#ofc high and middle school need to take the same approach

[askshivanulegacy]

Look, there's nothing forcing professors to cut the reading just to pass students for nothing.

If the students don't read and they can't pass whatever benchmarks are set for that, then fail them. Failure is the consequence. Hold students accountable. You shouldn't accommodate trends of lazy people just to achieve arbitrary passing benchmarks. It doesn't matter how old or dry the reading is. You won't fix this presumed attention span issue by catering to it. Develop it properly. Read or fail, it's not like it's hard.

HOWEVER, the point about insane levels of reading is also true. That is a chronic issue across all levels of higher education, and that itself is a failure of the university, the professors, and the subpar system that thinks it's okay to assign that much work. If you want students to read that much, then you have to assign it in reasonable amounts which also take into account other classes the students have and also their ability to keep their own lives in order. This has been an issue for decades.

You don't assign entire books in just a few days. MAYBE 10-20 pages in a day for one class ... observing an overall university cap of no more than something like 50 (dense pages) in a day, and even that might be on the high end if you also have tasks like essay or math or labs to do.

And of course, as a consequence of that, you either achieve fewer overall books or you extend the length of the courses - two semesters instead of one, for example. I wonder how much of the pared down reading is actually a recognition of poor teaching practices and the implementation of a better-paced system.

It's two issues, frankly: personal failure and university system failure. If younger students aren't interested in dense texts ... zero sympathy. The text exists for a reason, and part of the point is to learn to read things you may not be personally interested in, and also to broaden your horizons. The point is not to cave and cater to a failure of students to develop their minds. But you also shouldn't grind people into the dirt with unrealistic reading assignments. The purpose of reading a book is to absorb the big picture but also the nuance, and you are not doing that by skimming texts. If I have multiple hundreds of pages a day, because of professor and university incompetence, then I've gotten to the point that I simply don't do any of it - out of principle, and then I also give the professors strict feedback about it and expect them to do better. They work for me, after all, and they're not teaching correctly either. It's just laziness on their part.

Fix the system to make it reasonable and then stick to your guns.

Ppl on the other hellsite losing their minds over this in every imaginable direction lmao

[hxneekyuu]

accidental kiss || tsukishima kei, ennoshita chikara, miya atsumu, lev haiba

request :  Hey Can I request a headcanon or one shot with Haikyuu characters (any of your choices) having an accidental kiss with their crush, you know, the cliché romance scene in drama's where the girl fell and male catches her and end ups kissing, or something when the girl turn around not noticing the close distance between the male, and their lips touches. Anything that is accidental

warnings : miya atsumu, Suna Gets a Haircut

a/n : so i did one of those random hq generator things bc i could only decide on one boi and that was tsukki,,, the results made me laugh so here you go -- btw these are all gonna be pre-dating bc thats just wonderful we love that

tsukishima kei

this is definitely all tsukkis fault

you two are at your house just vibing and at some point you head into the kitchen to make food

and hes leaning against the counter right in front of the cabinet you need to get to

but he has the audacity not to move the fuck outta the way when you tell him you need to get past 

so youre like ok fuck it and just reach around him to open it 

but the bowl you need is pretty high up so youre like on your tippy toes tryna get the damn thing and hes just sitting there watching you struggle 

instead of helping you like he isnt damn near 6′3″

but riiiiight as youve got the bowl, you end up grabbing it a little too forcefully and you bring like a million dishes down with it 

so ofc even though he definitely deserves it, youre not trying to concuss the poor guy with literal ceramic dishes raining down on him 

so you kinda lunge forward to stop them all from falling 

and, hearing the crash of dishes over his head, he naturally ducks because he doesnt want to die

honestly,,,, its more of a crash of your noses and foreheads but theres such chaos of like,,, trying not to die?? 

that at some point you just feel his mouth on yours and it deadass just stays there while you both are figuring out what the hell is happening 

eventually he kinda pulls back but only a little bc he knows youre struggling to hold onto the dishes and he doesnt wanna screw that up

and he doesnt even say anything he just reaches up awkwardly and helps you set the dishes back on the shelf

and then he grabs the bowl youd been trying the get the entire time and hands it to you with a completely blank face 

its a very awkward dinner im not gonna lie

mostly bc at some point he just starts cracking jokes about it and refuses to acknowledge it seriously bc he sucks

ennoshita chikara

ennoshita’s taking a break from studying with the second years on the team

mostly bc he never gets any studying done with them 

so youre studying together for a test at his house

and its just been many many hours of studying so ofc youre both exhausted

so its not surprising to him when you just pass out on your notes

but the thing is,,, your heads right on top of a sheet that he needs

and for a while he just kinda studies without it

he studies other stuff and tries to remember it on his own so he can fill in the gap in his notes

but eventually hes like fuck i really need these notes

so he just,,, tries to slide it out from under your head really carefully

and it involves a lot of him getting really close and trying to lift your head and a bunch of really soft cute things that would be super embarrassing for him to be caught doing

like,,, if you happened to wake up

which of course, you do

and youre really confused bc you can feel his breath fanning over your face and his eyes are really close but not focused on you, theyre focused on smth under your face

so you lift your head to see what hes doing

but he freaks out and moves his face when he notices youre awake

and its just a litto brush of your lips over his as your faces are passing each other

but the poor bub jumps back like you just shocked the crap out of him

and then he apologizes for like the next ten minutes and its impossible to get back to studying bc youre both just panicking internally

miya atsumu

this literally happens like it does in the movies

it all starts with a chase scene

that really you should never have been a part of

youre just minding your business walking down the hall after school on your way to get your stuff

and its pretty empty bc you had a club thing so its late afternoon and no ones around

and you just hear it

men screaming

and then he appears, barreling around the corner like his life depends on it

and youre like

this cant be good

and when he sees you hes yelling out for you like HELP ME 

but you somehow always manage to get caught in the miya twin antics so youre like

fuck no im out

but apparently youre not out bc atsumus grabbing your arm and dragging you behind him yelling smth about scissors and a haircut

and when you look back you just see suna rounding the corner, half of his little triangle haircut chopped off so he looks like a sad half onigiri,,,

but you know it was atsumu and that this man is definitely dead when suna catches him

so youre like okay fuck it i guess im helping him AGAIN 

and you get outside to a section of the school where theres still sports teams practicing and lots of people around so you hide in a corner together

but the Suna Energy is approaching so atsumu fuckin freaks and does that cheesy movie thing where he ducks his head down so he wont be seen 

but theres like a group of guys passing by and one of them just bumps into atsumus back and that shit just sends him right into you

and all he can think is “oops”

he only has one brain cell give him a break

but he just stalls completely and forgets about the whole suna thing

but ofc his hair is fucking piss yellow and suna has not forgotten

he ends up totally getting his ass beat  but after that little smooch atsumus definitely a bit keen to see you more often 

lev haiba

i fucking love this gif look at the litto shoyou go

this tall babie does not know the meaning of personal space he has no functional understanding of a Bubble

honestly he probably gets dangerously close to kissing you on a regular basis, considering you’re seatmates in class

he’s just ALWAYS in your space

at first he’s probably shy bc he doesn’t know you

but once you become friends he’s like THIS IS NOT YOUR DESK THIS IS JUST MY SECOND DESK

so every day there’s always one thing that’s super dangerous

last week it was him looking over your shoulder while you did work silently

yesterday it was him reaching across you to open the window on your left side

today he just really wants a bite of the bread you bought and are currently already eating

and when he wants smth, he gets Very Whiny

he’s so clingy and adorable that you can’t ever get mad

he’s like a little puppy how can you resist him

so when you’re finally like okay fine you can have a bite he’s like

MONCH

he doesn’t even wait for you to tear off a piece he just leans in for a bite

but you had said yes while in the middle of biting it so he essentially does that thing where you’re both biting it at the same time

but, again, he doesn’t know what personal space means

so he also doesn’t have the ability to gauge distances well

so he straight up just meets you halfway and presses his mouth to yours while he’s biting down

the boi probably doesn’t even notice

he just pulls back quickly once he has his bite and goes about his life

you literally are going to have to tell him he just kissed you

and after that he’s a total fucking mess

he doesn’t know what to do he never knows what to do

he’s just going to keep causing Chaos while he panics

[dourpeep]

sometimes i just think of collage student!xiao. an intimidating and aloof guy who no one dares to approach. someone who was never loved by his family except for his grandmother. idk why i just like the thought of him feeling at ease whenever his grandma pats him or just gives him a geniune smile. he only feels in peace with her. he plays the guitar. yes, and it's an electro guitar. in campus, he stays far from the crowd and just sits under a tree by himself - listening to music maybe (i bet he would like arctic monkeys) then one day he meets you - somehow. proabably you are also someone who is not fond humans and noisy places. you began to sit and read a book underneath the same tree as him once you noticed how peacful there was. when he first saw you invading his area he was annoyed, but obviously he wouldn't tell you to go away. surely, you'd get bored and leave eventually so he just ignored your presence. you weren't that content of him either at first, definitely would rather being alone but the more you spent your time there the more you realized how interesting he was - not to mantion how handsome he was- *cough cough* witnessing the way he plays an instrument was also impressive, and before you know it you grew quite fond of him despite not having a conversation yet so far. but on his end, he wasn't that delighted. still wanting to be alone yet not wanting to leave his tree. though he thinks you resemble his grandmother? maybe personality-wise. so he let's you stick around i guess ummm... i'm running out if ideas lmao i'm sorry this is a little longer than i intended it to be. i'd like to hear your ideas about collage student!xiao too tho haha <3

PRIMOOOOOOOS!!!!!

MY BAD IT'S NOT BUT WHOEVER IT IS PLS BECOME A DEDICATED ANON SO I CAN SHOW YOU MY LOVE

Ooooo what if instead of grandma it's like his elderly neighbor who lives in the same apartment complex that he does? He's been on his own for so long (maybe mid teens?) that she's become his family. Always inviting him over for tea and almond tofu (it wasn't until she first served the dish to him that he realized how much he loves it). Maybe even with the guitar that he plays originated from a conversation he had with her about how one of the things he's always wanted to do is learn to play---

Of course, following his high school graduation (which she ofc attended), they returned to her unit. He's happily enjoying a snack that she's prepared when she shuffles back into the common room and presents a large, wrapped gift. Already, Xiao knows what it is and she gets the tightest hug that he can give-

To her delight, he picks up the instrument incredibly quick and often plays for her! She absolutely adores his passion for it.

(continued under the cut!)

Cut to the middle of his first semester in college. He's still not really sure about what he wants to do but with the unyielding support of his Ahma, he's slowly figuring it out. But for now, he's practicing under the shade of the big ginko on campus. It's ironically his favorite type of tree, as silly as it seems. Especially in the autumn when the leaves start to turn gold and they flutter and dance down like hundreds of butterflies all around.

It's just after lunch that he makes his way to his usual spot when he sees you there. Of course, Xiao is irritated. No one ever comes here, so why the sudden change? But there you are, quiet with a book open in your lap.

A part of him wants to just leave and wait for his next class somewhere else, but he's stubborn. So he walks over and sits right next to you. When you ignore him, he feels ??? a little offended. How can you so blatantly ignore a whole person? Not...not that he's the same way.

This little pattern continues for a week, and then-

"You play guitar?"

The dumbest question ever, to ask someone who's holding a guitar and carries it around often that. But he holds his tongue and nods.

Another week passes and he realizes that you're in the same English course. Maybe next time there's an essay, you'll be partnered up. After these two weeks, he's surprisingly warmed up to you, though it's probably due to the fact that you're more similar than he thought you'd be. In fact, you almost remind him of his Ahma--the lovely old lady that's taken him in.

Not in a weird way though! (he has to shake his head to clear his thoughts)

But you've been patient with him, not invading his space despite existing in it, inquiring about his hobbies and enjoying the quiet when he's enjoying the quiet. It's...nice.

But with the semester quickly coming to an end, there's a pit in his stomach when he realizes that he might not be able to see you- after all, you're taking the same English course but who's to say you're not graduating soon? Or transferring? Or even--the thought makes his chest clench--moving?

It's definitely not unheard of.

So during finals week, he finally gets the guts to ask you if you'd like to study for that English essay coming up. He knows that you're both alright at the subject and don't really need to prepare for it (not when the professor is just doing a rehash of an earlier essay), but the idea of this lost opportunity when so much time has already passed doesn't sit right with him.

His Ahma is the one who actually suggests this. He's told her all about you (and when he finally brings you to visit her, she'll let you know all about the good things that Xiao has said to his utter embarrassment), and seeing how smitten he's become it's only natural that she wants to help out.

It's a cafe. The very place that she had her first date with her late husband (who, funnily enough, she says was so very similar to young Xiao).

You're there and waiting by the time that he arrives, backpack on the floor and binder open with papers spread on one side of the table.

When you notice him and look up, the smile that spreads on your face--

Maybe...he didn't mind you as much as he did that fateful day beneath the ginko tree.

[ambivartence]

Seriously your art is such *chef kiss*, I'm so happy you're sharing your work with us!! I have many questions if that's okay haha Have you been to art school or are you self-taught? What got you interested in art in the forst place? Do you plan on making it a career, or is it """just""" a nice hobby? Would you ever be interested in art collabs? Do you take commissions/do you sell prints? (u should) Is there something about your art you feel needs improvement and what are you the most proud of about your work? Do you have timelapses I can look at/have you considered making tutorials on how to draw our fav Kpop boiz?

I hope you have a lovely day <3

😭Hiiii ooh these r good questions...

Have you been to art school or are you self-taught?

I've been to art schools as in private art classes when i was a kid + taking art in public school (my high school had a rly good art program) so I don't consider myself self-taught, but I also didn't go to art college (I took 1 art class that I actually liked in college, the rest were for easy As oops). In the last year I've been watching more art theory stuff on my own thru youtube

What got you interested in art in the forst place?

Idk just been drawing since I was a kid... always liked drawing and painting. Really liked anime in middle school and found digital art as a result of a friend who was really good at drawing manga style digitally. Alice X Zhang was a big inspiration for me because she's such a success story of transforming fan art into a career. At the same time I did a lot of oil painting in high school.

Do you plan on making it a career, or is it """just""" a nice hobby?

Right now it's """just""" a hobby :') My day job is entirely unrelated to art

Would you ever be interested in art collabs?

Ya :) that sounds fun

Do you take commissions/do you sell prints? (u should)

Lol no not now.. Commissions i feel like i'm not disciplined enough to be responsible to draw for money oop. I always thought prints could be cool in the future but I want to like...test sample prints first and stuff. If i were to sell prints I dont wanna do it thru like redbubble or s6 i'd prefer to find a local printshop n set my own system up :) it'd be fun and more direct ... but like not now :''')

Is there something about your art you feel needs improvement and what are you the most proud of about your work?

So much needs improvement always! I am recently working on speed... drawing faster, which goes hand-in-hand with simplifying my drawings and not overworking stuff when I dont need to make everything so detailed. And ofc I always work on improving w likenesses and that balance of realism vs stylization. I think I'm most proud of having developed a style that I feel like is recognizably me (lol "spaghetti squiggly lines") but also sort of having "multiple styles" that I can develop too (like just lineart sketch, black & white shaded sketches, the darker charcoal style I have going on, and full color paintings).

Do you have timelapses I can look at/have you considered making tutorials on how to draw our fav Kpop boiz?

bruh i wish i knew how to draw them well consistently. i think bc i have such a realistic-approach I have to relearn how to draw them each time :'''''''') i've seen those kinds of tutorials on twt which is so cool how ppl stylize drawing X kpop boy but i can't do that 😭 i sort of did one w haechan a while ago? but that was more generically about my process

[lovesgonnabe]

Love Is Worth It - Episode I

 It Was Just A Normal Day

Characters: Chris Evans x Maya Alonso-Evans (Black OFC)

Warnings: Angst, Nothing extreme but could upset some, cursing, slight Implied smut

Word Count: 2k

Summary: What happens when those that don’t agree with you or your love are in positions of power?

Authors Note: This is out a lot earlier than expected so I hope you all enjoy. Also it has been a while since I’ve written so please bear with my rustiness, and there’s slight edits so there may be errors.

Disclaimer: There is slight police abuse of power that may be triggering to some.

Taglist: @thesecretlifeofdaydreamss if you would like to join the taglist message me. 

Please leave a note and tell me what you think!

October 24th, 2019 

The day started out just like any other...

Chris woke up at 5am to go on a run with Dodger.

I got up 30 minutes later headed to our home gym got on the Peloton for a workout then get started on breakfast.

Chris and Dodger get back around 6:30am

At 6:45am Chris carries me to the shower where we have “spontaneous” shower sex till Delilah knocks on our door.

7:30am I get Delilah ready for school then we eat breakfast as a family while Chris and I play footsie under the table and he quizzes her on current events. Did I mention she’s only 5 years old...

At 8:30am Chris and Delilah are out the door headed to school since it’s on the way to the set for Chris’s next project.

At this time I’m just sipping coffee reviewing my appointment schedule at the office and I head out the door at 9am.

It was just a normal day but something felt off.

When I pulled out of the gate of my driveway I see a Boston PD car just sitting on the corner next to our noisiest neighbor Mrs. Goldheim. She’s 70 and acts like she has no business to tend to but mine when what she really should be doing is getting some of her own dick, so she can hop off my dick and mind her damn business.

Anyway I’m getting off topic, as I drive down the road that same police cruiser begins to follow me lights off and at a safe distance for about a mile and then turns left down Sycamore, I was mad confused but I didn’t have time to think about the weird ass Boston cops right now.

I got to the office around 9:45am, had my first client at 10am and from that point It was nonstop between facials to acne treatments to talking women who don’t need plastic surgery off of that ledge I had my hands full for it only being the middle of October. But hey that’s the life I signed up for when becoming a dermatologist.

My last meeting about my new skincare venture ended at 5:30pm and I went to pick up Delilah from after school care. We stopped by the supermarket to get groceries so I could hopefully make my abuelas famous arroz con pollo for dinner tonight.

As a treat we stopped at Cold Stone got two pints of chocolate devotion for our after dinner mini celebration. Since not even a month ago Delilah was moved ahead to the first grade and got an A on her recent math test.

This is where the normal day began to take a nosedive.

Around 8pm we were headed to the house from Cold Stone, my little Dede and I were talking about her day, and Chris called to let us know that filming ended a tad early and he was already home.

We are just around the corner when I see another police cruiser this time they were following a lot closer but yet again they had on no lights.

My hands began to clam up as I kept looking in the mirrors at the two white men in the vehicle following me.

As I pulled into my gate they followed me in. Rushing I parked, grabbed my purse, and got out, unhooked Delilah from the seat and carried her to the door.

“Excuse me Miss” one of the officers spoke stopping me before I could enter my home. I felt like I was frozen In place with a  hand on the doorknob.

“Mommy what’s wrong” Delilah asked looking at me with fright her big brown eyes. I turned around putting my shy ray of sunshine down, with a reassuring  smile, I look at her and tell her that everything was alright as she hid behind my legs while the officers approached us.

It might be because I’m scared but it felt as if they both were towering over me, even though i was the one with the high ground standing on the steps. 

One man looked like he was on a mission while the other looked like he was just there for observation.

The younger one looked at Delilah and said “there is no reason to be afraid sweetheart we are the good guys” the tension was thick as Delilah looked up at me and no one said a word.

The older man of the two cleared his throat and looked at me dead in the eyes as if he was trying to intimidate me.

“Good Evening Miss, are you the nanny? I’m looking for your boss.” I raised an eyebrow ignoring the question and asked “can I please get her in the house?” both officers looked at each other weird since I didn’t answer his original question but both nodded.

I looked at my watch showing it to be 8:40pm usually I would kissing my man trying to figure out the best way to get him out of his clothes. But at the moment I’m standing on my steps scared for our life.

I unlocked the door and told her to go and get her dad who at the time was in the living room playing the grand piano. The beautiful sounds of the piano could be heard when I opened the door and as I closed the door you can hear Dodger bark and scurry toward the door.

The officer began to speak once more “now I’m going to ask you again Miss is your boss home?”

Placing my hand on my hip, I let out an exasperated sighed and said “if I had a boss and they were here I would be very confused”.

The younger officer eyes grew out of surprise and the older officer did not look too happy by my snarky remark.

“Miss please cooperate we don’t want any trouble, but since you can’t answer my questions hand over your license” the older officer said with a smug look and his gloved hand outstretched.

My stomach grew with a bubble of nerves even though it can’t be seen on my face i was scared.

“If I may ask officers what is this about this is my home have I done something wrong?” I huffed retrieving my license and handing it to the older officer, “we will see about that” he says and walks to the cruiser leaving the other officer in silence.

“Look we are just doing the job we were called out to do” the younger officer said to me I looked at him like he had two heads but before I could say another word Chris walked out the door closing it behind him.

He look so damn fine in grey sweats with a matching crew neck sweater, his gold chain I bought him for Father’s Day laying on top and his Red Sox cap pointed to the back.

He came up next to me wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing the top of my head, mumbling. “Baby are you alright?” he asks looking at me rubbing my back as I look at him.

I nod as a sense of calm settles over my body as he familiar sent and touch centers me and makes me feel safe.

“Is there a problem officer? He asked now removing his arm from my body to cross his arms and stand in front of me as if he was my bodyguard.

“Wow you’re Captain America” the officer said in shock as Chris and I rolled our eyes.

“Yea I know but I asked you is there a problem officer” Chris asked slowly getting closer to the younger now shitting his pants scared officer.

I love that he is trying to defend me but we don’t want to make matters worse so I grab his arm to pull him back a bit. Which didn’t work because all he did was softly move my hand a say “let me handle it love”.

I rolled my eyes and watched the shit show unravel. The officer stuttered and Chris cut him off.

“Look I know you are here to do your job but you are on my property and harassing my wife so I would like to know what the problem is what has she done?”

He didn’t look upset and Chris said it respectfully but it was just a feeling that Chris did not want to be fucked with at this moment.

There was another beat of awkward silence the officer was too scared to speak. Chris rubbed his beard and chuckled “can anyone answer my goddamn question as to my wife is in front of our home being harassed” it was like his voice dropped an octave and my panties got wet.

I’m literally trying to tell my brain to stop thinking about using my husband as my personal jungle gym, that this wasn’t the time for that, but I digress so to distract myself for a second I looked at my watch again stating it was only 9:20pm.

Damn I’m not sure if time was moving too slow or too fast but by the time I focused back on Chris and the officers they were being cussed the fuck out.

“What the fuck do you mean you have to take her because she fits the profile of a suspect, do you have a warrant, what the fuck did she even do officer!”

“Mr. Evans we understand that you are upset but we need you to calm down” the younger officer said to a red faced Chris.

“Don’t you tell me to fucking calm down when you are also trying telling me, you want to arrest my wife for some crime she didn’t commit because she’s black” Chris was now fuming.

“Sir this isn’t about race, there has been a string of burglaries in the neighborhood and she fits the description of the suspect we are looking for, we just want to take her in and ask a few questions” the older officer answered.

From where I was standing I could see everything especially how the officer had one hand on his gun holster and the other with cuffs ready to be put around my wrist.

All three men proceed to argue, I had to step in this was getting out of hand and in a minute I would not be the only one in handcuffs.

Walking over to the group who were now in the middle of my driveway with my hands out then they all went quiet.

“Chris honey it’s okay, this is ridiculous I know but let me go with them, you call Austin, tell him what’s happening and then come to the station I will be fine” I said looking at his blue eyes with slight tears as his breathing quickened.

I was hoping to be okay at least for Chris’s sake so he won’t kill the two men in front of me. He read me my rights with Chris now desperately pleading with them to release me.

As the older guard roughly grabs me pulling me towards the cruiser Delilah runs out of the house with Dodger behind her with tears in her eyes.

“Dede get back inside” Chris says as he grabs a barking Dodger who was headed straight for me “daddy why are they taking mommy, what’s wrong she said everything was ok” then she wails out “please don’t take my mommy” over and over while she kicked and screamed when Chris picked her up and ushered the 3 of them back into the house.

A tear slips down my face as my head is lowered into the car and the door to our home closes. One officer looked remorseful and the other looked so satisfied as he looked back at me through the rear view.

He threw on his sirens like he caught some mass murder that he’d been hunting for years.

Then he laughed a menacing laugh taunting me.

“You thought just because you are fucking some white man with money you would get off? Well I’m sorry to break it to you sweetheart but that not how the world works for people like you.” He said to me as I cried harder.

“That’s enough Whitmer I think she get it” the younger officer said.

The rest of the ride the only sound was the radio. I was booked and brought into a cell by myself cold and alone but thanking god that at least I was alive and not hurt.

All I could think about was the smile on my little Delilah’s face and how today was just supposed to be just another Normal day.

I guess those are slim when you’re Black in White America.

[heyitsyn]

Complicated

Shirabu x Reader

a/n: im not very familiar with shirabu on a spiritual level like i am w the other characters but ill try my best!! 

request:  okok haikyuu hcs: shirabu is reader’s childhood best friend and messed up their last game in middle school because he changed his setting style to accommodate ushijima,,, and reader, as the manager is very very pissed and they get into a huge fight,,, so once they get to stz they’re academic rivals, reader became the vbc manager just to spite him (oh yea they definitely still have crushes on each other but it’s hard with the current situation) only if it’s ok!! not a lot of ppl write for him :

this is kinda the best friends-to-rivals-to-friends again-to-lovers

requests open!!

lets get our inhalers bc this finna be a wild one luvs

so, basically,

you and him were actually childhood friends since he lived next door to you

lets say you met when you were 5 and you just stuck on to this slightly cold and dismissive boy who was the shy type

idk bout you but i actually like that type

ppl dont really understand how yall got along bc you were the extrovert and the laughing type of girl

he only stuck around bc you were actually a smart person who helped him occassionally w your organized notes

but he still appreciates your time and efforts to be his friend despite his personality

plus, you also liked volleyball and together you both would watch volleyball matches in his house where you would see him with a smile that he unconsciously wears

like when yall were 8, you gave him a volleyball for his birthday since he lost his old one when he was playing by the river

at first, he was like, ‘oh, thanks, i needed this’

but then as he started tossing it up and down, you could see that bashful smile starting to surface

you shrieked, 

bc you rarely see it and you think its super cute,

and just wrap him up in a hug and he turns all shy again but with a soft smile and a soft blush

‘thanks, n/n-chan’

uh oh, feelings

stinky

since he mainly focused on doing homework or studying, not a whole lot of kids really approached him to hang out since they thought he only lived to study and play volleyball

but you didnt care bc youve been friends w this bun for a long time and you know hes not really like that

he has fun moments too

since you were the manager of the volleyball team, you always try to showcase how fun he was by trying to take the team to bonding places 

the team does think that shirabu has fun but only if its w you

anyways

one afternoon, you naturally just go to his house w him since your mothers know youre practically best friends and so you basically live in each others houses

yall were about halfway through middle school so shirabu has been studying more to get scholarships for schools

he was studying on the little table while leaning against his bed while you were just lounging on his bed after studying

‘ken-channnnn’

oikawa 2.0

‘hm’

you pouted at the distracted reply before sitting up and wrapping your arms around his shoulder from behind him and placing your chin on his shoulder

‘lets do something fun!!!! im boredddd’

he wasnt really fazed by the skinship bc youve been like that to him since day 1

but thats going to change soon

‘i have a new sudoku book over there that you could do’

omg what

‘ken-chan!’

you shrieked in betrayal before leaping off the bed and grabbing his arm to stand him up

shirabu was actually annoyed that you were distracting his studying but seeing a wide grin on your face made him double stop

am i,,,, catching feelings?

nah, he just going through puberty

‘lets go to the fall market! yuki-chan told me theres a new food place that opened and theyre handing out free samples!’

you excitedly told him and continued shaking his arm to persuade him in going

‘n/n-chan, this is my only free day from volleyball to study. i need to pass the test on friday’

you rolled your eyes at that lame excuse

‘i know. i set up the schedule differently bc you have a big test on friday! but you would still have time to study!’

‘but im still unfamilair with the topic-’

‘cmon, ken-chan! youre so smart you could rival buddha!’

‘i dont think,,,,, thats a right comparison’

‘either way, we’re going to hang out and have fun!’

he honestly didnt know why he was at this crowded market w you

shirabu is a whole simp

‘omg ken-chan! look! takoyaki!’

you dragged him to the stall and the nice old lady smiled before taking your order

‘1 box please. ken-chan, you want?’

he shook his head no and started taking out his wallet to pay

but you stopped him

‘no, you dont have to pay since youre not eating’

‘but i want to’

‘ken-chan! you need to save up for college!’

‘no its fine im pay-’

‘here ya go, dear. free of charge’

you both stopped at the nice lady’s sentence

‘b-but’

‘no it’s okay. its cute to find a boy who’s willing to pay for his girl since that doesnt really happen nowadays. i hope you have a great rest of your date!’

‘it’s not a da-’

‘thank you, maam’

shirabu takes the box and leads you out of there

you smirk and poke his tummy

‘you want to go on a date with me, ken-chan~?’

he turns red and looks away

‘no. it wouldve taken longer to fully explain the situation so just go along with it to make it faster’

you giggled

‘hm sounds fake but okay’

you both continue to walk around the market and even buy a few things like a mini buddha statue or a pair of cat ears for both of you

with everything you bought, shirabu payed with it all

you were pouting as you walked and he noticed so he nudged you with his elbow

‘oi, what’s wrong?’

you crossed your arms

‘hm.. i dont like that ken-chan is buying and spending money for me on things that symbolize our fun. i want to give ken-chan something to remember this day too!’

shirabu grows flustered but hes really confused

youve always been a thoughtful person who tries to be independent but unconsciously ends up depending on others like him

but your thoughts of wanting to do something in return for him just sounds like heaven right now

lmao what a simp

he looks around for a place that could have something that sparked his interest but nothing caught his eye

until he caught a photo booth by the corner

‘oi, n/n-chan, let’s go there’

you followed his finger and you gasped

‘thats perfect, ken-chan! let’s go!’

you drag him to the booth and you giddily enter the coins for the machine to start

but he was starting to think this wasnt a good idea

he was in a cramp space with you pressed against him

but youve always been glomped to his side since yall were kids so what was the difference now?

bc you catching feelings, fool!

‘ken-chan! its starting!’

he finally snaps out of his flustered state and he raises a peace sign with a smile

with all the pictures, there were funny pictures of you and him,

well mainly you

but he was happy to have them w you

‘ken-chan, you know i love you, but when will you fix your hair?’

he glared at you

‘i like it so its staying that way’

you giggled at his attitude

‘okay, ken-chan. at least it would make you stand out in the crowd so i dont have to look for you!’

you hugged his waist and he froze up, suddenly feeling awkward with this familiar position

its okay, shes naturally like this so calm down

dontcrydontcrydontcrydontcry

after your hang out, he didnt even bother going back to studying

he just laid on his bed, looking at the strip of pictures with a fond smile

he was happy that you only showed that true, bright, happy grin to him

it was only for him

and he only showed his to you

bc you were you and you were the greatest thing, next to his parents, that he has in his life

omg that thought

he freezes and the picture falls on his face at that realization

omg, does he like you?

youre a great friend and his best friend and he wants to be your friend forever

but then, he realizes

youd separate one day and youd have a boyfriend and get married and have a family without him

no, he wasnt going to let that happen

he didnt like that thought

and thus, began his crush for you

and you were the same thing too but you noticed it later than him

oof, when this one girl confessed to him at the back of the school, you cried to him when yall got home

‘when ken-chan has a girlfriend, he wont hang out with me anymore! hes not going to be my friend anymore!’

it took some reassurance from him and more from your mom, when you got home, to realize that you liked your best friend

and thus began the skinny love stage

the whole volley team knew of your pining and tbh, they thought yall were dating but you were just like, nah, we friends

if anyone were to look at you, they would think the same thing

but ofc, yall are insecure hormonal teenagers who think that the other doesnt like them and if they confess, they would be rejected and that would ruin their friendship and they would not be friends anymore and they dont think they could handle that so its better to keep the feelings hidden and remain friends bc if theyre happy, theyre happy

oml my entire love life

this continued on until the last year of middle school

bc not only do you suddenly stop being friends, you became rivals

so as volleyball manager, you helped the team with whatever they needed in return of them doing their absolute best and winning the game

the last game of the year, you were slightly confused at the way shirabu was playing bc it wasnt the normal way he sets

before, his sets were so good that he could give it to any player and they would spike perfectly

but now, it was so different due to the simple, almost lazy, and very high tosses

the team was slightly irritated bc they couldnt keep up with the high tosses so they couldnt hit it

in between the sets, during break, you pulled him aside as you wiped off his sweat

‘ken-chan, youre not setting properly to the others. theyre getting angry because it doesnt allow them to spike right.’

he glares at you, with almost manic eyes

‘its their fault for not being able to jump high enough. in order to get a point, the ace must get a high toss to aim a quick spike’

‘but theyre not able to jump that high, ken-chan!’

you whispered, worried that he was going too intense and they would lose the game

all the hard-work the others put in, all to waste

‘i dont care. i must start early and change early so ushijima could hit my sets in the future’

‘but they’re not ushijima, kenjiro!’

you whisper-yelled

‘right now, theres no ushijima, no oikawa, its just you and the team. your team’

he was shook that you used his first name and the way you were actually telling him off

youve never been like that before

but he was blinded by his goal in the future

‘why is he our ace if he couldnt even hit tosses meant for an ace?’

‘because hes not the ace you’re hoping him to be!’

‘kenjiro, listen to me, these boys have worked their asses off for years to even come close to playing against seijoh or shiratorizawa. im going to do everything i can to make that happen and im not going to let them lose just bc you are too busy focusing on the future rather than the present’

with the way he looked at you, you really thought he would listen to you and play the way his team needs him to play

but no, he played the way he thought ushijima needed him to play

in the end, due to the foreign and unfamiliar tosses, they were unable to hit as much points causing them to lose

you could never forget the looks on your fellow classmates, who were also going to graduate this year, as they watched the ball that shirabu tossed, hit the floor right next to them

to say you were pissed was an understatement

you were F U R I O U S ™

you held the hands of the first years as they were devastated at their first loss

but you caught the eye of your ‘friend’ and he was biting his lip in irritation and anger

as your team was walking to their locker room to get changed, you pulled shirabu aside

‘what the hell’

he stared at you

‘we lost. we lost bc they couldnt keep up’

‘kenjiro! are you not listening to yourself?! you lost because you couldnt accept the fact that your teammates arent ushijima wakatoshi! you couldnt accept the fact that they’re not tall enough! strong enough! ace-like enough! and for what?! for the future?! the future where you’re going to set for someone like ushijima?!’

‘i vowed to set for a player like him, y/n! i want to toss a ball to someone as powerful and as talented as him! thats a promise i intend to keep’

you were dumbfounded 

he was acting on his own reasons and selfish intent, even costing them a game, for his preparation in the future

‘i cannot believe you right now. i didnt know you were so selfish, shirabu. of all the years i knew you, you were never like this. so what changed?’

at the almost betrayed look on your face hurt him bc weren’t you always there to help him? to support him? wasnt that the reason you became a manager in the first place? 

‘you dont understand, y/n. i need to change the way i play now because it will greatly benefit me in the future’

honestly, you didnt even know why you were so angry about this

sure, it was volleyball and it was just a game

you had high school to win it again

but maybe it was the fact that he wasn’t being the shirabu you knew

the ken-chan you grew up with and harbored feelings for for years

he was turning to someone that worked not for himself, but for some guy he has never even spoken to

you blinked away the tears and looked off the side, away from his face

‘right. the future. yanno, if youre already like this, i dread to think about how you would act once you get that goal of yours. but i know one thing. im not going to be there to see it happen’

god that last sentence

he felt a piece of his world crumble bc were you saying goodbye? were you leaving him?

‘i cant see you torture yourself into changing into a new person, kenjiro. so good luck finding someone who can’

‘oh yea? well, i dont need you! i’ll be perfectly fine on my own and find someone better than you! youre easily replacable!’

that was a big booboo love

that fight costed him more than a decade of friendship and a few years of love

despite living so closely together, you refused to even acknowledge him and when your parents got together, you’d find some way to be out ofthe house or you’d lock yourself in your room

he tried many times to get to you and even cried to you, begging to not leave him

but you willed strong and you left him alone

omg she handled this so bad and i cant w puberting teenagers

eventually, he got tired of chasing you and was now angry at you for picking a team of people youve only met for a few years over him who’s been there for you since you were 5

he was betrayed, cold, and sad

however,

without each other to be there, you both studied even harder and eventually, you were both able to get into shiratorizawa

initially, you wanted nothing to do w that school since you knew kenjiro was going to be in it and that bastard ushijima wakatoshi was too

um,,, babygurl ushi did nothing to you

but your mother really wanted you to go to a nice school since she wanted you to go to a nice college

since yall werent friends anymore, he didnt know you wouldn’t be in shiratorizawa

so imagine his surprise when he saw you entering his class with the girls uniform on and a completely new hairstyle and hair color and were you wearing makeup?!

lmao she acting like they broke up

anyways, all he knows, is that boys were already looking at you and vying for attention and dear god, he didnt know how to handle that

for the first month of school, youd think you would just be ignoring each other like you did back in middle school

but nope!

somehow, yall were now talking again!

except it was a mean type of talking

you see, shirabu studied as much as he breathed and you were just a naturally smart sister who didnt study as much

but you still were able to make it to the top and currently, you were the 1st in your entire class

‘ara ara? 1st again? better luck next time, shirabu-kun~’

he glared at you from his seat as you passed by with a smug grin

this fueding is giving me vertigo

‘shut up. at least some of us work for our grades’

that was so weak lmao

but you turned around to blink your eyelashes, slightly mocking him

‘eh? are you saying that i’m naturally gifted? yanno, shirabu-kun, naturally gifted people are much better than those who have to work for it. you play with ushijima-senpai, right? so you’d know the difference between you two.’

bringing up ushijima always pained him but he kept repeating it to himself that he was doing it so that he could go to nationals

sensing his silence as defeat, you waved your hand and went back to conversing w your other friends

this continued on again for a while and he was already sick and tired of it

not only was it beginning to get annoying, it was beginning to hurt

he cornered you at your locker

aaaaa kabedon!!!!!!!

‘listen to me and listen well, y/n’

yessir im listening

‘whatever the hell youre doing, cut it out. youre not going to rile me up anymore and im not going to give you the reactions you want. i dont understand why youre doing this to me but you need to stop before i make you’

ohgodyessir

ngl, that tone of his voice was the lowest youve heard and it made you so red bc that was just hot

but you gulped before grinning wolfishly, hand pressed against his chest and the other snaking around his neck

you pulled him down to your level so you could lean close to his ear

‘now you listen to me and listen well, ken-chan, youre not my best friend anymore so you can no longer tell me what to do, kay?’

shirabu was just flustered at the close proximity between your lips and his ears that he completely missed your warning

he only snapped out of it when you walked away, heading towards your next class

you sat in class that day, wondering how to tease him more

clearly, just words wouldnt make him irritated

gurl why you doing this

and you were stumped until you saw a red-haired looking guy accompanied by a gray-haired looking guy coming up to you

ofc you recognized them from the volley team since you’ve,,,,,,maybe seen a few practices

you thought theyd just pass by but they stopped in front of you and you looked up w wide eyes

‘can,,,, i help you?’

‘wow shes cute!’

the red head shouted and you shrunk under the gazes of these tall men

‘sorry about him. im semi eita, second year’

you shook his hand and you introduced yourself before soon finding out this other guy was tendo satori

‘so what do you need me for?’

‘you see, we’re kinda in need of a manager. and i think its better to have a manager who is close to a player in the team. i apologize to say this but i saw you and shirabu-san by the lockers the other day and i think its best to have his girlfriend as our manager’

‘g-girlfriend?!’

you shrieked, shocked that they thought you were

at this mention, you got a flashback from the festival and you soon turned bright red at the label of you being kenjiro’s girlfriend

‘and youre so cute y/n-chan! i can see what our darling kouhai sees in you!’

‘no, you got it all wrong its-’

then you stopped

omg this was the perfect opportunity

no gurl stop jesus take the wheel

shirabu would hate it if you were a manager bc that would give you more room to tease him

holy

then you smiled

‘i accept, senpais. i want to see my baby in action after all’

they were ecstatic since it was a hassle to find a manager who wasnt infatuated w ushijima

you exchanged contacts and soon, you were brought to meet the team

oh boy when kenjiro saw you at the door, he dropped the ball on his head

what in the hell were you doing here

‘guys, this is our new manager!’

you peeked out from tendo and waved at them

‘hello, my name is l/n y/n, first year. and im glad to be your manager’

noticing shirabu’s shocked form, tendo and semi shared a look and interpreted as, hes so happy that his senpais chose his girlfriend for him so now he could show off and play better and that could hopefully turn his attitude to be more grateful and respectful rather than this dismissive and disrespectful behavior

but shirabu was dying inside

oh god, youre totally going to tease him during practice and hes not going to be at his best and hes not going to be able to prove himself to ushijima

‘oi! shirabu-kun! come be grateful to your senpais for letting your darling girlfriend as our manager!’

‘hey baby!’

omg, what

again, you have a loud and expressive personality so you were kinda shameless so you just ran up and hugged him

aaaaa this is so embarassing wth

‘didnt you miss me? oh, youre so cute!’

god, he knows youre only here to spite him

right on point, good sir

ugh you were practically teasing him as the manager and you were having so much fun making him all flustered

but he was also spiteful 

sometimes, he would stick his foot out whenever youd run towards a player and hed laugh at you embarassing yourself in front of them

youd return the favor by accidentally throwing his water bottle at his face

‘oh, gomen, ken-chan’

the entire time, the team was baffled to see the usual stoic and dismissive shirabu so freely laughing and actually teasing you

they think its just for good fun and not the aim of hurting each other since yall are dating and youre just flirting

combined w being academic rivals and now rivals during the team, you both were unintentionally becoming close again

the brutality was slowly simmering to a low heat

and turn the over on at 350 degrees

now, it was just to make each other flustered

the crush that you thought was gone, was slowly digging itself out like the zombies in plants vs zombies

and my god you were annoyed

from now on, you were nothing but rivals and a parasite on his side

him feeling the same

dating would cause too much and the hurtful words would eventually come back up and you concluded that you were just too different

you didnt conclude shit

one time, the team was walking from practice to a nearby convenience store to pick up food

ofc you were picking out a billion foods and you just shoved them all to his arms

‘my darling boyfriend would pay for it because he loves me. ya know what they say, make his pockets hurt’

he glared at you 

‘as far as i remember, i wasnt dating a pig’

ngl, that hurt a little bc hes calling you a fattie

but he still went up to pay for it and you intentionally bumped him with your hips to annoy him but it caused him to drop his wallet to fall

and out came his money and that picture

the picture from nearly 3 years ago

you bent down to pick it up before he could even move 

god, yall were so happy and young back then

it was awkward silent since you didnt give it back and yall walked out of the store and the team was sensing the weird vibe around you two

‘oi, what happened? its so tense!’

‘did you fight?’

‘did you get caught making out by the aisles?’

‘ong shut up, kai!’

yall kai is a third year senpai that i completely made up since we dont get insight on the senpais before ushijima

but the team noticed the weird aura around you two and decided to walk away to give yall some space

‘can-will you hand it over now?’

shirabu mumbled

you nodded and pushed it in his hands

‘why,,,, why do you still have it?’

‘you gave it to me. of course id still have it’

you were silent before coughing

‘can we talk?’

‘its about time we do’

yall walked away from the team towards your home but were taking weird turns and corners to prolong the walk

you looked up to see him and you laughed

‘this is ridiculous. its not fair’

‘what are you talking about?’

he whispered

‘i was so angry at you for saying that you dont need me and that you could easily find someone better because i knew that and i didnt like it. but i was so hurt that it came from your mouth. out of everyone, i would rather die than hear you say that to me. i think thats why ive been like this. i dont know, im being stupid. i was being stupid.’

he stopped walking and clenched his fist while glaring at the ground

‘you told me you were going to leave me. you were telling me that you wouldnt be friends with me anymore. i had to choose between you or volleyball and i wasnt at the right state of mind at that time so i chose incorrectly’

you noticed him not beside you anymore so you went behind him to rest your forehead on his back so he would see you since he preferred to be honest while not looking at you

‘ken-chan, we messed up big time, didnt we?’

his body shook as he laughed

‘i guess we did’

‘it was only over a game. i was so mean and dramatic and ive called you names and said bad stuff about you and im sorry’

‘im not innocent either. i said those words to you and im sorry’

despite slightly making up now, you both knew those feelings would have to wait because you were only getting each other back

‘can we start over, ken-chan?’

‘you want to?’

‘yes’

‘then we will’

omg the whiplash this is giving me

so yall are finally becoming friends and your families are relieved yall made up again bc wowza those dinners were torturous

‘now that they made up, we can go back to planning their wedding’

‘MOM NO!’

slowly but surely, everything has been going steady and your friendship was getting better

but you didnt admit to the club about everything bc again, shirabu was like, ‘i dont feel like explaining everything’

you both still kept a rivalry but it was friendly this time with cute wagers like treat me to milk bread or banana milk

tOOrU oIKaWA’s fAvoRiTE fOod iS MiLK bREaD

he came over often and studied w you and yall would end up actually just watching a movie or watching brain games, unconsciously cuddled up on the couch

however,

this new closeness was doing damage to your heart bc you were again reminded of how much you liked this boy

initially, you thought it would just go away and never be seen again but it said

sIKe biH!

every time you saw him, youd unconsciously sweep away a stray hair and fix it to his weird crooked style

but whenever you do that, shirabu would get a close view of your face and omg you were freaking beautiful

and thats saying something from a guy who saw you through your awkward phase

hes unconsciously touching you more and showing more affection, even more than when yall were young

just being w you was emotionally exhausting as he holds himself back from doing drastic things but he was over it

he was done with all the years of pining for you so finally found the balls to do something about it

you were over at his place to study for exams and he was coming back up with juice

you were slumped over your calculus textbook with your hair in a bun and glasses on wearing his clothes

god theyre practically dating already

‘ken-chan, come help me with this’

he nods and goes to sit behind you

with his tall height, he was able to look over your shoulder and place his chin on it and tbh, you were so frustrated w the problem you didnt care about the closeness

‘you misplaced a decimal so everything got all wrong’

he mumbled

you gasped and made a noise of agreement before changing your answer

he didnt move though, instead wrapping his arms around yourwaist

‘oi, n/n’

‘hm’

this is a familiar scene

‘wanna go to the market tomorrow?’

at the mention of the market you stopped and leaned back

oh god your heart leapt at the feeling of his chest behind you but you composed quickly

‘should we?’

you turned to gauge his reaction at your closeness but he gently smiled

‘yea’

‘okay’

you havent been back to the market together since that day and it was so nostalgic as you both did the things you did back then

from the takoyaki to the stalls

it was so fun

but your heart was beating so fast

his smiling face and thoroughly enjoyed face was doing palpations in your heart

you looked away to stop staring at him and found the photo booth

‘look, ken-chan! the photo booth!’

he chuckled at the thought

‘should we go get another one?’

‘yes! come on!’

you quickly inserted the money and shirabu had flashbacks

but this time it was going to be different

‘okay lets start!’

the first picture, it was a peace sign

the second one was a wacky one

but the next one, was different

‘oi y/n’

‘what?’

the shutter went off just in time of him kissing you

the bright light caused you to close your eyes and you soon forgot what was happening

all you knew you were kissing ken-chan

your best friend

turned enemy

turned friend again

and now,,, were you lovers?

this rollercoaster is quite loopy

he pulled away and rested his forehead against yours

‘im sorry if-’

‘no balls, do it again’

and this time you lunged back for another

and again, this time, not only did you give him another photo, but you also gave him your heart

la fin.

yall what did i just write

[deathonyourtongue]

Resurrection | 12

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: Nothing much really. A/N: Sorry this took so long. February really is the worst month.

By the flight manifest, we’re half an hour behind Wallace, and I feel every minute of it on the plane ride from London to Benghazi. Prior to joining the team, I’d only been assigned to Libya once and it was from the comfort of the Whitney parked off the coast of Italy. This will be my first time with boots on the ground, and the history of spec ops in the country isn’t lost to me; it’s just one more reason why I’m glad I no longer have to wear a uniform.

“Ten minutes out,” the pilot calls over the comms, everyone prepping their go bags, ready to make up for any head start Wallace has. 

Benina International Airport barely registers in my mind as we pick up two vehicles that were prepped for us courtesy of Uncle Sam, my mind’s sole focus being on saving the hostage and capturing Wallace. All of us want our pound of flesh, none more so than those he’s directly injured over the course of the last few weeks. 

“I need everyone on their A game. We can’t afford to let him slip through our fingers again. His behavior is escalating and since he’s so well-connected to the who’s-who, it stands to reason, he’s going to throw everything he has at us. Above all else though, we leave no one behind. Understood?” Rick’s voice is firm but warm over our comms, making it clear that despite the gravity of the situation, he cares about our well-being first and foremost. 

“Do you think he’s trying to do a shot-for-shot remake?” Jake asks as we roll into Benghazi proper, grateful for the tinted windows on the late model G wagons no doubt left over from Gaddafi’s rule. 

“If you mean do I think he’s going to go to the same village we were patrolling? No. I don’t think he’s that sentimental about things. I think he’s going to pick a spot that’s overlooked by the country and blow it to high hell after he finishes reenacting his sick fantasies. Remember, had we not stopped him that night--”

“I know, he’d have committed war crimes,” Jake cuts Dom off, his sickened expression making it clear that he doesn’t need to be reminded. 

“Has intel found him yet?” I ask, hoping we don’t have to waste any more time in tracking him down. 

“They don’t have a lock yet, but they are tracking a BMW that came out of Benina half an hour ago. Reports of a blond woman without a hijab and a red-haired man poured in the second they landed.” Rick explains, all of us shaking our head. 

“Muslim majority country and she already sticks out like a sore thumb by being blond, but he didn’t bother to make her wear a hijab? If we don’t get to him, the Libyan police will,” I snort, finding little humor in the recklessness with which Wallace treats the lives of others. Like any good narcissist, he cares only for himself and if others get hurt in the process of him getting what he wants, so be it. 

“They’re going to attract attention no matter what. All of us are. Keep as low a profile as possible, and with any luck, we’ll be out of here by this time tomorrow,” Rick adds, all of us hoping for the outcome that’s eluded us since we reunited. 

Our hideout in Benghazi is simple, yet beautiful. Like most places, it’s heavily fortified, a solid metal gate closing behind us and men standing watch on all four corners as we make our way towards something that resembles a Roman villa of old. Outside, the heat hits me and for a second, I’m brought back to the op that nearly took my life, hoping that this time, things will end differently, at least for our team. Max’s cologne brings me back to the present, and I fall in step with him as we make our way into the blissfully cool war room. 

“Oh fuck yeah. Don’t mind if I do!” Jake enthuses as he takes note of the tea and finger foods laid out on the table. Shaking my head, but nonetheless pleased, I take a seat and let out a breath I don’t realize I’ve been holding. Max’s hand smooths over my hair as he sits next to me, his gaze still eyeing my bruise with concern. It’s endearing to say the least, and not the kind of treatment I’m used to in any part of my life. 

“Okay, fuel up, but pay attention. Intel has an eye in the sky and they’ve found the BMW. We’re tracking him now. Gonna let him get settled in, then we’ll pay him a house call. He’s also traveling light; only two body men and paid local team which means--”

“Which means a bunch of teenage human shields. Fucking great,” I mutter.

Stephanie Pierce had been dumped half an hour before getting to the airport. Doing her best to save face, she’d made it through security and was intent on getting a little drunk before boarding, if only so she could sleep on the flight. American by birth, she had come to London for school, and had, up until the breakup, been having the time of her life. 

Now it's all spiraling into a nightmare. 

“Please, just let me get back to the airport! I don’t have anything to do with this! I didn’t do anything! I’m just a student! Please!” 

“I can’t do that, darling. For one, you’ve seen my face, and two...Well, you’re my insurance policy. You see, the people that I’m after, they have a soft spot for those they consider innocent. Problem is, no one’s ever truly innocent, are they? No, not even you, dear Stephanie. It only took a few moments for me to do the numbers, so to speak. Young, parents are middle class at best, no real money for school, especially abroad, but here you are in designer clothing, taking vacations whenever it strikes your fancy, and not a dime in debt. Do your parents know what you do on the internet, my darling? Didn’t think so. No, that deep, dark secret won’t be revealed until after you perish, which...will be soon, I’m afraid.” 

Her screams make her captor laugh, almost as though he’s delighted by the reaction. It chills her to the bone. Now she understands that this isn’t some wannabe who hijacked a plane and has no real plan; far from it. Whoever he is, he has calculated each and every move leading up to this point. 

She wishes she could talk to her mom one last time. 

“Night Train to Alpha, confirm visual.” 

“Alpha to Night Train we have visual. We count 12 signatures, including the hostage. You are a go.”

We’re no stranger to David and Goliath fights, and 12 is on the smaller side of some of the groups we’ve taken on, but no matter the number, we approach this one with extra precaution, only because of Wallace’s M.O. None of us are looking to be anywhere near another one of his bombs. 

The compound he’s made his hideout is run of the mill for this part of the world. Like our own, Wallace’s has high walls, a sturdy gate, and a simple floor plan. It leaves us with two options; come in with a bang, or creep in with a whisper. 

“There’s two gates,” I remind the boys, knowing full well that while they all prefer coming in with as much firepower as possible, it opens the door for Wallace to get away in the commotion, and I, for one, want to end this once and for all. 

“Alpha, how many signatures on the exterior?” Dom asks, all of us hidden in the shadows, waiting for the deciding factor on how we proceed.

“Looks like 2 on the south side, patrolling the far gate. If you’re going in quiet, now’s the time to move.” 

We all nod and immediately get to work. Strapping on my gloves, I grab my wire cutters out of the pocket on my kevlar, and wait until Flip has gotten into position. The tallest of the team, he bends over, providing me with the flat of his back to stand on so that I can cut the razor wire off the top of the wall. Carefully, I peek over the edge, relieved when I find the courtyard empty. Though there are lights on in the compound, every window is covered with an opaque blind, making this way of entering far better suited to our needs. 

I cut enough wire away to allow all the boys to climb over, making sure to throw it away from the compound not only for safety, but to reduce the chances of us being heard. Satisfied that everyone has clearance, I pocket my multitool and quickly hop over, landing softly in the dirt. 

Rick and Benji are quick to follow, the three of us taking up post so that the rest of the guys can come in safely. It takes less than five minutes for all of us to breach the perimeter, and after a moment to regroup, we move towards our target. 

“Alpha, we need your eyes,” Rick whispers, taking point as we position ourselves flush against the nearest wall of the compound. We could clear the place blind, but that increases the chance that someone will sound the alarm as they die, and we can’t take the risk. Though they said they had to wash their hands of it, after Rome, the DOD extended their resources; while they can’t send those currently serving, they can provide a helping hand to those who are willing to risk it all to capture one of our own.

“Two at 3 o’clock, in the first room. There’s two at the back gate you’ll want to handle first.” 

Nodding at one another, we split up. Rick and Dom position themselves at the first room, Flip and Benji take up post across the villa in front of another room, while Max, Jake and I edge around to the back of the compound, intent on taking out the two men guarding the rear gate as silently as possible.

With Jake on one side, Max and I move around to the other side, all of us needing to get eyes on the men. As I predicted, they’re young, but I find cold solace when I see that they’re not teenagers, bought out to act as human shields. Checking my gun, I make sure the silencer is on tightly before leveling it into place to look through my scope. At less than 50 feet, it’s an easy shot; it just has to be timed correctly. Max counts us down using only his fingers, and when the time is right, both Jake and I take double-tap shots, killing the men before they have a chance to make a sound.

Over comms, I can hear Rick and Dom breaching their first room, and as we move back towards the center of the villa, Benji and Flip do the same. My relief grows with every room that’s cleared, the body count growing as we approach the spot where Wallace is holed up with the hostage. 

“Last room has the prize. Good luck, and godspeed.”

The room in question lies at the heart of the villa. Protected on either side by anti-rooms, We have to work our way through two more sets of men before finally being able to come face-to-face with Wallace once again. 

A bright smile is the last thing we expect when we finally level our guns to his head. 

“Nice of you all to finally join me. Thought it would take much less time for Uncle Sam to track me down. No matter, you’re here now, we can get to it. In your haste, I’m afraid none of you noticed...” Wallace’s gaze goes to the floor, and as my own eyes follow, I can’t help but feel my heart sink. My eyes dart quickly to Max and Dom, nausea overcoming me as I find that every single one of us has stepped on a trip wire. 

“It’s like Russian Roulette, except I’m the one holding the gun.”

Wallace’s laugh will be imprinted in my mind for the rest of my life.

[leossmoonn]

hii congrats on 1.4k!! can i request 🔮 for male marauders and golden trio era? my pronouns are she/her, i’m gryffindor, i laugh in situations i shouldn’t be laughing at, i’m very friendly and i act the same around a person i know for 5 minutes and a person i know for years, i’m loud when talking, i’m too kind for my own sake, i get annoyed easily but everyone says i’m funny then, i get nervous easily especially around a person i like and i get especially loud then, i love nature and swimming and i love dancing but i’m really bad at it,, thank you!!

thank you so much! yes yes of course!

male marauders ship - james potter

when james first heard your laugh, he immediately fell in love. he was in detention and had heard your laugh from outside the classroom. you were walking through the halls w marlene and dorcas as you all had a free period. james turned his head and fell even more as he saw your face. he then realised it was you, gryffindor prefect and top of all your classes. sirius had always thought you were a know-it-all, but james thought you were funny and pretty and he was determined to get to know you better.

so after detention, he went to his house to find you. luckily, you were studying w remus and lily. he walked up to you all suave and gave you a little smirk, to which you reacted by just staring at him while sweating profusely. little did he know, you also liked him. but ofc he didnt know that, not yet, so his smile faltered and he gave you a warm, polite smile instead and said “hi, y/n. i’m james potter. we have potions and DADA together.” he held his hand out for you to shake and you stared at it for a good few seconds before laughing. youre like “y-you, you know my name? ohmygod, haha- WOW. s-sorry, i-i’m not usually this um, giggly. HAHA” and james just grins and says “no worries love. do you mind accompanying to hogsmeade this weekend” and youre like “… alright…” and james is sooo happy hehe. “it’s a date!” he exclaimed before running up to his dorm to find sirius to tell him the good news. the wait for the weekend was painful for both of you, but def worth it.

you met him at the gates, looking beautiful as usual. james complimented you like 100 timed in the first 5 minutes, you were grinning like a child who just got their christmas wish. you two strolled around the town, james ending up buying everything for you 💀. you open up to him pretty quickly and you two bounce from topic to topic seamlessly. at the end of the night, you two were at hog’s head and (ik this sounds like a muggle thing but shhh) they had karaoke night and lily and remus sung a duet, to which james pulled you up from your seat in surprise. at first you're confused and are like "wth???" and james is like "dance with me, darling!" and you're like "HAHA NO" and james frowns and asks why and you pull him close and say "i'm horrible at dancing, james. althought i will admit, i love it," you chuckle. and james is like "perfect! here, i'll teach you, m'kay?" and you're not so sure but yk james won't let up so you follow him to the dance floor.

he puts your arms around his neck and he puts his hands on the middle of your back, not too high, not too low, and you two start dancing. james at first is impressed and is like "you're not half bad, l/n." but he's spoken too soon bc you then begin to step on his feet as you two sway faster. and he's like "OW OW OW!" and you pull away from him and is like "ah im so sorry. i didn't mean to :((" and he just shrugs, "it's alright. no worries. here, lemme teach you". and he takes you in his arms again. "just follow my lead, okay. relax and just feel the music. if you panic, just stop, look at my feet, and regroup, m'kay?" and you nod tentatively and he smiles and you two start swaying. for the first 3 minutes, your eyes are at his feet, watching his and making sure you don't trip again and hurt his toes. and a few minutes later, you are dancing like a pro! (you step on his feet still... but only a few times so its not that bad hehe).

male golden trio ship - fred weasley

fred made smth blow up in hagrid's face (bless his soul) and the whole class went silent except for you. fred and george were laughing, but they were keeping it quiet while you were literally honking. your whole face gets hot with embarrassment as you realise you're the only one laughing and everyone is staring at you. you look down in shame at your desk as you feel everyone's judging eyes on you. well, not everyone is judging hehe. hargrid ends up taking 15 points from your house, 10 for the prank, 5 for you laughing (oops...). hagrid continues class and everyone goes back to paying attention to him except for fred. he's staring at you the whollleeee time.

you're two grades below him (u two are 5th and 7th year but ill age u up to 16 instead of 15 since he’s 17:)) so honestly he's never really noticed you outside of the common room before. you are friends w ron tho so ofc he knows of you and has seen you around the school, but he's never really paid attention to you before until now. and he glad he finally did because you are gorgeousss. after class, he ends up approaching you and ofc you're starstruck bc your best friend's cool, funny, hot older brother is talking to you.

he's like "i noticed you were laughing at my prank. you think that was funny?" and his tone kinda makes you scared bc he's really serious, but you end up nodding really slowly. his serious face breaks into a happy one as he says "great! at least someone was amused. say, you're friends with my baby brother, right?" he asks. and you're like "um... yeah..." and he says "great! well, why don't you take a break from hanging out w my loser brother and hang out w me tonight? george and i are planning a few more pranks." your jaw drops to the mf floor and youre like “uh. um yeah… s-sure” and fred’s like “😁😁😁 GREAT. see u then, l/n!” and your heart goes 🦋🦋🦋 and youre like “alright.. see you then”

so like you tell your friends, harry ron and hermione, abt your plans and harry is like “cool cool. tell us how it goes!” and hermione and you are giggling abt you hanging out w a boy two years up from you. and ron’s like “yeah whateva. have fun ig🙄” and hes just jealous bc his cool olders brothers are stealing his best friend but you reassure him you’re still his bff and youll hang out w him after/the next day. A

NYWAYS so it comes time and you step into the common room, confused as there was no one there. so you go and sit on the couch to wait but as you sit down, fred’s face immediately emerges from nowhere and you literally trip over and fall into him (which youre freaked out bc you cant see his body) but the invisibility cloak drops and he puts his arms around you quickly and holds you up just as your abt to fall. and your faces are literally like millimeters apart. and you think youre abt to kiss but fred pulls away and helps stabilize you before grabbing his cloak. youre like all shy again and he just smiles and says hello and sits down in the couch. you follow him in suit and he explains what the invisibility cloak is. then he gets out all his toys and prank stuff and you’re honestly really interested and you even give him ideas for new pranks and yk he likes you like 1000 times more hehe.

you two end up talking for a few hours and you emerge out of your shell and fred is very happy bc he now sees like the real you. a few hours later and your curled up on the couch, head on his shoulder and youre about to fall asleep (super romantic). fred then mentions george and youre like “oh wait. how come he isnt here?” and fred’s like “hes w angelina. his gf” and youre like “oooh” and then you boldly ask “do you have a gf” and you lift your head up from his shoulder and your face is so close to his, not as close as before, but you can feel his breath on your lips. and he looks you in the eyes and is like “no” and youre like “do you like anyone?” and as he speaks he looks down at your lips, “yeah. i think i do” and you think you know its you bc well like, how can you not in this moment. and youre like “who?” and hes like “you” AND THEN (im sorry this shit is so long but im living the dream) he leans in and your lips touch and you kiss and its all 😍🦋😏😁😋😩🥰🤩😽👻. lol anyways you pull away and are like 😳 and fred is like 😏 “ill see u tmrw right?” and youre like “y-yeah…” and you watch as he stood up and collects his stuff and leaves you. once you know hes gone, you stand up and start squealing and jumping around hehe and you run upstairs to tell hermione.

next morning, fred finds you at lunch and asks you point blank if you wanna be his gf and youre like “yes duh.” and you two then become official! so even tho fred is a prankster and is always carefree and stuff, he does have a compassionate side that comes out when he feels need be. hes so supportive too and he treats you like a mf queen. he’ll literally buy you anything and will do anything for you. he also plays jokes on u which you get him back and hes very impressed w your creativity and boldness.

so during breaks and summers, you visit the burrow and you two often hang out outside near the willow tree in their yard. you two also go swimming in the lake (let’s pretend its a big lake not a pond lol). its super nice and relaxing especially on like 90 degree days where you two are melting. you two always are splashing each other and laughing loudly. sometimes you two just cuddle and drink pumpkin juice and talk about what fred is gonna do now that he’s outta school. tbh youre afraid that once you go back to school and youre apart, youll grow apart, but fred always assure you two that you wont bc you two are soulmates <3

hope you enjoyed this!

join my celebration!

[what-is-your-plan-today]

Riding High Ch 17: Welcome To Miami

Chapter Summary: Frank, Fliss and the Circle Of Truth take a Road Trip….

Chapter Warnings: Bad Language words. SMUT (NSFW) No under 18s!!!

Chapter Pairings:  Frank Adler x OFC Fliss Gallagher

A/N: As always, gotta thank @icanfeelastormbrewing for her help and suggestions with this!

Chapter Song:   Live Forever by Oasis

Series Masterlist  // Main Masterlist 

Maybe you're the same as me, we see things they'll never see, you and I are gonna live forever

June 2018

“How’s Fliss?” Gregg asked as Frank leaned back in his chair, hand curled round his bottle of beer. 

Frank looked at his friend and took a deep breath “She says she’s ok. I think it’s the waiting that’s the worst. Knowing the board’s been held is one thing, not knowing the outcome….” “I know it’s hard and easy for me to say this but…well, even if he gets out he won’t be allowed anywhere near her. As I explained to her likely hood is he’ll be tagged and on a curfew and movements restricted to the state of Mass.” Gregg took a sip of his drink “And if it isn’t done automatically, through the appeal process I can file for further restrictions as well around him contacting her in any way, shape or form…but I’d be surprised if that isn’t a condition.”

“I know.” Frank said, “And she gets that…I think it’s more anger about the whole thing now you know?” “It sucks.” Gregg nodded “He spent so long abusing her and he’s still managing to do it in a way through all this.” Frank raised his eyebrows and took a drink of his beer, nodding to Jake and Simon as they approached their table.

“I know I don’t need to ask but…” Frank started but Gregg raised a hand.

“You’re right, you don’t.” he said, understanding immediately that Frank was asking him to keep quiet, and he nodded as their two friends arrived at the table. After the greetings they all settled down reaching for a beer from the bucket that sat in the middle of them all, the conversation easy. Frank was happy to see the boys, he hadn’t in a few weeks so he’d grabbed the opportunity for a few beers happily, Fliss and Mary practically shoving him out of the door as they had some girly night in planned with Roberta consisting of popcorn, pizza, facemasks and a Marvel DVD, Fliss and Roberta assuring him whole heartedly they were watching it because it was a good film and not merely to perve on Chris Hemsworth or Evans or whoever the hell the Chris was in this particular one.

Whatever, sweetheart.

“So…” Simon said, looking around the table “Are we still on for a weekend somewhere? 22nd to 24th June?”

They all made noises, and Frank nodded. “Schedules cleared, baby sitter lined up…we just need to decide where we’re going.”

“Well, I got something to suggest to y’all…” Jake grinned “Greg already knows about this, but basically, the Company we’re doing the promotional work for has offered us up to 10 each for the Miami Rocks Concert which runs that weekend....so if you’re interested.”

“Rock music?” Simon looked at him, and Jake shook his head. 

“Not just rock.” he said, leaning forward “It’s a combination of tribute acts and the real deal…and there’s different stages each with a different genre, and the main stage which contains the big acts.” “Ok, I’m interested…” Frank leaned forward.

“So the Friday night is a rewind to the 70s, 80s and 90s… headlined by none other than Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Mr Will Smith himself…” Frank let out a snort and looked at Simon who had started bopping in his seat, clicking his fingers.

“That finishes about midnight and then Saturday is the big one. You got 5 Seconds of Summer, George Ezra and Liam Gallagher from Oasis headlining that night.” Jake continued “The other stages rage from all sorts. Mo-Town, Indie, Chart, Reggae…and then there’s a party after which continues until early hours, run by Hot Dub Time Machine.”

“Shut the front door!” Simon snorted “Hot Dub?”

Jake nodded.

“Dude I saw him one New Year’s Eve in New York a few years ago.” Simon said “He was brilliant!”

Frank sat and listened as his friends started to discuss the concert in more detail. He had to admit, it sounded like a pretty good idea, and just the distraction Fliss could do with.

“Hate to be the voice of logic…” Simon said. “But if it’s only like three weeks off, wont’ we have trouble getting hotel rooms?”

“Fuck that, I’ll sleep on the back of the truck.” Frank said, causing the rest of them to laugh. “No need Frankie-boi, I work for the Hyatt Group man.” Jake shook his head “Three rooms already reserved out in the Regency, about 10 minutes’ walk if that from Bayfront Park where the concert is…just in case you fancied it. $100 a room for 2 nights, including a late checkout on the Sunday coz, well, we’re gonna need it.”

“Three?” Frank frowned.

“You and Fliss, Simon and Bonnie, and Me and Greg…” “What about Zara and Lisa?” he frowned “I thought this was a couple’s thing, not a boys weekend away…”

“Well it was going to be…” Greg shrugged “But Zara’s away with the kids that weekend, decided to go back to California as her sister is being taken in for a C-section, and of course she has to be there…”

“And it’s Lisa’s idea of hell…” Jake supplied.

“So why don’t we re-arrange?” Simon asked.

“Fuck that!” Jake snorted “I’m got a child and fiancée free pass for the weekend.” “Amen brother!” Gregg hi-fived him.

“But you two can bring your girls, no problem…they’re cool” Jake gestured between Frank and Simon with his beer bottle. “Thanks for your permission…” Frank raised an eyebrow.

****

Naturally, Fliss was over the moon with the promise of a music festival, especially when she looked up the acts that were on. So, when the Friday in question rolled around, after dropping Mary at school, with strict instructions she was to behave herself as Frank WOULD be checking, they set off in Fliss’ jeep, Frank driving as she lounged in the passenger seat, eyes hidden by her aviators, hair pulled into a loose side pony tail as they made the four hour down the coast and across state to Florida, stopping half way for some food at a roadside diner.

Given that Simon and Bonnie weren’t due to arrive until just gone 5 ish, Bonnie having to finish the morning’s classes before she could leave and that Jake and Greg were here having come down the night before, when they had checked in they decided to freshen up and go for a walk, Fliss eager to hit Lincoln Road Mall. They spent a few hours just walking and looking in the shops, eventually finding a Pandora one which Fliss headed into wanting a new charm for her bracelet as a memory of the weekend. She paced the shop eventually settling for a silver palm tree with a small diamond in the middle of the trunk and Frank batted her hand down when she went to pay, instead producing his card. The usual argument about who was paying ensued, which eventually Frank won by telling Fliss that he wanted to be the one that filled that bracelet for her, and she relented, smiling softly. Frank didn’t miss the relieved look on the shop assistant’s face as she finally waved the out of the store.

They met Jake and Greg in a bar not far from the hotel, and they were joined by Bonnie and Simon for a drink before the two girls announced they were heading off to get changed and ready for the evening.  Frank left it until about 20 minutes before he needed to be ready and headed up to their room, pulling on one of his infamous hideous Hawaiian shirts which he had brought especially. Fliss looked at him, shaking her head with a fond smile on her face as he innocently asked her what the problem was. She laughed and told him nothing at all, before she gave him a kiss and they headed down to meet the others.

The walk down to the Park took them 10 minutes. Fliss was walking slightly ahead with Bonnie, her braid swinging down her back, gently brushing against the yellow off the shoulder top she was wearing. Her bottom half was dressed in denim shorts, a pair of pink converse boots on her feet. She’d certainly embraced the Festival Vibe, opting for bright colours in honour of the fact they were heading back musically a few decades. They arrived and joined the queue to exchange their tickets for wrists bands which took them about 15 minutes, and then they joined the lines to get through the main gates. That didn’t take long at all and once they were through they followed the crowd before Greg stopped, and looked around.

“We get split up…” “We all got phones!” Jake snorted “What are you, 50?”

“Sorry, force of habit with the kids…” Greg let out a groan as everyone laughed.

“So the main stage is that way…” Jake said, pointing to his left “Right at the back. DJ stage is there, and the other stages are dotted about…anyone got any preference on where we go?” “Other than Will Smith I really wanna to go the 80s stage!” Fliss grinned and Bonnie Hi-Fived her.

“Yeah we got some Duran Duran to dance to.” she agreed. “And Erasure.”

“And Wham.” “And Culture Club….” “Yeah, we get the picture…” Simon rolled his eyes.

“Oh and I want to see the Queen and AC/DC tributes.” Fliss finished.

“Anything else?” Frank looked at her.

“Beer.” she nodded “We need beer.”

“Well we need tokens.” Jake said, “No cash at the bar, tokens only so…the tent is over there…”

They all set off, Fliss and Bonnie hanging behind chatting away, but it wasn’t long before their chatter died down and Frank turned to see that, actually, it hadn’t died down, they’d disappeared. “Where the hell are the girls?”  Simon asked, looking round as he realised they were missing.

“Knowing Fliss in some tent getting her face painted…” Frank paused, turning on the spot before he spotted them. Fliss was stood as Bonnie was sat on a stool, having some sort of Festival glitter painted around her temple and eye socket. “Yup, there you go…” Simon followed his gaze and snorted. “Fucking hell…what are they, 8?” “Leave ‘em be.” Frank said fondly “Come on, let’s go get the drinks sorted.”

He waved at Fliss, before pointing to where they were going and she gave him a thumbs up to show she understood, before Bonnie stood up and she sat down. Frank smiled at her face as it lit up and he headed off after Simon.

By the time they had gotten the tokens and ordered beers for them all, the girls still hadn’t joined them, and it didn’t take long to realise why. They were both in a tent which contained 2 electronic dance mats, right in the middle of a very energetic dance off.

“It’s like having a pair of kids…” Simon mumbled the boys stood by the entrance to the tent whilst Frank simply grinned. As they watched Bonnie made a mistake, the mat flashed red, and then another one, before Fliss made one too. The two girls’ foot work was ridiculously fast as the song gathered pace and finally the routine ended. Fliss grinned and hi-fived Bonnie as their scores flashed up, Fliss winning by 60 points.

“Yesss!” she grinned punching the air as Bonnie shook her head and the man handed them both some really tacky bright pink beaded necklaces for taking part.

“Re-match…” Bonnie said, looking at Fliss as they both dropped the necklaces over their heads.

“Maybe later, I’m fucked now…” Fliss said, bending over, hands on her knees as she drew her breath “I need a drink!”

She turned and saw the boys in the doorway, Frank raised an eyebrow and held up the beer and she grinned.

“I knew I bought you for something.” He rolled his eyes and then Greg suggested they head off to the first stage for the start of the 80s Tribute acts. They only intended to stay for a short while but Fliss begged Frank to stay longer, and was backed up by Bonnie as the Duran-Duran band came on. Fliss told Frank if he wanted to go and meet up later he could, but truth be told he didn’t want to. This was as much a weekend for him and her as it was for him and his friends, so with that in mind Simon and Frank both decided to stay with the girls and that they would find the others later.

And Frank was glad of his decision, as about 20 minutes later, when Hungry Like the Wolf started to play, Fliss was bouncing around like a lunatic. He knew it was one of her favourite songs, and seeing her cutting loose was making him a little horny if truth be told. He moved up behind her and grabbed her hips, swaying with her in time to the music as he dropped a kiss to her shoulder, gently singing along as she danced in front of him, occasionally brushing up against the front of his shorts, which was doing nothing to help his current situation.

“Someone’s definitely on the hunt down…” she teased, pushing her ass back into his crotch whilst she turned her head to face him as the song morphed into Rio. He grinned and gave her a kiss.

“Not hunting, I already got you.” “Hmm, yeah you did…” she murmured against his lips.

The continued dancing with one another, Simon and Bonnie doing the same before the 4 of them all decided they were ready for another drink. As fate would have it, they found Greg and Jake already at the bar. They muscled their way in, grabbed another beer and then all turned to head towards one of the tall, standing tables which were dotted around not far from the bar. Frank waited for Fliss as she had ordered a bottle of water too, and the guy serving had forgotten it. When he came back, apologising, Fliss waved him off and thanked him as Frank picked the bottle up and stuck it in his pocket. He reached for Fliss’ hand, and they were making their way over to their friends when suddenly he felt Fliss yell out and she stopped dead. He turned to face her, seeing someone had bumped into her and her beer had spilt all down her top.

“Hey, come on man…” Frank looked at the guy as Fliss pulled her hand out of his to wipe at her top “Be careful huh…” But the man wasn’t looking at him, his eyes were fixed completely on Fliss. “Yes, wouldn’t want an accident now would we, Felicity?” At the sound of her full name Frank instantly knew this had to be someone to do with her ex-husband and he reached out for Fliss as he saw her stiffen and slowly she raised her head to look at the man, her eyes widening and she swallowed.

“Richard.” she spoke softly.

“Fancy seeing you here. Must be nice to be free to do what you want.” “Yeah, well, making up for lost time I suppose…” she said, “I didn’t exactly get a lot of chance to have fun when your brother was beating the shit out of me.”

Her chin raised a little defiantly and Frank felt a surge of pride as she stood up for herself, the anger evident on her face.

“You’re a fucking liar…” Richard said and Frank immediately stepped in.

“Ok that’s enough…” he said sternly, looking at the man “We’re not here for any trouble, we’re just out for a good time with friends, and I’d like to keep it that way. So, if you don’t mind, we’re done here.” he turned to Fliss and slid his arm round her waist, making to steer her away.

“You need to be careful.” Richard spoke to Frank’s retreating back. “Now she’s got her claws into you, you’re done…first sign of trouble she’ll be accusing you of all sorts.”

Frank sighed, he’d tried to be reasonable, but the anger felt like it was bubbling from his feet and he whirled round, placing himself in between the man and Fliss. “Listen, asshole, why don’t you just fuck off?” he spoke, tone laced with venom. “Your brother is a nasty, wife beating, rapist piece of shit.”

At that Richard stepped forward, drawing himself to full height, still a good 3 inches shorter than Frank. His fists balled as he clenched his hands at his side, his mouth curled up into a snarl.

“She’s a liar.”  Richard pointed at Fliss, before his attention turned back to Frank. “She lied and because of her, John’s life and career is ruined…” “His life? Ruined?” Frank barked out a laugh “Your brother got nothing more than he deserved, and so will you if you don’t get the fuck outta my face.”

“Frank…” Fliss pleaded with him, pulling on his arm and desperately looking around for help before this descended into a fight. Thankfully, she caught Jake’s eye who hit Greg on the shoulder, who in turn tapped Simon, and the three of them plus Bonnie hastily started to jog over.

“If he was that bad why has he been considered for parole?” Richard shrugged “An appeal his lawyer is convinced he’ll win…” Richard said, taking a step back as the other men approached. “And that’s all because they finally saw through her lies…” Frank made an angry noise but Greg pushed himself in between the two men, patting Frank on the chest.

“Come on buddy…” he said. “Whatever it is, leave it…” Jake went to grab Frank’s arm, but he jerked it out of his grip.

“I’ll tell you this…” Frank said, pointing at Richard “If he gets out, you can tell him from me, he stays the fuck away from my girl, and the rest of my family, you got that? Or I’ll put him in a hospital, see how he likes it.”

“Big man making all the threats huh?” “It ain’t a threat, it’s a god-damned promise.” Frank snarled. Richard gave a snort of a laugh before he allowed his wife to steer him away, shooting one last contemptuous glance at both him and Fliss.

“What the fuck?” Simon turned to Frank, who completely ignored him and moved to where Fliss was stood, her arms wrapped cross her front, hugging herself, Bonnie gently talking to her.

“You ok?” he asked her gently and she gave a nod as he took her in his arms, hugging her tightly, hand falling to the back of her head.

Gregg gave Frank a questioning look, which Frank answered with two words “His brother.” Gregg’s mouth fell open and he gave a nod of understanding.

“Who’s brother?” Jake pressed, “What just happened? I’m so confused.” “To be fair that doesn’t take much…” Frank heard Gregg say which earned him a “Fuck you” in response, and the two men began to bicker as Fliss stepped back from his arms. Frank looked down at her, taking her face in his hands.  “You good?” 

“Yeah…” she nodded “You shouldn’t have risen to him.” “Probably not.” he shrugged “But I’m not having that piece of shit or anyone associated with him trash mouthing you.”

“My hero…” she rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face told him he wasn’t in too much trouble. He gave a snort of a laugh and dropped a kiss to her head. “Can we go back to the dancing now please? And I need another beer, that ass hole spilt mine.” “Is it time for tequila yet?” Bonnie asked, offering Fliss a drink of her beer. Fliss took a sip, shaking her head 

“I swore after last time I would never drink that shit again.”

“But that was a lie, right?” Bonnie looked at her as she passed her pint back over.

“Yup, a very big lie…” Fliss agreed, causing the rest of the group to laugh.

So they did their tequila. Several shots of to be intact and spent the rest of the night wandering stage to stage, lapping up the atmosphere. Frank kept a close eye on his girl who seemed none the worse for her encounter as she danced the night away with him and Bonnie, the 2 of them disappearing at one point for a walk around the various stalls that were around the outside, coming back with a packet of interlocking glow sticks which they proceeded to activate and make head wear out of.  

Will Smith took to the stage at about 10 pm and Frank was beside himself with laughter as Fliss reverted to some kind of school kid. She seemed to know every single word to every goddamned song he had, and when it came to Men In Black she launched expertly into the dance routine that half the crowd were doing, in time to the video showing behind the stage.  Simon and Jake tried to copy her before they both gave up and when she finished she turned around and Frank raised his beer to her and she bowed, as they all laughed. Deciding that they didn’t want to stay for the after party, considering they knew it was going to be a really late one the next evening, instead they agreed to head down to the beach. They managed to find a guy who was walking round with a cool box selling beer and they bought 2 bottles each, for twice the price they should be but, whatever…

When in Miami…

As they walked across the sand, Frank looped his arm round Fliss’ shoulder whilst they weaved themselves through the various mini-parties which seemed to be going on as people were set up all over with small fires, beer, drinks and music playing. Frank had a sneaking suspicion half of them were probably intending on sleeping there too. Eventually they found a clear spot and flopped down onto the sand, under the illumination of one of the boardwalk lights and then Simon stood up, heading over to a group of teenagers sat a bit to their right.

“What’s he doing?” Greg asked.

“I think he’s reverse bootlegging.” Jake said and Frank gave a snort of laughter.

“What?” Fliss frowned, “What’s that?” “Instead of selling alcohol to underage kids he’s buying it off them, look.” Frank said, nodding to him. Fliss watched as Simon slipped one of the kids a twenty and took the bottle of vodka he was offering to them, raising it up as he walked back.

“What the fuck man?” Greg snorted “That’s…”

“Shameful.” Jake nodded before he chuckled, shaking his head. “I love it.” With a grin Simon dropped down next to Bonnie, standing the bottle of vodka up in the middle of the circle they seemed to have made as Fliss sat between Frank’s legs, leaning back against his chest. His spare hand ran up and down the outside of her thigh softly as they all sat chatting about the evening, comparing their best bits and what they were looking forward to tomorrow evening. Eventually, someone, Frank wasn’t sure who, decided that they should play Never Have I Ever, and Fliss eagerly agreed, jumping in with the first question.

“Ok, never have I ever driven a boat…” Fliss smirked.

“What, that’s a crap one!” Frank snorted “Everyone here’s probably driven one…including you.”

“Nope…”

“Bullshit!” he snorted “On our first date, and several times since…”

“I sailed it Frankie, I didn’t drive it…”

He paused for a moment and then looked up as everyone in the circle grinned.

“She’s right man…” Simon conceded “I sailed mine too…” “And me…”

“And me…”

“Oh fuck you!” Frank spluttered as they all laughed at him. Fliss handed him the bottle, which he took from her with a glare taking a mouthful. Fucking hell, he could tell it was cheap as it burnt like paint stripper as he swallowed, wincing.

That was basically the way the game went. Each trying to deliberately catch everyone else out. Simon caught Jake spectacularly, forcing him to reveal a tale about how he got locked out of a hotel room, naked on the balcony and climbed down 2 storeys to go and get a spare key from reception, Simon repeatedly got Bonnie on a number of occasions before Frank caught Fliss out with the tale of how she had once called her University Lecturer “Daddy.” by mistake.

“Ok, Never have I ever…”  Fliss paused, before a wicked grin spread on her face and she looked at Frank “Called anyone else’s name during sex.”

“Oh God…” Frank heard Bonnie mumble from where she was sat, but before he could even open his mouth to call Fliss an ass hole, he saw Greg reaching for the bottle.

“No WAY!” Fliss spluttered, looking at Greg “What? When!”

“I was about 21…” Greg said, scrunching up his face. “I was in bed with a girl and, well, I called her mom’s name.” The entire group fell silent before Jake, Frank and Simon all let out a roar of laughter, and Fliss snorted, grinning from ear to ear.

“That’s…impressive.” Frank nodded as Greg put the bottle down and Fliss picked it up and handed it to Frank. Everyone turned their attention to him as he narrowed his eyes and grabbed it from her.

“Spill.” Simon pointed at him.

“I err, well…look, it…” Frank stuttered over his words “I was…look we don’t need to discuss this…” he said, knocking back the vodka and avoiding Bonnie’s eyes, shaking his head “I plead the 5th.” There were various groans around the group but when they realised Frank wasn’t going to budge Greg shrugged, calling him a pussy, and picked the next category.

“Never have I ever kissed someone of the same sex.” he said, with a raised eyebrow. Both Fliss and Bonnie moved for the bottle at the same time, and the boys all cheered. 

“Was it each other?” Simon grinned “Please tell me it was…” “Ok,no…that…” Frank began to protest, hiccupping slightly.  “That would be weird…”

“No it wasn’t each other.” Bonnie grinned at Simon “I was 17, playing spin the bottle and had to kiss this girl called Eva…” “And that’s it?” Simon asked. 

“Yeah…” she nodded, taking a drink from the bottle before she passed it to Fliss.

“Spill…” Frank instructed her, his hand on her hip where she was still nestled in between his legs.

“I was 19…and, yeah, well, I experimented” she shrugged. “A few times…”

“Wait, there was…” Frank looked at her as she turned her head to grin at him “You did more than kiss?”

“For me to know and you to find out Sailor…” she winked. Well fuck me!

Another 15 minutes or go they’d exhausted the bottle of vodka and decided to call it a night. Bonnie was faring the worst out of them all, her and Simon walking a little behind everyone as he kept his arm round her to keep her steady. Frank noticed Fliss was remarkably with it considering what they’d drunk, but then for such a small person she did have quite a high tolerance, and she’d drunk a hell of a lot of water as well.

At the hotel they bid everyone goodnight and headed up to their room where Fliss decided she needed to shower to get rid of all the glitter and sand and sweat from dancing. Frank was inclined to agree so let her go first, swapping over after 10 minutes or so with an exchange of a soft kiss in the bathroom doorway. By the time Frank got out of the shower Fliss was sat cross legged on the large bed dressed in a camisole and boy-shorts set which was white with multi-coloured polka dots on it. It was the set he had bought her for Valentine’s Day, along with a set of baby-pink lace underwear. He loved seeing her in lace, but there was something about the lounge sets like the one she was wearing now that gave her an innocence, made her look so comfy and so settled that he adored seeing her wearing them around the house and to bed…even if they didn’t stay on long.

She grinned up at him as he smiled, crossing to drop a kiss on her head.

“You raid the minibar?” he asked, nodding to the packet of chips she had ripped open.

“Yeah.” she shrugged “Figured fuck it, why not?” “Well…”he crossed the room and opened the fridge which was under the TV unit “In for a penny…” he pulled two beers out, popped the tops and passed her one.

“Don’t you think we’ve had enough?”

“Can you see straight?”

“Yeah…”

“Then no.” he said and she laughed, taking it from him.

“You’re a bad man Frank Adler.” “I try.” he quipped. She shook her head, smiling before she reached for her phone which had just gone off. Frank whipped the towel from around his waist and stepped into a clean pair of boxers before he roughly dried his hair.

“Bonnie says her and Simon are hitting the beach during the day tomorrow…do you fancy it?” “Sure.” he nodded, dropping to the bed, laying down on his side, propping himself up on his elbow as he reached for a Dorito.

“At least I think that’s what this message says. ‘Going to the Bitch…’ I mean that’s gotta be beach huh?”

Frank snorted as Fliss scrunched up the empty chip bag and tossed it across the room where it settled just besides the bin. They both looked at it for a second before Fliss shrugged. ”She was trashed.”

“I’m not surprised.” Fliss said, moving to toss her phone onto the night table before she too settled on her side, facing Frank, elbow on the pillow “Simon was deliberately asking questions in that game where he knew she’d have to drink…” “Oh and you weren’t…” he looked at Fliss who shrugged, grinning cheekily “Never have I ever called anyone else’s name during sex, I mean seriously! She was right there!”

“I know, which is what made it so funny.” “Funny is not the word I would use…” “Oh whatever, and as if Greg has done that too!” she said, chuckling as she also settled on her side “He’s a dark horse…” “So are you…” he looked at her taking a long drink of his beer. “In fact….I think you need to tell me more about these lesbian encounters you experienced whilst experimenting aged 19."  

"They weren't proper lesbian encounters, I was teasing you...."

"I don't care, make em up." He said and she let out a laugh.

"If I do will it get me something nice?" she grinned.

"Something very, very nice."  He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Fliss grinned and then launched into a clearly made up bullshit story about some girl called Candy and Frank completely zoned out. He was simply too caught up concentrating on the childish, teasing expression on her face as she spoke. Her eyes were shining in the dim light of the room as she talked and grinned in the same manner she had been doing all night. Not even the encounter with that asshole’s brother has dampened her spirit. She was just enjoying herself, freely. And so was he. She said she couldn't remember the last festival or concert she had been to, and Frank had admitted the same. It had to have been easily 10 years ago. It felt good to be recapturing that part of their lives they had both given up (albeit for very different reasons) and making new memories together that he knew would last a lifetime.

A lifetime...huh, how about that?

He zoned back in just in time to hear Fliss' very risqué story telling, and dropped his head with a sight that was half laugh, half groan at her filthy tale.

"...and her thighs were so strong, it was ridiculous, my ears were squashed so hard, I felt like my head was in a vice. Still, I managed to-"

"Ok..." he said, taking her beer off her and setting it down on his nightstand along with his, before he leaned over Fliss, caging her with his arms "I'm getting kinda jealous...and a bit turned on...it’s kinda confusing.

“You asked…” she muttered as his face dropped her hers.

“Yeah, I did…” he said softly, his lips brushing against hers “And I promised you something nice…” “Very,very nice…” Fliss said, her hands sliding up his arms to his shoulder.

“Well, I’m a man of my word…” he grinned, lips pressing to hers harder this time in a soft, deep kiss which he pulled away from and ran his nose against hers.

“Turn over…”

“What?” she looked at him, her eyes widening slightly.

“You trust me?”

“Of course I do…” “Then turn over…”

She took a deep breath, and looked at him and he looked straight back, fully understanding what she was thinking. He’d never asked her to do that before. “Lissy, I promise I’m not gonna hurt you.” “I know you’re not…” she said, shaking her head, before she bit her lip and he moved back so she could turn over onto her stomach. With gently finger tips he brushed her hair off her shoulders, sweeping it to one side gently dropping soft kisses down her neck as his hands traced down to her hips. He gently grasped her top and she moved to allow him to slide it up and over.

The sheets on the bed rustled slightly as he moved downwards, pressing his lips to the small of her back, watching her reaction carefully as he saw her fingers clutching softly at the pillow. He continued his affections, lips and hands exploring every part of the soft skin on her back until he was fully led over her, thighs bracketing hers, his mouth gently sucking at that spot behind her ear that drove her wild. And right on cue she let out a low groan and he felt his groin twitch at the noise. Fliss could feel his hardness against her back and as his teeth gently grazed her ear she felt her spine arch slightly.

He moved away, and his hand gently slid to grasp at the hem of her shorts, and she tilted her hips up slightly so he could pull them down, hurriedly departing with his own boxers before he resumed his previous position.

“You good?” he asked her softly and she nodded in response.

With gentle hands he reached down between her legs to finding her hot and wet for him already. At his touch she arched her back again. Frank let out a grin and moved slightly so he could part her thighs with his knee. Repositioning himself, he led flat, his arms sliding up hers so he could lace his fingers with hers, palms resting on the backs of her hands and he gently pushed into her, the pair of them giving a groan at the feeling and tightness of this angle. He gently thrust, his chest sliding up over her back, and she moved ever so slightly with him, her head tilted back slightly and she turned her face towards his where he caught her mouth in a slow, sloppy kiss. Frank continued his languid, deep movements, listening to the quickening of her breath and eventually he felt her hips beginning to rise in slow circles, her whimpers increasing.

He gently knelt up, and pulled her hips so she was perched on her knees, pushing into her slowly, deeply, letting her get used to the position that they’d never tried before because Frank knew it wasn’t one she had good memories of but right now, her body was relaxed and she was giving him everything. His hand reached up and he traced down her spine before he leaned over and placed another soft kiss on her neck before he moved and grasped at her hips again, his pace gently quickening, a low moan escaping his mouth as Fliss pushed back onto him, wordlessly telling him she wanted more. He thrust forwards again and again, pulling her back onto him at the same time, his eyes focussed on where they were joined, the sight of him sliding in and out of her made him moan with desire.

“Don’t stop…” he heard her half pant, half whisper and he picked up the pace ever so slightly, leaning over to gently nip at the back of her neck, causing her to shudder, a deep growl rumbled in his chest as her walls briefly squeezed around him.

“Fuck, baby…” he groaned as her hands clutched at the bed sheets whilst he buried himself deep inside of her stilling for a moment.

“Frankie…” she whined and squirmed as she turned to look at him over her shoulder. Once glance at his clenched jaw and she knew he was trying to fight back his high as he picked up his previous movements, just a little bit faster. She was close, quietly moaning his name as she dropped her head back down, forehead against the pillows, her spine arching as he continued to thrust.

Frank groaned again “Come on sweetheart...” his voice deeper like it always was when he was in the throes of desire, “let go for me.” He rolled his hips forwards, five or six more times before she was done.

“Fuck, Frank, I…” she let out a broken cry as her core spasmed again and again and her entire body trembled as a loud lament spilled from her lips. He was done himself, and with a groan of her name his relief washed over him with an intensity he couldn’t even begin to describe.

Fliss collapsed forward and Frank tumbled with her, his chest onto her back, his weight crushing her in the best way possible for a second ot two before he rolled onto his side. Reaching out, his hand gently across her bare back as Fliss face, which was pressed into the pillow turned to face him.

He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss, brushing her hair off her face.

“OK…” she mumbled, nodding at him “I’ll concede. That was very, very nice…”

******* “You behaving?” Frank asked Mary as he and Fliss lay in bed the next morning, the phone held at arms-length so they could both see her.

“Yeah, of course…” Mary rolled her eyes “Bill took me to the yard last night and Joanne helped me tack Monty up and then Bill walked round the field with us so the dogs could have a run and it was awesome!”

“When I get back we’ll do the full trail ride.” Fliss smiled at her “Takes a good hour, we can go one evening before it gets dark.”

“Cool!” Mary grinned, bending down and then suddenly Fred’s bemused face filled the screen. Frank snorted as he was instructed to say hi to Fred, which he did, before the cat settled down on Mary’s lap and she continued to chat to him about what she had done the night before…which was basically staying up until gone midnight with Bill watching Harry Potter in the movie room.

Eventually they got her to pass the phone over to Verity, who assured Frank she was no trouble, and then they cut the call and decided to get up and head down for breakfast to meet everyone.

The day was spent lazily on the beach. Fliss hardly moved at all, simply soaking up the sun as Frank and Simon continuously brought her and Bonnie a supply of drinks as the man remained by the bar at the top of the sand.

“I gotta ask…”Bonnie said, turning to look at Fliss “And tell me to shut up if I’m outta line but yesterday, that guy Frank looked like he wanted to kill…who was he? Simon says he’s never seen Frank that angry…” “Oh, err…” Fliss rubbed her head “It was my ex-husbands brother, he was being an ass hole.” “Oh.” Bonnie frowned “I take it you don’t get along…nasty break up?” “You could say that…” Fliss said, taking a sip of her drink, tapping the straw lightly on her lips. “John…my ex…he er…he used to beat me. Badly. He’s actually in prison, well, for how long we don’t know as he had his parole hearing about 4 weeks ago so..” “Oh shit…” Bonnie dropped her gaze “Sorry, I didn’t…” “It’s ok.” Fliss said, waving off the usual apologies that came when she told someone about her past.

There was a moment of silence before Bonnie sat up and looked at Fliss.

“Wanna go for a dip?”

Fliss glanced at her, then down to the ocean and grinned, nodding.

Yelling to the boys to watch their stuff they headed down to the waves, Fliss happily diving straight in, simply allowing herself to float. She was calm, relaxed, and couldn’t remember a time she’d ever felt so happy before.

Eventually, it hit 5pm and Fliss was hungry. So they decided to pack up, grab a bite from the bar and then go change ready for the evening. Fliss had to smile as she saw Frank and the rest of the boys stood at a table by the beach bar all clutching pints and laughing. He was dressed in a pink shirt, black shorts with a baseball cap on the wrong way, glasses shielding his eyes.

“I never realised what an overgrown Frat Boy I’m dating.” Fliss mumbled to Bonnie who snorted as they made their way up the wooden boardwalk, beach bags in their hand.

“Hey pretty girl.” Frank smiled as Fliss slid under his arm, reaching for his pint. With a roll of his eyes he watched as she took a huge drink. “You know if you want one I’ll get you one…” “Tastes better when it’s someone else’s…” Fliss shrugged.

“Yeah, why is that?” Bonnie asked.

“Because it’s stolen.” Simon looked at her “Well known fact, forbidden fruit just tastes better.”

Fliss went again for Frank’s drink and he jerked it out of her reach “Piss off, look, here…” he said, reaching into his pocket and handing her his wallet “Go to the bar…” She grinned and dropped a kiss to his lips, turning away, Bonnie following.

“Dude you’re so whipped.” Jake snorted at him.

“Yeah, I don’t much care.” Frank shrugged, burping slightly as he looked at Fliss, taking in her appearance. Her hair was falling around her face and down her back in a mass of long, messy salt and sand tangled waves and she was wearing a pink crochet slip over her black bikini. He would happily admit he was well under her spell and that she could whip him all she fucking wanted to.

They grabbed a bite to eat, headed back, changed and made their way to the park for their second night of music. It went much the same as the night before, Bonnie and Fliss taking off on their own adventures, and Frank keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of John’s fucker of a brother, but he didn’t see him.

By the time Liam Gallagher came onto the stage, Fliss was drunk. And so was he. But it didn’t stop her from going wild. Once again she knew every single word to every single song and when he launched into Rock and Roll Star she started pogoing like a person possessed. Mind you, so was everyone else on the dance floor in front of the stage, so Frank joined in. He quite liked this song and, well, if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em…

He ended the set with Live Forever, Frank’s favourite song that he had done and Fliss sighed happily.

“He’s sooo good!” she said, “Why does he have to go?”

“Because his set has finished.”

“But why?” “Because it has!” Frank laughed “He’s been on for almost an hour and it’s 1 am!”

“Hey, Liss, don’t worry…” Bonnie hiccupped “Hot Dub starts in 20…just enough time for a drink…” “Yes…” Fliss agreed, pointing at her. “But I think I need some water too.”

“Pussy…” Frank looked at her and she narrowed his eyes at him.

“I’ll carry on drinking beer if you want, but you’ll be clearing up my puke later…” He snorted and held his hands up, palms out “Water it is…” Hot Dub Time Machine was surreal. He was on for about an hour and took them through a load of the best party songs from the 60s right through to the present day. One minute Frank was doing the Twist and Shout with Fliss, and the next they were all in a circle air-guitaring to Immigrant Song by Led Zep.

By the time they left the park it was almost half 2 in the morning and Fliss decided that she didn’t want to walk and insisted Frank give her a piggy back. He rolled his eyes but crouched down and she took a jump onto his back as he carried her the 10 minutes or so back to the hotel, Simon groaning at him as Bonnie kept complaining he wouldn’t carry her.

“You’re showing me up, dude!” he glared at Frank who simply shrugged as Fliss smirked.

“I like riding him…” she hiccupped, as everyone burst into laughter and Frank shook his head as she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“You’re a fucking nightmare” he sniggered and she shrugged.

*****

The next morning everyone was feeling the effects of a heavy weekend, and Frank was pleased that they had the late check out option. Eventually, after dragging themselves out of bed they managed to shower, pack up and head down to check out. There was another argument about who was paying for the room, this time Fliss winning as she put her foot down telling him he was paying for New York and that she really wanted to pay for this. She’d told Frank before about John never letting her have any financial control over anything and Frank knew that it meant a lot to her so he relented, and instead bought them brunch before they set off home.

They got back in time for a roast dinner, and then they headed back to the annex to watch a film, Fliss crashing out halfway through. She left them to it and headed to bed and was flat out by the time Frank made his way upstairs.

“I can’t believe you got the day off!” she moaned at him over breakfast on the Monday morning.

“I can’t believe you didn’t” he shot back

“I can’t…clients and stuff.” she pouted, biting into her toast before she groaned again. “I’m too old for partying all weekend…I can’t hack it anymore.” Frank snorted and took a sip of his coffee before Fliss grinned at him. “Can we go again next year?”

Frank laughed “The Circle Of Truth have already decided it’s going to be an annual thing from now on.” he said, standing up and with a kiss to her head he moved to the stairs yelling for Mary to get a wiggle on. She came down the stairs, Fred and Thor following before she ate her cereal and then Frank bustled her out of the door to drop her off for the last Monday of the school term.

Wednesday lunchtime, however, their happy little bubble burst.

Frank was actually in the sales part of the shop, discussing the benefits of different types of engines with a customer, having been asked to give some advice. He spotted Fliss’ jeep pulling up and as soon as she climbed out and turned towards him, he could tell from her face what was going on.

“Excuse me for just one second…” he politely told the customer, and glancing at his boss he jerked his head towards Fliss. His boss, a nice enough guy called Andy, knew vaguely what was going on and nodded in understanding as Frank stepped outside.

“Baby?” he asked tentatively as Fliss stopped in front of him.

“He did it….” she said softly, stepping into his arm, pressing her face into his chest.  “He made parole. They let the fucker out.”

[suitofvibraniumarmor]

Boston Boys [Part Two]

Summary: Chris and his crew hit a prominent Boston bank, but not everything goes to plan.   Pairing: Chris Evans x OFC, John Krasinski x OFC Word Count: 2215 Chapter Warnings: language, bank robbery, kidnapping, guns.  Square Filled: The entire series (bits and pieces of it) will fill my Crossover square for @marvelfluffbingo​​. A/N: This story contains a character who lost her hearing as she got older. I do work closely and regularly with the D/deaf community (I’m a sign language interpreter), but my own hearing problems do not involve significant hearing loss. It is not my intention to offend anyone, only to bring in a character with a quality I don’t see often in other fics. If you have questions about her, feel free to ask :)

Boston Boys Masterlist

Monday morning, bright and early, Chris walked the short distance from his apartment to the barber shop his father owned. He got out his key to unlock the door, but when he saw the door slightly ajar and the lights already on, he stuffed his key back into his pocket and reached for the gun at the back of his waistband instead.

Carefully surveying every inch of the place as he walked through the main lobby, with the chairs and mirrors and other supplies, Chris kept his gun trained in the direction of the back room. That light was on too, and he could hear someone fiddling around in the office.

Going through the doorway to the backroom, Chris immediately spotted a body, sitting at the table, eating a bowl of cereal. He groaned in frustration and hit the safety back on his gun before tucking it away again.

“Fuckin’ A, Scotty! You gotta tell me when you’re coming in early!” Chris admonished, slapping his brother upside the head. “I coulda killed ya!”

Scott only laughed. “You shoulda seen your face, big brother. That was priceless.”

Chris shook his head and got the coffee pot started. After that scare, he was going to need double his daily dosage. “The hell are you here so early for, anyway?”

“Late night, got home, didn’t have milk.”

“New boy toy?”

Scotty smirked as he walked his bowl to the sink to rinse it out. “Couple of ‘em.”

Chris rolled his eyes. Leave it to his brother to share more than what was necessary.

As the time moved on towards opening the shop for the day, the brothers worked to get everything set up and ready, then enjoyed a cup of coffee to themselves. Slowly but surely, the rest of the crew -- Scarlett, Seb, and Shanna -- came rolling in.

“Shan, you talked to Carly this morning?” Chris asked, fastening a cape around his first customer of the day.

“Yeah, she’ll be here in about thirty. Her typical Monday morning routine.”

Chris smirked. He and Scott shared a special connection, being the only brothers in the Evans family, but he was just as close with his sisters. When Aurelie had come along, Chris wasted no time in pulling her under his wing the same he had done with Shanna and Carly. He loved his siblings, and especially after their father had been put away, Chris had stepped up to make sure they were all taken care of. At any rate, knowing Carly was happy to live her life with little to no worries made Chris feel like he was doing his job.

The day wore on. Mondays were usually busy, seeing as how a lot of men liked to start their week with a fresh cut and/or shave. Between busy Mondays and Fridays, and the steady flow of customers on the in-between, the shop did all right for itself. Of course, the family side business didn’t hurt anything.

As they were wrapping up for the day, Robert Downey, Jr., Chris’s father’s best friend, came into the shop and sat down in Chris’s chair. He was well-known throughout town as a do-gooder, a philanthropist. The man was very private about where his money came from, and that boded well for all of them. Although, in this part of Boston, no one much cared where the man got his money, since so much of it was channeled back into the community. For that, everyone was willing to turn the other way at the potentially suspicious way the money came through.

“Went and saw your dad today,” Robert began, setting his glasses on the counter in front of Chris’s chair before taking a seat. “The old man’s not looking so bad. Staying out of trouble.”

“That’s new,” Chris snorted. “Did you get the money on his book?”

Robert nodded. “Of course. Just a touch up today, yeah?”

Chris nodded and got to work. He focused on what he was doing, half-listening to the sounds of the shop: Scarlett and Seb bantering back and forth, Carly’s nails tapping away at the keyboard, Shanna and Scott sighing as they watched and waited for closing time to approach.

“Hey, Shan, Scotty. Why don’t you get out early? You’ve got no more appointments, right?”

They both confirmed they were done for the day, so Chris gave them the go ahead. After finishing with her current customer, Scarlett scooted out as well. Carly was the next to go, until only Seb and Chris were left behind.

Robert paid with his credit card but left a cash tip; paper-clipped to the bill was a set of coordinates. Chris and Seb exchanged a glance. This would be their next job.

“Call me when you finish with that referral,” Robert instructed. “This is a big one, boys. Don’t screw it up.”

With that, the man was gone. Chris locked up behind him and turned the sign on the door to Closed. He turned back to Seb, who was already checking out the coordinates.

“Shit,” Seb muttered, “Boston Private? They’re no joke. The kind of cash flow that goes through there …”

Chris didn’t like the idea of a big hit, but he did like the idea of maybe being set up for a while. He was proud to take care of his siblings in his father’s absence, to live up to the responsibilities his father had raised him to, but he was also ready for a break. He was ready to settle down.

“We gotta give it at least a week for us to scout that one out,” Chris decided out loud. “Then we’ll get Scar and Scotty in on it. We don’t say a word to Shanna or Carly.”

“As usual,” Seb sighed. “How have they gone their whole life not knowing this was a thing?”

Chris shrugged. “My parents had Carly early on in life -- this didn’t start till after she was born. Me and Scotty were always expected to go in Pop’s place once we were old enough, and Shanna’s the baby. She gets protected.”

“And what about Aurelie?”

“Aurelie’s a different story. So listen, we good on that plan then?”

Seb pursed his lips. “Can’t we do this with a three-man team? Scar doesn’t need to be in on this.”

Chris smirked. “Still going after that tail, huh?”

Seb rolled his eyes. “She’s not just tail and you know it. Besides, she’s never been off your nuts long enough to notice anyone else.”

“Please,” Chris said, reaching for his keys and shutting the lights off. “Scarlett and I were a thing in high school, and it wasn’t even a serious thing. You gotta have more confidence in yourself -- and by the way, you’re not gettin’ anywhere with that girl by suggesting she doesn’t need to go on jobs. That’ll piss her right off.”

Seb agreed that was true. Once the shop was locked up, they hit the sidewalk, heading over to Stan’s Pub for a drink or few before heading home for the night.

After their last day casing the bank, Seb headed back for the barber shop to try and catch some afternoon appointments. Chris was headed in that direction, too, but first he stopped at the corner store for a pack of cigarettes and maybe a fountain drink.

Next to him at the drink counter, a familiar face was filling a to-go cup with coffee. Chris smirked at the timing of it.

“Johnny, haven’t seen you around this area in a while,” Chris commented, not even bothering to make eye contact with the other man.

“Chris, hey. It has been a while. Don’t worry, I won’t be sticking around for long. Came by to see a friend.”

Chris nodded. “I’m not worried about you, man.”

John snorted; Chris didn’t need to look at the other man to know that tensions were high. Oh, there weren’t exactly boundaries in this part of town, but they knew enough to stay away from each other. Chris put the lid on his drink and stuck a straw through the hole. John capped his coffee cup, then nodded to Chris.

“Hey man, you haven’t seen my sister recently, have you?”

John frowned. “Carly or Shanna?”

Chris studied John carefully. Had he really forgotten about Chris’s stepsister, or was he playing dumb? In the interest of not creating a scene so close to a job, Chris decided to give John the benefit of the doubt.

“Shanna.”

“No, I haven’t seen either of them recently, actually.”

“Hmm. Been to MassGen in the last couple of weeks?”

John shook his head. “Nah, man, I’m great. Listen, I’ve got to get going, but I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.”

“I’m sure we will.”

John paid for his coffee and left the shop. Chris got his cigarettes, paid for the pack and his drink, then walked down to the barber shop. Whatever reason Aurelie had asked about John, Chris had bigger things to worry about for the time being.

The morning of the job, the four of them -- Chris, Seb, Scott, and Scarlett -- donned their usual attire: hoodies, masks, gloves, dark jeans, steel-toed boots. They approached the bank in a van, parked in the alley to the south of the bank, and made their way to the front door.

Inevitably, screaming, running, and tears took over. It was chaos, but they all had to keep it managed if they were going to get their payoff. Seb had already overpowered the aging security guard, and Scarlett was in the tech room working on cutting off the cameras and frying the footage. Scott was backing Chris up. They knew that a different teller got the code to unlock the safe every morning, and by their calculations, it should have been the middle-aged man on the end who had the code.

“It’s not me!” he pleaded, hands in the air. “Elsa! Elsa has the code!”

Chris looked in the direction the man was pointing. A young, blonde woman, eyes wide and her whole body trembling, fought against his gaze. Chris marched down to her window and climbed over the counter.

“Are you Elsa?”

She closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes.”

He pointed with his gun towards the safe. “Open it, Elsa.”

Tears were running down her cheeks. Chris felt horrible; scaring people came with the territory of this sort of work, but this girl seemed especially terrified. Her fingers shook over the keypad, and she struggled to remember the numbers in the correct order under this kind of pressure.

“C’mon! Open it!” Scott yelled from behind her.

She jumped, and the tears rolled harder. Chris glared at his brother, then put a hand over Elsa’s.

“You know the code,” he told her quietly. “We aren’t gonna hurt you, okay? We’re here for the money, not for any of you. Take a deep breath, try it again.”

Elsa closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath through her nose, then let it out through her mouth. Chris was momentarily distracted by the minty scent that wafted his way with her exhale. By the time he was focused again, she had the safe open.

“Good girl,” he said, gently moving her aside. He and Scott went straight into the safe to collect their bounty. It was all done in less than two minutes. They returned to the main part of the bank to gather their colleagues and get the hell outta Dodge.

But Elsa wasn’t there when they went to leave, and neither was Scarlett. Chris and Scott exchanged a look of concern.

“She’s already out,” Seb informed them, pounding on the counter. “Five-oh is on the radar. Let’s go.”

The three men scrambled out of the bank and back to the van. Before they even made it all the way, they could hear pounding noises coming from the back. Scott took his place in the driver’s seat, Seb in the front, and Chris climbed into the back where Scarlett was giving Elsa a proper what-for.

“Hold up!” Chris said, pushing himself between the two women. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Scarlett pointed at Elsa. “She pushed the alarm! That’s why the cops were coming!”

“So you dragged her along for the ride?”

Scarlett groaned. “We need leverage if they catch up to us. Now can we please just get the fuck out of here!”

The van squealed down the alley. Reaching for a zip-tie, Chris secured Elsa’s hands behind her back. Scarlett used two bandanas -- too readily available -- to blindfold and gag her. It at least allowed them to shed the suffocating masks.

Once they were away from the police and on a quiet street completely north of where they lived, they let Elsa out of the van. Scarlett swore they knew her address and where her family was from, and there would be hell to pay if Elsa helped in any sort of investigation. Chris waited for Scarlett to be back in the van before instructing Elsa to sing her favorite song to herself before taking off her blindfold. He took one last look at her, trembling and crying quietly to herself there on the curb, before climbing in the back of the van and instructing Scott to get them the hell out of there.

AllOfTheThings: @captain-s-rogers​ @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​ @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked​ @hurricanerin​ @horsesandbandsforlife​ @im-not-an-armrest-im-short​ @captain-rogers-beard​ @shynara51​ @sea040561​ @anxiouskore​ @pinknerdpanda​ @xtina2191​ @jackryanplz​ @beakami​ @heartsaved​ @fullprunerebelstatesman​ @blackwidowismyhomegirl​

Boston Boys: @atc74​ @the-murder-strut-murdered-me​ @becs-bunker​ @shield-agent78​ @patzammit​ @crazyandanonymous4u​ @ntlmundy​

[blog-sliverofjade]

Hearth Fires 5: Waking Up

Pairing: Remi Denier x OFC

Summary:  Lorel Maddox just wants to live as a human, run her bakery in peace, and forget. Unfortunately, the alpha of the local leopard pack has very different ideas.

Remi Denier doesn’t know what to make of the female Changeling who wants nothing to do with him or the RainFire pack. He does know that he has a driving need to protect her. Even if it’s from herself.

While they’re embroiled in a battle of wills, there’s a war brewing on the horizon. The outside threat could not only destroy everything they hold dear, but tear apart the fragile new bonds of the Trinity Accord, plunging the world into bloodshed to rival the Territorial Wars of centuries past.

Word count: 2363

Content warning for canonical fantasy racism.  When I started writing this, I hadn’t realized that fantasy racism can be problematic.  I based it on real world examples so it’s a weird mix of actual peoples’ experiences atop a fictional shifter race.  

As you read, try to remember that these aren’t instances I dreamed up in my head, they came from authentic occurrences in the US.  The excerpt before the second part?  Taken from flyers posted in 2019.  This is reality for actual, living, breathing people to this day.

Hearth Fires Masterlist

Beta read by the stupendous pandabearer

Remi’s cat crouched in preparation to battle with the strange predator in sheep’s clothing in their midst; pinpricks in his bottom lip were a sure sign that his teeth were more feline than human at the moment, and his claws itched to unsheath.  How could he have been so blind? He needed to eliminate the threat before anyone could question his leadership, a lethal strike to prove his dominance.

That thought wasn’t him.  It was an echo of another alpha from another time and brought him out of the homicidal haze with a cold splash of dread.  He had to shove the memories and the associated sick feeling in his gut into a box in order to concentrate on the situation at hand.

Holding himself with a predator’s stillness, he studied his prey.  Whenever one of his packmates was unduly intimidated by someone, outsider or not, he and the pack kept a close eye on that individual.  He didn’t haul off and rip their throat out. He could hardly bring her down in front of their youngest in the middle of what was meant to be a celebration.  Such casual exposure to violence could damage young psyches, as well he knew. Yet, it was all he could do not to charge over there and tear the ocelot away from the little family.  Unlike that other alpha, he couldn’t act upon suspicion alone.

The baby hunter had no compunctions about cuddling up to Lorelei, something she would never have done if Lorelei was even close to going rogue.  Moreover, several cubs surrounded her now, curious about the visitor. Their youngest, hunter or otherwise, were some of the best judges of character and the best litmus test when it came to the health of a pack.  It was when the adults didn’t pay attention that problems arose.

“He’s different.”

“Oh sweetie, of course he is.  He lost his mate. You’ll understand when you’re older.”

He shook off the echoes of the past like his cat shook off water and shoved them back in the box.

The music had switched from general background party music to a dance mix, which made overhearing their conversation difficult even with his superior hearing.  Moving closer, he stopped at one of the tables of food so he could eavesdrop without being noticed. Staring at the ocelot would only put her on her guard.

Lorelei didn’t appear on the verge of a rampage; rather, she seemed overwhelmed.  Then again, who wouldn’t be when surrounded by the cubs who were peppering her with questions?  His tension eased a fraction when he saw that none of them appeared scared of her.

“Just you and your nana and papa?”  Remi couldn’t help a small smile at Jasper’s wide-eyed incredulity.  Most of their little ones had grown up in packs or in extended family units at the very least.  Such a small family without ties to dozens of “aunties” and “uncles,” as well as numerous friends of all ages, was an unthinkable concept to them.

The interrogation wandered into what type of cat she was since she smelled different and, to his knowledge, none of them had met an ocelot.  They were much smaller than leopards and the children would probably be delighted at having a grown-up playmate their own size. She was actually rather good with them once she relaxed, and he wondered how she’d handle being swamped by them when they were the same size.  He grinned at the thought of little cats ending up in a wrestling pile and the knot in his chest eased.

Elias waded through the throng to speak to Lorelei.  What came out of his mouth must not have been his usual bullshit because she didn’t slap him.  He seemed downright courteous, which was unnatural and creeping Remi out more than a bit. Lorelei only nodded to him after Tien gave her an encouraging smile.

The senior soldier pulled Lorelei to join the growing cluster of dancers.  While she was willing, it was painfully obvious that she was far from comfortable in her own skin, moving stiffly and keeping her head on a swivel to look for anyone staring.  Elias, picking up on her discomfort, shifted to hide her much smaller body with his own. In thanks, she smiled up at him and shifted slightly closer.

His cat wanted to be the one to crack open her prickly exterior and unravel the mystery of her.  The only problem was after seeing her interactions with the pack, Remi seemed to be the only one she wanted to swipe a claw at.

The rancid emotions he had stuffed down sprang back with a vengeance, sending irrational jealousy spiking through him.  For some reason, she brought out his inner psychopath, all the dark urges and instincts that he kept chained within. Very few knew about them, and he intended to keep it that way.

With a sigh, he rubbed at his temples to ease his pounding headache.  If only he could place the blame on the recent circulation of human supremacy rhetoric, but that would merely be an excuse for his own lack of control.  He told himself that things would be better once she was pack since he disliked having an unprotected submissive female in his territory, which was true, especially with the possibility of active anti-Changeling groups in the area.

He felt scraped raw on the inside.  It had been a while since he’d been this spun up in his head and he needed to get that sucker back on straight.  This was a time for joy, not the shadows haunting him.

“Leaving already?” Lark asked from behind him.  She had managed to sneak up on him, which was a sure sign that he was off his game.

“If you feel the need to babysit, go chase after the cubs,” he growled over his shoulder.

“I’m doing my job.”  She let his temper roll off her.  “Need someone to run with?” He shook his head.  He’d prefer a good fight, but in this mood he was likely to shred even a sentinel.  “Remember you have to be back in time to help judge the costume contest.”

An affirmative grunt.  Pack bonds were important, especially in such a young pack, but he had to vent this before his attitude began to affect everyone else.

WAKE UP HUMANS!

Our children deserve a future free of Changeling violence.  These animals come into our communities with their drugs and violence, lowering property values, living off welfare, and preying on hard-working humans.  In the name of “political correctness,” we the taxpayers are prevented from standing up to these parasites.

DON’T BE DELUDED BY A “BRIGHT NEW FUTURE”

We need to change the country’s liberal policies that are eroding our values.  It’s alright to be human and we need to stop being ashamed of it. Changelings want us afraid and divided to prevent us from having a group identity.  We have been the victims of the other races for too long. They try to divide us, take away our rights, and plan to eliminate us because they fear us.

STOP CONTRIBUTING TO HUMAN GENOCIDE!!!  KEEP THE HUMAN RACE PURE!!!

       -Excerpt from letters sent to residents of Sevier County, Tennessee September 2083

Lorel hummed and swayed along to music while she piped bright pink rosettes onto the rows of cupcakes in front of her.  The radio was set to the show of the DJ from the party, a pretty human packmember by the name of Aoife. Country wasn’t her typical choice of genre, but it reminded her of dancing at the party.  She hardly knew anything about Elias, and therefore had no feelings about him one way or the other, yet she couldn’t get the other night out of her mind; not that she was dreaming of the soldier or anything.  

She had been completely dumbfounded; no one had ever asked her to dance.  Well, not since that horrible prom night in high school, anyway. While she’d doubted that the leopard would try to pull what her teenaged date had, she had looked to Tien and gotten reassurance.  She barely knew the other woman but trusted that Tien wouldn’t knowingly put her in danger.

It had been a long time since anyone other than her aunt had touched her, and far longer since she’d had any physical contact of a non-platonic nature.  Elias had made it clear that he found her interesting and attractive, which she could have chalked up to the promiscuous nature of Changelings. But he had also been respectful of her boundaries even though it was obvious that her limits were far more stringent than that of a Changeling’s, and possibly those of many humans.

She kept her distance not just because she didn’t want them to assume she was easy, or that she was going to join the pack, but because it simply felt too good and not even in a sexual way.  At first, Elias’ touch was nearly painful, like her skin was so focused in its need that every sensation was heightened ten-fold to absorb everything at once. Startled by the sensitivity, she had been about to retreat when the song ended, but the ache of the loss had her saying ‘yes” to the next person who approached.

The sun had set and red, yellow, orange, and white fairy lights strung between the trees had lit up.  At that point, she’d called it a night with the excuse that she had to work in the morning; while that was true, she had worried that she’d be tempted to go exploring the woods in animal form.  Even if they’d allowed her, she couldn’t permit the cat to take over.

Tien had approached her with arms wide in expectation of a hug.  Unsure of what to do, Lorel did her best impression of a statue as the other woman’s arms had folded around her.  It wasn’t a brief embrace, either. It was strong and warm and all-encompassing. Maternal. And she soaked it up like rain after a drought, her skin still starving even after all the dancing.  Although her aunt had lavished affection on her before going travelling, as if she’d tried to compensate for the lack over the years, there was a quality among the Changelings that felt like she was finally coming home.

Lorel had let herself relax into the hug and had, had to force herself to pull away, fussing with her clothes to keep from reaching out to the other woman again.  Her cat’s tail had lashed in irritation at the denial, but didn’t act out in any other way, thankfully.

At the sound of the door opening, she set the bag of frosting down and headed out front while wiping her hands on a clean, damp cloth.  A woman looked at something on her phone as she approached the counter.

“Good morning,” Lorel greeted her.  The customer held up a finger while she tapped something into her phone.  Lore’s customer service smile grew strained while she waited. When she finally looked up, her scent soured before Lorel could offer a sample of berry crumble cake.

“Where’s Nora?” she demanded.

That was a question she’d heard far too many times, but this time the edge to it had her ocelot’s upper lip curling away from her teeth.

“My aunt’s currently on a beach enjoying her retirement.”  The mask wavered as Lorel fought against mirroring the sneer of her cat.

“Is there someone else who can help me?” she frowned.

Okay, that was a new one.

“Just me, I’m afraid,” shrugged Lorel.  “Is there a problem?”

“Don’t snap at me.”  Lorel swore that the other woman was two seconds away from clutching her pearls, if she’d worn any.  “I just want to know when someone else will be in to serve me.”

What in the name of all that was good and holy?

“Ma’am, I’m the owner,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Right,” she rolled her eyes, then muttered, “I just don’t know where this country is headed.  Animals like you taking jobs from good people.”

In an instant, her cat went from unamused disdain to homicidal rage.  Lorel throttled it back, but her eyes flashed yellow-green if the sudden ashen hue underneath the woman’s spray-on tan was any indication.

“Ma’am, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”  Lorel didn’t bother with the fake smile this time.

“How dare you!”  Her colour returned, going straight to red.  “I’m going to sue for intimidation.” Her shrill voice grew louder and louder until Lorel’s ears protested the abuse.  She stormed out, entering a code into her phone.

She released the breath she’d been holding only to inhale a lungful of perfume strong enough to make her eyes water.  Her ocelot wanted to hunt her down like a rabbit, but she convinced it that the meat was bad. She propped open the door to air out the store and the obnoxious woman stood in front of the yarn shop next door.  Still on the phone, she turned and the blood drained from her face when she saw Lorel.

“Oh my god, she’s following me!” she shrieked.  

Lorel rolled her eyes and decided she’d go put her irritation to good use by kneading dough for cinnamon buns.  As much fun as decorating cupcakes for a little girl’s birthday party was, that required a steady hand and hers were shaking with unexpressed anger.

The butcher’s block was barely floured when the sounds of sirens pierced her eardrums.  She dusted off her hands and returned to the front to find four cops standing there, each with a hand on a weapon.  Blinking, she froze mid-brush. I probably shouldn’t offer them doughnuts, she thought.

“Good afternoon, officers.  Would you like to try the berry crumble?”  She gestured to the silver tray with the samples and bit back a laugh at their bewildered expressions.  Evidently, they’d expected to find her frothing at the mouth from the way the blonde was still carrying on outside to a fifth cop.  They probably hadn’t anticipated a woman who more resembled a librarian than a murderous beast.

[lullabieswrappedinlies]

Boston Boys [Part Two]

Summary: Chris and his crew hit a prominent Boston bank, but not everything goes to plan.   Pairing: Chris Evans x OFC, John Krasinski x OFC Word Count: 2215 Chapter Warnings: language, bank robbery, kidnapping, guns. Square Filled: The entire series (bits and pieces of it) will fill my Crossover square for @marvelfluffbingo​​. A/N: This story contains a character who lost her hearing as she got older. I do work closely and regularly with the D/deaf community (I’m a sign language interpreter), but my own hearing problems do not involve significant hearing loss. It is not my intention to offend anyone, only to bring in a character with a quality I don’t see often in other fics. If you have questions about her, feel free to ask :)

Boston Boys Masterlist

Monday morning, bright and early, Chris walked the short distance from his apartment to the barber shop his father owned. He got out his key to unlock the door, but when he saw the door slightly ajar and the lights already on, he stuffed his key back into his pocket and reached for the gun at the back of his waistband instead.

Carefully surveying every inch of the place as he walked through the main lobby, with the chairs and mirrors and other supplies, Chris kept his gun trained in the direction of the back room. That light was on too, and he could hear someone fiddling around in the office.

Going through the doorway to the backroom, Chris immediately spotted a body, sitting at the table, eating a bowl of cereal. He groaned in frustration and hit the safety back on his gun before tucking it away again.

“Fuckin’ A, Scotty! You gotta tell me when you’re coming in early!” Chris admonished, slapping his brother upside the head. “I coulda killed ya!”

Scott only laughed. “You shoulda seen your face, big brother. That was priceless.”

Chris shook his head and got the coffee pot started. After that scare, he was going to need double his daily dosage. “The hell are you here so early for, anyway?”

“Late night, got home, didn’t have milk.”

“New boy toy?”

Scotty smirked as he walked his bowl to the sink to rinse it out. “Couple of ‘em.”

Chris rolled his eyes. Leave it to his brother to share more than what was necessary.

As the time moved on towards opening the shop for the day, the brothers worked to get everything set up and ready, then enjoyed a cup of coffee to themselves. Slowly but surely, the rest of the crew -- Scarlett, Seb, and Shanna -- came rolling in.

“Shan, you talked to Carly this morning?” Chris asked, fastening a cape around his first customer of the day.

“Yeah, she’ll be here in about thirty. Her typical Monday morning routine.”

Chris smirked. He and Scott shared a special connection, being the only brothers in the Evans family, but he was just as close with his sisters. When Aurelie had come along, Chris wasted no time in pulling her under his wing the same he had done with Shanna and Carly. He loved his siblings, and especially after their father had been put away, Chris had stepped up to make sure they were all taken care of. At any rate, knowing Carly was happy to live her life with little to no worries made Chris feel like he was doing his job.

The day wore on. Mondays were usually busy, seeing as how a lot of men liked to start their week with a fresh cut and/or shave. Between busy Mondays and Fridays, and the steady flow of customers on the in-between, the shop did all right for itself. Of course, the family side business didn’t hurt anything.

As they were wrapping up for the day, Robert Downey, Jr., Chris’s father’s best friend, came into the shop and sat down in Chris’s chair. He was well-known throughout town as a do-gooder, a philanthropist. The man was very private about where his money came from, and that boded well for all of them. Although, in this part of Boston, no one much cared where the man got his money, since so much of it was channeled back into the community. For that, everyone was willing to turn the other way at the potentially suspicious way the money came through.

“Went and saw your dad today,” Robert began, setting his glasses on the counter in front of Chris’s chair before taking a seat. “The old man’s not looking so bad. Staying out of trouble.”

“That’s new,” Chris snorted. “Did you get the money on his book?”

Robert nodded. “Of course. Just a touch up today, yeah?”

Chris nodded and got to work. He focused on what he was doing, half-listening to the sounds of the shop: Scarlett and Seb bantering back and forth, Carly’s nails tapping away at the keyboard, Shanna and Scott sighing as they watched and waited for closing time to approach.

“Hey, Shan, Scotty. Why don’t you get out early? You’ve got no more appointments, right?”

They both confirmed they were done for the day, so Chris gave them the go ahead. After finishing with her current customer, Scarlett scooted out as well. Carly was the next to go, until only Seb and Chris were left behind.

Robert paid with his credit card but left a cash tip; paper-clipped to the bill was a set of coordinates. Chris and Seb exchanged a glance. This would be their next job.

“Call me when you finish with that referral,” Robert instructed. “This is a big one, boys. Don’t screw it up.”

With that, the man was gone. Chris locked up behind him and turned the sign on the door to Closed. He turned back to Seb, who was already checking out the coordinates.

“Shit,” Seb muttered, “Boston Private? They’re no joke. The kind of cash flow that goes through there …”

Chris didn’t like the idea of a big hit, but he did like the idea of maybe being set up for a while. He was proud to take care of his siblings in his father’s absence, to live up to the responsibilities his father had raised him to, but he was also ready for a break. He was ready to settle down.

“We gotta give it at least a week for us to scout that one out,” Chris decided out loud. “Then we’ll get Scar and Scotty in on it. We don’t say a word to Shanna or Carly.”

“As usual,” Seb sighed. “How have they gone their whole life not knowing this was a thing?”

Chris shrugged. “My parents had Carly early on in life -- this didn’t start till after she was born. Me and Scotty were always expected to go in Pop’s place once we were old enough, and Shanna’s the baby. She gets protected.”

“And what about Aurelie?”

“Aurelie’s a different story. So listen, we good on that plan then?”

Seb pursed his lips. “Can’t we do this with a three-man team? Scar doesn’t need to be in on this.”

Chris smirked. “Still going after that tail, huh?”

Seb rolled his eyes. “She’s not just tail and you know it. Besides, she’s never been off your nuts long enough to notice anyone else.”

“Please,” Chris said, reaching for his keys and shutting the lights off. “Scarlett and I were a thing in high school, and it wasn’t even a serious thing. You gotta have more confidence in yourself -- and by the way, you’re not gettin’ anywhere with that girl by suggesting she doesn’t need to go on jobs. That’ll piss her right off.”

Seb agreed that was true. Once the shop was locked up, they hit the sidewalk, heading over to Stan’s Pub for a drink or few before heading home for the night.

After their last day casing the bank, Seb headed back for the barber shop to try and catch some afternoon appointments. Chris was headed in that direction, too, but first he stopped at the corner store for a pack of cigarettes and maybe a fountain drink.

Next to him at the drink counter, a familiar face was filling a to-go cup with coffee. Chris smirked at the timing of it.

“Johnny, haven’t seen you around this area in a while,” Chris commented, not even bothering to make eye contact with the other man.

“Chris, hey. It has been a while. Don’t worry, I won’t be sticking around for long. Came by to see a friend.”

Chris nodded. “I’m not worried about you, man.”

John snorted; Chris didn’t need to look at the other man to know that tensions were high. Oh, there weren’t exactly boundaries in this part of town, but they knew enough to stay away from each other. Chris put the lid on his drink and stuck a straw through the hole. John capped his coffee cup, then nodded to Chris.

“Hey man, you haven’t seen my sister recently, have you?”

John frowned. “Carly or Shanna?”

Chris studied John carefully. Had he really forgotten about Chris’s stepsister, or was he playing dumb? In the interest of not creating a scene so close to a job, Chris decided to give John the benefit of the doubt.

“Shanna.”

“No, I haven’t seen either of them recently, actually.”

“Hmm. Been to MassGen in the last couple of weeks?”

John shook his head. “Nah, man, I’m great. Listen, I’ve got to get going, but I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.”

“I’m sure we will.”

John paid for his coffee and left the shop. Chris got his cigarettes, paid for the pack and his drink, then walked down to the barber shop. Whatever reason Aurelie had asked about John, Chris had bigger things to worry about for the time being.

The morning of the job, the four of them -- Chris, Seb, Scott, and Scarlett -- donned their usual attire: hoodies, masks, gloves, dark jeans, steel-toed boots. They approached the bank in a van, parked in the alley to the south of the bank, and made their way to the front door.

Inevitably, screaming, running, and tears took over. It was chaos, but they all had to keep it managed if they were going to get their payoff. Seb had already overpowered the aging security guard, and Scarlett was in the tech room working on cutting off the cameras and frying the footage. Scott was backing Chris up. They knew that a different teller got the code to unlock the safe every morning, and by their calculations, it should have been the middle-aged man on the end who had the code.

“It’s not me!” he pleaded, hands in the air. “Elsa! Elsa has the code!”

Chris looked in the direction the man was pointing. A young, blonde woman, eyes wide and her whole body trembling, fought against his gaze. Chris marched down to her window and climbed over the counter.

“Are you Elsa?”

She closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes.”

He pointed with his gun towards the safe. “Open it, Elsa.”

Tears were running down her cheeks. Chris felt horrible; scaring people came with the territory of this sort of work, but this girl seemed especially terrified. Her fingers shook over the keypad, and she struggled to remember the numbers in the correct order under this kind of pressure.

“C’mon! Open it!” Scott yelled from behind her.

She jumped, and the tears rolled harder. Chris glared at his brother, then put a hand over Elsa’s.

“You know the code,” he told her quietly. “We aren’t gonna hurt you, okay? We’re here for the money, not for any of you. Take a deep breath, try it again.”

Elsa closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath through her nose, then let it out through her mouth. Chris was momentarily distracted by the minty scent that wafted his way with her exhale. By the time he was focused again, she had the safe open.

“Good girl,” he said, gently moving her aside. He and Scott went straight into the safe to collect their bounty. It was all done in less than two minutes. They returned to the main part of the bank to gather their colleagues and get the hell outta Dodge.

But Elsa wasn’t there when they went to leave, and neither was Scarlett. Chris and Scott exchanged a look of concern.

“She’s already out,” Seb informed them, pounding on the counter. “Five-oh is on the radar. Let’s go.”

The three men scrambled out of the bank and back to the van. Before they even made it all the way, they could hear pounding noises coming from the back. Scott took his place in the driver’s seat, Seb in the front, and Chris climbed into the back where Scarlett was giving Elsa a proper what-for.

“Hold up!” Chris said, pushing himself between the two women. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Scarlett pointed at Elsa. “She pushed the alarm! That’s why the cops were coming!”

“So you dragged her along for the ride?”

Scarlett groaned. “We need leverage if they catch up to us. Now can we please just get the fuck out of here!”

The van squealed down the alley. Reaching for a zip-tie, Chris secured Elsa’s hands behind her back. Scarlett used two bandanas -- too readily available -- to blindfold and gag her. It at least allowed them to shed the suffocating masks.

Once they were away from the police and on a quiet street completely north of where they lived, they let Elsa out of the van. Scarlett swore they knew her address and where her family was from, and there would be hell to pay if Elsa helped in any sort of investigation. Chris waited for Scarlett to be back in the van before instructing Elsa to sing her favorite song to herself before taking off her blindfold. He took one last look at her, trembling and crying quietly to herself there on the curb, before climbing in the back of the van and instructing Scott to get them the hell out of there.

Tags: @themtbmbgirl​​ @keithseabrook27​​ @ulovemelightsout​​ @rosie2801​​ @professorkrasinski​

[originaldanganronpascenarios]

Hello!! If possible can you write a rantaro x fem! Reader? High school/hopes peak( you decide) au, fluff. Let's say that the reader is talkative and popular. Ofc you are free to decline!! And if you decide to do it, take all the time you need!! I don't mind at all:)

Tbh if I did decline a oneshot request or someone requests it when they are closed I would just do scenario instead.

But damn it could be much longer tbh... Like I could make it a 3-part story. But I kinda suck at writing Rantaro's character. Still hope you will like it!

3rd person POV

Ever since you have started high school you were making more and more friends and had pretty high reputation thanks to that. But there was this one boy you couldn't get to meet even though you were in the same class. His name was Rantaro. He was gone traveling for a month and a half. You were unsure where to since nobody provided you with that info.

It was pretty wierd to see him back again and his desk wasn't now allways empty. So it was your time to get to know him.

You approached him calmly "Hi" you had a smile on your face and his voice seemed a bit tired as he said "Hey there... Y/N was it?" nodding you smiled "And you are Rantaro?"

He chuckled "That's me... Do you need anything?" crap you didn't think this through. But you had quick idea on what to say "I noticed that you were gone for a while and I was wondering if you needed any help with missed schoolwork. I can send you all the notes" you offered and he chuckled "That whould be nice" you took out a pen and piece of paper and wrote your contact info and gave him it.

He jokingly announced "Wow first day here and I alredy got someone's number"

"Wow I didn't expect you to be a flirt but well I guess I shouldn't have judged you" you joked back but he didn't seem to get the joke

"Oh it's nothing like that. I just thought I could keep the conversation going with the comment. Guess I didn't think it through and it came out as it did huh?" he rubbed the back of his neck nervously laughing "It was fun talking to you no wonder everyone likes you"

You raised your eyebrow at the statement "How do you know that?" crossing your arms you became curious since how he possibly could know it. He pointed at one of the students in the classroom her name was Kaede "Me and her went to the same middle school and she just gave me some info about the school and kept me updated on what's up" Rantaro looked back at you and you realized something "Whouldn't that mean that you already have the notes?" you weren't mad but you wanted to know why he'd agree to you giving him notes if he already had them "Well you see I don't have the most recent ones and since you asked if I needed it I said yes" he shrugged "I hope I can use this number not just for school related stuff" he said while waving the little piece of paper you gave him earlier. You smiled at him "I also hope we can become friends if that's what you are suggesting" he nods "That's exactly it you got me" he slightly raised his both hands in joking manner.

"By the way do you need to see around the school? I mean I don't know this place too well either but it's better than nothing"

"Nah I'm good. I'll probably figure it out myself. But if you just want to spend more time with me I'll pretend I haven't said that" he chuckled. He sure does laugh often. Not that you mind since it's quite pleasant sound and it also lightens the mood...

"Well we can spend time in some other ways. For example you can te-" you were cut off by a bell. Funny even though your conversation topic was school you forgot that you were actually in school.

"I guess we'll have to finish this conversation later" he went towards his seat.

=> After class

As soon as bell rang yet again he approached me "So what you wanted to say earlier?" you tried to remember what it was "Oh right! You could tell me something about your travels. If you'd like to of course!"

"It wasn't anything big really nothing much to talk about" he was a bit nervous that you wanted to get to know him better but hey that's what getting to know each other is right? "Okay I won't push you but if you have any good stories from your trip I'd be glad to listen" you announced.

"I'll keep that in mind" he smiled at you. And then there was a bit of silence between you two normally you'd keep the conversation going but you didn't knew what to say at this point.

So you just agreed to leave the conversation. The rest of the day you didn't talk much and now that you think about it you didn't see him during any breaks either.

Untill it was time to go home you had plans with few of your classmates after school so you were in a hurry (since you got held back by one of the teachers) and you didn't notice when your phone fell out of your pocket.

The one who noticed that was Rantaro so he picked it up and yelled "Y/N you dropped your phone!" you turned around and saw him with your phone. He catched up to you and gave you your belonging back "Thank you" you took it from him and checked if it had any damage. Luckily it didn't but since you were in a rush you couldn't stay with him longer... Until you got an idea "Hey Rantaro do you mind joining me and few of our classmates today? We are going to the cinema but think fast cuz otherwise I don't think we'd get there in time" he just nods and the two of you managed to meet up with the rest on time (Kaede, Miu, Kaito and Shuichi)

"Took you long enough" Miu crossed her arms and noticed Rantaro "Oh nevermind I know what held you back for so long" she laughed and before she got to say anything Kaede cut her off "You could call us you know" she pouted. You were a bit confused "When I was about to head out-" you were cut off by Kaito "It doesn't matter now. I mean we all will be late if we don't get going now right?" all of you agreed and managed to get to the cinema on time. After watching the movie you just talked for a while while walking aimlessly and then getting some food. It was clear that everyone had fun and you got a bit closer to Rantaro.

Some time after you got back home you remembered that you had to send him the notes. You were a bit tired but it was just a few pictures. Beforehand though you needed him to text you since you couldn't do it yourself because you didn't had his number. So after some time you got a text from him.

Unknown number: Hey there! It's me Rantaro

You saved his number before responding.

Y/N: Hey ^^ so what are your latest notes? I'll send you everything you are missing.

He texted you back saying what he had. It took him a while so he probably checked it.

Rantaro: Sorry for late response.

Y/N: Nah it's fine! I mean I don't expect you to remember everything :p

Rantaro: I guess you are right ;;

Rantaro: Btw thanks for the invitation today was really fun! I hope we can continue to meet like this more often.

Y/N: Don't mention it! I should thank you for handing me my phone. I'm pretty sure I'd notice it when I got home.

Rantaro: Well you're welcome then.

Y/N: How do you like our class so far?

Rantaro: You all are pretty cool. Can't judge much because I didn't get to know most of the class. But I feel like it's going to be gr8 in the end.

Y/N: I hope so!

Rantaro: Can I ask you a question tho?

Y/N: Sure!

Rantaro: How often do you go out?

Y/N: Whenever someone has an idea where we can meet. Like for example the movie was Shuichi's idea. But so far we didn't have much trips.

Rantaro: Understandable I mean the school year bearly started and you just met most of the people if not everyone.

Y/N: Yup!

Y/N: But I hope you will join us often it was even more fun with you!

Rantaro: You think so?

Rantaro: Well I guess I will tag along from time to time then.

Y/N: Oh shoot I almost forgot to send you the notes.

Y/N: Hold on a sec

Rantaro: I'm not going anywhere.

You took pictures of your notes and send them to Rantaro.

Rantaro: To be honest I almost forgot about them too.

Y/N: Then it's good that I remembered it.

Rantaro: Yeah.

Rantaro: But I should at least look through them now so I'll text you later.

Y/N: okay see you soon

You looked at the time it was 6 pm. You talked with some of your friends and as time passed Rantaro didn't text you again. It wasn't a huge deal he probably had something to do or just forgot to text you. You checked the time again and it was... 8pm already!? You really did kill some time earlier...

You did your thing for the rest of the evening and fell asleep. You didn't get any text from Rantaro.

=> Morning: In school

As soon as you got inside the building Rantaro approached you "I'm so sorry I didn't text you. I had to take care of my sisters and one of them took my phone"

"Ah so that's what happened? It's okay I don't really mind it" but you did lowkey hope that you could talk to him more back then but hey now you can talk in person and there is always tomorrow so there wasn't any problem to begin with.

"Thanks for understanding" he awkwardly smiled. Together you went towards class and had a small chat along the way. You could see that he was still a little bit guilty that he didn't talk to you yesterday but you decided to let it slide.

=> few months later (second term)

You really got close. The two of you were best friends but there was a problem. He felt something more for you and was unsure if he should confess. Sure you knew each other for a while now but it still wasn't long time. You noticed that lately he was acting a bit off. Almost like he avoided you but each time you asked him about it he just apologized and said that he's just overthinking stuff he wanted to deal with alone.

And if he thought it whould get you to stop worrying... He's wrong and couldn't be even more wrong.

He was talking much more recently with Kaito so you asked if he knew something. You know that Kaito whouldn't lie to you and if he did you'd probably be able to tell. His response was pretty obvious "What? Somethin' wrong with Rantaro? I didn't see him acting wierd lately" his voice was more calm than his face expression. That's when the thought hit you "So he probably acts like this only around me... Or you are lying and know exactly what's up" crossing your arms you looked at him as he tried to avoid eye contact "I don't know really geez I know you are worried but I think he's fine" after his response you sighed in defeat "What if he doesn't like me anymore?" you started working this might be it little you knew it was exact opposite.

"There is no way he hates you! I mean why whould he?" Kaito raised his voice catching attention of few people but they ignored it in the end.

"I don't know it either"

"Then maybe don't assume things. I think that Rantaro whould just tell you if you were bothering him wich you aren't"

"How can you be so sure?"

"How you can't be? I mean you two spend a lot of time together so you should believe that he'd be honest with you"

"I guess you are right... I still don't get why he ignores me"

"I tell you don't worry about it" he placed his hand on your shoulder. It made you feel a little bit better.

You just decided to go with it becouse you tried talking to him but he always refused to answer. But maybe you are just overreacting and nothing actually was happening?

While you were at your train of thought Kaito went to look for Rantaro luckily you weren't around when he said "Dude did you seriously ignore Y/N? That wasn't what I ment!"

"I know... But I just feel like I'm scared honestly" he sighed "guess I'm just a coward huh?"

Kaito looked away "You are but you can still change it. I mean you really got her worried" he paused "I whouldn't be surprised if she was now trying to figure out what she did to make you avoid her"

Rantaro thought for a bit how you must feel "Fuck it" he stood up "I'm going to tell her now if she doesn't like me I'll just have to deal with it"

"That's the spirit!" Kaito gave him a thumbs up "Tell me how it went later"

"I sure will" he chuckled.

Instead of looking for you he wrote you a text.

Rantaro: Please meet me at the courtyard.

He was there before you and was really nervous. Thinking of what could go wrong and what could go right. Rantaro was ready for rejection but he of course wished you felt the same.

You finally got there and his heart was beating faster with each step you took towards him.

"I'm sorry" you said tearing up wich caused him to be confused "For what?"

"I don't know! For what I did that made you hate me?"

"What...? Y/N you did nothing wrong" he said as he hugged you in order to calm you down you could feel his fast heartbeat "I did" you were quiet so he could finish "I wasn't honest with you... For a bit long time"

Before you could say anything he almost whispered "I love you" you heard it clear even though it sounded like he didn't wanted you to hear it.

You didn't knew what to say. This led him to believe that you didn't heard him. He was a bit glad but it meant that he probably had to repeat it but you said "I love you too".

Funny you thought it whould be harder to say those words...

"So... Does it make us a pair?" he asked.

"Only if you want to" you winked at him and he chuckled "Then I guess I'll call you my girlfriend now".

~Mod Angie

[eskcw]

timothee chalamet, cis-male, he/him. → look out, there’s ELIAS ESKEW. you know, the 22  year old BROTHER of SIGMA IOTA RO. you know, i overheard someone say that they were MELODRAMATIC, PROMISCUOUS , ARDENT and EXPRESSIVE. but that’s just rumours. PROMINENT COLLARBONES, HICKEYS PEEKING FROM UNDER SILK SHIRTS, CRYING IN A BATHROOM come to mind when i think of them. what about you?

turns out i wasn’t rly feeling my gorl peggy, so .. give it up for this mess of a man!

from a british/american family. born in york, england, grew up in new york, usa. he finds it pretty funny.

his mother is a surgeon, father a prosecutor. it’s a money-making family.

a cliché money-making family, may i add. you know, we’re talking your typical parents are loaded and care more about jobs than the children situation. so, yeah, elias and his twin sister were raised mostly by various nannies.

boy has always been full of ideas. a creative child, lad who’d just sit in his room and come up with characters just for the heck of it. growing up, his parents always made sure that he’d look the best, well-dressed and overall representing the image of a golden child. that, however, was not enough for him to make friends. turns out that kids didn’t really care if you wore clean t-shirts and expensive pants everyday, y’know? he had a hard time fitting in, was picked on throughout whole middle school, shoved into puddles and beaten by the older boys. but, he’d never tell his parents and they? well, they never noticed. 

he discovered theatre sometime by the end of middle school, immediately knew that this was something for him. man, turns out he just loves to pretend to be someone else, even for a bit. has been in quite a few productions since then.

wasn’t too popular in high school, either. back then a closeted homosexual, lanky kid who’d hang out in the auditorium after hours. had a few friends but also a handful of people who’d come after him just for the heck of it.

had a hard time finding himself, spent sophomore year mostly questioning own decisions and breathing self-doubt. fell into depression, started skipping classes. that’s the first time his parents noticed that something’s wrong.

they didn’t really try to hear him out, though. instead, he was sent to a therapist and diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression. his dad thought it was stupid, would shake his head at elias’ medication and tell him to pull himself together.

he discovered drag sometime during senior year. he was around eighteen when he went to the very first show, fell in love. didn’t take him long to create a drag persona of his own!!

her name is g. litter. elias describes her as a washed up, braindead, crack-head diva. widowed at 24, probably killed her husband and ran off to hollywood. she’s a product of pure irony and everything he has ever dreamed of. her looks are the opposite of his usual neat pants, silk shirts and crop tops, consisting mostly of, well, glitter, sequins and the thinnest, yet highest heels in the room. she’s sexy, she’s shameless, she’s gross and he lives for it.

he came out to his parents after graduating high school. they kicked him out. so, boy moved, got a job at some nightclub, rented a low quality studio apartment, started the wildest year of his life.

no, but seriously, so much happened. he met the right people, got some connections, managed to get into the drag business, just a bit. had a couple of gigs here and there, did pretty damn good if he had to say so himself.

one time, a man approaches him after a show. offers him good things, a modelling career of some sort. sounds pretty legit. so, that night, elias goes home with the stranger and they sleep together. that’s, partly, where he discovers that he really, really likes to fool around with older guys.

it also, legitimately, gets him some recognition. like, yo, remember when the dude promised him stuff? yeah, he totally wasn’t lying! and so, for a while, elias did some modelling on the side.

didn’t hear from his parents in months. one night, on his way home from a gig, he gets jumped by some dudes, beaten down with bats and robbed. he tells his sister, she mentions it to their parents. things immediately take a turn. out of sudden, his parents are on his side, call him and try to convince to sue the guys or something. ofc he doesn’t.

this one year of living all alone in new york city comes to an end when he gets accepted into northshore dudes!!

also, pretty good timing, ‘cause boy was getting kicked out of the apartment anyway.

he went back to living with his parents, but just for a short while. they claimed to be proud of him? clearly, they’re trying to be a little less shit, but he can still tell that they’re not 100% happy with who he is. therefore, he hasn’t told them about the drag thing. or the hooking up with dudes twice his age thing. also? he’s honestly not even sure if they know he’s into theatre. like, sure, he’s mentioned it, but they never came to any shows, ever, so, um, idk, doesn’t matter.

to make up for their sins, they magically decided to pay for his studies??? it was prolly just bc his sister was going to the same college, soo, like, they didn’t want it to look bad??  how fuckin’ nice, though. he didn’t really want to agree to it at first, but eventually decided it’s so totally fine. free education is good education, bois.

has been here for two years now. majors in dramatic arts & is in a group full of devised theater enthusiasts. they do their abstract shows and whatnot. then, he also has the solo career (haha, like some gigs, nothing hollywood bby) as g. litter.

likes to sleep around. loves to feel pretty, attractive, desired. fan of the whole concept of erotica.

lowkey needs validation always.

such an actor. v exaggerated, sorta loud, overdramatic as fuck. makes a lot of dumb choices and then cries about it.

wine mom.

his pinterest is here!

[ellvie]

ELVIE CROFT, twenty four years old. youtuber and ghost with the most on beloved emmy award winning netflix series ghost gallery. interests include horror movies, the 80s, halloween, and the absolute abomination that is black licorice. the smartest dipshit you’ll ever meet.

elvin tupelo croft. prefers elvie, but el is okay if you’re a close friend or family member. is extremely sensitive about the fact that he was almost named elvis after the famous musician because his dad is OBSESSED.

born in the salem, massachusetts on halloween day. descendant of an accused witch, son of an actual witch, and practices himself albeit casually. his dad is the county district attorney while his mom owns a small shop in town, so they were...lower middle class i guess. they always had enough to meet their needs, but couldn’t afford any extra spending or splurging. as he got older he’d go on to work small jobs around town, most notably as a janitor in the local movie theater. so no silver spoon or high horse here.

margo massey has been his best friend since birth. her maternal grandparents disowned her mom when she fell pregnant with margo, so elvie’s dad gave them some legal help and the rest is history. they’ve been best friends for longer than either of them can even remember, true ride or dies for life. if you don’t like margo then elvie doesn’t like you and that’s that on that. the antics of elvie croft and margo massey were famous in salem long before they were famous on netflix.

so he tried lots of different activities as a kid. he was a boy scout, he took music lessons, he was absolutely awful at tee ball, but nothing really stuck. he’s always had a lot of energy and a short attention span, so he gets bored of stuff pretty easily. 

something his parents and teachers would often notice about him was that he’s very smart. he’s a fast learner, one of those annoying types who seems to just do well in school and get perfect grades without even trying? that’s him. some people have even thrown around words like brilliant and genius. tbh they probably aren’t far off, but elvie hates being called smart to the point where he?? intentionally dumbs himself down 24/7 and passes it off as a joke

ofc that didn’t stop from being mercilessly bullied all throughout school. he had braces and glasses and chronic nosebleeds and didn’t play any sports and only had one friend who was picked on just as badly so he was definitely a favorite target of his peers.

fortunately elvie has much thicker skin than most people seem to realize. he doesn’t...really care what people think about him. at all. oh so what you don’t like him. he’ll have a good long cry about it while his emmy award is getting polished. not that he’s arrogant bc he honestly isn’t. it’s just that he knows his worth and your opinion of him isn’t going to change that.

he was fifteen when the rich & snobby abernathy family bought a huge summer home in salem and he met their daughter, astrea...it was love at first sight and to this day he’s never loved anybody else or even dated anybody else. their summer romance turned long distance when she went home in the fall. they were insistent upon not letting anything break them apart and aside from about a year where they weren’t together, nothing ever did. elvie croft has been dating the same girl since he was fifteen and just keeps falling more and more in love with her.

it should be noted that astrea’s parents absolutely hate him and they always have. he didn’t do anything except come from a poor no name family, which was more than enough for them, so elvie was resorting to climbing through her window and helping her sneak out in the middle of the night so they could see each other for even five minutes. it’s a regular romeo juliet story. how disgustingly lovesick and On Brand™ for them.

a year later he started his youtube channel at the age of sixteen with margo & the camera that he got for his birthday. it’s basically buzzfeed unsolved supernatural. he’s the believer, she’s the skeptic, and they go looking for ghosts! it was an instant hit. with every video posted they were gaining subscribers in the dozens, then the hundreds, then the thousands. they weren’t even in college yet and they were already two of the most popular & beloved names in youtuber fandom.

attended nyu once they did get to college. tbh elvie didn’t really wanna go?? he doesn’t like school, so he technically studied business and was top of his class as per usual, but he was mostly just there to party and hang out with margo and finally get to be with astrea all the time. he loves her so much like i can’t stress this enough.

too bad for him bc he got DUMPED in their last year of college. astrea broke up with him and then immediately went to saudi arabia for a year. he didn’t take it well at all, but fortunately he’d be distracted soon enough.

elvie and margo were approached by netflix producers who basically wanted to turn their youtube channel into a tv show which turned out to be a really smart move because ghost gallery is a HUGE HIT. everyone’s seen it. everyone loves it. no one can seem to shut up about it. basically think of the hype around stranger things and you’ll understand how much everyone loves ghost gallery.

they’ve put out two seasons so far & are just about to start filming for season three which is scheduled for a late october 2019 release and elvie absolutely loves his show so he couldn’t be happier about it!

and now for a few other fast facts bc i SOMEHOW feel like i haven’t covered everything yet!

loves horror movies, halloween, and scaring people. by the age of twelve he was getting full grown adults to scream and run away from him in terror while he just laughed and laughed bc it was the best thing ever to him.

it’s been a running joke all his life that he doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything and who knows? maybe he isn’t.

his other major interest? everything 80s. tbh at least 90% of everything he’s ever said is an 80s movie reference, often too obscure for most people to even catch. 

he’s extremely rich bc he spends almost none of the money he earns from youtube and netflix. he grew up poor enough to have the mentality that he can’t just go around wasting money on whatever he wants even though he very well could without even making a serious dent in his bank account. at worst he might impulse buy some extra candy or smth but nothing more expensive than that

they type of eccentric genius who will solve a whole rubik’s cube in .0000000001 seconds like it’s nothing and act like it isn’t even a big deal bc he’s already distracted by something else entirely. it probs gives people a little whiplash tbh

PERSONALITY: elvie is nice, but he’s not for everyone. eccentric is probably the best word to describe him. he doesn’t do things the way everyone else does. he’s extremely hyperactive and very ~out there~ which is a combination that’s just Too Much for some people. he tends to come across as either witty and endearingly charming or loud and flat out annoying. so he’s kinda terrible at making friends but it doesn’t stop him from trying. in general he’s well liked if only bc almost everyone loves ghost gallery, but ofc there are outliers so pls feel free to hate him. tl;dr he’s completely harmless but maybe a little annoying, will just ramble at you for hours about ghosts and horror movies and the 80s and assume that you’re friends because of it.

CONNECTIONS

family

maternal cousin - willow sparks and alexandra blakely (distant)

paternal cousin, constant bickering - river espinoza

romantic

wife - astrea croft

unrequited crush - open

platonic

best friend, might bicker sometimes but ride or die 5ever - margo massey

acquaintances - torrance keynes, saywer duncan, open to more.

close friends - open to several.

family friends - rosalind cox, open to more.

friends -  jordan parkes, wren daily, reign monroe, sahar santini, genesis iver, ingrid larson, marialena goldstein.

online → irl friends - ginny baker

unlikely friends - eden o’ connor, open to more,

frenemies - beckley bovér, open to more.

negative

enemies - angel almeida, open to more.

bad terms - carson king, open to more.

ex friends - luna reyes, anastasia sangster.

he doesn’t tend to have a lot of enemies but whew he absolutely despises angel so if you like him then elvie probably doesn’t like you. 

[diinofayce]

Who You Selling For? 3

Pairing: Bodyguard! Steve Rogers x OFC!Musician! Addison Schmidt x Bodyguard! Bucky Barnes | Word Count: 4.3k | Warnings: 18+ due to excessive drug and alcohol use, angst, barely edited | 

FACTORY GIRL

Addison had made a comment about getting a shower in and parted from Steve and Bucky to get settled. Steve stood in the middle of their shared room looking a bit lost. It had the same large windows that all the rooms in this damn house did, its colors mostly stark white with muted grays and pops of bright orange; Steve made a mental note to see if he could find blue blankets to trade out because he knew that Bucky would like those better. The large king sized bed was positioned in the middle of the wall against the hallway so that you could look outside and Steve instantly knew that they would need to rearrange the furniture so Bucky could see every entrance. He already figured if they pushed it into an angle at the corner of the room that should give him view of the doorway out to the house, the bathroom, the closet, and the windows. While Steve was playing mental interior designer, Bucky bustled around him in a panic about this supposed house party the band was throwing. He was on the phone with Tony requesting more security after trying to get Stark to shut down the party had failed.

Steve snapped back to himself when Bucky let out a growl and tossed his phone on the bed. Crossing to his boyfriend in two long strides he tried to gently take Bucky’s waist in his hands but Bucky set his hands on Steve’s forearms to halt his advance.

“Buck,” Steve sighed sounding gutted.

“Stevie, we can’t. I can’t. We have a job to do and the girl is making it obscenely hard. What a stupid fucking move, a fucking house party. This is supposed to be a secure and secret location and now it’s going to have photos on every social media site, fans will be talking about it, fuck Hydra could send their inside men in themselves,” Bucky argued, his chest heaving and breathing heavy from all the different thoughts racing through his mind.

“Is that what you would have done?” Steve asked sharper than he meant, stepping away from Bucky to sit on the edge of the bed.

Bucky tore the hair tie from his chocolate locks and tangled his fingers in his hair so he could tug sharply at his scalp. “Yes, Steve. It’s exactly what I would have done. She’ll be drunk, she’ll be high, she’ll be easily accessible thanks to all the people. This would have been ideal, she makes it so fucking easy for the bad guys.”

Steve looked up at Bucky, staring him down with his intense ocean gaze. “That’s what we’re here for, Bucky. Tony put us on her because we’re the best he has, but we can’t work together if you just keep pushing me away.”

Bucky turned his icy orbs to Steve’s and sighed. Steve was right, he was always right, but he could never see when Bucky was shit pants terrified. And maybe that was his fault, he pushed and threw up walls and he knew it wasn’t fair to anyone including himself. So much could go wrong here, not only could Addison be killed, but so could Steve. Bucky didn’t know what he would do without Steve in his life. Bucky was also terrified of Pierce sinking his claws into him again. While Steve had gone to college after high school Bucky had gone into the service and when he came back from his tour he was already a broken man. Pierce was the first person to actively give him a job and Bucky, in his shambled state, was ready to do whatever Pierce asked of him because that’s all Bucky knew how to do after deployment.

Bucky walked over to Steve who spread his legs so Bucky could settle between them. He cupped Steve’s face in his hands and tenderly swiped his thumbs over his cheeks, leaning down Bucky kissed Steve softly in the middle of his forehead.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky whispered against his skin.

Steve reached up and hooked his hands into the crook of Bucky’s elbows, pulling the man’s lips down to his own. Steve kissed Bucky softly hoping to convey all the reassurance and love that he possibly could into that kiss. Bucky hummed in content and smiled softly against Steve’s lips.

“You don’t have to apologize to me, Bucky,” Steve reassured him when they separated. “I understand your fears, you can’t hide anything from me. We have to be a team, okay?”

“’Til the end of the line.”

“’Til the end of the line.”

Steve grabbed Bucky’s waist and laid back pulling the brunette down on top of him, smirking at the soft little squeak that left the brunette’s lips. They had ten minutes that they could selfish before everything went crazy.

~*~

The party was in full swing, the music was thumping over the speakers that were wired throughout the house, the alcohol was flowing, people seemed to be having quite a good time whether it was dancing or joking around by the pool or doing drugs in some shady corner of the expansive yard. Addison and Wanda, Addison’s guitarist and childhood best friend, sat in the backyard in lounge chairs sipping beer and keeping a subtle watch on the goings on. Addison could feel the hard gaze of either Bucky or Steve at any given time and it made her skin itch. She knew Steve was up on the balcony, watching the whole backyard, but mostly her and that Bucky was weaving his way through the house taking careful assessments of every person he passed. There were two other guards that they had Tony send over, some weird loud guy with long golden hair that was hanging out with Sam and Pietro and keeping an eye on them and then there was the man with the dirty blonde hair who looked like he had zero patience for any of the shit that was happening around him. The last Addison saw of him, he was working the front door.

Wanda was lazily braiding Addison’s long blonde hair, a softly smoking cigarette dangling from lips practically forgotten in her concentration.

“I thought you told your uncle you didn’t want security,” Wanda murmured around the filter and taking a deep suck to keep it lit when she realized it was still in her mouth. Two thin tendrils of smoke falling lazily from her nostrils on the exhale making her look like a dragon.

“Shows how much anyone listens to me,” Addison murmured, her lips brushing the lip of the beer bottle in her hand as she eyed a man in a black leather coat and a baseball hat pulled down over his eyes.

The man was surrounded by a handful of other party goers and Addison was watching the careful exchange of baggies and money. Addison let out a sharp whistle which had the group nearby looking up at her, it also regained Steve’s avid attention. She pointed to the man dealing and made a come hither motion with her finger, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth. The man approached and raised his eyebrows at her expectantly. She watched Steve say something into the smartwatch on his wrist out of the corner of her eye, but chose to continue to pretend like their presence didn’t mean anything to her.

“What are you selling?” Addison asked.

“A bit of everything. What are you looking to buy?” the man responded flashing baggies of brightly colored pills, white powder, and some clear crystals.

Addison’s eyes roved his wares before flashing up at him. “A bit of everything,” she responded coyly, reaching into her bra and pulling out a wad of cash.

The man hummed in acknowledgment as he sorted out one of each kind of baggie. “You’re Addison Schmidt, right?” he asked suddenly, holding out the merchandise to her.

Addison held out two hundreds and snatched the bags from his hand. “Nope,” she accentuated with a pop of the p.

The man smirked and rolled his eyes, it was a rhetorical question but if she wanted to play this game it was fine with him. He was used these celebrity types. “Too bad, I hear she knows how to party. I would have given her a discount if I was promised more invites.”

Addison looked up at him sharply. “A girl like Addison Schmidt doesn’t need to go fishing for discounts. But if these are good I’ll pass on a positive word.”

She popped open one of the bags and tapped out six pink pills. She reached under her chair and came out with a little plastic tray with a razor blade on it. Addison eyed up the dealer in front of her for a second, assessing his worth, before pressing the flat side of the razor against the pills to crush them before flipping to the blade and chopping the pills into a fine powder and separated it into two thin lines. She snapped her finger at him while he babbled about his connections in the business and other drugs he knew how to get a hold of, he instantly passed her one of her twenties back which she rolled up into a little tube and huffed up one of the lines before passing the twenty and the tray to Wanda who followed suit. Wanda flicked the rolled up twenty back at the guy, both girls sniffling and rubbing their noses with the back of their hands.

“Well, ladies, they call me Doc and if you’re happy my number is on the bags. Don’t mix the long white pills with anything, especially alcohol,” he warned before rejoining the party. Wanda and Addison both waved him off while they rolled their eyes at each other. Dealers were a dime bag a dozen and they usually had no reason to go back to the same person, that’s how you got caught up when they inevitably got raided by the police. All drug dealers thought they were special, but at the end of the day if you have enough money any idiot could find any specific requests.

The man didn’t get too far into the house before he was grabbed roughly, the sound of a machine whirring as the fist tightened on his jacket lapels.

“What the fuck did you just sell her?” Bucky growled, slamming the man against the wall.

“Bro, lay the fuck off,” Doc barked trying to shove Bucky’s hands off of him, but Bucky’s grip wasn’t moving.

Bucky leaned in close and Doc flinched as the warmth of Bucky’s breath fanned over his face. “Tell me what you just sold to her,” Bucky demanded, his voice low and threatening.

From over Doc’s shoulders Bucky watched as Steve approached Addison and Wanda. Addison’s scowl from the man’s interruption was visible from all the way inside.

“A little bit of everything. Wellbutrin, Adderall, Butisol - which I warned her not to mix or drink if she was going to take it, some Molly and good ol’ fashioned coke. I had a bit of oxycontin - I had heard it’s one of her preferred, and I came across some Lithium last week. You can’t get high on Lithium, but no way she doesn’t have bi-polar or some shit which if you’re her hound dog - you’re welcome - I just made your job easier,” Doc rattled off and Bucky sorted through his mental knowledge of prescription drugs in his head.

“Why the fuck would you be handing out barbiturates at a place like this? You’re going to fucking kill someone,” Bucky snapped, lifting Doc away from the wall only to slam him back into it knocking the wind out of Doc’s lungs.

Doc coughed lightly, wheezing to get air back as he thumped Bucky’s metal shoulder. Doc’s brows furrowed in pain as he shook his bruised knuckles out. “Fuck, I just sell what’s popular. I told her to do them solo - if she mixes that’s her fault.”

“The pills she just took, what were those?”

“Wellbutrin, poor man’s cocaine. It doesn’t last nearly as long she’ll be back down in an hour or so,” Doc explained and sighed in relief when Bucky let him go.

“If I see you at another one of these parties, at any of her shows, if I see your stupid fucking face again - your own mother wont recognize you when you finally find your way home,” Bucky threatened and shoved him back into Clint who had been standing off to the side watching expressionless.

“Sure thing, man, but I gotta tell you not too many people are afraid of Pierce’s Winter Soldier anymore. Everyone knows you’ve gone soft,” Doc called back with a snarky laugh.

Bucky whirled around and Clint, reading Bucky’s intentions, held the dealer out as Bucky’s metal fist sunk deep into the soft flesh of Doc’s stomach. With a loud oof and loss of breath, Doc threw up on the floor between them. Bucky stepped back so as to not get any of the bile on his shoes.

Bucky leaned in close again to whisper in Doc’s ear. “If you’re running in that circle, you make sure Pierce knows I’ll kill everyone he fucking sends in my path and I’ll give him his little soldiers back in pieces.”

“Get him out of here. No need to be gentle,” Bucky commanded Clint with a sharp tilt of his jaw. Clint heaved Doc up and rushed him out the front door, easily pushing his way through the crowd.

Bucky sighed and ran his hands through his long dark hair as he looked around the house, side stepping the pile of vomit and making a note to see if someone can get it cleaned up. His eyes shot outside to where he last saw Addison, Wanda, and Steve and noticed they were no longer sitting out by the pool.

“Location check,” Bucky said into the microphone on his watch.

“Still taking out the trash,” Clint replied with a grunt.

“Kitchen,” Thor responded.

“Living room with the girls,” Steve’s voice came in sounding strained and stressed.

Bucky made his way through the crowd to the living room where the music was the loudest. He passed by the kitchen to check in on Thor who was hanging around Pietro, Wanda’s twin brother and the band’s drummer, and Sam Wilson, the bass player. Pietro was doing a line of something off the granite counter while Sam sat back on a barstool, aimlessly plucking his bass on his lap while flashing his brilliant white teeth at a pretty girl with black hair and legs for days. Thor watched Pietro reproachfully and cast a look at Bucky with a shrug. Rockstars, man, they always kept security on their toes. Certain that Thor had everything in the kitchen handled he continued to the living room where he almost choked on his tongue at the sight of Addison and Wanda up on the coffee table wearing nothing but their torn jeans and lacy bras as they danced to the loud music and the cheering of the crowd.

Steve stood off to the side, leaning against a wall, looking as if he wasn’t sure if he should intervene or not. His warm blue eyes found Bucky and he bit the corner of his mouth in uncertainty. Bucky crossed the room to him and sighed.

“We have to kill this party, there’s too many people. We can’t keep track of who’s coming in and out. That was the third drug dealer I’ve kicked out of this place and this one works with Pierce’s artists,” Bucky said into Steve’s ear over the music.

Steve nodded and looked around the crowd. “I have a bad feeling, Buck, the hairs on my neck are on end. Did you find out what the girls took?”

“Wellbutrin,” Bucky responded. “It makes me nervous mixing stimulants and depressants like that.” He continued, motioning to the bottle of Jack Daniels Addison had picked up along the way and was pouring into Wanda’s mouth.

“She wouldn’t give me the other bags of stuff, I figured I’d get them when she passes out. I’ve been watching to make sure she doesn’t take anything more,” Steve said as his eyes followed Addison’s movements.

The blond flowed with the music as lithe as a jungle cat and when she was offered a joint from someone in the crowd her face lit up with a brilliant smile. Both Steve and Bucky groaned in frustration as she placed the wrapped bundle in between her lips and took a deep inhale, before grabbing the back of Wanda’s neck and exhaling the smoke into the red head’s mouth. The crowd hollered and jeered and the sudden flashes of cameras had Steve and Bucky moving into action. Steve simply pocketed phones and cameras that he came across as he worked his way to the middle where the girls danced while Bucky crushed everything in his metal palm and handed the crumbled technology back to its original owner.

Steve made it to the stereo to cut the music while Bucky jumped up on the coffee table with the girls who were both glaring at him furiously. “Party’s over,” Bucky grunted grabbing the wrists of both girls and tugging them down.

“Bucky, no!” Addison protested, digging her heels into the carpet.

“Bucky, yes,” Bucky barked back before finally stooping down and lifting Addison up and tossing her over his shoulder. He looked at Wanda who just shrugged and curled her hair around her finger absentmindedly.

“I’m gonna find Piet,” she slurred and Bucky pushed her gently towards the kitchen and Thor.

Clint reappeared and Bucky jerked his head towards the living room. “Go help Steve get everyone out. Party is over,” Bucky commanded and Clint nodded, springing into action immediately.

Bucky took the stairs two at a time, ignoring Addison’s swearing and her alternating between trying to elbow him in the back of the head and her thumping her little fists on his broad back. He kicked open the door to her master suite and tossed her onto the bed where she bounced softly once and then fell back to stare up at the ceiling, her golden hair fanned out like a halo around her.

Bucky closed the door and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for some sort of response as Addison blinked slowly up at the spackle on the ceiling.

Addison sort of heaved a little once before looking at Bucky pitifully. “I’m going to be sick,” she said in the smallest voice that Bucky has heard from the obnoxious vocalist yet.

“And there it is,” Bucky sighed, knowing this was coming. Sliding one hand around her knees and the other behind her shoulders he picked her up and carried her into the bathroom where he sat her down in front of the toilet, lifting the lid and seat and grabbing a washcloth.

As Bucky turned on the water in the sink he winced as Addison heaved and everything she consumed in the evening went splashing into the toilet. Turning off the water he sat on the edge of the bathtub and pulled Addison’s hair back gently out of her face and off her neck.

“Atta girl, go on, let the demons out.” Bucky whispered as Addison heaved and threw up again.

“Location check.” Came Steve’s voice in his ear.

“Doing a sweep of the pool house and back yard,” Thor answered.

“Speaking with the police out front,” Clint answered causing Bucky to wince. He was really hoping that they would make it through the first night without local police involvement.

“Master bathroom with Addison,” Bucky answered softly into his smart watch as Addison threw up again.

He reached forward and wiped the thin sheen of sweat off of Addison’s forehead with the damp washcloth and she leaned into his hand, looking strung out and exhausted.

“Can you get me a bottle of water, please?” Addison whispered, looking up at Bucky with her silver eyes - the black from her mascara streaking down her cheeks with her tears.

Bucky swiped a few stray platinum hairs off of her damp face and nodded. “Yeah, I can do that for you.” Heaving himself off the edge of the bath tub with a groan he tossed the washcloth into the sink and quickly headed downstairs to the kitchen. He was pleased to see how quickly Steve and Clint managed to get everyone flushed out of the house and quieted down.

A burst of laughter came from the kitchen and Bucky rounded the corner to see everyone milling around the center kitchen island. Pietro had his arm around his twin sister’s waist as Wanda snored softly, her head resting on his shoulder. Sam was in the middle of telling the group an apparently funny story, everyone hanging on his every word. Bucky cast Steve a pointed look as he slipped behind Thor, clapping the man’s broad shoulders as he passed, to the fridge where he opened it in his hunt for a bottle of water.

Steve looked between Sam and Bucky for a moment before tearing himself away from the story to approach his boyfriend. Bucky frowned at Steve, the blond had already shed his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt so that he could loosen the straps to his bullet proof vest. Bucky frowned and hummed softly in disapproval, something Steve caught immediately and had the decency to look slightly abashed.

“Having fun down here?” Bucky asked gruffly.

Steve looked at him a little confused for a moment and blinked a few times. “Uh, yeah, we’re just winding down a little before everyone goes off to bed. Kind of keeping an eye on Wanda. How’s Addison?”

Bucky hummed again and held up the water bottle. “Just grabbing her this. I’ll meet you upstairs when you’re done,” Bucky made to turn but Steve grabbed his elbow softly. “Not here.” Bucky said tersely casting his baby blues to Thor and Clint who were still engaged with Sam and Pietro. Steve sighed softly and let go of Bucky who immediately bolted out of the kitchen and back up to Addison’s room.

Pushing the bedroom door open, Bucky smiled softly to see that Addison had managed to get herself into a pair of sweat pants and into the bed on her own. He walked around the side of her bed and set the bottle of water down on her bedside table. He was just turning to leave for his and Steve’s room when he heard her turn over and turned back to make sure she was okay.

“Hey, Barney. Can you stay?” Addison whispered up to him. “At least for a minute?”

Bucky snorted and gave a little half smile before sitting down on the empty half of the bed. “Do you do that purpose or are you just honestly terrible with names?”

“I think the real question, Barnaby, is are you planning on killing me?” Addison mumbled against the crook of her elbow.

Bucky’s blood turned to ice in his veins and he looked down sharply at the half asleep girl laying next to him. “Why would you ask that?” he asked, his voice coming out broken and sharp.

Addison rolled over again and placed her head in his lap, her tangled golden locks fanning out across him. He raised his arms out of the way and looked at the closed door to the hall for minute wishing Steve was in here to deal with this. Steve was much better at the touchy feely crap than Bucky was.

“Come on, Bucky, I thought you read my files. You know that I was signed with Hydra while you were working for Pierce. I remember you. So are you one of his sleeper agents? Are you going to kill me now that I’m drunk and high and alone? Are you going to kill Steve too or just disappear?” Addison rambled, her words slurred and slammed together.

Bucky cleared his throat and looked up at the ceiling, clenching and relaxing his jaw to match the quick pounding of his heart. He took a few steadying breaths and started to absentmindedly and gently unknot her hair across his lap. “I don’t do that anymore, kid.” Bucky said finally.

“It’d be okay if you killed me, no one would miss me. I’d feel bad for Steve, though, he’s a very obvious person and he very obviously likes you a lot. So you should just…be better…okay? Because it’s really easy to be a piece of shit and it’s really hard to learn how to not be.”

Bucky was startled by how observant and poignant her statement was, especially since he was pretty sure Addison hadn’t been sober since they met earlier in the day. He didn’t know how to answer her, which was perfect because after making her proclamation she immediately passed out snoring in his lap. Bucky gently put her back under the covers and tucked up around the pillows before standing and making his way out of her room. As he was closing the door behind him he saw Steve trudging slowly up the stairs.

Bucky smiled softly at Steve who was looking reproachfully at Bucky, like he wasn’t sure how to act with Bucky right now. Bucky reached his metal hand out to Steve and nodded his head down the hall. “Come on, babe, let’s go to bed.”