#joey not-danger sexy arms

[babymetaldoll]

Danger days - Chapter four: "She doesn't help me"

Word count: 8,5K

Pairing: Matthew Gray Gubler x OC + My Chemical Romance

Summary: Joey starts touring, and soon things start getting awkward with Gerard. Also, Frank is somehow jealous 'cos he wants to get all of her attention. Mikey spends most of the time drunk in this chapter and Ray is the father figure all these kids need.

Warnings: Alcohol, drunk talk, dirty thoughts, mentions of a boner someone is trying to hide, bad jokes, and a lot of cursing.

A/N: Ok Matthew fans, there's a lot of My Chemical Romance in this chapter, but we all need context and Joey has to be locked with them for A LONG WHILE. Also, all the "Text in italic" are thoughts and arguments our heroes are having with themselves.

All of this is fiction. And the gif ain't mine.

Masterlist

Chapter one | Chapter two | Chapter three | Chapter four | Chapter five | Chapter six | Chapter seven | Chapter eight | Chapter nine | Chapter ten | Chapter eleven | Chapter twelve | Chapter thirteen | Chapter fourteen | Chapter fifteen | Chapter sixteen | Chapter seventeen | Chapter eighteen | Chapter nineteen | Chapter twenty | Chapter twenty one | Chapter twenty-two | Chapter twenty-three | Chapter twenty-four |

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::: LAX, October 21st 2011 :::

Joey's eyes were still watered up as she stared at her boarding pass, making her best to stop crying. She had just hugged Matthew goodbye, and her heart felt like it was breaking as every second passed. She missed him already, and she felt like a sick cliché. She could still feel his arms around her, holding her tight, and his lips kissing her between tears, both of them crying as neither wanted to say goodbye. Joey knew she would keep on crying as they waited for their flight, so she walked away from their gate and tried to disappear among the people.

- "I miss you"- she read the text Matthew just sent her and wiped off the tears from her cheeks.

- "Me too"- she quickly wrote and held her cell phone close.

- "Hey!"- Mikey almost yelled next to her, making her jump.

- "Where the fuck did you come from?!"

- "The dutty free, I had to get some more chocolate for the flight"- Joey looked at him, still surprised, and making her best not to show how sad she was.

- "Why are you crying?"- it was clear she had failed.

- "I'm miserable 'cos I'm not gonna see Matthew in two weeks."

- "It's just two weeks, calm down"- Mikey tried to cheer her up and gave her a chocolate bar.

- "Well, I'll miss him too much."

- "I promise you, we are gonna have so much fun, you won't be sad the whole trip,"- Mikey wrapped an arm around her and messed with her hair.

- "Thanks"- she whispered just to be polite. She was too sad to believe him.

After a week and a half working with the band, Mikey was the closest band member Joey could call a friend among the guys. He and Ray were the nicest and always made her feel comfortable. They would joke around in rehearsals and have lunch together. It was nice. It felt good, like high school friends.

Frank and Gerard were a completely different story because though Joey felt they were very nice, things could become very uncomfortable very quickly with them. Frank would always start a conversation and share a nice laugh, but each time they stayed quiet, his eyes turned into a magnet she couldn't stop staring at. And it felt too intense, like Frank was even flirting a little bit. Sure, she thought he was cute, but he was married, and she knew things were never going to take a weird turn.

And about Gerard, well, that was even weirder. Completely odd. A case of study. He would make his best not to be alone with her, and she could feel it. She knew he always paid attention to what she was saying in a conversation. Still, he constantly made an effort not to talk to her directly. But when they were playing, she could feel her knees go weak each time he looked at her. That man sweated sensuality, and it took all she had in her to stop looking at him each time he moved closer to her. She couldn't concentrate, and she had to keep her eyes closed most of the time to avoid staring into his red hair, his fine ass, and pretty much anything related to him.

Joey knew she would never cheat on Matthew with Gerard. She just thought the singer was too hot for his own good. And for hers. It was a good thing he kept his distance. Well, except for the next ten and a half hours, ‘cos they had seats together.

- "Hey"- she cut him a shy, nervous smile and took a deep breath as soon as he appeared next to her. She had to stuff her hands in his pocket for a minute, ‘cos she was afraid they were going to start shaking. Yes, that's how uneasy she got around him. It wasn't something that happened right away. It developed over the week, and she tried to make lights off the deal most of the time.

- "Bitch, you are working with him. You can't act like a teenager around him just because he is hot. You don't even wanna date him or whatever, you love Matthew… you just wanna stare at this guy from a safe distance 'cos he is so fucking sexy!"- Joey thought.

- "Hey"- Gerard stood still and looked at the empty seat next to Joey. The rest of the band was spread on the plane, and neither seemed to be close for switching seats.

- "Ok, you can do this. She is your coworker. Just keep it casual,"- he thought and moved over to sit next to her.

Neither of them said a word for a while. Joey opened her backpack and grabbed the book she was reading, and Gerard kept scrolling down his phone. He looked out of the corner of his eyes and tried to catch the name of the book, but he couldn't. So he tried again, this time pretending to be uncomfortable in his seat, and he succeeded. He found out Joey was reading a book he didn't know.

- "Are you ok?"- the girl asked and turned to the man that looked blushed, almost caught in something.

- "Yeah, I just… wanted to take off my jacket"- he did so and stuffed it under the seat. Joey looked at him and nodded. The fact that he moved made his perfume reach her, and it was delicious.

- "So, what are you reading?"- his curiosity won.

- "Bestiario, it's a Julio Cortazar book I loved back in school. Mom sent me a box of my old stuff the other day, and I found it."

- "Never heard of him"

- "It's an Argentinian writer. He is awesome. His short stories and how he successfully created surrealist worlds are poetical."

Joey explained but made her best not to look into Gerard's eyes, so she kept staring at his hands playing on his lap.

- "Besides, he was a rebel. He used language his own way, creating words and neologism… I just love him."

By the end of her speech, she failed and turned her gaze at Gerard's, making her hold her breath.

- "Sounds impressive"- he whispered and cleared his throat.

- "You can read it if you want,"- Joey said and looked away quickly, feeling her cheeks blush- "It's a long trip."

- "Thanks"- and after that, the two of them fell silent again.

How had Joey ended up so affected by Gerard? She had a wet dream about him. One amazing wet dream that she couldn't shake off her head. And after that, she wouldn't stop looking at him differently. He was sexy. He was definitely fuckable. He was hot, and he was smart. He was trouble. She had to keep a cold head around him. A complete challenge for that long trip.

Why was it so hard for Gerard? ‘Cos since he first saw her, he got a boner in his pants, and that shit hadn't changed. If anything, it had gotten worse. That didn't mean they were going to fuck or be together or fall in love. Whatever the thing that caused him to be affected by her had to be shut down. And the sooner, the better.

- "Are you ok?"- Ray asked Frank, who kept moving and trying to catch what Gerard and Joey were doing.

- "Yeah, why?"

- "Because you are fucking driving me insane! You are too restless, and you haven't let me sleep in the last hour!"

- "Wanna switch places? Ask Gerard if he wants to sit with you."- Iero said and smiled- "Very smooth Frank, that way Ray will find out in a minute you wanna sit with Joey"- he nearly slapped himself.

- "No, I just want you to stop moving!"- Ray argued, with a tone of voice that sounded (again) more like a father than like a band member.

- "Fine"- Frank whispered, frustrated, and crossed his arms on his chest.

- "What's wrong with you?"- Toro turned to his friend, truly concerned something was tormenting him- "Is it about leaving the babies?"

- "Yeah"- Iero answered and looked outside the window.

It was the truth, but it wasn't just all of it. The actual fact was that he wanted to know if Joey and Gerard were talking. He knew his friend had a crush on her. It was too obvious for him, though the rest of the band nearly noticed it.

But Frank did. He knew each time Gerard stared at Joey more than he had to while she was playing drums. He also recognized the perfume Gerard rarely wore, only when he tried to catch someone's attention. And damn it! He didn't want Joey to notice his friend. He knew Gerard wasn't going to do anything, but if she was going to have a crush on someone in the band, that should be him, not Gee.

Each time Gerard's knee touched Joey, it felt like an electric shock against Joey's skin. That didn't let her concentrate on her book. Gerard didn't seem to notice, though, which was good. She didn't want him to know how much he could affect her. Not even she wanted to know how much he affected her. She knew she loved Matthew, and she would never cheat, but feeling so attracted to someone else made her very uneasy.

She opened her backpack and grabbed her iPod. The smartest thing to do was to listen to some music, read and forget about the fact the hottest guy she had ever met- except for Matthew, of course- was sitting next to her, reading a Stephen King novel, unaffected by her presence.

Gerard had managed to concentrate on his book for a few minutes, but each time Joey's leg softly brushed his, he shivered, so he ended up pretending to be cold. And covered his lap with his jacket. That was also very helpful in case he'd get an involuntary and inappropriately timed boner.

Suddenly, the soft touch of Joey's head reached his shoulder. She was asleep and casually cuddled against him. Was she faking it? It didn't seem so, she still had her headphones on, but the book had left her hands and fallen on her lap. She was asleep, resting her head softly against him.

- "Ok, Gerard, years of practice have come to this moment. Think about math, equations, science test, dissecting a frog, anatomy class, your drummer's body on that Misfits tank top she wore the other day… no! no, again, math, physics, avocado, coconut oil… Her hair smells like coconut oil… I wonder if she would let me spread coconut oil on her… Gerard!! You have a wife you love! Stop this!"

Gerard jumped on his seat, and Joey quickly woke up.

- "Wha…"- she turned to him confused, and he cut her a sweet soft smile- "Shit! I'm so sorry!"- the girl started apologizing right away, completely blushed.

- "No, don't be, you just fell asleep."

- "I'm so sorry."

- "Hey, it's ok"- Gerard said and acted all cool- "My shoulder is your shoulder… we still have eight more hours to reach London, and I am guessing you are a sleeper."

Joey's cheeks were burning as she sat correctly, her heart racing in her chest. Ok, that wasn't what was supposed to happen. And the tour hadn't actually started yet. Great.

The girl looked in her phone for old pictures with Matthew. Honestly, she already missed him, and she wanted to look at his face, remembering what was waiting for her back home.

- "You guys are a cute couple,"- Gerard said and regretted his words as soon as they left his lips- "Cute couple?! What the fuck was that? What am I? A fucking asshole, that's for sure."

- "Thank you"- Joey blushed and kept her eyes on Matthew's picture on her phone- He has been a real support for me ever since we met.

- "How long have you been dating?"

- "Six months and two weeks"- she answered proudly- "We met at the studio one day, he asked me out for coffee... and we've been drinking coffee together ever since."

The two of them smiled at each other and stayed quiet.

- "Your wife is amazing"- Joey added ‘cos it felt like the polite thing to do.

- "Thanks. Yeah, she is incredible."

- "How did you meet her?"

- "Touring, we were at the Project Revolution one year, and by the end of the tour, we got married."

- "Wow, that was fast"- Joey said, thinking out loud- "Shit! Less than three months and he got married?! How can you be sure to do such a thing? Well, maybe when you know you know… but I don't know… seems a little rushed to me."

- "We knew it was the right thing to do,"- he explained calmly-" We knew we didn't want to be apart from each other when the tour ended."

- "That's so sweet"- and after that, the conversation was dead- "So, I'm gonna try to sleep some more. If I fall on your shoulder, don't doubt to wake me up, please."- the girl said and fixed the little travel pillow behind her neck.

- "Don't worry, it's ok, I'm gonna catch a movie"- Gerard answered and smiled one more time, their eyes locked at each other- "Ok Gerard, just look away"- he thought and made his best to follow his own command, but he couldn't.

- "Come on, Joey!! Breath and fall asleep, and stop drooling for him all over! You are pathetic"- the girl wanted to hit herself as she cleared her throat and turned to grab her headphones.

- "Do you want to check out my book?"- she asked and handed him over the one she was reading before- "Stupid! He said he wanted to watch a movie."

- "Yeah! It sounded pretty good. I'll take a look at it while you snore"- he joked, and she blushed. Their hands brushed when she brought closer the book to him, and a little electric shock hit the two of them.

- "Ok, I'll sleep now"- Joey whispered and turned to look over the window- "Just try to sleep for the next eight hours, and you'll be peachy."

Mikey Way asked for another scotch and turned to the window. He wanted to get drunk and sleep. Being drunk was his new nature. Whatever could numb the pain away. He didn't even get to see his wife before he left for the tour. She called and wished him luck. That was it. And still, he wasn't brave enough to be the one to put out on the table the divorcing reality that came ahead. He didn't want to be the one to put an end to it all.

- "Hey"- Frank appeared and sat next to him- "What are you doing?"

- "Drinking, what does it seem like I'm doing?"

- "Being a jerk, that's what it looks like."

- "If you don't like it, you can leave"- but Frank didn't. Basically, because Ray had kicked him out of their seat for being too irritating. And James was snoring. Instead, he took a sip of Mikey's whiskey and nodded.

- "Good shit."

- "Get one for yourself and let me sleep"

- "Damn it! Why is everybody so obsessed with sleeping?"

- "Get out!"- Mikey Way mouthed with his eyes closed, and Frank had no other way but to stand up. He looked around the place until he found the red hair he wanted to spy on. Iero walked slowly, pretending to go to the bathroom, acting casual, which was completely stupid. No one was actually looking at him.

- "Oh hey!"- he said when she stood next to Gerard and Joey's row. He looked at him, raising his eyes from the book, and smiled. Joey was asleep and didn't even move. Her head rested on the seat, and she didn't seem to hear what was going on around her.

- "Hey Frank, what are you doing?"

- "Nothing, I just wanted to see what you were doing. Apparently, Ray doesn't want to sit with me, and Mikey doesn't want to sit with anyone."

- "Why?"- Gerard frowned, confused.

- "No idea, I think he is drunk,"- Frank made a pause and smiled at his friend- "So do you wanna go sit with me somewhere and talk for a while?"

Iero asked casually, though he basically just wanted to move Gerard away from Joey.

- "Not really"- Way simply answered- "Joey just lend me this fantastic book, and I want to read it while she sleeps"

- "Oh"- Frank didn't see that answer coming- "That's ok"- and didn't know what to say- "I'll just… go see a movie or something."

- "Ok"- Gerard directly answered and went back to the book. Frank had no other choice but to look away.

- "Ok fucker, what's the big deal? She is there, they are not even talking, she is asleep, you don't wanna be with her or anything, you are not jealous… you just don't want her to be with Gerard. Wait, is that shit being actually jealous? Nah, no, it's not. No. No way. I just… Nah, it's nothing, just shut up".

Frank plopped himself on this seat and covered his face with both hands. Decided to stop thinking shit, he put on his headphones and pushed play on his iPod. It was better to sleep than to do any other stupid thing for the rest of the trip.

Gerard woke up slowly. He never noticed falling asleep. His head rested comfortably to his right against someone else, who soon he realized was Joey.

He tried not to move and came conscious of the moment. She was still asleep, and her perfume filled the air between them. Gerard didn't move an inch. He didn't want to wake her up. He was enjoying this proximity. He felt their legs side by side, brushing against each other as his heart raced. Her body felt warm next to him, and that soft touch made him hungry for some more. A lot more. He couldn't stop wishing he could move her and kiss her whole body, right there, in the middle of the plane.

- "Shit! No!"- he felt his blood pumping down his belly and knew what was happening- "Melted plastic, NSync, funerals, Joey dressed like Morticia, laid on my bed… no!! Stop this!"

But it was too late to stop the boner. It was now time to hide it before Joey- or anyone else- could see it.

The girl sighed and opened her eyes, still half asleep. She had cuddled at Gerard's neck again, and she was afraid to move. No, she didn't want to move, and she was scared of that. She liked being close to him like this. But she shouldn't. She had to be professional. This was the lead singer of the band she was playing with. This was by far the most important job she had ever have, and she wasn't going to ruin it. She couldn't feel attracted to him or any other member of that band. Besides, they were all married! She even knew this guy's wife, and she was adorable.

- "No, Maria Josefina! This shit stops now!".

Joey moved slowly from Gerard's side and made her best to pretend she had just woken up, and not like she had been debating with herself for the last ten minutes or so.

- "Hey"- she whispered at Gerard, who calmly opened his eyes and scratched his head, looking half asleep and adorable at the same time- "Sorry I woke you up."

- "Don't worry, sorry I was leaning on you"

- "Sorry, I was leaning on you too"- she murmured and took a deep breath- "Do you mind? I need to go to the bathroom."

Gerard stared at her in a blank. If he moved, she was gonna see his boner.

- "Yeah, sure."

He slowly stood up (as well as the other unknown guy by the aisle) and did his best to cover himself with the jacket without being too obvious. It was a little worst when he felt Joey brushing her body next to him as he passed by her side. That added some friction that made him bite his lips.

- "Sorry"- she whispered softly, that didn't help either. Lucky for Gerard, she didn't notice a thing and walked away.

- "Dude put the gun down"- the guy in the aisle said, making fun of him. Way couldn't answer; he just sat down and tried to cool himself down.

- "What the fuck is your problem? What are you, fifteen? Put your shit together, you've been alone with him for like four hours, and already you are having a hormonal breakdown? Really?!"

Joey kept arguing with herself in the bathroom and looked at her reflex on the mirror.

-"And besides, you look like the shit!"- she tried to fix her makeup. She made a messy bun to keep her hair from falling on his face.

- "Ok, you are gonna go out there, and you are gonna be a professional grownup. You are gonna sit down and ignore that guy for the rest of the trip, did you hear me? Ok! Just do it!".

But no, it was impossible, she saw him from a distance, reading her book, and her stomach jumped. So she did what seemed to be the right thing to do: she sat next to Mikey and cut him a smile.

- "Hi stranger."

- "Hey gorgeous"- the girl frowned right away and sniffed him.

- "You are drunk"

- "You are smart"

- "Everything ok?"

- "Nop"

- "And you don't want to talk about it"

- "Nop"

- "Good…"

- "And why are you here?"

- "I've got the window seat over there, and I just went to the bathroom… and I didn't want to bother Gerard and the other guy in my way over."

Mikey turned to her, drunk as a skunk, and smiled.

- "Stop being so nice."

- "I can't turn it off…"- she made a pause and grabbed Mikey's plastic cup of whiskey- "Besides, I can be mean."

- "Bullshit"- he argued, laughing, and Joey drank what was left of the plastic glass in one shot, not moving a single facial muscle- "Wow, I'm scared. You drank my booze, rad!"- he answered sarcastically.

- "Oh, shut up, you are drunk."

- "Hey kids! What are you doing?"- Frank showed up and sat next to Joey, all happy and hyper.

- "Mikey is asking me not to be nice"- Joey answered and cut him a huge grin- "How is your flight?"

- "Bored. I saw a shitty movie, napped, and now I am hungry… wanna eat something?"

Joey thought about it for a moment and realized she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. And smiled lodged on her lips as she remembered Matthew had made her favorite breakfast.

- "Definitely"- and Frank's eyes lit up as he buzzed the air host button.

- "Great!"

- "And no more booze for you"- Joey warned Mikey, knowing he wanted to get more whiskey.

- "You are not my mom."

- "You are not my kid."

- "Stop it."

- "I am not nice."

- "Yes, you are, you are taking care of me,"- she took a deep breath and watched him smiling please, knowing he was right.

- "Fuck you! I'm not nice. I just don't want to carry you around covered in puke when we land."

- "You won't have to,"- he simply answered, slurred actually- "Frank will have to do it."

- "I won't"- he refuted shortly- "Ask Gerard, he is taller."

- "Right, you are tiny like a thirteen years old kid"- Joey chuckled, and Frank blushed, embarrassed that Mikey brought that up in front of her. Like she hadn't noticed.

- "Shut up!"- Iero was gonna punch Mikey's arm when the air host arrived, and he refocused on asking for food for the three of them. And booze for the three of them.

Gerard looked around and frowned. Joey was taking too long in the bathroom. Not that he cared, but maybe she didn't feel so good. Perhaps she was locked in there. Perhaps he didn't get the signs, and she was waiting for him to fuck in there and join the high mile club.

- "Stop that shit!! You are gonna have to spend months with this woman, and you are going to learn how to turn your dick off! If possible…".

After a few more minutes, Gerard convinced himself he wanted to go to the bathroom too and stood up. No, Joey didn't seem to be locked in any toilet. But where was she? It only took him a minute or two to hear her laughing along with Frank and Mikey. What the fuck?

- "Hey, what are you doing?"- Gerard asked as he stood next to Frank by the aisle and smiled. Joey's eyes were watering up as she kept laughing, trying to keep it down.

- "We are playing Who wants to be a millionaire,"- she explained and pointed at the screen in front of her seat.

- "Ok…"- he was going to ask what was so funny when he realized they were all drunk. Well, Mikey was wasted. Frank looked kind of drunk, and Joey… it was hard to say.

- "Well, keep it down, you don't want to disturb the rest of the passengers."

- "Sorry, dad"- Mikey answered, chuckling, and Joey bit her lips not to laugh so loud.

- "And stop drinking!"- Gerard commanded.

- "Yes, dad"- Mikey repeated, and Joey's face turned red from holding the laughter.

- "Stop it!"

- "Come on, man, relax. We are not doing anything,"- Frank tried to explain, but it was useless. He had been so into getting Joey's attention, and the girl knew they had been too loud.

- "No, dude, he is right. It's time to wrap up things here"- she grabbed her drink and stood up- "Come on, make room, let me pass."

- "Oh, come on! You don't have to go!"- Frank hated Gerard at that moment.

- "Mikey has to sleep, and we should notch down the noise for a while. Come on, let me pass"- Frank stood up, frowning.

- "Wanna go watch a movie with me?"- he asked Joey and pointed at his seat.

- "I don't think it's a good idea"- Gerard answered before Joey could actually say a word. And that was a huge turn-off for her. She hated when people took decisions for her, even the smallest, like that one.

- "You are gonna keep laughing and making noise."

- "Sorry, can't we have fun?"- Iero was taking shit too seriously all of a sudden, but lucky him, he was the only one who noticed it, and the air host saved his ass.

- "I'm gonna need you all to go back to your designated seats, please."

And that was it. Joey returned to her seat next to Gerard, and Frank grumbled all the way to his seat next to Ray, who was snoring.

- "Fuck you, Frank!! Stop being jealous! Seriously! This is not healthy!!"

- "Do you wanna watch a movie?"- Gerard asked a few minutes after they sat down and got comfortable on their chairs, stealing Frank's idea.

- "Sure"- Joey answered and regretted right away- "Wait, what had we agreed earlier today? Can you fucking listen to yourself for a second? Don't fuck up this job!"- she scratched her arm, nervous, feeling her whole body tense.

- "Great! What do you wanna watch?"

- "Horror"- she quickly answered- "Good, anything that can keep me occupied from thinking."

- "Cool, anything in particular."

- "Zombies"- Gerard turned to her and smiled so excited you could tell she had said all the correct answers.

- "Great, let's see what we've got."

The jetlag hit Joey hard when they reached London. It was eight hours ahead of Los Angeles time, and after that long, eternal, and challenging trip, having to deal with Gerard next to her, she needed to get some good rest. Besides, the first show was Saturday. She only had Friday to recover and get ready for the debut. And shit, she was freaking out.

- "God, kill me"- Mikey whispered as the van passed outside the hotel and had to turn around the corner. There were so many fans waiting for them out there, going out was suicidal. Joey wide opened her eyes and made her best not to show how shocked she was by the scene.

- "Hey"- Ray elbowed her and smiled- "Excited?"

- "Very"- she grinned and yawned- "And also exhausted."

- "Frank and I were thinking about asking for some room service and playing video games if you want to join us."

- "Sounds good. I just need to shower first."

- "Good, you shower! Can you teach Gerard how to do that, please?"- Frank joked, overhearing the conversation from the back seat- "Thank you for inviting her, Ray! Thank you, that you!!"- and god, he was excited, like a little kid.

- "Oh, come on! I shower now! Stop telling people I'm gross!"- Gerard argued and smacked Frank's head, joking.

- "You traumatized the band, and you have a stigma for being dirty and smelly, teen spirit,"- Mikey added with a deep, weary, hungover voice.

- "Shit! I need to catch up with a lot of info."

- "You are not really missing a lot"- James said next to her and yawned- "Gerard and Mikey didn't shower when they started touring; that's why they called Gee "Teen spirit." Frank used to hang shower camps at one side of the bus to shower after the show. Ray waited until the bus stopped by gas stations to use the shower there when it was available. He usually was left behind ‘cos everybody forgot about him. And that's the short version of touring with these guys. "

James explained as Joey chuckled.

- "Thank you, James. You are the best."

- "Oh, cut it"- Gerard threw his friend a scarf, and Joey laughed.

- "Ok, kids, and how are you planning to avoid all those fans waiting for you out there?"- Joey wondered as she kept looking outside the window as the group of teenagers reached the other side of the street.

- "The MCArmy is pretty cool"- Gerard explained as the girl turned around and raised an eyebrow, looking into his eyes, completely unconvinced.

- "I bet it can still get pretty scary to be out there with all those girls"

- "I mean it, they are not."

- "Yeah, sure. Then just get out this van and walk out there alone, without Worm"- Joey dared and their bodyguard, Worm, turned to him and shook his head no.

- "She is right, face it. You are never gonna make it"- the whole band made a pause after Worm delivered the line and chuckled. Joey didn't get the joke, but she said no word.

- "I really need to know more about this band, fuck!"

- "Don't worry, dude. We are gonna get through the back"- Worm announced, which seemed to be a good idea until they saw the back of the hotel and the way to the underground parking.

- "Oh shit!"- the words left Joey's lips- "Those are more girls that there were at the front… what the fuck?"

The drummer was clearly confused. She knew the band was big, but she hadn't evaluated precisely how big it was.

- "You are not a boy band when you are at a live show, right?"- she asked and turned to Ray smiling.

- "Yeah, we dance a lot. I'll teach you the choreography after dinner."

The van made its way through all the fans, and ten minutes later, each of the band and crew members was at their rooms. Frank lay on his bed and dialed his wife's number.

- "Hey baby"- he whispered with his eyes closed.

- "Hi honey, how was the flight?"

- "Long, eternal, I need to sleep a lifetime."

- "Me too, your daughters have been too spoiled, and neither of them is sleeping if I'm not holding them."

- "Shit."

- "I blame you for that."

- "Please don't…"

Frank chuckled and remembered all the afternoons he had spent holding both his daughters at the same time before he left for California to rehearsal for the tour.

- "I miss you so much"- and he wasn't lying at all. He loved his wife more than anyone.

- "We miss you too"

- "Is your mom still there with you?"

- "Yeah, I wouldn't have done any of this without her."

- "And Evan?"

- "He had a gig tonight, but he is coming to spend the weekend with us."

- "Awesome"

- "So, excited about this leg of the tour?"

- "To be honest, I'm kind of nervous."

- "Why?"

- "About the drummer and shit, we have press tomorrow, and I'm sure they are gonna start asking about it."

- "So?"

- "So I don't want to."

- "Don't make a fuzz out of something that hasn't happened yet"- Jamia made a pause as her husband stayed in silence staring at the ceiling too- "Besides, be honest, Gerard is going to answer all the questions"- Frank chuckled and sighed.

- "You are probably right"

- "I know I am, you know I am, deal with it."

Meanwhile, at the very same time, in his room, Gerard was talking with his wife too, and for some weird twist reason, he was having the exact same conversation.

- "I just don't want the whole tour to turn into "My chemical romance has a girl drummer" shit."

- "But it's an amazing thing to talk about!"- Lynz answered, frustrated her husband was still rambling about the same subject. It had been at least twenty minutes. It was probably his way to talk about her not being obvious. And pretending he hated the whole deal was his way to cope with the face he loved having Joey around.

- "I know it's gonna be fresh and exciting."

- "And inspirational to a bunch of girls out there"- that was probably the only thing that kept Lynz excited about Joey in the band. She didn't see her as a threat per se, but it was still a little weird for her.

- "Yeah, that's true… fans are gonna go nuts."

- "And media is gonna make up a lot of shit."

- "I hate that."

- "You do it for the music. That's what counts."

- "Yeah, I gotta love this shit to bear being apart from you so often,"- Lynz giggled at Gerard's words and sighed.

- "I know you love music more than you love me.2

- "That's not true."

- "I know… you love comics more than you love me,"- Gerard laughed and walked to the door, ‘cos someone was knocking.

- "You see through me"- Mikey walked in as soon as his brother opened and laid on the bed in silence- "Mikey just got here, I think we are gonna eat something and then sleep."

- "Go, I'm going to go out with Alicia today."

- "Really? that's cool, hey Mikey, the wives are going out together tonight,"- and Mikey frowned, surprised.

- "Cool"- that was all the excitement he could express.

- "Love you, babe, gotta go"- Gerard said goodbye to his wife and sighed as soon as he hung up the phone.

- "Everything ok?"- Mikey asked and kept changing the channels on the tv, not really watching anything.

- "Yeah, you?"

- "I'm hungry. Ray said he was asking for room service. Wanna go?"

- "Yeah, in a minute"- Gerard walked to the bathroom, and Mikey sighed, eyes glued to the television. That was the best way not to think. That and getting hammered, but he could do that later.

- "Hello"- Joey walked into Ray's room after she called her boyfriend, took a long, long shower, and put on clean clothes. Well, clean sweatpants and an old oversized Megadeth t-shirt. Basically, her pajamas.

- "Hey!!"- Ray's hair was dripping water as he opened the door and invited Joey in- "Sorry, I just stepped out of the shower."

- "Me too… and if we are gonna tour together, I figured you are gonna have to get used to seeing me in sweatpants"- Ray laughed and took a look at Joey up and down- "Sorry, not sorry."

- "Don't be. You look cute, in a nonsexual way"- he quickly explained and blushed.

- "Thank you… so? what are we eating?"

- "I don't know… what do you wanna eat?"

- "I'm so fucking hungry I need a double bacon burger with all the fries on this island… sorry, all the chips on this island."

- "Sounds good, make two of those,"- Joey sat on Ray's bed and watch him open his backpack.

- "What do you have there?"

- "Only the most important thing I carry around when we tour."

- "Guessing something related to… oh no, it's a PlayStation,"- Joey frowned and then chuckled as she saw Ray unpack his favorite console and plug into the television.

- "Since we are touring together, you should know this is something we can't live without."

- "Really?"

- "This is our life on the road."

- "Playing video games?"

- "Yeah… sorry if we are not that exciting."

- "Don't be sorry in front of a girl in sweatpants. Which games are you carrying?"- she moved closer and grabbed a few- "Call of Duty!! Cool!"

- "Do you play?"- Ray was excited, and you could tell.

- "It's Call of Duty. Who doesn't?"

- "Gerard"- Ray answered in less than a second.

- "Lame!"- the knocks on the door finished the conversation, and Joey walked over to answer. Frank held his breath, surprised to see there- "Hey! Do you play Black Ops?"

- "Ahh… yeah"- he doubted as he looked at her up and down- "You look…"

- "Like a mess? Yeah, get used to it"- he was gonna say cute, but she interrupted him at the right moment and walked back to Ray- "What else do you have there?"

Frank sat on the bed and stared at the scene. Ray kept showing Joey his video games, and she was really into it.

- "So do you play a lot?"- Frank ended up asking, and the girl grinned guiltily.

- "Maybe more than I should admit. When you live alone, and you don't have a job, there are too many hours to kill.

- "Been there"- Ray answered and chuckled

- "Then this tour is gonna be fun!"- Frank smiled and laid back on the bed as Joey sat next to him and tapped on his leg.

- "I am going to kick your Jersey ass."

- "Oh really? You better don't go all Icelandic on me when I make you eat the ground"- he made his best not to shiver at her touch and instead tickled her a little, which made her giggle, like a little girl.

- "I don't go all Icelandic, that's too cold and drunk"- she corrected him and tickled him as well- "I go all Latina, like mom."

Frank knew this was his chance to get a little closer to the girl, friendly closer, by the way. Well, that's what he kept telling himself.

- "Fine, then don't go all Latina on me when I kick your ass!"- he said and fully tickled her, hearing her laugh.

- "Fuck!! No!!"- she yelled, laughing- "You weren't supposed to find out about this weakness until way deep into the tour!!!"

Ray looked at them, frowning as he stood up and opened the door for Mikey and Gerard. He didn't say really a thing, just opened the door and walked back into the room.

- "Kids! Calm down! Or you won't have dinner"- Toro said and kneeled next to his suitcase, looking through his games for one he wanted to play. But neither Frank nor Joey paid attention and continued fighting over who could tickle the other. Gerard looked at them, deeply jealous, as Mikey nodded his head.

- "So… what are you doing?"- the youngest Way asked, staring at the obvious

- "We are…"- Joey made a pause and gave it a little thinking while Frank kept tickling her, enjoying a little too much the fact he could just touch her… in a friendly way- "Frank, what were we doing?"

- "You went all Latina all of a sudden."

- "Oh yeah, and you were all Jersey"- Frank had to stop ‘cos Joey stopped, but they kept pushing each other, and Ray continued telling them to stop like they were his kids.

- "And I told you I was going to kick your ass playing Call of Duty."

- "Right! That was why!"- Joey sort of shouted, and Frank burst out laughing- "Hey"- she smiled at Gerard and tried to look away.

- "Wanna play?"- Ray asked her, and she couldn't control her smile.

- "Always!!"

Gerard looked at her after she delivered that line. She sat with Ray on his bed holding a joystick, not paying half attention to him. Was that what made him act all jealous? The fact she paid attention to everyone else but him?

- "Just forget it, Gerard, eat your dinner and go to bed."

It was midnight, and Joey and Ray were still playing. Mikey was drunk and half-asleep on the bed, holding his phone tight. Frank was waiting for his turn to play, staring at the screen and laughing each time anyone would take a gunshot.

- "Ok, I'm going to bed"- Gerard said and stood up.

- "Ok, see you tomorrow!"- Ray said and never stopped playing, and neither did Joey.

- "Fuck you!!"- she yelled, and Toro laughed as the girl kept pushing him and making her best to force him to lose.

- "Don't be a bad loser!"

- "I am not a bad loser!!"- she argued right away and stood up to hand over Frankie the joystick, defeated again- "And you are a shitty winner, by the way!"

- "I'm leaving!"- Gerard repeated, and again, no one seemed to care.

- "Night night!"- Joey waved and turn around to look at the youngest Way- "Hey Mikey, are you ok?"

No, Mikey wasn't ok. He was laid on his back, tears slowly falling down his eyes, drunk as fuck.

- "Hey, Mikey, let's get you to bed, ok?"- he sighed and half-opened his eyes looking at Joey.

- "I don't want to."

- "Come on, you have an exciting day tomorrow. I got the schedule earlier, and you get to work for hours, and I am not doing shit!"- she joked, but Mikey didn't move- "Oh, come on… please, buddy?"

- "Is he ok?"- Gerard asked and walked over.

- "Drunk as fuck is the new ok,"- she answered as Gee shook Mikey's arm.

- "I'm alive"- he babbled and slowly sat down- "I'm ok, leave me alone."

- "You don't really look like you are ok"- Joey whispered and smiled at him- "Want me to show you my tits to cheer you up?"- Frank paused the game and turned to her.

- "Fuck yeah!! We could ask for that?"- Joey frowned and looked at him, annoyed.

- "I was joking"- she pronounced every letter in those words very slowly- "Just trying to make Mikey laugh."

- "Oh yeah"- Frank blushed and unpaused the game, turning to the screen- "I knew you were, I was just following the joke."

Joey nodded and turned to Mikey again. Meanwhile. Frank wanted to slap himself.

- "What the fuck is your problem!! That was so stupid! It was obvious she was joking, and now you made an ass of yourself! She is gonna think you are a pervert!!"

- "So, are you coming?"- Joey smiled at her friend, and he nodded- "Good, ‘cos I don't wanna smack you."

- "Do you need help?"- Frank paused the game again, and Ray almost growled.

- "No, I'm ok"- Mikey answered and stood up.

- "Come on, let's have a slumber party. We can do each other's nails"- Joey smiled, and Mikey smirked.

- "Braid my hair, sister"

- "And I'll curl your eyelashes"

Gerard watched in awe how his brother just followed Joey's commands like a little boy. He just went to bed when she asked him to. He laughed when she made the jokes. Was he crushed on her too?

- "Good night, kiddos"- Joey smiled and waved at Ray and Frank- "I had a blast with you tonight."

- "Goodnight, loser!!"- Ray teased her, and the girl stuck out her tongue at him.

- "Tomorrow, I want my revenge!"

- "Whenever you want to lose, I am here,"- he chuckled, and she pretended to be mad. The truth was, she had a great time with Ray, and she was glad he was so warm and friendly with her from day one.

- "Hey, Iceland"- Frank stood up and walked quickly over her- "That shit about your tits, I was joking."

- "I know, Jersey. Calm down"- she beamed and pushed his arm- "You are a good kid."

- "Thanks, goodnight"- he whispered and walked back to Ray's bed- "If only you knew…".

Gerard opened the bedroom door and waited for Joey and his brother to walk out to close it behind his back.

- "Where to?"- she asked, and Mikey pointed to the elevator. The three of them walked in silence, the door closed, and the youngest Way slowly raised his hand and pushed "15".

- "Please don't puke in the elevator"- Gerard teased him, and Mikey whispered

- "Like you never did that kind of shit back in your days,"- the silence hung amongst them until the door opened, and they strolled out.

- "Good neighbor, you are just four rooms down from my cave"- Joey joked as Mikey slowly and clumsily tried to open his door, but Gerard ended up grabbing his card and doing it for him when it was apparent he wasn't in the condition of doing it by himself.

- "Ok, Mikey. There you go"- Gerard helped his brother to bed as Joey took out his shoes and moved the pillows for him.

- "I don't want your help"- the drunk Way said, but Joey messed with his hair and smiled, trying to cheer him up.

- "I am not helping you. You asked me to stop being nice,"- Gerard frowned, not getting the conversation, but apparently, there were so many things Ray and Mikey could talk about with her he had no idea about. He should give up trying to catch up.

- "This is me making sure you owe me big time, and I am going to call in a huge favor as soon as I get drunk, and you are gonna have to take care of me,"- Mikey smiled and closed his eyes.

- "Ok, Bug"- the drunk boy closed his eyes and sighed- "I'm gonna start calling you "Bug" now because you can be fucking annoying!"

- "Oh really?"- Joey giggled and stood next to Mikey's bed with Gerard- "I'm gonna have to find a nickname for you then."

- "Your job for tomorrow"- the drunk guy whispered and sighed.

- "Goodnight, Mikey"- Gerard said and watched how his brother fell asleep in less than a minute. He and Joey walked slowly to the door and left Mikey alone.

- "Thank you for taking care of him,"- Gerard whispered as they walked down the hall to Joey's door.

- "Don't thank me for that. I consider him my friend already, and friends take care of each other."

The girl kept looking down at her shoes as they walked, decided not to land her eyes on his, not even for a second. God knows what could happen.

- "He seems to be going through a rough patch lately"

- "He hasn't told you anything about it?"- Joey asked surprised.

- "No"- Gerard shook his head and thought very carefully before he asked- "Has he told you… anything about what's going on with him?"

Joey didn't hesitate for a second and answered no.

- "It just seems he trusts you with his problems. That's all."- Gerard added.

- "We talk about random shit"- she quickly explained- "Maybe he just needs to ease his mind from whatever it is that is happening to him, at least for a bit."

The two of them stayed quiet, standing right in front of each other. Gerard was dying to hold her face with both hands and kiss her. They were alone for the first time ever. Ever. He has made his best for this not to occur before; the plane trip at least was shared with a hundred other people at the same place. Now it was just the two of them all alone standing in the hall.

- "What are your plans for tomorrow?"- Gerard whispered and raised his eyes to look at her.

- "Gym in the morning, practice in the afternoon"- Joey said and kept looking at her hands.

- "Where are you gonna practice?"

- "Here, in my room. I brought my electric drum ‘cos Brian said I could install it somewhere around the bus."

Gerard kept his eyes locked on her, and she could feel it as she continued talking.

- "I hope it's not an inconvenience, I'm just nervous. I feel like I need to practice another 100 hours to play the show you deserve."

- "No, of course, it's no problem"- he answered and slowly reached out his hand to clumsily place it on her shoulder- "And stop doubting yourself. You are an amazing drummer."

Joey couldn't help it and shivered as she felt Gerard's touch, raising her eyes to meet his.

- "Thank you"- she whispered, and time stopped as they stared at each other. It felt so natural to lean over. It was like their bodies were longing for proximity. But both of them knew they couldn't do anything like so.

- "Ok Joey, breath, act like a normal person and walk away from this temptation"- she sighed and smiled- "That would be a killer nickname" Well, see you tomorrow Gerard, have fun doing a million interviews.

- "Have fun at the gym- he smiled and watched her opening the door and walking into her room."

- "Good night"- she whispered and slowly closed the door.

- "Ok, that was good. You controlled yourself, Gerard. I'm proud… now walk away and get into your room."

Joey laid on her bed and closed the laptop, after a long video call with Matthew. Tears fell from her eyes slowly. She was nervous, excited, and most of all, she was sad her boyfriend wouldn't be there with her at her first show.

- "You have no idea how proud I am, Yami"- he had said, as the two of them cried.

- "I wish you were here with me, Akumu."

She had never been away from him in six months. Once for a weekend, but not a whole month. She missed him already. Watching his face on the screen didn't make it easy. If anything, it felt like it made it worse. She was in love with him, honestly in love. She had a couple of shitty experiences with her previous boyfriends, and Matthew was the first man who treated her with respect. It was sad for her to be so moved about something that could be the base of a relationship.

Besides, she wasn't just nervous about being away from her boyfriend. She also had second thoughts about her abilities. Maybe she really wasn't going to be able to do it right. She could be petrified in front of the audience. It would be easier if Matthew were there with her. But he wasn't, and she had to start dealing with this fear on her own.

She could still feel Gerard's hand on her shoulder, telling her she was going to do great. It burned her skin like the remainder of his warm touch.

- "Fucking temptation"- she whispered and rolled in bed to turn out the lights- "Gerard is so hot I could do something very foolish if I were single... and if he was single too, of course."

**

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[oh-for-fic-sake]

The Stand In Chapter Three

Masterlist

The filming is done and the trailer is coming ,but you have to deal with some unexpected consequences of being so close to Henry. Then your mother drops a bombshell that she may have let your career change slip to one of your many overprotective brothers. Meanwhile Henry has a revelation with some help from Anya and Joey.

Warnings: Adult Situations +18, Masturbation, fluff, Swearing

A/N:so here is chapter three,as I have said before I'm trying to make this realistic from a fangirls point of veiw. this is going to be a bit of a slow burn to so buckle up guys! anyway I hope you enjoy xxx see you soon xxx

Taglist: @dark-night-sky-99 @thummbelina @sofiebstar @jellicorn05 @m3anwhil3misha @thefangirlsblog  @al-wiisa  @healojane​  @thatgirly81​ @angelofthorr @iloveyouyen​   @two-unbeatable-beaters​

As the scene was called to an end a small round of applause was held, everyone seemed to be pleased with your performance which was a relief...your performance did dictate weather they kept there jobs or not so it was safe to say it was smiles all round. You finally let loose a breath slumping your shoulders 'Keira' receded and you shrunk under everyone's gaze blushing. You looked around seeing the crew and cast. Everyone seemed happy and you hadn't forgotten any of your cues or lines. You looked down at your shaking hands as relief and adrenaline flooded your system. You'd been shaking for most of the scene but thankfully the thick material of the costume covered it well. The scene itself was...Intense the air was thick for most of it as you Joey and Henry's interactions were carefully executed there were a few small hiccups but nothing you couldn't overlook...They added to the scene if you was quite honest.

As silly as it was you wanted to cry but was desperate to hold back not wanting to be silly. You jumped looking up as you were almost body slammed into a hug, the torso wasn't to wide so it had to be .Joey. You smiled brightly as the crew began to move about the hustle and bustle of set resumed. Joey plastered himself to you hugging tight and pulling you up off the floor for a second laughing.

"See? Nothing to worry about! That was brilliant Tink's!" You laughed nervously

"Err....Thank you...Can you let me go now...Please Joey?" He quickly released you letting you turn to face him gulping as you saw Henry smiling nodding.

"H-how do you feel about us- I mean all this now then?...It- wasn't as scary as you thought....W-was it?" You glanced to the floor and took a calming breath trying to get yourself under control then looked at the man sheepishly twiddling you fingers.

"N-no it was...Fun? Almost...You know once it got going...." he smiled sweetly at you

"Good! Good that’s err yeah I'm happy you found it fun....I'm sorry about you know....I err kind of forgot how err...I mean I...I tried to be gentle but..." you shook your head at him quickly

"Oh-oh that was...It's fine I knew it was going to happen but....It was my fault honestly and it doesn't even hurt so no harm done...It- your strength surprised me is all!" You said referring to what could have been seen as a incident, in the scene Geralt had to throw Keira to a wall and pin her there to interrogate her a little, at this point in the story neither really knew who the other was.

Tomasz had said the way you were so unprepared for him to throw you back was good that your surprise and flinching added to the scene making it more believable. Henry had misjudged his strength and you'd actually banged the back of your head on the faux brick of the 'corridor' he had gone to pull back immediately fearing he had hurt you, but you kept the scene going holding him still discretely out of shot and continued with the dialogue while you still had the nerve.

Henry smiled guilty he hadn't liked seeing you wince but he was glad that you'd continued he doubted any other takes would have been as authentic he would have held back to much.

"Still...I-I will try to be careful I don't want to hurt you...Your so tiny." Tomasz came over followed by Lauren both wearing huge grins.

"Yes! That was perfect! You did wonderful absolutely brilliant....Now your not needed for filming for another three or four days today was just so we can throw out a trailer...It should be done in a day or so?" You frowned at him days?

"That’s...quick is it always that quick?" Lauren chuckled

"No...but the trailer was done we just needed clips of you all the team need to do is slot you and a few of your lines in as a little narration and thats it!...With any luck it will be released on the app by....oh I’d say Thursday morning? If they upload it as soon as they get it...But in reality it will probably be by tomorrow afternoon sometime, after covid everyone is scrabbling to get their trailers out asap" Tomasz nodded in agreement then snapped to you remembering something.

"Yes and you will be announced as Keira the same day so be prepared." You blinked dumbfounded

"A-anounced?" He smile at you encouragingly

"Just on the main official websites, social media that sort of thing...You may end up having a Wikipedia page to but we don't have much control on that one...Don’t look so worried everything should go smoothly...Speaking of everything going smoothly would you like to watch what you’ve just done?" you gulped and shook your head

"Fuck no...I...I can't watch myself-OH FUCK I-I just realized...I cant watch it when it comes out!!..." All four laughed as you yelled swearing cursing to yourself Tomasz laughed patting your back.

"Don’t you worry you can work yourself up to it! Everything will be fine! You may get more media attention due to the circumstances of your audition...We are going to let it out that you was working on set and stepped up...we are naming you as our saving grace and explaining that if you didn't step in witcher would have been cancelled, that should help you get a welcome reception...If things do get hairy we will sort it out..Now as much as I'd love to chat we have a few more scenes with these two today and we need to shoot while we have the good weather... So you go get changed and relax while you can tomorrow you start your fight choreography" you nodded receiving one last hug from Joey and a pat on the back from Henry as they turned moving to their next scene. The one you just filmed was a little further into the season then where they were up to but as they said they needed it for the trailer.

Henry took a breath he didn't want to leave you..Not yet he had only just spoke to you for the first time and for the next few days you wont see much of each other, he had a few night scenes that needed to be filmed...At night that meant he would be asleep for most of the day when you would be up and about set. Even if he did manage to drag himself out of bed he doubted he would see you, you would be busy he had your schedule...He had managed to wrangle one from of the offices had he said you'd lost yours? Maybe...But he was just excited he wanted to see when you'd both be around one another so he could prepare himself. He seemed to just be on egg shells, blundering his way through conversations and if he wasn't stammering and mixing his words he was fucking staring. He really had to get this attraction under control, preferably by having you on his arm.

That scene had been incredible for him, it was a flirtatious piece before boiling into sexual tension as he Geralt had followed the shifty witch about the banquet hall before confronting her over his suspicions. He sighed happily the grabbing and touching, pinning you it sent his  thoughts running wild, he loathed to admit it but his manhandling of you had...Really did it for him, which surprised him he has never been one for the rough and tumble outside of the bed room...or in it really sure he topped but nothing majorly rough a few slaps on the ass here and there and some dirty talk. But ...with you he could see himself experimenting you just shook him! He wanted to go all alpha on your ass!, claim his woman and all that jazz...He  just- around you he truly felt like a man's man you know? The whole 'me Tarzan you Jane' scenario wanting to sling you over his shoulder and take you back to his trailer and fuck the living daylights out of your tiny little pussy!....Fuck!

Having his current infatuation, his fantasy! Pinned and held still to the wall had really fucked him up. I mean what was so sexy about overpowering you with a single hand on your chest? crowding you with his form? leaning so close he could feel your sweet breath fanning his face Fuck me!...Everything, all of it was sexy! he felt powerful and dominant, like he was this big bear who could protect you from everything even yourself!

His only gripe was that he had to remain stoic and irritated as you flirted with him...God he wanted to flirt back let you know he wanted you in the most depraved of ways but that wasn't in the scene. Just remembering the way he had held you was already making him twitch in the tight bottoms of his costume.

It didn't take long to slip, for his imagination to cross over into delicious dangerous territory. He had felt it! The way your heart picked up as he leaned in closer with vaguely threatening words, the soft pants and gasps between your breaths the way your pupils had blown only to return to the sarcastic unamused gaze of keira. He had watched closely as your lips trembled you were quivering and he loved everysecond of it.

"Henryyyy~ oh god really what you do one scene with your precious Tink's and we loose you completely?!" Henry grunted at Joey as they made their way across set, they now needed to film a town scene.

"I'm fine Joey...Just thinking" he snorted at Henry walking around the larger man stopping him in his tracks

"Well don't hurt yourself" Henry rolled his eyes then peaked at the impish grin Joey had.

"So? Happy? I mean you did just get to cop a feel! And be paid to do it mind you!" Henry stopped and stuttered

"I-I did not!  I would never! Joey it was a scene! I didn't cop a feel!" Joey pulled a face unconvinced.

"Uhuh? So your script said 'grab her by the tits' and not 'grab her by the throat'?" Henry stopped 'what?, it fucking? Did ? Oh fuck whats she going to think? Is that why she was unprepared? You are such a fucking dick shes gonna think your a god damn pervert!'

"Hey hey woah! Henry stop slow down mate...I can see what your thinking but just back up...I was joking....Fuck ...That's it calm down she didn't seem to mind...see its fine" Henry calmed down but not by much.

"What the fuck? How am I? Whats she gonna think of me now?"

"Whats who gonna think of what?" Both men looked up as Anya approached readying herself for the shoot. Joey spoke up before Henry could stop him.

"Well you know Henry's little crush had her first shoot today?"

"I don't have a crush!" Anya chuckled at his blatant lie and patted his shoulder

"We know Henry..." she looked to Joey whilst rubbing Henry's back in reassuring circles and continued as he pouted.

"So Tink's is the one replacing whatsherface I thought it was just a rumor" Joey laughed as Henry heaved a sigh becoming a light pink colour.

"How does? We-I don't have a...Fuck it" Henry gave up resigning to the fact that everyone probably knew no matter how discrete he thought he was being. Anya sighed at the buff man.

"Henry you wouldn't shut up about her we all know..." Henry looked between them a little sheepish he couldn't help it. Joey cleared his throat.

"...yes well at one point Henry here had to pin her to a wall by her throat but instead decided to use her boobs to keep her still...and he has only just realized" Anya sighed

"Oh god you didn't? Really?...please tell me you didn't squeeze..." he full on blushed.

"NO! FUCK-I I did not squeeze...I didn't even notice not until Joey just brought it up...Its probably why she wasn't ready and banged her head, she thought I was going for her throat to push her back but instead I....Fuck sake!" Anya looked to Joey for the full story.

"He pushed her a little hard and her head hit the wall...I'm sure it was your strength that caught her off guard not your meaty palm squishing her tits..." Henry groaned running his hands over his face.

Anya sighed looking at him she could tell this was going to eat away at him.

"Look if she didn't say anything then she probably doesn't even realize...just play it by ear...if she does bring it up then apologize sincerely...All women love a gentleman" Henry sighed Anya was right the scene just naturally progressed you probably wouldn't have noticed, but he couldn't help feel bad he liked you he didn't want to blow it.

"But...but what if she hasn't said anything because shes scared of me" anya scoffed shaking her head.

"Seriously? You think shes afraid of you?" Henry furrowed his brow as she and joey laughed

"Well she must be! She always ran away from me! And couldn't look at me when she auditioned and today she had to hide behind Kal just to speak a few words to me!...I can understand I mean shes small and I'm a big guy then I fucking throw her about like that!? Shit shes never gonna go out with me if I fucking frighten her! Why the fuck are you two laughing I'm serious?!" Anya managed to stem her chuckles feeling bad for him, he honestly had no clue.

"Shes not scared Henry...Fuck really you haven't noticed?"

"Noticed what?!" Joey intercepted still chuckling, honestly it was like watching a fumbling preteen with a first crush.

"She likes you...A lot shes embarrassed" Henry frowned at them were they making fun of him? He shook his head getting irritated.

"No...she can't it doesn't make sense why would she run and be all..."

"Nervous and stuttering?like oh I font know a girl meeting her favorite celebrity? " Joey added Henry blinked what? You were a fan?

"There we go the penny has dropped!" Henry moved shifting on his feet flushing red

"She cant be-"

"She is Tee told me, shes a fan of yours Henry so she gets all shy" 'was that true? You liked him; his work so got flustered and avoided him? Fuck Cavill you dumb ass! That makes perfect sense! She hid because she was nervous, and she used Kal as a coping mechanism! She probably doesn't want to freak you out!' Henry smiled getting more confident if..if it was true then all he had to do was get you used to being around him, he could relax now knowing he didn't scare you just made you...what? Happy nervous? He was snapped out of his thoughts by Joey.

"Why don't you come along with us tomorrow...Invite her out for a late lunch? We can go as a group so technically its not a date but we can get her a few wines down her and loosen her up a bit and get her relaxed and you two can talk get to know her more!"Anya gasped

"Thats a brilliant idea we can say its because me and Freya want to meet her before our scenes together! A nice casual lunch and we can sit her next to you Henry!" Henry smiled...That was a good idea he could get to know you and not come on to strong as like a date. He nodded to Anya and Joey he would go and ask you after shooting today, suddenly he couldn't wait for tomorrow envisioning finally getting to have a real conversation with you and hopefully get you to relax around him.

You ran back to your trailer, luckily it took half the time to get out of costume then it did to get in. It only took an hour and you were finally y/n again and ready to chill like Tomasz said. You heaved a huge sigh once alone in your new home. You wanted to just go back to bed but your mind was reeling ,that had been incredible and terrifying all in one. 'But bitch you did it! Fuck yes!...And oh my god he touched you....Okay so it was for a scene so does it count?...Maybe, and he got you food! He fed you girl~...Well again not really,...Just coffee but still he thought of you? like he Ugh! How the fuck are you gonna survive this?!...Okay breath you didn't squeal....or scream or dry hump him....So today is going to go down as a win! But oh my fuck he was so strong~ like fuck he could one hundred percent rip you in half and your sorry ass would fucking drool over his muscles during and thank him after! And he was warm to...So warm and his smelt handsome...How the fuck can anyone smell handsome? You didnt know but fuck he did clean and masculine and just UGH!...Yes...Just yes girl so handsome and big and buff and....Fuck you wanted to just UGH!...Fuck...Just oh my god how are we gonna get through this with him being all growly and beefy...Okay something else....Kal, Kal is so cute and fluffy and big just like his daddy-NO! No no no stop it...Stop that right now!...He was hot though' you could still feel where he had placed his hand over your chest, the tingles he left it was ridiculous! His palm had been so hot...Like the rest of him so no real surprise...But fuck for you to feel it through the thick dress he must be hot...Which some how was more of a turn on you were wet...Like whet.

You cringed as you shifted feeling the arousal in your knickers making them stick to your outer lips it was uncomfortable, should probably take care of that.. you got up moving to the small toilet flicking off your knickers and blushed...Wow okay the man had definitely done a number on your libido...And you thought tumblr smut did you good but shit this was almost laughable. You rolled your eyes moving to the toilet wiping yourself down cleaning yourself up. It did no use you growled twitching and bucking into your hand as you moved as fast as you could trying not to fan the flames as brushing past your clit silently praying that this wouldn't be a regular thing after shoots. But you fucking doubt it! Seriously on set he was a huge growly built witcher...Who was also a frequent fantasy so yeah looks like your knickers were in for a rough ride. You whined trying to wipe away as much as you could feeling embarrassed as well as a little naughty, but to be honest you didn't feel to bad about it. Was that weird? besides if you hid it then it wont be a problem...A few months of sexual frustration wont be so bad...would it? Not like the man didn't know he was attractive so if he did ever see well...He wont blame you...would he?.

You mulled over these thoughts then quickly shook your head deciding some questions are better left unanswered. You looked down at into the toilet...If you continued to wipe yourself down you'd have a hell of a job explaining a clogged toilet...There was no dignified way of explaining a clogged toilet. So it was settled you needed a shower....A cold shower and clean knickers then a nap! sounds like a plan. On that thought, You poked your head out of the shower checking for a mini washing machine...Nada great so had to settle for just quickly rinsing them in the sink then hang them somewhere. You moved quickly pulling the cord and flipping on the switch letting the water to pour through the shower head.

You hissed as you stepped into the cubicle and the cool water hit your bare skin. You blinked looking at the damp knickers on the floor of the tiny room you shrugged and threw them on the floor of the shower giving them a quick blast washing away your own mess then kicked them out choosing to find a spot to dry them later. It was only when you stood below the stream of water that you realized just how flushed you was. Your heated skin protested to the water but soon it was comfortable and relaxing you closed your eyes trying to take a few zen moments under the cool spray willing away all your troubles.

Mainly the throbbing between your thighs it only lasted a few minuets before you got irritated huffing it wasn't working! you growled  having a quick wash hoping your arousal would settle on its own but soon you realized it wasn't going to happen and you needed to clean your still tremble core. You hissed bucking having to bite your own hand as you moved the shower head to the apex of your thighs. You whined as the light spray washed away your arousal pressing against your clit. You moaned as the cool water seemed to be just what you needed cooling the heated flesh and giving you incredible waves of pleasure vibrating along your nerves in slow tremors as good as it felt it was...not enough? It felt nice and nice just wasn't going to cut it! you grunted trying desperately to find that spot, that angle and rhythm that will take you to paradise but this shower was shit... Nothing like your expensive high power shower at home.

You whined widening your legs thighs shaking one hand was on the side of the tiny cubicle bracing yourself as you rocked and circled trying to chase a high that was slipping away as your frustration built. You hissed out throwing your head back moaning in disappointment trying to conjure an image, fantasy anything that would help but each time you latched onto one it was him and for some reason it felt...wrong and dirty. You gave up with a angry grunt quickly hooking the shower head back up and flipped it off. Getting out and wrapping a towel around you now in a sour mood. How the fuck was it easy to masturbate over him when you've never met him yet fucking difficult when you had met him... But surely it should be easier to get yourself there thinking of him, you had more to go on now. Maybe it was to do with the fact you had to face him now? either way it wasn't going to happen well not today anyway...Or was it?

It was then you decided to start going through tumblr...Probably not going to help but fuck you were desperate! you were horny and had to try, tumblr smut fics had never done you wrong before hopeful the writers would work their magic once more quickly scrolling through to your favorite smut fics and settling in the bed at the back of the bus. You moved crawling across the soft covers still wrapped in the huge bath sheet towel not caring that everything  was getting damp, if you had your way they'd be getting a lot wetter!

You flopped on your back pillows propping you up a little getting comfy you took a deep breath and spread your legs your tablet leaning on one bent leg, headphones next to you just in case a porn audio took your fancy. You started eyes scanning the words of a particularity juicy fic that you'd reread hundreds of times by this point you knew it almost word for word but still found yourself becoming turned on by the well written words, the slow build up that had you panting as you ghosted your fingers across your thighs slowly making their way to your mound, then bypassing making you shiver as you continued the journey up your soft tummy goose bumps raising along the flesh under your slight touches all the way to your chest leaving light tiny pinches on the underside of your breasts and circled your nipples letting the words sink in getting yourself ready for a promising orgasm.

You moved things along skipping a few paragraphs finding the hottest part of the chapter finally you moved two fingers to circle your tiny throbbing bud. Arching as your soft fingers rolled in small figure eights around the swollen flesh you rocked lightly and dug your toes into the covers below you trying to hold still and enjoy your body for whats its worth. Sighing you moved plucking at it from side to side pulling and tugging it this way and that as your walls began contracting wanting to be full, aching to a full body shuddering orgasm! The pleasure built faster then in the shower under your own skilled fingers and you grunted moving rocking faster. Half of you wanting to make this last, to enjoy the slow build up the other half just wanted this over, already done with this shit. You lowered your fingers leaving your clit to drift lower and rubbing your opening digging in your fingertips to give the muscles a massage treating yourself before diving right inside your arousal was coating you making it easier. You closed your eyes forgoing the fic now finding yourself able to have your own fantasy. Imagining another of Henry's characters somehow you could separate Henry from captain syverson which was a fucking god send at this point! then just as you were going to impale yourself on your own fingers and finally get your well deserved release. Then you heard it, your phone. It was like god himself doesn't want you to cum today.

Your head fell back an you kicked at the mattress having a quick paddy before wrapping your towl around you with a grunt and clambered out of bed to see who was cock blocking you. It was a good thing you got up to answer it as the tell tale 'mama' by scissor sisters blaring out signalling it was your mum and you'd be in deep shit is you ignored her. you took a deep breath and sat at the small table just by the door tugging the towel tight and answered.

"hi mum..you alright?"

"hey baby! how did it go? did you enjoy it? when can I see my baby girls perfomance? it was for the trailer wasn't it? tell me!!" you chuckled and leaned back she was really excited about all this, probably moreso then you.

"It was...It was fun I was nervouse but everyone said I did good...Didn't forget lines and stuff...Tomasz said the trailer will be out early in a few days so just keep your eye out on netflix but don't send it to me or tag me in it please...don't wanna see it yet"

"Tomasz? he is the....Bard?!" you laughed out loud shaking your head

"No director...Joey is the bard"

"So it was all okay? I'm glad I was so worried for you I tried not to call but I couldn't help it been sitting here all day worrying...And I may have...Well don't be mad!" you took a deep breath oh god what has she done!

"Mum..Mum what have you done?..You didn't tell anyone yet did you please tell me you've kept quiet!" she chuckled nervously

"Well...I may have accidentally let slip to...Well Casper? just a tiny bit...Teeny weeny bit" you froze she fucking what?! oh god oh god oh god! if Casper knows then the others probably will soon! you'd hoped to keep this away from the entourage of seriously over protective older brothers!

"MOTHER!? WHA-why? what the fuck? please tell me your joking?" she sighed

"oh I'm sorry love...But I was here alone worried...I really tried but he called and well he knew something was up and I just...it was an accident....I just needed someone to share the news with sweetheart! I'm sorry besides they will be happy for you! you know that they look out for you they just care..I'm sure it will be fine!" you grumbled down the phone to her making her sigh

"I am sorry it just slipped...I know they are...overwhelming and cocky and stubborn but they are your brothers and they love you, your their baby sister and they just want what's best for you" you sighed you knew that but they were all very over the top, fuck they are the reason your a virgin! no one would dare cross them! when you had your first kiss the poor soul was pulled off you and got a smack in the mouth since then everyone knew you were off limits. Not that your mother ever found out that little detail she thought you’d done the 'hanky panky' in secondary school like the rest of them.

"Yes I know...I suppose that was why you called to huh? to warn me?" you heard her click her tongue and hummed

"Well yes...He was happy for you, then he seemed to get antsy over the whole fame thing...And then when he realized you'd be working scenes with Geralt...Especially when he know you like the man...God for the life of me I can't remember his name! Hank-Harry?

""Henry"

"AH! yes that's it Henry the one you saw on tudors? and superman and fuck what else was he in? The spy one...fuck haha! you know its funny I should know this of by heart from all the squealing and what did you call it? fangirling? ..How has that been going by the way I'm assuming you were filming with him?" you hesitated a little

"I-err well we spoke a little this morning..From what Joey;the bard before you ask, said Henry had come to the make up early to try and make sure I didn't freak out to much...its why I stopped messaging you" she gasped

"Oh well that was nice of him...He is looking out for you then?"

"Yes to an extent...He got me coffee and was nice and he let me cuddle Kal! I sort of had really bad anxiety and kal-bear noticed so crawled into my lap...Henry let him and then Joey and Henry walked me to set...Well dragged me I ...I tried to run a little bit"

"Well thats good! You’ll need someone to help you...I guess you didn't have a screaming fit then?" you scoffed

"NO! what am I a child puh-lease I am an adult woman mother and I can handle a small crush!" she snorted at you

"I think not! you should remember who your talking to I know you inside and out! just..I know you like the idea of him but looks can be deceiving okay? just be careful there's a reason people say don't meet your idols y/n" you sighed

"I know mum...But I promise he has been nothing but a gentleman he is nice and is very supportive, he said so himself at the audition he will mentor me so I can learn on the job...I'm effectively his apprentice and I have everything under control...We wont see one another for a few days now any way...Got fight choreography for the next few days then some more fittings for other costumes then I will be on set filming more...Any way I best go...Gotta get some lunch havent eaten today yet...was to nervous...gonna chill for the rest of the day..Tomasz thinks the trailer will be done and out by tomorrow sometime so its going to get hectic"

"Okay love...If Casper calls just answer him if you avoid it you'll make him worse and he will call the others and you'll be bombarded with texts and calls...he might even call Kane....besides if you sort it out now alt least you wont have to face any of them for a while...not till you come here for filming...Or Christmas"

"Oh did they get the go ahead from brian?"

"Yes he signed a few weeks ago free reign over the woods and fells so you will be here filming I think it was for five weeks...Okay then I will let you go, take it easy be careful and I will call tomorrow okay? love you"

"Love you two mum speak tomorrow...not before eleven though!"

"Yes yes I know now go eat!"

"I will bye" you hung up and took a deep breath. shit. if Casper knew he was bound to have told one or two of the others. You got up from the table sliping on a sweater dress and some leggings before making your way over to the dining tent for lunch deciding you would feel better after some food.

Jesus Christ, it had already begun! the chefs were all over you like a bad rash, it seems everyone had now either heard you was the stand in or seen it. They were all happy said nice encouraging things..A few teased you playfully like Mathew who had been a bit of a... well you wouldn't say creeper but he didn't seem to realize that you wasn't interested, not that he asked you out but he...You knew he wanted to but no...Just no. He was nice but you didn't like him like that,  he made you super uncomfortable and not in a nervous crush type of way that Henry had. After nearly forty five minuets of a cringey conversation you finally wriggled away from him and took a seat at one of the huge tables half way through the now cold soup thanks to Mathew you got the call.

Your phone buzzed to life with your brother Casper’s face. Fuck sake!. you debated ignoring it but knowing him he would go all commanding officer on your ass and you just didn't need that. You slipped the phone in your hand.

"Hello Cas"

"What the fuck do you think your upto?!" you winced oh yes definitely his officer voice

"What do you mean? look I know mum told you and if your just going to yell at me then fuck off okay? they needed someone"

"Then they should find someone, but not my little fucking little sister...Your still a little baby"

"Don't call me baby alright? Jesus Cas I do have my own life you know? I can do what I want!" he scoffed you could feel him shaking his head

"But-but with him how the fuck? your going to get hurt sis you know that don't you? please please please tell them no, say something came up and you have to come home" you growled

"NO! ABSOLUTLY NOT!" you looked around seeing people stop and stare as you shouted down the phone to your over zealous brother.you quickly tucked your self into your shoulders.

"No I will not let them down! I signed the contract and I'm doing it! I'm keeping my word and you know what I am fucking enjoying myself! You know being an adult cos funny enough that's what I am...I thought you'd be happy for me?" he grunted

"I am happy for you! but I'm also worried, your about to be in the fucking spotlight y/n don't you see that? interviews, award shows the whole nine yards! and with no fucking preparation! no one in your corner!" you scoffed

"Oh thank so I'm on my own? because I haven't packed it in and come home like a good girl? is that what your saying? huh how dare I go and do something for myself by myself?!" he groaned and huffed down the phone you heard a thump he had obviously just hit something.

"That’s is not what I'm saying and you know it!  I always have you back just like the others you know that! I'm worried for you...I love you y/n...I don't want to see you crushed..The media are cruel and the fan base can be crueler...Please just tell me that you thought this through." you took a deep calming breath and nodded covering your eyes and leaned on your elbow on the table.

"I have...Tomasz and Lauren; the director and producer...They are releasing it in a way to let people know that if I hadn't stepped in then there would be no season two so that's one brownie point...And Henry and Joey are also on board helping me, they are mentoring me along the way and-" Casper hummed

"I'm also worried about him to...I don't want you caught up with him, I know what you think of him but he is still a man and they are only after-" you suddenly got very angry at what he was insinuating.

"Casper! Dont you fucking go there! I know bloody well what you fucking think? for fuck sake you and the others made damn sure I would die a fucking spinster, never had a fucking boyfriend cos of that stupid 'boys want one thing' bullshit at this point I wouldn't even know what to do with one! so just drop it!" he sighed it was something that all the brothers shared guilt over, they had isolated you, stopped you from having that first love and heartbreak now you were terrified of intimacy and the thought of needing someone in our life...

They knew it was their fault in some overprotective male bullshit they had basically given you a complex and ruined prospect of marriage and a family. They each regretted it and wanted to go back and change it but they can't. And it wasn't just boys they kept you away from girls to, ones they thought would lead you astray embarrassing you by showing up at teen parties and dragging you home kicking and screaming in front of your friends at eight at night trying to protect your virtue wanting what was best for you leaving you now a twenty seven year old virgin...Not by choice they had kicked the shit out of anyone who fucking blinked in your direction to this day you were still bitter about it and rightfully so.

They were out of line and should have known better, even your parents pulled them up and had many talks about it warning that they were going to give you a complex and issues later on but they never listened and there were to many of them for your mum and dad to really keep track and keep an eye on.

"Look Cas please just trust me I...If I'm going to make mistakes let me decide which ones to make okay? I'm happy and I'm going to be careful...I know you have my best interests at heart but at some point I've got to..." he sighed sadly he knew where you was coming from they had suffocated you growing up and now you were naive and that was their fault and just made them worry more and more becoming one huge nasty cycle. They want you to be happy and settle down but they still saw you as the baby sister who needed her knights in shinning Armour! And they wasn't ready to let anyone else be your hero.

"Please Casper...Just tell me your with me? That you think I can do it? I really need my family right now to just have my back" you closed your eyes feeling a huge weight on your back, you loved each and every one of your brothers and always wanted to make them proud but it was hard when your the baby of the family, you know they all mean well but...Well they are men and idiots fucking, children if your honest. You took a deep breath waiting to hear his reply.

"I've got your back Titch, always got your back and I trust you...And if-if you do get close to him and want to ...You know go for it....But same thing goes I don't care if he is a big star he fucking upsets you I will break his legs! Okay? Anyway enough of that...Don't need to think of you doing the nasty...So who you playing anyway? mum couldn't remember" you sighed in relief at least Cas would back you up when the others found out.

"keira...I'm playing keira...Did a shoot today its going to be in the trailer...Think they are releasing it tomorrow sometime so keep your eyes peeled..." you smiled you heard someone in the back ground say something ad Casper grunt and swear

"Whats wrong cas?"

"Fucking recruits locked in the boiler room...Fucking tit honestly how I'm going to manage this lot I don't have a clue...Think I should send them to Kane...He'd fucking make them shit themselves" you laughed as he mentioned your stoic eldest brother who had a bit of a reputation for being a hard ass...Well a hard ass with a stick up his ass. He was good in the army terrified the newbies, if at least one didn't piss himself on the first day then Kane wasn't doing his job right..

"Oh god your not loosing your touch are you?" he swore at you grumbling

"No I'm not you cheeky little shit!" you giggled at his remark knowing the teasing meant there was no hard feelings and continued.

"weelll I don't know...Didn't scare me on the phone earlier and if it was Kane well...Yeah Kane is Kane" he hummed in reply before carrying on in a sly voice

"Well that’s cos you think that your not gonna face me for a while but I’m on leave in two months...And you never know your only gonna be in London~" you faltered the smug grin dropped

"What the- how'd you know?" he chuckled

"Mum gave each of us your schedule from when you got the job with Tee she knew we'd want to know sooo I'm guessing that things are gonna be the same, your in Scotland now then home in sturry and the rest in London...Not that far any way I'm off take care, be safe and I will see you soon~" you groaned into the phone

"Okay then see you soon? Love you miss you already"

"Love you to Titch" he hung up and you sighed well...that wasn't so bad? was it? you smiled moving to clear up your bowl an exited the tent just missing the down trodden Henry who had just left the tent himself.

Henry was devastated after spending an hour or so hold up in his trailer sulking playing what he heard over and over again trying to work out who you were talking to he had lost hope. He had summarized  that you had a boyfriend. After not hearing from Henry for over an hour when he said he’d text, Joey decided to pop over and had sat and listened as Henry was explaining what he had just heard.

Henry was nearly in tears he wanted to shout he felt so? so? what hurt? he was upset and embarrassed he had made a fool of himself and for what? You had a boyfriend fuck knowing his luck a fucking husband!

"No I'm sure you heard wrong Henry Tee said she isn't seeing anyone" Henry growled

"Yeah well shes fucking wrong! I know what I heard Joey! they argued her and this 'CaSpEr' he didn't want her to be here! or or do anything by the sounds of it a right dick head...She popped off at him...From what she said he must have ordered her home...Fucking cunt!...What kind of a name is Casper any way sounds like a fucking prick! and then by the end 'LoVe YoU MiSs YoU AlReAdY' and they must be serious cos she was all like 'how I need my family around me' so he is already family I've got no chance Joey! The one girl that catches my eye after all this time and shes fucking taken! Fuck how could I be so stupid...You know I'm lucky I heard and didn't make a complete fool of myself and ask her to come out with us! god why can't things just fuck?...ugh!" Joey watched hesitantly he hadn't seen Henry like this before...kal was curled up smothering him and he looked crushed. Joey sighed and pulled out his phone texting Tee again explaining things.

"Casper? was that the name?" Henry nodded still furious with himself he lifted a hand up.

"What the-Joey what are you doing? look fucking leave it its done move on...She'd never like me for me anyway, They all just want a fucking superman!" Joey scoffed

"Always so fucking dramatic-AHAH! Henry you fucktard!...Wow okay fuck you know I'd leave it, fuck that..Shes a lost cause I say" Henry sat up sharply making Kal groan a jump down to the floor with an indignant huff.

"W-what did she reply? whats wrong?" Joey cleared his throat re reading the text

"Henry she has siblings...A lot of siblings"

"Yeah and I have a few siblings I don't see how thats relevant?"

"No your not with me Henry. She is the youngest of nine....Shes got eight older brothers Casper is one of them...She was talking to her brother who is in the army" Henry blinked..siblings? Oh....Well shit he didn't even think..But yes that would make sense..wow he fucked up, and lost a chance to get to know her by throwing a temper tantrum like a spoilt little boy.

"Her brother?..In the army that's why she said she misses him...That would explain....Shit I fucked up"

"Yes you did! royally! you know Anya and Freya are expecting her to show tomorrow and its like nine at night so you can't exactly go ask now you fucking twat....My god such a child hang on Mama Joey will fix this but you owe me!" Joey sighed and quickly started texting Tee Henry moved looking over the mans shoulder watching as he typed letting Tee know what they had planned she replied instantly agreeing with lots of winky faces and eggplant emojis?.

"There all sorted Tee will invite her out and we will all casually bump into one another...And for fuck sake find out her brothers names so we don't have this again! Jesus!" Henry looked down sheepishly now ashamed of his reaction, it wasn't like him to sulk or as his mum would put it 'throw his toys out of the pram' Henry leaned over hugging the singer tight

"Thank you Joey...I really do owe you....And sorry for the sulking and bitching...Just you know I really like her, and I want this to...I just got a feeling about her...I-I think she could be the one...Never got this wound tight over a woman before and...And I don't want to fuck this up!" Joey smiled and stood up.

"Well to late for that my friend however I am here to help you know that! so is Anya and Tee and Freya if Anya has anything to say about it, you'll be a couple by the end of filming I'm sure of it...Hell when the betting starts im putting money down!” henry rolled his eyes pushing Joey a bit he laughed then began again

“Look your half way there she is a fan, just gotta get her out of the whole 'Henry Cavill movie star' mind set down to a more intimate 'Henry Cavill my sexy colleague who I want to fuck-OUCH FUCK! HE-HENRY! H-HEY NO PITCHING!" Henry laughed it was true he just had to get over the initial 'oh my god its superman' then things will be easier to manage...if he can control his own nerves that is. Henry gave Joey on final hug as the singer left thanking him and closed the door resting his back on the door taking a deep breath then jumpers the three steps up to the 'living area' and fist pumped the air having a little moment.

"Fucking Get In!! did you see that Kal!?! Daddy has a date with Tinks!!! hey you hear me buddy? tinks and daddy are having lunch!!...Okay well not a date but we are having lunch....Fuck...What should I wear boy?....cant go to dressed up...but sweats are...no....Shit! Kal son I've got fuck all to wear...I DIDN'T PREPARE FOR THIS!!"  Kal barely batted and eye lid at his human as he ran to the closet in a panic ripping through his clothes wanting to find something suitable. Kal yawned and looked to the huge bed in the back of the home away from home and huffed, Henry would be at this all night fussing over matching his body wash shampoo and conditioner scent and after shave...Not that he can shave but a bit of smelly never hurt to entice the ladies.

"Kal?KAL?! Coconut or Lynx Africa?!" Kal  blinked and turned on the spot and stretched yawning slowly away from Henry making the man sigh. With one huge leap Kal landed on the empty bed, if Henry wasn't going to use it then its no use letting the comfy spot go to waste, the Akita made a loud snort as he flopped down closing his eyes, when Henry got like this Kal just tried to ignore him, the human would tire himself out eventually until then Kal would get some shut eye. he peeked one last time seeing his dad who scrabbled about yanking out clothes sniffing them to see if they were clean or not, he shrugged digging through the tops he swore he packed a dark blue button up! and he was determined to find it even if it took all night!

[instasiswetrust]

The hand around Nea's neck tightened, words choking up and dying inside her throat. Eyes that used to be blue now glinted red in the dim atmosphere of her kitchen, illuminated only by the light coming from the setting sun. No mercy or compassion could be found in those eyes, just a deep-seated hatred that scared her down to her very core.

"I think that's enough of your inane babbling, Nea." Dwight's voice was a purr, low and dangerous, filled with thinly veiled intent. She still manages enough spite to glare back at him.

"Now, now darling, no need to be like that." Dwight clicks his tongue like a disapproving parent. "None of this would've happened if you'd kept your dirty little mouth shut instead of talking shit about MY BROTHER."

The slap comes as a surprise to her, a second going by before the pain finally hits. She tastes something coppery and metallic at the back of her throat and realizes she has bitten her tongue. His hand around her neck has relaxed just enough for her to speak again so she does.

"It's not shit if it's the truth, Dweet." She sneers, eyes hard and flinty with anger. “Your beaner of a brother is a filthy slut who likes to suck PsychoMyers dick - Ack!"

"Shut. Up." Dwight watches her choke on her breath as his hand tightens once again. He's about done bothering with this bitch, and if he wastes any more time he was going to be late for dinner. And while mom could understand murder quite easily, being on time for dinner was a mandatory rule.

Without letting go of his holds, he turns to glance at the boy sitting on a stool by the kitchen island, watching him with an enraptured expression. There are two points of red high on his cheeks, and the hunger in his eyes sends a tentative shot of arousal through Dwight's spine.

"David, the bleach if you will?" The boy shook his head like a dog would before opening the cap of the gallon next to him and handing it over to Dwight. "Thank you."

David only offers him a shaky nod, his gaze shifting briefly to what Dwight thinks might be his lips before returning them to his face. It's a little funny how out of everything, this is what gets to David.

Turning back to Nea, Dwight doesn't even bother being flashy or dramatic. He forces her jaw open and pours the bleach, watching her choke on it. It burns her eyes, her throat, and the stench is absolutely disgusting but he doesn't stop until the gallon is half-empty and Nea Karlsson lies limp in his hold.

------

After the party, when he had called Nea out on her bullshit in front of everyone and promptly vomited on her expensive Adidas sneakers, he had assumed he wouldn't ever hear about the cheerleader clique again. Had even been fine with that. David was with him now, and he would always have Danny in his corner. He could let Nea think she had won, just this once.

Thing was, bitches never quite learn how to keep their mouths shut.

Dwight had gone to her house planning to fake an apology, David in tow telling him how it was a waste of time bothering with someone like her. But of course, Nea had had to mention Danny. Make fun of his little brother, of Michael, even mock Joey, and Susie. His friends. His pack. His family.

He remembered everything of course, to the smallest detail. How he had forged the note saying Nea was running away with another Alpha, thinking she would be hated if she stayed. David helped him carry the body to Max's pigpen. The way David's cock tasted on his mouth and the muffled sounds he had made as Dwight sucked him off in the back of his car.

It had been fun. The kind of heady high he had only felt once before when he had to clean up one of Danny's scenes because he had gotten himself stabbed.

And of course, no one at school suspected a thing. The student body ate up Meg's fake note so easily it was almost laughable. Dwight had assumed that had been it, and focused on his grades, filing everything that went through with Meg, Nea, and Kate to the back of his mind.

That was why Kate’s call took him by surprise.

"Dwight, please, you have to help me." Kate's pitchy, worried voice begged almost as soon as he accepted the call.

Dwight knew Kate, had become accustomed to the different shifts in her voice that marked her emotions more clearly than her expressions did. She wasn’t just worried, she was terrified but there was also an undercurrent of guilt there that made him take her words with a grain of salt.

"It's 11 pm, Kate. My heat only broke yesterday." He said flatly, not at all in the mood for her bullshit. Despite his heats being a mellow affair, his body was still sore and he wanted nothing but to bury himself back in his nest.

"Please." She was begging now and Dwight swore he could hear Ace's and Ash's drunken babble in the background. "Meg left me alone with Ash and Ace as one of her pranks, and they are really drunk. I'm... I'm really scared Dwight, please."

Oh. Yeah okay, he couldn't say no to that. Out of the three of them, Kate had always been the nicest, relatively speaking. She went along with whatever the other two told her to do sure, but that was about it. He was gonna regret this later for sure but right now all he knew was that he needed to get her out of there.

"Fine, okay. Lemme grab my mom's keys and I will be there. Text me your address in the meantime."

She thanked him profusely before cutting the call and Dwight sighed. With luck, Uncle Herman might be awake and could lend him two bottles of vodka laced with sedatives.

------

It had only taken a day. Just one. Now all the school was gossiping about how much of a slut Dwight was, having spent his heat with not one but two Alphas.

Ash and Ace had no proof of course, other than their words but this was high school. The veracity of things didn't have to be proven for people to believe them and as it was, Dwight had become an absolute social outcast in the last party. If the star Alphas of the football team claimed it was true, of course, it was.

"Danny, leave it. They are not worth it." He said for the second time as a group of cheerleaders went past their pack's table and made faces of disgust at Dwight.

"But Dwickyyyy ..." Danny pouted, and Dwight knew this was his brother's best front. Knew that there was fury and venom in his brother's dark eyes. Knew there was already a plot brewing there too. "I d-don't wanna."

But Dwight was adamant about this, shaking his head again and turning to face the whole pack who had different expressions of anger among them.

"No one gets to lay a hand on those two, you hear me? I will personally deal with them, myself. Is that clear?" Some of them nod, but others like Frank and David still snarl. This made Dwight frown, holding their gazes until they lowered their heads. "Good."

It was only later when Dwight was heading out of the locker room after a particularly tense cheer practice, that things started to get out of hand.

"What the bloody fuck did ye say about my boyfriend, ye git?" David's accent was unmistakable but the kind of vitriol that filled his voice was completely new to Dwight. It had him instantly separating from the team and making his way over to the source of the commotion.

There was a throng of people gathered around the base of the bleachers making it unable for Dwight to properly see what was happening. He was about to push his way through when the crowd suddenly parted, giving him a perfect view of the bloody mess that was inside.

Ace was bleeding profusely from a broken nose, his left eye was swollen almost shut, Ash was next to him, knuckles scraped and bloodied. He seemed fine, for the most part, his lip was split and there was a smear of bloody saliva on his cheek. Dwight didn't care about them though. It was who he saw in Joey's arms, nearly unconscious, that caused him concern.

From what he could see David had ended up almost as bad as Ace, blood running down his nose, lip split, right eye already swelling up, and knuckles scraped. If the way he seemed unable to walk straight on his own was any indication, Dwight fears he might have a concussion too.

"Fuckers started it," Joey said as soon as Dwight was close enough to listen to him. "Caught up with us just at the start of practice and started spouting shit about you. Bet they just wanted to get a rise out of him."

Dwight sighed, helping Joey sit David down by the benches. The younger Beta left to go pick up their things and Dwight busied himself cleaning off the blood caking his boyfriend's face and knuckles. He was frustrated, bordering on angry, and David must've scented it off him because he managed to frown despite the obvious pain it put him in.

"Ain't gonna say sorry for showing those gits what they get for slagging you off." He rasped, having to stop midway to spit a gob of congealed blood into the grass.

"Wasn't going to ask you to," Dwight said simply, prodding at his nose with careful fingers to make sure it wasn't broken. "But you need to trust me when I say I will take care of it."

"I trust ye, sweetheart. But I can't just sit back and do nothing when they come looking for a fight." David shot back, wincing slightly despite the softness of his boyfriend's touch.

"Technically, you can." David gave him a glare that Dwight matched with equal intensity until the Alpha looked away first. "Look, I'm not mad at you. They provoked you knowing full well you would react. I just hate it when you get hurt because of me."

"...Even if it's kinda hot?" David grinned.

"Even if it's kinda hot," Dwight confirmed, offering him a small smile.

-----

Three days later, Dwight finally enacted his plan.

He'd left a note for Ash and Ace to find, inviting them to the cemetery so they could reenact their threesome fantasies with him. The idiots had believed it all, hook, line, and sinker. It was almost funny how easy it had been.

Flattering clothes, and heeled boots, things that would look sexy but would be easy to clean afterward. Danny had done his make-up, something deadly that would match his leather gloves, brimming with excitement because Dwight finally got to enjoy a little murder.

So now he waited patiently for them to arrive, sitting primly on a headstone like the image of a proper Omega one would see in cheap romantic novels. David waited in the car, parked by the entrance of the graveyard, only because he had refused to allow him to do this without any backup.

At last, the two of them appear, looking awkward and nervous and a little drunk already. They reek of interested Alpha pheromones, which in turn threatens to make Dwight throw up but he kept his pleasant facade for now.

"Boys, you're here! Fantastic. We can finally start this." He chirped, voice high and happy.

Ash and Ace smirk, step closer, crowd him in the middle of the two like Dwight would try to escape or something. It irked him but he remained calm, rising a bit to wrap his arms around their necks and pull them closer. Neither of them noticed the thin syringes until it was too late.

"What the-" It was the only thing Ace managed to get out before he stumbled on his feet, falling on his ass. Ash didn't even manage to say anything before his knees gave and he fell to the ground face first, body a messy heap.

They were still conscious of course, his mom's special brew numbing their limbs but allowing them to stay awake. It was not something that showed up in general toxicology reports either, and thus had quickly become Dwight's favorite.

"You tried to rape Kate, almost got away with it even, had I not come help her out. Not satisfied with that, you chose to slander my name in front of the whole school." His voice was flat, emotionless, clinical. Rage simmered under the surface but there was no point in letting it drive his actions. Passion crimes were always the easiest to spot, and Dwight was not about to get caught over two idiots like these.

"That was the biggest mistake you could make." He positioned Ash's body so he was sitting with his back to a tombstone, facing Ace. Their terrified eyes stared at him horrified but he once again felt nothing, his mind an unperturbed lake. "Don't you think so too?"

When he was satisfied with how the two of them were posed, he slipped a folded note inside the pocket of Ash's varsity jacket, glad that his leather gloves would leave no remaining evidence on the soon-to-be corpses.

With the same overwhelming calm, he pulled out his custom-made colt 45, a gift from his mother. It was black with a white grip, engraved with golden vines over the barrel. A pretty little thing he rarely ever used, but it seemed fitting this time.

No more words left his mouth as he placed the gun in Ace's hands, making sure he'd got a proper grip on it before raising the gun to Ace’s head. There was no dramatic pause before he pulled the trigger, no tentative build-up. One moment Ace was alive, the next the left side of his head looked like hamburger meat.

Dwight made sure that none of the blood had gotten on him before moving over to Ash and doing the same thing. Worldless and instant. There was no point in stalling or watching them try to beg for mercy.

Once he'd triple checked the scene was flawless, he silently made his way back to the car where David was waiting for him. The swelling in his eye had gone down at last but he still looked worse for wear. Still, he grinned when he saw Dwight slide into the driver's seat.

"All done?"

"All done," Dwight confirmed, allowing his body to relax. He required a serious shower and even then he wasn't sure he would be able to scrub the hideous Alpha scent those two had covered him with.

"C'mere..." David murmured, pulling him closer so he could nuzzle firmly at both sides of Dwight's neck, marking him with his scent. It wasn't enough to completely dispel Ash's and Ace's scent, but it managed to take the edge off and settle Dwight's stomach.

"Thank you." He said honestly, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend's uninjured cheek. "Um..."

"What is it, darlin'?"

Dwight didn't want to appear needy or like he needed to be babied after kills. But the way Ash and Ace had crowded him, rubbed their scent over him, bothered him greatly. The Omega in him protesting with the hostile scents.

"Do you think you could stay over tonight?" He asked quietly, face once again tucked in the crook of David's neck. "I'm not bothered after killing them, it's just... I feel dirty with their scent all over me."

David hummed, threading his fingers through Dwight's messy hair. "Sure, sweetheart. Ye just need a little scenting, I can give ye that."

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 266: Sad Naruto Flute Music

Previously on BnHA: Tamaki ate a horse; Dark Shadow punched Re-Destro through a wall; Gigantomachia didn’t want to wake up from his nap; Tokoyami climbed inside of Fatgum’s stomach like a little emo joey and mused about Hawks; Hawks was all “am I evil or no? history shall decide!” and sort of kind of maybe tried to kill Twice; and then Dabi showed up and set the two of them on fire before you could say “stop, drop, and roll.” All of this was a real chapter that really happened. Anyway but then Hawks saved Twice by pulling him out of the fire, which I totally didn’t notice during my first readthrough last week, so that’s nice. But then Dabi stepped on Hawks’s face and used his quirk again. So that was not so nice. We’re really having ourselves an arc, here.

Today on BnHA: Well you know the old saying. Save a man from burning and you feed him for a day, stab him while he’s running away and you feed him for life. Oh, the chapter? Right. Well Hawks is perfectly fine aside from getting a sexy scar for his troubles, which I’ll have you know I did predict. Twice however is not so fine, which, fun fact, I did not predict. If you’re just joining us. Yeah. I boofed it. Anyway so Hawks escapes Dabi using the power of mysterious main character logic, and then he stabs Twice, and Twice dies, very slowly and sadly and in Toga’s arms. That’s it that’s the chapter. You’ll love it. It’s full of feels. And death. Lol I’m in a mood right now I’m sorry guys. I’m gonna go write some healing Bakugou essays.

so as mentioned on the “previously” section above, Hawks saved Twice’s life! meanwhile Dabi apparently arrived in time to listen to Hawks’s “here I go... time to kill you... really gonna do it... here it comes...” speech for at least several seconds before he finally decided to make his grand entrance, as evidenced by him quoting Hawks’s “sentiment” line right back in his face before setting him on fire. so basically Hawks is still okay and villains gonna villain. this is my conclusion and 4 out of 5 dentists approve but you can form your own judgements as well and that’s fine!

(ETA: this is all your fault fifth dentist.)

anyway so before we begin, full disclosure, I was warned this chapter would make me cry. so that ominous pronouncement is gonna be weighing on my mind while we embark upon our weekly manga journey today, but alas such is life! at least life in March 2020. did we really expect any good news at this point. I want a refund on this whole year but apparently I should get in line

so here we go. someone is narrating and it’s not quite clear who

but the “you’ve just been unlucky” part is a reference to what Hawks was telling Twice in chapter 264, so unless Dabi was listening in on that part too, I would think this would have to be Twice? even though Dabi’s the one whose face is so prominent here, all handsome and crazy

omg Hawks is holding on to his feather and using his tk to blast away while holding Twice

what a fucking thing to do. is the fucking feather still on fire. and somehow he hasn’t instinctively let go of it?? THIS BOY I SWEAR TO GOD

and so he’s definitely going to have a scar there now it looks like! pretty sure this makes him an honorary Todoroki. aww

and also Twice seems to possibly be unconscious, so I guess that was Dabi’s narration?? you mean to tell me Dabi was basically sitting outside for like a full five minutes. were you fixing your hair. getting ready to livestream?? “hey there villain nation it’s me ya boi, so I’m here in the Hilton Gunga Heights and omg like a shitton of heroes have attacked us out of fucking nowhere, and now the number two hero is getting ready to fucking murder my bro Twice, and he hasn’t even noticed I’m here yet. shit is totally crazy, anyways before we go on just a reminder to click on the link below to check out our official league merch, and if you haven’t already, click on the button to like and subscribe, it really helps us out.” and then boom, just in time to save Twice from Mr. To Stab or Not to Stab

(ETA: now that we know it’s actually Twice what am I gonna do with all these Dabi social media jokes. huh?! Horikoshi you ruined everything!!)

oh this chapter is apparently called “Happy Life.” that’s fun I’m sure we’re going to have a really fun time here

(ETA: so fun the funnest.)

Dabi doesn’t really seem fazed though

yeah he’s fucked we know don’t have to rub it in ffff

(ETA: Dabi. we underestimated him, Dabi.)

so Hawks is all “you nearly murdered your bro just fyi” and Dabi is all “smirk it’s fine cuz I knew you were going to save him cuz ~that’s ~what ~heroes ~do” wow you guys. I just realized that between Dabi and Hawks, this has the potential to be the single snarkiest fight we’ve ever had in this manga. my hype for this chapter just went up 10x

also even though I just summarized these last few panels I’m also going to post them so we can all shamelessly admire hot wounded Hawks

hot damn. you were right, AFO. wounded heroes are the sexiest. I may be paraphrasing a bit

also two things, (1) looks like he called some of his feathers back (so then WHERE WERE THEY??), but it’s not much. and (2) he was wearing gloves this whole time that’s right I forgot. so maybe his hands are okay?? the hell are those made of, damn

oh my freaking lord

this is one attractive chapter I’ll give it that. also raise your hand if you’re surprised that Dabi never actually trusted Hawks. yeah that’s what I thought

well shit looks like we’re finally getting some Hawks thoughts! unsurprisingly, they are all “I’m fucked”

please note that while talking!Hawks is continuing to be all sassy, thinking!Hawks is busy tallying up Jin’s injuries. this is a good sign, maybe. I hope. lol

anyway but speaking of Jin, what is going on

oh lol he’s making a break for it

this is so bad you guys. this is so so bad. if Twice lives that’s all well and good, but if he escapes, Hawks is 100% right about how dangerous he is. they could literally capture 90% of PLF in this raid and it would hardly even matter. also in the meantime the #2 hero is about to be roasted alive so that’s also not great for the hero side all things considered

ohhhhhhhhhhhhh no. I don’t like this. no no no

why did we suddenly cut to outside and someone’s screaming (?) echoing from offscreen. I’m trying to think of not-terrible explanations for this and coming up short. uh

now we’re back to Hawks/Twice/Dabi, only I don’t see Hawks yet. but Twice is just barely dodging the flame blast, and meanwhile Dabi is all

is he talking to Twice?

yep he’s talking to Twice

that’s fine. that’s all I need. for Twice to “go wild” while my nine-year-old son is outside with his batteries all fried and innocently waiting for someone to lead him back to where his other child soldier friends are waiting for him. like. say what you will about Hawks and betrayal, but there was a fucking reason he was trying to take Twice out first

hmm but we’re getting this slow-motion panel now and FUCK ME I SWEAR TO GOD IF A FEATHER PIERCES HIS HEART OUT OF NOWHERE I’M GONNA LOSE IT

WAIT WHAT

EXCUSE ME BUT

? ??????????

well you sure have been made to look the fool now, Dabi. thought you’d won just because you had Hawks cornered in a narrow room and you set him on fire while standing in between him and the only exit. rookie fucking mistake. you scrub. you clod. you halfwit. how could you let this happen. wow I can’t believe Dabi let Hawks escape unscathed except for a sexy scar and that’s the end of the chapter

LMAO

oh my god. well good news everyone this chapter did indeed make me cry

(ETA: listen. I’m going to hell, I know. but it’s still funny as fuck.)

“he went outside with the blast... and flanked me?!” ...sure. sure let’s just go with that. seems reasonable

actually no, sorry, I literally went back two chapters to see if there was another way out of this room, and nope

by the way that last panel is apparently from Dabi’s POV if I’m understanding this right. just standing behind Hawks waiting for youtube live to connect

but anyway. so no exit. meaning Dabi apparently torched a hole right through the wall and Hawks just sat there and was all “okay this hurts like a mother but if I wait it out a few more seconds I think I can... there we go!” you know, logic

so now there is a ton of action happening which I can’t quite understand, but also Dabi is shouting Hawks’s real name for some reason

why do I feel like this is definitely the last page before somebody definitely fucking dies. shit. shit

oh thank god so far so good. and also, lol

BECAUSE HE READ THE DATABOOK, HAWKS. that’s probably how he figured out you were a spy too. we’ve been had

oh snap?!

don’t do this to me Horikoshi. don’t give me hope. don’t act like you’re gonna actually address this topic sometime before the heat death of the universe

AND HE’S OUT

MY BABY OFF TO DESTROY PEOPLE. ;_; shitttt hahaha nervous laughter Ralph Wiggum sitting on the bus etc.

GODDAMN IT HORIKOSHI

I don’t want Twice to kill anyone but it doesn’t mean I want him to die either! just!! can’t I have it both ways?? please stop with this I can’t take it also what is Spinner doing. and also YAY GIRAN SIGHTING hot damn the sex appeal of this chapter is fast approaching critical levels

GOD FUCKING DAMMIT FUCK

fuck me. [eyes post from last week] the real announcer jinx was the metas we made along the way

well we’re cutting away again!! because of course we are!! Horikoshi won’t show violence unless it’s a dog exploding or a little boy accidentally murdering his entire family

[taps megaphone] this thing on. all right then. [clears throat] NO ONE WANTS THIS

FOR FUCK’S SAKE

“I KNOW YOU’RE ALL DYING TO SEE WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN, SO HERE, LET’S CUT TO A RANDOM PAGE OF TOGA AND COMPRESS BEING CAPTURED BY A MAN WITH HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPO ARMS”

oh damn but are they really captured though??

forgive me for being skeptical. not to doubt you, Hungry Hungry Hippo Man. I’m sure you’re absolutely right and your sentence cut off at the end there because you remembered that they changed their name to Pliff, and not because you’re being stabbed or burned or impaled or whatever the fuck

!!!

HE LIVED BITCH

yes he totally lived and this definitely isn’t so that he can get one final scene with Toga before he suddenly keels over and dies. shit. at this point it’s fucking inevitable. you had to go and drag his girlfriend into this. I’m so sad you guys I can’t even deal with these emotions I’m just gonna stubbornly joke about stupid shit until I figure out what the fuck else to do

OH MY GOD!!!!???

HE DIED BITCH!?!??

he’s already dead he’s already fucking dead fucking shit

ohhhhhh it’s pouring down sads now

my bird son really went and fucking killed the sweetest little dumpling in the manga. I wrote like 5 thousands essays defending you, Hawks. we gonna have to get you a damn good lawyer now

why is sad flute music from the Naruto OST playing

he’s not gonna need it where he’s going Toga. because they already have plenty of handkerchiefs on the farm. and lots of room for him to run around and play with other villains too

lmao fuck

I really did this to myself, why did I actually start playing Sadness and Sorrow fuck my life. real actual tears

and it SEEMS TO ME, YOU LIVED YOUR LIFE, LIKE A CANDLE IN THE WIND~~~

[sad makeste noises]

AND I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO KNOW YOU

BUT I WAS JUST A KID~~

...

your candle burned out long before

your legend ever did.

[mellow keyboard tones]

welp. ... 2020 ladies and gentlemen

[of-wrens-and-whirlwinds-blog]

Visitors

Commission for my dearest @depressedstressedlemonzest !! A crossover (kinda) of The Witcher and Good Omens. Aziraphale is basically me in this. I hope you like it, love! Commission info is here!

~

Geralt is having trouble tracking the serpent, because the ground is dry and rocky and doesn’t show tracks well, and the wind is blowing in the wrong direction. He can still smell the sulfur, though, faint on the ground, and occasionally the lazy wind of a giant serpent through pockets of sandy dirt. The scrub is too sparse to hide much, but there are plenty of rocks.

Oh, and Jaskier won’t shut up.

He’s far enough back that he won’t get in Geralt’s way, but the same wind that blows the scent away from Geralt blows Jaskier’s muttering up to him. Something about blisters and getting a twisted ankle at this rate. Geralt presses his lips together and ignore Jaskier.

Then the wind turns, and he smells it. The sulfur is strong, now, and he can see a large rock up ahead with a heap of something dark on it, half-hidden by scrub. He halts, and waves Jaskier up to him. Jaskier immediately shuts up and creeps the rest of the way to just behind Geralt’s shoulder. “Is that it?” the bard whispers, apparently fascinated.

“Yes,” Geralt grunts. “Stay here.”

“But—!”

“No buts. You’ll be in the way.”

“Hmph,” Jaskier huffs, but sidles around behind Geralt to crouch behind a rock and glare at him sullenly. Geralt nods, and sneaks as softly as he can towards the relatively flat area where the serpent waits.

He can hear it now, hissing gently, its heart slow and somber. It appears to be asleep. Excellent. If he can behead it before it wakes up, everything will be much simpler.

Pebbles crunch under his boot, and he freezes.

The serpent stirs lazily, and raises its large, wedge-shaped head. Its eyes are gold like his, but it seems not to see him, looking instead towards the horizon. Strange. Still, a blessing is a blessing. Geralt creeps closer…

The serpent uncoils from the rock more swiftly than Geralt’s ever seen a big snake move, and raises itself up to hiss at him fiercely. Geralt readies his sword, eyeing the serpent carefully, noting that it doesn’t seem to have fangs. Odd. Devilish serpents always have fangs. But his pendant is humming, and he’ll get lots of coin for this monster’s head.

He darts forward, the serpent attempts to avoid, but as soon as it dodges, Geralt changes direction and manages to open a wound in its scaly hide.

Heat and the scent of myrrh flare up behind Geralt, and he growls and rolls to the side as something slams down right where he’d been standing. He’s on his feet in seconds, just in time to block a sword that appears to be on fire.

The sword’s wielder disengages before Geralt can disarm them, and yells, “How dare you! How dare you attack an innocent being!”

Geralt glances at the serpent, startled; it’s coiled up again, watching the scene. “What the fuck?” he says, bewildered, looking back at the… man? No man he’s ever heard of has wide white wings like that, nor dresses quite so… oddly. But the other holds his sword competently, and the rage on his face is dangerous.

“Can we not have a moment’s rest without you primitive humans running around with swords and bows, trying to kill us?!” the man snarls. “Good lord, it’s like you don’t even know what we are!”

“They probably don’t, angel,” the serpent says, and Geralt’s eyes widen as he hears Jaskier gasp. It raises itself up again and continues, “This is a tv show we’re in, and they’ve never mentioned angels or demons.”

“Oh, hush,” the man replies crankily, but his wings are relaxing, and he’s actually turning away from Geralt. “They shouldn’t just attack willy-nilly!”

“What the fuck else are we supposed to do?” Geralt snaps, drawing their attentions. “Murderous serpents aren’t—”

“He’s not murderous!” the man interrupts, and actually stomps his foot. “How many times do we have to say it?!”

“Then what is it?” Geralt demanded in exasperation. “And for that matter, what are you?”

The man seems honestly taken aback. And then his face twists and he shouts, “I’m an angel, you stubborn twit!”

“Ah, fuck,” Geralt mutters. He says louder, “I don’t know what an angel is, but if you and that serpent are innocent, then what the fuck is killing the locals?”

The angel splutters, and Geralt almost jumps when the serpent sighs, bunches its coils, and raises up to reform into a man, in leggings of a strange material and a black jacket of an absolutely horrendous cut. Too much time with Jaskier has shown Geralt that there are just some shapes that have no business being draped on a humanoid body. At least he looks vaguely normal and doesn’t have a bow around his neck like the angel. That bow makes him look like a kitten. The sword makes him look like a warrior.

The man in black turns to Geralt and says, “I dunno what you lot call it, but it looks like wyvern to me. Two legs, two wings, dragon-y looking bastards?”

Geralt frowns. He hasn’t seen wyvern activity around here… but he’s been following the shapeshifter. Maybe the two avoid each other when possible.

“Geraaalt,” Jaskier calls impatiently.

Geralt sighs heavily and sheaths his sword. “Fine,” he calls back, and shakes his head as Jaskier pops up from behind the rock and trots over, staring at the angel’s wings, intrigued.

“Melitele’s tits, those are big,” Jaskier says, marveling at them. “Are you sure you’re not part harpy? No, of course not, harpies have different wings. If it’s a wyvern, can I come to see that fight too?”

“Absolutely not,” Geralt snaps, exasperated with this whole situation. “Look, just—”

“Oh!” Suddenly the angel’s face lights up, and the sword in his hand just—vanishes. “You’re Jaskier!”

Jaskier immediately draws himself up and beams at the angel. “Yes, I am,” he replies. “How did you know?”

“We saw you,” the angel says.

“Angel!” the shapeshifter barks. “Focus.”

The angel turns and shoots him a scowl, then huffs and says to Geralt, “We’re not murderers. The wyvern is that way.” He waves vaguely in the direction they had come from. “Are you the Witcher, Geralt?”

“Yes,” Geralt replies, utterly confused at this point. Damn it, how the hell is he supposed to convince these idiots to leave if the angel keeps yelling and the shapeshifter keeps letting him?

“That explains it,” the shapeshifter says, as the angel’s expression turns sour. “Look, Geralt, Jaskier, nice to meet you and all that, but we just want to go home. We’re kinda stuck here for the moment, though.”

Geralt sighs and runs his hand through his hair. “Fine. Just… stop turning into a snake where townsfolk can see you.” When Jaskier glares, he grudgingly adds, “Please.”

The angel sniffs and the shapeshifter scowls. “It’s kinda hard to do that when they keep coming up here unannounced for no reason,” the shapeshifter retorts.

Jaskier and Geralt point wordlessly to the sign in the dirt that quite clearly says “This Way To The Spring”.

The two monsters stare blankly, first at them, then the sign, then each other.

“You said it didn’t mean anything!” the angel says, exasperated.

“It’s not like fantasy languages are my forte!” the shapeshifter replies, cheeks red. “Is this or is this not the place where Anathema is gonna bring us back?”

“It certainly looks like it,” the angel replies, looking around. “What does that sign say, anyway?”

Geralt is still confused about ‘fantasy languages’ (it’s clearly in Cintran Common, what the fuck?) but Jaskier helpfully translates and asks curiously, “Why are you here, anyway?”

Both monsters look rather ashamed. “We, ah… just wanted to visit,” the angel says weakly.

Geralt narrows his eyes. “From where?” he demands.

“A place across the sea,” the shapeshifter replies airily. “You won’t have heard of it.”

“Ah, on the contrary!” Jaskier says eagerly, looking thrilled, “I studied geography extensively and spoke to several world-renowned sailors. Are you from the coast? Why don’t you have accents? Did you fly here or sail?”

The monsters look even more uncomfortable with every moment that Jaskier speaks. Geralt watches them warily. They might lash out at any moment. He medallion is humming frantically, telling him to dispatch these creatures, but… they’re sentient, and according to the angel, they’ve done no harm.

Where did they come from?

With a heavy sigh, the shapeshifter says, “A witch sent us—I mean, a sorceress. We, eh, we’re big fans, but we didn’t expect this place to be so… eh, distrusting.”

“Fans of what?” Jaskier asks.

“Um...”

A portal suddenly opens to one side, and Geralt immediately draws his sword, stepping over to put himself between the portal and Jaskier. A sorceress pokes her head through, and sighs. “You two just had to go and run into the very people I told you to avoid, didn’t you,” she says in an annoyed tone. “Aziraphale, please, for the love of god, put those wings away. Hey, Henry-with-white-hair and Joey, looking sexy as usual.”

Geralt tenses unhappily, and Jaskier muffles an outraged gasp.

“You said not to call them that!” the angel protests, as his wings fold in and vanish, and the shapeshifter takes his arm and drags him to the portal. “Oh, wait, but I wanted to ask about the television lore so I could compare it with the books—!”

“Later, angel,” the shapeshifter sighs, then, before they step through the portal, he tosses over his shoulder to Geralt and Jaskier, “By the way, I’m Crowley. Tell Ciri I’d die for her.”

And then they’re gone and the portal closes.

There is a very long silence. Then Jaskier asks, bewildered, “Who the fuck is Ciri?”

“Fuck if I know,” Geralt replies with a shrug. “Come on, let’s go find the wyvern.”

[acdeaky]

strangers, lovers, strangers

joe’s birthday week - part 1

warning: fluff, angst, implication of sex, foul language, dialogue heavy at parts

note: welcome to joe’s birthday week! we have five days until his big day, so enjoy this fic and another four after this until his special birthday one! (that is the most amount of warnings i’ve ever done for a fic, wow)

word count: 1.9k

THEN

“joey, i love it.”

“no, you feel obliged to love it.”

“joe, i actually do love it,” you giggled, running your hands through his newly permed hair.

“really?” he sounded unsure. “does it look okay?”

“you look great,” you assured him, pulling lightly at one of his curls. “in fact, i think you look sexy with it.” you added, whispering into his ear and lightly biting his lobe.

“don’t start something you can’t finish, princess.” joe smirked, pulling you from your place next to him and onto his lap.

“oh, and i’m the one starting things, am i?”

“always are.” he gave you an innocent grin, before running a hand up your body, from your hip to the back of your neck. pushing gently, he brought your head closer to his, pressing your lips together.

it was soft, slow. gentle as usual with joe. he had his moments were he was a bit harsher, but he always worried. worried about hurting you, being the sweetheart his is. so it was soft, only a light amount of pressure and full of love.

“i love you.” he muttered against your lips, pulling away for a second or two to declare his love.

“i love you.” you repeated his action, lips finding each other quickly afterwards again.

“wanna show me how much you love me?” joe pulled away again, a smirk already upon his face, a mischievous glint in his hazel eyes. you could only giggle, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth and nodding. “let’s go!” his arms wrapped themselves tighter around your waist as he stood from the sofa. in return, your arms wrapped tighter around his neck, holding on for dear life.

both of you made your way down the corridor towards your bedroom, giggling and fumbling the whole way there. short kisses were shared over your lips, faces and necks, some leaving marks, others not.

once you got in your room, joe gently placed you on the bed, kicking the door shut with his foot and hovering over you with his pupils blown. you knew yours were, too. with love.

NOW

“so this is suddenly more important than me? than us?” you sobbed out, your hand holding the chest at the pain you were in.

“what? my job isn’t important? it’s more important than yours!” joe practically spat, his hand waving in the air and falling to run through his hair. “i have to do this!” he turned away from you, knowing if he saw you cry he would cancel everything and stay with you.

“of course your job’s important! but i’ve been there for everything you’ve done within your job; every audition, every set visit, ever premiere, every award show! why can’t you be there for me?”

“because this is the biggest fucking thing in my career and you don’t seem to realise that!”

that was it. you couldn’t take it anymore. he wouldn’t look at you, he wouldn’t realise what he’d done to you. he wouldn’t care, would he?

no. and that’s why you had to leave. you had to get out of that apartment before you broke down, before you did something you’d regret. before you hurt yourself.

joe didn’t even realise you had left the living room until he heard the front door of the apartment slam. he didn’t realise that you had left the room, pulled on a pair of shoes, grabbed a jacket and left, taking your keys with you.

it wasn’t your apartment anymore. it was just an apartment. not the apartment you and joe had spent weeks looking for to make sure it was perfect. not the apartment you had spent hours decorating together. not the apartment you had fallen in love with while falling more in love with joe.

no. it was too painful to even think of him there. alone. his chest was probably heaving, his breath uneven and his body pacing across the room. his quiet mutterings of him trying to understand the situation. his hands in his hair. his hands on his hips. his hands on his chest. the tears in his eyes. his red cheeks.

too painful.

who was he to think he was above everyone else? after all you had done to support him and his career and now he couldn’t even spare a day for you.

he was so humble in the beginning, what was he now?

THEN

“joe, this is Y/N,” brianna, the producer, introduced you to joe, “she’s the hair artist.”

“it’s nice to meet you, joe.” you were nervous. you hoped that when he shook your hand he didn’t realise; you were confident that your hands would give you away.

“it’s nice to meet you, too, Y/N,” he smiled. if he did notice your nerves, he wasn’t making that common knowledge. “i’m sure you’ll make my hair flawless everyday.” joe had a warming feeling about him. he seemed kind, gentle. the perfect boyfriend.

but you couldn’t think too much about that because a bustling brunette made her way over to joe. “you’re needed, mr director.” she smirked, leaning onto his shoulder and nibbling at his ear.

“i’ll see you later, yeh?” you only nodded, slightly (very) uncomfortable at the interaction you had just encountered. as joe walked off, the woman - his girlfriend, you guessed - clung on to his side, practically dragging his arm down to the floor.

you giggled at her enthusiasm and joe’s so obvious discomfort at the attention while he was working, but who could blame her? he was cute.

throughout the day, you were called on set to fix the boys’ hair a few times, making sure it looked perfect for the scene. you caught joe looking at you sometimes, his face overlooking the viewing screen and towards you. you had also caught yourself looking at joe, your eyes lingering on him while he was acting and directing.

you couldn’t help it; there was just something about that man doing his job that kept you captivated (even if his girlfriend was also in your view).

over the month of filming, you had gotten close to both joe and the cast. they invited you to nights out and barbecues, letting you in on all the fun they were having. you stayed friends with them between filming and the release of the film, finding enjoyment in their company. they were there for you, and you for them.

even two years later when joe left his girlfriend.

NOW

here you were, stuck wondering aimlessly down the streets of new york, your jacket clinging to your body as the cool september wind went through you. there wasn’t much to see at this time of night, only the lights. but you’d seen them countless times before. with joe.

this wasn’t the place you wanted to be; it was cold, dark, let alone dangerous. all you wanted was to be home with joe, but his words and actions didn’t reciprocate that back to you. why were you the one out in the cold when you were the angry one? he was the one who made the mistake and you’re paying for it.

back at the apartment joe was just how you thought he was. his breathing was heavy and he felt like he was suffocating. his hands were all over his hair and hips, pacing up and down the living room to make sense of what had happened. short huffs and puffs left his mouth momentarily. he was stressed.

no wonder.

what had happened between you was big. bigger than any argument before. sure, there had been arguments about joe’s job and his time away, but nothing like that. nothing as selfish. nothing as horrible.

nothing as painful.

you wanted to be there with him. home with him. to be curled against him and feel his warmth. to be engulfed by his arms and lay across his lap, your head tucked between his neck and shoulder. you wanted to lay kisses along his jaw, watch him squirm and keep calm as you kept going.

you wanted to be with him.

THEN

“fuck.” joe whispered, his warm breath fanning your equally warm face.

“heh, fuck, indeed,” you smiled up at him, your hands moving from his back to his neck, playing with the small hairs at the back. “i think i may have marked up your back pretty bad, baby.”

“it’s okay,” he huffed, moving from on top of you to beside you. “it’s okay.” joe laid a kiss on your temple before getting off the bed. he spent a second or two in the bathroom and came back less sweaty.

you followed after him, getting off the bed as well and heading to the bathroom. a few seconds later, you came back out and saw joe flat on his back, his arm stretched out ready for you to lay on.

this was usual after sex; joe using the bathroom and then you, joe laying on his back waiting for you.

“let’s have a look then,” you smirked. joe knew what you were on about and moved to his side, revealing his red and scratched back to you. “oo, baby,” you cooed, pushing joe back onto his back and joining him in bed. “you’re all scratched up.”

joe only huffed, not being fazed by the marks. he pulled you close to his side, his arm wrapping around your body and stroking your arm gently. “eh, s’alright. it was a good night, though.” without seeing his face, you knew he was smirking. there was something in his voice. something you recognised.

you couldn’t disagree; it was a good night, you just felt guilty. it was like joe could sense that and so he pulled you in impossibly tighter, encouraging you to rest your head on his shoulder.

“don’t feel bad; you’ve done it before.”

“and i felt bad then and i do now.”

“i’m just that good.” he was cocky.

“shut up.” you smiled, rubbing your hand over his chest. it was still slightly damp from his sweat. the smell of that and sex still lingered in the air. warmth as well. those three things mixed for a good night sleep. that, and joe.

you always slept well with joe beside you. that’s probably why you two were so close. even before you got together, you two were always joined at the hip. more so since he called you his.

and you were his.

NOW

it had been months since you saw joe. you were back to square one; by yourself, single. not that there was anything wrong with that, but you enjoyed joe. enjoyed being with him.

enjoyed being his.

but he had bigger things to do, and better. he found new jobs, new roles, new directing jobs. joe found a role which changed his life - the role you had that argument over. it changed his life, for better and for worse.

he got the job, but lost the girl.

you kept up with his work. kept up with his roles and how he was doing. he seemed fine. better than how you were doing.

joe kept the apartment. you, however, found a new place to live. just outside of the city, away from the noise and lights, away from the distractions.

away from joe.

was it hard? definitely. would you go back to him? in a heartbeat. was it worth losing him? no. but was it for the better?

yes.

-

TAGLIST: @never-kept-the-same-address @j0hn-deaky @sohoneyspreadyourwings @brian-maybe-not @deakysbabybooty @1001-yellow-daffodils @retromusicsalad @hardcoredisneynerd @painkiller80 @leatherjacketmazzello @scarecrowmax @mebeatlized @seesiderendezvous @alright-mrfahrenheit @someone-get-a-medic @miamideacon @chlobo6 @teenagepeterpan @spacedust1124719 @deakysgurl @forever-rogue @xcdelilahxc @keepsdrawing @hardzellosposts @soulexposed @supersonicfreddie @laedymoon @inthedayswhenlandswerefew

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh Season Zero: Seto Kaiba's First Kidnapping

It’s Christmas vacation, I have Mannheim Steamroller on repeat, so much chocolate just an arms reach away from me. And I have purposely given myself nothing to do as an attempt to teach myself to do nothing.

So lets watch something weird and revisit Zero.

For those new here, I have been also reviewing most of Season Zero. If you don’t know what that is, you can my recaps in order by clicking this link here.

And like last time, I am not actually affiliated with Team Millennium, and I hope they don’t mind that I am capping their episode. You can find them on Youtube where they are slowly redubbing this season into English, and um--this next episode is the last episode they have! So I don’t know how I’m going to recap the rest?

Probably the same way I did in the first episode where it’s a lot less dialogue and more just...my reaction to it.

And, as always, my disclaimer for the new people that this was made in the 90′s and based off of the OG manga and it is...not the same show. It’s problematic. Why wouldn’t it be? It’s a counter-culture anime from the 90′s. Though this episode is pretty tame, honestly. Weird, but tame.

So, we start off the episode with a very lovingly drawn sky, not sure why it’s on THIS show but it’s here. This post apocalyptic sunset.

And staring directly into this sun going supernova is Seto Kaiba in his green hair, just brooding...

Not sure how he has this view from his Pemberly style mansion, but I dunno, maybe the city is visible from the backyard, or Seto just has really good vision. Either way don’t worry about it, we see Seto vibe out and visualize weird stuff all the time.

So, spurned by his hate for his classmate that beat him in cards once, Seto decides it’s time to enact his revenge by...what sounds a lot like some weird Lord of the Rings Lore and I dunno if it’s a bad translation or I just don’t really know what the hell he’s going off about because I never read the Yugioh version of the Silmarillion. Probably both.

See, while the first couple episodes of this show have different variations on Youtube, this one really only had the Team Millennium version in English (which is fine, there’s just some confusing things) and then the other version I saw skipped half of the episode because I guess they decided this part was boring or something. So forgive the fact that I’m flying on the seat of my pants here and I assume y’all will know all the deets I don’t know. For once, my contribution will be...kind of a lot less words.

So lets get right to it.

(read more under the cut)

Seto, who is in so much denial from Seasons 1-4, that I’ve headcanoned is actually cursed to never admit magic is real, has decided to call upon the (checks notes)

4 Game Masters

Yeah, that’s a new mechanic, these are a thing now. Don’t worry if you never heard of them before, I’ve been capping this show and I also have never heard of the legendary 4 magical Game Masters either.

So at this point these statues start glowing all creepy, and because it’s Yugioh I just kinda assumed...they’d do something.

I’m starting to think that maybe that was supposed to be symbolic, actually. Maybe there was never actually magic in the statues. Maybe it’s part of Seto hallucinating, as always. This whole show kind of runs on being a sort of metal fever dream whenever people get intense about games, so I’m probably not supposed to align it with any established magic laws anyway. It’s just I never know when things are real or just aesthetics, which I enjoy, quite a bit, that it’s open ended--but still it’s somewhat confusing as to if these gargoyles are...a thing now or were just always set dressing to kind of remind us of the cards that come later in the episode.

But, remember the spooky indoor gargoyles in your mind, keep it there, these menacing gargoyles over a fiery sunset...

OK now lets meet the real villain.

There he is. Our villain. And his name? Ripley Sheldon.

MAN to go from spooky gargoyles to Ripley Sheldon. There’s a name. That’s a name all right. I’ve only seen one episode of Big Bang Theory but Sheldon is a name forever ruined for me.

So--sidestory--this one time, my friend was at a wedding in Santa Cruz, which is a pretty beachy hippie town that always smelled like weed before it was legal, and there was just...a doll at the wedding. My friend was seated at a dinner party table just right next to this doll, and the family was like “Ah yes, this is the doll, you have to speak to her. She’s a member of the family.” and my friend had to suffer roleplaying with this doll for hours.

So before you’re like...there’s no way grown ass adults are this weird with dolls in public.

Yes. It happens.

Ah, and it’s the first instances of the Kaiba Corp logo and it’s the same. Complete with helicopter, because that Logo is never done until it’s surrounded by a fast military vehicle of some sort.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh great.

Yo remember that one episode where Yugi almost got his legs chopped off by Arcana and Arcana’s wife was being held behind a curtain, and at the end of the episode Arcana pulls back the curtain and his wife was a manikin the whole time and her head fell off?

Getting those vibes.

Back at school, Miho is busy being the most manipulative human being, this time with losing at cards. Like y’all I am TRYING to give Miho the benefit of a doubt here, but it seems even the translators hated Miho so much they had her refer to herself in the 3rd person. I am trying, really I am, sorry to everyone who loves Miho, I will leave that door open as I watch these--that maybe Miho will...grow on me.

But not this episode.

And then this happened. I guess from the breeze of Honda leaning over too far.

Believe it or not, Yuugi’s vertigo will come back later in this very episode. This whole bizarre scenario was just foreshadowing.

But for reals, Yuugi is so FRAIL in Season Zero. While I appreciate the contrast between Yuugi and Yami Yuugi, I gotta recognize how much Yugi has evolved over 4+ seasons because Yuugi is just...eggshells. Every part of him is polite little eggshells.

But in contrast, you have Anzu who is ready to fight in every single scene she’s in and I’m OK with that.

That and the very clear romantic direction that is just...simple. It’s very simple in Season Zero. That’s nice.

Anzu isn’t even possessed by two ghosts. In fact, between Anzu and Yuugi right now, there are 0 ghosts. So weird. So kosher.

Speaking of weird,

Y’all, I have no explanation for this. I only know so much Kanji.

The translation I watched tried so very hard to do what they could with this, and kudos to them, but...this is what happens with translation, it’s just a very hard job sometimes. So I get how they decided to form this joke into English, but if anyone is like a Japanese speaker and gets the pun that was clearly happening here, feel free to youknow, share the knowledge.

Unfortunately the undubbed episode that exists on Youtube that I found edited out this part so they didn’t have to try and translate it, lol. Either way, I appreciate Orange Jounouchi a lot, as well as the background squids on Squid Jounouchi.

Can you imagine just being in high school, and you get summoned to the Nurses Office? Can you even imagine what rumors would start from that? Like I know Seto wants revenge against Yuugi through cards, but I think he just did. I think he did like maybe one of the worst things you can do to a High Schooler just now. May as well page over the intercom that Yuugi has to pick up his yeast infection ointment.

And this is where we meet...a ridiculous satire. This 30 year old beautiful woman flirting with a child disaster who cannot balance while seated on a low chair.

And predictably, Yuugi lost because things just got THAT weird and awkward. Dunno if the translators put that in there for fun, or if that’s honestly how it was in the original. My bet it was probably exactly that weird in the original. Mostly because this show has a lot of “stranger danger” set ups to teach little children to never trust bad adults and this just seemed like exactly that type of set-up. Don’t trust the overly nice nurse or she’ll steal your cards in a game, kids.

After this really awkward card game (and I’m not going to bother to dive into it because I don’t talk about the card mechanics here), we find out...that Seto’s just been staring at them...the entire time.

Like it has such a voyeuristic vibe to it, it really makes you wonder about Seto’s whole deal just an awful lot. Like Season 1-4 doesn’t really ship Yugi/Kaiba, in my opinion (and just my opinion, I know how y’all feel about the ship and that is a-ok, all ships are welcome here)...but Season Zero ships A LOT. It’s not a serious ship by any means, it’s clearly a crack ship, but they...very clearly know what they’re doing with Seto being this obsessed with Yuugi in this way, omg. It just sounds like a kink to me.

So, ways to beat Yuugi Muto:

steal his stuff halfway through the game, try to kill yourself, rock paper scissors, try to kill Joey Wheeler, or dress up a sex doll like a nurse and have a gross old man have it play cards while he makes a sexy lady voiceover.

(Y’all I’ve been to my share of arcades in my life and I think I’ve only seen like 6 pinball tables total. Do good arcades only exist on TV? I think it’s all a lie.)

Then, because I guess this episode wasn’t going anywhere, Yuugi goes to the arcade to play some video games. The video game is unimportant, and it’s never been brought up before, but he’s dead set on finding it. Because unlike Yugi, Yuugi just doesn’t really have a goal in this series so he just kind of flutters around until someone tells him what to do.

TBH that’s a pretty 90′s thing for a show or a movie to do. To have characters just exist and have things happen to them, but in all, they’re just...wandering. So it’s not so much a knock on the show, it’s just that sometimes it’s a little of a transition to go from a goal being something physical, like finding the lost city of Atlantis before every human’s soul is absorbed into the great Leviathan, to the goal being more of a mental acceptance--Yuugi just learning to accept this curse he doesn’t even know he has yet, and trying to find acceptance in his group of friends.

With Yuugi, we’re kind of just watching his daily life, which is mostly watching him try and sneak games into every spare moment that his local adult has turned around. It has a very slice of life feel to it, but minus the near constant innuendo slice of life tends to have (at least the ones that have been recommended to me)

Now, because this is a show about people getting a real EXTREME comeuppance every time they break the law, what will happen to Yuugi for ignoring his Grandpa’s wishes and going to the arcade before going home?

First, we meet this mushroom haired person.

That’s right kids, NEVER stop by the arcade on the way home from school--1.) The local arcades are almost always 90% boring racing games and busted shooters that came out on the Nintendo 64 when I was a child and 2.) You will get abducted.

And then we get this face swap.

Kaiba just really loves dress-up. No wonder he was hanging out with a guy super into dolls. And like, I went into before how Seto Kaiba is always doused in facsimile energy. He loves faking it up, and apparently that’s been true since Zero.

He introduces that he will have four challenges from four Game Masters and uh so welcome to the...I don’t where this is, but a weird place full of dolls that must exist somewhere in Domino.

I guess this is to make it seem like they have an audience to watch Yuugi fail but even still...what?

So we get kind of a mirror to the scene at the beginning with Miho crying and Honda telling Yuugi to apologize for beating her, except replace Miho with Seto and Honda with this guy who really likes dolls (and Miho is a lot like a cursed doll). Like, if there were a theme to this episode it’s “grow up and stop apologizing when you beat someone in a card game” which isn’t a terrible theme, especially in this show that is about Yuugi learning how to adult.

In fact the “grow the hell up” theme is so strong we have a villain who is just...a big baby who carries dolls around. Kinda makes you wonder if the show would have eventually had Yuugi just...grow out of toys and games completely for the finale. Like in the Yugioh we have now, he can’t, because first off they licensed a hell ton of toys, but also because Yugi does games for his actual job. Even if Pharaoh was gone, Yugi still has to play games all the time. In this case, he could just...be using the games to learn how to do adult things, which is actually why we give kids games in the first place.

But, speculation aside, it’s at this point that a card play knocks Yuugi off of his chair and he passes out. Despite the fact that this isn’t a Shadow game and there...shouldn’t be any magic present. In fact, I don’t think any part of this game in this episode required opening the door of darkness. When he switches to Yami shortly after falling off of his own chair he’s like...yeah this is fine. Seems all above board. No need to kill anybody

And then apparently there’s a type of Dual Monster’s card I was unaware of.

A doll-type.

So I looked it up, is there a doll type card in Yugioh?

And it seems like there’s a lot of dolls, but not like...a type, as far as I can tell. Again, I don’t play this game, I’m only here for the plot and this one just seemed like they really had to reach for Yuugi to have just the right type of card to play.

And again, because this wasn’t a Shadow Duel, our loser just kind of walks away...all the way back to Britain, I guess.

And Seto just stands there behind a window in a rainstorm to allude to his many unshed salty tears, and it cuts to Miho who I guess has learned not to cry when she loses to Yuugi now.

And then she pulls out an absolutely winning tactic. This would win, actually. It’s actually genius.

And that is a very strong

From me. Wow. No thanks. I actually don’t want to see Yuugi do a kissy face ever again, thank you.

Half of you loved that though. This is fine. We’re all different.

Anyway, I assume the game was never played, or Miho won and the show just decided not to show it. If Season Zero Yuugi is a Yuugi that makes out then...that is...shocking. Then again, we’re only like...a third of the way through? I think?

Anyway, it’s...after Christmas because I went out of town for a spell, but I’ll just...post this now. Last post before the new year.

I’ll see y’all in 2020!

[octoberobserver]

I recently had a dream about a plot for a fic where reddie get a duck from mike on their wedding day and the note makes it seem like it’s meaningful to their relationship and they spend their whole honeymoon trying to figure out what the deep meaning of this duck is and it turns out stan and bev dared mike to do it to fuck w/ them and when i woke up i immediately was like SOMEONE HAS TO WRITE THIS and i immediately thought of you! (literally u don’t have to it’s just funny how i thought of you)

Hi Nonnie! This *probably* isn’t what you had in mind, but I hope you like it anyway ^_^ ♥️

Your Love Life’s DOA (read on ao3)

“...a chick.” 

“Pretty sure it’s a cock, dude.”

“It’s a chicken, asswipe. Cocks are roosters.” 

“Huh. And here I thought cocks were—”

“Don’t,” Eddie Kaspbrak held up his hands, cutting Richie Tozier off mid-terrible-joke. 

Richie just smirked, his eyes alight in a way that never failed to make Eddie’s stomach swoop.

“Cock, chicken, whatever it is,” he waved dismissively with the hand not cradling the miniature poultry, “it’s cute as fuck.”  

Eddie stared at Richie staring down at the (probable) baby chicken, warmth spreading across his chest. 

He only basked in the feeling for .2 seconds however as the irritation he had felt this morning when he opened the door to go grab their mail and nearly stomped on the little feather-ball, made a swift resurgence. 

“But why the fuck was it outside our door?”

“...”

“Richie.”

“...”

“Rich.” 

“...”

“Trashmouth!” 

Richie’s head snapped up from where he had been gazing down at the chick that looked comically small in his ridiculously large hand. 

Eddie’s treacherous stomach did an impressive (if annoying) front handspring. 

“I don’t know, Eds. Maybe it was meant for the butcher shop down the street. Or a petting zoo,” he tilted his head, looking pensive, “maybe it’s Erica Delaney getting her sweet revenge on me after I broke our egg-son in the first five minutes of class. Or it’s the chicken god’s gift to us to raise in his image, fucked if I know. All I do know is,” he shrugged, gently, with one shoulder as to not jostle the chirping baby bird, “we're definitely keeping it.” 

Eddie blinked.

“We can’t keep a chicken in the apartment, Richie.”

Richie’s eyebrows raised halfway up his expansive forehead.

“Why not? I own the building, and I say it’s all good for lil Chick-Fil-A to stay.”

“We’re not naming it after a homophobic chicken restaurant, dickwad.” 

A slow smile spread across Richie’s face that had Eddie’s pulse simultaneously racing and screeching to a halt. 

“...But we are keeping it?”

Fuck.

~*~

“Chicken Little?”

“No.”

“Chicken Run.”

“What?”

“Chick Flick.”

“Hell no.”

“Oh! Wait! I got it - Chicken Carbonara! Carbs for short.” 

“You’re an idiot.” 

“I agree,” Stanley Uris piped up as he meandered his way over to where Eddie and Richie (baby chick loudly making her presence known in his shirt pocket) were arguing at the sink, glass in hand, topping up Patty’s Merlot.

“You don’t have a horse in this race, Staniel,” Richie dismissed his input, gently running a finger over the chick’s fuzzy head, adopting a sickening sweet baby voice, “Isn’t that right, Carbs? Uncle Stan the Man wouldn’t know a good nickname if it kicked him in the face.” 

“Coming from the man called ‘Trashmouth.’” 

“Eds gave me that name, so blame him,” Richie quirked an eyebrow, elbowing the man in question. 

Eddie’s Chardonnay tipped dangerously close to the rim of the glass. 

Richie ignored his murderous glare. 

“Now all we need,” Richie beamed with pride as ‘Carbs’ gave another loud chirp from her cloth perch, “...is a duck.” 

Eddie winced, “You need to stop binge-watching Friends, Rich. Who are we, Joey and Chandler?” 

“Dibs on Chandler!”

Eddie rolled his eyes, gesturing up and down at Richie. 

“Well duh.” 

Richie merely smirked, tilting his head at him, “You’re definitely more of a Monica than a Joey, though.” 

“So in this scenario, you two are married?”

Both Eddie and Richie whirled around to blink at Stan who had attracted the attention of the rest of the Losers, each now awaiting some sort of response with rising interest. 

Eddie refused to give one. 

He also refused to look at Richie not give one. 

“Ooh we’re playing the Which Friends Character Are You game, huh?” Richie asked, stepping around Stan, eyes still focussed on the chick. 

Stan rolled his eyes, “There’s eight of us, it doesn’t work.” 

“Spoken like a true Ross.” 

Stan shook his head and sighed.

Like the Ross he was.

“Alright, I’m game,” Bev piped up, raising her glass from across the room, her eyes glinting at Richie. 

“Do your worst, Trashmouth.” 

Richie smirked, clearly tickled by the challenge. 

“Alright, Marsh,” he cleared his throat, beginning to pace the room like Columbo at the end of every episode, where he explained how he solved the whole damn case with nothing but a moved potted plant, “You’re Phoebe obviously, because you’re a fiery but lovable enigma who’s cooler than all of us combined.”

Bev chuckled, “Damn straight.”

“Haystack here,” Richie whirled around, cradling Carbs to his chest in one hand and pointing with the other, “is our Joey for his actor good-looks and lovable nature.” 

Ben sank down into the couch next to Bev, picking up her socked-feet and rubbing them, “I’ll take it.” 

Bev grinned, “I did always think Joey and Phoebe should’ve got together. Although Paul Rudd was great.”

“Which leads me to,” Richie turned to his left, smirking.

“Oh no,” Mike held up his hands, “count me out. Black people weren’t even a thing on Friends until like season 9 or whatever so—”

“Oh yeah, the diversity sucks ass Mikey, no one’s disputing that,” Richie agreed with a nod, “but hear me out. You’re Mike, Mike! A sexy, African-American Paul Rudd. Think about it...you may come in late in the game but you win everyone over instantly with your good looks, nerdy charm and wicked air-piano skills! Just like you did with the Losers Club!” 

Mike blinked, amused.

Stan tilted his head.

“I don’t think that’s exactly—”

“Same with Patty!” 

Richie cut Stan off, clearly on a roll, whirling around to point at his wife.

“It feels like she’s always been with us, right?” he asked the group at large, smile pleased when everyone nods in agreement, Bev winding an arm around her from where she was perched on the arm of the couch, causing Patty to flush and grin behind her wine glass at the compliment. 

“And you know who was always with the Friends? Always there, like an honorary 7th member? Or 8th in this case?” 

Eddie rolled his eyes, not quite believing he was going to participate in this.

“Gunther.” 

Richie winked, “Gold star for Kaspbrak.” 

“She does make a mean Cappuccino,” Stan mumbled almost absentmindedly as Patty gave her charming snort-laugh, letting her head rest against her husband’s shoulder as he stood next to the couch. 

“Which leaves…”

Richie slowly turned on the spot, like the dramatic bastard he was. 

“Congrats, Bill. You’re Rachel. Our Jen Aniston. People are gonna start copying your hairstyle soon.” 

Bill chuckled, “Yeah, don’t think ‘The Bill’ has quite the same ring to it, Rich.” 

Richie gave a dismissive wave. 

“It’ll catch on. Then you’ll become a mega movie star and forget the rest of us exist. Except for Eddie, of course.”

Bill frowned.

“Why just Eddie?”

Richie threw him an exasperated look.

“Because he’s Monica! Courteney Cox. Best friend of Jen to this day. Duh.” 

“So you two are married, then?” 

Eddie felt his throat tighten as Richie squared his shoulders at Stanley, gently putting Carbs in her bed before huffing out a laugh.

“Nah man, we’re still in the friends-who-help-friends-give-their-dates-orgasms-in-seven-steps, stage.” 

Stan rolled his eyes.

“Right.” 

Eddie watched as the two friends stared at one another, a weird tension draping over them.

And in true Phoebe-style, Bev broke it.

“Hey, who wants to hear my Smelly Cat rendition?” 

Richie’s analysis was flawed, of course. Bill didn’t know jack about fashion (that was Bev), Ben built stages not performed on them, Stan actually loved, cherished and respected his partner, Patty wasn’t desperately in unrequited love with Bill (that was Mike, though it was requited), Mike wasn’t married to Bev (that was Ben) and Bev…

Well.

Bev was spot on, actually. A riddle, wrapped in an enigma, shrouded in mystery, all while being simultaneously cool and lovable. 

And Eddie?

He was Monica Geller and proud of it, dammit.

A damn shame Courteney never got the Emmy-nom, in his opinion. 

As for Richie?

Richie wasn’t Chandler Bing. Chandler Bing was Richie Tozier.

“If only they had let Chandler be gay,” Richie sighed wistfully as Eddie closed the door, waving off the last of their guests, Bill and Mike as they hopped in an Uber headed for Casa Denbrough. 

“Why? So you could fuck Ben instead?” 

Eddie knew how his voice sounded as he slowly leaned back against the door, reaching out to pull Richie towards him by his collar, crashing their lips together in a bruising kiss that he had ached for all night. 

Richie gasped into his mouth, his hands roaming Eddie’s body like a hyperactive octopus, pressing him back against the door and rolling his bottom lip between his teeth.

Eddie groaned, breaking the kiss, staring up at his best-friend-turned-secret-boyfriend. 

“So, when do we tell them we hooked up at Ben and Bev’s wedding?” 

Richie chuckled, leaning down and pressing his lips against Eddie’s neck, right over the spot he knew drove him crazy, breathing hot against his skin. 

“Not until I ask Bill for his eyelash curler and Ben figures us out. Duh.”

~*~

They really should have been all fucked out after three weeks of eating, drinking, sleeping and sex-ing in Barbados, and yet, as soon as they got back to their apartment, they christened their old bed, their leaking shower and the living room floor because they just couldn’t get enough of each other.

Married.

They were fucking married.

Husbands. 

Legally bound.

Til death—

No, not even death could stop them. They proved that already.

“You’re heavy,” Eddie groaned, his chest vibrating under where Richie had his face squished against it. 

“It’s all the Barbadian food, dude. S’gone straight to my thighs.”

Eddie brushed his hand along said thigh, squeezing roughly.

“Hmm. I like your thighs.” 

“I like you.”

“You better. You’re kinda stuck with me now.”

Richie lifted his head off Eddie’s sweaty chest, smiling softly, interlocking their left hands, pressing their rings together. 

“Guess my love life isn’t D.O.A anymore, huh.” 

Eddie groaned, and not in the sexy way he had been five minutes before. 

“Those Friends references grew old in the nineties, dude. Stop.”  

Richie pecked at his lips, letting out a sound of disagreement. 

“I’ll have you know, Eds, I—”

The unmistakable sound of a knock echoed throughout the apartment. 

They blinked at one another.

“Who the fuck is that? No one knows we’re home yet.”

The post-Honeymoon-fuck had come (heh) above all - including texting the group chat that they had made it back safely onto California soil. 

Marriage had made them selfish like that.

Eddie shrugged, “I don’t know. Could be Rosa dropping off Carbs. I did tell her we’d be back today, and she might have like...sensed us. You know what she’s like.”

Rosa was their downstairs neighbour, a lovable, elderly woman who seemed to have had a sixth sense for everything Richie and Eddie-related even before they had become a couple, often calling them out for the pining bullshit before they got their act together, got tipsy at Benverly’s wedding and jumped each other. 

Or as Richie put it once - “She high-key ships us, man. Wants us to bone it out.” 

To this day, Eddie had no idea what that meant. 

Another knock came, this one louder.

“Alright, I’m coming,” Eddie called out, pushing a whining Richie off his chest before he could make the obvious joke and forcing himself to sit up, grimacing as the sheet stuck to his back. 

He’d have to be the one to answer. No way he was unleashing a half-naked Richie onto Mrs Hernandez. 

Eddie actually had the decency to pull on sweatpants and an old Trashmouth-tee before padding to the door.

He knew his husband did not.

Husband.

Eddie smiled to himself, his stomach doing its usual somersaults that he knew would never fully disappear. 

Richie Tozier, his lifelong best friend, was now his husband too. 

Crazy. 

“Sorry Rosa, we were—”

His incredibly made-up-on-the-spot excuse died on his lips as he opened the front door to reveal - nothing. 

Frowning, Eddie stared into the empty air, turning his head to glance down the very vacant hallway.

And then, he heard it.

Quack! 

“Oh, not again.” 

“Duck!” 

Richie said it like fuck.

Like he had been human-autocorrected.

“Yes, Richie, I see that,” Eddie sighed at his husband who had appeared over his shoulder, still shirtless, staring down at the baby duck sitting pretty in a box, much like Carbs had two years before.

“We’re not naming him Daffy,” Eddie grumbled, bending down to gently pick up the box, cradling the duckling against his chest and kicking the door shut.

Richie opened his mouth.

“Or Donald.” 

Richie closed his mouth. 

One quack called Donald was enough. 

“We’ll brainstorm,” Richie grinned, leaning down and capturing Eddie’s lips, before softly patting the new addition to their family on the head.

They’d find the note later. The one that read, 

To Chandler and Monica, 

You two were the last to find out.

Not Stan. 

Here’s a brother for Carbs.

We left her with you as a prank, for Richie’s Friends obsession, but you became the best dads ever instead. You’ll do it again. 

Just don’t get them stuck in the Foosball Table. 

~The Losers

[annablack1102]

Dream a little dream of me

Summary: When your husband’s away, you and Negan will play. Characters: Negan x You Words: 4236 Beta: my dear, @genevievedarcygranger  Warnings: Language, infidelity, light bondage, the zestiest of lemonss A/N: I had this dream a while back where I had this oaf of a husband that worked for Negan and I was fucking his boss behind his back. And funnily enough, Negan looked a bit like Ike Evans. So I decided it was too good not to write about and here we are...

Sorry I haven’t finished all my requests and I’m behind on my chapter fics but school is keeping me busy and so is my constantly drifting muse. Hope you enjoy this little sexy one shot in the mean time. 

MASTERLIST

Dream a Little Dream of Me

The end of his cigarette glowed as you held the lighter for him, his lips curling into a mischievous smirk as he stared up at you.

“Thank you, darlin’.” You were sure he would have winked if Benjamin hadn’t been sitting right there, blabbering on like he always was. Your husband was a talker and you’d gotten used to tuning him out. It wasn’t hard to do when the big man himself was around, giving you those little smirks that hinted at his thoughts. You didn’t have to ask to know what he was thinking.

Benjamin had been working for Negan for years, though you’d only met him five years ago when you and Benjamin were already engaged. Negan, charming man that he was, had captivated you from the beginning. He had that effect on a lot of women, or so you’d noticed. Still, you were a loyal, faithful woman and you stayed that way well into your marriage. You and Negan may have flirted and you may have considered what it might be like to spend even just a night with him, but you couldn’t do that to your Benny.

So you and Negan danced around each other for years, quite literally sometimes. You’d shared a few dances with him at various events, always innocent, his hands never strayed. And he’d always hand you off to Benny with a charming grin and tell him what a lucky man he was. Then, despite generally being a jealous man, your husband would beam with pride that his boss approved of his little trophy wife. Benny was completely oblivious to how often Negan had stared at you to that point that you should have been uncomfortable, but it was always just the opposite.

You couldn’t deny your attraction to him. Anyone who said that he wasn’t a handsome man was obviously blind. With his wide, dimpled grin, it was hard not to be entranced by him. Tie that up with that southern charm and deep voice and he’d have any woman weak in the knees. You’d fallen victim to that man many times, though you remained faithful.  

That is until Benjamin’s business trips had begun to grow longer and more frequent. And somehow you’d found yourself coming to the bar attached to Negan’s grand hotel to have drinks with him, even without your Benny at your side.

You weren’t sure why you finally decided to give into Negan, or at what moment you’d decided that he was worth the risk, but you knew it’d been at least six months since you first allowed him to take you to bed. In that time, you’d come to enjoy his company far too much to worry about the guilt that use to weigh heavy in your chest. Negan made you feel things you never dreamed of. The way he spoke to you with such respect and admiration, the way he cared for your needs before his own each and every time, and the way his arms felt around you after… It was all so addicting and you couldn’t help but say yes to him.

You were starting to suspect that he was sending Benjamin out more frequently on purpose. And the way he glanced at you while your husband discussed his next venture only confirmed your suspicions. The eagerness in his gaze was obvious, and you wondered silently what he had planned this time.

“Take Joseph with you, show him the ropes a bit.” Negan instructed, flicking the ashes off his cigarette as his eyes landed on Benjamin again.

“Fat Joey?” Benjamin complained, grimacing despite his glee moments ago. Oblivious as he was, he didn’t see his repetitive trips for what they were. Instead, he saw them as a gift. He was being given more responsibility, therefore he must be important to Negan. Not disposable like some of the others kept under Negan’s employment. He didn’t realize that Negan was just trying to get him out of the way for a while so he could roll around in bed with his wife.

“Oh, cut the shit. You were a dumbass rookie at one point.” Negan chuckled as if the memory were entertaining. You were kind of curious how things were back then. You wondered if Benjamin was just as much of a suck up back then as he is now or if it had been worse in the early days when he still had something to prove. “Darlin’, get me a drink would ya?”

You jumped without hesitation, the tone in Negan’s voice triggering a reaction out of you that you hoped your husband wouldn’t notice. The obedience Negan instilled in you often carried over to your personal lives. It was fairly common for men to be ordering women around, spouse or not, but you still worried that someone would catch on, that someone would notice your desperate need to please him and see it for what it was.

Pouring Negan a drink, you hummed along to the radio quietly playing the new Sinatra song you’d been hearing all summer. You were so lost in the song and Negan’s drink that you almost forgot to pour one for your husband. You blushed and backtracked a couple steps to rectify that before bringing the men their drinks.

Benjamin was still complaining about Joseph and his incompetence as he stared out the long windows, and therefore didn’t notice the way Negan’s hand slipped up the back of your skirt for a quick squeeze. You bit back a gasp and swatted at him playfully, your eyes so bright there was no way he’d take you seriously as you tried to scold him. He winked at you and took a sip of his drink.

“Why don’t you go get some sun by the pool, darlin’? Let the boys talk a bit.” Negan suggested, and you felt the heat bloom from your face to your chest as you held his gaze. “I’ll send your man when we’re done.” As he grinned at you, you nodded, your own lips curling into a smile.

Negan often gave you access to the hotel’s many amenities. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d had to pay for a drink or a meal, and you were allowed in the pool so often that you just kept your swimsuit and clothes on hand there.

You had your swim, letting the water cool you before laying out in one of the many lounge chairs. As you drifted comfortably between that blissful state, not quite asleep but not awake either, you thought of Negan and his hands on your skin, the way his touch made you feel. You got lost in the memories, his voice playing in your head as you thought of the way he made you melt. The stern tone he used in bed was to die for, something you weren’t familiar with in your limited experience. Nothing like Negan was normal, in your opinion, and you figured that’s why you couldn’t stay away. Just thinking of him made your nether regions quiver as you imagined what he’d want to try on you this time around.

“I can’t believe he’s sending me out again.” You jumped as Benjamin’s voice sounded beside you suddenly. As you sat up, your core aching after your little daydreams, you looked at your husband who took a seat beside you. “I better get a promotion after all this shit.”

Benjamin complained sometimes, but you’d never see him fighting for what he really wants. He just accepts what he’s given and agrees to anything you tell him.

“How dangerous is this one going to be?” You couldn’t help but ask, looking up at him curiously.

Negan may own the big fancy hotel, but that wasn’t all he was involved in and you knew it. You knew when they had their ‘boy talks’, they were really discussing the illegal activities they were organizing and didn’t want to talk about it in front of you. You’d figured out of maybe seven months into being married to Benjamin when he came home injured. A bullet had grazed his arm, and he didn’t even try to lie to you that it was something else.

Negan liked to call himself an entrepreneur, when really he was just a thief. He got his men to steal luxury cars of high value and then he sold them. Benjamin was one of his top guys because he never damaged the merchandise and he was a great salesman. He could catch a higher price than most of the other guys Negan had running out to do the dirty work.

His business was organized and very successful, but it wasn’t perfect. Mishaps occurred all the time and people got hurt. You never got the details about what happened to your husband that night, but you knew it wasn’t the first or last time that that had happened.

“Don’t worry about all that,” he dismissed you, lighting up a cigarette for himself. You frowned at him, but he wouldn’t elaborate and you knew better than to pry by now.

As soon as he was gone, you were in Negan’s arms again.

He answered his door with a grin and didn’t say a word as you threw yourself at him. Your lips were on his in an instant as he tugged your body tight against his.

“Negan…” You sighed breathlessly against his lips.

“Don’t worry, sugar. I’ll take good care of you,” he assured you, his lips trailing down your neck as he walked you back to the bedroom.

The suite he held at the tip top of his grand hotel was extravagant. When you visited with Negan, you often wondered how it would feel to live there, to have someone take care of your every need, rather than having to fuss over a sloppy man. You imagined how it would feel to lay in bed late into the morning and have someone bring you breakfast. What it would be like to spend your days wearing the most expensive outfits, everything you owned in the newest fashion.

You dreamed of how lucky you would’ve been if you’d only met Negan first.

The man himself scooped you up and laid you down across his bed, your head snug atop his pillows. Everything smelled like him, so deep and musky. Each time you were in his bed, you soaked it all up, letting your senses become overwhelmed by him. His smell, his touch, the way he moaned your name. His long, lean body pressed yours into the mattress, and you heard him groan softly above you, kicking your heart into overdrive.

“Fuck, darlin’... Should’ve sent him off sooner.” He smirked, reaching down to wrap your leg around his hip.

You giggled in response. “If you keep that up, he’s going to catch on. And then our fun will be over.”

Negan rolled his eyes and captured your lips again, redirecting your thoughts from your husband. He didn’t matter, not now. All that mattered was Negan’s touch, drifting along the exposed skin of your leg. He sat up on his knees and helped you out of your dress. You’d dressed nice for him, which was foolish if you thought about it. What’s the point when you wouldn’t be wearing clothes for very long? It was nonsensical to meticulously style your hair when it was about to look like a bird’s nest once he was through with you.

As he worked you out of your bra, you started on the buttons of his shirt. You lips followed the path of exposed skin, kissing softly until you reached his belly button and his shirt hung open.

“You could go lower if you’d like.” Again, Negan smirked at you, and you blushed. You weren’t very experienced when it came to oral sex, and he knew that. In fact, he loved that about you. He enjoyed telling you exactly how to lick and how to suck, how deep to take him. And you enjoyed the look on his face, twisted in immense pleasure, as he cupped the back of your head and came down your throat.

“Is that what you want?” You asked, peering up at him as you worked his pants apart.

“I want a lot of things, sweetheart.” He grinned, and tugged you back up to kiss him. He laid you down onto your back again and kissed you deeply, his hands groping at your breasts. You moaned into his mouth as his fingers plucked and teased your nipples just right. Whenever your husband tried to play with them, it just hurt - and not in a good way, but you tried not to think about him right now. There really was no comparison between him and a man like Negan.  

He was just so different. Negan knew your body well and knew just what you needed. He also wasn’t afraid to ask what you wanted. Did you want it harder? Should he touch you here, or there? He seemed to get off on getting you off, and you’ve never been with anyone like that. It went beyond consideration; it made you feel special, cared for in a way you haven’t been before in your life.

You moaned as his tongue found yours, rolling just the right way to elicit his favorite noises out of you. He always preferred when you were vocal, praising his efforts. He especially liked to hear his name, screamed and echoing off the walls.

Pulling back again, Negan looked down at you with lust filled eyes. “I want to try something with you,” he murmured, stroking your cheek. You looked up at him, your gaze filled with adoration and trust. You nodded, without ever having to hear what he wanted to do to you. He smirked at your eagerness and pecked your lips.

Curious, you watched as he climbed off the bed and moved over to his large closet. He came back with two of his ties, and you stared at him in confusion, your mind not comprehending what he had planned with them. He gazed at you seriously, sliding the silk ties through his fingers.

“Do you trust me?” He asked, and though you hesitated, you nodded again.

It was true. You trusted the man with your life. You trusted him to take care of you and respect your boundaries. You knew he wouldn’t do something that you didn’t like. All it took was you telling him to stop, and he’d find a new way to torment you, but it was always pleasurable.

Negan took your wrists in his hands and wrapped the silk tie around them first. He then lifted your arms and tied them carefully to the bedpost. You looked up at him in worry, not sure how you felt about being restrained. You’d never been restrained before, but something about it was kind of sexy.

“Nice, right?” He smiled like a shark at the obvious arousal in your expression and kissed your lips once more. Then, before you could really think about it, he was wrapping the second tie around your eyes. You gasped, not sure how to feel about that. You could feel his breath against your face, but you could no longer see.

“Negan…” You whimpered, nervously.

“Shh shh shh…” He hushed soothingly. “I’m gonna take care of you. I always do, don’t I?” He needlessly asked, and you nodded.

His lips brushed against yours, but only for a moment and they were gone. You waited in silence, the anticipation making you squirm. You nearly jumped out of your skin as you felt his hands touch your knees. His laugh sounded above you, and you blushed.

“I don’t like this…” you said apprehensively.

“Give it a try, doll. Just trust me,” he murmured back, his lips against your ankle as he pulled your leg up. He kissed down your leg slowly until he was nearly right where you wanted. You whined as you felt his lips skim over your clit, moving on to your other leg instead. You pulled against your bounds, trying to reach for him. It was frustrating not being able to touch him.

“Negan…” You sighed as his lips followed the same path down your other leg, nipping at your inner thigh to make you jump. You felt his tongue flick your clit then, a deep chuckle sounding somewhere between your legs at the whimper it caused.

“Patience, doll.” You could hear it in his tone, he was definitely grinning.

He pressed open mouthed kisses along your hips then, trailing up your body at a snail’s pace. You moaned softly as his lips wrapped around your nipple, rolling his tongue just the right way to make you squirm and beg for more. He kissed across the valley between your breasts and gave the same treatment to the other, sucking and nibbling until you were a mess below him.

“Look at you…” Negan hummed, his nose grazing the skin of your neck so he could murmur in your ear, “You’re so ready for me, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” you sighed, shifting below him anxiously.

“You want my big, fat dick, baby girl?”

“Mhmmmm…” You moaned as he sucked on the spot below your ear. He was always careful not to leave a mark, for that much you were grateful.

“What do you say?”

“Please...Please, Negan...Fuck me…” You whined, tugging harder against the restraints.

His lips were on yours then, so suddenly it startled you for a moment. But you reacted quickly, leaning into the passionate kiss. The way his lips moved against yours made you quiver. You wanted nothing more than to pull him closer and beg him to take you again and again.

Thankfully, he seemed just as fed up with teasing as you were. You felt his thickness slide along your pussy, your wet folds coating him. He groaned against your lips, pushing more and more until his girth stretched your walls to their limit. Your head fall back against the pillows as you let out a loud moan.

“That’s it, sugar… Tell me how fuckin’ good it feels.” He murmured, his voice thick and husky as he started to move.

“Yes! Fuck, Negan…” You pulled hard against the silk tie, silently begging it to come loose. But, of course, no such luck.

Negan seemed amused by your distress, if his chuckle was anything to go by. He sat up on his knees, ignoring your complaint about his body being pulled from yours. His dick was still fucking into you slowly, but you already missed his crushing weight. “Somethin’ on your mind, sugar?” He inquired teasingly.

“I want… Negan, I just want…” Your face heated up as you stumbled over your words.

You let out a gasp as his hand came down on your thigh, not enough to really hurt but just enough to sting. “Oh come on, darlin’. You can do better than that. Tell me what you want.”

“I want to touch you…” Your voice was quiet, but you knew he heard you. His hands tightened on your thighs and he fucked you just a little harder.

“What do you say?” His voice was deeper that time, and you melted at the sound.

“Please…” You whined, wishing you could give him those big eyes to go with your pouting lips. He was always hard pressed to resist that look.

“Blindfold stays on. And we’re gonna change it up,” Negan compromised. You didn’t even care what he had in mind, so long as you could get your hands on him.

Though, as soon as the binds were gone, you were rolled. Somehow he’d managed to get you in his lap with little to no help from you. Then, once you got there, you froze.

“Uhh..” You hadn’t been on top before. Your husband, who’s name you were trying to avoid thinking about, preferred to have you on your back. Negan, even, liked taking control of the situation. He liked having you from behind with your ass up, or even spooning you with a leg in the air. But he’d never had you ride him before, so you were nervous.

“Don’t overthink it, baby. Just ride my dick, nice and slow. I’ve got you…” His hands encircled you wrists, placing your hands on his broad shoulders. Once you were steady, his hands found your hips, pushing and pulling softly until you got the idea.

As your hips rocked, you wished he’d taken the blindfold as well. If the noises he was making was any indication, his face was sure to look even better than usual. You loved the way his face would twist in pleasure, knowing you were the one to cause it.

“That’s it, darlin’... Wish you could fuckin’ see yourself right now. You look so good…” He praised, his hands slipping over your hips and down your thighs. “So fuckin’ good for me, aren’t you?”

You were surprised when his thumb suddenly started brushing against your clit, causing your hips to falter. You leaned back, your hands finding his knees for support as he continued. As the angle changed, you cried his name again and again, getting louder still. Your hips began moving faster, chasing your release that seemed to be so close, just out of reach.

You felt him shift then, tugging you against his chest. He planted his feet flat on the bed and, before you had time to think about it, he started fucking up into you hard and fast. So much, in fact, that as you screamed for him, you nearly forgot your own name.

“That’s right… tell me how good it feels… let everyone know...mine...all mine...” He panted as he spoke to you.

You were beyond words, though. His cock pressed in just the right spot, nailing it every single time. You knew it wouldn’t take much more, not with the way he gripped your ass to pull you harder down on his dick.

“Just..fuckin’...let go…” Negan grunted, tightening his grip on you. Knowing he was on the brink himself was enough to push you over the edge.

You cried his name, then, nearly sobbing at how good it felt. Wave after wave rushed over you, your release so intense your body shook in his arms. He moaned in your ear, his voice tight as he muttered praise after praise against your ear. You could tell he was trying to hold back, trying to make it last. But even his stamina wasn’t enough, and he was cumming. His thick load pulsed deep inside your walls, his moan loud and needy in your ear.

“Negan…” You whimpered once more, and suddenly the blindfold disappeared. His lips pressed against yours as his large hand cupped the nape of your neck. You relished in those kisses, the ones where he seemed so reluctant to ever let you go.

There were days, many of them in fact, that you wished you could just stay in his arms and enjoy his embrace. That you could live that life you pretended you had, that you could be doted on every day. That you wouldn’t have to steal these little moments with him.

But it ended, like it always did. You laid with him for a while, his fingers tracing imaginary lines along your skin and his lips dancing along behind them. He kissed your hand as you left. His eyes held a fleeting glance of longing, as if he were wishing for the same things. But he never asked you to stay, and you never told him you wanted to.

When Benjamin returned home, you had dinner cooking for him. He came up beside you, kissing your cheek softly. “How was it?” He asked, removing his jacket.

You looked up at him in confusion, not sure what he meant. Surely you should be asking that question right? He was the one that went away. “How was what dear?”

“The sex, sweetheart. With my boss.” He said, looking up at you expectantly. You nearly dropped the plate you were holding, the one that held his dinner on it. “Was he satisfied?”

“I….I uh…” You stuttered, unsure how to respond. You wanted to deny it, call him a fool and tell him he had it all wrong. But you couldn’t.

“I hope he was. Ever since you started sleeping with him, he’s been much easier to work for. Gave me a raise, even.” He said, sitting back in his chair as you set his plate down with shaky hands. “You keep making him happy and I may just be able to get that new golf set I’ve had my eye on.” He said, digging into his dinner as though you were having a casual conversation about the weather. It was as though the thought of his wife sleeping with another man didn’t phase him at all.

Since you’d begun sleeping with Negan, your biggest fear had been getting caught and hurting your husband. You hadn’t even considered the other possibility of him not caring at all. Or even worse that he’d encourage you.

Suddenly, you went from eager for your next rendezvous with the man of your dreams to feeling dirty. You felt like a pawn in their little game and you couldn’t help but wonder if Negan had been in on it the whole time.

[o-holynight]

Don’t Start Something You Can’t Finish | All You Have To Do Is Fall In Love AU

Other Parts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Author: Michaela - @o-holynight​ Pairing: Joe Mazzello / OFC Rating: M Word Count: 1.6k  POV: 3rd Person / Michaela Warnings: series warnings  Summary: After being interrupted in the middle of an intimate moment, Joe and Michaela reschedule for another night home alone.

Masterlist found here! Series Summary: Best friends and college roommates Ben, Joe, and Gwil, find themselves tangled up with a group of girls who bring out the best (and worst) in them. Series Warnings: drinking, swearing Authors’ Note: Stories can stand alone, but it’s much better when read all together! Not everything is always in the same tense, or same point of view/perspective.

Joe fiddled with his ring finger, before absentmindedly cracking his knuckles. He glanced over at Michaela who was engrossed in the movie. It was some random thriller on Joe’s Netflix list, but whatever interest he had in watching it before, all melted away once he pressed play and started watching Michaela instead of the TV. She was so intrigued by the movie, which made studying her all the more intriguing. He could tell when something scary happened on the screen by the way that she jumped slightly, muscles in her neck tensing. He could tell when a scene was comic relief by the way the corners of her mouth turned up, and she exhaled a laugh through her nose. But when the main characters of the movie were entering a heated makeout session while unbeknownst to them, their friends were being slaughtered in the next room, Michaela happened to look over at Joe, whose eyes flitted for the first time in a long time to the television.

“You’re staring.” Michaela said with a smirk on her face.

“Oh, really, you wait until the sex scene to call me out on it? All of a sudden you look over at me when that comes on the screen?” Joe said, gesturing to the tv.

Michaela blushed and bit her lip sheepishly. Joe took notice of this, eyes flicking down to watch her newly reddened and glistening lip. He swallowed roughly, wanting nothing more than to connect his own lips with hers.

“Okay you got me there, but despite being a blind ass bitch, my peripherals are on point. I saw you looking the whole time.” she smirked, turning her body slightly so that she was facing Joe more.

“And you chose to wait until the main characters started kissing to bust me...why?” Joe asked, also angling himself more towards Michaela, squeezing his hand together in a fist.

“No reason…” she said softly, barely audible, as her eyes focused in on Joe’s lips, which were slightly parted, and moving closer as Joe leaned forward ever so slightly.

“C’mon mate the game is about to start and I’ve got money down on--oh...sorry are we...interrupting something?” Gwil said as he and Ben marched into the living room decked out in their soccer gear, apparently waiting to watch the game.

Clearly they were interrupting something. “No, you’re fine, we weren’t watching a movie or anything.” Joe said through a pasted-on smile, begrudgingly backing up from the almost-kiss.

“I mean…” Ben looked from Joe to Michaela, as if weighing the pros and cons. “The movie will still be there later, but the football game is live, mate.” he said, almost wincing at his statement, essentially telling the two lovebirds to take a hike.

“Fine, great, we’ll just leave then.” Joe said, leaning back into the couch, exhaling angrily at the situation.

“No I really should be going anyway. Got a project I need to finish compiling for studio tomorrow. It’s fine.” Michaela said, smiling at the two other boys as she stood up and reached for Joe’s hand, pulling him off of the couch and down the small hallway to the door.

Ben and Gwil quickly occupied the couch and turned on the soccer game, with the crowd roaring at the start of the match.

“I’m really sorry about them,” Joe apologized as Michaela reached for the doorknob to open the door.

“Don’t be sorry, I still had a great time with you today.” she replied genuinely.

“Could’ve made it a better time.” Joe grumbled under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck and staring at the floor, disappointed that the moment had passed.

“There’s always next time…” Michaela said, rubbing Joe’s knuckles with her thumb while she still held onto his hand.

“Trust me, the next time I see you, I’m gonna rock your goddamn world.” Joe said, a spark igniting again in his eyes.

“Is that a promise, Mazzello?” Michaela answered back, matching his excited intensity.

“You better fucking believe it.” he said, raising his eyebrows with a devilish grin as he pushed up off of the doorway, and backed into his apartment, closing the door between them for dramatic effect.

“So...tomorrow night? Knock twice for yes.” Michaela projected through the door.

Two knocks came sharply, and she grinned, turning around and walking back to her car with a spring in her step.

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

I took a deep breath and stepped up to the door of Joe’s apartment. Tonight was the night that Joe and I would probably kiss. It had been a week or so since we officially met in his kitchen. Since yesterday we hadn’t spoken much about what almost happened, only texted about the details confirming our plans for today. I was coming over for dinner, and to continue the movie we were cut short on yesterday. As well as the other thing we were interrupted on. I wasn’t sure if I would even be able to eat anything, my stomach was so full of butterflies. But I mustered up the courage and knocked twice. He was probably in the kitchen prepping for dinner, so he opened the door almost immediately.

“Hey baby,” he said, pulling me into a hug with one arm, as the other hand was holding a wooden spoon. I blushed at the nickname, which sounded so sweet coming from his mouth.

“What’s with the uh--” I gestured to the blue checkered apron that he was wearing, holding back a chuckle.

“Oh you know, didn’t want to get pasta sauce on my nice clean shirt. Plus, it makes me look sexy, no?” This time I let out the chuckle. He was wearing a nice white button down, sleeves rolled up to his elbows to avoid splash back from the tomato sauce.

“That’s quite a bold move, cooking sauce with a white shirt on.” I said, entering the kitchen, smelling the sauce bubbling on the stove.

“You’re right. I should just strip down now, much safer.” he said with a wink, making me blush once again.

“And she stepped on the ball.” Joe said, concluding his story, as we had moved to the couch after dinner.

“Wow, that sure is something,” I said in between laughs. “Thanks for the wine by the way. It really classes things up.” I sipped on my white wine, thankful that we had talked about alcohol preferences already when we were getting to know each other.

“Don’t thank me, thank Ben. It’s his.” Joe said jokingly. While Ben was the one who bought it, Joe specifically requested it for this occasion. 

“Thanks Ben!” I called to the apartment.

“No use, he’s not home.” Joe said, setting his wine glass down on the coffee table. “Neither is Gwil.”

I took a deep breath, also setting down my glass, though I really just wanted to grip onto it for dear life. “Well then, please make sure to thank him for me when he returns…” I said, voice quivering a bit.

“Oh I will.” Joe said, voice also different. It was about an octave deeper than I had ever heard it before. He inched closer to me, placing a hand on my thigh. This caused me to inhale sharply, looking up at him over the rims of my glasses. I bit my lower lip nervously. That’s when Joe leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. It was chaste and sweet, and when I didn’t react by getting up and running away, he pressed his lips to mine once again. His hand moved up my thigh, onto my waist, pulling me closer to him as he deepened the kiss, parting my lips with his tongue. I allowed him access, feeling our tongues running over each other’s, feeling his quickening breath on my cheeks. Suddenly, his other hand grabbed my far thigh, and pulled me into a straddling position on his lap.

“Wait, wait--” I said breathlessly.

“What? What’s wrong? Did I put too much garlic in the sauce? Is this terrible for you?” He asked, frowning comically.

“No, that’s not it,” I laughed, placing a hand on his chest and swallowing for a moment. His heart was pounding, as was mine. “It’s just...I’ve never...done this before.” I admitted, looking down, avoiding his gaze.

“Never done what, make out before? Well you’re pretty damn good at it.” Joe said, rubbing his hands up and down the outside of my thighs.

“No, I’ve...I’ve never had sex before.” I said, whispering the last part.

“Well honey, this ain’t it…” Joe laughed, trying to make eye contact with me, who was still avoiding his eyes.

“Yeah but...it’s getting there.” I said, placing my hand pointedly on the bulge in the front of his pants, which I was dangerously close to sitting directly on.

“Ooh, fuck, don’t start something you can’t finish now…” he inhaled sharply through gritted teeth, eyelids fluttering shut as his head lolled back a bit onto the couch.

“I know, I know,” I said, retracting my hand apologetically. “I want to, it’s just...it’s a long story, I just don’t exactly want to get into it right now…”

“Michaela, don’t worry about it. I’m not gonna make you do anything you don’t want to do.” he said sweetly, moving his hands up to my back, rubbing gently to calm me down.

“I mean...I want to do this…” I said, placing my arms around his neck, playing gently with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“Well, let’s fucking do it then.” he said, leaning back in to kiss me once more, but stopped short. “I mean...make out, y’know. Not like, DO IT do it, I just mean, like--”

“Shut up and kiss me Joey.” I laughed at his nervous bumbling, before pulling his head forward and kissing his still parted lips.

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

Taglist: @a-night-at-the-0pera @crazylittlethingcalledobsession @lelifesaver @redspecialty @rrrogahtaylahhhh @bensrhapsody @iwasnothingbutacityboy

[nowitsdarkfic]

creatura della notte // a joey imagine

Started this the other night before the power went out, and then picked up last night. Enjoy 😘😘😘

⚠️ Big fat risqué content warning ⚠️

“Then if anything grows while you pose, I'll oil you up and rub you down. And that's just one small fraction of the main attraction: You need a friendly hand and I need action!” -”Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me”, Susan Sarandon

He is the outsider of the band with his hailing from the lush backwoods of upstate, like a prince in his fitted black leather and lustrous kinky black hair. You would think he would be carrying a revolver in his high waisted stud belt, the gunslinger in search of the dark tower looming out from the dense banks of lake effect snows, but he never did brandish anything like that, at least not around you. Or so you believe. You don’t know.

The quintessential strong and silent type, his gaze steely and with the shrieking wail to accompany it, and yet you foresaw his inner silky soft nature. Something about him puts you at ease, even when he flashes a glare at the most unruly of audience members and throws his most guttural of vocals during “Armed and Dangerous”, “S.S.C./Stand or Fall”, and of course, “Raise Hell” which holds the most potent of moments wherein you find yourself curling your toes inside of your Chuck Taylors and your breath even stopping in place. You found yourself orgasming there with him, and yet you feel soft at the sight of him. Was it his big brown eyes? Was it his soft, smooth looking brown skin all over his svelte body? Or the fact he always behaved like a little boy when on stage with them?

You never could put your finger on it, especially when you had an actual moment with him in the back corridor of the concert hall. While on your way to the venue, you put in a little Steve Perry in your stereo and thus you had “Oh Sherrie” stuck in your head at that moment. You couldn’t help it: that first line slipped out from your lips once you rubbed rear ends with him in the bathroom line.You saw him out of the corner of your eye, but he already stepped away before you could continue in your inward singing. It was such an offhand moment but you wanted to hold onto it. You made a rush into the ladies’ room and then returned out when your hands were still dripping wet. He happened to be there outside of the lines, posted up on the other side of the hallway. Shaking your hands about, you wove your way through the people so as to reach him. He was exactly how you saw him in those paper magazines back home, except now he stood there, flesh and blood and without a drop of ink. “I couldn’t help but overhear you back there,” he said as part of his greeting, his fusion upstate Italian American accent smacking you right between the eyes, “that was the very first song I sang for Scott and Frankie in my audition.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s a good song, isn’t it?”

“It’s beautiful. I wish I was there to hear you sing it.”

“Well, I might be singing it tonight when we play.” He flashed you a sly grin and a twinkle in his eye. “Keep your ears astute and your body even more astutely.”

You let out a light little giggle when he spoke again.“Are you here by yourself?”

“I am, yes.”

“Meet me at the backstage door,” he advised you following a lick of his lips, “after the show. If nothing, I can give you a private show—“ His voice trailed off and you filled in the blank. He repeated it for his own sake and for yours, and without another word, he ducked out behind the curtain like a creature of the night.

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

Following their one hour set, and riding the rail with the mind’s eye of lightning arising from the crowd, you bustled out of the concert hall and into the chilly New York midnight. You zipped up your coat as you made your way around the corner towards the backstage entrance. Charlie stood hunched near the door with his hands stuffed into his jeans pockets, his hair tied back in a taut ponytail, and his skin milky and opaque against the floodlights on the side of the building: you found him fearless given he wore no sleeves against teenage temperatures and a falling mercury, but it made sense from his diligence that evening.

“Ah, you must be the lady of the hour,” he greeted you, the devil’s cleft in his chin growing more prominent with his impending grin. He curled his index finger back so as to beckon you into the quaint little area, small and cramped but cozy in comparison to the frigid cold outside and the thrown elbows behind you. Scott’s stringy but long hair floated back from his head as he breezed past to the tiny water closet: before closing the door, he raised his thick black eyebrows at you to acknowledge you a greeting.

Frankie and Danny were pouring themselves a drink each, and then he entered the room from the door on the far end, his belt high up on his svelte waist and his shirt hanging around his body like a curtain of lace. He had tousled his black hair back out from his face and his neck; he greeted you with an unassuming smile full of prominent star’s teeth.

“Wow, that was quick,” he remarked, “here—come sit with me.”

The two of you had a seat on the shabby looking olive green sofa next to the refreshments table. Despite the bright sheen upon his neck and his cheeks, he smelled soft and clean, like he had just climbed out of the shower and dried off with haste, in time to meet you there.

“Would you like something?” he offered. “Cup of coffee? Prosciutto? Penne? Pro pens?”

“Pro pens?” echoed Danny, cracking a smile.

“Pro penis, Daniel,” Frank corrected. “It ain’t that pro, though, you guys,” he retorted, wagging his finger at them.

“Damn, Joe, you’re actually going there with our lady here?”

“Hey, at least it’s not all the way,” he pointed out, and Charlie and Frankie burst into a fit of laughter. You felt your face grow warm as you sank down there in lumpy cushion next to him. He then returned to you, with a warm rosy glow spanning over his face and his brown eyes glimmering as if a suggestion crossed his mind.

“So... tell me. What do you have with you? What’s your story?”

“Well, I have a new flat on the fringes of the Big Apple—I moved here from Chicago. I’m a musician.”

The door of the water closet opened and Scott stepped out; meanwhile, the other four men raised their eyebrows and tilted their heads forward.

“Y-You are?” Charlie choked out.

“Yes.” You showed them a sparkling smile because you know you uncovered a sweet spot.The five of them crowded around your shins like children awaiting a story from their wise grandmother.

“Go on,” he coaxed you in a low voice as he nudged closer to you against the lumpy back cushion.

“I drum and play piano.”

Danny and Frankie, both of whom were seated at your feet cross legged, erected their spines at the sound of that.

“Care for a jam session in the future?” suggested Scott. You gave them a modest shrug but you knew you wanted it to happen. “I can sing, too. In fact, he’s one of my favorite singers ever.”

That rosy glow flushed more with modesty: he glanced over at his band mates in hopes of figuring how to respond to that.

“Me?” he stammered.“Yes.”“No wayyyy.” He blushed even more, his brown skin flowing with that lovely warmth.

“Who else do you like?” Scott asked you.

“Well, let’s see, I also like James Hetfield, Ronnie James Dio, Janis Joplin, and Robert Plant.”

“We know you like Steve Perry, too,” recalled Danny.

“Well of course.”

“How ‘bout Geddy Lee?” he added.

“Geddy Lee or bust,” you replied; and with that, he took your hand for a delicate kiss on the back. He showed you a sweet, endearing smile, but it wasn’t smarmy or riddled with the type of sleaze you might expect from boys his age. The sight of his smile added a warm soft feeling to your heart, and a peculiar tingling sensation right in between your thighs.

“By the way... that is a gorgeous color for you,” he spoke out of the blue. You peer down at the rich oxblood red top underneath your coat. You opened your coat to show them the color in its entirety.

“Ooh, hot!” Frankie declared. Scott raised his eyebrows at you, while Charlie and Danny both checked you out. But he showed you a little smirk and a raise of one eyebrow. You began to think about it: you rubbed butts, he caught you singing a song that meant the world to him, and now he had this look upon his face like he was seducing you. The red shirt became the sole thing separating you from him.

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

You didn’t see him again after that, and in that time, you found a decent job at a nearby bar called Snarky’s in order to help pay your rent and everything in between. You still desired to play gigs and to show him what you had with you in your repertoire. You wanted to see him again, to be in his presence, and most of all, you wanted to feel his derrière again, to give it a nice hearty caress and maybe a squeeze or two. You wanted to know if he had the best butt you had rubbed against on accident ever.

It drove you crazy, in fact, the desire to feel him in your hand, to feel him pressed against your body. You wore a red button up silk shirt for your waitress job, and once happy hour rolled around, you let one button loose to show more skin and ultimately for more generous tips, and more tips all around. You thought about him, the possibility of seeing him again and perhaps turning the tables on him. The thought of him made you feel sexy, like you could enthrall anyone.

One night was slow in particular, and you were so bored out of your wits that you took out your bun to let down your hair: you actually thought the timers in the building would shut off all the lights in there because nothing was going on. You then took a seat behind the bar and thought about what to do next.

There were things to do in the bar, and in the back in particular, and God forbid anyone caught the new girl lounging around on the job. You stood to your feet and turned around in time to catch him standing right there at the bar with his hand on the back of the chair next to you. You had your face right in his chest. He had on a soft looking leather jacket over a black sweatshirt and denim jeans: sometimes baggy clothes are the best. Meanwhile, he had tousled his black hair to where most of it sprawled over his shoulders; he raised his little black eyebrows at the sight of you.

“Oh,” he gasped. “Hello. I didn’t think I would see you here.”

You chuckled and then clutched at yourself, which in turn brought attention to your chest and your collar bones. He nibbled on his bottom lip and slipped the tip of his tongue out before he cleared his throat.

“Um, have a seat,” he stammered. You collapsed back into the seat of the chair and kept your left thigh over the edge of the seat to bring attention to your crotch. He took a seat next to you and crossed his legs underneath the bar: you took a glimpse down at his belt and the baggy crotch of his jeans. He looked cozy, not the same dark prince you had in mind at first.

“You know, I’m a waitress here,” you began, “so what would you like, babe?”

“You got any pasta?”

“I think we do. I don’t know if our cook is in yet, but I can make some for you.”

“That’d be—kinda hot, actually.” His voice in conjunction with that Italian American accent was utterly erotic to you. You nodded and ducked out from the other side of the chair before he could make out the blush on your face. You rushed into the kitchen for the pot of water and some linguine. You could hardly believe it: you were making dinner for a boy, and a sexy boy at that, too.Once the water was just shy of one hundred degrees, you felt a tap on the shoulder. You peeked over your shoulder and he padded up behind you. He taken off his jacket and slung it over his shoulder with two fingers.

“Getting eager, are we?” you teased him.

“Maybe. It’s also kinda boring out there. You know, we’re the only ones here and whatnot.” He set the coat down on the metal rack near the stove. You watched him toss his hair back from his neck and chest, and you caught a jingling noise underneath his sweatshirt. Your curiosity piqued, you stuck your hands into the back pockets of your jeans to bring attention to your hips and your curves.

“So what’s your last name?” you asked him after clearing your throat.

“Belladonna,” he answered, his voice low and soft. “It’s actually Bellardini but I go by that one instead.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah.” You hovered in closer to his face; eyeing his chest, you considered running your fingers along his neck and to the buttons on his collar.

“You know—I have always found Italian Americans to be the most... sensual of Americans.”

“Oh, really?” He swallowed and nearly gagged on his own oxygen.

“I think your accent is sexy.”

The tip of his tongue caressed over the edge of his teeth, and you wanted to exchange saliva with him right there. You take a fleeting glimpse down at his body, slim and lithe, and yet you could sense his toned muscles underneath that sweatshirt. A soft clean aroma emerged off of his neck and his hair. There was something so delicate and comforting about him at the same time. Even standing there, you could tell he was a lush man of many colors and layers, all of which you wanted to experience under your tongue.

“The other part of me is Iroquois,” he almost breathed those words.

“Chief Italian Stallion—“ You take one hand out of your pocket.

“What say—uh—I take you home with me to Oswego?” You know he blurted that one out. You brought your lips closer to his, but you didn’t kiss him. Instead you placed your hand on that full hip: your thumb rested on the bone and he relaxed at the feeling. He had such voluptuous hips, a gentle curve that would look too effeminate on another man, but were sensual on him. You then recall that night.

“You have quite the booty,” you whispered into his face.

“Do I now?” He licked his lips as you reached behind him and lay your hand on his lower back for a moment before sliding it down.

“You’ve got it—real thick back here—like the rest of you is nice and slim, but—“ You put extra emphasis on “but” as you pulsed your fingers. He rolled his eyes back into his head before snapping the lids shut; he nibbled on his bottom lip once again. He swallowed and accompanied it with the tilt of his head to show you his neck and his Adam’s apple.

“Should you put the linguine in or should I do it?” he choked out; for a second, you misheard that as “lingerie”, but then you hovered closer to his face right as he let out an aroused gasp through gritted teeth.

“I’ll do it. You just relax and be the little slinky stud muffin you are back out front.” You gave his butt another gentle squeeze before letting go of him. He opened his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. You returned your attention to the pot of water with the rolling boil to pour in the pasta.

One dinner was up to par, you served the pasta in a big clean dish for him, accompanied with a generous amount of sauce, a light dusting of Parmesan cheese, and a slice of garlic toast. There was a part of you that wanted to join him there at the bar but a couple of patrons entered the place and you had to care for them.

Every so often, you moseyed on over to him to make sure he was enjoying himself.

“My compliments to the cook,” he told you in a throaty voice at one point before sticking a large twirl of linguine into his mouth.

When he had finished, you sashayed over to him for his plate; and he leaned back into his chair with his hands rubbing over his slim stomach.

“That was too good for words,” he confessed, shifting his weight. You show him a warm smile, and it dawned on you that you had your hair down the whole time. He must have taken your word for it because he showed himself to you, in all his preciousness and his softness. It was that moment you realized he was perfect: you couldn’t resist him any longer.

“I think my jacket is still—mmm, ‘scuse me—in the back there.”

“I’ll—uh, get it for you, big boy,” you whispered into his face again: you followed that up with a run of your tongue around the circumference of your lips. You knew you were succeeding in this seduction, and now you needed the cherry on top.

As you returned to the kitchen to put the dish on the counter and to fetch his coat, you were positive you had him in the palm of your hand. You picked the pile of soft leather off the shelf: before you turned around, you felt a pair of hands wrap around your waist. Fingers crept down the front of your trousers, onto the button. You recognized his olive skin as he unfastened the button. You turned to find him there before you with his chest heaving and his face flushed.

“Kiss me—“ you begged him.

“Only if you kiss me.”

You lay the coat back on the rack so to better lunge for him. You wrapped your arms around his delicate waist as he shoved his tongue right into your mouth. His chest heaved; his belly was soft and so warm from feeling full. You ran your fingers through his dark hair as you sensed his hands over your back: he was unhooking you.

You hoped no one would walk in on the two of you as you moved your head back to hear him breathe.

“You wanna go into the back room here, baby doll?” he whispered to you.

“Please,” you pleaded to him. He took you by the hand and led you into the small narrow nook of a back room, where you were met with a loveseat and a stack of boxes. You nudged the narrow door closed behind you, and without hesitation, he peeled off his sweatshirt. He had smooth, silky looking skin with a healthy kiss of brown, a deep strong looking chest, and a stomach as flat as an ironing board. You could feel that tingling sensation between your thighs again, and then you unfastened the buttons of your work shirt.

“Take it off,” he commanded, gesturing to your bra straps. You unhooked and let the straps fall down your arms. He lay down on the loveseat, on his back.

“My jeans are getting tight,” he confessed, “and not from the fact I made a complete pig of myself back there.”

You, however, let your pants drop down to the floor and you climbed on top of him. Your hair cascaded over his face and neck. Your chest hung right over him, and you could see your nipples tightening and hardening.

“What were you gonna do back there with the unbuttoning?” you asked him.

“Touch you. Like what I’m doing right now.”

You took a glimpse down at your waist in time to catch his fingers down your crotch.

“Spread eagle for me, baby—“

You straddled his waist so he could make a better, deeper caress into you. You gasped out at the feel of him stroking your clit—you didn’t realize his fingers were that long! You gasp and buck your hips at the feeling. You breathe heavily from the feeling, until you take a glimpse down at his waist. He’s getting hard.

“Go comatose for me, baby,” you breathed into his face.

“Gladly—“ he grunted through gritted teeth. You reached down to undo his jeans and peel back his underwear. So big and full.

“Wow—“ you gasped. “Italian Stallion.”

“Giddy up, cowgirl,” he challenged you as he continued to finger you. The tips of his fingers reached that dime sized bundle of nerves in your coochie and then you were ready. You moved your hips forward for a seat on his erection. You ground your hips around like you were churning butter.He gasped and groaned at the feeling. Every gyration of your hips led your closer and closer to the cowgirl he said you were.

“MOTHERFUCKING YEEHAW!” he shouted. You hushed him with a finger over his lips.

“What would the neighbors and patrons think?” you demanded.

“Let them—“ he growled. “Let them see us!” He threw his head back against the pillow of the loveseat.

“Oh God—oh fucking hell—“ He opened his eyes and parted his lips: his face was riddled with lust for you.

“Say my name,” he said in a husky voice.

“Huh?”

“Say my name!”

“Joey!”

“Louder!”

“Joey!”

“Louder, dammit!”

“OH JOEY!”

“YES!”

He gripped onto your hips and yanked you down onto the cushions. He lifted himself up over you, and straddled over your hips. His hair flooded over his shoulders, while his cheekbones filled out with the accompanying warm blush. His lips puckered up at the sight of your face.

“You’re cowgirl, I’ll be Indian,” he told you in a broken voice. You could sense it between you, especially with his hands on your hips like he was going to turn you over onto your face.

“Want me to roll over?”

“God, yes.”

He lifted up for you to roll onto your stomach: you protected your chest from the rough fabric of the loveseat with the backs of your hands. You felt his hands gently holding onto your hips. You spread eagle for him.He thrusted forward right into your clit. You gasped at the feeling, but on the second time you gave him a soft moan from the back of your throat. He thrusted again, and again; the smacking sound filled your ears. Every so often he let out a groan, but once your moans led to a loud squeal he gave away every inch of feeling within him to relish in every inch of you: he surrendered to the feeling.

“Hey—hey—okay—okay—!”

Another thrust, and that time it was the hardest.

“FUCK!” you shouted, and you felt yourself coming.He shrieked, a high piercing shriek with a vibrato as if he was singing.

“Okay—!” he choked out; he let go of your hips and yanked out. You fell onto your hands for a moment: you felt him climb off the loveseat and then he padded out of the back room for something. When he returned, you rolled onto your back. Your breasts poked out for him as he lunged towards you with his jacket in hand, but he slid in between you and the back of the loveseat. He cloaked you with his jacket and put his arm around your body: you know he did it to feel you and hold you close.

“That was—everything I wanted and then some,” you told him in a broken voice. “Shouldn’t we have a blanket other than your jacket?”

“Keep it, sweet cheeks,” he whispered to you, following it up with a low whistle. “God, you did that like a fucking pro.”

“That’s what I get for finding your dick so delicious,” you croaked out.

“What say—uh, you and I call it a night here and mosey back to New York in the morning,” he suggested, putting his arm around you.

“Sounds like a plan. It is closing time after all.”

He nestled closer to you with his fingers on your hip: he still felt full and soft as he pressed himself closer to you. Your eyelids grew heavy right then as the timers shut off all the lights for the night. Your hope was that he would continue to hold you when you awoke in the morning.

[joeyvoeman]

Joey comes over to Cassie’s to celebrate his new job as a deputy. Cassie’s mother finally meets Joey, and the two get some alone time with the kids out of the house.

PART TWO | PART THREE

@cassiegermaine

Joey couldn’t believe it. He was a law man now. He honestly never thought he’d see the day. But hooked to his belt was a pair of handcuffs, in his pocket a badge, and in his heart a sense of pride in himself he hadn’t felt in quite a while. He’d seen Cassie and the kids since getting back to town a couple days ago, but only briefly, unfortunately. And he hadn’t even been able to kiss his girlfriend since Addie still started crying when they touched. Life had just got in the way of a proper reunion. Now Cassie wanted him to come over and celebrate his new job. He didn’t know if the kids would be there or if it was just the two of them, but he’d be happy either way. With his family. He used his key to unlock the door and gave it a courtesy knock as he swung it open. “Honey, I’m home!” He called into the house jokingly, peering around for Cassie from the entryway as he shut the door behind him. 

Cassie had put away the play pen and was laying in the open area of the living room watching the younger child play with the toys that were littered around and above him. He’d gotten so many (a good amount admittedly from Freddie and Ephram) he could barely focus on one activity long enough. Like all infants though, he started sucking and teething more consistently on his favorite whale toy. “You’re so cute.” Cassie cooed, “Does Mr. Whale taste good?” She asked, obviously not expecting any kind of response, but when she scooted closer to the baby, Albie laughed, waving his arms until his free hand grasped hard into some of Cassie’s loose hair. “Ow, ow.” Cassie grumbled, opening her mouth and attempting to carefully remove the small hand from her head when Joey called out. “We’re in here!” Cassie responded.

Joey followed Cassie’s voice into the living room, seeing her and Albie playing on the carpet and immediately smiling at the sight. “Hey there, cuties,” he beamed, before made a show of glancing around to look for Addie. “Is it safe? Is officer no-touch around?” he joked, before bending down and giving Cassie a lingering kiss. He then sat himself down with the two of them, Albie smiling up at him and crawling carefully in his direction. “Whoa there, big guy.” Joey lifted him up, whale toy still in hand, and brought his face up to litter it with tiny kisses before holding the boy to his chest, who cooed in his arms for a little while before Joey returned him to his place between him and Cassie. “Sorry I haven’t been able to stop by the last couple days. I missed y’all heaps though.” He looked around more seriously now, letting Albie grab onto his index finger with his tiny fist and wave it around. “Where’s Addie?”

“You’re safe. For now.” Cassie laughed watching Joey take a careful look around the room for the toddler. She returned his kiss before watching with admiration as he cuddled Albie for a few moments. When he placed the baby back down, she wanted to reach for Albie and cuddle him some more, but let him bond with Joey and his interesting index finger instead. “She’s with Iann.” Cassie answered nonchalantly, because it had become such a common place for the little red head. “She likes Stonefruit better than any day care.” Which wasn’t an exaggeration. She had gotten two calls from Soapberry Sprouts about temper tantrums just in the time Joey had been out of town. Addie had been practically inconsolable, and upset the other children. She could be dangerous too. Cassie gulped at the thought. Addie nonetheless, was on a break and therefore ruled Stonefruit instead. Not like that was something Joey needed to worry about. “Speaking of officer.” Cassie chuckled, moving to change the subject, “When does all that start?”

Joey rolled his eyes playfully at the mention of Addie being with Iann. “Those two are attached at the hip, aren’t they?” He chuckled. “As long as he doesn’t take her around his workshop. That’s an accident waiting to happen, right there.” He bounced his hand, watching Albie’s chubby arm move up and down as he held on tight, laughing his cute little baby laugh at the motion. He reaches out for his mom’s hand too and grabbed her finger, leaving Mr Whale to sit in his lap. Joey raised his eyebrows at Cassie’s question, but a wide, joyful grin spread across his lips too. “Already has. I report proper after the weekend, but I’m technically, as of a couple hours ago, a Soapberry Springs deputy.” He reached into his jacket with his free hand and produced his badge, flipping it open for her to see. “Goofy picture and all.”

Cassie shook her head, “Nah, he promised he wouldn’t take her down there.” And she had trust him on that. At the very least, she knew Iann wouldn’t let anything happen to the little girl. He unforgivingly adored her. Cassie let Albie take her finger too, watching as the baby was entertained with something so simple. She couldn’t help but be envious of that. But her own childhood was many years past. “Careful he doesn’t teeth on you.” She warned with a laugh, leaning forward to take a peak at Joey’s badge and picture. It made her grin back at him, “It’s not goofy. It’s official. And sexy.” She wriggled her shoulders playfully. “Are you excited?”

Cassie’s trust in Iann was reassuring. Joey had begun to care about her kids as if they were his own, but he wouldn’t come right out and say that, even if she’d basically given him permission to do so before he left. It all still seemed too fresh to put hard labels on past boyfriend and girlfriend. Partners, maybe? He wasn’t sure, so he just waited. “Sexy?” He asked, turning the ID to look at the picture on it below the metal badge in the leather folding case. He hadn’t smiled on purpose and he thought he looked awful. “I’m glad you find zombie eyes and tired face sexy. You’ll never wake up disappointed.” He leaned forward and gave her a kiss. “I am. It took some convincing on Ephram’s part but he won me over and I...I really think I can do some good, you know? More than kicking drunk people out of bars or watching over a quiet campus that is.” He gently removed his finger from Albie’s grasp and got to his feet. “Want me to make us some supper?”

“Well, wait.” Cassie laughed again as Joey examined the picture and talked about things she’d have to look forward to. “I didn’t mean that exact picture. I meant being a deputy in general. With a badge...and a uniform.” She raised a brow to see what Joey thought of that instead. It wouldn’t change her opinion either way. She pressed a hand against his shoulder as she leaned into him, “When have I ever woke up disappointed?” Cassie was glad to see Joey comfortable with the idea of this new job though, the security gig was nice, but she always thought he could do better with something a little...more? “You impressed Ephram. And now you’ll be able to keep impressing yourself.” Cassie pointed out, gathering Albie completely into her lap when Joey stood. “Yeah sure. I pulled out some meat earlier in the fridge.” She tickled the baby’s tummy for a moment before standing carefully herself. “My mother is coming by actually.” Cassie cleared her throat nervously, “To get the baby.” It’d give them proper alone time, but then there was Joey and her mother in the same place. She had only just mentioned him...today. Hence the timing.

“Oh,” Joey said, a flash of recognition on his face before he smirked at her. “They say the ladies love a man in uniform.” If he took the job as a detective later on, he would be wearing street clothes to work, but he didn’t have to tell her that just yet. He could hear the admiration and pride in Cassie’s voice when she spoke of impressing Ephram and now himself. Having her proud and impressed with him was a reward of its own, and he smiled brightly at her words. He’d thought the same that he wanted a bit more from a career. From life in general. Once he’d started healing from his psychological wounds, it was easier to see he was actually worth a damn and could do good despite all the bad. He nodded happily when she confirmed his plans to make them food, but as he turned to head toward the kitchen he stopped dead at her last minute announcement, hand on the door frame as he turned back around. “Oh, uh, okay…” he replied, trying to sound casual. “Does she want to stay for supper too?” he offered. “I can make enough for everyone.”

Cassie smoothed the fine baby hair down on Albie’s head, placing her lips on the top of the boy’s head lightly as she breathed the scent in. Still, her gaze was specifically trained on Joey. She didn’t hold his reaction against him, it was a surprise, and it would be a big deal to him. Her mother could be a handful. Overbearing. Joey hadn’t even seen her yet, and he probably had a decent idea. “No.” She answered quickly, “She doesn’t need to stay. She’s doing me a favor. Well, and she loves Albie of course. Don’t make more food.” Cassie didn’t think they needed to extend any sort of invitation. She wasn’t ready yet. Joey had just gotten back, or at least it was the first time she was properly seeing him since then. If she got lucky Victoria would show up while Joey was busy cooking, and couldn’t edge her way in. Well...it was wishful thinking. “Just don’t make a big deal out of it.” Cassie suggested before muttering under her breath, “I’m sure that’s what she’s looking for.”

Joey nodded at Cassie’s answer. It had come out so quickly that he could tell that was probably the last thing Cassie wanted. Joey knew her mother took the kids a lot and he’d been wanting to meet her for a while. Impress her if he could. Show her that he was good for her daughter and grandkids. But it seemed Cassie hadn’t been ready for that and he respected it. Even now she wasn’t. She hadn’t planned for this overlap. “I won’t, I promise,” he assured her, walking over to give her a kiss on the forehead. “When do I ever make a big deal out of things?” All the time, but that was beside the point. He disappeared I to the kitchen and started cooking, wiping up a quick marinade for the meat so it had some extra flavor and making potatoes and corn as sides. Nice and simple. He cooked is own meat in a skillet and left Cassie’s to soak since she’d be eating it raw anyway. He’d mostly finished up by the time the doorbell rang. 

Cassie’s expression flattened slightly as she looked up at Joey, ready to scoff at him over his ‘when do I make a big deal’ statement, but he promptly moved to the kitchen and Cassie left him to it. She had quickly learned he preferred to work alone, rather than knocking elbows and ideas. Joey was a good cook. She actually trusted him enough. Cassie spent the time coddling over and packing a few last minute things for Albie in the diaper bag. She dropped the packed bag by the front door when the bell rang. Cassie straightened, readjusting the boy in her arms before she pulled the door open to welcome her mother. “Ah look there he is.” The elder Germaine cooed, cupping the baby’s face carefully in her hands and planting kisses. “My mahjong buddy.” Cassie shook her head with a small laugh, “Oh no, you said you could take him. You’re having company?” Victoria shrugged, stepping into the house. “So? The girls love him. I wouldn’t agree if it was a problem.”  She extended  her arms, a silent expectation for the baby to be handed off, which Cassie obediently fulfilled, and then Victoria was walking back further into the house towards the kitchen. All Cassie could do was hurry behind her, “Mother this is Joey.” She blurted as they made it to the kitchen doorway, having to speak before the older woman could. “Joey my mother...Victoria.” 

Joey’s stomach tightened as he heard a new voice at the door over the sizzle of the cooling pots and pans as he plated the food he’d made. He’d hadn’t met a girlfriends mother in decades, and expectations were much different than they were back in the 50s. He leaned against the counter and took a few deep breaths as he heard the two women making their way back to the kitchen. Turning as they entered, he grinned politely at Victoria, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel before flinging it onto his shoulder. “Mrs Germaine. It’s a real pleasure to meet you,” he said, taking a couple steps forward to extend a hand to shake even though she was holding Albie. 

Cassie gnawed at her fingernail anxiously as Victoria stood there looking at Joey. She took his hand and shook it, but of course she would, she knew her manners. She could be polite before she struck. Cassie had learned it from somebody. “Nice to meet you as well.” Victoria nodded. “I’m sorry it’s just now happening.” Her gaze slithered back over her shoulder to Cassie who cringed, but her mother was still calm and smiling. “My daughter tends to be shy. It’s quite alright. We’ll get to know each other well later. You’re cooking an important meal. A promotion or something? I can take Albert away for a bit.” The woman’s smile turned a bit more genuine then. That was something, at least. “Just a phone call to reach me.” Victoria glanced between both of them as she said this. 

Joey tried to speak but Victoria already had complete control of the conversation, asking questions she clearly already knew the answer to and making statements that seemed to have Cassie squirming behind her. Joey just smiled politely, nodding in the appropriate places until he had a chance to speak again. “I just got hired as a deputy with the Sheriff’s department,” he confirmed with a nod and a slight puff to his chest. “And I too look forward to us getting to know each other,” he said, subconsciously trying to suppress is very slight southern accent, that was barely there to begin with unless you listened for it (or he was with Ephram). He kept his voice even and his smile poised. “Thanks for accommodating us,” he added. 

“Ah.” Victoria nodded in understanding as Joey clarified what job goal he’d just reach was. “Well, that is something to celebrate. Congratulations.” The older woman bit the tip of her tongue to keep from saying anything about how much better deputy was than daycare assistant. Even she knew that was too raw and uncaring. She simply wanted to see Cassie taken care of well, if she was going to do it on her own. “And of course.” Victoria smiled again bouncing Albie slightly, “I just love my grandson.” Cassie cleared her throat, “Come on mother.” Altogether, her mom had taken her by surprise with the absence of any true nosiness or cutting comments. But that didn’t stop her from whispering to Cassie as they made it to the door. “You owe me an apology. I like him already.” Victoria nudged her daughter, “Why didn’t you say anything?” Cassie huffed, they would talk later. “Have a good mahjong game mother.” When the older Germaine was turned away she quickly returned to Joey in the kitchen, smiling sheepishly and leaning against the table. “She likes you?”

As Victoria left the kitchen, Joey let go of the tension he’d been holding in his chest and neck, letting out a sighing breath. He picked up the two plates and set them at the table, complete with a couple of candles he’d found. He hadn’t lit them yet when Cassie returned, but he looked up and smiled at her words. “Really? Phew,” he sighed, dramatically wiping his brow in relief. He then approached her and gave her a bit more of an appropriate reunion kissing, long and lingering and deep. He pulled back, still holding her close. “She doesn’t seem that bad. Or does she wait to pounce on her prey?” he teased, before letting her go and turning to the table, using his army zippo to light the three different sized pillar candles set on a plate. He’d even made them Tom Collins to drink, harkening back to their first proper date. He pulled her chair out for her, gesturing for her to sit.

Cassie hummed in acknowledgement when Joey had guessed correctly, pulling away from the kiss with a thin smile, “That’s exactly what she likes to do. Not to say she wasn’t on good behavior, but don’t let her trick you.” She tapped his chest lightly a few times before stepping back to look at the set table properly and watch Joey light the candles he’d also set out in the moments she stepped away. “Look at this.” Cassie’s grin grew a little more, “Is this the super romantic date you had planned?” She asked, taking her seat when it was offered. She squeezed Joey’s hand as it still lingered on the back of her chair for a moment before scooting in closer to the table and the meal. “Let me have your extra cherry?” Cassie asked batting her eyelashes as she plucked her own out of the drink glass.  “The food smells good. What did you manage?”

Joey beamed with pride as Cassie looked over table he’d prepared. “Nah, this is just something I threw together. Not enough rose petals to meet my high romantic standards,” he teased, though it was partially true. He had lots of ideas floating in his head on how to treat Cassie special and romantically. He sat down in his seat and when she asked for his cherry, he plucked it from his drink. He wiggled it by the stem toward her, before snatching it back toward his own mouth playfully, then letting out a chuckle and plopping it into her drink. He couldn’t deny her anything she wanted, especially when she was acting so cute. “Yellow corn, hasselback potatoes, and steak. I just barely seared yours so it’s nice and raw on the inside.” He grinned wide at her, then down at the meal. “Just what I could find, you know.” He shrugged, picking up his fork and knife to dig in. 

“Oh just what you could find.” Cassie huffed, puffing out her chest in a weak attempt to imitate Joey’s nonchalantness in putting together a whole meal in not that much time. She took the extra cherry Joey eventually granted her and plucked it off the stem with her teeth. The stems were discarded by the side of her plate before she dug into the food, her mouth watering as she cut into the practically raw steak. “It’s delicious.” Cassie complimented after she was done with a bite, “Not that I expected less.” She ate some more off her plate until she spoke again, “Although I suppose I should have cooked you dinner, seeing as you got the new job and all.”

Joey felt good. It was almost easy to forget all the horrible things they had been going on lately and just focus on this meal. On Cassie. On the two of them together. Things were finally starting to look up, at least a little, and he couldn’t be more grateful for how lucky he was. “You know how much I love to cook for you,” Joey said, shoveling some of the corn into his mouth. “It’s always a treat for me.” He swallowed and cleared his throat, cutting into his steak as he spoke again. “How was everything while I was gone?” he asked. He’d told her how things with Charlie had turned out, even his lapse in emotional judgement, but he hadn’t had a chance to return the favor until now. 

“Pretty typical.” Cassie answered. She chewed and shifted in her seat a few times, debating whether or not to give any sort of specifics. It really had been par for the course. Aside from Addie, but toddlers were unpredictable by nature, right? “Addie can’t go to Sprouts for a bit, she’s been causing trouble but-” Cassie waved her hand, “That’s what Iann is for. Work continued, the neighborhood continued.” She shrugged a shoulder, “Surprisingly, you really didn’t miss much.” Cassie smirked then in a quick flash, “Well, except for me, I know.” 

Joey raised an eyebrow when Cassie shared the news about Addie, and he was a bit concerned with how quickly she brushed it off. “Causing trouble? How so?” he asked softly. He wanted to be involved in helping raise her kids, but he still felt that things like discipline weren’t his place yet. He couldn’t help but smirk back at her quick bit tacked on the end. “Of course I missed you. The phone calls weren’t enough.” He didn’t really get hungry, but he dug into his food like he was starving. 

“Just tantrums. But a lot. More than they can handle. It’s upsetting the other kids. They don’t want to risk anything with her powers either.” Cassie cringed a little. “I get it. It’s fine. She’ll try again next week.” And really, Cassie wasn’t overly concerned. Addie’s moods had always been near a tendency to explode. It was the terrible twos, after all. “And they were pretty brief.” Cassie mentioned about the phone calls, winking at Joey to let him know she didn’t take it to heart at all. Short was fine when you had kids to juggle. “So when do I get to see this uniform hmm?” Cassie asked, leaning her elbows on the table as she watched Joey continue to eat. She had already finished.

Joey nodded along with Cassie’s explanation, not wanting to butt his nose too much into it but still wanting to be informed. “Fingers crossed for next week then.” He also knew first hand how Addie could be, and he just hoped that eventually she might grow out of it. She was just a toddler. He had to remember that. He chuckled as she put her elbows up on the table, him indulging in his last few bites of food before answering. “I don’t have it yet. I did get issued handcuffs though along with the badge.” He wiped his fingers on his napkin and reached into the leather holder on his belt and pulled them out, letting one cuff fall with a metallic clang as he held the other. “They’re all species, apparently. Will work on most anything at any strength or power level, even me!” Magic was so fascinating.

Cassie sat up at the news that although he didn’t have a uniform just yet, he did get handcuffs along with his badge. She blinked when the metal clinked on the table. “What?” She laughed, dragging it over and turning over the handcuffs to take a look. An idea faintly forming in her head, “You think you’ll have some serious arrests to make over the weekend?” Cassie joked. She still held onto the handcuffs, though returned them to the tabletop. “The department would have specialized equipment.” Her voice trailed off, and her gaze shifted between the sink with a few dishes and Joey sitting across from her. “Want to test them out?” Cassie smirked.

Continued in PART TWO

[granpafrisbee]

Truth or Dare Part 2

Summary: After going to Italy and avoiding any romantic relationships for pretty much all her life Joey comes back to the U.S. to move in with her life-long best friend, Sam Wilson, and his two closest friends from college. Joey’s met Steve but is apprehensive to meet the elusive Bucky, whom she’s always missed despite having visited Sam consistently throughout college. Once she meets him, however, she wonders how she’ll be able to run from love when they share a bathroom.

Warnings: Cussing, discussion of sexual themes

Word Count: 5001

Pairings: Bucky x OFC

Masterlist

the AO3

Part 1

A/N: The song You and Me by Penny and the Quarters is really important to this chapter and me! Give it a listen. The first chapter and this one were meant to be one chapter but it was too long, just know that was my intention.

Let me know if you enjoy/if anyone wants to be tagged.

Stay sexy

The group sits in the living room, and Joey thinks they fill up the space nicely. The giant sectional holds Thor, whose arm is naturally draped around Bruce. Steve, Sam, and Nat sit next to them, while Clint is perched on the edge making Bucky laugh. Bucky is next to the couch in the recliner Joey found a few years back, everyone who sits in it claims it’s the most comfortable seat to ever exist. Shuri is next to him in a comfy armchair Sam’s mom gave him. Pietro and Joey opt to sit on the floor even though there's room on the enormous couch and more chairs to pull up. Joey doesn’t mind and she doesn’t know Pietro that well so this gives her the opportunity to talk to him somewhat privately.

Everyone is on their second, or fourth if your Thor, beer when Sam announces, “Alright in honor of our first night in the loft, I am proposing a toast.” He stands and raises his bottle, “Now this is officially one of the four times a year I’m going to be nice, so listen up children. I am inexplicably grateful for the family I have found myself a part of. To our visitors, thank you for taking time out of your very busy schedules to be here tonight. Steve, thank you for being my brother since freshman year, I don’t know how we all got so lucky to have you in our lives. Bucky, despite your horrible appearance and lack of personality, brother you, sometimes, are bearable. I know that is all due to my influence and I can only hope to rub off on your more.” Bucky’s smile is bright and genuine. Despite the backhanded nature of the comment, he picks up on the emotions behind it and he winks in Sam’s direction. “And to Joey, I’m never really home without you there. To my sister. Cheers!”

Everyone toasts with a wide smile, but Bucky is most dazzled by Joey’s. She’s not showing teeth, in fact, only the right side of her mouth is turned up. But as she tips her drink to Sam across the room, Bucky sees the love she has for the other man in every inch of her face. He almost wants to cry when he sees Steve watching Sam and Joey too. They exchange a glance, probably mirroring the way Sam and Joey looked at each other. Everyone but the four of them seems to fade away and as he looks around he feels it. Home.

Joey, on the other hand, feels a slight panic come over her. It’s not a foreign feeling, the innate sense of not belonging. Of worrying about being the outsider, but when she looks at Sam she feels that comfort that grounds her again. It brings her back.

People settle back down and Bucky feels too weirdly emotional to be just sitting there. He stands with his beer raised, “I too have a declaration.” Attention turns to him.

“Oh come on Jackass, don’t step on my moment,” Sam huffs out.

“I declare that we should play truth or dare.”

A chorus of groans and no’s follow. He even hears a, “What are we twelve?” coming from Nat’s direction.

Then a single word comes from the floor, “Yes.” Joey nods her head, “Absolutely yes. Come on, we aren’t elderly. Plus I’ve been in Italy for two years, it’ll help me catch up.”

“Sweetheart, you are so right. C’mon guys, play for our lovely ignorant Italian.” Bucky sits back down.

Thor nods his head and gets up to grab more beer, “I’m in. I will never step down from a drinking game.”

“How is truth or dare a drinking game?” Steve’s questions.

Joey answers, “If you don’t to the dare/truth you drink, also often a dare can be to drink. Steve, you’re an art major, get creative.”

Thor returns with more beers for everyone while Clint and Pietro agree to join.

“I’ll play but I don’t feel like drinking,” Shuri declares.

Everyone’s eyes drift to the couch where Bruce, Sam, Steve, and Nat sit all with skeptical looks etched into their faces.

Thor whispers something in Bruce’s ear and after a second or two of consideration Bruce grabs his beer from the coffee table, “I’m in.���

“Fine,” Sam, Nat, and Steve all relent at once.

“Who’s going first?” Pietro inquires.

Sam leans forward, “Why not the grandmaster himself? Bucky, why don’t you start us off?”

“I’d love to Samantha.” His eyes scan the other players and he holds Joey’s gaze for the longest. That act makes her think he’s going to pick her but at the last second, he turns back to Sam. “Well, Wilson, truth or dare?”

Sam leans back into the couch with his arm crossed behind his head, the picture of serenity, “Truth.”

“A coward’s move Sammy,” Clint chuckles.

“Not true-” “Actually-” Bucky and Joey say at the same time. They both stop to let the other finish.

“You explain to the novice, Darlin’,” Bucky relents with a smile.

His tone is so cocky that she can’t help the tightening of her brows in response. She turns to Clint, “A truth can be just as, if not more, dangerous than a dare. I’m sure you have plenty of secrets Barton. Not to mention a dare can be used as a vehicle for truth. ‘I dare you to tell me…’ It’s a classic strategy.”

“I stand corrected, carry on Master Barnes.” Clint bows slightly to Joey.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself, thank you, Doll.” Bucky smirks at Sam, “What is your most embarrassing sexual exploit?”

Clint and Pietro make an oooooh noise while Sam rolls his eyes, “Barnes, you have a masters degree.”

“Thus making me all the more qualified to come up with the most audacious dares and exposing truths. Answer, or take the cowards way out,” Bucky responds motioning to Sam’s beer.

Sam lets out a huff of annoyance and looks to Joey. She makes a face that plainly reads that she’s not helping him out of this one. So he begins, “I’m eighteen, and this girl, Lola, who I’ve been in love with since middle school finally starts giving me the time of day. She’s gorgeous, full-figured, dark-skinned-”

“She had double-d’s since middle school,” Joey adds.

“She also never talks to other guys, never even pays attention to them and they were all trying to get with her so hard.” Natasha hums a little bit and she and Joey share a smirk.

“So finally she starts flirting with me occasionally, and I play it real cool you know, like I haven’t been waiting six years for her to just smile at me. Soon she asks if I want to go to the movies and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I like movies.’” Deepening his voice for his past self, ”So we go see some dumb 2012 superhero movie, and I’m just watching her the whole time, but she’s pretty invested and I assume it’s ‘cause of all the shirtless guys or whatever.”

Natasha hums again.

Sam ignores her and continues, “So the movie ends and we haven’t touched each other once, but I’m just glad to be anywhere near her at the point, I don’t care. She then is all,” Sam makes his voice higher as he imitates Lola, “ ‘Are your parents home? And I say, ‘Nah my mom’s got the night shift, what you wanna do next baby?’ So we go back to my house and I put on my Marvin Gaye because I knew how to treat a lady right. Finally, she lets me start kissing her neck and eventually she’s fully naked and I’m going down on her, like a champ might I add. So I’m doing it and she after a while fully fakes an orgasm, and when I look up to her to say that it’s okay and that I got all the time in the world to treat her right, she says, ‘So what’s Joey’s deal? Like is she into chicks?’”

The room is silent for a few seconds before everyone starts laughing. Pietro is holding his sides and Clint is on the floor. Even Natasha let’s out a chuckle or two.

“So she let you eat her out just because she wanted to get closer to Joey?” Thor asks between laughs.

“I don’t know how you didn’t see it coming, it was obvious she was gay.” Nat crosses her arms.

“You only knew because of my colorful storytelling,” Sam defends.

“So…” Bucky prompts, looking at Joey.

“So what?” Asks Joey.

Bucky swipes his upper lip with his tongue, “Did you ever make Lola’s dreams come true?”

All attention is turned to Joey and it’s obvious that everyone even Steve, is leaning forward a little.

She maintains a stoic expression and lets the suspense build before she smiles, “She was really, really hot.”

Laughs and cheers ring out from their friends. Nat sends a wink her way. Thor smiles and kisses the top of Bruce’s head. Steve smile is raunchy, but his cheeks are red.

Sam settles them all down, “Alright, alright it’s my turn. Shuri, truth or dare?”

Many rounds and many beers later the friends have learned much more about each other. Steve’s weirdest sex dream involved him and his fourth-grade math teacher with a forked tongue. Pietro sent nudes to a random contact from Nat’s phone, only to turn out to be her gynecologist (who responded, “Natasha I’m afraid I can’t help you with this” much to the group's enjoyment). Shuri confessed that to help pay for her school she developed a line of vibrators that she is still selling because of how much money she makes (Nat and Joey both got the URL). Clint gave Bruce a very enthusiastic lap dance, while Thor beatboxed in the background. Bruce revealed the size of Thor’s penis (with Thor’s shameless permission). Bucky revealed a hair-pulling kink, and when the group argued that was too tame, he offered up that he didn’t mind, and in fact enjoyed, being pegged. Nat was the only one who drank but did complete a dare to give a hickey to Steve, whose face turned as red as the mark. Joey was dared to act out her third favorite (heterosexual, Pietro was specific) sex position as her partner. They were all entertained as she pretended to fuck an invisible someone against a wall.

People were slowly leaving, Nat, Bruce, and Thor went first. Then Shuri and Pietro, who after a couple beers have become mildly flirty. Clint stayed for a while longer, pressing for more details about Lola, but eventually, he too heads off. The core four are left, still laughing at dumb dares and pushing each other to reveal more and more.

It’s Bucky’s turn again. They’re all on the couch now, Sam’s arm is hooked around Joey’s knees and Steve’s head is in Sam’s lap. Sam has always been so physical, and it took a long time for Joey to feel super comfortable with him, but after a while, she found herself very at home with Sam’s arm around her shoulders, or with her feet in his lap. Bucky’s records play softly in the background. Everyone is feeling lovely and drunk.

Bucky deliberates for a minute or two on who to pick, but finally with a wicked smile his sights land on Joey, “Alright Sweetheart, truth or dare?”

She doesn’t disguise the roll of her eyes, “Dare.”

“I dare you to show us your most embarrassing high school photos.”

She gasps, and both Sam and Steve’s brows shoot up.

“Bucky Barnes, those are words to wage a war with.”

Bucky lazily guffaws at her, “Oh come on! I waited all night for it to be just us four. If it makes you feel better Steve will look away.”

“Hey!” Steve sits up a little in protest, then he turns his head to Joey, “I mean if you really want me to I will.”

“Or you could take the wimp’s way out.” His dumb handsome, but gloating expression pulls another eye roll from her.

“Fat chance Barnes.” Joey pulls out her phone for the first time that night and dives deep into her photos.

When she comes upon it Sam can see the anxiety overtake her body. “How about this; as a bonding moment, why don’t we all show our most embarrassing picture?” Sam suggests. When Bucky starts to protest Sam cuts him off, “Joey can just owe you a dare, man, alright?” His gaze hardening enough to explain that Bucky should hop off.

“I’m fine with it,” Steve replies while reaching for his phone.

“It’s a deal,” Bucky nods and he notices the flash of relief come across Joey’s expression.

“Alright,” Sam states when they all have their phones out, “3… 2… 1…”

They all lay out their phones for the others to see. Steve’s is a skinny kid with a goofy haircut on his picture day, but it strikes Joey as cute more than embarrassing. Sam’s is him with a shaved head and that pencil thin ‘stache above his big goofy grin. Bucky’s is not what Joey expected but it’s still good. His hair is greasy and well past his shoulders, he’s mean-mugging the camera while flexing a very skinny bicep with a red star tattoo on his shoulder. When Steve and Bucky both see Joey’s it’s not what they expected either. Her hair was straight, either a wig, weave, or chemically straightened, they couldn’t tell. She’s wearing more makeup than any high school girl should and the biggest twist is the cheerleading uniform she has on.

“Killer… You were a cheerleader?” Steve questions, a bewildered look etched across his face.

Her only answer was turning her head away from them suddenly feeling very sober.

“I gotta say when most people talk about ‘embarrassing phases’ they don’t normally refer to their cheerleading phase as evidence.”

“Is this the part where I say I’m not like most people, or can we move past it?” She tries to come off as playful but there’s a bite to her comment.

Sam comes to her rescue, “You wanna tell Joe the story of that tattoo Bucky?”

Bucky groans but he sees Joey’s interest at the changing of the subject so he tells it, ”I was sixteen and I found an artist who would do it without a parent’s permission. So I make an appointment, and Steve is begging me not to by the way-”

“I couldn’t not Buck, I mean, getting a tattoo for a band you like as a sixteen-year-old is so fucking dumb.”

“Anyway, I was just itching to rebel, so I go to the artist and show them the cover art for this band, Shield. It’s just a red star so he does it pretty quick, and it hurts like hell, but I’m so fucking proud. Then two years later it comes out that the band’s lead singer is totally alt-right and essentially a Nazi. And he starts his own band called Hydra, that uses the same logo, so I was just walking around with Nazi propaganda on my arm. Anyway, I saved up and got it covered.” He pulls up his left shirt sleeve to reveal a large rose on his arm. It’s done well and Joey can barely see any outline of a star.

“Holy shit.” Joey gawks and turns to Sam.

“I know. I was so proud of myself for not telling you all these years.”

“What?” Both Steve and Bucky ask at the same time.

Joey pulls up her t-shirt sleeve on her right arm to reveal a tattoo of a rose in almost exactly the same spot. It’s in a different style, the lines are lighter, more minimalistic, but they’re alarmingly similar.

Bucky itches to reach out and touch her arm. He resists but the want of it rolls through him like electricity. “That’s fucking crazy.”

“I mean if you think about how many people have rose tattoos on their shoulders it’s not that weird.” Sam is quick to dismiss the looks of sheer awe on his friends’ faces.

Bucky and Joey spend a few more seconds thoughtfully ogling the other’s shoulder. Eventually, they both sheepishly pull down their sleeves, and the air in the room feels almost uncomfortably intimate until Steve says, “Your turn Joe.”

“Bucky,” she starts, “Truth or dare?”

Sam and Steve share an equally unsurprised glance that goes missed by their best friends.

“Truth.”

“Why the rose?” She leans forward and rests her chin on her knees.

“Steve’s mom used to have a rose bush in their front yard. Snow or blistering heat that bush was there. We probably got 30 different balls stuck in there. Hell, I was cut up by that bush plenty too. It seemed like a better way to encapsulate my youth than some dumb star.”

Steve affectionately put his hand on Bucky’s shoulder. They share a smile that warms Joey’s heart. She’s overwhelmed all of the sudden with the feelings she has for the people around her. She can’t tell what’s alcohol and what’s real. This isn’t how life works. You don’t just hang out for one day and feel like family. Sam had known everyone at their party for at least three years. Except for Thor, she had only met them through Sam. But, sitting on that couch any sense of being an outsider is gone. Sam used the word family and, maybe for the first time in her life, she feels it too.

Suddenly she stands and the boys look at her with curiosity. “Excuse me,” she says with a soft smile. On her walk to the restroom she traces her fingers along the walls and imagines them with Steve’s art, or photographs, and she smiles, nodding her head to the beat of the song playing on the record player.

Bucky watches her stroll down the hallway from his spot on the couch, slowly as she draws the tips of fingers on the wall before she disappears behind the bathroom door.

When she dries her hands off she looks up at herself in the mirror. She makes a funny face at herself to remind her that she’s still in control. Then she backs up and sees that tub. Oh, that beautiful tub. She knows they might be waiting for her, but she can’t help but sink back down. She closes her eyes and leans back her head. She sits. She thinks. Thinks about the job she’s starting on Monday. Thinks about gorgeous brown eyes she left in Positano. Thinks about Sam’s mom’s fried chicken and waffles. Thinks about swings and jumping off them. She’s thinking about rose bushes when she hears a knock on the door.

Expecting Sam she replies, “Come in.”

Bucky opens the door instead and steps into the room.

“We have to stop meeting like this.” She jokes and the corners of his lips turn up.

“You really are making me think we carried up that bed for nothing.

“Were you sent to come get me?” She starts to get up.

He shakes his head no, “We cleaned up, and those two old-timers hit the hay.”

“Oh.” Her jaw shifts ever so slightly as she stares at the drain.

“I’m not tired so I came to find you.” He steps closer, leaving the door open so they can still hear the music.

She nods.

“Are you tired?”

She locks eyes with him, “Nope.”

He smiles again, “Good. It’s my turn. Scoot over.”

She almost stops him, but he is opposite her in the tub so quick that she doesn’t really have the chance. She gets nervous, but it’s comfortable. His legs are bent and hers are extended and resting against his hip.

“Truth or dare?” He asks, and she observes that over the past ten hours of knowing him he never avoids eye contact.

“Truth.”

“Why the rose?” He quotes her.

She smiles, “My mom’s name is Rosemary. Mine too I guess.”

“Joey is short for Rosemary?” He tilts his head, almost too endearingly, as he asks.

“My middle name is Joseph. It’s her brother’s name, I never met him. But the actual origin story is that I was really clingy to my mom as a toddler. She always said if she had a pouch I would’ve gladly lived in it. One day she called me Joey like a baby kangaroo, and it just stuck. The Joseph thing is basically a coincidence.”

“You go by a nickname that is technically short for your middle name, which you are named for a man you never met?” His eyes are wide.

“Yes… I’ve never thought it was that weird… I mean if you think about it Bucky is a lot-”

“No, no, no, Darlin’ I’m not judging. Has Sam ever told you where my name comes from?”

She shakes her head and he explains, “My full name is James Buchanan Barnes. In elementary school Steve once read my name ‘James Bucky-nan Barnes’ and it too just stuck.”

“What the fuck? This is getting creepy.”

“You’re telling me. If I knew my soulmate was just a friend of a friend I would’ve looked a lot harder for you.”

She laughs, “I don’t know if liking the same Pizza and a couple other similarities qualifies us as soulmates.” “A couple similarities? It’s our names and our fucking body art. Two peas, one pod, Sweetheart.” He motions to the tub as he says pod.

“Sure, okay we’re soulmates.” She offers up her pinky.

A smile crawls up his face as he realizes what she’s doing and he raises his pinky up to her. They hook together and both unabashedly grin at each other.

Unsure how to end the moment he slowly pulls his hand away and says, “Your turn.”

“Truth or dare?”

“Dare.” “I dare you to tell me about the last time you cried.”

A skeptical expression darkens his eyes and he traces a star with his sock on the tub floor, “You see we never really went over this, does it count if you use a dare to ask a truth?”

“I think it counts if the person who’s asking has good intentions.”

“And is that what you have Doll? Good intentions?” It’s flirty and sultry, she has to fight rolling her eyes.

“Always.”

“Alright then. When Steve and I moved out of our last place we had a little goodbye with it, which turned into hours of reminiscing in an empty apartment and I cried.” She smiles widely, “What?” He asks, his tone on the verge of defensive.

“I just appreciate you guys. No toxic masculinity. You’re so vulnerable with each other. I’m as inspired as I am envious.”

“There’s no other way to be with him.” It’s so sincere, the love he has for Steve so blatant.

They both sit in silence for a second before he asks her again.

“Truth,” she answers.

“What is your truest fear?”

“Truest?”

“Yeah. Not your greatest, like the inevitability of death, or your most irrational, like a bear attack in the city. The one that you actually believe. The one that pokes away at you.” He shifts a little due to sitting uncomfortably for too long and attempts to lay down his legs, but they’re too long to straighten fully. He manages a cramped criss-cross applesauce and it looks even more uncomfortable. Joey tucks her legs into her chest so he can stretch out his a little more, each foot rests on the outside of her hips. He gives her a grateful glance. She squeezes her legs closer to her.

“I guess… just that I’m… I guess... unlovable.” She sheepishly looks down, unable to meet his searing gaze after being so vulnerable.

“I told you it couldn’t be irrational.”

Her eyes shoot up, “You’re not allowed to question my truest fear.”

He shrugs, “Agree to disagree then Darlin’.”

She just wants to change the subject, “Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

She mulls over it for a little while and then finally decides on a question, “What’s with the pet names?”

“What do you mean ‘what’s with the pet names’?” He questions, a genuine confusion pressed into his features.

“You have not once called me by name in the past twelvish hours of us being roommates. All I get are different cycles of ‘Dolls’, ‘Darlin’s’, and ‘Sweethearts’. Makes me feel like a secretary in the 60’s.” She finally admits.

He looks taken aback, like no one has ever mentioned this to him, “Huh, I’ve always been a nickname person. Kind of just what I’ve always done.”

“But those aren’t nicknames. Sammy, Buck, Stevie, those are nicknames.”

“Why do they make you uncomfortable? When Steve calls you Killer you don’t mind, and that’s got a far worse connotation than Sweetheart.”

“I’m not completely sure. I’ve never been a pet name person. Never called a partner so much as Baby. I don’t mind a nickname, I’m just… I’m not a ‘Doll’. I’m not that girl.”

“I think you’re right about that,” He has to stop himself to not throw in a little name. They sit in contemplative silence for a while. A song comes to end and Bucky listens as it transitions into a new one. The slow initial beat of the Temptations’ My Girl begins. “Sunshine,” he says along to the first line of the song.

“Mm, it’s a good song,” Joey distractedly responds while moving her shoulders to the music.

“No, I’ll call you Sunshine. Think of it as a nickname. Plus with that smile, it fits.” Says the man with the million wattage grin, she thinks but doesn’t say.

“Okay.” She says after a moment, “But only because of The Temptations.” She ignores his compliment.

Bucky’s eyes light up with another idea almost immediately. “You owe me a dare.” A devious grin appears below those pretty blue eyes.

She sighs dramatically, “I was hoping you had forgotten about that.”

“Not a chance Sunshine.” The name sounds right when he uses it and they both know it. “I call you Sunshine, I dare you to call me Baby.”

“Are you joking?” She demands.

“Dead serious. You’ve never called anyone else it and sounds like you don’t plan on it. So it’ll be unique to me. Not to mention you can give me the experience of a pet name more often used to belittle women. Come on. Baby and Sunshine, we’ll sound like my little ponies.” His enthusiasm burns away at her doubt a little.

“You’re drunk.”

“A dare is a dare.”

She hesitates for a while longer, “Ah fine, but only because I’m no coward. Just don’t expect me to be good at it.”

“I don’t know, I think you’ll be great. You already called me it once today.”

“What? When?”

“The pizzeria. Which reminds me,” He stands up and stretches a little and then offers her a hand, “I have something to show you.”

He pulls her up and they both step out of the tub. She pulls her hand back and he notices it. He leads her down the hall back to the bookshelf in the living room that his record player sits on. He sets to work, searching for a record in his many piles. She stands back, awkwardly watching him. She recognizes how weird it is all of the sudden, how weird it is that she lives with three outrageously handsome men. Steve, shy and sensitive, but brawny, with his messy longer locks and lumberjack beard. Sam, confident and a leader, always making the tough decisions with a flirty grin on his face. And Bucky. Bucky, with styled hair but relaxed fashion. Thoughtful and charismatic. She’s living in a romantic comedy.

It’s like Bucky reading her thoughts when he finds what he’s looking for and he pulls the record from the sleeve, replacing the previous record with this one. There are a few seconds of silence as the record situates itself. Then the familiar guitar plays.

Bucky turns to her, “Do you remember? From earlier.”

The delightful music rings out from You and Me by the lost band Penny & the Quarters. She smiles and nods, feeling tipsy and brave as she grabs his hand. He puts his other hand on her back and she holds his shoulder with her right hand. They’re not chest to chest, but they’re close. They slowly sway to the music, getting closer and closer. Eventually, he sighs, and realizes she can feel his chest rise and fall against her own. He leans down to press his forehead against where her neck and shoulder meet. It’s incredibly intimate. She’s not sure if she’s ever been this close to someone so quickly, physically or emotionally. She’s had one-night stands, but even bruising sex somehow feels less intimate than sharing a bathtub completely clothed with Bucky. He hums along to the last notes of the song and she feels his breath against her collarbone. The song ends and he steps away, but not very far. She has no idea what’s coming next.

He looks like he's about to say something but he doesn’t, so she does. “Truth or dare?” Her voice is quiet and her eyes are hooded.

He sucks in a quiet breath, “Truth,” too afraid of the dares swirling around his own mind.

She realizes she hasn’t thought that part through. She can’t conceive a good question for the life of her. “I can’t think of one. I guess I’m too tired or too drunk.”

“I guess I’ll just owe you then.” She smiles. He does too.

She takes a step back. He does too.

They both wonder if it will break the spell. It doesn’t seem to.

“Goodnight?” She asks.

“Goodnight.” He answers.

They both walk to their rooms and take one last thoughtful glance at each other across the hallway.

“Sleep well, Sunshine.”

“Sweet dreams, Baby.” She can practically feel his smile as she closes her door.

Part 3

Thanks for reading xx.

@buckybarnesxoxo 

[roslinadama-sinequanon]

Christmas in Connecticut-Chapter 20 of 20

In this chapter Andy tries to keep his cool when Maura voices her skepticism of his relationship with Sharon. Peggy jumps to Sharon's defense.

Sharon spends some time with Sylvia who has a sentimental gift to give to her soon to be daughter in law.

This is the last chapter of this installment. Stay tuned as the story continues back in LA with "Saying Good-bye to Yesterday" which will focus on the annulments and some of what happened in Season Five. We will meet Winnie Davis and Sandra and there will be a few fireworks with Jack who is not going to be happy about his kids forcing him to sign the annulment papers. As with this story it will weave in and out of canon.

Story available here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12789981/20/Christmas-in-Connecticut

Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13293105/chapters/34782611

And here are a couple pics to go along with Andy remembering back to going to the Japanese embassy dinner with Sharon. Didn’t they look gorgeous that night.

You can also read the chapter here:

True to her word, as soon as Gina squeezed into her chair next to Sharon she set in to regale her with stories about Andy as a boy. The others were not content to let Gina steal the show and once she got started Maura, Peggy, Nell, and Sylvia were keen to join her, with Andy jumping in every so often to defend himself or offer explanations. The Flynn siblings were loud and boisterous; they competed with each other, interrupted each other and finished each other’s stories while Sharon was content with sitting back and taking it all in, the calm in the middle of their storm.  

Most of the stories were amusing, though a few made Sharon catch her breath with the danger young Andy had put himself in and the risks he’d taken. He sure hadn’t changed much. Listening to what he had been like as a boy she found that the traits he had as an adult were simply modified versions of those he’d had as a child. The women in his life gave her a clear image of a young boy full of mischief, quick to laugh and just as quick to flare into a temper, a young boy caught between two worlds, defending the honor of both.

“Back then, there was still some rivalry going on and PC wasn‘t something any of us had even heard of,” Andy explained. “To the Italian kids, I was a mick. To the Irish, I was a dago. It felt like I was always fighting somebody.”

“And don’t forget Dennis,” Peggy waved a fork at him. “You were always protecting him.”

“My cousin.” He responded to Sharon’s questioning look.

“Oh. The one with Downs?” Her friend Summer’s daughter Rhiannon had Downs and when Andy met her Sharon had been surprised at the ease and rapport that he’d had with the young woman. She and Summer had been friends since their kids were in diapers and she‘d seen how often people were uncomfortable around Rhiannon, but not Andy. When she had commented on that, he’d told her about Dennis.

“Yes,” Peggy said. “You know how kids are. They can be brutal to anyone different. They were always picking on Dennis. But when Aunt Loretta moved into the building Andy started walking him to school and Dennis didn‘t have any more trouble. Joe couldn’t be bothered, but Andy took care of him, just like he took care of all of us. As much as I hate to admit it, outside of the house he was a pretty decent brother."

"Outside?" Sharon’s brow arched with interest.

"Mmm..." Peggy took a sip of her wine then settled back in her chair giving her brother a little smirk. "Inside the apartment, he could say whatever he wanted about us, complain about us, tease us, pull our pigtails, and let me tell you, he did all of that. A LOT. He could be a little pest. But let anyone outside the house dare say anything bad about any one of us and they’d have Andy in their face.”

It was amusing to see that Andy was actually blushing. That didn’t happen very often. There wasn‘t much in the world that could surprise or embarrass her fiancé but it all rang true. Andy still had a protective streak a mile wide and she had never doubted his loyalty to her or the team. He might grumble about the squad and he loved to jab at them, especially Provenza, but she knew with every ounce of her being that he would step in front of a bullet for any one of them, especially her.

Andy took another helping of mushroom risotto and grew thoughtful. “That all started with Dad. He used to tell me, they’re your sisters, Andy. In this family, we take care of our own.”

“He used to say the same thing to Joey.” Gina’s eyes rolled derisively. “But he was always too busy with his friends. He never took any responsibility for us.”

“It didn’t take many fights for kids to learn that you didn’t mess with Dennis or the Flynn girls,” Maura added. “Andy was a tough little shi---kid and he taught us how to fight too, said we needed to know how to defend ourselves when he wasn‘t around.”

Sharon bit back a smile. Andy was the only person she knew who could look both sheepish and proud at the same time. “He’s still tough,” she said.  Sometimes too tough. Her sexy third in command Lieutenant was always the first one to kick in a door, and, along with Julio, to get in a perps face. He had zero tolerance for those who lied and those who hurt others…dirtbags. However, unlike Julio who still struggled with his temper, Andy had learned to keep his under control for the most part. When she’d first gotten involved auditing the Major Crimes division she had often been the one to set off that temper. Her position in FID, her insistence in following the rules, her ability to keep her composure, and the fact that for a time he thought she was out to get them, all seemed to set Andy off like a powder keg.

In an interesting case of reversal, once they had begun working together the opposite seemed to be the case. Somehow, and she wasn’t quite sure how it happened, she had become the one who could calm him down. When she saw his temper escalating all she had to do was give him a look, softly say his name, or rest a gentle hand on his arm and it was as if all the tension left his body.

“Well, girls shouldn’t be fighting,” Sylvia said firmly.

“Maaaa!” Her daughters were outraged.

“I disagree, Sylvia.” Sharon‘s protest was softer, but no less firm. “All girls and women should know how to protect themselves. I‘ve actually taught some basic women‘s self- defense classes at local high schools and at the battered women‘s shelter where I volunteer.”

“Kick em’ in the balls, takes em’ down every time.”

“Gina!” Sylvia sputtered.  “Good Lord.”

“What? I’m just sayin'…”

“She’s not wrong, Ma.” Andy shifted in his seat, wincing at the thought. “A swift kick to the balls will bring any guy to his knees.”

“Andrew, my goodness, do you children not see that we have guests?”

“Oh, don’t mind us. We’ve heard worse, right?” Ricky looked down the table at his siblings and Nicole who all nodded in agreement. “Hazard of being a cop’s kid, you never know what your dinner conversation is going to be about.”

An impish smile curved on Sharon’s lips as she turned to the older woman. “Besides, that goes both ways, Sylvia. We’re not guests, we’re family, right?”  

Sylvia sighed but acquiesced with a nod of agreement and Sharon turned back to Gina assuring her, “You were right. Groin attacks are definitely a big part of the course. It’s a very quick way to incapacitate a man.”

Eager to change the subject, Sylvia turned to her daughters. “Girls, would you get the pannacotta please.”

The Flynn girls might be feisty, but they listened to their Mama.

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

“Groin attacks?” Maura sidled up to Peggy at the refrigerator and began pulling out the ramekins of chilled desserts. “Does she always sound so hoity -toity?”

“She’s a cop, I’m sure she can turn the air blue with the best of them, but she has class. You ought to take a lesson or two. And be quiet you don’t want her to hear you and you sure as hell don’t want Andy to hear you. That will really piss him off.”

“She’s definitely got him whipped.” Maura didn’t drop the subject but did speak more softly in an effort to placate her sister. “Did you see the way he looks at her with those puppy dog eyes? And, oh my God, seriously? She’s got him going to the opera and the symphony. Jesus, he’s got it bad.”

“He’s in love Maur.” Peggy began spooning the juicy combination of strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries over the desserts. “And if you were paying attention you’d see that she looks at him exactly the same way.”

“Hmph.”

“She does. And she’s gone riding on the back of his motorcycle on the Angeles Crest Highway and to a boxing match with him. Do those things sound like something she would have done before she met Andy? When you’re in a relationship sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone. And it’s not as if they don’t have anything in common. They work together; they both love old movies and sports. I mean she loves the Dodgers, what more could Andy ask for?”

“I’ll give you that. I didn’t see the sports fanatic thing coming. Figure skating, sure, but football?” The very idea of the elegant Sharon Raydor wearing a big foam cheese on her head to root for the Packers was incongruous.

“See, you can’t just judge people by how they look or where they come from. Don’t let Ken’s shitty mid-life crisis make you bitter and hard. Andy’s had a tough go of it, admittedly through some of his own doing, but still. He’s fallen in love with a terrific woman, he’s getting married and he’s happier and more at peace than I’ve ever seen him. Let’s just be happy for him, okay.”

********

With lunch finished the LA contingent, including Emily, but not including Andy and Sharon, had to leave for the airport. After they left, Sharon rose to help clear the feast from the table but Andy handed her a cup of coffee and ushered her away to go relax with his mother. They weren’t leaving for LA until the following morning so they could spend a little more time with his family.

Sipping her coffee Sharon made her way back to the living room, pausing to pick up a framed black and white 8x10 photo. She settled into the couch with it, involuntarily shuddering at the crinkling noise the plastic covering made when she sat. The last time she had seen a plastic cover over a couch had been a few years back when a serial killer had lured Rusty to an empty condo in their building and had come very close to killing him. Were it not for Andy calling and tipping her off to where they might be, she never would have would have made it in time to bash the door in with a fire extinguisher and save him. Her heart began racing at the thought of how close she’d come to losing Rusty so she forced herself to leave the past and focus on the wedding picture in her hands.

The tiny dark- haired bride was wearing a ball gown style wedding dress circa 1950’s, tiny waist and full taffeta skirt, so she assumed it was Sylvia. A thrilled little jolt ran through her at the thought that she would soon be looking for a wedding gown of her own. Definitely not a ball gown style though, possibly an elegant A-line or a sexier fit and flare. Something romantic and stylish, both vintage and modern. Definitely some lace. She loved lace. When she got back to LA, she’d have to pick up a few bridal magazines and have a look at what was in style now. Gavin would be a big help there. His favorite television show was “Say Yes to the Dress.”  

At the woman’s side was a tall, very handsome young man with a thick head of a hair and a smile she knew all too well. The same smile as the one on the face of the man who was helping his sisters clear the table. The resemblance was uncanny. Andy had a framed picture of his parents in their bedroom and she had seen family photos at his house, so it wasn’t the first time she’d seen his father but in this wedding shot Patrick Flynn was young and still had the cocky grin that in his son made her heart flutter.

“My Patrick was a handsome man, wasn’t he?” Sylvia sat down in a chair across from Sharon.

“Yes, he certainly was.”

“Well, of course, you’d think so, wouldn’t you? Joey, my older boy, he's Rossi through and through, shorter, darker, pure Sicilian. Actually, he looks a lot like my father and my grandfather. But Andy, all he got from me was the color of his eyes, skin that doesn’t easily burn and a temper that heats up as fast as it cools down. In everything else, he has the look of his father, his height, his build, everything, right down to the twinkle in his eyes and that mischievous little smile. Oh that smile,” her eyes turned wistful as they landed on a laughing Andy in the kitchen. “That smile got them both out of a lot of trouble. I don’t know what it was, or why I fell for it, but all they had to do was give me that grin and I would forget why I was angry with them. The girls told you about Andy fighting, but I‘ll tell you, that boy could tell a tale and charm his way out of detention with just a smile. Even the nuns fell for it and I don‘t think I need to tell you how tough they could be.”

“Mmm…“ Sharon took a sip of her coffee and nodded in agreement. “It is pretty irresistible. “She couldn’t count how many times she’d been irritated with Andy, all he had to do was flash her that boyish grin, and she couldn’t seem to help grinning back, her anger magically dissipating.

“I always had a thing for the Irish boys. Did Andy tell you how Patrick and I met? “

“He said it was at a church dance.”

“Just like the movie.” Sylvia clapped her hands with delight. “Only backward. I was the Italian one, Patrick the Irish. Did you see “Brooklyn”?”

“I did, yes. It was the first movie Andy and I went to together.” They had just finished a case and were talking about what they were going to do on their days off. Andy had expressed interest in seeing the movie because of its connection with his parents and when she said she’d wanted to see it as well, he had suggested that they should go together. It was funny how natural it had seemed, sitting in the darkened theater sharing a bucket of popcorn and a diet soda with love em‘and leave em‘Andy Flynn.

“Well, of course, neither of us was new to the country like the young girl in the movie. I was a third generation American, but Patrick was a fourth, his family came here during the potato famine. I had never even heard about this famine until I married him. Then I read all about it. My God, it’s hard to imagine such suffering.”

Sharon nodded, she‘d done her own research on her family‘s history. “That’s when my father’s family came. They settled in Boston, though.”

“One generation doesn’t seem like much of a difference but it was. My grandfather wasn’t born in this country, he spoke English with a very thick accent and it always seemed like he still had a foot in the Old World. It wasn’t like that with the Flynn’s. Patrick’s family seemed so much more American to me. They had a history here. His great-grandfather fought in the Civil War and helped build the Brooklyn Bridge, his grandfather fought in World War I and Patrick in World War II. We Rossi’s were still the new kids on the block.

“Did your families give you a hard time when you told them you wanted to get married?”

“No, not really. By the time Patrick and I got married in the 50s, things were changing. Before the war, everyone was divided even though we shared the same religion. There was an Irish church, an Italian church, a Polish church and you rarely socialized with anyone outside your parish and your ethnic background.  After the war that began to change. The churches started to consolidate and we all started moving into the same neighborhoods instead of staying in our own little enclaves. There were a few snide remarks of course, you know, why wasn‘t an Italian boy good enough for me and things like that. But I think my parents were just happy that I was marrying another Catholic and not a dreaded Protestant.” Sylvia laughed, shaking her head at the way things used to be. Then she leaned forward and reached out as if to touch Sharon’s chest, only stopping herself at the last minute.

“That’s a very pretty necklace.”

Sharon’s fingers moved to her neck gently touching the delicate heart-shaped pendant, two hands cupped around a glittering emerald heart. “It’s a Claddagh. Andy gave it to me when we spent a weekend in Corona Del Mar.” Her eyes grew soft and she flushed slightly at the memory. Andy had bought her the necklace the night they had first made love. After dinner in Laguna Beach, they had been browsing through a Celtic store and had seen the necklace. While she had been purchasing some Innisfree perfume, he had surreptitiously bought the necklace and surprised her with it the following evening while they were gliding around the Newport Beach harbor in a romantic gondola.

“That look on your face tells me it must be pretty special.”

“Yes,” Sharon’s voice grew low, almost dreamy. “Very special.” When he’d put it around her neck he’d told her that when she wore it he wanted it to remind her of how much he loved her and how much the weekend had meant to him. Who knew that under his cynical, wisecracking exterior lay a romantic soul who shared her sense of occasion?

“Speaking of special, there’s something I’d like to share with you.” Sylvia rose and returned a few minutes later holding out a little velvet bag to Sharon. Sharon took the bag and when she opened it, she found a lovely rosary in mother of pearl, with a silver crucifix. “That rosary was brought over from Italy by my great-grandmother. She carried it at her wedding then it was passed down to my grandmother and my mother, to me, and then to each of my daughters. Andy said how important the church is to you and that you are hoping to have a nuptial mass, so I thought… Well, I thought maybe you would want to carry it with you on your wedding day. You’ll need a something borrowed.”

Sharon fingered the beads, her chest tightening with emotions and for a moment, she was unable to speak.

“Don’t worry,” Sylvia continued, mistaking her silence. “Sandra didn’t carry them. I offered but she wasn’t very interested in anything old fashioned like carrying a rosary on your wedding day.”

Sharon smiled at the woman who would soon be her mother in law, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Sylvia, I would be honored to carry this rosary with me on the day that I marry your son. Old fashioned is not a problem for me. Thank you.” She reached out to squeeze the older woman’s hand.

“No. Thank you. It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen my boy so happy. That’s all you.”

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

“I still can’t believe you’re getting married.” Peggy handed Andy another stack of plates he promptly set into the soapy water in the sink. “After Sandra, I didn’t think you’d ever take the plunge again.”

“Me either.” Even though they both knew the marriage wasn’t working and he and Sandra had both agreed to the divorce, their split had been bitter and acrimonious with a lot of anger and hurled insults, especially when it came to custody issues. Then when Sandra had begun using Nicole as a weapon against him, it had left him soured on the very idea of marriage. In fact, until he had fallen in love with Sharon he would have told anyone who asked that he would rather be shot in the head than ever get hitched again. Dating and sex was one thing, but taking those vows was something else entirely. “Sharon changed all that.”

“Yeah, we can see that. But I could see something was happening between the two of you way back at Nicole’s wedding.”

“You think? I don’t know. That was the first time we had ever gone anywhere alone outside of work. It wasn’t a date, but…” He trailed off not sure how to explain it.

“But what?”

“But it started to feel like one. And after our first dance, I guess I started wishing it was one. That day did change things between us.” It was strange how it had all happened so organically. He’d always had an eye on Sharon, even when he couldn’t stand her. It was in his DNA. A pretty woman walked by and he had to look. And Sharon was a beauty.  A cool, impenetrable, and totally untouchable beauty.  It was frustrating. He wanted to despise her yet there was a strange attraction he felt in her presence and the first time he had felt the urge to act on that attraction was well before they were even friends. He was pissed, yelling at her, defending his honor as an officer of the law and she was standing there cool as a cucumber holding his fat employee file filled with exonerated complaints, not even flushing as one might when trying to control their temper. No, she was completely unaffected by his anger and he suddenly got the urge to grab her by the shoulders and kiss her senseless. Kiss her into a reaction. The overpowering pull of attraction and its accompanying surge of lust only served to make him angrier. How was he attracted to Sharon---stick up her ass--- Raydor?

He wasn’t sure when exactly he’d gone from irritation with her and her rules, to admiring her legs when she sat on the edge of a desk and her cleavage when she leaned over one, to really seeing her as a person. It was probably right around the time she’d started asking him for advice on addiction after she’d found Rusty’s drug addict mother and had then asked him to accompany Rusty to pick up that mother up at the bus station. The crushing disappointment when she hadn’t been on the bus had caused Rusty to run off—so quickly Andy hadn’t been able to find him. The kid had lived on the streets long enough to know how to disappear. Telling Sharon he had lost the boy had turned out to be even harder than he’d thought it would be. The fear shining in her eyes and the way she had tried to smile so bravely and assure him she knew it wasn’t his fault, even as the tears welled in her eyes, made him feel like such a heel. He’d hated disappointing her. Then, just when he thought he couldn’t feel any worse, despite how upset she was, she’d squared her shoulders and taken a moment to tell them all that they had done a great job. He‘d just stood there with his heart twisting painfully in his chest as her voice broke and she‘d rushed off before breaking down in front of them. God how he’d hated being responsible for making her cry. Sharon might have a tough shield she surrounded herself with, but inside she was a marshmallow when it came to those she loved. Seeing that vulnerability and how deeply she’d come to care about a boy she had only taken in a few weeks before had raised her much higher in his estimation. Before he knew what was happening he found himself looking forward to hearing her high heels clicking down the hall first thing in the morning and feeling a little stab of pleasure at her “Good morning Lieutenant” as she made her way to her office, coffee in hand.

After Nicole’s wedding when they had really gotten to know one another as people, not just co-workers, it had seemed natural to start hanging out together more outside of work. They would go out for coffee or dinner or to the movies. And when he‘d had Dodger tickets dropped in his lap, instead of inviting Provenza as he normally would have done, he‘d invited Sharon. Just another reason for Provenza to grumble over their burgeoning friendship. Not a month later Sharon had invited him to be her “plus one” to a black tie charity dinner at the Japanese embassy and that was when it had started to feel more like dating than a friendship to him--and that possibly Sharon was feeling the same. It was fun getting all dressed up in his tuxedo for her and she had looked stunning in an elegant floor-length Grecian style gown the color of orange poppies that seductively left one shoulder bare. He was falling for her, he’d felt it, and it worried him. He knew that a relationship with her was hopeless and did try to put some effort into protecting himself. He‘d tried to keep her from working her way into his heart, but every time he told himself they were just friends he would remember how damn good it had felt to hold her in his arms when they danced at the wedding and the comforting intimacy of their shared life stories when they went out for lunches and dinners. He would be reminded of the warmth that spread through him when she laughed or when she rested her hand on his arm while she spoke. She was smart, stunning, vulnerable, and way too classy for a guy like him, but he wanted her dammit. He wanted her so bad, he ached with it and instead of thinking about all the roadblocks to a relationship with her, not the least of which was the fact that she was still legally married, his heart instead beat with all the possibilities of a romance.

“Are you really sure she’s the one for you?” Maura had been listening to the conversation while she covered the leftovers. Her skeptical tone caused Andy to turn to her with a frown and his temper quickly flared.  

“What do you mean by that?”

Maura held up a hand. “Don’t go getting all defensive. I just mean that, well, look at her. I’m not blind; I see why you’re attracted to her. She’s beautiful.” In that uppity sort of way, she was used to in her customers at Saks. “But she’s not the kind of beautiful you usually go for. “

“Thank God,” Peggy muttered under her breath.

“Greenwich, Connecticut? Come on. She obviously comes from money and you‘ve never been into high maintenance. Dating your swanky boss is one thing but…”

“Jesus Maura, get the chip off your shoulder,” Peggy interjected with a hard glare before Andy could explode. “Just because you have to deal with those rich bitches giving you a hard time at Saks, doesn’t mean every woman who has money is stuck up or high maintenance.  I spent a lot of time with Sharon at Nicole’s wedding and she could not have been kinder and more gracious.

“Peggy’s right.” Andy tried to keep his cool, reminding himself that there was a time that he too had thought that Sharon, with her luxurious Brazilian blowout, Armani suits, and designer high heels was looking down her pretty nose at him.  “Look Maur. You think I don’t know she’s out of my league? I do. But not because she comes from money and we don’t. Because she is amazing and she has a heart bigger than anyone I‘ve ever known. I don’t know why she loves me or why she agreed to marry me. I just thank God that she did. Give her a chance, get to know her. You might have more in common than you think.”

“Doubtful,” Maura scoffed.

Andy took a deep breath trying to remain patient; the last thing he wanted Sharon to witness was a knock down drag out Flynn family fight.  “I’m serious. Her life hasn’t always been easy. She’s had to struggle just like all of us. And just like you, she had a louse of a husband who walked out on her and left her to raise her children alone, only she didn’t have any financial support from him.” He didn’t think it would be smart to add that unlike Maura, Sharon hadn’t allowed herself to wallow in bitterness and self-pity, because he knew a thing or two about bitterness and self-pity. Maura was more like him or the him that he used to be than he cared to admit.

Maura turned and tried to look at Sharon through new eyes. The younger woman was smiling and completely focused on whatever Sylvia was telling her. She didn’t usually change her opinions on people but maybe, just maybe her judgment of Sharon was clouded by her own unhappiness…and jealousy.  Maybe Sharon’s quiet, soft-spoken manner just meant that she was a reserved person, not that she was a snob.

“You shouldn’t judge people so quickly,” Antonella admonished her.

Maura held her hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay, I get it.“

“And you,” Antonella turned to her brother. “You should not be so hard on yourself. You are handsome and you can certainly be charming when you want to be. You are also kind and sweet--when you aren’t trying to be Mr. Tough guy, and you walk out your door every day and protect people. That is nothing if not admirable. Why shouldn’t Sharon fall in love with you? So you’ve made some mistakes, everyone does. It‘s how we rectify those mistakes that really matters and you seem to be doing a good job with that. I was so happy to see Nicole today. She’s turned into a lovely young woman. Peggy gave me the quick run down about you and Sharon, how you went from adversaries to, well, I guess where you are now. But I would like to hear it from you. Why do you love her? Why do you want to marry her?” It was telling to Nell that Andy didn‘t even have to pause to think about it.

“It’s true. I used to think Sharon was uptight, brusque, humorless, all business. But the first time I saw her smile, damn…It was like the sun filled the room. Then as I got to know her I could see that the way she distanced herself, the walls she put up, were all part of the job she had at the time. Now I’d say an easier question would be, what don’t I love about her? She’s courageous, strong, and confident. She really cares about the people who work for her and she has this, I don’t know how to explain it, this depth of love for her family that has just always reached out and grabbed me right in the heart. She’s a phenomenal mother and she has great kids.  She’s also direct, doesn’t play games and she can give back as good as she gets; I find that all very sexy. And one of the things that I’ve come to admire most about Sharon is what used to drive me crazy about her, no matter what’s going on she’s always cool-headed and in control., always grace under fire.”

“Well, they do say opposites attract.” Gina’s grin belied her sarcasm.

“Let him finish,” Nell said.

Andy smiled at his eldest sister and continued. “I know people say this all the time but Sharon really is one of those people who is every inch as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She’s just a real doll. When she smiles at me I feel like I’m ten feet tall and when I’m with her she’s this kind of safe harbor where I can forget all the ugliness of the world of murderers, rapists, and pedophiles where I spend my days. I’ve never had anyone in my life that has been able to do that for me. Before Sharon, I felt so empty inside.” There was a slight emotional break in his voice and Nell reached out to take his hand, her eyes soft with sympathy. “ I tried to fill that emptiness with booze and when I had to give that up, my job, but nothing ever completely worked…until her. Sharon fills all that emptiness inside me and now I feel like I have a second chance at life.”

His sisters had gone silent and were staring at him with something akin to amazement.

“What?” he asked.

“You’re a freaking poet now?“  

“Maura stop it.” Peggy swatted at her with a dishrag. “That was beautiful Andy.” Andy shrugged, slightly embarrassed by how sappy he‘d gotten.

Maura smiled and jabbed him with her elbow. “I’m just giving you crap. I can see why you love her now. It’s not just about how she looks.” When Andy shook his head and turned back to the sink Maura’s smile faded and she reached out to touch the scar on his neck. “Are you still having any issues with that clot and the pinched nerve?”

“A little. The clot is gone, but I’ll still be on blood thinners for a few more months and I still get some numbness in my hand from the nerve issue. Until that goes away, I’m going to be stuck on friggin’ desk duty. “

“Well, better that than the alternative,” Peggy eyeballed him. “It had to be terrifying to think you were having a heart attack.”

“It was. It sure as hell felt like one. The pain in my chest took my breath away and it went down my arm just like you hear about a heart attack. Then my arm went numb.  I don’t remember much of what happened. But I do remember Sharon holding one of my hands for dear life.” While the other caressed his face soothingly.  “All I could think about at that moment was that I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to leave her.” The memory of the love and terror shining in Sharon’s eyes was still so vivid, as was the feel of her tears dripping on his hand, the hand she continued to clutch in the ambulance while begging him not to leave her. He had so many regrets at that moment. He had waited far too long to ask her out on a real date. He had foolishly allowed his fears to keep him from telling her that he loved her as soon as he’d come to that realization. He was never going to see her roll her eyes at him again, or shake her head with long-suffering patience when he was being a pain in the ass or slap at his arm or chest when she was irritated with him or amused by him. He would never again hear that wonderful laugh or see her bright emerald eyes turn to soft jade when he made love to her. But his biggest regret was that he might never know what it would have been like to call her his wife.

“Aaaandy….”

The four siblings paused in their conversation and Andy turned and grinned widely at the familiar voice. “Hey, Dennis. Sharon, come meet Dennis.”

The man who met Andy in the living room for a hug was barely five feet tall, his hair salt and pepper, his eyeglasses coke bottle thick and he had the nasal tone of someone with Down syndrome. This was the man who was more brother than a cousin, the man whom Andy used to protect from the bullies.

“Is this your girlfriend, Andy?” He eyed Sharon up and down with a frankness that in other men would have earned him a Darth Raydor glare, but which was, she knew, just innocent curiosity.

“Yes, she is. This is Sharon. But she’s more than my girlfriend; Den. Sharon’s going to be my wife.”

“I like that, Andy. Hi Sharon. I’m Dennis.” He held out a hand as he had been taught.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Dennis.” Sharon’s smile was warm and genuine. “Andy’s told me so much about you and what great friends you were growing up.”

Dennis turned to Andy with a smile. “I like her Andy. She’s nice. And she’s really pretty too.”

“Yes, she is, isn‘t she.”

“Can I come to your wedding, Sharon?”

Sharon’s heart melted. “Of course you can. You’re family; we’ll be inviting the whole family. And I know how special you are to Andy.”

“Andy’s my friend.”

“You bet I am.” Andy fist bumped him. At that point, his Aunt Loretta came in followed by Peggy’s husband Luke who had been busy all day at the restaurant.

“I live in my own house now, Andy.”

“You do?” Andy raised a brow at his aunt.

“He does,” Loretta nodded. “It’s a duplex in Queens where he lives with others who have Down’s.”

“That’s great Den. Do you still work at Stop n’ Shop?”

“Yes. I get the carts and bag the groceries and sometimes they let me help put out the vegetables. Are you still a police officer?”

“You bet.”

“Andy’s a hero,” Dennis told Sharon. It touched Sharon deeply to see the affection and hero worship Dennis had for Andy, the man who had protected him throughout his childhood. She reached out and took Andy’s hand, pulling it into her lap.

“Yes, he is.”

“Where do you work, Sharon?”

“I work with Andy.”

“You’re a police officer too?”

“I am.”

“Then you’re a hero too.”

“Nice to know there are some people left in the world who still think so,” Andy muttered under his breath. Sharon gave him a little smirk but nodded in agreement.

“Here they are Sharon. I knew I could find them.” Sylvia entered the living room carrying several photo albums.

“Oh Ma, what are those,” Andy groaned.

Sharon grinned and grabbed one of the albums. “Payback is a you know what. I deserve a little retribution for you pilfering through my awkward stages. “

“Babe you didn’t have any awkward stages.”

Maura rolled her eyes and stuck a finger down her throat as if to make herself vomit. Andy glared at her but Sharon laughed.

“You were right Sylvia,” she said. “He does have the gift of blarney.”

“It’s not blarney,” he protested. “It's a fact. You were beautiful from the day you were born.”

“Well, I still say you’re a tad biased, but I love you for it.” She kissed the back of his hand and then dropped it to flip open to the first page of the album. “But not enough to miss out on finding a picture of Andy Flynn the altar boy that I was promised is one of these albums.”

“Oh God, if Provenza ever got hold of that…”

“Stay on my good side honey and all will be well.”

Sylvia grinned and nudged Andy. “She’s got a sneaky side. I like that.”

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

“I don’t think Maura liked me very much.” Sharon lay curled up to Andy’s side, her fingertips tracing imaginary patterns over his broad t-shirt covered chest. As soon as they got to their hotel at JFK airport, they had washed up, brushed their teeth and gone straight to bed. It had been a long day and they had to be up early in the morning.

“Maura doesn’t like anyone, babe.” Andy kissed the top of her head. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“I’m serious, Andy.”

“So am I. Look, right now Maura doesn’t like much of anything. I told you her first husband ditched her and left her to raise her two kids alone and now her second husband just left her for a younger woman. She had to sell her house and she hates her job. She’s angry at the world.”

“It’s hard to blame her for that. I wish there was something we could do to help her.”

“Yeah, me too. At least when I was that low I had a job that I loved. I don’t know how I would have gotten through everything if I’d lost my job.”

“Well, let’s be thankful you didn’t.” If he had lost his job during his drinking days, they never would have connected. “It’s too bad Joe’s living in Florida now, I would like to have met him. And I wish I’d gotten to spend more time with Nell. She’s worked in some fascinating places.”

Andy snorted derisively. “If you consider no electricity, no running water, and a hole in the ground for a bathroom as fascinating. I‘d call it hell.”

“Andy!” She gently swatted at his chest.

“What? It’s true.”

She reached into his t-shirt and pulled out the ring he always wore on a chain around his neck. She toyed with it for a few seconds before asking, “There’s more to this ring than just the fact that it was your father’s, isn’t there?”

“How…” He trailed off without finishing the question. Sharon was a detective; there must have been something she had seen when Antonella commented on it. “It is my father’s ring, but he didn’t give it to me, Antonella did. I was pretty messed up after my Dad died.” He trailed off as if unsure how to continue. Sharon hummed with understanding and nuzzled into his chest comfortingly. Losing his father at the young age of 14 to a brain aneurysm had been traumatizing. Andy didn’t talk about it often, but he had told her how it had led him to start following his older brother down a path that could have gotten him into serious trouble.

“My mother wasn’t really there for us. I know she was shocked and grieving and she had to support all of us but I didn’t see it that way then.” Fourteen was such an awkward age. He had tried so hard to be a man and keep his tears contained, but inside he was still a little boy who wanted to sob out his grief and who needed his mother to hold him and comfort him, and promise him that everything was going to be all right even though it felt like the end of the world. Instead, his mother had turned inward and he’d felt lost. Sylvia was not a bad mother, he always knew she loved him, but she was not a nurturer; she was more a pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get on with life kind of mother.  A more sensitive person, a mother like Sharon, would have seen through his tough outer shell and helped him deal with his loss. A mother like Sharon would have told him it was okay to cry and comforted him through his sorrow.  “If it wasn’t for Nell we probably all would have run wild. Then, not even a full year after my dad died, Nell decided to join the convent. I was really pissed about it--and I was a dick to her. I couldn’t believe she really wanted to be a nun. I accused her of wanting to get away from all of us so badly she was willing to throw her life away to do it.”

“I’m sure she knew you were just lashing out because you were hurt.”

“I don’t know.”

"It's really not surprising that you felt that way. First, your father dies, then your mother emotionally shuts down and then the one person who always gave you that unconditional nurturing love tells you she is leaving. It makes perfect sense that you'd feel lost and abandoned." Sharon's heart ached. Though it was impossible, she wished there was some way she could go back in time and take away the pain that he'd gone through as a boy.

"I told Nell I hated her. God, I wish I could take that back. It was the last thing I said before she left for the convent." He placed a hand over the one Sharon was rubbing over his chest, and then lifted it to touch his necklace. "After she left, when I got back to my bedroom there was an envelope on my pillow. When my father died, my mother gave us all something to remember him. As the oldest, Antonella got his wedding ring. Inside the envelope was his ring on a chain. There was a letter with it. She wrote that whenever I felt alone I should wear that ring around my neck and know that both her and my dad were with me."

Sharon sniffed and he glanced down to see tears swimming in her eyes.

"Hey, are you crying? Don't cry. Like I said before it was a long time ago."

"I can't help it. Sometimes you break my heart. "When she was in his arms like this it was hard to remember a time when he had thought she was cold and hard, because under that Darth Raydor glare there was no one softer or gentler than Sharon was.

"I don't mean to."

"Comes with the territory when you love someone. Have you been wearing it all this time?"

"No. I didn't put it on right away but I did hold onto to it. I kept it in my drawer and the day that I came home from my first AA meeting I put it on and I haven't taken it off since-though it has had a few new chains. I guess I figured I needed all the help that I could get.

"And has it helped?"

"I think it has, yeah. I don't really need it anymore, now that I have you. But, I kind of like having a part of my dad with me."

Sharon reached out to rub the ring between her fingers. "I wish I could have met him. He sounds like he was a good man. Your mother still wears her wedding ring and it's been what, 41 years since he died."

"Mmm...She was only 43 when it happened, he was only 50. A couple of my aunts tried to set her up on dates but she said that in her heart she was still married to my father and that's the way it would always be."

"That's both sad and romantic."

"She really believes that she's going to see him again when she dies and that's why she's not afraid of dying."

"Do you believe that?" Universal Salvation was one of the basic tenets of Christianity and sometimes she wasn't exactly sure where Andy stood in his relationship with God.

"I grew up in the church, you know that. You saw the altar boy pictures. I can't believe my mother gave you one."

Sharon giggled. "You were adorable."

He shrugged. "If you say so."

"I do." She rose on one elbow so she could see his face. "I also know you've had your issues with the church."

Andy grew silent, the conflict within him still there, though far less strong than it had been in the past. Sharon didn't prod or push, he loved that about her. She simply caressed her thumb over his cheek until he was ready to speak.

"After my father died, I was so angry with God for taking him. I just could'nt understand it. There were so many bad guys out there; my dad was a good guy, why did God have to take him? Why?" The pain was still there, even after all these years.

"I don't know. Sometimes we just can't understand why. That's what faith is, believing that there is a reason even if we don't yet understand what it is."

Andy sighed noncommittally. He wished he shared her unwavering faith. Those words were not just a platitude. She too had suffered loss at a young age when her brother died so she understood what he was feeling. "I hadn't even gotten a chance to get through that when Nell told us she was leaving us for God."

"Andy. Oh, honey, she wasn't leaving you for God."

"That's what it felt like. When I went off to college I walked away from all of it, God and the church."

"But you married Sandra in the church." It was the reason he was going to need an annulment too.

"I did. Sandra's family is Hispanic and Catholic so we married in the church but Sandra wasn't all that religious. Other than the big things like, baptisms, first communions, Christmas, Easter, we didn't go to church after we were married. Then I joined AA. Part of that is having a higher power."

"But it doesn't have to be God, right?" She knew a bit about AA from Jack's few short stints and a lot more from Andy.

"No, it doesn't. It can be anything. It's all about accepting that you can't conquer your addiction alone. But when I started thinking about a higher power, I kept coming back to what I knew. Once a Catholic always a Catholic, right? Then, it wasn't very long after that when the church scandal hit and I was so pissed I couldn't bring myself to go back to church."

Sharon nodded, pain tightening in her chest. She had experienced her own crisis of faith when the Catholic Church scandal exploded. It had been a very dark time for her and she'd only been able to navigate her way through it with the help of Father Stan who at that point had only been her priest for a few years. It had drawn them much closer and with his help, and a lot of soul-searching, she had chosen to remain a faithful Catholic, though she would never again be the innocent follower she had once been.

"I didn't really get back into going to church until I moved in with you. But I think that He and I have made peace now."

"How's that?"

"He's gotten me through some really rough times with my addiction and He gave you to me. Maybe even God needs to make amends."

Sharon gave a soft laugh and kissed his bicep. "An interesting theological concept. I'll let you take that up with Father Stan. But I am glad that you made your peace with God, with Antonella, and with Nicole."

"Me too. I like having a clean slate to start my life with you." Though he felt there might be one person left he had yet to make peace with. He had made his amends to Sandra but he wasn't sure they had ever really made peace.

"It's really going to happen for us, isn't it?"

"You bet it is, babe." He kissed the top of her head. "That is if you still want to marry me after hearing about what a troublemaker I was."

Her laughter was smothered into his shoulder. "Well, I've always known you were a troublemaker. I seem to remember our first fight was over your employee file."

"Second fight. The first one was over the evidence you removed from a murder scene we were investigating."

"Ah yes. You won that one. Pope made me return it all to you."

"Only because Brenda went to him to plead her case."

"Hmm…you're right." Brenda Leigh Johnson had gotten her job as deputy chief through a sexual relationship she'd had in the past with their chief of police. Because of that relationship, Brenda was usually able to get her way with him and Chief Pope let her get away with things he would never have accepted with any of his other officers.

"You know, a few years back there was a time we thought Brenda and Pope might have picked up where they had left off. I wanted to know if she was banging the boss and now here I am…"

"Andy Flynn, do NOT continue that statement."

"Uh, I wasn't. I mean, uh, I was just going to say, here I am marrying the boss."

Her eyes narrowed. Andy was a terrible liar. "Sure you were."

"I was. But to give you full disclosure,  I like banging her too."

"Andy!" Her attempt at chastising him was ruined when she couldn't contain her giggle.

"What? It's true."

"You really are incorrigible."

"And that doesn't give you second thoughts?"

"Not at all." She watched him playing with the engagement ring on her finger. "It's actually kind of tantalizing. Who knew that underneath it all I actually have a thing for sexy bad boys?"

"Sexy, huh?"

She got back up on her elbow and cupped a hand over his cheek, her voice a throaty purr. "Very, VERY sexy."

The End…

Of this installment anyway. Stay tuned as the story continues back in LA with "Saying Good-bye to Yesterday" which will focus on the annulments and some of what happened in Season Five. We will meet Winnie Davis and Sandra and there will be a few fireworks with Jack who is not going to be happy about his kids forcing him to sign the annulment papers. As with this story it will weave in and out of canon.

[isobel-thorm]

I don’t have a quote or anything for a prompt but I’d love to see your take on your deputy meeting Sharky, or maybe some random crazy incident with cultists. Just general Sharky shenanigans please lol

Sharky’s Angels (The Good, 70′s Kind) 

(Putting both of my Deps in again because I need to buck up and write Grant’s fic)

After all the shit Deputies Nic and Grant go through, Sharky invites them for a night out on the town. It goes about as well as a night on the town hosted by Sharky could go: Shit’s on fire, John gets a confession, and there’s a giant chunk of the last night missing from their memory. At least one of them wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“I mean, seeing as y’all helped liberate the place, you should come out for a night. See how we really live it up in Falls End!”

For Deputy Grant Lyons and Nicolette Raylan, Sharky’s invitation for a night out was just what they needed. Their time in Hope County was a bigger clusterfuck than either of them could have anticipated, and after almost dying twice daily for the last week, they needed a fucking break, and a beer sounded great. 

They felt bad that Staci and Joey weren’t there to join them, but they hoped the others would do the same in their shoes so they accepted.

And then word got out that they were showing up to party, so nearly every single townsperson had shown up for a drink and to encourage the two deputies to unwind.

Of course, their idea of unwinding after everything was picking the corner table in the bar, nursing a couple of beers each and watching everyone have fun. They didn’t want to let their guard down, considering they had discussed that if the rumor that they were going out for the night reached the entire town, it would probably get back to John, and he’d gladly crash the party.

However, by 10pm, the only danger was Sharky nearly elbowing every single person on the dance floor as he did some odd, hilarious combination of the little jumping jig he did when they had first met him, the robot, and disco moves.

The pair of them were nearly in tears when Sharky stepped on his tenth victim’s toes, jumped back and blubbered a quick apology before getting right back into it- but not before he tried to wave them over.

They had waved and promised to get on the dance floor ‘in a little bit.’ Sharky had taken it upon himself to give them a ten-minute limit. He had come back, done a couple of shots and dragged the pair of them onto the dance floor. They had caved for his sake, danced together for a couple of songs, and then retreated quickly back to their table.

Sharky had drifted back a song later, taken another shot and declared “Shark Attack is on the prowl!”

Within minutes, Sharky had been hanging off of every third girl in the bar. Grant wasn’t sure who to feel worse for, the women or Sharky. He liked the man and considered him a friend- something both of them had very few of. But watching the man in action when all he talked about was his prowess in eating women out, well, it was... something. Once he caught a few of Sharky’s attempted conquests women giving him a pleading look with a side helping of bedroom eyes, he felt even worse.

He wasn’t the only one who noticed, either. Nicolette had spotted a couple of them and full-on cackled. “Oh, Grant, you’ve got some admirers…”

“Shut up,” Grant elbowed her.

She didn’t. “The blonde over there is sexy.”

“If you’re into that,” Grant countered.

“I kinda am,” Nicolette replied.

Grant chuckled. “Careful, John’s liable to get jealous.”

“Shut up.”

Grant laughed. “I’m not the one giving the enemy sex eyes every time I’m in a hundred-foot radius of him.”

Nicolette opened her mouth, then shut it firmly and jabbed a finger in his face.

Grant grinned, til he realized what it meant. If he knew about any of her trysts before they arrived in Hope County, he’d give her shit, and she’d respond with something about him pining over Staci. And now out of the genuine goodness of her heart, she couldn’t bring herself to mention Staci with all the trouble he was in, miles away and in Jacob’s clutches. He forced a smile and kissed her cheek to make up for the mistake he had essentially forced on her. 

She smiled reassuringly at him, then looked at the other women who were still looking to Grant for help. She turned back to him, reached over, and finger walked from his abs to his chest and grinned that little up-to-no-good smile of hers. 

Grant smirked as he caught on and tried to look like a man very much in love with the woman beside him - which wasn’t far off. If platonic loves of someone’s lives existed, she was his. 

Still, the show worked, because the women immediately seemed to fall for the trick and disappeared back into the crowd. 

“Thank you,” Grant sighed. 

“Don’t mention it.” 

The sound of someone being slapped echoed throughout the room and they turned towards it to see a redheaded woman storming away and Sharky holding his cheek that had the visible edges of a bright red handprint on it.

“Oh, Honey…” she sighed.

“You gonna go Legally Blonde him or save him in general?” Grant asked.

“Legally Blonde,” she replied. She rose to her feet, tossed her hair and stuck her chest out- then promptly stopped in her tracks when she noticed the redhead talking to a bulky man who was easily a foot taller than Grant and a few inches wider. “Abort, abort, save him, save him now!”

Grant was already halfway across the floor before she had even corrected herself. He tossed one arm around Sharky’s shoulders to block him from view as he dragged the man through the densest crowd and slid out the side entrance before Mr. Tall and Menacing could find him.

“The fuck man?! I was just getting somewhere with Ellie May-”

“Yeah, and the last one’s boyfriend was gonna make you Sharkbait. Ya get me?” Grant hissed.

Sharky stared at him for a solid few seconds like he very much did not get Grant, but after a few added seconds, the lightbulb went off. “Man, you guys are so cool, swoopin’ in with a rescue. Like my own personal angels without the bliss. Ha, you’re Charlemagne’s Angels. But yeah, Harry’s a dick.”

Grant blinked at him. “You mean you know that guy… you know what, nevermind. I don’t wanna know.”

Sharky waved his hands, then looked around. “You know what would make this party way better? My black label.”

“Your what?” Grant asked, just as Nicolette finally rejoined the group.

“Liquor I made! I don’t even remember what’s in it or what it’s supposed to be. I just remember trying to blend whiskey, moonshine and absinthe and hopin’ for the best.”

Nicolette sighed and cupped his face in her hands. “Sharky, I love you, but how’re you not dead?”

“Will to live, disco, and pyromania,” Sharky replied without missing a beat- like he had rehearsed it.

The two deputies merely exchanged glances, but said nothing.

Sharky looked between them. “So, you in or not?”

Nicolette sighed. “Fine. Whatever. I do kinda miss letting loose.”

Sharky absolutely beamed, then looked at Grant hopefully.

Grant sighed. “Someone’s gotta make sure you two don’t fucking die.”

“YES!” Sharky jumped up and down. “Wait, goddamn it, John ruined that word. HOO-RAH! That’s your word, right Grant? Wait, Jacob ruined that one too.”

Grant immediately felt some of the buzz he had accumulated fade out at the reminded that he had the Army in common with that fucking psychopath. “Let’s just go, Sharky.”

“YEAH! … Wait-”

“SHARKY!”

“Okay, let’s go.”

——————————————-

The moment Grant came to he knew two things:

One, he was never ever drinking again.

Two, he was never ever trusting Sharky again.

He let the night sky come into focus, and prayed he had only lost a matter of hours and not days in whatever drunken stupor this clearly was. He was dimly aware of orange glows spotting the edges of his visions, but the fact that the last time he had seen this exact sight was after the fucking helicopter crash, he immediately had one giant glaring priority. “Nic?!”

There was suddenly a reassuring pat on his chest. “I’m here, but at what cost, holy shit. I can’t feel my body.”

Grant merely groaned in agreement. “Where’s Sharky?”

No idea. “I kinda want him to stay lost right now,” Nicolette supplied.

“What the fuck is on fire?” Grant asked.

“Kind of been terrified to look.”

“… On three?”

“On three.”

“One… “

“Two…”

“Three,” they said together, then awkwardly tried to help each other into a sitting position and turned towards the larger mass of orange off to their right- and promptly stared in awe as well as confusion.

Sharky was leaning casually against what they could only assume was the Telecom Tower- which was somehow rigged with burning ropes or sheets,  spelling out ‘FUCK YOU JOHN’ in giant letters that anybody within a few hundred feet of the tower could see clearly. 

The moment the man spotted them, he beamed, and they were horrified to see that he looked no worse for wear when they weren’t entirely sure they had survived the night. He jogged over. “There y’all are! Man, you two sure know how to party more than anyone expected.”

“Who…?” Nicolette asked, motioning at the sign.

“Why?” Grant cut in.

“Oh, that was a mutual decision on all our parts,” Sharky explained. “We wanted to do something that would annoy the man but not enough to get him to come and ruin the fun. Man, Grant, you scaled that thing so quick, it was some Spider-Batman shit.”

Grant gawked at him, then at the top of the tower. “I did…?”

“Hell yeah you did! Nic tied the shit together and stayed on the ground to run damage control in case John did show up and she could and I quote ya, Nic, for the record- ‘take one for the team like Addie suggested and get us out of it.’”

Nicolette gripped Grant’s arm tight enough that the man knew he’d have a bruise. He pried her hands off of him.

Sharky looked between them again, then grinned. “Hoooolllllly shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. You guys don’t remember shit, do you? That’s hilarious.”

“It’s really not,” Nicolette objected.

Sharky waved at her dismissively. “Whatever. I got you guys to unwind. You’re welcome.”

After ten seconds of dead silence and Sharky shrugging, announcing he had to take a piss and leaving the area to do so, Grant finally spoke. “… … I’m gonna kill him.”

“I might actually help yo-oh my god, don’t turn around.” Nic cut herself off and reached for him.

“What, you see his dick?”

She sighed. “The other thing that was on fire, you idi- NO I SAID DON’T-”

But Grant had, and stared as he saw smoke billowing out of the windows of what used to be an orange pickup truck.  “IS THAT MY TRUCK?! BOSHAW!”

Nicolette flinched, not willing to see whatever carnage was about to occur when Grant stood up and faced Sharky. 

“What?! You were insistent that ‘fuck you John’ needed an exclaima- fuck you run fast for a big guy with a hangov- OH GOD.”

Nicolette winced harded at the sound of the pair of them hitting the ground, Sharky yelping a couple of times, and then the familiar sound of Hungover Grant Regretting All His Life Choices. Well, Sharky was spared- for now. They just needed to find a new truck. Wouldn’t difficult in the long run.

The radio at her hip clicked on, and she reached for the transmitter. “Fuck off, John.”

“… I understand the sentiment entirely, but I ain’t him.”

Mary May. “Fuck. Sorry. Flight Captain Asshole’s been really adamant about talking to me lately.”

“Honey, you were kinda adamant about talking to him last night,” Mary May cut in.

“Funny thing about that is that I don’t remember any of it so I can willfully deny it,” Nicolette countered. 

“Plead the fifth. Charming.”

“Plausible deniability,” she corrected.

“God, Nic, do you remember anything?” Mary May asked.

“Should I?” she replied.

Mary May was silent for a moment, then laughed. “Aaaand another victim falls to Sharky’s black label. We’ve all been there.”

“Should. I?” Nicolette repeated. “… What the fuck did I say to John?”

“Oh, nothing to him, thank God. You just kinda tried to yell at him through us because ‘he always does it to you and it’s annoying as fuck’,” Mary May replied. “My personal favorite was ‘John I’ve got a confession for you. I confess to thinking you’re a little bitch.’ But that was really early in the night. Was that other message to John at the tower your doing too?”

“Apparently.”

“Shit, you really don’t remember. Well, turns out y’all took a bunch of pictures  before you disappeared.”

Right, so this was probably going to be their version of The Hangover. Fantastic. “Please tell me I’m fully clothed in all of them.”

“Uh, well, it looks like you are in the latest few, but now I’m afraid to check.”

“We’ll be back at your place in ten.” Her body throbbed at the mere implication it was going to have to move soon. “Make that twenty.”

“I’ll expect you in half an hour.”

“Thank you. Love you.”

“See ya later, Nic.”

Nicolette switched the radio off, groaned and then leaned back again, only to hit her head on something. She glanced to the side and saw some sort of liquor bottle. She picked it up, opened it and gave it an experimental sniff. The resulting full-on assault of her sense of smell confirmed that it was whatever this Black Label was. She could dimly hear Grant snoring in the distance- the very stuff in the bottle she was holding had provided a hangover that could knock people back unconscious. It was a damn mess. She swore, then after making a quick, all-life-choices-questioned decision of her own, took a quick pull. Hair of the dog that bit you seemed like a smart idea if it ended that bad after a bender. She regretted it immediately since every part of her body burned as it went down and it left an abhorrent aftertaste.

“Hey! Nic! You still with me?!” Sharky called after a moment.

“Yeah, still with ya!”

“Awesome! Woman outlasts the fucking man, good for you!”

She merely groaned again. “Sharky, I hate you. So much.”

“No, ya don’t.”

“Kinda wanna right now.”

“As if you could ever. You got this far, you’re stuck with me. Ride or die, Darlin’!”

“Ride or die,” she chorused. She cracked one eye open, and as much as it pained her to admit it, his answering ear to ear grin made the whole entire fiasco worth it.

[bamby0304]

Making Fun a Priority IV

For Ash’s “Fall Into Negan” Writing Challenge. My prompt was Crisp, Cool Air. This is gonna take of right after the last part, so if you need a recap here's the Masterlist :):)

Summary: Negan's proposal isn't taken well, which puts a wedge between him and Brandi. As much as she likes him and the fun they have, she's not sure if saying yes would be the right choice. With the question unanswered and doubts hanging in the air, Negan leaves Brandi to her thoughts… but that might not have been the right choice on his behalf...

Warnings: Language, no smut in this one… sorry guys!

Bamby

"Marry me."

A laugh escaped my lips… only to die once my eyes met Negan's. "Wait, you're being serious?"

"Of course I'm being fucking serious." He answered as if that should be obvious. "Marry me."

Despite the pleasant thrum still pulsing inside me, I shifted to sit up as I tried to wrap my head around the situation. "What about your wives?"

He stepped back slightly, shrugging. "What about them?"

"Do you really think you need another?"

"This has never been about need, Sweetheart. It's about want." His signature grin fell into place. "And I want you." His eyes roamed my body, taking in the still naked skin. "Oh boy do I want you."

"Did you ever stop to think about what I might want?" By the look of the frown that replaced his grin, I could tell what I the meaning to my words where lost. Instead I sounded harsher than I'd meant, the message misinterpreted.

"If you're trying to tell me you didn't enjoy-"

"No!" I quickly cut him off. "Of course I enjoyed… that." Gesturing between us, I found it hard to say the words as nerves and embarrassment began to bubble inside me. "I like you Negan. But… I don't want to be the next old-fling. I don't want to give myself to you completely, only to lose you once some new girl walks into your life."

His grin found its way back onto his lips. "You don't want to share me?"

Holding his gaze, I tried to look strong and confident as I told him the real underlining problem. "I don't want to have to compete for your attention. I don't want to be replaced."

"You really think you're replaceable?"

"I think I'm forgettable."

The look that crossed Negan's face was one I'd never seen before, and that frightened me. It made my stomach curl in fear and my heart sink far into the depths of my chest in order to protect itself, to hide from the consequences of my spoken truth. My mind scolded me for saying such a thing to his face, while my nerves screamed in panic, vibrating to the edge of combustion.

A hard knock on the door stilled the room.

Pulling away from me, Negan adjusted his jean, redoing the zip, button and belt as he headed over to see who was on the other side. Grasping the handle, he gave and hard but short tug so he could look to the person, but also made sure they couldn't look in- seeing as I was still half naked.

"What?" His voice was harsh, angered, impatient. Negan clearly didn't like having been interrupted.

"One of the machines aren't looking too good. We're gonna need someone to come down here and fix it." Simon told him, seeming unaffected by Negan's brash attitude. "And Fat Joey just called over the radio. We got some problems in the cafeteria… apparently there's been another fight."

"For fuck's sake." Groaning, Negan glanced at me, before turning back to give Simon a nod. "Let's get this shit sorted before it fucking gets out of hand." There was a pause as he continued to stand there. I listened to the sound of Simon walking away, once he was far enough, Negan spoke to me without looking my way. "If you think we're finished here, we're not." Just like that, he was gone.

I waited for a moment. Listening out, I made sure I was alone, everyone else gone, before I pulled myself up. I knew the clothes would be fine in the driers for a while. I knew I had some time to kill before I would need to get back to work. So, I was going to use that time to calm myself and clear my mind.

Feeling the thrum and pleasant ache from my activities with Negan still tingling against my panic nerves, covering them like a protective and nurturing blanket, I slid off the bench and began to dress myself. Ignoring my feelings- which included the tingling, and even the uncomfortable throb in my injured ankle- I focuses on pulling my clothes on quickly so I could get out of there as soon as possible.

Bursting through the factory doors, I breathed in the crisp, cool air. It was the slap to the face I needed. It calmed the racing thoughts whirling through my mind. Walking along the dirt path, I headed for nowhere. All I wanted was to stay out in the chilled air, and let it sink in through my skin, down to my bones, in the hopes it would cool the residue heat from Negan's touch.

Negan's proposal had come out of nowhere. It had been the biggest shock in a day full of surprises. Never would I have imagined him saying those two words to me.

Then again, I never would have imagined him paying me any attention at all. A few weeks ago, if you had told me Negan was going to propose to me I would have laughed in your face. I thought for sure he didn't even know who I was. But, maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. That didn't matter anymore. Now he knew me, and now I seemed to be at the centre of his attention.

Part of me was glad I was now on Negan's radar, and it wasn't just because of the sex. Negan, he could make me feel good in ways I never knew possible. He made me feel wanted, and sexy. But he also made me laugh, which was hard in the world we lived in. He made me feel safe as well- which was ironic, I know.

The rest of me was unsure. Marrying him probably wouldn't be the right decision, but was sleeping with him any better? Was it any different? Being with him like I had been lately was dangerous. If I was found out I could be a target for violence and revenge. If he found someone else my heart would break.

It was all very complicated.

As I continued to wonder and wander, I found a small table by the fence lined with the dead as they moaned and groaned. A few people were on guard, pacing the perimeter, keeping an eye out and a grip on their guns just in case. None of them seemed to care- or notice- when I decided to plant myself down at the table.

Sitting there, I looked to the dead, watching them as they shifted as much as they could, reaching out for the poor unfortunate people who worked at maintaining the fence. Seeing both the living and dead people there, it made me think of the cruller side of Negan.

He might make me feel good, and desired. He might touch me with soft and warm hands, with the intent to only cause intense pleasure. But that didn't correct all the bad he did.

Killing, maiming, hurting, kidnapping people. Taking over communities. Ordering others around. Declaring ownership of the land surrounding us in every direction, and anything or anyone who remained in said area. He was a demanding and ambitious character.

To think that he could turn on me at any second… it scared me. The chances were minimal, as long as I didn't do anything to provoke him… but there was still a chance, albeit a small one. No one was safe from his wrath and his punishing ways. His deadly ways.

It made me think of the look I'd seen on his face right before Simon had knocked on the door, and then the words he'd shared with me before he'd left. Maybe I'd already crossed the line? Maybe my punishment was already coming? Maybe I was already done for?

Shivering against the cool wind, I wrapped my arms around me and got to my feet. As much as my brain wanted to sit and stew in my thoughts and confusion, my body knew it had more important things to do. Hoping the driers were done by now, I started for the laundry again.

No one came to disturb me while I was working. I just stood there, folding all the clothes as they finished in the machines.

Having been standing and working for hours my arms were now like jelly, my legs no better. The thrum from Negan's touches had melted away. My confusion had muddled as my fuzzy and tired brain set itself into autopilot. All I wanted and needed at that moment was sleep. I needed to recharge.

The throb in my ankle had finally gone from uncomfortable to almost unbearable. I'd fought through it until the job was done, but by then I was too tired and my ankle was too sore. So, instead of getting the hell out of there I sat myself in a corner on some unwashed sheets, and let myself fall asleep. Instead of going to the solitude and security of my room where I could curl into my nice, comfortable and warm bed, I slept right there on the floors of the laundry.

It was already dark out, most people would be either having dinner, heading off to their rooms, or getting some rec time in before it gets too late and curfew falls. I wasn't sure if my choice to stay in the laundry was a good one or not, but I did know I didn't want to risk hurting my ankle again.

The crisp, cool air outside was trickling in through the thin metal sheeting walls. It pressed against my skin and reached deep into my bones. But I neither cared nor worried about the cold. My heavy eyes were too busy falling shut as I shifted on the sheets in order to find the most comfortable position in an otherwise awkward situation.

As I came back to consciousness I found it hard to open my heavy and weary eyes. But that's not all I found… I was no longer in the laundry mat. Instead, I was now moving. I was in the arms of someone hard and warm. It was a nice contrast to my ice-cold skin. Shivering in their hold, I buried myself against their heat, letting it seep into me.

Neither of us said a word. Part of me knew I should be worried. I didn't know who was carrying me. I didn't know where we were going. I didn't know what they intended to do with me. But the rest of me- most of me- didn't care. I was too tired, cold and sore. I would worry about it all when trouble actually made itself known. If trouble is what the person had in mind.

So, instead I just stayed there, unmoving, silent, content.

I enjoyed the feel of their body shifting with each step, the feel of their grip on me, the feel of their body warming mine. I enjoyed the sound of their heart beating against my ear, the sound of their boots meeting the ground in a steady pace. I enjoyed the smell of… of them. They smelt like leather, and man, and wood, and a little bit of scotch… and security.

Letting myself melt into the moment, I didn't fight my body as it gently drifted off to sleep once more.

When I woke for the second time I found myself on a soft and large bed. A fire burning across the room lit the familiar space with a warm glow. It didn't take a genius to figure out where I was... Negan's room.

"You hungry?"

Jumping at the sound of someone's voice, I looked over to the couch and found Negan sitting there nursing a drink as he flicked through the pages of a book, using the light from the fire and a dimmed lamp next to him to see the words.

It took a second or two to recover from my shock, and a second or two more to remember he'd asked a question. "Um… yeah. Yeah, I am… but it's probably late, and the kitchens closed, and everyone's asleep…"

Lifting his eyes from the book, he looked to me. Even with the lack of light I knew what expression was on his face. I could imagine the unamused and silent sigh sitting there. All my excuses meant nothing to someone who could get anything they wanted at any time.

"If you're hungry I'll get you something. Fuck everything else. You need food." He said matter-of-factly, a slightly bored tone to his words. "Now, are you fucking hungry?"

"Yes." The word slipped from my lips on its own accord.

Reaching over, Negan set the book and glass on the coffee table in front of him before he stood and moved to the exit.

I watched his every move, feeling my nerves bubbling under my skin as he exited the room. With the way he was acting I thought for sure I'd crossed a line. There was no way in hell he wasn't pissed at me. How many women out there rejected an offer like the one he'd given me? How many were even given the offer? To throw it back in his face like I did… I was an idiot.

Though don't get me wrong, I wasn't folding. I wasn't saying yes. As much as I knew it was foolish to do so, I couldn't give myself to him if that meant leaving myself vulnerable to a world of hurt later. Honestly, I'd rather deal with his wrath than deal with my own heartbreak.

A few minutes passed before Negan walked back into the room. Surprisingly, he carried a few granola bars and a tin of what I assumed was fruit salad. Closing the door behind him, he moved over to where he'd been seated before and set himself back down.

"Here." Placing the food on the coffee table, he gestured to it. "Eat."

Not needing to be told twice, I slid out from under his blankets and off the bed. The soft patter of my feet on the hard-wooden floors was barely noticed over the sound of the logs cracking in the fireplace. Taking a seat on the couch across from Negan, I reached for one of the bars and uttered a gentle thanks before digging into the food.

Once again, neither of us said a word. He went back to reading and drinking, while I nibbled at the food and watched the flames dance. It was both a frightening and peaceful moment. Like the flip of the coin, I wasn't sure which side of Negan I was about to encounter. Would it be the front faced anger everyone knew him for? Or the softer and passionate side that hid behind everything else?

After I'd finished the granola bar, he reached over and nudged the other one towards me. It was a silent order I wasn't going to ignore.

Grabbing the second- and last- bar, I began to nibble away again, only now instead of focusing on the fire I couldn't keep my eyes from flicking over to him every now and then, almost keeping in time with the flickers of the flames.

His attention seemed to be trained on the book in his hand, only ever straying in order to take a sip from his drink. With the warm glow of the fire lighting up the room, it showed a new side to Negan. He looked content and serene. He looked intelligent in a softer manner than I already knew him for. He looked like a man, sitting down in his living room by the fire, enjoying a good drink and book after a hard day's work. The image was somewhat ordinary. I liked it.

"Stop fucking staring and eat your fucking food." He spoke up, breaking the silence, the bored tone still lining his words.

Shifting my gaze away, I focused on the fire once more as I continued to eat, no longer nibbling.

The faster I ate the faster I could leave and go to my room… I hoped. As much as being around Negan was soothing, it was equally jarring. Especially now, with how he was acting, giving me no sign of how he was feeling… I definitely wanted to get out of there.

As soon as I swallowed the last of the granola bar I straightened the wrapper up neatly and placed it on the glass table before doing the same to the wrapper of the first bar. Without a word, moving gently and gingerly so as not to disturb him, I got to my feet and took one single step.

My ankle had throbbed on the way to the couch by Negan's orders had taken precedence over any pain. It had also blinded my thoughts to the realisation that I was no longer wearing my shoes or socks. But now that the prospect of leaving was so close I noticed it all.

A hiss of pain and slight groan of annoyance escaped my lips unwillingly as my eyes scanned the room, looking for my shoes.

"Sit the fuck down, Brandi." His eyes still stayed trained on the pages in front of him.

Despite my better judgement, this time I didn't listen to his order. "I really should get going. It's late, and I don't want to wake anyone on the way to my room."

A pause followed my words. It lasted less than a second but felt like a millennium. The whole world had passed and ended during that single moment. Everything we knew and were disappeared and faded in the time neither of us spoke.

The silence wasn't broken by a word though. No. It was broken by a single sound that had all the fine and thin hairs on my body stand as my skin rippled with tiny goosebumps.

Negan sighed.

It was one of annoyance and impatience, and part of me honestly felt it would be the last noise I ever heard.

Still not saying a word, he closed his book and placed it on the table once more. Getting to his feet he then came over to stand by my side. Then he stopped and waited.

I could feel his eyes. I could feel the intense and heavy stare of his eyes boring into me as I kept my own gaze focused on everything and anything other than him… at least I tried. Eventually I gave in, feeling my head slowly and fearful turn, tilting ever so slightly so I could only just meet his gaze.

"You're in pain. You're tired. It's cold. And there's a fucking curfew." He noted, his tone holding none of the annoyance his sigh had held. Instead he sounded bored once more. "You're not going anywhere."

Still, being the idiot that I am- especially around him- I argued. "Seriously, Negan, I'm fine. It's fine. My room's not that far away, and-"

Groaning with a roll of his eyes I could only just see in the barely lit room, he suddenly bent down and lifted me off the ground.

I jumped and squealed lightly, surprised by his actions. But I didn't resist. I didn't fit. I didn't argue anymore. There was no point, and both my mind and body had finally realised this.

With nothing else to do, I let my head rest against his chest as he carried me bridal style- and no, the irony was not lost on me. I didn't bother asking questions as he moved us across the room. I just let him take me over to his bed as the silence once again spread between us, the sound of the fire crackling and his heavy feet on the wooden floors the only things that could be heard.

Once he placed me back on the bed he stepped back and watched me with an expectant look in his eyes. Without having to be told I obliged and slid back under the blankets, pulling them over me as I shifted so I could lay down once more. When he was pleased with my actions he turned and headed back to his chair, still silent.

Lying there, tucked under his blankets that smelt like nothing other than him, the fire crackling and dancing in the back ground, I watched as Negan once again picked up his book and began to read. I stayed like that, watching him, enjoying the moment, pleased I could no longer feel the cool and crisp air against my now warm skin.

Bamby

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