#mid off of all time I hope a pipe bursts in the building and no one is allowed in for 2-3 business days

[hesbianhojo]

The fetish Higu Mei cards VS them putting Teppei in the Sanrio collab with Keroppi FIGHT!

[bon2bonn]

Boooo! , the grid's chilling adventure .....

22!F1 grid X female!driver!reader

Words count : 3.3k?

The grid's local crack-heads are up for a haunting adventure!

*warnings : grammar, cursing, ghosts and creepy clowns, haunted places, (haunters : scare actors), a short change in pov where the cameras malfunctioned .

The camera was pointing slightly to the side framing some of the drivers as they stood before what looks like a deserted two storey building, some of the windows were missing, some were covered with cardboard slaps and the rest were creaking with the wind .

The working crew were going back and forth , sitting cameras and adjusting the drivers monitors as they were preparing for the intro of the video , it was a bit blurry but the sound was clear due to their already working mics as it caught them mid conversation .

Y/N's voice called " I'm just saying, if we got caught , I'm ditching you guys and saving my ass " lando could be heard sassing back " you have to have one to begin with " a smack sounded followed by lando Groaning in pain , Y/N retorts back " I hope Annabelle gets you first " . Max could be heard next as he complains " why am I here again? " Charles answered him " you , are lucky enough to hang out with us " Carlos asked incredulously " in a haunted building!? , I'd rather do more sim hours " Max agrees with a humm but Daniel cuts him " just admit that you're both cowards " Max called him out " says you ! , you screamed about ten octaves higher than an ambulance siren the last time Y/N scared you , lando did too " lando protested at the bashing " I didn't say anything! " Max shrugged " you were about to " lando looked away refusing to deny the accusation , Y/N looked at the building behind them before turning back to her friends " I have to give to them this time , this place creeps me out " they agreed as Charles nods pulling his sleeves over his hands " why is it so cold around here!? " lando replied in an ominous voice getting their attention as they all turned to listen " they said this place was built over an old boarding school , they shut it down after students starts to go missing and they couldn't find anything of them but their shoes, all found in the main dining hall , they say the other students would hear their steps going around the corridors at night looking for their missing shoes and whoever dares to go out would meet the same fate " everyone was looking at him in silence untill they all burst in laughter dismissing his attempt , Carlos clapped his shoulder " yeah , nice one" , Charles agreed " I almost believed it " the crew called for their attention as they stood in line facing the camera , the director gave them the ok after she counted down .

••••••••••••

The camera cuts off to them greeting in one voice " hello! " each introduced themselves and their team , Y/N carried on after everyone was done as she explained " tonight we are doing something a little bit different as you could see " she pointed to the building behind them " our teams couldn't get rid of us legally so they've all decided to sacrifice us to the dark side and hope for the best " lando looked at her in question " wait , what !?" , but Daniel nods as he carries on " yeah , today we're doing a haunted night in a building challenge , we'll be divided into teams of two each team will take a different entrance, each have the task of collecting clues that leads to the way out " Charles piped in an exited voice " the winners gets a three days weekend getaway in a place of their choice " Max spoke next " aaaaaand, the bragging rights of being the bravest in the paddock " Carlos gave a thoughtful nod " not bad " .

The director told them their teams already been set but they protest with Y/N reasoning with " but where's the fun in that !? , come on losers rock , paper , scissor, the winner of each round teams up with the winner of the next round , incase of two winners in one round ,they play one round together and the loser gets back to play with the others " the first winner was lando who paired up with Charles, followed by Max who got Carlos , and that left Y/N to team up with Daniel , the director asked " so , what do you think about your line up ? " , Carlos nods " I think we have a pretty good team " max agreed as he looked to the other teams " I think we have more chances than the others to win this " laughing as the rest booed at him , Danny scoffed " you won't be saying that when we beat your asses " , lando shrugged " not gonna happen with your team mate , I mean you'll be lucky if you could get out " Y/N didn't hesitate to call back " speak of yourself, Charles is the definition of clumsy and you'd lose your head if it wasn't attached to your body " they went on arguing about who'd win and who's going to lose .

The director had enough and called out " alright enough with the shit talk! " And chimed in before they could start heading in " before you go , there's one more thing to know . Whoever get caught earn their team a penalty point , which requires a side task to do in order to move on with your task of collecting clues, in the end the team with less penalty points win and the one with the most lose automatically " Charles looked at lando laughing " now we're definitely doomed" lando nod back laughing as well but both moved on to their door as the rest did the same , all waiting for the count to go down to one before they got in .

The cameras inside showed each team and followed them as they ventured through the three separate hallways , each holding a flashlight and a head mounted camera for more coverage , they crept slowly looking for clues and trying to avoid getting the attention of wandering haunters who roamed in and out of the rooms , even turning their flashlights off when they hear someone close by .

•••••••••••••••

Things with Charles and lando were going surprisingly well as they proceed to look for their second clue , they end up in a storage room at the back of the first floor the both went damaging through boxes and looking through shelves not noticing the figure standing by the door and when they found it they read the instructions " seek and you shall see , which way it might be , where one turns to 100 and where voids are filled with noise " Charles made a face as he reread the clue over again trying to think of something to connect to theses words . (( the clue leads to the copy/printing room 🖨️ on the other side of the floor)) .

Lando turned around to look once more around the room for more insight but froze once he came to see the masked figure standing in a torn dusty suit with a baseball bat in hand , he poked Charles shoulder but he kept repeating their clue unaware of their current dilemma , so he ended up smacking him hard earning a shout of surprise out of him as he face lando " what was that for !? " Only for his partner to point at the figure , all Charles could say is a small " Oh " lando grimaced at him with a " oh indeed! " Charles ignored his tone whispering back " I'll go left " lando nods as he whispered back " and I'll head right , on three " Charles braced himself as he waited for the count but was left in shock as lando screamed " three ! " And made a run for the door , leaving a flabbergasted Charles back as he sprinted down the hall , the masked figure turned to Charles raising his bat and swinging it around as he stepped in , making Charles let a high pitched scream that startled everyone in earshot range and resonated through the whole floor .

•••••••••••••••••

Max and Carlos both looked at eachother at the sudden scream, both laughing as the thought the same thing " Charles got caught" , before going back to making their way to look for their third clue in one of the conference/meeting rooms on the second floor, both dodging as a clown walked by the door holding a long iron rod , skipping down the hall in a creepy dance/walk , a creepy giggle leaving him as he turned the corner . Carlos turned to Max with a shudder " that'll fuel my nightmares for two months ahead" Max gave him a teasing smile " I just figured out what I'd wear for Halloween this year " Carlos groan at him " you're insufferable!" His friend laughed " it's better me than N/N " both shuddering at the memories of being scared shitless by said driver .

••••••••••••••••••

Thing were going relatively good with the last team , collecting clues efficiently , their last clue lead them to an archive unit of sort , the kept looking around before they spotted their next clue peeking out from a file holder on the top shelf far from their reach , they ended up with Y/N on Danny's shoulders with him standing on a chair to finally reach it " imagine if i accidentally dropped you ?" She gave him a sticky eye " bitch! , if I fell down you bet your ass you're going down with me " he snorted " it's my glorious arse , you should be honoured to be in the same capacity " she rolled her eyes at him , yanking at his ear from her place still on his shoulders " yeah, me and the vengeful ghosts are truly blessed " he feigned confidence as he claimed while looking up at her " Casper and his friends can kiss my arse , I'm not scared " she pat his shoulder after she got down safely " mmhm , of course you're not " ignoring him in favour of reading their clue " look twice before you flee , one step , two steps and you may see , for it's your only way out , or it may be " both hummed in thought as they head out and down the hallway , she smacked the side of her head " I swear I'm losing brain cells with every clue ! " Daniel turned around looking for something to connect with their clue but couldn't find anything, after a while they head out , looking through the other room down the Hallway , and as expected they didn't find anything useful to aide them .

They creeped out of the hallway reaching what looked like a break room, and to their luck they found one of the haunters looking around, Y/N crouch down signaling for Danny to follow her , he gave her one look and knew exactly what she was about to do, shaking his face in a grimace he yell in a whisper " but why!?" She shrugged with a wicked smile " why not!? " , she then stomped her foot loudly getting the haunter's attention as he walked back into the hallway unaware of the crouching driver , and just as neared the corner she sprung out with a shout , scaring the wits out of him , causing him to stumble back before falling into the floor, he looked at her with wide eyes as she cackled at his stunned face , but she quickly backtracked with giggles as she kept apologizing as he got hold of himself and got back up with a hammer in hand . Daniel grabbed her hand as he turned to make a run for it .

••••••••••••••

They bot ran away with the poor figure chasing after them hammer held high and face full of vengeance , all three unaware of the stunned Max and Carlos who stood on the side of the hallway eyes wide at the scene that passed by them , both frozen until the three turned a corner and disappeared out of sight .

she let out a scream as she stumbled " I can't run! My legs are killing me!! " Danny scowled at her with a shout of his own " and who's fault is that !? " She answered not missing a beat " it's God's fault for giving me short legs " , he rolled his eyes as he found a cracked door and he was quick to shove her in getting behind her and shove the door to leave it cracked a bit , leaving enough space so they could see what's going on outside, both held their breath as he stood right before their door , he looked around with his back facing them , both driver's eyes widened when they caught their final clue , but much to their luck it was stuck on the back of the haunter's jack , the same haunter who's now looking for them , Daniel looked at his partner with a glare , she gave him a cheeky grin as she whispered " I have no regrets" he rolled his eyes again shoving her head lightly " of course you don't" she snickered before looking out only to find the figure walking away , so she turned to look around room they were hiding in, she found thin blocks of wood and an old ax thrown aside , Daniel shook his head at her " No we're not doing that , I won't trust you with an ax ! " She huffed and picked the wooden log instead, " ok , now what? " , Daniel thought for a moment as he came up with an idea.

••••••••••••••••••

Max and Carlos were seen again in another hallway, both frozen as a loud ruckus was heard down the hallway followed by a bang and footsteps running , another pair of feet were heard before they appeared, now with the haunter running away followed by Danny who was carrying a Y/N on his back and she have a long wooden stick shouting " coward !, get back here !! " They screamed as they rushed at them but didn't stop as they once again passed by them in a sprint , Carlos looked at his partner who shook his head " I for once don't wanna know " he nods in agreement " some things are better left unknown" , they turned and moved on . But stopped once the came face to face with a tall much scarier version of Annabelle, red hair falling all over her face with her hair ties tangled up on the sides , the bottom of her dress is covered in mud and the sleeves are torn with some parts seems to be burnt , they turned slowly to the way they came from and tried to run but got cornered by the clown from earlier, Carlos groaned " come on, not the clown!! ".

••••••••••••••••••

After a long chase they finally got their clue , leaving behind a traumatized haunter that they managed to corner in one of the storage rooms . now they made their way to the exit as the clue turned to be an instructions leading to the way out through the main lobby, both done with their tasks along with the penalty for technically getting caught ( they're the ones who caught/cornered to haunter but they did it anyway ) , Daniel was dressed in a bright pink tutu along with a yellow feather boa and Y/N with matching green boa and a big mustache drawn over her lips with a marker that Danny forgot to mention that is permanent ink .

On their way they came across Charles wearing a balding wig paired with thick glasses as a penalty with lando nowhere to be seen , he shrugged " he ditched me, and I ditched him back " both nods , agreeing with his logic but they stopped as they say lando rounding the corner, wearing A very fluffy clowns wig and a red nose to go with the look , he gave Charles the finger as he approached them , Charles gave him one back " you did the same thing " lando kept his scowl " yeah yeah , whatever, still , fuck you ! " . The camera glitches for a moment before it turned off along with the mics which gave a loud screach before they stop working all at once .

••••••••••••••••

(Third POV):

They all were about to head out but stopped as light foot steps were heard down the hall , they waited as the steps got closer Charles thought aloud " maybe it's max and Carlos" Daniel agreed but they were greeted with a little boy not older than 12 walked out of the dark , his face bale with dark circles framing his blank eyes contrasting his complection, the eerie thing beside his old fashioned and dirty school uniform was the way he walked, his bare feet dragging on the dirty floor and a pair of old worn out dress shoe is held tightly in his small hands , he suddenly came to a stop as he tilted his head looking directly at them causing the drivers to scoot back discreetly . He opened his mouth and asked in a hauntingly innocent voice " have you seen my shoe ? " They grabbed Y/N who was crazy enough to take a step towards the boy all three giving disbelieving looks as she made a protesting sound Daniel shook her shoulders " where in hell do you think you're going!? " She casually pointed at the standing boy " to look for his shoe ? " Lando shook his head " hell no! " Charles hid behind Daniel as he shouted at her " have you lost your mind !?" She shrugged as they turned back to the boy who was standing there looking at them waiting for an answer, lando shook his head as he answered " no we haven't seen any shoe " the boy stood still for a while but eventually gave a creepy smile as he said " okay " turning to leave, walking through the wall and out of sight, but his steps echoing down the hall before they disappear .

The drivers eyes widened in shock , their minds trying to comprehend what they just saw , Charles pointed at where the boy stood looking around unable to voice his thoughts, lando nods , he was looking like he saw a ghost, well he did see one moments ago, Daniel didn't waste time as Y/n tried to step back in to see where the kid go , so he scooped her up turned around and made a run for the door , making the other two follow his lead as he made it out in no time .

(End of POV)

••••••••••••••••

The video ends with them now lined up once again to announce the winners , lando readjust his wig " before any announcement I have one thing to say, It's rigged!" Charles shoved him , scratching beneath his balding wig " if you didn't ditch me we could've won " the director called the results " it's a technical draw between two teams with one penalty each , and the third team with 4 penalties " Carlos asked in confusion as his glittering hight top hat tilted to the side "what does that means " the director answered with " it's a technical draw between the teams because Y/N and Daniel weren't supposed to be penalized but they did serve the penalty so it's counted......" Danny called out in shock " we could've won !? " Y/N gave him a glare " I told you we should've ditch it !!!" They eventually agreed to compromise and share the prize with the other two .

Daniel made a pose while throwing his boa around his neck dramatically giving the losing team a smug look " eat dust , losers!" His partner doing the same as she throws an exaggerated kiss their way. But lando didn't let that faze him as he said pointing at her fake moustache " laugh all you want , but that's a permanent marker" she snapped her head towards Daniel who backed away " I didn't know!" Running away as she charged at him " get back here ! I'll stuff these feathers down you throat you piece of...... Get back here !" .

Max ignored them pressing on his attachable moustache and pushed back his relatively too big cowboy hat, tilting his head back a little to look at the camera as he finished the video " that's it for this time , I hope you enjoy it as much as we did" the three remaining drivers made faces of disagreement shaking their heads but he ignored it as he waved them off " tune in next time for more challenges and haunted establishments to rent , if you're interested call the F1 haunted hotline for more informations , bye " the rest waved as well minus Carlos who was rubbing Charles balding wig as he laughed " this would be us in the next three years " , Y/N and Daniel joined them eventually waving at the camera as the video ended .

[little-butterfly-writes]

Hiii I hope you are having a good day I’m kinda new to tumblr so Idk where to request and ask stuff but yeah can you write something where Victor (MLQC) has like a very weak child I just want some domestic stuff 🥲

Of course dear! I apologize for being so late. I hope this was what you were looking for, I'm not too proud of this in all honesty. ^^'

Notes - The name Hao is Chinese and means 'perfect' or 'well'. I thought it'd fit well! Hao is around 6, making him a kindergartener.

Warnings; Bullying.

Word Count - 1980

Our little boy Hao was a product made from me and Victor’s love. When we decided we wanted a child on our first anniversary of marriage, we tried nonstop until the single line turned to two lines. I remember how happy Victor was when I told him the news. He held me tight against his chest and whispered how much he loves me.

Hao, our son, quite literally lives up to the meaning of his name. He is perfect in every way. He has my eyes and nose, and the rest of his features take after Victor’s. Hao is always so kind to others and is as intelligent as his father.

~~~~~~~~~

I’m still half asleep, clinging close to my husband still. His arm around my waist hugs me possessively to his body. I can feel his fingers running gently in my hair. Victor has always been extra cuddly on the weekends, Especially on Saturdays, when no one has to get up early. Hao is never picky about getting up early, but he likes to get extra sleep when he can.

I snuggle closer to Victor. Morning cuddles are always my favorite. Victor is always slightly disheveled, much more different from his everyday look. He kisses my forehead softly. I’m nearly asleep again when I feel Victor’s weight shift. A small body crawls in between us.

Hao takes Victor’s spot for his snuggles. Victor huffs and holds us both to him. I can imagine the small pout taking place on his face. I chuckle and hold my son close to me. “Mommy! Time to get up!” He says, burying his face into your neck. “I’m up, I’m up.” I say, giving Hao a kiss on his forehead. Victor’s baritone voice pipes up, “Are you hungry?” Hao nods vigorously. “I still wanna cuddle mommy though, give me a few minutes.” I pat his inky hair, giggling at Victor’s disgruntled face. “Are you excited for school tomorrow? It’s your first day!”

Hao nods with a starry look in his eyes. “I’m so excited to start!” Victor chuckles. “Don’t be late like your mother.” I huff and pout. “It was ONE minute Victor…” Victor smirks. “One minute and fifteen seconds.” I try to banter, but he’s already getting out of bed to make breakfast. Hao and I get up as well and make a beeline to the dining room.

We spend our Sunday lazing around, making sure Hao’s bag is all ready for tomorrow, and relaxing on the couch. After tucking Hao in around mid even, Victor and I head to bed as well.

The next morning, I gently wake up Hao and tell him to get ready while Victor makes breakfast. I hop in the shower for a quick wash and get ready myself. We all meet in the dining room and eat our food in peace. A thought crosses my mind as we walk out the door and I panic. “Victor, we didn't pack him a lun-” He squeezes my hand. “Dummy, I packed one for all of us. Don’t worry.” I sigh and walk to check Hao’s seatbelt before we drive to drop him off.

We follow Hao to his classroom and meet his teacher. After a few pleasantries, Victor and I take off for work. He drops me off at my building before heading off to LFG.

I walk to Hao’s school to pick him up since filming ended early today. I wait on the bench in the school’s exit and keep an eye out for him. He’s talking to a group of boys by the gate, so I decide to let them finish talking. He must’ve made new friends already.

Hao walks over to me a few minutes later with a solemn look on his face. “Hey, honey. Are you okay? You look upset.” I say placing my hand on the top of his head. “It was fine. I’m just tired.” I notice my son’s voice is a bit softer and donning a tone of sadness. “Little Hao, are you sure? You sound upset.” He shakes my hand off and holds it with his tinier one. “Yes, I’m sure. Can we go home? I want to take a nap.” I can feel my maternal instincts screaming at me to prod on, but I end the conversation there.

Around late afternoon, Victor comes home. Hao doesn’t greet him like he usually does when he sees him. He says hello and goes back to his room. I find it odd for someone his age to act like this. “Victor,” I sigh. Victor holds me to his chest. “Is Hao okay?” He asks. I shake my head no. “I was just about to say, I don’t think he had a good day at school. He’s been like this all day.” I melt as Victor strokes my hair. “We’ll keep an eye on him tomorrow after school. I’ll make him pudding tonight, maybe he’ll feel better after eating that.” I nod in agreement. Despite all our years being married, Victor never stopped caring about me or Hao. Even if his love was still a little rough on the edges, his actions always show it.

During dinner, Hao is still quiet. We try asking him questions about his day, but only receive half hearted responses. Then I noticed some bruises on his arms. “Hao, did you get hurt at school today?” I say putting my hand over his. He nods yes, “I fell at the playground today. It’s fine.” Victor and I share a concerned look. “Is someone bothering you at school?” Victor asks gently. “No!” The three of us are startled by Hao’s sudden outburst. “No daddy, no one is bothering me at school.” Victor doesn’t seem convinced, but he lets it go for now.

Victor brings out the pudding after putting our dishes in the dishwasher. Hao refuses, saying that he’s still full from dinner and asks to be excused. I nod yes, placing both of our puddings in the fridge, not feeling happy enough to eat it myself.

This seems to go on for a few more days. Hao’s little bursts of anger, the sadness in his eyes, distancing himself from me and Victor. Victor decides to arrange a meeting with the school’s faculty to see what could be causing this.

On the day of the meeting, Victor’s hand is on the small of my back, comforting me softly. It’s dismissal time, so there’s a myriad of students exiting the building. Despite all the noise and chatter, I hear a familiar yelp. Victor seems to hear it too seeing as how we both move to the direction of the noise.

There we see it. A boy perhaps in the same grade as Hao or maybe one above hitting our son in a secluded area. I shout out to him and he looks over our way, seeming to be just as relieved to see us. I kneel down and hold his shaking body to mine. The other boy tries to find a way to escape, but a glare from Victor stops them dead in their tracks. I leaned to whisper in Hao’s ear, “I know you’re scared, but I need you to go get your teacher. Can you do that for me?” He wipes his tears while nodding and heads off. I grab Victor’s hand and look up at him. I can see the scowl on his face, nearly red with rage.

In the office with the boys and Hao, we wait to talk to the principal. Hao sits on Victor’s lap, giving his arms a small examination for any more bruises. I hold onto Hao’s hand, occasionally giving a small squeeze to reassure him.

The minute the mother of the other child is here along with the principal, Victor stands Hao near me and bolts up.

We walk into the office, Hao now relaxing on my lap. Victor is to my right and the other family is next to him. I have to fight back my tears of anger and guilt as Hao clings as tight as his small body can to me. “Did you have any idea that this was going on? My son has been bullied for days since the beginning of school. You can see the purple marks on his arms.” Victor says, nearly sounding feral. “It’s the beginning of the year, it's been so stressful for all of our teacher’s to notice-” Victor cuts the principal off. “I don’t want to hear any excuses. I don’t care if it’s the beginning of the year. I’m pretty sure it’s easy to notice signs of a bully.”

The child’s mother spoke up, “They’re just boys being boys. You and your son are overreacting.” I roll my eyes and bite my lip. “Excuse me, but if that was the answer Hao wouldn’t be coming home depressed and angry.” I hear her scoff. “Tell her Jin, you were just playing, weren’t you?” Jin sneers, “Yeah, it was just playing. You’re whining for nothing.” A gasp escapes my lips.

Hao grips onto my shirt. “It wasn’t playing! I didn’t like it, I was getting hurt..” I cradle his head to my chest and press a kiss on a tuft of hair. Victor’s knuckles are white from his grip on the chair’s arm. His voice is venomous, “It’s very clear to me that this school isn’t right for Hao. If you didn’t notice this, then what else haven’t you noticed? We’ll be transferring schools immediately.”

Hao’s lip quivers hearing his father’s voice like that. The principal tries to reason, but to no avail. Victor has already made up his mind. “I will also be pulling my funding from this school. I see no benefits from it.” Now the principal is having a full blown fit. Our family headed out of the school and on our way home.

At home, Hao eats his pudding while sniffling as Victor and I sit on opposite sides of him. I have a small ice pack for when he wants to put them on his welts. “Hao, why didn’t you tell us about this?” My voice sounded like a plea. He puts his spoon down and his head droops. “I thought I could be strong like daddy and take care of it myself, but it seems like I can’t even do that…” I look up to see Victor’s reaction. His eyes are wide and his mouth slightly agape.

Victor places a hand on Hao’s back. “Hao, you don’t need to be like me.” Hao tears up, “Yes I do! You’re always so brave and strong! I wanna be like you so I can take care of mommy more.” A small hiccup leaves his mouth.

“Hao, you don’t need to be like me. I never started out this strong and brave, it takes some time to become like this. Your mommy helped me gain courage.” He says with confidence. “Daddy, do you promise?” Victor nods, drawing Hao into a tight hug. “I promise. And no matter what, I’ll be proud of you.”

~~~~~~~~~

I wake up on a Sunday morning to a cold bed. I get up and walk up to the window, seeing Hao and Victor walking back from their jog around the block. We decided as a family we would walk together after dinners. Victor and Hao made an agreement to go on runs together on the weekend. I giggle and sneak a picture of my two boys, setting it as my wallpaper and send it to Victor.

I walk downstairs just as they walk through the door. Hao’s eyes light up and he rushes to hug me. “Little Hao, are you excited for school tomorrow?” He wiggles in my arms delightfully. “Yes, yes! I like this new school a lot more!” Victor smiles and squeezes us both in a tight hug, leaving a kiss on my forehead.

[scullydubois]

Only the Light Ch. 18

18/? | AU where Melissa moves in with Scully after Scully’s abduction | angst, msr slow-burn, occasional fluff | currently: mid-s3 (canon-divergent) | T | 5k | previous chapters | read on ao3 | tagging: @today-in-fic <3

Scully, Mulder, and Missy travel to California to meet Emily and wrestle with the future.

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

The echo of Scully’s heels against the linoleum is almost enough to drown out her racing heart. Mulder’s thumping steps and her sister’s daintier ones help too, but their collective power does nothing to ease Scully’s awareness that the Earth circles the sun at a thousand miles per hour. Today, she’s feeling every bit of it. 

The three of them round a corner, and a broad-shouldered man and tiny-waisted woman come into view. Agent Feniston and the lawyer, this must be. Outside of conference room C--as planned. 

Straightening every disc in her spine, Scully extends a hand and exchanges a firm shake with each of them. Mulder and Melissa hang back. 

“Dana Scully,” she declares. “Thank you for seeing me.”

“That decision rested with the foster parents,” the male agent insists. “As does any from this point forward.”

“Yes, and I’ll be sure to thank them as well,” Scully acquiesces.

“Hello, Ms. Scully.” The lawyer uncrosses her ankles. “I’m Tanya Joyce, you can call me Tanya. As a representative of the state of California, my priority is guarding the child’s wellbeing and ensuring that any choice made is what’s best for her.”

“Of course,” Scully murmurs. “Thank you for being here.”

Tanya thumbs toward the closed door of the conference room. “Brian and Cecily are eager to meet you. The foster system has extremely limited information on little Emily. Your testimony will help us all fill in some blanks.”

Scully nods. “Me as well...this is as much a surprise for me as all of you.”

“Are we to understand that you were not aware you bore a child, Ms. Scully?” Agent Feniston asks. 

“Yes, sir. I know it’s quite hard to believe, I feel the same. I was missing for a period of time last year and was comatose when I returned.”

“Yes, and how long was that period of time, Ms. Scully?”

The edges of her lips fall. “Approximately five weeks.”

“So is it safe to assume that though the child shares your DNA, you did not carry her?”

“No sir, not that I know of. I believe that my eggs were harvested, and she was...well, she comes from one of those.”

The agent hums a note of acknowledgement. “As I told you over the phone, the federal database contained no viable DNA match of a father.”

Scully nods. “Yes sir, and I have no knowledge of what sperm may have been used.”

“Noted.” He rubs his neck. “We were lucky, we only found you because you were in the missing persons database.”

“I had no idea I was still listed there,” Scully says. “I’ve asked the FBI to remove it.”

“Well, it was a stroke of luck for us,” the agent tells her. “This little girl’s foster parents encouraged the state to pursue child abandonment charges against whoever left her. She was found outside a local care center at two weeks old, as I’ve told you.”

“Yes.” Scully purses her lips. She imagines a baby with her eyes, nose, toes, chromosomes crying on a nondescript doorstep...she and Mulder did not know what they were doing when they said they wanted the truth. 

“We’ve already confirmed your story with the FBI,” Feniston continues, “and we have proof that you were working on cases in the east at the time of Emily’s delivery to the foster center, so you are free of any child abandonment charges.”

“Wonderful,” Scully replies, but really, those were the least of her concerns. “May I see my daughter now?” 

That’s the first time she’s ever said that sentence, and she didn’t expect terror to shoot up her spine. Is this what it is, having an extension of your life outside your body?

The lawyer steps forward. “I’ll introduce you to Brian and Cecily, they’d like to speak with you first.”

Scully does not like the way that sits in the air. Still, she musters a smile. “It would be my pleasure.”

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

Mulder and Melissa make themselves at home on a pair of leather chairs outside the conference room. They have been the pall-bearers keeping Scully aloft as her crushed dreams reinvent themselves as high hopes. They don’t understand how it happened any more than Scully herself: one phone call turned into multiple consultations with Agent Feniston, then Tanya and California Social Services and finally, DC social workers who performed background checks and prepared forms so that Scully could come here today to meet her baby and, God-willing, bring her home.

It doesn’t happen this fast, it never does--different voices said these same words to them a dozen times. And yet, barely two weeks after Agent Feniston’s fated voicemail, here they are. On All Hallow’s Eve, no less. Just in time for Emily to complete her first rotation around the sun.

They both play contrasting yet crucial roles in Operation Miracle Baby, as Mulder dubbed it. Dana has sobbed into Missy’s shoulder every night for the past two weeks; happy tears (her baby! she has a baby!), sad tears (she has a baby…and she didn’t even know...), scared tears (a baby! a baby, Missy! probably already walking, and maybe even talking if she’s exceptional...). The situation--and its implications--are impossible to reconcile in such a short time, if at all. Scully’s petite frame could not physically contain it. 

Mulder’s the comic relief, the distraction, the reminder that nothing can be so grave if there's still breath left in your body. He bought a CD of nursery rhymes and stuck in it his beat-up office radio, playing it through the day while Scully labored over this form or that and he pretended to alphabetize the case file drawer. Now, he hums himself to sleep every night with one of those rhymes; he’s hoping this new skill will come in handy. 

He would’ve bought toys and baby clothes too, but Melissa made him swear not to in case the adoption falls through. And she’s right, he can’t bear to imagine the pain Scully would feel packing those away. For sale: baby shoes, never worn hits you no matter who you are. Still, he has a stuffed UFO and a Build-a-Bear fox (yes, he went in and filled it himself) hidden in his closet, and he hopes they won’t go to waste. 

Operation Miracle Baby has been as covert as anything Mulder’s ever been involved in. He, Melissa, and Mrs. Scully are the only ones in his partner’s circle with any knowledge of what’s going on. No one else, in Scully’s words, matters. Trinity too has received a full briefing from Missy and is ecstatic about her girlfriend potentially becoming an auntie. Skinner was told it was a family emergency--and well, it is--though surely he’s suspicious about both of his agents requesting time off. Bill Jr. has no idea they’re in San Diego, though they may seek “refuge” (the air quotes are Missy’s) at his place if the proceedings drag on. 

This is a triumph or failure to be shared only with those most beloved, that’s what Scully said to them the night before they boarded the plane. Mulder has never been included in anyone’s most beloved before. It feels pretty damn good.

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

The perky lawyer raps on the conference room door, opening it in response to a voice on the other side. Scully’s breath catches….a strawberry-haired infant rests in her mother’s arms (Scully hates to think it, but surely this woman is more Emily’s mother than she is), pulling at a lock of the woman’s blonde hair. 

The woman turns her way, and Scully gets her first glimpse at Emily’s face. Emily. Her baby. She wondered the whole flight here whether she would feel a connection….a sense of recognition...upon laying eyes on her daughter. And my god, it’s like some chained section of her heart has burst open, flooded with all the good feelings of the world. Icy blue eyes and cherub cheeks...that’s her baby. That’s her baby.

She watches as her baby is passed to a woman in a CA Social Services button-up who slides past Scully in the doorway like she’s not even there. Scully has a split-second to notice the dimples on her daughter’s cheeks, but that’s it. Emily’s gaze misses her entirely. 

Tanya strides toward the couple in the room, Scully following behind. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Lace, this is Dana Scully, Emily’s biological mother.”

“We’re so glad to meet you,” the man says, shaking Scully’s hand with a firm grip. “I’m Brian, and this is my wife Cecily.”

“Thank you for speaking with me,” Scully tells them, shaking Cecily’s hand in kind. “I understand you’ve cared for Emily since shortly after she arrived at social services.”

“Yes,” Cecily confirms. “She came to us when she was a month old. Raising her has been an absolute joy.”

Brian nods. “She’s the second infant we’ve fostered. We adopted our first one, Andrew, when he was a year and a half.” 

“I didn’t realize you had another child,” Scully converses, feeling out of her depth. “It must have been quite a transition, taking Emily in.”

“It sure was, but she’s an angel, truly,” Brian says. “We couldn't fathom that someone could abandon her and get away with it, that’s why we contacted Agent Feniston.”

Cecily chimes in--”We were told the chances of finding a DNA match in the federal database was slim. We didn’t expect to learn that you were unaware of Emily’s existence!”

“Yes, I’m still coming to terms with it all,” Scully replies. “I’m grateful that you’ve given me the opportunity to see her, at the very least.”

“When we heard your story, we knew it would be heinous of us to say no,” Cecily says, offering a sympathetic smile. 

“You’re an FBI agent, did we hear that right?” Brain asks.

“Yes sir, I’ve been with the Bureau five years now.”

“You live in DC?”

Scully nods. “Around the corner from the National Mall.”

“That’s exciting!” Cecily pipes up. “How did you find yourself having Emily in San Diego?”

“I actually have no idea, Mrs. Lace,” Scully murmurs. “My family lived here when I was young, but I haven’t been back since. Coincidentally, my brother lives not too far off.”

“Wow,” Cecily gasps. “They weren’t kidding about you being a missing person.”

“No ma’am.” She went from a missing person to missing a person. No wonder she’s spent the past year feeling so empty. 

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

Mulder and Melissa get only the slightest moment to catch their breath before a child that is unmistakably the progeny of Dana Scully is carried into the lobby. Her hair curls around her ears in a cute mushroom top, her tongue dancing in her mouth like it has a mind of its own. They stare; they know better, but fuck it, if any baby is worth staring at, it’s this one. 

“Is that--?” Mulder whispers.

“Yeah,” Missy breathes. 

They’ve both seen the pictures, they are well aware that it’s her. They say these things for the awe of it. 

“She’s…” Mulder’s eyes are wide. “She’s bigger than I thought she would be. Not fat, I mean. Just...a whole tiny human.”

“She is, isn’t she?” Melissa smiles at her niece, who is now seated on her caretaker’s lap across the hallway. Emily’s big eyes blink at her, containing silent judgements. How like her mother she is.

Missy elbows Mulder. “I bet she orders mushroom pizza and then picks the mushrooms off because apparently ‘the cheese tastes better than on the regular cheese pizza,’” she muses, naming one of her sister’s quirks. 

Mulder likes this game. “I bet she vehemently denies the existence of extraterrestrials only to secretly believe that her dashing partner is right,” he offers.

Missy smirks. “I bet she would find this game very stupid if she understood it.”

“I’m all in on that one.” Mulder mimes pushing a pile of poker chips into the center of a table. 

Missy laughs, looks toward her seat partner with soft eyes. “She’s gonna be a great mom, isn’t she? Dana, I mean?”

“Oh yeah.” Mulder clasps his hands in his lap. “We should be so lucky to have a little Scully in the world.”

“Mm-hm.” Missy focuses on his face, watching for the slightest move that might give his thoughts away. “And she’ll be able to do it alone, do you think?”

“Well, I’m sure she’ll need some help from Mrs. Scully, and you, and…” he trails off before adding his own name, but Missy’s mind fills it in reflexively. “She’ll need help,” Mulder finishes, “but yeah, she’ll be incredible.”

The details have already been parsed out. As a single mother, Scully is required to list a guardian who would take custody of Emily if something were to happen to her. She listed her mother as the primary one--the social worker told her it’s best if it’s someone who has child-rearing experience--and Missy as the secondary guardian. She would, after all, already live in the child’s household. 

Then there was the matter of the job--its extensive time requirements, travelling, and danger level were all of concern to the agency. This came as no surprise to Scully; a single female FBI agent does not make the ideal adoption candidate. And though she hasn’t yet spoken to the Bureau, Mulder has promised her they’ll work something out. It can be like your leave of absence, he assured her. You tackle the paper trail and I’ll focus on following the suspect’s trail. Easy-peasy.

That’s what he says to her, though he’s terrified of losing her as his partner...Of her being reassigned to something simpler or leaving the Bureau entirely. She could teach at Quantico, that schedule would be a hell of a lot easier than running on Mulder time. Agent Scully can pack for hastily-booked flights at midnight then catch them at 7am, but Emily’s mother couldn’t. He will have to reckon with this if all the pieces fall into their graceful place. He’ll have to figure out how to rearrange their partnership for her, or even worse, how to live without her as his partner. Or maybe even at all. 

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

Scully glances at her shoes, then summons the courage to meet Mrs. Lace’s hazel eyes. “I hope you will consider my request. I know it’s not up to you entirely--the court will have the final say--but my abduction experience has left me unable to have a biological child, so learning of Emily was truly a miracle of the highest order.” 

Her voice clips as she takes a breath. “I understand that it would be a huge sacrifice on the part of your family, and that you’ve developed a bond with Emily over the past eleven months. I just ask you both to please...think about it.” Tears twinkle in her eyes. She made it, thank god, she made it without breaking down! She’s rehearsed that speech ten times over.

Cecily lays a hand on her husband’s arm. “Of course, Dana. It would be a painful sacrifice to us, you’re correct, but we understand that you’ve flown across the country to be here, and that you’ve brought witnesses to testify to your character, so your commitment is clear. We’ll listen and make as compassionate a decision as possible.”

Scully’s lips creep into a smile. “Thank you. I appreciate that.” She steps back, the weight of imminent sobs settling over her chest. 

“Ms. Scully has already undergone most of the requirements needed for adoption,” the lawyer tells Mr. and Mrs. Lace. “Medical clearance, psychiatric clearance, criminal background check, and home study. In the spirit of her unique circumstances, California and the District of Columbia have agreed to cooperate to make the process as smooth and expedient as possible, if you should choose to surrender Emily to her. I don’t mean to sway your decision in any way, just to give you all the available information.” 

The couple nods. “Thank you, Tanya,” Cecily answers. “We’d like to speak with the first witness now.”

Scully balks. She expected more questions, a barrage of them, as intense and prying as if she were testifying in front of Congress. And she was ready for that--she was prepared to do whatever they asked of her, to show that there are no lengths she wouldn’t go for Emily. She’s already documented every detail of her life for social services and given over the necessary specimens to prove that no, she’s not a drug user, and yes, her thyroid is hyperactive, but she takes medication for that and her doctor will confirm that it’s under control. 

And if they wanted to know more, she’d tell them. She’d tell it all. Her deepest, darkest secret (telling Daniel that yes, he should leave his wife & kids...all for her, to be with her), the most petty thing that haunts her (stolen cigarettes, smoked on the family porch at 1am), what she wants to say most but can’t (I love you)...a part of her was taken to create Emily. She would give the rest away to keep her.

There was a moment, in one of the drab little interrogation rooms at DC social services, where Scully was met with a question that lunged toward her like a time-bomb. Pull the fuse, pull the fuse it taunted her. See what happens. Instead, she played it off. Pretended she didn’t hear its doomed tick. Feigned none the wiser. No, she isn’t aware of any potential medical condition that would inhibit her life expectancy or ability to care for a child, she told the nice woman. Thank god they got the chip out of her neck before it showed up on any x-rays. 

She snaps back to reality, watching as the conference door opens, and her sister enters the room. 

“Thank you, Dana,” Tanya says, and she assumes that’s the lawyer’s way of telling her to get out, so she does. Outside the room, she settles next to Mulder in a seat that’s still warm.

“How’d it go in there, champ?” he chatters. “You need some water or anything?”

Scully’s not listening. Her eyes are trained on the baby girl across the way with hair too auburn to be brunette that’ll require a smattering of box dye every two weeks to qualify her as a soulless ginger. 

Emily’s eyes land on the woman she does not know is her mother, studying this new face with an infant’s usual curiosity. Mulder has realized by now that the little girl is of much more interest to his partner than he is, and he watches as mother and daughter wave to each other.

Scully lets out a laugh so strangled that for a moment Mulder thinks it’s a cry and jumps to comfort her. He relaxes back into his seat once he sees the joy on her face.

“She’s a sweetheart, huh?” Mulder wisecracks as the young girl jams her fingers into her mouth.

Scully beams. “She’s a baby, that’s her way of learning the world!”

“Hey, I’m not knocking it. That’s my personal preference as well,” he says with a lop-sided smile. 

“Yeah, well, she’s not licking evidence,” Scully quips. 

Mulder shrugs. “A man can’t help his oral fixation. Haven’t you ever heard of Freud…?” he lets it slide off his tongue. 

Scully rolls her eyes. His inability to maintain an appropriate manner is nothing if not inspiring. 

She gestures toward Emily. “You’re already encouraging bad behavior. Tsk-tsk,” she teases. 

“That’s my job as--hey, wait. What’s she gonna call me?” If you get custody, of course passes silently between them.

“I don’t know, Mulder,” Scully says, watching her daughter out of the corner of her eye. “I hadn’t really thought about it.” That’s a lie. She’s sat up during the night trying to decipher Mulder’s relation to Emily. He would certainly be the male authority in her life, but that doesn’t make him a father figure. Right? 

Scully adored her father because he was the head of the family, and he embraced the responsibility, always making sure they had what they needed. While her mother was often the one doing the grunt work of caring for them, her father provided for them. His long deployments with the Navy protected them. Scully understood his sacrifice and loved him for it 

That’s not how it would go with Emily. If she were so lucky as to get the child, Scully would be the caretaker and the provider. A two-in-one deal with a high price. What would that mean, for Emily? Scully could do it, she believes that. Not that it would be anything less than utterly exhausting, but with a little help from her mother and her sister, she could make do, and they say it takes a village to raise a child anyway, so what’s so bad about that?

Since she’s filling those roles herself, that leaves...well, Mulder could be the fun uncle, that fits him. Bill Jr. isn’t gonna cut it, and neither is Charlie, considering that he’s god knows where. Besides, it’s unlikely that Mulder will get a chance to know a biological niece or nephew. He and Emily could fill missing pieces in each other’s lives.

Scully’s eyes trace the contours of her partner’s face. “Do you have a preference about what she calls you?”

“I was hoping for His Royal Highness Fox Mulder of Martha’s Vineyard--is that too much?”

Scully lets a strand of hair fall over her face. “It might take her awhile to get her tongue around that.”

“Or it’ll speed up her speech acquisition,” Mulder replies. 

“Oh, you’re a child-rearing connoisseur now?”

Mulder twiddles his thumbs. “It is my goal to raise the first kid to transcribe canine language into English.”

“Really? I wasn’t aware of that,” Scully tells him, a smile flitting on her lips. It’s this kind of banter that keeps her sane. A few minutes out here with him, and she’s forgotten that what happens in that conference room will dictate the rest of her life. 

Across the hallway, Emily giggles at the air, and it fits, doesn’t it? Here she is, already laughing at Mulder’s jokes like the Scully girl she is. 

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

It feels like a prisoner exchange when witness number one in their civil-that-sure-feels-like-a-criminal case joins Scully back in the hallway, and Mulder is called forward “to the stand.” He swears he found a penny in the parking lot this morning & promises to bring back good news. Scully’s pretty sure he made that story up, but she’s no less hopeful that it’ll come true.

Returned from her brief stint in captivity, Missy dives right into a discussion of her niece: “Look at her, Dana, she looks just like you!”

“Well, she does have fifty percent of my DNA,” Scully concedes with an admiring glance at the little girl.

“Have you gone over to see her?”

Scully shakes her head. “I didn’t think that would be proper.”

“Are you kidding me?” Missy retorts. “First of all, Brian and Cecily are very nice people, and I’m not supposed to say this, but I think there’s a chance that Emily will be yours. Secondly, this could be your only opportunity to interact with your daughter and you’re not gonna take it?”

Scully bites her lip. Her sister knows how to craft an argument. “Alright, but you have to back me up.”

“Trust me, I wanna see her just as badly as you.”

Scully steels herself, then approaches the woman in the polo shirt. “Hello.” She does a polite half-wave, which she’s never done before and which makes her feel ridiculous. “I’m the potential adoptee, and I was wondering if I could say hello to this precious little girl.” It all feels completely out of character, like she’s reading lines from a script. But this is it, this is her reality.

The woman’s face offers little in the way of recognition. “You can have a supervised visit with her, yes,” she recites, as rehearsed as Scully. 

“Great.” Scully claps her hands together. “May I take her to my sister right over there?”

The woman nods. Scully lays her hands on Emily’s waist and lifts the girl gently from the woman’s lap. She is heavier than Scully imagined, or maybe just heavier than she hoped. Every ounce is a reminder of unseen existence and unwitnessed growth.

Emily does not balk, just stares up at her mother with those probing eyes. 

“Hi baby girl,” Scully coos to her daughter as she settles her against her hip. “Can you say hi? Have you got that one yet?”

The girl blinks. “Ma-ma.”

Scully crooks her neck, tries to reign in her racing imagination. All babies do this at this age, don’t they? Calling every woman mama and every man dada. Emily’s no exception. And yet...for that to be the first word her daughter has ever said to her. God winked at her, and she’s glad to have caught it. 

The pair makes it to Missy, who blows a kiss in Emily’s direction. “Hey there little one.” She extends her index finger, and the girl latches onto it. 

Scully cradles her baby’s head, Emily’s fine hair soft beneath her fingers. 

“She’s even-keeled for a baby,” Missy remarks, wiggling her finger and watching Emily crack a smile. 

“Yes,” Scully gurgles out of the sheer joy. She settles into her chair with Emily in her lap. “Do you know what she said to me?”

Missy looks up. “What?”

“Mama.” Scully dons a triumphant grin. “She called me mama.”

“Oh, no way!” Missy squeals. It’s a bit too loud and sudden, making Emily jump. The ladies laugh, and Scully pulls her daughter in closer, kissing the crown of her head. She still has that baby smell; the freshness of new life and all its purity. Scully sighs. It must have been even stronger when she was born.

Scully closes her eyes. If she had one chance to pause life somewhere along the way, to linger in a perfect moment longer, she would do it right now and she would never regret it. 

“My baby…” she breathes into Emily’s ear, hoping it will stick. That one day she’ll remember and find her way home, should she need to.

A warm tear slides down Scully’s cheek and lands in Emily’s lap, a dark drop on the girl’s corduroy pants. “Mama loves you, Emily.” She tightens her embrace. “That’s me,” she sniffs. “I love you, Emily.”

Observing this, Missy feels that she is an interloper and slips off to the bathroom, leaving mother and baby to have their moment. 

Scully strokes the girl’s tiny palm with her thumb. She has missed so much already, and my god, she could miss so much more. What is love, if not sacrifice? Hadn’t that been the takeaway from each week of Sunday school?

The conference door opens, and Scully finds herself irritated that life has failed to pause. Oh, what wouldn’t she do to take the reins from God, even for a moment? She looks up at Mulder, doe-eyed as he processes the optical illusion that is Emily and her mother. Said mother sees the tenderness on Mulder’s face as he comes to terms with this sight, and something in both of them breaks, and something else opens. 

Mulder approaches quietly, apprehensive about ruining the moment. Little does he know, he’s not ruining it; he’s completing it. 

“Hey,” Scully swoons. “How was it?”

He’s too earnest to crack a joke right now. “Less nerve-wracking than I expected,” he murmurs. “Brain and Cecily are good people.” 

Scully can’t help but wonder if they’re hammering this point about Brian and Cecily to make her feel better when the gavel falls in their direction. Mulder directs her train of thought away from this when he kneels in front of Emily.  His eyes are as soupy as ever, Scully notices; she could sink right into them.

“May I?”

Scully chuckles under her breath, like a stranger has just asked if they could pet her dog. “Of course, Mulder. Say hi.”

Over the past weeks, Mulder spent considerable time anticipating this initial interaction. First impressions are important, after all, and there is no one he has wanted to impress more than this sweet girl. Ultimately, he decided that he didn’t care what their meeting was, as long as it would be. And now that he’s here, knelt in front of his two favorite girls, he’s ready to make a promise.

He envelops Emily’s closed fist with one hand and uses the other to caress Scully’s palm. “I want you to know,” he begins, shifting his gaze between mother and daughter, “that I’ll always be here for you.” 

He looks to Scully, realizing that Emily is unable to comprehend what he is saying. “Regardless of Brian and Cecily’s choice, I am prepared to make every sacrifice so that you two can be a family. The family you deserve to be. I know what it’s like to not have that, and christ, Scully, I’m not letting you go through that. You’ve had enough for one lifetime.”

Scully’s face puckers. She is moved on a dimension that transcends the spiritual, if such a thing is possible. She closes her eyes, lets the tears slip out, then softens her focus on him. 

“Thank you, Mulder...Fox,” she effuses, needing to heighten the intimacy. “Emily and I…” she kisses her daughter’s temple again. “Well, you know. You already know.” Her voice is somber almost, reminiscent of a wedding vow’s binding utterance.

Mulder smiles up at them, pats Scully’s hand. “I know. Me too.” 

There are many phrases that could fill her blank, but he chose his favorite, and he’s got an inkling that he’s right.

Scully sucks in a breath, and it’s the first one that has ever counted. Earth is new to her, again.

The door opens a second time, and the lawyer approaches with Brian and Cecily behind her.

“Mr. and Mrs. Lace would like to take some time to think about their decision,” Tanya announces. “You will understand, they hope…?”

Scully nods, swallowing back a lump in her throat. She would like to break into a tantrum, throwing chairs and screeching every obscenity she knows. Begging please, please, don’t let me miss another heartbeat. Let me live in this Heaven I’ve found. But no answer is better than an immediate rejection, so she screws her lips into a smile and gives away two more handshakes. 

“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Lace. I’m grateful for this opportunity.”

[ilovefandoms102]

Love me Harder-Part 5*

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Pogue!Reader

Summary: Falling in love with your sisters sworn enemy probably wasn’t the best idea…

Note: The time has come and I could not be any happier! I am so in love with this series and just Rafe in general. Mental health is so so important guys, I still struggle with it to this day. If you guys ever need anyone to talk to I am ALWAYS here. Stay safe and DO NOT be afraid to ask for help.

Ok so now that the sad part is over this is my warning that this part will NOT be for the faint of heart as in this shit is about to be so fuckin’ dirty.

Part 4 Part 6

=====================================

I woke up completely entangled with Rafe, our legs were twisted in odd angles, my head was buried in his neck, one of Rafe’s hands rested on my ass while the other was holding me close to him at my back, and this was honestly the best I had slept in a while…

I placed gentle kisses from his neck, to his jaw, and stopped on his lips. Rafe stirred in his sleep, his hand on my ass squeezing slightly before pulling me tighter to him. I repeated my process a few times until his eyes finally fluttered open, puckering his lips slightly which made me giggle. He rolled on top of me, settling himself between my legs. His tongue danced with mine despite our morning breath, which neither of us cared about. I wrapped my legs around his waist to pull him further into me, feeling his morning wood brush against me. 

“Hey y/n I-oh.” my sister called as she barged into my room.

“Yes Kiara?” I growled, Rafe awkwardly tilted his body to the side as he avoided looking at Kie. 

“Never mind, I’ll um...ask you later.” she stammered, quickly shutting my door on her way out. 

I grabbed Rafe’s cheeks and slammed his lips back to mine, rutting my hips into his. He moaned deeply into my mouth, my hand about to make it way south when John B burst into my room.

“Y/n I need-” he stopped mid sentence, slowly backing out of the room.

“Probably not best to do this here.” Rafe pointed out, kissing my red cheek.

“Guess I’ll just spend the whole day horny,” I grumbled, pouting as I crossed my arms.

“I think our first time together should be special, not a quick fuck in your room in hopes all the kids don’t barge in here.” Rafe chuckled, kissing my pouting lips. 

=========================================

I had a short shift today which Rafe accompanied me to since his dad had nothing for him to do today. I made him his own set up in the corner booth at the back of the restaurant so if I just so happened to go steal a kiss or two my dad wouldn’t see. I did cheat a little and took some silverware to wrap back where Rafe was so I could sit with him, and I even put him to work a little and had him help me. 

“So, there’s a party at Top’s tonight,” Rafe spoke, his eyes flicking to mine as I tensed.

“A Kook party, haven’t been to one of those in years.” I sighed, my leg starting to tap nervously.

“I wanted you to come with me, but if you don’t want to go we don’t have to.” he suggested, nudging my foot with his. 

“I don’t know Rafe...the Kooks don’t like me.” I murmured.

“Everyone likes you, don’t be ridiculous.” Rafe scoffed, chuckling when I rolled my eyes.

“Won’t the little Kook girls be upset to see you with someone?” I grinned, Rafe shaking his head as he smiled.

“They can be upset all they want, I got a hot ass girlfriend, and I plan on keeping her for as long as she’ll put up with me.” he smirked.

I leaned over the table to kiss him, tasting the beer he had been nursing the past few hours on his tongue. He chased after my lips when I pulled away, grabbing the back of my head to give me another wet, tongue filled kiss. 

“Rafe, my dad or my sister could come out here.” I giggled, pulling out of his hold.

“I can’t help it, I just want to kiss you all the time.” he mumbled, my heart melted to my toes. 

“As adorable as this is, I need help.” Kiara sighed, rolling her eyes when I smiled at Rafe. 

“You guys are seriously too much.” Kie rumbled as we were walking back to the kitchen. 

“You’re just mad because you won’t admit to liking Pope.” I smirked, her gasp sending me in a herd of giggles. 

“That’s not fair!” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“DAD!” We both yelled. 

“Knock it off you two,” he mumbled. 

=========================================

“I don’t know about this guys…” I mumbled as I was getting ready for the party. 

“Well I think it’s a bad idea.” JJ imputed, his mouth full of a sandwich he helped himself to. 

“JJ I wouldn’t ask for your advice if the house was burning down.” I scoffed, smiling at his offended look through my mirror. 

“I hate to say it...but I agree with JJ.” Pope sighed, my eyes snapping to his.

“I can’t just bail on him, he’ll be so upset.” I pouted.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” John B asked, Kie shot daggers at him from across the room.

“There are so many things that could go wrong, like-” she started, but I was not going to let her spend two hours with every possible scenario that could happen.

“I’m going to stop you right there Kiki,” I chuckled, turning my attention back to the task at hand.

“All I’m saying is that maybe you shouldn’t go.” she mumbled, rolling her eyes.

“Gotta say after you takin’ that club to the side, I’m not all for this.” Pope said, casting his eyes to the floor.

“I know, but I doubt we’ll stay long. Rafe said he has other plans besides the party.” I shrugged, laughing when they all pretended to vomit.

“Ok I did NOT need that visual.” Kie groaned, throwing her head back dramatically.

=========================================

“You alright baby?” Rafe asked as we walked to the front door.

“Yeah, totally.” I lied, fidgeting with my fingers.

“You’re a horrible liar, we don’t have to go.” he insisted, grabbing one of my hands to kiss the back of it. 

“No, no these are your friends and I should at least attempt to um...get to know them?” I said as more of a question than a statement.

“We won’t stay for long, I think I have some other things in mind for us to do tonight.” he said slyly, my heart beginning to thump in my chest as he led me into the house.

“My boy, and I see you brought our resident traitor.” Kelce laughed, bro hugging Rafe.

“Watch your mouth, that’s my girl you’re talkin’ to.” Rafe said with mock humor in his tone, Kelce threw his hands up defensively.

“Come on man, I was just playin’” Kelce scoffed, handing Rafe a red solo cup. 

“What do you want to drink sweetheart?” Rafe questioned, giving me his signature smile.

“Whatever you have is fine.” I spoke, shuffling nervously on my feet as I gripped his hand tighter. He handed me a cup, and I took a huge swig, hoping that this would ease my nerves. 

=========================================

This was definitely the worst decision of my life. Rafe had ditched me not long after we arrived, leaving me sitting on the couch by myself. I wasn’t sure how long I had been sitting there, but I had about had it. I was so angry with him, and I wished more than anything I had just stayed home. 

I shot up from the couch, going to find him so I could leave. I was not going to sit around and only be a convenience to Rafe when we weren’t on Kook territory. I gasped in horror at the sight before me, rage and sadness building up inside of me. Rafe stood with the resident Kook whore Emily, laughing with her, and to top things off, he leaned down to whisper something in her ear. My mouth hung open in disgust, heart shattering into a million pieces. Rafe chose that exact moment to turn around, his face falling when he saw my expression. He made his way over quickly, but I beat him to it before he could speak.

“I can’t believe you,” I hissed, jerking away when he tried to reach for me.

“It’s not what you think, wait, baby please let me explain.” he rambled, but I couldn’t stay to listen to the rest of his excuse. I walked as fast as I could out of that house, not turning back.

“Y/n! Stop baby please!” Rafe called, I could picture him running his hand through his hair. 

“Fuck off Rafe, I’m sure Emily is missing your company.” I spat.

“No,fuck, would you please just let me explain?” he tried, but I was already in my car before he finished speaking. He knocked on my window, pleading for me to talk, but I instead turned on my car and left him standing there.

=========================================

I slammed on the breaks, tearing out of my car and stomping up the stairs. The other Pogues greeted me at the door, confusion written on their face. I felt the tears come then, my heart breaking even more if that was possible.

“Fuck, you guys were right.” I sobbed, John B threw his arms around me to hug me to him. The other Pogues joined in as well, all of us standing in the doorway as I cried in their arms. 

I sat in my room, staring at the ceiling as silent tears ran down my face. I wanted so bad for Rafe to be different, but he proved tonight that he was just like every other guy I’ve been with. Fuck, I was falling in love with the guy, and now everything is ruined. I had never been so incredibly happy then when I was with Rafe. I felt like I could be myself, and he understood me better than even my own family.

I saw lights appear in my window, but I didn’t bother to get up to know it was more than likely Rafe. I heard the truck door slam shut, knocking on the front door moments later. Since my room was right by the front door, I could easily hear the conversation happening. 

“I told you what would happen if I saw her shed one tear because of you.” John B growled.

“Guys seriously, it’s not what you think.” Rafe sighed.

“So she’s just crying for the hell of it?” JJ laughed humorlessly.

“Look...she means a lot to me. Do you think I’d be here, begging for her forgiveness if I didn’t care about her?” Rafe rambled, no doubt his hair was a disheveled mess.

“Let him go,” Kie piped in.

“What?” all three boys questioned.

“This is the happiest I’ve ever seen my sister... and I can’t- no I won’t let her be unhappy. Even if it’s Rafe making her happy, I will gladly keep it that way.” Kie explained. I heard some shuffling before my door creaked open, Rafe peeking his head in.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” I grumbled, rolling over so I was facing away from him.

“Let me explain myself, please.” he pleaded, and I felt the bed dip down on the other side.

“You were supposed to be different, I-I believed you weren’t who everyone said you were Rafe.” I sniffled, letting out a quiet sob. Rafe spooned himself against me, wrapping me tight to his chest.

“I promise you, it’s not at all what you think.” he insisted, pressing a gentle kiss right below my ear.

“Then what is it when you lean down to whisper in some bitches ear and both of you laugh?” I griped, trying to pull away from him, but he held me tighter.

“I was trying to set her up with Kelce.” he blurted, my eyes rolling.

“Bullshit Rafe,” I scoffed.

“No that’s the honest truth, you can read my messages, and I’ll even call him.” Rafe said, leaning his cheek on my shoulder.

“Well you looked awful cozy with her.” I grumbled.

“I’m sorry if it looked that way, it was not my intention.” he promised.

“There’s also the fact that you ignored me all night,” I griped.

“I know, I’m so so sorry baby.” Rafe sighed.

“You know the Kooks don’t like me Rafe, you practically fed me to the vultures.” I pointed out.

“It won’t happen again,” he insisted.

“You’ll be lucky if I ever go to a stupid party again.” I muttered, turning around in his hold.

“So am I forgiven?” he asked, a hopeful gleam in his eyes. 

“No,” I chuckled, Rafe groaned and buried his face between my breasts.

“You have to work for it Cameron,” I said, raking my fingers in his hair.

“Okay baby, I can do that.” he smirked against my skin.

“Can I take you somewhere?” he asked quietly, peaking up from my chest.

“Sure,” I nodded.

=========================================

Rafe drove down the coast line for a few miles until we got to the most gorgeous view I had ever seen in the Outer Banks. Rafe backed his truck in, my feet carrying me out the door as soon as he put it in park. We were right at the break of a spot where you could see the ocean perfectly without having to get up close, and just above the palm trees you could see the beautiful night sky. I don’t know how I hadn’t seen this place before, and I felt a surge of strong emotion that Rafe had brought me here. He took a blanket from the back seat to put over the bed of the truck, leaning against the edge of it.

“I know you like the sound of the ocean.” he mumbled, looking down as he wrung his fingers.

“What?” I whispered, slowly turning to him.

“I-...anytime I’ve seen you at a kegger, you’re always by yourself down where you can hear the ocean.” Rafe explained, reaching out to pull me against him.

“How observant of you,” I giggled, turning in his hold so I could look up at the stars.

“I come here a lot...mostly to get away from my family.” he confessed, leaning his chin on my shoulder.

“I can definitely relate to that,”  I chuckled, relishing the feeling of the warmth from his arms on the rather chilly night. 

“I know, so now if you need a safe spot to go you’ll always have one.” he hummed, kissing my cheek.

“It’s so beautiful out here,” I sighed, staring at the bright stars that stuck out among the millions of others.

“Just like you,” he chuckled.

“If that’s your way of trying to kiss up, that is a very poor attempt.” I laughed, feeling Rafe’s chest rumble as he joined in.

“I’ll try something else then.” he mumbled, moving his hands up and down from my hips to my waist. I tensed slightly as his nose skimmed my neck to my ear.

“L-Like what?” I stuttered, cursing myself for it.

“How about....I eat you out.” he said huskily, biting down on my earlobe. I inhaled sharply, my thighs rubbing together at the thought of it. 

“Hmmm baby? Would you like that?” he asked, trailing his fingers towards my shorts.

I nodded my head, quickly turning to face him. Our lips smashed together, sloppily moving our tongues to taste each other. Rafe lifted me on the edge of the truck bed, his big hands traveling up my thighs. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him impossibly closer. I ripped off my shirt, my bra going next. His hands immediately came to my nipples, twisting and playing with them. I pulled his shirt off too, feeling his naked skin against mine. Rafe made quick work of ridding my shorts, taking my underwear with them. He pushed me to lay back, my breathing coming in short pants as I waited for his next moves. 

Rafe placed gentle kisses from the inside of my knee up to where I needed him, leaving love bites in their wake. His tongue took a slow lick all the way up my heat, moaning at my taste. I gasped loudly, my eyes closing tight. Rafe threw my legs over his shoulders, clamping his hands on my thighs so I couldn’t move them. I choked on a moan as he feverishly started to lick and suck everywhere, discovering the sensitive areas that left me breathless. 

“You taste so yummy sweetheart, all for me. Could your other little boyfriends get you as wet as I do baby?” he breathed out against me, even just his breath had me arching my back. 

“No, no Rafey they didn’t,” I whined, moving my hips to get more of his tongue. He took one of his hands to feel me, moving it to collect some of my wetness and spread it around. 

“So pretty, all mine.” he spoke, easing one finger in before adding another. 

“Rafe,” I gasped, my hand weaving through his hair to tug slightly.

His fingers curled inside of me, vigorously moving his tongue on my clit. I squirmed in his hold, feeling my impending release so close. Rafe switched his positions, using his tongue to lap up the slickness while his fingers rolled my clit. He was hitting all the right spots, something no other guy I had been with before could do. 

I moaned so loud when I came on his tongue, whimpering when Rafe lifted my ass in the air to drink up the cum leaking out of me. I pulled on his hair harshly, quickly becoming overstimulated. He moaned into me and I started shaking, already feeling another orgasm spinning down my spine. My thighs locked around his head when he sent me hurdling over the edge again, a mix of a grunt and a moan leaving my lips. 

Rafe sat me down gently, licking around his mouth for leftovers of my cum. My chest was heaving as I sat up to pull Rafe down to my lips, tasting myself on his tongue. My hands felt the hard muscles of his abdomen, slowly making their way up to his chest. I raked my nails over his nipples, earning a satisfied groan from Rafe. 

I scooted myself back, Rafe removing his shorts before crawling up after me. I pushed him to sit down, settling myself between his legs. He was very well endowed, bigger and thicker than any guy I had been with. I grabbed the base and squeezed my way to the tip, watching the precum ooze. Rafe cursed under his breath when I let some of my saliva drip down on him so I could move my hand better. I started twisting both of my hands, leaning to leave kisses up his neck. I bit my mark on the hinge of his jaw, soothing the bite with my tongue.

“Could your little Kook girls get you off Rafey?” I whispered, rubbing my thumb over the sensitive areas to make him moan.

“Fuck no,” he growled, taking a fist full of my hair.

“Mhm, ‘cause this dick is mine right?” I asked hotly, descending lower to lick his tip.

“Yes oh my god, don’t stop.” he grunted, pushing my head down as I took him all the way down my throat. 

I looked into his blown out eyes, fluttering my lashes at him. His pupils widened significantly, staring intently into my eyes as I blew him. Rafe threw his head back when I deep throated him so my nose touched his pubic bone, his breath coming in heavy pants. He pulled me up off of him, a string of spit still connecting up.

Rafe flipped us over quickly, prodding his length at my entrance. I nodded my head at him, and he pushed in. I welcomed the stretch, the feeling incredible because it was him. He gave a few experimental thrusts, my back arching into him when he hit that special spot inside of me. I whined when he pulled all the way out to slam home again, my breath leaving my lungs as he did it again and again. We finally got to a steady rhythm, both of us letting out disgruntled moans and grunts. 

“You feel phenomenal holy shit,” he breathed out, looking down at where we were connected. He brought one hand up so his fingers could rub my clit, tingles shooting up my spine at the feeling. 

“Shit, right there baby please,” I whined, my nails digging into his shoulders.

“Gonna take care of my girl, gonna fuck you so good you won’t know anyone’s name but mine.” he growled, hitting that spot over and over to the point I was seeing stars. 

“Oh fuck, Rafe,” I gasped, my eyes closing from the overwhelming pleasure he was providing. 

“You’re mine,” Rafe grunted, increasing his movements with both his dick and his fingers. 

“Yes,” I rasped.

“Only mine,” he panted, my heart fluttering at the utter possessiveness of his tone. I already was starting to tighten up, Rafe groaning when I clenched around him.

“You’re squeezin’ down on me baby, gonna cum?” he taunted, smile wide as he continued to ram his hips into mine hard enough I knew there would be bruises by tomorrow. 

“Fuck yeah, you make me feel so good Rafey.” I moaned, threading a hand into his completely disheveled hair to bring him down to my lips.

He then suddenly slowed his pace, my eyes popped open to see his smug smirk. I whimpered, pushing my hips up to meet his. Rafe moved his hand from my clit to take a handful of my hair, arching my neck up to expose the smooth skin. He leaned down to sink his teeth right where my neck and shoulder met, then moved a little further up to leave another love bite, and his last one was right at my pulse point. 

“Scream my name, or you won’t cum.” he whispered in my ear, simultaneously as he did that he started to pound even fast before inside of me. 

I’m sure the whole Outer Banks heard me screech his name at the top of my lungs, Rafe’s teeth shining in the moonlight as he grinned down at me. His vigorous circles on my clit came back, even stopping to roll it between his fingers. I came so hard my back left the truck bed, my head even coming up as I arched. Rafe kept his pace, stimulating me through my release. Rafe moved so both his hands came to my hips, chasing his high. 

“Cum inside me baby, I wanna feel you drip down my legs.” I smirked, scratching my nails down his abs.

He came not seconds later, hot moans of my name left his lips as he stilled. Rafe collapsed on top of me, and I welcomed his weight. I loved the safe feeling of being engulfed in his embrace. I kissed all over his face, trying to smooth out his sex hair.

“Y/n?” Rafe murmured, leaning his head up to look in my eyes.

“Yes Rafe?” I mumbled back.

“I’m falling in love with you baby,” he confessed, my eyes widening. My heart took complete flight, my lips not able to keep from forming the biggest smile.

“I’m falling in love with you too slick,” I giggled, leaning up to connect our lips in a sweet, passionate kiss.

======================================

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[nethandrake]

do i wanna know?

stevetony. mcu. rated t. 2.8k words.

for @ishipallthings

also on ao3.

*****

He hears before he sees them, their voices loud enough for Steve’s ears to pick up.

Steve reaches for his hand towel, dabbing the sweat trickling down his head and cheeks. “Uh, JARVIS? Who—”

“Miss Romanov, Mr Storm, and sir.”

Steve couldn’t help but scowl at that. Wonderful. Just what he needs right now.

And to think that he could hole up in here, away from...them.

There are many things a lot of people don't know about Steve, one of them is that he isn’t very fond of the Fantastic Four.

Okay, that might be stretching things. It’s not like he hates them. He actually admires how well they work together, which makes sense considering they’re family, and well enough with the Avengers. It helps that both teams get on well with each other, going so far as to taking vacations and hosting monthly gatherings.

Ben’s a blast to have around during Game Nights (how he wins every single time during poker, Steve will never know) and while Reed might talk circles around Steve’s head (not on purpose, of course), he can’t help but admire his intelligence, only second to Tony. He doesn’t have anything negative to say about Sue and not just because he’s afraid of losing a limb. She’s a total sweetheart and fun to gossip with.

And then, there’s Johnny Storm.

Speaking of Johnny Storm, he swaggers inside the gym like he owns the place, his smug grin ever plastered on. He has an arm around Tony’s shoulder, a detail Steve tries hard to ignore. Thankfully for his sanity, Natasha trails in after them.

“Hey, Cap,” she says as the trio comes to a stop in front of Steve. “Up for a spar?”

“Uh, sure.” Steve’s eyes trail over to the person next to him, almost freezing at the sight of Tony clad in a black tank top. And judging by the light sheen on his tanned skin and the way the cloth clings to his lithe frame, he must’ve been down in the workshop before this.

God, those muscles and that stupid tank top are going to be the death of Steve.

“Hey,” he manages, inwardly cringing at how breathless he sounds.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Natasha rolls her eyes.

Tony flashes a toothy grin that might or might not make Steve feel lighter. “Hey yourself.”

Steve couldn’t help but break into a smile of his own.

“And just what am I?” Johnny demands, placing his hands on his hips. “Chopped liver?”

Just like that, the moment’s ruined. Steve fights off the urge to roll his eyes.

He'll never figure out how the Fantastic Four could stand him.

Tony chuckles, clapping Johnny on the shoulder. “He probably thought he was looking at the mirror.”

Steve feels himself scowl at that.

Right. How could he forget that one little detail? For some reason, people seem to think that Johnny's the spitting image of Steve, from the blond hair to the startling blue eyes to the chiseled jaw.

Steve might've found the comparison amusing, if Johnny isn’t such a hot-headed brash asshole, a self-centered flirt who can’t, for the life of him, take anything seriously. In fact, Steve might've found Johnny tolerable or god forbid—

“Hello? Earth to Spangles?”

Steve blinks, finally noticing the hand Johnny’s been waving in front of him. “Sorry, I was just...just wondering why the both of you are here.”

He instantly regrets the accusatory tone when Tony flinches. If he hadn’t been for his four-year friendship with Tony, Steve's pretty sure he wouldn’t have noticed. Tony's tells are subtle like that.

Johnny waves his hand around in dismissal. “Oh, you know. Thought I’d get Tony to take a break. Figured he needs some fresh air, maybe some eye-candy to ogle.”

Tony snorts, crossing his arms. “Again with that shit. Yeah, yeah. You got me out of the workshop. It isn't something to gloat about.”

“Hey, I have the right to gloat about it. You're as bad as Reed when he gets into the zone.” Johnny smirks. “Even Sue could hardly tear him away from work.”

“I get Tony out of there all the time,” Steve blurts out.

“You mean, you have to haul his ass over your shoulder,” Natasha pipes up.

Steve shifts his glower down at her. She meets him with a cool gaze, her lips curled in a half-smile.

Johnny’s lips shift into his trademark Cheshire grin, waggling his eyebrows. “Now, that’s an image I’d love to see.”

“I think I have a pic or two—”

“Nat!”

Natasha rolls her eyes. “Alright, alright. Party pooper.” She pokes his shoulder before sauntering away. “C'mon, you big lug.”

Steve trails after her, throwing a backward glance at Tony and Johnny as he goes. They’ve taken residence on a nearby bench, their heads bent together as they murmur to one another. Judging by the blush on Tony’s cheeks and the self-satisfied grin on Johnny’s face, it’s saved to say that they’re flirting.

Again.

From the moment they’ve met, Johnny seems to have taken a shine to Tony, following him around like a lost puppy and flirting with him like there’s no tomorrow. It's bizarre. It's not like Tony's friendship with Reed, which is built on science and research. They barely have anything in common, besides their reputations as ‘playboys’.

Is Johnny actually interested in Tony? Why would Johnny even consider dating Tony? For one, Tony’s way too old for him. Johnny’s in his early, mid-twenties? Sure, Steve’s younger than Tony too but he’s closer in age (and no, his true age doesn’t count).

Plus, Steve’s a master tactician. He has superstrength, superhearing, able to heal quickly. What can Johnny do besides bursting into flames? If Tony wants skywriting written in fire, Tony could just build a machine that could—

A nudge to his head snaps Steve out of his thoughts. He whips behind him, meeting Natasha’s knowing smirk.

Which could only mean one thing.

“My eyes are up here, Cap.”

Steve groans. “Nat—”

“I’m just getting your attention,” she replies, the perfect picture of innocence. “Nothing else.”

The sparring session starts out fine. As usual, Natasha proves to be the perfect sparring partner, easily keeping up with Steve’s stamina and is agile enough to meet his jabs with ease.

But then he hears a familiar giggle behind him and then he loses focus.

Steve blinks, meeting Natasha’s cool gaze as the pain in his side ebbs away. She has an eyebrow raised knowingly.

“Wanna take five?”

“I’m fine,” Steve replies gruffly, raising his fists.

“I could get them to leave—”

“No!”

Natasha’s other eyebrow shoots upwards.

Heat begins creeping up Steve’s neck. “I mean, I—”

“Everything all right there?” Tony calls out from the bench, looking and sounding worried. Next to him, Johnny’s grinning, looking like a cat who just ate a canary.

Steve really, really wants to wipe that smirk off his face.

“I’m good!” he replies. “I mean, we’re good.”

Tony’s frown deepens but thankfully doesn’t seem to pursue the subject.

When Steve and Natasha resume their spar, Steve makes sure to jab harder and dodge faster, to try to win. He knows he’s getting reckless. Sloppy.

But he needs this, needs this distraction. Needs to forget.

And then pain explodes over his face.

Steve doesn’t even register what’s happened until he feels callused but warm hands cupping his face and a voice frantically yelling in his ear.

“—eve! C’mon, buddy. Are you okay? Wh—”

And that’s when he realizes he’s sprawled on the mat, Tony holding his face in his hands.

For a brief moment, he lets himself lean into the touch, bask in Tony’s concern before he meets a pair of azure blue eyes behind Tony.

Immediately, Steve yanks away from Tony’s touch, jumping to his feet.

“I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

“It’s definitely not nothing,” Tony retorts, reaching forward again. “Your face is bruising—”

“It’ll heal.”

“Still. At least let us—”

“I said, I’m fine!”

Tony flinches. Johnny’s eyebrows shoot up. Natasha remains impassive.

An invisible lump forms in Steve’s throat. Oh, he definitely fucked up.

Truly, truly fucked up.

“I—I have to go.”

He’s out of the room before anyone could stop him, making a beeline for the elevators because fuck, he fucked up so bad.

Steve needs to get away. Away from Tony and Natasha and Johnny freaking—

“Shit,” he mutters to himself, jabbing at the elevator buttons, whiling, hoping that it’ll come. It better come because goddamn it—

“Steve!”

He doesn’t bother looking over his shoulder, dashing over to the emergency stairs instead.

Thankfully, Tony doesn’t follow.

*****

read the rest on ao3.

[imjeralee]

Wallflower: Chapter 20 - Epilogue, SAVE ME

Raihan x F!Reader

Disclaimer: Do not own Pokemon

Summary: You’re an unassuming Pokemon breeder who works at the nursery in the Wild Area and he’s Raihan, the fearsome gym leader of Hammerlocke who has more than a million followers. You don’t want anything to do with him but he’s…persistent.

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Warnings: Lemon, smut, violence, language.

Extra note: This is the last chapter of Wallflower. I hope you enjoyed it!

EPILOGUE

SAVE ME

...

...

"Don't question the universe, that's my motto. Sometimes things just work out."

- Fargo, The Heap

...

...

Raihan leaves the locker room only to discover that she is not waiting for him in the lobby as she said and the gym trainer manning the area tells him that she left due to an emergency. Something doesn't quite add up because not only is it uncharacteristic of her to run off like that but he has a bad feeling about whatever 'emergency' it is. When he presses the gym trainer for more information, he tells Raihan that someone gave him a white envelope addressed to his girlfriend.

There's not much to go on here so Raihan leaves Hammerlocke stadium and tries to call her only to get through to voicemail. Shortly after, he receives a message - it's from Chairman Rose and it's been sent to himself and Leon - and he opens and reads it: Rose says there's something happening in Rose Tower and all employees have been evacuated. Rose would like them to check it out and Raihan responds to the group chat, telling them that he's on his way. It's too much of a coincidence - somehow he feels he will find his girlfriend there...

When he arrives at Wyndon, he sees a few locals running away from the direction of Rose Tower and outside, many employees are standing around, confused. All the lights in Rose Tower are switched off, the building dark and grim for a change. Raihan looks all the way up to the very top of Rose Tower where the sky above it is a deep grey and ominous clouds swirl in a spectacular, circular fashion. It's strange weather considering it's sunny everywhere else.

Raihan enters the building just in time to see the Champion at the emergency lift with Charizard. "Leon." Raihan quickly jogs over and stops before him with his phone in hand.

Turning round, Leon grins widely at him. "Raihan! You made it."

"Yep."

"Thanks for coming." Leon adds, as the lift arrives and the doors slide open.

"No problem, let's go."

Inside, Leon and Raihan stand side-by-side in the large space and Leon pushes the button that will take them to the top floor whilst Charizard meanders behind them, staring outside the glass window. They are so far up that the people down below resembles durants...

"I wonder what's going on," mutters Raihan; he checks his phone but there's nothing posted online yet. Whatever is happening, they're the first ones on the scene...

"We'll find out when we get up there."

"This is just like the old times," Raihan adds, and Leon chuckles and nods. "What do you do when you're not saving Galar?"

Leon blinks owlishly in response. "Charizard and I visit each city and when we finish, we do another round."

"So diligent." Raihan replies with a smirk, and Leon grins.

The lift arrives at its destination and the doors slide open, revealing the outdoor arena; they're greeted with an extremely chilly burst of air that batters them from all over and Leon's hat almost blows off if he doesn't hold onto it.

Stepping out of the lift, the doors close behind them and Leon, Raihan and Charizard look up and around, assessing their surroundings. The sky around the top floor is a perpetual drab shade of ash and thick clouds have obscured the view; the clouds have enclosed the entire arena with harsh winds whipping round and round with no end.

That's not all for the entire area has been obliterated: a bust pipe to the side spits out water and the ground has been fractured by an immense force. The pressure of the atmosphere here is suffocating and various bits and pieces of rubble and droplets of water can be seen hovering a few inches above the ground, crackling with little forks of electricity whilst debris fly around in the air in hypnotising circles. The floor beneath them trembles and in the very middle of it all, a massive creature hovers before them.

It resembles a jellyfish, silvery-black in colour with a bulbous head and various tentacles that reach an enormous length - it's a Nihilego, although its form looks very different than usual. It's in the middle of a rampage with it's dark, transparent tentacles wrapped around two familiar figures - it's Alicia and Raihan's ex-girlfriend. They're completely immobilised, the tentacles coiling around their bodies tightly.

In its fury, Nihilego lifts up one of it's massive tentacles and reaches for the ex-girlfriend who is still struggling and roughly seizes something out of her hand - it's a DVD - and Nihilego throws it to the floor and promptly smashes it under one giant tentacle. The impact causes the floor to shake and the ground splits, resembling a mosaic. Alicia's phone is not spared either; a tentacle pries it away from her clutches and as Rotom safely escapes from the device, the phone also shares the same fate as the DVD and is crushed to pieces.

They shriek with terror, struggling for breath but they're quickly subdued when the tentacles begin to tighten around them; the helpless girls spot Leon and Raihan in the back and shout for them, crying with distress.

"Raihan, help!" The ex girlfriend screams.

"Help us!!" Alicia yelps.

Although Leon and Raihan don't know what the context around this is, their main concern is the Ultra Beast. Nihilego's tentacles quickly clamps over the girl's mouths, muffling their screams and effectively silencing them though they wriggle and squirm furiously, trying to escape their confines.

His ex desperately tries to make eye contact with him but Raihan avoids looking at her altogether, aware that she must have done something to incurred the wrath of an Ultra Breast.

Raihan makes his way over immediately with Leon and Charizard, narrowly ducking from pieces of rubble that zoom towards their direction.

Once they're close, Raihan realises Nihilego is not alone - his eyes widen briefly when he spots his girlfriend and it's a bizarre sight - she's been sucked inside the creature, the upper half of her body absorbed into the bell whilst her legs dangle. Bathed in a strangely comforting and warm glow, her eyes are closed, her long lashes dusting her cheekbones; she almost looks....peaceful. Sleeping. She doesn't seem to be conscious at all. In the bubble, her hair floats around her, resembling swirling tendrils.

Despite the situation, he remains calm. He yells her name and the Nihilego turns to him; her body sways with the movement, following the gravity.

Facing off against an Ultra Beast....this sort of thing wouldn't happen to him, not in a million years. His Rotom stares at the massive creature in awe and takes a few shots. Now's really not the time though.

"Let her go." He demands, and the beast emits a metallic screech in response, waving its tentacles around in the frigid air. It decides to attack, stabbing a tentacle towards his direction.

"Raihan, look out!" Leon yells. Charizard is quick to respond on Leon's behalf, unleashing a barrage of flames which causes the Nihilego to spontaneously retreat and Leon hastily joins his side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Raihan mutters. "Thanks, Leon."

The two avert their attention to the Ultra Beast that rises before them; Charizard's flamethrower attack barely grazed it.

Raihan approaches Nihilego once more even though Leon calls after him.

As though sensing his presence, her eyes slowly begin to open but they are entirely glazed over, her pupils blank. Her mouth moves slightly, her voice merged with the creature. "....Raihan...?"

He yells her name once more, trying to get through. His princess... His poor princess needs him. "It's okay, I'm here. I'm right here."

She can't seem to see him; the corner of her eyes begin to prick with tears before they trickle relentlessly down her cheeks. ".....I'm....I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, princess. Just focus on me, on my voice. You can do it. Come back. Come back to me."

She struggles feebly; she tries, hard. She tries so hard, trying to resist and to break free only for the creature to grow darker and murkier in colour and it appears to inflict pain on her. "...Ngh....!!!" She cries out, squeezing her eyes shut.

Raihan keeps a hand on Duraludon's capsule, ready to use him if needed. She keeps trying to escape but Nihilego's grip on her is too strong and she begins to curl into herself, trying to pull her knees towards her chest. He yells her name again, facing the creature directly. "Let her go. Let them all go."

She stops at once and looks at the two hostages in her grip, then her blank eyes land on his form. There's a brief silence before the Nihilego flails in response, releasing another unearthly, shrill shriek.

"....Let them go?" She mutters, before her eyes narrow furiously and her lips pull back, teeth clenching with fury and she screams, "NEVER!!!!!"

A massive shockwave bursts forth from Nihilego's body, tearing through the atmosphere and promptly throwing Raihan and Leon off their feet. Charizard swoops forwards, catching Leon and Raihan in mid-air. They are deposited back to their feet with the Pokemon at their side whilst Nihilego lets out another ear-splitting scream and begins sucking the girl further into its body.

"No!" Raihan yells; he releases Duraludon onto the field and Leon commands Charizard to join the alloy pokemon. Raihan doesn't want to hurt her, he can't - he won't. But at the same time, Nihilego is hurting her. The beast is quick to react, tossing out two pokeballs into the field, releasing her Metagross and Garchomp.

"It's no use; she's been completely taken over!" Leon exclaims, as Raihan grips Duraludon's capsule tightly in his fist.

"I can't hurt her, Leon."

"We need to find a way to separate her from Nihilego."

Her pokemon are the next obstacle; their eyes are glowing a deep red, a sign of their possession.

"Her pokemon won't go down so easily; they're all EV trained."

"Let's use Dynamax!"

"Metagross, use Bullet Punch. Garchomp, use Outrage." She commands, without waiting for either of them.

There's no way to run from this - they have no choice but to battle - Metagross and Garchomp, under Nihilego's influence, wear ferocious expressions as they face off their opponents. Leon and Raihan promptly recall their pokemon and as a storm of red light begins to gather around their Dynamax bands, their capsules begin to enlarge before they toss them into the air and their gargantuan pokemon appear, their forms taking up most of the arena.

A double Dynamax has never been attempted before; Leon promptly instructs Charizard, pointing at Metagross. "Use G-Max Wildfire!"

"Duraludon, use G-Max Depletion!" Raihan shouts, and Duraludon releases a massive amount of energy from its body, hurling it towards Garchomp’s direction.

Her two pokemon, diminutive in size compared to the Dynamaxed Pokemon, charge forwards regardless. The result of the four pokemon clashing together at the same time creates another shockwave that completely desiccates the walls of the arena and any glass within the vicinity is shattered into pieces; the wind finally escapes the area and dissolves upwards into the atmosphere, finally revealing the calm, blue sky.

Leon and Raihan are forced to shield themselves and once the dust clears away, the Nihilego is stunned, having been pushed backwards although her pokemon aren't as fazed due to their unnatural stats. Duraludon and Charizard have taken a huge beating and begin to return to normal size.

Alicia and the ex-girlfriend are now unconscious and Nihilego drops them; they flop to the floor in a sad heap. With the brief distraction, Leon rushes to retrieve the unconscious girls whilst Nihilego begins to recover. It wastes no time; seemingly focused on Raihan only, she lunges for him again until -

"Stop!!!"

It's Looker.

With briefcase in hand, he emerges from the emergency lift and heads towards the group. He has Growlithe with him and he unclasps his case, revealing a strange round contraption constructed entirely of metal; he pushes on a button and the machine begins to whirr furiously, a bright orange glow gathering within the hollow of the device. Looker sets it down and tells everyone to take cover.

The device shoots a huge beam of energy into the atmosphere and stabs into nothingness - Raihan and Leon watch as a thin slit appears from out of nowhere in mid-air; the space is torn apart and it soon grows larger to a circular portal - an Ultra Wormhole.

Nihilego stops, it's attention captured by the portal and promptly begins to make its way towards it. Looker hands Growlithe a small metal disc to hold in its jaws and the puppy pokemon rushes up and tosses it towards the Nihilego - the disc automatically attaches itself to the ultra beast and administers a non-lethal shock in an attempt to separate it from it's host.

Unfortunately, nothing happens and the Nihilego begins to pass through the portal regardless. Looker curses under his breath but Raihan is quick to get up, following after the beast - she's still trapped within - and he grabs onto her before he's pulled inside and the portal closes behind them.

....

An eerie calm settles over the outdoor arena.

Looker steps over shards of broken glass and picks the device up and off the floor.

The light's off and it has run out of power. Cursing under his breath, Looker glances up as Growlithe rejoins his side. "Good job, boy." He mutters, patting the puppy on its head.

A short distance away, Leon checks the two unconscious girls. They're still breathing and aside from some bruises, they're unharmed. He lifts them one by one over Charizard's back and ensures they're strapped onto him safely, then tells the flame pokemon to take them to the nearest hospital. Leon thanks him in advance, thanks him for his courage and Charizard nods and flaps his wings and shoots into the sky, disappearing from view.

Leon watches them then heads over to the remaining Pokemon - Raihan’s Duraludon, her Metagross and Garchomp. They look worried about their owners but Leon tries his best to calm them down. Once they’re reassured, he returns to Looker's side.

"Hi Looker, long time no see."

"Hello Leon." Looker says, and the two shake hands before they turn to gaze at the wrecked arena and the despondent Pokemon who have no choice but to wait for their masters should they come back, if at all.

The arena is utterly destroyed - the amount of destruction dealt by Nihilego is beyond comprehensible. Chairman Rose is going to be livid about this. They cut the small talk, assessing the damage.

"Looks like we weren't able to stop Nihilego. And I doubt they'd be able to return unless we fix this." Looker says, lifting up his powered down device.

"That machine can open portals, right?" Leon replies, and Looker nods.

"Yep." He expected nothing less from the Champion of Galar. "It needs a lot of electricity. I'd have the Bureau Heliolisks power it up but it'll take too long."

"I have an idea. Let's talk to Chairman Rose and ask if we can use the energy plant."

Looker nods once again. "Let's go."

They both begin to exit, although Looker heads towards the direction of the emergency lift and Leon heads to the water closet.

"It's this way, Leon."

"Sorry!"

...

Meanwhile.

When you wake up, you're lying on the ground and you're in a dark place.

And you wonder if this is hell until Raihan pops up in front of your view. Although you are surprised to see him, all you can do is blink slowly as you discover your arms and legs cannot move. In fact, your entire body aches and hurts and Raihan gently lifts you into his arms.

You're able to groan and blink, your head throbbing, but when you open your mouth, a wet liquid spills out from the corner of your lips uncontrollably.

It's blood.

Coughing, you choke and more blood leaks out and drips down your chin... and Raihan - oh, he looks so worried and afraid and it hurts you to see him like this. He uses the sleeve of his hoodie to wipe away the blood and then at your forehead to dab at the sweat as you squeeze your eyes shut, hissing with pain.

It’s Nihilego’s toxins. They’re lethal.

"....Hey." He murmurs, gently stroking your hair and cheek.

Your vision grows blurry, filling up with tears. "....Raihan...?"

"I'm here." He reaches for your hand and threads your fingers with his, pressing his lips over your knuckles again and again.

You wonder if you're dying but you're too scared to even think about it any further. You squeeze your eyes shut again and a hot, fat tear leaks out from the corner of your eye and down the side of your face and into your hair, near your ear. Gasping out, you croak, "I'm sorry."

His mouth moves but you can't hear him so well. " - Save your strength." is something along the lines of what he says, " - need to get you out of here."

You find you have no strength; you are so tired that all you can do is just lie still, staring up at the deep, dark abyss that surrounds you.

Turning your head just a fraction, you see the Nihilego that possessed you is sprawled over the ground, unmoving. It's returned to normal - a harmless, white jelly. Is it knocked out or dead? There are other Nihilego floating around but they don't seem concerned with you at all.

You try to move although he doesn't want you to but you assure him you want to sit up. However, the moment you inch from your spot and you're wracked all over with pain so you're reduced to lying over his lap regardless. He ensures you're comfortable as much as possible and you close your eyes as you rest. "....I'm sorry I let this happen." You murmur.

"It's okay."

You shake your head. "No...it's not."

"What happened?" He asks, stroking your hair.

"I got a letter saying they had the DVD and I was to meet them in Rose Tower on my own. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have went." You mumble; you struggle to speak somewhat, sucking in long breaths and exhaling shakily, "...It was Alicia and your ex-girlfriend. They were... recording me and they knew how I was adopted and stuff....and they said they'd make sure everything about me would be made public. I got mad...and I was scared too. The energy band warned me but I ignored it and...a portal opened. Nihilego came out and took over me."

"It's not your fault."

You shake your head again and utter under your breath, "No, Rai, I wanted to hurt them. I wanted to make them pay. I did. I really did. I'd had enough. I was sick and tired of being pushed around....but I feel bad for what I did. I don't feel any better about myself for hurting them. If we make it out of here, I'll...I'll turn myself in."

He smooths your hair down with his large palm. "You were possessed by Nihilego. It wasn't you. Everyone saw that and they'll be the ones who will get into trouble, not you."

"But you're here because of me. I did this."

He shakes his head. "No, I'm here because I want to be here. And I don't know about you but I'm at my wit's end with this place."

"I'll try and get us out of here." You mutter, "...But I need to be under great emotional distress....that's what Looker said."

You wonder how you might be able to pull this off, squeezing your eyes shut and attempting to concentrate. But nothing happens, no matter how hard you try. You try to think of everything that’s happened to you, all the misfortune, all the times you’ve been miserable.

It doesn’t work.

Nothing happens.

You’re probably stuck here forever.

You will die from the poison, the cold and starvation. How awful.

As Raihan continues to hold you, you look up and around, spotting the various dim lights that glow in the area. They're from iridescent rocks stuck to the walls of this place - and it occurs to you that you're in Ultra Deep Sea, possibly thousands of light years away. You recognise it due to the hypnosis session you had with Looker. You're in a different dimension.

However, the source of light is not only from the rocks, you see weak swirls in the air that glow and twinkle and grow larger and larger... identical to a ripple in water; when it clears, it shows something you didn't think was possible -

You see an image of yourself within.

It's a hazy picture....very blurry, but there you are, seated at a laptop and looking at the screen. This 'other you' looks exactly the same as you, although her clothes are different and the place she's in is different.

She is reading something on the screen.

But all of a sudden, she looks away. She is confused and she is looking around as though trying to pinpoint something. To find something. She doesn't find it, whatever it is she is looking for.

The image of this 'other you' disappears after a short while.

Another portal opens, revealing another fuzzy image of you - except this time, this ‘other you’ is on her phone, also reading something on the screen. This 'another you' looks up at once as though aware of something. The 'other you' keeps looking around but cannot seem to find what she's looking for either.

The portal closes.

Raihan peers at you when he notices you are staring wide-eyed into nothingness. "What is it?"

"....I...I saw a parallel dimension. Not one but two." Raihan looks confused but you don’t elaborate. You don’t see any more parallel dimensions. The visions don’t come. And you and Raihan are still stuck here.

"I'm sorry, Rai..." You mutter deliriously; you apologise to him again and again.

You see him smiling and his mouth moves, " - be here for you. I'll always be here for you."

You're becoming so exhausted that your eyes slide to a close. It's getting hard to keep awake and you're afraid that this is it...Afraid that if you close your eyes, you'll be gone forever. You force yourself to keep your eyes open, focusing on him.

You love Raihan so much.

It can't end like this.

He brings out the best of you. You want to be with him...You haven't even moved in with him yet. You want to have so many memories with him, you want to do so many things together... you want to grow old together.

It's getting cold...

Raihan lifts you off the ground slightly and into his embrace, unzipping his oversized hoodie and wrapping it around you.

You slump against his chest as he holds you and he tells you what's on his mind.

He wants to be with you. He wants to spend his life with you. You're the one. You are so gentle and kind, so caring and loving. You're so cute and adorable. He's never met anyone like you before. Sure, people would describe you as a wallflower but he loves that the most about you.

You're quiet.

You're introverted.

So what?

You're perfect the way you are. You're insightful and deep, you make him happy in so many ways and he loves you. You're his everything.

When you let out a chuckle, he grins in return, leaning forwards to press his lips against yours. He gets blood on the corner of his mouth so you lift your hand and gently wipe it away. He clutches your hand and holds you close.

Even if this it, if this is the end... at least you are together...

...

Meanwhile.

Leon and Looker arrive at Chairman Rose's office.

They explain everything to him and Looker shows him the device - which requires a lot of electricity to work and the energy plant is their quickest option. However, the amount of energy needed will put everything to a stop - that's how much energy is needed to open an Ultra Wormhole. The device is the equivalent to the energy a Solgaleo or a Lunala emits in order to open a Wormhole, and they are pokemon they do not have at hand so the device is their only hope.

Rose agrees.

It takes a while to set everything up.

...

In the quiet suburbs of Wyndon, a couple are about to sit down in front of their TV when the ground begins to tremble, their lamp flashes before the TV switches off.

In Spikemuth, Piers' concert abruptly comes to a stop when their electric bass guitars and microphone stops working and all lights go off, bathing the hall in darkness.

In Turrfield stadium, Milo is mowing the pitch and grinds to a halt when his lawnmower powers down.

In Ballonlea, Opal is baking a cake when her oven switches off and the lights of her house go out.

In the Wild Area, a vast majority of the Pokemon lurking in the tall grass and trees stop what they're doing to look up at the sky.

Whilst some people poke their heads out of the window, some leave their house with their Pokemon and head to the streets, baffled. This phenomenon brings the people together - neighbours gather round, siblings talk to each other, friends send messages or call each other on their phones.

All across of Galar, a power cut sweeps over the entire region.

Raihan wonder how long they've been here.

He can tell she's growing uncomfortable; Nihilego's poison could be spreading. When he calls her name, she squeezes her eyes shut and coughs up blood again, staining her chin and the front of his hoodie. It doesn't show on his face but he is so worried; he remains strong for her, holding her to his chest, trying to ease the pain she is feeling. They need to get out of here, they need to, or else -

"Poi?"

Raihan glances up at the source of the noise.

A little purple blob pokes it's head out from one of the rocks, peering at them curiously. He doesn't know much about Ultra Beasts but he knows what this one is called. The strange creature slowly hovers out of its hiding place and floats towards them. It has glowing eyes and a tiny body and tail but otherwise....it appears docile and it squeals loudly, glancing at her before it looks at him.

He asks if it can help them.

Unfortunately it shakes its head but then circles them excitedly, flailing its little arms up and down. Looks like it's stuck here too and it's happy to see other people. Raihan watches as it begins spinning upside-down, balancing on the needle of its head.

"....A Poipole...?" She utters, as it breezes past them, "....What's it....doing here?"

"Poi." It says.

And she smiles. "Of course you can stay with us...."

It trills happily and jumps to perch on Raihan's shoulder before it spots his hood and nestles itself within.

The silence returns, but then...

A light appears.

It’s bright and it grabs everyone's attention; glancing over, a portal has opened nearby and Leon is on the other side with Chairman Rose and Looker, waving at them.

...

8 months later.

"Come on, Poipole."

The purple ultra beast lets out a high-pitched squeal of glee and floats after you as you head towards your house with shopping bags in hand. Null pads along beside you and attracts many stares from passerbys.

"Zzzrt, you've received a mezzzage from Doofuzzz and Glenn."

"Thanks, Rotom." Swiping the screen, you see Glenn has sent you a photo of himself with your Dragapult, Espie, Poliwag and the family Rockruff in the yard. Glenn is helping Dragapult file down his claws. Then you see mom and Sugarplum the Galarian Ponyta. You grin to yourself and then check the message Raihan has sent you.

It's a nude.

Motherfurret! You weren't expecting anything this raunchy from him, especially in broad daylight too! Your cheeks go red and you quickly swipe away, hoping no-one had seen but Poipole suddenly squeaks and turns round with his back facing you, hugging itself with its little arms and imitates kissing sounds.

"Oh, hush." You say, when it stops, turns back round and giggles. You ask Rotom to promptly dial the dragon tamer; it rings for a few seconds and then -

"Hey princess." You can hear him grinning.

"I'm outside and Poipole and Null are with me!" You exclaim.

He chuckles and purrs, "Are you coming back anytime soon?"

"Yeah...we're on our way back right now."

"Great. Door's unlocked, baby girl. I’ll be waiting for you."

Your cheeks go warm as you chuckle after hanging up and continue the journey except you increase your speed, walking at a faster rate.

Poipole and Null are the newest additions to your team; Poipole stayed with you after you were saved by Leon, Looker and Chairman Rose, clinging onto your shoulder when you were taken to hospital.

Although you had fused with Nihilego, there was another individual who was known to have successfully fused with an Ultra Beast - and the first to do so, actually - and it was a woman called Lusamine. She's not the only human who had merged with an entity before - a man named Bill from Kanto was the first recorded case. Although your fusion with Nihilego was quite severe, a cure was developed and provided from their research and extensive studies.

You were saved.

Raihan stayed with you the entire time when you were in hospital. Although he still had many matches going on, every minute of his spare time was spent by your side when you were unconscious and when you woke up, he was the first person you saw.

Mom and Glenn came to visit and they too, watched over your recovery. You remained in hospital for a month or so to recuperate, undertaking some physical rehab and psychological assessments but overall, you were fine and eventually discharged.

Before you leave hospital though, Looker arrives and you thank him for his help. He's glad you're safe but you're afraid that he'll take you away from Raihan and your family to some unknown facility where they'll do research on you.

But he doesn't do any of the sort - instead, he informs you there is a special squad that consists of individuals who are Fallers like yourself who can teach you to harness your energy, train your mind and they also specialise in tracking and hunting Ultra Beasts. He asks if you'd like to join the unit but you decline the offer. He tells you it's always on the table should you ever change your mind.

He has a parting gift for you - a Type: Null.

It's a pokemon that was manufactured by Macro Cosmos using stolen research and this one was successfully confiscated but Looker suspects they have more somewhere.

Although it was under his protection, it doesn't listen to him so he wasn't able to use it at Rose Tower. Looker has decided to entrust it to you; it needs a strong trainer and he believes you will take good care of it and raise it with love and affection so that one day, it can fulfil its potential, break it's helmet and evolve into Silvally. He also gives you the memories it needs to adjust its type at any given moment.

You thank Looker again and he notes how you have a Poipole and that they too, have a home somewhere in Ultra Deep Space. He has the technology to open Ultra Wormholes so you ask Poipole if he wants to go home.

Poipole declines, having decided to stay here with you and Looker gives you a beast ball for Poipole, then takes his leave. You occasionally send him photos of Poipole and Null's progress.

Although you dislike thinking about it, the incident at Rose Tower is not forgotten. Although the DVD was destroyed, it is discovered to be blank because Raihan's ex-girlfriend never found any incriminating evidence in the stalker's house despite the tip. Banette never hid anything and there is nothing in the stalker's house. The authorities decide two girls want to utilise this as an opportunity to blackmail although the girls maintain their innocence that what they were doing was nothing but a 'harmless prank'.

Regardless, they are both fined and sentenced to community service; Cheerleader Alicia is ultimately fired from Hammerlocke. You never hear from her again; she's too afraid to go near you nor will she bother you ever again, according to some sources.

On the other hand, Raihan's ex-girlfriend remains active on social media after her punishment and escapes true justice. She makes a public apology online but it's not truly heartfelt. By doing so, she protects herself from severe punishment although she loses a majority of her contracts, sponsors and supporters along the way. She does go off the radar for a while to lie low but no-one will ever know the ugly truth because she still has some loyal fans who will remain by her side and continue to support her, refusing to believe their idol is capable of hurting others.

Besides, you know for sure that you will never hear from her again. Like Alicia, she is deathly afraid of you. An online article about Raihan subsequently appears on Froakit written by a user called Wooloomyloo111, outlining a running trend that everyone who is associated with him seems to end up in jail or experiences some misfortune. They're not half-wrong.

You have good news about your friend. She wakes up in hospital and discovers that she is now jobless but the liberation enables her to reassess her life and she plucks up the courage to finally move to Galar with her Pokemon. Since you have moved out of Ballonlea to move in with Raihan, she takes over your lease and it works out well. She wastes no time in getting a new job and applies to be an aide at Professor Magnolia's laboratory and successfully lands the job.

And on her first day, she finally meets Leon in person. He goes to the lab regularly and he’s heading there again to pick up three starter Pokemon that he will gift to his little brother and his friend in Postwick, who are starting their own pokemon journey soon.

Everything seems to be working out fine so you dedicate more time in training your pokemon. Goomy decides he wants to evolve into a Goodra after he falls in love with Raihan's Goodra and Raihan's Dratini evolves into Dragonite and applies for a job as a delivery pokemon, bringing more income to the household.

Raihan also recently gets the house refurbished though you did your own paint job which took an entire weekend. He takes down his old photos of Eli and his ex and has them replaced with new photos. The group photo you took from the Dragon's Den is framed, along with the group photo taken after Rose's party, there is also a selfie with yourself and Raihan and finally, he puts up a group photo featuring Raihan, yourself, his pokemon team and yours. There is also the photo he took of you with the Butterfree.

You bring some of your photos too for the shelf but he sneakily gets rid of your photo with Morty.

From sleeping together, taking showers together, cooking together, you and Raihan are even closer than ever before. There is something satisfying waking up beside him every morning and it is also satisfying when you open your closets and cupboards where you see a mixture of your clothes and his in the lot.

You continue your job at the daycare but the amount of pokemon being left behind and uncollected begin to increase and often they are abused by their negligent trainers. You're sitting on the sofa and chilling with Raihan when you remember that some time ago, the thought of opening a sanctuary for abandoned pokemon had once crossed your mind.

Although you're afraid, the encouragement you receive from Raihan and your family gives you the courage to ask if your boss would allow adoption service considering the Wild Area nursery has space for additional pokemon most of the time. To your surprise, your boss agrees. You handle all necessary paperwork and the equipment needed, the extra food and water is all sourced on your own.

Cinnabar Island wasn't rebuilt in a day so it takes a while to start up but once the abandoned pokemon come rolling in, everything seems to fall into place. When you've got enough money, you will definitely open your own nursery. It's a goal you will work towards from now on, and Raihan and your family are there to support you.

You maintain contact with your ex-boss, telling her the good news. You learn from her that she has accepted Phantump and you are welcome to visit them anytime.

Something remains unresolved however: Driffie.

You've not seen him since. Occasionally, you'll head to the Wild Area where the wild Drifloon lurk around but you've never seen him. That day, you were really angry and you recognise that and you had even asked Raihan if you had made a mistake. Time heals all wounds, but it's too late because Driffie is gone for good.

Once you're at your house, you open the door and Poipole floats inside and Null squeezes in after you. You pat him affectionately as he helps you close the door.

"Rai, we're home!"

"I'm upstairs."

He must be in bed, waiting for you.

You recall Poipole and Null after storing away the groceries and make your way up to the bedroom, opening the door only to see it's empty. "Rai?"

Suddenly the door closes behind you and a pair of arms wrap firmly around your waist, pulling you up against a broad chest and he leans down, pressing his lips against your neck. You chuckle as he smirks against your skin and murmurs, "Took you long enough."

"Sorry to keep you waiting." You mutter as you turn round in his embrace as he peppers you with kisses and you wrap your arms around his neck as he walks you to the bed and drops you over the mattress, lips claiming yours roughly.

Whilst you kick off your pants, he yanks at your top however the doorbell rings and you stop kissing him to look up.

"Who could that be?" You mutter, as Raihan presses deep kisses all over your neck and mouth.

Having been interrupted, he reluctantly lifts himself off you and you pull your pants back up, leaving the room first and trotting down the stairs to the front door. It could be a Boy Scout, a salesperson or maybe just a visitor.

However, upon opening the door, you're surprised to see it is none of the sort and your eyes widen - it is a little purple balloon floating on your doorstep with a dirty pokeball wrapped around one stringy hand. It looks at you hopefully.

"....Floo..." It wheezes gently, blinking up at you.

"...Driffie?"

"Floo...."

"Oh, Driffie," you murmur, "Oh..."

You hear Raihan heading down the stairs before he stops behind you, half-dressed. "Who is it?" When he sees the balloon pokemon, he grins and joins your side, wrapping his arm around your shoulder.

"Floo-floo..." Drifloon exchanges glances between yourself and Raihan, then to his pokeball and lifts it up to you.

You emit a gentle sigh under your breath and accept the pokeball off him; it's badly beaten and battered... he'll need a new capsule. Your gaze softens before you hold out your arms. Drifloon floats towards you and into your embrace and you hug tightly.

Raihan watches you with a smile as you welcome Driffie into your home; you bring him inside with Raihan and close the door behind you.

...

Rose gazes at the city of Wyndon from his penthouse. He recalls the day the entire region lost power for a few minutes in order for the energy plant to generate enough power to be diverted to Looker's device that would open a Ultra Wormhole so that Raihan and his girlfriend could return safely.

He holds a document with the word 'Eternatus' stamped on it; it could hold the key in preventing Galar's energy crisis.

...

...

In Postwick, Hop leaves his house with Wooloo to meet Gloria. Leon will be arriving at Wedgehurst and he has gifts for them.

Their journey is just beginning.

...

[thatbloodymuggle]

the one with the contaminated beer bottle

Tongue Tied 1/?

masterlist

word count: 2.6k

warnings: cursing ig? mentions of death

read it on wattpad

playlist

-

"Miss Connolly, what makes you think you'd be a good fit for emancipation?"

The unbothered judge flipped through a stack of papers, glasses nearly falling off the bridge of his nose. The seventeen-year-old shifted uncomfortably in her seat between her uncle and her lawyer. It was painfully evident that all four of them, the judge, the lawyer, the uncle, and the girl, would rather be anywhere else.

"Well," the girl coughed to clear her throat, "I believe that I have the facilities to thrive on my own. I have a paid off house and car in my name from my mom's will, a sizeable amount of savings from my dad's, and a steady income from my job. It's not huge, but I'm hoping to build it up over the summer. I'm also on track to go to UNC Chapel Hill with my test scores and my dad's legacy, so education won't be a problem."

The air in the room seemed to get thicker with each word. The girl's throat was drying, and she felt the sweat building up on her palms. The office was silent apart from the nail-tapping of the lawyer, the occasional cough from the judge, and her uncle's chair squeaking.

"Overall, I think I'm just as capable to provide for myself, if not more, than my uncle. I believe I am responsible enough to be recognized as an adult, and I really want this for myself," she finished.

The girl let out a huge sigh she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. The drab room grew silent again apart from the bored "hmm" from the judge. Her uncle squeaked in his chair again. The nail-tapping from the lawyer continued.

"Mr. Connolly, do you believe your neice is a good candidate for emancipation?"

The greying man didn't hesitate to grumble a rushed 'Yes' while stroking his untamed beard. The judge nodded in response.

"And Mrs. Watson, based on your assessment, do you too believe that Miss Connolly is a good candidate for emancipation?"

The lawyer stopped her nail tapping and shot a plastic smile towards the judge. "Yes Sir. From my meetings with Miss Connolly, I believe she is a perfect fit," molasses dripped from her deep voice, gravelly from years of smoking.

"Well," the judge shuffled a few more papers, "Then it seems you've made my job here easy. With great references and support from your uncle and reviewer, I don't see any reason to deny you what you want. By the power vested in me by the North Carolina Judicial System, I declare Rose-Ann Mae Connolly to be an emancipated minor."

The air in the room thinned and Rosie felt a massive weight lift off her shoulders.

The next few minutes of papers and signatures were a blur. Her body carried her through the motions, but her mind was elsewhere. Somewhere in the realm of 'Holy shit. I'm free'. She swiftly shook the judge's hand, and collected her paperwork. Her uncle was already out the door, and she didn't hesitate to follow.

The pair weaved in and out of hallways and staircases towards the exit in silence. Rosie's mind was reeling with too many emotions, and David Connolly just wanted to get home and continue his marathon of Duck Dynasty. Before she knew it, they'd reached her mom's Mini-Cooper and his 2004 Toyota Corolla parked side by side. David Connolly continued to move in silence as he transferred a large suitcase from his trunk to her backseat.

"Well, uh," he swung the door of her red car shut, "I guess this is it."

He shifted awkwardly, and scratched at his overgrown beard. The Connollys cleared their throats simultaneously in a pathetic attempt to fill the awkward silence.

"Yeah, looks like it," Rosie sighed with a tight-lipped smile. Her uncle nodded sharply and unlocked his dented car door.

"Drive safe, then. You have my number if something goes wrong," the greying man grunted while climbing into his beat-up car.

Rosie waved a breathy, "Bye," just as he slammed the car door shut. He didn't hesitate to pull, quite recklessly, out of the parking lot. The 17-year-old watched the Toyota drive away until she could no longer see it. She shook herself back to reality as the car blinked from existence. Slowly, a grin took over her face. Her heart beat out of her chest in excitement.

She could finally go home.

Rosie jumped into her infamous red Mini-Cooper and slammed the door shut behind her. She gripped the wheel, her grin growing so wide it hurt. She released the scream of excitement bubbling inside her. She must have looked crazy to anyone passing by, but Rosie didn't care.

She was finally going home.

The young girl forced herself to settle down, but a smile remained. Rosie inserted her mother's Beatles for Sale CD into the car player and prepared herself for the 2-hour drive to the OBX. The engine revved in sync with the silky, smooth voice of Paul McCartney. Rosie zoomed out of the parking lot in record time to begin her trek down the North Carolina state road. Signs, farms, and gas stations passed, but the only thing on Rosie's mind was home.

God, she'd missed her friends. She'd missed late nights at The Wreck with Kie, and study sessions on the docks with Pope. She'd missed impromptu races against John B, and the whole crew dog-piling on John B's hammocks. Hell, she'd even missed rolling blunts with JJ and their constant bickering.

Rosie's fingers drummed against the steering wheel to the beat of Eight Days A Week. The warmth in her stomach and the smile on her face felt unfamiliar. This was the first time she'd felt true joy since her mom had passed just 4 months earlier. Finally, everything seemed to be falling back into place.

By the time the teenager had reached the ferry, she'd cycled through two Beatles CD's and one Bob Dylan. Just a little further, she thought to herself as she boarded the large boat. Her phone buzzed beside her. She scrambled to grab it, nearly dropping it.

12:01 P.M   Kie: any news?

1:43 P.M   Pope: How'd it go?

1:44 P.M   Pope: Btw, if u can't come back we'll survive. U know like good riddance see u never  type vibe

1:45 P.M   Pope: Sorry that was JJ

1:45 P.M   Pope: He's an ass

3:59 P.M   JB: ur KILLING us here. what's the verdict!?

Rosie grinned at the texts she'd received from her friends over the past couple of hours. She began to type a reply, but deleted it midway. She was so close by now that it would be more fun to surprise them instead.

The teenager leaned against the railing next to her car. The salty smell and cool breeze tickling her nose was a bliss like no other. Rosie peered into the distance, catching sight of a blurry island in the distance. A soft grin tugged at her lips. She closed her eyes and threw her head back, enjoying the ocean air and peaceful waves she'd missed oh-so-much.

The warmth in her gut grew as the ferry approached the dock. Within minutes, Rosie was driving her Mini-Cooper off the massive boat.

The Outer Banks. Home. She couldn't believe she was finally back. Rosie turned onto the main road and drove towards the small home one of her dearest friends inhabited. She'd drop off her things at her own house later. She just couldn't wait a second longer before seeing her friends.

Rosie usually hated driving through the Figure Eight, but even the sight of the lavish houses and boys in polos put a smile on her face. It was the first sense of familiarity she'd felt in months. Minutes passed and her heart raced as she got closer and closer. Before she knew it, the Chateau was just in the distance. Another uncontrollable grin took over Rosie's face. She was bouncing in her seat in excitement.

She pulled her small car onto the gravel driveway and jumped out. Rosie stared at the shack in disbelief for a brief moment. She was afraid she'd never see the beat-up place ever again, but here she was. Kie's familiar shriek sounded from inside the house. This was enough to send Rosie racing towards the front door. The screen door nearly swung off its hinges from her force.

Four startled faces shot towards the door. There was a moment of silence: Rosie beaming in the doorway, John B dropping a half-full bottle of beer, Pope hanging sideways off the couch, Kie dropping her jaw, and JJ, well, JJ looking unbothered

The few seconds of silence were short-lived as the room burst out into indistinguishable screams.

"Oh my god!"

"You're alive!"

"She's a free woman!"

Rosie was tackled by Kie, quickly followed by John B and Pope. The four teenagers nearly tumbled to the ground.

"Guys... can't.. breathe..." Rosie struggled from underneath John B's armpit.

"It's what you get for leaving us hanging all day! We thought we'd never see you again," Kie laughed, squeezing her friend even tighter.

"Oh come on, Kie," Rosie wiggled out of the suffocating group hug. "I wanted it to be a surprise! I did good too, didn't I? Gotta keep you on your toes," she giggled.

"It was a pretty good surprise, Kie," Pope laughed, swinging an arm over Rosie's left shoulder while John B took her right.

"I've seen better. You know, could've added some flair: fireworks, balloons, a unicorn. 5 out of 10 at best," a certain blond piped up from the couch.

Rosie Connolly locked eyes with JJ Maybank. Usually, her mortal nemesis—a pest, if you will—but today, a friend. A mischievous grin took over her face, matching his playful smirk.

"Hey to you too, shithead," she quipped. "Aw, how sweet! You got me a 'welcome home' gift," Rosie swiftly shot forward and snagged his beer bottle mid-swig. JJ yanked her arm back in an attempt to salvage his beer, but she'd already stuck her tongue inside it.

"Oh, sorry, did you want this?" Rosie cocked her head at a pissed off JJ. "How rude of me! Here, you can have it," the girl feigned innocence, but couldn't wipe the devious smirk from her lips.

JJ snatched the beer back, "Oh nah," he spit inside the bottle, swirled it around a little, and handed it back to Rosie, "It's all yours. Welcome home, bitch."

She crinkled her nose in disgust at the contaminated drink. JJ leaned back in his seat, clearly pleased with himself. Rosie moved to dump the drink over his head, but John B intercepted before it could escalate.

"Hey hey, no need to get all loved up now. Let's keep the PDA to a minimum," John B snatched the bottle and set it on the counter. He tossed two new bottles to his bickering friends. Rosie caught it gracefully, and fell back onto the couch next to Kie.

"I swear, in some past life you two were an old married couple," Kie laughed, draping her legs over Rosie's. The Pogues chorused in laughter, apart from JJ and Rosie. He shot her his infamously infuriating smirk, to which she took a massive swig of beer.

"Damn, I've missed this," Rosie moaned at the bitter taste. "Haven't had a drink in four months."

Rosie brought the bottle back to her lips to take a second sip, but paused upon the realization that all four pairs of eyes were trained on her expectantly.

"What?" she cried, "Can I not have a drink without being stared down?"

"What do you mean what? We haven't seen you in four months and all you've gotta say is how much you love beer?" Pope deadpanned.

"Rose-Ann Mae Connolly, I knew you were always just mooching off of me!" John B jokingly accused. Rosie rolled her eyes at the two boys and set down the bottle.

"What've you been up to without us? How was the end of the school year? How was the trial?" Kie ignored John B and turned to face her friend with curious eyes.

"School? Boring. Living with David? Boring. Trial? Boring. And there you have it! 4 months in 5 seconds!" Rosie entangled her legs with Kiara's, letting her feet fall onto John B's lap.

Kiara began to protest at the severe lack of information, but was interrupted.

"A woman of many words," JJ grumbled from across the couch with his eyes closed as if he were mid-nap.

"Seriously, guys," Rosie huffed, "That's all it was—boring. But I'm here now, a legal adult, and I just wanna have fun, so let's do something fucking insane!" she diverted her friends away from asking anymore questions.

Truth be told, the last few months had been absolutely miserable. Grief is a heavy emotion. The great thing about having a family and friends is they can help carry some of the weight. But Rosie had been forced to spend those months grieving over the loss of her mother alone, and she was ready to move past it.

"Fair enough. Why don't we go late-night diving off the cliff up Old Miller Road later?" Kie suggested.

"Do you want to die?" Pope deadpanned at the same time that JJ spoke, "Sounds exhilarating".

"Oh, come on Pope. It's my first night back! Do it or you're lame," Rosie laughed at her nervous friend.

"Then I'm lame."

"Well, 4 to 5 majority rules," John B clapped his hands, "we'll leave from here at 10:00."

Four out of the five teenagers cheered. Pope crossed his arms and grumbled in disapproval.

Rosie pulled herself from the confines of Kie, "Sounds like a plan, but I should probably head back to my place for a little bit before. Need to unpack and, uh, clear some stuff out," she coughed awkwardly at the last part. Her friends nodded in understanding.

"I can come with if you want? You know, help you unpack and stuff," Kiara offered a warm smile.

Rosie smiled back, but shook her head, "Thanks, Kie, but I've got it covered."

"Are you sure?" John B added.

"Really," Rosie emphasized. "I'll be fine. I need to sort some papers out, anyways." The newly-emancipated teenager reluctantly lifted herself from the comfy couch and the warmth of her friends. "I'll be back soon. Don't you worry your pretty little head," she made a show of ruffling John B's untamed hair.

"Hurry back!" JJ's voice dripped with sarcasm underneath the hat that was now covering his face.

"Just for you," Rosie quipped. She did one last once-over at her friends before swinging the unstable door open. "See you soon!" she called as she strode back to her car.

The chatter of her friends died out as she moved further from the house and closer to the Mini-Cooper. A different sort of happiness flooded her body. Being isolated from the people she loved for so long was like losing a piece of her heart, and she'd finally found it. It was a warmth like no other, and as she drove home, she could only count down the minutes until she'd be with them again.

-

this is unedited oops

if you’d like to be added to a taglist, message/pm me!

part 2 coming soon!

[thetierdslytherin]

The Avatar’s sister pt.2

Bolin x reader

this is a continuation of the avatar’s sister and it’s also based off of  season 1 eipsode 2 of lok

2.2k words 

        I'm woken in the morning by an incessant knocking on my door. I try to ignore it by pulling a pillow over my head but after the knocking doesn't stop I'm forced to get up and answer the door “what!” I throw the door open coming face to face with.“Korra! You better have a good reason for getting me up before the sun is up.” I cross my arms standing in the doorway waiting for her explanation

            “I do! I have training in 30 minutes and you know Tenzin's rule I can't leave unless your with me so we gotta go so I can be on time, get dressed” Korra pushes me out of the way entering my room “come right inthen” I say sarcastically shutting my door following her to my closet as she goes through it throwing clothes in my direction “Now get dressed and cleaned up. We don’t have a lot of time. Plus the sooner we get there the sooner you get to see Bolin” My heart beats a little faster at the mention of Bolin as I change into some of my water tribe clothes then brush my teeth and fix my y/h/c hair into a braid.

           “Well even Bolin isn't enough to make me move fast this early in the morning and I just met the guy. Besides you only to see Mako” I tease as we head out of the building to the shore “Korra i’m well aware i'm not your mother or in charge of you but please be careful I don't want to see you get hurt” 

          “psh y/n i'm gonna be fine your making a big deal out of this”

           I sigh and stop walking, Korra stopping with me. I look into her eyes before saying “Korra I know guys like Mako, i've dated too many guys like him I just don't want you to get hurt”

           “Yeah well maybe you just start minding your own business like you said you're not my mother and you're sure as hell not in charge of me so let me live my life for once!”Well,That could have gone better. We spent the rest of our journey in silence only speaking when we ordered breakfast. Maybe I am being too controlling. Korra deserves to live her own life and make her own mistakes. But we did just meet the brothers yesterday and know literally nothing about them. But I know Korra and if I push the issue any more she’ll just cut me out of her life until she's over it. 

          “Your late” Mako doesn't even turn to look at us when we enter.

           “Okay yeah true but we brought food so lets call it even then?”

            I move to one of the tables setting their food down “yeah Mako look at this y/n was nice enough to bring us food so let's just take a break and enjoy the food” Bolin says starting to make his way over 

          “ we haven't even started yet so let's not. C’mon on Bo, Korra we have a lot of training to get through” The three of them run through drills for the better part of an hour before moving to the cool downs.

           “What's the big idea making me train this early in the morning? The morning is evil” okay dramatic much Korra? The three of them move into a triangle passing a weighted ball around.

          “Were the rookies so we get the worst time slot in the gym” Bolin passes the ball to Mako

          “And you're the rookiest of us all, we gotta get you up to speed if we want to survive in the tournament deal with it!” he passes to Korra 

          “You deal with it” she passes the ball back to Mako sending him flying backwards 

          “Children, children can you please not hurt each other this early in the morning. Alright let's not make this any more unbearable then it has to be” I pass by them to check on Mako and other than a sour look on his face he seems perfectly fine.

          Bolin pipes up “uh y/n not that i'm not happy to see you I really am it's just why are you here? you're not on the team?” 

          I glanced at Korra and said, “you didn't tell them?” she shakes her head I guess she just thought I would “tenzin's one condition for her joining the team. Wherever she goes I go so that means you're stuck with me, pretty boy. and you too mako… I guess” I go moving to stand by Korra. 

          “There are my hard working street urchins, it's an honor to finally meet you avatar” a muscly man in his mid thirties approaches us.

          “And you are?” Korra says crossing her arms.alright then just go ahead and pretend like i'm not even here.

          “Butaka I run this whole pro bending shabang. Anyways here your winnings from the match” Mako goes to pocket the cash but before he can Butaka stops him. 

          “First you owe me for the avatars new gear, gym and equipment rentals for last month, rent on your apartment, and a personal loan on groceries” By the time he's done there no cash left. Is it always like this for them?

          “Oh uh one more item of business the Fire Ferrets need to ante up 30,000 yuans for the championship pot” Damn ok that's more than I make for 6 months at my job and the brothers definitely don't have that kind of money just lying around.How are they gonna come up with it?

          “30,000 yuans!” My thoughts exactly Bolin

          “Sorry kids you have till the end of the week to pay or your out” with that final statement Butaka leaves along with the fire ferrets chances of playing in the championship.

          “The two of you wouldn't happen to have a secrets bank account filled with gold would you?” Mako and Bolin look at us with hopeful eyes 

          “No sorry boys I mean I have some money I could pitch in but not 30,000 yuans”

          “I've got nothing. I've never really needed money, I've always had someone taking care of me” Korra shrugs, giving a small smile. 

           “Then I wouldn't say you've had nothing then” Makos words carries no venom though, just distant sadness packing up his gear throwing it into a duffle bag.

           “I'm sorry I didn't mean-” “no its alright its just ever since we lost our parents we've been on our own” Bolin says giving Korra a sad smile shuffling towards us

           “Bolin, I'm so sorry that you had to go through it” I put my hand on his shoulder trying to offer some sort of comfort.

         “So anyway how are we gonna come up with the money?” 

“Ooh ooh I got it. I've been training pabu to do circus tricks now people would pay good money to see that” Bolin raises pabu into the air twirling him once.

          “C'mon bolin we need serious ideas” the smile immediately falls from bolins face and I can't help but stand up for him “that is a serious idea Mako. When we first came from the water tribe I know I would've paid to see pabu perform” 

          “ don't worry about it, I'll figure it out. I always do” and after that Mako walks out of the training room presumably to ‘figure it out’.

          “Hey korra why don't you head on back to the island bolin and I are gonna hang out for a little bit” he looks at me confused“we are?” I give him a nod “we are”. 

          “Yeah okay y/n just don't stay out too late you know how Tenzin gets” I give her a smile and a ‘of course’ then it’s just bolin and I left. 

          “So Bolin, how about you show me some of pabus tricks and you help me eat the rest of breakfast that Korra and I brought?” “um yeah but can i get a quick shower first im kinda gross?”

          “Only if you let me join you.” spirits his eyes almost bugged out of his head at my comment stammering to get an answer out before I take mercy on him “i’m teasing you Bo” 

          He clears his throat “right right yeah totally know that” That leads me to where I am right now Bolin and I on their couch eating cold pastries.

           “Hey Bolin” he pauses his eating for a second to look at me “why don't you tell me something about you. I mean we basically know nothing about each other except our shared love of pro bending and food” he looks thoughtful for a moment “Pshh not true” I shoot him a look saying ‘you sure about that’

            “Well I know you're a waterbender and that you have a sister and where you live...and that sounds way creepier than I meant it. I just mean you know you live with Tenzin who lives on air temple island not like I've been stalking you because that would be weird...” i've noticed he does this thing whenever he's embarrassed he’ll scrunch his whole face up for a second and start playing with his hands, which he's doing right now

          “Well okay but I don't know any of the important stuff” I say leaning in propping my chin on my hand 

          “What's the ‘important stuff?’”

          “Like your favorite color. You know a person's favorite color will tell you a lot about them”

          “Whoa hey now you just stepped over a line. I can't possibly tell you that” we make eye contact bursting out laughing at the notion.

           “ok fine I don't really have a favorite color” he scratches the back of his neck giving me a half smile

           “well maybe instead of telling me your favorite color you tell me about your parents” after seeing the look in Bolins eyes I quickly backtrack “you don't have to though I imagine it's a touchy subject I was just curious” he sighs setting his food down turning to me

           “no it’s not that it’s just not a very fun story to tell” he takes a deep breathe grounding himself “when Mako was 7 and I was 5 we were at home with our parents one night and a fire bender broke in trying to steal from us… he killed them right in front of us y/n, after that it was just mako and I. It's been that way ever since” he looks down trying in vain to keep me from seeing the tears in his eyes. I grab his hand running my thumb over his knuckles. 

          “Hey bolin why don't we go and set up for pabu to do his tricks” he glances at me “we could set it up under fire lord zuko's statute?” he laughs wiping the tears from his eyes

           “yeah y/n that sounds perfect” 

          We're both sitting on the base of zuko's statue on a carpet with two cups and a plank for pabu to walk on.Bolin and pabu have matching get ups and bolin has a fake mustache. while I sit beside Bolin bending water into different shapes to amuse myself. “Come one come all see pabu the fantasstic fire ferret as he crosses the ladder of peril upside down” Pabu then crosses the plank and flips landing on one paw which i'll admit is cute but not 30,000 yuans cute. “Thank you folks you are too kind too kind” Bolin says as a man passes by dropping 1 yuan into the cup. 

          Bolin looks a little upset by how far we still have to go “Hey Bolin look its a start you don't have to get all the money yourself i'd be happy to pitch in and i'm sure mako found a way to make some money” he sighs “yeah i'm sure mako has” that's the problem isn't it? I bet bolin is tired of his brother always solving his problems or better yet being the one who gets them out of ruts. 

          “Hey bolin is that you?” I Look up to see a well dressed man with urban water tribe clothes on getting out of his sato mobile 

           “oh hey shady shin” he waves at the man and I urgently whisper to bolin “by any chance is this leader of the triple threat triads shady shin?”

           “mhmm” 

           Wow since when did bolin run with gangsters? “I hear you're a big time pro bender now. Not bad.Anyways lighting bolt zolt is looking to hire some extra muscle” 

           “I don't know shin Mako told me to stay away from the triple threats” 

           “it's just some security work nothing crooked” he pulls out a fat wad of cash and throws it in Bolin’s cup he's about to agree before I cut him off before he can agree “double it and were both in i'm a water bender and a healer plus i'm good at ‘security work” 

           “Alright kid deal don't make me regret it” he puts another was of cash in the cup “now let's get going” Bolin and I follow him and get in the back of his sato mobile. What a mistake that was.      

[spookysweet-heart]

The Fateful Meeting

Request: “What about Claire x Reader meeting for the first time in the middle of the zombie outbreak? You can choose the circumstances!”

Fandom: Resident Evil

Pairings: Claire Redfield x Birkin!Reader

Warnings: Zombie Outbreak, mention of death (zombies), blood, violence, language. 

A/N:  Thank you to the anon who requested this! I hardly get Claire Redfield requests so it always gets me super happy to get to do these!!! Hope you all enjoy it! The collage was made by me!

        Claire ran from behind one car to another staying low and quiet. Looking around, she lets out a sigh of relief when there aren’t any zombies around her. Sliding down to the ground Claire leans her back against the tire of the car. Huffing a bit, catching her breath Claire looks up at the night sky trying to remember the way to the Police Station.  

Looking around again she heard a can roll away and a groan soon after. Claire slowly moves away before quickly standing up and running in the direction of the Station. “Oh, Fuck!” Almost tripping over her own boots she skids to a stop when the small horde of zombies appear to be blocking the entrance gate. Glancing to her left Claire sees a stray pipe on the ground.

Dodging her way out of a zombie grab Claire quickly picks up the pipe and bashes it against the zombie's exposed skull. Hearing the base of the skull crack she feels the pipe go through piercing its brain making them fall to the ground. Detaching the pipe she swings it down one more time, now on the exposed brain, she sees it turn to nothing but a pink and grey mush on the concrete. 

Wiping at the blood on her cheek Claire lets her guard down for a second before she grips the pipe with both hands she furrows her brows in concentration. Letting out a deep breath she didn’t realize she was holding in. Claire looked at the four maybe five zombies blocking her way to the gate. “Alright...Let’s do this!” Taking a running start Claire swings the pipe left and right, hitting them dead center on their heads either knocking them down or successfully killing them in one hit. 

Sliding over to the gate she makes it in time to lock out the rest that is starting to gather around. Tossing the bloody pipe to the side she looks up at the building and silently hopes that she finds Leon or at least someone else who's alive is in the building right now. 

Opening the front doors to the police station, Claire looks around carefully walking in as the doors start to close behind her. “Anyone here??” Walking down to the front desk she finds a box of ammo and a stray gun. Taking the gun she checks if it's loaded, seeing that it is she checks the ammo to see if its the same as the ones in the gun. Hearing a loud bang Claire jumps and looks around. Quickly putting the ammo in her pocket, she stays quiet waiting for a few seconds if something else will happen. 

“Hello? Is anyone still here?!” Claire looks over at the small desk seeing a laptop. Going over to it she sees there’s a live feed of the building. Hearing another bang she notices it’s coming from her left. Looking for the feed on the left side of the map she finds movement near the west office. Clicking the feed Claire hears the moans and gurgling through the audio. There’s a flash and another bang sound.

Turning the corner you fire off another shot hitting the zombies leg making it fall and successfully slowing it down. Looking up at the camera in the corner of the room you see the little red light blinking signaling that someone’s looking at you through the recording. “Hey! Is someone there?! Please, if someone else is alive in here can you find me?! Im in the hallway between the weapons lockers and West Office!” Hearing banging from the door to the West Office your eyes widen when you see two more of them trying to get to you. Please! I’m looking for my little sister! Whoever you are, I’m going to hide in the dark room thats down this hallway...I don’t have much time!” Getting your gun ready you aim at the zombie at the ground that caught up to you. Firing at it’s head your shoes and part of your jeans et covered in dark sticky blood. Looking back up at the camera you see the red light fade away.  “I really hope they heard me…” Suddenly the door to the West Office bursts open making you run down the hall towards the Dark Room.

Claire watches the video feed turn to static and fade away. Quickly finding the map again, she looks for the Dark Room. “There it is!” Glancing to the side she sees a hunting knife, taking it, Claire takes another look at the map before looking around The Main Hall. “Maybe I can open that gate to get there. The doors themselves look like they’re locked….” Memorizing the path one more time Claire puts the gun in a side pouch. Gripping the handle of the knife she walks over to the taped up electrical box. Cutting away at the tape she opens the little door and presses the button. Hearing the little beep she turns to the gate seeing that its slowing rising. 

Putting away the knife she looks around the room and finds more unused ammo on one of the benches. “Everyone was really in a hurry. Wasn’t this supposed to be a safe place for people to evacuate to?” Putting away the bullets, Claire takes out the gun once more and makes her way to the other door. 

Carefully opening it she its a dark hallway, reaching into her pocket she takes out a small flashlight and shines it at the walls. Slowly making her way to the end of the hall, there’s a radio call coming from a body on the ground thats leaning against the wall. 

Claire could tell the body was fully dead, they weren’t like the others that came back to life. Just as she was about to reach over a sound at the right made her stand up straight again. Seeing feet dangling in mid air Claire notices dry blood soaked into the socks and shoes. Panning the light upwards she sees the body’s only hanging from the persons face that’s split in half from a pipe.

Carefully moving around the body Claire continues her way through the next hallway. Turning to her right she sees double doors, remembering that this is the right way to go she reaches for the doorknob but jumps back when she hears a glass window break. Gripping the gun Claire turns to face the zombie as they’re standing up. “You have got to be kidding me...”  Aiming the gun at the zombie’s head Claire pulls the trigger seeing it burst five shots. The last shot to the head causes it to explode in a mess of blood, chunks of brain and whatever’s left of the eye balls.

Quickly reloading, Claire goes into the room and sees the door she was supposed to go through is chained up. “What the fuck is this...now where-” Stopping herself when she looks to her left and sees a storage box below a broken window. “Well, that works.” walking over to the box she carefully climbs her way up and over the window jumping down into the next room. 

Staying still when she hears banging near by she realizes one of them is banding away one of the vending machines. “I guess they’re still human after all.”  Silently as possible Claire walks past the zombie and sees the West Office and Weapons Locker. “They should be at the end of the next hall I think…” Whispering to herself Claire doesn’t notice theres a zombie right around the corner. 

The zombie notices her first and successfully knocksher down to the ground. Claire groans in pain when her back hits the floor. Keeping the zombies face away from her she gathers all her weight and flips them over so she’s straddling the zombie. Taking out her knife she plunges it into its head twisting it before pulling it out seeing the blood pool as it’s limbs fall to ether side of it. Breathing heavil Claire looks up seeing the zombie from the vending machine making its way towards her now.

Claire quickly gets up almost falling again in the process but she’s able to brush it off and run down the hall. Turning to her right she the Dark Room in the little corner. Sighing in premature relief she runs over to the door opening and closing it behind her. Trying to slow down her breathing Claire’s startled when the lights to the room turn on. Immediately she aims her gun at the switches direction only to find another living person on the other side of the room.

“Are you hurt? Did they bite you? Scratch you?” You looked over at Claire defensive but  if you were being honest you very relieved someone actually heard you.

“No! None of that...though I was close to getting bit but I was able to escape in time.” Claire slightly lowers her gun as she stares back at you. “What about you?”

“No.” You lowered your gun as well. “I’m (Y/n), (Y/n) Birkin.”

“Claire Redfield. You said you were looking for you sister?”

At the mention of your sister your eyes perk up as you walk closer to Claire. “Yes! Have you seen her? Her name’s Sherry she’s  twelve years old.”

Claire sadly shakes her head. “No i’m sorry. You’re the second person I’ve met  who isn’t one of those things.” Claire takes a folded up picture from her pocket and shows it to you. “You haven’t seen this guy around, have you?”

Looking at the photo of Claire with a guy that has his arm around her shoulders. They look like they’re laughing really hard over something. Shaking your head you look over at Claire. “No I’m sorry. Who is he?”

Claire softly smiles at the picture. “That’s my brother Chris. He works here as S.T.A.R.S agent for the R.P.D. I cam here looking for him. I guess you had the same idea with your sister?”

“Ah, yeah...I was coming home from college to surprise Sherry but I came just as this whole thing started getting too out of hand. I immediately went home but Sherry wasn’t there by the time I was able to get in. The only clue I had was the notebook with Sherry’s handwriting on it with the Stations phone number. I guess i just took the chance but I can’t seem to find her anywhere….” Wiping away the tears that start to fall you shake your head. “Sorry for getting emotional…”

Claire gently pats your back and gives you a soft smile. “Don’t be, we’re both on the look out for our siblings. Tell you what. How about we stick together. Get through this and find your sister and my brother.”

Smiling, you look at her and nod. “Yeah, That sounds like a good plan to me. Thank you, Claire”

“Don’t mention it, (Y/n). we’ll get through this, together.” Reaching out her blood stained hand for you to take she laughs a bit seeing yours is also covered in blood when shake her hand.

[elrielllll]

“Perfect” part 3

A/N: As promised :) Also updates after this should be every Sunday x

Today didn’t start well. 

She was late. Not to mention the pounding headache that came from marking into the early hours of the morning, and possibly a little too much wine.

She huffed as she turned into the car park, pushing her glasses up her face, annoyed that she had to wear them but with that headache she just couldn’t manage contacts.

As she pulled in she saw her parking space, or what it used to be, covered by a pile of bricks. 

Not today. 

Today of all days, not today. She didn’t need some thing else to contend with, she thought as she drove off to find another space.

She was still cursing those builders and the school’s long corridors as she ran, or as she preferred to call it, delicately speed walked to her room.

She only just got there in time before her students spilled into her room and she sat down, ready for a long day of teaching.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Out of all of the 5 years at this school this had been the worst morning by far. The noise and novelty of the build and the very shirtless sweaty builders, she couldn’t get her kids to concentrate for more than 5 seconds. And all of the previously intellectual questions she was used to receiving had now turned into, 

“miss how do you say “you’re hot” in French?”

“how do you ask someone out in French?”

“don’t you think French is a sexy language miss? I reckon if I asked in french first I’d get their number.”

And whilst she tried to ignore her students and act like the professional adult she was, she couldn’t help but think the same things.

But how did they expect her to concentrate? Let alone teach 30 teenagers. 

She came back to Lucien waving a hand in front of her face “Ellie? Earth to Ellie? Where did you go?” 

“Over there,”she grumbled, gesturing in the general direction of the building site, and the people that came with it. 

Lucien groaned, head in his hands, “not you too, I’ve had to deal with the kids all morning.” 

Elain laughed while also internally crying, “why do they all have to be shirtless?” she asked.

Lucien raised his eyebrows,  “Elain, only one of them is shirtless”

Elain froze mid bite of her sandwich, “No I swear there’s more”, but sure enough when she turned to look out of the window Lucien was right. 

And just her luck, It was Azriel.

She threw her head down and groaned. Typical that the first man she would find attractive since Grayson was her sisters boyfriends brother. 

It sounded like soap opera that she had absolutely no intention of being in. 

Lucien laughed and gave her a quick one armed hug ,“hope you’re less distracted the rest of the day” he said with a wink as headed off. 

But she wasn’t. By the end of the day Elain wanted the builders gone. After only one day dealing with them and being embarrassed by her class, she was fed up. 

So much so that she found herself walking towards the site and the one builder left.

“Hey!” she shouted as she neared, “ are you trying to make my job impossible? Have you ever had to deal with 30 teenagers at once? Well let me tell you it’s not easy, It’s like being in a pit of snakes!”

She stopped the man turned around and familiar hazel eyes met hers.

She stopped, unsure. Should she really be shouting at her sister’s friend?Azriel opened his mouth to speak but she carried on,

“And now with the noise, killing my head and making it a nightmare to teach, especially a different language! And if you wouldn't mind-” 

She stopped her rant as she looked at him. Still shirtless, taking in the tattoos and the muscles and the sheer size of him towering over her. She took a shaky breath and looked at the point on the wall over his shoulder, deciding that it was the only safe place to look.

She finished her rant significantly quieter, “-putting a shirt on”

She let her eyes flick back to him as she saw him reach down for a shirt and pull it on. 

She wasn’t looking at his tattoos swirling up and down the planes of his chest. 

She wasn’t.

“I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck, his deep voice going right through her, “I’ll talk to my guys and we’ll see what we can do about the noise.”

Elain nodded, now daring to make eye contact, “thank you ,” she said, feeling ashamed of shouting, It wasn’t his fault and she knew that, but he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She stuck out her hand, “I’m Elain by the way,”

“Feyre’s sister,” he nodded as he took her small hand in his big one, “I’ve heard lots about you, I’m Azriel.”

She nodded looking down, noticing how her hand was completely enveloped in his, and for the first time noticing the scars that decorated his hands. She hadn’t seen them during his little speech yesterday, but then again she was a bit preoccupied. 

“Beautiful” she breathed. 

Shit. She shouldn’t have said that. Of all the stupid things she could have said, it was probably top of the list. 

She peered up at him, to gauge his reaction, feeling guilty when he blushed faintly and nodded just once. 

Way to make a good impression. 

Elain looked down, realising that her hand was still in his. 

“Well I have to go” she blurted out, withdrawing her hand and clenching it by her side, noting how his stayed in the air between them for just a few seconds longer. 

He nodded .

Elain stood blinking for a moment before he gestured to his work, “um I should” 

“Oh yeah, yes of course sorry,” Elain said plastering a smile on her face and waiting for him to turn around before practically running back to her room and leaning against the door. 

Nice one Elain.

Why did she have to be  so awkward. She just went out there and shouted at him for doing his job and hadn’t even apologised. What was wrong with her?

That was often the case with her temper, she always regretted getting angry afterwards, but never while she was ripping into people. 

She looked down to see her phone ping with a message from Feyre,

 F: Hey! Come round to mine tonight, we’re getting a Chinese x

Elain didn’t have too much work to do tonight and she could use a good catch up with her sister, and Rhys always had good wine. 

E: I’ll be there! On a side note will you apologise to Azriel for me? I may have shouted at him xx

F: Ooh he must have done something wrong if YOU shouted at him. But he’ll be there so you can tell him yourself! ;)

That probably wasn’t the best idea, she’d probably make a fool of herself again. Yeah that sounds about right. But she did owe him an apology and she was going to have to do it sometime. And preferably not in front of a group of teenagers. 

Not that Feyre’s family were much better. 

She grabbed her keys and headed out to her car dropping Lucien a text that she was off. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Azriel had had one hell of a first day. When he took the job he thought he would be working over the holidays, with no kids. Or people in general. He though Rhys had known that and assumed he wouldn’t have brought the job up otherwise. 

Azriel had apparently underestimated how much his family wanted him home. 

It had started off with that speech yesterday, public speaking was not his forte, but he could manage talking to adults. 

Teenage girls however, were not manageable.

Every time he saw a group giggling in the corner while stealing glanced when they thought that he wasn’t looking he wanted to jump into the hole they were digging and stay in there, perhaps be buried alive. 

He wouldn’t have objected to it right then. 

And just when he thought he might finally have some peace Feyre’s sister came storming out, guns blazing. .

He’d seen her a couple times throughout the day in her classroom,  when he’d stopped for a moment  and she seemed invested, using wild hand gestures to get her point across. 

Though she didn’t use them when she was annoyed apparently. 

Thinking back he turned away from her too fast. It was rude and he was politer than that, but in his defence it had been a while since he had made an effort with someone, or even made a friend. He kept himself to himself while he was in London.

He  put it out of his mind as he pulled up to Rhys and Feyre’s apartment and headed up the stairs. He was pretty sure he could already hear Cassian’s voice echoing down the hall followed by Mor’s indignant cry. 

It was like he’d never left. 

He smiled as he pushed the door open and was bombarded with a hug from Mor. 

“I missed you” he said around a mouthful of hair.

“I missed you too,” Mor shouted in his ear, “I can’t believe that you didn’t come and visit once!”

Azriel winced, “ I was busy”

Mor waggled her eyebrows, “ I bet you were in high demand”

Chuckling, Azriel made his way next to the couch and sank down next to Cassian who passed him a beer with a grin. 

“Speaking of high demand, how was your first day at the new job?” Rhysand asked from where he was sat on the opposite couch with Feyre, eyes dancing. 

“Hell.” Azriel, cracking open his drink and taking a long swig. 

“Oh do tell,” said Rhys through a half smirk.

Azriel pointed at him, “you know very well how it went,”

Rhys only laughed as Cassian pushed, “Come on Az, it reminds us of being in school, tell us.”

“That is not something I want to re live thank you,” Azriel grumbled. 

“Oi we tried to make you popular but you were too damn scary” Cassian protested.

Cassian and Rhys were on the rugby team all through school, and everyone knows that the rugby team was a free pass to an easy ride through school. Azriel was more focused on important stuff like athletics, and Mor, who coincidentally came with it, being the star of long jump. 

Thank god that crush had passed, he was happy to see Mor with her girlfriend, they all were. 

“Where’s Emma?” Azriel asked, subtly trying to change the subject.

“Working late,” Mor replied, “but that’s not what we want to talk about” she sang.

“I had a gaggle of teenage girls staring at me at all times. And some of the boys.” Azriel admitted. 

They all burst out laughing as Cassian clapped Azriel on the shoulder and said, “Well you can’t really blame them” 

“I second that,” Mor piped up.

“I just want to work”, Azriel said, exasperated.

“Are you kidding?  Soak up all the attention, that’s what I do. Whenever I need an ego boost, I just head into Feyre’s class and flex a bit” Rhys said, demonstrating. 

“I thought you were coming in to see me,” Feyre said as she smacked him over the head with a pillow. 

Cassian’s laugh boomed around the room as Rhys yelped.

“I’m not trying to be a pig but where’s the food?” Mor said frowning at Rhys who was still rubbing his head looking betrayed.

“Pig,” Cassian quipped and got a pillow to the head as well from Feyre. 

“We’re waiting for everyone to get here.” Feyre said as she sat back down, glaring at the boys. 

They all looked around the room confused. Azriel could see Cassian counting on his fingers and looking at Feyre like she was crazy. They were all here, who where they waiting for? Amren was in Australia with Varian, and Nesta  had gone to school down south so it wasn’t her-

And just then the door cracked open and Elain slipped through with a shy smile. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[rocksandrobots]

Of Rocks and Robots Ch. 24 - The Desert

Varian doubled checked the coordinates on the computer.

He was in his lab fiddling with the portal. His run in with Sirque the other day had given him a few new ideas that he was eager to try out. He had built a turbine inside the portal to mimic the centripetal force he had used to steady the villain's smaller portal magnets, in the hopes of being able to better navigate the larger portal same has he had done with those.  

Confident he had put in the correct algorithm into the system, he walked over the dashboard, took a deep breath, and flipped the switch.

He watched with trepidation as the portal turned on. He still remembered the flooding he had cause last time he had tried this. However, he was now better prepared for an emergency.

The new laboratory that Professor Granville had granted him had a separate office space with a plexiglass window that looked out onto the room that held the gateway he'd built. It ran from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall. There were holes at the bottom to run wires and pipes through in order to connect the controls to the device along with a glass door that allowed easy access between the two rooms.

The portal crackled with energy and Varian heard the hum of the giant turbine he had installed. Soon the glowing gateway opened up and he could see the flat sandy plains of a desert.

Corona had no deserts, but that didn't necessarily mean that it wasn't his world. Varian glanced back at the view screen and committed to memory the readout. He then cautiously opened the door that connected the two sides of the lab and walked up to the portal trying to decide what to do.

He tentatively stuck his hand through to test the gateway. It was like sticking his hand inside a hot oven. He quickly drew it back and peered out at the endless expanse of sky and sand as shimmering heat waves rose off the surface.

He worked his jaw in thought. It clearly wasn't his home country but if it was his world then he could still get back home using other means, and if nothing else it would be progress. Yet he could just shut everything down and try again and see if he got any closer.

He peered back over his shoulder towards the controls as he tried to decide what to do.

Well it wouldn't hurt just to check, would it? Take a quick look around, determine which world he was in, and then come back. He wouldn't have to go far, surely.

He steeled his courage and stepped through the portal's window and out into the hot sun.

The heat was suffocating. He walked forward a bit but saw nothing ahead. He turned around and was met the sight of the portal hanging in the air, like a window into another world. He could see his lab clearly suspended in the sky a few inches above the ground, yet just a few steps to the right and there was suddenly nothing on the other side. It was just a thin blue glowing circle.

But what really caught his eye was the road that wound past off in the distance. To his dismay it was paved in concrete and a green metal road sign that said "Welcome to Death Valley" stood near it.

He wasn't home at all. He was still in this new modern world.

He started to make his way back towards the portal. However once he was a few steps away he heard a sparking noise as the turbine short circuited and then the whole thing shut down and the portal disappeared into thin air, leaving him stranded in the desert.

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

Wasabi went about tidying up his little corner of the lab. He straightened up his tool box as he hummed a cheery tune. He was just about to burst into full song when his phone rang.  

"Hello." He sang. "Oh hi, Varian. Whacha up to buddy?"

The grin from his face fell away as he listened to the other end of the line.

"You're WHERE !?

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

Varian tried to lick his dry lips as he stood in the heat. It didn’t help.

He had called Wasabi to pick him up and his friend told him to stay put until he arrived. His GPS told him that the nearest sign of civilization was over a twenty mile walk away and Wasabi warned not to make such a trek without being properly prepared.

"You could get a heat stroke. Just try to stay cool as best you can. I'm on my way now. Also call if you start to feel sick."

Varian felt uncomfortable more than anything. The heat was blistering and the dry air scratched at his throat. Worse, there was nothing to distract from his discomfort. He played on his phone for a bit, but he didn't want to run the battery down in case Wasabi tried to call.

He stood under the sign next to the road and watched a tumbleweed roll past. He barely felt the wind nor the small shadow that the sign cast. He held his shirt higher above his head, trying to use it as a makeshift shade from the sun.

He could barely focus on the equations he ran through his head to past the time as the hours slowly slipped by. He had eventually given up trying to write them in the sand and now just stared out into space.

Finally, after an agonisingly long time, he saw Wasabi's familiar green car coming towards him. It was the first vehicle he'd seen all day.

Wasabi pulled to a stop in front of him and rolled down his window.

"You owe me gas money." He angrily said.

Varian knew he was just hiding his worry with irritation so he didn't respond.

"You got any water." He croaked instead.

Wasabi rolled his eyes and motioned for him to get in the car.

Varian ran around to the other side and hopped in. He gave a sigh of relief as the cold air from the air conditioner hit him in the face. He then spotted the case of bottled water at his feet. He tore it open and pulled one out as Wasabi turned the car around and started the long drive back.

He nearly chugged the entire thing in one gulp. He'd never felt anything so wonderful as the cold water soothed his parched throat and he thought he could never get enough of it.

"Don't make yourself sick now." Wasabi warned. "Take it slow. I also bought some aloe vera in case you're sunburnt."

Varian ignored him and and opened another bottle. After downing about half of this one, he sloshed some water on his hands and patted the back of his neck. He then proceeded to repeat the process, splashing the water over his face and arms. He then poured the last of it on top of his head and let it drip through his hair.

Wasabi raised an eyebrow in annoyance as Varian made a mess on his leather seats. At least it was only water, well, that and sand from his dusty clothes, but it was still infuriating how Varian avoided acknowledging his latest disaster.

Varian opened a third water bottle and kicked his feet up on the dashboard. He sipped this one more slowly as he readjusted the vents to blow cool air directly on his face.

"Do you mind?" Came Wasabi's irritated voice.

Varian slowly pulled his feet off the dashboard, but instead of sitting upright he slouched further down and placed one knee against the glove compartment instead. His feet and legs ache from standing in one spot for so long.

Wasabi huffed. "I hope you also plan on cleaning the sand out of my car."

Once again Varian didn't respond. He tried to change the subject instead.

"I think I may need to build a return switch on the portal."

"You think?" Wasabi echoed before launching into a rant. "And what did you think before stepping through that portal? Hun? Oh the desert, how pretty, let me go pick a cactus to give my friend Wasabi so that I can ruin his day even further. I hope you know, I had to backpedal out attending that meeting for that group project I'm in, just to rescue your butt. That's twenty-five percent of my grade. Also Sam was annoyed with me when I had to make up an excuse. I could tell."

"That's that guy that you like, right? The one you got a crush on."

Wasabi was caught off guard as the conversation rounded back to him and his secret infatuation with his classmate.

"Don't...don't try to change the subject." He flustered.

Varian only laughed. "You should ask him out. Offer to take him to lunch or something as a way of making for skipping out on the assignment." He encouraged.

"I...I can't do that."

"Why not? You like him don't you? And if you like him, he's probably a cool dude. You might wanna make your move before someone else snatches him up." He warned.

"By who?" Wasabi asked, exasperated. How did they get on this subject again?

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Hey, maybe I'll ask him out? Sweep him off his feet." Varian teased.

Wasabi let out a sarcastic laugh. "Ok, first off, at twenty-one, he's too old for you, and secondly, I doubt that you're his type. He's responsible, dependable, values reliability; He even keeps a mini planner book in his shirt pocket all the time. Which is so cool...”

Wasabi paused in mid-gush when noticed Varian’s smirk. Wasabi returned it with his own annoyed pout before continuing.

“Not everyone is into this impulsive ‘bad boy’ thing you got going on."

Varian placed a hand over his heart and gave mock show of being offended. "Oooo, you wound me."

"I'm serious. You need to straighten up your act man. You can't keep doing things like this without thinking."

Varian took another swig of water, trying to hide how deep those words really cut.

"Okay, well, if we're playing the honesty game here," he retorted," then you need to stop being afraid and go after the stuff you want. Sam's not just going to come to you with a 'hey, let's be more than friends' unless you let him know that you like him."

Wasabi sighed. "But what if he doesn't like me back? We still got till mid-terms to finish our project. If I confess to him now and he turns me down, than things are just going to be weird between us. I don't want to spend two whole weeks or more just feeling awkward around him while we try to get things done.”

Varian looked thoughtful at that “Well, I mean, you’re never going to find out how he does feel unless you ask him. But if he can’t see how great a guy you are then that’s his loss.”

Wasabi couldn’t hide the appective smile that crept onto his face, though he certainly tried to. He wasn’t ready yet to forgive Varian for this latest mishap.

“Well, maybe I’ll ask him out to coffee or something once the projects done. If we manage to make back through rush hour traffic in one piece that is.”

Varian looked at him despairingly. “How long are you going to stay mad at me?”

Wasabi pursed his lips in thought. “Hmmm...at least till Fresno.”

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

They made it back home late at night, near early morning. It took twice as long to get back to the dorms as it did for Wasabi to get to the desert in the first place.

When he had heard Varian was trapped in Death Valley, he had rushed to the rescue, speeding as fast as he dared, pulling dodgy maneuvers in traffic that would have made even Gogo think twice. However, once Varian was safe, Wasabi went back to the cautious driving that he was more comfortable with.

They took their time and eventually Wasabi did relent his anger and he and Varian had fun on the drive back, singing show tunes, chatting, and over all enjoying each other's company. Varian even got a chance to practice driving, as Aunt Cass had taken him to get his learner's permit last week.

Speaking of whom, Varian had texted her and told her he'd be spending the night with Wasabi.

They trudged back up the stairs of the dormitories to Wasabi's apartment. Varian would have collapsed on the couch right then and there had Wasabi let him. But he was still covered in sand, so a quick shower had to be have first. Once out and changed into some more ill fitting clothes that Wasabi lent him, he finally went to sleep nearly passing out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

[welcometophu]

Not Your Guardian Angel: Chapter 12

Marked Book 3: Not Your Guardian Angel

Chapter 12

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Pels looks up The Dog Shack on Saturday morning, trying to find something about them online. She learns that they’re in Unity (which she knew) and she finds the phone number to call, but while there are plenty of reviews online, she can’t find a menu or a way to order.

So she presses the numbers and makes the call.

“Hello, this is The Dog Shack. How many dogs would you like and what name should the order be under?” a voice sings out cheerfully.

“Just how many and what name?” Pels asks. “There aren’t any options?”

“Ah, you’re a first timer.” She can hear the deep breath that the speaker takes before blurting out, “Our dogs are all mini dogs on a white-bread bun, which are made fresh three days a week. Each dog comes with cheese, meat sauce, and pickled onion, with optional ketchup and mustard. We don’t have any vegetarian options, and the cheese is a shredded Vermont sharp because our owner doesn’t like New York sharps and thinks cheese sauce is a copout unless it’s made fresh and we don’t have time for that. The wait time will be about fifteen minutes for us to prep your order, and we take cash, credit, or school dining dollars at the counter when you come to pick up. Your order will be packed in foil first, then a biodegradable cardboard carton which we hope you recycle. Each dog costs only $1.50, and you can get ten for $12.”

“Oh.” Pels has no idea how filling a mini dog could be, and at that price they seem like they must be small. “I’ll take… four? And do you have fries or anything?”

“Do you want your fries topped the same as your dogs?”

“Sure. Can I get ketchup on the side for both?” Pels has no idea what she’s doing, but it sounds good anyway, and in the end it sounds like maybe she’s getting breakfast and lunch both for under $10 total, which is a good thing.

Fifteen minutes later she’s waiting in line at the small shack, and ten minutes after that she’s already finding a spot in the stands to sit while teams from four different colleges warm up on the track below. She opens the first cardboard container and takes out a piping hot mini dog and takes a careful bite, meat sauce and cheese dripping back into the container below.

She burns the roof of her mouth, but she thinks it might be worth it, because it really does taste so damned good.

“Isn’t that your friend’s friend’s girlfriend?” Dad murmurs, nudging her shoulder to get her attention.

Where…? Oh. There, standing at the lowest level right below where Pels sits, looking up at her. Cass has her hair in a high ponytail and is wearing a denim jacket with embroidered flowers along the shoulders, her hands shoved into the pockets. She doesn’t seem ashamed to be caught staring.

Pels lifts one hand, then gestures to the seat Dad occupies since to Cass it should look empty.

Cass’s body language is a clear huff of “well, fine” before she climbs the stands and cautiously takes the seat next to Pels. “You’re Nate’s friend,” Cass says.

“One of them,” Pels agrees. She gets the feeling that Nate knows everyone but doesn’t have a lot of friends, which seems almost as sad as knowing no one and having few friends. Maybe even more sad. “And you’re Dax’s girlfriend.”

Cass makes a small noise and pointedly looks down at the track, where Nate and Dax are stretching side by side, talking.

“Not much of a talker, is she?” Dad says.

Pels takes another bite of hot dog. If she’s not talking, she might as well eat.

Two dogs disappear for breakfast, and by the time the first races are starting she’s working on the fries. She burps and is pretty sure she’ll be tasting cheesy meat sauce for the next several hours; thankfully it’s a good kind of taste.

“Hey there.” Shane slides onto the bench on her other side, Jess just beyond him. His cane clatters against the metal, and his hand brushes against Pels’s knee as he reaches for it to set it back within reach. “Did we miss anything?”

“It’s a track meet,” Cass says sharply. “We’ll be sitting around and waiting all day for five minutes of running that will be over before we blink.”

“If that’s how you feel about it, we can just text you when the race is coming up and you can go do something else if you’d rather,” Pels responds before she thinks about it.

Cass closes her mouth, lips pursed tightly.

Jess leans across Shane. “I told Shane that you’d been watching practices, and that you were going to cheer Nate on today. So we thought we’d come lend our voices.”

Cass huffs. “I know why I’ve been watching practice. What’s your reason? You know Nate’s not—”

“It’s peaceful.” Pels cuts her off before she can get into a full rant. “And why are you so angry about it? Nate’s my friend. It’s nice up here, and it isn’t crowded when they’re practicing. I like coming up here to sit in the sun and work.”

Shane leans in close on her other side, his knee and hip pressed against her. “Ignore her. She’s always cranky. Don’t let her drag you into whatever’s got up her ass.”

“I can hear you,” Cass snaps.

“Then try being nice,” Shane counters. “Or go sit somewhere else.”

It’s different from watching practice. When more people wedge into the bench, Jess moves to sit in front of Shane instead, leaning forward as she cups her hands around her mouth and calls out to cheer on a runner that Pels doesn’t recognize.

“Hey.” Shane nudges her again, his hand covering hers where it rests on her knee. “Is this okay?”

Um.

The loudspeaker goes off, but Pels doesn’t process the words, all too aware of Shane’s hand on hers, and the way his fingers dip to thread between hers.

“Nate and Dax are heading to line up.” Shane points as Jess calls out both names loudly. Nate waves back at them, while Dax just looks up, brow furrowed.

Pels waves back with her free hand because it seems like the right thing to do. Her other hand is too warm, and her stomach is doing little flip-flops like maybe the dogs and fries were a bad idea. She still has half of them left for later, sitting on the floor by her feet. Maybe she’ll offer them to someone else, if her stomach doesn’t improve. She can’t decide if this is bad or not.

“This one is the 1500,” Jess says. “It’s short for a long distance runner. I think they’ll be doing a 5k today, too. I don’t know if this meet has a 10k; those are a little more boring to watch, since it’s basically a half hour of running around the track. They’re usually the last event of the day, while everyone else is cleaning up.”

“Dax said he’s running the 1500 and 5k today,” Cass says tightly. “The 5k is mid-afternoon.”

Shane squeezes Pels’s hand. “They’re going to kill it,” he says.

Her hand is warm. Not overheated, not on fire, just comfortably warm. And her stomach is settling, slowly, although it still feels like butterflies might have taken root. Or maybe bees. Yes, bees, buzzing around but also building a honeycomb sweetness that spreads through her limbs.

Who knew holding hands could feel so… nice.

The loudspeaker burbles again, and the runners resolve into a single line across the track. Nate stands next to Dax, tall and lanky, bouncing on his toes as he shakes his arms. Most of the runners look like Nate—thin and rangy, some shorter than others. Dax has a heavier build, with a longer torso and shorter legs. He looks out of place on the field, both in build and in the way he stands quietly with no outward energy.

A sharp noise sounds, and the runners all crouch in position, and with a popping sound, they’re off.

They crowd together, and for a moment it’s hard to figure out who’s who. Pels sees a mass of jerseys and tries to pick out the white with gold and purple trim that are Nate and Dax. She holds her breath as they go down the long, straight length, and as they enter the first curve she realizes that they’ve moved from across the track into a small pack in the two inner lanes. She finally finds Dax in the middle of the pack, his curls just long enough to bounce with every step. Nate is second from the front, edging away from the pack, just behind the frontrunner dressed in red and blue.

For the first time, Pels notices Nate’s running shoes, which are a vivid gold, shining with every step, matching the stripes on his jersey.

“Go Nate! Go Dax!” Jess screams, her hands cupped around her mouth like a megaphone.

Pels realizes she’s gripping Shane tightly as the first minute passes and the first lap completes. She glances at him, and he only smiles and squeezes her fingers gently as if to say that it’s fine. She holds on tight and turns her attention back to the race.

The runner in red and blue keeps inching away from the pack, but Nate keeps up with him, staying just a step behind, so close that Pels is afraid they could trip over each other. She can see the way the runner at the lead glances back as if to see if Nate’s still there, and he always is. They move away from the main pack, and Dax moves up, sliding into the third position at the head of the middle group. Two of the runners are falling behind, the pack leaving them as they keep running through the second and third laps.

As the final lap begins, the pack has stretched out, and the results look clear cut. The runner in red and blue picks up the pace again, his face flushed, and Pels imagines she can see the stridor of his breath.

From behind, Dax puts on a burst of speed, moving into the second lane as he approaches Nate. But Nate must hear him coming, because he speeds up as well, passing the runner who was in first before Dax can. They both go flying by him as if he’s standing still, and Nate crosses the finish line just ahead of Dax. They fall on each other on the other side, holding each other up and patting each other’s backs as the crowd screams.

Cass exhales roughly.

“That’s our boys!” Jess shouts, her voice hoarse from yelling. “Go PHU!”

That was possibly the most intense three and a half minutes of Pels’s life. As the adrenalin fades, she realizes she’s still anchored with Shane’s hand around hers, and the liquid honey in her gut has warmed her all the way up to her eyeballs. She’s light-headed; as she slowly disengages and stands, she wavers until Dad props her upright.

Shane grabs his cane, bracing himself to rise as well. He reaches one hand for her shoulder. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Of course. I’m just going to—” Pels is blocked in with Shane on one side and Cass on the other. She stands carefully so she doesn’t step on the food she has resting at her feet, and she can’t go down because Jess is in front of them.

No one is sitting directly behind them, and Pels carefully climbs up to the next row in the stands. “I’m going to go pee,” she says bluntly, and heads for the stairs. She thinks there’s conversation behind her, but she doesn’t stick around to find out what it might be.

They’re sitting in her usual spot for watching practice, on the opposite side of the track from the building. She makes her way around the perimeter, and by the time she gets inside she’s breathing more evenly. “What even was that?” she grumbles.

“Were you flustered by holding hands, or by the race?” Dad grins when she glares at him. “Holding hands, then. That’s called attraction, Pels. Which you feel for Shane. Your soulmate.”

“I don’t like it.” It’s a lie, of course. That warm honey sensation was nice, just confusing. And overwhelming. Maybe she does like it, but she hates it at the same time, like something’s just slipped out of her control again.

Being on her own she can control. When it’s just her—well, and Dad—she knows what to expect. This is throwing in all kinds of variables and turning her life from simple addition into calculus. And unlike some people who are math majors, she really doesn’t enjoy calculus.

She pushes open the door of the bathroom and waits for a turn at the sink so she can wash her face and push at her hair as if she can do anything about the curls. She fingercombs them, taking them from windswept to just slightly messy, and pats everything back in place.

“Here.”

Cass stands to her left, a hair tie dangling from one fingertip. When Pels just looks at her, Cass pushes her hand closer. “Take it,” she orders. “Do something about that mop or when the wind kicks up again you’re going to lose an eye from it blowing all over. Or someone else will.” As soon as Pels cautiously takes the hair tie, Cass stands with her hands on her hips, head tilted as she looks her over critically. “Your hair is such an odd length. Do you style it?”

“It doesn’t really hold a style, so I just pick a length and run with it, and try to remember to keep it from getting too long. I’m lucky it doesn’t frizz.” It’s more like ringlets as long as she remembers to keep it from going wild. Many ringlets. Shorter ones for bangs and gradually longer down the side of her face. She can just barely pull it back into a ponytail, but it does keep the bulk of it away from her face, which isn’t a bad thing. “Thanks.”

“Hmph.” Cass tugs the scrunchy out of her own hair, running her fingers through it before braiding it quickly and tying it again. “You need all the help you can get.”

“Rude,” Dad says.

“You don’t need to take it out on me,” Pels tells her. The bathroom is less crowded now, so Pels turns to lean against the sink next to Cass, figuring if someone needs it, they’ll tell her to move. “I get it. You’re cranky.”

Cass pulls lip gloss out of her bag and leans closer to the mirror, pursing her lips before carefully putting it on. “You don’t know me, and I don’t know what you think about me—”

“You don’t like Dax doing track.”

Cass straightens quickly, hand falling as she looks at Pels. No, not looking—staring. Pels feels as if Cass is trying to look through her and see her squishy guts on the inside. Pels crosses her arms and glares back.

“I’m right,” Pels says.

“So what if you are?” Cass counters.

“You could talk about it.” Pels shrugs one shoulder. “I mean, I already know you’re angry, so it’s not like you’ll lose any points if you bitch about it. And you’ve already got acting like a complete bitch nailed so far, so.” She shrugs again. “Just go for it already.”

“I just don’t understand why he has to take up another sport,” Cass mutters under her breath. She puts away the lip gloss and pulls out mascara, touching up her lashes. “He’s so busy with football in the fall, and with everything going on—” She cuts off. “I just thought that maybe we’d get a break this spring. That we could spend more time together. And now he’s got practice every afternoon and he’s spending extra time working with Nate, and he hasn’t got any time left for me.”

“So you’re jealous,” Pels says quietly.

“You do understand human emotion,” Dad observes.

It’s always easier to see something from the outside, especially something like this. Besides. Being angry because something’s out of her control is a feeling that Pels is intimately familiar with, and it’s not difficult to recognize it in Cass.

“Dax is really good at it,” Pels says slowly. “I mean, he and Nate took first and second in that race and made it look easy. When they started passing that guy, he couldn’t keep up. There was nothing anyone else could do, and it looked like if he’d tried, Dax and Nate would’ve passed him anyway. Aren’t you proud of your boyfriend?”

“Hmph.” Cass tucks her mascara away and leans on the edge of the sink, looking down.

Pels isn’t sure if sad is better than angry.

“I thought you were all tiny, sharp angles.” Cass’s voice is sharp, but muted. “Where’s this sympathy coming from?”

“Oh, I suck at people, and yes, I know what it’s like to be angry all the time. Which means you are a person I suck a little less at getting because you might not be small, but you try to keep a barbed wire fence around yourself,” Pels shoots back. She smirks because Cass’s scowl means she’s got it right. “Besides. I like Nate. He’s not trying to steal your boyfriend. I don’t think he could if he tried. I mean. Would any guy who doesn’t love you to the moon and back put up with your shit?”

Dad laughs loud enough that Pels winces. “Now who’s being rude?” He sounds proud of her for it.

Cass huffs. “Whatever. I need a coffee. Come on.”

Somehow Pels ends up with a coffee in each hand while Cass carries two as well. When they make their way back to the bleachers, Cass shoves one of her cups towards Jess. “Here,” she says, before dropping a small bag of sugar, cream, and stirrers on the bench next to her.

Pels gives one of hers to Shane, then opens her cup enough to inhale. It’s a small cup, which isn’t nearly enough caffeine in her opinion, but it is warm on her hands. She cradles it, enjoying the warmth more than the taste for the moment.

Shane adds cream to his coffee, while Jess adds both sugar and cream. As Shane sits back, he leans closer to Pels, and she leans into his warmth before she thinks better of it. Shane shifts his coffee to the hand further from Pels, then lifts his arm.

“He’s offering to keep you warm,” Dad points out.

“Oh,” Pels exhales. She slides the few millimeters closer to Shane, his warmth heavy against her side as he drops his arm over her shoulder and somehow tucks her even closer.

It’s not awful.

It might even be good.

Jess is screaming at someone in purple and gold that Pels doesn’t recognize, standing up and punching the air when they finish the race in second place. Pels keeps close to Shane to avoid being touched, relaxing as Jess settles down again.

Jess somehow seems to know more people on the track team than any of them, and she keeps up a running commentary through the afternoon. She even manages to pull Cass into conversation, begrudging as it seems. Pels uses the time to just watch them all, and eventually eat the remains of her hot dogs and fries, which are still somehow good when cold.

By the time the final race comes up, and Nate and Dax line up for the 5k, Pels can almost ignore the fact that her butt is cold and a little numb from sitting too long. She knows there’s only fifteen minutes more to watch, and around the track most of the teams are already cleaning and packing gear.

As they start, there are more than twenty runners on the track, spread out across, bunching up as they all try and make it to the inner lane. Somehow Nate and Dax are in the middle of the pack. Pels clenches her hands together tightly to see them there, walled in by bodies all around them. But both Dax and Nate seem relaxed, running easily through the first lap.

It’s not an exciting race for most of it. There comes a point about halfway through where some of the pack fall behind, maybe a half dozen racers trailing the rest. Another lap, and a few more fall away, until only a handful remain in a tight group at the head.

One of the racers makes his move with three laps to go, pulling away and putting several paces between himself and the pack. Nate moves up as well, taking the space between him and the pack, and Pels can see the plan clearly after the earlier race. When the final lap begins, Nate starts pushing around the outside, forcing the runner in first to speed up. Dax comes out of the pack, stride lengthening just enough to keep him close to the frontrunners along with one other racer. By halfway through the lap, it’s obvious that unless someone else makes a move now, these four are vying for the top spots.

When they hit the straightaway, Dax somehow seems to go into overdrive, head down just a little as he pushes past both Nate and the other runner. Nate glances at him, and joins him, loping a half step behind him, leaving the others in the dust even as he’s losing ground when Dax somehow sprints through the final run. Dax slows after he crosses the line, and Nate catches up, and together they walk around the ring, Nate’s arm slung across Dax’s shoulder.

Pels joins her friends in jumping up and screaming, because that seems to be the right thing to do.

Cass grabs her phone and fires off a text. “Come on. They’ll meet us at Teas Please, because no one ever seems to have anywhere else to go.”

Dad bumps into Pels, and she stumbles forward, hands reaching out. For a moment she’s afraid she’s either going to fall into Jess or over the bench and crack her head open on the one below, then Shane’s arms wrap around her, pulling her back against him.

“You okay?” he murmurs, breath warm against her ear.

Pels’s cheeks heat up. “Yeah. I’m fine,” she says.

Jess bites her lip and turns away. There’s an uncomfortable twist in Pels’s gut, like she knows she’s done something wrong and it wasn’t even her fault.

“Sometimes I’m a klutz,” she says, which isn’t the whole truth, but isn’t a lie either. Cass wasn’t there for the guardian angel reveal, and Pels isn’t sure she’s ready to be that out to the school about her Talent yet. “Thanks for the save.”

“If I hadn’t, Jess would’ve,” Shane says. He grabs his cane, and Pels thinks he’s favoring his leg as he inches down the row to the stairs.

“And that’s my fault,” she mutters. “Good job, pushing people around until they get hurt.”

“If you’d just—”

“Stay out of it,” she hisses under her breath, cutting Dad off. “Don’t try to help.”

“Whatever it is you’re talking about, rest assured that I wasn’t trying to help,” Cass says idly. “But you’re in my way, so just keep moving and we can get out of here.” She gives Pels a little nudge.

They make it out of the bleachers without further mishap. The teams have somehow already managed to leave the field, and Cass is half focused on her phone and half on walking, giving small reports on the status of Nate and Dax as they move along. They have to cross campus entirely to get to Teas Please, and Nate and Dax manage to catch up with them before they do so.

Dax picks Cass up and kisses her, one hand in her hair and one on her ass as Cass wraps her legs around him to hold on. Pels can’t figure out how Cass could possibly be insecure in that relationship.

Nate, on the other hand, wears his heart on his sleeve when he watches the way Dax greets Cass. Despite the smile he pastes on as they walk into Teas Please, Pels can see that he’s still wistful.

God, when she actually looks, apparently she can see people being emotional. She blames this entirely on Dad. She can barely handle her own emotions; she really doesn’t want to have to deal with everyone else’s as well.

Speaking of… Pels twists and looks behind herself. Where the hell did Dad even go? Is she actually being let out on her own?

“I don’t have your table.” Serina looks up as soon as they enter, her brow furrowed. There are bags under her eyes, and she pauses long enough to yawn before she grabs a stack of menus. “How many—” She counts under her breath, then nods quickly. “Okay. Six. I’m sorry, I can’t get the booth, but we can pull a couple tables together in the front. It’s like everyone who was at your meet came in here all at once, and there’s a group from UAlbany at the big back table, and I just—”

“It’s okay.” Nate lays a hand on Serina’s shoulder and she just stops dead, shoulders slumping like a string’s been cut. “Hey,” he says softly. “Have you been sleeping?”

She shrugs one shoulder. “Sometimes. Maybe. Mostly. I don’t know. It’s weird. Everything’s weird, y’know? I’m just kind of tired and over everything, and it’s a bit much, and I just need Carolyn to come back and then everything will be okay. I think I failed a test this week.”

Everyone’s still missing. It’s been a week, and there’s been no sign of Nikita.

And Pels just somehow… forgot.

Not entirely. She’s seen Rory seeming lost without Alaric around, and Kit looking much the same. But it slips from her mind in the times between, not affecting her the same way it affects them.

She feels bad about that.

“They’ll be back,” Nate says firmly. “I’m sure of it. Carolyn would never leave you and Kit behind.”

“Besides,” Dax says. “Orson’s not settled. I can still feel his unfinished business.” He taps the side of his head. “Which means Alaric has to come back, or I’ll kill him myself, then yell at his ghost.”

“Honestly,” Cass mutters. “Can’t we have one meal without drama?”

“Hey.” Shane catches Pels’s hand. “Can we talk for a minute? Before we go in?”

They’re already in, crowded into the space around the podium at the front of the restaurant. But Pels nods and lets Shane tug her back outside, as the others go on to claim space inside Teas Please.

“I forgot,” she says with a low sigh. “Nikita’s missing, and I forgot.”

“Are you worried?” Shane asks, and when she nods, he keeps going, “then it’s fine. It’s like grieving. It doesn’t happen all the time, and you have to keep living your life, too. She’ll be back. They’ll be back.” He drops her hand and takes a step back, leaning on his cane. “I just wanted to ask you something.”

Pels glances to her right and left. Dad’s still suspiciously missing, and she doesn’t know why. Being on her own is unusual. “Okay,” she says slowly.

“You went out with Jess.” Shane leans back, letting the front wall of the restaurant take his weight. “And I’d like you to go out with me. Just us. On a date.”

“I feel like you guys are trying to woo me,” Pels grumbles. “Like you set up some kind of a plan to tag team to tame the wild thing—” She cuts off as his expression twists into something rueful. “You did. You totally did.”

“Maybe a little,” Shane admits. “Still. What do you think? I just—I feel like we should give this a chance.”

This.

She doesn’t look down at her wrist, but she knows the ink is there.

Dad’s nowhere around, but she can still hear his voice saying, “He’s right. Just give it a chance,” or maybe, “going out with Jess didn’t kill you, did it?”

It’s funny how he impacts her life without even being present.

She sighs heavily, crossing her arms. “Fine.”

“Fine?”

“Fine,” she repeats. “Okay. Yes. Fine. We’ll go on a date. That is not a group thing like this. You can even hold my hand since obviously touching you is not destroying my soul any more than it already has.”

“We don’t want to destroy your soul,” Shane says quietly. He carefully stands again, balanced with one hand on his cane and the other held out to Pels. She slips her hand in his and matches his pace as they walk in.

They may not want to destroy her soul, but they could. It’d be so easy, and Pels is so used to it. Every time she gets used to something it’s snatched away.

And this time Dad isn’t even here telling her that maybe it’s okay, that maybe this time everything will turn out just fine.

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[littledraga]

Bip Meets Skull

Thought it would be fun to have my fanbot meet one of my(Okay he might actually be my favourite can you tell?) fanbots! Honestly, not sure how I feel about it, but here! *throws it into the void* enjoy!

@ask-the-becile-boys I need to stop making things and tagging you. It might be getting weird. (Warning mild violence in the beginging)

Sometimes getting someone to pay a debt was easy. Sometimes it wasn’t. They hadn’t paid in too long, went into hiding sometime after. Skull hated having to hunt people down, took too much time.

What was worse, when he finally found them, they weren’t alone. Three guys that managed broader shoulders than his. He’d be impressed, if he could be bothered to care. Or if they didn’t have heavy pipes in hand.

Skull wasn’t unreasonable. He offered the man a chance to pay up before taking him out. A kindness that was rewarded with a pipe heavy against his head. Things got a little blurry after that.

They got another hit in before he could pull out Suzi, and things got a little loud. Skull was faster, but they outnumbered him by far. He fell when they got his leg at the knee and bent it in. Shooting in the direction he thought they came from he was still on the ground a moment while he waited to see what came next.

Silence wasn’t what he was expecting, but it’s what he got. Sitting up, he saw the lot of them laid on the ground. At least his accuracy was still up to snuff. Meant he got to go home. Once he figured out how.

Looking down at himself, he scowled. Skull was a mess, from dents and bends and all the oil. It would take him ages to get the oil out and patch them up. It might be worth tossing the suit, he briefly thought as he pulled himself up to his feet. Not the coat though, he liked that.

Leaning against the wall for support, he sighed a thick plume of smoke. That was a problem, a burst pipe probably. He’d have to hope he could get back to the manor before he ran out of oil.

Rolling the bodies, he checked the hideout for any cash or anything of value he could quickly pawn off. He didn’t expect much pay for leaving the bodies, but that was their problem. The only thing he was worried about was keeping powered on. The last thing he needed was winding up on some table and someone finding out about green matter.

He didn’t get far before the oil leak started to slow him down. Skull was going to have to find a shop and scare them into some quick repairs. It was late, so he didn’t know if he’d find something, but he had little else for choice.

Which turned out worse than he expected. Not only could he not find an open shop, he couldn’t find a shop to begin with. Seething, smoke filtered out his neck and through clenched teeth. He was going to grind to a halt soon if he didn’t find something.

Something turned out to be an old-looking scrapyard. Maybe not ideal, but it would do. Just so long as he could find a way in.

Pulling himself over the fence when one leg did little more than hang there was a trick, but he managed. Landing on the other side, he stumbled and crashed into a pile of scrap.

Cursing to himself, Skull pushed himself back to his feet. The last thing he needed was to have to chase off some damned yard dog. Or worse yet, an over nightguard, he’d have enough of a beating.

The scrapyard at least seemed quiet, maybe he could get something accomplished. If only he could properly move.

The lack of oil was making it hard, and his motions were jerky, and he could hear his gears grinding together. Not that it stopped him completely. All the chips were out, he either lived through this, or he didn’t.

By sun-up, he had at least found some parts, but the yard was a maze, he wasn’t even sure which way a building was, let alone tools. Skull was in a bad way, and worse yet, he heard a voice.

“Spider, I don’t think there’s anyone here. If they got in, they must have gotten out while we were looking. What do you think?”

There came a whirring and a few beeps that Skull wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be a response or not.

Staying behind a pile of metal that was big enough to hide him, he tried to wait them out. At least until everything got blurry and the world started to spin in his head. Holding his head in both hands, he groaned softly and collapsed into the pile, knocking it over and nearly onto the other robot.

Wait, the other robot? He tried to keep his eyes on them while they yelped and jumped back. A flat cap over a curly dark wig, he couldn’t see much of their face. The arms and legs were patches of different metals. This was bad, they were staring at him.

“Oh my gosh! Another robot! Spider, do you see? There’s another robot, and he looks like me. Well, no. But he looks more like me than you do. No offense.”

A shrill sound.

It didn’t help matters at all, and he held his head tighter, trying to stand back up. He looked and there was a small robot clinging to their overalls, cowering on their shoulder. It looked like an oversized spider. Before he could do anything else, they were at it again.

“Hey, mister! Are you from outside? I’m Bip! Well, I mean, I guess you are you’d have to come from out there. I’d notice if someone built a robot here!” They laughed. “Did you get scrapped too? Oh! You’re who snuck in aren’t you? Yeah, that explains it, huh? But why? I mean, why would a robot want to come here. Well, I guess I did. Not that I had a choice though! Mostly stuff just gets crunched down or melted. Oh! Maybe you came for parts? That would make sense, I look around for parts when I’m wearing down. No better place! But you really shouldn’t just jump the fence, you know. It’s stealin’ if you don’t come in and pay like yer, ‘spose to, you know.”

They kept talking, Skull couldn’t keep up with them, it was a blur, a buzzing sound. It felt like they were going to talk until their jaw fell off, and he’d grind to a permanent halt.

Thick plumes of oily smoke poured out of his mouth and neck while he talked. “Shut up.” His voice was harsher with all the build-up, thick and gruff.

They jumped up at that and stopped mid sentence. “Sorry! Just, I’ve never seen another robot before. Well, other than Spider here.” They gave the small machine a light pat while they still refused to do more than peek over their shoulder.

Skull watched them curiously, but only for a moment. There was a loud grinding noise, and he dropped to his knees before falling into the dirt. Just before he powered down completely he felt them lift him up and drag him away.

What a way to go, he thought. At least his core would probably ruin this place, some form of justice.

When he powered on, he was surprised, to say the least. Briefly, he remembered thinking he was dead, but not much else. His head was spinning and foggy as he tried to remember what had happened, how long had it been?

Looking around, he tried to sit up. The room was cluttered and messy. He would have assumed it was a storeroom if not for the futon he was laying on. Sturdy thing too, it didn't even bow with him on it.

The thing that brought his memory back was the spider. When he moved the little machine scurried off and knocked over a box of tools. The little guy was on the other robot’s shoulder. The one that grabbed him!

“Damnit!” He had to get out of there before they came back. He didn’t need to risk waiting around for them to come back and find out about his core. The sooner he was out of here the better.

Still trying to pull himself to his feet, Bip ran in and quickly shut the door behind them.

“I haven’t finished fixing you yet, lay down!” They hissed as they hurried over to try and get Skull to lay back down.

“What the fuck are you gonna do with me, ya damned scrap heap?” He snapped as he pushed back and knocked them back into a pile of books.

Landing on their rear Bip looked offended more than bothered, briefly looking down at their arms in miss-matched metals. They stood up and brushed off their overalls. “Trying to fix you?”

He scoffed at that and managed to get to his feet, at least briefly. As soon as he was vertical he tipped forward as his leg gave out on him.

Bip rushed forward and caught him with a grunt and a clang. They could manage, but Skull was still one of the heaviest things they’d have to lift. “Careful They don’t know you’re in here,” they whispered.

“The fuck are you talking about?” Skull hissed as flopped back onto the futon with a groan. None of this had worked out the way it should have.

“The humans. You passed out in the scrapyard because you lost so much oil. I was afraid of what they would do when they saw.” Bip looked worriedly at the green matter in his chest.

It didn’t take long for Skull to twig what they meant. He knew how dangerous green matter was, he didn’t have to be reminded of what he was.

“Yeah yeah,” he scoffed and waved a hand dismissively. “It’ll rot a human through and melt metal. So leave it,” he warned sternly and gave Bip a hard look that made them flinch.

“Oh I know,” chirped Bip cheerily after a moment. Something that made Skull a bit uncomfortable. Holding up their scrap work hand, they showed off where some parts had started to melt and disfigure. “Spider had that green light too when I found him.”

He stares at them both in disbelief. The spider had crawled back to hide behind Bip’s shoulder again, trembling slightly. On his underside shone a purple light. He’d never heard of purple matter before. But more importantly, “had?”

They hummed the affirmative and beamed up at Skull. “We’re pretty sure he came on the lead crate we got a while ago. Everyone was freaked out over it and what was in it I guess we never noticed. He showed up shortly after.”

They held out a hand and let Spider crawl on them, even if they still seemed to shake. “He was very lethargic at first. He would run if he saw the humans, but otherwise, he hardly moved and just stayed with me. Everyone wanted him to go away. The humans got sick too if they got too close. Said he was too dangerous. The first time I tried to fix him, he had a crack in his power indicator light.”

Skull tilted his head slightly. “He had a crack in what?”

Bip tilted Spider to show off the purple glowing matter core. “His power light. You know, like you have a green one and mine's white.” They tugged down their shirt to show off the white matter core.

“There was a crack most the way through it. I tried to change the glass, and well,” they held up their hand again to show the melting again. “It actually was a lot worse, but I managed to change the rest of it.”

They waved to get Skull to lay back down to get back to work on fixing him up. Something that made Skull uncomfortable, he didn’t know anything about them, and they were working on his insides. Talk about a desperate situation.

“They were on a hunt for him for a while, but I kept Spider hidden. I got really worried they’d eventually find him and take him away. There’s no other robots here, and it gets lonely when you can’t sleep like a human. I got so worked up my light kicked into overtime. It got so bright I couldn’t see, and I got really tired. I actually powered down for nearly a week. Everyone was freaked out, no one knew what to do so they just laid me down and waited. Eventually, I came back on and Spider’s light was fixed, and purple! It was really weird, but I guess I shouldn’t complain, huh?”

Skull could barely keep up with what they were saying. The kid was as bad as Hare for yappin’, but at least he didn’t have to talk. Maybe this would be over quickly.

“I think it’s why the humans in suits come, but no one tells me, just sends me to my room. They’ve been around a lot, lately. Them and the green skin men.”

That made him sit up a little and look at them strangely, he knew what that sounded like. They wanted their property back. That made this stop a lot more dangerous Spider likely wasn’t meant to get scraped, Beciles would do illegal dumping after all. This kid really didn’t know anything about the matters, even though they had two even he’d never heard of. White matter was something else, Becile Inc would want to get their grubby hands on them if they knew.

While he thought about the matters he didn’t notice Bip had stopped talking. At least until he heard them start again.

“I’m sorry,” mumbled Bip, shrinking back a little.

That wasn’t something he was used to hearing. Raising a brow, or as much as someone without a face could he looked down at them. “Did you break something?”

Bip quickly shook their head, grabbing their cap before it flew off. “Nu-uh. The guys get annoyed with me talking too much too. I’ll fix you up, but you have to wait until they go home to leave.” Head down, they kept working to make sure his wires and pipes were right.

He actually felt a little bad when it wasn’t Hare he was scolding. He hadn’t even scolded them. Crossing his arms, he sighed a long cloud of coal smoke but had to stop and cough. Low coal, the fire was dying. Something he hadn’t thought about with the oil leaking.

“Right!” Bip jumped up fast enough they had to wave their arms to keep balance and giggled. They went around a pile of, well Skull didn’t know what half of it was, and came back with a large bag of cooking charcoal. “Sorry if it’s not right. But it’s the only stuff we have.”

They put it down next to him and ripped open the top before pointing to a large jug of water nearby. “I run on water. This is just the stuff they keep around when the foreman wants to have a cookout instead of work.”

“Must be easier,” he said flatly and swallowed a few pieces. Wouldn’t be as good, but it was something to burn at least.

“I dunno, I never tried. I guess so?” Before they could get back to work there came a loud knock on the door.

“Hey, Bip! What are you doing? You’ve been in here all day!” Came a gruff voice from the other side of the door. Before they could open it Bip rushed out and shut the door behind them.

They were talking, but Skull hardly heard them through the door. Instead, he watched Spider as they crawled curiously on the bag of charcoal. Only to fall in as he toppled it over. He knew matter could be refined, that show off Peter the first had done it when he made those show-offs. Never when it was in a robot or machine though.

As much as he wanted to know, he knew he had more important things to be worrying about. He didn’t need anyone else knowing he was here. And he didn’t need to be owing a scrapbot any favours. He had enough work to do. He was so lost in thought, he didn’t hear the door open.

“I don’t think I can turn you purple.”

He jumped and quickly looked at Bip when they jolsted him from his thoughts. “What, no. Just tryin’ ta figure out how. I don’t need anybody messing with my- I don’t need anyone messing with that.”

“I just wanted him to be okay. The green light was broken and making him and everyone else sick.” Sitting down against Bip picked up their tools.

If they didn’t know about matter, he wasn’t about to teach someone. “Is the coast clear?” He’d been too long in a place that wasn’t the manor, he was actually starting to miss the place.

“Yep! But your leg’s still broken,” they reminded him and tapped on the leg to prove their point.

He huffed and looked it over, his left leg was twisted, and he had dents, and new pieces? “The hell did ya do to me?” He barked, billowing more smoke again.

“Patched you up!” They retorted with a huff and crossed their arms. “I think I did pretty good work.”

He ran his hand over where there was obviously new metal. But there wasn’t a welding seam or screws, it was like that part of him had just been polished. What kind of trick what this? He had holes in his leg before.

Looking at Bip in disbelief, he finally got a good look at them and all their miss-matched pieces. No screws or welding seams. Even the soda can on their cheek just became another kind of metal. Was that more of that white matter business? Instead of asking, all he did was grunt. No use asking questions and getting involved.

Bip took that as a cue to get back to work. It was quiet for a little while before they broke the silence. “What were you doing in the scrapyard anyway?”

“Parts.”

Laughing Bip’s shoulders slumped a little. “Yeah, okay. I guess that was obvious, but before that?”

“Had a fight.”

Tilting their head softly, they glanced up at him. “Oh? Who were you fighting with?”

“People.”

With a huff, Bip pouted at the short answers, but they kept working. “Don’t talk much do you?”

“No.”

They whined loudly at that, arms flopping to their sides. “Aw, come on!” With a pout, they looked up at Skull with pleading eyes.

When Bip pushed the issue he glared down at them and crossed his arms over his chest. Bip tucked their head and looked outright sheepish, and he sighed. Shoulders slumping, he pressed a finger against the bridge of his nose. It felt like kicking a puppy. At least Hare fought back. “Why are you so nosy?”

“I’m curious,” they mumbled as they got back to work on his leg. Obviously, they didn’t want to give any answers. Now they didn’t want to talk, of course.

Watching them again, he paid more attention to what they were doing. They seemed to be fiddling at random, but it was working. It only had to last until he got back to Riker, he could make the man figure it all out then.

After a while, Bip stopped when they felt him watching them and put their hands in their lap. “I’ve never been out of the scrapyard before. Well, I was. But I don’t have any memory before waking up here. Might have never turned on, and they just dumped me.”

Skull sat on that a bit, he didn’t get out much, but never? A whole life in one area would make anyone mad, he supposed being curious was a better outcome. “How long have you been here?” He asked after a long moment.

Shrugging, their arms flopped a little with a clang. “Dunno, they didn’t find me right away when I woke up. More than thirty years?” They were hardly sure themselves.

Humming, he crossed his arms again while he thought about that.

“They won’t let me leave. Won’t say why,” they said quieter while they got back to work. Bip was nearly finished.

There was a long lapse of silence while he let them work. Skull just wanted out of here, it had been a few days already. They guys had probably burnt the place down while he had been gone. Much as he thought that, curiosity got the better of him, and he studied the pieces on their chassis again. The different pieces were messy and uneven, but not a mark or weld like it was all one piece of metal. It was almost like they’d been melted and left to cool. That wasn’t right either, but he just couldn’t figure it out.

“How do you do that?” He eventually asked. It was none of his business, and the less he knew the better, but still, he wanted to know.

Bip’s head snapped up at the question and looked at him. “Do what?”

“All your pieces aren’t welded, they look like one piece of metal.”

Laughing, Bip shook their head. “I dunno! I just find a piece and grind it down to fit, hold it there for a bit, and it’s good as new! Bending it into shape can be hard though.”

His eyes went wide at that disclosure. He was starting to piece together why they stayed in the scrapyard. “You’re better off in here,” he mentioned offhandedly. Anyone would be glad to tear them apart if they knew. Or put them to work.

“You sound like the old foreman and his son.” They didn’t look up, spoke flatly, while they went back to his leg.

A thick plume of smoke curled from his neck. “Well, cuz they’re right. World’s a real piece of work out there and not the good kind,” he reasoned and huffed. Why was he bothering?

Bip didn’t say anything, Skull should be happy but, he got that kicking a puppy feeling again. He let the silence stretch on for a while. For once, it made him uncomfortable.

When it got too much, “aren’t they gonna be mad if metal disappears?”

Bip looked up at him with an amused look before pointing at their face. “They’ll just assume I needed parts. Which is what I’d tell them if they asked. But they won’t. They don’t seem to pay that close attention to what’s in here.”

“Doesn’t sound like good business,” he huffed.

Bip shrugged “I just sort the scrap and guard the yard. It’s not my job to think about it.” They ignored the way Skull tilted his head and finished his leg. “There we go! Should be better, try and stand on it.” Standing up Bip offered him a hand.

Waving off the hand, he slowly pulled himself to his feet. Straightening out he had to catch himself as he wobbled. Grunting, he straightened his shirt. “I’ve had worse.”

Hands out, Bip was ready to catch him if he fell. Watching him struggle to find his balance they winced. “Sorry. I don’t have a lot of practice”

“It’s fine.” He’d just have Riker fix him when he got back. He needed to get out of there. He was unsteady on his feet but he started to the door.

Bip was reluctant, but opened the door and guided him out to the entrance.  “Just be careful. If you’re that unsteady it might not last.”

Skull didn’t say anything just lifted a hand to wave as he walked out. It was still a long trek back to the manor, and he didn’t want to waste a second longer. That had been an ordeal that he wasn’t sure he wanted to relive. But if they ever needed parts. So long as no one else knew about Bip. He wouldn’t wish that on them.

[mypassionfortrash]

Nothing Serious (Part Ten)

SUMMARY: Roger’s divorce comes through, but he can’t seem to figure out why he isn’t more happy about it. Until he realises exactly what his life’s been missing.

Roger Taylor x Reader; Modern AU; Strictly 18+

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NOTES: One more part to go! Thank for reading, and if you’ve enjoyed this fic, please share!

Roger was a great mood. 

The sun swam in the brilliant blue mid-morning sky. He had just left the love of his life in bed, still in a post-orgasmic mess. And today was the day he had been waiting for.

Today, Queen would head into their recording studio to record their twelfth album.

Nothing could get to him or throw him off kilter as he skipped down the stairs, taking three at a time like he was a man in his twenties. And then he got to the lobby. 

Something caught his eye as he sauntered past the mailboxes. A flash of crimson.

Someone had mail. And he had a funny idea of who it was. Every other apartment in the building was leased out to holidaymakers and businessmen whenever they were in town. Every apartment except Roger’s. He owned his and when he visited Montreux, he always had his mail rerouted. With a pang of dread, he gave the mailboxes a double take. That little red flag stood loud and proud next to his apartment number.

Roger groaned and shuffled over, slipping his key into the lock. There was one letter; he grabbed it and instantly recognised the emblem on the envelope. His solicitor.

His heart raced as he slipped his fingers underneath the seal. He walked and read, eyes batting over the page at a rate of naughts. His whole body tensed with every word until he reached the one, all-important paragraph. The outcome.

‘Ms. Beyrand has agreed to settle the divorce at no further inconvenience to Mr Taylor and requires no alimony in return. Therefore, my client, Mr R. M. Taylor, and his former spouse, Ms Beyrand, should be considered legally divorced.’

‘Legally divorced,’ Roger mumbled with an awe-struck smile on his lips. He was – finally – legally divorced.

He felt a strange mix of optimism and relief as he walked along the promenade towards the casino-slash-recording studio. But those emotions collided with the realisation that he had wasted a whole decade of his life married to the wrong person. 

Truth be told, it played all day.

“You’re looking awfully spaced out, Rog. You alright?” Brian fussed.

Roger didn’t take it in the kind and caring way Brian meant it. Instead, he just took offence. He squared off his shoulders and furrowed his brows. “Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked.

“You just seem distracted. It’s not that girlfriend of yours is it?”

“Mate, just focus on your fucking solos alright? Maybe cut them down a bit,” Roger snarked.

“Oh, he’s just being menstrual, Brian!” Freddie exclaimed over the intercom; he was sitting behind the controls with their producer, Dave.

Dave grimaced at Freddie’s comment. He was a good friend of Roger’s, and knew how to talk him down in this kind of environment. “Why don’t we do one more take, Roger, and then you can head off for the day?” Or so Dave thought.

That only incensed Roger more, earning a barrage of drumsticks being lobbed at the plexiglass that divided the two rooms in the poky upstairs studio. “Fuck off,” Roger spat. “Get that on tape? Did you?”

Everyone in the studio, right down to the engineer’s assistant, rolled their eyes. It wasn’t uncommon for Roger to become hysterical in the studio, but this was completely out of the blue. There were no precursory arguments, or ‘constructive criticism’ to pre-warn everyone of Roger’s impending outburst. It just came.

“Roger?” Freddie implored.

“Oh fucking hell, what is it now, Fred?”

“I just want this album to be ok,” Freddie said solemnly.

Roger’s expression softened, picking up the sad nuance in Freddie’s tone. “And it will be. We’ve got good songs.”

“But I need us to be a family, Rog.”

“We are a family Fred.”

“This isn’t going to last forever and I just want us to have a good fucking time, do you understand? We won’t be doing this forever,” Freddie continued, seemingly trying to psyche himself up to deal with the next few weeks. 

Freddie wasn’t exactly the leader in Queen; he wouldn’t accept that mantle. But when Freddie threw down the gauntlet like this, it was right and normal for everyone else in the band to fall in line.

Roger wandered around the live room, gathering up his projectile drumsticks, then settled back behind his kit. “Right. Understood, Fred. Let’s go for another take.”

“Go for it,” Dave said.

Try as he might, Roger just couldn’t shake the feelings that flooded his brain that morning. Every time he tried to make progress in the studio, or even in terms of shifting his thoughts away from the divorce, something seeped its way back into the forefront of his mind like a rapidly advancing disease. And so, unlike anything Roger had ever done before, he missed a beat. And then another. And soon enough, the entire song ran away from him in spectacular fashion, causing the volcano of emotions inside him to bubble over. Not in his usual fiery brand of blonde-haired, blue-eyed rage, but in a watery tirade of tears and expletives. Tears rolled thick and fast down Roger’s rosy cheeks. He was proud; he darted towards the bathroom and holed himself up in the grotty cubicle. 

He threw his head down between his knees, letting the tears splatter on to the floor, trying to make sense of it all. Trying to make sense of why, after getting rid of the worst mistake of his life, he felt like his life was so uncertain and unfulfilled. Try as he might, the answer didn’t pop right out at him. And he just grew more and more annoyed with himself because of it.

Roger lost track of how much time he spent inside the filthy, shabby little cubicle with blood-red walls, until there was a gentle knock at the door. 

“Go away!” he sulked.

“Roger,” Brian began, “I’m sorry I upset you. I don’t know what’s going on with you right now, but we’re here for you, ok?”

Roger groaned. The family talk was the last thing he needed right now. So he stayed quiet, hoping that his bandmates would soon lose interest and work on their album without him. But no. Another voice muffled through the layer of wood separating Roger from the rest of the studio. This time it was Deacy.

“Yeah, you might want to come out. We can’t really make an album if we don’t have a drummer.”

“I’m prepared to fill in though!” Freddie piped up.

In unison, for once in their careers, Brian and Deacy who were always at loggerheads with each other exclaimed a booming, “NO!”

This gleaned a hollow laugh from Roger as he realised how lucky he was to have friends and bandmates like them. He leaned forward and unbolted the door, opening it, to reveal his three bandmates sitting on the floor in the hallway outside the door. “I just need a minute,” Roger said, wiping his eyes.

“You can talk to us, you know,” Brian urged. “We’ll understand.”

“Fuck, we’ve been through everything together,” Freddie laughed. “What is it, dear?”

Roger sighed and wondered where to begin. How to describe what he was feeling. Everything he was feeling. “The divorce came through today.”

“You should be celebrating then!” Freddie said, bursting with impatience at the prospect of a party. The man could smell hilarity a mile out. 

“That’s the thing,” Roger began, “I’m happy about it. But at the same time…” he trailed off with a shrug.

“You did spend ten years with Dom, though. That’s a long time,” Deacy said.

“Yeah, but I’m not even unhappy about that. It’s just that I’ve got nothing to show for it.”

Brian narrowed his eyes, clicking on to what Roger meant, before even Roger understood. “Kids? Rog, that’s not the be and end all.”

“But Dom didn’t want kids, and I did,” he mused in a small voice. “And now, my girlfriend’s… twenty-four. I don’t even know if that’s what she wants. What if when she’s ready, I’ll be an old man?” Roger’s eyes grew glassy again at the prospect. “What if I never have that?” he repeated, looking around at his bandmates.

“Have you told her this?” Freddie asked.

Deacy waved his hands to halt the conversation right there for him to interject. “You’ve known this girl how long now? And you’re just going to go back to the flat and be like, ‘hey do you want to have my babies, push me around in a wheelchair and eventually scatter my ashes?’ Are you being serious here?”

“Well, they need to have that conversation; it’s healthy. And it saves any misunderstanding in the long run,” Brian reasoned, but somehow condescended.

“It’s a good way to spook her right out of her skin, that’s what it bloody well is,” Freddie said. 

Roger sat on the toilet and watched his bandmates bicker over how Roger should broach the subject with his girlfriend, his mouth hanging open in a way that made him resemble a dead fish. All while the plan in his head took shape. “That’s it,” he smiled. “I’ve got it.”

His bandmates hushed their bickering as soon as it started and looked at the drummer. “What have you got?” Deacy asked.

“I know how to tell her,” he said, getting to his feet. He power walked away from the trio, calling back, “Just finish the bloody song alright?! I’ve got work to do!”

Roger’s heart pounded twice as fast as his feet hit the pavement, walking at the speed of light down the promenade. Every so often, he’d break out into a run, but quickly slowed down as he didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention. He was going back to the flat. 

From the street, he could look up and spy you, sitting out in the late afternoon sun, with a glass of wine in your hand. The sight made his insides flutter. He couldn’t wait for the lift. Not when the love of his life had been sighted and she was within touching distance. He could practically smell your perfume hanging in the winding stairwell up. He breathed deep. He broke a sweat. And then he finally arrived at the flat.

“Darling?” Roger called, announcing himself in the hallway. He waited nervously at the door, rubbing his hands together like it was a chilly winter’s day. This was anything but; the sweat beading down his forehead said that much.

“What are you doing back?” you asked from the balcony. “I thought you were at the studio?”

“I was,” Roger shrugged realising that you weren’t coming through to greet him. Instead, he followed your voice. “But I needed to see you.”

Your glass of chardonnay had barely touched your lips, but that sentence stopped you right in your tracks. You narrowed your eyes and glanced up at Roger who was lingering at the door frame. “Why? You could see me tonight. I could wait up.”

Roger sighed and sat down at the table, opposite you.

This filled you with dread; the stomach-dropping kind of dread that threaten to have you hunched over the toilet in seconds.

Then he flashed those baby blues of his at you. “My divorce came through today,” he said.

“That’s it?” you shrugged. “I thought something was wrong. Let me get you a glass and we can celebrate,” you rambled, rising to your feet. Less than a foot from the door, Roger seized your hand and pulled you back.

“We do need to talk, though,” Roger said.

Only now did you notice how glassy Roger’s eyes looked beneath his sunglasses. You turned to him and slipped them to the top of his head, exposing the sparkling, red eyes that gave away how he really felt about the situation. And it caught you off guard. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Roger admitted. “That’s the worst part.”

“You look like you need a drink for other reasons now,” you commented.

He nodded in response and twirled the bottle of chardonnay in his hand, studying the label; gauging how wrecked he’d get if he guzzled the remainder. “Something a bit stronger, too.”

“I’m on it.”

Safely out of Roger’s view, you braced yourself against the counter top. 

It worried you – Roger being so cryptic. It also worried you how much you had given up to be here with him. Your job. Your friends. Your life. All just to be with him. 

More fool you, though. 

You had only just met the bloke and you were carrying on like he was the love of your life. 

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes as you bowed your head. This felt like a familiar theme in your relationship with Roger and you couldn’t be sure whether or not it was a bad thing. In any other relationship, this was bound to be a massive raging red flag; the amount of times one can drag the other to the brink of heartbreak, just with a few words and a little bit of miscommunication. All you wanted was to be happy. Your brain repeated that like a mantra that didn’t improve anything. It just made you shake as wave after wave of sorrow tugged at your body.

“You still with me, darling?” Roger called through.

You couldn’t answer. You couldn’t let him see the tears. But it was too late. 

You took so long to respond that Roger appeared at the door. When he saw you, his entire figure sank. “Oh my darling,” he sighed, taking you in his arms. “What are these for?”

“Because you made me think we were done, there,” you whimpered into Roger’s shirt, letting your mascara fray outwards in dark, inky pools. “And I’ve given up so much to be with you and I didn’t know if this was because of me or something I’d done. You should be happy that it’s over – your marriage.” You looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes. “Why aren’t you happy?”

Roger rubbed his hands up and down your arms and spoke wistfully. “Because, darling, I’ve wasted an entire fucking decade of my life on someone who never ever loved me. And I’m not even sure I’ve grown as a person because it. I’ve almost certainly missed out on everything I wanted in terms of relationships and settling down. I’m old now. And I’m going to be even older when we finally decide to start a family or settle down. If we decide to do that.” By the time Roger had finished  that portion of his monologue, his fingers had laced with yours. “I don’t want to be an old dad,” he laughed.

You swept Roger’s hair back, exposing his aged, furrowed brow. He looked completely serious, unlike his usual self. “Is that why you’re so unhappy?” you asked.

Roger nodded, tugging his lower lip between his teeth. 

You rolled your eyes and wrapped your arms around his torso, drinking in his scent. You propped your chin on his chest and gazed at him like he was the most precious thing in the world. “I love you, Roger Taylor,” you reassured. “I’ve given up everything for you.” You chewed the inside of your cheek, gathering the rest of your thoughts. “Maybe not marriage though, because… that didn’t work the first time. But I’m in this for life, just so you know. Whatever you want.”

Roger softened. A look of pure love made him younger in an instant. “Do you mean that?”

“Always.”

“And you want kids?”

“Yeah. But don’t let me become one of those annoying yummy mummy Facebook cretins. I want them to have normal lives, ok? No weird names. No nannies. No private schools. Understand?”

The lines at the edges of Roger’s eyes extended outwards as he beamed: “Understood!”

“How soon can we do this?” you asked, snaking your hands up over Roger’s chest and draping them around his shoulders.

You and Roger had decided to go out for dinner to celebrate his divorce. Somewhere fancy by the lakeside, under a canopy of twinkling golden stars. 

Just you and him and no one else. 

You sat, not on opposite sides of the table, but beside each other so you could stare out at the lake as you planned your future.

“How long do you think Queen will go on for?” you asked, leaning your head on Roger’s shoulder.

“As long as we can darling,” he said. “Why?”

“Nothing. I’m just wondering when I get to go out on tour with you,” you said, trying to avoid the point you itched to make. “Must be nice to travel the world.”

Roger moved away from you, narrowing his eyes and draining his glass. “Well, you’ll be coming out next year, surely?”

“Where do you think we’ll be off to?”

“Fred’s completely against going to America for obvious reasons. I don’t think they’re as accepting over there as they used to be. So probably not America.”

“I don’t blame him.”

“We might have too, thought. That’s the thing. It’s  a case of convincing Fred.”

You gave a quiet laugh; you didn’t know Freddie very well, but you had a feeling he could be just as stubborn as Roger. Meaning that no one and nothing could convince him of anything when his mind was made up about something.

“I reckon we’ll go all over Europe; that’s a dead cert,” Roger rambled. He looked beautiful, leaning back in his chair and scratching his neck, groaning like an exhausted lion. Just a sliver of his soft tummy peeked out from underneath his shirt and you couldn’t resist leaning into him to scratch it. Then he continued. “Ever been to Paris?”

You shook your head. “I’ve been to the usual. Spain,” you groaned. “Tenerife.”

“You’ve been to Ibiza, too,” he reminded, a warm smile on his lips.

“Oh yeah!” you giggled. “Tell me more about Paris, Roggie.”

Roger laughed to himself, closing his eyes. “It’s a surprise.”

You whined. “Well, tell me where else we’re going then. So I know what to pack!”

“It’s a year away, darling.”

“Just give me a tiny clue,” you pressed, holding up your thumb and forefinger to illustrate the size of the clue you desired.

But then, interrupting the tranquil scene, a gaggle of loud voices burst into the pop-up restaurant. They were all too familiar, much to Roger’s disappointment. “Shit,” he spat. He shot you an apologetic look and stood up, stretching out his arms to welcome his bandmates and their partners.

Freddie and Jim, Brian and Anita, and Deacy and Veronica all dragged seats up around your table, and began chatting to Roger. They congratulated him on his divorce and asked him what was next. All the while, Roger looked utterly bashful as he grasped your hand and gave it a series of reassuring squeezes. 

You wondered whether he was trying to communicate with you in morse code. You laughed to yourself at the thought. You didn’t know morse code; but Roger was smart, he probably did. You squeezed back. 

Thankfully, the attention turned away from him. He was free to talk to you again; getting his undivided attention against the backdrop of mindless, half-drunk chatter. He turned to face you. “When are we heading home, Kitten?” Roger half-whispered, stroking your hair.

“Getting impatient or is it past your bedtime?” you quipped.

Roger smiled and shook his head. Then looked back at you with a lustful glint in his eye. “I can’t wait to get you out of that bloody dress,” he teased, his hand finding its way to your thigh underneath the tablecloth. “And this is boring.”

“It really is, isn’t it?” you whispered moving closer to his neck. “I think we should try and get home now, Daddy.”

“What’s our strategy, Kitten?” Roger asked mischievously.

“Well, I had the seafood. I could pretend to be sick. And then…” you trailed off, jerking your head in the direction of the flat. 

“That might work,” Roger said, kissing your jaw.

Just as the moment escalated in heat, the sound of someone obnoxiously clearing their throat cut through your moment, forcing you and Roger to turn your heads towards the group that had so rudely decided to crash your date.

“What?” Roger asked, annoyance cutting through his tone. 

Deacy piped up. “It’s Veronica and I’s anniversary tomorrow evening. We were hoping we could do some celebrating. But we need a babysitter.”

Roger narrowed his eyes, pointing vaguely around the table to his friends and their partners. “Why can’t any of you?”

“I don’t want little Robert keeping us up with his crying and everything,” Freddie said. “You know how scratchy my voice gets when I don’t get enough sleep.”

Brian was next to offer up an excuse. “Anita and I were going to go out to the vineyard over there for a couple of nights.”

Roger straightened up in his seat as he considered offering his babysitting services. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, you were quick to interrupt.

“What about tonight’s babysitter, Deacy?” you asked. “Can’t you get them to babysit tomorrow?”

“She says she can’t,” Veronica explained. “She has exams at uni and she needs to be at all her lectures on weekdays. We tried.”

You and Roger gave a simultaneous sigh and looked at each other. “Guess we’re gonna have to do it,” you shrugged.

“Guess we do,” Roger agreed.

“Alright, we’ll do it,” you conceded, driving daggers through Deacy and Veronica in your mind. You didn’t want to but they didn’t leave you with much of a choice.

“He can sleep in the spare room,” Roger continued.

“And we’ll be on our best behaviour,” you added.

“Yeah, we’re gonna need to call everyone up and cancel the orgy we had planned. Shame, really. I was looking forward to it,” Roger remarked.

The joke didn’t land well. But it wasn’t far from the truth. Every night since you arrived in Montreux, you and Roger would spend your evenings in bed together, figuring out all the new and debauched tricks he could teach you. And figuring out what you liked and what he could do to please you. He loved to please. 

But the night after your ruined dinner date, you and Roger flitted around the flat in a frantic attempt to baby proof the place. Barricading the doors to all the balconies, locking away your restraints and sex toys, and removing all alcohol from your lower cupboards in the kitchen. Roger looked out of breath, standing in the middle of the living room with his hands on his hips, trying to find even the slightest thing that baby Robert might get hold of and hurt himself with. “Do you reckon we got everything?” he asked, squinting at you.

You shrugged. “I’m more concerned with how we keep him occupied all night.”

“Fuck. Do you know, I’ve never had to look after a baby before?” Roger said. “How do we do that?”

“I think you start by taking the word fuck out of your vocabulary, darling,” you said wandering through to the living room and wrapping your arms around him.

“And what do we feed them?”

“Something soft? I don’t know. Does he have teeth yet?” you asked. “When do they get teeth?”

“I’ll tell you, I don’t even know. I think he does. Last time I saw him he bit me.”

“Ah, right. Great. He’s a biter.”

“He’s weird. He looks like Deacy,” Roger said, flopping down on the couch.

You followed suit, straddling his lap. “Do you think we’ll be good at this?” you asked, running your hands up and down Roger’s chest. “Looking after a kid? I don’t even think either of us are grown up enough if I’m honest.”

“We probably aren’t, darling,” Roger sighed, giving your thighs a squeeze. “But we didn’t really have much choice did we?”

You laughed quietly. “I mean, for real, Roger. A baby of our own.”

Roger closed his eyes and allowed his imagination to run away with him, wondering what that might be like. He wasn’t going to lie, he loved the idea of being a dad. And if he was going to do it, it would have to be with you. “It’d be different if it was ours,” Roger sighed.

You let your own imagination delve into that thought, conjuring up images of Roger playing with a squad of blonde, feral kids that were undoubtedly his own. He’d be fantastic. Warm and wise, fun and fearless. You wanted that. But you couldn’t help but feel like your relationship was on shaky ground for the foreseeable. You’d have to see what next year’s tour meant for you.

“When do you reckon you’d want to…” Roger trailed off.

“When we’re ready. After the tour next year?”

Roger’s eyes flicked open. “That sounds good.”

“There’s a lot we need to figure out when you’re on tour.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do.”

He nodded. He already knew the answer to that, but sometimes he needed to hear it for himself. “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me.”

“You’re gonna do the hard part,” Roger laughed. “Can’t be easy pushing a watermelon out of a small hole.”

“Roger!” you squealed, whacking his chest. “That’s disgusting!”

“That’s exactly what it is!” Roger retorted.

Interrupting your argument, the buzzer on the intercom sounded, notifying you that your tiny guest had arrived. Roger sprang to his feet and turned to you. “I’ll get it! You just see if there’s anything else Robert might hurt himself on while he’s on his way up.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine, Roger,” you called as he left the room.

Out in the hall, Roger answered the intercom and buzzed Deacy and Veronica up to the flat.

You stayed put, wandering around the open space inside the living room, looking out at the early evening sunshine. You folded your arms and found yourself drawn to the window. The sun looked glorious. Deacy and Veronica had picked a fantastic night to celebrate their anniversary. You wondered where they planned on going. If you and Roger hadn’t been imposed upon, you knew you’d be sitting out on the street at Funky Claude’s – the pair of you quaffing overpriced cocktails and watching the people flit down the street in a midsummer daze. Bliss, you thought; far away from having to look after a pair of strangers’ child. Maybe you weren’t cut out for being a mother? You knew deep down that you wanted it, but you were still trying to figure out what was an acceptable age to stop giving your friends a bottle of whisky and a wire coat hanger as a congratulatory gift for getting themselves knocked up. You also balked at baby updates from them and couldn’t fathom why the vast majority of your friends ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhed’ over babies. Maybe you’d be a crap mother after all? That worried you. Especially after the weighty commitment you made to Roger.

So lost in your own woes, you hadn’t noticed Deacy, Veronica and their tiny terror entering your home. You had your back to the door, travelling away at a hundred miles an hour on the stress express.

“Darling?” Roger sang. “The Deacons are here.”

You glanced over your shoulder and, realising that the family had indeed arrived in all their finery, you turned to them. 

They were a humble pair. You would never have known that Deacy was a millionaire. He looked like the stereotypical industrious tightwad, you thought as you hugged and kissed the couple politely on the cheek and wished them well on their life sentence together. And when the niceties were over, your eyes searched the room for little Robert. “Where is he?” you cooed in a fake tone. “Where is the little guy?” You did your best to plaster on a wide, manic smile, that didn’t exactly sit right with you, but clearly hit the spot with the anxious parents. 

“Here I am!” the three-year-old called, blustering into the room, clutching a large dinosaur toy. “I’m here! I’m here!” He continued, finding his way to your leg and clinging to it for dear life.

You patted his head, and beamed down at him. “Well, we’re going to have lots of fun, aren’t we?”

“Yeah!”

Roger began to usher the couple from the flat, fearing that they might miss their dinner reservation. “He’s in good hands,” he reassured. “We’ll feed him at six and he’ll be in bed by seven.”

“And you’ll make sure you tire him out? He gets a bit restless in the hour leading up to bedtime. He sometimes won’t want to have his bath. Just make sure he’s tired when you do,” Veronica wittered.

Roger laughed, “He’ll be fine! You’ve left enough for him to be getting on with. Now, both of you, go, before you miss your reservation!”

“Fine, fine!” Veronica caved, pulling Deacy away by his arm. “We’ll pick him up in the morning. Hopefully we won’t be too hungover when we get him and we’ll try not to be late!”

The door finally closed leaving you and Roger solely in charge of Robert. In truth, you didn’t think he was going to be a problem. He sat on the sofa with his dinosaur and sent it zooming through their air while you and Roger watched him like he was a wild animal, and you were too afraid to spook him. Every now and then, you and Roger would lock eyes from opposite sides of the room. Soft looks that made you desperate to have each other. Suddenly all of those doubts about settling down together melted away.

“Robert, dear?” you began, sitting down beside the small boy. “Do you want a little drink of juice and a snack?”

Robert didn’t take his eyes off the dinosaur. Mumbling a quiet, “yeah.”

You looked up at Roger, exchanging confused looks; little Robert might prove to be hard work, still.

“How about we watch a film?” you suggested.

“Sounds nice,” he squeaked.

“What do you wanna watch, buddy?” Roger asked, giving the small boy his snacks and sitting down next to him. “Hm?”

“Don’t know.”

You and Roger looked at each other again, worried about how to keep him preoccupied.

“How about the Lion King?” you suggested.

“Yeah.”

Roger puffed out his cheeks and grabbed the remote, putting the film on. By his estimation, it would take you up to dinner time. And then bath time. And then bed. And you were free after that – an easy run at this parenting malarky, or so he thought. 

You and Roger enjoyed the first hour of the film before Robert piped up. “I have to pee.”

Half-asleep, Roger propped himself up. “Right, pal, come on. I’ll show you where the toilet is.”

“I’ll get dinner on,” you suggested. “How about chicken nuggets and chips?”

“Pee first!” Robert squeaked, tugging at Roger’s jeans.

“Fair enough,” you sighed as Roger and Robert disappeared  down the hall. 

Getting to your feet, you wandered over to the freezer. This was a staple when you were a kid.

You dumped the chips and the chicken nuggets onto a tray and then stuck the oven on. 

Robert was sure to like this; it had to be a winner to get the Deacon boy on side. But he was so like his dad that you could never tell if you were coming or going with him. Three years old and he already had that trait down to pat. 

You bunged the tray into the oven and glanced towards the cupboard full of wine glasses.

Roger and Robert sauntered back into the room and threw themselves back on to the sofa. There was only half an hour left of the film. Enough time to cook dinner. An hour, tops, and he’d be in bed.

You could do this.

“Did you find the toilet, okay?” you asked Robert. 

He nodded. 

“I’ve just put the dinner on. Chicken nuggets and chips? I even got the dinosaur chicken nuggets. Your daddy told me you liked those the best.”

“They’re my favourite animal!” Robert said, perking up. “I love velociraptors.”

Roger pondered for a moment, playing along. “I think I like t-rexes better. They’re bigger and they have funny little arms.”

“I always feel bad for them. Think of all the things they can’t do,” you said.

“Have you ever seen Jurassic Park?” Roger asked Robert with a fun look in his eye. “I think you’d love it. There are lots and lots of dinosaurs in it.”

Robert smiled and shook his head. “Can we watch that?” he asked, turning around and deferring to you. 

“Oh, I don’t know,” you began, wracking your brain for all of the non-child-friendly things in the film. You weren’t about to let a child in your care go to bed straight after having seen a film that gave you nightmares when you saw it as a child. “It’s a bit scary for you, Robert.”

“I’m a big boy. I can handle it,” Robert smiled, looking at Roger for back up.

“I mean, it’s not that bad is it, really?” Roger said. “He can eat his dinner and watch it. And then bath time should give him a little bit to calm down if it gets too scary.”

“Please!” Robert pleaded, clasping his hands together and begging you with his wide hazel eyes. “I won’t tell mummy and daddy, I swear.”

Sure, it scuppered your plans for wine, but maybe you could sneak some if he was so engrossed in the film. You’d have to look after him for longer before he went to bed. Then there was the possibility of nightmares while you were busy getting drunk and doing god knows what with Roger in the middle of the night. Is this what parenting entailed? If so, you could safely count yourself out of the game for the foreseeable future. 

But the little boy looked adorable, presenting his dinosaur to Roger.

“Is there any of these in the film, uncle Roger?” he asked.

“Well, if Auntie Grump lets us watch it, we can find out for ourselves, can’t we, pal?” he said, taking the dinosaur and jumping it along the coffee table.

You dropped your arms down by your sides and gave a dramatic sigh. “Oh, alright! But you need to eat all your dinner, and be in bed on time, ok? No excuses!” you said, wagging your finger at Robert and Roger. You shot Roger an especially stern look.

Roger put the film on while you kept an eye on dinner. He had no problem connecting with the boy; of course. He was Roger. Everyone and everything gravitated towards his warm and inviting nature. 

They huddled together on the sofa, with Robert’s dinosaur, and watched in amazement at how real all the dinosaurs on screen seemed.

“Do you think they used real dinosaurs for this?” Robert asked in awe.

“I think getting real dinosaurs might have been a bit expensive,” Roger explained.

Truth be told, Roger was going to make a fantastic father and that, in itself drove you insane. You almost felt guilty for still having reservations about this, seeing how much Roger enjoyed looking after Robert. The soft look on his face as he carried Robert through to the spare room when he fell asleep during the film made you want to jump on Roger there and then. 

But he looked exhausted as he wandered back into the living room. He hadn’t done anything except chat to the small boy for a few hours. But it was enough to make him collapse back on to the couch and breathe a sigh of relief as he closed his eyes.

“You’re really good with him,” you said, taking your place beside him.

“I tried as well as I could,” he said, wrapping his arm around your waist to pull you even closer to him.

You patted his chest, congratulating him for getting through the evening. “Kind of makes me think we should get some practice in,” you laughed.

“Yeah?” Roger asked, widening his eyes. 

You nodded and sat up breaking away from his embrace. “But first, I think we need some wine.”

“Wine would be lovely.”

Roger watched you over the back of the sofa as you opened the fridge and plucked out a perfectly-chilled bottle of prosecco. Even though his lids hung heavy over his eyes, you knew he felt exactly the same way as you. He couldn’t focus on the bottle or the wine; his eyes were glued to you and the way that your body moved as you sashayed back over to him, swaying your hips as you carried two glasses of golden bubbly goodness back to the sofa.

He took his glass and held it up. “Well, cheers to baby making I guess,” he smiled.

“To baby making,” you agreed, clinking your glass against his and knocking it back. Your body relaxed in an instant.

“That dress looks nice on you, by the way,” Roger commented, thumbing at the material over your thighs. “Really shows off those lovely hips of yours. I love it.”

Blood rushed to your cheeks, feeling like he had you under a microscope. “Thanks. You look… like the perfect dad?” you responded, squinting one eye, unsure of the point or the tone you were trying to go for by giving him that compliment. 

“That supposed to be a compliment?” Roger asked, swallowing the last of his wine.

“I like my men old and refined, so yes,” you smiled.

Roger grinned and glanced over to the fridge. “Why don’t we take the bottle to bed?”

You sat up straight; heart pounding, stomach fluttering. “Won’t Robert notice?”

“He’s out cold.”

“But what if he has nightmares and walks in?”

“We just tell him it’s a special grown up cuddle. My mum told me that all the time.”

“Yeah, so did mine but it didn’t stop it traumatising me,” you giggled. “We’ll need to be really quick.”

Roger drew his calloused fingertips underneath your jaw. “What’s the point in being quick, Kitten?” he purred. “It takes time to do things properly. Don’t you want to enjoy it?” He was dangerously close to your lips. So close you could practically taste the wine on his.

You froze feeling a surge of adrenaline course through your veins. Your voice shook. But you gave in. “Yes.”

Roger’s hand skirted underneath the hemline on your dress, caressing your thigh as he spoke to you. “So should we take the wine through to the bedroom and get started, Kitten?”

“Yes, Daddy,” you sighed, leaning in to plant a firm, lingering kiss on Roger’s lips. “You get the wine.”

He didn’t need to be told twice, springing to his feet. But he had to play catch up with you. You were already in the centre of the bedroom, shrugging out of your dress, letting it pool around your feet. When he caught a glimpse of you standing there in just a set of skimpy lingerie, he stopped in his tracks, clutching the wine and glasses in a shaking grip. “Thought we were going slow, Kitten?”

You glanced over your shoulder, purring, “Is this too much for you, Daddy?”

This left Roger at a loss for words. All he could do was watch as you slunk over to the edge of the bed and sat down, patting the space beside you. Beckoning him over.

He complied, handing you a glass and filling it. Then filling his own. You could hear his breath wavering in his chest and he almost spilled some wine as his hands trembled.

“Drink up, Daddy,” you reassured.

Roger downed his glass and hastily sat it down on the floor.

“Do you need something to help you relax?” you asked, trailing your fingers down his chest. “Because I can help with that.”

“No, no, Kitten. Let me do all the work, please,” he gasped, slinking down on to the floor and settling on the carpet between your legs. His hands worked their way up your shins as he peppered  quick, eager kisses along the insides of your thighs. “You just sit there, drink your wine and look pretty,” he instructed, before moving on to the opposite thigh to lavish it with the same care and attention. “Let Daddy take care of you…”

Roger’s mouth was something akin to a religious experience. You relished the opportunity to have him planted squarely between your legs any chance you could get. You loved how hungry – ravenous – he became. He could never resist. It didn’t take him long before his fingers looped underneath the waistband of your underwear and yanked them down.

Finishing the rest of your wine, the glass drooped out of your hands and dampened the sheets with the dregs as you eased back.

Roger’s tongue worked at your folds, lapping away at them and gathering all the sweet, heady wetness he could find, groaning enthusiastically as he savoured every drop. He tugged and nipped at them, pulling them between his lips, sucking at the sensitive pink flesh until it swelled and tingled. He knew how to amp up the need you felt. His hands gripped at your bottom, adding another layer of delicious sensation to the mix and forcing you further on to his mouth, getting as close as he possibly could to make you writhe against his tongue as he dipped it inside you. 

You knew exactly what Roger was trying to do. He was trying to get you to cry out in pleasure, rippling his tongue inside you. Curling it in on itself. Fucking you. A precursor to the onslaught his cock was poised and ready to deliver when it came down to it. 

But you were so aware of the sleeping child in the next room. You clamped your hand over your mouth in a desperate bid to avoid giving Roger the rapturous praise he desired for stringing you out to the point of orgasm in minutes flat. Instead, you quietly quivered.

Roger’s tongue was dangerously close to your clit.

If he couldn’t get you to scream his name, he had to try a different tactic. 

Pursing his lips together and sucking on that little bundle of nerves, he flicked his tongue wildly over it at the same time. 

This was electric. 

That move had the intensity of a thousand wildfires being set ablaze all over your body, racing towards your cunt. It had you clawing at the sheets in no time.

But the kicker came when his fingers replaced his tongue, burying themselves inside you. One, two, three, four. Stretching you out close to your limit and pumping away in rapid, damp motions that would’ve completely given you away had you had adult company. Your body rocked in time to every single thrust, your cunt tightening around his hand more and more.

But you still couldn’t let go of your inhibitions.

It was too dangerous.

“Tell me how much you like it, Kitten,” Roger hummed.

“I fucking love it, Daddy,” you sighed in desperation. He just kept you in a mind numbing trance of being right at the very edge. And you wished with your entire being that you could just step off already. “I need to come so badly,” you whined.

“What’s wrong, Kitten?”

“I just can’t let go.”

Roger looked concerned as he shuffled up the bed towards you; so close that you caught your scent on him. “Are you ok?” he asked.

“I’m fine, I just can’t do this with the boy in the next room,” you sighed.

“That’s ok,” Roger whispered, nestling his face against your neck. “Slowly.”

“Slowly,” you agreed, wrapping your thighs around him and grabbing a fistful of his hair to kiss him deeply, tasting yourself on his lips.

His hips stirred against yours as the moment grew in intensity, your tongues lapping away at each other’s. Arms tangled and fingers raking through each other’s hair. Two bodies glued together, and moving as one. “I want you so much,” he murmured as he broke the kiss.

“Have me,” you smiled, kissing his nose. You tugged at one of the belt loops on his jeans. “But you’re gonna need to lose the clothes first.”

“Right, yes,” he said, stumbling backwards on to his feet. “Good idea.”

For some reason, Roger seemed nervous too. You his hands still shook as he fought to undo the buttons on his shirt and tug down the fly on his jeans. There was something arousing about watching him shed his clothes for you; soon enough, your own hand returned to that spot between your legs to try and finish the job Roger started.

He settled between your thighs again and looked down. Your hand was still working overtime – he loved to watch but only for so long.

The tip of his cock pressed deliciously up against your entrance. So inviting, given how swollen Roger’s cock was, leaking precum over your already dripping slit. You manoeuvred your hips, trying to grasp it, to suck it in, to coax him, but Roger wasn’t playing ball.

Instead, he pumped his hand around his length, reminding you of just how much he could fill you. 

Your pleasure-addled brain needed to have it. 

But he wasn’t giving you it. 

You let out a needy whine, coupled with a desperate, “Please.”

Roger laughed to himself, moving on to phase two of his teasing. 

Your hips might have been trembling wildly, but he still managed to slide his cock up and down over the length of your  cunt, making his cock slick and glistening with your juices.

You repeated another feeble plea. “Please, Roger fill me.”

“I will, Kitten, don’t worry,” he said softly, still teasing you in the most horrific and torturous way. “But first you need to tell me what exactly you want. What’s making you so desperate, Kitten?”

Your mind drew a blank and your hips clearly had no consideration for Roger’s line of questioning. All they wanted to do was seek his cock out and have him fuck you mercilessly, like an animal in heat. 

“What’s got you all riled up?” He repeated. “Use your words, Kitten.”

Your fingers still circled your clit, by now making you a complete and utter mess. 

He wasn’t going to get any sense out of you, that much was clear. 

But it didn’t stop him from trying. He slapped your hand away. Then, when you recoiled, he slapped your cunt. “Use your words, Kitten. You’re not getting my cock if you don’t.”

“Oh but Daddy…” you protested, rolling your hips. “I just want…” you couldn’t verbalise it. The urge inside you. The reason you were so frantic.

“You want me to pump a baby into you, Kitten, don’t you?” he said, replacing your fingers with his own.

God those words sent a shiver right through you in the best way. A growl rumbled in your chest as you arched your back against his efforts. “Mmm, please knock me up!”

“That wasn’t so hard,” he soothed. 

But nothing could prepare you for the savage way that his hips snapped into you, forcing a yelp from your lips. 

“You want me to knock you up? Hm, Kitten?” he asked, pressing his lips on to your neck to mark it up and claim you. 

“Oh god, yes.”

“Say it, for me, Kitten,” he scolded. “Tell me what you fucking want. I want you to beg for it,” he continued, pounding you into the mattress with his weight on top of you. “Just so I know you’re sure.”

Your brain was so fogged, but now that Roger had reminded you of why you were in this position, the words came more easily. “Knock me up, Daddy,” you whined. “I’m ready. I want it.”

“Good girl,” he whispered, kissing your jawline, a trail all the way up to your mouth. “You’re gonna be such a good mummy. So fucking sexy too. I can’t wait to see you grow and for everyone to know what I did to you.”

The way he talked was exactly what you needed to send you over the edge and you didn’t care who heard. Clutching at the sheets, you thought your entire soul was shaking as you hurtled through powerful convulsions and contractions that milked every single drop of come Roger could muster right into you.

You and Roger collapsed in a sweaty breathless heap together, with him still on top of you. Your brain tried to fathom what had just happened. 

It all became clear when Roger rolled off of you, and looked your way with the biggest, softest grin you had ever seen.

“Think that did the trick?” he asked, reaching sideways to pat your belly.

In between trying to catch your breath, you still had enough reserve to crack a joke. “You know, for someone who claims to have a biology degree, you have a shocking lack of understanding about human reproduction.”

Roger laughed, batting his hand through the air. “I’ve watched the Discovery Channel. It’ll be fine.”

“Better throw the rest of my pills out if we’re serious,” you said.

“Only if you really want to. I’m in no way wedded to the idea.”

“Yes you are.”

His rosy cheeks puffed out into a grin akin to a chubby cherub that you just couldn’t resist: “Maybe I am.”

[indecisiveroomtempcola]

The silence is a great friend

Chapter 1:Despair Upon One's Heart

His thigh burned with every step, drenched and tired. He was out of his mind his only goal was to reach the station, from the extraordinary golden gilded homes of the noble district to the run-down mills and houses of the lower class plebeians, townsfolk dressed in shabby outfits, rags and cloth nothing more over the top than sheep wool. The mundane colours of the plebaien’s homestead are uncomparable to the aristocrats’ distinguished estates. 

Going through a crowd, the Central Market. All the townsfolk sell their goods here but some sell more valuable merchandise in the darker corners of the Central Market. Today had more hustle and bustle than the others, a coming festival, an event? Miller could have not given a single hint of interest as he pushed through the hoards of people trading and haggling. An even larger crowd stood in his way. Stumbling while dragging his body through the crowd into the centre while he kept running pushing something aside as it crossed his path and he struggled through the other end, one more turn and he’ll reach the station. Adrenaline filled his veins and he made one last dash for it, a loud hiss could be heard yards away from the hunkering orange bricked building.The last locomotive, he could not afford to miss it, no he can’t miss it. The sound of the whistle made a nerve racking hiss, it stung Miller’s ear every single time. His hand instinctively went up to his ear, trying to block the irritating sound. Someone could be heard shouting at him, multiple steps of boots stomped against the stone brick floor.

 A few more seconds from the edge of the entrance, bursting through the brass coloured gate onto the locomotive platform, he searched frantically, the locomotive just started moving. Hope filled him as he was so close, forcing the last of his strength into his bare bone legs he jumped grabbing the pole on the back of the locomotive, his shoes skimming on the edge of the railroad, a troupe of guards could be seen at the corner of his eyes, edging near the end platform. They seemed confused but one of the guards pointed towards Miller as the locomotive sped off into the cold evening.

Using both of his hands he grabbed the metal pole and climbed on to the end of the locomotive, a small platform with red railings surrounding the edges with a small metal roof covering the top. He laid wasted against the backdoor, his chest heaving, breathing in mouths full of air. His body began to tremble but the sense of dread that hung onto the back of his mind was washed over by a wave of relief, the air seemed calm with a breeze that danced around Miller, while droplets of rain tapped the top of the roof, pitter pattering. The earthly scent filled his nose, his eye blinking wanting to be close, but that moment made him feel everything around him. The sweat that soaked his clothes, the wretched smell of raw fish and pig, his thick brown hair was a mess, strands splattered against his forehead and the grinding of each metal wheel when the train stopped. Today’s unlucky streak would come to an end when he reached the small cottage on the edge of a clearing, his cozy little home.

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A ruined warehouse, half of its roof coming in on itself but the other still stayed intact, signs of cracking traced the building. Even some parts of it were covered by green ivy, an old dark oak tree looming above the warehouse, its leaves rustling against the soft wind while the branches sway lazily. 

The serene atmosphere’s melodious tune of nature is as though being orchestrated by a masterful conductor each wave of the baton creates another symphony interrupted only by a low hum coming from the warehouse, gradually becoming louder and louder. The inside of the warehouse was lit only by the translucent light bulbs that hung idly with a thin silver metal cord, each hung at different lengths giving the room its on esthetic, the middle, sat a monstrous machine. The hull made out of translucent Ceilium glass, its engine bare, showing the conductor booth that sat behind the hull, a grey box, enough to fit only one man, its was shape after a locomotive but its design’s stand out, with exhaust pipe lining the sides of the machine, its cool thin frame that curve down when it meets the hull and a large mechanical orb that was hung loosely from where the furnace would be, it was only a hole that fits the orb. 

The orb had an intricate design, lines and shape that was engraved into, a man walk into the booth, he took out a flask containing blue liquid, and poured it into one of the holes, closing the lid he grabbed the orb jamming it back, it clicked into place, the circular metal spun and stop on a dial. 

“That's the last of my supply, hope this baby works.” his hoarse voice echoed through the room. He patted the top of the machine and got to work, like clockwork he started pulling levers and pushing buttons on the frame.Each cathartic click,  deafen by the sound of the engine finally roaring to life,” Yeah!” He yelled in triumph. Jumping down with a clunk when his steel toe boots touched the grey concrete floor. “After decades of wor-” he stopped mid sentence as something felt wrong, he realized he forgot to turn on the stabilizer, the engine’s roar turned into a high pitch whistle, while the entire frame started to shake uncontrollably. He stared helplessly as the machine exploded into pieces, each individual part shot out in flames around the workshop.

He fell to his knees, with his mouth gaping wide. His head hung low and he let out a deep sigh. He rose slowly walking outside the ruin of a workshop and leaned against its brick wall, his palm rested on his greasy face, how could he be so careless. A vital instrument missing from a machine is as though one loses their own organs, a huge setback.The setting sun told the conductor it was about time to head on his way home, staring vacantly at the lavender field that range over the hills, “It never gets old doesn’t it Hannah” The conductor found his hand caressing the golden locket that hung around his neck, he gripped it tightly reminiscing how it all used to be… different. “Ahem.” someone cleared their throat ruining the moment the conductor had.” Was I interrupting something Agner?`` The high pitched voice imitated the whistle from before, giving Agner a headache. Agner recognised that distinct voice,” Leong, hasn’t it been too long since your last visit?” Leong pounder, then spoke “ Wasn’t it yesterday?” Agner rubbed his temples, clearly too exhausted. “Oh, i am just cracking a joke, Agner, did it really get on your nerves.”

“As a matter of fact your very existence gives me a fit every time you’re near me” still leaning against the wall Agner gestured to the Bishop asking him what he wanted this time? “ Oh c'mon Agner we’ve been going at it for weeks and the Pope isn’t at all happy”  The urgency in his voice caught Agner off guard for a bit,” How so, Leong?”  He was cautious now, eyeing around his surroundings. 

“He’ll send Hunters if you cease to cooperate with us.” Leong said smugly, he walked around Agner trying to intimidate him like a tiger circling its prey.” Death threats aren’t uncommon, when coming from you Leong,” Agner’s arms are crossed, his chin held high.”The two clergy you sent didn’t seem too threatening for me.” the air between them was tense, both of their composure remained unwavering, not willing to bend to one’s own accord. “FIne by me then.” Leong stopped dead in his tracks, he shrugged. A blurry image headed straight for Agner, he rolled to his side barely dodging the attack, red dust swirled around them, the lights on its headpiece pierce the dust, pouncing once again at Agner. He was too slow as the massive hunk of metal crashed straight into him, the metal beast now on top of Agner, tried clawing at his neck but Agner held it at bay with his burly arms, swiftly he unsheathe a knife tucked underneath his thigh and struck it’s exposed neck.

The beast struggled while gurgling blood, Agner tossed him aside as the beast stopped moving.” I built those exosuits, Leong, I know where their-” Agner was cut short as he was completely surrounded by different kinds of mechanical animals, each eye glowed bright.” I did say Hunter’s’ Agner, not one but a whole squadron.”. Leong stood there with one of his arms on his hips the other showing the Hunters, one of them attached to the wall, four of its claws digged into the red brick. Another hovering over them, its wingspan large and wide with razor sharp ends, another with tusk the size of an elephant.

“Ironic isn’t it, its creator being forced to face against the machines he made.” Leong stroded towards him, Agner who was still holding his blade backed away into the warehouse. 

:”Oh Agner this isn’t the last of your troubles, I sent someone to deal with the unruly wench you have for a wife.” Leong knew he struck home because he never saw a man with such fury in his eyes,”Come at me you bastards!” He roared charging at Leong but the Bishop flicked his wrist and Agner was tossed aside into a pile of coal,”Don’t ruin our plaything,We need him alive.” Leong walked away. Hunters jumped onto Agnar. The only sound that still remained was the shouting and clanking of metal suits.