#me and the first buck I ever killed hanging above my bed at my father’s house like a constant reminder of what I am

[sunflowers-and-cigarettes831]

“Do you think you’ve attached to Dean so much because your father also was abusive, forced you to grow up too fast and take on a parent role, and taught you how to hunt at a young age?”

Do you think you’re not attached to your face because I’m going to smash it in if you keep asking me shit like that

[jasontoddswhitestreak]

something more

(originally posted by alpha-bug)

summary: where pietro confesses his feelings to you without actually confessing them to you, through a necklace. inspired by this prompt list.

content warning: pietro maximoff x fem!reader (i’ll try to write more gender neutral fics in the future!) obviously set in a world where he survives and civil war doesn’t happen. (friends to lovers, mutual pining and pietro being a sap.)

note: okay so this is my first fic in a while so i’m sorry if this sucks </3 i want to write more pietro/peter fics so please send requests ! (also lemme know if you can guess the movie bucky was confused about !)

REQUESTS ARE OPEN!

masterlist

"You're staring." Wanda points out, idly watching the older twin stare at the person who clouded his thoughts, not that Wanda needed to read his mind to know that.

"Don't you have something better to do?" Pietro scoffed, unwillingly looking away to glance at his sister. She chuckled, turning away from her brother to check on the pot on the stove, before continuing to chop the vegetables scattered on the chopping board.

"Don't you?" She simply asked, humming to the song playing out loud from her phone, Pietro's eyes were drawn back to you.

You were explaining the plot of a movie to Bucky who stared at the screen in pure confusion. "I don't get it? He killed her but he loved her?" Bucky asked you, in response you shook your head exasperated. "You saw her give birth right after, how could she be dead if she was naming her kids Buck?" You asked, glancing up when you heard the footsteps of someone approaching you.

"You're not replacing me with this old man, right?" Pietro teased, moving to sit next to you, reclining back on the couch, arm around your waist. You rolled your eyes at what he said, automatically leaning into him as the three of you continued to watch the movie playing on the big screen in front of you. The two of you barely noticed when Bucky decided to leave, too caught up with one another to bother caring about what's going on in your surroundings. You pushed him away from you when he tried to steal the m&ms you were currently snacking on only for him to pour most of the packet into his mouth.

"You disgust me Maximoff." You scoffed, biting back the smile forcing its way up. "And you love it Prinţesă." Pietro retorts, his eyes meeting yours. You opened your mouth to say something but nothing could come to mind, it was common for Pietro to randomly call you nicknames but that doesn't mean you were used to it, especially when he'd use pet-names.

Your friendship with Pietro came as a surprise to the rest of the Avengers years ago due to the differences in your personality but if you asked any of them what they thought about your friendship now they'd complain about how clueless the two of you are to the other person's feelings.

Somehow in the chaos that the two of you called your 'friendship', the line between platonic feelings and romantic feelings blurred. Pietro isn't the type of guy to steer away from romance but this situation was entirely different to anything he experienced. He cant just tell his closest friend that he loved you, he couldn't tell you how when he holds you in his arms it pains him to let go. How could he tell you that? After everything that happened to him in the past, the wall he built around his emotions to protect himself began to crumble and you were the cause of it. Pietro always struggled to talk about his feelings, his past. He felt the urge to protect himself and his twin from anything that could hurt them, he didn't want to make the same mistake again.

The unintentional movie night led to the two of you continuing to hanging out in Pietro's room hours later. It was your nightly ritual to watch an episode or two of a show that Pietro usually wouldn't want to watch before the two of you go to bed. Pietro was in the far end of his room, fumbling with something in the palm of his hand while you sat comfortably in the middle of his bed, head resting on one of his pillows as you set up the show on the laptop.

"For someone as quick as you, you sure are taking your sweet time doing whatever it is you're doing."

Pietro glanced back at you in surprise, almost like he forgot what he was supposed to be doing, too busy staring at the dainty chain tangled in the palm of his hands, with a small engagement ring at the end, in place of a pendant capturing all of Pietro's attention. It was fit for a petite woman. The silver was slightly scratched. Two slightly larger silver stones surrounded a slightly larger stone, although quite dull at first glance the engraving on the inside showed was still noticeable.

"I'm in no rush, dragoste mea." He chuckles, shoving the necklace into his pocket before moving to take his shirt off to put on a different one while continuing to speak. Your eyes followed his movements, subtly admiring his body as his muscles unintentionally flexed which resulted in you feeling your cheeks heat up, quickly looking away to not get caught checking out one of your best friends.

"You know I still don't know how I feel about Vision hanging around my sister." Pietro confesses, his overprotectiveness towards his younger sister evident as he continues to replay what occurred during dinner hours ago, Wanda confessing she wouldn't mind moving to a rural neighbourhood with Vision instead of staying at the Avengers Headquarters.

"People can't control who they fall in love with Pietro." You sighed tiredly not realising the irony behind your words, it wasn't the first time Pietro mentioned his hesitation towards the Android.

"People can't, robots can." He scoffed, walking to the dresser to put away his shirt, now wearing a pale blue shirt instead of the charcoal grey T-shirt he was previously wearing.

He moved to the bed, sitting beside you before shifting around to get comfortable. Your hand reaches out to the laptop to begin the episode only for Pietro's hand to place his above yours, stopping you.

"Since we're on this subject..." he paused to pull the necklace from his pockets before holding the necklace out towards you, letting the ring dangle from the chain between the two of you, twisting and turning because of the sudden movements.

You glanced at Pietro in confusion, eyebrows furrowed. He then pulls the hand that was covered by his own and turning it so your palm faced upwards, dropping the necklace in your hand. You held the necklace between your fingers, admiring the gems on the ring before noticing the engraving etched on the inside of the engagement band.

"I+O?" You read out the engraving in confusion, eyes meeting Pietro's soft gaze. He paused for a bit, struggling to put together a sentence that wouldn't cause the wall he created to completely collapse.

"Irina and Oleg, my parents. This was my mother's engagement ring. It was apart of the few belongings they've managed to find after what happened." He gently takes the necklace from you, signalling you to turn away from him so he can put it around your neck. Gently pushing all your hair to the side you felt goosebumps rise wherever Pietro's fingers grazed on your skin, the familiar heat rising in your cheeks once again.

You were secretly relieved that he couldn't see your reaction, the unspoken tension between the two of you currently was unbearable. You looked down at the ring, twirling it around with ur fingers while Pietro continued to speak.

"We decided that Wanda should keep our father's ring since he barely acknowledged me as his son, let alone a person." Pietro chuckles dryly.

Pietro turns you to face him, palm resting on your left cheek. "It looks good on you Draga Mea." He compliments you, eyes glancing down to your lips ever so often. "Why did you decide to give it to me?" You whispered, struggling to find your own voice.

Pietro's mouth curved into a smile, his thumb gently stroking your face

"Can't you tell?" He asked.

"Hmmm i think I'm going to have to hear you say it." You teased, smiling up at him, arms sliding around his neck pulling him closer towards you. He rolled his eyes feigning annoyance before telling you what you wanted to hear.

The next morning Wanda lightly knocked on her brother's door, wondering why he wasn't at breakfast. Waiting a couple moments for a response Wanda slowly opened the door only to be met with with the two of you lying in bed in each other’s arms,  the laptop ended up at the edge of the bed as you completely forgot about it after the events of last night. Pietro had his arms tightly wrapped around your waist while your head rested on his chest, the two of you smiling contently.

"They're good for each-other." Wanda whispers to her partner who stood beside her.

"They are indeed."

[itsallyscorner]

can you write something comforting with bucky? like, bucky being the reader's safe place from everything bad in her life and the only one who actually cares about her?

My first Bucky imagine! He’s my best boy he deserves so much love🥺 Enough about me tho, thank you for the request lovely and I hope you like it!🖤

 This is my first time writing for Bucky so I hope I did good🥺

💌.

You’ll Get There

Warning: Steve is kinda a dick in this one.

You were a monster.

You were created to destroy and kill not save people or stand alongside the heroes. Which is why living in the Avengers Tower was unsettling. It was wrong, you didn’t belong there. Your father was an ex member of Hydra. He was one of the most loyal and trustworthy masterminds who was close to Strucker. Until one day, when he and Strucker got into a disagreement concerning a confidential project.

Years of his ideas and experimental methods being declined your father eventually left Hydra and did his experiments in his own basement. With no volunteers for a test subject he used you against your will. At just the age of 5, you were used as a test subject, getting things injected into you and going under inhumane methods to turn you into what you were today.

Wanda sent a blast towards you, you tried to focus on the energy surrounding the red orb, manipulating it so you can control it. You used all your might but the feeling of Steve’s stare intimidated you. The blast came into contact with your stomach forcing you onto the floor. Steve who’s been watching on the side sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. You’ve been training with Wanda ever since you were rescued by the Avengers. From what Steve saw through your training there was barely any improvement. You were decent when it came to hand to hand combat and weaponry, but you couldn’t control your powers at all.

You’ve been in the training room for hours with Wanda. She’s been throwing blasts of her powers towards you while you had to try to manipulate it and use it against her. You were successful a few times and got to control the blast, but weren’t able to force it back at Wanda. You remained on the floor laying on your back since the impact of the blast made you loose your breath.

“(Y/n).” You snapped your head at Steve. The tone of his voice reminded you of the tone your father would have when you disappointed him during an experiment.

You rushed to get up and dusted yourself off to face the Captain. He towered over you with a look of exasperation on his face.

“We’ve been doing the same thing for months, why can’t you control your powers yet?” He questioned you an edge to his voice. You knew he was a nice man but the frustration of having to deal with you was probably getting to him.

“I— I don’t know. I just can’t manipulate it correctly. My mind won’t focus—,” you tried to explain but Steve cut you off.

“Well what’s it going to take for you to focus? We’ve been doing these sessions since you were rescued, (y/n), get a grip!” He yelled. You took a step back at his outburst.

“You think I asked you to rescue me?”

“Because I didn’t! I was perfectly fine living on my own hiding away from all of this! All you want from me are my powers, so you can use me to be part of your group! You want me to do this and do that! I’m tired! We’ve been training nonstop Steve!” You yelled back at him. Steve’s eyes widen at your outburst. You’ve never yelled, not even raised your voice at anyone. You mostly kept to yourself, maybe had a conversation or two with some other Avengers. But you snapped. The stress from training and having to adjust in the new environment placed a weight on your shoulders that you couldn’t handle. Steve yelling at you was just the perfect push for you to burst.

“(Y/n)—,” Steve moved towards you but you shook your head.

“No. I’m done.” You walk out the training room heading straight towards your room.

When you enter the hall you bumped into Bucky. You quickly apologized and continued the walk to your room.

“Doll?” He looked back at you to see you’ve already turned the corner. He saw Steve leaving the training room along with Wanda who was talking to him. Bucky was sure you were upset when you bumped into him.

Bucky was the first one to approach you out of all the other Avengers. Which was odd since Bucky barely talked to anyone besides Steve and Sam. You and Bucky got along. The first few months after being rescued he volunteered to help show you around the tower, even though he didn’t understand most of the high tech appliances in the tower. He learned that you were linked to Hydra, well your dad was, but you went though the same things he had to gone through when Hydra was in control of him. He wanted to make sure you had someone to talk to, if you were having flashbacks or night terrors. He knew how it felt because he’s lived through it, but because of T’Challa and Shuri he didn’t have to anymore. That wasn’t the case for you.

Bucky heard you have your first night terror during the second week of your arrival. He was at your room in an instant. Then there you were, tears streaming down your face with your hair and shirt sticking to your skin. A look of fear on your face. That night you asked Bucky to stay with you. He sat on the floor beside your bed while you clung onto his flesh arm. From then on, you guys turned to each other for comfort when it was needed. You guys even had movie nights every Friday.

Bucky debated on who he should follow. You or Steve? Seeing as you were upset, he decided to check on you first.

He knocked on your door.

No response.

Again, he knocked.

Nothing. He turned the handle of the door but it didn’t budge. He knocked again, “Doll, open up.”

He heard some rustling behind the door. Seconds later you opened the door. He was greeted by your flushed face. Your under eyes were puffy and the trails of your tears were still visible on your face. You silently turned away and left the door open for him, moving to curl yourself into the comfort of your sheets.

Bucky gently closed the door behind him and sat on the side on your bed. When he realized you weren’t going to talk anytime soon, he got comfy and leaned against the headboard. He brought your figure towards him and rested your head on his chest.

This was how you were. When you were upset you allowed yourself to feel it before talking about the problem. When you were upset about something you preferred to be wrapped around warmth to help ground yourself and not get lost in your thoughts. The heat that radiated off Bucky, along with the coolness of his prosthetic arm and heart beat kept you from losing yourself.

Bucky patiently waited for you. His flesh hand would switch from stroking your cheek and running his fingers through your hair.

“Am I hopeless?” You finally spoke. Bucky’s brow scrunched together in confusion.

“No, why would you say that?” He questioned softly.

“Then why can’t I get the hang of my abilities? I’ve been training with Steve and Wanda for months and there has been no improvement!” You sniffled as tears formed in your eyes again.

“Now, hold on. Didn’t you say you were able to control the blast Wanda threw at you? That’s improvement!” He reasoned with her.

“Well it’s not improvement to Steve.” You mumbled against his shirt. Bucky froze, his fingers stoping their track in your hair.

“What did Steve do?” He asked her, his voice lowered. Not that he would hurt Steve, the man’s done so much for him, but he has been rough on you lately.

“Nothing, it’s not a big deal, Buck.” You assured him.

“If it made you this upset, it is a big deal.” He retorted. You sighed not wanting to rat Steve out on his own friend. You shook you head.

“Doll, come on.” He coaxed you. You sighed giving in.

“He just yelled at me to get a grip. He said we’ve been doing those training sessions since day one and that I haven’t been able to control one of Wanda’s blasts successfully.” You answered him as you nervously fiddled with the hem of his shirt.

“What’d you tell him?”

“That I’m done.”

“What do you mean you’re done?” Bucky sat up properly against the headboard.

“I don’t want to do this anymore. There’s no use, Bucky. If I can’t control my powers then what’s the point of me being here?” You rested your head above his heart.

“A second chance.” Bucky immediately answered. He placed a finger under your chin and gently guided you to look at him.

“Look at me.” He whispered lightly, his thumb grazed against your bottom lip as it moved to stroke your cheek.

“Now listen to me. You’re here for a reason. You were rescued for a reason. Why do you think Tony practically begged for you to stay at the compound?” He started, you shrugged in response.

“He saw potential in you. (Y/n), this is a second chance for you to better yourself and use your powers for good things. Isn’t that great? You’ve been given these abilities and now you’re getting the chance to help people with it.” He finished.

“But it was given to me with the intentions of doing the opposite. I’ve killed people with them, Bucky.”

“The Winter Soldier killed tons of people, doll. Now look at me.” He huffed with a crooked smile. You stared at him for a moment. He looked healthy, his eyes were bright, he’s grown a beard, and his previously long and luscious hair has been nearly cut. You’ve seen the Winter Soldier before, through pictures and news articles, the Bucky in front of you was far from the mind controlled assassin.

“How did you do it?” You wondered titling your head at him.

“I had a lot of help. It took some patience but I had people who were willing to help me get better.” He responded. You nodded and rested your head on his shoulder. Bucky continued to stroke your cheek with his flesh hand and rubbed circles on your back with his prosthetic hand.

“You’ll get there. It’ll take time, but eventually you’ll get there, and I’ll be right beside you.” He comforted you. You nodded into his neck and wrapped your limbs around his body, Bucky followed in suit.

In his arms you felt safe. Like nothing could ever hurt you when you were in his grip. It was as if all your worries were pushed right off your shoulders when you were in contact with him. You gave each other a sense of peace while living such a hectic lifestyle. You were glad you had someone like Bucky, because without him you would’ve lost your mind trying to deal with your new living situation.

Eventually, you did get there. You conquered your abilities and were finally opening up to your teammates. You felt normal, like you finally belonged there. Bucky remained true to his promise, he went through it all and stayed beside you till the end.

[evanoracronwell]

You've got us.

Read on ao3

Buck took a deep breath as soon as Athena had left with Bobby. He tried to suppress the avalanche of feelings that had been trying to escape him since the moment Maddie had told him about Daniel. Twenty-nine years living in a giant, cruel lie. Now, at least he knew why his parents had never been able to love him. At least now, he understood why he had never felt good enough. It's because he never had been.

A few steps away, he saw Eddie approaching him while he removed his helmet and gloves and threw them in the back of the ambulance right next to Buck.

"I know what you're going to say. I was reckless, stupid, and could have died. I know that I just..."

Any other word died on his lips because Eddie held his face with both hands with such care and affection that Buck felt his throat close; no one had ever looked at him that way, as if he were hanging the moon, as if Eddie was afraid that he was going to disappear before his eyes.

"Never again, did you hear me? Never again do you dare to pull something like that on me. Damn it, Buck, I almost died thinking something might have happened to you."

His voice was hoarse and choked as if he was trying very hard not to burst into tears right there, and Buck wanted to say something, claim that he was fine and that nothing had happened, but then Eddie came closer, standing between Buck's legs, his body so close to Buck's, that he could feel his heartbeat through his uniform.  As if that weren't enough, Eddie touched his forehead to Buck's, mixing their breath. There was nothing Buck could do but raise his hands to Eddie's waist, pulling him even closer.

"I'm truly sorry,” he murmured, watching as Eddie closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Buck followed in his footsteps, closing his eyes and concentrating only on Eddie's breathing, on the feeling of their bodies so close together, on how Eddie slid one of his hands up to the nape of his neck, pulling his hair so softly that Buck could barely feel it, but strong enough to give him the feeling of being terrified.

"Just promise me you will never do something like that again."

"Eddie, you know I can't..."

"No!” He looked away and opened his eyes, staring at Buck with determination. "I don't care that this is the job. You can't put yourself in danger like that, do you understand me? What the hell am I going to say to Christopher if something happens to you? That boy loves you, Buck; you're too important to him."

"I know, but Eddie I..."

"What about me? Damn Buck, what the fuck am I supposed to do if something happens to you? Have you ever stopped to think about that? I know you always put other people above yourself, that you always want to save everyone and you don't care to put your life on the line to do it, but... think of me, okay? If you want to put others above yourself so badly, then put me and Chris first. Every time you decide to risk yourself like this, think first about what it would do to us. "

"Eddie, I'm so sorry... you're right. I didn't think what it would do to you and Chris. Honestly, I didn't think it could affect you so much."

"How could you not know, Buck? How can you not know how important you are to us? Buck, I...” he took a deep breath again and then took Buck's face in his hands one more, making the blonde look at him directly in the eyes. "If anything happened to you, I would completely lose my mind; do you understand that? I would die, Buck, okay? You are everything and... you can't... never... okay? You can't leave me."

"I won't,” he says as firmly as he can, his blue eyes are already wet with tears and his voice breaking slightly. But he holds Eddie around the waist again and pulls him even closer than before, hugging him tightly as he sinks his face against his neck, breathing in the smell that is so unmistakably Eddie even under the smell of all the smoke.

"Please Buck, I know there's something going on inside your head. Please talk to me; it kills me to see you like this."

"I wasn’t enough, Eddie,” he grumbles against Eddie's neck, feeling like he just wants to hug him even tighter, and stroking the back of his neck. "They had me as a baby savior, but I couldn't save Daniel... I wasn't enough, and they hated me for it."

"Hey, no. Buck, you can't blame yourself for that, do you hear me? Your parents had no right to put that weight on you, much less the right to walk away from you after Daniel died. That's on them, Buck, not you. "

"Maybe. But they were also right, weren't they? I always do everything wrong, Eddie; I was a handful to Bobby when I walked into the fire department, always being irresponsible and reckless. I wasn't there when Maddie needed me, I... Eddie, I lost Christopher; you trusted me, and I... I lost him. "

"No, Buck!”Eddie moved away again, just enough to look into Buck's eyes, but close enough to still keep him in his arms. "You are an excellent firefighter, and Bobby couldn't have anyone better than you at 118. You took care of Maddie and protected her ever since she came to LA; you were there, Buck, every step of the way you stood beside her. And Chris... Jesus, Buck, you need to stop blaming yourself for this. You never lost him, Buck, a tsunami happened and you did everything to make sure he was safe, nothing that happened was your fault. "

"Yeah maybe, but I..."

"God, you have no idea how much I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. Maybe that way you would see the wonderful man you are. You care about everyone, you are loving and caring, you are always willing to help and reach out to anyone who needs it. "

Eddie smiled tenderly and ran his fingertips over Buck's face, wiping away the tears that were starting to trickle down the blonde's cheek.

"You are the man who spends his nights off playing video games with my son or watching cartoon movies; you help him with his homework and read about the subjects he’s interested in so you can talk to him about them later. You play lego with him on my living room floor, read bedtime stories to him, and make pancakes for breakfast because you know he loves them and that I can’t keep from burning them. You’re the man who assures me that I’m an excellent father every time I doubt myself, the guy who helped me build a skateboard so my son can feel like any other child. You are... something, Buck. You are unique. You are special. "

"Eddie..."

"And above it all, Buck, you are enough. You are more than enough for Christopher, and you are more than enough for me. Maybe your parents can't see it, but then, it's their fault, it's their loss. I just need you to know that you're not alone, Chris and I are here; you've got us, ‘cause we're not going anywhere, but I need you to stay too, okay? I need you to promise me you won't go anywhere either, Buck, because I wouldn't know how to survive if you did. "

"I promise."

"Do you mean that?"

"Yes, I promise, Eddie. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

"Good, because I love you, Buck; I'm completely in love with you and I can't lose you, do you understand?"

Buck was going to answer, he really was going to say something, because, honestly, he had a million things to say in that moment. He wanted to say that he was also completely in love with Eddie, he wanted to say that he couldn't lose him either and that just the thought of something like that happening had left Buck awake for several nights. He wanted to say that when he had seen Eddie buried under all that mud, not knowing if they were going to get him back alive, that at that moment Buck had almost died, that for a few minutes he’d had to imagine his whole life without Eddie and that he would rather die than face that future. He wanted to say that he loved Christopher so deeply that it scared him sometimes, that he would give his life for that boy. There were a million things he wanted to say; but how could he say anything when Eddie pressed his lips against Buck's so firmly and so smoothly at the same time? How could he speak any words when he was being kissed by the man he loved with all his heart and soul? There he was, living a moment that he had lived countless times in his dreams, but that he had never thought he would be able to experience in reality.

And it was beautiful, it was intense, it was passionate and it tasted like a bright future. It was not the scene he had dreamed of; it didn’t have the romantic atmosphere of a candlelight dinner and music playing in the background. What they had were sirens and voices echoing everywhere, and the smell of smoke and the fumes of whatever product came from that factory.

It was messy and sloppy and perfect, and Buck wouldn't change a thing.

"Come home with me," Eddie murmured against his lips. Home. That sounded good.

When they were finally released from their shift, Eddie drove through the streets of Los Angeles holding Buck's hand against his thigh, refusing to stop touching him even for a second, as if he needed a guarantee that Buck was there, alive, beside him. And Buck would never deny Eddie's touch.

Entering Eddie's house brought a warm feeling to his chest; here he felt welcome and at home... but then again, home always seemed to be wherever Eddie and Chris were.

"We need to clean up," Eddie whispered as he took Buck's hand and led him to the bathroom. There was nothing sexual about the way they slowly undressed each other, nor the way they got under the shower, washing away any traces of soot and dirt from their skins. Eddie hugged him under the jet of hot water, his hands running down Buck's back, stroking him tenderly. He kissed Buck's hair, his forehead, his birthmark, his cheek, his nose, his lips. The second kiss was even better than the first, and the third better than the second.

They kissed without the slightest hurry, only concerned with savoring the taste of one another exploring every inch of each other's mouths, memorizing every second; because now they can.

And later, when they were both lying on the bed in nothing but their underwear, Buck curled up in Eddie's arms, feeling calm and welcomed in the warmth of Eddie's skin and the feeling of his breath against his neck. The darkness in the room seemed perfect at that moment, and Buck was lost in the rhythmic beating of Eddie's heart against his back.

"Eddie?"

"Yes, cariño?"

"I love you, too."

He was finally home.

[vizhi0nw]

Ghost

Pairing: Kenny Ackerman/OC

Warnings: Violence, Language. NSFW.

Words:  7k

Summary: Kenny Ackerman had never met someone with a reputation just as bad as his own.

AO3

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Part 4 of 4

Home

Snatching up one of Byren’s men was Kenny’s idea, and it was an idea Kenny executed with such proficiency and tact that it had Leyla shocked, disturbed, and a bit envious.

If she was a phantom, then Kenny was, for all intents and purposes, a predator.

Kenny had instructed Leyla to wait at her shop before he’d dragged the man in, beaten and bloodied to a near pulp, by the scruff of his neck. Leyla had hastily shut the blinds and arranged a chair for Kenny to sit the man in, before tying the man’s hands behind him with some spare rope. He’d fallen silent, by this point, opting to just glare at Kenny, teeth bared. Blood caked his face and the front of his shirt, dried and crusty and flaking away. One eye was swollen, and his lip was busted - the wound was fresh and still leaking. When he spoke, flecks of crimson flew.

“You have some fucking nerve, Kenny.”

Leyla recognized him, suddenly. It was the same guard Kenny had spoken to when he’d helped sneak Leyla inside the Byren estate. His eyes went from Kenny, to Leyla.

“Whore,” he spat. Kenny’s backhand was immediate - the man’s head snapped to the side and he spit out a flesh mouthful of blood, red saliva hanging in strings from his lips.

“You’d do best to speak to her respectfully. Ya’ know what I can do, and I know you’re scared shitless,” Kenny unsheathed his knife. He went to stand in front of the man, waving the knife like a kid waving a lollipop. “You’re gonna’ get real intimate with this if you don’t answer our questions.”

“I’m assuming you want to know about Vibro?”

“This little lady has a bone to pick with him,” Kenny jerked his knife in Leyla’s direction. “She’ll be asking the questions. I’m just here as...encouragement.”

Kenny’s lips curled back over his teeth when he spoke the last word, mouth shifting upwards into a grotesque smile. There was an audible shuffling of feet as the man tried to push himself away, but he couldn’t. He was trapped.

“O-okay.”

“Good,” Leyla said gruffly. She steeled herself for whatever resistance she knew she might face - she was intimidating, she knew, but Kenny was on another level that she’d never comprehend or be able to emulate. “The first thing I need - did Byren snatch a group of girls from the Underground’s orphanage? Five of them? Around twelve to sixteen years old?”

No response. Leyla could tell that he was pondering over how to give his answer, but Kenny grew impatience and promptly slapped him across the face once more.

“Answer her.”

“Yes! Yes. I..we..me and another were told to track them through the market...Byren has had an eye on the orphanage for a while. Getting willing sluts above ground is harder than just taking them from down here.”

Leyla’s stomach lurched. She and Kenny exchanged glances, before Leyla reached over and dragged a chair across the floor, letting it rest in front of the man and straddling it. She stared at him with hooded eyes, lips pulled into a taut line.

“Are they at the estate, still?”

“They’re alive, if that’s what you mean. They’re with the others,” the man gave a ragged cough, spitting out more blood. After he’d cleared his throat, he looked up at Leyla. “That’s all I can tell you. My job was just to grab them.”

The chair creaked as Leyla put more of her weight on its back. The man wasn’t pleading verbally, but she could see in his eyes the fact that internally, he was begging, screaming, for Leyla to show him mercy.

Leyla felt nothing but disdain for him. She also knew that it was pointless - Kenny wouldn’t let him walk out alive, even if Leyla tried to convince him to.

“Those girls are either going to be sold and trafficked, or die when Byren is finished with them,” Leyla snarled. “They’re children.”

“I told you, I just did my job,” the man replied. “You think I don’t know that they’re kids? You think I would ever fuck one of them? No. What Vibro does...is what Vibro does. There’s no stopping him. People who speak out don’t last long.”

Leyla tensed.

She’d been seven years old when her parents had been killed. She remembered their faces, remembered her mothers soft voice and her fathers comforting touch. But, each year, her memories of them were beginning to fade as time went on and on and on. It was a constant battle, trying not to forget. Trying to remember.

“You’re a coward,” Leyla breathed.

“I’d rather be a coward than be dead.”

Leyla closed her eyes. She let out a sigh, hearing Kenny snort beside her.

“How pathetic,” Kenny said softly. With shocking speed, he slammed the knife into the man’s shoulder, burying it to the hilt. The man let out a blood curdling scream, and Leyla’s eyes snapped open. Kenny continued, “There’s nothing I hate more than a fucking coward.”

“I’ll answer whatever questions you have,” the man sobbed. “Please. Please.”

Kenny flicked the knife with his pointer finger, easing back and letting it stay embedded in the man’s flesh.

With Kenny watching closely in the background, Leyla proceeded to drag as much information from her captee as she could. Locations, names, stockpile information - Byren had several caches of supplies around Mitras, and owned several storehouses out in other districts. She managed to get a rather simplistic, but helpful, layout of Byren’s estate as well. It was enough information to make her feel confident that she and Kenny could take on Byren as a duo, without possible help from a woman Kenny had mentioned was named Traute.

The man was sporting another swollen eyes by the end of it. One to match the other.

“That’s all I know,” he moaned.

“I believe you,” Leyla whispered. “Kenny…”

“No, please n-”

Blood and brains splattered against the back of his chair and across Leyla’s floor. The gunshot was loud, like a crack of thunder. Leyla had become so used to the sound that she barely flinched, watching the man’s body slump forward.

“I thought you’d never fucking ask. Asshole was gettin’ on my nerves,” Kenny let out a groan and rolled his eyes. He glanced at the carnage - bits of bone, hair, and bodily matter clung to the hardwood. “Shit. Sorry for the mess…”

“It’s fine,” Leyla said hallowly. “I’ll clean it.”

“Meet you at home?”

Home. Leyla looked around the shop - the wine bottles were gathering dust and some of the chairs had cobwebs criss-crossing from one leg to the next. It smelled stale.

This was no longer her home, she realized. The blood and brains were just an unfortunate decoration, at this point. Kenny’s apartment had been her place of residence for several months, and it already felt more congenial than the shop ever had. While she’d always love the place, it had been her grandfather’s legacy, not Leyla’s.

While she’d never have a true home with Kenny, she could pretend for now.

“Yeah,” Leyla said, her voice sounding a little less hollow and a little more hopeful. “I’ll meet you at home.”

                                              ______________

Leyla usually woke first, something Kenny was eternally grateful for. It gave him one of the most stunning views he’d ever have the pleasure of seeing - Leyla, clad in one of his button-up, white shirts and only one of said white shirts, walking around the apartment. He could see her from his room, reaching up to the top shelf of the cabinet to grab something, the shirt riding up past her thighs and giving him the shortest glimpse of panties and the curve of her supple ass. He’d be staring, and when Leyla caught him, she’d simply smile and slip out of his sight.

Fuck.

Kenny rolled over onto his back, bare chest rising and falling as he let out a long breath. There was an indent next to him where Leyla had been sleeping, and the area was still warm - she hadn’t been up very long. He heard shuffling in the kitchen, and footsteps. A moment later, Leyla entered the room with her arms crossed over her chest.

“What do you want for breakfast?”

Kenny raised an eyebrow. His eyes followed Leyla as she waltzed over to the bed, swinging her legs on either side of Kenny’s waist. She straddled him, leaning down to rest her head against his chest. Kenny basked in her closeness, groaning as his cock twitched beneath his thin sleep pants.

“Don’t care,” Kenny murmured. “Just want you right now.”

Leyla gave a rumbling chuckle. She pressed a kiss against Kenny’s chest, making her way up to his shoulder, neck, and then mouth. He buried a hand in her thick curls, hips bucking when her soft hands slid beneath his pants to grip the base of his dick. She jerked a few times before working on wriggling his sleep pants down past his hips, before doing the same to her panties. He could feel her slick against his thigh and he relished in her soft groans as she curled over him, deftly sliding the head of his cock past her soft walls.

“Sweetheart,” Kenny groaned. “So good...”

Leyla’s whimpers were consumed by Kenny’s questing mouth. He thrust upward, wanting nothing more than to tear as many sounds as he could from her throat. His hands gripped her hips, bouncing her on his dick with furious abandon until he felt his balls tighten and his stomach clench and he was shooting ropes of his cum deep inside of her.

“Kenny,” Leyla sighed, the prime indicator that her own orgasm was approaching - Kenny fucked up into her a few more, final times, before she was clenching around him and riding out her own release. She placed a damp kiss against Kenny’s shoulder, one hand lazily tugging at the grey-laced strands of hair on his head.

They lay together for a few moments, before Leyla rested her palms against Kenny’s chest and pushed herself up a bit. She stared down at him, full lips stretching into a smile.

“We need to eat. Have you decided what you want?”

“I was supposed to decide?” Kenny gave a breathy chuckle. “Show me what we have and I’ll make up my mind.”

Leyla rolled off Kenny, pulling her panties back in place. She yelped when Kenny placed a playful slap against her ass, bouncing away on the balls of her feet and disappearing back into the kitchen.

He did everything he could to remember this moment. Remember how it felt to hold her close and murmur sweet nothings into her ear - the previous night, he’d done his best to sear her touch into the very fabric of his mind. He’d taken his time with her, unwrapping her like a sweet, sweet gift and savoring each little sound he drew from her. It was addicting, but it was an addiction Kenny knew would never last a lifetime, no matter how much he wanted it to.

Kenny rolled out of bed, opting not to don his shirt for the time being. When he padded into the kitchen, Leyla was preparing fruit and slices of ham. She had her back turned and seemed to be caught looking out the window before her at the vast expanse of Mitras as she worked to cut up apples.

Was he making the right choice?

Kenny was beginning to doubt himself, doubt his decisions. It was the first time in a while he felt nervous - not for the blood and carnage he knew would ensue in a few days, but because he was genuinely wondering if the divine beings above, if they even existed, were sending him a sign. Leyla was here, in all her beauty, strength, and wit. Willing to settle with him once the deed of killing Byren was done.

He was going to choose a life of servitude to the King and to the MP’s over her.

There was a house out near Shiganshina for them, waiting.

“You’re staring again, Kenny,” Leyla said softly. Kenny shook his head, snapping out of his trance. He shoved the thought as far into the back of his mind as he could push it, walking over to settle at the table while Leyla brought over two plates arranged with berries, apples, and ham.

“I was just caught up in my own thoughts. Ya’ know how it gets,'' Kenny toyed with an apple slice. “I’m going to run recon on the estate later this evenin’.”

“Thank you,” Leyla said through a mouthful of food. She swallowed, plucking a berry from where it lay and analyzing it. “I want to get this over with. Make it smooth and clean...get those girls out of there.”

“This is a rescue mission now, huh.”

“Something like that,” Leyla murmured. She popped the berry into her mouth, chewing very slowly as she thought for a moment. When she swallowed, she took a second before speaking in a low voice. “I remember what it was like, crawling around the brothel, having to deal with clients...I did it on my own accord and still got treated like shit. I can’t imagine...what Byren is doing to those girls.”

“My sister was like you,” Kenny said tightly. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “Same profession. I’m glad you got out.”

“What was your sister’s name?”

“You wouldn’t have known her,” Kenny replied. After a pause, he said, “Her name was Kuchel. I’d visit her sometimes, and I’d come in and see her bruised and battered because she’d refused to fulfill the fantasy of some sick deadbeat.”

“I hope she hit back,” Leyla said.

“Oh, I’m sure she did,” Kenny chuckled. He could tell that Leyla wanted to know more from the way she leaned in, head tilted to the side a bit. It was the first time, he realized, that he’d spoken about Kuchel out loud to anyone. There was a weird weight floating off his chest, and he found himself wanting to speak, wanting to talk more about her. It was weird, it was foreign, but Kenny had never shied away from something new, so he embraced the feeling. “Her kid though...her kid was - is - a damn spitfire. Craziest damn brat I’ve ever known - he hits hard.”

“You have a nephew?”

“Levi,” Kenny chuckled. “You and him would get along.”

“Hm,” Leyla hummed. “Tell me more.”

Kenny did.

The weight was gone by the time he’d finished. He felt free - as free as he felt when he was flying high over Mitras with his gear, soaring above the little ants below, able to go wherever he wanted, however he wanted. He spoke to Leyla of his grandfather, of Traute and the MP’s - of Uri, and the Reiss family. He took it slowly, revealing information bit by bit until he was confident that Leyla understood.

“It’s amazing,” Leyla breathed, when he was finished. “There’s a whole world outside of the Underground that I would have never known, had I not met you.”

“Big picture, sweetheart,” Kenny ran a hand through his hair. “You’re right. The world is much too big, and you’re much too good for it.”

“Kenny…”

“When this is all over, I’m packin’ up my shit with the MP’s and we’re going to find a house near Shiganshina,” Kenny said, chest clenching when Leyla reared back, startled. “Just you and me. We’ll buy some chickens or goats or some shit…”

Leyla covered her mouth as she laughed. She reached out and clasped Kenny’s hand, suddenly. “We said we’d talk about it after, Kenny. You have your dreams as well.”

He had dreams, but he hadn’t disclosed the specifics of them to Leyla during his explanation of Uri’s abilities. She’d taken it rather well, only inquiring once or twice about the nature of the Titan powers. Kenny had told her as much as he could, and he wondered if her apathy towards the situation was due to the fact that, for all intents and purposes, Titans were something Leyla had never had to deal with. If there was one positive thing about living in the Underground beneath the Mitras, it was that death via Titan was last on the list of ways to go.

“I just...fuck, I love you,” Kenny let out a breathy chuckle. He felt Leyla squeeze his hand, and his heart did somersaults in his chest. “If only we had more time…”

“We will have time, Kenny. I promise,” Leyla said sincerely. “We’ll try. I swear, we’ll try. But right now I’m...I’m not ready. I have to do this.”

Kenny said nothing. He’d heard it before - the excuse.

This time, however, it was different.

“I’m scared of being truly alone. That’s why. I stay in the Underground...I push myself to do things like this because even though I’ve always been a loner, I’ve always had the people down there...watching me, giving me a reason to keep going. I’m scared that if I leave, I won’t have that anymore.”

“You’ll have me.”

“I know. That’s why part of me thinks I might be ready, after this.”

Leyla leaned forward and pressed her lips against Kenny’s. He returned the kiss, savoring it - in the back of his mind he found himself beginning to think of where exactly in the city of Mitras he’d find a ring.

                                                   _____________

“Make sure your gear is secure,” Kenny tugged on the straps looped around Leyla’s arms and chest. “Wouldn’t want ya’ takin’ a tumble, now would we?”

“No. It would be embarrassing, and I know you’d get yourself shot laughing at me,” Leyla huffed. She grazed her fingers across her chestplate, glancing up at Kenny as he bared his teeth in a smile. “Oh, stop it.”

“Can’t help it. Ya’ make me laugh.”

“Your cruelty knows no bounds, Kenny Ackerman.”

A thumb tilted Leyla’s chin upward. Kenny’s mouth met hers, and she immediately melted into his arms. He nipped at her lower lip when he pulled away, his breath hot against her cheek.

“Ya’ love me anyway.”

“Always.”

The sun had dipped below the walls long ago, and Mitras was now a sprawling city alight with lanterns. The Byren estate was just a pump of air away, and Leyla could see the top of the house from the roof she and Kenny were currently crouched upon. It seemed so close, yet so far at the same time.

The plan was rather simplistic in nature, but one slip up could bring the entire operation crumbling to the ground. It was Kenny’s task to take out any watchguards stationed around the estate while Leyla would soar over and squeeze through to Byren’s room on the top level. Any shootout that ensued after wouldn’t serve to alert any outdoor guards, who, from what their captee had told them, were instructed to signal for backup using flares. They’d come from all over Mitras along with the MP’s, something they - especially Kenny - couldn’t risk.

Byren was still in the dark about Kenny. Their captee had also informed them that, while Byren had his suspicions, he hadn’t seen nor heard Kenny during the initial attack.

Bold. That was the only word for the plan.

“See ya’ on the other side,” Kenny said playfully. He shot his hooks into the adjacent building, gas projecting him forward and out of sight, leaving Leyla utterly alone with only the cool night air to soothe her.

“Showtime,” she murmured. Mimicking Kenny’s actions from earlier, she shot a projectile into the building opposite of her, letting the gas launch her into the sky. Her mind was hyper focused on remembering her training - how to duck, move her body so the gas sent her careening one way, and then the other, then the other...Leyla had the rhythm down. She approached the Byren estate with careful ease, pulling herself onto the rooftop, right where she and Kenny had planned.

The area was dead silent. The lanterns were lit, but then was an eerie stillness to the mansion that sent chills down Leyla’s spine. She peered over the edge of the roof, locating the window where she knew, beyond, Byren resided. She prepared herself, making sure her guns were loaded, before swinging down from above and bursting through the glass. The entire thing was messy, loud, and sudden - if Kenny had finished with his task, there would be no guards alerted.

Byren was right where Leyla had anticipated he’d be, curled up in bed with some woman Leyla didn’t recognize. At the sound of breaking glass, he rolled from bed - Leyla could see him begin to fumble for something in the drawer of his bedside table, and as quickly as she could, she aimed a shot directly above the headboard. The resounding crack, and the impact, caused Byren to pause the search for his weapon and for the woman in his bed to scream and cover her ears.

Byren sunk to his knees at the foot of his bed. He looked up at Leyla, expression blank.

“I knew you were more than just a whore. Look at you - so brave-”

“Don’t fucking move,” Leyla hissed. She pointed the gun directly at Byren, waiting - as if on cue, Kenny burst through the bedroom door. He was panting, breastplate speckled with blood.

“Hope I didn’t miss anything,” he tipped his hat in Byren’s direction. “Bedroom is secure?”

“As secure as it can be,” Leyla replied. She looked Byren up and down - she could see that his right hand was wrapped in tight gauze, his fingers having been reduced down to nubs from where Kenny had all but vaporized the limb. His face was pallid, and he had dark circles beneath his eyes. There was still that crazed look Leyla had seen when he’d killed Marissa. It hadn’t been stomped out.

Leyla wondered what look he’d given her parents when he’d had them killed.

“I should have known,” Byren gave a breathless, struggling laugh. “You and I never saw eye to eye, Kenny. A shame it had to come to this.”

“This little lady here was far kinder to me than you ever were. Her cause was far more noble than anything you ever employed me for,” Kenny waved his gun dismissively. “It’s a damn shame, but as we all know, this world is cruel. Damn cruel.”

“You could have been anything, Kenny. I always admired you,” Byren bared his teeth. “Your unforgiving ferocity. You could have been like me - we were built for this, Kenny. Inside these walls, where there’s no Titans - people like us are the inheritors of everything.”

“I have my own damn dreams, and they certainly don’t involve whatever fucked up operation you’ve got goin’ on here,” Kenny growled. “Leyla?”

Rolling her shoulders, Leyla’s first matter of business was getting rid of the cowering, shivering prostitute in Byren’s bed. The woman had uncovered her ears and had been listening to their discussion with interest, finally having realized that they weren’t here for her. Her eyes fell across Leyla, and she seemed as if she desperately wanted to speak, but fear was choking her into silence.

So, Leyla spoke to her directly, making sure to soften her tone. “There are more girls here. Where are they?”

“Don’t-” Byren began, but Kenny had his gun aimed before he could make a move towards the woman.

“Downstairs, in the main room.”

“Thank you. Get out of here - take what you need on the way out.”

The woman nodded. She pulled a coat on over her flimsy nightdress, donned a pair of slippers, and ran out the door. There was a moment of silence before Leyla decided to speak again, but her words were interrupted by the sound of hooves against cobblestone, rough voices, and shadows passing through the door and across the wall from outside.

Kenny’s eyes snapped to the source of the sound, and Byren began laughing.

“You’re both idiots. You, especially,” Vibro Byren sent Leyla a death-glare. “Trying to take me on because you're bitter that I blew your parent’s brains out.”

Several things happened at one time. The door to the bedroom burst open, and Byren made a break for it. Leyla fired off a shot that missed and tore through the goose father pillows on his bed, sending tendrils of white flying. Kenny popped off a series of double-shots that embedded themselves in the two guards who were just raising their guns to fire -

As they fell, Byren barrelled past them and disappeared down the hallway.

“Ah, SHIT,” Kenny’s curse was booming. He looked at Leyla for direction, gesturing wildly. “New plan?”

“Go after Byren. Kill him,” Leyla began backtracking towards the busted window. “I’m hitting the lower level and grabbing the girls. We’ll regroup in the courtyard.”

Kenny nodded. He took off after Byren, and Leyla catapulted herself from the window. As she fell, wind tearing at her hair, she shot a hook into the ledge and used her gas to allow herself to float smoothly down to the first floor. The front doors to the estate were abandoned, and two corpses littered the stone stairs. Leyla stepped past them, pushing her way into the building. The great room was just ahead, and she could hear voices - she pressed herself against the wall, peering around the corner.

Leyla recognized Presley immediately. The older teenager had always greeted Leyla with a hug when she’d come to the orphanage - she had a fiery personality and had, on more than one occasion, begged for Leyla to take her on raids.

She was here, now, clad in flimsy lingerie and arguing furiously with one of the guards. Her face was red and Leyla could see a bruise on the side of her face - behind her, four other, younger girls were huddled.

“Sit the fuck down! Byren should be down here in a minute,” one of the men brandished his handgun threateningly. “Don’t make me hit you again!”

Presley reared back and spat a globule of saliva onto the man’s face. His response was immediate, and he swung his gun like a club, catching Presley in the cheek and knocking her flat on the floor.

Leyla broke from cover. She counted three other guards meandering around the room - two by the kitchen, one by the fireplace, and the other, standing over a downed Presley with a sneer on his face. Killing the single guard by Presley was easy, and as her shot hit home, she sent one hook into the throat of the guard closest to the kitchen, using her gas to launch her forward and towards his companion.

Blood gushed onto the hardwood as the hook tore past flesh and cartilage. The man gave a wet, gurgling cry and toppled, accidentally discharging his gun and shattering the lights of the chandelier above. Another buckshot whizzed past Leyla’s face, but her focus was on man still standing and fumbling with his weapon. A single shot was all it took to kill him.

“LEYLA!” Presley’s shriek was urgent, guttural - it screamed danger.

Leyla turned. The remaining guard, the one by the fireplace, had his gun raised towards the girls. A switch went off inside Leyla, and Kenny’s training hit her like a wave - push, click, reload. Kenny would have been proud of her speed, she mused, letting the steaming barrel of her gun hit the floor, the remaining piece slipping into a new barrel with rhythmic precision. She moved before she fired, tossing herself with the aid of the gas in between the guard and the huddled, terrified girls. She wasn’t sure who fired their gun first, her, or the guard, but Leyla’s shot hit home.

As did his.

As the guards head erupted in a spray of crimson, Leyla felt the projectile tear through her. Instead of landing on her feet, like she’d intended, she fell on her side and slid a few yards before coming to a stop against the side of the couch. The impact jostled her, and she felt blood begin to pour from her mouth and nose. She could barely breathe. It felt as if a heavy hand were pressing against her lungs from the inside, twisting and squeezing.

“Fuck.”

                                                    ____________

Byren was fast, but Kenny was faster.

He’d opted to take a left instead of heading towards the lower floor, bounding down yet another long hallway where more of his men were waiting - the bloodbath had been glorious. The walls were painted with streaks of red, now, and Byren was struggling to stem the flow of blood from the bullet wound Kenny had blasted through his thigh.

Half a dozen corpses littered the floor. Kenny stepped over each, sighing deeply as Byren continued to try and crawl away.

“All your men are dead, Vibro, including the pathetic backup you brought. Give it up,” Kenny couldn’t hold the exasperation from his tone. Byren was all talk and no bite. He’d made one pathetic swipe at Kenny with a knife before a bullet had put him on the floor - utterly hopeless, propped up only by his sadistic demeanor towards those less fortunate. It was why he probably aimed for young prostitutes, Kenny mused.

“She must have gotten into your brain,” Byren threw back his head and laughed, tears brimming in the corner of his eyes from the pain of the hole in his leg. “Is she that good in bed, Kenny? I know she used to be a whore. I could tell the moment she shoved her tongue down my throat.”

Kenny felt something stir in his chest, and he rolled his eyes. He stomped forward and slammed his heel into Byren’s wounded leg, dragging a scream past the man’s lips. It was satisfying, and now, it was Kenny’s turn to laugh.

“You really are good for nothin’,” Kenny raised his gun. “She gave me permission to kill ya’. For her parents.”

“I hope all of this was worth it.”

“For her? Yeah,” Kenny let out a sigh. He locked eyes with Byren, not wanting to drag this out any further.

A single gunshot was all it took.

Byren lay dead with his men. Kenny surveyed the wrecked hallway, and the estate had finally fallen silent. Whatever backup Byren had managed to pull together had been nothing more than a few mooks. No MP’s, though Kenny was beginning to wonder if their absence had been deliberate, somehow. It was rare that they wouldn’t come to the aid of some sniveling noble, especially one as relevant as Byren.

Kenny went and picked his hat up from where it had fallen during the scuffle. Sheathing his guns, he made his way down the stairs and towards the great room.

“...lift her up. No, not like that - keep her head elevated so she can breathe…”

Kenny’s heart began to drop a million miles a second.

Five girls were huddled around Leyla’s motionless body. Their state of sparse dress barely phased Kenny. All he could focus on was Leyla, and how her body was so still, save for the occasional twitch of her fingers and her eyes, which were open and staring and locking onto his own as he sank to his knees next to her.

Her shirt was sticky with blood, so much of it that it caused the fabric to cling to her flesh. The girls had removed her breastplate, and one, the oldest looking of the group, was pressing what looked to be a hand towel against the wound.

Kenny had gauged many, many wounds in his life as a squad leader and serial killer. No amount of medical attention in the world could save her.

Hopeless.

“...Kenny?”

The girls stepped away as Kenny moved closer. They were silent, watching with their heads ducked as Kenny took Leyla’s trembling hand in his own. Glassy eyes searched his face.

“I’m right here, sweetheart. I’m here.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Please don’t apologize. Ya’ don’t have to,” Kenny let out a ragged breath. He couldn’t cry in front of these girls. It was some code, some unbroken vow he’d made to himself. With a furious wave, he shooed the girls away - the oldest teenager seemed reluctant to go.

“Is...is she going to be okay?”

“No. You girls don’t need to be here to see the aftermath. Go home, back to the orphanage,” Kenny said briskly. When they didn’t move, he barked, “Go!”

They obeyed. When the sounds of their feet had finally faded away, Kenny broke - he leaned down to rest his forehead against Leyla’s, feeling her feebly lift another hand to rest against the side of his face. His tears were wet and hot and his cries were muffled. When he pulled away, there was a smile on her lips.

“This is bullshit,” Leyla gave a wet chuckle. “I wish...I wish we had more time, but I m-made my choice. I...”

“You didn’t waste your life,” Kenny said quickly. “You didn’t.”

“Is he dead?”

“Yes,” Kenny looked towards the staircase leading to the upper floor. “It’s done.”

Leyla gave a soft hum of contentment, and the noise damn near broke Kenny’s heart for good. It was the same hum she’d give in the morning, when she’d be trying to wrestle Kenny from bed. The fact that he’d never hear that noise again wasn’t something ready to accept.

She had to live. She couldn’t leave him. She couldn’t -

“Don’t sulk,” Leyla said. “Don’t you d-dare fucking sulk. You have...dreams to pursue, Kenny.”

“I understand,” Kenny raised the bloody hand in his palm and kissed it fervently. “Shit, I just…”

There’s so much I want to say to you.

“I know,” Leyla breathed.

                                                     ____________

He buried her in the cemetery next to her parents.

Kenny dug the hole himself. It took several hours, and by the end of it, he felt no different. He’d thought doing the act would bring him some closure, a feeling of relief.

Putting her in that hole only brought him more grief, though he’d done a good, good job of shutting it in a box and tossing away the key.

Having Leyla violently ripped away from him had only worked to make the self-hate he had for himself resurface tenfold. He knew he shouldn’t be feeling like shit, even though he knew he was shit - he’d always been shit. Kuchel had always been the good one, not him. He’d always believed that Kuchel should have been the one to survive, not him.

He’d walked away from Levi on his own accord. Uri had been taken due to circumstances out of his control. Leyla’s death had been on her own volition, she’d made it very clear that Kenny wasn’t to blame, but if only Kenny had been better. Stronger, smarter, faster.

He had to be better. He would be better in the future.

But now, right now, all he could think about was the fact that Leyla was a cold corpse wrapped in sheets and he was alone.

He slammed the shovel into the ground. The rectangle was big and deep enough, and for a moment, he could only stand awkwardly and shift back and forth on his feet. It was a funeral of one, he realized.

After a while, he placed Leyla in the dirt and began covering her. That task took half as long but was no more painful, no more agonizing. The tombstone he made was wooden, created using floorboards from the shop. He’d simply sketched her name - no birthdate, no last name. Leyla had never told him the first, and he wondered if she even had the latter.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

Kenny turned. It was Mika - the older woman had a small bouquet of flowers in one hand. She was bundled up in a jacket, and despite the circumstance, she had a small smile on her face.

“Come to pay your respects?”

“I wasn’t sure who was going to bury her. News from the orphanage spreads fast,” Mika stepped forward, placing the flowers in front of Kenny’s pathetic little headstone. “She’d told me, many, many times, that this was how she’d die. I just...wasn’t exactly prepared for it to happen.”

“I tried to get her to stop. She wouldn’t. Stubborn bitch,” Kenny snorted. Mika just stared down at the grave, lips pressed into an unassuming line. “She would go on and on about how much this town meant to her. I never got it.”

“She saved so many of us. I wanted her to stop, too,” Mika said somberly. “Even though I don’t think a lot of us would have made it…”

“It’s shit, what they do to you down here.”

“Us,” Mika glanced up at him. “I know you lived down here. I’ve heard the stories - Leyla told me who you are.”

“I’m nobody.”

“Everyone is somebody,” Mika reached out and patted Kenny’s dirty arm. “If you ever need a place to stay, my home is open to you. It’s what she would have wanted.”

Mika turned and left. It was the last time Kenny would probably ever see her again.

He stood by Leyla’s grave for a while, before visiting the spot where Kuchel was buried for the first time in almost a decade. Her grave was just as pathetic as Leyla’s, though hers sported a much more impressive headstone.

When he resurfaced and found himself in Mitras. He threw himself into his squad work, ignoring soft inquiries from Traute. The heaviness in his heart did not dissipate, but he wouldn’t let it affect his work - he couldn’t. He had to honor Leyla’s instructions. Honor her by inching closer and closer to his goals.

Two months passed without incident. It was mid-spring when he was called in to speak with Laurens about a potential squad mission. The short, middle-aged man was utterly reprehensible to Kenny, but he was the buffer between the nobility and the interior MP’s - he held an enormous amount of power, but had always respected Kenny’s autonomy, most likely out of fear. Kenny did what he asked, but only when he wanted to.

“I’m very happy that you took care of Vibro,” Laurens snickered and lifted his whiskey to his lips. “I don’t care how you did it, I’m just glad you did something about that menace.”

“I felt like taking the initiative, considering how he’s been a thorn in your side,” Kenny lied. He kept his face neutral, but he’d realized that the absence of MP’s and Traute’s...insistence that she help had, most likely, all been organized. Byren had far less allies than he’d bragged about.

“His sadism was getting out of hand and making us look bad. What’s done is done. I have a new job for you,” Laurens emptied his glass and ran a hand through his thin, balding hair. “There’s been reports of more thieves - five of them, specifically. Doing the same thing as that man or woman from before.”

“Thieves?” Kenny’s eyebrows shifted ever so slightly.

“Dressed in all black, nabbing rations from the MP’s. Even stole a horse - probably sold it off in the market,” Laurens waved a hand. “I want your whole squad on it. Catch them and kill them-”

“No,” Kenny said.

“Pardon?”

“I haven’t heard any reports of thieves. Things go missing all the time - hell, half the time, it’s the damn MP’s themselves stealing or misplacing rations,” Kenny leaned forward, baring his teeth in a sickeningly sweet smile. Laurens response was just as he’d anticipated; a shuddering gulp, and a raising of both hands. “Come back to me with something less boring. You’re seeing ghosts, Laurens, and nothin’ more.”

“You never say no to a job, Kenny-”

“I’m saying no today,” Kenny slammed a wad of cash onto the table, excusing himself. He began to light a cigarette, letting it hang between his teeth as he spoke. “Drinks are on me. You’re welcome.”

He left Laurens, who remained sitting in disbelief, to go take a stroll through the streets of Mitras.

End

[msmarvelwrites]

The Winter Ghost - Part 3

Info: A Devastating car crash causes you to lose your memory and start over. The only thing left in the wreckage was the horrific nightmares which plagued your mind. If you knew what today would entail you would have just stayed in bed. But you didn't and because of that, everything you knew was about to change.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x y/n

Warnings: PTSD, violence, swearing, anxiety. 

W/c: 2k 

A/n: Big thanks again to @cutie1365​ for editing this chaper. Girl is a hero, honestly. And thank you guys for all the love on the previosu chapter. Enjoy! 

   "Welcome back, мой ребенок " His breath drifted across your cheek and startled you awake. The sound of the lights above you buzzing, mixed with the musty smell of wet basement made you nauseous. You tried to move, but your arms were chained down to the table. Frantically you looked around the small room for some way out. That's when you saw him. A ghost of someone you couldn't quite remember. The way his crooked body twisted as he approached you made you squirm. 

   "Do you not remember me? Did I not leave a lasting impression? мое сердце разрывается." He chuckled and clutched his chest dramatically. You opened your mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Instead, you pulled on the chains violently trying and failing to free yourself. 

    "Please, do not hurt yourself. That's his job..." He trailed off looking in the direction you couldn't bend your neck to see. Suddenly there were two large bodies on either side of you, holding your arms tight against the bed. 

      "Where is the blueprint, мой ребенок ?" He questioned. You thrashed against the two zombie-like men but it was no use.

 "Fuck you!" You nearly spat. His only response was a sinister cackle that bounced off the walls of the room. 

"Fine. Have it your way... Tell me, Y/n. If I cut off your arm, do you think 2 more will grow back in its place?" He smiled a wicked grin. The two men next to you looked to him, awaiting his orders. 

   "Сломать это." He shrugged, casting his gaze to the floor. In seconds, the man on your right twisted your arm so it was stretched out, palm down. In one swift movement he brought his elbow down, colliding it against yours, shattering the bone. Your screams mixed with the sound of your bone cracking echoed all around you.

     "Fucking monster! I don't care what you do. You've already taken everything from me! I'm dead already." You all but shrieked. Purple and yellow bruising was already growing around your twisted arm.

   The lanky man took two wide steps toward you, now hovering over your head. A long deep scar ran from the top of his brow, down his nose and along his lip. His eyes bulged and he spoke.

"Not everything... However, that can be arranged. We cannot kill you, you have our blueprint..." He paused for a moment like he was thinking.

 "Это готово?" Is it ready? He asked the man to your left. He only nodded. A sickly grin spread across the ghost’s lips. 

"Perfect. Call me when you're done. We'll put her on ice, so to speak." He walked towards the steel door in the corner.

   "What do we do with her after?" One of the men by your side asked. You were surprised by how high pitched his voice sounded. Their leader grumbled and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Put her in a car and push her off a cliff for all I care. I don't need her remembering anything but the blueprint. Not yet anyways." With that, he left. The steel door slamming behind him. There was a horrible drilling noise as an excruciating pain ripped through your brain. Tears welled in your eyes as you passed out.

   Your eyes burst open, squinting as you adjusted to the bright lighting. You looked around panicked, realising this was not the coffee shop. The room was white and clean and bright. You noticed a quiet beeping from the machine beside you, echoing your heart beat. I.V's protruded from your forearms. Your eyes slowly fell to the man sitting in an arm chair across from you. 

     "Hey there, slugger. How'ya feelin'?" He chuckled. You recognised him as Captain Rogers. As you focused, you noticed he had a pink gash on the bridge of his nose and bruising under his eyes. You opened your mouth to speak, but a dry cough came out instead. You cleared your throat, and tried again.

 "I-I'm okay. What happened to your face?" Your voice only came out as a raspy whisper.

   "You." He spoke matter of fact. When you only stared at him he continued. "You can really pack a punch. Are you sure you're just a barista?" He scoffed, eyeing you carefully like at any moment you could attack. As if your body didn't ache at the thought of moving a finger. 

"I'm not sure of anything anymore." You signed, staring at the tiles on the ceiling. You looked back to Captain Rogers. "Where are we?" He smiled and stood crossing the room towards you.

 "You're safe. That's all that matters, Y/n. A friend of mine will come by later with the nurse. He's kind of an expert when it comes to your situation. Hang tight, get some rest. I'll come check on you later." And with that he exited the room. 

�� About an hour later you began to feel your muscles relaxing. Slowly, you sat up on the bed, taking in your surroundings. ‘I'm never going to financially recover after staying in this hospital,’ you thought. 

   "Well it's a good thing this isn't a hospital, doll. Not really." You looked up startled by the man leaning against the doorframe of your room. You weren't aware you had said that outloud. He noticed your surprise and chuckled deeply. He had a sort of lopsided grin and long, dark-brown hair that framed his stoic features. The deep red shirt he wore was pulled taut against his broad shoulders. And then you noticed a silver metal arm loosely tucked into the front pocket of his dark jeans. The man quite literally looked like he could tear you in half like a piece of paper, but his eyes gave him away. They were soft and kind and crinkled just slightly at the edges when he smiled. You stared at him, hypnotised for what felt like forever until he cleared his throat, knocking you back into reality. You felt the blood rush to your face and looked away, the floor suddenly becoming very interesting to you.  

     "It can be really overwhelming when you first get here. Trust me, I know." He spoke, asking with a nod if he could enter your room further. You smiled weakly and he took a step through the door. 

"Steve told me what happened. You really knocked him around good." He laughed, his ocean eyes sparkled as he did. 

"I don't remember," Your voice was much softer than his. He must have been referring to Captain Rogers. You didn't peg him as a Steve. Maybe a Brian, or Bruce... Or Grumpy. The nickname made you smile. 

    "Yeah, I know that feeling all too well." His smile faded but his eyes stayed locked to yours. The intensity of his stare made you blush. "It used to happen to me a lot. But, Steve helped me remember myself. He can help you, Y/n." The way he said your 'name' made you shiver. You couldn't tell if you really liked it or not.  

   "Who are you?" You blurted, sounding more direct than you meant it to. He smiled, "Everyone around here calls me Bucky." You looked around as he said that. 

"And where exactly is 'here'?" You fired again. He chuckled softly. 

"Welcome to Wakanda, doll."

      A little while later, after Bucky explained to you several times who the Avengers were, who Steve was and why you were here, one of the nurses entered. The nurse took a few tests, drawing blood from your arm. You winced and instinctually looked to Bucky. His eyes were soft and filled with concern.

   Steve took a seat beside Bucky on the windowsill and smiled half heartedly. "I'm sure you're very confused Y/n. My friends and I are going to do our best to try and help you remember everything Hydra made you forget." He disclosed. 

You looked to Bucky and he nodded reassuringly. "Piece of cake, doll." He offered, kindly. 

You smiled and looked back to Steve. "Okay... Fill me in."

   An hour and about 80 questions later Steve finished explaining and you finished asking. You didn't remember anything he spoke of, but you knew if you were here, there must be some truth to it. It helped that Bucky sat beside you the whole time. Steve explained that your father had worked for S.H.I.E.L.D for many years but when he realized they had been infiltrated by Hydra he left. Same as you. Hydra was behind your family's house fire. They  murdered them, just like they did Tommy. Steve explained what a good man he was. That he worked across the hall from you and would often leave you notes on your desk. You looked to Bucky who was staring at the floor, picking at his nails uncomfortably. 

     "They were working on a new type of brainwashing. One that would wipe a person's memory's completely leaving only fragments of the truth. It was a way to keep S.H.I.E.L.D agents who knew too much quiet." He continued. He looked to Bucky, whose eyes were still fixated on the floor. 

"Is that what they did to you?" You asked him. His head snapped up, empathy in his eyes. 

"Nah, doll. Not exactly." He explained. You waited for him to continue but he never did. 

     "What about my car crash? The doctors said-" Steve cut you off, "Hydra staged the whole thing. After they cleaned your slate they couldn't have you questioning where your memory had gone. It was easier to keep you thinking the crash had caused brain damage and that's why you had pieces missing." He finished. Suddenly the strange nightmares began to make sense. Maybe your memory was beginning to return?

   "Will I ever remember?" You asked, your voice small. You didn't know if you really wanted to. From what Steve had told you, your life sounded pretty fucked up. Maybe Hydra did you a service by wiping your memory. 

   "There is a way," Steve started, looking to Bucky who was gazing out the window now. "One of our friends, Shuri, has come up with a remedy. She helped Buck regain his memories, too. We can start the process today. We have to take it slow, though. A lot happened to you, Y/n. It may be really painful to re-live. But, you have the blueprints to a weapon that could quite literally end the game, so-"  

  "Ultimately, it's your decision Y/n. We're here to keep you safe. Not just from Hydra. I won't let anything bad happen to you." Bucky interjected suddenly, cutting Steve off before he could finish. His words were soft and kind. Steve looked to his friend and back to you, knowingly. 

"Thank you Bucky. But, these assholes took everything from me. I can't stand by when I know how to end this." He nodded in understanding. Part of him looked almost disappointed. But you quickly brushed it off. 

  "Then it's settled. I'll ask Shuri to start prepping. We'll get you a better room to keep you comfortable. Oh, and Y/n" he paused, getting up and heading to the door. 

You looked up and he smirked, "Welcome to Wakanda -" 

"I already said that." Bucky mumbled over Steve. The blonde gaped at him, taken aback by his sarcastic tone. 

"Fine whatever, I thought we agreed that it was my thing but okay."

.................................

A/N: ahhhh chapter three!! Im having so much fun with this you guys! thank you so much for reading. As always, any and all feeback in welcomed! Hope you have a great day! 

[mirkwoodshewolf]

Chapter 10; I am Mother Wolf Raksha

And here we are guys, the final chapter of the Civil War part of the story. Now as it’s getting pretty late from where I live, I will leave this for now and soon post up the two bonus chap/song fics that I have later on this weekend when and if I have time, I literally have three papers due Mon-Weds. next week. Now be prepared for the FEELS in this chapter as stated before. Thank you guys sooo much for taking the time to read, like or reblog this story and I can’t wait to hear some more comments from you guys :)

__________________________________________________

As Steve carried both Bucky and (y/n) outside they took notice of another jet nearby and standing there was none other than King T’Challa.

“Your highness” Steve said.

“I apologize to both of you. I almost killed the wrong man, the real man responsible for my father’s death will be dealt with”.  It was then T’Challa took notice of (y/n) hanging over Steve’s shoulder and he said, “What happened to her?”  The two soldiers remained silent and looked down sadly.  T’Challa approached Steve and gently took her off his shoulder and held her in his arms.

He gently brushed aside the hair from her face and pressed two fingers against her neck and said.

“She’s alive”.  Steve and Bucky looked at him in pure shock.

“Are you sure?” asked Bucky.

“I can feel a heartbeat but it’s very faint. She will die if we don’t get her help immediately. Take her to Wakanda, my people there can help her. Both of you”.

“What about you?” asked Steve.

“I will personally deliver the man responsible to Berlin, the living will soon deal with him”.  T’Challa then helped get (y/n) inside the quinjet followed by Steve and Bucky.  

Steve pressed a button and soon coming out of the wall was a makeshift bed, T’Challa gently set (y/n) down on it and upon Bucky’s request, Steve settled Bucky beside her in a chair while Steve went up to the controls and T’Challa left the quinjet to deliver Zemo to Berlin. 

As the quinjet took off, Bucky lowered his forehead against (y/n)’s and took one of her hands in his only remaining hand and whispered in Russian.

“Viset' tam wolfie”.

With a struck of diplomacy from the new King of Wakanda, Helmut Zemo was arrested and kept under the same holding condition as they had Bucky in earlier that morning back in Berlin.  

T’Challa’s sister Shuri met with Steve Rogers and escorted him to the sacred and highly secretive Black Panther sanctuary there they would be treated of their wounds and they could save (y/n)’s life. Unfortunately the damage had already been done. 

The Avengers were now forever torn apart. 

Tony went back to the compound to help Rhodes with his newly invented leg bracers that would help him walk after his fall back in Germany.  The rest of Team Cap however could not be helped, due to breaking the law of the Accords, they were captured and were to remain on an uncharted ocean prison known as The Raft.

There they would remain locked up like insane criminals and never again see the light of day. 

In Wakanda at the Science and Research facility in the Black Panther sanctuary, Steve and Bucky had been patched up from their wounds while in another room (y/n) was kept in a coma with wires and tubes sticking out of her.

As Steve and Bucky watched her through the mirror heartbroken to see a child like this, T’Challa came up beside them and said.

“The doctors tell me she has lost a lot of blood and will need a blood transfusion. Unfortunately the blood she has is not something we can easily give her. With whatever HYDRA had given her it does not match with any blood donations we have, except for two”.  T’Challa looked at the super soldiers and they looked at him.

“I’ll do it” said Steve.

“No!” Bucky demanded.  He turned to Steve and continued, “She saved my life Steve. The least I can do to repay her is to save hers. Let me do this”.  Steve looked to his best friend, his brother and saw the desperation and urge that he needed to do this.

“Alright Buck. I understand, do what you gotta do pal”. Bucky softly smiled then T’Challa lead him inside (y/n)’s room where a nurse came up and had him lay down in one of the beds and carefully stuck a needle through his veins to draw out the blood they needed.  Once they took what they needed from Bucky, they attached an IV into (y/n)’s arm and they began the blood transfusion.

Once it was complete, all they could do was monitor and wait to see if any changes had been made.  Even after the transfusion, Bucky didn’t leave (y/n)’s bedside.  He remained eternally vigil by her side wanting to be the first one to see her wake up.

Every now and then Steve would come in and sit on the opposite side of (y/n) and tell Bucky the stories about her back at the compound.  All the small things like her favorite movie, favorite books, what she likes to eat, and the stories she would tell about her tribe of her childhood before HYDRA came into the picture. 

Bucky enjoyed hearing so much about the girl underneath the Bad Wolf and it was the small things he enjoyed hearing about the most, especially when it involved hearing about who she was before she became Hydra’s Bad Wolf.

By night three, a doctor came in to check her vitals and told Bucky.

“Sorry no change”.  He then left and Bucky sighed softly then he said to her.

“You know, the only person I’d seen never run away from a fight was Steve, back when he was a punk,” he chuckled before continuing, “But you are ten times stronger than he was, so let me see that strength of yours to beat this comas ass and open those beautiful (e/c) eyes of yours, huh Wolfie? For your Bucky-bear?”  She remained silent and still as ever the only sound that could be heard was the machines beeping out her vitals and heartbeat.  “Hey, you listening Wolfie? Steve told me about some of your favorite things lately and I’m told your favorite movie is ‘Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron’ right? Well I got to listen to a song you once said really described you best as well as all the Avengers. Boy you—you weren’t kidding. That song….hit me harder than when I fell off the freight train back in 44. Now I’m not Bryan Adams but—how about I sing it to you? Hmm? Will that help you wake up any faster?”

Bucky gently brushed some hair out of her eyes and cleared his throat and said.

“If you can hear this, don’t make fun of my singing, I already said I’m no Bryan Adams”.  After that he began singing Sound the Bugle.

As he sang, his voice would choke with such raw emotion as he thought back on his torture and all the crimes he’s been force to do throughout the decades, but he tried to keep a steady voice hoping that singing her favorite song from her favorite movie would help bring her back.

Because that’s all he wanted, to know that she was going to be alright and that the debt for saving his life wasn’t in vain.

Sound the bugle now

Play it just for me

As the seasons change

Remember how I used to be

Now I can't go on, I can't even start

I've got nothing left, just an empty heart

I'm a soldier…Wounded so I must give up the fight

There's nothing more for me

Lead me away

Or leave me lying here

Sound the bugle now Tell them I don't care

There's not a road I know that leads to anywhere

Without a light, I fear that I will stumble in the dark

Lay right down and decide not to go on

Then from on high, Somewhere in the distance 

There's a voice that calls,

"Remember who you are.

If you lose yourself,

Your courage soon will follow,

So be strong tonight...remember who you are"

Yeah, you’re a soldier now,

Fighting in a battle, to be free once more.

Yeah, that's worth fighting for

Bucky held (y/n)’s hand in his.  His thumb gently stroking her knuckles as he looked at her with teary red eyes.  He leaned down towards her ear and whispered.

“I’m with you till the end of the line Wolfie”. He then came up and pressed a ginger kiss at the crown of her head and fell asleep right by her bedside. 

A week later as Bucky remained by (y/n)’s side T’Challa came in and said that the doctors needed to check up on his vitals since he has been so stubborn to do so the past week.  

Bucky reluctantly agreed after T’Challa promised to stay and watch (y/n) in case she woke up.  He gently kissed her forehead and squeezed her hand before standing up and walked out of her room.  After he left, T’Challa stared at the young girl he had referred to as Raksha throughout the Civil War and looked above him for a moment and whispered.

“Baba, if you can hear me; please send this girl back home. I have a feeling she is not ready to leave us just yet. Call Raksha back home to her pups”.

*My POV* 

I’ve been in nothing but darkness for what felt like forever.  Every now and then I would hear voices calling out to me but I can’t seem to place a face to them. There was even one time where one voice was singing a song to me.

He had such raw emotion as he sang and such a deep voice to it but it was nice while it lasted.  Suddenly a bright light shined right at me and two people came down towards me.

A man and a woman stood before me smiling with such love and adoration. I looked at both of them closely before something clicked in my mind.  I turned to the woman with (m/h/c) and (m/e/c) and choked out.

“Mom?” She smiled widely and I turned to the man and said again, “Dad?” He closed his eyes and nodded softly.  My parents were here. Oh my god I—I can’t believe it.  They came for me. 

My dad placed his arm around my shoulders and ruffled my hair like he used to when I was a little girl while my mother cupped my cheeks lovingly and kissed my forehead.  

I then felt them take each of my hands and we started walking straight towards the light hand in hand.

I felt at peace.  I finally had my parents back and together we can finally be a family again.

‘I’m with you till the end of the line Wolfie’ that voice I’m always hearing said. Suddenly flashes came back to me. 

The tribe’s massacre, becoming Bad Wolf, meeting the twins Wanda and Pietro, Ultron, The Avengers, the Civil War, and Bucky.  I saw him standing over me and he said that phrase again before feeling a kiss on my forehead.

I stopped right in my place and watched as both my parents kept walking forward.

“I—I can’t leave them”.  It was then my parents stopped walking but didn’t turn around and face me. “I’ve wanted nothing more than to see you guys again, see everyone again but—the Avengers, Steve and Bucky. Bucky—he’ll be alone again. He needs me and if I leave him…if I leave any of them now—they’ll be heartbroken forever. So I’ve gotta go back, please. They’re my family”. My parents soon turned around and walked towards me and for the first time in almost a decade I heard my mother’s sweet voice again.

“You have grown up into a fine young warrior”.  Tears formed in her eyes as she smiled lovingly at me.

“You are Mother Wolf Raksha” said my dad.  I smiled happily at them as tears fell down my face. “Now go take care of your boys”. He said again before they both disappeared into the light and I was soon pulled backwards. 

When I awoke, I saw myself in a pure white room. I felt IV’s in my arm and the sound of machines beeping.

“We almost lost fate in you Miss Maximoff”. I looked up to see T’Challa standing by the door of my room with his arms behind his back.

“Where am I?”

“The Black Panther sanctuary. You were in a coma for an entire week, but it would seem the transfusion was finally a success”.

“Transfusion?” I questioned.

“You had massive blood loss when you arrived, the only way to save you was with a blood transfusion from one of the two people who had a similar blood type to the Bad Wolf blood you had in your veins”.

“Who was it?”

“It would seem that you and Barnes have already formed such a bond with each other, he volunteered to give you some of his blood to repay the debt when you had saved him”.  My eyes stared at him in shock.   

Bucky-bear actually volunteered himself to donate some of his super soldier blood to me in order to save me. Oh that sweet, sweet man.

“Where is he? Where are Bucky and Steve?” I asked him.

“They are just down the hall. It’s over now Miss Maximoff”.  I looked at him and let out a sigh before asking him.

“And the others?”

“Unfortunately being King does not grant me access to free your friends. They are still imprisoned for breaking the law, I am truly sorry Miss Maximoff but there is nothing I can do to free your friends or your sister”.  I let out a pained sigh and a few tears fell down my face.

After all this, the Avengers were now truly divided forever.  The rest of Team Cap will never see their families or even daylight again because they are probably locked up in a tight cage kept far away from society. 

Nothing will ever be the same again, nothing.

“Can I see them?” I choked out.

“I would suggest not moving right now, but I shall inform them of your awakening”.  Just before he walked out I stopped him by saying.

“Hey your highness,” he stopped and turned towards me and I continued, “Thank you. You’re not so bad—for a cat”.

“You are not so bad yourself, for a mutt”. He teased.  The two of us smirked at each other before he left to go get Steve and Bucky.  About a minute later, the two soldiers came in and when I saw them I just had to say.

“About damn time you two old geezers got here”. They came up to me on either side and I first turned to Steve who looked at me with regretful eyes.  Just before he said anything, I pressed my fingers to his lips and said, “You’re overthinking again Steve. Remember I chose to side with you from the beginning long before this all went to shit. And if it came to repeating this whole thing all over again, I’d still side with you and go through it all over again with no regrets”.

“But please don’t ever scare us like that again (y/n)” he said with a chuckle as he stroked my cheek gingerly.  I smiled at him then turned to face Bucky.

The poor guy looked more like a sad wolf pup than anything else.  His eyes brimmed red with unshed tears.  I placed my hand against his scruffy looking face and said.

“Seems we’re now blood related”.

“Yeah, seems that way” he choked out as his human hand took mine.  I softly chuckled and he just stared down at me and said again, “You saved my life, I only felt best I did the same for you, Sora Mea”.  Hearing him call me that made my heart skip a beat.

“Thank you fratele meu”.The rest of the day consisted of doctors checking me out and spending the time with my two boys. The next day I was able to walk and move around the facility. 

I was currently in the science and research wing where a cryotube stood and Bucky was sitting on one of the tables being prep. I stood by his side and Steve soon came in and said to Bucky.

“You sure about this?” I had been told yesterday that T’Challa’s research team could find a way to get the trigger words and all the other programming that HYDRA had done to Bucky throughout the years, but he felt it was best that in case Hydra or anyone else who knew of those words were to come here, he should be in cryo-freeze not only to protect himself but everyone else as well.

“I can’t trust my own mind. So until they figure out how to get this stuff out of my head, I think going back under is the best thing. For everybody”.  Even though I understood why Bucky needed to do this, it still didn’t make it any easier for me.

I felt a hand gently cup my face and lift my chin up and I was soon looking into Bucky’s eyes.

“It’ll be okay Wolfie. I chose this, I know you’d do the same thing”. I looked at him with teary eyes and quoted my favorite line from the Jungle Book but added something slightly different.

“Never forget this. You are mine, Mine to me. No matter who comes for you, or how much time may pass. I Mother Raksha will protect you Bucky-bear”.  Bucky smiled and we both leaned our foreheads together.

As tears slipped down my face, Bucky smiled and kissed them away before separating from me.  I held his hand till the last second as he got in the cryo-tube and the scientists closed it up and turned it all.  As the ice formed around him, Bucky looked at me one final time before his eyes shut and he was finally in a peaceful frozen sleep.

I walked up to the cryotube and gently touched it before telling Steve who was standing behind me watching as his friend was placed under a frozen sleep once more.

“Steve, if you ever run into Wanda can you relay a message to her”.

“Of course (y/n)”.

“Tell her, Wolfie has now become Mother Raksha, and that she’s sorry”.

“I’m sure she will understand (y/n), and thank you”. I turned to him and the two of us hugged each other.

Knowing Steve wasn’t going to stay here, I let all my love and respect for Steve Rogers come out in my final hug for him.

“Take care of yourself, and try not to get into more trouble than you already are in”. I told him.

“I’ll try”. He joked out.  We separated and he kissed the crown of my head before gently ruffling my hair telling me one final time, “Good She-wolf”.  I smiled through my tears and watched him leave the room. I turned back to Bucky’s cryotube and phased into my wolf form and curled around it protectively and stood guard of my brother until he could be healed.

*3rd Person POV*

Steve stood outside a corridor looking out a window and King T’Challa walked up and stood beside him.

“Thank you for this” said Steve.

“Your friend and my father, they were both victims. If I can help one of them find peace”.

“You know if they find out he’s here, they’ll come for him”.

“Let them try. Even if we fail, they’ll have to get pass Mother Wolf Raksha first”. T’Challa stated proudly as the two of them stared outside the window. 

Outside the facility a wide spread jungle stood and through the mist revealed a large stone statue revealing to be a Panther and just beyond it on a hill nearby a waterfall, a training temple.

[speckledspout]

filthy fingers on my shotgun

square filled: samjohn ship: sam/john rating: mature ao3 link tags: dubious consent, anal fingering, dirty talk, finger sucking, belly bulge word count: 2.2+ a/n: this one is a completely new one for me. a new ship and ahhhhhh, it kinda threw me in a funk but here we go. thoughts, comments and opinions are always welcomed. written/created for @spnkinkbingo

John once believed that the only monsters out there in the world were the only that he hunted at night. The ones that feed on human hearts or blood. The ones that stuck to the shadows and killed just for the thrill of it. Monsters were ghosts who broke necks and black dogs that drug your soul to hell. He believed it with his whole being. It was black and white. Either you were human or you were a monster.

That was until he started looking at his youngest son. Sam, who had his older brother wrapped so tight around his little finger that you would think it was stockholm syndrome.

Sam was dangerous. As much as it hurt him to admit it, he was dangerous. There was something about his face, those pink lips that would wrap around a cherry lollipop, staining them red. He’s only fourteen, so young and seemingly innocent but John knew otherwise. He knew just how filthy his youngest was.

Dean was away on some date with some girl and John knew that he wasn’t going to be back until the morning.

He dreaded these nights, when he was left alone with his youngest.

He stayed up as late as he could, watching Sam out of the corner of his eye as if he was some predator waiting to attack. He was reading some book for school, jotting down notes periodically. John wasn’t sure how long he sat there watching his son, he was weary to look away from Sam to take a look at the clock but after some time, Sam moved from his spot where he was curled up on the couch and walked over to his bed, climbing underneath the covers.

John let out a breath that he didn’t know that he was holding and waited until Sam’s breathing evened out before he shut off the lights and climbed into his bed, ready to fall into a fitful sleep. Ever since he learned that a monster had taken hold of his youngest, he hadn’t been able to sleep soundly through the night.

He was in that place where he was tettering dangerously on the edge of being asleep and awake when he felt the bed dip behind him, the blankets shifting as Sam crawled in behind him.

“Are you still awake, daddy?” Sam asked, his voice sickly sweet and John’s stomach dropped to his feet, his blood running cold in his veins.

He could pretend that he had fallen asleep. Maybe Sam would give up, leave him alone for the night and crawl back into his own bed and let John keep this last piece of sanity. But he could feel the heat coming off of Sam in waves and already he could feel that tight coil of unnatural want starting to bloom in his stomach.

“Sam, not tonight.” John whispered back. “I need to sleep.”

There was a small puff of air that fanned out across the back of his neck and then he felt the cold fingertips of the small boy wrapping around his arm and rolling him onto his back. Then Sam threw his leg over John’s waist, placing his hands flat on John’s chest as he straddled his father's hips.

“You’re tense, daddy.” Sam whispered as he ran his hands up and down John’s chest, acting as if he didn’t hear his father. “You’re working too hard. It’s not healthy.” His voice was syrup thick as he leaned down to plaster his body on John’s chest. The boy was completely naked. “I can help you relax, daddy.”

John hated himself. If he was a stronger man, he would have said no. The first time that this happened, when Sam crawled into his lap without a stitch of clothing on and begged for things that no son should beg for, John should have pushed him away. Instead he let Sam do what he wanted to do. He was weak and he gave this power to his son that he couldn’t fight, no matter how much he wanted too.

“Sam…” It was a soft whine, one that was supposed to be warning, begging Sam to not do this tonight but it came out more as a plea. It always sounded like a plea.

“Shh.” Sam cooed. “I’m going to take care of you, daddy.”

Sam pressed a chaste kiss to John’s lips and John hated the way that they tasted like candy. He left little kitten kisses to John’s face, down his jaw, nibbling at the salt and pepper scruff. He paused at that one spot right over his pulse point that always made John moan so softly for him.

Then he moved down John’s body, so slow and teasing, his candy lips leaving a wet little trail down John’s body. Sam had been letting his hair grow out, letting it hang over his face and Sam loved the way that John shivered when it brushed across his skin. He kissed along John’s hipbones, sucking just enough that it would leave little red marks behind before he wrapped his skinny fingers around his cock. John lurched forward, bucking up into Sam’s hand and he wished that he had more control over his body. That he didn’t turn into putty whenever Sam touched him.

Sam teased him just because he could, letting his breath fan out over the sensitive parts of John’s body, letting his lips just barely brush over where John wished that he didn’t need him so desperately.

Still John shifted on the bed in anticipation, fisting his hands in the blankets because he wasn’t going to allow himself to touch Sam. He wasn’t going to give Sam that satisfaction.

Sam made himself comfortable in between John’s legs before he placed his tongue flat on the base of his cock, slowly dragging his tongue all the way up to the slit where he lapped at the pre-cum that had beaded at the tip. Sam moaned like it was the sweetest thing that he had ever tasted and John was sure that if he asked, Sam would only confirm that thought.

John’s entire body went rigid when Sam started licking at the length and then all of the sudden, wrapping his lips around the tip and sucked. He took John as far in his mouth as he possibly could, making sure that his mouth was cotton soft and warm.

Sam bobbed his head a couple of times, fighting down his gag reflex whenever John hit the back of his throat and it took everything in John not to just touch his little boy.

He wasn’t sure where Sam learned how to suck cock like this and he didn’t want to think about him on his knees in front of anyone else but him. His traitorous little heart wanted Sam all to himself even though he knew that he shouldn’t want this.

Sam pumped his cock a couple of times, making sure that his grip was feather light and whenever Sam moaned, the vibrations sent pulses up and down John’s body. Sam never seemed to need to breath when he was like this, intent on making his father come in his mouth except it seemed like Sam wanted more than that because he kept dragging it out. Whenever John let out a particularly punched out moan, a warning sound that he was about to come, Sam squeezed his fingers tight around the base of his cock, staving off the orgasm.

After what felt like an eternity, Sam pulled off of John’s cock, his lips red and swollen and wet with saliva he crawled back up John’s body, straddling his waist once more.

“I opened myself up for you, daddy.” Sam said with a filthy whisper. “Made sure that I was stretched out and ready for you so you wouldn’t have to do anything.”

“Sam…” John whined once again but Sam captured his lips with his own and John could taste himself on the boys’ lips.

Sam broke the kiss to rest his forehead on John’s chest and watch the way that John’s cock filled him so nicely. Slowly he lowered himself onto John, letting every single dirty, filthy sound leave his lips just so that John could hear what he did to him.

It felt like it always did. Tight and warm and so goddamn good that if John didn’t have any morals left he would always sink his cock inside the boy and with the way that Sam was moaning, he knew that Sam wouldn’t object to that.

“You feel so good, daddy.” Sam moaned, drunk with it. “Fill me up just right. I’m so full of you right now.” Sam had John all the way inside of him, his balls pressed up flush against Sam’s ass.

Sam rose just a little bit, rolling his hips before he dropped back down.

“I bet you can feel you inside of me.” Sam said, this time his voice barely above a whisper like this was the dirtiest thing that he’s said, that he’s done. He grabbed John’s hand that was still fisted in the bed and splayed it across his lower stomach. John almost choked on his tongue because Sam was right. He could feel the head of his cock pushing against the soft flesh of Sam’s stomach and when Sam moved, John could feel his cock moving instead of him on the tip of his fingers. “Can you feel it, daddy?”

John nodded because he didn’t trust his voice to make coherent sounds.

Then Sam started moving, really moving. Rising up on his knees to where the flare tip of his cock was catching on his rim and then he would sink back down, moaning so soft and pretty when the tip of his cock hit his prostate. Sam grabbed John’s wrist, removing it from his stomach and brought it up to him mouth, sucking on his index and middle finger like he was getting paid for it. Sam always did need something in his mouth.

John could only lay there and watch his son as Sam carried them both closer and closer to an orgasm and Sam knew how to do it perfectly.

Mary was always tight and when she wrapped her legs around his hips, she would only get tighter but she never felt like this, this warm and tight, squeezing around his cock like a vice.

Sam came first, like he always did, painting John’s stomach in white and it would only be seconds that John would paint the inside of his youngest son. Sam rode out John’s orgasm, milking everything out of him that he could before he raised back up on his knees, still hovering over his father.

John made another choked sound that came from deep within his chest when Sam reached on skinny arm behind him and fingered his loose and open hole, swiping up the come that was slowly sliding down the back of his thighs and brought it to his lips. He licked his fingers clean, reaching behind him to swipe more on his fingers and John wasn’t sure where his son learned to be do dirty.

“You taste so good, daddy.” Sam moaned around his fingers before he rolled off John and curled up next to him, pulling the blankets up to cover them both.

John just laid there, wishing that his heart would slow back down and that this was all just a nightmare. That his son wasn’t a siren and that he wasn’t the monster that took whatever Sam offered.

In the dark Sam whispered, “You can still finger my hole if you want too, daddy. I feel empty when you’re not inside of me.”

And John did only because Sam was looking at him with those puppy dog eyes that he couldn’t ever deny and there was a part of him that loved the way that Sam’s fucked out hole would try to clench around his fingers when he pushed past his rim.

In the morning, John is always the first to wake up, his youngest still curled up against him, sleep warm and baby soft. He laid there, staring up at the popcorn ceiling and pray that there’s a hunt somewhere before he runs off to the shower, desperate to wash the sin that had dried on his body from the night before. After his skin is scrubbed raw, pink and red, he fixed himself a cup of coffee that had more whiskey than caffeine and purposely not look at Sam who’s still asleep sprawled out on the white blankets.

The morning sun bleeds through the curtains, painting his skin gold.

A small moan drew John’s attention away from the newspaper that he was reading and he looked up to see Sam awake and stretching, his long, colt limbs growing even longer, a sleepy smile on his lips. Then Sam stalked out of bed, walked over to where John was and planted a kiss on his mouth, tasting the whiskey that stained John’s breath.

Sam frowned at that, his beautiful face turned down as he opened his mouth, talking with innocence that he doesn’t have, “Why do you drink so much, daddy?”

tagging: @justanothersaltandburn, @purgatoan, @corrupteddean, @pictures-over-words, @masterlynovak, @wetsammywinchester, @itsnotsammy, @belabee, @fantasygeek

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[fantasticworldoffanfics]

TOP FAVS (DEREK/STILES)

Fandom: TeenWolf

​Pen Name

Author: rootbeer

Summary: Anxiety (/aNGˈzī-itē/): A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. ~~ "The set was busy; people bustled about with their various jobs. No one seemed to notice, or maybe they just didn’t care, as the gangly boy looked about nervously. He was all skin and bones, a track of moles across his light skin. He carried a bag across his shoulders, a coffee cup in his left hand and a curious look on his face. There was nothing remarkable looking about him at all, and perhaps, that was the most remarkable thing."

DILF

Author: twentysomething

Summary: "Today is Scott's first day of kindergarten and Derek is terrified."

**sidenote: you need an AO3 account to view this fanfic

Fireman Derek's Crazy Pie

Author: owlpostagain

Summary: “He can't blame me for the fact that I live in a building full of people united in the singular effort to ogle Hot Fireman as often as humanly possible."Laura laughs, loud and echoing in the empty restaurant."Hot firemen can make a girl do crazy things," she agrees, nodding towards her brother's name on the menu. "Derek won't let me date anyone from his company, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the eye candy.""Send them my way," Stiles suggests, finally loading up a forkful of pie. "Apparently I'm incompetent enough that I need to be babysat at all times, because it would be cheaper than dispatching a truck every time I try to use a kitchen appliance."

Prince Among Wolves

Author: tylerfucklin (Zimothy)

Summary: Looking for full day/evening sitter. 2 twin boys age 4. Must have exp. w/werewolves. Must be human. No pedophiles. No teenage girls. Pay negotiable.

This Quiet Torment

Author: oblivions172

Summary: Derek has had a crush on Stiles, a young omega who goes to his school since he first laid eyes on him. He has watched him continually come to school with bruises and flesh wounds delivered by his abusive father and all he’s ever wanted to do was help but Stiles never let him get close enough. Until, one night, Stiles ends up at Derek’s house, with more than a flesh wound and Derek will do everything in his power to protect him.

Fly a Little Faster

Author: mirrorkill

Summary: Everyone knows when you go back in time, you shouldn't step on an ant, just in case you accidentally kill your own grandparent or something. But what happens when you go back in time and, uh, accidentally interrupt the one event that apparently made the Grumpiest Alpha in Town into a ball of mindless manpain?Well, if Marty McFly can do it, so can Stiles Stilinski. All he has to do is get Derek and Paige to fall in love before he gets pulled back to his own time. And before he makes anything worse. That's easy as pie, right? Right?

In the Solstice of Our Hearts

Author: ravingrevolution

Summary: "You're not putting that up your butt," Scott told him flatly and Stiles couldn't stop the pissed off whine he made, but his friend continued. "Stiles, you can't put that up your butt, you know that. Your butt won't be ready for anything to go in it until-""Okay, okay!" he said, flailing his hands to stop his friend's lecture. "Message received, no butt stuff until I'm pounced on by some freaking animal in the forest and ravished to within an inch of my life. Got it. Thanks, Scotty, I mean heaven forbid I actually try to take control of my life and give myself a fighting chance or anything.""Not all alphas are animals," Scott said quietly.Maybe he was right, but Stiles wasn't holding his breath.

His Only Defence

Author: LunaCanisLupus_22

Summary: Stiles had just accidentally challenged an alpha.Oh God, and Scott had just stood by and let him do it. He was the worst best friend ever. Stiles was going to kill him. Except, oh right, the alpha was going to kill him first. Like beyond dead, ripped into tiny little pieces dead. So far dead that his dad would not be able to identify him, dead.

The Undisclosed

Author: Taila_Tai

Summary: For once the pack doesn't panic when a new hunter arrives. The gleefully sadistic man has labelled himself a collector of all things rare in the supernatural world and wants one of the rarest creatures; a werefox. Content that the pack is safe, the wolves focus on why their human member is acting so strange, ignoring the fact that Stiles only started once learning who the man wanted...

Pack Wars

Author: miss_aphelion

Summary: Scott liked to call it the Great Pack Divide of 2012.Derek liked to call Scott an idiot.(Or the one where Derek kidnaps Stiles to teach Scott a lesson, and ends up learning a few things himself)

Alpha Magazine 'Verse Series

Author: WhoNatural

Part 1: Not Like Bond & Moneypenny

Summary: (AKA, the Ugly Betty AU where Stiles is totally Betty)Stiles thinks he’s finally getting a break when a job at the sleek, sophisticated, Alpha Magazine opens up - but soon realises he’s not going to be writing anything and instead is playing tutor-slash-babysitter to their new Editor-in-Chief. Derek’s spoiled, grumpy, in way over his head...and so painfully attractive it makes Stiles want to lick his face. So there’s very little choice in the matter.

Part 2: What Bond Did Without Moneypenny

Summary: The lost months in Not Like Bond & Moneypenny, in which Derek pines, Laura tries not to meddle, Stiles blogs, and everything works out in the end.

Part 3: After Bond Got Moneypenny

Summary: After all they went through to get here, it should be plain sailing from now on, right?

Kindred Spirit

Author: Stoney

Summary: Anne of Green Gables/Teen Wolf AU. [ You do not have to know AoGG to follow this fic, it would only enhance the reading experience. :D ] Essentially the world of Teen Wolf set in the late 1890s, with themes and some minor character names/places specifically borrowed from Anne's world (and no disrespect meant to LM Montgomery, because I love Anne Shirley to bits and pieces.)Stiles is the adopted son of the Sheriff, brought to Beacon Hills to hopefully stay for good. A family, a best friend, school, Jackson as Josie Pye (because who else could he be?) and the mystery of a dark haired, green-eyed boy which leads Stiles to discovering a secret within himself.

Gravity's Got Nothing On You

Author: zosofi

Summary: “Three weeks,” Derek says.“Still don’t want to,” Stiles says.“I’ll pay you,” Derek says, and that… that has Stiles interested. Alf’s Antique’s may be a great job, but it’s not a high-paying job, and half of Stiles’s tuition is coming from financial aid, so…“How much,” Stiles asks, “are we talking here? Because I know your family, dude. And it’ll be kind of awkward after.““My family thinks you’re some sort of fucking gift to the world,” Derek seethes, like he’s jealous, “they’ll probably be pissed at me when we break it off, so don’t worry about that. Five hundred bucks.”“A thousand,” Stiles says, because screw ethics. Also, the Hale family is loaded. Derek can deal.

The Skies Above are Blue

Author: Trelkez

Summary: Derek is a wedding DJ. Stiles just happens to go to a lot of weddings.

The Amber of the Moment

Author: redhoodedwolf

Summary: Ever since he was eight years old, Stiles had been running. Fate decided it was time to stop.

Academia Series

Author: KuriKuri

Part 1: Hemingway Can Suck It

Summary: “For those of you who just transferred into this class or simply decided that day one wasn’t important enough to attend, I’m Professor Hale. Welcome to English 346, The American Novel.”Stiles is pretty sure his mouth is hanging open right now and that his eyes are wide with shock, because holy fuck, he thinks he knows why his students transferred. Hell, if he was still an undergrad, he probably would have transferred, too.

(Or: In which Stiles is a Biology professor and Derek thinks he's a student.)

Part 2: Misinterpret Me Like Lolita

Summary: “You don’t even know the course name?” Derek growls after the guy blushes and stutters out an answer, because, Jesus, he thought the university had standards.And it sounds like the course the guy is describing is his. Isn’t it just his lucky day? No breakfast and another student who doesn’t give a shit about the course material.This class is going to be hell – he’s calling it now.

Part 3: Leave the Black Light

Summary: “We shouldn’t,” Derek protests, although the way he grips Stiles’ hips a little too tightly betrays what he really wants. “There’s another class in here in less than half an hour.”“Then I guess we’ll have to be quick,” Stiles says, unconcerned. “Good thing I came prepared.”

Tonight, the Fox Hunts the Wolf

Author: LucifersHitman

Summary: Stiles always knew finding a mate would be hard for him. He's not bright and beautiful like Lydia, or strong like Danny or adorable like Scott.He was just Stiles, fox kid with ADHD who loved to draw. Derek Hale was everything, popular, strong, smart and gorgeous.They get put together on an English assignment and it doesn't go at all like Stiles expects.

Honey Eyes and a Wolf's Heart Series

Author: Underestimated_amateur

Part 1: Pup and Kit

Summary: Derek is eight when he first meets Stiles. Peaking over at him from the end of the bed, he stared in awe. The thing was so small and chubby with lovely pale skin covered in the cutest of freckles. The little one didn't even have hair yet, just fuzz on top of his head. And the prettiest amber eyes he's ever seen.

Part 2: It’ll Be Okay

Summary: Derek was nine when he first stayed the night in the Stilinski household. Stiles was a few months past one year old.When the door suddenly opens, he races in like a man on a mission. Listening to the two other heartbeats in the house, he quickly knows which one is the one he's looking for. Stiles.

Part 3: Sourwolf

Summary: Derek was eleven when he learns the answer to a question that's been burning inside his mind since he met Stiles. Stiles is three when he shows the world what he is. Eleven was also the age when Derek begrudgingly gets a nickname that'll last a lifetime.

Part 4: Wishing Flowers

Summary: Derek is twelve when he teaches Stiles about wishing on flowers when the little one visits him. Stiles is four when he knows for sure what he wants.

Part 5: My Batman, My Catman

Summary: Stiles was in first grade when Derek learns he has to share sometimes.

Part 6: Innocent Lips and Locked Fingers

Summary: Derek is fifteen when he first takes the little one out by themselves. Stiles is seven when he gives his first kiss.

Part 7: Cindered Wreckage

Summary: It was like a story how everything played out. Like a tragedy his mother could've read to him from her library when he was younger.Derek is fifteen when he feels broken.

Part 8: Hiraeth

Summary: It's been a year after the disaster, but sometimes Derek comes back to his broken home.He is sixteen when he learns what it means to grieve. He is sixteen when he re-lets people in.

Part 9: Taking a Shot

Summary: Derek is seventeen when he finally plays a basketball game. Stiles is nine when he sees his first game.

Part 10: Healing

Summary: Derek pays a certain someone another visit.

The Noble Tie That Binds Series

Author: minusoneday

Part 1: There Is A Brotherhood

Summary: So far, college has taught Stiles three things:1) Eight am classes are cruel and unusual and should be avoided at all costs, even if it means having to enroll in something truly hideous instead, like Econ 101.2) Dorm security is just as tight as Stiles’ orientation leader had promised it would be, and the dude guarding Scott’s dorm in particular does not respond well to bribes.3) Mrs. McCall clearly had no clue what she was talking about when she’d insisted that Scott and Stiles needed to branch out and room with strangers, so it’s all her fault that Scott ended up with a total dick of a roommate and Stiles got stuck all the way across campus with some guy who has a girlfriend two towns over and is thus never around.Or, the one where pledge brothers Stiles and Scott start a prank war with Derek Hale's fraternity.

Part 2: Your Lifelong Membership is Free

Summary: Uncle Peter’s spent years regaling Derek with tales of his time as President of the Alphas. Derek’s paid close attention, because Peter’s stint as President is a pretty comprehensive guide on ‘How to Successfully Run a Fraternity into the Ground,’ so Derek plans to do the opposite of what Peter did.***A Derek POV to There is a Brotherhood. In which Derek's life is hard.

Fang & Fur Series

Author: heartsdesire456

Part 1: Somewhere I Belong

Summary: When Stiles got an interview for an internship at Fangs & Fur magazine, the publication owned by the well known and widely respected alpha Talia Hale, he never expected it to be offered an actual job by Alpha Hale herself. He also never expected for his life to change so much after he met the man whose department he was assigned to.Stiles was not prepared for Derek Hale's cub, either.

Part 2: The Same Chains That I Kept You In

Summary: The story of how Peter and Chris got together in the Fangs & Fur 'verse“Why are you so annoying?!”  “Because I CAN BE!”“Oh wow, that’s so mature, Hale-““Oh bite me, Argent!”  Stiles was actually impressed by how long Peter and Chris had been fighting. He looked at Derek, who was holding out the book he was reading to show Alex the pictures where he was sitting in Stiles’s lap. “Dude, are they okay?” he asked softly, nodding to the doorway where Chris and Peter kept reappearing.Derek turned back just as Peter stalked past with Chris following him, arms waving as he argued with him. “Oh yeah, this is a near-monthly thing,” he said, and Stiles raised a skeptical eyebrow.Series

Part 3: A Gift From The Easter Bunny

Summary: SummaryStiles and his father are invite to the Hale Pack Easter Celebration.Stiles get's a special Easter Egg in his basket.

Part 4: Feelings That I’m Wrong

Summary: Stiles looked at him closely. “I know why Derek’s eyes are blue… but I’ve never heard anything about you.”Peter looked at Stiles and Stiles saw a slightly manic glint to his eye when he grinned predatorily. “Much like Derek was defending his cub, I killed another werewolf defending something I hold very dear,” he said bitterly. “It was kept out of the media by my sister’s influence, but it was actually just a few years ago.” He looked down at his drink, swirling the cup. “Let’s just say you don’t come to visit a pack and threaten the alpha’s baby brother’s mate.”

Part 5: Don’t Wanna Hear You Say Maybe

Summary: Stiles was getting really annoyed with Derek being secretive and excited over something he refused to talk about. All day at work Derek seemed distracted and happy but Stiles couldn’t work out why.

Part 6: Can’t Wait To Call You Mine

Summary: Derek and Stiles get married... and set up their friends.

Part 7: Baby Makes Four

Summary: When Stiles and Derek decide to adopt another child, they run into an unexpected obstacle that sends them down a painfully difficult path in hopes to adopt a child.

Part 8: New Beginnings

Summary: The start of the new year brought some changes to Fangs & Fur that nobody had really expected. The biggest of which shocked far more than just the Hale pack, or the company. It also shocked pretty much the whole supernatural community.

Part 9: Anything You Like

Summary: After an afternoon out shopping with his uncles, Alex asks a question that Stiles never expected (though he probably should have).

Part 10: A Very Hale Halloween

Summary: Stiles, Derek, and the kids get ready for Halloween night.

Part 11: In Memorium

Summary: On the 20th Anniversary of the Argent Terrorist Attack that took the lives of eleven people in the town of Beacon Hills, California, Governor Talia Hale gives a speech at a memorial event for the tragedy that killed her sister, her husband, and two of her children.

Part 12: I’m Thankful For...

Summary: Primary school Thanksgiving assignments and notes sent home from Alex's Pre-K teacher make Stiles cry.

Part 13: What’s Christmas Without A Trip to the ER

Summary: Stiles was just testing the lights to see which ones worked and which didn’t when there was a loud bang on the roof and the sound of a lot of smaller thuds going further towards the front of the house. He huffed and rolled his eyes. “Derek, be careful what you drop! You might break a hole in the roof!” he shouted, knowing Derek could hear him from inside.About five minutes later, Molly came skipping in. “Daddy fell off the roof and I think he has a booboo,” she said without preamble.Stiles jerked. “Daddy did what?!”

Part 14: Leaked

Summary: “In other news, Peter Hale, CEO of Fangs & Fur, the groundbreaking werewolf magazine, and brother of Governor Talia Hale, woke up to scandal today when racy photos of Hale and his husband were published on a website called The Den, a popular website aimed towards gay werewolves. So far Hale hasn’t been available for interview regarding the apparent leak.”

more top favourites 

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8

[bobbystompy]

The Slim Shady 20

Eminem’s “The Slim Shady LP” came out, I’m told, 20 years ago. Though the album is, in many ways, dated, homophobic, problematic, sexist, and just as differently offensive now as it equally was originally, it’s still extremely excellent. Instead of going too think piece-y, I wanted to write about my favorite bars.

While Eminem’s career definitely hit higher highs with latter releases, this is my favorite album in his catalogue. He was just as angry, but it was channeled; not distorted by fame or worn down by addiction or jaded by lawsuits or persevering through death of loved ones. This was 26-year-old Marshall, getting his head above water in time to start machine gunning expletives at the world around him.

And please remember, in his words, “If I’m talking too fast, it just means you’re listening too slow.”

20.

I wanted an album so rugged, nobody could touch it Spent a million a track and went over my budget (Oh, shit) Now, how in the fuck am I supposed to get out of debt? I can't rap anymore, I just murdered the alphabet

Immediate thesis statement.

19.

If I had a magic wand I'd make the world suck my dick without a condom on while I'm on the john

Really dislike this lyric, but it’s unflinching grossness hits every time.

18. 

I met a s*** and said, "What up? It's nice to meet ya I'd like to treat you to a Faygo and a slice of pizza”

This lyric does not exist going forward because any success carries you beyond it. Shades of “Exhibit C’s” masterful “When I was sleepin' on the train / Sleepin' on Meserole Ave out in the rain / Without even a single slice of pizza to my name” exactly 10 years later.

17.

This guy at White Castle asked for my autograph So I signed it, "Dear Dave, thanks for the support, asshole"

Doesn’t even rhyme; he hated his fans from the very beginning.

16. 

‘Cause I'm the one they can relate to and look up to better Tonight, I think I'll write my biggest fan a "fuck you" letter

Gave you every, immediate chance to get away.

15.

I'm freestylin' every verse that I spit 'Cause I don't even remember the words to my shit

Nah --  you’re way too meticulous, Shady.

14.

I'm not a player, just a ill rhyme sayer That'll spray a aerosol can up at the ozone layer

I like when his evil imagery turns half-baked adolescent; might as well brag about melting ants with your magnifying glass.

13.

Tell her you need a place to stay You'll be safe for days if you shave your legs with Renee's razor blades

Some fun internals; plus the part right before taught me what “gaffle” meant.

12.

I just remembered that I'm absent-minded Wait, I mean I've lost my mind, I can't find it

+

I used to be a loudmouth, remember me? (“Uh-uh”) I'm the one who burned your house down (“Oh”) Well, I'm out now (“Shit”)

Two of my favorite circular lines.

11.

Some people only see that I'm white, ignorin' skill 'Cause I stand out like a green hat with a orange bill But I don't get pissed, y'all don't even see through the mist How the fuck can I be white? I don't even exist

Had to address the elephant in the room.

10.

You beef with me, I'ma even the score equally Take you on Jerry Springer and beat your ass legally

Man with a plan.

9.

These are the results of a thousand electric volts, a neck with bolts Nurse, we're losin' him, check the pulse

Always a lab-created monster.

8.

I want to make songs all the fellas dub And murder every rich rapper that I'm jealous of So just remember, when I bomb your set Yo, I only cuss to make your mom upset

Cracked the code for us.

7.

Got b****** on my jock out in East Detroit 'Cause they think that I'm a motherfuckin' Beastie Boy So I told 'em I was Mike D They was like, "Gee, I don't know, he might be" I told 'em, "Meet me at Kid Rock's next concert I'll be standin' by the Loch Ness Monster"

This one checks many boxes: The D, local-yet-hilariously-dated celeb name check, misogyny, mythical creatures.

6.

But they love it when you make your business public So fuck it, I've got herpes while we on the subject And if I told you I had AIDS, y'all would play it 'Cause you stupid mothafuckas think I'm playin' when I say it Well, I do take pills, don't do speed Don't do crack, don't do coke, I do smoke weed Don't do smack, I do do shrooms, do drink beer I just wanna make a few things clear My baby mama's not dead, she's still alive and bitching And I don't have herpes, my dick's just itchin' It's not syphilis, and as for being AIDS-infested I don't know yet, I'm too scared to get tested

One of the only times he breaks the fourth wall.

5.

I hang with a bunch of hippies and wacky tobacco planters Who swallow lit roaches and light up like jack-o-lanterns Outsidaz, baby, and we suin' the courts 'Cause we dope as fuck and only get a ‘2′ in The Source

This was soon corrected.

4.

That's what I did, be smart, don't be a r***** You gonna take advice from somebody who slapped Dee Barnes? “What you say?” What's wrong? Didn't think I'd remember? “I'ma kill you, motherfucker” Uh-uh, temper, temper Mr. Dre, Mr. N.W.A, Mr. AK Comin' straight outta Compton, y'all better make way

Distilling Dre’s career -- warts and all -- into a flurry of knockout punches.

3.

I'll listen to your demo tape and act like I don't like it Six months later, you'll hear your lyrics on my shit ("That's my shit"!) People don't buy shit no more, they just dub it That's why I'm still broke and had the number-one club hit

Everything we’ve ever learned about Eminem has taught us he’s a tortured obsessive... yet this stretch feels effortlessly perfect. Plus, it gives us a clairvoyant outlook on the perils of massive-success-without-actually-making-money in the YouTube/streaming era.

2.

Me and Marcus Allen went over to see Nicole When we heard a knock at the door, must've been Ron Gold Jumped behind the door, put the orgy on hold Killed them both, then smeared blood on the white Bronco (We did it)

So offensive it almost laps itself back into normalcy. The unflinching “We did it” at the end is psychotic, horrible, and confident.

1.

 Fuck rap, I'm givin' it up, y'all, I'm sorry (”But Eminem, this is your record release party!”)

Tried to get out the game on his debut; Jay Electronica would be proud.

Honorable mentions...

I lay awake and strap myself in the bed With a bulletproof vest on and shoot myself in the head (Bang) I'm steamin' mad (Grr) And by the way, when you see my dad (Yeah?) Tell him that I slit his throat in this dream I had

There’s something casual about his fantasy murder of his father that really made the end stretch of this hit home. This is the closing of his final verse in “My Name Is”; he was never playing.

Man, ain't you ever seen that one movie “Kids”? No, but I seen the porno with Sun Doobiest

Em’s devil to Dre’s angel.

My palms were sweaty, and I started to shake at first Somethin' told me, "Try to fake a stomach ache, it works" I screamed, "Ow, my appendix feel like they could burst Teacher, teacher, quick, I need a naked nurse" "What's the matter?" "I don't know, my leg, it hurts" "Leg? I thought you said it was your tummy" "Oh, I mean it is, but I also got a bum knee" "Mr. Mathers, the fun and games are over And just for that stunt, you're gonna get some extra homework" "But don't you wanna give me after school detention?" "Nah, that bully wants to beat your ass and I'ma let him"

Even the teacher wanted him to get his.

Tired of bein' stared at Tired of wearin' the same damn Nike Air hat

Never had to worry about that after this.

* * *

Death section:

- I tried suicide once and I'll try it again That's why I write songs where I die at the end 

- The disaster with dreads, I'm bad enough to commit suicide And survive long enough to kill my soul after I'm dead

- The ill type, I stab myself with a steel spike While I blow my brain out just to see what it feels like 'Cause this is how I am in real life I don't want to just die a normal death, I wanna be killed twice

- And if you ever see a video for this shit I'll probably be dressed up like a mummy with my wrists slit

- (I'm Slim Shady) So come and kill me while my name's hot And shoot me 25 times in the same spot

* * *

I got a wardrobe with an orange robe I'm in the fourth row, signin' autographs at your show

Tries to be unique and boastful... falls apart and gets self-deprecating.

I take a breather and sigh, either I'm high or I'm nuts 'Cause if you ain't tiltin' this room, neither am I

I mean, someone was... right?

We drive around in million-dollar sports cars While little kids hide this tape from their parents like bad report cards

Eh.

If I had a million bucks, it wouldn't be enough Because I'd still be out robbin' armored trucks

Unquenched desire for chaos.

A lyricist without a clue, what year is this? Fuck a needle, here's a sword, body pierce with this

Always able to make a risky situation dicier.

Wait, what if there's an explanation for this shit? What, she tripped, fell, landed on his dick?

Solid one liner.

Drug sickness got me doin' some bugged twitches I'm withdrawin' from crack so bad, my blood itches

/eyes pop out

I don't speak, I float in the air, wrapped in a sheet I'm not a real person, I'm a ghost trapped in a beat

Super fun hip-hop imagery.

[wlcannavina-blog]

✨Giveaway+Release Blitz✨ Counting Daisies, a clean romance full of heart and emotion by Whitney Cannavina is LIVE! Counting Daisies (Flowers and Hearts Series) by Whitney Cannavina Release Date: December 20th, 2017 Blog Tour: December 26th-Decemeber 30th *Counting Daisies is a standalone in a series *This is a clean teen romance Signed Paperback Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWhitneyCannavina/posts/1531507766905209 Add to your TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/bo…/show/36402431-counting-daisies Buy Counting Daisies on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2hlO8v9 Blurb: With the loss of her mother, Makayla's life it turned upside down. Starting over in a new school, meeting new friends, and getting to know the father she never met before, she has to learn to navigate this new life that was thrust upon her. With new experiences, and new friends, she finally begins to live the life she never thought she'd have all with a new and exciting romance with the uber popular, Austin James. Follow Makayla on a journey of self discovery, loss, love, and finding happiness in this clean teen romance. *This is a standalone in a series. Excerpt: “What are you wearing on your date? What about your dress for the dance?” Bobby plops down on my bed with an eager stare after rapidly asking her questions. “I don’t know about a dress for the dance. I didn’t buy one yet.” “But he will be here in an hour?” Bobby cries. “I know when he’ll be here. But I have been working almost every day after school except for Monday and Friday. I just haven’t had time to go shopping.” Am I freaking out about my predicament? You bet. But at this point I have no other options because I can’t go and buy a dress in an hour with as far as I have to drive and the time it will take to pick one and then arriving here in time to get ready for my date before the dance. Instead I am just going to grab my summer dress and hope he doesn’t notice it’s nothing fancy. Who am I kidding? Of course he’ll notice. It’s a dang summer dress! “I’m just going to tell him I’m sick. I can’t go. He’ll believe it right?” “Oh no you don’t. There is no way you are getting out of this date.” Bobby rummages through my limited amount of dresses hanging in my closet looking for something that could work but they are all out dated and simple dresses that don’t scream fancy, more like ‘I had nothing to wear so I threw this thing on’. “Makayla?” There is a light knock followed by my step mom poking her head in with a sparkle in her eye as if she knows something I don’t. “Come in, Sarah. We were just trying to figure out a good excuse to give Austin when I cancel my date.” “Oh my, why would you go and do a thing like that?” Pulling a knee length, slender cream-colored dress from behind her causes Bobby and I to gasp in surprise. “I didn’t have a dress so…” I stutter, staring in awe at the beautiful dress Sarah lays on my bed. “Is that for me?” Whispering in disbelief, I glance from the dress to Sarah and back again, excitement bubbling below the surface with hope that my night isn’t ruined. “I knew you didn’t have time to search for a dress for tonight. It’s not much but I saw it and thought of you so I bought it for you to wear tonight.” “Wow. I’m so…I’m speechless, Sarah. Thank you so much. It’s so beautiful and simple. It’s perfect and exactly what I would have chosen.” “Oh good.” Sarah clasps her hands in front of her with nervous anticipation. “Well, try it on, Hun. I want to see how beautiful you’ll look in it.” “Yes. Try it on.” Bobby chimes in. “Ok.” Taking the dress with me, I head to the bathroom. Slipping out of my yoga pants and tank top before stepping into the dress. Once I have the one-inch straps in place and the zipper in the back pulled all the way up, I take a look in the full-length mirror hanging on the back of the bathroom door. The cream colored dress reminds me of the dress that Baby wears at the end of dirty dancing with the tight, low-cut bodice that flares out at my waste and ends just above my knees. A lace overlay covers the entire dress giving it more fancy feel making it perfect for the dance tonight. It looks amazing on me and I feel so grateful to Sarah for finding me the perfect dress to hopefully go with the perfect night. Stepping back into my bedroom, Bobby and Sarah stop mid-sentence to turn towards me. In unison, they squeal in appreciation and I can’t help but follow suit. “You look amazing in that dress. Austin won’t be able to keep his eyes off you.” Bobby gushes. “Honey, you look beautiful. Do you like it?” Sarah questions. “I love it. It’s perfect.” Spinning slowly so they can see the full effect, I stop short, remembering that I don’t have a pair of shoes to match. “Oh no. I need shoes.” Scrunching my nose, I make a dash for my closet in hopes that I have a pair of black or white heels that would match. “Oh. I knew I forgot something. Hang on. I have your shoes in my room.” Sarah hurries out as Bobby pulls me to sit down on my bed next to her. “Your stepmom seems great.” “She is. I’ve heard of evil stepmoms but she has been nothing but kind to me.” “That’s good. My stepdad is a jerk. My dad hasn’t remarried but if he does, I hope she’s as nice as Sarah.” I nod, feeling bad for Bobby knowing she has been dealt a crappy stepparent. She’s told me a little about it but not much. I’m sure it’s hard for her so I don’t push. Sarah pops back in with a box and hands it to me to open. “I hope you like them. I thought they would match the dress perfectly.” Lifting the lid on the box, a gorgeous pair of black sued ankle booties lay inside. They are the cutest pair of heels I have ever seen. They’re perfect for the dress, too. “These are so cute!” I exclaim. “Put them on. Put them on.” Bobby encourages. Pulling them out of the box carefully as if they may disappear, I slide them on my feet and stand up to take a look in the mirror that hangs on my door. “Everything is perfect. Thank you Sarah.” Sarah and I embrace in a tight hug that I hope shows my appreciation for all that she’s done. “You’re welcome, Kayla. Now finish getting ready because Austin will be here in a half an hour.” Sarah leaves Bobby and I to finish getting my make-up and hair done before Austin arrives. Bobby does a great job leaving my hair in a half up-do with waves cascading down my back and a light touch of makeup with only a slightly dark brown eye shadow on my eyes to give a slightly smoky look without being overly dramatic. “There. Perfect. Austin’s jaw will drop once he sees you.” “You think?” Bobby nods her head animatedly. “Should I dress casual first and change into my dress later, or should I wear my dress with some flats, and add the booties when we arrive to the dance? Or should I wear my dress and booties the whole time?” As I continue to ask questions, Bobby must hear the panic in my voice as I try to figure out what to wear. “How about you just relax. I am pretty sure that Austin doesn’t expect you to get ready after your date so he is probably expecting you to be in your dress already. The shoes are up to you. We can gauge what you should wear when he arrives. I’ll see what he is wearing as he waits for you in the living room, and let you know.” Blowing out a breath of relief, I feel so grateful for Bobby’s help today. “Thank you.” “For what?” “For helping me get ready. I’m sorry I bailed on you tonight.” “No worries, Kayla. I totally get it. Besides, I roped Beau into being my date. After Austin picks you up I’ll be heading home to get ready for Beau to pick me up and take me to dinner.” Wiggling her eyebrows I can’t help but snort in laughter. “Does that mean you guys are going to try and date?” Shrugging, Bobby replies. “I don’t really know yet. I guess we will see after tonight.” As we double check and make sure everything is good to go, I slip the dress back on since I had changed back into my yoga pants and tank top earlier to avoid getting anything on my dress as I got ready. Just as I finish smoothing it down my waist, the doorbell rings alerting me to Austin’s presence. My heart races in nervous anticipation. I just hope my dad doesn’t give him too much of a hard time. “He’s here.” Bobby claps and bounces excitedly and tells me to shush. “Stay here. I’m going to see how he’s dressed. Then I’ll let you know what shoes to wear.” Wringing my hands in nervous anticipation, Bobby sneaks out and tiptoes her way down the hall. Hearing her quick and light footsteps as she hurries back to my room, she bursts through my door huffing and puffing as if she just ran a marathon. “You do realize you didn’t have to sneak out there and hurry back.” “Shh, I’m doing recon work. Wear your heals. Austin is looking handsome in a black suit and his hair slick back.” My excitement grows as I slip one shoe then the other onto my dainty feet. “How do I look?” Doing a quick twirl, Bobby gives me thumbs up and follows me out into the living room. “…Buck last year hangin’ on our wall. It was my first kill.” Clearing my throat, Austin halts on whatever he was about to say next to turn towards my interruption. Seeing the look of awe and appreciation sends a fit of butterflies loose in my belly. “Wow Kayla. You look gorgeous.” Austin strides purposely to me and lands a kiss to my cheek keeping it chaste in front of my parents. “Thank you. You’re looking handsome yourself.” It takes all my will power to keep my jaw from dropping to the floor at the sight of my boyfriend in a suit. He looks like he just walked out of a GQ photo shoot. “Here. I brought you these.” Sliding a bouquet of yellow and white daisies into my shaking hands, the tears instantly well up behind my eyes threatening to spill over at his thoughtful gesture. Knowing he bought daisies for me in a way of including my mom on this night has me falling completely head over heels for this man. “Daisies?” It’s a rhetorical question and Austin seems to understand. “I wanted tonight to be perfect for you and I know you wish your mom could be here so this was my way of making sure she was included.” “I can’t believe you remembered.” I whisper only loud enough for Austin to hear. “I remember everything you say.” Tilting my chin up with his thumb and forefinger, Austin kisses me once again, giving more meaning behind it by pressing his lips firmly against mine before pulling away and wiping the few errant tears that escaped from my eyes. “Thank you. This means everything to me. I’ll be right back. I’m going to put these in a vase.” Without glancing at the rest of the room, I make my way to the kitchen and open each cupboard searching for a vase to put the flowers in. “That was so romantic.” Bobby gushes as her and Sarah follows behind me into the kitchen. “Here, let me put those in a vase for you, honey.” I hand Sarah the flowers mechanically while my head spins at Austin’s thoughtfulness. “I think that boy truly cares about you. This was such a sweet gesture.” I nod as she arranges the flowers before filling the vase with water. “I’m just so…so…oh my god. I don’t even know how to explain it.” “In love.” Bobby exhales dreamily. “Yes. No. I don’t know.” How do you know when you’re in love? “It’s ok to feel overwhelmed, Kayla.” Sarah rubs my back in comfort. Knowing Austin did this to include my mom has the panic wanting to rise out of me but I do my best to push it down. Freaking out over my feelings for this man will not bode well for the night. Breathing out a deep exhale, I feel as if I am ready to go back out there. “I know.” Chewing my lip, it’s time to get back to Austin. “I think I’m ready now.” Walking back into the living room where Austin and my dad are still conversing, I make my way to Austin’s side and wrap my arm through his. “Are you ok?” Austin asks quietly, concern evident in his tone. “Yeah. I’m perfect.” And I meant it. Searching my face, Austin believes me and turns back to my dad. “I promise to have Makayla back by curfew tonight.” Shaking my dads hand, I feel like maybe they came to a truce when it comes to me. “Be good to my daughter. Have fun you two.” Stepping up to my dad, I kiss his cheek and step back under Austin’s arm as we head out. Bobby follows us as Austin makes his way to her car in the driveway and opens the driver’s side door. “After you, malady.” ​“Why thank you kind sir.” She jokes back as she slides in behind the wheel. ​Leaning down to eye level, I remind Bobby about the dance. “Text me when you get to the dance so we can find you and meet up.” ​“Have fun you two.” Wiggling her fingers in a tiny wave, she pulls away while Austin escorts me to his lifted truck. Austin easily lifts me by the waist placing me gently into the cab where I pull the seat belt over and buckle in. ​“I feel like a little kid when you do that,” I laugh out. ​“Sorry,” Austin chuckles. “You’re tiny so it’s just easier if I lift you up.” Lifting a shoulder as if it’s no big deal, I grin in amusement. ​“Where are we going?” Austin hadn’t mentioned anything about where he planned to take me before the dance. Curiosity has gotten the better of me as I pestered him relentlessly throughout the week for just a hint but he didn’t budge. Austin winks at me without giving an answer as we drive along the open road. The drivers here are never in a hurry, cruising at the speed limit or just under like it’s a Sunday morning. As we drive moderately down the road, I feel completely at ease. Passing through town, I start to wonder where Austin could possibly be taking me. I doubt he would drive into the nearest city for our date seeing as we wouldn’t have much time to relax having to rush in order to make it back in time for the dance, but Austin surprises me at every turn. ​Pulling onto a dirt road that is lined with trees, I become even more curious as to Austin’s plans. ​“You’re taking me to the middle of nowhere to chop off my head and burry me like those old horror films aren’t you,” I jest in mock horror. “No. I’d never do that. If anything, I’d keep you locked up in my basement so I’d never have to let you go and I could keep you all to my self.” “That’s creepy. You’re crazy, you know that?” Shoving him lightly, I snicker good-naturedly. “Crazy about you.” The serious tone in which Austin utters has me pausing my retort. Could he honestly feel that strongly for me already? I know I have fallen hard for him but Austin is so hard to read that I can’t tell what he’s thinking. “We’re here.” Austin turns the truck so the passenger side faces the picturesque scene. Seeing the beautiful view before me, I am in awe. Before us lays a field of knee high brown and green grass with a single trail that cuts through it leading to a small lake surrounded by large oak trees. Throughout the grass are white and yellow flowers whom most would consider weeds that sway in the slight breeze. The trees that line the edge of the lake are filled with orange, yellow, and red leaves that hang precariously on the thick, long branches where some have already started to fall onto the ground as the season changes from summer to fall. The water is still except for the occasional ripple from the breeze and fish that pop up trying to catch the bugs that skim on the water. Leaves of varying colors float atop the glassy surface adding color to go along with the reflection of the darkening sky that’s awash in orange, pink, and blue as the sun begins to set. “This is so…stunning.” Austin hops out of the truck before ambling over to my side and helping me down. The crunch of the dried leaves beneath my shoes reminds me of my favorite time of year, autumn when the world is painted with warm tones and the fragrance of cinnamon and spice permeates the air. I wait for Austin to grab what he needs out of the back seat before following him to the truck bed. The sun is just barely setting as Austin lays the blanket down and turns on the propane lamp for more light. Helping me once again into the back of the truck, Austin follows after me with ease before we each take a seat on the soft, cushiony blue blanket. “This is the most romantic date I have ever been on.” Looking around me at the open field, every once in a while I can spot flickers of light from the lightning bugs as dusk sets in turning the day into night. I’ve only seen them from afar and not so many in a single area, but as I glance around me, lightning bugs are lighting up everywhere, making the grass look like it’s lit up with Christmas lights. It’s a sight to behold. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to spend our date. “This is my favorite place to visit when I need to think. It’s quiet and peaceful here with no interruptions.” “This place does have a serene quality about it. Thank you for bringing me here tonight.” “I wanted to share it with you. You’re the only girl I’ve brought here.” Seeing the vulnerability on his face has my heart skipping a bit. Knowing that this is Austin’s sanctuary and I’m here sharing this moment with him feels like he’s showing me a side of him nobody else has seen before. “I-I don’t know what to say.” Austin says nothing but smiles brightly at me as he divvies up the food. Handing me a plate loaded with a salad, chicken with some sort of herb scattered on it, and a roll. We both dig in eating quietly, enjoying the sounds of nature surrounding us. The crickets chirp, birds sing, and an owl hoots in the distance waiting for the last ray of light to disappear so it can hunt for food. Austin moves to lean against the cab of the truck where I slide in between his legs and watch as the starry night blinks above us while the moon shines brightly making it feel as if a spotlight has been put on us. If I were to sit in the back of a truck and look at the night sky in California, there could be no way I would be able to see every star twinkling as brightly as I do right now. “You know, my dad told me a story when we first met about a time he spent just like this one with my mom. Sitting here with you just like this, reminds me of her. I feel like maybe she’s watching over us right now.” “She’ll always be with you. We can come out here as often as you’d like. Or you can come here whenever if you need time to yourself.” My heart settles, and in this moment I know I’ll never feel for another as I do for Austin. Such a simple gesture has pushed my already fallen heart completely over the edge and into oblivion. I am innately in love with Austin James. Other Books by Whitney- Fate (Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/Fate-Unexpected-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01LW34V5B/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510696143&sr=8-1&keywords=fate+by+whitney+cannavina The Romance Series Starting Over- https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Over-Romance-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00RO2AH0U/ref=sr_1_3_twi_kin_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1469052029&sr=8-3&keywords=whitney+cannavina# Looking For Love- https://www.amazon.com/Looking-Love-Book-2-Romance-ebook/dp/B013CVOXPG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1469052029&sr=8-5&keywords=whitney+cannavina#navbar Romance Series Bundle- https://www.amazon.com/Romance-Bundle-Whitney-Cannavina-ebook/dp/B00UF9EGGK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1469052564&sr=8-2&keywords=the+romance+series+by+whitney+cannavina#navbar Taken Series Save Me- https://www.amazon.com/Save-Me-Taken-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00Y96U5TW?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc#navbar Break Me- https://www.amazon.com/Break-Me-Taken-Book-2-ebook/dp/B01CRASOKI/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51ffkIrTrXL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_UX300_PJku-sticker-v7%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-50_OU01_AC_UL320_SR200%2C320_&psc=1&refRID=ZFEBWJVRB15S2KJWGC8N#navbar Reclaim Me- http://amzn.to/2lQdRch About Whitney: I am an author, blogger, and mom to the best kid ever. On the days that are not hectic (which is hardly ever) I spend my time writing what I can. I write mostly contemporary adult romance but I think I will venture out just a little and write a few for teens to broaden my reader spectrum. I have always been imaginative making up stories and friends when I was younger, and once I had a teacher tell me how horrible a story I wrote was, that I didn't write until just a few years ago. I realized I don't care what her or anyone else thinks, as long as I love what I write then I am happy. That doesn't mean I don't want readers to love my books, I am just understanding that not everyone will love what they read and I am ok with that. I also run a blog with two other awesome ladies called Country Gals BOOK Blog and I hope that you would take a look and see what we have going on. I was just kind of thrust into it but I love exploring new genres, finding new authors, and reading a range of books I might not have heard of before then. It also helps I love to tell other readers about some great authors. I grew up in Southern California, and on top of being and author, blogger and mom, I also love to watch movies, read excessively, go to hockey and baseball games, and relax with just my friends and family. I hope you take the chance to check out my books and hopefully enjoy them. Stalk Me: Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/WhitneylCannavina Linkedin- https://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=nav_responsive_tab_home Twitter- https://twitter.com/ @ashtonsmom2012 Instagram- https://instagram.com/wlcannavina/ Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/ Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11854292.Whitney_Cannavina?from_search=true&search_version=service Author Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Whitney-Cannavina/e/B00RQ0RAPK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1433608560&sr=8-1 Personal Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/AASII5XSU40TS?ie=UTF8&ref_=ya_your_profile# Google+- https://plus.google.com/u/0/101160155052383027690/postseason Snapchat- wlcannavina87 Wordpress-https://wordpress.com/me