#possible angsting and drama in later chapters. I don't think I could write enough to dilute the fluff even a little bit though LOL
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
crookedghosts · 3 months ago
Text
method acting [a little bit of truth (goes a pretty long way)]
Ch 3/ 5 || 16k words total || Jason Grace/Leo Valdez || Modern AU - Wedding + Fake Dating || AO3
The Bachelor Party Chapter! I'll take that with a side of Valgrace pining and Filipino!Percy karaoke, please.
...
“Maybe that’s your problem. You’re both too worried about it meaning something. What if you just let it?”
...
“Oh god, if I tried to sing, it’d probably cause an avalanche,” Jason stated, and Percy grinned over at him.
“You're really gonna let me duet your boy alone, Grace?” Percy teased, but Jason remained unmoved at the edge of the stage, Leo smirking at him.
“This goes out to you, baby,” Leo sing-songed, and the opening electric piano notes rang out over the speakers, punctuated by a drum beat and a familiar swinging of Leo's hips.
“Also, seriously, what kind of shitty fake boyfriend would I be if I only cared about your birthday when other people are watching? It’s your day.”
...
Summer sun, something's begun
But uh, oh those summer nights
11 notes · View notes
randomshyperson · 4 years ago
Text
Wanda Maximoff x Reader - Sorry for your lost - Part I “I will grieve”.
Tumblr media
Serie Masterlist here || Part II|| Read on AO3 
Summary: When your wife Natasha passes away in a car accident, a part of you dies with her. It takes a few months of mourning for your psychiatrist thinks the best alternative is for you to join a grief group. And there you meet Wanda Maximoff, and learn to live again.
Warnings: (+16) mentions of death, panic attacks and anxiety, grief, self sabotage, mentions of abusive family background, mutual attraction, explicit consent, therapeutic conversations about death, self-deprecation, healthy methods of coping with grief, possible triggers about anxiety, hurtful behaviors, domestic wanda.
Chapter warnings: Heavy angst, death.
Author’s notes:  Hello readers! I'm finally back to posting something, but I disappeared for a good reason, I was writing three new series. And here is the first of them. I really enjoyed this work and it's something I've been trying to write since I watched WandaVision, and only now I've managed to put it into words. I am not finished yet, but there is only one chapter left, so your reading will not be affected. Pay attention to the warnings, and good reading!
Tag list (let me know if you wanna be tagged) 
@mionemymind​ / @abimess​ / @stephanieromanoff​ / @yourtaletotell​ / @tomy5girls​ / @justagaypanicking​ / @thegayw1tch​
//-//
Chapter One - I’ll grieve.
You wished you could go back to sleep as soon as you opened your eyes. The sound of your alarm buzzed loudly throughout the room, and after putting it on snooze mode at least four times, you finally got annoyed enough to grab it and throw it across the room. But the sound continued.
Letting out a grumble of dissatisfaction, you pushed the comforter off you, and sat up in your bed. Your room was a mess, but you just skipped through the clothes on the floor to reach the phone, turning off the alarm through the new crack you made in the screen.
"Honey, are you up?" you heard your mother's distant voice calling you through the door, probably from the living room or the kitchen. "Don't forget your therapy today."
You sighed impatiently, running your hands through your hair. The damn group therapy. 
Grumbling lightly, you forced yourself to take a shower, not wanting "poor hygiene" to end up on your progress report card. 
A while later, when you were finished, you went into the kitchen. Your mother was using her laptop on the counter, and just waved at you.
"Are you going to take me?" You asked her with your hands in your pockets. Your mother took her eyes off the screen to evaluate the sweatshirt you were wearing, and you rolled your eyes at her disapproving expression. 
"You know, you could try driv-"
"Mom" You cut her off in earnest, your heart racing momentarily. You don't drive. An she knows. Your mother sighs, putting her hands up in a sign of surrender.
"It was just a suggestion dear." She retorts as she stands up, reaching for her car key on the key rack exiting the kitchen. "But I'm busy with the store, you'll need to take the subway next time."
"Thanks for the support." You grumble as you step out in front and your mother lets out a wry chuckle.
You frown and let out a dissatisfied exclamation as you step outside feeling the sun's rays on your face.
"You're not a vampire, cut the drama." Mocks your mother by pushing you lightly to get you out of the way. 
You grumble  as you walk to the car. And when you are sitting on the seat, your mother is starting the vehicle and she asks:
"Are you sure you're not going to eat anything?"
Looking out the window, you just mumble that you're not hungry, and she shakes her head in disapproval before you back the car up. You don't speak any more on the way.
//-//
Your mother dropped you off in the parking lot of a gymnasium where the therapy group would be meeting. You sighed as you got out, and thanked her for the ride and the money she gave you to eat, even though you probably weren't going to use.
Resisting the urge to run away, you forced your feet to walk toward the place.
There were a few people at the door, but you didn't smile at any of them, entering the place with your head down and your hands in your pockets. 
And then a woman greeted you, and put a little sticker with your name on your shirt when you gave her your papers. 
Then she signaled the way you should go, and you ended up on the gymnasium court, where there was a wheel of chairs, and a table with food and drink, and several people scattered around, who you thought were part of your therapy group. 
Sighing impatiently you made your way to the bleachers of the venue, hoping to be alone until the session started and you could leave.
Fortunately it wasn't long before the leader signaled for everyone to sit in the circle, and you sighed as you stood up. You ended up with one of the chairs on the far left opposite the therapist, which could be bad since he would see you clearly.
"Thank you very much for coming." Said the therapist smiling gently as his gaze roved over everyone in the circle. You kept your gaze on your shoes. He made a noise with his throat. "Who would like to start today?"
The silence lasted for a few seconds, but then someone was speaking. You forced yourself to come back to reality and pay attention.
"[...] and this is my fourth week around here." Said a woman in a leather jacket. You noticed the army lanyard around her neck. She was talking about an accident when you got distracted again. Lightly poking your eye with your finger, you tried to focus again, letting out a low sigh. And then the therapist was talking again.
"We have new faces today." He said and you felt your heart speed up. You absolutely did not want to talk in front of strangers. "Why don't you share with us, miss?"
You raised your gaze to meet that of the therapist, smiling gently at you. The rest of the group looked at you as well. Taking a deep breath, you began to wiggle your fingers on your leg.
"I don't... I've never been in a group." You say clumsily. "What should I say?"
"Whatever you wish to say." He answers with a smile. You swallow the urge to tell him you didn't want to talk at all. Realizing your lack of response, he is quick to add. "Why don't you tell us why you are here?."
You let out a dry laugh. 
"I really didn't have much choice." You retort wryly. The therapist looks slightly surprised, but makes no mention of interrupting you. You let out a sigh before clarifying. "My psychiatrist, she...she didn't approve of my social ratings. She wanted me to talk to other people. People who... went through the same things I did." You count staring at the floor. When you look up again, the group still waits for you to continue, and you sigh, running your hands through your hair. "I haven't... I... I haven't talked to other people outside of my family in six months. Not since..."
You move your head, sniffling slightly as you straighten your posture. The therapist clears his throat.
"You just need to share whatever you are ready to tell us." He says gently, you nod slightly feeling extremely vulnerable. "But remember that this is a safe space. There is nothing to fear here."
And then he is talking about methods of easing the guilt, and dealing with the pain and you were distracted again. You would like to go back to bed. It must have taken a while, but the session is finally over.
The group dispersed around the room, and you went toward the therapist's desk to have him sign your schedule. He smiled as you approached.
"Miss Y/N/L, I was happy to hear that you would be joining us today." He said greeting you with a handshake. You nodded, taking the paper from your pocket. He chuckled, but accepted it. "You know, I'd like you to try to have a partner in the group, it's recommended for cases like yours."
"What do you mean cases like me?" You ask snidely, but he doesn't care.
"Doctor Harkness gave me your chart." He explained as he signed the paper you gave him while you frowned. "Extreme Social Anxiety in the first few months of treatment. Tendency to complete isolation, introverted..."
"Yeah I know my problems, buddy." You interrupt him with irritation. "You don't have to list them for me."
The therapist gives a lopsided chuckle, and holds out the signed paper to you. But he adds with a serious look:
"I'm here to help you, Y/N." He says. "Don't forget that."
You don't respond and take the paper, turning toward the exit. 
//-//
Your week passes slowly and tortuously. Which is surprising because you barely get out of bed. And then it is group therapy day again, and you are making a new crack at your cell phone screen.
Your mother greets you with a pat on the back as you enter the kitchen, and she is walking past you toward her own room.
You know you have to take the subway today, and you are trying not to think about it too much. As you are walking out the door, your eyes pass quickly over your car key, and you think you have a flash of memory, but you shake your head quickly, pushing the thought away. And then you walk forward.
And you are late for the session, because you can't take the bus to the station, since your feet simply didn't obey you. But that's okay, you don't really care.
You weren't the only one who was late. When you went to enter the door, a red-haired woman bumped into you, also running to get in. She smiled slightly as she apologized, and you just made room for her to enter first.
"Sorry Stephen." She said to the therapist as soon as you two entered the gymnasium, "I had an emergency with the kids."
The man just shook his head with a smile, and waved for you both to sit down.
"And why were you late today, miss Y/L/N?" He asked you. You shrugged your shoulders.
"I didn't wanna come." You retorted and the group giggled, and the sudden sound startled you slightly, but you just sat with your arms crossed. 
"Do you want to try again?" He retorted with light humor in his voice. And you bit the inside of your cheeks. And then you looked down at the floor.
"I couldn't get on the bus." You confessed next. Stephen looked at you tenderly, though, and you didn't like the feeling of your chest heaving slightly.
"And why do you think that happened?"
You shrugged, uncomfortable. 
"I don't know. I... There were too many people." You said embarrassed. And then you started twiddling your fingers, feeling all eyes on you. "I just... I knew I'd have to say hello to the driver, and the conductor. And then I would pass strangers in the hallway, and one of them would sit next to me. And I just... I couldn't."
Stephen nodded slightly in agreement.
"It's okay, Y/N. " He stated. "No one is judging you here."
You let out a dry laugh, and Stephen blinks in surprise, which spurs you to explode.
"Everyone is judging me, Doc." You say through gritted teeth, swinging your leg. "It's as if I can hear the gears in people's brains forming opinions about me." You state with a sigh. "Like my mother for example. She...she...acts like I'm past the time of mourning." You explain with tears in your eyes. "Like there's a limit, and I'm extending her goodwill. Because it's been six months, and she doesn't want me to be sad anymore. But guess what? I don't know how to move on!" You state angrily. "I can't! If I don't miss her, what's left for me? If I don't... God, I can't do this."
And you stand up, wiping your tears away, and walk out of the gymnasium, heading for the restrooms. You feel your heart racing, and it's hard to breathe. 
As you rest your hands on the sink, your brain starts to wander back to the day of the accident again. You choke, because it feels like you're sinking again. You see the water rising through the metal of the car. Your hands on the steering wheel, and then on the seat belt. You shake your head, pushing the images away, and rush to turn on the faucet in front of you and pour the water on your face.
You take a deep breath, trying to stop the tears. And then there is someone entering.
"Are you okay?" Stephen asks and you nod lightly, ignoring the trembling in your hands as you stare at him through the reflection of the mirror. "I gave a break to the group, wouldn't you like to walk with me?"
"I'm not good company right now." You grumble but he smiles, nodding slightly as if to repeat the invitation. You take a deep breath before turning around.
You walk silently and slowly to the outside of the gymnasium, and then he is speaking again.
"You were very brave today."  He comments, and you let out a dry laugh. "Why don't you believe me?"
"I panicked today." You say. " It doesn't sound very brave to me."
Stephen smiles guiding you through the gymnasium entrance toward the parking lot.
"You talked about a trauma to a group of people." He says. "That takes a lot of courage, even if you don't believe it."
"I don't believe in anything." You grumble, but Stephen doesn't mind your hostility. He stays with his friendly posture.
"I would like you to accept my request from before." He said after a moment. "About a group partner."
You let out a sigh.
"I don't even know what that means." You retort with slight impatience as you reach the edge of the parking lot. You notice the garden a few feet ahead of you.
"It's like a therapy buddy." He explains with a smile. "We encourage socializing here. That's why Agatha recommended this group to you."
"Oh, of course you do. Agatha is a bitch." You wryly wipe your hands across your face. Stephen laughs lightly. "How does that work anyway? Do I have to hold someone's hand? Exchange friendship bracelets?"
"No, it's much better." He says with a chuckle. "You talk to that person. You exchange experiences with them. You learn to trust somebody else again."
"My god, it looks like a fucking Disney movie." You retort with irritation and Stephen lets out a laugh. And then you let out a sigh, shrugging your shoulders. "Okay, I'll do it. I have nothing to lose, and it seems that neither you nor Agatha will leave me alone if I don't agree."
"We want you to feel better. Don't take this as a punishment." He says, guiding you back to the gym. You nod slightly, thinking that it really does feel like punishment anyway.
//-//
You see Agatha the same week. Your appointments have been switched to monthly meetings instead of weeks as they were at the beginning of treatment, and while you appreciate the familiarity of seeing her, you can't help but feel irritated with her.
"Someone's grumpy." She comments as soon as you sit down on the couch in the room, to which you roll your eyes.
"You are always so very tender, Agatha." You mock as you cross your legs, hoping the time will pass soon.
Agatha laughs lightly, finishing tidying up a few things on her desk. And then she gets up and sits down in the armchair a few feet in front of the sofa where you are, carrying a small notebook in her hands.
"So, why don't you tell me how your your first two sessions in group therapy went?"
You let out a dry laugh.
"Like Stephen didn't tell you everything." You sneer and Agatha just smiles, waiting for you to speak. You let out an impatient sigh, before stating wryly. "It was amazing, doc. It only took two sessions for me to have a panic attack, so thank you for that."
"Why do you think that happened?"
You squeezed your eyes.
"I have no idea." You retorted. "I'm not the doctor here." Agatha laughs lightly, and then opens her notebook and starts writing something. You sigh impatiently. “Really, you're going to start that again?”
"If you don't talk, I write." She states simply, and you roll your eyes, shifting on the couch uncomfortably.
"Agatha, I just... I couldn't get on a bus, okay?" you tell her, and she closes her notebook to look at you attentively. You take a deep breath. "There were a lot of people. I don't mind walking anyway. It helps me think."
"You don't mind walking eight blocks?" She asks with a slight irony. "That's pretty athletic of you."
"It's weird that you know my address off the top of your head." You play lightly, and she just laughs, straightening her posture. 
"Why don't you just tell me what you want to tell me?"
"Why don't you ask me what you want to ask?"
Agatha blinks slightly in surprise, and then she shakes her head slightly, opening her notebook again. You sigh.
"Okay, sorry." You say, and she looks at you for a moment before closing the object again. I... I thought I was drowning again.”
"Are your nightmares back?" She asks seriously, and you deny it with your head.
"I feel too anxious to sleep." You tell. "And then I black out from exhaustion in the night or in the morning. I don't dream anymore."
"Have you been taking your medication?"
You sigh.
"Of course I have."  You say. "I don't... I'm having trouble keeping my mind still. Like the first few months, you know. Everything seems so noisy now."
Agatha nods slightly, becoming thoughtful for a few moments. 
"I know it may sound strange to hear that, but that means you're getting better." She declares and you frown in surprise, then let out a dry laugh.
"How is my peak anxiety a good thing?"
She opens the book again, but before you can ask what you said wrong, she is reading.
"The first day you were here, you said you felt like you were empty." She narrated and you swallowed dryly. "During your first two months, you continued to describe that you felt like an empty shell. And that you no longer had any dreams, thoughts, or opinions. Without your wife, you said you were no longer here."
You felt your eyes fill with water at the mention of her. But you swallowed your emotions. Agatha turned a page, and read for a few seconds, and then looked at you.
"With your history of anxiety, your mind was remarkably quiet after the passing of your wife." She says. "But now that you're on medication, and therapeutic treatment, plus you're socializing even superficially with the world again, you're starting to feel things again. That's progress."
You look away from her, nodding slightly, trying to believe her words, and trying not to be so terrified at the thought of learning to live again. Without Nat.
You choke slightly, holding back a sob, and then Agatha hands you a box of tissues, but you refuse with a nod, wiping away the tears that have slightly escaped.
"What do you want to talk about now?" She asks after a moment. You take a deep breath, still trying to calm yourself.
"Last week I took a cold bath." You count. "It was snowing."
Agatha blinks in surprise at the information and then lets out a giggle.
"You want me to write it in the book don't you?"
You laugh, wiping away the last of the insistent tears. You just hope Agatha could help you.
//-//
You hate coffee. But you barely slept last night, and now you need to stay awake during the group meeting, so instead of walking to the chair in the corner like you used to, you detour your way to the food and beverage table as soon as you arrive at the gym.
There are a few members around, but you don't look at them, just sidestepping as you extend your arm to the coffee bottle. You pour some, and as you touch the cup, you notice. It's cold.
"Hey sorry about that." Said a girl you thought was named Val or something, as soon as she saw you touching the cup. "We mixed up the shifts yesterday and nobody made new coffee."
You rolled your eyes, picking up the cup and throwing it in the trash. Then you forced a wry smile on the girl and walked outside. 
It was cold, but you are boiling with rage. It was just a damn cup of coffee, you thought as you closed your eyes and tried to reduce your anger. Just coffee. 
You stumbled with fright when Stephen called out to you.
"We'll get started in a minute." He said looking at you curiously. You just nodded, following him after a few seconds.
You bit the inside of your cheek when you noticed the same coffee girl as before, now sitting where you usually sat. The universe was testing you today. 
You just sighed, twiddling your fingers inside your pocket, and walked over to one of the free chairs.
After Stephen gave the briefing, he asked if everyone was all right, and the group lied in unison. You were almost asleep when he called your name.
"I would like to choose your partner today." He says and you feel your heart racing as you straighten your posture. "But I want to know if you have any preferences."
You blink in confusion, and roll your eyes.
"I don't know anyone here, but I'm sure they will all hate me equally, doc." You tried to joke, but Stephen only looked at you with concern.
"No one does or will hate you." He says and you swallow dryly, looking away as you mumble that it was just a joke. Stephen pauses momentarily before continuing. "You know that everyone here has their own experiences of loss and they are unique in their own way, even if they have similarities." He begins and you just wish he would speak soon who your partner is at once. "Usually we don't put new members together, but with the release of one of our members, the number ended up getting odd." He explains. "Anyway, I'm sure you and Mrs. Maximoff will get along very well together."
You frowned slightly at the whole explanation. Then you looked around the group, and realized that this Maximoff woman was the late redhead from the previous session who looked at you curiously. You looked away from her to Stephen.
"Thank you, doc." You said with a slight irony and Stephen just nodded smiling.
"Partners are grieving companions ladies." He says. "We will assess your progress at each session, and then switch partners once the necessary improvement has been achieved."
You grumbled in understanding, and looked away to your lap. When Stephen began to ask about the stories, your mind wandered to the departure time.
And when the session was over you wished you could go to sleep. But Stephen made a slight movement of his head in Maximoff's direction, and you understood that you should talk to her.
Ignoring the urge to show Stephen the middle finger, you just sighed as you got up from your chair and lazily walked over to the woman at the exit. She was talking to a man, and you were even more anxious to address not one, but two strangers.
"Hi." You greeted awkwardly, and both of them turned to you with mild curiosity. 
"Hey, you're Y/N, right?" Said the man with a smile as he held out his hand to you. "I'm Bucky. James Barnes actually, but everyone calls me Bucky." He said and you shook his hand, smiling awkwardly. Then he quickly pointed at the woman.  "And this is Wanda Maximoff, your grief partner."
"Hi." Wanda said shyly as she offered her hand to greet you. You accepted as clumsily as she did.
"Sorry, I don't know how this works." You say. "Should we exchange numbers or something? Or is that just a therapy thing?"
Bucky gives a little chuckle.
"Oh believe me, they'll know if you're not making it work." He counters. "My first partner was Sam Wilson and we wanted to jump on each other's necks whenever we saw each other. And then Stephen asked us to move in together." He says and you blink in surprise. "We're married now, but that's not the point. I guess I'm getting off topic..."
"Bucky." Wanda interrupts with a smile, and he smiles half-heartedly as well. You frown, annoyed by Bucky's story. You didn't want to marry anyone. "I guess we'll make it work, I hope you don't mind having the company of two tiny restless creatures on our walks."
You look at her with confusion and then you understand, smiling shyly.
"No, it's okay." You say. "I like children."
"Really?" She asks in surprise.
You nod slightly. "Unlike adults, they tell the truth."
Wanda seemed to be thoughtful, but then Bucky lets out an exclamation.
"As group guide, I have to pass the to-do list to you ladies." He says pulling a small notebook from the back pocket of his pants. He pulls out a sheet of paper and hands it to Wanda. "Partners need to develop these habits of socializing and coping with grief together. And yes, there is a test."
You sigh impatiently, tucking a loose string behind your ear. 
"That sounds fun." You mock lightly making them smile. 
"Anyway, good luck to you two." He says tenderly. "And Wanda, call me if you need help with Tommy. I know a good therapist."
You frown slightly, not understanding what he is referring to, but you prefer to stay out of matters that are none of your business. And then Bucky kisses Wanda on the cheek in farewell and waves to you smiling before leaving. You switch foot weights when you are alone with Wanda. Talking to other people is not exactly your strong suit these past few months.
"So..." You start clumsily when she turns to you. 
"So." She repeats equally embarrassed. You then clear your throat and rush to pull your cell phone out of your pocket and hand it to her.
"Give me your number." You say. "That way we can arrange...whatever this is." 
Wanda smiles weakly as she accepts the device, and you ignore the curious look when she notices the cracks in the screen. A moment later she hands the cell phone back to you.
"I gotta go." She says. "I need to pick up my kids from school."
You nod slightly and force a smile to say goodbye, and Wanda copies your movement before leaving.
You stare at your cell phone next, noticing the slight anxiety in your stomach as you read the contact "Wanda Maximoff" on the screen.
//-//
By the weekend, you are miserable. Just like the first few months.
You spilled some tea under your bed, and when you went to clean it up, you ended up taking the objects that were lying there. And then you found a crumpled piece of paper.
It was your farewell speech. The words you wrote down to speak on the day of the funeral. The paper you pulled out of your pocket when you got home from the ceremony and probably fell under the bed when you collapsed on the floor from crying so hard.
Suddenly your chest tightened and you couldn't breathe. But you didn't want your mother to worry, so you concentrated on remembering the exercises your therapist had taught you.
And when the room started to get too small, you left.
But because it was cold and rainy, you had just taken a hot shower and had decided to brew tea before you finished putting on a sweater, you had bent down to pick up your socks, and the liquid fell on the floor. 
You went outside without your shoes, and your mother let out a worried exclamation when she saw you standing outside, staring at nothing.
"Honey?" She asked walking out the door after seeing you through the kitchen window. "Honey, what is it?"
You didn't answer. Your face was wet. Your mother's hands wrapped around your shoulders, and she gently pushed you inside, worried that you would end up getting hypothermia.
"I'm fine." You gasped as she led you inside, but she just shook her head. "I'm fine."
"No, honey." She retorted making you frown. "You're not."
"Mom."
"Sit down." 
And then there were blankets around you, and socks on your feet. And your mother was in the kitchen, on the phone, but everything seemed stuffy. You began to be absent again. Thousands of memories flashing through your eyes.
An image of yourself on that living room floor, laughing while your girlfriend had her arms wrapped around you. Your mother was pouring a glass of wine for each of you, and you were happy to tell her about your engagement.
Then an image of you running across the room, trying to dodge the tickles your father tickled you while you laughed.
Then a puppy in your hands on the floor. You looked at it fondly, laughing at how cute it looked. 
Looking down, you saw a hand on your thigh. It was your wife's, the ring on her finger. She smiled at you. You were happy because that was the day you told your mother about the house purchase.
You gasped slightly when you felt someone's hand on your shoulder suddenly.
"I need you to tell me three things you can see." It was Agatha. God, you should have been out of reaction long enough for her to get here. Wiping away your tears, you took a deep breath, trying to reason straight.
"I... I..." You started, but your brain didn't seem to obey you. You took another deep breath. You could see the carpet, so you told her so.
"Two more." Agatha asked tenderly, her hand caressing your back from top to bottom. 
"The... table." You replied crying. "I can see the table."
"That's right, honey." She said. "Just one more now. Tell me what else?"
"My feet." You add breathlessly. "I can see my feet."
"Now breathe with me, okay?" She asks. "Like I taught you."
The exercises help you to calm down again. You apologize for scaring your mother, and for making Agatha drive to your house, but neither of them is upset with you. You feel exhausted, but the doctor wants to talk to you after she accepts the cup of coffee your mother offers her.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" She asks as you sit on the covered porch, fluffy pillows around you.
You lower your gaze to the floor, sniffling lightly.
"I found my grief speech." You count. "Under my bed. The next minute I was outside."
Agatha sighs.
"You ready to talk about the accident."
You raise your eyes quickly, frowning, because it wasn't a question.
"W-what?"
She takes a deep breath, crossing her legs.
"It's suffocating you." She clarifies. "You need to talk or these attacks will happen again."
"I-I don't..."
"It won't be today." She interrupts with a tender smile. "Tonight you need to sleep. But we won't prolong this any longer. You need to talk about it, even if it’s only to scream."
Clenching your jaw, you hold back your tears as Agatha takes one last look at you before getting up. She murmurs that she will see you on Monday, but you don't look at her.
//-//
You don't sleep well on Sunday. And it's definitely because you can't stop thinking about your appointment.
And it goes well for the first twenty minutes. Agatha doesn't pressure you, and agrees to hear about your week, without mentioning the incident on Thursday.
There is a pause after you have told her about the dog barking noise in the early morning and then you know it is time to speak up.
"I was driving." You say softly suddenly, ignoring the feeling that your throat wants to close up. Agatha has her hands folded in her lap as she listens to you. "She...she was sleeping in the passenger seat." You swallow dryly, trying to count and not get caught up in the memory again, your heart racing. Talking is almost like going back there. "I looked at her for a moment and I got distracted... and then... we just..."
You only realize that you are crying because tears fall on your hand. You blink, sniffling. Taking a deep breath, you continue.
"We fell into the water, and Nat...she just...I couldn't get her belt off." You gasp breathlessly. "The water just...kept coming up around us. And she looked at me, and... she just shook her head like she knew what was going to happen." You tell between sobs. Agatha's eyes water, but she doesn't interrupt. "I just...she pushed me. She pushed my hands away and she told me she would follow me. And god... my dumb brain believed her!" You confess angrily. "She told me she was right behind me! And I swam out and when I came up she wasn't with me."
You shut up, not being able to tell anymore through the sobs. You can't even see the office clearly because of the tears.
It takes a moment for you to speak again, your head down.
"When I swam back, the car was completely covered with water everywhere" You recount. "I...I was going to dive again.... I wanted to get her out of there. But the people who saw the accident jumped in after us. And they pulled me out of the water. And I kept thinking that if I hadn't been distracted, she...she would be...."
"No." Agatha interrupts by offering you a tissue. "Natasha had a stomach injury, don't you remember?" She counters and you gasp, the words echoing in your brain. "That's why you couldn't remove the belt."
And then you were remembering clearly now.
Soft music echoed in the car as you hummed the tune and drove to your friends' house. Your wife mumbled softly beside you, making you smile as you watched the sleeping figure. The red hair in front of her face.
"Hey sleepyhead." You called softly, looking away from the track for a moment. "We're almost there."
Nat muttered in agreement. You bit your lip, thinking she looked beautiful. And then you heard a noise, and a white light in the window. You barely had time to frown when the impact threw your car off the road.
Your body tensed immediately as you sat up, looking around with desperation. The car was sinking fast and you turned to Nat.
A wound on her forehead was bleeding, and she was clearly disoriented as you touched her hands. You hurried to unbuckle her belt, but it was jammed tightly in her waist, and you gasped in shock at the wound.
"N-no." You grumbled, trying to move the metal, but Nat gasped in pain, pushing your hands away. You could barely breathe in desperation. Your feet were freezing, because the water was already at your ankles. "Babe, move please. We have to get out."
Nat advanced toward you, taking off your belt. You tried to touch her, but she pushed your hands away again, intending to guide you out.
" Sweetheart, go! Open the door! " she commanded and you shook your head, the water on your knees. Nat forced a smile, the tears in her eyes made your stomach turn. "Don't worry love. I'm right behind you."
As you opened the door, the water moved all the way into the car, and you held your breath Nat repeated the words "I'm right behind you" one more time. And then you swam out.
When you reached the surface, you were alone.
Sobbing, you couldn't say anything else to Agatha, and she proceeded to stroke your back, trying to soothe you with words of affirmation.
"I need you to remember some things honey." She says tenderly. "You couldn't have helped Natasha. She got stuck. You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened." Agatha whispers to you, and you sob. "Remember the investigation, okay? The police said that the driver of the truck was drunk and hit your car after he fell asleep. It wasn't your fault." Agatha says trying to remind you. You gasp, countless memories flooding your head at once. "Say that for me, will you?" She asks and you gasp. "Tell me it wasn't your fault."
You sob, burying your face in your hands. It takes a moment, but you repeat the words.
"It wasn't my fault." You whisper breathlessly. "It...it wasn't my fault."
When you leave therapy that day, you feel different.
You think that it is the healing process that is beginning to work. You still have a long way to go, but you have the feeling that a weight has been lifted off your back, because you have started to believe your own words. You could not have saved Natasha.
There is still a deep sadness in you, but you still buy your favorite drink on the way home, and try to stay in the living room for a few hours before going to your room when you are inside.
416 notes · View notes
piscesparker · 4 years ago
Text
Undercover Lovers
Mob! Tom AU
Tumblr media
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Warnings: Language, angst
Wc: 1.4k
"Well let's talk then," He furrowed his eyebrows, "what do you want to talk about?"
"Us."
"What about it?" He asked, "We don't exist anymore, y/n!"
"We could." You said plainly.
"Maybe another life time, but not this one." He ran his fingers through his hair. "You know I've never, ever in my life met someone like you."
"Me too Tom." He scoffed.
"Then tell me, why? Why did you do all if this?"
"Because," you sighed, "I had to. It was my job."
"Of course, it was your fucking job! That's all you ever cared about." He yelled. But you weren't offended because it was the truth and there was no way you were denying it. You hung your head low and walked closer it the glass, "But the feelings," you paused, "they were all true," you admitted as your tears blurred your vision.
"You really think I would fall for that again? After you betrayed me, you think I'd let it go that easy?"
"You were going to betray me too!" You snapped, now he was really getting on your nerves. You kept on going back and forth with Tom and just let out all your feelings bottled in.
"You don't know how hard this has been okay?" You spat, which made Tom's blood boil.
"Hard for you? No, no, you have no idea how it is to love someone only for them to be taken away from you!" He yelled, but what he didn't realize that this was the first time he actually told you he loved you.
"What?" You asked, the brunet's eyes widened when he realized what slipped out of his mouth.
"I love you okay!" he raised his hands, "there I said it, that's what you wanted right? Now are you happy?" When he saw you wiping the tears off your cheeks he faced his back to avoid you.
--
In Q's lab...
"What's going on?" M asked as she walked in.
"They're just talking," Q shrugged and turned to Moneypenny, "hey could you get me some popcorn? The drama is getting real." She slapped his arm in response and concentrated on the conversation.
"Okay, I'll take that as a no then." While Q was busy fooling around suddenly everything went pitch black. "What's going on?" M panicked.
"I- I don't know."
"Well get it back on!" She commanded, "I'm trying ma'am." Q answered.
--
The minute Tom turned away from you, the dim lights went off and then a sound of glass shattering rang through his ears and made him flinch. "Come on let's go." You ordered, slipping your hands into his and intertwining your fingers; red lights and a blaring alarm sound filling the cell room.
"What are you doing?" He asked snatching his hand from your grasp.
"What does it look like? I'm getting you out of here!" You announced, leaving Tom confused.
"What?"
"I don't have time to explain," you said and turned to focus on the earpiece, "Harry, how much time do we have?" These 30 seconds was not enough time for him to take it all in, but his thoughts were interrupted by an even louder banging of the entrance door. "Come on we gotta go!" You exclaimed and led Tom to the blank wall.
"What now?" Tom panicked.
"Patience lover." You huffed, catching him off guard with the nickname and scanned the wall again, "Okay take a step back." He followed your orders. Soon, there was a blast, dust and debris everywhere, coughing and trying to clear the air you and Tom step out only to have a black van waiting for you.
"Get out, I'm driving!" You knocked at the drivers window, which revealed to be none other than Harrison.
"Nah uh!" He whined.
"Now's not the time Harrison! Get in the back!" Quickly switching the seats, you got in with Tom in the passenger seat. Driving, you tried to avoid every possible route that could possibly get you caught.
"Okay can someone please explain what the fuck is going on?"
"Don't ask me, this was all y/n." Harrison said. Ever since you got in the car, Tom couldn't take his eyes off you. The way you concentrated while driving and how the little strands of your hair perfectly fitted your frame. He just couldn't believe what you did for him.
"I'll tell you, but just wait till we're secure." You said, looking around if the police was after you. About a few minutes of taking turns in the suburbs of London, Tom saw the street he was all too familiar with. "Y/n, what are we doing here?" He whispered to you. Parking the car in a driveway, you turned to Harrison, "Could you give us a moment?" Harrison simply rolled his eyes and walked into the house.
"Can you please tell me what is going on?" Tom asked as his eyes softened.
"Okay so I just betrayed the government for the love of my life." You shrugged and gave a tight lipped smile, to which Tom replied by attaching his dry lips to your red ones. The kiss was fill with emotions, everything you've felt for each other, just poured out into this one kiss. Tom pulled away first, "So I'm the love of your life now?" He asked breathlessly, you nodded.
"So whatever you said in the cell was-"
"I was stalling." You chuckled and cut him off.
"And you got my brother and best friend to work with you?" You hummed.
"We shared a common goal to get you out, and by the looks of it, it was a success."
"I can't believe you put everything in danger for me."
You went on to explain how you realized how madly in love you were and how much convincing it actually took to get Harry and Harrison to actually trust you again. "That's all amazing y/n, but why are we here?" Tom asked. Of course you couldn't go back to the mansion, it wasn't safe, so you thought what better place than his parents'? Thanks to Harry you knew how Tom and his parents had drifted off but when you had visited them the day before they were more than ready to help their son. After explaining this to him, Tom was in tears and quickly engulfed you in his arms, "Thank you so much." He whispered in your hair, his eyes shut and tears cascading his cheeks.
"Shall we go in?" You laughed.
"Yeah, sure." He agreed, wiping away his tears. Walking up to the door Tom didn't leave your hand at all, as his sweaty fingers wrapped 'round yours, you could tell he was nervous. "Hey, it's okay." You reassured him by giving his hand a tight squeeze; he calmed himself, took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Seconds later the door opened and revealed his parents.
"Mum, Dad..." He whispered, but was cut off as they pulled him in their embrace, with everyone sniffling, you suddenly felt a bit unwanted. You grew up without your parents so you often found such interactions a bit awkward, backing away slowly you made your way to the car, when Tom called you and jogged to you. "Where are you going?"
"Um, back to HQ? If they find you with me they'll take you back, so I'm going to turn myself in." You shrugged. Tom was totally amazed by your decision, but thought it was unnecessary for you to go through everything after all you've done for him.
"Y/n," he caught your hand fiddling with your fingers, "do you remember that day in the garden, when I told you that we should run away and start a new life?" you hummed in agreement as you remembered every moment, "I wasn't lying." he confessed as his eyes met yours.
"This could be it, this could be our new beginning." You thought about it for a second, maybe it wasn't such a bad deal. "So what do you say?" Tom asked with eyes ever so hopeful.
"I say, let's do it!" You giggled as Tom hugged you and twirled you around in joy, putting you back on the feet and launched his lips on yours again.
"Get in you animals!" Paddy yelled out from the porch.
"And that's Paddy." Tom laughed, once again intertwining his fingers with yours, leading you in the house. You felt so happy to finally be surrounded with people whom you could now call family, your happy ever after.
The end.
a/n: Thank you so much for reading and for all the love and support for this series! I really hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing <3
General Taglist: @in-a-lot-of-fandoms-tbh​​ @peaches-parker​​ @mischiefmanaged011​​ @hollanderfangirl​​ @calltothewild​​ @parkerpeter24​​ @whatthefuckimbisexual​​ @musicalkeys​​ @parker--peter​​ @holland-parkers​​ @peterbenjiparker​​ @peter-ethereal-p​​  @theonly1outof-a-billion​​ @miraclesoflove​​ @theliterarymess​​ @osterfieldholland01​​ @chrisosterfield​​
Tom Holland Taglist: @words-to-accomplish-something​​ @asshatgrace​​ @spideyspeaches​
37 notes · View notes
igotyouniverse · 4 years ago
Text
Breathe Me - Chapter 1 [nct vamp au]
Tumblr media
Description: After dropping out of college and coming home for the first time in two years, 22-year-old Ava Lee gets caught up in a mystery surrounding the people she thought she knew for so long. Between friendship, affairs and true love the young women finds herself being pulled into a  nightmare she would never wake up from.
Pairing: Oc x Taeyong , Oc x Johnny [several side-pairing involving Mark, Ten, Lucas and Jaehyun.]
Included Members: Taeyong, Johnny, Mark, Lucas, Ten, Jaehyun, Doyoung, Haechan (maybe more)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Angst, Action, Fantasy
Warnings: none (this chapter)
suggestive content, strong language, violence, blood, death. probably more, not sure yet (later chapters)
a/n: Here it comes! After years of procrestination I finally managed to write the very first (very boring) chapter of my vampire au with nct! Anyway, the main drama will start in the next chapter so stay patient and bear this one with me. It took me long enough, haha. All the warnings will be for later chapters so don't start reading if u dont feel like reading stuff like that qq If someone wants to get tagged please send me a message, ask, comment or whatever qq
I really hope you guys enjoy it, it was a very heavy birth. ♥
ch.2 || ch. 3
                                                   †
The girl sighed deeply and took a look outside the small airplane window. She saw how the plane slowly drove into the prepared parking lot and felt how her level of anxiety rose with each second. Even though the flight was 18 hours long and her legs started to hurt she didn't want to stand up. Standing up meant for her to actually leave the plane, get her luggage and meet her family which would sooner or later lead to them asking all these questions. It wasn't like she didn't miss them.
She missed them very dearly. She missed the Sunday morning brunches with her neighbours, the movie nights where her dad would always pick out a movie because he'd pout if not, she even missed  her little brother Mark bursting into her room without knocking and asking her some totally stupid questions. She missed catching up with her best friend. She missed all these sleepovers when all they had to worry about was who the cutest boy at school was and what they'll do together once they were adults. She craved for all these past memories. The last time she set foot onto this ground was two years ago at her very first spring break after leaving home, moving to a town thousand of miles away, not knowing anyone.
She heard a beeping noise which indicated that the passengers could stand up and get out but she waited. All of them seemed in such a hurry to leave the plane, grabbing their belongings, everyone trying to get out first which ended in a crowded queue inside of the plane. She stretched her legs as much as possible, not making the slightest move to stand up.
Her eyes wandered back to the window, allowing her to take a glance at the sky, she wished to be into again. It was still quite bright outside, even though it was nearly evening, the sun nearly blinding her when she looked up, leading her to cover her eyes with her hand. The sunsets were so different in the States than here, in South Korea. Her eyes tried to focus on the slowly fading sun, leaving the sky in beautiful pinks and oranges with just a hint of soft white clouds.
Her mind started to spin, thinking about all the things she had to explain to her family sooner or later. But for now she needed to stay positive and hide the fact that she – the oh-so-perfect – student managed to drop out of a university, her parents nearly went insolvent to pay for to allow their daughter to get the best medical education they could think of. At the beginning the girl actually thought that it was her biggest dream to become a famous surgeon but after a short while she had to face the ugly truth that the job she so desperately wanted to do as long as she could remember just wasn't her thing.
She tried so badly to keep on and thought that it's just a phase every young adult went through when they started university but every time she talked to her friends at university she saw that that wasn't exactly the case. Everyone was so focused and motivated to become a successful doctor or surgeon they underwent the torture of endless sleepless nights, insane pressure and the feeling of not being able to even cut an onion correctly, which the professor didn't even care to make better. Every day she got told that she would never be able to work in the medical field and could try herself with some more basic and easy studies. It didn't matter how hard she tried to remember all the lectures and do her assignments – she failed miserably at everything.
Of course, her family didn't know. She was way too afraid to burst the bubble her parents created around her, leaving her in that perfect, white spotlight, portraying her like some sort of angel on a pedestal for everyone to see. They loved to talk about her in front of everyone, telling them that she'd be a successful surgeon, working hard and publishing groundbreaking articles, making herself a name in the medical community. Maybe even getting some famous award. Everyone in that small town knew about the smart daughter who got into one of the best medical universities in the United States, who worked so hard she was barely home.
She couldn't bear to see the disappointment on their faces once they see what she really was – a failure. She managed to hide her dropping out of university so well, she created her web of lies carefully over the last year, she sometimes even believed what she was saying. But as soon as her alarm clock went off, remembering her to go to work at a small corner café to pay her rent and even save some money in case her parents might throw her out, she had to face real life again. The life in which she dropped out only one year after starting, loosing hundreds of thousands of dollars and leaving the incident in her resume forever.
She was glad she got a job in the café as it belonged to the parents of one friend she met at college, who managed to get in because of a scholarship. They allowed her to work as much as she could to save money and even helped her sometimes.
“Excuse me, Miss?”, a soft and gentle voice made the girl leave her deep thoughts and look up. A beautiful, young flight attendant smiled down at her. “You need to leave the plane, please.”, she said in sweet yet demanding voice  and got her luggage out of the cabinet above for her. The girl didn't realise that the plane was already as good as empty. She thanked the attendant, grabbed her bag and went out of the plane into the airport, feeling her legs shaking more with each step she took.
She pulled out her smartphone, turning off flight mode only to get bombarded with dozens of messages, mostly from her mom asking if she already landed and that they waited for her at the gate. After that she only texted emojis. Hearts, heart-eyes and some other stuff which made her feel even more anxious. How could she disappoint a mother as proud as her? No, she needed to keep her secret for a bit longer. Maybe until her brother messed up. But what could he possibly mess up which would overshadow her dropping out of college? Maybe if he committed a crime.
Mark was different from her, She didn't know how but he actually managed to tell their parents that he doesn't want to become a doctor or lawyer, and instead insisted of becoming an author or journalist. To say her parents were unhappy would be an understatement. They were more than angry and told him to pay the tuition himself. They believed it was just a small teenage dream he had but when he finished High School and started working at the local bookstore to save some money to actually study creative writing they realized that he was serious. That small incident happened just 14 months ago, yet he continued to work there and save up. He even managed to visit her every couple of months, as she didn't want to come.
When she arrived at the luggage claim the suitcases were already out on the baggage belt and she waited as long as she could, watching her lonely suitcase making its turns on the device, purposely ignoring it until it was the only one left and she had to grab it. Her phone vibrated in her pocket again.
Mark [06.07pm]: Where r u?
She rolled her eyes and just put it back in the pocket of her jeans as she headed towards the exit. The girl took a deep breath, putting on the brightest smile she could manage and stepped out of the doors. Her family wasn't hard to notice. Her parents held a way too big and bright  banner in their hands
WELCOME HOME AVA
Ava tried to keep her smile up and waved at them. “Oh, honey welcome home!”, her mother shouted as she lowered the banner to hug her daughter tightly. “I'm so happy you're finally home again, our doctor!.”, she said and patted her back softly. She felt her dad joining the hug and giving her a warm smile as well, joining her mother in telling her how happy he was to have her back home. Ava clenched her jaw, trying to smile as honest as possible.
“You're really squishing me to death guys.”, Ava chuckled and was glad when her parents finally let go of her. She looked up and saw her brother Mark smiling at her.
“Come on, give your favourite sister a hug.”, the girl laughed, making her brother chuckle before embracing her in a loving hug as well. The last time she saw him he visited the campus a few months ago. Of course he didn't know she dropped out then and nearly choked on his water when she told him. She knew he wouldn't tell their parents but he thought it would be better if she told their parents as soon as possible, which she didn't of course.
“Happy to have you back.”, Mark said and squeezed his sister one more time before he let her go and took her suitcase.
Ava stretched her body slowly before getting into their car, really not wanting to sit down for another hour but apparently she had to. As soon as she sat down and put on her seat belt her mother turned around to look at her and smiled.
“Tell us, honey, how is Stanford? Is it going well, yes?”, she asked and Ava felt like she needed to throw up.
“Yeah, everything is fine. I handed in all assignments last week and I have a good feeling.”, she chuckled and felt guilt crawling all over her body. She smiled slightly and turned her eyes away to avoid her mother proud gaze, yet she could feel Mark eyeing her.
“Ah, that's so great, honey. Your father and I just talked to the Lee's from across the street and they told us their son wants to apply to Stanford, too. We told them you could talk to him and give some advice.”
“Sure.”, she just sighed and pulled out her phone again, hoping her mother would understand her silent plead to leave her be. Her mother smiled again and turned back to talk to her father about what she'd make for dinner on this special occasion.
Ava checked the other texts she got, scrolling through them. She smiled when she saw a text from her best friend, sending her a picture from her in her nurse uniform. She looked so cute, proudly standing in front of the mirror in the dressing room, posing with a finger heart.
[Ava 06.54pm] Cute! Just landed, on my way home. Wanna hang out later?
[Yunmi 06.57pm] Can't. Night shift today but pick me up tomorrow morning and get breakfast? The café next to the bookstore finally opened!
[Ava 07.00pm] absolutely! Can't wait. Miss you so much ♥
She scrolled through the remaining texts just to feel a little disappointment in her body after not seeing what she so desperately wanted to see. But then again, she didn't expect to see a text from him after he ignored each and everyone of hers the last two years. He didn't even care enough to wish her a happy birthday in November so he probably couldn't care less texting her when she came home.
She sighed lightly and looked outside the car window, seeing how the landscape came and go in front of her eyes and how the sky got all these beautiful colours in it, she could even see the moon already. A wave of tiredness crashed over her exhausted body as she decided to close her eyes for just  a moment.
The girl felt someone poking her arm multiple times, calling her name.
“Wake up, we're home.”, she heard Mark say and groaned, before rubbing her eyes.
“Yes, I'm awake, you can stop poking me.”, she said when her brother continued to poke her arm with a grin on his face.
“Don't make me hit you.”, she warned and slapped his hand away.
“Pff, please.” he answered mockingly and jumped out of the car before her fist could reached his body.
Ava chuckled , getting out of the car stretching her stiff body slowly, hearing all her joints crack at once.
“How old are you? 80?” Mark said teasingly, getting out her suitcase from the trunk.
“Trust me, I feel like it.”, she yawned loudly and slowly got up the stairs to their house.
She inhaled the sweet and calming scent of her mothers vanilla candles as soon as she set foot into the house, taking of her shoes before she walked further inside. It hasn't changed a bit. The beige coloured walls still had pictures of the family on them. Ava smiled and looked at the picture of her and her family from her Highschool graduation three years ago. She smiled when she saw the exact picture her parents had chosen. Mark and her making some weird pose while her parents rolled their eyes.
“Honey, dinner will be ready in half-an-hour, okay?” she didn't realize that her mother was standing right next to her and flinched a bit.
“Yeah, sure, thank you, mom. I'll start to unpack then. Love you.”, Ava said, kissing her mothers cheek softly before going up the stairs into her old room where Mark already put her suitcase and bag.
Her room hasn't changed either. Of course, it looked a bit colder as she took all her personal stuff with her to the US when she moved out, but it still felt comfy with it's cozy beige sofa and her queen sized bed, which her mother already prepared for her. She closed the door behind her and looked outside the big windows, which connected to a small balcony, which was only hers. She remembered how mad Mark was when she got the room with the balcony and not him and grinned. She stepped outside for a moment to breathe in the still warm air, listening to the rustling sound of the trees as a mild breeze blew through them.
The small wooden bench she made herself with her dad back when she was younger still stood in the very same corner and even had pillows on it and a blanket, indicating that someone still used it even while she was gone. Probably her mother when she wanted to have some time and space for herself, she thought and smiled before going back into her room.
She stretched her stiff body once again before squatting down and opening her black suitcase to unpack her things. Ava only brought some clothes and other necessities with her as she didn't believe of staying home for a longer period of time. She rented her tiny apartment, or as she preferred to call it, her shoebox to a friend from university who looked for her own place as long as she stayed with her parents so she didn't need to worry about paying rent. So she just packed her essentials and hoped to keep her pretty little lie for some more months to figure out what she actually wanted to do with her situation now. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to stay in Stanford . She just knew, she didn't want to stay here in this tiny town where everyone knows everyone.
She loved the size of New York, she loved the vibes, the people and even the stink it had. It was charming in some kind of way and she enjoyed the anonymity she had. She liked living in the famous city which never sleeps but it didn't feel like a complete home to her yet and maybe never would. Not to mention, that she was just working in a café which was barely enough to live so she needed to get something more permanent very soon. But she had no idea what that could be. Maybe she'd apply to another university, maybe she didn't want to go to college at all. But what were her options anyway?
Ava groaned, throwing a stack of clothes into her closet in frustration, before squatting down again to fold them neatly. She felt her phone vibrating in the pocket of her jeans and sighed when she saw the name of the person who messaged her blinking in front of her. She opened it and thought about her answer for several minutes before she decided to ignore it for the moment and maybe get back to it later, unsure about her wanting to meet the sender or not.
She furrowed her eyes as she looked at the clock hanging at one of her walls, showing that it was way later than she expected and her mother still hadn't called for dinner yet. She put the last of her belongings in the connected bathroom she shared with her brother and checked her phone to make sure she didn't receive a text from him telling her dinner is ready. Ava didn't realize how hungry she was until she thought about the dishes her mother was probably busy making and her mouth started to water. She really missed good Korean food. There were quite some Korean restaurants in New York but of course nothing tasted as good as her mother's home cooked meals.
Just as she wanted to open her door and check downstairs she heard her mother shout from the kitchen that dinner was finally ready. She opened her door and could already smell the kimchi and meat her mother apparently made and couldn't wait to finally taste it.
“Coming! I'm getting Mark”, Ava shouted back and wanted to knock on Marks door, telling him to come down but the boy who opened the door wasn't her brother.
“Oh, hey Ava. Haven't seen you in forever. How are you?”, Johnny asked, seemingly surprised but a small smile appeared on his pretty face.
He hasn't changed a tiny bit. He still looked as gorgeous as three years ago when she left and never heard of him again. His hair was still black but a tad longer than before. It framed the contours of his face just perfectly which made it hard for her to look away and think about how she was mad at him for ignoring her for the past years, even though the last thing she remembered with him was actually something very nice. Or that's at least what she thought it was. Apparently he thought differently and had to treat her like air. Not even daring to step a foot in their house when she came home for spring break once.
“Umm, fine. Are you staying for dinner?”, she asked, trying to sound as calm as possible but she couldn't hide a tint of anger in her voice, yet the anger mixed up with other feelings she was way too bad at hiding.
“Yeah, I invited him. He basically lives here anyway.”, she heard Mark say behind Johnny who didn't seem to sense her displeasure over his invitation. Why do they have to be best friends? She asked herself and secretly hoped for Johnny to disappear or something. But of course that wouldnÄt happen.
“Please, the food gets cold, come down.”, she heard her mother saying from the foot of the stairs with her hands stemmed in her hips, still wearing her red-dotted apron.
“Actually, I'm not hungry.”, Ava said taking a step away from Johnny as his simple presence made her legs feel stupidly weak.
Her statement got quite unbelievable when her stomach started to growl from the heavenly scent of her mother's food.
“Doesn't sound like it.”, Mark said and raised his brow looking at his sister questionably.
“I'm really not hungry and I'm meeting a friend. Can we postpone our family dinner to another time?”, she said while purposely emphasising the term family to show her displeasure about the clearly unwanted guest guest.
Before her mother could answer something Ava ran down the stairs, giving her mother another short kiss before running outside, leaving her house behind.
She took a deep breath before letting out some vulgar curses towards the situation and especially the person causing her to still feel all these things.
Ava pulled out her phone and messaged the only person she could think of, who might get her thoughts somewhere else, even if she might regret it in the morning.
masterlist
66 notes · View notes
kazliin · 8 years ago
Note
How did you come up with the Rivals AU? I mean at what moment did you think "Man, do you know what this show needs? More drama, angst and heartache." Don't get me wrong, I love your story to pieces, but where did you get your inspiration for it? (I don't know if you've answered this already, so feel free to ignore this ask)
Well, it all kind of started off at around episode 8. I had been watching the show since the second episode but before ep8 I had been having an internal war with myself over whether I should start writing fic for it or not (which mainly consisted of the rational part of my brain being like ‘you’re a med student, you don’t have time, don’t even think about it’ and the impulsive half of my brain being like ‘but i waaaaant to’). Then episode 8 came out and I was always really really fascinated by Viktor’s motivations (as this was pre episode 10 and it was all still a big mystery) so I wrote a short character study based on what I thought that night and uploaded it. And from there I was sort of like, well, I’ve started writing now so I might as well just keep going. 
After that, once I had decided that writing for this fandom was something I was going to do, I sat down and did a brainstorm of all the different fics I would potentially want to write. One of the things I’ve always really loved it changing character dynamics and so having an AU where Viktor and Yuuri were rivals was one of the very early things on the list. It actually got put to one side for quite a while though because they are such a loving couple in the show and I just could not figure out how to make them hate each other without making it ooc. 
Then a little while later I had tried my hand at writing a couple of other AU snippets but I kept coming back to the rivals concept as at that point as far as I was aware there were no rivals fics in the fandom and I love a challenge. So I sat down to brainstorm how I could possibly turn the cute fluffy Viktuuri we know on it’s head into a bitter rivalry.   
I’ve always been a big fan of the ‘for want of a nail’ trope and so I knew that it was going to have to be a ‘one event changes everything’ kind of fic. Eventually I came up with the idea of Yuuri growing up wanting to beat Viktor instead of idolising him and the concept of how that would happen through Viktor being unintentionally rude and insulting (because come on, in the show he says exactly what he thinks and it is not always a good thing. And he spends a significant chunk of the first few episodes calling Yuuri a piggy which like, dude, insulting much?) So yeah, that’s  where the initial concept for the catalyst scene came from. 
After that I sat down and planned out the story chapter by chapter because I wanted to explore how Yuuri would change as a character while still staying essentially the same person and how I could develop their relationship in a completely different way. 
But oh man. Then came episode ten. I think I had just written chapter 2? Maybe? It was very early on anyhow and episode 10 was a GAME-CHANGER for this fic. If you saw my initial plan vs my revised plan you would understand what I’m talking about because episode 10 changed everything, especially in the characterisations of Viktor and Yuuri. Because suddenly we went from ‘mysterious guy who goes to coach Yuuri on a whim’ to ‘love-sick idiot who fell in love with a drunk guy after spending a few hours with him and flew halfway across the world to be with him’ and suddenly you realise just how much of an unreliable narrator Yuuri was being about his own life and about Viktor. 
And so I sat down and revised everything. The major plot points all essentially stayed the same but all the program music changed, the characters in the later chapters changed and Viktor in the fic changed most of all. I wont say any more because I’m veering slightly into spoiler territory for the companion fic and all that but basically episode 10 turned umfb into the fic it is today. And probably most importantly in terms of the fic it cemented the idea that Yuuri is an unreliable narrator of his own life which (while present in the original concept plan) suddenly became a hinge on which the whole fic swung.
I love love LOVE writing the unreliable narrator as it’s such a balancing act of the audience understanding why someone is thinking they way they do and sympathising with their POV and giving enough hints to show them what is really going on without saying anything too explicitly. And I adore Yuuri as a character as he is so complex and layered and flawed and he’s just the perfect person to write in that way. 
So yeah, initially this fic was meant to let me explore how to flip such a cute fluffy relationship into the exact opposite while keeping it true to the characters and it all evolved from there into the monster of a fic it is today. 
76 notes · View notes