#lula x jack

[hermionegalathynius]

Found Family (4/?)

So I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of positive reactions this story is getting. I just want to say thank you to everyone who takes the time to like or reblog or comment my work because it means the world to me.

Fandom: Now You See Me

Pairing: Danny Atlas x Reader

Warnings: Some swearing — read at your own discretion.

Part 3

  “Hello New York!” Danny exclaimed, stepping forward and greeting the crowd. They screamed. 

  “Thank you so much! Hey, it’s great to be back! And have you met our newest Horsemen, the May sisters! Y/n and Lula!”

  The audience cheered louder and you and Lula waved, bright smiles on both your faces. Danny grinned back at you with a wink. 

  “Feels good right?”

  You nodded, “Yep.”

  “Pretty good,” Lula said, walking across the stage, “Pretty good.”

  Danny turned back to the audience and started to calm them, “Thank you, thank you.”

  The cheering quietened.

  “Um, okay. We want to talk to you about your privacy. What does your privacy mean to you?”

  “Because apparently to Owen Case, it means absolutely nothing,” Merritt continued.

  The audience looked around nervously. Your smile widened as you moved to stand next to Danny.

  “No actually, Merritt, it means less than absolutely nothing,” you said before addressing the audience, “You see, Owen’s mocked your privacy. He’s scorned it.”

  Danny nodded, running a discreet hand down your back and loosening the tension in your shoulders. You tried not to blush in front of an audience of people. 

  “Right,” he continued, “and we’re not just talking about the things that you already agreed to when you signed probably without reading the terms and conditions of Octas 1 through 7.”

  “So,” Lula began, “Before we start the show, we had Owen agree to a few terms of our own.”

  You grinned at her, proud of her for reaching this dream. She looked so comfortable up there, talking to the audience. You were glad to be able to do it with her, too.

  “So everything that he had once considered private…” Lula trailed off.

  Your heart dropped to your stomach as her mic cut out. One glance at Danny told you he understood and he quickly walked over to Lula.

  “Yeah, everything that he once considered private is now…” his mic cut off too.

  “Shit,” you whispered, not bothering to mind your language as you assumed yours had cut off too. 

  The screen behind you flashed and white noise filled the theatre. People screamed. 

  “Oh my,” a computer-generated voice echoed through the room, “As the Horsemen like to say, magic is about controlling perception.”

  You gazed up at the shifting face that appeared on the screen. Someone grabbed your arm gently and you turned to see Danny. 

 “Y/n!” He exclaimed, “Are you alright?”

  You swallowed, fear piercing through you, “I… yeah. Yeah I’m okay. What’s going on, Danny?”

  He shook his head, “I don’t know.”

  “You see them as the champions of the truth,” the voice continued, “but are they? Or is that just another one of their illusions?”

  “Shit shit shit,” Merritt was saying as he and Lula joined you and Danny in the middle of the stage, “Where’s Dylan?”

  “And Jack?” Lula added. 

  “So since they clearly love secrets, let’s reveal some of theirs.”

  “Danny, everyone, get off the stage,” Dylan’s voice crackled through the coms, “Jack, go with them. I’ll see you at the meet up point.”

  Danny’s hand moved down your arm and gripped yours. You squeezed his fingers in response.

  “Let’s go,” he said, pulling you off the stage behind him. 

  The four of you began running, the voice echoing behind you clear as day. 

  “Do you recall the death of Jack Wilder? What if I told you he’s not just alive, but he’s actually right here.”

  Jack’s alarmed face under his security cap was displayed on a screen you passed as you ran out of the backstage area.

  “Dammit,” you heard Danny mutter. His hand was still firmly clasped around yours. Normally you would be bothered by the tightness, but adrenalin was coursing through your veins and you were just that desperate not to lose track of him in this chaos. 

  “And do you know who else is here? The FBI. Let’s let them in, shall we? And now for the big reveal…”

  “Where’s the door to the roof?” Danny called to Jack as the younger man joined the group running to the meeting point. 

  “Take the next left then up the stairs,” Jack said. 

  “There’s a fifth Horseman, and he’s the biggest criminal of them all. FBI agent Dylan Rhodes.”

  The five of you punched through the door to the roof. 

  “How the hell could this happen? I thought Dylan had everything under control!” Merritt yelled.

  “Yeah. Apparently he didn’t,” Danny said, quietly frustrated in the way you knew he could get.

  Merritt whirled on the illusionist, and something in his expression told you Danny wouldn’t like what he was about to say. 

  “Maybe you’re the leak, Dan. Where’ve you been sneaking off to?” Merritt demanded. 

  Danny let go of your hand and advanced on the mentalist, “Don’t you dare for a second insinuate that I had anything to do with this!”

  “I’m not insinuating, that’s your-“ Merritt began to retort, but Jack cut in. 

  “Let’s get to the truck, come on!”

  You all ran to the black tube. Danny nudged you in front of him, and you jumped in. 

  Gritting your teeth against the roller-coster sensation in your gut, you crossed your arms over your chest and noted with some curiosity the pulsing sound coming from the gaps in the tube. 

  You could also hear Jack sliding ahead of you and Danny behind you. After a moment you also heard Merritt screaming further back. 

  Then, with a thud you tumbled into a laundry basket. 

  “Wha…” you breathed, getting a split second to gaze around at your surroundings before Danny slammed into you. 

  “Oof,” he said, “Sorry. You okay?”

  You winced, “Yeah. A little bruised, but I’ve had worse. You?”

  He nodded as Lula and Merritt tumbled into the basket next to you, “Yeah. What the hell is going on?”

  “Wasn’t there supposed to be a truck?” Merritt asked, clambering out of the basket. The rest of you followed his lead. Asian people in white aprons started yelling at you, shoving you through a crowded, steamy kitchen.

  “Wait,” Danny said in between being shoved by Chinese chefs, “did you mis-run the tube?”

  “No, I put it in the truck, I know I did!” Jack exclaimed, bumping into you while trying to dodge an oncoming tray. 

  “We’re really not in the truck right now,” you said, stumbling into Danny who reached back and grabbed your hand, the sensation becoming familiar to you.

  “Somebody must have moved the tube,” Merritt said, as you all moved through a set of doors into what looked like a restaurant, “Were we above a Chinese restaurant?”

  “I’m moving, relax!” Lula yelled at the man who was shoving her out of the kitchen. 

  “Okay, why are we here?” you demanded.

  “Why am I frickin’ starving?” Lula asked, staring at the Chinese food everywhere.

  “Yeah, I’m weirdly starving too,” Jack mused.

  At their words your own stomach growled, responding to the smell of noodles and stir fry surrounding you.

  Merritt moved towards the door, popping his head outside. 

  “Something’s very wrong,” you told Danny softly.

  He nodded, brows furrowed, “Yeah, I agree.”

  “At least,” Lula began as Merritt returned, “And I know this isn’t much consolation, but apparently we’re now surrounded by Chinese food. Right?”

  “Guys…” Merritt said and you all turned to look at him, “I think where we are right now, they don’t refer to it as ‘Chinese food’. It’s just called… food.”

  “Shit,” you muttered.

  “Wait, what are you saying?” Danny asked, “How is this possible?”

  A high pitched giggle directed all of your attention to the man with a perm sitting at the table nearest you, facing away with a menu held up in front of his face. 

  “I believe in your particular parlance, the word is ‘magic’.”

Taglist:

@pulling-out-my-eyes

[alessiathepirate]

Now You See Me 2

MIDNIGHT ON THE THAMES: Dylan Rhodes/Shrike x fem!reader

Summary: The reveal happens at the stroke of midnight, in the middle of the Thames, on New Year's Eve - and she couldn't be happier. Or maybe she could, because Lula and Jack won't be the only ones kissing that night.

Notes: English isn't my first language. I apologize for any mistake I made while I wrote this short story.

This man is so underrated, it's a crime. He deserves some love - please love him.

Warnings: a bit of swearing, but nothing more

•••

No matter how many successful reveals they pull off, she still feels the same amount of excitement, happiness and slight nervousness at the end of every trick and show.

Yet, the strongest feeling out of all of them was the happiness. The happiness because everything turned out just fine in the end, because this tiring performance is close to being over and mostly because her friends are also smiling with honest, wide grins and letting out excited chuckles.

This one though, this one wasn't easy to pull off. It was possibly the hardest show they had to put together with the trouble and issues they had to overcome. It was tiring, stressful, but also kind of fun and thrilling.

After this they'll sleep through a day if not two, she smiled at the thought as she let go of Lula, who was the last to end the group hug.

As Walter, Tressler and Chase slowly, reluctantly left the plane, stepping into the light, not understanding what is happening around them; the last act was about to start -- and this, this will be her favourite.

Those three absolutely ruined her whole week, made her almost choke on tears and worry and made her hate their whole existence and the fact that if they wanted to fool them, they had to let them believe they won was hard to swallow. Now they will get those smirks off of their faces and make them realize how easy it was to fool them. They were greedy and arogant and now they are losers -- nothing more.

God, how much they had to go through to reveal their real faces to the world.

"No, no, you should feel pretty good about yourself man. You predicted it correctly." Atlas started to tease the three of them for her pleasure, as they looked around with nothing but pure shock on their faces. "The Thames, stroke of midnight. New Year's Eve. Happy New Year!"

The people, the hundreds of curious fans who decided to come and see the final act shouted in happiness and excitement. Before these people tonight, there'll be nothing they'll be able to hide. That thought alone made her smile wider.

"We would like to acknowledge not just our old friend, Arthur Tressler, but his young and brilliant son, Walter Mabry!" Daniel continued. "Who has performed one of the greatest feats of illusion even we have ever seen. He has, amazingly, brought himself back from the death!"

The audience roared again, but this time the happy laughter wasn't the thing what made her heartbeat unevenly fast. It was the presence of the person who could both calm her down and make her uneasy with butterflies. Dylan's hand landed on her arm, squeezing it gently, lovingly, making her mind into a mush and her tounge forgot how to function to speak - and it's soon her turn to say something. She didn't know what that meant, but it was a sign of something - something soft like a silent 'thank you' or 'congratulations'. Even if it was slightly confusing, it felt nice. Too nice.

"But before he did that, he revealed someone. And we think it only right to give him a proper introduction. He is our friend and he is our leader, Dylan Shrike!"

His hand slowly left her as he turned towards their audience and began to speak.

"So normally only the magician, his assistant, and a few trusted stage hands know the secret of a trick..."

His voice faded away as she looked at him, quietly admiring him from afar, letting him enjoy his place in the spotlight. Her mind was full of memories. Memories of him, memories of today. The day she thought she'll actually choke on stress and worry.

God, how thankful she is that he's okay. That he's alive and up here with them, not down there in the water.

They were close, so close she felt comfortable in his presence. He was a person she could trust with anything, a person who didn't tease her like Merritt or Danny did sometimes. They were play fights, she knew that, but still there was something special between her and Dylan, a different kind of honesty.

And knowing that he could die from the digusting 'magic trick' those three tried to pull off with him made her cry. Like actually cry, many tears with a dry and quiet voice.

After he climbed out of that damned safe, she followed him around like puppy, sitting next to him on the stairs as they discussed what to do next. She sat next to him, not daring to hug him, but craving it -- yet instead she just let their knees touch slightly. It was enough to give her some energy and acknowledge that now they are going to war.

A slight nudge made her let go of those memories, getting back to reality, to a moment she should enjoy. Jack was the one talking now, explaining the secret behind 'Find the Lady' and this time Merritt was the one standing next to her.

"Don't daydream yet, lover girl. We still got a show to run." he patted her back and then walked away with a knowing a smirk.

Damn mentalist, she thought just as Lula began to explain the secret behind the airplane. He knows everything he can use to tease people with.

"Basically, we showed them everything." she finally spoke up herself, still laughing a little as she watched how Merritt teased his brother, finally getting the upper hand. "The switch, the plane, the manipulation... Yet they were still too blind to see." she turned towards Walter, a smirk forming on her face. "And you kidnapped us to steal the very thing that is in your pocket."

Walter was about to reach into his coat's pocket, to see if their homemade special card is really there; but Atlas was quicker.

"Whoops!" he said as the card appeared in his hand, seemingly out of nowhere. "You know, this thing here, which you said you could use to adjust markets, manipulate goverments, and spy on whomever you choose."

"Also, you could, as you said, control the public from outside the grid." she continued as the public groaned in frustration, realizing what their words really meant.

That reaction filled her heart up with pride.

"These men destroy people's lives. Spying on the world, robbing you of your right to privacy." It was weird, how well she recognized Dylan's voice and how well her heart did as well - as it was beating faster. Their eyes met and even if he was speaking the harsh truth, his gaze was still soft. It was always soft with her. "And they do that by hiding in the dark. So in true Horsemen tradition, we are here to expose them."

"Tonight, they, like all of us, are finally stepping into the light." she was grinning as the people reacted, shouting, screaming happily, because the truth was finally out. "Thank you everybody!"

"We are the Horsemen and we will be back very soon!"

And the moment came - when the show ends, the tiredness appears. Her chest was heavy with pride and happiness, justice found those three men who ruined their lives for days without stopping. Now they got what they deserve.

And then the coundown began. The audience shouted, like if the wait until New Year was part of the show... They shouted as the sirens were turned on, meaning the FBI was on its way. It was time to leave -- and then finally rest.

And then she felt it, the push - the literal, physical push she knew she needed, which got her closer to Dylan, almost bumping into him. She didn't know who it was, although she could bet her right arm on one of her friends -- but it didn't really matter. Thoughts didn't really matter. She was there, close to him, their eyes met.

It was their moment.

"So fun's over, huh?" she tried to joke, but her throat was dry and she could feel that her cheeks were pink for sure.

And then it happened - the need in her was satisfied, they touched the other. That kind of closeness was new and intoxicating, but not at all uncomfortable. It was something what both of them longed for since forever - and now here they were.

Their lips touched. It was a quick and short kiss, but it was a very meaningful one. She felt it. She felt it in how warm his lips were, how he touched her cheeks and how he was slightly shaking just like her, because what they wanted finally happened. It was soft, but it was full of passion. All the unsaid feelings were pushed into that one, simple kiss.

"I love you." his words were simple, they were nothing special, but they still made her insides warm.

"Hey, we are on the clock here!"

Damn the clock!

They had to run, sure. But even that couldn't wash the lovesick smile off her face. It couldn't, because Dylan Shrike loved her. He said it himself and she knew it was true.

Dylan grabbed her arm, he held onto her firmly as they started to run - just in time, because the boats arrived and agents started to get out of them, running towards them.

"I love you too." she said as they hurried away. "I think I've loved you since you interrogated me."

"Ever since then, huh?" he chuckled.

"What can I say? I think it was the suit. You look really good in suits."

They both laughed even if they were a little bit out of breath.

Dylan suddenly stopped and so did she. She took a deep breath as she looked at the water of the Thames, which was only a few meters away. People shouted behind them, possibly the agents who were sent here, only to fail their mission once again. They never really learn.

He turned towards her and touched her cheeks once again, his thumbs drawing shapes gently into her skin.

"I need you to go, okay? I'll be right behind you, but there's one more thing I have to do."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek and then she looked up at him with a shy smile.

"I'll see you soon."

And just like that she was gone. Gone, disappeared into the night like the magician she is, making a fool out of the FBI once again.

Dylan stayed there, waiting for an agent to turn up so he can finish what he started and give them the proof they need against Tressler and his son. He stayed there as the shouts came closer. He stayed there and looked after his lover, knowing that he'll adore the moments he'll spend with her once they finally get to a safe place where they can finally rest.

[lessycusee]

ships & dynamics tags

[phillippadgettwrites]

The First Time, Every Time: Lazarus

Rated X / 2231 words / Posted on AO3 / Tagging @today-in-fic

Scully’s been glued to her couch for hours, lost in the melancholic churn of regret. She can’t help but feel partially responsible for Jack’s death, in some tangential way. Perhaps the vacancy left by her departure was too vast to be adequately filled, even three years later. Perhaps he never really got over her. Just as soon as she has the thought, she dismisses it as terribly self-important. 

The phone rings, and she half expects it to be Jack on the other end of the line, admitting that it was all a prank that went way too far. 

“Hey, it’s me. Just checkin’ on ya.”

Scully smiles and moves the phone to the other ear. 

“I’m okay,” she says with a sigh.

There’s a stretch of silence that begins to make her nervous. 

“Most people wouldn’t be okay after going through what you just did, you know. It’s okay to…not be okay,” Mulder says gently, and Scully cringes and closes her eyes. 

“I know, Mulder,” she tells him with just enough insistence that he’ll drop it. “I really am fine, though.”

“Okay,” he relents. “Message received. What are you up to?”

Scully looks at the open box of photographs strewn across her coffee table and the half empty bottle of wine sitting in the middle of them. 

“Not much,” she says, leaning forward to pick up a candid shot of Jack with a cigarette dangling from his smiling mouth. “Just…thinking, I guess.”

“About Jack?” It’s a rhetorical question, one she responds to with only a hum. “He seemed like a good guy,” Mulder comments, somewhat detachedly. It’s the kind of thing you say about people you didn’t know well after they die. The kind of thing that’s said more for the comfort of the living than the benefit of the dead. 

“He was,” she agrees, equally detached. 

They are both quiet for a beat, but it’s a comfortable silence. 

“I reviewed his case notes,” Mulder says carefully, like he’s unsure whether she’ll find it intrusive. “He had some interesting insights on Dupre and Lula’s relationship.”

“Such as?” Scully asks, curious but guarded. 

“He said that he envied their devotion to each other. That they lived in a world where nothing mattered but their own needs, which he found intoxicating,” Mulder recites without much affect, leaving his opinion on Jack’s musings up to her interpretation. 

Scully thinks back to the desperate, lovesick way Jack carried himself through their relationship, like he could never quite get enough of her. At first it had been exciting and addictive, but soon became overwhelming and burdensome. The more she withdrew, the harder he tried to get back in her good graces, and she finally came to the conclusion that he wanted something from her that she was simply unwilling to give. 

“That sounds like Jack,” she says, tossing the photograph back on top of the haphazard pile. 

“I hope you don’t take offense to this, but I was surprised to learn that you’d been romantically involved with him.”

“Because he was my instructor?” she clarifies. 

“Not necessarily,” he tells her, pausing to consider his words. “I guess I just…wouldn’t have thought he’d be your type.”

This makes Scully smile. 

“Oh? What did you think my type would be?” she asks, somewhat playfully. 

“I don’t know,” Mulder admits. “Somebody less…intense. Obsessive. Single minded.”

Somebody less like you, she thinks to herself. 

“I’m not sure I have a type,” she says, knowing it’s a lie even as it leaves her lips. Her type is older, assertive, and unavailable. Bonus points if they make her work to earn their affection.

“Well,” Mulder says in a markedly more upbeat tone, “my type is canadian bacon and pineapple. You hungry? I was thinking about ordering a pizza.”

“I could eat,” she says, and her stomach growls in agreement. “But you don’t have to drive across town, Mulder; I can feed myself,” she adds, feeling undeserving. 

“I need to return a movie, so I’m going out regardless,” he says, and she can hear in his voice that he’s already up and moving around his apartment. 

“I’m sure the late fees at the adult video store are steep,” she teases, and he humors her with a wry chuckle. 

She tidies her apartment while she waits for him, stashing the photos of Jack and corking the rest of the wine for another night. When she hears his “shave and a haircut” knock at her door, she answers with a “two bits” rap of her knuckles before she opens it and takes a pizza box from his hands. 

“I got a movie,” he says, kicking the door closed behind him. “I know it’s a school night, but I’m feeling reckless.”

“When are you not feeling reckless?” she says mirthfully, gathering plates and napkins. 

The movie is something silly that neither of them pays much attention to. It’s clear that Mulder’s intention in coming over was to lift her spirits, and he hits it hard with little self-deprecating quips that make her feel equally entertained and sad for him. She can’t help but see the similarities between Mulder and Jack, their shared restlessness and obsessive nature. Their stalwart belief that if they could just solve this one case, the world would tip back on its axis. 

At one point she turns away from the TV and catches Mulder looking at her. He does this sometimes, perhaps much more frequently than she’s privy to. He’s quite good at averting his eyes almost immediately, but she still catches the tail end of the pained, longing expression on his face, and it makes something warm blossom in her belly. She can’t help but wonder why she’s so drawn to these broken, chronically unfulfilled men. She can’t help but wonder why they are so drawn to her. 

The movie ends, and he helps her collect their dirty plates and cups and move them to the kitchen sink, offering to take the pizza box to the dumpster on his way out. While prone to thoughtlessness when he’s chasing down a lead, he’s the most considerate man she’s ever known, and she wonders for the first time if he’s like this with everyone, or just with her. 

“Thank you for dinner,” she says, following two paces behind him as he moves toward her front door reluctantly, shuffling from one shoeless foot to the other like he has something else to say. 

“Anytime,” he tells her. 

They stand there awkwardly for a beat, and an uncomfortable smile stretches across Scully’s mouth. 

“What?” she asks, and Mulder laughs and looks at the floor. 

“Sorry, I’m being weird,” he says, running his hand across the back of his neck. “I was just going to say…I just felt like I should tell you, or that you should know…” He lifts his head and meets her eye with a level of intensity she wasn’t prepared for, and her stomach drops a little. “I was really scared when you went MIA,” he says. “Just thinking about the possibility that we wouldn’t find you alive was…” He stops and swallows, pausing before he speaks again. “I’m really glad you’re okay,” he finally says. 

She steps forward and opens her arms to him and he greedily accepts her embrace, scooping her up into a bear hug that nearly lifts her feet off the floor. It feels like this is what he came here for, to ease his own mind and see for himself that she continues to be alive and well. She feels the beat of his heart thrumming against her rib cage, hard and fast, and her own heart follows suit in anticipation. He holds her for much longer than is customary, and when he finally loosens his grip enough for her to pull away a little, she presses her lips to the corner of his mouth without giving it much thought. It just feels like the natural thing to do. 

Mulder stiffens, but doesn’t let go of her. A bolt of shock at her own out of character behavior makes her ears ring, and for a moment she doesn’t move at all. Mulder turns his head slightly, which makes his bottom lip brush across hers, and an involuntary little whimper escapes the back of her throat. 

His mouth tastes like sweet pineapple and acidic tomato sauce, and it’s so abundantly clear that he’s wanted to kiss her since long before tonight. She’s wanted to kiss him too—of course she has—but they can’t. They can’t, but they are, and she’s not sure why she’s doing this but she knows she doesn’t want to stop. His tongue is in her mouth and they’re pawing at each other like horny teenagers, and she doesn’t want to stop more than she doesn’t want to find out what will happen if they don’t stop. 

“Wait,” Mulder says, grabbing her hands to stop her from unbuttoning his fly right here in her foyer. It hits her like a ton of bricks just how stupid this is. How reckless. “What are we…what does this mean?” he asks, his eyes questioning and his cock visibly hard. 

Scully shakes her head softly, dazed and aroused beyond rational thinking. “I don’t know. It doesn’t have to mean anything,” she says, and she means it. She knows he has nothing more to give her, and she knows that she is unwilling to sacrifice a larger slice of her life to him than she already has. 

He stares at her for a beat, debating, and then his mouth is right back on hers. 

When she was with Jack, she felt like she couldn’t breathe. His arms around her waist were an anchor, and his kiss stole the air from her lungs. His love was an obligation. Being with him felt like drowning, and she had to swim for the surface to save herself. 

Mulder is nothing like Jack. She’s never felt as safe in anyone’s arms as she does in his, and when she kisses him her whole body lights up. He’s not asking her to love him, though she thinks she could. He’s not asking anything from her at all, and yet she desperately wants to give herself to him. Give him her mind, her dedication, her body. He treats each of these with equal reverence, and whatever the opposite of objectified is she’s feeling it now as he peels the clothes from her body and lays her down gently on top of her bed.  

He crawls over her, nude and stiff to the point of leaking, and nudges her leg to the side with his knee. He watches her face while he touches her with two gentle fingers, mapping her body by feel, and his undivided attention is the most erotic thing she’s ever experienced. He makes her come embarrassingly quickly, first with his fingers and then his mouth, before she manages to get her hands on him. He tucks his face into the crook of her neck while she strokes him firmly, murmuring little words of pleasure and affirmation that make her feel like a goddess. 

It’s been so long since she’s been with anyone that she doesn’t have a condom, but she trusts him enough to rely on her birth control and his promise to pull out. He pushes into her slowly, kissing her all the while, and the stretch of him makes her gasp with surprise and pleasure. 

“Am I hurting you?” he asks quietly, his hips stilled. 

“No,” she whimpers, wrapping one leg around his hips to pull him closer. “You’re not hurting me, Mulder.”

Somehow it feels like fucking and making love at the same time. His mouth on her neck, his hand clasped with hers, his cock buried deep inside her. Being with him feels like flying, like an endless endorphin rush. She may never be able to get enough.

“Shit, I’m gonna come,” he sputters.

Suddenly his slippery cock is laid out on her belly, streaks of hot white cum shooting up onto her breasts. She wraps him up in her fist, stroking him through the final few throbs until he begins to grow soft in her hand. He looks up and smiles at her, a kind of uncomfortable was that a mistake? smile, and she smiles back at him. 

“I’ll get you a towel,” he says, and she averts her eyes out of habit as he makes a run for the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later they are back at her front door, fully dressed. Scully picks the pizza box up off her dining room table and hands it to him sheepishly, and he drums his fingers against the thin cardboard lid as he tries to think of something to say. 

“I’ll see you at work tomorrow,” she says casually, like they just ate pizza and watched a movie, nothing more. 

Mulder sighs, potentially with relief, and nods. 

“I’ll bring you a coffee,” he offers.

“That’d be great,” she says casually, opening her front door for him. 

They wave at one another awkwardly, and she watches him walk down her hallway and out the building before she closes and locks her door.

Mulder is nothing like Jack, she’s sure of it. And she’s not going to run away this time—she’s going to see where he takes her. Where he takes them both. 

She’s never felt more excited in all her life.

[ajaxpetropolisismyhusband]

Rescued: Jack wilder x reader

Yeah so im currently OBSSESED with Dave Franco, but especially his character Jack Wilder, so ig i might write for more fandoms, if you guys have any requests please do request them and i will try my best to answer them.

Jack Wilder had always been a quick thinker, but he was even quicker when it came to protecting his girlfriend, Y/n. When they found themselves face-to-face with Arthur Tressler and his son Walter, Jack didn't hesitate to step in front of Y/n.

"Leave her alone," Jack said, his voice firm and steady.

Arthur Tressler sneered at him. "You don't know what you're getting into, kid," he said. "But if you insist on playing hero, we'll be happy to oblige."

Before Jack could even react, Walter had knocked him out with a swift blow to the head. When Jack woke up, he felt that he was strapped to a chair, and Y/n was nowhere to be seen.

He struggled against his restraints, trying to get free, but it was no use. He was trapped, and there was nothing he could do to save Y/n.

And then he heard it - the sound of Y/n screaming in pain.

He closed his eyes, trying to block out the sound, but it only grew louder. He knew that he had to do something, but he was powerless to stop it.

Suddenly, he heard a loud noise, like an explosion, and the door to the room burst open. In walked Atlas, Merritt, and Lula, looking ready for a fight.

"Get them out of here," Atlas shouted, nodding towards Jack and Y/n.

Merritt and Lula quickly went to work, taking out Tressler's henchmen one by one. Meanwhile, Atlas made his way over to Jack, cutting him free from his restraints.

"Are you okay?" Atlas asked, helping Jack to his feet.

"I'm fine," Jack said, his eyes scanning the room for Y/n.

And then he saw her, lying on the floor, bruised and battered. He rushed over to her, pulling her into his arms.

"Y/n, are you okay?" he asked, his heart pounding with fear.

"I'm fine," Y/n said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thanks to you and your friends."

Jack looked up at Atlas, Merritt, and Lula, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over him. They had risked everything to save him and Y/n, and he knew that he owed them his life.

"Thank you," he said, his voice choked with emotion.

"It's what we do," Atlas said, smiling. "We're the Four Horsemen, after all."

Together, the group made their way out of the building, their hearts still pounding with adrenaline. Jack held Y/n close, feeling her heart beating against his chest. He knew that he would do anything to protect her, even if it meant putting himself in danger.

As they walked back to their hotel room, Jack couldn't help but think about how lucky he was to have Y/n in his life. He knew that they had both been through a traumatic experience, but he was determined to be there for her every step of the way.

When they finally made it back to their room, Jack took care of Y/n's wounds, cleaning her up and wrapping her in a warm blanket. He held her close, soothing her with soft words and gentle touches.

As they drifted off to sleep, Jack held Y/n close, feeling her heart beating against his chest. He knew that he would do anything to protect her, and he felt grateful for the Four Horsemen, who had saved their lives. In that moment, with Y/n safe in his arms, he knew that he had found something worth fighting for.

[originallandlockedmariner]

2023

Pickleball. Generative AI. Lula takes office in Brazil, Amazon Rainforest throws a party. Prince Harry refusing to stop talking about his frozen penis no matter how many times society begged him to stop. UFOs are real. Viral cat dubbed ‘largest cat anyone has ever seen’ gets adopted. Pee-Wee’s big adventure ends. Musk & X. Turkey-Syria earthquake kills thousands. India surpasses China as ‘country squeezing in the most peeps’. Tucker Carlson ousted. Miss USA and her 30 lbs moon costume. Wildfires in Kelowna and Hawaii. Macron tinkers with retirement age of the French. Paltrow can’t ski. Big Red Boots. Bob Barker leaves us. Alabama mom delivers 2 babies from her 2 uteruses in 2 days. Charles III. Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces as the war drags on. Taylor Swift is Time’s Person of the Year. African ‘coup belt’. Flo-Jo dies in her sleep. Chinese spy balloon shot down. Hollywood writers strike. Human ‘nice mugshot’ Shitstain and his 91 indictments. Highest interest rates in 2 decades. The Bear’s Christmas episode. War in Gaza. Shinzo Abe is assassinated. Alex Murdaugh. Ocean Cleanup removes 25 000 lbs of trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Vase purchased for $3.99 sells for $100 000 at auction. Barbenheimer. A third of Pakistan is flooded. Lionel Messi is the GOAT. Travis Kelce. The Sphere opens in Las Vegas. Regulators seized Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, resulting in two of the three largest bank failures in U.S. history. “The Woman In Me”. WHO declares COVID ain’t a thing no more. Titan sub sinks, rich people die. Matthew Perry drowns. Dumbledore Dies (again). Massive sales of ‘Fuck Trudeau’ flags for jacked-up micro-dick trucks. Everything Everywhere All At Once. June-August was the hottest three-month period in recorded history across the Earth. Tina Turner dies. And the Beatles release a new song?! Wow… You got big shoes to fill 2024.

Archives for context:

2020

Kobe. Pandemic. Lockdown. Koalas on fire. Harry and Meg retire. Toilet paper hoarding. Alcoholism. Impeach the f*cker. Parasite. Bonnie Henry. Tiger King. Working from home. Sourdough bread. Harvey Weinstein guilty. Zoom overdose. Dip your body in sanitizer. 6 feet. Quarantine. OK Boomer. Home schooling (everyone passes). Murder hornets. Dolly Parton. Don’t hug, kiss or see anybody, especially your family. Chris Evans’ junk. TikTok. Glory holes. Face masks. CERB. West Coast wildfires. Stay home. Small Businesses lose, big box stores win. F*ck Bozos. ‘Dreams’ and cranberry juice. Close yoga studios, but thumbs up to your local gym. Speak moistly to me. George Floyd. BLM. F*ck Trump. Phase 2, 3 and Summer. RBG. Baby Yoda. Biden wins. Bond and Black Panther die. No more lockdown. Back to school and work. Just kidding... giddy up round 2. Giuliani leaks shit from his head. Resurgence of chess. UFOs are real. Restrictions. Dave Grohl admits defeat. Monolith. “F*ck... forgot my mask in the car”. No Christmas shenanigans allowed. Bubbles. Alex Trebek. Use the term ‘dumpster fire’ one too many times. Jupiter and Saturn form 'Christmas Star'. Happy New Year Bitches!!!! 2021... you better not sh*t the bed!!

2021

“We love you, you’re very special”. Failed coup attempt at the Capital. Twitter, FB and IG ban Donny. Hammerin’ Hank goes to the Field of Dreams. Bozo no longer richest man but still a twat. Leachman, Tyson, and Holbrook pass. The economy is worse than expected. Kim and Kanye split. Brood X cicadas. Dre has an aneurysm and nearly has his home broken into. Bridgerton. MyPillow CEO is a douche. Covid restrictions extended indefinitely. Captain Von Trapp dies. Proud Boys officially a Terrorist Organization. Richard Ramirez. Cancer takes Screech. Travel bans. Impeachment trial (again?… oh and this was barely February? WTF??!!) Suez Canal blockage. Myanmar protest. Kong dukes it out with Godzilla, while Raya watches. Olympics. Friends compare elective surgeries. F9. Canada Women’s Soccer Gold. Free Britney. Multiverses. Residential Schools in Canada unearth children’s bodies. Kate is Mare of Easttown. Cuomo resigns. Disney and Dwayne cruise together. Wildfires. Delta variants. Musk passes Bezos. Candyman x 5. Capt. Kirk goes to space. F*ck Kyle Rittenhouse. Astros didn’t win. Squid Game. Goodbye Bond. Dune is redone. Angelina is Eternal. Astroworld deaths. Meta. Omicron. Three Spidermen. Tornados in December? World Juniors cancelled. Pills against Covid. School opening delayed. And Betty White dies. 2022… my expectations are ridiculously low…

2022

Wow… eight billion people. Queen Elizabeth II passes away after ruling the Commonwealth before dirt was invented. The monkeypox. Russia plays the role of global a**hole. Wordle. Mother Nature rocks Afghanistan. Hover bike. Styles spits on Pine. Olivia Newton John, Kristie Alley, and Coolio leave us. Pele was traded to team Heaven. FTX implodes. Madonna and the 3-D model of her vagina. Pig gives his heart to a human. Beijing can brag that it is the first city ever to host both the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics. Uvalde. $3 trillion Apple. Keith Raniere gets 120 years. The Whisky War ends with Canada and Denmark going halfsies. Mar-a-Lago. Nick Cannon brood hits a dozen. Shinzo Abe is assassinated. Inflation goes through the roof (if you can actually afford to put a roof over your head). Volodymyr Zelensky. European heat wave. Bennifer. Salman Rushdie is stabbed on stage, Dave Chappelle tackled, and Chris Rock is only slapped. Thích Nhất Hạnh. Heidi Klum goes full slug. Cuba knocked out by Ian. Liz Truss and 4.1 Scaramuccis. Taylor Swift breaks Ticketmaster. Human shitstain Elon Musk ignores helping mankind and buys Twitter instead. Riri becomes a mommy. NASA launches Artemis 1. Trump still a whiny little b*tch. Music lost Loretta Lynn, Christine McVie, and Meat Loaf. Democracy died at least three times. Pete Davidson continues to date hottest women on the planet (no one understands how?!) Microplastics in our blood. Alex Jones is a c*nt. So is DeSantis. Argentina wins the World Cup. Meghan and Harry. Eddie Munson rips Metallica in the Upside Down. tWitch. Roe vs Wade is overturned by the micro dick energy of the Supreme Court. CODA. James Corden shows he is a "tiny Cretin of a man". Amber (and the sh*t on the bed) Heard (round the world). Sebastian Bear-McClard proves he’s one of the f*cking dumbest men alive. Latin America's ‘pink tide’. Anti-Semitic rants by Ye. Bob Saget. A verified blue checkmark. Godmother of punk Vivienne dies. And, Tom Cruise feels the need for speed yet again. 2023… whatcha got for us?!? Nothing shocks me anymore.

@daily-esprit-descalier

[musicallisto]

Hi! Can I please request a Jack Wilder x Reader fic? (NYSM2). Maybe the reader is jealous of Lula? Also card puns. Lots of card puns. Decked out card puns.

hi, sorry, i'm not writing for nysm at the moment!

[wereverine]

i don't likeeeee the lula x jack plotline at all in nysm2 and i feel a bit bad like i like lula's character she's funny i just don't really care for that ship

[fourhorsemenprotectionsquad]

Jack: Okay, yeah, I LOVE Lula! I have loving feelings for Lula. But does that mean I am IN love with her? No-

Jack: Oh my god. I’m in love with Lula.

Jack, to the other Horsemen: Why didn’t you guys tell me?

Dylan: We thought you knew.

[hermionegalathynius]

Found Family (5/?)

I cannot tell you all how much your support of my writing means to me. I’m so sorry this took so long. If I’m being honest, the next part might take even longer (just because I’m busy with college exams and uni applications… the stress levels are REAL high right now) but I want you to know I love reading your comments and I smile every time someone reacts to my posts. Anyway, here we go!

Fandom: Now You See Me

Pairing: Daniel Atlas x Reader

Warnings: some swearing, read at your own discretion.

  “Can’t we all — just once — stay in the same place for more than a few weeks at a time?” you sighed, climbing in the back of the car with Merritt and Danny. 

  “I agree that that would be nice, but currently we have no control over where we go and when. Literally, considering we entered the tube in New York and were spat out in Macau,” Danny said, letting you rest your head on his shoulder tiredly. 

  “It’s all about blind spots,” Merritt’s brother said once the car began moving through the streets of Macau, “When you’re staring straight at something and not see it. Why? Blind spots! We learnt that together, didn’t we, bro?”

  Merritt grunted, staring blankly at the floor. You nudged his foot with yours gently, trying to comfort him. He flashed a small, grateful smile. 

  “Did he tell you that we were partners, once?” Chase continued, “No? I didn’t think so. The ‘Mini-McKinneys’.”

  “Cool,” Lula said flatly.

  “And then one day, we were 12, and Virginia von Welsheim had a very nice party down the street. I had a little tum-tum, couldn’t go. Mer-Bear did it on his own and got a taste of the solo thing, and uh… and kicked me to the curb.”

  “Oh god,” Danny muttered. You nudged him in the side for insensitivity. 

  Merritt sighed, “Chase, you win! I concede. Just tell me how you did it.”

  Chase grinned, “Delivery came to your door about a month ago… a little za?”

  “Za?” Danny asked.

  “Pizza,” Merritt told him, then addressing his brother, “Huh?”

  “Yeah, so what he did, my little womb-mate, is he downloaded all of your private information and my employer had all he needed.”

  You could feel Danny glaring at Merritt for accusing him of being the leak. You rolled your eyes at his ability to hold a grudge. 

  “Thanks,” Danny said to Merritt sarcastically, then turning to Chase, “How did you know how to find him?”

  “That’s a very good question, Atlas,” Chase said, miming locking his mouth closed and throwing away the key. 

  “Okay,” Danny said, frustration bleeding from his tone. 

  “Danny, I swear to god, don’t make Merritt feel worse about this than he already does,” you whispered so only he could hear. 

  “He’s a hypocrite, Y/n,” Danny hissed.

  You just took your head off his shoulder and shifted away from him, too angry to care about how tired you were in that moment. Why couldn’t he just let it go? 

  The car pulled in to what looked like a casino and stopped at the front door. The Horsemen got out, flanked by more armed guards. 

  “Just follow the guards, they’ll take you to my boss,” Chase said with a grin, “Been fun playing this cat-and-mouse with you, broski. Meow.”

  Merritt rubbed his eyes with his middle fingers. You found a grim sort of satisfaction in that. 

  “Have fun at the Sands,” Chase called as the car pulled away again and you were escorted into the casino. 

  “I am so, so, so sorry,” Merritt said to Danny. You watched wearily from behind them, hoping Danny swallowed his pride for once. 

  “Yeah, you should be.” Of course not. “Don’t ever accuse me of betraying us again, okay?”

  You scoffed, quickening your steps to walk past him and get him out of your eyesight. Unfortunately, the guards led you to an elevator where you were forced to stand in the back and watch as Danny walked in and caught your eye, cocking his head at your glare, and resting his hand against the wall. Your heart thumped loudly at the sight, adding to your frustration. God dammit, he was not allowed to look that good when you were angry with him!

  “Do you guys ever think that the Eye is watching this?” Lula asked next to you, breaking the sullen silence, “You know, that maybe this is even what they want? And at the exact right moment they’re going to swoop in, and we’ll be like, ‘Yes! Thank God you’re here! Thank God! Just in the nick of time, Eye!’ And then we’ll just celebrate, and it was all worth it in the end?”

  Silence. You swallowed, still gazing at Danny. 

  “I don’t even really think that either, so… It’s cool.”

  The elevator door pinged, and opened up behind you. Some sort of rock music blared as the five of you turned around. A man stood in front of huge, floor-length windows looking out on Macau. His leg jerked in time with the music as he flicked a playing card back and forth between his hands. 

  You were shoved out of the elevator by the guards as the man turned around and exclaimed, “Ah! Ta-da! So happy to be working with you! Please, come in, come in!”

  The guards shoved you further, and you winced as one of them elbowed you in the ribs, a soft huff leaving your mouth. 

  “Hey! Hands off her, buddy,” Danny said, stepping between you and the guard. You swallowed down the warmth blooming in your chest at his words, desperately trying to cling to the anger you had held for him just moments earlier. It was a pointless exercise, but damn you if you didn’t try. 

  “Wait, sorry, how are you working with us?” he asked, still standing in front of you which forced you to peer at the stranger over his shoulder. 

  “Oh, well, as much as a magician who pulls a rabbit from a hat is working with that rabbit,” the man explained, pulling on a pair of very expensive looking slippers and walking over his koi-pond floor, “We'll be working together. Yes. Allow me to introduce myself.”

  “Yeah, you’re Walter Mabry,” you stated, stepping out from behind Danny. 

  “You died a year ago,” Jack clarified. 

  “Yes!” Mabry exclaimed, “An idea I got from you, Mr Wilder! Fake your death and the world puts its guard down.”

  You glanced at Lula who stood to your left — she seemed just as overwhelmed as you felt. 

  “I’m able to control quite a few companies, including my old partner Owen’s, as a consortium of so-called anonymous shareholders,” Mabry continued. 

  “And that violates how many SEC laws?” Lula asked. 

  “I believe it breaks all of them,” Mabry answered casually. 

  “All of them,” Lula repeated dryly.

  How could everything have gone so wrong, you thought, dread curling in your gut. This man was obviously unstable, and had no qualms with breaking laws and risking going to jail. Who knew what he was really capable of when pushed?

  “You see, you all want an audience. Need one, desperately. It’s quite sad really,” he directed this at Danny who’s jaw twitched in irritation. You gripped his wrist gently, silently begging him to keep his cool, “I, on the other hand, want the opposite of that. I just want to be, and I am, one hundred percent off the grid. You know why?”

  “Yeah, because the grid is for actual human beings,” Danny quipped, making you grip his wrist tighter. He sent an apologetic glance your way, twisting his hand to grab yours. 

  Mabry was infuriated for a total of zero point five seconds before giving Danny a chillingly calm smile, “No, because in a world of total surveillance, the only true freedom lies in not being seen. You can’t control the grid from within the grid. Follow me.”

  He began walking off. When you didn’t follow him he repeated, “Follow me!”

  “Okay, alright.”

  The guards pushed you forward and the five of you followed Mabry as he spoke. 

  “You pulled a hat out of a rabbit,” he said, turning to Lula, “That was very colourful.”

  She sighed, “Almost eight and a half years ago, so, no need to bring that up.”

  You yourself winced at the memory. Mabry was wrong, there had been an abundance of one colour in particular — red. 

  Mabry grinned and instead turned to Danny, “We can’t all be held accountable for our adolescent personas, can we, Magicolio?”

  Your eyes widened and you whirled on Danny who’s jaw ticked in irritation, “Magicolio… that was fifteen years ago.”

  Oh, you were definitely going to use this. It was gold. 

  “Don’t get me wrong,” Mabry continued, very obviously enjoying his main character moment, “Like you, and many others I suppose, who were not getting any sex in high school, I dabbled with it.” Merritt pointed at Danny who shook his head. “But, uh, unlike you, I was able to transition upward towards actual magic.”

  He gestured to the side where there stood what looked like a giant, shiny server, “Science, you may have heard it called. So would you like to know, my friends, just how I got you here?”

  “We know how you did it,” you stated, having figured that out on the ride here. 

  “No you don’t,” Mabry said sharply. 

  “Yeah, you stole our files from the show,” Merritt drawled, “then obviously hypnotised us.”

  “No, seriously, stop.”

  “The strobe was a combo of binaural beats, as well as…”

  “I said stop!” Mabry yelled, grabbing the sides of Merritt’s neck. The mentalist looked down at the shorter man, a little disturbed. Danny gripped your hand tighter, “You might not be having fun, but I am.”

  “You have an unusual way of showing it,” Merritt mused.

  Mabry ignored his comment and stepped back, clapping his hands together and grinning excitedly,” So... How did I do it? Easy. You see, magicians like to control other people's perceptions. In your heightened state of agitation, you saw the simplest cues — Black tube, roof — and your minds filled in the rest.”

  “Shit,” you muttered, mentally kicking yourself for not keeping your head during the chaos.

  “But the tube you meant to go down was 20 feet to your right,” Mabry finished smugly, “Go on, sit down. There's no one

standing in your way.”

  “Don’t mind if I do,” Merritt quipped, settling onto the couch. 

  With slight caution, you followed his lead, Danny plopping down next to you. To your dismay, Mabry squeezed in between you and Lula.

  “Anyway, once in the tube, yes you’re right. Blah blah blah, the strobe contained UV letters pulsing the word ‘sleep’, and this combined with the sound put you into an instant alpha pattern.”

  The image of the flashing lights in the tube resurfaced in your mind’s eye and you tried not to wince at the reality of it. You had been tricked. All of you. Dylan too, probably. Not to mention you were now at the mercy of this clearly unhinged not-dead billionaire with a god complex. 

  “And from then on,” Mabry continued, “it really was just fun, and I can assure you, you don’t know what happened.”

  With that he clicked the remote and a power point was displayed on the screen in front of you. The opening slide was black with the words ‘Our trip to Macau’ in white typing. The next slide cleared everything up. 

  “That’s really creepy,” You stated, cautiously eyeing the photograph of your unconscious self lying with your head in Danny’s lap as he leaned on Mabry who was giving the camera the finger. 

  “Really, really creepy,” Lula agreed.

  “That’s not cool,” you said, shaking your head. 

  “Yep, easy stuff, magic, if you put your mind to it,” Mabry said cheerfully. You wanted to claw his eyes out. This urge was heightened when the next photo showed draped over Mabry’s lap, your head resting on his shoulder. 

  Danny tensed next to you.

  “Alright, that’s enough,” he interjected, “So why are we here then? You know, besides you getting to show off how adorably clever you are?” 

  “Well to start with, the man you stole from last year. Turns out I had invested a lot of money in some of his companies so a lot of what you stole, was in fact mine.” Mabry said, his cheerful tone completely at odds with the accusation.

  “It’s a small world,” you muttered, rolling your eyes. It figured this lunatic was after money. Or revenge. Either was enough to satisfy people like him.

  “Good news is, it’s very easy for you to pay me back! I just need your… skills.”

Taglist:

@Pulling-out-my-eyes

@Nightmaredressedlikeadaydream57

[alessiathepirate]

MIDNIGHT ON THE THAMES: Dylan Rhodes / Shrike x fem!reader

Summary: The reveal happens at the stroke of midnight, in the middle of the Thames, on New Year’s Eve – and she couldn’t be happier. Or maybe she could, because Lula and Jack won’t be the only ones kissing that night.

Warnings: a bit of swearing, but nothing more

RIFFLE SHUFFLE: Dylan Rhodes / Shrike x fem!reader

Summary: Waking up next to her was something Dylan Shrike liked to experience.

Warnings: nothing at all, just some soft fluff

[ghostiewriter]

Sometimes I think about Jack and Lula from Now You See Me and I wonder why we don’t have a third movie

[hes-a-bit-of-a-prat]

I’m bisexual, which means I’m attracted to women, Jack Wilder, Druig, Kaliis Gilwraeath,  Etienne StClair and Keefe Sencen

[harryhooksgazebos267]

Now You See Me Masterlist

Fluff: 💕; Comedy: 🤪; Angst: ⛈

(If you want me to write for another character that isn’t on this list, feel free to send in a request for them as I will probably write for them)

Reactions:

Nothing yet :(

Imagines:

Jack Wilder:

Nothing yet :(

Daniel Atlas:

Nothing yet :(

Henley Reeves:

Nothing yet :(

Lula:

Nothing yet :(

Dylan Rhodes:

Nothing yet :(

Walter:

Nothing yet :(

Main masterlist

[jb3islife]

Love is Like a Playing Card (J. Daniel Atlas) Chapter II

“Sutton? Sutton?”

Sutton heard the voices, as fuzzy as they sounded. Her vision was still spinning. She felt herself moving, standing on her feet. Her legs lifted with a weight she never felt before.

“Sutton, honey! Please!” Henley’s voice choked out. 

“No.” Sutton felt the words leave her throat, not sure if they actually made it past her lips.

Sutton felt the cool sensation of the doorknob in her hand. She felt her wrist bones crunch as she turned it, every involuntary movement suddenly aware to her. She heard the crash of a door behind her, her body turning to lock the door. Her body slid into a sitting position on the floor, the soft feeling of the mattress hit her back. Arms wrapping around her legs, she felt her body suddenly fall to the side.

“Maybe it will all go away,” Sutton whispered to herself, her eyes closing, “and Henley won’t leave me.”

~~

“I can’t leave her alone,” Jack stated, getting up to follow Sutton after the door crashed shut.

“No, Jack,” Henley told him. “Let her sleep through this.”

“Excuse me?” Danny yelled, annoyance and anger laced in his voice. “You’re going to leave without actually speaking to Sutton? Your cousin? The one person in this room who loves all of us unconditionally?”

Henley huffed, wiping at her tears. “Maybe it’s for the best, Danny.” She stood, moving toward the door. 

“Like hell it is!” Merritt exclaimed, standing in her path. “I told you I respected your decision, Henley, on one condition- give Sutton the closure she deserves. If you walk out this door without doing that, I promise you, that girl is never going to speak to you again.”

Henley turned around, tears in her eyes once more. She looked at Danny, his hands in a ball in front of him, his jaw clenching and unclenching. Despite her better judgement, Henley sat beside him. 

“I’m sorry,” she told Danny, her voice small. When Danny didn’t look at her, Henley placed her hands on his. “Danny, I have my reasons. I’m not doing this to hurt Sutton.”

Danny swallowed, shaking his head. “What reason could be great enough that you would leave Sutton, Henley?”

Henley glanced at Merritt and Jack. They nodded, signaling her to tell Danny the truth. Henley huffed. “I want more, Danny. There is more to life than magic and secret societies. I want to find someone who loves me the way that you love Sutton.”

Danny looked at her, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “I-I’m not even sure what that is supposed to mean.”

Henley chuckled lightly, smiling to herself, amused by Danny’s inability to see how great his affection for Sutton is. “Danny, how can I find someone who loves me if I’m in hiding? You and Sutton have known each other from the start of this crazy journey. What am I supposed to do? Tell the guy, “Oh, by the way, I robbed a bank,” on the first date?”

“You know,” Merritt interjected, “that’s really like a fifth date thing. Even better, I already know your history!” He opened his arms for a hug. Jack laughed.

“Anyway,” Henley said, rolling her eyes, “it’s just not possible. After watching you and Sutton these past two years, I have really fallen in love with the idea of having someone to love me, maybe even a family.”

“But, we are a family,” Danny stated, not even registering what he was saying

Henley put her hand on her heart, tears threatening to fall once more. “You will always be my family.” She looked at Jack, Merritt, and Dylan. “You’re all my crazy, messed up, criminal family.” They all chuckled. “And maybe,” she looked back at Danny, placing her hands around his once more, “maybe someday, we will be a family in that official-type of way.”

Danny looked over at her, a smirk crawling across his lips. “Yeah, maybe someday.”

~~

“Sutton? Sutton?” 

Sutton threw her hands over her ears. She was hearing the voices again. A hand touched her shoulder, forcing Sutton’s eyes open.

“Hey, beautiful,” Danny smiled down at her. “How are you feeling?” he asked, sitting down on the floor beside her.

Sutton rubbed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “It wasn’t a dream, was it?” she asked, sitting up beside Danny. 

“No, baby,” Danny stated, moving the hair out of Sutton’s face. He kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry.” Danny took Sutton’s hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. “You need to hear Henley out.”

Sutton lifted her eyes to Danny’s. “Did she tell you?”

Danny nodded. “She has her reasons, Sut. Just listen.”

Sutton sighed, leaning her head into the crook of Danny’s neck. “But are they good reasons?”

Danny gave a slight chuckle, running a hand up and down Sutton’s spine. “Better than I would have thought.”

Sutton leaned back, studying Dann’s expression. Deciding he was being sincere, she pecked his lips. Danny helped Sutton up off the closet floor, wrapping her tightly in a hug.

“Whatever it is,” Sutton spoke, “it won’t change us. Right?”

Danny was caught off guard by her question. Sucking in a breath, he said, “Never.”

[onscreenkisses]

NOW YOU SEE ME 2, dir. Jon M. Chu (2016)