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sjsmith56 · 7 days ago

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A Better Man, Part 10 - Walkthrough

Summary: A year later two momentous occasions are pending. First, the three partners of Shield Renovations await the dropping of all charges against them. Secondly, there is a wedding soon to happen.

Length: 4.7 K

Characters: Bucky, Steve, Sam, Winnifred, Andrea, Lily, Natasha, Bruce.

Warnings: Fluffy fluff with a final touch of anxiety from Bucky.

Author notes: I hope you liked this mostly sweet story of a shy man falling for the right woman. Although there was some darkness, it also showed Bucky’s qualities that made him the better man.

<<Part 9

Part 10

One year later

The three partners sat in Bucky's office late on a Friday afternoon, waiting nervously. The courier was supposed to bring the confirmation directly to them but according to Hope Van Dyne, he had left the District Attorney's office well over an hour ago.

"Maybe he got into an accident," said Sam, cracking his knuckles and getting glares from his two friends at the sounds. "Well, why else would he be late? Don't those guys go all out on their bikes? It's gotta be that or someone trying to stop us getting cleared completely. Pierce could still have people on his payroll."

"You watched that movie again, didn't you?" asked Steve, rolling his eyes. "That Premium Rush one? There are no corrupt cops wanting to screw us over, okay? Both Natasha and Maria said that as far as the NYPD is concerned, we're reformed. They're all rooting for us, plus ever since we did Tom Benson's renovation, he's managed to refer a dozen other clients to us. Our reputation is sterling."

"It will be fine," said Bucky, searching his pockets in vain. He looked at Steve. "Give me some gum, will you?"

He reached into the chest pocket of his Shield Renovations and Construction polo shirt, pulling out a package of gum and handing a strip to Bucky. Another hand appeared in front of him, and he placed one in Sam's hand before taking one himself. Although all three of them gave up smoking, they still needed a substitute vice when they were stressed, and gum was the vice of choice. They sat quietly, chewing away, then the door opened, and Hope came in with a large envelope.

"It's here," she said.

Bucky put his hand out, taking it from her, then she left. At the time he hired her it was because Mrs. Parker said she was swamped but in reality, Hope Van Dyne was her hand-picked choice to replace her. Knowing that the operation was close to being wrapped up, Mrs. Parker had stumbled across the capable administrative assistant on her daily commute, befriending her and offering her consolation over the antics of the younger woman's employer. Even though May Parker contemplated retiring from the FBI to continue working with the company, another undercover assignment was offered to her and she felt compelled to accept it. The last they heard she was working at a private golf club and resort in Florida, keeping an eye on a retired high-level politician who seemed to have a lot of foreign dignitaries visiting him at all hours of the day and night.

"Are you going to open it, or what?" asked Sam, interrupting Bucky's thoughts.

With an irritated glance at his friend, Bucky opened the envelope and pulled out three sheets of paper, handing one each to Sam and Steve. They all read the words on the papers then at each other, slowly smiling.

"We're good," said Sam. "Fury has come through. We're completely legit!"

"We can travel," said Bucky. "I was worried that it wouldn't come through before the wedding and we couldn't go on our honeymoon."

"I can propose now," said Steve, then he blushed.

"Wait, what? You're proposing to Natasha? Does she know? Maria never said anything about a proposal."

"Of course, she doesn't know," answered Steve, pushing Sam in the arm. "Dumbass. It's a proposal. It's supposed to be a surprise."

Sam rubbed his arm, then grinned, offering his hand to Steve. "Congratulations, man. She had you wrapped around her finger from the very start."

"She did not. What about you and Maria? You wanted her to move in within a month."

"Did not. Her lease was ending, and I was being nice."

Bucky watched and listened to their bickering, then crumpled up a post-it note and threw it at Steve. His two friends stopped talking, switching their attention to him.

"Now that we have our confirmation that the charges are all dropped and expunged, I'm going home," he said, standing up. "I'm going to hug my daughter, read her a story and tuck her in, then take my almost wife to bed."

"You can't," said Steve. He ran his hand through his hair. "You're coming out with us for your stag. It's all arranged. Andrea knows that you'll probably crash with me tonight."

"Guys ... I didn't want one."

"I know, but the troops did and a good general always supports his troops. Just so you know, we're meeting at a sports bar that has twenty different burgers, a hundred different beers, and games galore. No strippers, no hookers, nothing that you or we would ever be ashamed of." He gestured at Bucky's company shirt. "I have something for you to change into."

He left, coming back with one of Bucky's favourite shirts. With a sigh, Bucky changed, while Steve and Sam changed theirs. They locked up, since Hope had already left, and headed to where they could hail a taxi. After a short ride they arrived at their destination and made sure that Bucky walked in ahead of them. It was full of every guy who worked for them, including Thor, and Peter Quill. A beer was put into Bucky's hands, then Steve stood on a chair, holding his beer up.

"In a week, Bucky gets married to Andrea, a woman that stole his heart from the first moment he saw her. Sam and I met her two weeks before, quite by accident as she was taking her baby girl, Lily, out for a walk. We were having a smoke break, and this breath of fresh air approached us, then stopped, smiled, and asked where the nearest park was. Sam, being the smooth operator he was, asked about Lily, then gave Andrea advice about child raising, based on his experiences as uncle to his sister's two boys. She thanked him and walked away, leaving us feeling a little colder and in the dark without her presence. Two weeks after that, Bucky joined us, and it was like a light went on in his head and his heart. Those of you who witnessed this special time knew that he was a changed man. In his opinion, he's become a better man since then. To our better man, Bucky Barnes."

They all repeated it and drank to him. He smiled shyly and looked at all of them.

"After my surgery, we decided to change the name of Barnes Contracting to something new. It was Andrea who suggested Shield Renovations and Construction. She said the shield would represent protection, something that she felt with us. She told me of how you all waited at the hospital during my surgery and told stories about us, about how we gave you all a second chance to be better men. Obviously, you all wanted it, because you bought into our limited scope of operations and when we went legitimate you stayed with us. We wouldn't be where we are today without you all. Thank you for believing in us and in yourselves. We're only as good as the people who work for us, and right now, I think we have the best of men as our employees."

He drank more of his beer, then received many handshakes and shoulder squeezes from everyone as they began to party. For several hours Bucky nursed his beers, drinking only three in total. After making sure Steve and Sam got home okay, he took a taxi to the brownstone and paid the driver, looking up at the building in the dark. He sat on the top step and opened his phone, flipping through the gallery of photos he took of the renovation, finished seven months before. In many ways it was a record of the second part of his and Andrea's relationship. The job became a labour of love as he steered the renovation alongside her, making sure she was involved in all the aspects of doing it right, the first time.

Everything new had to be done to last a lifetime, and everything old that he kept from the original had to be restored to the highest quality. When the project was finished, and they took the walkthrough together before moving her furniture back, she turned to him.

"You are moving in with me, right?" she asked. "This is all so beautiful, that you must have done some of it for yourself."

"It was all for you, but I am moving in with you," he replied. "My apartment was what I thought Dot wanted, and I stayed there because it cost a lot. It was more of a home with you and Lily there but this is the home I want to live the rest of my life in."

He placed his hand casually in his pocket, feeling the edge of the ring box, then drew it out, when her back was turned as she opened the butler's pantry door and went inside. When she came out, he was down on one knee, with the box opened towards her, and she gasped in surprise.

"Will you marry me? Will you stand with this former criminal and keep me on the good path that I've tried to stay on since I met you? Will you let me be Lily's father in name and not just practice?"

"Yes, yes, and yes," she replied without hesitation. "I'll marry you. The path is wide enough that you'll never fall off, not with me at your side. As for Lily, Brock has given up his rights to her. He never wanted her, except for the money she would bring him."

As he slid the vintage engagement ring onto her ring finger, he gazed at her face, then stood up. When she looked up at him, he saw only love, something he never saw with Dot. That was the night they made love for the first time, a perfect melding of hearts, souls, and flesh that made his dick thicken as he thought of it. Even though they picked up their relationship from where they left off, he didn't push Andrea into anything she wasn't ready for. Some of their make out sessions became steamy but, in his heart, Bucky knew they would be together in every way when the time was right. Waiting just made their first time incredibly special.

The selfie of them in the kitchen with her showing off her engagement ring was the last of the renovation pictures. Sighing as he closed the gallery Bucky thought of when he sold his apartment condo, paid his mother back for the renovations and invested the rest, including starting up a college fund for Lily. In the seven months they had shared the brownstone he lived as he always wanted, without worry and fear of the law coming after him, with someone he loved more than anything.

Standing up, he entered the code on the door panel, closing and locking the door behind him. Slipping his shoes off, he hung up his jacket in the closet and made his way up to the second floor. Checking in on Lily first, he grinned at how she was sprawled out in her "big girl" bed. At 19 months she was walking and talking, and still just as friendly to almost everyone she met. The guys at the warehouse loved seeing her whenever Andrea stopped by. It was hilarious watching a bunch of grown men trying to entertain her by making goofy faces and sounds to get her attention. She had her favourites; Clint, the father of three who was now their foreman, and Scott, who was in a serious relationship with Hope. He knew magic and could make Lily laugh and clap her hands at his simple tricks. Surprisingly, at least to Bucky, she liked Luis, who was teaching her Spanish, even bringing some Spanish language children's books to the warehouse to read to her whenever she climbed up on his lap. Of course, she had soft spots for her godfathers Sammy and Steeby. Every time they were over at the house, she went from one to the other, scamming them out of candy or money. His mother's love for the little girl was as strong as if she had been related by blood. Nana always got hugs and kisses, giving them back in turn. If only Andrea's parents saw her more, it would be perfect. Although they had finally met there was still an element of disapproval from her mother, over their daughter being a single mother, living with a man who was not the father of her child, even though the biological father was an absolute bastard. On the other hand, her father had tried since that meeting to stay in touch with Andrea, often coming over and doting on Lily.

Moving towards his daughter, Bucky gently tugged the blanket over her, then put a stuffed animal under her arm. Kneeling down, he kissed her on the head and whispered his usual saying to her.

"Sleep tight, little star. In the morning, I'll catch you in my hand and make a wish to love you forever and always."

Getting up from his knees, he stood at the doorway again, basking in the love he felt for this toddler. From there he quietly entered the bedroom and stepped into the ensuite bathroom to remove his clothes and brush his teeth. He always kept a pair of sweatpants on a hook and put them on, then slipped under the bed covers, spooning behind Andrea. She made the sweetest sound when he draped his arm over her waist.

"I thought you were staying at Steve's?"

"I only had a few beers, so I came home. Besides, he snores when he's had too much."

She rolled over, kissed him sweetly on the mouth, then snuggled into his chest.

"I'm glad you're home. It was hard to get to sleep without you. Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, it was good to see everyone outside of work. Thor and Peter Quill were there as well." He kissed the top of her head. "In a week we'll be married."

He could feel her smile forming on his chest, then she looked up at him again.

"Are we going to announce the baby?"

"I think we should wait. You're only six weeks along. Although they'll probably figure it out when you don't drink any alcohol."

"Probably," she yawned. "Natasha thinks Steve might be proposing to her. She said he's been acting quite mysterious lately. Did he say anything to you?"

He couldn't help but smile. If he lied, Andrea would know it. If he didn't lie and she told Natasha, Steve wouldn't be happy with him.

"It was brought up, but he won't say when it's going to happen. You're not going to tell her, are you?"

She didn't answer but by her regular breathing he could tell she was asleep. He didn't even get a chance to tell her about the charges being dropped. That could wait until the morning. He kissed her head again and closed his eyes, feeling like he was the luckiest man in the world.

💍 💐

One week later

Having his head down between his knees wasn't helping Bucky breathe, even as his mother rubbed his back soothingly. Sam and Steve stood there, wringing their hands, hoping that their friend wasn't about to pass out just 10 minutes before his wedding. Winnifred looked up at the two of them.

"Get him some water," she said. "Send Dr. Banner in."

"Yeah, good idea," said Steve, relieved at the suggestion. "Sam, you get the doctor, and I'll get the doctor." Sam looked at him, then slapped him lightly upside the back of his head. "What the hell?"

"We can't both get the doctor," replied the other man.

"Boys, focus," said Winnifred. "Sam, you get the water. Steve, you get the doctor. Go."

She shook her head. For 34-year-old men, they still had their dumbass moments where they acted 14.

"I don't know why I'm like this," gasped Bucky. "I want to get married. I love Andrea and want to be with her. I feel almost like I did whenever I saw blood. Ma, why is this happening now?"

How he got that torrent of words out when he could barely breathe made no sense to Winnifred, but she wasn't about to call her son out on it. He always had been a sensitive soul, and she was sure this had something to do with it. Bruce Banner arrived first, accompanied by Steve.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"He feels like he's going to faint," said Winnifred. "Said it's like whenever he saw blood before."

"Bucky, do you feel like you're going to vomit?" asked Banner.

"Yes ... no, I don't know. I just don't feel right, like I'm going to pass out at any moment."

"Hey, look at me." Bucky raised his head. "Tell me three things that you see."

"Um, the chair ... the mirror ... um, um, the carpet."

"Good," smiled Bruce. "Now, three sounds. What can you hear, right now?"

Bucky breathed in heavily. "My breath. The sound of music outside." He focused more on Dr. Banner. "A siren, far away."

"Excellent. Just breathe, steady in for five then out for five. Now I want you to move three body parts. Can you do that?"

"Yeah."

He sat up and moved his head from side to side. Then he clenched and unclenched his fists. Finally, he stuck his feet out in front of him, then brought them back to their original position. Sam appeared with the water.

"I had to wait for the bartender to show up ... oh, you look better."

He gave the water to Bucky, who nodded his head and sipped it, then took a longer drink. He kept breathing in and out, following Dr. Banner's example. The older man patted him on the shoulder.

"Feel better, now?"

"Yeah, I do. Thanks."

"No problem. It was just a little bit of anxiety you were feeling. If it happens again try the 3-3-3. Three things you can see, three things you can hear and move three body parts. It redirects your brain to stop the anxiety. Works every time." The doctor stood up. "Just give him a couple of minutes. Winnie, are you walking him down the aisle?"

"I am now," she said.

"Just support him. He'll be fine once he gets to the front. I have to say this is a nice place for a wedding. Very picturesque."

He left and Winnifred kept rubbing Bucky's back. Finally, he nodded and stood up.

"Okay, let's get married."

The wedding planner arrived to tell them it was time. Together, they walked to where the outdoor ceremony was set up in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Sam and Steve walked towards the officiant first, positioning themselves at the front, then Bucky walked out with his mother, stopping at the first row of chairs to kiss her on the cheek, before he joined his friends. Then Natasha and Maria appeared, with Lily in front of them, her tiny hands holding a basket of flower petals. As When You Wish Upon a Star played, the little girl, wearing a lacy pink dress, scattered her petals, stopping to put some in people's hands along the way. Bucky felt his heart in his throat, as his lips trembled, seeing his daughter taking her roll so seriously. Then she saw him.

"Dada," she cried, dropping the basket, and running to him, making everyone swoon at the sight, as he picked her up and kissed her.

"You stay with me, and we'll watch Mama together, okay?"

She nodded then pointed to where Andrea waited while the music to A Groovy Kind of Love started. He laughed at first, then began to cry at how beautiful she looked. She stood alone at the other end, then she looked to one side and was joined by her father. Kissing her on the cheek, he walked her down the aisle, a big grin on his face. There were more kisses when she arrived to where Bucky stood, from her dad to her and Lily, then a handshake to the groom.

For such a memorable moment in his life, Bucky could never remember much of the ceremony itself. He remembered how Andrea looked while they gazed at each other as if they were the sun, moon, and stars personified. He remembered saying "I do" and putting the wedding band on her finger but everything else was a blur until they kissed. Lily had already wiggled out of his arms to go to his mother, making everyone laugh. When he was told he could kiss the bride he placed his hands on Andrea's cheeks, then kissed her softly and sweetly, wanting it to last forever.

More flower petals were tossed at them as they walked down the aisle and led everyone to the pool beside the Palm House, set up for cocktails. They left briefly for photographs amongst the flowers blooming nearby. When the late afternoon turned into the evening, and the light became more golden as sunset approached, the Palm House was opened for the reception. The glass walled structure, filled with more colourful flowers, and festooned in fairy lights, seemed magical in appearance. Lily was entranced by it and clapped her hands in pure joy.

The first dance for the couple was to You Make Me Feel Brand New, the third song they ever danced to when Andrea had to nudge Bucky into finally kissing her. Everyone who had been there from the start of Bucky and Andrea's relationship, watched with soft smiles on their faces at the tenderness between the couple. That song was the one most suited for the wedding dance, although the other two songs made it to the set list. It wasn't all 70s and 80s music, as they made sure there was something for everyone, including some sultry Spanish style songs that brought out Steve and Natasha, in a repeat of the first time they danced.

If anyone noticed that Andrea wasn't drinking, they didn't say anything, although Winnifred and several others suspected that Lily would have a sibling early in the new year. The toddler held out for a long time, dancing with her parents and with anyone she asked. No one turned her down. When she finally conked out, a bed of sorts was made for her using a cushioned bench and Steve's borrowed jacket as a blanket. She slept there, oblivious to everything around her, until her parents made their goodbyes, and Winnifred lifted the little girl up in her arms, carrying her out to the limousine that took them home to her apartment.

The party went on for some time. Steve, after a quite energetic dance with Natasha, suggested they go out to the pool to cool off. They sat on a bench on the far side of the pool, overlooking the dark water, which reflected the lights coming from the Palm House.

"What a great wedding," she smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "This was such a beautiful place to have it."

"It was," he agreed, looking up at the night sky. "We could have a great wedding here."

"You have to ask me first," chuckled Natasha.

He looked at her. "I'm asking."

It took her a moment to respond then she lifted her head up to look at him, aware that she could hear her heart beating loudly in her ears.

"What are you asking?"

"If you'll marry me. I think we could have something amazing together."

It was what he said to her the night of their first date.

"Yeah?" She swallowed. "Maybe, but there are complications."

He tilted his head slightly, smiling at that answer. "You already married?" She shook her head. "Engaged?"

"I could be, to the right guy."

"Natasha, I'm the right guy for you. I knew it from the first moment I saw you standing inside our office. I wanted you then and I want you for the rest of our lives." Gently, he traced her jaw with his fingertips. "Say yes to being amazing together. Say yes to the guy who loves you for the incredible woman you are."

"Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Now shut up and kiss me."

Pulling her onto his lap, he kissed her fiercely, holding her as if he never wanted to let her go. Reaching into his pocket, he brought out the ring box and opened it. Natasha almost stopped breathing at the size of the diamond. She knew business was good, but this....

"It's not hot, is it?"

"Baby, I'm a legitimate businessman now. This didn't fall off a truck. Legally bought and paid for."

She admired it on her hand, then they stayed out there for some time, kissing and enjoying each other's company. When Sam appeared across the pool to say they had to close things up, he grinned at them, knowing that he would be repeating his own version of a proposal soon.

🌃 🌌

In the hotel room, Bucky, and Andrea, were catching their breath, laying on top of the rumpled duvet with their legs intertwined and her head on his chest. Their wedding clothes, strewn everywhere, weren't a priority, until his phone signalled a text message. Climbing off the bed, Bucky picked up his jacket, searching for the phone but it wasn't in any of the pockets. My pants, the phone must be in my pants. Where are they?

Andrea watched with amusement as he looked for his pants, then she got up and lifted her dress up from the floor, pulling his pants out from underneath it and reaching inside one the pockets to retrieve his phone, placing it in his hand. He grinned, kissed her, then opened the message, which he showed to Andrea.

Steve: She said yes.

"What should I say?" he asked.

"Congratulations, now go celebrate," suggested Andrea. "Then come back to bed and put it on silent."

He sent the message, put the phone on silent and tossed it onto a chair. Climbing back on the bed, he hovered over his wife, then stopped. His wife ... this woman was his wife and in the new year, she would be the mother of his child. How did he get so lucky?

"You okay?" she asked. "You were somewhere else for a moment."

"I was right here, thinking of how lucky I am that I have you in my life. You changed me, changed everything for the better when you walked past Barnes Contracting."

She shook her head, caressing her face.

"All I did was take Lily for a walk. Grandma said it was important to know the neighbourhood and your neighbours." She shrugged. "I just figured it would be good to know who had businesses in the neighbourhood as well. She was a teacher and knew lots of people."

"What was your grandma's name?"

"Lily Dugan," she answered. "She was a widow. My grandpa, her husband, died when I was little. She always said there was no better man than him. That's how I feel about you."

Bucky felt a lump in his throat. Dugan was the name of his dad's friend, who worked with him at Barnes Contracting. He remembered him, a big burly man with a large moustache and genial attitude who always made him laugh, even after the incident. Then suddenly, he wasn't around anymore, and his parents were sad for some time. Was it a coincidence or fate that brought Andrea past the very building her grandfather had worked at? It didn't matter, not in the long run. Placing one hand on Andrea's, he moved it so he could kiss her palm, then laid with his head on her chest as she ran her hand through his hair. He was right where he wanted to be; in the arms of the woman he loved, the woman he would always say made him a better man.

THE END

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#bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #buckybarnes original female character #bucky barnes au #james buchanan barnes au #james buchanan barnes fanfiction #buckybarnesshortfic #mob bucky au

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classicsubliminalbo · 2 months ago

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Assimilation #7: Strange Days

Originally published Feb 13, 2017 This series is being revised

awaken

Shelby was under its power before she opened her eyes. Now she sat up, scattering papers haphazardly to the floor. Her toes sinking into the plush carpet, and she sat there at the edge of her bed awaiting more orders from her unseen Master. Shelby had been awake through most of the night, using what little free time she had as a student teacher to work on her dissertation. None of that mattered to her anymore. And then the voice echoed in her mind once again.

come

"Yes," Shelby whispered, and she slipped out of bed, stumbling dreamily out of her bedroom and down the hallway. She was greeted by a gust of cold night air when she opened the door, and feeling of the breeze across her face jolted her back to reality. She stood there in the doorway for a moment, gathering herself. "What...am I doing?"

submit

Once again the voice tried to pull Shelby under. Its words drifted to every corner of her mind, promising pleasure in exchange for obedience. Shelby's quivering legs buckled and she fell to the ground moaning, "Yessss..." Shelby's blank, white eyes gazed into the street where the Master beckoned her, and she saw two more entranced women answering its call. One woman was still in her Ralph's uniform, the other was completely naked, her hair dripping over the cold asphalt. Though they marched only a few feet apart, the two women didn't seem to be aware of anything but the voice drawing them closer to the edge of the city. The woods, they would find the Master in the woods.

come

Shelby's legs twitched in response to the Master's call, but her body refused to move. "No..." she gasped. "Not...like them..." Shelby didn't know what awaited the women in the woods, but somehow she knew that if she listened to the voice in her head that when she came back, if she came back, she wouldn't be the same person when she returned. The voice continued to assault her mind with promises of wonderful obedience, but Shelby managed to crawl back in to the apartment and slam the door shut. She fought against her own urges as she turned the deadbolt and latched the chain.

"And then the voice was gone," Shelby said, chewing on the last bit of pizza crust.

"Spooky," Alex said, his eyes locked on Shelby's face. She really did know how to tell a story. "How long ago was that?" "About six months," Shelby replied. "I haven't felt normal about this place ever since." "Yeah, no shit," he said. "And everyone's been acting so weird lately. I see people just zoning off and..." "I know!" Shelby interjected. "Dude, in my English 101 class, I caught a girl with her hand in her pants. She had this legit zombie gaze, too. And at the end of class, the guy next to her followed her out like she was leading him." "And I'll bet he was perfectly normal when he came to class, right?" "It's like invasion of the body snatchers here. And it's not just the students. Professor Blake's office hour meetings have tripled since last year. I see students go in and they don't come out for hours. They have this zonked expression on their faces."

Alex shivered. "I've seen some weird shit on this campus, Shelby. But zombies...that's a whole new genre of weird." "I'm getting out of here, Alex. Before anything else tries to grab me. I can't explain what it feels like to have something poking around in your head but...it's scary, Alex. And the worst thing is, if it comes back, I don't know if I'll be able to fight it because...because deep down I wanted it to take me over so badly."

Alex frowned, and then he said, "Come on, Shelby. I'll walk you home."

When they reached the door of Shelby's apartment Alex asked, "When are you leaving?" "I'm transferring back to New York at the end of the semester." "That's only a couple of weeks..." "Yeah..." Shelby replied, trying to hide the disappointment on her own face. "But hey. We've still got time to hang out. It's been really nice having a friend here, so far away from home." "Can I kiss you?" he asked.

Shelby bit her lip, and then she nodded.

They kissed. First Alex leaned in slowly, but Shelby pulled him in, and he pressed her body against the apartment door. "Alex," she breathed. "Yeah," he gasped, and stepped away. "Take care, Shelby."

Alex waited alone at the bus stop, replaying the night's events over in his head. The conversations they'd shared over pizza were still fresh in his mind, but it was the kiss that he kept coming back to. Alex had met Shelby three months earlier on Tinder, and the two had hit it off like old friends. Since then they'd shared a lot of nights like this, good conversations and pizza, the occasional Lacey Stafford rally. And even though student elections were over, their chemistry hadn't died down. Alex was starting to feel like Shelby could be something like The One, and it felt like he was losing something more than just a friend. Especially after that kiss.

"No! No!"

The screams pulled Alex out of his head, and across the street he saw a man wrestling a young woman to the ground. "Hey!" Alex shouted, jumping off the bench at the bus stop and sprinting across the street. The man looked up, saw Alex closing in, and darted in the opposite direction. "Are you okay?" Alex asked the woman, offering a hand.

The young woman took it and said, "He stole my phone, but I'm okay. Thank you..." "Alex," he said, his words heavy in his chest. He put his hands on his hips and took a few deep breaths, trying not to think of what would have happened if that man hadn't run. Alex was not ready for a street fight.

"I'm Debbie," she said, looking cautiously back over her shoulder. "Do you live close, Debbie?" "Yeah," she replied. "I live just a few blocks over on Elm. I was almost home when he jumped me." "Alright," Alex nodded. "I'll walk you home."

Debbie agreed, and she stayed close to Alex as they left the alley.

awaken

Alex didn't notice Debbie had fallen behind him until he heard her quiet squeak of a voice whisper, "I am awake."

#thedude11111 #subliminalbo's assimilation

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iguana-eyanna · 2 years ago

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What They Didn't Know Was Missing

Summary: It's hard to come into terms of becoming a mother, but Sherlock reassures you that he'll remind you every day that you are worthy of being one to your child.

Warning: pregnancy symptoms, labor, mentions of abandonment, mentions of gun violence

It was around noon at 221 Baker Street. Sherlock was walking back home with a small packaged box in hand, holding it a bit tighter than he should.

He makes his way to his apartment, walking on the steps as he turned his key to the room. He looks around, not minding that his organized mess is gone and the smell of his pipe no longer lingered in the air.

Sherlock was territorial when it came to his home, but he made changes in his life when he met you.

You were the owner of a barkeep, feisty, and wasn't afraid of telling a man off when he didn't pay his tab. So when Sherlock came to the bar to ask about a suspect, you'd only answer his questions if he was a paying customer.

Either he was desperate to find answers or he just wanted to stay to talk to you for hours, the Holmes man paid a heavy load.

You both weren't afraid of courting each other in public, even if you two weren't of the same status. But, it was time to change some things. Your pub that you've built from the ground up turned into a legit business and Sherlock turned from his lone wolf days and finally proposed to you.

"I never knew I was alone until I met you, and I don't want that feeling again."

Your ceremony was small, Enola and his mother shed a few tears and you couldn't believe that his eldest brother, Mycroft, came (he never liked you due to your independent spirit, but he started to tolerate you more. Call it a win). Being married for about half a year has been a dream. But like a dream, one has to wake up.

Once Sherlock takes off his outdoor attire, he searches for you and lands his eyes on a figure on his couch.

"Hi." he whispered softly as he kneels to your level as you laid on the couch.

You turn around to face him and give him a tired smile.

"Same symptoms as yesterday?" He asks, unpacking the small box in his hand.

"Yes. When you left this morning, I awoke abruptly and felt sick." You said as your stomach churned.

"Here, chew this." Sherlock said, taking out an herb that was small as a chestnut.

You leaned your head further as he fed you the piece. You slightly grimace at the taste.

"It taste like grass." You said.

"I didn't know that you eat grass." He said, smirking. You lightly smack his chest as you lie on your side.

"It's already fighting off the nausea. How did you know it will work?" You ask.

Sherlock sat on the ground while he combed your hair with his fingers to help you relax.

"I remember my mother used it when she was pregnant with Enola."

You pause at his words, feeling your face pale.

Pregnant... the word scared you.

You got up from your lying position as Sherlock dotingly helps you too. He sits beside you as you laid your head on his shoulder. You've been feeling some sort of way since a doctor diagnosed you alongside your husband's deduction. Secretly, Sherlock was thrilled that he would become a father, he never thought he'd had a chance of having a family of his own.

He looks down at you, his eyes gazing at how you've been losing sleep and appearing almost crestfallen. He knows why you’ve been feeling like this, but he wants to hear it from you first.

“Please, love. I just want to know how I can help you.” He murmurs.

You begin to sniffle as you try to avoid his gaze.

“You can’t, Sherlock..” you said as you were about to get up.

He softly grabs your wrist and guides you to his lap, holding you still so you won’t leave him.

“You won't abandon them.” Sherlock’s voice rose.

“How can you be sure?” You ask, feeling the hot tears roll your cheeks.

You were given up as a baby, growing in an orphanage. When you were old enough, you ran away and decided to work at a pub when they needed a maid. The owner loved you as their own daughter, so they wrote you in their will to become the next barkeep. But even after your entire journey and becoming a business owner, you felt so incomplete of why your parents gave you up.

“Because you are full of love. You’re able to teach our child how to love, you’ve taught me how to love. There is not one ounce in my body that tells me that you will leave them. And I'm usually right all the time."

You chuckle loudly as you wiped away your tears. Not a lot of people saw this soft side of your husband, and you slightly feel selfish that you want to keep this side of him all to yourself.

You lean into his chest as he holds you closer to him, his hand suddenly resting on your now-showing bump.

"I promise you, I'll be there every second. Even for the birth."

You look at him worried, as it wasn't common practice for the father to be present for the birth. You haven't recovered from the stories from your friends who are midwives.

"Sherlock, I don't think that -"

"My love, I will never let you doubt yourself for one moment. I'm going to be there in your time of need. We'll be alright, trust me." He says, kissing the side of your temple. Sherlock wasn't any conventional man, so you knew his words were true.

You smile up at him as you cuddled closer to one another as you stare down at your abdomen, anticipating the life you're growing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where is he!?" You screamed as you feel a contraction take control of your body.

"Sherlock's been working on a case since noon." Enola said, trying to support you in your distress.

"Typical, that man." You gritted as you sat on the edge of your bed, feeling the contraction go away.

After Sherlock went out during the day, Enola decided to pop in and say hello. She was going on and on about that Tewkesbury boy and suddenly you felt your water broke. Enola was shocked as well as you were and decided to call for her mother as she had no idea how to deliver a baby.

As on cue, your mother in law comes with hot boiling water and a towel on her shoulder, smiling at you.

"How are we doing dear?" She asks, putting the pail down.

"Like my body is splitting in half." You heaved out, gripping the sheets in your hand.

"It means it's almost time. Let me have a look at your dilation." Eudoria said, kneeling down.

You begin to cry, fearing that your husband was going to miss the birth of your baby.

A hostile knock echos the apartment alongside your moans, and Eudoria orders Enola to send off the person interrupting.

"I'm afraid you have to push, my dear." She said, seeing that you've dilated.

You shake your head, crying.

"I can't do it. Not without Sherlock."

"It will all be alright, we need to get this baby out so you can finally see them. Enola! Come quick, I need you to support your sister!"

Enola comes barging in, looking a bit pale at you.

"Please, don't freak out." She begs you.

You're about to ask what's wrong until Mycroft comes in, trying his best to hold your husband up as he was badly wounded.

"I'm sorry, he saw a sniper a few feet from us. Sherlock tried to push me away, but the bullet..."

You begin to sob, seeing your husband like this.

"Take him to the couch and treat his wound, you're upsetting her." Eudoria commanded, not wanting you to be in hysteria.

"No, I'm fine. I'm not- leaving my wife." Sherlock grunted, knowing the bullet went through some flesh and his pain was manageable.

His mother and brother shared an uneasy look, but after you cry again, Mycroft guided his younger brother to you.

Sherlock held your hand as you squeezed it tight, gritting your teeth as the contractions were doubling.

"You're here." You teared up.

"You know I wouldn't have missed this." Sherlock said, kissing your palm as he crawled behind you so you can rest behind his chest.

"Alright, are you two ready to have your baby here?" Eudoria asks. You look up to Sherlock who smiles at you as you shook your head, anticipating the greatest pain you faced to meet.

The birth was excruciating, and there were moments when you wanted to give up. But Sherlock kept whispering in your ear, urging you to keep pushing. Soon, you welcomed a healthy baby who was crying as loud as a symphony.

Now you were in bed, resting with your baby in your arms as Sherlock returned after saying goodbye to his mother, brother, and sister.

He stands there by the door frame looking at you, smiling at such a heavenly scene.

"How are you feeling?" Sherlock asks, knowing you're beyond tired.

"I feel so at peace, I can't take my eyes off of them." you whispered as they were sound asleep. Sherlock slowly makes his way to you and slips within the sheets.

"I was so unsure of what type of mother I'll be... but seeing them now, I never want to let them go." You said.

You turn to see your husband crying a bit, knowing since the day you found out you were pregnant that you'd be an amazing mother.

"I never doubted for one second."

Your foreheads connected as you breathed in his scent.

"I thought I almost lost you." you said in a low tone.

Sherlock sighs, knowing that any case he'd take would permanently take him away from both of you.

"You'll never lose me, I'll promise both of you that." he whispers.

You both lean in for a kiss and stare down at your baby once more. Two lonely souls found each other and they found what they didn't know was missing: love.

#sherlock holmes #sherlock holmes enola holmes #sherlock holmes henry cavill #henry cavill x reader #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill #sherlock holmes x reader #sherlock holmes fic #sherlock holmes x pregnant reader #enola holmes

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yeojaa · 4 years ago

Text

stay gold.

pairing. jjk x f!reader. rating. explicit. tags. blond!jk being a good boy? idk. that’s literally it. wc. 3k. beta reader. @hobi-gif, ofc. author note. this was meant to be pwp but i cannot shut up so here is this mess that is neither pwp nor something with a legit plotline. 🤠 blame blondie.

Having a content creator boyfriend is fun. Usually.

You get to go on cool trips, he gives you all of the random shit his sponsors send him, and you get to preen like a cat that ate the canary when his DMs blow up with hundreds of messages.

Sure, there are the downsides. All his stupid pranks - the ones that piss you off when you’re trying to do your makeup, the ones that have him dunking ice cubes on you while you’re in the middle of a shower - and his perpetual recording, camera glued to his hand and if not that, then his phone. There are the rude comments - the oh, that’s his girlfriend? He could do better was a common one - and the long hours he spends editing, holed away in his office; the beyond inappropriate packages he gets in the mail, thongs and other things that he immediately tosses away with a reassuring tilt of his pretty head.

You don’t mind it though. He enjoys it, thrives on it, and you’re there to support him.

But you’d never expected this.

This Adonis standing in the doorway, freshly styled strands pushed back from his forehead, glimmering gold falling across his eyes. He looks, for lack of a better word, unreal.

(You’re not often speechless. Can’t be, when you’re dating someone like Jeon Jungkook and everything he does either makes you laugh or infuriates you. Boring isn’t a part of his vocabulary and you’ve learnt to keep up with his antics over the years.)

(Still, this comes close, stealing all the air from your lungs.)

“Hey, baby.” It’s his usual greeting, offered without hesitation as he crosses the threshold and tosses his keys into the catch-all by the door. Kicks off his chunky sneakers and peels his sweater over his head, effectively tousling the tawny threads.

He’s so handsome it’s outright disgusting, leaving you gaping up at him from your post on the couch. Gives you very little to work with as he shimmies down the hall, grabs an apple off the kitchen island, and then not-so-gracefully plops himself down beside you.

You still haven’t found your words by the time he takes two gigantic bites, flesh crunching between his teeth, big doe eyes sparkling like he’s stepped right out of a Disney film.

“D’you like it?”

Did you? Well, obviously.

You’ve never imagined Jungkook blond. He’d gone through a phase in college, colours of the rainbow rotating through the ends of his hair. Brown, red, orange, blue. You’d loved each hue but this was something else entirely. (Different even from the two months he’d spent as full-on ginger, committing far too hard to his Haikyuu!! Halloween costume.)

This version of him is steeped in some twisted fantasy, a dream crafted by years of bedtime stories and happily ever afters. It screams Prince Charming and has you reaching for him before you know what you’re doing, threading fingers through the surprisingly soft silk that curls over his ears and looks so lovely next to the silver of his piercings.

You mean to be gentle, to comb delicately through flax but fuck. He looks so good you want to devour him. (You can only imagine your face - a lovesick puppy brought home from the pound.)

There’s still apple in his mouth, juice tracking down his chin because you’re really making it quite hard for him to chew when you’ve got him like this, two hands on either side of his face, holding him in place. Inspecting him like a piece of meat as he peers at you, deceptively innocent and amused. “That’s a yes?”

An answer comes in the form of a kiss, of limbs rearranging and settling directly into his lap. Knees wide, chest to chest, you can’t even be bothered by the sickly sticky feel of his skin, the way his hands are too cold to be creeping up beneath the hem of your - his - shirt.

(Where had he put the apple? You know it’s not finished, two bites in and left to roll all over the rug. You’ll give him shit for that later, when you’re not so distracted.)

“You look like Barbie,” you mumble against his lips, into the warmth of his mouth. You ignore the way he laughs, swallowing it down with a pass of your tongue and too much spit swapped, a string of saliva caught between you when you come up for air.

Somehow, you��re still lightheaded, all your thoughts framed into the familiar silhouette of the boy beneath you. Cherry red lips - your fault, from all your biting and teasing and the balm you’d applied earlier - and blond hair. Who would’ve known that was your weakness?

(Deep down, you know Jungkook as a whole is the issue. That it’s your stupid handsome boyfriend with his lopsided smile and bunny teeth, dimples and that scar on his cheek. This is just a new layer to be explored, another reason you love him added to the Jungkook Best Boy jar that sits front and centre in your mind’s eye.)

“Don’t say that,” he groans, equal parts reproach and affection, palms resting where they belong, nestled over your spine. Long fingers toy with the soft cotton of your thong, brushing over the seamless material with small repetitive motions.

You realise then his hands aren’t the only things heating up.

The two of you have an understanding, an abiding awareness of the boundaries of your relationship and the roles you take on. Best friend, occasional sucker for the sake of a TikTok, lover.

He knows how much you hate your dirty laundry being aired - does his very best to never post anything that might be misconstrued, ensures he only ever portrays you in a good light because the internet could be cruel. (Even if he argued with you in the quiet of your home, he’d keep you safe outside of the four walls.)

You know how he needs his quiet time but that sometimes, a night out was unavoidable, a part of his life he - and by extension you - couldn’t always say no to. (Even if you were achy and tired by midnight, glaring down at your phone as he made his rounds, exchanged contact details and rambled about shit that meant nothing.)

He’s learnt to make your eggs the way you love them: soft in the centre, covered with too much pepper. He never washes your clothes in hot water (not after The Great Sweater debacle) and he always makes sure not to use your special memory foam pillow.

You kiss him goodnight without fail and play with his hair until he falls asleep; you bury your face against his chest when he’s had a long day, signing your love with the felt-tip of your lips. You bring him fresh cut fruit when he’s been working for more than three hours and wash his hair when he’s stressed.

Knowing each other was easy; loving each other was like breathing.

This, though, is different. New. Special.

He’s never been like this before, glazed over in the eyes, patience wearing thin. Sat so well, picture perfect beneath you and cornsilk crown lighting his entire expression up like a halo, he’s ethereal.

“Baby,” he whines, grits through his teeth as you roll your hips that much slower, the glide impossibly smooth thanks to the lychee watermelon lube he’d received to his PO box. (One of the items you hadn’t thrown away from that package, together with a handful of other toys that’d come in handy over the months.)

You’re shameless, soothing a hand across his cheek, thumb slipping past his lips. (You ignore the noise of indignation, meet it with a twinkling laugh of your own.) It sweeps over his tongue, pressing down in tandem with the second sound - one that echoes out of his chest, a growl that pitches into a whine and makes your ears buzz. “Hi, baby.”

“Stop teasing.” It’s practically begging - or as close to it as Jungkook will get. It draws a smile and another pass of your thumb, gliding across his gums to slot against the interior of his cheek. You’ve got him fishhooked, immobile, even as he glares up at you.

(He’s so, so handsome. Looks utterly out of it even as he tries to harden his gaze, coerce you into doing what he wants with that stare that makes your heart lurch pathetically in your chest.)

“You don’t like this?”

You know he does - that he loves being pampered. That he’ll rarely ask, instead pouting at you from wherever he sits until you turn to putty under his gaze and smother him in all the love you have to offer.

“I do. I just—” The rest of his words don’t come, stolen by a gasp when you grind against him, swollen head of his cock bumping against your clit. He’s making a mess of you both, back arching, hips rising, hands fisted into the sheets even as he chases friction like a dog does its tail. The warmth between your legs is so close he looks as if he’ll lose his mind, rutting against your cunt like just the right angle might get him what he wants. “Fuck, baby.”

“I’m trying,” you retort, mouthful of teasing that only earns you another glare, some poor semblance of one as he bites into the webbing of your hand, bucks up impatiently.

“Please.” He tries again, a different tactic this time, all sugar-spun sweetness. Strawberry shortcake rather than sour cherry pie, so eager to get what he wants that he’s not above pulling out all the stops. A hand risen from the sheets, digits decorated in ink swimming over your skin, sinking into the meat of your thigh.

(He doesn’t push though. Knows you’ll pull the moment he does.)

“Please?” An echo chamber, endlessly teasing, and a ducked head, lips finding the sweat-slick column of his throat. Just one drag of your tongue has him crumbling further, careful composure slipping with each swivel of your hips, the edge of your teeth. There’s nothing but desperation radiating off him, demand choked back when you drift lower, tracing over his chest, teasing him in the ways you know best.

It’s all so unnecessary, drawing out what he wants until he’s a goner, three seconds from combusting beneath you. You’d give him anything he ever asked for - offer it all up on a silver plate, a meal fit for a king. This is just fun, different and exciting.

You relent with a minor adjustment, settling yourself against him, face dropped into the crook of his neck. “Slowly.”

He repeats after you, uncertain and hopeful; his hand falls further, warmth descending to pull you close, hold you still. As much as he needs this - needs you - he loves the slow burn just as much. The stutter of his pulse gives him away, erratic beneath your touch. He’s a thousand miles above the clouds, floating on cloud nine; every second passed is another tingle of his toes, a tightening of the coil in his stomach.

When he aligns himself against your core, pre-cum pearling over his tip, he does exactly as you’ve asked. Sinks into you at such a leisurely pace you wonder if you might be the one who splinters apart, shatters into a million tiny pieces at the way he splits you open.

“Good?” Jungkook asks so nicely it’s impossible for you to say no, to deny him this tiny bit of reassurance.

(Maybe it’s the way he looks, crowned in glittering gold, painted by Fra Angelico. Or maybe it’s how his smile spills like sunshine, a peachy pink horizon dragging over the apples of his cheeks, burnt red like their namesake.)

(Whatever it is, it’s everything you want, packed perfectly and pouting.)

“Good boy,” you purr, breath hitching once he’s sheathed to the hilt, seated so deeply within that you swear you can feel him in your throat.

You’ve never felt so full before - close to overflow, taunted and taxed by ridges and veins, each flex of his hips that drives him somehow further within your fluttering walls. So full you might burst, that you can’t possibly hold yourself together when he begins to move, fucking you tenderly, as if he can feel the weight of the moment.

There’s something happening. A shift in the air, in the axis of your planet that revolves around him. It falls on its side, spins wildly out of control, and you’re emotional. It’s not just his hair - that gilded crown he wears, heavy heavy heavy like aureate coin - or the impossible dark of his eyes - blown out, an entire galaxy devoured by the supermassive black hole that is his pupils. It’s the things you can’t see, the pieces beneath skin, soft and jammy, the tongue-tart sweetness.

(The thing with Jungkook is that he doesn’t let go, refuses to fully submit, always so careful to regulate his voice when things get to be too much. He’ll blink back his tears, stifle a sob, even as his breath disappears from nothing but a delicate brush of his chest.)

You take his vulnerability as a treasure, hold it close and craft a chest for its home, promise to keep it safe even while you're the one who poses the most danger. When it’s your teeth and tongue that eviscerates the soft of his flesh, makes him keen and gasp, heart pounding like hooves, beat imprinted against, under, into your palms.

When he begs you to move - manages the request in a broken articulation that makes you giggle - you give, swivel your hips in a figure eight, an infinity of motion that never ends.

You take all he has to offer and sing your praise into the wet of his mouth. Lick over teeth and gums and trade spit for love; know there’s only more where that came from, that the fountain begs to overflow as he finally - finally - breaks that much more, gripping your hips gentle as can be. Hands soothe up and down, an unspoken plea in how he thumbs your hip bones, taps hopefully over the small of your lower back.

He doesn’t need to speak for you to hear him.

It’s more than a kiss forming against your skin. It’s a confession of adoration, sealed by the frame of his mouth, cemented by the sting of his teeth. It’s I love you without saying it, plastering the pecks along your spine, placing them safely in all the spaces you’ve created for him.

It’s also an apology, because he’s just torn your castle to pieces, shattered your entire fantasy into smithereens.

He hadn’t expected you to react the way you had, rolling off him as if he hadn’t just been chasing the sweet bliss of release, splitting your walls and making you wail above him. It has him pouting, utilising the one thing that melts you down like candle wax.

“Baby,” he whines, reaching for you, needy and horny and so hard he imagines all the blood has rushed from his head straight to his cock. Everything spins when he moves with you, scrambles across the California king to paw at your hip.

He’d been so good for you - wasn’t that enough?

“Don’t,” you grumble, searing his insides with just one look. (It shouldn’t be as hot as it is.)

“But—” A plea punctuated by groping hands, eager as always, smoothing over the swell of your ass, flesh squeezing between knuckles. He’d normally let this go - fuck into his closed fist in the shower after he’s done something to cut playtime short - but he can’t help it now. He’s been on the edge for so long, lit up in neon that demands to be seen, heard, felt.

“Don’t dye it again.”

Oh?

That has him reeling, laughing, such a stupid grin across his face. It devours everything else, spearing dimples into place as he pulls you against him. You can feel his smile forming against your skin, the wet drag of his tongue as he sucks a welt into the sensitive spot of your shoulder.

“You wanna play with Barbie, baby?” It’s such a stupid line - utterly sophomoric and riddled with teasing and yet the delivery has you shivering in his arms, equally childish huff splitting your lips.

Jungkook doesn’t listen to you often - not about silly things like this - but he figures he can, just this once.

“I won’t,” he chirps, sneaking another kiss, stamping another smooch. It’s working exactly as he wants, stilling your protesting limbs as he cages you to him, slips his hand back where he most wants to be. The glide is perfect, a mixture of arousal and fruity lubricant; he slips a finger in without resistance, grinding his palm against your clit.

“R-really?” Of course you don’t believe him. He messes with you too often, plays too many pranks. (He deserves that.)

His promise comes too easy, driven by how nice you feel, how pretty you sound when he presses another digit in along the first. The scissor of his fingers is languid, exploring for the spots that make you breathless as he hums a noise of affirmation against your neck; he fucks you open as if he has to, as if you aren’t already dripping, eagerly sucking him in. “Really.”

“Put it in then, Ken doll.”

He laughs - and then he does. In bed, with your knee hooked over his, pace slow and sure and sinful. In the shower, bent over with his hands bruising your hips. In the kitchen for a late night snack, another apple in his mouth and your hands in his hair.

Maybe blonds did have more fun.

tag list. @neverthefirstchoice @youwannabelostandnotbefound @codeinebelle

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toyboy-molloy · 4 years ago

Text

reddie + practice date

These were the best nights, when it was just the two of them, Richie and Eddie, snuggled together under a large blanket watching their favourite childhood movies together. It was rare they got to do this anymore, what with Richie being busy with his comedy and Eddie meeting with lawyers finalising his divorce; they made a pact to always set aside at least one day for each other, like the old days. Best of friends.

They were halfway through The Princess Bride when Eddie began to get rather fidgety, occasionally glancing up at his friend. Richie was engrossed in the classic, shoving popcorn into his mouth every now and again. After a little while, Eddie cleared his throat nonchalantly.

“Hey, Rich?” Almost instantly, Richie sat forward and paused the movie, focusing his full attention onto Eddie. The other man was sidetracked by the action, frowning in confusion, “what did you do that for?”

"Eds, I’ve known you for years. I know you wouldn’t interrupt this unless it was something legit,” he smiled at the look on Eddie’s face when he mentioned his hated childhood nickname. He ruffled his hair playfully, “remember when we were fifteen and I said Westley was hot and you threatened to cut my dick off?”

"Oh, yeah,” Eddie mumbled, flushing slightly at the memory; he’d neglected to mention it had more to do with jealousy than anything else. Nevertheless, he continued somewhat nervously, “I just wondered, do you think it’s too soon for me to start...dating again?”

Richie had been dreading this conversation. Of course Eddie would want to start dating the second he was out and proud and free of his ex-wife. He wanted to say ‘no’, tell Eddie that he was wasting his time and he’d never fin anyone worthy of him, but even he knew that was selfish. Eddie was his oldest and dearest friend, he deserved the truth.

“that’s not my say, dude. Only you can say when you’re ready.”

“I think I’m ready,” Eddie contemplated, chewing his bottom lip. Richie had to look away, he was just too damn cute, “the thing is, I’ve never dated a guy before.”

“You’ll be fine,” Richie smiled tightly, trying not imagine Eddie on a date with some other man. He shook his head, “I can’t imagine there’s anyone out there who wouldn’t want to date you.”

Eddie looked up at him, his big eyes wide and hopeful, “would you go on a date with me?” Richie stared down at him in shock, his mouth agape. Before he could open his mouth, however, Eddie was speaking again, practically begging his stunned friend, “please, just so I know what to expect. I haven’t been on a date in years. I don’t know what I’m doing. Please, Richie.”

Jesus, he was so fucked. Richie wasn’t sure his heart could handle helping Eddie prepare to woo other men. But he couldn’t say no to him. Rolling his eyes, he shrugged, “sure, I’ll bro date you. I’ll sweep you off your feet with bromance, man.”

“Really?” At Richie’s affirming nod, Eddie flung himself at him, wrapping his arms around his neck, “thank you, Richie. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he pulled away, smiling, “you don’t have to go overboard, though.”

“No, no, you want a run through of what a real date will be like, you’re getting one,” if this was his only chance, Richie wasn’t about to ruin it. He held his hand out and Eddie took it, the two of them shaking on their agreement, “never let it be said Richie Tozier doesn’t know know how to treat a guy. I’m gonna spoil you like any dude worthy of you should.”

“Wow, I’m already a little wooed,” Eddie chuckled and settled back into his seat to resume the movie, cuddling up to Richie. Oh I haven’t started yet, Richie thought with a smirk as he pressed play.

They set a date for the weekend. Eddie had expected to be nervous but as the week drew to a close, he was more excited than anything. Richie told him he’d booked a fancy-ish restaurant and to wear ‘something pretty’. He rolled his eyes at the text but he couldn’t help but smile as he found his favourite suit - the smart blue ensemble he’d worn to Ben and Bev’s wedding reception (Richie had made one or two drunken comments about how good he’d looked that night).

Saturday night came quicker than he’d expected and Eddie found himself pacing frantically in front of his mirror, checking his watch. Richie had gone out hours ago, refusing to tell him where he was going only that he expected Eddie to be ready when he got back. He almost sprinted to the front door when he heard the doorbell chime. Eddie skidded to a halt and tugged on his jacket, taking a deep breath as he opened the door. He greeted by the largest bouquet of flowers he’d ever seen.

“Eddie Spaghetti,” a voice said from behind the flowers, “special delivery.”

“I said not to go overboard,” Eddie took the flowers, unable to stop smiling as he thought about Richie purchasing them, just to make him smile, “but thank you, they’re gorgeous.”

“Don’t get used to it. Most guys won’t make the effort,” Richie adjusted his glasses nervously, watching as Eddie placed the flowers on the kitchen table. And he was wearing the suit that had nearly made him confess everything all those months ago. He didn’t think he’d be lucky enough to get away with it again. He’d been so distracted by staring at Eddie he hadn’t noticed the other man staring at him intently. When Eddie didn’t say anything for a moment or two, Richie glanced down at his own floral-patterned red suit self-consciously, “what?”

Eddie shook his head, blushing, “nothing, sorry, you look amazing.”

Richie blushed, too, lost for words. He offered his arm to Eddie and led him outside towards the car that was waiting for them. Eddie recognised the driver as Steve, Richie manager, who’d clearly been bribed into doing Richie this favour. He mumbled a greeting and set off for the restaurant. Their conversation was casual and pleasant and Eddie found himself relaxing, enjoying himself. By the time they reached their destination, Eddie was holding Richie’s hand like they’d been doing it for years.

“A risk analyst?” Richie said enthusiastically, leaning over to swipe another fry from Eddie’s plate, “that sounds so interesting. What does that involve?”

Eddie smiled, “nice try but I’ve been informed my job’s rather boring. I’m more keen to hear about you being a comedian. I just can’t picture it.”

“Eds, baby, you wound me,” Richie playfully clutched at his heart, pouring himself another glass of wine as Eddie chuckled cutely. He didn’t expect to be enjoying himself as much as he was. He didn’t want the night to end, “if you must know, I’m very famous and hilarious. Not to mention modest.”

“I’ll have to look out for your stuff,” Eddie said with a smirk; he was starting to have fun with their little game. Something in the back of his mind was telling him it wasn’t going to be like this with anyone else but he ignored it. Instead, he watched Richie peruse the dessert menu, “if I can remember your name.”

“Oh, I’ll make sure you remember my name,” he said with a wink, snapping the menu shut. Eddie swallowed, taking an urgent sip of his wine. Richie seemed oblivious to his predicament, offering him the dessert menu, “I’m gonna get the chocolate cake.”

Eddie nodded, opting for the banana split. They always shared desserts anyway. The conversation turned casual again as they pretended to ask about each other’s family, hobbies and interests. Eddie ‘learned’ that Richie liked doing impressions and voices, even if he wasn’t that good at them. Their desserts arrived and they naturally halved portions, sharing without asking.

“Okay, real talk,” Richie said, waving a forkful of chocolate cake around as he spoke, “if this was a legit date-date, like not practice or anything, would you let me smash?”

Eddie paused, his own chocolate cake sitting forgotten at the end of his own spoon, “what?”

“I’m just saying, what are my chances here?” Richie said with a shrug, leaning back in his chair confidently. Eddie folded his arms, preparing to lie through his teeth.

“Well, you’ll have to work a little harder than this,” he gestured at their table, “I’m not easy,” he watched as a smile spread across Richie’s face. He waited until Richie was tucking into his dessert again before deciding to torture him a little bit, “but you’re cute, I’ll give you that.”

“You think I’m cute?”

Eddie gave a minute shrug, nonchalantly scooping a helping of banana split onto his spoon before popping it into his mouth, “I wouldn’t kick you out of bed.”

The sight of Richie’s dumbstruck gaping expression was incredibly satisfying and Eddie was going to carry it with him forever.

The walk home was nice. The night air was light and gentle but Eddie was too busy concentrating on how big Richie’s hand felt in his. He’d been the perfect date, offering him his coat as they began their walk back to the flat. They’d been walking in silence for a little while, just enjoying each other’s company. But Richie was never one for being quiet for too long.

“so, how did I do?”

“Very well,” Eddie said honestly, squeezing Richie’s hand in reassurance, “I had a great time. I don’t remember the last time I went out and just had fun. Thank you,” he looked up at Richie, smiling warmly, “I really needed this.”

He nodded once, turning away. They were almost home when Richie spoke again, “did you wish I was anyone else?”

“No,” Eddie said honestly, smiling almost sadly, “I don’t think I’d have a good time with anyone else. Which was kind of the whole point really,” they reached their apartment building and Eddie followed Richie to their front door. He was deep in thought, his fears coming back as they reached their home, “it will be different with someone else. I just hope it’s...good different.”

“Yep,” was all Richie said. He immediately headed for the fridge, grabbing the bottle of wine and downing several gulps. Eddie just stood in the doorway, ringing his hands nervously. He wanted to tell Richie he didn’t want anyone else, that everything he’d ever wanted was standing right in front of him trying to drink himself to death. Richie suddenly span around, a desperate look on his face, “hey, you know what would be funny?”

Eddie blinked, confused at the sudden change in Richie’s attitude, “what?”

“If you, like, never meet anyone for real and we keep doing this? Just going out on dates all casual and shit. Wouldn’t that be nuts?”

“What, nothing changes?” Eddie questioned incredulously, moving towards Richie. The other man nodded frantically, replacing the wine bottle on the kitchen side. Eddie folded his arms, “we just keep going on these ‘bro dates’?”

“I’d love that,” thankfully Richie was slightly drunk and Eddie always knew when he was lying if he’d had a drink. He raised an eyebrow, smiling at the cute flush in Richie’s cheeks, “for totally non-selfish reasons, I’d love that.”

Eddie nodded, stepping that little bit closer, “I’d change one thing, though.”

“Yeah, like, like what?”

And Eddie kissed him. Richie, shocked as he was, kissed back with all the enthusiasm of a drunk guy reciprocating his feelings, his hands fumbling to hold Eddie close. The separated when it became apparent that Richie was crying.

“S-sorry,” he sniffed, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his suit. Eddie batted his hands away, gently wiping Richie’s eyes himself...which just made him cry even more, “I just- I legit thought you...you wanted someone better.”

“I think I’d die single if that was the case,” Eddie smiled, his own tears beginning to escape. He pulled Richie into a hug, leaning up to kiss his forehead, “I love you.”

Richie mumbled something that sounded a lot like ‘I love you too’ into his shirt. They stayed there in the kitchen, holding each other and swaying slightly as Eddie hummed a calming tune. They were going to be okay.

#I didn't mean for this to get so emotional. but richie cries when it gets A Lot #richie x eddie #reddie #eddie x richie #reddie fanfic #my writing

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shwazzberryswriting · 3 years ago

Text

Sweet Treats

Pairing: Jeno x Original Female Character|Reader

Genre: Meet-Cute (sort of), Fluff, AU - Non-Famous Jeno

Word count: 2.4k

Rating/Warnings: Teen (12ish+)/Kissing

Prompt: Random Word Generator

*Must be about Jeno

*Must be 2k words (overshot it ROFL)

*Use these words (random word generator):

-main

-mutual

-organ

Author’s Note: Thank you to my friend for their patience with me taking forever to get this prompt fufilled! It wasn't from a lack of inspiration. Hot Sauce era gave me a lot of fuel for Jeno!

--------

If Suyuan could make a dessert to represent her cousin’s bake sale, she’d bake a Keylime Pie. The middle school’s front entrance was lined with thick green grass that glistened in the sunlight. The late spring breeze carried the scent of the lime trees nearby, tingling her nose.

The PTA was throwing a Mountain Retreat Bake Sale to raise funds for a weeklong mountain retreat for the 6th grade class. Fen, Suyuan’s cousin, should have been setting up the baked goods under the tent, but the 12-year-old was having too much fun playing with her friends. They were currently bullying a man who seemed to be related to Fen’s best friend, HaeWon.

He wore black skinny jeans and a loose white and black striped knit sweater. His black hair fell over his eyes as he grimaced a smile. He was trying to dance along to an Itzy song, but the kids were booing him as he refused to do “aeygo”. Suyuan grinned as she recalled how she and her classmates would tease their older cousins to do cute dances to entertain them. It was a circle of life to be forced to do cute dances at various points in one’s life.

“Fen, I think we have to set up the lemonade, too,” Suyuan called out, setting a sign down on the table as she stood up. “Give that guy a break, too! We’re helping you for free, you know. I should have told you to buy me Starbucks.”

“Jeno Lee! Jeno Lee! You can’t dance!” Fen and HaeWon chanted. The main bullies had even started a dance where they sashayed their hips. They stopped once their friends began to retreat back to pick up their tasks.

“Thanks,” Jeno Lee said with a shy smile as he walked away from his red motorbike to join her under the tent. “I’m Jeno.”

“Suyuan,” she replied, waving her hand. “I’m Fen’s cousin. How’d you get roped into this?”

“My aunt and uncle helped me with my bake sale when I was 13,” he replied. He began helping Fen and HaeWon line up trays of cookies on one of the white topped plastic tables. “HaeWon should buy me some Starbucks, too, I think.”

“I don’t even have a credit card,” HaeWon replied, looking over her shoulder to glare at him.

“Suyuan helped me bake these strawberry macarons!” Fen exclaimed, setting the cookies down beside the blueberry jam thumbprint cookies. “My mom and I made the shortbread cookies.”

“Did you have to do this?” Jeno asked as he sat down to help make the signs to indicate the prices of the baked goods.

“No, for our school trip we pitched our trip to family members, Shark Tank-style,” she replied.

“What?” he sounded incredulous as he stopped writing on the white board to stare at her. “Your school turned it into a Economy project?”

“It was fun. I mostly used cute pictures of me in my slides and I kept saying, ‘You’re investing in my future and well being,’ enough to make my parents emotional. It annoyed my siblings and other relatives enough that they handed me at least a couple dollars before I could finish my pitch.”

“Smart,” he said, looking impressed. “Do you know how to write DanPatBbang?”

“My mom made a huge batch!” HaeWon spoke up as she pointed to the golden buns wrapped in clear plastic bags.

“Um, no,” Suyuan replied. “We can write Sweet Red Bean Paste Buns. We’ll find someone to write it the correct way. They look amazing, HaeWon! Your mom told me you made the paste.”

“I also brushed the egg wash on,” she said.

Fen and HaeWon took over all the tasks Suyuan and Jeno started. Soon enough, Jeno and Suyuan were seated behind the pastries and water cooler filled with lemonade, chitchatting. They exchanged war stories about their 6th Grade Mountain Retreat. Jeno’s class were locked in their dorms for a few hours as a family of bears foraged around their camp for food the first day they arrived. It sounded more exciting than what really happened, he claimed.

Jeno seemed captivated as Suyuan told an elaborate story about her group’s river raft ride. Their raft capsized partway through the ride, and her group had to walk their way back to camp with nothing but an old compass as help, all of them soaked to the bone. Suyuan had sprained her ankle, and cried her entire walk back to camp, which had been roughly a half mile walk.

“It’s funny now,” Suyuan said as Jeno chuckled into his fist, “but I was miserable for the rest of the trip.”

“How many days did you have your ankle sprained?” he asked, picking up a sugar cookie and taking a bite.

“That’s a dollar fifty,” she said, holding out her hand. His eyes widened as he stopped midchew.

“All I have is my debit card,” he replied, spitting out crumbs into his fist.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” she scolded gently, leaning over to grab a napkin that sat behind him. Her chin bumped into his shoulder and she jumped back immediately.

“Sorry!” they exclaimed in unison. She threw the napkin over his mouth as he spat out more crumbs.

“Let me get you some water,” she said, standing up to walk over to the cooler near a table where HaeWon and Fen were standing. They were talking to some of their classmates, Fen staring at the blue haired kid holding a skateboard. “Can I buy a bottle of water?”

When she returned to Jeno, he was biting into strawberry danish. He thanked her for the water, and gave half of the danish to her.

“I’m going to spend $10, and I’ve eaten $3’s worth of pastries so far,” he reasoned, picking up a scallion pancake Suyuan’s mom made for the bake sale. “These are good. I’d love some kimchi with this.”

“Do you think someone’s auntie brought her own jars of kimchi to sell here?” she asked, sitting up straight to crane her neck around.

“I’d smell it before either of us see it,” he said, pointing to his nose. “Maybe in an hour? It’s good to have people filter in late. My uncle says it keeps the flow going and the food fresh.”

“Your uncle gave you economics lessons anyway,” she said, impressed.

As the day wore on, Fen and HaeWon began whistling Red Velvet’s “Red Flavor” whenever they came around Jeno and Suyuan, to the point that Suyuan had to bribe Fen with $20 in cold hard cash to leave them alone. Jeno was very kind and gentle, but his absentmindedness led to a chaotic energy. Jeno’s card was declined when his aunt showed them how to use electronic transactions on her iPad.

He realized he’d been using his Student credit card’s PIN when the card was declined for a third time. Suyuan poured Jeno a cup of lemonade as he had to call his bank to explain why his card had been declined three times. His face was flushed as he took a sip from the purple straw in the cup she handed him.

“Thank you, yes, I’ve got it,” Jeno said after 15 minutes of transferring to 2 different departments of customer service. “Auntie, I think I’ve solved it. I’m going to buy $10 extra for these pastries.”

“It was that bad?” Suyuan asked as Jeno picked up one of the bao buns Suyuan had made with her aunt and mom. “Those buns are $2.”

“OK,” he said through a mouthful of food.

“You never learn,” she said with a grin, handing him a napkin. “Chew, then speak.”

“These buns are so good, I love the barbecue pork,” he said, staring at the red filling. “This bake sale is probably more legit than the China Town in the city.”

“I haven’t been there in years,” she said. “I heard they opened a Korean patisserie near that tacky karaoke bar.”

“Jeno,” HaeWon called out, waving from the playground behind the tents they’d set up, “how do you shoot from the three-point line?”

Some of the kids had arrived with a basketball, and they watched as Jeno made shot after shot on the basketball court. After making a basket from every angle the kids requested, Jeno handed the basketball back to HaeWon. Despite teasing Jeno earlier, it was obvious that HaeWon looked up to him a lot. She showed it in her own special ways.

“Did you want to go get some boba?” Jeno asked, holding his hand out to Suyuan. “My mom and aunt are relieving me of my duties soon.”

“My mom’s on her way, too,” she replied, taking his hand. “Perfect timing.”

When Suyuan’s mom arrived, she eyed Jeno on his red cruiser motorbike.

“Be safe,” her mom said pointedly before hugging her. “I heard Jeno’s quite polite, but...be safe.”

“Oh, mom, calm down,” Suyuan sighed, giving her mom a grin. “You know Jeno’s parents well enough.”

“A motorbike,” her mom mouthed silently as Fen and HaeWon walked by. She rolled her eyes.

“I’ll text you, mom. Bye, Fen! See you, HaeWon!”

“Don’t kiss him too much,” Fen uttered out and HaeWon laughed as the pair ran off at the sight of Suyuan glaring at them.

Her annoyance disappeared as she saw Jeno sitting against his bike, holding out a helmet to her. His grin made her chest feel like it was growing, and she thanked him in a soft voice as she took the helmet. True to the rumors her mom heard, Jeno politely helped Suyuan secure her helmet on, and checked with her that she felt secure before starting the engine to his motorbike.

She pressed her body close to him as his body warmed her. She smelled the blueberry on his shirt, perhaps due to the slice of blueberry pie he’d accidentally spilled onto the left sleeve of his sweater. It took everything in her not to sit up and kiss his cheek as they stopped at a red light.

Once they reached the boba shop near the church one of her aunts volunteered at, Suyuan slowly slipped her hands away from Jeno’s body. She was afraid to admit to herself that she enjoyed her time on the ride with him. It was better than her time with any significant other she’d ever been with, even her boyfriend of 8 months during her freshman year in college.

The church organ music playing in the distance reminded her to stop her imaginations from going too wild as she watched Jeno brush his hair out of his eyes. As they sat on the picnic table near the boba shop, Suyuan asked Jeno questions about his bike, and how he got into riding motorbikes.

“My Engineering final had me do a group project,” he explained between sips of his watermelon slush. “We refurbished an old Honda Fury. We were docked a grade for turning our Shop project into our Engineering project, too.”

“That’s bullshit,” she said with a grin. He laughed in agreement. “Is it easy to ride a motorbike?”

“Easy enough,” he said with a shrug. “You have to go in without so much doubt and fear, and then you’ll be confident in your riding.”

“You’ll have to teach me,” she said, sidling up close to him. “How were we able to miss each other when we were teens?”

“You traveled in the bookish crowd, and I was with the jocks and gamers,” he replied.

“What does that mean?” she asked, feeling her cheeks turn warm.

“We had Algebra 101 together but you were home sick for the first 3 weeks,” he said. “I had a small crush on you, but I never worked up the courage to talk to you. I wanted to ask you to help me with my homework. I’m not good at math.”

“We went to school together?” she asked, shocked that she had assumed that they were mutual strangers when they met that morning. “I’m sorry. My teen years were my confused queer years. I spent all of high school crushing on girls and boys, and I didn’t know if it meant I was a lesbian or bi...or something else along the queer spectrum.”

“So do you have it figured out?”

“Um,” she grinned at him as he threw his arm over her shoulders, “I’m OK saying I’m bi, but I know that things are never set in stone.”

“I’m glad we spent today together,” he said, resting his hand on her chin, pulling her close to him. He kissed her. “I had to wait for my cousin to tease me for you to notice me.”

She laughed against his lips, kissing him as she rested a hand on his shoulder.

“You wouldn’t have liked angsty me anyways,” she admitted, pulling away from his kiss. She wiped her lipstick stains off his lips with her thumbs. “I wasn’t prepared for a relationship as a high schooler. Did your crush return today?”

“It was when you stood up to my bullies,” he said, his cheeks flushing pink.

“Our cousins?”

She laughed before planting a wet kiss onto his lips. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and requested he take her home.

“For the record,” she said, taking his hand and kissing it quickly, “I think I crushed on you at the same moment. You were putting up with the kids’ bullying so well.”

She held on tight to him, relishing the feel of his back as she pressed her cheek against it, hearing his heartbeat against her ear. His body felt firm, and his sweater was soft, although a bit itchy. Once they reached her apartment complex, she got off the bike and handed his spare helmet back to him.

“Thank you for bringing me home safely,” she said. Before he could respond, she kissed him, pressing her tongue against his lips. He pushed back immediately, his lips capturing hers.

“Can I take you out to dinner tomorrow?” he asked when he broke their kiss. She licked her lips, tasting a hint of sweet red bean paste. “No pressure.”

“Pick me up at 6:00 PM?” she asked. She kissed him, and his hand reached up to touch her cheek.

“It’s a date,” he breathed out as they rested their foreheads together. “I should let you go home. I want to be a gentleman today.”

“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow,” she said before caressing his earlobe. She kissed him. “Text me when you get home?”

He kissed her one last time before they broke apart. As she walked up the stairs to her apartment her mind clouded with thoughts of Jeno’s lips on hers. He was warm, like the bright spring sun. The scent that radiated from him was grassy and refreshing, energizing her in the same way the scent of limes did. Jeno Lee was her perfect Keylime Pie.

------

Thank you always for reading!

#nct scenarios #jeno fluff #nct jeno #jeno x reader #jeno x oc #kisses

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ravenforce · 4 years ago

Text

Manhattan 8

Word Count: 4557

A/N: Hi! I’m alive. I’m so sorry it took so long for me to write again but here I am. Anyway, I hope you guys are still practicing social distancing and still following the safety protocols wherever you are. Stay safe and healthy, y’all. Let me know what you think of this. I only proofread this once, so have mercy on me. xx

Summary: Definitely not what you asked for. :)

Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9

***

“Lou?”

The Heist crew looked at each other across the board room while Lou just continues to stare blankly out the tall window, unable to hear anyone around her. It’s the time of the year again. The anniversary of the day Lou lost you.

“Lou?” Debbie tried to get her attention by standing directly at her line of sight.

Lou blinked twice before looking up at Debbie. “Shit,” she muttered under her breath and sat up straighter. “Sorry, I was elsewhere.”

“We were just asking if you’re ready with the marketing of this joint exhibit with Selene Quaid?”

“Yes but we’re still waiting for Quaid and her team’s feedback about the graphics,” Lou assured her best friend with a smile.

Debbie stared at her for a couple of seconds before nodding and turning back to the whole team. Lou didn’t dare look back to her friends in fear to see them pitying her for being unable to move on after two years now. Yes, it’s been two years since she thought walking away would be easy but it was far from it. It was agonizing and physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting. Especially when she thought seeing you, even from afar, would ease the pain but didn’t.

For the first few months after you left, Lou made secret trips every weekend to visit Tate and hopefully catch a glimpse of you. At first, she was elated to see you thriving; the museum is indeed your natural habitat but as time goes by, it hurts even more because she misses you tremendously. She misses sharing life with you, that’s why it pains her to see you living one that she can’t be a part of. She owns the pain, she knows she brought it upon herself. So, she sucked it up.

Until she got an intervention.

“You thought we didn’t know? You’re always away on the weekends. You’re not on Ithaca, and you’re not with your brothers,” Debbie says gently as they sit Lou on their board room. Her brothers were in attendance too.

“Rats,” she hissed while looking at Thor and Loki who was leaning against the far wall.

Her friends chuckled. “They didn’t snitch on you. Nine found your trail.”

She whipped her head back to her friends, eyes wide in surprise. “What?”

“You didn’t give us any choice,” Tammy said while playing at the ends of her blonde hair. A telltale sign that she’s nervous. “You won’t talk to us.”

“That didn’t give you the right to hack my email though.”

Lou crossed her arms across her chest. Daphne chuckled at the childish pout on their friend’s face.

“This can’t go on forever, Lou,” Daphne said. “When’s the last time you spent time with us?” Daphne gestured to everyone in the room. “With your brothers?”

Lou caught her brother’s eyes and suddenly she felt a wave of guilt. “We need you here too,” Thor says sincerely. “We all do.”

Loki nodded. “We know you love her. We know that she loves you too. She wouldn’t want this for you.” Loki admonished. “You said you did what you did because you didn’t want Y/N to spread herself thin for you. Well, guess what, as her friend, we know she wouldn’t want this for you too.”

She admits it. Flying back and forth every week was taking a toll on her. So, she relented to visiting Tate at least two times a month. Until it became once a month, then just whenever she’s free or whenever missing you get so intense.

She knew she couldn’t put her life on hold forever.

She knew she can’t just sit around and mope, and wait for you to come home.

***

With the joint exhibit happening in five days, everyone was legit on their toes with everything that needs to be done. The whole office was buzzing with activity the moment Lou walked in at 8 in the morning. Agatha just put the box of breakfast pastries down the one table where everyone likes to work even though they all have designated desks when she walked in.

“Good morning Lou,” Agatha greeted with a smile before handing her, her favourite coffee.

“Morning.” She smiled back before glancing towards Debbie who’s pacing back and forth inside her glass office. “What’s wrong?”

“Debbie’s frustrated that Quaid still hasn’t approved Daphne’s marketing collateral.”

“Has anyone spoken with Quaid?” She asked pensively.

“Yes. Quaid’s secretary said someone will be coming over to represent her,” Tammy answered, rolling her chair away from her computer. Before she can respond though, Charlie entered the room at the same time Debbie exited her office.

“What is it, Charlie?” Debbie asked, immediately picking up on Charlie’s excited demeanour.

“Quaid’s representative is outside,” he responded with a broad smile.

Everyone raised their eyebrow at him. “Well, what are you waiting for? Let them in,” Daphne sassed.

“She picked up a call but will be with us right about -” Charlie paused. The door to the office opened. “Now.”

And to everyone’s surprise, you walked in.

***

A collective gasped was heard across the room before silence swept through it. You looked at Charlie who has already recovered from his shock at seeing you again after two long years. You turned back to everyone before smiling.

“Hey.” You greeted. Lou’s heart skipped a beat and ached at the same time. Your voice shook everyone out of their reverie, making everyone simultaneously yell your name in excitement and gather around you.

Nine was the first to reach you and almost tackle you down in a tight hug. “Y/N!” she yelled as she wraps her arms around you tightly. “Oh! My! God! I can’t believe you’re here!”

Daphne, Debbie, and Rose, who weren’t much of a hugger just sidled next to you. “You look all grown up, Y/L/N.” Debbie noticed. Of course, she’ll still be too cool to give direct compliments. You smiled your thanks.

“You were cute before in your graphic tees and distressed jeans. Now, you definitely look -” Daphne stopped to consider her next words.

Nine pulled away from you to look at you a once over. “Hot! Definitely fucking hot, if you asked me” she finished for Daphne making the brunette roll her eyes at Nine’s choice of language.

“Good thing no one asked you,” Constance teased before coming over to give you a short hug, and a whispered ‘I missed you.’

You laughed at their antics but it was shortly interrupted by Rose’s hand touching the sleeve of your suit.

“Are these custom-made, darling?” She asked before she can help herself.

“Missed you too, Rose.” You teased. Rose looked at you wide-eyed and with a soft blush tainting her cheeks.

“Oh, no. I didn’t mean to seem more interested in your clothes -” she stuttered out. “-I missed you too, darling.”

“I’m joking, Rose.” You laughed. “And to answer your question, yes, the suit is custom made. I can’t really work in the museum wearing graphic tees, tattered jeans and converse. At least, not all the time.”

Tammy nearly cried before she could have a turn in wrapping you in her arms again. She still feels the warmest, her golden hair are still soft, and she still smell like fresh waffles in the morning. “Oh, are you still my baby?” Tammy wailed, cupping your cheeks and looking at you intently.

You can’t help but get teary-eyed too. You chuckled before nodding at Tammy’s question. “I am,” you said before you launched yourself at her. Aside from Nine and Lou, you’re closest with Tammy too. “I missed you so much, Tams.”

“I missed you so much, too, baby.” Tammy held you a little tighter. Amita who was behind Tammy took a closer look at you from the blonde’s shoulder.

“You look so different, Y/N,” Amita said before raising her hand for a fist bump. You were just about to raise your hand and tap Amita’s fist with yours when Lou’s voice cut through everything that’s been happening around you.

“I don’t think so. I think she looks the same.” Lou’s not looking at you but on her boots. “She’s still breathtaking though.”

Tammy let go of you so you can look at the blonde properly. Everyone held their breath in anticipation. This is, after all, the first time you’re seeing each other after all the mess that went down years prior.

You walked up to your ex-girlfriend. “Say it to my face, if you mean it.” Lou looked up at you in surprise.

“I-” She chewed her bottom lip. “-didn’t mean to say it out loud.” She looked uncharacteristically nervous. “But I do mean it. You look as beautiful as the day I met you.”

You didn’t say anything for a minute, making Lou’s heart almost jumped out of her ribcage. After a long pause, you smiled genuinely at her and opened your arms for a hug. To say that Lou was surprised was an understatement. She thought you would hate her for what she did but there you were opening your arms again for her.

She didn’t have to be asked twice, she stepped towards you and hugged your body close to her. She had to bite the inside of her cheeks to keep herself from sobbing. It’s been so long since she felt home.

***

Lou rolled out of her bed an hour before her alarm clock hits. She smiled at the ceiling before rolling out of bed and making her way to her open kitchen. She went directly to her coffee maker. She was humming softly while measuring coffee grinds for her morning rations when someone spoke from her couch.

“Isn’t it a little too early to be this chirpy?” Nine groaned before burying her head on the pillow Lou lent her.

Lou nearly spilt the grounds over the counter in her surprise. She literally forgot that Nine and Tammy slept over to help finish some preparations for the meeting with you. Tammy stood up and stretched before walking up to Lou with a smile.

“Don’t take it personally. She’s never a morning person.”

“Coffee?” Lou asked with a soft smile and a light blush adorning her cheek.

“Yes, please.” Tammy sat on the stool by the counter and watched Lou’s back. “Are we having breakfast here or shall we have the kids (Agatha and Charlie) pick up some before heading to the office?”

Lou bit her bottom lip as she thinks about her options. She opened her fridge and studied the contents of it. “Well, I have enough ingredients for your packed breakfasts, if you want to cook.”

Tammy immediately perked up at that. “Yes, please. I’ll make Y/N’s favourites.”

Lou smiled and nodded, just in time for the coffee maker to finish brewing. She got a mug of black coffee before turning towards Tammy who was already opening her cupboards for everything that she’ll need.

“Alright. I’ll get out of your hair then.” Lou knows better to stay away from the kitchen when Tammy’s cooking. The woman prefers cooking alone as she knows that their crew tends to leave a bigger mess when they’re trying to help.

Tammy just smiled and shooed her away. Nine walked in the open kitchen right when Lou seated at the balcony of her apartment. They both watched Lou with her eyes closed, face turned towards the early morning sun, and a soft smile on her face.

“It’s been too long since I’ve seen her this -” Tammy paused, searching for the right word.

“Happy?” Nine tried to guess. Tammy shook her head lightly, watching Lou for another minute before she found the perfect word.

“Alive.”

***

Nine drove the three of them to work using Lou’s car. A testament of how good Lou must be feeling to let the tech girl drive her precious car. Lou just happily sat on the passenger seat, looking out of the window like she hasn’t lived in the city most of her adult life.

“Nine-” Lou said without looking at the brunette. She just continued to survey the yellow taxi idle next to their car.

“Yeah?”

“Do you know if Y/N’s dating anyone?”

Nine chuckled, Lou has been asking the same question at least every quarter of the year. Since Lou’s not on any social media platform, she didn’t have any means to watch over you. She told herself that making an Instagram account would be a violation of her efforts to move forward. She told herself it will also be futile since she’s sure you won’t let her follow you, as all your accounts are private.

“You’ve asked this before and the answer is still the same.” Nine teased lightly before handing Lou her unlocked mobile phone. “Check for yourself. The girl still flies under the radar.”

She scrolled through the endless apps installed in Nine’s phone before she found Instagram. She opened it and searched your handle through Nine’s following tab. True to her word, there’s really no sign that you’re romantically involved with someone.

Your feed is all travel photos, food crawls in your travel destinations, museums you’ve visited through London and other parts of Europe. There were also photos of your cosy apartment, and your pet cat but that’s it. One might say, there’s nothing juicy about it. You don’t even post selfies. Lou took one last quick scroll through your feed before she closed the app and handed Nine her phone back.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” Nine grinned, eyes still trained out front. “So, what’s the plan?”

Lou scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion before turning her body slightly to address her friend. “What plan?”

Nine’s smile just got more mischievous. “The plan,” she said like Lou’s supposed to get it already. When Lou just kept giving her the confused look, she sighed. “What’s the plan to get Y/N back?”

“Oh.” A quick look of worry and sadness passed through Lou’s face before she turned back to the city. “I don’t know, N. I feel like I don’t deserve her. Even more so now.”

Nine frowned at that before she can speak though, Tammy kicked the back of Lou’s seat making her yelp. “What the hell, Tammy?” Lou yelled.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Tammy asked exasperated.

“Exactly that. I mean, I don’t know.” Lou crossed her arms over her chest.

“How about apologizing and telling her the truth that you never cheated on her?” Tammy mirrored Lou’s position: arms crossed and frowning deeply.

“What does it matter now? It’s been long overdue.”

“Better late than never, L.” Nine glanced at her while waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

“It won’t erase what you did but if you want her back, I think coming clean is the first step,” Tammy whispered.

***

Lou resolved to take her friends advice and apologize even though she thinks its overdue. It turns out apologizing wasn’t going to be the problem, it’s actually getting you alone for more than two minutes is. The moment they stepped into the gallery, it seems like everyone gravitate towards you. Besides that, you were also laser focus on everything that needs to be done for opening night that she finds it hard to approach you in fear of disturbing you.

Days passed in a blur of meetings, site inspections, and generally making sure that everything is on point for the event that Lou barely noticed that she still hasn’t had any alone time with you until it was opening night. You arrived at the same time everyone from the Heist was supposed to check in even though you’re technically not their employee anymore. You walked in wearing an elegant black dress with matching black heels.

“Everything is going as planned outside. Security is already in their positions, and I just saw a few VIP cars parking upfront,” you said in place of a greeting while tapping away at your phone. “Deb you might need to get your pretty ass upfront and welcome the guests.”

When only silence follows, you looked up to find every single one of your friends is gaping at you.

”I’m sorry is there something in -”

“You look beautiful,” Lou whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. You looked straight at the blonde’s blue eyes and smirked at her. “I mean -”

“Thanks, Lou.” You cut her off. “You look great too.”

A soft blush tinted Lou’s cheeks. Constance cleared her throat. “Ugh. I hate to interrupt this flirt fest but the guests are coming,” she said before nodding towards the door.

True to Constance words, invited guests started pouring in prompting everyone into action to receive them.

***

The rented space for the event was significantly bigger than the gallery but it’s still packed with art enthusiasts from all walks of life. Selene Quaid’s name plastered in every printed and digital marketing collateral does bring in the people. She’s like the sun, and everyone’s Icarus who doesn’t care if they burn just to be near her. About an hour into the event and there’s still no sign of the woman, which Lou knows because she’s been at the bar surveying the crowd all night.

She just downed her first glass of champagne when you plopped down on the stool next to her and ordered yourself a drink.

“Tequila? This early?” Lou asked after you downed your first shot.

“Yeah.” You downed another shot.

Lou crinkled her eyebrows together. “What’s wrong?”

You downed your last shot before turning towards your ex-girlfriend. “Selene’s late. Again. You know how tardiness makes me anxious.”

Lou nodded because she does remember the two of your discussing the issue before that’s why she made it a point never to be late in any of your dates in the past. “I’m sure she’s on the way.”

You just hummed in acknowledgement before swivelling the rest of your stool to face the buzzing crowd. Lou can’t help but study the side profile of your face.

“Lou, you’re staring.”

“I can’t help it.” She whispered loud enough for only you to hear. “I just can’t believe you’re here and talking to me.”

You glanced at her and smiled. “It’s been too long, hasn’t it?” You said before turning back to watch the door.

“Yes, and it may be overdue but I’m sorry for what I did.” Lou’s voice cracked as she tries to reign in her emotions.

You fully turn your attention to her then. “Lou, I’ve for-”

“No before you say that. I need you to know that truth,” she cut you off.

You nodded to prompt her to continue. “I never cheated on you,” she muttered with conviction. You searched her face for a hint of a lie but you can’t find any. “I did lie to you though.”

“Explain,” you said after flagging the waiter for another round of shots. You feel like you might need it with how serious Lou is.

Lou looked so guilty and sad when you faced her again. “I didn’t think you would ever take the job at Tate if you were with me. So I asked Therese to pretend that we were fooling around behind your back.”

You gripped the edge of the counter, as you digest that new information. Lou can see the unshed tears starting to gather in your eyes and she wanted nothing more but to reach out and pull you to her but you were gritting your teeth and she knew your habits very well.

“I’m sorry,” Lou repeated.

You downed 1 out of your 3 tequila shots. “That wasn’t your call,” you whispered angrily at her. “Leaving you was the hardest thing I had to do, not quitting the program to go back and beg you to choose me was the next.”

“I’m sorry.” Lou apologizing again is just making you angrier by the minute. You throw back your second shot.

“We could have made it work. I could have flown to you every Friday night. It’s just a 7-hour flight.” You downed your last tequila shot, ignoring the burn in your throat and almost slamming the glass down on the bar had you not remembered you two are supposed to be working.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N.” Lou tried to reach for your hand but you yanked it away from her.

“You never gave me a chance,” you spat. Lou shook her head.

“You never gave us a chance.

***

Lou wanted to defend her decision but she was cut off when the rest of the Heist crew bounded happily to the bar.

“There you are!” Nine declared enthusiastically. You made a subtle attempt to dab the tears in your eyes before turning to your friends.

“What’s up?” You answered over-enthusiastically.

“Someone’s been looking for you,” Amita quipped.

Before you can ask who, Selene Quaid reached the bar with Rose. When she looked up and saw you, she immediately halted her conversation with the fashion designer and excused herself to come to you.

“Hey.” Selene greeted, scratching at the back of her neck. “You look fantastic.”

“You’re late,” you ignored the compliment and admonished the brunette, which surprised everyone. No one gets to tell Selene Quiad what to do. She goes places and does things in her own pace and time.

“I’m sorry.” Selene cupped your right cheek with her right hand. She looked genuinely remorseful. “I’ll make it up to you.”

You smiled softly, leaning into Selene’s touch as it temporarily soothes the ache from your previous conversation with Lou. “You better,” you said smiling.

Selene took it as a sign that she’s forgiven. Smiling broadly before stepping closer and pulling you into a soft, brief kiss that took Lou’s breath away. Just like that, Lou’s dream of getting you back was shuttered in a million tiny pieces right in front of her eyes.

It’s too late.

She’s too late.

Taglist: @kaytoopio @marvelfansince08love @marvelb00kwolf @shycucumbersandwich @subject7creed @theprassebox @confessionsofawritingdork @gaytrashgoblin @cup-of-stars

#avengers cross #avengers x oceans 8 #avengers x reader #oceans 8 x reader #avengers imagine #oceans 8 imagine #lou miller imagine #cate blanchett imagine #lou miller x reader #cate blanchett x reader #lou miller #cate blanchett

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drethanramslay · 5 years ago

Note

Please write Ethan x mc 38 and 8 thank you so much

Thanks for the ask Anon ❤️

You can find the prompt list here.

#8- “Why are you looking at me like that…?”

#38- you can find it here

Warning: Fluff. Forgive me if it's not medically accurate 😅

Taglist: @miyakokurono @trappedinfandoms @openheart12 @sekizincimektup @junggoku @ethandaddyramsey @edith-eggs1 @ethanramseysgirl (let me know if you want to be added or removed from the tag list 😊)

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

9:00 pm

A knock resounded on the glass door of Ethan's office. When he looked up from his desk, he found Leah standing there, leaning against the frame.

"Hey Dr. Ramsey. Why are you still here?"

"If you wanted me gone that bad-"

Leah groaned and entered the thin, closing the door behind her. She leaned over the table and found that he was studying a case.

"Is it the nun from room 508?" She asked as she sat down.

"Yeah... It's been driving me crazy since yesterday. I personally think it's Churg-Strauss Syndrome, but somethings are not adding up. I decided to stay over and work it since I'm not feeling sleepy."

"So a night out?"

"Yeah, kind of.. I wouldn't mind if you helped me out. Two brains are better than one."

"Sure Dr. E." She grabbed hold of the charts and started studying it.

11:00 pm

"Ethan?"

"Yeah?" He let out a yawn as he stretched his back. They had shifted to the sofa. Many medical textbooks were lying open all around them. Leah was sitting next to him with his laptop on her lap, and her voluminous hair tied into a messy bun. Her glasses were perched on her nose.

"I'm hungry."

"Hey hungry I'm-"

She smacked him on the shoulder and Ethan chuckled. "I want takeout."

"C'mon let's go. I know a place which sells delicious Chinese food, and is open at this hour. We need a break anyway."

Wearing their jackets, the headed into the cold night. They chatted about the case as they walked down the streets.

"So what happened when they injected her with adrenaline?" Leah asked as she slurped her chicken ramen noodles.

"She became okay but five minutes later she started siezing. Other symptoms- Breathlessness. Wheezing." Ethan said as he bit into his egg roll. They were sitting on a bench in the hospital's garden. Leah sat cross legged, mulling over the symptoms and took another bite of her dumpling.

After chewing the delicious fried rice, Ethan spoke, "And the peculiar thing is that, when we injected the tracer for the MRI scanner, she immediately developed hives."

"Damn. The case is getting stranger and stranger." Ethan hummed in agreement, eyeing her dumplings.

"Sunshine, can I have one of your dumplings?" He gave her the cutest puppy eyes.

"Awwww.... Aren't you cute? I usually don't share but, you can take as long as you give me an egg roll." She ruffled his hair and he just swatted her hand away.

"Deal."

2:45 am

Ethan took his tie and cufflinks off. He rolled his sleeves up until his elbow and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt.

Leah stared at every action. His strong forearms, the prominent veins, the stray chest hair, everything.

God, why did I have to fall for such a hot guy?!

"You are staring."

She cleared her throat and went back to get medical textbook.

"Could it be mixed connective tissue disease? Have you quarantined her?" Leah asked, with her legs propped up on the coffee table.

"Yes. Could be an allergy? Can't be safe enough." He replied as he drank his third cup of coffee. He noticed her light blue converse shoes. "Hey, are those new?"

"Yap. And look, they match my scrubs!" She pressed her shoe against her scrub pants. Ethan just stared at the way she was smiling over a pair of shoes.

God, she is so cute. I would move mountains this make her smile like that...

Leah looked at him and saw him looking back at her, with a soft smile playing on his lips. “Why are you looking at me like that…?”

"Nothing. Just seeing how obsessed you are with Converse. I don't get it."

"Converse is like Pokemon... You gotta catch them all."

Ethan rolled his eyes and dived right back into his research.

4:50 am

"It's almost time for the first rounds." Ethan said as he checked his watch.

"We are close E. I think we can crack it." Leah responded.

"You should try it too. It improves the circulation to the head." She called out to him, upside down.

He took his specs off and turned around to see Leah doing a headstand. Her scrub and shirt had rolled down, exposing her toned stomach.

"No I'm good."

"Your loss."

Ethan continued to read the charts when he noticed something. "Wait a second... She used to get rashes when she used to wash copper vessels."

"Also, when I was taking patient history, she said that she joined a missionary at 15, because she wanted to be a celibate. That means using an IUD." Leah added, as she stood up.

"The tracer we use also had copper in it."

"Leah, I think we cracked it."

"Allergic reaction to copper."

"Let's get those tests done." Ethan says as he grabbed his coat.

7:30 am

"Oh my god thank you so much doctor." The nun cried with tears of happiness falling down her cheeks.

"It's our pleasure." Leah said as she gave the patient a smile.

The headed outside and Ethan submitted the charts to the nurses' station. Leah gave out a huge yawn.

"I'm going to pass out." Ethan said as he rubbed his eyes.

Leah nodded and followed him to the on call room. He took out his coat, shoes and belt before settling in the empty bed. Leah took her shoes off as well as her scrub top, leaving her in a black full sleeved shirt.

Instead of heading to another bed, she slipped into the blankets with Ethan and laid her head on his strong bicep.

"Sunshine, what are you doing?"

"Sleeping." She nestled against him and threw her leg on his leg.

"There are legit... Other beds." Ethan yawned out.

"So you want me.... to go?" Leah sleepily asked.

Wrapping his arm around her, he whispered, "No."

They both passed out, cuddling each other into a nice dreamless sleep.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

Last call for writing asks guys:)

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chimswae · 4 years ago

Text

BTS Caretaker CH15

Summary: She may think she has Bangtan Sonyeondan wrapped around her fingers. She may think it is easy to love the members equally without hurting any soul. She may think the boys wont fall head over heels for her. She assumes it is okay to show a little love and affection towards the boys, what if she gets it all wrong? What if it only brings more complication to her already complicated life? Can she survive their charms? Will she be able to resist them? What if they just wont let her go?

- Pairing: BTS x Oc ( Yoongi x OC, Jungkook x OC)

- Genre: Fluff, Slight Angst, Romance, Idol!au

- Word Count: 3,873

- Author Note:Late update again hmm i was a little busy these days with work ;( i appreciate your feedback and comment, just drop in my ASK BOX :)

Previous | Next

Chapter 15

“The filming is delayed so stay in bed” Jin sunk beside sick Hoseok, giving the younger guy a stern look. A look that killed any of the members whenever they disobeyed him. Hoseok sat up with Jin’s help, resting his back against the headboard “ I don’t think this is a big deal, I still can make it out through the filming” he murmured groggily.

“Bang PD is the one who gives the order. If you happen to have any complain, direct it to Bang PD” Yoongi walked in with a tray of chicken porridge and a glass of water.

Hoseok pursed his lips in disapproval not liking this at all “I don’t want to become the reason that everyone has to put their job at halt. I can film our music video today” his brows pinched together showing his protest.

Annoyed, Yoongi handed the food to Jin with an unknowingly scary glare rendered them speechless “And isn’t it selfish to say you are healthy when you are not? It was not a big deal; the filming can be pushed forward but not your health. Think of how to heal faster first then only you complain. Eat up and stop sulking” clicking his tongue, he left the room leaving Jin and Hoseok dumbfounded.

There was a moment of silence before Jin spoke up “You do realize, Yoongi is saying the right thing, aren’t you? Do not overthink Hobi. Today’s filming is meant to be pushed forward anyways, fret not there were problems with the locations. So, they had to make an amendment on that” he assured.

“Fine..” the sick boy grumbled in annoyance. Jin fed the younger guy patiently with affection and great attention. Whenever one of the boys’ fall sick, they would sometimes turn into an adorable baby. Even the I-don’t-give-a-damn Min Suga will be the cutest out of all them. Hoseok finished the porridge without much trouble, though most of time Jin had to force the food down his throat but he was able to eat all of it.

“Hyung.. Is it true the caretaker lady took care of me?”

“Yes, Seul was here when you passed out. But she left before I could thank her properly. I have no idea why she was in rush” Jin’s lips were pressed together into thin line. To be frank, yesterday he hoped to see Seul even for a little while. Upon his arrival, he was welcomed by an empty house and small note from Seul.

She was obeying the contract that her mother had with the company a little too serious.

Hoseok hummed softly “I remember a woman’s voice though I could not have a good look of her face that time. I wish to meet her and thank her one day. I thought you have her number? Can’t you request her to come here?”

“I did try, but she refused to meet us. She is obeying the terms in the contract. We are not supposed to have any kind of contact with our caretaker, but I eventually broke one of the terms by contacting her through messages”

“She doesn’t cause any harm well at first we though she was a sasaeng. Since her story matched with the original caretaker ahjumma, I trust her” Hoseok’s eyes glimmered with hope. How can this guy have trusted a stranger so easily? Come to think about it, he had not met Seul face-to-face.

The older guy had a small smile at the corner of his lips “I trust Seul too..” his heart hopped slightly at the mere mention of her name. Oh, why was that?

Jin fixed the pillow under him, and laid Hoseok down with a satisfied now “Now, rest. I will wake you up in few hours, so you can eat your medicine” he pressed the back of his palm against Hoseok’s hot forehead.

“Stop pampering me like a baby” he whined weakly accompanied by a soft cough at the end.

Smirking, Jin glared at his way “Arent you one?” Hoseok snuggled under the blanket to find warmth as he nodded weakly without complaint. He felt too weak to even open his eyes, for some reason his eyelids felt super heavy. It must be the food and unnecessary nagging from Min Yoongi.

“Call me if you need anything, sleep Hobi” he patted the top of his head before exiting Hope’s room with the empty bowl.

------------------

Pacing back and forth in front of Bangtan’s place, Seul growled in disapproval thinking of what she had gotten herself into. Her mother made her skip her job today just because she was concerned of Jhope’s condition. She was not supposed to open her loud mouth and spilled everything to her mother just now. Now, she had to be the delivery girl for the day, running errands for her mother.

“Deliver this to the boys” placing a bag full of variety containers come from different sizes in front of clueless Seul, she shot her mother a questionable look.

Seul puffed her cheeks “Mom, I have work. I will be late, can’t you make Hoon do the job?” she suggested, rejecting the request.

“He will not be back until tonight. Can you do me a favour and deliver this food to the boys. Drop everything that you do, I am sure you friend can cover it up for you. Plus, poor Hobi is sick, at this time he needs a comfort food for that dry throat” she sighed.

She gawked at her mom’s reply trying to decipher this absurdity “Mom, you do realize Hoseok has six boys to look after him, right? And, Jin knows how to cook that so called comfort food. Leave him do the job”

“That is totally different! Jin’s cook is alright but it is not enough for Hobi’s body. What he needs right now is a healthy food. I cooked chicken ginseng and porridge for him to savour. And others can share it together in this cold weather”

“You are unbelievable mother! What happen with the so called ‘the caretaker is not allowed to have any contacts with the boys’. This is a breach of contract!” she grew defensive.

Her mother shook her head with a soft huff “The term was breached long ago when you got caught by Yoongi-ah, so we might as well use this chance to meet them nonetheless. Besides, Jinnie contacted me last time to get me your number, so since we all have come to this..There is nothing we can do” Seul looked baffle, and out of sudden she felt victimized. Not that, she exposed herself voluntarily to the boys until she was caught by Min Yoongi. Things just turned out to be this way.

“I am not doing this”

“You are left with no choice”

“MOM WHY” she flailed her arms in disagreement almost too childish, but Seul did it anyway.

Her mother chuckled “Because I am your mother, now go wash up and deliver this before it gets cold! Don’t forget to hand this to them by hand, do not place it in front of their doorstep. I am warning you Ji Seul” Seul cringed when her mother voiced out the plan that she had in her mind out loud. She really should not underestimate her mother.

“Should I press the button or just leave it here” she mumbled under her sharp breath. After struggling for few more minutes, Seul had finally decided to just leave the food at the doorstep, pressed the bell and quickly escaped before anyone saw her. Yes, that sounded legit.

Carefully, Seul set down the purple bag one the ground not wanting to garner any attention. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the small button softly until she heard a loud ding “Okay run” she chewed her lower lips nervously.

Just when Seul thought the plan the she executed was a success, her body flew backwards crashing onto a hard yet soft surface. She hissed softly at the sudden impact behind her, “What in the world…” someone was grabbing her ponytail.

“Where do you think you are going” again that familiar voice whom caused enough mess to her heart is back. His other hand was holding onto her hoodie, making it hard for her to turn around and glare at the culprit.

Yoongi smug watching Seul struggled in his strong grip “Nice to meet you again Seul-ssi, it is not nice to leave before you can even say hi” with that, he dragged the poor girl inside by her ponytail. Despite using that kind of approach in forcing the girl inside, Yoongi made sure not to use force on her hair, afraid that it might hurt her. Not to forget, he used his free hand to grab the bag full of food left by Seul earlier and locked the door behind him with a mischievous smirk plastered across his face.

“MIN FRIGGIN YOONGI. LET MY HAIR GO YOU FOOLISH MAN”

“Did you just call me Min Yoongi?”

“Then should I call you Min Foolish?” Seul said sarcastically. His grip loosening around her ponytail and without wasting any time, Seul turned her heels facing the devil in the mask. She was fuming with anger, as her nose scrunched up cutely following her heavy breathing.

Amused, Yoongi tilted his head, stared boringly at Seul’s direction with a playful smirk “Cute..” he blurted out of nowhere.

“Excuse me?” She frowned.

“I said you are cute” he stated one more time without any hint of embarrassment. Seul was creeped out by Yoongi bipolar attitude. One second he was acting like a dictator, and another second he’s blabbering some nonsense like right now. Compliment and Min Yoongi did not sound like a good combination to her.

Seul cleared her throat trying to not be affected by his empty words “Whatever. I am leaving. My mother wanted me to deliver those food for Hoseok-ssi. I am done with my task, so please excuse me” Seul was ready to leave. This was not supposed to happen, meeting Min Yoongi and being in the same room as his was the biggest sin ever.

Yoongi caught her wrist before she could pursue her intention in leaving him “We have a lot to talk about” he eyed the girl painfully deep, melting her bones like a fragile vanilla ice cream. Oh no, she vowed to herself to not fall for his gaze. Now her heart is acting up again because of him.

“Like wh-at” she squeaked shyly under his strong gaze.

“First thing first…When will you stop excluding me from the meals that you prepared for us?” he questioned.

“I don’t know”

“I am an impatient man”

“I know”

“So you know. What else you know about me?” Yoongi straightforwardness took Seul off guard. Every time she was confronted by him, her body seemed like to have a mind of its own. Seul would either embarrass herself in front of him or spilling out the truth which she didn’t intend to.

“………..”

“Again, I am impatient, Seul-ssi” he took the chance to take a few steps closer to stiff Seul who showed no sign of wanting to escape. Yoongi ran his finger over her wrist softly, stroking it painfully slow in a teasing manner causing her to shudder under his touch.

“We will get back to that later then”

Stood super close and handsomely in front of Seul was Min Yoongi, he leaned down to whisper those word in her ears. Her breath hitched at the slight contact of his lips against her skin “Secondly, the kisses. Why you kissed me that day and why were you kissing me back?” his thumb grazed her wrist and inched further along her cold arm.

The kisses that the shared previously had been haunting her and so did Yoongi. “Who else know about that” she tried to not let her squeaky voice sounded too weak in his ears.

“No one but us… How is it important to you that no one knows about this?”

“You are an idol, I don’t want to ruin your image. The kisses were a mistake. I was not myself” Seul retorted with a heavy sigh. She feared if anyone knew about this, they might use it to spread some malicious rumours.

Yoongi moved his hand to encircle it around Seul’s waist, “But, I was myself that day” he hummed lowly. Her knees weakened, heart pumping loudly and her heart had been spinning round and round due to this closeness. Anything that came out from Yoongi’s mouth bounced out from her messy brain. The adrenaline rush inside her was so real.

On the other hand, Yoongi loved the smell of her shampoo, her perfume and her soft skin against him. Everything about Seul was intoxicating, like his mind reacted to its own with her presence around him.

He squished her waist closer, brushing his lips at the side of her neck which frustrated her further “I am excited to see you again Seul. It was sooner than I thought” she clenched her fist as her mind was having a battle. A battle that she could never win, a battle that could change everything in her life.

“I..have to g…o” she palmed Yoongi chest to push him away and she found herself blushing at her own boldness.

He mentally complimented Yeoul again careful this time not to sound too obvious. In some situation it could not be helped especially when it was related to Seul. Yoongi let out a low chuckle, his voice alone could cause pointless uproar inside her heart “What if I want you to stay..” he teased.

Again, it rendered her speechless. Why most of the time she turned into a clueless and dumb girl in front of Bangtan, Yoongi was the major problem here.

Gathering her courage to answer Yoongi and left for good, Seul looked up only to be welcomed by Yoongi small yet alluring lips near her eye level. She tore her eyes from staring too long at that one particular part “I don’t think-“ her sentence was cut off by Jin’s voice.

“Who are you talking to Yoong” the sound if his footsteps were approaching them closer, and like a flash Yoongi quickly settled down, releasing Seul from his grasp. He missed the warmth of Seul’s body already.

Yoongi coughed a little easing the heavy lump on his throat “It is Seul” he said.

“OH? SEUL IS HERE” Jin eyes glimmered in happiness and Yoongi found it was sore to his sight. Why would Jin felt extremely happy to see Seul around? How close they were with each other?

Giving no time to flustered Seul recovered from Yoongi’s weird antic, she bowed politely at Jin with a nervous smile “Jin..i am here to deliver food from my mother. She was worried when she found out Hoseok-ssi fall sick. Can you pass the food to him?” Jin nodded.

“Ahjumma cooked for Hobi? That is nice of her, thank you Seul-ah” Yoongi cringed at their informality making him wonder how things escalated fast between both of them but not him and Seul.

Seul smiled genuinely “There is enough food for everyone and this time Yoongi-ssi is included” Jin’s sense the tense in her voice as she watched them both exchanged a weird signal. A sharp tug of jealousy pulled at Jin. Odd, yet he really felt that way.

“Thank you again Seul-ah for taking care of Hobi yesterday. We are sorry he is troubling you. Anyway, he really wanted to thank you personally, but he is fast asleep. I will let him know that you come with food” his handsome face lit up as is he in love. Again, Min Yoongi was sharp enough to notice the difference in the way Jin reacted around Seul.

“Ah it is nothing. I hope he gets better. I need to go now, I will just urm.. see you around I guess, since we ended up meeting each other now and then” she tucked the strand of hair behind her ear like a shy fangirl.

Does she act that way with every man! Yoongi yowled in his head, looking extremely pissed at the other side. Jin walked passed Yoongi and led Seul to the door “See you around Seul-ah, get back safely!” he chuckled.

“Urm.. yes.. good bye” she left without turning back most likely she feared herself. The feelings that she had for the two men were undeniably disturbing. Now, that she met almost everyone in Bangtan, what else could happen.

--------------

On her forehead a frown which had taken the shape of a deep horizontal line as her hand was moving in straight line wiping the glass window mindlessly. The frown stayed constantly in place ever since she left Bangtan’s place few hours ago. It was an evident of her discomfort. Seul tended to overthink and it was seriously an illness if she prolonged it.

At the corner, Wongeun and Hwasa were watching the girl closely with a wary look. Not that they wanted to be nosy, however Seul seemed a little off for the whole day. Being a concern friend, they were, Wongeun decided to inquire her after they were done with their work later on.

Seul emitted a soft sigh, finally gathering her sense back ‘Okay get your head together Ji Seul. It is just stupid tingly feeling that tries to mess up with your brain, you are doing fine’ she coaxed her heart. With that last heave, she averted her attention to the already sparkly glass in front of her. She must have spent at least ten minutes there wiping the same area all over again.

She straightened her body and rose from the chair, allowing her gaze drift slowly from the scene in front of her. The corner of her eyes caught a figure beyond the glass holding an expensive camera at her way. To her utter astonishment, the man was snapping a photo of her that caused her to feel displeased at the scene before her.

What is he doing. She placed the old rag on the table and squinted her eyes to get a better look. Indeed, the man in that grey hoodie was too engrossed in his photo taking and he snapped a photo of her. Seul did not want to sound delusional but he was being too obvious.

Inhaling a deep breath, Seul exited the store leaving Wongeun and Hwasa clueless. The man stood not far from the shop she was working and immediately kept his camera down with his eyes wide upon realizing Seul few feet from him.

“Excuse me, did you just take a photo of me?”

The man was panicking as he didn’t expect he got caught this sooner, his free hand was clutching onto a small sketchbook that he used to bring whenever he’s out along with his precious camera. He gulped, “I am sorry” he apologized timidly.

“I understand you are into photography, but I want you to respect people’s privacy. I don’t like my photos being taken by strangers” Seul crossed her arms eyeing the fully covered man before her. Even though she thought his eyes reminded her of someone, but she thought it was just her eyes messing up with her.

The man hung his head lowly in embarrassment “I just thought you are beautiful. I am sorry if it makes you feel uncomfortable” he sighed deeply.

His compliment flattered her, however it wouldn’t change the fact that this man just invaded her personal space “Thank you but can you please erase my photo?”

“Can i.. urm keep one at least?” he negotiated.

“For?”

“For my personal collections. It is nothing just for my collection”

“That sounds so wrong and creepy, Mister”

The man in front of her flustered again as reality hit him hard. He really had a wrong choice of word sometimes, which cause people to feel uncomfortable around him “I apologize, I mean..as my photo collection. It is an art thing. I promise I wont release it anywhere” he rubbed the back of his neck slowly.

“No..” she could not see his expression due to the black mask covering half of his face, but Seul was able to sense his disappointment. She tried to harbour his attention again “Unless you tell me your name. A man like you must have name right, at least I know you are not a creep” he looked reluctant at first.

He went mute for a moment before decided to give in to Seul’s request, not that she expected him to comply to the request. She didn’t think the photos of her could mean that much to him in exchange of his precious name. Guess, people with passion has different point of view.

“It is Vante..” he murmured.

“Van who?”

“Vante..So let me keep your photo”

“Vante..Are you a foreigner? You name sounds unique” Seul was impressed by the name.

Taehyung shook his head to keep this conversation as minimal as possible, no one should know who he was especially this girl that happened to catch his attention. He mindlessly took her photos just because the view in front of him was a piece of art. She looked effortlessly beautiful with the frown evident on her forehead, the photos of her depicted thousand stories behind it.

“Then Vante-ssi, i will let you keep one of it and erase the rest alright. I will just go now. And good luck with urmm taking photos I guess” she felt the awkwardness built between them. Was it because the guy in front of him or was it the situation that they were in?

Taehyung called out Seul once again putting her step at halt “Wait!” he went to her side, tearing one page from his sketchbook “Take this as my apology” he handed a piece of paper with a drawing. Seul scrutinized the drawing closely, “I..am sorry, I sketched a little and this is you.” he explained.

Feeling lightheaded, her lips were formed into an ‘o’ shape “Thank you..urmm Vante-ssi” she smiled brightly. The drawing a little unique to her just as peculiar as his name but the drawing warmth her heart. She could feel the sincerity in that piece of art.

“I just learned how to draw and sorry if it doesn’t appear like it supposes to be” he looked at Seul sheepishly. It was his first time to show his drawing to anyone, not even his members could peek at his drawing. The fact he gave his drawing to Seul, it was something unusual.

A small chuckle escaped from her “It is beautiful. An art is something unexplainable and only few people could understand it. That is why it is called art. Thank you again. It is nice meeting you, goodbye” a small bow from Seul and she disappeared in the shop again to tend her work.

“I FORGOT TO ASK HER NAME AGAIN!” Taehyung slapped his forehead and frowned at his foolishness. He glanced at the tea shop in front of him with a small smile “She works here, maybe next time” he turns to head back with a gleeful smile on his face.

His evening rendezvous turned out fruitful after all.

#bts fic #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #bts series #bts idol au #bts romance #bts fluff #bts x oc #yoongi x oc #jungkook x oc #yoongi fluff #bts idolau #btscaretaker

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camillemontespan · 5 years ago

Text

oblivion [M! raleigh carrera] [part seven: lose yourself]

@emichelle @ritachacha @ibldw-main @omgjasminesimone @msjpuddleduck @katedrakeohd @lilmissperfectlyimperfect @dailydoseofchoices @pug-bitch @moonlightgem7

Warnings: NSFW. Mention of drug use. Master List

Marina slept for twelve hours after playing another video game with Raleigh. She had been exhausted; her eyes were shadowed and her body felt heavy and bone tired. Raleigh let her sleep, knowing she needed her rest. While she was safe under her blankets, Raleigh looked up therapists in Michigan.

He accepted now that Marina needed more help. It wasn’t enough for Raleigh to take her out of Los Angeles, out of her drug induced, champagne bubbled, drug addled bubble. He had taken her away from the place where she would be tempted but she was still the same girl with the same problems. Asking her to go cold turkey was too much; Raleigh could see that now. Marina needed professional help.

Raleigh stayed up until 2am with his laptop open as he browsed for the therapist he could find. Rehab hadn’t worked for Marina; she had been a patient twice. But maybe a safe space where she could talk to a therapist about her issues and then retreat to Raleigh’s mom’s place would help?

Overset with tiredness, Raleigh shut his laptop and rested his head in his hands. He needed to make this right. He had failed her before and he wouldn’t do it again. Right now, his only priority was getting Marina back to the person she was; or even if that wasn’t possible, he would try to bring hope and light back into her life when all she had known for so long was endless darkness.

*********************************

Raleigh arranged for Marina to attend a private therapy session. One to one with the therapist, Dr. Henderson, signing an NDA.

On Monday morning, Raleigh supported Marina as she got herself dressed for the therapy session. ‘Is this okay?’ she asked, giving him a weak twirl. She was wearing a blue and white fluffy sweater paired with blue ripped jeans and Converse.

Raleigh thought she looked ridiculously cute and he really wanted to give her a hug.

‘You look awesome,’ he told her simply. ‘You ready for this?’

Marina nodded mutely. ‘Nervous,’ she said. ‘But that’s understandable. I guess I just hope this therapist won’t tell the press about all my secrets ha!’ She forced the laugh out but Raleigh knew she wasn’t joking.

‘She’s signed an NDA,’ Raleigh assured her. ‘She’s a professional anyway, Mari. She wants to help. It’s her job.’

Marina nodded, processing his words. Raleigh smiled softly and moved towards her to take her hands.

‘I’ll be out in the waiting room,’ he whispered. ‘If it gets too much, I’ll be right outside.’

‘Guys, you ready to go?’ Raleigh’s mom called up the stairs. ‘Car’s ready!’

Raleigh took Marina’s hand and led her down the stairs to the car, making sure to bundle on scarves so no prying neighbours would see them. Marina’s privacy had been non-existent in LA; Raleigh wasn’t having a repeat of it again.

****************************************

The therapist’s office was empty, thank God. Marina could breathe easy that nobody would see her and recognise who she was. She was taken into the room immediately, leaving Raleigh in the waiting room.

His eyes found the stack of magazines before he could tear his gaze away. Tabloids emblazoned with Marina’s image. Pictures of her looking worse for wear, like she was barely surviving in this dog eat dog world.

Raleigh quickly picked up the magazines and shoved them in the trash can.

**************************************

Marina played with the hem of her sweater as she sat in awkward silence. Dr Henderson was sat opposite her with her legs crossed and a notepad on her lap, pen poised. She was wearing cat eye shaped spectacles and her dark hair was pulled up into a neat ponytail. She looked friendly.

‘This is just a get to know you session’, Dr Henderson said gently. ‘Nothing too scary. Would you like some water?’

Marina took the glass of water and sipped the drink, her hands shaking as she did so.

‘I’m here to help you,’ the therapist told her in a low voice. ‘There is no judgment here. This is a safe space-’

‘Because you signed the NDA,’ Marina interrupted, her voice startling even her.

The therapist smiled. ‘Yes, I did. But it would still be a safe space even if I hadn’t signed. Do you think I will tell everyone the confidential information you’ll give me?’

Marina shrugged. ‘No. You’re a professional,’ she said quietly, repeating what Raleigh had told her. ‘It’s your job.’

Her tone was reluctant, which the therapist noted.

‘Do you find it hard to trust people?’

Marina bit her lip. ‘No..’

‘Yet you think I will tell everyone everything that you say in this room?’

‘I’ve trusted people in the past and they have always thrown it back in my face,’ Marina told her. ‘I trusted people too easily and they took advantage.’

‘In what way?’

The words flooded out of Marina before she could stop them.

‘Like we would go out to a bar and I would be the one left to pay the $500 bill. Or I would tell them I was seeing a guy and the next day, the papers would be talking about it. Or I had friends ask me for loans of money to keep themselves afloat, I couldn’t say no, but in the end, they would use that cash on drugs or alcohol.’

Marina looked down at her hands. ‘I’ve been chewed up and spat back out.’

The therapist made a note on her pad. ‘Your friend outside,’ she said. ‘Raleigh. Do you want to talk about him?’

Marina blushed. The therapist smiled. ‘Boyfriend?’

‘Something like that,’ Marina replied softly. ‘It’s complicated.’

‘How?’

‘We were bad for each other,’ Marina said. ‘But in the end, he is the one who is by my side when nobody else is. Everyone shows their true colours in the end; Raleigh has shown his.’

***************************************

An hour later, Marina came out of the therapists room. Raleigh stood up and gave her a smile; Marina smiled back, to his relief.

‘I’m seeing her again next week,’ Marina told him. ‘That was just a get to know you session.’

Raleigh wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss on top of her head. ‘I’m proud of you,’ he murmured into her hair. ‘So fucking proud of you.’

They left the office together and back into Raleigh’s mom’s car. She had bought McDonalds as a treat and laughed as Raleigh and Marina tore into the brown paper bags.

‘It’s like you’re kids again!’ she laughed, shaking her head. ‘God, I should have got you Happy Meals!’

‘Happy Meals are fucking legit!’ Raleigh hollered with his mouth open.

Marina giggled and sank her teeth into the burger. She hadn’t had McDonalds in years. Ever since she became famous, fast food was off the menu and replaced by protein shakes, Diet Coke and salad. As she swallowed the burger and made quick work of the fries, she realised that for the first time in what felt like forever, she was enjoying a meal.

‘Jesus, ma, can we get some more?’ Raleigh asked after he finished his burger and screwed the paper bag into a ball. ‘I got money, I can buy us a truckload of McDonalds.’

‘Ooh and maybe a milkshake?’ Marina joked.

Raleigh looked at her, his mouth quirking up in the corner. ‘Yeah and a milkshake,’ he said.

His mom shrugged. ‘If you want to get fat on McDonalds with your hard earned money, babe, by all means, be my guest.’

Raleigh let out a whoop. ‘Let’s go back!’

So that afternoon, Raleigh ordered two Happy Meals - who cared that they were adults?- and a milkshake. He gave Marina the milkshake, winking at her as he did so,and she sipped the thick strawberry milk, feeling lighter than air.

*****************************************

That night, Marina lay on the bed wearing one of Raleigh’s white vests and black lace underwear. Her dark hair was spilled out across the pillow and she was looking up at the ceiling as she listened to Raleigh singing under his breath.

He was lying on his front beside her with a journal in front of him. He was working on new lyrics, his writing an illegible mess of spidering words and crossing out. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as he wrote and scored out, occasionally stopping to sing softly so he could test out his progress.

‘What’s the song about?’ Marina asked, reaching out to stroke a lock of his hair through her finger.

Raleigh bit his lip. ‘I can’t get it right..’

‘What’s it about?’ she repeated.

His eyes found hers. ‘You,’ he said softly.

Marina sat up in surprise. Raleigh looked sheepish.

‘You’re writing about me?’ she asked, her eyes wide. ‘Me?’

‘Yeah…’ Raleigh admitted. ‘It’s not the first time.’

Marina blushed. There had always been rumours that his songs had been about her; Raleigh had never confirmed nor denied it. But now, she could see that it was true.

‘What do you want to say about me?’ she asked.

‘Just how strong you are, how I lose myself when I’m with you,’ Raleigh said, looking down to pick at his fingernails. ‘I forget everything when I’m with you. Always have. Nothing matters in the world when we’re together.’

Marina could feel her heart beginning to beat a little bit faster. This was the Raleigh she knew that nobody else did. The Raleigh who was open and vulnerable; the Raleigh she had fallen in love with.

‘I’m a mess,’ Marina said. ‘I bring you down-’

‘No you don’t,’ Raleigh cut in fiercely. ‘You are incredible. You are beautiful and strong with the most gorgeous soul-’

‘I am a trainwreck,’ Marina told him. ‘Disaster.’

‘So am I,’ Raleigh replied softly. ‘I’m not perfect either. Nobody is.’

Marina watched him as he abandoned his journal and crawled over the bed to her. She closed her eyes as his lips brushed against her cheek, trailing down to her jawline, to the collar bone, before kissing her chest.

‘Raleigh..’ she whispered.

‘But you’re mine,’ he murmured, his warm breath tickling her skin. His fingers reached to pull up the vest she was wearing so he could gently kiss her stomach. His lips blazed a trail down her skin, brushing against the waistband of her lace boy shorts, making her jolt.

Raleigh looked up at her with dark, hungry eyes. Marina smiled and reached for him; Raleigh’s hands caressed the back of her head as their lips met in an urgent, desperate kiss.

Marina pulled off her vest and reached down to pull down her underwear. Raleigh discarded his clothes too before he stopped to study her. Slowly, his hands ran down her body, gently stroking her skin as he did so.

‘What are you doing?’ she asked impatiently. She really wanted him, right now.

‘I’m losing myself in you,’ he murmured.

He gently pulled her towards him so she settled on his lap; Marina wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him tightly. Raleigh bent down to kiss her cleavage, making her gasp his name. His fingers stroked her inner thigh before finding her centre.

Marina’s head fell into the crook of his neck. ‘Oh god..’

‘You are beautiful,’ Raleigh whispered, his fingers stroking her. ‘You are strong and powerful. You are the most amazing woman and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.’

‘Raleigh-’

She let out a cry as she felt him enter her. He filled her entirely, making her body jerk from the impact. Marina moved her hips against his, pulling a low groan from Raleigh’s throat. His hands gripped her hips as they gathered pace.

‘You make me happy,’ Raleigh breathed in her ear. ‘You make me laugh.’

‘You- you make me happy too,’ Marina whispered, her breath catching. She kissed him hard, sinking into his taste of tobacco and burnt sugar.

‘You’re my Marina,’ Raleigh groaned, increasing the pace. ‘Mine.’

‘But if you leave-’

‘I’m not fucking leaving you ever again,’ Raleigh interrupted, kissing her fiercely. His eyes were black now; black and wild. ‘You’ll always have me. I promise.’

No more words were needed after that. Raleigh and Marina lost themselves in each other.

#raleigh x marina

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polygamyff · 5 years ago

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52.

“So I booked in your jet for Milan on the weekend” Ally walked into my office saying “what for?” I mumbled as I continued to type up an email to one of my directors “because you and Shawn are going on a boys little time away, right?” Ally said “shit!” I spat before hitting my hand on the desk, sitting back on my chair rubbing my face “fuck!” shaking my head “is it that bad?” Ally stared at me all wide eyed “not that, I forgot so I never told Robyn at all. I have had so much on my mind that I forgot, shit. I can’t cancel it because Shawn will be upset but then I haven’t told Robyn and I know what she is like, I am not stupid so now I am stuck on this” I sighed out saying “you have been very in your own thoughts recently, erm. How about you take her home some flowers and break it to her nicely. Say you need time away, you have been stressed I am sure she will understand do not go there and say it is a boy’s time away, that won’t work. Just say you forgot, you have been stressed but me and Shawn have decided to have a nice little break away to clear my thoughts” I pointed at Ally “see it sounds good, now if I can say it like that she will be fine but I always end up fucking it up because I am stupid. But it is just a break away, nothing more. Stupid Shawn, can you book in some flowers I will try it your way but if it goes wrong I will blame you, sorry not sorry” Ally laughed “I think she will understand because I have seen it with you, you have been ever so stressed. And I don’t blame you at all. I mean now you tell me your dad is getting you married to Robyn? How sweet is that” nodding my head slowly “but I am happy for you, with Jay. He is a good guy; I know he’s gone back to Cali for a while but he’s good and you’re good. Glad you both are together now” Ally chuckled “yeah he said, I mean we had a very big talk and we spoke on me and you. He said Robyn gave him advice, told him to wait because she is or was in love with Maurice and has been hurt by him, she said I know Maurice and I can imagine how he was” raising an eyebrow “she really said that?” I questioned “Jay said it, he said he asked for advice and that she thinks I still hold feelings for you and that it will take time, but she blames you for being the asshole” letting out an oh “that is nice to hear ain’t it, I mean are you?” I asked, I might as well ask “you know Maurice don’t play dumb with me, it’s called getting on with it. You know that, not my fault she knows you. But I will order those flowers” Ally walked out of my office, am I an asshole, I have no idea.

Closing my office door “your box of Roses” Ally pointed at the ground and then seeing a circle box “fifty red roses, don’t mess it up. Don’t make it sound like it’s a boy’s time away either” picking the box from the floor “I won’t and erm, about in the office. What was said, I shouldn’t play on that. Erm” chewing on my bottom lip “I think you will be able to have a better time with Jay, I wish I didn’t yeah, but it happened and Robyn, she needs to not say that kind of stuff. I didn’t know” I really didn’t think Robyn would be saying anything like that about me “it’s ok, she was giving Jay advice about me and I am not upset about it at all, I think it was good of her to tell him to wait for me. I don’t blame her” nodding my head, it is nice that she doesn’t see it as that “cool, I will see you next week. Preparing for California” holding my fist out, Ally laughed fist bumping me “we will, have a safe flight” walking off “I will do, bye everyone. Have a safe weekend, and don’t do what I would do” I laughed walking towards the elevator “maybe we want to be you!” one of the workers shouted “oh trust me, you don’t. But fun times next week, a lot of partying and celebrations for us all” pressing the elevator button.

Daddy duties include me picking Reign up from day care, I do love to see it when she sees me. It makes me so happy “hi Mr Davenport, how are you?” Thelma asked “I am ok, yourself? I hope Reign has been an angel” I can only hope “she has been showing off her fancy footwork anyways, she knows when to do it, when to start her venture of her little steps. She loves when you hold her hands and help her walk, that little giggle of hers” I nodded my head laughing “I don’t know why but she adores it, she probably feels safe that way, but I don’t know. I can hear her now, is that what she is doing now?” I asked “she is, there” Thelma pointed, seeing the biggest smile on my daughter’ face as she turned the corner while one of the workers held her hands as she walked “so many steps Reign! Oh wow!” Thelma said “hey Mi Amor, what is this? Oh my god” Reign is drooling and smiling “mommy put you in sweatpants and sneakers, are those air force ones? Oh wow, I have a son now” crouching down to her “awww daddy missed you so much” getting my arms out to her, the lady let go of Reign’ hands in the last few steps Reign fell into my arms “oh wow, my baby” hugging her “missed you baby, you are being a big girl aren’t you” Reign giggled as I pressed kisses to her cheek but also feeling her saliva all on my face “love you so, so, so much” picking Reign as I stood up “she has been great, today. Even with her teething she has been incredibly happy, wanting to play. She wants to walk, she is unsteady of course but she has been a little diamond” this is what I want to hear, my daughter doing good.

Reign wants to play with Robyn’ box of roses “Reign, Mi Hermosa. You need to sit on my lap, come” placing Reign back on my lap “daddy loves your outfit, now I can imagine what my son will look like. Not as cute as you but I can see it” touching her sneakers, I love them. Reign huffed out trying to go back to the box “excuse me, don’t be trying to move my hand away and huff at me” Reign looked at me while sucking on her bottom lip “Ok grandma, old lady. What is it” Reign got annoyed and stopped trying to move my hand “you want a rose too? Ok” sitting Reign next to me, opening the box “so that means your mom will only have forty nine, which may cost me. Like seriously, it may cost me” carefully taking one red rose out “but you are my Mi Amor, so you will get a rose. From me” closing the box, turning a little in the seat “you can’t put this in your mouth, but look” holding it out to Riegn, she is so confused just staring at it “it’s nice baby, look” touching the rose lightly on top “it’s ok to touch Reign” placing it in her lap, Reign looks so offended she don’t understand it at all. I chuckled while picking her up and placing Reign on my lap “don’t forget your rose beautiful” placing it back in her lap, she looks so worried about this rose that I keep giving her. Look at that, checking my phone, my dad has messaged me. Like he took hours to answer me back, annoying “shall we take a picture, however your mom does this shit” opening my camera “let’s turn it to us, I know your mom says angles but what do I know” looking at Reign, she is finally holding the rose. Holding the phone up, trying to get the angles “Reign! Look, say cheese!” I grinned, Reign did look up thinking what the hell “cheese!” I said again before smiling and Reign did it, she did cheese which was the goofiest shit on earth and made me laugh but I took it so quick “oh wow Reign, you are a mess” looking at the picture, why did I have to laugh now you can’t see my eyes at all but the picture is cute as shit, I must say so myself. I have to post this on my Instagram, I don’t really post anything on here just the odd promo pictures “you know your mom won’t like it, because you draw all the bitches to my comments. They all call me daddy, I mean that is a secret between us” what caption can I put on this, Reign slapped my phone out of my hand “thank you daughter” I scoffed, reaching down and picked it up “ok so back to the caption” typing out the caption ‘Being her father is the best’ it’s sweet, it’s sweet enough not to have stupid comments “there we go, now we are famous” posting the picture.

Poking my lips out, my daughter is legit holding her own food, she is sat on my stomach with her snack plate on my chest and watching Mickey “I am jealous of your life” Reign picked another puff glaring at me “sorry” I spoke, she is growing too quickly for me. I don’t like it, I mean she is making a mess but she is learning and to be honest, I want her to be a baby still. Hearing my phone buzz for like the hundredth time, reaching my hand down to the side of the couch and grabbing my phone without interrupting Reign “da!” Reign shouted, looking over at her. She showed me her hand “yes I see baby, it’s a mess. You eat, it’s ok” tapping on Robyn’ comment and unlocking my phone to check on what she put on Instagram, the comment popped up ‘why does she take nice pictures with you but not me!? I have been trying to get her to do cheese for so long!’ Robyn needs to understand who is the better parent in this, commenting back to Robyn ‘You need to understand she loves daddy more then you, as you can see’ she will be so jealous of that, good. Scrolling back up on the page, now I see why this has blown up like crazy, Beyoncé has commented. I get why now; I need to turn it off because it’s driving me crazy ‘I love you Reign x’ that was cute of her “you won’t appreciate this right now but Beyoncé loves you Reign” she is going to love this when she is older, let me comment back ‘she loves you too, will set another play date at the home’ pressing send and then moving on to see others “ok Reign, I think you’re too famous for me now” it’s funny to see that the girls I fucked with are still commenting about what a great dad I am and stuff, let me put my phone down now. That is enough for me for one day.

Staring at Reign from the couch in the corner of her room, it’s a baby couch for her to sit on but I am. So, Reign has decided to be a brat, to stand up in the crib and shout. This child is not even one and she is doing this, she knows I am here. The night light she has is exposing that, but I want her to sleep and coming up and down is not it, she is screaming the place down, and it’s for the fun of it too. There are no issues, she has her pacifier, her bubzy and she has been fed so this screaming is for no reason at all “right!” I spat, walking over to the light switch “you are working my nerve” switching the lights on “what?” Reign giggled; she laughed her heart out “you need to sleep! Baby what?” turning the light off, making my way to the crib “dada!” Reign screamed out “you what!? What did you say, did you say dada” I feel emotional, looking around me “Reign” Reign is just shouting dadadada “you’re going to make me cry, you really saying it or just playing around” I love this girl so much, climbing into the crib carefully “daddy will lay with you, come” laying on my side “come on baby, you have made me so happy” Reign let go and sat on me “you’re so silly” I chuckled, her diaper butt all in my face.

My daughter is drifting off to sleep but then wakes up and then sleep, my legs are cramping but it’s ok. My daughter wants me to hold her hand while she sleeps well I guess I got to do it and if I move she will wake up and I don’t want that either, this girl has changed me so much. I mean of course Robyn has helped but having a daughter, it’s amazing. I don’t care, I will be a fool for her so she can smile. I can’t wait for her to be talking so much, she is going to be telling me how it is, and I know she will be. Telling me off, I know that is coming with Reign. Stifling out a yawn, I am about to fall asleep with Reign. Seeing the light seep in even more and the room become brighter, lifting my head up “it’s me” Robyn said in a whisper “I was asking Krista, and I look at the monitor and I see you here” Robyn made her way over to the crib “awww, my heart. Oh my god. Maurice, this is so cute. Is she asleep?” nodding my head “Krista said Reign was playing up, glad she is asleep now. I am home anyways, I missed both of you so much. Honestly, love you both” smiling lightly at Robyn, now I need to climb out of the crib.

I groaned out sitting down at the table with Robyn “and I see this!? Roses for me?” nodding my head smiling “for you baby, there is one rose missing. I mean you saw the picture she was playing with it. So you had a good day? And I didn’t make the, I ordered it in. I was tired” Robyn touched my face cooing out “you’re so cute, I am so happy to see the roses, they are beautiful” I smiled at Robyn “I am tired to be honest but, I need to say something to you. So” Robyn has really placed her fork down which made me laugh a little “what?” I chuckled “just you going all serious on me, I promised Shawn that I would go to Milan with him, he’s like telling me how upset he is I am not spending time with him and also I am feeling stressed about things so like, we thought we would go there for a weekend but I forgot to tell you, I have had so much going on” I hope I explained myself right “the issue with this is that I am on call for this weekend, they could call me in and then what? Leave Reign here?” letting out an oh “well I can change it up, I will take Reign with me. I can do it” I shrugged, Robyn laughed “sure Maurice” clearing my throat “I am not joking Robyn, let me take her with me. Some time away, she is a good girl. You won’t be worried, and you can do the on call thing, I forgot about that. I will go Spain instead, see Mami” Robyn took in a deep breath “fine, you go and clear your mind with Shawn, and if you think you are ok, take Reign with you. But she is walking remember” I am sure Shawn won’t mind “don’t be so scared to tell me things, I trust you baby” I am glad to hear that from Robyn “I think you need to clear your mind too, I wish I could keep Reign but I am scared if they call me in then what do I do. You spend time with Paula” this is different, I did not expect Robyn to be ok with this or even seeing Paula, she didn’t want to see her at all, why the change.

#Chrianna #Chrianna FF #Fanfic #Fanfiction

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quentinxdelancret · 4 years ago

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Discord Thread || Quentin & Jaycee

Discord thread featuring: Quentin and Jaycee ( @jayceelynd )

When: August 19th

Mentions: Roman @romanbeckett

Description:Quentin goes over to Jaycee’s to watch a movie and eat Taco Bell. They finally end up making their relationship official.

Trigger Warning: None

Jaycee. dressed in one of Quentin’s shirts for bed, she put their food on her bed and their drinks on each nightstand. Just in time she hears Quentin and smiles. “Hey, Rockstar..” she said as she got up and jumped in his arms hugging him. Breathing him in, sighing contently as she soaked up their hug before leading him to bed.

Quentin. He hugged her back as he came into the room and smiled contently. Looking behind her at the bed at how she had everything set up. “This looks amazing, babe. I haven’t eaten all day and I’m starving.” He took his hoodie off and kicked off his shoes before sitting on the bed beside her. “So, did you chose a movie?”

Jaycee. Hopping into bed, she had a smile on her face as she got comfortable. “Thank you, I had an early lunch then just now getting to eat myself.” She took a drink humming with a nod. “Don’t pick on me but Halloween Town.. I just love those movies.” She she as she held her hands laced together at her chest.

Quentin. “Halloween Town” he laughed shaking his head. “Well, at least you got me some good food. So I can’t really complain” he grinned. Totally just teasing her as he watched her act dramatically.

Jaycee. Leaning forward to kiss his cheek, smiling. She knew he’d let her watch whatever, clicking play she opened their nacho boxes. “You know you don’t mind.” She stuck her tongue out giggling.

Quentin. “Of course I don’t mind” he smiled as she kissed his cheek. He would legit let her watch whatever she pleaded as long as he could spend time with her. He opened his own box and started eating right away. “So, how are the dances coming along?”

Jaycee. Jaycee would honestly watch him play games or write as long as they were spending time together. Taking a bite she chews before swallowing. “I already have most of them done, in my head. I’ve taught three of them to my other choreographers. How was your day with writing?”

Quentin. “That’s awesome” he smiled. “I bet their amazing, I can’t wait to see them” he said honestly. Taking a couple more bites before humming as he chewed. “Great, it’s been good” he finally replied after swallowing. Grabbing his drink to wash the food down as he smiled over to her. “I think we’re onto a real bop with this one”‘he added.

Jaycee. Jaycee was eating and nodding her head. Patting her lips with her napkin. “I can show you them anytime you want baby.” She smiled at him, then took a drink. “Oh yeah? I really hope to hear it soon..” Bumping her shoulder into his playfully, before grabbing another chip.

Quentin. “I’d like that” he smiled. Leaning back against the headboard as he continued to eat. His eyes shifting to the movie only for a second before laughing as she bumped him. “Of course, once it’s done you’ll be the first to hear it.”

Jaycee. Snuggling into him, not wanting to be far from him. Not tonight, she was a needy girl when it came to snuggles. And honestly who could blame her with Quentin. “I look forward to it baby.” She ate a little while watching the movie. “Are you going to try out for the show?” She asked him with an excited smile, a smile of the possibility to work with him.

Quentin. “Oh, I don’t know. I thought about it, but there really aren’t a lot of parts to go around. Maybe I’ll just be an extra or whatever. I’ve gotta lot of free time and that’s better than sitting at home” he said honestly.

Jaycee. ”If you didn’t want to, then you could help me with the choreography. I know you love dance too.. But it’s completely up to you of course.” She said smiling through an annoying blush.

Quentin. “I mean, yeah i would love that too” he smiled. “I just figured I’d drop in on Roman one day and we could figure it all out. There are so many people auditioning though, so who knows” he shrugged. Taking another drink before snuggling more into her.

Jaycee. ”It’d be fun to work together. I love dancing with you..” she leaned her chin on his chest to look up at him as her freckles nose scrunched. Leaning up she pecked his lips several times only to hold their lips close for a few minutes. “I missed you.” She snuggled back into him, full.

Quentin. “It would be a lot of fun” he nodded agreeing with her. He kissed her back with a soft chuckle as she pecked his lips and then rested his head on hers. “I missed you too. It’s only been a couple of days. But it’d true” he grinned.

Jaycee. Jaycee did love to dance with Quentin, he was trained of course. But she could feel the music with him on a deeper level she felt. Lacing her fingers with his as she played with his fingers. “It felt a lot longer than a week.” She laughed nervously, chalking it up to be hormones, right?

Quentin. “it did didn’t it?” he smiled down at her. Watching her play with his fingers as he breathed in her hair. Hell, he didn’t care if he was in the show or not. But working with Jaycee was something he would really love to do.

Jaycee. Snuggling into him, and breathing him in, god he smelt amazing as always. “I didn’t like it..” she said giggling a bit, but you could tell she was trying to pout. “But I also know work is important, especially when it’s you writing amazing music.” She picked at his side, playfully.

Quentin. “I didn’t either. I always feel so lost without you. I swear I was walking around today in autopilot just wondering what it was I was supposed to be doing.” Sure that probably sounded crazy to Jaycee, but it was true. “So how did things go with Roman the other night? Is he okay?

Jaycee. ”I felt the same exact way to be honest. So I definitely get it, I just. I need and want you around me all the time...” Hoping it wasn’t too forwards. “I think they were stronger than any of us anticipated.” She laughed nervously, playing with his fingers still. Looking up at him as she breathed in a shaky breath. “It just made me realize I don’t want to be with anyone but you. I mean I already knew that of course. I guess I’m just saying it opened my eyes further.” Her tiny fingers picked at his shirt, over his heart.

Quentin. He looked down at her and smiled softly. “I don’t wanna be with anyone but you either Jaycee. But, I don’t want you to be so scared to tell me things. I’m not that bad, I promise” he assured her. “I love you, and I’m here for you no matter what.” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Stroking her hair softly for comfort as he looked into her eyes.

Jaycee. Kissing him back, as she hummed with a slight whimper at how lucky she felt to have his love. A love she definitely felt for him as well. Her finger tips played with his Cupid’s bow over his lips. “I love you, I just. I don’t want to ruin anything. I like where it’s going and I want to continue to grow with you.. Figure this crazy life out with you.” Leaning into his caressing hand as she looking into his eyes. “You’ve got some green shining through in your eyes tonight..” she smiled softly, loving how his eyes turn.

Quentin. Quentin smiled as she made mention of his eyes. The green really liked to shine through when he was overcome with emotion. “That’s because I love you” he grinned. Kissing her once more before pulling away and pressing his forehead to hers. “Jaycee...” he breathed out. “Be my girlfriend. I don’t want anyone else and I really just want to make you happy and protect you always.”

Jaycee. Smiling against his lips, god she could just kiss him for hours. “I love you too, baby so much..” Looking into his eyes she scrunched her freckles nose and straddled over him innocently and hugged him. “Do you know how many years I’ve wanted to hear you say that.” She grabbing his face and kissed him, answering with her lips before hugging him.

Quentin. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her body close to his. A giddy smile pulling against his lips as he kissed her back. “I hope that’s a yes then?” he asked already knowing the answer. Kissing her again as he hummed against her lips.

Jaycee. Nodding her head as she kissed him back, letting her fingers run through the scruff on his face. “A million times yes, no doubt whatsoever. I’ve always been yours, My Rockstar.” She pressed her forehead to his.

Quentin. “Good, because I have no doubts either” he assuredly tilting his head back slightly as she ran her hand through his scruff before leaning his forehead to hers. “I love you, beauty queen” he smiled with his entire face. Kissing her nose softly as he held onto her.

Jaycee. Giggling at his sweet kiss against her nose, then snuggling her face into his neck. Her left hand was still playing with his scruff. “I like this, a lot..” she said looking at him with a smirk. “So we’re both jealous people and don’t care to be away from one another, and I know we’ve talked about this before we became official. But now that I have you, I don’t want to be apart from you unless I absolutely have to..” she sat back onto his tights, crossing her arms as she play pouted. Snorting as she tried not to giggle.

Quentin. “it just sounds like maybe we should move in together. Do you think that’s too soon though?” Quentin didn’t want to rush things but he definitely had a way of moving fast. He had no regrets and she was his girlfriend now. So where was the harm really?

Jaycee. ”I think that we waited until now to finally be together. If you wanna slow it down we can just stay at one another’s houses. Whatever you want.” She snuggled her face into his neck as she held onto him tightly.

Quentin. “No baby, I don’t wanna slow down. I just don’t want you to feel rushed either. I want us to be on the same page. It’s how we work, total honestly and openness” he smiled. Holding her against him as he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

Jaycee. ”I don’t want to ever sleep without your arms around me. Keeping me so warm.” She sighed as her hands rubbed up and down his back. He was right, complete honesty and openness. Jaycee was such a lucky girl to have a man so understanding. “So..” she pecks his lips lightly before sitting back. “I have to stop my birth control, pills. So it’s up to you what you want to do. They’re doing it for tests they want and need to run.” She was nothing but a pain in the ass mess.

Quentin. “I don’t want to either” he said honestly. Pressing his lips together as he listened to her talk. “I mean, I can’t... it’s not a big deal. It will be okay. You need the tests and I support you a hundred percent.”

Jaycee. Raising up to stand on her knees she looked down at him, her hands knotting in his hair to have him look up at him. “Just leave it to the universe baby. I love you and I’m so thankful how you support me.” Her hands caressing his cheeks, smiling down at him. “All that matters is were truly happy, let’s just live for these moments.”

Quentin. He looked up at her and nodded. It was clear in his eyes that the subject hurt him. He always wanted to have kids one day, but that was all ripped away from him at such a young age. Not to mention how bad he knew Jaycee wanted it. He sighed softly and nodded again. “I know you’re right. We will, and if it’s meant to be we will figure it out. It will happen for us” he assured. Leaning forward to kiss her again.

Jaycee. Jaycee could see his pain, and she felt the same pain. Not knowing what could be, if it’d ever be. Relaxing in his arms as she kissed him back, humming against his lips. “One day, no matter how or when.” She nodded her head as she sleepily smiled at him, drunk off of his kisses. “I love when you kiss me and I can’t even think straight.” She giggled.

Quentin. “Absolutely” he agreed. Kissing her again before kissing down her neck. “Good, because I love kissing you” he breathed against her neck. Kissing back up to her lips as he pulled her onto his lap.

Jaycee. Panting softly as her head tilted back, giving him access to her neck. Bringing her head forward as she kissed him again. Fighting the urge to rock her hips, against his. Was one of the hardest thing she’s ever done. Smiling against his lips, nipping playfully at his top lip. “Such a good movie, and delicious snacks and deep conversation.. How do we always end up in this state.” She joked with a soft chuckle

#chats:jaycee #chats:discord #ft.jaycee #ft.roman #{//girl you make a fool of my heart; you don’t know what you do to me}

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journal-of-an-outlaw · 5 years ago

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Price to be Paid - Chapter 8

Friends in Low Places

Words: 3,826

The next day was the livestock con that John had been planning for weeks. He and Arthur rode off into the hills to steal the flock and bring it back into town to sell as their own.

Dutch watched his boys ride off while he smoked a cigar, and Hosea walked up to join him. “What a time we’ve had, eh Dutch?” Dutch claspsed Hosea on the shoulder, hanging on and reminiscing on their past adventures. “What a wild ride we have been through.”

“Hopefully, my friend, our running days will soon be over. Just one more big one with good money and we are free. Then we can get our people to a safe home, like they deserve.”

Lenny called you over to Pearson’s workstation. “YN! Teach me how to skin this rabbit, I know Arthur taught you so you oughta be good.” You laughed and rolled your sleeves up, “Thanks, Lenny. Alright. Let’s get to work. You want to know the first thing Arthur asked me when I wanted to learn how to do this?”

“What’s that?”

Acting grumpy with hunched shoulders you replied, “You sure you wanna get blood all over your dress?” Lenny bust up laughing while you impersonated the rugged man. “Damn fool didn’t see I was holding a knife five feet from him but still had the nerve to say it! Right after I shot a deer clean through the heart, too."

Lenny laughed again while you began to teach him the Arthur Morgan way of skinning a rabbit. Every once in awhile he would ask you a question by impersonating Arthur and the two of you fell apart on the wooden table. He was a bright kid, and really nineteen was a kid, with a good heart and an infectious laugh.

Jack came up just as the two of you were finishing and asked to pet your horse. Lenny ruffled the kids hair and left you to babysit, heading over to his tent to organize a few things. Jack grabbed your hand and dragged you to your mare.

“She’s pretty, YN! And tall. Not as tall as Uncle Arthur’s horsie, though. I wish I could have one, too.” His mind was everywhere, bouncing from place to place with no time to take a breath in between. Poor kid, four years old and stuck living the outlaw life. No wonder Abigail was so hellbent on getting out before something happened.

He bent down and grabbed a flower to pick, his sights on dainty yellow petals with a white center when Eclipse moved too close. You swung down and grabbed Jack before she could get spooked, and you saw Dutch and Strauss walking up.

They were deep in conversation and almost didn’t notice you.

“Now, Herr Strauss, we are to meet Arthur and John at the saloon after. There’s talk of some big man in town and I intent to get on his good side before we show him a reason to be on his bad, so maybe you just stay quiet then?”

“But Dutch, I still have three loans that need to be collected! That money -”

Dutch interrupted him, yelling in his face, “That money is the only thing keeping us alive! Now why in the hell have you not gone to collect it?”

Her Strauss replied meekly, “I asked Arthur but he never had the time.”

Dutch ran his hand down his face and noticed you there. “YN, it’s time to learn another skill, my dear. When Arthur gets back from town, go with him to collect those debts so generously given by Herr Strauss. The two of you should get on just fine.”

You nodded and moved Jack closer to your hip, afraid the loud voices would frighten the child. Herr Strauss handed you three loan sheets which you tucked away in your satchel for later. Jack simply continued to play with the colorful flower in his hands until he held it out to the approaching Abigail as a present for simply being there.

The tent you called home had built up a small collection of outfits, guns, and various other objects during your months at Horseshoe Creek. It was small but cozy. You even had a proper blanket now made from the skin of a cougar you hunted not too long ago.

After you flopped down to the small bedroll, you grabbed the book you had been devouring most recently after swapping with Hosea. He had gotten you invested in a crime series and had given you the latest last night after finishing it himself, of course, and was bursting to discuss it so you promised to be quick. The sunlight was still filtering in warmly and you left the flaps of the tent open for fresh air to accompany you on your journey to another life. Precious few things brought you the pleasure like reading did.

Later in the day, Hosea himself stuck his head in your tent. “How are you getting on, YN? Hiding from Grimshaw so you can get through more of that book?”

You jumped as the voice ripped you from the pages, but quickly laughed at how eager Hosea was for you to read. “I’m trying! Doesn’t help I can hear her scream every few minutes. But this book, Hosea...it’s so -”

The end of that sentence was never finished as Grimshaw had finally found you. “I should have known you would have something to do with this, Hosea! YN! Get that lazy Blackwater ass out here to help with the laundry."

Hosea looked sheepish at having given you away but you smiled and promised to read again later, then followed Grimshaw while she continued to chew you out.

Sadie Adler was finally cleaned up and dressed with the other girls who were doing the laundry in the middle of camp. Buckets of sudsy water sloshed around as item after item were dunked, scrubbed, and passed to the next. You joined in after Mary-Beth and before Sadie.

“Nice to see you out and about, Mrs. Adler! Feelin’ better?” She smiled back and her eyes were clear for the first time since you’d met her. “A bit, miss. Working to see what livin’ is about now. You fine people took me in, time to do my share. Although I ain’t choppin’ no vegetables no more with that man, about ready to chop him up too.”

The girls chattered as the laundry eventually finished up, and everything was hung up to dry. You grabbed the last few pieces to hang on the line when a hand snaked out to grab yours.

“You got anything special in there to show me, YN?"

Michah had found you again and hid behind the colorful array so no one could see him.

“Jesus, Michah. You got nothin’ better to do than stalk me doin’ laundry? Leave me alone, I ain’t got nothing to entertain with you.”

He smirked and moved closer, “Oh girly, I got some entertaining you could do. Just give me a few hours.” His hand rubbed the back of yours, mocking the memory you had of Arthur comforting you and you shook him off violently. Irritation and rage began to pump from your heart and spread across your chest.

“I don’t want anymore time with you than necessary, thank you.” He didn’t seem to mind the constant rejection, and in fact it seemed to make him pursue you more.

“‘Thank you?’ Always so kind,” he sneered at you. “YN. One of these days you’re gonna have to learn how to be a real outlaw and toughen up.”

“Only a damn fool mistakes kindness for weakness, Mr. Bell. Strength don’t come from the lack of love or compassion in a heart,” you snapped back.

He was unimpressed with your outburst. You were just hoping he had lost interest when he said, “You book folk are so boring. Always full of words. I prefer action. You know where to find me once you wisen up. And girl, I sure hope you do.” The clothing on the drying line parted as Michah smacked them out of his path. You rolled your eyes and picked up the empty basket to bring back to Grimshaw and prove your chores were done.

That afternoon was when true chaos began. The sound of horses thundering into camp made everyone stand to attention as Dutch, Arthur, John, and Strauss rode in looking extremely shaken from Valentine. All of them were dishevelled and covered in dirt. Abigail rushed over as John jumped from his horse and said something to her. She nodded and left for their shared tent to begin throwing things in their tent. Dutch grabbed Hosea and moved to his tent, retelling everyone what happened.

“Our time in Valentine has come to an untimely end! Leviticus Cornwall and his band of thugs met us outside the saloon and things did not end well for them. It’s time for us to pack up and leave this area, what with Pinkerton’s breathing down our necks and Cornwall comin’ to find us. Ms. Grimshaw, Mr. Pearson, if you please! Get this place packed up while we look for a new spot.” Everyone began to move, you rushed to your tent and began throwing everything into the few bags you had bought and rolled the bedding up to make it easier to carry.

Hosea sat with Dutch as Arthur approached, and was none too happy about the current situation. “So, we keep heading east. Is that the plan?”

“For now.”

“And when do we stop? When we reach Paris?” Hosea exclaimed sarcastically.

“Oh that’d be nice, and join the Commune? We stop when we find someplace sensible, shake them that’s following us and lie low.” Dutch countered. It felt like an age old argument, with Hosea thinking legit scams were the way to go, and Dutch wanting one last big score to blow the others out of the water.

Hosea put his face into his hands, “And this is lying low? We’ve turned into a bunch of killers, I mean it.”

Dutch sat up straighter. “Sometimes, survival means having only one choice. We have to take it, or lose everything we’ve worked towards.”

Hosea threw his hands up, fed up with not feeling safe in his own home and stormed out of Dutch’s tend. Arthur moved closer to the older man to get a better look at the map he was studying.

“Michah told me of a place we can lie low. Dewberry Creek, he said. Maybe you and Charles can go take a look, clear off anyone you find before the whole lot of us move in.” Dutch pointed at the spot and Arthur nodded.

“Looks like I’ve turned into the Goddamned errand boy,” while walking away.

Dutch stood as tall as you’ve seen him, chest puffed with pride. “You have turned into my son, you worry because I worry. We are just the same!” Before Arthur got too far, Dutch yelled again, “Arthur! And when you return you and Miss Moore have some debts to collect on behalf of Herr Strauss. We’ll see how things are when you’re back from scouting.”

Arthur and Charles left shortly after that, not expecting to be gone more than a few hours. While they were out riding free, Ms. Grimshaw saw that every single one of the girls was sweating away, cleaning and packing and washing and sorting. All these damn men and not a single one could pack the knives away correctly.

Abigail and John were struggling to get everything done with Jack running around, so you offered after your tent was packed to take care of him. The fighting didn’t stop, but at least the kid was out of the way and not there to see it.

Jack took your hand and wanted to go see the river one last time. You wondered if he really understood why you were moving so constantly, and the past few months you had two camps. To a four year old that’s a lot of life changes.

He found a blue flower and tried to braid it into your hair, making you both giggle. It matched the shirt that Mary-Beth finally got around to make for you. A light blue that played with your dark features beautifully, and she even made some lace designs to fancy it up. You loved that shirt and were ecstatic when she gave it to you a week ago.

“I want a flower too, YN,” Jack whined when you sat down for a moment. “Of course, Jack, what color you reckon?” He contemplated it, then decided on yellow. The two of you set off to wander the small field for a yellow flower.

“Here! Help me put it in my hair.” Jack loved flowers in hair and his own was no exception. This fascination with flowers was interesting to you, but when you asked he only shrugged and said something about Abigail loving them too.

A few hours later, Charles came riding down the slope. “YN! Arthur is waiting for you back at camp, or what’s left of it. Want me to give you two a ride up?”

Jack shook his head, so the two of you walked next to Tamia while Charles chatted about the new campsite he had found.

“The site Michah told us about already had people there, a dried up old creek bed. Would have been fine, but it’s hard to settle so many folks on uneven ground. Poor German lady and her two kids were there, hiding out under a wagon. While we went out riding to find her missing husband we found this perfect spot by a lake. Huge, even field hidden by trees. I can see us hiding there a long while.”

He looked calm about the whole ordeal and happy about the new site.

“What happened to him?” You asked suddenly.

“Who? Oh, the husband. Arthur took him back to his wife and we met up as we was coming back near Valentine. The family is alright,” he smiled down at you, the worry leaving your face.

“Just like to know they were safe is all!” You said a bit too defensively, but laughed at yourself.

Arthur was leaning against the last wagon as it was being packed up. Charles waved to you and carried Jack up to meet Abigail and John leading the wagon, then left to lead the caravan off to the new campsite.

“Guess it’s just you and me then, huh?” He took the last puff of a cigarette, then threw it out into the grass. “Guess so, Mr. Morgan.”

“How many damn times you gonna keep calling me that?” he growled.

“Sorry. Arthur,” he waved his hand, signalling his indifference. “Now, Her Strauss gave us three people to collect from, are we gonna be able to do that all in one afternoon?”

“Hope so. All locals, just need to get them talking quickly. Need be we can camp and head to the new site tomorrow.”

“With what? Most of my supplies just left,” you motioned to your things now rolling away in the last caravan and out of sight. The few supplies attached to Eclipse were nothing compared to what had just left you. Arthur swore and moved to get on his horse, “Then we best get this done fast. It’s already late and the first one’s an hour ride.”

Eclipse kept up with Zeus, Arthur’s dark bay stallion, well during the journey. She was a little headstrong and sometimes didn’t respond to you right away, causing Arthur to take the lead in case she decided to jump off a bridge or something like that.

Talking was infrequent. Arthur turned out to be more of a focused and quiet rider. You found out he also liked to read, though not like Hosea. He shared many qualities with the older man but was still inexplicably drawn more to Dutch. They were both hot headed with a sense of leadership, and Hosea was more about playing things safe. Arthur had a healthy dose of each and the influence was easy to see in just about everything he did.

The first stop was a man named Chick Matthews. As you rode up, one of the hands told you Chick was out around the barn tending to his horse. The moment he spotted the two of you riding up he jumped on and galloped away, which was a shocking sight.

“Arthur! I’ll head up over the ridge to his right, I think I see a bridge up ahead. You go right after him and let’s see who can get there first. Heya!” Without waiting for him to respond you kicked Eclipse into a full gallop after the little man. She ran fast and strong, but Chick had a good head start and it took a bit of corralling to catch up. In the distance you could hear him taunting Arthur for being too slow and old, and you can only imagine the rage boiling on his face. They came up to a train that you had bypassed by going up above when Arthur managed to lasso that fool straight to the ground.

Once knocked down he coughed and sputtered like an idiot.

“Look, look, I got the money...but it’s hidden. Untie me and I’ll tell you where it’s at.”

You rode up just as Arthur finished hog tying the man, throwing a punch or two for making you both chase him so far. This may be your fist debt collecting but you wouldn’t let him abuse the man. As he pulled back to hit him again you grabbed his arm.

“Arthur! Let the man talk, for heaven’s sake. He’s got the money.” Arthur looked at your concerned face incredulously. “Miss Moore, this country round here is full of idiots. Look at this one here,” he kicked his boot against Chicks lightly. “Now see, he doesn’t think we know about what’s in his pockets so why don’t you empty them out for me?”

Pick pocketing was better than beating, so you leaned down to see what he was hiding. An old carrot, a cigarette card, and a map leading you right to the money were all you found.

The map was incredibly simple. One bridge and a tree were all that were on it, and you looked down at Chick. “I may now want to hit you sir, for this is surely the dumbest map I have ever seen. Where the hell does it even start?”

He smiled a gap toothed grin up at you. “See Miss! That’s the best part. No one knows it but me.” At that Arthur delivered another kick to his stomach, hard and fast. “Tell me where the damn money is!”

“Fine! Okay, Jesus. Head north and turn left at the Old Creek Bridge, it’s the tree closest there.”

Arthur nodded and moved towards Zeus. “YN, you take that sack of shit back to the ranch and I’ll meet you once I have collected Mr. Matthews’ debt. You try any funny business with her, and you’ll wish all I’d done was break some ribs of yours,” and took off.

Chick starred up at Eclipse. “Gee, Miss, I ain’t never ridden behind on a horse before. And never with a woman!” You rolled your eyes and loaded him up behind you.

True to his word Chick Matthews put up no fuss heading back. He pointed out some of his favorite land features and asked you to walk into town more than once. You politely declined, but you knew he didn’t mean any harm. Arthur finally rode up with a bag, showing you the cash then tucking it safely away in his satchel. The two of you were off to victim number two, Mr. Wrobel.

The Polish man lived at a farm called Painted Sky, and didn’t speak a lick of English. You tried to be soft and comforting but that didn’t seem to go anywhere, so Arthur lumbered in and demanded the return of cash. Wrobel seemed to have nothing, but sadly motioned around his home and let the two of you take enough possessions to equal the amount of the debt. It broke your heart to watch his face, and leaving you could see it troubled Arthur too.

“Why do you do jobs like this if they don’t feel right?” You asked quietly as the two of you mounted your horses for the third and final destination.

Arthur scratched the back of his neck, thinking. “I honestly prefer when they try to run or put up a fight. Don’t feel so bad robbin’ folks who make a point to take advantage of the loan. But those like him? Who need it? Makes me think I’m only out here to grease the wheel so it keeps turning. Folks need money, we lend it, then take it back with interest.”

Finally arriving past dark at Emerald Ridge, the third debtor gave Arthur no hesitation in his approach of getting the money back. Lilly Millet’s boyfriend jumped up and attacked him with a swift uppercut to his jaw and the man drew no pity from you after you heard the way he was berating Lilly.

Lilly grabbed your arm while the two men brawled and made a fuss of it all. Truth be told, it was quite the sight. Both me tall and muscular in build it was an evenly matched fight. After a few quick hits the other man went down, and Arthur stood huffing above him. You definitely understood why he liked the ones who fought him, he looked damn fine doing it.

“Alright, alright! That’s enough. He has everything I gave him, please, just take what he has and go,” Lilly called out to Arthur. To you, she whispered, “You’re a lucky girl to be running with a man like that. Makes mine look like an old rag.” You both looked down to where her man lay unconscious, in the mud. She rolled her eyes and made her way over to get him cleaned up.

Chuckling, you walked over to Arthur. “What’s so funny now?” he asked while stuffing the last of the cash in his satchel.

“Lilly had more on her mind that just debts, I think,” you looked at him suggestively but were met with a blank stare. “Oh, come on Arthur don’t be dense. I think she likes you!” After a beat it clicked and he looked away embarrassed. “Want me to ask if she’s free Friday?” you moved slowly backwards but he grabbed your upper arm lightly. “No! Come on, woman. We best be moving. Probably have to camp halfway back now.” He started Zeus into a slow walk as you jumped up to Eclipse.

“Besides, she ain’t my type anyways. I like brunettes,” and with that he took off galloping, leaving you to watch and race after him.

27 notes · View notes

houseofbutta · 5 years ago

Text

Birthday Bitch

It was turning out to be a fairly nice day even though the weather that week had been somewhat unpredictable. The house was uncharacteristically quiet. Days like this weren’t uncommon now that Boogie was often out on the road, leaving the chaos in the house at a minimum.

Ju walked into the kitchen with half-closed eyes, making a beeline for the coffee pot as Deenie sipped from her cup, working on the crossword in the newspaper.

“Good morning to you too, sunshine!” she spoke, without looking up from her task.

“It’s too bright in here.” Ju croaked in her, I-just- woke-up-and-can-barely-find-the-strength-to- speak voice.

“That’s because you’re hungover, sweetie. Again.” Deenie rolled her eyes.

Ju simply didn’t have the energy to go off. She was tired and the days of their heated, short-tempered youth were mellowing out as they all became more civil in adulthood.

“Good.” Deenie smirked, looking up for once from the paper. “Keep that same energy when Boogie gets back.”

Ju scoffed with a chuckle.

“You tell her that too!” “Mornin’ ya’ll” Dejah bounded in, sing-song, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

“The energy needs to come down about 12 million notches, babe” Ju held her head.

Dejah laughed as she opened the fridge looking for the orange juice.

“So Boogie is coming back today, I heard.” Dejah said, sounding skeptical, “It’s been months since she’s even slept here. Last time she came home, she didn’t even realize her Jean Paul Gaultier perfume was missing, since she was only here for a day.”

“You better stop takin’ that girl’s stuff, Dejah!” Deenie warned.

“Boogie don’t miss little shit like that. I only took it because I know she’d say yes if I asked her for it!” Dejah shrugged, before popping some bread into the toaster. “Besides, she’s changed. She seems like, nicer now in a way? I dunno.”

“Fuck outta here, she’s the same Bougie Bitch she always was,” Ju interjected, waving her hand dismissively, “She knows it too. Just because she wrote that weak ass self-help book, she thinks she’s an expert now in, whatever hoodoo, booboo garbage juice meta trend is sweeping the masses. Witchcraft is not a fucking trend, bro. She shouldn’t be playing with that shit.”

“True, Remember that fucking demon situation we had on Halloween, years ago?” Deenie reminisced, “All the windows busted out, it was like a movie!”

“Exactly!” Ju sipped her coffee, slowly finding her energy, “There have been many incidents in this house of paranormal activity, and I swear they all was surrounding her.” “Come on ya’ll know that’s not fair.” Dejah chimed in, turning to face them with her arms folded. “If you had some freaky secret power that could communicate with ghosts or whatever, what the hell would you do with it?”

“I dunno. Help somebody I guess.” Deenie replied. “Who says I don’t?”

“Nobody, but I’m just saying if it’s a part of you, you probably can’t just turn it off.” Dejah shrugged, pointing a finger at her head and making a mocking “Duh” face at the girls, who scoffed in response.

“Whatever, she’s so full of shit. Even if that bullshit she wrote in that book is real, her personality is still the same, I don’t care what you say, Dejah, people don’t change.”

“Have you read the book, Ju?”

“I started it, but it was trash, so now it’s a coaster on my nightstand.”

Deenie laughed.

“Ya’ll bein’ real shady right now.” “Hold on now, we’re not haters- I’m just saying she comes off high and mighty. That’s all.” “Power will do that to you, maybe.” Dejah said, catching her toast on her plate the moment it popped out, before walking back up to her room while sipping her OJ.

“Or an inflated ego,” Ju sucked her teeth, irritated as her eyes followed Dejah leaving the kitchen,“She gets that shit from Boogie.”

_____________________________________________________________

By the time she’d arrived, it was nearly 4PM. Boogie came nearly crashing through the door, balancing worn Louis Vuitton luggage on her arms, as her little white bichon came running up barking and jumping all over her.

“Down Momo! Ahh! Mama missed you too!” she cooed at the small dog, before announcing, “I’M HOOOOOMMEEE!”

With closed eyes Boogie threw her arms open wide, waiting for a rush of hugs that did not come.

“Hey Booger,” Rai smiled down from the upstairs banister. “What are you doing?”

“Rai! I was...nothing.” Boogie put her arms down looking somewhat embarrassed. “Where is everyone?”

Rai shrugged.

“Around, I guess.”

Boogie pouted. It wasn’t a big deal for her to come home from a long book tour, but it wasn’t unlike them to miss her birthday.

“It’s my birthday today,” she announced dejectedly.

“Happy birthday!” Rai said smiling, and making her way down the steps, when Dejah suddenly burst out of her room, running down the stairs and hugged Boogie.

“Awh!” Boogie laughed, hugging her back. “Thank you both!”

“I have an announcement to make and I wanted to treat everyone to a girl’s day. I have big news!”

“Ooh! OK! I’ll go tell everyone!” Dejah jumped up and down excitedly before running back up the stairs.

“How are things, Rai?” Boogie asked, just as her phone chimed urgently, demanding her attention.

“Quiet, you know. It’s not boring, but since you’re not around as much, Ju goes through these combative moods all by herself and she doesn’t know what to do with that frustration.”

“Psychology suits you, miss.” Boogie smiled, with a fist bump to her little sister.

“Thank you! I’m almost a doctor- when this semester is over, I’m gonna be legit.” Rai beamed, then, slowly, her smile faded, “She misses you. You know that, right?”

“I don’t know anything she doesn’t tell me,” Boogie shrugged.

“Hello, hello!” Desty and Jayti, followed Dejah, Deenie and Xai down the stairs as welcome home hugs made their rounds and they all caught up for a moment before beginning to wonder what the hold-up was with Ju.

Finally Ju emerged from her room, leather-clad black jacket and shoes, dressed to kill.

“You’re finally back.” she chuckled, as she took her time walking down the stairs. “Next time you go, take that little annoying yappy mutt with you.”

Boogie rolled her eyes before hugging her best frienemy with cheek to cheek kisses.

“I missed you too, Miss Salty- Ooh!” Boogie pulled back suddenly, her eyes watering a bit. “You smell like a distillery, Ju, damn! It’s not even after 5!”

“Mind your business.” Ju flicked her wrist dismissively before tossing two pieces of chewing gum in her mouth. “So what are we doing?” “Right! Sooooo! I rented a party buusss!!!” Boogie exclaimed, leading them all outside with open arms. “Tadaaa!” “Wow, just like the old days.” Deenie scoffed, remembering nights past that got so wild, they all wished they could forget.

“No! Not like that, we’re responsible adults now!!” Boogie said as she led them to the vehicle.

The bus driver opened the door to them, and they all entered to see an interior of woodgrain and leather seats. A small mini fridge with wine and champagne and a small assortment of snacks, cheeses, and chocolate.

“Heeyyy! We fancy now!” Rai voiced her approval, before taking a seat next to the snack bar.

“Eee! I’m glad you approve!” Boogie clapped her hands with glee before telling the driver to proceed to the first stop for luxury mani-pedis and massages at the day spa.

As they all settled into the back seats to get comfortable, Rai filled and passed out champagne glasses, proposing a toast.

“To the Buttacreme sisterhood! May we always have each others’ backs!”

“Cheers!” ____________________________________________________________

“This place is legit!” Boogie called back to the girls as they waited at the crosswalk, to cross the street. “Wow, you ladies sure look nice, today.” and older white, gray-haired gentleman commented, looking over their collective outfits.

“Thank you, Mister!” Jayti bubbled, particularly happy with her colorful spring dress of choice.

“Do you mind taking our picture?” Boogie asked, handing the man her phone, as the light changed. “Sure! Ooh! You all should line up over the lines of the crosswalk, like the Beatles!” he said excitedly, walking backwards to line up the perfect shot as they crossed the street. “Who are the Beatles?” Dejah whispered, to Jayti, who shrugged, before serving face to the camera.

As they all entered The Pampered Palm: Nail Bar, they were met with the acrid scent of Acetone and Enamel- the combination of a sweet chemical smell that excites the high maintenance part of the human female brain; and there were exclaims of “Yaasss!” and “Okurrr!” that rose from the 8-woman group as the cushy pink upholstery and silver damask wallpaper welcomed them into the lap of luxury.

As half the crew sat to get manis, the others got pedis, and a kind uniformed woman served champagne and mimosas which Ju knocked back in a matter of seconds.

Boogie looked worried. “I’m concerned.” she whispered suddenly to Rai, sitting next to her, sipping slowly from her champagne flute. “She’s fine.” Rai said, before shooting Boogie a sympathetic look, “You know how she is… she’s coping.” Boogie, stole a peek at her friend once again, now on the phone, withdrawn from the present moment and enthralled with pondering what color to paint her fingernails next.

“Have a happy birthday!” Rai insisted, raising her glass,

Boogie sighed, shaking off her dark feelings, before smiling and clinking glasses with Rai.

_______________________________________________________

After a couple of hours of pampering, they all made their way to the new Pomerado Luxe Beauty store. As per usual, Boogie went overboard, buying the latest this and that from the Gisza collection.

“Ladies, get whatever you want!” Boogie laughed, placing her hands on her hips as they all winced, when her store receipt printing from the cash register began to resemble a trail of toilet paper.

They were all much more economical in their choices, even though she was paying.

Xai landed on a metallic pink lipstick, Ju found a red to add to her collection, Desty landed on a spring eyeshadow palette, and everyone only chose one thing, except the baby of the Buttacreme bunch who wanted six. “Dejah!” Deenie picked the excess glosses and highlighter from her basket. “NO!”

“Boogie said we could have whatever we want!” She frowned.

“Yeah! But out of courtesy, you shouldn’t be greedy!” Deenie reprimanded with a wag of her finger.

“But-” “No buts, put it back and pick ONE!” Dejah began to protest when Jayti gently squeezed her arm and shook her head.

Leaving the store, everyone was smiling and happy with their purchases, except Dejah who fell behind, pouting a bit and feeling irritated by Deenie.

“She gets on my nerves sometimes, Jay,” she confided in Jayti, “Like, you’re not my mom!”

Jayti pulled Dejah aside a moment, holding her shoulders.

“You’re right. She’s not, and she does have that way about her. But D, she has been there for you- for all of us. It’s just makeup. Don’t let it make you too mad, k?” Jayti comforted her.

Dejah rolled her eyes with folded arms, before drawing a deep breath and nodding, agreeing to let go of her animosity toward the woman.

“Good,” Jayti smiled mischievously, “becaaaaaauuuse-”

Jayti suddenly opened her bag to reveal it full of stolen shit.

“Byyytch!!!!” Dejah burst out laughing so loud, the others turned around, wondering what was so funny.

Jayti hastily zipped up her purse while Dejah made some weird ass excuse about a meme she saw on the internet before rushing the procession onward to their next destination.

________________________________________________________

La Luz Hotel was situated in the middle of downtown. It was rumored that famous people stayed there all the time, and as they walked into the lobby, they were promptly greeted by the staff.

“Miss Patel! You’re just in time for your surprise party!” The girls snickered and Ju scoffed at the woman looking annoyed.

“Well you just ruined the surprise part!” she hissed.

“I apologize,” the woman looked sincerely confused, “Since she planned it for herself, nearly 6 months in advance, I assumed she already knew about it.”

Her words seemed sarcastic, which further irritated Ju, but the look on the woman’s face was choked up as if she were about to cry. So Ju, backed off, uncomfortably.

“Sorry-Lead the way,” she said, exchanging a nervous glance with Desty and Xai.

The Suite was on the 34th floor, with high ceilings and party snacks and favors that meticulously decorated the luxury suite.

“Ahh! This is so cool!” Desty giggled, barely able to contain her excitement.

“So glad you like it!” Boogie laughed, passing out whistles and party poppers to the girls as Xai pulled out her phone to take a pic, “Now Everybody say ‘SURPRISE!’” They played trivia games, danced and talked about the past 10 years of ups and downs they’d all shared- from the happiest moments, to the saddest breakups. They all laughed and cried and caught up from the beginning to the present, resolving past fights and issues that were buried among them all. At that moment, Boogie, busted out the champagne and began pouring glasses for everyone before stating,

“I have an announcement to make,” she said, clearing her voice. “These past 10 years have been such an experience! I’m grateful to each and every one of you for helping me grow into the person I am today! I used to be selfish, spoiled and heartless, but living with you guys helped me evolve into a better person,”

Her voice cracked with emotion and her eyes got hot with tears.

“Thank you so much for being my friends! I’ll always love all of you, so with that, I’d like to announce that I’m going to be-”

“Married!” Ju shouted, slurring her words, “I fucking knew it!”

“No- I’m actually going to be-” “A lesbian!” She cut her off again.

“Ju, relax,” Deenie, squeezed her arm, prompting Ju to snatch away, stumbling toward Boogie. “Sorry, I’m trying to pretend to be psychic like you do.”

The girls winced at the dig, suddenly backing away, giving the two space, as had happened so many times in the past when a fight was about to break out.

“Ju, what is your problem? You’ve been acting like this all day.”

“You always thought you were better than me- NO! ALL OF US! Just because you had money, and you would flaunt it in our face and pit us against each other and you’re JUST WICKED! Forgive me if I’m not buying the ACT, Boogie! You are the same selfish bitch you always were, with a shiny new coat of paint and a nose job!” “Ooh! Somebody stop her!” Rai interjected as Jayti’s arm shot out to stop her from jumping in. “I didn’t get a nose job!” Boogie lied as her finger self-consciously touched the tip of her nose.

“See? So self-absorbed. That’s the only thing you took from EVERYTHING I just said!? Fuck you, Boogie!”

It was as if in slow motion. The raspberries floating in the bubbly champagne flute hit her in the face first then the drink splashed over her immaculate beat, melting her mascara and eyeliner instantly.

“No. The. FUCK. YOU DID NOT!” Boogie shrieked.

“I think I just did.” Ju said flinging the last remaining drops that were in the glass, at her, to make sure she made her point.

A Table skid across the floor, flipping over. Purple and blonde weave was flying, the thud of them collapsing to the floor sent all the girls into a frenzy trying to break up the fight before the cops were called. The freshly manicured raptor claws were out, and even though there were 5 of them, trying to pull the two apart, they were so heatedly engaged, it was nearly impossible. Finally Boogie pinned Ju flat on her back, holding down her wrists, which was pure luck combined with the fact that Ju’s drunkenness had made her lose her balance.

“You ARE A FUCKING LIAR!” Ju shrieked, bucking and thrashing under Boogie’s modest weight, when suddenly, Boogie kissed her.

The gang gasped, Rai’s hands flew to the sides of her eyes, shielding her peripherals as her jaw dropped, Jayti looked like she might faint, Dejah’s face contorted with shock and disgust, while Deenie’s hands flew to cover her young eyes instinctively trying to protect her. Desty and Xai however, exchanged a wide-eyed look that simply prompted them to take another sip of their drinks.

After about 30 seconds of them full on making out on the floor, they finally stopped and looked up at the collectively confused faces of their housemates.

Boogie slowly stood up, lending a hand to Ju, who wobbled to a stand as well…

“So… I guess you’re all wondering, what that was about.” Boogie started.

The awkward, tense silence hung thick in the air, as they were all rendered completely speechless.

“We maybe...hooked up...a few times…” she trailed off.

“WHAT?!?!?” Dejah shouted from behind Deenie’s knitted hands over her face.

“There was this time… with that Australian guy...Tristen… we might have had a threesome.” Ju added in, guiltily.

“WHAT?!?” Dejah exclaimed once again.

“Anyway… after that, things changed a bit between us… We just hooked up, but it didn’t mean anything!” Boogie dismissed.

“Clearly it meant something to ME!!” Ju glared at her, shaking, with tears watering her eyes, when she finally threw her hands up and stormed out of the hotel room, slamming the door behind her.

Boogie reluctantly went after her, and found her standing outside on the hallway balcony of the hotel, smoking a cigarette.

“You smoke now, too?” Boogie jested.

“What do you care?” Ju dismissed her, flicking ashes to the ground.

“Ju, I’m sorry, if what we did, confused you. I’m not a lesbian. Sure, we tried some shit, but it wasn’t like I made a full commitment to gayness! It wasn’t THAT GAY.”

“I don’t even know what that means!” Ju sneered. “It wasn’t just a ‘few times’ like you’re convincing yourself. I mean, I wasn’t counting, but the fact that I LOST count, means that you’re trying to minimize it to something meaningless.”

“But, you’re not a lesbian either!” “That’s not the fucking point!” Ju rebutted, “You can’t just treat me like one of your little fucktoy boyfriends; use me and leave.”

“Wow, okay, I didn’t use you anymore than you used me!”

“REaALLy?!” Ju snapped, “ because as I recall, I never, not once, came to your room in the dead of night like a stray cat scratching at YOUR door.”

Boogie groaned with exasperation.

“Ju! I wasn’t trying to use you! I just thought we were having fun!”

“It was. Until you broke my heart.”

“I didn’t know!”

“Correction: You didn’t care.” Ju said, grinding the cigarette butt into ash and flicking it over the balcony. “As soon as you started traveling all the time, it was like you couldn’t WAIT to leave and have an excuse not to talk to me. You wouldn’t even answer my calls or texts, and most of the time it only about regular shit, like ‘Bring home some toilet paper.’”

“Ju, I’m sorry!”

“You ghosted me like some fuckboy. You KNOW how my relationships with men have gone… and now you’ve ruined women for me too...”

“Ju, I swear to God, if I had known how you felt-”

“Stop playing coy. You knew how I felt when I left you those dusty, sappy ass voicemails when you were gone. You knew how I felt when I made you come 4 times in one night.You just didn’t want to commit, and I get it. But you can’t just buy back my fucking friendship and, for once, throwing money at the problem ain’t gonna make it disappear, Boogie.”

“Ju…” Boogie reached out touching her shoulder, teary-eyed, when Ju shrugged her off “ I really am sorry…”

“You’re right about one thing: I’m not a lesbian- hell I never even considered myself bi, but what I am willing to admit, is I am damaged. In spite of that, I trusted you, because we were friends, and you made me feel accepted, only to turn around an reject me on the basis that you’re ‘not a lesbian’. I’d never been with a woman before you; how about you, Boogie?

Boogie’s eyes were glued to her champagne stained shoes with guilt.

“Fuck you.” Ju said, with her back facing Boogie as she pulled out another cigarette. “I never want to see you again.”

Boogie, slowly nodded before hesitantly turning around to pull the door open to see cast shadows on the floor scrambling from around the hallway corner, that let her know everyone heard everything.

As she walked back into the suite, everyone was behaving so over the top in trying to act normal, Boogie couldn’t help but call it out.

“I feel so dirty.” she admitted. “Look, guys, I’m leaving… for good. I didn’t want things to end like this,”

“Aww! Boogie” They exclaimed and began coming in to hug her goodbye when she held up a hand, stopping them and backing away toward the door.

“I really don’t deserve it,” she said, teary eyed, “I just wanted one last good memory, for old-time’s-sake, but I’m sorry, ya’ll; I can’t do this… “

“Boogie, wait!” Dejah called out as Boogie opened the door to leave.

“I’ll send for my things. Goodbye.”

As the door shut behind her, the room fell silent with a heaviness that left them all feeling disconnected and hollow. The candy nipples and crumbled BDSM gingerbread men littering the floor along with smashed cupcakes and spilled champagne, prompted them all to begin cleaning up the mess, while humming “happy birthday” in such a somber tone it sounded like a negro spiritual.

___________________________________________________________________

The weeks that followed stretched into a month, and as the weather started to become warmer, the Buttacreme house welcomed a new college sophomore who moved into Boogie’s old room and mostly kept to herself.

The awkwardness surrounding the birthday party, had created a moody tension around Ju, that, at the slightest mention or reference to Boogie seemed to set her off into a funk that would last for days.

Other than that, some normalcy was returning with the intro of the new girl, Kayla, since she was unaware of the drama and simply offered up baked goods to anyone and everyone who was interested.

“She’s cool.” Rai said to Jayti, taking a sip of lemonade as they sat out on lawn chairs in the backyard, soaking up the springtime sun.

“Yeah, she’s so innocent though.” Jayti laughed, “Remember when we were that age?”

“God, I don’t think I was ever so baby-faced in my youth.”

Jayti sighed and opened up her magazine to read up on the latest gossip.

“Oh my god!” Jayti’s jaw dropped.

“What?” Rai looked up suddenly, from her phone.

“House meeting…” Jayti said, flipping the magazine and showing Rai the article.

__________________________________________________________________

It was dark by the time Ju came out of her room. As she bound down the stairs, headed to the kitchen, she saw the entire house, save for Kayla, seated in the living room, surrounding the coffee table, whispering quietly amongst themselves. It looked suspicious to say the least.

“What’s up?” She asked, taking a detour into the living room to see a single magazine in the center of the coffee table.

They all remained silent, not certain how to break the news.

Dejah grabbed the magazine, and flipped to the page, handing it to Ju.

Upon seeing Boogie’s photo, Ju scoffed, pushing the quarterly, back at Dejah, with rejection, when Dejah, pushed it again, for Ju to take a closer look.

“...The 34 year old best-selling author was reported missing on April 6th 2020 soon after she arrived in Japan, when she unexpectedly didn’t show up for a book signing, and subsequent attempts to contact or locate her yielded no results. The police began an ongoing investigation that led them to the local den of Yakuza who are known to use spiritual mediums situationally.

Ichigo Soichirou, the lead detective on Blaire Patel’s case, reported that it “isn’t uncommon for the Yakuza to outsource to a foreigner as they are harder to track.”

April 12th, only 6 days after the initial report, Miss Patel’s body was found in a Freight container at a commercial loading site in Tokyo Harbor. The case is ongoing, suspects are being interrogated and arrests have been made, but the tragedy of Patel’s sudden and violent end has undoubtedly shaken her family and fanbase to the core. Prayers and condolences to the family and close friends of ‘The Ratchet Medium’ author. She will be missed.”

Ju’s breath shuddered, prompting Deenie to stand up and hug her, when she pulled away, hyperventilating for breath.

“She’s….gone.” Ju sobbed.

Desty ran to hug her oldest friend, stroking her hair and whispering comforting words to her, when Ju pulled away, turning her back to them and slowly, ascending the stairs as they called after her, worried.

Once she got to the landing at the top, Desty’s voice called out emotionally.

“JU! We all loved her! Stop pushing us away! We need to heal together!”

Ju’s hand gripped the wooden stair banister, digging her nails into the varnished finish, when she slowly turned her head looking down at the lot of them, standing and looking up at her, with deep concern ingrained into their facial expressions.

“These are the last tears I cry for Boogie.” Ju announced. “Good Riddance.”

With a final wipe of her tears, her footsteps receded and her bedroom door slammed shut; leaving them all frozen in a moment of time wondering what would happen now?

#ju #jayti #boogie #rai #Xai #deenie #desty #Dejah #Birthday #HouseofButta #Farewell

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sigritandtheelves · 6 years ago

Text

The I in Team

Part 5: Trust

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Rating: Mature Timeline: season 6 Tags: Angst-ish, but veering toward legit MSR Words: 2.2k (pt. 5)

A/N: Sorry it’s been a while! It was a tough week, and I got kinda sick on top of it. :( The format here is a little bit different than the other parts, but that’s because we’re rounding toward the end. I think maybe just one more part!?

_+_

A little after eight in the morning, he stood in front of her motel door, holding coffee and a bagged-breakfast, knocking gently with his boot. It took her a minute, but she appeared, wet-haired, in jeans and a black v-neck.

“Mulder,” she said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

He held up the coffee and brown paper bag in explanation, little smirk on his face, nervous. “The motel breakfast is pretty bad, so…” He scraped his boot on the concrete. “Can I come in?”

She gave him a look, squint-eyed, like what are you up to. She blinked, then stepped back. “Okay.”

In her room he set their breakfast on the table—her coffee done right, a strawberry croissant, her favorite. “This one’s yours,” he said.

The Florida sun was just warming the early day, grazing the window blinds to stripe the table where they sat. She sipped her coffee and it was good: two creams, no sugar.

“We’re gonna go to the thing today, okay? We’re gonna do it right.”

“We are?”

“Yeah.” He said, looking at her with all seriousness.

She eyed him, unsure. He was chewing his own croissant. “Why?” she asked. “You don’t really want to.”

He shrugged. “I don’t want to listen to some corporate smile-guy telling me to assess my strengths and weaknesses, telling us to align our synergy, or to learn how to build consensus, or any of that bullshit. But we’re off the clock here, pretty much. The world isn’t ending. We’re here together, the sky is blue, there are no monsters in sight, and there’s a nature hike later today. Let’s just… be people. Okay? See if we can?”

She pursed her lips, watched him try to wrangle that obsessive energy and turn it toward whatever this was, hovering between them. He was twitchy. Anxious, she saw, like he’d spent all night working up the courage for this.

“Okay,” she said after pause. But she kept wariness and suspicion in her back pocket. Like a child who’d been bitten by a dog, she was reluctant to stretch her fingers out toward it again.

He surprised her, then, by touching her hair, her cheek, by leaning forward. “I won’t lose you,” he said. “I won’t.”

She just nodded and kept her eyes on the table.

---

At some point, Mulder realized, his self-indulgent pity had become his last refuge and comfort. In his room he’d sat with the taste of her still on his lips, half-hard from the remembered feel of her pressed to him, and thought how he’d do just about anything to have a chance with her again. To have her trust him again. He’d hurt her, though he’d not known how much until tonight. Self-flagellation had felt good: fucking Diana out of anger and the narcissistic desire to hear someone, anyone, say I believe you in that way, holding Scully away from him in self-denial. Except that it wasn’t himself he was hurting anymore. Hadn’t ever been, really. He’d thought he was punishing himself for failing, for losing the X-Files again, for never ever having the right kind of proof... But the whole time, every minute of his selfish, senseless behavior, he’d really been hurting her. And for that… Christ, what a fucking piece of work he was.

The way he saw it, there were two ways forward. He could continue his unsuccessful campaign of denying, hating, and torturing himself over what an asshole he’d been… or he could do something about it and try loving someone for once in his miserable life, no matter how vulnerable it made him feel.

He’d looked at himself in the mirror. He��d actually stood in the motel bathroom and stared at his own pathetic mug and told himself to grow the fuck up right here and now because she wasn’t going to put up with any more of his bullshit. That stupid thing he’d written down this morning when he was being flip? That thoughtless answer he’d given to what he appreciated about her? Wrong. She doesn’t put up with it, and she won’t, and she shouldn’t have to. He looked himself in the eyes and thought, for whatever reason, she actually cares about you, and this is your last godforsaken chance at something good in this life and you are NOT going to fuck it up.

Then he forced himself to get six full hours of sleep, took a shower, and went to buy her breakfast.

---

When she’d finished her coffee, after sitting there without words, listening to her own breathing, she’d looked up at him and said “Okay,” a second time, and then, “Thank you for breakfast.” And there, on her scrubbed and freckled face, he saw the smallest trace of something that gave him hope.

Now they sat back-to-back on an ugly carpet with a bunch of other saps, doing something called a “blind-drawing exercise.” She was saying words that made little sense—directing him to draw shapes on a page that would add up to a picture, and he was fumbling to comply.

“Okay, now draw a triangle coming out from the midpoint of the long arc.”

“Like touching it?”

“Yeah, so the arc forms the shortest side and the farthest angle is acute.”

He bit his lip, concentrating. “Um, okay. I think I’ve got it.”

“Now a smaller arc that’s more of a circle, coming off the longer one at the left end, but make it kind of bulbus.”

“Scully, what the hell are you having me draw?”

She laughed, and her head fell back to touch his shoulder.

“No peeking,” he said.

“You either.”

And for the first time in what felt like months, they were both laughing, and yes, yes, she left her head there on his shoulder, and it made his heart pound and his hand shake. He could hear the smile in her voice as she told him things like “now a small black circle” or “another very small triangle, about a third the size of the bulb shape” and eventually, he had drawn something that almost made sense.

“Hey, is it a bird?”

“Mulder! Did you cheat?”

“No! Look!” and he turned around and showed her and she was laughing at his terrible bird, but he was right, he’d done it right, and it was a small but beautiful triumph.

“Now it’s my turn,” she said, still smiling. “Can I borrow your pencil?”

When she turned around again to draw, balancing her booklet on her knees, she let her back fall against his and kept it there, the heat of their bodies meeting at a single point. He tried to concentrate and describe the basic shape of a tractor (“A big circle and a little circle… some rectangles”), but couldn’t stop thinking that he was, maybe, for once, getting something kind of right.

There was a peace settling between them, a quiet presence like a low hum. Familiar. He recognized its gentle whir, remembered hearing it first rising in a damp motel room in Oregon, thought of its electric buzz at dozens of hospital bedsides, or its low-cycling resonance on late-night couches where they sat shoulder-to-shoulder. It was the sound of them, he thought. It was the sound of whatever this was that they’d forged together and almost lost. It was their trust, most of all.

---

In the woods again, no mothmen. No life-draining bugs. Just a compass for one and a map for the other.

“Hey, Indian Guide, which way is west?”

He held the compass flat: studied, turned, and pointed. They hiked.

A blue bandana held her hair back and dirt smudged her nose. He wanted to wipe it, kiss it off. Wanted to back her up against a tree and show her just how grateful he was for this second chance. He settled for supporting her arm as she scaled a tricky pass, for brushing his hand against her back while he held up a thin branch of prickles for her to pass under. She didn’t tell him no, didn’t glare. He tucked these moments away in his mind as small victories.

Then, on a steep slope, his foot slipped and he fell back against her, almost knocked her down, but she held him, held steady. “Whoa,” she said. “You okay?”

“I got it,” he said, grabbing a nearby branch for balance. He stilled—they both did, and her hand remained longer than it needed to, pressed warm to his chest. Her face was almost level with his on the incline, and they were suddenly just… looking. Lost in each other’s curious gaze, two people suddenly face-to-face with each other. His own hand, he realized, was on her hip, fingers curling at the waistband of her jeans. The air grew thick around and between them, but Florida humidity it was not. “Okay?” he asked, voiced pitched low, almost raspy, and she nodded, just a tiny dip of the head. His fingers tightened on her hip.

“Mulder,” she said.

His eyes fell closed and he clenched his jaw. “I know.”

“You trust me,” she said, a question in the form of a statement.

“You know I do.” Her fingers hadn’t moved, and his heart beat hard against her palm.

“I trust you with my life, Mulder. But not…” with my heart, she thought. Not yet. She watched his eyes and saw him understand.

“I can’t forgive myself, Scully. I won’t. And it’s so unfair for me to ask you to try.” His fingers again, their slightest movement at her waist—a thumb, just at the edge of her skin, like a match-head igniting her. “But I’m going to ask you to try. Let me show you that you can trust me.”

Emboldened with his words, two fingers joined his thumb at her hip. She let her palm slip in an almost-caress to wander past his collarbone, around the back of his neck. He was sweaty there, from the hike and the Florida warmth, and she was similarly damp, the weight of her pack pressing a line of sweat heavy to her shoulder. They were warmer here, of course, than they’d been in Antarctica, but no less alone in these woods, where the deep thrum of primal want began beating between them again. She yearned, suddenly, to lick the sweat clean from his jaw, to push him behind the thicket, into the rocks and dirt, and swallow him whole. She wanted to stamp him as hers and make him prove that he loved her. It was crazy. It was possessive madness, but she could tamp it down no less than she could her own blood beating.

“Scully.”

“Yeah,” she said, wondering how her voice got that way, so low, so heavy.

“I’m going to kiss you,” he said, and she couldn’t have stopped him if she’d wanted to because her body moved on its own, her traitorous hips driving toward his in the green green of that forest. His mouth came down on hers like a hot iron and she was already pulling it closer, opening her lips and begging him with her tongue. She couldn’t help it. God, she couldn’t help it. She wanted him so much.

His left hand let go of the branch to hold her face, to massage his love into her cheek. Believe me, it said. Believe me, I love you, while the other hand had abandoned the world of fabric for more patches of soft skin. They shifted to angle their bodies closer until they were falling into each other, into the needy press of this elemental substance that drummed up from the earth and into their veins, their hearts, their skins.

And then they were really falling. A rock unmoored from its earthy clutch, and their feet went out from under them, slipping, crashing through the underbrush and thicket, sliding down the hill and tumbling into the leaves and dirt. Mulder grasped her to him, sheltering her from prickles and thorns until they came to a stop, filthy and laughing, gasping on the woodland floor.

“Oh, Mulder,” she said. “Are you okay?” She touched his head first, his face, his neck, from her position splayed across his torso. She pulled a leaf from his hair, but it was his arms that were scraped, three lines of deep red along his forearms, where the sticker bush had nabbed him.

“I’m fine,” he said, still smiling. He cupped her face. “You?”

She nodded. “Fine,” and seemed to realize how they were positioned. She looked down at their bodies, at their rumpled clothes, at their legs entangled, and blushed. Before she could comment, could gather her composure and set them rational and right again, a voice called out from several yards away.

“You guys okay?” it asked. “Jeez, we saw that fall! Do you need first aid?”

Not so alone as they’d thought, it turned out. “We’re okay!” Mulder called, then quieter, to her, “Time to get up.” But before Scully could climb off him, he tugged her down, quick, for a kiss. It was no chaste thing, but wet and hot with relief and the adrenaline-thrill of their brief misadventure. “I’ll show you,” he whispered at her ear when he’d let her lips go. “I’ll show you how much I love you.”

And then he was helping her up, brushing off, reaching for the compass in his back pocket, hoping it hadn’t been cracked. “This way.” He nodded back toward the path.

Dumbstruck, a little wobbly, she followed.

(end part 5)

Go to Part 6: Reciprocation

#a thing i wrote #part 5 #msr #xf fanfic #season 6

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