#ofc I could wait and see just how loud the construction will be when they start doing the demo first

[damnprecious]

apartment hunting be like 'that flat is in an inconvenient neighborhood, that building is right next to a massive construction site, that kitchen hasn't been updated since like the 70s and the stove looks like a fire hazard, this apartment has a super inconvenient layout, this hasn't got enough storage, a minimum one year contract...'

[tyonfs]

the thing about dating (preview)

PAIRING ▸ lee donghyuck x fem!reader

GENRES ▸ fluff, crack, strangers to friends to lovers, college au

WARNINGS ▸ profanity, suggestive content, hyuck is an architecture student and the star hockey player which is very attractive to me, barista!reader, this fic is not sponsored by Starbucks™, also ofc lots !! of fluff !!

SUMMARY ▸ why mark’s best friend seemed to be pining over you was over your head. you had a better shot at understanding multivariable calculus than the arcane mind of lee donghyuck. unfortunately, donghyuck’s method of flirting appeared to be ordering the most obscure drinks until you blew your fuse.

PLAYLIST ▸ kiss me more by doja cat ft. sza • playboy by exo

RELEASE DATE ▸ read here

WORD COUNT ▸ TBA but around 5k

TAG LIST ▸ @geniejunn @junepops @keemburley @ddontyoumind @pewpewpwe00 @flower-lise @baekhyuns-lipchain @chezzontop @prettyjaems @ukiyoneo @hyuckswifey @kookings @chanluster @jaehy9ngs @jen0zen @jinnieyeolele

AUTHOR’S NOTE ▸ hello! thank you for checking this preview out ♡ this fic is part of @renhyucks​’s “the first” collab and my installment is “the first date” :’) excited to write the rest !!

YOU HAD NEVER EVEN MET DONGHYUCK IN PERSON. Your opinions and images of him were constructed from Mark’s absurd stories during shared shifts. You later found that all your friends knew the infamous Lee Donghyuck, and they all had stories to share with grins on their faces. Thus, you figured that he must have been a hot commodity, but Mark’s Tales of Lee Donghyuck weren’t very promising in terms of his character.

According to your coworker, Donghyuck once got banned for life from a roller skating rink. He was so terrible at balancing on wheels that he ended up crashing into an entire snack rack, knocking down the entire shelf and ruining all the food that was neatly stacked. That spurred a domino effect and caused several other shelves to tumble over.

Fun guy, you thought.

Then, you found out he was the star player of the university’s hockey team. You were dying to ask how someone could be so pathetic at roller skating but be perfectly fine at ice skating, but you withheld your judgement.

You didn’t have a face to put to the name, so you just imagined different personas of Star Boy (you heard Renjun call him that once and it stuck). Sometimes he was a loud frat boy who often blacked out before the party even started, and sometimes you even visualized him as some lanky teenager with unfortunate luck. Mark had never shown you pictures of him, nor did you care enough to look him up on social media, so you stuck to the images you created in your head.

That was, until he was standing on the other side of the register, waiting for you to take his order.

You hadn’t expected to meet Donghyuck so soon, but you wouldn’t have realized it was him until you heard Mark yelp in surprise behind you. It sounded like your coworker was scared that his best friend showed up to his workplace, and you weren’t sure what to make of that.

“What are you doing here?” Mark squeaked out.

“Getting a drink?” Donghyuck scoffed, an incredulous edge to his tone. “Loosen up, Mark. I was gonna see you in the apron sooner or later.”

You were all for friends catching up and poking fun at each other, but you had a line of customers who didn’t seem too happy about Donghyuck taking his sweet time. The last thirty minutes before closing were always the busiest with everyone rushing to get their orders in. On top of holding up the line, Mark’s friend started stealing glances at you (probably expecting you to ask what his order was, but he had that look), so you cleared your throat.

“Welcome to Starbucks,” you greeted cheerily. “Can I take your order?”

Donghyuck grinned brightly, and you could only think about how pretty he looked when he smiled. “Can you make it for me too?”

You glanced back at Mark, who was rolling his eyes and getting ready to take over the register after you were done. He set down the last drink he made on the counter and shot you a wary look.

“Sure,” you replied, a little unsure of Donghyuck’s intentions. You picked up a Sharpie and uncapped it, hand hovering over the cups. “So what would you like?”

“A venti”—you grabbed the largest cup and Donghyuck’s menacing grin got bigger—“matcha green tea frappuccino with a strawberry smoothie base, coconut milk, two pumps of caramel, one pump of white mocha, two pumps of toffee nut syrup, three espresso shots, topped with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle.” After noting the horrified look on your face, Donghyuck added, “Oh, and extra whip.”

“It’s five minutes to closing,” you replied, already tired of Star Boy.

You thought it was some sick joke, but the menace ended up paying for his drink down to the penny. (You wished you were joking, but he paid in cash and even pulled coins out from his pockets). Donghyuck’s cheery smile didn’t die down as Mark took over the register, and he moved to the waiting area as you stepped to the side. His eyes never left you as you tried to wrap your head around his bizarre order. Examining what you scrawled down, you decided to bite the bullet and get to work. Although you suspected that Donghyuck was messing around, he was a customer and it was your job to make his drink.

You had never been so hyper-focused on making a drink. Most of the time, you just let your body take over. This time, however, you were trying to figure out how a star hockey player’s diet could make room for so much sugar.

Surely there had to be a punchline.

You swallowed down the snarky remark thick on your tongue and slid the drink across the counter. “One venti green tea frappuccino for Donghyuck!” 

Before your hand could let go of the drink, you felt Donghyuck’s fingers circle around yours. You were already turning to take more orders, but you froze in place and stared at his hand.

“Thanks for the drink,” he said, the corner of his lip hitching up. “Let me walk you back after your shift.”

You balked. “I live in the apartments on the other side of campus.”

Donghyuck grinned, eyes twinkling under the dim light. “It’s a date then.”

That wasn’t the punchline you were expecting.

[aureostuff]

Anger Issues

Brothers with an MC who has anger issues, cusses like a sailor and is also very strong, but is very supportive and caring.

Gender Neutral Reader

Lucifer

He can get quite annoyed with you at times since your outbursts tend to lead you to breaking anything within a five kilometer radius, and that includes his brothers.

He’ll have to lock you up in your room to prevent anything else from breaking. 

Sometimes when you get REALLY angry at him, you’ll end up swearing at him so fucking hard that Satan would literally be cheering you on.

“Lucifer you motherfucking son of a bitch where the FUCK is my Limited-Edition Vinyl Box Set?!” “MC, what did you just call me?”

This man will not accept being called a ‘motherfucking son of a bitch’, remember he’s the avatar of pride. He will not take your insult well. It also turns out that he accidentally broke it.

Though you insulted him that badly over your broken Vinyl box set, you still care for him as usual. Scolding him for having a shitty work and sleep schedule. Insisting that he could get more work done rested well. (though you’d prefer if he worked less and spent more time with you)

Mammon

Is fucking scared of you, but also fucking in love with you. He’d even sacrifice the things he’s bought that were so fucking expensive, for you to use it as a stress reliever. 

Story time, when Mammon tried to escape Levi and use you as a sacrifice. You’d literally grab his jackets collar, and said to him. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going? Are you that scared of some scrawny-ass bitch?”

Sadly, he managed to get away. 

There are cute moments between you two at times. Like how you are literally helping him get over his immense fear of Lucifer and telling him to ‘man up’ and you also encourage him to stand up to the people who bully him, like a real man.

“Listen here Mammon, you gotta stop letting your lil’ brothers bullying you. You are literally the second strongest, act like it! You’ve gotta stop acting like a pussy!”

All I can say is you’re making progress, just very slowly.

Leviathan 

Remember how I said that you called Levi a ‘scrawny-ass bitch’? He was very offended by that, but couldn’t help but accept it as the truth since he is what you’d call a ‘Slim-Jim’

He’ll yell at you, saying that was offensive. And he couldn’t help it since he was a disgusting shut-in Otaku.

“Who the fuck told you you could degrade yourself huh? I see nothing wrong with how you are you fucking dumbass!”

He’ll be crying tears of gratitude, but he’ll quickly wipe them away and get down to business to defeat, the Huns.

He’ll invite you to play video games with him (specifically games like Super Smash Demons) just to see your angered reaction when he wins. He’ll find it amusing and scary at the same time. It was funny to watch the loser rage when you won. And it was scary because unlike the times when he watched the losers rage, the loser, was RIGHT beside him, and could literally put him in the hospital. 

Whenever he calls himself a gross disgusting otaku, etc. you will literally smack him and swear at him very heavily, yelling at him to stop calling himself that. 

Satan

You think the avatar of wrath, ANGER INCARNATE, would get along with you, A LITERAL TICKING TIME BOMB THAT’S ABOUT TO EXPLODE. Well you are sorely mistaken. 

You guys would literally be the best the best of buddies. No doubt about that. You both would go to libraries (and proceed to get kicked out because of how loud you are), go to art museums to admire art. (and proceed to get kicked out because you’re being too loud and disturbing the other people who are trying to admire the art).

He’ll vent to you about his daddy issues problems with Lucifer. And you’ll gladly help him vent out all his pent up anger. “Listen here Satan. The best way to vent your anger is through violence, so if you don’t want to beat somebody to a bloody pulp, now’s your chance to do so.” when you told him that he was like: dude wtf is wrong with you. Then you told him that he could just use a punching bag. 

So yay! He can let out all his anger AND get ripped! Nice. He can use his (soon to arrive) muscles to crack Lucifer’s head open, yipee!!!

Though sometimes you get angry at Satan and vice versa. You two’ll get into fights and the room you two were fighting will be absolutely DEMOLISHED. Satan would be in demon form- no joke, he will be in his fucking demon form. 

You will both be incredibly bloody and beat up, that the brothers wont be able to recognize you. Apart from those ‘small’ fights, you both are very good friends and always look out for each other.

Asmodeus 

He’ll be telling you that being that angry will make you look like an old person, ew! 

Honestly in my opinion, he’ll be the person you’ll complain about your (small) problems to the most. He’ll be painting your nails and you’ll be like: “Dude, Beel ate the fucking food I ordered from Akudonalds! I was fucking starving and Beel just had to come along and eat it.”  “I get what you mean darling, one time Beel ate the limited edition perfume I had bought and was going to use on my date with this hot succubus.” 

Whenever he’ll take a pic with you, you’ll always look angry or be mid-shout in said pic. 

The replies on that photo would fall into one of three categories: a. They’re mainly focusing on Asmo, b. They would be laughing at your face or c. They’d be asking on who the fuck you were.

Asmo would reply to one of the comments in category c telling them: “He’s my significant other ofc~~”

You could always sense whenever he was feeling insecure, so being the good friend you are, you pull up a chair, and have a talk with Asmo.

Beelzebub

Your strong? Well now you’re Beelzebub’s gym buddy yayyyyyy.

Ninety percent of gym equipment is broken since you get a bit too angry, and Lucifer is going to give you one heck of a scolding. 

Beel will eat your food (he’s the avatar of gluttony, what’d you expect), then you’d literally be throwing hands with this giant.

“BEELZEBUUUUUUUUUUUB, HOW DARE YOU EAT THE FOOD I’VE BEEN WAITING TO ARRIVE FOR A LITERAL FUCKING HOUR.”

He’ll feel sorry and try to make it up to you, he’ll give you food, more food, even more food. Till there’s a mountain of his stash of food (plus the food from the fridge) right outside your door, he would literally wait outside your door, starving, as he’s waiting for you to go outside.

When you do go outside, you’ll spot Beel, hugging his knees, most likely asleep. You’ll sigh and grab some of the food on the pile and made your way towards the man. You grabbed him by his hair, lifting his head up. Beel would yawn and blink twice, then he’ll see your face. “MC... I’m sorry about your food...” you sighed. “Don’t worry about it Beel, now eat this shit. I know you’re hungry.”

Belphegor 

When he tried to kill you, your first thoughts were: Aight, time to kick this guy in the family jewels

And that you did. 

Though you still died, so your efforts were all in vain, and then you came back to life. You literally charged at him and pinned him to the ground, shouting profanities as the brothers tried to get you off of him. 

Honestly, you guys really wouldn’t get along that well. If he’s going to try to sleep, one way or another you’re going to stroll in arguing with one of his brothers. You were yelling loudly and swearing a bit too much that it caused Belphie to wake up, which in itself is an impossible achievement since Belphegor could literally sleep through an entire building construction even if it was all happening right beside him.

He’d be pissed that you woke him up, and then you’d forget your previous argument and focus on the one you currently having with the Avatar of Sloth.

He’ll be very happy when he sees you have fights with Lucifer, because nobody in their right mind would dare shout curse words and punch him in the gut, apart from him and Satan of course. When Lucifer locks you up in your room, he’ll make an attempt to help you escape your prison if he’s feeling generous. 

[kimikaami]

back with the hadestown au heyooooo

(can you tell where i lost steam? lol)

brief plot synopsis and some explanations for who’s who and why below

ok so plot first

short version: Hadestown is a musical retelling of the tragedy of orpheus and eurydice, but set in something closer to the great depression. Hades and Persephone also play pretty big roles. If this interests you at all, I’d reccomend listening to the original cast recording of Epic III, and the song Wait For Me (reprise) from the Broadway version. If you can, find a video recording of that one; I think the spectacle of it all is a big reason for why it’s a favorite.

Long version: Act I opens with Hermes, the narrator, introducing all the characters. He owns a... bar? restaurant? thingy? and Eurydice enters, taking a seat. Orpheus is immediately in love. He introduces himself, and Eurydice’s skeptical, but when Orpheus is able to make a plant grow just by singing, she’s won over. They sing a song together about planning for their wedding and promise to stay together forever uwu.

Persephone arrives on a train from the underground (underworld) for spring. There’s a big party, and Orpheus is hopeful for the future. You should know that it’s very hard to survive in this world during winter. It’s near impossible to find food.

so eventually Hades comes to get Persephone for winter and things get Bad. Instead of ya know, working, Orpheus becomes fixated on finishing his song to make spring come again, to the point of ignoring Eurydice, who is struggling. While Orpheus has part of his song to sustain him, Eurydice needs to actually eat and is barely holding on. After a fight with Persephone about how she hates seeing the underground so industrialized and unnatural, Hades appears and offers Eurydice a job working on his wall. Eurydice, desperate, accepts and gives her soul to Hades. He gives her the 2 drachma she needs to cross the river styx. The fates sing a song that boils down to them telling you to not be so judgey since you’ve never starved to death.

Act II starts with Orpheus asking Hermes about Eurydice, and when he tells him, Orpheus pledges to come for her. He follows the train tracks to Hadestown (the underground). Orpheus sings his way past the wall (i think he makes the stones cry or smth?) into Hadestown. He gets beat up a little but finds Eurydice, who isn’t doing great. She’s gradually been losing her sense of self as she works constantly for almost nothing (capitalism, everybody!) Hades tells Orpheus he can’t take Eurydice because he owns her soul. Orpheus almost loses hope, but. doesnt. He also starts a revolution with the people working on the wall.

Persephone manages to get Hades to give Orpheus a chance. Orpheus finally finishes his song as he’s singing it (Epic III) and it moves Hades. He and Persephone dance which is a Big moment. But now Hades has a problem. If he doesn’t let them go, the workers will revolt. If he does, he looks weak. So he gives them the test: they can leave together, but if orpheus looks back to see if eurydice is following, she gets taken back to hadestown.

They leave together (Wait for Me Reprise). The inevitable happens; Orpheus starts to doubt himself and looks back at the very last moment and Eurydice is taken back.

Hermes sings a song about how the story is a tragedy, but they sing it anyway in the hopes that it’ll turn out better next time. The play starts again, with Eurydice entering Hermes’ bar.

Character Notes I guess

Ahiru as Orpheus is the most obvious. She’s the protag, the one full of hope. Orpheus is described as the one who sees the world as it could be, and i think that’s rather fitting. Not much else to say here.

Fakir as Eurydice. The skeptical one, the one who sees the world as it is. Fakir’s a realist. There’s also a line about how Eurydice falls in spite of herself and ugh. My heart. It’s a puddle. I also just like the idea of Fakir being the one that needs saving this time around.

Rue as Hades. So Hades’ whole deal is that he still loves Persephone and he tries really hard to make their relationship work, but he goes about it in all the wrong ways. Persephone is the goddess of spring ffs, but he keeps her down in the stuffy underground with the neon lights and coal fumes and wall construction etc etc etc. And that’s what Rue spends much of her time doing, isnt it? Pretending that Mytho loves her when he simply doesn’t have the capacity for it (yet), trying desperately to make him love her, and going about it all wrong. It’s all very tragic and. very fitting.

Mytho as Persephone is probably the most awkward tbh. Persephone is full of life. On top she’s a party girl, and in the down below she’s bitter. Ofc Mytho is numb for much of the show but I think that sort of relates to Persephone using alcohol to numb things. I think they’re both really earnest and honest though, and Persephone is the one responsible for getting Orpheus and Eurydice a chance in the first place. Tbh that’s kind of the only rationale i have for him. If you’ve got something better I’d love to hear it, and I don’t mean that sarcastically.

A quick note about Hermes and The Fates. So Hermes is the narrator, which sounds perfect for Drossylmeyer on a surface level. The thing is, Hermes is like. A nice guy, and I like to think of him as a sort of surrogate father to Orpheus. I don’t wanna do that to poor Ahiru. I suppose you could bend the story a bit, but I don’t really wanna do that either. The other option would be Edel, but again, personality. Hermes is a really loud character with lots of personality. So no really great choices. As for the fates... well tbh it just feels icky to adapt their roles as POC with a lot of culture represented in the clothes they wear and the type of songs they sing for white characters. I suppose I could humanize some of the animal characters but that feels kind of cheap. I don’t know. If you’re more educated that me on this I’d love to hear it.

[tellerford13]

MO ASTOR- CHAPTER 36

We don’t own the bikes, brothers, or any “related” Sons of Anarchy, trust us, if we did we wouldn’t have the time to write. No money is being made from our stories. So, please don’t sue. It’d be a fruitless endeavor indeed. That being said, Harley, Journee, and any other newbies are ours, and we don’t share. :Whispers in creepy voice: “My precious.” The universe This reality is a mix of cannon, and our own ideas. We strive to keep the boys cannon, but since we will be shifting around some of the events, that will reflect in our writing and their personalities as well. It’s our goal to provide you with quality fiction, and solid, fleshed out OFC. We appreciate constructive criticism and love LOVE reviews, they are a writers life blood and definitely help encourage us and inspire us.                                                       A/N: Oh My God We’re Back Again. It’s been a long time, but we never lost our love for Mo Astor. We’ve been plotting, and writing, and editing behind the scenes. We’re back to posting once a week. Thank you to all the readers who’ve left comments, favorited, and waited patiently. Grab a drink, sit back, and get ready to become lost in the world we’ve created.

                                         Mo Astor Chapter 36

Jax

It’s been a long time since it was just me and my baby sister. I’m looking forward to the one-on-one, though I’d never admit it out loud. She’s been my rock through some hard times.

I imagine she’d say the same for me. When life around you is constantly shifting, you look to each other to remain stable. That’s something most don’t understand.  That bond you have with someone who holds you down through all the bullshit is lifelong. It doesn’t break when you do jail time, have a difference of opinions, or get busy with life. So yeah, I guess civilians right, we ain’t like them.

“Morning,” I call as I walk into the house and disarm and reset the alarm.

“You’re making me regret giving you a key.” I follow her voice into the kitchen.  

“You love it when I visit,” I retort.

“Did you tell the incubator I’m coming with you?” She asks cutting straight to the point.

I snicker. “Believe it or not, she prefers you.”

Journee scowls.

“Proves how fucking stupid she is,” she mutters.

“Jesus, Baby J. hold a grudge much?”

“Pot meet kettle. Mr. Let’s measure our dicks with Kick.” She finishes rinsing off her dishes, and piles them into the dishwasher.

“That was setting boundaries.”

“Riiight. Whatever you need to help you sleep at night. At least I own my crazy ass tendencies.” She pouts.

“’Cause that’s better?” I lean against the counter beside her.

“Oh, yeah bro. Always best to know yourself.” She winks

“You’re full of shit.”

“Guess that’s why my eyes are brown, huh? Wait that can’t be true. Cause your eyes are sky blue, J.”

“You’re supposed to be coming along for moral support,” I reminder her wryly.

“I am.” She pats my cheek as we head out of her house towards my bike. “I’m breaking you down to build you up stronger.”

“That’s some fucked up Gemma logic.” I mutter.

“She did raise us to be like her.”

“You say that with a straight face and it becomes a scary story.” She laughs.

“I know.”

“Such a little shit.” I’m smiling as I say it. Like a true little sister, no one can get away with more bullshit than her, and she knows it. It reminds me of the year she and Tommy were as thick as thieves. He was a lot like her in many ways—more soft spoken and thoughtful. As an only kid she had a crazy patience for him, reading him books, and letting him trail along beside her.

Part of me wondered if they’d have ended up together if things were different and she’d be a Teller for another reason. Especially with how things ended up for me and Lee.

I push the thought out of my mind. What if’s did nothing but drive you crazy.

“So, what exactly did I agree to go to anyway?” she asks.

“Don’t you think you should’ve asked that beforehand?” I tease.

She shakes her head. “You know I’m your ride or die.”

“I do. Basic check-up, and then lunch. I get the feeling she’s got some new man.”

She whistles. “Damn that fast?”

“Hey. If it keeps her from dicking with me and Lee, and doesn’t affect my boy, let her be happy.”

“All kidding aside.” She shuts the door to the dishwasher and turns to me. “ I’m proud of you, big brother. You’ve come a long way.”

My neck grows hot. “We both know Lee had a lot to do with that.”

“Your, opening your eyes and seeing what was in front of you did that. You and Lee were always just a matter of when not if.” She starts the wash cycle.

“So sure.” I roll my eyes.

“I could see it. Over the years you got so close, but something always kept you from clicking.” “Deep down I knew in order to keep her I’d have to get my shit together, and I wasn’t ready to do that. So I stayed back ‘cause fucking things up between us wasn’t an option, you know?”

“Things came out the way they were meant to.”

“You really think that?” I glance into her soft brown eyes, and she gives me that Madonna smile that makes me feel like everything is going to be alright. I can always be real with my sister because I know she’s going to give me the truth. Wither I want it or not.

“I do.” She reaches over and places her hand on mine. “You both had some work to do before you could commit to forever.”

“You think I have it in me?  Forever and kids and all that?” I ask cautiously. So far, I’m screwing up the baby thing with my first born. It’s scary thinking of another person depending on me, let alone a child. It changes everything, and our life is unpredictable.

“You are your father’s son. Is there even a doubt?”

“Naw.” I lie, trying to fake it till I make it like I always do.

“Didn’t think so. You’re paying for lunch right? ‘Cause I’m starving.”

I laugh.

“You about to try to put a hurting on my wallet?” I hand her my spare helmet before climbing on my bike.

“Better than putting a hurting on your ex.” She says with a shrug, clipping the helmet on.

I chuckle, pulling my helmet on.

“You have a valid point. Damn you are our mothers’ child.”

She blows a raspberry, before mounting my bike.  Little sis knows since she’s doing me a favor, she has the upper hand—and she’s going to milk that shit for all it’s worth. It’s the Teller way.

~~~~~~~ I’m pleasantly surprised and slightly bewildered by the manicured lawn and uncluttered space by the garage. The large black garbage cans are lined up neatly by the curb on the street.

Pulling into the driveway, I remove my helmet and pause to take in the freakish cleanliness it’s lacked in prior visits.  This is above and beyond the duties we assigned the prospect keeping tabs on Wendy’s house.

“Well. This is different,” Journee whispers.

“Yeah.” I frown and turn to look over my shoulder.

“Maybe Ma sent over multiple prospects to tidy up.”

“Nu-uh.” Journee shakes her head.

“She said this was your mess to handle.” I purse my lips. “Which means it’s up to me to help you out with the pile of shit you’ve landed in.” Journee sighs.

“I feel the love.”

Journee shrugs. “I’m only speaking the truth big bro. You choose poorly for your first baby Mama. I told you how I felt about her long before you decided to give her your crow.”

I scowl. “No need to rub it in.”

“I’m just reminding you to listen to me. Sometimes I know things.” She flicks my ear and climbs off the back of my bike gracefully.

“Let’s get this torture session over, please.”

“You think it’s bad for you? I got eighteen years of this bare minimum.”

Storing our helmets in my saddlebags, I wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, be my buffer.”

“I should let you go up in flames,” She mutters.

“That’s not sisterly,” I say with a grin.

“Jaxass.” She mutters.

We climb the steps, and the door swings open to reveal Wendy before we can even knock.  My jaw drops at her appearance. I glance over to find Journee equally shocked.

She looks like a fucking Stepford wife in a pale-yellow sundress complete with a flared skirt and heels. Last time she dressed like this a waffle iron came flying at my head.

“Jackson.  Cat got your tongue?” Wendy smirks.

Journee growls. “Aaaah, the little cocoa sidekick.”

“You know it only takes nine months to bake a baby, and you’ve got what...” Journee taps a finger against her cheek. “Less than three months left?”

“Nice to know you can count,” Wendy sneers.

  This is a new woman in front of me. I’m glad that she’s gotten the idea of us getting back together to be a family out of her head, but this one-eighty makes me uneasy.

I scan her body, and notice the thick strips of white medical tape over her entire right forearm.

They stand out against her nineteen-fifties get up.

“The fuck.” I grab her arm. “What are you hiding?”

“Your mark. Which meant nothing.” She spits, tugging her arm away.

“Let me see.”

“Fuck you, Jackson.”

Journee moves forward, blocking the doorframe with her body to keep me from dragging the smart-mouthed bitch out.

“I swear to God. If you’re using again.”  My breath quickens, and my visions tints red as rage builds up inside me like an inferno about to blaze out of control.

“You can take it off on your own. Or I can make you,” Journee says softly.

“One of these days, someone is going to put you in your fucking place. You don’t even belong here,” Wendy growls.

Journee climbs up another step, getting in her face.

“I know exactly who I am, where I belong, and where I’m wanted. You could never say the same, could you? Poor little lost girl, with loose legs begging to belong.”

Wendy blinks and turns away. Her hands tremble as she unwraps the tape and thrusts her arm toward me. “Look your fill. You dick.”

I peer down at the unmarred skin, and my knees nearly go weak with relief.  “It better stay this way.”

“I have someone to take care of me now, Jackson. I don’t need your bullshit concerns.”

“The minute you give birth to my baby you can do whatever the hell you want. Until that time, your business is mine.”

“It’s my baby too.” Her tone makes me stand up straight.

“What was that Wendy?” My voice drops an octave. “Is the junkie with no job trying to tell me she thinks she’s the better parent?”

“Inside.” Journee whispers.

Of course, We always have to keep up appearances here in town.” My mother’s voice plays in my head.

The fresh scent of cleanser and scented candles greets me. The house has never looked this good.

Who turned her into June Cleaver? I search the place for clues. The laundry basket resting on the couch has t-shirts that are far too big for Wendy, and the black boxers are a dead giveaway.

I don’t feel anything for her. I haven’t for far longer than I care to admit.  But I do worry about the company she’s keeping with my boy still in her belly.

He’s not a junkie. Shit’s too put together for that.

“Going somewhere?” Journee asks, nodding toward the kitchen.

I spot the half-packed boxes and bare spaces on the counter.

“I don’t want to stay in this house of lies.” Her dark eyes burn into mine.

“And where do you plan on going?” I ask. She looks away.

“Do you really want us to have to find you?” Journee asks.

Wendy crosses her arms under her breasts, pulling the material tight around her waist.I take in the bulge that’s grown over the past month.

“I’m just preparing.”

“You’re not supposed to be lifting heavy things right now.”

“I have help,” She snaps.

“You aren’t the only person who’d ever want me.” Her hands ball into fists. “If you can move on, so can I.”

“No one is saying you can’t, you crazy bitch. Calm the fuck down before you distress my godson. There’s no reason for everyone to get all worked up. We get it. Wendy bagged herself a new man. Good for you. We’re here to get our report on the baby, and we’ll be gone. The quicker you update us, the sooner we’ll be out of your hair.” Journee holds her hands out like she’s wrangling two high school kids about to fight.

Huffing, she stalks over to the large chair and sits down crossing her ankles, like some kind of proper lady. I’m in the fucking twilight zone. I lean forward with my arms on my knees, drinking up her reports. My boy is growing properly and healthy. It’s more than I could’ve hoped for, considering how fast and hardcore we were living when she got knocked up.

We were both empty shells looking to fill up spaces neither of us could ever fit into.

It’d been fun for a while, but it had never been built to last. She wasn’t even a consolation prize post-Tara tear down— Wendy was a pretty thing to warm my bed and play by the club rules without question. Now I’m paying for my poor choices.

“You satisfied?” Wendy asks. Journee looks at me, and I nod.

“For now.” Journee nods her head, and we both rise.

“Same time next month, Case.” Journee drawls. Such a little shit. Makes a brother proud.

She scowls as we leave.

“What. the fuck, Jax?” Journee whispers.

I shake my head. “Not sure, but if he keeps her shit together for the next 2 and half months, I don’t much care.”

~~~~~~

Sitting down at the table in Hannah’s, I wait for J to finish most of her meal before bringing up the main reason I wanted to go out to lunch after.

“All right Baby J, so…I gotta admit there's another reason I brought you along today.” I begin, wiping my hands off with my napkin. She rolls her eyes playfully at me. “Of course there is. So, which of my skill sets will you need for this favor? I've got a few spots saved in the woods for disposal and Hap gave me an amazing cleaner kit for my birthday.” She says with an excited grin and a bloodlust in her eyes. She is so her father’s daughter. I can't help but chuckle, shaking my head in Disbelief.  By looking at her you'd never guess what she was capable of.  But with her dad the Sergeant at Arms of Grim Bastards, and her mentor Happy Lowman…there’s a side to her that I never want to get on the bad side of. “Well I do need your skills, just not those ones.” I say, taking a sip of my water. She raises a curious eyebrow at me before smirking.

“Sorry bro, my other skills are only allowed to be enjoyed by my husband and my wifey. As kinky as my old man is, I don't think we're ready to swing just yet.”

She teases with a wink and I damn near spit my sip out. “Jesus J, not that either! Shit little sister, I’ve only just begun playing in Lee's pussy myself. No other dick is going to be poking around in her till it’s been claimed to completion.” Her eyebrows shoot up.“Already planning on making her your second baby mama?” "Second and final. But not just yet. I just got her to say I love you to me. If I plant the seed too soon, I'm worried she'd rip out the roots.”

She rolls her eyes. “Naw Bro, Lee'd never terminate.”

“Oh I know, I wasn't talking about the baby. I was more concerned with her going Loreena Bobbitt on me.”  I say honestly, shifting in my seat at the imaginary pain. She bursts out laughing, nodding her head in agreement. “Yea, that uh, that might be more likely.” She says between adorable little snorts.

I nod my head in agreement. “Exactly and seeing is how I ain't planning on changing my singing voice anytime soon, I'm real careful how I'm navigating this one.” Feels like the story of my life right now. It’s been a unique experience having the girl be hesitant with me.With Tara and Wendy, we went full steam ahead, and the crows afterwards all but jumped on my dick the minute I looked at them.

Lee is different. And being with her like this has shown me just how special she is.

She’s worth the time and the energy to make this work for both of us.

J offers me a soft, approving smile. “That's good to hear.” I nod. It’s a relief knowing how much baby sister supports us. None of this would’ve happened without her, and I know she’s got my back to help me navigate these new relationship waters. “Besides she's got that IED thing in her arm.” I add.

She bursts out laughing again and this time I'm a little confused.

“It's an IUD dumbass. Lee doesn't have a fucking bomb implanted in her arm.” She teases and I can't help but chuckle.

There's a joy in her eyes I haven't seen since before the whole Kyle debacle. I'm not the least bit surprised her old man helped put it there. I've known about his crush on her for years, but I knew better than to say shit. I figure if Chibs was taking his time there had to be a reason. Brother was one of the most strategic mother fuckers I knew. I was fifteen when he patched in, and after losing my old man, I saw him like the big brother I never had. There was no one I listened to and trusted more than Filip Telford.

I loved Ope and, there would always be a lifelong bond between us, but when he met Donna, we both felt something sever between us. He became a family man almost overnight, and I wasn’t done sewing my wild oats. Plus, the way the whole thing went down with him hurting J, it never sat right with me. Those two had been headed in a direction that would’ve been something real special. But then Mary got involved, dragged him away and he came back with Donna.

I can still feel my anger at the look of heartbreak he’d put on Journee’s face.

He’s been out a few months now and I rarely see him. The separation has been painful, but he’s trying to go the way of the straight and narrow for his family. Donna’s laid out the rules damn clearly. If he gets into trouble again, she’s out. Should’ve had brown babies Ope. This was the real danger of marrying and procreating with a Civi. They never fully understood our world, and few respected the price that sometimes must be paid to be apart of it. I don’t resent Ope for finding love, but I do resent his love for taking him away from his family.

“All right, Well then I'm lost Jay boy. If it ain’t cleaning and it ain’t playtime…what could you need from me?” She asks, taking a sip from her drink. My stomach flutters excitedly. I reach into the pocket of my cut. Producing the crinkled, early stages of a sketch I’ve been working on, I slide it over to her.

“Need the artiste in you little sister.” She glances at me and then opens the paper. My excitement turns to nerves as I watch her eyes studying the picture presented to her. "What am I looking at here J?" She asks and I scowl slightly. "I mean I know I'm not a great artist like you, but you can tell it's a crow.”

She chuckles. “I mean I know that, but I’m wondering why I'm looking at crow?”

"Right so, I need your help J. I want to design a new crow for Lee. After the shit with Kick, I need her inked. I want everyone to know she's claimed.” Her eyebrows shoot up again. “Wait what? A new crow, but your dad designed the first one. Why do you want to do new?” “I know dad designed the first one, but he designed it for my mom. And then ya know other old ladies got it and it just sort of became trademark.” I pause. “But there's nothing trademark about my old lady. I want her to have one just for her, cause she's damn special to me and she deserves something that represents not just me but us. Like you and Chibs did. Seeing the crow designed specifically for the two of you made me realize, I don't want her wearing the same generic shit that both Tara and Wendy got. Lee is never gonna be an ex, I know she's my forever and I want this crow to be more than just the generic SAMCRO trademark.”

I explain my thought process to her watching the smile tugging at the edge of her lips.

“So, that's what I need your help with. No one loves Lee as much as me and no one knows her better. I've got an idea and I can explain what I want, but I need your help executing my vision and making it something that represents us both and that she'd be proud to wear.”

I wait for her reaction. She studies the sketch and runs her fingers over the lines. “Where are you thinking she wears her brand?” I can’t help but remember before we were together, standing in my dorm room at Journee's engagement party.  Journee running her slender fingers over Lee's chest saying how sexy a chest piece would look. I lick my lips and shift in my seat before clearing my throat. “Depends what we come up with. I know I’m definitely going to want her to get a chest piece so anyone who looks knows exactly who she belongs to, but I also know she's gotta be careful with size given her business dealings in the upper crust. So maybe just property off Jax across her chest so she can cover it up if need be. But this crow, HER crow...I don't want to worry about size. Maybe her shoulder or tricep for when she's in tank tops. After we design it and I give it to her, I'll let her decide where.”

Journee nods thoughtfully. “All right so explain to me what you're thinking.” She reaches into her oversized satchel she almost always has with her, and pulls out a small sketch book and pencil. I chuckle at her. She shrugs sheepishly. “Hey I'm an artist, never know when inspiration might strike.” She says flipping the book open to an empty page. “So I like what you have going here with the crow but what if you go with a two headed crow. Sort of like you and her becoming one.”  She explains, masterfully sketching out what I'd already drawn and adding on to it. “Now, tell me what else you're thinking.”

By the time we’re finished, the idea is a fully formed tattoo. The two crows each have a wing.

A bleeding heart in the middle of the crows speaks to our passion and dedication for each other. One crow clutches an A.K. 47 for the club, and the other crow clutches an olive branch to represent the peace she brings me.  With her, I’m completely balanced. Journee’s thrown in a few other hidden easter eggs to symbolize Lee.  My name sits above the entire thing to let everyone know who my old lady belongs to. I love that in a way Journee is woven in there. There would be no me and Lee without her wonderfully “subtle” match making ways. We stand to leave, and I toss 20 extra bucks down on a 24-dollar bill. SamCro always makes sure to tip extra well in town. Keeps our business running and our business owners happy to have us. As we're walking out my phone rings and I can't help but grin when I see Lee's name on the caller ID.

“Hey beautiful, I was just thinking about you.” I say answering the phone. “How'd your meeting go?” I ask as we walk towards my bike. "Hey baby, went good. I think your mom and I were able to nail down the last of the details for the taste of Charming festival coming up.” I can hear the relief in her tone.

“Glad to hear it Darlin. J and I just finished up lunch. Headed back now.” I pause.“I mean, headed home.” I correct, winking at the smirk J gives me. “Glad to hear it darlin.” She mocks on the other end. J and I get to the bike and she grabs her helmet. “How’d your meeting go with Wendy?”

“Went good. I’ll tell you more about when I get there.”

“Okay baby.” I can hear her hesitation for a moment.

“Something wrong?”

“No, not at all. But umm Sack came by this morning with a few boxes of your stuff. And I hope you don't mind that I started unpacking some things. You know I hate boxes.” My heart damn near soars at her words. “Of course I don't mind Lee. You know how I hate unpacking, so unpack away. I can't wait to see it. My shit mixed in with yours. Bet it's gonna look amazing.” I say honestly. After our bathtub wall breaking session we both wanted as much of my stuff into her house as soon as possible.

Mostly cause I didn't want her changing her mind on me. “I think you'll like it. I’m headed back to the house now. You done for the day or you got Club stuff you gotta do?”

“I got some free time babe. I'll head over after I drop J off.”

I mount my bike so J can get on while I finish up my phone call. “Okay sounds good Jax.” She grows quiet for a second before a sweet "I love you Jackson," comes through the earpiece. I can't help the smile hearing her initiate the L word that been circling my head for months.

“I love you too Harley.” I say sincerely, picturing her bashful, smile on the other end.

“I'll see you soon babe.”

“Okay, bye baby.” She says before disconnecting the call. Journee is settled in her seat behind me and I can practically feel her smile. “How'd that feel?” She asks learning forward to wrap her arms around my waist. “Pretty Amazing, I’ll never get tired of hearing that from her.” I answer honestly, pulling my helmet on.  I can always be honest and real around J. “I know the feeling.” She says giving me a squeeze. She leans forward to place an affectionate kiss on my check.“I'm so happy for you Jackson. For both of you.” She says.

I thread my fingers in her course curls and cup the back of her head. After Pressing a firm kiss to her cheek, I rest my head on top of hers for a moment. “Thank you, Journee. For everything.” I sincerely say.

There is no doubt in my mind if it hadn’t been for my baby sister I wouldn’t be in this amazing stage with Lee.

Knowing me I would’ve fucked us up by now. She gives me a squeeze before situating in her seat. “All right, enough with the chick flick moment. Take me home chauffer, time for me to go see my old man.” She says like a little kid getting ready to open presents as soon as she gets home. “Yes ma'am.” I tease starting my bike and heading out. ~~~~~ A/N: In case ya’ll were wondering this was what Tellerford was thinking Lee’s Crow Looks like. It’s based off a Design the show produced and was tweaked to fit our image lol. So we thought you might like a little glimpse into what’s in our head. 

[spaghettifox-123]

Beast of the Darkness I

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/ winter-soldier X OFC/ reader AU

Wordcount: 2580

Summary: meet the winter-soldier, one of Hydra’s most skilled and deadliest assets, and the enormous fire-breathing creature that has always been by his side.

Author’s note: I like watching avengers movies, and I like watching Sebastian stan as the winter-soldier even more ;), but I’m no marvel expert and so there may be some canon mistakes. Also, these writings are based on the movies, I haven’t read the comics…

Furthermore, English is not my first language so grammar and spelling mistakes are sure to follow! Sorry ‘bout that.

This is my first fanfiction, so please give it some love!! I’m always open for constructive criticism and feedback and when this piece is received well, I will continue writing next chapters :)!

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It was cold outside, when an elderly man walked out of the small block hut that was perched on one of the plateaus of the Yablonovy mountains. The quiet night, which was only disturbed by the occasional whistling of the cold night-time wind, gave the nuclear engineer a sense of calmness and serenity. As he made his way down the small path that led down the mountain, the man could only think off the staples of money that he would be presented with, when he would hand over these new drafts to his client. The contents of these papers, which he had only just finished drawing last evening, have the power to change everything change everything; they could redefine modern warfare and potentially make things we once considered impossible, possible. Just thinking about all the fame and acknowledgement his ideas would bring him, made the men want to reach his awaiting vehicle as fast as possible, so he increased his walking speed, practically skipping down the mountain trail.

Too caught up in his own haste and excitement, he was oblivious to the pair of eyes following his every move.

Another man was crouched between the few bushes and trees that were scattered on the surface of the mountain, waiting, assessing, watching. He was silently following his target from a safe distance, when a sudden sound behind him caused him to whip around, bionic arm raised and holding his gun, pointing at whoever had been able to sneak up on him. However, when emerald glowing eyes met steel blue ones, the offending weapon was lowered and the winter-soldier gestured for his partner to follow him.

They followed a more direct route, swiftly moving over the more uneven and slipperier rocks of the mountain. Arriving at a ledge that gave them the perfect view of the squad team that had been appointed to pick up their target, they waited until it was their time to strike. As they stood there, next to each other, the eyes of the winter soldier were drawn to his companion.

She wore her stealth suit, a pitch-black and form fitting catsuit, with a belt that hung low on her hips. Some smaller, but nonetheless lethal, knifes were attached to the belt, but she rarely used them. She didn’t fight a lot. He followed the zipper that went from her lower back to the base of her neck where the tips of her hair just barely touched her skin. She had her hair up in a ponytail, however, a few stubborn strands still hung loosely around her face, caressing her the top of her cheeks. She had very sharp features, only further highlighted by the light of the moon that shone upon them. He had a feeling she would have had more rounded facial features, if she would have been more well-fed. Now she only just got enough scraps of food to prevent malnourishment. He looked at her face; starting by her lips, he followed the arch of her nose bridge up to her her eyes.

Emerald eyes that were looking right at him.

His eyes widened and the he turned his head away quickly, feeling strangely discomposed after having been caught staring. After a few minutes of looking down the ledge without really seeing anything, he dared to let his gaze wander once again.

She was still looking at him, but her eyes seemed to soften when their gazes met. They always seemed to do that. Always when he met her eyes, he was greeted by a welcoming gaze. Never a smile, but always kind eyes.

She suddenly opened her mouth, as if to say something, but she never got the chance as at that exact moment the engineer arrived at the clearing below. The soldier swiftly removed his sniper riffle from his back just as his partner silently looked through her scope and they work together to get everything in the right position.

He looked through his own scope, inhaled, exhaled and pulled the trigger.

 ......

It should have been an easy mission, follow the target without being noticed, silently set up the equipment, shoot, get the papers and disappear. It’s what they’ve always done and this time shouldn’t have been any different.

And yet is was. he missed his shot.

How he could have missed, would always be a mystery to him. Whether it were her lips that had distracted him when they had set up their shot or if had been the small whiff of her smell which he had caught right before he pulled the trigger, he would never know. All that mattered now, was that he had to kill that engineer and get the documents.

He jumped of the cliff, and fought his way to the target. His partner stayed up the cliff. She wasn’t as skilled as he was in combat and was more of a means to disappear. He hit the first agent that dared to approach him squarely in the face, ducked the fists of another one before punching him in the stomach making the person double over. He hit one on the head with the barrel one of his smaller guns and then shot two others that immediately fell to the ground.

Withing a matter of seconds he had reached the now screaming and trembling engineer. The old man started to slowly walk backwards, arms outstretched as one would do when approached by a dangerous animal, but he fell to the ground after having stumbled on a small rock that stuck out of the ground.

The soldier was about to jump on him and crush his windpipe with his metal hand, but instead his path was blocked by an agent who went to stand in front of the engineer, covering him. Her eyes reminded him of someone from his past, someone he had met before, however he didn’t have time to ponder and search his memory. He raised his gun, and shot right through the abdomen of the agent and into the chest of the man still lying on the ground behind her. With his metal arm he threw the shot agent to the side and crouched beside the dead body of the engineer. He snatched the briefcase from his cold grasp and without sparing either of them a second glance he looked up again and briefly scanned his surroundings. There were still a few agents left and he knew he could easily take them all on. The only thing stopping him from killing all witnesses, was that in a few moments their back-up would probably arrive, and seeing that as little people as possible should be aware of his existence, he chose to run instead.

However, he did not run back up the mountain. Instead he sprinted in the opposite direction, to the edge of the clearing which was around 900 meters above ground level. Though their current whereabouts weren’t as high as their starting point near the block hut, a fall from this altitude would undoubtedly end his life.

Still, he jumped.

The feeling of falling would always feel weird to the soldier. Even though he was speeding towards the ground at incredible speed, it felt as if he was flying. Falling felt free, as if for once he could close his eyes and just think. He could think about who he had been before all this misery had started and consider who he was now. There had to be something before he was forced to take orders from other people and had to kill in order not to be killed himself. Hydra is all he can remember, but he also remembers that he had been around this age when he had woken up and sent out on missions with his brand new metal arm. Despite the fact that their organization had many scientist amongst them, he was positive they had not yet found a way to create life, meaning he wasn’t born within Hydra. He must have had parents and perhaps even brothers or sisters, maybe even friends. He never really had time to ponder about his past in between the mission reports, cryofreezing and missions themselves, so he relished the moments where he was free to just think.

A sudden rush of air and a loud roar suddenly halted his train of thought. He slowly opened his eyes and turned whilst still falling through the sky so that his stomach was now facing the rapidly approaching ground. He slowly inhaled and exhaled, far too calm for someone who was so close to smashing to the earth from such height. His body was just about the hit ground, an impact that would surely result in his immediate death, when a large black creature swooped beneath him. he curled his arms around its large neck and as it started to fly up again, he pulled his body to that of the beast, curling his legs around its torso.

As fast as he had fallen from the cliff, he was now rising again and in a blink of an eye they flew over the cliff again. At first the beast just hovered above the clearing looking at the frozen agents below them, when suddenly it released another loud roar and engulfed the clearing in flames, before flying away back to their headquarters.

They soared through the dark night sky and just before the soldier would once again succumb to the freeing feeling of flying, the creature looked back at him and its emerald eyes seemed to slightly soften at the sight of him.

  .....

Shield agent Natasha Romanoff fell to the ground, hand covering her abdomen, as she watched the winter soldier, one of the most deadly and skilled assassins she had ever encountered, run away. In his metal hand he held the briefcase that had been in the possession of the engineer just moments ago.

She had been appointed to protect him, the engineer that is, and the valuable information that he had carried with him, but when she had seen the soldier walk towards her, gun raised and firmly held in between the metal fingers of his metal arm, adorned with the red star that would forever be carved into her memory, she knew that the old man would never stand a chance.

Still, she tried to shield him, because that was what a hero would do. That was at least what she was trying to be now anyways: a hero. One of the good guys for once. Knowing that what she did was what she had to, made her feel a little better about the hole that was shot in her abdomen. Moreover, she had had worse wounds in the past and considering her profession, she would most likely get worse in the future. This was nothing she couldn’t handle.

She looked up just in time to see the winter soldier jump off the edge of the cliff. From what she recalled, he had not had a parachute bag on him and he hadn’t worn a wingsuit or anything of the like either. There was of course the possibility that some sort of aircraft would be awaiting him down  the cliff and catch him from the sky, but flying so near a mountain is dangerous. Even a highly skilled pilot would face tremendous difficulty were that to be true. Furthermore, they had a lot of backup and other squad teams covering the ground and perimeter. Landing or flying amidst all that would be unadvisable, even for a super-soldier such as the winter soldier.

Other agents seemed to realize this too, and they all started to rush over in order to peer over the edge of the cliff whilst whispering and murmuring amongst Themselves. A few medics that had just arrived moved over to her and gave her something to apply pressure to her wound before moving on to the other injured agents after she said she could handle it on her own. Whilst still applying pressure to her abdomen, she tried to move over to the vehicle that was meant to take the engineer away. She had just reached the car and was leaning against it, when a fast movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention.

A young woman, perhaps a few years younger than herself, had appeared out of nowhere and was now sprinting to the edge of the cliff as well. The agents that were looking over the edge of the cliff hadn’t noticed her yet and yelled in surprise when they were forcefully pushed aside by the stranger. They were taken by even more surprise when she jumped right after the super soldier.

The redhead started to really wonder why hydra would tell their assets to commit suicide, when the agents on the clearing screamed yet again, but this time in horror. A large black blur had surged upwards from the depths of the mountain and was now hovering over the clearing. She wouldn’t have been able to identify the creature at all if it weren’t for the dark outline of its form. The beast’s skin seemed even darker than the night sky, so pitch-black, that you could make out its silhouette against the black that was the color of the sky.

It opened its mouth and led out a bloodcurdling roar, before breathing fire in their general direction.

The agents on the cliff all searched for cover as huge flames spread across the clearing. The people that had stood by the edge had all been unfortunate enough to either have been burned alive or to have been hit by its strong tail and thrown of the cliff. As the few last remaining agents ran down the mountain, the flames spread further, and the creature rose once again. Natasha could see the beast more clearly now it had the white background of the moon behind it instead of the dark sky.

It looked like a dragon similar to those that appeared in children’s stories. It was huge, with midnight black scales adorning its body. It had a muscular chest, and the strong muscles seemed to contract and relax as it batted its bat-like wings. These wings were so strong that even she, from her place below on the mountain, could feel the enormous windblows it created. Attached to it its body was the long tail that had just moments before pushed at least 4 agents from the edge of the cliff and she could faintly make out the shining of razor sharp claws that were on either of its pentadactyl hands and feet. Evenly sharp were the rows of teeth that were displayed when the creature let out another thundering roar.

The deafening sound pulled her from the trance she had been in. She pulled her own fire weapon, raised her arm, whilst still applying pressure to her wound, and shot.

She saw how her bullet just barely grazed its target as the beast flew up again and away from the mountain range. Right before it disappeared again in the darkness of the night, her eyes caught the shimmer of metal that reflected the moonlight.

The next day, all people talked about the metal armed man that had ambushed them, jumped off a cliff and flew away on the back of a monster. A creature that had risen straight out of the depths of hell. An animal that was a creation of the devil himself. A creature of the darkness.

[you-a-southpaw-doll]

Deaf ~ A Max (The Resident) One-Shot

Summary: Max gets a new tenant...and maybe a new family? With all the silence, will Leigh be able to draw Max outta the walls and into her life? 

Warning(s): Angst. Happy ending. Single mother OFC. Mentions of cheating. Bisexual OFC. Hearing issues. Deaf infant. Implied PTSD. Implied childhood trauma. Panic attack. Self-harm. First aid. Non-canon. OOC Max. Slight voyeuristic tendencies. OFC’s P.O.V. Soft Max. Hurt Max. Scared Max. Touch-starved Max. Max just needs some love.

Author’s Note(s): So, I watched The Resident (2011) a couple nights ago, and got this idea. I don’t do rape, so I changed Max’s character so he never goes that far. I also decided to do this from the OFC’s P.O.V. and show a different side of Max, one that would hopefully, kinda sorta, explain why Max seeks the refuge the walls give him. For people that suffer from PTSD, and other mental illnesses, everyone finds their own way of coping with their struggles. I’m not in any way condoning what Canon Max did. I just wanted to try and a different, less creepy, softer side. Also, in this story, Max is not a rapist, nor is he a murderer. And...I wanted a happy ending for Max, so that’s what I gave him.

Word Count: 7,982 words.

Relationship(s): Max x Leigh Sullivan (OFC) [romantic]. 

Characters: Max. Leigh Sullivan (OFC). Maxwell Dean Sullivan (OMC). Chris Sullivan (OMC). 

Taglist: @negans-network @prettyboynegan @mychemicalimagines @spnnnxangelsx @rockinkel21 @misskittycat02 @band--psycho @ofxallxwexlost @iron-halt @thamberlinawrites @ravenwings73 @lettherebepink @stoneyggirl @sebs-padawan

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Story Time:

Leigh’s P.O.V. ~

It’s been two weeks since I moved to New York City to start my new job at the museum and try to get on with one of the numerous publishing houses for my next books. Two weeks of sleeping in a cheap hotel room. Two nights of frantically searching for a somewhat cheap apartment that would be big ‘nough.

Two weeks of missing having his little body snuggled up next to me. Two weeks worth of triple FaceTime calls to my brother back in San Deigo just to see his cute little face. Two weeks of missing my baby boy. Two weeks of missing my adopted, six-month-old son, Maxwell. Two weeks of being completely alone in a new place for the first time in years.

It’s been two days since I saw that flyer pinned up on the hospital bulletin board after passing out from dehydration. Two days since I went to that old building that’s close to the huge bridge stretching out over the river. Two days since I saw the fancy apartment still being renovated that was clearly well outta my price range.

Two days since I met him and saw that beautiful dimpled smile hiding under the construction mask. Two days since I felt my heart flutter for the time in nearly half a year. Two days since that deep, slower than molasses but sweeter than honey voice told me it was mine for only $3,800 a month, minus utilities. 

It’s been two hours since he, my new landlord left my apartment after sitting down to enjoy a dinner of takeout from the nearby Chinese restaurant once we’d finished moving my meager belongings in. Two hours since he and I opened up a little bit to each other, getting to know the other person. 

It’s been two hours and I still haven’t stopped smiling. 

Leaning back in my chair, I slide my iPhone outta the pocket of my men’s holey, Skinny Flex American Eagle dark blue jeans. Holding my thumb down on the button so it recognizes my thumbprint, I wait for it to unlock before I click on the FaceTime app and call my brother. I take a deep breath, relaxing, as I wait for him to answer. 

Only...he doesn’t. Instead of my slightly younger brother answering, I get the best thing that’s ever happened in my life. The moment I see my son’s face fill the screen, I tear up and smile. 

“Hey, baby boy! You playing with Uncle Chris’s phone?” I coo in a soft voice.

I don’t get an actual response, but that’s ok. My son Max is deaf. He was born that way and the doctors said it’d be a few more months before we could even try to get him fitted for hearing aids. The said it was a side effect from where his birth mother had been using hard drugs for 99% of the pregnancy, even though I tried to get her help.

Max makes a bunch of soft, cooing noises as he holds the phone close. I realize that he hasn’t noticed that I’m the phone yet. Especially once I see his gums get closer to the camera. I laugh, knowing he’s trying to gnaw on the rounded corner of my brother’s iPhone. Hearing movement on the other end, I watch as the phone jostles, and a loud thunk echos to my end. 

A moment later, two small, chubby hands grasp the phone and my son’s face fills the screen once more. I watch as his eyes widen and he lets out a high pitch squeal, giggling, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Max has finally noticed that I’m on the phone. Smiling, I wave to him and blow him kisses.

It just makes him squeal more, louder, and happier. I giggle and happily listens to his giggles, squeals, and babbles. After nearly 15 minutes of listening to him, and slouching in my chair, the phone jostles once more and I hear Max let out a whine and hear him sniffling, knowing his ‘bout to start crying. 

A second later, my brother’s face fills my phone’s screen and his eyes widen too, making him chuckle.

“Hey, sis. Sorry. Didn’t realize you were on the phone. I guess Max got ahold of mine when I went to fix him a bottle and a small jar of that mushy baby food you picked up for him before you left.” He says.

I smile. “Nah. Max didn’t call me. I called. He answered. Took him a hot minute to realize I was on the phone. Then he started telling me ‘bout the stuff y’all did today. Sounds like a productive day.”

Chris laughs and I watch as he gets settled on the couch in his apartment, holding my son in his lap, keeping him to where he can still see me on the phone.

“Oh yeah.” He chuckles. “Real productive. 3 naps, 6 poopy diapers, and a few bottles.” 

I giggle. “Sounds like it.”

He chuckles more and shakes his head. “Anyway. How’s the city? D’you switch motel rooms? That don’t look like the one you’ve been staying in.”

I grin from ear to ear. “That’s actually why I called you. I found a place. By the river and train tracks.”

“Yea? That’s great! You all moved in?”

“For the most part. All that’s missing is little man. Oh. And the actual furniture. I was thinking...think you and Max could be out here tomorrow?”

“Uh...yea. I still got 3 more weeks’ worth of vacation time saved up at work. Give me a sec to pull up flights and shit.”

I smile and nod, waiting as Chris sets his phone down. After listening to some shuffling and the protests of my son, my brother and my son’s faces are visible once more. I help guide my brother through the process of looking for, booking, and getting two cheap plane tickets. I tell him my card info so he can type it in.

“Alright, sis. It looks like we’ll be flying out ‘round noon our time. And, after a 5 and a half flight, we should be to the city by dinnertime. How’s that?” Chris double checks.

“Sounds fuckin’ good to me! I can’t wait. I’ll meet y’all there!” I grin and cover my mouth as I yawn.

Chris chuckles. “Good. Looks like you need to get to bed. It’s what, 11 there?”

I nod. “Yea...I think so. It’s been a long day.”

“I can tell. Well, get some sleep. We’ll be there tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait to see y’all. It’s been a long two weeks.”

“I bet. I honestly don’t see how you’ve been a single mom for the last 6 months. I’ve been watching this little monster for 2 weeks and I swear, I’m never having my own kids.”

I laugh. “Shut up! He’s not that bad. He just misses his mommy. And, you never wanted your own kids. You’ve always been too scared. Couldn’t even sit down if there was a kid in the room.”

“Hey! I just didn’t want to risk accidentally sitting on them and squishing them!” 

I giggle as my brother grins. “I know, bro. I’m just giving you shit.”

“Yea. Just like your son’s been doing all day.”

I laugh, yawning again. “Shouldn’t have given him the sweet potato mush. I warned you.”

He rolls his eyes, chuckling. “Whatever.”

“I am proud of you, bro. You’ve done so well with him, and I appreciate everything you’ve done to help me. I know it’s been a long couple of months, not just the two weeks I’ve been out here.”

“I just wanna see you happy again, sis, and I’m always here for you. That’s why I’m more than willing to help you.”

“I know. And it means the world. Give him kisses for me and tap his little tummy twice to tell him I love him?”

Chris smiles. “I will. Be careful, yeah? We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’ll try. Love you.”

“Yea. Ok. I know.”

He grins and waves, getting Max to copy him as he hangs up the call. I smile to myself. My brother’s never been one to say “I love you” to someone. He’s been like that since we were little when he was 5 and I was 6. So, I don’t take it personally when he just responds as he does. I know he still loves me. 

He’s been there for me, just like I’ve always been there for him. After my last relationship hit the fan and I caught my fiancé cheating on me with a man and said she no longer felt like being a mom in a same-sex relationship, just a few weeks before Max was born and we were supposed to gain custody of him, Chris offered to let me move in with him once Max was born. 

So, that’s what we did. Max and I left Kentucky where I’d been living all through and well after college and moved to San Diego to live with my brother. The 5.5 months we were there, I looked ‘round for a job that I could use my history degree in, while also working on my last novel. After getting an offer from a museum in New York, I broke the news to Chris that Max and I would be moving to the city.

He’d been shocked at first since we were both from a small town in the mountains of Western North Carolina, and I’d sworn I’d never live in a big city. ‘Specially one in the North since it got too cold in the winter and I’d always been made fun of for my strong Southern accent. I’d explained to him that I had to do what was best for Max, that I had a son to think ‘bout now.

He’d understood after that and was willing to watch Max while I traveled back across the country to a new place, to look for a good living arrangement, and get settled in for my new job. He told me that once I got settled, he’d bring Max out and then help me get all moved in and everything. Which is what led us to tonight. 

After hanging up with my brother and my son, I plug my phone up, set a few alarms, and curl up in the chair to try and get some sleep, knowing that tomorrow’s gonna be an even bigger day. All while never knowing that I was being watched by landlord peeking through a strategically placed and well-hidden hole in the wall.

When I wake up the morning, well early afternoon really, groaning and blindly reaching out for my phone to shut up the annoying alarms, I stretch and rub my eyes. I’m definitely not a morning person, and usually, get my best work done between the hours of 1 and 7 am. It’s been great since Max still hasn’t picked up on the whole sleeping through the night thing.

I finally push myself up outta the chair, my joints protesting the clearly uncomfortable position I just spent the last six hours in while curled up. Making my way to the kitchen, I get a pot of coffee going before padding back across the apartment to the bedroom and bathroom. I shoot my brother a text, letting him know that I’ll still pick him and Max up from the airport. 

After my shower, and downing the entire pot of coffee, I put some music on as I start to plan how I want the apartment set up and start looking up furniture stores on my phone, even ordering a few things online to be delivered in a couple of days.. I get lost in my search, that it takes me several long minutes to notice someone’s knocking on my door. 

Clicking my phone off, I tuck it in my pocket and make way to the door, opening it to find my landlord.

 He and I talk for a few minutes until I suddenly realize the time.

“Oh shit! I gotta go!” 

Max, my landlord, raises a brow. ���Hot date tonight?”

I smile. “You could say that. I gotta go pick the love of my life up from the airport.”

I watch as Max’s face falls and he gets a sad look in his eye. 

“I thought you were single?” He asks. 

Scrambling to put my boots on, I reply to him. “I am. But, I still gotta pick him up.”

“Oh. Well, alright then.”

I look at him as I grab my drawstring bag that I use instead of a purse and put it on my back. 

“I’ll be back soon. If you wanna come over, I’d love to introduce you. You’ll see him ‘round a lot.” I say, grabbing my key.

“Um. Maybe. I know I’ll be busy with the renovations in the other apartments. I just thought I’d stop by and check on you, see how you settling in.”

I smile and gently place my hand on his shoulder, trying my best to ignore the rush of excitement that courses through my body at the touch. My landlord is not only smoking hot, but he’s also well built and I can feel his muscles under my hand.

“Thank you, Max. I greatly appreciate it.” I say.

He just nods and stares at my hand for a moment. 

“Oh...sorry.” I apologize, dropping my hand, quickly remembering how shy he is. “I’ll...uh...see you later, maybe? I’d really love for you to meet him. He’s a sweetheart.”

He shrugs and rubs the back of his neck. “We’ll see how the renovations go.”

“Sounds good! Don’t work too hard!”

“I am working too hard!”

I giggle, playfully smacking his shoulder. 

“Don’t do it.” I giggle.

I quickly leave after locking my door and hurry downstairs, hailing a cab and head to the airport. Thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be too much traffic, which surprises me since the first I noticed when I got to the city was all the traffic. When I get there, I realize I’m still a few minutes early, so I make my way over to the gates to wait. 

Nearly half an hour later, I spot my brother, holding my son, carrying only the diaper bag and a small book bag, and rush over. As soon as I reach them, I happily take my little boy in my arms, peppering his chubby little cheeks with kisses, which has him squealing happily and patting my head. I giggle and tilt my head back to look at him, despite the happy tears rolling down my cheeks.

Tapping my finger against his belly twice like I’ve done since the moment I first held him and the moment the docs told me he was deaf, I let my son know I love him. He giggles and curls his fingers ‘round mine, holding it tight. I lift my shoulder, turning my head in an attempt to wipe my tears away. Once I’ve done that, I look up at my 6’2” tall brother, grinning from ear to ear.

He just smiles and pulls me in for a hug. I lean against him since my arms are full from where I’m holding Max. Laying my head against Chris’ chest, I smile. He just hugs me a little tighter, but not too much ‘cause of Max.

“Missed you, sis.” He says.

“I fuckin’ missed you too, bro.” I reply. 

He laughs and lets go of me, looking at me. “You look happy.”

“I am now! I’ve got my little boy in my arms, and you’re here. But, I’m sure you’re hungry?”

“Always am!”

I laugh. “C’mon. Let’s go get some food and head to my place. You’re really gonna love it!”

He chuckles and follows as I carry a giggling and snuggly Max outta the airport. I look up Chris. 

“You’re taller. Hail a cab.” I say.

He raises a brow. “How?”

I giggle and tell him since it’s the time he’s ever had to do it. Growing up in our small town, we didn’t have taxis, and then when he moved to San Diego during my senior year of college, he already had his own car, so he didn’t have to worry ‘bout taxis out there. It doesn’t take long before one comes to a stop in front of us.

Piling in, I give the driver my new address, and we set off towards home. Well, my home. Chris and I spend the time talking while I just hold Max close, patting his butt. Right as the driver makes it to the apartment building, the air suddenly smells shitty. I know Max has pooped himself, and I soothe him before he can start crying and apologizing to the driver, giving him a decent tip.

Ushering Chris out the cab, so I can get out with Max, I shift my son in my arms. 

“Don’t worry, baby boy. Mama’s gonna get you upstairs, and get you all cleaned up!” I coo, softly, my lips near his ear so that he can feel the vibrations of my voice as I talk.

Max settles down a little as he sniffles, clinging to my shirt. I kiss his head and led the way inside and up to my apartment. Shifting him once more, I dig my key out, unlock the door, and step in with Chris right behind me. 

“Let me get him changed. Feel free to look around. There’s not much, but we’ll fix that tomorrow.” I say.

Chris nods and drapes the strap of the diaper bag over my shoulder. I carry Max into the bathroom and set him on the tiled floor. I keep him distracted while I change his diaper, and tap his tummy twice after buttoning his onesie and slipping his little shorts back on. He lets out a giggle, holding his hands up.

Giggling myself, I scoop him back up in my arms, tossing the dirty diaper in the small trash can as I walk out. 

***

Over the next couple of weeks, Chris helps me move furniture in, get the apartment set up, takes turns with caring for Max, and even teaching me some of the new recipes he’s picked up. He’s come along way, considering that the kid used to burn cereal when he tried to make himself some when we were kids.

We take a few days, once the apartment’s set up, to explore the city. I haven’t done much sight-seeing myself since I arrived. It was mainly ‘cause I was too busy trying to find a place and everything. A few times, I spot my landlord while we’re out and about, and I try to wave him over so he can meet my son and my brother.

Especially since he never showed up the night Chris arrived. I’d been really excited to introduce them. I couldn’t explain why, other than the fact that I wanted Max to meet my son and my brother. Yet, Max never comes over. He always pulls his phone out when our eyes meet and presumably takes a call, walking in the opposite direction.

Two and a half weeks after Chris arrives in New York, Max and I take him to the airport to catch his flight back to San Diego. We stay with him till it’s time for his plane to be boarded. As he hands his ticket over, he assures him he’ll text me when he lands in California and when he gets home. I give him one last hug and lift Max’s hand in a wave.

***

After Chris leaves, Max and I settled into our normal routine. I wake up shortly after he does, get him changed and dressed for the day, and then lay him down on the living room floor for tummy time while I get to work. The position I have at the museum allows me to work from home, occasionally going in once or twice a week, with Max, to take care of some things there.

When I’m not working for the museum, I’m attempting to work on my novel. After I get done with work, I feed Max and me, before we settle on the couch with a Disney movie or one of the three Despicable Me movies playing for naptime. Even if Max can’t hear, he still loves watching the screen, giggling. 

He absolutely loves the minions and squeals every time he sees them on the screen. After naptime, he and I lay on the floor for more tummy time while I try to teach him the sign language I’ve been learning. My baby brother, Eli, was also born with hearing issues, so thankfully I knew some when he was growing up, but I’ve also been teaching myself more since I found out Max was deaf.

At the end of the day, and getting some more work done, along with dinner, I give Max his bath. He’s always loved bath time, except for the few times water lands in his ears. Since it’s his favorite, I give him one every day, which doesn’t put too much strain on the water bill ‘cause Max’s baby bath is small and doesn’t take a lot of water.

When bedtime rolls ‘round, I curl up on my new bed with Max cuddled to my chest with my shirt tightly gripped in one hand and his shark blankie in the other. I rub his back and hum softly so he can feel the vibrations from it as he drifts off to sleep. We keep the routine up for the next month a half. During this time, I never talk to my landlord, not even when I go to give him the rent.

I mean, yeah, I’ll see him occasionally ‘round the building, but he doesn’t say a word. He just looks at me for a moment, before dropping his head and walking away. It breaks my heart ‘cause I want to talk to him. We had so much fun talking and goofing off the night he helped me move in. But, since that day I had to rush off to the airport, we haven’t spoken.

I just resigned myself to knowing that he obviously thinks we’re nothing more than landlord and tenant. Which, honestly, make me sad ‘cause I thought we’d have become friends. He was the first person that was actually nice to me after I moved to the city. I also tuck down the feelings of the crush on him I have.

He reminds me a lot of Papa Winchester from my favorite tv show, Supernatural, and I’ve always had the hots for the oldest Winchester. Even my ex-fiancé knew that, and she agreed. See, we’re both bisexual, but I’d always thought she was the one. Until I caught her in bed, our bed, with a man, and she’d told me what she did.

The six months after we broke up were the hardest, ‘cause I’d been ready to marry her. But it didn’t work out. And after I’d moved to New York, met my landlord Max, and realized I’d had a crush on him, I was starting to come to terms with maybe moving on. Getting back out there. I mean, I knew there’d probably be nothing more than a friendship with my landlord, but I was ok with that.

But, I don’t even have that anymore. I sigh to myself, urging my thoughts to go down a different road, as I pull the clothes out the dryer. Just as I finish pulling the last few clothes outta the dryer, I hear whimpering. I listen for a moment to try and figure out where the sound’s coming from so I can go get my son.

After a moment, and the realization that the sound of whimpers is coming from the falls, I try to tone down the feeling of panic that’s quickly spreading through my body. Max started crawling shortly after we moved here, and I know he’s been exploring the apartment. I just hope he hasn’t gotten himself stuck somewhere. 

I quickly leave the clothes on the dryer and walk further into the apartment, closer to the sound of the whimpers.

“Max? Honey? Don’t worry, ok? Mama’s coming to get you.”

I call out, without thinking ‘bout the fact that my son’s deaf. I call the words out based on instinct and the need to assure my son that he’s gonna be ok. I follow the noise, getting closer to the kitchen and my eyes widen. Did I forget to put the baby gate up so he couldn’t get in there? When I reach the kitchen and realize that I did indeed forget to put the baby gate, my heart drops to my stomach.

“Fuck!”

I step into the pantry where the sounds of the whimpers are louder and look ‘round. I don’t see my son anywhere. Then I hear the whimpers again and realize that they’re coming from the other side of the wall. I gently push against the right wall, to give myself leverage, as I keep looking, thinking there’s no way that the whimpers are coming from the walls.

My eyes widen as the wall shifts a little with my touch, and they nearly pop outta their sockets when I realize the wall isn’t just a wall. It’s a door that’s already slightly open. My heart starts beating faster as I realize that there’s a slight chance that Max could’ve crawled in here, and through the small opening.

I take in a shaky breath as I push the door open enough for my small frame to fit through. Once I’m through, I notice two things from the get-go. One, the whimpers get louder. Two, the door leads to what looks like an old set of maintenance hallways. I know older buildings used to have them, so it makes sense that this building would have ‘em too.

I just never really put the thought into asking or caring if the building had them. I make my way deeper into the hidden hallways, being careful not to trip or hit my head on anything. Keeping my eyes peeled for my son, I get closer to the sound of the whimpers until I finally reach the source. My eyes widen when I see who’s making the sounds.

“Max?” I ask, softly, getting closer.

My landlord doesn’t even look up as he flinches at the sound of my voice. He just whimpers and bites harder into his wrist. 

My heart breaks and I crouch down next to him, gently taking his hand and pulling his wrist from the tight grip his teeth have on it.

“Max? Honey, it’s ok. You’re safe.” I murmur.

He whimpers a little more and hides his face. I immediately realize what’s going on. He’s having a panic attack, and it looks to be a bad one. Rubbing my thumb across his knuckles, I lean closer to him, gently wrapping my arms ‘round the slightly older man, and pull him close to me. I reach a hand up and run my fingers through his hair, softly and silently convincing him to lay his head on my chest.

I soothe him, calm him, and help him relax ‘nough that he slowly eases outta the panic attack. Not stopping my fingers as they continue to run through his hair, I start humming softly. I know panic attacks are one of the worst things to go through. Especially all alone. It takes several minutes, but I eventually feel Max relax, sagging against me as the panic attack leaves him.

Even though he’s outta it, I continue to run my fingers through his dark curls. 

“Better?” I ask softly.

He nods, just a quick, subtle little jerk of his head against my chest, but it’s still a nod. 

“Will you come back to my apartment with me? I wanna take a look at your arm. You bit down on it pretty hard.” I explain after he looks at me with uncertainty swirling in his muddy water brown eyes.

He takes a deep breath but nods again. I smile.

“That’s a good boy. C’mon. We’ll get you all fixed up.” I say, not sounding patronizing, but rather motherly.

I smile to myself as a light blush covers his cheeks at my words. I gently pat his shoulder before we stand up. As I lead him back through the maintenance hallways to the door that leads into my pantry, I notice other little holes in the wall, discreetly checking them out. When I realize they show off different points of my apartment, I raise a brow but don’t say a word.

After peeking through one of the holes, I see Max, my son, sleeping peacefully in his little playpen and let out a soft breath of relief, remembering that I’d laid him in there when I went to do laundry. I hold my landlord’s hand the entire time we walk through the hallways if nothing more than to keep him calm.

When Max and I get to the door leading to the pantry, he suddenly stops, jerking me to a stop too since I wasn’t expecting it and had been leading him by the hand. I turn ‘round and look at him.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, confused.

“The love of your life? Where’s he at?” He asks after, nervously, after a moment.

I smile. “He’s sleeping, in the other room. It’s ok.”

I watch as more hesitation and uncertainty fill Max’s eyes. I give his hand a gentle squeeze. 

“Hey. It’s ok. He won’t mind you being in there. He gets a bit protective over me, but I just know he’s gonna love you.” I assure him.

“I...I don’t think so...guys typically don’t like me. Neither do girls. I’m a loner.” He mumbles, looking at his feet while flicking his thumb against his finger on his other hand.

“Max?”

He lifts his head, looking at me. “Hmm?”

“Trust me. He’s gonna love you.”

He shrugs. “Nah. He won’t. ‘Specially not since he has you.”

“Hey. Stop doubting yourself, ok? He’s gonna love you ‘cause I like you.”

“You...you like me?”

I smile and nod. “I do. And you’d know that if you hadn’t been avoiding me since I had to leave so quickly to get to the airport.”

A small smile tugs on his lips. “You’ve been busy.”

“I’m never too busy for you, Max. Now, c’mon. Let’s get your wrist all cleaned up, then you meet the person who stole my heart with just one look. And, he’s gonna steal yours too.”

I giggle and gently squeeze his hand as he looks nervous. I lead him into my apartment from the pantry, and into the living room. 

“Have a seat on the couch, ok? I’m just gonna go grab the first aid kit. Don’t try and leave. I’ll follow you and kick your door down if you do.” I playfully threaten. “I don’t mess around with first aid.”

Thankfully, it gets a chuckle outta him and he takes a seat on the couch, holding his hands up in surrender. I grin and head to my bathroom to grab the first aid kit. Walking back through my bathroom, I stop by the playpen, lean down and kiss my son’s head, covering him up more with his shark blankie.

Watching him for a moment, I smile to myself and head back to the living room. Max is still in the same spot he was when I left him a moment ago, but this time, he has his hands on his lap as he picks at the bite mark on his wrist. I gently slap his hand away. 

“Stop that, mister. You’ll do more damage than what you’ve already done.” I say, kneeling on the floor in front of him, between his knees. 

He raises a brow and mutters a quiet, “I’m sorry.”

“Good boy. Now hold your hand out so I can look at it.”

He blushes a little but does as I ask. Gently taking his arm in my grasp, I inspect the self-inflicted bite mark on his wrist. After cleaning it with some alcohol wipes and putting Neosporin on it, I gently wrap some gauze ‘round his wrist and tape it so it stays in place. Without thinking ‘bout it, I place a gentle kiss on over the wrapped wound.

It’s outta habit that I do it since I do it whenever my son gets a boo-boo. I hear Max suck in a deep breath and my eyes jerk up to meet his. His bottom lip is captured between his impossibly white teeth and his cheeks are a shade pinker than they were before.

“I...I’m sorry. It’s outta habit that I do that.” I mutter, trying to explain as quickly as I can.

“I...it’s fine. I’ve just never had anyone do that before.” He mumbles.

I raise a brow. “Your mama never kissed your boo-boos?”

His eyes get that sad, lost look in his eyes. He pulls his arm outta my grasp and, not answering, he walks over to the window. I sit back on my ankles, packing the first aid kid up. 

“Max...I’m sorry. I didn’t...you don’t have to talk ‘bout it.” I say quietly.

He just sighs and stares out the window, not saying a word. 

“My…” He starts, still staring out the window. “My parents died when I was 10. My grandfather, August, he’s the one who raised me.”

I stand and gently pad over to him. “I’m so sorry, Max. I didn’t know. I didn’t think before I asked that.”

He glances at me then looks back out the window. Without thinking, and just doing it, I wrap my arms ‘round his waist and lay my head against his chest. He tenses up immediately at my touch.

“What...what are you doing?” He asks.

I tilt my head back to look up at him. “It’s called a hug. It’s supposed to be comforting. I can stop if it makes you too uncomfortable.”

I watch as his facial expression changes with several different emotions before a smile finally settles on his lips.

“Nah. It’s not too uncomfortable. I’m just not used to this.” He says after a few moments. 

“This?” I ask.

He nods. “Hugs. I can’t even remember the last time I had one.”

I tighten my arms ‘round him and lay my head back on his chest. I feel his arms slowly make their way ‘round me, loosely holding me close, and I smile. 

“Whenever you want one, just come to me and I’ll happily give you one.” I say. “I’m not really much of a hugger, but with you, it just feels right, so you can have a hug whenever.”

“Really?” He asks.

I nod against his chest. “Mmhhmm.”

“Thanks...but...what ‘bout...the love of your life? Is he ok with you giving random men hugs?”

I giggle and look up at him. “You’re not a random man, but yes. He’d be ok with me giving you hugs. He loves them, so he’ll probably try and give you one too.”

“Um…” He hesitates, slowly dropping his arms. “I dunno how I feel ‘bout your man giving me hugs.”

I giggle. “You’ll change your mind when you meet him.”

“I dunno.”

“I do! Stay here. I’ll bring him out to you.”

“Ummm…”

I giggle and lean up to kiss his cheek. “Just wait here.”

He swallows deeply, making his Adam’s apple bob up and down. “Ok.”

“Good boy.”

I giggle and leave him in the living as I walk into the other room where I know my son is. Reaching into the playpen, I scoop him up, making him giggle. I heard him cooing to himself a few moments ago, so that’s how I knew he was awake. I kiss his cheeks and gently tap his tummy twice. He makes a happy noise and snuggles to me.

I smile and hold him close as I walk back out to the living room. Max is looking out the window again, this time, though, he’s got his arms wrapped ‘round his torso, almost like he’s giving himself a hug. I giggle softly and make my way over to him.

“Max?”

He lifts his head and turns his gaze from the river to me. His eyes widen as he sees my son in my arms. Shock, confusion, and another emotion flash across his face. 

“Who? Who’s that?” He asks.

“Max, this is the love of my life. My son.” I say, grinning from ear to ear.

“Your son? Love of your life?”

I giggle and nod. “Mmhhmm. I adopted him when he was born. I can’t have kids myself, and my ex-fiancé and I had talked ‘bout adopting. So, we decided to do it. Found out that this little guy’s mama was putting him up for adoption before he was even born. Then, just before he was born, my ex-fiancé and I split. I still adopted this little monkey and it’s just been he and I against the world since.”

“But...that man...who was here...was that your former fiancé?”

I giggle and shake my head. “No! That was my oldest younger brother, Chris. He’d been watching Max for me while I got settled in the city. After I moved in here, I called him, and he brought my son out here and helped me get furniture and whatnot. I really wanted you to meet him while he was here...but you kept getting phone calls…”

“Your brother?” 

I smile and nod. “He’s the oldest of my two brothers, and I’m the oldest of all the kids.”

“Oh…”

I giggle. “Yea.”

“Those phone calls...they weren’t actually phone calls.”

I raise a brow. “You mean to tell me you faked ‘em just so you wouldn’t have to come over?”

He looks down, nodding. “You just seemed so happy with him. I thought y’all were together and that the kid was y’all’s. It…” He shakes his head, cutting off the rest of his sentence.

“Max, I wasn’t lying when I told you I was single the first night I spent here. But I also didn’t tell you that there is a guy I like.”

“Oh...well...I don’t wanna meet him…”

I giggle. “Too late. You already have.”

He frowns. “I have?”

Nodding, I grin and take his hand. “C’mon. I’ll show you who he is.”

“I don’t wanna…”

“Tooooo bad, mister.” 

I giggle and lead him to the bathroom, standing him in front of the mirror as I stand next to him, holding my son.

“I thought you were showing me someone I don’t wanna see.” He says, his voice quiet.

“I am. Tell me who you see.” I say, grinning.

“Me. I see me, you, and your son.” 

“Exactly. So, you see the guy I have a crush on.”

“Isn’t that a little weird to have a crush on your son?”

I giggle. “Yea. So, it’s a good thing he’s not who I have crush on.”

His brows furrow in confusion and I giggle and gently turn him to face me.

“You’re adorable.” I say.

“How?” He asks, confused even more. 

“You’re just not getting it, are you?”

He shakes his head. “No?”

“Max, you’re the guy I like.”

“Me?”

Nodding, I smile. “You.”

I watch as he gets the cutest, dimpled smile on his face, making me giggle more. He blushes and ducks his head down for a moment before looking at me.

“You really like me?” He asks, softly.

“Mmhhmm. I do. I just thought you didn’t like me since you kept ignoring me.” I say.

“I was just trying to distance myself...I thought you were with that guy, who’s actually your brother...I thought he was your ex-fiancé that you’d mentioned that first night...that you’d taken him back.”

I giggle. “Oh, Max. My ex-fiancé was a woman. Who cheated on me with a man. In our own bed.”

His eyes widen. “You were with a girl? But...you like me?”

“I’m what you’d call bisexual. I play for both teams. I like guys and girls.”

“Oh!” He lets out a soft chuckle. “So...what’s this mean? For us?”

I giggle. “It means, that I’d like to date you. If you want that.”

He grins, making his dimples show more. “I’d...I’d like that.”

“Me too! We just have to get someone’s permission first.”

“Permission? From?”

I smile and turn my son ‘round to face him. “Max here has to approve first. I have to think of him now, especially when it comes to relationships.”

Max nods and looks at my son, then back at me. “Wait. His name’s Max?”

I smile. “Maxwell Dean Sullivan. Sometimes, though, I’ll call him Deaf.” (Deef.)

“Why?”

“Oh. He’s deaf.”

“Oh!”

I smile and nod then look down at my son as he wiggles in my arms, reaching out for Max. I giggle and gently hold him out, waiting for him to take him. Max gently, and somewhat nervously, takes my little boy, and cradles him.

“Awww! You’re like a pro!” I grin.

“I’m not gonna lie. I’m scared shitless. He’s so small.” He whispers.

I giggle. “You’re also really big. Max and I are both small compared to you. And you help me close and gently.”

This gets a soft chuckle from my landlord and he visibly relaxes, shifting Max so he’s a little more comfortable. My son giggles and reaches up, patting Max’s cheeks, squealing at the feeling of the short beard tickling his tiny palms. I smile and lean against the mirror, watching them. 

“I think Deaf likes you.” I say.

“Yea? You really think so?” Max looks up and he visibly tenses as he soon as he sees me leaning against the mirror. “Don’t lean against that. Please.”

I raise a brow, but step away from the mirror. “Why not?”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I won’t, Max. It seems like a sturdy mirror. Plus, the wall behind it keeps it up.”

He lowers his gaze and hands my son back to me, much to my son’s protests and my own confusion. 

“I...I should go...just please don’t lean against the mirror.” Max says quietly and turns to leave.

I reach a hand out and curl my fingers ‘round his upper arm. 

“Hey. Stop. You don’t have to go.” I say.

He nods. “I do. There’s stuff you don’t know ‘bout me...I’m not a good man…”

I raise a brow. “Max. Aside from ignoring me for the last several weeks, we’ve still been good to me. You are a good man. I know you are.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not. I’ve done things I’m not proud of, but can’t help.”

A thought hits me and I look up at him. “You mean the holes in the walls? That allows someone to peep through into my apartment?”

His face pales and I get my answer. I reach up and cup his cheek. 

“Max. It’s ok. I saw him when I was leading you back to my place to fix your wrist. The walls...they’re your safe place, aren’t they?” I ask, softly.

“It’s quiet in there. I like the silence.” He mumbles, closing his eyes. “I can watch...and it calms me.”

“Have you watched me?”

He swallows deeply. “I tried not to...but I…”

“Shhh. It’s ok, Max. I’m not mad.”

“You’re not?”

“No. I’m not. Some might think it’s creepy, but in a way, it’s like you’re watching over, protecting me. Me and Deaf.”

“I...I didn’t think of that.”

I smile and tuck a strand of his hair behind his ear. “It helps you stay calm, watching me?”

He nods. “I can’t hear the voices…”

“What voices?”

“The ones telling me…” He shudders.

“Breathe, Max. It’s ok. What do they tell you?”

“That I’m a coward. A pervert. A creep.” 

His reply is so quiet I almost don’t hear it. But I do. I place my palm back against his cheek.

“Is that why you bit your wrist earlier?” I ask softly.

He nods. “To make them shut up.”

“Well, you don’t have to do it alone anymore, ok? I’ll tell those voices to shut up too.”

He opens his eyes and looks at me, unsure. 

“I will.” I assure him.

“But...why?” His child-like voice breaks my heart.

“Because, they’re lying to you, Max. The things they tell you, they’re not true. You’re not a creep. Not a pervert. And you are definitely not a coward.”

“But...I am.”

“No, Max. You’re not. You’re not any of those. You’re just a man who needs someone to show him what it’s like to be loved. You didn’t have a good childhood. Losing your parents, and having your grandfather raise you. But you survived. You grew up. You coped with everything thrown your way in the ways that you knew how. You’re a survivor, Max. And, that alone makes you the furthest thing from being a creep and a coward. As for being a pervert, I don’t think you’re that either.”

He doesn’t say a word, but he leans into my touch more.

“How do you know?” He asks after a few minutes.

“I know, because I can tell you’re not. Believe me, I grew up ‘round ‘nough perverts to know that’s not you. You’re nothing like them. That’s how I know.” I whisper.

“You still like me?” He lifts his eyes to meet mine.

“I do, Max. And, I’m gonna show you what it’s like to be loved. We’ll get there. And Deaf here, this little boy in my arms, he’ll show you too. I told you he’d love you when he met you.”

“He does?”

I smile and nod. “He doesn’t reach out to just anyone. It took him months just to go to my brother. But it took him maybe 5 minutes to go to you. And, kids are usually really good judges of character. Just like dogs. So, I can assure you he doesn’t think you’re anything like what the voices tell you.”

He nods slowly and looks down at the little boy in my arms. 

“He is cute.” He mumbles.

I giggle. “Damn right he is! He’s my son.”

Max chuckles softly. “That’s true. But...you’re not cute.”

I raise a brow and look at him. “That’s not exactly the best thing to say to your new girlfriend.”

He grins. “Girlfriend? I like the sound of that...but you’re not cute. You’re beautiful.”

I blush. “So are you. Ain’t you can’t argue with me. The girlfriend’s always right.”

He laughs softly. “Is that so?”

“Mmhhmm! Now. I believe there’s a little boy who wants to be held by you.”

He smiles and kisses my palm before standing up straight and gently taking Max from my arms, holding him close. 

“As for the mirror, Max. We’ll just board up the other side.” I say, getting the picture, from his reaction, that it’s one of those mirrors like police station interrogation rooms have. “And, you won’t have to go back into the tunnels anymore. You have me and Max now. We’ll be here for you.”

He swallows deeply and nods. “Promise?”

“I promise promise, Max. But, know that if you ever cheat on me, I’ll cut your dick and balls off.”

His eyes widen as he nods. “I...I wouldn’t do that to you.” 

I smile. “Good. And I wouldn’t do it to you either.”

He lets out a breath of relief. “So...does this mean...that I have a family?”

I smile. “Yes, Max. It does. We’re your family now, and you’re our family.”

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Love, Maybe? {21}

Chris Evans X Reader OFC Vixen Giovanni

Warning: Slow Burn, Cursing

Word Count: 4.6K

Summary: After a night of drunkenness you wake up next to warm, hot as hell body, a migraine and no memory of the night before. When you come to realize that the hot body belongs to none other than Hollywood’s golden boy Chris Evans you freak out. As events unfold you become even more panicked to find out you got married in your drunken haze. What else is there to do but get it annulled, right? Before walking away, you share one more night of molten kisses and passion. Three years later you are still living with the repercussions of your brash decisions, but the surprises don’t stop there. The past has a way of coming back and have you questioning is this fate that you’ve been running from, hell could it have been love, maybe?

Note: Italic texts is an inner Vixen thought. Bold Italic texts is an inner Chris thought.

**Slightly Edited/Proofread**

***Interactive**

Thank you guys for reading!!!! If you enjoyed this please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG. 😊 ❤️  ❤️ ❤️

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

Chapter 21: Confession

-Chris-

  “What!”

   He rubbed his face and trailed his hands to the back of his neck.

   “You’re fucking with me.”

   He knew it would be hard to believe. He shook his head and rested his head on his fists. “No, not fucking with you.”

   His brother, Scott just gaped at him over the Facetime call. “Nah man, you’re fucking with me. this is some prank.”

He leaned back and stared out the window of his home out to the cliff, but he didn’t speak. “Chris. You’re messing with me, right?”

   Again, he shook his head no. “Hand to God, not a joke, or a prank, and I’m not fucking with you.”

   Scott just stared at him speechlessly, his face whiter than usual. He would have laughed if this wasn’t serious. Unable to keep it in, he snorted and laughed out loud. It was serious, but he couldn’t help it. “Why the fuck are you laughing bro?”

   That only made him laugh more. After a few moments, he got a hold of himself and cleared his throat. “Sorry, your face was just priceless. It makes me wonder if that is how my face looked when I found out.”

   “Found out? What the hell does that mean? Are you telling me you have a kid and you just found out? When?” Scott fired off question after question without giving him any time to respond then he mimicked the motion for mind blown which made him laugh again. “Come on be serious!”

He held his hands up in surrender and snorted at how chill he was about this now compared to when he first found out. “Okay yes, found out. I didn’t know until a little over a month ago, five weeks maybe,” he confessed. Scott’s eyes bugged out even more.

   “What! Bro—what!” He nodded while pinching his lips, not wanting to laugh again. He knew this was a lot to process. “Say that again.”

   “I have a kid, wait start over. I have a daughter. I found out maybe five, six weeks ago. She’s almost two; she’ll be two in a few weeks actually.” He smiled wide.

   “Two? Wow, wow, wow. With who?”

   He knew this question was coming and while he thought he’d prepared for it, he realized at this time he hadn’t. “Uh, whooo uh--.” He cleared his throat and used those few seconds to gather his thoughts. “It was a girl I met in Vegas a few years ago.” Nothing added. Scott didn’t look satisfied with the answer.

   “Did she just realize you were the father? Two years is a long time to have a kid by someone and not tell them. Are you sure you’re really the father?” He nodded, and he’d be lying if some of the hurt from your decision didn’t come up.

   “Yeah, she knew. She uh, she didn’t tell me until recently. Yeah, I’m sure she’s mine.” Scott stood up, and he knew he was pissed for him. He understood his outrage; he’d felt the same anger. “Calm down, Scott calm down. I know you’re mad, I get it. I was too, but we’re here now.”

   “And where is here, Chris?” He took a deep breath and slowly released it. “Here is accepting it, having it registered and ready to tell you.”

   Scott sat quietly for a little bit and nodded. “Wow, you’re a dad. I’m an uncle. That’s crazy, bro.” He nodded and smiled. It was crazy. “You’re an uncle.” Scott smiled, then studied him.

   “What’s her name?”

   “Ella, that’s what she’s called, but her full name is Kristella.” He couldn’t help but smile as he said her name. He’d slowly began appreciating that fact that though he’d missed so much time, a small piece of him was in her day to day life, even something small as his name.

   “Wow. What does she look at?” He dug into his pocket for his phone and scrolled through his gallery for the picture that you’d texted him from this morning. He smiled once he saw it; her smile was that infectious. He attached it in a text to his brother and heard when it came in. He watched Scott open the message and take a deep breath then smile. He looked up into the camera then back down to his phone and finally back again. “Yeah, she’s yours.” That was the only thing that needed to be said.

   Over the next thirty minutes, Scott asked a lot of questions from what Ella was like to what you were like and then everything in between. He answered what he knew and avoided what he didn’t want to talk about which was anything pertaining to you. He could talk about Ella all day but you—you were a root of stress for him. The stress wasn’t precisely negative; it was something else. After swearing Scott to secrecy, he ended the call. It was imperative he didn’t spill the beans to his sisters because once they knew it would be a matter of time before his mother found out and he wanted to tell her himself, he just didn’t know how.

   Over the last few weeks since spending the day at the beach with you and Ella the time you’d spent alone with him had decreased exponentially. If he were to see Ella, it was with Nexus, and she always gave the same excuse “she’s busy with the restaurant.” That excuse sufficed the first week or two, but he began to wonder if it were just that, an excuse. He loved his time with Ella, whenever she saw him, she always smiled and chattered happily. Unless he initiated touching her, she didn’t touch him, and he didn’t initiate because he didn’t want to overstep a boundary. Nexus always tried to reassure him that if she touched him once, she’d okay if he touches her, but he was still hesitant.

  There were times he just couldn’t tell if she liked him at all and he tried to remind himself that he was new to her, and she would warm up to him eventually, but he worried eventually would be never. He took out his phone and sent a message to you confirming dinner that night. The three of you had gotten into a pattern of having dinner three times a week now, and it had been successful so far. He looked forward to those dinners and the time he spent with you and Ella.

   MSG: Hi. How’s your day going so far? Are we still on for dinner tonight?

   Since the night the two of you were in Ella’s room he’d felt even more distance between the two of you, and he didn’t know how he felt about it. When he’d found out about Ella he was furious and felt something very close to hatred for you, but it never quite got there. Every time his rage sparked when the hurt got too much he wanted to shout out to you how much he hated you and would never forgive you, but he could never. Deep down he knew he didn’t hate you. He feared he couldn’t, and if he couldn’t it meant the way he’d felt those years ago wasn’t some fluke or him needing to get you out his system, it was possibly something more. You still hadn’t called him out on what he’d said. He wondered if you forgot or if it really didn’t matter.

  MSG Vixen: It’s okay. Things are definitely off to the races. Construction on the interior is done. Things will pick up more now.

MSG: That’s good. Sounds exciting.

MSG Vixen: Yeah. The next few weeks will be design focused and promo. I don’t think I’ll make it for dinner tonight. I texted Nex, and she said she’ll bring Ella to some restaurant cause she’s not cooking. If you reach out to her you guys can sync. You already have her number.

   He took a deep breath. He didn’t know how to feel. He thought long and hard about his response.

   MSG: Okay, don’t work too hard.

   Nonchalant and cool was how he decided to play it.

That night after driving twenty minutes trying to lose the paps that tailed him, he met Nexus and Ella at low key diner she’d found on the strip. Ella smiled when she saw him a smile he loved already. When he sat down, she wasted no time sharing her crayons and coloring with him. Hours passed, and he barely noticed. He only noticed when Nexus left him alone at the table with Ella to use the bathroom. Her phone rang, and he saw your face on the screen. Ella shouted mama and gave the biggest smile. Seeing the way she loved you softened his anger toward you and seeing the way you loved her and really dedicated everything you had to her made him see you differently. You were a great mom.

   When Nexus returned, he had some things he wanted to know. “Is she really too busy tonight?” Nexus looked surprised then speechless as if he’d caught her off guard.

   “By she, I’m assuming you mean--.”

   “You know who I mean,” he said, cutting her off. Nexus nodded and looked at her phone no doubt seeing the missed call. She didn’t respond, but he saw her fingers tapping away. She was probably texting you. He sat quietly and waited for her to finish. When she looked to him she put her phone face down.

   “She is busy.” He nodded and looked back to Ella. “You know what? What do you want here, Chris?” He knew what she meant, and even though he did he didn’t know what to say. After almost a minute of silence she nodded. “Maybe figure that bit out first and really figure it out before things get misconstrued, again.” With that he wondered what she’d meant by “again.” Before he could ask Ella began crying out of nowhere.

   “What’s wrong, sweetie?” Ella reached for her. Nexus stood and lifted her over to her lap and hushed her. Ella rubbed her eyes. “Ah, you’re tired. All right. I’m sorry Chris, she's--.” He raised his hand and nodded.

   “I understand. Bye, Ella.” She smiled then hid her face in Nexus’ chest.

   He walked them out to the car. When he was turning to walk off to his car, Nexus’ voice stopped him.

   “Look, I didn’t mean to sound like a b-i-t-c-h back there--.”

   “You’re fine. I get it. She’s your sister you have no loyalties to me.” Nexus sighed and mumbled something underneath her breath as she shook her head.

   “I don’t,” she responded while writing on a piece of paper. “Here.” She held out the paper to him. Reaching in the car, he grasped the small paper and glanced at what she’d written.

   2570 Sunset.

   “She’s there right now, but I don’t know for how much longer.” Slowly his face spread into a smile as did hers. “God, I see why she fell for your face three years ago.” He smiled wider and rubbed his bearded jaw.

   “Thank you.” She nodded, and with that, she took off, Ella waved to him from the backseat a wave he happily echoed.

~~~~~~~~~

He was thankful that he made it across town without being seen by any of the vermin that plagued his life. The paparazzi was one part of the job he still had yet to get used to. Every encounter they only got worse and worse. It took serious work to keep you and Ella out of any potential shots or scandals. He knew, though that in this business, everything always comes out sooner or later.

  When he arrived at the address, it looked like a construction site outside, but it was quiet. He slowly approached the door and peered through the glass windows. Inside looked like a work in progress. After trying the knob that turned freely he walked inside careful not to touch anything. From what he could see there was no one there. Then he saw a woman’s purse then heard hushed voices.

   “I’m sorry, I—I don’t know what to say.”

   “Just say what you feel. I’ve only ever cared about how you feel Vixen.” At the mention of your name, he stopped walking and looked around the bend. He could see your face and the back of a taller man. Quickly he pulled his head back, not wanting to be found. He contemplated leaving, but when he heard you speak, again he stopped.

   “I don’t—I don’t do feelings, Zack. It’s been a very long time since I allowed myself to even enter something that takes time away from Ella.” Hearing Ella’s name made him slink closer all the while ensuring to stay out of sight. This was eavesdropping, but he was curious. As he got closer, he came from a different angle, an angle that allowed him to see the guy’s face clearer. It was the same guy you’d been within the restaurant when he saw you. He’d heard some of the conversation before he’d left and he remembered thinking poor guy.

   “I understand you want to dedicate all your time and attention to her, but you’re a woman Vixen, you have needs,” the man retorted. He scoffed, that was the cheesiest thing he’d ever heard.

   “Zack, look—I appreciate the connection you introduced me to, and I know without you this all probably wouldn’t have happened for a while longer. I’m grateful, believe that--.”

   “But you don’t feel for me what I feel for you,” the blond filled in. He peeped around the corner and saw a sympathetic look on your face. It was the look of a woman trying to let a man down gently. He’d given that look to quite a few women over the years. He held his breath wanting to hear the words from your mouth.

   “I’m sorry, I don’t, and it’s not you, it’s me. I’ve been through a lot, and as a result I’m just—different.” He wondered what that meant. His elbow collided with a paint pan, and it clattered to the floor beside him.

   “Who’s there?”  Annoyed with himself, he stepped out the shadows.

   “You’re trespassing dude, I’ll call the cops,” the man threatened.

   “That’s not necessary.” Vixen stepped out from behind him and squinted.

   “Chris?”

   “Hi, Vixen.” He felt like a stalker. The two of you approached him. You look confused, and the blond looked blown away.

   “What? Chris Evans? As in Captain America?” He nodded.

   “Wow, I’m a huge fan, so huge.” He smiled and turned on the Hollywood persona.

   “Thank you; it’s good to meet you.” Looking at you he shot over an apologetic look.

   “What’re you doing here?” You crossed your arms over your chest.

   “Uh, your sister told me where you were, and I wanted to bring you some food.” He held up the bag in his hand for emphasis.

   “Wait, why are you bringing her food? How do you even know her? How do you know Chris Evans?” You didn’t make a move to answer, and he was absolutely going to let you take the lead. Part of him wanted you to say he was your ex-husband, but he knew you wouldn’t say that.

   “We knew each other from way back, I was just in the neighborhood,” he partially lied. Thinking about it though, none of it was a lie, it was just vague as hell and completely out of context. The guy looked between him and you before he scoffed.

   “Wow, Captain America just saw me get dumped.” He felt kind of bad for the guy.

   “I’m sorry, Zack.” He nodded before he sighed. “Good luck, Vixen. I hope you get that beautiful life you deserve.” You looked down, and he walked away and out the front door leaving the two of you standing in silence.

   “Out of curiosity, how much of that did you hear?”

   He made a guilty face. “All or most of it.” You groaned and rubbed your forehead.

   “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude or eavesdrop. I didn’t want to interrupt, and after ten seconds it would have come off as snooping and that would have been weird and embarrassing, and I didn’t want that,” he blurted. You smirked.

   “Because this isn’t weird or embarrassing now?” He paused and thought about your point and nodded. “Touché.” The two of you laughed together until you sighed.

   “God that was a disaster,” you rushed out.

   “What? No, it wasn’t. It was fine and normal. People break up every day.” You snorted and shook your head before you groaned.

   “And he was my ride.”

  “I can give you a ride.” You looked at him with one eyebrow raised. He knew how it sounded but decided not to correct it. “Anywhere you wanna go, and I won’t even turn the meter on.” You smiled and shook your head.

   After you locked up and turned off all the electricity, you walked out onto the sidewalk. He waited while you locked the door and made sure it was secure. When you turned to him, the two of you stood there just staring. Suddenly, he saw the flash of one then two cameras that brought his attention to around him. In an instant, like a Houdini trick about eight photogs surrounded you all snapping pictures. “Oh my god!”

Your eyes met, and he saw your panic. “Run!” The minute you heard his shout, he saw it; you took off down the street pushing your way through the group of people. He followed hot on your tail. He could hear them chasing behind you. Glancing back your eyes landed on him. He fell into pace with you. “Down the street, around the corner.” You nodded and followed his instruction and halfway down the block he saw an open ally like corridor. Looking back he didn’t see the swarm and dipped into the narrow entryway before you ran past he grabbed you pulling you into him. Quickly he pulled the metal tarp like screen closing it off. From the outside, it looked like a private screen many restaurants used to block entry from the side.

   He pressed his finger to his mouth, signaling you to be quiet. The two of you could hear the footsteps as they ran past your hiding spot. You stared at the metal as if you could see through it and he stared at you wishing he could see into your mind.

   “God, she’s beautiful.”

   When the footsteps faded and shouts for his name died down, you looked to him but didn’t speak. Everything he’d felt the first night with you came back. He recognized them now as feelings and not effects of the abundance of liquor he’d consumed. He hadn’t had a drop in weeks, and here he was yet again in front of you, feeling like his belly was on fire, and all the air was being pumped into his heart making it expand in his chest. It was a similar feeling to heartburn.

   Just then, as a monstrous clap of thunder filled the air, the sky ripped open and down came a monsoon. The two of you stood frozen, still not moving or caring that you were both getting thoroughly drenched. Before either of you made any moves, a bright lightning bolt decorated the sky and brought an even louder thunderclap with it. You flinched and looked up.

   “Let’s go!” He pulled open the metal and scanned the sidewalk making sure no one was awaiting there to snag a picture. There was not a soul in sight. Nodding his head as the signal it was all clear you stepped out behind him. The two of you scurried back down the street to your restaurant and across to his waiting car. You hopped in, and he quickly made his way around to the driver’s side.

   “Oh my god, it’s coming down.” He nodded and rubbed his hands through his hair then looked to you. “You okay?” You nodded using your hands to wipe the water from your face. “Let me show you something amazing.” You didn’t answer right away; instead, you stared at him then slowly nodded. Smiling he pulled off hoping the rain would continue for another thirty minutes at least.

   -Twenty Minutes Later-

The rain continued, and because there was barely a car on the street, he made it in nearly record time. As he parked on the cliff right under the clearing of trees your jaw dropped. “Oh my god, wow.” He smiled as he stared at you, experiencing the sight through your expressions. You looked amazed scooting to the edge of the seat to peer out the windshield. When you angled your head to look up into the sky he scoffed and looked out for himself. “Pretty cool huh.”

   “Yeah.” Again, he rubbed his head hoping to get the water drops out. “I only come here when it rains. Since we’re up a bit you can really see the definition of every raindrop. It almost looks as if it drops in slow motion like the world just slows down here. I come when I need everything to just stop.” Silence.

   “Is that often?”

   Taking a deep breath, he nodded, not wanting to be anything but real with you. More silence filled the car as the two of you just watched the rain streak across the night sky. After almost fifteen minutes of silence, the rain slowed to a heavy drizzle.

   “My God, what did you bring it smells so good!” He smiled and reached back, then produced the bag to you. You opened it took out the container and revealed twelve tacos. You gasped.

   “Your favorite,” he said. You snorted and laughed. “I can’t believe you remember that.”

   “Are you kidding! It’s not every day a woman scarfs down five loaded tacos right in front me in less than eight minutes,” he recollected.

   “What? Excuse me. It was seven in under eight. Put some respect on my name!” He snorted, and the two of you laughed unable to control yourselves. “It was impressive.”

   You smiled again and took the oversized container out the plastic bag and took a deep inhale. “Oh my god, this is what heaven smells like.” He nodded and watched as you took a hearty bite. Smiling to himself, he was pleased this was still the same about you. He liked this you. You moaned as you chewed and didn’t bother to wipe off the salsa and sour cream mixture at the side of your mouth. “Is it good?” You nodded and rolled your eyes to the back of your head.

   “Eat, please.” He took a taco for himself and tried it and nodded his agreement. The next few minutes passed with the two of you devouring the tacos with little to no speech except the muffled mumbles of full mouths. It was comfortable, a comfort he hadn’t felt in three years.

   Once the tacos were finished, you chattered about everything and nothing at the same time. He told you about filming Captain America and the craziness he’d seen because of it, you told him about opening your restaurant back in San Fran and how you worked your ass off to be successful and he found a new thing he loved about you, your drive. The conversation turned to rumors of the entertainment industry that a lot of people had, rumors and myths he happily demystified. In truth, his life was not glamorous, and it was not something to be envied.

   Hours later, you now sat looking absentmindedly at the twinkling city lights of Los Angeles. You looked far away. “You were wrong back there.” You turned to him and rested your head against the headrest. “Hmm?” It sounded like a calm, relaxed moan, one he liked—a lot. “In your restaurant with that guy Zack, you were wrong. Without him, it wouldn’t have taken you a lot longer to get here. You’re talented and ambitious and so damn resilient, you would have gotten here no matter what. You didn’t need him.” You didn’t speak just stared at him. He wasn’t sure you would respond. “Thanks.” You looked down to some spot.

   “Honestly, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have even agreed to the first date. I knew it wasn’t something I really wanted.”

   He really didn’t want to talk about you dating other men. It didn’t sit well with him. “Then why’d you do it?” You released a loud melancholy sigh.

   “Peer pressure. It’s been years since I did the whole song and dance and Nex said it was about time and I figured maybe it was I’d avoided it for three years and said what the hell.” He watched you; his brain stuck on one fact. You’d avoided dating for three years.

   “Was that after me? After us?”

   You finished your beer and groaned. “Three years, huh.” Your head snapped to him; your eyes were wide then closed. “Oh, damn I said that out loud.” He laughed and nodded. “Yep, out loud and very clearly.”

   You dropped your head in the palms of your hands and shook it. “It’s all right; you have a reason—Ella. I haven’t done a lot of things in three years.” You looked at him with a quirked eyebrow as if calling his bullshit. “Like what?” He smiled and debated with himself, he wanted to be real, but he didn’t know if he wanted to be this real or if he had the guts.

   “For one, gotten married.” You kept a straight face. “Too soon?” You snorted and laughed out then pushed him back, forcing him to laugh as well. “That was super corny.” He shrugged. When he looked back to you your eyes were already on him. “You look crazy.” His jaw dropped. “Me?” She nodded and smiled.

  “Yep, you. It’s not a bad thing. I just—you always look so put together and groomed and now you just—don’t.” A few more moments passed with him staring at you and you not looking away.

   “I like it.” Your admission made him feel like a little boy all over again when his crush told him he looked nice in his new Fila sneakers. He smiled. “Yeah well, you still look perfect, as always.” Your teeth sank into your bottom lip, and the moment felt right for claiming those lips. It was then his phone rang sapping the two of you out of whatever haze you were in.

   “I’m sorry.” You motioned for him to go ahead. When he took out his phone, he saw it was a Facetime call from his sister Carly. Hesitating he looked to you. “Get it, please,” you said.

   He pressed the green button, and her face came up on the screen with his other sister Shanna and Scott sitting in the back looking sheepish as hell. Instantly he knew Scott had ratted him out.

   “Oh fuck!”

   “Fuck is right. What the fuck, Chris?!” He looked across to you, and your eyes were wide. “I’ll call you back.” Without waiting for a response, he ended the call. “She sounds pissed.” He nodded, he knew when Carly got pissed, she was really pissed because she was usually very chill. “Ha, yeah she’s pissed, my sister.”

   You nodded and buckled your seat belt. “I should get home; Nex is probably wondering where I am. He nodded trying to keep the disappointment at bay. “Yeah, I’ll take you home.”

   With that, he pulled out and began the drive to your house. Half of him was worried about the shit storm to come when he got home, and the other half was thinking about the what ifs. What if he hadn’t gotten a call? What if he would have leaned in for the kiss? What if you would have pulled back and told him no? What if you kissed him back? Nexus was right. He had to get his shit together.

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

***If you want to be tagged please SEND AN ASK SO IT WILL BE EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP TRACK OF. Thank you for reading!!!

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

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[awesomerextyphoon]

Something New - Part 1

Paring: Stucky x Black!OFC (Chidema “Chi”)

Words: 3164

Rating: 18+ 

Summary: They expected Bucky to be hungry, they didn’t see him devouring two-thirds of the menu.

Warning: Talk of implied torture. Read at your own risk!

A/N: This is my second story. It will most likely be in five parts with a few drabbles. Tell me what you think. Haters will be blocked! Constructive criticism only! Please comment if you want to be tagged! Gif not mine!

Bucharest, Romania

Steve looked at his watch. It’s precisely noon and they were following a lead from a kind plum stand owning lady from the market. The target was pretty nonchalant in his movement typical for a civilian. To the outside world, Steve was cool and collected, but Chidema knew better. Steve was getting antsy.

—————————————

It’s been eight months since the aftermath of Utron. Thor returned two months later with four alien ladies and an incredible story.

Not only did Thor have an older sister that Odin never bothered to tell him that was imprisoned in Helheim, but a whole other family in a realm far, far, away called Cykuuans. Well, the family decided to come and collect an admission and apology from Odin.

The aftermath was as follows: Odin was forced to admit that he hid another family from everyone including Frigga and that he imprisoned Hela after he did a brutal colonization of the nine realms (he wasn’t going to admit he more realms). He was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of Thor (Loki was still in prison and Baldur kind of wanted it but not really (Baldur is a thing in my stories)), and left on a self-imposed exile.

The leader of the Cykuuan delegation asked Chidema and twelve others to stay behind while they got the first draft of the treaty ready. She was a bit apprehensive, but she agreed to stay.

Chidema quickly say Frigga as a grandmother figure saying that Frigga and her actual grandmother would get along swimmingly.

Chidema and the other delegates had to ‘make nice’ with Thor, Baldur, and Loki at Frigga behest because of what he’s going through. It went okay for most of the remaining members, but Chidema got along more with Loki than Thor and Baldur. It was mostly because she was aware of Loki not being Odin’s biological son. They discussed various forms of magic, history, literature, and how horrible a father Odin was (the last being to Frigga’s dismay).

Sif was finally able to spar with other women who grew up fighting. The results were a mixed bag but all in good fun.

This all came in handy when Malekeith tried to destroy Asgard in search of the Ether which was inside Jane Foster (Chidema didn’t particularly care for her). They were able to thwart his plans without any major casualties (Frigga doesn’t get the fridge treatment) .

A few weeks after making repairs, Thor asked Chidema, Amaka, Nkolika, and Ozioma to investigate infinity stone sightings and lend a hand in helping avoid climate catastrophe. They agreed to both on the condition that they were able to address the UN first.

The team loved them for different reasons. Tony remarked that it’s good that he got with Pepper much to Thor’s and Pepper’s annoyance. Nat asked if they knew of any interrogation and fighting techniques that incorporated their tails and they hit if off. Wanda liked that they had emotional magic like she did and she loved their singing voices (they put the best singers to shame). Vision liked that they were also curious about what Earth had to offer. Clint liked that they were great with the kids and treaded tips on marksmanship. Sam and the girls traded lighthearted military and demon slayer corps stories. Bruce liked that they were interested in Earth’s advancements in science and their offer to assist both him and Tony in the lab.

The other girls remarked that Steve would be great for their grandmothers to date, not their granddaughters, them.

Chidema saw him differently. She saw the pain in his eyes, the sadness of losing a life of what could’ve been. Her heart ached for his pain, but was moved by his never-ending drive to fight for others despite his own demons.

She soon fell in love with him. And everyone knew it…except Steve.

Well, Natasha and Amaka weren’t going to have any of it.

So, they said fuck it and set the two lovebirds on a blind date.

At first, Chidema and Steve wanted to bolt, but after a few ‘encouraging’ texts from the matchmakers, they stay and talk about happier times in their childhood. After that, the date went off without a hitch. A few dates later and they were officially a couple.

Tony owed Natasha $2,000 which she split with Amaka.

A few months later, Steve got a lead on Bucky possibly being in Romania and Chidema went with him.

—————————————

Steve and Chidema were following the target down an alley when they got spooked and made a run for it. The couple raced after him with Chidema creating a portal cut him off before they could turn into the crowd.

The target landed chained on top of a building. Two seconds later they saw two figures come out of what seemed to be thin air walking towards them.

“Where is the Asset?” Steve asked/demanded.

“Nu vă spun niciodată, nici curva ta!” They responded.

Steve’s lips made a thin line and Chidema just smiled and replied with, “Într-adevăr? Deci, ai vrea să-ți pierzi limba și pula pentru HYDRA?”

“Nu ai vrea!” They shouted.

Chidema pulled out a rusty carving knife from a portal and said, “Vrei să iei acel pariu?”

They looked shocked for a minute and then put their head in defeat. “Amenda. Este într-o cabină chiar în afara orașului.”

“Mulțumesc foarte mult” Chidema thanked the target and in a span of blink both she and Steve vanished leaving the target alone and chained on the rooftop.

—————————————

“Don’t worry. I contacted the authorities about them. They won’t be on that rooftop indefinitely.” Chidema reassured Steve as they stepped outside of the portal in front of their fourth cabin.

Steve was able to make quick work of the guards around the cabin. “Well at least this one isn’t a dud.” Steve stated as he took out the last guard.

“Look baby, I said I was sorry” Chidema replied with a pout.

Steve chuckled, “I’m just teasing you, Chi.”

“Alright, alright. Let’s go get your best pal!”

—————————————

The cabin’s interior was a little too clean. There was no dust, but nothing to suggest that it was lived in. The only thing that seemed out of place was the door at the opposite end of the cabin next to the kitchen. The doorknob was well worn with marks on the wood.

So yeah, they were going to go through that door.

They opened the door and went down the stairs. It led to another door which opened up to a room that was lit like it was an asylum in a horror movie. On the far side of the room was a bed laid-

“Buck!”

—————————————

First thing he registered were loud steady beeps of a heart monitor. Slowly Bucky realized that he was in a different setting and he panicked.

“Shit, he’s trying to move!” Amaka yelled as she used her targeted Narcoleptic Pheromone Magic to get him to back to sleep.

Amaka was near the waiting room while Steve and Chidema got some rest. They were by Bucky’s side for past ten days. Well, Chidema was by Bucky’s side for the past eight days. Steve was constantly being called away for meeting with the team, so Chidema stayed to reassure him until Amaka badgered her to get some rest.

—————————————

“Okay…so I just shot your boyfriend’s lover boy with some sleep pheromones to keep him from going on a rampage. You need to get here stat!” Amaka rasped over the phone as to make sure that Bucky didn’t wake up.

“Alright I’ll be on my way,” Chidema said as she rushed out of bed.

Chidema knew of Steve’s feelings towards Bucky for some time now. It was cruel that they couldn’t be together in the world that they lost, and she was glad that time changed for the better.

But at the same time, she didn’t want to lose Steve. She knew that in the end, it would be up to Steve. It’s just that Steve was first person to get through her defenses and make her truly feel wanted.

You could call her selfish, but she didn’t want to lose that feeling.

—————————————

The first thing that Bucky saw when he woke up was seemed to be a woman smiling at her, but she was so much more.

Her black hair cascaded past her shoulders and her back in long, thick, smooth and defined curls that framed her face perfectly. Her eyes were (a little wider than a human’s) filled with gold and blues as if she held the stars in her eyes. Her ears were delicately shaped like the top parts of faerie wings. Her lips were full and pouty in a way the actresses in his time would’ve killed for. Her rich brown skin was radiant even in the shitty lighting of the medical bay. Her body seemed to be made for sin with her full toned curves that would’ve been heralded in his day. Her tail was wagging languidly hypnotically behind her–a TAIL?!

Bucky shot up with a wince while the vision put a hand on his shoulder as if to calm him, but it had the opposite effect. Because what kind of beauty would want to be near a monster like him?

—————————————

Steve raced to the medical bay as soon as he got the text from Amaka about Bucky.

He loved his best pal and for awhile and he was ashamed that he couldn’t protect him on that train. It haunted him ever since he got out of the ice. Sure, he was saddened that he missed his dance with Peggy, but Bucky hit him in a deeper way. He didn’t know when he first started loving Bucky, but once he did, he knew that he couldn’t live without him.

It seemed that he got a second chance when Bucky reappeared as the Winter Soldier. He just had to save him…again.

Chi (Chidema will be referred to as Chi from now on) came in at a good time for Steve. She was the piece that was missing for him, and one day Bucky as well.

She made him feel whole again.

Now it was time to see to the missing piece of his puzzle.

—————————————

“It’s okay, I won’t hurt you, James.” Chi soothed. Big mistake. Really what is her deal?

Bucky was both enraptured and annoyed by her voice. Enraptured by how she sounded, annoyed by her words. Seriously, does she not know who she’s talking to?!

She chuckled at his reaction and said, “I supposed I should try a change of approach. My name is Chidema.”

Chidema…beautiful. It suited her.

“Well, Steve should be here soon. It took awhile to find you. Do you want some water?” She asked.

Bucky nodded his head and she grabbed a cup and slowly brought it to to his lips. The water was cool and soothing as it went down his lips.

Right as the last of the water went down his throat, the door swung opened to reveal Steve.

—————————————

Steve almost stumbled into the room in anticipation in seeing Bucky again.  Instead, he saw his two missing pieces together, one taking care of the other.

It made Steve’s heart swell.

“So what do we have here? A punk and a troublesome dame acting all caring as to not rouse suspicion.” Steve said as he sauntered up to Bucky’s bedside opposite of Chi.

“Could be better.”

“I gave him some water after my failed attempts to calm him down.” Chi explained

“I’ll give you some time to talk.”Chi said as she exited the room.

—————————————

“So, how long have I’ve been out since you found me?”

“Ten days which surprised everyone because the doctors said that you should’ve been out for weeks. Are you hungry?”

Bucky’s stomach chose that exact moment to loudly grumble in agreement.

“Yeah, they said that HYDRA took your metabolism for a ride. I’ll see if Chi is still outside and get you some food.”

“Was that the dame that gave me water? She’s…” Bucky started but stopped as if he didn’t want to start something with Steve just yet.

Steve cocked an eyebrow at him and said, “Yes. She’s my girl. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when you get out of this joint.”

Steve then exited the room leaving a slightly perplexed Bucky alone with his thoughts.

—————————————

Steve spotted Chi talking with Amaka near the corner of the hallway. They were talking about something in their native language, so he decided to give him some space but not before overhearing some of their conversation. It did help that Chi taught him some of their language while they were alone.

“You need to talk to him Chi. This will not end well for you if you don’t.”

“I know, but…Steve!”Chi exclaimed as she hugged and pecked his cheek.

“Hey babe! Would it be possible for you to get Bucky some food? He’s famished but I don’t want to leave him alone for so long.” Steve asked as he returned the hug and peck.

“Of course. I’ll be back soon.” Chi said as she departed with one last kiss and swivel of her hips that drove Steve crazy.

Steve turned to Amaka and inquired, “What did Chi want to tell me?”

Amaka sighed and replied with, “That’s something she needs to tell you.”

Steve just stared at Chi retreating form and pressed his lips into a thin line.

—————————————

It took another five days until Bruce and the rest of the Wakandan medical team (After the UN speech, Chi and the girls convinced T’Chaka and the rest of the Wakandan royal family to participate in the international community on their terms in exchange for the girls’ knowledge on tech, science, and some non-Earth metals. They shared more with them than with Stark.) said that Bucky was good to go.

Since then, it was a hodgepodge 21st century Earth terms and tech all of which was fascinating and a bit overwhelming to Bucky.

Steve commented how it was hard for him to adjust. Sam kept trying to give Bucky some grief, but it almost never landed due to Bucky giving it right back and more.

It seemed that the 1940s Bucky was finally making a comeback. The only areas that he had yet to conquer was his nightmare and lack of eating.

—————————————

One night, Chi was making herself some Maharaja Chai Oolong & Samurai Chai Mate tea when she heard a scream coming from Bucky’s room.

Steve nearly sprinted out of his room to Bucky’s, but Chi stopped him.

“Let me handle this. Go back to bed, love.” She gently coaxed her boyfriend as she glided into Bucky’s room with a serene smile.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Tea?”

“No thanks.”

“May I sit down?” Chi asked as Bucky nodded and she sat at the edge of his bed.

“It seems that ghost of HYDRA has yet to finish its haunt. I know it well.” Chi lamented.

“What do you mean?” Bucky nearly demanded.

Chi sighed and continued, “I was not always with my family. I was taken from them and turned into a killing machine when I was but a babe. I spent my first nine years in an organization not unlike HYDRA. An organization that thought that they were the only ones to peace and order but instead they wrought chaos and called it love for the people.”

Bucky’s eyes started to fall in sadness and pensiveness. He never thought someone this close to him went through similar circumstances and so young.

Chi noticed the shift in Bucky demeanor, and went on, “When I was six, they turned me into this, ” Chi paused and her blood out and watched it turn into the unnaturally hard and sharp substance that she was known for. “The procedure required them to do a near complete dissection. I remember that cursed day. I screamed for hours. It wasn’t until my great-grandmother received a tip from a friend when I was nine that my nightmare got a shred of light.” Chi added with a small smile and a tear.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want you know that it will get better and it will always be a struggle. I’m not perfect or what could be construed as well-adjusted, but I’m still here.” Chi then pulled Bucky into a hug and started rubbing his back,“I want to know that you’re not alone in this. You never are.”

They stayed like that for what felt like hours until they fell asleep, both wearing small smiles. Chi’s from finally being able to get through to Bucky and Bucky’s from not feeling like he was alone and maybe something else deep in his heart.

—————————————

The next day, Steve decided that it was time that Bucky finally eat real food and not just soups and protein shakes. So decided to take his best friend and girlfriend to a diner that somehow survived the 1940s.

—————————————

“I thought this place got demolished right before the war!” Bucky exclaimed.

“It almost was, but the owner decided to let one of his workers carry the mantel. Now, it’s in its third generation with some modern touches, but it’s still the same at it’s heart.”  Steve reassured.

Chi just looked around with a content smile happy to see something reminiscent of her boys’ childhood.

Wait, her boys? Hmm…

Their waiter gushed a little too much and too closely at the super soldier duo for Chi’s liking, but she let it slide. It wasn’t the first time she had to deal with this and vice versa for Steve. She was quite popular for giving the planet another chance in avoiding climate catastrophe. Also, she was easy on the eyes as Tony and various modeling agencies (Chi was 5’9”) have mentioned…much to Chi’s and Steve’s annoyance.

They led the trio to a booth in the corner and gave them a few menus and left with a wink. Really? I’m right here!

Granted, both men didn’t register the wink, but still.

Bucky looked at his menu with a renewed exhilaration as he reviewed the items. He hadn’t been this hungry in who knows how long.

“Don’t be shy Bucky” Chi said with an encouraging smile.

“Yeah Buck, order whatever you want. I’m paying.”

They expected him to be hungry, but they didn’t see him ordering two-thirds of the menu.

When the food arrived, he practically inhaled it with gusto. By the time he was done, the waiter and a few other patrons stared at him in shock.

“What? I was hungry.” Bucky uttered while rubbing his stomach and suppressing a burp. Well, trying to. A pointedly loud one escaped his mouth and spooked an old woman.

“Alright Buck, let’s get on out of here.” Steve suggested while ignoring the heat in his lower abdomen.

—————————————

—————————————

Nu vă spun niciodată, nici curva ta! => I’ll never tell you or your whore!

Într-adevăr? Deci, ai vrea să-ți pierzi limba și pula pentru HYDRA? => Really? So you would like to lose your dick and your tongue to HYDRA?

Nu ai vrea! => You wouldn’t!

Vrei să iei acel pariu? => You want to take that bet?

Amenda. Este într-o cabină chiar în afara orașului. => Fine. He’s in a cabin outside the city.

Mulțumesc foarte mult => Thank you very much!

—————————————

Taglist: 

@chixkencxrry​ @cherienymphe​ @sherrybaby14​ @drawandread​ @victoriastefanie04​ @fuelforcreativity​ @justamezz​ @run-you-clever-boys​ @life-of-yn​ @aalyshia​ @opheliadawnwalker3​

[talltalesandbedtimestories]

A View To A Winchester (Part 1)

Series Page

Summary: Julie’s starting a new life after divorce in a home with a very nice view.

A Dean X OFC story. No idea how long it will be, but I’ve got time on my hands. I got this idea staring out the view of my home office window and thinking how nice it would be to have Dean Winchester to ogle. I’m thinking it will go the fluffy route, with some angst, and maybe some smut down the line. Not sure yet.

Section Word Count:  3,755

Section Warnings: mild language

~~~~~

The view from Julie’s home office had always provided some solace. A calm had washed over her the very first time she stared at it months ago. She’d been alone searching for a new place to move all of her stuff into as soon as possible. Well, not alone if you counted the perky real estate agent hovering in the doorway. Back then, she had no idea what her next step would be. But this little view of nothing special hit the pause button as all the pieces of her life crumbled out of her control. The view had been a distraction amidst the decisions and paperwork and phone calls. Everything that came along with severing the life she had built with the man she’d married.

She could hear her spry sixty-six year old mother passing the vacuum downstairs in the living room. Again. For the second time that day. Bless her sanitation compulsion. It’s only going to get worse now that she had to leave her house for this fumigation fiasco… will never hear the end of how she always knew keeping a clean house was important. Julie sighed. It will keep her from mentioning Steve for a while. That’s a positive.

She’d started her work project that Saturday morning at the PC atop the corner desk. A wall slathered in a turf green color with the precision of a five year old had been her view past that computer screen. Wish I’d had time and money to paint the whole house before moving in.

The uncomfortable office chair and the ache in her lower back had shifted Julie’s location by hour four of her remote work day. She gave in to try and subdue the pain, pulled out her laptop and sank into the sofa bed. The discount furniture had proved remarkably comfy. It was also positioned at a perfect height under the two side by side windows. The view looking out over her small backyard was always filled with entertaining items.

It was a standard middle class development. No HOA in this joint. Her neighbors to the left had perfected the art of hoarding chaos in their backyard. Every inch was filled with something either garden or tool related or well past its usefulness. Julie had a quaint covered patio right next to their property line. Mom, the one with the green thumb and outdoor enthusiasm, had sat under it more than Julie had over the past few days. Nature is better experienced behind a pane of glass. I’m too sweet for those mosquitoes.

A beautiful dagwood tree skirted the other fence line toward the far edge of her property. It’s branches brushed over the detached carport capping off the incline from the long driveway. This divorcee didn’t have it in her budget for a two car garage. But, she did like the fact that her car wasn’t the first thing a guest saw in front of the house when they drove down the road to visit. The quaint cape cod had a simple charm to it, with another small dagwood by the porch.

You should have taken Steve for everything he was worth. Oh, her mom’s never requested, yet always given, opinion when it came to her ex. If only she did have some of that superstitious Italian ability to curse others. Steve’s dick would have fallen off a long time ago. 

Nope, this view had been just enough for Julie when she’d moved in three months ago. After the divorce had become final. And then, last week, somehow, she’d managed to convince her dead-set-in-her-ways mom to leave her row home in the city and stay with her, instead of at a hotel during the necessary remediation. 

You try and talk an old school Italian into leaving their home unattended. Try, I dare you. 

Julie’s younger brother, Joseph, was on the west coast with his wife and two sons. There was no way, as much as her mother worshipped the ground her son walked on, that Joey would be able to come and rescue Mamma Mia for this one. Knowing their mother was with Julie made little brother feel better. He’d uttered that phrase over a video call, his youngest boy squirming in his lap and grabbing for the screen. They both wouldn’t be alone for a little while, he added, which cut Julie in a way that she was sure he hadn’t intended. It’ll keep Ma busy, Jule-Jule, having you to fuss over. Like she used to do when we were kids. 

As she tapped with an absentminded rhythm on the down arrow key, trying to focus on the spreadsheet, she couldn’t help but steal glances at the patch of unoccupied concrete driveway in the other neighbor’s yard. The one neighbor she’d only seen on two occasions. But, both times, he had been a glorious sight to behold. The man she’d learned was called Dean Winchester.

The first time she’d spotted him, Julie had been outside late one evening, only a couple days after moving in. Her cleaning of the backyard had gone better than expected that afternoon. Even a run in with a spider had not scared her inside. Normally, she would have abandoned any items and cleaning supplies in her wake of fright. That was not an option. Cause I don’t have anyone around to kill them. She faced the one-inch eight legged fiend like a trooper, brushing it into the grass. 

The finishing touch of her busy day had been the placement of two wicker chairs and a tiny table in the covered patio’s alcove. Spring had not officially arrived yet, but she’d risk putting the outdoor furniture where it belonged. Her frame sank into one of the chairs with a wine cooler in hand, her aching feet propped up in the seat of the other. She tugged the cardigan sweater closed at the slight chill in the air.

Her chatty neighbor Wes, the one with the hoarding problem, had talked her ear off for a good half hour. She basked in her accomplishment as the sun set and she was talked more at than to. He seemed quite content speaking over her as she attempted a conversation. Not in an overbearing or conceited way. It was reminiscent of an excited child who couldn’t wait to get all the details out about their amazing story. His partner, Samuel, would try to steer Wes back and remind him to wait his turn in the most patient of ways. Julie had no energy left to struggle and simply listened. It was what she was good at, after all. 

Julie quickly surmised the amount of alcohol they imbibed could be part of the reason they got along so well. They were night and day. Wes worked in construction, had a scruffy stark blonde beard that matched the ponytail, and lived in faded jeans and a Phish t-shirt. Samuel was a retired Executive Director and dressed like one of those distinguished older gentlemen in a Land’s End catalog.

The couple had eventually turned in, wishing her a good night. Julie sat, alone, in the dark. She was too tired to get up. Her lids were getting heavy. A loud rumble from a vehicle had stirred her awake. She cursed at falling asleep, outside, leaving herself vulnerable in a new place. The open wine cooler bottle hung in her hand at a precarious angle. She placed it atop the table and prepared to lift her ass out of the now uncomfortable seat. Then, she spotted headlights creeping up part of the driveway she could see past the other neighbor’s house. There was a good 30 feet of grass between her chain link fence and the neighbor’s drive. 

A motion sensor light kicked on. The massive front of a vintage black car came into view. It pulled in slow and cautious like a boat approaching a pier. The engine ticked off and grunted at the journey’s end. Then the driver’s door swung open. And, in the darkness, under the covered patio, Julie could feel her mouth start to dry up at the sight of the man who’d been behind the wheel.

She couldn’t explain the reaction, even thinking about it now. But, there’d been something overwhelmingly masculine about the way that figure eased out of the car. The presence triggered her senses into overdrive. There was no flight or fight response. All freeze on her end.

Work boots landed on the concrete in a secure and smooth motion one after the other. Her ears tuned into the thud of his soles, then the shift of toe boots sliding against gravel. The fluorescent light played with the shadows and cut a chiseled physique out of the contrast. The buzzing sound from the bulbs over him intensified in her ears. Like he was generating energy. The tingling sound crested in waves in her direction. She licked her lips. A metallic, coppery flavor laced the air. The taste reminded her of when she had accidently touched a live wire and received a mild shock.  

She dared to tilt her head. Her black rimmed bifocal prescription glasses got a clearer image of this man. He dipped back into the car to pull out a duffel bag and tossed it by his feet. He wore dark jeans draped over muscled thighs and a pair of bow legs. She made out all those details thanks to the light shining down and carving out a pronounced oval between those legs. A plaid shirt fitted and hugged a set of broad shoulders. The hem of the shirt hung in the perfect spot above… well, maybe that was when her mouth had completely dried up. That man had an ass so perfect, so curvy, she’d never seen a male backside look that good in denim.

My mind has to be playing tricks on me. She shook her head to rid her brain of the fuzziness. Or, that wine cooler was a lot stronger than I expected. There’s no way the rest of him is that… this... perfect.

And, then, he turned into the light, and gave her a glimpse of his face. And proved her goddamn wrong.

He bent down to grab the bag off the ground and swung the door shut, producing a squeak. But, the squeak could have been one of disbelief coming from her mouth. A spiky, short cut of hair topped his head. The profile of this man had sharp angles in all the right areas. Dips and swells in every other spot of his face brought to mind those old Guess jeans ads Julie had seen in countless magazines growing up. She’d wished the moon and stars wiped away in that moment and willed the sun to rise instead. She wanted to see every inch of him and take in all that was reserved for the shadows.

And as quick as that, he was gone, with a confident posture and matching swagger. He disappeared down the driveway. He must have gone into the front door of his tiny house out of view. A couple seconds went by and then a light filled one of the small square windows. But, she saw no movement. Then another window snapped on in illumination. This one was situated on the wall of the house closer to her property. But, still nothing. No sign of him, not even a passing shadow. Both lights eventually turned off. Back in the dark, Julie gasped for the air she’d been denying herself as she spied on this other neighbor. She scurried back in the house like a mouse.

The wheels of the unplugged vacuum cleaner rolled along the hardwood in the first story directly below and rolled her out of the recollection. Mom was moving to another room to continue cleaning. Little to no insulation in the walls and the small square footage made everything way too easy to hear in this house. Her mother’s snores in the first floor bedroom last night had woken her up. She frowned, realizing she could no longer watch the occasional soft porn in her bedroom without the use of headphones. She was fifteen all over again.

Not that I’ve needed much in terms of arousing material since my other neighbor. Dean.

The man had no routine to speak of that she could discern. The car might be parked in the driveway for a week or two, then gone for one week. Then back for only a day to be gone again. For a month after that first sighting, the only sign of him being home had been the car in the driveway. Her voyeuristic tendencies shifted into high gear. She found the views from her office window and the sliding glass door leading out to her yard even more interesting now.

She resorted to asking Wes about the neighbor when the car had disappeared again for a few days. Wes’ eyes lit up in obvious appreciation at the question that bright Saturday morning. “Oh, you mean Dean? Dean Winchester. Been around for a couple years. Keeps to himself... and his yard mowed in the summer, when he’s around. Quiet. Well, except for his radio when he’s working on the Impala. Thank God he’s got good taste in music.”

“Impala?”

“His car, sweetie.” Samuel had snuck up behind Wes and clarified.

“Oh.” Julie did not know enough about cars to have identified the model. She discerned the basics. It was black and bulging and could batter ram her compact into an accordion if they’d ever gotten into a crash.

“It’s a beauty. His pride and joy.” Wes tilted his beer over toward Dean’s driveway. “I got to look under the hood of her once. I offered to help, but…”

“He’s got a clear indication of how good you are with cars, Wes.” Samuel raised an eyebrow and pointed to the rusty, old truck behind them.

“My financial ability doesn’t have anything to do with my knowledge and skills in car repair,” Wes huffed.

“I could make a counter argument, but I’m hungry and really want you to cook tonight.” Samuel tapped Wes’s shoulder.

“What does he do for a living?” Julie asked.

“He can’t really talk about it.” Wes nodded in an exaggerated manner.

Julie could feel her mouth turn down in disappointment. “Why not?”

“He’s hinted it’s government related. Possibly Homeland Security.” Samuel added.

“Oh. Wow.” The hours kind of made sense. But, the tiny house in this mediocre neighborhood didn’t line up with the salary that went along with a job like that. She kept the opinion to herself. As she usually did with most things.

That afternoon, Julie had gotten a bug up her ass to clean the second floor. Her mom would be coming to visit the next day. The last thing she wanted to see her do was pull out the mop and bucket. I’ll have to lock up all my cleaning products. Of course, mom’s sneaky little self will probably pack up her own arsenal of weapons in her car. 

After she’d finished with her bedroom an hour later, she’d attacked her office. The windows, inside and out, had been begging for a proper wipe down. She raised the roman shades left by the previous owners to the very top of the sill, coughed at the dust, and then lifted one of the windows up enough to tilt it into the room. The pane rested against the sofa back. Julie started to clean the exterior.

A breeze pushed in through the screen while she worked. It forced her to time the spraying of cleaner fluid so she didn’t end up with chemicals in her face. When things settled, she bent into the task and wiped. Outside, an angry engine rumbled off to the right. She knew that sound. She’d only heard it once before, but it had ingrained itself into her brain. She licked her lips, like Pavlov’s dog. Her mouth curled into a smile now that she could attach a name to the other neighbor. Dean’s home. Her heart sped up.

Daylight. Moment of truth. The rag dropped from her hand. She looked around for the binoculars. They waited on the sofa’s side table, having been fished out of storage after that first night she’d seen him. Her fingers tugged the window screen up. An unpleasant squeak from the vinyl rubbing together clawed at her inner ear. She hunched down and sat on the sofa, barely tipping her head up over the bottom window sill. Her hand snuck to her left and snatched the binoculars. 

She could only imagine how ridiculous she looked at that moment. Yep, you’ve brought out the voyeur in me, Dean. Or, should I call you Mr. Winchester, until we’ve been properly introduced? Please, God. If you’re going to throw me a bone after all this shit with Steve, let this man be a hunky neighbor truly worthy to have spent this much time obsessing over.

She rested the binoculars on the bridge of her nose and tried to focus through the magnified lenses. Sparkling wheel rims, up close and personal, edged into the scene, along with the rest of the car. The anticipation of how much more of Mr. Winchester she might be able to see had her movements searching and tracking in a frantic pace. The binoculars landed on the driver’s side window. Only seeing the outside reflection made her heart drop. The engine ticked off. Then, the door opened.

Showtime.

“You wanted me to check in, Sammy. For the third time, I’m fine.” The clarity of the voice wafting up to her perch from the second story made her gasp. Could I be this lucky? It’s like I’m in the perfect sound traveling angle possible.

After the shock of the eavesdropping accessibility died down, she gasped for a second time when she saw Dean emerge from the car.

Holy shit.

Dean glanced around the yard, checked his surroundings and stilled. He leaned on the side of the car and stared into her yard. Julie guessed jeans, boots, and a plaid shirt might be his attire of choice. But, good God. Hunky didn’t do him justice. He was fucking gorgeous. Rough, scruffy, a bit aged. Yet, he was also perfect model material with a boyish hint underneath. He had a well proportioned nose, dimpled chin, and a very nice set of lips with just the right amount of pout. His brown hair had a combo of red and golden highlights in the sunshine. The only thing she couldn’t make out well enough from the distance was his eye color.

“Things are good. Just got back home from a hunting trip. Yeah, I’ve been tracking the news. Run of the mill stuff. Happy days are here again.”

And, the voice. Holy shit. It was deep, with bass, and reverberated like his car’s engine in her ears. 

“How’s things out west?” He nodded, apparently listening to a long explanation. “Eileen?” Another nod, then his eyes widened. “Really? Congrats on knocking her up, little brother. Finally. Only been with her for two years. ‘Bout time.” He smirked. The grin faded into a serious, tight expression. His jaw clenched and Julie heard a moan leave her lips. “Nah. There’s no reason for me to head your way. I’m fine. Someone’s gotta man the east coast. Most of our headaches popped up here in Delaware years back, remember?” He tilted his head from side to side and rolled his eyes. “Well, you never know. Better I stay here. Just in case. Listen, catch up’s been great.” He pinched his nose. “I’m beat. Just want to sleep for a week. Yeah. Will do. You too, Sammy.” 

He propelled himself off the side of the car and reached in to pull the same duffel bag. The car door squeaked shut. And, he was gone again. Julie had gotten herself together after a minute or so and went about the window cleaning. The job was not as thorough as she had planned. A distracted focus had her staring at the Impala and Dean’s house for the majority of her time at the window. 

And, maybe he had slept for an entire week after that. The car didn’t move. When she’d leave for work in the mornings she’d take her time by the sliding door to lock up. Easing down the concrete path toward the carport at a languid pace some days. Careful lawn inspection or a trip to check on the patio might fill a minute or so on others. With always the glances up in Dean’s general direction. 

But the car would be there in the mornings and when she arrived from work for a few more weeks after that. Then, the erratic disappearances began again. The fun game she was playing of hide and seek with someone not even in on the diversion only turned into disheartening disappointment. He had the hide part down.

“Giulia?”

Mom called up to her from the stairwell and the memory escaped.

“Yeah?”

“Want lunch?”

“I’m fine.” She readjusted on the couch.

“I’m going to make some pasta fagioli, then, for dinner later. Going to go sit out on the patio.”

“Sounds good.” Mom enjoyed talking to Wes and Samuel. Julie thought her mother didn’t understand much of what Wes said when he’d had one too many beers in him, which was pretty much all the time. But, she laughed a lot. It was more about the company lately.

Her mother muttered something in Italian. “Don’t work all day! It’s the weekend.” Julie didn’t bother to respond. The sliding door whooshed open and then rolled shut. Her mind wandered back to Dean. He’d been gone for three weeks at her daily tick count. Maybe he really does have a secret government job. But, what the hell popped up in Delaware years back? Delaware never made the news on a national level. Well, except for Wilmington being the murder capital of the United States a few years ago. He couldn’t have meant that, could he? Maybe he’s undercover, living just outside the biggest city in the state in good ol’ Pike Creek? She shook her head. Dean had become a distraction and now a point of worry for her. And, she hadn’t even met the man.

She huffed, then typed an email, wrapping up her extra work on the weekend. “Time to get out of these pajamas and take a shower,” she mumbled to no one in particular.

Part 2

Series Page

[strawberriestyles]

Chapter 26

(Banner made by the loveliest @harry-nofookingway-styles)

Harry X OFC (AU)

In which Melody is reacquainted with an old classmate named Harry, and must keep afloat in the violent, criminal life of an underground boxer.

Read previous parts here.

Author’s note: LAST CHAPTER Y’ALL. EPILOGUE TO COME. I’M SO SORRY. XX Pls like, reblog, send feedback. :’)

There were a lot of Harry’s things scattered over Melody’s apartment. She realized this in the next few weeks. T-shirts, sweatshirts, a roll of tape, hair ties. She even found a stick of his deodorant in the bathroom. It all made her nauseous.

Bea was back. Part of it was because Melody had told her all about what happened with Harry. But part of it was also because she and Dom had been arguing, with their new constant proximity. They needed some separation.

“That was a pretty shitty move, Mel,” she had said. And she was right.

Melody still couldn’t wrap her mind around the end of her relationship. It felt like the wrong ending to a book, like the last few pages were missing. But Bea thought it would be easier if there weren’t reminders of Harry everywhere.

“Boys are so fucking weird,” Bea said, stuffing another item into the tote bag full of his things. “How do you go somewhere wearing a jacket and then leave without it?"

Melody didn’t reply. She was folding up a worn cotton shirt, the logo of Harry’s gym peeling off the front. It was her favorite to sleep in because it was the oldest, most-washed, softest of all his clothing. She swallowed around the knot in her throat and placed the shirt deep within the bag so that she wouldn’t have to look at it.

Bea leaned back on her knees. A strange calm had come over Melody since she’d been with her. Or perhaps not calm, but resignation. And Bea knew that Melody had had break ups before. She had witnessed one the previous year, when they were living closer to campus, in a nicer apartment that neither of them could really afford. That was Nate, an archaeology major, and it had taken Melody all of two days to forget the entirety of their three month relationship. This was different.

“I can come with you, if you want,” Bea offered gently. She toyed with the freshly-washed curls that were dangling over her forehead, stretching them out to dry to her liking.

Melody smiled at her, or tried to. She couldn’t get her cheeks to lift. She didn’t feel the overwhelming urge to cry, though. And she didn’t know if that was a good sign, that she was able to keep her emotions under wraps, or if that meant that her tears were just pooling, preparing for an onslaught when she saw Harry for perhaps the last time.

“No, I think I need to do this on my own,” Melody whispered back. “But thank you.”

“Of course.” Bea rose to her feet and took a sip of the smoothie that she had made for an afternoon snack. There was one for Melody too, but it hadn’t been touched. “Get in, get out, okay? Even better if he’s not there. Just drop the shit off and come home. We’ll watch a movie or something.”

Melody didn’t really feel up for smoothies or movies, but she nodded anyway. What she really should have been doing was working on the self-portrait for her art class, but she had a hard time going in the studio when Harry’s eye was always staring at her and she would have to use the paintbrushes he’d bought for her birthday. Besides, she had a hard time looking at herself in the mirror lately.

“Okay,” she agreed. She stood, a pair of sneakers already on her feet, a thick sweater already hanging down to her thighs. She pulled the tote over her shoulder and was surprised at its lightness after everything that she and Bea had packed up.

“Come right back.” Bea patted Melody’s hip and then returned to her room.

Melody hurried down the stairs and out onto the street before she could lose her nerve. April had found the city. Melting snow was trickling down from rooftops, forming puddles in the uneven sidewalks. The sun was warm when it was able to peak through clouds, and even though the park was many blocks away, Melody could smell the fresh scent of spring grass. It would have been a welcome change of season if the rest of her life didn’t feel like a muddy mess.

She tried to think only of schoolwork as she avoided joggers and dog-walkers. Her nails, however, were wearing down by the time she reached the corner store. Her teeth had worked of their own accord. That was an old habit, one that she thought she had kicked long ago.

Melody was examining her fingertips as she trailed down the alley where Harry lived. She was distracted, occupied, probably just trying not to think about seeing him again. She didn’t notice that the door was open until she reached his steps.

Melody paused. Her pulse picked up as she remembered the cops that had scared her so terribly, that had had her watching her back for weeks afterward. But Harry was done with that, right? He’d told her he paid off his last shipment and would never sell another gun. But that was for her, wasn’t it? Maybe he’d taken it back up after she was out of the picture. Both of those thoughts made her gut twist.

Get in, get out, she told herself in the same voice that Bea had used. There was no reason for her to stick around. It didn’t seem like the door had been forced open like the last time, only left open. She should just drop the bag in the hall and go home.

Melody sucked in a deep breath and stepped through the doorway. She kept her eyes down, set the tote bag on the other side of Harry’s shoes, and began to back out. But she looked up, bittersweet memories flooding through her, breaking the feeble dams she had begun to construct.

The coffee table was on its side.

Melody’s stomach flipped again. The table was tipped lengthwise, one of its legs splintered. She took a single step forward and that’s when she heard a sharp thud deeper into the flat.

She took a short moment to steel herself and pressed down the hallway. The thudding was coming from Harry’s bedroom. She heard him swear under his breath and then shout something she couldn’t make out over the ringing in her ears.

She was in the doorway, Harry was slumped back against the edge of his mattress. Colton was poised over him. She could recognize him just from his profile. His hand was wrapped around the collar of Harry’s shirt, his muscles tensed just like Harry’s were before a fight.

Melody gasped as Colton delivered a punch to Harry’s abdomen. Both of their heads swung toward her. Harry’s eyes blew wide as he sucked in a pained breath.

“Melody—” He was cut off as Colton slammed a fist into the side of his jaw. He grunted and then shoved against Colton’s chest until he could straighten up.

Colton lost his grip on Harry’s collar, stumbled backward into the dresser, where his arm sent bottles and the picture of Harry and Melody crashing to the floor.

“Melody, get the hell out!” Harry shouted, turning to fix her with an urgent glare. “Now!”

She flinched again as Colton barreled forward, taking Harry down to the floor with him. Her feet reeled her backward. She started back down the hall, frantic, panicked, but she stopped at the corner of the living room. Her eyes flitted to the cabinet at the kitchen’s entrance.

Melody tripped forward as she heard another impact back in the bedroom. Colton was yelling now, but she couldn’t make out his words either. Her breaths were ragged, her fingers trembled, but she still managed to unsnap the holster holding Harry’s handgun. It felt heavy and cold and foreign in her hand. She pulled the hammer back like Harry had, until she heard it click into place. Then she made her way back down the hall.

Melody had no clue what she was doing. She didn’t know anything about guns. She didn’t even like the feel of it in her hand. And when she reached the entrance to the bedroom she couldn’t even raise it.

Harry and Colton were tumbling on the floor. Harry caught sight of her again, over his brother’s shoulder. Blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth. There were spatters staining the collar of his gray t-shirt. And Melody opened her mouth to speak but froze when Harry narrowed his eyes at her.

She jumped and stepped backward as Harry spat in Colton’s face. He sent a fist into his abdomen. They rolled over, out of her line of vision. She heard more hits and the next thing she knew, Harry was in front of her. He slammed the bedroom door behind him and held the knob firmly in his grip. His chest was heaving, his eyes were wide, his pupils dilated as they lowered to her hand.

“I—”

“Mel, go in the bathroom and lock the door,” he commanded, peeling the gun from her fingers. He swiped at the blood running from his mouth with the back of his wrist, and when she hadn’t moved, he shouted, “Go!”

The door behind Harry jiggled violently and the muscles in his arms strained as he tried to keep it closed.

“Open the fucking door!” thundered Colton from the other side.

Harry gave Melody a hard shove and she stumbled backward into the bathroom, finally gaining her wits and shutting the barrier between them. She clicked the lock into place. It was dark. The sounds outside were muffled, but she heard a loud crack and then more fumbling as the fight began again.

With a moment of clarity, she yanked her phone from her pocket and shakily dialed 911, gasping as something crashed in the other room. Her thoughts were jumbled with her panic. She spat out information, though, when her call was answered, and was halfway through describing where she was when she heard a gunshot. Her voice failed her.

“Ma’am?” came from the phone.

Melody’s ears were ringing with the sound of the shot. Her lungs had stopped working. She stared unblinkingly at the single flimsy door that separated her from whoever was on the other side. She waited. Waited for Harry to talk to her through it, but then the woman on the other end of the line kept talking, asking questions, and still he wasn’t there.

Melody dropped her phone when a minute had passed, when there was no sound from outside the bathroom. She hesitated, but she clicked the lock out of place and peeked into the empty hall, into the bedroom where all she could see were Harry’s sheets spilling onto the floor. She stepped across the hallway and peeked around the corner.

“No, no, no, no,” Melody chanted as she stumbled past the dresser and shattered bottles and fell to her knees. Harry didn’t even flinch as she gripped his limp arm. She crawled up his side, into the blood that had begun to collect around him. There was a lot of blood. So much blood. Spreading out through the carpet fibers. She didn’t think a single person could hold much more.

Harry’s eyes were closed. His hair was sticking to the side of his head. Melody pressed her fingers to his cheek as she started to cry. She reached for the sheets that had been crumpled onto the floor and pressed them to the wet side of his scalp, lifting his head onto her thigh, and she let out a pained sob when none of her jostling pulled a response from him.

“Please,” she choked out as blood began to seep through to her hands. “You’re not dead, you’re not dead, you’re okay, don’t die.”

She didn’t know if she was right. She couldn’t bring herself to check his pulse or his breathing. If she was wrong, she wasn’t sure she could handle it, so she would wait. She’d wait for someone else to do it. Because there were people coming. She could hear the sirens even now, through her sobs and her ringing ears and Harry’s deafening silence.

Epilogue

[shaylybaby2032]

Let Me Be Your Lighthouse Chapter 2: Demons, Demons, Demons

Fandom: Supernatural

Rating: Explicit/18+

Pairing: Gabriel x OFC

A/N: Please do not copy my work to any platform without my written permission, even if giving credit. Reblogging is OK.

Overall Warnings: Eventual smut, physical/mental abuse, angst, fluff, language

Summary: A Duke of Hell wants to use Gabriel for his own nefarious plans and makes a deal with the Empty Entity to bring the Archangel back from the dead. But, when Gabriel escapes, the Duke must reach deep into his arsenal to try and track him down. Not long after Gabriel’s great escape, Sam and Dean race to save a fellow hunter who has been captured by demons and, after rescuing her, convince the woman to let them help her get rid of the demons hot on her heels. While the two occurrences seem unrelated at first, they may have more in common than any of them realize.

Chapter 2: Demons, Demons, Demons

Dean Winchester lounged on his bed in his room at the bunker, watching some mindless show on his TV. The program hadn't really held his interest but provided a background noise as he dozed off. Things had been unusually quiet on the hunting front and he welcomed the much needed break that he had received. However, his peace was short lived. A loud knock echoed through his room and he glared at the door as it opened and Sam walked in.

“Get your gear,” his little brother said. “We have to head to Jody's.”

“Why?” Dean asked, not ready to leave the comfort of his bed.

“She's got a string of murders that turned out to be demons. The latest victim is a hunter that she and Claire were working with.” Sam explained quickly.

Dean groaned as he pushed himself off the mattress. “I'll be ready in ten. Tell Cas to get ready too.”

“He's not here.”

“Where the hell is he?”

“He took off early this morning. Said he had something to take care of.”

“Well, that's vague.”

Sam shrugged as he turned to exit. “We'll hear from him soon enough. I'll meet you in the garage.”

***

Castiel pulled his old Lincoln Continental into the parking lot of a no star motel in the middle of nowhere Colorado, parking in front of one of the rooms down close to the end. He stared at the dingy green door with a rusted brass number 115 nailed to the surface diagonally. He shut off his engine as he tried to take a calming breath, but the uncertainty of what laid behind that wooden door had his anxiety at an all-time high.

He had tried to ignore the desperate prayer at first, thinking it was just his own mind playing tricks on him, because there was no way it could be coming from who he thought it was, and especially not in that ‘condition.’ The prayer had become insistent, however, and after almost a week and a half, he couldn't ignore it anymore. The angel had gotten in his car and sped toward where the call was originating from. After making sure his angel blade was posed ready to drop as soon as he needed it, he exited his vehicle and walked to the door. Taking another deep breath, he raised his hand to knock, but before he could make contact the door swung open.

Castiel was met with a pair of golden eyes that quickly darted around the angel to check their surroundings before they met his blue ones, taking the very breath from his lungs.

“It is you,” Castiel breathed.

“Hey bro,” Gabriel greeted.

“How..Why…What…?” Castiel stammered, trying to focus on which question he needed an answer to first.

“You should come in,” Gabriel replied as he moved to the side to allow his brother entry to the room. “We have a lot to talk about.”

***

It was close to midnight when the Winchesters rolled into Jody Mills’ driveway. By the time they had gotten there, Claire and Jody had, thanks to the use of GPS and cell phone towers, tracked down where the demons may have been holding their fellow hunter. As they prepared their rescue, Jody and Claire had told them what they knew about the case.

They had explained that nearly a week ago, people had started to vanish at various places in town and turning up with their throats slit the next day. Jody had thought it was a run-of-the-mill psycho, but when the third body had been found, Jody had also found sulfur at the crime scene. She had also discovered a woman claiming to be an FBI agent that turned out to be a hunter named Zora who had been tracking the demons committing these crimes for the past few weeks. They started working together, adding Claire to the team as well. On the day Jody had made the call to Sam, she, Zora, and Claire had cornered the demons, and a fight ensued that ended with Zora being captured. That was when they decided they needed back up.

Claire had discovered signs that led them to believe the demons were holding Zora in a new housing development that was still under construction just outside of Sioux Falls. The four of them had gotten there as fast as they could and were now making their way through the rows of half-constructed houses stealthily as they kept their eyes peeled for any indication of the demons or the huntress they were there to save.

Sam and Dean led the way with guns drawn and angel blades at the ready, the two women behind them armed in the same way. Screams suddenly pierced through the quiet of the night and all four hunters took off in a wordless agreement to follow the sound. They came to a stop in front of one of the cookie cutter houses when they spotted three men standing at the front door, eyes turning inky black when they spotted the hunters. The demons charged, starting a fight that ended with angel blades through their chests.

“Come on!” Dean exclaimed as he threw the third lifeless demon to the ground. “We gotta get inside!”

Before the words had even left his mouth, Sam was kicking in the front door and rushing inside with the other three hot on his heels. They had prepared themselves for another fight, however when they entered the house they were hit with a stillness that sent a shiver down their spines. A groan of pain punctuated the silence and four heads swiveled to find a woman lying on the floor of what would eventually be a living room.

“Zora!” Claire shouted as she and Jody ran to her.

They both dropped to their knees beside her as Jody pulled her into her lap. Sam pulled a flashlight from his pocket and shined it onto the huntress’ unconscious body. Claire gasped at the sight of her. Zora's blonde hair had so much of her own blood and dirt in it the young woman could barely make out the purple highlights in her golden locks. Her face was a bloodied mess covered in ugly bruises and cuts from where the demons had used her as a punching bag. Her arms held the same dark marks and slashes with blood that had spilled on to her clothing.

“We need to get her to a hospital boys!” Jody declared.

The Winchesters nodded their agreement as Dean handed his brother his weapons and scooped the beaten girl up into his arms. The four quickly got to their feet and turned to leave, but were stopped cold when they saw another man with black eyes standing in the doorway smiling at them. His long, shaggy red hair swayed in the breeze from the open door as his head slowly turned to take them all in.

“Well, well, well. It appears I've been discovered by the infamous Winchesters,” he said mockingly.

“Yeah, and who the hell are you?” Sam demanded.

“The name's Adonis, and unlike my idiotic co-workers, I know when I'm outnumbered.” Adonis inclined his head to the unconscious Zora in Dean's arms. “Tell the hunter bitch I'll be seeing her.”

“I don't think so!” Sam shouted, and he and Claire hurled forward to attack the demon.

By the time they got there, however, their blades sliced through open air.

Adonis had vanished.

***

Castiel sped down the almost empty interstate toward the bunker, every so often glancing at his cell phone on the dash and then to his brother sitting quietly in the passenger's seat next to him. He had yet to call Sam and Dean about Gabriel being alive and what had happened to him that made him human. He honestly wasn't sure how to even begin the tale, because as many answers as he had now, he had just as many questions. Telling Sam and Dean would just add more questions to the pile and he needed time to get his head straight.

“Seriously Cas,” Gabriel said in exasperation as he saw his brother's eyes flick to the phone again, “stop being a teenager and call them. I'm guessing it will be a lot better if they are prepared instead of me just walking into the bunker.”

“It's not going to go well either way,” Castiel snapped. “You have a Duke of Hell after you, Gabriel!”

“You don't think I know that?! I didn't rip my grace out just for the hell of it! Do you know how much that hurts?!”

Castiel sighed as he scrubbed a hand over his face. “We have to find where your grace ended up before Eligos does, because if he finds it and gets his hands on you-”

“I KNOW, CAS!” Gabriel huffed his frustration as he peered out his window. “Believe me, I know.”

***

Sam, Dean, and Claire sat in the ER’s waiting room at Sioux Falls General Hospital, not so patiently waiting for Jody to come back from speaking with the doctor about Zora's condition. They had arrived at the hospital two hours prior with the still unconscious hunter. The nurses had taken her back immediately and after a few minutes Jody had left in search of Alex to see if she could give her any information.

Just as Dean was standing, ready to go to the nurses station to demand some information of his own, Jody came through a set of double doors with a now conscious, and annoyed looking, Zora at her side. They walked quickly toward the brothers and Claire, bypassing them and heading toward the entrance. With the huntress’ wounds having been tended to and her hair and body cleaned, the trio that had been waiting for news was relieved that Zora's condition wasn't as bad as they had feared. She was still banged up with cuts and bruises on her face and arms, but none that wouldn't heal relatively quickly.

“Zora, please, stay!” Jody pleaded as they went through the doors with the other three following. “We can help you!”

“Help me?!” Zora exclaimed as she whirled around with her crystal blue eyes widening in disbelief. “Why the hell would you want to do that, Jody?! This bastard wants me! I'm not sticking around and letting anyone else in this town get hurt!”

“Now that we know what we are up against, we won't let that happen! We can do this together!” Jody tried to assure her.

“No! I'm doing this alone like I always do!” Zora said, visibly trying not to raise her voice at the Sheriff.

“Yeah, because that worked out so well for you tonight,” Dean snarked as he put two and two together and realized that Zora intended to go after Adonis on her own.

The huntress turned angry eyes toward the older Winchester. She may have had respect for Jody, but she didn't know him. “And who the hell are you?”

“I'm Dean,” he said, and inclined his head towards his brother. “My brother, Sam. I happen to be the guy that carried your unconscious ass out of that house tonight.”

Zora's brow shot up as Dean introduced himself and his brother. “Sam and Dean?” she questioned. “Last name wouldn't happen to be Winchester would it?”

Sam and Dean shared an uncertain look before they turned back to her.

“You've heard of us?” Sam asked.

“Any hunter worth their rock salt has heard of the legendary Winchesters,” Zora said with a chuckle and walked toward the brothers, extending her hand. “Zora Townsend. Nice to meet you.”

***

“So you really do pal around with an angel?” Zora asked Sam in astonishment as she watched him load the trunk of the Impala. “What's that like? Most angels I've met have been complete dicks.”

Sam chuckled as he shut the trunk and turned to look at her. She was perched on the hood of her 2015 maroon Chevy Malibu. “Most are,” Sam agreed. “But Cas isn't. He's family. I think you'll like him.”

It had taken more than a little bit of time, but with some help from Jody and surprisingly Claire, the Winchester brothers had convinced Zora to let them help her. She had tried to get them to change their mind, telling them that the demon had had a hit out on her for a few weeks now because she had ended up killing another demon that was apparently close to Adonis. Now he wanted revenge, and instead of deterring the Winchesters, it had sparked their protective side and each brother had been even more determined to help their fellow hunter. They even went so far as to offer a room at the bunker for her to stay in until they could track Adonis down.

She had, of course, refused at first. However, “no” wasn't an answer the Winchesters were willing to except. After a solid hour of going back and forth over the issue, the huntress finally conceded and agreed to follow the brothers back to their bunker.

“Cas?” she questioned with a raised brow. “The angel has a nickname?”

“Like I said, he's family,” Sam reiterated as he came around to lean on the back passenger's side door of the Impala. “You got any family out there?”

He immediately caught the way she tensed at the question.

“My dad,” she answered as she averted her gaze to the cement of the driveway.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-”

“No, it's OK,” she reassured him as she brought her eyes back to his with a smile painted back on her face. “We all gotta get to know each other, right? We are apparently roommates now.” She paused as she thought on her next words. “Let's just say he's not the most supportive or friendly guy in the world.”

Sam nodded slowly, not sure what to say or even if he should say anything. He was saved from the awkward conversation when Dean came rushing out the front door of Jody's house. The younger Winchester was relieved to see his brother, that is, until he absorbed the frantic look in his eyes. The worry that had stolen over Sam's features had Zora focusing on the elder Winchester as well.

“We have to go. Now!” Dean said as he made his way to them.

“Dean, what's going on?!” Sam demanded.

“Cas just called. Sam, Gabriel's alive!”

The deafening and shocked silence that settled between the brothers for a moment had Zora jumping down from the hood of her car.

“Guys, who’s Gabriel?”

***

Zora stared ahead at the tail lights belonging to the Impala, both hands gripping her steering wheel as she worked through the story that Sam had told her. He glanced over to her from the passenger's seat of her Malibu, trying to gauge her reaction.

“You're pretty quiet over there,” Sam said cautiously.

She glanced over to him for a moment with an incredulous look before she focused back to the road. “Sorry, I'm still trying to work through an Archangel pretending to be a Norse god in an attempt at some insane witness protection program.” She paused for a moment. “Porn stars?! Really?!” She shot another fleeting gaze at him long enough to see him nod. “Then he's tortured for seven years, in hell...fuck, I don't even want to do the math on that one. He escapes, kills Asmodeus, then goes on some Kill Bill style revenge tirade against Loki and his sons just to end up getting killed by another world's Michael.” She saw Sam nod again out of her peripheral vision. “And now he's miraculously alive again and in yet another fucked up situation. Only now he's human? How did that even happen?!”

“Dean said Cas didn't really go into much detail over the phone, but it's not the first time we've known of an angel ripping their own grace out,” Sam explained.

Zora's mouth opened and closed a few times as her brain tried to choose an appropriate response. “Are you sure you guys want me and my baggage around? I mean, whatever is going on with this has to be much bigger than some demon after some random hunter.”

“We're good multitaskers,” Sam said, shooting her a grin.

“If you say so, but I don't think the angels will be terribly thrilled about the idea.”

“Everything will be fine,” Sam assured her. “Dean is filling Cas in on what went down in Sioux Falls as we speak.”

Zora chuckled to herself, deciding it was best not to argue the point anymore and just let it be. Soon enough, they would all see just how well things would or wouldn't work out.

***

Castiel and Gabriel had made it to the bunker long before the Winchesters and their guest, but when Dean had called to say that they had crossed into the Lebanon city limits the two had chosen to wait for them in the war room. Gabriel sat in one of the chairs with his feet propped up on the map table as he watched his little brother pace the length of the room. Castiel had voiced his wariness of the young woman that Dean had told them about and his concern had only mounted once they were about to meet her.

“Are you really that worried about her?” Gabriel asked as Castiel finally halted his movements and leaned against the iron staircase.

“You're not?” he grumbled in return.

“She's a hunter, Cas!”

“That just so happened to show up with demons after her around the same time you did! What if she's being watched?!”

“Do you really think Sam and Dean didn't take precautions for that? Hell, Dean had Sam test her with salt, silver, and holy water while she was unconscious on the way to the hospital.”

Castiel simply glared at his brother, to which Gabriel rolled his eyes and placed his feet back on the floor. “I'm not saying we give her the keys to the castle. By all means, keep an eye on her. I'm just saying, give her a chance before you smite her. From what Dean says, she just needs some help right now.”

Castiel opened his mouth to respond, however, as he did, Dean's voice rang through the bunker from the garage.

“We're home!”

“We're in the war room!” Castiel called back.

As Gabriel stood from his chair, Sam and Dean entered with Zora trailing behind them, almost like she was using their bodies to hide behind. When the brothers’ eyes settled on Gabriel they were both silent for a moment as they took in the former Archangel alive in front of them. Sam was the first to make a move and crossed the room to, much to Gabriel's surprise, embrace him. He briefly, and awkwardly, returned Sam's gesture.

“It's really good to see you, Gabriel,” Sam said as he stepped aside.

“Yeah, it is,” Dean agreed as he strode forward with his hand extended. “We can't thank you enough for what you did for us,” he continued as Gabriel accepted his handshake.

“Yeah, you're welcome,” Gabriel said, slightly taken aback by their appreciation.

When the brothers had moved to greet the former Archangel it had put Zora straight into Castiel's line of sight, and he suddenly had a pang of guilt for being so suspicious. The bruises and cuts that littered her body drove home that his brother may have been right about her needing their help. Zora looked up to meet the angel's gaze and gave an uncertain smile.

“Right!” Dean said, catching the nonverbal exchange between the two. “Guys this is Zora Townsend. Zora, Cas and Gabriel.”

Zora nodded her acknowledgement as Dean pointed to them in turn. “Nice to meet you guys,” she said.

Castiel walked up to her, and she visibly stopped herself from taking a step back. “Those bruises look painful. I can heal them if you want.”

She nodded her consent and the angel placed two fingers to her forehead. Zora gasped when she felt the tingling warmth spread through her body quickly.

“There,” Castiel said as he lowered his hand. “I also healed some internal bleeding in your abdomen. It appeared to be a bit older than your other wounds.”

“Uh..yeah,” she stammered. “Must have been from the last time I saw them.”

She quickly averted her eyes from Castiel's gaze to find Gabriel very obviously checking her out.

“Damn, Sugar, you clean up nice!” he said, causing the mouths of the other three men to drop open.

Zora narrowed her eyes at the former Archangel. “Is that supposed to be an attempt at flirting? If so, you kinda suck at it.”

“No,” Gabriel replied with a smirk. “That was just an observation. Trust me, if I was flirting you'd know it.”

“Alright then!” Sam interjected, taking his opportunity to diffuse the situation before it escalated. “Come on Zora, I'll give you the grand tour and show you where you'll be sleeping.”

Zora dragged her gaze from the former Archangel to meet Sam's and let him lead her from the war room with Dean following behind them. Gabriel chuckled to himself as he turned back to his little brother and was met with a stern look from the angel.

“What?!” Gabriel asked.

Castiel simply rolled his eyes and shook his head.

***

Once the Winchester brothers had shown Zora around and helped get her settled in, the rest of the day had been spent in the library behind laptop screens and in old dusty lore books. Sam, Dean, and Zora searched for any and all information they could find on Eligos and Adonis, and Gabriel and Castiel scoured for any signs of the grace the former Archangel had ripped from himself. The latter of the two proved much less fruitful.

Gabriel and Castiel had filled in the gaps of the lore books for the hunters on the knowledge they possessed of the demons. Of the four Dukes of Hell, Eligos was the only one who remained, and he was a demon of war. They had gone on to explain that the Duke had had a hand in every war that had happened on Earth since Lucifer fell in some form or fashion, and was rumored to have his own army of sixty legions of demons at his disposal. He also thrived on destruction and seeing soldiers fall in battle. His plan to bring Gabriel back and darken his grace would have given the Duke his own personal, and reusable, nuclear warhead.

Adonis, while still more powerful that your average demon, was nowhere near as high on the totem pole as the Duke. The information they held on him was much more sparse than the other, but they were not aware of any connection he had to Eligos. That didn't mean, however, that they could assume he didn't know about Eligos wanting Gabriel. They were positive that every demon in existence was aware of the hit on the former Archangel by now, and if they spotted him word would surely get back to the Duke.

Beyond that marginal amount of information, they had found nothing else on either demon. Hours passed and frustrations mounted until Dean slammed the book he had been reading closed, making the others jump in their seats.

“I need a break,” he grumbled as he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.

“I second that,” Zora said as she leaned back in her chair and glanced at the clock on the wall. “I haven't had any sleep in like two days. Well, other than being knocked out, but I don't really think that counts.”

“Definitely doesn't count,” Sam agreed as he shut his laptop. “I'm pretty beat too, to be honest.”

“Yeah, me too,” Gabriel said as he stood to stretch. “This being human thing sucks.”

“You all should get some rest,” Castiel suggested. “I'll continue here and catch everyone up in the morning.”

None had it in them to argue with the angel and, slowly, they gathered their things and headed off to their respective rooms.

***

Zora had decided last minute to shower before she laid down to sleep, and as she exited the bathroom she heard the faint, but distinctive, sound of soft snoring coming from three rooms near her own. Quietly, she made her way to the room Sam and Dean had given her and shut the door as she entered. As she placed her messenger bag full of her clothes next to her bed, the cell phone sitting on the nightstand buzzed. She picked it up to find a message from an “unknown number.”

We need to talk.

She sighed as she sat the phone back down and began to pull her shoes back on. She knew exactly who the message was from, and it caused a feeling of dread to settle over her. She had hoped he would wait until the next day to contact her. She knew better than to keep him waiting. As soon as her shoes were on, she slipped her phone into the pocket of her violet fleece pajama bottoms and made her way back into the hallway. Listening intently for any sign of Castiel, she made her way to the garage and slipped outside.

Despite the warmth of the summer night, she felt a chill settle over her as she walked to where Sam had pointed out that the protective warding of the bunker ended. She waited, standing with her arms crossed over her chest until she heard a twig snap next to her. She whirled around to see Adonis gazing at her with a smile on his face. A breath of relief escaped her as she returned his smile.

“You're not who I was expecting,” Zora said as her body relaxed.

“He's on his way,” Adonis told her as he stepped closer to her and gently reached out to take her chin between his thumb and pointer finger, carefully turning her head from side to side. “The angel healed your injuries?”

“Yes,” she confirmed as he let his hand fall back to his side. “Your goons got a little carried away.”

“I know. I'm sorry,” he said, guilt slightly lacing his tone. “Why do you think I made sure they were the first ones the Winchesters encountered?”

“He will be mad you let them get killed.”

Adonis shrugged off her concern. “We've already dealt with the issue. It wasn't that bad. You're OK and the Winchesters took the bait. That's all that matters.”

“Indeed,” another male voice said.

Both Zora and Adonis spun around to face the speaker, their postures stiffening as their eyes landed on Eligos. A cold grin was set into his features as he looked between them, finally settling his gaze on Zora and moving to stand directly in front of her. His face distorted in disgust and she dropped her eyes to stare at the ground.

“And I thought your human scent was bad,” he spat. “The smell of human mixed with the angel's magic is downright appalling! I thought I told you to shower if he healed you!”

“I did, sir,” she replied quickly.

“Take another!”

“Yes, sir.”

“Look at me!” Eligos growled.

Her eyes shot up to meet the Duke's.

“What do they know?” he demanded.

“No more than you assumed, sir.”

“Have they any indication of where the Archangel's grace landed?”

“No, sir. Gabriel and Castiel haven't been able to find any signs of it anywhere.”

Zora flinched as Eligos roared in frustration. “Sir, if I may?” she asked cautiously.

“What?!” he half yelled at her as his eyes turned black.

She dropped her eyes to the ground again, his intense and rage-filled gaze sending a chill up her spine as she fought to get her voice to work. “With...with all due respect...we have Gabriel. He's right inside. I'll get him out here and you can grab him.”

A yelp of shock and pain tore out of Zora's lips when Eligos harshly reached out to twist his hand into the hair at the back of her head. He roughly forced her to the ground on her knees and pulled her head back until pain shot through her body and she whimpered. She locked her arms to her sides, knowing better than to put up a fight. From the corner of her eye she could see Adonis fighting his urge to intervene.

“If I want your worthless opinion on what to do I will ask!” Eligos growled. “You will do well to remember your place, girl! I'm the one that raised your pathetic human ass, and you will do as I say and nothing more! Is that clear?!”

Zora did her best to nod in the position he held her as she fought back the tears stinging her eyes.

“ANSWER ME!” Eligos bellowed.

“Y-yes, sir,” she said, her voice strained.

“You will get close to the Winchesters, their pet angel, and the former Archangel! Make them trust you and keep me updated on their findings! If I need you to do something more I will tell you!  I, and the rest of my competent soldiers, will take care of the rest. Do NOT fuck this up, Zora, or that tiny internal bleeding issue the angel fixed will be nothing compared to what I'll do to you if you fail or get found out!”

“Y-yes, sir,” Zora choked out.

The wind was ripped from her lungs when Eligos threw her to the ground and landed a kick to her stomach. He glared at her defenseless form for a moment before he turned his attention to Adonis.

“Meet me at base. We have work to do,” he ordered, and then vanished.

As soon as the Duke was gone, Adonis was kneeling next to Zora, helping her to a sitting position.

“Why do you provoke him?” he asked gently as he brushed the dirt from her clothing. He paused when he saw the rip in her pants at the knee. She had obviously landed on a sharp rock when she hit the ground, and blood was seeping from the wound it had caused. “Are you OK?”

“I'm fine,” she said meekly. “I need to get back in there before anyone notices I'm gone.”

Adonis nodded reluctantly and helped her to her feet. After saying their farewells and him telling her to call if she needed him, Zora made her way back through the garage. She quietly shut the door that led into the hallway from the garage and turned. She then froze in her tracks. Her brain spun into overdrive as she looked into the whiskey eyes of the former Archangel standing in front of her.

Chapters 1 through 5 up on AO3. Link below.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18542239/chapters/43948366

If you would like to be added to a tag list for this story or any other fics I post just let me know.

[avidfanficwriter]

A Week Of Fakery. (Chapter 1)

Characters: Jeremy Renner, Scarlet Johansson. OFC. (Jessica)

Warning: Fake Relationship, lying, Implied sex, mentions of sex.

Rating: T.

Summary: Running into your ex, is never pleasant. If you’re Jeremy Renner, it’s even worse because instead of saying your fine, you’ve accidentally agreed to a couples vacation with your girlfriend. which would be fine, if he actually had a girlfriend.

Tags: @wolflhards  @corie-the-writer

Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. 

Jessica is in the middle of washing peach shampoo out of her hair and singing her lungs out to the second chorus of No Scrubs by TLC when suddenly her music abruptly stops. She groans assuming the song is buffering and rakes her fingers through her pixie hair when a male voice startles her.

“I need your help.”  

“Jesus fuck!” She shouts, letting out a deep breathe. “Jeremy!”

Jeremy can’t help but smile as he leans against the sink, “I’m sorry! Should I have let you finish your song?”

She grabs the shower curtain, pulling it open far enough to peek her head out. “How did you get in?” She asks.

Jeremy shrugs his shoulders. “Key.”

Emotions drain from her face as she stares blankly at him, “The key I gave you for emergencies?” He nods forcing her to groan. The curtain closes quickly, causing the metal hooks to slide across the pole. “Whatever can I do for you, Mr. Renner?” She asks sarcastically.

He inhales before speaking, “I ran into Scarlett–”

“Which one was Scarlett?”

“You never met her.”

“Oh.”

“We started talking– and Christ woman, how can you breathe with all this steam?” He asks flipping the switch for the fan and opening the door to allow a decent flow of oxygen in the small space.

“I didn’t invite you into the bathroom, you’re more than welcome to leave.”

He rolls his eyes, “Anyway, I told her I was seeing someone–”

“Oh god, Jeremy!” She shouts, hitting the shower curtain to emphasize her anger. “Don’t make me play your girlfriend.” Jessica stares at the ugly pale wall before her, littered in beads of water, knowing with all certainty that she’s been chosen to play a role in whatever lies Jeremy has constructed.

It feels like hours before he speaks, “It’s not what you’re thinking.”

“What am I thinking?”

She hears the shower curtain move and glances over to see his hand pressing against it, a dark shadow the only indicator of his presence. It’s the equivalent of a hand on her shoulder. “All you would have to do is pretend to be my girlfriend for a week, seven days. That’s hardly nothing.”

Jessica rolls her eyes, pushing his hand away. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.” She says with a hint of sarcasm on her tongue. She turns off the shower, sighing. “Towel.”

Jeremy is already there, shoving the towel through the opening of the curtain, turning his head and closing his eyes even though she was still hidden behind the dark blue shower curtain. He hears the curtain slide across the poles and then feels her body heat.

“Why did you tell her you were seeing someone?”

“I wasn’t thinking.”

“Clearly.” She gently pushes his chest. “Scoot.” he steps back, slowly opening his eyes and leaning on the wall next to the sink. Jessica uses her hand to clear the fog from the mirror then grabs a comb and taming her short spiky locks.

“She wanted to go to on a couples vacation, I panicked, she assumed I was with someone. I agreed before I realized what was coming out. I thought it was one of those things, you say yes but it never happens but she texted me this morning and saying she was planning on buying the tickets.”

“And you dated this woman?”

“Yes.”

Jessica nods her head, piercing her lips together. “Why didn’t I meet her?”

He chews his bottom lip. “It didn’t last long.”

She turns to face him, confusion spread across her face. “You barely dated this woman but you didn’t want to tell her you were single? What are you trying to prove to this woman?”

“That I’m not into her.”

She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just tell her you’re not caught up on her?”

“She wouldn’t believe me.”

“Well… are you caught up on her?”

“No!”

“So, this extravagant lie is what? A fun past time?”

He glares at her, crossing his arms over his chest. “I panicked.”

“I don’t know about this, Jeremy.”

“Please, it’s only a week.”

“A week of pretending we are a couple?” The question comes out with a sense of uneasiness.

“Yes. We won’t do anything, you might have to kiss me and hold my hand– or arm but that’s it.”

“I don’t know.” She sighs, scratching her hair.

“I’ll buy you a new set of heels.”

“Oh, you mean to go with my other non-existent set of heels I own?”

“Wrong gift.”

She nods, “Hand me my clothes and turn around.”

Jeremy reluctantly hands her the clothing and turns around, the wheels in his head turning as he tries to think of a way to get her to agree. “Lunch for a week?” He suggests.

“Try again.” 

It’s silent as she dresses, most likely contemplating her options. She pushes past Jeremy and heads into the living room, startling him for a second. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just say your girlfriend is busy?”

“Scarlett bought the tickets already.”

Jessica shakes her head, “So, you agreed to..” her sentence falls short as she turns to look at him shocked and instantly Jeremy knows he’s fucked up. “Wait a minute... How did you she manage to buy a ticket if you don’t have a girlfriend?” She ponders the question for a second. “In order for her to have bought the tickets, they would have to be in our names. Which means you gave her my name before you even asked me.”

Jeremy is rendered speechless, staring at her like he’s a child caught lying to his mother. “I...” That’s all that comes out is a series of I’s. 

“Jeremy? My damn dog may not be good for much but one word can turn that lazy ass dog into a killer.” 

He half smiles, shrugging his shoulders. “I hoped you would agree.”

“What happens if I don’t?” 

“I would be forced to not go.”

“And another lie would be too hard?” 

Jeremy plops down on the couch beside her, groaning. “Did you even shave?” 

Her look is full of daggers, “Don’t try to change the subject.”

“I apologize.” He holds his hands up before dropping them suddenly to his side. “What do you say will you be my pretend girlfriend?”?”

Groaning, “Yes, I agree to be your fake girlfriend because you couldn’t tell the truth.” 

Jeremy smiles, quickly pulling Jessica into a large hug “I want a haircut.” she mumbles into his shoulder.

“Didn’t you just get one a few months back?”

“Yes... But you see this?” She touches the side of her head, rubbing against the short strands of hair. “Notice how it is significantly shorter than the hair on top of my head?” He nods. “That’s how I like it. Less than an inch on the sides and back but with long enough hair on top to style. To achieve this lovely hairstyle, one must cut their hair frequently” She smiles. 

“Fine.” He shakes his head. “I’ll pay for you to cut your damn hair.”

“And you get Luca’s dog food for the next three months.” He disagrees with that part, a week of a fake relationship with an all expenses paid for trip was not equal to three months of him paying for dog food for her never stop eating pitbull mix that spent half the day laid out on her bed, ignoring everyone. Yet he doesn’t argue, he accepts the terms knowing she was hesitant to accept in the first place, so he nodded, trying to no push his luck. “Couldn’t this have waited until morning?” The thought occurs to her.

“No, I expected you to be watching television but you being the shower prevented you from going anywhere.” 

“You ambushed me?” She questions, shocked. “What a great boyfriend you’ll be.” 

“That makes you the luckiest girl in the world, babycakes.” There’s an overly cheesy smile on his face. 

“Where are we going anyway?”

“Hawaii.”

Jessica groans dropping her head into her hands. “Great, Now I have to shave.” 

Hawaii, the go-to destination for couples full of exotic animals, romantic islands and lavish expenses. Except her extravagant vacation was all part of a ruse and she was going with a man, she had the least romantic connection with.

A few days later, she found herself on the internet searching for pictures of Jeremy and his mysterious girlfriend Scarlett. The first picture she found was the pair at a festival together, the blonde has her hands wrapped around him while she kisses his neck. The next serious of pictures are all the same, the pair hanging on one another.

She calls Jeremy, putting him on speaker phone as soon as he answers.  “Hello, babycakes.” 

“God, tell me, you’re gonna think up a new pet name.” 

“What’s wrong? Don't like babycakes?”

“No!”

“Fine, princess.” 

“I’m gonna break up with you.” 

Jeremy chuckles, “What’s up?”

“Why did you and Scarlett break up?”

"Just didn’t work out.” 

Jessica raises an eyebrow. “Really? Because you two look like you were planning on having sex in public.” 

“Are you looking at pictures?”

“I’m nosy. Wanted to know who I was up against.” She clicks through a few more pictures. “Would it kill you to date a girl that didn’t look like she could be crowned America’s next top model?”

“That’s why I asked you.”

“Asshole.” 

“Are you all packed?” He asks changing the subject.

“About that...”

“What?”

“I’m not going to be able to go.” She winces, waiting for him to respond.

“What do you mean? You can’t go?”

“I have to work.” 

“Scarlett already bought tickets for us. It’s all scheduled. You said you got the week off.” 

“I have a mountain of paperwork.”

“I paid for your haircut and you’re bailing on me.”

She rolls her eyes, “I’m sorry, would you rather I neglect my paperwork and let all the poor little children fail because their teacher went on a trip instead of grading?”

He mutters something under his breath, “Why don’t you bring it?”

“Bring it?”

“You can work when we get back to the hotel. It’s not like we’re going to do anything.” 

“We’ll see.” 

“If we’re going to do something?” He questions, jokingly. 

“I’m really going to punch ya.” 

He lets out a loud laugh, “I love ya, babycakes.” He says and quickly hangs up before she has a chance to respond. Jessica growls in response, grabbing her phone and sending off a quick text to him full of another insult. 

The big day comes quicker than Jessica expected, suddenly it’s midnight, her bags are packed and she's sitting on her couch waiting for Jeremy to show up. “Be ready by 12:00, he said. No later. Not 12:01, or 12:05. Exactly 12:00.” She mocks, pulling out her cell phone she reads the time. “It’s 12:15.” 

Her front door swings open letting in the brisk cold night air into the house. “Look who decided to show up. I thought you were leaving me.” 

“Never.” He smiles. “Ready?”

“Ready as I'll ever be.”

They arrive at the airport, luggage in tow as Jessica frantically checks the names on the tickets and that they are at the right airport. “Will you stop it, you’ve double checked everything fifteen times so far. It matches. One says Jeremy Renner, the other says, Jessica Beckham. The flight is at 3:30am, it’s 2:00. It’s alright.” Jeremy pats her on the shoulder as he reads the scheduled flights board before them. “And right there, is our gate.”

“You’re positive?”

“Yes. Relax, I’ve done this multiple times. I travel all the time, I’m on top of this.” 

“Excuse me, Mr. I’m famous, I travel with an entourage all the time. Those of us with real jobs don’t travel all the time.”

“Acting is a real job.”

“No, molding the children of our future is a real job.” She corrects with a smirk on her face. “Prancing around in front of a camera with makeup on is not a real job.”

“I should have never of asked you to go,” Jeremy says shaking his head. 

“Nope.”

They head to Gate 6 when Jeremy suddenly stops, dead in his track accidentally making Jessica run into him. “God, Jer.” She groans, stepping to the side of him. He doesn’t respond or move. “Jeremy? Is this because of the jab about acting? I was just kidding.” She apologizes, truly unsure what he’s stopped for. “Jeremy? you know, for a fake boyfriend you could pretend to listen to me at least a real one would make it seem like he is.” She rants when suddenly they are approached by the beautiful Scarlett, whose full of smiles and laughter. 

“Jeremy!” Scarlett shouts from across the room, glee in her voice. 

Quickly, He reaches over and grabs Jessica’s hand as they start walking towards her. “Remember you’re my girlfriend.” 

“Oh, thanks I almost forgot what I was doing here.” She jokes. 

Jeremy stops, turning to face her, making it look like a couple's embrace, a romantic moment. He puts his hand on her waist, her brown eyes peering up at him. “Just cause I agreed to kiss you doesn’t mean I want to do it now.”

He rolls his eyes, “Woman, could we keep the sarcastic comments to a minimum while we are here?”

“Is three bags of dog food and a haircut really worth that?”

“Three bags of dog food, a haircut and a free trip to Hawaii is more than enough.” 

“A free trip to Hawaii and I’m not with an actual boyfriend nor am I getting laid. Woohoo.” She tosses her arm up in the air cheering while Jeremy shakes his head. “Alright, I’m done.” 

“Good. Come on.” He puts his hand on her back, smiling as they continue their walk towards Scarlett. “Let’s go to Hawaii, babycakes.”

Jessica doesn’t have the opportunity to respond before Scarlett rushes towards them, full of smiles. “Jeremy! I was getting worried you weren’t coming!” 

“Are you kidding? We wouldn’t miss this for the world, right, babycakes?” He rubs, Jessica’s shoulders.

“Right.” She agrees, glancing up at Jeremy. 

“Uh... Jessica, this is Scarlett.” He says smiling. “The lovely woman who arranged this trip.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Scarlett. I just want to say thank you for this. it means a lot to me. We don’t get the chance to get out much.” 

“It’s no problem, I’d do anything for Jeremy.” She says with a sly smile. 

Jessica nods, her smile slowly beginning to disappear as she quietly repeats Scarlett’s word, ‘I’d do anything for Jeremy.’  She glances at Jeremy who seems unfazed by the comment, completely oblivious as they talk about the plans after they land. Jessica stands idly by, watching the interaction when she’s greeted by a Daniel whose all smiles and far too handsome to be single. 

“Old friends get together and suddenly no one else exists, huh?” He remarks with a hint of a southern accent. Jessica nods, chewing on her bottom lip as she tries to avoid his glance. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Daniel, Scarlett’s Fiance.” She knew it, to handsome to be single. 

“Oh! I’m Jess.” She says in a much happier tone. “Nice to meet you.” 

“Ever been to Hawaii?” He asks, flattening his tie on his chest. 

“Unfortunately not.” She shrugs her shoulders. “Closest I’ve been is one of those little snow globes that says Hawaii.” 

He chuckles and nods. “Jeremy never taken you?” 

There’s about a million sarcastic comments that come to her head, all of which would end the charade, she and Jeremy are pulling. Instead, she nods. “We are new, trying to take it one step at a time. What about you? Big time stock broker in Hawaii?” She asks, motioning towards his now wrinkled suit

He smiles, “No, I’m a big shot lawyer in Los Angeles.” 

“Could of used you a few months ago.” She remarks, before Daniel has the opportunity to ask for more details, Jeremy’s hand wraps around her waist, pulling her into him. 

“Ready babe?” He asks. 

“If you are.” She forces a smile as the four walk towards the airport gate, each having completely different ideas of what this trip would include. 

[amandaoftherosemire]

Sing For Me - Chapter Twenty-seven

Fandom: Marvel Avengers AU

Pairing: Bucky Barnes X OFC (Sasha)

Characters: Bucky Barnes, OFC Sasha, Steve Rogers, Wanda Maximoff, Dr. Christine Palmer, Natasha Romanoff, Tony Stark, Clint Barton

Author: @amandaoftherosemire

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 4,377

Format: Series (Complete)

Warning: Angst, mentions of and flashbacks to torture, imprisonment, and murder.

Summary: Sasha checks in on Zoe and tells everyone her story at breakfast.

A/N: Not consistent with Marvel canon. This is my first foray into writing fanfiction. I’m open to and eager for any constructive criticism and feedback. Despite the warnings, most of this is fluff and happy with just a little angst. This is more of a transitional chapter. The next one will have more answers.

Banner by @hellzzzbelle​

 Sing For Me Masterlist

Chapter Twenty-six here

Chapter Twenty-seven

Leaning heavily on Bucky, his arm around her shoulders, Sasha shuffled into the med-bay in cushy, fuzzy slippers. With her hair bundled off her neck for the first time since her capture, she was almost feeling human. She'd gone for warm and comfortable in old yoga pants that had been washed a thousand times and a support tank since a bra pressed painfully on sore muscles and raw skin.

She'd topped it with a giant hoodie belonging to Bucky she'd found in her bed. It smelled like him and she couldn't resist. Her face dead serious and never breaking eye contact with him, she had pulled it on and zipped it up. When he laughed out loud at her, another tightly wound part of her relaxed. She thought three-thousand calories followed by ten hours of uninterrupted sleep in the deepest dark she could find and she might feel like Sasha again.

Before any of that could happen, however, she needed to find out what was going on with Zoe. Her eyes skimmed over Steve and Wanda to land on Zoe's still form. Shuffling forward out of Bucky's bracing arm, she rushed as much as she was able to the little girl's hospital bed. Despite the clean hospital gown and hooked up to monitors and an IV drip, Zoe didn't look ill. She looked like she was sleeping peacefully, her chest rising and falling evenly.

Sasha took the little girl's hand and squeezed it gently, her heart hurting a little at how small and frail she looked in the big bed. “Why does she have an IV?” she asked, worried.

At the gentle touch to her arm, Sasha jolted around to look at Dr. Palmer. “It’s just saline,” the doctor said, smiling. “She was a little dehydrated.”

“Christine,” Sasha said, wrapping the woman in a warm hug. “It’s so good to see you.”

Christine laughed and hugged Sasha back. “Likewise,” she replied, pulling back to arm’s length to fix Sasha with a stern look. “And how are you feeling?”

Sasha dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. “I’m fine,” she answered, far more concerned with Zoe’s condition. “Do you know why she hasn’t woken up?”

“She’s not fine,” Bucky piped up, and continued despite Sasha’s scowl in his direction. “She needs you to look at her feet.”

Christine’s lips twitched as she spoke. “I don’t know why she’s still unconscious. It’s like regular sleep except we can’t wake her. I have options but since I don’t know what caused the unconsciousness, I’m hesitant to use them.” Christine glared at Sasha. “Now what about your feet?”

Sasha shot Bucky a withering stare and ignored the question. “I used my power to make her go to sleep, and it had some punch behind it.  I didn’t want her to see what happened.”

Christine pursed her lips and considered. “Maybe she needs you to wake her up.”

Sasha sighed. “Too bad I’m tapped.”

Christine slid her arm around Sasha’s shoulders and started leading her away from Zoe’s bed. Sasha’s shuffling gait wasn’t lost on the doctor. “It’s not going to hurt her to sleep awhile longer. Why don’t you get some rest and try when you’re not so exhausted?”

Sasha chuckled lightly, “That obvious, huh?”

Christine squeezed her shoulders gently and replied, “Visible from space. Now let’s get you examined and treated.”

Sasha, knowing from previous experience that there was no point in arguing with Christine once she decided to take care of someone, huffed nonetheless. She decided if she had to be treated, she’d take a much-needed minute with Wanda. “Fine. But I want Wanda to come with me.”

With a grin, Sasha held out her bare hand to Wanda, who had been trying to remain unobtrusive, still a little afraid Sasha blamed her. The wide smile and outstretched hand put her fears to rest and she walked forward to close Sasha in a hug.

“You’ve been blaming yourself, haven’t you?” Sasha said as she returned Wanda’s hug. “Silly witch, you’re not omniscient.”

As they turned to walk toward a private room, Bucky stepped forward to follow. Sasha held up a hand. Honestly, she needed to fall apart and she didn’t want to put Bucky through that again so soon. “I don’t think so, Barnes,” she said, archly. “You’re pushy and a jerk, so you get to keep Steve company.” Without waiting for a response, she shuffled into the exam room and closed the door with a snap.

Bucky let out a shuddering sigh as soon as the door closed and began to blink back tears. “Jesus Christ, Stevie. Jesus Christ.”

Steve put his hand on Bucky’s shoulder, his face falling. He had been wearing a smile at Sasha’s playful demeanor. He had been hoping it meant she had escaped relatively unscathed. “Buck, what is it?” he asked softly.

“He beat her, Steve. Repeatedly. She’s limping because he beat the arches of her feet with a cane.”

Steve was infuriated. He thought of Sasha as soft and sweet and the very idea that someone could deliberately hurt her left him angry and disappointed with the world in general. “They’re not going to get away with it.”

Bucky lifted wet eyes to Steve’s and something dark and dangerous passed between them, matching reckless grins spreading across their faces. Steve Rogers had an intrinsic disdain for bullies and an impulsive heart that led him into any number of unnecessary battles. When Bucky Barnes, who was supposed to be the level-headed one, went to war at Steve’s side, they were a force to be reckoned with. “No. They’re fucking not,” Bucky growled.

Trying to comfort, Steve went on. “And we got her back. That’s what really matters.”

Bucky turned away, his fists clenching in frustrated fury. “That’s just the start, though, Steve. I don’t know what all they did to her, but it was bad. She flinches at any unexpected touch. She’s afraid she’s hallucinating, and she mutters her own name under her breath like she’s trying to remind herself.”

Steve was heartbroken. He knew better than most what humans were capable of doing to each other, but he never stopped hoping for better. At times like this it felt like a curse. “Fuckin’ Christ,” he breathed, New York ripe in his voice.

Bucky snorted. Somehow, hearing Steve sound like he did back before he felt the weight of Captain America’s shield made Bucky feel better. “There’s the Brooklyn.”

“Aw!” Sasha’s voice had both men turning to look at her. Still standing in the doorway of the exam room, having come to a halt to cry out, she whined, “Steve went all Brooklyn-y and I missed it? Do it again, Steve!”

Bucky stepped forward to save Steve, whose face was starting to go pink. “Come on, doll,” he said. “Let’s get you fed.”

Before he finished the sentence she was moving forward, a little more easily than she had been. Seeing the evidence of anger and sadness on both his and Steve’s faces told her immediately that they had been discussing something to do with her.

When he reached her, she reached up to take his face between her palms. Needing to comfort, she pulled his face down to hers and kissed away from his cheek a tear he hadn’t noticed had fallen.

Laying her lips against his, she kissed him with a little hum. “It’s real,” she murmured, resting her cheek against his. “I’m home.”

Bucky slipped his arms gently around her to pull her close. She rested her head on his chest, tucking her head under his chin. Squeezing him tightly, she said softly, “I’d rather know you’re real, Bucky, even if it hurts.”

Bucky rubbed his cheek against her hair and answered, “I don’t want you to ever hurt.”

Sasha’s emotions rose up and choked her into silence. Resting her head against Bucky’s chest, his arms warm and protective around her, felt like heaven. Overwhelmed with love and relief, she had to clear her throat to respond. “Pain fades,” she rasped, and tilted her head back to smile sweetly up at him.

The sight of that sweet smile eased the worst of the storm inside him and helped him set aside dreams of vengeance for the time being. His hands instinctively moving in soothing circles over her back, he asked, “How are you feeling?”

Sasha glared at him playfully. “Better,” she replied drily. “Happy now?”

“Getting there.” With a nod and a “Thanks, doc,” to Christine, he moved to Sasha's side and let her brace herself on his arm.

“I’ll be back in a few hours,” Sasha said to the doctor. “Let me know if anything changes?”

Christine started pushing Sasha gently towards the door. “Of course. Now go. Eat. Sleep.”

With a small chuckle, Sasha let herself be led out. On their way to elevator, Bucky put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her gently against his side. “She’ll be okay,” he said, trying to reassure. “Hungry?”

As they stepped into the elevator, Sasha tipped her head back with a groan that shot straight to Bucky’s gut. “Oh god,” she moaned. “I’m having pornographic fantasies about food right now.”

Bucky stayed silent, that moan playing havoc with his libido. He found himself partly grateful for the presence of Steve and Wanda. He could feel that Sasha was still too shaky and vulnerable for the things that moan had him fantasizing about.

Wanda smirked. "You really are," she laughed. "I didn’t know you could make love to pot au chocolat while also consuming it."

Steve blushed rosy red and shook his head, smiling. "How? You know what, I don't want to know."

Sasha tipped her head back and laughed as the doors opened to the communal living area. "Now Stevie," she said as they exited the elevator, "when a woman and a pot au chocolat love each other very much…"

Steve rolled his eyes and walked ahead of them to the kitchen as Wanda and Bucky laughed. As Wanda followed, Bucky pulled Sasha to a stop. Turning her to face him, he gave her a flirtatious smile and growled, "Go on."

Shaky Sasha may have been, but she wasn't dead. Flirty Bucky was and would probably always be one of her greatest weaknesses. Exulting at the warm desire spreading through her veins, she celebrated the feel of normal, healthy lust. With a siren smile, she murmured, "You find me pot au chocolat and I’ll show you."

Bucky scooped Sasha up in his arms as she squeaked in surprise and humor and ran for the kitchen yelling, "Tony! Any pot au chocolat in this tower?"

Skidding to a halt in the kitchen, Sasha's eyes widened at the mammoth amount of food spread all over the island and counters. Breakfast foods and pie of nearly every type covered every surface and everyone was crammed together loading up plates while they waited for her.

Tony was shouting back as he turned, “No, but there’s French silk pie,” but he was almost drowned out by the cheer that erupted when they all saw Sasha grinning in Bucky's arms.

Bucky gave her a hopeful look and she answered it with a pitying glance and a shake of her head. "Not the same thing at all. Now put me down, you oaf," she said with a wiggle of her shoulders. "They're gonna think I'm delicate."

As he bent to set her feet carefully on the floor, he kissed her temple and murmured, "Not delicate, doll. Just precious."

"Excuse me!" Sasha raised her voice to be heard and everyone, for once, immediately quieted down. "First hug goes to whoever thought up breakfast foods and pie for my homecoming banquet."

Natasha sauntered forward with a smug half-smile on her face while Tony scoffed. "I paid for it," he snarked as Sasha wrapped her arms around Nat and rocked back and forth.

Nat would have pulled away, but Sasha held on. "He told me you were dead," she murmured, old grief and terror rising up to steal most of her voice. "After a while, it got hard to convince myself he was lying." Nat's eyes shot to Bucky's and in them she found the same cold rage she felt herself.

Sasha laughed when Tony moved into her line of sight holding something in a wrapper and grinning cheekily at her. Rolling her eyes, she let Nat go to enfold Tony in a warm hug. He hugged her back briefly before pulling away to push what he held into her hands. "What is this?" she asked as she started to unwrap it.

"An American cheeseburger."

Sasha knew the story. Hell, she'd seen the press conference where he ate the damn cheeseburger from her hospital bed after she'd tried to take her own life. She'd given him shit about the cheeseburger, but she'd never told him she had found his no-fucks-to-give attitude in the face of imprisonment, torture, and escape inspiring as fuck in that moment. She wouldn't tell him now, either, but she unwrapped the burger and took a bite. "Val should have known that a Tony Stark protégée would be a bite more than he could chew," she said, her mouth full.

Tony laughed. "I’ll drink to that," he said with a wink, lifting his coffee mug in a toast.

“You’ll drink to dryer lint.” Sasha swallowed the bite of cheeseburger and smirked. “So, that's Irish in that coffee then?” Lightning quick, she snatched the mug out of his hand and took a drink. ”Ugh,” she said with a grimace and handed it back. Espresso and something like a half cup of sugar, it tasted like jet fuel. “What is wrong with you?" she asked, sticking out her tongue and making gagging noises.

Sasha moved around the room, hugging everyone and making jokes. While she did so, Bucky was making her coffee while Natasha plated up the French toast she was sure Sasha would want. By the time she reached Steve, there was a place at the table ready for her.

Sasha exclaimed as she threw her arms around Steve's waist, "I haven’t hugged you yet!" Squeezing him as tight as she could, she growled with the exertion while Steve just laughed at her efforts. He closed his huge arms around her and hugged her back as gently as he could.

"Steve," she said, and leaning back to look up at his warm smile Sasha was struck by the sweetness of his face. She knew he didn't want to ask her. Just as she knew Steve would always do what he didn't want to when needed, no matter how much it hurt him. Unwilling to let Steve shoulder anything else, she took Steve's face between her palms and smiled. "French toast first. Then…" she paused and raised her eyes to the ceiling consideringly, "most of the story. Then coconut cream pie. Then the rest of the story."

Steve chuckled lightly and nodded. "Sounds good to me."

She shook Steve slightly and let go, turning to Bucky waiting at her arm to help her to the table. When she saw the plate of French toast waiting for her, she grinned at Nat, sitting across the table and delicately eating her own breakfast. Sasha sat and picked up the coffee. After the first sip of sweet hazelnut coffee goodness, she turned to Bucky with near literal hearts in her eyes. She fisted her hand in his shirt and tugged him down for a long, warm kiss.

Bucky was blushing when she let him go. Sasha had never been so affectionate in front of the others and he wasn't sure how to deal with it.

"If I fall into a food coma, will you carry me to bed?" she asked.

"Eat," he instructed. "And don’t ask me stupid questions." With a tender smile, he brushed his thumb over the scar on her cheek and turned to get his own breakfast. Sasha began to shovel in the French toast with a groan of pleasure at the taste of real food.

A short time later Sasha asked herself out loud as she polished off the last bite of French toast on her plate, "How to explain Valentin Morozov without giving you indigestion?" She felt slightly ill, having eaten five pieces of French toast in record time but real food had been too delicious. Val had ordered that she be put on a weird liquid-bread tasting meal replacement shake after the end of the third week.

Valentin was taunting her with Natasha's death as he lined up his strike. He was using a riding crop now and wanted to carefully place the thin scars that would result with the use of the balm developed by his scientists. Developed specifically for Morozov's sadistic needs to cause pain while assisting in healing, Sasha hated the damn stuff. A happy benefit for Morozov, as he fancied himself an artist, the assisted healing resulted in far more severe scarring than would normally take place.

"It really is too bad about Ms. Romanoff. Were you very close, Alexandra?" he asked before with a whish and a crack he brought the crop down in the middle of her back. As he circled her she shook her hair back and lifted her head. She'd been focusing on staying silent during these "lessons". Perhaps it was time to say fuck it.

"You better hope she is dead, Val. She's my bestie, you know." She smirked as she said this, her voice sassy and smug.

Valentin raised an eyebrow as he adjusted his angle, bringing the crop down with a whoosh only to tap her with it. It made her jolt every time, but she couldn't help herself. "I find it hard to believe the Black Widow has a 'bestie'," he replied, "but it is adorable to watch you threaten me from such a vulnerable position." With a crack, he struck her again.

Sasha hissed in a breath but controlled the scream. She went on like he hadn't hit her. "Um, I've painted her toenails. We're besties. Even if we weren't I've got all sorts of friends." She delivered this last with sly look. She knew Katie had reported her relationship with Bucky to him.

Valentin frowned at her conversational tone while he tested out his next strike. Swoosh, tap. Swoosh, tap. To tell the truth, he was a little concerned by the former Winter Soldier, but he reminded himself that ghost stories didn't frighten him anymore. Besides, his new sun would shine for only him. "By the time they find you, I'll have you nice and pliant, Alexandra. Then we'll see." Swoosh. Crack. Scream.

Sasha shook her head to dispel the memories. She wondered how long before they would fade a little. How much time would she need before they weren't breathing down her neck? More than a few hours, drama queen, she thought to herself. She looked up, a little embarrassed to be the center of attention in this way. She was uncomfortable being the focus of so many sympathetic eyes.

Maybe it was better that she was tapped out. She didn't know if she could continue if she could feel that sympathy, despite it coming from a place of understanding. None who sat there this morning was a stranger to trauma or pain.

Sasha put on a brave smile, and sat back, placing a casual arm over the back of her chair. Her tone nonchalant, she started, "Well, I got this…" tapping the scar on her left cheek "…my first day there." She shrugged her shoulders and laughed, darkly. "What can I say? I'm an asshole."

She went on from there, starting with Karen. She hadn't ever found out exactly how Katie's power worked as they could never talk without being monitored, but she wanted to make sure that everyone understood that Katie had been more than she appeared, that no one was to blame. She needed to make it clear that she had known from the start that Katie had used that power against them.

Sasha explained that over the course of her captivity, she had discovered that Valentin had been planning this off and on for years. He had purchased the vibranium from Klaue before the Ultron mess. After hearing about the death of his mistress' cousin's boy during a home invasion, he found himself fascinated by the girl who had survived the assault relatively unscathed. His research into her had led him to believe that he could use vibranium to harness her power to create a mass weapon.

Morozov had been about to make his move when Sasha had gone to work for Tony Stark, forcing him to change his plans. He had to find a way to lure her in rather than snatching her from her apartment as he had intended, and he had to find a place to hold her that would prevent her from being found quickly. Hence, the bunker made from an old mine under the compound in the mountains of Washington State.

She spoke briefly, and dismissively, of the beatings, torture, and brainwashing techniques used against her to make her compliant with Morozov's will but refused to linger on it. No one considered asking for more detail. Sasha chose not to speak of those things with the group at large, her emotions too unstable to deal with it when she knew she was going to have to talk about Sergei.

Her voice low, she started to tell them about the night she first found out about Valentin's weapon and her place in it. When she got to the part when they tortured a young Hydra boy to experiment with how her emotions moved through the machine, tears spilled down her face. Bucky, moved his hand from its place on her knee to slide his arms around her shoulders and pull her close.

Sasha sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, grateful to lean on his strength when hers was so sapped. "When I wouldn't give in, wouldn't beg him to make it stop, he had Trevor the Walking Bag of Shit kill him to punish me. And with that, I need coconut cream pie.”

“Come on!” Clint’s shout made them all jump. “You can’t stop there!”

Sasha laughed, releasing the tension and letting everyone else laugh along. "I'm sorry, Clint!" she cried. "But pie!" She looked up when Steve cleared her breakfast plate and replaced it with a piece of coconut cream pie. "If I wasn't stupid over your best friend here, I'd fight for you, Steve."

Under her breath, Natasha murmured with a half-smile, "You'd lose." Sasha shot her a laughing smile and winked. She couldn't wait to get Nat alone to grill her about Steve.

As she ate her pie, she started to tell them about Zoe, how she'd found her in her cell that night and decided then and there that getting Zoe out was her primary goal. Once she was done with her pie, she continued to eat, stuffing herself full of eggs and bacon before moving on to a slice of cherry pie. Just as she was getting to the events of the previous evening, Bucky was sliding a piece of key lime pie in front of Sasha with an impressed look on his face.

At this, Sam asked disbelieving, "How are you still eating?"

Sasha chuckled as she speared a piece of pie with her fork. "God, I don't know. I'm about to burst."

"Then stop!" Bucky said as he started to pull the pie away again, yanking his hand back with a yelp when Sasha stabbed him with her fork.

"Paws fucking off, asshole," she said, circling her plate with her arm and scarfing down the rest of the pie while she glared daggers at Bucky who shook his hand and laughed. Polishing off the last bite, she pushed her chair back with a groan at her overfull stomach. Despite this, she looked longingly at the custard pie close to her.

"No!" Bucky exclaimed, correctly reading the considering look on her face. "You're gonna make yourself sick."

"Worth it," she muttered petulantly.

"Go on with your story, Crazy Girl," Tony spoke up.

With a pouty twist to her lips, she went on. Here was the sticking point, to be honest. "I don't know exactly what happened," she said, frowning. "I just know that when I woke up from taking a fucking ham to the face, I looked down and saw Zoe strapped to that bed, my palms on her face. I fucking lost it."

When she stopped, everyone waited silently, expecting her to continue but in her mind she was lost again to the dragon, bathed in wildfire, and staring into Valentin's sightless eyes.

"Sasha?" Steve said her name gently, recognizing the look on her face. He'd seen that look many times before and knew she was reliving part of her own personal hell. When her eyes lifted to his, he smiled kindly at her. "I think we can figure out the rest. You can give us details later."

Sasha gave him a grateful smile. She honestly hadn't been sure she would be able to go on. Between the rawness of her own emotions, the carb heavy meal she just gorged on, and sheer unrelenting exhaustion, she may have shattered had she tried.

"I'm sorry, doll," Bucky said, cuddling her close. "One more question and I'll carry you to bed, okay?"

Sasha snuggled in, her eyes already trying to close. She held them open with an effort. "Deal."

"Where are they?" Bucky asked. "Val, Trevor, Katya?"

Sasha let her eyes fall closed. She didn't want to respond, wanted to just fade away into sleep where hopefully exhaustion would keep any nightmares at bay. She made herself answer. Not only was she unwilling to let Val have even that much power over her, Bucky needed to know.

"Val and Trevor are dead," she stated, her voice cold and remote. "I let Katya go. She was a victim, too." With that, she let herself tumble into sleep, secure in the certainty that Bucky would take care of her. She was safe. It was real. She was home.

Chapter Twenty-eight here

Taglist: (Tags are open)

@marvel-lucy @cheekygeek05 @lbouvet @lovely-geek @wantingtobekorra @diinofayce @ashesandfire @suz-123 @theresaskankinmyboot @ddysis @caplansteverogers @getbuckylucky @california-grown @capandbuck @buckybarnesappreciationsociety  @magellan-88 @mizzzpink @rediscoveringdebbie84  @rnr1274

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[unholyimagines]

Sucker for pain

FP Jones x (legal)reader

Summary; You’re adamant on getting what you want from FP, and you will, but only if you win his little game

Warnings; rough smut and ofc, cursing

A/N; I’m not sure if I like how this turned out but I hope you do!

“I wanna be a Serpent”.

Laughter filled your ears and it made your angry state even worse. You weren’t in the mood for joking.

You were standing in the doorway of FP Jones, wanting to join the South side Serpents as you wanted a change in your life.

“That’s not gonna happen, honey”, FP told you after he had his laugh.

“Why not? I’ve got nothing to lose, your son hates me, Archie hates me, Betty hates me, everyone does”, you told him.

You had known that FP was a Serpent from the start of your and Jughead’s friendship but of course kept it a secret as Jughead had asked you to.

Even though you told FP that everyone hates you, it wasn’t really that correct but they sure as hell were angry at you. It had started when you were sitting at Pop’s with Juggie and Betty, and Archie had came and asked your help to go to the Serpents local bar to find out who had vandalized his dad’s construction site. You of course knew that if you went, he would find about FP and had shared a quick, panicked look with Jughead so you refused to help Archie and it had made him angry and disappointed in you. Later the same day, had been Polly’s baby shower and when Archie had crashed it and told the group that FP was a Serpent and accused you of being a bad friend, you had felt furious and when everyone kept fussing about the day being about Polly, you had exploded. You knew Polly had had it rough and was pregnant but at the moment you didn’t care. You had said horrible things to your friends and accused them all being hypocrites for ignoring their own problems and focusing on Polly. You had left the place with doors banging but you felt so fed up with their attitudes, especially when you had it rough, no one seemed to care.

So here you were, begging the father of your friend to take you into their badass biker gang. And it wasn’t going as well as you thought.

“I don’t think Jug would ever hate you but still, the answer is no”, FP told you.

“What do I have to do?”, you weren’t giving up.

“What part about ‘no’ don’t you understand?”, he asked, starting to get a little frustrated.

“I’m not giving up”, you said as you placed your hands on your hips.

“That’s cute”, FP chuckled as he popped open a beer and sat on his couch.

You closed the door as you fully entered the trailer and walked to stand between him and the tv he was trying to watch.

“I said, I wanna be a Serpent”, you told him.

“And I said, no”, he growled as he stood up, towering over you.

You both stared at each other for a moment, not saying anything when an idea popped in your head.

“Is there something I could do to make you change your mind?”, you innocently batted your eyelashes and playing with the collar of his shirt.

“What are you doing Y/N?”, FP questioned with a raised brow as he grabbed you hands.

“I’m just trying to figure out something that would benefit us both”, you told him. He only eyed you for a second and then let go of your hands and placed his own around your waist, pulling you against him and brought his lips close to your ear.

“No means no, baby”, he whispered and you visibly shuddered, his voice sending chills between your legs. He only smirked at this as he pulled away and went back to sit on the couch.

“Oh, cmon!”, you yelled in frustration.

“I’m tired of all the teenage drama, I want a change”, you continued.

“I’m willing to prove to you that I really want this”, you told him truthfully as another idea came to you.

“And how would you do that?”, he questioned, eyeing you from head to toe. You had always thought that he was a total dilf and now you felt like you would make your little fantasy true.

You pulled your leather jacket off and threw it at him as he catched it before it hit his face. You then pulled your top over your head and placed your hands at your waist. He eyed your body for a moment with hungry eyes.

“And what’s this supposed to prove?”, he asked.

You didn’t say anything as you simply removed your bra and let your boobs bounce before FP’s lustfull stare.

“So you’re gonna have sex with me to prove how much you want this? Didn’t think you were such a slut”, he chuckled and turned his attention to the tv. You felt furious at his words but pushed it aside as you stepped closer to sit on his lap, your boobs almost against his face.

“I’m not a slut, I just want you”, you flirted.

“I’m not gonna change my answer but I’ll take the sex”, he smirked and you couldn’t deny the wetness that was forming in your panties.

“No Serpent, no sex”, you told him.

“Why don’t we play a game? If you win, I’ll make you a Serpent but if you lose, well, we’ll see about that then”, he challenged.

“Okay, what’s the game?”, you asked.

“It’s simple. The only rule is that you don’t move or make a sound, understand?”, he said and you nodded. He then placed your hands behind your back and grabbed a belt from the couchs armrest and tied your hands together. You rose your brow at him in a questioning manner but he only smirked.

“The game starts now, remember the rules”, he said and brushed his right thumb over your left nipple, making it instantly harden. You almost let out a small moan but remembered the rules and realized the game. He was gonna tease you until you broke.

“Good girl”, he praised you with a low voice and a smirk on his face, making your panties soaking wet.

He then went to massage your boobs, rolling and kneading them, avoiding your nipples. You knew he wanted you to beg but you weren’t gonna give up. He continued to play with your tits for a long 3 or so minutes and it was hard to keep quiet. Noticing your face getting hot, he finally grabbed your nipples between his index fingers and thumbs and pulled. You almost moaned as your mouth fell open but closed it just in time.

“Ready to give up?”, he questioned with a shit eating grin. You only glanced at him, trying to avoid his stare.

“Stand up”, he commanded and you obeyed quickly. He then turned you around, released your hands and pushed your head down with force, making you place your hands on the couch for support as your ass was in the air now. He spanked you once, almost making you yelp out loud but you kept quiet even when he started to pull your pants down, along with your underwear.

“My, my… Didn’t know you were such a dirty girl Y/N”, he chuckled and you knew he saw the wetness that had gathered between your legs. You still said nothing, not going to lose the game. He seemed to get a little nervous about losing the game himself as he spanked you again, harder this time. Your knees bucked just a little at the stinging pain but your lips remained sealed.

“I hope you can handle a little pain”, FP told you in a low voice, making you a little nervous. A clinging noise was heard and the next thing you felt, was the belt from your hands being whipped against your ass. Tears were blurring your eyes and your hands were in fists to suppress the pain and you knew it was going to leave a mark.

“Good kitten”, FP said as he stroked the burning skin. You waited for another spank but a small gasp escaped your lips when the belt was looped around your neck. He yanked you up a bit as his lips came close to your ear.

“Did I just hear something?”, he whispered and you shook your head. He chuckled at your response and pushed your head back down.

His hands gripped your ass cheeks and pulled them apart, fully exposing your pussy to his eyes.

“Oh, you little slut. So wet from pain. You must really like being dominated”, he chuckled and you were glad that he didn’t see your red face as his words were true.

“You might be my son’s friend but I’m gonna make you my slut”, he told you and you felt the tip of his cock teasing your entrance, spreading your wetness around. When did he undo his pants? You had no time to think about it when he shoved himself inside you without no warning or time to adjust as he started to immediately pound into you with deep and hard thrusts.

“Damn you’re tight, squeezing my cock so good”, he said with a seductive voice that was driving you over the edge. He continued to fuck you mercilessly and yanked the belt, tightening it around your neck, making it hard to breathe. You didn’t care about it, you felt so good about the pleasure he was giving you. To add to the bliss, he spanked you again. It was now harder than ever to keep quiet and still but you knew he was close to cumming when his thrusts started to get sloppy.

“Fuck Y/N, I’m gonna cum!”, he yelled and pulled you up by the belt, quickly turning around and forcing you on your knees as he jerked himself a few times and came on your face, making the cum drip onto your boobs.

“Shit, you look so good like that”, he said breathless, falling down on the couch. You crawled up next to him and took a deep breath. Everything had happened so fast but a chuckle was heard from you. FP looked at you with brows furrowed, clearly confused.

“What’s so funny?”, he asked. You only smirked at him with a playful look in your eyes.

“I’m a serpent now”.

[artistic-nacho-blog]

Sanders Sides One-Shot

The sentence prompt is: It seemed like a really good idea yesterday.

Trigger warnings: Cursing, being cornered, panic, anxiety(ofc),negative thoughts, sick family members, and family members walking out.

Relationship: There is no actual relationship, but it hints at prinxiety, logicality, and some slight anxceit, but nothing major.

A/N: So, this was honestly supposed to end in a completely different way! Like, Deceit was not even going to appear in this one... I appreciate constructive criticism, and if there are any other warnings I should add, please let me know.

Word Count:4,137 (Not too shabby)

If you guys want a second part, fill free to tell me, I was originally supposed to end this on a bad note, but yolo I’ll probably end up doing it anyways cuz it’s not like I even finished the actual sentence.

An annoying beeping sound jars Virgil from his less than peaceful night’s rest. Turning over, he slaps his hand on his alarm clock a few times, making sure to turn off his alarm. He peels his eyes open slowly, looking at the time.

05:30

He groaned. Why did he think it would be a good idea to leave showering in the morning? Virgil pushes himself out of bed, trying to be as quiet as possible. If he woke his dad up, it would be the end for him.

‘After all, your good ol’ dad is tired only because of you.’

He floundered over to his closest, pulling out the first clothing options he could find because it’s not like matching mattered when you wear all black. Unless your blacks end up not matching, then you are just screwed.

Once Virgil finished his shower, he put on a pair of black skinny jeans, a black Evanescence shirt, and his signature black hoodie. He checked his hair once more, making sure his bangs were evenly spaced apart, before exiting his bathroom.

Virgil walked down the stairs, the smell of pancakes dulling his senses. He looked to his right, where his dad was cooking chocolate chip pancakes.

“Dad, should you really be cooking today.” He didn’t need to get up, he could have made a hot pocket or something.

“Do you not appreciate my signature pancakes anymore? And here I thought you would like the surprise ingredient,” his dad leaned heavily on the counter, over exaggerating his movements in the process.

Virgil rolled his eyes, “Oh my god dad, don’t be so dramatic.”

“But I’m not being dramatic!”

“Sure you’re not.”

Heaving a laugh, his father turned back to the task at hand, expertly flipping a pancake onto the plate. Virgil clapped, making sure to let out a quiet whoop in the midst of cheering.

“What is going on here?”

Both males freeze and slowly turned around. Virgil’s mother looked them over with a hardened gaze, her eyes zeroing in on Virgil,

“I thought I told you two,” she started out, both of them looking down guiltily at her staccato like words, “No cooking chocolate chip pancake without me! How could you do this Brent? I trusted our secret mix with you!” She then grinned mischievously at the two. Her brown eyes lighting up,

“’Guess I’ll need to eat them all, that way our recipe will not get out in the open.”

“Mom, no!”

“Love, ca-we can work this out, think about what you’re about to attempt to do!”

She chuckled, “Attempt? Honey, I’m going to succeed!” She took off, running full speed, laughing evilly, in an attempt to grab the pancakes on the platter. Brent screeched something about the “sharing is caring rule” before grabbing the platter and taking off in a random direction.

Virgil chuckled at his parent’s antics. Waltzing up to the stove and flipping a pancake currently on the pan. He watched in amusement as his parents took turns chasing each other, his mother taking a bite of a pancake each time she got her hands on the platter. How is he this lucky to have such amazing parents?

‘More like how did such amazing parents have you.’

He quickly flipped his pancake onto a plate, today was not the day to deal with this.

Virgil and his parents laughed at the table at the clever joke his father told. Who knew not all dad jokes are bad jokes? He took one last bite of his pancake, ultimately eating the last pancake standing.

Virgil checked his phone screen, his eyes widening,

“Crap!”

His parents flinched. Brent caught on quickly, looking at the clock and shaking his head as he darted upstairs and into his office. His mother on the other hand,

“What? What is it? Did you hurt yourself? Too many pancakes?”

Virgil pointed to his screen when it lit up again, showing his mother the time,

6:53.

He glared at his phone screen, hissing. “I’m going to miss my bus.”

Virgil headed for the stairs. “I gotta get my stuff mom! I’ll be right back!” Diving into his closet, he grabbed his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. He darted across the room, grabbing his headphones, stuffing them into his bag, along with yesterday’s homework. Multiple craps and shits were whispered in under a minute.

His father’s footsteps thundered down the hallway, he barged through his door,

“Normally I would knock, but we are on a time limit today, Virge.”

“It’s fine, do you have his present?”

“I do!”

“Fantastic.”

“Was that a Doctor Who reference?”

“Dad.”

“Sorry.”

Brent placed a swift kiss onto his forehead whispering words of encouragement as Virgil practically flew down the stairs.

Virgil ran into the kitchen, placing a kiss on his mother’s cheek.

“Bye mom, I love you!” He called out as he started to close the door. His mom cautioned him about crossing the road, with him promising to be safe, he finally left his house.

Running is so not his thing. Why did he have to miss his bus? He couldn’t be sweaty when he gave his crush their gift, that’s just a disaster waiting to happen.

Multiple thoughts overtook his mind as he ran to his school. Well, it was more like jogging, but still, it was running to him. Don’t judge! Virgil saw the school in the distance, he decided he was close enough to walk now, given that he still had around twenty minutes before the tardy bell would ring.

How was he going to give his crush their present? He knew he couldn’t just walk up to him and go,

“Hey, I know I stopped talking to you and my group of friends for two months and counting, but that reason was because I completely and utterly fell in love with you, but I am too much of an idiot to come to terms with that, so I ducked out.”

Or even worse,

“You know all those times I was a dick to you? Yeah, those. It was because you were being too cute in the moment for me to comprehend, so I usually ended up storming away or fighting you. So, sorry ‘boutcha! But hey! Look at this ring I bought that my father and I busted our asses to buy for you, cool huh?”

Fat chance of that working out.

He could always leave it in his locker anonymously, but that wouldn’t solve anything.

He looked down at the gift in his hands, a dull gold ring sat in the middle of his pale hand, the ring had an intricate flower design, as well as a sword’s hilt on the underside of the ring. His father worked overtime and graveyard shifts to help pay for the pricey antique.

He gave it another once over before shoving it in his pocket, Roman would never even like this! How stupid was he? Thinking this was a good idea. Virgil looked up just in time from missing a light pole. He briskly walked around the pole, putting his headphones on and selecting shuffle. He smiled when his favorite band started to play.

Virgil sighed as he pushed open the high school’s main doors. Oh well, he can always keep it for himself, yeah his fingers maybe too thin for the ring to fit, but rings on necklaces are popular right now, so it won’t seem out of the ordinary to randomly walk into school with a ring on his neck. Besides, it’s not like anyone would notice, he doesn’t have friends anymore.

He made his way to the gym, sitting on the far end, away from everyone’s too loud conversations. Why do they need to practically shout when they are so close together?

Virgil stole a few glances to his old posse of friends. Logan seemed like he was faring well, his tie matched Patton’s shirt, which is pretty cute he guessed. Patton must have told everyone a joke, because when he looked at Roman, his eyes lit up with humor. He burst out laughing, and everyone around him was quick to join.

‘Look how happy he is without you.’

Virgil sighed, closing his eyes in a meek attempt to block out that thought. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself staring directly into Roman’s hazel hues. Gasping softly, he lowered his gaze at his phone, opening Tumblr and flicking through it, not really paying attention to what he saw on the screen.

God he’s such an idiot! He stared too long. The others must think he’s an absolute freak! Maybe if he apologized for the fight he had with them, they would take him back?

‘You’re pitiful if you actually think that would work, they must hate you.’

He swiftly looked up to see his past partners in crime chatting away.

‘Knew it.’

‘Good,’ he thought bitterly, ‘it’s better this way.’

A loud buzzing jarred him from his thoughts, only calming down once he realized it was just the bell.

He jostled his hand as he made his way down the busy hall. He kept rubbing the ring, treating it like a fidget cube. He cringed when one of his less favored song started to play. He took his hand out of his pocket, switching to a new song.

Heading to his first class, mythology, was a blur. He was deep in thought, thinking of all the different scenarios that his anxious mind could phantom.

It took thirty full minutes for him to realize. His teacher Ms. Marshal was talking about today’s lesson, unmindfulness and forgetfulness.

Ms. Marshal basically skipped to the board after calling role. “Now that we have covered Hades, we will get into the five rivers of Hades.” Virgil looked on, only paying attention part time, “We are going to start with my favorite one, Ameles potamos, which translates river of unmindfulness.”

Virgil looked out the window, reaching into his pocket to thumb his ring, he dug around in his pocket for a moment before realization hit him like a ton of bricks. His ring is not there.

Good.Fucking.Job.

His breathing picked up as he frantically searched through his belongings, covering every inch. He searched the ground following the path he walked into his desk. Nothing.

His ring that his father worked double the amount for, all those part time jobs over the summer for nothing. He can’t help but pray to whatever’s out there. Let this be a realistic dream, a nightmare, he passed out. Hell, anything is better than what’s happening to him right now.

He can barely breathe, this wasn’t happening. It was not happening!

He flinched when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, he looked up to see his petite teacher gazing at him with concern. He looked around to see other students working, thankfully only one or two were watching his mental break down.

Ms. Marshal whisper to him, asking something, but it was too fuzzy for him to hear,

‘You can’t even listen properly.’

He gasped out a soft “What?”

“Do you need to go outside for a moment?” Virgil softly nodded, collecting his thoughts best he can when she motioned to the classroom door. He crept quietly out the door, his teacher in tow.

Once he was outside his teacher asked him a few questions,

“Are you okay?” Nod.

“Do you need to leave?” He shook his head.

“Do you need to be alone for a moment?” Another nod.

She gave him a stiff nod, sending him one more glance before entering the classroom once again, leaving a statement hanging in the air, “If you need me to send a friend out, I will, so let me know.”

‘Ha, what friends?’

The door made a click sound, notifying him that it closed. Past his tears, he can make out two shaking hands. He slid to the floor, wondering what the hell he did to deserve this. After a few minutes of collecting his thoughts, he picked himself up. He needed to find that ring.

After another minute or two to regain his composure, he got up on unsteady legs, and started his search.

His ring had to be here somewhere. After multiple futile attempts at finding his most expensive possession he collapsed next to a trash bin, fresh tears pouring.

As he was about to get back up, a set of firm hands grabbed Virgil’s shoulders, making him flinch for a second time that day. A crisp voice found its way to his ears, slightly calming him down.

“Virgil? What happened? Can you hear me?” He nodded. Who’s here?

Blinking away his tears, he looked up to see Logan with a worried Patton in the background. Why the flying fuck are they here? It didn’t matter, what mattered was Virgil being a complete fuck up for losing the ring.

“Virgil, are you having an attack?” No? Why are you asked dumb questions?

Virgil glared lightly, choosing a more polite approach than he would have liked, “No. Why are you here?” He shrunk down into his hoodie, he did not want to be here right now.

Logan adjusted his glasses as Patton calmed down, breathing a sigh of relief.  Patton gave him his ‘disappointed dad look’ and Virgil shrunk into his hoodie some more. Patton can be more threatening than he realizes.

“Well, kiddo-“

“Don’t call me that.”

“Shush. As I was going to tell you, Logan found this nifty ring in the hallway-“

Ring?

“Where! Where is it?” Virgil was instantly freaking out again.

It had to be his ring!

Logan told him something but he wasn’t listening, he needed to know!

Patton looked baffled at Virgil’s outburst.

“Kiddo, it’s okay, we were on our way to turn it in at the office, when a boy with this neato snake charm walked up. He seemed like he was in a rush, too! Maybe we-“

“Patton you are getting off topic.”

“Sorry. Thanks, Lo. Well he said that it was his ring that he lost earlier this morning, so we handed it off to him.” Virgil shut down. His thoughts halted, his breath caught in his throat, and his body was too stressed to continue shaking. What? His ring. His gift to the one he loved ‘oh-so-much’.

No, Virgil. It could be a different ring.

‘Were you ever that lucky, though?’

“Patton.”

“Yeah kiddo?”

“What did the ring look like?”

Before Patton could go on about the ring, Logan provided the answer he was hoping to not hear,

“It was a dull golden ring, it also had floral designs-”

Virgil got up hastily, as if a snake bit him. He felt queasy and the shaking came back just as fast as it disappeared.

“Oh my god,” he started out, he saw black dots enter his vision, he couldn’t control his breathing anymore. Please. Let it be a joke. It’s a terrible prank and they knew about the ring the whole time.

“Virgil.” Who?

“Virgil.” Who is that?

“Virgil!” He snapped out of his dazed state,

“Hu-huh. What?”

“You zoned out, kiddo. Are you okay?” Patton, it’s just Patton.

He searched around for a moment, someone was missing from the picture.

“Wher- Where’s Logan?” Patton shifted closer to Virgil, slowly putting an arm around his shoulder.

“He went to get the nurse, but I just texted him that you’re okay, so he should be coming back now.”

“Where’s Roman?” In the months that he had been apart from his friends, he never saw the three separated.

Patton glanced down the hall to see Logan and a tall guy coming their way.

“Roman’s in a different class right now, so he didn’t find the ring with us.”

A single “Oh” left his mouth.

When Logan and the boy came close enough, Virgil noticed how tight his grip on the boy’s arm was. Patton seemed to notice that too, but he didn’t say anything.

Once Logan came close enough to talk quietly, he started a mini rant,

“I found this heathen,” Logan gestured to the guy, “roaming the hallways. He did not have a hall pass, but he did have a lot of metal bands.” Logan shoved the boy’s jacket down, showing off tons of stitch-on inside pockets. He pulled a few items out, just to drop them onto the floor.

Patton gasped loudly, Virgil’s eyes widened significantly. These items were very familiar to both of them.

One by one, more pockets were emptied, class rings showered the hallway’s dirty floors. Logan continued,

“I watched him fill his pockets with the class rings in the teacher’s lounge. He is also the one who said the ring that is presumably Virgil’s was his.”

Patton looked on, shocked at what he was seeing, “Kiddo,” he choked out, “why would you steal class rings?” His eyes filled with tears as he continued to gaze at the multicolored rings.

The boy’s amber eyes grew cold, the once petrified person transformed into a hardened shell, “None of your business. If I wanted to be questioned, I would have just made a shit-load of noise as I took ‘em.” Logan blinked, seeming to try and keep his composure.

“I do not understand. There is absolutely no gain in taking rings.”

“Yes there is!”

“Kiddo, how? Stealing is wrong! This could get you a one way ticket to prison!”

“I have my reasons, trash.”

“You will not speak to Patton like that! He was simply trying to get an explanation!”

“Shut up! I don’t need to explain my reasoning, clod.”

“But you do have a reason that can get you out of trouble?”

“Of-fucking-course I do, Sherlock!”

“Don’t talk to Logan like that! He just wants to help!”

“Then tell us!”

Three heads whipped around when the ever silent teen Virgil shouted, seeming to have forgotten him. He took large, quick steps towards his target, who took a two steps back for every step forwards Virgil made.

“Tells us why you took the rings.”

Logan and Patton looked on as Virgil backed him into a wall. Once the boy couldn’t go anywhere, he tried to seem bigger by raising his shoulders and neck. But unluckily for him, when Virgil stopped slouching and rose to his full height, he had a good four inches on him.He planted a hand on the wall, trapping his target.

Virgil seethed, his nostrils flared out slightly,

“Listen buddy,” the boy shrunk back down.

“I don’t know who the fuck you are, but you can’t just go parading around, stealing people’s rings! Do you know how much one of those costs? Like four hundred freaking dollars!”

The boy looked anywhere but Virgil’s direction.

“What’s your name?” Confusion passed over Alastor’s face. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“Why should I tell you, bitch?”

“Excuse me?”

Silence, then a quiet,

“Alastor…”

Virgil glared at him. “Well, Alastor, I hope you realize unless you have a good damn reason for stealing all of those rings, which must have my ring that my father worked his ass off for in it, I will report you. And then you can say bye-bye to your little life of stealing people’s shit.”

Alastor stayed silent, as if his shoes were more interesting than what’s going on around him. Virgil looked over him one more time, before leaning his body off the wall and making his way to the office, anger controlling his anxiety. Thank you adrenaline.

‘It’s sad knowing you’re only this gutsy due to adrenaline’

“Wait!” Alastor cried out, transforming into a helpless teenager,

“You can’t tell anyone! I swear I’ll do anything you want me to!”

Patton and Logan looked on, seemingly curious as to what their used-to-be friend will do.

Virgil stopped and turned pausing to act like he was thinking,

“Why.Did.You.Steal.My.Ring.” The words where uttered like a statement, rather than a question.

Alastor took a deep, raspy breath before opening his mouth fully,

“My mom’s sick…

“And my dad left last week.”

Patton made a confused noise,”Left? Like a vacation? That’s not a very soli-“

“No!” Alastor shouted, causing everyone to jump,

“He walked out on use ‘cause her insurance wouldn’t cover the costs. He left ‘cause he’s a shitty dad.”

Patton gasped as Logan shuddered. Virgil looked on blankly. Logan and Alastor watched Patton’s face morph from confused, to horrified, then back to confusion.

“But that doesn’t explain it? How does your old man leaving cover for you stealing class rings?”

Virgil shook his head as he walked towards Alastor,

“Yes it does, Pat. How do you think his mother is still in the hospital?” Patton gasped once more, understanding flashed in his eyes.

“You-you stole the rings to pawn them off didn’t you?” Silence was the only answer they needed for verification.

Alastor slowly walked towards the rings, “You can have your ring back,” he bent down, picking up Virgil’s dull ring, “I watched you drop it in the hall this morning, I was going to get it, but these two beat me to it.” He gestured to Logan and Patton. Logan holding a sniffling Patton close.

Virgil held open his palm once Alastor got close enough for him to drop it. He inspected it carefully, making sure no harm was done, before securing it in his pocket once more.

“Thanks,” he nodded his head to the pile of class rings on the ground.

“What about those, you going to turn them in?”

“I don’t have a say in the matter, do I?”

“Nope.”

“Damn.”

Virgil chuckled. Alastor reminded him somewhat of Roman, he was witty and  he would do anything for the ones he loved, even if it meant breaking the law.

‘But he wouldn’t go this far.’

He quickly shook his head, as if it would clear that thought.

“You can turn them in how ever you want to, but I know Logan won’t let you leave with them.” He sent a look towards Logan, who was fussing over a calmed down dad friend.

Alastor nodded curtly, “I’m sorry or whatever.” He pushed out the words softly.

“I don’t need your sympathy, though,” he continued on.

Virgil let a puff of air escape him, “Noted.”

As Logan came over with the rings in a bag, Alastor looked at the bag, obviously confused.

“Weird right? He keeps a plastic baggy on him at all times, he even has extra in his backpack.” Alastor just smirked, enjoying the new information given to him. He probably‘s like you, no friends.

‘But no one at home to go back to.’

He cringed at the thought.

Before Alastor could walk out of his reach, Virgil gripped his arm,

“Wait.” He paused, wondering how to say this without seeming like it was out of pity, “If you want, you can sit with me later at lunch, I always sit alone, so it’s not like it would bother anybody.

Alastor’s eyes widened a fraction, before he looked at Virgil in shock, “But I tried to steal from you! Are you normally this clueless?”

Virgil merely shrugged, “The offer still stands. Come if you want, but it’s your choice.”

After the day’s episode of crazy, Virgil sat in the courtyard, anticipation riding on his back.

It’s not like he would actually-Oh my god there he is!

Alastor caught Virgil’s gaze as he sheepishly walked over to him, sitting on the brick wall behind them.

A simple, “Hey” Came out of Alastor’s mouth. Virgil awkwardly shifted on his spot on top of the wall. How did he think this was a good idea again?

‘Because he’s all alone.’

Virgil squeaked. “Hi.”

“So, those two guys helped me put the rings back in the cases without the teachers knowing.”

Virgil blinked in shock,” Seriously?

“Yeah, it was mostly because I was the only person who looked after my mom.”

“Oh.”

“In the end, they ended up threatening me before they would help me, though.”

“Why did they threaten you?”

Alastor’s eyes widened, his pale cheeks almost immediately turned five shades redder. Virgil stared, while he may be observant, he was dense as shit.

Virgil then craned his head towards a round table near the edge of the courtyard, watching as Roman, Logan, and Patton sat down in their respective areas. Roman’s smirk vanished for a second, before being replaced with a soft smile, a few white glistening teeth showing through. He let out a puff of air.

He looked back at Alastor, grinning as he kept missing a fruit with his fork. Not missing the small growl he let out when it fell off his tray and onto the floor. Virgil let out a chuckle, giving one of his pieces of fruit to Alastor, chuckling all the while.

Although Virgil’s plan never got put into motion, at least he had someone to call a friend.

A/N: Glad that got finished! Deceit’s name has a meaning to it, I just forgot cuz I’ve been writing for hours on other future fics/one-shots. Thank you for reading, and please tell me how I did!