#pulls out a recording of her conversation with mari

[mochinek0]

Looking Back (Part 2)

Lila looked around the reunion, annoyed. Adrien wasn't anywhere to be seen. The people she had control over weren't either. Lila smiled, spotting Marinette.

'Time to ruin her day. It'll be just like old times.'

"Marinette!" Lila smiled, walking up to her, "You can call me Mrs. Agreste. Adrien and I got married, after all."

"Congratulations!" Mari smiled.

Lila tried to keep the shock off of her face.

'Where are the tears? Where is the screaming?'

"We should go." A man walked up to Marinette spoke, "The kids are asleep, already."

'Kids? Marinette knows this guy? He's hotter than Adrien! How could she know him or his kids?'

"Already?" Marinette asked, "Oh, I guess it is late."

"Kids?" Lila asked, trying to keep the conversation going, "You.....have kids?"

"Oh, this is my husband." Marinette answered, "We got married seven years ago. We have a five year old and a two year old."

Before she could find out more, her husband pulled her towards the exit.

"Bye Mari!" her friends shouted, "Bye, Damian!"

Mari just waved and kept walking.

'I will not be ignored!'

"Bye Marinette!" Lila cried out, "I can't believe you're still so rude to me. You couldn't even say bye?"

Marinette stopped, turned and smiled, "Sorry, Lola. Bye."

'Lola?'

Lila seethed in anger. She had always thought of Marinette as her enemy, but it seemed she was just some distant memory to her.

Marinette's friend group continue to laugh after she had walked out of the reunion.

"I can't believe she called her that!" Ivan laughed.

"I wish I had recorded it." giggled Rose.

Lila stomped away, humiliated. She rushed outside of the venue and called Alya.

'She always answers! She's hopeless without me!'

Lila didn't expect Alya to be with the others.

"Oh it's you! Miss 'Popularity' herself!" Alya smugly replied.

"Excuse me?" Lila asked, "Alya this isn't like you."

"Oh, it's not?" she questioned, "Maybe I should drink more often then."

'She drunk. So she's useless. Wait! Maybe, I can use this to my advantage!'

"Alya, Marinette was so mean-" she began.

"All of Marinette's friends are successful!" Alya shouted, "Why do we all suck?"

'Huh?'

"Yeah!" Kim shouted, "We've listened to you since junior high! We trusted you! I have a gut and stuck as a PE teacher! Odine is at the Olympics!"

"Nino listened but he only hangs out with Adrien! After we broke up, he just got.....better!" Alya sneered, "He's a DJ who travels all over and I'm stuck running errand for other people at Tvi. I'm not even a reporter!"

"Why does Adrien saying you're un-fuckable?" Alix questioned.

"Excuse me?" Lila gasped.

Nathaniel scoffed, "He said he never dated you and he never would. Mr. Model was crying how he missed out on marrying Marinette and how you're not even his type!"

"Kitty Section listened to Marinette and they're famous!" Alix continued to rant. "Max works for her husband's company and he makes millions. It's like a millionaire club with them."

"Why are Marinette and her friends amazing people and all the people that listened to you miserable?" Alya sneered.

"Yeah!" the rest cried out.

Lila scoffed and hung up the phone. She tried to make the best of it and talk with other people, but she could see people pointing at her out of the corner of her eye. She pretended not to see them giggling and whispering at each other. She quickly made a break for the bathroom to collect herself. She hid in one of the stalls and took a deep breath. No one could know they got to her. They probably heard her call herself Mrs. Agreste.

'Stupid! I should have whispered it to her.'

"Who knew Marinette was such a savage!" she heard a girl say, as the door opened.

'Seriously?'

"She's matured so much!" Lila heard another voice speak.

"I know." the first voice answered, "I'm so happy for her. She went through so much shit with Chloe."

"Hey, did you believe about her being a bully?" the other voice questioned.

"Bullying Rossi?" they scoffed, "Hell no! Lila is a whiny bitch. She acted like she was four."

The second person laughed, "And those fake 'Pity Me' tears."

They both laughed.

"But Marinette callign her Lola-" they continued to laugh.

"Lila Rossi really is the Loud Obnoxious Lying Anti-Christ." one giggled.

"Juleka told me it use to be worse." the other continued.

"How?" they replied.

"Before she was 'LOLA', they would call her the 'STB: Stupid Thoughtless Bitch'." the girl answered.

Lila heard the other person snort.

"Then, they had to teach her safe sex before Wayne, so Mari started calling her an STD cuz she was like an infection that was hard to get rid of." the same girl continued.

"Wait?" one girl spoke, "Why did they have to teach her? She must have known by then."

Lila heard a giggle, "Apparently her and Wayne were eye fucking each other so badly when Mari started working at WE. You know she's the Wayne family's personal designer, right? Jagged Stone introduced them."

"Oh yeah. Didn't she make his Eiffel tower sunglasses when she was 13?" the other questioned.

"Yep. She did those and then worked on his album covers." one declared, "Not to mention the outfits he wore on stage, but seriously imagine undressing your future husband before even being with him."

"I can certainly see the perks." they replied.

"Anyways, the tension was so bad that Kitty Section went to Bruce's office to say he would likely get a grandchild soon, if his son didn't man up an d ask her out." one recalled, "They said it was like being one snap away from them going at it like animals at the office. Damian walked in and told them to stay out of his life and slammed the door. Bruce shouted he'd love grandkids and the next day Wayne asked her out."

"Damn." the other laughed, "From Ice Prince to Simp for Paris' Sweetheart?"

"Better than being known as Paris' Trashy Whore." the other scoffed, "Did you hear Rossi was trying to claim to be married to Adrien?"

"Shut up!" the other yelled, "She did not!"

"Yep." the other stated, "Hard to believe when Agreste was eye fucking Mrs. Wayne til Lola's Pack took him to the bar."

"Guess she's not such a frined now, huh?" the second girl called out.

"Let's go before Lola shows up." the first one declared, "She's bound to skulk in some bathroom 'til her group shows up and saves her from embarassment."

Lila heard the door open and close. She hadn't moved a muscle from whn they started talking. It wasn't until she blinked that she realized she was crying.

'That's why she didn't care.'

Marinette had always been the winner. No one had believed her. The few people that did were slowly turning against her. They were too drunk and were now blaming her for making their lives miserable. By tomorrow, they probably would have forgotten they said that.

Alya was constantly complainign about Nino's success now. Kim had lost to Odine too may times after their break up that he started to compulsively eat. He had lost his swimmer's body and had a giant gut. He'd poke it and complain about his life. His dating life wasn't that much better. He was constantly telling people 'He wasn't always like this. How he was ruined.'

Neither she nor Adrien modeled anymore. He worked for Gabriel and was plain miserable. He constantly complained about being watched and how he felt like he as under a microscope.

On the other hand, she would bring up about being a model and the date wouldn't end well. They would usually huff and tell her to pay for herself. Lila had finally shouted on one of her dates and questioned why. They replied they would only be wasting money on a salad or for her to throw up in the bathroom later. She stopped bringing it up after that.

Lila looked around. She was still in the toilet stall. Marinette was married with kids. Marinette was wealthy and married wealthy as well. Marinette had friends; she was famous and doing what she wanted.

She was still trying to find a guy to seduce to let her be a housewife and have access to an unrestricted credit card. Lila couldn't stop the sob that escaped her mouth. She had threatened Marinette in the bathroom and the bathroom is exactly where her dreams were shattered. No 'Prince Charming' was ever coming for her. She had chosen the wrong path in life and was now stuck on it. Her friends were just as friendly as she was. Everyone in her life was just as two-faced as she was and she hated it.

[dadvans]

seven (+) sentence sunday

from the continued buck finds out he and tommy have a kid 10 years after the fact timeline

Buck shows Mary how to measure out dry ingredients into one bowl, slide a knife over the top of a cup to make sure each measurement is even, mix in the wet slowly and not all at once. She grimaces at the feeling of rolling the dough into balls between her palms, and Buck probably lets her taste test too many chocolate chips.

Mary likes baking fine. She likes the cookie fresh from the oven that Buck lets her have before dinner even better, while Tommy continues to nap. But while she signals her appreciation for the end product by trying to immediately ask for just one more, after a day of seeing himself reflected in her, the overall experience is one of the first things that reminds him that she’s definitely Tommy’s kid too.

The second thing, the bigger thing, is that she’s figured out how to work his TV, and she immediately searches for ESPN. He can hear the sports commentary from the kitchen while he starts finishing the chili, and when Tommy wakes up and comes back downstairs, he can hear her shuffle shuffle pad pad pad from the living room to the stairs and ask him if they’re going to be allowed to “watch the games” during dinner.

“It’s not our house, kid, it might be rude to ask,” he hears Tommy say, voice sandpaper rough from sleep in a distant, familiar way.

“Daddy, we’re in the final four.”

“I have both games recording at home. We can watch them when we get home tomorrow night, even if it cuts into your bedtime. How does that sound?”

A sigh. “I want to know tonight, though. We’re so close.”

“Nothing’s gonna change overnight. This is Buck’s place, baby, we have to respect that. I don’t know what his rules are.”

Buck puts the lid back on the crockpot and steps out into the hallway to meet them. “Some kind of competition happening out here?”

Tommy sighs and scrubs at his face with one hand, but Mary lights up at the opening.

“It’s the semi-finals for March Madness tonight,” she says, like that explains everything.

“Oh.” Buck knows a majority of the guys at his house do brackets every year, but he usually tunes them out when they talk about it, and checks back into the conversation when it moves to fantasy football in the fall. “College basketball, right?”

“Mary and I do kind of a modified competitive bracket,” Tommy says. “Instead of a traditional bracket, it’s just who gets closest overall wins. With the way this year has gone, tonight is more of the decider than the actual championship.”

“If I win, we’re going to Disneyland,” Mary continues, clearly focused on what is most important.

“I didn’t even rig my bracket this year to let her win, and she’s still kicking my ass.” Tommy looks down on her, radiating a kind of pride and fondness that Buck’s never seen him inhabit before, a new part of himself that was born with her, maybe. He gets a big hand in her curls and messes them up, and she gets her hands up to swipe at his forearm, grab it, try to pull him down by sinking him with dead weight.

It’s cute, is what it is. Hits all of Buck’s weakest, most vulnerable spots.

He wishes there were room between them for him too.

[luveline]

kiss over the interweb with sirius! him and reader have been together for awhile maybe since they were like 18/19 and them and being still super in love foreva! cliche couple loveliness

tysm for requesting ♡ fem!reader, 1k

Sirius' hair looks blue-black in the light. His smile shines mega watt gorgeous and his laugh bounces between pint glasses and plates of half eaten dinner. He's at the head of a long, long table, his friends and friend's friends turned out for a celebration of him. You aren't half as loud nor confident, but when he insisted you sit squished beside him, you couldn't say no. 

"Where the hell have you been?" he questions, grabbing your waist as soon as you walk close enough. Any conversation he led swiftly pauses. "This is the worst birthday ever, babe, you keep disappearing." 

Sirius has kept you within arm's reach for the last five years and it doesn't matter, he yanks you into his lap and kisses your cheek, careful not to mess with your makeup. His hand slides down to your hand where he twists your engagement ring around your finger. You're happy to get married but you're not in any big rush. Sirius, on the other hand, is desperate to get you down the aisle. Has been for years. 

"Can't believe you're twenty four," you say, unbothered by the weight of tens of eyes on you as you take his face into your hands. You could draw him from memory. You could do it with your eyes closed. "You're finally growing into your nose." 

Sirius (who, for the record, has an extremely handsome nose), beams at you. "You love this nose." 

"I do." Sorry to his friends, but you share a gross, amazing kiss right then and there. 

"Is that legal?" James asks. 

"No." Remus clinks his drink against James'. "Will you get me another lemonade and blackcurrant, please? My legs hurt." 

Sirius laughs into your mouth as James says, "No they don't. You're just lazy today. I know the difference." 

"Will you get me one anyways? Please, James, I love you." 

"They're almost as in love as we are," Sirius says, encouraging you back gently. "And we're sick." 

You ease off of his lap and back into your seat. You've already sectioned off the lettuce and tomatoes from your salad for his perusal, and laying on a napkin by your plate is the extra fork you asked for and they forgot to give you. "Where'd you get this?" you ask. 

"That's how long you took! Finish your food, doll, before it's stone cold." 

You eat your food but he keeps distracting you. Even when he's talking to people he's squeezing your thigh under the table or bringing the salt shaker closer to you. You shove your plate away when things get too cold to soldier on, dragged into a conversation with Mary sitting to your left and her girlfriend Emmeline. 

Sirius has always had a good bunch of friends. He's never made you feel like an outsider when you're with them, and you think they might actually really like you. You'd hope it, after this long together.

"Sweetness," Sirius says, wrapping his arms over your shoulders heavily, "another drink? And dessert, too, what dessert do you want?" He kisses your cheek between questions, gets distracted, stops asking and just hugs you to his chest for a bit. 

"This is nice, huh?" you ask quietly. 

He squishes you. "I'm gonna go get you another drink and then it'll be perfect." 

You check your watch covertly, and, a master of trickery, turn into his arms to blag a kiss. The funny breathless feeling of his embrace starts to bloom in your chest, alive and well despite the thousands of days spent within it. He's your other half, your found piece, and every minute with him carries a shine that refuses to waver. Things calm down, of course, but you don't doubt for a moment that Sirius is as in sickening love with you as you are with him. The honeymoon phase has lingered like the heat of a long kiss. 

"Happy birthday," you say as you pull away. 

"Thank you. You know, I feel very lucky. I hope you know that." 

You do. And you're glad he wants to tell you but maybe not in front of so many people, which is why the restaurant staff's perfect timing saves the day. Two waitresses carry a white piece of solid plastic and atop it waits your big surprise; a birthday cake with twenty four candles, three tiers of his favorite flavours, coffee, lemon, and plain chocolate fudge. The frosting for each is real buttercream to compliment the sponge, because fondant is for losers and you know what your baby likes. The candles flicker bright as the waitresses begin to sing, and for a solid five seconds, while all his friends join in, celebrating him and him alone, he turns his head to smile at you. 

His smile quickly turns to a glare. But, ever a good sport, Sirius pushes aside your plates for the cake to be bestowed and blows out the candles soundtracked by a raucous wave of cheers. 

"Hip hip!" James shouts. 

You wince at the sheet volume of the answering hurray, but Sirius is laughing, and that's all that matters. 

"First slice for my gorgeous fiancé!" he declares. "I wouldn't be in such good spirits nor state if she weren't with me today. I love you, sweetheart." 

Your cheeks flush with pride. "I love you," you say, receiving his quick kiss eagerly. 

"Don't get spit on the cake, lovebirds! Bagsy the second slice." 

"You can't bagsy the second slice, James, it's his birthday," Mathilde laughs. 

"Look, if he wanted the second slice, he should've said. I gave him loads of time to jump in. What flavours did you get, Y/N? You know what, don't tell me. I trust your judgement." 

[urhoneycombwitch]

wanna make you feel better

roommate!Eddie Munson x roommate!Reader your roommate is always there for you.

froeword: based on this anon 💞

cw: allusions to/discussions about bad sex, Eddie fools around with someone who’s got a sort-of partner, R experiences light post-sex dissociation, mutual pining

wc: 1.3k

 __

It takes a few minutes for your limbs to unwind, to come back into your body after sex- and in those few minutes, Adam has already hastily dressed, kissed you quick and chaste on the forehead, and left your bedroom with a casual “see ya” tossed over his retreating shoulder.

Fuzzily, from your staring-at-the-ceiling vantage point, you hear the front door of your apartment close. Then some quiet voices in the hall- first the familiar low tones of Eddie, followed by a higher-pitched lilt of… Mary? Margot?- and the front door shuts again.

You sigh, long and deep, wiggling your fingers and toes back to life. As if moving through molasses you push yourself to sit up, then to gather your clothes strewn around the floor- underwear first, one leg at a time. Secondhand t-shirt that hits your knees, the band logo nearing a total fade from all the wash cycles Eddie had put it through before it ended up in your laundry.

A knock at your door, and Eddie peeks around the frame, dark curls frizzing and cartoonishly tall in the back- “Hey. You want Oreos or Bugles this time?”

“Uhm.” You pause halfway to putting on your second sock, trying to blink through the brain fog and connect with your stomach, which quickly sours in response- “Neither, I think. Maybe some water.”

Eddie’s rings click against the wood of the doorframe as he taps in acknowledgement. When he turns to leave for the kitchen, you catch a glimpse of bare torso, grey sweatpants slung around bony, boxer-less hips.

Slut, you think, fondly, pulling on your soft sock the rest of the way and padding out into the living room.

The record player in the corner is calling your name, so you kneel to flip through the milk carton stuffed full of yours and Eddie’s combined collection.

“Nothing maudlin,” Eddie calls from the attached kitchen, cabinets banging shut in punctuation. “We have a strict No Wallowing After Bad Sex rule in this house and we’re goddamn sticking to it.”

“Apartment,” you amend, ignoring his instruction and pulling Blue from its sheath. “And wallowing can be therapeutic, y’know.”

With the drop of a needle, Joni Mitchell starts crooning about traveling a lonely road, and Eddie sighs, long and deep, a mirror of yours from earlier.

There’s a clinking of porcelain on glass, and you turn to watch as Eddie sets out bowls of snacks and tall glasses of water- one of them iced the way you like- onto the coffee table.

“Eat up. The midday meal of champs- or losers, depending on your preference.” He collapses with a dramatic huff against the couch, then leans over to dig around in the bowl of Bugles.

I wanna be strong, I wanna laugh along, I wanna belong to the living…

You crawl the short distance it takes to settle your back against the couch, side pressed into Eddie’s leg. There’s an acidic taste at the back of your throat, a mixture of Adam’s release and your own sickened stomach in a nauseating combination; you sip at the cold water, attempting to wash the taste away.

“Here. Doctor’s orders.” Eddie’s hand comes into view- each finger topped with a curved chip.

A giggle works its way out as you tilt your head to pull a Bugle off his finger with your teeth, crunching into the familiar corn flavor- it certainly works to get the lingering taste of shame out of your mouth.

“Don’t get used to seeing Margaret around, by the way- sounds like she’s gonna patch things up with her boyfriend.” Eddie’s hand draws back, a subsequent crunching noise before he speaks around a mouthful of chips- “I know you’ll miss all those scintillating hallway conversations.”

You snort, unsure if he’s referring to the fact that you’ve snooped via ear-pressed-to-door whenever they used to argue, or the handful of times that you and Margaret have politely and coolly interacted due to the one-bathroom setup.

“Well, good for her.” Unable to keep the irritation out of your voice (on Eddie’s behalf, since you’re such good friends and it’s hard to see him treated this way, not because you’re jealous), you dig into the snack bowl, fishing for an Oreo. “Hope Margaret and her weirdo on-and-off again boyfriend with that pedo mustache are very happy together.”

Eddie laughs, a melodic, genuine one that has him doubling over to bump playfully into your side. “Goddammit. That Ed Rooney-looking motherfucker…”

The bite of Oreo goes down smooth and sweet; you lick at the crumbs left behind on your thumb before saying, “And, lucky for our bathroom usage, Adam won’t be around anymore either.”

Eddie groans. “I think that guy uses more hair product than me and Harrington combined, and that’s saying something.”

He seems pleased when you chuckle, taking the warmth of his body previously pressed into your side away as he settles back into the couch. “What was wrong with this one, couldn’t get your rocks off with Ol’ Mister Hairspray?”

“Got my rocks off just fine, thank you very much,” you say, faux-primly, focusing your attention on the glass of water in front of you.

Condensation slips down the side. Your voice gains a gravelly tone that feels dangerously close to preceding tears when you say,  “I just… every time we hook up, I end up feeling lonelier than ever afterwards. And I’m kinda sick of it.”

Do you see, do you see, do you see how you hurt me, baby? So I hurt you too, then we both get so blue…

Eddie’s warm palm (not the one covered in Bugle crumbs) comes to rest on your shoulder, thumb digging gently but firm into the tense muscle at the nape of your neck. A hum purrs from your throat, eyes shutting involuntarily as he manages to zero in on the spot that needs the most care.

 “C’mere,” Eddie says, softly, hand sliding off and away as you unfold your limbs to stand. Once you’re sharing the couch cushion, he goes to pull you in closer but stops when he sees you bite back a smile- “What?”

“Your hair is… insane. In the back. If you haven’t noticed- wait!”

Eddie’s hand freezes halfway to his head with your alert, and you knock it out of the air, chastising- “Gonna have a head full of Bugle crumbs. Let me.”

“Bugle Head. New band name, I call it.” Eddie’s eyes are half-lidded, reminiscent of a cat getting groomed as you smooth down the out-of-place strands, hands cradling the back of his skull briefly before you pull away.

“Didn’t even bother looking in the mirror after going at it like rabbits with your not-girlfriend?” You accentuate your tease with a solid finger-poke to his bare ribs.

Eddie’s hands drop to your waist, pinch just-shy of mean against your hips. “Watch it, pot. And this kettle’s not fucking like a rabbit… more like a semi-interested turtle. With a semi-”

He gets shoved, for that comment, but drops down flat on the couch a bit too easily, pulling you with him.

With your ear pressed to Eddie’s chest, you can hear the whooshing of his blood, the steady thump of it against your cheek. He slips an arm around your lower back while yours encircle his torso, his sweatpantsed-legs twining with your bare ones.

“Why do we keep sleeping with such losers?” you muse aloud, breath unconsciously stalling to match Eddie’s much slower rhythm.

“Dunno.” His hand strokes down the length of your back, likely covering you in snack crumbs, but you find you don’t really mind right now. “Glad I have you to commiserate with, though. They say not all who wander are lost…”

You frown against the smooth skin below your cheek, sensing a trap. “…is that a Tolkein reference?”

“Nope. Shakespeare. Hamlet, if I recall correctly.”

He lets you laugh into his chest, squeezing gently at the soft flesh of your upper arm, like he’s trying to hold on to you and the moment at the same time.

You settle, again, breaths joining again. Joni croons on.

Wanna write you a love letter, I wanna make you feel better, I wanna make you feel free…

___

for more roommate!Eddie content: masterlist

[megs-1800]

The Fear Of Loosing You

Notes: Requests are open as usual. This is written from Mason's POV.

Summary: After you and Mason break up 6 weeks ago, he gets the dreaded call that you have been in a car accident. Are you gong to be okay? He has so many questions to ask you? Will you ever forgive him?

Pairings: Mason Mount x Reader

Word Count: 4.1K

Warnings: Fluff, Angst and mentions of car accident and injury

I parked my car up and walked quickly into the restaurant trying not to get wet from the torrential rain that is currently downpouring. As I walk in I see the large table with our own separate part of the restaurant where all the united boys are sat. We agreed to start to meet for dinner before the start for the season it’s a ritual.

Tonight though I really didn’t want to go, it’s the first time I have been out the house for a social occasion since the break up. We broke up 6 weeks ago and my heart still aches as much as it did the night you left. I am completely devastated since the break up, you packed all your things within a couple of hours and moved back to (your hometown) back with your parents. We haven’t spoken since, I have messaged you nearly every day which you never reply. You deleted all pictures of us on your socials and unfollowed me on everything, which made everyone talk. I do not blame you, I done the worse thing I could ever do to you, I cheated on you, I broke your heart which I broke my own heart in the process.

I have been struggling since you have left, I am trying to get my head around everything, get my head around being single again I hate it. We were together for 3 years, we were so happy. That was until I decided to go out that night and get drunk and make the biggest mistake of my life. Now I have to deal with the trauma of never having you again.

I sat down at the table and everyone is chatting away, I try and join in the conversation but my mind is distracted. I try my best to enjoy the evening. I am joining in with the conversation when I see my phone ring. It’s a number I do not recognise, I can see the start of it is a Manchester number but I decide not to answer it. That’s when I get the voicemail ping up, something in me tells me to listen to it now. I quickly escort myself away and listen to the voicemail. “Voicemail for a Mason Mount, I am calling from Saint Mary’s Hospital we have a patient here that you are registered as their Next of Kin so please do give us a call back at your earliest convenience so we can discuss their situation”. I was confused, everyone I am close to run through my head which no one made sense. Then it kicked it, it could be you? But why would you be in Manchester Hospital? You went back to your home town with your parents after the breakup so whats going on.

I quickly hit redial and called the hospital back, they answered after 2 rings which is good as I didn’t want to sit on hold. “Hello, I missed a call from you its Mason Mount”. They agreed and they said they would look into the record for me. My heart dropped at the next sentence “hello Mr Mount thank you for holding.. we have a y/n y/l/n here from what we believe she has had a car accident, she has lost a lot of blood. She has been in and out of surgery since she got here. She is currently in a stable condition but we are not sure about any further damage until she wakes up. The next 48 hours are going to be vital for her. We have been trying to get hold of her parents but there is no answer, so you are the next listed as her next of kin. We are not sure if you want to come down as she really needs someone to support her with the recovery”.

I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, I feel sick and suddenly become very dizzy. I need to sit down. Everything is running through my head I have to get to you. I quickly run inside, I didn’t even realise I was crying until one of the boys pulled me in making sure I was okay. I explained what happened and they all told me to go. They know how much I love you. As I am driving I must be breaking all the limits with how quick I was driving but right now I do not care I need to make sure you are okay.

As I run into the hospital I run upto the front desk, “Hey I am looking for y/n y/l/n” they stop and stare at me “omg you are Mason Mount! Oh my god! Oh my god! Please can we have an autograpgh”. I look at her with dismay. “Seriously?” I say shocked “No not right now, I need to go see her please can you tell me what room y/n y/l/n is in please?” I say with a bit more authority. “Are you family? Because we can only allow family in to see her at the moment due to her fragile condition”. Fragile condition how bad are you? “but on this occasion we will allow you to go in just please do not say anything because we will be in trouble”. The girls behind the desk giggle, I do not feel in a laughing mood right now, but at least my name actually done me a positive today. They provided me the number of your room and I basically run there, perks of being an athletic at least I can run up the 8 flights of stairs instead of waiting for the bloody lift without being too out of breath.

When I finally reach your room I open the door at the sight makes my heart shatter. You are all hooked up to wires. You are covered in cuts and bruises, your left leg is wrapped possibly broken or a sprain and your right wrist is the same. You are topless with a bandage covering your whole chest, that really must not be good. You look so broken, all I want is to put you back together. I quickly ran over to you and sit in the chair that is placed next to your bed, and put your hand in mine. I am a mess I can feel my heart beating erratically, I just need you to be okay. “Please be okay baby, please wake up baby. Please y/n I love you”.

I sit with you for a couple of hours, just looking at you all over. Even with you looking all battered and bruised you are still the most beautiful women in my eyes. Your doctor came in to do his checks. I stood away from you as he did his checks to give him space. I look down and play with my hair feeling so hopeless. “What happened doc? Is she going to be okay?”

The doctor gave me a sympathetic look “I believe she had a car accident, swerved off the road and I think the car must of flipped a couple of times by looking at her injuries. She has a fractured leg, sprained wrist, couple of bruised ribs and her lung collapsed. She had a lot of internal bleeding and she smacked her head a couple of times so until she wakes up we generally cannot determine how severe her injuries are. We wanted to run a couple of CT scans however we really do not like running those for women in her condition, so it will be best for her to wake up first for us to examine her.”. I am so confused at those words. “A women in her condition what does that mean? What because she is so fragile?” I asked the doctor.

The doctor shakes his head, “No we do not like running scans on those who are pregnant”, I am taken aback by that statement. “Wait she is pregnant?” I asked with concern in my voice. My next thought is about the baby “Is the baby okay? You know because of the accident”. This is when the nurse in the room buts in “The baby is okay from what we can see, she is still really early on in the pregnancy but the heartbeat seems stable and the scan showed no current concerns. Did you not know about the pregnancy? Did you know if she knew?”

“No I had no idea she was pregnant I cannot believe it, she might of known but we haven’t been on the best terms recently so I am not sure if she knows I am sorry.” The nurse gives me a reassurance smile. “Visiting times are almost over however if you want to stay tonight we can get you a fold out bed so you can sleep here? She will need someone here once she wakes up” I nod at response to her question. I haven’t slept next to you in just over 6 weeks, I cannot believe your pregnant. Is it mine? Did you know? What were you doing in Manchester? Where you coming to tell me? All these things are rolling through my head. Once the nurse brought the bed in, I set myself out. It really wasn’t a comfortable bed but it was nice laying next to you, with your hand in my mine. My head is a mess, once the nurse leaves I left all my tears roll out as I slowly close my eyes. My mind goes back to the day we broke up.

I finished training early to come and surprise you, I even went to buy some flowers for you on the way home. I love seeing your smile and I know you love the little things like this. As I walk through the door, I was expecting to see you greeting me at the door, or see you singing away as you are doing things around the house, but today I am met with silence. Something felt wrong. As I walk into the living room I look at you and can see the tears in your eyes, by the look of your puffy eyes you have been crying a little while.

I quickly put the flowers down and sat by your side “whats wrong baby? Is everything okay?” I went to put my arms around you to comfort you, but as I do this you wiggle away from me and just stare straight into my arms. You look so vulnerable and scared, I am worried with what has happened. It must have been something bad for you to be in this state. “Please tell me its not true?” which I can hear the worry in your voice.

“Whats not true?” I say acting dumb, surely you cannot know. There is no way you can know. “Where did you stay the other night?” You choak out, I can see you really struggling to get your words out as you are focusing more on your breathing. “what do you mean? What night?” I am still trying to act dumb, I knew exactly what you were talking about.

“The night you went out to get drunk, you said you bumped into Jaz and ended up staying with her. I was just on facetime to her, and summer was saying how she was so excited to see you as she hasn’t seen you in ages, when I said that you stayed there the other night she was confused and said you didn’t stay and said I was silly”. Shit I thought I have been caught.

“Summer wouldn’t of seen me, I was up before Summer left that’s probably why.” I say pleading trying to defuse the situation. I hoped you couldn’t see through my lie. “well you text me at midday to say you were leaving so Summer would of seen you surely. This isn’t making sense Mason”. I can see the tears slowly streaming down your face, I can see you adding it all up. “I- um- I-um” I wasn’t sure what to say I have been caught in my lie.

“The thing is Mason, after this I logged into your emails and I saw an email receipt for a hotel that night.. I wouldn’t be too worried about that but why lie to me about staying with Jaz if you got a hotel? See I thought this was really weird so I logged onto your Instagram I know I shouldn’t of but I knew you would lie like you are now. That’s when I saw the messages Mason, from that girl thanking you for a sexy night, and you telling her to keep it quiet, and her asking for money to keep quiet, which you fucking paid Mason. You  rather pay her that stupid money then tell me the truth! You are a fucking coward Mount!” Your sadness has now turned to anger.  I can feel your heart breaking.

“3 years Mason, 3 fucking years! And you just cheated on me seriously!, I-I-I cannot believe it”. You are now in full on tears, I don’t even know what to say, I just wanted to take it all back. The way you are breaking because of me, I cannot believe I have been so stupid. “I-I am sorry y/n, it was a mistake. We had that fat argument and then you said that if I walked out the house then do not bother coming back. I thought I lost you, I-I went out with the guys I was smashed. When I woke up in the morning I woke up next to this girl. I don’t even remember the night. Please it meant nothing to me” I am pleading now, I will do anything to make it okay. “The thing is Mase, she meant enough for it to ruin our relationship” You gave me a small sad smile. “and you had the nerve to hide it from me. I know we fought but I sat here all night alone crying hoping you would come home to sort it out, while you were there fucking another girl. I guess I just cared more about the relationship then you do”.

You stood up and start walking towards the door, I quickly run to reach you. As I am stood eye to eye with you I am not sure what to do. I quickly grab you and push my lips to you with force trying to force you not to leave. You push my away and give me a small slap across the cheek which makes me back away. “I love you y/n please don’t do this” I say sobbing. “I didn’t do this Mase, you did. You and the girl did this, you broke us.” I hate myself so much how have I lost her. “Please y/n I will do anything to make this better. Please do not leave me, I will get on my hands and knees and beg please” I have now lost all pride and kneeling in front of you grabbing your hands, begging for you not to leave. I can see the tears streaming down your face which I am sure you can see the tears staining my face as well. I am a mess. You shake your head. “Please Mase don’t do this, if you love me you will let me go” at this I start crying more, this puts me in a dilemma because I love you more then anything but I do not want you to go. I know I have to let you leave, I did this I need to let you go. I let go of your hands and stand up so we are facing eachother again. I can see you are trying to control your breathing to stop you from hyperventilating. You nod and can see you sniffling trying to compose yourself. “Thank you.. I will get someone to come and grab my stuff. Goodbye Mase.”

I watch you walk out the door as I can feel my heart shatter, I cannot believe that I have just lost you like that. That was the last time I saw or spoke to you. I tried to message you but you always ignored me. I haven’t spoken to you in 6 weeks.

I am woken up to the sound of you choking, as I slowly open my eyes and adjust them quickly to the bright light I quickly remember where I am. I quickly shout for a nurse who comes in and removes the tube out of your throat and she explains to you what has happened. You look so scared, you were always so brave and at this time seeing the pain in your eyes, shatters me I just wish I could take all the pain away. As the nurse leaves, you try and say something but your mouth is so dry it comes out raspy. I quickly grab you the glass of water on your side and put the straw to your mouth, I watch as your swallow the whole glass.

“What are you doing here Mason?” I was pretty much excepting that to be your first question. “They called me, they said they tried to call your parents but there was no answer so they rang me as I was your registered next of kin as well”. You nod your head and look at your body assessing your wounds. You try and sit up and wince, I am quick to respond “Are you okay? You in pain I can go get the nurse? I can get them to give you more pain meds? Did you want help sitting up?” I blurted out. “whoah, that’s a lot of questions. The nurse said a minute ago I am on the highest pain meds so I do not think they going to give me anymore. But yes please if you could help me sit up that would be amazing”. You say trying to give me a smile but due to the injuries on your cheek you cannot smile too wide. I nod and wrap my arms around your back and slowly lift you up the bed trying my hardest to be as painless as possible.

Once you are seated in bed, I take the seat next to you. “What do you remember? What happened y/n? Why are you in Manchester?” I see your body start to stiffen as you are reliving the memory of what happened. “I-uh-I-Uh umm my parents are on holiday which is why they didn’t answer the phone, which I am glad they didn’t answer otherwise they would already be on the flight home by now” you give a small giggle which I can see hurts your chest. “I have something I needed to speak to you about, I thought if I messaged you out the blue or rang you, you would want to talk then and I would chicken out. So I thought if I just turned up at your house then I wouldn’t be able to back out. It was so wet and such a hard drive. I was literally only 10 minutes away from yours when the car skidded, I lost complete control and next thing you know this car crashed into the side of me. The car flipped a couple of times, then I woke up here”. I can see the tears roll down your face, I can see the fear in your eyes are you telling it back. I quickly stand up and wipe your tears away with my thump as I cup your face. “I guess I still have that thing to talk to you about”.

“I know” I responded, which I looked at the confusion on your face. “What do you mean you know?” you ask.

“When the doctor came in to explain about your condition to me, they explained they did not want to do a Scan due to your ‘condition’. They told me you are pregnant? Is it mine?” At that last part, I see your eyes get wide you look angry. “Are you serious Mount! You are the one who cheated not me. Its been 6 weeks of course I haven’t been with anyone else. I don’t know what you have been doing since we broke up, but I definitely haven’t been sleeping around. I cannot believe you Mason that you really think the baby isn’t yours and agrrr shit”. I hear you wince in pain as you grab your side. My face suddenly softens as I suddenly stand up, hoping you will give me an idea on how I make you feel better. I grab your wounded hands in mine. Your eyes look up at me this time a lot softer “Is the baby okay? Did it get hurt?” You say looking down at your stomach and slowing rubbing it. “No.. our baby is a fighter. They said the heartbeat is strong and everything looks okay at the moment”.  I watch the relieve in your face as I confirm the baby is okay.

“I know what happened between us, and whatever you want to do about us is completely your choice. But I promise you I will be here for this baby, I always wanted you to be the mother of my child and knowing you are bringing my first child into this world. Wow I couldn’t love you more if I tried y/n. Please let me be a dad, please let me be here for you both because I know I let you down, but I promise I will never let our child down, and I will spend everyday making it up to you. Please just give me a chance please.”

As you begin to answer the nurse comes in “hiya.. sorry to interrupt. I just want to let you know miss y/l/n that you and baby are doing well. There are no internal injuries which is good. We want to keep you for a couple of nights for observation but you should be free to go within the next couple of days. The only thing is you need to be released to someone, we cannot let you go home on your own due to the head injury. I am not one to gossip but I know you two are not together anymore, but are you going home with him or do you need us to call someone else for you?” I see you look at me not knowing what to answer. Your parents are away and I know you do not have many other close people to call. Of course you are coming back with me.

“She is coming home with me, I can look after her”. I said with authority. Which the nurse looks at you for conformation which you nod and she gives us a smile and walks away. “Thank you Mase, but honestly it will be fine. I will call my sister or something. I do not even have any clothes or anything. I didn’t pack a bag to come, I just kind of got in the car and drove. Honestly its fine, I need to go home”.

“Stop y/n, you are in a lot of pain, I will take care of you. I will buy you everything you need. I will bring you my clothes to wear as I know you will be comfortable in them for now. Please you know it makes sense, I am not far from the hospital. Then when you get a bit better and your parents are back from holiday then I will drive you home okay, please y/n you know it makes sense.”  I watch you contemplate the options which you know this is the best one.

“Okay thank you Mase”. I smile and explain that I am just going to pop home to get changed as I am still in my outfit from yesterday and grab some bits for you. You stop me as I am leaving. “Mase this doesn’t change anything, just because I am helpless right now and carrying your child doesn’t take back what happened. You still cheated, you still broke my heart Mase. I love you more then anything but I need to protect myself.” I nod agreeing with you. “I know baby, just you focus on resting up and getting better and building the best home for our bubba okay. Our relationship stuff will still be here tomorrow okay.” I wink at you, which you lay your head back on the bed.

As I walk out the hospital, I feel a sudden sense of everything. Relief that you are okay, excitement for the baby,  anticipation of what is going to happen between us. But for now, you and baby are okay and you are coming home with me that’s all I could want for now. All I need to focus on is winning you back. How hard could that be?

You can read Part 2 here

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 Never Say Die¹ • Steph Catley

Resquests: part 2 to the steph fic? Please a part 2?

Part 1/2 of part 2 for I Miss You

Part 2/2

Word count: 4,6k ( i had to cut it into two parts because tumblr wouldn't let me post it but im posting both rn)

The match of the knockout stage was an important one, just like the ones before and the ones to come. It was a do or die, you either win or you can wave goodbye to your world cup dreams. 

However, you were confident in the team and with Australia backing up the Matilda’s you gave the fans a performance to celebrate. 

The crowd was loud as Caitlin scored the first goal of the match in her home city, the amazing through ball from Mary that cut through six Danish defenders being endlessly praised. To all of your pleasures Sam had finally made her come back and joined in the 80th minute. And to top it all off the team ended the game with another goal this time coming from Hayley and an assist from you. 

You gripped Steph’s hand tightly as the team celebrated in the locker room after the game but you still made sure to be subtle about it, aware of the cameras and phones recording. It was one thing that your sister and friends knew about the two of you, but you didn’t want the world to know just yet.

Steph hid the beaming smile on her face in her shoulder as she glanced at you and you pretended not to notice as you made brief eye contact with the camera lens of Charli’s phone. 

The joyous screams and shouts of the team told you one thing, this world cup was going to be Australia’s. 

Screams filled your ears as you lined up in the tunnel behind your girlfriend and in front of Caitlin. The small hand in yours is enough to ground you and you made sure to keep your focus ahead and not let yourself look over to the French. You knew if you did the calm in your head would turn into chaos seeing your former Lyon teammates again. Even Wendie’s big head of hair at the front of France’s line up was just a blur to you and to keep yourself busy while you waited for the referee's sign, you turned to the small girl next to you. 

Upon doing so you notice her shivering a little, her other hand pulled tightly to her chest in an unsuccessful attempt to keep herself warm. Your mascot barely looked the age of 7 and in spite of her lips slowly turning purple, she was visibly buzzing with excitement.

Taking one last glance towards the referee you kneel in front of the small girl who turns to you in surprise but you give her a big smile and she reciprocates it with a toothy grin.

“Are you cold, love?” your voice is warm, and as it reaches Steph’s ears in front of you she thinks that alone would be enough to warm up the little girl. 

“Mhmm a little” she mumbles, suddenly becoming shy but you continue smiling at her comfortingly. She clasps her hands together behind her back as you let go of them for a moment and she stares at you with big eyes as you pull off your gloves.

Caitlin grins down at the two of you, her own hand swinging her mascot's hand back and forth lightly. The forward’s eyes lift as her friend turns slightly and Caitlin doesn’t miss the way Steph’s eyes soften at the sight of you conversing with the little girl.

“My name is Grace” she tells you, this time a bit more confident. 

“You have a beautiful name Grace” her smile only seems to widen and she fiddles with her fingers behind her back as she stares at you with big eyes.

“Could you give me your hand pumpkin’?” Grace untangles her hands from behind her back and you put your gloves on each hand. Just as you finish, the referee signals that it’s time to walk out and you stand back up to grab Grace’s hand again, exchanging another grin with her.

When the national anthems come to an end and the mascots make their ways off the field, the girls beside you aren’t surprised to see your team coat hanging off the little girl’s shoulders instead of yours. Your focus is elsewhere as you clap hands with the French team, greeting past teammates with a smile as they move on and you hug Wendie and Selma before you take your place up front with Emily and Mary. 

The crowd is loud, the sold out stadium is standing tall for the Matildas and you take a moment to look around and breathe in deeply before you zero out the noise of the audience and compose yourself as the whistle is blown. 

The game is immediately off to an intense start and Tony can tell within the first 20 minutes that this would be a long game. You only hope you would be able to progress farther than you have the last two times you played in a world cup quarter final with the Matildas. 

Alanna and Katrina are playing their hearts out in the back, clearing balls after balls and you wonder just how surprised the French must feel. 

Going into the game you were well aware of the fact that France are ranked the better team, you knew it, the girls knew it, Tony and the fans knew it and the French were more than proud of their title. However, the Matildas show just how much numbers and lists are worth by keeping almost equal possession of the ball. Surely, judging by Hervé Renard’s reaction he expected his team to score early on. 

That wasn’t going to happen any time soon though.

Australia is playing the game of their lives with Caitlin making run after run and Kyra’s master dribbling, not to mention Mackenzie’s saves. 

The team head off the field with their heads held high and the score stuck at a 0-0. The cheering and shouts in the stadium are loud as ever and it only boosts the team’s confidence. You wondered if the atmosphere was similar in the other stadiums they were broadcasting the match in. 

“Come on girls! We’re doing great and I’m proud of all of you” Tony doesn’t waste time as he starts his half time speech and you eagerly listen to what he’s saying, twisting your bottle’s cap in thought.

“But we need to be quicker. Our defense is good but so is theirs and we saw how quick they were with their counter attacks.” the coach turns to the board in front of him as he points out different plays he thinks Caitlin and yourself could make, also handing out instructions to the midfielders and clapping the rest on the back. Tony ends his speech and your focus is shifted to your favorite defender as she stands. 

“When we go out there again, I want you to believe you’re winners. I want you to hear the crowd, to see the massive amount of fans out here. I want you to connect with each other and I want you to play like this is the last game you would ever play. And I want you to enjoy it, enjoy it and show them why we’re here!” Steph’s captain's speech makes goosebumps rise over everyones skin and a bigger fire is ignited in the girls’ eyes, a deeper desire to win. 

You nod to your girlfriend as your eyes connect in the team huddle and Steph nods back at you as her lips curl a little.

With a final ‘Up the Tillies!’ and claps to the back, Australia steps foot on the pitch for the second half.

As much as you try to bring Tony’s speech to life,you fall short to Caitlin. Half of the opposing team knows you from your four years spent in Lyon, they know you and they know the way you play. If that wasn’t enough, the other half of them were your rivals while playing in the French division and so the PSG players are aware of your skills and tricks too. It makes it practically impossible for you to even get close to the goal because you’ve got at least three defenders on your back at all times. Which in return makes it difficult for Mary and Emily beside you, and Caitlin who’s probably ran half a marathon by now. 

“Fuck off Élisa!” tension is rising between you and the defender who only smirks at you in return. De Almeida had just made a goal line clearance from Mary’s shot and less than a minute after play resumed, she was tackling you to the ground.

It angered you so much. You wanted to play well and to help your teammates but you simply couldn’t. Your heart is beating out of your chest and you huff out another frustrated breath.

“Hey, come on. Don’t be so hard on yourself” Caitlin’s arm finds its way around your shoulders as Karchaoui is treated by the medics and you throw your head back at her words.

“Cait, I want to play and I can’t do anything with them on my ass! Élisa has a boot shoved up there at all times and I basically have no influence on the game.” you explain to her in a rush. It was currently nearing the end of added injury time and the score was still an underwhelming nothing.

You couldn’t keep track of the amount of saves your sister has made and the number of shots Hayley and Sam had on goal, you didn’t need to though because the French keeper was there to save them every time and so it didn’t matter much.

“We’re playing as a team, bug. Your struggle is my struggle, my struggle is your struggle. You just wait Y/N/N, we’ll show them what ‘Never say die’ means.” Caitlin with her wise words again. The older girl rubs your arm and shoots you an encouraging smile as you join your teammates in a drink break before extra time would start. She was right though, there was no blaming one person for the scoreless game. 

A hand settles on your lower back as you listen to Tony and the assistant coach, slowly sipping on your drink. You turn your head just a little to see and big brown eyes shine in the lights of the stadium, a look in them reserved just for you. 

“Look at them…” Steph trails off as she nods towards the stands and you follow her instructions, lifting your head.

A sea of gold and green flooded the stands, excited yells echoing in the sold out stadium, smiles on faces and a glint in the young girls’ and boys’ eyes. Signs are held high and you notice just how many of them have your name on them, Y/n Arnold. The Matildas fans are decked out in yours and your teammates jersey and you swear your heart calms its rapid beating. They believed in you, they were here for you and they have your backs and they had faith in you, in every single one of you. 

“It’s so beautiful” you whisper to the brunette, somehow still being heard over the noise of the fans. Steph’s eyes remain on you however, a small smile playing on her lips as she squeezes your waist. 

“So beautiful” she concludes as well and you turn to face her, nodding to yourself.

“We are winning it for them, yeah” you’re rewarded with a proud smile and a determined nod from your captain. Eventually you retake your position on the field but you exchange a few words of encouragement with Mackenzie before you do so. And then you’re back in the game.

Fouls and corners are handed out one by one but none result in goals for either team, even Alanna’s own goal had thankfully been disallowed because of Renard’s foul on Caitlin inside the box. The look on the blonde’s face was priceless and if you weren’t fighting for your life in this match you would’ve laughed at her. 

Courtnee’s fresh legs instantly make an impact as she is subbed in for Hayley but it goes just wide and before you know it the second half of extra time has started. 

“Nugget, come on” Mackenzie has an arm reaching for you as you slowly walk towards the side lines, absolutely exhausted but you wouldn’t back down until your team would win.

You lean into her side as she wraps and arm around you and your sister momentarily rests her head on yours. The goalkeeper's presence brings you a sense of homely comfort and she smiles down at you while leading you towards one of the physios. You join Caitlin on the grass and the two of you get a quick massage to your hamstrings just to relieve some tension and for the pair of you to be able to continue on for the possibility of a penalty shootout. 

The French are attacking again but Mackenzie manages to tip the ball over the crossbar with a magnificent save and the crowd roars. Then not long after Steph takes a corner that Caitlin connects with but it’s deflected by the other team’s defense. 

This looks and feels like a game that is destined for penalties. 

Your eyebrows almost raise to your hairline as you see the French goalkeeper be subbed off and Durand replacing her. You look towards the rest in surprise and your eyes connect with Mary’s who’s sporting a similar expression to yours.

When a second later another substitution is announced you whip your head around to see the number 5 glowing in red. A near victorious smirk graces your lips as you watch De Almeida walk off angrily and Caitlin cannot help but laugh at your antics. Élisa being taken off makes your job a lot easier, if not for anything else at least she wouldn’t be there to annoy you and try to rile you up for the last few minutes of the match.

Your smirk is washed off your face when the whistle is blown and the referee instructs the two teams to line up for the penalty shootout.

A shallow breath leaves your mouth knowing just how much pressure would be on each of your teammates who would have to step up and take the penalty. You trusted Mackenzie enough to know she’d do her best but you were still nervous for the next shot. 

You stand between Alanna and Mini, anxiously shifting from foot to foot as Selma Bacha stands behind the ball. She pulls her leg back, fires and- a shout leaves you as you clap for your sister, Mackenzie has dived after the ball and made an immaculate save. Caitlin next and you squeeze Alanna’s waist.

“She’s got it” you breathe out watching as the forward doesn’t even look in the keeper’s eye.

“OF COURSE SHE DOES!” the blonde screams next to you when Caitlin celebrates and you feel yourself gain even more confidence in the team as the crowd erupts in cheers. 1-0.

Diani steps up, she takes it and Mackenzie barely has time to react. Your heart breaks a little for your sister who gets up from her knees with a deep breath. 1-1.

Steph, she’s been absolute class with penalties this whole world cup and all of you are certain she will fool Durand, easy peasy. She takes it, it goes to the right, almost an exact copy of Selma’s shot and the French saves it. Steph steps back with slight disappointment and your heart squeezes painfully at her misfortune. 1-1. 

Wendie Renard slots it past Mackenzie easily and you clench your jaw in frustration but manage to give your sister an encouraging nod. She’s got this. You’ve all got this. 1-2.

Your heart speeds up as your captain places the ball down, but just like with any other teammate, you all believe in her endlessly. And she doesn’t disappoint, how could the Sam Kerr ever disappoint? It goes past Durand’s outstretched hands and the net ripples. Sam celebrates, finally having a good touch on the ball after the past 126 minutes. 2-2.

Le Sommer, your former teammate reenacts Wendie’s goal but inverted it and the brunette in goal stays on her knees for a second to collect herself. The girls next to you are just as anxious, the whole line of Matildas is practically swaying left and right. 2-3.

“Come on Mare!” you shout after the girl as she walks by and you watch proudly as she gets her payback on Durand, shooting left as the French dives right. The fans are loud and you don’t blame them, knowing at this rate you’ll lose your voice before you get to finish the penalties. 3-3.

Perisset steps up, shoots- oh it hits the goalpost! You can’t contain the squeak that comes out of your mouth but you try to downplay your celebrations. It seemed like the goalpost was on Australia’s side tonight. 3-3.

And you take back that last statement immediately as Mackenzie’s shot hits the other goalpost. 

“Fucking hell” Alanna curses next to you and you can only agree with her when you see your sister deflate like an overused ball. 3-3.

Geyoro’s ball is almost saved and your mouth is hung open ready to cheer for Mackenzie but it goes just past her fingertips. The crowd boos as the French celebrate. 3-4. 

Katrina detaches herself from you and she takes her place behind the ball. It’s a rocket of a shot and the french keeper can’t stop it from going in. Australia screams along to your team’s celebrations and you grin as Mini mimics a rocking motion as she celebrates. That goal was dedicated to Harper. 4-4.

Just one more to go.

Karchaoui and it bounces off the crossbar and into the goal, Mackenzie’s fingertips just grazing the ball. The French team is going crazy next to you and you have to take a second to compose yourself and cling onto that strand of hope. 4-5.

 If Tameka misses the next one, Australia’s world cup dreams are over. They would be over and you wouldn’t even have silverware to give to the country. You shake your head to get rid of those thoughts, reminding yourself that you were professional athletes and were meant to be able to deal with these situations.

And deal with it is what Tameka does, sliding in that ball in the bottom left corner. The stadium goes wild and so does your team, all clapping her on the back and shouting praises at her.

She had just saved your asses and with what an amazing goal she saved it with. 5-5.

This had been the seventh penalty. At this point there’s no ‘just one more to go’ in your mind, with how it has been so far these penalties were going to be never-ending. 

Lakrar doesn’t waste a second after the whistle is blown and Mackenzie goes the wrong way as the ball goes down the middle. The players in blue are celebrating like they know they’ve just won it all and you swear you can feel De Almeida’s devilish smirk directed towards you, even though you’re faced away. 5-6. 

 Your sister is disappointed in herself, that much is clear but she stops you just as you move away from your teammates. 

“Take a deep breath Y/n, you know you can do it, we all know you can. I believe in you sis” she tells you sincerely as you look up at her and you bite the inside of your cheek at her words. Your time to give a reaction is cut short as the referee urges you to take your place behind the ball.

The fans are up on their feet, hands gripping the cold metal railing in distress and you feel all the nerves settle in even more. If you make it, you’re still in the game. If you don’t…you don’t even want to think about it. And to be the cause of your country’s loss, you’d never forgive yourself for that.

You get a few more seconds to get your shit together as the referee assesses Durand who has stepped off her line and you take in a deep breath, just like Macca told you to.

A wave of adrenaline washes over you and as the referee blows her whistle again you pull back and strike the ball with all your power. You don’t move an inch from your position at the penalty spot and your eyes follow the movement of the ball, the fans leaning forward in their seats. It goes straight towards the keeper and you feel your knees buckle underneath you, you’re ready to give up but then it curls harshly, the ball not even spinning as it hits the top right corner. 

It’s silent for a second, at least for you as blood rushes to your ears but then you’re back and you’re screaming and you are jumping into your sister’s arms and the fans are jumping up and down with you.

6-6. 

You saved your country from a loss. And a smile resides on your face as Kenza Dali takes her own shot, if she misses- well you know you’re going through, you’re confident in the girls.

Mackenzie dives and she pushes the ball wide, screaming towards the stands as she celebrates, the rest of you copying her. But your celebrations are short lived as the referee blows her whistle, instructing Kenza to redo the penalty. 

“What the fuck for?!” you yell in fury, upset that she might’ve just ruined this moment for your sister. When she announces that Mackenzie has stepped off her line your shoulders drop. As opposed to you, your sister stays calm and collected, she’s in complete control of the situation and you straighten up at that. She believed in you and you believed in her. 

“Just wait for it” Alanna turns to you, the defender is just as confident in your sister as you are and she shoots you a smirk. If anyone could save this crucial penalty, it was Mackenzie Arnold.

Dali strikes the ball thinking she might outplay your goalkeeper as she sends it in the same path as the previous one but Mackenzie hunts it down like a prey and Kenza holds her head as your sister stares down the referee. The cheeky bugger! Once the save is awarded to her she turns to the crowd yelling before she joins the rest of you. 6-6.

Courtnee glances back at the team once before focusing her attention on the ball. You know she’s going to score, she never missed a penalty before.

The crowd in the stadium are loud, already clapping her on before she even takes the shot. She runs up, leans forward and pulls her leg back, when it comes back down it hits the ball with power and it sails through the air.

Durand dives and the ball is there, the ball is there but Durand doesn’t get a hand on it- IT GOES IN! 7-6.

The Matildas are through to the semi-finals! If Australia was loud before, well they’re deafening now as they go wild in their screams of cheering.

Courtnee takes off in a sprint and the rest of you follow her as you scream her name and dog pile each other, a massive sense of relief and joy overflowing in your systems. The subs run in too and Courtnee finds herself in the middle of the group hug, eyes welling up. 

“YES VINEY!” “FUCKING YES MATE!” 

The atmosphere, you’ve never felt this before and your team celebrates wildly, jumping up and down, screaming and happy tears running down some of your cheeks. 

“Oh my god, we’re through!” your disbelieving tone makes Hayley chuckle and she takes your face into her hands, the smile on her face larger than you have ever seen it be.

“We fucking are, we are fucking winning this shit!” she brings you into a bone crushing hug and you let out a teary laugh at her choice of words.

You back away for just a moment, eyes searching for a tall brunette and when you spot her you see her also looking for you. You’re in your sister’s arms in an instant, tightly clinging on to her as she spins the two of you around, laughs escaping both of your mouths as you hug her head close to your chest.

“Macca, you’re my fucking hero!” you pull back just enough to see her face and she breaks out in a toothy grin, her eyes shining with pride and ecstasy and just about every emotion possible as she lets you back down to your feet. 

“No, you are my hero!” she counters as she cups the back of your neck, leaning down slightly to be at your height. Her words mean the absolute most to you, and the proud look on her face means even more, just like the proud look on yours- it makes both of your hearts swell.

A confused glint flashes in Mackenzie’s eyes as you take her gloved hands into yours but you only continue grinning as you get down on one knee, bowing your head in front of her gloved hands. Those hands have been the ones to save Australia’s ass so many times and you give your sister the praises she deserves even if it’s in the form of a silly bow. Mackenzie throws her head back with a loud watery laugh but the picture taken of the two of you makes headlines the following morning, newspapers filled with Vine’s diVine  game winning goal and Mackenzie’s amazing saves.

Celebrations are taken to the changing room and then to the bus until half the team passes out in exhaustion and the last 20 minutes of the bus ride back to camp is silent, hushed whispers the only thing heard from the few that are still awake, yourself included.

You finally had the chance to talk to your one and only, and that’s exactly what you were doing. 

Your arm is lazily hanging over Steph’s right shoulder as she whispers to you, her body turned towards you. You’re playing with the ends of her hair behind her back but you give her all your attention as you listen to her, the smile on your lips never leaving your face. 

“You did so good today, pretty girl” it makes her face flush and she looks away for a second, a massive smile taking over her features and you have to stop yourself from giggling at the lovesick look in her eyes.

“But I missed that penalty-”

“It doesn’t matter, you played amazing all throughout, Stephy. And that half time speech, my god!” you cut right in and tell her just how it was. The defender drops her head to your shoulder and then tucks it into the crook of your neck as your arms wrap around her to bring her closer.

“You were amazing too” she murmurs into your skin and you bury your nose into her hair.

Mackenzie watches the interaction from just a few rows in front of you, the ghost of a smile on her lips as she turns to Caitlin next to her.

“Why didn’t you tell me they’d be so cute?” she’s met with an incredulous look and a beat of silence passes before the forward next to her deadpans. 

“Because of your initial reaction!?” 

“Oh..right. Forgot about that.” 

The following days your training sessions are focused on defensive work and quick counter attacks. You were getting ready for the semi final against England, ranked second in the world.

That meant close to nothing to your team. After all, the Matildas came into the tournament as the underdogs and now they were one of the last ones still standing. Anything was possible.

[crazywomanposting]

ೃ⁀➷ maneater (spencer reid x oc)

GIF by thoughtsofreid

summary: Spencer falls in love with an unsub.

warnings: explicit sexual content, graphic descriptions of violence

read this on ao3!

Chapter 10: She’ll Chew You Up

Over the next few weeks, Mary gave Spencer the information he needed. Names, locations, patterns of behavior. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to start piecing together the network she had been caught up in.

The team was skeptical when Spencer first brought the intel to them. “And your source?” Hotch asked, his sharp gaze pinning Spencer in place.

“Confidential,” Spencer replied, his voice steady.

Hotch raised an eyebrow but didn’t push further. “We’ll need more to act on this.”

“I’ll get it,” Spencer promised.

Mary’s involvement was kept hidden from the team, but it weighed heavily on Spencer. Every meeting, every conversation felt like walking a tightrope. But they were making progress. Slowly but surely, they were dismantling the network.

Mary’s information was a treasure trove of connections, but it wasn’t without its challenges. Some names were aliases, requiring the team to sift through layers of false identities. Others were high-profile individuals, their influence and resources making them untouchable without airtight evidence. Spencer worked tirelessly, connecting dots late into the night, his mind racing with the implications of what they were uncovering.

One lead took the team to a private club in Chicago, rumored to be a hub for the network’s upper echelon. Surveillance confirmed their suspicions, and they coordinated a raid. It was risky—one misstep could tip off the entire network—but they couldn’t pass up the chance to strike at the heart of the operation.

The raid was a whirlwind of chaos and precision. SWAT teams stormed the club, arresting key figures while Spencer and the team combed through confiscated records. Among the evidence were encrypted files detailing transactions, locations, and names—proof of the network’s extensive reach. But it also revealed something chilling: the network had contingency plans for anyone who betrayed them.

Spencer’s heart sank as he read the files. Mary’s name wasn’t explicitly mentioned, but the details matched her circumstances. If the network suspected her involvement with the FBI, she would be their next target.

He didn’t tell the team. Not yet. Instead, he buried himself in the investigation, desperate to dismantle the network before they could act. The weight of his secrecy was suffocating, but he couldn’t risk exposing Mary to further danger.

One night, as they sat together on the couch, Spencer turned to Mary. “We’re close. Once this is over, you’ll be free.”

She gave him a small smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Free. Right.”

“Mary…” he started, but she shook her head.

“It’s just… even if they’re gone, I’ll still be me. I’ll still have done the things I’ve done.”

“You’re more than that,” he said softly, taking her hand. “You’ve made mistakes, but you’re trying to change. That matters.”

Tears welled in her eyes, and she squeezed his hand tightly. “You make me want to be better, Spencer. I don’t know if I deserve it, but I’m trying.”

“You do deserve it,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “And I’ll be here. For as long as you want me.”

The operation came to a head in a way that Spencer could only describe as chaos. The arrests came swiftly, one lead cascading into another, until the team found themselves unraveling an entire web of corruption and exploitation. They tracked down hidden safehouses, intercepted communications, and froze assets, dismantling the network piece by piece.

Spencer was in the thick of it, coordinating with local law enforcement and FBI field agents. But in the back of his mind, Mary lingered. He thought about her constantly, worried that someone might connect the dots, that her name might slip out during an interrogation. The weight of that fear made every hour feel like a marathon.

When the dust finally settled, and the last of the arrests were made, Spencer excused himself from the team’s celebration. He needed to see her.

Mary was waiting for him when he returned home. The moment he stepped through the door, she was there, arms wrapped tightly around him.

“It’s over,” he whispered into her hair. “They’re done.”

She pulled back, searching his face for confirmation. “You’re sure?”

He nodded. “You’re free, Mary. Really free.”

For the first time in months, he saw something like hope flicker in her eyes. “What does that even mean?” she asked, half-laughing, half-crying.

“It means we figure out what’s next,” he said, cupping her face in his hands. “Together.”

Mary let out a shaky breath, leaning into his touch. “I don’t even know who I am without all of this.”

Spencer smiled softly. “Then let’s find out.”

The days that followed were tentative but hopeful. Mary took small steps toward building a life she could call her own, and Spencer was by her side through every one of them. It wasn’t easy—there were moments of doubt, of fear, of questioning whether she could ever truly leave her past behind. But they faced it together, and for the first time, Mary began to believe she could have something more.

One evening, as they sat on the couch watching an old movie, Mary turned to Spencer. “Do you think it’s possible? To really start over?”

He looked at her, his expression serious but warm. “Yes. I think it’s possible. But you don’t have to do it alone.”

She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here, Spencer.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to her hair.

For the first time, it felt like they had more than just a fragile bubble. It felt like they had a future.

last chapter

[gallaghersgal]

DAY THIRTEEN → hot coco / baking, sydney adamu

TAGS & WARNINGS → all fluff! fem!reader, idiots to lovers lowkey, also neighbors to lovers. (slightly) late entry for bearblr promptober!

WC → 872

you knock on your neighbor’s door, prepared for your… girls night. you’d hoped it was a date, but for some reason you’d blurted out, ‘oh, like a girls night in!’ when syd proposed the idea. you’ve been kicking yourself since.  you’d suggested the two of you use tonight as an excuse to put on a nice outfit, go out of your way to make that kind of effort when your busy schedules barely allow it. 

she opens the door with a grin, her lips lined in deep brown and accentuated by a soft pink gloss. she wears a dark patterned sweater with a black skirt and tights, paired with shiny black boots, a silk scarf over her hair, and small gold hoops in her ears. 

“ugh, you look amazing!” you say, stepping inside and setting your share of ingredients down on her counter. when your hands are free you turn around to hug her, a polite embrace you wish would last longer. when you hold each other at arm’s length you point out, “i can’t believe you’re copying me!”

sydney’s gaze drifts over your red turtleneck, black skirt and tights. you wear white mary janes to match your white eyeliner and large daisy earrings. “please, you look so good like- stop! get out of my kitchen,” she teases, shoving you lightly before an awkward look washes over her. “fuck, sorry that was-“

you shake your head and laugh it off. sydney’s awkward bits and idiosyncrasies made her special to you. they made her the girl you were falling wholly, hopelessly, head over heels for. 

you fall into easy conversation, browsing the pages of sydney’s recipe books. she preps the dough for croissants, the perfect pairing for the french hot chocolate sydney overheard you raving about. she’d offered to make it for you, and after the whole date vs. girls night fiasco—which neither of you had discussed, but both seemed to notice the error—you felt bad, offering to bring ingredients for croissants to pair with the drink. 

after prepping the dough, sydney passes it to you to roll out while she gets to work on the hot chocolate. you roll it out, then fold it over just like sydney’s shown you before. with careful hands you roll the dough into two large croissants, situating them on the pan and placing them in the hot oven.

turning towards the living room, your eyes take in the space for the first time tonight. the coffee table is cleared off, a fall centerpiece is in the middle, and small candles light the area. despite being an electric replica, seeing as the mantle was decorative and had no chimney, her fireplace brings a glow and warmth into the room. 

“can i put on some music? i’ve always wanted to use your record player!” you ask, gesturing into the room. truthfully you want a better look at her decor.

“yeah of course,” she tells you. “my record basket’s under the desk.” 

you kneel by the wicker basket, glancing over at sydney’s concentrated face as she slowly heats chocolate over the stove. she’s so beautiful, you think.

you thumb through rows of old school soul records until a stevie wonder greatest hits collection sticks out. you place the record down and drop the needle with a grin.

sydney looks up at you, the two braids she pulled in front of her silk scarf now hang in front of her eyes, but she’s smiling nonetheless. she nods your way as the first notes of for once in my life play. “great choice!”

you return to her side, “you have great taste. seriously, sam cooke? aretha franklin? that’s a little before our time.”

sydney’s eyes never leave the chocolate, stirring it into thickness after adding the ingredients. “uh- yeah! it’s just all, like, stuff my dad listens to. we’re pretty close, so.” she moves the pot off the stove, pouring the dark chocolate mixture over a bit of milk in two white teacups. “pretty sure if you look a little further though, theres a vinyl for uh… the ratatouille soundtrack?”

you laugh, watching her make an embarrassed face as she grabs something from the fridge. “you’re serious,” you ask.

“yeah, i was like fifteen and just got my first record player,” sydney tells you as she grabs two spoons from her drawer and pries the top off the container. homemade whipped cream. 

“syd, this is-” you whisper, cutting yourself off. you dip your spoon into the whipped cream, then turn it upside down over your cup. it falls into the dark liquid, melting at the sides from the heat. you take a sip immediately, not minding the warmth that spreads through your chest. “oh my god. this is amazing.”

she takes a sip for herself, whipped cream getting stuck on her upper lip. “you have a little-“ you gesture toward her face, and her eyes go a little wide. nervously, she looks around for a napkin, but your hands on her cheeks stop her. “i’m going to kiss you,” you tell her quietly.

sydney only nods, then your lips are on hers. she tastes like chocolate and peppermint, with a hint of the whipped cream you’ve cleaned off with your kiss.

© gallaghersgal, 2024. inbox. masterlist.

div. © saradika (x).

[deancaspinefest]

One Drop, when What You Need is the Ocean.

Author: Baileys | Artist: sidewinder

Posting on Friday March 15

Cas disappears after leaving once again to help the angels.  With God gone, Mary defected to the British men of letters, and the other major players all on their best behaviour, Dean tries to carry on as normal, hunt the things and save the people.  But the longer time goes by without so much as a text, the more his worry spirals. Then, just when all hope is lost, like the supernatural yo-yo he is Cas is back.  Only something or someone has siphoned off grace he didn’t have to spare.  As they embark on yet another case together, it’s a race against time to stop whoever it is from finishing the job and removing Cas from Dean’s life for good.

Keep reading for a sneak preview!

“I thought you said no one died here?”  They both step out of the Impala, grabbing their gear from her trunk.  Dean follows Sam down the hill heading for the nearby woods lining the property.  

“I said no one’s on record dying here.” Handing Dean a shovel, he has the nerve to wink. 

Walking across the wet overgrown grass, Dean decides to spark up less work-related conversation.  “So, you speak to Eileen recently?” 

“Nope.” Sam charges ahead, “you talk to Cas?”

Dean stops dead in his tracks.  It’s not the fact Sam would equate him and Cas as the same as him and Eileen, it’s that Cas has been radio silent for ten straight days now.  “That’s not funny, man.”  He manages to get out around the lump suddenly clogging his throat.

Something of his panic must come through in his words because Sam stops walking and turns around, lips pulling tight.  “Sorry, I know you’re worried.” 

“You must be too, right?  I mean this isn’t like him.”

Another, more complex expression passes over his brother’s face and suddenly Dean doesn’t want to know what he thinks.  “I mean, I talk to Cas, but honestly, unless there’s something major going down, I don’t see a few days without contact as a big deal.”

“Ten!” He shouts.  “It’s been ten days Sam and nothing, I- I’ve sent him texts he hasn’t read, left messages he hasn’t picked up, this isn’t like him, he -”

“He’s probably just lost his phone -” Sam shrugs, placating at first but then he cuts himself off mid-sentence and stares pointedly at Dean.  “How do you know he’s not picked up his messages?”  He pauses for a response, but when Dean starts walking and keeps his head down, he draws his own conclusion.  “Oh my god, you hacked his phone!”

“I had to!”  Dean cries in outrage, waving the shovel above his head.  “Hey, don’t give me that face!  I needed to know.”

Sam does indeed give him ‘the face’, adding an eyeroll for good measure as they continue towards their vengeful spirit’s grave.  “Next, you’ll be telling me you’ve put a tracker in it too.” 

“No,” He looks quickly away, keeping a steady pace, “but you are the second he comes back.”

“Dean, I am not invading Cas’ privacy just because you’re a controlling asshole.”

“What if he agreed?”  He asks.

“I’d tell him he doesn’t have to, because I know he’ll say yes to anything you ask.”

“Oh, he would not.” 

Reaching the graveyard, Sam tugs on his arm and stops them both, making Dean face him.  “Do you know where his phone is now?”

Dean manages to feign obliviousness for all of five seconds before blurting the answer.  “Maine.  It pinged off a cell tower in Fort Foster three days ago.”

Raising his shovel and making the first indent in the soil, Sam looks over at Dean, “So we heading to Maine as soon as we’re done here?”

Dean smiles, his first real smile in ten days.

(continue reading on Ao3 on Friday March 15)

[starchaserdreams]

Wolfstar Microfic: Passion

Sirius groaned as James sat down next to him. Sirius had been sitting on the floor in the corner in front of an armchair in the middle of Gryffindor’s biggest party of the year, he should have expected that James would come find him. But he’d still thought he’d have more than 90 seconds to himself. He’d just wanted to stare wistfully towards the record player.

“What’s got you in a funk, mate?” James asked, “Last I saw, you were flirting your way around the room, did someone shoot you down?”

James seemed remarkably sober, considering the state of most of the rest of the people in the room, Sirius included. 

“Wasn’t,” Sirius mumbled. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “There’s only one person I’d want to flirt with anyway.”

James didn’t say anything, just squeezed his shoulder. Sirius had never told him, of course, but he might have known anyway. Sirius was probably obvious about it.

“Sometimes it’s like my heart is too full to bear,” Sirius said after a pause. “Like I’m on fire from the inside out and completely torn up by love.”

“What?” James asked, turning his body to face Sirius, as though getting ready for a deep heart to heart. But Sirius just shook his head, and let his eyes find the conversation near the record player again. 

They’d been there all night, Remus, Lily, and Mary, and hadn’t left once, except to get drinks. Sirius was eternally jealous of the girls for monopolizing Moony. 

James seemed to follow Sirius’ gaze.

“Moony?” James asked quietly, the words delicate, as though he was afraid of breaking the moment by scaring Sirius. But Sirius couldn’t be scared of the concept anymore.

He just nodded.

James seemed pleased with this. “You should tell him, Pads, he might feel the same.”

Sirius just shook his head. “Doesn’t,” he said simply.

“He might,” James replied. “Just talk to him about it sometime.”

“You think so?” James nodded. “Okay,” Sirius said, finally feeling bold. He stood up quickly, swaying slightly from how woozy he was standing up so quickly while drunk.

“Maybe not now-” James began, but Sirius was already halfway across the room. Something about the way Moony was laughing at something one of the girls had said made Sirius feel like he was a magnet, and Sirius was helpless to do anything but be pulled in.

When he reached them, he didn’t have any idea what to say, and they were already deep in a conversation that was foreign to him (Muggle cinema) so he had nothing to add. 

Instead of talking, he put his arms around Remus from behind, and hooked his chin over Remus’ shoulder. 

Remus tensed for a moment, as though wondering what was happening, but relaxed into it and brought his hands up to settle on Sirius’ hands, holding them loosely.

Sirius breathed in his scent: sandalwood. Sirius knew that scent well. It was the same body wash Remus had used all through their time at Hogwarts. Back in first year, before Sirius had understood about the full moons, back when he’d just felt sad and worried for his friend that he disappeared all the time, Sirius had used the body wash a few times. Only when Remus had been gone, because even then he hadn’t known how to not miss him.

Lily finished her thought, and then Mary spoke up quickly.

“Lily, I think we’ve been monopolizing Remus’ time. How about we get another round of drinks and go talk to Marlene.”

“Yes, quite right,” Lily said, before turning away immediately. Mary had the audacity to wink at them before she turned to follow.

But Sirius couldn’t find it in him to be annoyed at her for it. He probably would have done the same if it were one of his friends.

They stood in silence for a long moment, Sirius still holding on to Remus, and Remus not fighting at all, perhaps even leaning back into him a bit.

“What brought this on?” Remus finally asked, words quiet - not a whisper, but even quieter.

Sirius hooked his chin more tightly over Remus’ shoulder. He couldn’t see his friend’s face, but he didn’t need to - he would be able to read his body language easily. They knew each other too well to miss something like that.

“I love you,” Sirius said before he could think the better of it. “I’m on fire for you all the time. It’s love, or, I don’t know, passion, but I can’t stand that we were apart all night. I missed you.”

Remus chuckled, but squeezed Sirius’ hands where they held onto him. 

“You don’t have to miss me, I’m right here, and I’ll stay here with you.”

“I know,” Sirius said through a quiet laugh, “I just wanted you to know.”

Remus twisted around, hardly leaving the circle of Sirius’ arms. 

“It’s a little early for ‘I love you’ though.” He smirked. “Shouldn’t you take me on a date first?”

Sirius laughed, more sincerely this time, and he could feel the smile spreading across his whole face.

“Is that you asking me out, Moony?”

Remus just watched him for a moment, a pleased sort of expression on his face. “Yeah, Padfoot, it is.”

“Then yes, I will go out with you,” Sirius said, throwing his arms around Remus again. When he pulled back, he couldn’t help but feel a little bit like he was about to swoon. “Can I kiss you, Moony?”

Remus shook his head. “We’re both drunk, now isn’t the right time.”

Sirius couldn’t argue with that, there was no hiding how drunk he was. Even though he was over the moon (ha!) at what Remus had said to him, he still couldn’t hide that from himself.

“Okay,” Sirius said slowly, “then can we just cuddle up together? I just want to hold onto you and never let go.”

Remus smiled indulgently. “Now that we can do.”

@wolfstarmicrofic

On AO3 here

[mochinek0]

Diner Girl

"So, we finally get to meet your girlfriend, in person?" Tim questioned.

"I'm already regretting this decision." Damian declared.

Jason chuckled, "Why? You think she'll like us more?"

"More like drive her away." Damian snarled.

"Relax, Little D." Dick smiled, "We won't do anything of the sort. Besides, it's been three years."

Damian sighed as they pulled up to the diner. Marinette had stated she was busy working until 5pm. The Wayne boys couldn't wait to meet her and asked if they could meet her at her work for a quick bite. They even said they could head out from there and take her home. He knew his brothers would try to convince her to change and go out instead.

Marinette heard the ding of the door opening and turned to see her boyfriend and his family. She smiled and looked at the clock.

'Thirty more minutes until I get off the clock. Maybe they'd like some appetizers.'

The Waynes sat down and saw Marinette subtly wave at them.

"My God, did you see her?"

"It suits her."

"I'm shocked she hasn't dropped anything yet."

Tim quickly took out his phone. He made sure to look interested at it, as he noticed the people in the booth behind them point at Marinette. He made sure his phone was still focused on them as his little brother's girlfriend approached the table.

"Sorry, for the wait." Mari spoke, "What can I get you to drink?"

"Hey, Pixie. Can I get a strawberry milkshake?" Jason questioned.

"Pixie?" she repeated.

"Because you're tiny and cute." he smiled.

His answered earned him a quick kick to the shin by Damian.

"Ow! You brat!" Jason yelled.

Damian flipped him off.

"Ignore them." Dick commented, "I'll take a limoncello float."

"Black coffee." declared Tim.

"Damian?" Marinette questioned, "Chai tea?"

"Yes." he answered.

Marinette smiled and walked away from their table.

"Oh, so she knows you favorites now?" Jason teased.

"Shut up." Damian growled.

"The butter knives aren't sharp enough and you know it." Tim sighed, noticing the girls in the next booth glaring at them.

Tim continued to appear interested in his phone.

'This isn't going to end well.'

Lila smirked as she tipped over her drink and it clattered to the floor.

"Oops." she spoke.

Alya snickered as the drink covered the floor.

"Clean it up, Lila." Adrien declared, "Now."

"Why would I do that, Adrien?" Lila questioned, "I don't work here."

"Well, if that is how you think, I can say you won't have a job anywhere." he replied.

Alya, Nino, and Lila looked at him shocked.

"You can't do that!" Alya shouted.

Adrien smiled and leaned back, "It's my father's company. Father expects perfection everywhere; especially in public."

"But my wrist hurts!" Lila whined, "It's why I spilled it. It was an accident."

He sighed, "We both know you're full of shit."

"Adrien!" Alya gasped.

"You are only special in your own head and it shows." he declared.

"Dude!" Nino cried out, surprised.

Marinette walked towards the table behind them and slipped on the scattered ice. Damian quickly grabbed her, preventing an accident, but the drinks still fell to the floor.

"Marinette!" the manager shouted.

"It-it wasn't my fault!" she stammered.

"You're fired!" he roared.

"But-" Marinette tried to refute.

"It's fine, Habibiti." Damian spoke.

"Yeah." Jason replied, "We'll leave."

The manager glared at her, "See! Now, you are making the patrons leave."

"The only reason we came here was to see Marinette." Dick annouced.

"Besides, " Tim spoke, "maybe you should hire Sausage Hair, there. Seems she'll be out of a job soon."

"Were you spying on us?" Alya shrieked.

"Recorded your conversations, too." Tim commented, "Planning to trip her? Classic."

"You're just jealous that Pixie Pop is better than you." Jason replied.

Lila stood up, in outrage, "I'm the daughter of an ambassador! I am a model for Gabriel Agreste! I travel the world and help with various charities! I know Prince Ali of Achu and Jagged Stone. I help Prince Ali in his environmental charities and I'm Jagged Stone's niece!"

The Waynes laughed. The manager noticed Marinette covering her mouth, but she was laughing, none the less.

'What is going on?'

"One: Prince Ali works in children's hospitals, not environmental projects." Dick stated, "He donates to our charities, all the time."

"Two: Marinette knows Jagged Stone. She is his 'niece', as well as his personal designer." Tim declared, "She doesn't even need this job, but she thought it would get her out of having kids thrown her way for unpaid babysitting gigs, at the last moment."

"Three: You are a waste of space from what Blondie was saying." Jason scoffed.

Damian smirked, "Go ahead. Tell her who we are Agreste. You've spoken to us before."

Adrien relaxed and smiled, "You're the Waynes. Your father is an international billionare."

Lila and the manager's faces drained of color.

Damian turned his glare to the manager, "Four: The only reason we were in your pathetic place was because of the angel in my arms."

"What's so special about her, anyways?" Alya snapped.

"She's my girlfriend." Damian announced.

The Waynes smiled behind him. Lila tensed up and looked between Marinette and the Wayne. Adrien just smiled and the manager sensed he had made a huge mistake.

"Come along, Angel." Damian spoke, "We'll take you home and we'll treat you to dinner."

"I have five restaurants ready to take our reservation in three hours." Tim declared.

Dick smiled, "We can settle it in the car."

"Sorry, I was such a bother, Damian." Marinette whispered.

Damian leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips, "You are never a bother to me. Though, you also have to thank Agreste there. He was trying to get the bitch to clean up the mess she made, before you came over."

Marinette smiled, "Thanks, Adrien."

"Oh, you're welcome, Mari." Adrien replied,, "Sorry, you ended up falling and getting fired."

Marinette just shrugged it off, "Like Tim said, I don't need this job. I just tired of Alya and Nino dumping their siblings at me for free babysitting gigs. I mostly took this out of spite. I'll be moving out of my parents' place this year; I didn't want to deal with packing and trying to take care of kids for some people who hate me."

"Come on, Pixie Pop!" Jason shouted, "Let's blow this popsicle stand!"

Dick smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, "We can drop you off and we can go change in our suits that you made us."

Marinette smiled brighter, "They fit, right? Nothing needs to be adjusted?"

"Are you kidding me?" Jason asked, leading the way out the door, "Like a glove! Best monkey suit I've worn!" making her giggle.

"Do we need to stop anywhere to get you dressed up?" Tim asked.

Mari scoffed, "You think I wouldn't have dressy clothes? I have to travel with Jagged to his functions."

"Rock and Roll!" Jason smiled.

Damian kept his arm snug around Marinette's waist as they left the diner with a smile.

"Move, Lila." Adrien demanded.

"Huh?" she spoke, confused by the hostility coming out of his mouth.

"I need to leave." he declared

"But-" Nino spoke.

Adrien pointed to the door as Natalie walked in. She quickly spotted the blonde's coiffed hair and walked towards them.

"Adrien, those were-" she bean.

"The people Lila just humiliated herself in front of and they recorded the whole thing?" Adrien stated, throwing her fully under the bus.

Natalie glared at her as she quickly moved, allowing Adrine out of the booth. Adrien walked around the mess and spotted one of the dishtowels that Mari had dropped onto the floor. He picked it up and threw it right in Lila's face. She sputtered as she removed the soaked towel from her face. It was painfully obvious by the two toned skin color that most of her makeup was wiped off on the wet towel.

Adrien smiled, "You might want to get use to your new job."

"They know Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" Natalie questioned.

"Marinette is dating the youngest Wayne. Unless, Mari puts him in a good mood, Lila is likely to-" Adrien declared as his phone went off rapidly.

He pulled his phone out as Natalie looked towards her tablet.

"Oh, never mind. Timothy Drake-Wayne blasted Lila on twitter. The co-CEO of Wayne Enterprise just showed the world how two-faced Father's model really is." Adiren overdramatically sighed, "He posted the whole video of Lila pretending to be injured and purposefully making Marinette slip. He also posted Marinette getting horribly fired and all of the Waynes calling Lila a huge liar to her face. That's really not a good look for Gabriel."

Natalie tightened her grip on the tablet, "I'll call your father to see how he wants to deal with this new situation, seeing as we were suppose to meet the Waynes tomorrow."

Adrien smiled, "I'm pretty sure that the girl Lila got fired is the Waynes' personal designer."

Lila gulped and slowly sat back in the booth.

"If that is the case, I agree with Adrien, Miss Rossi; I would start looking for a new job." Natalie commanded.

Adrien walked out of the diner with Natalie in tow. Lila sat there frozen until Alya reached out and touched her hand.

"It's gonna be okay, Lila." Alya smiled, "It's-"

Lila tore her arm away from the journalist grasp and glared at her. She got up quickly and tried to rush out the door. In her hurry, she had forgotten about the spill and slipped. Lila fell forward but landed awkwardly, attempting to catch herself. She was rushed to the hospital with a broken arm.

As Nino drove Alya home, she sniffled as she looked through her phone. Her blog was being torn to shreds by people around the world. They were pointing out every lie and detail on how everything Lila said was fake. The comment that hurt the most was: I can't believe this blogger wants to be a reporter! Doesn't this girl know the basics for a reporter? It's called fact checking! Google isn't that hard to use!

TAGLIST:  TAG LIST:  @animeweebgirl @a-star-with-a-human-name @meme991001 @vixen-uchiha @abrx2002 @alysrose-starchild @fandom-trapped-03 @dood-space @moonlightstar64 @saltymiraculer @marveldcedits20 @09shell-sea09 @icerosecrystal @animegirlweeb @insane-fangirl-of-everything @blueblossombliss @nickristus-dreamer @megawhitleycalderonpaganus

[sailorsplatoon]

can we have a written scenario for captain 3 being swarmed and being found by the parents

Coming up!

———

“We’re baaaaack!” Callie sang into the vast cavern of Alterna. “And we brought the food!” She held up a single pizza box triumphantly. Behind her, Four, Eight, Neo, Acht, Shina, Elita, Elle, and all of Deep Cut balanced multiple boxes and bags each. Marie carried nothing but her parasol. They had enough to feed all of them for a week.

“We left you alone for five minutes, what happened?” Marie said with exasperation, looking down at Captain, who was trapped underneath a pile of small children, each of them giggling and screeching with glee as they clamored around her as if she were a jungle gym. Kai sat a few feet away, holding up their phone camera and rapidly taking pictures.

“I was outnumbered,” she stammered, defensively.

“They’re children. You’re trained in combat,” Marie retorted.

“Marie, are you encouraging Captain to beat up children?” Eight asked as he placed down the pizza boxes he’d been holding.

“Marie!” Shina gasped in mock accusation. 

“Hang on I’m not supposed to be the focus of this conversation.” Marie crossed her arms and the discussion shifted away from Captain, who was still very much stuck.

****

A little while earlier…

“Bye, try not to die,” Captain joked as she waved to the others before they left Alterna. They’d be back soon with lunch, but for now it was her job to watch the kids. On her own. One adult managing 7 children was a recipe for disaster. At least Kai was old enough to help her out a little. 

“You’re on your own for this one,” they said, as if reading her mind. “Good luck though, I’m rooting for you.”

“A helper would be better than a cheerleader, but I’ll take what I can get,” Captain said, exasperated. Something bumped into her leg. Cassie had run into Captain’s shin and was clinging onto it. 

“Oh here we go,” Kai laughed as if they were at the peak of a roller coaster. They pulled out their phone and began to record.

“What are you do—“ Captain began, but was cut off by Don launching himself onto her abdomen, clinging on with the same intensity as Cassie. He looked up at Captain and smiled, proud of himself. “Oh, I see where this is going,” Captain said, deadpan.

Each child rushed to her at once, excited laughter filling the air. She attempted to dodge them, while also doing everything in her power to stop them from getting hurt. As it turns out, trying not to harm your opponent is significantly harder than regular fighting, especially when you’re getting swarmed. 

Captain lost her balance and fell to the ground. She was able to do it in a way that she wouldn’t hurt herself, and thankfully didn’t crush any of the kids. This didn’t phase the small cephalopods in the least. They continued their barrage. Captain would have fought them off if it weren’t for Gibbous saying into her ear, “I love you, Auntie 3!” She gave up immediately.

“Don’t you dare post this online,” she grumbled to Kai.

“Too late.”

———

Thought I’d throw in here a quick refresher of who’s kid is who’s for anyone who doesn’t remember or doesn’t know:

Gibbous - Four and Acht’s son

Cassie - Marie and Shina’s daughter

Don - Shiver and Birch’s son (he also has a twin sister named Megan. She’s present in this story, just not explicitly mentioned.)

Kai - Birch’s adopted child, who was later adopted by Shiver as well

Callie and Elita along with Frye and Elle also have kids, but they don’t have names yet.

[neuroprincess]

Past, present and future - The Conversation (Chapter 5)

Emily Prentiss/Female Reader

Fanfic Chapter List

Summary: The agents on an old case become the target of a criminal group seeking revenge, and Emily returns after four years, thinking she doesn’t have much to lose until she learns about a part of her past that has been denied.

Warnings: A little angst, anxiety crisis, OC (original character)

Word count: +3800

Unrevised chapter

Lilibet's eyes are sweet and curious, there is depth and intensity in the gaze of such a little person. The eyelashes are long, thick and lovely, giving an even more angelic and expressive appearance. And remind Emily, they share the same shade of chocolate brown, which easily earn Y/N in just a few seconds staring at her with an adorable pout, this always makes her want to hug the little girl and fill her with kisses. In fact those eyes are the woman's greatest weakness, because she can never say no to the little princess. She is her weak point. Another thing the little girl shares with the chief is her smile, straight teeth, dimpled cheeks, and when she smiles, lips formed in a way that highlights her heart-shaped mouth. It's one of the most adorable features of the little one, along with all the other hundreds of features the mother can list as she faces her daughter about to fall asleep on her hotel bed, wrapped in a thin colorful blanket and hugging her plush teddy bear. Lilibet is having trouble sleeping after all that has happened and with the little nap on the way, it had not been long or quality, but enough. When this happens the brunette becomes sly and difficult to deal with, also a bit moody, so all that is left for Y/N to do is use her secret weapon, lullabies. "Hush Little Baby", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "All the Pretty Little Horses", "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat". She sang one by one hugging Lili, caressing her dark hair and thinking how lucky she is to have her in arms, how every second counted so she could act, not even wanting to imagine what would happen if she didn't get there in time.

So many years working at Interpol and also at the BAU have made her realize that even though she is not in a job that requires guns constantly she has decided that she must protect her small family safe from the evils that surround them, from horrible people just like the ones she has had to deal with and possible retaliation from the past. Although Clyde has given her a clean record and a safe place, she can't ignore the fact that those monsters she has imprisoned or their partners may seek revenge. So that's why she decided to keep a gun at home, making sure it was always locked up and out of Lilibet's sight. She knew that she would need to be prepared in case any kind of emergency occurred and also to ensure their safety, determined not to allow her daughter to have to go through anything like what she went through before, in the end it only served to protect them because now she knows that even at a very young age Lili will probably carry marks from that day forever.

- How I wonder what you are... - she whispers the last verse of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", the girl's favorite and sung for the third time in the night.

After two hours of fighting against sleep Lilibet finally falls asleep, her plush teddy bear pressed against her chest, face relaxed, body light and her breathing becoming calm as the minutes pass. Mother pulls the blanket over her body, covering her carefully and gently, placing a loving kiss on the little forehead before settling down beside her. But then, only after ensuring that her daughter is all right, can she deal with her own demons. Images from the day before take over mind like a movie that repeats itself several times, like when someone loses the remote control and is forced to watch the same bad channel over and over again. She sees herself running down the halls, the gun in trembling hand, the adrenaline high, the steps fast. She finds herself desperately trying to reach the room where Lili was, the panic and fear of losing her daughter consuming her, and then the familiar sound of gunshots, then red, very red mixed into the wooden floor of the foyer as the child stood there, standing. And she constantly watches herself reliving that moment, unable to change the channel, unable to pull out those memories along with all the unassimilated feelings and sensations.

Her eyes are fixed on the ceiling fan spinning at medium speed, on the city lights vaguely illuminating the dark room, attentive to the muffled noises coming from the ground floor seven stories below, and to those in the corridor where she is, memorizing the footsteps of the security guards, worrying about anyone different from them. But the dry thuds against the floor are more familiar than Y/N would like to admit, instead of knocks on the door she hears the metallic sound of keys against the lock and the knob turning next. She curls up in bed pressing the blankets even tighter against her chest, unable to look at the door and who has entered. She hears heels, but her mind refuses to believe the safe possibility and goes into another alert mode, survival speaking louder than reason. Her heart beats harder to the point where she could swear to hear it, hands sweat and she felt paralyzed, trapped in her own instrusive thoughts. When a hand touches a shoulder, Y/N trembles even more and her heart speeds up to the point of feeling almost pain, which makes her tear up, tears caught in the edges of the eyes. Y/N's hands tremble and she feels even more paralyzed against the bed, she feels helpless as if she is stuck in a maze of thoughts, unable to find a way out to free herself and suddenly back to square one, desperate. The woman still can't turn to look at who is there, but something inside her calms a little as she hears Emily's calm, familiar voice.

- Hey, hey... Relax, it's just me, Emily. - the brunette whispers taking the hand off her shoulder and moving to hold her in a tight hug, pulling the body against her own as Y/N stifles a cry in the curve of the chief's neck so she doesn't wake the child sleeping next to her - It's okay. Calm down, it's okay.

Emily has arms tightened around her, it is cozy and comforting, her touch is soft, Y/N can recognize the scent of the brunette's usual perfume as well as the shampoo as the strands rub against her face. Even though they were divorced years ago she can feel the familiarity and comfort of being in her arms, Emily still knows how to soothe her. She can feel the strength around, it somehow makes her feel protected, so her body slowly relaxes, allowing Y/N to snuggle even tighter against her ex-wife's body, hear her whispering in ear that everything is okay now while thin and gentle fingers caress her head slowly until breathing normalizes and her body stops shaking, the tears have stopped making eyes burn so much when they dry.

- I'm here, no one will hurt you. You don't have to be afraid, you're safe... - Emily's voice is clear, calm and gradually makes the woman relax, slowly the bad thoughts dissipating as she concentrates on the voice that continues to speak reassuring words, bringing her back to the present - - Are you okay now? - Emily asks gently, looking at her with a worried expression in eyes, the same expression she indentifies in her daughter every time she looks at her now and it made Y/N break into tears.

- I don't know, I still don't know. - she whispers, voice almost inaudible not wanting to leave her chest as she separates from the chief, moving quickly to check on the daughter, but seeing her peaceful appearance and in deep sleep reassures herself. Y/N looks over her shoulder to Emily, still seeing concern in her face - I don't know what was going on, but... thank you.

- You're welcome. - Emily nods, putting her hand lightly on Y/N's shoulder - I think it was an anxiety crisis. Are you ok now? If you need anything, I'm here. - she says gently, looking into Y/N's eyes and trying to give a smile, unsuccessfully, her heart aches to imagine what the former agent is going through and the child too - We can talk about it, if you want.

Y/N wipes the tears away and swallows hard, trying not to cry again. She turns to Emily, trying to keep a neutral expression, hiding her feelings of pain, fear and helplessness.

- I'm fine, thank you. - she says, forcing a smile. - Don't worry, it's nothing. I'll be fine in time. Now, let's talk about what we had planned.

- Are you sure you're well enough to talk about it? If you don't want to talk about it now, we can postpone the conversation. - Emily sighs and approaches carefully, gently trying to touch Y/N's shoulder again, but she pulls away, her hard gaze making it clear that she is not ready for contact - I understand, don't worry.

- No. No, I'm fine. - she replies, keeping a firm voice as she can, directing the topic - So, have you read Lili's entire file? Are there any questions that need to be clarified? Anything you'd like to know?

The brunette is silent for long seconds, head down as her mind fills with mixed feelings as she hears her talking about this topic with a certain distance and coldness in voice, Emily feels a combination of sadness and guilt, because if Lili is really her daughter, then she has missed important growing up years, all those first moments like first steps, word, school day, first soccer game or whatever she does as a hobby, as well as birthdays. She was not there to hold her and help blow out the candles. Emily sighs deeply, aware that she may never have the chance to make up for lost time, nor would there be any way to go back in the past and try to do something different, because if there was she would definitely do it. She raises her head, looking at Y/N, and swallows dryly settling herself on the bed. Her jaw is tense and she tries to struggle to formulate something decent, non-invasive, trying to find the right words to express her feelings, but she can't.

- I know the file tells some things about her, but... does she have something she likes to do? Something she loves? Favorite color? - the chief bites the tongue, feeling suddenly silly for having asked so many trivial questions when there is a big question in the middle.

- I thought the first thing you would do is question motherhood. - Y/N laughs and sits down on the end of the other bed facing her ex-wife - Let's start from this point.

- Okay, so, how? I left and you were already pregnant? But our last attempt was months earlier. - Emily tries to do the mental math between her going to London and Lilibet's birth, remembering the time period between their last attempt to get pregnant and her leaving, the question on her mind from the moment she read the file - And we had negative results.

- One week and a few days before you left I secretly tried one last chance, two after you left for London came the positive. I called you.

- And I never answered. - the woman completes in a shaky voice - I don't question being or not being Lilibet's mother, I believe you. Besides, she's the personification of the Prentiss.

- That's true, she has those eyes and smile of yours, the nose is clearly of Elizabeth. - Y/N squares her shoulders and turns to face her daughter, knowing she could never deny her genetic heritage when a small version of her ex-wife is lying there wrapped in the blankets -- If you want, we can do a DNA test, also, I still have all the documents of the fertilization clinic. - she suggests, with care in temper.

Emily sighs and nods reluctantly in agreement, staring at the child behind Y/N, her heart tightens and there is a strange weight in the pit of stomach. She feels the need to get closer, to know Lili's personality and way of being, to better understand who she is, who she can become. To know the little girl's world.

- I wish I was here with you Y/N, when you were pregnant with Lilibet and her growth. I wish I could have been a part of that. But, unfortunately, I can't change the past. - the brunette's body is trembling and she feels the sweat starting to run down her hands -- And I know that no matter how hard I beg you won't forgive me so easily. So I can only ask. Can you tell me how it all went? What were your symptoms when you thought you were pregnant? How did you find out? I want to know more about Lilibet.

The former agent sighs, feeling suddenly sick, everything that has happened in the last few days is simply too much, first the attack, that man, meeting her ex-wife again after 4 long years, Emily discovering their daughter and consequently probably returning to her life just as she once arrived. She looks at Lilibet behind her, eyes gazing at her baby with love and admiration, it's a little human being that she wanted so much and brought into the world. And even though Emily Prentiss didn't know it, she was a part of that process. Y/N understands that despite the hurts and events no matter what happened in the past for now, what really matters is Lili. She turns to Emily again, nodding.

- You're right, Prentiss. I won't forgive you so easily, but for me what matters right now is Lilibet and her feelings. She will never be denied of anything. - Y/N pauses, taking a breath and the courage to continue - I would never deny you the... right to be Lilibet's mother, nor would I deny Lilibet the opportunity to have the other mother by her side. She needs love and care, I just want the best for my princess. - she swallows down her saliva, still not believing that this feared moment has arrived and to go through her pride for the sake of the girl's happiness is harder than she thought it would be - I'm here to answer your questions, as apparently I won't be able to sleep. After all.

Emily opens the mouth to say something, but no words come out. She then quickly approaches Y/N and hugs her with excitement, wrapping her in arms tightly, affectionately and gratefully. Although she returns the contact the woman carefully pulls away, as if the touch is burning her, which is not entirely untrue. Where she is touched burns, leaving a lingering trail on Y/N skin, etched as well as scent of her perfume on her clothes.

- So...

- Ah! - the chief realizes she just did and practically throws herself back to where she was before - I'm sorry. I couldn't control myself. I want to think of something to ask, but there are so many things about her that I don't know where to start, maybe the basics. What is her favorite color? What does she like to do? Is she a lively child or a quieter one? That would be ironic, a quiet child was all my parents wanted. - she laughs sadly, unable to know what the girl is like even though she spends a day watching her, the guilt takes over her stomach and reaches into bile with this dull feeling.

- Well, her favorite color is green, she also likes pink tones, except for vibrant ones. Lili loves to draw and paint, and sometimes she can be quite agitated, especially on colder days, because all she wants to do is go out and play in the garden. - a bright smile appears on Y/N's lips as she talks about her daughter, and this doesn't pass unnoticed by Emily, who pays attention to every word, absorbing everything - She also loves to sing and dance, she is a little fan of musicals and Disney movies. Lili is really smart, she can already read little books, and is learning to count.

- It's amazing how smart she is for her age. - Emily comments, looking a bit amazed - You have done a great job with her. It's really fortunate that Lilibet has you for a mother. And... what else can you tell me about her? Does she do any activities? Maybe soccer.

- She is too young and small to play soccer, but she has been practicing ballet since 2 years old and wants to join the pre-school baseball league as soon as she turns 4. She loves sports, almost constantly accompanies me on walks, and when we are at home, there are the games and active play. - she smiles sadly, remembering that the girl had a day like that and was putting together her own mess when that man showed up, so she closes the eyes trying to erase it from her memory for the moment and tries to change the topic - Any other questions?

- I... - Emily was about to start asking, but was interrupted by the beep of her phone. She picks it up to see what was sent and her face becomes apprehensive - It's Tara calling me back to the BAU. There's a new lead. I have to go. Sorry, Y/N. I'd really like to talk more, but... - she gets up, already preparing to leave, putting her leather jacket against the body and the holster on her waist - Try to get some sleep, anything I call and if you need anything just call me, my number is on the nightstand.

- You can't tell me anymore about the lead?

- One of the invaders was captured. Do you remember the Petros Galanis case? - Emily feels frustrated for having to interrupt the conversation, but at the same time is motivated by finally having a useful lead about what is going on, besides that anything related to the case concluded years before has to be observed and treated with care - It's one of his former henchmen.

- Is Petros seeking revenge? Or one of his sons? - the question is practically rhetorical, Emily neither agrees nor responds - But we arrested him along with his sons, the only one who was not arrested reported him in and is in witness protection.

- He is a man with many cards up his sleeve. - the brunette says low, more to herself than to the woman, and shudders to imagine what the Greek mobster could do in retaliation, she knows he has connections with powerful people and has the ability to provide resources that many others don't have, which probably allowed him to invade the agents' house even in prison - I'll reinforce security here, Will and the boys are in the next room if something happens and I can't get there in time.

- Okay. - by now the tension has taken over the air, both feel the fear running down their spines, as much as they were protected and off the radar, the Galanis family had been one of the biggest criminal organizations they faced at that time, with a legacy marked of violence, power and intimidation, leaving a trail of corpses. When the case was closed there was the near certainty of the decimation with the arrest of the leader and his heirs, so the agents involved would be safe, but apparently not, no one is safe when there is one of them out there - Please take care.

- I will, you take care too. And of Lili. - Emily smiles weakly and approaches the child, leaving a kiss on her forehead. Then, she turns to Y/N and automatically does the same thing to her, an affectionate gesture and at the same time a farewell, something they used to do when they were married and even after years away her body still seems used to it. - Everything will be fine, try to get some sleep.

- Right.

And Emily left the hotel room with the feeling of fear in the pit of her stomach but mentally determined and ready to act on this case, to confirm if that arrested piece of shit is still connected to the greek mafia and what the hell Petros Galanis might be up to, or one of his four sons behind bars. Now, besides the BAU family, she has to protect the mother and daughter as well. She knows the danger they are in, especially Lilibet as she is an easy and fragile target, who could easily become the organization's ultimate goal of revenge. She was called Little Prentiss, just confirming that whoever goes after this sick plan knows about the maternal connection to Emily, knows about the marriage, and most importantly, knows that Lilibet Eloise Y/L/N (Prentiss) is the daughter of the two main agents responsible for the Galanis' downfall.

- Hey, we have a visitor... - Tara whispers practically running towards Emily as she passes through the glass doors of the floor, a bit distracted in her own thoughts.

- What?

- Behind me. Near the snack machine. - she points with her head to a woman in the same spot she indicated, the only person there -- Friend of Y/N and must be important to be here 3am behind her.

When looking closely at the place Emily comes across a tall woman, maybe almost or as tall as Tara, she is slim, her body is highlighted by a tailored feminine suit, she wears black Manolo Blahniks high heels, fine authentic jewelry, light makeup, her blonde hair is perfectly cut at shoulder height, her glasses perched on the tip on her thin nose as she searches for something on the machine reveals her light blue eyes, deep and penetrating. When she notices the chief's presence and directs her gaze at Emily, it is intense and inquisitive, as if she is reading her mind. Her expression is half amused, half serious, and she has an aura of authority that cannot be denied. This woman has an air of professionalism and elegance, standing out among the other people who despite wearing similar clothes seem just background in her presence. As she walks towards the women, the brunette can't not notice the beautiful pair of long, shapely legs fitted tightly into the chic skirt.

- Agent Prentiss, right? - she asks gently, holding out her free hand to the brunette, a small smile on lips.

- Chief, actually. - Emily shakes the woman's hand, feeling the firmness and confidence she conveys in just one touch. The handshake was brief but intense, as if both were evaluating and testing each other - And you?

- Dr. Helena Cavendish. - she faces her with a certain superiority, analyzing Emily from head to foot, as if she were weighing every detail of hers and analyzing it, then smiles before continuing - For closer, Lena. Y/N's girlfriend.

Note: Ladies, I present to you how I imagine the OC, for me Helena would have the same look and vibe as Alex Cabot from SVU

[sugarcookiegirls]

New York City Whore

Chapter One

SULLEN

Sunday

October 14, 2007.

I sit upon my windowsill watching the bustling city of New York. I chew on my pencil that would usually make a scratching sound against the paper of my journal. Today, although abnormally gloomy, even for New York in Autumn. I can’t seem to find the words to write.

The silence in my apartment is excruciating as my parents are at my younger sister's ballet recital, or my older brother's basketball game. I can’t really remember.

I stand up walking to my sister's immaculate room. “Pristine…” I murmur to myself as my gaze flickers over her room. 

My parents describe my sister as precious, my brother fulfilled. Me? Sullen.

Sullen definition 

SUL-LEN

Adjective

Bad-tempered and sulky; gloomy.

My teachers ever since I can remember have described me as such as well. 

I am the definition of sullen.

Another thing my teachers like to say is that I have potential, that I just need to push myself more. In my opinion, that’s bullshit.

I walk out of my sister’s room, my feet dragging with every step.

If I by any chance decided to push myself more for my ‘potential’, I think I would end up like the Lisbon sisters.

I was a ‘gifted kid’ as people like to say. But I lost that years ago.

My best grade now?

History B-

I sigh as I plop down on the couch. The silence finally broken by the sound of the smiths on my record player.

I pick up a book, ‘Lolita’, it reads on the front. I roll my eyes before setting it back down. It’s a disgusting book, don’t get me wrong, it’s beautifully written and Nobakov is a literary genius, but God. I nearly threw up at certain points.

I lay on the couch, simply trying to think. After around fifteen minutes, I get up. 

I walk to my bedroom and rummage through my closet. I pull out a denim skirt and a red graphic tee; very Sofia Coppola on the Marie Antionette set. I move to my dresser and pull out a pair of ripped nylons.

I might as well do something with my day. I slip off my vintage nightgown and pull on my ripped nylons. My parents always hound me about my nylons being ripped, I think it’s mainly because I wear them to school. I mean I do get dress coded a lot. 

I go to a catholic private school. My parents' choice of course. I’m not meaning to be ungrateful, I’m very grateful for what I have and I understand that I am privileged. But some days I wish that I could go to a public school, or at least a public catholic school.

There would be less expectations.

I slip my denim skirt over my hips, buttoning and zipping it. I look over my room, trying to remember where I put my shirt. My gaze drops to the ground and I bend down to pick my shirt up. 

A few minutes later I sit down and put on a few coats of mascara before putting black eyeliner in my waterline.

I look at my scarred wrists and walk to my closet again.

I stand in front of my mirror, now wearing a white long sleeve under the red graphic tee.

I put on a pair of mis-matched socks before going to the front door. A red pair of converse and a brown leather jacket laying there for me, perfect. I tie my laces into messy bows. I hold down on the bottom of my sleeves and I pull my jacket on. I grab my brown leather bag and open the door. I quickly put in my tangled earbuds to avoid conversations with anyone I may see.

Sullen girl - Fiona Apple

Fitting.

I pull my brown hair into a messy ponytail as I walk to the elevator. The elevator door opens and there stands my worst possible neighbor.

My history teacher. A tall, brunette, blue eyed man. Great. 

“Going down?” He asks and I avoid his eyes, nodding softly. “Yeah.” I say as quietly as possible.

I stand silently, not daring to say a word. I try to focus on my music that plays quietly in my right ear.

“So,” He begins and I internally groan. He continues, “how’s your project coming along?”

Fuckkkk

“Oh. Um, alright I suppose.” I say softly, finally looking up at him. “You suppose?” He questions, looking down at me making me small. I quickly look away. “Uh, yeah. I mean it’s alright in my opinion.” I say trying not to whisper. “Ah…” He says softly. He notices my earbud. “What are you listening to?”

Sullen girl has already finished. 

“The smiths.” I mumble. “Oh, what song?”, so many questions from him. “Pretty girls make graves…” His eyes light up, “Good song, one of my favourites.” He murmurs, smiling softly. I look up at him again. “One of mine too…” 

The elevator door opens. 

 

“See you in class, Clara.” He smiles at me, “Yeah, see you, Mr. Parker.” I give him a soft smile back.

I walk out of the lobby, the rain has mostly cleared, perfect for walking. I make my way down the street to a cafe with overpriced coffee and pastries. It’s a place to read and that’s all that matters.

It’s an awful feeling being home alone, that’s my opinion of course.

The silence is deafening. I hate it.

I sit down in the cafe, pulling out a book from my bag, The perks of being a wallflower. A reread of course.

I get up and order a liquorice tea and a gingersnap cookie. Something from my childhood. It's very comforting to me. I sit down again and start reading, I take a sip from my tea and flip the page.

Chapter Two

PRIVATE SCHOOL

Wednesday

October 17, 2007.

It’s exactly two weeks until Halloween and the entire school is decorated.

Fun.

At the moment I’m sitting in history class. Yes, the teacher is my neighbor. Now, I don’t mind him as a teacher, but as a neighbor it can be quite awkward, even uncomfortable for me at times.

Don’t get me wrong he is very nice but… Let’s just say he’s a ladies man, and although it is a fairly expensive apartment even for NYC, the walls are very thin. I wonder if he knows I can hear everything.

I’m a very quiet person so I doubt it, but as I sit here in this class; I can’t help but wonder… HOW DOES A HISTORY TEACHER GET SO MANY GIRLS?!

I mean he is a very attractive man but where does he get the time… Maybe this is why we haven't gotten our tests back yet.

The bell rings for lunch break and I put my books in my backpack. The rest of the class leave but I stay behind for a few more seconds to avoid the crowd.

Unfortunately that is a long enough amount of time for my teacher/neighbor to see me standing there.

“Oh, Clara. Would you mind if I had a quick word with you?” I groan internally again, I tend to do that a lot when talking to teachers. “Oh, yeah.” I walk towards him, he remains in his seat.

“What’s up?” I ask awkwardly, oh god.

“I was just wondering if you could help me with something. Your parents never seem to come to any parent teacher conferences.” He pauses. “So, I was thinking, I could invite you and your parents over for dinner tonight.”

I freeze for a second, staring at him. “Um, yeah okay, I’ll let them know…”

He smiles. Fuck, he has a really nice smile. NOPE! Not doing that. “Great. I’ll hopefully see you tonight then.”

I nod softly, unsure of what to say so I just leave.

I text my mom on bbm, Mr. Parker wants to have us over for dinner tonight. Sent. I walk to my locker, trying to get by the crowd of people. I finally get to my locker and turn the lock. 17, 05, 37. I open my locker and put my backpack in. I grab my coat.

I walk to the corner store. I grab a diet vanilla coke and a pack of bubblemint gum. I put them on the counter. “Four dollars.” He says, I hand him a five dollar bill and take my stuff. “Have a good day.” I mumble, not really caring about the change.

I start walking back to school. Ignoring the looks and whistles from construction workers, I’ve gotten used to it.

I sit in the library taking a sip from my coke. I’m currently writing in my journal not really paying attention to the people around me, I hear girls whispering behind me but I don’t process their words. I feel a hand on my shoulder and look up to see my friend, Sophia. I smile. “Hey, Fia…” She sits down next to me, “What are you writing?” She queries. “Oh, just journaling, y’know like I usually do.” She rolls her eyes playfully, “You’re always writing. Okay, what do you want to do for your birthday?” I sigh, “Fia, it’s not until december.” She rolls her eyes again, “But you’re turning sixteen, we have to do something special.” I roll my eyes this time, “My parents are probably gonna throw some big party with a bunch of rich people I don’t even know.” Sophia smiles, “That means you’ll get good presents. Besides, they usually invite your neighbors, right?” I can’t help but smile a bit, “Yeah… Why.” Her smile grows. “Fia, I know that smile, what are you plotting?” She giggles, “That means Mr. Parker will more than likely be there.” I groan, “Fia!” She bursts out laughing, “C’mon, you know you like him!” She exclaims a bit too loudly and the librarian glares at us quickly shutting us up. “Okay, maybe. But I always feel awkward seeing him because of you know what.” Our noses wrinkle in disgust at the memory of our last sleepover. “Right… That was gross. It can’t be that good.” She laughs softly. “She was so loud, it was disgusting but funny. And the headboard slamming killed me.” I whisper to her to make sure no one hears.

Later I’m laying in bed reading until my mother, a tall blonde woman, barges into my room. “Get ready, we're going to your teacher's place for dinner. Oh, and wear something nice for once, and no eyeliner.” And with that she leaves, not bothering to close the door. I groan and get up, putting my book on my nightstand. I close the door and rummage through my closet, finding a long sleeve black dress. I put it on along with a pair of non ripped nylons. I coat my eyelashes in mascara and cover up a few blemishes. “Clara! Hurry up!” I grab some jewelry and quickly put it on and run my hairbrush through my hair. I run out to the living room, sliding on the dark hardwood floors.

“Jeez, Clara.” My brother mumbles. “Clara, don’t you have a crush on-” I quickly kneel down and cover my sister's mouth with my hand. “Shush. We don’t bring that up, remember, Rosie?” She nods softly and I uncover her mouth. We both smile and I give her a hug. “You’re gonna be good for Oliver while mom, dad, and I are at Mr. Parker’s, right?” She gives me another nod and I kiss her forehead. I stand up and look at my brother, “Let me guess, Henry and Axl are coming over? Or is Maria coming over?” He rolls his eyes and gives me a hug. “Just Henry and Axl.” He whispers so our parents don’t hear. I smile softly, “Okay, I’ll see you guys later. Wish me luck.”

Me and my parents are sitting in my teacher’s living room. I cross my legs and uncross them feeling uncomfortable as my parents talk to Mr. Parker. I cross my legs once again, I see Mr. Parker notice and he smirks softly. He knows I’m uncomfortable and he thinks it’s funny. Asshole. I tune out of the conversation, my gaze lingering on the ground. The Smiths' songs play through my head, every lyric memorized. I tap my foot along with that beat that’s playing in my head, my mom glares at me but I don’t notice. “Clara.” She says but I don’t notice, still tuned out. “Clara.” She repeats herself, once again I don’t notice. “Clara!” I flinch at the sudden loud noise and look at her. “What?” I ask quietly. “Could you stop that, please!” I nod softly and look at Mr. Parker who gives me a sympathetic look. My parents and Mr. Parker continue to talk while I sit silently until Mr. Parker looks at me, “Clara, what are you doing your project on again?” Motherfucker. “Oh, the Romanovs.” He smiles, that fucking smile. How much longer do I have to be here? “Do you believe in the theory that Anastasia is alive?” My father asks me. “You know that I don’t, dad, they died together, as a family. So many people have come forth saying they are Anastasia and honestly I think it’s disrespectful to the family, they were murdered.” My mother nods as I speak. Wow, for once she isn’t telling me to be quiet.

We all sit at the dining room table. My parents and Mr. Parker are talking about my grades. My mother speaks, “I really think that if she just pushed herself she could get better grades, I mean, a B- is that really the best she can do?” And here she goes again, talking about me as if I’m not right here. “Actually, I can see that Clara is really trying, she shows a lot of interest in class. I always try to encourage students to ask questions, but she really does have a good understanding.” I stay silent, staring at my plate.

[frodothefair]

New OC for Expats, let's go!

Ok, this wasn't even that hard! I was in the shower, and came up with a character sketch for my movie-star OC for Expats. What do you think? (Any similarities to real people, living or dead, are purely incidental).

Meet Elliot James. He is a Hollywood actor who got his start as a child star, but came to prominence when he appeared in a fantasy epic loosely based on events in early Medieval Britain, where he played a sweet, heroic squire who saved the day, but ended up giving his life in the process. Afterwards, he became a household name and in demand for everyone's epic or period piece anywhere, and while this was certainly very nice, it was somewhat disappointing to be typecast, so he tried to seek out other roles -- in indie films, horror movies, and genre cinema.

In rapid succession in his early 20's, he played a sick WWI veteran in a period piece with a plot like Flowers of Mordor, a prince in the medieval French history franchise Les Rois Maudits, a young Louis XIV, King Francis in a movie about Mary Queen of Scots (ok, yes, a lot of Frenchness here), and Nikolai Rostov in War and Peace. He also played Pip in Great Expectations, and Link in a cinema franchise of Legend of Zelda, and was one of the brothers in a multi-season Regency-era show similar to Bridgerton. He came to see his period piece and fantasy work as a "Jury duty" of sorts, but did it to please the fans and because he had some difficulty saying no. In the end, however, he put his foot down, and instead of taking the role of Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island, which he was all but being bribed to do, he insisted on auditioning for Blind Pew and Israel Hands.

Why does he get typecast playing young literary and historic characters, you may ask? Well, this is because after age 20, he looks like he essentially stopped aging. He is also short and slightly built, and looks like he stepped off a renaissance painting. He has striking hazel eyes that look like liquid gold, and naturally curly dark blonde hair.

In terms of personal history, he hails from South Dakota, from a long line of ranchers and early settlers to the area of Swedish and German extraction. (Hello, inspiration from Mr. Nisilë's white heritage). His mother raised him and his sister alone, and he has a very loving, down-to-earth and supportive family of origin. However, work as a child actor gave him a lifelong hair-pulling habit, to the point of trichotillomania at times, and he is completely unable to grow a beard of his own as a result.

In his personal life, he gets together with a fan named Marina who is an immigrant from Ukraine and has both Ukranian and Russian heritage. They connect over his upcoming work on War and Peace, and impending trip to Eastern Europe to film it. (This is obviously well before the present day). During his (very ample) free time, Elliot enjoys collecting and listening to vinyl records, attending live concerts, traveling as incognito as he realistically can with his distinctive looks, and watching off-off-Broadway plays (or whatever the LA analog is for this). Ironically, he has never been in a play himself, except for a school play at a very young age.

With his girlfriend and later wife, he is a total sweetheart, and his mental illness helps him understand hers. He is also a complete and utter goofball, slightly disorganized in his household and self care, and unassuming and slightly awkward whenever the cameras are off. The weirder the topic of conversation with him, the better.

His partner, Marina, works as a medical malpractice lawyer who defends doctors, and has a crazy, domineering mother who both loves and dislikes Elliot, and belittles his work behind his back, comparing him to old Soviet actors who she thinks are the true greats. However, she has no qualms about accepting gifts and financial assistance from him. (Guess who this is based on, haha).

Elliot never went to college himself, but he paid for the college education of his sister and Marina's law education. The only thing he asked for in return was that Marina and his sister share the particularly interesting things they learned whenever they could.

What do you think?

@konartiste @emmanuellececchi

[celestiall0tus]

Amaranthine - Chapter 6 - Gossip

Beginning || Previous || Next

            “What’s up, everyone? The party has arrived!” Alya announced as she stepped into Liberty’s hold.

            Luka stopped playing his guitar as Freye and Diana ran to greet Alya. Juleka peeked out from the kitchen with Anarka.

            “What brings you by, lassie?” Anarka asked.

            “I invited her earlier. She was just busy until now,” Rose answered.

 ��          “And boy was I busy. I got massive scoops.”

            Anarka perked up and joined Alya and Rose. “What gossip do ya have today, lassie?”

            “This stays between us, but Adrien Agreste, yes? The event he’s announced is so he can choose a wife,” Alya said.

            Rose’s eyes widened and jaw dropped while Anarka grinned.

            “Probably the best for that lad,” Anarka commented.

            “Has he released any additional information?” Rose asked.

            “He has to a reliable source. See, he’s enlisted the help of Marinette to have one of her super special sweetheart bouquets made to present to the lucky woman.”

            “What?” Rose and Anarka yelled.

            “But wait, there’s more. He’s got the hots for her.”

            “What?” Rose and Anarka yelled.

            “Mommy, what does that mean?” Diana asked.

            “It means he loves her,” Freye answered.

            “That’s right. He-,” Rose started.

            “He wants to fuck her,” Anarka finished.

            “Anarka! Language!” Rose yelled.

            “Does that mean he wants to do the thing mommies do?”

            Rose’s eye twitched as she glanced at Anarka. “What have you said in front of them?”

            “Oh, it’s not that bad. I was this way with Juleka and Luka and they’re fine.”

            “Right. Putting a pin in that. Alya, what did you see today? How can you be certain he’s in love with Mari?” Rose asked.

            Alya smirked. She pulled out her phone, opened the recording of the conversation, and handed it to Rose. Juleka and Luka joined and peered over the others shoulders at the clip. The girls gushed and swooned over Adrien’s poetry, but bitterness and jealousy clawed at Luka. He squirmed under the alien and random burst that gnawed away at him. He shook his head, pushing the feelings down while he focused on the recording.

            A storm rolled in without warning. Everyone ran while Marinette stayed put. Luka tilted his head while Adrien moved her under cover and put his suit jacket around her. He blushed and looked away seeing her white dress soaked through and had clung to her skin. He stole glances at the recording as she snapped out of her daze and looked for Adrien. She took a step back when Adrien returned, his own white shirt soaked and clung to him.

            Anxiety tore through Luka in different forms. He felt the gutting feeling of inferiority as he subconsciously compared himself to Adrien. Bile rose in his throat at how perfect Adrien was in physique compared to himself. Annoyance and frustration from every moment Adrien opened his mouth and spoke with sickeningly honeyed words to fool anyone. There was some relief not seeing Marinette fall, but it vanished as terror consumed him when she agreed to seeing Adrien again.

            Rose and Anarka bombarded Alya with questions while Luka retreated to the deck. He fought to take deep breaths of the warm, summer night air. He took a seat as he fought against the emotions that tore through him without rhyme or reason. Why did he care about this girl he’d never met? Why was he comparing himself to that man when he’s never done such a thing before? What was happening to him?

            Luka paused as a familiar coldness overcame him. He looked up to meet Juleka’s eyes that stared at him with a terrifying intensity. She grabbed his arm and dragged him off Liberty to the walkway along the Seine. They walked until they were far enough away from Liberty before she turned to him.

            “Something’s wrong. What’s wrong?” Juleka demanded.

            “I… I honestly have no idea. Everything was fine. You know, I got here, spent time with the family with the only strange thing being seeing that dragon hero.”

            Juleka’s eyes widened. “What about her? Did something happen?”

            “Well, kinda? I saw her taking care of a monster with Carmine and Midnight, and… and something, I guess, happened. I just… I felt like… there was a draw. To her, and I just felt like I wanted, I dunno, to just be with her. To talk and see her. I still do.”

            “I don’t believe it. You found your soulmate.”

            “Juleka, I don’t-.”

            “Spout it all you want, but everything you just described was the very moment I saw Rose. I had no idea who she was, but I wanted to. I wanted to be with her in whatever way she’d have me. I’m unbelievably overjoyed that it became the love we do have, but I would have been fine with just being her friend, so long as I was in her life. So long as I was at her side. Is that not how you feel?”

            “Well, yes, but-.”

            “But nothing. You can doubt all you want, deny the truth, but that won’t change it. I know what you’ve found. Rose would know it. Even if you deny it, the truth is still what it is. You found your soulmate.”

            Luka frowned. He attempted to form an argument, but all words died on his tongue. He furrowed his brow, ran a hand through his hair, then let out a loud, frustrated sigh.

            “Fine. So, hypothetically, I did meet my ‘soulmate,’ what now? She’s a hero of the people, only showing up when people are in need, which is when those monsters show up. No one seems to know anything about her except maybe Alya, but she’s too busy gossiping with Mam and Rose.”

            Juleka grimaced. “Well, I have something of an idea. It’s not the best of ideas, but an idea.”

            “And what’s that?”

            “Well, she’s a hero, a knight. She comes out to defend the people. So, why not, say, become a villain?”

            “What?”

            “Look, I said it wasn’t the best idea, but an idea. It’s just, even with what Alya may know, it won’t bring you closer to the dragon. At least, not without putting yourself in danger.”

            “And how would I become a villain worth her time? What could I possibly do that’s worse than Adonis?”

            “Hold out your arm,” Juleka instructed.

            Luka raised a brow, but did as Juleka said. She took his arm and slipped a silver bracelet on it. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when the etching on the bracelet glowed a turquoise before the bracelet’s metal turned black. His eyes widened as the light pooled and grew into a humanoid. His jaw dropped as the light faded to reveal a man with long turquoise hair pulled back in a ponytail to keep his hair off the ground, dressed in black funeral clothes and a long jacket, and had sea green snake-like eyes.

            “Luka, this is Sass, a kwami,” Juleka said.

            “A kwami? What’s a kwami?” Luka asked.

            “We are gods. We can grant mortals like yourself powers like the ones that protect this city, but also the one that threatens it,” Sass explained. His voice deep with a persistent hiss to it.

            “You mean Carmine, Midnight, the dragon, and even Adonis are all blessed by kwamis?” Luka demanded.

            “Precisely, and you’re all lucky for that to boot. If not for Tikki and Plagg, you all would have faced devastation long ago.”

            “Would either of those be the dragon?” Luka pressed.

            Sass laughed. “Please. Longg had no interest in humans, save for one. She was drawn to this human, a young lady. One whose soul she knows all too well.”

            “I don’t understand.”

            Sass sighed. “We recognize your souls if we’ve been with a particular human before. Longg felt the draw of such a soul. A girl she knew back in an age where anyone accused of witchcraft was burned at the stake. A girl that was a reclusive druidess that wanted only to save those even if they would condemn her. Which she was. She was betrayed by those she dared to trust. Though, I give her credit. In her last act, she had planned with Longg to burn her body, not giving the people that satisfaction of burning her themselves.”

            Luka furrowed his brow. Vague images of long ago passed through his mind. He remembered a large clearing, a wooden pile with a stake, and a large crowd. A woman was tied to it who had no eyes, but a mouth that smiled at him. She spoke, but her words were lost to him as bright fire, then darkness was all he saw.

            “Luka?” Juleka asked.

            “That… that sounds familiar.”

            Juleka’s eye widened. “It does? Truly?”

            “Yeah. Why?”

            “We need to Marinette. She has records of soulmate dreams and she’s told me that one before. We have to see her. Tomorrow. Does tomorrow work?”

            Luka grimaced. “I don’t know if I should bother her.”

            “What? Why not?”

            Luka looked away.

            “Wait a minute. You really were bothered seeing Marinette with Adrien, weren’t you?”

            “Is this Marinette someone you are intending to court?” Sass asked.

            Luka blushed. “What? No. I couldn’t. I don’t even know her. Besides, she clearly has someone way better than me.”

            “That hasn’t stopped the ancient humans. More often than not, your kind will destroy their entire lives just for a crime of passion,” Sass remarked.

            “You know, he has a point. But, also just because someone looks good on the surface doesn’t mean they are what’s best for the person. However, it is also up to that person if that’s what they want.”

            “I… I know. I just… I don’t… I don’t know.”

            Juleka smirked. “Or maybe you’d want to be in the middle of those two.”

            Luka’s eyes widened as his entire face turned red. “You are not funny.”

            Juleka snickered. “I don’t know. I think I am.”

            “Whatever. Look, let’s just go back. I’ll think on this whole villain idea. And, I suppose, we can meet Marinette tomorrow.”

            “Excellent! Then, let’s go back. Un, Sass?” Juleka started.

            “Say no more.”

            Sass vanished. Luka’s face skewed in confusion while Juleka took Luka’s wrist.

            “Let’s go. Dinner should be ready.”

            “Right. Let’s go.”