#janey has 2 hands and i will hold one of them | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sconnie-doesnt-know · 4 years ago

Text

So Wrong

Characters: Lee Bodecker, Reader, Jane Bodecker, assorted OCs, also gonna go ahead and say Lee is kinda soft/dark in this one

Word Count: 8000

Warnings: Infidelity, alcohol usage, smoking, somewhat dub-con sexual stuff, but not really

Summary: The Reader is a young single mother and widow new to the town of Meade. She gets drawn into a social circle that includes the Sheriff’s wife, while also being drawn to the Sheriff himself.

A/n: I truly don’t know where this came from or why I wrote it. I watched TDATT and suddenly this whole thing just popped into my head complete with a Patsy Cline soundtrack. There’s infidelity on Lee’s part, and his wife is terrible, and these are fictional characters so I am trying to not feel guilty for making that happen.

There’s more to this story, probably extending into 1 or 2 more parts. I don’t know what to say for myself, I cannot pwp. Feedback and constructive criticism are welcome. Not beta-read, so please let me know if there’s an error.

Hope you enjoy!

Meade is as good a place as any to settle. Surrounded by wilderness and small towns, it’s quiet, far from anyplace and anyone you know. A welcome adventure and a place to dispose of your grief, finally - hopefully.

You pull up on a quiet street and sit there just a moment to breathe, to look at the life you had that is settled in between the few boxes and suitcases of belongings, the folded up flag, and the little boy you buckled into the seat.

Through a tangled web of connections, you are able to rent a little upper duplex apartment from the widow in town. She claims she doesn’t mind a little noise as your son stomps up the stairs and gives you an open invitation to join her at church on Sundays.

It is six days into your new residence, the first Monday in town when the apparent welcoming committee shows up at your door. She wears a gentle smile on her face and presents you with a warm pie still wrapped in cloth.

“My name is Jane Bodecker, my husband’s the Sheriff. I wanted to introduce myself…”

You know the routine after moving around a few times already. You imagine the conspiring during the luncheon after church yesterday, the ladies munching on dry cookies and deciding who would be the first to talk to you.

You nod and smile, and accept the offering.

“Some of us like to get together to play cards and socialize on Tuesdays, it would be nice to have you join us and let us get to know you.”

Of course she means that they are chomping at the bit to know why a single woman with no family ties has moved into town. You’re familiar with the ritual and know you need to go along if you want to make it work in this place.

You return her smile, “That would be so kind of you, as long as you don’t mind my son coming along.” You gesture to the little boy hiding in your skirts behind you.

“Of course he can. He can play with my boy, Robert. We will see you at two.” She leaves you with her address and directions over, telling you to look for the house with the red shutters.

Their house is in one of the newer, more developed parts, with some manufactured homes lining the street and looking boxy compared to the traditional farmhouses, but it's charming. The red shutters stand out, that’s for certain. It doesn’t take long to figure out that Jane is a proud host, head of the gossip chain, and is required to mention “My husband, the Sheriff” at least once per conversation.

You let the ladies ask their questions and nod politely as they give you the required chorus of condolences. You feel the shift when Jane steers the conversation to what they all want to know. “Now, I don’t mean to spread gossip, but some folks were wondering why you rented a place here instead of goin’ home to your family.”

Your shoulders stiffen, ‘so much for not putting me on the spot’ you think, but you still smile politely as you answer. “I have no other family. My daddy was gone when I was a girl and my momma dropped me off with an aunt and uncle when she was with husband number three and I don’t know where she is. They said it was the first thing she did that made a lick of sense,” you try to joke. “Well, they didn’t exactly approve of me and Jimmy, so when we married they told me not to go back.”

“And the boy’s other kin?”

“Ain’t no other kin. Jimmy’s family was small, they’re gone now.”

“Well, ain’t you a tragedy,” she says in a chirpy, high voice.

Your face tightens and you stare at your lap, “We get by,” you weakly mutter.

They all assure you that they have some nice gentlemen they can introduce to you, and go on about how fortunate you are they are pulling you into their group. You hear about faceless people and their minor transgressions, but get bored with it fairly quickly and use the time to look over the Bodecker home. It’s nice, a mixture of modest and a few state-of -the-art updates. There’s more dust than you expect, the sofa cushions look worn down, with only a few photos on display. The sheriff’s face shrouded in shadows in the one you can see, but you figure their son must take after him since he doesn’t have the pinched look his mother seems to naturally have.

You don’t even meet ‘her husband, the Sheriff’ until your third Tuesday afternoon of cards at their home. Jane herself is practically giving a campaign speech since the election so close. You never paid a lot of attention to local politics, and you try to give her your attention, but when she starts to ramble on it’s just too much. You happen to look to the side to avoid rolling your eyes and catch just when he strolls in, as if on cue with the uniform all perfectly in place. He scans the group of women until he stops on you, eyes lighting up with interest.

Your own breath catches in your throat at the sight of him as he removes his hat and looks you over.

“Well,” he drawls, “You must be the sweet new thing that’s got all the fellas in town rioting.”

You have to look down, lest the embarrassment make you combust.

“Now, Lee,” Jane scolds, “That’s no way to say hello. Come over here and introduce yourself properly.” She guides him over, and you almost say it with her when she recites, “This is my husband, the Sheriff.”

“Apologies, miss. I know you aren’t trying to get them all riled. Janey told me ‘bout your husband. War is Hell, shame to be losing boys like that.”

He holds his hand out to shake yours, his hold firm and warm and you are hesitant to let go.

“I appreciate that, thank you, Sheriff. Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” he nods, eyes flicking over you one more time. “What are your plans in this lovely town of ours?”

“Oh. Well,” you freeze up for a moment, it’s the first time someone’s asked and you don’t have your answer prepared. “Well, I was thinking that I would get a job. We get by right now, but once my boy is in school, I would like something else to do.”

Jane jumps on your answer, “Let’s just see if we can’t find you a bachelor around here. Plenty of boys can use someone to take care of ‘em, but if you want a man who will be home on time, you stay away from any of the deputies. I can’t remember the last time Lee wasn’t busy with something or other from the county. I suppose that’s the life we’ve chosen though, isn’t it?”

Her voice sounds overly sweet, but you can sense the daggers in her words. It’s the way he reacts, shifting on his feet and rolling his jaw like he’s annoyed. Jane doesn’t even pay attention to anything but the cards in her hand. Some of the other ladies nod, but the sheriff just lowers his head before he pulls Jane to the side to talk to her quietly.

You track his movements, fascinated until you shake yourself out of it. It’s been years since you felt like that or even saw a man that caught your attention - not since Jimmy. It’s alarming, unnerving.

The wave of guilt that washes over you is more than you can handle.

“Please excuse me, but we must be going.” You get up without waiting for any response and practically yank your son right out of the house as Jane calls after you that she will see you again soon.

You brush off the incident after having some time to think, convinced that it is just because you were caught off guard, and try to go on as normally as you can.

Your days end up filled with social calls, running errands or helping your landlady, and keeping your son busy. He asks to play with the Bodecker boy nearly every day, but you try your best to keep your distance when you can, especially when she starts trying to arrange dates for you even when you politely decline.

You look at the other ladies sometimes and wonder how many of them are just tolerating her the way you do. There’s just something grating about the way her voice goes especially nasally when she has something not-very-Christian to say, or the way she talks so openly and obscenely about the apparent whorehouse in town. She doesn’t even seem the least bit shameful when she begins to complain about her sister-in-law and the trouble she gets up to despite her brother being the sheriff.

Sheriff Bodecker, on the other hand, is a bit more friendly than you anticipated, expecting him to be cold or rude, but usually he’s the one pushing his wife to extend a coffee or supper invitation your way and making small talk when you are still around when he gets home from work or if he catches you around town. Your own mind suspects that it’s maybe just a sense of civic duty to know his neighbors, but it’s nice to have company nonetheless.

Conversation with him comes easily. He talks with you about interesting news stories, about the boys, about some of the other towns, and even plans for the county. It’s interesting, not just debate on whether the new curtains chosen by someone or other are tacky. There are times you get lost talking with him and need to be corralled back in by Jane or Steven getting antsy.

The way he draws your eye is a mixture of curiosity and interest. It makes you notice when he’s driving the patrol car or when you see him around town. You catch how tired he seems at the end of the days, how he’s usually got a piece of candy to slip to kids when they come by and are brave enough to ask. You notice how he knows everyone in town and seems to have an eye on everything, checking in at the shops and breaking up the young men when they start to roughhouse.

In a place like this, Jane Bodecker is far from the only gossiper in town, so while she might not share much about herself or her husband, plenty of others do. Some of the things they say are just nitpicking and you try to drown it out. They’ve been decent to you since your arrival, but it’s hard to ignore the constant whispers of how power went right to their heads.

When the election is over and she gets the right to continue to say “My husband, the Sheriff” you start to really see what they say. She loses the facade of playing the good wife, but still hosts her weekly card meetings to keep up to date. Instead of just coffee and tea, she starts slipping sips of whiskey and gives her opinion a bit more freely than before, and often hurling insults anywhere they can land.

It’s painful to watch her put down everyone, but especially the sheriff when he gets in her way. When you catch him sending a frustrated look at her turned back or rolling his eyes at her complaints about the town and its people, you pretend not to notice and remember to keep a smile on. Her outbursts get more and more unhinged and brazen, and the defeat and exhaustion in his stance makes you ache. There’s a hurt you can’t vocalize without overstepping, but it eats at you, chips at your patience bit by bit.

When the sheriff pulls the cruiser over one day while you’re walking between stores to say hi and make some small talk, you’re pleased. He seems less worn down, it’s nice to see.

“Oh, Sheriff, you’ve got some good timing,” you reach into one of your shopping bags, pulling out a paper bag of hard candies you bought from the candy shop. “While doing the washing, I found a handful of wrappers. Turns out the boys were getting into your candy stash. Thought you might need a refill.”

You hand him the bag and the smile he gives you in return makes your chest tighten up and ache.

“Sweet things from a sweet thing, thank you darlin’.”

You bit down on your lips, desperate to not react to his flirtatious words. “It’s nothin’, Sheriff.”

“Not to me.”

You start to sway from foot to foot, looking down at the sidewalk with a hum and trying to come up with something else to say. Silence hangs in the air for a moment before his radio crackles with a call from the station. You take the opportunity to make your exit.

“I’ll be seeing you, Sheriff.”

He shoots a glare at the radio, but looks back at you with what you could only describe as longing. “Sure will, Sweets.” Usually something like that would sound condescending, but from him it sounds endearing. He winks and pulls the car away, talking to the dispatcher while he drives.

‘Sweets...sweet thing...darlin’’ his voice repeats over and over in your head, fingers trembling and clumsy with the rush they give you and the way your heart races.

You get nearly sick when you recognize the feelings you’re having. It’s like it was when you were first with Jimmy. When you couldn’t even look him in the eyes because you felt too overwhelmed by your feelings for him. When you flushed and overheated when he got close and said pretty things. When you used to hold onto his hand and promise yourself that you would care for him every day and prove your love to him.

That’s when you realize you’re coveting another woman’s husband.

It’s Thursday, which means you need to head down to Main Street to visit the pharmacy for your landlady, Mrs. Martins, and gather some groceries for the week. You had made plans with Jane to let the boys play together while you took ran errands. You don’t have a good excuse to change the plan, but you can’t help but ask again, “You sure you don’t mind him being here?”

“Not at all,” she smiles, a bit wider and more manic than usual, “Now if that handsome Wilford boy happens to ask you for supper, don’t you worry about rushin’ back, ya hear?”

You laugh at her latest unsubtle attempt, “I will keep it in mind, thanks.” She and a few others had started to meddle, putting eligible bachelors in your path and setting up dates on your behalf. You do try. You talk to them, let them flirt, but none hold your interest. They’re boys - lanky and lean, still all reckless and rowdy. Not what you’re looking for, nothing like the solid, filled-out figure of a man, someone secure and stable and in a uniform. But that’s something to think about another day.

Wilford does indeed ask.

You do not feel so inclined to take up the offer, especially when he pinches the round of your ass as he asks you to consider dessert before any supper.

He has you pressed against the wall outside the hardware store, letting the sun blind you and bring tears to your eyes as the bricks snag the delicate threads of your dress.

He only backs away when a loud voice booms out, “There a problem here, son?”

He turns his head to find Lee pulled to the side of the road, window down and arm resting on the frame, his jaw clenched and eyes narrowed.

“No sir, Sheriff, just makin’ some supper plans, ain’t we?” Wilford looks back at you with a leer. Your hands press flat against the building and your knee twitches with the urge to jerk up and hurt him.

“I thought we were expecting you tonight, isn’t that right?” Lee asks you pointedly.

Your attacker looks back at Lee, then to you, and you nod. Finally, you’re given some space.

“I imagine you need to be moving along then?” Lee checks, waiting impatiently for Wilford to answer.

“Yessir.” He gives you a wicked grin and spins away to go back down the street. “Maybe another time when you’re free.”

You shake your head, eyes narrowed at his back as you glare.

Lee taps the side of the cruiser, “C’mere.”

You take a shaky breath and gather yourself with a nod before taking the few steps across the sidewalk. Leaning down you take a moment to look him over in his uniform, the badge gleaming in the sunshine and eyes clear blue as the sky.

“You alright, Sweets?” he asks, voice low and gentle. He’d taken to calling you that since the candy incident, always in that same tone - like it’s precious and important. The way it hits you right in the center of your chest hurts more than the physical damage done a moment ago. You know he isn’t asking if your heart is aching, or if you’re alright being lonely, or any of the ways you’re feeling it right now, but it strikes you in an unexpected way.

“I’m fine,” you smile tightly, “Thank you for checking.”

“These boys just don’t know how to handle themselves when they see a pretty lady.” Your cheeks ache as you try to keep from beaming at the off-hand comment. “Ya know, I’m getting ready to head on home, you need a ride that way? I’m guessing your boy is stirrin’ up some shit with mine?” He turns and scans the road and sidewalk around you, fidgeting a bit as he asks.

“I still have to make another stop and my car is at the end of the block, but thank you.” You stand up.

“Well, I mean it, you and Steven stay for supper tonight, I’ll square it with Jane.”

“You don’t hav’ta do that-”

“No worries, darlin’.” He winks, taps his fingers on the shell of the door by the painted logo and waits until you nod in agreement. “See you soon, then.” And with a nod he pulls off the curb.

You watch the cruiser drive away, then look up and down the street, but no one else is there. You finally manage to draw in a full breath, and rush to get to the cool air of the pharmacy to ease the flush burning you from the inside out.

You make it back to the Bodecker’s before the sheriff, glad to have a few moments to smooth things over with Jane since she clearly had not expected you to turn down the date she arranged for you.

“He wasn’t too much of a handful, was he? I told him before I left that he better mind you today.”

She waves you off, sitting back down at the table with her abandoned cigarette in the tray and a small glass of brown liquor.

“Well, the boys’ll sleep tonight, that’s for sure. They’ve been running circles round the whole damn house.” She ashes the cigarette before taking another puff and settling against the backrest of the chair.

You take a moment to look over the kitchen, a pot is just about to boil over so you make your way to it. “Can I help you out with anything? Give you a moment to freshen up ‘fore Lee gets home?”

“I suppose that’s the least you can do.” Her cheeks draw in another puff and she hums, taking her glass with her as she goes to their bedroom.

The boys run inside, breathless and sweaty, both shouting while they tell you about a nest they found outside before you order them off to get washed up themselves. You look down the hall, waiting to see if Jane was on her way back or if she was expecting you to finish her cooking. Rather than let it burn, you do just that, taking care of the potatoes, adding a few seasonings as you go, and pulling out the meatloaf from the oven.

The screen door squeaks and boots thud through the house when Lee enters and makes his way to the kitchen. You nervously look over your shoulder, catching him leaning against the door jamb, spinning his hat in his hand, a soft smile on his lips as he looks your way.

“This is a sight. If I didn’t know better I’d think I wandered into the wrong house.”

You let out a bit of a nervous laugh, then look back down to the greens you were tending to, “I am so sorry, I kept your wife busy longer than I should’ve. She’ll be out in just a minute.” You go back to busying yourself with finishing up the meal.

“Not complainin’,” he mutters under his breath, but you still hear it and it makes your breath hitch. Jane could set you on edge with her snide remarks, so could Lee, but for completely different reasons - some that had been dormant for so long you didn’t know what to do.

Just then Jane makes her grand reappearance, hair freshly combed and lips tinged with a touch of color; her cheeks look ruddy, but you can’t tell if it’s rouge or flush from the alcohol she’s been sipping.

“Don’t you go adding too much milk to my potatoes, nobody likes ‘em all runny. Here, let me,” she says and nudges you out of the way, “See you gotta mix in just a little bit right there.”

She overpours anyway, her hands moving unsteadily as she mashes the potatoes up, making them runny just like she warned you about.

From behind you, you see Lee go to the table, picking up the liquor bottle and examining the contents, making marks with his fingers against the side of the bottle and shaking his head. He takes a swig himself and sets it back down.

He mumbles something about being sober, then walks down the hall to where Jane disappeared, stopping to say something to make the boys giggle on the way before they wrestle each other at the bathroom sink to wash up for supper.

The meal starts off quiet, just the utensils scraping along the plates, but Jane being the gracious host, finally tries to perk it up with conversation.

“I know Wilford might be a little rough ‘round the edges for someone from a bigger town, but there are still several other young men I can introduce you to,” she offers, unprompted.

You choke a little before you recover and finish chewing your bite of food.

“You needn’t go through the trouble, Mrs. Bodecker. Really.”

“It’s just, you’re so young to be widowed already and all alone. What kinda home will it be for the boy with no man around? And don’t you want more kids? I bet you just glow. Some of the ladies at my bible study wouldn’t mind setting you up.”

The idea makes you squirm. No, you aren’t dead inside, but there’s no way for you to get what - who you really want.

The sheriff speaks up then. “My old man took off on my ma, sister, and me. That’s just the way shit happens sometimes,” he says and you feel the dark cloud start to clear just a bit. You nod at him, acknowledging the little bit of affirmation.

“What was your husband like?” Jane presses, digging a little further into that painful wound. “Maybe that will help me out.”

Your Jimmy didn’t have much to give you, but he gave you all he could. He gave you the kind of love that made your cheeks hurt from smiling, and your stomach swoop with butterflies. Your eyes flick toward Lee and you think again about how alike they seem to you, handsome, intuitive, assertive, strong-willed. He catches your gaze and pauses his chewing for a brief second while he waits for your answer.

“He was a good man, strong and fair. I’d like to think he and Mr. Bodecker would’ve gotten on quite well,” you finally say, smiling kindly at them both in turn.

Lee’s lips curl into a smile while he finishes chewing, then sits back with a stretch. “You’re makin’ me sound like an old man,” he whines, “Call me Lee when I’m not on duty.”

“Yes sir,” you automatically reply. “Lee.”

His smile grows. “Say, Janey? Why don’t you go get that jug of wine up for us?”

She nods and gets up.

“Wine?” you ask, surprised.

“It’s nothin’ special, someone up the road makes it. Tastes better than that church wine, but don’t burn like the shine some other folks are brewin’ up.”

Jane comes back with three glasses and pours generously for you all, her own motions increasingly sloppy from her afternoon drinking.

You sip at it, the taste a little tart, but not as acidic and thank them for their generosity.

“Jane, you do something different with the seasoning tonight?”

“No,” she answers, then goes right back to her chat with you, you think about speaking up, but she goes back to leading the conversation. “So, you still thinking about becoming a working gal?”

“Not right away, but yes.”

“Oh?” Lee asks, “Something at the diner? I think the grocery is hiring?”

“Nuh uh,” her voice takes on a nasty tone, “Nothing like that for her. She went to secretary school.” The lilt in her voice makes it clear that she doesn’t care for that little fact. “Can you believe that? School just to learn to file a paper or take a message.”

“There’s more to it than that,” you quietly defend.

“Jane, what the hell do you know? You haven’t worked a day in your life?” Lee asks.

Jane rolls her eyes, body slumping a bit in her chair. “Well, whatever you do, just make sure you don’t go working at the Tecumsah.” She snorts into her glass as she takes a sip. “That’s where Lee’s sister works. I told you ‘bout her before.” She gives you a look. “That place is a den of sin, if you know what I am gettin’ at.”

“You’re are gonna spoil my appetite talkin’ like that,” he says. He drops his fork and you startle, his glare at his wife making clear this is another sore subject.

“Wouldn’t be the worst thing,” she mutters. “I’m gettin’ tired of mending the buttons on your clothes.”

Your jaw nearly drops. You wring your napkin on your lap and scramble for something to change the subject and break the tension, “Jane, there are such lovely flowers planted right by the library, is there a gardening club around here that you haven’t told me about?”

She’s bored by the topic, but it does enough to distract her and send her on a tangent. You nod and hum while you pick at your food. Occasionally you glance to Lee at the side and find him looking at you appreciatively.

You keep turning the conversation away from yourself, getting her to talk about anything you can as she keeps refilling and sipping down more of her wine.

You use the next lull in conversation to make your exit.

“This has been lovely, and I am so thankful for everything today, but we really oughtta get back home. I need to make sure Mrs. Martins gets her items from the pharmacist and I need to try to fix the old projector she’s given me.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Lee asks, leaning forward.

“No idea,” you laugh. “I was hoping to puzzle it together.”

“I can take a look for you,” he offers.

“If you have a moment,” you turn to Jane, “And you don’t mind sparing him.”

She scoffs and waves her fingers, “Nah, take Robert with you.”

He grunts in response while the kids leap up, excited for more time together. You do what you can to clean up and ease the load for Jane, but she’s getting more irritable by the minute, so you shuffle to the door to leave.

You head to the driveway where your car’s parked, waiting for him outside while the boys chase each other around the cars. He steps out the door, swinging his key ring on his fingers, looking at ease without the uniform on, but still strutting with an air of authority. It makes your stomach swoop.

“The Martins place? What road is that on again?” he asks jarring you out of your staring.

“Just follow me, Sheriff. I mean - Lee,” You nod as you get into the driver’s seat, Steven climbing in on the other side.

“Don’t mind if I do.” He mutters it loud enough that you hear him. The tilted, teasing grin on his face as he climbs into his own car almost makes you certain it was his intention.

When you get out, there’s a lump in your throat and the air suddenly feels heavy. Thankfully, the short walk up your drive is quiet, the sheriff walking leisurely next to you and laughing at the boys as they race each other down the sidewalk.

“I gotta go in the back way,” you swallow thickly as you tell him while you open up the gate, “There’s a private staircase for us there.”

He nods and follows.

When you enter the small apartment, you’re grateful that you don’t have much to fuss over and that it is tidy by default.

“Why don’t you boys go play with the Lincoln Logs or race cars? Nothing too loud right now,” you suggest and push them off toward the small room Steven occupies. “I got the parts all together right here, but I think something is missing.” You point to the box with the projector parts and reels.

“No problem,” Lee’s voice is quiet in your small space. He takes out the parts and starts to fit things together, checking a few switches here and there after a couple of minutes before patting the top of it with a, “There you go.”

You smile widely, “That’s it? Really?”

“That’s it, Sweets,” he matches your smile.

You suddenly hate the idea of him leaving so quickly, so you look around for something else.

“Coffee?”

He nods. “It’s like you read my mind,” there’s a glint in his eye as he gives you a generous once-over.

You feel a flush and quickly turn away to the kitchen.

Your hands tremble as you fill the kettle with water and scoop grounds into the press.

The boys break into a fit of giggles and before you can call after them, you feel the warm presence of Lee shuffle up behind you. His boots scuff against the floor as he stops, then seconds later his arms cage you in from behind, his palms resting against the edge of the countertop.

His breaths are deep, his nose just tickling along the neckline of your dress and you feel your back stiffen at the rush.

“You’re so lovely Sweets,” he whispers.

Your breath shakes as you suck it in. “S-sheriff,” you swallow thickly, “Lee? What’re you doing?”

“You’re beautiful, y’know.”

You remain still, unable to whisper anything but his name again.

“I see the way you look at me,” he presses a kiss to your skin that’s so gentle and tender but nearly makes your knees buckle. “Like you want somethin’.”

“I’m not - I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you weakly deny.

One arm leaves the counter to wrap around your middle, pulling you even closer to him while he steps right up behind you, the whole front of him up against your back. The movement makes you gasp and arch just slightly. You’re unable to catch yourself from rolling your head back to lean against him fully and feeling him grunt.

“You don’t need to make any excuses. You want me, dontcha?” he talks with his lips pressed right against your neck, heavy breaths tickling at your hairline.

God, do you want him. The sudden feeling of a warm, masculine body against you is something you didn’t realize you missed so much. For years it’s just been you and your boy and focusing on the day to day, not thinking about the way a strong arm feels pulled around you with fingers just tickling at your sensitive skin - until suddenly that’s exactly what is happening. And how you’ve missed it, your muscles nearly seize up with tension as you try to fight how good it feels.

It’s like trying to drag yourself from a dream, slow and muted as you try to make sense of everything at once; a sharp clarity punches through hard and fast.

“Your wife,” you reach down to cover his hand with your own, ready to try to pry him off.

“That fucking pig? I don’t love her, I don’t want her. She don’t want me either.”

“Don’t say that. You can’t say that,” you tell him and start to pull away, squirming away but getting nowhere since he doesn’t budge an inch. He allows you to spin around between himself and the countertop. “Lee? What is this? What’re you doing?”

It’s a stupid question. You know what this is. You can remember moments like these with your late husband, but Lee is not your husband. You know his wife. You just spent the evening with her in their home.

He doesn’t answer. Instead his free hand starts to skim up along your side until his thumb catches at the curve at the bottom your breast, then slides up so that he can rub his thumb back and forth over your dress, teasing at your hardened nipple.

It makes you whimper and nearly fold in half with how sensitive you feel.

“I’ll make you feel so good,” he coos, his lips parted and eyes tracking the movement of his thumb.

You lift your arms to his shoulders, uncertain yet if you’re planning to push him away or pull him close when you hear the quick footsteps of the boys.

Lee steps back to give you some distance and your hands flutter mid-air as you try to compose yourself.

The boys start to whine over each other-

“Momma. Robert keeps knocking over my building.”

“No, he keeps takin’ the blocks I’m using.”

Some kind of clarity forms and you rush out a solution for them, “Why don’t you get out your TinkerToys and split it all up? Alright? Go back to the other room,” you nudge them away.

Problem solved, they run back to the room, leaving you standing in the kitchen, Lee lingering just feet away and the half-finished coffee press on the counter.

“Jane must be expecting you home by now.”

He grunts and shakes his head ruefully, “She’s probably passed out by now.”

“Oh,” you nod. You search for something, anything to excuse yourself and catch your breath, “I need to go to the bathroom. Excuse me a moment.”

You slip out of the kitchen and into the door just down the hall. Taking a moment to relieve yourself then press a cool rag to your cheeks. You’d nursed the glass of wine Jane had poured, so you knew deep down you weren’t tipsy, you were just overrun by the feelings the sheriff gave you. Once you get your first full breath in minutes, you feel better, calmer and more controlled. You look at yourself in the mirror and decide - you just need to send him on home.

You barely crack open the bathroom door when it’s pushed open wide, Lee wedging in when it’s wide enough and nearly slamming it shut behind him.

“Don’t hide from me, Sweets,” is all he says before he’s got one arm around your middle again, and the other holding the back of your neck while he presses his lips against yours. After gasping in surprise, you instinctively return the kiss - your tongue and lips tentative against his dominating mouth.

It’s strange - all of it so strange after so long. It’s been years since your last kiss and you feel clumsy, out of practice, but he doesn’t hesitate one bit, doesn’t seem turned off by your uncoordinated motions and hands that can’t keep still over his middle and shoulders.

He takes in a deep breath, pausing for just a second to position himself better, then he’s back on you, and you feel ready for him this time. One hand resting on his chest while the other hooks up around his neck, your fingers stroking through the soft, short hairs at the back of his head. He turns the both of you, pressing you against the vanity sink.

“Lee,” you whimper when he wedges a leg between yours.

“Shh, shh, sshh. I got you.”

His kisses are relentless and make you light-headed, gasping for breaths every time he slightly lets up. His hands push and pull, struggling against your dress and your undergarments until he’s freed one breast and can drop his head to suckle at your hard peak.

Your mouth falls open in a silent cry, mind painfully aware of the children in the room nearby. You crack open an eye to make sure the door is still closed and try to focus on the sounds the kids are making, but his tongue and lips are too distracting. He pulls as much of your breast into his mouth as he can, greedily swirling his tongue all over the sensitive bud, and pulling away with a loud pop.

You slap at his shoulder while he just looks up at you with a shit-eating grin.

“Feels good, right?” He places his hand to cup your breast, thumb flicking at your nipple. “Let me have you, I’ll make you feel so good, my sweet girl. Please?”

His own eyes close as he ruts up against you, his hard length pressing against your hip and sending a tremor through your body, practically shaking your bones. You don’t move though, your hands stay frozen where you hold onto him, but he continues to lead and coax you along.

One wide hand holds you at the back of your neck, just holding you in place. His mouth moves across your cheeks and at the hinge of your jaw. He whispers quiet promises of satisfaction, telling you how lovely you are and confirming every word with a kiss. His other hand leaves your breast after one final and quick pinch and grabs at the bottom of your dress. The fabric bunching in his fist as he gathers it until he can feel your thigh.

Then he teases you with just the tips of his fingers, sliding right up and over til he meets where your thighs meet. It tickles, makes you shake a little, and then you’re sucking in a hard gasp when he keeps going until he pets and presses over your sex with the pads of his fingertips.

“So wet,” he says on an exhale, pressing right where you feel your excitement leaking. “You want me too. It’s alright.”

To prove his point, he presses harder, flattening his hand until he’s cupping you and making your body jerk between him and the sink. You bend your knees to open your thighs wider with the touch, and he groans and presses hard against you again, the heel of his palm putting pressure to your throbbing clit. You struggle to not hook your leg right over his hip to let him in.

“Lee,” you start to beg, “Please. Oh my god, please.”

It’s so overwhelming you start to sob, the tears already prick at the corners of your eyes. Just being touched, feeling the warmth of him, and the words - it’s all that you remembered being with a man to be and more. His hand keeps a rhythm against you, driving you higher. You hadn’t had a man’s touch in years, but suddenly you need Lee like you need air.

“Please,” you say again. Your body tingles with electricity that has nowhere to go.

“So pretty. You’re so pretty, baby. I’m gonna take care of ya. Am I what you need?”

“Yes,” tears start to roll down your cheeks. He pulls back slightly until he can slip his fingers underneath your panties, gliding right through your arousal. You feel two of his fingers slide into you, and you squeeze around them instantly.

“Fuck,” he grunts. Your wetness drips down his fingers into his palm. He presses the heel of it against you again, right against your sensitive clit this time. “Come on my fingers, sweetness.”

He fucks you with his hand, his thick, solid fingers caressing you while he sends jolts of pleasure through you with pressure on your sensitive button. You squirm to get away, but the hand still at the back of your neck tightens and holds you down, making you take it.

“It’s alright,” he whispers, “It’s alright.”

And that’s it. You freeze for a moment as the pleasure peaks and then you’re trembling as the shocks of it rush through you in a blaze. You can hear the wetness drowning his fingers as he keeps pumping them into you while you clench over him repeatedly and sob as quietly as you can, which must not be very quiet because he starts to shush you and slow the movement of his hand, gently attempting to calm you down.

“You’re okay, s’alright baby, just breathe, c’mon,” you hear him coach, but all you can focus on is the thumping beat of your heart as it races and trying to catch your breath between sniffles, the tears falling freely down your cheeks.

His hand slides out from your panties to grab you steady at your waist, the hand from your neck moves so he can use his thumb to wipe away your tears. He presses his forehead to yours and tells you to breathe with him.

You blink your eyes open, eyelashes glittering with wetness and you take a minute to focus. Once things are clear, you tilt your head back to look at him. His cheeks are flushed, lips wet and rosy, and his eyes - they nearly glow as he looks you over. It’s something to see - awe, tenderness, pride all in the twitches of his lips as his lips turn up with a smile.

“Sweets, will you touch me?” he asks. For such a big man, his voice is suddenly so small.

“Lee, I can’t-I haven’t…” you struggle to find the words.

“It’s alright, that’s alright,” he assures you, circling your wrist with his fingers still sticky from your arousal, and guiding them to the bulge in his trousers. You flinch, but don’t pull away, your arm tenses, but goes with the motion. He presses your palm against the solid length, pushing down to give him some relief. His hips press against you in return and once he’s sure you aren't going anywhere, he lets go of your wrist, then starts to undo the belt and button in quick movements. He tugs the waistband of his trousers and boxers down together, just to release his cock.

You feel the fabric move under your palm, but keep pressing against him, your hand sliding just slightly out of remembered instinct. When the fabric of his boxers slides away and you’re met with the heat of his cock, you gasp. Your hand wraps around him, fingers circling around his shaft to hold him and pulling a strangled moan from him.

“Shit-fuck,” he hisses. “Won’t be long.” He wraps his hand over yours, pulling your fist up and down over him while he pumps his hips into it. Precome drips down from the slit, easing the glide.

His eyes close and he presses his temple to yours, his face pulls up in concentration, focusing on the pleasure, “You’re so soft, so sweet,” he rasps, “Want you so bad, want you all to myself.”

You can imagine it, if you’re ready to be totally honest, you have imagined it.

“Kiss me?” you whisper.

His lips meet yours roughly for a long press, then he tilts his head and licks at the seam of your lips, making you open up to him. His hand and yours start to speed up, he keeps guiding you up and down, just the slightest twist at the head with each stroke.

The kiss turns sloppy, more sharing air and pecks than anything as he spirals with the pleasure you’re helping to give him.

“You’re gonna -you’re gonna make me-” with a pained expression, he nudges you away, his hand stroking frantically as he leans over your sink until he starts to come, streaks hitting the porcelain as he chokes down groans. You watch his neck and face go red, trying not to watch, but you can’t help yourself and catch the way his cock twitches with his release, all swollen and red. You don’t think you could possibly blush more, but still fire burns underneath your skin.

When he finishes coming, he reaches for you again, pulling you into another hard kiss. “God, darlin’. Fuck,” he whispers while he attempts to catch his breath. “Fuck. Haven’t been tugged off like that since I was a deputy.” He chuckles, the laugh coming out in hard puffs of air.

You struggle to look at anything in the bathroom, eyes straying back to Lee, to his softening cock, to the come dripping slowly in the sink basin. Just then you hear the boys start to giggle and reality hits you again, making your chest seize up in panic.

“Oh, Lee. No,” you raise a hand to your mouth and quickly rush out the door, piecing your wardrobe back together as you walk back into the kitchen. You hear the water run in the bathroom and murmuring as Lee talks to himself.

Your movement must have distracted the boys because they manage to sound like a stampede heading toward you. You wipe at your nose and eyes as best you can before you turn to see what they want.

Both the boys pause, but it’s your son that speaks up, knowing how you look when you cry. “Momma, you alright?”

Lee exits the bathroom then, shirt tucked back in, belt and trousers back in place - only the flush from the neck up giving anything away. His eyes bore into you with heavy emotion that you are ashamed that you can read so well - concern, sympathy, desire. A mixture that you remind yourself you don’t deserve.

“Yeah, baby. I am. You know I get sad sometimes, I’ll be fine. Are you boys ready to say goodbye for tonight? I think it’s well past your bedtime.”

You grab Steven and fuss with his hair, with his messy shirt, and then turn him around and hold him against you like a tiny human shield. “Say thank you to the sheriff for fixing the projector and for letting Robert play.”

“Thank you, sir,” your son dutifully responds.

Lee can see what you’re doing and he’s not happy with it, his mouth going flat and shoulders heaving as you pressure him into leaving.

He just nods, then nudges at Robert’s shoulder, “Say thank you for indulging us.”

“Thank you,” Robert quietly says.

You send Steven down the hallway to get ready for bed, and then you follow behind as they step toward the door, Robert too tired from a full day of play to put up a fight. Lee opens the door to the back steps, telling Robert to be careful going down. When the boy starts down a few, Lee turns back to you.

Before you can react, he’s giving you another kiss, quick but meaningful. “We’re not done,” he whispers.

“We are. Go home, Lee.”

He gives you a long look before stomping down the steps. “Til next time, Sweets.”

...

#lee bodecker x reader #lee bodecker smut #lee bodecker angst #lee bodecker fanfiction #hoedecker club #hoedecker cult #tdatt fanfiction #my writing #fic title so wrong #lee bodecker x you #lee bodecker x female reader

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allthefilmsiveseenforfree · 4 years ago

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Girls Just Want to Have Fun

It’s always fun jumping into a movie I know next to nothing about, and this requested review for Wes will be no exception. All I know is that Girls Just Want to Have Fun is an 80s teen romp with the worst photoshopped cover photo I’ve ever seen. It looks like Michael Scott put it together. I know it stars girls, AND I know what those girls want. That’s half your narrative battle right there. So do they achieve the fun they seek? Well...

They do! A lot of weird shit happens along the way, but yeah, fun is had and that’s all that really matters. God, 1985 was a simpler time. I mean, I know everyone was living in constant fear that the Russians were going to invade Kansas and we’d be faced with a neverending nuclear winter, but in the face of all that existential terror you also get movies where the entire pitch is “So there’s this girl (Sarah Jessica Parker) who wants to be a dancer on tv, but her parents don’t want to let her. But she does it anyway! And her partner is chosen for her and, boy, they do not see eye to eye. But then they do! And they have to practice a lot. And then they win the dance contest!”

You know some studio exec heard that and screamed at his secretary to hold his calls for the day so he could sign the contracts and then do a mountain of blow off them.

Some thoughts:

It’s so weird to see Sarah Jessica Parker without curly hair! I was never a Sex and the City fan, so my exposure to SJP is purely Hocus Pocus based.

This dance sequence over the credits is incredible. Why do we not have shows anymore that are just a large group of young attractive people dancing in sync? No host, no dialogue, just the power of dance. I was born in the wrong decade. I would have appreciated the shit out of the 80s when I was alive.

Poor Helen Hunt - she must be one of those people who always looked like she was 35, even in high school. Granted, she was 22 when this was filmed and she’s playing a teenager, but still.

Helen Hunt is wearing dinosaurs in her hair. 80s fashion was on a wavelength that I don’t think any of us living will ever see again.

Omg this rich bitch (Natalie, I guess? She’s not named for at least the first 30 min of the movie) had Claire’s closet from Clueless 10 years before the movie existed! This is already groundbreaking.

NOW SHE HAS A BUG ON HER HAT. A big plastic green grasshopper. This review is mainly going to be about the insane things Lynne (Helen Hunt) wears.

Speaking of - I’m getting big lesbian vibes from Lynne Stone and I am so here for it. The homoerotic tension when she acts like she’s gonna fight the rich bitch? Delicious. The immediate intimate connection she makes with SJP? Practically U-Hauling.

I love an 80s dance montage, and this movie promises to contain basically nothing but that tied loosely together with some nonsensical dialogue in between. This is gonna be my new favorite movie.

Ooh Nestle Quik syrup! I forgot about Nestle Quik.

Favorite line: “There is a time and a place for calypso music, young lady.”

Ohhh I see what this is gonna be - Janey (SJP) is a classically trained dancer and gymnast, and Jeff (Lee Montgomery) is more of a rough and tumble music video kinda guy from the streets. You can tell cause he’s got a motorcycle and a leather jacket. And he wears cutoff sleeves! He’s a white guy in Chicago, who could be more street than that? And they’re butting heads! How will they ever be able to make it work for the big dance contest??

How did Natalie know Janey’s phone number? She specifically said it was unlisted. Unless she remembers it from overhearing it offhand after the dance tryouts...? That’s insane, I can’t even remember what I wore yesterday let alone a 7-digit number someone shouted in a crowd.

Lynne Fashion Alert: Is she wearing a belt made out of bullets? And a Davy Crocket hat. This is galaxy brain lesbian fashion. If the costume designer for this movie didn’t win 10 Oscars...

The music director on the other hand...not sure what is up with all these weird KidzBop covers of excellent songs like “Dancing in the Street” or the titular “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” but if you’re gonna include them, you gotta spring for the originals. This is just sad.

I’ve never been at a party with an ice sculpture. I think that’s how you know you’re among the rich.

Whatever happened to Jonathan Silverman? I miss when he was the nebbishy sidekick in every 80s movie.

Who enters a party by catapulting through the damn window?? Punk does not mean that you no longer know how to use doors, sir!

Who serves a full roasted turkey at a party? Is this how rich people live? This feels like the equivalent of using Google translate to identify rich people food in another language, then translating it back to English.

Lynne Fashion Alert: Now I think she has space shuttles in her hair.

Wow we got a real 1-2 punch of sexual harassment in this club. Who wrote this Tune in Tokyo gag and was like “You know what would be hilarious? If this shitty little nerd convinced this girl to raise her arms so he can just grab her boobs full on, front and center. And then she gets upset and runs away. God I’m good at this *snorts another line*”

Lynne Fashion Alert: Now it’s two globes (like, two Earths) with crab claws on them? This is a choice that I don’t understand, but I think I may just not be seeing what it is clearly. I am digging her mirror sunglasses though.

I know Janey is smart but when did she learn how to hotwire a security system? It’s not like Google or Youtube existed, and I doubt there was a library book about how to dismantle that specific system. MYTH BUSTED.

Oh god oh no I’m so gay for these Dixon sisters from Kansas City, these two gorgeous black women in tuxes and spandex leotards. They 100% should have won this dance contest.

Why did guys stop wearing crop tops? Can we bring back slutty quarterback as a fashion trend for dudes? Seriously, the costume design here is everything.

I really love Jeff and his little family - his sister and his dad are so proud of him and supportive. You never see that in dance narratives featuring guys. I like the reversal here of gendered expectations.

Did I Cry? No, but my heart was warmed at various moments.

Honestly, why can’t more narrative arcs in movies be solved via dance battle?

Lynne Fashion Alert: She’s now dressed as...Cleopatra? Wait why the fuck is there a horse here?

Oh that’s it that’s the end! Man, you can’t be mad at a tight 90 min film like this - it gets in, it gets out, bing bang boom you’re done with enough time to read before bed.

Is this a cinematic masterpiece? No. But is it good clean fun? Absolutely. Barring the brief [obligatory 80s] sexual harassment scene, there’s very little to be upset with here. Kids wanna dance, they’re told they can’t dance, they dance anyway! It’s the power of dance! You’re either into it or you’re not, but if you’re not, I ask that you search your heart and try to find one teeny tiny sliver of joy inside it. You’re gonna need to feed that joy if you wanna make it through 2021, and watching this movie is a darn good place to start.

If you liked this review, please consider reblogging or subscribing to my Patreon! For as low as $1, you can access bonus content and movie reviews, or even request that I review any movie of your choice.

#121in2021 #girls just want to have fun #sarah jessica parker #helen hunt #lee montgomery #movie reviews #film reviews #patreon review

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arlome · 4 years ago

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Phrack AU : Pirate World

Ask and you shall receive, my dear!

1. Captain Jack Robinson of the Victoria runs a tight ship. He’s stern and dour, but fair and just, as a man in his position is wont to be. Years ago, after the gruesome death of his beloved wife at the hands of a madman, Jack was entrusted by Pirate King Sanderson to ferry the souls of the dead across the sea to their final resting place in Davey Jones’ Locker. For this task, his heart has been ripped out of his chest and put under lock and key for safekeeping. Lagend has it that the heart of the ferryman is the key to acquiring a person’s deepest desire.

2. Captain Phryne Fisher of the Wardlow - a small vessel with a crew of five - used to be a member of the British Aristocracy. About a decade ago, when her family was on their way to her father’s new post at the West Indies, their ship was attacked by the Mad Pirate Foyle, and her sister Jane was snatched from her bed. Her parents were devastated; inconsolable they fled back to England and barricaded themselves in their estate. Her mother became sickly, her father became a drunkard, and Phryne vowed to sail to the edge of the world in pursuit of Foyle and the truth.

3. There’s a pirate summit in Tortuga and both captains attend. Phryne spots Jack surrounded by his crew and does everything in her power to try and draw him out, knowing that if he’s on land, then the heart must not be far. Their eyes lock a couple of times, and Phryne does her best to convey her desire through the flutter of her eyelashes and the tilt of her smile - she doesn’t mind taking the man to bed before she steals his heart and slits his throat; he’s handsome and charismatic, and she knows enough about his character to be substantially intrigued. He’s exactly the sort of man she enjoys using for blowing off some much-needed steam.

4. She draws his eye and he joins her for a drink - which turns into three, which then turn into a rather vocal session of vigorous fucking in his private cabin onboard the Victoria. He’s not even surprised when he wakes up with her naked astride him and her sharp knife pressed to his throat, and Phryne appreciates that more than she’d like to admit. His eyes glint in admiration as he flexes his hips beneath her, but she’s determined - where’s the heart - she growls and pushes the knife into his skin. A few droplets of blood make their way down his neck; she fights the urge to lick them off. Jack isn’t fazed, not in the slightest - I know who you are, my heart won’t help you - he rasps, and she shudders. He confesses to knowing what she seeks, tells her he ferried Janey Fisher across the sea himself. The knife slips from her slack fingers. He holds her as she weeps.

5. They are after the same man - Foyle is also the one who killed Jack’s wife, Rosie - and Phryne agrees to merge their crews for this revenge mission. They sail the seas, eat delicious food prepared by Phryne’s first mate, and fuck and fall in love. They catch Foyle at the edge of the world and hang him, and leave his ship broken and stranded. Jack ferries him across the sea, on a boat made of rotten flesh.

They decide to continue sailing the seas together.

Jack gives Phryne his heart.

She keeps it safe.

#au headcanons ask #phrack #pirate au #mfmm fanfic #my fic #this turned out into a ficlet #seriously wtf

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janeyseymour · 4 years ago

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Escape- pt 21

pt 1. pt 2. pt 3. pt 4. pt 5. pt 6. pt 7. pt 8. pt 9. pt 10. pt 11. pt 12. pt 13. pt 14. pt 15. pt 16. pt 17. pt 18. pt 19. pt 20.

Jane Seymour has stayed with Henry long enough. Cue Catherine of Aragon and the rest of the girls to save her (Aramour)

Catherine and John have a chat.

“Beale!” The head of the police department barked. “We have a lead on Tudor!”

“He’s heading to where Seymour is?”

“Someone was spotted that looks like him. He’s not quite near her, but if he knows where she is, he’s heading there for sure. You need to warn Seymour and Aragon.”

“Sir, we can’t. She’s nine months pregnant. If we bring that stress to her, it won’t be good for her or the baby. We have to find him before he finds her.”

“And how do you suppose we do that?” The boss raised an eyebrow at his number one officer.

“We have to figure it out. She can’t be under that much stress. I’ll drive out there myself and protect her if I have to. That poor girl has been through more than enough to last her a lifetime.”

“Seems like you have quite the attachment to this case Mr. ‘I-hate-everyone-and-everything.’”

“She just really deserves what she has now, okay?”

“Fine. Go.”

“Thank you sir.”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Thomas caught a glimpse of Henry at a rest stop.

“Thomas?”

“You’re not going to get to her before I do.” A look of horror flashed onto Henry’s face before going blank again. The two tried to remain quiet.

“What the fuck are you yelling that for? Are you trying to get us both arrested?”

“I’m not in any trouble. It’s just you they’re out for,” Thomas stated simply. “You’re not getting to her.”

“Yes I will,” Henry gritted his teeth. “Even if-”

“Even if what?” Thomas seethed.

“Even if I have to kill you myself. She was my girl first, and she’s still mine.” Henry left.

“So,” Catherine sighed when the couple walked through the door to the house.

“So?” Jane mimicked.

“I think we shouldn’t tell anyone about the engagement yet. I mean, I love that you’re my fiancee, but-”

“You’re already losing interest in me, aren’t you?” Jane’s eyes welled up with tears.

“Are you stupid? No, I’m not losing interest in you.”

“You know pregnancy brain doesn’t just disappear after the baby escapes the vagina right?”

“Escapes?” The older woman stifled a laugh.

“Yes. I may have been brought back in good health, but my body still has some healing to do,” she said pointedly. “Now, why don’t you want to tell people about our engagement? We already told the girls. Really, the only people we have left are to tell our parents.”

“We couldn’t really avoid telling the girls. But I think we should just let it be for a little. It’ll upstage Eddie.”

“I was wearing my ring when they all came to the hospital,” she argued.

“And no one noticed because they were busy looking at this handsome little boy of ours,” Catherine cooed at the baby in her fiancee’s arms.

“But,” Jane racked her brain for another reason to tell her family. “I like wearing my ring.”

“Jane.”

“You’re right, but I just want to proudly show it off that I’m finally going to be married to the woman I was destined to.”

“In time, you will honey.”

“He’s the first love of my life.”

“I think I’m okay with taking second to him.” The pair watched their child sleep for a few minutes when Catherine’s phone began to ring.

“Take it. I have to feed and put Eddie down anyway. I think I’m going to try and sleep after.”

“Okay. I’ll be in after.” Catherine began to walk away before turning sharply. “Hey.”

“What’s up?”

“I am so in love with you, and I hope you know I will never lose interest in you.”

“I love you too,” Jane smiled as she went to walk up the stairs.

“Do you need any help?” Kat was waiting for her in the hallway.

“I’m just going to feed Eddie and put him down for a nap, but if you want, I would enjoy the company.”

“Okay Mom.” Jane’s heart fluttered when Kat used the term so loosely. She couldn’t wait until Edward would speak those same words.

“Cath here,” she grinned into the phone.

“It’s John. You have a second?”

“Yeah. Janey’s feeding the baby.”

“And she’s in good health still?” The father was quite worried about his daughter.

“From what I can see. The angels or whoever she met kept their promise, and aside from her body changing after giving birth, she seems to be just fine.”

“Good. I’m glad. I wasn’t ready to lose my sweet girl.”

“Neither was I. I’ve been thanking the heavens for keeping her with us.”

“Me too.” The two sat in silence for a few moments before John spoke again. “Did the two of you get engaged and not tell anyone about it?”

“I knew you knew.”

“Of course I knew. I’ve been waiting for a ring on her finger since she told me that she had run away with you. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well, you know,” Catherine laughed. “Between the whole ‘having a child’ thing and then the whole ‘I’m pretty sure the love of my life is going to die and leave me with her newborn son’ thing happening, I didn’t think announcing our engagement at the time was quite right.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. But uhm, don’t say anything. We’re trying to keep it quiet for a little bit, at least while Eddie is so new to us all.”

“But Marge and I have some money riding on this and-”

“Wait. You’re telling me that you have a bet going based on your daughter’s love life?”

“Uh,” John stammered. “No?”

“You two really are something.”

“It’s a really good bet though,” the older man practically whined. “I won, and I want my-”

“Please.”

“Fine. But uh, how did you ask her?”

“I asked her not even an hour after Eddie was born. We were talking to a nurse about the name, and they said they would just refer to him as baby boy Seymour. Janey insisted he take my name because I’m going to adopt him anyway, and I just kind of blurted it out. I didn’t mean for it to happen like that though. I just kinda of-”

“She said yes. You’re lucky.”

“Oh I know John. I’m the luckiest woman alive.”

“No, you really are lucky. It must’ve taken me three tries before Marge said yes. Liz’s husband asked her five times, if I can remember correctly. You lucked out on the first try.”

“Well, you know I tried once, but it never got that far.”

“Yes, but she doesn’t have to know about that.”

“She find out about it eventually I’m sure. She always does. And she’ll laugh about it too. I really do love her.”

“I know you do.”

“Ask me why.”

“Why?”

“Just ask.”

“Okay, why do you love my daughter?” John inquired. “You know, I already blessed the marriage. I trust you.”

“I know, but I just need to say this.”

“Okay, on with it Cath.”

“I don’t even really know where to begin. She’s gorgeous, and beautiful, and simply stunning. The way her hair falls when she runs her fingers through her hair drives me insane, and when she has bedhead, I think it’s the most beautiful I’ve ever seen her. I’m never going to tire of waking up next to her. I crack up when she gives me the eyebrow. It’s so cute. Her eyes give away everything. It shows me all I’ll ever need to know about her. They light up when she’s excited, they sparkle when she talks about something she loves.”

“They always did. That’s how I knew she loved you.”

“I-” Catherine didn’t know how to respond, so she continued. “When she scrunches up her nose, I can’t help but stare. When she’s confused or mad, I just can’t help. She’s so endearing. And her smile, oh my gosh. It kills me.”

“That’s how I feel about Margaret’s.”

“I’ve never seen a smile so bright, and so genuine, and so full of hope. I really hope Eddie gets her smile. She’s just so passionate. I’ve never seen a woman so passionate about everything. When she’s happy, she just glows. She has this way about making everyone else feel so much lighter and fuller. You’d have to ask Kat about that. She’s hilarious. God, I’ve never met someone with such a twisted sense of humor, but it’s hilarious. She literally laughed when we were all shocked that she was alive and said, ‘Man, I really had you guys scared’. Like, who even thinks to say that when they just defied the laws of life?”

“She gets that from me.”

“And I love the way that she twiddles her thumbs when she’s nervous. I always know when I can try to help her relax. I love when she talks a mile a minute. She gets so animated, and I have to stop myself from kissing her to get her to take a breath. When she gets mad at me, she puts her hands on her hips and pouts, and I just melt. I can’t stay mad at her for much longer when I see her like that. And her puns? They’re, as she would say, ‘punny’. The rest of the girls in the house just groan, but she loves them so much that I can’t help but laugh. I love when she acts like I’m physically right next to her when we’re actually on the phone and she nods to say yes. I love that she has so many different laughs. I love when she laughs so hard so snorts, and then she continues to laugh and no noise comes out. I love the way that she loves me with her whole heart, or at least I would hope. I love the way that she’s already a mother to Kat and Eddie, and she’s the best mom. It’s just the most amazing thing. She just- god John. I love her so much. I can’t even get into details.”

“Those weren’t details?” John spoke after listening to the entire ten minute rant Catherine had presented him with.

“No. She’s just so incredible. Every little thing she does makes me fall more and more in love with her, and I know if she heard this, she’d tell me I just made up this image of her in my head, but I swear I didn’t. She has this whole universe inside of her. It’s a wonder that she holds in all of her 5’7” body, even though she tells everyone she’s 5’6” because ‘Cath, 5’7” is tall.’ I wish she saw herself the way I see her, but if I have to spend every day telling her why I love her, I’ll do it.”

“Cath, she’s very-”

“You know what though?”

“What?”

“You didn’t ask me why I’m in love with her.”

“Didn’t I?”

“You asked why I love her. There’s a difference.”

“Well, why are you in love with her?”

“I couldn’t tell you exactly why. There’s not just one thing; it’s everything. Words can’t even begin to describe how deeply in love I am with your daughter. I couldn’t- I went over ten years watching the girl I was in love with fall in love with someone else. I watched her get let down time and time again. I thought every New Years, I was going to tell her. I remember the night I found her, all broken and bruised. She was still beautiful. Sick, right? I was there for her through it all and-”

Jane walked in and interrupted, “-And beautiful things really do come from terrible nights. Just like that one song says. Daddy, I need to steal my girlfriend now.”

“Fiancee,” Catherine laughed. “He knows.”

“Of course he does. Dad, I need to steal her. I love you. Bye now!” She hung up the phone. “Eddie’s down for now. Kat is upstairs watching him. He’ll be up soon though because we fell asleep while eating. For now though, you are so incredibly sexy. I heard all of that. All of it, and god, I am so in love with you.” She kissed Catherine deeply and moved down her body.

“Shit Jane. We can’t-”

“We need to stop. I know.”

“Catalina laughed, “Just know that the second you’re cleared...”

“You’re the worst.” The blonde smacked her fiancee lightly.

“How am I the worst? You just came in here and tried to seduce me in the kitchen!”

“Shut up. So, how does Dad know, and is he going to spill to Mom?”

“He told me he’s been looking for a ring since you broke it off with Henry. He saw when they were visiting. And no, I made him swear not to, but you might want to ask him about his bet.”

“A bet?”

“That’s definitely his story to tell. Anyway, do you want to wait to get married or?”

“Lina, you saw how long my last engagement was. Honestly, if we went to the courthouse today I would marry you.”

“You better not have a courthouse wedding!” Anne shouted from the basement.

“Well, I guess we can’t do that,” Jane laughed.

“Guess not. What about August?”

“Like, two months from now August or next year?”

“Two months from now? We can just have family over.”

“I think I’d like that.”

“Who’s going to be whose bridesmaid?” Anne ran up the stairs.

“Hey Marge?”

“What? What happened? I wasn’t trying to- I wasn’t doing anything!” Margaret desperately tried to cover up the fact that she was trying to listen in on her husband’s phone call.

“You're an insane woman. Just call Janey for me and ask her why she loves Cath.”

“Don’t you-”

“I asked Cath, and I learned that woman loves our daughter more than I ever thought was possible.”

“For-”

“Then I asked her why she was in love with her.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“That’s what I thought, but boy was I wrong. I was so, so wrong. That woman is the best for our sweet angel.” John’s eyes sparkled the same way Jane’s did.

“Okay. I’ll ask her tomorrow. Tonight, I made something special for dinner. Come on.”

#six the musical #six musical #six fanfiction #six the musical fanfiction #six fanfic #six musical fanfic #six the musical fanfic #aramour

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boleyn-falcon · 5 years ago

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The Queens of the Castle Chapter 2

The queens board the plane to Orlando to truly begin their trip!

Chapter two Cathy grabbed her navy blue backpack as the other queens grabbed all of their bags, ready to board their flight. The queens decided to use Virgin Atlantic since it had good prices and had many positive reviews. They also had the privilege of boarding before a lot of other groups because of Katherine and Anne’s severe anxiety, Cathrine’s bipolar, and her own OCD. They started to walk up the ramp Cathy’s stomach began to fill with dread. She had already tried to push away the anxiety but it came back and hit her like a truck. Cathy was thankful that she was in between Cathrine and Anne,her godmother and her best friend.The downside is that they might be bickering at least half of the 8 hour trip. The group all sat down and got comfortable. Anne and Anna sat in window seats, Kathrine was in front of Cathy, and Jane was in front of Catherine. Cathy’s anxiety only got worse as the large plane started to fill with people. “ Are you sure you're okay Cath? Your startin’ to look kinda pale” Anne asked with a worried tone as she started to get comfortable. Cathy could only nod in response as she sunk down in her small seat. Anne, not giving up and still wanting to help her friend keeps trying, “ well if you're worried about what i think you are, I’m scared of this whole flying thing too, its kinda unsettling so i get how you feel.” The blue clad queen could only stare in response to her friend’s comfort and acknowledgement,she just slightly nodded in response. Meanwhile in the seats in front of them, Jane was buzzing with excitement while in the seat next to her Kat was starting to get slightly anxious, holding onto Bucky tightly. Anna, noticing her friend’s anxiety, reached into Kitty’s bag to pull out Wolfie, Kitty’s stuffed white dog. “ Here ya go Katze, I bet both of your little friends would love to watch the take off with you” she said with a warm smile. Kathrine took Wolfie in her arms and began to slightly calm down with both stuffed animals in her arms. The plane’s doors began to close as everyone in the plane had finally gotten settled and the stewardess in the front began to try and quiet people down. As she is doing this the small screens in front of them all began to light up. The screens started to display a small cartoon that started to play as the plane finally got silent. The cartoon shown was detailing plane safety and what to do in emergencies on the plane. When the video started talking about oxygen masks all the queens began to get slightly nervous, but not as nervous as Cathy. But the line was drawn when the video started talking about what to do in the situation of the plane going into the water, this is where surprisingly Anne started to panic. None of the other queens knew but, Anne had no idea how to swim and was terrified of the deep ocean water. Anne tried to keep her composure as the video continued. Finally the video and demonstration was over, the pilot announced that they would soon be taking off and to fasten your seatbelts and to not get on till the plane was smoothly flying over the Atlantic. Soon the flight attendants came around with menus and started asking if people wanted any kind of beverages. “Can I have a Soda?” Kitty asked excitedly as she was handed her preferred drink. As soon as the woman turned to Anna, the german queen said loudly, “ ay can i have some Wine?” the attendant hesitantly grabbed a miniature bottle of red wine and handed it over. “ I don't know if you should drink much Anna, it may not be the best decision..” Jane said softly, Anna shook her head, “ Don’t worry Janey, they will only give me one, that's why i'm gonna have Anne get one to give to me!”, she said half jokingly. Back to the trio behind them Cathy sat quietly, at least till the Stewardess came by to ask for drink orders. Before the woman could even ask any of them what they wanted, Anne coughed to get her attention. “Could you be a dear and get me a Coke, thank you”, Anne asked with a light flutter of her eyelashes, “Anne i swear these lovely women are not your ladies in waiting so don't even start!” The stewardess handed Anne her Coke and Cathrine a bottle of water as the younger queen gave a mock offended look to the spanish queen. Cathy couldn't shake her fears no matter how hard she tried so she just tried to distract herself with her new book the best she could. That is until the plane started to move and turn that is. Cathy’s breathing started to quicken slightly as she looked out the small window to the right of Anne to see the plane moving back from the terminal. She was a little startled to feel a hand on her shoulder to see Cathrine giving her a caring look across her face. “Don't worry mi hija, you will be okay just sit back and relax okay?”, Cathy gave a small nod and a smile as she sat back and went back to her book. The plane had finally made its way to the runway and began to speed up. As the plane gained speed and got closer to leaving the ground completely, the more Anne’s anxiety began to build. The french queen loved the speed of the take off and the flying part, but it was the idea of flying over the water in at most a few minutes. She takes out her new nintendo switch to get her mind off of the water like Cathy and her book. In front of the two anxious queens was three perfectly fine queens enjoying themselves greatly. Jane was reading a magazine she picked up in the airport, Kitty was starting to watch “Detective Pikachu” on her little TV screen, and Anna was just enjoying her wine. Well Anna was enjoying her wine until the seat in front of her was pushed backwards towards her a bit too far for her comfort. Obviously annoyed, she lets out a very audible groan to try and signal the person in front of her but does nothing. “Excuse me?” she says rather loudly to the person in front of her, a muffled grunt that Anna assumed was supposed to be a ‘sorry’ is all she got in response. Even more annoyed than before, she gets up to ‘use the bathroom’, only to look back and see that the person causing her annoyance was a boy she guessed was about twelve. After she got back to her seat she just decided to ignore it for the kid’s sake and try and sleep through the flight since it was overnight. The hours pass and all the queens have slept a good part of the journey, except one, Anne Boleyn. She maybe slept for 2 hours at most before the plane started to land. As everyone gathered their stuff and getting ready for the landing, she turned to her left to still see Cathrine Parr, the biggest night owl she has ever met, fast asleep. Anne was just glad that Cath got some sleep because lord knows when the least time she slept for more than 3 hours. “ Hey Cath, wake up we are landing soon mon hibou” Anne said softly as she shook her friend awake. Cathy stirred slightly as she woke up to feel slight turbulence.This was enough to fully wake the anxious girl up, “C’mon love, we need to get our stuff together we are landin’ in a few”, in response, Cathy began to put her book away right as the plane began to descend. The plane finally lands in Orlando international Airport and they start to finally let passengers off. “C’mon queens! We have a long day ahead of us!” Jane says to the group as they began to exit into what feels like a whole new world.

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

yay chapter 2 is out!! @prisky0731 @oneofakindnocategory

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ty-talks-comics · 5 years ago

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Best of DC: Week of December 18th, 2019

Best of this Week: Doomsday Clock #12 - Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, Brad Anderson and Rob Leigh

It’s finally over.

Doomsday Clock started in November of 2017. I remember the Wednesday when it came out. I chose two copies, the main cover for a friend and the Superman Variant cover by Gary Frank for myself. I even received a button that I still wear, faithfully on my signature hat. I was excited for this crossover - this confrontation between Alan Moore’s greatest creations (in my opinion) and the bright and colorful heroes of the DC Universe. At first, everything started off so well. The book came out monthly and it was amazing...for all of two or three issues.

Soon after, the book switched to a bi-monthly schedule so that Johns, Frank, Anderson and Leigh could tell the story right. I was willing to wait and every single issue was worth it...up until more delays. If the math were correct, the story should have finished in December of 2018, but here we are in December 2019...at the end of this long ass journey and I can honestly say that it was all worth it.

By God, was it worth it.

It’s hard to discuss what goes on in this book because I feel like it’s less about what happens in it and more about the meaning behind specific actions, reveals and reappearances. One of the things that we were sold on during this series was the inevitable confrontation between Superman and Doctor Manhattan and Geoff Johns manages to subvert our expectations n a good way in that the fight never quite happens, but is more of an ideological debate between cynicism and hope, something that’s been at the heart of this story and DC Rebirth since the beginning.

*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD*

Finally confronting each other, Superman asks Doctor Manhattan who he is Manhattan explains that he is either the one who will destroy Superman or be destroyed by Superman. Before they can delve deeper into that conversation, Superman is beset on both sides by the forces of Russia with Markovia and those of Khandaq. Pozhar and Geo-Force order Superman to answer for Firestorm’s supposed crimes against Russia and Black Adam tells them that he will be held accountable in Khandaq. Tensions rise and the battle is on as Manhattan looks on at the powder keg that he has created.

Because of his curiosity and meddling with time, he has created this timeline where hope is fleeting and the Metaverse, as he calls it, is fighting back with Superman caught in the middle. Because of him, the Superman Theory has caused a palpable amount of distrust between the various nations and his causing Firestorm to explode only made those tensions worse. In an effort to understand his final visions of the future, he staged everything in an effort to get in front of Superman.

He has a monologue in his mind where he states that he is caught in a question of two answers, the answers he gave Superman earlier. Superman fights back against both sides as they fight each other. Meanwhile in Gotham City, Reggie Long, the new (former) Rorschach, is saved from an attack by a red hat wearing man by Alfred. Alfred tries to get him to don the mask of the man who killed his father again and Reggie violently pushes Alfred against a wall and decries his former hero and says that he sees no future, no hope, much like Doctor Manhattan.

Gary Frank makes excellent use of the nine-panel grid to show the emotion on Reggie’s face and how much all of this is affecting him. Interspersed between these panels are shots of Superman fighting before we get an AMAZING double page spread showing the block wide battle between the forces of Russia-Markovia and Khandaq. Vostok-X is thrown into a building, Black Adam fires lightning at Tara Markov, Giganta fights another giant hero, even the Batman and Superman of China make appearances as a past panel noted that heroes from around the world have gone to help Superman or oppose him in Washington.

In the middle of Reggie’s breakdown, Batman shows up and offers him encouragement, apologizing for not believing him earlier in the story. He tells Reggie that even if he hates what the mask stood for, he can give it his own meaning, become his own Rosrschach. This is when the theme of hope begins to build up more as in the middle of the big brawl, Superman does everything he can to save people. As a car is about to crush a family, Superman steps in to save them, he then pleads with Doctor Manhattan to do the same.

Up until this point, Doctor Manhattan had been operating on the idea that there were only two possible options to end his fight with Superman, he even reveals that he’s the one who erased Superman’s friends, mentors and killed his parents. Frank and Anderson then draw four amazing panels. Superman cocking his fist back, eyes full of rage, Doctor Manhattan closing in as to accept his fate, Superman lunging forward with the fist outstretched to the reader and concluding with one punch to an attacking Pozhar, saving Manhattan.

Manhattan is almost left dumbfounded and asks why he’s done this. Why did he save him? Superman replies that there’s a third choice to be made. Superman takes note of the pictures of Janey that Manhattan leaves around when he appears and questions that maybe the darkness that he sees is a result of him using his powers to save the universe like he wishes he could have saved himself and his world.

Doctor Manhattan raises his hands and says that he understands, releasing a surge of energy that makes everything fade away. One of the most powerful shots of this entire book are of Superman’s logo slowly dissipating and then thirteen panels of darkness before we see the Rebirth of everything and Clark’s place in the Metaverse. The fight goes on, but as Superman begins to fall, he receives help in the form of...Everyone. The New Legion of Superheroes and the Justice Society of America bring up the rear in quite possibly one of the most beautiful double page spreads in the book.

It’s easy to understand what Hope is to Geoff Johns. He’s a classic man. He sees hope in the DC Universe as the old heroes. The ones who aspired to do good and be good for reasons above themselves. The JSA inspired Superman to become a force for good and in turn, Superman inspired the future Legion. There’s a reason he wanted this series to reintroduce them in the wake of the darker, grittier New 52 and reinforce that darkness isn’t the only way to find the light. At the same time, Johns uses this book as an opportunity to explain the structure of the Metaverse, Superman’s place in it and inform future stories, crises and timelines for the DC Universe.

*SPOILERS MOSTLY OVER*

When Superman lifted that car in 1938 it was just the beginning, but when Barry Allen created the Speed Force, the universe had its first divide and Superman’s timeline shifted up. This split created Earth-2 where Golden Age Superman still resides. The first Crisis divided the Earth again, creating Earth-1985 and at the center of that is still Superman. After Flashpoint and subsequently Rebirth, Earth-52 was spawned.

Superman is the glue that holds everything together.

Superman is the quintessential hero that everything revolves around and he will always show humanity the way. He’ll appear on many Earths at many different points in many different timelines to inspire hope where none can be found. That’s why I love this story so much. Even though Superman and Manhattan didn’t appear in it very much in the first half, their presence was still felt throughout. There was always this air of hope versus despair and we see who won out. The Watchmen Universe served as the perfect deconstruction of superheroes, but what we’re witnessing with Doomsday Clock is the reconstruction.

It’s the returning of the ideal that’s been lost to so many following endless gritty reboots, terrible political conflict in the modern day and lack of truth, justice and the American - no, Human way. In an age where people don’t know how to write a Superman movie, Doomsday Clock should be the example. Against all odds, Superman managed to inspire a being that has shunted away their humanity for the black and whites of logic instead of focusing on all possible options based on hope.

Doomsday Clock may not exactly stand on the same pedestal as the story that inspired it, but it absolutely should stand high. Gary Frank is an amazing artist that gave this book the weight, scope and respect that it deserved throughout. Amazing faces, body language, scene framing, use of visual motifs such as the Carnival picture puts this story above and beyond in terms of art quality. The way he managed to cram so many heroes on only two pages with insane amounts of detail for each is a testament to his ability and similarity to Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons.

Brad Anderson’s colors gave each individual issue their own unique feel with this one making good use of Doctor Manhattan’s blue light in the form of being a new symbol of hope in the face of the dark inks and oranges of the destruction taking place. Even when the mass of characters appear, no one gets lost in the pages because their colors are so distinct and recognizable amongst each other.

This story also couldn’t have been told without Rob Leigh’s amazing lettering. The way that we can distinguish between Manhattan’s dialogue, feel the weight of every character’s words and the bubble placement shows a level of skill that allows us to enjoy the flow of dialogue without losing any of the art.

It’s been a long journey to finally get here, but it has been worth the wait. Even if the current state of the DC Universe has either gone past this story or if it’ll need to be retconned to have been before the current events of Year of the Villain, there’s still a place for it in the overall landscape. I loved all of this and this is the kind of story that makes me glad to be a comic book fan. There’s nuance to everything, a good few messages and amazing art. Better yet, it ensures Geoff Johns future legacy will be one of hope and inspiration thanks to the time that he loved so much and hopes to get back to.

I welcome the return of the Legion of Superheroes even as I’m not the biggest fan of Brian Michael Bendis. Even more so for the Justice Society of America whenever they get a new series announced. It’s great to see the classics again and I’m interested as to how they’ll do in this new modern age.

As for Doctor Manhattan and the rest of the Watchmen characters, without a doubt I think we’ll be seeing some of them again at different points. They didn’t overstay their welcome or absolutely destroy everything like I thought they might, but we know that they’re around and we know there’s still stories to be told despite Alan Moore’s own feelings on such things.

This isn't the perfect sequel to Watchmen, how could it be? But it is an amazing Watchmen adjacent book that builds off of the themes of that story and injects the DCUs vision of hope and justice into these characters. For that, I am glad to have read it.

Doomsday has been avoided and we have several hours before midnight, at least for now.

#doomsday clock #doctor manhattan #superman #justice society of america #legion of super heroes #geoff johns #gary frank #brad anderson #rob leigh #dc comics #comics #comic review

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shutupandshipit · 5 years ago

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Blood and Diamonds - Part 2

Summary: "Welcome to the stage… Lilith.”

Or where Neil is a stripper at the Days’ strip club when Ichirou doesn’t need him for family business, and Andrew is Kevin’s bodyguard. It’s only Andrew’s second month as Kevin’s bodyguard and it had been pretty boring up until then, but it only takes one night in the Days’ club for things to get just a little more interesting. For both him and Neil.

Pairing: Andreil

Rating: M

Previous <- Part 1: Lilith

Part 3 -> Next (coming soon)

Part 2: Gold

Kevin walked out of the VIP room at a time closer to dawn than to midnight, looking far worse for wear than he should have. After Neil had left the room, Riko had spent the rest of the night getting systematically drunk and harassing both Jeremy and Thea. It had been about an hour since he'd fallen asleep, and Kevin had taken the chance to slip out. He found Nicky nodding off while Andrew paged idly through the book Nicky had been reading earlier that night.

Looking between them, he said, "Minyard, we're going." He nudged Nicky's shoulder, jostling him awake. "Nicky, go to bed. You know where your room is."

Nicky mumbled, but staggered to his feet and away down the hall.

Standing, Andrew slid into his jacket, buttoning it slowly before looking at Kevin impassively. "Where are we going?" he asked, leading the way down the stairs onto the quiet ground floor.

The waiters and waitresses moved around slowly, sweeping and mopping and wiping down tables. Earphones poked out of their ears, tinny music rising from them as they passed. On stage, Dan and Allison were going through new routines they'd developed with his father that focused on floor work rather than pole dancing.

He thought that if they did it right, they'd pull off just floor work supplemented with pole dancing rather than the other way around which would be good for the others as most of their joints weren't the best anymore. Or they'd transition to just floor work in general. He wanted to see if they could be the first strip club not to use a pole in their performances. Not all of the performances, of course, because there were some performers who couldn't dance at all. The pole was their only saving grace.

"Dan, Allison, that's looking good, but you need to spread more. Where's Renee?" Usually the three women practiced together before going home, but with Neil working with Ichirou tonight, he could only assume what she'd been pulled for.

"Strained something in my hip tonight," Dan explained, closing her legs so they were sticking straight in the air before rocking forward to sit properly. "Neil called her at the end of shift for something. She'll be in late tomorrow."

"Wonderful," Kevin sighed. That must have been why Ichirou wanted them off the estate for the night as well. Creating another body that only Renee could make disappear properly. Turning, he followed Andrew to the door without another comment.

Behind him, the women called a little irately and mostly sarcastically, "Goodnight!"

Andrew waved over his shoulder to them, and Dan laughed happily before returning to their practice. He slid into the front seat of his car, waiting for Kevin to get in the passenger seat before asking again, "Where are we going?"

"To pick something up. I'll direct you, but the address can't go in the GPS."

Without anymore questions, Andrew started the car and pulled out of his parking spot. He turned the radio down to a low murmur, just to fill the silence between directions.

Kevin directed him precisely for forty-five minutes, further and further from the city and deeper into the suburbs. It was nearly five in the morning when Kevin directed Andrew into an overcrowded driveway. Once they were parked behind several run down SUVs, Kevin pulled himself from the car and marched to the door, Andrew following curiously behind him.

His eyes flickered over the houses, lawns, cars, toys, single person randomly walking their dog. He put his eyes on everything around them, and Kevin tried to not let it piss him off.

Andrew was the best bodyguard he'd ever had, preventing more things than reacting to them. His life had never been so stable, but that came with the added irritation of his constant suspicion and vigilance. It was a price he was willing to pay, but not that he paid happily.

Kevin had only tapped on the door once before it jerked open, a frazzled looking woman smiling at him from the other side. Her kinky black curls had expanded becoming a full on afro, and deep bags marred the skin beneath her eyes.

"Oh Kevin, thank goodness."

"Mrs. McKean, it's good to see you again. How's Rodger?"

"As crotchety as ever. Neil?"

Kevin nodded. "Work, yes."

From the back of the house, what sounded like a stampede headed in their direction. Kevin crouched in preparation, opening his arms as a mass of human hair hurled itself at him and straight into his arms. The breath left his chest, and he held the squirming mass close.

"Uncle Kevin!" it screeched.

Mrs. McKean pressed a hand to her cheek, smiling through her exhaustion. "That man works so hard for this little girl. He'd do anything for her."

Kevin nodded in agreement, lifting the small girl into his arms and pushing her rust red curls from her face. "Janey, baby girl, good morning."

"Morning, Uncle Kevin! Where's Daddy?"

"He's working, baby, so we're going to get breakfast and wait for him." He glanced at Mrs. McKean, but she had already disappeared into the house to gather the little girl's things. "How did you sleep?"

Instead of answering, Jane's big blue eyes were glued to Andrew over his shoulder. When he turned, Andrew's hazel eyes were glued to her in turn, and he watched an actual honest to God stare off between a grown ass man and a four-year-old. Uncle Kevin, who's that? He looks like the lady I saw in my dream last night."

Kevin turned completely to face Andrew, smiling gently. "That's Andrew, your new uncle. He's your daddy's friend."

"Is he safe?"

Kevin hid a snort in a cough, and cleared his throat. "He's not going to hurt you."

"Or Daddy?"

They both looked at Andrew in expectation.

He seemed taken aback by the direct question, but he only narrowed his eyes. "Only if he hurts your... Uncle Kevin."

Seeming to accept that answer, Jane opened her mouth to continue talking when Mrs. McKean stepped back into the doorway. She had a bright orange and white fox backpack in her hand, a fox stuffed animal with a pudgy little body and legs, and a car seat. "Sorry for the wait, Kevin. Here's everything she had today. Neil's bringing her by tonight?"

"No. Jeremy's off today, I think. And she has a couple appointments."

"Okay, well, you just have him let me know, alright. I'll see you." Leaning in, she pressed her cheek to Kevin's before smothering Jane in kisses. Jane giggled and screamed as she pulled away. "Good night then, and good morning."

"Bye Mrs. McKean. Say bye, Jane."

"Bye bye, ma'am!" she called happily, waving wildly as the woman closed the door behind her.

Andrew seemed to be vibrating with questions and waited only until Jane was safely installed in her car seat with her fox to release them. "What the fuck?" he hissed as Kevin closed the car door. "Do you know how much of a problem this is?"

"What? Picking up Neil's child?"

"No, dipshit!" Andrew snapped, "You and Josten in a relationship with a child?"

"We're not in a relationship."

"There's a fucking child in the mix, Day! Whether you two are fucking or not doesn't mean that someone won't use that little girl as leverage. Against you. Against him to get him to cooperate. Do you know what a major problem this is? What a major security risk she is for you? You have got to be fucking kidding me! You better have a damn good reason for hiding something massive like this from me." He was hissing through his teeth, jaw clenched as he glared at Kevin with so much venom, it was a wonder he wasn't already dead.

Kevin looked him dead in the eye as he said, "Because you'd react like this. And she is not optional." He moved around Andrew and towards the passenger door.

"What the fuck does that mean?"

Sighing, Kevin turned back to him. "It means she's important to me. It means Neil's important to me, as much as I hate to admit it. To all of us. And we're not giving her up for anything. Not only myself, but every Fox and Dad would die for her, okay? This is not a discussion."

"What about Riko? Remember that psycho? I don't fucking understand what's happening here."

"I'll explain what I can, Andrew, but you're not going to understand. Riko knows not to threaten or touch her. There's too many of us, and Renee broke his wrist the last time he even insinuated that he'd do something to her. He has a lot against us, but-" Kevin's voice dropped low, his eyes narrowed and distant with hatred. "I'll kill him if anything happens to Jane."

Andrew was silent, and Kevin only climbed into the car when Andrew walked around to the driver's side. Kevin softened under Jane's singing, and he turned in his seat to smile at her. "That sounds great, Jane, where'd you hear it?"

She beamed, and Kevin melted, and Andrew stared. "Daddy's practice."

.....

Andrew allowed Kevin to direct them to a small road side diner closer to the city than the daycare was, but not close enough to matter, seething the entire time. He could absolutely not believe Kevin would be stupid enough to keep... this from him. This child. This liability. This mass of curly human hair singing in the backseat that looked so much like her father he had to wonder if the mother had even contributed any of her genes.

"Uncle Andrew, can you hold Cupcake for me, please?" the little girl asked as he stood outside the car door.

He stared down at her. "What's Cupcake and why?"

"My fox!" she said, waving the little potato shaped fox at him emphatically, "So I can unbuckle."

"I'm going to get her bag from the other side," Kevin said with a smirk, leaving him to the wolves as he watched her.

"I might drop him, and then he could get dirty," she continued to explain.

After a moment of long staring between the two of them, he caved and said, "Well, we wouldn't want that." He took the fox, watching as she very competently released each clasp.

"Don't even try to get out on your own," Kevin warned from the other side, "You know what happened last time. Your dad would kill me if you get a bloody nose again."

"Noooo," Jane sang, but looked to Andrew with wide trusting eyes. She lifted her arms. "Can you please help me out? Uncle Kevin doesn't think I'm a big girl."

"Is he right? Do you get hurt often?" Andrew asked, staring at Kevin through the car.

Kevin opened his mouth to reply, but Jane huffed. "My legs don't work right sometimes. I fall a lot, and I fall every time I get out on my own. I get hurt, but if I don't try, then how will I learn?"

Andrew knew that it was dangerous for children to trust so easily, but Kevin was right. He wouldn't hurt this little girl, least of all because she was Neil's daughter. Mostly because he'd been young at one point and he knew what it was like to not be able to trust anyone. Or to be betrayed by someone he trusted. So, he caved. He let himself compare her to her father, and he found himself interested in her story.

"I'll help you learn eventually, but let's save that for another time." Andrew leaned down, and instead of lifting her by the underarms like he'd been planning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on tight.

Sighing, he pulled her against his chest and ducked out of the car, holding her like anyone would hold a toddler. She was so small for her age, he thought, just a sac of potatoes or maybe a medium size bag of dog food. Then again, he didn't often interact with four-year-olds. Maybe this was a normal size for girls her age.

He lowered her to the pavement, and she smiled up at him, holding tight to his fingers. "You're nicer to hug than Uncle Kevin, but not as nice as Daddy."

Kevin made an offended sound as he rounded the car, staring at the little girl. "I've dedicated four years of my life to you, and this is how you repay me?"

"I love you more than Uncle Andrew though because I don't know him as well."

"At all," Andrew corrected under his breath.

Jane looked at him, perplexed. "I know that your name is Uncle Andrew and you care about Uncle Kevin and Daddy and give nice hugs. So, I know a little about you."

"Okay," Andrew conceded because he didn't want to have an argument with a four-year-old. "Let's just get inside."

"Pancakes!" Jane sang, dragging him along behind her. In the booth, she patted the seat next to her. "Uncle Andrew, you sit here, and Uncle Kevin can sit over there with Cupcake until Daddy shows up. And then Daddy can have Cupcake's spot. Uncle Andrew, you'll eat pancakes like me right?"

Andrew nodded, unconcerned with his diet being decided by a little girl. "With chocolate chips and whipped cream. You can't have coffee though." The little girl crowed, jumping excitedly as she scribbled across the back of the paper place mat and crayons she'd been given. He couldn't stop the smirk from pulling at his lips before glaring at Kevin.

The waitress came by, taking their orders before disappearing.

"Open your fucking mouth and tell me what is going on. Now. How did you and Neil meet? And the girl."

Kevin's mouth pursed into a tight line as he considered how to answer, but before he could say a word, Jane perked up.

"Oh! I know this story," she started brightly, "When Daddy was really young, his papa and his mama and Mommy used to be really bad people. That's how Daddy got all his scars. Mommy did something bad to him, and then didn't want me afterward. Daddy left with me so they wouldn't do bad things to me too. He went to Uncle Kevin for help because they grew up together. He got him a job working with Dan and Matt and Renee and Allison and Seth and Grandpa Wymack and even Roland! Roland is really nice. He always lets me paint his nails. And then Uncle Ichirou took us in until Daddy and I could live on our own!"

She looked up at Andrew's attentive expression, grinning. "Now we're family. That's how Daddy and Uncle Kevin and I know each other!"

Their food came soon after that, and they dug in while Andrew chewed on the new information. It was a simplified version for sure, and he knew there was more to it than just that, but Jane had given him quite a bit to think about.

From the opposite side of the table, Kevin whispered, "He showed up at three in the morning with her, just a newborn baby. She hadn't even been a week old. He looked like a nightmare covered from head to toe in blood, this tiny little thing cradled to his chest. He'd been terrified," Kevin explained quietly, staring down into his plate, "He wouldn't talk to me about it. Wouldn't explain what had happened. I still don't really know everything. Anything. I know Riko was involved, but not to what extent. And I know that they found the Butcher's body the next day. Well, Ichirou and Lord Moriyama did."

"What was the bad thing done to him?"

"That's not for me to tell. That's Neil's story. I don't even know if he'd be okay telling you what I already have."

"What about her legs?"

Kevin's face darkened. "Something that her mother did to her."

Inhaling deeply, Andrew turned his eyes back to the little girl. Her cheeks were flushed and round, her hair full and soft looking and healthy. She didn't look malnourished, and she clearly had enough imagination to keep herself busy as she chatted at her fox toy happily.

She was clearly well taken care of.

"I'll ask him myself," Andrew said as he looked over at Kevin again.

"He's a liar when you first meet him. So be careful what you believe from him."

Andrew thought back to the game they'd played that night and thought he wasn't really going to have a problem with that.

"Where's Daddy?" Jane whined, "It's already six thirty. He's never this late."

Andrew frowned, glancing at the clock and realizing she was right about the time. Turning to her, he said, "Finish your food and maybe he'll show up."

"I'm saving half for him," she grumbled, cheek smushed in her palm as she stared out the window.

"He'll get his own when he gets here, baby," Kevin told her, voice softer than Andrew had ever heard it.

The difference continued to give Andrew whiplash. Instead of thinking of the implication, he turned to the little girl. "Your Dad would rather have you finish your food than share with you. You need to eat everything on your plate to grow. Don't you want to be as strong as him?"

She glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and nodded. She huffed. "Yeah, I do."

"Then finish your food. Your dad will get his own when he gets here."

"Fine."

"Okay, Miss Attitude." Turning back to Kevin, he didn't miss the way he whipped the smile off his face. "Not a fucking word, Day."

It was another fifteen minutes, plates cleared away and coffee cups refilled before Jane threw herself over Andrew's lap and sprinted from the diner.

Glancing out the window, Andrew watched as she threw herself into her father's arms. Her cry was muffled by the glass. "Daddy!"

Neil looked exhausted in a charcoal three piece suit that fit him more snugly than Andrew's, caught her easily. He held her tightly, face pressed into her curls for several long minutes. He lowered her to the ground, starting for the diner with her hand held in his.

Andrew watched them, baffled by the similarities between them, and he was the one with an identical twin. He was nearly convinced that Neil had simply cloned himself, and by some freak accident had made her a girl.

Across from him, Kevin waved down the waitress and put in another order. She had already bustled away when Neil pushed open the door and followed his daughter's lead towards them.

She was explaining the seating situation as Kevin slid out to let Neil in. "So you sit where Cupcake is and I sit next to Uncle Andrew."

Neil stared at him in amusement as Andrew lifted the little girl up and over him into her seat. "'Uncle' Andrew, is it?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yeah!" Jane chirped, sitting closer to him than she had before.

When Neil's food arrived, he ate quickly and swallowed the contents of his coffee cup. "Andrew, can you watch her for a moment? I need to talk to Kevin."

Andrew nodded, noticing the blood staining his shirt cuff for the first time.

They slid out of the booth and through the diner door. Andrew paid the waitress for the meals, watching intently as the conversation got more animated and Kevin grew increasingly angrier and more horrified until he was hissing through clenched teeth.

"Come on, Jane. Looks like we need to break up a fight."

Jane's eyes grew wide. "A fight? Daddy and Uncle can't fight!"

Andrew smirked, sliding from the booth and waiting until she slid towards him to hold out a hand. She grabbed it as she jumped down, stumbling a little as her legs buckled beneath her. He held her up so she didn't hit the ground. "That's why we're going to stop them before they start."

"Right," she said, determination in her eyes as they left. "Bye bye, Miss Sherry!"

The waitress grinned back. "Goodbye, little lady. Have a good morning. You too, sir."

Andrew didn't say anything, and he lifted Jane by her hand so she was dangling to swing her down the stairs. She squealed with laughter, rocking her feet to make herself swing more.

Kevin cut off suddenly, pulling away from where he'd been pushing his face close to Neil's. He glared pointedly at Andrew.

.....

Neil couldn't keep his eyes off of Andrew, his chest warm and his heart soft as he swung Jane towards them.

"What are we talking about so urgently?" Andrew asked casually, letting Jane's feet skip across the ground instead of actually touching down.

"You're so strong, Uncle Andrew! Uncle Kevin can't do this!"

A laugh bubbled in Neil's chest, and he pressed his lips into a thin line. An unwilling smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Just as much as he was, Kevin was unwaveringly devoted to Jane in a way the others couldn't be. They'd never held her, tiny and covered in blood. They'd never been woken at three in the morning to her screaming and rocked her while Neil made up a bottle. They hadn't been there for the worst part of her life. So to hear Jane already leaning towards Andrew as if he'd been the one there... Well, Neil could only imagine how mad that made him.

"Don't you fucking smile at that, asshole!" Kevin snarled at him.

"Why? It's funny."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"Stop fighting!" Jane shouted at the top of her lungs, "We're family, and family isn't supposed to fight! So stop fighting!"

Both men breathed in sharply, snapping their eyes towards her. They held their breath for several long heartbeats before letting it out slowly in unison. "Sorry, Jane, you're right," Neil said, stepping towards her and lifting her into her arms. She was still as light as ever, barely weighing twenty-five pounds, and he couldn't help but crush her to his chest. The events of the day crashed down on top of him, Andrew and Riko and Kevin, and all Neil wanted in that moment was to cuddle with his daughter in bed and fall asleep to whatever movie she wanted to watch.

Exhaustion weighed heavy on him, and he sighed into her hair. "Kevin, I'm going home now. We can talk more later. Just... don't do anything stupid before practice."

He was looking at Andrew when he said this though, and Andrew narrowed his eyes.

For once in his life, Kevin didn't argue. Instead, he stomped towards the sleek black Maserati and pulled out Jane's car seat. He carried it towards Neil's own considerably older Mazda, functional if not stylish.

"Thank you," Neil said before setting Jane on the ground, "Say bye to your... Uncles so we can go home. It's late and we've got to be up this afternoon."

"'Kay!" Jane chirped and ran over to hug Andrew's legs. Taken aback, he could only stare at Neil.

Neil shrugged as she detached herself from him and ran into Kevin's arms.

Kevin scooped her up, holding her against his chest fiercely. "Goodnight, I'll see you this afternoon. Give your Dad hell."

"Noooo," Jane crowed, giggling as she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Instead of letting her go, Kevin took the time to install her in her car seat, talking to her all the while.

Standing next to Andrew, Neil couldn't help the discomfort that wriggled in his chest.

"He loves her way to much for his own safety," Andrew muttered, watching the pair interact happily.

Neil glanced over, curious. "Can you love someone too much?"

"Yes."

He sighed after a moment. “Yeah, I guess you can.” Looking back at the pair, Neil nodded. "Yeah, he does, but I don't think that's a bad thing."

.....

Things changed after that night. Andrew became a regular at the club, in Neil's private room, and in his life all together. Two month of getting to know each other and annoying Kevin.

Standing on stage, Neil rolled his eyes as Kevin spat insult after insult at him. "You're completely fucking useless!" he shouted.

"Sure. That's why I'm your most popular dancer. Yeah. Whatever you say, Kevin," Neil replied sarcastically, pushing his damp bangs back from his forehead. He retied his orange paw print bandanna, cinching it tight. He could feel Andrew's eyes on him with each movement from the table he was sharing with Jane. "I don't see why you're freaking out this badly. You're the one who wanted to switch things up. Plus, Allison and I are doing pretty good after you've literally changed our routine three times."

"You're too stiff! You're moving like Seth!"

"Hey! Fuck you!" Seth shouted from the far end of the stage where Matt, Dan and Renee were helping him through flexibility training stretches.

"Jesus Christ," Kevin hissed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Just- Start from the top!"

Rolling his eyes, Neil looked back at Allison. There was sweat pouring down her beautiful face and sculpted body, her expression flat with irritation as she ran her hand back through her hair. "How does that speed feel?" he asked, ignoring Kevin's snarled warning.

"Feels a little slow for the music, like we're off beat. I feel like we shouldn't drop into that sit until we hear her 'sweat'. We could speed it up just a bit, and I think it'd feel more natural."

Neil nodded, and they turned towards the front of the stage in unison. They took a moment, tugging at the hems of their tiny shorts. Neil's were halfway up his ass by that point, and he could feel them trying to creep further. After tightening the straps of their heels, they nodded.

The music started, and they only had a few moments before they heard the lyrics cry, 'Woah! Oo!'

They burst into movement in perfect sync, snapping their heads up and then around their shoulders. Normally, for this routine, Neil would be wearing a fiery red wig that mimicked Allison's long, straight blonde hair, but it was too hot beneath the lights, and he didn't want to have to style it again before the night began. The tangles were always brutal after a routine like this.

They moved sinuously and sensually, the most erotic pair out of all the Foxes as they strutted towards the front of the stage. When they snapped forward from the waist to grab their ankles, they were facing each other and Allison's hair snapped across his shoulder and neck as they barely avoided cracking their skulls together. That's how they're dances always were, sensual, sexual, savage, especially if they weren't touching each other. They were always so close that is didn't matter if they did or didn't. It still had the crowd roaring with approval.

Instead, Jane just clapped and laughed happily. Some people might have found it strange and a little disgusting that Neil brought his daughter to dance practice for his stripping job, but it was the easiest way to keep an eye on her. On top of that, he didn't want his daughter growing up with any sort of complex or stigma about women's sexuality. He wanted her to grow up knowing that it was okay and that she didn't have to hide it, that she could be strong and girly or she could be a tomboy and still womanly. The club was the place she got the most female interaction, and that was something Neil wanted to provide for her even if he never wanted to be with a woman again.

He didn't really know how to pull it all together in his head at the end of the day. He just knew that he felt like the club during the day was a good place for her to be.

Neil caught the glimpse of a smile on Allison's lips at Jane's happy shrieking, and it only made him grin further. Dancing with Allison was almost as intoxicating as watching her, and Neil always loved partnering with her. He enjoyed partnering with all of the girls, and Matt on the occasion, but Allison was always the most fun.

'I need that/to get me off!'

They hit the ground, going straight into their splits before swinging their legs around to meet. When they sat back on their heels, their damp shoulder blades met, and they bounced together as the song continued, 'Sweat until my clothes come off!'

Neil's eyes involuntarily darted to where he knew Andrew was as his dragged his fingers down his lips, and his body felt electric when he caught Andrew's hazel gaze out of the corner of his eye. Heat gathered low in his belly as the memory of Andrew's hand between his legs slipped through his mind, and he gasped silently before dropping onto all fours to crawl away from Allison's grounding presence.

Through the rest of the dance, the rest of the touches and the heat, Neil couldn't keep his eyes from moving back to Andrew every few moments or his mind from wandering to every touch they'd shared in two months. It got harder and harder to tear his eyes away each time until they were simply stuck there.

When the song finally ended, Allison and Neil's hands plastered to each other's hips, they were gasping and drenched and Neil was 99.9% sure that he'd cum in his shorts. For the sake of his dignity, he hoped not, but he wouldn't hold out any hope. He knew for sure that he was still achingly hard, and he was thankful that he had to tuck to wear most of his outfits. Especially to wear these shorts.

"That was better," Kevin grumbled grudgingly, glaring at them, "Whatever you were thinking about this time, make sure you're thinking about it again tonight. And wear something that you can take layers off along the way."

"Whatever," Allison muttered, turning towards the other four on stage.

"Practice is done! Go get cleaned up, get something to eat, and get ready before the doors open! Neil, you're on pretty much all night so don't burn yourself out with the first two dances! Do you hear me? Neil, Allison, Dan, you're up first so make sure you're back before seven. If you're late, I will shove my foot so far up your asses that you'll be able to taste my boot!" Wymack shouted from the bar where he'd been discussing budget with Roland.

"Wait!" Jane wailed, running up to the stage as Allison dangled her legs over the edge and dropped to the floor, "One more, Daddy!"

"One more?" Neil almost groaned, smiling through his tiredness. "Daddy's tired, baby."

"Please!" she said, clasping her hands together, "I love watching you dance! Just one more!"

Looking towards the DJ booth, Neil caught Jeremy's eye. He was grinning, leaning along the edge and waving to Neil. After a moment, Neil sighed, and said, "Because I can't tell you no... What do you want to see?"

"7 Rings!"

"Well, you heard the lady!" Neil called to Jeremy, and a moment after he disappeared, the music started. When Neil danced for his daughter, it was all fluid feminine movements, wide smiles and silly faces when he tilted his head and canted his hips. He used those dances to showcase his talent and flexibility rather than his body.

From the opposite side of the stage, Dan shouted and sprinted over and straight into the dance with him, grinning widely. “I love this routine!”

They started on the floor, slowly going from one hip to the other and then to their stomachs and into a crouch before getting to their feet. When they spread their feet wide and raised their arms over their heads, Jane shrieked in delight.

Neil laughed as they kicked out their legs, and Dan ultimately kicked him in the ankle because they weren't spread out enough.

The dance devolved from there, Neil sinking to the floor and Dan shouting apologies through her laughter. She dragged him back to his feet after catching her breath.

When the song came to and end, he dropped to ground level, sweeping Jane up into his arms. He peppered her face with kisses as she screamed and giggled and wiggled. "Uncle Andrew! Save me! He's all sweaty!"

Neil could see a lewd comment sitting on the tip of Andrew's tongue when he caught his eyes, but he raised an eyebrow before the man could say a word.

"If you let him go, he can take a shower so he's not sweaty. And then you can go get something to eat with him." Andrew held out his hands to her, and she reached for him willingly.

Neil handed her over before turning to follow the rest of the team into the changing room. They were all seated at their vanities staring at him when he entered, even Kevin and Wymack at the back of the room. He hadn't noticed all of them leaving the main room.

Dan and Allison were grinning wolfishly. Matt winked at him. Renee smiled softly. Seth scowled while Kevin and Wymack simply stared back.

Narrowing his eyes, Neil let the door slam shut and snatched up his shower things from his vanity. "Whatever this is, I'm cool not sticking around for it because I can already tell it has more to do with me than I'd like," he told them, turning back to the door, but Renee grabbed his shoulder.

"They're being nosy. Coach and Kevin actually wanted to discuss the line up before we all broke for lunch," she explained.

The others took Renee's explanation as an invitation to jump into the conversation feet first. "Yeah, so, like, when did that become a thing?" Matt asked, grin widening as Neil darted a look to him.

"What?" Neil asked, purposefully remaining obtuse because he didn't want to talk about the not-relationship he'd developed over the last two months. The absolute trust he'd somehow found himself giving the other man without provocation. The way he'd allowed Jane to be alone with Andrew. The hours they'd spent together between dances and at the end of his shift, smoking and waiting for when he could pick Jane up while Kevin puttered around the club. Neil would have liked to talk about it, but not with everyone currently present in the room. Especially not with Seth glowering at him.

For being a stripper, Seth was the kind of homophobic that not only pissed Neil off, but made him want to push his buttons every single day.

Seth's brand of homophobia was also the kind that made Neil a little scared. Scared that one day he'd have to defend himself.

He'd heard stories about other strippers like him, and so many of those had ended badly.

Kevin had warned him when he first began at the club that Neil should at least feign at being straight, even if he wasn't which wasn't the problem. Being demisexual wasn't the problem. The problem was that Neil was good at being a stripper. He was good at being feminine and sensual. He was good at being a mix of feminine and masculine, but never at just being masculine.

He was the Butcher's Son, the right hand man of Ichirou Moriyama, the person that was called whenever he needed someone dead. That didn't make him invulnerable though, and he had no illusions about how much bigger Seth was than him.

"Ah, come on, Neil. We're all friends here," Dan said, hopping off her vanity, "We're talking about Andrew. You know, the guy who's been requesting you every night? That guy?"

"Nope. Don't know him," Neil said decidedly, shrugging out from under Renee's hand and heading for the door.

"Ah, Neil, baby, come on. Don't be like that," Allison cooed, though there was laughter in her voice, "We just want to hear all about Andrew."

"Leaving!" Neil called over his shoulder, "Do whatever you want with the line up! I don't care!" He showered quickly, thankful as he always was for the stalls that Wymack had had installed when he'd brought the Foxes together. He showered quickly, happy to find that no, in fact, he hand not cum in his shorts like a teenager and that his boner had effectively been killed by the others' questions. He was out within ten minutes, pulling on snug jeans and fitted t-shirt. All clothing that Kevin had required him to wear since starting at the club. If he had his way, he would wear things that would bring as little attention to him as possible. Faded jeans and equally faded t-shirts, too big so as to cover up anything he didn't want people to see. Alas, Kevin wouldn't 'let him dress like a hobo', so he was subjected to anything Kevin and Nicky picked for him.

He only stopped by the changing room to grab his wallet and drop off his shower caddie and towel before darting back onto the main room.

"Where's the fire?" Andrew asked, looking up from where he was leaning over a picture with Jane. She was pointing excitedly when he looked away, and she pouted when he didn't look back.

"Nowhere. Where's Jeremy?" Neil asked, telling himself that the heat in his cheeks was from his shower and not from the embarrassment of his stage mates eyes on him.

"Here!" Jeremy called, hurrying down the stairs that led to the DJ booth. There was color high in his cheeks as well and a trail of hickeys darkening from just beneath his jaw to disappear below the collar of his shirt.

Neil smirked, leaning in close almost so that he was kissing Jeremy's ear so that only he could hear him. "What -or should I say who- were you doing just now? They left a few marks. Kevin loves to bite?"

Jeremy slapped a hand over his neck, the blush darkening as he pulled back with a laugh. "Stop teasing," he said, pushing at Neil's shoulder, "I don't tease you about your marks."

"I appreciate that, but you're reactions are just too priceless. Thanks for taking Jane tonight, by the way. I've got a few things to take care of after closing, so I might not be able to pick her up until the afternoon," Neil said, turning to the pair at the table who had all eyes on him. "What are you drawing?"

"You and me and Uncle Andrew!" Jane responded immediately, turning the picture towards him. She'd drawn Andrew in all gold, Neil in red, and herself in pink out front of a multicolored house. There was a dog in the window and a garden off to the side.

"No problem," Jeremy said, dropping his hand to survey the picture, "That's cool, Jane. Is that your house?"

"No! It's Daddy's dream home."

"Oh? I'm part of that?" Andrew asked with a smirk as his eyes flicked towards Neil.

Jane nodded vigorously as Jeremy laughed and walked around the table to pick up her backpack. "You have to be! You're family now!"

"What about your other uncles and aunts and grandparents?" Neil asked, feeling the heat rise again.

Jane rolled her eyes as if the answer were obvious. "Well, you don't like anybody else like you like Uncle Andrew. Obviously."

"Oh, obviously," Andrew snarked, and Neil scoffed. They glanced at each other, and Jeremy's laughter was uproarious.

Staring back, Andrew said, "Kevin banished me for lunch. So, I'm coming along."

Neil nodded, lifting Jane into his arms and heading for the doors.

.....

Andrew had Neil pressed up against the wall just in the doorway of the private room they always met in, hands holding his hips still as music and base thrummed through the floor and up through their feet. Neil moaned into his mouth, and he inhaled the sound with every ounce of his strength.

Two months had passed since their first meeting in that room, and those meetings hadn't stopped. If anything, they'd increased in frequency. Now, more often than not during working hours, if Andrew wasn't with Kevin or if Neil wasn't up on stage, they were in that room or outback smoking. If they weren't doing their jobs, they were together.

They spent most of their time together, talking and sitting a respectful distance away from each other. Sometimes though, they spent their nights like this. Pressed flush against each other, Neil's hands never straying from his shoulders while he allowed Andrew to take his touch where he wanted. Except to push beneath the hem of his shirt. Neil's torso was an off limits area that Andrew desperately wanted to get his mouth on, but never pushed for more than Neil was willing to give.

"I'm on soon," Neil said against his mouth, but didn't make much effort to push away from him.

"They'll be fine without you."

"Andrew," Neil said, pushing against him this time, and he relented. They separated, Neil pushed aside a curtain to reveal a mirror Andrew had never known about where he grimaced at his smeared lipstick. "They're starting to suspect, you know."

"Who and what?"

"The others. About... this." Neil gestured vaguely between them as he reached for a tissue and dabbed dispassionately at his mouth.

Andrew straightened his black button up before reaching for where Neil had threw his jacket on the floor earlier. He scoffed. "There is no 'this'. I don't do 'this'. Let them speculate."

Neil cut his eyes towards Andrew, expression as blank as some of the ones Andrew wore.

Andrew stared back until Neil glanced away and lifted his mask. He didn't say anything as he left, and Andrew had the oddest feeling that he'd done something he wasn't supposed to. That he'd fucked up in some way.

Frowning, he followed Neil's progress out and down to the ground floor where he took up his usual spot at the bar.

Roland slid him a double whiskey across the bar top. "What's that sour look for?" he asked, dropping his chin into his hands while he stared at Andrew.

"This is just my face," Andrew replied sourly.

Roland laughed. "Not one bit. You're a champ at neutral face, but I've only ever seen you make that face when you get into an argument with Kevin, Aaron or Nicky. So, what's going on?" Roland asked.

Before Andrew could tell him to fuck off, the lights dimmed, the candles were snuffed, and the stage light rose. Deep indigo light lit the stage and the music thrummed overhead as Dan, Neil and Allison marched out and stood shoulder to shoulder. They each wore their respective fox masks, looking menacing as they stood with their legs spread and feet planted.

Neil wore a black body suit that covered him from neck to shoulders to crotch, cutting high up his hips. The armpits dropped low so that the sides were open with only thin strips of golden fabric holding the front and back together. Over top, he wore strappy golden lingerie that matched the towering strappy heels he wore. A garter belt wrapped around his waist, connecting to the choker wrapped around his throat and the others wrapped around his thick thighs.

Andrew's mouth went dry. That hadn't been what Neil had been wearing ten minutes ago.

"Oh? What's gotten into him tonight?" Roland asked on the edge of a laugh, "This is something new. I kind of like it. Usually, he just wears all black."

"I know," Andrew growled. His irritation was completely encompassing, but also ridiculous. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Neil, but he could feel the lust rolling off the crowd. All eyes were on him, they had to be. Neil was too riveting for them to be anywhere else.

Roland glanced at Andrew, laughed into his hand, and drifted down the bar to another customer.

Andrew didn't know what he was supposed to do with the fact of Neil dropping into a crouch, hands on the pole in front of him before sliding back up it. Or when he dropped to his knees on the floor and then slid down until his belly was pressed flat. Or when he humped the floor generously.

Neil's eyes were on him the entire time.

When the song ended and Neil and the girls collected the tips littered across the stage, they strutted away to the lights dimming and going out. Andrew stood from his stool, hard and angry as he marched out the back door. He lit one cigarette, sucking it down in two inhales before lighting another off the end.

A thin, fine boned hand covered in scars reached over, taking the cigarette from his fingers.

Glancing over, Andrew found Neil, sweat slicked and flushed with a robe wrapped around him, pressing the filter to his lips. He stared at Andrew through the eyes of his mask, expression flat.

"I like the outfit," Andrew said, leaning back against the wall and reaching for another cigarette.

Neil nodded silently, turning his eyes away.

Narrowing his eyes, Andrew reached for the snout of the mask. "Yes or no?" Neil stilled, inhale paused and muscle stiff. He didn't look at Andrew, so he asked again, "Yes or no?"

"Yes," Neil whispered, and Andrew pulled the mask off.

He pressed the other man against the alley wall, hands on either side of his head. Neil stared back at him impassively as he searched his face for anything, searched for the truth. "Why are you angry?"

"I'm not angry."

"Yes, you are."

"You wouldn't know. Remember? There isn't a 'this' so how would you know?"

"That's why you're mad?" Andrew asked flatly.

Neil's eyes were cold, but tears sat on the edge of his lashes. "No. I just needed a reminder that I'm a commodity, not a person. I forgot that people pay for my company, nothing more. So, thanks for that."

"Neil," Andrew started, but was cut off.

"Honestly, I thought we actually had something going there." He dropped his eyes, and finally the tears splashed over his lashes. He raised a hand to wipe them away, but stopped midway, most likely remembering the make-up covering his face. His lipstick was smeared. "I haven't even wanted for you to pay for weeks, but Dan won't let me give you back your money. I haven't even touched it. All I've wanted was just to spend time with you. But I guess it was stupid for me to think you saw me as anything more than a stripper. A whore. I fucking feel stupid, but I'm more angry than anything. Jane loves you, and I like you, and I thought you- I guess it doesn't matter." Sniffling, he delicately pressed a knuckled to his nose.

Before Andrew could open his mouth to... What? Fix what he'd broken? Explain? Tell him a lie to make him feel better? Tell himself a lie to make himself feel better? He didn't know, but he didn't have time to figure out as the alley was filled with three silhouettes coming towards them.

Neil scrambled to pull his mask back into place, hide his wet cheeks. He dropped his cigarette in the process.

Andrew stepped away from him, but not far, glaring at the approaching men as he lifted his own half burned cigarette to his lips. He inhaled deeply, and smoke dribbled from between his lips.

"Oh, what is this?" Riko Moriyama slowly materialized from the darkness with Jean and one of his other many bodyguards at his back. He was smiling, malicious as ever as his eyes slid over the pair. Andrew felt the hair stand on the back of his neck as Riko's eyes trailed down Neil, staring at his bare legs. "Kevin's man giving you trouble?"

"No," Neil said without lifting his head, shoving his hands into the pockets of his robe and pulling the folds closed over his body.

"Are you sure? I can get Jean to take care of him for you."

Andrew prickled again, but kept his expression neutral, simply observing the situation.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks."

"Suit yourself," Riko said breezily, stepping closer as he stepped towards the back door. His next words were a stage whisper, his eyes trained on Andrew's face. "I'll see you later. I like the new look."

Neil's jaw tensed, but he said nothing as Riko and his bodyguards stepped into the club.

Andrew waited until the door closed to say, "We need to talk later after you're off."

"I've got business after work," Neil whispered, the tears trailing silently down his cheeks. His head remained bowed.

"I'll come with you. Kevin hasn't told me what you're doing, but if it has something to do with Kevin's safety, I have a right to know and to help."

Slowly, Neil lifted his head and stared at Andrew with watery, but hard blue eyes. "Can you handle it?"

Andrew raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I'm Kevin Day's bodyguard. If I can handle that, I can handle anything."

Neil snorted, wiping at his tears and seemingly forgetting about his make-up. "We'll see about that," he muttered wryly.

.....

"You're going to have to tell me what's going on," Andrew murmured as they leaned against an alley wall, hands shoved deep in their pockets and shoulders hugged high towards their ears.

It was late, later than either of them had had to stay up in weeks. The sun was beginning to crawl up the sky, pastel pink rays shooting out across the lightening blue expanse. Their breath plumed out before them, a steamy cloud that mingled with the smoke from Andrew's cigarette. Without meaning to, Neil pressed closer to Andrew's warm side and stared fixedly at the double doors to a warehouse.

Neil ignored Andrew, choosing instead to skate his eyes over the grey expanse of concrete between them in the towering metal doors. Over the past two months, he'd mostly spent time investigating Riko's holdings and the actual steps of distribution, looking for missteps. Looking for anything that was out of place.

The warehouse was one of Riko's many distribution centers, but it was rarely used. Actually, he'd never seen a shipment come in or out of the place, and whenever he and Ichirou went from warehouse to warehouse to check and make sure everything was running as it should, it was always completely empty. Just an extra space if one of the other warehouses got compromised. With that in mind, Neil had found it supremely suspicious that just in the last hour, he'd seen three cars come and go. Each time they were full when they entered and empty when they left.

"Let's head up there," Neil murmured, looking towards the fire escape scaling the side of the building. "I need to get a look at the inside."

"Why?"

Huffing out a frustrated sigh, Neil turned to look at Andrew. "Listen, I know you wanted to be here, but I need you to stop asking questions right now. There's a lot that could go wrong, and it could get really dangerous in just a short time. I need you not to question me at every turn, and if you can't do that, you're going to have to leave. I'll explain everything to you later, but not right now. Do you understand?"

Andrew sarcastically waved Neil forward.

Rolling his eyes, he quickly jogged over to the fire escape and dragged himself up the rickety metal until he was crouched just beneath the window. He didn't look -he definitely didn't look- as Andrew just as deftly and silently pulled himself up beside him with barely a grunt.

Swallowing hard, Neil peaked over the edge of the dirty cracked window to glance down into the dingy warehouse. There were flood lamps set up throughout the building illuminating long silver tables and a singular man putting stacks of bills into a money counter. The rest of the building was empty of people and the tables were stacked high with bricks sporting the Day family crest. There was a red slash through the crest that Neil had never seen before, and he tilted his head as far as he could to see if he could catch a glimpse of what was beneath him.

The sound of a very familiar voice had him flinching away from the window. "Did we get the next shipment in?"

Andrew caught him around the waist before he hit the railing and caused too much noise, but Riko's voice had his skin crawling. He jerked away from Andrew's touch with more force then he meant to, breathing heavily. He cradled his arms around himself, gritting his teeth as he clenched his fist and glanced over the edge of the window again.

Riko was striding towards the man at the table with the money counter. "He didn't notice?" His voice echoed through the building, making it louder than he actually was naturally.

The man glanced up, and while Neil couldn't see his expression, he could imagine what it looked like. "Who's to say? It's not like he actually oversees his operations. He's too pampered for that."

"That's for sure." Riko hummed, staring down at the table before glancing around. "We need to get rid of this tonight. During the performance. Ichirou is supposed to show tonight, so it's the best time. You have a buyer lined up?"

"Sure thing, boss," the man said, following Riko as he strode down the aisles and picked up one of the bricks to toss up in the air, "Got a couple buyers lined up. Have a couple more waiting for the next shipment if you can get more. There's people around the block for this shit."

"Mm, we'll see. Can't go taking too much or someone will get suspicious."

"Roger that." The man snapped a rubber band around the stack he'd put in the counter before Riko had come in and put it aside. "So, how's that night club you're at all the time, boss? Heard they have a lot of hot dancers. Heard they have this one dude who's more popular than the girls."

Riko and Neil froze at the same time, eyes darting to the man, but he didn't seem to notice.

Neil felt Andrew stiffen against him.

"Don't," Neil whispered urgently, unable to rip his eyes from the violence rippling through Riko's body, "Whatever he says, don't do anything."

"I'm not," Andrew growled through barely parted lips.

"Heard that if you can get him on his knees, he's a dream. He's one of your favorites, right?"

Riko was in front of the man in a moment, hand fitting comfortably beneath his jaw. The man squeaked, color rising in his cheeks as the muscles in Riko's arm flexed, fingers tightening. "Don't speak about things that you don't understand. Do you hear me? A whore like him could never find his way into my good graces. The only thing a slut like that is good for is a toy for someone else's pleasure. He is not a person, he is an object, and an object cannot be good at anything."

"G-got it," the man choked out.

Releasing the man, Riko stepped back and glared as the man began to cough uncontrollably. "Ready this shipment tonight, and keep your filthy opinion and disgusting proclivities to yourself or I'll take your tongue from you next time." Riko strode from the compound, one guard following and the other staying behind long enough to put a hand on the man's shoulder.

The bodyguard was Jean. "You should know better by now, Ben."

"He needs to come to terms with his own sexuality," Ben coughed in reply, "What the fuck made him flip?"

"That'll never happen.” Jean paused before continuing. “His 'favorite' was throwing a fit or something. He was dressed like a wet dream and angry the entire night. Riko likes shit like that, but he was gone before he could get his hands on him. It made him irritable."

"So he took it out on me? Are you fucking serious? He's a child."

"Yes, well-"

"Jean!" Riko shouted from outside the building, and Neil felt his voice in his bones, "We're leaving."

Dropping down to huddle into a ball on the fire escape, Neil pulled out his phone. He took several quick pictures of the warehouse, zooming in on the slashed crest. He sent each to Ichirou in succession, explaining to him everything that he'd seen.

Ichirou's reply quickly.

then we intercept the shipment. we need to catch him in the act though. my father will never agree to his execution otherwise

roger

Neil tucked away his phone before looking to Andrew. "Jane is staying with Jean for the night. We already discussed it, so... Do you want that explanation now? I need a drink."

Andrew nodded with narrowed eyes, following him down and away from the building.

.....

If I could add links into the ending comments, I would. As it stands, I can't, so here's some links to Neil's outfit and the dances.

Neil's outfit - I couldn't find an approximation of what the bodysuit or heels look like, but this is what the lingerie looks like, just in gold. Andrew's lizard brain was in full throttle over this, let's be real.

Neil and Allison - modified so that they're mirroring each other instead. Listen, Marissa Heart is a babe, and I would happily let her kill me with those thighs.

Neil and Dan - Matt and Allison are the people screaming in the background

Neil, Dan and Allison's opening dance - there's no words, I just really love this choreography

I have a huge list of dances for the girls and Neil -sorry Matt and Seth- that I'll link at the end of the next chapter for your viewing pleasure if y'all are at all interested.

#all for the game #the foxhole court #aftg #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #my writing #blood and diamonds #stripper!neil #bodyguard!andrew #this took me soooo long I'm sorry

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stillpartofthisworld · 5 years ago

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where to start-Ch 1(TAZ Amnesty)

Now on AO3!

I will be updating this every other Sunday, hopefully. Please yell at me if I don’t.

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They choose Earth.

Well. Duck chooses Earth.

It's not a big decision for any of them-Aubrey follows Dani, Thacker follows his dreams. Mama and Vincent follow their occupations, settling back to defend their home planets from-well, nothing, anymore.

Duck just wants to go home.

He says his goodbyes to everyone, buoyed by the possibility of reuniting-but he's not holding his breath about it just yet. He thumps Vincent on the back, grinning at the goatman, this minister of defense who was too curious for his own good. He shakes hands with Thacker, thanking and congratulating one another for surviving the short while they fought together. "We'll be in touch, Duck," He says, tapping a thin finger to his temple. He doesn't doubt it.

He hugs Aubrey tight, pretending not to notice the tears pricking at the sides of her eyes. "Take care, okay?" He says softly, and she nods at him, smiling. "Don't do anything too crazy."

"Nothing is too crazy! I'm a literal goddess!" She jokes, waving her hands to produce sparkles that settle on both their noses before blinking out. He laughs, mostly to relieve the squeezing in his chest as she grins back at him. God, she's still just a kid, and she's been through so much. He hopes life treats her well.

His laughter dies down as she hugs him again, squeezing him hard and fast. "Take care of Ned's shit, okay?" She says softly. "He'll probably haunt us forever if the Cryptonomica gets shut down."

There's a lump in his throat, but he manages a nod and a squeeze of her hand. "I'll be seeing you soon, you arsonist."

"I was a camper! I was camping!"

"Eh, matter of scale."

Aubrey laughs, and he feels his chest relax.

He turns around and sees Minerva. She's staring at the two portals, a perplexed and thoughtful look on her face. He goes up to her, reaching up and tapping her on the shoulder. "Minerva?" He says, and she turns to face him. "Yes, Wayne Newton?" She replies, her voice booming through the room. "Have you made your decision? Which world shall you choose?"

"Well, the Earth is a bit of a no brainer," He says, gesturing to the dilapidated room shimmering through the space-time-whatever rip. "I mean, I got a cat to feed, rent to pay, a job, you know?" He ticks them off with his hand, one by one. "So as cool as Sylvain is, I can stand being away from it for-uh, a while, as Billy fixes it."

(At the mention of his name Billy perks up, waving and typing out a "Tight, dude," into his voice generator.)

"Hmm! A wise and thoughtful choice, Wayne Newton!" Minerva grins, and Duck manages to smile back at her through the cringe of being called by his first name. "And, uh, what about you, Minerva? Where you headed, hm?" He asks, and her face grows pensive again.

"Well, I am drawn to Sylvain." She looks back at the portal leading to the city. "Its' architecture and magic system are quite similar to my own, you see, and is an interesting enough place for a warrior such as myself." She mirrors his previous gesture, ticking off her reasons with her six fingered hand. All reasons to leave Earth. All reasons to leave him.

He is not surprised-Earth can be pretty boring by anyone's standards, especially an alien's. But it doesn't stop the pang of hurt and fear that flashes through his chest.

But then she looks at him, and her calculating expression softens, for just a moment. "However, I think I shall choose Earth, Duck Newton. I shall be coming with you." She puts a hand on his shoulder. "I think that I would much rather live in a world that has you in it."

He gapes at her for a second, and she hurriedly adds, "And I must taste those frozen waffles once more! They are a delight!"

He chuckles softly at this. "Yeah, I'll make sure we stock up on 'em once we get home."

They smile at each other.

And then they step through the rift.

Mama drives them home, pulling up to Duck's apartment complex after making a quick pit stop for one waffle box, paid for by the loose change that miraculously did not fall out of his pocket. She puts the car in idle as they step out, looking out at the two of them from the passenger side. "Minerva, you sure you dont want to stay at Amnesty for the time being?" She asks warmly. "I ain't got much, but I do have a bed and some hot springs that ya might find to yer likin'."

"Many thanks, Madeline Cobb!" Minerva replies, and Duck sees Mama visibly wince at the use of her full name. At least she got it. "But I will be staying with Wayne Newton for tonight."

He is not sure why she chose to stay with him, only that she did and that he preferred it that way, anyway.

Mama nods, and pulls out of the driveway.

-------

Duck takes a shower first, which leaves Minerva to toast the waffles. She's got the hang of it now-simply rip open the packaging and place the pastry into the double slotted box that Duck calls a "toaster". She pushes the little tab down-gently,gently-and waits. She can hear the pounding of water hitting the tiles from the bathroom. She focuses on it. She'd rather focus on it that on the nothing that clouds her mind, the void where there should be planning for the next battle.

There are no battles to plan. They have won them all.

The waffles pop up.

She's spreading some Nutella on them (a heavenly condiment! what an ingenious use of modern technology!) when she hears Duck come out of the bathroom and head to his room. She looks at the waffles on her plate and, loathe to give them away, puts two new ones in the toaster.

She spreads these ones with honey (Duck's usual choice, though she is not sure why anyone would pass up Nutella) and is just about to enter his room when she hears him saying something.

She peeks in. He's lying on his bed, back towards her and phone in hand. The phone screen is lit up, dancing with colors for a moment before a face comes into focus. It's a familiar face, but not one she's seen in person. It's the face that's on the photos that litter Duck's living room, the one that's smiling with him on his phone screen.

It's the one that she saw encased in glass, eyes closed and mouth slack as they floated in the liquid that was the organic printer.

"Hey, Janey."

Duck's voice is soft, tired. The phone crackles before the woman-Jane, answers.

"Hey hey, Ducky." She sounds tired too. "What's up?" She yawns. "Why're you callin' at 12 AM, doofus?"

"It's 2 AM here, goofus."

"Ah, semantics." She sees Jane smile through the screen. It's very similar to Duck's, all soft with teeth just barely peeking out. "So, what's up? Wildfire or something? I heard about the blockades." Her voice shifts, sounding more awake. "Wait, is something wrong? Your signal is good, did the feds pop up a signal tower again? What's happening over there?"

"It's all good, Jane. Nothing's wrong." Even with his sister's alarm, he's still calm-relieved, even. "Just...just wanted to see your face."

A pause. Then, she hears Jane laugh nervously. "God, Duck, you give me a heart attack sometimes, checking up on me like this," she says. "I'm worried about you, you know? You never used to do this."

Duck is silent for a while, contemplative. "Do you...can you get away for a while?" He asks her, and this time his voice is soft, timid in a way Minerva has never heard him be before. "A weekend. Come visit Kepler. I...I have some things to explain."

She agrees immediately, settling on a date two weeks from now. "I'll see you soon, Ducky," She says softly, and the screen cuts to black.

Minerva hears Duck sigh, and the rustling of a duvet. When she peeks back in again, he is laying on his side, away from the door.

She decides to eat the waffles.

#taz fic #taz amnesty #minduck #waynerva #minduck fic #waynerva fic #wayne newton #duck newton #taz minerva #layla writes #where to start

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suffering-and-happy-about-it · 5 years ago

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Hold on, we’re coming (The Borderlands Series, Part 10.)

Series description: Not many people had the chance to see a vault or to mean anything in the world of Pandora. Will a hardly built relationship in the loneliness of the desert would have the potential to change anything in the world of anarchy and chaos - or will the friends try to murder each other?

Part Summary: Teaming up can be a good thing - unless your teammated are barely a useful piece of crap and more than half of them is not mentally in the best state

Warnings: A lot of guns, violence, reader is a tough badass - not a vault hunter tho. They’re badass and don’t give a fuck. And Scooter is a dumb bitch, as always.

Word count: 2 K

Tagging: @notaliteraltoad

Series master list: H E R E

You haven't seen, hear, or noticed Janey and Scooter the whole afternoon - which was the best thing that had happened to you over the last few weeks. As far as Hammerlock and Wainwright's hospitality went, they let you eat as much as you could, have a cup of a really strong coffee, and to have some sleep. It was painfully obvious that no-one won't have even a fucking nap during your time on Pandora and Athenas.

Wainwright was so nice that he gave each of some fresh clothes - but no matter how hard everyone tried, you were persistent with keeping the old, baggy sweatpants Rayray has decorated with the spraypaint earlier. You didn't know why, but you got a feeling of safety when you wore them. They were somehow familiar to you with their scent and everything.

Later that day, just minutes before you were about to take off from Eden-6 after picking Hammerlock, Wainwright did as he promised. A small package wrapped in what seemed like a tapestry torn off from a wall was put in front of you. And dearest Lord, weren't you just excited? Heart-eyes could be seen in your face as you sighed, thanking him with a smile. You barely smiled, but this... This was worthy of a smile.

When you opened it up, there was a fairly new silver revolver, ugh, the cravings of flowers on it were adorable. You sighed, having a total heart-eyes for the Jakobs man, touching the gun from all the angles you could. Yeah, you maybe couldn't shoot from revolvers for the deepest shit, but you weren't planning on telling Mr. Jakobs. This gun was too perfect.

"I call it the Wild Rose of Pandora. It's not that old, so it should be firing just good, miss." - Wainwright smiled and you got to the other item. To your surprise, it was an old Tediore shield. But it seemed to be working just fine. That made you look on Wainwright with a question. - "As I was informed, you're the only one who hadn't packed one, so I've searched a few of my wardrobes to find you one."

You opened your lips with surprise. Then you opened your eyes just as Scooter usually as you thought about your excuse. - "I was living in a pretty... Deep... Shithole... On Pandora. These were my neighbors, so you had the idea. We don't use shields there." - You smiled and attached the shield to some belt you were given as well because that shield would probably drag your sweatpants to your ankles.

It was a funny sight to look at the almost invisible glow that appeared on your skin. You didn't feel more protected or better in any way - that was when Athena took the revolver and shot at you, making you scream. You opened up your lips into a big O as you took the gun back and got her into your sight.

"Is everyone here fucking crazy? Am I the only fucking one reasonable?" - You yelled at Athena, making Ray and Blindy look at you. It seemed fun because you had Athena at your gunpoint, but the story couldn't be different.

"LOOK AT ALL THOSE CHICKEN!" - Ray shouted and jumped into the air with happiness. You looked at them, seeing how Blindy is chuckling at the view he was given. - "Ray! No! I'm not going to kill anyone! Why the fuck are you so keen on killing people?" - You asked and but the gun to a holder.

"If I might say, you seem to be the only one with an actual psychosis. I was just trying if its working and look at you, you're still standing and being a bitch to everyone." - Athena grinned, leaving you with Wainwright. For a moment, you just watched her back leaving before you noticed that Blindy and Ray still watching you as the second incarnation of Christ.

"What are you waiting for, fuckers? Should I start crying or... What?" - You asked coldly, making the boys leave you alone with Wainwright. That was when you got some proper heart-eyes again. - "Thank you for the gun and shield, it means much to me. I hope it's going to help in any way."

"Sure thing, miss. I hope that you will keep an eye on Hammerlock while I won't be there." - Wainwright smiled back at you and you simply nodded, making the promise sealed. You hoped that you won't have your ass blew or neck cut as soon as you get somewhere.

"Everyone ready?" - Athena asked the rest of the party, preparing to initiate the fast travel process. Everyone shut up when you walked to the machine first. Athena's hand on your arm stopped you from putting your palm there. - "Step aside and don't act like you know everything."

"What have I done to you? First, you shoot at me, then you tell me I'm acting like an asshole, let's just get done. I'm going to go first, you come after me. I can manage the jackasses on the other side." - You mumbled and pushed the palm off of you. Athena kept her eyes on you, but she stepped aside just as you looked on the others.

"Whatever happens on the other side, keep this asshole alive, because I'm not willing to have my head blown off my fucking body because hed die. Are we on the same wave here?" - You asked and when everyone nodded, you put your palm into the device. You didn't have too many chances to try Fast travel either - but boy oh boy, you preferred it when all the next travel devices you had were actual rockets.

You kinda forgot about the pull the machine had and about the small needles that the machinery stuck into your palm and forearm. You put your fingers together while the other looked at the machine pulling you in. Or that was how the others were seeing it - in reality, the machine was taking your DNA material from one place while it started recreating your body on the other side. It felt like proper tearing you apart.

When you gained consciousness in the final destination, you fell flat on your back; onto your whole fucking shotgun in its glory. You couldn't see for a fucking a step away from you, you didn't know what was happening - you only heard yourself screaming. - "Motherfucker! Is everyone on this fucking planet a psycho bitch?"

"Tina! Had you moved the Fast travel on the roof again?" - A tired, drunk voice asked someone. You heard a chuckle next to your head and someone had bowed down to you. It was a girl, who gripped your t-shirt and dragged you away since another of your friends started Fast travel.

"Because it's fun, Mordy! You should see this one! It was so cute when she fell on her back, I almost felt the spinal cords crackin', blood rushin', and bones flyin' out of her body!" - The lady yelled victoriously, having on a big smile. Without realizing, you scaredly pushed the gun into her face. The only thing she did was that she kicked it out of your palms.

"This one's reaaaally funny, Mordy, you should see her! She just pushed a revolver up ma face like she thinks that momma Tina is afraid of these child toys!" - She yelled at Mordy, which had probably saved your ass, because otherwise, Tina would've tied you up to a bomb, watching how high can your ass fly up into the sky. The man with the alcohol bottle came to you and put Tina's foot off of you. She was obviously offended by what he has done, but she chose just to put her forearms in front of her chest and to look at both of you with a furrow.

"That's the gal from Scooter, you psychotic ass." - Mordecai said to defend you, but that was all he could say before something just assaulted your face. You've had enough at that point. You were on the verge of completely shutting down mentally... And that wasn't flattering at all. Youve learned seconds after that the the thing was Talon, some birdy pet that obviously belonged to Mordecai.

You were saved - because at that moment both Janey and Athena fell flat on their backs too. - "See? That's what I mean, Mordy. They are little cutesy things just fallin' down from the motherhumpin' sky waitin' for me to grill them with some great sauce and eat them!" - Tina exclaimed and then she stopped, putting her hands on her hips. - "Why do I wanna eat cute stuff?"

"Fallin' from ten meters isn't cute at all!" - Janey huffed angrily, helping you on your feet. - "Yo guys need to better up your safety conditions or one day, there might die someone!" - She looked at both of them, checking up if you're alive - so, naturally, you shushed her off. You might have been out of breath, but you weren't dying. So far, so good.

"Okay, okay, miss rude temper problems, I'll put it somewhere on the ground so you people who can't handle a bit of fun won't die out of spine crack." - Tina rolled her eyes while Mordecai slowly approached you, both Janey and you, having a sorry look on his face. - "Since Brick left Boomtown to handle some other stuff, she's been like that. I swear that normally, she doesn't tell people she'll eat them the first time she sees them."

"Is fine, ma name's Janey and this gal is Y/N! Scooter has a thingy for her so she's kinda in the family business now!" - Janey explained happily and that was when Tina joined your conversation. She gripped your shoulders as both bandit boys fell down on their back, following each of you with being out of breath and almost dying. Before Tina could say something else, Ray was too quick with his word.

"THIS BITCH EMPTY. YEET!" - He yelled and from literal nowhere, Tina pulled of some kind of crazy Maliwan gun, pointing directly onto his freaking forehead. You furrowed, put your palms in front of yourself to clam her down a bit. - "He's with us and he cool, I swear, girl." - You mumbled, not realizing that you're standing directly under the Fast travel station spawning point. Tina rose her chin a bit, watching you standing there, then she smiled and put the Maliwan gun away.

"'ight, I believe you, Scooter's soon-to-be wedded wife. I love weddings! Mordy, tell her I love weddings! I love how everyone seems to be soooo happy until you show the bomb you got them for a present before it all blows up!" - She yelled maniacally. You wanted to defend yourself but at that moment, Scooters butt fell on you. You grunted, thinking something about killing someone, shooting in the air, or booming the whole fucking Boomtown. - "Look! Ya boyfriend is here! Oh, am I softenin' or is this extremely romantic?" - She bit her lip, leaning to look at you both. As soon as you were sure that Scooter is too alive, you basically threw him off your thighs.

This whole adventure was fucking you up mentally, not even speaking about your physical side. You wanted to sit down into the corner and cry. Once even Hammerlock made it there, you moved the Fast Travel station and started another part of your totally flawless plan - making your way to Athenas.

#borderlands #borderlands 2 #scooter Borderlands #Borderlands fanfic #scooter #tiny tina is not so tiny #mordecai is still an alcoholic #brick is still off to his own work #hammerlock and wainwright are the cutest #and stuff

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scarlettswxtch · 6 years ago

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You Feel Like Home | 1/2

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Description: You’re a therapist with a tragic past and Bucky’s your new bedmate. You try to deny your feelings for him but he keeps working himself into your heart...and your bed. Will you fall for his charms or keep him at bay?

Words: 3.1k

Warnings: Little bit of angst. All my fics are intended for 18+ readers: this mini series will contain + death.

A/N: I wrote this in a plane, on my way home from Easter holidays so I’m v sorry for any spelling mistakes! :) This was written for an anon - I kinda slightly changed your request up a bit, hope that’s okay ! hope this is (kinda) what you were looking for x Also Jesus Christ I can’t do one shots I just write a fuck ton. Lol. I’m posting part 2 tomorrow!! :)

MASTERLIST

You were in a grocery store when you first realised you were in love with him. He wanted ice cream even though it was cold outside - the wind was biting, chilling and New York was covered in perfect snow. He couldn’t decide what flavour of ice cream he wanted and you teased him about his indecision. “Why don’t we buy every flavour?”

He laughed - soft, innocent laughter in the air like glitter. The kind of laugh you could listen to forever. “You’re silly,” he said, green eyes sparkling with adoration and he kissed you.

You’ll never forget that kiss. Breath pale against the numbing air, you blinked thoughtfully as the frost patiently kissed his face and you were captivated by the soft, dusty illusions of light that sat heavy on his eyelashes. In that moment, you knew you loved him more than anyone, a once in a lifetime.

***

2 years later

“Talk to me,” you whispered to no one, sitting alone in the very early morning of crisp November. It was cold outside but, you didn’t care. It was snowing again, thick and deep and freezing cold. There were a few clouds but the moon shone bright and gilded you in silver but, you didn’t notice it. You saw nothing and heard nothing.

You’d been up here countless times before their deaths. His death - etched in your memory like it was yesterday.

It happened so fast. You were wrapped in his arms; laughing, kissing, telling each other sweet nothings. His lips tipped up and he looked at you like you were sunshine. You’ll never forget that look - how moments later it filled with horror and panic.

A figure appeared out of a bright, blinding red light; an ominous warning of what would come. It was a woman - beautiful, slender, with eyes uncanny to his; round, green as new-born leaves. She had his eyes but she didn’t look at you with adoration. No. Her eyes slithered on your form like it was insulting, gaze almost red with resentment. When she spoke it was melodic yet she spat her words with hot-red fury. “I have to kill you,” she said and when you asked her why your heart wanted to leap out of its chest. Your daughter. His daughter. Our daughter. “HYDRA’s orders,” she spat and he pulled you behind him without a second thought, sacrificing his life for yours, blood marring the dirt as his form became nothing but a corpse.

You stared at the ground - snow once blood stained long washed away or mingled with dirt. You didn’t know why you kept coming here. You wanted to hear his voice, see his face, replace that final look of fear and tell him everything would be ok. Instead, you sat there, dominated by a profound sadness, fatigue engraved on your worn face. No longer could you see see that inquisitiveness, that desire, that fire in your eyes. All that remained was the deceiving hollow soul. You were just a shell of a person.

***

3 months later

“Would it kill you to come to dinner?,”

You drew absentminded doodles on the piece of paper in front of you as your lips pursed in discomfort. Yes, yes it would kill you to go to dinner at Jane’s house.

“Jane,” you said into the phone “like I told you, I’m really busy,”

“But I thought you said you’d have some free time coming up?,”

Your eyes closed over in exasperation. Jane was your dead boyfriend’s sister and there truly was nothing worse than being around his family. “I was but things got busy. Very busy. I can’t make dinner this week,”

“How about next week?,” she pushed.

“Janey...”

“I’m worried about you, I haven’t seen you in months! I mean, who’s taking care of you?,”

“Jane honey, I’m a grown woman.”

“But I worry about you. Ever since you took that job I haven’t seen you,” she whispered, this time sad and concerned and, because you loved her, it killed you. You knew she was worried. You and Jane had been the best of friends before his passing, attached to the hip like sisters. When he died, you couldn’t bare her presence - she looked so much like him it physically hurt you. Jane was flighty, sensitive and nervous by nature. Therefore, she constantly checked up on you despite your excuses to avoid her. That, and, you now lived in New York with hero’s that needed your constant attention.

“Don’t worry,” you assure her quietly “I’m fine. Just busy.”

“Pardon me, Miss, but Mr.Barnes is requesting your presence,” F.R.I.D.A.Y says from above you and your pen comes to a halt.

“Jane I gotta go,” you say quickly.

“But-“ she began.

“Somethings just came up, honey. Really, gotta go. I’ll call you back later,” that was a lie.

You heard her sigh then, “Okay, I’ll be waiting for that call.”

“Love you Jane, bye.” you hear her say goodbye but vaguely.

“Send him in,” you say to F.R.I.D.A.Y, fingers now tapping nervously on your mahogany desk. Being a therapist for the Avengers has its perks and downsides - on one hand, you were generously paid (courtesy of Stark himself, of course) but on the other, you were on call 24/7. Not that that was an issue for you, no - not at all. Helping other people with their problems had helped your own inner conflict and you did it rather readily.

The problem was Bucky Barnes. He's not usually the kind of guy you fantasise about. For starters, he's brunette and you’ve always liked blondes. Dreamy men with bright blue eyes who were emotionally stable, preferably. Until you met Bucky. He’s someone with his own issues, issues that made your own seem totally minuscule. Life taken by Hydra, experimented on endlessly. He‘s emotionally volatile, prone to aggression and...drop dead beautiful in every way.

There was also the fact that you were sleeping with him. Non-stop. Like two damn bunny rabbits. It was insane. He’s the only healthy drug there is, the one that puts your mind into a frenzy of sparks. Makes you...forget. When you’re with him, your past life seems like a dream - something that never happened. The simple touch of his hand leads you into moving in ways you never learnt but know so well. In those moments, you are only alive in the present, all thoughts of past and future melted away. You weren’t sure if that was good or bad but, the guilt you felt over it was overwhelming.

The elevator opens directly into your office and you watch him step in, phone to ear, he hasn't looked at you yet so you gaze freely. “Yeah yeah, Steve I got it,” he says into the phone. There's something about him, a slight confidence and inflated ego, that has you muddling your words and blushing uncontrollably whenever he's around. He looks up at you and smiles a dazzling smile, making his way to your desk. “I’ll see you later punk, I got a woman that needs my attention.” he says, eyes still on you and you can hear Steve’s hearty laugh through the phone before he hangs up.

“Hey darlin’,” his voice is smooth as silk as he leans over, placing a kiss on your warm cheek. He’s holding a coffee cup that he places in front of you and he sits down on the velvet green chair opposite your desk - looking all handsome and comfortable. You suddenly felt small in your own office - his energy completely enveloped the room. It was always like this with Bucky. He was an intense guy who commanded everyone’s attention - it was completely impossible for him to walk into a room unnoticed.

You eyed the coffee cup, smiling “That for me?”

“Got your name on it, doll,” He said lazily, head bent as he tapped away on his phone. You took it giddily, bringing it up to your face and smelling the hint of hazelnut. You smiled to yourself - you only ever ordered coffee with him once and ever since, he’s remembered exactly how you like it: a little milk, 2 pumps of hazelnut syrup and no sugar. It was a small thoughtful thing but, so very heartwarming.

“Hmm, what’s the occasion?”

“Consider that a gift,” he said, sliding his phone back in his pocket.

You raised a brow, scanning your memory for anything you’d done to solicit a gift and you came up blank “What for?” you were frowning now as you sip your coffee.

He kept a straight face, he was looking at you with those gorgeous, irresistible icy blue eyes that could make the whole of the Arctic melt in seconds. “For you coming to Tony’s event with me.” That almost made you choke. Bucky and you were many things but explicitly public was not one of them.

Your eyes turn round as you abruptly placed the coffee cup on the table, a little warm droplet spilled on your hand and you unconsciously wiped it on your skirt. Well, say hello to a stain now, idiot. “What?”

“You and me, Tony’s charity gala,” he said simply, completely un-phased.

“What? Bucky I never agreed to that”

“Don’t need you to agree doll, I’m telling you,”

You stared at him speechlessly. Bucky was a dominant guy - you knew that the second he first walked into your room and sat his ass down on your chair like he owned the place. The only vulnerability he ever showed was during your therapy sessions, when you’d both speak about Hydra and his past with Steve. Other than that, you could be damn well sure Bucky Barnes would dominate you in every way possible and damn if it wasn’t hot. Sometimes, only sometimes, you felt like you could see some of that softness when he was in your bed but, he never let you see it for long enough. You didn’t blame him - you pushed him away a lot.

He raised a brow at your quietness and you realised you hadn’t said anything for about a full minute now. “Uhh,” you began, damn him and his tongue-tying effects! “Bucky I’m not so sure that is professional considering I’m your therapist-,”

“Darlin’ I think we’re way past professionalism,” he interrupted, leaning closer to you - he was looking at you with heat in his eyes as his gaze lazily flickered from your desk to your eyes “Whole of New York heard you scream my name when I took you on that desk,” he muttered, loud enough for you to hear.

You swallowed, heat flushing your face as a sudden tingling sensation took over your stomach. “Bucky I cant - I...it’s different for the public to know. You’re not exactly lowkey.” It’s true. He isn’t. The Avengers are all high profile people constantly all over the news - from dating to getting a coffee cup across the street, you could be sure their faces would be somewhere on the front page. You experienced that first hand when you were spotted out with Steve. Headlines covered both newspapers and magazines in bold red letters: AMERICA’S SWEETHEART? They read - totally ridiculous considering you were only getting coffee but apparently, the public obsessed over Steve’s love life. Jane had called you asking if you were dating and you panicked so much you vowed to never step foot outside with any of them again. Except for Tony and Barton who were happily married.

Bucky stood up, face flashing with something that faded too quick for you to spot “Doll seriously, I’m tired of you denying that we have something here. It started off as just sex,” he leaned into the desk, face dangerously close to yours “we both know it’s a lot more,” he whispered and your heart started beating irregularly fast. He wasn’t wrong. It was...more. He made you feel good in ways no one else ever has - not even him. Bucky made you forget him. That made you feel incredibly guilty because he was supposed to be your soulmate - he still is in some ways. Yet Bucky got this response from you, a different kind of response - like necessity - as if your soul yearned to knit itself to his and it killed you. So much so it hurt to ignore it.

“I-I I can’t,”

“Why?”

“I have...I just can’t do that to him, Bucky,” your eyes lowered as you looked away from him “I still love him,” you said, jaw tight “please, let it go.”

You were met with silence and you peered up at him. He was staring at you with that hardness in his eyes - the same hardness you saw each night when you asked him to leave your room. His jaw twitched in what you could only guess was impatience, frustration, annoyance...perhaps all three?

“The more you hold onto the past the more it haunts you,” he mutters and his eyes search your face - voice lowering, almost soft. “Don’t think I don’t see the way you look at me across the room, sugar” his hand curls around your neck, squeezing it and your body shivers at the contact. “I know that look,” he whispers - gaze so raw you could only squirm beneath it. “I’m here right now, in the present. I won’t wait for you forever.”

You swallowed as your heart clenched “Bucky let go,” you said, so quietly that if he hadn’t been so close to you it would’ve been inaudible.

But Bucky Barnes was not done. You’d know this when he was not across the table but in your space. So far in your space, you were now standing and your soft body was pressed against the length of his, his hand curled around the back of your neck, demanding, putting pressure to bend your neck up as your lips connected. You put your hands to his shoulders to push him away, your mind filled with how you could do that as gently as possible when his tongue came out and the tip touched your lips. And at that, your body and mouth made another decision before your mind could catch up. This being your arms closing around him tight, his mouth opening yours, his tongue spiking out, pushing yours back into your mouth and then he kissed you, very hard, very wet and very, very deep. He tasted like mint - sweet and fresh and fucking fantastic.

You kept one of your hands locked tight around his bicep while you slid the other hand up his spine, his neck and into his hair. He bent forward slightly, arching over his arm, forcing your body deeper into his and you moaned a sweet, soft moan against his tongue. It was the best thing you’d ever tasted in your life until he pulled away.

You looked up at him, breathless and outraged at the same time - smugness was written across his features as he stepped away from you. He was smirking now as if you’d just told him what he needed to know “I’ll wait for that RSVP,” he said and finally strolled out of your office.

***

3 hours later

Nat was looking at you from across the table, face totally impassive. You told her everything to the minutest detail that happened between Bucky and you. And it was fair to say you remembered the minutest detail.

Through this, she listened.

When you were done, you asked quietly, “Well?”

She simply stared at you, eyebrow raised and book in hand, “Was there a question?”

You looked at her incredulously “Yes! What do you think I should do?” You slumped back into your chair, hand covering your face as you grumbled: “God Nat I’m so torn, he makes me feel good but-“

“All I’m hearing is excuses,” she interrupted suddenly and you peeked at her from behind your fingers. She was looking at you with her judge-y jade green eyes.

“Nat he freaks me out!” You exclaimed and she suddenly took your hand in hers. She was staring at you with an unusual softness and you felt incredibly lucky at that moment. You knew this caring side was something Natasha rarely showed to people - it was something she had only gifted you twice in your time of knowing each other and each time, you took that look of hers and locked it away in your heart to keep forever.

“I get that,” she says softly “I also get why. You’re scared of moving on, feeling guilty because of what happened. I’ll tell you this though, nothing good comes of dwelling on the past,” she echoed Bucky’s earlier words and your heart clenched because you knew she was right. “You should know that - you’re the therapist here. Follow your own advice. Besides, from what you told me, who you were with was not a selfish person. He would’ve wanted you to be happy - not be a nun and never find love again. I think we both know that...you’re just having trouble accepting it.” She let go of your hand and leaned back in her chair, face turned up to the February sun.

“God I hate it when you’re right,” you grumbled, fingers massaging your temples in contemplation.

“I’m always right,” she says without looking at you. “You already know Barnes. He’s got a lot of demons, but he’s good around you - we all see that he’s been better ever since you.”

You closed your eyes “Oh God-“

“What we gossiping about here?” A voice said from the kitchen door and you squealed at the unexpected interruption. It was Tony.

Nat was about to say something before you quickly interrupted her with wide eyes. “Nothing!,” you said, and Tony’s eyes assess you in thought but (thankfully) chose to say nothing of what he was thinking.

“Right...” he drawled before he distractedly began pressing at the advanced looking gadget on his hand.

“Need you in the office, sweet cheeks, ASAP.” He said, waving at you to follow him and you promptly got up from your chair.

“Right away boss,” you said and followed him. You turned around quickly to face Nat “Thank you,” you mouthed to her. She only nodded in response and went back to reading her book.

As you followed Tony, something told you you’d have a very, very difficult time trying to get Bucky Barnes out of your head and the truth is...you weren’t even sure you wanted to.

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x reader smut #winter solider imagine #winter solider x reader #bucky barnes x reader angst #bucky imagine #bucky barnes

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acabang · 5 years ago

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Nerding out on the Borderlands

I finally got around to playing Borderlands 3 and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Personal order of preference for the franchise: Tales ≥ BL2 > BL3 > BL1 > TPS

Depending on how the DLC goes though, 3 could be just as good as 2 for me. Unlikely but it’s possible.

I really enjoyed playing all the Vault Hunters, Zane in particular, even if it seems like he lags behind the rest of them. And while she’s fun as just a straight up gunner, my only real bummer is Moze. For me when it comes to the playable characters, it’s all about their Action Skills and if I don’t find myself using it regularly then I hope they have something fun in their skill trees to make up for the lack of it other than shooting guns exceptionally well (ie. Gaige with Ricochet-Anarchy stacking abuse, Krieg with Flame of the Firehawk-Raving Retribution Hellborn madness, etc.). The idea of Iron Bear is rad but vehicles have never been useful outside of a means of map traversal, which this mech isn’t for, and if I’m gonna give up the benefits of my gear then it better be fucking OP or at least viable, especially at the highest of difficulties. So far it’s not looking like it is and I don’t expect it ever will get to that level. For the most part though, she’s still a lot of fun to use as a Plain Jane FPS character.

Overall, I actually enjoy all four initial characters pretty much equally which I can’t say about the other games. I still had fun with them but I didn’t like Roland, Salvador and Nisha as much as their fellow Vault Hunters in their respective games. I’m really looking forward to what DLC Vault Hunters they have in store though, they’ve all been pretty solid and just plain fun to play as.

-SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT-

I liked the story well enough and felt engaged the entire time. I didn’t really feel bogged down throughout and enjoyed the pace. Even the sidequests I thought played along well with the storyline missions, they didn’t feel as jarring with too much backtracking or as tediously boring as The Pre-Sequel had it. Although, all the games are guilty of this, the Underdome/Circle of Slaughter missions are still lame.

I loved pretty much most of the new NPCs, however major or minor a role they played. Lorelei was interesting and I want to know more about her, the same goes for Clay, who I could both see becoming Vault Hunters themselves (hopefully) in a future game. The Katagawa-Rhys dynamic was fun, as was BALEX and GenIVIV. I loved Wainwright Jakobs and I especially loved Typhon DeLeon, two of the more likable and wholesome characters in the entire franchise. They don’t hold a candle to Loader Bot & Gortys from Tales but still very admirable in a universe full of assholes and psychopaths. Even some of the minor villains were fun, the Traunt Brothers and Pain & Terror specifically.

Now it’s going to be unfair to compare the Twins to Jack but... they still could've been written better. Brats with god complexes and one with an inferiority complex to boot is fine, not the most compelling, but wait! They’re also streamers because *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*. Despite that, the VA performances of what they were given were both still very well done. When they start to actively antagonize each other is when they started to turn around for me, especially with the power corrupting Troy to the point of almost killing off Tyreen. The Twins being the children of Typhon is a neat twist reveal but I feel like if you’ve been discovering his logs throughout the maps you can put two and two together long before they outright state it.

Though I should probably give credit to the Twins for being a part of why I love Typhon so much. With him being revered the way he was, especially by Tannis, as the first Vault Hunter, it’s refreshing to see a fabricated myth actually turn out to be mostly a myth and not a 100% accurate depiction or historic event like most other games usually do. Even the damn posters of Typhon got him all wrong which I loved. He’s endearingly flawed and his admittance to not being the best father to Tyreen & Troy after they lost their mother actually really got to me. He wasn’t around for long but it was smart of Gearbox to have built up his backstory through those logs, it allowed his character to make some sort of impact like it did on me which made his death actually quite poignant.

Thus leading to probably what I can only assume, since I haven’t bothered to read other people’s reaction to it, is the most controversial part of the game. I love character deaths, especially for ones I adore. When done properly it brings more meaning to them and for the character that may have taken their lives. Bloodwing and Roland helped build Jack up to be even more of the villain that most people love (to hate). Hell, even Sasha’s death in Tales actually had me crying... then immediately laughing because I totally got baited by it especially after already losing Scooter.

youtube

Now, like I said, I love character deaths and I’m totally fine with Maya being the one we lose but the way she dies was more of a pathetic wail than whatever Gearbox was hoping to achieve. And for what? All I hope for in a character death is to have more meaning to it than a passing of the torch to a cipher of a character that was basically just introduced and I have no real connection towards, good or bad, because going forward from then on certainly isn’t going to be positive at all. Who knows, she could end up being a favourite character of mine in the future as she develops more but as of right now, no, the only reason for her existence in this game world so far was to take the place from two beloved characters that hasn’t been earned yet.

The other character being Lilith as she sacrifices herself to keep Pandora closed. I don’t believe she’s actually dead, gone for now but at least not dead. It’ll probably be the main focus of the next game, if not in a DLC, in figuring out a way to get her back from Elpis, if she’s even stuck up there. It’s sad to lose her immediately after regaining her powers back but at least she went out with Alicia Keys singing her a fire swan song. Unfortunately, before going off to save the day and Gearbox not being entirely satisfied yet with shoving Ava down our throats the first time, Lilith hands over protection of Sanctuary III to her. Hopefully Ava is given an extremely satisfying character arc in the proceeding games because woof, that’s going to be a tough mountain to climb especially if it takes another 2-5 years for the next game to release.

I don’t actually hate Ava, I just don’t care about her. Also our Vault Hunter(s) were right there, technically, and as was Tannis. She may not be able to fight but she’s more than capable of leading the Crimson Raiders. She’s also the most consistently well written character that’s shown growth over the games that she’s been a part of in the franchise, in my opinion.

As for the rest of the characters, I’m good with moving on from Vaughn now. He was unexpectedly funny to okay during Tales but yeah, he’s already worn out his welcome for me. Rhys was fine, not as good as he was in Tales but he wasn’t really even my favourite character from that game anyway. Who I was missing was Fiona, I really wish that she had shown up but hopefully that might still be a possibility in DLC. Maybe she’ll show up alongside Athena & Janey, continuing her VH training somehow saved from wherever she disappeared off to. Preferably with Loader Bot and Gortys as well. It’d also be nice to run into Axton, Sal, Gaige and especially Kreig considering the whole Maya situation and her promising to see him again.

Then there’s also the B-Team, which a part of me wanted to interact with more but another part where I think I’m okay with what we got. I was disappointed in Tina’s development however, I didn’t expect a full maturation of character but I also hoped she wouldn’t be the spaz that she was when she was a young teen. Even in Dragon Keep she showed a little bit of growth with her acceptance of Roland’s death but I guess they wanted to keep her annoying, which was fine back in 2 and TPS when she was basically a kid but I believe she’s supposed to be at least 18 now? I guess it’s fine as long as it fits the dynamic between her, Brick and Mordecai. I will also say that Mordecai’s side quest to attend his protégé’s birthday party was really bittersweet, I loved that brief respite from the chaos that is the rest of the game and a stark reminder that Pandora sucks.

Aside from the actual plot and characters, I thought they did an even better job at world building the rest of the universe. The mega-corporations side of Borderlands has always been fascinating to me and I feel like they often take a backseat by most fans since they’re just these ever present entities in the universe and not actual characters themselves, despite each of them having quite unique “personalities” in the products they manufacture and the individuals that represent them. We had Commandant Steele & General Knoxx show off a militaristic side of the original Atlas as The Crimson Lance, then there was Jack as the face of the Hyperion we knew, and the fallout from his demise during Tales. There’s also Tannis giving us slight tidbits of how Dahl operated on Pandora between the first & second game and, of course, Mr. Torgue with, well, Torgue and I guess now he’s in charge of the battle arenas. Now we get insight on the current incarnation of Atlas with Rhys at the helm, Maliwan with Katagawa Jr. and Wainwright as the heir to Jakobs. It’s just fun to see these corporations steadily being fleshed out with each game and I’m interested to see how Tediore, Vladof and maybe even S&S Munitions, if they ever make a return, will turn out.

On the other end of the spectrum and more of an active danger to the universe are the Vaults, their purpose and the monsters contained within, one of them called the Timekeeper who we have yet to encounter. Also more insight into who the Eridians were, the siren Nyriad’s role with their eradication and warning of a seventh siren who shouldn’t be found. There’s definitely plenty of seeds that were planted, it’s just a shame that it’ll probably be a long time from now before any of them get answered unless they start pumping out these games which I hope they don’t. Oversaturation and fatigue can ruin a franchise.

This has been my TED Talk, thank you for reading.

#Borderlands #BL1 #BL2 #BL3 #TPS #The Pre-Sequel #Tales from the Borderlands #gaming

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the-quiet-winds · 6 years ago

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Lay in the Atmosphere (part two)

hi i almost forgot to queue this post so this is the shortest intro ever so i can go back to sleep. it’s like 4:30am for @ichlugebulletsandcornnuts and nearly midnight for me so have fun?

[part one]

[Part 2: Any Moment, Any Time]

parr finally gets katherine calm enough that she stops shaking, although tears are still streaming down her face. parr glances over at the bedside table, wondering if jane’s voice would help kat, but then she notices that the screen has gone dark. she frowns; did jane hang up? she doesn’t have time to question it at that moment, because katherine lets out a terrified whimper when parr goes to stand up. parr may not have been jane, but the idea of being alone was too upsetting for katherine to bear, and any sign that parr could be about to leave sends a wave of fear down her spine.

parr sits back down and gently tugs katherine against her. she very lightly puts her arms around her, fingers playing with the ends of tangled dark hair.

“shh, kid,” she hushes quietly. “it’s alright now, we’re all safe.” katherine whimpers out a word that vaguely sounds like ‘jane’. “she’s okay, she’ll be back soon, i promise. it’s okay, kid. we’re all okay.”

truth be told, parr was more worried than she sounded. she wasn’t sure if katherine would be able to deal with this level of emotion every night until jane came back without crashing hard at some point. it was still uncertain when jane would even be able to make it back, and even a couple more days of this kind could really hurt katherine. all she can do, as she murmurs soothing sentiments, is hope that things would all work out alright in the end.

like clockwork, jane calls katherine exactly fifteen minutes before curtain of that afternoon’s matinee. it rings and rings and rings with no answer, till finally she hears the click.

“jane is that you?”

“boleyn? anne?” jane asks.

“yeah it’s me, you couldn’t have called at a better time.”

jane swallows heavily, only imagining what those words could mean. “what’s wrong?”

the call ends. jane looks at her phone in confusion, only to be getting a video chat request from katherine. she accepts immediately. boleyn, hair in space buns and in full costume, appears on the screen. “i think she needs to see you, janey.”

“what’s the matter?” jane asks instantly, on high alert. boleyn doesn’t answer, instead heading across out of the dressing room and into the corridor. jane can see a couple of the other queens standing around, looking worried.

“parr!” boleyn calls. “i’ve got jane.”

“pass her here,” parr’s voice sounds from off-camera, and there’s a muffled noise as the phone changes hands.

“parr?” jane asks. “what’s going on? is something the matter with kat?”

“depends on your definition of ‘the matter’,” says parr. there are muffled shouts in the background and jane can make out aragon’s voice yelling, “she’s on the floor!”

the phone pans to the floor of their dressing room, where katherine is tightly curled up, rocking slightly, eyes blown wide and breaths short and sharp.

“she’s having a panic attack,” jane breathes.

“kat!” jane calls, hoping to get through to the girl. parr kneels down next to katherine, not so close as to crowd her but close enough that jane can see her properly. “kat, it’s me, it’s jane, sweetheart, can you hear me?”

katherine’s eyes are unfocused and panicked, and she doesn’t show any sign of calming down.

“you need to get her to breathe,” jane says urgently. “kat, honey?” she tries again. “kat, can you take a deep breath in for me?”

katherine’s head is buzzing. everything is white noise and nothing she see is in focus. she can hear a familiar voice telling her to breathe, to calm down, that it’s alright, but, in her haze, she doesn’t recognize the voice at all.

parr looks around, everyone is still in the room, probably too close to katherine. “this probably would work better,” she says quietly, not looking at any of them, “if you all left.”

none of them question parr. they all leave the room, leaving parr with the phone and katherine on the floor.

parr knows better than to try and touch katherine to get her attention, so she keeps enough distance to not frighten her.

“katherine, kid, you need to breathe. can you hear me?”

“that’s it,” jane coaches from the other end of the phone. “that’s it, kat, we’ve got you. deep breath in, you can do it.”

katherine still can’t quite recognise the voice, but something makes her trust it more than anything else right now. she takes a shaky breath in, far too shallow, but better than nothing.

parr nearly winces at the grinding, wheezing sound coming from katherine’s chest as she struggles to breathe. “come on, kid,” she whispers encouragingly. “couple deep breaths, that’s all you need.”

“you can do it, love,” jane says louder. “just breathe, honey, a little bit more.”

katherine takes a few painful breaths as jane and parr talk her through it. she manages to slow her breathing down slightly but the fog in her mind doesn’t clear, and she’s completely disoriented with wide, scared eyes. she clutches at her knees, drawn up under her chin, and lets out some wheezing coughs as her lungs try to adjust to the sudden intake of air.

“kat...katherine,” jane calls. “it’s us, it’s jane and parr.”

katherine doesn’t react in the slightest, eyes blown and still trembling.

parr reaches out a hand and very lightly tucks some hair back behind katherine’s ear.

jane holds her breath for the imminent explosion but none comes.

if anything, katherine’s eyes begin to focus, her shaking subsiding, her breathing slows.

parr then puts a gentle hand on katherine’s upper arm. jane knew that trying to initiate any sort of contact with katherine during one of her attacks can lead to things getting much, much worse, but parr’s slim, gentle hands seem to be calming katherine down.

“wh-” katherine goes to speak, but her voice is croaky and hoarse. parr hushes her gently.

“it’s okay, kid, you don’t need to say anything, don’t worry. another breath for us, that’s a good girl.” katherine follows the instructions, taking a deep inhale, and then breathing out when parr tells her to.

jane watches everything on her phone screen, feeling almost helpless. she was so far away, she couldn’t help like parr was.

parr isn’t sure where all of these comforting instincts are coming from, but she doesn’t question it. she simply allows herself to comfort katherine as best she can. she helps katherine to slowly sit up and lean against the couch.

“here,” parr says, handing katherine the phone, where jane’s concerned face was illuminated brightly on the screen. “i just need to sort something out, yeah?” parr speaks softly and gently.

“don’t leave!” katherine suddenly exclaims, voice cracking.

parr dithers for a moment, glancing between katherine and jane on the phone. she doesn’t want to leave katherine if she’ll panic again, but she also wants to give jane and katherine a chance to talk by themselves. she notices how quiet jane is and decides to broach the matter herself.

“hey, it’s okay. jane’s here, see?” she points to the phone screen.

katherine looks at the screen for a long moment. jane smiles hopefully, wanting to break the ice that had settled between them since last night’s phone call. katherine stares back at her through the screen, eyes still somewhat wild and hurt, then looks back towards parr helplessly.

“but she’s not really here,” katherine says resolutely, albeit in a very quiet voice.

jane’s heart just breaks. she understands what katherine means, that seeing her on a screen wasn’t anything compared to actually being there, but it pains jane the way that katherine almost can’t even see her, that jane can’t help at all.

parr sighs softly and places a gentle hand on katherine’s shoulder. “oh, kid,” she says, and her voice is heavy.

parr takes back the phone carefully. jane’s screen goes from parr’s concerned face to a ‘paused’ screen as parr mumbles something about texting aragon. then she’s back. parr sets the phone down and sits next to katherine in front of the couch, the latter of whom immediately clings to any contact she can get.

“what’s up, kid?” parr asks quietly. “what’s got you so wound?”

katherine had forgotten that jane was on the call when she begins to speak. “what if she doesn’t want to come back?”

“that’s absurd, kid,” parr reasons. “why would she-“

“because i’m not there! i’m not-“ she cuts herself off sharply, then sighs and continues much softer, “i’m not doing to her exactly what i’m doing to you.”

“what would that be?”

katherine makes wide gestures to the room, being on the floor. “this.”

“oh, katherine,” parr begins. “of course she wants to come back. she loves you, and she loves taking care of you.”

“how?” katherine says, an edge of bitterness in her tone. “how could she like taking care of me? i’m clingy and overbearing and stupid and can’t get through a night without having bad dreams and-” she takes a shuddering breath, tears welling up in her eyes.

“kat?”

jane’s voice startled them both. parr grabs the phone and brings the camera over to katherine, whose body stiffens and eyes turn wide and anxious.

parr very slowly moves away, feeling that this may be a conversation best had in private, and leaves to go find courtney or vicki, preparing to beg one of them to cover katherine’s spot in the show.

“kat, honey, is that honestly how you feel?” jane asks carefully. there’s a gentleness in her tone? one that tells katherine that there will be no judgement in her answer.

katherine barely shrugs.

“oh, kat,” jane whispers. “that’s not what i see or feel at all, not even in the slightest bit.”

katherine is silent for a moment, before she speaks quietly, so quietly that jane can barely hear her.

“why?”

“what do you mean, sweetheart?” jane asks softly. katherine doesn’t reach her gaze.

“why aren’t you annoyed at me?” her voice is small and fragile, and jane wants nothing more than to pull katherine into her arms and keep her safe.

“darling,” jane says firmly but lovingly, “how could i ever be annoyed with you?” on instinct, jane reaches out a hand to katherine, but realizes that there were no tears that she could gently wipe away or shoulders to rub or hugs to be given. she had words, and words only. “i know that you don’t see it, love, but you are the best thing in my life. i never, ever, for one second want you to think i don’t want you or i’m annoyed with you. do you understand, kat?”

katherine doesn’t reply for a moment. slowly, she lifts her gaze to look down the camera at jane, and her voice comes out in a quiet rasp, heavy with emotion.

“you really mean it?”

“of course i do,” jane says honestly. “i love you, my sweet, brave girl, and i could never be annoyed with you. that is a promise.”

a few last tears escape from katherine's eyes. "i love you too," she whispers. "please come back soon."

"i'll be back as soon as i can, kat. i'm doing the best i can."

jane's mind is raging with anger and sadness, upset that she wasn't there with katherine and that she is alone in istanbul.

katherine looks like she wants to say something and jane notices.

“is something the matter, kat?” she asks, voice soft and caring. katherine fidgets slightly.

“i don’t wanna go onstage this afternoon,” she says in a rush. “i wanna just... stay here and talk with you.” she looks pleadingly at jane. “please don’t make me go on.”

jane relaxes slightly and smiles. "of course not, you don't have to go on if you don't want to. someone will cover for the both of us, yeah? we can talk for as long as you'd like."

as if she had been listening, parr enters the room a second later. "vicki said she'd cover your part today if you aren't feeling up to it." katherine nods enthusiastically. parr takes a few hesitant steps forward until she's within arms reach of katherine. she gives her a very awkward pat on the shoulder, then dips her head slightly and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

katherine adjusts her positioning, laying on her front on the couch and balancing the phone against the arm of the couch in front of her. she crosses her arms and rests her head on them, looking at jane with tired eyes.

“i miss you,” she says softly. jane smiles at her, barely able to resist the urge to reach out to tuck kat’s hair behind her ear.

“i miss you too, love.”

katherine yawns and jane chuckles gently. “are you sleepy, sweetheart? you didn’t sleep much last night, did you.”

katherine flushes pink. “did parr tell you?”

“it’s also obvious, love,” jane smiles.

katherine adjusts herself again and pulls a pillow under her chest. "i won't fall asleep though," she promises. "not while we're talking."

jane laughs again. "i'd rather see you get some much needed sleep so you can go on tonight, love. i'll be right here until you do."

katherine looks at her though heavily lidded eyes, an adorably exhausted look on her face. "it's alright, darling," jane encourages. she starts to sing a familiar song, one that jane had heard many times but never shared with katherine. "when the pain cuts you deep, when the night keeps you from sleeping, just look and you will see that i will be your remedy..."

jane’s voice is so soothing and katherine is so tired that it takes her a moment to register the lyrics. she lets the words wash over her, a soft warmth running through her as jane continues to sing.

“when the world seems so cruel, and your heart makes you feel like a fool, I promise you will see that I will be your remedy.”

katherine’s eyes slowly start to drift shut, the effort to keep them open being too much.

jane continues to sing as she watches katherine begin to fall asleep, and her heart aches from the knowledge that she isn’t there, able to let katherine rest her head in her lap and play with her hair.

‘soon,’ she is forced to remind herself. ‘you’ll be back to her soon.’

by the time jane’s finished the song, katherine is fast asleep. “i love you, sweetheart,” jane whispers softly. she doesn’t want to end the call just yet, just in case katherine wakes up and needs her, so she just props her phone up against a cushion and grabs her book from the bedside table. this time, she takes care not to get too sucked into the book, sending regular glances over at her phone screen to make sure katherine’s still sleeping peacefully. jane is determined to be there for kat this time, and distance wouldn’t stop her.

the call is cut short, however, by jane receiving a call from the airline.

“miss seymour? we have a flight bound for london departing in three hours, you’ll arrive close to nine this evening. are you interested?”

jane can hardly believe it. she’d be back with katherine by the morning. “uh, yes, please, i am.”

the airline employee sounds delighted. “it’s flight 403. your information is already being sent and a ticket is being reserved.”

jane is absolutely thrilled, and after thanking the airline employee she sends a quick text to katherine reading simply “i’m on my way!!” before shoving her belongings into her bag and heading down to the front desk to check out. she heads to the airport as quickly as possible, absolutely over the moon that she was going to be seeing katherine in just a few short hours. she quickly texts the information to parr too, including details of her flight.

the flight is crowded and loud and long, but jane couldn’t really care less. katherine had never responded to jane’s text, something jane hadn’t noticed by the time she boarded and took off. jane is seated between two very large, beefy looking men who don’t speak a word the entire flight. all jane can do is listen to her music and try to savor the last few chapters of her book.

katherine’s song from the show comes on her shuffle, and it takes all of jane’s willpower to not react in one way or another: cry because she misses her, get angry because mannox and dereham and henry deserve to rot in hell, or just skip it altogether. she simply lets the song play and tries to remember that she will be seeing her girl soon.

at some point in the flight, jane’s arms start to ache from holding them in their current position; the two men on either side of her had commandeered the arm rests and she’d had to keep her shoulders at an awkward angle to avoid them. she thinks about getting up and stretching her legs, but apparently she’d spent more time lost in her thoughts than she realised. the seatbelt sign lights up above her, and over the speakers a flight attendant announces that they will shortly be landing and that all passengers should return to their seats. jane feels a sense of anticipation building; she can’t wait to see katherine, to finally be able to hug her and kiss her forehead and tell her that everything would be okay.

it’s a bumpy ride down into london, the remnants of the massive storm lingering over the english channel. but they hit the ground and slow to a stop outside the gate and slowly, very slowly, taxi into the jetway. jane is one of the first passengers off, speed walking into the terminal where she spots aragon waiting for her. “it’s about bloody time,” she says teasingly, hugging jane.

“where’s everyone else?”

she opens her mouth to reply when there’s the thud of a toddler falling over followed by a wailing cry from somewhere behind jane and they both instinctively glance around as the other passengers start to enter the terminal. aragon raises an eyebrow.

“maybe we should head on,” she says. “i parked the car in the short stay zone.” jane barely notices the use of the word ‘I’ in her eagerness to see katherine and follows aragon without another thought.

the ride from the airport is the longest half hour of jane’s life. they go straight to the theater, where they arrive an hour before that evening’s performance was meant to start.

“i don’t think she knows you’re back,” says aragon as she parks.

“i texted her earlier,” jane says in confusion.

“she’s been passed out on the sofa since the beginning of the matinee.”

and that’s true, jane finds out. katherine is still laying stomach down on the sofa, very still in sleep.

jane smiles down at katherine, just so relieved to finally be in the same room as her again. she almost doesn’t want to wake her up; katherine had a difficult night and the fact she was finally getting some rest was a relief. however, jane’s heart longs to give her a proper hug, and she can’t resist leaning down and giving katherine’s shoulder a gentle tap.

“kat? it’s me, sweetheart.”

katherine slowly blinks to alertness. she hears a familiar soothing voice...no.

she looks up, and there’s jane, smiling down at her she’s not on a phone screen. she’s not in turkey. she’s here.

“jane...?” she murmurs. “is that really you?”

“of course it is, silly,” jane laughs gently. “who else would it be?”

katherine blinks sleepily and sits up. “thought i might have been dreaming,” she mumbles. then, very suddenly, she throws her arms around jane, almost pulling her over with her enthusiasm.

“i missed you so much,” she says quietly.

jane immediately hugs her back, holding her tightly. somewhere in her mind, she was terrified she’d be separated again. so she holds katherine like she may never hold her again.

“and i you, my love.”

“how did you get back so fast?” katherine asks, voice slightly muffled by the fabric of jane’s coat.

“a flight was announced last minute, love. luck was on my side today.” one of jane’s hands plays with the very ends of katherine’s hair as the other keeps her held close. “oh, my sweet girl.” she pulls back just enough to look into katherine’s eyes. “you were so brave without me, kat.”

“i wasn’t,” katherine mumbles, looking down. “i was so scared.”

the hand that had been in katherine’s hair pulls back to cup her cheek. “you’re brave just to admit that, kat. and letting parr help you because i couldn’t be there...that’s even braver.” jane leans in and very softly kisses her forehead. “and now you don’t have to be scared, love. because i’m here, and i am not leaving you again,” she finishes determined. “ever.”

katherine stares at her with watery eyes for a few moments, before letting out a quiet whine and throwing herself back into the hug.

“promise me,” she mumbles, and jane nods, rubbing katherine’s back soothingly.

“i promise you, kat. i’m here for you, always.”

a few moments of silence pass between them before the door opens quietly.

“good, you’re back,” parr says with a relieved smile. “we all really missed you.”

jane returns the smile, soft and graceful. “i missed you all too.” she extends a hand out to parr, beckoning her closer. ‘thank you,’ she mouths. parr nods once, squeezes jane’s hand, and makes to leave when she is stopped by katherine.

“parr?”

she moves closer again. “yeah, kid?”

katherine turns to face her. “thanks for looking after me,” she says, blush crawling up her cheeks and ears.

parr looks surprised for a brief moment, but then smiles. “don’t worry about it, kid. it wasn’t any trouble.” she turns to leave again, but pauses when she reaches the doorway.

“jane, it’s completely up to you if you want to perform tonight. grace is prepared if you’re too tired after your flight, which is completely understandable, but if you did want to, then the option’s open.”

jane looks at parr, then down at katherine, who’s arms are tightly wrapped around her midsection, then back to parr. “tell grace that she has the night off,” she says confidently. parr smiles and takes off down the hall.

jane turns back to katherine, placing a kiss in her hair. “it would take hell itself to keep me off that stage with you tonight, love.”

katherine practically beams at jane. the hug lasts for several moments longer before jane taps katherine’s nose with her index finger. “right, missy. we’d better get ready for the show, shouldn’t we.” katherine lets out a reluctant whine.

“just a tiny bit longer?” she asks. jane chuckles.

“fine, love. but then we need to get sorted, okay?”

“okay,” katherine half-nods. then: “i love you.”

“love you too, kat,” jane smiles softly. “in this life, or any other.”

#six the musical #six musical #jane seymour #katherine howard #catherine parr #julie and jess write #lay in the atmosphere

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