past us.

🎶je remue le ciel le jour, la nuit je danse avec le vent la pluie

the steps are sped up and repeated one final time before everything slows down to a finale. confidently, isaac pauses and dips me. i stare at him in total awe. i think he's in love, like, really in love.

🎶et je m'envole, vole, vole, vole, vole, vole, vole

the few drunken humans gathered around us erupt with applause, whistling here and there.

"i love you," sir mouths, bringing me back up.

guys, i think he loves me.

[the-fiction-witch]

Yes My Queen P2

TV SHOW: WOLF HALL COUPLE: RAFE X READER RATING: SWEET

I Smiled as I sat in the drawing room and doing my knitting trying to ignore the other girls as they whispered among themselves doing their embroidery and knitting, I didn’t want to talk with them or to have their comments in my ears. I couldn’t help but glance up to the young lady, the one my husband coverts, the one he takes on scenic walks though the gardens and fucks in the king’s chamber late at night. She often gave me a side eye from the seat by the window, she sat sewing I never responded, almost ignoring her as I sat by the fire knitting. 

“My lady? What is it you are knitting?” she asks 

“I don’t quite know just yet. I shall knit until something comes to me” I answered faking a smile to her 

“That's lovely My lady, I would have thought by now the king may now have blessed you”

“No, shouldn’t be long now” I said back she nodded with a sly smirk, 

Oh darling go along, report back to my husband, go and have your fun with my husband. I hope you enjoy him, he’s twice your age and the gap shall only grow as he enters his silver years to come, enjoy his tiny prick. I’ll let you two have your fun, thinking you're hiding your times from me, I’ll just stay here on the throne, in this beautiful castle, while I enjoy the company of my own little plaything. Who adores me, cares for me, pitches me woo at all opportunities, who fucks my royal pussy like he was born to do so, three times the size of my husband and twice the stamina.

You go and enjoy my husband’s fat body sweating over you while he tries to find your pussy because he can’t get it up enough to slip inside.

I’ll just be in my chamber, having my third orgasum, with my sweethearts blonde head between my legs, taking the time to pleasure me and to care for me feeding me compliments at every moment, fighting off his desire towards me at times forcing his erection away from me so he doesn’t make a fool of himself or all over me again. 

“My lady a Letter from my Lord Cromwell's household” A messenger says handing me a scroll 

“Thank you” I nodded taking a look at the letter and the seal I knew who it was from and I didn’t want to open it here in front of the ladies of the court 

“What new’s my lady?” My handmaiden asked me 

“Business I’m sure” I smiled as I stood putting the scroll and my knitting in the pockets of my dress “Ladies, If you’ll excuse me” I bowed before I headed out of the drawing room. 

I hurried to the library, checking it was empty as usual, so I locked the door behind me, I made sure to note the seal and ties hadn’t been broken and it hadn’t been tampered with, I opened it breaking the sweet wax seal. 

I unrolled the letter seeing his beautiful handwriting and reading the sweet words as I sat by the fire.

“My Queen, it is with a grave hand I inform you of the business within the clergy and with the struggles to the south, I know how you like to keep informed on these matters. 

Enough with the petty excuses and covers. 

My Queen, words can not express the deepness of my desire to see your perfect face again. I would sell my soul to the devil himself to be with you, for just a moment just long enough to see your smile. I sit here now , my bedchamber, the household fast asleep, and I cannot help but think of you. Not a moment of my day goes by I do not think of you, but moments like this when I'm alone my mind floods of you. The sweet walks in the gardens with you beside the roses even if you always smelt sweeter and looked more beautiful, sitting on your bench hidden away from everything as if you and I where all that mattered in the world the sweet contours of your beautiful hands being call I am able to explore without risk of exposure and even then it makes my heart beat like a jack rabbit. The afternoons in your library, with the rain beating at the windows flames flickering our shadows dancing in the firelight sharing in stories from your books between the gentlest of kisses, feeling the softness of your lips, the warmth of your mouth, the sweet taste of you, I crave to be with you to hold you in my arms again, to whisper the sweetest nothing's in your ears, to be close enough I can feel your skin, I can kiss your lips, I can feel the heat of your body, the sweetness of your scent, the sugar of your taste. As I sit here writing this my lady, I shiver, I quake, I shudder with the meer thoughts of you. 

And I cannot even bare to begin the thoughts of you when I am alone in my bed. My bed feels so large without your body to share it, my arms so empty to be devoid of you, I cannot prevent the thoughts of you flooding my mind. 

Your delectable skin between the cotton covers, the feeling of moving my hands against your smooth skin, of kissing your skin gently, of hearing your gasps, of feeling those unforgettable bosom within my hands, of feeling your body against my own, of feeling my hands on your positiour, of hearing your gasps, of hearing your moans, of feeling my fingers… inside of you. Of feeling your lips connected with my own, of feeling your skin against me, of feeling your lips around my manhood, of feeling yourself around me, of our souls in the heated throws of ecstasy, fighting of our desire for each other for moments more, of the waves of pleasure only you can supply me with my queen. I fear that I have been forced in the morning light to pleasure thinking of my queen with me but my hands do not compare to yours. Often I have mornings whispering your name among my sheets and well, making a mess of myself. I cannot bare us to be parted by one single moment more my love, I beg of you the king is sending lord Cromwell and his son to france to discuss things with him, so the king and my Lord will be gone, I beg of you, visit me, here secretly. I promise my love I shall express in all that ways I can my love for you and how much I have missed you.``

I stopped putting my hand to my chest gasping at the intensity of the letter, I almost wanted to fan myself.

"Ohh Rafe, you do know how to make a lady feel desired" I smiled.

I smiled as I stood at the end of the bed tieing my corset, I glanced up seeing Rafe sat on the edge of the bed smiling at me as he watched me. "You look so perfect my queen,"

"Not as perfect as you my love" I smiled to him

"I am somewhat happy the king's eyes wonder, if they didn't I may never have gotten to touch the queen" he smiled standing and wrapped his arms around me 

"You wouldn't, sometimes I wish that I hadn't been married to the king, then I could marry you" 

"You… could always if you wanted to"

"What?"

"We could run away, elope together. Or you could let the king have his whore and we could be together" he smiled 

"We could, but I don't think it would be so easy" 

"Perhaps we should give him a reason" he smirked untieing my corset slowly pulling off my ties letting my corset fall 

"Like what?"

"Like… perhaps I should give the king exactly what he wants?"

"Oh? And that is master Sadler?"

"A pregnant wife" he smirked tugging my undergarments off me 

"That is what he wants, I'm not sure he'll like that another man put an heir in me"

"He'll accept it or he'll just have to let me have you won't he" he smirked caressing my skin 

"He will" I smiled tugging him to bed.

I sat smiling as I held my baby bump the king was thrilled but he still took time with his lady but I didn't care I spent time in my library, 

"Rafe stop it" I giggled petting his hair

"I'm sorry my love, I can't help it. Listening to him kick is so peaceful"

"I know" I smiled kissing his head “shouldn’t be long now,”

“I hope not. Y/n… what are we going to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t want the king raising our baby, it’s our child. What will we do?”

“If its a girl, He’ll throw me away he’ll want nothing to do with me, if he’s a boy then I don’t know” I explained “perhaps if its a boy we should run off”

“Perhaps? Just give the word and I’ll get it organized my darling” He smiled kissing my head “I shall obey my queen without question, the moment you ask it off me then I shall do it”

“Without question? Anything?” I giggled

“Anything you ask my love” he smiled cradling my stomach smiling even wider as the baby kicked “If my queen asked it off me, I would match myself to the gallows at her command, I would walk barefoot over a blazing fire, I would crawl from portsmouth to scotland if you asked it off me,” 

“I would not ask such things of you rafe, I only ask that you stay with me”

“Then I shall my lady” 

I smiled as I laid in my bed almost in tears holding my little baby boy, the women who helped me now all returned to the business, leaving me alone with my sweet boy as he cried. My door quickly opened revealing the king, Lord Cromwell, the chancellor and Rafe. He hid himself away trying to not look too excited while everyone else was here.

“Where is my son?” Henry smiled as he came to me seeing the baby “Good girl” He smiled kissing my head “he’s strong? And healthy?”

“Yes my king”

“Good,” “A Perfect chain of events my lord” The chancellor nodded

“The image of you my king” Lord cromwell nodded 

“He shall be named. Paul” 

“Perfect my lord”

“Excellent choice”

“Come! We must celebrate” He says pushing them all out the room to go and drink, I laughed playing with my little boys fingers, and a few moments later rafe creeped in and rushed to the bed 

“Hi”

“Hi” I giggled

“How are you?” he asks holding my hand 

“I’m alright” I smiled giving him a kiss “Look at our little boy”

“He’s perfect my darling,” He smiled giving his head a kiss “Paul?”

“No we are not keeping that”

“How about… Lucas?”

“I like Lucas,” I smiled “You want to hold him?”

“Of course I do” 

“Okay, gently” I smiled passing him over 

“He’s so perfect, you did brilliantly my love” He smiled kissing me gently “hi little guy, don’t you worry daddy’s going to take such good care of you” 

I sat on my little bench feeding little lucas, it starting to hurt a little where he was nursing so hard, I liked being in the garden it was a nice place to nurse as it took so long and often knowone wanted to see anyway, 

“Oww” I complained as Lucas sucked extremely hard “You know what lucas sometimes you are just like your father” I sighed “won’t let go of my breasts once given the opportunity of them, Umm yeah, I have to prize your daddy’s hands off me with a crowbar somedays” I giggled just then I heard something behind my little bench people were moving 

“Are we alone?”

“Of course, knowone comes out the the gardens”

“What is it? What is this news you bring?”

"The Prince Is not the King."

"what?”

"he can't be," 

"Henry's got nothing, Lady Of Norwich said so, he bedded her daughter and nothing,"

"Then the queen?"

"The queen has been bedding another"

"Who?"

"A maid heard it was one of Cromwell's boys"

"The prince is not a Tudor. He's a Sadler" 

"are you sure? it could be a Cromwell? it could have been his boy Gregory"

"He looks exactly like sadler"

"Do you think she knows?"

"Of course she does, she has to." 

“What proof other than his looks and hearsay have you got?”

“Many have seen Master sadler coming and going from her room,” 

“And… he’s confessed it, He has been bedding the queen and the young prince is fruit of him” 

I quickly pushed lucas way fixing my dress hurrying to my room where I saw the king beside the crib 

“I have heard rumours.”

“What rumours my king?”

“Rumours that you think me a fool!” He yelled “You will confess to me. And confess to me now. Have you bedded another?”

“....Yes” I admitted 

“Is the prince. My son?”

“... No”

“Then who is he!”

“Master Sadler”

“Who!”

“Master Rafe sadler.Ward and assistant to Lord Cromwell”

“Does cromwell know?”

“I do not know”

“How long has he bedded you?”

“For as long as you have bedded The lady of Estlen”

“I have-”

“Do not lie to me Henry. I know you have bedded her, and I know of the child she now carries from you, I know you seek to supplant me, to replace me with her. I did no more wrong than you, atleast I love him, I care for him, and him for me. This baby is a sadler. And I have no intention of giving him or my baby up”

“Then he goes to the gallows”

“I will not allow it”

“You may be the queen. But I am still your king! And if I say your toy boy goes to the gallows then he shall go!”

“Where is he”

“The tower. I knew you hid something from me, I knew he had something to do with it, he didn’t even take much to crack” he smirked “Come we shall see him” he smirked pushing me along to the courtyard of the castle where the gallows stood tall rope swinging in the wind crows cawing in the mist. The king took his throne and I stood beside him with my baby.

“What is it you hope to achieve?”

“To keep my bride in line”

“Why is it I must be kept in line for something you had already done”

“I didn’t have the seed of another settled”

“No you settled your own in an unwed woman, not your wife, not even your lady” I said “If we hadn’t of confessed you would never have known”

“I would” “Would you? You couldn’t tell until rumours came” “I knew something was wrong, That child looks nothing like me”

“He’s the spitting image. Of his father” I said “you don’t have to do this. I will go take my lover and leave your castle, you can have your lady and her child. I will not bother you again”

“It cannot be allowed, my wife bedded another, birthed a child of sin. Examples must be made” He says as he nodded to a man who brought out Rafe, shirtless, in chains, his ankles had been broken, his wrists bloody and bruised, I didn’t want to think of the horrors they would have done to him in the tower to make him talk. 

“Please! My lady! My queen! I beg of you!” He screamed before the guard slapped him to the ground 

“Let him hang” 

“No please” I begged as they dragged him to the gallows kicking and screaming 

“He must die”

"I'll grant you a divorce!" I said 

"what?"

"I will grant you a divorce. I will go. I will take my child. Please... just let him live"

"I will not have my name be made a mockery, I have heard the rumours, I have heard the whispers, my wife in bed with another man, Birthing his child, consorting in the dark castle corners. I will not have it be known across this land I let him live" he explained “string him up”

“NOOOOO PLEASE!” Rafe screamed as the guard forced him to his feet wrapping the noose around his neck 

"How are you any better than me, the women in dark corners, your own chamber to touch and bed these girls, I only did what you did." 

“He must die”

“I’ll grant you an annulment”

“What?”

“Freely, I will grant you annulment”

“Drop him!” He ordered

“NOO!” I screamed as the floor dropped, luckily it didn’t break his neck he was alive gasping for breath struggling against it kicking his legs in desperation

“I will grant you annulment, I will take my son, and my lover, I will go leave england, you will never hear from us again, I will never return, it will be as if I never existed, you can take the lady as you’re wife and she will have her child, tell the country I died with my child, tragically young from complications.”

“I’ll never hear from you again?”

“Never” “He won’t come back in another ten years looking for a home or money”

“No, I promise” “Cut him down!” He ordered and the guard cut the noose dropping him to the floor gasping and coughing 

“I give you all until sundown to leave my home. I see any of you again it’s the gallows for you all” he explained and I nodded “You may go to him”

I smiled and ran helping him up where I could 

“.... am I dead, my angel?”

“Not dead rafe your alive. We can go, come on let's get you cleaned up” I smiled 

I smiled as I finished up with the stew for dinner, the smell radiating through our little cottage I slipped off my gloves and headed outside leaning on the door looking out to the little island we lived on, we managed to find a little island with not a soul living here, it was only just away from sweden, we built a little cottage here and worked on making it a little farm for us, “Lucas!” I called 

“Coming mama!” He giggled as he ran in from the little rabbit hutch and run where his little rabbits are “what is it mama?”

“Dinner time sweetheart” I smiled “where’s your father?” 

“By the beach” He smiled 

“Come on kiddo, let's go find your daddy” I laughed so we headed down the little path towards the stone beach “Rafe” I giggled he quickly stood and came over

“Aww hello darling, Hey kiddo” he laughs picking lucas up 

“How’s your neck today?” I asked gently touching his scars from the rope 

“It would feel better if I got some little kisses” he suggested 

“You only have to ask my love” I smiled kissing him sweetly “Come along both of you boys, it’s dinner time” 

[avengerscompound]

Who You Are

Who You Are:  A BlackHill Fanfic

Buy me a ☕

Character Pairing:  Maria Hill x Natasha Romanoff x F!Reader (primarily focusing on Maria x Reader) Square: @ladiesofmarvelbingo​ - M2, Maria Hill

Word Count:  1057

Rating: M

Warnings:  Slight angst, sex talk

Synopsis:  You wake up to find Maria sitting on the edge of the bed.  The two of you talk about how she feels in the relationship.

Who You Are

You woke to the bed dipping and you opened your eyes just a crack.  It was early.  You couldn’t really tell how early but the only light in the room was coming through the window from the street lights outside.  Maria sat stretching on the side of the bed, her body in silhouette thanks to the dim light filtering in through the curtain.

There was a dull ache in your cunt and a sting in your ass cheeks thanks to the antics you shared with both Maria and Natasha last night.  The evidence of it still present in the room. The leather cuffs still hanging from the sideboard and the paddle and strap on harness strewn over the floor with everyone’s clothes.

Natasha still slept soundly beside you, lying flat on her stomach with her hand resting on your back.  You reached over and ran your hand down Maria’s spine. She turned her head, and while her face was in shadow, you could tell she was looking down at you.

“Are you leaving?”  You whispered.

She chuckled softly and ran a finger over your brow.  “No.  This is my place.”  She said.  “I was just feeling a little smothered.”

“Oh,” you said, quietly.  “Did you want me to go?”

She didn’t say anything for a moment.  She just sat then gently caressing your shoulder and staring at the window.  You started to get the feeling she was looking for a way to say that she did want you to leave but not be rude about it.  It wasn’t very Maria to be tactful though.  If she’d wanted you gone, she would have just said it.

She turned back to look at you and ran her hand down your arm.  “No.  We just haven’t done this before.”

“Yes, we have.  Lots of times.  I know all the safewords off by heart and everything.”  You said.

She chuckled and pinched your hip playfully.  “Not like that.  I mean sleeping over.  We don’t do that.”

You shifted a little, slipping out of the light hold Natasha had on you and sitting up.  Natasha murmured something and rolled closer to you both.  You reached behind you and rubbed her side in slow soothing circles until her breathing evened out again.

You moved your arm around Maria’s waist.  Her skin was cool compared to Natasha’s who was still partially draped in the blanket.  You teased your fingernails over her hip and up her side, making her squirm.

“No pressure, Hill,” you said.

“I know.  I know that at the very least, Nat is just like me too.  That’s maybe why we got to this point.  But I’m not used to people sleeping over.  Before this, I wasn’t even used to people coming back to my place.  Theirs so I could sneak out maybe.  Or just in the bathroom or a dark alley.  But this -”  She gave your thigh a squeeze.  “- it was safe.  Natasha doesn’t commit and there’s three of us and that’s not something most people commit to.  It was safe to bring you here because there would be no sleeping over.  You’d all go home and I’d get my bed to myself.”

“So you do want me to go?  I could wake Nat?”  You said.

She leaned her head on your shoulder and shook it side to side.  “No.  I don’t and I think that’s the problem.  Here I am, totally fine with the fact we’ll probably have breakfast together.  Maybe even looking forward to trying that slow sleepy sex everyone always talks about.   How far away am I from being okay with being barefoot and pregnant?”

“Maria!”  You said.   “You’re not going to change who you are.”

“But this isn’t who I am.  I’m already changing who I am.”  She groaned, sitting back up and running her hands through her hair.

You ran your fingers up her side and underneath her breast.  “You’re trying things with people you trust.  That doesn’t mean we’re getting married.  It doesn’t mean we’re even in a romantic relationship.  We just like each other and are spending time together doing things we enjoy.  And you do enjoy sex right?”

“Yes,” she grumbled.

“So that’s it.  Relax.  Don’t worry about the scary thought you might like something you never expected sometime in the future.  Just enjoy the things you like now.  It’s not going to change who you are.”  You said nuzzling at her shoulder.

She huffed and turned her head up, focussing on the streetlight outside.  It illuminated her face in a soft diffused light.  She looked scared, which was an expression you had never seen on Maria Hill’s face before.  It made her seem more vulnerable and fragile than you even knew she was capable of.

“Easier said than done.”  She said.

You let out a breath and caress her jaw, tilting her face to yours.  “I know,” you said gently.  “But if you don’t go back to sleep how are you going to have sleepy morning sex?”

She chuckled and nudged you, before leaning in and capturing your lips.  It was a soft and tender caress of her lips against yours.  A kiss unlike any she had ever given you.  Normally when you kissed it was searing and passionate.  Like she was trying to claim you.

She pulled back and leaned her forehead against yours, just for a moment.   “Okay, I guess that’s a fair point.”  She whispered.

The two of you lay back down again, squeezing in next to Natasha who was now sprawled out on the bed and taking up most of the space.  She spooned you from behind and pressed a kiss to your neck as you pulled the blankets up over you.

She teased her fingers over your breasts and flicked at your nipples.  You giggled quietly and wriggled back against her.  “Go to sleep, Hill.  If you wake up after me, I’ll wake you up by going down on you.”

She hummed and pressed her palm against your stomach.  “I have never had a good reason to sleep in before.”

“Well, the first step for sleeping in, is going to sleep.”  You said.

“Alright, alright,” she teased.  “I’m sleeping.”

You lay awake until you felt her breathing start to slow and then regulate. Before the first rays of sunlight began to peek up over the horizon, you were asleep too, cocooned in the arms of your lovers.

[uzumaki-rebellion]

“Wet Sugar” [Part 18 of 30]

Summary: Erik and Yani deal with more than their immediate problem...

"It's taken me a little while to come back I've been working on some thing good Oh, so every now and then I tend to fall back Oh Lord, I've been misunderstood

Till you came along and you saved me You saved me with that good love Oh yeah yeah You came along and you saved me You saved me, ooo, with that good love…"

Gary Clark Jr.—"You Saved Me"

Erik woke up sweating and clutching his side.

His dream-state brain was back in South Africa, running outside during the raid on Klaue's compound.

A police raid supported by what Erik was positive was U.S. C.I.A. and U.S. military Black Ops. Shit was too streamlined and overly professional. He had enough time to put on his merc fatigues and shirt, his weapon locked and loaded.

Linda was just as fast, already moving down the stairs searching for Klaue and an exit strategy with her weapon in hand. They moved in tandem sweeping room to room until they reached a side door that led to vehicles they could use to try and make an escape. Linda jumped into the driver's seat of a jeep as Erik covered her with his Glock.

Attacked from the side, Erik shot a man in the head while another slashed his abdomen with a long blade from behind.

"Killmonger!"

Linda gave warning before she backed into the blade wielder, snapping his legs to splinters as she rolled over him. Erik jumped in the open back holding his side and shooting into the chaotic night.

"There's Klaue!" she yelled.

They saw their boss lighting up men, weapons, and police vehicles with his sonic cannon.

Smoke bombs choked Erik's throat. Linda whipped the jeep in front of Klaue. He dived into the front passenger seat and kept firing his arm doing the most damage out of all of their men. A police vehicle slammed into their jeep and Erik tumbled out landing on his back.

An officer tried to threaten him with an automatic weapon to his head, but Erik's legs helicoptered in a spin too fast for the man to react, and Erik had his gun and his life in a matter of seconds. It was fortunate that the police and their minions had no reinforcement. The power of Klaue's arm had their enemy shook and it didn't take long to overpower the raiders.

Back to back, Erik and Linda kept Klaue covered with their weapons as he was able to enjoy the full power of the arm Erik fashioned for him.

So many bodies.

There was no time to stack the dead or even worry about sweeping the compound. Klaue's crew re-grouped in the house and dispersed once Klaue gave them directions. The compound had to be stripped and abandoned.

"Killmonger, how bad is it?" Linda asked.

He was bleeding through his shirt and when he lifted it, he was glad to see the wound wasn't deep and had clotted on its own. If Yani saw that, she would fret.

If Yani—

Eyes focused.

Our Lady's Manor.

He was in St. Thomas.

His wound still had reddish inflamed skin, but it was from the cut through his keloids. Reaching for Yani next to him he saw that she was gone.

Barefoot, Erik strolled through the house looking for her. He was surprised at how late it was. Already noon. He worked late trying to test and stabilize the vibranium he brought back from South Africa. The gun shipment was arriving that day and Erik needed to prepare for new mercs—and Huntsman—coming onto the property.

"Yani," he called out. She wasn't in Klaue's main house.

He walked out of the main house and followed the path to the middle house. They had packed up all of Yani's and Sydette's things to place into the caretaker apartment. Yani was acting moody, and he thought it was because of the new people coming for a few days. They were arriving early with the boat because of a hurricane forecast, and Erik needed the weapons asap. He was upset because Sydette would have to stay at Leona's or Yani's parents, and he wouldn't be able to see her until the men left. He wanted them gone before the storm passed through.

He saw her walking to the middle house with Sydette fussing with the baby while holding her hand. Sydette started crying and Yani picked her up, still fussing.

"You need to listen to me!"

Her voice was sharp and Sydette arched her back, her wailing voice a shrill piercing to Erik's ears.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Yani's eyes were red like she had been crying.

"Mama!"

Sydette was really falling out.

"Stop it!"

"Yani, chill—"

"I've been dealing with her like this all morning!"

Erik took Sydette from her arms and the baby bent her body, her tears and cries for Yani troubling.

"Today not a good day, Sweet Pea?"

He tried to smooth over the tension, but Sydette was not having it and Yani was done with the whole situation.

"You go be by yourself, I'll take her."

Yani's eyes looked hollow, but she cut her eyes at Sydette's wailing and stomped into the middle house.

Erik cradled Sydette's head.

"Hey now…shhh…it's okay. We all have bad days baby girl. Today is stressful for all of us…shhh…"

Sydette's little chest shuddered and her tears dried up and her high-pitched whining calmed down enough to allow Erik to take her into the middle house.

He walked around and bounced the baby in his arms, checked her pull-ups, and made her a juice bottle. A half-hour later, she was calm in his arms and nodded off.

Something was wrong.

Yani didn't come to check on Sydette at all.

In fact, she stayed out of the living room the entire time.

Erik took Sydette into the smaller bedroom of the house and laid her on the bed and under the covers. He stroked the baby's hair and checked the room for safety before searching for Yani.

She wasn't in any of the other bedrooms or the kitchen.

"Yani."

A bathroom door was closed. He heard movement inside it.

"You alright in there?"

She didn't answer.

"Aye Ma, what's going on? The baby is sleep. We can talk."

He pressed his forehead against the door and then moved his left ear next to it.

"Yani, open the door."

He heard a whimper and he was ready to break the door down.

"Baby…c'mon. Open up—"

Yani's face was wet with tears and her eyes were closed.

Erik's arms shot out to comfort her, but she stepped back and sat on the closed toilet seat.

"What is it?"

"Mi Sweet Pea…we been fussin' all day. She make mi so vex this mornin'—"

"Slow down. Slow down. I'm right here."

Erik knelt down in front of her. His eyes checked her over, looking for any sign of what was wrong with her. His eyes flicked up to the bathroom sink. A white plastic store bag sat on the counter.

"Being here, I've been able to rest…think. Get back to mi own self, y'know. Lemme do what is good for we, yeah?"

He nodded his head, still not understanding her pain.

Yani reached for the bag and opened it, pulling out a slender box. He saw what it was and his eyes closed.

"I'm two days late, Killmonger."

He touched the side of her face.

"Two days doesn't mean—"

"I can't do this."

"Baby, you've been on the pill. We've been stressed a little bit from the men coming through. Don't jump the gun—"

Her eyes burned into him.

They had made an agreement.

If she were pregnant, they would terminate. That was the plan. Period.

But…

Second thoughts.

"It's early—"

"This test is the most accurate. It can tell you within a couple of days—"

"Just wait a few more days and see if your period comes—"

"I don't want to wait!"

Her shriek was loud in the small bathroom. It shook him to his core and he sat back away from her.

"Take the test. I'll wait outside."

He stood up and she reached up for his hand. A fresh tear streaked down her face and her hand trembled in his.

"I'll be right out here," he said.

Leaving her alone, he exhaled and cursed himself. He allowed the thoughts of a baby to hang around him, and now this. She took her birth control every day on time at the exact time every single morning. He should've pulled out more. Used condoms maybe…

If she were pregnant…

He paced a bit until she opened the bathroom door.

"Have to wait ten minutes," she said.

Her face was puffy, eyes swollen, and lips dry.

"C'mere."

He held his hand out for her and she took it. He hugged her and she held onto him tight. He didn't know what to say to her. Nerves on high alert, Erik rocked her and kissed her forehead. They stood together longer than ten minutes, both scared to look he assumed.

Walking into the bathroom together he squeezed her hand and she lifted up the tester and held it for both of them to see.

Not pregnant.

He didn't know if her exhale was louder than his own. When their eyes connected together, her lids pressed out more tears.

"Told you. Just nerves, baby. Stress."

Her hip leaned against the sink as he kissed her.

"Chez got mi pregnant on purpose."

"What?"

Her eyes were sad dark pools when she gazed up at him. Her words flew fast.

"Mi nuh want, Sydette. Him tear condom to get mi with pickney so I won't leave him."

She pushed back from him and wiped her face. Her chest heaved a bit from crying.

"Mi wahn abortion—"

"Yani…don't—"

"Mi need yuh tuh hear mi now. Please."

Erik's stomach twisted up.

"Him promise money for mi not to have a baby. He lied. Made excuses until it too late. Him say he take care of mi and mi pickney. I believed him, Killmonger. Then him get she pregnant…that bitch. Mi give up University…family put me out. I took some herbs and try to abort on mi own—"

"Stop."

Erik grabbed her and pulled her in tight.

"I had her. Do mi best to make up for not wanting her at first. At the hospital, when dem nurse put she in mi arms…I was so happy I didn't…"

She looked down at the tester in her hand.

"I have to finish school. Have to get a good-paying job so I can take care of we. Another baby would kill me right now. It took me so long to get here, and if I had another one…you could be like him. Leave me all alone. Not because you want to but because of what you do with Klaue. And mi can't…mi can't…"

"We should go see a doctor and make sure that test is accurate," he said.

She nodded.

"I want you to finish school. I want you to be independent. Okay? I won't trick you."

"I know you won't.

In his gut he felt bad for wanting to get her pregnant on the beach. He never wanted her to fear that from him ever again. She was a wreck. To go through all that with Chez and Sydette.

His eyes snapped toward the glass patio doors leading to the pool. Three of the six dragonfly drones he used around the compound buzzed past heading down toward the main house.

"Security Alert! Boat Dock. Security Alert! Boat Dock!"

The men had arrived. Early.

"Listen to me. I need you to take Sydette and leave here until tomorrow afternoon. I will call you with the exact number of people who are here. If I don't think these men are trustworthy, I will let you know not to come back until they are gone. Can you do that?"

"Yeah."

"We're okay, baby. I promise. I'm sorry Chez put you through that with Sydette. You are a great mother."

She threw her arms around him and he hugged her with compassion.

"Go. I need to get my Glock and get these fools settled."

Worry creased her face.

"Be scared for them," he said.

She smiled. He pressed his warm lips into her cheek.

She wrapped the tester in the plastic bag and slipped into the side bedroom to retrieve Sydette. He waited for them both to come back out. Sydette was still asleep. Yani kissed her little girl and Erik touched the baby's hair.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

There was no time to properly comfort her. They split directions outside by the pool. Yani went up with the baby and he went down, passing Jerome perched in a tree fast asleep.

Once he had his Glock, Erik headed down to the private dock. His mind tried to put Yani in a safe place as he stalked down to the intruders of their paradise.

###

"Killmonger."

Huntsman stepped onto the dock as their boat captain tied the boat down. Gray clouds rolled in from a distance, but they were still five days out from the oncoming storm.

"They clean?" Erik asked.

Erik was not friendly at all. Strictly business.

"Like a baby's bottom."

"Y'all stay in the middle house."

"Have any good food ready for us?"

"Nah. Self-serve for today. Housekeeper not in until tomorrow afternoon."

"Hmmm. The young one, right? Yani?"

Erik's eyes narrowed.

"We'll take the load up now," Huntsman said.

Erik's drones scanned the men. There were five in total.

Erik led them to the gun range and watched them secure the weapons Klaue wanted him to convert inside a large locker shed.

As the new men ate sandwiches and drank beer from the middle house, Erik turned on all security systems and cameras and linked them to his cell and his bedroom. He only allowed access to the middle house and called Klaue to let him know the goods had arrived.

Klaue's eyes were bloodshot, not from drink, but from lack of sleep. He was still in South Africa.

"There's word coming out from Wakanda that King T'Chaka is going on a speaking tour next year. U.N. The World Peace Foundation. The summit in Switzerland early spring. Might be able to take advantage," Klaue said.

Erik clenched his teeth. He could taste the throne. But he needed Klaue on the continent. Easier to move a body that way.

"I'll have a prototype ready for you next month," Erik said, keeping focus on his work, trying his best to keep his brain on that and not worrying about Yani being in any shape to drive to Leona's.

"The storm is tracking fast. Will they be gone in time?" Klaue asked.

"Three days is enough time based on the weather reports here. They could always go to Puerto Rico for a pit stop."

"Get them rested and out."

"Understood."

"Talk soon."

Klaue flicked out on the viewscreen and Erik headed back up to the middle house.

"We'll get fuel for the boat in the morning. Can we get Yani to whip up some steaks and shrimp for dinner tomorrow?" Huntsman asked guzzling down a bottle of Rum leftover from his last visit. He shared it with a new merc, a Black man with tats and a scowl to match Erik's. He didn't like the idea of new blood being at the compound without him knowing anything about them.

"I'll see what she has planned."

"Just you two here?"

"She comes and goes."

"Neal, wait until you see this girl. She doesn't talk much, but a looker…you okay Killmonger? Need a drink?"

Erik's eyes looked Neal over before he glanced at Huntsman. The brotha was muscular, but lean. Burn marks covered part of his neck and chin.

"I'm good. Glad the package is delivered. Klaue knows what's up."

"Don't understand why Boss stays there when he has all of this," Huntsman said holding his hands out. They stood around the pool area and Erik was ready for them to go away.

Leaving the men, he texted Yani, and when he slipped into the main house, he secured the domain and called her direct.

"You make it okay?"

"Yeah. We're here. The men alright?"

"Yeah. How are you? For real, Yani. Don't bullshit me—"

"I'm fine. Promise."

"I miss you already. What you said earlier, about you and Sydette-"

"Hmmm."

"I'm glad you had her. I know it wasn't easy, baby…but, I'll make sure you two are fine—"

"I will make sure we are fine—"

"I can help you."

"I know you can."

"So let me…"

He could hear Sydette in the background.

"She wahn talk to you."

"Sweet Pea." "Baba!"

"She is always yelling when she gets on the phone," Yani said laughing.

"You being a good girl?

"Yes! Come here."

"I can't Sweet Pea. Baba has to deal with some stuff. I'll see you in three days, okay?"

"kay!"

"Can you give Baba a kiss?"

He heard the sound of her mouth trying to send him a kiss.

"Don't spit, love," Yani said.

The sound of Yani laughing made him feel better.

"Huntsman is asking for steak and shrimp tomorrow night."

"How many there?"

"Five."

"There's meat in the freezer. Ten steaks. Still good. You'll have to thaw them out tonight. Don't know about the shrimp. Be expensive at the last minute."

"Do whatever you want. They don't have to have shrimp. Call me tonight?"

"I will."

"I can't sleep without you."

"I know."

"Be scarce when you do come here. Got some hounds over here. Huntsman already has you on the brain."

She sucked her teeth.'

"That wasteman. Pervert."

"I'll keep him in check."

"Killmonger…."

"Yes?"

"I love my baby. I love her. I don't want you thinkin' bad of me for what I wanted to do when I was desperate back then. She ah blessing. I know this."

"I know where your heart is, Yani. It's all good, Baby."

"See you tomorrow."

"Don't forget to call me tonight. More likely I'll call you. Love you."

"Love you back."

She sounded good. He was able to relax a bit.

Music played from the middle house. Killmonger didn't want to interact with them. But he had to.

Cigar smoke, raucous laughter, and bawdy humor greeted Erik.

He hung out with them until a couple of them passed out on the patio and the others tumbled into the house to sleep off heavy drinking. Erik secured the compound and slipped out with the S.U.V.

He ran up the steps of Leona's apartment complex and knocked on the door. It was late.

"Killmonger…"

Yani was wrapped in a yellow robe, her hair covered in a blue satin durag.

He moved into the living room and saw the couch bed pulled out. Sydette was curled up under the covers.

"Yani."

He hugged her and sat down on the couch bed with her.

"I'm going back, but I need to—"

"Shh…"

She laid back on the couch bed and he curled around her. The movement woke Sydette up.

"Hey Sweet Pea."

His baby girl crawled over Yani and tucked herself on Erik's chest.

He had to accept some hard truths.

His life was different. Having Yani and Sydette was not easy, but he needed them more than they knew. He had been turning into a robotic killing machine…one with a purpose…but losing his humanity. He felt it. The coldness.

He pulled Yani closer to him. Sydette's heartbeat thumped on his chest. They were anchoring him. He gently rubbed Sydette's back and felt comfort with Yani's arm thrown across them both. He stayed awake long enough to listen to them breath easy in their sleep.

Baba is this how you felt with Mama and me?

The longer he stayed on the island, the more he thought of his parents and his past.

He was acting out his father's life with Yani. The thought humbled him. The secrecy. The limited time to be together. He didn't want to end up like his father.

The plot to go into Wakanda had consequences. The biggest was not succeeding. He was prepared to die and leave an impact when he was alone. But he wasn't alone now. He made the foolish decision to align himself with this young woman and her baby. Willingly took responsibility for them and their future.

He had no fear of his mission before coming to St. Thomas. Now he was very afraid. He had to survive. Had to make it out alive. The baby sleeping peacefully on his broad chest was his now. He was shaping her life along with Yani's. His justice claim was bigger than just for his mother and father. He wanted to turn the world on its head for Yani and Sydette too.

He loved them but was afraid that their love for him would weaken him. Would he second guess his moves while plotting against Klaue? Would worrying about them cloud his judgment? It already affected his behavior in South Africa during the raid. Instead of acting, he reacted to everything going on around him, his focus on just getting back to Yani instead of looking out for Klaue. That focus allowed an officer to cut him with a blade, allowed someone to sneak up on him when that would never have happened before. He would have to go back to killer mode if Wakanda was going to be his reality.

And a pregnancy scare?

She couldn't have another baby now, but he wanted to have one with her in the future.

Future.

He was a dispossessed Prince. About to snatch his birthright. Yani could be his Queen. Sydette his Princess.

Erik dozed off, but his cell vibrated. The sun was three hours from rising.

Slipping away from his woman and child, Erik drove himself back to the compound.

###

Pulling the steaks out from the front house standing freezer, Erik took a moment to set his energy. He didn't want these men here. But he was following Klaue's orders.

He found Huntsman and Neal awake and drinking coffee in the middle house kitchen.

"Storm is moving faster," Huntsman said.

"It will touch down sooner. Might have to stay here," Neal said.

"We'll see," Erik said taking a mug from the cupboard and pouring coffee for himself.

The men spent time poolside and playing pool in the middle house den. They ate sandwiches again for lunch until Yani showed up. She immediately prepped for dinner and he kept his feelings in check when he caught Neal checking her out as she checked for propane in the outdoor grill outside the front house kitchen.

"Any chance for shrimp?" Neal asked.

Erik stood outside the front house with two of the mercs. Yani rolled up the sleeves of her sweatshirt and walked around Neal as she grabbed cleaning supplies to wipe down the grill itself. She didn't make eye contact with the man, but he kept pressing her.

"Yani…that's your name right?"

She stopped and put a hand on her hip.

"No shrimp. I have to get this together so I can cook. Whatchu need, man?"

Her voice was curt and it reminded Erik of how she sounded with him when he first saw her. He smirked and kept his eye on the stranger.

"Just asking a question."

"Excuse me," Yani said walking back into the house.

Neal watched her, took a sip of the beer he was drinking and followed her. Erik zoned in after him.

Yani had the kitchen in prep mode, steaks marinating, potatoes grated to make potato and cheese fritters, with asparagus tips stacked on a tray.

"You have a nasty attitude," Neal said.

Yani stared at the man, as she washed her hands in the sink.

"Yo…bruh…I need you to stop bothering her while she's trying to work."

Erik moved in close to Neal. Yani stepped back behind him and grabbed a hand towel.

"She can't be pleasant to guests? She does work for us."

Erik grit his teeth.

"She's not here to entertain you. Let her cook."

Neal gave Erik a bit of reckless eyeballing. He looked over at Yani again.

"Be nicer. I know jobs are hard to come by on these little islands. Hate to see you mess up a good gig."

"Mr. Klaue is my boss. Not you," Yani said.

"Neal—"

Huntsman walked in. His eyes flickered over Yani and he waved for Neal to follow him out. The moment they were gone, Yani held onto the sink and took a deep breath. Erik reached out and touched her hand, but they kept the contact brief.

"Has he been coming at you like this a lot?"

"Just staring. Asking for shit…"

"Like?"

"Water. Soda. I keep away from the middle house, but he comes up here."

"I'll keep my eye on him."

"He has a bad vibe. Like Huntsman."

He wanted to hold her, but she went back to work and he left her alone.

"Youngblood."

Neal stood by the pool area with his cell out. Huntsman and the boat captain walked down toward the bottom of the pool patio steps to admire the view of plants and flowers framing a view of the sea.

"That you up there?" Neal asked.

Erik played dumb. He didn't like being called Youngblood. This dude was probably only a few years older than him.

"You know what I'm saying to you. You bust up in there like captain-save-a-hoe."

"Respect the staff, man. That's all.''

"I'm respecting it. But you know how these lil island freaks be. I'm trying not to be a line stepper, so that's why I'm asking. That bitch hefting around something I want to sample. S'why I'm asking. That you?"

One thing Erik was never able to do was hide emotion on his face. This nigga had his pressure up.

"Mmmhmmm,…yeah. You all over that. Shit must be real good since your face is about to crack."

"You talk too damn much. And assume a lot."

"How that ass feel-?"

"Watch your mouth, bruh—"

"She gonna like some new dick. I break bitch's backs—"

Erik's hands wrapped around Neal's throat and he threw the man off balance.

###

Yani heard the commotion down at the second house. It took her a moment to realize something was wrong because the men had been loud all afternoon and she was doing what Erik advised and stayed out of their way.

When she heard Huntsman shouting with rage, she left the grill and ran down to the noise.

Erik and the new guy Neal were trading punches, and the other men tried to separate them. The imbalance of men pulling Erik back made him fall and Neal leaped on him and battered Erik's face with his fists.

Yani wanted to run down and help Erik, but he told her to act like she didn't know him or like him the way she did when she first met him. She stood away from them with her fists balled up to her face.

When he was able to shake the other men from pulling on him, Erik's hands became like hooks and he ran them hard against Neal's chest and stomach. Neal grimaced and Erik gave a solid hit to his face with his elbow and the man staggered back grabbing onto his head.

BLAM!

They all jumped when Huntsman shot off a weapon above their heads.

"For fuck's sake…what are you two fighting about?" Huntsman yelled.

Wild-eyed, Neal wiped his bloody mouth with his hand.

"Youngblood is mad that I asked about him fucking the housekeeper."

Huntsman's eyes landed on Yani and she felt her face get hot. The other men stared at her too. Erik fixed his shirt and rubbed his face. There was no blood on him.

"The man is out of line and disrespecting Klaue's housekeeper. I'm not wit it. She works too hard to be harassed—"

"He's just pissing a circle around her. No big deal," Neal said.

"You are disrespectful," Yani said.

The men stared at her again. Erik gave her a look to be quiet, but she couldn't.

"Him pester mi, the second I get here—"

"No one is listening to you—"

"Everyone gwine hear me. You annoy the fuck out mi—"

"Go back up to the house, Yani. He won't bother you again," Erik said.

"Alla you stay out mi way. Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes. If yuh late I'm not heating nothin' up!"

She stomped back up to the kitchen of the first house and pulled on grilling gloves. She was still agitated when she put the first rack of steaks onto the grill. All would be medium-well. The moment the steaks were on, she went inside to fry up the fritters. It would only take a few minutes to cook the asparagus.

Being in the kitchen alone she found her groove and the repetition of frying and draining potatoes calmed her down. Neal was going to push Erik's buttons. She didn't think that would be the last fight between him and Erik. She had no idea how he figured out her and Erik's situation because she knew for sure she played her part with no slip-ups. He must've said something to Erik to set him off.

Yani moved back and forth from the kitchen to the grill. She saw the mercs heading up to the dining room and she quickly put the asparagus on after cleaning the grill from traces of steak meat. She was fast and had the food on the serving tables ready to go by the time Erik showed up. He sat at the head of the table and Neal sat at the far end.

The men ate in silence most of the time and every now and then they all looked outside and commented on the small gusts of wind that rattled the trees. Hurricane season was always touch and go, but the upcoming storm was shifting constantly. She texted Twyla to check on Sydette making sure to stand where Erik could see her in case anyone came into the kitchen for ice.

It was challenging having the men back. They changed the atmosphere of the compound instantly. Where she had once frolicked around the estate with her baby and walked nude when she felt like it for herself and her man, she now felt like she was in a prison. She couldn't smile, move around freely, and worse still, she couldn't touch Erik or be touched by him. She saw the irritation on his face all day as he had to interact with the mercs, and she wanted to rub his back for him. When she first arrived, she saw his face get tight because it was normally their time to cuddle on the couch and have him suck on her breasts while she stroked him to a pleasurable release in her hand. She did her best to wear the most boring work clothes, but Erik's eyes were still watching her with desire. Maybe Neal saw that and put two and two together.

Finished with their meal, Yani cleaned up the dining room. Halfway through her work, she went to the restroom, and right when she was done peeing, she felt a familiar rush of blood release from her.

Thank God.

There was no need for a doctor's appointment.

She stuffed toilet paper into her underwear and made a quick dash to the apartment under the house. She had tampons stashed there and cleaned herself up better. She took time to give prayerful thanks. Before she ran back up to finish cleaning, she wiped her face with a clean warm rag in the bathroom.

The men were back down at the pool drinking hard and playing rock and roll oldies and goodies. Erik was not with them.

Yani moved in stealth mode and used a seldom-used path to sneak down to Klaue's main house.

The retina scanner gave her instant access, and she found Erik staring at the living room viewscreen. A storm tracker channel was on.

"Did he hurt you?"

Yani ran her hands over his face and chest. He smiled at her and pulled her hands away. When his arms wrapped around her, she gave out a sigh of relief. Together alone at last.

"Why did you fight?"

"It was stupid on my part. You have to keep away from that creep. He wants to fuck you."

"He said that?"

"Nigga bold as fuck. He asked about you and figured out shit…and I reacted like a dummy."

"I can survive two more days…"

Her eyes held his.

"What?"

She held him tighter.

"My period finally came. Right after I cleaned up."

"Told you," he said.

Yani stared up into his eyes and saw something she didn't expect.

Sadness.

Wait.

Did he want her pregnant?

"Incoming message. Chambers, Linda."

"Go to the bedroom," he said, pushing her that way.

Yani backed away from him, then turned to make it into the room before he answered the call. She kept near the open bedroom door. Her eyes were just able to see the viewscreen from where she stood.

"Linda. Talk to me."

Erik's voice sounded worried.

Yani felt worried the moment she saw Linda's face filling up the entire viewscreen that covered a whole wall.

She was dressed like the mercs Yani had seen at the compound before, but her eyes, they didn't look at Erik like he was a fellow co-worker. She looked at him like she knew him in a biblical way.

"Boss man wanted me to check up on you all. We're watching the storm. Category 2 now heading past Barbados."

"We're good. Why you and not him?"

"Staying off radar. You know. Are the boys aggravating you yet?"

"Always. Tell Boss man all is well."

"Will do….but uh…you and I still need to have a little discussion about some things. We didn't get to work some stuff out in Joburg."

Yani leaned in as far as she could. She didn't like how easy going this woman was talking to Erik. And Erik, he sounded stilted in his speech, like he was trying to get her to shut up…

"Klaue needs you to check out some contacts. Sending you intel now."

"Later," Erik said.

He shut off the viewscreen.

"Yani. Come out here."

Yani stepped out of their bedroom and sauntered over to him.

"I know you heard her."

"You fucking her?"

She didn't mean to say that so abrupt. She wanted him to confess.

"I fucked her. But before you. Before us—"

"Please don't lie—"

"I'm not lying."

"What she mean 'bout you not finishing some stuff? You were with her when you were gone?"

"She was with me, and Huntsman, and Klaue…all of us. Together."

Her side hurt. Late cramps squeezed her.

She believed him.

"You finished with the Kitchen?"

"Yeah."

"Go on to Leona's and be with the baby. If I can get away from here I will."

"Okay."

He reached out for her and she stepped into his arms.

"Please don't fight. I don't care what that bum says about me."

"I'll keep my hands to myself."

"For serious, Killmonger. You don't know how you look when you fight. It's scary. My heart can't take it."

He kissed her lips before he released her and slapped her butt.

"Get out of here. See you in the morning."

Yani blew him a kiss and slipped out the front door.

"So, it's true."

Yani froze.

Huntsman stood at the bottom of the porch deck smoking a cigar. He blew smoke her way.

"You and Killmonger."

Yani ran past him.

Chapter 19 Here

###

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[thequeenoffools]

If I said parenting would be easy-  I lied (and I’m not sorry)

CHAPTER 1 (posted 3/3/20)

PG

There are a million things you worry about as a parent. Especially a parent to a young child. Especially a young mutant child.

Sure there are normal things like.. “what if they get hurt”, “What if they get sick” etc etc. Then there’s abnormal shit like “what if they get abducted by a government program”.

As a mutant- it happens more than you’d think it does. On that topic- you can trust me. I’ve had more than enough personal experience.

Thing is- I don’t want to see that happen as a parent. No parent of a mutant does. Especially if that parent spends their life working for ‘the cause’ and ‘saving the world’. Codewords for putting on spandex, fighting the military/police/government, and other people in spandex.

It’s a pretty cool gig. Let’s you meet all kinds of people. Then... well... shit settles down. Shit settles and you start worrying about munchkins. Which on its own is scary as hell.

Parenting? It’s terrifying. See everything’s good when you’re getting married. She loves you-you love her. It’s good. It’s great.

...Until around year two of marriage. That’s when the ‘b’ word comes up.

Maybe she talked to her friends. Maybe she saw a diaper commercial. Who the fuck knows?

Any way you slice it- the idea is now in her head.

And when the ‘baby’ idea gets in a woman’s head? Fuck is she determined. So, she waits. And waits. And waits.

And then she pounces.

“Darling... Kurt and Wanda are having a baby.” She says, looking all sexy- in her underwear at that. That’s entrapment right there.

But that’s old news. Kurt’s my best friend. I’ve known he and Wanda were trying for about a year now. We were all overjoyed when he announced that they conceived.

“Wouldn’t it be lovely if little Tj had a friend to play with?” Yup. That’s how it went.

The “Tj needed a friend’ excuse held up well with Mrs. Wagner. Who in turn told her husband to convince me.

He talked to me- which was really us sitting around with a beer in mostly silence.

Fun night.

She waited until after I ‘talked’ with him. Asked if I changed my mind.

Nope. Told her I shouldn’t be reproducing.

She did some stuff that night that kinda... swayed me. And then... then came the alcohol.

I was drinking- she was drinking- I got sentimental. Drunk Logan thought a baby was a great idea! Drunk Itsu did not help him come to reason. So, the pair of drunks went at it.

Cue the next morning. She’s hungover. I’m fine. We talk it out in greater detail. Then- Kurt and Wanda start doing baby things.

Itsu is so excited. She helps with the nursery, she helps to buy the clothes, she plans the baby shower.

She wants a baby, so, so, so badly.

Thing is- I saw how happy my friends were. I saw how much want she had for a little boy or girl for us to raise. I still had my reservations... but ya know the saying ‘happy wife happy life’?

Itsu really, really, really wanted a baby. For months she told me she wanted a baby. It’s not like we didn’t have the cash. Being a superhero is slightly lucrative. Plus, as a teacher- even if she just works at the institute- she makes a good little bit of coin herself. Wanda gets very, very, pregnant. Like huge. Seven months pregnant to be exact. Itsu was so, so, so excited for them. In that time frame- Scott and Jeanie announced that THEY were having a baby. That?

That was my wife’s final straw. Itsu’s eyes were daring me to say ‘no’. So I didn’t.

I caved. “Alright dear, let’s make a baby.” Were my exact words.

I figured Kurt and Wanda had been trying for about a year... and god knows his line produces a hell of a lot of babies- it would take a while for Itsu to actually get pregnant. A year or two? Time for us to really adjust to the idea.

I’d come to her way of thinking. A little baby would be fun... especially if it was with her. I couldn’t think of a woman I wanted to have a kid with more than Itsu. A little boy or girl to teach. To love. A piece of me and her. It’s not a bad idea.

It’s not like anyone could say we were rushing things- either. So, we started trying.

Itsu did everything she was supposed to do to ensure fertility.

It was a lot of work on her part. In the meantime- I got to enjoy making a baby. It was great. Sex four or five times a day. She’s turned on more, she’s receptive, she’s having fun- it was great.

Two months in- lo and behold she’s pregnant.

I freaked out a little. To be honest- so did she.

We wanted a baby- yea. But we didn’t expect it to happen so fast. We sat at the doctor’s office in shock.

Then we snapped out of it. We celebrated with all of our friends and family members.

Then- it started.

The pregnancy crazy- is what Scott called it. Slim said all women got that way. And that I was lucky my pregnant wife couldn’t read my mind and get pissed about shit I hadn’t even said.

Think he was talking about his own experience there. The pregnancy crazy is a unique thing.

You want to prevent it- but she’s so fucking cute when she’s pregnant, barefooted, and yelling over something stupid. It usually went like this.

3 AM - “Logan I want French fries”

French fries? At 3 AM? I was well stocked. But NOOOOO- they had to be from McDonald’s. That’s the craving part.

She won’t sleep until she gets her fries.

McDonald’s is pretty much open 24/7. It wouldn’t have been a big deal- except it was three in the fucking morning and I’d just got back from a mission in Romania.

But she and our boy- we’d recently found out what the baby was- wanted French fries. So I get my ass in the car, get her fries, come home.

“This is good but it would be better with a frosty.” She said.

Guess what’s closed at 3 AM? Wendy’s. Guess where the only place in the WORLD is that sells frosty’s? Wendy’s.

I improvised. Woke Ice Cube up- had him make her something. He was like seventeen at the time. Couldn’t get a girlfriend to save his life. Couldn’t understand the unique brand of crazy they hold.

Three years later- we kinda figured out why that was. Really shoulda seen that one coming. The ice cream wasn’t as good as a frosty- but it went over okay. Way better than expected.

The pregnancy progresses. Baby boy is taking up so much space. They’re saying this is easily a ten-pound baby. Which started to make Itsu a little nervous- if we’re being honest. Wanda and Jean assured her that the labor was painful- but she would get killer drugs.

We’re near the end and the crazy was upped about five notches. I’m talking maximum hormone endured crazy. I make one little comment about how big she’s gotten- bam. Hit in the face with a flip-flop. Repeatedly.

I got in trouble for saying I made a baby. Told that I did not ‘make a baby’ I made half of a baby. She was doing all the work.

Guess I couldn’t argue with that.

She always apologized after. My sweet wife wasn’t capable of holding a real grudge.

The delivery day gets here- baby’s fine. Mommy’s fine.

We look at our tiny bundle of joy with a sense of awe..and fear.

Little Akihiro came into the world screaming.

Four years now and he hasn’t stopped.

We’re raising him as best as we can- given the circumstances. Kid’s got a personality a mile wide.

He hangs out with Tj- his buddy in crime. A lot like her daddy is for me.

Kurt joked around and said something about marriage. Wanda hit him upside the head and told him not to put that on kids.

IF our lines ever do mix- it’ll be those two. We had to learn A LOT about things we couldn’t begin to understand.

I now know that you can’t leave a wet diaper on a kid, potty training a boy is really hard, and as a parent, you will never eat anything that isn’t from a happy meal or chicken in the shape of something else. (Aki seems to prefer dinosaurs. Don’t know what the difference is- but fuck will he let you know it’s not the same)

In our four years of parenting, I got another kid. A clone. Itsu loved her instantly. There was no way she was going anywhere but with us.

They were going to destroy her. We... couldn’t let them. She was a little one-year-old. The shit they’d already done was horrific. I wasn’t going to tell Itsu until I made up my mind- but Fury (who I think was kinda rooting for the

kid) ‘accidentally’ sent my wife a picture. She was instantly in love.

She said that we had the money, we had the room, and we had enough space in our lives for a poor little girl. So I went to visit where they had the kid- and she was so vibrant. Even after all they put her through. Even at such a young age.

She came home with us that day.

Itsu didn’t even wait for the ink on the adoption papers to dry before picking her up and toting her off to her new life. She’s five now. Laura- our little Laura. Love her to death. She’s a little trooper.

She doesn’t remember much of what happened to her. Thank god.

She just knows that her daddy took her away from somewhere bad and gave her a mommy and a brother.

I didn’t explain it that way- those are Itsu’s words.

Laura and Akihiro are one year apart. And because she’s a clone- there’s no way of denying she’s part of my family. She looks a lot like me. Which makes Itsu love her even more. Even if she had another mother.

Itsu was just made for shit like that. At the same time during those precious few years- Jeanie got pregnant again, Rogue got pregnant (god we don’t know how that happened), and Wanda got pregnant but lost the baby.

Babies are literally everywhere. The x-men are family orientated more than ever.

Fuck even Bobby was talking about adopting with his “Boyfriend”- code word for ‘fiancée’ that ‘no one’ knows about.

Most of us ‘x-parents’ were going through the same shit.

And by shit, I mean ‘x-women getting pregnant’. These women are naturally strong and trained in like fifty million types of hand to hand combat. Try telling a pregnant Rogue that she can’t have the last of the ice cream. Or a pregnant Jean that she can’t take up the bathroom for five hours. You know what you get? Punched. You get punched.

Ororo moved away to Wakanda. T’challa was ‘smitten’ as soon as he laid eyes on her. Think they’re having a kid- now that I think about it.

And I think.. it was a girl. Yea. It’s a girl. We’ve got a trip planned to go see her when the baby gets here. So how do you balance raising a kid and saving the world?

It helps that Itsu is amazing. Truly amazing. She takes care of the home front when I can’t. It’s a lot to put on her... but she handles it well.

She doesn’t get to leave the house much.

And until the kids are in school- she really won’t get to have much of a job. That’s her decision- not mine. I let her do what she thought would be right for her. Her not getting out of the house is a shame though. I love it when we go out

In fact, it’s what lead me to take her to a Gala with me tonight. A night out for her away from the munchkins.

I hate going to these things but Chuck insists that at least one team be there. I drew the short straw.

Some fancy event with everyone dressed up in some stuffy opera house like thing watching a boring play and seeing some shitty art.

Bores the hell out of me. Not as much as the talking afterward, though.

Putting a face on the leading mutant team. Giving the people something they can positively relate to. (Chuck’s words)

Remy and Rogue are here somewhere. I don’t know where.

Knowing them? A night out without their little one? They have a two-year-old. You can bet they’ve snuck away to some random corner of the place to have at it. I offered the same to Itsu. She just raised her eyebrow and smiled.

I don’t think it was a ‘no’ necessarily. But... we’ll have to see. We were talking to this random guy- more her doing the talking than I was. I didn’t know who he was. He commented on how lovely my wife was. I thanked him, she smiled, we did what we were supposed to do. By all intents and purposes, I was on my best behavior.

Even when I saw Remy sneaking off to the parking lot with his very intoxicated wife. I wanted to join but noooo. I stayed. God knows someone had to.

Random guy struck up a conversation with her- asked if she had any kids.

I guess that’s a normal thing to ask a woman in her early thirties. I don’t know. It’s not like you can tell she’s had kids. She’s as fit as ever.

Itsu is so proud of our kids. She told him, quite happily, that we had two. Two amazing little miracles.

The man was all smiles. Said he’d recently become a grandfather and that there was no gift greater than children.

He obviously didn’t see when my ‘gift’ threw my phone in the toilet this morning and ran off giggling.

Whatever. Chuck wheels over and greets the man. Turns out he’s some kind of Prime Minister. Go figure. He’s looking at investing funding in the school- big deal. He asks if he can meet with Itsu and me over dinner to discuss it.

We were happy- we sealed the deal. It was as good as done. We of course agreed. However, as we’re parting, he says “And bring the little ones.” We had a shared moment of sheer panic.

Our kids?

Not well behaved.

Not even decently behaved.

Nowhere near Prime Minister level.

But he’d already walked away.

I turned to Itsu and said we could tell him they were both sick.

She agreed.

Chuck- on the other hand- said we had to bring the kids. The only reason the man was really interested was that we were a family. He liked that. We needed the ‘miracles’.

Fuck.

The dinner is set for two days from now.

And we are royally fucked.

“We’ll bribe them,” Itsu says, gripping my arm as we walk down the many, many concrete steps in front of the building. (Which is some ugly color of red that I can’t begin to identify.)

She’s dressed beautifully in a black silk gown that has a slit up the side that nearly reaches her hip. Strapless, low cut- all of my favorite things. Her hairs pinned up high on her head- which is amazing considering how long it is. At night I like to run my fingers through it. She usually lets Laura brush it before bed- god only knows why- but it’s one of the girl’s favorite things to do.

“Yea?” I pat her hand on my arm. “With what?” I made it a point to not dress as fancy as she did.

One- because I hate these things, and two- because Slim told me to so I have to do the opposite of what he told me.

They’re just lucky I’m not wearing jeans. “Anything.” She says. “Anything their hearts desire.” Her voice is calm and soothing. She’s got a plan. I know that sound anywhere.

“Pretty sure that’s world domination- babe,” I smirk. “Or candy. Who knows with those two?” Itsu sighs and closes her eyes.

“I can’t imagine Aki as a dictator.” She says, carefully reaching the last step. She didn't wear her heels tonight because it makes her a lot taller than me. I didn't mind but... she did. Whatever.

They're her feet. “He’s got too short of an attention span and too much love for his mommy.” I have to chuckle. “Laura could do it,” I say. Itsu nods. “Laura could do it.” Our girl could definitely be running shit some day.

Not that Aki couldn’t... but she likes she said- the boy’s got a very, very, VERY short attention span. I think he’d find it kinda boring. We walk back to our car, stewing on what we’re going to do.

The car is not what we started off with. It's more 'sensible'. Meaning 'boring and slow'. A journey? Who wants to drive a journey?

“We’ll make a list of acceptable things.” She says finally, buckling her seatbelt in our Dodge. She immediately kicks off her flats and pulls her feet under her in the seat. She can only be fancy for so long. I love that about her. “And they’ll follow the list.”

Yea.. that'll happen.

“Aki can’t follow simple directions.” I laugh, pulling out of the crowded parking lot. “How’s he going to follow a list?”

“We’ll bribe him.” She repeats. "There's got to be something he'll behave for."

I laugh again. "Let's see... toys? No. Candy? Not really. We have some luck with pancakes- but he won't eat them that late in the day...."

"We'll find something." She assures. "We have to start with him. Laura will follow suit."

“Hmm.... he’ll be easier than Laura,” I say in thought.

“Laura can be bribed with enough money,” Itsu says.

It’s true. Our girl has a thing for cash. She never uses it on anything- just hoards it. Like a tiny ferocious little dragon.

“So... bribing the kids,” I say. “That’s our plan?” “That’s our plan.” She nods. “No way that can backfire.” I laugh, taking her hand and holding it while I pull out into the road. “Have some faith.” She smiles radiantly. “The kids might surprise you.” I hope so. I doubt it- but I hope so. “You ever thought of making another?” I ask. “Getting a redo?” She shakes her head. “15 hours of labor with Aki. And I’ve still got stretch marks.”

“Barely.” I snort. She glares at me.

“Bribe the children.” She says, still glaring. “We get through an hour-long dinner, say we have to put them to bed, secure funding for the school and call it a night.”

I nod. “Sounds good, babe.”

She returns my nod. “God,” she says. “I won’t be sleeping tonight. I'm so nervous.”

“That makes two of us.” I joke.

She smirks. “Whatever will we do with all this alone adult time?”

I kiss her hand. “I can think of a few things.”

She can bet after all this kid talk we’ll be using a rubber. One Aki is more than enough. Add in one Laura to the mix and well.... it gets a little messy.

Wouldn’t trade it for the world, though. My life was pretty shitty before they came along. I wouldn’t go back if you paid me. That doesn’t mean the dinner’s not going to suck- it is. But... we’ll figure something out. We always do.

[peggysousfan]

The Affair (Warning!! Smut assured)

Hey guys! So this is a fic requested by @peggysousoversteggy. It does contain violence, slander, and smut. It is extremely ANTI-Steve Rogers and ANTI-Steggy. So if you support either one, do NOT read this. However, it is Pro- Peggysous!It is super long so I will separate it into sections. this is section 1, So enjoy!! :)

Year 1957:

Peggy Carter-Rogers makes her way through her kitchen and tries to make her son, Grant, a plate of breakfast. Her husband, Steve Rogers, has already left for work. Both Peggy and Steve work with the SSR, but Steve does more commercial work with the government.

"Alright, Grant, here you go." She places the plate in front of her son.

"Ew, this is gross! Mom you're a woman, shouldn't you cook better than this?"

"Grant Stephen Rogers! You don't say things like that! Not all woman has the gift of being talented in the kitchen. Now you eat what I gave you or you go to school without. Now choose." Peggy says, frustrated.

"Whatever." He gets down from his chair and leaves. 'How this child can be so ungrateful and sexist at his age is beyond me' She thinks. 'Then again, that's how Steve is. Like Father like son I suppose.' Peggy grabs her folders and heads to the SSR office.

"Hey there she is! I was just talking about you." Steve comes up to Peggy and grabs her ass and tries to kiss her lips. She shoves him back and steps on his toes.

"Don't ever do that again" She storms off to her desk and gets to work.

"You let your wife talk to you like that, Rogers? If she were mine, I'd show her who the real boss is." Agent Caldwell says as he makes an explicit gesture.

"No, its okay. She already knows who's in charge in our marriage, especially in the bed." He laughs with the other Agents and walks to his office. Peggy roles her eyes and continues to look at her paper.

An hour later, after her bathroom break, she notices a slip of paper on her desk. looking around for any sign of the writer, and seeing none, she looks down and reads the note. Meet my in the file room at lunch -DS. It takes all of her strength not to smile like a little schoolgirl. Daniel Sousa, one of her colleagues and her best friend, has seen the way Steve Rogers treats her, and he's tried to speak up, but he's always put down. Everyone at the office looks down on him because of his disability, but to Peggy its not that; to her it's a symbol of bravery, hard work, and sacrifice. He smiled the brightest smile that day when she told him. Now they're meeting in the filing room again, the only place they can have a conversation in peace.

"Hey." He says as he looks up from a file.

"Hello." She replies. He sets down the file and opens her arms. She laughs and throws her arms around him. "Thank you" She buries her head in his neck and he holds her for a few more seconds.

"What are friends for?" She laughs and shoves him lightly. For years Daniel has been her shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen to as she's spent her entire married life in hell.

"What's this for?" He explains the case Agent Thompson and Rogers had been appointed too, and that they both were leaving town for a couple of weeks. "He didn't tell me..."

"Tell you what? That he was leaving?" She nods her head and looks at the ground.

"Peg, are you okay?" Before she can say anything, Steve walks down the stairs.

"Am I interrupting something?" He crosses his arms and puffs his chest defensively. Peggy rolls her eyes and walks away. Steve grabs her arm and stops her. "I asked a question, Peg. You're just gonna ignore me? Seriously?" Peggy yanks her arm away and stands straight.

"I was filing away reports. You know, my job? Or do I no longer work here?" She stomps away and goes back to her desk. Steve follows her.

"What's your problem?"

"I don't have one. I'm simply doing what I need to do. I have a job and income; I'm not just going to sit around and do nothing." He shakes his head.

"I'm leaving for Washington in an hour. I won't be back for a while. Make sure you take care of my son."

"I already do that, remember?" Steve glances at her and starts to walk away. "Did you at least have a talk with YOUR son yet?

"Talk? About what?

"Were you not listening when I said he was sent home for harassing a little girl in class last week? He shoved mud down her dress and grabbed her arm when she tried to walk away."

"Boys will be boys, Peggy. They play in mud and with girls. Nothing more I can tell you." And with that he leaves for the airport. She groans and mumbles under her breath. 'This day cannot get any worse'. For hours she works through the SSR like any other day. Grabbing coffee refills, lunch orders, filing reports, and codebreaking. When its time to clock out she smiles and says goodbye to Daniel, and heads home.

"Took you long enough. I'm hungry mom." Peggy grumbles.

"Want to try that again, young man?"

"Make me some food? What else am I supposed to say?"

"How about, 'Mum, could you please make some dinner?' You know, have manners."

"Why should I say please and use manners? Its your job." He walks away and goes into the living room. Peggy close her eyes, takes a deep breath, and lets it out. She makes a grilled cheese sandwich and tells Grant to come and eat. "Is it edible?"

"Just eat the damn sandwich or go to bed hungry. Those are your only options."

"Why couldn't Mary Smith be my mom? She actually cares if her kids eat food and don't starve."

"Mary Smith is an uptight, society mother who follows every word and rule she's forced to follow."

"And? She's a woman and a mother. At least she acts like it."

"Grant... What did I say this morning? Woman are not play dolls or objects that you can label or boss around. Not all woman has to be barefoot and pregnant cooking in a bloody kitchen!" "Why not?"

"Go to bed, Grant." "But I'm not tired."

"Go to bed or so help me God I will show you the strength of an angry mother!" He rolls his eyes and goes to his room.

"Why are woman so emotional?" He mutters. It takes all her strength to not yank him back in the kitchen and give him the spanking of his life. But she knows it doesn't work. Ever since Grant could walk and talk, he's been nothing but disrespectful, rude, and pig headed. Now that he's older he's deep in the waters of a sexist cow.

She goes upstairs and finds him laying down, and what she assumes is his bed. His room is piled with so many things she can't see the floor. No matter how many times she yelled at him to clean it, he never does. And Steve is no help. He simply shrugs it off and says, 'Boys will be boys.' The more he says it the more insane she feels. Peggy locks the door to the house and heads back to the SSR. She forgot a file she needed to bring back home with her to de-code. When she gets there, the office is empty, all but for one person.

"Daniel? What are you doing here so late?" she walks over to his desk.

"I got the night shift today. Figured if I work tonight, I'll get a day off tomorrow." She laughs

"Very well played, I must admit." He smiles at her and asks what she was doing there so late. "I forgot a file I needed to bring home with me." She walks towards Steve's office and Daniel follows her.

"You okay? You seem a little...off today. More than usually."

"Put it into your usual delicacy." She teases. He laughs and reaches for her hand.

"Come on Peggy. What's going on?" She leans against the desk and sighs.

"Everything." He listens attentively. "Steve is...I can't stand him, Daniel. My biggest regret in my entire life is marring him. At first, he seemed nice, kind, respectable, and then he turned into this! And Grant? He's just like Steve, if not worse! And no matter what I tell him, no matter how much I discipline him, he doesn't listen. Everything in my life seems to be falling apart and I can't-

"Hey, its okay. Peggy." She looks away and wipes her tears away. He embraces her tightly as she weeps again. "Its gonna be okay, Peg. I promise."

"Unless you have a magical wand to cast a spell on my life, Daniel, you can't make it better." She pulls away, slightly, and looks at him. "My husband treats me as if I'm some sort of plaything he can control, torment, and order around." She explains, her tears hot on her cheeks. "My own son treats me like I'm his slave, and when I discipline him for doing wrong? Steve intervenes and blames me for it all. I feel as if I'm trapped, Daniel. And there's no way out..."

"I'm so sorry Peggy." He holds her close to him and he feels the need to never let go; to shelter her from the horrid life she has.

"You're the only good thing in my life. I hope it stays that way." She looks into his eyes and he places his hand under her chin.

"I'm not going anywhere." Time seems to have stopped for them as them gaze at one another. His hand still lays under her chin and the other is on her waist. She slips her arms around his neck and kisses his lips. At first it was feather like; a quick taste of each other, and now its more insistent. Their lips brush against each other hungrily, and Peggy's tongue begs for entrance. Daniel lets her in and grabs both of her hips; their bodies pressed together, molded perfectly. She sets on the edge of the desk and they continue to kiss. Peggy undoes the buttons on her dress and Daniel stares at her, unsure. She takes his tie in her hand, brings him in between her legs, and kisses him again.

"You won't hurt me, Daniel. It's alright..." She looks up at him, his eyes glazed with hunger and worry. She slips off her dress and tosses it on the floor; there she sits in her brassiere, garter, nickers, and stockings; not once shying away from him. His Adams apple bobs up and down and he strains in his pants. She laughs at his expression and snogs him again, placing his hands on her skin. She starts unbuttoning his shirt, slowly, but soon enough he can't take it. He rips it off and tosses it to the floor; and Peggy gasps. "Daniel..." He laughs and brings her body closer to his, and she can feel his arousal against her. She can't help the moan that escapes her. He lefts one hand and buries it in her hair as he kisses her breathless. She rests her hands on his belt, but he shakes his head.

"Not yet..."

"Tease." They laugh again as Daniel unclips each garter, extremely slowly. Peggy groans from impatience. "Daniel!"

"Peggy!" He fake moans her name and attacks her lips with his. She squeaks from surprise, but melts in his arms. He slips a hand in her knickers and she gasps again.

"DANIEL!" Her hands pull at his hair and he explores her core. Their lips meet once more, much sloppier than before, as Peggy can't help the moans and noises escaping her. He takes his hand out, and its soaked. They laugh and kiss again as he rolls down her stockings and slips off her garter. "Now..." She places her hands on his belt again and undoes them without waiting for an answer. He chuckles at her eagerness and pulls them down. When he does he gazes into her eyes, his prosthetic now out in the open. She glances at it and then back at him. "It doesn't bother me, Daniel. It never has." Peggy runs a hand through his hair and down his back.

"I know..." He leans in close and undoes her brassier; not expecting the sight before him. She laughs hysterically.

"Like what you see?"

"Love what I see." He dives in and nips and licks at her breast. She gasps and laughs and moans in pleasure. Peggy can't take this feeling of heat any longer, so she starts to pull down his underwear. "Are you sure about this?"

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I want you, Daniel. No one else." His smile brightens and he takes hers off as well. In one thrust, he's home. They both moan at the same time. The office fills with their moans and groans as they enjoy this time of lust. They chant each other's name like a prayer and whisper sweet nothing in their ears. And papers and files on the desk have fallen off. She pulses around him and they finish together; she cums with a gasp and he with what sounds like a roar. Although they finish, Peggy still holds onto him, her legs wrapped around his waist. He kissed her temple, lightly, and sits down in the chair; her legs releasing him. "Sorry if that was too much on your leg." She blushes.

"Its fine. I'll just sit for a few minutes." As he does her eyes glide over his body... Daniel looks for his underwear, when she stops him. "What?" She sits on his lap and takes him in her hand. He laughs and obliges her, grabbing her head and snogging her breathless. Their bodies meet once more, and the chair begins to rock. They get their fill of pleasure again and finish within a few minutes. They stay like this, pinned against each other, trying to catch their breaths. "You are..."

"I know." They laugh and kiss once more as they separate their bodies. The find their clothes and get dressed. "Do you think he would notice?" She gestures to the mess around Steve's office. Daniel chuckles and starts to clean up.

"Yeah, a little bit..." And then his mood begins to change.

"Daniel?" She walks over to him a place a hand on his arm. "What's wrong?" He takes a deep breath and speaks honestly.

"Peg... you're married."

"And?"

"And we just- I'm not your husband. This is wrong." She takes his face in her hands and gently kisses his lips.

"Steve Rogers may be my husband, Daniel, but he is not my other half. I'm not in love with him, I never was. I don't love him at all, and I am miserable in my marriage. You-" She beams at him. "You are the one good thing in my life. And this? Is the best thing I have ever done. I don't regret it. And I would do it all over again." Daniel smiles at her and holds her close.

"You would?"

"In a heartbeat." She smirks and they snog once more, much more passionately than they intended. "I think you should come home...with me." Daniel laughs.

"Not tonight..." She groans. "Maybe tomorrow? You know, when I'm not actually on duty." She forgot Daniel was on the night shift.

"Fine. But I'm holding you to that." One more kiss and she leaves for home, and Peggy has never felt happier and more alive.

[writingkeepsmewhole]

Old Friends

This is part 23 of A Team. Blows my mind there is this many parts to this haha.

Emily and Andy adjust to their life them going to town only to run into an old friend.

Andy Biersack x OC Emily

Warnings: Word or two maybe

Taglist let me know if you wanna be added: @panicatangelica @bvbarmy-jaci

Part 1  Part 22

I was standing in the kitchen the sound of the hockey game coming from the living room. Me and Andy were settled. Him inviting Joe and the band over to watch the game together.

"I gotta say this is something I never thought I'd see." Ashley says coming into the kitchen. It only separated by a half wall.

"What me barefoot and pregnant?" I ask getting the shredded cheese out of the fridge.

"No, Andy throwing a party."

"Oh yeah I love my little introvert."

"He can hear you." Andy says getting a smile from me.

"So I guess you did it." Ashley says taking the beer I hand him.

"Did what?" I ask putting the sour cream on the counter.

"You chained him down."

Laughing I roll my eyes.

"Well he was already with someone I just loved him. You'll settle down when you find someone."

"I like being wild. I don't think I'm ready to give that up."

"Oh Ash I would expect nothing less."

Dipping a bowl of chili I sat it on the tray with a drink and crackers.

"Food's done." I say bringing the tray to Andy.

"Thanks cupcake." He says not looking away from the TV.

"Your welcome batman." I say sitting next to him.

"You all feel free to serve yourself." I say to the everyone.

"Looks good." Andy says looking at me since it was a commercial.

Most women get mad that a man won't pay attention to them when a game is on but I never minded it.

Even more now. Andy has done so much for me I enjoyed seeing him happy.

Andy's hand sat on my knee as him and Joe talked.

I liked that we were finally able to relax. Who knew normal was a good thing.

I was cleaning up the kitchen Andy saying goodbye to Jake and CC them the last to leave. I was washing dishes when i felt arms wrap around me.  Andy kissing my neck his hands landing on my stomach.

"How's my girls doing?" He asks him kissing my shoulder.

"One is tired and the other is doing flips." I say moving Andy's hand to the side of my stomach.

Gently pushing his fingers down right where her foot kicked the side of my stomach.

"Feel it?"

"I did. I really felt it this time." He says spinning me around to face me.

A huge grin on his face.

"Make her do it again." He says placing his hands on my stomach.

Laughing I softly poke the underside of my stomach. Her kicking again.

"That's so amazing." he says making me grin.

"Does it hurt?"

"Sometimes but at the moment no." I say feeling her flip. Andy must have too his blue eyes growing to the size of saucers.

"That was her turning over." I explain.

"That's fucking amazing."

I nod smiling feeling my eyes water. "Hey what's wrong?" He asks gently holding my face.

"I’m just happy." I say shrugging feeling stupid for crying.

"Cupcake that's a good thing. Don't cry." He says wiping my cheeks.

"You've done so much for me and your here. I never thought I'd ever be here."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He says kissing me his lips warm and familiar.

I close my eyes kissing him back holding onto his shirt. He wraps his arm around me it resting on my hip the other was still on my face. He kisses me softly as if he is gonna break me but I don't mind it.

I had to be tough my whole life with Andy I could be fragile and I loved it.

Pulling away from me he presses his forehead to mine. I close my eyes take a shaky breath.

"I love you, you know that right?" He says making me blush.

"I know. I love you too I'm just the broken one remember?"

"It's okay I'll put you back together."

Smiling I give him a quick peck then wipe my face.

"I need to finish cleaning up so we can go to the store." I say meeting his blue eyes with my green ones.

"I'll get the living room." He says kissing me again then leaving kisses all over my face making me laugh.

"Andy stop." I say giggling.

"Fine I'll be good." He says stopping.

"Thank you."

"Of course." He says pulling away from me and walking into the living room picking up the bowl of chips.

After we cleaned up we left the house getting into Andy's car. Normal we would just walk to the store and back but my feet was not having it.

We walked into the store my fingers tangled with Andy's.

"I have to potty." I say walking towards the bathroom.

"Meet me in the produce section?"

"Deal." I say letting go of his hand and going to the bathroom.

When I came back I walk to the produce section easily spotting Andy. It was hard to lose a 6ft tall tattooed guy.

He was talking to two teenagers both grinning from ear to ear.

"Honey did you make new friends?" I ask walking up to him.

"Oh my gosh your Emily!" The girl with the lip piercing says making me smile.

"That's me."  I say nodding my hand going to my stomach when the baby rolls. She was very active today.

"Not to be rude but are you pregnant?" The other girl asks. Vicky was her name i’m guessing by the necklace she's wearing.

"I am." I say looking at Andy hoping he won't get mad for me telling them.

"That's so cute! You two will make the cutest baby."

"Thank you." Andy says wrapping his arm around me his hand going into my back pocket.

"Well we will let you get back to shopping. Thanks for the picture." They say and walk off talking to each other.

"You made their day." I say smiling at him.

"Yeah but they seemed to like you too."

"Duh I'm awesome."

Smiling he kisses the top of my head us start looking for what we need.

We were putting stuff in the car talking about what to eat when I took a step back running into someone.

"I'm sorry" we both say looking at each other.

I didn't recognize the person her dirty and clearly homeless.

"Emily?" The woman said hugging me.

"Umm hi." I say patting her.

"Your alive." She says smiling at me.

"Ma'am you need to take a step back." Andy asks calmly.

"Hey I know you. You're that guy at the club." She says pointing at him.

"The club? Alexis is that you?" I ask her, her looking at me.

"Yes its me!"

"I thought you died." I say hugging her.

"What happened?"

"That crazy guy came to the house and started pouring gas everywhere. He thought I was asleep in my room I snuck out the window."

"What's going on?" Andy asks looking at me.

"Oh this Alexis my old roommate and best friend before you kidnapped me. Alexis this is Andy."

"Andy?  Thee Andy?" She asks looking at him.

"Yeah?" he says looking at me.

"I was kinda in love with you. She knew about it. I never stopped wearing your necklace." I say touching it.

"Wait did you say he kidnapped you?"

"Long story get in you are coming home with us."

"She is?" Andy says.

"Yes." I say like it's obvious.

When we get home with Alexis help we get all the food in. Stretching I peel my coat off hearing a gasp.

"Pregnant! Your pregnant!" she says pointing at my stomach.

"Oh yeah." I say blushing.

"I'll let you two talk. You gonna be okay?" Andy asks looking at me.

"I'm okay." I say nodding.

"Alright I'll be in the bedroom." He says kissing my cheek.

I move to the kitchen to start putting the food away.

“So what the hell happened that night? I went to the club after what Jack did and you were gone.”

“I was with him.” I say looking at her.

“He came and picked me up at the club and took me to a hotel room….” I say going over what happened that night.

“He hurt me pretty bad I got away from him and started running. I woke up in Andy’s hotel room.”

“How'd that happen.”

“You said he was at the club right?”

“Yeah.” She says nodding.

“They were staying at a hotel nearby. Don’t know why. Andy was on tour they had the bus but things happen. I got lucky.”

“So you and him have been together ever since?”

“No.” I say smiling.

“He was with someone. I say he kidnapped me because when I found out who he was and that he didn’t remember me I ran. I came back, and when I woke up I was on the bus. About had a heart attack in the small bunk though.” I say laughing.

“So he kidnapped you why?”

“I think he felt guilty. His life went one way and mine went another. I think he wanted to help me and he did.”

“Okay so how did this-.” She says gesturing to my stomach.

“Happen?”

“I was with them a month or so we all went out and got drunk. Andy took me back to the bus we had sex.”

“That’s it?”

“We got together a few days after.”

“What happened to the girlfriend?”

“She cheated. Was cheating. After what we did Andy went to go tell her and found her with someone else.”

“Damn.. That’s nuts.”

“That’s just half of it.”

“The other half?”

“I’ll tell you after you take a shower. Come on I got some clothes that will fit you.” I say walking up the steps.

“So you got everything you always wanted?”

“Yeah.. I guess I did.” I say stopping at the bathroom door.

“Go on in I’ll bring you some clothes.”

She nods and walks inside shutting the door.

I go to the bedroom Andy sitting on the floor papers surrounding him.

“Writing songs?” I ask stepping over a few to get to the dresser.

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t you just put out Wretched and Divine?”

“Yes but I got all these words in my head that I need to get out.”

“Write that down that was pretty good.”

“Funny.” He says looking up at me.

“Really I liked it.” I say bending down to kiss him. It just a quick peck.

I move over him again and head across the hall to the bathroom. Hearing the water running I open the door just a bit.

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah.” Alexis calls back.

I open the door and step inside shutting it back.

Setting the clothes on the sink I take a breath.

“How did you get here?” I ask her.

“To LA I mean.”

“After what happened I wanted to get as far away from that place as I could. I came looking for you when I saw on the news about Jack being killed I took that as a sigh to leave.”

“Jack’s dead? I was wondering if I killed him.”

“You did it?” She asks sounded shocked.

“I told you I got away. He was keeping me locked up.”

“Emily how much hardship are you gonna go threw in your life?”

“I hope I’m done for a long while.”

“Let’s talk about something else. How did you find out you were pregnant?”

“The hospital told me.”

“The hospital?” She asks poking her head out at me her hair covered in soap.

Sighing I drop my head.

“My dad found me.”

“Damn your life it like a TV drama.” She says going back in the shower.

“Yeah tell me about it.”

“What happened?”

“He saw a picture of me online I think and tracked me down. Kidnapped me tried to lock me up and make everything as messed up as it was when I was a teenager.”

“What did you do? How’d you get away?”

“I ran. Got hit by a car took back. I kicked him down the steps. Andy came with the police and found me. The doctor told me I was gonna have a baby.”

“Well at least something good came out of it.”

“That’s true.”

“Do you know what it is yet?” She asks turning the shower off.

I pick up a town and hand it to her threw the curtain.

“She’s a girl.”

“Aww cute! Name?” She asks hoping the curtain wrapped in the towel.

“Anily. It’s mine and Andy’s name put together.”

“That’s very twilight of you.”

“Hush!” I say waving my arm at her.

“Get out so I can get dressed.”

Laughing I step out of the bathroom Andy still in the floor.

“Write anything good yet?” I ask walking in and sitting across from him leaning on the bed.

“It’s kinda dark.”

“So?”

Clearing his throat he picked up the notepad in front of him and softly started to sing.

A lonely heart remains until we know the truth But if it stays the same, can we make it through? A life without the hurt, a life without you

“I like it.” I say smiling.

“Yeah but I don’t like that for the beginning of the song.”

“What’s the song about?”

“Changes. The changes in our lives. It’s about getting up and walking away. To move forward.”

“Then that’s how you started it. Started with How our lives have changed. Eww no I don’t like that. Now our lives have changed.”

“I can work with that.” He says smiling making me smile back.

“Is this what you two do all day?” Alexis asks drying her hair off looking much for like herself now.

“Not everyday. This is a lazy day.” I say standing up with the help of the bed.

“Wow your pregnant.” She says making me laugh.

“Yeah I am. We went over this.”

“I know but it’s just hard to believe. You never wanted kids and look at you.”

“I wanted kids I just wanted to love the father and to be able to raise the baby right.”

“Well you got that now right?”

“Right.” I say smiling down at Andy him smiling back.

“So what do we do now?”

“Now? Now we go make food.”

[firedupauthor]

Twisted Riches Chapter 3: The Docks

When Sam calls an old friend for help on a mission, she never expected it to take the turn it did. Not that she's complaining. Zhou AnChen, loves nothing more than causing chaos wherever she goes. Having just returned to the world after being dusted, she's ready to get back out in the world. As she and Zemo get to know each other more, the more they find they have a lot in common, and maybe something more

*I suck at summaries* *Also, this author is asexual, so there will be no sex scenes, but please still read*

By the time they got to Sharon’s apartment, Ani’s ankle was really starting to hurt. Zemo kept looking over at her with concern as she rubbed at it, as it slowly started to swell. He apologized again, which she waved away. He’d apologized so much already, it was annoyingly cute.

She took her heels off the second she could, opting to walk, or limp, barefoot around Sharon’s apartment. She had an impressive collection of artworks. Mao would like some of these. Maybe she should give her a call. Oh, but her ankle was killing her. So AnChen wasn’t too worried about it right now.

Ani all but collapsed on the couch, as Sharon handed her an ice pack and some Tylenol. It helped wonders. Zemo sat next to her. She wasn’t too concerned with the conversation, resting her head against his shoulder. God, her ankle hurt. It wasn’t broken. That much she knew. But it hurt like a bitch.

“Are you alright, Liebling?” he whispered.

She nodded.

“Yeah. My ankle just hurts a bit.”

“He knows. And not so deep down,” Zemo said, presumably in answer to something the others had said.

Ani lifted her head, watching the others.

“By the way, how’s the new Cap?” Sharon asked.

“Don’t get me started,” Bucky grumbled.

Sharon scoffed, before coming to sit next to him.

“Please. You buy into all that stars and stripes bullshit. Before you were his pet psychopath,” she pointed at Zemo, “you were Mr. America! Cap's best friend.”

That made her laugh. She was going to use that.

The conversation continued before it took a turn to why they were there. Ani, not much interested in the conversation, picked up one of the magazines on the coffee table and started flipping through it.

“Well, you certainly know how to make an entrance.”

“We didn’t kill Selby,” Sam defended.

“No, I’m not talking about that,” Sharon stated. “I’m talking about her,” she pointed at Ani, and all eyes turned to her. She glanced up.

“What about Ani?” Sam asked.

Sharon stared at him like she couldn’t believe he was even asking the question.

“’Ani’ as you call her, is the daughter of Zhou Wei, who runs one of the most powerful crime families in the world. Not even the Power Broker can touch her.”

Again, all eyes turn back to her.

“Is that true?” Bucky asks.

“Even if she is a Queenpin, she’s probably more trustworthy than you,” Angel said.

“Ani, you’re a mobster?” Sam questioned.

She looked up at him from her magazine.

“I am, I guess.”

“W-why didn’t you tell me?”

“You never asked.”

“That seems like a big thing not to mention.”

“You never asked, Sam.”

“Does that mean that you might know where Nagel is?” Angel asked.

Ani shook her head.

“I’m well-connected, but I haven’t been back long enough to reestablish most of my contacts.”

“Wait,” Sam piped up, “does that mean you could like… have all of us kill?” he said in a joking manner.

“If I wanted to,” she replied, flipping the page.

There was a very pregnant silence at that when Angel broke it.

“I like her.”

After a few more minutes of silence, Sharon broke it, by telling Ani that she had something she could change into. Following her to a bedroom, Sharon left her to get changed. Unfortunately, nothing fit. The pants were too small, and she couldn’t get them past her thighs. The shirt was also too small, her boobs being too big for the top. Ani sighed, before changing back into the dress Zemo gave her. At least the flat shoes fit.

Ani came back out, and Zemo only seemed to notice. The others too into their conversation to notice.

“I thought you were changing?”

“Nothing fit. Everything was too small.”

He nodded.

“How is your ankle?”

“Better, thank you.”

Sharon told them that they needed to lay low and enjoy the party as she tried to find out where Nagel was.

Once the party started everyone seemed to go their own separate way. Ani made her way to the bar, she just wanted to drink. After tonight, she felt she deserved it. She sat on one of the chairs and turned around to watch the crowd. She couldn’t see Sam, Bucky, or Angel, but she did glimpse of Zemo, which almost made her choke on her drink.

He seemed so relaxed as he danced, rather poorly, to the music. But it made her smile. It was easy to see that he was enjoying his newfound freedom. He noticed her staring, and smiled, then made his way over to her.

“Enjoying yourself, Baron?” she asked once he was close enough.

He grinned as he leaned against the bar, his body facing her. A light coating of sweat covered him. Oh, he was attractive. It almost wasn’t fair.

“Very much so. And you, Liebling?”

“Not as much as you, xinggan.”

“So, tell me about yourself,” he said after ordering a drink.

“What do you want to know?”

“Anything.”

She thought about it for a second.

“I am adopted.”

“Really,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

She nodded.

“Me and my brother Jay. Though not at the same time.”

They began talking about anything, everything, and nothing at all. As it turned out, they had a lot in common. As she talked to him, it felt like she had known him her whole life.

“What about you? Where do all those cars come from?”

“Mostly from my father if I’m honest. He always loved old cars.”

“You must miss them.”

“I do,” he said looking at her, but not really seeing her.

“I’m so sorry, Zemo.”

His eyes refocused on her, and he gave her a grateful smile, but it was sad. He took a lock of her black hair, and curled it around his finger, before letting it fall. Then he brushed that lock of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers brush against her cheek.

“You’ve nothing to apologize for, Liebling. You were not there.”

“I know. But I still feel like someone should.”

He smiled again.

“You can call me Helmut, Liebling.”

“Helmut,” she said, testing the name out.

He smiled and shifted slightly closer. Ani let her hand run across his forearm and bringing it to rest at his elbow.

“Liebling, I—”

“If you're going to apologize again, then I’m going to hit you. You’ve apologized for enough for tonight.”

He chuckled and held up his hands in mock surrender.

“Very well, draga.”

“Tell me what it was like growing up in Sokovia? I never got to visit. I was planning on it, but…”

“But…?”

“I got dusted before I had the chance.”

“Sokovia…” he seemed to contemplate what he was going to say, “was a very poor country,” he said honestly. “It was a failed state long before the Avengers came. But it was beautiful. You would have liked it.”

Helmut met her eyes, brown meeting black, and Ani felt her breath catch in her throat. She hadn’t felt like this in a very long time. Zemo rested his forehead against hers.

“I don’t think your friends wouldn’t be too happy about this,” he said.

“I’m old enough to make my own choices,” she replied.

Her hand came to rest on the back of his neck, her fingers playing with the hair on the nape of his neck. And for the second time that night, their lips met. But this time, there was no need to act. It felt as good as the first time. Her other hand came to rest on his chest. Zemo’s hands cupped her face, keeping her from moving. Not that she would. Nor would she stop the tiny noises that escaped from her.

Ani’s fingers curled into his shirt, she wanted to pull him closer. She didn’t really care that Sam and Bucky could find them like this. He made her feel special.

But then someone cleared their throat.

Ani felt annoyed, and this time didn’t stop the small whine that escaped her.

It was Sharon, and she was giving them a disapproving look. But Ani couldn’t care less about what she thought. Ani didn’t even know her.

“I found Nagel. We can go get him in the morning,” she said. “I’d get some rest if I were you.”

They woke up early the next morning. Ani thankfully found a change of clothes that fit and ones that covered up the marks Helmut had left during their night together. Before she had fallen asleep with him, Ani had asked if they could keep this between them. He had agreed, saying that no one needed to know. He had treated her like a princess. Made her feel like the only woman in the world.

Helmut had woken her at around four in the morning, saying that she needed to go back to her room. She had grumbled the whole way there, which, admittedly wasn’t that far. But she had had to leave the comfort of Helmut’s warm bed.

Ani wore a black, long-sleeve, turtleneck, that ended right before her navel, white high-waisted shorts, black stockings that were held up by thin black suspenders, and black boots. She then pulled her hair back in a ponytail.

The drive to the docks was quiet, everyone on edge.

Ani still left like she could sleep for several more hours. Helmut had seen to that. And she was irritated that he seemed to be wide away. She hated mornings. She could’ve slept til noon if she could.

She tried to stifle her yawn and was only moderately successful. Helmut gave her a knowing look. Ani made a face at him. Which made him chuckle.

The dockyard was massive. Shipping containers as far as the eye could see. Sharon showed them where Nagel was supposed to be.

“All right,” she said, handing each other of them an earpiece. “He’s in there. Container four-two-six-one. I’ll keep an eye out while you guys talk to Nagel.”

“I’ll keep an eye out as well,” Angel spoke up.

“I need a bell for you,” Ani said.

“Why?” she blinked.

“So you can stop sneaking up on me.”

“We need to hurry,” Sharon snapped. “We’re on borrowed time.”

The three of them entered the seemingly empty shipping container.

“This can’t be it,” Ani said.

Sam asked Sharon the same thing.

Sharon confirmed that it was the right one.

Helmut was examining one of the walls of the container, seeming to be searching for a hidden door. And find it he did. The sound of music reached their ears. Ani pulled out a gun and held it by her side. She followed behind Helmut, with Sam and Bucky following after her.

The music was loud of to mask the sound of their approach. There was a small scrawny man sitting over a desk working on something. As they got closer, the man, Nagel if she had to guess, still didn’t hear them. He was too busy singing along with the song.

She stood next to Helmut as he flicked the needle off the old record player. That the man’s attention. Sam grabbed Nagel and slammed the man against the wall.

The scrawny doctor refused to talk until Sam point Helmut and Ani out.

“Hey, you know who they are, right?”

Nagel said nothing, his gaze flickering between the two of them.

“This is Baron Zemo and Zhou AnChen.”

Nagel’s gaze flickered down to her hip where he caught a glimpse of her tattoo and audibly swallowed.

Nagel wanted them to make him a better offer, but when Bucky held his gun up to his temple, the good doctor quickly became chatty.

He spilled his guts, telling them everything. It was almost too easy. As it turned out, he was able to make more super-soldier serum. But Ani wasn’t too interested in the idiot doctor with no backbone. Like, he could’ve tried to put up more of a fight.

Her eyes followed Helmut as he walked around the lab, examining different things. She wondered what he was thinking. He seemed to be searching for something. What it was, she didn’t know.

Ani really couldn’t care less about the doctor that thought too highly of himself. All he did was recreate someone else’s work. Not all that impressive if you ask her. All the heavy lifting was already said and done. Helmut came to stand next to her, his hands behind his back.

After a few more minutes of Nagel tooting his own horn, Angel ran in, soon followed by Sharon saying that they were out of time.

Then, quick as a flash, Helmut pulled out a gun and fired at Nagel, killing him.

While her friend couldn’t believe it, Ani was relieved. As she was turning to Helmut to say so, an explosion happened, throwing everyone to the ground.

An felt her head collide with something, and her ears began to ring. An alarm was blaring, as she rolled over. Helmut was above her trying to get her to stand. Slowly, AnChen got to her feet. Oh god, her head hurt, and she couldn’t see straight. If she got a concussion, she was going to be pissed!

Helmut helped her up and out of the now on fire shipping container.

“Are you alright?” he asked, sounding like he was in a fishbowl.

“Shì de, wô huì,” she said, not realizing she had slipped back into Chinese. But Helmut seemed to understand her.

They stopped and let her gather her bearings. Everything spun, and her ears still rung. Ugh, this was annoying.

“Stay here, Liebling. I will be right back,” Helmut said, kissing her temple.

She watched both Barons walk away, before squeezing her eyes shut, so the world would stop spinning. Ani was beginning to regret answering Sam’s phone call. A twisted ankle, and now a possible concussion. Man, he owed her big time.

Eventually, everything did stop spinning. Her ears still rung slightly, but it was manageable now. Ani wasn’t sure how much time past. Probably not much. She started walking in the direction the two Barons had gone when she heard another explosion in the direction they had come.

Running back that way, she saw, shockingly, Sam and Bucky arguing, and Helmut fighting, rather impressively, against a group of guards. He was wearing a strange purple mask. But, who was she to judge? Once those bounty hunters were dealt with, Helmut ran off, presumably after more hunters.

“Ani!” It was Sam that called her.

“Hi, Sam,” she said weakly.

“Have you seen Zemo?”

“He was…” she pointed at where he had been. Funny, she could’ve sworn he had been there a second ago.

“Dammit! He bolted!” Sam cursed.

Ani frowned. That didn’t seem like something he’d do. Her head hurt. And she was tired. It was way too early for all this.

Then the sound of tires screeching reached their ears. It made Ani grit her teeth, as her head pounded.

Helmut was there in another vintage car.

“Supercharged,” he said lamely. But it made her smile, and she got into the passenger side, not caring if the others did. Her head was killing her, and she wanted to sit down.

Sam and Bucky, again shockingly, started arguing, as Angel joined her and the Baron in the car. Finally, after much convincing, Sam and Bucky got into the back of the car and they were headed back to the airport.

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