#ofc geralt is last on the list because. well.

[smolalienbee]

she's everything. they're just jaskier and geralt.

[roughentumble]

ok so the premise goes like this

geralt puts some mushrooms in his stew one night, jaskier eats it, gets a horrible stomach ache, is up all night puking.

geralt didnt mean to, ofc, but he stays up all night caring for jaskier, and he's so soft and sweet and pliant and needy, he needs geralt, seeks out his love and affection, finds comfort in him. something about the mushrooms, when he vomits it smells sickly-sweet, and all night his skin is pale in the moonlight but his cheeks are flushed, his eyes are dewy, he-- he looks gorgeous.

it sortve breaks something, in geralt's brain, to be so thoroughly needed and comforting to someone so beautiful. it's... unforgivable, evil, to take advantage of jaskier like that, he knows it is. yet still, he files away what the mushroom looked like, what its side effects are, looks it up in books about herbology. too many stomach aches lead to ulcers, too much vomiting bad for the teeth and the throat, vomit too long and you get dehydrated-- but surely... just once or twice a year, well..... thats normal. that's a normal amount to be ill, perhaps.

he stays away from effects bad enough to induce vomiting. it's too extreme, too dangerous, and not the part he's looking for anyway. just enough to ache, enough to cause upset that needs to be soothed and rubbed away. for years, he keeps it up, one night each year. and jaskier curses himself, and his constitution, writhing in pain, but he bares his stomach to geralt willingly, and it nearly makes geralt dizzy, because jaskier TRUSTS him. geralt reaches a hand down, rubbing and soothing the cramped, aching muscles, and jaskier relaxes at his touch, looks at him and doesnt see a threat, sees a protector. and not just a protector, but a comfort. he gets a look in his eye, sometimes, that geralt cant identify. but then he curls a little closer, and geralt pets his hair in comfort, and his shoulders ease as the last bits of pain and tension melt away. geralt cant ask about it without revealing the game, so he doesnt.

eventually, he invites jaskier to kaer morhen, and moves over to the Event happening exclusively within castle walls. it's safest there, after all, and there's always a warm bed for jaskier to get cuddled in. jaskier's comfort in his discomfort is key. he doesnt have to worry about his fellow witchers finding out either, because jaskier blames his constitution at this point, and geralt (and therefore the other witchers) are able to eat the mushrooms with no ill effect. it seems perfect.

jaskier finds out, eventually. up in kaer morhen, safe for the season but also stuck, trapped together. (there hadnt been opportunities that year to subtly slip anything into the food when geralt was on cooking duty. they were coming up on spring, running out of time, so instead of just waiting, geralt decides to reheat some leftover soup in their room, in the fireplace, use the excuse of a midnight snack of sorts. jaskier sees him slipping in the mushrooms, and somehow, after all these years, recognizes it. it feels like there's a lead weight in geralt's stomach as jaskier puts the pieces together, eyes wide with rage and horror. "every year-- every year i get sick." he says, like everything suddenly makes sense-- probably because it does.) incandescent with fury, he demands to know why geralt would poison him. geralt isnt forthcoming with excuses, but when he's pushed he breaks down, says its inexcusable, says he knows what he did was bad(to say the least), but that he did it because jaskier needed him. he was beautiful and sweet and needed him. "i wanted to-- to hold you. to comfort you. in the sickest, most twisted way possible, i- i wanted to... i dont know... nurse you back to health."

jaskier's hands are shaking. "you-- you... what, wanted me to... to get better? be ill so you could fix me?" geralt shrugs. his eyes are trained on the floor. he's crossed so many lines he doesnt know where to even begin listing them, knows they'll part ways in the spring and never see each other again, is about to promise to stay as far away as he can while theyre trapped in the keep, when--

jaskier, after pacing back and forth endlessly, fury slowly melting away to some sort of grim resolve, sits down in front of the hearth, and pours himself a bowl. geralt shouts, to stop him, but jaskier tells him to shut up, and he does. jaskier starts the bowl, then finishes it. asks if another bowl would be safe, and geralt quietly responds that yes, its safe, he'll just be sore for longer, and he nods(apparently satisfied) and pours himself a half-bowl, finishes that too. geralt is too mystified to speak up for a long while, until he finally asks "you arent... mad?"

"oh i am." jaskier assures him. gets up, walks across the room, sets himself down in geralt's lap. but not sexy, exactly-- he sits sideways, curls his knees up to his chest to snuggle in close. "extremely mad. you're going to have to do a lot to make it up to me-- especially when im extra sore tomorrow... perhaps even help me with a bath." geralt sucks in a shocked breath, and jaskier nuzzles up under his chin.

"did i ever tell you much about my childhood?" geralt shakes his head, and jaskier starts playing with the material of his shirt. "my mother didnt really raise me. i was mostly handed off to a wet nurse. but i-- they werent... good at keeping help. high turnover rate. so i had more than one over the years, never really... got to get properly attached... and i-- i remember, when i was very little, i would get sick and i would want my mother-- i'd ask for my mother-- but she'd never come."

he sniffles a bit. clings to geralt's shirt. "you're going to have to do so much to make up for this. you're going to dote on me, and comfort me, and-- and--" his voice gets very small, and very sad, a frightened, trembling thing-- "and you wont leave me, will you?" he asks, and geralt makes a noise in the back of his throat, wraps his arms around jaskier and holds him tight, and jaskier relaxes in his grip.

"we're talking about this tomorrow. a very, very big, ongoing, gigantic conversation. but... but for now... well. we always have a fun night before the aching starts, so i want to spend my night how i normally do."

just to sate his own curiosity, he does eventually ask geralt about it, and geralt explains why only once a year, how he decided on dosing, what side effects he looks out for, explains about ulcers and throats and teeth. and jaskier sinks into his grip, inexplicably enamored with this odd, violating conversation. "wow, you really put a lot of thought into this, hmm? you know, there are some sick, twisted people out there who wouldnt have been able to resist. they wouldve made me sicker and sicker, never wouldve given a thought to any lasting consequences..." he's tracing little hearts on geralt's chest as he speaks.

"never," geralt says vehemently, "never. you have to get better, i would never permanently hurt you. i have to fix you, comfort you, not destroy you."

"my sweet geralt-- you know just how to care for me, dont you?" he says, and it practically makes geralt moan. jaskier smiles like the cat who caught the canary.

turns out theyre both fucked up in similar ways-- geralt needs to be needed, needs to be the source of someone's comfort, needs opportunities to be caring and gentle and attentive. and jaskier needs to be the center of attention, needs to be loved on, needs to be given comfort, needs someone to need. there's an element of control, too, sortve. geralt decides when it happens, how bad it is, and he tries hard not to abuse that now he's been given permission(though how much of an excuse is that, considering how the game started?). he fiddles with the recipe to see what works best, pays close attention to jaskier's schedule to make sure there are never conflicts. geralt's the one who makes him feel better, after all. you've got to trust your doctor. total trust

its weird, and fucked up, and once they agree on terms(jaskier insisted on negotiations that geralt agrees to instantly. terrified of losing jaskier, of paying in his eyes the ultimate price for his crimes. he was moments from sinking to his knees and pleading forgiveness when jaskier had prevented that by sinking into his lap.) jaskier gives himself over to it, never fights it, lets himself be forced into illness and bedrest, revels in geralt's big, gentle hands soothing his aches, love so sweet and reassuring and unconditional that eventually in his worst nightmares he finds he doesnt reach for his mother-- he reaches for geralt.

and when he admits this, he can see in geralt's eyes theres this wild, crazy spark, something about being that important. its heady

its maybe not Right, but they figure it out together

[henrycavell]

homecoming

summary: Syverson has been medically discharged from the army after a suicide attempt. He’d been able to hide his deteriorating mental health for years from the men around him, but now he has to face it head on. Hopefully not alone. 

word count: 1,426

pairing: Syverson x OFC 

*I plan on intentionally not describing the girl much, so that when you’re reading you can think of her however you’d like to!

warnings: smut later on, there will be cursing and mentions of depression, anxiety, there will be suicide attempts and self harm though i am not sure how detailed i will go into that! if things get really detailed, i will make sure to put warnings on those specific chapters.

a/n: I am not looking for constructive criticism on this. It’s been a very long time since I’ve written any fan-fiction, though I’ve been roleplaying nonstop for the last few years, I feel a little nervous posting something that’s entirely just mine. So right now, I’m not looking for any criticism, suggestions, etc. <3 If you enjoy reading though, please like/reblog! 

Also, I’m adding everyone in a tag that replied to my text post about wanting to read my stories... so if you’d prefer to be removed, just let me know! If you’d like to be added, also let me know! <3 

Taglist: @littlefreya​ @mary-ann84​ @wondersofdreaming​ @forthebrokenheartedthings​ @geralt-of-baevia​ @asylummara​ @dearlybelovedluke​ @promptandpros​ @mansaaay​ @daddys-littlewhitegirl​ @vacant-writings​  @kaatelyyynn​(i’m sorry if i missed anyone, i only tagged anyone who replied to my text post!!) oh & @80scavill​ i’m tagging you because you said you wanted to proofread, but i am just so nervous that im just posting! bahaha

PART 1 | PART 2

Being medically discharged from the military wasn’t something Syverson wanted to talk about, he sure as hell didn’t want to go into detail. He’d barely been able to admit to himself that his depression and anxiety had become so overwhelming that he could barely function. When his men had started noticing, some questioning his well-being and if he was stable enough to be in his position, he thought that had been the most embarrassing thing. He’d been wrong. The most embarrassing and shameful thing had been his suicide attempt, which ultimately led to his discharge.

The last thing he wanted to do was talk about it, so he didn’t. It was bad enough that he had to think about it constantly. Every time he closed his eyes Sy was brought back to that moment. Blood all over his bunk, smeared along the wall and staining his sheets. As hard as he had tried to convince his peers and superiors that it wasn’t a suicide attempt and rather just an unfortunate mistake, they wouldn’t believe him. And after a full psych evaluation, all hope of saving his career had vanished. Shipped home before he could even argue.

His first few days home had been the hardest, the only little shimmer lighting up his life at the moment being Aika. Sy had been able to bring her home with him and the loyal companion hadn’t left his side for even a second. Seemingly knowing something was wrong with him. But even with his dog giving him all the love and affection she could muster, he still barely left his bed. Tangled up in the sheets, dozing off and on out of sleep except for the very few times that he forced himself up to use the bathroom. Sy hadn’t eaten in what he thought to be at least four days, except for nibbling on a saltine cracker here and there between forcing down some orange juice or shots of whiskey.

Syverson wasn’t proud of the way he was keeping himself, but he didn’t know what to do. He’d been working and serving his country since he graduated high school. Being home with nothing but free time on his hands and a heavy rain cloud hanging over his shoulders, the days were beginning to all blur together. He’d been particularly dreading this morning, however, because he knew the VA was sending over some help, someone to help make sure that he was getting along okay, to make sure he didn’t need anything.

Aika put her paws up on the bed and leaned her head in, grabbing the blanket with her teeth and ripping it off Syverson, pulling it all the way down into the floor. “Okay, okay, I get it, I’m getting up,” Sy groaned, running his hands down his face before pulling himself up, swinging his legs off the side of the bed. A shower sounded nice, but before he could really think about whether he had the energy to or not, Syverson was already hearing a knock from downstairs. Craning his head around to look at the alarm clock by his bed, his face fell, realizing it was already well after noon. He thought he had more time...

ꕥ ꕥ ꕥ

Penelope wasn’t anything more than just a volunteer, a girl in her early twenties that liked to keep herself busy, so for the last few months on the weekends, she’d been donating her time to helping the VA. They’d send her to random retired or discharged veteran’s homes to help with their household chores, or to do their grocery shopping. Sometimes, a lot of them were just lonely and wanted someone to talk to. That was Penelope’s job, to just spend a few hours doing whatever they needed that was within her capability. This seemed to be a special case, though. It was different than all the others. Penelope hadn’t been given very much information on this person, other than their name and a very vague reason as to why they had been discharged. “Don’t ask about what happened,” she’d been warned, told to just leave it to be.

Tapping her knuckles against the door once more, Penelope peered in through the glass pane into the home, seeing that all the lights were off. Stepping back on the porch, Penelope looked out into the drive, seeing a rusted pickup truck and thinking to herself that Syverson had to be home. Just as she turned back around to knock a third time, her fist already raised in the air, she came face to face with the captain.

“Heard ya the first time,” he grunted, before turning in the door way and disappearing back down the hall. Penelope had only gotten a quick glance at him. His hair was short but was starting to grow out, his beard had looked a little unkempt and it seemed he had just rolled out of bed. Letting her hand drop back down by her waist, she froze on the porch, a little taken aback by his greeting. If she could call it that.

Stepping up into the home, Penelope closed the door behind her, just as a large german shepherd came running up to her. Aika panted, her tongue sticking out as she barked excitedly, nudging herself against Penelope’s legs as if telling her to follow the captain into the kitchen. If Aika could speak, she would have told the younger girl that it had been almost a month since the captain had spoken to anyone in person. “Hey there,” Penelope cooed, reaching down to scratch Aika behind her ears before tightening her grip on her purse and heading farther into the home.

“My names Penelope,” she called, just a second before stepping into the kitchen and seeing the man pouring himself a mug of coffee. There was a bit of sunlight coming through the kitchen window, brightening up the dim space just a touch. Most of the sun rays were washing over the man’s back as he fixed his coffee just the way he liked it. The veteran was large, his biceps reminding her of tree trunks, though he did seem to be getting a little soft around the edges. Penelope stood silent for a moment, waiting to see if she’d get anything from the man, but he remained silent, even when he turned around, bringing his mug up to his lips. Syverson didn’t even look at her, instead, snapping his fingers to get Aika to come to his side. His gaze was kept down, fixed on his dog. “I’ll be visiting every weekend, uhm, for as long as you’d like me to.”

“Didn’t want ya’ to begin with, don’t need no help.” The man still didn’t look up as he spoke, instead, his attention still focused on Aika, the dog seemingly being the only thing to bring him comfort.

Penelope was definitely caught off guard. She’d met some rude veterans during her time volunteering, and while this man’s words could’ve definitely been taken that way, Penelope could almost hear the loneliness in his voice. All she’d been told about him was that he’d been battling mental health issues, discharged because of depression, though she hadn’t been given anymore information than that. Letting her shoulders sag, she took a step further into the kitchen, moving towards the fridge as she looked around his kitchen. “I believe you, you look capable.” Penelope tried putting herself in his shoes, a strong man who had climbed through the ranks, spent his whole life serving his country, only to be forced home. To be told he wasn’t fit to serve anymore, that he needed help doing simple tasks. So she tried spinning the narrative as she opened the fridge, a frown making it’s way on to her face as she peered into the empty box. “Think of it as... I’m here to do the things you don’t want to. And it looks like someone doesn’t like grocery shopping,” she tried to tease, “I’ll make a list and-“

Syverson’s footsteps were heavy as he walked away, leaving the kitchen with his cup of coffee without one final word. Watching him disappear down the hall, Penelope heard heavy thuds on the stairs as he headed back up to his room. Letting the door on the fridge shut, Penelope muttered to herself under her breath, “okay...” It seemed like every weekend her job only became harder, she met veterans that were more and more reserved and closed off. But she had no intention of giving up just yet on Syverson.

[oddsnendsfanfics]

Unraveling at the Seams Pt 26

Genre: Fan Fiction Pairing: Henry Cavill/OFC Warnings: Language, Sexual Innuendo, Possible NSFW Rating: M Length: Multi Disclaimer: a strict work of fiction, I own nothing except the original characters and the plot line. In no way am I affiliated to any of it.  

A/N: this is, sadly, the last part to this story. Thank you all for reading, liking, and commenting. I can’t explain how much that means to me. I loved writing this and I am sad to see it end. But! There are some potential tie ins to come ;) 

thank you @flowers-in-your-hayr for the header

Catch Up Here

Back in London for the summer, possibly the rest of the year, except for a few press tours and maybe a small vacation made things a little more relaxed and definitely content. Filming for The Witcher had wrapped in May, a bittersweet moment. Although there was a confidence that Netflix would order a second season, they'd be crazy not to. In the mean time Henry had taken a role for a film centering around the famed Holmes Family. Portraying Sherlock in a story about the great detective's younger sister Enola.

Period costumes were always a treat, despite having a fraction of the control that she did with Geralt; Nell was holding it together. She'd come to like being in charge, who knew it was where she truly shined? Working with Henry was fantastic, as well, they had an excellent team surrounding them and work never felt like work.

Ivan had accompanied his parents almost daily, hanging out with his mother in the costume department, while Henry was on set. The odd day he would ask to stay home, though it was rare he wasn't milling around watching or blushing like a tomato when a certain young lady spoke to him. Poor kid, he had inherited Henry's bashfulness when it came to women.

A rare day off between press and filming, called for one thing and one thing only. Sleeping in.

Nothing short of an Earth Shattering disaster was pulling Henry from his bed before 10am. Ivan had been under strict instructions that if he woke first, take Kal out, then go watch tv or read a book. There were things he could eat without using a stove, he'd be fine on his own for a few hours. If the house was in danger, come wake an adult.

Snuggling into Henry's back Nell sighed and yawned. She'd spent nearly the entire night with her face squashed into his shoulder blades, too comfortable to move. Fighting her eyes to stay closed, she whimpered, it was too early to be awake. The sun was gently streaming through the crack in the dark curtains, wretched thing, casting a light across the room. Scrunching her eyes shut, she wrinkled her nose.

“Too early,” Henry whispered, his voice hoarse and thick with sleep. “Back to sleep, my darling.”

“I'm trying.” Nell groaned, kissing his shoulder. “What time is it?”

“9:45,” Reading the clock beside his head, Henry groaned and rolled slightly not wanting to crush Nell behind him. He'd grown nearly three sizes since last summer, a wall of solid muscle, if he got any bigger Nell would be sleeping on the couch because the bed was only so big.

“Close enough,” She scooted back, her head resting on the soft pillow. Gently pushing a stray curl away from Henry's eyes, she smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. “I don't hear the wild boy and the bear, they must still be in bed.”

“Even if they're up, I locked the door last night.” Henry winked, a lazy smile on his face. Door locks for the bedroom were a fantastic invention, whoever came up with that idea had clearly been a parent. “They can knock and shout, if they need us.”

“You're learning, I like it.” Nell giggled, stretching her arms over her head. Groaning at the feeling of muscles releasing throughout her body. The air in the room slightly cool on her naked skin. “Do we have to get out of bed, yet?”

“Never,” Shaking his head, Henry wasn't ready to climb out of their little bubble yet. “I say we stay here forever.”

“Good, I will take that offer.” Placing a kiss on his soft lips, she smiled. Kissing him again, she wrapped her arm around his neck drawing him in. “I could do that forever, my love.” Gently playing with the mess of curls, Nell sighed feeling Henry's breath on her neck and shoulder.

“I could let you do that forever,” Henry grinned, giving her another kiss. His arms tightening around her back, holding her against him. She fit perfectly against his frame, a tiny detail that he loved.

Laying in bed, Henry smiled lazily, everything about her was perfect. God he loved this woman. Everything about her made his heart swell and – he groaned, at the phone buzzing on the stand beside him. It was a day off. No phones before noon.

“Go ahead.” Nell encouraged, pulling the sheet up around her. “It could be important.”

Reaching for the phone, Henry frowned seeing the text. The name on the screen sent his heart racing, his mouth dry, and his palms sweaty. Reading the text, he felt the tension and fear melt. To think he'd almost missed this good news. Quickly replying, he continued to smile.

“That was Donna.” Henry beamed placing his phone back on the stand. “We have the house.”

“What?”

Not even a month ago they had agreed that London was lovely, but what they really needed was a place to unwind. A permanent residence where Ivan and Kal could run wild and not worry about neighbours or limited space. Somewhere with room inside and out. They'd found a charming farm house, enough room for an office, a spare bedroom, and of course a game room. The gardens were maintained and unlike any garden Nell had seen before – she was ready to offer listing price on the spot, until logic set in.

Ivan and Kal had gone along to see the potential new dwelling the last time Henry and Nell had gone, both of them had seemed happy enough with the choice. Ivan had been talking for weeks, about the things he could do in a place like that. There had been four potential places and the third one had been it. The second they had walked in, they'd fell in love.

They would keep the current house, allowing them to be in London whenever they pleased, as Nell had made the official decision to keep and continue renting out her house.

“We have a few things to tie up, before we can move in of course, but we now own a country home.” Henry repeated the news. “We'll have to set up a date to go and finalize things, but it's been agreed upon.”

“This is fantastic! Oh, our first party can be an engagement party.” Nell beamed, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

“You're serious about that?” Cautiously Henry tip toed around the words. In the past such a notion would have left him brokenhearted.

“I wouldn't have asked you to marry me, if I wasn't.” Nell smirked.

“The phrase we should get married, while catching up on Younger isn't exactly asking me to marry you.” Henry rolled his eyes, Nell stuck out her tongue. “Although, I didn't say no. So...”

It was a spur of the moment. In the moment and now, the morning after, it felt right. She had casually thrown out the idea, ignoring Liza and Kelsey having their millionth catastrophe, grabbing Henry's attention enough that he had reacted with a laugh. When he'd asked if she were serious, Nell had shrugged and told him that it certainly wasn't a joke.

Why shouldn't they get married?

If he declined, she would understand, so long as they agreed to remain together. You didn't need a piece of paper and some rings to prove you loved somebody, but it would still be nice. In an old fashioned way.

“So? I am assuming that means yes. Yes, you will marry me.” Giggling, Nell leaned into him, her fingers dancing across his chest. Small wisps of hair tickling under her fingers. “Do you not want to marry me?”

“I never said that,” Henry shook his head, watching her through hooded eyes. “I would thoroughly enjoy marrying you.”

“Good, because I think I would enjoy it, too.”

“You really want to get married?” Extending his arm, inviting Nell to snuggle in, Henry kissed the top of her head when she laid against his shoulder.

“I do. But, we don't have to discuss this right now. I know it's probably not how you imagined the proposal going, I need to work on timing.” She shrugged tilting her head to look at him. “Henry William Dalgliesh Cav-...”

A banging on the door, as the knob rattled, caused Nell to pause. Damn it. Henry laughed, his body shook and he did little to hide his amusement despite Nell's annoyance.

“Mum, momma, mum.” Ivan called from the other side of the door. “Dad? Dad!”

“What?” Henry called back, shaking his head at their son.

“Kal and I were wondering when we could go to the park?”

“After lunch.” Nell called through the door. Nudging Henry, she gestured to the door. “Why not let them in, if not he's going to stand out there and yell.”

“Fine, but only because it's after 10.” Henry kissed the top of her head, stretching and getting out of bed. Nell watched him pull on a pair of shorts, every muscle in his body moving in unison. Unlocking the door, he stood with it open a crack, looking into the hall at Ivan and Kal. Watching him intently, Kal yipped and Ivan narrowed his gaze. “Can I help you, gentlemen?”

“I'm hungry. I've already had a bowl of cereal, but I want something else. Kal ate, but I think he's hungry too. Are you going to stay in bed all day?”

“If we do?”

“I'm going to call Granny and tell her. It's late and you should be up, be productive and not a lazy bones.” Ivan chastised.

Behind the door Nell laughed. Tying her dressing gown, she shook her head, watching Henry deal with the lecture. Resting her head against Henry's back, she peek around him to see Ivan and Kal in the hall.

“Mum, stop kissing dad and come make my something to eat. I'm starving.”

“I doubt you are starving, wild boy, besides you were told that we were sleeping in. It's not like we ever get to do it.” Nell rolled her eyes.

“Run along downstairs, well be down in a moment.”  Leaving Ivan and Kal with their instructions, Henry gently shut the door on the pair. Parental life had given Henry a new appreciation for Nell and all that she'd done over the years and was continuing to do.

Dressing gown on the end of the bed, Nell traded it in for her favourite shorts and a well loved tshirt. Ready to semi face the day, she ran her fingers through her hair and watched Henry with amusement.

“Are you sure this is what you want? A lifetime of demands and dictatorship?” Nell teased, rubbing Henry's arm.

“We're in it now. May as well stick around, see how it all plays out.” He kissed her forehead, wrapping his arm around her in a gentle squeeze. “Besides, he'll be gone soon. Only a few more years and we can overthrow him.”

“Ah, yes.” Nell nodded in playful agreement. “I forgot, boarding school. You know, you English may be on to something with that.”

“We're smarter than the average bear.” Henry shrugged. “In the meantime, shall we go feed the beasts? Take them to the park and then tell them our good news?”

“Lovely idea, shall we?”  

To think merely a year ago, they were living separate lives. Had someone told Henry, when he'd arrived in Dublin to visit Ivan, they would be talking about marriage and buying a quaint place in the country – he would have laughed in their face. Nell sighed, rubbing her eyes, feet hitting the last step. Surveying the house, she was satisfied that Ivan and Kal hadn't made too much of a mess. Eventually they would have more space, allowing them to run wild whenever they felt the need.

“What's on your mind?” Henry rested his chin on the top of her head, bumping into her as she'd stopped.

“How fortunate we are. It's silly, but I'm glad that you came to visit the wild boy last summer.” She shrugged, waiting for Ivan to realize his parents were downstairs. “Had he came here...”

“You would have been learning to speak Danish?” Henry laughed lightly, wincing when Nell turned and smacked him in the chest. A little harder than she'd intended.

“Alex is a sweet guy, I won't deny that.” Through the grape vine and instagram, she knew that he'd been seeing someone and was insanely happy. She didn't wish him ill, in fact quite the opposite. Alex was a fantastic person, who deserved everything good in life.  “But, I'm not sorry things worked the way they did.” Nell shrugged, gently rubbing the spot she'd smacked. “I am sorry it took me so fucking long.”

“Hey, no.” Shaking his head, Henry lifted her hands in his. Kissing the back of her hands, he smiled. “It doesn't matter, because that was then. This is now. From now on, we go forward.”

“I like that,” melting into his smile, Nell felt the warmth rising in her cheeks. “From now on...”

“Mum, momma, mum.” Cutting in, Ivan slowly drug his feet across the floor, a frown on his face while he rubbed his belly. “I'm hungry. Can you make pancakes?”

“Can you stop and let your father and I speak, for two seconds?”

“You weren't talking, you were probably kissing again.” He made a disgusted face, stalking off to the kitchen.

Since his mother had moved in full time, the only thing his parents wanted to do was kiss, and whisper things that made each other laugh. Rolling his eyes, Ivan called for Kal, at least he still had one buddy. Adults.

“Shall we feed them, before he decides to call in reinforcement?” Henry chuckled, taking Nell's hand and walking to the kitchen.

“I'm not scared of your mother.” Nell laughed, nudging Henry with her hip.

“Really? I am.” Barking a laugh, Henry snorted. “You're a brave lady, Janelle Stewart.”

“Am I?”

“Absolutely, the bravest. Even better is that you're my brave lady.”

“Okay, alright. I see where this is going. Grab me a bowl, you can flirt with me later.” She winked, going through the cupboard to find the ingredients for Ivan's pancakes. “And go put on a shirt, if you're going to help me cook. Otherwise I get distracted.”

Teasingly mocking her, Henry handed over the ceramic bowl, placing a kiss on her cheek before disappearing to find the required shirt. On his way to find the rest of his clothing, he was temporarily distracted by Ivan and Kal. Watching from around the corner, Nell shook her head and laughed, Ivan was standing on the arm of the couch climbing onto Henry's back. Chattering about his morning with Kal and the things they did, before waking his parents.

Chaos was a constant, though Nell didn't mind. It was what made life interesting, the laughter and shouting would likely piss off a neighbour or two, though Henry didn't seem to care and Ivan had no care in the world. Kal jumped at Henry's feet, yipping, and wagging his tail as he tried to rescue Ivan from his piggy back. Sneaking a photo or two, Nell watched father and son continue on with whatever game they were playing.

This would be one of the personal moments that, eventually, Henry would decide to share with the world. Nell couldn't blame him, Ivan was rather personable and he seemed to enjoy the attention. Who knew Ivan would  soak in the spot light so easily?

“Mum!” Ivan called between his fit of laughter. “Momma, I need help. Mum!”

“I'm coming, I'm coming.” Nell laughed, taking her time to saunter to the rescue. “What's going on in here, hmm?”

“I am trying to train this dragon, but he's too strong.”

“You attacked me, I am simply trying to fight off the troll.” Henry spoke with the most deadpan expression Nell had ever saw.  Raising his brow, he smirked backing up to the couch, Ivan taken off guard yelped when Henry shrugged hard dropping him on the cushions.

“Bad dragon!” Ivan wheezed laughing, trying to avoid Kal who was instantly there to lick his face and make sure he was okay. “Kal! No! Kal!”

“Right, now that I have defeated the Troll King and fed him to my furry beast, shall I grab the queen and we escape?” holding out his hand to Nell, winking, Henry glanced at Ivan still trying to assure Kal that he was fine.

“Is this the part where the queen kisses the dragon, releasing some sort of terrible curse, revealing that he was a handsome knight all along?”

Henry nodded, comically puckering his lips. “It is.”

“Ah!”

“No! No more kissing! You two are disgusting! No, mum stop. Dad, please.” Ivan pretended to gag for the millionth time this morning. Adults were so gross.

“Tis but a peck,” Henry declared.

Nell laughed. “Alright, serious now. Why don't you two get dressed, I will make breakfast, and then we can go out for the rest of the morning.”

“Fine, but no more kissing.” Ivan grumbled, allowing Henry to help him off the couch. Kal on their heels, Ivan asked his father if he wanted to race to the top of the stairs. Thundering up the stairs, Nell watched the two of them disappear at the top. Shouts and laughter trickling back down to meet her.

For a few seconds, Nell stood listening to Henry, Ivan, and Kal playing upstairs. Running around, shouting, and not at all doing what she'd asked. Not that it mattered. They were happy, all of them. Listening to Henry charge across the hall, Nell laughed when Ivan screeched like some sort of mythical creature, causing Kal to bark loudly.

The four of them, taking on the world, conquering whatever came along. Mythical or real. This was life now, this is what it should have been all along. Nell sighed, only forward from now on. She liked that. The past was that, left behind to be a memory all while new ones were made. Over head, Ivan's feet passed, he was running to his parents' bedroom. Kal was behind him, the big dog as excited as the boy he chased.

Henry had a way of instigating the two of them, riling them up, and taking great pleasure in the screaming and shouting that followed in the games they played. Nell smiled to herself, carefully measuring out the flour of Ivan's pancakes.

These mornings were the greatest. Hell, her life was the greatest.

This is how it was supposed to be.

@shannygoatgruff  @funmadnessandbadassvikings @kawennote09 @smutgoblin  @nickysurfer28  @peaceisadirtyword @igetcarriedawaywithyou @lif3snotouttogetyou @akamaiden @angelaiswriting @neeadinghugs @thoughtsmeander2tumblingblindly @ilvebeenabad @naaladareia @imgoldielikehawn @tephi101 @sdcyumyum @unacceptabletatertots @titty-teetee @smolasianwinterbean  @capitanostella  @captstefanbrandt @bloodyivar   @normanallthewayforever   @blackcoffeeandgreenteaforme  @imyourliquor-youremypoison @nikky-the-writer   @seremedyxiii @laketaj24  @deleteidentity @tornupandbored  @hoeghfabulous @ateliefloresdaprimavera @mydarlingwhim   @kenzieam @angelswannawearmyredshooz  @manuugxlvis   @lostinmythoughs  @ivars-snowflake   @lisinfleur   @fumblingthroughchaos @pebblesz892 @nothingeverdies @bluearchersstuff  @itsspecial-itsnotforeveryone  @ivarlothbroks  @badassbaker @cris101071 @fucktrucks @ohjules @mrsadrianraines @angelic-kisses13 @lol-haha-joke @marthasantos95 @hows-my-hair @omgshuddupmeg @moviegirl50 @havenoffandoms @gearhead66 @happydaysandersen @rekdreams-fandom @lovemylife2618 @supernaturalvikingwhore @heavenly1927 @zoe-rachel-crisp @blogandreea11 @shileen91 @geekandbooknerd  @mzliterarydreamer @youbloodymadgenius @carlya65 @sawendel @magic-and-the-macabre @artemiseamoon  @vicmackeybullshxt @flowerthug @henchry @littlefreya @mitzwinchester @lostinthoughtsandfeelings @h-e-a-v-y-l-e-a-t-h-e-r @dogshemp @mytbel0st @peakygroupie @magdelen69 @s-ravenall  @viking-raider @sciapod @intototaloblivion @hcfavoritegal @didiintheblog @daniig95 @badwolf-in-the-impala @mariahill2001 @charlieferret @michelle-1185 @henryfanfics101 @agniavateira @oqueequesentes-borboletas @mis-lil-red @lebguardians @cherrybloomn @omgkatinka @tsukuyomi011  @kaitieskidmore1  @anndreaae @dearlybelovedluke @p3nny4urth0ught5 @tinychemicals @mary-ann84 @townmoondaltwistle @buckysgoldenheart @thethirstyarchive @meowpurrbooks  @hell1129-blog @nuns-and-roses @vikingsbifrost @comboboo @onlyhenrys @obsessedwithcavill @evnscvll @newfanhasenteredthechat @leilabeaux @speakerforthedead0​ @marswritings

- if you want to be added? removed, please let me know

(sorry if this hasn’t been tagging people. IDK what is up but tumblr is a prick, It’s telling me you are all tagged, but then shows the links didn’t work, but shows they did ugh)

[nerdzzone]

Light After Dark: Chapter Eight

Summary: Brooke Harris was trying her best to be grateful. As the world tackled the COVID-19 pandemic, she was healthy and safe and so was the rest of her family, but her dreams had very quickly been crushed by the economic fallout. Trapped on the quaint island of Jersey with nothing, but free time to wallow in her mistakes, Brooke’s mental health was taking a hit, but when she collides with a handsome stranger she starts to realize that the future might not be so bleak and there might still be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Pairing: Henry Cavill x OFC

______________

May. 27. 2020

Henry: Any plans for this lovely warm day?

Warm felt like an understatement. It was hot. The temperature had shot up out of no where making it feel even warmer than it actually was, but at twenty-four degrees it felt like the height of summer for England.

Me: I'm way ahead of you

Me:

The picture was more revealing than things I'd sent him before, but I was at the beach so it would have been weird to cover up for a selfie. At least that’s what I told myself as I waited eagerly for a response.

Henry: Wow, it looks like I'm missing out

Henry: Do you want some company or are you enjoying the alone time?

Me: I'm always happy to have your company if you want to join!

Henry: Excellent, what beach are you at?

Me: Beauport

Henry: Great, I'll see you soon

I put my phone back under my bag and out of the sun before resting my head down on my arms. The feel of the sun on my back was lovely, just warm enough to feel like I was laying under a nice hot blanket, but not hot enough that it felt like my skin was literally burning. Days like this were my absolute favourite. Anything between twenty-three and thirty degrees was just right for me and I tried to appreciate that this was a moment I wouldn't have had if my plan for the year had worked out.

I was in my own world, still basking in the warmth when a bark and a wet nose pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Kal!" A sharp voice shouted as I lifted my head to see the massive dog above me. "Leave her alone!"

I giggled as he licked my face frantically and reached up to ruffle his fluffy coat.

"It's okay," I assured Henry as he jogged over. "He's alright."

"He knows better than to run off like that," Henry frowned. "But he saw you and bolted."

"Well I appreciate that enthusiasm, but you should listen to your boss, Kal."

He boofed at the sound of his name before darting a few feet towards the sea then running back to Henry. He did it twice more before letting out a bark towards his owner.

"Alright," Henry chuckled. "You can go, Kal. Go!"

Kal didn't even hesitate before shooting off and jumping into the waves. I laughed as I looked over my shoulder at the sight while Henry spread out the blanket that was tucked under his arm and sat down next to me. I rolled over, leaning back on my elbows so it was easier for us to talk.

"He must be so hot in this weather."

"He is," Henry nodded. "But he does well. He's been to some places that are a lot hotter than this."

"Well then he's a trooper," I smiled. "Because much hotter than this and even I get cranky and I don't have a built in fur coat."

"He is," Henry chuckled, but paused as Kal started trying to bite the waves. He whistled sharply, catching his dogs attention. "Kal! Come here!"

The dog happily charged back towards us before flopping down in the sand, panting.

"He's so obedient!"

"I worked hard at that," Henry admitted. "I knew that if I wanted to take him everywhere I go then he had to be well-behaved, but he's still a dog so sometimes he does things that he shouldn't like drinking salt water until it makes him sick."

"Sometimes it's the things we love the most that hurt us," I smiled. "Like humans with alcohol."

"Fair point," Henry laughed. "But at least there's some fun to be had with alcohol, can't say the same with salt water."

"I wouldn't know," I shrugged. "It's not something I've tried."

"Me neither," Henry smiled before leaning back and tilting his head up to the sky, sighing contentedly. "Wow, it's such a nice day today."

"I know, it's perfect. It's hot, but not overwhelmingly so."

Henry looked down at me, a smirk on his face.

"I would imagine that it's hard to be overwhelmingly warm when you're wearing as little clothing as you are."

"It's a bikini," I defended myself, matching his smirk. "We're at the beach, what else would I wear?"

"Oh no, I'm not complaining," Henry assured me. "You look great."

My face heated up at that, but I quietly thanked him and turned my face towards the sun, hoping that it would account for my red cheeks. However, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Henry pulling his shirt over his head and I couldn't help, but take a peek. It was quite a sight to say the least. I'd seen him shirtless in the Witcher of course, but seeing it up close made him seem even more unreal.

The smirk was still firmly planted on Henry's face as he caught my eye and I shook myself out of it.

"Do you have sunscreen on, Mr. Cavill?"

"No," He admitted. "I didn't even think of that before I left the house, but I don't burn too easily so I think I'll be okay."

I frowned at that and reached over to my bag, pulled out my sunscreen and tossed it onto his blanket.

"It doesn't matter if you don't burn easily, it's still bad for your skin to be in sun this strong with no protection," I warned him. "Besides, isn't Geralt supposed to be super pale? Don't give your make-up artists more work."

He laughed, shaking his head at my scolding, but did as I asked after mumbling something about how bossy I was being. I ignored him though. I loved laying in the sun, but was paranoid about the potential damage it could cause so I was very used to friends and family making fun of me for my strict sunscreen rules.

I watched while he applied it to his face, arms and his chest until he turned to me with a problem.

"That's all the places I can reach," He sighed, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "What if my back burns?"

"I guess you'll just have to keep it against your blanket and out of the sun."

"Or you could do it for me?"

I opened my mouth to protest, but it had suddenly gone dry at the thought of running my hands over the broad, muscled back of the man I was looking at. I quickly took a sip from my water bottle to remedy that problem as he watched me closely waiting for my reaction.

"We're supposed to stay two metres apart," I reminded him, but all I got was a pout in return. The giant, manly, thirty-seven year old man actually genuinely pouted at me. And I was powerless to resist. "Alright, fine. But keep your head forward and away from me the whole time, okay?"

He grinned and nodded as he sat up and leaned forward. I shifted onto my knees before crawling over and settling behind him. I squirted some sunscreen onto my palm and gently placed it against his back. I felt nervous which made me feel silly, but this would be the most physical contact we'd had so far and it felt shockingly intimate as I carefully rubbed my hand across his skin.

His muscles were rock solid and my breath caught in my throat as they quivered under my touch. Tiny little goosebumps rose up on his skin as I took my time, exploring every curve of his shoulder blade and ridge of his spine. We were closer than we'd been since he carried me to the car on the day that we met and it suddenly hit me how much things had changed between us in that short time. A temptation washed over me to press my lips against the soft hairs on the back of his neck, but I pushed the thought out of my head as I rubbed in the last of the sunscreen, knowing it would be inappropriate.

I cleared my throat as I moved back to my blanket, feeling a new kind of heaviness in the air between us. There were a million thoughts running through my brain as we sat in silence until I managed to speak.

"It's really such a shame that you've let yourself go so much these last few months."

Henry stared at me for a moment before laughing and the thick tension between us faded slightly, at least to a point where it wasn't quite so hard to breathe.

"I know, it's embarrassing," He playfully hung his head, sarcasm dripping from his words. "It's going to take me ages to get back into shape before filming starts again."

"Do you have any idea when that will be yet?"

I felt an anxious pang in my stomach as I asked the question. I almost didn't want to know the answer because I knew how disappointed I'd be if it was anytime soon.

"No, not yet," He sighed and despite feeling sympathy for him, I was relieved. "The best guess they can give right now is maybe September, but they don't want to commit to anything because things change so fast these days."

"That's very true," I nodded. "Did you hear about them easing the restrictions here soon?"

"I did," Henry smiled. "Is it on June 10th?"

"The twelfth," I corrected. "Apparently we'll be allowed to have parties with a maximum of twenty people. My mum's already working on a guest list for a barbecue."

I rolled my eyes and Henry laughed.

"Oh, I'm sure my mum will be doing the same. You'd think having a house full would satisfy her, but I think she misses seeing people that she isn't related to."

"I can relate to that," I laughed. "That's why it's been so nice having you to spend some time with."

I thought that might be a bit cheesy, but Henry nodded.

"It has been nice for that," He agreed. "And it doesn't hurt that you flounce around in skimpy pajamas and barely there bikinis to get my attention."

My jaw dropped as he shot me a smug look.

"I am not doing anything for your attention," I protested as he laughed, tossing his head back.

"Oh, sure," He grinned. "All I did was ask what you were doing and you sent me a picture of you half-naked on the beach."

My cheeks were burning, but I laughed as I shook my head in disbelief.

"Okay, but how fast did you get here? It took you less than ten minutes and I know it's at least a fifteen minute drive from your place."

"Maybe if you follow the speed limit," He chuckled. "But the roads were empty so perhaps I went a bit fast."

"Perhaps? Sounds like you were speeding desperately to ogle me in person," I teased. "And then you make me rub sunscreen all over you? I don't think I'm the one desperate for attention here."

"You're the one who was so concerned about my sun protection," He pointed out. "But anyway, my point was that I enjoy spending time with you as well."

I laughed, letting my head fall back so the sun hit my neck and chest.

"I'm not sure I stand by that statement anymore," I mused. "I might need to find someone else to hang out with who doesn't try to wind me up all the time."

"Oh, c'mon, where's the fun in that?"

"The fun is that I keep my sanity," I joked as I pulled my sunglasses off my head and tossed them towards my bag. It was nearing two o'clock and I realized how hot the sun was starting to get. "I think I'm going to go for a swim, do you want to come with?"

Kal leapt up as I pulled myself to my feet, barking happily at me.

"She wasn't talking to you," Henry laughed, ruffling his dog's fur as he stood up as well. "But a swim sounds lovely. That sun is getting intense."

"It is," I nodded as we headed off towards the water. "It feels way hotter than I thought it was supposed to be, but it's refreshing after such a rainy spring."

"Absolutely," Henry agreed as we got to the rocky part of the beach. Closer to the water was more soft sand, but there was a middle stretch of rocks that was proving to be rather inconvenient. "Are you a good swim-"

Half-way through Henry's sentence I went down. The rocks were slippery and I lost my footing, falling on my bum with an embarrassing shriek. Kal bounded over, barking frantically from the commotion as I could barely stand myself up through my laughter.

"Oh my god," I choked out. "I can't believe that just happened."

Henry had his hand on Kal's collar to give me space and there was a smile on his face despite the look of concern.

"Are you okay?"

I got my laughter under control and nodded as I got to my feet.

"Other than my bruised ego, I'm fine."

Henry chuckled and shook his head.

"I can't believe how clumsy you are!"

"I'm really not," I insisted. "Maybe if someone didn't shatter my ankle a few weeks ago, I'd have better balance."

"Oh, sure, blame me! Last I heard, you were insisting that incident was mostly your own fault as well!" He had a valid point, but I just stuck out my tongue as I subtly tried to adjust my bikini bottoms. "You're really okay though? You didn't hurt your ankle again?"

"No, no, I'm fine," I assured him. "Just embarrassed."

He let go of Kal and we resumed our walk, making sure to be extra careful where we stepped.

"So, what I was going to ask was: Are you a good swimmer?"

"I am," I nodded. "We used to spend a lot of time at the seaside when I was a child so I love being in the water."

"That's good," Henry's smirk returned. "Hopefully you're better at sea than on land."

I cringed slightly as another wave of embarrassment at what just happened washed over me, but I couldn't help but laugh at the situation.

"Oh, please," I rolled my eyes. "Don't act like you wouldn't love an opportunity to give me mouth to mouth."

Henry laughed at that, shaking his head in amusement.

"Cheeky girl," He tutted. "But I'll admit, it wouldn't be too much of an imposition if my services were needed."

He shot me a wink and for a brief moment I was actually considering letting myself drown just to give him the chance to save me.

****

We stayed at the beach for the next few hours. We swam for a bit with Kal paddling around us as we splashed each other, teased each other and had a very competitive race back to shore that I obviously let Henry win. Once we were back on on our blankets, we lounged in the sun to dry off, but since it still wasn't quite summer it did start to cool off as it got closer to dinner time.

“I should probably head home," I reluctantly said as I checked the time. "I've been here all day, my family probably think I've drowned."

"I don't know about that," Henry smirked. "You are a strong swimmer, they're probably more worried that you've fallen and broken something."

"Piss off," I laughed. "You're so rude."

Henry grinned proudly at getting under my skin once again as I slipped a sundress over my now dry bikini. Henry followed suit, putting his shirt on as I folded my blanket and checked to make sure all my things were tucked safely in my bag.

"How did you get here?" Henry asked as he folded up his own blanket as well. "Did you drive?"

"No, I walked."

"You walked?" He raised his eyebrows. "That's a long way to walk."

"It was a nice morning," I shrugged. "I just popped on an audio book and it didn't feel like such a long trek."

"Fair enough," Henry nodded as we headed towards the parking lot with Kal hot on our heels. "But how are you planning to get home?"

"I hadn't really thought of that," I admitted. "I'll probably call my dad and see if he can pick me up. Otherwise, I guess I'll be walking back too."

"I can give you a ride," Henry offered immediately. "Seems silly for your dad to drive all the way here when we're going to almost the same place."

It was a tempting offer and it did make sense, but I bit my lip nervously. We really were supposed to be staying two metres apart and we'd already been closer than we probably should have been throughout the day. Sensing my hesitation, Henry rushed to assure me.

"We can keep the windows open if it makes you feel more comfortable and I really haven't seen anyone other than you and my family for weeks now."

"We're so bad at this two metres apart thing," I laughed with a shake of my head. "But okay, thank you. I would love a ride home."

"Perfect," He smiled. "I wasn't really going to take no for an answer anyway."

I smiled at that knowing it was probably true. I hadn't known Henry all that long, but I'd already discovered that his dog wasn't the only stubborn one in their little duo. It was nice though. I might not have dated much in the last couple of years, but I knew that chivalry was hard to find and it was becoming more and more clear that Henry really was a true gentleman and I was very grateful to have someone like him around to brighten up the dark lockdown days.

_________

I’m starting a tag list for this story now so let me know if you would like to be added!

Tag List: @heartfelt-pen​

[crocoguile]

first lines

rules: list the first line of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). see if there are any  patterns, choose your favorite opening line, and then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

Gott tagged by @tilltheendwilliwrite

alright you are getting these fast and dirty and in no particular order and these are excluding several fandoms and if the title (if it even has one) doesn’t link somewhere it’s currently unposted

1 - If you had told Darcy when she signed on to be Jane Foster’s Official Gremlin for a semester for the college credits that she’s meet and tase a god, she’d have snorted and asked you where you got the good greens you were toking on.

2 - “his car shot flames” Pepper might have been running a fever when she woke up that morning in her hotel room.

3 - Visiting Hours (from the Biokinetic uiniverse that’s currently being rewritten) Steve isn’t terribly surprised at the idea of Howard being a terrible father.

4 - It’s Not Home Without You There (also biokineticverse) Jane, when Heimdall fetches them, punches the Watcher square in the face.

5 - Of Marksmanship (What Even Is Thor?) (also from biokineticverse) Thor is often boiled down to a simple man: food and fighting.

6 - Varying Degrees Of Sexual Acceptance  “Oh, sorry to just barge in like this to a public area and all. Feel free to keep going though.”

7 - Misstep (old username but still mine) Pepper is mortified when one misstep, despite her careful, certain stride, sends her Bambi-ing across the sidewalk outside a business that she’d just settled a software deal with.

8 - Sunday Mornings Are For Belief (also  from my old username) Darcy is a fan of music.

9 -  Maggie groaned as she shuffled into the sunlight living room of her little house and took in the chaos of everywhere but the loveseat where Steve was sat in a pair of well fitting jeans and a sweater that she had finished knitting and gifted to him half a year before when the trees were the color of fire and the air in her neighborhood smelled like bread and cinnamon and woodsmoke.

10 -  “Oh, that’s dangerous.”

11 -  Bucky had no desire to go to war again.

12 - “this isn't gonna be done until the fourth anniversary is it jfc” the tentative working title of a fic for my wife @mama-dubh Siobhan dragged her hands down her face as her feet carried her through the open floorplan to the kitchen in search of the high-grade caffiene she could hear percolating in the coffee machine.

13 - “science bros crack treated seriously” Steve really didn’t trust a damn thing that Tony and Bruce were up to.

14 - The Taste Of Death’s Kiss; Prologue “Oh, fuck you…” Bucky grumbles as he runs down the alley to crash elbow first through a security door of some swanky office building downtown.

15 -  It feels like being smashed against the glassy black coasts of shattered obsidian.

16 -  "What's that..." Jaskier pauses inside Geralt's tiny, shithole apartment's front door and stares at the enormous electric blue monstrosity that is suction-cupped to the floor in front of the most unnecessary door he's ever seen, holding it open. “uhm... there?”

17 - untiled bucky criminal mins xover au Bucky leaned back in the big leather office chair as he sank into it, a small thermos in his hands.

18 - “stardew valley thingomadingo ‘fantasy au’” The first time Paul sees the thing, he’s fishing in the dead of winter and the Glacierfish gets off his line because he’s distracted.

19 - There Is Pleasure In A Certain Amount Of Exposure (also the old username...) The game is simple. There are a few rules, and they are all easy enough to follow.

20 - With My Every Breath, I Give You This Promise (also that old username) The first thought in Bucky’s head on his and Darcy’s wedding day goes something like, Buchanan, even with an increased metabolism, you are not immune to the morning breath that comes with drinking that hard.

patterns? marvel. smut or crack are my specialties apparently. i really like bucky barnes. i write a lot of female ofcs bc i know m/f or canon characters in slash pairings are what get hits... and if i’m writing a trans character it’s geralt.

Gonna tag... @anotherdayforchaosfay @poisonousbuttercup and any fic writers in my followership if you see this you gotta <3 (that way i can get tagged and go read ur stuff o 3o)

[shxfu]

RULES: TAG NINE PEOPLE YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW BETTER.

RELATIONSHIP   STATUS :  all is complicated and I’m so tired FAVORITE   COLOR : I think I love all colors, it just depends on the way you combine them; I didn’t really like green colour or yellow colour before, but because of Shifu I now I adore emerald green & gold together. So yeah, my thing is colour schemes, not monocolour. LIPSTICK   OR   CHAPSTICK  :  Lipstick (I never had a chapstick, but lip balms are neat too) LAST   SONG   I   LISTENED   TO :   Sia — Balladino LAST   MOVIE   I   WATCHED :  Kung Fu Panda (ofc lol) TOP   THREE   TV   SHOWS :  (don’t usually watch TV shows but) What we do in the shadows, Ten miles of peach blossom and Big Bang Theory TOP   THREE   CHARACTERS :   oh no, I can’t, I have too many characters that I love for many reasons and I can’t say I love someone more or less. If I love them — that’s it. I will give you few characters that I like, but this is not the entire list okay: Master Shifu (ofc), Ciel Phantomhive, Geralt of Rivia, Rapunzel (Disney), Bigby Wolf (TWAU), Alice Liddell (AMR), Toothiana (ROTG).....   TOP   THREE   SHIPS ADOPTIONS :   Well, I will talk only about the ships I have on this blog, I guess. I totally adore each ship I have here ❤✨ I am just happy to be able to roleplay them, they are all amazing. BOOKS   I ’ M    CURRENTLY    READING : I am not reading anything right now, but the last thing I read was Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard and I loved it. Tagged by: @wxlfbxss & @kathexismania ( thank you, loves ❤ ) Tagging: @wiithsecrets, @xthespareprincess, @bloominghands, @jenniika, @the-purple-hero and YOU ❤

[deathonyourtongue]

Winter Passing | Chapter 10

Summary: After car accident leaves him at the base of a mountain with no sign of civilization for miles, a breakup is the least of Henry’s problems. Just as death’s icy fingers begin to coil around him, salvation presents itself in the form of an old cabin in a clearing. Despite years of being told fairy tales and ghost stories that warn against such things, he uses his last of his strength to reach the cottage. When he wakes, he finds not a demon, but an angel, long removed from the insanity of the modern world. Pairing: AU!Henry Cavill x OFC Word Count: 2K Warnings: None, for once. A/N : I think my tag list broke during the last update. Should be fixed now. Like what I do? Buy me a coffee!

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Foraging in the winter was a skill to be honed, and after finishing the morning work on the property, Henry followed Olivia out towards the wilds of the forest that took up the back end of her home. 

“I didn’t think anything grew in winter, especially out here,” he murmured, watching her intently, keen to learn and-as he tended to be more and more often with each passing day-in awe of how she moved, how she lived. 

“Technically nothing grows in winter, but there’s plenty to gather,” Olivia explained as she opened her hand, showing Henry a seed pod that resembled a dancing flame.

“The pancakes we had the other day? Were made with flour from these Hornbeam seeds. And here? These are delicious when you prepare them correctly,” Olivia explained, her other hand holding a few crabapples. 

Eyebrows up in amazement, Henry dutifully turned around, letting Olivia put more foraged goods into the backpack she’d strapped him into. “What about poisonous stuff? Or stuff that you can use for...You know…” He made a face and Olivia couldn’t help but laugh, cupping Henry’s cheek and reaching up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss as they continued their walk through the forest, protected from the elements by the thick overhead cover of the ancient trees. 

“That too. Holly and Mistletoe, though I personally have little use for them as nature intended,” Olivia nodded, her smile growing bigger as she felt Henry tuck her in under his arm, pulling her close as they fell in step with one another. 

“Tell me a story from when you were...Before you were a witch?” Henry asked, his voice soft and tinged with reticence, lest he say the wrong thing. 

“I was born a witch, sweetheart. It’s not like vampires. You don’t get turned into one at the peak of your life,” Olivia laughed sweetly, squeezing his waist with one hand while the other rubbed gently over his chest. “And before you ask, no vampires do not exist. Some of us do blood magic, which is pretty close, but none of us have fangs...That I know of.” Gazing up at him with amusement, she leaned into his strong form as they continued to walk.

“A story from when I was younger. Let’s see...When I first became aware of my powers, my favorite thing to do was hide things up in the trees. I started small; little bits of fur, some meat, one of my mother’s hair combs. No one noticed at first, of course, but then I started to get bolder. My father’s saddle was the first thing anyone really noticed, because, well, we only had one at the time. My crowning achievement though, was putting the family goat in the tallest tree of our village. It lasted all of an hour before the goat began to bleat, and a crowd formed. My parents were none too impressed. I’ll never forget my father having to climb up there, only to throw the poor thing down into an elk skin a few of our neighbors held out.”

“You were-”

“A little shit, yeah.” Olivia grinned proudly up at Henry, earning a laugh and a playful kiss, neither her nor Henry paying much attention to their surroundings, too wrapped up in the moment to care about what might be headed their way.

“Well, you turned out alright, that’s what matters, no?” Henry chuckled, giving her a warm squeeze and another kiss to the temple. 

Olivia couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt more at peace and more elated. Looking up at him, she knew Henry was the root cause, but after centuries of solitude and suffering, Olivia refused to let the fear of the unknown take hold. What they had was all she’d ever wanted, and she wasn’t about to let it slip from between her fingers. 

The choice, however, didn’t seem to be hers. 

As they rounded the path into a smaller clearing just west of the cottage, the woods turned silent. Though it was winter, the forest still tended to be a cacophony of sounds, from bird calls to deer munching on berries. The silence was unnerving, and looking over her shoulder, Olivia’s unease grew into fear as she watched Gunnar go into a low crouch. Eyes fixed on the clearing, the husky bared his teeth and raised his hackles, on the defensive. 

Olivia had barely turned back around when she caught sight of the apparition. Despite the cloud-covered sunlight that streamed into the clearing, the creature still terrified her, as the light allowed her to see her mother’s visage in greater detail. 

Henry’s hold on her tightened instinctively, his eyes fixed on the ghostly image before him. “Liv, darling, what do we do?” He whispered, his concern growing when he felt Olivia begin to tremble. 

Hiding her face in his chest a moment, Olivia worked to get her breathing back under control, fighting off every urge to run, knowing that doing so would only aggravate the apparition. Instead, she felt an anger grow inside her, usurping the fear as she forced herself to remember that this land was hers. With a push away from Henry, she turned her full attention to the spirit, drawing it closer with her actions. 

“Gunnar, stay.” She commanded when she heard the husky stalk closer, a low rumble making it clear he was ready to attack at any moment. 

“You’re not welcome here. Leave. Now.” Olivia spoke firmly, taking off her gloves. Henry’s eyes went wide when he noticed the aquamarine waves entwining around Olivia’s fingers. Moving like the ocean itself, they crashed and flowed, gathering in strength and fury until they created a stormy swell between her hands. There was no doubt, even to Henry, that if she let go, whoever was on the receiving end of the rush of water, would be in for a terrible time.

“Last chance, wretch. Tell me who summoned you and from whence you came, or suffer even more than you already have.”

The water between her hands began to glow, and upon closer inspection, Henry realized there was fire beneath the waves and the true nature of Olivia’s threat became clear. Being hit with a jet of water was one thing, but if that water were hotter than an open flame, spurned by anger, it was something else entirely.

Frozen in place, Henry couldn’t stop his cry of fear as the apparition suddenly lunged forward, screeching when it was hit full on by Olivia’s fury. To his surprise, the thing began to disintegrate once more, although this time, the process seemed far more grotesque. Instead of fading, the water seemed to eat away at the apparition, like acid on metal. It turned his stomach, but he couldn’t look away, fascinated and appalled in equal measure. 

Just before its face melted away, the creature let out another ear-piercing wail, the singular word it spoke chilling Henry to the bone. 

TABITHA!!

Unable to keep from shivering, Henry only found himself able to move when Gunnar nuzzled at his thigh, the husky’s demeanor back to normal as he sat at Henry’s feet. 

“Tabitha? Who’s Tabitha?” Olivia asked as she shook off her own chill, the creature’s all-white stare one that would be burned into her memory for a very long time. Moving back to where Henry stood shell shocked, she rubbed his back, knowing full well this could be his breaking point. 

“T-Tabitha’s my ex-girlfriend’s name. I w-was leaving her the day you saved me.” 

Olivia could feel the chill in his body, the fear in his heart as he made the connection. Though she had no idea how long they’d been together, the betrayal and astonishment Henry felt coursed through every vein, and it didn’t take a genius to realize that Tabitha had kept her true nature a secret from her lover. 

Taking Henry’s hand in hers, Olivia turned them in the direction of home, hoping the hearth, some tea, and her thickest blanket would be enough to ease the pain she knew was imminent in Henry’s very tender heart. 

“What I don’t understand is...Why’d she have your mother’s face?” Henry mumbled long after his tea was gone, his gaze still despondent as he sat curled up on the couch, as close to the hearth as he could manage. 

“If she’s as strong as she seems, Tabitha will have seen me with you. It doesn’t take a lot of work to conjure up a family line, even one as old as mine. She’d have found my mother’s face in my thoughts without breaking much of a sweat.”

A visible shiver went through Henry and he shook his head, looking for all the world like he might cry at any moment. Frowning, Olivia curled up next to him, making sure he could feel her arms squeezing tightly around his torso, hoping the contact would ground him. 

“Am I cursed?” Henry’s question made Olivia’s laugh spill out before she could stop it. 

“I wouldn’t say that. After all, only one of us is sending threats, and from what little you’ve told me, it sounds like she wasn’t the most pleasant person to begin with.” Shifting easily with Henry, Olivia let him settle as they both laid out on the couch. With his head between her breasts, she finally felt Henry’s anxiety ease and his heart rate slow. 

The crash against the window sent them both flying off the couch, once more on high alert. 

“Oh my god, it’s just an owl. Christ, where’s Dyster when you need him?” Olivia muttered to herself as she moved to the window, opening it to let the bird in. Scrambling up the couch and as far away from the black-and-white-feathered creature as possible, Henry’s wide-eyed look matched the owl’s, the two staring at one another for a long moment before the bird turned its attention to Olivia.

“I come on behalf of--”

“Theofina, right? Yeah, I get it. I’m wanted in Rome. Since it seems I don’t have much of a choice, tell her to ready my apartments, and that I’ll be bringing a guest not of our order. How’s your beak? You hit pretty hard.” 

“It’s fine, ma’am. Just wasn’t paying attention as there was a mouse and, well, I’m hungry.” The difference between the two emissaries couldn’t have been more blatant, and not for the first time, Olivia wondered just how much had truly changed in her former home.

“Here, I have some rabbit to spare. Warm yourself by the fire. Are you pressed for time?” Olivia asked, doing her best to ignore Henry’s befuddled expression as she pulled some raw rabbit from the floor cooler, cutting it in half before meeting the bird by the hearth.

“What’s your name?” She asked, stroking over his head gently, surprised when she still felt a chill in his feathers.

“Atrix, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am.” Atrix bowed his head for a moment before taking the offered meat and downing it in go. 

“Are you treated well?”

“I’m given a home, food, and responsibility, ma’am. That’s all I require.” Atrix nodded, his eyes closing in peaceful enjoyment of the food in his belly, the heat from the fire, and Olivia’s caring touch. 

“Good. Go when you’re ready. I’ll leave the window open.” Olivia spoke softly, feeding Atrix the second half of the rabbit before moving to wash her hands. 

“Thank you, ma’am. You’ve been most kind. Is this the guest you intend to bring, in the typical way?” Atrix questioned, his eyes going as wide as saucers before he turned his head nearly all the way around to look at Henry. 

“Yes. It might be uncomfortable, but it’s the quickest way there, and I know he’s strong enough to endure it.”  

“Endure? Endure what?” Henry asked, eyes still fixed on the owl, unsure of what was being talked about, given he could only hear one half of the conversation. 

“How do you feel about a quick trip to Rome with me?”

[deathonyourtongue]

Resurrection | 3

Summary: A ragtag team of Spec-Ops operators are brought out of retirement for all the wrong reasons. When the dust settles, only the best will be left standing. Pairing: Pablo Schreiber x OFC, Henry Cavill x OFC (listen, she gets with the whole team, okay? Don’t lie, you would too.) Word Count: 3K Warnings: Violence. Lots of it. Smut. Angst. The usual. A/N : I’m reposting this for a few reasons. Mainly ‘cause I’m done having my fics in two places, wanted to re-work the cover, and most importantly wanted those of you who weren’t following me back when these chapters were originally posted to be able to take it in from scratch. I’ve also cleaned up a lot of the text as far as grammar, etc. goes, so it’s more polished. Enjoy! Like what I do? Buy me a coffee (or a commission)!

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“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a shootout…” Jake sings, sipping his coffee and ignoring the looks he’s getting from those around us. 

“How exactly are you planning on finishing that song, Pooh?” I ask, shaking my head, my gaze focused past his head, watching across the street as Dom speaks to our contact. 

“I haven’t figured that out yet, but it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

“Somewhere, Mr. Rogers is rolling in his grave.” I mutter, shaking my head, my focus on the conversation across the street and not on Jake’s bastardization of a childhood classic.

To the untrained eye, Dom and our contact are simply two businessmen having a conversation. Both in suits, they stick out only to pickpockets and petty thieves in the bustling, open-air market; one of a handful of men with money who pick populated places to hold their meetings. For our part, we’re dressed like tourists, doing our best to blend in under the hot desert sun. Under our civvies, we’ve all got vests on, and with our gear nearby; it’s only a matter of a short sprint if things go sideways. 

“Every time you sing or talk about shootouts, we end up in one so...Could you fucking not?” Benji grumbles, voicing an opinion we’ve all had at one time or another, but have always kept to ourselves, mainly because listening to Jake’s comedy is one of the few highlights of our work. 

“Sorry, Benji-poo, just being realistic about our chances of walking our lily-white asses out of here without getting caught.” Jake grins, throwing a small rib bone at him, picked clean from our lunch.

“Speak for yourself, white boy. All I gotta do is smile and bat my lashes and I’m home free,” I tease, Jake’s smile matching mine. 

“Yeah, just to get sold into slavery for your--” Flip squeezes the air in front of his chest, whistling, and this time it’s his face that gets pegged with a rib bone. “What? I’m just sayin’. I’d buy you.” 

“I thought Vikings were more for just taking what wasn’t theirs,” Rick smirks, finishing his coffee, his eyes scanning the area behind me and allowing me to see what he sees by proxy as it reflects off the lenses of his sunglasses.

We catch the man at the same time. A flash of chrome amidst all the terracotta is more out of place than Dom in his suit and instantly, we both sit up straight. 

“Ghost, we have potential contact, your six. Be ready to move,” I whisper into my mic, hidden artfully beneath my shirt. I see Dom’s back straighten seconds later, all of us bracing for the inevitable. 

The first shot rings out and silences the market momentarily before screaming and the sounds of chaos follow. Keeping my eye on Dom, I duck down beneath the table Max and Benji had flipped, letting them ascertain the direction of the shooter. It takes only a moment for Flip to fire the first shot back, his volley returned with automatic fire. 

“Get to the gear. NOW!” Rick calls, and we move as one, each covering not only ourselves, but Dom until he and our contact are out of sight. 

“Ghost, we’re moving to the backup point. Meet us there!” I instruct as I run, slamming against a wall and covering Benji as he sprints the same open strip of market. Bullets whiz past him, but he makes it to us unscathed. 

We make quick work of heading into the building we’d cleared out earlier, shedding our civilian disguises in favor of plain t-shirts, vests, and thigh holsters. I tie my hair up as we head to the top floor where our heavy artillery has been stashed for the better part of two hours. I’m glad to see everything where we left it, and quickly grab my gun, posting up at the door in case the shooter’s on our heels. 

“Loba, I need your eyes, we’ve got contact on the roof!” Rick barks, and immediately Jake and I switch places. It takes a few moments and a fair amount of cover fire for me to set up the sniper rifle, but once I’m ready, it takes only a second to lock on my target. The idiot is in plain sight, not bothering to hide his head or his weapon. He loses both with one shot, and another round of screams can be heard as his body falls off the building, face splayed open like an exploded watermelon. 

“Hey, that training course at DeVry really paid off!” Jake muses moments before taking his own target, a man sprinting up the stairs towards us. Jake’s shot sets off the grenade in the man’s hand and for a few seconds, we’re all left with ringing ears. 

“I’m good!” He calls, knowing the protocol and saving us all from having to call out for him. “Gonna need hearing aids when I’m forty, but I’m good!” 

“Pooh, focus!” Flip growls, his eyes trained on the market below, another round of shots fired at a seemingly-growing number of men who are all descending on our location. 

“We’ve gotta move. Ghost, meet us at the exfil, it’s too hot to stay.” I instruct, all the guys packing up our gear, ready to plow our way out with as many bullets as necessary. 

We bound tactically, using the market for cover and managing to get halfway to the exfil point without any injuries to our team. The truck we’re using to get out of town is in plain view, but in our way is an open strip of road with absolutely no cover. 

“Fuck. For once, I’d love it if command gave us something that went over 10 miles an hour.” Jake growls, hitting two more men as he speaks. 

“That thing is older than the queen.” Beef agrees, providing cover fire for Dom as he comes careening around the corner, his own gun empty of bullets. 

“We’ll take it up with command when we get back. Grump, go!” I call, pushing Dom in front of me, so that I’m the last in line. With Dom technically being head of our team, and me running as his second-in-command, it doesn’t bode well to have both of us open to fire. 

I watch as all of them make a break for the truck, each man dodging bullets and making it to the armoured vehicle safely. Each provides cover fire for the man after him, and by the time it’s my turn, I have six guys ready to kill any motherfucker who has the balls to let a shot off. 

“Loba, you’re a go!” Flip calls over the comms, and with one last look behind me, I start to sprint. 

Getting shot doesn’t register the way they show it in the movies. The pain doesn’t come right away, but rather, it feels like you’ve been burned by the edge of a frying pan. The warm wet sensation follows, making you wonder if you’ve got a sweating problem that could use some botox to remedy. It’s not until you slow down that your mind has time to catch up. I make it to the truck before I even notice the blood on my white shirt. 

“She’s hit!” Flip calls out, Rick gunning the vehicle in the opposite direction from the market, bullets pinging off the armour plating as we head further into the desert and, with any luck, back behind the wire. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” I mutter, adrenaline keeping the pain away and letting Benji and Max do their initial triage of my wound. 

“Step on it Rick, it’s a Kubrick movie back here.” Benji calls out, his pressure on the hole in my stomach coming off only long enough to let Max cut my shirt away. 

“Let me see, Scowl.” Max says sternly as I feel Jake position himself so that he can elevate my legs, everyone doing their part to help keep me alive. 

“Hey, look at me, Carmen. Sweetheart, listen, you’re gonna be okay, okay?” Dom says, and I see the fear in his eyes despite his smile down at me. His hands are warm as they card through my hair, unintentionally doing the opposite of what he wants me to do and making me want to fall asleep. 

I feel my body get lighter as more of my blood comes pouring out of my entrance wound and when Max and Benji roll me over to check for an exit hole, it’s as though I’ve been pushed out of the truck entirely. 

“Hey, Max. Promise me something?” I ask, smiling even though I can taste copper. 

“Anything you need, love.” He answers without hesitation, wincing as he digs a gloved finger into my stomach, trying to take hold of the artery that was nicked. With forceps held between his teeth, he struggles to find the bleed point, knowing he has only a few moments to clamp it off before I bleed out. 

“When we get out of here, you’ll meet a nice girl and let her take your virginity.” Though they’re all panicked, my request makes the boys laugh, and eases the tension in the truck, if only for a moment. 

“I promise.” I think I catch a look between him and Dom, but as things begin to darken around the edges of my vision, I chalk it up to a hallucination from lack of blood flow. 

“Stay with us, babe. Come, stay awake,” Jake’s voice shakes as he jostles my legs, he and Dom wearing  the same look, one I know means they’re barely holding it together. 

“I’m gonna be…” 

Screams of ‘NO!’ are the last thing I hear before I can’t help but close my eyes. 

When I open them again, I’m met with late afternoon sun, plywood walls, and a weirdly sheer curtain that--as my eyes adjust--turns out to be mosquito netting. My head hurts, but as I move to bring my hands up to my face, I realize both of them are being held by much bigger ones. 

“Hey, bub.” I murmur, speaking as much to Dom as I am to Jake, both men so caught up in their own thoughts and tears that it takes them a moment to realize the voice they hear is mine. 

There’s a rush of joy that shoots through the room, hitting everyone and lifting their spirits. Everyone except Max, who stays in his seat, curled up by the window, tears silently streaming down his face. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know that I scared the hell out of them, and that I probably flatlined. It’s rare for the boys to cry; rarer still for them to look as shell-shocked and pale as they all do. 

I’m engulfed in careful hugs and kisses, all the boys taking their turn to show just how elated they are that I’m alive, and as they file out of the room, my attention once again goes to Beef. 

“Hey. C’mere.” I murmur, reaching out my hands, wanting a hug. What I get instead is a stuttered sob, a keen wail, and Max looking surprisingly hurt. 

“Don’t ever do that again, do you understand? Don’t--don’t make me w-watch you d-die.” His anger dissolves into fear and anguish, and my own vision blurs as he finally stands up and rushes to me, Max careful to avoid my injury, but still bear hugging me, his face buried in the crook of my neck. 

“I’m sorry, Beef. I’m sorry,” I murmur, stroking his hair and the nape of his neck. Just as with adrenaline, the shock and fear he’s feeling needs time to wear off, and crying is the best way to distill a good portion of it. Staying close and making sure I’m getting better over the next couple of days will take care of the rest. 

Kissing his cheek tenderly, I hold him until his tears subside and he pulls back to wipe them away. He gives me a wet smile, one that nearly starts my own waterworks, and sits down, taking my hand. 

“What’s the last thing you remember?” He asks, kissing each of my knuckles gently. 

“Making you promise to get laid.” I answer bluntly, the look on his face enough to nearly make me rip my stitches with laughter. 

We spend the rest of the afternoon celebrating the lives of our friends the way a military funeral would never permit; food, booze, and music. By the time the sun starts to set, we’re all a little toasted, both from the booze and the cloudless skies. I make my way into the shower to cool off and wash off the saltwater from Rick’s pool, smiling when I feel Dom’s presence behind me. Having spent the afternoon teasing me, it’s no surprise that he’s making good on his promise of bunking up together. 

Untying my bikini as I walk into the see-through shower, I can’t help but laugh when Dom turns on music that’s only good for making fantasies come true. With a heavy bass line, and rhythms that remind me of Carnival, it’s clear what he’s silently asking for, and I’ve never been one to deny Dom anything. Getting good and soaked under the spray, I shake my hair out and begin to dance, rolling my hips and shaking my ass in time with the beat. It’s not the first time I’ve given Dom a show, but it’s the first time we’ve been in a position where he can reciprocate at the same time, and much to my excitement, I watch as he slowly takes off his board shorts and lays down on the bed, showing off in a way he knows will drive me mad. With every muscle outlined by the vivid hues of the sunset, he looks like Apollo and my body responds instantly the moment his hand goes to his already-hardening shaft. Dom strokes lazily, in no rush to cum despite the show in front of him, and I groan, knowing I’m in for a long, amazing night. 

The song switches over and I continue, making good use of the fog-proof glass to make sure Dom sees exactly what he’s doing to me. Nipples hard, and skin goosebumped, I slowly bend over, smiling when I realize just how quickly he’s gotten to me. There’s no mistaking the wetness between my legs for water, and Dom sits up slightly the moment he notices, his cock jumping in his hand. Keeping my legs spread, I slowly roll my hips, allowing him one last look before I shut off the water and step out, dripping head to toe. A quick towel off only so I don’t soak the bed is the only respite Dom gets before I’m crawling over the bed and bending down to take his cock into my mouth. His sigh of appreciation makes me preen and I don’t hesitate in making his cock disappear in my mouth, smiling around his length when I hear the sound of surprise follow quickly after. 

Sex between us is never neat and tidy, and there’s a solid chance we’ll have to launder the sheets in the morning as I continue licking and sucking, making a mess in the process. Dom’s hand slides through my wet strands and I brace myself for the inevitable push down, relaxing my throat and focusing on the weight of his cock on my tongue. 

“Jesus fuck, Carmen!” Dom growls out, his eyes catching mine as I pull away from his length with a gasp for air, a mess of his precum and my spit still connecting us. I squeal when Dom yanks me up for a passionate kiss before immediately throwing me down in his previous spot. My hips are in the air before I know it, and I cry out when I feel his warm lips devouring mine, his beard tickling my inner thighs in a way that sends sparks all the way up my spine. 

My feet slide down his powerful back as he eats me out with a voracious hunger, Dom making toe-curling noises as he does so. There’s no denying we enjoy each other’s bodies as much as we enjoy a five-star meal, and it’s all I can do not to cum when I see the look of utter hunger in Dom’s eyes. 

“Get inside me, please!” I beg him when I feel myself nearing the edge, wanting him to pull out all the stops and take me like the wild animal I know hides just beneath the surface. A wink is all the response I get before I’m once again weightless, Dom putting me on my stomach and pulling my ass up high before standing into a squat on the bed. There’s no need for a warm up thrust with how wet we both are, and I scream in absolute delight as he slides in hard. 

“Oh, Dom!” I mewl, giving myself over completely as he starts an intense rhythm, his cock coming nearly all the way out before slamming back inside until his hips are flush with my ass. Neither of us are particularly quiet, but as I feel his heavy sac slap against my clit on every push of his hips, I can’t keep quiet even if I tried. 

Dom knows exactly how to work his hips to hit all the sweet spots inside me, and before long, I’ve gone non-verbal, only able to squeak and moan as I clutch the sheets like my life depends on it. Catching a glimpse of us in the mirror only serves to make my eyes roll back, as the contrast of his power against my curves only makes things hotter.

He pulls me up higher, and before I know it, I’m in the pile-driver position, looking up at his tall frame as he jackhammers into me with reckless abandon. Mouth open in a silent scream, all I can do is watch my body stretch to accomodate his girth, each stroke making me wetter and wetter, ever closer to the edge. 

With a change in angle, Dom’s thrusts start hitting my g-spot with bullseye-like precision, and I lose all control. Trembling head to toe, I try to beg him to make me cum, but all that comes out are whimpers and moans. He understands though, picking up the pace and fucking into me harder than before, wanting me to go first, as always. 

I lose all control and see stars for a moment as I squirt all over his cock and lower abs, Dom continuing to fuck me through every wave of pleasure. When he stills, I focus my attention on him, watching as he begins to empty himself inside me, the heat from his cum radiating with every shot that fills my pussy. 

“Carmen!” Dom barks out as his own body goes through a series of shivers in time with each pulse of his cock. Finally, when the haze of cumming has cleared a bit, Dom moves me one last time until we’re laying spooned together, his cock still lodged deep inside me. 

“That never gets old,” he chuckles, one hand slipping down between my legs to play, Dom knowing full well I’m gonna need a few more rounds before I’m anywhere near ready to fall asleep.

[deathonyourtongue]

Resurrection | 5

Summary: A ragtag team of Spec-Ops operators are brought out of retirement for all the wrong reasons. When the dust settles, only the best will be left standing. Pairing: Pablo Schreiber x OFC, Henry Cavill x OFC (listen, she gets with the whole team, okay? Don’t lie, you would too.) Word Count: 2K Warnings: Waterboarding. Dream sequence involving death and gore.  A/N: I’m reposting this for a few reasons. Mainly ‘cause I’m done having my fics in two places, wanted to re-work the cover, and most importantly wanted those of you who weren’t following me back when these chapters were originally posted to be able to take it in from scratch. I’ve also cleaned up a lot of the text as far as grammar, etc. goes, so it’s more polished.  ***ALSO: All the Portuguese translations are found in the links (read the address bar or the error that comes up when you click the link)*** Like what I do? Buy me a coffee (or a commission)!

C H A R A C T E R  C H A R T

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Gone are the suits and ties, and my heels are replaced by combat boots. 

The safehouse we use for interrogations is across town from the one we stay at, and it shows. Far from the posh of Knightsbridge, Dagenham is home to the largest diesel engine manufacturing site in the world. Soot and oil coat everything and at night, the area is a ghost town; perfect for our needs. 

On paper, all the governments in the room condem torture, but work in the business of terror long enough, and you know that’s all just to save face and keep the top brass’ hands clean. We’re not animals about it of course, but if Miguel wobbles a little in his seat, it’s only because we let Max drive and London roads are so winding.

“You know...We don’t technically have to take the bag off his head.” Flip murmurs, breaking the silence we’ve all been in since getting Miguel settled into his new surroundings. 

“You’re absolutely certain he’s never seen you, darling?” Max asks me, his face set in concentration. The rest of the team look up for my answer and I nod. 

“Positive. Besides, bag or no bag, if he knew me, he’d have recognized my call sign by now,” I remind them, relief shooting around the room as all the men recall that Miguel was privy to any conversation we had in the car, call signs included. 

“Alright. Who’s going in with you?” Rick asks, finally moving from his position against the wall and taking a seat next to Flip who looks all too eager to get a crack at our soon-to-be informant. Knowing he’ll be a liability if he reads the tone wrong, I look around, my gaze resting on Max as I smirk. 

“Beef. I owe him for nearly taking his head off earlier,” I answer, both Dom and Rick nodding their understanding. Flip looks somewhat crestfallen, but I know he understands. He, of all of us, is too close to the situation, and though I know there’ll be a time to turn him loose, this isn’t it. 

Max and I both stand from our seats, checking our handguns as we move towards the blast door that separates us from Miguel. Taking a moment, we focus our gazes on eachother, silently getting on the same page so that there’s no chance of Miguel thinking one of us is weaker than the other. 

With a nod to each other, I take a deep breath and open the door. Padded on the inside in order to mitigate any screaming or loud music we might use throughout our interrogations, the room is graveyard silent. Once the door shuts, Max moves with precision, turning the stereo on full blast, and I can’t help but smile at the song that comes on. While all of us are metal fans, it’s one of the most effective interrogation tools we have because those in the hot seat usually either haven’t ever heard metal before (and are immediately disturbed by it) or despise it to the point where they can only tolerate so much. EDM comes a close second, but in Miguel’s case, Metal is the right call as he flinches immediately. Catching Max’s eye, we can’t help but grin as we mouth along to the lead singer’s screaming, the song’s lyrics about lying and choking oddly appropriate for what’s about to happen. 

I headbang along with the double-bass as I grab a five gallon jug of water, hoisting it over my shoulder and letting Max handle the towels as we set things up. When everything’s ready, Max moves into position, arms crossed over his broad chest, his trademark scowl firmly in place. 

I count to three with one hand, and on ‘one’, pull the bag from Miguel’s head, immediately tipping his head back and holding it in place with my forearm as I dilate his eyes. Max and I both stay out of his line of sight for the few moments it takes for the drops to work, and once we see the tell-tale squint, we slowly move to our places. 

“Miguel, ta com cara que tá com sede, meu amigo.” I open, one eyebrow raised, staying just far away enough to be little more than a faceless blur to our informant. 

“Vai se foder!” He yells, trying and failing to get out of the restraints he’s in. 

“Ah, que isso, cara. Não fique assim. A gente só quer falar com você,” I purr, playing the “Nice Girl” routine even though everyone in the room knows it won’t last long. 

“Certo, é por isso que vocês me capturaram, colocaram um saco na minha cabeça, e me levaram a Deus sabe onde. Falar, uma ova!” 

“Já aprendeu Inglês, seu cafajeste?” I ask him, hoping he’s picked up a second language since the last time any of our governments dealt with him, more for the rest of the team’s sake than my own.

“I have,” he says, his accent nearly a perfect facsimile of anyone who’s been born and raised in London. Max’s eyebrow goes up in mild surprise, and if I know my team, the rest of them are all pressed against the two-way mirror, intent on listening now that they can understand. 

“Good, so we’ll do this in English, ‘cause fuck you,” I tell him in no uncertain terms, moving into his space so he can confirm that the woman he wanted to bang at the party is the same one who’s now holding his life in her hands. 

With everyone in the room discreetly mic’d up--including Miguel--there’s no need to turn down the music, and I use it to my advantage, wanting him as disoriented as possible so that he’s not focused on his words or the thoughts behind them.

“Three weeks ago, right here in London, two of our own were killed by a bomb that has your signature all over it. Wanna tell me who you sold that bomb to?”

Miguel laughs, a dry throaty sound that comes from too many cigars, and too much time around toxic chemicals; if one of us doesn’t kill him, I know for a fact cancer will get him in the end. 

“I sell bombs to many people. How am I supposed to remember who I’ve sold to a month ago, puta?”

I don’t have time to react as Max lunges in and connects with Miguel’s jaw in one of the most vicious right hooks I’ve seen him throw in a long time. 

“Talk to her like that again and I’ll dislocate the other side, y’cunt.” Max growls, teeth bared mere inches from Miguel’s face, leaving no room for interpretation of just how pissed he is. Without another word, Max takes Miguel’s face in his hand and relocates the joint he popped out, a scream coming from our informant as soon as he can open his mouth.

“See, Miguel, I’d like to think you’d remember, because this particular order had your initials on one of the plates, and I know you only do that when your order is for a single explosive device. Mass orders go through the factory, but the custom pieces, well...You’ve gotta take pride in your work, right?” I’ll give the man props, because if he’s searching for a lie, I can’t tell. His face stays unreadable apart from the discomfort from the light. 

I shoot Max a look just as the song switches over, and he nods. 

“Fuck this.” He barks, flipping a switch on the wall that immediately sends Miguel’s chair back into a 45 degree angle, the back legs hinged to the floor so he can never truly fall back, but feels  like he’s going to, just the same. With the lights directly in his line of sight, I can’t keep from smirking as I hear Miguel hiss and try to cover his eyes, the steel shackles on his wrists clanking loudly and only causing him more pain. 

“What is it, Miguel? Lights too bright?” I ask as I move to grab the first neatly folded towel from the pile. “Don’t worry, I got you.” 

Pressing the towel firmly against his face, I stand out of the way as Max pours the water from the jug. We both count silently in our heads, Max stopping at exactly the right number as I flick the switch to bring Miguel upright once more. 

Our informant coughs and sputters, screaming every vulgarity I’ve ever heard in Portuguese before spitting in our general direction. 

“THERE WAS NO NAME! IT WAS PURCHASED BY AN ENTITY!”

I roll my eyes, annoyed that a man who once gave up an internationally-wanted terrorist is now spewing bullshit about an entity. 

“So you sold your shit to a ghost? ‘That what you want me to believe?” I ask, feeling my own anger start to rise. I grab a fresh towel and Max and I repeat the process with surgical precision. It takes Miguel a little longer to cough up the water he’s swallowed, but when he’s finally able to speak, his voice is far more defeated. 

“Yes, in a manner of speaking. The entity I sold that bomb to is known as Cenere. I get a call with a location, date, and time for delivery. I get the specs sent via encrypted email, and when the time comes, I deliver, usually to a lock box in the middle of nowhere. That is all I know.”

Max looks at me and I know he’s itching to hit him again. I shake my head, squatting down in front of our informant so that he can see me clearly. 

“Is there anything else you want to tell us that may be important? For example, the location and date of the last delivery you provided for this entity?” I enunciate every word, my tone making it clear that I’ll be the one hitting him next if he tries to lie or get smart again. 

“L-last delivery was in Roma, by the Colosseum, a week ago.” He answers, still hoarse from inhaling water. 

“So whoever these people are, they’re planning another bombing,” I say, feeling the room behind me start moving; Rick and Dom looking up information, Flip packing our gear. We don’t have a lot of time. 

“Y-yes. The bomb that killed your amigos was delivered exactly two weeks before it detonated. That’s how they always do it.” Miguel adds, giving us an even narrower timeline to get to Rome. 

“Cut him loose,” I sigh, wishing Miguel could give us more to go on besides a location we’ll be getting to with zero prep time and even less information. 

Max moves towards him, a wolfish grin on his face. I close my eyes, knowing exactly what’s about to happen. 

“I sincerely hope someone strings you up by your balls and cuts them off with a piece of paper. This is for everyone you’ve had a hand in massacring. Especially my friends.” 

I don’t have to look to hear a few of Miguel’s teeth rattle to the floor. 

The room is starkly lit, the sickly blue tone reminiscent of a hospital. Empty aside from a plexiglass box filled with dirt and a pine-board coffin, there’s a feeling dread that emanates throughout the place. 

“Carmen? Carmen! Carmen, if you can hear me, you need to get me out. Get me the fuck out of here, Carmen. Carmen, please!! Please! I can’t-I can’t breathe! Carmen, don’t leave me here!” 

A heartbeat--elevated and distinct--couple with the sounds of hyperventilation to turn dread into pure fear. 

“CARMEN, PLEASE! I’M GOING TO DIE! DON’T LET THEM KILL ME!”

Something cuts through the air with a distinct zing, crashing heavily onto the floor. The box, the dirt, and the coffin are all sliced neatly, trapped almost perfectly between thick sheets of razor-sharp glass. All except the first slice, where the side of the coffin has fallen away, trapped at a skewed angle below the dirt. 

Rick looks like a fish out of water, gasping for breath, tears flooding his eyes. Despite being segmented like some primal experiment, every part of him still heaves with breath, organs pulsing with blood they no longer have, intact structurally despite being completely separated. 

“Carmen, please!” It’s a whisper now, the life going out of Jake’s eyes even as the tears sweep his face.

A long, low horn sounds, finalizing the horror that’s come to pass.

I wake screaming, tears pouring down my face. Not realizing where I am at first, I don’t even see the boys as I fight with my lap belt and haul ass out of the seat, vaulting over Dom’s legs and careening to the bathroom to throw up. It’s rare that I dream, but when I do, it’s never good. This one felt too real; felt like a message from a man I’m certain we buried. The room spins and I heave out what little is left from lunch earlier. When I’m certain there’s nothing left to get out, I sit back, sobbing. 

Once my breath stabilizes, I stand up and wash out my mouth, swilling the jet’s courtesy mouthwash before splashing cold water on my face. Stepping out of the small bathroom, I’m met with utter silence and four sets of eyes staring at me with concern. I can’t bring myself to tell them what I dreamt, and none of them need an intro into nightmares, as all of us, regardless of how little bloodshed we’ve seen, have them from time to time. 

Still feeling the panic in my throat, I decide against taking my old seat, not wanting to be caged in. Instead, I sit behind Dom’s aisle, resting my head against the cool plastic of the window and looking out, my mind reeling. What if the bomb isn’t what killed him and Benj? What if they suffered? What if-- I cut off my own mental processing, not wanting to go down the dark alleys of my mind, wiping my eyes to stem the flow of fresh tears. 

I feel a hand at my knee, and looking down, find Dom’s hand reaching back through the seats. Though he faces forward, it’s easy to tell what he’s doing, and I lace our fingers together loosely, taking the much-needed comfort of his touch. He gives my fingers a gentle squeeze, and I turn my face away further, not wanting any of the guys to see me like this.

[oddsnendsfanfics]

Unraveling at the Seams Pt 22

Genre: Fan Fiction Pairing: Henry Cavill/OFC Warnings: Language, Sexual Innuendo, Possible NSFW Rating: M Length: Multi Disclaimer: a strict work of fiction, I own nothing except the original characters and the plot line. In no way am I affiliated to any of it.  

A/N: As I am sure some of you have noticed there are two tie in drabbles to this fic. I can’t let them go just yet and plan to have a few more of those floating around. If you haven’t read them and want to, check them out on the Unraveling at the Seams Master List 

thank you @flowers-in-your-hayr​​​ for the header

Catch Up Here

Departure came faster than Nell wished it ever would, helping Henry and Ivan pack their last few things to leave the next day, she had managed to put on a brave face. Despite feeling like she was falling apart inside, crumbling with each second.

In the past, Ivan had gone with Henry for longer. She would see them in two, maybe three weeks tops. The difference this time was the notion that Ivan would be living with Henry, until he decided he'd had his fill. What if that was never? What if he chose to stay with Henry, only visiting Nell on the odd days he felt like it? What if this bright idea was actually her losing her son?

Nell steadied her breath. Counting to ten in her heard. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. On the flip side, when Ivan got ready to leave for boarding school in a few years, she would be well prepared. Holding Ivan's carry on bag, Nell rolled her eyes as he asked Henry whether or not they would need umbrellas.

“It rains in London, a lot.”

“Yes, but all of our umbrellas are packed away. Besides,” Henry shrugged, “I have plenty at the house. We will be fine to get from the airport to home.”

“If you insist, but if we get a sudden down pour, it is your fault.” Ivan gave up the topic, handing Nell his spare pair of pants to put in his carry on.

“See, this is what you have to look forward to.” Trying her best to keep a happy face, Nell teased a worn Henry.

They had spent yesterday with Ivan, agreeing to whatever he wanted to do, during his last day in Dublin. A BBQ with a handful of friends had been his request. Though he assumed his parents hadn't noticed, Nell's heart nearly broke when she heard him crying after she put him to bed.

“We will manage,” Henry smirked, “If he is too much of a handful, perhaps boarding school early?”

“Ah, yes. Excellent idea.” Nell giggled.

Ivan huffed and snarled, shaking his head. His parents thought they were funny, the least he could do was save humanity and try to stop their jokes. Nobody had time for terrible and lame jokes.

“If you want to get rid of me, I can go live with Uncle Charlie, he said I could.”

“Winters are cold, in Canada.” Nell shrugged it off.

“If you want to live with Uncle Charlie, or any other family member, you can.” Henry answered, straight faced. “But I am not paying for you. You'll have to find a job and you will need to pay them rent, groceries, and...”

“Dadddd,” Ivan whined, rolling his eyes and huffing. “You're not funny.”

Feigning hurt, Henry shook his head and rolled his eyes. “I am extremely funny. I will have you know.”

“Okay, if you say so.” Ivan shrugged it off, glancing at Nell. “Do you think he's funny, momma?”

“Okay, you two, back to the task.” Nell instructed, chuckling at the thought of Henry having to deal with Ivan's sarcasm on a daily basis. “And yes, you're very funny, Henry.”

Suit cases and other bags packed for the morning, they retired to a take away dinner of Indian food. Ivan had fought Nell until he gave in and agreed to Indian, she could not and would not eat any more sushi - for a long while. Damn Henry for introducing their son.

Happy with his dinner choices, Ivan requested some time to play a video game or two, before bed. Once his meal was done, he was certain everything he needed for the following day was ready, he had his shower, and his teeth were clean. His parents gave in to his pleas.

Stretched out on the couch, Nell groaned when Henry attempted to move her, to sit down. Protesting, with absolutely no effort, Nell allowed him to lift her upper body, before sitting and placing her head on his thigh. A bold display, seeing as Ivan was still awake and running around the house.

“I have something for you,” Henry smiled, holding up his phone. “Look at this,” handing Nell his phone, the screen displayed a concept drawing. A rough outline of a man in well loved and worn armor.

“Is this what I think it is?” She sat up, trying to get a better look at the image.

“I've insisted they send you a copy, you should have it now. It's yours to do as you wish, milady.”

“Well, your grace, I will take them and see what magic I can do.” Nell winked. Henry's cheeks flushed, groaning, he fought back a laugh.

“Why do you have to do that?”

“Does it bother you, your grace?” Nell giggled. Handing his phone back.

“Not in a particularly upsetting way.” Henry slid his phone into his pocket. Licking his lips, he was nearly ready to let the topic go. “Although, I do ask you remember that my name is Henry. No Geralt or Charles,”

“Please, I make a mistake once.” Snorting, Nell rolled her eyes and smacked his arm. “It had been a very long day.”

“It was kind of kinky.” Henry burst into laughter. “If you ever want to pretend that, then...”

“Oh shut up,” Nell squealed, her turn to become bright red. “Although, Culpepper was kind of hot. Maybe we could...”

“Charles Brandon or nothing,” Henry put on his best frown, teasing her.

“You drive a hard bargain,” Nell clicked her tongue against her teeth, leaning over she gave him a quick kiss. “Perhaps, one day I shall cash in. Until that day, I think we need to get our son to bed and make sure he's rested.”

An early morning looming meant Henry and Nell were not far behind Ivan in going to bed. As Henry snuck in to join Ivan and Kal in the big bed, Nell stood in the doorway for a few seconds watching Ivan sleeping. She had spent nearly every night of his young life watching him for a few moments before she went to bed.

The first night they'd had him home, she wanted to sleep in the rocking chair beside his bassinet. Henry had discouraged her, saying she would be too stiff and uncomfortable. Allowing her to watch Ivan for a few minutes, he'd guided her to bed, sneaking out once she was asleep to spend the night in the chair instead.

Any time Ivan had been sick or scared, Nell would spend the night in his room or him in hers. The two of them cuddled up, keeping the world at bay. Henry would often take naps with Ivan, when he was an infant, stretched out with Ivan sleeping soundly on his chest. Coming in to find them peacefully dosing would delight Nell to no end. She knew how soothing it was to use Henry as a pillow.

After tonight, it would be on Henry to keep Ivan safe while he slept. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Nell slipped away from the door, across the hall. Henry would do a fantastic job, he always had.

Restless and anxious, Nell tossed and turned in the smaller bed. Every time she closed her eyes, tears formed, and she couldn't stop them. At one point, she had considered kicking Kal off the bed and climbing in on the other side of Ivan. No, she refused to let her son see his mother in such a state. He was eager and content with their new arrangement. Nell didn't want him to worry or back out of living with Henry.

Instead, she laid, clutching the pillow and wiping the tears that slid down her cheeks.

“Come on wild boy,” Henry gently nudged Ivan's shoulder, rousing him from his sleep. “Time to get up. We have to get you fed and spend some time with mum.”

“Can't I seep?” Begging would do him no good, yet Ivan had to try.

“No, you need to get up.” Henry encouraged. “Up, let's go.”  He did his best to rouse his son.

Kal bounced off the bed, stretching when his paws hit the floor, yawning and nosing Ivan in an attempt to play.

“Fine,” Ivan grumbled, rolling over and grabbing the pillow. Covering his head, he sighed snuggling into the sheets. The bed was too comfortable to leave it this morning.

“Ivan, now.” Henry's voice took a stern tone. “We don't have time for games this morning. I am going downstairs, I want you down there in five minutes.”

“Fine, ugh.”

This was not the morning for Ivan to be in a mood. They had three hours until their car arrived for the airport, as much as Henry wanted to allow Ivan to sleep until that moment, he wanted Nell to spend some time with their son before he departed. Urging Ivan to get out of bed, Henry gave him a three minute warning, leaving to let Kal out.

Happy to be bouncing around the garden before his flight, Kal romped and bounced across the damp grass. Panting and wagging his tail, he was content to be while Henry went to retrieve his son. Sliding the door part way, in case Kal wanted back in, Henry stepped into the kitchen.

“Where's the wild boy?” He asked glancing around.

Rubbing her eyes, Nell yawned while preparing the coffee to come to life. “He's in bed, I told him to sleep in a little.”

At some point she had managed to fall asleep, waking when she heard Henry and Kal in the hall. Nell had taken the chance to scuttle across the hall and climb in bed with Ivan for a few minutes. Whining that he was too tired to sleep, Nell gave him permission to sleep a little longer before heading downstairs to find a good caffeine fix.

“I wanted him up, to spend time with you before he left.”

“He's tired, Henry. I can still see him before he leaves. I'll make breakfast and then we can wake him. Thank you for the thoughts, though.” Nell extended on her tip toes, kissing him on his cheek. Morning stubble scratching her face, she winkled her nose and giggled. “You need a shave, mister.”

“You give in too easily,” Henry rested his cheek on the top of her head.

“Ha! Ask the wild boy how easily I usually give in. Poor kid, he probably agreed to live with you, because he wants a break.” Nell snorted at her admission.

“Never, you're a good mum and kids need boundaries. He isn't coming to live with me for a vacation, if that is what he thinks. I probably have far more rules.” Henry laughed.

“Because you know how boys think?” Nell gently pushed him away, in order to get her coffee. Pouring the hot liquid, she sighed deeply. The delicious smell wafting through the house was like a warm hug. “I'm glad the two of you are getting the chance for this.”

“As am I.” Henry took the cup of coffee that she'd poured him. Taking a sip, he licked his lips and smiled, checking his watch. “Now, as his father, I need to go drag him out of bed.”

Dissent and grouchiness poured from Ivan, as he trudged down stairs to the kitchen. Breakfast waiting eased his grumpiness a little. A kiss on the top of the head and a hug from his mother eased it a little more. A promise that he could sleep as soon as they got on the plane, eased it even more. Sitting at the table, Ivan took a bite of his toast and tried not to yawn.

The sun was barely up and his parents were too full of life.

Busy with last minute details, Henry was glued to his phone. This happened when he was traveling, Ivan ignored his dad trying to hide a frantic look. Next to Ivan at the table, Nell ate her breakfast, no doubt trying not to cry. Ivan had witnessed Nell's emotions a time or two, as he was gearing up to go on holidays or to visit Henry. Quietly reaching over, Ivan took her hand, smiling sweetly.

“Mum,” His voice was hushed.

“Yes, wild boy?”

“I love you.” His smile grew, a small spatter of raspberry jam on his cheek.

“I love you, too.” Nell squeezed his hand, smiling.

Silent, Ivan nodded and returned to his toast.

More than anything he loved his mother. She was the most fantastic person in the world, maybe even a tiny bit more fantastic than his dad. Ivan had done a great deal of thinking, since agreeing to move with his dad. What happened to his mum? She would be all on her own, would she miss him? Would he miss her?

Yes, he would see her in a few weeks, but until then. How would he know if she was happy or sad? Plenty of times Ivan had left to go stay with Henry, this time was some how different, in a way the boy couldn't quite figure out. When his parents said things would be fine, he trusted them, yet he had a doubt or two. Probably nerves of moving to a new city – again.

“Are you finished?” Nell asked motioning to Ivan's nearly empty plate. His crust and a bit of melon left on the side.

“Yep, can I go play with Kal for a bit?”

“Go on, but do not leave this yard. Understood?” Using her mom voice, Nell narrowed her gaze at her son.

“I understand. We won't leave.” Ivan promised, sticking his pinkie finger in the air, giving his mother a pointed stare. Pinkie promise, he and Kal were outside like a flash. The sun had began to rise moments ago, giving them enough light to play for a little while.

“What's on that beautiful mind, my darling?” Henry passed, kissing the top of Nell's head.

“He's getting too big, how do we stop it?” A hint of tears in her voice.

“I suppose I could see if we can afford a time machine.” Henry shrugged, placing his plate on the table and taking Ivan's previous seat. “I wish we could keep him little forever, too.”

Wiping her hands across her cheeks, Nell groaned and shook her head. “No, I shouldn't be so sad over this. This is a good thing. He's growing and becoming independent, he's a very lucky boy to have the life he lives.”

“That he is and we,” Henry smiled proudly, “are lucky to have such a son.”

“I know you've always wanted more, but I think we've hit the jackpot with the one we have.” Nell's chest expanded with a large breath and a sigh. “How could anyone compare to how awesome the wild boy is?”

“Exactly, it's why there is only one, right? Limited Editions, they're always the best.” Henry winked, lifting his cup of coffee.

No need to add on perfection.

Henry had hoped that one day, he'd find somebody to have more children with – while in his search to replace Nell.  It was no secret that he wanted a house full of children, if it happened lovely. If Ivan were to be his only one, then he was fortunate to have that.

Once he had come to realize there was no replacing what he wanted, or had, then the idea of more children dwindled. Instead all he could do was make sure his son had the best life possible.

“Right.” Nell bit her bottom lip. This was not the time to burst into tears, becoming a sobbing mess. Sniffing back her tears, she reached out taking Henry's mug, taking a drink of his coffee and making a face. How he could drink it this way, a mystery. Nevertheless it did the trick, giving her something new to wonder.

The morning seemed to go in a single blink.

What seemed like milliseconds, the car that Henry had requested from the airport was in the drive. A single honk before a well dressed man appeared. Standing at the back of the car, he waited with a friendly smile. Waving to let him know his presence was acknowledged, Nell pulled her head back in the door.

“Got everything?”

“Yes,” Henry gave her a firm nod. “Ivan?”

“Yep, we're good to go.” Ivan nodded eagerly. His nerves taking a side step.

“Alright,” Nell brushed her hand over his hair. “Be good for dad, I love you. I will see you in a few weeks. Okay?”

Ivan nodded, clutching his backpack in one hand, trying to hold his suitcase handle with the other. “I love you.”

“All set, wild boy?” Henry shouldered his carry on, Kal's leash in one hand, passports in the other.

“Yep, let's rock and roll.”

“It's okay, you'll see him in a few weeks.” Trying his best to console Nell, before the became a water works factory, Henry gave her a gentle smile and a hug. “We will call as soon as we land.”

“Thank you,” Smiling with shiny eyes, Nell clutched the door. “You should get going.”

A tight hug, a kiss on the top of the head, and a thousand “love yous”, Nell ushered Henry, Ivan, and Kal out the door. Standing to watch them climb into the waiting airport car, she waved and blew them a kiss. Once Ivan and Kal were settled in the car, Henry followed closing the door. A soft thud from door of the sleek black sedan caused Nell's heart to jump.

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(sorry if this hasn’t been tagging people. IDK what is up but tumblr is a prick, It’s telling me you are all tagged, but then shows the links didn’t work, but shows they did ugh)

[oddsnendsfanfics]

Unraveling at the Seams Pt 17

Genre: Fan Fiction Pairing: Alex Høgh Andersen/OFC, Henry Cavill/OFC Warnings: Language, Sexual Innuendo, Possible NSFW Rating: M Length: Multi Disclaimer: a strict work of fiction, I own nothing except the original characters and the plot line. In no way am I affiliated to any of it.  

A/N: Again, fuck you tumblr and not tagging people. 

On the other side of things, I uh...well read and see. I make no apologies😏 

Also, because this is what kept going through my mind, as I wrote, I felt rude not sharing 

That is all from me. Carry on now. 

thank you @flowers-in-your-hayr​​ for the header

Catch Up Here

In Love.

The idea was preposterous. Nell sat at the small table, her work bag on the floor beside her, shaking her head and grumbling as she stitched a small rip in a costume for a rambunctious little girl. Her fingers worked along the tear, the thread and needle moving with ease.

First Alex had accused her of being in love with Henry. Then Ivan had backed them into a corner. What next? Was she going to walk in and find Henry down on one knee, again, a black box in hand asking her to marry him. A slight nauseous feeling fluttered through her stomach.  

Henry had grown, a lot, since those days. Ever the hopeless romantic, Nell would never doubt that he would try. If he thought the feelings were there and the time was right.

“Oh god, no.” Nell muttered to herself.

Over thinking was one of Nell's many superpowers, this was an exceptional example of that superpower. Henry had better things to do than sit around and pine for her. Nell had better things to do than sit around and pine for him, too.

Tears mended, she smiled at her handy work. Another job well done on the fly.

One thing Henry had been right about, she loved her job, and the details. What were the chances she could sneak some Viking stitch work into Geralt? Or perhaps a few tiny pieces of the Tudors period? From the bits and  pieces she'd been privy to, Nell was relieved that Henry looked fantastic in black.

Holed up in a room somewhere for hours creating the perfect look excited Nell. Bringing in a look from scratch, being allowed to shape and mold what would be a center staple to such a venture. Henry had been taking a risk asking her and she had fought him every step of the way, but Nell knew it would be worth it.

“We finished here?” Rayna's head poked around the door, a smile on her face. The poor woman had been working flat out, as were many, to finish this project on time. Nell nodded, holding up the skirt. “You're a legend, Nelly.”

“Thank you, thank you.” Nell feigned a bow, tossing the skirt to Rayna. “Is that all or did I have anything else coming in?”

Rayna pursed her lips, shaking her head, mentally scrolling the list of things left to do for the evening. “No, I think we're good. If you don't mind giving a clean up, you can go. Tell Ivan I said hello and I'm going to miss him.”

“Absolutely, I am going to try and get him over before he has to leave.” Nell's smile was soft, her eyes glassy. In the last two days, whenever she thought of Ivan moving, “she had to urge the few tears that pooled in the corner of her eyes not to fall.

“Good, I wouldn't mind seeing him.” The other woman smiled wide, “Right, I have to get this back. See you tomorrow, Nelly.”

“See ya,” Nell's voice floated through the hall after Rayna.

Picking up her bits and pieces, she tucked them into her bag. A short clean up and she was back home to pack. Ivan had his last football match this evening, one she had to miss because of work, which meant ice cream and pizza after the game. Henry would be out of the house, dealing with that for a few hours at least allowing Nell to sneak in and pack for a little bit uninterrupted.

Closing the door behind her, Nell turned to make sure it had latched. Damn thing had been sticking and began to get caught, whenever there was a breeze. Flapping the door around like a rag doll. Door secure, she turned again, this time walking a few feet before being plowed into.

“Shit.” Nell cursed, stumbling backwards, nearly losing balance. Losing her bag and jacket instead.

“Nell.” Alex stopped, lifting his head from his phone. “I'm sorry, I didn't see you.”

“It's fine,” Nell grunted bending to pick up her jacket. “No worries.”

“Are you okay? I didn't hurt you?” Alex reached out to gently pat her arms, looking for any bumps or grazes. “Shit, you must think I'm a real dick.”

Shaking her head, Nell gave him a soft smile.

“I don't think that. You know, I don't know what I think, but I don't have any ill feelings toward you.” Alex blinked, confused. “You're free to feel however you want, but I don't hate you and I know this shit is awkward as fuck.”

“A little, yeah.” Alex agreed. More than a little. Standing outside the door, he shifted from one foot to the other, resisting the urge to reach out and tuck the stray piece of hair behind her ear.

“It's okay, it was an accident. I'm fine. You're fine?”

Alex nodded. Aside from wanting to crawl under a rock and die, he was fine.

“Good,” Shouldering her bag, Nell gripped the strap tightly. “I should let you get back to work.”

“Before you do,” Clenching his fingers tight around his phone, Alex took a slow deep breath. “Would it be okay if we grabbed a drink? Before you leave? As friends? We could invite others, too.”

“Alex,” a gentle sigh told him everything he needed to know about what was coming next.

“I get it, it's fucked and I have no right to ask.”

“It's not that I don't want to, I don't want you or anybody else getting the wrong ideas.”

“Henry?” Alex licked his lips, his soft blue eyes wanting to look anywhere but Nell's face.

Shaking her head, Nell's shoulders stiffened. “He and I are not in love.”

Was she trying to convince Alex or herself by that admission?

“Okay, but that doesn't answer my question.” Laughing, Alex tried to play it off. “It could be sort of a last drink together, a small everything coming to an end and we won't see one another until who knows when.”

“Nice poem,”

“I thought it added a certain charm,” His smile was infectious. “Seriously, think it over. Let me know.”

“I'll get back to you, but if I don't then -” “I'll understand.” Alex cut her off, a wide smile crinkling the corner of his eyes.

“Thank you,” Nell stepped forward wrapping an arm around his neck, trying to balance her bag and jacket in the other hand. Awkwardly hugging him with one arm. Alex went stiff for a second, before wrapping his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. “I'm sorry, Alex.” she whispered, her head tucked into the crook of his neck.

“It's water under the bridge. It was only friends, right.”

“Right.”

Saying good night to Alex before she hurried off, Nell felt a rock in the pit of her stomach. Alex was a sweet guy, here she was some kind of monster that ruined what could have been something nice. Despite what Henry tried to tell her, there was always something she did to ruin any relationship she'd ever had.

One didn't have to be Sherlock to see that Nell was stuck in a pattern. She would get comfortable, then blow it all to hell.

Quietly opening the front door, Nell expected a quiet serene atmosphere. Walking in to find Kal lazed on the cool floor, watching Henry pack a large cardboard boxes in the middle of the house. Grunting as he bent to lift the box on the floor, Henry stacked it in the corner along with a few other boxes that had appeared since Nell was here last.

“Wow, I am impressed.” Nell whistled once the box was safely out of Henry's grasp. A jump in Henry's back muscles gave away that he'd been startled.

“We've been busy.” He grinned, lifting his well loved Kansas City Chiefs ball cap to wipe his forearm across his forehead. A curl escaping it's confines stuck against his damp skin, peeking out from under the black hat.

Setting her bag down, Nell kicked off her shoes, stepped into the living room to inspect the work that had taken place in her absence. Each box properly labeled and taped, a neater system than Henry's usual stick in all in gym bags and suitcases, things will be fine.

The first time she had moved with Henry had been a slight nightmare. Neither one wanting to relinquish their packing style or listen to the other. Packing up the small bachelor apartments had taken longer than needed, by the end they were both so worn out they had no energy left to bicker. Nell had passed out against the wall and Henry had laid out on the floor.

“Thank you, for all the work.” Extending on her toes, Nell kissed his cheek. “It's been a huge help.”

“No need to thank me, my darling. The wild boy and I are perfectly capable of packing.” Henry loosely slung his arm around her shoulder.

“Speaking of, I thought he had a game this evening.”

“Ah, yes.” Eyes lighting up, Henry's smile grew. “They won, by six points. I've loads of photos and videos for you. Leo asked if Ivan could spend the night at his house, his dad said it was fine and I agreed. They've been taking this rather hard.” His smile dimmed.

“I figured this would happen, which is why I decided to let him move with you. If it were on me, he'd be in a screaming fit every night and nothing would be accomplished.” Rolling her eyes, Nell sighed. “I'm glad they won, though.”

“Me, too. I think he needed that.” Henry nodded, letting go of Nell to resume his packing. “He's been in a rather  peculiar mood.”

“What's up with Ivan and all of his questions lately?” Picking up a dismantled box, Nell began to assemble it. If she got the boxes ready, Henry could go along behind and fill them.

“Those,” Henry puffed out a breath, running his hands over his head shifting his hat back and forth, “came out of nowhere a few days ago. He woke up asking about love and marriage. I guess he thinks I'm secretly lonely or need to join tinder. I'm not quite sure.”

“And what have you been telling him?” Brows raised, Nell briefly paused from the boxes. Hands on her hips, she tilted her head to the side.

“He asked if we loved one another. I told him that I love you, of course. He asked if we'd ever get married, I handled it.”

“Henry,” Nell groaned, her eyes shut biting her bottom lip. “Why did you do that?”

“Then what the fuck do you want me to do, Nelly? Hmm? I'm trying.” Scowling, Henry rolled his eyes. “He's my son, he had a question. What was I supposed to do? It's not like I told him we were getting married or that you outright refused me, when I did ask.”

Huffing Nell pouted, her brow creased, her hand on her hip. Henry was doing the best he could in the situations he had been dealt. It's not as if she had ever told him what she wanted him to say, if Ivan should ever ask such questions.

Eventually they would have to prepare for the difficult topic of life. Ivan was growing and he was bound to be curious. They should have seen this coming, despite all the things Ivan had wondered over the years, neither one had expected this situation. Rather they had been avoiding it like a plague.

Henry wrapped a lamp, gently placing it in the box, picking up the partner to wrap and stow away. Nell quietly sat in the corner, a box in her hand. Neither one daring the bring up what was on their mind. Kal sighed, licking his lips, before flopping over onto his side with a loud yawn. The air in the room stiff as the only two people in it got lost in a sinking feeling.

“I'm sorry,” Henry spoke. Nell barely lifted her head to look at him. “I shouldn't speak to you in that way.”

Waving her hand, Nell dismissed any grievances. He deserved to say that and more to her, yet he never did. Chin tucked into her chest, Nell cleared her throat, sniffling quietly. Blinking hard, she leaned forward her elbows resting on her knees.

“Nell? My darling,” Henry knelt down, “what is it?”

“I know he's smart, but I worry that he will hate me when he's older. I worry that he doesn't understand why we live this way.”

“Apart?”

“Hmm.” Nell nodded, wiping the back of her hand across her cheeks. “I worry that he's going to blame me and he should, but what do I say? What do I do? Oh god, I'm a terrible mother.”

“You're a good mum. He will never hate you for any of this. How could he? You've given him the best life. Often times I think about how lucky I am, to have you as his mother. You put up with whatever insanity I bring and you manage to keep us both alive.” Henry nudged her with a gentle smile.

“Don't sugar coat it. I know that you have your issues with me, too. It's fine. I deserve it.”

Shifting to sit comfortably beside Nell; Henry's hand gently rubbed up and down her back. “There are things I have questions to, but I don't have issues with you. Janelle, things were complicated and I have accepted that along time ago.”

“I'm not easy to live with I know that.” Nell apologized. “I get scared and I say mean things, but you still come back. Why?”

“Honestly?” Henry asked, tucking his finger under her chin lifting her face to look at him. “You want my honest answer to that? Oh my darling.”

Ivan. The answer was cut and dry. As simple as. He would never leave his son in a bad situation. Nell knew the answer, already. She blinked back more tears, nodding. Yes, she wanted to know. She had to hear him confirm what she knew.

On the floor, surrounded by boxes, overwhelmed and crying was never how Nell had pictured this conversation to go. The moment she'd imagined had came with far more yelling and frustration. Henry was being far too sweet about this. Holding her face, his thumb lightly stroked her cheek drying the tears that stained her skin.

“I love you, Janelle. Not only as the mother of my son, but as a person. You were by far the most amazing partner and you have so much to give.”

“Smooth.” Her shocked response had came out a little more critical than she'd hoped.

“It's the truth, laugh if you must.”

“After all this time?”

“Of course. There is something about you, it drives me mad. You really piss me off at times, but then my frustrations of the moment pass and there I am, back to loving you. For some reason, you still hold a fairly large portion of my heart, outside of Ivan. Your failures and triumphs, I want to share them all. I want nothing but the best for you and I never know how to tell you.”

“I love you.” The words echoed in her ears, more tears welling up.

“Really?” This was news to Henry. Nell could say she loved him, in a moment to humour Ivan, but to hear her say it in a moment like this was - - Henry wouldn't get his hopes up. There was loving somebody and there was being in love with somebody.

“I do. I guess I never stopped. I've told myself it's for Ivan, but I don't think it is. Not all of it.” She stammered over her reason. As if there had to be a reason. Surely he had said he loved her to make her feel better, perhaps she had said it only to stop her thoughts? Nell licked her lips, nodding gently. “I don't know how I feel, but I know that as much as I push you away, I do it because I love you.”

On the floor, surrounded by boxes, his heart in his throat is not how Henry had expected this conversation to go. Here they were now, in the silence of the room, you could have heard a pin drop. Leaning over, he did the only thing he could think to do.

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