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call-me-aesthetic · 4 years ago

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If Twisted Wonderland was an American Public School

WARNING: There are some slight sensitive topics that are featured in here! Reader discretion is advised!

Part 2 can be found here

Heartslabyul

Riddle Rosehearts:

- That one preppy girl who takes all honors and AP classes 😑

- Wants everyone to know that he’s becoming a doctor one day for his strict parents or he’ll dishonor the family

- Reminds the teacher about homework, knowing well that he’ll get slander for it

- Complains about how he got a 90 on his test or a B on his report card, a try hard much?

- Wears a cardigan with thicc but cute glasses since he’s one of those people with can’t see shit on the board so he has to move to the front of the class

Ace Trappola:

- The SoundCloud rapper, that’s it

- “Wanna listen to my mixtape? It’s pretty fire, my guy.” 😩🔥

- You will not miss him BLASTING out some song on his Bluetooth speaker, that shit be echoing through the hallways

- Tells you to stop what you’re doing only for him to either sing horribly or do a backflip, thinking that he’s so cool

- Wears a Supreme jacket with AirPods and waves on his head

Deuce Spade:

- Assuming that he’s still a delinquent, he’s that kid with the most fucked up school record

- Not much of a bully but will still talk shit to your face without caring, might even throw stuff at you during a lesson and you would be the one getting in trouble instead of him 🗿

- If he ever gets mad, it would be overdramatic like kicking the desks, punching the lockers, or walking out of the classroom unannounced and everyone would look at each other wondering wtf happened

- Covers the entire desks with drawings of skulls and those “s” if you know what I mean

- Wears Champion hoodies, wants you to know that he’s broke and rich at the same time

Trey Clover:

- The guy that’s not really popular but everyone knows him since he’s in all their classes

- Most people might have a crush on him because he’s REALLY nice 😳👉👈

- Gives off “older brother” vibes based on the way he looks and acts, like offering you a ride home if you beg ask nicely

- Secretly bakes creme brulee but doesn’t want to mess with the flow so he sticks to the status quo

- Wears the school’s hoodie just because he thinks it looks good on him, and the fact that he doesn’t know what else to wear

Cater Diamond:

- Hot Cheetos girl 🥵

- Has a whole buffet of food in his backpack and will not hesitate to eat them during a lesson, no sharing either sorry

- Excuses himself to the bathroom or full on skips class just to film a Tiktok

- Has about 100 followers on Instagram Magicam and brags about how he’s famous

- Wears a Thrasher hoodie with large hoop earrings and his hair in a bun

Savanaclaw

Leona Kingscholar:

- The kid who flunked their freshman year that also sort of vibes with new classmates

- Always gets mistaken as a teacher by people since he looks and sounds old

- Knows the lessons but still fails them anyways, didn’t really give a damn either 🙄

- Captain of every sports club you can think of, never actually plays but has a lot of knowledge on them

- Wears the school’s letterman from years ago since it used to be his brother’s and that he’s too lazy to buy a new one

Ruggie Bucchi:

- That one kid who NEVER has money for the book fair or any other school event

- Always has to ask his classmates for some cash

- If he somehow does, then he’s one of those kids who buys Diary of the Wimpy Kid or the World Record books

- If he’s feeling cheap, he’ll buy the “cool stuff” like the chocolate scented calculator or fruit snacks 😭

- Wears oversized hoodies and basketball shorts that are clearly hand-me-downs

Jack Howl:

- That one athletic kid who’s both scary good and competitive when it comes to school games like football or soccer

- Literally the best player on his team and without him, they’re trash as hell 💀

- Tries his absolute best to support his teammates without yelling at them for how dumb they are

- “KICK THE FUCKING BALL! DO YOUR LEGS EVEN WORK?!”

- Wears the school’s jersey just to show off his “school spirit”

Octavinelle

Azul Ashengrotto:

- The kid who sell snacks for “charity” but everyone knows he’s keeping the money to himself

- If you don’t have cash or try to negotiate with him, the only thing he’ll do is raise the price up

- “What do you mean you don’t have ten bucks? I can see it in your pocket.”

- Just bring nothing with you, he’ll doing anything to steal your stuff 🤭

- Wears a collar shirt with a tie and khakis that have pockets to keep his glasses and money in

Jade Leech:

- The kid who puts on a goody two shoes facade but is actually a stoner

- Only does “safe” drugs like vape but occasionally smokes weed, mostly in the bathroom or behind the school 🌬

- Can play it off and hide the scent when he’s high, teachers never suspect anything from him

- No one really cares to stop him unless he gets caught or something idk

- Wears clothing that either makes him look like a businessman or a junky, there’s nothing in between

Floyd Leech:

- The kid that’s plays basketball or volleyball just because he’s hella tall, and is actually good at the sports but doesn’t put much effort into them

- Always stays behind after gym, even though the teacher tries to make him leave for his next class 😬

- “I swear after this one shot, I’ll go to class.” *He never made that shot*

- Will jump you no matter who or where you are, and will get angry if you step on his new shoes

- Wears the jersey of any famous team with the latest pair of Jordan sneakers

Scarabia

Kalim Al Asim:

- VSCO girl at best, don’t lie to me now 🤡

- The only words he knows are “And I oop– sksksk.” and “Save the turtles.”

- Walks during a track meet while everyone else is running and sweating hard, the teacher doesn’t care either

- Doesn’t really do anything in gym but talks to his classmates and stands near the water fountain to refill his Hydro flask

- Wears tie dye shirts with cute scrunchies

Jamil Viper:

- That one quiet kid who everybody thinks is a serial killer but he’s actually not, I swear

- He just wants school to be over and spend the rest of his summer relaxing 😔

- Although he shouldn’t abuse his “power,” he‘ll move his hands in his pockets or backpack to make it look like he’s about to pull a weapon out.

- “Chill, I’m just grabbing a pencil.” *Everyone in the class started crying*

- Wears dark colored hoodies that intimidates people but are actually comfy

Pomefiore

Vil Schoenheit:

- The baddie popular girl 😌💅✨

- Arrives to school late with a Starbucks in hand from his local Target

- Fixes himself every 5 seconds like reapplying his lipgloss or spraying Bath and Body Works cherry blossom perfume

- Uses acrylic nails and long hair extensions as weapons during a cat fight

- Wears a crop top with ripped jeans and those clout sunglasses

Rook Hunt:

- That creepy guy in the hallways who tries to get your attention, even if you don’t know him

- Scares people when he says, “Ayo, where my hug at?” 🥶💯

- Uses at least 10 cans of Axe body spray a week after gym class, which stinks up the locker rooms

- Waves at you if he passes your class, even walking into the room just to say hi

- Wears literally anything but always include a hat

Epel Felmier:

- The artist girl who just wants to be alone 🧑‍🎨

- Purposely draws in front of you but pretends like you’re not looking

- If you complement him, he’ll just brush it off and proceeds to diss himself

- “Thanks but I’m not THAT good at drawing, teehee.” *Insert Radio Rebel face*

- Wears a hoodie or a cardigan with big pockets to put his art supplies in

Ignihyde

Idia Shroud:

- I don’t even need to tell you who he is, y’all already know ahaha 🥴

- Sneaks a whole PlayStation in his backpack so he can play with it during lunch

- Is on his phone 24/7 even in class to the point where teachers don’t care anymore

- Tries to get people into anime but only to little success

- Wears a shirt of any anime character or that damn ahegao hoodie, girl bye

Ortho Shroud:

- The nerdy kid who’s known for destroying others at many games

- Plays classics like D&D, Yugioh, Pokémon, the whole shabang

- Daily Beyblade battles during recess with everyone surrounding him, the menacing aura radiates off of him

- Will steal your things if you lose to him but gives it back a week later cuz he’s sweet 🥰

- Wears light up Sketchers shoes and those Minecraft shirts you find at Old Navy

Diasomnia

Malleus Draconia:

- The theatre kid who also goes to band practice, change my mind 👁👄👁

- Takes his role seriously when it comes to school plays and concerts, even if he gets casted as a damn tree or doesn’t go solo

- Remembers the songs and their lyrics to any musical you name, a really good singer at that too

- Plays almost every instrument, you definitely know this since you can hear him down the hallways during a test

- Wears a white button up shirt, black pants with fancy dress shoes, and top it all off with a fricking Rolex watch

Lilia Vanrouge:

- The weird guy who pranks people and vandalizes school property in every way possible

- If you ever get a textbook with a message that tells you to go to a certain page only for you to found a picture of a dick, yeah that was him 😒

- When using a Chromebook, he’ll leave a tab open on YouTube so when the next person uses it, pray that your ears will still work by tomorrow

- During lunch, he is a literal DEMON that mixes milk with chicken nuggets together and having the audacity to eat it too

- Wears an oversized raincoat or a windbreaker but idk wtf kind of things he has hiding underneath

Silver:

- That guy in class who consumes Monster energy drinks and falls asleep 99% of the time but somehow manages to pass the class 🤷

- Whenever he’s awake, he’ll talk to the teachers since he’s basically friends with them for some reason

- Writes his name out of boredom on any desk you sit on but in different places, sometimes around the corners or the sides

- Has a sixth sense because he’ll wake up if you try to draw on his face and if you did get something on him, it’s on sight

- Wears those colorful hoodies that zips all the way up to cover his face with a matching backpack, it’s pretty cool ngl

Sebek Zigvolt:

- That kid who literally knows everything about historical wars and will show it off during class

- Also has knowledge on weaponry, which has people questioning him but he’s just very dedicated on serving his country and people

- Knows how to fight and defend himself from a bitch since he spent his summer at a military boot camp, put respect on my man’s name 😤

- Honestly a great partner for a group project, actually does the given work but not the whole thing for you

- Wears anything that has camo pattern and chunky combat boots

I only made this because me and my friends were talking about our school memories so yeah. This is based from my experience so they might not be exactly accurate. Might even be a part two if you want.

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oneoftheprettynerds · 4 years ago

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Fixed: Dark!Steve x Reader (Mob AU)

Chapter 4 in the Lipstick and Crayons Series.

Chapter 3: Love So Soft

Main Masterlist

A/N: It’s shorter than my usual updates but I’m busy so sorry for the delay. My final exam dates have come and all I can do is pray right now lol. Please pray for me if you can, this sis is out here writing fanfics for yall instead of studying so, haha. ANyways, enjoy babies! Shit happens in this chapter.

Warning: Non-Con, Sickening Threats, Mob Themes, Violence, Death, Manipulation, a mild mental breakdown, Cheap Tricks.

Genres + Characters: Mob AU, Single Parents AU, Steve Rogers x Reader.

Summary: Steve can’t ever repay you for what you did. After meeting you, Steve believes his broken family is the missing piece in the puzzle of your own wrecked one. Indebting the crime lord to you has been the biggest mistake of your life, cause now you can’t get rid of him, no matter what. Loyalty and favours go a long way in the mob.

Word count: 5K

Chapter 4: Fixed

You didn’t sleep that night. Or the next few. Your hands shook every time you got a flashback and even though you were numb to emotions that entire day, tears threatened to spill whenever your mind took to you to that overpriced kitchen again.

Now that he had gone to a dangerous and unnerved assaulter from a Dad trying to take care of his daughter, your mind wouldn’t put anything past him. You knew that in the back of your mind that he was a mobster and your ‘friendship’ was alarming to say the least, but now there was no denying his resources and power and the very obvious threat to your life lingering in the air.

At least before you had the luxury to be oblivious and ignorant, not anymore though. Steve felt even more unhinged and liberal now, even messaging you daily, greeting texts that you obviously ignored. He knew you both were aware that you never handed him your number and he felt no need to hide his pursuit.

You read most of the messages, not bothering with a single reply though. You tried to block him but somehow your phone would still receive messages from his number, even though his contact would always peek back at you from the otherwise empty blacklist.

As if his torment wasn’t ample, another message thread from a different number would forward you alarming images, photos of Grace in her daycare, on a class trip to the park and even her playing in your backyard. You had no doubt that this was another game of his to show you his resources.

You skipped daycare for a few days, your mental health worse than it was after the carnival attack, because now you had a personal tormentor and you cursed yourself for falling into this mess. At times, you believed it wasn’t your fault really, you just helped a kid and this situation spiraled itself but what would pointing fingers now get you? The harsh truth was you were in a calamitous situation now and every step from now on had to be thought out.

So, you let Grace attend her daycare and acted if nothing was amiss or altered, after the few initial breakdown days of course, kept going to your job and earning the bread. You considered your options, you really wanted to go to the cops or a higher fair power but those were few these days, almost non existent in your city. You also vaguely recalled meeting three of the Captains of the PD at Sarah’s birthday, all smiley and doe eyed for Steve. You knew they wouldn’t help, fucking kiss-asses.

Maybe you would have to move somewhere else, perhaps to your hometown, at least till things cooled down or better yet were forgotten? But that trail was very predictable and you didn’t want your parents in this mess.

You also came to know that Steve had inserted himself in the other spheres of your life. You were sure your location was always being sent to him, the knowledge a courtesy of the black car following you while you travelled to home at some late day’s end.

Aiden told you whereabouts were easy to track, when you inquired ambiguously. Another instance was when you went to the bank to deposit cash for your debit card, you came face to face with an enormous amount already there. Somehow, the limit on your credit card was also extended. How, you knew. The clerk told you about an email you must have gotten in regards to it, you dismissed that justification away and told them to not accept the cash. To sum the discussion, they weren’t helpful and had no policy against anonymous donors.

Aiden, your trusted coworker cum pal, sensed the shift in your aura and fidgety form very easily, pestering you with questions and you decided to turn to him, stressed and tired and ready to do something. His questioning eyebrows made you confess vaguely but you refused to tell him the extent of it. Just that his prediction came true and you needed help. Let’s just say, Aiden was a good man.

With time, Steve’s ‘affectionate’ messages became deranged, and you found it harder to act nonchalant in your daily life. You were thankful he didn’t come to visit you, possibly occupied with the rumored war between the mobs. You just prayed for a few more days of ignorance, just enough time to think and do something.

“What do you mean someone collected her?!” You had a hard time controlling your voice, you were about to burst, in tears or with anger, you didn’t know.

“The man was verified in the emergency contacts and we got a letter signed and approved by you to skip the day an hour into the first activity.”

“A man? Emergen-, wait no! What fucking approved letter?”

You had three emergency contacts, your mom in another state, Aiden, and one of the other kid’s mom you had grown close to. Aiden was with you at work all day, so did someone disguise themselves as him? And what was the deal with the letter signed by you? You surely didn’t remember writing and authorizing one.

The boy, Pietro, who had been the receptionist for as long as you could remember, shuffled through the chaotic piles of paper and presented a letter to you, and your blood froze as your eyes skimmed the font.

Your beautiful cursive stared right back at you and you knew that no one would ever be able to distinguish between this penmanship and the one in the pocketbook in your clutch. No one but you. Even though you knew you had not written it, the slightly different ‘f’ and ‘g’ told you everything.

Your signature at the bottom though, was done quite perfectly and that made you even more scared.

“I did-, I didn’t write this! What the-” Your widened eyes met Pietro’s from above the paper but all he offered you was a meek smile. Your hands shook with rage and for the first time in your life, you had the urge to slap someone really bad.

“Maybe your family had an emergency to take he-”

“No, you don’t get it!” You stopped yourself from getting frantic, willing yourself to take deep breaths and think rationally. Today of all days, things had to mess up.

He didn’t know you had no family in this city, that you had a mobster after you or the subtle threats that his hired spy sent to you.

Was going to the police an option? Aiden already told you that the cops were as good as Steve’s men. But this was about your missing kid! You’d never forgive yourself if something happened to her. And you were giving Steve way too much credit, what if he wasn’t behind this all? Come to think of it, what if the other number wasn’t his?

Relax yourself! Thinking of disturbing theories wouldn’t help anyone. You thought you should go to the cops, just in case. No mentioning of Steve, just a woman with a ‘missing child’ report.

‘Missing Child’ left an acrid taste behind and you were too close to a breakdown, but your whole journey of single-parenthood taught you to kick vulnerability aside, well most of the times.

You turned and were about to leave, but Pietro stopped you. “If you are going to the cops Ma’am, they require 8 hours of inactivity or disappearance time for kids under 5.”

Well look who just read your mind.

You huffed and kept the tears at bay, your mind thinking of what to do then? Grace was obviously taken-

“How could you let a toddler leave without informing the parents?” You knew your anger was channeling out at the wrong man but didn’t he all but hand Grace to the stranger?

You beat him answering and inquired, “What did the man look like? Do you have any footage? Anything?” The wrinkles in your forehead and stress creases on your face paired with the eyebags betrayed your age surely. You were sure you had aged more this week than an entire decade, juggling your normal life with the hovering threat.

“You shouldn’t be this worried Ma’am.”

The fucking audacity.

“Your daughter recognized him, she all but ran to him and this other little girl he came with. You should maybe ask your parent-friends around? A blonde family perhaps?”

As all the emotions drained from your face and terror took over, the young lad in front of you looked smug. You wondered as if you imagined the faintest of smirks on his face.

You crumpled the letter in your hands, seething with rage as you stepped in your car. Oh, you were mad, more wrathful than ever. You could take any hits on you, any threat but not on Grace, never on her.

You were stupid, you had already decided you wouldn’t put anything past him but unknowingly, you did put this past him. You thought this man had a shred of decency to not use your kid in this adult war, being a parent himself and all but what a surprise! You were wrong.

You drove to your home, your thoughts a mix of trepidation, anxiety and fury. You were scared of him and his reach and resources but if he put Grace in any type of danger; whether to teach you a lesson or use her as bait or both, there’d be consequences.

Lord knows you killed a man a month ago Grace was threatened.

You had one thing to do before contacting Steve about Grace but you never got to do it because unexpectedly the bastard was in your home. In your home.

The black sports car outside was a huge giveaway but your suspicions were confirmed when you opened the door with your house key. The banter and giggles from inside alarmed yet calmed you; the dread of confrontation and the assurance of Grace’s safety reigned your mind.

As the door opened painfully slow like a horror movie, the sight that met your eyes made you sick with a feeling of failure. It wasn’t gore or blood or grunge, it was Steve bouncing Grace in the air and catching her while Sarah twirled around in the living room.

This man was craftier than you thought, every action of his was calculated, each a refined step. You had been so preoccupied to avoid direct encounters with him in your little family’s life that you didn’t think he had other ways. He was always looming around with Sarah and as Grace began to trust Sarah, she consequently began to trust her blonde guardian too.

As you slammed the door behind you, Steve’s eyes snapped to yours and his smirk made you want to punch him so hard. The smugness on his face while he let Grace down without breaking eye contact told you he had no regret, no remorse. In fact, he was loving every second of this cat and mouse chase between you two.

You were a millimeter close to losing your shit, the only check being the kids in the room. But you were mad and he was going to know it.

“What the hell, Steve? Messing with my kid?” You threw your clutch onto the couch, Steve haughty by the reception of his sent message but still holding back because of the kids. He called Wanda and you didn’t really notice where she came from but you did register Steve asking to take the girls to the park for a ‘private discussion’.

As Grace passed by you, you grabbed her arm lightly, making her look at you with doe eyes resembling yours. You gave her a smile trying to ease her, but you knew she was smart enough to sense the change in the atmosphere.

Apparently, the whining Sarah wasn’t.

You looked back to Steve, your hold still on Grace and continued with a frown and raised eyebrows, “She isn’t going anywhere, not out of my sight and obviously not with you or your goons.”

Wanda had the audacity to look offended and you scoffed at her, eyes staring Steve’s down.

“Honey, I don’t think the kids should hear what I think you have to say right now.” He said nodding to Wanda to take Grace.

“You must be deranged to think I trust Grace near anyone even remotely related to you! Take your people and get out.” You held your hand up to stop Wanda and pointed towards the door with the most menacing glare you could form.

Grace looked incomprehensibly between you two, concern and confusion on her face. That might have been the first time such a tone was used in your household. The grumbling Sarah was close to throwing a tantrum, irritated by the change in the playful air or the lack of attention to her, you didn’t know. She was hanging on Wanda’s forearm, her feet slipping on your printed rug. Wanda was trying to not look hurt still by your previous statement, distracting herself by the blonde kid and you were baffled by her obliviousness to all this.

Steve, the beefy blonde Lucifer, was furious and seething. His white knuckles and ticking jaw were the most obvious giveaways, the fingers just itching to beat the shit out of someone no doubt.

Was he imagining striking you into compliance into his weird playhouse game complex? You wouldn’t be surprised given the extent of his attempt to ‘win’ you over.

The ‘get out’ tone and blatant disrespect was a bruise to his ego for sure, and by you, a middle-class woman nonetheless was a worse injury. Steve was the deadly boss to armored men in the vicinity, the kids’ father figure, according to him, and Wanda’s stern yet kind employer.

People had been killed for less and there you were, standing in all your glory, being the only person alive to reject Steve Rogers and now, the only to raise your voice at him.

You almost scoffed at his impudence to look offended, what did he expect? For you to submit to him after the stunt he pulled? His reach was scary he proved today and that any future with him in your life in any way, was a fearsome possibility to entertain but you’d be damned if you went down without a fight.

“You can’t make me leave; we both know. You don’t have the physical edge nor the mental one. I have no problem drawing out G-U-N-S in front of the kids or to throw the warnings around, although I would prefer not to.”

Your free hand itched to slap him, like how his did minutes ago. It wasn’t a mankind problem about men thinking they were entitled to everything; it was a Steve Rogers’s problem. Of course, with him consent didn’t matter. If he had a ‘housewife, kids and fences’ fixation, he’d make it come true.

“Do you even listen to what I say? Or your own words even? Please, go ahead! Traumatise my kid and also yours in your wooing process! Why are you so obsessed? Leave us alone, you freak! I just ignored few messages!” You had a hard time maintaining your cool, if there was any left. You were sure you were scaring Grace and no matter what happened next, you knew she was already traumatized by this entire ordeal already. You were so sorry, so, so, so sorry to your poor baby caught in this mess.

You knew, no, you hoped, he wouldn’t pull out the gun, his actions at the carnival a proof, you remembered how he hid his gun on finding Sarah. That threat was empty but the next one wasn’t, his words making you freeze in your spot.

“I think you keep on misunderstanding me, sweetheart. I don’t make empty promises,”

Posh word for threats.

“For starters, maybe I should pay my future in-laws a visit in their blue duplex. They might need help with the vast garden they have, it is the season for ‘violets’, isn’t it?”

As you froze with your parents being brought up, he also cooled, albeit differently, smirking once again gaining the upper hand, not that he lost it if you were being honest.

“Isn’t threatening my kid enough for you, Steve?” You hated how your loud voice almost broke, your anger slowly subsiding into helplessness and you hated that. You hated his guts, his entitlement, his claim; everything about him.

“You still don’t see it, do you? Our family of four is the most important thing to me right now and I’m not above doing anything to save it.”

“There is no family of four Steve! I keep explaining and you keep coming back to square one with all this bullshit!” The curse word did tick Steve off but he would correct that later, when bigger things weren’t at ploy.

“Your ignorance makes me a little mad sometimes sweetheart and that is why I have to do all I do. You haven’t realized we need each other yet, but I’m staying until you do and even after that, I promise. You know how much it pissed me off to see your tickets and the packed suitcases after I’ve been nothing but nice? I was so generous to spoil you with my riches but instead I find that in your finances.”

This fucker knew. Of course, he did!

You were wondering in the back of your head what had prompted this visit with so many threats and warnings and anguish. He was pissed even before you ‘acted out’, he tracked the tickets and the plan and that meant he even tracked-

“You have so much to learn, but luckily you interact with quite a few people. I am most tempted to start out with this Aiden guy, trying to be the hero and giving you all the ideas. Maybe I should visit him?” Steve wondered out loud, and you flinched at his suggestion, hating how you were trapped by this man.

You couldn’t live with yourself if anyone got hurt because of you, be it your parents or Aiden or any other possibility Steve would come up with. Of course, Grace was your peak priority but you doubted he would hurt her as he threatened to harm them.

“Steve, please.” The fire was almost out, your hands trembling, Grace worried and Steve smug.

“Let the kids go and I think we can come to a conclusion.”

“Steve this needs to stop.” You said, your breaths heavy and helplessness clawing away at you.

“I won’t repeat myself.” He voiced out with a threatening edge, gesturing to Grace and Wanda, clearly telling you to first get the kids out.

For a deranged fucktard, he sure cared about the kids a lot.

You loosened your hold on Grace, patting her arm softly and nudged her to Wanda. Wanda received her little hand and enticed the kids with the promise of ice-cream. Sarah clapped her hands and as the trio left, Grace did look over her shoulders at you in concern and for permission, majorly in concern though. You nodded and waved, a tear dropping as soon as the door clicked shut.

You were still staring at the door, not wanting to meet Steve’s stormy blue orbs when he began, “Today was a slip up that I won’t tolerate again. Neither the cursing nor the dramatics.”

We aren’t in a fucking play, what the fuck is he labelling as dramatics?

Your eyes slowly flickered to his, and you had a hard time not letting the tears escape except the one traitorous one earlier. The fatigue, the worry of Grace’s disappearance, the threats to your friends and family were all catching up to you. It took all in you to stay strong and not fall down right now.

“Steve this isn’t funny anymore. It’s sick and you know it! I just said no! Was that so inexcusable that you had to follow up with this? You have violated me for that, broken into my home and now kidnapped my daughter! At what extent will you stop?” You broke down finally, arms a flailing mess as fat tears rolled down. Nothing scared more than the helplessness this moment. He won and he knew it. The carnival incident was nothing in comparison to this. The only good thing you could hope in all this was a safe Grace but that too only if you complied, which seemed like what you would do now given your attempts at fighting back and scampering have failed laughably.

“Gosh, I forgot how theatrical women are. You are smart darling; you know what I want from day one, just a happy family. Nothing that horrendous has happened and especially not as badly as put it. I’m just looking out for you and me in the long run.” Steve slowly treaded towards you, his hand extended to pat your arm comfortingly but you involuntarily flinched at contact and stepped back. Steve clearly didn’t like that as he caught your arm in a bruising grip and jerked you towards him. Manhandling you as your wet hands rushed to ease his grip was not a tough task for Steve, a surprise to none.

“Stop trembling like I’ve actually done something to harm you!”

Steve clearly didn’t know how to comfort women and it showed.

You stopped with the cowering away, even though it disgusted you to be this much in close proximity with your assaulter. He clearly had anger issues and no clue how to solve them. You needed to steer the conversation right and get him out. You could see your hands visibly shake as you put them on his chest, just to create some distance and in a way of surrendering to not fight. The tears slowed but you don’t think they stopped; it was hard to tell with a million other things on your mind.

As your eyes made contact, Steve loosened his grip, clearly a bit satisfied by your submission, as he began counting to help you breathe. As much as you hated to admit, it helped you and you got a flashback to the time when you freaked out on him about Grace at that extravagant dinner date. That was a sweet gesture then, not so sweet now. Funny how drastically things change with time.

It wasn’t so much Steve’s help as it was your own mind telling you to be fucking smart about the whole ordeal right now.

“Good. Better. Now let’s talk. Why were you planning to run away? I’ve been busy and coming home to find out that wasn’t joyful, you know.” His smile suggested a better mood than before but his voice, his husky voice always had this daring edge that almost challenged you to defy him but at the same time warned you of unpleasant consequences if you did.

“Steve, I’m scared.” You spoke with utmost honesty. “The part of the world you associate yourself with scares me. You can’t blame me for not wanting that life for Grace, I mean you have a kid of your own. Wasn’t the carnival attack specifically on Sarah?”

The reasoning was right but you knew you triggered him the moment his smile evaporated. He either felt insulted as a parent or disrespected in his profession or probably both.

He was fighting his inner demons already and you pointing it out was a slap to his face, a hit he didn’t want to take.

“That was a slip up, I admit. Never again. I’m only human, okay?” He convinced himself and you, his grip tightening a bit again.

Oh no, not the right direction to take.

You reckoned he still had nightmares about it like you, he really did love Sarah a lot, all things aside.

“Besides, I am looking out for you! Out for you and Grace and Sarah. I remember my promise of never putting either of them in harm’s way ever again.”

You definitely didn’t trust his security or his people because what sort of a mobster let his daughter get targeted and possibly abducted? You definitely didn’t know the whole story or if it was just a bad day but he wasn’t a person that deserved some slack. Despite all this, you knew what all he held above you, above a common man. He might not be ‘Kingpin’ skilled but a threat to you nonetheless.

Before you could stop yourself, you blurted out, “Is that what you call following me around, huh?” which you immediately regretted.

“Trust the process, baby. Everything is just to protect you.”

Is that what he called stalking even Grace around and twistedly enough, sending you proof of that? The anonymous thread of photos was another nightmare of yours, thanks to him. The last being a candid photo inside Grace’s room, her sleeping in her bed this morning and that’s when you decided you needed to get out. Of course, that didn’t go as planned.

“How am I supposed to do that when you have cameras in my house?!” You scoffed and he reeled back at the accusation, having the nerve to look impressed at being uncovered and caught red-handed.

“Oh my fucking God, it was you! You sick pervert!” You jumped out of his grip, your eyes wide and horrified. “I wasn’t aware of what to make of it but of course, it was you! Who else would be sick enough to do that?” You let out a humorless chuckle. You always put things past him even when you keep telling yourself you shouldn’t. When will you ever learn huh?

You were full on panicking yet again, this man was an assaulter, a stalker and a creep too. It would have made a good dark, psychological thriller for you to watch if you weren’t the protagonist about to suffer his obsession.

He reached out to steady you again, but you whipped and stumbled back, realizing too late that you elbowed Steve’s nose so bad that there was a crunch. That, right there, was the look a man real-fucking-furious on Steve’s face and now you could see the feared mobster, the man who was personally terrorizing you under the beautiful, Greek God façade.

Steve reacted so fast even with an injury that in a split second, your view of his face turned into a view of his crotch.

“You do realize that there are others ways for me to teach you obedience? I think it’s fucking time you show me your gratitude for my care and attention and apologize for your misconduct and unkind response.” Steve spoke with a hoarse voice, a voice running out of patience and just about done with defiance.

His hand fisted your hair, maintaining eye contact while he nodded between you and his crotch. You knew what he wanted, what he was expecting as ‘thanks’.

“Steve, please no, you don’t-”

His other hand grabbed your jaw, stopping you from speaking as he warned, “I think you have done just enough talking for today, so why don’t you put that tongue to a better use and show me how sorry you are. Better make it convincing because I’d hate to pay one of your friends a visit and then bitch about a nasty blowjob.” He smirked at the end of his monologue, eyes shining with triumph and amusement.

You wouldn’t let him harm anyone else, you couldn’t. You and your daughter were already knee-deep in a pit and at this point, it’d just be cruel to drag someone else in. With shaky hands opening his pants, you just hoped you could get Grace out before you eventually were buried in it.

“Now that’s a good girl. Submissive is a sexy look on you.” His hands patted your hair, playing with your tresses while yours pulled his pants and then briefs down.

His member jerked out, almost slapping you in the face as you recoiled at his insolence to get hard and erect at your torment. Your disdain must have shown which he took as admiration and derision to take his affluent cock in.

“No need to get shy, I have faith you’ll be able take it just as well in your pretty pussy as you will right now. Open up-”

“Steve, I beg you-”

Just as you had cut him off, he interrupted your pleading. Your gag reflex was probably the most efficient in the world but that turned this narcissist on. It had been years since you had done it, never with a man as beefy as Steve.

His taste was salty and if you had to put it into better words, it was the like overpriced sea salt flakes that you never bought. High and pricey and for the entitled.

Your hands clutched at his thighs as you blacked out multiple times; your jaw aching, uvula swaying and tears escaping. Him forcing himself on you brough a new sense of vulnerability as your body trembled. Steve relished like a sadist, practically rutting into you all by himself as you just sat there with your jaw unnaturally open.

His obscene moans and groans were crass and nauseating and you just prayed for this to be over soon and for no one to walk in on this, especially your kid.

It seemed like it would never end, your body dehydrating with all the spit it produced, the drool dribbling and landing just beside your knees on your printed rug. You would have to throw that out.

The tears stooped after some point, the sobbing an unnecessary action that just tired you out more on this eventful day. You moved your tongue around to prevent your teeth from scratching him when he shifted angles. If this was what he did on slightly mad, you didn’t want to find what he did for a more serious punishment.

Apparently, that action was something that turned him on even more, his breath hitching as neared closure. In broken whispers he demanded that again and you complied, wanting to get done with it.

He growled in the moment of his release and you tried to lean back but his grip didn’t relent. “Swallow.” His grainy, exasperated voice said out loud and you knew better than to defy.

He released you and you fell on to the rug, hip bruising by knocking into some furniture and tears coming back again after being hydrated by his seed. He packed himself, his smile smug and content as his expressions truly resembled ecstasy being personified.

“You be a good fiancée from now on and maybe you’ll have all your friends alive and present at our wedding. No cheeky business from now on, got it?” Steve hummed then and strutted out, not even bothering to listen to your reply.

As soon as the door slammed, your eyes closed and your demons danced again.

There was no right direction to take when you were stuck in a loop.

643 notes · View notes

neonacity · 3 years ago

Text

HYACINTHE | CHAPTER 4: JAEMIN X READER

SUMMARY:

Na Jaemin is far from being your typical 20 year old. Instead of slaving through college, he wastes away his hours cracking safes. Weekends that should be spent partying with friends consist of illegal races on good days and small scale bombings on bad ones.

Na Jaemin is far from being average, unless you consider being a member of Seoul’s top organized crime family normal. There is no such thing as a sense of normality and peace in his trainwreck of a life, so when he met a barista who was brave enough to call out his dangerous taste in coffee, he was like a moth to the flame. Everything about her is normal, which means she is forbidden to him, in all sense of the word. So why, then, does he always find himself at the front steps of her shop, breaking all his personal rules even if he wishes he could stay away?

A/N + Disclaimer: this is a side story to Black Daisies, my main mafia fic feat. 0T23. While the plot is based on the main story, this can also be read as a standalone fic. As usual, this is purely a work of fiction and in no way am I implying any member of NCT to behave the way I write them here.

TW: crimes, heists, potential death, mentions of drugs and other illegal activities.

PAIRING: Jaemin x Reader

CHAPTER 1 / CHAPTER 2 / CHAPTER 3 /

FIC TRAILER

MASTERLIST

"Hi. Can I have one iced americano, no sugar, with an espresso shot, please?"

My hands froze and hovered momentarily on the drink I was preparing as I heard a male voice say that from the counter. I didn't turn around to check who it was, but my boss—who is currently helping me man the cafe today—was quick enough to dash the pit-pattering of my chest. He hooked the order slip on the board in front of me and my eyes immediately raised to read the name there.

"One to-go, americano for Youngho."

I sighed internally. Whether it be from relief or disappointment though, I don't really know. A part of me wanted to be in denial of my emotions, but I realized you can only go so far if the person you are trying to fool is just yourself.

It's been almost three months since that night that I last saw Jaemin. I wish I didn't know the exact number of days that passed since then, but I do and I couldn't help it. Every little detail of what happened was still marked fresh in my mind, especially the feeling of hollowness that exploded in my chest when I woke up that morning to see them gone.

If not for the chip on the edge of the table left by Jeno as he tried to hold a half delirious Haechan down that night, I could have easily brushed off everything as a fleeting dream. But it isn't. It is a nightmare, at least in my part.

He really meant it when he said he would leave me alone.

There were no calls, no messages, no visits, nothing. It was like he didn't exist at all, the past year spent with him nothing but an imagined illusion.

We were back to being strangers again, exactly like how he wants to. If you think about it, it's selfless of him to do this, but I hate it. I hate it with everything I have.

Why? Because now I have to live through the feeling that I'm the only one suffering from all of that has happened. I couldn't watch the news anymore without thinking about him. For heaven's sake, I couldn't even get an iced coffee order without freezing like a statue because I remember him. I hate it. I hate every single moment without him, as much as I didn't want to admit it.

I placed the plastic cover over the finished drink with a soft sigh before turning to hand it over to the customer. At least I can still manage to put out my well-practiced, service smile.

"Iced Americano for Youngho," I called out into the receiving area as I slipped a straw on the cup sleeve. A tall man looked up and walked over to me to receive it.

"Thank you for coming to Brick and Beans. I hope you visit us again soon," I said in autopilot, my words so well-rehearsed that I didn't even have to think through while delivering them. The customer smiled at me before giving me a wink.

"I sure will. Thanks for this, sweet cheeks." He turned and left the shop, leaving me slightly confused.

My attention was then called by my boss who had just finished wiping down the counter. The man—who really has been more of a father figure than an employer for me—gave me a warm smile and motioned me over.

"Can we talk? I have something to tell you."

I briefly glanced at the clock. It isn't my break time yet, but the store is empty so I guess it will be fine. I shrugged.

"Sure."

"Grab a cake for you and me while you're at it," he nodded towards the pastry fridge before walking towards the nearest empty table. I wordlessly took two slices of basque cheesecake, his favorite, before following him. The man has a mean sweet tooth and we both know it.

He was silent for a little bit as he took the fork to take a bite of his treat. I waited patiently for him to speak, hands politely folded over my lap.

"I'm going to sell the cafe."

I blinked and stared. I wasn't expecting that at all.

"You're… what?"

He sighed and leaned back against his seat. He looked a little sad over what he just said but he managed to offer me a small smile.

"I'm getting older. You know how much I love this place because I started it with my late wife, but I really can't continue to manage it anymore. My children, unfortunately, do not have any plans of continuing the business. And they've been asking me to retire, too."

I nodded slowly, taking the news bit by bit.

"Do you already have a buyer, ahjussi?"

"I do. It is kind of strange, actually. Someone offered to buy off the franchise at such a perfect time. And for a very good price, too."

That made me smile. I've had this job ever since I started college so it makes me a little sad that it's going to have a new owner, but I really am happy for him. I just hope whoever buys it off takes care of it really well. The old man loves this place to bits.

I felt him take a hold of my hands from across the table. I looked up and was met with a fatherly smile.

"Don't worry. You won't lose your job. The new owners said that they aren't planning to change anything here and I told them that they had to take you with them."

That made me almost want to burst into tears. I squeezed his hand back in return.

"Ahjussi... You didn't have to do that. I can always look for another job." Who am I kidding? I know it will be hard for me to land another sideline especially with all the financial hiccups I am already dealing with so this is really sending me over to the edge of tears.

"Nonsense. You are part of this business. You've done so much for this place so you deserve this. Don't worry, they said yes to my condition."

I gave his hands another squeeze and he answered back with a fatherly pat.

"Thank you…"

"You're welcome. Just promise me, when you become a doctor, you'll give me free checkups, okay?"

"No, I won't. Because you will always be healthy and won't need my help at all," I said with a wrinkle of my nose.

That sent the two of us laughing.

"When will the new owners take over?"

"By the end of the month," my eyes rounded with surprise and he nodded in understanding. "I know, I know. It really happened too fast. I can't turn down the offer though. To be honest it was way beyond what the business is worth."

I sighed. "Well… as long as you are sure about them."

"I am. For now, I'll be here for a bit with you. I just need to enjoy my last days here. So just don't mind your old man, okay?"

I grinned.

"Only if you promise to give me a free cake every day you are here."

He reached out to ruffle my hair.

"Deal."

----

It was a slow day at the cafe so my boss decided to turn down the jazz music that usually floats from the speakers in lieu of the television volume. It was an odd hour in the afternoon and I found myself smiling as I watched him flip the channels over to look for a good show to watch while I dried some mugs. Just then, the overhead bell on the door dinged, welcoming with it a pair of uni-looking kids.

My boss looked over, but I was quick to jump to action instead. "I'll take care of it," I mouthed to him, to which he gave me a smile before turning his attention back to what he was doing.

"Hi. Welcome to Brick and Beans. What can I offer you today?"

"We'll have one dirty chai latte and one irish coffee over ice. Make it to go. "

The couple offered their names and I nodded as I punched their orders on my POS. "Would you like some pastries to go with that?"

"No, that's all."

"Got it, you can wait over there to the side. I'll have your drinks with you shortly," I said with a smile. The girl pulled the boy over into the receiving area to continue their conversation.

"So what I'm saying is, we gotta go. Tonight is going to be epic. The bets will be high for sure. We can get some mean cash if we put it in the right car."

The other gave a soft snort and started drumming his fingers against the wood of the counter. I let their conversation act as white noise while I worked behind the bar.

"I don't know. You're not even sure who is going to be there."

"Jeno is in the line-up. That at least is confirmed."

I dropped the metal scooper I was using on the floor with a resounding clang.

The three others in the room looked over to me as I hurriedly picked it up with shaking hands. I gave all parties a sheepish look before turning on my back to continue what I was doing.

This time, I was full-on listening.

"If Jeno's going to be there, then it is a goner. There's no chance for others. It'll be full-on suicide," the boy said thoughtfully. The girl, however, shrugged in reply.

"They said the others might come, too. You know, to make the run a little bit more balanced," she offered.

"You mean the seven?"

"The Four, at least."

"Oh shit."

"Uh-huh. So I'm telling you, we gotta be there man. If we can't bet then fine, but we have to see it. It’s been ages since they actually went on lane."

I didn't really know how I managed to finish what I was doing, not with how hard my heart was beating in my chest. I'm not sure how many Jeno's there are in this part of town, but I am sure as hell that there is only one who is a member of a seven-piece 'group.'

"Here's your order," I said thinly as I pushed the finished drinks over to them by the counter. The boy offered his card and I took it quickly, all the while thinking of what I should do next. The few seconds of me typing away at the terminal was the longest quarter minute of my life.

"Here's your receipt. Thank you for coming and see us again," I said, my voice a little weaker than usual. The couple gave a quick bow before turning to leave, drinks in hand.

There are two ways this could go. I could let them out of that door and have my only possible chance of getting in contact with any of the boys leave with them. Or I could call after them and…

I whipped around to call out to my boss, my figure already halfway out from the bar.

"Ahjussi, I'll be back in five minutes, sorry. I promise I'll be quick!"

He had barely looked up when I started running out the door.

-----

"Excuse me!"

The duo looked back at me, then at each other in confusion as I tried my best to hurry up to them without landing on my face. God, why do they walk so fast? They were just a few seconds ahead when they left the shop! Thankfully, they stopped at my call, giving me a chance to skid before them as I tried to catch my breath.

"Um… Is there a problem? We paid, right?" The boy asked me with an odd look. I waved my hand before finally trying to answer.

"Yes. I uh—"

Well, I obviously didn't plan this out clearly. How do I say this now without sounding like a lunatic?

"I heard your conversation earlier. You were talking about Jeno."

The pair exchanged glances again, this time tinged with suspicion. It was the girl who answered this time.

"Yes, we were. What about it?"

"I… I just want—to maybe know where he is? You were talking about tonight's—"

"The drag race?"

I stopped for half a heartbeat before nodding.

"Yeah. The race. I wanted to come, too, but I don't really know the address."

The boy cocked his brow at me in blatant suspicion. It took all of me to pull out all the basics I learned from drama class back in high school to remain calm before his withering glare.

"You know Jeno but don't know the address? That doesn't make any sense," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "If you've been in one before you should have been included in the text blast."

Oh shit.

I could feel my palms growing cold from nervousness. Still, I tried pushing on.

"W-well, I was invited before by one of them. But then things fell apart and I started not getting any of the...texts anymore," I said, not having the slightest idea of what I am saying myself. What's ironic though was that what I just blurted out was sort of a half-truth, too.

Apparently—and miraculously—it also made sense by the look of understanding that dawned on their faces.

"I see…" the girl trailed off. She cleared her throat and looked at her friend before glancing at me again.

"Look, I can give you the address, but promise me that you never got it from me when someone asks, okay?" She asked. The boy looked at her incredulously.

"Are you crazy? She was already shadow banned!"

She shushed him and waved her hand off to shut him up. "Look, this is a girl thing. Don't mess with it. Just go ahead to the car, I'll take care of it."

He scoffed but stalked off towards the direction of the parking lot.

She turned towards me again and pulled her phone from the pocket of her leather jacket. I watched as she unlocked the screen before showing it to me.

"Do you have your phone with ya? Here, take a photo of this address."

I swear I could almost kiss her. I scrambled to get my phone from my back pocket and didn't waste another second to take a snap of her screen.

"Thank you so much."

She nodded in understanding before locking her phone again and shoving it into her pocket. "Hey, a girl's gotta stand up for another. Who was it? Was it Haechan?"

"Um…"

She didn't wait for me to finish.

"Really, whoever it is among them, I can't really blame you. They're all cute, but they do need to be taken down a notch when it comes to girls. Those boys," she tsked. "Dangerous."

Oh…

Oh. She thought I was an ex-fling who wanted to teach one of them a lesson by crashing the race. I let that sink in before a frown settled on my features.

Well, aren't you one? The devil on my shoulder cackled at me sardonically.

"Glad to have helped though. But remember, you didn't get it from me, okay?"

With a wink, she strutted off, leaving me staring at her retreating form.

----

I told myself I simply wanted to see him again.

I reminded myself that for the hundredth time tonight as I parked my car on a free space by a gravel road, my eyes roaming the darkness beyond. The place looked deserted, and I had to do one last check if I really put in the right coordinates on my map before finally turning off my engine. The road beyond was wide but uncemented and to its left is a half unfinished building with metal banisters reaching out to the sky like skeletal arms. I swallowed. Every little thing about the space beyond screams danger.

Which probably means I am in the right place.

I reached out to zip up my jacket and pulled the hoodie over my head before getting out of my car. My sneakers crunched on the gravel as I made my way towards a low wall circling the building beyond.

Just try and take a look. You don't have to talk to him. You can keep your distance.

I repeated that in my head again and again as I approached what I assume to be the entrance. A part of me still wants to berate myself for doing this but I am too far gone to try and play the denial game again. I want, no, I need to see Jaemin's world.

The moment I passed through a crack on the wall, it felt like I stepped into a different world. It opened up into an even wider area, the shadows of a multi-lane road behind the abandoned building beyond. Milling around is a throng of people, some smoking, others sipping on red cups on their hands. Some cars were parked against the wall I just passed, their headlights on with music booming out of their rolled down windows.

I tried to swallow the lump on my throat as I looked around. Already, I felt out of place in the crowd, but I steeled myself to push on, my hands digging deeper into the pockets of my jacket.

"Hey."

I looked up to see a boy around my age wave at me. He was also holding a red cup and what looked like a bundle of paper. My eyes widened as that came into focus when he got closer.

Money.

Wads and wads of cash.

"You put your bets already?" He asked as he stuffed the bills into a small belt bag hidden beneath his oversized shirt. He pulled his phone out then, unlocked the screen, and looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"Uh…"

He gave me an odd look.

"Who are you betting on?" He asked again.

I gave the first name I could only think of.

"Ja-Jaemin," I stuttered.

That earned me a low whistle from him as he typed away at his phone, probably to record my choice of 'player.' "I don't know, man. Dude seems pretty out of it lately, but whatever floats your boat." He stuck out his hand to me then, and it took me a few seconds to realize what he was asking for.

"Oh," I scrambled to grab my purse. I was in the middle of pulling my card from my wallet when I saw his face. Slowly, I put it back to reach out for bills instead.

"Cash only."

I sheepishly handed him the last few hundreds I have. He took them, expertly flipping through each bill to count them off.

"First time, eh?"

I nodded.

I watched as he slipped the money into his already overflowing belt bag, thinking that he would leave after that. Instead he nudged his head towards the direction of the building and motioned me along.

"Come on then. At least try and get a good look at your first race."

I blinked in confusion but ran after him as he started walking away.

We stopped at the front row of the half ring of people that had already gathered in front of the abandoned rafters. Just then, a huge spotlight shone over the road behind it, driving everyone to erupt in cheers. Parked in a single line at the foot of the road are five cars, headlights opening one by one.

"Jaemin's the yellow one," the boy nodded towards the one occupying the third lane. I stared. I know next to nothing about cars, but I know enough to be sure that none of the ones in front of me now are something you can buy from your run-of-the-mill auto dealer. Lowered, with shining reams, and a low motor hum that reverberated to where I was standing, I could only briefly compute in my head how much each of those customized rides must have cost.

I heard the boy beside me snort amusedly. "Your first race and you get to see this. I'm telling you, this happens once in a blue moon," he said with a smirk. I didn't say anything, my gaze never leaving the yellow car.

Slowly though, I noticed the crowd's noise die down dramatically the same time that a petite form walked out from the building. The woman stopped in the middle of the road and raised her hand into the night sky, a small pistol in her grasp.

Everyone has gone so quiet now that you could almost hear a needle dropping. Just then, the resounding bang of a gunshot pierced the air. Few other large spotlights turned on simultaneously, revealing the snaking road ahead that was disguised under the darkness earlier. I gasped. The roaring sound of engines blared beyond and with a new uproar from the crowd, the cars were speeding ahead, leaving trails of light in their wake.

My heart was beating so hard against my chest as I tried my best to follow the speeding cars ahead. I was only able to comprehend the real expanse of the road the moment each ride took over its lanes—the place looked more like an abandoned air dock field more than anything else. I was barely aware of my nails digging on the palms of my hands as my eyes switched from Jaemin’s car and the others, particularly on the deep red one that he was currently toe in toe with. The space between the two were a hair’s breadth away and I could almost swear their sides would collide any second.

That went on until a curve on the road appeared. It was the last turn before the finish line and the crowd turned wilder as the nose of each car tried its best to take the lead. I didn’t even realize that I was holding my breath until the last second when the yellow one took over the inner space of the road before swerving successfully ahead.

Everyone around me erupted in cheers. I gave my own gasp, hands covering my lips before joining the rest.

Jaemin’s yellow lambo parked on the finish line, the rest of the race participants trailing behind. I watched as his door opened, revealing his beautiful wide grin and tousled hair. He was glowing, cheeks flushed from the adrenaline. I was so caught up in the image that I barely noticed Jeno appearing from the red car, followed by Renjun, Mark, and Haechan from the other rides.

I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I watched with a smile as they huddled over Jaemin, playfully pushing and cajoling him for his win. They looked happy, carefree.

But it seems like they aren’t the only ones who were out there in the road. My gaze moved back to Jaemin's car when I saw his passenger seat open. As if in slow motion, a girl got out of it, wearing the same wide smile the others have. The group hooted at her as she joined their huddle.

That’s when I felt as if time has stopped.

The smile on my face slowly faded as I watched Jaemin wrap his arms around her before pulling her into a tight hug.

---

A/N: Hey guys! This is going to be the second to the last chapter of Jaemin’s side story! I originally wanted to finish it in one go, but I thought it would be nice to release the epilogue on Nana’s birthday! So yes, that’ll be out on the 13th, lol. Thank you so much to those who have continued reading this side fic! <3

Chapter 5 (END)

Taglist: @negincho, @springdaybreaks,

119 notes · View notes

dcforts · 3 years ago

Text

[week 3: i can still recall our last summer]

1.6k, pre s12.

Dean said it was too hot. He’d said it fifty times already since they left the bunker this morning and they were not even halfway through the journey.

He huffed and puffed, saying how uncomfortable he was in his jeans and tshirt and how much he hated his sweaty skin sticking to the vinyl seat. Cas tried to look sympathetic.

“I can’t even look at you right now,” said Dean, his eyes on the road, little drops of sweat above his upper lip. “At least loose the trench coat. I feel like I’m wearing it, it’s making me physically sick,” he said overly dramatic.

Cas indulged him and slipped it off, took off his jacket as well and loosened his tie.

Then he unbottoned his cuffs and rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. He did a pretty nice job of it, he thought. He'd had done it a couple of times before, but Dean always said it looked messy and usually rolled them down again to do them himself.

Cas didn't mind that too much; Dean's fingertips travelling up his arms felt different than anything else he'd have ever experienced and he kind of started anticipating it.

Dean must have felt really bad today though, because he didn’t do anything but throw a quick look at him. Despite not being affected by it, Cas could tell the weather was unusually hot and Dean was definitely not used to it. Still, he could do with a change of topic.

Dean seemed to cheer up a bit when they passed a sign saying they were nearing a gas station, but then spent the time it took to get there to complain some more and apologize to his girl for not thinking of getting her a drink sooner. Cas managed to avoid making a comment on Dean talking about his car like that.

The place was pretty much empty. There were only two pumps that looked pretty old and a little store behind them. Dean stopped the car at the pump closer to the road and wriggled in his seat to take out a few dollar bills from his jeans, “I’m gonna get gas, could you go ahead to pay and get me something to drink?”

Cas nodded, “Sure.”

So he stepped into the store where the A/C was blasting and some mellow music was playing in the background. He wandered towards the fridges that held the beverages and spent a while trying not to feel overwhelmed by the choices available.

He knew what kind of beer Dean preferred, but it was too early for that. He scanned the shelves and looked for something that seemed refreshing.

There was one kind of juice that promised to be a "Natural Fruit Drink" and was stored in little colourful pouches. It looked refreshing enough. He grabbed two lemonaded drinks and a big water bottle.

“Would you consider this being a refreshing beverage?”

The old lady at the cash register smiled at him as if he was being funny, “Sure. There’s only one*, right?” she said, winking. She looked like she was expecting a reaction from him, but Cas didn’t know what to say. First of all, he was paying for two pouches.

“Uh –"

“Nevermind, dear,” she huffed a laugh, “you were probably too young to remember.”

That was highly unlikely, Cas thought. Thankfully she was handing him his receipt already so he was able to get away from the conversation with a, "Have a good day, ma’am.”

When he got outside Dean was waiting for him leaned against the Impala. There was no one else still, so he wasn’t in a hurry to free the space and lose the shade of the canopy over his head.

He had his arms crossed and looked like he was thinking intensely. Probably a way to murder the Sun.

He looked up when Cas approached, “What you got for me?”, he said and when he saw what he was carrying, he had the funniest reaction.

He started laughing.

“What?”

“Capri Sun?” he laughed some more, genuinely delighted, “God,” he said, taking one of the pouches from Cas, “Wh-why did you get these?” he asked in a silly voice and didn’t even wait for Cas to reply. “I haven’t had one of these in like – forever.”

He turned the pouch in his hands and then his smile softened and disappeared. He cleared his throat and knitted his eyebrows.

“You don’t like it?” Cas asked, confused by the sudden change of expression. “I also got you water.”

“Uh – no,” said Dean, “No, nothing like that. It’s just –” he was still turning the thing in his hands and not making any move to start drinking it. “These remind me of my mum?” he said like it was a question. He looked up at him and let out a little laugh. “It’s – weird. I can’t really – I mean I was three. I know I can’t possibly remember, and maybe most of the things are like – a wish or a dream or something, but – You know when you get like, memories from tastes and stuff? Like in In Search of Lost Time.”

Cas didn’t really know.

It must have read on his face because Dean snorted, “Forget it,” and kept going, “It brings me back to when I was a kid and – I don’t know.” He looked at the pouch. “I think it was summer? Must have been summer. I don’t even – She’d like, take me to the park, I think. I don’t remember Sam being there, so it must have been the last summer where it was just me and her, you know, before she – ” he trailed off, his hand gently squeezing the pouch. “Yeah. Anyway, I don't even know if it's real. Could be a commercial or something." He clicked his tongue, then finally jammed the straw in the plastic and brought it to his lips.

Cas was still standing there, his hands full, watching him as he drank. There was more to the story and he didn't want to interrupt. Sure enough, Dean added, “Anyway, when she was gone and we got on the road, money got a bit tight. I remember crying and kicking ‘cause my dad wasn’t buying it for me. That I remember well. I remember I learned not to ask for it anymore. So I had kind of – forgotten about it.”

He fell silent. Dean's childhood had been unfair and tragic and if Cas could have had the power to do something to set it right he would have. Dean rarely talked about it so casually. He didn't seem sad like other times, but as he finished his drink, Cas still felt the need to tell him, "I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, I'm not upset," he was quick to reply, shrugging, "I mean, real or not, it makes me feel good." He flashed out a smile, "It's making me feel good right now," he said, raising his eyebrows playfully at him, "Guess it'll remind me of today now too. And at least I'm sure this is real."

“Is today really a good memory?" asked Cas, skeptical, "You complained all the way here. And I thought you said, 'I'd rather go back to Hell than live another day like this.'"

Dean snorted, “Yeah, well," he said, one corner of his mouth going up in half a smile, "the weather is not all there is."

He looked away and walked a few steps to throw out the empty pouch. On his way back he headed straight towards Cas, and came to stand very close to him.

Cas blinked, “Do you want the other one?”

Dean smiled like he was being funny. “Nah, I’ll drink that later,” he said, but still took out of his hands both the water bottle and the juice and Cas didn’t understand what was going on when Dean sent them bouncing onto the backseat from the open window, barely taking his eyes off of him. Cas could not help but stare back.

“What-" he tried to ask, but Dean was already cupping his left elbow with one hand, soon joined by the other and unrolling the sleeve of his shirt. Oh.

Dean lowered his gaze as he worked and Cas took the chance to stare at him from such a short distance, focus on his eyelashes, his sweaty brow, the dark freckles on his skin. He was really close, closer than Cas thought he'd like to be in this heat. Cas' arm dangled by his side like a dead weight when he released it and his right arm was already halfway up in offering. Seeing that made Dean smile a little.

They were really close.

They were really close and Cas kind of wanted to step closer.

“You are so bad at this,” Dean huffed, his fingertips and knuckles brushing his skin. Cas thought it hadn’t looked that bad, but Dean would surely know better than he. He'd almost finished rolling up the other one as well, and he was slowing down his movements.

Cas wished he had four other arms.

"So -" Dean said, taking his time to smooth the last of the wrinkles, "How about a deal? If I start complaining too much, you -", he pursed his lips like he was thinking it through, but he was just trying to be funny. Cas found him funny, "you can play some music, drown out my voice."

"Do I get to choose the tape?" Cas asked, feigning innocence.

Dean looked up to give him an unamused look that said he was taking it too far, but when their eyes met he realized Cas had been waiting for that and was actually holding back a grin.

So Dean puffed a sigh to smooth the smile that was threatening to curl his lips. It didn't really work so he had to look away to hide it.

"Fine," he said in the end, finally letting go of his arm. He gave him a pat on his shoulder as he walked past him. "I'll let you choose the tape." He pointed a finger at him from the other side of the car. "Just this one time."

Cas was fine with that.

*a reference to the 82' commercial you can see here - just a fun a coincidence that it's the same year Dean's referring to :)

@bend-me-shape-me said #deancassummerprompts21 and I said YES

#deancassummerprompts21 #deancas #deancas ficlet #destiel fanfic #mentions of dean & mary #and #john winchester a+ parenting #me: okay for this prompt i have a very sad idea #cas: k but what if i rolled up my sleeves?#so i researched capri sun and they were distributed in the us starting from 81 so phewww just in time #or this whole thing wouldnt have made any sense #i know i cheated cause its not really their last summer but it was THEIR last summer yk?? :)))) yeah i know i cheated #my writing #cant believe im finally posting this #bet ill find 29032 mistakes a second after it goes live #playlist to write you say? i only listen to 80s commercials on repeat

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lifeexperience · 4 years ago

Text

We are vengeance.

It has been almost three month since Lila Rossi came back from her fabulous trip from Achu. And since she arrived again she enjoyed the glamour. Enjoyed how everybody - who was someone, of course, - danced as she moved her strings. Even that Capitano della Moralità, Adrien was doing what she was saying.

Just lonely, little Marinette stood on the other side.

The Italian grinned confidently. If she had some plan like that day, she was going to ruin that little girl.

Anyway she had to take prioritization of her tasks. Firstly it’s time to make a Wikipedia page about herself for future reference. She couldn’t be sloppy from here because she could meet more forceful people than Dupain-Cheng.

Okay, so she would list her accomplishments: modeling with Adrien Agreste , best friend with Shaytan, knowing Jagged Stone… When she finally finished, the sun already went down and it was dark. Lila disinterestedly looked at her door, his mother again worked overtime.

Nevermind, she would eat something then collect links of her publications. Yepp, after some pasta all'Ortolana the work would be so much easier.

However when she went back to gather her online mentions she didn’t find anything. There was nothing about her on the Ladyblog, or on Adrien’s Instagram. Someone deleted them? Who? Maybe it’s just a bug? She would know more if she asks Alya first.

Yeah, don’t need any panic.

“Ciao Alya! I have a question.” she said immediately as that wannabe journalist answered. “Yeah, yeah, così accidentally you didn’t delete my interview from your blog, right?” She nervously patted her laptop as she waited for Alya to look at it. After two minutes there was the answer. She tried to disguise her anger, but she didn’t have the patient at the moment for that stupid girl apologizes.

So somehow her interview was lost. And she didn’t have to call Capitano della Moralità about their model photo, she knew he didn’t have too much control on it.

Lila unconsciously started to chew her nails. It was a bad habit of hers since her childhood.

Who had enough knowledge to hack two different websites to mess with her? Marinette was too morally high for this. And Max, who had the skill, was already under her thumb.

“Argh!”

She had to calm down. She couldn’t become an akume because of this since she planned a bigger performance for the next week.

Breath! In! Out!

Okay.

Maybe tomorrow she could make a new interview with Alya and drop some seemingly accident infos about the new adult heroes. Then at the weekend photoshoots she could force Adrien again.

Yeah. Why was she nervous at all? She could use this to grow her territory.

It has been almost six days since Adrien reluctantly posted a new photo about the two of them. There were fewer likes and more comments then before, but she was happy because she could continue to build her Wikipedia page. It would be her first thing when she got home.

And tomorrow she would start her small shame with poor Marinette again. The little girl already was alone most of the time in the school, but Lila knew it was a matter of time to find new friends outside of their class. And she wanted to prevent every attempt of it.

I am great at ruining others.

She smiled sweetly as she pretended to listen to another rabbling from Rose. That pink fool rarely shut up about her disgusting viewpoint, and Lila sometimes thought she would be a perfect next target after Dupain-Cheng. And if this little pink wannabe would be destroyed, her loser girlfriend would fall with her.

Yepp, she will be an excellent following after the shit show Marinette will go through.

“Lila, it’s not your phone?” Alix poked her. She turned to her in confusion and listened to the ringing.

“No.” she shook her head. “My ringtone is different. I don’t like metal music.”

The skater tilted her head. “You sure?” Lila nodded, starting to be annoyed. “Because it’s coming from your bag.”

“What?”

She hurriedly got her phone out, and indeed it was ringing with that strange growl music. And the number also was foreign, yet she picked up. “Hello?”

“It’s Lila Lucrezia Rossi?” Everybody in the classroom jumped at once.The voice from the other side was much louder than she thought and now every one of her classmates watched her with wide eyes. She fastly tried to turn down the volume as she answered in agreement. “So your appointment was moved to the next with Doctor Lacroix.”

“Wha...What appointment?” Lila asked. She didn’t remember any medical thing. Of course she told a lot of tails about her health problems, but she was completely healthy.

“So for the farting irritation.” The woman said with a monotone tone. And of course, because Lila couldn’t turn off the speaker everybody in the room heard it.

She blinked.

“I… I think you… you called the wrong number.” she muttered as now she tried to end the call. With no success.

“But you're Lila Lucrezia Rossi, age fourteen, Italian, aren’t you?” Lila looked around embarrassingly. How did that woman know that about her? If… If she denies it her little puppets' trust would crack. But if she continues this conversation… She didn’t even want to know.

And as she stood there in panic and listened about her supposed condition she wanted to be killed. Every fucking eye was on her. She even saw that goodie-two-shoe tried to hide her giggle with Adrien grinning next to her. And of course she noticed how her circle slid away from her.

Fuck.

She skipped two weeks of school again after that… THAT phone call. Of fucking course almost every one of her classmates called her almost daily to ask about her health. And she had to answer with a lot of information for Every Fucking QUESTION.

It was irritating.

However she couldn’t stay at home for more days because her mother. It would be too suspicious if there would be some supposed akuma without any TV gossip about it.

So she had to go to school.

Fortunately most of the kids were understanding and didn’t bring up the topic. But there was Kim. Of FUCKING course.

As many times as he saw her he faked a fart with a disgustingly loud moan. She tried to cry about it, though everybody said to bear with it. Kim was just Kim and if she didn’t react he would let it go.

At first Lila didn’t want to believe it then Alya patted her shoulder sympathetically and left her to stand alone. And because of these really annoying events she couldn’t start her plan with Dupain-Cheng who - of fucking couse - got closer to Adrien. To her key to the famous-rich-carefree life.

They were chatting cheerfully in the classroom without any glance at someone other than each. They were in their little world, and every girl in the class blissfully sighed at the sight.

And if that day was not enough of a bother to her somehow her school tablet started streaming porno when she tried to project out her presentation. She was mortified just like everybody in the classroom. And she didn’t even have luck with teachers. Because of - fucking - course that lesson was with Mendeleiev.

It was already December when she finally served her detention time because of that… THAT incident. She couldn’t go any photoshoot with Adrien due to her attendance problem.

She didn’t even see Batman, yeah THAT Batman when he saved Shaytan and Chat Noir. She was at a detention with others. Although she could tell Alya a little story about her knowing the American hero and how he called him to help Paris.

However she only had ten minutes to bask the light because her mamma called her home. Immediately. At first Lila found it strange, but she shook the confusion down. She said goodbye to the wannabe journalist and went home. She blissfully entered the elevator then with a big smile greeted her mother.

“Lila!” her mother nodded sternly. The woman waited as she - not so happily anymore, dropped her things in her room. “Why did you use your emergency money?”

Lila furrowed her eyebrows. “But I didn’t.”

“No?” her mamma asked.

She shook her head. She didn’t use her emergency card because her mother could check it anytime. That’s why she asked her payment in cash from Gabriel.

“Then tell me mia figlia, why your debit card is in the minus?” Her mamma held a tablet with an account statement in front of Lila. She slowly read over the document. And indeed, her debit card which was only for emergencies was in minus. The description list showed a lot purchasing from different sites that she didn’t even know.

“I didn’t do this.” she said franctincly.

“No?” her mother glanced at the numbers. “You know how much money it was? We kept it for your university years.”

“We?” Lila whispered as she became aware of the gravity of the situation.

“Yes. Your father was the one who drew my attention to it.”

At first Lila only just gaped then she felt how her blood started circulating. Of fucking course that bastard was the one who spying after her.

“You are a grounded signorina!” she heard her mother voice through her anger. “After the school ends you have to come home then do your homework. I take your phone and electronics too.”

She didn’t even have time to protest as she saw a dark butterfly. She quietly waited as that insect landed on her phone. “How unfair to blame something on others when she is not at fault.” She heard the well-known tone. “Finanza I’m giving you the power to punish everyone who sinned against you. Your only task to bring to me their Miraculous.”

“Of fucking course.”

She was defeated again. But one day she would destroy the fame of Shaytan. That girl would taste the fall and humiliation.

“LILA!” A loud yell cut her from her plans as she sat at the ground. “Lila!” Someone shook her. She looked up to meet Alya irritating face. “Are you okay?”

She blinked some to win some precious moment to calm down. Then she nodded with a fake whimpering. “What happened? You shouted about some money then forced everyone to admit their sins.”

“Oh… I… I didn’t want to hurt anyone.” she sobbed while she tried to hide her dry eyes.

“It’s okay.” Alya hugged her. “Can you stand up?”

She shakely raised on her foot. They silently walked along the pavement for some time when she finally looked around. They were not far away from the school. And of course it meant they were near to the Dupain-Cheng's bakery.

At first Lila didn’t even notice the bakery, then she heard a shocked gasp from next to her. Alya with wide eyes pointed forward. She also turned the direction and her jaw also dropped. There stood Marinette, little innocent Marinette, embracing a tall, muscular man. After some moments they let go of each other and with a big smile Marinette got in the car with the stranger.

“What… Who was he?”

Next day Lila wasn’t able to forget that stranger with the baker girl. He was gorgeous, but most important, older than them and a little dark. Plus he was clearly an adult. Alya tried to claim he was surely a cousin of Marinette, however Lila wasn’t that certain about it. They didn’t look alike. And if she remembered correctly Alya never told about any relatives of Marinette except her great-uncle chef and grandparents. Nobody else.

“Hm.” If she could twist it somehow then she would be on advantage again. But how? Alya was adamant about the family thing, but what if… Perhaps some well aimed stab about gang members. Perhaps.

Although she needed to conceal her mirth as she eyed her classmates. They all stood at the bottom of the stairs and were themselves like stupid sheeps they are. Lila forced a shy smile on herself and carefully stepped between them to tell a new tale about her time in China. And of fucking course it was not a coincidence, she knew well if she use any rather distinct - nevertheless linked to Marinette, - facts then Dupain-Cheng was much easier to upset.

However that stupid girl didn’t bother to pay any attention to her. She just stood beside Adrien and chatted happily with him.

Lila frowned.

“There is a problem?” someone poked her shoulder. It was Mylene.

“No… No.” her smile was strained. “I just… Why are Marinette and Adrien avoiding us?”

And everybody simultaneously turned their way. The two blissfully laughed at something as they ignored everything else.

“How sweet!” she heard Rose’s murmurs. Yeah, like pineapple on pizza. Bhrr.

She started to open her mouth to say something though she wasn’t able to voice any sound. A darker than black and really long limousine parked in front of them. It was not Adrien’s one, neither Chloé’s.

And the most surprising thing was Marinette jumping up and down for the sight.

All of them including Lila watched as their class president pulled Adrien to the car and after some debate with the driver they got in the car.

What did she just watch?

“Oh!” It was not a shocked ‘Oh!’, it was a ‘I realized what was happening’. And Lila also wanted to know what the fuck happened before her beautifull eyes.

“You know something, Nino?” She really tried to conceal her angry curiosity.

The DJ nodded with a relaxing smile. “Marinette’s family visiting from America.”

“You mean she has relatives in America?” Alya asked, more interested than a few minutes ago when she listened to Lila’s gossip.

“Oh, hell!” Kim shouted. “The brothers, right? I almost forgot about them.”

Alya tilted her head as he turned to the swimmer. “Brothers?”

“Yeah.” Nino talked again. “Dick and Jay, and Timtam… and… Who was the one who pissed Chloé off?”

“Some Da… De… Demon!”

“No. His name was…”

Lila tuned out the conversation. So Marinette had a family in the States. And they most certainly rich drawing that conclusion from the limo. Why didn’t she do better research before she transferred?

In the middle of the week was the career day and Lila was really lucky to talk her mamman down about coming to it. Of course she didn’t want her here. It would be a disaster.

She had a quite good feeling about the day. If she heard correctly only a few parents agreed to participate and after the school for the day would end. And naturally she kinda forgot this particular information when she told her mother about this ‘really awful’ day.

Yep, I am a genius.

She confidently walked through the hallways and winked at some cute boy because not only Adrien was appreciable in this school. Maybe if Monsieur Agreste would appear she could negotiate for a new line just for herself. After all she always paid attention to his handsome boy.

Humming the newest XY’s song Lila happily stepped in the classroom. However her mood dropped exactly that moment when her foot touched the room’s floor. Since there, in the middle of the room stood with her fake innocent Marinette and that gorgeous foreign man. And from closer he was more handsome than she first thought. Even Madam Bustier blushed and she had a husband.

Why has this girl this kind of luck?

Lila forced a charming smile on her face and with a friendly wave she sat down. She would not risk her status in front of that man when Marinette is nearby. She had to calculate carefully so for the time she just waited for the start.

When everybody arrived the teacher began her really boring speech about the importance of work knowledge and connections. Lot of the guests nodded in agreement. There was Rose’s mother who was a florist, Nino’s father was a doctor and Alix’s historian father. And of course Marinette’s mysterious man.

She was really curious about him. He wore a perfectly fitted suit and was fucking handsome, nevertheless he looked young. Maybe twentish. It’s maximum six year age difference between them. It’s not too bad.

She patiently waited as every one of the guardians did their presentation when finally the man stepped forward.

“Before I introduce myself I would like to clear something up.” His voice was a pleasant baritone. Even Adrien didn’t have that kind of sexy voice. Lila already enjoyed the show.

“I would like to ask everyone present to turn off the phones, tablets and any other smart device.”

Lila indifferently watched as everyone reluctantly got their device and turned them off. She didn’t get back hers since her mother grounded her. How lucky, she grimaced.

“In the next step please read through the confidentiality agreement that Marinette hands out. If you don’t want to partake in it or don’t agree to the terms I have to ask you to leave the room.” he continued as the baker girl gave everyone a copy.

As Lila looked around some of her classmates without thinking signed it up. And surprisingly it was Chloé and Adrien who handed back among the first. She also saw how after that some other looked at their paper with more bravery and signed it. She didn’t even bother to read it, just scan the logo at the top and the stamp at the bottom. She didn’t know this company so she also wrote her name on and handed it back.

Nobody left the room.

“Thank you, and I am apologizing for that little inconvenience, but this is necessary in today’s competitive sphere.” he said as he and Marinette counted and rechecked every one of the papers.

After a few minutes they finished. “Since today we also published an article it’s not that big of a harm if I introduce myself.” he smiled a little at Marinette and pulled her next to him. “My name is Damian Wayne and I am one of Marinette’s siblings.”

Lila straightened. She heard it right?

“I work at the Wayne Enterprise as a co-CEO beside my brother Timothy Drake-Wayne.”

It can’t be!

“After our Father decided he would like to spend more time with his family, I took over his position. Some of my...”

How the fucking hell?

Lila kind of lost herself and didn’t hear anything other than the slowly repeating ‘Wayne’ echo. That rascal was a Wayne heir?

And Lila targeted her?

Oh fuck.

It was Friday when Lila finally understood Marinette’s real power. It was never her connection or her skills. Not even her so-called friends.

No.

It was her family.

She of course knew about the Waynes. Who not? They were celebrities, start managers, philanthropists, fucking Gods. And of fucking course every one of the students also knew about them. So for the next couple of days went by like a couple of seconds. One moment she was the center of the attention then suddenly everybody wanted to be friends with Marinette.

Everybody.

Even the fucking street-sweeper.

And of course there was the media attention. The police had to be called because of the sensation. Lila even saw how two journalists quarreled about which one hid in one the bushes in front of the school.

Naturally she wanted to take advantage of the situation, however as the article with her name was published her mother’s phone started ringing. And the caller was Lila's worst nightmare.

On Friday she and her mamman head to the Wayne Enterprise’s Parisian branch. It was a modern building with clear glass windows and a big dark gold W letter. They were hurriedly ushering in an empty meeting room where there were too many chairs for Lila’s liking.

Her mother - of course, - was enraged. She almost learnt everything about Lila’s school life. Just almost. Unfortunately it was enough to lose her trust in her daughter. Lila was grounded kind of permanently. She wouldn’t get back her phone kind of ever. She only could use her mother’s computer and just for homework. She was not expelled from Francois-Dupont, however she had detention for a year and had to repeat this school year.

And now she would learn what the Waynes cooked up for her.

She grimaced.

“Good morning Madam Rossi and Mademoiselle Rossi.” greeted them Damian Wayne himself as he steeped in the room. He was followed by Marinette, her parents - or they were even her parents? Lila wasn’t able to read any article about the family ties. -, a petite Asian woman, then some other more business-like men and women. Surely the lawyers.

“I think you know why you are here.” Damian stated as he sat at the head of the table. Marinette went to his left side with her parents (?) and the petite woman sat down at his right side with the lawyers.

“Yes.” Her mother nodded.

“We would like to sue your daughter, Mademoiselle Lila Lucrezia Rossi, for breaking our confidentiality agreement. Furthermore ask a restraining order to prohibit her from approaching my little sister, Marinette Athanasia Al Ghul Wayne.” This man spoke with a really unconcerned voice that Lila almost thought he was not even interested in his sibling’s life.

“Yes.” Her mamman agreed without any protest.

“However” his voice steeled, “because my sister is a really kind soul she will not sue for the physical violence, a mental and physical harassment and the defaming.” he stared down at her with dark eyes. “Nevertheless we, as from her guardians who are presented” he pointed to the stranger Asian woman and himself, “decided to put on the blacklist Mademoiselle Lila Lucrezia Rossi in every business in which we owned the majority.”

The air got stuck in Lila’s body. Every business? Every? The Waynes owned half of the planet.

“But” spoke the petite woman, “we would ignore this blacklisting if the Mademoiselle successfully participates in various therapies.” She passes toward a paper. “It’s a list of some advised areas to search for good specialists. We don’t want to break a young child's career so we are ready to compromise.”

Lila almost believed her then she glanced at the man. At first she thought this Damian Wayne was gorgeous. And indeed his look was perfect, however she didn’t meet more horrifying people than him. His eyes screamed for murder.

She turned back to her mother who kind of looked relieved. “We… I thank you.” she breathed.

After that were just formalities. Signing up that or this. Lila wanted to run home and curl up. And cry.

She worked for her fame. She worked hard to destroy those lives in her way. She didn’t think she would meet someone who could destroy her with just a flick.

However the paper said otherwise.

Her fucking status said otherwise.

She didn’t remember a lot from the meeting after that. She barely registered when they arrived home. She almost didn’t hear her father's disappointed voice on the phone.

And Lila almost missed the little note on her desk. With a photo about herself as she moves to get an akuma.

We are the night. We are vengeance. We are a family.

#maribat #lila rossi #platonic daminette #bio dad bruce wayne #oneshot #2021

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paperpocalypse · 4 years ago

Text

interlude.

50 Wordless Ways to Say “I Love You”: 43. Holding shopping bags that are too heavy for them.

Pairing: Five Hargreeves x Reader

Word Count: 1,304 words

Warning: Swearing

You step out of the car, the bottoms of your loafers scraping against the asphalt, and gaze up at the plain brown building silhouetted against the darkening sky.

The sight hits you with a bout of homesickness. How long has it been since you’ve shopped at a grocery store, really – sometime before the Commission recruited you out of 1949? It must have been. After all, you hadn’t exactly had the time or place to buy food and cook something up. Most of the meals you’d eaten for the past twenty-eight years were from cafés or restaurants.

“[Y/n].” Five snaps you out of your thoughts.

“Oh. Right,” you murmur, walking with him to the entrance. You feel his eyes on you as you push the door open.

As soon as you enter, you soak in the smell of paper bags and fresh fruit. Lands alive. You suddenly remember grocery shopping with your grandmother when you were – well, just a little younger than your physical age right now. Oh, now those were the days. She would take you to the candy store afterwards if you didn’t knock any of the displays over while she shopped.

(Everything was an adventure back then. You’ve been trying to regain that sense of wonder.)

Five lays claim to an abandoned cart and heads straight to the tea and coffee aisle.

You shake yourself out of your nostalgia to catch up with him. “Glad to see your priorities are in order,” you tease, sidestepping another customer.

“They’re always in order.”

“Of course.”

You watch his determined expression, amused, as he examines the shelves of coffee cans and bags like they’re suspects in a lineup. The two of you get halfway through the aisle before coming across a particular brand you remember him liking; he reaches up to grab one can of their 100% Colombian and plunks it into the cart.

Just a few feet away, a man around your age chuckles. “Don’t drink it all at once,” he says when you and Five look over at him, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

Five gives him a tight-lipped smile. “Try me,” he says.

You manage to hide your snort under the guise of clearing your throat. Shooting the stranger what hopefully looks like an apologetic smile, you quickly usher Five out of the coffee aisle before you get a lecture on manners.

“One day I’ll bust a gut and we’ll both get in trouble,” you mock-admonish, smacking him lightly on the arm as you push the cart towards the fresh produce section. “How are we supposed to lay low if you don’t act your age?”

He seems to hunch over further, still displeased by the previous interaction. “In case you’ve forgotten,” he mutters, “I’m fifty-eight years old. I am acting my age.”

The crossness of his posture causes you to sober up a bit. Ah. Knitting your brow, you stop in front of the apple stand, facing him fully.

From the moment that Five and you fell into 2019, it’s been apparent that the whole de-aging thing is hitting him a lot harder than it’s been hitting you. You know that part of it is because he’s the one who actually did the time travel; you know that in between your work to prevent the apocalypse, he’s been combing through his equations, trying to figure out where he had gone wrong. You also know that the other part of it is a matter of pride. And you get it. Despite enjoying your recovered youth a little more than Five, you don’t like reliving the experience of being talked down to either. Every time Five gets patronized, you can practically feel his blood boil – age was the only thing of societal value that he had gained from the apocalypse, and now that he’s physically thirteen again, that advantage is gone.

“Five, I didn’t forget,” you reply easily, softly. “But we both know that’s not how either of us look. So we gotta adapt. Like always.”

Five shakes his head, chuckling dryly. “I’ve spent my whole damn life adapting to bullshit.”

“I know.”

He inhales slowly, then exhales through his nose as you put a hand on his back. After glancing at you, he looks away stiffly.

“Sorry for screwing it up.”

“Hey. We got here in one piece and I don’t have back problems anymore. I should be thanking you.” You grin at him, and he scoffs.

There we go.

Dropping your hand to brush your fingers against his, you turn around to inspect the apples. “Now,” you announce, “I know I always complain about inflation, but explain to me why the hell these things are a dollar fifteen per pound.”

You still have some cash that the Commission had given the two of you for meal expenses, and since Five and you have literally nothing else, you spend the next hour perusing all that the grocery store has to offer. It’s quite … normal, really, tossing this or that into the cart and chatting with Five about the kinds of meals you would eat when you were kids, and you like it very much. You haven’t felt this domestic in decades.

After paying for your things, Klaus’s requested chocolate pudding, and Five’s coffee (it was the only thing he had wanted from the store), you take your turn driving back to the Hargreeves mansion.

Five blinks out of the car as you cut the engine, opening the trunk and taking all of the bags before you even open the door to get out.

“We need to start our surveillance of Meritech early tomorrow morning,” he tells you once you join him. “Whoever the eye belongs to is going to walk in there sometime between then and doomsday.”

You nod, closing the trunk and locking the car. “Right.”

The taillights flash in the darkness as you press the button again, just to make sure, and Five waits until you’re satisfied before starting toward the back entrance. With all of the groceries.

How many times do you have to tell him that he doesn’t have to do everything himself? “Fives,” you croon, reaching over to tap his fist. (The answer is as many times as it takes.)

In return, you get a brief glance. Five slows down just a hair, wordlessly shifting the bags to his other hand, and takes your hand.

You can’t help but snort.

“What?” he snips defensively. The two of you stop in the middle of the alley.

“Five, I –” you smile at him, somewhat flustered and absolutely charmed, and gesture to the groceries – “I was going to take some of the bags so you didn’t have to carry all of them.”

He blinks, face blank.

“I see,” he says. You fail to hold in another chuckle, and at the sound of it, Five attempts to let go of your hand.

“No, no, no, no, no.” You tighten your hold, moving to take half of the groceries. “I have two hands.”

With that, you resume walking, both hands full and quite sure that you’ve never adored your partner more than at this moment. Who knew he could be such a romantic?

Said partner walks beside you, silent and avoiding your gaze. You nudge him to break the tension. “I never thought you could be so smooth, dear.”

“You’ve done it before,” he grumbles, and you can hear an undertone of – dare you say it? – embarrassment in his voice. His gaze darts down to the bags. “I assumed wrong.”

“Five. You can always assume that I want to hold your hand.”

Even though you’re being incredibly corny on purpose, Five doesn’t dole out any snark. The two of you enter the house, and when you turn on the lights, you notice, with infinite satisfaction, that his face is flushed.

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stuckylibrary · 4 years ago

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Group Ask 184

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Please send us an ask stating which group ask and which person you are replying to. Thank you so much in advance!

arosetintedem said:

I NEED HELP! I'm looking for a fic and you guys are the best at finding them. So it is a fic where bucky is like put in stark tower i think post -tws. at one point he is in the shower and JARVIS refuses to make the temp too high. He also comunicates that hydra is in SHIELD by using morse code! If you know it lmk!

Anon 1 said:

hi! I’m looking for a fic where Steve is Becca’s roommate and is Bucky’s sex friend, it’s ABO, and Steve is bottom and they go to a link party, Bucky calls Steve kitten and then Steve gets pregnant and beg Bucky to call their kid James ? Steve is diabetic and Bucky is really protective of him because of that. I really can’t find it anymore it’s annoying, thank you c:

Anon 2 said:

Hi, I for the life of me can not remember the name of a fic. It is super similar to Yours to Keep by nonsensicalbelle. The team is captured somewhere and separated from Steve and forced to watch as Steve reveals fears/secrets something along that line until he is then forced to admit he is in love with Bucky. Hopefully this ask is coherent enough. Thanks for any help in advance.

Anon sent in Always Afraid, Always Ashamed* by CaptainDean13 (complete | 11,052 | E) *graphic violence

Anon 3 said:

Hi I'm looking for a fic where Natasha and Tony are listening to a phone conv between Steve and Bucky flirting, then it becomes sexual and Bucky reveals he knew they were listening all along? Also Tony was surprised that steve got into it so easily and I think nat was kinda turned on? Thanks so much!

gayghostkid said:

hey!! i’m looking for a post-WS recovery fic. steve brings bucky in w/ the help of sam and nat. they end up in a safe house of sorts. details i remember: sam hoses bucky down to get him clean. steve and sam are shocked that he actually liked the feeling, describing how blissful he looks. i remember the end few chapters has the quartet living in a firehouse in texas, or another southern state. the chapter titles were similar to maslow’s hierarchy of needs : shelter, food, water, etc. merci!!

shadowobsidian said:

Hello! I'm looking for a fic that I read forever and a half ago. It's a post -winter soldier Stucky story with Bucky coming back to the tower, but still PTSD-y, and unable to really eat because he keeps throwing up and Bruce keeps trying to make him nutrition shakes and smoothies but they don't really help, and then they realize that it's all the chemicals in processed food so the whole tower goes organic and Tony buys a farm. Please help me!

Anon and drjezdzany sent in Thawed Out* by auburnnothenna (auburn), eretria (complete | 159,341 | E) *chose not to warn

Anon 4 said:

I'm looking for this fic where skinny Steve somehow ended up with the winter soldier and post serum Steve is with 1930s Bucky I think time traveling was involved? They were gonna go back to their correct timeline but feelings got involved so they stayed in the wrong time this is badly explained sorry

Anon 5 said:

You know the fic where is centered around the barnes family rebecca was a lesbian and married a gay guy to cover it up Bucky got into college but dropped out because Steve got sick

Anon sent in The History of a Family by boombangbing (complete | 225,954 | M)

slutforchrisevans said:

Hi! I’ve been trying to find this fic for the longest time and I can’t. I don’t remember much of it but it’s pre-serum Steve and before the war. Bucky comes home and he’s super horny because he took some medicine that’s supposed to give you energy i think? Steve is reluctant to do stuff though because bucky isn’t really in the right mind, but he’s not drunk it’s just the medicine. Sorry that was so vague but it’s literally all I remember :((

Anon sent in Up All Night by triedunture (oneshot | 3,598 | M)

idk-idc-idk said:

Hi! I’m looking for a modern AU I read. Steve is still captain america, and (I can’t remember if it’s hydra or shield) heavily controls his life. Bucky is secretly a modern winter soldier, and is sent to do surveillance on Steve. They meet at a boring gala, and Bucky decides to seduce Steve to get an upper hand. Bucky sees how much Steve’s life is controlled and it’s like Steve isn’t even his own person, like they want to bore him into obeying them. Steve switches sides but they come after him

deliveryisdelayed and stevenbirogers sent in Lessons in Normality by relenafanel (complete | 38,002 | E)

Anon 6 said:

Hello! I'm looking for a fic that featured Steve adjusting to the modern world's ideas about gender and sexuality, and him basically rejecting those ideas to be what people today would call genderqueer. I basically remember him wearing skirts and makeup, and it seemed to be heavily influenced by Gay New York by Chauncey.

Anon 7 said:

Hi!! There's this one fic where Bucky's this big mobster guy and Steve's in a gang and is always watching Bucky at this club. They meet up at this hotel and it has like a dom!bucky but top!steve. Thank you!

Anon 8 said:

Hi do you know of a fic where Natasha hires Steve to be an escort for Bucky at his family Christmas get together? I remember Nat was Bucky’s ex and Bucky’s cousin/relative was really homophobic. There was also a scene where Steve was shooting at beer cans and the cousin was impressed. Bucky and Steve ended up getting engaged like a year after. Thanks :)

Anon 9 said:

I read something a while back that I can’t find for the LIFE of me and I was wondering if you could help. Steve gets the serum and it shoots his libido through the roof and it he’s really out of hand and he needs shots and stuff to make his erection go away and bucky is a good friend and helps him out (I think, honestly I can’t remember a lot of details, it’s been a minute since I’ve read it) if you’d help I’d really appreciate it! Thank you!! Have a great day :)

Anon sent in you know I’d quench that thirst* by napricot (complete | 38,027 | E) */others

emilyshay said:

hi hi! i'm looking for a fic that i've read and i CANNOT put my finger on what it is. It has all these elements: - fury wants steve to pick some kind of companion, maybe a submissive of some sort, because he's been going rogue on missions and steve picks bucky out of a lineup because he looks "the worst" and would piss fury off - bucky is really down in he dumps and all he has to his name is his electric can opener - bucky goes to some sort of intake interview thing, and he steals a lot of food from a buffet until someoen pities him and gives him a bag of food to take home - bucky is in steve's quarters right when he starts "working for" him and cooking for him and stuff, and steve completely ignores him and rejects him and bucky is really upset about it event hough he didn't want to be there - the payment for "working for" steve is getting a full ride to college and also a ton of cash. thank you!!!!

deliveryisdelayed and drjezdzany sent in Heart of Fools* by Claudia_flies (complete | 55,824 | E) *chose not to warn

#group asks

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pinepickled-jujutsukaisen · 4 years ago

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The Three Dilfs plus the Twink Fathers if they had to joint parent the JJK kids.

Gojo

So just be conscious that I imagine the trio to be baby/toddler ages

Definitely the most jealous out of the four.

He won't say it, but hearing about how Yuji had the time of his life with Nanami and how Nobara adores Touji makes his blood boil

But when Megumi gives him those puppy dog eyes, he can't stay mad

So very jealous but also very whipped

The type of dad who tries to act all cool and hip with the kids but in reality is boomer

No clue how to care for a young child though. Rest in pieces, Babygumi.

Really dependant on Getou for the more dirty parts of parenting.

He refuses to change a diaper for the longest time until he does it once when no one is home bc Yuji was crying up a storm and he gets over it

Doesn't baby proof the house. At all.

I'll say it again

Rest In Pieces, BabyGumi.

Doesn't know where kids like to hang out. He takes them to Starbucks and then the mall, where Nobara proceeds to suck his cash directly from his bank account

Toji taught her well, after all.

Gojou has two ways to discipline them- let them see the consequences of their actions and then obnoxiously help them fix it (primarily when the kids were younger) or dangle them off a cliff while singing songs like a cracked out gremlin.

Gojou doesn't need to punish often, since in this universe I've made up he primarily watched over Yuta and Panda, who are nice little ones.

Still insists on kissing them all on the forehead and tucking them in at night

Getou

It takes a while for him to warm up to child rearing

He's still struggling with his "monkey" mentality, and young children are rife for it.

Though maybe as he's watching a baby Nobara sleep, watching carefully the way parents do as though to make sure she breathes through the night, he snuffs out all curses in the area.

After that night, the taste of curses- like a rag, used to clean up vomit- isn't so unbearable anymore.

Not when he feels such conviction in his soul

So slowly, as he holds Yuji's hands to help him take his first steps, as he tells Megumi what "miscellaneous" means, as he shows Nobara how to make cursed dolls...

Monkeys don't seem so bad anymore

But the zookeepers do

If you catch my drift

Getou doesn't believe in physical punishment, but he is a strict parent when it comes to life-decisions

Not in the way you'd expect though.

I.e., if Megumi was torn between leaving the jujutsu world or going to college, Getou would be there to help him find a third solution

And punishment was never his style. Swallow enough vomit-stained rags, you begin to feel disgusted over such things.

Instead, he guides. A distant hand that points in a direction and tells you where it leads.

Also hopeless with what kids like. He let's Yuji wander around Tokyo and whatever catches his eye, Getou suggests.

Nanami

Seems like a distant father at first

But his face is just like that

Genuine sucker for his kids

They have him wrapped around their tiny little fingers

The best out of the three of them with young children

And minors in general

Because- and sit down, this might shock you- he treats them like normal human beings

Nanami didn't have the best childhood, not to mention that many of his close friends didn't either, so taking care of children is something that's very close to his heart

So he likes to keep the kiddos close to his heart too

It made quite a sight, to see Nobara being lugged around in a baby bjorn, drooling all over his jacket while he exorcized curses.

The only parent out of the three mentioned that uses Vicks Vapor rub

If you know you know

Getou is more of a straight medicine kind of guy, and Gojo's never gotten sick in his life.

Nanami definitely got stuck with daiper duty when both Gojo and Getou refused

But he loves them

Tells the three of them that he's proud of them and loves them every chance he gets

Definitely one to have his heart melt when they fall asleep on him.

It's like the rule of cats. He is now legally obligated to stay completely still until the child awakes

That's his initial reaction, but then he remembers his rationality and picks them up and tucks them into bed.

Has definitely slept kneeling on the floor next to Megumi's bed when the boy grabbed his sleeve while sleeping.

Yuji was also a colicky baby, and Nanami found that putting him in a pot of water on the counter was an easy way to get him to be quiet

Nobara was mischevious. The second she could walk, it was over. Nanami burns 500 calories a day chasing her around.

And all of these memories are lovingly stored in his 6,000 baby albums.

Sukuna

Surprisingly good with babies

Extremely good with young children

And very nice with teenagers when he puts his mind to it.

Back in Sukuna's day, in his little social circle, being bad with kids was taboo.

You either are good with kids and love them to death or fuck you

So naturally, Sukuna took the "good with kids" route

He'll say a bunch of bluster about power and ruthlessness if you ask him

But the truth is that he adores children, and wouldn't have put in the effort to be good with them if he didn't already want to.

BabyGumi is such a tsundere with him

Always pouts and looks on the verge of crying when Sukuna is nearby or talking to him, refusing to respond without a wobble in his voice to Sukuna's questions

But the second Sukuna leaves, it's chaos.

He gets all sad and mopey, holding on to the tiger plushie Sukuna gave him like his life depends on it.

Sukuna has learned to just ignore BabyGumi's pouts and teary eyes and cradle the toddler close

And Megumi has no complaints being held in Sukuna's arms

He feels safe there.

The same can not be said for Yuji.

Sukuna scares him, but poor baby gets too distracted with other things when Sukuna is around to remember.

He'll be seated in Sukuna's lap, happily pulling flowers from the ground and giving them to the cursed spirit

And then when Gojo asks him how his playdate with Sukuna was, he bursts into tears and said it was terrifying

Makes for very awkward encounters, as Gojo saw for himself that Itadori was having fun

Nobara loves him

Genuinely wants to get his tattoos one day

And become a powerful sorceror like he was

He gives the best hugs (four arms!!!) So

Always indulges her when she rambles about her cursed dolls

And spoils her rotten.

Touji

Ah yes

The crusty anarchist (affectionate)

Megumi is also a big tsundere bby with this man.

The only one of his fathers he actually projects affection to is Gojo, and that's because Megumi knows his ass is one big jelly bean

As in mushy on the inside, hard on the outside, and very very jealous.

But Megumi will pout and claim not to like anything Touji does

Which really weighs on the man

He knows he's failed Megumi a bunch of times, and knows he deserves to be rebuffed

But it still hurts

Thankfully, Megumi is a sensitive kiddy, and even if he goes too far and Touji completely retreats within himself, Megumi tries to make it right.

Touji is so very whipped for his son.

The slightest bit of love Megumi shows makes his week.

And he's a very gentle father too

Is a staunch advocate against hitting children

His own shitty childhood paired with having a kid as quiet and reserved as Megumi, even if the kid wants to let loose but wont, stresses him out greatly.

Yuji also concerns him

Because he's very innocent, naive, and kind.

Touji knows he's gonna be trampled on.

So he does his best to sort of introduce more darker topics and harsh realities to Yuji without breaking the poor kid.

All in all, he's a depressed, cynical dad, who's trying to give his kids a better life and more tools to survive than he had.

DEFINATELY not the type of parent to hold the child's better life against them.

Tries to be loving, smothers the three kiddos in smoochies and lovingly made meals.

He doesn't really know what he's doing, but he prioritizes the kiddos safety and happiness first and foremost.

But he's definitely not as wealthy or stable as the others, and he knows it.

Whenever Nobara wants to go wander the mall, Touji struggles to swallow his pride every time.

He has the girl set a date, and between that day and the day they need to go to the mall, Touji works his ass off to save up.

He usually only needs to worry about money to keep himself afloat and leisure money for the kids

Since they usually eat at one of the others houses and stay the night there too

Yuji is the one he finds the easiest to be with when money is tight

Yuji doesn't have a habit of asking things from Touji- leftover instincts from when his Grandfather, also poor, took care of him.

So less stress is on Touji to take Yuji somewhere nice when it's just the two of them

Megumi is similar, but not quite.

Megumi isn't really interested in material things or going out to eat very often

But he adores going to temples and being with the monks.

As Touji used to do.

It's bitter and painful to take Megumi to the temple where he used to worship

But he does it.

His love is sacrifice, humility, and acceptance.

But slowly, slowly, he's accepting help from the other dads.

I hope you liked it! This was just a spur of the moment thing, not a lot of hard thought and intricate story telling was put into this, but I hope you enjoyed anyway. This is a mix of my personal headcanons and canon lore, so feel free to drop your own headcanons in the comments!

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #fushigoro toji #fushigoro megumi #ryomen sukuna #gojo satoru #kento nanami #getou suguru #fushigoro touji #gojou satoru #geto suguru #jjk father #jjk headcanons #pine writes #mine

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bluegarners · 4 years ago

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Oooh for the bingo card can I pick survivors guilt with dick feeling guilty cause he ran away from home just like Jason but he lived while Jason died 😢

ahhh sorry this took awhile to get to!! i hope you enjoy this though~ requested for my Bad Things Happen Bingo ; it is also on ao3

Survivor's Guilt

The days bleed into one another to the point where it’s almost offensive, how indistinct and indiscriminate each sunrise and subsequent sunset is. A little boy died and the world carries on like nothing happened. Like his life was nothing less than the lawn being mowed or a tree being cut down. Is there an analogy Dick’s forgetting about, comparing dead children to nature? He’s not sure, he’s just tired, and the days continue to bleed into one another.

Monday is actually Thursday and Dick looks in the mirror and traces the bruise on his face. There’s a line in the fading purple blob that’s just the slightest bit darker. Knuckle indents. He saw it coming but he didn’t do anything. It was… just a punch. He applies some ointment and looks away. A little boy died and he’s still taking care of a tiny little injury, hardly an injury, it’s nothing, it’s nothing, because-

It’s four in the evening and Dick just woke up. It’s not a good habit to fall into, to sleep so late, do so little, think about dead little boys and missed funerals, but Dick can’t help it. Sometimes, he loses time within the bleeding days, just sits down for a moment and then an alarm goes off to remind him that it’s morning now and that he should be getting up to do… something. Go somewhere. Take care of things. But what? But what? Dick only just sat down, it doesn’t seem fair for the world to demand he be pulled this way and that when it already took a child, already took someone that never graduated tenth grade.

What do people learn in tenth grade? They’re just children, and Dick can’t remember much from his Gotham Academy days, so he really hopes they aren’t put under too much pressure. They’re all just so young, tenth graders, so young and youthful and there’s really no reason for them to be bogged down with work or stress from education. Life was infinitely more important than some late homework and Dick wonders if the school requires missing assignments from dead children. Wonders what they do with that extra, empty desk or the absent name on the roster. Wonders if they just shove another kid into their place, cross out the name for attendance, and carry on like the rest of the world seems to have.

What’s more, what do the friends of the dead child do? Do they mourn? Mourning seems so sad for the young, it's got no place in their view, and yet Dick remembers mourning, grieving when he was just nine but it was all so wrong. Dick hopes that the friends of the dead child are okay. Dead child. Dead little boy. Dead tenth grader.

He heard the funeral was nice. Heard that the school hosted a vigil. Of course, he wasn’t able to attend. Wasn’t extended the invitation to attend, but it’s not about him. It’s about the dead boy.

Dick has never been comfortable with children. Not in the sense that he finds them strange or annoying or that he can’t stand youth. He’s just not comfortable with the sheer light, with people who possess so much of it that it literally oozes out in all the things they do. Leaks out from their innocent smiles, their troubled and off-handed questions, their zest for adventure, yearning for dreams so much larger than themselves, their endless compassion for others, their infinite amount of crushes, their worry about deadlines and asking someone out on a date, their constant need to keep up with trends of the day; so many light things that Dick hasn’t touched in so long. So many things he feels like he shouldn’t be allowed to touch.

You were lucky.

Was he? Dick doesn’t think he was, but then again, he’s not a dead little boy with a specially made coffin to fit his small, under-developed, never got the chance to reach a growth-spurt, body. Being Batman’’s partner was terrifying. He remembers it being scary, not knowing if he was going to live through the night or if Batman was going to go off on another rampage because Dick screwed up. Not knowing if screwing up as Batman’s partner meant no longer being welcomed as Bruce’s ward.

How many times has it been now? Twice? Three times?

A key is gone from his chain now and its missing weight burns holes in all of Dick’s clothes. It’s a finality that feels just as permanent as the dead little boy’s gravestone.

A size six and a half pair of sandals sit on the edges of Dick’s tiny balcony. He has a no shoe policy in his apartment, hardly cleaner than the streets below, but it was the principle that counted right? No muddy boots, no dirty sneakers, no rain logged socks, none of that. So Dick keeps a pair of size six and a half sandals on his balcony in case a size six and a half wearer decides to waltz in.

Dick wears a size eleven.

He’ll have to get rid of them at some point. There’s no reason for them to stay there, collecting dust or peeling away whenever it rains. They weren’t even that good of a pair, just some knock off brand he found at a convenience store once, so keeping them for their worth isn’t that important. He spent the entirety of seven dollars on them, so really, he’s not strapped for cash and he can’t wear them himself and he’s sure that some homeless kid or anyone really would be happy to have them. He could just donate them, throw them in a box and leave it outside for the trash to pick up. He could. He could.

He can’t.

They aren’t his. They belonged to someone, someone very important, and he can’t just throw them away. You don’t throw away a dead little boy’s shoes just because they can’t wear them anymore. His parents always taught him to respect the dead, respect their belongings, and those sandals aren’t his so he’s got no say in what to do with them. It’s fine if the dead child’s shoes stay out on Dick’s balcony. It’s fine. He doesn’t go out there much anyway. The shoes are so tiny, only a size six and a half, and Dick can hardly get half of his foot in a size so small and they belong to a dead boy anyway so he shouldn’t touch them. Shouldn’t touch the dead child’s shoes.

He’s distancing himself on purpose. It’s a lot easier to say a dead little boy, a dead child, than it is to admit a name belongs to such a ghastly title. There are so many other words, so many other titles infinitely more fitting for a child than dead, and yet it’s the only one that describes him in this moment. Dead. Gone. Passed.

There used to be a box shoved away in the back corners of his closet. A cramped and banged up cardboard box containing every memory he had from being Robin. There used to be a picture of his parents in there, a cracked glass frame and a stained photo all he had left from Haly’s; there was his old costume from the circus, the same one he wore on the night where the sawdust turned black and he learned what sounds a body makes when it hits the ground; there was a small photo album in there too, pictures Alfred took of Dick’s time at the Manor, of his time as Bruce’s ward. Sometimes he’ll flip through its pages and feel that sting in his eyes, feeling the ghostly fingers of longing cradle his head through each memory every pristine photo contained.

And, most importantly, in that old, worn out, and beat up cardboard box, was Robin. Red, green, and yellow. Shorts and a velcro cape. Boots he doesn’t know how he ever fit into. A vest that would be impossible to get around his shoulders now. The crest, the emblem. Robin.

It was supposed to stay in that box. Remain there for the rest of his days, leave behind a child soldier and trade it out for a freelancer looking for a new war to fight. A new landscape to reshape and hone as his own. But then another little boy, taller than when Dick started out, appears in the night and leaps and frolics and laughs by Batman’s side. Stands over Gotham and gloats and jeers and grasps Robin almost perfectly.

And for the first time, Dick understands the horror that plowed into every other superhero out there when he first debuted as Robin. Understands the numbing terror of the thought of a child, someone who probably didn’t know how to do calculus or read Shakespeare or tie their shoes correctly, out there fighting the dirtiest and darkest sides of the world. That someone with a shoe size of six and a half was out there punching rapists, getting up close with drug lords and traffickers, witnessing and investigating crime scenes and analyzing gore and blood spatters.

Just a child. Just a little boy.

It feels wrong. So, so wrong, to give his blessing to someone who’s just barely hit puberty. Who’s still struggling to perfect a Robin cackle or speak without his voice cracking and pitching wildly. It’d make him a hypocrite not to though. He was younger, so much younger, when he started out as Robin, so who is he to stop an almost teenager from being Robin?

Well, actually, Dick is an adult. His frontal lobe is completely developed, he can pay taxes, drink, vote, organize his own affairs, drive, buy cigarettes, make his own decisions. Help others make decisions. Jas- the dead boy was just that. A boy. He had no idea how to do any of those things, much less think about them for the next few years, so how can he just allow a child to decide if they want to traumatize themselves, bleed themselves dry, for a city that doesn’t love them and devote themselves to a man’s mission that hasn’t changed in over a decade?

But even if he hadn’t given his blessing, the boy would have been Robin anyway. Remember? Dick has no say in anything to do with Robin. Anything to do with Gotham. No, all that was taken away the moment he stepped out of line, stepped out of the conformity and obedience Batman demanded. The blessing… it was just a formality for something Dick had never wanted to continue. Robin was supposed to disappear with him, die with him leaving Gotham, and yet…

Robin died anyhow.

There’s a dead little boy that used to be named Robin buried in a cemetery with a beautifully carved gravestone that just wanted the child to rest in peace, sleep well, and dream of a better life. And Dick gave his blessing for him to die as Robin.

The days still bleed into each other, melting and drifting over and mixing until the sunrises and sets in the same minute. Dick keeps losing time and people keep calling him but he just forgets to pick up the phone to answer. He can’t help but stare at his balcony, can’t help but stare at the empty space in the box, can’t help but listen to his own heartbeat and watch the way his chest expands as his lungs do.

He is alive. Alive when he probably shouldn’t be.

Robin was not meant to last. Dick has told himself that over and over again, the clear and simple fact that Robin was not meant to carry on. Born through the same circumstances as Batman, Robin was supposed to be nothing more than a temporary outlet but Dick got addicted and now he can’t stop. Now his thoughts loop around and around and all he can think about is a dead child wearing his Robin uniform and running out in the night with his blessing.

You were lucky.

Bruce was right. He was lucky. Lucky beyond belief that he survived being Robin. Lucky he stuck around long enough to learn what he needed to and then some under Batman’s tutelage, only to be fired and leave a gaping hole behind that was just calling for a replacement. Screaming for someone to fill the void, beckoning the ears of the young and naive to answer its call. Of course a child would answer. Of course someone eager and looking for love and praise and meaning would find their way there.

And perhaps Dick used up all the luck, all the magic, Robin gave. Used it all up and without a care in the world for who would be next to wear the cape, parade the emblem, because now there’s a dead little boy in the ground and his blood stains Dick’s hands.

Maybe if he had died as Robin instead, died in those early days where he was nine and filled with moxy undeserved, it would have served as warning enough to stay away from Batman. Stay away from Robin. Stay away from the beckon of being a child soldier. And, really, it wouldn’t have been all that bad if he had died so young. If he had died after Zucco was found because then he would have been with his parents, would have been reunited with his family again.

Dick isn’t sure he believes in the after life, if there are places like Heaven and Hell, but sometimes he hopes there is because there is a dead little boy in his arms and he is desperate for the hope that he has a good place to go to. To move on to.

But Dick’s not dead, still very much alive and breathing through working lungs with blood pumping through his veins, and now he’s not only outlived his time as Robin, but the next as well. He has outlived a child.

How do you outlive your own legacy?

He can’t call the dead child his brother. They’re not, legally, and Dick didn’t bond with him like brothers should. He tried, tried to after the initial shock and horror, bought size six and a half sandals, helped with homework, lent an ear to vent to, but it wasn’t enough.

Somehow, a dead little brother is so much worse than a child and Dick can’t give him another title to cling to. Can’t assign another name and still…

Jason is dead. Dick missed his funeral, missed it all, and his name is Jason Todd and he was only fifteen when he died and god, Dick wishes he had been a better brother. Wishes so badly he had never given his blessing, never lived through being Robin, because that would mean Jason would have never had to die and he would be in Dick’s place, simply breathing and alive and that’s… that’s all he can ask for.

The days continue to bleed into each other and the bruise slowly fades away into his skin.

The sandals remain on the balcony.

#bad things happen bingo #survivor guilt #Dick Grayson #Jason Todd #Jason Todd is Robin #Robin #Nightwing #tw: canon death #i posted this same thing earlier but i thought i lost the ask for it #turns out it was just buried #fanfic #my fic

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lotusss-flowerbomb · 5 years ago

Text

Liberator

Bucky x reader

Warnings: Smut, cream pie eating, cum swapping

A/N: My sis @bluestarego randomly came up with an idea for this chaise and her ideas are literally the bomb, so of course I had to write it. There is unprotected sex in this story. Remember, this is fiction, so in real life package the meat before a beat. Hope y’all enjoy!

Word Count: 4.7k [My baaaddd]

********

"Ayo, tin man, where you going?" Sam asked Bucky when he saw him grabbing his jacket.

"To the bookstore. I'm tired of sitting here." He hurried to the door.

"Hold on, I'll tag along this time. Maybe we can finally look at some furniture for this place. We'll be here for at least another four months." Sam laced his shoes and followed him out.

Bucky and Sam had been undercover on this mission 3 months and counting. Nobody seemed to notice them in the small southern town. Either that or no one really cared.

Sam had been going on and on about getting furniture for the house to be more comfortable, but Bucky knew he was full of shit. Tony had given them a bunch of cash and he just wanted to shop.

"You know, you've been down to this bookstore everyday this week... What's her name?" He inquired.

"What?" Bucky tried to keep from smiling, but it was almost impossible whenever he thought about you.

"Yeah okay, you can pretend if you want. She'd better be cute or I'm gonna clown you. Does she know you're half robot?"

"Sam..."

"Relax, I'm kidding," he laughed.

When they pulled into the lot, the men jumped out, but before Sam could open the door Bucky stopped him.

"Please do not embarrass me." He said seriously.

"Man, move, you do enough of that on your own," Sam brushed past him.

"Welcome! I'll be up shortly," you yelled from the back.

You put away the stack of papers that you were going through and exited the small office.

"Hi, how may I — oh, Mr. Stan, how are you today?" You smiled.

"Please, call me Sebastian," he smiled. "I'm good, how are you?"

You heard some books hit the floor. When you both looked over there, Sam was clutching a rack trying to keep it from falling completely over.

"Guess I should go help with that. Be right back," you walked off.

Bucky rolled his eyes. He made busy pretending to look for a new book, but he was having a hard time ignoring your laughing at all of Sam's lame jokes. He finally walked over.

"Are you done tearing up the store?" He asked.

"I've already apologized to the lady, Mr. Stan," he teased.

"Do you have any new recommendations for me today?" Bucky asked, completely ignoring Sam.

"Oh, yeah, I was telling Anthony about this new thriller we got in today. The author is pretty new to the scene, but this will definitely put her on the map. I had a chance to read it before the book was officially released." You handed him one of the books from the rack.

"But this is new, so I can't rent it."

"I won't tell if you won't," you winked and walked away.

"Are you gonna ask her out?" Sam asked.

"Are you insane?" He rolled his eyes and followed behind you.

He handed you the book to check out. He liked your store, because it was a little different from any bookstore he was used to. You sold books, but you also rented the older ones. New books couldn't be rented for six months, but you were always willing to do buybacks for the ones in good condition.

"Oh, I remember you telling me that you were looking for new recipes. I thought you might like this," you grabbed a cookbook, scanned it and then handed it to him.

"That's nice, maybe he could whip something up for you," Sam patted his shoulder.

Bucky gave him another murder glare.

You laughed at his expression.

"Don't worry, Mr. Stan, it's fine if you don't want to."

"No, it's not that I don't want to —"

"So you do?" You cut him off.

"I uhh…" he ran his fingers through his hair. "Give me two days to find something that I think you'll like."

"Your phone?" You held out your hand.

He handed it to you and you put your number in and gave it back to him.

"So I'll see you Saturday?" You gave him his bag.

"Yeah, I'll see you Saturday," he confirmed. "But only if you promise to call me Sebastian."

"Promise," you chuckled.

You waved goodbye to the two men and watched them leave. You waited until they were in the car and pulling out of the lot before you picked up your phone and called your best friend.

"You'll never guess who I have a date with this Saturdayyyy," you sang.

"Is that weird guy who wears a leather jacket and gloves even though it's hot outside?" She said sarcastically.

"Yes!" You replied giddy and undeterred by her sarcasm. "You have to help me find something to wear. I also need you to do my nails please?"

She was quiet for a moment and then she bit out, "Fine, but I think he's weird and if he tries anything you'd better not hesitate to pepper spray him."

"He's not weird. He's just different and I'm ready to find out what it is."

Sam and Bucky walked through the furniture store. Bucky didn't know exactly what he was looking for, but he knew he wanted it to be nice for when you came over.

He felt like every piece he liked looked really old. He may have been 100 years old, but he didn't have to let you know that.

His eyes were suddenly drawn to this odd looking chair. It was red leather with a high sloped back, a deep arc in the middle and the bottom was low with a slope. He read the tag; Liberator: $400, but who cares? Tony could afford it.

"You thinking about getting this?" Sam asked, seemingly coming out of nowhere.

"What do you think? You think this is something she'd like? Should we get a few of them for the front room?"

"Nah, this should go in your room. I think she'll like it. She's young and this is a very modern piece of furniture." He advised.

Bucky decided to trust Sam for once. He told the salesperson that he wanted that chaise. The poor girl's face turned a bright red and she was unable to look at him. He didn't pay too much attention to it, he was used to people shying away from his presence.

The guys picked out the rest of the furniture and headed home. Bucky noticed that Sam was giggly. More so than normal.

"What are you so happy about?" He asked.

"Nothing man, a guy can't just feel joy? It's a good day, Buck, we finally got some furniture. You got a really nice chair. I'm happy." He tapped on the dashboard.

"Why'd you bring up the chair?" Bucky squinted at him.

"Because it's a nice chair. I like the chair. You know I'm all about relaxation."

Bucky let it go. If he hated the chair once it was delivered, he'd simply return it. No big deal.

Bucky put the final touches on the meal he'd chosen to prepare for you. He garnished the plates, set them on the table and wiped his hands on the apron he was wearing.

The doorbell rang. You were right on time. He gave the table a once over before coming to the door.

"Hi," he greeted.

"Hello there," you said.

He just stood there and looked at you from head to toe. The white lace dress you wore hugged you perfectly at the top and flared at the waist.

"Can I come in?" You asked, tearing him away from his thoughts.

"Oh, yes, sorry. You look beautiful," he said as he walked you to the dining area.

"So do you. I think the apron is my favorite part," you teased.

He looked down and quickly removed the apron from around his waist. He blushed a little. You smiled at how cute he was.

He pulled your chair out and pushed it in once you sat down and then took his seat.

" It smells wonderful."

"Thank you, I tried something new tonight."

Truthfully, everything was new for him. Bucky never did any of the cooking. That was usually Sam's thing. He only got the cookbooks to suggest things, but tonight he gave it try for you.

You took a bite and tried to keep from gagging. You saw Bucky take a bite and immediately swallow. He didn't bother chewing it anymore.

You took a sip of wine after you were finally able to swallow.

"It's terrible," he said.

"No, it's not bad at all," you absolutely lied.

"I'll order us a pizza," he said and took your plate away.

You just smiled at him. You didn't have the heart to tell him the food was gross, because he tried and that's what counts.

You moved to the living room and he turned on the TV while you waited for the pizza. You noticed that he still wore a glove on his left hand and was sure to keep it away from you. You figured he was just a little shy about having a prosthetic arm.

Once the pizza arrived, you put on some quirky movie and ate your dinner.

"I'm sorry about this. I should've practiced the recipe a little more."

"What? This is perfect," you told him.

You talked with him a little. He told you that he grew up in Brooklyn. How he and Sam were college roommates and started a contracting business together.

You clung to his every word and listened without interrupting.

"So, are you gonna give me a tour of the house?" You ask.

"Oh, sure," he says. He slips your shoes off of your feet before walking with you hand in hand to the stairs.

"It's not much, but this is our office space, that's Sam's room, bathroom and this is my room." He pointed.

You flipped the switch on in the room. You were shocked and quickly walked over to the red leather chaise.

"You don't strike me as the type to have one of these," you ran your fingers over the cool leather.

"Oh, yeah, I thought it was a very nice modern piece of furniture to have. Um, Sam actually talked me into it."

"Did he now?" You smirked.

"If you hate it, I can move it out of here. I won't force you to look at it," he rubbed his neck.

"Come here," you reached out for him.

He gave you his hand and you told him to sit down on the chair. You straddled his lap and moved your hips in a circular motion until you felt him getting hard. He rested his right hand on top of your ass and laid his head back.

He had been so focused on his work that he'd forgotten how much he missed the feel of a woman. You leaned in close and put your lips to his ear.

"Undo my dress," you whispered.

He reached up and pulled the string of the bow ties on your shoulder. The thin material fell down and exposed your breasts. Your nipples immediately pebbled from the cool air.

You scooted back a little and pulled at his shirt.

" No," he grabbed your hands, "I um, maybe we shouldn't."

"What's wrong?" You quiz.

"Nothing, it's just that I…" He was lost for words. He didn't know how he would explain his arm without you freaking out.

"Sebastian, I don't care that you have a prosthetic arm or hand. Whichever you hide under these long sleeved shirts and gloves."

He inhaled and pressed his forehead to your chest. He was nervous. Now he remembered why it had been so long since he'd had a relationship or sex.

"Hey," you lifted his head, "it's okay, we don't have to do this if you're uncomfortable." You kissed his lips.

You felt his body relax as he exhaled slowly. First, he took off his glove. You ran your fingers over the shiny black metal. You then lifted the shirt a little, this time he didn't stop you. You pulled it over his head and tossed it aside.

You lightly dragged your fingers down his neck until you reached where the metal connected to his shoulder. You traced your fingers over the lines of gold, before moving back to his scar.

"It's connected to you, so is it fully functional?" You were curious.

"It is," he replied.

"That's pretty cool. The doctors must've put a lot of work and thought into this."

"Yeah, much better than the first one I had after the war," he blurted.

"Oh, you're a vet?"

"Uh, yeah," he said after realizing his mistake.

"What was your rank?"

"Sergeant…"

"Well, thank you for your service and sacrifice, Sergeant." You pressed your lips to his.

He slipped his hands underneath your dress and squeezed your ass. The cool metal of his hand made your pussy clench.

He slid a finger down your ass until he reached your folds. He rubbed your clit in a circular motion over the fabric of your thong. He moaned into your mouth when he pulled it aside and felt how wet you were getting.

You broke the kiss, stood, unzipped his pants and pulled them down. His hard dick popped up and was at full attention.

"Sss, ooh," you hissed as you wrapped your hand around him.

Bucky laid back and closed his eyes. Your hands felt so good on him. You spit on his dick and rubbed it all around making sure it was coated.

You lined him up with your opening before slowly sinking down on him.

"Shit!" He had to brace himself and fight a mental battle, so that he wouldn't cum at this very moment.

You were trying your best to take all of him, but he was stretching you wide and the pain was almost too much.

Once he was able to get himself together he grabbed your hips and thrust into you. He pulled your dress over your head, so it wouldn't be in the way.

You rolled your hips slowly and sped up as the pain turned into pleasure. You braced yourself on the balls of your feet and held to the head of the chair as best you could.

"Bounce on this dick," he smacked your ass.

You bounced up and down while he sucked a nipple into his mouth. He used his right hand to rub your clit.

"Fuck, I'm gonna cum," you warned him.

"Don't." He said and continued to rub.

"Sebastian, I —"

He grabbed you by the throat, "I said, no," he stuck his tongue in your mouth and continued to drive his hips upwards.

He waited until you were right on the edge of your climax and then lifted you up. Your first instinct was to rub yourself to completion, but he stopped you.

"I'm the only one who touches you from now on. Understand?"

You nodded, but he wasn't satisfied. He wanted to hear you say it.

"Yes, I understand," you said as you moved back, so he could stand.

"Good, girl," he pulled you close to him and kissed you.

He sat you down at the foot of the chair and dropped to his knees. You spread your legs wide and watched while he admired your pussy. Running his fingers up and down your slit.

"Can I taste you?"

"Yes," you moaned and laid back.

Bucky sucked your clit into his mouth and licked you in circles. He was using his tongue to apply just the right amount of pressure to your clit.

"You taste so good," he said. He spit on your pussy and rubbed it before sticking two fingers inside of you.

He sucked your clit into his mouth and curled his fingers a little.

"Ah! Fuck!" You screamed as you felt an orgasm building.

He could feel you contracting around his fingers. Once again he kept going until you were almost there, then he pulled his fingers out and stopped sucking.

"Why? Please!" You begged.

"Ooh, that was only the second one and you're already begging? It's gonna be a long night, baby girl." He teased.

He pulled you to the edge a little more, rubbed the head of his dick up and down your slit and then slid inside of you.

You rolled your nipples in between your fingers while he fucked you. He couldn't take his eyes off of you. He'd wanted to feel you for so long. Ever since the day he wandered into your store and laid eyes on you.

He pulled out of you and turned you on your stomach. This time switching his pace. He spread your ass cheeks apart and rolled his hips slowly as he watched his dick disappear inside of you.

"Fuck!" He moaned as he felt himself losing control once again.

He watched as you clawed at the chair. He could feel your pussy getting tighter and tighter.

"Can I cum? Can I —" you were cut off by your own moans. Your body didn't wait for permission.

He felt it. Your pussy gripped him tight and he exploded inside of you. His hips jerked as he gave you every last drop.

He pulled out and dropped to his knees behind you.

He smacked your ass, "Give it to me, push it out," he demanded.

You pushed the cum mixture from your pussy and was shocked when you felt his mouth on you sucking it out. No man you'd ever been with had been so bold or comfortable.

Once he was satisfied, he stood and turned you around to face him. He squeezed your cheeks together, so you'd open your mouth. You stuck your tongue out ready for what he was about to give.

You were so fucking turned on, you grabbed his hand and slipped his fingers back into your pussy.

He spit the cum into your mouth and then kissed you. Swirling his tongue around yours as he fingered you to another quick orgasm.

He looked at his cum coated fingers and then licked them clean. You couldn't resist kissing him again and tasting yourself on his tongue.

Bucky picked you up and carried you over to the bed. You didn't want to let him go, but you finally gave in. He walked to the bathroom and came back to clean you up and then himself.

He got in bed with you and laid his head on your chest. You ran your fingers through his hair. So many nights he'd thought about this moment. So many nights he'd thought about just being closer to you. He wished he could stay with you forever.

He sighed.

"What's wrong?" You asked him.

He sat up and looked at you, he wanted to tell you the truth, but he knew that he couldn't. It would put you in danger and he couldn't risk it.

"Nothing, everything is perfect," he smiled.

"You have beautiful eyes, they remind me of someone, but I have never been able to quite put my finger on it."

"Thank you," he kissed you again and turned away.

You played with his hair until he fell asleep and then you slipped out quietly.

You were opening boxes and getting ready to stock a rack of magazines. You'd been doing well with keeping them out of the store, but a few of the teenagers kept asking and you finally caved. You let them know that you drew the line at tablets and that they were absolutely out of the question.

You flipped through one of the fashion magazines and came across an article about Earth's mightiest heroes. You were skimming the article when you heard a knock at the door. You looked up to see Bucky waving at you. He was holding a cup holder with two coffees and a bag of donuts.

"Hey," you greeted him.

He returned your greeting with a soft kiss. You didn't think you could ever get tired of those kisses.

"Doing some stocking?"

"Yeah, I was taking a break and reading this article. I finally ordered some magazines for the kids," you picked it up and thumbed through the pages.

Then he caught your eyes. There he was stretched across the page. The photo had a blue and purple tint to it and his hair was long, but it was most definitely him.

"You're Bucky Barnes," you said in disbelief.

"What?" He seemed startled by your words.

"This is you!" You shoved the magazine in his face. "I knew that you looked familiar. A freaking superhero?! You lied to me, Sebastian — Bucky, whatever your name is!"

"No, it's not like that, I couldn't tell you." He tried to explain. "I'm on a mission. Sam and I, we're undercover."

"Oh, you're on a mission, so get with a local to blend in a little better? Ugh! I knew you were too good to be true." You paced back and forth.

"No, that's not true," he grabbed you, "my feelings for you are completely real."

You squinted at him, "Get off of me and get out, because you'd still be lying to me if you'd never gotten caught." You pushed him away and walked into your office slamming the door behind you.

Bucky picked up the box of magazines and took them. If you recognized him someone else would too. He couldn't take that chance.

He knew doing that stupid photo shoot would backfire. He didn't want to do it, but Steve and Sam talked him into it, because it was for a good cause. He knew they'd have to speed up their plans.

He called Sam as he headed back to the house and let him know that they had to move in on the targets sooner rather than later.

You came out of your office once you were sure Bucky was gone. You looked around to see that he had taken the boxes.

"Great now he's a liar and a klepto," you rolled your eyes.

You heard the bell on the door and turned around thinking it was Bucky again, but it was just one of the people who ran the laundromat a few doors down.

"Oh, hey, Austin," you looked at your watch, "is something wrong? You know I'm not open yet."

He didn't say anything. He just kept stalking towards you. Your fight or flight kicked into gear and you made a dash for the door. He reached out and grabbed you, but you kneed him in the balls to escape.

You didn't get very far before you were grabbed from behind. They put a bag over your head and threw you into the back of a car where they zip tied your hands in front of you.

"Let me go! What do you want?!" You kicked and screamed.

"Keep it up and I'll gag you… Maybe even with my cock," you heard one of them chuckle.

You immediately calmed down. Last thing you wanted was that.

"Please, if you want money you'll have to take me back to the store. I keep it in the safe."

"Shut up, we won't tell you again." Austin said.

"Austin, please tell me why you're doing this?"

"Because your little boyfriend needs to be taught a lesson. Him and his friend have been causing trouble and it's bad for business. Unfortunately, sweetheart, you're collateral damage."

They drove you for almost 20 minutes before they dragged you from the car and into a building. They took you inside, sat you down and bound you to a chair.

"Call your boyfriend," one of his henchmen ordered.

"How exactly am I supposed to do that with my hands tied, genius?" You sassed.

He reached into your pocket and pulled up his name. You could hear the line ringing.

"Can you at least take the bag off of my head?" You requested.

Bucky was fuming. He and Sam had followed the rest of Austin's gang to this warehouse. But when Austin himself pulled in, he had you.

He thought it was odd that they were all coming out here, but now he sees that this is a set up. His phone was vibrating in his pocket. It was a call from you.

He accepted the call and sat his phone down to look through his scope.

"You can either let her go right now or I will kill every single one of you." He said calmly.

"Sebastian," you cried.

"It's okay, baby girl, I got you," he hung up.

He let off two shots taking out the men who stood guard at the door. He took down the others as they came running from the building.

"I'm in position," Sam said into his comms.

Bucky jumped down from the tree he was in and moved in. He hoped you were safe. He never meant for this to happen to you.

You heard the shots. They were so loud and it seemed like all hell broke loose after. The men around you started shouting and then you heard the door slam.

You rocked from side to side in the chair until it tipped over. You tried your best to get loose, but nothing was helping. You started to panic as the gunshots were getting closer.

Fear and adrenaline took over and your ears began to ring. It seemed like the bag was keeping you from breathing as you started to hyperventilate.

You started screaming when you heard the door get kicked open. You could feel the person cutting the tape away. You were gonna fight this time. They wouldn't get the opportunity to take you somewhere else. They'll kill you for sure.

Once your hands were free you started swinging.

"Stop!" Bucky yelled. "It's me—"

You punched him in the eye. He could barely get a grip on you, but when he finally did, he snatched the bag off.

"Y/N! It's me, calm down." He hugged you.

You relaxed into his hold and sobbed into his neck.

"They were gon-gonna kill m-me," you stuttered.

"I never gave them the chance. You're safe now."

Weeks had gone by and nobody spoke a word about Austin or his mysterious disappearance. In fact, people seemed to celebrate the fact that he was gone.

He'd been running a drug operation through the town and using his business as a front. Apparently, he had ties to Hydra, which is why Sam and Bucky were brought in to shut him down.

You were back at your store and business resumed as normal. Bucky had left the same night of the incident. He didn't even say goodbye. He was too ashamed to face you.

You heard the bell above the door and looked up from your phone. Your heart skipped a beat when those blue eyes stared back at you.

"Hey," he waved.

"I'm busy," you said and tried to walk away.

"Wait, please," he grabbed your arm, "please?" He asked a little softer.

"I'm mad at you, you didn't even say goodbye!"

"I know and I should have, but I was a punk and I want to make it right." He pleaded.

"You have two minutes," you crossed your arms.

He lifted you up on the counter and stood in front of you. It was very dramatic.

"I'm James, but my friends call me Bucky. I'm 103 years old, but I spent most of those years frozen and brainwashed. I really did lose my arm in the war, but it was world war 2. I'm from Brooklyn and my favorite food is pizza." He said. "Oh and I fought in two alien wars, although it felt like only one, because I died in the first one and when I woke up 5 years had passed."

"Hi, Bucky, nice to meet you."

You pulled him in for a passionate kiss. He pulled away and pressed your forehead to his.

"I'm sorry," he said.

He helped you down and watched you lock the front door and switch your sign to closed.

"If you're really sorry, you'll make it up to me," you grabbed his hand.

He scooped you up and carried you to your office. He'd absolutely make it up to you with no problem.

@titty-teetee

@bluestarego

@literaturefeen

@fandomfavesss

@angrythingstarlight

#bucky x reader #bucky x you #Bucky Barnes #Sebastian Stan #Smut #marvel smut #Avengers #marvel fanfic #avengers fic #Lotusss Writes

497 notes · View notes

cdt12345 · 4 years ago

Note

We've been friends many years but I've never thought to ask; Top 10 gay OTPs?

1.) Ian & Mickey (Gallavich) - Shameless us

What can I say about these two that we haven’t already said about them?! They are my absolute all-time favorite couple ever! Gay or straight. They perfectly complement each other, they love each other on a level I feel like I’ve never seen before (and I have watched a lot of tv/movies), they’re like a comedy duo, they support each other, understand each other better than anyone else ever will, they fell in love as kids, they bring out the best in each other, and they’re each other's best friend. I’m a sucker for opposites attract, who are also best friends. Gallavich really fits that bill. I wish they didn’t have to struggle so much to get their happiness, but I’m happy they finally got it. When they got married, it felt like the biggest victory ever! We went through those years of struggle with them, rooted for them, mourned for them when John Wells let Noel go after season 5. So much has tried to keep these two apart, even real-life circumstances tried to keep them apart. The chemistry between these two characters and between Cameron and Noel was so powerful, they were brought back to the show. That kind of thing doesn’t happen very often. When an actor leaves a show, they don’t usually come back as a series regular, let alone two actors who have already left the show. It felt like a miracle! I will never forget getting the news that Noel was coming back from you @luckyshazmrsmonaghansblog I was crying with happiness bc we wanted this for so long and I never believed we would get to see both Cameron and Noel back on the show. Or that they would get their happy ending outside of a jail cell. Especially after Cameron left the show in season 9. With their return we got a wedding, an entire season of them as a married couple, we got to see them dance with each other twice, we got them singing together, we got to see them start a lucrative business together, we got to see them free and happier than we’ve ever seen them before, and we got to see Terry get what he deserved after putting them through hell. We are only halfway through season 11, but I already feel so fulfilled with this extra time with gallavich that we were never supposed to have. JW tried to take that away from us. I will never understand why, but he failed. I am not surprised this is the one I wrote the most about. I can go on and on about gallavich!

2.) David and Patrick - Schitt’s Creek

This was everything I ever wanted to see onscreen, where there was zero homophobia. The pansexual character didn’t need to have a big coming out or tell everyone in the town of his sexual orientation, except his best friend. The gay character had a coming out with parents who loved and accepted him for who he is and was only upset that he felt he couldn’t tell them sooner. I dreamt of a day where I could see this kind of representation onscreen. The casual treatment of their sexuality was so refreshing and something I’ve been waiting for. There is no darkness or huge struggle they had to overcome to be together or a sad ending for them. They were allowed to be together without the major conflicts most LGBTQ characters have to go through. Once David made the first move Patrick was comfortable allowing himself to fall for David and start a relationship with him. He was so sure of his feelings for David after that first kiss, he never looked back and I loved that. They had such an adorable love story. Truly one I have been waiting to see for so long between two LGBTQ characters. They made me smile every time they were on screen. They are another of my OTPs that are exact opposites who complement each other perfectly. Patrick was welcomed into David’s family and blended in with them so well, even when he and David had very different upbringings. Patrick serenading David with Tina Turner and then Mariah Carey at their wedding is one of the most romantic things I have ever seen!

3.) Holt and Kevin - Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Captain Holt and Kevin are strange men on their own but together they are the perfect pair. They get each other in a way no one else does. The best part is their adorable fur baby, Cheddar! They seriously make the cutest family! I was so nervous when they went through a rough patch for a while because I didn’t want them to split up. Thankfully, they made it through and are still going strong!

4.) Will and Vince - Will & Grace

On the show's first run, Will and Vince were in a serious relationship and Vince was Will’s longest relationship on the show. They broke up a few times but were together by the series finale. The two reunite during the funeral of Will's father. There was a time jump on the series finale. Though I didn’t love everything about the last episode, I did love the fact that Will and Vince had been together for 20 years and raised a son together, who was conceived through in vitro fertilization with a surrogate. After the time jump, nearly twenty years later, their son goes to college and meets Grace's daughter, whom he would eventually marry. Though I wasn’t happy with the fact that Will and Grace didn’t stay close over the years, it did allow for their kids to one day meet, fall in love, and get married. I did like that outcome out of the finale. My family and I used to watch the original show, but we refused to accept or watch the 2017 revival because they completely changed everything from the original series finale. The second I found out they were changing everything; I knew I couldn’t watch it. They even wiped the existence of their kids from the first series finale. The revival was an attempt to cash in on the reboot craze and I wasn’t happy about that already, but even more so when they were going to break up one of my OTPs for easy money. Bobby Cannavale, who played Vince, has become even more famous since starring in Will & Grace. So, I already figured he wouldn’t be back for the show as a regular, but I know he did guest star. I won’t accept the revival and to me, Will and Vince stayed together, and their son married Grace’s daughter. THE END!

5.) Albert and Armand - The Birdcage

Miss Albert and Armand were the earliest gay couple I remember ever watching onscreen when I was eight years old. I have watched this movie more than I can count over the years. It is a family favorite that we quote often. Their son is planning to marry a girl whose father is in politics and is very conservative. They have to hide the fact that he has two gay fathers for one night, but everything goes awry, and comedy ensues. Nathan Lane and Robin Williams give a wonderful performance without resorting to using the stereotypes that are often used on gay characters, especially back then. It’s a classic!

6.) Stefon and Seth - Saturday Night Live

Okay, hear me out on this one! They’re not the most conventional OTPs on my list, but I really do love them so much! Stefon started doing a correspondent segment on Weekend Update on SNL. The first time Stefon came on, he flirted with Seth Meyers. The second he did I was like ooh they would make a cute couple! Stefon the wild party guy and Seth the serious news anchor. It was a match made in heaven for me. Before Seth Meyers left SNL to do Late Night with Seth Meyers, Bill Hader came back to play Stefon for Seth’s last episode. I didn’t expect what happened next to happen at all! They gave Seth and Stefon the ending that I haven’t even gotten from some actual scripted shows. I never expected Stefon and Seth to have this big ending, but I could not be happier that they did. I’m posting the link to the six-minute skit/ending and I hope it works. It’s worth watching. Though the video says it’s Stefon’s farewell it was really Seth’s farewell episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj-wYWMdWNk

7.) Mr. Simmons and Peter - Hey Arnold!

Anyone who grew up watching this show already knew that Mr. Simmons, Arnold’s teacher, was probably gay. It was hinted at in the Thanksgiving episode. Arnold and Helga visit Mr. Simmons on Thanksgiving at his house and his family and “friend” Peter are there. Mr. Simmons mother says she didn’t know Peter was coming to dinner and Peter responds with the infamous line “There’s a lot of things you don’t know.” When Mr. Simmons mom tries to get him to take a woman friend to the ballet, he says he loves the ballet and Peter gives him a disapproving look and Mr. Simmons immediately declines. Those were enough hints for us fans to decide Peter was his boyfriend. Years later, the show's creator Craig Bartlett finally confirmed Mr. Simmons is gay and had them together in the 2017 Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie. It was so exciting to finally get the confirmation years later, even though I was already certain of it for many years. I was happy that the cartoon no longer had to settle with vague hints about it.

8.) Callie and Arizona - Grey’s Anatomy

I was very happy to see a lesbian couple on prime time tv and I really liked both characters. I was excited to root for them but sadly as most couples on this show, their relationship took a turn, and I wasn’t thrilled about it. I was disappointed that it came to an end. By then I was already getting tired of watching the show. It was starting to feel like a chore to watch it every week. I tried to stick it out because I don’t like to give up on shows in the middle of it, but I just couldn’t do it anymore. I’m glad I did though because the shocking events with Derek Shepard, is something I’m glad I wasn’t around for. Anyway, I heard things between Callie and Arizona got even worse, so I was even happier I left when I did.

9.) Sherwin and Jonathan - In a Heartbeat

This was one of the cutest things I have ever seen! I wish this got the full-length movie treatment instead of a short film. But it was still a step in the right direction for the LGBTQ community. Gay characters in cartoons always bring me such joy and that was the focus of this short. A boy with a crush on another boy with a cute ending. What is not to love?!

10.) Mitch and Cam - Modern Family

Another show I had to give up on in the middle of the series. The show began to be less funny and more annoying to me. Another reason, that really has nothing to do with the show itself, that used to annoy me was that this show repeatedly beat out Parks and Recreation during award season. Parks and Recreation is a superior show when compared to Modern Family. This show won almost every year for years and it got really annoying especially when the quality of the show started slipping and they kept winning. After a few years, they finally stopped winning all the time. But before all that, I was a fan of Cam and Mitch. They were a great couple who I loved watching on the show. They were the best part of the show most of the time. But sadly, my annoyance of the show no longer being as funny as it used to be, was enough for me to stop watching.

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thexanwillshine · 4 years ago

Text

internal travesties | levihan

pairing: levi x hange ; minor: eren x mikasa

genre: romance/ fluff / slight angst

warnings: contains spoilers for chapters 105, 115. and 132

chapters: 1. 2. 3 (final).

words: 4,648

summary:

Levi felt his eye twitch in annoyance. She didn't look particularly special, but she entered (no, infiltrated) his cafe with bright eyes and all smiles, making him feel things that he never even felt before. Which was, in his opinion, completely unacceptable. Levi Ackerman hated feeling out of control.

[Reincarnation! AU] [Levihan] [Minor Eremika]

crosspostings: AO3.

note: i hope you guys enjoy ehehe <3 thank u for reading and i hope to see u all again very soon.

His memories feel like a travesty.

Ever since he was young, Levi couldn’t help but feel as if there was something missing in his life.

His brushes with insomnia gave him headaches no painkiller could cure. It was on those days that Levi’s mind went wild and his thoughts plagued him, ridding him of the sweet drug called sleep. Lonely nights like that made the man feel tired, as his brain was constantly exhausting itself in its search for answers he didn’t even know the questions to.

On this particular cold night, he gives in to need, and chooses to contemplate his life.

Levi could say that he had a fairly normal childhood. Even with his sweet darling of a mother, an invisible father, and his gloomy, sort-of sister, it had been rather uneventful. Technically, Mikasa was his cousin, but since they had grown up together she might as well have been his younger sister. Mikasa’s mother (his aunt) had asked if Mikasa could stay with his family when she turned ten so that the young girl could get a good school in the city. His mother, saint that she was, obviously agreed.

He could remember a time when the young girl would always drag him to supervise her and her friends (all of whom were taller than Levi now, much to his chagrin) to pacify the concerns of Levi’s mother. As Mikasa matured, the young girl stopped making him constantly accompany her, since his mother trusted Mikasa enough to take care of herself at this point. In fact, Levi thought she would probably go out of her way just to get him not to come. Except when he would drive her. That darned girl thinks that he’s her own personal chauffeur.

While the two had their grievances, they maintained an understanding between them. Levi inherited his mother’s cafe called The Underground, and Mikasa went on to continue her parents’ legacy in the field of biology, choosing to major in botany like her mother. Sometimes, whenever Mikasa didn’t have midterms or finals or any exam that could potentially ruin her future, he would allow her to help out in the cafe once in a while. That way, she could technically say that she had experience working. It also gave Levi a good excuse to have extra hands. For Mikasa, it was a good way to earn money even though she didn’t really need to; Levi would give her cash whenever she would ask.

Contrary to popular belief, Levi did have friends. There was Eld, the assistant manager he knew he could rely on because of his leadership skills. Oruo, who worked better as a cashier because of his case of Constant Threat of Tongue-Biting Which Could Lead To Bleeding . As much as possible, Levi wanted to keep him away from food. Gunther, who’s speed in the kitchen was god-tier. Then there was Petra, a young, budding barista whose skills were definitely commendable.

Granted, all his friends were people who worked for him in the restaurant. There were several kids who worked for him part-time but they were more his responsibility rather than friends. Most of them were Mikasa’s friends, so at least there was someone accountable for them. Although, he had to admit they were very reliable.

There’s also that one lawyer who had taken it upon himself to consistently come every morning to the cafe. He said his name was Erwin, and Levi would be lying if he told himself he wasn’t weirded out by the man. The blonde had stared him down on several occasions, as if waiting for him to say something. Once, when Levi couldn’t take it anymore, he asked him directly.

“Any particular reason why you’re always staring openly at me?” Levi had asked rudely, scrunching his eyebrows at the man in confusion.

Erwin shook his head in response before introducing himself, even handing the coffee owner a business card. Levi stared at the business card, wondering why in the world he would need a lawyer (god forbid he ever needs one, he’d rather not go to court over anything, really). Erwin Smith, the card had read. “You’ll see me here often since my father works close by.”

After that, Erwin had frequented the cafe and even made friends with his employees. Petra says he tips very generously. Oruo thinks Erwin can do better. Levi doesn’t necessarily give a flying fuck, but he can’t help but feel as if he’d met or at least seen Erwin somewhere before.

Levi goes on with his somewhat boring life. Once in a while, whenever he was feeling particularly sociable, he would agree to a cup of tea with Erwin and engage in random conversations about his job and his life. The man was not a pain to talk to. In fact, the entire time they talked, Levi was nagged by a certain familiarity he couldn’t quite place. He felt as if he knew the blond on a much deeper level than he was aware of. He shrugs it off.

Sometimes, Levi would accompany his friends for drinks (but would never drink any, he hated the taste of alcohol with a passion). Apart from his sudden bouts of social energy, the man thought his life to be ritualistic, monotone, and organized. He wasn’t complaining, of course; this is exactly what Levi wanted. Sometimes, however, whenever he would be driving home alone with the silence nagging his ears . . . Levi would feel an emptiness emerging from the back of his mind, clouding his thoughts until dawn.

His mind flew back to Erwin as he remembered the lawyer asking him a question in passing on a particularly slow work day. He had been clearing the table beside the blond when Erwin spoke. “Don’t you ever feel as if all your life, you’ve been waiting for something to happen? Like all these good things come to you but nothing really ever feels enough?”

Levi had glared at him, because yes , he definitely has . That every waking moment of his life he could never feel truly satisfied . He chose to maintain his silence.

To Erwin’s credit, he dropped the subject and smiled softly, as if he could sense Levi’s discomfort. “Sorry,” Erwin said, chuckling. The man waved a wad of papers in his hand. “This case has been particularly mind-provoking, so I’ve been randomly spouting out philosophical questions to anyone who would be willing to listen.”

“Good luck,” Levi replied shortly, taking the tray of empty cups in his hands and walking towards the staff room.

Many a time, Levi had wondered how much of him was an open book. He liked to think that he was a pretty closed-off, ambiguous kind of guy. But Erwin had pretty much hit the mark—Levi had indeed settled, but he wasn’t sure if he was satisfied.

Unfortunately, Erwin wasn’t the only blond who spouted weird questions out of the blue.

Levi had known Armin Arlert since he was a young boy. He remembers glaring at bullies who would tease and mock the poor child, before taking Mikasa and her rowdy group of troublemakers to another playground. Levi knew Mikasa was a reserved child, but it seemed as if her maternal instincts kicked in whenever she could sense Armin was in danger. While the young girl’s other friends were strong enough to defend themselves from the bullies whenever they were the target, Mikasa had long established that people shouldn’t even dare cross her (or her even scarier big “brother”).

When Armin turned fifteen, his gait changed. Gone was the boy who would whimper as quiet as possible whenever he felt threatened. He still maintained his love for reading, but Armin suddenly adopted a mature mindset that seemed as if he possessed knowledge well-beyond his years. For a time, Mikasa would express her worry for the teenager in her and Levi’s rare conversations. Apparently, Armin had cried and launched himself on both Mikasa and Eren, holding them close to him as if the three of them had spent years apart from each other . . . when in fact, it was the middle of the day.

Levi was no stranger to Armin’s inquisitive questions about topics the dark-haired man knew nothing of (and didn’t bother to care about). Hence, he thought that the young blond’s strange inquiries couldn’t get any stranger.

Obviously, Levi was wrong.

“Levi, do you ever feel as if this life was a second chance? Like, as if right now, you’re you, but not really. Like, there was once a past you, who was different from you now, but the you now is still you. So reincarnation, basically. Or maybe we’re in a different dimension and there are others out there who’re living a different life from us. That I’m just one Armin out of multiple Armins in the universe.” Armin’s questions and speculations came in rapid-fire as he leaned on the counter. “What do you think?”

“I think you need to stop reading science fiction ‘cos it messes with your brain,” Levi responded as he finished counting the coins in the cash register. “Unlike you, I don’t bother with the intricacies of life, brat.” Armin’s inquisitive expression fell into one of dismay as he frowned.

Levi sighed inwardly as he closed the cash register. “I think the idea of reincarnation makes more sense compared to multiple universes though.”

Armin immediately brightened up when he looked at Levi, before diverting his gaze at Mikasa in what seemed like triumph. “I told you so!” he chirped gleefully. Thanks Levi.”

Mikasa didn’t reply, but her scalding glare told Levi everything she wanted to say: ‘Don’t encourage him!’ Levi rolled his eyes and went back to the kitchen, shutting out Eren’s excited questions (“Do you really think we had past lives? Do you think I was cool? Oh my god, what if I was a knight! Or a dinosaur? Or a giant hu—”) effectively by closing the door.

Levi did give Armin’s questions some thought. There were indeed days wherein he felt out of place in his own skin, like he was living a life meant for someone else. There were also days when he would feel as if he was grasping at threads, trying to figure out what in his life wasn’t in place. However, the concept of reincarnation was something that seemed implausible to him especially because he didn’t believe in the divine.

The dark-haired man closed his eyes, placing his arm on his forehead as he shifted underneath the covers. The clock read 15:06, which meant that he had already been awake for a grand total of 23 hours. At four in the morning, he would need to take over the night shift, which Eld was currently in charge of.

Once again, he is faced with a dilemma: (1) try to get some sleep so that he can get a bit of rest and risk giving Eld overtime, or (2) suck it up and accept the fact that this day was going to be another one of his 48-hour days.

The answer was obvious. Levi was not the type of person to let others suffer for his mistakes. So he grit his teeth, pushed himself out of bed, and headed to his bathroom to take a hot shower.

He really needs to get some rest.

When Levi exited the bathroom thirty minutes later, dressed and ready for work, someone was knocking on his door. Levi scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. It was nearly four in the morning. With his mother in Sina for a conference and Mikasa due to wake at six in the morning, there should be no one in the house to bother him at the ungodly hour.

He opened the door and was proven wrong when his sight was greeted by Mikasa. She had puffy eyes, tear-streaked cheeks, and shivering lips. The poor girl held her black scarf close to herself as if it would help ease whatever pain she was feeling. Levi blinked at the sight, unsure of what to say. He tried anyway.

“What’s wrong, brat? Mosquito get stuck in your ear again?” Mikasa shook her head . Levi sighed as he noted that she didn’t give him her traditional glare. “Need to talk about it?”

She opened her mouth and closed it again in response. She does this thrice before Levi interrupts her.

“ Oi, fishface, is it a yes or a no?”

Mikasa shook her head a second time.

“Well, brat, how do you expect me to help you?” Levi pushed his door open and let his cousin in. Mikasa entered clumsily (different from her usual composed self, he noted) and sat at the edge of his bed.

Levi glanced at his glowing clock before choosing to text Eld. He’s going to be late and Eld would have to work overtime. Levi wasn’t entirely sure if he’d make it to the cafe by four (even though it was just a five minute drive) given the status of his crying sister.

Mikasa rarely cried, and even if she did, she wouldn’t go to him of all people. She’d most likely sneak out to go visit Eren or Armin, which is nothing the young girl hadn’t done before. So, Levi decided, just for today, he would ask Eld for this one favor in order to offer his own personal brand of comfort to his cousin and exist with her as she lamented (not like he can say much to comfort her, anyway).

He successfully got a reply from Eld, who had agreed to cover the overtime. The assistant manager relayed a bit of concern from Petra, who mentioned that it was very “unlike boss” to show up to work late. Levi was about to send a message informing the two of his personal matters when Mikasa spoke up.

“You don’t . . . remember anything, do you Captain?”

“Hah?” Levi asked, half his focus on his phone as he tapped the send button. “Remember what?”

Mikasa glared at the floor as if begging it to swallow her whole. She wiped her tears with the sleeve of her shirt, and buried half of her face behind the dark scarf she was sporting. Offhandedly, Levi wondered when was the last time she washed that thing. He should probably remind Mikasa after her breakdown.

“Armin wasn’t lying, you know.”

Confused as ever, he raised an eyebrow. Is she going through a phase? Levi wondered, his mouth set in a grim line. “About what?”

She spoke to the floor and not really at him. “About the past. The past lives, I mean. Reincarnation, and all that.”

If Levi had been confused before, he was even more confused now.

“I can’t talk to you about it,” Mikasa continued, holding her arms closer to her. “No matter how much I try, the words don’t—no, won’t come out.” She let out a sigh, before looking up at Levi, who was already feeling kind of guilty as he wasn’t able to give her much help.

“Then don’t force yourself to talk if it’s hard for you to, you can just go over it next time,” Levi offered, crossing his arms over his chest and glancing at the clock. I really am bad at this , he thought.

Mikasa shook her head for the third time that night. “It’s much harder than you think.” She paused and straightened up, inhaling sharply through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. “It seems it doesn’t work like that. I need to talk to Armin. Can you drive me?”

Levi had no idea what in the world it was and why it doesn’t work like that . Given the complexity of the situation—mostly due to the fact that he was complete shit at giving her help, advice, or anything she needed emotionally, really—he made no attempts to complain about her request to chauffeur her.

The young girl asked him nicely after all . Maybe she really wasn’t feeling well.

He nodded. “Don’t you want to get dressed first? You look like a mess.” He scrunched his nose at her scarf, “Also, when’s the last time you washed that thing? That might be really dir—”

Levi didn’t get to finish the rest of his sentence because Mikasa had thrown the scarf straight up to his face. His eye twitched in annoyance as he plucked the scarf out of his head. He shoved it in Mikasa’s hands. She was lucky the scarf didn’t smell bad, otherwise he would’ve definitely confiscated it and thrown it in the washing machine. “Damn it, brat, learn how to wash your clothes. I’m telling mom.”

“Blabbermouth, squealer, mama’s boy, ” Mikasa retorted, standing up.

Levi rolled his eyes before grabbing his keys from his bedside table and turning off his lamp. Mikasa had already stepped outside, her black scarf wrapped around her neck. Levi closed his door when he exited, moving in step with the younger woman. She was already calling Armin, and Levi knew that the blond would be ready to accept company when he heard Armin’s sleepy voice respond from the other line. Levi didn’t bother listening, and instead chose to open the car door and wait inside the vehicle (a black four-seater that his invisible father had left him) as Mikasa conversed with Armin.

She entered after about ten minutes, slamming the car door shut. Levi pulled out of their driveway smoothly.

“Drop by the cafe if you and Armin need to eat,” Levi said shortly as Mikasa put on her seatbelt.

“Is it on the house?”

“Of course, I’ll dock it from your pay.”

“Some definition of ‘on the house' you have.”

The ride takes about twenty minutes without traffic, since Armin lived a bit further away. The two Ackermans sat without conversing, both of them listening to the soft sound of music from the radio.

It’s Levi who broke the silence. “Oi, brat, this isn’t necessarily my business, but shouldn’t you also be calling your other snot-nosed friend?”

The reply came quicker than he had anticipated. “No.”

She doesn’t elaborate, so Levi left it at that. Perhaps, he thought, they fought, and that's why the dark-haired woman was acting weird. Either way, he knew it was none of his business.

They arrive at Armin’s house at about five minutes ‘till five in the morning. Mikasa opened the door, muttering a sincere “thank you” as she left. She closed the door behind her softly, enough to lock it but not loud enough to wake the neighbors. Mikasa gave her older cousin a brief wave and turned around swiftly to Armin’s doorstep before he could even nod in acknowledgement.

At least he wasn’t the only Ackerman who was bad at showing emotions.

Armin waves enthusiastically from the doorway, and Levi (unenthusiastically) raises his hand in reply. He then pulled back from the driveway and headed to his cafe.

The drive towards The Underground is short and uneventful. He had already texted Eld in advance that he would be arriving. He brought his car into the parking lot and headed to his designated parking spot, beside the PWD parking near the entrance. To his surprise, there was a car already in his spot. It was a blue pick-up truck that looked worse for wear.

Levi’s eye twitched in mild annoyance.

He knew he couldn’t do anything about it since there was no sign that that specific spot was for him (he really, really should do that). Since dawn was normally for students cramming their papers, all of whom didn’t need cars since the university was just walking distance from the cafe, Levi had assumed he wouldn’t need the sign anymore. Clearly, he was wrong.

Levi sighed before deciding to park two spots beside the pick-up truck.

Upon entering the cafe, he noticed that there were only about three customers. One was a regular: a blonde girl whose drinks were surrounded by a pile of papers. Her highlighting was careless and panicky. Beside her sat an auburn-haired girl, who was the second customer. Compared to the blonde, she was already lost in sleep.

The third customer was someone he never really encountered in his shop before. From where he entered, Levi could see that she was wearing a thick pair of glasses, and that her hands were shoved in a tan coat. She was incredibly tall, and sported dark boots and leggings. The woman was currently standing in front of the counter, her eyes focused on the menu splayed out on the bright screens above the coffee machines.

Levi passed her without giving it much thought, swiftly entering the staff room. Eld grinned at him when he entered, removing his apron and placing it on the rack. “Good morning boss,” he greeted, as Levi grabbed his own apron and swung it over his head.

“There’s a customer outside,” Levi said nonchalantly.

Eld nodded in recognition. “Yeah, she comes here every three a.m. on the dot. Leaves before you arrive, so I understand why you’re not familiar with her. Don’t worry though, she looks like she’s thinking now, but she’s going to order the same thing. Make sure to get her a large, sweet cream cold brew nitro.”

Levi nodded as Eld checked out, bidding him goodbye. Levi dumped his car keys in his locker before he heard the bell ring from outside. That tall girl was probably ready to order her americano.

He exited the door, standing in front of her and checking to see if Eld properly set the cashier for his shift. Levi nodded to himself in approval, as Eld had done his job spectacularly (as always). In about an hour, Jean Kirchstein and Marco Bott would be taking over the cashier while he cleaned the store. He barely glanced at the customer as he mechanically tapped his fingers rhythmically on the register, letting out the practiced “May I take your order?”

“Good morning! Could I please have a large sweet cream cold brew nitro? To-go, please!”

Something about her voice made Levi’s blood run cold. He raised his head to look at her. She was smiling at him, her eyes shining with excitement. Her bangs are parted in the middle of her forehead and the rest of her hair is tied in a lazy half-bun. By the greasy state of her auburn hair, it looked like she hadn’t bothered bathing.

For a reason Levi couldn’t explain (he would later argue that it was because he was so surprised to see that someone could live their life while having hair so dirty ), his body grew stiff as he stared at her, transfixed.

The girl tilted her head to the side in confusion. “Is something wrong?” she asked, looking at him. “Is my order not available? That’s okay, you know, I can just order something else—”

Levi interrupted her tirade as he regained control over his body once again, swallowing the odd feeling gnawing at his gut. “Name?” he managed to choke out, trying his best to appear calm. For some strange reason, his heart decided that now was the time for palpitations.

“Oh!” the girl said in surprise, “right, I haven’t seen you here at this hour before! Just put in Hange!”

His hands moved automatically to input her order. There really is something so . . . familiar about her, but Levi just couldn’t seem to put his finger on it. It reminded him of when he had first met Erwin. He felt like he had seen her from a dream long forgotten in the recesses of his mind, begging to be released and remembered.

There’s just one problem: he knows he’s never seen this girl in his life before. After all, someone who never washed their hair would make a very distinct impression on him.

“That’ll be four dollars,” Levi said through grit teeth, annoyed at himself for failing to maintain his own composure. Hange nodded fervently as she placed her five dollar bill on the counter.

“Keep the change!” she declared enthusiastically, before peering at him in concern. “You’re okay, right?” Hange asked. “Sorry, early mornings really aren’t for everyone, huh?”

He remained silent, placing the bill inside the cash register and shutting it close. Levi didn’t bother answering her question as he allowed his mind to get lost in thought. He continued the patterns of service he had long since memorized, his body on autopilot.

Levi was always in control of his mind, his body, his spirit . . . so why? There were a million questions racing through his head. ‘ Who the fuck is this girl? Damn, my heart feels like it’s going to pop out of my chest. This isn’t normal.’

He stole a glance at her lanky form, hoping that she wasn’t at the counter anymore and had taken a seat somewhere in the cafe. To his disappointment, she was still standing there, watching him make the drink. When she saw him look at her, she gave him a tiny wave.

Levi felt his eye twitch in annoyance. She didn’t look particularly special, but she entered (no, infiltrated) his cafe with bright eyes and all smiles, making him feel things that he never even felt before.

Which was, in his opinion, completely unacceptable. Levi Ackerman hated feeling out of control.

He poured the drink into a tall cup expertly before placing it on top of the counter. “Hange,” he called, her name escaping his lips smoothly, as if he had said the syllables a million times before.

Levi frowned, sensing the beginnings of a migraine in the middle of his eyebrows, so he pinches the area gently, as if the action could relieve some of the pain.

Hange walked over to the counter, looking a bit concerned. “Hey, Levi,” she started, and the man visibly flinched. Why did the sound of his name from her voice trigger a barrage of emotions he’s never even bothered to feel before?

Levi dug his nails into the palms of his hands. He was almost about to ask ‘how the fuck do you know me’ and ‘do I fucking know you’ before the rational part of his brain interjected that she had probably seen his name tag.

His silence gave Hange permission to speak again, so she continued. “Do you have a headache?” Without waiting for him to respond, she smiled. “I got just the thing! I’ll leave you this gift as my thanks for your service!” And with those words, she placed a painkiller on the counter as she gently took her drink. “Take it so you can have a good morning, okay?

Levi watched her actions cautiously.

She winked. “Oh, and don’t take it with tea.”

Levi’s eyes narrowed in suspicion at this point. The words Do I know you? burst in his mind and died at the edges of his lips. Instead, he muttered a clipped “thank you” to her small token of appreciation.

She grinned. “Take care, Levi!”

And with those words, she left, leaving Levi to wonder out loud, “what the fuck just happened?”

The body remembers what the mind has forgotten.

#Levihan #levi ackerman #Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)#Hange Zoë #levihan fanfic #levi x hange fanfic #Hanji zoe #levi x hange #levi x hanji #rivahan #slight angst #fluff #eremika #eren yeager #mikasa ackerman #eren x mikasa #aot fanfic

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wiypt-writes · 4 years ago

Text

Stark Spangled Banner

Ch30: Winter Is Here

Summary: In the wake of the UN Bombing, Steve, Katie and Sam (with help from Sharon) track Bucky to Bucharest and face a race against time to track him down before the CTU. But someone else is also following Bucky, someone who’s been one step ahead and the consequences are disastrous.

Warnings: Bad Language words.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

A/N: Elements of this have been reworked/rewritten…for reasons which will become apparent at some point!

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Chapter 29 Part 2

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Bucky liked Bucharest. It was easy enough to blend in and he’d found work at a local Warehouse easily enough. It was no questions asked, cash in hand and no trail. Perfect. Physical labour didn’t bother him, neither did taking the nightshifts which no one else seemed to want. It meant he could sleep most of the days and emerge later at night meaning he had even less people to encounter and deal with. Not that it really mattered, no one really bothered him apart from the Old Lady that lived a few floors down. Bucky often did odd jobs for her, just like he had used to for the old couple that lived across from his parents in Brooklyn before the war.

Since arriving in Europe in September last year, his life had been pretty peaceful. His memories had started to flash back almost the instant he wasn’t re-wiped by HYDRA, but they were random, non-chronological, so he had started writing them in a notebook along with other snippets and facts he found along the way which helped him piece together the parts of the puzzle that was his life. He knew his name, his date of birth, who his parents were, his siblings, Steve- his brother-from-another-Mother, the Howling Commandos, Steve’s wife- Katie, his ‘death’ and then… well, that bit he tried not to remember on purpose.

He felt better, like himself, and had on more than one occasion thought about reaching out to Steve. But the thing was, even though he’d now been out of HYDRA control for over two years, he knew that what they had done to him or put in his head was still there, and he didn’t want to give anyone the chance to find out the hard-way or give them chance to lock him up like some lab rat. So he had decided it was best to stay off radar.

Pulling his cap down a little, he headed over to his favourite fruit store for some plums. He remembered what a treat they had been back before the war, and he enjoyed the fact they were so readily available now. He reached out with his flesh hand to gently test one.

“How are they? Are they good?” He asked the vendor in Romanian who nodded to him, smiling “Okay. Give me six, thank you”

With his bag of fruit he walked along, casually scanning around as he ate. And then, across the street, he spotted a vendor at a news-stand watching him. Bucky glanced away hastily then looked back at the man who was still watching him before he suddenly turned and ran from his kiosk. With a sick feeling in his stomach, Bucky made his way over and picked up a paper reading the front page which contained a number of surveillance-photos and the head line: ‘Winter Soldier cautat pentru Bombardmentul din Viena’.

A cold feeling washed all over him and he glanced around, swallowing thickly.

He might have struggled with his memory in the past but he could categorically say this wasn’t one of those times. This wasn’t him, granted it looked like him, but it wasn’t.

Shit, he needed to hide.

Pulling his cap down further, jacket pulled up round his neck he set off home.

****** Having your own private plane certainly has its perks. Katie, Sam and Steve made their way to Vienna and from there, after being given a lead from Sharon, they headed to Bucharest. Steve and Sam had brought all their equipment whereas Katie had opted to simply pack her cat suit and utility belt as they weren’t anticipating any action.

A decision she was starting to regret now.

“Nice place.” Katie commented sarcastically, pulling at the neck of her leather cat-suit as they entered the old rundown apartment that Bucky Barnes now called home. Steve ignored the comment before he carefully closed the door behind them. The two of them ventured further into the small darkened apartment, the windows had been taped over with old newspapers keeping out most of the sunlight and prying eyes. Steve’s shield caught a few of the spots of light which were creeping through tears and gaps in the paper, sending reflections onto bits of the apartment walls. The bedroom and the living area were one, a tattered mattress placed just beneath the window a small desk and lamp next to it. Across from the bed near the entrance was a metal table with two chairs next to it, then there was the kitchen area and a door, which Katie headed through, gun at the ready, finding nothing but a small, grimy and empty bathroom.

She couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of sadness in her gut that the man who had saved her life, a war veteran, was living like this.

Steve took to looking around the kitchen and had found a notebook of sorts with tabs of varying colours sticking out from amongst the pages. As he flicked through he found a leaflet on the Smithsonian Captain America exhibit.

"Heads up guys, German Special Forces approaching from the South.” Sam’s voice came through the coms.

“Understood.” Steve replied gently, replacing the leaflet in the page he had found it, fingers lingering on the paper. He looked up at Katie as she re-entered the room.

“Nobody’s home.” She said softly. “What you got there?” “It’s a journal.” Steve said, “He’s been writing down memories and-“

He stopped dead as a movement crossed his peripheral and his head jerked up. Over his wife’s shoulder he locked eyes with Bucky for the first time since that day over the Potomac. Katie, noticing his demeanour, glanced over her shoulder and instantly spun round to see Bucky watching the pair of them with a cautious sort of curiosity.

“Do you know me?” Steve asked carefully, setting the book he was flipping through down on the cluttered counter. He moved in front of Katie slightly, keeping himself between her and his best friend who was stood stock still, eyeing them up.

“You’re Steve,” Bucky said roughly, “I read about you in a museum.” He added immediately, nodding to himself.

Play dumb, Bucky, play dumb…

“They’ve set the perimeter.” Sam spoke in their ears.

“I know you’re nervous, and you’ve got plenty of reason to be, but you’re lying.” Steve spoke calmly, not believing him for a second. He could always tell when Bucky was lying, even as kids he wouldn’t look you in the eye fully, and now wasn’t any different.

“I wasn’t in Vienna. I don’t do that anymore.” Bucky’s voice wavered slightly, almost pleading with them to believe him. And instantly Katie did.

“They’re entering the building. “ Sam urged.

“Well, the people who think you did are coming here now.” Katie took a small step forward so that she was slightly in front of Steve. “And they’re not planning on taking you alive.”

“That’s smart. Good strategy.” He looked at her, cocking his head to one side as he studied her. She was oozing confidence, are far cry from the broken, shattered woman he had rescued last year, and she didn’t seem afraid of him. Which he liked but also didn’t because it meant they weren’t going to just let him slip away.

“They’re on the roof. I’m compromised!”

“This doesn’t have to end in a fight ,Buck.” Steve pleaded desperately while Bucky simply walked over to the table set down his plastic bag and pulled off his glove to reveal his metal hand.

“It always ends in a fight.” He said balling the metal into a fist, his voice lilted with sadness.

“Five seconds.”

“You pulled me from the river and you saved Katie’s life that day in La Ronde.” Steve’s voice took on an urgent tone, almost shouting. “Why?”

“I don’t know.” Bucky replied in frustration finally looking up at Steve and locking eyes with him before he glanced to Katie. Truth be told he did know. That day on the Potomac something had broken his programming, and when Steve had plunged to the river he had known he had to save him, because he had been saving him all his punk-assed life. And then with Katie, well, even before he had recognised her he couldn’t leave a dame to the mercy of HYDRA, not after what they did to him. It was wrong…his ma taught him better.

“Three seconds.”

“Yes you do.” Steve responded,

“Breach, breach, breach!” Came the yell into their earpieces.

Both Steve and Katie looked towards the window prompting Bucky to do the same and in the next second a flash bomb was thrown through, Steve batted it right back out with his shield and then a second bomb came through the other window. Bucky booted it towards Steve who dropped and covered it with his shield, containing the blast. All three of them looked at one another for a split second before a loud bang sounded as the door rattled. Katie quickly kicked the edge of the table so that it wedged between the door and the wall blocking the German Forces entrance for now.

Whilst she was distracted with that, a final bomb was thrown and Bucky lifted up the dirty mattress using it as protection for them both. She nodded to him gently as he tossed it away and then came the soldiers on zip lines through the window. The first landed in the kitchen, training his gun first on Steve, then across towards Bucky, but before he could shoot Steve pulled the rug from beneath him and he ended up firing into the ceiling. The next came in through the window right next to Bucky but he punched him in the face, throwing him over to Katie who aimed a kick at his arm, knocking the gun out of it before kicking him again in the chest, sending him sprawling into the bathroom. Bucky picked the third soldier up easily and slammed him into the wall, letting him fall down.

“Buck, stop! You’re gonna kill someone.” Steve ran forward, but Bucky easily dodged him and slammed into him from behind, knocking him to the floor.

“I’m not gonna kill anyone!” He growled, punching a hole into the floor. He grabbed a backpack from under the floorboards and threw it across the room and out of the window. Then came more gun fire and Katie dropped to the floor, rolling to her right and firing a shot in the direction of the shooting hearing a yell as her bullet hit her target in the knee. Steve, again, flung his shield up and Bucky shoved him hard in the back sending him flying into another solider, taking him down. Katie scrambled to her feet again unable to do anything but watch as Bucky punched a hole through the wall next to the door before bashing it open and continuing to fight his way out.

“You alright?” Steve asked, as she dusted herself off.

“This isn’t exactly going to plan is it?” She shook her head as they ran out of the door just in time to see Bucky jump on a soldier who was descending from a zip wire and swinging down a level in the stairwell of the apartment block. One of the soldiers was screaming into his radio. Steve grabbed it from him, then smashed it with his foot before he jumped down a level after Bucky. Katie, took the sensible option and ran down the stairs, taking out anyone blocking her way.

Bucky was punching soldiers left and right until he ducked as he hit another accidentally sending him over the railing, but Steve was quick to catch him by his vest.

“Come on man,” He sighed wearily. Bucky’s only response was a shrug which he emphasized by elbowing a soldier that was behind him, while Steve pulled up the one he was holding onto and tossed him into a wall. Bucky jumped over the railing down several flights but by the time Steve caught up with him he had dodged into an apartment and jumped from the railings

“Damned it!” Steve cursed as he watched Bucky land on the lower roof of the neighbouring building with some force, but he simply rolled as if the fall hadn’t bothered him at all, picked up his backpack and ran. But he didn’t get far, a muscular man clad entirely in black slammed into him from behind knocking him down.

“Sam southwest rooftop.” Steve suddenly reported to Sam as he watched the man in the black suit, which looked very much like a big cat moved with breath-taking agility and grace, slashing with sharp claws on each hand as he tackled Bucky.

“Who the hell’s the other guy?” Sam asked Steve on the coms.

“I’m about to find out.” Steve backed up before he too launched himself from the balcony down onto the neighbouring building. Katie ran into the apartment just in time to see him land on the other roof-top and she frowned at the mystery man in some form of cat suit who was lunging at Bucky with his claws. Bucky grabbed his wrists holding him off but at that moment a helicopter that had appeared began to fire its machine gun. Both Katie from her vantage point, and Steve who was bolting towards the men, frowned as he saw the ammo ping back off the man’s suit just like it did off his shield.

“Sam…” Katie said as Steve continued to run towards Bucky, shield raised. Sam understood what she was implying instantly.

“Got him.” He replied, flying down he spun under the chopper, grabbing the rails at the bottom, spinning it off course before swooping off. As Katie continued to watch Bucky leapt off the side of the roof to the floor, and the mystery cat man followed using his claws for traction down the side of the building. Steve was shortly behind, rolling along the floor before picking himself up and running after the pair of them, Sam flying behind. Then, the helicopter began to follow, gunfire tearing up the side walk.

“Shit.” Katie ran down and emerging into the street, sprinting as fast as she could. Spotting an abandoned motorbike which had been ditched in the fracas she hopped on and sped after them, mentally thanking Natasha for the bike driving lessons.

It was chaos, absolute chaos. Bucky jumped down through a gap into the underpass, Steve and the mystery cat man following, as they themselves were being pursued by an armoured vehicle. Well, at least they were until Steve managed to pull the driver out and take the vehicle himself. He saw a motorbike coming up behind him in the mirrors and did a double take as he saw it was Katie. She pulled up alongside him and with one hand she grabbed the passenger door and yanked it open, before placing both her hands on the rim of the door and using it as leverage to swing herself feet first into the car.

“Where did you learn to do that?” Steve asked, open mouthed as she dropped into the seat next to him.

“Nat.” She shrugged, as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do or be taught. Steve gave a small smirk and then turned to look back at the road, switching lanes and cruising past mystery cat man. Then there was a thud and Katie glanced back over her shoulders. Mystery cat man had latched himself onto the back of the car.

“Hold on!” Steve yelled before swerving the car to the right then the left hoping to dislodge him but no such luck. He even rammed the side of the car into another Special Forces vehicle but nothing, he hung tight.

“Sam we can’t shake this guy.” Steve reported.

“Right behind you.”

In front of them Bucky jumped the barrier to the other side of the road so Steve dropped the car a gear and pressed harder on the gas, breaking straight through it. A quick glance through the mirrors told Katie that it was enough to slow down the Germans but not to dislodge their passenger.

“This guy is more of a pain in the ass than Tony.” Katie sighed, turning back to look out of the front. Just as she did, Bucky clearly decided he needed his own mode of transportation and grabbed the handle bars of a motorbike which was speeding towards him. He dislodged the driver in mid-air while the bike spun and threw his leg over the seat all in one fluid motion. He then landed and sped away.

“Holy shit!” Katie let out a small laugh of disbelief, her jaw dropping slightly as she smirked at Bucky’s unbelievable display of acrobatics. “Did you see that?”

Steve looked at her for a split second, taking in the smirk on her face as she admired Bucky’s agility, surprised to feel he was slightly jealous. With a sigh, more at himself than anything, he shook his head. That insecure little kid from Brooklyn really had picked the most inappropriate time to appear. It didn’t help when she spoke again, a cheeky lilt to her voice.

“Can you do that?”

Steve shot her a glare that would make anyone else shake in their boots but it made Katie do nothing but frown at the open display of hostility he very rarely used on her. Before she could respond, however, there was a thud on the roof as mystery cat man climbed on top of the car and then launched himself at Bucky. The soldier on the bike was prepared though, and grabbed him around the throat, flinging him over his head. But the mystery cat man was persistent, hanging on even as the bike tipped and Bucky was forced to use his metal hand so that he didn’t fall off the bike completely. He kicked the cat man away before straightening his bike and speeding ahead.

Steve swerved to avoid running mystery cat man over while he caught other means of transportation, meaning he grabbed onto Sam’s legs as he was flying by. Ahead of them Bucky threw a sticky bomb at the top of the overpass which immediately went off and began raining down debris.

“Time to go.” Steve grabbed Katie as he slammed on the breaks turning the car sharply. He pulled her out of the door, using his shield to land on as the car began to tilt on its side. They dodged through the rubble, Steve’s shield over their heads and once they were clear, Steve sped off to where the cat man was mounted on top of Bucky ready to rip his throat out.

Sam emerged from the dust but seconds later there was loud clang and War Machine landed holding up his hand with repulsor beams at the ready in warning. More German Special Forces arrived and they knew the game was up. But Steve and Katie both looked at each other, chests heaving with exertion and dare they say it, relief. They had located Bucky after years of searching, he was still alive and could be questioned, which meant there was a chance they could clear all this up.

Steve felt Bucky step forward, and he instantly held his arm out to stop him. .

“Stand down now.” Rhodey spoke with authority and the Special Forces aimed their guns at them all. Steve relented placing his shield onto his back harness showing compliance as he held his hands up, palms outwards.

“Congratulations Cap, you’re a criminal.” Rhodey said sarcastically. As soldiers surrounded Bucky forcing him down to his knees so they could hand cuff him tightly.

Katie and Sam raised their hands in surrender as the soldiers approached them too. The mystery cat man was the last to comply retracting his claws and reaching up to his helmet.

“Call them off Rhodey.” Katie looked at him, nodding to the soldier who had his gun trained on her “We’ll come quietly.”

Rhodey turned to look at her and then nodded at the officer, who lowered his gun, but that didn’t stop them from handcuffing her. As she shot a look over her shoulder at the man who was slapping on the restraints she gave him a small smirk and then turned back to look at mystery cat man, just as he pulled off his mask.

“What the…” Katie frowned, recognising him instantly. It was T’Challa, the prince of Wakanda.

“Your highness.” Rhodey said.

There was a scuffle to Katie’s right and she turned to see that Bucky was being hauled to the floor.

“Don’t hurt him.” She turned to Rhodey, pleading with him. “Please. He saved my life, he’s still a human being!”

Rhodey hesitated slightly but then one of the soldiers shoved Katie in the back.

“Move.” he said in a thick accent.

“Say please.” She spun round, glaring at him. “Fucking asshole.”

“Katie.” Steve instructed gently as he walked towards her, being marched by two other soldiers. She turned to him and he gave a small shake of his head, warning her not to start another fight, before he nodded towards the black SUV.

“You know what the worse bit about all this is?” Katie sighed, as she fell into step beside Steve.

Steve looked at her, “No, what?”

“The lecture I’m going to get off Tony.”

One they had been stripped of their weapons and gear they were released from their handcuffs. Rubbing her wrists, Katie raised an eyebrow at Rhodey.

“Now what?”

“You’ll be given chance to change and clean up before going to Berlin,” Rhodey said, as the side of the SUV they were by opened and they were instructed to climb in. “Where you’ll be put into the custody of the Anti-Terrorism Unit.”

“So we’re terrorists now?” Katie snorted.

“You knew what would happen if you went against the law.”

She gave a sarcastic, fake yawn and behind her Sam sniggered before he looked at Rhodey

“This make you feel good?” Sam asked.

“Okay, enough!” Steve loudly shut down the petty squabble that was about to erupt between the two men “Yes, Rhodey we knew what would happen, but we also knew what would happen if we didn’t.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“That you would never have taken him alive.” He nodded to where Bucky was being hauled into the back of a separate vehicle. “And you know that too.”

******

“So you like cats?”

“Sam.” Steve scolded as Katie snorted, looking out of the window of the SUV as they drove over a bridge that crossed the River Spree. T’Challa was on the front row of the SUV alone, then Steve and Katie had sat on the middle, Sam on the back row.

“What?” Sam asked innocently. “Dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don’t wanna’ know more?”

Katie was inclined to agree, Steve however, was curious about something else.

“Your suit. It’s Vibranium?” He asked in interest.

“The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations.” T'Challa began slowly. “A mantle passed from warrior to warrior. And now because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king. So I ask you, as both warrior and king, how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?”

T'Challa turned his head to look Steve directly in the eye then turned back around without another word as Steve clenched his jaw.

They arrived at the CIA base in Berlin in record time thanks to the police convey that kept the streets clear. The base was crawling with heavily armed soldiers as they stepped out of the van and were led inside. Katie shrugged on her leather jacket, pausing as Bucky’s cage followed them being moved by a small forklift. Besides her Steve stiffened as he looked over at Bucky and Katie gently placed her hand on at the bottom of his back. Bucky looked at the pair of them before he turned away as he was taken off in a separate direction.

After an introduction of sorts to Thaddeus Ross (Sharon’s boss) they were informed their weapons would be placed in a lock up, prompting Sam to snarl angrily- “I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that.” They were then led over a walkway and Katie looked past Ross and saw a familiar redhead walking towards them. Natasha’s face was blank as she strode down the walkway.

“For the record.” She snapped as she looked at the three of them in turn before she focussed on Steve. “This is what making things worse looks like.”

“He’s alive.” Steve answered shortly, not looking at her as he walked past, his jacket flapping slightly, pulling Katie with him as his hand wrapped around hers.

Natasha just glared at him before she walked quicker, pulling ahead of the group as they reached a large security office. Natasha led the way in, and Katie instantly picked up as she could hear Tony’s voice from inside,

“The remaining of us are now at court-section.” He was saying. And as they entered she saw her brother standing in the centre of the office, talking into his phone with his back to the door as he added, “And, Colonel Ross is supervising the clean-up.”

Despite everything Katie felt a rush of relief, it good to see him, alive and okay after Vienna.

“Try not to break anything while we fix this.” Natasha snapped and Katie’s attention then turned from her brother to her friend and she shook her head.

“Ass kissing doesn’t suit you, Nat.”

Tony turned to face them all, his face set in a deep frown as he barked into his phone, pulling at his tie to loosen it off. "Consequences? You bet there will be consequences.”

Steve raised his eyebrows slightly, glancing at Katie who rolled her eyes before she looked at Tony as he continued to talk “Obviously you can quote me on that because I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir.”

As he placed his phone back into his pocket, his eyes never left his sister. “You okay?” He asked and she nodded, stepping forwards into his arms, giving him a hug which he returned.

"Consequences?” Steve repeated with a smirk as Tony looked over Katie’s shoulder at him.

“Secretary Ross wants you three prosecuted.” Tony answered, stepping back and releasing Katie. “I had to give him something.” He added.

“I’m not getting that shield back, am I?” Steve asked in an almost monotone voice.

“Technically, it’s the government’s property.” Natasha replied cheerily. “Wings too.” She added.

“That’s cold.” Sam countered

“Warmer than jail.” Tony tossed over his shoulder, as he headed off somewhere.

“Stop being so melodramatic.” Katie rolled her eyes, and stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans as Natasha led them to an office, talking to them as she went, telling them about what had been going on. They walked in silence, none of them responding. Eventually they reached a glass walled office and stepped inside.

“You’re not in a very talkative mood I can see.” Natasha drawled as Katie dropped her jacket over the back of a chair.

“Hmmm what can we talk about? Let’s see.” Katie looked at her, her face angry. “Oh how about the Accords?” Natasha rolled her eyes as Katie continued with a tone of disdain. “You know, I never had you down as someone that would give in so easily to control.”

“Well sometimes we have to make some tough choices.”

“Why’d you really sign, Nat?“ Steve asked her.

She sighed leaning back on the door frame. “Loyalty. Loyalty to our team. Staying together is more important than how we stay together.”

Steve shook his head, giving a small snort of laughter. “I don’t agree, and deep down, I don’t think you do either.”

“Believe what you want.” She shrugged before leaving.

About half an hour later after the three of them had been brainstorming again who they thought was actually responsible for bombing the UN and trying to fit Bucky up (none of them having any sensible ideas whatsoever), Sam excused himself heading off in search of some food and drink and it wasn’t long before Tony walked into the office were Katie and Steve were sat, Katie’s feet resting in Steve’s lap, his hand sliding up the bottom of her jeans, stroking the smooth skin just above the line of her ankle boots.

“You wanna see something cool?” He asked. Katie and Steve both turned to look at him as he walked in, holding a small black case. “I pulled something from Dad’s archives.” He nodded, “Timely.”

Katie sat up as Tony tossed his suit jacket onto one of the empty seats before he opened the box and placed it down on the shiny, mahogany table in front of Steve.

"FDR signed the Land-Lease bills with these in 1941.” Tony explained what they were. “Provided support to the allies when they needed it the most.”

“Some would say it brought our country closer to war.” Steve countered, a humourless smile on his face as he looked back up at Tony.

Tony met Steve’s eyes evenly and countered with his own point, “See, if not for these, you wouldn’t be here.” Steve’s brow rose, while Tony continued, “I’m trying to, what do you call it? An olive branch. Is that what you call it?

He looked at Steve, leaning his face against his fist as he waited expectantly. Steve pursed his lips unhappily and Katie knew he was struggling and couldn’t tell Tony what he wanted to hear because he didn’t believe in it.

"Is Pepper here?” Katie asked, switching topics as she glanced around the office then added, “I didn’t see her.”

She looked back at Tony as a strange almost regretful look came over his face. Her brows furrowed in confusion as Tony said slowly, measured, “We are… kinda, well not kinda-”

“Pregnant?” Steve interrupted in surprise.

“No, definitely not.” Tony said immediately face souring slightly. He paused, before finally admitting the truth, “We’re taking a break. It’s nobody’s fault.”

“I’m so sorry, Tony.” Steve spoke softly as Katie looked at her brother, who took a seat at the table “I didn’t know.”

“What did you do this time?” Katie asked gently. She hated it when they rowed and broke up. It never lasted long but still…

Tony’s lips twitched like he was going to smile but didn’t, “Few years ago, I almost lost her, so I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to mop up HYDRA. And then Ultron,” he tapped himself in the chest, “my fault.” He sighed again. “And then, and then, and then- I never stopped. Cause the truth is, I don’t wanna stop but I don’t want to lose her. I thought maybe the Accords could split the difference.”

“In her defence, you are a handful.” Katie said, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards.

Tony smiled without it reaching his eyes as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, pacing a little by the glass walls, before he reached up to adjust his tie as he continued bitterly.

“Yet, dad was a pain in the ass, but he and mom always made it work.”

“You know, I never expected Howard would get married.” Steve said, fondly remembering his friend with a smile “Mind you, I only knew him when he was young and single.”

“Oh really?” Tony asked sarcastically as he looked back at Steve. “You two knew each other? He never mentioned that. Maybe only a thousand times.”

Steve winced, dropping his head and while Tony picked up his suit jacket. “God, I hated you.” He spat pulling the jacket on.

“That’s a dick thing to say, Tone!” Katie frowned, narrowing her eyes at her brother.

Steve sighed, and he looked back at Tony with sad eyes, “I don’t mean to make things difficult.”

“No, you just dropped into my life and married my sister.” Tony snorted “But you’re a very polite person. I mean you asked first.”

“That’s enough.” Katie chastised as Tony walked behind Steve, pacing a little. Steve turned to keep his eyes on him as he sighed

“If I see a situation pointed south, I can’t ignore it. Sometime I wish I could.”

“No, you don’t.” Tony challenged

Steve paused, before he admitted with a small, wry smile shaking his head a little, “No, I don’t.” He sighed, “Sometimes-”

“Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth.” Tony interrupted bitterly. He shrugged like it was a fact, before he added softly, “but I don’t wanna see you gone. We need you, Cap.”

Steve stared at Tony as he considered his words, Katie observing the two of them silently as Tony continued “So far, nothing’s happened that can’t be undone, if you just sign.” He gestured at the pens, “We can make the last twenty-four hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych centre instead of a Wakanda prison.”

Steve stared at the pens, weighing Tony’s words before he reached out, pulling one slowly from its holder. Tony folded his arms across his chest as Steve stood up playing with the pen in his hands.

“I’m not saying it’s impossible,” he took a deep breath, “but there would have to be safeguards, what do you think, Sweetheart?” He looked at Katie. He was trying here, after everything, to reach the middle ground. He didn’t want to see the Avengers split up and the opportunity of keeping Bucky out of jail and safe was one he couldn’t pass up.

Katie looked at him, searching his face. She hadn’t been completely opposed to some form of sanctions after all, what she had opposed vehemently was a set being force upon them which gave them no control. But maybe, as Steve pointed out, with some amendments, perhaps they could make this work.

“We need to be able to have some control Tony, a say in where we go, when we go and why we go.” Katie eventually looked at her brother. “We’re not to be used as some pawns in a political game, for anyone’s agenda.”

“Sure.” Tony was quick to assure. “Once we put out the PR fire, its documents, they can be amended.” Tony sat back down at the table “I’d file a motion to have you and Wanda reinstated and-.“

"Wanda?” Katie cut him off and looked at him. “What about Wanda?”

“She’s fine.” Tony promised, although wariness leaked into his tone because he knew he had just put his foot in it. “She’s confined in the compound currently. Vision’s keeping her company.”

“Oh God, Tony!” Katie groaned and threw her head backwards in exasperation and disbelief.

At the same time Steve scoffed and shook his head. “Every time. Every time I think you’re seeing things the right way-”

"What?” Tony cut in, “It’s a hundred acres with a lap pool. It’s got a screening room. Trust me, there’s worse ways to protect people.”

“Protection?” Steve repeated, his temper rising. “Is that how you see this? This is protection? It’s internment.”

“She’s not a US citizen-” Tony spoke loudly while Steve and Katie groaned again

“Oh, come on, Tony!” Katie shook her head, looking at him.

“- and they don’t grant visas to Weapons of Mass Destruction.” Tony finished taking a deep breath

“Wanda’s a kid!” Steve spat out.

“Give me a break!” Tony shouted back angrily.

Katie’s eyes narrowed furiously, but Tony took another deep breath as he visibly tried to calm himself down,

“I’m doing what has to be done,” He paused to look Steve in the eye before he turned to his sister and finished flatly. “To stave off something worse.”

She shook her head and grit her teeth, there was no discussing with him when he was like this, and if he couldn’t see that keeping Wanda on house arrest because she hadn’t signed was wrong then she didn’t really want to discuss it with him anyway. "You keep telling yourself that.” She answered.

"Hate to break up the set.” Steve dropped the pen back down onto the desk before he left the office.

Katie groaned and banged her head on the desk.

“Kiddo…”

“Just don’t.” She replied, not looking up. “Don’t say a word Tony, you’ve already said enough.”

****

“The receipt for your gear.” Sharon walked into the room, handing Sam a piece of paper.

Sam took the paper, glancing down at it. “'Bird costume’? Come on, girl.” He spat incredulously reading the receipt.

“I didn’t write it.” Sharon shot back and Katie raised a brow as she watched the woman, noticing her movements, before she reached past Sam and pressed a button in the middle of the conference table. Instantly the audio from the footage they were watching of Bucky’s questioning flooded the room and Steve looked at Sharon in surprise and she nodded back to him. Katie also gave her a look of appreciation as well and Sharon averted her eyes beyond the conference room. Katie followed her gaze and saw Natasha looking furtively over her shoulder. Katie nodded to Nat, understanding instantly she’d had a hand in this. Nat inclined her head slightly before she turned back around to watch her own set of screens.

“I’m not here to judge you. I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, James?” The man in the cage gave no response so the doctor tried again. “I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me, James.”

“My name is Bucky.” Bucky answered voice rough, a hint of defiance in his tone.

Steve’s lips pursed, and he turned back to the table with a frown. He picked up the discarded file, pulling out the Vienna security camera photos that showed the man the task force identified as Bucky from near the bomb site.

“Why would the task force release this photo to begin with?” Steve asked handing the picture over to Katie, as she perched on the table beside him.

Sam frowned, while Sharon shrugged and answered the best way she could, “Get the word out, involve as many eyes as we can?”

“Right.” Steve said flatly nodding but it wasn’t enough for him. Katie cottoned on instantly.

“It’s a good way to flush a guy out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken.” She shrugged and Sam’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward on his arms, while Steve continued for her.

“Suddenly you’ve got seven billion people looking for the Winter Soldier.”

“You’re saying someone framed him to find him.” Sharon asked slowly, summarizing their point.

“Steve, we looked for the guy for two years, and bar when he pulled your Missus out of that Hydra base, we found nothing.” Sam pointed out.

“We didn’t bomb the UN.” Katie answered. “That turns a lot of heads.”

“Yeah.” Sharon joined in quietly, “but that doesn’t guarantee that whoever framed him would get him, it guarantees that we would…”

She trailed off as all 4 of them shared an understanding glance.

Steve turned around sharply to look back at the screen showing Bucky and the UN psychiatrist, before he muttered "Yeah.” Someone had brought him here for a reason. Who, and why?

“Tell me Bucky.” The man interrogating Bucky continued on. “You’ve seen a great deal, haven’t you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Bucky answered flatly keeping his response short.

“You feel that, if you open your mouth, the horrors might never stop. Don’t worry.” He tapped at his screen “We only have to talk about one.”

The building suddenly went dark, the power going out leaving on the emergency red lights flashing ominously. Katie hopped off the table and Steve turned urgent eyes on Sharon.

“Sub-level five, east wing.” She answered the silent question quickly.

Steve looked at Sam and he nodded then the three of them ran out of the office, using the distraction of the power outage to their advantage as they raced down the stairs to get to the level Bucky was on.

They ran down two flights of stairs before they finally reached the hallway that led to Bucky’s holding room. Steve stopped when they reached the last corridor and spotted the guards lying on the ground. He glanced back to exchange looks with Katie and Sam as they both came to a stop behind him. Now wary of what they were walking into, and highly conscious that none of them had any weapons, they made their way cautiously down the corridor. Katie bent down to check the fallen soldiers. One had a strong pulse, the other…

“He’s dead.” She muttered looking up. Steve let out a sigh of frustration and moved into the security room besides the cell, Sam and Katie close behind.

The further into the room they went the more dead soldiers they encountered when a sudden raspy voice came from in the room that held Bucky’s containment unit. “Help me.”

Steve looked ahead to see the man who had been interrogating Bucky, lying on his side by the empty cage, clutching his side as if in pain. Steve stomped into the room angrily, ignoring the man as he begged for help again.

“Get up.” He snapped reaching down to grab the man by the front of his jacket, hauling him to his feet. The man eyed him carefully as Steve glared shoving him into a wall and snarling. “Who are you? What do you want?”

The man met his gaze, his eyes becoming cold and dark as answered lowly, “To see an empire fall.”

A movement in the corner of the room caught Katie’s eye. Sam and her ducked just in time as the Winter Soldier leapt from where he had been lurking in the shadows, throwing a punch towards Katie. He missed, hitting the concrete doorway and punching a hole through the rock.

Sam acted quickly, punching at the Winter Soldier’s side, but it didn’t even faze the super-solider as he punched Sam straight in the stomach. Sam winced, and doubled over as the Winter Soldier grabbed his chin in his metal hand, throwing him across the room. He then turned his attention to Katie, and she knew that throwing punches wasn’t going to work so all she could do was duck, using her agility to keep out of his way. She bent backwards as he made to grab her but then Steve ran at him, ducking as the Winter Soldier swung his arm out. Once the metal arm passed over his head, Steve threw a punch of his own, hitting the Soldier right in the face, and the man snarled as he swung his fist back at Steve, who dodged it. The Winter Soldier suddenly kicked out, landing a solid kick right to Steve’s stomach and Steve grunted as he was thrown backwards, landing in the security room.

The Winter Soldier strode towards him but Steve was already back on his feet and blocked the next kick with his bare hands. Katie was powerless to help; she had nothing on her, no stingers, no guns no Supernova suit. She frantically searched the room for something she could use as a weapon as the pair of super soldiers continued to fight, throwing kicks and punches while parrying and blocking the other’s moves, heading back out into the corridor. As Steve fell through the doorway again, Katie grabbed the cable she was holding and launched herself at the Winter Soldier jumping onto his back and wrapping the cable around his neck. He spun round angrily, grabbing at the cable before he reached up with his metal arm and grabbed the back of her hair, flipping her up and over before flinging her across the room at Steve who had pulled himself up against the elevator doors. Steve grunted as he caught her but quickly set her on her feet before shoving her out of the way just in time, as the Winter Soldier threw his whole weight into a punch to Steve’s chest, blowing him straight through the metal doors and down the elevator shaft.

Katie kicked at the desk in front of her, sending it The Soldier’s way as he was now advancing on her, but he broke through it easily, not even slowing in the slightest. She dodged under his arm and aimed a kick at the side of his knee, catching him perfectly and he stumbled forward. She then went to kick him again but he raised his metal arm to take the brunt of it, catching her leg so it was trapped between his arm and chest.

“Bucky this isn’t you.” Her words meant nothing to him. He grabbed a handful of her shirt with his other hand lifting her and tossing her like a rag doll straight into the wall where she banged her head painfully, causing her to see stars. She lay still for a while, dazed but and then she heard Sam shout

“Hey. You alright?”

“I think so.” She blinked groggily as Sam gently helped her to her feet. Everything seemed to work.

“C'mon,” He urged, heading towards the stairs “That so called doctor just left.”

Before Katie could head up the steps after him, a grunt caught her attention, it was Steve, minus his jacket, climbing his way out of the elevator shaft covered in dirt and sweat and looking far more attractive than he had any right to be in the middle of a damned fight.

“You okay?” He questioned only slightly out of breath from the climb, his hand dropping to his wife’s neck

“Yeah.”

“Bucky?”

“He went that way.” She pointed to the corridor on the left. "Back out to the facility. The doctor, he went the other way, Sam’s gone after him”

Steve quickly nodded. “I’ll get Bucky. You go after Sam and I’ll meet you outside.”

No further discussion was had as they split up. By the time Katie emerged into the lobby of the facility, it was utter chaos where employees were all crushed together rushing to get out the doors and get to safety.

“Sam, any sign?” She asked as she found him outside looking round.

“No, come on.” He grabbed her hand so that they didn’t lose each other in the crowd as they moved outside the building. Sam stopped to pick up a discarded jacket that he recognised as belonging to the Fake Doctor, and Katie glanced down at it before looking around the crowd. There was no sign of him. It was then that she heard a chopper and instantly glanced up to the top of the building where a helicopter was attempting to take off. But the two-hundred plus pounds of super-solider hanging onto the landing skids was not letting go that easy. He kept hold as the helicopter dragged him to the edge, his boots skidding on the Heli-pad before he reached the end. Gritting his teeth he clung onto the skids of the helicopter with one hand, the other onto the railing of the building.

“No way.” Sam shook his head as he and Katie stood looking up at Steve who was stopping the helicopter “No goddamned way.”

The blades of the helicopter spun rapidly but it was going nowhere as Steve switched his grip on the railing. His muscles bulged and felt like they were on fire but he didn’t let go and, with a pained grit of his teeth, he pulled even harder and felt it start to come back to him. Then, it did a sharp turn towards Steve and he dived out of the way as it came to a stop. He stood up, made his way to the door but before he could do anything Bucky’s metal fist smashed through the glass on the door and gripped him round his neck. Steve planted both his feet on the side of the chopper, trying to release himself from the grip but it was no use.

And then the helicopter began sliding.

Katie’s grip tightened around Sam’s hand as they spotted Steve’s figure still attached to the helicopter as it fell from the top of the building and into the lake below. She instantly rushed forwards, but Sam wrapped both arms around her waist to restrain her, stopping her from diving head first into the water after him.

Not again, she kept thinking to herself, the scenes from the last time him and Bucky had entered the water flashing before her eyes.

She hadn’t realised she was yelling until Sam shouted loudly, and pointed across the water, where a head had broken the surface. Steve was dragging Bucky up beside him. They rushed to the edge of the lake where Steve made sure they got Bucky out first before he hauled himself up beside them, water dripping onto the concrete.

Sam turned his attention to Bucky making sure he was only unconscious and still breathing, while Katie’s focus turned to her husband. The anger at him being a stupid, reckless moron again boiled over.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” She screamed, before she reached back and slapped him hard across the face. It was enough to make his head snap to the right.

“Ouch.” Sam muttered.

Steve looked at Katie, astonishment and maybe a hint of amusement on his face, before she threw herself into his arms, not caring that he was soaking wet, whilst as he wrapped his arms around her.

“You stupid…” Katie began to sob, her voice muffled as she pressed her face into his wet shirt and his hands tangled in her hair.

“I know, I know.” He muttered. “I’m sorry, Doll.” He dropped a soft kiss to her head before he gently moved her to the side and looked at Sam before nodding to the unconscious Bucky on the floor. “Let’s get out of here.”

**** Chapter 31

**Original Posting**

#stark spangled banner #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers #Katie Stark #steve rogers x ofc #steve rogers x original female character #mcu #mcu fanfic #chris evans #chris evans characters

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brokenbeskar · 4 years ago

Text

Babysitter

Chapter Two of Memories Reforged ( Din Djarin x F!Reader )

Word Count: 7.8k

Summary: Instead of landing to collect your bounty’s reward like you had expected, the mysterious mandalorian you’re traveling with leaves you to babysit his wrinkly green child-- a job you definitely don’t feel cut out for.

Warnings: no real warnings in this one! let me know if there's something I missed!

A/N: I hope you all like it! as always let me know if you see any mistakes or anything! I know nothing crazy happens in this chapter but I hope it’s still entertaining and fun! afterall who can resist Grogu shenanigans? Also there may be some more hints about your past in this one so 👀

You hum lightly as you adjust in your seat, slowly blinking your eyes open as you gain consciousness, only to jolt upright at the unfamiliar scene of the cockpit around you. You had completely forgotten yesterday’s events in your sleep, so when you woke up initially you were expecting to be back in your old ship. Maker, you hurt all over. You don’t even remember falling asleep, the last thing you remember was the discussion you had with that stranger mandalorian. You quickly look to the pilot's seat next to you, suddenly remembering the armored man you were hitching a ride from. It's empty. He must have set the ship to autopilot while you snoozed away. How embarrassing. You usually wouldn't let yourself fall asleep in front of a stranger so readily, but after the events of yesterday--you must have been more exhausted than you thought. You stretch your shoulders back with a grimace, being sure to keep a hand on the helmet in your lap so it doesn’t fall. Kriff, you feel like you got swallowed up by a sarlacc pit and spit back out. The soreness from the crash yesterday has set in completely. You can feel the bruises lining your entire body, and all your muscles ache at even the slightest movement--not to mention your pounding headache.

You’re pressing the base of one of your palms to your forehead to try and relieve some of the pressure when the cockpit door slides open. The mandalorian you met yesterday striding in, the babbling green baby in his arms.

“Good, you’re awake. We’ll be landing on Corellia soon.” He explains as he sets the baby in the seat opposite to yours, buckling him in as he coos sleepily.

“Corellia? Your guild outpost is on Corellia?” You squint up at him questioningly, palm still pressed to your head. Marker, the stars reflecting off his armor is making your head hurt worse.

“No.” He doesn’t bother to look at you as he settles into the pilot’s seat. “No? What do you mean ‘no’? Why the kriff are we landing on Corellia then?” You lower your palm only a little off your head, as you continue to squint at him, growing irritated with him already. Can one person be any more frustrating? Maybe you're just in a bad mood because you're sore and tired…

“I have another bounty to collect.”

“You--you what?!” oh no, your pounding headache has nothing to do with this. What the fuck does he mean, another bounty? This wasn’t part of the deal.

“I have four pucks, I need four bodies. We’ll head to Nevarro after.” He tilts his helmet in your direction without looking at you while he explains.

“You didn’t think to mention this before?” You’re glaring daggers into the side of his helmet, you couldn’t be more pissed off at this guy--

“You didn’t ask.” Nope. You were wrong, you could definitely be more pissed, and that response alone has almost sent you over the edge. “You’re more than welcome to find your own ship and meet me there if it’s a problem.” What an asshole. What an absolute fucking asshole. Maker, you hate him. He’s not even worth responding to. Turning back to stare out the cockpit window angrily, just absolutely seething as you sit there.

The two of you don’t exchange another word as you drop out of hyperspace and descend into Corellia’s atmosphere. The mandalorian lands you in a remote forest area. You’ve taken more than your fair share of bounties on Corellia before. Honestly the planet is a shithole. Riddled with crime, and polluted to all hell. When you notice the mandalorian getting up to leave, you sigh and stand up yourself. You're sliding your helmet on, when he stops to turn to you, “What are you doing?” You tilt your helmet at him confused, “What do you mean? Aren’t we leaving?” your voice comes out through the modulator of your helmet in a higher frequency than your natural voice, distorting it, making it sound tinny and strange. It always takes a minute to get used to it when you first put it back on.

“We?” He tilts his helmet back at you.

“Uh? Yeah...didn’t you say you had one more bounty?”

“Yes, but I don’t ever remember saying I needed your help. I need you to stay on the ship, watch the kid.” He notions over to Grogu still buckled in his seat, watching your conversation intently.

“What? Ohhhh no! No way! I’m a bounty hunter not a fucking babysitter! You can’t surprise me with a pit stop, then expect me to watch your kid while you fuck off to do whatever. Give me your puck, I’ll go get the quarry, and you can watch your own child.” You hold out your hand expectantly for his bounty puck, but he doesn’t move.

“You’re not doing my job for me. I’m not splitting anymore bounties with you. Watch the kid, make sure he stays safe.” He leans down and unbuckles the child, handing him to you, but you don't take him.

“We’ll get this over with faster if we both go, I don’t want to be on this shithole longer than we need to. He’ll be okay by himself for a little while, won't he? That’s what you would have done if I wasn't here isn't it?” You cross your arms over your armored chest. How dare he? Make a surprise pitstop so he can run errands and just expect you to watch his kid for him without even asking you first. He’s still holding out the baby for you to take, like an idiot.

“This planet isn’t safe and this quarry is dangerous. He’s an escaped convict and has been evading hunters for far too long. I’m not risking it. Stay on the ship, watch the child, or you can find your own ride.” he takes a step forward pushing the child into your arms, and this time you reluctantly take him. Not that you have much of a choice in the matter. Oh but the child is thrilled, babbling happily and reaching up to pap the edges of your helmet.

“Whatever asshole,” you hiss out, “just make it quick.” And with a nod, he turns and heads out. Maker, he is absolutely insufferable. Maybe you should just steal his ship and head off to Nevarro without him. Cash in his bounties, and leave him stranded. You chuckle to yourself at the thought of that shiny dumbass returning to find his ship is gone. You imagine he would panic, what an idiot he would feel like realizing you got the best of him. You’re snapped out of your daydream by the kid squealing at you excitedly as he lightly taps your helmet with his tiny hands. You can’t help but smile down at him under your helmet and offer your finger for him to hold.

You realize, suddenly, what an actual dumbass that shiny wall of metal actually is. You 100% could steal his ship, and his quarries, but also his son. He’s trusting you with his child, after only having just met you the day before. You’re a bounty hunter, that fact alone makes you inherently untrustworthy. Let alone the fact that you’re wearing beskar armor. Armor which according to him belongs more to him than it does to you. What in the galaxy was he thinking? You look down at sweet little Grogu in your arms. If this was your child, you would rip apart the whole galaxy to find him if he ever went missing. You would reign war on anyone who dared touch him. There's no way you would dare to ever bring harm to any child--let alone this one. What an idiot...he got lucky this time.

“Alright you little bean,” you move the child to your hip and make your way out of the cockpit to the ship's hull, “What should we do while we wait for your idiot dad to get back, hmm?” You boop his little nose gently with your finger and he giggles at you, grabbing onto your hand with his tiny fingers. “Lets see…,” you look around the hull for some toys or something--anything remotely looking like it belongs to the kid, but...there's nothing. In fact, if it weren’t for the child cooing on your hip, you wouldn’t know a baby lived on this ship at all.

“Weird...where are you toys, little bug?” You cock your helmet at him, then decide to set him down on the ground. Maybe he knows where they are, and will help himself. When you set him down though, he just stands there at your feet, staring up at you with the biggest smile on his face, his little hand holding onto the side of your boot. Kriff, this kid is cute. “Alright buddy, we can look together. Lets go!”

You start searching through the crates scattered about the hull. There's a lot of...junk? Some of it is important: Spare parts, tools, that kind of thing. You can’t even tell what some of this stuff is though, why the hell did he have so much junk on this ship? And better yet, why was there nothing for the baby? You search through everything, the child happily running around while you toss things around to search. There's nothing. A pit forms in your stomach, did this child really have no toys? What on earth was that mandalorian thinking? You’ll have to bring it up with him when he gets back. If it weren’t for the fact you were on kriffing Corellia, you would have taken the child to a market yourself and gotten him anything he wanted.

You realize it's probably not on purpose. He was a mandalorian after all. If what the mandalorian you once knew told you was true, then the stranger mandalorian you met yesterday probably didn't have much of a childhood of his own. Mandalorians aren’t raised as children, they're raised as warriors. As if they came out of the womb with daggers for teeth. They're raised to be fierce and aggressive, for the whole galaxy to fear. You look down to the child happily clanking away with some tools on the floor, he’s so precious. He deserves more than that. This child is no mandalorian, in the same way you aren’t. You’ll definitely have a discussion with his father about it, nothing can change your mind now.

You scoop him up in your arms and swing him up, lifting him into the air, and he squeals loudly at the sudden movement. His squealing turns into bursts of uncontrollable laughter while you swing him down and back up again, making a dramatic “Woosh!” through your helmet. He fails his arms up like he's on a rollercoaster, and you can't help but let out a chuckle and squeeze him back into your chest. Maker, he's so precious. You plant him on your hip and begin dancing with him, holding his little hand with yours, opposite to the one holding him on your hip as you waltz around the hull dramatically. His laughter is absolutely contagious, the both of you giggling while spinning around the hull like fools. You get carried away, and get a bit dizzy, having completely forgotten about your head injury. You trip over your own heels and fall unceremoniously straight onto your ass with an ‘oof’. You had made sure to fall in a way that wouldn't hurt the baby, but you immediately check on him first to make sure he’s uninjured.

“Oh shit, little bug, are you alright?” You hold him out in front of you, to get a better look. He seems surprised at first, but then breaks out into the biggest, most heart melting grin, and starts squealing and giggling happily like you falling was the best thing he has ever seen. His smile makes your heart swell warmly in your chest. It almost hurts how cute he is. You chuckle out lightly back at him, then collapse the rest of the way on the floor, Grogu sitting happily on your chest.

He crawls up and peers deep into your visor, while your head is resting on the floor. His little hands resting on the hollows of your helmet’s cheeks. You smile at him. You completely forgot you had it on. You lift your head slightly, and gently pull it off for him, setting it next to the both of you. His smile only grows wider, something you didn't think was possible, and he presses his hands to your now exposed cheeks. He must find you fascinating, the way his tiny hands explore every part of your face. He touches your lips and your eyes, seeming to love how you squeeze them tight with his uncomfortable pokes, he touches your eyebrows and the hair falling around your face, he grabs onto your nose, and you gasp dramatically, just to get a reaction out of him, before you're both giggling again.

This child deserves nothing but the best, you think to yourself as he nuzzles into your neck. You bring a hand up to gently stroke the top of his fuzzy head, your other coming up to tweak those big ol’ ears. His little body is so warm, you can feel his tiny heart beat against yours as your snuggles into you. You don’t yet know how the mandalorian came upon this child, but you understand why he took him in. How could anyone resist those big bug eyes, or his expressive ears, or his wrinkly green skin, soft as a peach. You’re kind of glad you got stuck as the babysitter today.

You turn to look at the helmet resting next to you on the floor, and you feel an ache in your chest when it hits you. This is the most you’ve smiled since he left you. You can’t even remember the last time you laughed, a real laugh, since he left you, alone. You’ve been nonstop on the move trying to distract yourself after he passed. Taking bounty after bounty never stopping to rest. The baby squirms a bit in your arms, and you pull him closer to you, squeezing him ever so lightly. You push away your sad thoughts as you press your face to the top of his fuzzy head and take a deep breath. Savoring the moment with this precious child.

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

You should have appreciated that moment more while it was happening. You had no idea how much of an actual nightmare this child could be. He was running you ragged, you couldn’t keep your eyes off him for two seconds without him trying to either break out of the ship, or getting into trouble somewhere on it. At one point he even snuck behind the control panel and was hiding in the wires, poking at things he definitely shouldn’t be. It took you a full hour to coax him out of there, terrified the whole time he was going to electrocute himself, and you would have to explain yourself to his beskar adorning father. Whatever precious being you thought he was earlier? Long gone. Grogu was a monster, a demon in disguise. The most terrifying creature in the galaxy.

“What do you have?” you call out to him, when you notice he has something he probably shouldn't in his hands. He breaks into a full on sprint, running to hide from you, popping whatever it was into his mouth. “NO!” You yell so loud as you launch yourself at him and tackle him reaching in his little mouth to grab a piece of--you don’t even know what--and take it away. He struggles against your grip and takes off again hiding somewhere in the hull. You spend the next 30 minutes, at least, looking for him. The worst game of hide and seek imaginable.

Now, he's wailing, screaming out in a shrill, terrible cry in your arms. Maker, if you didn't know any better you would think he was dying. As much as you were judging the mandalorian’s parenting earlier, you admit, you have no clue what you're doing. You’re a bounty hunter, you don’t know how to care for a child--a baby! You’re bouncing him helplessly in your arms, shushing him lightly, “It’s okay little bean, everything is okay shh...it's alright…” but it's not working. If anything he's crying even harder now in your arms. Maker, you're at your wits end. You’re exhausted, and so sore. You thought you hurt when you first woke up? Oh boy, nothing could have prepared you for how you feel now after running around after this child all day. His screeching is only making your head pound harder than it already was. You sigh raggedly and slump to the floor in the corner of the hull next to where your things are still laying, Grogu still wailing in your arms.

You tiredly turn your head to look in the direction of your bags. What could you possibly want? What can you do to help him? Maybe you just have to wait it out...wait a minute--wait! He's probably hungry! Oh maker, how did you not realize it sooner? Neither of you have eaten all day. You quickly start digging through your things with one arm, Grogu sobbing helplessly in your other. You’re a fool, you could have saved you both so much suffering. You find what you brought of your rations as quickly as you can. The baby’s crying immediately settles down to a couple weak hiccups and sniffles when he hears the wrapper of a ration bar in your hand.

You settle him down gentle in your lap, facing him forward so he can lean back against you. He reaches his little hands out impatiently while you unwrap the ration bar for him, “hang on little bug, it’s coming. I'm sorry you're probably so hungry…” you finish unwrapping it and break off a piece to give to him, and he swallows the whole piece immediately. “Whoa little guy, don’t eat too fast, take it easy.” you let out a laugh as you break off another, smaller, piece and feed it to him. You take a bite for yourself too. You don’t have much of an appetite to be honest. You’re not sure if it's because you're so sore from the crash or what, but you make sure you eat anyway.

He eats 2 whole ration bars himself, it's pretty impressive. As soon as he was done eating, he turned around facing you and reached up with his little grabby hands to be held. When you held him in your arms, he almost immediately fell asleep. Nap time, thank the maker. You stand ever so carefully as to not wake him, and head to the little alcove on the other side of the hull. You assume this is where the mandalorian sleeps, you wouldn’t think it's big enough for a man of his size, but the pillows and blankets lining it tell you otherwise. There's a hammock on the inside, you assume that's for the baby, it's perfectly his size. You set him in it and wrap him tightly in his blanket. You let out a sigh of relief at the sight of him sleeping peacefully, instead of reigning anymore terror on you and the ship. He was probably acting up because he missed his dad. You stroke his little head gently a couple times with your thumb, he's back to being the most precious creature in the universe. You press a button on the wall besides the alcove and a metal door slides down enclosing the peacefully sleeping baby so he won’t be disturbed.

You stretch your arms over your head, then twist your waist to let out some of the tension. You feel like you got absolutely steam rolled. You decide to head to the fresher, just to splash some water on your face, something, anything to help with the utter exhaustion your feeling. When you step in, you’re surprised just how small it is. It's cramped in here for sure. You sigh as you lean over the sink, your arms barely managing to support your weight as you lean into it. When you look in the mirror you're shocked at your own reflection staring back at you. You’re a mess. You have a huge bruise across the left side of your face, which must have been from when you hit your head on the console yesterday. You didn’t even realize how tender it was because of how much pain you're in altogether. Your fingers brush over your swollen cheek. Maker, your hair was a mess too. You pull it out of your ponytail and smooth it down the best you can.

You glance at the miniscule shower next to you. The mandalorian wouldn’t mind right? Y'know what? Who gives a kriff! He's the one who made you babysit his child without warning, he owes you this shower. You leave the fresher momentarily to grab some fresh clothes, before returning and starting the water, filling the tiny fresher with steam. You begin the tedious task of removing all your armor. You’ve gotten much quicker at it, and with each piece of beskar you remove, you instantly feel relief, your body no longer having to support all that weight.

You think back to the first couple times you put the armor on. You had the hardest time with it, all of the different fasteners and magnetic pieces, you couldn't figure out what went where. Not to mention everything was way too big on you, so you had to figure out a way to layer underneath it so it would fit. You looked so awkward the first few times while you went through trial and error, figuring out what worked for you and what didn’t. And taking it off? You don’t want to be reminded.

You’ve come so far since then, easily stripping down all your layers, your beskar now a pile on the fresher floor. You look back to yourself in the mirror, seeing all the dark purple and blue bruises lining your whole body. A clear ‘X’ across your chest from your seatbelt in the crash. You definitely took quite the beating. No wonder you were so sore. Stepping into the hot water was instant relief against your aching muscles, and you savored every minute of it. Nothing beats the feeling of hot water running through your hair. Maker, a shower has never felt so good.

You make a point to get out quickly, in case the baby gets up. You definitely didn't want to, but you had to be practical. You dry off and change into new under clothes, before armorning back up fully, and exiting the fresher. You check on the baby, he's still sleeping soundly, so you close the door to the alcove again to allow him to finish napping. You grab your helmet off the floor where you left it and climb up to the cockpit, settling down in your respective seat. You hum as you lean back, you feel so much better. You’re tempted to get a nap in yourself, but you can’t. Not until the mandalorian comes back and you leave the surface of this planet. He was right when he said it wasn’t safe. Corellia was absolutely crime ridden, polluted, and dangerous. You dreaded coming here every time, but you know you’ll always have bounties to grab that will bring you back here.

You really hope he doesn’t take too long grabbing this quarry. You’re not sure how long you can handle watching this child. Grogu was adorable, but after today you’re dreading the thought of being alone with him again for much longer. You groan remembering you chased a bounty for two weeks once--and how he mentioned this bounty was an expert evader. You shudder at the thought of being alone with this child for two weeks. No way, you wouldn't be able to handle it, you would be taking more from his cut of your bounty, it's not worth the 50/50 split at that point. Suddenly it dawns on you, you're paying this asshole five thousand credits to watch his kid for him! He should be paying you!

“Asshole!” Your voice rings out through the cockpit, with no one but you to hear it. You’re glaring out the front window when you notice movement, you sit up straighter and peer out more intensely hoping for that shiny beskar to reveal itself through the trees, but it’s not him.

----

Oh the relief he feels when he sees your seemingly abandoned ship in the woods. “Thank the maker…” He breathes out to himself, then hurries up to it. He’s been stranded on Corellia far too long, he ended up here on complete accident and had no way off. He felt extremely lucky the underground gang rings on this planet were keeping the bounty hunters busy.

He walks up and is surprised to find the ramp to the ship is already lowered, “hah, morons!” he chuckles to himself as he happily boards the mysterious and worn down ship. It's old, but as long as it can get him off this planet, he doesn't care. Should be easy enough to hotwire at least. A quick look around and he can see just how much junk is in here. Crates everywhere. “Jackpot…” he knows he can find some idiot to sell all of it to, and he’ll be walking away with not only a new ship, but a pocket full of credits too!

Lost in his daydream of what he’s going to spend his future credits on, he heads up to the cockpit and sits in the pilot's seat, “alrighty...let’s see...how do I---” he’s cut off suddenly by the feeling of cold metal to the side of his head. He gulps audibly as the sound of your safety flicking off echoes through the cockpit. “l-listen--I….I don't want any trouble okay? I’m just--just trying to get a ride out of here...”

“Oh, you’ll be getting a ride out of here alright.” Your voice modulated and tinny as it runs through the highpass filter of your helmet. “You picked the wrong ship to board my friend…” Your voice lowers to a threatening level, “who are you?”

“C-cadan Vamma...please...I’ll leave right now, no trouble! Like I wasn’t even here!” He turns his head slightly to look at you, his hands held up in surrender, and you allow it. The gasp he lets out at the sight of your visor fills you with satisfaction. He starts rambling in his panic, “L-look! I...I dont---I dont know how much they’re offering you--but--but I can...I-I can double it!”

Suddenly you have an idea of what's going on here, was this the big bad bounty the mandalorian was hunting? The one he said was so dangerous? You want to laugh, but not with the quarry himself in front of you. “Get up.” You snap out at him and nudge him with your blaster. He immediately shoots up without hesitation, hands still out in front of him in surrender.

You nudge him towards the exit to the cockpit, towards the hull, “move it!” You press your blaster into his back to encourage him forward, and he complies, easily. There's no way--nooo way this was the bounty the mandalorian was talking about earlier. This guy is a joke, trembling as he moves to the hull of the ship. You force him to make his way to the middle, right in front of the ramp.

“Sit.” You command, blaster still at his back. He complies without any hesitation, it makes you smile under your helmet. This was easy, you could do this anyday. You stand next to him and stare down at him, squaring your shoulders to try and seem as imposing as you can. He stares into your visor, absolute fear written all over his face. You don't even have to try, you almost feel bad for him. You grab a pair of cuffs from your belt and toss them down at his feet, “put those on.” You can’t help but smile under your helmet as he does. His trembling hands struggling to do so. You take a seat across from him, not moving your visor off him for a second. Simply to mess with him. You know he won’t run, but you’re having fun making him squirm under your stare.

“Uh...what--uhh...so what now?” He has no idea what your plan is, why you haven't thrown him in carbonite yet is an absolute mystery to him.

“Shut it.”

“O-okay no problem.”

You both sit there in absolute silence. You don’t move the gaze of your visor off him, and he’s trying to look anywhere but. Lets see how long it takes that moron of a mandalorian to get back here.

“Can I use the fresher? I haven’t gone since earlier today and let me tell you--” “I said,” you tilt your helmet and point your blaster back at him, “Shut it.”

You both hear footsteps come up the ramp, then halt suddenly right at the entrance, and you see Cadan’s eyes widen in horror. You finally break your gaze from the quarry, “ahh finally you made it back.” you quip at the armored man towering at the entrance. You see the shiny mandalorian just staring at the quarry, sitting in the middle of his ship, cuffed, and you can tell he's confused. His visor snaps to you, and you nod to confirm. That's the bounty he's been looking for all day, waiting for him at his ship. You almost wish he could see the shit eating grin on your face right now. This whole scene is hilarious.

“Guess I didn’t have to come with you after all!” You shrug

Cadan finally shakes from his horror, “They sent not one, but TWO mandalorians after me? For some petty property theft? Is this a joke?”

You lean back from where you’re sitting on the floor, relaxing your whole stance. Oh this just keeps getting better. “Oh man, property theft huh? One hell of a criminal.” You’re not even looking at Cadan, instead you’re tilting your helmet mockingly at the mandalorian in the doorway with your words. He just stares back at you in silence. Oh he's mad, you realize. Doesn’t like being mocked in front of his bounty apparently. You can't help the light chuckle that escapes you for just a second.

The quarry snaps his gaze to you when he hears you, “Are you--are you laughing at me?!” He seems beyond offended, and that makes you want to laugh more. The mandalorian suddenly strides over to the quarry and lifts him roughly by the collar. “H-hey! Hey! Okay come on now--you don't gotta be like that--we can work out a deal or something?” The armored man says nothing as he walks Cadan to the carbonite chamber.

“I don’t bargain with quarry.” He spits out finally through the modulator of his helmet as he hits the button, filling the carbonite chamber with gas, freezing Cadan Vamma in a permanent state of fear. Now you laugh, like really laugh. You can’t help it.

“So that was your super dangerous bounty? The one you’ve been hunting all day for? The one who just wandered onto the ship like a moron?”

“Where's the kid?” He’s clearly not finding this as hilarious as you are, which only makes it better.

“He's sleeping.” You nod towards the alcove, “Don’t wake him, he's been a nightmare.”

“Figured he would be.” and with that he's making his way up to the cockpit, closing the ramp behind him. You decide to follow him up after a moment, you have to relish in this a little longer.

By the time you make it up he's already sitting in his seat, and you bounce over to sit next to him. Oh you are in a fantastic mood now. You pull off your helmet and take a deep breath in, you turn to look at him only to find he's already looking at you.

“What? Sorry, did I embarrass you too much in front of the bounty?” you tease lightly, but he just looks away from you and back to the control panel in front of him, already starting up the engine, saying nothing in return.

“Aww,” your tone only growing in its mocking nature, “Got nothing to say big guy?”

“Nope.”

“Ooo...,” You pretend to wince at his short response, “I must have really embarrassed you then,” and you can't help but laugh a loud hearty laugh. What a fool you made of him back there. “Escaped convict,” you continue to chuckle to yourself, “Evading hunters for for too long,” you mock and continue to snicker.

“You done?” He finally turns his visor to you, and you can’t help the shit eating grin still smack dab across your face.

“Oh don’t be such a stick in the mud, shiny!” He deserves to be kicked down a couple pegs, it's what he gets for being such an asshole earlier. He just shakes his head with a distorted, modulated sigh, and continues takeoff.

The two of you sit in silence while you break through the atmosphere and into the familiar darkness of space. He sets the autopilot, punching the coordinates for Nevarro into the nav comp, before standing and making his way out of the cockpit. You take the moment alone to get comfortable, slouching in your seat, pulling your knees up and resting them against the dashboard. You pull your helmet in close to your chest and take a deep breath in, gazing out at all the stars. The sight still takes your breath away.

You thought by now you would be used to it, but you couldn’t have been more wrong. Everytime you see the beauty of starlight surrounding you, you fall more and more in love with the sight of it. And now, the stars hold a whole new meaning for you, every single one of them, the sight of them clustered and beautifly scattered around, the sight of them blurring past you in hyperspace, no matter where or how they looked, they all remind you of him. You let your mind drift off to a memory, the first time he whisked you off in his ship and through the atmosphere of your home planet.

*** You squeezed your hands to the arm rests of your seat as you ascended through the atmosphere, clenching your jaw tight. Maker, you were absolutely terrified. You hear his laugh cut through the roaring engine of the ship as he catches sight of just how scared you are. You want to yell at him, be angry with him, how could he be laughing at you right now? But you can't, Your stomach is in knots, and your grip tightens on the seat. You’re too scared right now to form any sort of retaliation at him. The rattling of the ship is so forien to you as it rushes to break through the planet's gravitational pull and into space.

“Relax, sweetheart!” He looks back to you for just a second, touching his hand to yours, which is still desperately gripping the armrest for dear life. “Don’t you trust me?”

“Not really!” You admit, your voice coming out as just a squeak through your tight lungs. You swear you haven’t breathed since the ship left the surface. He lets out another hearty laugh at your honesty, turning his attention back to his flying.

You get the feeling he can definitely fly smoother than this, he must be showing off, trying to impress you. It’s not working. You clamp your eyes shut, not being able to keep them open while the ship rushes into space.

Suddenly though, the whole ship settles, relaxes, and everything is calm, you can barely feel the ship moving anymore. The engine beneath you now reduced down to a low hum. You open your eyes and--

“Maker!” You gasp out, lifting out of your seat as much as you can with your seatbelt on. The sight that hits your eyes through the cockpit window is unlike anything you have ever seen. The faint twinkling of thousands of stars stretching over and painting the darkness of space in front of you. You’ve never seen anything more beautiful, it swells in your chest, and you feel tears begin to well up behind your eyes. You’re barely breathing, but for a whole different reason now.

“You like it?” His voice is so soft, barely above a murmur, as he stares longingly at you. The way you’re totally mesmerized by it fills his heart in such a special way, a way he doesn't quite have a word for yet. You can’t even respond, you’re so blown away by the beauty in front of you, unable to find words to describe the stunning sight in front of you. He turns completely towards you and carefully takes your hand in his.

“This is-- I…” You reluctantly take your eyes off the view from the cockpit window, and into his visor, “I’ve never-- It’s...it’s beautiful…” You wistfully stare back out the window unable to focus on anything else. You want to soak it all in, commit every single star to memory, and store it away so you can dream of them every night.

“Not nearly as beautiful as you, cyar’ika…” He squeezes your hand lightly, taking in every detail of you, in the same way you are the stars. You can’t help but break your gaze to look back at him again. Hearing the endearing term in his mother tongue never fails to make your heart race. He just continues to stare at you, visor tilted, while he gingerly runs his thumb over your knuckles.

“Pick one.” He nods out to the sea of stars before you.

“Huh?” You once again look to the stars, “What do you mean, pick one?”

“Any one of them,” he scoots to the edge of his seat and grabs your other hand in his free one, leaning closer to you, “Just point, point to any of them, and that's where I’ll take you.” There's a sort of excitement in his voice, some kind of...something you can’t quite place.

“I...What are you saying?” You can't help but laugh lightly at how ridiculous he’s being. Suddenly he stands from his seat, unbuckles your seatbelt and pulls you up with him. He walks you up so the both of you are pressed against the control panel, as close to the front of the ship as you can possibly be. He wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you in close, squeezing you to his chest, and turning to the side so you can still admire the view with him.

“Come with me, mesh’la.” He leans forward resting the front of his helmet to the top of your head. You look up at him, surprised, not quite understanding. “Come with me, and I will take you anywhere you want to go.” He rests a finger under your chin to pull your gaze even farther into his, “Come with me, and these stars will be yours to look at every single day. Let me take you to see every single one of them, until you can’t bear to look at another star ever again.” He pauses to take a deep breath, spilling his heart out to you is making him breathless, “I want to show you every planet, every moon, I want to show you the most beautiful things this galaxy has to offer…I want to travel the galaxy with you by my side, mesh’la. No one else.” He slides a hand up to cup your cheek, stroking his thumb gently over it.

You feel like you’re shaking, your tears are threatening to spill out any second at the beautiful confession laid out before you. Your words are stuck in your throat, you can’t respond. You just stare wide eyed into his visor, your heart practically beating out of your chest. You can’t say anything, your words caught in your throat. “Will you come with me?” His voice is so quiet, so caring, so genuine. He tilts his helmet slightly and touches it gently to your forehead, and you close your eyes at the gesture, wanting to soak it all in.

You pull away from him just enough that you can turn back towards the window of the cockpit in front of you. He’s confused, his hands holding onto your waist as you take a moment to stare out at the vast amount of stars in front of you. You can feel him nervously grip you the longer you stare out without saying anything, worried you might reject him, but then you shoot your arm out and point out the window, taking him by surprise, “That one.” It’s truly all you can manage, and you hope he understands. You know he does, when he steps behind you and leans his helmet to your level, right next to your ear.

“That one? Are you sure?” His voice is barely above a whisper at this point, but you can still hear the smile in his voice.

“I’m sure,” You turn your head to smile at him, “that's the one.”

***

You’re suddenly sucked back to the present when you hear the mandalorian make his way up the ladder of the cockpit, Grugo tucked in the bend of one of his arms. You lower your knees and sit up in your seat, as he lowers into his, setting the sleepy baby in his lap.

“You woke him?” You question. Doesn’t he realize what hell you went through to get him to sleep? “He was fussing when I got out of the fresher.” He gently strokes Grogu’s wrinkly green skin with his thumb and you can’t help but smile. “He missed you.” You tilt your head and boop the baby gently in the nose. He’s so sleepy he barely reacts. Back to being the most precious creature in the galaxy. “Oh yeah, that reminds me!” The mandalorian turns his attention to you, so you continue, “Please tell me I just wasn’t looking hard enough and you have some toys for this child.” You give a firm glare to the visor.

The armored man just reaches out and unscrews a metal ball from the top of a lever on the control panel, “He likes this.” The baby immediately coos and sleepily reaches out for it as the mandalorian drops it into his tiny hands. He...he can’t be serious?

“I...you’re joking right? That's not a toy! That's a hunk of metal!” you groan exasperatedly and run a hand through your hair, trying to keep your cool. For someone so shiny, he was pretty damn dim in the head. “As soon as we get to Nevarro, I’m getting this kid some toys, and it’s coming out of your half of the cut!” You point at him sternly. “Stars, you really don’t know what you're doing do you? He’s a baby! He probably wouldn't act out so much if he had something to do!” The mandalorian doesn't say anything, just watches the baby in his arms while he sleepily plays with the smooth metal ball in his hands. You aren’t sure why you were expecting more of an argument from him, but maybe you were right. You get the feeling this mandalorian truly had no idea what he was doing at all, just trying his best to take care of the baby, alone, the best he could, while turning in just enough bounties to get by. It must be hard for him. It was hard enough for you all alone, you can only imagine how much harder it is with a child to care for.

“How’d you find him?” Your tone has softened significantly. As much as you don’t like this guy, you feel for his situation.

“He was my bounty.” He only lifts his gaze to you when you audibly choke on air, nearly shooting out of your seat.

“He what?!” You don’t mean to shout that loud, but that was definitely not the answer you were expecting.

“I turned him in, but I had to go back for him. Didn’t feel right. We had the whole guild after us for a while. I couldn’t let them bring any harm to him.” There's a certain softness in his voice that you haven't heard from him before. “So I took him in, a foundling, just as I once was, until I can get him back to his kind.”

“You’re a foundling?” The question came out quicker than you meant it to. You aren’t super familiar with mandalorian culture, but you know some, and the concept of a foundling was one you knew. Mandalorians that are adopted, rather than born into the culture. Orphans, picked up and adopted by mandalorians and raised as their own. The shiny wall of beskar next to you only nods before returning his attention to the child. The baby is barely able to keep his head up, using all of his remaining willpower to clutch the metal ball between his hands as he nods off.

“Looks like it's time for someone to go back to bed,” you reach out gently stroking the child's cheek with the back of your finger. The mandalorian slowly stands, careful not to disturb him, and starts to make his way out of the cockpit.

“We have a ways to go before we make it to Nevarro. You should get some rest.” He calls out to you before descending the ladder to the hull.

“You too, shiny!” You return, but don’t get a response. You shift in your seat to get comfortable, resting your head on your shoulder as you bring your knees back up to where they were earlier. You hold your helmet on your hands and peer into the visor, letting the familiar gaze comfort you with old memories, until you drift to sleep.

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