#like 'oh no I'm helping in my friend's kitchen and apparently I'm the kind of adult with Opinions about knives I like using' is one thing

[blujayonthewing]

you know what, another good reason to have a folding/ camping kitchen knife is that I could bring it with me when I'm going to someone else's house where I might want to help in the kitchen and would otherwise have to use their terrible knives

[brunchable]

It's not a Meet-𝑪𝒖𝒕𝒆, it's a Meet-𝗨𝗴𝗹𝘆. 《 Chapter 1: Alpine the Traitor. 》

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x f!Reader Themes: It's not a meet-cute, it's a meet ugly, Grumpy Meets ✨️Sunshine✨️, Opposites Attract, Sassy Pet Matchmaker, Enemies-to-Lovers (Lite), Destined to meet again, Bucky is a hidden softie. Summary: Breaking into a stranger’s apartment wasn’t on your weekend agenda, but neither was meeting the grumpy-yet-irresistible guy who owns the couch—and the cat—that you somehow claimed as your own. A/N: This story will be OUTSIDE of MCU but Bucky's traits will be mixed comics/mcu. I'm starting to feel sorry for this fanfic just sitting at the bottom of my files.🥲 Credits to me for the Banner lmfao. credits to @khaer for the divider.

tags: @winchestert101 @lomlbuckybarnes @lveegsoi @itsshellzy @almosttoopizza

@aami98 @hextech-bros @hzdhrtss @winterslove1917

Bucky had just finished hauling up the last of his bags from the car—bags that totally did not contain guns and knives—when he remembered his phone. Cursing under his breath, he jogged back down to grab it, leaving the door ajar. He barely noticed you��leaning heavily against the hallway wall, guiding yourself as if it were the only thing keeping you upright. 

You squinted at the numbers on his door, murmuring, “Close enough,” and stumbled inside, fully convinced you’d found your friend’s place.

Inside, you called out, “Sarah?” and squinted around the room. No answer. Instead, a small, white cat trotted up, eyeing you with a mix of caution and curiosity.

“Oh,” you cooed, crouching down with all the coordination of a newborn giraffe. “Sarah… Did you turn into a cat?” You narrowed your eyes, trying to decipher the situation. “Blink twice if you did.”

Alpine regarded you with a slow, deliberate blink—just one. But that was enough for you in your current state.

“Good enough,” you muttered, and, relieved to find some familiar “face,” you scooped her up and flopped onto the couch, pulling her onto your chest, where she curled up in a perfect loaf position. Alpine settled comfortably, purring like a tiny motor. Within moments, you’d passed out, leaving Alpine to stand guard.

When Bucky returned, he slammed the door shut, grumbling about the freezing cold. He shrugged off his coat and turned toward the kitchen, not noticing anything unusual—until he caught sight of a figure—clearly not his—was sprawled on his couch, hair fanned out over their face, Alpine loafed comfortably on their chest like this was some kind of routine.

He froze mid-step, staring in confusion. “What… the fuck?” 

Today, of all days, he’d planned to finally try that yoga routine his therapist had been nudging him about. Some deep breathing, a little stretching—it was supposed to help calm him down, give him a “reset” for the week. He’d even managed to get Sam off his ass about it, promising he’d “channel his inner Zen” or whatever the hell Sam had been calling it. But no, apparently not. He couldn’t even have a boring day without someone or something interrupting it. Why was that too much to ask?

Approaching cautiously, with a slight kick to your feet, he muttered, “Hey. Hey.”

Bucky then crouched down, pushing your hair back to get a look at your face. 

“Are you serious right now?” he muttered, folding his arms, staring at his cat as if this were somehow her fault.

Alpine responded with another blink, clearly unimpressed by Bucky’s lack of decorum. She even seemed to settle more firmly into her loaf position on top of you, as if claiming this random drunk intruder as her new, favored territory.

Bucky huffed, waving a hand at Alpine. “So you’re just… okay with this?”

Another blink. Obviously Bucky.

He rubbed a hand over his face. “Unbelievable. I’m out here, feeding you, scooping your litter box, and the first stranger who walks in, you act like we’re running some kind of Airbnb for drunks?”

Alpine gave him a barely noticeable shrug and started grooming a paw as if she couldn’t be less bothered then once she’s satisfied she began kneading your wool jacket over your chest.

You mumbled something incoherent, and Alpine lifted her head, giving Bucky an irritated blink, as though he’d just disrupted her personal masseuse session. You need to be quiet.

“Oh, she’s real cozy, huh?” he muttered at Alpine, who merely blinked at him, still looking protective. Bucky scoffed, not quite believing the attitude his own cat was giving him. 

“Unbelievable. You’re supposed to be a guard cat,” he grumbled under his breath. “I leave for two minutes…”

Bucky tapped your shoulder with growing impatience. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty. You wanna explain why you’re passed out on my couch?”

You groaned, one eye cracking open just barely. The light was harsh, and everything was blurry. You squinted up at him, your drunk mind trying to process the face hovering over you, looking both rugged and annoyed.

“Sarah?” you mumbled, voice thick with sleep. “You… You look taller.”

Bucky snorted. “Do I look like a Sarah to you?”

You blinked, vision focusing on his piercing blue eyes and grumpy expression as he glared at you like an unsolvable puzzle. You turned to Alpine, who remained loafed on your chest, staring up at Bucky with the same serenity. You whispered to the cat with drunken seriousness, “Sarah, is this your boyfriend?”

Alpine let out a soft, approving purr, which only made Bucky’s scowl deepen.

“Oh, great, now I’ve been promoted to boyfriend status?” he muttered, looking at Alpine.

Turning back to Bucky, you hiccuped and gave him a pointed look. 

“Listen, Sarah…” you said, gesturing clumsily to Alpine, “your boyfriend has a really grumpy face. Like, so grumpy. He should smile more.”

Bucky fought back a laugh, his irritation softening slightly. “Listen, whoever you are, this isn’t your friend’s place. You broke into my apartment. Drunk. And now my cat apparently likes you. You need to leave.”

You thought hard, eyes crossing slightly as you tried to remember where you were going. 

“I was… Sarah’s… Or, uh… close enough,” you mumbled with a shrug. “Your cat’s nice, though. Real polite.”

“Oh, yeah,” Bucky deadpanned. “She’s a real gem. Five-star host, obviously.”

Deciding he’d had enough, Bucky reached down to lift Alpine off your chest, carefully sliding his hands under her. But as soon as he started to pull her away, Alpine let out a loud, drawn-out, angry growl—a sound that was surprisingly menacing for such a small cat, vibrating through the room with an unmistakable warning. Alpine's eyes snapped open, and with surprising speed, she swatted his hand—claws barely out, but enough to make her point.

“Hey!” he hissed, jerking his hand back, staring down at the cat in shock. Alpine blinked up at him, her expression one of supreme, unbothered defiance, as if to say, Move me again, and you’ll lose more than just a little dignity.

Bucky raised his eyebrows. 

“Wow. Really?” He shook his head, folding his arms, clearly offended. “You’re seriously gonna take her side? My own cat, my loyal companion, defending some random drunk who stumbled in here like it’s her couch?”

Alpine blinked once, slow and smug, then proceeded to loaf herself more securely on your chest, her purr rumbling louder as if she were demonstrating just how much she preferred this arrangement.

Bucky muttered under his breath, 

“Unbelievable.” He took a step back, eyeing Alpine like she’d betrayed him. “All the kibble I’ve fed you, and this is what I get? You’re practically giving her a welcome package. Should I grab her some slippers and a robe too?”

He leaned down, whispering conspiratorially to Alpine. “You do realize she’s drunk, right? Probably smells like tequila.” Alpine’s response was a pointed yawn, entirely uninterested in Bucky’s objections.

Bucky sighed, casting one more disgruntled look at Alpine. 

“Alright, fine. Guess I’ll just let Miss New Best Friend crash here. Enjoy your girls’ night,” he added with an exaggerated huff, trudging toward the kitchen, throwing his hands up as he muttered, “Unbelievable. Me? Pushed over by a cat.”

× × × ×

You blinked awake as something soft flicked against your nose. Groaning, you swatted at it, only to realize it was a fluffy white tail waving in front of your face. The tail flicked again, tickling your cheek, and you opened your eyes to see a cat—definitely not Sarah’s cat—perched on the back of the couch, watching you with a bemused expression. 

Sitting up slowly, you rubbed your eyes, glancing around the unfamiliar apartment, your stomach sinking as your surroundings started to come into focus. This was… not Sarah’s place. You caught the scent of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the air, and that clinched it—Sarah hated coffee. She was this tiny blonde British girl who would only ever be caught sipping tea.

You slowly turned, your eyes scanning the room until they landed on a figure leaning casually against the kitchen counter. He was tall, rugged, handsome, holding a mug of coffee in one hand. His white t-shirt clung to his frame in a way that hinted at the strength underneath, and his grey sweatpants hung low on his hips, making him look both comfortable and effortlessly put together.

“Good morning,” he said, raising his mug slightly in greeting.

You stared at him, your heart racing, immediately bracing for the worst. Your mind raced through the most terrifying scenarios—where am I? Who is he? And how exactly had I ended up on a stranger’s couch?

The man’s smirk widened, clearly seeing the panic flash across your face. He raised a hand, shaking his head. 

“Relax,” he said, a chuckle slipping into his voice. “Whatever you’re thinking, none of that happened. You broke into my apartment drunk, thinking it was your friend’s place.”

You swallowed, piecing it together, though your cheeks were still burning.

He took another sip, clearly amused. “I should’ve called the cops,” he added, eyeing you with a raised brow. “But my cat kinda likes you, so… we’re good.”

Your eyes flicked to Alpine, who was still perched on the couch, blinking at you like she was saying, Nice meeting you, bestie.

“I… I should go. I am so, so sorry! And thank you,” you blurted, scrambling to your feet, cheeks flaming. You tried to make a quick exit, but in your panic, you tripped over your own foot, your arms flailing as you tried to keep from crashing to the floor.

Bucky moved fast, grabbing you by the shoulders to steady you. “Still asleep?” he said, his tone a mix of amusement and concern as he looked down at you.

“Oh, yeah… kind of,” you mumbled, cheeks still red as you immediately pulled away, trying—and failing—to fix the cowlicks in your hair. Bucky raised an eyebrow, clearly holding back a laugh, which just made you more determined to escape. Without another word, you darted out the door, his words about “forgetting something” barely reaching your ears as his doors clicked closed.

You practically crashed into the apartment across the hall, banging on the door until it opened. Sarah’s familiar face, complete with wide, panicked eyes, greeted you. 

“Oh my god, Where were you?!” she shrieked. “I was worried sick! I almost reported you as a missing person!”

“Oh, crap,” you said, cheeks somehow getting even redder. “My bag!”

Meanwhile, back in his apartment, Bucky was shaking his head with a smirk, looking down at Alpine, who had just strutted over to rub herself against his legs as if she hadn’t just completely turned on him.

“Oh, now you’re giving me love?” he muttered, scratching her head as she purred. “Unbelievable. All it took was one random drunk person breaking in, and you were ready to switch sides.”

Just then, he heard a tentative knock at the door again. Bucky opened it to see you standing there, looking like you wished the floor would swallow you whole.

“My bag,” you mumbled, eyes darting anywhere but his face.

“Your bag,” he said at the same time, fighting a grin.

He strolled over to the coffee table, picking up the bag and handing it over. “Try not to break into any more random apartments, yeah?” he teased.

You clutched your bag, stammering out a mortified. 

“Thanks,” then bolted down the hall like your life depended on it, leaving Bucky chuckling in the doorway as he watched you practically trip over your own feet again in your getaway.

× × × ×

You sat on Sarah’s couch, head throbbing, as she handed you a couple of painkillers and a glass of water. 

“Did you and Rhys fight again?” she asked, her voice edged with impatience. “Girl, just break up with him already. He might have an uncanny resemblance to freakin Alexander Skarsgård, but the man’s a walking red flag. Who goes clubbing when they have a girlfriend?”

You groaned, eyes still shut, leaning your head back against the couch, the memory of last night’s fight replaying in painful detail. It had started as a small gathering with friends. You’d dressed up, hoping for a nice evening out with Rhys, just the two of you, maybe a dance or two. But halfway through the night, he’d disappeared, leaving you wandering through a packed club. When you finally found him at the bar, he was leaning in close to some girl, laughing in that charming way he had, as if he didn’t have a girlfriend waiting for him.

When you confronted him, his expression softened instantly, and he tilted his head, giving you that familiar, reassuring smile. 

Rhys cut an imposing figure, his broad shoulders and lean, muscled frame commanding attention even in the crowd. His hair, a shade of sandy blonde that fell just to his shoulders, framed his sharp jawline, giving him an untamed look. He had the kind of intense blue eyes that seemed to catch every flicker of light, their color only deepening as he’d looked down at you.

"Hey, don’t look at me like that. We were just chatting," he’d said gently, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear. “You know I’d never do anything to hurt you. Don’t you trust me?”

The words, so soft and warm, had made you hesitate. Even as your frustration lingered, the way he looked at you, the way his hand rested gently on your shoulder, all felt carefully designed to melt away any resistance. 

“Come on,” he’d murmured, his voice low and soothing. “You know you mean the world to me. I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

He’d turned back to the bar then, smiling as he resumed his conversation, leaving you feeling like maybe you had overreacted, like maybe your frustration had been misplaced. And yet, as you watched him easily slip back into the crowd, that familiar sting of doubt remained. Eventually, you’d ordered a drink, then another, drowning your frustration until the room started to blur, and you’d finally stumbled out, too tipsy and weary to care about anything but leaving… only to end up on Bucky’s couch instead.

“It’s not that easy. I love him, my parents love him…” You trailed off, knowing she’d heard this all before. Your parents and his parents were practically inseparable—best friends for years, even business partners in some way. Rhys De Armande’s family ran a chain of luxury hotels, and you were set to inherit your family’s shopping mall empire. “You know how it is. Everyone expects us to work out.”

Sarah made a frustrated gesture, squeezing the air in front of her like she was trying to strangle it. She dropped her hands the second you opened your eyes, but the exasperation in her face was hard to miss.

“Well, clearly, he doesn’t love you back,” she said flatly, crossing her arms.

You winced, the truth landing harder than you’d expected. 

“Ouch,” you muttered, looking down, unsure if the ache in your chest or your pounding headache was worse.

You sighed, swallowing the painkillers and rubbing your temples. “Can you cut me some slack, please? I just embarrassed myself in front of your hot neighbor.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow, her frustration giving way to curiosity. “My hot neighbor?” she asked, smirking. “Oh, this I have to hear. What did you do?”

You groaned, covering your face with your hands. “I thought his apartment was yours… so I kind of broke in, passed out on his couch, and, oh yeah—made friends with his cat.”

Sarah burst out laughing, her exasperation melting into full-on amusement. “So, let me get this straight… you broke into Bucky’s apartment, passed out, and had a bonding session with Alpine?”

Your ears perked up at the name. Bucky. That name was way too cute for a guy who looked like that. You peeked out from behind your hands, curiosity piqued. “Bucky? Are you guys… close?”

Sarah smirked, clearly seeing through you. “Why? Are you interested?”

“What? No!” You quickly protested, cheeks heating up. “Just curious. You know, making conversation…”

She raised an eyebrow, a knowing grin spreading across her face. “Right. Well, he’s single if you want to ‘make conversation’ with him too.”

You groaned, grabbing a pillow and smacking Sarah with it. “Stop it! I’m not interested!” you protested, but your cheeks were still burning.

Sarah just laughed, holding her hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright! Whatever.”

Before you could throw another retort her way, your phone rang, buzzing loudly from the table. You grabbed it, and the second you answered, your dad’s voice boomed through the speaker, nearly blowing out your eardrum.

“Where are you?!” he barked. “The meeting started fifteen minutes ago! Do you have any idea how unprofessional this looks?”

You winced, holding the phone slightly away from your ear as you muttered, “Sorry, Dad… rough morning.”

“Well, get here now,” he snapped. “You’re soon going to be the CEO here in New York. Start acting like it.”

The call ended abruptly, You let out a long sigh, muttering, “Crap.” Then you turned to Sarah. “I have to go.”

She eyed you up and down, barely hiding her amusement. “What, like that?” she asked, gesturing to your tousled hair, wrinkled clothes, and less-than-polished look.

Grabbing your bag and hopping as you attempted to shove one foot into a high heel, you shot her a determined look. 

“I’ll make it work.”

You bolted out the door, heels clicking down the hallway as you frantically tried to compose yourself. Just as you reached the elevator and started jabbing the down button repeatedly, you saw him—the hot neighbor himself—coming out of his apartment, Alpine perched comfortably on his shoulders like some kind of royal cat.

“Come on, come on!” you muttered at the elevator, jabbing the button with increasing impatience, as if sheer willpower could make it descend faster. You could already hear your father’s voice echoing in your mind, and he would never let you live this down. Not a chance. It didn’t matter that this was the first time you’d been late for anything in your entire life. Nope—he’d latch onto this one time like it was a pattern, probably bringing it up every chance he got, even at family dinners. “Remember that time you couldn’t be bothered to show up on time?” you imagined him saying. “Such a fine example of leadership.”

You groaned to yourself, muttering under your breath about stubborn elevators and high-strung fathers.

Just then, Bucky strolled up beside you, eyeing your frantic button-mashing with lowkey amusement. 

“You know,” he said casually, voice smooth and annoyingly calm, “that’s not going to make it come any faster.”

You barely spared him a glance, shooting back with a quick retort. “Well, it makes me feel better, so kindly mind your business, Bucky.”

He tilted his head, smirking as he watched you fidget, clearly entertained by your frustration. 

“Mind my business?” he replied, eyebrow raised. “Hard to mind my business when someone broke into my apartment and decided my couch was a free bed.”

You pressed your lips together at the reminder, but he wasn’t done. He nodded toward the button you were still jabbing. “And at this rate, you’re gonna break it.”

You gave him a sharp look, though you couldn’t keep a smirk from tugging at the corner of your mouth, still pressing the button. 

“Fine, if I break it, I’ll pay for it.”

Just then, the elevator doors slid open, and Bucky stepped aside, gesturing for you to go in first with a slight, amused bow. You rolled your eyes but stepped inside, pressing the ground floor button as he followed you in, Alpine still lounging contentedly on his shoulders.

Both of you watched the digital numbers light up above the door as the elevator started its descent, the silence thick in the small space. Every second felt drawn out, and you found yourself fidgeting slightly—until Bucky’s voice broke the quiet.

“Hang on,” he said, casting a sidelong glance at you, “I never actually told you my name.”

You raised an eyebrow, feigning a bored expression as you responded with dry sarcasm. “Right. I just happened to guess it was Bucky.” You looked back at the numbers, pretending you weren’t the least bit fazed.

He chuckled, clearly entertained. “Good guess,” he replied, his tone teasing. “Or maybe Sarah’s been talking about me.”

The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, and you bolted out like you were escaping a hostage situation, heels clicking rapidly against the floor as you made a beeline for the lobby exit.

Behind you, Bucky strolled out casually, watching your hurried pace. “In a rush to break into someone else’s apartment?” he called after you.

You spun around, walking backward as you shot him a parting smirk. “Only if they’ve got a cat that likes me better than them.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow, hands slipping into his pockets as he stopped just a few feet away. “Good luck with that. Alpine has high standards.”

“Clearly,” you quipped, nodding toward him with a playful glint in your eye. “She chose me.”

With a final grin, you turned and hurried out the door, leaving Bucky chuckling to himself in the lobby.

× × × ×

You burst through the lobby doors of your family’s corporate building, the adrenaline still pumping as you navigated the familiar halls. Just outside the large meeting room, two of your loyal assistants, Maddie and Rachel, were waiting, eyes widening when they saw the state you were in.

“Oh, boy, you’re cutting it close,” Maddie whispered, quickly reaching up to smooth down your slightly disheveled hair while Rachel adjusted the collar of your blouse. Their hands worked in quick, practiced movements, fixing stray strands, smoothing wrinkles, and making sure you looked like the composed heir they all expected.

“Lincoln’s inside, waiting to give you the rundown,” Rachel muttered under her breath, straightening the hem of your blazer. “And, fair warning—your dad’s pissed.”

“Of course he is,” you muttered, barely holding back a sigh.

Lincoln, your efficient and ever-loyal secretary, materialized at your side, tablet in hand. He gave you a quick once-over, his eyes critical but sympathetic. 

“Your father has been asking for you every five minutes,” he said, voice low as he handed you a prepared file. “You know how he is about timeliness, especially with these quarterly planning meetings. He’s expecting a full report on the upcoming seasonal marketing strategies and wants to discuss new potential store locations.”

You took a deep breath, pulling yourself together as best as you could, letting the details sink in. Your role here wasn’t just about looking the part; you were expected to lead the department, spearhead initiatives, and show the board that you were more than just your family’s name. Today’s meeting would cover everything from quarterly revenue projections to upcoming promotional events designed to boost foot traffic and online sales—a lot to cover, and all under your father’s sharp eye.

Lincoln leaned in, voice calm and steady. “Just stick to the report we prepped last week, and mention the new partnerships. Show them you’re already thinking ahead to next quarter.”

You gave him a quick nod, grateful for the support. “Thanks, Lincoln.”

He patted your arm reassuringly, then gestured to the door with a slight smile. “Now go in there and remind them why you’re going to be the new boss for the biggest branch in New York.”

With one last steadying breath, you opened the door, stepping confidently into the large conference room, your father’s expectant gaze immediately landing on you as you took your seat at the head of the table, ready to tackle the day.

× × × ×

As the meeting wrapped up, you exhaled in relief, seeing nods of approval and satisfied smiles around the table. Despite your rushed start, you’d managed to present the quarterly strategy with confidence, outlining new initiatives that had the board talking excitedly about the future. More than one member voiced their high hopes for you officially stepping in as CEO, and the weight of their approval felt both thrilling and daunting.

One by one, the board members filed out, each giving you a nod or a polite word of encouragement. Soon, it was just you and your father, Richard, who lingered behind, his expression carefully unreadable as he adjusted his cufflinks and regarded you with that familiar, assessing gaze.

After a pause, he finally spoke, his tone mild but pointed. “How old are you?”

You straightened slightly, eyes meeting his. “Twenty-six.”

He raised an eyebrow, nodding as if in thought. 

“Twenty-six,” he repeated. “And yet, you’re acting like a teenager sneaking in after curfew.” He didn’t raise his voice, but the weight of his disappointment was clear. “You’re going to be the CEO of this company, Y/N. The board expects more from you—and so do I.”

You held your ground, forcing yourself to stay calm under his scrutiny. “I understand, Dad, and I’m sorry for being late. But I delivered the report, and the board was impressed.”

He inclined his head slightly. “This time, yes. But if you want to lead this company, you need to take this seriously, every single day. There won’t always be room for excuses.”

You clenched your jaw, swallowing back the urge to say something defensive. “Understood.”

Richard sighed, his expression softening just a fraction. “I don’t just want you to be capable, Y/N. I want you to be the best. You’re representing the family, our legacy.” He glanced at the empty room, then back at you. “Don’t let anything get in the way of that.”

You gave a small nod, feeling the weight of his words settle over you. “I won’t.”

With that, he gave a brisk nod, signaling that the conversation was over, and strode out, leaving you standing in the quiet room, feeling both motivated and under pressure to prove yourself all over again.

As the door closed behind your father, you let out a long breath, allowing yourself a brief moment to unwind. But before you could gather your thoughts, the door opened again, and in filed your loyal team—Maddie, Rachel, and Lincoln—all of them looking at you with a mixture of pride and relief.

“Good job, boss,” Maddie said with a grin, giving you a thumbs-up. “You handled that like a pro.”

Rachel nodded enthusiastically. “Seriously, you were amazing. You had the whole room nodding along.”

Lincoln, ever the composed one, offered a rare smile of approval. 

“Smooth presentation, just what they wanted to hear.” Then, without missing a beat, he pulled out his tablet, ready to spell out your schedule for the rest of the day. “Alright, here’s what you have lined up…”

He scrolled for a moment, then continued, “You have a quick check-in with the marketing team at noon to review the upcoming promotional rollouts. After that, lunch with a representative from Luxx Retail—an initial discussion on the new partnership. Then, at three, a meeting with the creative team to discuss branding updates for next quarter. And finally, a call with our international partners at five.”

You blinked, taking in the jam-packed lineup. “Wow… it’s going to be one of those days, huh?”

Lincoln smirked, tucking the tablet under his arm. “Welcome to CEO life.”

Maddie and Rachel chuckled, Maddie reaching over to give your shoulder a supportive squeeze. “Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. You nailed the hard part; the rest is just the victory lap.”

You smiled, feeling a little more ready to tackle the day ahead with their support. “Thanks, guys. Let’s make it happen.”

× × × × 

Bucky adjusted his stance, loading another round as he and Steve stood side by side at the shooting range. The low hum of the ventilation system and the muffled sound of distant shots created a steady background noise, setting the tone for another session. Steve glanced over, eyebrow raised as he watched Bucky with a hint of curiosity.

“So, you’re telling me some random drunk girl broke into your apartment last night and just… passed out on your couch?” Steve asked, trying to keep a straight face but failing.

Bucky rolled his eyes, lining up his aim as he replied, “Yep. Walked right in, curled up on my couch, and Alpine decided she was her new best friend.” He took a shot, the loud bang reverberating through the range. “I left for two minutes to grab my phone from the car, and there she was when I came back.”

Steve couldn’t hold back a chuckle as he reloaded his own gun, shaking his head. “And let me guess, Alpine was all for it?”

“Of course,” Bucky muttered, setting up for another shot. “The little traitor acted like she’d known her for years. The girl even thought Alpine was her friend ‘Sarah,’ or something like that.” He paused, lowering his gun and glancing at Steve, still in mild disbelief. 

Steve laughed, raising his weapon and aiming down the range. “Man, only you would have a meet-cute that involves a breaking and entering.”

Bucky snorted, firing off another round. “Yeah, if you call that a meet-cute. Girl’s got sass, I’ll give her that. Told me off for ‘minding her business.’”

Steve lowered his gun, giving Bucky a pointed look. “And you didn’t call the cops?”

Bucky shrugged. “Didn’t have the heart to. Plus, Alpine seemed pretty happy with her there.” He paused, smirking slightly. “Besides, it was kind of… entertaining.”

Steve shook his head, grinning as he took another shot. “Only you, Buck. Only you.”

After a few more rounds, the air around them settled, and Bucky took a breath, lowering his gun and glancing over at Steve with a thoughtful expression.

“So,” he started, reloading his weapon more slowly this time, “are they asking you to go back? Back to duty, I mean. Avengers stuff.”

Steve paused, his own gun lowered as he considered Bucky’s question. 

“Yeah,” he admitted after a moment, nodding. “Got a call last week. They’re pushing for me to come back, but I haven’t given them an answer yet.” He glanced over at Bucky. “What about you?”

Bucky shrugged, his expression neutral, though there was a hint of something else in his eyes. 

“They’ve reached out a few times, nothing urgent. Mostly checking in.” He looked down, absently running a finger along the barrel of his gun. “Guess I’m still on the roster if they need me.”

Steve studied him, picking up on the unspoken hesitation. “You miss it?”

Bucky exhaled, glancing down the range before answering. “Some days, yeah. But… sometimes, it’s nice not to have everything be about missions and orders. Almost feels like I could have something close to normal.” He smirked a bit, adding, “Well, if my version of normal includes strange women breaking into my apartment, anyway.”

Steve chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder. “Guess we’ll see where things go. But for what it’s worth, you’ve earned a break, Buck. Normal or not.”

Bucky nodded, and they both lined up to fire another round, the familiar weight of duty lingering between them.

[roosterforme]

The Younger Kind Part 44 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley swallows his pride and seeks out a conversation with Admiral Simpson, but he's surprised by the response he gets. You keep everyone on their toes, and you do it so effortlessly, Bradley knows it's time to go shopping. And he uses Skittles as the perfect cover.

Warnings: Swearing, angst, fluff, smut, and age gap (18+)

Length: 4000 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more! The Younger Kind masterlist.

When Bradley parked at work a little early on Monday, he sat in the Bronco for a few extra minutes. He had just witnessed you and Noah making breakfast together, and it was making it really hard to be away from you right now. When he walked into the kitchen, you were brewing coffee and singing the dinosaur song with his son while the two of you spread that weird avocado stuff that you liked so much on some toast. He had started to love it, too, and Noah would eat anything you made. 

He removed his aviators and pinched the bridge of his nose. There was so much he wanted to get done this week, including looking at a few engagement rings, but he knew better than to make any sort of excuses to get some time alone. That had nearly backfired on him when he went to get Skittles. He was going to have to get creative somehow.

When he pulled out his phone to call the animal shelter about getting Skittles' cast removed, he froze. Across the parking lot, Nat and Javy were both getting out of his car. "Interesting," he muttered to himself as he watched his best friend groping their coworker, and he grimaced. He'd already seen too much. 

"Hello, this is the San Diego shelter. How can I help you?"

Bradley nearly dropped his phone; he'd forgotten he was making the call. "Yeah, hi. I need to schedule an appointment to have my dog's cast removed?"

"Oh! Are you talking about the Yorkie?"

He smiled as he climbed out onto the already hot pavement. "Yeah. Skittles. I'm hoping she has sufficiently healed."

"Why don't you stop in on Wednesday and we can check her out."

"Sounds good, thanks," he replied, following Nat and Javy at a very conservative distance. But apparently he wasn't cautious enough. 

"So," Nat sighed once Bradley joined her in the hangar, "you saw Javy and I in the parking lot." It wasn't a question, so he decided to just nod and roll his eyes in response. "Oh, come on, Rooster. I'm just having some fun."

"Look at him," Bradley muttered, glancing to where the man in question was smiling at Nat. "Are you serious right now? You want to make him cry or something?"

Now she was the one rolling her eyes. "I'm not taking advice from you. You're historically terrible at dating."

"I'm doing a pretty good job now," he said, smiling as he thought about you.

"You can't even get Cyclone off your girl."

Bradley covered his face with one big palm. "You noticed that?"

Nat laughed. "Everyone at the botanic gardens on Saturday night noticed that."

"Fuck," he groaned. "If she wasn't so young and so fucking hot, I wouldn't be about to embarrass myself by trying to get him to let me fly in the air show."

She just shook her head as she reached for her helmet and muttered, "Oh, cry me a river."

"Hey." Bradley turned just in time to see Javy greeting the two of them like a puppy looking for Nat's attention. He was honestly worse than Skittles at the moment. "The guys are talking about a beach day this weekend. You know, since the summer is ending."

"We don't need to do another beach day. We live in San Diego," Nat replied as she sipped the coffee she wasn't supposed to have inside the hangar. "It's the same season all year round."

Javy laughed like she was a comedian, and Bradley looked back and forth between the two of them, completely baffled by this dynamic. There's no way you and he made a couple this wild. 

"Yeah, but it's still the end of August," Javy said, now smiling at Nat as if she was the most adorable thing in the world. "Rooster, you can bring your girl and your kid. It'll be fun."

"You know what," he replied, "I think I'll go if Nat goes."

Then Bradley strolled away as they started arguing, because he saw Admiral Simpson on his way to the tower. He just needed to get Cyclone alone for a few minutes, swallow his pride, and try to head Jake off for the air show. The opportunity arose after lunch when Bradley caught him checking his phone outside the rec room door.

"Admiral Simpson, sir," he greeted before grinding his back teeth while he thought about you. "May I have a word?"

Cyclone glanced up before pocketing his phone, a look of vague amusement on his face. "Lieutenant. What can I do for you?"

"It's about the upcoming air show. Sir. I was hoping you could tell me if you'd made selections regarding who would be flying in it."

His look of amusement grew. "I have not. I believe that was on my agenda for today or tomorrow." He paused before adding, "I've been meaning to thank you for that glass of bourbon on Saturday night. Woodford Reserve is one of my favorites."

Bradley remained unflinching. Although he had no idea what Admiral Simpson was talking about, he thought it better to simply agree with him. "Yes. The Woodford Reserve." 

He nearly took a step backwards when the other man started laughing. "You'll have to thank your girlfriend for me, too. And I'm assuming the reason you're here is because you want to fly in the air show?"

"Yes...sir," Bradley replied slowly, feeling very off balance now that Cyclone was being so agreeable. 

Still chuckling, he said, "I'll see what I can do," before turning and walking away. 

Once he was out of earshot, Bradley pushed through the door to the rec room as he muttered, "What the fuck was that?"

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

It was almost fun for you to pick Noah up from daycare now. Not that you would ever admit that out loud. But the enjoyment you found in the way Casey pouted at you was a bit of a guilty pleasure, and besides, you got to have Noah greet you like you were the most exciting and interesting person in the world.

"Mommy!" he called out as he ran across the lobby and into your arms. "Guess what my craft is!"

"A dinosaur?" you asked as you shot an extremely fake smile at Casey before heading outside.

"Nope."

"A... dog? Did you make Skittles?" you asked as you put him in your car.

"Nope."

"The solar system?"

"Nope."

"Hmm. Will you give me a hint?" you asked, brushing his soft curls away from his forehead and giving him a kiss. But he was already unzipping his bag and pulling out his newest painting. There was a big, light blue shape that looked like it could have been Bradley's Bronco along with a man who appeared to be sporting a mustache. "Is that Daddy?"

"Yes!"

Then you noticed a little brown blob. "Is that Skittles?"

"Yes! She's his best friend!"

You laughed, because Noah wasn't wrong. Skittles seemed to love Bradley the most, and as much as he tried to fight it, the dog won him over. "She is," you agreed before buckling him in. "She's his best friend besides Aunt Natasha."

Noah shook his head. "She doesn't count, because she's an Aunt."

"Right, right," you said, not wanting to fight his childhood logic when Skittles wasn't even a human. "You're completely right. Should we go home?"

You started singing the dinosaur song as you drove, and because of a detour, you had to drive past the park where Meredith had chased you down. A shiver rippled through your body as you remembered falling and scraping up your arm in your haste to get Noah safely in your car. You hated coming home this way. There was a reason you never did it.

"Mommy, why did you stop singing?"

You glanced in the mirror at Noah's face. "Sorry! Where were we? The part about how the dinosaur stomp, stomp, stomps?"

Bradley was already home when you pulled into the driveway, and you found him dozed off on the couch with Skittles curled up on his chest. Two seconds later, he was jolting awake with the dog in his hand as Noah ran for him. "Daddy! I made you! Out of paint!"

"Cool," Bradley told him, pulling Noah onto his broad chest as well. "And how's Mommy?" he asked, his voice a little raspier just for you. "How was your day, Princess?"

You shook off the last remaining thoughts of Casey and Meredith as you leaned down to kiss him. "Pretty good." He chased your lips for more, but his arms were too full of Noah and Skittles for him to be able to reach for you. "Looks like you're still tired from the weekend," you said with a wink.

"I had a nice conversation with Cyclone today." 

"Oh? About what?" you asked as you started to head to the kitchen to make dinner. 

His expression remained completely neutral as he told you, "Bourbon. Woodford Reserve, to be specific." When you said nothing, he added, "We can chat about it later."

So you made spaghetti, knowing you'd been found out. You had been tipsy on Saturday night at the retirement party, but you were pretty sure you remembered what you did. Probably. You hoped Bradley wasn't mad at you over it, but he seemed to be in a good mood as he ate dinner and offered to give Noah a bath while you walked Skittles. 

She was stubborn for you at first, plopping down on the front porch and whimpering for Bradley while you tugged gently on her leash. "Come on. You're making me look bad! You were my idea. Mine and Noah's." When she remained in her spot, you had to reach into your pocket and say, "Treat?" That did the trick, and you got her to take a slow lap around the block with you while you broke a milkbone into little bites and gave it to her. 

When you returned home, Skittles bounded into the house to get to Bradley where he was sitting on the bathroom floor, looking comically enormous with Noah's rubber duck in his hand. You stood in the doorway and watched him automatically reach down to pet the little pup, taking caution with her casted leg while he rinsed the shampoo out of Noah's hair. 

"You want to go to the beach this weekend, Bub?" he asked softly. "With Aunt Natasha?"

"Can Skittles come?" Noah asked, and you watched Bradley place a soft kiss on his wet forehead that left you reeling. Suddenly you couldn't wait for Noah to be in bed so you could have him all to yourself. 

"Maybe. If she gets her cast off on Wednesday," he replied softly as the dog fully plopped down with her head on his thigh. 

"Daddy?" you asked from your spot in the doorway. It was almost a whine, and when he looked up at you, you were certain he knew what you were thinking about by the little smirk on his lips.

He reached into the tub to drain the water as he asked, "Do you need some attention?"

You just nodded, still in your scrubs from work, but you felt too warm now as you pressed your thighs together. "Yes."

"Fifteen minutes, and then you can have it," he replied with an edge to his voice. "Can you wait that long?"

"I can try," you murmured before you turned to go into Noah's room and get his dinosaur pajamas ready. Anything to expedite bedtime. You listened while Bradley took his time reading three stories, and then you kissed Noah's forehead before you tried to pull Bradley toward the hallway.

He chuckled and whispered, "I'll meet you on the couch."

"Oooh, the couch," you said before running from the room. Before you could even decide what you wanted to do, Bradley was behind you wrapping his arms around your waist and tickling your neck with his mustache.

"I kind of miss those nights when I would help you study."

You moaned softly. "Anatomy really is your specialty."

You felt him pull his right hand away from your body, but before you could complain, it reappeared in front of you with a bag of Skittles on his palm. When you spun in his arms and kissed him, you whispered, "You're so sweet."

Bradley lifted you up and took you the few steps to the couch where you settled in straddling his lap while you opened your candy. "If you're this excited about something I picked up at the gas station, I wonder what you'll do if I buy you something a little more expensive."

You met his soft eyes and leaned in to kiss him. "How much more expensive are we talking?" you asked, treating him to the orange Skittle you pulled out of the bag. He parted his lips and you slipped it between them, watching his jaw work as he chewed it up. 

"A lot more expensive," he replied as you ate three candies. "Hey, this is a 50/50 relationship here, Princess."

You shoved a small handful into his mouth and kissed his cheeks as he sputtered and chewed. "I'll share everything I have with you. Too bad I don't have much."

Bradley swallowed down the treat and reached for your free hand. "You give me everything I need. Everything I want, too."

You basked in the warmth of his words as your eyes closed, and a welcome heat crept into your cheeks. "I love you."

"Then I think you'll love what I'm planning on buying for you," he whispered as his mustache grazed your chin and jaw. 

You grinned, hoping you already knew what he was talking about, but too afraid to say it out loud. So you pushed the thought from your mind and scooted a little closer toward him on his lap. "What's this I'm hearing about a beach day? And Skittles getting her cast off? This is all news to me."

He didn't miss a beat as he wrapped his big hands around your hips and said, "What's this I'm hearing about some bourbon at the retirement party? It's all news to me."

"Oh," you whispered softly before eating more Skittles, buying yourself a little time to think. "Well, you see... I wasn't exactly sober."

"You're joking," he deadpanned. 

You rolled your eyes and shoved more candy into his mouth. "I may have had a glass of bourbon sent over to Admiral Simpson, courtesy of Lieutenant Bradshaw and his girlfriend..."

After a few quiet blinks, Bradley's head tipped back in laughter so loud that Skittles the pup came running into the room. "You didn't!" Bradley said. "I have to work with that man!" 

"Somebody had to make the big move, Daddy! It cleared the tension!"

He met your eyes, still shaking his head and smirking. "It also made you look like Daddy's good little girl."

Your heart skipped around in your chest at his words, and you set your candy aside in favor of wrapping your arms around his neck. "Am I not? Daddy's good little girl?"

"Oh, you absolutely are," he replied as he lifted your top inch by inch. "I just never thought my boss's boss would see it that way." 

You raised your hands up in the air, eager to lose your shirt, but he took his sweet time about it. "Daddy."

"You can be patient," he whispered, smiling when he saw your purple bra. "Pretty." Your top dropped to the floor as he cupped you through the lace, finding your nipples right away. "You feel like going to the beach on Saturday?"

Bradley's lips found the tops of your breasts, and you could no longer formulate real words. You just hummed in response already knowing he was going to take expert care of you right now and on Saturday as well.

"You could wear your purple bikini and tell all the other guys to fuck off," he said as he ran his nose softly along your skin while he unhooked your bra and let it fall next to your top. 

"Would you like that?" you asked as your fingers tangled up in his hair. He answered you by nodding as he took your nipple between his lips. Bradley was all big hands on your bare skin and just the perfect amount of roughness. "Oh god," you whined. 

And then he had you on your back in the middle of the area rug with his body over yours. His thigh was rubbing you through your thin pants, and you bucked up gently against him as his heavy weight pressed deliciously against your body. "I love you," he grunted as you tugged at his hair. 

"I love you so much, Daddy," you gasped as he yanked your pants and underwear down and off, leaving you in only your socks. He fumbled with the front of his pants for just a few seconds before pulling his length free, and you spread your legs wide for him.

His lips and tongue were wet on your neck as you held him close, lost in the domesticity of having sex here now. Just like your first time with him. Right next to the snag in the rug. But this time you could hear Skittles' claws tapping across the kitchen floor, and you could see some of Noah's crayons that had rolled under the couch while Bradley fucked you. You could smell the lingering scent of the pasta sauce from the dinner you made. You could taste Bradley's now familiar tongue as it met yours. And you could feel his rough hands on your hips and belly where he'd now touched you hundreds of times. 

You fell in love with the flood of familiarity he brought to your senses, and it left you smiling up at him when he broke the kiss. "Jesus," he grunted, cupping one cheek in his hand. You kissed the side of his thumb as he stroked your skin, and you watched him slowly come undone for you. "I'll get you there," he promised, changing his angle so he rubbed your clit with each movement.

Just like the first time, he filled you up as soon as you came, and your name was all over his lips as you smiled at the lost crayons before closing your eyes. Bradley collected you against his body as he eased himself down onto his side, and you sighed contentedly. You held onto his wrist as he ran his hand along your hair and kissed you. In that moment you would have agreed to anything he said. 

"Baby, I'll be a little late on Wednesday night. I have to take Skittles to get her cast off, and then I need to stop at the store."

You hummed softly in response, pressing your lips to his. "Sounds good."

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

The only time Bradley heard from you on Wednesday was when you told him that one of your patients came in with an emergency, and you wanted to let him know you'd be helping Dr. Kelly with a minor surgical procedure. He was excited for you, but he didn't want to bother you. Even though he had good news.

"Congrats," Jake drawled in the locker room after a very long day of flying. "Don't know how you managed to pull this one off, but I heard you're flying in the air show."

Bradley ran his towel over his chest before tossing it into his locker. "Thanks," he grunted, trying not to smile. He'd be able to take you on the tour of the hospital with him, and then you and Noah could watch him fly. His son had never seen him in the air before, and it gave Bradley goosebumps knowing that the two of you would be able to do that together. 

Jake gave him one last appraising look before he got dressed. Honestly, it was probably the fact that you upped the ante with Cyclone that Bradley was chosen over the others. Perhaps now things could be called even. You managed to keep everyone on their toes in the best way, and it made him smile even now. 

You were in rare form this week, luring him in for living room floor sex when there was a perfectly new bed in the bedroom. And then last night, you got him to watch a Disney princess movie with you, even after Noah was in bed, and Bradley had begrudgingly enjoyed it. You were laying across his lap on your back when the end credits rolled, and you said, "If you're a good boy, I'll make you beignets just like Princess Tiana."

Bradley had smirked. "Do those have cream filling?"

"No," you whispered as he eased your shirt up so his palm was flat on your belly. 

"Do you want some?" 

He had been thinking about getting you pregnant as he made you bury your face in the couch pillows to keep you quiet.

And that was just one of the many reasons he was about to leave work and head home to grab Skittles before stopping at the jewelry store across town. If Casey managed to bump into there and ruin this surprise as well, he would probably lose his mind. But the jeweler near the animal shelter was one of the best in the city, so that was where he would go. 

Bradley awkwardly held Skittles while he drove, and eventually she curled up with her head on his thigh while he sat in traffic. She seemed to be doing great, so he hoped that was a good sign that the cast could come off. You and Noah were delighted with her, and she somehow made Bradley fall in love, too. 

"Yeah, you're sweet," he told her, scratching her behind the ears while he drove. He parallel parked the Bronco with one hand while he continued to pet her, and when he took her inside the shelter, he held onto her a little tighter. It was hard to believe she'd been here just a few weeks ago, completely unwanted. 

Bradley pressed kisses to the top of her head as he waited for the receptionist to finish her phone call. When she hung up, she asked, "And who do we have here?"

"Skittles Bradshaw," he replied, nuzzling his nose against her fur and wondering how on earth he had gotten so attached to this little pup. "Hopefully she can get her cast off today."

He only had to wait a few minutes, and then he watched as they examined her before cutting into the cast plaster. Once she was free, Skittles took a few tentative steps across the exam table, and then she jumped right back into Bradley's arms. 

After he paid the monstrous bill for such a small creature, he carried her down the sidewalk, enjoying the cooling temperature as the sun set. When he checked his phone, he saw that you'd finally texted him again.

My Princess: Noah and I are going to play at the park near the beach. Leftovers when you get home?

He typed out a quick message letting you know that sounded perfect. Thoughts of you and Noah together filled his mind as he entered the jewelry store, and two women looked up at him and Skittles. "Is it okay if I have her in here?" he asked, but they both immediately rushed over, practically screeching about how cute his dog was. Honestly, the pet would have probably worked out better than the dating app had for him.

"What are you looking for?" the first woman asked as she petted Skittles on her head. 

A soft smile made its way to his lips as he said, "An engagement ring."

"Oh! Of course, let's just head over here to see what you like best. Do you have anything specific in mind?"

Bradley followed behind her as he nodded and said, "A princess cut diamond."

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

A princess for a Princess. Also, there is no way Skittles wouldn't be a magnet for all the ladies. A big man with a small dog... just fuck. Thanks to @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 45

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[archivesainz]

he's got the fire and he talks with it

📚 ˚✧ ₊˚ lh44

. . . You end up sleeping at a schoolmate's house so you can finish work the next day, she just didn't expect to have so much fun with your friend's father. .

genre: friend's father trope, the reader is +18, age gape, penetrative sex without protection (p in v), breeding, degrading, creampie, spit kink, cockwarming.

pairing: lewis hamilton x reader

a/n: reblogs, likes and comments are always welcome, english is not my first language so if something confuse pls tell me, requests are open. Enjoy.

The girl was almost 20 minutes away standing in front of her friend's door, she had already knocked five times and nothing. She tried to call her friend, but she also didn't answer and she was at an impasse, she didn't know if she was leaving or waiting to see if someone showed up.

It was four in the afternoon and she was wearing a light pink skirt, a short white blouse and her inseparable white sneakers. She had gone to her friend's house to do a school assignment, so she was still there hoping her friend would show up and she could do the work.

He jumped scared when a thick and hoarse voice sounded too close to his ear:

- "Can I help?"

She turned forward and saw a man standing there, his well-marked jaw hidden by a well-made brown beard, in his mouth with his lips was a gentle smile on his side and in his eyes as deep as the ocean watching her with curiosity.

She sighed with the beauty of the man, he seemed to be in his 30s, 37 years old and she had never seen him before, looked away nervously with the man looking at his face so carefully and replied:

- "Hm, yes I'm looking for Lisa, we agreed to do the school work together."

- "Oh yes, that's okay, I'm her father and she went to solve some things for me, but in a little while she'll be back, you want to.." - He said opening the door of the house. - "Wait for her in here?"

She just waved, she needed to do that job today or she was going to get bad at school, her grades were no longer very good so it was better not to risk it. She entered the big house, kind of shy, not knowing how to deal with her friend's father.

Lewis smiled when he saw the girl standing still near the door, she was all shy and apparently nervous, he sat on the couch and took his cell phone out of his pants pocket, sending a message to his daughter telling him that his friend had arrived.

- "You can sit down if you want. Lisa will be back in a little while." - He said when he saw that the girl was not going to move, she came out of her daydreams with the voice of the elder and sat on the other side of the couch, putting her bag on the floor and touching the edge of her skirt as a form of distraction.

She observed the way Lewis was sitting on the couch, with his legs open while moving his cell phone, he wore black jeans and an almost transparent white shirt, she watched carefully all his tattoos.

Lewis smiled leaving his cell phone aside and looking through the girl's whole body, her white and thick thighs, on her big breasts almost jumping out of the short blouse and in her fleshy little mouth, she was very hot.

He heard the noise of the door opening and Lisa entered, with her usual sweet smile. She approached her friend sitting next to the girl, they talked for a while and after his daughter pulled her friend to the room. Lewis sighed, then going up to take a shower.

[...]

It was almost six o'clock at night and the girls had not yet left the room. Lewis was sitting on the couch in a relaxed way, dressed in black shorts and a black T-shirt, he was with his legs open while watching any newspaper on television.

He looked away at the stairs when he saw you going down. She stopped almost at the last step and looked at herself, biting her lips then Lewis arched his eyebrows and put his hands on his knees subtly raising his hips, fixing herself on the couch.

She blinked bewildered by the movement, and walked shyly to the kitchen to drink water. Feeling the look of her friend's father herself, she took a glass putting water and drinking then, when she felt the presence of Lewis behind her she smiled.

- "Are you still doing the work?" - He asked when he leaned himself on the wall and crossed his arms.

- "Yes, Mr. Hamilton." - You turned to him, putting a curl behind his ear and drinking the rest of the water. She wasn't a saint. He noticed the looks of his friend's father on his body, asked Lisa about his family and the girl said everything she wanted to hear, of course she would not miss the opportunity to provoke him.

- "Hm.." - He approached and you blinked your green eyes innocently. - "You know.. it's getting late, if you want to sleep here and finish tomorrow.." - Lewis smiled on his side, looking down and seeing his hot breasts through the neckline of his blouse.

- "I have to tell my parents Mr. Hamilton and I don't know if they would let me.." - She smiled naughty seeing the man's look burning on her body, she walked away standing on her toe to store the glass in the closet, prancing her chubby ass towards Lewis.

- "Tell them that I'll take care of you." - Lewis spoke in the malicious tone, that girl was driving him crazy.

You turned around watching the eldest look up to your eyes while having a scafajeste smile on her face, she approached him fixing her big tits in the short blouse.

- "I don't know.. do you promise to keep me safe? Very warm and comfortable Mr. Hamilton?" - She made that look of innocence almost forming a fluffy beak on her lips if it wasn't for the naughty tone in her voice.

Lewis approached putting his hand on the girl's thin waist making a caress there, he didn't know how she could look so innocent and naughty at the same time, he wanted to end her.

He sighed and said: - "I can make you feel a lot of things dear, just let me." -

Before you could answer Lisa called her in the room, the girl let go of Lewis' arms, sending a kiss in the air as she walked away shaking her ass subtly, she stopped at the kitchen door and looked at him over her shoulder, smiling innocently and finally going up the stairs.

- "Fuck." - Lewis cursed softly when his hard cock bothered him, he was not believing that after so many years, a girl was messing with him so much.

[...]

At dinner time, the three were sitting at the table, Lisa on the right side of the father and you facing the man, while eating and talking about anything, you took advantage of the moment of distraction of the friend to pass your feet through the legs of Lewis who looked at himself in a naughty way soon turning his attention to what his daughter said.

You kept sliding your bare feet down Lewis' legs, going up and when you got close to the groin, you came back, smiling every time you received a hard look from the man. You offered to wash the dishes and while his daughter went to the bathroom Lewis went after the girl.

He approached, smelling the sweet smell of the girl's perfume, he whispered softly in her ear: - "Are you an offered little whore, did you know that?" - You smiled naughty holding your teeth on her lower lip, when you slowly leaned to the man, shaking subtly on the half-hard cock.

- "I don't know what you're talking about sir.." - He said in a whisper, feeling when Lewis took a deep breath near his ear and held a moan when the man grabbed his ass with one hand, putting his hair side with the other and talking even lower and hoarse in his ear:

- "Don't provoke me, girl." -

- "Or what?" - The girl turned with wet hands casting a challenging look at the man, Lewis locked her jaw moving away quickly when her daughter entered the kitchen.

- "Come on, I'll give you a pyjama for you to sleep comfortably." - Lisa spoke while drinking water, not realising the mood between the two, you smiled nodding your head finishing washing the dishes, Lewis just left the kitchen a little irritated.

[...]

When the two were ready and dressed in pyjamas, you were wearing pink pyjamas. She was lying in bed waiting for Lisa, she was distracted by her thoughts with Lewis when he entered the room, only in sweatpants, she ran her tongue on her lips seeing his skinny and delicious body.

- "I came to say good night." - He said when Lisa entered the room soon after, he kissed the top of the girl's head, she smiled and left a kiss on her father's cheek lying on the bed afterwards.

- "Come here, I also want to say good night."—

The girl smiled getting up and going to the eldest, when he got close, he approached leaving a kiss on his forehead speaking low just for the girl to hear: - "The door to my room will be open, don't make noise."

- "Good night Mr. Hamilton." - She smiled at him looking from top to bottom and went back to bed, lying down and covering himself, Lewis smiled at both of them, turned off the light and closed the door then, going to the room with the half-hard cock.

Lewis left the door between open, lying on the large double bed, he lowered his sweatpants taking his hard and heavy cock in his hand starting to masturbate him lightly, the thick veins pulsating and the pre-cum leaving non-stop.

He sighed when he ran his finger into the sensitive slit, mirroring the pre-cum the entire length, he did not want to cum so he continued masturbating slowly waiting for the girl to appear.

You walked slowly to your friend's father's room, she had fallen asleep a few minutes ago and you took the opportunity to leave the room quickly, when you arrived at the end of the corridor seeing the door between open, you entered the room and almost screamed if it wasn't for Lewis' hot hand covering your mouth.

- "Shh quiet hm?" - He said turning her to himself, when he took his hand out of the girl's mouth she threw her arms on his shoulders and kissed her quickly.

The kiss was quick and tasty, the clicks of the mouths were heard by the silence of the house and Lewis pushed her to bed falling on top of the girl and starting to kiss her again.

You scratched the back of his neck with short nails and let out a little moan when Lewis pulled his lower lip, lowering the kisses to the skinny collarbone showing it.

- "Hm Lewis.." - She moaned when he ran his hand over her pussy, she was without panties so the contact over the shorts drove her crazy. He opened his eyes when he stopped the touches staring at his face.

- "Now it's Lewis? No.." - He said grabbing the jaw of the girl who looked at him with innocent eyes. - "Call me sir, you provocative little whore." - And he left a strong slap on the cheek of the girl who whimpered with the burning, feeling even wetter.

- "Sir please.." - She asked with her eyes full of tears, Lewis' hard cock hurt inside her pants.

- "Oh baby..." - He pushed his hair away from his pretty face, sticking his other hand inside his pyjama blouse and squeezing his hot tits.

- "What do you think about choking on my cock while I suck your hot pussy?"

- "Yes, yes, please." - She said in a hasty tone, spending all that time teasing the man made her so horny.

- "So obedient..." - Lewis said smiling, the girl got on her knees on the bed taking off her blouse leaving her showing off her big tits. Lewis helped her take her shorts out of her pyjamas and the girl looked at him in expectation watching him masturbate slowly.

Lewis lay on the bed pulling you up to himself, she sat on top of your hot cock and pulsating horny, the girl bent down kissing her lips quickly when Lewis told her to turn. On her back she put a leg on each side of Lewis' face leaving her pussy with the shiny honey well showing it, while looking almost drooling at the big cock in front of her.

- "Shit.." - You moaned loudly when you felt Lewis' hot tongue pass over your clitoris. He received a strong slap in the ass and contracted his pussy with the pain.

- "Don't be scandalous and suck me right away with that little mouth of your whore." - Lewis said right away sucking the hot pussy again, you tried to hold your moans and held the heavy cock in your hand by turning your tongue in his extension and putting it in your mouth then.

She sucked hard forming creases on her cheek, while squeezing the heavy balls with her other hand. He passed his tongue in the thick veins of the hot cock and drooled all the length leaving it wet to get into himself. He tried to hold his moans with Lewis' skilful tongue in his pussy.

- "So hot baby.. he's been teasing me all this time, I'm going to fuck this pussy." - Lewis said when he put his tongue on the wet entrance, the girl let go of his cock to moan when he stuck two fingers at once.

- A-ah! Sir like this.. - The girl moaned shaking against Lewis' fingers, he slapped on top of the red pussy which made her moan louder, seeing this Lewis stopped what he was doing and in a single movement took her off him and threw her on the bed, getting on her knees between the girl's head and sticking his cock deep in her tight throat.

- "So hopeless slut.. fucking on my fingers like a slut." - He said when he spat on the girl's face, she closed her eyes trying to breathe with her cock going so deep inside her mouth.

The bed moved with Lewis' quick movements, he was going crazy with the choking sound that the girl's throat made, along with the delicious squeeze on his cock. He stocked up two more times and walked away later, going down and sticking his cock at once in his tight pussy.

- "Ohh fuck Lewis!" - You moaned throwing your head back, Lewis moved fast inside your pussy, the noise of his balls hitting your ass and the moans of both echoing through the silent house.

- "Damn you're the hottest slut I've ever fucked Hm.." - He spoke while stocking hard feeling that he would cum soon, squeezing the girl's breasts with his hands.

- "Mr. Hamilton your cock fucks me so well.. fuck, it doesn't stop!" - She moaned contracting her pussy hard, Lewis moaned hoarsely sticking his face in the sweaty hair of the girl who scratched her back hard.

- "Oh fuck.. I'm going to fucking cum." - Lewis moaned stocking harder, she squeezed him so well, she was so wet around his cock, her moans loudly and her sweaty body with his was so good.

- "Inside me please.. cum inside me Mr. Hamilton." - She moaned softly in her ear feeling his panting breath, Lewis couldn't stand it, stocking three more times and then cumming, without stopping putting his cock still hard in her wet pussy.

- "Please.." - She asked in a sigh when Lewis stopped with the movements, she could feel the hot cum of him inside herself and it made her crazy and very close to cum, the eldest opened her mouth spitting in there, she swallowed smiling and putting their mouths together then.

- "I'm going to make you cum love, and I'm going to fill your hot pussy with cum until you can't take it anymore." - He said when he walked away, Harry let out a grumbling when the cock came out of himself, Lewis turned it aside, and the girl was quick to take the honeyed cock and stick it inside him again.

Lewis smiled at the girl's rush and began to stock his cock slowly in his honeyed pussy, it was all so warm and tight. She moaned softly, rubbing her sensitive clitoris, her sweaty back on Lewis' sweaty breastplate.

- "Do you like it like that, huh? Or prefer when I fuck you hard like that.." - He asked quietly, increasing the strength of the thrusts. Her big breasts jumped and the bed made noise.

- "You fuck me so good, I'm feeling your cum deep inside me..." - She moaned louder when he held her waist stocking up hard, she rubbed her sensitive clitoris feeling that she would soon enjoy her entrance contracting Lewis' thick cock.

- "That's it.. fuck I'm going to cum.. sir.." - She screamed arching her back on Lewis' breastplate, moaning loudly and non-stop while Lewis continued to stock up hard, moaning hoarsely in her ear.

- "Shh.. Lisa is sleeping, you don't want her to listen to the cheap little whore you are, right?" - Lewis whispered in the girl's ear and you couldn't stand cumming anymore. He kept stocking up on his sensitive pussy, feeling it contract non-stop on his cock.

- "Damn I'm going to cum inside your pussy again.. oh" - Lewis moaned when he stocked up two more times and then came, he took his cock out of the tight heat and slapped the sensitive clitoris hard, she screamed and he covered his mouth with his hand, while taking the other to the clitoris rubbing hard.

- "Cum for me again, enjoy, your whore." - He spoke softly, she moaned stuffy against the elder's hand squeezing Lewis' arm hard cumming and then squirting, feeling her whole body shake.

Lewis took his hand out of the girl's mouth turning her soft body to himself, seeing the sweaty little face, he smiled leaving a kiss on his red lips. She opened her eyes wet with tears of pleasure for herself and spoke in a thread of voice:

- "That was so tasty Mr. Hamilton .. can you.. keep me warm? I don't want your cum to come out of me."

- "Damn girl, you're so dirty.." - Lewis said smiling, he took his cock half hard and put it in the wet pussy again. The girl smiled tired towards you and laid her head on his sweaty breastplate.

- "Satisfied love?" - He asked, feeling his hot cock inside her wet pussy.

- "Yes.." - You replied falling asleep next.

It was difficult to explain to Lisa what happened the next day, when she picked them both up in bed. But Lewis was satisfied, and for sure that would happen again.

[simplyholl]

Buckle Up

Summary: You and Loki argue about your feelings for eachother outside a club.

Pairing: Avenger Loki x F. Reader

Warnings: Smut. Minors DNI. 18+ Only. Friends with benefits cuz that's all I know how to write apparently. Jealousy. Angst. Car sex.

See My Masterlist Here

Loki shut the car door quickly behind you, pressing the lock on the luxury car. You had been sneaking around with him for two weeks. It was fun hiding from the rest of the team. You didn't want them to catch you leaving his room in the middle of the night.

All this sneaking around made it so much hotter. You couldn't keep your hands off each other. The risk of getting caught fueled the fire that burned between you. So you found yourselves having sex in the kitchen before the others woke up, in the gym, and in the hallway.

The whole team went out for Sam's birthday. You and Loki were headed toward the bathroom together, no longer able to resist the sexy texts he was sending, and the looks he would give you when another woman flirted with him. He would talk her up, even dance with her. Then, he would go back to sitting at the VIP table Tony reserved for the night. He would text you, reassuring you that you were the only one going home with him tonight.

You walked in front of him, keeping a little distance between you so no one would be suspicious. "Hey Mischief, get your ass over here! Heather wants to meet you." Sam shouted over the music, nodding his head toward the woman behind him. Heather was wearing a tight, green, leather dress. She had a crown on her head fashioned to look like Loki's horns and a sash that read "Birthday Girl".

You turn back to Loki, he gives you an apologetic look before going over to Sam and Heather. You couldn't help feeling a little jealous. Heather is beautiful and this is the kind of attention Loki lived for. You went back to the table to sit with Steve who was busy making sure Scott drank enough water. He had already been sick once tonight.

Your phone buzzes with a message from Loki. Meet me outside in five minutes. Loud off-key singing draws your attention to where most of the club is singing "Happy Birthday" to Sam and Heather. She has her arms wrapped around Loki's neck. Your hands ball into fists by your side, nails digging into your palm.

Chill out, he wants to meet with you, not her. it's only been two weeks; you can't be this down bad and dickmatized. You sit outside the club waiting for him, the night air turning cool. You shiver, wishing the dress you wore specifically to impress Loki wasn't so skimpy. You check your phone hoping for another text, but there wasn't one. Ten minutes had went by, you decide to wait a little longer.

He probably didn't want to disappoint the birthday girl. You understood, but he could have texted to let you know he would be late. Your phone vibrated, smiling you checked it. Here you were getting upset over nothing. But the text was from Steve checking on you because he didn't see you in the club. You text back telling him you stepped out for fresh air.

Loki was now twenty minutes late. You huffed, walking back in. You spot him, hands all over Heather as she grinded against him. He looks over, probably sensing your furious gaze on him. His hands fall immediately. He says something to her as he excuses himself. "Darling, I'm so sorry. I lost track of time." You roll your eyes, walking toward the doors. "Not here.' You tell him, not wanting to argue in front of the whole club.

He follows you outside. "Loki, you were twenty minutes late. I waited out here for you the whole time. You should've sent me a text to let me know it was going to be longer. But I guess you were too busy rubbing your dick all over her back." Loki shakes his head, a smirk appearing on his lips. "You're jealous? Honestly, you assured me you could do this without feelings getting involved. It was nothing. Heather was a fan; I didn't want to disappoint her on her birthday."

"Oh no, you wouldn't want to disappoint someone you just met!" You yell, skipping over the fact that he just called you out over your feelings. "You're being ridiculous. She means nothing to me." He crosses his arms in front of his chest. "Apparently, you feel the same way about me." You sigh, walking away from him.

"How I feel about you isn't the issue here." He growls. You walk further into the parking lot, leaning against Tony's car. "It is to me!" You argue. You were expecting your night to go completely differently. You didn't think you would be yelling at Loki over feelings in the parking lot. He presses his big body against yours, you're surprised Tony's car alarm hasn't went off yet.

"You were the one who wanted to fuck without feelings, darling. You've done this to yourself." You wanted to smack the arrogant grin off his face. You did tell him you didn't want emotions involved. You were so good with keeping sex and your heart separate. You didn't think it would be any different with Loki. But you did have a little crush on him before this started.

"Let's not talk about this right now." You don't want anyone walking by to hear you fighting. "You silly mortal, you are all that I want. These last few weeks with you have been some of the best of my entire existence." His lips press against yours gently, large hands cradling your face. He reaches behind you, fumbling with the door handle. You’re unsure if Tony left it unlocked or if Loki uses his magic to unlock it.

He finally opened it, letting you crawl into the backseat first. Loki shut the car door quickly behind you, pressing the lock on the luxury car. You climb onto his lap, undoing his dark jeans and freeing his hard cock. He reaches underneath your dress, to take your panties off. You beam when he finds you aren't wearing any. "I figured we would end up doing this at some point, this just makes it easier."

He lowers you onto him, not giving you any time to adjust as he bottoms out. You'll never get over how full you feel. His fingers dig into your hips, moving you so he will hit all the right spots. You hold onto his broad shoulders, just so there is something to keep you tethered here instead of floating off to another realm.

He tilts his hips at the same time he swirls his thumb against your sensitive clit. Your knees stick to the leather of the seats, as you swivel your hips. You feel your arousal soaking his jeans as you ride him. He jerks the top of your dress down, allowing your breasts to spill out. He takes a nipple between his lips, trying to keep hold of it, as you move on him.

"Norns, you feel incredible." He growls, teeth clenched as he tries to keep from cumming. Your legs start shaking as his thumb circles faster on your clit. You lay your head on his shoulder; this was almost too much. "You're taking me so well." He praises as he switches positions. He's behind you as you face Tony's back seat. You grab onto the headrest, as Loki slams back into you. The cool leather of the seat rubbing against your nipples, brings you closer to your release.

You push back against Loki, meeting his thrusts stroke for stroke. He wraps a strong arm around you, leaning forward to bite your shoulder. You explode around him. You feel him grow shaky as he cums inside you. He kisses your back, gently pulling out. You feel the evidence of your love making drip down your thighs, you catch a little bit with your finger, trying to keep it from getting on Tony's expensive seats. You bring it to your lips, licking off the salty taste of you and your lover. “We better get back inside before Cap does a headcount.” You tell him, following Loki back inside on trembling legs.

Tags

@cindylynn @wheredafandomat @lokisgoodgirl @wolfsmom1 @loz-3 @kats72 @crimson25 @litaloni @zombiesnips-blog @gruftiela @mochie85 @cakesandtom @eleniblue @violethaze @lokidokieokie @buttercupcookies-blog @mjsthrillernp @chantsdemarins @lulubelle814 @anukulee @theallknown213 @alexakeyloveloki @tmilover1993 @fandxmslxt69 @artemis-13 @fictive-sl0th @nomajdetective @goblingirlsarah @foxherder @kathren1sky-blog @javagirl328 @kcd15 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @soggylampshade0 @weirdothatwritess @silver-tongue-taken-to-bed @mischief2sarawr @ozymdias @freegardenbanananeck @lamentis-10 @jainaeatsstars @aoirohi @mushycore @marygoddessofmischief @queenshu

[suuuupernovaaa]

Requested by anon. Hobie Brown x f!Reader. 'Open Arms' by SZA, Travis Scott.

I know this is all bad, but please, put a leash on me. Who needs self-esteem anyway?

Rated M. 18+. Mostly fluff.

Samantha's elbow, unbelievably sharp and bony, grinds into my side. I let out a yelp, and yank myself away from my best friend. "What the fuck, Sam?"

She's grinning at me, and then her gaze slips away, following something over my shoulder. I follow her eyeline and see him - Hobie Brown, walking towards us across the grassy lawn of the park. His guitar is strapped over his back and his hands are in the pocket of his studded leather vest. He's walking towards us and as his gaze meets mine, the corners of his mouth turn up just a little bit - which is a beaming smile for Hobie.

We've only just started dating. It's been three... dates, if you can call them that. The second date was helping Hobie and his friends paint a mural. The third was dinner, which I burnt, on the floor of my apartment, because I'm waiting for my new kitchen table to be delivered. The first, Hobie told me on the third date, was the time we ran into each other at the grocery store and he asked me on what I thought was our first date, but then learned was apparently our second.

Though I've dated plenty before, there is something distinct about Hobie. When I first met him, I assumed he was the kind of guy who could not settle down, who could not commit, and who wouldn't be interested in sharing his feelings with anyone.

You could have nearly knocked me over with a feather when, as we sat on the floor eating burnt roast chicken over my coffee table, Hobie looked me right into my eyes and told me he was feeling nervous every time he saw me.

"Dunno," he'd told me, "I just think... that you're special, Y/N. This is somethin' special, and I don't want to mess it up."

I nearly choked on my dry chicken, and the tears that gathered in my eyes as I took a sip of water. The truth was, since the moment I'd been introduced to Hobie Brown, I'd known I was in trouble. Everything about him screamed for me. I was obsessed. I was trying to play it cool, but hearing him call me special, call the budding relationship between us special, nearly sent me into a fit.

"Jesus," Hobie said, hitting my back gently. "You alright?"

I wiped the tears from my eyes and set my water down. "Yes. Sorry. Shit. I really like you, Hobie."

We smiled at each other like two idiots who were bound to fall in love.

As he walks toward me in the park, I'm smiling like that again. I can feel Sam rolling her eyes next to me. "Oh, my god, are you going to fuck him in front of everyone here?"

I shrug, and elbow her back. "If he asks."

She shoves me. "I gotta run. See you tonight?"

"What's tonight?" Hobie asks as he reaches us, and Sam begins her departure.

"See you!" I holler. "Sam is going to help me put together my table and chairs. She's handy."

"I mean this in the most pro-feminist, anti-sexist way possible, but you've got a man now. I can put together your furniture," Hobie says with a teasing grin, and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. "Or, I can bring you a pizza after you work. Christen the new table."

I press a soft kiss to his cheek. "Perfect. Around 8? Shouldn't take us too long."

It's embarrassing, how I melt in this man's arms. When he mentions Christening the kitchen table, I don't think of eating food there. I think of myself, laid back, legs spread, Hobie between them...

But pizza with Hobie and my best friend is good, too. Jesus, I need to pull myself together, hold on to my dignity and self-respect as long as I can.

Hobie dips me backwards a little bit, and presses a firm kiss to my mouth, letting his lips linger on mine for a long time. My head is spinning when he finally sets me upright again. "Maybe once Sam leaves, we can Christen the table another way," he whispers, and a shiver runs up my spine.

I don't really need self-respect, do I?

[justcauseiwanna2]

Downfall (WandaxFemReader) 1/8

18+ MINORS DNI

Warnings: Death, Mean Wanda, Mentions of Cheating, Accident, Brief Blood Description, Angst

A/n-I'm going to make this an eight part mini series enjoy!

Y/n’s POV

All I want to do is relax in my girlfriends arms and take a nap. I’ve had such a long day between paper work and planning with Nat. After spending ten hours at work correcting and filing mission reports I traveled half an hour to Nat’s house to spend an hour planning, and then another half hour home. I haven’t even had the time to eat.

I walk through our entry way to search for Wanda. She isn’t in the living room so I check the kitchen next. She’s sitting at our table with a pissed off look. “Hello my love! Are you okay?” I ask concerned by her facial expression. She looks up at me with a glare and has her head tilted to the side. She speaks calmly, it’s almost eerie to hear her speak in such a normal tone while glaring at me. “Where were you?” I look at her confused, I had told her where I was going last night. “I was at work and then after I went to sort something out.”

Her glare stays upon her face, eyes piercing into me. “And what things?” She speaks as though she is accusing me of something. I sigh knowing exactly what this is and how it is going to go. Wanda has always been afraid of me lying or doing things behind her back. I can’t blame her and I never invalidated them. Her ex, Vision, used to cheat on her and gaslight her into believing that she was just crazy for it. We have been working on this for years but nothing like this has happened in months. But lately she’s been acting strange. She questions everything I do, and I have no problem reassuring her every time she needs me too. But I also can’t help but wonder if someone else has something to do with this.

“I can’t tell you what things baby. Not yet.” A look of confusion briefly flashes across her face. “Why not, are you hiding something from me?” I try to step closer to her but she gives me a warning look so I stay here. “Kind of but it’s nothing bad I promise you it’s not what you think!” She scoffs at me. “Oh yeah? Cause I think that you left work two hours early to go to your coworkers house!” I’m not surprised she checked my location, she always does. And I have no problem sharing it with her as I have nothing to hide. “Yes I went to Nat’s house, I told you I was going. She is not only OUR coworker but also my best friend!” I would never deny it nor would I lie to her about where I am.

“Do people who are just friends go to each others house instead of home to their partners! No. It’s not even that, it’s the fact that you just won’t tell me what you were doing!” She has never thought this way about anyone that I have hung out with. I am almost certain that someone is making her doubt me. “Wands she is our friend not just mine you have known her for years. She has a wife! Not to mention I would never ever do that to you!” I try to reassure her the best I can but I don’t think it’s working at all. “Then why can’t you tell me what you were doing?!?!” She raises her voice a little which cause a small flinch from me as it came as a surprise. “Because I need it to be a surprise baby please! Can’t you just trust me after eight years?”

She rolls her eyes at me. “Apparently not, its so obvious you’re trying to hide something from me.” I feel a little hurt by her words but I brush it off. I know she doesn’t mean it, she’s just worried. But she’s said it enough maybe she is right. “I’m not hiding what you think. It’s a good thing Wanda!” None of what I say seems to be getting through to her. “Why the fuck can’t you just admit it, if you didn’t do anything then just tell me what you were doing there!” I can feel the tears starting to form in my eyes but I hold them back. “I can’t Wanda please can’t you just believe me! I’m not like him!” Her face went bitter, all the faith and trust she might have had in me is obviously far gone. “You are exactly like him! You are a liar, a cheater, and a heartless asshole!” I feel one or two tears stream down my face. “Y-you don’t mean that.” She takes a step closer to me, her voice as cold as ice. “I hate everything about you. I don’t know why I even love you.”

I stand here, still, I try to take in everything she just said. All of the thoughts rushing through my head. She hates me? She can’t be serious. I grip my keys tightly in my pocket. “Is that really how you feel?” I can hear the quiver in my own voice. “It’s what I just said is it not?” I nod and whisper a weak okay, I turn around and walk straight out the door. “What? So you’re just gonna leave now?” I am surprised by the hint of fear in her otherwise antagonizing voice. I decide not to answer her as right now I don’t think I could speak even if I tried.

I walk to my car and get in without a word being said. I put on my seat belt and start the car. I see Wanda watching me from the door but not daring to stop me. I pull out of the drive way and take off down our road. After about five minutes I allow the tears to start gently streaming from my eyes. As I continue to drive I allow myself to think of all the memories me and her have shared the last eight years. Did it all mean nothing to her? Did I mean nothing to her? I know she wouldn’t do this to me in her right mind, it isn’t who she is. But I also know that her fears are easily influenced. I know I’d do anything to get her to believe me. I’ll even let her go through my phone if she needs she has my pass code. All I know is that I need to sort things out with her and go home. It’s been about thirty minutes since I had left so she’s probably calmed down my now.

I turn the car around and start to make my way home. I need to sort this out, I need us to work. I notice all the cars flying down the road past me. Street races are very common around here especially at night when very few cars are still out. I notice suddenly that a pair of high beams are swerving between lanes. I move my car as far over as I can without being off the road. I really hate drunk driver they are so fucking careless. All of the sudden they are fully in my lane coming straight at me. Everything seems to be going to fast for me to fully react. I turn my wheel to try and get into the other lane before he rams into me head on. I am not even half way across the lanes when he speeds up faster and crashes into my drivers side door. I can feel the care flip back as I try to hold on to anything I can. It lands upright on the road between lanes. I open my eyes and see everything spinning around me. I feel something warm running down and dripping off my face. I try to look at my surroundings but everything is far to blurry for me to see. I can faintly hear people shouting and talking but it’s so distant I can’t figure out what they are saying. I try to reach down to undo my seat belt but the door is to smashed in for me to even reach it. I reach over to my glove box, feeling myself getting more and more dizzy. I open it up and try to feel around for the picture but instead I feel a box. I check to see what it is and grip it tightly while trying to find the picture. Once I find it I hold them both tightly in my hand. I hear loud sirens but before I can look to see, my eyes close once more.

The next thing I can hear is a woman’s voice. “Can you hear me?” The voice asks, all I can let out is a groan, I open my eyes only to be blinded by flashing lights. I feel myself being lifted up and then hear car doors slamming shut. I look around and notice that I am in an ambulance. “Ma’am can you tell me your name?” I nod a little before speaking. “Y/n.” I let out in a weak voice. She nods and moves around me to start connecting me to various machines in the vehicle. “Good, now I need you to stay awake for me, we are taking you to the hospital. I attempt to sit up but I am met with a sharp jolt of pain followed by the woman’s arm stopping me. I feel the items still in my hand and look over to her. “Wanda.” She looks back at me confused so I clarify. “I want Wanda.” She nods and tells me that she will be there but I need to stay awake. I nod but feel my eyes continue to grow heavy and they close again.

Wanda’s POV

As soon as Y/n leaves I sink to the floor in both frustration and sadness. What the fuck is wrong with me? Why did I do that? I can’t believe I let my insecurities get the best of me yet again. I bring my knees up to my chest and let my tears fall freely. I don’t know why I said any of it, I love her more than anything I can’t lose her. But if I do there’s only myself to blame. After sitting here for a while trying to consider what I should do. I need to call Natasha, she will know if I can fix this. She is always honest with me when I fuck up.

I pull out my phone and dial her, it rings twice and she answers. “Wanda?” She seems tired and confused. “I messed up really bad.” I hear her sigh and shuffling before she answers. “God Wanda. What did you do to her now?” I often go to Natasha for advice or to inform her of our latest fight because she is Y/n’s safe space. I explain to her everything that I had said and told her that Y/n left. Before she gets to say anything she tells me to hang on and hangs up. About five minutes later Nat comes back and seems in a rush for something. “Wanda, we need to get to the hospital now. Y/n’s there, I’ll meet you there. And with that she hangs up. My mind starts racing and my breathing becomes rapid. Natasha has always been her emergency contact but I wish they would have called me so I could at least know if she’s okay. I grab my keys and run out of the house straight to my car. The whole time I’m driving I can’t stop thinking about what could have happened. And all the possibilities rush through my head making me more and more worried. Natasha lives close so I know she’ll get there first, so I know Y/n won’t be alone.

As soon as I park in the lot I rush inside to the front desk. Sitting there is a man in semi-formal clothes. “I’m here to see Y/n Y/l/n.” He looks up at me and nods his head while typing something into his computer. “I’m sorry ma’am, she’s been put under specific clearance visitor list by the agency SHIELD.” I let out a frustrated groan knowing that must mean Nick and Maria are here. “Okay listen I work with SHIELD, I’m not an agent but an avenger and that is my partner in there I need to know her room number.” He looks up at me and raises an eyebrow before looking down again. “I’m sorry but like I said no visitors.” I sigh, closing my eyes to focus. I sort through his mind to find the room number and once I get it I run up the stairs and to her room. As I get closer I notice that Natasha, Maria, and Fury are all talking outside the room. I walk right past them and into her room.

I immediately see her lying on the bed she looks to be in really bad shape. She is hooked up to many machines that fill the silence of the room with their noise. She is covered and scratches, cuts, and bruises. Parts of her skin are stained red from blood. She looks up to me and smiles, but as soon as she sees the tears on my face her smile turns into a bit of a frown. “Why are you crying?” Her voice is quiet and weak. “I’m sorry baby, I’m so so sorry.” I muffle a sob as I rest my head on the top of hers. She grips my hand and speaks to me calmly and sweetly. “No baby, no don’t be sorry, I’m okay, we’ll be okay.” She speaks as though she has no fear of death. She has always only cared about us. “But I am sorry, for everything. I never ever meant to hurt you I was just scared. I love you so so much I don’t want to lose you.” She can tell I’m getting worked up so she grabs my hand and squeezes it. One. Four. Three. I love you. It’s always been her way of quietly telling me. I try to take deep breaths but it isn’t working. She brings my hand closer to her and flips it over. I feel her place a piece of paper, and a box into my hand and closes it. “I love you Wanda.” I hold her close as I let my tears silently fall.

I want to be able to hold her close forever, keep her here forever. But apparently that can’t happen. I am interrupted from our moment by the flattening noise of her heart machine. I step back and look at her. This can’t be possible, she can’t die, she can’t. My vision blurs as three doctors rush into the room. Two go straight to Y/n and the other rushes me out. I am forced to stand out in the hall while the doctors work. I look down into the items in my hand. One is a photo, it’s of me and her on a trip we took two years ago. She was on my back with her arms in the air and I was holding her legs looking up at her. I look at the box next and I open it up. My eyes widen at the beautiful ring in the box. There are four green gems across a thick band. It shines nicely in the purple velvet lined box. It is a simple yet beautiful design. Just how I like.

Once I look up from the box I notice everything has settled down. The door to her room is closed and the doctor is talking to Natasha who has a single tear falling down her cheek. Once he walks away she turns to me with the coldest look I have ever received. “This is your fucking fault.” She takes a step closer. “The past eight years she has done everything for you! She has dealt with your shit time and time again because she loved you. But you just kept breaking her! She never did a single thing wrong and yet you blamed her for everything! I’m not one to wish death upon people but it sure as fuck shouldn’t have been her.” I see two more tears fall from her eyes before she turns and walks away. The other two follow behind her without a word.

She’s right though, the love of my life is dead. And it’s my fault.

[sturniolosass]

New Feelings

pt. I of III?

-a chris sturniolo x POC!reader

angst, fluff

in which Chris finds himself falling for a girl, something he hadn’t seen coming anytime soon.

warnings: mentions of smoking, party/get together

Chris POV

It was going on 1 am and me, Matt, and Nick were still hanging out at Landon’s crib. It was Me, Matt, Nick, Waylon, Landon. and a couple of Landon's friends I just met today. Landon decided to invite a few friends over which I didn’t really mind but apparently it’s all girls which kinda kills the “bros” vibe because they kinda just all branch off to speak to them.. me, Matt, and Nick usually leave by then because there’s no fun anymore however Matt is knocked out on the couch this time so we’ll see where this goes..

Once we all decide on a movie to watch the girls show up which i receive an immediate headache from because a few of them are loud.. mainly the first two there’s three more that come in and they’re pretty chill.. they all start to roll up joints and stuff which also gives me a headache because of the smell and smoke but who am i to tell Landon not so smoke in his own home.

After about 30 minutes another girl walks in, she seems pretty cool, she was brown skinned, had blonde braids that were curled a little at the ends, wearing a cool looking nature kinda vibe fit... basically a lot of green and brown colors and a lot of jewelry on. I liked her vibe, she then came over to speak to me.

"Hey wassup, you seem a little quiet.." she bugged. "oh I'm just slightly out of my comfort zone.." I respond. "oh sorry, is it me? I can leave you be.." she worried but that wasn't it "oh nah, you're good.. it's just a lot more people here than I planned to see" I replied. "ohhhh, valid. what's your name then? maybe we can try and get your mind on something more substantial." she asked "Chris, what about you?" I reply.. "I'm Carter." she replies laying out he hand for a shake which I thought was kinda weird but I shake hers anyways.. "you friends with Landon?" she asks "oh yeah I met him around a year ago at a event" I reply. "Oh cool" she responds " what about you?" I ask. "I'm just here with Riley.. she left me in traffic though." she rolled her eyes. "damn so she just left you there in the street" I joke knowing that's not how she meant it. " hahaha no I was driving boy" she laughs.. Her friend then calls her over to talk I assume..

By that time Matt had also woken up so I head over to him. "Yo are you done caking with ole girl?" he jokes "Bro shut up we just met, I barely know her name.." I argue. "where is Nick" he asks. "I don't know last time I saw him, he was sitting here next to you." I respond agitated about the topic of Carter. "well.. help me find him..I'm ready to go" Matt responds giving me the same agitated energy. We both get up.

I walk around from the living room to look in the Kitchen whilst Matt checks the bathroom, and I run into Carter coming through the doorway. "ouch" she exclaims look down and grabbing the joint that fell from her hands. "oh sorry, have you seen my brother, I don't know if you know him but he looks just like me you couldn't miss him" . he speak "ohh yeah, he was on the couch last time I saw him" she replies "oh no not that one, there's three of us I should've been more clear" I laugh "ohhh is he like taller" she asks. "I mean no, but he does wear platforms so kinda" I say. "oh he's behind you walking up now" she jokes. I turn around and see Nick and Matt walking towards me as she walks past me "thanks" I shout over the loud music. she just keeps walking nodding me off in a "you're welcome" kind of way.

"Yo! I told you to find Nick not cake up with brown skinned baddie some more" Matt exclaims jokingly which did nothing but annoy me more. "Bro can you shut up with that I barely know her and you're making all of this weird like.. I wasn't "caking" anything" I arguing highly annoyed now.. "Can we just leave gosh" Nick sighs.. "Where were you even?" I ask Nick.. "I was talking with some of the girls in the other room" he responds. "yeah well we couldn't find you wasnt about to walk in the room with and bunch of girls to ask where my gay brother is.. seems a bit stereo typical" I argue annoyed for even having to wait.

Carter's POV

I see Chris and his brothers heading for the door which immediately chimes an alarm in my head reminding me to ask Chris for his info.. I don't know why, I just liked his aura, he seemed very genuine and funny.. my brain was just automatically drawn to him from the jump and all my friends were speaking on me and him talking separately from everyone else earlier when I first arrived. "Chris!" I shout. "why're you leaving? still having no fun" I stopping him. He looks back letting the door shut after his brothers.. "oh, yea I would've said earlier if my brother wasn't sleep.. I don't really drive so like, he has to drive and he won't if he's woken up involuntarily" he tells.. "oh, I get it.." I add looking around a bit.. "We should exchange numbers..I think you're pretty chill." I nervously spatter. "it's cool if you don't want to I know we just met" I add. "No for real, let's do it" he replies pulling his phone from his pockets of his sweats. "oh cool, ill give you my number then.." I reply. I grab his phone from him add a new contact labeled "Cartuh🐢" adding my number and handing him his phone back.. "cool" he takes his phone back pushing it in his pocket then looking up at me. "oh cool, I guess Ill see you around" I say awkwardly looking at his hat.. in to which he says "yeah for sho" grabbing the door nob and twisting it heading down the hall where I can see his brothers standing impatiently. I head back in the party over to Riley to let her know about my successes.

Chris' POV

It's around 8pm now, Im sitting at my desk playing Fortnite with Matt bored as life.. but I can't get my mind off Carter. Soon as we left the party all I could think of was Carter.. I don't know what it is either because I usually don't get this was over girls.. of course I'm straight but I don't get my feelings caught up like this.. I'm usually pretty against getting close to any girl because of my pass "talking" stages a lot of them usually just want money, or clout and ill be damed if I'm just a pawn for someone to climb the social latter. However for some reason if like nothing but purity with Carter.. and I say stuff like that and feel this way after meeting her and speaking to her only around 4 times.. which sickens me..

I decide to text her hoping she just doesn't respond tonight so I don't have to worry about thinking of a reply and getting sweaty hands, I swear I haven't felt this way since freshman year.

Cartuh🐢

Yo, its Chris Oh hey Chris, I didn't expect you to actually text me.. you seem pretty timid about the while situation I thought you might've thought I was weird or something O I was just busy. busy doing what? playing Fortnite with your boys wow that's not all I do.. I had to film something I was joking I didn't even know you played fr.. what'd you film like a YouTube video? yea basically with my brothers.. ohhh we should play some Fortnite maybe? I got a full squad rn but maybe another time? Oh all maybe later.. you free to hang out sometime this week to hang out? not a date or nothing... just chill?

Oh how I wish she actually meant for it to be a date.. maybe I can invite her over to chill at my house in a day or two.. maybe this weekend.. I left her on delivered not sure how to respond..I shouldn't have lied about having a full squad.. then maybe Matt could feel the vibe out to help me decide but too late now.. ill just have to wait it out.. maybe well catch each other around one of these days or at another get together at Landon's crib.. For now ill just play it cool and try and act normal.. I hate feeling this way because as soon as I open up to her I feel I'll just have my feeling played with.... I guess that's just how it goes when you're dealing with New Feelings...

a/n: new feelings is a little short story it maybe have 2-3 part depending on how well it does and if I decide to keep writing.. THANKS FOR READING also thanks for all the love on my first story it means a lot :)

[dotster001]

Hidden Desire; Chapter One

Summary: Jamil x gn! Reader Kalim comes to you with a question that changes everything.

A/N:the poll wasn't even finished, but Jammy blew the other options out of the water, so I just decided to finish it 😂

Prologue Two Three Four Five Six

You were working on homework in the library when Kalim plopped into the seat next to you, followed closely by Jamil.

"Hey Y/N!" He said, "How would you feel about being Jamil's friend?"

Before you could respond, Jamil's eyes widened and he hissed out "Kalim?!?!" Before hiding his face in his hood in embarrassment.

"What?" Kalim asked, genuinely confused. "You asked me to help get Y/N to be your friend?"

Jamil's jaw dropped, and he seemed to be rendered speechless.

Kalim turned to you with an empathetic smile.

"Jamil was worried you wouldn't want to be his friend because of what happened over break. So he asked me to help."

"Oh, Jamil," you said with a giggle. "Of course I'll be your friend!"

"Sevens," you heard emerge from under Jamil's hood.

"See! I told you you just have to ask!" Kalim said, before turning back to you. "Y/N, Jamil has been having trouble with his animal linguistics homework. Could he join your study group this weekend?"

"Absolutely!"

"This is my nightmare!"

….

Normally, your study group was made up of Ace, Deuce, Epel, Jack, and the previous overblotters. Not that the overblotters needed to be in your study group. They just seemed to enjoy hanging out with you.

But today, every single person, aside from Jamil, had something come up. 

"Just, be careful," Epel had texted you when you told him. "I don't wanna see my best friend get hurt."

"I very much doubt that's going to happen, but thanks for the concern," you'd assured him in your response.

"I hope I'm not….late," Jamil said, looking confused around the clearly empty kitchen table at Ramshackle. "I thought this was a study group."

"Yeah, but everyone had something come up."

Jamil pulled out his phone, before sighing heavily.

"Oh Kalim."

He showed you his phone, featuring Kalim's most recent message to him.

I'm throwing a last minute get together so you can have alone time with Y/N. Have fun! Tell me all about it when you get back.

"I apologize for him, it's just when I expressed interest in being your friend, he got very excited. I really should have known better."

"I mean it's expected of him," you laughed. "But if you want we can just hang out and forget studying."

He raised an eyebrow at you.

"Are you serious? You're really going to humor him?"

"Absolutely! I kind of want to be your friend too."

Jamil turned away, and started fiddling with his ponytail.

"Alright, what did you have in mind then?"

….

"Epel and Deuce like to take me here, sometimes," you said as you walked along the beach with Jamil. "Apparently, yelling at the ocean helps them get rid of their pent up aggression. But I just think it's neat. Especially as the sun is going down, and all the people leave for the day."

Jamil said nothing as he walked beside you. But that was alright. You knew he was a man of few words.

"I know you're trying your best. I know what happened with the overblot wasn't entirely your fault. It's very clear something else is going on in the school. But that's okay. I want to help however I can."

You hadn't realized that Jamil had stopped walking. You turned to look at him, and noticed him staring at you with agony in his eyes.

You found yourself distracted by how beautiful he looked in the dying light of day. Despite the pain in his gaze, he still held an aura of suave confidence, and longing, that made him irresistible. 

"Y/N…" he whispered, pulling you out of your thoughts.

"Yes?" You whispered back, frightened and excited about whatever this moment was. 

"I lied."

"What?"

He stared down at the ground, breathing heavily, "The truth is…I don't want to be your friend."

"Oh." Well, that hurt. 

He turned his eyes back up to you, his expression set.

"I don't want to be your friend…because I want to mean more to you." 

....

Tag list-@shytastemakerthing @leonia0 @mizucika @somany-fandoms-solittle-time @kurenix @starshiningsirius @pikeru565

[themysticaldrumstick]

I think my mc accidentally smacked E with a school door while running late so they just lay on the ground holding their nose while this tiny, energetic fluffy blond haired girl is just blabbering and apologizing a thousand times over their head. Then the next day they come to find E with half burned cookies as an apology.

I'm feelin a lil silly today, so you get a drabble, you lucky goose(jk).

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

"Fuck-" You curse loudly, stumbling past the person, almost slamming into them in your hurry. It was eight-fifteen, to be exact, and you were late. Very late. Mr. Bobbs already had your ass in a stitch for losing your grade, and now this? It was basically a recipe for disaster and this was not a risk you were willing to take.

The person falls, unable to regain their balance-- all their books falling down on the ground, along with a box of cookies. Their glasses tosses from the impact, away from their face, and a low groan escapes them.

Your cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"Oh my God!" You remark, eagerly helping them up, as you cringe mentally-- wincing at the little bruise against their arm from the friction of their fall against the floor. Your foot taps anxiously-- a mix of regret and shame pooling in your stomach.

"I'm so sorry, I'm such an idiot, sometimes, I can't believe it--" You try to explain, but they waved you off, picking up their glasses.

"All good. I'm not dead." They reply-- you're somewhat surprised at how.. rich, their voice sounds. They seem similar to you in age, obviously a student, judging by the books on the floor, but their voice? It just sounds so.. mature. You don't know whether you're turned on or weirded out.

Either way, you don't care. You cannot care because Lucifer out there, is waiting to murder you, four classrooms away, and not to sound abnormal, but unlike usual teens your age, you really, really love your existence.

"I'm really sorry." You repeat, blabbering apologies nonstop, impatiently in your hurry. They open their mouth to respond, but you're too desperate to care, so you ignore them and run, waving a hand back, as you yell, "I'm sorry again! See you later!"

And needless to say, of course, you end up in detention because Bobbs hated anyone with boobs.

However, it does seem like a blessing in disguise because you seem to find out who you had bumped into earlier, from all the gossip around. Their name-- rather common, their face-- rather unremarkable, but it seems to click something for you. You also hear that some friend of theirs(apparently, who loved cookies) was supposed to get a box from them but didn't.

You bite your lip in guilt when you remember the cookies that crushed against the floor because of that fall. Maybe it's the sheer will that drives you, or the prospect of meeting a hot stranger your age, that your hormones really seem to respond to-- you bake that night.

It's messy and chaotic, and you end up crying on your kitchen floor, feeling like a total failure for messing something that's supposed to be easy. It comes out all burnt, the harsh smell of vanilla and salt coming from it. You scrunch your nose. It's disgusting but, it's the only option you've got.

But, they pleasantly end up surprising you when a large smile curls up on their face as they accept the box of burnt cookies from you. Just from the sheer kindness of it.

You're embarrassed, but they don't seem to mind, as they take a bite of the cookies. "It's.. interesting."

"It's burnt." You mutter, looking away with a sigh. "Baking isn't my forte."

They raise an eyebrow, leaning close-- your cheeks burn in embarrassment, but they seem more inquisitive than flirty, so you push the thoughts away. "Then, what is?"

And, that.. was, well, the beginning of your friendship with your ex-partner. Not very compelling, not very interesting, not very thrilling. And even if you hate them, now..

..You cannot deny one thing.

They definitely knew just how to steal your heart back then, even if they pretended that they couldn't. Even if they pretended as if they were clueless. E knew it all.

And they knew it all too well.

[ficzhub]

Well Then…

Chapter 1

X

"Is there any particular reason that you can't stand spending any time with me?" I ask finally after an excruciatingly awkward and silent dinner over Zoom. Wondering why my father just couldn't be bothered to see me. Not when I got into Nevermore, not when I got my first award for my art, not when Tyler and his shithead friends assaulted me and I was in the hospital with internal bleeding after they vandalized my mural, not when I and everyone else at school almost died last month because a psychopathic herbology teacher decided to reanimate her bigot pilgrim great-grand daddy.

"Please Xavier, can I be spared the dramatics? I've been very busy, you know this." He says, not even bothering to look up at the camera.

"Clearly, for the last ten years or so." I don't know what I did wrong. My older sisters got time with him.

"Enough with the snide commentary. If all you wanted to do on this call was chide me, this could've been done over text. At the very least that wouldn't have pushed back rehearsals." He whines

"What do you even need rehearsals for, oh Great and Talented Vincent Thorpe?"

"Talent isn't perfection. I hope you take that to heart, winning a handful of trinkets passed off as awards isn't enough to prove any kind of prowess at anything."

I can't help but roll my eyes at that. He wouldn't know what awards I have or haven't gotten, he's never seen them.

"Speaking of lack of prowess, your grandfather will be taking you back to school after the break is done in a few days." His voice coated in derision.

"What?"

"Your mother's father, not mine."

Well no shit, he's dead. "How come?"

"If this is another tirade about how it's traumatizing that I'm not holding your hand at all times-".

"Jesus dad, I just mean how come he's coming around? He hasn't been around much since Mom...you know." He cringed at the sentence, my mother is one of his father's least favorite subjects.

"Oh, I'm not sure. I didn't ask."

"Okay, thanks for letting me know."

"You're welcome. Now, I can't push back production anymore. Your report card was fine, you've been keeping your nose clean at school as far as I know and you ended up being some kind of hero last semester. Good on you for that, son. Anything else I should know about?" He asks uninterestedly

"Nope, you're pretty much caught up."

"Alright. I'll be putting some money in your account for school supplies and whatnot. Don't over do it, like last year..." he says still remembering how much I spent on Bianca "Make sure to call your grandfather and iron out your plans with him. Have a good night." He says and hangs up.

"Good night dad..." I say to a blank screen. I close my laptop and sigh. What did I expect?

I take my plate to the kitchen and clean it off to put in the dish washer. Staying alone at the manor always feels lonely. My father got us a maid but it feels so uncomfortable to have a strange woman washing my underwear and replacing my bedsheets or anything else for me. I'd rather just do it myself. She can busy herself sweeping and mopping or something, it's not like she pays me any mind.

I'll call Grandpa Ron tomorrow, I don't feel like talking to anyone. Well, there's one person, I haven't talked to her since my last day at school.

I can't even begin to wrap my head around what I should feel about Wednesday. Obviously she's not an easy person to deal with, she's selfish, manipulative and abrasive, but she's never pretended she's not. It's not like I didn't know to expect that. She's also brave, loyal and apparently fiercely protective. I don't wanna push my luck with her and make her feel suffocated, I wonder if the phone was too much. I send her a single text the day I got back home. Just a simple "See you when term starts." It hadn't marked at delivered, so either she never turned on the phone or she let it die. I wish I could go to therapy about all this but Wednesday's ex boyfriend killed her so, I'm shit outta luck with that. I haven't found another one near enough to school or home. I can't imagine I'd have an easy time building trust with them if I did anyway. New one might just die on me like the last.

That was crass.

Obviously Kinbott's murder wasn't about me, and her dying was senseless. Like that dick just wanted another body under his belt or Thornhill just felt like killing someone that day. Who knows, but I couldn't ignore that her death while tragic, really sucked for me.

I should just get my supplies and toke up. It's not like my dad would ever know and the help doesn't care one way or the other cause I don't leave a mess. I ran up to the studio and took my stuff out. The stash was still fresh from when I bought some with Ajax from some townie.

Keeping the puff in my lungs for as long as I can, I starts prepping my canvas...

This was a good idea. It had been a while since I'd let myself take a break from my own thoughts.

I painted Bianca. Her bright eyes and dark skin popping from each other. I still had so many unanswered questions about her. Seems minor compared to all the other things that have happened, but it's not nothing. I can't remember much right after meeting her. Getting coffee at the Weathervane before that asshole had gotten a job there and she was there too. We'd gotten the same coffee order and I accidentally grabbed hers. We'd cracked a few jokes with each other and exchanged numbers. Then suddenly I'm in a total fog and she's admitted into Nevermore. I'm paying for all her school supplies, and I don't remember offering, or her asking. Then I'm back to normal, we're chatting, she's joining clubs, making friends, we're bonding over our shared experience in neglectful or abusive parents, then I'm in a fog again and she's Ms.Popularity and we're Nevermore's Power Couple. When Divina told me what had happened after her and Bianca got into an argument, things cleared up. I didn't enjoy breaking up with her, I did care about her. I didn't wanna get her in trouble or kicked out of school either, it's not like she didn't deserve to be there. But I couldn't stand that I'd been manipulated for months. Am I really that bad of a judge of character? I mean, I had Tyler pegged right, but that one was hard to miss considering I'd tasted his shoe and one of his friends almost made my testicles reascend. I never really told Wednesday the whole truth, maybe if I had she'd have gotten it sooner. Violence isn't an issue to her, but bigotry never seemed her style. I partly blame myself for not being entirely honest with her all because I didn't wanna seem like a pussy. Maybe I deserved what happened. The beating, Wednesday ignoring me, the imprisonment, all of it. I could've prevented so much of it.

I'm spiraling. Maybe I should go to bed but painting was supposed to get this off my chest. This? What do I mean this? I wanna talk about a million things, there is no this. Shit maybe I can just text Wednesday's phone number. Kinbott's got disconnected so I get back that error message. Or worse, it could be reassigned to someone new, then I'm just traumadumping on some poor stranger who's probably got their own shit going on. What if they get confused and think they did something to me? What if they actually end up being someone I know that coincidentally got assigned the old number? They could trace back the texts to me if they already have my number. I'd never live it down. I know Wednesday clearly isn't using the phone, so no harm no foul.

W

"I'm so glad to hear that Wednesday!" My mother said emphatically, gently clapping her hands together.

"We knew you'd love it at Nevermore, Tormentita." Gomez brags "The flesh never falls far from the bone." as he continues his chess match with Thing.

"Yes well, it's not as if any other school in the country would admit me or be able to instruct me of anything new or useful to me. Why waste anyone's time." Not relishing in proving my parents right, I start walking up towards my bedroom.

"Darling, I suppose now would be as good a time as any to inform you of some new developments if you're set in returning." Mother says with my back to her.
Turning around I see her looking at my father.
"Mon cher, this is more your news than it is mine. You should tell Wednesday."

My father checkmates Thing and smirks "You almost had me old man. Next time."
Thing shrugs and hops off to reach his magazine.
Facing me he rubs his hands together "Do you remember your Aunt Dolores?" He asks

"Vaguely. She's not much older than me, but she was always busy with school."

"That's right, she's 25." My mother adds "She got her master's degree in phytology. Of course that was basically a formality, she's always known everything she'd ever need about plants."

"I still don't understand how she came to be. Mama Esmeralda and Papa Pancho must've been in their 50s when they had her, at the earliest." I ponder out loud.

"Oh both sides of your family have had abnormally long periods of fertility, Wednesday. Your Great-Grandmama Margaret, had my aunt Celia at 56 years old. Completely baffled the local doctor." Mother adds gleefully.

"Anyway, I bring this up because we've been notified that your Aunt Dolores will be joining you at Nevermore."

"How did that happen?"

"Well, as you know she had that big spat with my parents and ran off when she turned 15. She never really got to experience much time at that school, and despite everything she did love it so there. It was truly a pity I couldn't convince her to keep going there and not disappear on us. Fester tried to nab her and get her to see why they did what they did but to no avail."

"Understandable."

"We thought you'd feel that way." Mother smirks

"I meant more so how did she manage to get hired. They haven't even said they've gotten a new Headmaster or Mistress."

"The board would have to be riddled with complete fools if they pass up on Dolores, even despite her...muddled record." Mother says. She's always had an inexplicable soft spot for her little sister-in-law.

"What was their disagreement about anyway? I've never gotten a whole answer about that." I ask

"It would probably be best for you to ask her directly. We wouldn't want to speak for her." Father explains, shakily.

"Right then, what position will she be taking?" Noting how my father looked away and down when he said that

"The new herbology teacher. Oh, and your new house mother."

"Makes sense, the last one was an incompetent murderer. At least this time the teacher will be adequate. Thank you for letting me know. Will Pugsley be joining me as well?" Would be nice to practice my aim while still at school. He'd have a new selection of road signs to steal from.

"His grades aren't quite up to par, unfortunately." Mother grims "Rather like his Uncle Fester, brilliant but not booksmart."

"Pity. Will I be sent to school with Lurch, or will you two be dropping me off again?" I ask, waiting to turn around to finally get to the solitude of my bedroom.

"Actually Wednesday, you'll be carpooling with your aunt. She's bringing her own car so to not rely on buses and whatnot. She'll actually be fetching you a day or two earlier as she'll need to get situated."

"I thought she had an aversion to driving." I said, remembering how my father had tried to teach her to drive but my grandparents had already embittered her to the idea.

"She eventually got over it, not without struggle." My father winces "She got herself an old, red beetle and she's been using that little thing since she was 18. My parents were furious when they heard, of course I didn't let her know I'd told them. She wanted to be taken as dead to them."

"Can't wait to hear why from the source. When will she be coming?"

"Could you call Dolores about that, Darling? I have to see something about your brother and your father has a meeting to go to."

"A meeting? About what?" My father doesn't work really, not necessary for us.

"Some charity nonsense, I'm not entirely sure if I'm being honest. All I usually have to do is sign a check." My father explains, poorly.

"Fine, could I get her phone number?"

My mother scribbles down on a sheet her ten digits and sends me off. I'll finally have a use for Xavier's gift.

I shut my bedroom door and start looking for my cell phone, Thing has been using it to make a "TikTok" and "IG". I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes every time Enid would send him some asinine little video. I'm sure it's dead now as neither of us remembers to charge it. I find it in the dresser next to my bed, on 5% battery and 27 new text messages from Xavier.

******

I can hear her before I've even seen her. She came in her red Volkswagen Beetle, blaring music from its speakers. I'd hope she doesn't plan on maintaining that obnoxious volume, I can feel the migraine coming on already as she gets out to say hello.


"Wednesday, looking as malcontent and gorgeous as always." with her ever present smirk on her lips.
"Should I come in and say hey to the folks?"

"I'm sure they'd appreciate that, Mother hasn't stopped fawning about you since she knew you'd be my new teacher."

"Ugh, I've missed Tishy. I guess you'll wanna wait out here?"

"I'd prefer it."

"Here then," she hands me the keys, takes off her circular sunglasses and puts them on the neckline of her shirt "roll down the windows and do whatcha want. I'll be out in a few."

"Thank you, I'll be waiting. Thing will also be coming, just so you know."

"Aw, sweet. He owes me the story about the safe," She says, walking inside "besides I'll need me a few minutes to talk to Gomey and Morts about your new therapist situation."

My blood pressure rises immensely as a hear her last little blip.

"What are you referring to?"

She turns around to face me and looks more bemused by my expression than I'd like for her to be.


"What? Did you think that just because you saved the outcast population of New England from a bigoted zombie, his inept however many 'greats' granddaughter and your ex-boyfriend that everyone would forget you almost killed that normie kid from your last school? Law still applies to ya, dollface. Even heroes need therapy." She says, with her hands on her hips.

"This is waste of time. It's not like therapy did much the first time around, besides get the therapist killed by one of her patients." I feel my grip around the keys start pinching into my fingers

"And shockingly that patient wasn't you." She quips, smirk still on her face before it relaxes slightly "Jesus kid, you're acting like therapy is an actual punishment. Your talking out your thoughts with someone for an hour, get over it." As she turns around to walk inside and Lurch comes out to put my bags in her car.

She waltzes out just as chipper 20 minutes later

"C'mon, we're going from Princeton to Killington, Vermont, with any luck we'll make good time and get there by this afternoon."

"Five hours isn't so bad."

"I'm not generally fond of being extended company."

"Oh please, this little ride along could end up being a nice time for you." She says, getting in the car and starting it "Did you already say bye to everyone?"

"Yes, and I doubt it."

"Dude are you always this much of a downer? Get in."

I get settled inside "This whole happy-go-lucky thing you're doing isn't making you any happier."

"Is that so?" We take off into the path by my home leading to the main road into town.

"Yes. Happiness, or at least satisfaction in my experience is an equation: reality - high expectations. If you expect people to disappoint you, experiences to be subpar and life in general to not excite you very much, then you're never really disappointed." I finish matter of factly.

"Is that really happiness then? Or even satisfaction, as you say?"

"Sure. Can't miss what I never thought I had."

"Spidey, a lot of life is what you make it. If you go to a party, or say, a long car ride, with the expectation or intention to have a bad time then you'll just go, be moody and have in fact, a bad time." She counters, putting her glasses back on to shield herself from the sun coming off the rear view mirror.

"So I'm either right or pleasantly surprised? Sounds good to me."

"It's bad vibes." She says flatly

"It's realistic vibes."

"Expecting everything to be bad all the time also isn't realistic, Wen. There are so many reasons to be optimistic."

"Are you serious?" I ask, knowing some of her past.

"Yes! Life can be a wonderful thing, especially when you're the one in control of how you're living it."

"I can't agree, the natural state of things is chaos. Violence, war, rape, murder, abuse. Eventually we all end up ashes or worm food, the sooner we contend with that fact the better it helps me linger in the good times." I say, diddling the charm on my bracelet with Nero's stinger.

"Wens how often do you think about death?"

"All the time."

"Your family's? Your friends?"

"Sometimes, and it upsets me."

"Christ."

"Oh deliberately his. You can't deny that most things just don't work out."

"The magic of pessimism." She says sarcastically

"Almost everyone is mediocre at almost everything they do. All relationships we have will end, in death or in life. The only way to feel satiated and move on is to lower your expectations and not let it get to you. Optimism is stupid."

"But the stupid, optimistic conviction that things can and will get better by making it so is what makes positive change possible in the first place. If everyone walked around being almost certain that everything's going to shit then what's the point of trying?"

"Trying to what?"

"Trying. Period. Just trying at anything. Trying to be cleaner, trying to be smarter, trying to be faster. There would be no clear point and everyone would just settle and progress would stall."

I can't deny this.

"Spidey, I get that pessimism can feel safer."

"It's not my personal well-being I'm concerned about."

"Isn't it? When was the last time you had real hope about anything? Not deterministic persistence, not stubbornness, not pettiness and not settling because hey this is as good as it's gonna get let's hope it doesn't get worse. Real, deep hope about something. Or, someone."

"I don't like how often you're turning your head to give me sideways glance."

"Wednesday."

"Isn't hope just blind faith in a nicer tone?" I ask

"Yes. Can you answer the question?"

"...I suppose I'd hoped that Eugene would recover despite the odds of surviving an explosion not being great."

"Eugene is the little beekeeper friend you made last term, right?"

"The entomopathist, yes."

"Okay, I guess that's a good example."

"I'm not hopeless, I'm just selective in where I put my energy or hope."

"So with the Hyde thing. We're you betting that Xavier Thorpe was the Hyde or we're you hoping he was so you could say you're a good judge of character."

"I didn't really think it had much to do with anyone's character at all. When I was under the impression that Xavier was the monster, I thought he was doing it without knowing it. Or that he was doing it unwillingly."

"Guess it was an ugly surprise when you found out Galpin relished in it."

It bothers me how well she can gage me despite not having spent much time with me recently.

Most of the information she has must be second hand and yet she's reaching accurate conclusions.
We're obviously related, we look enough alike where it's clear by just looking.
Not exactly of course but she's small, only two inches taller than me and wears big shoes to compensate for it. Her hair also helps. A big, curly inch of her skull. But still, black hair, black eyes, and her skin is the color mine would be if my vitamin D deficiency didn't leave me with the grey cast palor I like now. A warm tan brown like Father.

"It was unsettling. Albeit certainly made my first kiss memorable."

"I'm sure. Mine was a shit show."

"What? Did the guy have braces and they got caught in yours?" I ask sarcastically, knowing her attempt as sympathizing won't measure up.

"No. His teeth were perfectly straight and white. He'd long past the age where braces would look acceptable."

"Couldn't have been that bad." I shrug off

"He forced it on me."

"...and I'm assuming you broke his teeth in retribution." I add

"Not even close. In the position I was in at the time it would've completely fucked my life up, I showed some disgust and that was enough for me to get a stern 'talking to' from my parents."

"This has something to do with why you ran off."

"Yeah. Well, this and a ton of other shit I don't wanna get into, no use dwelling on what's done." She mutters that last part.

"I'm never having kids."

"Pfft, me neither kid. Pregnancy and childbirth alone sound like a Lovecraftian nightmare."

"Hm...well when you phrase it like that..."

We spent most of the ride in relative silence, her music making so that it's not completely quiet but clearly neither of us felt like speaking. She let me control the music for a few hours and surprisingly, she introduced me to new music I actually enjoyed. Genres I'd written off and artists I'd misjudged. I found that I can enjoy some pop, like Shakira's older sound. My aunt is also obviously angrier than she'd like to seem, given how taken away she got by She Wants Revenge. We stopped once for a bathroom break and coffee at a small coffee shop in New Paltz ironically called The Bakery. As eye-roll inducing as the name is the coffee was good and the bathrooms were clean, so we couldn't complain much. She was nice enough to pay. "I'm your aunt and the adult" and other such nonsense being the excuse. Around half way through the ride I pick up my cell phone and text two people to let them know I'm coming. Enid, as we're still rooming together and I wanted to
make sure she kept her My Little Pony adjacent decor on her side, and Xavier. Might give him a chance to get his explanation clear about these messages. Altogether the ride went by much quicker than I expected. We'd headed out at 5:04 am that morning and got to the school at 9:50 am. Of course she drives like a mad woman constantly surpassing the speed limit, only pausing for a second at stop signs and hardly getting any red lights helps. Impressive that her car hasn't been totaled.

"So when are the rest of us meeting your aunt?" Enid asks over FaceTime while I unpack, I hadn't realized she wouldn't be at the school for another two days.

"The day you get here, I suppose. Unless you've other plans. I'd introduce you to her now on this call but she's in her room working on the lesson plan, I believe."

"Than to hang out with my bestie and her super cool aunt? Never. Well, except maybe spend some quality time with Ajax."

"Good to know he's still doing well with you."

"Total gentleman, no complaints here. He's been a little worried about Xavier though. I know he's a little moody, tortured artist persona and all. But during the break he barely communicated with Jax, or anyone else as far as I know."

As far as you know is a good way to phrase it, Enid. She doesn't need to know about his messages to me, I'm not even sure how to take them myself. The only thing he responded to me after my text was "Oh, cool."

"I let him know I was on my way here this morning, I didn't get a very enthusiastic responce from. Figured that was just his nature over text." Not even close

"Really? That's surprising. I thought if anyone could get more outta him it'd be you."

"Why's that?"

"No one believes you're that oblivious, Wednesday. His not-so-subtle crush on you? Maybe that's why?"

"Maybe the events last year sobered him up and he got over it."

"Or he's just depressed."

"Also possible. Not necessarily our business though, is it?"

"I mean, it kinda is. We're his friends and all, and most of us know what it's like to not have a whole hell of a lot of support at home. He needs to get it from somewhere." She clarifies

"Wasn't his father with him during this break?"

"Ha, yeah. I'm sure he was a whole lotta help." She says sarcastically

"Wasn't he? Xavier could've died last term." I point out

"Hm, I'm not sure that's all that important to the all too busy Vincent Thorpe."

"Well, that's mildly upsetting."

"Yeah, you could say that. I know he and I aren't close but I know what it's like to feel like the family you were born into isn't the one you're supposed to be in. At least sometimes." I can empathize with that. My parents are the epitome of present, supportive parents. Almost to a fault, that's what makes it strange. In my eyes, they border on intrusive sometimes, and lacking physical boundaries most times.

"I understand. Do you know if he's an only child?"

"Good question. I'll ask Ajax, I'm not sure. I know his mom wasn't his first wife so it's a possibility he's not. Well, I have my flight at 1:00 am tonight so I gotta get going. See ya in the morning, Bestie."

"Goodbye Enid, have a safe flight.”

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/50759830"><strong>Well Then</strong></a> (69569 words) by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliTerren"><strong>AliTerren</strong></a><br />Chapters: 13/20<br />Fandom: <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Wednesday%20(TV%202022)">Wednesday (TV 2022)</a><br />Rating: Explicit<br />Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings<br />Relationships: Wednesday Addams & Xavier Thorpe, Wednesday Addams/Xavier Thorpe, Xavier Thorpe & Wednesday Addams, Xavier Thorpe/Wednesday Addams, Xavier Thorpe/Original Female Character(s), Xavier Thorpe and Original Female Character(s), Wednesday Addams/Original Female Character(s), Tyler Galpin/Original Female Character(s), Wednesday Addams & Enid Sinclair, Ajax Petropolus/Enid Sinclair, Ajax Petropolus & Xavier Thorpe, Wednesday Addams & Original Female Character<br />Characters: Xavier Thorpe, Wednesday Addams, Enid Sinclair, Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Original Non-Human Character(s), Ajax Petropolus, Eugene Ottinger, Morticia Addams, Gomez Addams, Tyler Galpin, Donovan Galpin, Garrett Gates, Marilyn Thornhill | Laurel Gates, Vincent Thorpe<br />Additional Tags: Mildly Dubious Consent, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Sexual Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Wednesday is soft for Xavier, Xavier Thorpe is Whipped, POV Xavier Thorpe, POV Wednesday Addams, Possessive Behavior, Obsessive Behavior, Xavier Thorpe Needs a Hug, Xavier Thorpe switch, Jealous Wednesday Addams, Pining, Yearning, Lonely Xavier Thorpe, Smut, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Smut, Masturbation, Fantasizing, Prophetic Visions, Sharing a Bed, Sharing Clothes, Xavier Thorpe Has Daddy Issues, Xavier Thorpe has Mommy Issues, Xavier Thorpe has a praise kink, Discussion of sexual assault, Discussion of rape kits, succubi, Demonic Possession, Demonic Sacrifice, soul eating, Bisexual Wednesday Addams, Creepy Tyler Galpin, wet dreams, Our season 2, Subby Xavier Thorpe, Sub Xavier Thorpe<br />Summary: <p>New term has started, with it comes new people, new feelings and new duties. Let’s hope the unresolved doesn’t get in the way.</p><p>(This might be a part one, might make sequels. Also, take this as season 2 if you also miss having Xavier in the show.)</p>

[marveinator]

Afraid- Ellie Williams (1)

Afraid- Ellie Williams (Part 1)

PART 2 -> PART 3

Backround infos you need (THIS CONTAINS TLOU 2 SPOILERS!): This takes place after Joel died, and Ellie´s revenge already started. Dina and Ellie never had a thing going on, they are just good friends, and Jesse is still alive. Still- Ellie doesn´t have contact with them- since they did not accept her leaving. (Dina and Jesse are not a couple though)- also the reader aka your perspective is described as she/her but there is no use of Y/N!

A/N: This will be a series! I hope you enjoy Part 1, and I´m terribly sorry if something doesn´t make sense, English isn´t my first language! Tell me what you think and help me to let more people see this! Enjoy now...

Chapter warnings: Mention(s) of death, mention(s) of guns/shooting, overall it can be brutal,... I think that´s it?

It was dark outside. Through the broken window I could look a bit into the distance, but without any new discovery. Never did I, or anyone, think the world would end like this. Shattered, possessed, and above all: controlled. It is difficult to explain how the world was before. I, myself, do not know. This has always been the way life goes for me, this is how it began, this is how it ends. In the midst of an apocalypse that finds no end.

I decided to get out of "my" bed. It was probably midnight, but I didn't care. As I crawled out from under the covers, I felt goosebumps brush over my body. Stupid broken window. I hated it here. I don't know about the other QZs, but I hope for everyone's sake it's better than here. Vancouver. I was born here, I live here, and I will die here. I've never seen anything else. If someone asked me now what my greatest wish is, I would probably say to finally get out of this shithole. I'm sitting here, living in a small apartment. Not mine, but my friend's. He's always working… and is almost never around. Work is also one of those messy things here…. I think FEDRA has and never had anything under control. Anyway, I got up and put on shoes. Also my dark gray jacket, the only one I own.

Just as I was about to go into the kitchen (which can't even be called a kitchen, it's way too small for that), I heard a loud scream. I quickly ran back to the (broken) window and looked out. Down on the street people were shooting. Probably the fireflies. Ironic, isn't it? I actually had hopes of becoming a part of them once. Just to get out of here.

"Turn around right fucking now." An unknown voice. I turned around and looked into the eyes of a tall brunette girl. She had a tattoo on her forearm and a gun between her hands. "I really don't want to hurt you, but I need you to tell me where your dear friend Liam is." Her words sounded harmless, however the tone of her voice could tell me that she wouldn't hesitate for a second to kill me. I took a deep breath, I didn't want to die yet despite the circumstances. "He's working," I said dryly. This answer apparently didn't please the girl at all, because she came a few steps closer. "Stupid. Who do you think he is working for right now? At this hour? For FEDRA? They're busy enough taming the fireflies." Oh. Kind of makes sense. "FEDRA doesn't care about annoying 20-year-old men who want food. So, tell me, where is he? I still have a bullet, believe me."

Automatically, I took a step back. "Leave me out of this. I hardly ever see him, I just live in an apartment with him- I don't know anything." I didn't like this situation at all. "Get on your knees," the girl said, and I obeyed- not ready to take a bullet. I knelt on the cold floor and felt goosebumps rise again, but probably it was the whole position I was in that scared me. So helpless and close to death. Yes, I wanted excitement in my life, but not like this….

"And now you listen to me. Your friend, or whatever, is working for someone who killed a person who was very important to me. So maybe if you do want to tell the truth, now is the last chance to do it." I stared up into her eyes. Her whole stature looked so frightening in the darkness. I could tell by the look in her face that she did this every day. Not sneaking up on random girls in apartments, no, killing people. Maybe she had already killed 20. Or hundreds. Or thousands… "Now fucking say something!" she screamed as she pulled on the gun to load it. Shit. I swallowed. Now I had to act smart.

Suddenly the wooden floor creaked. Steps. "What the-" Both mine and the girl's eyes darted to the door. Liam. Fuck. The brown-haired girl in front of me didn't hesitate and shot him. I saw the bullet go through his left shoulder and blood gush out of him. "NO!", I screamed. I quickly ran over to him and knelt down. "It had to be done." She wanted to leave. She pushed past and wanted to leave. No. Quickly I ran after her and grabbed her. "No. You can't barge in here and scare me to death and kill my only friend!", I cried. The tears were just running down my cheeks now. "I don't have anyone else! No one. What am I supposed to do now? You took away the only thing I had, and I thought that's how you felt, too?"

Ellie Williams POV I looked down at her, since she was quite a bit smaller than me. Pain was in her eyes…what had I done. Killing people- for Joel- had been easy. At least until now. But this time was different. I saw a girl standing in front of me who had lost the most important person in her life - just like I once had. "No." I- I was no better than Abby. "I'm- I didn't know-", I tried to continue, but I was interrupted. "Would it have made any difference if you had known? You're a murderer!" Ouch. "Believe me, whoever is the person you lost, I don't think he or she would have wanted you to be like this. You're a monster." Now I couldn't hold back my tears either. I was standing here, in a strange girl's hallway, and I was crying. Not very Ellie of me.

Reader POV Wow. I had managed to make a murderer cry. That was definitely not on my checklist. I turned around and walked back to Liam. His eyes were staring off into nowhere. We almost never talked, yet he had been important to me. Taking in a stranger just like that, as a roommate and friend, was certainly not a normal thing. I wiped the last tears from my face before simply accepting it. Sure, this may seem mean… like "Why is she getting over it so quickly?" Well… when you're used to losing everyone, eventually it doesn't surprise you anymore. Of course, the grief will always be there, but it becomes easier and easier to suppress it. I couldn't turn around and look at the girl. I couldn't. "I don't think we'll ever see each other again, and that's just fine. I don't want to see you anymore. Look, I don't even know your name. Forgive? I won't- I don't want to, but I'm going to try anyway. You don't deserve it, but I don't know your exact history. Which doesn't justify what you did, but maybe I just don't understand you. Now just go, FEDRA will be here soon, they must have heard the shot."

[enchantedchocolatebars]

Sharing & Caring (Cookies 💕 🍪) [Based on this official story image.]

(I haven't read the full book, but based on this image, I'm assuming there's only one page for this part.)

"Oh my, you all have a surprise for me?" A sweet and innocent smile graced Snow White's blood red lips as her eyes were closed and her seven small friends led her inside their cottage.

"That's right!" Doc would confirm with a smile of his own.

"A wonderful surprise!" Happy added.

"Something sweet," Sleepy would say as the drowsy dwarf emitted a small yaw.

"For our sweet," Bashful chuckled, blushing a bit.

While Dopey would nod in agreement about the surprise, Grumpy would grumble and roll his eyes, his annoyance clear on his features.

Sneezy, of course, would just sneeze. "We hope you like it!" He sneezed again, which made Snow White giggle.

"Oh, I'm certain I will."

...

"Okay, princess, you can open your eyes now."

Once Doc gave Snow White the okay to open her eyes, she did so and immediately let out a gasp.

"Oh, my!" Elation shined in Snow White's brown eyes at her surprise.

Two platters piled with freshly baked golden cookies were sitting on the wooden kitchen table.

Her favorites too.

"What a sweet surprise!" Snow White placed a hand on her heart. "I'm so utterly touched by your kindness. Thank you everyone!"

After thanking them, Snow White and the seven dwarfs sat down at the table.

"Oh, you're very welcome, princess," Doc told her, taking a cookie from the platter.

"We've been watching you bake!" Happy would reveal as he happily helped himself to two cookies.

"And taking..." Sleepy yawned with a single cookie in his hand. "...notes." He fell asleep, which made the others, except for Grumpy, laugh.

"Apparently, we're not too bad at it," Sneezy would say, holding a finger to his nose while holding a cookie in his other hand.

He was attempting to steer clear from sneezing at the table as it would not be polite.

"I liked baking!" Bashful would giggle while munching on his cookie. "It was fun!"

"I bet old Grumpy did too since making these cookies were his idea!" Doc would divulge with a chuckle, causing his grouchy brother to shoot him a glare.

Snow White turned her kind smile towards Grumpy. "Grumpy, is this true?"

Grumpy would grumble and nod while looking away from Snow White, taking a cookie and reaching for another one.

Snow White would give a short giggle at his surly behavior before looking to Dopey who was sitting near her.

"Dopey, may I please have a cookie?" She asked him, to which Dopey, holding the cookie that he bit into, nodded with a smile while reaching for a cookie to give to his friend from the pile.

Being the polite princess she was, Snow White would always say please whenever she wanted a treat. 💕 🍪

[mysecretlittlelibrary]

Just Let Me Adore You Pt. 9

Pairing: Stucky x Reader

Word Count: 2.7k

Warnings: eh some violence but nothing major

Genre: Mostly fluff

Summary: You’ve been dating your boyfriend, Bruce, for 3 absolutely blissful years. He’s a scientist and professor who is as smart as he is kind and if anyone asked, you were sure you’d spend the rest of your life with him. That is until two mysteriously charming men that Bruce swears are dangerous take an interest in you that threatens to turn your entire life upside down. I mean… what exactly are you supposed to do with two gorgeous men telling you something that suggests that basically everything you think you know is a lie? And why does part of you have enough doubt to wonder if they might be telling the truth?

Series Masterlist

***

You hum to yourself as you make lunch before your shift at work. Wanda's working from home today so you make a sandwich for her too while you're in the kitchen. You take your lunch and hers to her room where she's hunched over her laptop.

"Lunch time." You say handing her her plate and sitting on her bed to eat your own.

"Oh- thanks, you didn't have to do that." She says.

"I know but if I leave you here until I get off work there's a chance you won't eat at all until dinner later." You shrug.

"I can feed myself." She protests.

"I know you can but I also know you hardly do. Eat your sandwich, work will still be there when you finish it." You say.

"Thank you y/n." She says tucking into her lunch.

"You're most welcome my dearest friend." You smile. "Oh, you know that bad movie we watched on Saturday?"

"Yeah, why did we do that?"

"Because bad movies are funny. Anyway, it has a sequel. So we'll have to get around to it soon."

"A sequel?!"

"Yeah apparently."

"Alright then, round 2. Is it on streaming or will we have to track down a physical copy?"

"It's on streaming don't worry." You chuckle.

"Good, great. Do you wanna do it tonight?"

"Sure I don't see why not. We'll watch it during dinner." You shrug. The two of you chat while eating lunch together and when you're finished you leave her to get back to work while you prep to leave for your own job. During the week most of the foot traffic in the store is from teenagers coming in after school so the first couple hours of your shift are a little hectic for you, Jack, and Delilah but it eventually slows enough for the three of you to start chatting.

"So y/n, how ya been? I feel like you've only been working with Peter these days. Delilah, have you met Peter?" Jack asks, the two of them are leaning against the counter of the coffee bar.

"No- he's the guy that started working here a few months ago right?" She asks.

"Yes, he is and I've been fine Jack, how have you been?" You ask.

"Doing great except I never see you anymore."

"I don't know what to tell you Jacky it's not on purpose." You scoff.

"Wait so what's the deal with this Peter guy? Do you have a thing for him or something?" Delilah asks looking between you and Jack.

"No! God no. Peter's a baby, he's only 19." You shake your head.

"She's basically adopted him and therefore completely neglected me!" Jack crosses his arms.

"Jack you are a grown man be serious." You laugh.

"Work more shifts with me." Jack glares at you.

"I'm already here like five to six days a week. Maybe pick up a couple extra shifts and we can talk." You retort. The bell over the door rings interrupting your conversation as the three of you stop fooling around to greet the new customers. When you look over at the door you're surprised to see Bucky and Steve walking over to you. Jack and Delilah clear out, pretending to be busy in other parts of the store.

"Hello, how can I help you?" You ask in your usual customer service voice.

"Hi y/n." Steve says.

"Hi Steve, hi Bucky, what brings you by?" You ask. They obviously didn't come here to order coffee.

"We had business in the area, we wanted to say hi." Steve says.

"Well, hi." You say.

"It's good to see you." Steve says.

"You haven't called." Bucky points out.

"Bucky." Steve scolds almost immediately.

"I've been a little busy the last few days but I didn't realize there was a deadline on when I was to call you." You say, one eyebrow raised.

"There isn't." Steve says sharply before Bucky can speak again.

"James?" You look at him.

"There isn't. I'm just anxious sometimes. I- we, like you, and we want to know how you feel." Bucky says.

"I had an amazing time, I think I told you that." You say.

"We aren't rushing you." Steve says.

"I know you aren't. Bucky needs reassurance and I can understand that. You will hear from me tonight, that's a promise, and you will see me again. Maybe later this week if we can schedule it." You say.

"We can be available whenever you want us to be." Bucky says.

"Go. I'll call later and we can discuss the details but right now I'm at work." You say with a light chuckle.

"Have a good day, y/n." Steve says.

"You two boys." You smile and with that, they leave, Bucky with a little more obvious reluctance than Steve. Delilah and Jack rush back over to the coffee bar counter as soon as they're gone, just as you expected.

"Who were they?!" Jack asks.

"Just- a couple of guys I know." You shrug.

"Know how?!" Delilah asks.

"And how can I get two of my own?" Jack asks.

"Jack." Delilah laughs.

"What?! Who wouldn't want two gorgeous men showing up to ask why you haven't called them? Like our girl has legs!"

"Okay, Jack, I do not have 'legs' and I can't help you get your own because I didn't even meet them on purpose." You laugh.

"Are you dating them?"

"You are so nosy! Go restock some toys or something." You say through laughter.

"Hey hey hey two mysterious and fine ass men just showed up here for your attention. I think that's fair game for questioning." Jack says.

"Well you're not gonna get any answers so." You shrug.

"You hate me." Jack glares.

"Drama queen." You snort.

"Evil Queen." He snaps back.

"Want an apple?" You ask with a smirk and he gasps.

"What is happening?" Delilah asks through chuckles.

"Jack is a harbinger of chaos." You shrug.

"Jack is healthily interested in his friend's life." Jack corrects.

"No, you're bored because no one's currently vying for your attention right?" You ask.

"Someone is always vying for my attention how dare you!"

"Oh so Tommy is still around? How about Lisa?"

"No, and no."

"You got new situationships and didn't tell me?! Oh but I've got to tell you about my mysterious visitors?"

"You know what I think the kids section actually could use reorganizing. I'm gonna go take care of that." Jack says coming up with an excuse.

"Yeah you go do that." You roll your eyes and Delilah continues to laugh through the exchange.

"You're both insane." She shakes her head going back over to the register on the other side of the store.

The rest of your shift goes by pretty quickly and when later comes you do call them. You finish your shift, go home, have dinner, and watch that bad movie with Wanda, and once you've showered and wound down for the night you call them. You plan a date with them for later in the week but after that, you spend hours on the phone talking. You ask them about their day and they tell you every single decision they made from the moment they woke up basically, and you ask questions about their work when you see one to ask and it's nice to hear them talk about it all since they want you to be involved. You talk and laugh well into the night until you eventually say goodnight because the sun is close to rising and you all have to be up during the day.

Over the next month or so, these end of the day calls become a routine. You call them almost every night, they discuss work with you and you tell them about your day too. Dates with them become habitual too. Once or twice a week most of the time. Sometimes it's something sillier and laid back, mini golfing, bowling, ice skating, other nights, they take you to the most lavish restaurants around the city and honestly, it's all very fun. You love dating them. They're as adoring as they'd promised and you try very hard not to act like you're waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Today, you're spending the day with them. Business stuff first and then dinner later. You want to see just what you'd be getting into if you took them up on the decision-making suggestion you made on your first date.

"Y/n! Your boyfriends are here!" Wanda shouts almost immediately after you hear the knock at the door. She knows you heard it she just likes to say that whenever they come by.

"Thank you Wanda my ears do work." You roll your eyes grabbing your phone and walking out to meet them. "Hi boys." You say.

"Hello sunshine." Bucky says and each of them kisses one of your cheeks.

"Hi y/n. Ready to go?" Steve asks.

"Yep! What's first on the list?" You ask as they walk with you to the apartment elevator and the three of you get inside.

"A meeting." He says.

"You guys do a lot of those it seems." You muse.

"Yes that is most of the job." He chuckles.

"You get used to it. Plus we've gotten pretty efficient we hardly have meetings that go longer than an hour." Bucky shrugs.

"Is this one going to be longer than an hour?" You ask.

"Probably not." He laughs.

"Alright because if y'all decided to start me with a long one I'd have some choice words for you both." You say exiting the elevator with Bucky and Steve only slightly trailing behind you as they chuckle at your words. Outside, a car, a different one than the one they usually take you on dates in, waits by the entrance of your building. Steve helps you into the car while Bucky gets in on the other side. The drive takes you to the building Steve and Bucky own in the heart of Brooklyn where they do all their work. They don't live in this building, they live in the penthouse of a highrise that they also own but they spend a lot of time here apparently. Bucky and Steve lead you to one of the meeting rooms in the building and sit with you at one end of the table.

"What's this meeting for by the way?" You ask.

"A former business associate. He's encroaching. We're straightening him out." Bucky says.

"Why would he willingly come here if he's encroaching?" You ask.

"Who said anything about willingly?" He smirks at you. Just then a man is hauled in and dropped half into the chair on the other side of the table.

"Well, that's one way to do it I guess." You mutter. The guy quickly straightens himself in the seat prepared to make a case, but he stops when he sees you between Bucky and Steve.

"You I've never seen before." He frowns.

"Never seen you before either." You shrug.

"And chances are you won't ever see her again. Unless you're tired of breathing." Bucky glares.

"You aren't supposed to be in Brooklyn. That was the deal. We let you live, you get outta town." Steve says. "So why are our people seeing you?"

"I don't want any trouble. I was sent here on a delivery for someone." The guy explains.

"Barton!" Bucky shouts.

"Please." The guy says as the door swings open. Clint stands there awaiting instructions. You knew he was part of this but it is a little strange to see him in action. Still, you wave at him before you can think better of it and he nods in greeting back to you.

"We were merciful once. You took it for granted." Steve says.

"Send him off with a gift." Bucky says.

"On it." Clint drags the mystery man back out of the room.

"A gift?" You ask Bucky.

"Around here we believe in shooting the messenger. It sends a message." He shrugs.

"Clint's gonna kill him?" You ask.

"Almost." Bucky says. Steve stands up first.

"Come, we have a few more things to do before dinner." He says and you and Bucky follow him out of the room. The three of you spend the afternoon going to a few more meetings and checking out a couple of warehouses before eventually heading to dinner.

"So how do you feel about your first day with us?" Steve asks once you're sat in the restaurant.

"Fine. Pretty good. It was simpler than I thought." You say.

"Well, we didn't wanna overwhelm you on day one. Thought it would be nice to start you off on an easy day." He shrugs.

"An easy day? What does that mean then?"

"It means, next time we'll show you where you keep our hostages." Bucky says kissing your hand and you laugh.

"Wait you don't actually keep hostages do you?" You ask when your giggles die down.

"Not regularly, but every once in a while." He says.

"Really? What for? I mean you don't need ransom money, do you? You guys seem to be doing pretty well for yourselves with your actual business ventures."

"Information usually. And sometimes we have to, deal with some... rivals of ours." Bucky answers.

"Rivals? What are you dealing with there?" You ask.

"It's most often territory related." Steve says.

"So- is gang activity like intrinsically part of werewolf life or is that just you guys since you happen to run a criminal empire?"

"It's just those of us who run a criminal empire. At least around here." Bucky chuckles.

"We take care of the wolf families in the area. Offer protection." Steve says.

"In exchange for what?"

"Nothing except their loyalty and if we need help we like to think we can count on them. Small stuff of course, stash this here or send someone there. We aren't asking them to fight our enemies or anything." Steve explains.

"Okay so these rivals of yours, are they also wolves? Are they human? Is it like you versus other supernaturals?"

"Our biggest rival happens to be a group run by vampires so- yeah I guess us versus other supernaturals." Bucky says.

"Oh so is it like on sight with all vampires because I know a halfling that I've been friends with for a good portion of my adult life and I'm not trying to have problems with him."

"Wait what?" Steve frowns.

"Say that again?" Bucky's face matches Steve's and you look at them both with confusion.

"I don't want to fight with my friend?" You say hesitantly.

"You know a halfling?" Steve asks.

"What the hell does that mean?" Bucky asks.

"Uh his dad is a vampire and his mom is a witch and he's like half a vampire because of it." You shrug.

"So, vampire plus witch makes half vampire baby?" Bucky frowns.

"And a witch." You add.

"What?" Steve blinks.

"He's a twin, his sister is a witch. So he got the vampire genes and she got the... magic." You explain.

"Well, no it's not 'on sight' with every vampire we see, but we know who our enemies are." Bucky says.

"What's your halfling's name? We'll get him checked out, make sure he's on our list so everyone knows he's not a threat." Steve says.

"Pietro. Pietro Maximoff." You say.

"That name sounds famil-"

"Wanda. He's Wanda's twin brother." You cut Steve off with the answer to the question he's about to ask.

"Wanda has a twin who's a vampire?!" Steve asks.

"Why are we just now hearing this?" Bucky asks.

"I didn't think it was pertinent. It's not like she walks around discussing her lineage. It's really not something she likes to talk about and consider ourselves lucky. She never even told Bruce she was a witch and she told y'all."

"Yes well, part of how Bruce made his living was observing and experimenting on us. I wouldn't tell him such information either." Steve says.

"Regardless. Just make sure you don't hurt Pietro." You say.

"We'll have him checked out and put him on a safe list." He nods.

"Checked out?" You ask.

"Well considering he's a vampire there's a chance he's already been gotten to by our rivals in which case putting him on a safe list would be a lost cause." Steve shrugs.

"Pietro's pretty straight laced I don't think-" You trail off midsentence remembering that Peter is probably involved in criminal activity.

"Don't think what?" Bucky asks.

"I was going to say I don't think he'd be in a mob but Sam seems pretty straight laced too and he's not only in it but he's high up on the ladder so, what do I know?" You shrug. "Do whatever checks you have to do but do not make Pietro an enemy. You'd put me in a very awkward position as Wanda would die for her brother and she'd also die for me and I will never make her choose like that."

"We won't make him an enemy. Promise sunshine." Bucky says.

"You two need nicknames." You hum.

"What?" Steve chuckles.

"Bucky calls me sunshine and you call me princess, so I need to give you corresponding nicknames too. I'll sleep on it." You nod. Steve shakes his head and kisses your cheek. The three of you enjoy dinner together talking and laughing like second nature. Honestly, even though you've only been actually dating for a couple of months, the fact that they've been pursuing you for much longer than that sometimes makes it seem like your relationship has been longer than just a couple of months. Plus they're extremely open with you, it's so easy to talk to them and get to know them. It's nice.

***

Part 9/???

Tagged Users: @cjand10 @vicmc624 @mandijo17 @marvel-fandom23

[geralt-of-baevia]

Call It What You Want: Chapter Six

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine

pairing: nobreakout!joel x f!ofc (Violet Fletcher)

rating: explicit, MDNI 18+

word count: 2.8k

summary: Seeking solace from a painful breakup, Violet relocates to a tranquil town, purchasing a neglected house to renovate. In her new neighborhood, she befriends Harlow, who introduces her to Joel, a gruff and seasoned contractor with a heart of gold. Despite Joel's initial grumpiness, Violet finds herself drawn to his expertise and hidden kindness.

As Violet immerses herself in home renovations alongside Joel, their dynamic begins to shift, with Joel unexpectedly opening himself up to the possibility of love. Their budding relationship faces challenges as shadows from their pasts emerge, testing their newfound connection.

warnings/tags: talks about death, descriptions of a fatal car accident, talk of abusive partners, these characters being sad mopey babies .

a/n: all i'm going to say about this one is get those tissues out, babes! sad things are sad and have to be talked about, right?

The next morning I couldn’t sit down. I was so anxious from the day before, my brain could not properly process everything that had happened. Making out with Joel, Harlow’s outburst, and hell even just meeting Frank and Bill and all of their joy and sadness. I stayed in my pajamas well into the late morning. My hair sat on top of my head in a messy bun, yesterday’s makeup still smeared on my face. 

As I put my coffee in the microwave to reheat it for the third time that day, my doorbell rang. I groaned, not wanting to see anyone. It was potentially Harlow, whom I really wasn’t too keen on seeing. 

I shuffled my way to the door and opened it a sliver, peeking out to see who was there. To my chagrin, it was Harlow. She was standing with her arms crossed, wearing a hat and sunglasses to help with what I assumed was a gnarly hangover.  I sighed and opened the door the rest of the way. 

“Hi Harlow,” I said flatly, “how can I assisst you today?”

“Oh cut the bullshit, Violet. I’m here to apologize.”

Behind me the microwave started to beep, annoyingly alerting me that my coffee was done. I motioned with my hand for her to come in. 

“Come on, I gotta get my coffee” I said, leaving the door open for her as I headed for the microwave to shut it up. I heard the door shut as I pulled my coffee out. Harlow stalked into the kitchen after me, hanging in the doorway, her sunglasses still on. “You want to go into the sun room and talk?” 

She nodded before following me out into the room. We sat down on opposite ends of the couch, silent for a few minutes before she spoke. 

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” she started, not looking at me, “I shouldn’t have brought up the bakery in front of everyone. And for blowing up at you and Joel. He was right, it’s none of my business-”

“Do you really think I’m fucking Joel so he works on my house?” I asked, cutting her off. She sighed, still not making eye contact with me. 

“I don’t know,’ she said tenderly. 

“Well you knew yesterday! You said I was like all the other women who apparently fucked Joel and used him,” I said. I could feel myself getting heated and I tried my best to tone it down. I didn’t want to fight with her. 

“And I was wrong to say that! Yes, there have been other women in the past who have done that to him, but I knew deep down inside that wasn’t true,” she explained. 

“Then Harlow what’s the issue?”

“Because he’s my older brother, Violet, and you’re my friend. I’m not keen to the idea of you two being together, let alone being physical.”

“Well, just so you know, girl to girl, yesterday was the first time Joel even kissed me,” I told her. Heat raced through my body as I thought of how he had me pinned to the wall, the way his teeth felt against my neck… I shook the thought from my head.

“It was?” she asked, guilt coating her tone. I nodded. 

“And I ruined it, huh?” I nodded again. 

“You did, but honestly that’s okay. You were right about us acting like hormonal teenagers at a wedding though,” I said, blushing a little. She laughed. 

“But, I’m really sorry Violet. I mean it,” she said, turning to face me this time. I couldn’t help but giggle a little as she took her sunglasses off. Her eyes were completely bloodshot, dark purple bags under her eyes. 

“Well, thank you for the apology,” I told her, giving her a half smile. 

There was silence between us again. 

“Did you really have a bakery though?” she asked, breaking the silence. 

I nodded. “I did. It was one the best things I’ve ever done in my life.”

“What made you…stop?” she asked, her tone genuine and not accusing like yesterday. I sighed. 

“I sold the bakery so that I could buy this house,” I said simply. She narrowed her eyes at me.

“I know I’m on thin ice right now, but what aren’t you saying about that situation?” she questioned. I sighed again, leaning forward and setting my down on the table. 

“Because I needed to get the hell away from my ex,” I said uneasily. I hadn’t talked about him since I left 4 months ago. So this was like ripping off a bandaid that had just stopped the wound from bleeding.

“Oh-oh Violet you don’t have to talk about it-”

“No, no I think I should,” I decided out loud. 

“What happened?” Harlow asked gently. 

“So, I was with my ex Matt for…four years total? Dating for three, engaged for the last year before I broke it off,” I told her. 

“What caused you to break it off?” 

I laughed uncomfortably. “Well, once you realize someone is controlling and manipulative and emotionally and mentally abusive, sometimes you leave.”

Harlow got up and sat down next to me, holding my hand in hers. 

“What would he do?” she pressed softly. I felt tears stinging at my eyes. 

“I mean, it was all things I didn’t notice until I was almost out. He always had to know where I was. Constantly calling and texting while I was at work or with friends. I mean, of course it didn’t start off that way. Everything was great and fun in the beginning. I don’t know when the flip was, but honestly it happened so gradually I couldn’t notice it.

“But eventually he started controlling my money, who I would hang out with, even what I wanted to do with my business. I just, I started to feel crazy when I was with him. He was always the most doting partner and happy and loving out in public, but then at home he almost treated me like I was a child and a burden. When I’m the one who put myself through culinary school, I’m the one who worked my ass off to start my own business. I was only 24 when I opened my bakery. I was so proud of myself,” I explained. Tears crept down my cheeks, and I wiped them away hotly with my free hand. 

“Oh Violet, I’m so sorry that happened. How’d you get out?”

“Well, I hatched a plan. If I wanted to get away from him, I knew I needed to sell the bakery. It was the only way I was going to have any money that he didn’t know about. So I opened a bank account at a different bank in another town an hour away. I sold the bakery behind his back and then later that week he went on a business trip. While he was gone, I packed all of my shit into a uHaul. I got a new phone so I could leave my old one so he wouldn’t be able to track me. I wrote him a letter telling him I was done and that he wouldn’t be able to reach me. Then I left my ring with the note and drove away. I drove for at least three hours and found a motel I could stay in. Turned out it was this town,” I ended with a smile.

“Holy shit, Vi,” she said, her mouth agape. 

“My dream, other than to have the bakery, was to buy an old house and fix it up myself. Make it how I wanted it to be. Matt always told me I couldn’t do it on my own. So I decided to do the ultimate ‘fuck you’ to him and buy a house to do just that with. If I couldn’t have my bakery, I was going to have my other dream,” I said, “so I lived in the motel for a couple months while I searched for the perfect house. And then I found this beauty. She was dirt cheap, and even cheaper because I could pay in cash. And then I’ve had enough left over to keep me afloat until I find work and fix up the house.”

“I- god I feel like such a fucking ass now,” she told me, rubbing her face with her hands. I laughed. 

“I mean, you kinda should,” I jeered, nudging her. 

“You’re amazing,” she stated. I scoffed at her. 

“No, I’m not-”

“Violet, shut up. You are. You got out of an abusive relationship. You literally just traded one dream for another. That’s pretty amazing,” she said with a reassuring smile. 

“Um, since we’re talking about stuff from our pasts, can I ask you-”

“Who Lucas was?” she cut me off, finishing my sentence. I nodded and she let out a big huff, falling back against the back of the couch. 

“Alright, so Lucas was my older brother. He was a lot older than me. Our parents had me by surprise when he was 19. Since our parents were so much older than me and just honestly didn’t care much to raise me past the baby stage, Lucas stepped in and took over. I started living with him full time when I was seven or eight,” she told me. Her eyes were vacant, lost in memories as she spoke. 

“So then when I was ten, Lucas decided to join a softball team with some of his buddies from his construction job. He took me to their first game because there wasn’t anyone to watch me, and that’s where I met Joel and Sarah,” she said. My face scrunched in confusion. Sarah?

“Who’s Sarah?” I asked. Tears started falling down Harlow’s cheeks at this question. 

She sniffed before answering me. “Um, Sarah was Joel’s daughter.”

My heart bottomed into my stomach. 

His daughter. His daughter. Joel once had a child. 

“Oh-oh my god Harlow-”

“No, don’t say anything yet, let me finish.”

I nodded.

“So, Lucas, Joel, Sarah and I all became very tight knit. Tommy, too. Sarah and I ended up spending a lot of time together because of Luke and Joel. She definitely became one of my best friends. She introduced me to The Clash and we played soccer together and would have sleepovers constantly. Joel and Lucas were definitely best friends, too, even if grown men won’t call each other that,” she said, cracking a smile.

“September 26th, 2003 was the day. I can’t believe it’s already been 20 years since it happened. Sometimes it feels like it happened last week,’ she started. “I was 13, Sarah was 14. Her and I had just finished a soccer game together and since it was Joel’s birthday, the four of us loaded up into Joel’s car and headed out to have a celebratory dinner.”

I felt as tears began brimming in my own eyes, stinging to make sure I knew they were there. I knew where this was going.

“I don’t remember it happening, I was knocked unconscious on impact when the other car hit us. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t so I could know what happened, but at the same time I’m very grateful. Joel was alert the whole time, and it really fucked him up. But um, Lucas was in the passenger seat, and Sarah behind him on that side. That was the side that was hit. The car was mangled when it was all said and done. I honestly don’t know how Joel and I made it out of the car alive with just a few broken bones and cuts and scrapes,” she said. I rested back against the couch with Harlow, wiping tears from my eyes. 

“God, I’m so sorry that happened to you,” I said, not knowing really what else to say. She shrugged. 

“Joel and I both definitely struggled with survivor’s guilt, Joel more so than me. We still do. I had to kick his ass into gear more than once in that first year after the accident. I won’t get into it, because that's his story to tell, not mine. But I moved in with Tommy and Joel after Lucas and Sarah died. I guess we kinda filled the hole we were both missing for each other.”

“So yesterday when you said Joel had been your older brother since Lucas died, you meant like he actually became your father figure,” I said as she smiled with a nod. 

“Exactly right. And over the years I’ve watched random women come and go and leave him broken hearted. I know he was trying to fill some void he felt like he needed to fill, but he always picked the wrong women. And then Tommy and I would have to help the old grump get his head back on straight,” she said with an eye roll, “So I guess I just, I dont know. I was jealous that you and him were going to get closer than you and I, too. You were my friend first and then I found out you opened up to him about something big after just knowing him a week.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you. When I first moved in I was extremely paranoid about Matt finding out where I was, so I didn’t tell anyone about it,” I explained. She shook her head. 

“No, no it is absolutely understandable why you didn’t tell anyone.”

Harlow and I sat for the next hour talking, telling each other about random details from our former lives. My coffee took two more trips to the microwave, but eventually I gave up and just let it be cold. 

“Oh! I meant to ask you,” she started, turing in her seat to face me, “Why were you wearing Joel’s clothes when he dropped you off here last week?”

I breathed out a laugh. “Um, well that’s because the day before I fell in the shower and dislocated my shoulder in the process. Joel is the one who took me to the hospital to get taken care of. And then since I was hopped up on pain killers he took me to his place to keep an eye on me.”

She gave me a smug smile. “Violet, that man is sprung on you.”

“Oh he is not,” I said shaking my head. 

Harlow scoffed. “Vi, when I said that man is a grump, I meant it. That’s why I warned you before you two met. I have literally never seen him this happy. Like, I haven’t seen him smile this much since I was a kid.”

I bit at my bottom lip, trying to contain a smile. We both jumped a little as her phone buzzed in her pocket, the whole couch vibrating with it. She leaned forward and pulled her phone from her pocket. 

“Well speak of the devil, it’s Joel,” she said as she unlockd her phone. I watched her eyes scan the phone, reading the message. 

“Have you already talked to him today?” I inquired. She nodded, not looking away from her phone as she typed. When she was done she put her phone down and looked up at me.

“Oh yes. Tommy and Ellie took me back to Tommy’s last night,” she said, rolling her eyes. “And Joel was over bright and early this morning, being loud and obnoxious. When I came out to the kitchen after waking up, Joel said he had made me a nice ‘karma breakfast’ as he handed me food. I may or may not have thrown up in the sink at the sight of it,” she said. I giggled. 

“But you two talked? You’re okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I got an earful from him about not getting into other people’s business when I don’t know full story, etc etc,” she said, rolling her eyes again, “but Joel texted asking if I was still up to Sunday dinner at his place. You wanna come?” 

“Absolutely.”

[pure-garbage]

Breakdown! Unleashed Trauma Of The Lockbreaker

Chapter Warnings: Angst, Violence

Zoro remained rooted in place as the night wore on. Straw hats came and went, various noses stopping to poke into Lana and Zoro's business. Finally, Luffy made an appearance.

"Hey Zoro! There you are! I was looking for you earlier," he grinned in greeting, apparently oblivious to his friend's stormy disposition.

"I've been a little tied up," Zoro scowled, glaring resentfully at the closed door like it alone was the cause of all his problems.

"Me too! I was hoping to get your help! Sanji says this ship came with a dumb waiter... but I've been looking for him everywhere and I can't find him! He must be extra dumb to get lost on his own ship, huh Zoro?"

"A dumb waiter, huh?" Zoro pondered. "If you've been looking all day and haven't managed to find him, he must be more clever than Sanji's giving him credit for."

"Maybe. I was thinking, even though he's dumb, maybe he's also a ninja!" Luffy observed, eyes going wide at his own suggestion. "A dumb ninja waiter... we have to find him, Zoro! If he's gonna live on my ship, he may as well join my crew!"

"Please, as if this crew doesn't have enough idiots already," Zoro groaned.

"Luffy?"

Lana's voice interrupted their conversation, grabbing Zoro's full attention at once.

"Oh hey Lana!" Luffy grinned. "I'm looking for the dumb waiter! Have you seen him?"

"Him? You mean the little food elevator-thing in the kitchen Sanji was so excited about?" Lana asked, baffled.

"No, I've seen the food-elevator," Luffy shook his head. "I'm looking for a waiter. Sanji doesn't think he's very bright."

"I... see. Got it. I'll keep my eyes peeled. Luffy, can I show you something real quick?"

"Sure!"

"In my room."

Okay!"

"Lana..." Zoro cut in, but trailed off.

Lana met Zoro's eyes, the hurt and confusion they held under the thin mask of his irritation rending her heart.

"Not right now," she said, turning away from him. "I... I can't right now, Zoro."

She closed the door again, dragging in a deep, ragged breath as she fought to keep her emotions at bay.

'Devil fruit. Gotta deal with this devil fruit. Just focus on the damn devil fruit.'

"So, whatcha wanna show me?" Luffy asked, one finger probing his nostril idly.

"Well, seeing as you're my captain, I have a duty to let you know when I find treasure," Lana began tentatively.

"Oooh, what kind of treasure did you find?" Luffy asked excitedly. "Is it meat?"

"Well no, but it is edible."

Lana opened the drawer, showcasing her plunder.

"Aw man, a devil fruit?" Luffy groaned. "Fair warning, it tastes awful. I know it looks like candy, but trust me, it does NOT taste like it. Blech."

"Do you want it?"

"Nah, I'm good. I already ate the gum-gum fruit, remember?"

"I do, I didn't mean to eat thought. It's worth a lot of berries, you know. You could sell it if you wanted," Lana pressed.

"Why don't you sell it? You're the one who found it," Luffy puzzled, examining the tip of his finger after pulling it free of his nose.

Lana managed a smile. She'd known Luffy wouldn't take her prize, but loyalty demanded that she check.

"I won't sell it," she told him. "I think... I might eat it."

"Ooh, sweet!" Luffy exclaimed. "Wait, wait, I'll get everyone! Come up on deck in like, ten minutes!"

"Well, I-"

"See you up there!"

"Luffy!"

Lana's captain was already gone, leaving the door swinging open behind him. Zoro stood just beyond, gaze fixed to Lana. She closed the drawer and finally faced him.

Even with the door open at last, Zoro still didn't move. The door wasn't the true barrier keeping him at bay. He thrust a hand out to lean on the door jamb, but didn't cross the threshold or meet her eyes.

"Lana, can I come in?"

Lana steeled herself. She felt panic welling up inside her, but she swallowed it down. Dread curled forebodingly in her gut along with self-loathing.

'He waited for me this whole time, and that was just to open a stupid door. He doesn't deserve to deal with... whatever this garbage is that I'm feeling. I'm awful, I'm weak, I'm so, so stupid and I can't help it... I can't help any of it.'

"Yeah, Zoro, you can," she sighed shakily.

It was obvious to Zoro that she'd been crying. Even now, her averted eyes were puffy and wet, even more tears threatening to flood over her lashline. Her nails dug into her palms, knuckles white from the force of the grip she had on her on hands, like she felt she could hold herself together if she squeezed hard enough.

Zoro reviewed his proposal one more time. He'd been running the exchange over and over in his mind the entire time he'd spent waiting for her to let him in, but he couldn't figure out what he could have said to hurt her. Now that he saw her, his confusion only grew. She didn't resist his embrace, didn't say a word as his fingers wound their way through her hair. He could feel her trembling in his arms, feel her breathing like she was on the cusp of screaming.

'What did I do that caused this much pain?'

"Lana... tell me what you're thinking," he requested softly. "Please?"

The familiar words were grounding, the comfort of his touch was everything Lana hadn't known she needed. Pride fell away, taking her self-hate with it as she surrendered to his strength.

"I... I feel like I can't think," she admitted shakily.

"Then tell me what you're feeling," he pressed.

Lana struggled to articulate her mixed emotions. What were these sensations, exactly? She'd spent hours pondering, but avoiding the memories that were the root of her agony. The answer eluded her, hidden in a place she refused to revisit of her own free will.

"You must think I'm so stupid," she said instead. Her voice broke against his chest. She muffed a little sob of despair in his shirt and he felt moisture against his skin as her tears finally overflowed.

"If I thought you were stupid, I wouldn't be here," he announced, clutching her tighter while he stroked her hair, as soothing as he knew how to be. He had already decided that she was important to him and that meant he would see this through to the end. "Tell me what's the matter, Lana. I don't understand, but I want to. Help me. Tell me what you're feeling."

"I feel... I feel..."

Despite her insistence that the girl was dead, Lana knew there was still a child who lived in a deep, dark, long neglected corner of her heart. A child who was still crying because of all her broken promises and shattered dreams. Now, that child demanded to be heard and for the first time in five years, Lana went with her to the place where their pain had been born. She needed answers for Zoro and instinctively, she knew that she would only find them hidden behind the shadow of the past that had created them.

She closed her eyes for a minute against her lover's chest and let the awful memory have her.

"Lana! You had me worried for a minute there!" Vigo called, grinning as she flew down the beach toward him. "I thought you chickened out and decided not to come!"

"Don't be an ass!" Lana panted, doubling over from the exertion of running all the way from town. "Mama installed that super lock or whatever. Picking that monstrosity open was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life."

"Tch! I told you she was gonna get it! That just means there's no turning back now," Vigo declared. "Let's go!"

Now that they were at the appointed place, now that the time was upon them, questions and apprehension filled Lana.

"Where are we going, exactly?" she wondered even as she took his hand and let him lead her along the beach. The idea of running away was tantalizing, but they hadn't made any plans beyond where they would meet up to begin their journey.

"Where do you want to go?" Vigo asked. He had no idea either.

"I don't know! I've never been off this island!"

"Me neither! We could just go to Hobbstown. It's only a day's walk on foot."

"How? Mama does business there all the time," Lana realized with a sickening jolt of anxiety. "If we stay on the island, she'll just find me and get the constable to drag me back."

"So let's leave the island!"

"How though? I don't know about you, but I have no money!"

"We'll stow away! Let's make our way to the port and we can figure it out from there!"

Lana had a bad feeling, but she trusted her boyfriend. She would let him call the shots and see where it went.

"Fine, Vigo. Let's do it!"

"Stow away, eh?"

So focused on pressing forward, neither of them had thought to look back. Men melted from the treeline, one of whom was already mere feet from them. Lana gasped and impulsively put herself behind Vigo. She didn't recognize any of these men from town.

"You kids know what captains do to rats they catch stowing away on their ships?" the man went on as his group came closer, surrounding them. "Well, it depends on the captain, to be fair. Most'll make you walk the plank. I once knew a man who was a fan of disembowelment."

Vigo was shaking even harder than Lana.

"Akkis! Is that her?"

One more man strode out from the woods to the beach.

"That's the one, captain Corrin," the first man informed him.

"She's the one who broke that lock from Lofton?"

"That's what the woman was wailing about. And I asked around. She's got herself quite the little reputation in town."

Lana froze solid with fear. They were all looking right at her, sharp, savage eyes seeming to glow in the darkness of night. The crashing of waves behind her was completely drowned out by the thunderous pounding of her own heart. She clutched Vigo's arm with all her strength, but he wasn't any steadier than she was.

"Well that settles it," Corrin grinned, eyeing Lana with an avarice like nothing she'd ever seen before in her life. "Bring her with us. If she's not all she's cracked up to be, we'll just toss her into the sea and let the fish have her."

"Got it, captain!"

One of the men lunged, grabbing Lana and hoisting her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. Lana had never been so terrified in her life. She screamed and kicked, but the man laughed off the blows and turned to walk away with her. Vigo stood frozen in place, watching with wide, petrified eyes while Lana was carried away.

"Vigo! Do something! Help me!" she screamed, struggling harder the more distance the man put between her and the boy who'd proposed to her only a day before. "You said you would take care of me! You promised you would! Vigo! Vigo, don't just stand there!"

"What's that? This runt said he'd protect you?" Corrin smirked. "Hold up a minute there, Irving!"

The man carrying her stood still, waiting on his captain's orders.

"That true, boy? Is this girl yours?" Corrin asked, wicked amusement glinting in his devilish eyes.

"I- I- she's- we're-" Vigo stammered, but he couldn't even get a full word out past his terror.

"If she's yours, you'll need to fight for her," Corrin went on. He was enjoying the fear of the children he'd stumbled upon, savoring the torment he was causing them. "I'm a fair man. I've got my own honor, and my honor demands only one thing; That a man take anything he desires, and defend what he takes. I want your little girlfriend here, so I'm taking her, understand? Unless you can defend her, she's coming with me and you'll never see her again. So..."

Corrin snapped his fingers and one of his men tossed a cutlass at Vigo's feet. The shaking boy stared down at it with wide eyes and a gaping mouth as Corrin drew his own.

"... What'll it be, then boy?" Corrin sneered.

Vigo met Lana's eyes, wide and streaming with tears, full of expectation that he would keep his promises.

'He said he would take care of me. He said I'd be his forever. And he'd be mine. He'll do it... he won't let them take me, not without at least trying!'

Vigo looked away, avoiding Lana's eyes as he shook.

"Vigo, pick it up!" Lana cried. 'He wouldn't... he couldn't...'

Vigo took a step back, eyes darting around at the pirates fearfully.

"Vigo! What are you doing?!" Lana shrieked. "You promised! You promised me!"

Vigo didn't spare her another glance. He turned and ran, tripping and stumbling through the dunes until he disappeared into the woods. Lana watched him go, screaming his name for a long as she could see his retreating back.

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