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oneshotnewbie · 2 months ago

Note

r being the youngest hastings sisters and getting injured badly in front of her sister and mom PLEASE PLEASE MAKE IT AS ANGSTY AS POSSIBLE

Authors note: I realize that car accidents are pretty much overused these days as far as injuries go, but the only thing that came to mind was poisoning, which didn't fit with your desire for a badly injured reader. Apart from that, reader is one year older than Spencer

⚠️Trigger Warning⚠️ This one-shot includes the topic of a serious accident and blood. The plots are presented. If this triggers you too easily or you just can´t handle the subject, I urge you NOT to read this work. I am NOT embellishing this topic under any circumstance. Read at your own risk.

The rain pounded relentlessly against the windshield, turning the world outside into an endless, gloomy mass of darkness and rushing water. The headlights of Veronica Hastings' car cut through the darkness as she pulled her vehicle into position behind you and followed you while you carefully navigated through the darkness of the deserted highway, battling the heavy rain.

The weekend trip had originally been planned as a relaxing break. An opportunity for Veronica, Spencer and you to get a little distance from the city and all the stress. But now, late at night, the drive back felt anything but relaxing. The clouds were heavy and low, and the incessant lightning flashes kept making the sky glow eerily.

Spencer sat in the passenger seat and stared at the red taillights of your vehicle, which was driving along the road a few meters ahead of them. Veronica gripped the steering wheel tightly and kept glancing anxiously into the distance where she saw the back of your car. "We're almost home," she said, her voice calm but with a hint of tension.

"I can't wait," Spencer answered, her eyes alertly on the red glow of your brake lights. She saw you driving with concentration and caution - as always. "The rain makes driving so nerve-wracking."

"I know, honey," Veronica assured her calmly, her voice soft but focused as she gave her a quick sideways glance, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Just a few more miles and we'll be home."

Then, without warning, bright headlights flared up behind them, blazing so close that they bathed the interior of the car in a blinding light. Spencer turned abruptly in her seat, and saw the large, black SUV coming at them at breakneck speed. It seemed to take up the entire road, and the eerily aggressive sound of the engine cut through the rain.

"What the hell-" Spencer began, but the car was already speeding past them as if propelled by an invisible force. The water splashed across their windshield, leaving them momentarily driving blind. Veronica straightened, her eyes wide with incomprehension.

"Damn, what a mad-" but before she could finish her thought, she and Spencer watched as the SUV pulled dangerously to the right, then there was a violent jolt. The scene played out before their eyes as if someone had slowed down time. Spencer's heart skipped a beat and an ice-cold shiver ran down her spine. She looked at her mother as the SUV rammed the side of your car with full force. The impact was so violent that your car immediately skidded.

"Oh my God!" Spencer screamed, her voice a single, desperate cry as reflexively grabbed the dashboard, watched in shock as you tried to counter-steer the car and even managed to regain control for a moment.

Veronica, her eyes now wide, slammed on the brakes and held the steering wheel with all her strength. Their car skidded across the wet road as they watched in shock. The SUV slammed into your side once more, this time with such force that your car spun, left the lane, and drove into the guardrail that usually separated both lanes.

Your car flipped in the air once, twice, each time with a deafening metallic screech that echoed through the night's thunder. Each impact, each rollover, seemed to stretch time and accelerate it at the same time before you came to a stop on your roof in the oncoming lane. The front of the vehicle was crushed, and the airbag hung out of the shattered driver's side window like a limp white flag of surrender. It was barely recognizable.

It was a surreal moment - the darkness of the night, and the crash of each car part breaking off. Spencer felt her stomach clench as she saw the twisted shape of her your car.

Your mother held her breath and felt an ice-cold shiver run through her body. "Oh my God, no..." she whispered, her voice barely more than a strangled sound. Her heart was racing, her hands were shaking uncontrollably, and for a moment she didn't know what to do as her car came to a stop. It was as if everything had frozen - the sound of the rain, the smoke rising from the hood, the terrible silence that remained after the impact. She couldn't believe what had just happened before her eyes: her eldest daughter, who had just been driving safely ahead of them, was now probably unconscious and possibly seriously injured in a deformed wreck.

Spencer felt horror spreading like a cold mist in her head. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to rip out of her chest. "Y/n!" she screamed desperately, her voice a pure, trembling scream of terror. She ripped open the passenger door as soon as her mother's car had come to a stop and sprinted into the rain. She had a burning need to reach you.

She hurried through the pouring rain toward the destroyed car that lay in a cloud of smoke in front of her. The rain slapped her face like cold needles, and the headlights of her mother's car cast ghostly light on the wreckage of the accident. The sound of the crunching glass shards under her boots and the constant patter of the rain mixed into an oppressive roar. With every step across the wet asphalt, she felt the urgency growing. Spencer could hear the blood rushing in her ears, and the panic continued to rise within her.

Veronica stared at the scene in front of her, her hands still firmly on the steering wheel. "This can't be true," she whispered, her voice shaky, and she could barely breathe. Her mind refused to process the image - the horrible image that she would never forget.

It took a moment for her to break out of her trance, unbuckling her seatbelt with shaking hands and following Spencer into the rain. "Spencer, be careful! It could be dangerous!" she called, but her voice was choked by the tears that were gathering in her eyes. Everything in her screamed to protect you, to take you in her arms and make everything right again - but in front of her there was only the destroyed wreck and the terrible realization that there was nothing she could do to undo what had happened.

But Spencer did not respond to her mother's call. She felt the adrenaline flooding through her body and she felt an urgent need to rescue you alive while the SUV, that had caused the accident, had already disappeared again, as if it had never existed.

As they got closer, Veronica was the first to notice the extent of the damage in all its horror. The driver's door was dented, the metal bent as if a giant fist had crushed the car. Both could clearly smell the gasoline and smoke, an ominous smell that mixed with the metallic scent of blood. The gasoline dripped involuntarily from the broken tank. "The car could explode!" Veronica warned again, but her voice was so foreign, so full of panic, and she knew that her words had no effect. She herself felt like she was in a nightmare from which she could not wake up.

"We can't just leave her here! We have to get her out before it happens, mom!" Spencer knelt next to the driver's window and peered in. "Y/n! Can you hear me?" Her voice was choked with tears and she knocked on the broken window frame, but there was no answer from you.

Veronica didn't hesitate for a moment and knelt down next to you both, both hands outstretched. The sight that awaited her almost took her breath away: you were hanging motionless upside down in the seat, your head leaning limply to the side, and the light from the headlights fell on your blood-stained hair and face. Veronica could see blood streaking your temples, cheeks and neck, while your breathing was barely noticeable. She could hardly recognize you anymore. "She's unconscious!" she cried out desperately and tried to open the door. She shook it, but it didn't move a millimeter.

Together they pulled at the jammed door until it finally gave way and they got it open. A gust of smoke hit them, and Spencer coughed as she immediately set about freeing you from the seat. Her hands were cut by the shards of glass, and her breathing was in gasps, but she didn't feel the pain. Even though every breath felt like a stab to her heart, she would never leave you behind.

"Y/n, please.." Spencer begged, her voice choked with fear. She gave in as her mother gently pushed her aside and moved to free you. So without hesitation, Spencer reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone, her shaking fingers on the screen as she dialed 911. "Come on, come on.." she whispered, her hands slick with blood and rain. She struggled to hold the device steady enough to type in the right number. The connection was established, and she waited, her heart racing as her hand reached for yours.

Veronica leaned deeper into the wrecked car, the smoke and metallic smell of blood and gasoline now stinging her nose even more. "Y/n, my love. Can you hear me? Please, wake up. We're here. I'm here, sweetheart.." Her voice broke off as she tried to pull you out of the seat, but the belt had wrapped itself tightly around your body and wouldn't come off. Her hands slid over the blood-stained fabric of your shirt as she tried to loosen the belt, but her own fingers were shaking so much that it seemed impossible. "Please, wake up.." she whispered, tears mixing with the rain running down her face.

Spencer was now speaking frantically into the phone, her voice anxious and fluttering. "My sister had an accident. She is unconscious and seriously injured, please send an ambulance and the fire department immediately! The car is upside down and gasoline is leaking!" she screamed into the line. "We're on the highway toward Rosewood," she hesitated, trying to remember a precise description, but her eyes were glued to you, and the world around her seemed to blur. She felt desperation gripping her like an icy grip. The operator on the other end spoke soothingly to her, promising to send help, but the minutes seemed to stretch on endlessly as the rain pounded harder and harder against them.

Veronica desperately tried to pull on the belt, trying to free you from the vehicle. She felt your cold skin beneath her fingertips, felt her own trembling and the weight of fear settling on her chest. "Come on, come on, baby... stay with us," she pleaded, trying to pull the belt through with all her strength, ignoring her own exhaustion. It was as if time was passing at an agonizing slowness.

Suddenly Spencer's phone vibrated in her hand and for a moment she was confused. Who could be writing to her at this moment? But when she read the message, her blood froze in her veins. The words glowed at her: "See what happens if you're not careful? This time it was just a warning."

Her fingers froze and for a moment everything around her was silent. Everything disappeared in that terrible, icy moment as the reality of the message sank into her consciousness. "A." Spencer felt the ground beneath her knees threatening to give way, despair mixing with a terrible feeling of helplessness. This was no accident. "A" had struck again and this time he was directly after you.

"Spencer, what's wrong?" Veronica called without looking up as she continued to struggle to unbuckle the belt and free you. Spencer blinked, shook herself out of her trance and put the phone away. "It's... it's nothing," she lied with a trembling voice, her hands reaching for the belt, struggling with the metal clip that had bent and was holding you in the seat.

"Spencer, I need your help now, we have to get her out of there," your mother said with determination. She sounded so motherly, so protective, that it almost broke Spencer's heart. She looked into the eyes of her mother, who knew nothing about "A," who just wanted to save her daughter at that moment.

Spencer fought to stay calm, her eyes burning with tears. "I'm here Mom, what should I do?" she continued shortly after, waiting for further instructions from her mother. "I'm going to get her out of there now. You have to support her head as soon as I move her, okay?"

Together they finally managed to unbuckle the belt. They both carefully pulled you out of the wrecked car, their movements slow and controlled so as not to cause any further injuries. Spencer felt more warm blood on her hands as she pulled you out of the wreckage. "We'll get through this, we'll get through this," she whispered, both to herself and to Veronica.

The cold of the rain crept through both of their clothes, but that didn't matter. All Veronica felt was the paralyzing fear for her child. "Stay with us, baby..." she whispered to you as she held back more tears of despair and laid you gently on the wet asphalt, her hands still shaking, and she stroked your hair, which was soaked by the rain and matted with blood, tensely. "Spencer, she looks so bad."

"She's still breathing, Mom. That's a good sign," she said carefully, examining your limp and heavy body. Your face was pale and blood dripped from a deep wound on the back of your head and forehead. Your breathing became shallower with every second.

"You are strong, honey, we are here... we won't leave you alone," your mother said as her tears melted into the rain.

Spencer heard the sirens of the approaching ambulance in the distance, but the words of the message echoed in her head. She could hardly breathe as the realization slowly cut through her chest like a sharp pain. "A" had put you in this situation and now you were lying on her lap, bleeding.

Spencer looked at her mother, who was waiting for the emergency services to arrive with panic in her eyes, completely unaware that this was all no accident. "Mom..." Spencer said, her voice shaking, and she looked at her mother. But Veronica knew nothing about "A" and the dark power that was descending upon her family.

Spencer felt the chill of realization run through her body and Veronica saw the look on her face and knew something was wrong, but she couldn't form the words. All she could do was hold her older daughter's hand and pray that the ambulance would arrive in time.

Spencer felt weak and lost like never before. The uncertainty of whether you would survive never left her. She knew this was just the beginning of a new nightmare. "A" continued to play with them, and her sister was paying the price.

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majosullivan · 1 year ago

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Castle Swimmer Dashboard Simulator

🪸 classycoral Follow

If there’s one thing that I’ve learnt while traveling the sea, it’s that prophecies can really range from being the silliest of tales to the most horrific things you will ever of having the dismay of laying your eyes on

🪸 classycoral Follow

Like I’ll visit one castle and their prophecy will be ‘It’s been destined that the beacon will use this frog to predict the future so we can prepare for it :)’ and then the next castle I visit will have a prophecy like ‘It is been foretold from centuries past that the beacon shall arrive and save us from a plague that has been taunting us since ancient time. Through sacrifical ritual, they shall free us from this torment’

#like who is coming up with these #are you guys doing okay???

154,879 notes

💧 oceaneyes Follow

I heard there’s hot singles at the bottom of the God Mouth

⚜️ minigod-fucker Follow

out of the way boys I’m about to GET IT

⚜️ minigod-fucker Follow

got trapped in unending darkness surrounded by voices

9,264 notes

🪷 through-the-reef Follow

I’m currently traveling through the Purple Peaks and it’s absolutely gorgeous here! I have no idea why there seems to be so few people living here, it seems wonderful!

🪷 through-the-reef Follow

GIANT CRAB, GIANT CRAB, GIANT CRAB-

13,521 notes

✨ give-that-axolotl-a-knife Follow

Does anyone else feel like the surface god is just toying with you how they please. They think they’re so funny. Well I’m about to be hilarious

🎼 beautifulabyss Follow

this feels so threatening, are you doing okay op?

24,957 notes

🌊 squids Follow

Being alive is so wonderful because there is so many beautiful places in the ocean you can explore and so many fascinating creatures you can see. However there are also the unending horrors

6,496 notes

🖼️ ocean-landscapes Follow

The Blue Hills

832 notes

💰 needling-on Follow

GUYS I MIGHT BE GOING INSANE BUT I’M CURRENTLY OUTSIDE TRAINING AND I SWEAR I JUST SAW ONE OF THE RULERS AT MY CASTLE GO FLYING OUT THE CASTLE WINDOW

💰 needling-on Follow

NOT INSANE, A GROUP OF HIS PEOPLE JUST CAME SWIMMING OUT CALLING AFTER HIM, OH MY GOD I CAN’T BREATH

💰 needling-on Follow

UPDATE: THEY’RE COMING BACK WITH HIM NOW AND HE MUST HAVE FALLEN INTO A SCHOOL OF PRETTY VICIOUS FISH CAUSE HE’S COVERED IN BITE MARKS AND THERE’S STILL ONE BITING HIM. I FEEL LIKE I’M GOING TO CRACK A RIB

284,047 notes

♠️ mistressofthedarkseas Follow

Alright guys which mini god from the ones y’all know about do you think you could take

♠️ mistressofthedarkseas Follow

IN A FIGHT IN A FIGHT IN A FIGHT

♠️ mistressofthedarkseas Follow

Blocked blocked blocked. None of you are seeing the light of the surface

69,638 notes

🌺 lesbiankelp Follow

Life is so fucking unfair cause kelp dragons are SO beautiful and magnificent and enchanting and I would do ANYTHING to get up close to or even pet one, but the moment one would see me they would immediately try to swallow me whole like a shrimp

#they’re so pretty and for what #AND FOR WHAT?! #I just want to give them a little kiss on top of your head… #is that too much to ask?

2,749 notes

🔱 poisedposeidon Follow

THE BEACON IS TWENTY???

🔱 poisedposeidon Follow

THEY SHOULD BE AT THE CLUB…

💧 oceanxeyes Follow

HUH?

🎼 beautifulabyss Follow

I’m sorry, the beacon is WHAT?

🫧 bubbly-bubbles Follow

🪸 classycoral Follow

No because like my castle’s prophecy is nearing 200 years old and I’ve met a ton of people whose prophecies are over twice that age. How in the name of the Surface God are they only 20?

🌱 seaweed-brains Follow

Okay this post just unlocked some long dormant memories in my brain and if I don’t talk about it with someone outside my castle I think I’ll lose my mind so you guys better be sitting down.

For some context: until around 7-8 years ago, my people were under almost constant threat of these giant sea snakes because they had unknowingly killed the head of their den. Savage things. Would take any opportunity to attack us. We couldn’t even find a new castle cause they would follow us everywhere. Because of all this, our elders ended up creating a prophecy, which stated that the Beacon would eat the carcass of the head snake, causing the rest of the sea snakes to leave us alone.

So when I was like 13, the Beacon had arrived at our castle to fulfil our prophecy, and as you can expect, we were all very excited and I remember trying to get to the front of the crowd as fast as possible to see them. They were like nothing I have ever seen before and have seen since, we all were in complete awe of them. However, the thing about them that ended up surprising me the most was that they were young. Like, pretty damn young. They looked a little younger than me. So while our monarch quickly went to make sure all the preparations were complete, they entrusted my parents with making sure the Beacon was comfortable, giving my family the opportunity to have small chat with them. Curiousity getting the better of me, I asked how old they were. 13. They said they’re 13 years old. They were MY age. I didn’t know what to do at that point and basically throughout the entire time our prophecy was being completed, my mind was just stuck thinking about if I was destined to eat that giant smelly snake

🔱 poisedposeidon Follow

EX-FUCKING-CUSE ME???

🎼 beautifulabyss Follow

WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT

♠️ mistressofthedarkseas Follow

I need a whole day to fully process that prophecy alone what in the actual fuck

🌺 lesbiankelp Follow

Did…

…did they eat the snake carcass?

🌱 seaweed-brains Follow

THE WHOLE THING…

🫧 bubbly-bubbles Follow

🪸 classycoral Follow

and people still think I was exaggerating about how wild prophecies are. How in the entire sea does being attacked by sea snakes lead to the Beacon needing to eat a giant carcass? Who is coming up with these solutions? Show me their workings

💧 oceanxeyes Follow

The Beacon arriving at another castle to help people fulfil their prophecy, only to find that it’s another one written by freaks:

🐚 sandyshells Follow

…the beacon is real?

🔱 poisedposeidon Follow

🌺 lesbiankelp Follow

HELLO?

🌫️ surface-and-beyond Follow

Sandy get back here right now what do u MEAN you didn’t know the Beacon was real???

🐚 sandyshells Follow

MY PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS SAID THE BEACON WAS JUST PART OF ANCIENT MYTHOLOGY…we were always told growing up that prophecies and the lot were just stories and such. You’re telling me that there’s actually a divine being going around helping people by eating snakes and stuff???

🌫️ surface-and-beyond Follow

Y E A H

🐚 sandyshells Follow

WHAT THE HELL

♠️ mistressofthedarkseas Follow

This whole post is a mess holy shit

498,690 notes

#castle swimmer #webtoon #fake tumblr dash #fake tumblr post #dashboard simulator #castle swimmer kappa #kappa #castle swimmer siren #siren

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something-tofightfor · 10 months ago

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Liminality: Part 7

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Female Reader

Word Count: 12,211 (listen, I'd apologize but I'm not at all sorry.)

Rating: NSFW... in every sense of the word.

Summary: A conversation that you - and Frankie - never thought would happen comes ... but what happens after that conversation is the real game changer.

Author’s note:

The response to the last chapter - and to this story in general - has been really, really cool. This one means a lot to me because there are so many moving parts, and I'm really thankful that you all seem to be enjoying it.

Thank you for reading - and for reaching out. If you ever want to talk about this story, my inbox is open.

Masterlist (for the journal entries and all of the other 'extras' + previous chapters)

He walked confidently next to you through the hospital’s main doors, and when you asked again at the reception desk for Alec’s room number, the nurse was more than helpful - though her gaze lingered on Frankie while she gave you the information, color rising in her cheeks.

“You’ve got a fan.” The doors of the elevator closed behind you and Frankie looked over, rolling his eyes. He’d taken the sunglasses off and tucked one arm into the collar of his tee-shirt, his hat tossed onto the dashboard and left behind, leaving his curls untamed. “I don’t blame her, either. Your hair is looking particularly pullable today.”

“Shut the fuck up.” He scowled at you, though you also saw his cheeks redden, Frankie ducking his head down. “You’re imagining things.”

“I’m not.” Leaning against the handrail, you shook your head. “Remember, you told me that I didn’t have to stroke your ego? I just call it like I see it.” He was quiet, even after the doors opened, and when the two of you stepped into the sterile-smelling hallway, he hesitated. Oh, Frankie. “It’s going to be alright.” You reached for his hand, the man sliding his palm along yours. “Talking to you will get her mind off of what happened, and it’ll give you some of the answers you should already have.”

His only reply was a single squeeze, but he didn’t let go as you started moving again, making your way down the hallway to room 306. The door was partially shut so you knocked twice, pushing it open and poking your head around the edge of it.

Ashley got to her feet immediately, but you looked past her and at Alec, not sure what to expect.

It was somehow worse and better than you’d imagined; the man’s eyes both black and a large scrape running up the side of his neck and across his left cheek. “Won’t be winning any beauty contests for the next couple weeks, but…” Alec shrugged, the small movement making him wince. “Hey, how’s it going? We made it to Florida.”

You let go of Frankie’s hand and crossed the room, leaning down to take Alec’s hand and tightening your grip on his fingers. “I’d hug you, but I don’t think you want that right now.” He groaned and thanked you, and it was only then that you looked over at Ashley, the woman standing defensively between the end of the bed and Frankie. “Ashley, Alec, this is Francisco Morales. He’s a helicopter pilot and my friend, and …” The woman took two steps forward, and for the first time since you’d met him, Frankie looked afraid, the man backing up toward the doorway as she advanced. What is… “Ashley?”

“You don’t have to be afraid of me, Francisco.” She held up her hand, taking a deep breath. “Whatever you’re feeling right now is …” Twisting her hand so that her palm was facing upward, she waited for him to take it. “It’s normal. And I apologize for it, and for my -” She stepped even closer and you waited breathlessly, more intrigued by what you were watching than anything you’d ever seen before. Is it because they’re both wolves?

“Why do I … this hasn’t…” He reached for her hand slowly, and when their fingers met he finally relaxed, both of his shoulders slumping. “Shit.”

“Is this the first time you’ve ever met another one of us?”

“Yes.” He nodded, his eyes moving over her face. “Since the day I got bitten, it’s just been me. I’ve never talked to another … fuck.” She turned his arm over and looked down at the scar, the fingers of her other hand rising to touch it.

“They got you good.” Ashley’s head rose and then she looked back over her shoulder, meeting Alec’s eyes and shaking her head before she looked at you. “It wasn’t him. Even human, he smells different.”

She thought he might be the one that did this? “What? You thought I’d bring the man that… Frankie, I didn’t know.”

Frankie pulled his hand free from hers and backed away, his mouth dropping open and his eyes going wide. “What the -”

“No. I didn’t think you would.” She held up both hands, turning so that she was able to look at all three of you at once. “I’m just confirming it. She inhaled and then held the breath, turning her attention back to Frankie. “There are a couple courtyards outside. Why don’t we go and get something to drink and have a conversation.” You met his eyes and saw apprehension in them, but it quickly turned to understanding, the man nodding once. It’s going to be alright.

“Sounds good. I have … a lot of questions.”

“I’m sure you do. Hopefully I have answers.” She laughed out loud, nodding even as she looked back at Alec and mouthed the words “I love you” at him.

They left moments later. Frankie waited to follow Ashley out of the room after looking back at you, an uncertain look in his eyes. It’s going to be alright.

That left you and Alec alone. It was silent, aside from the sound of the machines that he was hooked up to, but when he spoke up after a minute or so, it shocked you.

“She’s hot, right? What do you think?” Covering your face with both hands as you burst into laughter, you pulled one of the chairs up to the side of the bed and sat in it, scooting as close as possible to the mattress.

“She’s gorgeous, Alec. And she’s glowing. She looked exhausted yesterday, but … today, she looks better.” You took his hand again, letting out a shaky breath. “She was really worried about you.”

“I was too. I lost a lot of blood. But let me tell you something.” He struggled into a more upright position, his face contorting in pain briefly. “She didn’t even hesitate to jump between me and that thing. It all happened so fucking fast. She’s smaller, her wolf? And the one that got me was huge, but it was like it didn’t matter.” He pointed, even though the woman and Frankie were long gone. “Bravest fucking woman I’ve ever met.”

“Can you tell me anything about what happened?” You didn’t want to jump immediately into it, but knew you needed to, before the two of you even thought about catching up. “I’ve still never seen a wolf.”

“Not even him?” Alec wet his lips and you reached for the cup of water on the table next to him, handing it over. “I thought -”

“I didn’t know he was one until yesterday morning.” Rubbing the space between your brows, you sighed. “So no. I haven’t seen him and I don’t know that I will see him, because we haven’t talked about it, but …” You looked out the window. “I think I’m going to need his help. Kind of like you and Ashley? Maybe next moon we’ll go out to the same location, and he can … he can run and let me know if he smells anything, but …”

“But?” Alec blinked. “But what?”

“But one of his friends always goes with him, and I don’t know that they’ll compromise. All of them are… kind of protective, and when I was telling him what I do to hunt, he didn’t seem… thrilled.” You gestured to him. “After what happened to you with another wolf there, I doubt he’ll want to risk it.”

“Convince him.” Alec said your name, leaning forward a little. “Because if she’d come back 30 seconds earlier, we would have had the one that attacked me. He was slow. He was unsure. The scratches on the trees? He does that while he’s taunting the person he’s going to attack. It’s a display of intimidation. I could have shot him, but he charged too quick.” You’d wondered if marking the territory happened before or after the attacks, and now you knew. “Got between me and the gun after he knocked me over. And then circled back and was just … pawing at the ground and growling. It was like it was routine, not even just as a wolf, but … before.”

“You mean like he’s a hunter? Or what?” You didn’t understand, tapping the fingers of one hand on the bedside table. “A serial killer maybe? Or - “

“No. Disciplined, though. He was methodical.” He pointed. “He scratched my leg, too. Clawed it pretty fuckin’ deep so I couldn’t try to run.” Alec’s fingers tightened around the cup handle. “I was screaming at that point. It hurt. And I knew that Ash would hear and come back, and that he could smell that she’d been there, but I think … I think he waited until he heard her coming back before he decided what to do. He howled a couple times, but just … circled me.” He carefully rubbed at his eyes, wincing in pain. “I stood up, barely. But I made it to my feet, and then I heard her howling, and knew she was close. As soon as she came through the trees, he lunged. I thought he was going to bite me, but he just swiped at me, and I went flying. He was strong. I think I hit my head on something, because I blacked out and when I opened my eyes, I saw them fighting. I saw her bite him, and then he ran off, howling again.”

“She said she couldn’t move you. She didn’t want to bite you.” You chewed on your lip. “Are you sure he didn’t bite you?”

“Positive. He wasn’t trying to bite. He could have if he wanted to, but he … didn’t.” Alec shook his head slowly. “Ash explained it to me once, and said that for most packs, a wolf biting someone is a gift. Means they want you to be like them. A lot of … shit, a lot of wolves will bite the humans they want to be with, same as actual wolves do when they mate.”

He paused and you immediately thought back to the way Frankie had held - and bitten - you the first time you’d been together, and the way he’d confirmed that he didn’t normally do that. What does that mean? “I’m so sorry, Alec. I hate that this happened to you.” You lowered your head, staring at your lap. “I’m the one that told you to come here. I feel like …”

“I’m glad it was me and not you.” He laughed, one of his hands moving to settle on your arm. “I was done anyway. This just means … I’m done sooner.” He lowered his voice, tone turning serious. “But also because this shit fucking hurts. I have no idea how nothing was broken except a couple ribs, and thinking of you like this with no one to take care of you and no one to be here with you? Fuck that.”

It drove home just how alone you were, and even though you hadn’t been the one to get attacked, you let your mind drift - for the first time in a long time - to think about what would happen if you did get injured while on your search.

If you’d been in Alec’s place that time, you wouldn’t have been found until later in the day, and it probably would have been too late. And that thought made you realize something else. “He’s leaving the victims to die.” You gasped, tapping two fingers on Alec’s mattress. “He’s not trying to turn or outright kill anyone, he’s just … he’s injuring them and then letting them bleed out, or letting the animals get to them. Whatever happens, happens, and …”

“So he can technically say he hasn’t killed anyone, just injured them. And if someone like me lives, they can’t just … fuck. They can’t just say it was a wolf, because people would think they were crazy.”

“What did you tell them?” He rolled his eyes.

“I said it was too dark for me to see anything, that all I heard was something coming toward me and before I knew it, I was on my ass.” He looked up at the ceiling, his expression turning hard. “Said I screamed, because I did, but -”

“They said it was a panther.” You rubbed at your forehead. “Because if this thing isn’t biting anyone, there’s no teeth marks for comparison to anything else, and the claw marks won’t look much different because a werewolf is bigger than a regular wolf, and… fuck.” You had to admit that the wolf was thinking through everything, a clear sign that he was thorough. But impulsive. Because attacking a grown man while another wolf was right there? She might be smaller, but it’s still a fairer fight.

Lowering your head, you exhaled, listening as Alec swore under his breath. But he was only silent for a minute before he settled back against the pillows, calling your attention. “You have a month to think about this. Let it go for today, alright?” Reluctantly, you nodded. “Tell me about him. Francisco?” Alec raised a brow, the amused expression on his bruised face making you smile, too. “Looks like we both found ourselves caught up in the thing we’ve been looking for our entire adult lives.”

“I’m not caught up.” Liar. “It just … happened.” Letting your gaze drift to the door, you wondered how Frankie’s conversation with Ashley was going. Good, I hope. “I got here and things just kind of fell into place. Frankie is … a very welcome distraction from what I’m used to.” He was more than that, and you had the idea that Alec knew it just as well as you did. “He’s a nice guy. Been through too much, and this wolf thing is … it wasn’t something he wanted, it just happened to him, and he’s been trying to get through it.”

“You like him.” It wasn’t a question, Alec’s gaze laser focused on you. “You like him a lot, and that never happens on these jobs.”

“It doesn’t. And I do. And I feel guilty because I know I shouldn’t. But … his life is here. And if I find this wolf and do something about it, I can’t stay. It’s onto the next place and the next -”

“Why?” He readjusted his position, still staring at you. “Why is it up to us?”

“Because, the Chaos line -”

“Is going to exist no matter what we do. One or two people aren’t going to eliminate it, no matter how hard we try. It’s been revenge for as long as we’ve known, and no one’s killed one of them in years. It’s clear that they’re still making new wolves, so what’s the point?”

“It’s what we do.” You shivered. “Alec, you’re done. If I’m done too, then …” Then they’re just allowed to keep going? “This is just how it is. How we’ve …”

“Great-great-great grandma’s attacker is dead. It should have ended there, but it didn’t. I’m certainly not gonna have my kid out there hunting his own kind, even if they’re assholes and deserve it. I understand why they did it, but our parents are shit for expecting us to take over and keep this going.” He coughed, taking another drink of the water. “I’ve wanted to stop for a while, but I didn’t want to leave you by yourself. Ash getting pregnant was … it was a wake up call. Maybe you need one of those, too.” He pointed at the door. “Maybe you already got one.”

Frankie? How is he a wake up call? You wanted to ask, but before you could, there was a knock on the door and then it opened, a nurse walking in. “Hello, Alec. I’m here to take your vitals… hope that’s alright.” He said that it was, and then introduced you, his demeanor changing in an instant to a friendly, more carefree one. Impressive. Must be the painkillers.

You offered to leave, but both told you not to, and so you settled back in the chair, turning your attention to the TV - Game Show Network playing at an inaudible level.

—

Frankie was silent for most of the drive back, but you couldn’t blame him for it. You’d seen the dazed look in his eyes when he and Ashley had reentered the room almost 40 minutes after the nurse left, you and Alec animatedly competing with the TV contestants in a game of LINGO.

The four of you had hung out for a few minutes, Frankie leaning against the wall on the side of the bed you were sitting on. But one look at Ashley told you that whatever had been said between them had been overwhelming, and with a quick tilt of her head toward the door, you understood that it was time to go.

You said your goodbyes, Ashley whispering that she’d call you the following day, and even though he’d taken your hand again as you walked back toward the elevator, Frankie hadn’t spoken.

It wasn’t until you got off of 275 that you realized he was going to his place and not yours. “If you want me to take you home, I will. I just …” He slid his hand across the top of the steering wheel. “I feel more comfortable at my place.”

“No, that’s fine. Do you want me to order a pizza or something? I haven’t eaten since earlier, and…” He nodded, so while he kept driving you placed the order, getting him his own order of garlic bread and an extra sauce. He parked the truck and pulled the key from the ignition but then didn’t move, the keys dangling from his fingers and one hand resting against the steering wheel. “Frankie, are you alright? I don’t want to pry, but I just -”

“Get out of the truck.” He looked over at you, his lower lip pushed out into a pout, the line between his brows deep. “Please.” The last word was more an exhale than actual speech, but you nodded, opening the door and stepping out onto his driveway as you shut it behind you. He just needs time.

Turning toward the house, you took a half step before Frankie was on you, both of his arms winding around you to pull you flush against his chest. He still didn’t speak, but when you managed to get the arm that wasn’t trapped between you around him, palm settled against his lower back, you felt that he was shaking, the man’s entire body trembling. “Frankie, please. What’s wrong?”

He held you tighter at the question, Frankie’s fingers digging into your back, and when he inched backwards, he still didn’t let you go. “Thank you.” His eyes were shining, but they were warm, the tip of his tongue peeking out from between his teeth for a split second. “No one’s ever … what you did for me today? Taking me to talk to Ashley?” His head whipped back and forth, mouth moving wordlessly as he thought through his next words. “For the first time in three years, I know I’m not alone.”

Your eyes filled with tears at that, and even though them, you watched him close the distance between you, tilting your head to meet him halfway.

The press of his lips was soft but certain, and you felt it in the way he held you - that he was trying to put the things he couldn’t verbalize into the kiss. You were content to keep it simple, but Frankie wasn’t, urging you backwards a few steps so that your back connected with the truck’s door, breath escaping you in a soft woosh at the impact.

Frankie took advantage of that, licking his way over your lower lip and into your mouth, and when you moaned into the kiss, he repositioned his body, giving you the opportunity to free your hand and bring it up to his hair. You hadn’t been lying in the hospital; it was especially inviting that day. And I want to feel it. He didn’t seem to mind, growling at the drag of your fingers along his scalp.

The kiss warmed you from the inside out, the budding fear in you that something had gone wrong at the hospital disappearing with each stroke of his tongue along yours. He wasn’t upset with you. Ashley hadn’t been too harsh with him. He didn’t regret telling you the truth about what he was and how it had happened.

He pulled away with a curl of his lip and the drag of his teeth around your lower one, but it was you that spoke first, sucking in a breath and then whispering the words to him. “Told you your hair was particul-” That was as far as you got before he was kissing you again, but that one was less serious, and you could feel his smile as it pressed to your lips.

“I’m gonna stop now.” He let go of you and stepped away, barely shaking his head from side to side, one hand pressed flat against the window behind your head. . “Otherwise we’re going to give that poor pizza guy a show.”

“I wouldn’t have to tip then.” You scrunched your nose and ducked under his arm, laughing, and were happy to hear him laughing, too. When you passed beneath the arch just before the porch steps, you spun back to look at Frankie, deciding to do what you’d been doing since getting to Tampa and take a risk. “What about later, after the pizza guy leaves?”

He put his hat back on, and then tipped the brim up, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head to the side. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

—

A thunderstorm rolled in while you ate, the two of you comfortable on the couch with the radio on and the Tampa - Cleveland game on in the background. Frankie wordlessly got up and pulled the front door open before making his way around the living room and kitchen to open the windows. “You like the rain?” He sat down next to you, a little closer than he had been - and then slid his arm around your shoulders, thumb running over the top of your opposite one. “I do. Always have. I grew up listening to storms rolling in off the Gulf.”

“Where’d you live?” Leaning your head against his shoulder, you paused. “Did you grow up in Florida?”

“Cape Coral.” He propped his feet up on the table, flexing his hips and getting settled. “Until I was 13, and then we packed up and moved here.”

“You’ve been here for that long?” He nodded, running his other hand over his thigh. “Damn.”

“I got into fights in school when we first moved up here. Nothing serious, but I wasn’t the best behaved kid. And then I met Pope, and it was like I met the brother I never had.” Frankie went quiet, and you closed your eyes, waiting. “He got picked on really bad. Kids were fucking brutal.” You knew that to be true, confirming as much with a few nods of your head without lifting it. “I wanted to protect him. So I did. He was a scrawny little shit, and I was too, but the thing is, I didn’t give a fuck, and it made me stronger.”

It didn’t surprise you; Frankie and Pope were close, and of the guys, their connection was he most apparent. Even more than Benny and Will. “Bet he was a fan of that.” Frankie laughed, humming in appreciation of a loud rumble of thunder before continuing the story.

“Then overnight, Pope hit puberty. And when that happened, no one was picking on him anymore. He went from being the kid that needed me to stop everyone from kicking his ass to the most popular guy in school.” There was another silence, and in the middle of it, a flash of lightning drew your attention, your eyes focused on the fluttering curtain. “Took me another six months to catch up with him, but he never abandoned me.”

“What do you mean?”

“It didn’t matter to him that I wasn’t doing anything for him anymore. He still wanted to be my friend, and I didn’t think he would.”

“Why? That doesn’t make sense.”

“It was probably just me being jealous, to be honest. He was getting dates left and right and I could barely get a girl to talk to me. He was getting invited to hang out with the popular kids, even though they were the same ones that had been making fun of him a month earlier. But he never left me out. And when I realized he wasn’t just doing it because he felt like he had to to pay me back, I …I understood that he really was my friend.”

You knew that there was a reason he was telling you the story, but you couldn’t figure out what that reason was. “And here you are 20 years later.”

“We both knew we wanted to enlist right out of high school, so we did. We kept in touch, though, and when we finally got the chance to get stationed together, and then put into the same unit… it felt right. And then we met Tom and Will, and then Benny a year or so later … and then Delta happened, and you know a lot of the rest.”

He sighed, the sound loud. You watched for a few seconds and then nodded. “You care about them a lot.”

“I do. And ever since I met all of them, I’ve just wanted to protect them. All of them. That’s why I was always so fucking careful and why this happening to me feels … inevitable.”

“What?” You sat up, turning on the couch to look at him. “Frankie, I don’t understand.”

“We all got greedy with the money. But I let myself get caught up in it too, and I knew better. You can bullshit your way out of just about anything, but overloading a helicopter and expecting it to perform a miracle isn’t one of those things. I fucking knew it, but I went against my better judgement and it ended up with me crashing and getting bitten by a fucking werewolf. Fitting, right?”

“It’s not a punishment. The kid probably thought it would be, but … Frankie, it -”

“No. It’s a reminder that I can protect the people I love. And with what Ashley told me today, I can do a hell of a lot more than I thought.”

“What?” He smiled at you, the dimple in his cheek becoming visible. “Frankie?”

“Trust me.” I do. Of course I do. “I’m not going to go all the way, but …” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the man’s chest expanding. His posture changed, Frankie’s shoulders relaxing. And when he opened his eyes again, you watched them change color, the brown brightening to gold, their shape changing slightly, too.

“You can change at will.” He nodded, blinking a few times. When he looked at you again, everything was back to normal, Frankie relaxing into the cushions. “Oh, Frankie. After an hour you can do it?”

“I’m a quick learner especially when I’m motivated.” He held up his hands, extending them toward you. When you took them, he curled his fingers around yours, his skin warm. “And it means that not only can I help them if I need to, I can help you. I can help you with all of this.”

You wanted to deny him. You wanted to tell him no, that you would be fine on your own. But that’s not the truth. “I’d appreciate the help, ‘Fish.” Sucking air in through your teeth, you looked away and then back at him. “I’m tired of doing this alone and hoping for the best.”

He was shocked that you’d agreed so quickly, but you could also tell he was excited, the man’s grip on you tightening. “Yeah?” You nodded. “Good.” He nodded. “We’ve got a month to figure it all out.”

“We do.” Deciding to risk it again, you cleared your throat. “You don’t need to tell me specifics, but … Did Ashley help? Aside from the confirmation about your shifting, I mean. Was she … able to answer your questions?”

“She did. She answered questions I didn’t even know I had. And also … she invited me to come out and meet her pack after the baby’s born. She wants me to understand as much as I can about what the rest of my life’s gonna entail.”

“Good.” You were relieved, your exhale audible. “That’ll be good for you.” More lightning flashed, illuminating the curves of Frankie’s face. You couldn’t stop staring, eyes roaming over his features in the dim lighting before you kept speaking, saying the words before you could talk yourself out of them. “I need to tell you something.” He nodded, expression serious. “I like you, Frankie. A lot. And all this talking over the last couple days about how it was going to be better for both of us to keep it casual because I’m leaving has made me wonder if it actually…”

“I like you too.” He stood up, letting go of your hands and walking toward the window, motioning for you to follow. “After Becca I was afraid to get close to anyone because it would eventually mean having to tell them something to explain why I had to leave every month, or to justify not being willing to have another kid with them if it ended up lasting.” Do you want more kids? “I know nothing about any of this, so what could I explain to them?” You nodded, standing next to him as Frankie braced one hand on the window frame, gripping it tightly. “Hooking up was the best choice for me. The only choice.”

You leaned against his side and put your arm around his waist, watching - and listening to - the rain. “But?” The answer was right there, and even though he’d paused to give himself time to think, you knew it wouldn’t last long.

You were right.

“But you know what am and what it means. I don’t … I don’t have to hide that part of myself with you, and it’s a relief.” It hurt - a little - to think that that was the only reason he felt so connected to you. “But I wanted to tell you everything, and that has nothing to do with the wolf.”

“What?” Turning to look at him, you frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I didn’t have to tell you about the money or the coke or the bullshit to tell you about the bite. I could have just said ‘we got ambushed in South America on a mission. I got bitten’. That wouldn’t have been a lie, and you never would have known anything else. The only other people that know what happened down there are the people who were there and Pope’s lawyer that set up the bank accounts. And now you do, too.”

It was the truth - he’d told you more than he’d needed to to explain what he was and why. “Why?” It came out quietly, your voice thin. “What made you do that?”

“I have no idea. I’m … I can’t explain what I feel for you. But it’s … almost possessive. Like when Ashley got between me and Alec today? That’s how I felt the other morning when I heard what happened and then couldn’t get ahold of you.” It should have scared you - the man using the word possessive and then comparing his first reaction to the reaction of a woman attempting to protect the father of her unborn child and that very same child. Especially after four weeks. “And that was before you knew.”

That changed things, and when you spun to face him entirely, your heart was pounding. “And you feel the same now? Even after I’ve explained what my family has been doing? Why I’m here? Knowing that I lied?”

“Yes.” He nodded, underscoring the word. “I owe them nothing, especially the one that did this to me, and the one that’s trying to ruin this place for me. And I lied to you, too. So I can’t be that pissed you didn’t tell me everything as soon as we met.” Frankie lifted his hand, the pad of his thumb moving slowly back and forth over your chin before he lifted it and touched it to your lips, his own briefly twitching upward into a smile. “I want to be the one to protect you. And yes, as I’m saying that out loud I know how fucking ridiculous it sounds.”

It was ridiculous. You didn’t need someone to protect you. You’d been looking out for yourself for as long as you could remember, and were no worse for the wear because of it. But the idea of someone - especially Frankie being on your side, and ready to step in if you needed him to was appealing for multiple reasons.

“This isn’t casual anymore, is it.”

Frankie’s head moved back and forth slowly, the expanse of his palm cradling your cheek and his fingertips curling behind your ear. “No, I’m pretty sure it’s not.”

All you had time for was a quick, stunned laugh before he’d urged you closer to kiss you, his mouth moving against yours with purpose.

It was a promise as much as it was a kiss, and with it, Frankie reaffirmed his words.

You felt it - the want in the way he held you, the emotion behind his movement - but you also felt his uncertainty, the man’s body not as relaxed as it had been in previous moments of togetherness. “I want that.” You whispered the words into his ear when the kiss ended and you pulled him closer, hugging him as tightly as you could. “I want you. I have for weeks, but haven’t wanted to admit it because I wasn’t telling you everything. And now I know it doesn’t need to …”

The next kiss was hungry, the hand not in your hair dropping down to grab a handful of you, his fingers slipping into your back pocket and hauling you even closer. “Bed?” His voice was low and raspy, Frankie only pausing the kiss long enough to get a few words out. “I’m not going to want to stop if we get started out here.”

Tearing yourself out of his hold, you reached down and pulled your shirt off, tossing it onto the couch. “Bed.”

It was him that followed you that time, Frankie’s hands at your waist to urge you forward. He did take the time to open his bedroom windows, though, letting the sounds of the storm in. But before you could get into the bed, he was holding you from behind again, one large hand pressed to the center of your belly - his fingers splayed wide to touch as much of your skin as possible.

“Before anything else happens…” He inhaled, holding his breath for a few seconds before he kissed the side of your neck and then turned his head to speak into your ear. “You don’t just want me because I’m filthy rich, right?” What? How could he…

“No, of course not. I -” Spinning to face him, you tried to figure out how to respond. But one look at his expression told you that he was teasing you, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Oh, you asshole. “On second thought … just how much money are we talking? Didn’t you say 250 m-”

He pushed you backwards with a grumble of I knew it and both of you landed, bouncing on the bed. Frankie rolled to the side, taking you with him. “I want to look at you tonight.” You nodded, breath catching. “I want to -”

“I want to be on top.” You took a chance, swinging your leg over Frankie’s and urging him onto his back, both hands pressed against his chest. “Then you can look at me all you want.” After the very first few minutes of the first night, you’d both been careful about limiting the face to face contact while in bed. It wasn’t something you’d discussed, but it had happened, and neither of you had changed it.

The afternoon on his desk had been the exception - your chests pressed together while you wrapped your legs around his waist, your grip on his shoulders almost desperate and his on your hips hard enough to bruise. But that’s not what either of us wants today.

“I like the sound of that.” His smile grew, Frankie’s hands running over the sides of your thighs, his skin warm against yours. “Gonna have to lose these, though.” He tugged on your shorts, tilting his head to the side. “Unless you just want to tease me.”

“I do enjoy doing that.” Your smile widened, Frankie’s eyes crinkling at the corners as his did, too. “But no. I think tonight …” You reached up, undoing your bra and then sliding it off of your body. “Tonight I don’t want to wait any longer than I have to.”

“Well then lucky for you…” He pulled one hand away and then lifted his hips, reaching back and pulling his wallet out. “Condom’s right here, so you don’t even need to get up.”

You glanced at the well-worn leather and then brought your attention back to Frankie, desire coiling thicker in your belly with every passing second. “So prepared… were you a boy scout?”

“I was, actually.” He grinned again, his eyes closing. “Dropped out when I was like fourteen, but …” He moved his hands back to your waist and undid the button there, followed by pulling down on the zipper with two fingers. “You know how it goes.” You sighed your agreement, eyes locked on him.

Talking to Frankie in a group setting was nice, but having Frankie’s undivided attention felt like winning the lottery.

He was focused on a bad day, intent on a good one … but when you were in bed with him, it was like nothing else even existed. “Give me one second.” You whispered at him and then did climb out of the bed, shimmying out of your shorts and underwear and standing bare in front of him. You let him look and Frankie did without hesitation, eyes roving over your form before he reached down and adjusted himself through his pants.

You leaned forward, swatting his hand out of the way and unzipped his jeans, Frankie lifting his hips again so that you could pull them down. While you were busy pulling the denim off entirely, he sat up and removed his shirt, the thin cotton sailing past your head and landing in the corner of the room. You heard the foil rip, and when you got back into bed, Frankie was palming himself with one hand, frowning. “I hope you don’t mind, but I still … want to be the one to put this on.”

“What? I … oh.” Nodding, you settled your hand over his and squeezed. “Of course. I understand.” But. “But before you do that…” You scooted back on your knees and pushed his hand away, replacing it with your own. “You’re going to have to tell me what you like.” Bending forward, you laid one arm across his abdomen and used your other hand to pull him free, Frankie thick and hot against your palm.

You gave him a few exploratory strokes, paying attention to each hitch of his breath and the way his muscles pulled tight at your touch. “I…” He groaned when you circled your thumb over the tip, his hips rocking upward. “I’d like to hear you.” That didn’t surprise you, and after sliding your hand down to his base, you ducked your head, parting your lips and poking your tongue through to get your first taste of him.

He hadn’t been shy about putting his mouth on you - lips and tongue trailing over all the skin he could get to. But before that night, there’d never been a real opportunity for you to do the same in return. That changes now.

Dragging your tongue over his slit, you angled your head and then moved to drag it down - toward your hand - keeping an ear out for Frankie’s reaction. That turned out to be a hiss of your name, his hips lifting briefly before he settled back down, swearing under his breath. By the time you reached the top again, your mouth was watering at the thought of what you were about to do - and you didn’t keep either of you waiting.

You tried to pay attention to what you were doing - tried to focus on the way he felt and tasted as he slid along the flat of your tongue with each bob of your head. You wanted to memorize the way it felt as each inch of him filled your mouth until you couldn’t take anymore, pausing and just holding him there while you stroked the remainder of him, the wiry patch of curls pressed against your little finger’s knuckle.

But you couldn’t focus on any of that. Instead, you were stunned by the sounds he made and the way he seemed to swell with your touch, Frankie taking up more of your mouth by the second.

He wasn’t quiet. The man swore in a mixture of English and Spanish, words punctuated by groans as he flexed his hips, his effort to keep from actively fucking your mouth a true feat of restraint. But he doesn’t want slow. He doesn’t want neat. You took more of him into your mouth - pulling your hand away so that you could slide your lips down further.

And when you moaned around him, you knew that he could feel it as well as hear it. You glanced up and at his face, finding that Frankie was staring at you, his mouth open and eyes heavy-lidded in pleasure.

At the eye contact, one of Frankie’s hands moved to the back of your head and settled there, moving with you when you backed off and took a deep breath, letting him slide most of the way out of your mouth before taking him back in.

You set a rhythm for yourself - two fingers holding his skin taut at the base, your mouth sliding up and down, over and over - hums and sighs reverberating down his length until you heard him speak your name, the sound broken.

You kept your hand in place and pulled completely off of him, raising your head and meeting his eyes with your lips parted - both of them glossy and swollen. Frankie’s chest was heaving, and when his hand moved from the back of your head to the front, his thumb rubbing over your lips briefly, he took in a long, shuddering breath and held it, never taking his eyes off of you. In the pause, you began to stroke him - hand sliding over his skin easily, and it wasn’t until he said your name again that you stopped, hand pausing at the sound.

“You keep doin’ that and I’m gonna come.” He shook his head, eyes briefly closing. “And that’s not what I want right now.” He groped for the condom next to his body and picked it up, tearing it open the rest of the way and pulling it out. You drew your hand back when he touched himself, Frankie’s fingers closing around his length and stroking a few times for good measure while you watched.

You liked the sight of that almost more than you liked seeing your own hand there, but when Frankie rolled the condom down and over himself, you moaned again, the sight of the tendons flexing in his wrist making you press your thighs together in want. Fuck he’s … goddamn him. He’s the … “Spread your legs.” His voice was low, and when your eyes snapped back open to meet his, you saw fire in them, Frankie in complete control. “And get a little closer.”

It only took you seconds to do what he asked, inching forward so that your knees were pressed against his thigh. Frankie didn’t waste time before using one hand to trace a line up the back of your leg, goosebumps following the path of his fingers.

He didn’t stop there, though, sliding that hand between your legs from behind and then twisting his wrist so that he could touch you with two fingers at once. He slid over your skin at first but then only moments later, he crooked his fingers and sunk them into you.

The suddenness of it - though not unwelcome - made your mouth fall open, hips instinctively rocking backward to take him in further. “You like that.” It wasn’t a question - you did. You liked having any part of him inside of you, and needed him to know.

“So much.” Dropping your head down, you reached up to grip his thigh, fingers digging into his skin as he thrust two of them in and out of you, setting a leisurely pace. “Jesus Frankie, please, just …”

“Just what?” He hummed, the sound turning into a grunt. “You gotta tell me.”

“Faster.” You shivered, your other hand reaching over to run your fingers up and over the inside of the forearm he was touching himself with, your hand resting against the bite scar. “Please.”

You hated begging, but for him, it seemed there was no other option. You wanted more, and Frankie was happy to give it to you. He sped the motion of his fingers up, continuing to gently squeeze himself. When you finally looked at his face again, he’d lowered his head onto the pillow, eyes closed and his mouth hanging open.

That position didn’t change the way he touched you, though - Frankie’s pace steady, the man’s fingers curving to drag through you, over and over. You wanted to hear me? Alright.

You moaned his name out, your eyes closing as you let the sound free. His hand faltered - only briefly - and then he doubled down his effort, fingers plunging into you as deeply as they could. He kept that up for a little while, but when your breath caught in your throat, your eyes opened and you repeated his name, Frankie paused entirely, his mouth still partially open. “Need you.” You wet your lips, dragging in as deep a breath as you could. “Need you now.”

Frankie withdrew his fingers, his thumb sliding down the back of your thigh as he nodded. “I’m waiting for you.” You let out a shaky breath, hooking a leg over his waist and sliding into place above him. He steadied you with one hand when you reached between your legs to position him, giving you a single nod.

You didn’t break eye contact as you sunk down slowly, a shaky breath leaving your mouth when you’d taken the entire length.

You wanted to move - but at the same time didn’t, letting yourself enjoy the feeling of him inside of you, Frankie’s heartbeat thrumming beneath your palm. His eyes were on you - locked on your face, focused on you and you alone. I like the way that feels. I like the way he … “I’m going to move.” He nodded twice, swallowing, and when you began to move your hips - rotating them slightly before you rocked forward - he groaned, thumbs digging into the tops of your thighs.

“Slow.” He grunted, his hips rising once. “Go slow.” I can do that. I can definitely… You closed your eyes then, the tips of your fingers curling against his chest, and then you let your body take over. He responded to you, answering the rolling of your hips with upward thrusts of his own, each one accompanied with a quiet exhale or a grunt, large hands stroking over your skin.

You sped up - careful not to move too quickly. But instead of staying completely upright, you leaned forward, sliding your hands up further and allowing him to enter you from a different angle as you used your knees and thighs to guide your movements. He said your name, the sound of his voice needy, and when you opened your eyes, the same emotion was reflected there - brown flecked with gold, staring up at you. “I’m here, Francisco.” You nodded as you spoke, lowering your head. “Right here.”

He met you halfway, his upper body rising from the mattress and his hands moving to the center of your back to pull you even closer. The kiss was a bruising one, Frankie’s mouth hot against yours, and you loved every second of it. It was different between the two of you that night, and even though you knew some of it was thanks to the position you were in, you knew - deep down - that it was much more than that.

You moaned into his mouth when he bucked upward and deeper into you, but Frankie’s response to that was an almost immediate second thrust accompanied by the man’s teeth on your lower lip, pulling it outward as he lowered himself back down onto the pillows and encouraged you to follow.

“Thought you didn’t like to chance it with biting?” Whispering the words, you kissed his mouth before trailing your lips toward his ear, the motion of your hips never slowing. “You seem to do that a lot with me.”

“I’ll stop.” He sounded serious, and when you met his eyes again, you saw fear in them. “I -”

“Don’t you dare.” Baring your teeth, you took his lip between them before releasing it and sucking it back between yours, Frankie moaning beneath you. “I trust you.”

That seemed to be what he needed to hear, the rocking of his hips quickening as his hands slipped back down your body to guide you, helping you set the pace to match his. You let him - gripping his shoulders and going in for another kiss. That one was messy, more tongue than anything else, but you didn’t care. I never will. I want this. I want this all the time.

The realization stunned you, and when you backed off enough to look down at him, you wondered what he saw on your face - wondered if he knew what you were feeling. “I hope so.” Whispering the words, you closed your eyes and tipped your head back, nodding. “Please, Frankie. Please just …”

You pushed backwards, hips grinding down and against his, and that was all you needed to say. Frankie began to move faster, holding you in place while he rocked up and into you. Dropping your head, you let it rest against the side of his neck, mouth open and your breath coming out in a series of quick pants that washed over his skin, one after the other.

You were still learning each other - still getting used to the sounds you made together, and the way your bodies reacted to each other’s. But that night, with the sound of the rain pouring down outside and the knowledge of everything that had happened over the previous few days, there was no learning curve.

There was no need to guide or assist him.

Frankie fucked you like he’d been doing it for years, the man almost anticipating your reactions and movements before they happened. His hands held your hips - fingers spread wide and curling enough to hold you steady, and when you let go of his arms, sliding your hands along the cool sheets beneath him and pressing your upper body against his, you cried out, the sound long and low.

His response was to move faster, sinking into you at an updated pace and causing you to muffle your voice by sealing your mouth against the skin of his collar, doing your damndest not to bite or bruise him, even though you didn’t think he’d care.

The angle put pressure on you where you needed it, each thrust of his dragging against your body and making you whine, muscles clenching over and over. “Gonna come.” You forced the words out, turning your head to mumble them into his ear. “Make me come, Frankie. Please.”

He hummed, the sound low in his throat, and when Frankie released you, his hands dropping to the backs of your thighs and squeezing, you lifted your head, nuzzling your cheek against his.

The motion of his hips changed again, Frankie circling them before returning to shallow thrusts and then alternating the two, his head turning inward so that he could mouth at your skin, lips turning to the drag of his tongue accompanied by another brief scrape of his teeth. He backed away, though, saying your name quietly and calling your attention back to his face without missing a beat. “Said I wanna hear you. So let me hear you.”

You nodded - it was the only response you had - and when he began to thrust faster, the motions shorter and purposeful, it only took seconds for your body to react.

He felt it, too, his lips curving into a soft smile that was shattered when you came hard around him. The moan that escaped him filled the room, and even though your hips continued to move, rocking along with his, the rest of you froze, your muscles going rigid as your eyes snapped shut. Fuck. Fucking hell, fucking… You squeezed him tightly, finally catching your breath, and then your mouth fell open again, words tumbling out before you could even begin to think them through.

“Fuck, Frankie. You know exactly what I need.” You murmured his name, nosing against his neck as he kept going, your muscles quivering as he moved. “You feel amazing.” One hand sliding inward, you threaded your fingers into his hair, anchoring yourself to him. But wait.

He wanted to hear you - but he’d also said he wanted to look at you, and even in your post-orgasmic haze, you understood that in your current position, he couldn’t do that. With another quiet moan as he thrust into your over-sensitive body, you released his hair and then forced yourself upward, bracing both hands on his chest and opening your eyes.

“What are you -” He slowed down, confusion evident on his face, but you didn’t let that linger, shuddering as you rotated your hips and then widened the spread of your legs, letting your weight settle against his hips. “Is -”

“I see you, Francisco. Everything. And I want you.” Even though your voice was quiet, the widening of his eyes let you know that he’d heard you. “All of you.” Rocking back and forth, you wet your lips, nodding. “Now let me feel how much you want me.”

His breathing changed then, the man’s mouth dropping open as his eyes flashed - brown to gold, the shine lingering - and for the first time since you’d known him, Frankie didn’t close them or look away. Holy shit. You gasped, letting out a shaky breath, but you continued to move your lower body, nodding your head slowly. “Oh, fuck.”

He barely got the words out before they turned into a growl and he was coming, his hips jerking upward at a much less consistent a pace than he’d set previously. His fingers dug into your skin, Frankie’s eyes closing as his jaw clenched. He bared his teeth for a few moments before he relaxed, the motion of his hips stilling.

You felt him inside of you - the man’s length pulsing through the end of his orgasm. When you closed your eyes, too, tipping your head back, you focused on the way it felt - your body surrounding his, Frankie filling you completely.

His grip loosened on you, the man’s hands sliding up and over your hips to your sides and then higher, the warmth of his palms comforting. “C’mere.” You opened your eyes again, looking down at Frankie and finding him staring up at you, the smile back and his eyes dark again. “I said come here.” He was insistent but not demanding, and when you leaned down, you felt him shift inside of you, Frankie already softening but still hard enough not to slip free. You moved to turn your head to the side and bury your face against his neck. He didn’t let you, Frankie saying your name quietly and using one hand to keep your face angled toward his. “No.”

The rustle of the pillow beneath his head was quiet, and so was his voice. “No… what?” Biting your lip, you took a shallow breath. “Fr-”

He didn’t let you finish. The man’s mouth captured yours in a hard kiss, the hand on your face moving to the back of your head, his other one resting on your back. You welcomed the kiss - everything that night so much different from the first time you’d been together, and when Frankie deepened it, his tongue slipping past your lips and pressing against yours, you involuntarily rolled your hips, swallowing the man’s groan at the motion.

“Stop that.” He laughed when you broke apart to breathe, his nose dragging alongside yours. “You’re gonna get me goin’ again.”

“Would that be terrible?” You brushed his hair back from his temple with your knuckle, the smirk on your face growing. “I don’t think so.”

“Not terrible, no. But dangerous.” He frowned, the playfulness leaving his expression. “Let’s get cleaned up and then we can talk.”

You were a little confused but agreed, carefully swinging your leg over his and pulling off of him as he held the condom in place. You hummed when he slipped out, glancing down and then back up at him, Frankie still on his back in the bed, tanned skin slicked with sweat. “Want me to use the other bathroom?”

“Nah, I will.” He sat up, swinging his legs over the other side of the bed. “Don’t get dressed.” He didn’t say anything else before standing, Frankie turning away from you with one hand still holding the condom in place. “Want anything to drink when I come back?”

“Water.” You stood, too, stretching and then stepping toward the bathroom. “Please.” He nodded and then left the room, disappearing down the hall and leaving you alone.

Something had shifted between you that night - and it was more than just admitting that it wasn’t casual, or that you knew what he was and were alright with it. Exactly what it had shifted to remained to be seen, but the uncertainty stayed at the forefront of your mind even as you cleaned yourself up in his bathroom, the warm water and soft cloth comforting against your skin.

He was back when you exited back into the room, his eyes lingering on your naked body before you climbed back into bed next to him, grabbing one of his pillows to cover your lap the same way he had. “Here.” He handed you an uncapped bottle. “It’s real cold.”

You drank deeply, reaching over to put the remaining water down once you’d had your fill, and then you looked back at Frankie, taking his hand. “What do you want to talk about?”

“How long will you be here?” He looked down at the bottle he held, dragging the tip of his thumb along one of the ridges. “In Florida, I mean.”

“I…” It caught you by surprise, because it wasn’t what you thought he’d lead with. “Until I find what I’m looking for, or my leads dry up. Every place I’ve been before it’s …” You took another sip, shrugging. “A couple moon cycles. It’s usually enough to let me know if I’m in the right place or not. And it’s plausibly long enough to finish book research.”

“But this is the first time you’ve ever found something?” He turned his head to look at you and you met his eyes, confirming. “And you won’t leave while you know the wolf’s here.”

“No.” I can’t. I have to find out more. I have to know why the line is … the way it is. “But even with as much green space as there is around Tampa, he’ll run out of places to hunt, Frankie. And then either he’ll revisit old locations, or … or he’ll move. If he’s a local, he probably wouldn’t go far. So -”

“But you’d follow him.”

It hung heavy in the room - the implication that even though you cared about Frankie, you’d still continue the mission, no matter what that meant. For the first time since you’d turned eighteen and started the hunt, the truth - and the expectations placed on you by your lineage hurt. You pulled your hand free before you spoke again, fingers twisting together in your lap. “I’d have to. I need to know, Frankie. I need to know why and now I need to make him pay for what he did to Alec, and -”

“And what if you find him?” Frankie shifted on the mattress, reaching over and running his thumb over your exposed knee. “What if you find him here and we take care of it, and it’s over?”

Is he asking what I think he is? And did he say we?

“It wouldn’t be safe for me to stay. Frankie, if I kill a wolf, especially from that line, they’ll know, and send someone to look into it. And anyone that I’m close to will be in danger. Alec is with Ashley, and he’ll be protected in Texas. His mom is safe, too. But if I stayed here, then …”

The argument that you’d made before - that anyone you might get close to would be in danger when and if you found what you were looking for - didn’t apply to him in the same way. But his friends. His friends would …

“Say you kill this wolf.” He stopped moving his hand, never looking away from you. “You go back on the road, right? So… what? You just keep looking for another and another and another while hoping that they don’t find you?”

“I … guess?” When someone else said it out loud, it sounded unbelievably impossible - like the stupidest plan of action. “I never really thought about what comes next because it’s been so long and I haven’t come close before, so…”

“Have you ever gone back to a city that you’ve visited?” He swallowed, his frown deepening. “After you left, I mean?”

“No. I’ve passed back through a couple places, but never … stopped.” It was the truth - all of the cities you’d been to were in your rearview, the names and phone numbers of the people you’d met erased from your phone without a second thought. “I’ve never wanted to.”

“But this is different. What’s going on here is … different.” You didn’t hesitate before agreeing, head moving up and down in a slow nod. “I guess what I’m asking is…” Frankie closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh before he spoke again. “When this is over for you in Tampa, am I ever gonna see you again?”

You wanted to tell him yes. You wanted to tell him that there was no reason why, after getting rid of the Tampa wolf, you couldn’t establish a home base in the city. You wanted to tell him that for the first time, he made you wish that you had a place to call home and people to call friends. But you didn’t.

“I don’t know.” Fighting back tears, you looked down at the pillow on your lap, the plastic of the water bottle crinkling as you squeezed it. “I’ve never done this before.”

“If you’re worried about one of us gettin’ hurt, you don’t need to. I can protect myself in a couple ways, but the other guys … they’re just as capable. And you wouldn’t need to convince ‘em that there were wolves to look out for, they already know.” You scoffed at that, smiling for a brief moment. It’s true. “Look. I’ve only known you for a month, but …” He rubbed at his forehead with the tips of his fingers, sighing. “But it’s really fucking unfair that there’s a possibility that after a couple more weeks, you’ll just be gone.”

It was like he’d stabbed you - the incredulity in his voice was honest in a way you hadn’t ever expected it to be. “Even if that happens, you still met Ashley. You’ll get more answers, Frankie, and have people in your life that -”

“Fuck that.” He said your name, the sound little more than a snarl. “We’re not talking about them, we’re talking about the two of us.” Frankie sounded almost angry then, but when you looked back up at him, you saw that it wasn’t quite anger - it was hurt. “You said … an hour ago you said you wanted me to protect you. Now you’re telling me that I won’t be able to because you’ll be off somewhere chasing something that wants to and could kill you with a single fucking snap of its jaws.”

“Frankie, it’s what I’ve been doing since -”

“I don’t fucking care.” That was anger, his body rigid as he stared at you. “I understand why you’re doing it, because I’d want to do the same for my family, but …” He reached for you, both hands cradling your jaw so that he could look you in the eye. “It’s not a life. And you deserve a life, not just a never-ending mission.”

If there was someone that could tell you that from personal experience, it was Frankie. “And you did, too.” The tears welled in your eyes, but you tried desperately to keep them from falling. “You were out, Frankie. You were done. You had the rest of your life to enjoy and then because of a fucking wolf, you …”

“I’ve still got a life.” He smiled sadly, thumbs arcing over your damp cheeks. “I’ve got a job I love and friends and my daughter. What happened to me isn’t what I would have chosen, but there ain’t shit I can do about it now except make the most of it.” He swallowed before wetting his lips, never looking away from you. “And for the last month, I’ve had you. And that’s been a damn -”

“Frankie, don’t.” You finally looked away, squeezing your eyes shut and twisting out of his hold. “Don’t make this harder.”

“I’m not the one making it hard.” He said your name, and the sound was filled with so much emotion that you couldn’t keep yourself from looking at him. But he was smiling, and even though you could tell it was a sad one, he meant it. “I’m being honest with you.”

He was - and you appreciated it, but that didn’t change that Frankie’s admission that you were one of the parts of his life that he truly looked forward to only complicated things for both of you. “What good will being honest do?”

“Might make you rethink your next moves.” He gently tipped your chin, nodding. “Might make you … understand how unfair this whole thing is on you.” The room went silent, both of you sitting motionless atop the blankets, one of his pillows hugged to your chest. “What do you want?” He held up one hand, exhaling. “I mean outside of looking for the Chaos line. If you weren’t doing that, what would you want to be doing?”

You’d never fully contemplated that question before, because you’d never had a reason to. The hunt had always been your main priority, and you’d never really allowed yourself to think about all of the things you were missing out on. You’d told yourself that you were living - you were traveling and seeing different parts of the country. You were making money. You were interacting with people on a daily basis and learning. But nothing’s permanent. Nothing lasts. Nothing … is solely for me.

“I’d want …” You raised your hand, chewing briefly on the edge of your thumb nail. “Frankie, I don’t know what …”

“Yes, you do.” His fingers circled your wrist, pulling your hand away from your mouth and toward him. He clasped both of his around your hand, letting all three settle atop the pillow - and he waited.

He was patient and understanding with you that night the same way he’d been the morning you pulled the gun on him. He was kind - the man going out of his way to create an itinerary for you with flights, despite being extraordinarily busy and you being a stranger, as well as volunteering himself and his friends to show you around while you were in Florida.

He was upfront, too, always talking to you in the same way you assumed he spoke to his friends - candid words and a no-nonsense attitude. Frankie was friendly and funny and attentive, and the two of you had fallen into an easy friendship in the few weeks you’d spent getting to know each other. It doesn’t feel like weeks. It feels like …

He watched you and you took the opportunity to stare at him, steadying your breath. He was all of those things and he was attractive in just about every way that mattered. Most other men in Frankie’s position would have been unobtainable, even with the baggage he carried. But not him. Not with me.

As the thoughts swirled through your head, Frankie’s grip was steady - and so was your heartbeat, which made you certain that the words you spoke when you opened your mouth were the truth, not you reacting in the moment.

“I’d want you, Francisco.” Your voice didn’t waver. Instead, you felt relief, nodding without breaking eye contact. “I do want you. I’ve never had someone in my life like you before, and … and I don’t want to lose you.”

The room was silent again, but the tension was different then, as you waited to hear what his response would be. If he has one.

It was terrifying to you - the fact that you’d put so much of yourself out there to someone you’d recently met, to know that what you were saying was what you really felt, to have to wonder what it was that Frankie had been hoping to hear from you. But he started this. He’s the one that wanted me to …

“Was that so hard?” He leaned in, pressing his forehead to your temple and then taking a deep breath, your hand still held tightly in his. He wasn’t teasing. It was an honest question, and as you considered his words, you realized that no, it actually hadn’t been that hard to tell him what you were feeling.

But you still didn’t know how Frankie felt, or what his response would be. And even as the two of you stayed that way - sitting close together on his bed, the warmth of his skin against yours, the sound of his quiet breathing in your ear, you began to spiral, worried about the next thing he’d say, even though he’d been the one to lead you to your admission.

“You won’t lose me.” He angled his head to press his lips to your cheek and then moved them closer to your mouth, trailing over your skin. “Because I want you just as much.” You sucked in a breath at that, jerking backwards so that you could look him in the eye. He didn’t avert his gaze, the man unblinking. “I’m not asking you to stay forever. I’m just … asking you to think about giving it a shot, no matter what happens with the wolf.”

“I want to.” You let out a shaky breath, nodding. “But it’s too dangerous to think that way, Frankie. What if -”

“We’re not civilians. I mean, technically, yeah we are, but …” He actually smiled then, and it made your lips twitch, too. “We can take care of ourselves. And I’d feel a hell of a lot better worrying about you here than wondering what’s chasing after you when you’re on your own.”

“We barely know each other. How -”

“Yeah. That’s what I’m trying to change.” He let go of your hand and ran both of his up your arms, letting them settle on your shoulders. “Talking with Ashley today was … really good. I finally feel like I understand some of this shit now, and it makes me …” Frankie shook his head, finally closing his eyes. “You don’t need to decide tonight, or even tomorrow. But don’t just … please. Promise me you won’t just leave.”

“I can do that.” It was an easy ask - especially coming from him, and an even easier answer on your end. “So what now? What -”

“Now?” He took a deep breath, one hand moving from your shoulder to the back of your heard and urging you closer. “Now, we go back to bed.” He kissed you, lips lingering against yours. “And we worry about everything else tomorrow.”

---

tag list reblog coming soon

#frankie morales #frankie morales x female reader #frankie x reader #frankie morales x reader #pedro pascal #pedro pascal character #triple frontier #triple frontier fic #frankie morales masterlist #liminality #liminality masterlist #pedro pascal masterlist #feral frankie friday #frankie catfish morales #francisco morales #francisco catfish morales #writing #masterlist

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devil-doll13 · 2 years ago

Text

Wax & Wane

(Part 1)

Tw: Implied Death, nothing else I can think of

So it looks like I finally got myself into gear to write this! This is my first time writing the Sinclair brothers/Bo so I hope it isn’t disgustingly ooc, I tried my best with what I had and ended up rewatching HoW like twice in one day to get all the details right lol.

Summary: Abigail arrives in the strangely deserted town of Ambrose, but something seems very wrong…

Dividers by firefly-graphics

Abigail’s hands felt cold around the bottle as she took another sip of her coke, tapping her fingers to the rhythm of Slayer’s ‘Black Magic’ pouring through her car’s speakers. After she had seen that dingy sign displaying ‘Trudy’s World Famous House of Wax’ she had finally allowed herself to relax, a little more confident that she was at least headed down the right path.

She didn’t receive very specific directions after all.

…But the way ahead seemed to become increasingly derelict, something she noted somewhat dubiously. It did not look like the well-travelled path to a famous monument, but more like the lost remnants of one. Overgrown grass curled up the sides of the dirt roadway as nature reclaimed its rightful ownership over it again; in some sections it was practically swallowed by the marshes and wetlands.

That, and she couldn’t imagine the constant potholes being particularly attractive to potential tourists.

This was enough to make her sigh quietly in disappointment. She had to admit she was actually quite looking forward to visiting it, but… It was supposedly years ago that this House of Wax had been popular. Who’s to say it was still open now? Although she was all too quick to chart out her newest trip here, Abigail did feel a little sceptical now that she had time to properly consider it. She chewed the inside of her mouth, grimacing sourly when she hit yet another pothole. Her stomach was beginning to pang persistently now; evidently a crummy mars bar was not enough to suffice for a proper breakfast. She held out hope that at least there was someplace to eat down here because she was absolutely famished.

Then she had to brake fast, for she saw wide-eyed that there was an entire sunken bog filled with disgustingly browned and swampy water blocking her way into Ambrose. She blinked owlishly.

Didn’t exactly look very welcoming to potential visitors… Wouldn’t this sort of thing be a priority to fix for the locals? The cogs grinded together continuously in her head. Perhaps there was another way in and out, but it still seemed odd to just let this slime fester here… Was there some kind of reason for it? Well, it was not her duty to question their judgement, she supposed…

Still, that idle thought picked curiously at her brain as she leaned over the dashboard to examine the filthy bog. This was not ideal… But it wasn’t as if this was her first time dealing with difficult roads, so it wasn’t an immediate deterrent either. Gripping the steering wheel, Abigail cautiously tried a few alternate routes before - finding it did nothing else but stubbornly imprison her wheels in muck - she determined that it was a pointless endeavour. Her lips curled in distaste. It seemed any attempt to go forward would simply leave her stuck and waterlogged. It was like she was ensnared in some sludgy web…

Well, shit. Abigail sat back limply in her car, grimly staring at the obstruction with a dropping gut. Did she really have to leave her car here?

(I say mine, though I did steal it… She acknowledged to herself dryly. But she felt fiercely territorial over all her worldly possessions. Perhaps a thief most fears their items will be stolen in turn; as a liar suspects a liar, she mused.)

Abigail heaved another weighty sigh and pushed the door open, her boots squelching in the mud. Biting her lip, she looked back for a moment, considering bringing something… Protective with her. Ambrose was still unknown territory, and she never quite felt safe without a method of defending herself; or safe ever, really.

Her eyes roved methodically over her occult stash. She could always bring her Black Book with her, but due to her curses it admittedly smelled rancid. It no longer bothered her, but it would surely draw some negative attention that she didn’t feel like dealing with today.

Her knife or sickle probably wouldn’t do her much good either; sure, it was useful to have around, but she knew rightly she had the physical staying power of a wet paper bag.

Settling finally on a rusty brooch that pulsated like some sort of metallic internal organ, she pocketed all the money she currently had, her current ID and her car keys, hauling a leather bag out of the trunk. Everything else was more or less replaceable; even her artworks, she reminded herself glumly. They were too hefty to carry around most of the time anyway. It was times like this she wished she had more fixed residence of some sort, but those had never ended well... A too-long lifetime of looking over her shoulder had prepared her for constant shifts of intense paranoia and occasional anxiety; and most of the time it was very much warranted.

Slamming the car door shut, Abigail made her way across the pit with careful steps. Her boots offered her firm purchase, and soon enough she found herself standing awkwardly at the entrance of the town. A few ancient buildings were beginning to come into view now, though still with no people in sight. She glanced longingly back at her car, and in turn all the belongings she had in the world.

(If push comes to shove, I can simply steal another one…)

Ambrose was a strange place. Very strange; and that was high praise coming from her.

Her initial viewing of Ambrose held it up as quite idyllic in its white picket fence normalcy; but on closer inspection everything appeared to be coated with a permanent layer of grime, the affliction of age. The lawns and shrubbery were just a tad bit overgrown, the sidewalks sunburnt, cracked and worn, the style of architecture completely outdated. Even the House of Wax itself - although impressive from what she had seen of it - had an air of sad neglect to it.

Despite that, all the cars she saw were decidedly modern and well looked after. There were also some rather tastefully done sculptures around the place that did draw her eye; but nothing too inspired. So far nothing special.

Presently she strolled rather casually down the street, ignoring the warning pinpricks tickling her neck. She curled an arched eyebrow at the selection of ‘Miss Ambrose’ posters taped to a board as she passed it. She hadn’t heard of too many small-town beauty pageants even in her restless travels.

Again she was struck with the feeling that she was lingering in the ruins of a bygone era. The whole town clung to its vintage aesthetic like it had been stuck in a time loop since the 70s. It would have been endearing to her if there wasn’t a distinct sense of unease about the place. She could easily brush it off as her own suspicious nature, but its vast emptiness was intensely discomforting, rather than pleasing to her as it should have been.

(Usually she would loathe crowds, but this place seemed completely uncanny without them…)

The raucous din of artificial yells and alarm rings made her wince, but at least it wasn’t deathly silent. Yet none of it seemed to have a human source that she could see; it was completely void of all life.

Still, it was Sunday. She supposed the culprit was simply Church; a rather grandiose building she spotted at the end of the road.

Lovely looking building, she mused. Also not a place she would ever enter willingly. Not anymore.

“Hey there.” A deep masculine voice drawled out in a thick, honeyed Southern accent.

Abigail had just stopped to admire a pile of spotted puppies in a shop window, watching their adorable little tails wagging happily. (That in itself was rather odd; usually they would have cowered at the sight of her.) She whirled around now to see a well-dressed man peering questioningly down at her with his hands planted firmly on his hips.

This man - certainly in his Sunday best - held a certain innate confidence in his posture. He was tall and handsome with dark, slicked back hair and blue eyes. He had slight, thin sideburns and was cleanly shaven. At once Abigail couldn’t help but feel he bore a passing resemblance to Elvis Presley; he seemed to be just as old-school in manner as his surroundings.

This was the first living person she had seen upon arriving in Ambrose, but he looked as if he could practically represent the town as a whole.

“Car broke down?” The Elvis Impersonator asked her with a charmingly quirked brow.

“No,” Abigail replied simply. She wondered why he’d assume that.

“Ah, I see… See, one of ours saw ya’ pull out and stall near the entrance there. Came runnin’ to let me know - I’m the guy who fixes up cars round’ here, name’s Bo.”

Bo gestured to himself vaguely.

Curious, she regarded him for a moment. He must have been quite dedicated to his job to be willing to drop whatever he was doing at a moment’s notice.

“Oh. I’m sorry to have disturbed you.” She said regretfully, still watching him closely. He shrugged.

“But it was the…” Abigail struggled for a word that might sound less crude to describe it as. “…Difficult terrain that stopped me, not a car problem. I couldn’t find a way to pass it without getting stuck in mud.”

“Oh. That.” He nodded knowingly, then shook his head. “Yeah, I get it. We don’t use that road no more.”

“I take it there’s some other way in and out then?”

“Yeah, there’s another one down yonder. Don’t get as many visitors as we used to.” Bo explained, scratching the back of his neck with a wry smile.

“I see...” She hummed. If there indeed was another road out of town, she had not yet seen it.

Abigail did suspect that Ambrose was no longer the tourist hotspot that it was, but now she felt herself wondering if her journey had been a pointless one. If everyone else was still at Church it would be a while until any kind of café or shop was open, she thought to herself begrudgingly. That meant she’d have to wait around first before she got to eat anything, since it seemed the whole town was quite religious.

“Is the House of Wax not open anymore?” She tried not to let the discouragement sound in her voice.

“Well, It’s still open.” Bo said. A sort of unknown enthusiasm illuminated his face. “Seen better days, like, but uh… Trudy’s work never left the premises.”

She let out a relieved sigh. That was good. It was the only reason she came here, anyway.

“Ya’ won’t even need to pay either, it’s all pretty much public domain now… Just ignore the ‘closed’ sign, the ol’ curator forgets sometimes.” He chuckled darkly, casting his amused gaze at the dogs she was previously so enthralled by.

No need to pay? She raised an eyebrow at that.

How charitable.

Abigail studied him inquisitively, tempted to pry a little more, but thought the better of it. Clearly this Trudy was no longer around; maybe alive, maybe dead. She felt a bit of weight lifted off her lungs as she considered that she’d have something to do here after all. She could easily pass the time in the wax museum until she would be able to get a bite to eat.

“Now before I go back, are ya’ absolutely sure ya’ don’t need me to take a glance at the car?” Bo gave her a pointed look now.

“Yes.” Her keys seemed to burn hotly in her pocket.

“Like I said, it was just that I had trouble getting past… Thankyou for your help. I won’t bother you anymore.” Abigail continued swiftly. Now he was of no longer any use to her, she was rather eager to be rid of him and be left to her own devices.

Bo shrugged again, seemingly nonchalant.

“S’alright. I’ll be on my way, then… Should be almost done now anyways.”

He smirked; an expression which struck her as probably more sinister than intended. She watched as he turned on his heels and returned to the Church, whistling cheerfully all the while.

Abigail didn’t waste much more time as she adjusted her bag and made her way back up to the House of Wax. Its tall ivory structure loomed over her, accented with a sickly shade of mint green. Like the Church, it was beautifully made. While it was not so different in style to most of the other buildings in Ambrose, its imposing size cut an impressive figure over everything else. She supposed it must have been really quite something in its heyday.

Then, stroking a careful hand over the wall, Abigail noticed with a jolt of wonderful realisation that the building itself actually seemed to be made of wax!

(So… The House of Wax indeed…)

She cast a quick glance to the sign hanging from the door. ‘Closed,’ it read, just as Bo had told her it might. She ignored it and tried for the handle. It opened without much hassle, and with a thrill of excitement down her spine she stepped inside.

From above, an unknown presence stirred. One large hand came to pull aside a curtain, and from out the window peered a smooth, waxen face. A singular blue eye swivelled in its socket, following her every movement with a discerning gaze. The figure stood silently, contemplating the details of the soon-to-be new addition to his home…

The moment Abigail crossed the threshold of the House of Wax building, she felt her nose crinkle at the thin veil of dust hanging in the entry room. The air was so very stale and stagnant, although it became more bearable as she entered the grand exhibition rooms. It still didn’t stop her from admiring the stunning craftsmanship; both the exterior and interior were magnificent in form. The wax statues were incredibly lifelike, as if they were truly real, living people. They didn’t quite capture the wonder she felt as she gazed upon blood-bathing Countess Bathory as a child, but she supposed that was simply the jaded cynicism of her adulthood speaking.

As well as these sculptures, there were a number of queer little oddities and trinkets filling shelves in the more obscure corners of the museum. They were even more dust-speckled and cobwebbed than the cabinets with silverware in them. She gently blew them off, marvelling at the tiny details she could see, lovingly crafted with wax. They seemed to have a particularly morbid touch to them in comparison to the more conventional beauty of the human-sized wax figures.

Macabre yet oddly quaint; as she liked it to be.

There were also paintings; her preferred medium. Still, whoever the artist was, they certainly had far more skill than she could ever boast to have.

She tilted her head, catlike, as she squinted to make out the golden cursive scrawled on the edge of a lush portrait of a beautiful brunette woman.

‘Vincent’ It read. Odd. Perhaps it was not only Trudy’s wax sculptures here, but a collection of art from the entire town of Ambrose?

Of course, no matter how curious she was Abigail was the ideal spectator, respectful of the artworks, appreciative, strolling by with both her hands kept behind her back.

She was also completely unaware of the mysterious presence lurking in the shadows.

But still, she knew something wasn’t quite right about this place. About the whole town of Ambrose. How empty it was. Quiet. Depopulated.

(At least, in regards to the living.)

How could she have anticipated how noisy these ghosts would be?

Abigail was keenly attuned to these sorts of disturbances, but she never could have expected to feel or hear them now. She didn’t flinch at a haunted building, she’d been in those a hundred times before; but a wax museum seemed like an odd place to die. She wondered if it had anything to do with the loss of popularity over the years…

She stopped in her tracks. A floorboard creaked ever so slightly behind her.

Spidery whispers rippled through the atmosphere and raised the fine, thin hairs on her neck. The uniquely cold, deathly chill of a despairing spirit hung over her like an ominous shroud. It felt like there was a gentle, but still persistent kind of grip latched onto her shoulder that refused to let her walk away.

Someone or something was trying to get her attention.

Then it was eerily silent. Some compulsion drew her to look into the face of a nearby wax statue; who stood still and transfixed in time forever. He was a man with dark hair. He looked cleaner and smoother than the others. Almost new.

“Yes…” She answered his call, her voice soft.

Glassy brown eyes stared fixedly back at her, frozen in wax encasement. But there was something strangely desperate in his empty gaze; pleading, almost.

“…I’m listening.”

(Taglist: @rottent33th, @slaasherslut, @the-pinstriped-hood, @soupbabe, @bluecoolr, @flower-crowned-lady, @goldrose-star, @vincent-sinclair-deserved-better, @solmints-messyocdiary)

#I wrote this whole thing in like a day.#I’m sort of inspired again #Abigail Williams #Abigail #Abigail Williams oc #slasher oc #horror oc #House of Wax #Bo Sinclair #Vincent Sinclair #fanfic #my writing #my stuff

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rosiewitchescottage · 10 months ago

Photo

fuckyeah-nerdery:

Saw this on Fark and it made my day: 15 reasons Mr. Rogers was the best neighbor ever. Some of these are just amazing.

2. He made thieves think twice. According to a TV Guide piece on him, Fred Rogers drove a plain old Impala for years. One day, however, the car was stolen from the street near the TV station. When Rogers filed a police report, the story was picked up by every newspaper, radio and media outlet around town.

Amazingly, within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from, with an apology on the dashboard. It read, “If we’d known it was yours, we never would have taken it.”

Seriously, even criminals loved Mr. Roger.

4. He saved both public television and the VCR. Strange but true. When the government wanted to cut public television funds in 1969, the relatively unknown Mister Rogers went to Washington.

Almost straight out of a Frank Capra film, his 5-6 minute testimony on how TV had the potential to give kids hope and create more productive citizens was so simple but passionate that even the most gruff politicians were charmed. While the budget should have been cut, the funding instead jumped from $9 to $22 million.

Rogers also spoke to Congress, and swayed senators into voting to allow VCR’s to record television shows from the home. It was a cantankerous debate at the time, but his argument was that recording a program like his allowed working parents to sit down with their children and watch shows as a family.

Too bad he isn’t here now, because public broadcasting could use him again. :|

5. He might have been the most tolerant American ever. Mister Rogers seems to have been almost exactly the same off-screen as he was onscreen. As an ordained Presbyterian minister, and a man of tremendous faith, Mister Rogers preached tolerance first.

Whenever he was asked to castigate non-Christians or gays for their differing beliefs, he would instead face them and say, with sincerity, “God loves you just the way you are.” Often this provoked ire from fundamentalists.

This made me smile. He didn’t judge people on irrelevancies like their sexual orientation or religious beliefs (or lack thereof).

6. He was genuinely curious about others. Mister Rogers was known as one of the toughest interviews because he’d often befriend reporters, asking them tons of questions, taking pictures of them, compiling an album for them at the end of their time together, and calling them after to check in on them and hear about their families. He wasn’t concerned with himself, and genuinely loved hearing the life stories of others.

And it wasn’t just with reporters. Once, on a fancy trip up to a PBS exec’s house, he heard the limo driver was going to wait outside for 2 hours, so he insisted the driver come in and join them (which flustered the host).

On the way back, Rogers sat up front, and when he learned that they were passing the driver’s home on the way, he asked if they could stop in to meet his family. According to the driver, it was one of the best nights of his life the house supposedly lit up when Rogers arrived, and he played jazz piano and bantered with them late into the night. Further, like with the reporters, Rogers sent him notes and kept in touch with the driver for the rest of his life.

Mr. Rogers played jazz!

8. He could make a subway car full of strangers sing. Once while rushing to a New York meeting, there were no cabs available, so Rogers and one of his colleagues hopped on the subway. Esquire reported that the car was filled with people, and they assumed they wouldn’t be noticed.

But when the crowd spotted Rogers, they all simultaneously burst into song, chanting “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” The result made Rogers smile wide.

I would do the same thing if he was still alive and I saw him.

Oh and all the sweaters he wore were hand-knitted by his mom.

This guy was just amazing, I loved watching his show when I was growing up. The world lost a great man when he died. :(

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yardsards · 2 years ago

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i gotta say, i really don't agree with the whole "likes are meaningless!" idea that gets passed around here.

i love when people like my stuff! it absolutely delights me to know that people saw what i made and enjoyed it!

of course reblogs are even better cuz then more people can see (and therefore like and reblog) what i made but. the end result of that is still just... Number Go Up. and liking a post still makes number go up even if it's only by 1.

everyone has different standards for what they'll reblog. for some, a like without a reblog means "i liked this, but i only reblog things i love", for others it's "i loved this, but i only reblog things i'm absolutely enamored with", for others it's "i liked/loved/was enamored with this, but i have a theme that i stick to on my blog and this doesn't fit". either way, someone enjoyed your post even if it didn't fit their reblog criteria

like, each blog has different levels of activity. some blogs are super active (are on this site very frequently and/or have a very high 'posts reblogged'/'posts viewed' ratio) and they're on your dash all the time. other blogs are super inactive (are on this site very infrequently and/or have very low 'posts reblogged'/'posts viewed' ratio). this is how tumblr works. this is a feature, not a bug.

if everybody followed those "likes mean nothing!!! you MUST reblog more" posts and changed their habits enough to start reblogging 2x as many posts, than everyone's dashboards would have twice as many posts on their dashboard. let's say a tumblr user's dashboard normally has 1,000 posts on it every day, and they spend enough time on here to see 500 of those posts; they see about half of the posts on their dash. now everyone starts reblogging twice as much, so there's 2000 posts on their dash every day, but they're still only seeing 500 of those posts (unless they start spending more time on this hellsite, which is generally not a good idea lmao)

now this is, of course, not accounting for the TYPE of posts that people reblog

cuz it *is* true that low-effort joke posts tend to get more notes than high-effort art/writing posts do.

which, in some ways, that makes sense. jokes have a wider audience, whereas taste in art is very personal. (and sometimes this effect can be amplified by people reblogging stuff based off of what they think their followers will enjoy. they subconsciously think "ha, my followers will get a good laugh out of this, i'll reblog it" when they see a joke they enjoy but "hm, i like this but i don't know if any of my followers will" when they enjoy a piece of art/writing/etc.. which, i advise everyone to try to stop doing this. not out of any Moral Obligation but bc you're gonna have more fun on this hellsite if you treat your blog as a little bin for shiny trinkets you enjoy, rather than as a performance)

and a lot of times, reblogging high-effort posts means much more to the op than reblogging low-effort posts does. like, i enjoy when my silly little jokes get notes but i LOVE when my art or long meta-analysis posts get notes.

so i DO wholeheartedly encourage people to reblog more art and writing and whatnot, rather than just jokes all the time. but do that cuz you WANT TO, not out of some weird sense of guilt

i've seen people say they've stopped liking posts at all if they're not gonna reblog it, cuz they're afraid the op will be offended. and that makes me really sad. please continue to like my posts, even if you don't quite want them on your blog! don't feel bad! it makes me so so happy when i know people saw and enjoyed what i made, even if they don't share it with anyone.

(i am saying this as someone with a fairly active blog, both in terms of original posts and reblogs, and who consciously makes an effort to reblog more art/writing instead of just jokes, and who makes both joke posts and art/writing posts of my own)

#eliot posts #long post #idk i'm just a tiiiny bit salty but also very saddened by that sentiment repeatedly making its way onto my dashboard

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technowoah · 3 years ago

Note

Wait imagine a fic where Jack and the reader are long distance or something and when Tubbo and Tommy are doing the man hunt irl the reader surprises Jack.

That would be cute I think 🤔

Just One Livestream

You surprise Jack with a spontaneous visit to the UK, little did you know that they were livestreaming.

- Jack Manifold x gen neutral!reader

- Anon Requested!

⚠︎ swearing, fluff!, not proofread

an// I hope yall enjoy! Much love! And sorry it came out so late I have no inspiration rn but imma get it done! Also I used the difference of American hours to London hours so sorry of

Navigation!

"Love, why are you up early?" Jack asked through the phone.

You two were facetiming eachother as he propped his phone up on his dashboard while he started to drive. It was around 1 am for you and 6 am for Jack. Sadly you two were in a long distance relationship. You had met Jack when you were on a college trip to London to study abroad for 3 weeks. You were sad that you had to leave your home country, but this was a opportunity you couldn't oppose.

During this trip you had found a cafe that you would go to often. The first time you sat at the cafe alone you always noticed it was only you and this other man in the cafe. He was always on his computer and sat by a window, he always came early too, even earlier than you. As the days went on you continued to see him around more and he seemed to notice you as well. You made a note to yourself to always try and show up a tad bit earlier to the cafe to stay around the same time as he did.

You two got to know eachother throughout the three weeks you had to stay in London. The small nods became hellos, and the hellos turned into full on conversation by the window. He had told you his name was Jack Manifold and was kind of surprised when you didn't immediately know who he was. To him it was refreshing not to be immediately noticed based on his appearance. You both had exchanged numbers one day and after each morning you two would text non stop even during your classes. Luckily trying to get to know Jack changed your sleep schedule and because of that you always made it to class on time.

Jack was such an amazing guy to you, but during the first week you had developed a small crush on the man, and he had developed a crush on you too. The second week you two had ventured out onto different territory than the cafe. Jack started to call those small outings after class, dates and you weren't opposed to the dates at all you loved them. The second and third week were mostly dates and the night before you left he asked to be your boyfriend and of course you accepted not knowing the pain of a long distance relationship.

You had to answer his question on why you were up so early. "Yeah- Um, Im up because of you." You chuckled. "You changed my sleep schedule ever since I met you."

"Well you're welcome, because before me I heard you were missing classes." Jack payed attention to the road but still talked to you.

"Because I told you! And I am grateful, but there is nothing to do at one am here." You sighed while you started to walk around your room as you lied to him.

Jack was talking to you while you did a clean sweep around your house to check if you had everything for your trip.

Two weeks ago you had decided to pack your bags and take a trip back to London. Right now your flight will be leaving early in the morning and that's why you are up so early.

You wanted to surprise Jack instead of straight up telling him that you will be in the country. You missed him dearly, and this will be a great way to spend time together instead of seeing eachother across a screen. One of you had to make that sacrafice and that would be you.

While Jack continued to talk you checked everywhere to make sure you arent leaving anything behind.

"What are you doing, darling?" Jack asked and that snapped you out of your trance. "Are you even listening to me? Im hurt." Jack faked being hurt.

You smiled at him and shook your head. "Im sorry I wasn't listening. What were you saying?"

"I was saying, when you were ignoring me, that I'm going to the cafe right now and that we should plan a trip soon. I miss you." Jack confessed and you awed.

"I miss you too Jack! I hopw we can see each other soon." You tried to contain your smile as you hid your surprise.

"Me too."

Your plane finally landed as you let out a sigh of relief. You had collected all of your shit fast so you could finally get off of that horrible plane. Every stereotypical airplane scene happened to you in the hours you were on that plane. You had a child crying behind you with a mother who couldn't keep that child calm, you were sat next to a man who snored the whole ride here and you just felt cramped.

Sadly you couldn't return any of Jack's messages or calls that you saw when you were in the airplane terminal. You tried calling him twice but they both went to voicemail while you rolled your bag through the huge building. Finding yourself outside you ordered an Uber and once you did that your phone began to ring showing Jack's name and picture of you two together on the screen.

You quickly answered the phone. "Hey!"

"Hi!" Jack chuckled. "I called like, 17 times!"

"I know! Im sorry. I was busy." You weren't lying getting a plane and basically leaving early in the morning and arriving in the afternoon in London. "So, what are you doing today?"

"I am hanging out with Tommy and Tubbo at the park! Im picking them up now!" Jack responded and you heard him close his car door.

"Which park?" You asked quickly as you saw your Uber arrive.

Jack started to laugh. "Uh I'll text you the park I guess. Why would you want to know?"

"No reason! I just want to make sure you are safe. Dont make me call 999." You tried to joke around and take the attention off of your question.

"I cant believe you still remember 999." Jack laughed.

"I still do!" You said as you got inside your Uber and gave the driver the directions to your hotel forgetting that Jack was on the other line.

"Wait hotel?" Jack questioned through the phone.

"Hotel? What are you talking about?" You acted oblivious.

"I- I thought you were talking about a hotel." Jack hesitated.

"No!" You tried to cover up your mistake.

"Well Im going to pick up Tommy soon. I'll talk to you later okay? Answer my calls this time!" Jack chuckled.

"I definitely will!"

You had recived the name of the park you were surprising Jack at. You began to walk around the parking lot after you got dropped off and noticed his car sitting there. There were tons of people at the park today and you didn't know where he would be. As you walked on the dirt trails of the park your thoughts took over, what if you made a mistake and should've told Jack that you were here in London and wanted to meet up at the cafe?

You looked at people as they passed by you ok the trail wishing that you had that energy that you had before, thinking that you would find Jack easily when in reality you were in a busy part of the park and he could be anywhere.

When you thought all hope was lost you heard some loud voices on the trail to your right. You were already walking aimlessly through the park and your first instinct was to go left and walk away from the loud voices, but then you heard something.

"Tommy this was a bad idea!"

"I dont think it was!"

You stood in the "intersection" of the dirt trails thinking that you heard those voices right. You rounded the corner and followed right to see Tommy and Jack doubled over, out of breath while Tubbo was still standing up breathing heavily. There were far away from you, but not far away that you couldn't see them clearly.

You began to call out to them. "Tommy! Jack! Tub-"

They quickly turned around and took off running. Confused on why they were doing that you took off running after them trying to tell them to stop. They were yelling and you were yelling and getting weird glances from stangers, and you dont blame them. You're chasing after your boyfriend and his two friends in a quiet public park. You continued to hear their groans of tiredness and their speed started to slow down.

"Jack! Tommy! Wait up!" You yelled out of breath as you slowed down as well.

"We give up! We give up!" Tubbo yelled and came to a complete stop while trying to catch his breath. He turned around to finally face you. "Y/N?!"

"Wait what?!"

"You're here?!" Jack ran up to you and gave you a bone crushing hug, rocking you two back and forth.

"I am! And Im our of breath thanks to you three." You said while still hugging Jack.

"M'sorry I thought you were a fan and I took off and they followed suit I guess." Tommy rubbed his forehead.

"A fan?" You questioned and Tommy and Tubbo lifted their phones up gesturing that they were recording.

"We're doing manhunt in real life, darling." Jack kissed your temple and wrapped his arn around your waist, holding you tight.

"Next time look before you run okay." You smiled still out of breath while kissing Jack's cheek.

"Enough with the PDA!" Tubbo yelled still recording you two.

"We havent even started!" Jack yelled back giving you a huge hug. Jack closed the distance between you two and gave you a passionate kiss on the lips while the two boys groaned in disgust.

"I think that's enough streaming for today boys." Tommy sighed.

"Sorry again, love. That won't happen again."

You and Jack walked hand in hand down the streets of London. People had to walk around you two because you were basically taking up the whole sidewalk and you weren't letting go of his hand anytime soon.

"It better not! I dont want to run after you again." You smiled as you bumped shoulders.

"And you wont have to!" He smiled back at you as you two continued to walk and people dodged the two of you.

"Have you ever thought of moving here?" Jack asked out of nowhere.

"I have actually! On the plane ride here I thought of leaving and moving to London." You thought about it constantly. It was nice being close to Jack and it was a major risk.

"Well wherever you're ready, I'll be here for you." Jack kissed your cheek. "And I wont run away when you come here!"

You two finally made it to your destination which was the cafe you two met at. It was busy at this time because it was the middle of the day and not the beginning. You two entered and took your seats by the window where you two usually sat.

"I love you. I missed this." Jack said.

"I love you too! And of course I missed this. Maybe you can show me more places around London and convince me to stay longer." You gave him a proposal.

"Longer than what?" Jack asked.

"Four weeks." You grinned.

Jack grabbed both of your hands and kissed the back of them. "Hell yeah. I get you for more than four weeks?!"

"That's if you show me places to stay longer." You teased.

"Okay babe. You like ferris wheels?"

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james-fun-in-the-sunderland · 2 years ago

Note

Erm general questions

Fave food

Fave activities and why

Cuddler?

Scars? From what?

Type?

Favorite people

Type of humor

hi hello my bestie im gonna answer these for vicky bc he was on my mind

Fave food

vicky LOVES a good steak (he likes it cooked medium rare in case anyone asks), his mom would always make steaks on special occasions and so not only did it taste SUPER good to him but he always associated it w good times :) he has never tried to grill up som steak himself bc he knows it wont taste as good so he goes to nicer restaurants on special occasions to get some steak!

Fave activities and why

I feel like i barely ever talk abt it but vicky LOVES to sing and play guitar! its like the second part of his whole thing, he also collects records and in general loves to collect good sound systems to listen to music! hes always loved music ever since he was a kid and looked up alot to like singers and bands and stuff bc he saw that as like ... peak lifestyle, exactly what he wanted to be and do when he grew up... he tried to break out and become some kind of singer songwriter but nothing ever went through and when his daughter was born he basically gave up that dream but he still sings and all of that bc it makes him happy :)

Cuddler?

YES.... INTENSELY. his boyfriend gets his cuddles in FULL FORCE !!! hes very touchy and will sort of passively cuddle his bf when theyre just like . doin nothin. just standing next to each other he'll have his arms around him n stuff (note this does NOT happen in public places bc vicky HATES pda but in their own home and in private moments he is INSUFFERABLE) hes also very cuddly with his daughter! he would OFTEN fall asleep w her on his chest when she was littler c: shes also a cuddler bc of this ofc

Scars? From what?

oh boy does he have scars, i have a whole section on his ref sheet for his scars

(i put it in here twice so that the post doesnt KILL dashboards w how long it is lmao)

i also have alot of like explainations for some of em, the burns on his arm are from when he went to dispose of some evidence for a boss and was a BIT fucked up (drunk) and so he didnt notice there was some lighter fluid that got on him until he already lit the fuckin match (hes a lil dumb <3)

the scar that goes across his stomach and on his arm was when he was doing a hit and thought the person was dead but they WERENT they were tricking him so when he didnt expect it they could slash the fuck outta him and get away (he still ended up killing them in the end but it was a GOOD try <3)

his facial scar, his most noticable one since the rest he tends to cover with clothes, was from when he got fucked up on alot of stuff and went for a drive during the WORST period of his life (he had SEVERE depression man he was NOT doing well) and he ended up hitting a pole at like 100 mph and of course didnt have a seatbelt (this was in like the 60s so .) so he flew out the window and MIRACULOUSLY was not hurt outside of alot of bruises and small cuts along with a shard of glass getting stuck in his face as he skidded scross the pavement like a skipping stone (which is what caused the huge scar) he doesnt like people to ask about it bc he finds that part of his life embarrassing (guy doesnt like having emotions :/)

HI EDITING BC I REALIZED I MISSED THI s his missing pinky got cut off as a punishment from a boss he had <3 not much more developed than that as of rn

Type?

i am GUESSING u mean type in like dating partners... in which case ... i havent really thought abt it! i suppose he likes people that are different from him! smaller, got more meat on their bones, more thinkers rather than impulse type people like he is, also hairy-er people. he doesnt grow body hair and i imagine the first time he kissed his bf (who has a beard) he was like AHHHH OK . I GET IT. I LOVE THIS

mostly i think he also really loves people he can do things for... like people he can care for... hes terminally someone to has to be doing things for people (as long as he agrees w the things bc otherwise he wont!) his bf makes sure to give him stuff to take care of w him (he has chronic pain in one of his legs and used to just rub some pain reliever on himself but now he and vicky have a whole routine in the morning w it :) )

Favorite people

his boyfriend abel and his daughter rosa! they are his EVERYTHING.. like literally if he lost them he would PLUMMET back into the depression he had when his mom died but EVEN WORSE bc he prides himself on taking good care of his daughter, if he worries about her its all he can think about, rn in universe shes being held hostage for him to do a job and hes WORRIED SICK like she is ALL he is thinking abt rn :(

Type of humor

oh he would definitely be called problematic . i wouldnt say he has an offensive sense of humor but its for sure darker than usual, growing up as a bully who took quite a bit of joy in suffering will do that to ya :/

#rev lore #OC: Vicky Love #CHRIST i wrote alot 😭 have fun reading all of this LMAO

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ti0mumu · 2 years ago

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Where all the people rebloging the post where i added this picture came from

like the post has its notes broken so you guys cant have find my addition through it?? i dont have so many followers?? I saw this post with my addition come back to my dashboard twice via mutuals what is happening?

#my notifs are full of people reblogging that post who are they #what are they doing in my house

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paisley-print · 4 years ago

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6:00am/It’s a family name

You and Jack get some news that changes the dynamic of your relationship.

Rating: SFW

Characters: Agent Whiskey x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of Death, Angst, pain, Injury, swearing, vomit, pregnancy, implied adoption/abortion conversations, hospital setting, mention of blood.

Word Count: 2719

MIDNIGHT MASTER LIST

NOTE: There will be a lot more chapters of smut and fluff to follow this one. I promise. The angst will go on pause for a bit. But of course, if you are familiar with the story.....only for a bit.

6:00am/It’s a family name

“I’m fine,” you say upon seeing Jack’s panicked face race towards you through the floor of the emergency room.

Jack was at your side in an instant, taking your hand then pushing your hair back when he noticed the bandages across your forehead.

“Jack,” you said, swatting his hand away - feeling uncomfortable with all this fussing over you. “I’m fine. I felt a little lightheaded and fainted. It was my fault - I didn’t eat or drink this morning. I feel fine now, really, you didn’t have to leave work.”

“Bullshit- I’ve skipped meals too but I ain’t ever fainted because of it. Did they get you in for testing?”

“The nurse came by to do intake stuff-” you began.

“That’s it? Well, what the fuck are they waiting for?” He asked, turning around to go find a nurse.

Your hand shot out to grab his wrist “Jack,” you warned. “I promise you I’m fine-”

“You hit your head you’re obviously not fine-”

The curtain to the little cubical opened, and a nurse came in with a clipboard. “Miss L/N?”

“Yes, that’s me,” you confirmed.

She looked at Jack “and this is your….?”

“Emergency contact,” you clarified, “he’s on all the releases.”

She flipped through the papers on the clipboard and confirmed this information. “Jack... Daniels ... really?”

He shifted on his feet, growing impatient “it’s a family name.”

The nurse looked back at you. “I am about to give you the results of the tests we just ran. Would you rather him step out?”

You glanced up at him, then back to the nurse. “No, he can stay.”

The nurse pulled out a stool and sat on it. “Alright, well. Blood work, blood pressure, everything came back normal. The doctor wants to get a CT scan of your head to make sure that you don’t have any internal bleeding from the fall…. that being said, the pregnancy test came back positive. Now it is up to you whether you want to continue with the CT Scan. It is perfectly safe for the fetus and we would strongly recommend it….. but it is your choice.”

It felt as though the world had stopped spinning at that moment. Every sound within the busy emergency room ceased and left only the rhythmic beat of your heart rate monitor. It grew louder and louder. You saw that the nurse was speaking. Her lips were moving, but no sound was coming out. Your eyes followed her as she got up and left - but you didn’t know why or where she was going off too.

You were ripped back to reality by the feeling of Jack slipping his hand out of yours. He stepped forward, turned his back to you, and dragged a palm across his face. You could tell he was angry by the tension he carried in his shoulders.

It was your fault, this complete mess was your fault. The result of a mindless mistake that you didn’t even think twice about. A pack of birth control pills left sitting on the dashboard of your car one September morning, baking in the sun for hours and eventually expiring from the heat. You should have just called the doctors and requested a replacement pack, yes it would have been fifty bucks…. but that seemed like pennies compared to what you were facing right now.

Jack finally spoke up. His voice lacked any sort of emotion. “I hope you’re happy with yourself.”

The words hit you like a bullet, though you pretend you didn’t hear him. “What?”

He was finding it hard to string together any sort of cohesive thoughts. All he could think about was how angry he was and how betrayed he felt. The white hot lights above him soon became blinding. It felt like the walls were closing in and all he wanted to do was run.

Why would she do this? Hadn’t he made it clear to her that none of this was what he wanted? Then for her to just go off and take it? Force him into a life - no, no, he would leave before he said something he couldn’t take back.

“Get the scan,” was all he said before tearing open the curtain and disappearing down the crowded hallway.

The beeping of that monitor made you more and more angry as the seconds ticked on. You didn’t want any of this anymore, you just wanted to get in your car and drive back home and pretend like everything was normal. To finish your orders, then cook dinner, open a bottle of wine and turn on a movie that neither of you would watch.

The worst part was that you didn’t even feel pregnant. You felt nauseous, sure, but aside from that there was no marker indicating the potential for life you now carried with you. It didn’t feel real. You half expected it to be one big joke, and that any moment now balloons, streamers and signs that said ‘just kidding’ would rain down from the tiled ceiling.

You couldn’t bring yourself to think of it as a baby, that’s not what it was. Why didn’t it feel like a baby? You had always wanted to be a mother…. And yet this thing inside you felt foreign. More like an alien parasite that needed to be cut out of you or else it threatened to kill you from within.

The nurse came back. “Alright I have some paperwork for you to fill out-”

You shook your head, pulling in vain at the various wires they had attached to you. “No, I’m sorry but I changed my mind.”

The nurse was quick to protest, “miss we really think you should-”

Why did they keep the emergency room so hot? Weren’t hospitals supposed to be cold for the germs? “I don’t want to be put under, I’m so sorry.”

“You’ll be awake the whole time….” the nurse could sense that there had been something off. Especially now that Jack was nowhere to be seen. “It’s just to check off all the boxes so you can go home... I can also bring someone in to talk to you about a plan for the fetus, if you like?”

You studied the nurse for a moment. “What do you mean?”

She gave you a kind smile. “Sometimes talking through something and making a plan for it helps with the stress. You have options, that is the important thing.”

I have options...... The words making you feel a little more at ease. You had control, you were going to be fine.

The scan wasn’t painful, just rather unpleasant. The machine was loud and your mind kept wandering to Jack. You wanted him to stay with you. Why did he storm off like that? He was the only person you had in your life. Why couldn’t he just bite back his emotions for a moment and stay with you now?

You thought back to how angry he seemed at the news. You tried very hard to put yourself in his situation, to imagine what the news would be like for him.

‘Terror’ you finally decided on.

Jack was sitting in the chair next to the bed, waiting for you as they wheeled you back from the imaging room.

The nurse from before kicked the wheel stops into place. “The doctor will be in shortly to go over the results,” she said, then left the little room.

You had spoken with the counselor briefly while waiting for the imaging room to be ready for use. You leaned into the idea of keeping it, though you would not want to be a single mother. A child didn’t deserve that if it could be avoided. You would speak with Jack, understand his position and draw a final plan based on that.

“How did it go?” he asked, still looking at his shoes.

“Okay” you responded.

He had softened considerably since you last saw him. “Your head still hurt?”

“Yes” you paused for a moment. “Where did you go before?”

He had gone to his wife and son’s grave. The inscription on the granite marker reading ‘Emily Elizabeth Daniels’ and beneath that ‘Jackson Daniels’. There was a little ceramic teddy bear sitting in the grass next to the headstone. You had bought it and placed it there when you and Jack visited on your birthday.

‘It’s ceramic,’ he remembered you saying. ‘That way it won’t fall apart in the rain.’

He had sat there for nearly two hours, trying to make sense of it all. She was dead. So why did he feel so guilty?

It felt as if the prospect of this new baby and you as a wife would somehow invalidate his love for them. He loved you; he knew it months ago. Realized it the moment he saw you under that street lamp; it made him feel sick.

Because there was a time in his life that he was sure he could never love someone as deeply as he had loved Emily. Years had gone by, yet he still missed her and yearned for her every single day.

Still though, there was another part of him that just so desperately wanted to be happy again. He wanted a child, and he wanted you as a wife. You were one of the most wonderful people to have ever walked into his life. You were soft and kind. You saw how broken he was and treated him gently. It was as if your presence in this town had placed color back in the world.

Would Emily have wanted him to be happy? If the situation was reversed, then he would hope that she found someone new. A man who could give her all the things that he wouldn’t be able to and treat her and their son with respect and kindness.

He offered his hand to you. “I drove around. Stopped at the cemetery.”

“Oh,” you responded, taking his hand and squeezing it a little. The hospital bracelet dangling on your wrist.

He looked up at you with a soft smile, and you returned it.

After a few minutes the doctor came in and told you that you had a concussion, and that the light-headedness was caused by a drop in blood pressure because of the shift in your hormones. This was typical of the first trimester and should not be cause for concern. They released you with a recommendation to take it easy for the next few days.

Jack and you didn’t say a word to each other for the rest of the ride home. He continued to hold your hand though, thumb brushing gently over your knuckles. Once inside, he insisted you go lay down on the couch while he made you some lunch.

The smell of it made you so terribly nauseous, but if that was from the hormones or the fact that you hadn’t eaten since last night was anybody’s guess.

“Alright,” he said, taking a seat next to you and placing down a little plate of food. You took notice of how bland it was and realized he did that on purpose. Bland food would be easier to keep down. “I want to hear your thoughts first.”

You pushed the food around your plate with your fork. “Well, first, I guess I should explain that it wasn’t intentional... although I can easily understand how you could draw that conclusion. I know I had promised you I was on the pill and you trusted me to make sure I was protected…. but I made a mistake. And I am sorry if you feel lied to or taken advantage of.”

“I made a snap judgment without ever considering how you felt. I know you would never try to force me into something like this. You don’t have to apologize for an accident, besides if we’re being honest here, I am half responsible.”

You took a small bite of food, then another, already feeling a little better.

“We have a few weeks to decide what we want to do,” you told him. “Under the right circumstances I would want to keep the baby but…..” You trailed off, your words failing you.

He pressed you a little, “what would those circumstances look like?”

You thought for a moment, feeling embarrassed. “Security. Honestly I would feel a lot better if we were married …. And of course I want you to want the kid and be in its life. Babies deserve parents who love them.”

He nodded, then stood abruptly and disappeared down the hallway into his office.

‘Wait…. what just fucking happened?’ you thought.

He returned a moment later, then he took you by the hands in order to stand you up.

“To show you I am fully committed to this, and you.” He withdrew something from his pocket and got down on one knee. “Don’t get too excited now - I had to make do with what I had. We can head down to the jewelers tomorrow and have you pick out a proper one, but for now…...” He opened the box. Inside was his gold Statesman signet ring he got when he first joined the agency. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

You looked down at him stunned and wide eyed - then realized suddenly you had to throw up. You pushed him aside, and all but sprinted to the trash can in the kitchen. After a moment you felt Jack’s hand collect your hair and hold it away from your face as you continued to be sick.

“Believe it or not, this is what most women do when I propose to them,” he joked, rubbing small circles into your back.

You laughed, standing up a little straighter as the feeling of nausea passed. You looked up at him, struck by the feeling that you just ruined his proposal. Your big doe eyes filled with tears, Jack couldn’t help but laugh a little at the roller coaster of events that just took place.

“Why are you crying?” he asked.

“I’m not crying,” you cried.

“You-.... No but you are darlin” he smiled and pulled you in for a hug.

You wrapped your arms around his middle. The cotton of his shirt felt warm against your skin. “I wanna marry you,” you confirmed.

“Alright” he cooed, pressing a kiss to the top of your head and rubbing your back softly. “So we’ll get married…..you want me to ask again tomorrow? With the good ring?”

You sniffled and nodded, still unable to hold back your tears. “I promise I won’t throw up next time you ask me.”

He laughed “alright sugar- I believe you.”

“This was just a practice run,” you offered.

God, how he adored you “A rehearsal, exactly.”

You paused for a moment, realizing that the two of you hadn’t even said those three little words to each other yet. You knew he loved you - that was why you had always been so content with what the two of you had. He never had to say it since he always showed it, but of course those words are necessary. Speaking them meant acknowledging their existence.

You would save them for tomorrow, you thought. It would be special for you both.

You spoke up again, “Is it bad that I’m scared?”

“It’s alright to be scared, honey,” he mumbled into your hair.

“Are you scared?” you asked.

After a moment of silence he answered, “yes.”

“Together we’ll be okay... the good shit along with the bad. That’s what we signed up for.”

“The good shit along with the bad,” he repeated.

He held onto you in a way that he never had before. It was as if a part of him had woken up from being dormant. For the first time you felt as though you had his whole heart, not just pieces.

You closed your eyes “I guess this means I should get my stuff moved in, huh?”

“Yeah, and I guess that means I’ll be losing half of my closet space,” he sighed, feigning disappointment.

You giggled and punched his arm playfully “you have more clothes than me.”

It wasn’t perfect. With you and Jack it never seemed to be - but it was a step in the right direction and a marker of healing for you both. A promise that the two of you could weather any storm no matter the size. Finally, you were going to be a family.

#Jack Daniels x you #Whiskey x you #Agent whiskey x Reader #Agent whiskey x you #Agent whiskey fanfic #Kingsmen Fanfiction #Kingsmen Fanfic #Pedro fanfic #Pedro Pascal fanfic #Pedro Pascal Fanfiction

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wannabemobwife · 4 years ago

Text

Guns, Glamour and Goodfellas - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Things We Supposedly Lost in the Fire

Dad!Mob!Tom x Mom!Mob!Reader

-Pairings: Tom Holland x Reader, Rosie Holland x Henry Osterfield

-Warnings: Grief, barely suicidal thoughts, fire

-Words: 4K

Author note: Tom and Y/N don’t really age, I think of them as like Barbie and Ken, never aging. Final chapter will be up tonight around 9-10 PM PST. Sorry for the wait, you guys are so patient. Love ya.

Chapter 16: Things We Supposedly Lost in the Fire

Words: 4K

There you were, standing alongside your husband, daughter and friend as the building before your eyes erupted in a blaze. Smashing windows as the remaining members of Wilson’s mob, funneled their way out of the burning warehouse. Coughing up all the inhaled smoke.

One by one, people bursted out of the doors gasping for fresh air. Their lungs constricted from the dark ash that bled through the sky. You just stood there, next to your family, taking in the sight before you. As sirens rang through the air

The smoke and flames kept raging on, but there was still no sign of Parker.

That was 5 days ago. Now, you were in the present, trying to survive. The fire that took 3 days to put out, claimed the lives of your son Parker, Carter Wilson and multiple men.

Everyone was dealing with Parker’s demise differently. Harrison and Henry had so generously offered to stay with all of you for the time being. You took them up on that.

You refused to leave your room for a week, barely acknowledging Tom and Rosie. Tom would try to get some reaction from you, but you would lay there, catatonic. Oblivious to the outside world. Maybe coming down for a cup of coffee but then heading straight up back to your room.

Parker was your baby boy, words couldn’t express how you were feeling. A piece of you was missing.

You would walk down stairs and catch a glimpse of all the photographs perched everywhere, showcasing you, Tom, Rosie and Parker’s greatest moments. Everything reminded you of him.

The car keys flooded back memories of first teaching him how to drive. You were so scared. Every parent feels the same but it is hard to relinquish control of your car and put your life in someone else’s hands. You would flinch anytime he broke a little too hard. Always pushing on your imaginary brake.

“Ok, now put the car in drive. Make sure you keep your foot on the brake.” You began, instructing Parker how to drive.

You thought it be best if Tom taught Rosie and you taught Parker how to drive. You didn’t need twice the amount of heart attacks. “Ok, what next?” Parker asked after shifting from park gear to drive gear. Or so he thought.

“Give it a little gas now.” “Ok….” Parker barely touched the accelerator and the car shot backwards.

“PARKER! AAAAHHHHH!” You screamed as he lost control of the car. He slammed so hard on the brake, sending you flying into the dashboard. Your head knocked into the front, instantly creating a splitting headache.

“Oh, mom are you okay?” Parker questioned, preparing himself for your outburst.

“No, switch seats I’m driving home. That’s enough for today. The problem was you were in reverse and you hit the brake way too hard.” You explained with a calm voice, inside you were seething with anger. Pressing your hand to your head to try and subside your head.

“How did I know R stood for reverse, it could have been the R in drive?” Parker mocked sarcastically. “Honey, I love you but your dad is going to teach you from now on.”

You drove home safely and immediately went to the kitchen for an ice pack. Your head was throbbing. Tom greeted you, he was reading in the living room.

“How did the first lesson go?” Tom asked, noticing the scowl with adorned your face.

“Why don’t you ask Parker?” You snapped, pressing the cool ice pack to the soon to be bump on your head.

“Ok.… Parker any idea what your mom is talking about?” Tom inquired, knowing to not press you with anymore questions.

“I may have gone a little too fast and slammed on the brake,” Parker mumbled

“There’s more to that story,” you barked. Of course Parker was leaving the part of going in reverse instead of drive.

“I may have picked the wrong gear…” Parker divulged.

“HE WAS IN REVERSE!! NOT DRIVE!!” You shouted.

“Oh—“ Tom started to say but was cut off by you again.

“And then when he braked, he stopped so hard my head hit the dashboard.” You explaining, throwing your hands up in fury to point at your head. Tom started to chuckle. He tried to suppress a laugh but you were not having it.

“Are you laughing?” You thundered.

“Umm… no.” Tom’s entire expression totally changed as he saw the daggers you were shooting him.

“Tom, it’s not funny. Our son doesn’t know the difference between drive and reverse.”

“Guys, I’m still right here.” Parker chimed in as you spoke of him as if he wasn’t in the room.

“SAY SOMETHING!” You snapped at Tom’s defeating silence.

“Parker be more careful next time.” Tom explained to Parker.

“That’s it? Seriously?… Next time, you drive with him and you will feel my frustration and pain.” You sighed, giving up on this fight.

Life was so much simpler then, you were just trying to raise two wonderful kids. Helping them along the path of life, but there are always detours. You never expected life to have this many bumps. You especially didn’t expect your son to not live a full life. One full of wonder and joy.

Tom had his own way of mourning. He began to relish in his kills, channeling all his emotion into running the mob. Spending night after night bashing in skulls. Coming home with blood drenched clothes.

You understood everyone worked through their grief differently but his way seemed unhealthy. Tom had a few quarrels with anyone associated with the Wilson mob. He blamed them for the death of Parker.

Tom was currently, in his warehouse torturing some poor sap who was a well known capo of the Wilsons. “Tom, give it up. He’s not going to talk,” Haz told Tom as the continued to torture one of Wilson’s soldiers in front of him.

Carter had died along with Parker in the fire and Tom didn’t really know who the new leader was. All he knew is that he still wanted revenge.

“He’s right, you should just kill me. I know to keep my mouth shut unlike your dead son,” the soldier barked, warranting a swift strike to the jaw.

“Don’t you ever fucking mention him again. Your leader killed him. I should do the same to you to receive a smidge of compensation,” Tom snarled as he wrapped his hands around his throat, cutting off his airway completely.

“Tom, come on. He’s not worth it. Let him go,” Haz pleaded as the man started to turn blue.

“Haz, I can’t. How can I let him walk free, when he is the reason Parker is dead?” Tom explained, loosening his hands.

“That was Carter, not some menial soldier. He probably has a family like you,” Harrison talked Tom down.

“You’re free to go,” Haz concluded as he untied the poor man in front of them. He bolted for the door as quick as possible.

“Haz, I can’t do this. I need Parker here. He was supposed to be doing this. Not me… I feels unreal how much I miss him,” Tom cried.

“I know. We all miss him.”

“I couldn’t even protect my own son. Do you get that? And this can’t be the end. I can’t just move on, knowing I’m supposed to bury him tomorrow,” Tom swore.

“Tom, it will get better,” Harrison consoled him.

“How? I can’t just have an open ended statement. I need a solution. Something to fix this ache in my heart. How can I make this pain go away?” Tom pleaded.

“Tom, there is no answer. You just have to try and work through your grief and eventually move forward.”

“You know, Parker asked me the same thing right after Charlotte died. He needed the pain of her death to be lifted from his shoulders. I told him he needed time, but I lied. I knew he could never move on. That this would stick with him for years to come. That’s how I feel right now. There is no remedy except trying to make those bastards pay. Can you let me do that?” Tom exclaimed.

“Tom, I… yes, I can. Only because I know that is what you need right now. Someone to have your back. And I promise I always will.” Harrison tried to comfort his grieving friend but it was hard. Hard to explain to Tom that it only seemed like his world was ending.

That night Tom came into your shared room looking half dead. He had black eye and bruises that littered all over his body. From that moment you knew you both couldn’t keep living like this. You couldn’t keep shoving down your feelings and refusing to face the world, same with Tom but instead of shutting people out the was instigating fights left and right.

“Tom, I need to talk to you,” you sighed as Tom entered the room

“Yes, baby. Anything. I’m just happy to hear your voice,” Tom replied, surprised you were speaking to him. This was his first verbal conversation with you in days.

“We need to make a change, we can’t keep living like this. It isn’t healthy,” you began but was faced with a heart broken Tom.

“Y/N, don’t say that please,” Tom pleaded.

“Tom, we aren’t moving forward. We’re stuck.”

“No, Y/N we can move on from this. Please don’t leave me.”

“What? Tom, I would never. I need you more than you need me,” you questioned.

“Seriously doubt that. Baby please don’t scare me like that again. If I don’t have you. I don’t have anything,” Tom whispered as he came to your side, wrapping his arms around you.

“Tom, you’ll always have me. But what I was meaning to talk about is, I think you need to step away from the mob for a while. You aren’t dealing with losing Parker healthily. Killing people for sport doesn’t help process your pain.” You said, trying to fight back the tears.

“Y/N, I’m not ready to accept it. He can’t be gone. Our son can’t be gone,” Tom cried out.

“Tom, I’ve been feeling the same way. Instead of working through our grief together, we’ve been fighting our own battles and it is doing more damage than good. I’m drowning here, I need you. I need you next to my side to help me through this because I wake up most mornings and have thoughts that I should never think about. Like I don’t want to live this life anymore or live at all.”

“Love, I didn’t know. Y/N, I don’t ever want you feeling that way.”

“I know but I don’t want to feel this way either. We need to get away. Eventually far from the mob, maybe travel like you always wanted to,” you sniffled, wiping away tears.

“Y/N, you know I want that but, I can’t just leave. Our life is here,” Tom explained.

“I’m not saying now. But I can’t live out my days in this house, all I see is him and everything that we’ve lost. I can’t do it anymore. It’s killing me. Don’t you see that? I need to know that we will have our happy ending somewhere other than here. Once Rosie has graduated. In three years, we leave. Please give me that, you pleaded.

“Y/N, I promise. In 3 years we can start our happily ever after.” Tom agreed. You finally had a date in mind. You needed to find happiness somewhere else that wasn’t tainted with Parker’s memory.

Everyone was suffering, Rosie however was very good at hiding it. She was the rock when Parker passed. She knew if the roles were reversed, Parker would be there for everyone.

She threw herself in the mob and other aspects, refusing to let herself break down like the rest of her family. She was mostly consoling Henry. Henry had a hard time adjusting to life without his best friend. He tried to be strong for Rosie but nights she would find him crying himself to sleep.

“Are you coming to bed?” Rosie asked as Henry was held up in living room.

“I don’t think so just yet, I have to finish this,” Henry sighed in frustration, while lounging on the couch.

“What is it?” Rosie asked, coming over to snuggle with him.

“Parker’s eulogy. Did you finish your’s?”

“Umm, yeah I did.” Rosie responded, in reality she hadn’t even thought about it. Planning on making it up as she went tomorrow.

“It’s just killing me. To actually think of him as gone, especially because of tomorrow. I’m not ready to say goodbye,” Henry cried, trying to fight back tears.

“I know. I miss him too,” Rosie responded. Henry started breaking into a fit of sobs and Rosie moved to comfort him. “It’s okay, I’m here.”

“Why are you not sadder? I haven’t once seen you break down, like everyone else,” Henry sniffled.

“I don’t know, maybe I just went through the stages of grief quicker. I’ve already accepted it.”

“Ok well, glad you aren’t as sad as me. Then we would have two blubbering messes. I know this probably a huge turn off,” Henry muttered, stopping to blow his nose. She chuckled in response but Rosie knew something was off. She shed a few tears looking at the building blazing that night but she hadn’t cried since.

Quickly changing the subject to not seem like a heartless wrench she asked. “What are you writing about? Can I have a sneak peek?”

“That’s the hard part, I was trying to think of a story about Parker and I’s friendship but I keep coming up blank. Either he wasn’t actually my best friend or I’ve just repressed all memories about him.”

“Oh baby—,“

“It’s ok. I’m okay.… I’m sorry Roo, but could you help me?”

“Of course, what do you have so far?” “I have the title “Parker’s eulogy,” and that’s it,” Henry said, reading off the words written on the paper he had been staring at for an hour.

“Oh okay, well. Maybe you should talk about a funny story between the two of you.”

“Ok, I have one. Once upon a time…”

“Henry, you can’t start a eulogy with once upon a time.”

“You didn’t let me finish, once upon a time I met this boy and he had the most adorable, and at the same time, beautiful sister. She is so perfect in so many ways. I grew hopelessly in love with her. To this day I still am.”

“Aww, as much as I love that story it barely mentions Parker.”

“Roo, it’s too hard. I can’t sit here and reminisce all the times we spent together. I can’t write down stories that I’ve already lived. I can’t tell them to others and start referring to him as a ‘was’ and not a ‘is’. I’m not capable of telling the story of how one year where both our families went skiing, Parker and I snuck on a black diamond slope without permission and both ended up with a broken leg. Or the story of how I knew Parker and I would be best friends forever, I shouldn’t be the only one telling it, he should be here too. It’s not fair. Why could’ve it been me?”

“Henry, don’t say that. I don’t know what I’d do without you. But that seems like a good anecdote, write about that.”

“Rosie, you don’t get it. I can’t, I physically can’t do it… I’m sorry but I don’t understand why you aren’t sad. It’s weird. My best friend is dead and the weird part is that HE WAS YOUR BROTHER and you don’t even seem the least bit bothered by it,” Henry thundered, his sad voice morphing into an accusatory one. “Sorry, I was just trying to help…. I’ll see you tomorrow, night.” Rosie finished quickly excusing herself without so much as a goodnight kiss. She knew Henry was going through something but he didn’t have to take it out on her. She quickly made her way to bed and waited for the next day to come.

The day no one was actually prepared for.

The day of Parker’s funeral. Everyone’s final goodbye to your son.

Everyone managed to dress appropriately, in all black to symbolize your mourning. The day however was rather beautiful, a bright blue streaked across ever corner of the sky. Not a single cloud in sight, which was near impossible thing in London. Parker would’ve loved a day like this. For one he wouldn’t be at a funeral, especially not his own. He would be at the beach or going for a bike ride under the gorgeous sun.

The weather kind of taunted you. How dare the day be beautiful the day you bury your son. You knew it was silly but it felt like a cosmic joke of some sorts.

People started gathering at the cemetery. Nikki, Dom, Harry, Sam and Paddy were already there to help you and everyone else get through that day.

Nikki was mostly concerned with helping Rosie. She knew you had been a little checked out lately, no fault of your own, you were grieving. Nikki just wanted to make sure Rosie was dealing with her emotions, not shoving them aside.

“Rosie, I understand if the eulogy will be too hard. I can read it for you,” Nikki offered, catching a glance of Rosie going over he eulogy underneath a tree. “No, it’s ok. I should be the one to do it,” Rosie exclaimed.

“Parker would understand. All your emotions couldn’t be more valid. Have you allowed yourself to cry over him yet?” “Don’t worry I did. Odd question though, thought you’d be wanting me to be strong. I have been for everyone else.” “Rosie, you don’t have to with me. I’m here for you, flower.”

“I’m fine grandma, I should check on mom.”

“It’s okay, I’ll send Harry,” Nikki concluded, grabbing her phone to shoot Harry a text.

“Mom, I gonna get Y/N to eat something” Harry said, calling out to Nikki.

“Really, how?” “I came prepared. Granted it is only chocolate but baby steps. How’s Rosie? Is she freaking out about the eulogy?”

“She says she can handle it. I believe her. I just don’t know where that girl got all her strength. Certainly not from us.”

“I have a clue…” Harry explained, his eyes wandering to you sitting in the front row.

“Come on, the proceedings are about to start.” Nikki said, pulling her son to meet everyone else, atop the small hill.

The person officiating the ceremony was standing behind a chestnut colored casket, about to be lowered into the ground. There were 3 chairs, for you, Tom, and Rosie. Everyone else stood as they witnessed Parker be lowered into his final resting place.

Tears manage to fall throughout the entire day, but they came more frequently as Rosie stood up to deliver her eulogy. Rosie somberly walked near the casket, passing the dozens of roses on top. She was clutching to her note cards, her guideline to the hardest goodbye ever.

“My brother was the greatest person I ever knew. He had already dealt with so much loss, it is unfair that we are gathered here today to mourn him. I’ve been trying to think of what to say, maybe an amusing anecdote or embarrassing story. Maybe one where he demonstrated bravery. But I think I’ll just say what all of us having been thinking. It feels unreal that he is gone. He was my twin and I can honestly say not having him beside me, feels like a piece of me is missing.” Rosie began, fighting back the urge to cry.

“He would always manage to bring a smile to my face even the darkest of times. I’ve celebrated every birthday with him, every school event, my entire life with him. We were supposed to be the same age till the end of time together. I miss him more than I can bare but we have a chance to honor him and not mourn, it is what he would have wanted. My brother was always there for me, especially at my weakest. From carrying me into the house after I fell on my tricycle and skinned my knee to comforting me with cupcakes and ice cream after a break up. We all need that person in our lives. And Parker was my anchor, my savior and my best friend. If you have that person now, please give them a reminder of how much you love them. Parker and I both know I should I’ve said more often, he the same. I’m sorry P. And with this flower, I finally say goodbye to my guide post, my better half, my brother. We will always miss you.” Rosie finished and quickly wiped the tears that had fallen with the back of her hand.

She glanced over at you, bailing into Tom’s shoulder. Her words moved you to a whole other level of grief. This whole time you had been grieving for yourself. It’s not selfish, but you realized just how bad everyone else was hurting.

After the funeral, everyone made it back to the manor for the reception. Hors d’oeuvres made their way around to guests, conveniently managing to skip you. Harry was still getting on your nerves, hoping you’d eat something.

Harry would constantly bring food beneath your nose, waving an assortment of healthy snacks and candy in front of your face. He was determined to get you to eat something even if chocolate melted in his suit pockets.

“Hey, Y/N/N. How are you holding up?” Harry asked, finding you staring blankly into space. “I’ve definitely been better,” you responded, chuckling at your current state.

“Y/N, can you please eat something?” Harry asked, shoved food in your face. “I’m fine, thank you though,” you blatantly stated, probably for the tenth time.

“Come on, I have your favorite,” Harry smirked. “You have MnM’s?” you quipped, your ears perking up.

“Yes…”

“Ok give them to me.” You nearly lunged to grab the bag from his hands. In truth you had been starving yourself, you were hungry but couldn’t find the will to eat. Sweets were sure better than the fancy finger food your cook was serving.

Everyone else seemed to be within their own world. Tom had immediately gone back to talking shop, more like who are we gonna kill next week. People seemed to disappear, one in particular, Rosie. You asked Henry, to try and find her. He scoured the house in search of her and eventually found her in Parker’s room. For days the door had been locked, no one wanted to confront the reality of his bed not being slept in or his clothes not worn. It would reaffirm that he is gone and it was going to take a long time to heal.

“Rosie? You in here?” Henry whispered, knocking softly on the door. It creaked opener evening a distraught Rosie, crying on her bed.

Tears streamed down her face as she croaked out, “Hi.”

“Oh, Rosie,” Henry consoled as he moved to embrace her. She broke into a fit of sobs.

“He’s gone. He said he was right behind me,” Rosie looked up, with puffy red eyes.

“Shhh, it’s ok. I’m here,” Henry said, moving to bring her in his arms.

“I should’ve never left him behind. I keep blaming myself. If I never left him, he would still be here.”

“Roo, baby. You can’t do that.”

“I know, I know but I can’t do this. I’m not ready for him to be gone,” Rosie cried, into Henry’s suit. Tears never bothered to stop coming. She completely broke with him, all the pain and grief she had been hiding was now in the spotlight. Rosie wasn’t ready for a goodbye, none of you were.

Everyone eventually came to the same conclusion, that all the scars in your heart will heal with time. Even though the sadness never fades, you learn to grow with it.

Guns, Glamour and Goodfellas Masterlist

Taglist: @dummiesshort @thenoddingbunny-blog @adriannauni @allthisfortommy @bi-lmg @quaksonhehe @housepartyprotocol

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parisian-nicole · 2 years ago

Text

A Miami Vice Fic: Free Falling (Chp. 4)

Free Falling Chapter 3: https://parisian-nicole.tumblr.com/post/691854394730381312/a-miami-vice-fic-free-falling-chp-3

Author's Note: There will be some sexual content, non-consensual and abusive interactions in this chapter. If you think this might offend you please go read something else. If you do read I hope you enjoy it and will be so kind as to leave a review.

****

They had driven in complete silence. Sonny kept his angry eyes glued to the road ahead of him and his hands had a death grip on the steering wheel, as he bobbed and weaved through the traffic at a high rate of speed. Trudy clutched the passenger side door and the dashboard to steady herself as the speeding jerked her about. When she allowed herself to focus on her surroundings Trudy realized they were heading to the Marina where Sonny kept his mini yacht docked. A familiar fear started to fill her, at the thought of being trapped alone on a boat with Sonny Burnett, and a pissed off Sonny Burnett at that. When he pulled the car right up to the entrance to the boat and put the car in park, she actually contemplated jumping out and running away. But before she could figure out which direction she would run, the passenger side door suddenly opened and the same guard who had done Sonny's bidding for her care twice before was there. She took note of how he held the door open but didn't offer her his hand to get out, and she knew that was at Sonny's instructions. Look but never touch. That was a rule Trudy knew she could take some sort of solace in.

"Mr. Burnett the boat's ready for your departure and everything is set as you instructed," The guard relayed as Sonny exited the driver's side of the car.

"Good, let's go," Sonny spoke out as he locked his eyes onto Trudy, who stood rooted in her spot, where she shook her head.

"No, I'm not getting on that boat with you," She replied. "Sonny, I told you that I have a flight to catch in less than an hour."

"Right, to visit your sick grandmother," He chuckled as he walked around the front of the car. When he reached where she stood, he roughly grabbed her left arm into his right hand and forcefully yanked her from where she stood.

"Ow, you're hurting my arm," She cried out in surprise and in true pain to his rough manhandling. She tried to struggle and pull from his hold but it only got tighter.

"Then you should listen," He growled this out as he stopped them at the stairs of the boat and he jerked her closer. "And do as I say. Get on the fucking boat, now!" He shoved her to the stairs and had she not reached out to grasp the railing she would have fallen hard to the ground. She stepped up and finally boarded the bow of the yacht. She put some distance between her and the stairs where Sonny was now stepping from. She rubbed her bruised left arm as she turned her head about to gauge if she might be able to jump from the boat. "Don't even think about it," Sonny spat out fully understanding her intent. "'Cause if you do it, I will fish you out and then together we'll go find your boyfriend Rico and I'll make you watch as I put a bullet right between his eyes," Trudy shivered at the heartless words and the coldness she now saw in his eyes as if it had dropped the temperature around her. He looked more than just angry. Now, he looked wild and crazed to her.

"How many times do I have to say it, Sonny, Rico's not my fucking boyfriend," She hissed out. Her demeanor may have looked as if she were mad but the truth was, she was absolutely terrified and wanted to cry and pull at her hair in frustration at the situation she was now in.

"Sure, sweetheart," He sneered out disbelievingly and then turned his focus to the guard. "Go tell the captain to push off. I want to put a lot of distance between us and the mainland as soon as possible," The guard nodded and he headed off and Sonny turned his focus back onto Trudy. "Downstairs," He nodded to the doorway that led to the below deck compartments. Trudy moved to the entrance and led the way down. "No, not the lounge," He stopped her before she entered the familiar space she had been locked in before. "Straight back, the large door at the end," She did as he instructed and when she reached the door she stopped and waited for him. He moved up beside her, grasped the knob, opened the door, and waved her inside. Trudy looked inside and realized it was the master bedroom on the boat. She found she could not move her legs as the weight of what she was sure would happen if she crossed the threshold pressed upon her. It was the gentle shove against the small of her back that finally got her into the room. She hurried to the other side of the stately space, keeping her back to Sonny. When she heard the click of the lock her eyes closed and freed the troubled tears that had been waiting just at the rims of her eyes. There were several silent moments before he spoke out again. "You know, I should just kill you for the way you've played with me," He said and she turned to look at him with wide fright-filled eyes, anticipating he had a gun already aimed at her. She found him seated calmly in one of the beautifully upholstered chairs near the door, and he was holding the gun in his right hand as he stared up at her with wet dangerous eyes.

"I haven't played you," She spoke with a shaky voice. "I have done nothing to you, Sonny. But you threatened to kill my boss tonight and then you kidnapped me."

"Kidnapped you?" He scuffed out. "You came of your own free will, darlin."

"Under duress because you said you would kill Rico if I didn't."

"Yeah, and I would have, and I still might," He growled out. "Did you fuck him tonight?"

"No! I am not fucking Rico he's, my boss. How many times do you want me to say it?"

"Until I believe you and I don't. I can see it when you're around him … there is something more between you two than just an employer and employee relationship."

"Yeah, I've known Rico for six or seven years now. He's like a big brother to me, and he's never ever been my lover," She spoke truthful words but could see he hadn't believed her. "Sonny, I haven't been intimate with a man in almost two years, and it's been even longer than that since I've even been on a date with one. Not until our lunch date," He watched her silently for a long moment before he settled the gun on the table next to the chair, and then suddenly rose up from the chair and moved to her. In turn, Trudy stumbled as she stepped back from his advancing but stopped when he reached out his left hand and grabbed a fist full of her thick curly hair, which was out and settled at her shoulders. "Owww," Trudy cried out in shock and to the sharp pain in her scalp as he yanked her head back some. She lifted both of her hands to pull at his left one, hoping to gain her release, but he never relented. Then she felt his right hand pulling up the bottom of the summer dress she had put on for her flight. She shot her left hand to grab hold of his right hand, which now tugged and tore away the flimsy panties she had on. "Sonny, please do-UHNAAH!" She screamed as he rammed two fingers into her core. "Umhmm," Trudy bit at her bottom lip and tried to swallow down the moans as her eyes clamped shut not just to the painful intrusion but also to the way her traitorous body was instantly responding to the manipulation of Sonny's fingers. She had not been lying when she confessed that her body had not felt such an intimate touch in 2 years, and it was definitely reacting to Sonny's touch now.

"Fuck, baby, you weren't lying, were you?" Sonny spoke out in a low moan, and his eyes roll shut and he grew instantly hard to just how tight she felt around his fingers. He leaned forward and rested his head beside hers while he pressed his taunt body up against her body. "You feel as tight as a virgin," He panted out excitedly as he slowly thrust his two digits in and out of her center. "And you're so hot and getting so wet too," Trudy whimpered as both of her hands tightened around his. She couldn't keep her body still as her hips swerved and gyrated upon his fingers as she sought to create more friction. "Is this sweet juice all for me?" He purred into her ear and then leaned back some to stare at her face, which was no longer contorted in fear, outrage, or pain. Instead, her face looked serene, delighted, and relieved. Her voice hitched in her throat as she watched him beneath hooded eyelids. A half sob and half moan escaped her lips as fresh tears spilled down her face. She knew the way her body was moving against his hand made her appear to him like a wanton whore, even while her mind raged and screamed at her to stop moving and push him away. But her grip only tightened around his hand that was buried in her folds, in an attempt to keep him inside until she found her release.

"Sonny, please…" Trudy sobbed out in desperation. She was mad at herself when she heard the neediness in her voice and was too embarrassed to continue her words. She was so afraid that if she kept talking, she'd say out loud just how much she did not want him to stop touching her.

"I'll please you, baby. All I want to do is please you, Trudy," He mumbled against her mouth before he kissed her deeply. She moaned more as the taste of him just heightened things into an erotic moment and increased the throbbing pleasure building between her legs. Sonny pulled from the kiss and moved his lips to her left ear. "How do you want me to please you? Do you want me to fuck your sweet pussy?" Her eyes rolled shut to his words and the increased pace of his fingering. "If that's what you want, you're gonna have to help me out. I've got my hands full right now," He whispered and then nibbled at her ear. At that moment Trudy fully understood that he was testing her. If she gave in to his will, gave her body to him, she was declaring that she was his and he would then feel he had the right to kill any man who dared touch her. But it was also an internal test for herself, for if she did this, she knew it would forever change her relationship with her friend Sonny Crockett if he ever got his memories back. "I'm dying right now, darlin," His strained voice broke through her reverie. "I need to be inside of you, help me out," He commanded even though in a soft tone, and she couldn't stop her hands as they moved to the buckle of his belt. She made quick work of the belt and then the button and zipper of his suit pants, all while her brown eyes remained locked to his green ones. She finally pushed down the boxers he wore, and once Sonny was freed, he removed his hands from her hair and pussy. He forcefully backed her to the large mahogany dresser while she pushed off his suit jacket and tore open the dress shirt underneath. He then used both of his hands to grab her backside as she snaked her arms around his neck. Then he lifted her and settled her bare bottom on the top edge of the dresser, moved in between her thighs. Any reservations Trudy may have had were all gone now, and she pulled him into a sensuous kiss while she lifted her legs and wrapped them around Sonny's lower back. She pressed her feet into his back to pull him closer to her. He needed no further provocation as he gripped his cock and guided it into her hot core. They both bucked, hissed, and then groaned through the connection and near-crippling rush of euphoria that had simultaneously washed over both of them. Both knew this first coupling wouldn't last long nor be kind or gentle, but it would be quick, rough, messy, and likely bruising. And at this moment, they were both fine with that as their movements became more and more erratic as they raced to give the other an exquisite release.

****

At the Organized Crime Bureau Headquarters

****

"He actually threatened to shoot you?" Switek spoke out from his spot leaning against the window inside the conference room. Tubbs had just told Castillo, Gina, and Switek what had gone down with Sonny at the townhouse.

"Yeah, and the only reason I'm standing here now and not down at the county morgue is because of Trudy," Tubbs replied as he clenched his fist in anger as he recalled the look of horror and fear on her face. "She gave into Sonny's demand and went with him."

"God, she must be so scared right now," Gina chimed in as she swallowed down impending tears. "I'm sorry Rico, I tried to call and warn you guys after Sonny left the club," She looked across the table to her friend and co-worker. "I knew that he was dangerous by how he acted at the club. He nearly broke my arm trying to find out where Trudy was," For effect, she pushed up the sleeve of the blouse she wore and exposed the huge bruise displayed there.

"Jesus," Switek gasped out as he scowled in anger at the bruise marring Gina's delicate skin. "Why isn't there a BOLO or APB out on Sonny yet?" He turned his frowning face to their Lieutenant, who stood at the head of the table, hands in his pockets while he stared glumly down at the table.

"The DEA pulled rank, contacted the Commissioner," Castillo began relaying what he had been told by his superiors. "It's been determined that this Carrera bust has to take precedent."

"Precedent to what?" Tubbs spat out angrily as his face held the same outrage as Gina's and Switek's. "The life of a police officer who's given 8 years of her life protecting and serving this city. C'mon man, you know that ain't right," Castillo lifted mad eyes up to Tubbs and Tubbs calmed some for he could see Castillo was just as pissed about the call.

"Trudy is a decorated cop and she knows how to do her job," Castillo said. "Now, you have to do yours. Finish the deal with Carrera, help take down his entire organization, and bring both Sonny and Trudy home."

"Yeah, and in the meantime just hope that Trudy doesn't get fed to the wolves," Gina tossed on still upset that there was no real plan to get Trudy back.

"The meet-up with Carrera is next week?" Castillo spoke out again.

"Yeah," Tubbs responded. "The plan is to fly down to the Bahamas to the home he has there for a mini vacation and bring him in a shipment. We're making the buy on his turf, which puts the odds in his favor."

"We've already flown down teams to start surveillance," Castillo countered. "You're booked on the next flight down there. I have your ticket on my desk," He shot eyes to Switek who in turn nodded his understanding. "I insisted that our entire team be involved because we have two of our own in the crossfire. Gina," He focused on her and she sat up straighter as she listened "You will go as Mr. Ortiz's companion," She nodded.

"Sure, and I won't even fuss this time about always being someone's arm candy. I will do whatever it takes to bring Trudy home safe and sound."

"And what about Sonny, and bringing him home safe and sound?" Switek questioned.

"I honestly don't know if that's possible anymore," Gina answered honestly as she subconsciously rubbed her sore arm and Tubbs nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, after what I saw in his eyes tonight, I don't see him giving up without a fight," Tubbs stated. "And this obsession he seems to have with Trudy is definitely gonna make it difficult to get her away from him too."

****

They had transitioned from the dresser to the floor and now were entangled in the white satin sheets on the king-sized bed. Trudy was pinned on her back with Sonny's body holding her down. His hands held her arms above her head at the wrist, as he pounded into her almost viciously. Trudy's cries switched between pain and pleasure every other moment as she twisted and glided beneath him. The way he possessed her was ecstatic and at the same time punishing. His words aligned with his deep thrusts.

"So, fucking good baby," He groaned out as he placed wet kisses against her face, mouth, and neck while swerving and pushing into her in deliberately slow and delicious strokes. It made her whimper and lean in to nip, lick, and kiss at the flesh on his shoulder. "And it's all mine," He growled out as he released her hands and fisted her curls as he now harshly banged them pelvis to pelvis, lifting up and then dropping down into her without regard. She screamed out to the slicing pain that had a trail of pleasure at its end. Trudy clawed at his back her scratches stinging a little as they drew prickles of blood. "You're mine," Sonny grunted out as he snarled down into her face while purposely brutalizing her tender center. Trudy could only gasp, squeal, and cry out to each blow as she clung to him. She tried to push it all to the back of her mind what was happening at this moment, but she knew it would disturb her when she thought about it later. How he was treating her, marking her, and claiming her as his. But she would be most bothered by how she was letting him and mostly enjoying it. "Say it!" He barked down into her face as he yanked at her hair and continued his malicious assault on her body. "Say, you're mine, Trudy, SAY IT!"

"YES!" Trudy screamed out and then whimpered as she bucked under his rough ministrations. "I'm yours, Sonny … please, please," She sobbed as tears streamed down her face now. The pain was becoming too much to bear, though a part of her didn't want him to stop completely because she was so close to climaxing. As if he had sensed her distress or was just satisfied with her declaration, Sonny kissed her while he piston more slowly inside of her. His movements were now more in the fashion of making love to her, and she cooed and arched up some as a 3rd orgasm overtook her.

"I love you, Trudy," He huffed out against her ear as he came inside of her once more. "God, I need and want you so fucking much," He panted out as he nestled his head into the nook of her neck. He tucked his arms more snuggly around her body, they both gulped in the air while their bodies calmed. Fresh tears rolled from Trudy's eyes at his words, because she knew that he had meant them but that they were just words derived from fanciful things his fractured mind had pieced together from a reality it couldn't fully recall, and this made her close her eyes and silently weep for him.

"I'm not just some 'thing' you can possess, Sonny," She whispered back to him and he lifted his head to look down at her. She held his gaze steadily.

"I know you're not a 'thing', but you are 'my' woman now," He proclaimed.

"Whether I want to be or not?"

"Oh, you want it, and I know how badly you want it now," Sonny said as he moved his hand down her body and inserted a finger inside of her. She hissed to the burn and gratification from his touch.

"You scare me, Sonny. You're like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," She moaned out to the newfound pleasure that was filling her once more. Before she could further hate herself for enjoying how he touched her he instantly stopped his hand, removed his finger, and truly listened to her. She took a few seconds to calm herself before she spoke again. "And this life you live, it's scary and I don't want to be a part of any of it."

"You don't have to be scared, baby. I would never hurt you, Trudy, and I would never let my work harm you either. I'll always protect you, I swear it," He said this as he adoringly caressed her left cheek. She had to bite her tongue to keep from telling him that some of what he had just done to her had hurt her. He had purposely caused her physical pain. But something told her speaking about it might be a trigger for more of it, and so she said nothing about it.

"I just want to go home, go back to my life. Please, Sonny," She said somberly as she spoke aloud a request she already knew he'd never comply to. He abruptly moved from her body as if her touch scolded him. He sat up and then stood from the bed.

"You are home, this is your life now," Sonny spoke in a colder, detached tone. He kept his back to her as he walked toward the adjoining bathroom door, and she knew it was him being dismissive to her words. "Wherever I am, you'll be with me, and that'll be home. You need to understand that and get used to it," Just as he finally reached the door he grasped the knob, he then turned to look directly at her. "And don't ever try to leave me, 'cause I'll find you, and I don't know what might happen when I do. And I don't think either one of us wants to find out," The threatening danger she now saw in his eyes sent a chill down her spine.

"Now, tell me again that I don't have to be scared of you, Sonny," Trudy chuckled out humorlessly as she looked directly back at him.

"You don't have to be so long as you do as I say," He said and the glint in his eyes told her that he meant what he had said. "Just do as I say and I'll worship you like a Queen," Not bothering to hear her reply he entered the bathroom and the sound of running water could soon be heard through the open bathroom door. Trudy collapsed back against the bed, then turned on her left side, curled into a fetal position, and silently cried in her despair. "Come shower with me," Sonny's voice filled the room once more and Trudy jumped a little at the unexpected intrusion into her self-pitying. "C'mon, before the water gets cold," He commanded, and then and there Trudy decided that to survive she would have to pick and choose her battles with him. And on this, she chose not to battle at all, and so she closed her eyes, took a deep breath. She then sat up, stood, and obediently made her way to the bathroom.

****

Hours Later

****

The tantalizing feeling of fingers gliding down her back and the soft kisses that followed their trail stirred Trudy from her deep slumber. With a tired, airy sigh escaping her lips, Trudy turned towards the touch, but never actually opened her eyes. Throughout the night she had been awoken a couple of times to Sonny's demanding and insatiable lust for her. The first time she had mildly protested that they had just bathed. A bath she knew had been to help soothe her soreness, but quickly realized had been more for his benefit so he could continue making love to her. It had completely been unnecessary because despite how sore she was or how on occasions he would be callous with her body it always seemed eagerly willing to bend to the will of Sonny's touch. A fact that placed her mind in turmoil, how she loathed as well as craved his touch upon her body. She shamefully wanted Sonny but she also desperately didn't want to want him.

"Good morning, Beautiful," Sonny leaned down and spoke against her lips before sucking them into a gentle, sweet kiss. He then pulled from the kiss and slid down her body some and suckled the right nipple of her exposed breasts into his mouth. She flinched and hissed a little because he had greatly bruised her nipples throughout the night while he viciously gnawed and sucked on them until she had sobbed, screamed, and begged for him to stop. His goal had been to give her enough pain to learn his brutality to avoid it, and also enough pleasure to ensure she would always crave and respond favorably to his touch. Trudy had cursed him more than once about how careless and harmful his touch sometimes was. In-kind, she also cursed herself because still, she had enjoyed all the things he had done to her body and had had the most intense orgasms she had ever experienced in her life. But It appeared that the light of day brought out his gentler Dr. Jekyll side. So, Trudy instinctively grasped the back of his head and arched her back a little to get him closer as she moaned out her consent to what he was doing. "Sorry baby," He spoke around his nibbling and licking her nipple. "I really wish I could spend the entire day in this bed, buried inside of you, but I have to attend a meeting with my boss," He gave a kiss to her now rock-hard nipple and lifted up from the bed. "But before I head out, I want to have breakfast with you. It's waiting for us up on deck. So, get up, get a quick shower, then get dressed and come up and join me."

"I don't have anything to wear," Trudy replied as she now rested her upper body up on her elbows as the sheets pooled around her belly. She was not at all coy about being naked in front of him as there was not a part of her body he didn't know intimately now. In reply, Sonny smirked as he stood from the bed and moved to one of the two floor-to-ceiling closets in the cabin. He opened the door and revealed the large closet was filled with expensive, designer lady's clothing. She arched her brow at him. "I will not wear the clothes of your whores, Sonny," She practically spat at him as she quickly shoved away the jealousy that tried to fill her at the thought of another woman sharing his bed. He seemed to be ignoring her words as he sifted through the rack filled with items. Then he pulled out an off-white, off-the-shoulder cocktail dress which matched perfectly with the tan suit he was wearing. He also grabbed a pair of white sandals with thin straps that buckled around her ankles, from the shoe rack.

"Wear this," He moved and laid the dress and sandals at the foot of the bed and made sure the tags could be seen. She shot her eyes to the other dresses hanging in the closet and could see they all had tags on them as well. It stunned her a little as she pondered whether he had bought all of these things specifically for her. Had he planned to bring her here all along, willingly or not? "You're a size 2 dress, size 6 shoes, right? If I guessed wrong let me know and I'll have everything taken back and have the sizes adjusted for you. Now, please hurry up because I'm starving," He winked with a smile and then exited the room and left her to it. She cursed herself at how fast she was getting up to comply with his commanding, but never paused or slowed her steps.

****

They sat eating their breakfast with an amicable conversation, mostly about her childhood. She had made sure to give enough truth to her stories to make them easier to keep track of. But not so much that would possibly blow her cover.

"What were you like as a child?" She asked him while she gazed at him over the rim of the glass of orange juice she was sipping from. She studied his eyes and prayed there was something he might be able to tell her that he actually remembered.

"I couldn't tell you, darlin, I don't remember," He replied around a deep sigh and she could see the not knowing truly bothered him.

"C'mon, I'm not asking for any deep dark secrets. I just want to get to know you a little better, and I've spent the last 30 minutes telling you about my childhood. So, it's only fair you share something about yours. I know if little Sonny was anything like big Sonny, I am sure you got a lot of spankings for being bad," She coaxed in a teasing manner and inwardly sighed in relief when Sonny chuckled and smiled at her remark. Her intentions were to probe and try to get him to actually think about it, but not upset him in the process.

Sorry, babe, I really don't remember," As he leaned more comfortably back in his seat and crossed his legs. "I was in a bad boating accident a little while ago. Got some serious brain damage up here," He said this as he lifted his right hand and pressed his pointer finger and middle finger against his right temple. "Luckily, I was with some business associates when it happened and they got me to the hospital. But when I woke up, I couldn't recall anything from before the accident."

"I'm sorry, Sonny," Trudy replied and her heart truly broke for Sonny and she had to quickly wipe at her eyes to dab her tears before they fully fell. "That must be hard. I would be devastated if I couldn't remember who I am."

"I know exactly who and what I am, sweetheart, and you don't need to feel sorry for me," He said as he pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a big pull from it. "I survived and I'm thriving," He spread out both arms to showcase their extravagant surrounding. "I've got all I need. I've got more money in the bank than I'll ever know what to do with, and now I've got you too," He said this as he raked his eyes appreciatively over her body and took another drag from the cigarette. The smile on her face faded and she bowed her head some saddened by the reminder that he had claimed her as his. That even while sitting in the lap of luxury and in their current beautiful surroundings, she was still his prisoner. Sonny could see that he had unintentionally upset her so to try to appease her he did share a 'secret' with her. "Sometimes," He started to speak as his eyes rested atop the beautifully decorated breakfast before them. "I see flashes of things," This immediately recaptured Trudy's attention and she locked her eyes onto him.

"Memories?" She asked as she leaned in more towards the table.

"I don't know, maybe, but then just as quickly as they pop in my mind they disappear again," He added and then shrugged. "And there you go, I've 'shared' something with you, and I don't really want to talk about that anymore," He announced and she knew him well enough now to know that this was him ending the discussion. And although she really wanted to interrogate him more in the hopes of triggering a memory, more than anything else she didn't want to ignite his temper. She had seen Sonny Crockett mad and upset before but even at his angriest he had never frightened her, but Sonny Burnett certainly did and just with a cold stare. So, she remained quiet as she looked out over the water and noticed land a few miles from where they were anchored, but she hadn't asked him where they were though she had been dying to. Again, choosing not to battle. But Sonny could see anxiety fill her some as her eyes darted about their surroundings.

"We're in the Bahamas," He disclosed and then casually lifted his cup of black coffee to his lips as she locked her wide eyes onto him. "We'll be here for a week, two weeks at most."

"The Bahamas?" She repeated totally shocked at this news. "I can't stay here for a…a week or two, Sonny," She stammered as a panic crept in her at the thought of being so far from Miami and help.

"Why, please don't tell me you're still on that 'sick grandmother' lie," He chuckled some.

"I wasn't …" She quieted as the glint in his eyes told her she shouldn't try to reaffirm that particular lie, so she decided to be more truthful. "Okay, fine, my grandmother isn't sick, she died before I ever even met her. But I did plan to visit some of my family up north for a while, that's the truth. And Rico," She saw his jaw clench and twitch in anger to the name and she was sure it was due to how informally she used it. "I mean, my boss … Mr. Ortiz was really just taking me to the airport," He let out a deep sigh as he glared at her, and she knew he still didn't believe her. "That's also the truth and if you don't believe me, you can call the airline to confirm the flight and confirm that my ticket is there waiting for me. Well, was waiting, I missed the flight," She tacked on, and his eyes instantly softened to this.

"And you were just going to leave and not tell me when you knew I would be waiting in that club for you?" Sonny's brow bunched up in what she perceived to be his anger and she couldn't will away the tears that began to fill her eyes due to her increasingly frayed nerves. "And why the sudden need to get out of town? Hell, I would have taken you wherever you wanted to go, Trudy. Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I was leaving to get away from you, Sonny," She confessed the whole truth of it. "And I already told you why. You scare me," She shuddered out and then took in a deep breath, which didn't calm her nerves as she had hoped it would. "You're scary," She sniffled out through trembling lips. Sonny's heart was troubled a little at seeing the state she was in, for he could actually 'see' that she was scared, literally trembling as she sat before him.

"Trudy, baby," He spoke more gently but he didn't reach for her as he had wanted to do, for fear it would scare her more. "I told you, I would never hurt you, without cause, not ever. Just do as I say and I promise to give you a very good life, where you will want for nothing," He declared and then turned to look out over the glistening waters, while he thought of the right words to say. "I know I can be 'intense' sometimes but," He turned back to look at her once more. "That's only because I'm crazy about you, understand? I love you," He nearly whispered these words as if he didn't want to chance that someone else might possibly hear him. Trudy's eyes shut as her shoulders slumped a little.

"Sonny, you don't love me, obsessed maybe, but it can't be love. How could you love me when you don't even know me, not really?" She countered as she looked back at him. She felt a little bit bolder after his promise not to actually hurt her unless she gave him cause to. And it seemed that in his mind's eye her leaving him or cheating on him would be the only things that would jeopardize and renege on that promise.

"And what do you know about me that makes you an expert on how I feel or who I love?" He asked this with a smirk on his face, which told her she hadn't angered him. "It's okay if you don't feel the same way because I know there is something between us. It's this amazing connection and I also know it will only grow stronger with time."

"I do care about you, Sonny … more than you ...know," Trudy said but she had nearly said the word 'remember' as a moment where Sonny Crockett was being a great friend to her flashed in her mind. "But I don't want to open myself up to falling in love with you," It was quite difficult to think about the possibility of falling in love with him because the truth was, she probably could and easily so. She had already crossed a boundary she knew she shouldn't have by having sex with him, even though she knew without a doubt that it still would have happened under his coercion. It had blurred a line in her mind she used when it came to her personal life and her professional life, between just being friends and being lovers. "What you do, your work … the world you choose to live in, I can't be a part of it. I don't want any part of that."

"My work is just that, work," He stated calmly. "I will admit that a week ago my work was my entire life because it was all I had, and I had started making plans for a promotion, and plans to build up my own 'business'. But then I met you and for the first time, at least for as long as I can recall, something filled my thoughts other than my work. So, if my work and the people I work for scare you so badly, after this last job I'm doing for Carrera I'll resign," He said as she now gazed at him in surprise and confusion. "I want to be with you Trudy and I want you to be with me, and without fear of me or the work I do. So, I'll just give up the work. I've earned a small fortune from it and made some very smart investments. So, there's enough money in the bank that our great-grandchildren will never want for anything," He said this as he waggle his brows at her around a charming smile, and Trudy couldn't stop the smile at his assumption that she would have children and grandchildren with him. "So, what do you say? When I finish up this job here in the Bahamas, we'll run off together."

"Sonny..." She sighed out in a manner that told him she was going to protest, and the discussion was settled as far as he was concerned so he quickly wiped his mouth, pushed his chair from the table, and stood.

"You ready to go?" He asked her and she turned stunned eyes up to where he stood before her.

"You're taking me to the mainland with you?" Trudy was shocked but also elated by the idea she might be able to get to a phone to call home. She had discovered their only means of communication on the yacht had been in the cockpit which was staffed 24/7.

"Yes," He smiled as he noticed the excitement dance behind her eyes. He was no fool and knew she would probably try to find a phone and make a call to someone in Miami, but he would keep eyes on her at all times. "I can't take you to my meeting but I thought you would like to visit the town, maybe do some shopping until I'm done," He stated and she was sure there was a catch to it. "Vinnie and Mike," He waved to the two men who stood near the stairs that led down to a smaller speed boat waiting for them. "They will accompany you to keep you safe," Trudy swallowed down the argument that wanted out for she knew it would only end with her not being allowed to leave the boat. She told herself that she could try to give the guards the slip and sneak a call back home, even though it seemed like an impossible feat given she had no idea where they were. Sonny held out a hand to her and Trudy accepted it by placing her hand in his. He pulled her from her chair and led her to the stairs and off to an afternoon adventure.

#miami vice #miami vice fic #sonny x trudy #sonny burnett #trudy joplin #sonny crockett #don johnson #olivia brown

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