#now gimme a minute i gotta shift into writing mode

[quietlyblooms]

gonna go insane while we’re slow and write kisses for anne, write ask replies, and general replies B)) wish me luck 💜

[honeymooneyy]

you kissed remus!

okay so this takes place before a dog in your past life and is when remus came out to the others, context: fifth year, remus came back from summer and is like “ayo when did sirius get so attractive??”, peter knows remus is gay bc he caught Remus and Cas kissing once, and if you haven’t read the other one - Cas is this guy Remus “dated” for a lil bit

The boys had found the “perfect” way to kick off their fifth year at Hogwarts. The train had arrived on a Friday this year, so after getting all the first years settled on their first day, the marauders had all of Saturday to themselves before they had to get in the “school mode”.

James had snuck a bottle of firewhiskey from his parent’s liquor cabinet and had just revealed it to the others.

“James,” Remus groaned, knowing exactly where this was going to end up. “How did you manage to sneak a whole bottle away?”

“Oh shush, Remus, you know you wanna try it.” James waggled his eyebrows as he settled on the floor, right in front of the foot of his bed. He motioned for the others to gather around, patting the ground.

“I’ve never tried firewhiskey,” Sirius admitted, sounding a tad bit too excited in Remus’ opinion. “Gimme gimme.”

Despite Remus’ reluctance, he sat down between Peter and Sirius, leaning back on his hands and watching the other settle down. He forced himself to keep his eyes away from Sirius, instead watching as Peter finished writing his letter to his mom. He had been writing his mom letters since first year, a tradition that had yet to die off.

Yet as James and Sirius argued over what game they should play with it, or if they should just chug it, Remus couldn’t help but glance at Sirius. His hair had been pulled back in a sloppy bun, seeing as he had been getting ready for bed when James pulled out the bottle, but a couple strands had slipped out, framing his face. If anything, it seemed to bring out his jawline, was it always this defined? And then when Sirius stretched out, much like a cat would, his shirt hitched up to reveal dark ink on his hip.

“Sirius, is that a tattoo?” Remus exclaimed and immediately leaned over to inspect it. If he hadn’t been so busy staring at the other boy’s new tattoo, he would’ve noticed the pink hue that had crawled onto Sirius’ cheeks.

“Er, yeah, I got it when I was at James’ house. It’s Canis Major, because it has-”

“Your star,” Remus breathes, reaching out to push Sirius’ shirt up higher. He was too busy looking at the splatter of ink on his stark white skin to realize just exactly what he was doing. “That’s wicked. Did it hurt?”

Sirius gingerly pulled his shirt out of Remus’ grasp and yanked it back down to cover up the tattoo that was the new center of attention. “I guess. Not the worst pain I’ve felt.”

The boys grew quiet at the thought of Sirius’ rough childhood, and Remus leaned back into his previous sitting spot. What was he thinking, just pulling Sirius’ shirt up like that?? Usually, they were all pretty affectionate with each other, but for some reason this just felt off.

Thankfully, the silence didn’t last long as James uncorked the bottle with a pop. He held the bottle up with a grin, “To fifth year!”

The other echoed him, smiles crawling onto their faces. Sirius had called being the first to try it and grabbed the bottle from James, tipping it back to take a sip. The others watched, wide-eyed, waiting for his reaction. He immediately began to cough, wiping his lips with the back of his hand, “Oh god, it’s hot.”

The boys burst into giggles at his reaction, holding their hands out for a turn. Once everyone had been acquainted with the drink, they had settled into a game of Never Have I Ever.

This game wasn’t the best to play when you’re trying to hide the fact that you’re gay, something that Remus didn’t consider until Peter’s turn came around, quite a few drinks in. He had decided to fully milk the fact that he had yet to get a girlfriend.

“Never have I ever kissed anyone,” he decided, grinning at the way Sirius groans, and in doing so, missing the daggers Remus glared at Peter.

“Not fair, you’re targeting me,” Sirius grumbles, sipping from his glass. It was no surprise that he drank, as the others had heard quite enough about his “relationship” with Mary last year. He set his cup back down, the alcohol quickly diminishing with the way he drank for almost everyone’s turn. They had ended up divvying up the bottle to see who finished their glass first.

“I’m saving myself for Lilly,” James declares proudly, shaking his head to get the dark hair out of his eyes before grinning lopsidedly. “I’m loyal.”

“Is it even being loyal if you’re not dating?” Remus snorts. It seemed the alcohol had rid him of his filter because he then sipped his drink, seeing as he had kissed Cas quite a few times.

Sirius didn’t miss it, turning to Remus with wide eyes, “You’ve kissed someone??”

“Moony!! You’ve kissed someone?? Why didn’t you tell us?” James exclaims, turning to Remus with his mouth agape and holding a hand to his heart in mock-betrayal. “I thought we’re best friends! When was it? Who was it?”

Peter jumped in, hurrying to fix the mess he caused, “Maybe he was just thirsty, I don’t think it wasn’t for the actual question.”

“S’okay, Peter, I’ll tell them,” Remus sighs, thankful that Peter tried, at least. He’s gotta tell them at some point... “It was last year.”

James didn’t miss the way he dodged the question of who, “Okay, but who was it? What’s her name, do we know her?”

“James,” Remus began softly, raising his eyes to James’ inquiring ones. He could feel his throat closing up so he spit the words out, as quick as he could, “I never said it was a girl.”

James’ mouth fell agape, “Blimey! I didn’t even know, what kind of friend am I?”

Remus couldn’t help but stare at him, “That’s it? You don’t care that I’m gay?”

He just shrugged and Remus wasn’t sure if it was because of the alcohol or if it was just James being James. “Don’t really care who you snog. I can’t believe I didn’t even know, we’ve been friends for five years.”

“I didn’t know until last year,” Remus admits with a small laugh. He pulled his legs closer so he could rest his chin on them, and watched James’ reaction. An hour or so had passed since they first started their games and the alcohol had taken a hold of all of them. The world seemed a bit more hazy than usual, but despite that he could feel Sirius’ gaze boring into his side profile. He decided to ignore it for now.

“Wait a minute.” James whirled around to point at Peter, “You knew! How did you know?”

Peter barely got a chance to open his mouth when James let out a sound of surprise.

“It was you, wasn’t it! You kissed Remus!” James exclaimed, seeming proud of himself for having figured it out. Remus couldn’t but fall into a fit of giggles at the thought of Peter and him.

“It was that boy, wasn’t it?” Sirius finally spoke up, leveling his steely gaze with Remus. His bun was falling apart completely at this point, and Remus itched to move the hair that hung in front of his eyes. “Carter, or something? The one you always hung around last year.”

“Cas,” Remus corrected, internally slapping himself for the way he had been staring at Sirius’ hair. “But yeah, we were together for a bit. He doesn’t go here anymore.”

James began on another tangent about how he should’ve known and that he had to admit Cas was a bit attractive, but Remus wasn’t interested. Sirius was uncharacteristically quiet. His dark brows were knitted together as he thought something over. Was he upset?

“Sirius?” Remus’ voice cracked as he whispered his best friend’s name. He needed him to say something more, tell him that it’s okay, that he doesn’t care.

Sirius was glaring now and Remus thought he might be sick, what if Sirius didn’t support him? He couldn’t bear the thought of losing his best friend. His worries only heightened when Sirius finally spoke, his voice unusually calm,“You didn’t tell us for months. Did you think we’d be mad?”

Remus wasn’t quite sure why he was so upset. “I wasn’t sure. It’s kind of controversial.”

“But we’re your best mates. You should be able to tell us stuff like this,” Sirius sighed, finally brushing his hair off his face. When he glanced up, Remus was surprised to see sadness swirling in his eyes. “And we scared you off. What kind of friends are we?”

So he wasn’t mad at Remus? But at himself?? Remus was thoroughly confused, why was Sirius so fixated on the fact that he didn’t tell them right away?

“I dunno,” Remus shrugged, wishing his sweater could swallow him whole. Why did Sirius need to question him like this, especially now?? “I didn’t want to take the chance and lose you guys. I don’t have anyone else.”

It was weird seeing Sirius so serious. He was usually as bouncy as James, cracking jokes and grinning 24/7. Remus decided that he preferred carefree Sirius, this one reminded him too much of the time Sirius returned from winter break with scars marring his back.

“You’re still my best friend, Sirius. I would’ve told you guys eventually.” Remus shifts over to sit a bit closer to Sirius and bumps their knees together. If he hadn’t drunk so much firewhiskey, he might’ve been more cautious about touching Sirius so casually, especially after confessing he liked guys. The last thing he needed was for his friends to think he was a creep. “It wasn’t that long ago.”

“You didn’t have to tell us, I’m not upset about that. I’m sorry you couldn’t come to us about it, I’m sure it had been kinda scary. We could’ve helped you figure it out, that’s what best friends are for.” Sirius bumps his knees back into Remus’, before giving him a sad smile. “I reckon not everyone reacts so nicely, do they?”

“I don’t think everyone’s so open to it,” Remus decided to say. Sirius already looked so sad for him, he didn’t want to add to it by bringing up how the kids in his neighborhood felt about gay people. Or even the way his parents spoke about it when seeing stories in the daily prophet. He hated the pity tainting Sirius’ voice.

Sirius’ eyes brightened as his gaze found Remus’, “So will you tell us about it, then? Cas? And everything? You didn’t get to tell us last year, tell us now!”

That caught James’ and Peter’s attention as they turned to Remus, eager to hear about his romantica adventures. Remus rarely brought it up, seeing as he never had much interest in their conversations about girls.

Remus could feel his cheeks heating up as he ducked his head, bashfully. “It was okay, nothing abnormal.”

“C’mon, Remus, you listen to us when we talk about girls. I talk about Lilly every day, tell us about who you like!” James prods, scooting closer.

Remus makes a point to keep his eyes on the ground at the topic of who he likes. He hated the way his mind immediately wandered to Sirius. He didn’t like Sirius, he was simply admiring his looks and he knew he couldn’t let those thoughts go anywhere. With a sigh, he started, “Okay, I guess I can tell you guys a bit about it. You know that I was friends with Cas for a bit, last year…”

Remus never thought he’d ever talk to his friends about boys, but here he was - describing his first kiss in detail.

[espieviolet99]

Redwood Firecracker - Chapter 2: Bloody Irish and ATF

Kozik and Patience still got back waaaay before the guys. Kozik actually surprised her by checking she was okay to go in before thinking of leaving her or assuming they'd both go in. He saw the way she softened at his question, and they both realised something was definitely right. She merely nodded, yawning before beginning to lead the way back to the clubhouse. As they entered, she was hugged by Gemma before she undid her purple braid on her way towards the dorms. Kozik nodded to the matriarch, as he watched Patience trudge her way into the dorms.

"She seems in a much better mood than earlier." Gemma remarked, looking up at the Tacoma Son. "She does. Must have been the break from the..." he motioned to the clubhouse. "How busy we are." She nodded." The boys okay?" "Yeah. They went to the shop." "Go check on her." She finalised.

She smirked as he walked away, following the route she had taken. He already knew which dorm was hers, as the Tacoma bikers were set in any room but one. He gave a light knock, before the voice of the woman softly called for whoever was knocking to come in. He opened the door, somewhat freezing at the way she looked in her new state of dress. She wore a pair of cosy shorts, with a vest top. She looked over and beamed when she saw him. Something he felt he could get used to.

"Hey, you okay?" She asked. "Yeah. Gemma told me to check on you." He spoke, shuffling on his feet. "I'm good. It's been real refreshing and nice to meet you today, Koz." She nodded. He grinned at her. "You too, Patience."

She stepped forward, leaning up to wrap her arms around his shoulders and pull him into a hug. He responded by wrapping his around her waist, and they stood there for a few moments, enjoying the contact before pulling away and comfortably enjoying each other's gaze.

"It kinda sucks that you gotta go back to Tacoma." She shrugged. "Yeah. But, I imagine Tig would have my ass if stuck around." He laughed. "I wouldn't let him. You're pretty cool." "I think your dad would have my ass for that, too." "What?" "You defendin' me." "I'm a big girl, stud. I can have my own opinion of others." "Yeah, you can." He smiled. "You sleep well tonight, Koz." She beamed, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "You, too, Pay." He replied, testing her nickname on his tongue.

They both looked at each other with a look, before they departed to their different priorities. Patience, sleep. She needed sleep. Having had a near miss with an overload, then a fight - she was exhausted. Though, the butterflies she felt had a great deal to do with that, too.

Gemma watched as Kozik sauntered back in, somewhat smiling. She shook her head, knowing full well that the two were beginning to fall for each other. Poetic, she thought. Not to mention how 'lucky' it was for Patience to be falling for the guy Tig hated above all others. Kozik didn't respond to any of the advances of the surrounding crows, as he busied himself in conversation with Chuck, before the guys got back and he was relieved to go and get his own shut-eye. Gemma did not miss that one bit, and her smirk returned as she saw just how hard Kozik was falling for Patience.

"Hey, baby." Clay greeted his wife, as the other sons either flocked to a crow, or in Jax's case; Tara. "Hey." She smiled, kissing her husband. "Let's head to bed." "Tough night?" "Eh. We will see what happens in the daylight." "Right. Tig okay?" "Yeah, why?" "Well. Kozik is back in town." "Well, it doesn't help that Tawnie is stirrin' the pot, but I think we're good." "He seems to be helping her." "You noticed, huh?"

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

Patience trudged through the clubhouse, grabbed a coffee, then made her way to the roof. The minute she gained any form of consciousness, the noise of general life in the clubhouse was quite powerful. Kozik noticed this, too. Noticing the tense look on her face, he took the opportunity of the guy's being at the station house to go and see how she was. He got on the roof and saw how she sat below the eyeline and leaned back to enjoy the peace with her eyes closed.

"Hey, stud." She spoke, he froze. "How did ya know it was me?" He grinned. "In no lockdown ever, has anyone come to check on me like you have." She smiled, before turning to look at him." Also, your footfalls." "Guilty" He chuckled, before joining her. "Sleep well?" "Yeah, you?" "Until I woke up." She sniggered. "Sounds about right." He nodded." I gotta ride back out to Tacoma later." "Oh." Her face fell. "Lockdown should be over by the end of the day." "Well." She sighed." I suppose that is a good thing. I can go back to my house." "Yeah." "Gimme your cell." She said, holding her hand out.

He indulged her, and watched as she punched her number into his contacts. He smiled as she did so, as she then sent a text from his phone to hers. As she passed his back, she took hers out to then save his number. He chuckled when he saw her write 'Kozzy', and she began sipping her coffee as she put her phone away.

"Thanks." He spoke. "Don't be a stranger, yeah?" "No, ma'am." He saluted, making the both chuckle.

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

After Kozik's departure, Gemma took note of her deflation of mood, and so she took Patience with her on her supply run. She sat in the back of Tara's car, cooing with Abel as they went. Tara could tell Gemma was up to something by bringing her. Tara hadn't been completely blind, but she didn't want to assume anything and knew Patience needed support in these times due to the ADHD. Plus, she was particularly useful with the heavy lifting - along with Sack. Though, when Gemma drove after Polly, she couldn't entirely focus. Patience went from a form of maternal mode from being with Abel, to protective, as Tara asked Sack to stay with Gemma. Tara and Patience shared a concerned look as they got back in the car, now joining her in the front.

"Jax is going to be pissed if he finds out." Patience sighed, looking back to check Abel. "Yeah. We'll see how it goes. Maybe he won't have to." Tara groaned. "Least you still have me, huh?" "Us girls gotta stick together, I guess."

Patience nodded, as they continued to drive in silence back to Tara and Jax's house. She busied herself with watching over Abel as Tara began putting items away as they prepared to come out of lockdown. Patience's phone buzzed, and she pulled it out to find she had received a text from Kozik;

Kozzy: Hit Tacoma

Pay: Yay! How was the ride?

Kozzy: Traffic was okay

"Whatcha smilin' at?" Tara smirked, gaining Patience's attention. "Hm?" Pay zoned into Tara.

They both then jumped when Half-Sack appeared in the doorway, Patience damn near getting ready to fight before she realised it was him. He held his hands up in surrender as she and Tara let out sighs of relief. Patience then frowned, moving forward to peek behind him to realise;

"Where's Gemma?" Tara asked. Half-Sack looked guiltily at them both before answering. "I don't know. Feds showed up, raided the safe house. I had to go." "Balls." Patience grumbled, turning to Tara. "Better call Jax." Sack added. "Yeah." She picked up the phone, dialling the number until;" Hey, I didn't want to bother you with this. It's Gemma, she followed Zobelle's daught- Whoa!"

Patience heard Jax on the phone calling for Tara before Cameron Hayes, who'd shown up and scared the living Bajesus out of them all, took the phone and hung it up, his gun focused into the room. Patience carefully backed up to try and cover Abel. Beginning to size up the situation and work on a strategy.

"Don't move!" Cameron ordered." Sit."

Tara sat, shocked and unsure of what to do. Sack and Patience looked at each other, mentally working out a battle plan. Sack went to surge round the table, but Cameron's gun shifted target. It wasn't until Cameron shouted that Abel began to make noise. Patience found Cameron stalking towards her, so she took a breath and steeled herself.

"Sit." He repeated. "How about you drop the gun, asshole?" She clapped back, keeping her stance between him and Abel.

A moment later, Cameron had swung his gun round into her temple, knocking her clean out. Tara gasped, seeing the blood beginning to stream out her brow. Sack inwardly groaned, knowing that without Patience, this was going to be a lot more awkward and dangerous. The tension was awful. It wasn't until Cameron threatened Abel, that Sack went for him - getting stabbed. Between the time it took for Jax, Chibs and Opie to arrive, Cameron took Tara upstairs to tie her up, before taking Abel and leaving.

Patience groaned into consciousness in the hospital later on, having suffered a concussion. It took everything in her not to panic or lose control of her cool when she remembered what had happened. Piney was there to help her, soothing her in his paternal way to try and calm her before she went too far into an outburst. She was overwhelmed entirely, and when Piney filled her in and took her home - with Gemma gone, she would need to pick up more hours at the garage; with Tig gone, she felt at a loss; Abel was kidnapped and Sack was killed, and she had been knocked out and about as helpful as a chocolate teapot. She was ripe on the verge. The only thing she could think of, was to grab her phone.

Pay: You got a moment?

But there was no answer. And, as the minutes surged by, she could no longer contain it. At least she managed to control herself enough to take it out on her bed as she completely let go.

[endofjunee]

📚 Drunk in Love (last thing I remember) by @lovehoperomance He’s stumbling to the left of the street, hopeful that it’s in the direction of his flat, when he sees it. A food truck. Lit up in gold. It's as if God has taken a giant highlighter and drawn a halo around it. Okay, so it might be the streetlight shining down on it and the yellow light emanating from within...but Louis will still claim godly intervention if anyone asks.

He weaves across the pavement, shivering in what he now realises is a very brisk London evening, coated in fog.

“Hello. Hi.” Louis steps in front of the entire line, waving an aimless hand at the man in the truck who looks completely bewildered by Louis’ antics. The man is littered in tattoos and wearing a green headscarf that matches the sea foam of his eyes. “Do you have any fried chicken? Or a drink? Oh, oh, do you have chips? Oh please tell me you have chips?”

The man’s face, which Louis faintly registers is quite angular, shifts from bewilderment into a stunning, slightly crooked smile.

Or, the one where Louis wakes up, naked, in a stranger's bed and has no idea how he got there. Maybe it's foul play. Maybe it's just the kindness of a handsome stranger amused by his drunken antics. 🌹 Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy by @chloehl10 Harry whimpered as Louis pushed himself up onto his tiptoes, grazing his ear lobe with his lips. His breath tickled Harry’s ears, and Harry swallowed, already anticipating what Louis was about to say.

“I’d like to ride you, cowboy…”

Or, Harry's a barman at Flaming Saddles, a country and western themed gay bar.

Louis’ a customer who’d like to see if the tall barman is as good on the ropes as everyone says he is...

📚 And That’s The Tea by @2tiedships2​ I’d like an Earl Grey with milk and sugar, please.

Louis had the phrase memorized, even though it had disappeared off its place on his upper arm over thirteen years ago now.

At fourteen he didn’t understand. Soulmarks don’t just disappear. Not unless…

Unless one of them dies.

Or, the one where Louis loses his soulmate before even getting the chance to meet them, and he is in no way prepared for the kind of distraction his new friend Harry proves to be. 🌹 I’ll Fly Away by @vintage-harry​ “Harold,” Louis spoke, but not too loud. He didn’t want to startle the cat pile. “Louis? What are you doing home?” Harry greeted him with a toothy smile. “Why are there three cats?” Louis pointed at the third one. “That’s Hail. He’s so sweet.” Louis blinked and shook his head slightly. “Why is he on the sofa, in the house, on the cats?” “He lives here now,” Harry stated as if Louis should already be aware of this. He was not aware of this news until now. “Since when?” He poked the cat in the head, his tiny black curtained head with white ears popped up. He mewed softly before blinking a few times. Louis thinks he looked offended. He looked at Harry expectantly. Harry looked fond. “For three days now.” He smiled at Louis. It reminded him of Dori smiling at Marlin in Finding Nemo.

Or, Louis and Harry live in a small town in Texas of just over 500 people and Harry seems to be growing cats in his garden. Love and fluff.  📚 Baby Honey 2.0 by @vintage-harry​ A few weeks passed by and Louis had spent a large portion of his time with incognito mode on as he Googled ways to hint at pregnancies. He came up with a few ideas but was impatient and felt uncreative at any idea. The most he read about was for online announcements. Louis decided one day while he was at Niall’s with two kittens laying on his stomach to take a photo and post it. He knew Harry would see it pretty quickly as he had Louis’ Instagram notifications on.

Louis held his phone out and took a few shots of the sleeping kittens on his stomach, thumbed through them and found the one he liked best and posted it with the caption, “Three little kittens” he hit post and waited. It didn’t take long, ten minutes later Harry left a comment asking where the third kitten was. Louis rolled his eyes and deleted the photo.

Or, Louis is pregnant this time and tries to find creative ways to hint about it to Harry. Only it doesn’t go as planned. 🌹 fuck fake friends by @artxghoul​ It’s better to just stay away. So he does. He tries his very best to. It’s just weird when you can’t be happy for someone. When you can’t encourage their achievements anymore, because they did it alone or with someone else, when it was supposed to be with you. Harry was supposed to always be with Louis.

Or, if you love someone, set them free. if they don't come back, text them when you're drunk. 📚 The Daddiest Place on Earth by @chloehl10​ dilfs_atdisneyworld: Ooh he's popular. Is it me or has it got hot in here? #dilf #hothothot #gimme

louist91: What the hell? Why the fuck am I on a DILFs page again?"

dilfs_atdisneyworld: louist91, Hello! You're on here because you're a DILF. A dad I'd like to f...😜

Louist91: dilfs_atdisneyworld Oh my god. Fuck off mate.

Or, Louis. Harry. Instagram. A whole lot of confusion and a whole lot of laughs... 🌹 Harry Poppins by @jacaranda-bloom​ When Louis’ best friends pass away he finds himself with an instant family. Maddie and Thomas are wonderful children but take an immediate dislike to every nanny that sets foot inside their house. After nanny number six is summarily dismissed Louis is at his wit’s end, that is until an unusual man arrives on their doorstep. Harry Styles is like nothing any of them have ever encountered before, and perhaps, exactly what they’ve been looking for all along.  📚 tonight’s not over (come over and stay) by @microlouis​ Zayn doesn’t say anything for a moment, pausing and worrying at his bottom lip. Finally, he asks, “Have you heard that Cox guy is coming out with a new song?” Louis freezes, fingers hovering over his keyboard where they had been typing his password.

“No, I hadn’t,” Louis says truthfully. “Where did you hear that?” “Tell anyone this and I’ll kill you, but I’d consider myself a big fan,” Zayn says. His face doesn’t change in expression, completely serious as he admits this to Louis. “Big fan? Like run a blog and everything?” Or, harry is a famous singer and louis is a student who just wants to write his novel. 🌹 Fiction Romance by @rougeandtonic​ Harry has a type.

He likes older, sophisticated, mature men. Well-educated men. Men with life experience and passion for arts and social causes. Men who are established in their careers, who've sorted their lives out.

Niall knows this.

And so Harry can't understand why he's sat here opposite Louis Tomlinson.

Or, a punk Louis/uni Harry blind date AU. 📚 Hope when the moment comes, you’ll say I did it all by SilverShadow1  Standing in front of them with an amused smile was an — there really was no other suitable word to describe him — angelic creature. Soft brown hair that was shaved on the sides and bright blue eyes that Harry had only seen in photos of the ocean; the lad was probably close in age to himself, yet seemed entirely boyish.

“Dad, put me down!” demanded Jess with no malice in her voice. Harry looked down in surprise, forgetting that she was in his right arm. “Oops,” he said, flushing. That caused the other lad to laugh. “Hi,” said the man at the door.

Or, the one where Louis is a piano teacher and Harry and his daughter are goners for him. 🌹 Graphic design is my passion by @kingsofeverything Graphic design student Louis Tomlinson has exams to study for and final art projects to complete, if it would stop raining long enough for him to walk across campus. Luckily Harry Styles has an umbrella, and he’s perfectly willing to share.

Louis doesn’t plan to get his heart broken and he doesn’t plan to make almost a hundred silicone dildos. One of these things definitely happens. 📚 i gotta get better! by @dystopianharry  Harry’s sex life has been pretty nonexistent since he broke up with his last non-soulmate boyfriend. after a chance encounter with someone online, he decides to enlist them to help him out. no strings attached, obviously.

Or, soulmates can feel each others’ pain and harry has some kinks he wants to explore. 🌹 Dreaming of You by @mizzwilde The Begrudging Starbucks AU.

The world is winter and steamed milk and creamy espresso shots. The world is a never ending queue. The world is a Starbucks logo and a pink-cheeked smile from Niall and a bored scowl from Zayn and the world is Louis watching his best mate, Liam, fall in love with their newest customer, Harry. Who may or may not be in love with Louis. The world is cruel. 📚 Through a Mirror Dimly by @londonfoginacup​ Louis Tomlinson, in his third year at university, does not expect nor want the roommate that is being assigned to his room.

Harry Styles, in his first year at university, has just been kicked out of one dorm and doesn't want to deal with yet another snobby, rich roommate.

They don't get along, and that's just how it is, until circumstances force them to reevaluate. 🌹 Raise a Glass to the Four of Us by @2tiedships2 Louis stared at his luggage.

Well. Apparently not his luggage, because the clothing he was looking at currently was a: worth more than everything he currently possessed, b: not his size at all, and c: more suited for a fancy ass lawyer than a holiday in NYC with his best mates.

“Ooh, nice loafers,” Niall said as he pulled one out of the suitcase. “I love the rainbows.”

“Okay,” Liam began. “What do you want to do first? Eat, shop for new clothes, or spend hours on the phone with the airline?”

Louis continued to stare at the luggage. 📚 His and Mine by @kissyboystyles​ Harry is adopted by a wealthy family, soon to be cleared of his connection to his soulmate without discussion on his twentieth birthday-- a gruesome rite of passage. For the past eight years, Harry has been staring at one name: Louis. But what happens now that his heart starts fluttering for a stranger, helping him remain strong at his weakest points? Harry feels he should be cautious; what kind of person goes by the name Tomlinson anyway…

Or, Harry legally isn't supposed to meet his soulmate-- he's rendered physically unable to recognize him even if he did-- but yet, of course, he does. 🌹 Drop to Hold You by @becomeawendybird After the end of the Second Wizarding War and the ensuing diplomacy between Muggles and the Wizarding world, the long-defunct Merlin College at Oxford opened it's doors again.

The ultra-competitive programs at Merlin require a rigorous application process. None more than the Auror training program. Louis finally manages to get in with his best friend Liam after a few false starts, only to be faced with the most beautiful, distracting man he could ever imagine. 📚 The Lone Hydrangea by @lightwoodsmagic “Thank you again,” he smiled at Harry as he picked up the arrangement and headed towards the door, and Harry quickly realised he didn’t know the man’s name. “I – wait! Sorry, I just...what’s your name?” At the man’s eyebrow raise, Harry stumbled over his words, “It’s just, if you’re coming back, I thought I should…know.” As the man looked at Harry, his smile only grew, and Harry’s heart thumped in his chest. “My name’s Louis. Louis Tomlinson, and it was so lovely to meet you,” he shot one final grin in Harry’s direction, “I’ll see you next week, Harry.” And then he was gone. “It was lovely to meet you too,” Harry whispered to the empty shop, putting his head on the counter, “Louis”.

Or, the post Hogwarts AU where Harry's a florist, Louis' a muggle who edits fantasy books, and they both have no say in how quickly they fall for each other. 🌹 A Little Bit Like Fate by @28shadesofpink “So,” Harry starts. “Since I heard you and your friend are not getting married, uhm... Would it be appropriate to ask you to stay for the kiss-in?” “Really?” Louis says, light and playful. “And who would I be kissing?” He looks up and offers a sweet smile, perfectly innocent. “Oh, I don’t know.” Harry is playing along, keeping his tone airy, but he takes a step forward and smirks. “With those cheekbones, I think you could kiss whoever you wanted.”

Or, Louis stumbles upon a kiss-in protest for LGBTQ rights, and he meets Harry. They click. It feels a little bit like fate. 📚 come together by @bottomlinsons Harry and Louis slept together three weeks ago, and haven’t talked.

Their coming group project is gonna change that. 🌹 Seeing Blind by @that-idiot-overthere Louis finally turns his head in Liam’s direction, knows his face is showing the longing he’s been aching with ever since it took root in his chest. “What the fuck do I do, Liam? He wouldn’t want me like that, but I want-” his voice cracks, and he turns his face back downwards. “What do you do when you’re not perfect for the person who’s perfect for you?”

Or,  the one where Harry’s an independent omega who likes to have his fun and Louis is the blind alpha that changes Harry’s priorities. 📚 Sweet as Cherry Wine by @harrieberrie Broken hearts are healed by the luck of the Irish

Or, Louis and Niall are a mess, Niall’s daughter has a hopeless crush, and Harry is hopelessly clueless 🌹 at the end of my rope by @saffona "Baby?” Harry mumbles, voice laced with sleep and a shiver goes through Louis at hearing the term. He hasn’t called him that in so long, in that voice and, clearly, even Louis’ body fucking misses it.

“Did you cheat on me?” Louis finds himself asking. If he’s being honest it’s more so he can see Harry’s reaction, than a genuine question, but what has he got to lose? Sure enough, Harry’s face changes from sleepy to the most incredulous look Louis’ ever seen on him. He actually looks terrified, all wide eyes, mouth gaping like he can’t believe Louis would even assume that and Louis would laugh at it, but he’s so done with the way Harry’s been acting, he just wants to know what the hell’s going on.

Or, the one where they go to Crete and Harry is definitely hiding something. 📚 truth, justice, and the gay way by @hattalove Liam needs a costume. Louis needs a best best friend award, a holiday, and to get a grip.

(Harry’s just in the right place at the right time.) 🌹 Hello My Name Is Harry by @a-brighter-yellow Louis’s 20-year high school reunion takes a turn when a celebrity classmate – who also happens to be Louis’s long unrequited crush – unexpectedly shows up.

A famous/not-famous AU inspired by Chris Evans.

[Previous Monthly Recs]

[unchartedterritoria]

Dangerous (Sam Drake x OC) - Chapter 26

*NEW CHAPTER*

Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 * Chapter 2 * Chapter 3 * Chapter 4 * Chapter 5* Chapter 6 * Chapter 7 * Chapter 8 * Chapter 9 * Chapter 10 * Chapter 11 * Chapter 12 * Chapter 13 * Chapter 14 * Chapter 15 * Chapter 16 * Chapter 17 * Chapter 18 * Chapter 19 * Chapter 20 * Chapter 21 * Chapter 22 * Chapter 23 * Chapter 24 * Chapter 25

As always, you can read the story thus far on A03  HERE

Tags: @jodiereedus22, @shambhalala, @missdictatorme

Reviews and comments are always appreciated!

Summary: Sam and Faith finally get a bead on the location of the Lincoln treasure. Sam finds out Jasper is hot on their heels and finds out in the worst way he ever wanted to. 

Faith grabbed Sam by the hand and led him down the populated corridor. The sun was at its apex of the afternoon, sending tourists off the beach and into the gallery for some respite from the overwhelming heat.

The excitement Faith felt radiated off of her and Sam felt as if he was grasping a live wire. The neon colors that had awoken within her when they had first swiped that diary in Springfield had emerged and taken hold of her again. Sam saw suspicious glances in their direction, more of them being garnered by the second as she half ran, dragging him behind her like a bored dad at Disneyland. Seeing this, he pulled her back by his side to slow their pace.

“Slow it down, you got half the place staring at you,” Sam murmured in her ear. Draping an arm across her shoulders, he kept the two of them at a steady pace as the curious faces gradually turned away from them.

The portrait of a solemn, middle-aged Dr. Samuel Mudd hung square on the wall; the man's narrow chin hid behind a scraggly beard, a vast contrast to the baldness of his head.

A printed picture hung next to it, a large hexagon building of dark red brick floating in a vast expanse of bright blue ocean.

Written over the photo display was a story that Faith now knew by heart. The plot to assassinate the head members of the Lincoln government, the failure of Atzerodt and Paine to murder Johnson and Seward. The trial that indited Mudd as a conspirator for setting the broken leg of John Wilkes Boothe.

A black and white photograph of a cement doorway stood out atop the colorful contrast of the print beneath it. A heavy door with a heavy lock stood open in the shot while a small plaque hung above its entryway. The carved words wobbled, but the sign was still legible:

Whoso Entereth Here Leaveth All Hopes Behind

“Mudd's cell,” Faith said in a small voice.

Sam's eyes scanned over the small paragraph underneath.

"It was an inactive fort, so they used it as a military prison. He helped treat prisoners and soldiers while he was here when yellow fever broke out in 1867, that's how the asshole got his goddamn pardon," His voice dropped to a growl. Frustration pulled at his eyebrows, making his eyes seem to go dark.

“Even inactive, it's massive. If it's here in Key West, how the hell did we miss it?”

“That's because it's not in Key West,” Faith told him while she read the fine print at the bottom of the glossy picture, “It's 75 miles west of here in the middle of the Gulf.”

Her heart was racing as fast as the thoughts in her head. This had to be it. She could feel it, and Sam could feel it too.

Sam's mouth began to travel a mile a minute, spewing forth plans, how to get there, how to find his millions and how to spend it.

Faith stared at the portrait of the famed Dr. Mudd.

Sam's words lost meaning for her as she stared into the dark eyes of the painting, reduced to a dull murmur in her ears. The sound disappeared entirely, as heady anger began to form in its void. A swirling eddy of dark thoughts built up a fury within her that she hadn't felt since she was a teenager, the eyes of the portrait fueled the needless fire.

You son of a bitch. Look at everything you've caused.

"Faith." Sam tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to shift her glare towards him instead of the portrait.

“Whoa, hey. What?” He questioned, pulling his hand back quickly.

“Look at everything his caused,” Faith muttered, resuming her stare at the picture of Mudd.

“All he did was fix the guys leg.”

“And that leg belonged to the guy that killed Lincoln.”

“Not his fault, he didn't pull the trigger,” Sam retorted.

“Guilty by association Samuel.”

“Just because history made him out to be a Bad Guy doesn't mean he was a bad guy.”

“You don't know that.”

Sam brought his face close to hers, his tobacco laced breath wafting up Faith's nose.

“Guess what? Neither do you,”

Faith bit the inside of her cheeks, unable to come up with a response. She could only lower her eyes in silence.

“Alright, now, let's go get this thing,” Sam declared and began to stalk down the hall, a sense of purpose in his step, towards the front doors as Faith tried to keep up with his long strides next to him. “It's a fort in the middle of the goddamn ocean so, lucky for us, there can only be so many places to hide it. We'll hit the bar, Ronni should be workin' this afternoon, she's gotta know a guy we can charter a boat from.”

"You think I'll find my answers somewhere in there?" Faith asked. As the days had turned into weeks, her original search for answers about her family had warped into this larger than life treasure hunt. She had allowed herself to get swept up into Sam Drake's world and into Sam himself. What started with dipping a tentative toe in the water turned into a swan dive into a dangerous blue abyss where the warm water churned with excitement and showed no signs of slowing down.

“They're there, and if for some reason they're not, we keep goin' til we get them,” He assured her.

"What if the treasure is there, but my answers aren't?" She asked, giving the sleeve of his t-shirt a gentle tug, bringing him to a stop.

Faith's answers had always been secondary for Sam on this adventure. Finding that treasure was his primary goal from the moment that Nathan had uttered, 'worth a shitload' and he made no qualms about it either. He wanted to be rich; he wanted a find that was all his own. Finding Libertalia was fantastic for Sam, and as much as he enjoyed sharing the adventure and the discovery with his brother, there was that selfish part of him that kept him wanting more just for himself. In his mind, Faith was just this person he was in charge of. Keep her safe and get her home. Sam hadn't counted on the llama loving, personal demons dealing, Depeche Mode dancing Faith Spencer that had emerged from that dark blue dress two months ago and boldly stole his shirt, taking a piece of his heart and a sliver of his soul with her in the process.

So the question gave Sam pause for only a moment.

“Like I said, we keep going until we get them. It'll just be easier with me being a millionaire,” Sam the corner of his mouth raised into a cocky grin.

“We keep going? We?" Faith's heart fluttered in her chest. She had resigned herself to the fact that this crazy chapter, hell it was more like an insane novel, in her life was coming to a close. The Book of Sam Drake would end with a goodbye, and she had steeled herself for it. The possibility of an epilogue to their story hadn't been a hope for her, until now.

“Yeah,” He said softly to Faith, gently taking the tip of her chin between his rough fingers and tilting her head up until her eyes met his.

“We.”

It was a simple word. Short and to the point. Faith found its meaning in Sam's warm hazel eyes where the two letters spoke volumes.

He released her chin and stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his pants.

“I mean, that is, if you can put up with me that long. I've been told once or twice that I can be a real pain in the ass sometimes,” He said with a sigh, his playful charm back front and center, stowing away his emotional side.

“Sounds like a conservative estimate,” Faith rebutted bluntly. Sam scoffed and continued towards the entrance. After a single stride, Faith grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Wait! Hold up!”

"What?" Sam said, trying not to sound too impatient.

“I never saw Robert. Gimme two seconds!” Faith said, already jogging back down the concrete corridor before Sam could protest. He eyed the front doors of the gallery a few feet away and wrapped his fingers around the pack of cigarettes in his pocket.

Might as well have one while I wait, Sam thought and strode casually out through the entrance, positioning himself near the freestanding post ashtray next to the building.

Faith entered the WEIRDLY KEY WEST section of the museum again. This time, the tourist hustle and bustle had thinned out, leaving the exhibit all to herself. She headed towards the small room that held the doll, making sure to avert her eyes from the portrait of Mudd on the wall. For the next few minutes, she just wanted to revel in the quirkiness of something cool.

Faith opened the glass doors to find herself in a small room. The walls told the story of Robert, his origins and his mischiefs in the town, along with a warning: 'Beware! Ask permission of Robert to take his picture. If you don't do this, you do it at your own risk!' Faith smiled and looked towards the right where a giant blackboard stood. A layer of chalk dust coat it, little fingerprints letting the black base show through. A nub of chalk dangled from a string and magnetic metal clips dotted the boards surface, some with small pieces of paper attached. Above it all hung a sign, asking you to 'Leave a Message for Robert!' Faith smiled. Bubbly anticipation welled inside her as she began to formulate already what she wanted to write.

She finally approached the square exhibit case made of glass in the center of the room. Robert the Doll stood on a riser, bringing him to eye level. Faith had seen the Chucky movies, Annabelle and all of their horrid sequels. All of those films had been based on the doll in front of her. She had steeled herself, expecting something sinister looking and found herself to be very wrong.

Robert looked like any other doll in a museum that was made at the turn of the century. He was the size of a small child, dressed in a sailors outfit, complete with cap, and sitting up in a small wooden chair. A fabric casing simply stuffed with straw, his face was basic, and its features merely indented to define them. Small divets dotted the matte brown skin of his face where time had worn it away, giving him the likeness of a child with pockmarks. In the crook of his arm, he held a small stuffed dog with tightly curled tan fur.

Not in the least what Faith had pictured.

“Wow, anticlimactic,” She muttered to herself, studying the quality stitching that held the doll together. “No offense meant, just not at all what I pictured,” Faith apologized, taking a step back and blew out a nervous breath. “I know granting your wishes isn't your area but, if you have any influence, could you please help me find the answers about my family and why we have that Bible? I would really appreciate it.”

“I really like your little doggy by the way,” She added with a lopsided grin.

A large hand suddenly wrapped around her mouth and nose. Sam had done this to her before, which took away the startling feeling she felt the previous times. She began to roll her eyes and froze. The lingering smell of nicotine or the tangy scent of his aftershave wasn't there. Instead, the smell was sweetly astringent, bringing to mind a fruity tequila. It was also coming from a rough cloth pressed between the strange hand and her face.  

Faith clawed frantically at the hand, pulling hard, trying to scream as loud as she could. She stomped her feet blindly to make more noise and with the desperate hope of landing a foot of the man behind her but his strong upper body kept her forward. Her brain pleaded and prayed for Sam to hear the commotion. Her eyes searched for something to grab on to when a heavy mist settled in her head. Faith's thoughts became muddled as her limbs grew lead heavy. The noise from her decreasing struggle began to sound hollow. As her brain slowed and her sight darken, Faith saw a translucent reflection of the hand wrapped tight around her middle in Robert's glass case.  

The hand was deformed.

Sam checked the time on his phone. Fifteen minutes and two smokes had passed since Faith went to visit her funky doll. He contorted his face in annoyance.

"C'mon honey, it's a doll, we got a lot better things to go look at," He muttered openly to no one. He looked around the lobby of the building which had become eerily quiet as the tourists emptied back out onto the beach. He glanced absentmindedly through the doorway into the grassy courtyard. A meter long iguana dashed across the lawn, fast enough for Sam to register a whizzing by of green hues. Something didn't feel right.

She should be back out here by now, he thought, as goosebumps rippled across the back of his neck. Sam stalked quickly down the hallway, his expression darkened and his heart sped with every tourist he noticed was gone, the hall empty. Seeing the WEIRD KEY WEST sign, he broke into a sprint, calling out Faith's name. Sam strode purposefully through the exhibit.

“Faith?” He called loudly, making a beeline for the tinted window room where the doll was.

“Faith!” Sam shouted as he flung open the glass doors.

Save for the doll in his glass case and the decor on the walls; the room was empty. Sam's eyes scanned the room wildly. The writing on the chalkboard made him stop breathing, stop hearing, stop functioning except to read the words in front of him. Written in chalk, in flowing, perfect script.

I've taken your queen. Your move Mr. Drake. With kindest regards, - J.