#just sat in the car with my mom and watched it until the sky got dark

[pessimisticprincess]

trying to find beauty in life isn’t so hard when i look outside of myself

[galaxysupreme17]

Hi, could you please make a story where reader is 6-7 years old and She's Aubrey Plaza daughter, Kathryn Hahn is her godmother. It's 7 in the morning and Jeff Baena drops off reader at the set of Agatha All Along and reader is so happy to see Kathryn. Reader will also meet the other members of the cast. Please

Okay, I hope this turned out okay!! I tried my best!!!

Set Days & Sunshine Smiles

Aubrey Plaza x Daughter!Reader

It was exactly 6:59 AM when Aubrey Plaza stepped out of her trailer, her hoodie pulled tight around her face, and her cup of coffee in one hand. The sky over the studio lot was still a soft lavender-blue, the sun barely peeking out. She was exhausted—filming a movie at night and Agatha All Along during the day was already a nightmare schedule—but today? Today, she’d get to hold her daughter. That made everything better.

And right on time, Jeff’s car pulled up.

Aubrey’s face lit up. She immediately jogged over, all traces of exhaustion vanishing as the back door opened and out came a burst of giggles and tiny sneakers.

“Mommy!!” Y/n squealed, launching herself into Aubrey’s arms.

“Oh my God, my baby,” Aubrey gasped, hugging her tight and spinning her around. “I missed you so much, baby girl.”

Y/n clung to her mom, tiny hands wrapped around Aubrey’s neck like a koala. “I missed you more. So much more.”

Jeff chuckled as he handed over her little purple backpack and a soft stuffed dinosaur. “She’s been counting down the hours. She wouldn’t even eat breakfast until I promised you’d have snacks.”

“I packed granola bars,” Aubrey assured him, kissing his cheek quickly. “Thank you. Safe flight, babe.”

Aubrey carried Y/n into her trailer as Jeff drove off, settling her down long enough to toss her stuff inside. The little girl was already bouncing on her toes.

“Mommy? Is Auntie Kathryn here? Can I see her? Please?”

Aubrey ruffled her hair, smiling softly. “You wanna see your godmother first thing, huh?”

Y/n nodded with a toothiest grin. “She promised me last time I visited that I could help her pick lipstick.”

Aubrey snorted. “Dangerous promise. Let’s go find her.”

They stopped by Kathryn’s trailer first—empty. “Hmm… coffee time,” Aubrey muttered knowingly. “Let’s try the break room.”

Y/n, still in her bunny pajamas and pink sneakers, walked beside her mom, holding her hand tightly. The second they entered the break room, Y/n spotted the back of a familiar brunette head.

“Auntie Kathryn!!”

Kathryn Hahn turned around just in time to catch the speeding blur of her goddaughter flying into her arms.

“There’s my girl!” Kathryn exclaimed, lifting her up and peppering her face with kisses. “What are you doing here so early, sunshine?”

“Daddy dropped me off. I’m staying with Mommy today. I missed you!”

Kathryn squeezed her tighter. “I missed you too. Look at you! You got taller. You been eating all your vegetables?”

Y/n made a face. “Only the good ones.”

“I respect that.”

Aubrey smiled as she watched her daughter curl up happily in Kathryn’s lap. For the next ten minutes, the three of them sat together while cast and crew filtered in and out, some grabbing coffee, others just chatting. Y/n stayed curled into Kathryn like a happy kitten, content to listen and giggle whenever Kathryn made a funny face.

Patti LuPone was the next to enter, sipping tea and mid-yawn when she spotted the child.

“Oh my god. There’s a tiny Aubrey in here,” she declared dramatically.

Y/n looked up shyly. “Hi…”

Patti leaned down. “Hi, sweetheart. You look exactly like your mother, but way more approachable.”

“Hey!” Aubrey protested, laughing.

Y/n giggled as Patti winked at her. “I’m Patti. I play a witch.”

“I like witches,” Y/n replied thoughtfully. “Especially nice ones.”

“Oh, I’m not nice in the show. But I am nice to you,” Patti said, handing Y/n a mini chocolate she had stashed in her coat pocket. “Don’t tell the crew.”

Moments later, Shasheer Zamata entered and gasped. “Hold UP. Is this the set gremlin I’ve been hearing about?”

“That’s her,” Aubrey said, smiling at her daughter's shy face.

“Okay, we need to talk about those pajamas, first of all. Iconic.”

Y/n twirled the ear of her bunny hoodie. “They’re my favorite.”

Shasheer sat beside her and launched into a very serious discussion about the best bedtime snacks, which led to Kathryn laughing so hard she snorted, and Y/n bursting into giggles.

Ali Ahn poked her head in next. “Is she here? The star of the show?”

Y/n perked up. “That’s me!”

Ali clutched her heart. “I’ve been waiting months to meet you! Your mom never stops talking about you.”

“She tells me about you too,” Y/n said sweetly. “She says you’re really smart.”

Aubrey, suddenly bashful, muttered, “Okay, we don’t need to compliment Ali right now.”

“Too late, already in love,” Ali teased, giving Y/n a high five.

As filming started up, Y/n rotated between sitting in Aubrey’s lap while she got her makeup done—quietly asking questions like “Why do you need fake eyelashes?”—to helping Kathryn pick lipstick (which meant pulling out all the reds and saying, “This one makes you look like a superhero”).

During rehearsals, Y/n was a quiet observer on set, sitting in a tall chair next to the director’s. Every now and then, Kathryn or Aubrey would sneak her a wink, and she'd beam in response. The entire crew had already fallen in love with her within the first hour.

By lunchtime, someone had already added “Y/n’s Chair” in sparkly duct tape to the back of her seat.

Y/n was practically glowing by the time Aubrey scooped her back up after a rehearsal.

The tiny 7-year-old had never been happier. Her two favorite people were here—her mom and her godmother—and the set was like a magical little kingdom full of friendly witches, shiny costumes, and people who kept offering her snacks. She was thriving.

Back in Aubrey’s trailer, she was perched cross-legged on the couch in one of her mom’s old t-shirts that was far too big and made her look like Alice when her dress was too big in Alice in Wonderland. Aubrey sat on the floor before her, trying to fix her eyeliner between sips of lukewarm coffee.

“You should wear purple lipstick sometime,” Y/n suggested seriously.

“Should I?”

“You’d look mysterious. Like you have secrets.”

Aubrey tilted her head. “Okay, you’ve been around Kathryn too long.”

Y/n just giggled, legs swinging gently.

A soft knock on the door interrupted them, and then Kathryn’s voice called, “Can I come in, or is the glam squad still on duty?”

“It’s just me being bossed around by my child,” Aubrey called back.

The door opened and in walked Kathryn, already in costume but robe draped over her shoulders, makeup half-done. Her eyes lit up the second she saw Y/n on the couch.

“There she is, my favorite human.”

“I saved you a spot!” Y/n said quickly, patting the space beside her.

Kathryn practically flopped onto the couch with exaggerated drama, throwing an arm around Y/n and pulling her close. “You are the best thing to happen to this set.”

“You saw her an hour ago,” Aubrey teased, smiling from the floor.

“And I’ve missed her ever since.” Kathryn leaned down and bumped her nose against Y/n’s. “Don’t grow up too fast, okay?”

“I’m trying,” Y/n said very seriously. “But I already lost two teeth.”

Kathryn clutched her chest. “No! Not the baby teeth! You promised you’d stay little forever!”

“Nope. Big kid now. But I still wanna sit in your lap when you do makeup.”

“Done. That’s a lifetime agreement.”

Later, Kathryn brought Y/n back to her own trailer. It was a cozy chaos of scripts, water bottles, a half-eaten croissant, and a stuffed animal Y/n had given her last year—a lopsided crocheted cat named Mozzarella.

Y/n immediately climbed onto the couch, curling up under the little knit blanket Kathryn kept there.

“You still have Mozzarella,” she said sleepily.

“Of course I do,” Kathryn said, gently pulling the blanket higher over her legs. “She guards the trailer when I’m filming.”

Y/n beamed. “She’s very brave.”

“You know who else is brave?” Kathryn said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You. You’ve been so good even though Mommy’s been really busy.”

Y/n nodded, her voice soft. “I just miss her. But I know she’s working hard.”

Kathryn felt her heart swell and ache at the same time. “She misses you, too, honey. So, so much. That’s why today is special. You’re with us now.”

“I wish every day was a set day.”

“Well, we could ask the producers,” Kathryn said thoughtfully, “but I think they’d have to build an entire playground into the set budget.”

“I could run the snack table,” Y/n offered.

“You’d be CEO of snacks. Obviously.”

The afternoon rolled on with more cast interactions—Y/n helped Ali reorganize her costume jewelry (“This one looks like dragon treasure!”). Drew Patti a picture of her in a big red hat that Patti declared was a piece of art, and listened wide-eyed as Shasheer taught her how to do a stage bow.

But the highlight of her day came when both her mom and Auntie Kathryn were finally free at the same time.

Back in Aubrey’s trailer, the three of them lounged like it was a lazy Sunday morning. Aubrey had changed into leggings and a flannel shirt, hair still half pinned up from filming, and Kathryn was barefoot with her robe back on. Y/n lay sprawled across both their laps like a sleepy kitten, flipping through her favorite fairy tale book.

“Can you read the one with the stormy sea?” Y/n asked, handing it to Kathryn.

“Oh, you mean The Witch and the Wild Waves? Of course.”

Kathryn read in her storyteller voice—dramatic, flowing, and filled with hand motions that made Y/n giggle every five seconds. Aubrey softly played with Y/n’s hair, humming now and then, and when Kathryn hit the final line, Y/n whispered, “I like that one the best.”

“It’s your mom’s favorite too,” Kathryn said, closing the book. “You’ve got good taste.”

“I got it from you both,” Y/n said sleepily.

Aubrey looked down at her daughter’s sleepy smile and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

“I’m so glad you’re here, bug.”

Y/n murmured something against her hoodie sleeve that sounded like “me too,” already halfway to sleep.

By the end of the day, Y/n had an honorary crew badge clipped to her shirt, three chocolate chip cookies in her bag, drawings from the costume department, and a new nickname from Patti (“Baby Bat Queen”). But the best part?

Curled between Aubrey and Kathryn, falling asleep to the soft sounds of laughter, makeup brushes being packed away, and the faint scent of lavender lotion on Kathryn’s sleeve.

[thevoicefromanotherworld]

"FUCK, YOU'RE..." (PART 2 FINAL)

After having a few drinks and dancing on the dance floor of several clubs for a while with Maddie, she decided that she was tired and wanted to sit down for a bit, so you two left the club you had entered that night, and sat on the benches outside to get some fresh air.

You stared at the blanket of stars that covered the sky for a moment, until you realized that Maddie was talking to you.

-What were you saying? -you asked, since you hadn't heard her-

-I was asking you if you really hate my father- she said making you tense up suddenly, you didn't expect her to bring up the subject- because if so I don't blame you, sometimes he can be very overprotective and all that… -she whispered- but when I saw you two before… I thought I saw something else

-It's not what you think, D -you dissuaded him shaking your head- your father and I have never gotten along- you explained- from the first day he saw me I think he just didn't like me I don't know why

-I think it's the other way around- she said making your hair stand on end, since you didn't say anything she continued- I think he has feelings for you whether it's small or big, and he's been pretending to hate you ever since

-Well if that's the case he's put on an Oscar-worthy performance- you said making him laugh- although I don't think that's the case- you added- I think he really does He hates me

-I've seen the way he looks at you –Maddie answered, holding your gaze firmly-

-I don't want this to break our friendship –you confessed- I'm afraid that you'll stop talking to me, I… I couldn't stand losing my best friend –you said, feeling the tears threatening to start running down your cheeks-

-You'll never lose me –she assured you, giving you a reassuring smile- the fact that my father likes you isn't that far-fetched, I mean, I'm always flirting with older men –she confessed, tilting her head towards the club- nothing's ever happened with any of them, it's true, but it's not something that's punishable by jail –she explained- you're both responsible adults, if this is what you both want, I don't have to get involved

-Are you serious? -you asked, she nodded-

-Totally -she said getting up quickly- take an uber and go to my house- she said- you have to talk to him

-I can't do that- you muttered nervously-

-You can, or else I'll be the one to push you into the car- she said making you both laugh like crazy- seriously y/n, talk to him. It's the only way you can solve this

-And what's wrong with you? I don't want to leave you alone- you stammered with concern, she dissuaded you with a gesture of her hand-

-Relax, the buses pass every ten minutes and if something happens I have the knife in my pants pocket- she winked at you- I'll be fine

-Okay- you agreed- but promise me that you'll call me if something happens, okay?

-Okay, I promise mom –she laughed, and you smiled-

After saying goodbye to her, you called an Uber that arrived a few minutes later.

You gave her the address and spent the whole way looking at a fixed point, thinking about what you were going to say to her and how you were going to justify your presence there.

-It's here –you told the driver, who delicately stopped in front of the house- thanks, keep the change

The man grunted a thank you and left as soon as you got out. You walked until you reached the doorbell, and after a couple of deep breaths, you knocked.

You heard his footsteps getting closer and closer to the door until he finally opened it. Your gazes collided intensely, his expressive blue eyes watching you with curiosity and expectation.

-What are you doing here? –he asked before looking behind you- Where's Maddie?

-It's okay - you reassured him - she… - you swallowed hard - we need to talk

He watched you for a few moments, before opening the door all the way and stepping aside to let you in.

He closed the door behind him and you both sat down on the wide sofa, he at a safe distance from you, not too far but not as close as you wanted him to be.

-Why are you here?

-I already told you - you complained - we need to talk…

-About what? - he asked, resting his elbows on his knees -

You tried not to look at how the fabric of his suit pants clung to his strong thighs, without success. He pretended not to notice, when in reality he had felt your eyes on him as if they were piercing him with red-hot daggers.

-Don't make me say it out loud, you know exactly what I'm talking about- you whispered, feeling yourself blushing-

-I really don't know what you're talking about- he said, but the expression on his face and the shine in his eyes showed that he did know, but he wanted to hear you say it-

He was torturing you slowly and deliberately like the psychopaths you watched on those trash shows at five in the morning did. The difference is that those psychopaths weren't him.

-Maddie said that you don't hate me- you blurted out, better to rip the band-aid off completely- Right? That you actually have feelings for me, but you refuse to accept it so much that you you have transformed into hate

-Is that what he said? –he asked, his voice had dropped two octaves dangerously- my Maddie –he smiled while tilting his head as if it were hopeless- always so attentive

-So it's true? –you pressed- Don't you hate me?

-I hate what you make me feel –he confessed making you shudder- But you? Honey –he whispered approaching you slowly- I could NEVER hate you Haven't you seen yourself? -he questioned standing in front of you- you are so smart, so beautiful… -he whispered holding your chin between his thumb and index finger so you would look at him- Maddie's life changed when she met you -he paused before adding- and mine too -he murmured tracing the curve of your lower lip with his thumb- tell me what else he said to you

You swallowed hard nervously, trying to avoid looking into his eyes, or focusing too much on the touch of his long fingers on your skin. The coldness of his rings made you shiver at his touch.

-She said that… -you paused for a moment- we are both responsible adults

-We are -he assured- that is why you are going to let daddy take care of you, right?

You nodded unable to say anything.

The intensity of his blue eyes and the touch of his thumb on your lips made it gradually harder for you to think clearly.

-That's it, darling - he whispered - good girl

He separated from you and sat down where he was before. He separated his legs while patting his thigh.

-Come here - he whispered -

Attracted like a moth to a flame, you did.

You felt his toned thigh against your sensitive skin, his hands held your hips delicately making you face him.

His blue eyes stared into yours with more intensity than before, while he looked you up and down for a few moments.

-You are so beautiful that it hurts me to look at you - he confessed placing a lock of hair behind your ear, his fingers lightly brushed the lobe of it, making you shudder - I'm going to take very good care of you, you know that, right?

-Yes – you gasped, feeling his cock growing inside his pants – Tangerine… please…

-Ah, ah, ah – he shook his head – all in good time, darling – he whispered – I want to see you first. Can you do that for me?

You nodded and began to undo and lift your shirt over your head.

-That's it – he murmured, enthralled by your movements – good girl – he praised as you put the shirt aside –

He looked at your breasts and neck, before focusing on your eyes again.

-Oh my god -he sighed- I think I could cum just by looking at you- he confessed making you blush, you looked away embarrassed suddenly, but he held your chin gently, so you would look at him again-

-No, no, no- he scolded you- don't hide from me now, precious- he whispered making a gesture towards himself with his head- take off my shirt-

With trembling hands, you unbuttoned the buttons of the garment, before removing it from his shoulders and leaving it in a pile with your shirt.

You gasped when his athletic chest came into view, with the gold chain that he always wore around his neck, placed between his pecs.

-Do you like what you see? - he asked, despite knowing the answer- let's get rid of this, okay? –he said, taking off your pants as he did the same with his- -Tangerine… -you gasped as you felt him slip a couple of fingers under the waistband of your panties-

His fingers slid into you with ease, his gaze focused on the expressions crossing your face.

-You're so wet for me, baby –he whispered- I know all your most sensitive spots –he left a kiss on your neck, where your pulse was beating- one is here –he slid his lips to nibble on your earlobe- another is here –he indicated- and the most sensitive of all –he curved his fingers inside you making his knuckles brush your clit, a muffled gasp escaped from between your lips, as you held onto his broad shoulders- this

-Tangerine… -you murmured- please… -you repeated-

-Please, what? -he asked- come on princess, say it

-I need you- you gasped, he smiled pleased-

-You've been a good girl for daddy- he began- and as such you deserve a reward, don't you?- you nodded- I promised I would take care of you properly- he whispered, you felt the tip of his cock pressing against your entrance- Is this what you wanted?

-Yes- you moved your hips forward putting everything inside you-

Tangerine accompanied his movements with yours, while you felt how with each push he was sinking deeper and deeper into you until he reached the bottom.

You moaned in his mouth and moved against him looking for the release you so longed for.

He held you by the hips firmly. You were sure that the next day the mark of his fingers would be on your skin, but you didn't care.

-I love the noises you make -he murmured- let them all out -he ordered- shout for me, let everyone know who you belong to

Without being able to avoid it you came without warning.

He did it a few seconds later. His gaze connected with yours before you let yourself fall against his chest, due to the tiredness you felt.

-It's been better than I had imagined - he commented leaving a kiss on the top of your head - just so you know, this doesn't mean I like you - he said making you smile -

-Whatever you say, dad - you winked at him before leaning against his chest again -

[skyward-floored]

I found a short scene I wrote for Incredibles au from the second movie just to mess with things that I’d completely forgotten about, and people wanted to see it, so here it is.

It’s right after that part where all the supers invade the house and Frozone helps the kids escape, but doesn’t escape himself, and they’re all debating what to do. That should hopefully be all the background you need to figure out what’s going on but you haven’t watched the movie there’s only so much I can help you with XD

Enjoy 👍

————————————————————

Twilight kept their father’s old car going until they were plenty far away from the house, the ice Warriors had shot at them slowly melting off the sides. Nobody spoke while they rode, even Shadow acting strangely subdued for once, and it wasn’t until Twilight told the car to pull over on a quiet country road that the silence was broken.

“They got Warriors,” Wind whispered, a hand wrapped tightly around his middle.

Legend pressed a little tighter against his side, and Wind leaned against him, looking miserable.

“We wouldn’t have gotten away without him,” Hyrule said in an equally quiet voice. “If it weren’t for him...”

He trailed off, and Wind shrank down in his seat.

“What do we do now?” Wild asked in a small voice, and all of them turned to look at Twilight.

Twilight swallowed.

“We... well. We can’t go to Fi’s,” he began slowly, “or Sky’s, they’ll just get them too if... if they haven’t already. And you saw those goggles they put on Warriors, they were all wearing them. They're all under someone's control somehow, and they... they probably did the same to Dad,” he finished in a quiet voice.

The boys went silent again, and a cricket chirped in the grass by the side of the road.

“Okay,” Legend swallowed, a hand tugging at his bangs. “A bunch of hypnotized bad guys after us. No Mom, no Dad. No Warriors or Sky.”

“But we do have our powers,” Wild cut in, looking somewhat hopeful. “Plus this car, and, and... um... anything else?”

Four flinched in the backseat, and with a flash of light, he suddenly split into four, Shadow growling as he shoved an already-crying Red off of his lap.

“They got Mom and Dad!” Red wailed, and Hyrule awkwardly patted him on the shoulder.

“I say we go and get everyone back, now,” Blue growled, and Twilight waved his arms in an attempt to get the situation back under control.

“Four— er, Fours, try to calm down,” he said gently, but Red continued to cry, and Green and Blue were both looking upset in different ways as well. “Guys, please, getting upset won’t help, we have to think of a plan.”

“Any plan you have is probably going to get us all killed,” Shadow snorted, and Vio elbowed him when Red sobbed harder. “What?”

“Dad said he was going to that ship thing, wasn’t he?” Legend said, and Twilight looked over at him as he gathered Red into his arms. “And that’s where Mom is. We should go there.”

“You want us to go right to the bad guys?” Shadow scoffed.

“I don’t know...” Wind said in a small voice. He swiped a hand over his eyes. “What if they just get us too?”

“Let’s vote,” Twilight said, having calmed Red’s sobbing to quieter sniffles. “Everyone in favor of going and saving Mom and Dad and Warriors?”

Wild immediately raised his hand, as did Blue and Legend, and Hyrule and Green shortly did afterward. Twilight and Red had their hands up, and after a long moment, Wind and Vio raised theirs as well.

Which meant everyone had voted yes except Shadow.

“Shadow? What do you think?” Vio asked, and the other boy looked away.

“Either way you’re going to bring me, so I don’t see why it matters what I vote,” he grumbled.

“If you’d rather go back to the house that’s crawling with hypnotized supers who want to put hypno-goggles on us, be my guest,” Twilight said, and Shadow crossed his arms and sank down in the seat.

“Fine. I vote go.”

“Then it’s unanimous,” Wild said, and he pounded his fist into his hand as he sat straight up in his seat. “We’re going to go save Mom and Dad and everyone else.”

All of the boys looked around at each other, and their faces grew determined, still worried and scared, and in a few cases teary-eyed, but determined to save their parents, and everyone else as well.

Shadow moaned.

“We’re all gonna die.”

[farity]

Obsession, part 2

Part 1

He'd thought about her all week. During meetings, while driving, even while the Baratheon girl had her mouth around his cock. Now he smiled to himself because as he got ready for the stupid wedding his mother was making them all go to like good little children, he knew she'd be there.

She'd been in the same sorority as the bride, the daughter of his mother's cousin, who was marrying some guy from fucking Pentos of all places.

"I'm not driving."

He looked at his brother in the reflection of the mirror. "I know."

He glared at Aegon, already buzzed, and finished adjusting his tie before heading out to the car. Of course Aegon wouldn't be driving, he would not put his family's safety in his older brother's hands.

"You look very nice, Aem."

"And you look beautiful, Hel," he replied, kissing his sister's cheek. She twirled in her pretty pink dress and he thought for a moment about how close she'd come to dying. He'd added extra security, plainclothes because Helaena didn't like to have the usual guys around her.

The Boltons would pay. His earlier meeting had been with the other houses that supported his family. They had all agreed there needed to be retribution, and were it not for the stupid wedding, he would most likely already be on his way to mete out some punishment.

But for now he had to play nice and look forward to seeing one particular wedding guest.

* * * * *

You could do this.

You could walk into the massive sept and take your seat and watch as your sorority sister married that piece of shit scumbag asshole from the seven hells.

Easy peasy.

Despite your hints that the bridegroom was a nasty piece of crap, Ellie was in love and she was determined to marry him. You just smiled and decided you'd be there for her when she dumped his ass and divorced him.

He wasn't the love of your life or anything, but it still stung when you'd find out he'd been fucking two other girls on the side. Or maybe you were one of the side chicks. Who knew. It just sucked. And after getting tested and burning all the shit he'd kept at your place, you'd moved on.

Until he got Ellie to believe he was a changed man.

People didn't change.

Once an asshole, always an asshole.

You took a program from one of the ushers and took your seat, halfway down the right side of the sept, and opened up Candy Crush on your phone.

"Oh, there she is!"

You saw a blur of pink heading your way and looked up to see Helaena smiling at you.

And her brother was walking alongside her, smirking.

You hugged Helaena back while pretending you did not see Aemond standing three feet behind her.

"Oh my gosh, I've told everyone about how you saved my life!"

Before you could reply, she grabbed both of your hands in hers. "My mom really wants to meet you."

Out of the corner of your eye you could see Aemond smiling and you wanted to kick him. Hard.

"That would be delightful," you said as sincerely as you could, because one simply did not turn down a mafia wife, let alone THE mafia wife.

The septon walked out and much to your relief, everyone started heading to their seats.

"I will see you at the reception," Helaena whispered before heading off.

You nodded, and purposely avoided looking at Aemond as you sat back down. Candy Crush was just too damn interesting for you to pay attention to some mafia son who wasn't used to people saying no to him.

* * * * *

Aemond kept surveying the ballroom, making sure there was no one around who wasn't supposed to be there. But his gaze kept turning to the table across the dance floor, where a certain brunette in a sky blue dress sat chatting with the other guests.

It was time for the newlyweds to have their first dance, and everyone stood as the happy couple took to the floor. The lights dimmed, much to Aemond's irritation, and music faded in. He hadn't heard this song before, and the lyrics were kind of corny, if he was honest, but then he caught sight of her.

She was looking at the groom, her mouth open, her eyes distressed.

Aemond turned to look at the couple dancing, and when he turned to her, she was gone.

He caught a shimmer of movement towards the side door and immediately backed away from the dance floor. He signaled to the head bodyguard to keep an eye on things, and he made his way to the side door.

She was several yards ahead of him, walking fast, her hands on her ears. Aemond realized there were speakers throughout the property, every single one of them pumping out the corny song being played for the first dance, and then she started running.

When she reached the end of the corridor, she looked from one side to the other, and turned left, and he followed. Between his longer legs and the fact that she was wearing heels, he was catching up with her, but when he turned the corner he found her sitting on one of the benches lining the gardens. She was doubled over, her face in her hands, her clutch on the floor.

"Hey."

She looked up, startled.

"What is wrong?"

She looked at him. "Why the hell are you following me?"

"You were with him."

She looked like she was about to cry.

"Was that your song?"

She grabbed her clutch and stood, turning away from him and starting to walk again. There was another speaker high up on the wall, and she groaned. "Is there nowhere I can get away from this fucking song?"

He ran up to her and grabbed her free hand. "My car's right up there."

* * * * *

What the fuck was wrong with people to have the fucking music piped all over the fucking property?

You had to get away, you couldn't listen to this fucking song for another fucking minute.

Looking down at Aemond's hand wrapped around yours, you made your decision. Turning to him, you said, "let's go."

He hadn't been lying, his car was parked away from where the other guests had left their cars, and you figured it was so he could get away quickly if he needed to.

Right now you didn't care, it was bad enough being at this fucking wedding and then the stupid song, it was like it was chasing you, not giving you a second of peace.

You let Aemond open the passenger door, let him walk around and get in, let him drive away, and only then did your breathing start to slow down from the frenzied pace it had been keeping.

"It was your song, wasn't it?" he asked again, "yours and that fuckface's?

You took a deep breath. "Not exactly."

He gave you time to compose yourself, let you gather your thoughts before you started to speak. "He used to write me these stupid poems. They were so cringe, but whatever, you know?"

Aemond looked at you, nodding.

"This was the last one he gave me," you said quietly. "Hey, at least he recycles, right?"

"I am sorry."

"I don't even know why I'm so upset, it's not like he left me for her. He was an asshole."

He said nothing, and you felt like even a bigger fucking idiot. Why were you telling your girl problems to this guy, of all people? Just shut the fuck up and let him drop you off.

"Oh, I should give you my address."

"Sure."

* * * * *

He was already driving that way, but she probably hadn't noticed because she was so upset. She lived in a tiny house that had probably been someone's guest house or in-law unit, and judging from her social media posts, it was just her living there.

He wouldn't feel bad for finding things out. For all he knew, she was part of the whole attempt on Helaena, someone placed there to "save" his sister and become her friend that way.

Except this girl didn't seem to want anything to do with him or Hel. She'd been pleasant enough but he could read people, and after Helaena had spoken to her, she'd scurried off as quickly as she could.

"Are you hungry?" he asked suddenly, "you didn't have dinner."

"Oh shit," she said, pressing a hand to her mouth, "neither did you, I'm sorry."

"Do you want to go somewhere?"

She glanced down at her gown and raised an eyebrow. "Um, no, I'm okay. I have food at home."

It had been ingrained in him since he was a child. He protected the women in the family.

Keep them warm, keep them fed.

"We can do a drive-through."

Her stomach rumbled loudly and he almost laughed. "We're doing a drive-through."

* * * * *

He parked in front of your house after picking up food, and while part of you was appalled at eating a messy burger and fries in your gorgeous rented gown, the smell was just too damn good and you dove in. Because you were not inviting him in.

"Thank you," you said after wiping your mouth. "For the food and the rescue."

And now you owed him. Maybe he'd consider it even with you saving his sister because you really did not want to owe him anything.

"No problem." He took all the wrappers and placed them into the paper bag, placed it in the back. "Do you like your job?"

Here we go. This is where he offers me a job and I'm indebted for fucking life.

"I do, actually."

"You seem much too smart to be doing what you do."

When you glared at him for a) knowing what you did, and b) having a fucking opinion about it, he shrugged.

"It's my job to know who comes into our lives, and I'm very good at my job."

"I am paid very well, and I like the people I work with."

"But you could be doing something so much more interesting."

You took a deep breath, because you'd had this same conversation with your brother, the last time you'd heard from him.

"Look, I get that to you-, I mean, to some people," you amended, not wanting to offend him, "a job like mine, doing peon shit for a random company might seem ridiculous."

"I didn't say that, I just think you could be doing-"

"And maybe it is," you continued, "and you've known me for a grand total of what, forty minutes, and no, I don't spend my life chasing wealth and power like, again, other people, but neither am I walking into coffee shops where men are waiting to shoot at me."

His face was unreadable, but he'd gone very, very still, and you were fucking tired and again, your fucking mouth had to keep going.

"Can your sister date whoever she wants?"

A muscle twitched in his cheek and you knew you'd hit a nerve.

Nodding smugly, you grabbed your clutch and opened your door. "Thanks again for everything. Take care."

You were surprised, because you were shaking so badly, that you managed to get out of the car and thank the fucking gods the key fob worked on the first try so you could get in your house and close the door and be done with everything.

You headed to your bedroom to change your clothes, pulling on one of your old concert shirts and some soft shorts before heading back to the living area.

When the front door opened, you shrieked and jumped back before seeing Aemond at the doorway, his hand on the lock.

"What the hell?"

He stared at you, his face unreadable. "You think you know me," he said softly, "you think you know everything. "

Anger surged in your chest. At his audacity. At the fact that he could so easily get into your home. "You mean like I just knew you were the type of guy who breaks into a woman's home so he can get the last word?" Your hands were fisted at your side and you swore to the new gods and the old if he took another step you were going to rip out his good eye with your own fingers.

He started to take a step toward you, but you pointed at him.

"Get out. I don't care you who are, I don't care who you know. Get. Out."

You turned around, tears beginning to fill your eyes. You went into the bathroom and locked the door, until you heard the front door close.

You waited a few seconds before you went back out. Your heart was beating so hard you thought you were going to pass out.

* * * * *

How the hell had things gone so wrong so quickly?

I'm sorry.

Aemond drove home, angry with himself. He'd wanted to explain, to tell her he wasn't a fucking asshole, and for some gods-awful reason had decided to crack the lock on her door?

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

He'd probably terrified her. Which was his usual intent when he broke into people's houses but he hadn't thought it through, had he?

The next morning he was still seething at his own stupidity, and didn't notice Helaena walking in.

"Are you okay?"

He looked up to find her staring at him, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, why?"

"You disappeared from the wedding, for one, and now you look pissed off."

"I'm fine."

Helaena walked over and kissed his cheek, then grabbed her favorite butterfly mug from the cabinet and poured herself some coffee. "I'm going to call her. The girl from the cafe. Ask her to lunch, ya know?"

Aemond closed his eyes, sighing, "Hel, just leave her alone."

"What do you mean leave her alone, lunch is a nice thing, I want to say thank you properly."

"Just don't."

She was silent and when he looked back up from his coffee, she had tears in her eyes.

"I can't see the Snow boy because he's a bastard, I can't have lunch with the girl who saved my life, because what?"

He shook his head. "Hel, it's just not-"

"Not a good idea, yeah, I know, Aemond. Nothing is ever a good idea for me, I'm going to die alone!"

"Oh sheesh, sorry!" Aegon pressed himself against the wall as Helaena stomped away, crying. "What the fuck did you do to her?"

"Nothing."

Aegon walked behind his brother and smacked Aemond's head on his way to getting his own coffee. "Go clean that up and tell me what the fuck is wrong with Helaena. Today, I mean."

Aemond groaned and grabbed paper towels, smacking Aegon's head as he went to clean up the mess his sister had made. "She wants to be friends with the girl from the cafe."

"Is she hot?"

Aemond shot his brother a dirty look.

"Hey, I might want to be her friend, too."

"She wants nothing to do with us, I just don't want Hel to get her feelings hurt." When he looked up, Aegon was watching him with eyes narrowed. He fucking hated how perceptive Aegon was when he wasn't drunk. He gathered all the shards of the mug and threw them in the trash, wiped off the floor and threw the paper towels in the trash, too. He looked back at Aegon, who was smiling at him. "What's wrong with you?"

"You did something." Aegon laughed out loud. "Oh, I fucking love this. The perfect son fucked something up. You did, didn't you?"

"Shut up."

"Yeah, how would you know the girl wants nothing to do with us?" Aegon raised an eyebrow, "unless you talked to her?"

"Of course I talked to her, I needed to know who she was. She might have been planted into playing the 'savior' to get in with Hel."

Aegon sipped his coffee, stood up to add more milk. "Yeah yeah, but something else happened," he kept watching Aemond, who was almost squirming under his brother's scrutiny. "You didn't fuck her, because you hardly ever fuck anyone, let alone someone who might be a plant, so what? Tell me, or I will find her and ask her myself."

For fuck's sake, Aegon would. And he would make everything even worse.

"She was at the wedding. Left suddenly and I followed her, found her crying because she used to date the groom and the fucker used some song or something he'd given her as the first dance yesterday."

"That's a dick move."

"Anyway, I drove her home and might have let on I thought she was wasting her time at that stupid job she has."

"Aemond, what the fuck." Aegon pinched the bridge of his nose.

Aemond shrugged. "She took offense, said people like us didn't get people like her or some shit, and got out and went inside her house."

A huge smile appeared on Aegon's face. "And you couldn't let it go, could you?" When Aemond said nothing, Aegon barked out a laugh. "You're pathologically unable to let anyone else have the last word."

"Fuck off."

"Yeah yeah, sure, so what, you broke into her house?"

"I'm going to break your fucking face if you don't fuck right off."

"Oh I'm going, I got people to call."

* * * * *

On Monday, you arrived at the office and found two bouquets of flowers waiting for you.

"Someone had a great time at that wedding."

You ignored your boss's voice and hauled the vases to your desk, taking out the little cards from each.

The one that came with the pink roses read I meant to explain myself and ended up scaring you. I truly am sorry. A

The one with the rather gynecological-looking orchids read I can tell you anything you want to know about Aemond, I'm his brother and I know everything. Aegon II Targaryen

There was also a phone number on Aegon's card and you laughed to yourself.

"My dear girl, did we have two foxes in that henhouse?"

You ran into your boss's office and closed the door before she could continue speculating loudly enough for the whole floor to hear.

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[stargazing-imagines]

Bad Idea… Right? — Jeremiah fisher x Fem!Reader

Description: you are secretly dating your ex boyfriend, but what happens when Jeremiah meds your broken heart?

Warning: jealous Jeremiah, mentions of cheating, bad writing, if there is anything else that I’ve missed! Let me know.

Fandom: the summer I turned pretty

Requested: no

A/n: I’m finally back with a new imagine! Life has been hectic, my schedule has gotten so intense to the point where it’s difficult to find time to write with edu practicums, dance, work, and college it just hard to fit writing into the mix but I’m back with slow updates!

“You seriously aren’t going to see him tonight are you?” Exclaimed belly

You two were currently in your room as you were getting ready for you’re date with your ex boyfriend, with belly sitting on the foot of your bed talking you out of this date.

“Look, he genuinely sorry for what he did…” you said “I promise.”

“Yeah but he cheated on you with a blonde bimbo last summer!” Said belly “don’t you remember that?”

Indeed you did remember that mere memory, everyone at the summer house were trying to cheer you up with nothing working, you spent the month of July in your room as you cried in misery. After catching him making out with a blonde girl, you swore off of guys for the rest of your life, until you saw him working at the little gas station on your first day back at cousins, apologizing for what he did.

“Belly that was last summer.” You said “he changed.”

You could say you were trying to convince belly, but you were trying to convince yourself, but hey. What can go wrong?

“Y/n don’t you look lovely!” Exclaimed Susannah as she eyed you up and down “what’s the special occasion?”

“Y/n here has a date… with her ex!” Exclaimed belly

“Wait… the one that cheated on you last summer?” Asked Jeremiah as he raised his eye brows

“Yes Jere the one that cheated on me last summer…” you said “besides he apologized.”

“Y/n I don’t think this is a great idea…” said your mother “you were so heartbroken when it happened.”

“I was 16 mom…” you said “besides I’m 17!”

“I don’t know y/n.” Said laurel “what if he breaks your heart again?”

“He won’t!” You said, you were interrupted with a car honk

“The dude can’t even be fazed to come to the door!” Said Jeremiah “y/n you are not going out with him!”

“Watch me.”

With that you opened the door and shut it

“Thank you for giving me another chance.” Said Brice as he held your hand “I was so heartbroken last summer when you left me.”

You smiled as you nodded along to what he was saying, but your mind was preoccupied on something else.

Jeremiah Fisher… and how you wish he was here with you on a date instead of Brice Hamilton.

“I’m going to the restroom.” Said brice as he got up, you formed a faint smile before nodding your head. He got up and left, a few seconds later. His phone lit up

You picked up the phone as you read a text message

The whole conversation on his phone was full of explicit messages to the same girl that he cheated on you with last summer, you looked up fighting tears in your eyes, you placed your half of the pay on the table before getting up and leaving

You walked to the summer house, heels in hand as you had smeared mascara on your face. You headed towards the pool, sitting on a lounge chair.

You stared into the night sky, looking at the stars. Your thoughts were interrupted with a door slam

It was Jeremiah

“Back from your date soon?” Asked Jeremiah “I thought you would be out till 12.”

“It didn’t work out…” you said, eyes not leaving the night sky. Jeremiah sat next to the lounge chair beside you

“He’s not worth your tears.” Said Jeremiah as he stroked your cheek with the padding of his thumb

“He’s been hooking up with her all this time.” You choked out, Jeremiah pulled you close to his chest, comforting you as he stroked your hair.

“Things will get better.” Said jeremiah as he continued to hug you

“You really think so?” You asked as you wiped your cheek with your hand, letting out a smile

“I know so.” Said Jeremiah as he smiled, you face in his hand

The night ended with a kiss and let’s just say that the relationship between you and Jeremiah blossomed.

——

The summer I turned pretty masterlist

[chicago-pd-is-weird]

'W' and Jay Halstead, Will Halstead, and their mom

For the mini fic ask

Jay/Will Halstead Minific

Thank you! Sorry this took so long, but I hope you like it! I’m finally getting through to my requests.

Jay and Will sat in the back of the car, their mom up front driving. The two boys played with some foam swords, careful not to hit their mother’s head. They giggled and laughed as they hit one another, maybe a little too hard at times, but neither minded.

“Mooooooom,” Jay whined. “Will broke my sword!”

“I did not!” Will replied with a frown. “The glue came off! Not my fault.”

Their mother hummed as she drove. “Alright boys, it’s okay. I’m sure you can find a different game to play until we get there.”

“I can’t wait! I want to be there now!” Jay said.

“Yeah, me too! I hate long car rides!” Will echoed.

“Long?” Their mother laughed. “It’s been five minutes already, and we only have five minutes left.”

Jay huffed and crossed his arms. “Five minutes seems like forever!”

Will looked out the window, but was silent, just swinging his legs off the seat.

Jay sat back and huffed, looking out the window for about twenty seconds before groaning. “Mooooooom, how long has it been?”

Their mother laughed. “About thirty seconds, baby. You got a whole bunch more to go. Why don’t you and William play a game?”

“Like what? Our swords broke.”

“Ooh, rock paper scissors!” Will said, holding a fist out to Jay.

Jay smiled and held his fist out. “Best out of five!”

“Okay!” Will matched his smile.

The boys played for about two minutes before Jay won their round, and their mother hit some road work. She sighed softly, as traffic started moving at a slow pace, just a crawl.

When Jay and Will looked out the window again, they found that they were barely moving.

“Moooom,” Jay whined once more. “It’s gonna be more than five minutes.”

“Yeah, mom…” Will replied with a frown. “I might see a turtle go by cause he’s faster than us right now!”

“I want ice cream,” Jay said with a frown.

“Me too, mom,” Will replied.

“You’re the ones who wanted to go partway across the city to get ice cream instead of the one down the street,” their mother laughed. “Now you have to be patient.”

“No, mom, a patient is what’s in a hospital,” Will replied. “I’m not one of those.”

Jay huffed and swung his legs. “She means wait, Will.”

“Very good, both of you. The word means two different things. One is a noun, as in a patient in a hospital, because they wait for the nurses and doctors to see them. And the other type is an adjective, which describes someone who is tolerant and able to wait without complaining. So, when I say you have to be patient, I mean you should wait without complaining.”

Jay sighed and looked out the window. “I wish we could teleport.”

“Me too,” Will replied. “Or that we lived closer so we could walk.”

“Yeah, cause this ice cream is the best. They have really nice people and good flavors.” Jay swung his legs as he watched the men go by for the road work. “What are they doing, mama?”

“They’re paving the road, Jay. Sometimes when cars drive too much on it, the road gets worn down, so they have to re-pave it.” Their mother waved to the men working as they finally got through the road work.

Jay hummed, then looked at Will. “Let’s do I-Spy.”

“Okay!” Will replied, poking Jay’s arm and then giggling when Jay protested. “I spied you.”

“No, no, you gotta play it right!” Jay huffed, rubbing his arm. “Moooom.”

“Here, I’ll start,” their mom said with a smile. “I spy with my little eye… something blue.”

Will hummed. “Is it the sky?”

“Nope.”

“Is it my shirt?!” Jay asked.

“Nope.”

The boys continued guessing for a few moments as their mom gave them a few hints. It wasn’t until they arrived at the ice cream shop did she turn around. “You boys give up?”

Both nodded and looked at her sadly. They’d lost the game. “What was it, mama?” Will asked.

“It was Jay’s eyes,” she said, gently cupping Jay’s cheek, then kissing his forehead. “They’re a beautiful blue.”

Will frowned. “What about mine? Are they a beautiful blue?”

“No,” their mother said as she got out of the car and opened the back door so she could get to Will, cupping his cheek. “Yours are a beautiful brown. See?” She smiled and kissed his forehead. “Come on, boys, we’re here.”

“Ooh, ice cream! Will, get out! Hurry!”

Will and Jay scurried out of the car and held their mother’s hands as they went up to their favorite ice cream shop.

[sunday-bug]

Terry the Terrific - The Magic of Yearning

Part 3

Click here for previous Part 2.

Pairing: Terry x original FMC

Word Count: 2.9k

Summary: Terry & Maggie talk about what happened all those years ago, and Maggie recalls all the juicy details.

Author's Note: I did my best to remember what it feels like to be 18 (iykyk) and tackle that flashback with grace.

Warnings: smut, fingering, dry humping, P in V protected sex, virginity loss

Maggie put her coat on and walked out of the bar behind Terry. He reached his arm back and flexed his hand, inviting her to hold it. She entwined her fingers with his and relished the reassuring feeling it gave her. The banter, flirting, and everything was enthralling tonight, but she realized they needed to talk about what happened all those years ago. She replayed the night before she left for college in her mind as they walked back to the Buick. 

13 YEARS AGO:

She placed the last box of her belongings, CDs, books, and her favorite stuffed rabbit, into the back of her parents’ Jeep and let out a heavy sigh. The sun was nearly down, the sky a dark purple painted with orange streaks throughout. She leaned her back against the boot of the car and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of late Spring: birds and crickets chirping, kids playing a few houses down, and a familiar song coming from the house next door. She opened her eyes and spotted light slanting from the half open garage door of Terry’s place. She swallowed, looking back at her house, seeing the light from the television set dancing in the living room. Her parents had just started watching whatever movie had come in the mail from Netflix. She walked back into her house quickly, “Hey, guys,” she said over the opening credits, “I’m going to go for a walk around the neighborhood. Ya know, say goodbye.” 

“Okay, sweetie,” her mom replied. “Don’t be too late.”

“I won’t”, she said and walked back out the door. She headed straight for Terry’s garage like a moth to a flame. She took a deep breath before peering under the half-open door, “Terry?” 

She heard rustling and saw a deck of cards fall to the cement floor, “Uh, one sec.” The sound of footsteps got closer until the garage door opened to reveal a fresh-faced Terry in a white tank and black trousers. His mom’s old record player was playing a Frank Sinatra album.

“Maggie?” Terry’s eyes widened. “What are you doing here?” His hand stayed on the garage door, propping it open.

“I, uh, I don’t know. I guess I wanted to say goodbye. I’m leaving tomorrow,” she gestured to the Jeep filled to the brim with her stuff. 

“Oh, you are? Um, do you want to come in? I mean, it’s just the garage…” Terry looked behind him at the old plaid couch and table that took up half of the space.

“Yes,” Maggie replied instantly, taking one step inside. He shut the door back down halfway and ran a hand through his hair nervously. 

“I was just listening to music,” he said sheepishly. “My mom took the car to see my Aunt Helen so I’m kind of stuck here at home.” 

“I’d love having the house to myself,” Maggie said, plopping down on the vintage couch and putting her feet up on the table.

“I mean, yeah, it’s okay,” he replied.

“Hey, Terry?” Maggie looked at him, taking in the sight of his face without the makeup he usually wore. 

“Yeah?” He sat down on the couch as far from Maggie as possible.

“I miss you. I’m sorry. I know I just got here and that probably seems random, and I know saying sorry doesn’t mean much, but I am. These past few weeks since graduation have hit me, and they’ve made me wonder if I even spent high school doing what I wanted. Like, if I even spent it with the people I wanted to spend it with, and I think my answer is no. I actually know my answer is no. I just, I feel like I’m kind of a bad person, and you deserve way better than that,” Maggie pulled at a loose thread on the arm of the couch, staring off in front of her while she talked. “I wish I could go back.” Tears started to pool in her eyes.

Terry scooted closer to Maggie, “Hey, you’re not a bad person.” He put his hand on her shoulder, “You don’t have to say sorry for anything.”

“We used to be close, T,” she said, her tearful eyes looking into his. “I fucked that up. I fucked that up so bad.”

“Well, you’re here now,” he reassured her, wiping away a stray tear. Her hand came up to cup his over her cheek. 

“I like your hands,” she whispered, inching closer to him. He looked down at her lips briefly before meeting her gaze again.

He laughed quietly, “Thanks.” He could feel his pulse racing, wondering if this moment with her was real. It was something he’d thought about behind closed doors, under covers. She was leaving tomorrow, and that fact made something in his demeanor shift. He felt a burst of confidence and adrenaline. A ‘fuck it’ moment if he’d ever had one.

“I like… you,” he whispered, and she inhaled quietly, shifting so she was facing him fully. “I always have. And I forgive you for paving your own way in high school. It felt shitty for a while, but I mean, I just, yeah… it’s okay, Mags.”

“Can I kiss you?” Maggie asked, looking down at his perfect pink lips. Their noses touched.

Terry nodded slowly, “Yes.”

Maggie brushed her lips against his, “Okay.”

Terry reached his hands up on either side of her head and ran his fingers through her hair before pressing his mouth to hers. Maggie’s entire body lit up. She’d suppressed her feelings for him for far too long, and now she felt ravenous. Her throat let out the smallest, involuntary moan at the kiss.

Terry smiled into the kiss at the noise, opening his mouth slightly to invite her in. She took his invitation and ran with it, allowing her tongue to explore. She ran her hands up his arms and was surprised by the newfound muscles she felt. Every ounce of her body felt like it was on edge. She couldn’t get enough. Her fingers found their way into his thick, dark hair, and she tugged a little at the nape of his neck. He whimpered softly in reply, and it sent her into overdrive. She broke their kiss and looked into his eyes briefly, noticing how dilated his pupils had become, before shifting her body so she was straddling him on the couch.

“Fuck,” he whispered into her mouth, holding her hips in place against him as their kiss intensified.

“Is this okay?” She asked, feeling him hardening through his pants.

“You have no idea,” he says, running his hands up the back of her shirt, feeling her soft skin prickle at his touch.

“Touch me,” she whispered into his neck, bringing his hands to her chest, under her bra. Terry felt her nipples harden at his touch and groaned.

“You’re perfect,” he whispered as she ground her hips into his, trying to get as close as possible to him through their clothes. She tilted her head back as he kissed her neck and sighed, lifting his shirt up and over his head. She leaned forward to kiss down his neck and chest.

“That feels so good,” he sighed before noticing headlights from a passing car flash under the half open garage door. “Hey, Mags, one sec.” Maggie broke free from Terry’s lap, and he stood up, walking over to the garage door.

“Should probably shut this,” he chuckled, pulling down the door all the way.

“Probably,” she replied with a giggle, putting her head in her hands, embarrassed that someone may have seen them. Terry turned around, hands in front of his groin doing his best to hide his arousal.

“Do you wanna come inside?” He asked her, walking over to grab his shirt. Maggie nodded in response, following him up the couple steps into the house, holding his hand. Inside it was pitch black. The sun had gone down completely since she’d come over. The hum of the air conditioning almost drowned out how hard her heart was beating.

Terry brushed his knuckles up her arm, making her shiver. 

“When will your mom be home?” Maggie asked, silently praying for more time alone with him.

He turned toward her, eyelids heavy, “She doesn’t get back until Tuesday. My aunt lives out of state.” He stepped closer to her.

Maggie swallowed and felt heat rise in her thighs, “Show me your room?”

Terry entwined his fingers with hers once more and led her up to his bedroom. He tried to remember the state he’d left it in and hoped it wasn’t too messy. Besides a few items in the hamper and his unmade bed, it wasn’t too bad. The stars on the ceiling were glowing a greenish yellow. 

Now that she knew they were truly alone, Maggie grew bold. She walked over to his bed and sat down, facing him. Terry had shut the door behind him and was facing her. He could feel himself getting excited at the sight of her sitting on his bed, but brought himself down to reality before sitting down next to her. Maggie reached over and put her hand on his clothed thigh, and he inhaled, leaning over to kiss her.

“Nothing has to happen, Mags, you know that,” he whispers into her kiss.

“I know,” she whispers back, nipping his bottom lip gently, “but I want you.”

Every nerve in Terry’s body felt like it was on fire at her comment, “You sure?”

She nodded, taking her shirt off and throwing it on the floor. She looked into his eyes as she reached behind her and unclasped her bra, letting it fall to the floor as well. Terry glanced down at her breasts before leaning over to kiss her. Maggie put her arms around his neck and pulled him down next to her so they were lying next to each other. They started kissing again, and then Maggie reached down to touch him. 

“Mmm,” he hummed, electricity zipping through his entire body. Maggie moved her hand over the button of his pants.

“Is this okay?” She asked and he nodded, helping her unbutton them and pull them off. He moved over Maggie so that he was half lying on top of her, half hovering. She felt his smooth chest against her own and kissed him. He placed a hand on the soft skin of her upper thigh, tracing his fingers up her leg to the hem of her cotton shorts. 

“Take them off?” She asked him softly, and he did as he was told, taking her shorts down so that they were both left in underwear. Maggie wrapped her legs around him, enjoying the sweet friction between her legs from the weight of his body on hers. Terry had one hand in Maggie’s hair, kissing her neck and leaving small bites. She would definitely have hickies tomorrow, and he relished the thought. She moved his hand slowly from her hair down to the top of her underwear, guiding his hand underneath. 

He immediately felt how turned on she was, “Oh, fuck, Maggie.” She moved his hand more until it was right where she wanted it. She bucked her hips, desperate to feel his fingers inside her. He obliged, and Maggie quietly moaned, clutching at his bedsheets. She brought her other hand to the waistband of his boxers and looked at him. 

“Please,” he whispered. She rolled them halfway down his legs, and he kicked them off to the side. She took him in her hands and stroked, feeling a warm wetness at the tip. 

“Oh, my God,” he said shakily. Their breathing was heavy and warm, mixing together. 

“Do you have a condom?” Maggie asked breathily, something she wished she had asked much earlier.

“Yeah, one sec. I have some in the bathroom,” he said, hopping off the bed and rushing to the bathroom attached to his room. Maggie pulled the comforter up under her armpits, sitting up slightly and looking around his room. She saw tidbits of the past few years that she’d missed.

He came in with the small foil packet and got under the covers next to her, “Gimme a sec,” he said, tearing it open. She kissed down his shoulder and arm, watching him trying to put it on and failing.

“Here, I can help,” Maggie said gently, taking the condom from him and turning it the other way around before sliding it down onto him.

“Oh, thanks,” he replied, “Now come here.” He positioned himself back over Maggie and hovered above her, nervous all of a sudden.

“You okay, T?” She asked.

“Yes, just want to make sure that you’re sure,” he said, eyeing her intently.

“I’m so sure,” she said, bringing his face to hers and kissing him deeply. He matched her intensity with his kiss and let his body relax atop hers before guiding himself gently into her. He let out a small gasp, trying to hold himself together. Maggie shifted beneath him slightly, guiding him deeper. 

“Ohhhh, um… fuck,” he whispered, pulling out. “I’m sorry, it felt so good. I’m sorry,” Terry shook his head, climbing off of Maggie and sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Oh,” Maggie said quietly, realizing what had just happened. “It’s fine, oh my gosh, don’t say sorry. It’s totally fine.” She rubbed his arm, sitting up next to him. 

“I’m gonna go throw this away,” he said, gesturing down, “but, hey, you don’t have to like, leave. Unless you want to.” 

“I wasn’t going to leave,” Maggie replied, grabbing her underwear from the floor and putting them back on, along with her t-shirt. 

Terry walked back into the room, grabbing sweatpants from his dresser and throwing them on quickly, “We can watch a movie if you want.”

“Okay,” Maggie said, slipping back under his covers.

“Ah, well, all I have up here is the new X-Men movie. Is that okay?” Terry pointed to his tiny TV in the corner.

“That’s perfect,” Maggie said, lifting the covers to invite him in.

He pushed play on the DVD player and crawled under the covers with Maggie, wrapping an arm around her. She nestled into him, resting her head on his bare chest. 

About forty minutes into the movie, Maggie noticed that Terry had fallen asleep. She quietly moved out from under his arm, put on her shorts, and slipped out of his room and down the stairs, tears pooling in her eyes. She wiped her cheeks clear and walked out of his house, back to hers and into her future in Boston.

PRESENT DAY:

Terry started up the car as soon as they were both inside, trying to help Maggie warm up. 

“I’m sorry,” Maggie said, “I don’t want to ruin your night. I just didn’t want to cry in there.”

“Mags, it’s fine. What’s wrong?” Terry said, rubbing circles on the back of her hand.

“The song you sang. I mean, that was obviously directed at me. All those feelings. Am I wrong?” Maggie’s eyes were full of hurt.

“I guess, yeah it was, but you’re telling me whatever you sang wasn’t? You were staring at me for half of the song. It’s confusing. I don’t know what you want from me, Maggie. You just waltzed back into my life today and you’re doing that thing you do again. I don’t know if I can trust how I feel around you,” Terry shakes his head, running a hand through his hair, “You broke my heart, Maggie. You just left that night and I never heard from you again. I mean, cell phones EXIST. I know it was awkward, but it was my first time, and I’m still glad it was with you, even though I think you kind of fucked me up after you left,” Terry said, exasperated.

“Your first time-”, Maggie snapped to attention and looked at him, “That was your first time having sex? That night with me? But… but you had condoms in your room.”

Terry waved a hand, explaining, “Howard bought them for me as a joke when I dated Clarissa Hinz for like two weeks before graduation. We never-”

“Terry, I didn’t know,” Maggie said, grabbing one of his hands in hers. “I wouldn’t have left like that if I knew. I just, I got overwhelmed because I knew I had to leave for Boston in the morning, and I just - I didn’t want to face my feelings for you. You fell asleep, and I just watched you for a few minutes, and I got so sad because of course I was going to fuck things up between us again. I didn’t know what to do, so I left.”

“We were 18, Maggie. You had to go to college, but you could have let me know you were okay. I thought I did something wrong for so long. Howie had to talk me off the ledge and stop me from driving to see you on more than one occasion,” he chuckled quietly. “Listen, we’re here now for a reason. Let’s just enjoy tonight, okay?”

“You’re a gem, Terry. Like, truly, I don’t deserve a friend like you,” Maggie wiped her tears away, looking into the review mirror to check her makeup.

“You do,” he pulled Maggie into a hug, “Now let’s go win the costume contest. You’re killing me in those fishnets.”

TO BE CONTINUED…

[braveclementine]

Part 14

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (However they are very few so those under the age of 18 can still read a majority of this book. However please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. Also, all of Severus and Elizabeths' childrens names are mine and mine alone.I also do not condone any copying of this.

THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS

🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶

Marinette clutched snowball to her chest as she stared out the window of the Hogwarts Express. Her parents were still talking to Davina and Carlisle who didn't seem to want to go off onto the train. Both her mother and her father seemed a lot happier, especially over the summer. Her mom was genuinely smiling for the first time in years. So was her father. 

She watched as her mother and father kissed her siblings and they finally got onto the train. Her father wrapped his arm around her mother's waist, kissing the top of her head. Marinette wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she thought she saw a small bump through the outline of her  mother's clothes. 

Another child? Suddenly, a violent image of her mother falling from the sky, landing on upturned sticks  flashed through her mind. Marinette jumped slightly, turning her focus back to the inside of the carriage car she was sitting in. 

Scorpius was sitting in the car as well, though after they'd exchanged their normal pleasantries, they'd both sat in silence. It was usually like this until Albus got here and Marinette wondered if she had a friend in Scorpius when Albus wasn't here. 

Mari turned her head just slightly as she heard both Albus and Roses' voices coming down the train hall. 

"Leave me alone, Rose." Albus said. 

"Albus!" Scorpius said as Albus came into the compartment- finally. Rose was still trailing him. "Oh hello, Rose, what do you smell of?" 

"What do I smell of?" Rose asked, seeming offended. 

"No, I meant it as a nice thing, you smell like a mixture of fresh flowers and fresh- bread." 

"Albus, I'm here, okay? If you need me." Rose said desperately. Mari rolled her eyes, looking back out the window. Her father and mother were meeting with her grandparents now. 

"I mean, nice bread, good bread, bread. . . what's wrong with bread?" Scorpius continued his incredibly awkward, clearly unable to talk to girls, dialogue. 

"What's wrong with bread!" Rose scoffed as she walked away. 

"I've been looking for you two everywhere." Albus declared. 

"And now you've found us. Ta-da! We were hardly hiding. You know how I like to get on early. Stops people staring. Shouting. Writing 'Son of Voldemort' on my trunks. That one never gets old. She really doesn't like me, does she?" 

Mari was taken aback as Albus hugged Scorpius fiercely. She raised an eyebrow, watching the two of them, while she petted snowball. 

"Okay. Hello. Um. Have we hugged before? Do we hug?" Scorpius asked awkwardly. 

"No. No you don't." Marinette finally spoke and the two boys jumped apart. 

"Just a slightly weird twenty-four hours." Albus sighed. 

"What's happening in them?" 

"I'll explain later. We have to get off this train." 

It was perfect timing, really, as the Hogwarts Express blew its' whistle and started to chug slowly out of the station. Marinette looked out the window one last time to see her father throw his head back and roar with laughter, something he rarely allowed himself to do in public. Marinette felt a weight that she hadn't realized she'd been carrying lift off of her shoulders. The hardness towards her mother dissolved some. 

"Too late. The train is moving. Hogwarts ahoy!" Scorpius replied sarcastically. 

"Then we have to get off a moving train." Albus declared. 

"Anything from the trolley dears?" Marinette jumped as the trolley witch came into view, pushing her cart. 

"Oh, no thank you." Marinette said quickly, kicking Albus so he didn't open the window right in front of her. Mari knew they were jumping off the train, just as she knew if the trolley witch saw them, she'd stop them. Perhaps if she didn't see them try to climb out of the window, then she wouldn't know to stop them from jumping off. 

"A moving magical train." Scorpius said as the trolley witch moved on to the next compartment. Albus opened the window. "Albus Severus Potter, get that strange look out of your eyes." 

"First question. What do you know about the Triwizard Tournament?" Albus asked. 

Ah. So it seemed Delphi had visited Albus as well. That put Marinette's suspicion radar up a notch. She didn't trust people in general, but the idea of a strange lady visiting kids while their parents were occupied to plant the same seed was certainly suspicious. 

"Oooooh, a quiz!" Scorpius exclaimed meanwhile, "Three schools pick three champions to compete in three tasks for one Cup. What's that got to do with anything?" 

"Well, actually, the Triwizard Cup picks the champions, but I digress." Marinette responded. 

"You two really are enormous geeks, you know that?" 

"Ya-huh." Mari and Scorpius said together. 

"Second question. Why has the Triwizard Tournament not been run in over twenty years?" 

"The last competition included your dad and a boy called Cedric Diggory- they decided to win together but the Cup was a Portkey- and they were transported to Voldemort. Cedric was killed. They canceled the competition immediately after." 

Marinette decided to not add that there had been a death in almost every single Triwizard Tournament ever held and the only reason Cedrics' death was unusual was because it was actually just murder. 

"Good. Third question: Did Cedric need to be killed?" Mari rolled her eyes. "Easy question, easy answer. No. The words Voldemort said were, 'Kill the spare.' The spare. He died only because he was with my father and my father couldn't save him- we can. A mistake has been made and we're going to right it. We're going to use a Time-Turner. We're going to bring him back." 

"Albus," Scorpius said warningly. "For obvious reasons, I'm not a massive fan of Time-Turners." 

"When Amos Diggory asked for the Time-Turner my father denied they even existed. He lied to an old man who just wanted his son back- who just loved his son. And he did it because he didn't care- because he doesn't care. Everyone talks about all the brave things Dad did. But he made some mistakes too. Some big mistakes, in fact. I want to set one of those mistakes right. I want us to save Cedric." 

Her mother hadn't lied to the man. She'd been up front and honest. And her mother had wanted to correct Cedrics' death, she'd admitted that. Said she'd begged Dumbledore to let her change it and Dumbledore had said no. Maybe. . . 

"Okay, whatever was holding you brain together seems to have snapped." Scorpius muttered. Marinette laughed, and was surprised that she did. 

"I'm going to do this, Scorpius, Mari. I need to do this. And you know as well as I do, I'll entirely mess it up if you two don't come with me. Come on." 

"On one condition." Marinette said as Albus started to hoist himself out of the window. "I get to bring Snowball." 

Albus grinned, "Of course, come on." He disappeared completely and Marinette sighed, following him up. It was a bit of a stretch, before she was standing on top of the train now. It was moving faster than she had expected, making her change her stance so that she felt more balanced. Snowball hissed, though she wasn't sure at what exactly. 

Scorpius joined them and it wasn't long before he wanted to get back into the train, "Okay, now we're on the roof of a train, it's fast, it's scary, this has been great, I feel like I've learnt a lot about me, something about you, but-" 

Marinette actually laughed again. 

"As I calculate it we should be approaching the viaduct soon and then it'll be a short hike to St. Oswald's Home for Old Witches and Wizards. . ." 

"The what? The where? Look, I am as excited as you are to be a rebel for the first time in my life- yay - train roof- fun- but now -oh." 

Marinette looked over her shoulder as Scorpius' voice trailed off. Her heart sank upon seeing the Trolley Witch there. 

"The water will be an extremely useful backup if our Cushioning Charm doesn't work."  Albus continued, not seeing the trolley witch that both of them were watching come closer. 

"Albus. The Trolley witch."  Scorpius managed to squeak out. Marinette warily took a few steps back, wondering if it would be rude to jump off the train without telling them. 

"You want a snack for the journey?" Albus asked stupidly. But then again, his back was to all three of them as he looked over the edge of the speeding train. The train couldn't have been going fast as well, maybe what? Thirty miles per hour? But on top of the roof, it felt like they were going at least eighty. 

"No. Albus. The Trolley Witch is coming towards us!" Marinette shouted. 

"No, she can't be, we're on top of the train. . ." Albus trailed off as both Scorpius and Mari pointed at the Trolly Witch, seeing that she was indeed on top of the train. What was more, she had brought her trolley with her, the candies and pastries on top looked slightly different than Mari remembered them being. 

"Anything from the trolley dears? Pumpkin Pasty? Chocolate Frog? cauldron Cake?" She asked nonchalantly like the four of them were not on top of the train. 

"Oh." Albus said dumbly. 

"People don't know much about me. They buy my Cauldron Cakes- but they never really notice me. I don't remember the last time someone asked my name." 

"What is your name?" Albus asked. 

"I've forgotten. All I can tell you is that when the Hogwarts Express first came to be- Ottaline Gambol herself offered the job. . ." 

"That's- one hundred and ninety years." Scorpius beat Mari to it. "You've been doing this job for one hundred and ninety years?" 

Mari felt that even with a job that long, how could you forget your own name? The Hogwarts Express made six trips total throughout a year. Going back and forth to Hogwarts in the Fall, going back and forth to Hogwarts for Winter break, and going back and forth to Hogwarts in the Spring. How did she not have time for herself? Not having a life for herself? 

"These hands have made over six million Pumpkin Pasties. I've got quite good at them. But what people haven't noticed about my Pumpkin Pasties is how easily they transform into something else. . ." 

Mari gaped as she threw the Pumpkin pastie at them. It exploded, much like a grenade from those Muggle movies her mother and brothers loved. 

"And you won't believe what I can do with my Chocolate Frogs." Mari didn't really want to find out. "Never- never- have I let anyone off this train before they reached their destination. Some have tried- Sirius Black and his cronies, Fred and George Weasley, Elizabeth Kane and Lee Jordan. ALL HAVE FAILED. BECAUSE THIS TRAIN- IT DOESN'T LIKE PEOPLE GETTING OFF IT. . ." Her hands transfigured into very sharp spikes and Mari wondered for a second if the trolley witch was actually fully human as first assumed. "So please retake your seats for the remainder of the journey." 

Mari did a start, hearing her mothers' name as one of the people who had tried to jump off. Had her mother. . . had her mother not liked Hogwarts either? 

"You were right, Scorpius. This train is magical." 

"At this precise moment in time, I take no pleasure in being right." Scorpius swallowed thickly. 

"Maybe we should re think this." Mari said uneasily. 

"But I was also right- about the viaduct- that's water down there, time to try the Cushioning Charm." Albus said. 

"Albus, this is a bad idea." Scorpius said, exchanging a look with Mari. 

"Is it?" Albus asked, looking over at the two of them. Usually when Scorpius and Mari were in agreement with something, he would change his mind, take their advice. "Too late now." He said instead, bending his knees. "Three, two, one. Molliare!" He jumped off the train. 

"Albus!" Scorpius panicked, throwing her another look. She just shook her head. Both of them glance back at the approaching witch, whose hair was now swinging wildly. Mari wondered if they stayed long enough, if the hair would turn into snakes like that Greek Gorgon Medusa. She didn't want to find out. 

"Well, as fun as you clearly look, I have to go after my friend." Scorpius sighed and then shouted the incantation as he jumped after Albus. 

"Great." Mari said, turning, and jumped after him.

[abbatoirablaze]

Princess & Bunny, Chapter 11

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings:  slight angst, some fluff…all the feels.

“This will always be our place, Hughie…”

Ransom’s heart fluttered as she looked at him.  And his hand reached out to take it in hers, “you’re my best friend, Bunny.”

“Yeah…” she smiled softly, giving the alpha a sweet look, “You’re my best friend too, Hughie…”

“Even more than Cece?”

“Even more than Cece,” she confirmed as she looked up at the sky.  Ransom smiled, his heart fluttering even more, “thanks for sneaking out with me to watch the stars…”

“I’d do anything for you, Bun…”

“Sometimes I wish we could just run away,” she admitted softly, “me and you against the world…we could stay at the cabin while your mom and my dad and Cece acted like the perfect family…”

“Coming from the actual perfect one,” Ransom chuckled, clearly amused by the situation, “Linda would have a fit if you disappeared…and if you disappeared with me…then she’d definitely make it seem like it was all my fault and all my idea…”

“Hughie…”

“Hmm?” he asked, breaking his own gaze away from the stars.  He looked beside himself.  But Bunny didn’t say anything.  He let go of her hand and rolled onto his side, propping himself up, “what is it, Bunny?”

“N-nothing,” she lied.  Ransom frowned and he inched closer towards her, “I just-“

“You know you could tell me anything, Bunny…you’re my best friend…”

“Yeah…” she repeated sadly.  Ransom didn’t want to push her, so he said nothing.  He watched as she turned her attention back to the stars, “things aren’t going to change now, are they?”

“W-what do you mean?” he asked curiously.

“Y-you’re officially an alpha,” she said softly, “y-you presented.  Soon there will be omegas trying to come around, saying that it’s how you sme-“

“Can you smell me, Bunny?”

She whimpered, but didn’t respond to the question.  Ransom frowned as she sat up, “I-I should go…we should get bac-“

“Bunn-“

“We should go, Hughie…”

The gravel crunched underneath the tires of his beamer as he pulled into the driveway.  He frowned when he noticed her car.  His own memories had been replaying in his head, but the entire way up, all he could think about was the last night he’d spent with her when she’d all but admitted that she could smell him. 

He wondered if she knew then that he was her mate.

Was that what she really wanted to ask about?

So many things swirled in his head, so many unanswered questions, that when he got out of the car his heart ached.  He could smell her scent now.  Unencumbered by the blockers.

Whiskey and rose hips. 

He inhaled deeply, relishing in the scent. 

His inner wolf growled, wanting to find her. 

But his heart lurched in his chest as he noticed her in the field.  She was playing in the flowers with his cub. 

“DADDY!”

Her head whipped around towards the driveway.  Before she could so much as reach out to grab him, Kingston was barreling towards his father. 

Ransom frowned.

He could smell the bitter notes in her scent as her anxiety spiked. 

But he received his son as the toddler attacked his legs, picking him up. 

“You came!”

Ransom sighed, cradling his cub against his chest.  Kingston nuzzled his neck, scenting his father. 

Ransom watched as Bunny came towards him, “I take it that Harlan told you where we were?”

Ransom bit his lip and shook his head, “I-I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Bun…went to the house where we made him…went to the estate where you gave birth…but here you were…all along…”

“Our special place.”

“Our special place,” he repeated with a sigh, “we came here every single summer since the day our parents introduced us…”

“I figured if you never got your senses…I-I’d want Kingston to grow up in a place where both of us were happy.”

Ransom nodded and looked at his son, “how was I so stupid to not see what was in front of me this whole time?  How did I not see it was you, Bunny?”

“They say hindsight is twenty twenty…”

“You were my everything…”

“Until Princess tore us apart,” she sniffled, crossing her arms over her chest, “I-I was serious when we were kids…when I said I wanted us to run away…”

“You knew back then…didn’t you?”

She nodded, “Maple bourbon and bonfires…you reminded me of fall…”

“If I knew back then,” Ransom stuttered, shaking his head as he felt the tears welling up in his eyes, “Bunny…if I knew-I-I would have chosen you in a heartbeat.  You know that, right?”

She sniffled once more and wiped underneath her eyes, “Hughie…”

He took a few steps forward, but she held her arms out, stopping him.

“Mommy…no cry!” her cub whimpered as he peaked out from Ransom’s neck.

“Mommy’s okay, baby…” she reassured her cub, “She just…daddy and her are talking…”

“Daddy’s home…”

“Y-yeah…” she hiccupped. 

Ransom frowned and put his son down, patting him gently on the butt, “why don’t you go in and get changed for a nap…yeah?  Mommy and daddy will be inside in a second.”

Kingston looked between his parents, waiting for confirmation from his mother.

“Daddy’s right, baby…go get changed for your nap,” she agreed, “w-we’ll be in to tuck you in, in a second.”

The little boy nodded, not needing much else to confirm that his parents were alright, and he charged back in towards the house, being sure to close the door behind him. 

“Bunny…”

“Don’t,” she said simply, a few more tears streaming down her cheeks, “if it’s what I think you’re going to say…then don’t…Hughie, I can-“

She was cut off when Ransom rushed her, his lips capturing hers in a flurried kiss.   She instantly melted against the alpha as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer to himself.  Ransom felt the purr coming from his mate as she settled in his arms.

“I’m not leaving you, Bunny,” Ransom promised as he broke the kiss and looked at her gently.  His hand reached up and he stroked her cheek.  She closed her eyes and pressed their foreheads together.  Ransom leaned forward a little and let his nose brush against hers.  His hand reached further up and he brushed the tears from her cheeks, “I’m not leaving you ever again, omega…”

“Alpha…” she whimpered softly.

“Whiskey and rose hips,” he admitted softly, “th-that night we conceived Kingston…tha-that’s all I could smell…it felt safe…felt like home.  I knew in that moment that I loved whoever it belonged to.  Bunny…fo-forgive me for not seeing that it was you…let me stay…please…let me be your mate…the mate that you deserve…the father to our cub…baby, please don’t push me away.”

She gave him a sad smile and nodded against him, pressing their lips back together once more, “O-okay Hughie…”

“I can stay?”

“You can stay, alpha,” she whimpered softly as she pulled away from him.  Ransom smiled, his arms pulling her back to himself, “you can stay…”

Tag List:  @lohnes16, @tenaciousperfectionunknown, @prokey16, @magnificentsaladllama

[fardell24b]

Spider Quinn 07: Ashes to Ashes - Part 7

Quinn heard a knock at the bedroom door. Just as well she wasn’t doing something SpiderGirl related. She opened it and found Jenna holding a hairbrush. “Jenna?”

“Quinn. I’m not going to need this anymore,” Jenna said, waving the hairbrush.

“Oh. What about Mom or Daria?”

“I thought you would appreciate it more.”

Quinn took the brush. “Thanks,” she said with a smile. “But I already have a lot of brushes.”

“Oh.”

“But I think I know someone who doesn’t have many.”

“That’s fine,” Jenna said.

But Quinn could tell that she was disappointed. “But, I could keep it.”

“You don’t have to,” Jenna said in a reassuring tone.

Quinn nodded with a smile. She decided to change the topic. “So, there’s a reason you did all this?”

“Lots of reasons,” Jenna said. “My life hasn’t been that great. I didn’t have friends at school, and I fell into the wrong crowd at College. Ended up abusing various substances, not just alcohol, and got into a few bad relationships…”

“You don’t need to say more,” Quinn said, after Jenna trailed off and was quiet.

“And I lost various family members. Which is another reason I came in here.”

“I have Mom, Daria and Stacy, Tiffany, and now Tori,” Quinn said.

“And that’s good. But you probably need more help.”

“I’ll think about that.”

“A good idea,” Jenna said. She then said good night and left the room.

Quinn then went back to what she was working on.

SpiderGirl emerged from the side bedroom window in the early hours. She then walked on the roof and sat above the spare room. She could hear sounds coming from below. Jenna was still having nightmares. But then she also was having nightmares. There were many nights when she had awoken from reliving that moment when her father became still on the side of the road beside his car. She shook her head and focused on listening to Lawndale.

She soon heard sirens near the Big Strawberry. She headed in that direction.

Peterson saw SpiderGirl arrive. “I knew you would be here,” she said.

“What do you have?” she asked.

“Overdose,” Peterson said. “A friend called it in, said that the person was tripping and wanted to climb the Strawberry. Unfortunately, the ambulance wasn’t able to make it in time.”

SpiderGirl was annoyed. It was something she saw occasionally on the news in Highland, but not yet in Lawndale. “I’ll get all the dealers!” she declared.

“I’m afraid that more would come,” Peterson said in a tone of defeat.

SpiderGirl knew that tone from those Highland news reports. She approached the victim. “Not again!” she said. “Lawndale will be CLEAN!”

“Simply saying that won’t help,” Peterson said. “I know you averted a deal yesterday, but you can’t be everywhere.”

“I know,” SpiderGirl said quietly. “But I’ll try.”

Peterson watched as the metahuman vigilante swung away. She hoped that she would be able to make some difference. She didn’t want Lawndale to get worse, although she knew that it would before things got better.

SpiderGirl patrolled various parts of Lawndale until the pre-dawn glow appeared in the eastern sky.

Lawndale Sun-Herald

Friday December 12, 1999

Mayor Promises No Tolerance of Crime

Quinn couldn’t get back to sleep. The image of the dead addict was now prominent in her mind, although it wasn’t any where near as prominent as her father saying ‘With great power comes great responsibility’.

As soon as the alarm went off she jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom.

“Oh, has Jenna been keeping you awake?” Daria asked when she came out.

“A little,” Quinn said. “I do have nightmares, sometimes,” she admitted quietly.

“Me too,” Daria said. “Obviously not like yours. I miss Dad a lot.”

The two sisters then hugged. It more being Quinn throwing her hands around the other than the two actually hugging.

Daria didn’t fight it

“Thanks,” Quinn said as she released her sister from the hug.

Jenna was already ready to leave when the two sisters came down. “Thanks for having me,” she said to Helen.

“You can give me a call when you get back,” Helen said.

“I shall,” Jenna said as she hugged Helen. She waved to Daria and Quinn and then left.

“Constant change,” Quinn mused as she left the house with Daria.

“That’s life,” Daria said.

“This time last week, I wouldn’t have expected that I would dissolve the Fashion Club.”

“Wasn’t that Stacy and Tiffany as well?” Daria asked.

“Yes. But I had hoped that Sandi and I would still be friends.”

“Quinn, she has seen you change due to grief and she’s not sure what to make of it. It says a lot about the other two that they have stuck with you.”

“It does, doesn’t it? Now there’s Tori, although I don’t know her well,” Quinn said.

“I’m sure that she’ll stick around. She may have a reputation for gossip, but I haven’t heard her disparage people much.”

“That’s true.”

“And I still have Jane,” Daria said.

“I’m sure she’ll stick around.”

The day at school was relatively normal. It seemed that Sandi had paused her rumormongering.

That evening, there was another call from the Gupty’s. “Hello,” Helen said.

“Lauren Gupty here.”

“I’ll put Quinn on.”

“Thanks.”

“Mrs. Gupty?” Quinn asked when she had grabbed the phone.

“Evening Quinn. Lester and I need to be out again tomorrow night.”

“I can be there,” Quinn responded.

“Thanks.”

Lawndale Sun-Herald

Saturday, December 13, 1999

Overdose victim found at Big Strawberry

Quinn brought Jenna’s hairbrush with her to the Gupty’s. She was sure that Tricia would appreciate the gesture.

“That’s pretty,” Tricia said once Quinn took it out of her handbag.

“It belonged to a person who pretended to be an old friend of my mothers. Would you like it?”

“That person won’t mind?”

“I think she'd be happy knowing I gave it to someone with such pretty hair,” Quinn responded.

“Wait…”

“It’s a long story.”

“I’ll keep it. Anyway, Tad and I finally have a Nintendo. Would you like to play?”

“I have played Mario Paint,” Quinn said.

“Sounds boring,” Tricia said.

“Not as boring as it sounds. Besides, Stacy has a PlayStation.”

After an hour or so playing Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Tad and Tricia were tiring. “Time to get ready for bed.”

“Sure,” Tricia said as she turned the system off.

After leaving the Gupty’s later that night, SpiderGirl patrolled that part of Lawndale, hoping that she was making a difference. She owed Tad and Tricia, and others she babysat that much. ‘With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility,’ she thought as she passed by that house again.

[notsufjanstevensblog]

Chinni. She was our family dog. A black pomeranian. She was a size of a cat when we first bought her. No. Took her away from the locals because they told us chinni was “too harsh”. I was around 12-13? I guess? I’m not sure. Soon chinni was a part of our broken family. Broken on all terms- family, finance, health, a happy home, you name it. Chinni was a hope that we all clinged on to. On our lousy days, our tired sundays, our evenings when all of us were really tired of whatever we spent the day doing, our mornings when mom & dad woke me up to catch that bus right on time and so many other days when life slapped our face to reality. We used to feed chinni 2 biscuits every evening and now that I think of it, maybe it took only 2 of those buiscuits was all that it took for our simple lives with chinni. Ruthless human being I am, I barely spent anytime with her. My mom and younger sister used to pet her so much and I never understood. But I just gave up one day and tried playing with her but it didn’t do me any good. Let me also tell you that i’ve always hated pets. For a person who is very conscious about cleanliness and hygiene, I was very particular about even touching chinni in the beginning. To my favour, chinni was very good and aware about everything around her. She never disturbed me and just sat with me, catching flies in the air. I don’t think it ever caught one- idiot. It used to be very delusional and chew something random on the floor. I always used to shoo it away because you don’t want your mango-eating-sunday-afternoons with chinni! I mean, come on.

Then we all grew up. Times changed. We shifted to a new house. Things were pretty great. I didn’t like the change but just like everyone else, I got used to it. I was admitted in a boarding school. I loved it there. I was a cute church going wanna-be christian girl reading bible and quoting psalms. I used to go back home every sunday to wash my hair and scrub my skin. My mom kept screaming at how tanned by back and my hands or legs were or how my hair keeps falling off in bunches. On a random sunday, I remember this very vividly. On a random sunday, I was sitting there after this very petty argument with my elder sister crying and holding a piece of chicken that my mom cooked everytime we came home from hostel. Chinni came sniffing and I threw it far far away. Chinni brought back the piece in her mouth, un-eaten. I was confused. I wasn’t going to eat that, so i told “chinni, you eat”. And chinni did. I went back home and mom had another one for me. I never really noticed chinni. I just knew she was watching me from under my car or the corner she always occupied in our car garage.

Times changed very rapidly. I was in my 2nd year of college. Dad was hospitalised with acute kidney infection stage 4. Dad sat on the garden wall and spoke to people for hours. Chinni just sat there with him, catching flies in the air. I mean literally that. Dad used to pat chinni a few times and look at the sky. He used to yell at all of us for not feeding chinni and cleaning her. By the end of covid pandemic, our family had gotten a little closer and I couldn’t have asked for more. I loved it. It was mundane and simple. I came to LOVE chinni. Chinni used to come wherever me and mom and my sister used to go to walk. Slowly, wagging its tail, barking at basically nothing. We had a favourite jackfruit tree in our fields where me and mom used to gossip about people closer to us. It was fun. Chinni used to sit there and act as if she knew what we were speaking and I used to just pat chinni and wash hands and legs off of the dust and her hair everytime I returned back home. Chinni was old. Infact, I never knew how old she was.

By now times had severely changed. Dad was diagnosed with covid-19 and had a pulmonary infection with underlying health issues. Chinni kept crying. Perhaps she knew her family wouldn’t be the same anymore. Chinni used to howl. I didn’t think she could do that until that point. My dad kept giving her buiscuits. But how many of them will she need to tune down the thoughts of her not having the same family in a few days and losing one of her best friends? And the world fell apart for chinni. My dad passed away. Now chinni was no one. Nothing. Just another dog. She couldn’t cheer us anymore. She couldn’t smile or eat anymore. Chinni only used to eat food when we had kept it on a plate and left. Chinni never ate food infront of any of us. I saw chinni’s teeth in the garden and I knew chinni was also getting old. I tried to be there for her as much as I could but I was broken enough to an extent to know that it would not be able to fix her. I just used to sit with chinni with a glass of tea in my one hand and phone in the other.

Chinni wanted her dad. To tell her stories telepathically. I could never be her. I could never listen to anyone’s stories in my family without being judgemental. Chinni started getting sadder and sadder. Chinni never came near our house now. It sat there quietly in a garage. It could barely see or bark. I went back to university and everytime I kept waving at her assuming she could see. Only if she were here to know that I would wave at her a million more times. Chinni’s hair was falling off. I never spent time with chinni anymore because she reminded me of the time that my life was at its best. It was a dream, a dream that had already passed. I didn’t want to fight to have it again. Very recently I went to meet chinni and she was fine. I had not talked to her for the past few months. So I fed the leftovers and came back home.

My uncle was very annoyed at the rat that kept roaming in the garage. He threw a big ass stick aiming the rat but chinni got hit. It was horrible. She got hit and her hip broke. Chinni kept crying. I couldn’t take it anymore. I came home and cried my heart out. All of us cried. We could never see chinni again. And 3 days later, chinni had passed away. I wasn’t informed. I went home and took 2 biscuits from the snacks drawer in our kitchen and then my mom told me chinni had passed away. Now that I come to think of it, I only have regrets. I could’ve maybe touched chinni more often. Played with her more often. Fed her her favourite treats. I could’ve done so much more but I’m happy that I atleast have regrets that keep me up at night reminding chinni- the best company I’ll ever have.

[knuts-and-bolts]

it was my first year of summer camp and i was homesick and scared of the dark. it was my moms birthday that day, and the night my cabin had our camp out. once it got dark, i started to cry. i was inconsolable. until my counselor molly sat beside me and asked if she could tell me a story.

ten years later, i tell myself the same story when i start to panic or when things are just too much to handle. tonight, i told it to a cabin of kids at the same camp. i work here now, and i get to be the person for them that molly was for me.

i’m don’t think many people will read this, and most of you are my close friends who have heard it before. still, i wanted to put it out there so it can never be fully forgotten. here’s the story.

once upon a time there was a girl named molly. molly loved more than anything in the world to go camping. she had camped with friends and family, on beaches, mountains, valleys, and deserts. each time she felt more connected to nature and to herself.

one day, molly decided to finally go camping alone. she packed her bag with everything she would need, then double checked it, then triple checked it. her family drove out to the mountains, and as she got out of the car they reminded her that they would be close by. if anything went wrong, they said, just shout or walk back toward the car. molly told them she understood and that she loved them, and she set off.

she reached the perfect clearing in the early afternoon, and after setting up her tent, she decided to go explore. she hiked to a nearby creek and waded in the icy water until the sun began to dip under the trees.

molly made a fire, as she had so many times before, and cooked her dinner. she watched the sunset as the fire burned out. it had been such a long day, she thought, but it had been perfect so far.

molly climbed into her tent and got comfortable in her sleeping bag. it didn’t take long for her to fall asleep.

a couple hours later, she awoke to the strange sensation of being watched. a pair of glowing yellow eyes blinked at her through the thin material of the tent. it’s probably just a fox or a raccoon, she comforted herself, nothing to worry about. she laid her head back down and went beck to bed.

but again, she woke in the middle of the night. this time, there were more eyes peering in at her. she felt herself begin to panic as she wondered what it could be. a pack of coyotes, she wondered, a pack of wolves?

molly clutched her flashlight close to her chest and pulled her sleeping bag up over her head. she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. when molly’s heartbeat had evened out again, she tried to think rationally about the situation.

after thinking for a while, molly made her decision. she took the biggest, deepest breath she could, exhaled all the way, and unzipped the tent. she knew she would never sleep unless she at least saw what it was that scared her so badly. she shone the beam of her flashlight directly when the eyes had blinked a split second before.

and there was nothing. puzzled, molly looked around. there wasn’t a single animal to be seen or heard, nor a footprint or any kind of trace something had been there. she wondered if whatever it was would come back if she put the light away.

she switched it off and waited. slowly, one after another, the eyes blinked open. as she watched, they began to dance and twirl around her. they were no longer pairs, she saw, but dazzling specs of light.

fireflies, she thought, and she smiled. thousands of fireflies lit up the night sky in the clearing. more than she had seen in her whole life. the full moon illuminated the trees around her, and the sky was filled with twinkling stars.

molly laughed and watched the bugs moved through the air. she pulled her sleeping bag out of her tent and began to fall asleep under the light of the moon.

just before she fell asleep, molly thought to herself just how grateful she was that she had been brave enough to face her fear. she wondered what life would look like without the beauty of the fireflies and the perfection of the night sky to lull her to sleep. with that, molly finally drifted off, and dreamt of a flying among the stars like the fireflies.

[spnbaby-67]

Craving You (Revised Edition for 2025)

Chapter 17: Blizzard Bound

Somewhere on the outskirts of Texas, we pulled into a gas station to refuel and grab some snacks. I texted Jo to let her know where we were, and she responded immediately with a weather warning—Boise was expecting snow, and she wanted us to be extra careful. I showed Jensen, and he assured me that his truck had snow tires, and if it came down to it, he’d throw on the chains for better traction. Jo had even packed a few thick blankets in the backseat for us, just in case. That woman was always ten steps ahead.

By the time we crossed into Colorado, I couldn’t hold back my emotions. I turned my face to the window, trying to hide the tear that slid down my cheek. I already missed Austin. Missed Jo. Missed the strange comfort of knowing I was still near people who understood me.

Jensen noticed and reached over the bench console to take my hand.

“Babe, you okay?” he asked, his voice soft as he glanced between me and the road.

I gave a weak nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Yeah. I’ll be okay.”

His fingers tightened around mine, silently grounding me. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the temperature followed suit. Jensen turned up the heat, creating a warm cocoon inside the cab of the truck. I lifted the bench console so I could slide over next to him. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, letting me rest my head against him as he continued driving one-handed.

I looked up at him. “You should stop soon. Your arm’s going to start throbbing again.”

“I’m good,” he murmured, but his voice was thick with fatigue.

“How about we find a place for the night? Start fresh in the morning after breakfast?”

He nodded. “Yeah. We’ve been at this for hours. Let’s find something close.”

I found a nearby hotel and booked a room. Once we checked in, Jensen took his pain meds and was out like a light. I sat on the edge of the bed for a while, watching him sleep. He was so peaceful. So real. And I couldn’t stop wondering what I’d done in life to deserve someone like him. He listened, supported me, and never judged. And here he was, driving nearly three thousand miles with me so I wouldn’t have to face my fear of flying.

I climbed in next to him and wrapped my arm around his waist. He instinctively lifted his arm, letting me snuggle closer. I kissed the side of his face.

“I love you,” I whispered, barely audible.

The next morning, Jensen showered while I ordered breakfast. Once he was done, I took my turn. The hot water was heaven—exactly what I needed. Dressed in cozy leggings and a long-sleeved tee, I stepped out of the bathroom to see Jensen fidgeting with his sling.

“Babe?” I asked, placing my hand gently on his back.

“This stupid strap’s too tight,” he muttered.

“Let me help.” I adjusted the straps until his shoulders relaxed.

He leaned down and kissed me. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

That word. Sweetheart. It never failed to send shivers down my spine.

“Did you eat?” I asked as I zipped up my duffel.

“Yeah. It was good. Let’s grab snacks and water before we hit the road. We ran low yesterday.”

Outside, the snow had started. I smiled up at the sky, catching flakes on my tongue like I used to when I was a kid.

“What are you doing, woman?” Jensen chuckled, wrapping me in his arms.

“Being a kid,” I laughed, “I love fresh snow.”

He secretly recorded me while I spun around with my hands raised. For a moment, I was that carefree girl again, remembering snow days with my mom.

We got on the road, but by 4 PM, just outside Boise, things turned. Snow poured heavily, blurring the road ahead. I glanced at Jensen.

“Jensen, this is getting bad. I don’t think even snow chains are gonna help.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” he said, scanning for signs.

He pulled off to the side. No other cars. Just us and the snow.

“Closest hotel is too far,” he muttered, his voice tense. “We might be stuck.”

“Wait—what? We’re staying here?”

“It’s our safest option right now.”

I wanted to panic. The cold was seeping into my bones. But Jensen stayed calm.

“We can move to the back seat and cuddle up with the blankets Jo packed.”

He made sure we were out of traffic’s way, and we climbed into the back. I was freezing, my socks and shoes soaked. My teeth chattered.

“You know,” Jensen said, “the best way to stay warm is skin to skin.”

“Don’t make this weird,” I grumbled, but agreed. We stripped down, climbed under the blankets, and let our bodies warm each other.

“Do you know how hard this is gonna be?” he muttered with a grin.

“Cute choice of words.” I rolled my eyes.

We lay there, tangled in blankets and limbs, when I noticed blood seeping from his shoulder.

“Jay, your arm’s bleeding.”

I fished out the med kit Jo packed. “Drink this,” I handed him whiskey. “This is gonna hurt.”

He took a long drink. I cleaned the wound and poured antiseptic over it.

“AHHH! Shit!”

“I warned you,” I said, biting my lip.

Some stitches had come undone.

“You’re going to have to sew me up.”

“I’m what?!”

“Babe, you can do this. I’ll walk you through it.”

Shaking, I prepped the needle. Hands trembling, I followed every instruction, watching his face twist in pain. He didn’t scream, but it was written all over his body.

When I finished, I covered it with fresh gauze, then threw the used supplies aside and held him.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “I know how hard that was.”

“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” I whispered, my face wet with tears.

“You didn’t,” he said, cupping my cheek. “I love you too.”

My heart froze.

He heard me. Last night.

I held him tighter, pressing my cheek to his chest.

“I love you too, Jensen,” I whispered, finally letting the words settle into the cold night air.

We lay together, wrapped in each other’s arms as the storm howled around us. But inside that truck, it was warm, safe—and filled with something I never expected to find on this trip: love.

[perlapulido]

Nothing Can Break Us

Summary: Astrid has longed to reunite with her dad wanting answers that she cant find until she reached beach City meeting not him but her half brother and others known as the Crystal Gems. She loved spending time with them even helping on protecting the earth when the Diamonds sees her along with their best soldier who refuse to leave her be.

Ch1

it was night with the clouds covering the sky above the city hearing the sound of cars, people talking, and a sound of faint music getting close  and closer don the road showing a black van coming to view pulling to a stop at a red light. A teen was drumming her hand n he wheel before looking at her map on the passenger east and drove when the light changed making a turn to the highway. She has driving for hours after leaving everything behind since she made a full recovery from that accident that changed her life around taking a glance at her small urn. 'Hope this is worth it. No turning back now.' she thought looking back on the road seeing the sky being to change from dark to light from the hours she spent on the highway and changing lanes. Her eyes started drooping but shook her head to stay awake until she reach the closest town to get a full and parked at large sign that her mismatch eyes couldnt make from how exhausted she is. Running her hands though her long wild looking brown hair to relieve her mind getting up to grab her windshield cover with 'Do not disturb unless your a cop' spraypainted across. The girl walked past her small kitchen and dining area dropping her body face first on her bed pulling herself up while kicking off her flats and her metal prosthetic arm shutting her eyes for a moment. '"Mom. You're gonna look like a crazy lady." said the girl looking at the ginger woman ding a little dance while driving. "Hey. You got me into this so why not enjoy it." said the woman pulling to a stop at a red light. She then danced a bit more with the girl looked at bit embarrassed as people were also stop next to the car and others crossing the street. The girl then heard the song end and onto the next having the laughed getting excited then started singing turning the music up a little. She rolled her eyes smiling then joined her on their light to turn green. "When your dreams all fail. And the ones we hail. Are the worst of all, and the blood runs stale." the girl sang as they drove still singing until she looked to see a car speeding their way letting out a scream before they got hit. All the girl heard was high pitch ringing and her most of her body in pain or numbness liftin her head slowly looking around see that she saw the car was destroyed and flipped in its side before blacking out.'

Knock. Knock. Knock. The girl jolted awake turning to her window on the right side of her bed opening the certain to see some teens leaning against her van. She got up pulling open the sliding door with her good arm seeing them look at her. "Can i help you?" said the girl. "Sorry about that Buck thought he play a joke. Say you look familiar?" said the girl with short brown hair wearing a bomb jacket, purple shorts, and a white shirt. "Depends. You seen a man named Greg Universe?" said the girl. "Yeah. He lives at is beach house. Its in a giant lady statue. Cant miss it. im Jenny. Thats Sour Cream and Buck. Sweet home you got." said Jenny. "Thanks Im Astrid." said the girl shaking her hand. "Cool name." said Buck. "Not as cool as your right eye. Too cool to wear both?" said Jenny. "No i was born with it. I dont sound mean but i drove for almost two weeks straight to get here." said Astrid. "Dang. Listen uh we also giving you aheads up that you'll get a ticket just for parking here." said Sour Cream. "Can one of you drive my van? i dont have enough energy to do anything." said Astrid. "Sweet." said Sour cream climbing in with Buck. Astrid went back to bed to watch Sour Cream drive with Buck shutting the door and sat on the sofa following Jenny to their home, Beach City. "Yo Galaxia." said Sour Cream seeing a cd on the floor. "Yeah my old album." said Astrid. "So that how we recognize you. You been gone for what six months." said Buck. "It was something personal but would mind not making a big about it." said Astrid. "We get it. Here we are. Mind if i borrow this for my DJ." said Sour Cream. "As long as i get it back. Sure." said Astrid. "Sweet." said Sour Cream getting out leaving her keys on the dash board. Buck shut the sliding door join Sour Cream and Jenny in the pizza car to go somewhere else having Astrid going back to rest with dreams this time. Hours gone by with Astrid waking up getting her arm back on and her shoes to explore the city seeing git looked like a nice place. "Steven come on. We have to get eating your burgers get cold." said mans voice. Astrid turned to see a man having the same hair style as her but is loosing hair on the to sitting down with a boy. She watched them for a moment before walking away once the man looked at her direction going to a donut shop. Going in seeing a short blonde behind the counter restocking while Astrid looked at the display case hearing someone else coming in. "Hey Greg. Funny seeing here?" said voice behind Astrid. She turned see a short purple girl smile drop and laughed nervously. "Sorry i thought you were someone else." said the girl. "Its cool. Astrid." said Astrid looking at her. "Amethyst." said the purple. "Amethyst!" said a voice from outside. "Im coming Pearl. See ya." said Amethyst walking out. 

Astrid got her bag of donuts eating them at the beach watching the ocean minding her business humming a song she wrote not seeing Greg walking by after parking his van. "Hey kid. Nice song." said Greg walking to her. "Thanks. I know this is going sound weird but can we talk?" said Astrid. "Uh sure. Whats up?" said Greg sitting on the sand next to her. "A lot. I had so much going for my music but now i lost my mom. Things are different." said Astrid. "Im sorry to hear that. I know the feeling. Life cant be fair for everyone." said Greg looking ta her. "Thats what my mom would tell me." said Astrid looking at him. "Do i know you from somewhere?" said Greg staring at her eyes. "Hey Dad. Its been a long time." said Astrid. "Astrid?! Oh my god. Wait a minute i want to know what happened to you first before we talk about anything else." said Greg gesturing her arm. "Mom and i got into a car crash months ago. She didnt make it on the way to the hospital. Thats why im here. Sure i got my albums out but thats not enough for me. I want you back in my life again including that woman Rose." said Astrid. "About that she died after my son and your half brother Steven was born. Its very hard to explain everything thats going on." said Greg rubbing his neck. "Im sorry if rushing this b-" Astrid stopped once Greg embraced her in a hug slowly returning it back taking in this moment. "Don't. Im happy your here though you need to give me time to talk to Steven and the Gems." said Greg. "No need." said a voice not far from them. They looked to see a tall woman with big hair and shades walking to them. "Astrid meet one of the gems. Garnet. Garnet this is Astrid my daughter." said Greg. "I see the resemblance. Nice to officially meet you. You have her eye." said Garnet. "Her eye? You mean Rose?" said Astrid. "Yes. You see Rose didn't just heal you but you'll figure that out later." said Garnet. "And i wont tell the others about you until your both ready." she says. "Thanks. I better get going and help Steven with dinner. See you around?" said Greg getting up. "Cant miss me. I live in a black van license plate GLX0974." said Astrid. "Like father. Like Daughter. Bye Astrid." said Greg walking with Garnet tot he house. Astrid looked back at the ocean thinking about what Garnet said before getting up to head back to her van to get more rest.

[harmshake]

Featuring: Roman Reigns (AU Lawyer) & Jax Teller x Makenna (Fem Black OC) Warnings: 18+, NSFW, mentions of guns, drugs, violence/injuries, angst, dialogue heavy, and smut Word Count: 5.3k

Happy reading! Read Part 5 and my other Roman stories here, if you'd like. ✨

When she was a little girl, about seven-years-old, there was a car ride Makenna's mom took her on in the dead of night. It was a school night and normally her mom would have fussed at her to get to bed before too late. "No child of mine is missin' school in the mornin' because she wanna play around on that game all damn night," her mom's voice seeped through the walls of her tiny bedroom. Makenna couldn't help that she liked video games, especially Crash Bandicoot: Warped, her PlayStation becoming one of her best friends since she didn't have very many her parents would let her spend time with outside of school. And forget sleepovers. They couldn't stay here and she certainly couldn't stay over at their parents' homes, either.

However, her mom forced her out of bed and it had to be about midnight, maybe even later, as Makenna never saw the sky so black and the streetlights so bright as she wiped at her weary eyes, her mom pulling at her wrist after she pulled her out of bed and to the car in the yard that needed a good mowing. "Where we goin'?" Makenna asked, her voice already small but even smaller with sleep gnawing at it. She sat in the backseat as her mom drove them somewhere she assumed would be far because her mom had no problem leaving her home alone to watch after herself if she had errands to run that were "grown folk business."

If her dad were home, too, she wouldn't be alone, but he was away "visiting family," something he did fairly often. It was family Makenna never met or knew she had until her parents decided to tell her the truth a few years later—and just because her dad wanted to see his only child's face when he thought he'd be spending time with that foreign family for longer than he expected.

"Right here. Sit still and stay in the car," her mom said when she parked five blocks from their house. Charming wasn't all that big of a town and neither was their neighborhood in the industrial area. Makenna could see a factory in the short distance and its fat smoke stack pouring white smog into the air as she fiddled with the purple bobos at the end of her braided ponytail, finding it hard to sit still when her heart was thudding in her chest. She was mildly aware of the grown folk business her parents got up to—a slip of the tongue by her mom or a dime bag slipping out of her dad's coat pocket—but she knew it wasn't something she was supposed to see. And seeing it right before her eyes felt forbidden and scary. Her mom knocked on the door of the small, brick house they arrived at that seemed to have on all the lights as they glared through two windows. It felt like they threw a spotlight on Makenna who stared too hard at what was happening. That scary feeling washed over her again as she sank in her seat a little, her tiny body already mostly hidden but now only the top of her head and eyes peeked through the car window.

She saw an older, largish man answer the door, much bigger than her daddy but he kind of reminded her of him. Same deep skin, low fade, and goatee on his chin but there was no smile on his face. Where her dad was often in a fairly good mood despite the poverty and, well, everything that closed in around them, this man didn't seem happy to see her mom. They spoke for maybe a minute before his voice got loud enough that Makenna could make out some of what she hadn't been able to hear beforehand.

"So, you ain't got my money?"

"Don't care 'bout ya lil girl. I got bills, too."

"Greta, who the fuck you think you talkin' to?"

It was the pitch of his last words to her mom that made her raise her voice, too, yet she lowered it instantly when the man lifted his tank top to show a piece of metal tucked under the hem of his gym shorts.

Makenna gasped. She wanted to believe it was a toy and that it couldn't hurt her or her mom if the man decided to play with it. But she knew better, she'd been taught better by her mom who also knew better than to continue the conversation with that man. She was headed back to the car now and Makenna toggled the manual lock on her door when a flash of panic shocked her and made her believe that maybe her mom wasn't getting ready to go, but maybe getting her out of the car. The man was still standing in his doorway, eyeing them both with incensed eyes that followed them until she started the engine and took off.

"Mama...what happened?" Makenna mumbled as her mom remained so silent that she could hear the gravel crunching under the tires outside as they rode over them.

"What I told you 'bout askin' questions when things don't concern you?" she mumbled back, her voice trying to assert but her nerves asserting themselves more. It wasn't often she saw her mom on the verge of tears, angry, sad, sure, but crying? This was scary. It made hot tears dot Makenna's big, brown eyes before they spilled down the grooves of her face crinkled with her frown and pursed lips she knew to keep pursed before her mom "gave her something to cry about."

She wasn't even sure what she was crying for, anyway. Maybe it was the dark, scary night she was rarely allowed to see, the scary man, his scary metal, or her mom's scared eyes and scared tone that gave away something was wrong, something Makenna had no control over or even the right to ask what it was.

As Makenna crawled back into her bed, sniffling and scared and worried, the thin walls of her room let in the sound of her mom crying in her bedroom down the hall, too.

Nights like that fell over their home more than Makenna cared to remember. Bad times like that became more normal than she wanted to admit. They began to slow down when she met a cute, dirty blond boy in her senior year at Charming High School. A boy she'd seen around school since she was a freshman but never paid him any mind because it was in passing, and he was such a scrawny thing with shaggy hair covering his face that Makenna didn't find him much to look at. She never had a type, exactly, but that certainly was not it.

Yet when they shared a class for the first time that fateful fall semester, science was not nearly as fascinating as him. He'd cut his hair to reveal his cute face and he'd gotten taller, rugged, and started wearing a leather vest to school. Made him stand out to her when his icy, blue eyes always finding hers from his table across the room already did that. And when he compelled the guy who shared her table to trade seats with him, Makenna learned there were an awful lot of compelling things about him. He could make her forget about what was going wrong at home because he'd make sure everything went right when they were together. Her parents didn't like her out too late with him, but she was starting not to care what they thought.

She sat through classes all day and got excited thinking instead about those study dates that turned into ice cream dates. Those afternoon motorcycle rides that raced into the evening. Makenna had never been on one and she was scared, the feeling damn near laced in her blood. But he made her blood run hot with nerves that felt better as he held her in his arms, looked into her eyes, and promised he'd keep her safe. He kept that promise for years until...

"We don't have to keep talkin' 'bout it if it makes you uncomfortable," Joe softly reminded Makenna. His hand on her arm gave it a soft squeeze, and in turn, her hand that found itself wrapped around his waist lightly fiddled with the cotton fabric of his t-shirt. She didn't realize she had let her words taper off, the memories she shared with him conjuring up old feelings attached to them and pulling her into her thoughts. But she shook her head that lay on his chest and tilted her face up to look at him while he looked down his nose at her with disquiet welling in his eyes. She was slouched against him on his sofa, the position, him, making her more comfortable than she'd felt in quite some time.

"Nah, I'm alright. I don't talk about it, usually, and I think this is helping. Um, as long as you don't mind hearin' about it." If there was one thing Makenna learned from her parents, it was to hustle and it led her to secure a high-salary job at the law firm. Yet for the five years she'd been there, she never took advantage of the company wellness program and talked with a therapist. Maybe she was afraid to open up about her past to a stranger. Maybe was afraid she'd let something slip about Jax and his men. It would have been privileged information in a session if it didn't involve any of his current or potential crimes, but Makenna never wanted to take that chance and end up right where she was now.

A "snitch." The Sons worst enemy.

She felt Joe squeeze her to him again before his fingertips slowly smoothed up and down the length of her arm in her hoodie sleeve, a sweet gesture she knew was to meant soothe her, and it did, but it also made her heart skip a beat.

"You can talk to me about anything anytime." His voice slightly bellowed in his chest and in her ear as she rested upon it, even though it was still soft like his fingers trailing along her arm before they grazed her hair, gently teasing the coily wisps of her bun around his finger. Makenna almost felt guilty for how good it made her feel and she had to remind herself there was no one in the way of that good feeling anymore except herself. Joe's warm and bulky chest bellowed again but this time with a slight grumble as he said, "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you to talk to sooner. I ain't realize how deep this shit went."

"You had every right to be upset with me. You didn't know and...I got you hurt," Makenna murmured. She didn't even want to look at the short but gnarly line of black stitches on the apple of his left cheek. It served as a parting gift from Jax that he was capable of that and a lot worse, the worse being meant for her.

But Joe shrugged off her words, placed his bearded chin atop her head, and replied, "I was upset. But you ain't do this. He did. I was wrong to take it out on you. I don't know the Sons like you do, but I heard and know enough. I shouldn't have left you alone. I won't do that again. I won't let him get near you ever again."

That sounded like a hefty promise and Makenna found herself wanting to be afraid of it because Jax had made similar promises. Yet Joe wasn't him. He was his own man. And suddenly, she needed to know more about what made them two distinct men as she could feel it in just his warmth all around her. Not a fire but heated and cozy and irresistible to the touch. She clung to it, to him, her nose buried in his shirt that smelled not like his cologne but something good and earthy, maybe his soap or simply his warm skin beneath it. Her heart tripped over itself again and she cleared her throat.

"I appreciate you," she uttered and heard him make a contented hum. "Uh, I think I'm done talkin' about me, though. I wanna talk about you."

"What do you wanna know?" Joe chimed with a small laugh.

"Was that your first fight? Yesterday, I mean. I'm sorry to bring it up again, it's just...it looked like you were, I don't know, takin' it easy on him."

He laughed again, wistful, like the question dredged up memories and old feelings for him, too. She was about to tell him never mind but he spoke first. "Naw. Definitely not my first. Got into plenty of scraps when I was a kid. Got all that shit out of my system by the time I got into Pepperdine, though."

"Did those fights ever put you in juvie?" The follow-up question sprang out of her, curiosity jumping ahead of her manners. Makenna didn't want him to relive anything he'd been through, but she couldn't help wondering if he lived a life that ran parallel to Jax's from the way he handled him in the elevator, and from the way he promised to soon handle him for good...

"Nope. My pops moved me, my sister, and my two, lil cousins who stayed with us here before that could happen," Joe divulged. Before Makenna's curiosity lept from her once more, he added, "I grew up on a small island in the South Pacific. Took all my mom and pops's savings and a ten-hour plane ride to get us situated out here when I was sixteen. He didn't leave it a secret why. I was gettin' into trouble with my cousins and he got into some trouble with the wrong people. Then them people started showin' up to our house. Felt like the trouble just kept gettin' worse. Thankfully, it didn't follow us here. Pops made sure of it. Made sure I never went backward and pushed me hard to study, play football, and earn my way to a degree."

"I remember you told me you switched to the law, like, two years into your scholarship...but I don't think you told me why." Makenna could recall those first couple of weeks after Joe transferred to her floor and how much they talked as new cubicle neighbors. It made a tiny, rueful smile touch her lips at how they said so much but hid even more. "Did it have to do with all that trouble?"

"Kinda? Your law intrigued me. It's a bit different than where I'm from, even though where I was raised is a U.S. territory. I just wanted to understand it better. Learn how the law could be used and why it was abused. Learn how to use it the right way. You know, make the justice system actually just so it protects those who are underserved, vulnerable—and prosecute those who are evil enough to manipulate it."

Makenna could hear the soft pattering of Joe's heart and swore it beat a little faster at what made him so passionate. They were both senior associates at their firm and where she had passed up on the offer of a partner track, letting her loyalty to Jax trick her into thinking the role would bring unwanted scrutiny into her personal affairs, Joe was well on his way to being one of the best criminal lawyers she ever saw in the courtroom.

Yet she had to admit to herself that it scared her to see even he knew there were some situations, some evils, that had to be mended outside of the law.

She shifted on his chest to sit up and lie her head on the backrest like him, taking in his deep brown eyes staring off into the space of his living room, as well as the crinkles of his forehead as he seemed to think hard about whatever he saw in that space. The solution to her problem that he'd proposed without much detail, the fire that it would entail, maybe his eyes seeing how it was already crackling and hissing. Makenna wished she didn't put him in the line of it, wished there was another way she could put it out on her own. But it wasn't possible and she knew by now Joe wouldn't let her go through the fire alone.

Not when he cared about her. And she cared about him, too. She slowly reached a hand to his face, cradling the top of it as her thumb caressed away those wrinkles before he looked at her with soft eyes and an even softer, small smile. If she wasn't careful with all this care she felt making her heart thump like that, she would fall into those eyes and kiss those soft lips. It wouldn't be the first time but now hardly felt like the right time with such a dangerous fire on the horizon.

Instead, she brushed back the silky, dark mane on his head that he routinely kept tamed in a bun, Makenna's fingers able to comb through it and down to where it cascaded over his shoulder. She hoped the motion soothed him and those difficult thoughts on his mind as his caresses did for her earlier. It appeared like it worked when Joe purred with a mmm and closed his eyes, but a moment later his deep voice filled the silence of the room when he asked quietly, "You got protection, sweetheart?"

"P-protection?"

"Yes. A taser...or a gun."

"Um, no." The question rattled her as it wasn't one she wanted to think was a part of the solution. "Never thought I needed one. I know Jax is dangerous but...he was never dangerous to me."

Joe sighed at that and she could tell it wasn't disappointment in her but in that man. Her curiosity bubbled back up with a question for him. "Do you have one?"

He glanced at her with one slow nod before he tipped his chin to his right, in the direction of the hallway that led to his bedroom. Makenna had been in there without a clue there was a weapon to be seen, something she often forced herself to overlook when she would occupy places Jax dominated as what he did with his weapons was inescapable to imagine.

She followed Joe to his bedroom when he hoisted himself from the sofa and extended his hand to help her up, too. The gun wasn't where she imagined it, shoved to the back of his sock drawer, but well-hidden in a medium-sized, steel safe on the floor of his walk-in closet under a rack of his tailored suits. Joe got down on one knee to punch in the code on the safe's keypad and Makenna stood a few feet back with her arms around herself as she watched him retrieve a black, revolver pistol that looked old-fashioned but glistened like new in the faint glow of the singular light in his closet.

A gasp slipped from her as the last time she'd seen one was over a year ago when she watched Jax dirty her kitchen table as he cleaned his handgun before she asked him to never do that shit again. The last time before that was when she was seven. Joe didn't bring his any closer to her but instead, he remained on the carpet with pensive eyes on the weapon before he looked up to her.

"This belonged to my pops. He gave it to me when I was gettin' into all that trouble." He shook his head with a wry laugh. "Told me to use it better than he did and I knew that meant I better not use it at all. But he wanted me to have it. Just in case."

"Have you used it, then?" She wore a hoodie and leggings and it was a comfortable cool in Joe's condo, yet she shivered as she braced herself to learn more about the type of man he was.

"Yeah. Target practice. I go to the range once a month." He watched her eyes bulge ever so slightly at his admission and stowed the piece away behind the lock and seal of his safe. That's when he got up to wrap his hands around her shoulders that tried to shiver again. His thumbs rubbed gentle circles into them, his eyes gentle, too, to calm her down and his words calmed her even more. "I've never aimed it at anyone."

"Good..."

"But I need you to accept who I'mma aim it at when I see him."

"Jesus Christ, Joe—"

"This ain't a game, Makenna. We can't play around and pretend he's out there searchin' for you just to patch things up."  

"I don't think he'll find me here," she muttered and half-believed it. Perhaps that was fully true before Jax saw Joe's face and learned where he worked. His goons had their ways of digging up information on anyone they wanted to know more about. Nothing seemed too hard for them to find: Names, addresses, hell, even what they ate for lunch three weeks ago if someone was watching closely enough.

Joe seemed aware of that fact, the Sons and how they handle business an open secret in Charming to its residents and police. Yet they were in the next city over where the Sons didn't do business, didn't ride, and had no allies. The particular fact did nothing to even half-appease him as Joe said, "I'm not takin' the chance. You came to me for a reason and I told you. I'mma handle it."

Makenna's lips parted but the fire burning deep in his eyes told her there was nothing more to say. He was right. And she was right about Jax. He wouldn't stop looking until he found her. She felt safe here but she pondered for how long. It was just the two of them and one gun and if Jax showed up, he'd have more men and guns than that.

"It's late, sweetheart. You should get some rest," Joe whispered like he could see her eyes scorched with dread. His hands still on her shoulders guided her into the vast space of his dark bedroom that lit up from the twinkling skyline flooding in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. He patted his king bed and said, "You can sleep here. I'll take the sofa. I gotta make a couple of calls but I'll keep it down."

Makenna nodded and felt her cheek burn with a blush where he kissed it after he said good night and closed the door behind him. She idled in the middle of the room before she padded to one of the windows that connected to a second, opening up Joe's corner apartment to a picturesque view of Stockton who appeared wide awake at 3:00 am with her as her eyes scanned each light on the buildings and each car on the roads. Knowing Jax could be in one of those cars, on his way right here, dried her throat and her hand flew to it, swallowing as best she could with deep breaths when it felt like she would start hyperventilating.

Maybe she should get some rest, she thought. She'd been on edge for too long and it was wearing her out. But when she settled under his duvet, his pillows and sheets as soft and inviting as they were when she lay here a few days ago, Makenna tossed and turned for thirty minutes, unable to get comfortable. Instead, she followed the sound of Joe's hushed voice as it floated down the hallway she tiptoed through. She didn't want to interrupt whoever he was on the phone with, but it sounded like they were wrapping up when his eyes flitted to hers with concern as she lingered near his front door and listened to him say, "Yeah, any time tomorrow is fine 'cause I'm off work. Yeah, appreciate you, bro, thank you. Hey, you okay, sweetheart?"

"You have a brother?" Makenna answered his question with a question. She still felt too worn out to give any more energy to the panic that kept her awake. She made her way to Joe who was half-bathed in shadow as he'd turned off every light except for the lamp on his glass side table to his right. She sat beside him on the sofa in that shadow and hoped he wouldn't see that panic in her eyes.

"I don't. That was one of my cousins I told you about. Me, him, and our other cousin were raised together. Pops took them in to straighten them out when they were gettin' too bad for my aunt and uncle to handle."

"Your dad could manage four kids? Three of them stayin' in trouble? Wow. My parents could barely keep up with just me," Makenna stared down at her lap and said with a dry giggle that hitched when Joe's fingers cupped her chin, steering her eyes to him.

"I'm sorry to hear that. You wanna talk about it? Or do you wanna tell me what's really keepin' you up?" Straight to the point, his gaze pointed straight at her because he wouldn't let her lie.

His thumb swept below her bottom lip that tried to quiver as she willed herself to get it out. "I...I don't wanna be alone."

"You're not alone. You have me. I'm not goin' anywhere. I promise."

Something about the warmth and depth of Joe's tone reached into the depths of her and found the part of her that still ached for more of that warmth, ached to hide in it, get lost in it. If he could see the panic in her eyes then surely he saw them glimmering now with ache for his warmth. For him.

Makenna realized then that there would never be a right time to satisfy that ache when every emotion was vicious and greedy for her peace. And it only felt right when Joe slowly leaned into her until his lips touched hers, the smolder of him working its way through her and to every limb. She reached for him, her hands fondling the sides of his face and keeping him right here with her, greedy in her own right for him and his warmth she desired to feel all over.

It was a greed, a desire, that Joe welcomed with his open arms cinching around her waist as she climbed onto his lap. Her arms slid around his neck as their noses and shallow breaths and mouths and quiet groans mingled together in a sort of slow dance. A far cry from the furious, little encounter in the elevator that provoked them to take what they could from each other, make up what they lost from the fight they had just moments before. This...this was subtle. Subdued. Soft as they savored this time. The city beyond his apartment was restless but it felt like time stood still for them on his sofa.

Her thighs spread with the width of Joe's waist as he was a big man, her knees sinking into the cushions as she sunk into him, her hands in his long hair, her tongue in his warm mouth. His hand sunk around the curve of her bottom as the other found one of her thighs to soothe up and down and grip the stretch of her leggings until he tugged with fingers that wanted them off or to be inside. Yet even when their clothes littered the sofa and floor, there was no rush, just skin on skin, nestling together, cherishing the friction and the warmth blooming between them. No stress, just easy, sweet kisses on his neck that created an unhurried path to sit between his thighs she left more kisses on until her lips kissed up his hard, thick flesh that filled and twitched in her mouth.

The shadows of the room tried to hide it, but Makenna could still see his massive body as it twitched with her tongue flicking and tasting every drop of his salty, clear drip, every inch of him as he melted in her mouth. She could still hear him as he sighed and grunted with little moans as handsome as him. Her fingers curled into the solid muscle of his hairy thighs as his fingers curled into her bun, no need to pull or push as the heat already pulled them together in harmony, a rhythm that couldn't be sweeter.

That same rhythm lingered but shifted and brought them together again when Joe took her place on the carpet with hungry kisses and licks on her breasts, belly, and thighs that he gripped in his hand and rested on his shoulder. That lush roll of his tongue planted itself firmly in the soft folds of her wet warmth, lapping up her sweet nectar, kissing and suckling until it was Makenna who twitched and sighed for him. Her hips rolled next, the rhythm trembling through them and to her toes with heat so delicious, so white hot that she sobbed his name, his name that she was certain he was spelling every letter of twice with the fluttering tip of his tongue. Leaving his signature on her, indulging in her as she indulged in him until her eyes tried to see the back of her head.

It was sob after sob that she was almost afraid sounded unattractive as it came from the depths of her where she ached and craved and desired. Where she trapped her cries, her fears, her worries that Joe set free with the deeper his tongue hid, the deeper his fingers fit, the deeper he hit until he found the wall she'd been holding up to keep him out, breaking it down in mere minutes as he held her together on his lap.

"Let it all out, sweetheart...I'm right here." The bass of his voice was nothing but coaxing and sweet and soft in her ear as his lips pressed to it and her jaw on his way to her mouth. She tasted like her tears, she knew it, and he didn't seem to care, kissing them as he gave her the time back that she misused for years to hold everything in, and listening to her as everything poured out.

The cadence of her moans still disturbed her, so abrupt and jagged, but Joe nurtured them with his mouth on hers, cared for them with his hands on her hips as they stuck together in a slow grind, stayed together in that stretch of time he dedicated to her. He looked into her eyes and she saw that endless warmth in them, felt it, as he said, "You sound so beautiful like this. You're beautiful, Makenna. All of you...so beautiful."

The heat Makenna so desperately wanted had devoured her whole and left her grasping at his slick and warm muscles she tried not to claw as he buried himself in her to the hilt, his blunt fingernails grasping back on her waist as he groaned with her, especially when her lips left delicate kisses along his stitches. He was beautiful to her, too, and nothing could take it away, nothing could steal the good feeling that surrounded her so wholly that she couldn't believe there was a time when she ran from it.

That time was over now as Joe held her close to his chest as she held him back, peppering more kisses on his stitches and face that she held in her hands with a careful thumb to stroke his tender skin. Such a tender touch woven into the already tender thrusting of their hips kindled that heat until no one outside of it mattered. No one could penetrate it, anyway, not with their moans, whimpers, and sweet words for one another shutting out what didn't belong.

Like the sound of three, short knocks at the door.

. . .

A Rock & A Hard Place, Part 4

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