#she is apparently not even?????? professionally trained??????? WHAT??????? i fell on my ass hearing it

[eerna]

Not to sound like a broken record but Dylan Wood's Orpheus was Insane

[gojoswhitebabydolllashes]

Making moves on the criminals pt2: Night calls.

Warnings: Todobakudeku are criminals. Angst ish, kinda fluff. Crime/criminal stuff idk. No violence happens but it is implied.

-

It had been 3 days since the three theives were let go from a holding cell at the station. I hadn't seen them or heard of them since. Toshinori was getting on my ass about their case. He kept saying, "They were going to strike again".

I knew they would. But he was too worried about it, an unnatural amount. While working on their case, I had been assigned a few low-level petty criminals robbing stores or stealing a bike, minor things. This was all while working their case still. He sat at the office all day and panicked. Not healthy if you ask me.

"So, have you heard anything on them?" My co-worker Tsuyu Asui was an officer in training. She had a hard time with her froggy voice and being taken seriously. It's mainly why she always worked with me, I enjoyed her company.

"Nothing yet. I sorta hoped I would by now though" I scratched my chin, thinking about where they could be.

I knew that as a police officer, I shouldn't be worrying about the criminals. But there was something about them, Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugou, and Shoto Todoroki, that made me curious about them.

They didn't even seem harmful. Well, maybe Bakugou has a bit of anger in him, but he's not mean or evil like I was told. In fact, he was quite calm, like shoto and izuku.

"You're worried about them, aren't you?" Tsuyu whispered to me.

I bit my lip nervously and looked down at the file.

S.T. K.B. I.M

"Yeah, yeah, I am worried about them." I leant on my hand and rested my elbow on the table.

As I contemplated looking them up in the system, I received an urgent email from My Sargeant, Shota Aizawa.

It read as follows.

Urgent

Officer Sanaka, I hear you were tasked with the bank robbers' case. The three of them have been spotted outside a jewellery store on West Avenue. Apparently, they have acquaintances with them. Two men also on High Profile and on watch. I've sent their files to you.

Good luck.

Sgt Shota Aizawa.

-

I clicked on the files Aizawa had sent. Both are also labelled urgent.

D.K

E.K

Apparently, the two of them were quite skilled in both pickpocketing and Lockpicking. Denki Kaminari was an expert Electrical Engineer, and Ejirou Kirishima was an ex boxer.

"Not bad" I said to myself.

Reading this reminded me I never checked what the other threes jobs really were. I knew they were thieves obviously but they had to be something before that right?

I looked them up.

IZUKU MIDORIYA: ex Hitman, professional chess player and graduated law student.

SHOTO TODOROKI: ex gambler, architect and bartender.

KATSUKI BAKUGOU: ex casino owner, ex street racer, and graduated med student.

I was shook to my core. They were all so educated and skilled, and it was pretty attractive. The thought they were achieving all of this or had achieved while being high profile criminals was something else entirely.

"Heavens above how did I get assigned this case. These guys are high profile I knew that but this is...this is madness" I rubbed my face and sighed.

I wasn't going to be able to do this case. Biggest break of my career, and I can't do it. I m too worried about them. They don't deserve to be harmed to have any more hurt out on them.

"Sanaka, there's someone here to see you" Mina approached me.

"Who?" I asked

"Someone who really needs you, or so he claims"

I rushed down to see what was happening. I assumed it was going to be some idiot wanting to ask a question, a drunk being stupid so late at night.

But it wasn't. Standing in front of me bleeding from the head and clutching his wounded stomach was Katsuki Bakugou. He had multiple scars and scratches on his arms and face. He was wheezing and crying.

"H-help me"

He began to fall and I caught him in my arms, he became limp. He let out small whimpers and groans. He was in a lot of pain.

"Oh my God Bakugou" I Gasped as he fell.

I began to breathe rapidly "SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE" I screamed

[maximoffcarter]

Bloody girl. 

Pairings: Wanda x reader

Warning: Mentions of blood. 

Summary: Y/n’s trauma was blood; she couldn’t see blood, she couldn’t feel blood, she could barely keep herself together at the mention of the word. She had struggled with this for so long after being an experiment and developing this unusual but not too weird fear. So what happened when Tony Start makes a special necklace for her but she keeps forgetting it? Only one person understood what she felt, only one person could help her out. 

A/n: This was specially requested by @mionemymind, again, another amazing request and was fun to write :)  I am back again! I take requests, I have other ships I can also do and if you have any idea you can either use the ask box or you can message me privately ;)

There are a lot of phobias around the world; some have phobia to spiders, to heights, to the ocean, etc. Y/n thought it was silly that they called her own a phobia, it wasn’t. They just didn’t understand what she had gone through back with HYDRA, they didn’t know how much she suffered for them to get her powers. They didn’t understand what she felt all those nights lonely in that dark and small room where she sometimes almost fainted for all the blood that she found on her or on the floor. It was an image that she couldn’t shake away, she’d try to look away and focus on the wall and the little marks she had done, counting down the days; waiting for her dead.

But even then, she hadn’t died. She got to escape that horrible place and that’s when Tony and Steve found her. They didn’t treat her right away, they didn’t trust her, judging by the clothes and her powers, they knew she had been another HYDRA toy. Maybe she could be worse than Wanda, or faster than Pietro was. They weren’t sure, they needed to keep her away. But they Wanda went to the basement where they kept you, in that small cell but somehow it was better that the dark room. She had stared at y/n and understood what she had gone through.

It took them 2 days to figure out who y/n really was, just like her phobia, as they called it, though they didn’t know how bad it was, just knew what the brunette had told them. Tony decided to help her out and create this necklace that she always had to use; the necklace included a small blue stone, it seemed to have something inside, but Tony had said ‘Do not ask, just use it and I’m sure it’ll help’ and she didn’t ask anymore.

The first time she trained, after 4 months, Steve had accidentally pushed her to hard and she had hit her forehead, drawing a little blood from it which made Steve panic because he thought she’d freak out, but apparently the necklace had helped, and she didn’t have a reaction to it. Steve had carried her to one of the rooms so they could check her and make sure she didn’t have any problem.

Y/n held a small bag of ice against her forehead as she waited for someone to come check her. She thought it was ridiculous to wait if nothing had happened, surprisingly, she didn’t see any blood, which was weird. She turned around when she heard a knock on the door and Wanda stood there smiling at her.

“Hey there.” Wanda smiled.

“Hi.” She offered a smile. “Are you going to be the one checking my forehead?”

Wanda chuckled softly and shook her head. “No, but I heard Steve freaking out, so I wanted to make sure you were okay.” She then made her way to y/n. “But I can take a look if you want me to. Not a professional but maybe I can make it better.”

Y/n swallowed a little as she noticed Wanda coming closer. She nodded and put the ice bag on the table in front of her. “Sure. Whatever helps to get me out of here.”

Wanda offered another smile before she walked closer to her, standing between y/n’s legs, and placing her hands carefully on y/n’s cheeks to take a better look. This only made y/n tremble a little, as she felt the warm hands on her cheeks; she wasn’t used to this kind of contact, so Wanda touching her was strange but…also sweet. And it wasn’t the first time, Wanda had taken her hand before and had hugged her occasionally, and yet, it was surprising and sweet. She had started to like this.

“It’s not a deep cut, thankfully don’t need stitches.” Wanda smiled as she grabbed the first aid kit to clean the cut.

“Well good. Apparently, Tony’s necklace did work.” Y/n smiled as she looked up at Wanda as she cleaned the cut, how careful and soft she was, she tried to not hurt y/n. She now had totally forgotten about what was happening, thinking how Wanda was so close to her, she could easily wrap her arms around her waist to pull her closer.

“It did work, and I’m glad. Wouldn’t want to see how you react.” Wanda joked as she blew a little on the cut. She smiled at her work. “I won’t cover it today so we let it breath but if it bothers you, maybe we could do it later.”

Y/n nodded. “Thank you.” She smiled again as she cleared her throat and laughed a little. “Uh…no, you wouldn’t want to see that. It’s not pretty. No one has really seen it or like…they have but…they didn’t care.” She tried to sound normal about it, trying to cover the pain she felt as she confessed that, looking down at the floor.

Wanda tilted her head and placed one of her hands on her cheek, stroking it softly. “Hey…” she made y/n look up at her and smiled softly. “We care. We would care. We are here to protect you. I am here to protect you.”

Y/n’s eyes softened at her words, building up enough courage to wrap her arms around Wanda, pulling her into a hug. “Thank you.” She whispered softly.

____________________

Y/n made a mental note to never forget the necklace. She normally didn’t sleep with jewelry unless she was really tired and she fell asleep, but this time she swore she would never forget it because it was the only think that kept her sane and didn’t make her faint because of the blood. But a mission at 2 am in the morning wasn’t very helpful for her to remember she had put it in the nightstand beside her bed. She hadn’t really noticed even in the way to the location, she was tired, but they had specifically asked for her to go, along with Wanda, Steve, and Natasha.

Everything was good, they were fighting the bad guys, and everything seemed to be cool. Until y/n had to fight with one of the soldiers and she had apparently broken his nose. She froze in place when she noticed the blood coming from his nose, she couldn’t hear anything around her anymore, she felt her heartbeat raising as she backed away. Shit…the necklace. She kept her hand close to her chest as she tried to find it but knew there was no point, remembering that she had left it back in her room.

So the next move the soldier made, y/n didn’t see it coming. She only felt a sharp pain in her cheek, and she fell to the floor. If it wasn’t enough to have seen the blood in his face, it was now enough as she touched her face and saw the blood in her hand. She breathed heavily and felt herself already dizzy as she looked up and saw the same soldier looking down at her, ready to end her. But in that same moment, she felt something pulling her away from him; the last thing she saw was Wanda looking down at her and then she closed her eyes.

____________________

Y/n opened her eyes and groaned at the bright light hitting right in her eyes. She looked around as she tried to figure out where she was. She turned to finally find Tony standing right beside her, apparently checking something as he hadn’t notice she had woken up.

“What happened?” Y/n asked in a whisper as she tried to sit down.

“Calm down there, bloody girl. You got yourself a good punch in the face. And also…” He turned to look at her. “You forgot your necklace. I didn’t waste my time for you to keep it here.”

Y/n sighed. “I know, I’m sorry.”

Tony shook his head. “It’s good, now we know what happens to you. I wasn’t there but judging by the cut on your cheek and you coming back asleep, I figured it by now.” He looked down at her and sighed. “There’s someone outside waiting for you, she has been waiting all night.” He said before he left the room and a redhead walked in, closing the door behind her.

“Wanda.” Y/n smiled softly.

“Hey you.” Wanda smiled as she walked to the bed. “How are you feeling?”

Y/n shrugged. “Better, I guess.” She then stared at her for a few seconds as she smiled. “You saved me. I remember seeing you before I passed out.”

Wanda nodded. “I couldn’t let you get more hurt when you were unconscious.”

Y/n nodded. “Yeah well…now everyone knows what happens to me.” She shrugged. “But…thank you. I just…I don’t know.” She chuckled softly.

“No problem.” Wanda smiled. “So…what happens now? Do you need a follow up or anything? Or-“

“No. I mean…I’ll try not to forget the necklace again which I know it’s gonna happen again if they keep calling us at 2 am in the morning.” She chuckled.

Wanda chuckled. “Well…I won’t mind saving your ass again.”

Y/n stare at Wanda without saying a word, not sure what she could exactly say after that. What did that mean? Though, she wouldn’t mind either if she got to be in her arms and- “Well then. I’ll hold you to that.”

____________________

And y/n wasn’t lying, she did forget about the necklace one in a while, when Natasha or Steve would suddenly wake her up in the middle of the night. Y/n made them promise that they wouldn’t say a thing to Tony because it was enough with the long talks they had gone through all this time. Steve said something about Tony trying to protect her, even thinking about doing a suit for her to help her out but y/n was okay with her own suit, didn’t need to be another Iron Man. But what really caught her attention, and really everyone’s attention in these accidents, was that Wanda never missed a mission with her, even if they hadn’t asked her to go, she would join them and she would always make sure y/n was okay, of course she would check if she had the necklace and if she hadn’t, she would make sure to protect her, forgetting there were other people to protect too.

Then, it started to becoming a routine to take y/n’s necklace for her or remind y/n about it, making a joke or just being serious with her, threatening that she would tell Tony about it. But how could she even care about it if Wanda was always there? They had grown close together and she felt bad to putting the necklace excuse just so Wanda could be there. But she also didn’t do in purpose.

After the training, y/n sat on the floor as she took deep breaths, trying to relax her body. It had been a while since she had joined the team and she felt that she was getting much better at fighting, she tried to put her focus on pushing away the thoughts and the trauma that still haunted her at times. She hadn’t noticed that Natasha had been looking at her the whole time, she waited for the right time to come to go and talk to her.

“Are you going to be like Steve that you’ll need like 10 punch bags?” Natasha asked as she walked to y/n and sat with her on the floor.

Y/n jumped a little as she looked at Natasha, chuckling softly. “Don’t have that strength but…wouldn’t be bad.” She smiled as she looked down at her hands.

“How’s the necklace thing going?”

“Better. Wanda won’t let me take it off anymore so I’m learning to sleep with it.” She took off the bandages from her hand and sighed. “If not, I’m gonna turn into Iron Woman if I don’t wear it anymore, sooner or later, Tony would find out.”

“Maybe so. Steve can’t keep a secret for long.” Natasha grinned. “Wanda has been behind your back for a while now, hasn’t she?”

“Yeah, she has. I know she’s…protecting me.” Y/n smiled at the memories and looked back at Natasha, furrowing her brows. “Why you ask?”

Natasha shrugged. “Oh…I don’t know. It’s new.” She said as she found a better position to sit. “Wanda didn’t really open up to just anyone. It took time before she started letting herself be with us. But the moment you came…she looked out for you. Maybe the age, maybe the similarities you both have…” She turned to look at her again. “I don’t know, but I’m glad.”

Y/n took a deep breath. “Can I tell you something?”

“Anything.”

Y/n looked back down. “I like her…I did…I did notice that somehow we connected, or we just got along but…I don’t know if she feels the same way.” She chuckled nervously.

“You could easily find out.” Natasha smiled. “Just tell her, bloody girl, there’s nothing to lose.”

“Okay. You know what?” Y/n turned to look at Natasha. “It is annoying of you all calling me that. It is not my fault that I can’t handle blood.” She laughed along with Natasha. Natasha knew she was trying to avoid the truth, but she wouldn’t be the one to push.

____________________

The next few weeks, y/n never forgot her necklace, Wanda made sure of it. And even if she had her necklace with her, Wanda was always there to protect her and not let anyone hurt her. There was a moment where Steve decided she would let both of them rest a bit and they wouldn’t do missions, just a small break. Wanda was scared that maybe then y/n wouldn’t want her by her side anymore until they got back to missions, but that wasn’t it. They had spent day and night together, getting to know each other better and just enjoying time.

Wanda had offered a movie night with y/n in her room, to which y/n excitedly said yes. She had thought about what Natasha had said, she wouldn’t lose anything, or maybe even Wanda already knew about this, but she had decided to not say anything. She wasn’t really sure, but the only thing she knew is that she couldn’t lose Wanda, not now, not ever.

Y/n focused on the movie as she laid down with Wanda, both of them had somehow ended up in each other’s arms but they hadn’t minded a bit. There was a moment were Wanda looked up at her and couldn’t keep her eyes away. Y/n noticed this but enjoyed it for a little more as she thought it was cute and also it made her feel nervous, but mostly cute.

“I allow you to take a picture if you want to.” Y/n teased as she looked down at Wanda.

Wanda chuckled at this, not even ashamed that she had been caught. “Might take the chance then.” She smiled and bit her lip; but then the moment was ruined with Wanda’s phone ringing and a text from Natasha saying she needed them both to go on a mission. “I guess we have to go. Bucky and Peter are nowhere to be found.”

Y/n groaned but stood up with Wanda. “I guess we are the best on the team so they can’t leave us alone.”

Wanda chuckled and nodded. “Maybe so.” She turned to look at y/n. “Necklace?”

“Got it with me.” She showed it before they both left the room.

Both of them were quiet in the way to their destination, Nat kept staring at y/n, almost as if she wanted to talk with her eyes. Y/n just kept shocking her head and staring back at Wanda every now and then, not being able to bring any words up. Maybe after the mission it would be good to talk to her and tell her the truth.

As soon as they got there, they were informed that they needed to get a suitcase from inside, there were probably assassins around and they had to be careful. Wanda kept staring at y/n, not wanting to leave her side but knowing she had to follow Steve orders. Everything seemed to be alright at first, they had gotten in, no one around, seemed pretty easy which meant something was about to happen. And they were right; in a blink of a second, they had over 20 or more people attacking them. Wanda tried to stay as close to y/n as possible, but she then had to leave her side for a second and that’s when it got even worse.

Y/n hadn’t noticed there was someone behind her who kicked her right in the back of her knee, making her scream from the pain and falling to the ground. When y/n turned around, her eyes widened with fear, trying to crawl back and get away from the person in front of her.

“Oh, sweet y/n…why are you so afraid?” The women in black asked as she kept walking closer to y/n, a wicked smile plastered in her face. “Didn’t you miss me?” She kicked y/n again, causing y/n to fall back, she felt the blood streaming from her nose again as she stared up. “Oh…I see. You’re not weak anymore? Why would that be?”

“G-Get away.” Y/n whispered in terror as she tried to crawl back, but the woman’s heel was right in her abdomen, making her unable to move for the pain.

“I don’t really want to.” She leaned down and took y/n necklace and stared at it. “This little toy keeps you from being weak? How pathetic.” She crashed it in her hands and punched y/n right in the face, not having any mercy on her.

As soon as Wanda helped Steve, she turned around and freaked out when she didn’t see y/n, until she heard the screams, filling her head as she looked around scared. “Steve…is y/n.” She turned to look at him.

“Go!” He yelled as he ran inside with Nat.

Wanda ran as fast as she could and gasped for the scene in front of her eyes. With one movement, she sent the woman flying against a wall, not caring about what happened to her. Wanda pulled y/n and knelt down until y/n was in her lap.

“Y/n? P-Please, say something.” She had tears in her eyes as she placed her hand on her cheek. She could feel how she was in pain and her mind was slowly clouding with nothing but darkness. She could feel how scared she was, the fear filling her whole body.

“I…the…t-the n-neckla-“ she coughed blood as she stared up at Wanda.

“I know. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.” Wanda cried as she moved y/n to her side. “You’ll be okay.” She nodded rapidly. “Steve, Natasha, tell me you have it, we need to go, y/n is hurt, badly.”

“Take her to the Quinjet, we are meeting you there.”

Wanda looked down at y/n. “Please, stay with me, you can’t just…look at me.”

Y/n looked up at her. “’m sorry…” she closed her eyes slowly.

“Y/n!”

____________________

“You’re saying they crashed the necklace?” Tony asked as she stood beside Wanda.

“Apparently, but…it wasn’t the blood anymore. It was…she was scared. She was in pain.” Wanda sighed as she looked at Tony.

“Well, I got some news for you, witchy.” He turned to look at her. “Y/n lost the necklace 2 months ago. I noticed because the one she was wearing, was fake one. She tried to fool us, but she couldn’t fool me.” He looked back at y/n through the glass and shrugged. “She found something or someone else to help her.”

Wanda stared at him for a while until he left, and left Wanda thinking what he had said. She stared at her through the glass as she tried to get her thoughts in order and figure out what he had really meant. She noticed y/n moving and she decided to go in and check on her. Y/n looked at Wanda and smiled.

“Hey, sleepy head.” Wanda smiled. Y/n moved a little to leave some space for Wanda to sit, groaning a little. “Hey, try not to move too much. You were hurt pretty badly.”

“I know.” She groaned as she laid her head back. She turned to look at Wanda and smiled. “Thank you.”

Wanda only nodded as she looked down at her hands. “I’m sorry about your necklace.”

Y/n shrugged. “Steve said he would give me a break from missions so. He better be telling the truth now.” She chuckled quietly, her hand going to her abdomen.

“Maybe if you told the truth, he would too.” Wanda said quietly almost to herself.

Y/n furrowed her brows. “What does that mean?”

“Why didn’t you tell me about the necklace?” Wanda looked back at y/n. “It was fake, you lost it. Why would you lie about that? What if something really bad happened to you?”

“Wanda-“

“Don’t. This was proof of what can happen if you don’t have the necklace. She couldn’t have broken the necklace that easily, but I cared more about you than what happened to that. Why didn’t you tell me?” Wanda now had tears in her eyes, remembering how badly injured she had ended up.

Y/n shrugged. “I lost it, it’s true. I…I didn’t want anyone to get mad at me, so I got one that looked just the same. I couldn’t have you worrying or Tony yelling at me for it.”

“But look what happened. You could’ve…you-“

“Wanda, nothing happened to me cause you were there.”

It was Wanda’s turn to furrow her brows. “What?”

“You…” y/n sighed. “it’s you. You have been helping me all of these months. The necklace have been lost for 5 months now. I didn’t even have it with me for not even two months.” She tilted her head. “You are my necklace. You helped me in someway to not freak out or slowly get this fear away. It’s not gone, I still get dizzy, but you being there, holding my hand, holding me…” she smiled. “it’s what keeps me okay.”

Wanda shook her head in disbelief. “But how…I just-“

Y/n shrugged. “I don’t think I can explain it in any other way, I just know that… you being by my side makes all fear go. I know I was scared last night, I know I was filled with fear because I didn’t know what she was going to do next. And it wasn’t for me, it wasn’t for the blood…I was scared that you would get hurt.”

Wanda’s face softened at her words, bringing her hand up to y/n’s cheeks. “You still could’ve told me this.”

“I was a coward, I didn’t know what to say.” She chuckled.

“You could’ve said that you liked me. Easy as that.” Wanda teased as she smiled.

“I do.”

Wanda tilted her head. “What? I was…I was joking.”

“I’m not.” Y/n smiled. “I…I like you, Wanda. More than I should. And I am sorry if this ruins the moment and everything but…it’s true. I like you. Maybe that’s another reason of why you help me.”

Wanda smiled softly at this and shook her head. “It doesn’t ruin it.” She leaned down and stopped just a few inches away from her face. “Not at all.” She whispered against her lips before she tangled y/n into a loving kiss.

Y/n smiled against her lips. “So, you’re not mad anymore?” She whispered.

Wanda shook her head. “No, if you promise you won’t keep anything from me anymore.”

“I promise.” Y/n smiled as she looked right into her eyes.

“But there is someone else that might be mad at you. And you do not mention the 5 months. He thinks it’s been 2 months.” Wanda shrugged as she laughed.

Y/n laughed. “Okay, that’s between us and us only.” She grinned.

Wanda smiled. “I won’t let anyone hurt you anymore. Not even a drop of blood.”

Y/n giggled. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“That’s a promise, bloody girl.” She smirked as she pecked her lips.

“Don’t you dare, not you too!” Y/n exclaimed as Wanda laughed uncontrollably, knowing it would annoy her. But y/n wouldn’t care anymore if it meant Wanda would laugh again.

[anika-ann]

The Line between Respectful and Stupid - Pt.5

Keep Calm and Stay Professional

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader       Word count: 2180

Warnings:  swearing, Steve being a dumbass

Summary: Meeting reality can be a bit harsh, Steve turns out to be as much of an ass as everyone was saying and Natasha Romanoff might deserve a life promotion.

Story Masterlist

The way back to SHIELD headquarters was silent as was the taking off. Three agents identified themselves, arriving in three different cars; you two rode in the middle one when coming to the closest private airport. During the flight, no one uttered a word – it was like Steve had no idea what to say now and you had no idea what you were allowed to say. So silence it was; and it was far from the comfortable one you were in after he had found you sleeping by his bedside.

You arrived back at Triskelion; you parted ways with a quiet nod, because hand-shake might be painful for you.  

On medical, the doctor on duty was praising the lovely stitches you had, looking honestly shocked when you told her they were Steve’s – Captain America’s. You called him his rank, because you knew where your place was and since you were back to reality, Steve seemed to realize it too. ‘Common sense’ met ‘SHIELD training of agents (over)respecting their superiors’ and this was the result.

Life went on. You returned to paper-pushing, because you had been hurt on the mission and you definitely couldn’t go back to the field since you weren’t even able to fire your gun correctly or do extensive exercise. Life went on and it was… boring and grey. The only highlight was Harry smacking your uninjured arm with a worried-slash-playful hiss of ‘I told you NOT to get shot.’ His concern was heart-warming.

It had been a week. With a little help of lady fortune, you had met Steve Rogers – correction, Captain America, Sir – three times.

The first time, he was with an agent you didn’t recognize. Yet, you couldn’t help but smile when seeing him. Your “Morning, Captain Rogers. Morning, Agent,” (because your ma’ raised you right) was almost enthusiastic, yet kept professional. The agent responded with the same greeting. Steve… gave an inconspicuous nod. You could feel your stomach drop, but tried not to read too much into it.

The second time though, he was alone. You greeted him the same way, except it was the afternoon. And Captain Rogers responded with a silent stiff nod only. Again.

The third time you saw him in your way, you honestly wanted to take another route to your office space just to avoid him. But you could tell that his companion spotted you even when they were talking business or whatever; it would look bad if you suddenly spun on your heels in the middle of the corridor and disappeared. So, you decided to be a big girl who wasn’t hurt by Captain’s indifference towards her and continued walking with a lump growing in your throat.

Your heart was practically jumping ahead of the rest of your body – that was how fast it was beating. You hoped it didn’t show.

“Captain Rogers, Agent Romanoff,” you said, way quieter than was polite. Neither of them seemed to mind.

Captain Rogers gave you his typical nod of acknowledgement, making you want to scream.

Asshat! So full of himself! Arrogant dumbass!

And you had been a dumbass too of course, for not realizing right away that he had been ‘friendly’ simply because of something called ‘professional courtesy’ and ‘inconvenient circumstances’. Translated to everyday speech – because he had had to and you had been the only person in the twenty-mile radius. Now, he was the legend who wasn’t mingling with ordinary agents and apparently didn’t have the decency to return a hello.  

‘My ma’ raised me right’ my ass, Rogers.’

The shocking part came when Agent Romanoff reciprocated your greeting with a smile that looked too suspicious on her lips.

“Agent 19.”

So… she knew who you were.

That’s not concerning at all.

The moment you passed the golden pair – and of course, why would Captain America even spare one glance at you aka no-name-chic from nowheresville when he was used to the company of the Black Widow aka the gorgeous badass Natasha Romanoff –, you released a shaky breath, not bothering to hide your shocked expression at the woman addressing you.

Later, you would come to conclusion they had been going through the failed mission you and Captain had been to and their briefing had been very thorough. After that, you didn’t give it a second thought.

What you didn’t know was what followed the short interaction between the three of you. You never saw the pair of legendary agents circle the corner, you never heard and saw the gorgeous badass Natasha Romanoff smack Steve’s arm with a surprising force for such a thin woman.

“You’re a dumbass, Rogers, you know that? She’s kinda cute.”

“Don’t I know it…” he mumbled, stroking his bicep, seemingly hurt.

“Which part?” she hissed, wondering if she should just ask you out for him. It would be almost like a mission, you two meeting an asset… an ass-et in this particular case, because she couldn’t believe this blond idiot.

Really? Ignoring you despite liking you, because you could potentially work together on an assignment again somewhere far in an unforeseeable future and he didn’t want you two to potentially be compromised?

Geez, Rogers.

Steve sighed. “Both, Romanoff. Both.”

Good, she thought. At least he was admitting to being stupid. Maybe he wasn’t a completely lost cause after all. Maybe he just needed few more pushes.

“SHIELD’s rules are stupid.“

You looked up from the report you were re-reading after your friend, blinking at the man towering above you. He stood there in front of your desk like a righteous angel of exasperation, jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket as if he was your average fellow citizen.

The man who was occupying unfair amount of space in your head and hadn’t spoken to you since leaving the cabin-slash-safe-house.

“St- Captain,” you corrected yourself as you imagined there were people listening to you and as you reminded yourself that this indeed was Captain Rogers talking with a low-life agent, which he clearly was fully aware of now. “What-“

“And by SHIELD’s rules being stupid I mean me. So I guess you can add ‘dumbass’ to that list of yours.”

Your knee-jerk reaction – after you realized what he was talking about – was to oppose that it was not your list by any means. But you wisely kept your mouth shut and took a quick survey of who was watching this surreal exchange instead.

You saw Wendy sitting in the opposite boot watching Steve’s bottom (no blame here, sister), Jack in the corner with his eyebrow raised, Kate who was clearly not concerned by her technically-superior hearing the music blasting from her headphones as she was listening to YouTube videos and swaying in the rhythm, and of course Harry, the retiring know-it-all-saw-it-all (the nice kind with funny stories from the field), was sitting at his desk, arms crossed on his chest, an amused grin on his face.    

You escaped his gaze, looking back at Steve wide-eyed.

“I’m— sorry, Sir? I don’t think I understand.”

“The rule is that SHIELD operatives shouldn’t be involved with each other. And while it might be true that it could compromise them in the field, that rule is just ridiculous, because we’re not even on the same team and the chances that we will need to work together again are slightly above zero.”

You stared at him speechless. What was he saying again? Your brain was very slow in processing his words. He clenched his jaw when you gave him no actual reaction and he scratched the back of his neck, obviously uncomfortable. He lowered his voice when he spoke again.

“Sorry. That’s not at all how I wanted this to go.” He squatted then, so you were on the same eye-level since you were still sitting in the chair, too dumbstruck to do anything else than stare and occasionally stutter a word or two. Steve gulped as if he was the one nervous. Honestly, you weren’t sure what you were then. “I’m sorry. Would you like to have dinner with me? Or coffee? Or anything really?”

That did it. Your jaw fell on your desk, the words feeling like a bucket of cold water splashing in your face. The mixture of awe, warm feeling in your chest and dizziness took over you; in the end, disbelief won though. Because honestly, no matter how adorable Steve Rogers was now, crouching by your desk, watching you with his deep cerulean eyes, you couldn’t believe his nerves.

That was how he thought he could play it? Ignore you for a week, barely nodding at you in a greeting when meeting you in the corridors, and then just walk in like the king of the world, all the womankind falling to his feet?

No thank you, I have some self-respect left.

Though… for him, you might forget it.

No, nope.

But-

The inner fight between the urge to kiss him senseless for showing up with such proposition and to kick him in his balls, because no, mister, this is not the way the world works, not even for you, was raging in you, resulting in a stutter.

“I-uhm… you… you didn’t even say hi for a week, what— what changed?”

That was good, right? You deserved an explanation at least? That was perfectly reasonable, unlike someone else’s behaviour?

He gulped, his expression shifting from a puppy look to a kicked puppy look.

Damn, my heart. The world was so unfair, allowing some people to soften others’ anger just by being cute…

“I know. And I’m sorry. I thought that we shouldn’t talk together, because we weren’t allowed to… get involved and I needed time process all that. That’s part of the reason why I’m stupid. Dumb, I mean. Dumbass.”

You couldn’t help it. The corners of your lips twitched. How could one be mad at Steve Rogers, who was willingly calling himself a dumbass and being so sweet? You were such a weak creature, dammit.

“Yes,” you whispered shyly, the need to bite your lip as your nerves worked physically hurting you.

Steve’s Adam’s apple bobbed and he frowned a little; you only realized then that he couldn’t possibly have an idea if you were just approving of him eating humble pie or saying yes to his… date proposition? You would have thought it was just a friendly offer, but he had been the one to call it ‘get involved’, okay?

Twice.

Also, it was to a bit of both, the yes you were saying. Not that you had the heart to admit it, yet.

“I mean— yes, I’d like that.”

His lips spread in a beautiful grin that sent your heart racing, especially in the combination with his happily twinkling blue eyes.

“Swell!” he exclaimed, almost making you choke. Who the hell was still using that word? No, don’t answer that. “I’ll bring flowers.”

You chuckled at that, incredulous, remembering he had said he should have bought them to you before seeing too much skin of yours. The euphoria of what was happening had nearly the same effect on you as the pain-meds a week ago. It made you brutally honest and babbling.  

“Planning on getting so far on the first date, Steve?”

The tips of his ears turned red as he realized what conclusion you must have come to. His eyes widened in horror. Oh boy, you were about to have so much fun with getting him flustered, that was for sure.

“I didn’t mean it like-“

And because you were honest, babbling, but also bold, you leaned to him over the desk before you could change your mind and pressed your lips to his cheek for a split second.

“I’m teasing, Captain. I have no doubt you’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

Utterly awed at your gesture, he smiled at you brightly. “I’ll try. Dinner on Saturday sounds good?”

“Sounds great actually. And good,” you winked at him as he rose to his feet and you handed him your card out of habit, doubting he needed it – after all, he could just find you here if he hadn’t somehow found your phone number already. “If you try hard enough, I might add ‘gentleman’ to the list.”

He left you to your desk duties with a laugh. You caught a glimpse of Harry showing you a thumps-up as your gaze followed Steve’s figure out of the door and you blushed.

The moment you couldn’t see Steve anymore, you hid your face in your palms, giggling like a schoolgirl. You didn’t care what your co-workers would think – and yes, you noticed that Kate had turned off the music in favour to listen your conversation. It didn’t matter.

You were having a date on Saturday. With the world’s first superhero dumbass hard kind-ass smartass tight-ass tight ass.

And boy, were you excited. You needed to scratch the tight-ass from the list, because man, Steve Rogers didn’t mind breaking the rules and crossing the lines when they were stupid.

To be honest, you didn’t mind either. Not at all. After all, it would be with the blessing of your superior. And that had to mean something, right?

Steve Rogers Masterlist

I couldn’t help but hint Natasha’s involvement, because ‘matchmaker Widow’ for the win and Steve-Natasha friendship goals.

I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. Thank you for reblogs and likes and, of course, for reading in the first place. Kudos to you all. :-*

Tags:  @mermaidxatxheart​

[shmisolo]

I wanted to post the things I’ve made this year in one place.  I haven’t posted most of them over here—largely because I’m not tumblring a lot these days.  But I made a lot this year—both visual and written—that I’m proud of and wanted to share it out.  You can find this post also in tweet form here!

Happy 2020, Reylo friends!  It’s been a wild ride of a year, and mine couldn’t have been what it has been without you.

Visual

Alternate TROS Ending Gifset | World Between Worlds Graphic | Padmé quote gifset | Hadestown AU |  Alfa Gifset | ManDADlorian Video | Rey & Dark Rey Gifset 1 | Rey & Dark Rey Gifset 2 | Rey & Padmé Gifset | Rey Gifset 1 | Rey Gifset 2 | Rey Gifset 3 | Rey Gifset 4 | Rey Gif | Trailer Gifset 1| Trailer Gifset 2 | Trailer Gifset 3 | Kylo’s Karaoke Night Playlist | Graphic for lwaboc for @kylorenvevo | Graphic for Heart’s Flight | Graphic for YTCShepard | Gifs for Sugar, Honey, Honey for YTCShepard | Gifs for @sciosophia | Game of Thrones AU Graphic | Luke Gifset

Oneshots

Investiture for @misscoppelia

In which Ben goes to daven for his father’s yahrtzeit and manages to prove to himself once again that he is both a terrible person and a terrible Jew.

Oh and he sort of falls in love.

baby you can drive my car for @talltig

They call them “soulmates.” Probably because it leaves less of a sting in their mouths.

The Kitchen for flypaper_brain

Rey and Ben, hunting for their first house.

alone with a heart meant for you for @nuanceismyjam

Ben orders Grubhub; Rey's car breaks down.

myosotis for @rissanox

Ben picked the flowers for their wedding.

and beyond for @lilithsaur

“Please?”

For a moment, he thinks it will be like the first time, him begging, her crying and saying no and him not knowing how to protect his crushed heart.

But she doesn’t cry, she doesn’t say, “Please don’t go this way,” she doesn’t look horrified or disgusted. She just grabs him by the front of his shirt and tugs his lips down to hers before reaching down to cup his cock.

You, Me, and He for @rissanox, @persimonne, and @misscoppelia

When they say that Kylo's brain is in his groin, they're not far from the truth.

Alternatively,

In which Kylo Ren is his own penis.

Bliss, Balance and Birth for @selunchen​

Ben teaches their daughter to read.

💦💦💦💦

In which Ben accidentally implies that he gets his cardio from having sex on national television.

Favorites for @lilithsaur

In which Matt is preoccupied in getting Daisy the perfect token of his love on this, the two month anniversary of her agreeing to be his girlfriend.

A Trash Triplets AU.

Gotta Get Up, Gotta Get Out | Moodboard

“Listen asshole,” Rey says as she steps through the door of Poe’s deli. “You have exactly as long as it takes me to buy these cigarettes.”

Ben doesn’t waste a second breathing. “Metaphysically speaking, you and I are intrinsically and inexplicably linked,” he starts because there’s no time for beating around the bush and besides, Rey can sniff out a lie like no one else. “And I'm convinced our true purpose is to to connect with each other, if not help save each other's lives.” She’s opening her wallet and handing Poe a ten. “In another world, hopefully you are doing the same for me.”

The Other Thing for @persimonne

That’s what they don’t warn you about, he thinks idly. In his DesEd class, they’d warned him about knots, and heats, and ruts, and nesting. But they’d never warned him that her home would smell so much like her, like everything he’s ever wanted, that he would be unable to extricate himself.

“Can you make it a little more interesting in like...thirty minutes?” he asks her.

She pulls away and he immediately regrets saying a damn word.

“I could make that work,” she replies dryly. “I’ll pencil you in.”

A for... for @loveofescapism

Rey’s seeing double by the time there’s food on her plate. Oh. There’s food on her plate. That’s good. That’s unexpected at this point. “Eat,” Ben tells her.

So she does. It tastes good. Very good. She likes this food a lot.

“I’ll make sure she knows,” Ben says.

Oh she’s at that point of drunk where she’s just saying things out loud instead of keeping them in her internal monologue.

“You are,” Ben says, looking very amused.

She hopes she doesn’t say anything embarrassing.

“I promise, you haven’t yet, but oh boy, I’m looking forward to this.”

She shoves food into her mouth to keep herself from thinking out loud about his dick in her ass at his mother’s Passover seder.

do or do not (do the do)

In which Ben, in an effort to improve his stamina (look he's making progress, ok?) after reading some articles that he'll never be able to unread, receives some coaching (that he very much did not ask for).

(Very much did not ask for.)

(Not) Interested for @thewayofthetrashcompactor, @monsterleadmehome, @destiniesfic, yuktipatipriya

We're bringing Speed Dating back to Space Battles Bonanza! Register online for one of our special Bonanza sessions of 15 three-minute dates so you’ll no longer have to look for love in a galaxy far far away. Choose from one of seven speed dating sessions, two of which are queer focused. If the Insurgents can blow up the Doom Moon in 11 minutes, let’s see if you can make a love connection in only three.

There’s a history of successful Speed Dating at Space Battles Bonanzas, with long-term couples, engagements and marriages now among the alumni.

--

In which Rey & Kylo meet at their fancon's speed dating.

Never Die for @avamarga

Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? I thought not. It’s not a story the Jedi would tell you.

Forged for @reyloner

There are several reasons that Ben would never have dreamed he’d ever receive this text. The first is that he’d be invited to a Halloween party. The second is that he’d never in his life expected to be in a serious relationship, much less the sort of serious relationship where his partner would suggest matching Halloween costumes. And the last is that he is dating someone who’s show only and they’ve only almost murdered one another twice. Because he’s an A Song of Ice and Fire fan. He hates Game of Thrones.

and getting caught in the rain for @kylorenvevo

What's the point of going to a family wedding if you're not going to hook up with your newly rediscovered brother's baseball coach?

A Picture's Worth for @selunchen

reyjay: hiya your art is amazing

reyjay: it’s a big ask but could you draw me for my art final tomorrow? i’m shit at drawing people and i can’t fail this. can you help?

He stares.

And stares.

And stares.

kyloren: is this some kind of a joke?

reyjay: no?? why??

kyloren: you’re asking me to help you cheat your exam, but you’re not even offering me money?

Bang for your Buck

“We ready?” he asks her, sounding huffy.

“Nice to meet you Ben, I’m just familiarizing myself with your training,” she replies.

“Ok, well I don’t have all day.”

“No, you have,” she checks her watch, “another hour.” Because of course he’d booked an extra long session. Bless that sweet, sweet overtime pay.

“And you’re sure you know what you’re doing?” he asks her and she glances up at him, sure that her eyes are flashing because that’s fucking rude. She’s a professional. Amilyn wouldn’t have hired her if she didn’t know what she’s doing, and just because he apparently thinks he’s the center of the universe doesn’t change that fact.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get your bang for your buck,” she tells him icily.

Two to Tango

Rey: I need to ask you something awkward. Ben: What’s up? Rey: Can I give you a blowjob? Please?

atlanta > all atlanta > community > missed connections for @sand-its-everywhere

In which Rey meets a cosplayer at DragonCon.

Sonsick (I'll fall for you soon enough) for @jeenonamit & YTCShepard

Sheev and Snoke share a moment at the country club.

A Thousand Words for @monsterleadmehome | Moodboard

In which, some years later, Ben encounters someone he drew for nudes.

Truth and Death written for this year’s @reylofanfictionanthology

Ben opens the box. Inside, he sees the charred remains of a helmet.

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

She is made of sand-turned-clay, where other moving creatures are made of flesh and blood. Their skin cracks in the dry Jakku sun just like hers, but they are alive in their organs.

Rey is alive in a different way.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year written with @jeenonamit | Moodboard

Rey convinces Ben--and his sentient penis--to go with her to a Halloween party.

What could go wrong?

(Working title: "Dicklo 2: Electric BOO-galoo")

Shalom Rav! for @jeenonamit | Moodboard

In which Rey comes to terms realizing that she is attracted to the rabbi.

when the stars and moon align just so for @capaldisrighteyebrow

Songs spoke of red stars on nights that blood was shed. Stars bled too when the great fell. There were no red stars tonight. The stars did not bleed for Snoke.

Would they bleed for Ben?

She swallowed.

Because despite his own words—that he served his master (master, as though he were a draft horse to be yoked and plow the fields of men), that he would give everything to his master, she had seen doubt in his eyes that night, three years ago, when the stars and moon had aligned just so.

oh, my love, don't forsake me (take what the water gave me) for @reyloner and @loveofescapism

Their sabers clashed, humming in the spray, and Rey's heart was in her throat the entire time.

it’s you and me (i know it’s our destiny) | Moodboard

It’s just a kid’s game, he thinks when jealousy pangs in his heart. But it’s more than just a kid’s game.

It’s Pokémon.

It’s the only good thing in his life.

will you come when i call you (i’ll come when you call me) | Moodboard

Surely when Snoke had connected them, he hadn’t connected them like this.  

—

@reylo_prompts: “Due to the Force bond Rey and Ben always come simultaneously. Now they need to figure out how not to do that since it can result in awkward situations.”

The Sweater Curse for @jeenonamit & @commandercrouton

She’s never made a sweater before, but she saw the pattern on Ravelry and who cares if she’s only made (lumpy) hats before—she has to try it.  She has to make it. She has to make it for Ben.

“You realize that Hannukah isn’t an important holiday, right?” Ben asks as she makes eye contact with him.  His eyes are big and brown and—at this moment—mildly annoyed.

“Really?  Is it a giant conspiracy theory?  Part of the war on Christmas?”

“More than you realize,” Ben says and for the life of her she can’t tell if he’s joking.  He does this thing sometimes that’s confusing—where he’ll say something that sounds mopey but is actually snarky and it disarms her every damn time.  “In any event, ugly Hanukkah sweaters definitely aren’t a thing the way ugly Christmas sweaters are.”

“Well, they are now,” Rey says firmly.  “I’m making you an ugly Hanukkah sweater.  Deal with it. And stop moving.”

Ours Is The Fury for @reyloner & @commandercrouton

Rey was tasked with taking Storm's End for her king. She defeated the Storm King Snoke in the Rainwood, but when she proceeded to the castle itself, preparing for a long siege, things did not go to plan.

Seen ✔️✔️ for @ever-so-reylo | Graphic

His lock screen has three texts from Rey on it:

Rey Wife: Babe I know you’re probably busy right now, but you sent that pic to the wrong chat. Rey Wife: Bennnnnnn Rey Wife: Call me when you’re done processing your trauma.

And then about ninety chats from the Skywalker Ranch WhatsApp thread.

--

In which Ben sends a picture to the wrong chat.

With you, Always for @jeenonamit, @nuanceismyjam, and YTCShepard 

Rey's boyfriend is now a Force ghost but they're sure as fuck gonna try fucking anyway.

Chaptered Fics

we decided not to kill the wolves (we wanted to be wolves) for @nerdherderette | Complete | Moodboard

A pack of wolves lives in the woods to the north of Raddus and as winter looms, they have their eyes set on Leia Organa’s stronghold. Rey may be new to Raddus, but she’s not about to do nothing while it may be in danger. And besides, Poe must be exaggerating about wolves the size of bears. She’s not afraid of monsters.

Carry In My Core (That Voice I Adore) | Complete | Moodboards

Starring in her first opera would be stressful as is, but Rey, always one to outdo herself, just had to go and make things even more complicated with Kylo Ren. It’s hard enough looking him in the eye, much less pretending to be in love with him. She can make it through this. She has made it through worse. She can make it through this.

shadow boxes | Complete

Just because they aren’t together, doesn’t mean they’re not in love.

anyway you want to (anyway you've got to) | Complete

But you know she's getting something other Than the love from her mother

A Porn Challenge in which your author makes Rey and Ben bone their way through the month of February.

words like tomorrow (or future, or fate) for @haloren1st​ & @staticcatfish​ | Complete

One day, Rey wakes in a body that's not her own in a town she's never been to before. Who is Ben, whose body she seems to be possessing, and who woke up in her body? Why are they connected this way?

---

A Your name. AU.

Above us, stars. Beneath us, constellations. for @valsansretour​ | Complete | Moodboard

Ben woke, but Luke’s saber wasn’t ignited. Instead, he saw a master who had shattered his trust, who thought he was a monster, and—worse—he was probably right.

So he fled Yavin IV, to Skywalker’s dismay, and no one heard from him since.

Years later, on a wasteland planet, a girl and a fugitive stormtrooper board a Corellian YT-1300 light freighter in desperation to find they are not the only ones trying to steal it.

Why Don’t You And I Combine for @ever-so-reylo | Complete | Moodboard

Rey’s phone rings while she’s at the farmer’s market. She lets it ring. They have a line and it’s only a few hours, and the girls are at school and it’s just her today, so she doesn’t have enough hands. Rose and Finn and Poe are helping Ben move furniture out of his apartment and into the house. They’re probably calling about something silly, or Ben’s calling to say he’s fully moved in and he’s lying in their bed—possibly with his hand on his cock—and that he’s thinking of her.

— 

In which life continues, grows, and Rey and Ben continue to rebuild their relationship.

A sequel to Let’s Get Together.

The Love Committee for @jeenonamit | Complete | Moodboard

In which Rey, tired of her bad luck with dating apps and failed relationships, enlists her friends' help in determining who she should date next.

They take it a little too seriously.

A Year of Me and You for autonomee | Complete

“After you move in with one another, give yourself six months to like one another again,” Maz says, looking at Rey seriously through her bottlecap glasses.

“I’m not going to fall out of love with—”

“No, no. Not love. Love’s not got anything to do with it, child. Like.”

--

Non-linear vignettes of various length, set during the first year Rey and Ben live together.

Hanging by a Moment for pillar-of-salt | Complete | Mix

There are many things that Ben could have tolerated about his parents’ divorce. That his mother had finally had it with his father’s borderline illegal—or rather, as he liked to put it, borderline legal—company, the shady activities it covered that would doubtlessly end her political career if a reporter got hold of them; that his father had finally had it with the way his mother nags, because sure, he’d thought it was hot twenty years ago, but he is in fact an adult who can actually keep his shit together—all that he would have gotten. He’d have been wrecked, but he’d have gotten it.

His dad leaving his mom for a nineteen-year-old gold-digger though, and his mother not even putting up a fight—that had caught him by surprise.

That had hurt.

Be nice to her, Ben, his mother had said on the phone when he’d spoken to her for the first time in five years. She just lost your father.

Yeah. So did I.

Cupcake Wars | Complete | Fingerpainting + Playlist

Entirely by accident, Rey ends up fucking someone who works for Snoke's Cupcakery. She's just blowing off steam. It doesn't mean anything at all. It certainly won't come back to bite her in the ass.

in nobody's eyes but mine for @ever-so-reylo | Complete | Moodboard

Rey had spent too much of her life feeling as though permanence could only be transient so why bother with it. What was long-term? What was mating? What was home?

the water won’t have ya if the devil’s too blind for @thekesselrun | Complete | Moodboard

That water’s too dirty to wash away your sins.

“They’re not sins. I didn’t commit them against god. There is no such thing as god.”

Then whatever you want to call them. Crimes don’t get washed away by a river.

“It’s a cursed river,” Ben points out.

No, it’s a polluted river. Curses aren’t real. Not like that, anyway.

“Are you really well-actually-ing me?”

Yes, I am. Because you’re an idiot. Some extremely oily and not remotely potable water is not going to be able to remove the guilt you feel about killing your father, turning your back on your mother, murdering hundreds of innocents, and helping the First Order destroy the world. Especially when you knew I wasn’t going to let you die.

–

In which Ben Solo washes up on shore, very still alive and unsure of what to do next until a passing scavenger offers him a lift on her boat. Who is he now? Who does he want to be?

Apples & Honey for @peaceblessingspeyton | Complete | Moodboard

When Ben catches wind that his mother is planning to foist a potential girlfriend on him when he comes home for Rosh Hashanah, he takes matters into his own hands: specifically, he runs to Rey and asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend.

There Is Another for @kylorenvevo | Complete | Moodboards: Ch 1 | Ch 3 | Ch 7 | Ch 9 | Ch 11 | Ch14

“Mission success?”

“You will be interested in this.”

“Oh?”

Kylo glances back over his shoulder. The girl he had found on Takodana is still deeply unconscious, and will remain so for a long while. He had knocked her out as deeply as he could. She had fired at him the moment she’d seen him, resisted him tooth and nail. He does not want her waking up until he has her properly restrained, and he had not come to Takodana prepared to take any prisoners.

A shiver runs up his spine as he tries to shove away how it had felt, carrying her through that forest.

“Yes.”

“How so?”

The trouble with helmets is he can’t look Kira dead in the eye anymore. He can’t watch her face closely to see what will happen when he tells her,

“She’s you.”

Dear Mr. President | WIP | Moodboards: Ch13

Dr. Dameron shifts and slides a manilla folder across the desk to her. “Under ordinary circumstances, I’d let you keep the folder. I hope you’ll understand why I can’t do that this time around.”

She opens it and stares.

She stares and stares and stares.

Dr. Dameron has to be kidding. There have to be hidden cameras here, this has to be some elaborate prank. That’s why it’s him here and not Dr. Wexley—that was his name. Dr. Wexley.

But instead of getting to her feet and tossing her hair and saying he was cruel for playing with her heart like this, all she does is ask, blankly, “So...Ben Solo is my soulmate? Our new president is my…”

She swallows.

And Dr. Dameron nods.

so long lives this and this gives life to thee | WIP | Moodboard

His smile fades and he falls to the ground, his head hitting the ground with a sharp crack.

“Ben!” The yell echoes around them in the darkness and Rey lurches forward, her hands scrabbling over his face, his neck, trying to find a pulse.

She bursts into tears when she finds it. She doesn’t know why she’s crying. He’s alive.

———

In which Ben's Force Sensitivity—and not his life—was given to save Rey.

a little death (goes a long way) for @talltig | WIP | Moodboard

“That’s good of you,” he replies. “Especially with the O-Negative.”

“It’s a good deal,” she says and he glances up. Yeah, because Omega blood is harder to find. A taste of life, because they almost never survive the turn.

[keatsblue]

Hawks Are Migratory Birds

Hot take: Hawks & other winged BNHA characters migrate annually. It’s a huge deal.

He’d never been one to wonder at his heritage.

From a mother whose drunken delirium he barely remembered to an absentee father whose face he could no longer recall, the disparate snippets that formed his childhood were as sand slipping through a sieve, gone too quickly to be truly perceived. The president, who was like a mother and yet not, told him that was for the best. Older now, and motherless by his own design, Hawks was beginning to agree.

And yet, every day he felt the pull.

He pulled his flight jacket tighter to his form, fingers slipping-numb as he beat up with his wings. They were on fire from exertion, muscles straining even in the cold weather from the ever-so-draining tension of building a career, an agency, a life, building, building, building.

Patrols had been rougher, since some ragtag group of villains had launched that spectacular failure of an attack on Endeavor’s alma mater. Most of those involved had been apprehended, but it seemed it didn’t matter. Villains were getting bolder, slinking out of the shadows and onto city streets, where he was forced to deal with them.

He didn’t even want to begin with this Hero Killer business, but fuck. If the locals didn’t wreck that one’s shit, soon, he imagined he’d be called in on the case, as well.

The low rooftop he’d been perched on grew smaller underfoot, disappeared. Another beat, and the rest of Fukuoka’s darktown went with it.

It was always worse, when it got colder. Like an itch he needed to scratch. Sometimes he would fly out to the edge of town, eyes glued to the horizon, just for some relief.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was supposed to be somewhere , far beyond the city lights (they glimmered below, like tiny, happy fireflies). Lush, green landscapes haunted his dreams in visions of places he’d never been, yet somehow knew.

They’d first come to him when he was of a young age, though not so young that he didn’t already comprehend the phenomenon as something not to be shared with his handlers. It was an abnormality, certainly, yet it was one that could be successfully hidden--unlike fingernails that grew into talons, or feathered crests that necessitated a trip to a quirk cosmetologist every few months.

Abnormalities that could be hidden, it was safe to say, were always preferred.

He’d kept his landscapes, the pretty pictures in his head. He hadn’t told a soul, and when he woke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, trembling from equal parts frigid air and longing , Hawks couldn’t help but smile. It was his last bastion, the only part of himself he doubted he could be trained out of.

He was so tired.

The shrill tone of his phone’s ring interrupted his reverie. He dug a hand into a pocket on the inner lining of his flight jacket, goosebumps breaking out across his flesh as a rush of winter wind wormed its way through the opening. “Yo.”

“You really ought to be more professional when answering a call, Hawks.” His handler’s tinny voice cracked over the speaker, and Hawks suppressed a sigh.

It was an effort to affect his usual oblivious veneer. “Ah, can’t hear ya, man. Poor reception when I’m flyin’ this high. Come again?”

“Never mind,” his handler said, though his undertone was telling. “There’s a new mission on your docket. We’ll need you to report in to discuss it further.”

“Another so soon? C’mon, it’s the holidays.” But he’d already adjusted his course, eyes narrowing. What could they want with him now? He’d only been kinda kidding about the Hero Killer thing.

“You act like that has some sort of meaning for you,” came the clipped reply, and damn, they really liked to hit him where it hurt. “I expect your arrival shortly. You wanted to be a hero, didn’t you?”

He barely had time to grumble out a rebellious yes, mom before the man hung up, leaving Hawks with a million questions and a niggling feeling that something wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t until later, well after he’d planted his bony ass dead center on his handler’s too-firm, stiff-backed office sofa, that he was validated.

Hawks crossed his arms. “No. Absolutely not.”

His handler’s lips thinned. Fingers that had been busy clacking away at their keyboard paused in their work, so dead silence reigned. “You seem to be under the false impression that this is optional.”

“Am I a joke to you?”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” the man said, finally, finally looking away from his monitor. He fixed the hero with a blank look. “Your mission is of the utmost importance-”

“It’s not my mission if I haven’t taken it yet.”

“Hawks.”

“No,” he repeated, with as much vehemence as he could muster. It was still a challenge, even now, not to immediately retract his statement. He wasn’t a little kid, anymore. “I’m not spying on the League of Villains.”

And there it was. The crux of the matter, thrust out into the open like so much dirty laundry. He wasn’t even trained for espionage, didn’t have the skill set for it, much less the desire to dabble. And he wasn’t that pathologic of a liar.

He wasn’t evil.

His handler released a deep breath, one that reverberated from deep within his lungs and rattled on the exhale. “You’re the only one who can do this.”

Hawks would’ve had to have been deaf not to catch the sudden shift in tone, subtle enough that it couldn’t be anything but intentional. He’d seen this song and dance, before. “No one’s gonna believe it. Me, falling to the figurative dark side? I’m the third-ranked hero, for fuck’s sake.”

When he only received another blank look, he raised a brow. “Really?”

“Your lackadaisical attitude lends your public persona a certain… côté méchant,” the man intoned, and Hawks couldn’t actually believe what he was hearing.

“What about Endeavor? Dude’s awesome, but he scares little kids.”

The response was automatic. “Endeavor is an upstanding man, destined to be the next pillar when we inevitably lose All Might. He would never stray to villainy.”

Hawks blinked, and beneath his skin, blood simmered and raged.

Then, he smiled. “Alright.”

Both of his handler’s eyebrows shot up, nearly disappearing into his hairline. “Alright, you’ll do it?”

Hawks stood, and pretended to brush some stray debris from his pant leg.

“No.” He took great pleasure in the way the man’s face crumpled, like he’d just flushed his holiday bonus down the drain. And who knew? Maybe he had. “I meant, alright, I’m done with this conversation.”

He didn’t look back as he dropped from the office balcony, no less than fifteen stories up. Didn’t turn around to answer his handler’s increasingly frantic cries.

No, Hawks kept his eyes on that tantalizing horizon. And this time, when it beckoned, he didn’t have the heart to resist.

He thought of lush landscapes. Of heroes, and villains.

Everyone’s waiting for me to snap.

So goddamnit, I’ll snap. 

***

He flew for hours. Days, perhaps. He’d lost track.

After a kilometer or dozen had passed him by, the near-constant noise from his jacket pocket had begun to grate on his ears. It had been simple, to pull out the offending object and drop it.

His phone. He’d dropped his phone.

He might’ve been flying over ocean at the time.

After that, the only thing filling his ears had been the welcome roar of the high winds, and the occasional monotonous chatter of customers in small-time general stores where he stopped for snacks.

Upon entering one such establishment, the shopkeeper had taken one look at his bedraggled wings, his windswept hair, and offered him a free meat bun. Hawks had wolfed it down before thinking to make conversation, much to the other’s apparent amusement.

That shopkeeper had been an old, portly man, with a patchy mustache to match thinned nails and faded tattoos. He’d regarded the hero with kind eyes, and spoke in warm tones.

You’re a little late this year, aren’tcha?

“Hah?” Hawks had replied, intelligently. In his defense, he’d been speaking around a mouthful of meaty goodness.

The shopkeeper laughed. “It’s okay. I know you winged fellas have your ways. My wife dated somebody, years before she met me, who made the journeys.”

At the time, Hawks had been speechless. Before he could think of a reply, the old man had disappeared behind the counter, calling out from a back room that the hero could also grab himself a cold beverage on the house.  

Hawks had chosen a can of green tea that’d tasted like shit going down, then promptly high-tailed it out of there. Now, though, he wondered if he should’ve stayed.

The skies around him had grown dark, and it wasn’t only due to the late hour. There was a brief flash, then thunder soon followed, rolling in from the distance to confirm his worst suspicions.

“A storm,” he murmured, and he couldn’t tell if he was speaking from inside his head or out of it. Fucking great.

Another boom of thunder threatened to split his eardrums, and Hawks careened to the side, before righting himself. Something wet landed on the crown of his head, trailing ice-cold down the back of his neck.

Fucking-

More raindrops fell in a sudden deluge, and he was instantly soaked to the bone. Maintaining altitude became more difficult, as he wrestled screaming gusts of wind for control of newly-laden wings.

When Hawks risked a glance downward, and saw only the obsidian spearpoints of violent, cresting waves, he knew he was in trouble. His chest heaved, but he couldn’t hear the sound of his own breath, over the static in his ears.

Freezing rain clouded his vision like salty tear tracks, except Hawks couldn’t blink them away. He rubbed at his face, dug his fingers into the crevices between his eyelids, to no avail.

It started to dawn on him, that he was going to die.

He was going to die a hero, but one that everyone suspected would turn villain.

No.

He wanted to live, he wanted-

Lightning cracked just in front of him, searing bright, and close enough Hawks could smell the ozone even through his waterlogged nostrils. His heart leaped in his chest, alive on pure adrenaline.

Were the waves below getting closer? Or was that just-

Another powerful gust sent him spiraling, beaten back and forth by the elements. Sharp pain and the taste of copper erupted in his own mouth--he must’ve bitten his tongue. When Hawks finally managed to stabilize, he’d definitely gotten closer.

Scanning his surroundings with renewed vigor, he knew he had to find land, or he was toast. Fried chicken. It was difficult work, through salt-reddened eyes, as the only thing darker than the squall surrounding him was the deadly water below. And contrary to popular belief, Hawks lacked the pinpoint vision of his namesake. He was forced to wait between deadly illuminations, to make any headway.

Flash.

Flash, and-

There. A hulking shape, an island, standing proud against the storm.

Hawks’ stomach leapt, and then sank.

It was so far away. He would never make it.

He strained toward it, anyway, reaching out a hand with fingers outstretched, as if that would make any difference when seaspray from the crests of waves was already lapping at his feet. His calves.

His back was on fire.

The world went dark once more on the dying breath of yet another spiderweb of lightning, though Hawks hardly noticed. He’d already been forced to shut his eyes against the strong headwind that’d just slammed against his front, pitching him back and into the unforgiving embrace of the sea.

Hawks’ first thought as the wings that’d formerly granted him freedom became sodden deadweights in the vice grip of the ocean’s gyre was damn, this water’s cold. His second was that this was, without a doubt, the worst possible reality. How else could he explain perishing of his own stupidity?

Then, black currents dragged him down, and he didn’t think at all.

***

Something rapped against his forehead, threatening to wake him. He didn’t want to wake. He ached all over, his eyes stung, and that incessant tapping was going to give him a migraine. He groaned, and tried to stretch a hand up, to shoo the tapper away. His arm didn’t quite comply, but it had the intended effect.

The assault halted abruptly, and there was a skittering of voices from above, too low and too fast for Hawks to catch. The sound of footsteps, retreating.

It was too late, though. He’d already been stirred to wakefulness, wings twitching minutely as he attempted to shift into a more comfortable position. He opened his eyes, which proved to be a mistake, as he immediately had to close them again for the brightness that pierced his retinas.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he wasn’t supposed to have woken, ever again. He just couldn’t remember why.

“I see you survived,” a voice called, different from the others he’d heard. He forced his eyes open, once more, squinting.

Slowly, the fuzzy shapes surrounding him started to coalesce. He adjusted the level of his gaze, and locked eyes with the one he presumed had spoken.

The newcomer was an older woman, from her appearance. She had grayed-out locks that framed a wizened face, all angles and sun-scars, though that was far from the most striking thing about her.

No, this woman had wings. They loomed large over her shoulders, slightly translucent and veined, like a bat’s. Hawks blinked to clear his vision, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t quite connect what he was seeing with reality.

It had to be part of her quirk, though he’d never seen someone with wings as large as his, before. They weren’t quite the same, but they looked capable of flight.

At his continued blank stare, the woman tilted her head. She smiled, to reveal pointed canines. “You’ve taken quite the tumble, mister. Didn’t you read the advisory? It’s not safe to fly alone, around these islands.”

Fly alone? Who would he fly with?

His voice croaked as he voiced the question, throat scratched all to hell. The woman only laughed, as if he’d made a particularly funny joke.

Then, of all things, she smirked. “Guess I can’t blame you for wanting to catch up, though. You’re lucky the tide was coming in.”

Catch up? Why did people keep saying that?

Fuck. The general store. The storm.

“I have to get back to Kyushu,” he breathed. He didn’t know what came over him. He’d abandoned his agency, his sidekicks -

Now, it was the woman’s turn to blink in confusion. Her voice was carefully level. Quiet. “You really don’t know, do you?”

Hawks frowned. “Know what?”

The woman only shook her head, like he’d said something incredibly sad. Then, she stretched out a hand, waiting patiently until he took it.

He followed her out of the shade, which he could now see had been formed from a makeshift hut. Bare feet padded on soft grass, and he didn’t know where his boots had gone. Probably lost at sea, if he had to guess.

Despite everything--his aches and pains, the old woman’s strange demeanor--Hawks couldn’t help but be taken in by the greenery all around him. It was lush, vibrant. So unlike the concrete jungle he’d claimed to love all his life.

It seemed… familiar. Pulled straight from his dreams.

They turned a corner, and Hawks gasped.

At first, all he could see were the wings. There were so many different colors, different textures. Plumage, furred, leathery. He could even see some that were scaled, gathered together on the fringes. Horned, like a dragon’s.

Then, he noticed the people. They were also of varying colors, though not as glaringly so. There must have been hundreds, if not a thousand below, from what he could make out from their vantage point.

There were children playing. Adults, sharing foodstuffs between campfires.

Some were flying.

He turned, a million questions on his tongue. They all died when he found the woman already looking at him, her expression solemn.

He let out a nervous chuckle. Reached up to rub the back of his neck. “I’ve been missing something big, haven’t I?”

The woman ignored his question, in favor of asking another. “What is your name, young man?”

“Keigo,” he sputtered, before he could say Hawks. “Takami Keigo.”

His companion nodded, like he’d revealed something of great importance, instead of just stating his name. She stretched out a withered arm, gesturing toward the scene below with sharp, taloned fingers.

He hadn’t even noticed that, when she’d taken his hand.

“Keigo,” she said. “Welcome... to the migration.”

Uncertain of his welcome, he took a cautious step forward. Then, emboldened by the encouraging look the older woman shot him, he took another. Stretched out his own wings, unafraid of frightening passerby, or knocking something over. Maybe, he thought, I can stay. For just a while longer.

He took flight, and it felt like coming home.

Deep within his gut, the pull lessened.

Wavered.

...

Disappeared.

***

côté méchant = villainous, nasty side (via Google translate; I don't actually speak French)

[memesiders]

Part 3

Death x OC Office AU

(Idk if you guys are even still interested in this but it's helping me get back into writing so imma keep posting it until y'all tell me "STOP!!!" Also I'm on mobile so I can't do a "keep reading" thing I'm so sorry I know it must be annoying)

“Do these leggings make my ass look to big?” I stood sideways in front of the mirror, studying my butt. Today was my first official day on the job, and I was nervous as hell.

“Everything makes your butt look big,” Neema answered, giggling. I scowled at her and stuck my tongue out, turning back to the mirror.

“Seriously, is this okay? Professional enough?”

“Ugh, it’s fine!” She joined me in front of the mirror and grabbed the hem of my baby pink top, pulling it down over my butt. “You look great, alright? It’s not like you’re gonna go to meetings or anything, right? No need for stuffy clothes.” I smiled a little and nodded. She was right, but I still felt uneasy. Maybe my outfit was too casual. “You don’t have time to change anyways, it’s almost eight thirty.”

“Shit!” I grabbed my phone and bag, running out of the room. “Love you, don’t answer the door for strangers!” Neema had gotten a three-day suspension from school after the incident, not that she minded. I hated leaving her alone, but she was sixteen and I had to stop babying her at some point, even if I didn’t like it.

“Go kick ass at work!” she called after me. I picked up my small box of things next to the door and said one last goodbye before running out.

I barely made it in time to catch the bus. I paid the two-dollar fee and searched for a seat, weaving through people. A demon standing in the aisle moved forward as much as he could to allow me to pass, his leathery wings barely missing my face as I squeezed by. Getting hit by wings wasn’t fun, I knew that from personal experience. I ducked behind an angel who was preoccupied on her cellphone and spotted an empty seat, breathing a sigh of relief. I plopped down and set the box next to me, checking the time. Eight forty.

It should only take me ten minutes to reach the office if traffic is light. I mentally cursed myself for not leaving sooner; arriving late would not be a good look for me. Amber had emailed me on Thursday to let me know my schedule and tell me who would be there to show me around. She also informed me that this was a trial run. At the end of three months, Death would decide whether or not I really could be useful. I was hellbent on proving myself, though my mission had gotten off to a late start.

I sighed and checked my email but I had nothing but spam and notifications telling me that my favorite items were on sale. Too bad I didn’t have money to burn, otherwise I’d have been excited by the news. I closed the app and checked another site, my mood not getting any better. All I saw were pictures of friends and families having the time of their lives, vacationing in the Caribbean or announcing their engagement. Apparently, my cousin was pregnant with a baby boy, oh joy. I groaned to myself as I continued to look through my timeline, feeling worse about my situation. I wanted to be able to take my sisters on vacation; hell, I wanted to be able to afford to buy them lunch one day.

I wanted to be able to buy Neema all the manga she could ever want, and make enough so Safiya never had to work another double shift again. I wanted to be able to take care of them for once.

I logged off and threw my phone in my bag, trying to ignore my pathetic self. I had a job, and that was good enough for now. I’d be able to help buy groceries and pay bills; the fun stuff could wait. My stop came up and I gathered my things, making my way back to the front. The angel from earlier was still on the phone and hadn’t noticed me. She turned to get off as I was trying to get past her and smacked me right in the face with her large wings. I fell back into one of the seats, my face stinging and mouth full of feathers.

The person in that seat shoved me forward and I stumbled to the exit, getting off as fast as I could. I set my box down and spat out the feathers in my mouth, plucking a few out of my hair. Today was definitely not starting out the best. I grabbed my things and started down the street, attempting to hold myself high. Nothing was going to ruin this, not even what had just happened.

I crossed the street and arrived at the large black building, my heart leaping into my throat. The last time I’d been here, I’d been forcibly removed. Now I was coming back as an employee. Well, temporary employee, for now. I exhaled the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and pulled open one of the glass doors, walking in. The lobby didn’t look any different than it had the last time I saw it; black leather sofas and chairs pressed against the walls, magazines stacked neatly on glass coffee tables. The floor and walls were made of black marble, as was the front desk. There was a waterfall on one of the walls with a small pool filled with pennies. I’d tossed one in yesterday, wishing for the job I was now about to officially begin. I smiled and felt a weight lift off of my shoulders; this was a new beginning.

“You’re late.” I flinched and sucked in a sharp breath, twirling around. Leaning against the wall was Death, a frown plastered on his face and an eyebrow arched.

“You scared the shit out of me,” I hissed, taking one hand off of the box to place over my heart. “Do you get your rocks off by sneaking up on people?” He cocked his head slightly and I bit my tongue. That probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say to my new boss. “I, uh, I mean…” He stared at me silently, the quiet between us growing awkward, at least on my part. I shook myself. “I’m not late.”

“It’s nine o’ two.” I snorted. Shit, bad idea again. “I told you nine sharp.”

“I know, I’m sorry. There was a problem at home and then the bus-” He put his hand up, cutting me off, and pushed off the wall.

“Come,” he said, crooking a finger. I refrained from rolling my eyes and followed him. He looked at me for a moment and reached out, touching my hair. I jerked back a little and his hand returned with an angel feather in hand. I blushed. “Run in with an angel?”

“An inconsiderate one,” I replied. He hummed in amusement and nodded, turning back around and walking. My eyes wandered his body as I walked behind him, gaze settling on his ass. Nice. I was so caught up in appreciating him I nearly ran right into him when he stopped. “This is Nora.” I quickly looked up as he turned and gestured to the red-haired woman behind the front desk. “She’ll be your coworker and mentor. If you have any questions, ask her.” I smiled at the woman and shook her hand. “Now, I trust I won’t be hearing any complaints about you? After all, you can take whatever I throw at you, right?” I squinted my eyes a little, giving him a sickeningly sweet smile.

“I won’t be any problem at all, Death, you have my word.”

“Sir.”

“Hmm?”

“At work, you will address me as "Sir.” I held back another snort.

“Kinky,” I muttered under my breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, Sir.” He stared at me for a few seconds, a strange glint in his eye.

“Don’t make me regret hiring you, Miss Banks,” he said. He sounded as though he was already regretting it.

“I won’t let you down, Sir.” He let out a breath that almost sounded like a chuckle and said goodbye to both Nora and I before leaving. I stared after him, a small smile on my face; that man was something else.

“I’m glad he finally found someone,” Nora said. I snapped my head back to her.

“What?”

“To fill the job,” she explained. “I thought I’d never be able to cut back my hours.” Warmth spread through my cheeks and I nodded, smiling politely.

“I didn’t think he’d hire me to be honest,” I laughed. “He must love me.” She laughed and pulled up a chair for me, sitting in her own. I gladly sat down, setting my box in my lap.

“The only love the boss has is for his siblings, I’m afraid.” I frowned slightly.

“Really? I saw him with his brother during my interview and he seemed like he’d have thrown him through the window if he had the chance.” Nora laughed.

“Which one? Strife?” I nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen those two get along, though they might behind closed doors; I’ve only ever interacted with them at work.” I nodded slowly. I wondered how people saw me and my sisters. We loved each other to eternity, but in public it could definitely seem like we didn’t care for each other.

Maybe that was how Death and his siblings were?

“Anyways, I’m glad you’re here,” Nora said, breaking me out of my thoughts. “That means I can spend less time at work and more time with my little one.”

“You have a kid?” I asked. Her smile widened and she nodded, grabbing her phone and showing me her wallpaper. It was her, a bald man, and a tiny baby. It looked cute, I guess; a button nose, big green eyes and a head of black hair. I wasn’t particularly into kids. Maybe if I had a more stable life and the right person, but I never really saw the appeal. “Cute, how old are they?”

“Ten weeks,” she cooed, staring lovingly at the photo. “She’s a bit of a troublemaker but I couldn’t imagine life without her. I just want to spend every moment I can with her.” I nodded and she put her phone away, still looking like she was on cloud nine. “I’m lucky to work here. Death was very accommodating and gave me more time off than I deserved, really. When I asked to cut back my hours, he didn’t even flinch; just gave me the time I wanted and told me I’d have to train whoever he hired next.”

I smiled; that was really kind of him. Way kinder than I thought he was capable of; perhaps we’d just gotten off on the wrong foot? “Anyways, enough about me! We should probably get a crack on, shouldn’t we? There’s a busy day ahead of us.”

“Yes, we probably should,” I agreed.

****

The week flew by faster than I was expecting. Nora had showed me around the building and explained to me all of my duties. Faxing, taking calls, making calls, scheduling appointments, emailing reminders and updates, making sure visitors were checked in and given passes, keeping the lobby clean, collect and sort mail, deliver mail on some occasions, and so much more my head was spinning. The fact that she had done so much by herself for so long was baffling. No one person should’ve been able to do all she had. It almost made me regret taking the job. The paycheck coming up was the only thing keeping me sane.

“Just three more days,” I muttered, doodling on my notepad. My stomach rumbled loudly, a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I winced and curled over a little, nausea washing over me like a wave. We were scrambling to save food at home, which meant eating less than was good for us. It had been messing with me lately and today way no different. I felt like throwing up, but I knew nothing would come out if I did. There was nothing in there to vomit up.

“Az, are you okay,” Nora asked, hanging up her phone. I straightened out and gave her a reassuring smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied, ignoring the pain in my stomach. “Just a little hungry is all.”

“Well, lunch is coming up, so don’t worry; we’ll get some food in ya then.” I nodded at her, appreciative of her kindness. I really wanted to tell her “I don’t have money for lunch! My next meal is probably gonna come out of a trashcan!” but I didn’t. I really didn’t want anyone knowing how pathetic I was that I couldn’t even afford lunch.

“Sounds great,” was all I said. She smiled at me and picked up another call. She was only on the phone for about a minute. “Looks like the boss wants to see you.” I frowned. What had I done? I hadn’t caused trouble; at least, not enough to warrant attention. I blew out an exhausted breath and pushed away from my desk, standing.

“Alright, I guess I’ll be seeing you in a bit.” She nodded and turned back to her computer screen, typing away at an email. I went to the elevators and pushed the up button, resting my hands on my hips. I was confused, to say the least. I hadn’t raised trouble at all. Well, that wasn’t entirely true; some guy had decided to try and get handsy with me while I was delivering some mail. He’d gotten his nose broken.

I’d had to file a report about it but I hadn’t been reprimanded, nor had I heard anything about it since then. Maybe it was just now getting around to Death. I frowned a little; he better not have called me up to his office to punish me. That would piss me off more than anything else he’s done since our first meeting.

The elevator dinged, the doors opening up, and I stepped in. I smashed the top floor button and leaned back against the metal handlebar, blowing a few strands of hair out of my face. I couldn’t help but be nervous. “Maybe it’s not anything bad,” I said to myself. “Maybe he’s just curious about how you’re doing? Or he wants you to do something for him? Something that Amber can’t do? Fuck…” I shook my head and straightened up as the elevator once again dinged. I breathed deeply as the doors opened, and stepped out.

Amber didn’t even look up when I walked out, gave me the go ahead to enter Death’s office. I thanked her and quietly opened one of the doors, slipping in. Death was against his desk, half sitting and half standing, with his office phone pressed to his ear. His face was contorted into a scowl, his jaw clenched tightly and the vein in his neck popping.

“I’m not going,” he growled into the phone, thrumming his fingers against the desk. “I have no need!” The person on the other end was shouting back at him, I could hear it from my position in front of the now closed door. “I don’t care what they want, they have you, War, and Strife; that should be enough for them!" The person they were talking to got even louder, and I could hear it was a woman’s voice. “Don’t threaten me, Fury.” His face was getting red, his eyes burning brightly.

Suddenly he pushed away from the desk and threw his hand up. “As I said, I have no need to-” Fury cut him off. Death still hadn’t noticed me, so I cleared my throat loudly enough to grab his attention. He looked at me and snapped his fingers, pointing to a chair. Without thinking, I obeyed, hurrying over and plopping myself down into the seat; I had no doubt he was angry enough to fire me right then and there if I didn’t listen. I could hear a few of Fury’s words now that I was closer.

Words like “council,” and “party,” and “pull up your big boy pants before I come down there and beat you senseless.” There was also the threat of dragging him by the ear to whatever party they were all supposed to be at. I nearly laughed; this must’ve been his sister, because there was no way anyone else would’ve been able to get away with saying the things she was. After a few more minutes of fighting, Death conceded. “Fine,” he huffed, falling into his chair. “I’ll be there, but don’t expect me to play nice with others.” Fury had calmed down now too, I couldn’t hear her anymore, but I was sure she was satisfied and probably had a smug look on her face. Death said his goodbyes and hung up the phone, muttering curses under his breath. He sighed and rubbed his temples slowly, running a hand through his hair. I shifted awkwardly.

“Are you okay, Sir,” I asked softly, unsure of whether or not I should say anything. He grunted and looked at me, straightening in his seat.

“I’m fine, thank you.” I nodded, tugging at the hem of my skirt.

“Nora said you wanted me up here? Is this about that asshole on the third floor? I won’t apologize for breaking his nose, you know.” Death snorted and shook his head, his demeanor changing. He looked less annoyed than he had just a moment ago.

“Don’t worry, it’s not about that,” he assured me. “He deserved it, and has been properly removed from the company.” My eyes widened slightly; I hadn’t expected that. I thought he’d just get a slap on the wrist or something. Death clasped his hands together and cocked his head slightly. “No, I called you up here to ask how you were settling in. Anything too much for you?” I frowned a little and shrugged.

“Not really,” I explained. “It’s a little difficult having to remember everything but Nora’s been a big help. I’m worried that I might be annoying her with all of my questions.” I laughed a little and the corner of his lips turned up slightly.

“Don’t apologize; I’d rather have you ask a lot of questions and be prepared than ask none and mess things up. I’m sure Nora feels the same way.” I nodded appreciatively. My stomach rumbled loudly and I blushed.

“I’m so sorry.”

“No need. Have you had lunch yet?” I shook my head. “I should probably let you get to it then. It’s around your break time, I believe.” I nodded and thanked him, standing. The world started to swim and I felt my heart leap into my throat, my vision blurring further. My legs gave out without warning and I fell back into my seat, breathing heavily. Death was by my side almost immediately. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, sorry,” I said, rubbing my throbbing head. “I just haven’t been able to eat much lately.” I bit my tongue after the last word came out and silently cursed myself.

“What?” he asked, concern lacing his words. “What do you mean?”

“It’s nothing, really. I’m sorry for worrying you.” I tried to stand but Death sat me back down. I couldn’t really put up much of a fight.

“What do you mean, Aziza?” I looked up at him, my heart pounding. Again, with the reaction? Why did it make me feel so strange whenever he said my name? I stared into his eyes, my face growing warm, and shrugged.

“There’s not much food in the house so I’ve had to skip a few meals. It’s no big deal, I just have to wait a few days for my paycheck.” He frowned at my words and I gave him a small smile. “I’ll be fine, I just felt a little faint. It won’t affect my work, I promise.” He scoffed.

“Stay here,” he ordered, leaving me. He went to the doors and opened one of them, sticking his head out and talking to Amber. He came back a minute later and sat down behind his desk. “I had Amber order some food for you.” My eyes widened.

“You what?” I squeaked.

“I had her order a cheeseburger. Unless you’re a vegetarian?”

“I’m not, but-”

“Good, then you can wait here until the food arrives.” I stared at him, my mouth open slightly. Had he really just ordered me food? Why? I couldn’t afford to pay him back. Was he gonna take it out of my paycheck? I felt an odd sensation at the thought of him doing something like that for me; a sensation I didn’t know if I liked or not.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I said, trying not to sound too defensive. “I’m fine, and it’s not like you owe me anything. I need to get back to work anyways.” He rested his chin on his clasped hands, studying me carefully. My face grew warm again and I stared back at him.

“Yes, I did have to,” he said coolly. “You work in my building, which means I’m responsible for you. If you collapse on the job then I’ll have to give you time off to recover; time neither of us can afford. Nora will have to keep on full time until you recover and by the time you come back, you’ll have forgotten how everything works. Besides, I can’t have a starving receptionist; your hunger will make you forget things and then I’d have to fire you, and then where would you be? You’d be starving… Again.” I blinked, thinking over his words. He wasn’t doing this out of the kindness of his heart, which reassured me a little, but I was still uncomfortable. Even though it all made rational sense, I still felt uneasy about it.

“Okay, you’ll take it out of my pay, right?”

“No.” I sat up straighter.

“What? You have to; I don’t feel comfortable just letting you-”

“Is it that much of a deal?” He sounded amused. His lips had formed a small smirk.

“Yes, it is. You’re my boss and you’re just buying me food like I’m your girlfriend or something.” He hummed a little and leaned back in his seat, shrugging his shoulders.

“Fine, if it means that much to you, then there is something I’d like you to do.”

“Anything,” I quickly replied, feeling a bit of relief. “As long as I can do something to pay you back.” He cocked his head, a fang peeking out from his upper lip. A shiver ran down my spine.

“The company is hosting a party tomorrow night and my presence has been demanded,” he explained, rolling his eyes. “I need a date.” My eyes nearly popped out of my head. “It’s not a real date, but my sister insists I bring someone; something about she doesn’t want me embarrassing her.” I started to ask why he didn’t take Amber, but he beat me to it. “My brothers will be there, and Amber and Strife are not friendly with each other. Also, she has plans for that night.” I nodded, my stomach twisting into knots. My palms started to sweat and I clenched my hands into fists. I couldn’t exactly say no, not after he bought me food. I didn’t even know why he was asking me; we weren’t exactly friendly with one another. In fact, this was the first time since I’d began working here that we’d seen each other.

“Why ask me?”

“Why not?” I frowned, cocking my head like he’d done not long ago. That wasn’t really the answer I wanted, but it looked like that was the only one I was getting.

“I don’t exactly have the clothing for a party, and I don’t know how I should act.”

“You don’t have to act any way, just be yourself. As for clothes, I’ll have something picked up for you.” This was too weird to get my head wrapped around. “You don’t have to come with me, Aziza.” I flicked my eyes back to his. “I can face my sister’s wrath, don’t worry. I only asked because you seem bent on repaying me.”

“I’ll do it,” I quickly replied. “I’m just worried I’ll embarrass you or something.” That wasn’t exactly a lie. I was worried about doing something embarrassing, I just wasn’t worried about it affecting him.

“Strife will be the embarrassing one, don’t worry about that.” I scoffed playfully and leaned back in my seat. “I’m serious, Aziza, you don’t have to come.”

“I said I’ll do it and I’ll do it.” My words were final. I wasn’t going to back out because I was a little uncomfortable, even though that’s exactly what I wanted to do. Death hummed softly and stared at me, an almost soft look in his eyes. “Just know that I have a hard time keeping a filter on myself.” Death chuckled.

“Perfect.”

[yodawgiherd]

Wind's howling

Rating: T

>>>Read on AO3<<<

“No….no, I’m still not feeling it. Take it off. “

“You can’t be serious. “

“Oh but I very much am. “

The make-up lady was patient, very patient in fact, but even she had limits. With an expression of total anguish, she turned towards the bald photographer.

“Dot. For god’s sake, we’ve been sitting here for the last hour trying different things, and you are still not satisfied. What the hell do you want? “

“I… don’t know! But not this, that’s for sure. “, he gave the woman a very friendly smile. “I’m sorry, I really am, but I can’t work unless It’s perfect. “

She groaned, turning towards Mikasa who was perched on the stool and started dabbing her face with a wet cotton pad, removing the make-up she placed there a mere minutes ago. Behind her, Pixis started pacing around the room, muttering to himself.

“I’m sorry I’m taking so much of your time. “, Mikasa whispered, feeling the woman’s pain.

“Oh don’t be. “, she smiled at her, “You are an amazing model dear, not a word of protest or discomfort, I wish I could work with you every day. Dot….Dot is always like this. “, with a practiced motion, she wiped the eyeliner away with one sweep, “This is my job after all. “

“Mikasa, tell me, when you train, you don’t wear anything right? “, that was Pixis asking, coming close after he finished his round around the studio.

“W-What? Of course I’m wearing clothes! “

“Oh, no, not like that. “, he grinned when he saw her blush furiously, “I mean make-up. You don’t have any when you work out right? “

“Well, of course not. Why would I? “

He snapped his fingers.

“That’s it. We are going to make the shoot without any make-up. “

The make-up artist was just about done.

“Pixis…“

“No, no, it makes perfect sense! This is a gym clothes presentation, and I aim to make it as realistic as possible! “

Model with a naked face. You know what? Fine. The girl had a really pretty complexion anyway, nicely pale skin which complimented her black hair. The artist gave up. With a last shrug, she carefully wiped everything from Mikasa’s face, leaving it completely bare, before standing up and going to sit by the door with an expression of total apathy. The model-in-making straightened herself, looking around the room. It was arranged to look a little bit like the gym, with Dot having a few men drag in actual machines. There was a punching bag, bench-press, and a few more, but somehow, she didn’t feel right at home. Maybe because of the lights everywhere and the agitated photographer running around.

“How do you want me? “, she asked, kinda eager to be done with this.

Upon hearing the slight hitch in her voice, he stopped and walked over to her, putting a supportive hand on her shoulder.

“You are still nervous, aren’t you? “

“Yes…“

“Look, Mikasa, I know that’s it’s rather cliché to say, but just be yourself. “

“But I just…“, she hugged herself, the earlier boldness she felt completely gone by now, “I don’t feel like a model. “

“Don’t feel like a model? “, he repeated after her, shaking his head, “And how is a model supposed to look like? You have a body to die for, my dear, and it’s clear to see that this, “, he gestured around himself, pointing at the gym machines, “is what you are good at, it’s something you understand. So use it. The muscles you have, don’t hide them, show them! Be proud of your work! Look, If I wanted a generic blond woman, I could pick one out of the hundreds that apply here. But those, they wouldn’t fit like you do, you are a natural for this kind of photoshoot. So please, as I said, just act like you normally do when you work out, and ill snap a few photos. That’s it. “

Following his advice, Mikasa took a deep breath and walked over to the punching bag, hitting it a few times experimentally. The clothes she had on now were similar to her normal gym wear, tight cropped top and shorts, not hindering her movements at all. And as she gave in to the routine, everything, the lights, Pixis, all of the studio simply faded into the background. Why did it matter where she was? Here, there’s a bag, punch it. Mikasa was just getting warmed up when a hand fell on her shoulder, and after she turned she could see that it was the photographer, eyes shining.

“That was amazing! The expression of perfect focus! The grace! The strength! “

“Ehm… Why did you stop me then? “

“Well, “¸ he pointed at her chest, “we need you to change clothes, I got this set covered. “

This went on for some time, with Mikasa being left to her own devices, Dot only chiming in when he needed her to dress in something different. It was…relaxing after all. There really was no pressure from anyone, just a few quick easy requests from time to time, that was it. And Mikasa, despite her expectations, found herself enjoying this. When Pixis put down the camera, calling it a day she wasn’t even winded, but looking outside she could see that the sky darkened significantly. And a new thought struck her.

Where the hell was Levi?

“It was…uhm…nice working with you…Petra. “

“Same. Be seeing you. “

And with that Petra, who he hasn’t seen since college, turned her back and left. Once he was alone, he leaned back against a wall, feeling his heart hammering in his chest. Fuck, this so was awkward. Levi really wished that he could have a cigarette right now, but there was some bullshit rule about no smoking inside and shit, so he ran a palm over his face instead. When she came through the door for the first time, they both froze. It was really her. He knew Petra back in college, she was his…friend? Sometimes he liked to think that they were about to be more. But then the stuff with Mikasa happened, Levi had to drop out, and he hasn’t seen her since. He couldn’t say anything, he just stared at her, unable to conjure any two words together. In the end, it was her who managed to move first, coming close with an outstretched hand.

“Hello, my name is Petra Ral, I’ll be your photographer today. Can we start? “

Taken back, he shook her hand, thoughts racking in his brain. Did she forget him? But if she did, why did she freeze when she came in? It made no sense. But Petra was already setting up her machine, completely ignoring him. For some reason, she just acted like she didn’t know him, and he, having no idea what to do, went along with it. She took the photos with an efficiency of a professional, talking to her model only when she had to, the camera in her hand snapping away. Levi followed every instruction she gave him as quickly as he could, and they proceeded swiftly, until she straightened and announced that they are done. And left, without another word. Fuck. To add insult to injury, he could see Mikasa approaching with some old man in tow, apparently deep in a conversation.

“…oh don’t be so modest, your ass is going to make that brand of yoga pants a best seller. And we haven’t even done the bikini yet! That reminds me, is there something else we could use? “, he was just asking.

“Well, I ride a bike…“

“Amazing! We could definitely use a new face for biker stuff, and you would look gorgeous in leather! I’ll put that on a table for Kiyomi. How about….“

But Levi just wanted to be fucking gone, the unexpected meeting turning his world upside down.

“Hey brat, you done? Can we go? “, he stepped in, rather rudely interrupting Pixis.

“Yea… Sure, ehm…“, she turned back towards Dot, “Thanks for everything, today was a lot of fun. “

Ignoring her rude midget of a brother, he smiled at her.

“Of course, anytime. I’ll be in touch! “

With that, they parted, with him going back to the studio while Mikasa came to stand next to Levi.

“What’s eating you? “, she asked, frowning.

“Nothing. Let’s just fucking bail. “, he walked away at a brisk pace, heading towards the exit. They couldn’t get out of this fucking building fast enough.

“Just act normal, please. “

“Sure, let us all forget that she broke your heart and…“

“She didn’t break anything, okay? We just ended it, it happens. “

Sasha groaned, frowning at Armin who was so pale that she wondered if there is any blood left in his face.

“I’m still going to spit in her drink though. “

“Please don’t. “

“I just don’t understand! Why would you invite her here? “

“I just…“, honestly speaking, Armin had no idea what made him call Annie and ask her if she would come to the bar. Desperation? Alcohol? Probably both. “She said that we can still be friends so…. Please? For me? “

“Fine! But you owe us. “

“Thanks Sasha, you are a doll. “, he leaned down, wrapping her in an awkward hug, but that didn’t stop her from frowning. Honestly speaking, she was very, very far from forgiving Annie, but if Armin begged them to try and do their best to act friendly towards her…. Damnit, she liked the guy too much.

It didn’t take Annie long to arrive, fidgeting with her buttons on the way in, clearly also not very comfortable. But well, promise is a promise. So Sasha wheeled herself over to her, pushing her dislike down and chattering away. With the help of drinks and the fact that she came here to work, not just stand around, the awkwardness slowly melted. It wasn’t gone, but it grew a tiny bit smaller, as everyone just sort of accepted her being there. It was surely handy that Annie was rather knowledgeable about this kind of work, filling in for Carla who had some charity stuff to do today and couldn’t be at the bar. With Eren at work and Mikasa and Levi doing god knows what for the fashion mogul, it left just Connie, Sasha, Jean, Armin and now Annie to move the work forward, even by a tiny bit.

With the day progressing, Jean was the first one to leave, saying that he has some errands to run, but both Armin and Annie continued until the sky went dark and evening came. Seeing them together, watching the teamwork they had, Sasha wondered what the hell happened between them that made them end their relationship. They just looked so good, managing to relax in each other’s presence even with the elephant in the room, making Sasha question if they truly moved past, or if they were only very good at pretending.

“I appreciate all that you did, but we are about to close. So unless you wanna sleep here, you should head out. “, she said, wheeling herself over to the pair.

“Oh, right. Erm…“, Armin scratched the back of his head while Annie played with the hammer in her lap, “We’ll be right out. “

Once outside the bar however, Armin realized that he didn’t want to part himself from Annie, not yet. Her presence just warmed him, inside out, something no one else managed to do.

“Hey, want me to show you something? “, he asked, doing his best to smile.

She nodded. And his heart fluttered.

It took them about half an hour before they reached their destination, a rooftop of one of the buildings around.

“Wow, the view is….breathtaking….“¸ she said, looking over the darkened city, with stars shining over their heads.

“We used to come here with Eren, back when we wanted a break from the world. It’s pretty relaxing wouldn’t you say? “

“Yeah….“, she leaned on the railing, and after gathering his courage, Armin followed, coming to stand next to her. Together they enjoyed the way the city was slowly lighting up with the thousands of little artificial suns. But then, then Armin looked left, and she looked right, and they saw something shining even brighter than all of those combined. When they kissed, everything, all the pain and suffering he went through was nothing compared to this feeling, because now, he felt that he matters again, that the future is bright and….

Something hard pushed against his chest. Armin staggered and fell backwards, landing on the hard ground and looking up at Annie, who was covering her mouth with one hand while staring angrily at him.

“W-What’s wrong? Annie? What…“

“Shut the fuck up. “

He had no idea what to say. Just a second ago, she was kissing him back as much as he was, and now there were tears of anger in the corners of her eyes, which she promptly blinked away. She was hurting, he could tell, he had to help her, do something…

“Annie…“

“I said, shut. The fuck. Up. “

She took a deep breath.

“I thought I can do this, but I can’t. We…can’t be friends, you understand? Armin, I wasted enough of my time on you, I don’t want to see you ever again. Don’t write. Don’t call. Don’t ever contact me again. We are done. “

Shaking her head, she took a few steps backwards before turning and running down the steps, disappearing from his view.

“Your phone is ringing brat. “

“I know. “, Mikasa glared at Levi for a second before picking up, not even looking who the caller was. “Can I help you? “

“Mikasa….Hey….“

She frowned. It was Armin, but he sounded so….down? “

“Hey Ar, what’s up? “

“Can we, uhm, talk? In person? “

“Sure thing, where you at? “

She waved at Levi who drove past her and into the city, leaving her alone.

“Do you remember the old roof where me and Eren used to come. We took you too after you guys started dating. “

“Sure, I’ll be there soon. “

Mikasa didn’t really question why he was up there. Armin was a free soul, perhaps he just needed a breath of fresh air. Taking a moment to make sure the helmet was secure on her head, Mikasa started up the engine and navigated the motorbike on the road and towards the place where her friend was. But when she parked and walked up the familiar steps, her heart jumped into her throat.

“Armin! Why are you… Armin why are you standing there? “

He turned back from the edge, behind the railing, where he was looking down into the street below, and smiled weakly.

“Hey Mikasa. You came. “

“Of course I did. Why don’t you come here so we can talk? “

But when she took a step forward he took one backwards, shaking his head. He was literally one more step away from the fall.

“No, no talking, not anymore. “

Seeing him balance on the rim of the roof, she stopped, eyes wide. What was he doing?

“Armin, please, step away from the edge. You don’t want to fall, do you? “

He barked out a laugh.

“What if I do? “

“Don’t talk like that. Please, just tell me, what’s happening? “

“It’s just… I realized something. “, he turned away from her back towards the city, watching the lights. “I’m a leech. “

“What? “

“A parasite. I’m not even a human being. Back when I was kid, I was leeching on Eren, but then he found you, and suddenly I had no host, no one to sap life from. “

“Nonsense, you are Eren’s friend not some parasite. “

“Oh please, who would want to be my friend? I’m nothing. “

“That’s not true. “

“Isn’t it? “, he barked out a laugh, “ You are an amazing fighter, now even a model, Eren is a prodigy surgeon. What am I then? Writer? We both know the best use for anything I write would be if people used the paper to wipe their asses. Oh, you are biased, because you know me, but we both can agree that its crap. And other than that, what do I have? Nothing. “

“What about the bar? The work you do here? “

“Sasha took me on only because she felt sorry for me, Connie was more than enough for her. “, he shook his head, “I’m nothing. I do nothing, just steal time from other people. I’m trash. “

Mikasa was slowly but surely uncovering the truth. There was only one person who could get Armin, who was otherwise always so happy and full of life, so down.

“This is about Annie, isn’t it? “

“No, this is about me. I can’t blame her that she realized the truth sooner than I did and understood that spending time with me is a waste. You should do the same. “

Mikasa could feel her fists balling. She had no idea what that bitch did, but this was way too far. Way too fucking far.

“Armin listen to me, you are a great guy and an amazing friend, to me, to Eren, to Connie and Sasha, hell, even my brother likes you. Uncountable times you managed to cheer us up when we felt down, helped us in need, or just was there for us when we needed someone to talk to. And we both know you are a great writer, so cut that crap. Please, don’t let Annie do this to you, come here, and let’s talk. “

The wind was howling around them.

“Looks like rain. “, he said, not looking at her, still watching the city.

Armin took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Mikasa. “

And he stepped forward.

[reluctantwrites]

Surprise Guests

@carverly this was just the sweetest prompt and I couldn’t resist! It got quite long though, so be forewarned! (Approx 3500 words, most under the cut)

When a bad bout of the flu swept through Skyhold, no one expected it to hit Cyrus so hard or so suddenly. What had begun with a simple case of the sniffles and drowsiness progressed rapidly throughout the day’s training.

Maybe it was just bad luck, in the end. Admittedly, that wouldn’t surprise Cyrus, given his track record. He had been feeling light headed when Hanin brought them out to the field for riding practice, but of course, he had said nothing. In the end, he’d probably spent a total of five minutes in the saddle before his vision began to blur, the pressure in his head mounting, the world darkening at the edges. It had been pure instinct that had driven him to tug on the reins, slowing his mount. At least, when he blacked out and tipped from the saddle, he had not been moving quickly.

Unfortunately, that did little to soften the fall.

The journey from the field to the infirmary had passed in something of a blur. Part of Cyrus was grateful for that, given what he had overheard from the healers when they thought he was asleep. Apparently, Hanin had carried his half-delirious ass across Skyhold. In that instance, being barely conscious had actually been a blessing. Otherwise, Cyrus might have outright died from the humiliation of it all.

Well, at least he had some time alone to lick his wounds. Nurse his pride. Do… whatever it was people did when stuck on bedrest.

Heaving a deep sigh, Cyrus winced as he shifted, trying to change position on the narrow bed. He had done a number on his left side, according to the healer that had been tending to him since he arrived. Turned out falling from the saddle, even when the horse was barely moving, wasn’t exactly a great move, healthwise. Cyrus had asked if that was her professional opinion, and naturally, he had yet to receive a second visit. He supposed that was fair. It wasn’t like he was going to keel over and die if he was left alone.

But still…

Hanin would come to see him. The fact that the abnormally large elf wasn’t already clanking down the corridor to darken his doorway was actually something of a surprise. Then again, no one knew he was conscious.

Then again, maybe he was kidding himself to think that even mattered.

It was fine. He didn’t need them, or anyone. He certainly didn’t give a shit when people walked past his room to visit someone else further down the hallway. So what? No one really wanted to visit someone in the infirmary, and Cyrus sure as shit didn’t want them there, congregating like it was some kind of pity-party.

It was fine.

Hanin did come to see him, about an hour after he woke. It had been a simple, sombre affair. The disappointment had practically radiated off him. It took everything Cyrus had to meet his eye and nod when Hanin moved on from the simple questions (How are you? Do you need anything? Are they treating you well?) to things that were a little more difficult to stomach (Why didn’t you say something? Do you realise how badly you could have been hurt? Did I do something to make you not trust me?). The last one sank to the pit of Cyrus’ stomach like a stone. All he’d been able to say in response was a feeble it’s not that.

He could tell from the look on Hanin’s face as he left that he didn’t believe him.

Just like that, Cyrus was alone again. At least, until a different healer came to see him. This one, an older man with a grey-flecked beard, asked him more questions he didn’t know how to answer; ones that were somehow even worse than what Hanin had subjected him to.

Would you classify what happened as an accident? “Yes.”

I see. Are you experiencing any disagreements or tensions with anyone who was present when you fell? “I… no? No more than usual. What is this?”

Protocol, for people who visit the infirmary multiple times in a short time-span. Is there anything you want to report about your Captain or squad? “What? No. They had nothing to do with it. This was my fault, okay? Lay off.”

Were you aware you were ill? “Yes. I just said it was my fault. Do you need me to repeat it again?”

Do you often place yourself at risk, rather than seek help? “I… no? Yes? I don’t fucking know. What’s with all this shit? Just let me rest. I’ll be fine if you stop interrogating me.”

Very well. Are you absolutely certain there is nothing you want to say? Your name will not be disclosed. “You know what? Sure. How about this: fuck off.”

Even after sleeping well into following day, Cyrus remained bothered by the conversation. So what if he’d gone to the infirmary a few times? It was for different shit, and it was nothing to do with Hanin or the Dawn Squad. Once had been because he cut his hand cleaning a knife in the kitchens. Another was when he’d tripped carrying a bunch of wood up to repairmen on the battlements and hit his head. The most recent one, sure, had been after Brenner, one of Reynolt’s asshole recruits, gut-punched him after an evening at the Rest. He would have let it go if it hadn’t left him with trouble breathing.

Then more Cyrus thought about it, the more he had to admit it probably looked suspicious.

But the idea that he was being mistreated by his own squad? By Hanin? It was ridiculous. Sure, they had their differences, but in the end, they were a team. When he was with them, he knew he didn’t have to spend all his energy watching his own back. It was the safest he’d ever felt. In truth, sitting alone in the infirmary made him more anxious than recovering in the barracks. After all, there was nothing stopping someone who had a bone to pick with him coming over for a ‘visit’.

While Cyrus mulled over that unsettling thought, there was a sudden knock at his door. He jolted, pre-emptively on edge, part of him convinced that Brenner would be waiting for him, grinning the way he had after he’d sunk his fist into his gut. But instead, Cyrus was greeted by an unexpected sight.

“Hey.” Ralon raised a hand in a half-wave as he stepped into the room. “Heard you were up. Figured I’d drop in after lunch. Check if the healers had strangled you yet.”

Recovering and snorting dryly, Cyrus rolled his eyes. “Kind of you. Well, I’m alive. Sorry to disappoint.”

“Ah well, can’t have everything, right?” Casually, Ralon snagged one of the stools by the wall and carried it over, settling with a sigh at the side of Cyrus’ narrow bed. “So… you all good?”

Cyrus arched a brow. “You really going to pretend Hanin didn’t tell you?”

“Alright, you got me.” Ralon grinned and spread his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Just wanted to hear it from you. Plenty can change overnight.”

Despite shaking his head and looking away, Cyrus had to admit, Ralon had a point. He hated when Ralon had a point. “I’m fine. Just… weak, I suppose. From the flu and shit.”

“Sure. The flu.” The Antivan winked conspiratorially. “Pretty nice to have an excuse for those noodle arms for once, huh?”

“Oh fuck off. Noodle arms. Could still strangle your stupid ass with them.” Sure, they were taking shots at each other, but there was surprisingly no venom in the exchange. That was… different. Ralon just laughed in reply, and Cyrus found himself slipping into a chuckle of his own, which inevitably descended into a coughing fit. “Fuck,” he rasped after a few painful spasms, reaching out to accept the cup of water Ralon had hastily poured for him. “T-Thanks.”

“Yeah, no problem. Can you imagine if you died on my watch? Hanin would kick my ass back to Antiva.” Smiling, Ralon leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “So, what? You’re not going to ask why I’m the one sitting here?”

Mid-drink, Cyrus just gave a small one-shouldered shrug, eyes watering, chest sore from coughing. “Figured Hanin told you to check on me,” he said eventually, resting the empty cup on his lap and clearing his throat. “I’m surprised he didn’t send the kid, though. He’s usually the one who draws the short straw.”

To Cyrus’ surprise, Ralon let out a sudden, weary sigh. “Okay. Look. How about you cut that shit out, yeah?” Slowly, he reached out, taking the cup from Cyrus’ lap and setting it back on the side table beside the pitcher. “No one sent me, and it’s not a chore.”

Cyrus frowned. “Then why ask me that shit in the first place?”

A slow smile spread across Ralon’s face. “It was clearly my unique and creative way of letting you know that the others are late. Like a bunch of assholes.”

At that, Cyrus’ frown just deepened, confusion washing over his face. “Ralon, the fuck are you talking about?”

“He’s talking about us, Prickles!”

The sudden voice from the doorway snared Cyrus’ attention, his blue eyes snapping in the direction of the sound. And standing there, sure as shit, was Lyrene, Darren, and Connors. Lyrene winked as she strode into the room then paused and let out an appreciative whistle as she eyed the space. “Damn, Cyrus. You paying extra for the private room or something?”

At the suggestion, Cyrus felt his cheeks grow warm. “With what fucking coin, Lyrene?”

“Hanin probably scared the healers stiff, so they set you up in a nicest spot they had.” Ralon seemed delighted by the prospect, his eyes taking on that twinkling, mischievous look. “Well, that’s something to look forward to, I guess, if we ever faint on horseback.”

“I do love special treatment,” Lyrene agreed as she perched on the corner of Cyrus’ bed. “Sorry we’re late. Darren got distracted.”

At mention of the boy, Cyrus shifted and glanced across to where Darren was busying himself by the side-table, blocking what he was doing with his body. Cyrus was about to ask what the hell he was up to when the blond straightened, nodded, and stepped aside. There was a kind of quiet shyness to the moment as Darren revealed a small arrangement of flowers. They were all familiar; he must have picked them on the way to the infirmary.

“Before you say anything,” Darren said quickly as Cyrus opened his mouth to speak, “I just figured, you know… the infirmary’s kinda… well, it’s not the nicest place. I remember when I was here last, I missed going outside, and it’s warm enough now that flowers are blooming so…” The boy’s nerves got the better of him and he just gave the vase a sheepish look. “If you don’t like them, I can get rid of it.”

“No.” Cyrus’ voice was hoarser than usual. Luckily, he could blame it on the coughing fit. “They’re… fine. Just leave them, now that you’ve put them there.”

Anyone else might have been offended by such a begrudging response, but very few people knew Cyrus the way the Dawn Squad did. Darren’s face lit up with a smile so warm Cyrus felt like someone had brought a piece of the sun into the room. Maybe it was the stupid flowers, or the fact that everyone had come to see him, but he felt… good. Better than he should, at least, all things considered.

He had barely recovered when something was being pushed insistently into his hands. Turning his head, Cyrus cocked a curious eyebrow at Connors, surprised she had even bothered to come in the first place. “That is for rest,” she said, nodding to the small pouch. As Cyrus raised it to his nose and sniffed it tentatively, she continued. “Herbs. Brew them into a tea. I will have the healers bring you hot water when we leave.”

“You mean when we leaf?” Ralon grinned as the entire room descended into a chorus of pained groans. As Cyrus lacked the strength to do it himself, he was grateful when Lyrene reached over and swatted Ralon for the terrible pun.

“Anyway,” Darren said softly, settling down beside the bed, “I’m glad you’re not hurt. The Captain was really worried yesterday.” He hesitated, his words faltering, gaze sliding away. “We, um… all were.”

Cyrus watched Darren for a moment, and then relaxed into a tired half-smile. Reaching up, he ignored the pain in his arm as he roughly ruffled the kid’s mess of blond hair. “Yeah, well, I’m fine, alright? So stop worrying.”

“Oh, sure, we’ll stop worrying,” Lyrene drawled, crossing her arms and fixing Cyrus with a hard look, “when you stop giving us shit to worry about. You scared the crap out of us yesterday. What if you’d broken your neck?”

“Then I would have broken my neck.” Cyrus didn’t really know what to say. He wasn’t used to people calling him out on shit like that. “Guess I got lucky.”

“We all did.”

Cyrus turned, the sharpness of his expression melting away when he met Darren’s gaze and the kid smiled at him. “I’m serious,” he insisted, arms folded on the edge of the bed as he knelt beside it, “you scared us, but you're okay. That’s what matters. Just promise you’ll look after yourself. Please?”

Please? The room had descended into a strange, not quite awkward silence at the end of Darren’s request; a silence the rest of the squad let hang in the air until Cyrus was ready to break it.

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever.” Cyrus cleared his throat, glancing away. “I’ll be more careful.” The silence returned, this time verging much closer to awkward. Trapped in the thick of it, Cyrus finally broke and groaned. “You’re not all going to sit there looking at me like that all afternoon, are you?”

Exchanging glances, the others laughed, the mood lifting as they rose from their various positions. Lyrene stretched, wandering towards the door. “Nah. Wouldn’t want to torture you, Prickles.” 

Ralon winked and reached out, grasping Cyrus comfortingly on the shoulder. “Rest up. It’s not the same without your constant bitching. I’m having too much fun.”

“Yeah, fuck you too,” Cyrus replied, but a flicker of a smile gave away his true feelings as the group bundled up and bustled back out, almost knocking over one of the roaming healers. After they left, Cyrus’ gaze lingered on the doorway, a strange warmth alight in his center of his chest. Slowly, his attention drifted across the room and came to rest on the small cup of flowers. Dandelions.

He never realised how much he liked dandelions.

Cyrus had dozed off after drinking Connors’ tea, which was not nearly as horrific as he had been expecting. Feeling warm and hazy, he sighed, grateful for the thick blanket draped over him and the soft fur pressed against his hand…

Brow twitching, Cyrus opened his eyes, blinking away the echoes of sleep. It fled him in a rush when he realised what was beside him.

“Hey, you...” he mumbled. His fever had worsened, it seemed. He was lucky to have gotten the sleep he did, thanks to Connors. “What’re you doing here, boy…?”

The mabari whined, nosing against his hand, his large brown eyes so heart-melting that Cyrus shifted as best he could to scratch him behind the ears. A second mabari was also in the room, settled by the foot of the bed. She gave off the air of being older and wiser than her needy counterpart, who panted happily at the attention, tilting his head into the scratches.

“How’d you two get in?” Cyrus asked foggily. He wasn’t expecting an answer, which made it even more shocking when he got one.

“With great difficulty, so ah, try not to make too much noise, please.”

For a second, Cyrus stared in shock at the mabari he was scratching. Then his gaze drifted up to the doorway. A blond man stood there, broad-shouldered and sporting about two day’s worth of stubble. Halfway in the corridor, his blue eyes flicked back and forth, keeping watch for any prowling healers. After a moment, he spared a glance over his shoulder and gave Cyrus a kind smile. “They missed you, yesterday. It’s hard to say no to those faces when they want something.”

“Trevelyan?” Cyrus shook his head to clear it, gritting his teeth as he tried to sit up. A flash of pain lanced up his left side and he gasped. He almost abandoned the motion but the mabari he’d been scratching put his front paws up on the bed, leaning forward. With his help, Cyrus was able to haul himself into a sitting position. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why would your dogs miss me?”

With a final nervous glance, Jaime turned his back on the corridor, leaning against the doorframe. The look he gave Cyrus was as soft as his voice when he spoke. “I know you come down to the stables to see them in the evening.” He raised a hand when Cyrus stiffened. “Easy. It’s alright. I’m glad you do. They like you so much they’ll wait there even when it’s cold out, and you’ve never let them down.” He smiled at that, his gaze endlessly fond as it shifted to the two mabari. “Justin and Helen are picky, but Maker knows they chose you. They were so upset last night that I had to bring them here today to prove you’re alright.”

Justin gave a soft bark of agreement, leaning forward to nose at Cyrus’ cheek. Despite his state, Cyrus laughed weakly, reaching up to scratch the large hound’s face. “You missed me, huh? Well, I missed you too… Justin and Helen.” As he said the names, he fired an accusing look at Jaime. “Really? Those were the ones you went with for a couple of dogs?”

Laughing, Jaime just shrugged. “It suited them. They’re as good as people to me.”

Thoughtfully, still scratching Justin’s cheek, Cyrus’s gaze lingered on the two mabari. Eventually, he let out a soft huff and nodded. 

“Yeah. Better than people.”

It was the following morning, when the worst of his fever broke, that Cyrus awoke to the smell of something warm, fresh, and delicious. Stirring, confused, he rolled onto his side and came almost face-to-face with what appeared to be a pie of some description. Filling spilled down slightly on one side, the pastry so overfilled with berries that it could barely contain itself. Baffled, Cyrus looked around, relieved when he found a note wedged under the pie dish.

Cyrus,

Captain Lavellan mentioned you would not be assisting me in the kitchens for evening clean-up due to illness. I hadn’t realised you were not well. I hope it is nothing too serious.

I visited this morning but you were fast asleep and I felt it best to let you be. But if there is a cure for anything, it is my famous wildberry pie! Do try to eat it while it’s still warm, dear – and not all at once. I know what you soldier-types are like when it comes to food!

You rest up and take care of yourself. Let me know when you are well enough to keep me company in the kitchen, and don’t you dare come back a moment sooner!

Druselle (your favourite cook)

Stunned, Cyrus stared at the note, then the pie, then the note again. He’d always thought Druselle just put up with him during clean-up duty. It was just one of his chores; it wasn’t like he wanted to be there. Sure, he never skipped out, but so what? It’s not like he’d done her some huge favour out of the goodness of his heart. He barely even spoke to her, most nights, content to work in silence and just get the job done.

Maybe that was what she liked about it.

It was strange. Of all the people who had visited him, there was just something about Druselle’s pie and letter. It was something so unexpected that it hit Cyrus like a falling tree, leaving him bone-weak in his bed, the piece of paper held limply between his fingers. He’d always assumed that people just… didn’t like him. That it didn’t matter what he did or didn’t do. It was like he carried some kind of mark that only other people could see, labeling him as undesirable. A thing to be avoided.

But Druselle, the cook who had probably shared two words with him over the last couple of months, had got up in the early hours of the morning, when the sky was still dark and the birds were fast asleep, to make him her famous wildberry pie.

Sniffling, Cyrus shivered and reached up, swiping at his eyes, careful not to get tears on the paper. A tremulous laugh rolled up the back of his throat and stuck there like a stone, choking off sound for a moment as he marveled at his own ridiculousness. There was nothing to cry about. It was just a pie.

But, as Cyrus reached out and broke off a piece of the crust, the pastry buttery and still warm to touch, he was forced to admit a fundamental truth.

It was so much more than that.

[joonsmagicstudio]

CHAPTER 1: THE CLASH OF BILLIONAIRE’S (JJK)

genre: drama + romance

pairings: reader x jeon jungkook

word count: 1.2k

description: Past history + break up

warnings: sexual themes and shit load of swearing.

status: currently editing

story mini-masterlist here

Chapters: Prologue || Chapter 1  || Chapter 2 (coming soon) ||

Now

"Y/N! We got an emergency!" A male voice rung out as he shoved the door to my office open and stood still at my desk, letting the door swing back into its place. Now I am trying my level best not to brag, but my office was damn spacious and had the best damn view of New York city, I mean c'mon why wouldn't a CEO not have the very top floor as an office with glass windows and oh-so modern furnitures?

"Don't tell me that we ran out of fucking glitters for the dress because I swear I will go hulk crazy on yo-" I stood up from my chair with my hands flat on my desk, being over-confident about what this man was going to say, considering his dramatic 'We have an emergency' entrance.

"Y/N, what the fuck? I was going to tell you that we got a class five customer waiting down in the lobby and demands a dress that only you would be able to make." The man simply crossed his arms against his chest and raised his right eyebrows at me.

"Oh, sorry Holland." I looked down at my desk ashamed, well this was embarrassing.

"Oh sorry, that's all you say? Well missy, you better get your ass downstairs! It's a class five customer!" Holland chuckled and urged me to get moving to visit "class five" customer. Class five customer often meant an high ranking person in the society like celebrities, billionaire's and 'popular' people. And a class five customer wasn't that rare at my company, rather it was common. That's right my company is pretty damn well-known and prestigious. Heck even Beyoncé came here.

"Gosh Holland!" I mimicked a girly voice and added the classic basic bitch expression before skedaddling to the elevator that would take me downstairs. The elevator ride to downstairs hardly took my five minutes, but as I took a step out on the the ground floor, I was greeted with loads of 'Good Afternoon Madam" or a simple head nod in acknowledgment of my presence. The whole floor was filled with my workers running around, some with measurement tapes around their neck, some with pieces of fabrics in their hands of even a full dress in their hands and some chatting away with their clients of the designs and the fabrics. I stiffened my back and stood up straight to look more professional and walked all the way to the waiting room in the lobby.

There the reception counter was across the black sofas so the clients and customers would come in and take a seat after having checked in with the receptionist.

"Hey YooRa! How's your kids doing?" I walked over to the reception counter and leaned over with my arms rested on top of the counter.

"Oh Ms Y/L/N! My kids are doing fine! Thank you for asking me." The receptionist named YooRa was in her late 30's with her husband at home and kids at the middle school.

"Oh please, no need to call me Ms Y/L/N, kind of makes me feel old when I am just in my mid twenties!" I smiled at her and quickly glanced down at her small photo frame which held a picture of her kids and her husband. That family picture alone melted my heart for she had a loving family. I would ask her how her family was doing, because of the simple fact that that when she finished her work here and headed back home, she would have her kids running up to her and her husband hugging at the entrance of her house while I would have an empty house with nobody there to greet me back from work. One of the sad part of being a CEO.

"Oh Y/N! Stop it," YooRa giggled, "Well anyways your class five customer is in the waiting room, he is pretty handsome, his name is so good too! Jeon Jungkook, hmm imagine screaming that name out, I would have hit that if I didn't have a husband!" She chuckled at her sexual suggestion.

"Real funny YooRa, but it's against the rules to fuck your client YooRa and for fuck sake's I am a CEO." I shot back with a joking glare.

"Oh Y/N, it's time you let loose, lately everyone has to keep a distance between you since you've been a little sexually frustrated! When did you have last have sex? Since you were born?"

"Damn it YooRa! Back at it again with your immature self and by the way, for the record, Last time I had sex was..." I trailed off, realizing that she spoke the truth, the truth set in pretty deep and it hurt.

"Y/N? Since when did you last get relieved?" YooRa sat up a little straighter, concern lacing her voice.

"6 years..." I mumbled weakly, loud enough for her to hear, I tried not to reminisce that memory of the very man who degraded and lowered my self-esteem that day.

"Damn, that's a long time, a girl has its own need, even I do! I keep up with weekly, but 6 years is way too long, you need to blow of some steam. I kid you not, you have been recently overworking and over-exerting yourself now days. You have become a workaholic, Y/N. Honestly I don't know how you kept it together for the past 6 years!" YooRa shoulders sagged as her eyebrows stitched together in concern, why should she be concerned about my sex life anyways.

"Thank YooRa, but I don't need anyone to tell me what to do. I'll go to meet with the customer now if you don't mind." With that I left the reception and walked into the waiting room and stood there, forgetting the actual task on hand, I was momentarily distracted by the conversation with YooRa.

"Uh, excuse me Miss?" A sultry voice snapped me out of daze as I turned to face the owner of the voice.

"Yes, sorry, how may I help you?" I put on a sweet voice, ready to help the man.

"Yeah I am supposed to meet with the CEO, but apparently the CEO isn't here and I must add, a CEO is always punctual." He said curtly without lack of confidence.

"Ah my apologies, that would be me.  I am assuming you are Jeon Jungkook?" I smiled cautiously, already sensing that he was an asshole. For some reason I got that strange intuition of who is an asshole or not. But this one was just stamped with 'asshole' in bold red on his forehead. Looks like I am going to have a long day.

"Hilarious, look I get a lot of girls throwing their body at me and I am running out of time so if you just give me your number and then show me your CEO, perhaps after this I'll call you for a quickie." He had the audacity to wink at the end of his fucking request.

"Gladly, Mr. Jungkook." I bent down to rip a piece of a magazine paper from the center table and grabbed a nearby pen to write down my number, then folded it in half and tucked away, "I'll take you to the CEO's Office then." I gave him a cold smile.                       ----------------------------------------------------------- "Here, please take a seat," I spoke icily, signaling him to take a seat, my nice facade washed away as I took my seat, in my room, taking up my true role. "Mr.Jungkook, how may I help you."Mr. Jungkook a shabby man himself by the looks, he seemed young, mid or late twenties perhaps. A good amount of scruff and quite a broad man, indicating that he was a man who worked out, his face was well-structured and any ladies would have fallen at his feet, even me, only if it wasn't that shit personality he had.

But it was the wild panicked expression he had that amused me, now he realized who was talking to.

"Apologies, I didn't know. You seemed rather young that's why I mistook you for a-" I interruped him harshly.

"A young whore you meant to say? Look, I'm not a proctologist, but I know an asshole when I see one. Okay? So please leave sir, come back another time if you're so desperate." I slammed my hands on the desk again, effectively shutting him up.

"Look, geez you don't have to be a sensitive bitch over this." He rose to his full form, I am guessing some feet and something inch, but at this point, nobody cares.

I hesitated for a moment and scoffed, vigorously shaking my head  at his 'bitch' statement, was he really a moron? "Do I get a bonus point if I act like I care?"

Mr. Jungkook was about to open his mouth, and I assume - to speak some more shit, so I beat him to it.

"Get the fuck out of my building." I calmly pointing with my index finger towards the glass door and without any further ruckus, he left. I sighed and fell back into my chair, pinching the bridge of my nose.                       ------------------------------------------------------ Jungkook walked out of the well-known prestigious dress maker company, honestly all he wanted to do was get someone to tailor the dress for his sister wedding.

He approached the curb of the noisy NYC street and waved for a yellow taxi cab and within seconds a taxi came screeching to halt and the door swung open, "Where to Sir?" The driver asked, his eyes still trained on the road.

"Jeon Building." He replied as he sat into the passenger seat, closing the door behind him. He barely had the time to put on his seatbelt before the taxi skidded off to its destination.

The taxi pulled up in front of the Jeon Skyscraper and the driver switched of the engine, turning to the passenger seat. Jungkook was staring out the window with an absent expression on his rather handsome face, not even realizing that he had reached his destination.

"We're here, Sir." The driver said gruffly, with a hint of impatience lacing his voice.

Jungkook started slightly, turning from the window and blinked at the driver in confusion, his green eyes cleared and shook his head, "Apologies, I was thinking about several things." He muttered, already digging through his wallet and paid him a huge wad of cash, way more that the actual cab fare, "Keep the change." He said as he got out and shut the door then hurried through the drizzling rain of New York toward his own building.

He smiled at his own butler who was more like a father figure to him that his own biological father, "Hello Jisub, is my sister here?"

"Unfortunately not, she said she would be here in couple of hours. Delayed because of traffic jam. Have you got the CEO to make the dress? I hear she is the best after all." Jisub asked, his face devoid of any emotions, but when Jungkook and Jisub were alone, he was a little more loose and fun to talk to.

"Speaking of that, no. Well technically it didn't go too well. The CEO was a bit bitchy..." Jungkook rubbed his hands nervously.

"Really or was it your ego that got the best of you?" Jisub asked, raising his eyebrows and Jungkook swore that if they were alone, Jisub would have simply lectured him to keep his ego down.

"Ok, you know what, I am going to head up to my office." Jungkook changed the topic and headed off towards the open center of the building. He followed a succession of exquisite walkways and escalators until he came to the open dome right in the heart of the structure, that was the open cafe. He plopped into the vacant seat across the counter where the barista was busy making coffee's for the customer.

Jungkook sighed deeply, there was something that troubled him deeply after the incident with the CEO, which he thought was somebody else. What trouble him was that the lady seemed familiar but he couldn't put his finger on who was she or have they ever met before. He pondered over the thought of her, she did seem young, like him. Then it struck him, she gave him his number, so he hastily searched and patted all over his suit like a maniac before successfully finding the piece of a torn magazine sheet, he opened it and read the number:

                                     +1 212- GO-FUCK-YOURSELF-67

Jungkook raised his eyebrows in amusement at her discrete, well obvious move of saying go fuck yourself, he had to give her that point.

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

                                              Y/N - 1  // Jungkook - 0

Hope you enjoyed the long awaited 1st chapter, I’m sorry about the ship imagines, i will try to get through it but for some reason i’m unable to do so.

If you have any feedbacks or comment about this chapter, please don’t hesitate to let me know! 

[purplesurveys]

1237

disclaimer I’ll be taking into account the last 24 hours for the first part because it’s 3 in the morning and I haven’t really done anything yet lmao anywho

survey by chasingghosts

Have you today?

Looked in a mirror? Yeah I took a shower earlier so I couldn’t really avoid the mirror in the bathroom.

Watered a plant? I don’t do plants. Can never take care of them to save my life.

Worn denim? I did, actually. Some package came for me earlier today and I didn’t really look the most decent, so before heading out to meet the delivery guy I grabbed the first jacket I saw, which was denim.

Washed your hair? Yes, when I took said shower a couple of hours ago.

Been in pain? Yup my back and shoulders feel like hell from sitting on my ass all day while at work.

Had a nap? Kinda, I guess? I fell asleep at around 9, 9:30ish...woke up at around 1 AM, and here I am now. I don’t plan on sleeping anymore.

Brushed your teeth? Yup.

Kissed someone? Just my dogs.

Used a cheese grater? No, I don’t think I’ve consumed any cheese today either.

Eaten something sweet? Nah, it’s all been salty/savory for me today.

Spoken to a stranger? Sure.

Dropped something? I drop my vape pen at least once a day, so yes.

Felt upset in some way? UGH yeah. Our internet disappeared at around 2 in the afternoon and it still hasn’t come back, and our service provider’s social media has been unsurprisingly unresponsive and useless. I’ve been using data since then and I’m just worried about how long this would take because I don’t want to keep spending just for extra load. I also have my Korean language classes this afternoon which will for sure require a lot of data :/

Drank coffee? I have a full mug of it beside me right now.

Walked for more than thirty minutes? LOL no, I’ve only stayed indoors.

Signed up for something? Hmm I don’t think so.

Travelled in a car? See two answers above this.

Opened a can? Nopes.

Thought about doing something crazy? Just me thinking about dropping another couple thousands on merch until I mentally slapped myself and told myself I’d be fucking stupid if I spent on one more piece of stupid merch.

Listened to a new song? Yes, I tried listening to Love Shot by EXO over dinner since my sister had started humming it. It was okay but I quickly shifted back to BTS right after hahaha.

Written in a notebook? No. I only do so when I practice my Hangul but I have yet to work on that today.

Fed an animal? Yes, I have pets.

Checked your emails? I mean that’s kind of the standard in my job lol I have my Gmail tab up throughout the 8 hours.

Told someone you love them? No.

Made a phone call? No, I’m rarely the one who makes the call.

Have you in the last week?

Travelled on a bus? I’ve never ridden a bus solely for commuting by myself. I’ve only been on them when it’s the arranged vehicle, like for school field trips or our family vacations. Our public buses are quite bleck and unsanitary and the drivers maneuver the buses like it’s their last goddamn hour on the planet, so I don’t get on them myself.

Washed your face? I mean yeah, when I take showers. I don’t really have a skincare routine though, if that’s what you mean.

Used a blender? We rarely have a use for a blender at home so we don’t even have one.

Received a phone call? No. My biggest pet peeve is when delivery riders call me up once they’ve arrived at our place just to say “I’m here,” but fortunately the one assigned to me today to deliver my package knew how to use the doorbell.

Talked to someone you dislike? Yeah I have to deal with a client I absolutely fucking despise everyday.

Consumed alcohol? I’ve thought of it, but then I thought of how sleepy I get whenever I drink alcohol and decided against it because I wanted to stay up tonight.

Eaten pasta? Yeah, my dad made Filipino-style spaghetti for dinner the other evening.

Planned for an event? Not an event per se but sure, I made some plans? Punk is slated to make his debut on AEW/return to pro wrestling next weekend or sometime soon, idrk - and this is a big fucking deal omg, 15 year old Robyn has arisen from her grave - and Andi and I made plans to watch it together so we can freak the fuck out.

Asked someone for a favour? Yes. I borrowed cash from my mom since the delivery fee for my packaging earlier was apparently cash on delivery.

Watched something funny? I mean I watch BTS clips pretty much everyday and a gigantic chunk of them are hilarious.

Trimmed your nails? No, but I did bite on them multiple times.

Browsed Reddit? I did actually! After a super long time of not doing so...I just decided to randomly check out r/bangtan to see what’s going on there. It’s mostly Americans though so idk if I’ll make a habit out of browsing.

Talked to yourself? Oh this happens a few times a day.

Purchased tickets for something? Nope.

Felt like you were annoying someone? Just about everyday.

Cleaned a toilet? I have not.

Reminisced about the past? Not really. I’ve made references to the past with friends, but we didn’t ~reminisce.

Used headphones? Yeah I always use my headphones when playing Rhythm Hive so I can hear the beats better.

Laughed with a friend? Many times. Always just virtually, though.

Cooked dinner and then didn't feel hungry? I don’t cook.

Written a list? LOL yes. My period had been coming and I noticed I was crying over the smallest, stupid things, so I started a list of the things I cried over the last week. The funniest item on the list is probably an ad that was shown to us during a campaign briefing...

Played an instrument? Nope.

Felt jealous or envious? I will sometimes feel the tiniest tinge of envy and wistfulness when I see my friends in happy and fulfilled relationships, but it passes in a second.

Ignored a text message on purpose? So many hahahahahahah

Congratulated someone? Yes!!! Graduation season was last week so I congratulated a shit ton of friends.

Have you in the last month?

Made a piece of art? Making art was never made for me, so no.

Rewatched one of your favourite tv shows or movies? Yep, I rewatched Friends a couple of weeks ago.

Called a plumber? Nope.

Been to a see a doctor? I mean, technically I guess yeah? When I had to get my vaccine shot.

Finished a book? I haven’t done that in a while.

Had a crush on someone? Just celebrities but I won’t count those.

Travelled on a train? I haven’t.

Worn heels? Haven’t done this either.

Been to a friend's house? I’ve been to Angela’s house semi-regularly, yup.

Shared a bed with someone? Nah.

Been to see a movie at the cinema? I haven’t been to the cinema in like a year and a half.

Paid attention to celebrity drama? Erm not really. I also haven’t been up to date with that, especially with American celebrities hahaha.

Felt anxious? Maybe not anxious but nervous.

Taken an elevator? Yeah in Mega since that place is so goddamn big.

Given someone the cold shoulder? Yep, my mom when she is being extra annoying/condescending.

Purchased a new book/game/movie? I guess you can say that? I bought a subscription pack on Rhythm Hive because I was using it regularly anyway.

Applied for a job? I already have a job, so no. I did get a job proposal on Linkedin a couple of weeks ago with another PR firm, but I took a look at their clients just to see if the offer was something I could sink my teeth into - and even though their brands were quite high-profile, they were in industries I didn’t particularly find interesting.

Used a printer? Nah.

Had lunch in a park? No.

Gotten a manicure or pedicure? I have not.

Made an appointment? Just for my shot but that’s it.

Had a blood test done? Noooooo not another one of those plz.

Suffered from a major bruise? Not a major bruise but a huge bloody gash on my thigh after a particlarly rowdy play session with Cooper. There’s still a very visible scar on me.

Researched a topic in-depth? I do this quite a bit in my work, yes.

Have you in the last year?

Been to the beach? No, I’ve mostly stayed at home since July 2020.

Visited someone in the hospital? I haven’t. Too risky.

Played pinball? No, it’s never interested me.

Travelled on a plane? I haven’t. :(

Worn a costume? Sure, for Halloween last year I went as Dora.

Been thrift shopping? Not that I can recall, no.

Thought about getting pregnant or got pregnant? Definitely not at this point in my life.

Made a big life decision? Uh yeah this past year was both the worst and best rollercoaster I’ve ever been on. I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since that shitty breakup...

Changed a lightbulb? Nope.

Framed something and put it on your wall? No but I have been meaning to do this for months. I just never get around to buying some actual picture frames lol.

Been stargazing? Not the professional kind of way with a telescope and all. I’ve just lied on my back at the rooftop to gaze at the night sky and the stars.

Made a new friend? So many!!! Reena is probably my bestestestest new friend <3 I mean we’ve met a while ago, as Angela’s mutual - even had a few drinks or so together - but we didn’t become closer until just a couple of months ago.

Added to a collection? I’ve had merch that arrive every week or so these days because I bought a ridiculous amount of shit between May and June when I was a new Army. I’ve substantially calmed down now, but I should expect to receive my running list of ordered merch up until September LMAO. At first I used to bitch about the really long shipping period considering all the products come from Korea, but after 3 or 4 fulfilled orders you kinda get used to it.

Been to the dentist? No.

Broken up with someone? Yessss. I didn’t know it at the time but it would turn out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Held a baby? Nah.

Created a budget? Yeah...doesn’t mean I’ve been successful. I always go over, hehe.

Confessed feelings for someone? There isn’t anyone to do that for.

Had surgery of any kind? Nopes.

Quit a job? No and I have no plans to anytime soon.

Been in a car accident? Nah but my dad has, c/o some stupid and unattentive motorcycle driver.

Purchased something worth over a grand? So in US dollar conversion, around P50,000? Hell no.

Been on vacation at least 500km/300mi from home? No. :( The farthest we’ve been to was Tagaytay and I think that’ll remain the same for a while.

Applied for an academic course? Yes, my Korean class.

Had your photo taken by a professional? No, it’s been over a year since my last professional shoot for my senior photos.

[deliverydefresas]

we know the start, we know the end, masters of the scene

here you have it my friends, part 3. shout out to my baked goods for helping me in this long and boring process xD 

1 | 2 

AU: Matteo Balsano is a famous singer who has been crushing on this one girl he saw every day behind a window many years ago, back when he first started recording his debut album and inspired his first big hit, “Princesa”. Luna Valente, professional Olympic skater turned actress is at a local (and very popular) talk show to promote her breakout movie. This is where it all starts.

BENSON VS SMITH: LOVE RIVALS?

After a couple of weeks of the stars of SHATTERED WINGS being photographed together with Matteo Balsano in what appeared to be a heated discussion, sources to the off and on couple conformed by Smith and Balsano, confirm it was all caused by Smith’s jealousy.

The actress was apparently ‘incredibly upset’ when she learnt what had really happened in JA JAZMIN’s dressing room minutes prior to their cast interview in the show, more so after in said interview Mexico’s ‘Little Sun’ hinted the incident to its international audience.

However, as their promotional tour around the globe for their very acclaimed movie continues, the duo has done nothing but deny all rumors regarding their rivalry; with Smith going as far as calling Balsano ‘an idiot I wouldn’t fight over for’. Benson affirms it’s a matter taken out of context by the fans and media.

The SHATTERED WINGS stars are set to return to the city after two months on the road two days from now, bringing home numerous ticket records from all around the world, as well as the critic’s overruling acceptance.

For more scoop on these three, click here!

Had it really been two months?

They hadn’t even able to finish their conversation, much less his apology from coming off as a creep. Now it’d been two months, and probably wouldn’t have the chance to see her again. Ámbar had warned him she’d kick his balls if he even dared to ask about her when she came back, and his relationship with Simón was anything but close to ask such manner.

Basically, he’d be stuck in her mind as a creepy memory. He didn’t like it, but he might as well accept it until he found a way to clear the water; not only for her sake, but for his too.

“You keep track of the media, now? We have a PR team for that, y’know?” his manager asked from over his shoulder, not missing the open article on his phone.

“I’m not. It was just a suggested article, that’s all.”

“Suggested means you’ve read articles like that one more than once.” Delfi arched her brow, questioning him while she sat on the chair next to his. Maybe citing her in his apartment wasn’t a good idea, he had no way to evade her questions in his own home.

“Maybe Gastón has.”

“From your phone?” He didn’t have an answer for that. “Hey, it’s okay, I’m not judging you. There’s nothing wrong with keeping personal tabs about what the world has to say about you. Just don’t get too fixated on with it, it’s not healthy.”  

“It’s not even an article about myself.” He admitted. There were no secrets between them, and he’d learnt that the cleanest they were between each other, the less problematic it’d get when it came to talk about and planning his career moves. Plus, Delfina knew how to keep everything confidential, which was the reason he’d chosen to take Ámbar’s advice so many years ago when she suggested Delfi to work with.

“Let me guess, this is about the Sol girl?”

“Luna.” He corrected quickly, not even realizing he’d done it until Delfi gave him ‘the look’. She didn’t comment on it, though.

“Luna, right. What worries you in that matter? You were the one who told me not to release any statement.”

“I guess I just – I don’t know, she’s new to this world.”

“Are you worried she can’t handle it? I wouldn’t, I know her team, she’s in good hands. And from what Pedro has told me, Simón warned her about everything that’d come her way, so she wouldn’t walk in blind.”

He’d forgotten she was seeing Simón’s best friend. “Still, I haven’t apologized yet.”

“Is this the reason of your writing block?” she asked suspiciously, folding her arms. Her tone wasn’t accusative, nor was her face annoyed, but he still felt bad it was that noticeable.

“Is it that obvious?”

“You’re not subtle, buddy, but don’t worry because no one else has noticed.” Yet. “You got time, the deadline isn’t for another year, there’s no pressure from the label.”

“But?” he knew better than to think there wasn’t one.

“But you know post-production is long AF, and your perfectionist ass will drag it as much as your brain can… if you don’t hurry with the base songs it’ll only make it longer.”    

He groaned lowly, “I know.”

“I’m going now. I’ll call you tomorrow to schedule another time, okay?” She told him as she stood from her seat to grab her purse. Their meeting had gone nowhere, but then again, he had no progress in his songwriting and he was on a break until his next album released, so there wasn’t much to discuss to begin with. “I’d advise you to go and try to find yourself a muse, though.”

“Yeah, I’ll-” Wait. A muse. He needed to find his muse. Matteo called for her before she could get out of the apartment, startling the even more confused girl.

“I need you to help me find her.”

“Are you excited to be back?”

“Aren’t you excited to be back? This is huge for you Nina!” she told her friend excitedly, holding onto her arm while they walked through the airport to wait for Simón, who was picking them up. “A new book! That’s not an everyday thing!”

“It’s just a photography book, Luna. Not a big deal.”

“Just? What have I told you of selling yourself short? The book and the quotes are beautiful and it’s definitely a big deal!”

Nina beamed at her, “thank you. I’m nervous, what if people don’t like it as much as the others? I would die if it flops, or if they question why I’m even still coming out with these.”

“Nonsense! Felicity’s fans are loyal, and they’ll love your work no matter what, have more faith in them!” she bumped her shoulder against her lightly.

“You never answered me.”

“About what?”

It was Nina’s turn to bump her shoulder. “I asked you if you were excited.”

“I’m so happy I’ll finally be in my bed again. I hate sleeping in unfamiliar places.”  

“You got to sleep on your house in México, though.”

“I almost didn’t leave.” She admitted with a giggle.

Both fell into a comfortable silence afterwards, in no hurry to keep the conversation flowing. Travelling together, living together, and knowing each other after so many years made it easy to stay in silence without it being awkward. Simón joked all the time that they were a married couple, and the only thing they needed now was a dog (mostly because he wanted one, too), and Luna could swear they’d have one already if it weren’t for Nina being strongly allergic to pets.

That, and that their time was mostly spent travelling between competitions and cool places for Nina to take photographs for her blog or her books.

She sighed silently when she remembered the competitions. Now that her ties with the movie were almost over, she needed to get her thoughts straight and decide what she was going to do next. Will she be able to compete again after the break? Did she even want to? Everyone had warned her already that everything in the skating community would change for her after this. More exposure usually meant double the pressure; and she wasn’t sure it’d sit well with her. She skated because she loved to, not because she wanted to be the best, or have everyone thinking she was. Juliana had told her that was why she fought so hard for her to play her in her movie, why she reminded her of herself.

But, did she want to change her career? She loved the experience of acting, loved how fun it was to pretend to be someone else for a while every day, but she didn’t love it the way she’d seen Ámbar do it. For the blonde, you could see, hear, feel how much she loved what she did. The girl poured everything into what she did, and she succeed marvelously. The thing all critics agreed on from all over the continents was exactly that: Luna glowed the most when she was skating, and when she spoke about how much the sport meant for her; yet, Ámbar shone in all of hers because she made you believe them, which made up for her lack of experience in the sport.

So, now she had to pick what exactly to do. If she wanted to go to the next Olympics she’d have to start her training as soon as possible, even if she was on a technical ‘break’.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

“Huh?”

Nina smiled, “you seemed to be lost – even more than usual- in your thoughts. What’s up?”

“Nothing, just… the future, I guess.” She sighed again. Luckily, her friend knew her better than anyone and gave her a short, but strong, hug.

“You still have some time to think about it, don’t go crazy.”

“Time flies, though.”

“Aren’t you the first to say time isn’t real?” Nina joked, mocking her accent a little.

“I don’t speak like that!”

Both laughed, ignoring the annoyed looks some – probably jetlagged- people threw their way.

“But, for real, Luna, you don’t even have to choose between the two. You can always pick something else; some people will be disappointed, yes, but it’s your choice. Do what makes you happy.”

“What would I do without you, Watson?” she half joked, half seriously questioned. Nina beamed at her once more.

“The same thing I’d be without you – be my less great self.”  

“True that.” Luna pretended to cheer with her imaginary cup, her friend being quick to follow her suit. “Now, call Simon. He’s late and Felicity can’t be late for her own book release.”

“Aye, aye, capt’n!”

He wasn’t going to lie, he was nervous. (He also could almost hear Gastón’s voice in his head correcting him to nervous-wreck – he kinda agreed).

Delfi, bless her, hadn’t even bait an eye when he asked her to ask Pedro about Luna’s possible whereabouts in the city. He felt like a total stalker, so he ruled out her house and the rink she skated at, as well as the gym and Simón’s apartment. Thankfully, Delfi was able to get him last-minute invitations to an event she was going to be at.

Originally, he’d thought about going solo, so the possible – or most likely, probable- embarrassments would be for him only to know. However, as soon as Gastón heard the event was Felicity For Now’s newest book launch he’d made him ask Delfi for a plus one pass (God forbid his friend asked his ex for a favor). And, since Pedro was apparently a close friend to Felicity herself, she tagged along too. She was a lot more considerate than Gastón, though, because she promised not to cross him while his ‘apology’ took place.

“I can’t believe we’re going to see Felicity’s real identity.” Gastón gushed beside him, now at the party, careful to keep his tone low. Not because he didn’t want to embarrass him, but himself.

“Calm down, fanboy. We still have the whole party to look forward to.”

Matteo, on his own, was more worried about making himself look like a fool. He knew he’d already stood out – his black suit was a lot more formal than everyone else’s semi-formal attire- but if that wasn’t enough, the way he kept glancing around like a lost puppy made more than person stare at him for a moment.

He was too concentrated on finding her on the crowd.

Not that the crowd was too big – it was rather small, actually- but still, he didn’t want to miss her; if she was there at all.

“Do you know how long I’ve wondered who she was or how she looked like? Years! I’ll finally put a face to the character!”

“Character? I thought her book was consisted only of pictures.”

“Well, yeah. They’re pictures but they’re ordered in a sequence that tells you about her life and short quotes to help you understand the concept. It’s like a photographic journal of herself.”

“Yet she never shows her face?”  

“Nope, it’s always shadowed or blurred out.” Gastón sounded bummed out by this. He must’ve really been wondering about this mystery girl longer that he knew about. Matteo felt almost bad he wasn’t aware of this, even if his best friend never really told him about his fanboy life.

He palmed his back lightly, “cheer up, bud. Tonight’s your night.”

“Matteo, Gastón!” he knew that voice. When he turned to the direction of the call, he wasn’t surprised to see Simón. Matteo should’ve figured out that if not only Luna, but Pedro were here, then he would too.

“Hi, man.”

The guitarist threw him a smile. “What a surprise! I’ve never seen you two in events like these before.”

“Yeah, well, Gastón here is a big fan of hers.” He pointed to his friend, “and I was free from songwriting, so I came too.”

“How’s that coming along? Wrote another hit yet?”

Matteo grimaced slightly, “I’m blocked, so no. How’s your album?”

“Ouch, man, that sucks.” Simón patted his shoulder sympathetically, “we’re still editing ours out, gotta choose the right songs before we pass the final demo.”

That brought back memories. Hadn’t they been in the same exact situation six years ago, the same day he saw her for the first time? He, staring on a blank music sheet, desperately trying to find inspiration for his debut album, while Simón – and her- were on the room across listening and trying to choose which tracks to pass?

He mentally sighed. Everyone was right, he was a creep.

Simón must’ve not noticed his momentary train to his memories, because he continued talking, “- she’s not here yet, if she’s the one you’ve been looking for the past hour. Felicity is arriving with her.”

“Who?”

The guitarist was amused. “Luna. She’s arriving with Felicity in ten minutes.” His heart almost busted with this information. However, when he realized what Simón was probably thinking, he went into denying mode.

“Oh- no, no, no. I wasn’t- I didn’t- she’s not why-” Simón laughed.

“Don’t worry, man, Delfi explained to us you came to apologize to her for the headlines. It’s chill.”

He was so firing her for this (no, he wasn’t). “She did?”

“Getting last-minute invitations for this is hard, if not impossible. Especially since Ni- Felicity handpicks her guests for privacy reasons.”

“I didn’t know Delfi was that close with her.”

“She’s not, Pedro is. I gave my five cents in your favor, too.”

“Thank you.” He meant it. Simón just patted his shoulder once more and reminded him of the time, pointing to the entrance before leaving to mingle with other guests. A question popped in his head, “are they always late?”

Gastón, who’d remained quiet during his exchange with Simón, chuckled, “you really went to la la lunaland, didn’t you?” Matteo flipped him off, “Simón said he was late to pick them up at the airport, so they went behind schedule because of this.”

His friend went quiet after this, anxiously waiting for the main door to open. Matteo sipped on his forgotten drink, trying to calm his own nerves. Five minutes later, it happened.

The door opened, and in came Luna and her friend – Felicity, as his friend had mumbled beside him, smiling and hugging everyone that came to greet them. He noticed how Luna would fall a couple steps back from the photographer, letting her take all the attention.

He wanted to go there and say hi, he really did, but it was as if he was glued to his spot. Watching her laugh, smile, and talk to others from afar was the sight he was used to, and to get closer, on his own (Gastón had fled to Felicity as soon as she’d entered) was something he wasn’t sure he was ready for.

Just jail him already, really. His creepiness was scaring him too.

In the end, he waited until the whole book introduction was made, the food was eaten, drinks were drunk, to go ask her for a minute (or twenty). When she saw him, he could see she was taken aback; no one had told her he’d be there, however, she still smiled at him.

“Hi.” Gosh, was he lame.

“Hi!” she managed to sound somewhat excited to see him. Surprising, really.

“Do you think I could steal you for a couple minutes? I still haven’t apologized.” He got closer, being careful not to step into her personal bubble, and offered her his hand.

She didn’t even hesitate to take it, leading him to a quiet place to talk. They ended up in the terrace, sitting down on a bench near a lit – and warm- candle arrangement.

He wasn’t sure how to begin his apology. Should he just say sorry? Should he explain why he knew her? Why he knew she liked to be called Luna instead of Sol? Should he pretend he was star-struck that day?

“I’m sorry.”

That wasn’t his voice speaking for him.

“What?”

Luna sighed quietly, posing her bright green eyes on his own, “I know it’s my fault our names – and Ámbar’s- have been on the headlines lately. I’m sorry I put you in this situation, it must be very annoying, since you’re on your break from it.”

He shook his head, “no, no, no, no. It’s my fault. I was the one who dragged Ámbar with me and the only one who should be apologizing for my actions the night we met.” He didn’t add that his creepiness was an on-going thing, “you have nothing to apologize for. It’s all on me.”

Her face scrunched up. It was cute. “I was the one who answered wrongly with Jazmín. Had I not, the media would have no idea, or perhaps would write a different story.”

“That’s on Jazmín, not on you, Luna. She lives for making other people gossip about their lives.”

“Still, I feel bad and I apologize for it.”

Matteo sighed, “I told you, you have no reason to do so. I, on the other hand, am sorry I came off like I did. I just, well, you remind me of someone I met many years ago.”

She smiled, “do I?”

“Yeah. She was just as tiny and pocket-sized.”

“Okay, now you’re pulling my leg.” Luna laughed, her bright eyes shinning even more as the laughter reached them.

“Jokes aside, I’m sorry I made you feel uncomfortable.” Her smile remained.

“Apology accepted; but only if you accept mine.”

“Oh, but I can’t do that. Such a beautiful miss like yourself shouldn’t be apologizing for nothing.” He could see her compliment affected her in the light pink shade that now covered her cheeks, “besides, you seem to be forgetting I’ve been on the headlines longer than you. This is nothing, really.”

“But you’re on a break.”

He sighed, “yes, but like it or not it’s still publicity. It helps me stick around for a little longer.”

“So, you don’t mind being in the headlines even if they’re lies?”

“They have an image of me already; it’s not a lie, and it’s not a truth, but it’s still a part of who I am.” He had confused her now, he knew it. The small frown was proof of it. “If you choose to stick in this job you’ll understand.”

“I’m not sure I will.”

He guessed so. “Going for another gold, then?”

“Not sure of that, either.” That surprised him. Partly because he was sure she’d stick to skating, and partly because he couldn’t believe she was being this open. There was a reason he spoke in riddles sometimes, just like Ámbar, Simón, or literally any ‘famous’ person he knew. Privacy, and sometimes inner thoughts had to remain for close and trusty people only.

She’d just admitted something he knew she’d been avoiding in every interview he’d watched of her, and she’d done it freely. Was she this open always? Or did he give her the vibe that he could be trusted? Maybe she didn’t think it was as big of a deal as he did?

“Oh.”

“Yeah. I still have time, though. Not a lot, but there’s some.”

“There’s no bad in what makes you happy. I’d go for that.”

“Is that why you chose music? Because it makes you happy?” she questioned him, sincerely curious. He nodded.

“It’s the only constant thing that has made me happy since I was a kid. I fought hard for it, and I’m lucky it’s worked out this well.”

“Hmmm.”

“I’m glad I bore you.” He joked, when she seemed to be lost in her contemplating after a moment in silence. She laughed, shaking her head and making a couple ringlets fall around her neck.

“You don’t. You’re actually a quite good companion, I’d like to keep you as a friend.” She shot him a quick smile, “creepiness aside, you’re pretty cool.”

His heart did a flip. “Friends, huh?”

Luna offered her hand, beaming. “Friends.”  

[eriks-journal]

The Trooper

{The following is an ic story of what Erik’s part in the completion of the war was. This is entirely canon for him. It contains some graphic scenes of war. The song above is meant to be played as you read, please enjoy my story, feel free to pass it on, comment, and/or like. Thanks.}

The sun rose and he could be seen on the deck as the rays of light slid across toward him. They were airborne, and two hours in by now. Not long now….

He stood on the edge of the ship and looked out as scenery from his childhood entered his vision. His pet falcon taking his shoulder, he thought on how he had been back before. Classified missions, the battles of the last moons, but this was different. The Alliance was finally moving in on the capitol. The battle would be this day and his former homeland would be free. He had no doubts. He smiled despite himself as the message from one of his crew reached his pearl, “Ser, we are approaching your drop point. ETA ten minutes.” He tapped the pearl, “Acknowledged.” he said as he moved swiftly to his room, suiting up just as fast. His mission was different from his Red Wings. Alliance soldiers with knowledge of the city would be assigned to the invasion force. His Wings would drop him then fall back to Porta Praetoria. The ship’s weapons would provide a defensive wall should the invasion fail, as well as support through their medical and engineering capabilities. Leaving Zoar in his quarters he half told the bird goodbye, “Wish me luck.” he chuckled.

His battle uniform was undeniably Immortal Flames, its colors though, black and red lent themselves to covert activities well. With the capitol in he approached the edge of the deck and called over his pearl, “I am a go.” he yelled as he leapt from the ship as it made a sharp turn to head back. Free falling, Erik tapped the unit insignia on his shoulder, conjuring a fire-based aetheric construct, a large bird, not living but very lifelike. Gliding down to the base of an outcrop he was greeted by a team of men and women, all Flames. One approached saluting as she did. Erik dismounted and the bird faded away. “Sir, we are ready and awaiting orders.” Erik returned her salute and began to speak.

All these troopers were like him, in build or accent, he was not the only one going home today. He looked up and noted the clouds, thick but patchy caused day and night to seemingly shift without warning. He smiled, the code-name for the operation striking him humorous, Stormblood. “Troopers, we can all go home. Our friends and family lost here, will not have died for nothing. We bring with us the ideas of peace, freedom, justice. For years many thought this day would never come. That as we scraped and crawled from our homeland, we were a burden and that to even dream of this day was folly. Well… it was not. It is no folly that I am marching down to that wall, busting through and kicking the ass of the first son of a whore Garlean I see so hard, that the next Garlean is going to feel it. Now I ask you, do you believe this folly, if not, WHO WANTS TO GO HOME WITH ME!” he yelled as he finished, Punching his own chest chest his force cheered. 

“FORWARD!” he cried as they rushed to the south, quickly encountering the first Imperial patrols. Already the linkpearls crackled and buzzed. The main forces including the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, their champion, and the combined forces of the Alliance had all began the assault. They were not here for the frontal assault, their mission he thought on, while separating one poor bastard from his face, was to make it into the residential district before the main force made it through the gates…. One Garlean broke his train of thought as he focused on the him as the ranking officer, and met the tip of Erik’s lance for his trouble. 

Erik called out orders as he noted one of his soldiers about to meet her fate, hurling his spear, he impaled the Imperial to the stone wall before the final blow was struck, “Wipe them out faster! We need to get inside!” he cried out. They needed to be in already, their mission was to secure hidden threats and traps before the main force moved through, then secure behind them as the Alliance moved in deeper. They had no time to waste on trash like this. Swiftly they followed his orders and the Garleans were down. The team moved to the wall. One soldier called out, “Sir! We were told you knew how to get in. What’s the plan?” Erik waved the soldier and the others behind him, “The plan is I make a door….” he said as he drew his gun Outsider and loaded one of the special “caster rounds” Clio had made him and fired.

Their way clear the troopers moved in hard and fast. Wall guards fell fast. Erik moved with his people, war was not heroic. Catching one guard by surprise in an alleyway one of Erik’s men struck them from behind. As he laid there stunned several of the troopers kicked him to death.

As they moved in deeper the enemies became less easy. Armored guards gave way to professional soldiers and mages from the Imperial Foreign Corp. Two of his people had died so far he noted coldly as a ball of fire raged from the upper window of a house, taking a third soldier’s life. Erik’s troopers noted the house and moved to the door. One called, “Its barred!” Erik ran in and pointed his fist out, activating his ring's hidden function. The ring used the principle of aetheric transport, breaking various weapons into aether, but instead of transmitting the energy away it stored it in the ring itself, releasing and reforming the weapon on command. The ring shined as an ax formed from the aether. 

Swinging down hard the splintered the door and his troopers moved in, finding as they did six mages who soon made little more then bloody stains on the walls. “Clear!” called one of his soldiers as they secured the house. Another called out as Erik made his way to the upper room, dismissing the bulky ax. “Negative! One more! He’s making a break for the street!” Erik looked out the window facing the alley and saw the mage, “On him! Move to the next house. I want every building secured, no sniper points!”

Leaping out the window he hit the ground and gave chase. No time to cast the mage ran in terror as the highlander closed in. He had not been stationed in this gods forsaken city long and soon met a dead end. Erik though had lived in this city until his thirteenth year, he had herded the poor mage. Cornered he lifted his staff. Erik had no moment to call forth a weapon, meeting the challenge in a more traditionally Ala Mhigan way.

As a child, Erik was a…. gentle boy. His father, despite his love, often worried for the boy’s soft nature. Often he would enroll Erik in activities with the hope of toughening him up, often in failure. One such was signing him up for classes at a school for the public run by the Fists. Erik withdrew within the week. His soft hands more suited to a healer’s staff then war. Twenty years a soldier for Ul’dah had done what his father had always hoped. The mage could do nothing as Erik showered him with powerful blows. The final kick so hard the mage’s head twisted like an owl’s seeing his way to Thal’s hall would require he walk backwards.

Hearing explosions behind him he turned startled and saw smoke coming from his trooper’s position. Summoning his sword and shield he rushed down the alley toward the noise, the clouds above finally breaking.

At full speed he ran, beams of sunlight following him from out of their clouded prison. As he reached his men he saw a single reaper and at least six of his people dead or injured. The reaper’s guns were firing randomly, the pilot did not seem to be a pilot, most likely a random soldier taking advantage to stay alive with some luck. 

“Hey! You lizard fucking, three eyed, milk drinking, cunt! You want to shoot someone? Try me out fuck hole!” he shouted, giving a gesture as he did.

 Holding up his shield and focusing his aether through it as Tellah taught him so long ago. A barrier of energy flowed out from the shield and over his whole body, the reaper’s rounds deflected as he brought full focus on the Captain. Erik’s people were not his, but they were Flames, well trained and ready to take advantage of his diversion. Several enterprising soldiers of Ul’dah rushed behind the reaper and before the pilot could react was pulled from the war machine and thrown to the grown below. The fall from that height enough to stun him. Looking up the last thing he saw was Erik as he moved in and decapitated him from above.

He could still see him for a few minutes as the world… or his head rolled away. Erik kicked the body and rose as the surviving soldiers gathered round. All tired and bloody. “Report.” Erik commanded. The senior living soldier stepped forward, her arm visibly broken, “The whole area is clear Sir. We lost eight, they lost the rest.” Another chimed in, “Enemy pearl chatter is dead in this sector Sir.” Erik nodded and looked to another, “Have the areas behind us remained clear?” The third soldier answered, “No Sir, as far as I can figure they are busy in the city’s main commerce area and the Palace.” Erik acknowledged him then held up his hand, silencing them all as he pressed his hand to his ear. He listened intently, a smile creeping over his face. “The Palace has fallen….. Zenos is dead…. apparently he used some magic or something, I thought they could not but…. yes the city is our’s…. its our’s!” he said as the men and women began to gasp, cheer, and even cry.” Erik smiled and found a tear escape his good eye. He held his blade high and cried out once more….

“It is OURS!”

[skullsmuldon]

Soul in the dark

Thank you to my girls @sunshinetoday @sembell @justholdinghandsok for bearing with me and for supporting the fluff I hate :D 

x

Chapter 24

"Mulder ... it will never change ... why else, if you really believed in my eyesight coming back, would you wear that by moths perforated old Knicks shirt?" Mulder stared at Scullys wide grin. 

One could literally see the wheels turning in Mulders head. His prayers had been answered after all. After her words had sunken in, tears of joy formed in his eyes. Slowly, he seemed to get over his initial shock.

"Scully ... never… NEVER do that again!“ And with those words he hugged her tight to his chest. He couldn’t be angry at her for pulling his leg. His joy outweighed his annoyance of her joking in a situation like that.

„I just wanted to see that panic face of yours.“ She smiled up at him before her voice struck a reproving tone "Mulder, this shirt belongs into the trash! You can’t wear that anymore. Just be glad that my eyesight didn't spontaneously decide to vanish again.“

„But it’s my lucky shirt and see it brought us luck! So you don’t want me to throw that away do you?“ Mulder asked with his puppy look directed at her.

„Mulder.“ she sighed. „You can keep it in some box or something but you can’t wear it. It’s riddled with holes and it’s old. I’ll make you a deal… You promise to never wear that again and I’ll buy you a new one?“

Mulder thought about it for a moment and than decided that he had to get back at her for her earlier joke. He said nothing and only waggled his eyebrows mischievously. Scully didn’t know what he was up to and looked patiently up at him. Suddenly, Mulder gently stepped out of their embrace  and pulled his Knicks shirt over his head. The shirt fell to the floor and Mulder pulled Scully back into his arms.

"Better my lady?“ he teased her with a mischievous grin.

Scully was trying to do her best to hold her emotions in check. Embraced by Mulder, feeling his bare chest and having his masculine mulderesque smell in her nose didn’t help her at all. Her throat was parched, not that she hadn’t seen his bare chest before but it was easier to remain professional when his well trained body was covered in a suit.

His stomach muscles twitched so that his abs danced slightly, his broad shoulders radiated warmth and strength which she completely soaked up. At that moment Scully had to admit to herself,  that Mulder was one sexy looking man, who smelled amazingly and looked damn tasty bare chested and in well worn jeans. Just thinking about that caused a slight flush to rise to her cheeks.

Finally, she found her tongue again, "Mulder anything is better than this shirt". Her right eyebrow arched "But to be honest, I can’t remember allowing my butler to run around like that, so James, pull on something adequate, as long as you are in the vicinity of a Lady.“ Scullys feigned arrogance, elicited a roar of laughter from him. 

Scully was glad she got a moment to herself. Her emotions were a rollercoaster. She couldn’t believe she had her eyesight back, even if it was still a little blurry and unfocused. At least something seemed to be going in the right direction for her now. As she was standing there, taking in everything around her, she expected to wake up from a wishful dream at any second, but she was awake and everything was actually happening. Someone must have answered her prayers after all…

But all the emotions from the last weeks also made her even slightly numb in this moment. It was just too much - too many emotions to take in. She knew that maybe later, when all had really sunken in, she would need to address her feelings, but she didn't want to do that in front of Mulder.

As Mulder went to his room to get a new shirt, Scully looked at his retreating back and she definitely appreciated how his jeans hugged his ass. What was wrong with her… At the same time, the devil, who was apparently sitting on her shoulder, voiced its thoughts`* He really is a splendid male specimen with an amazing physique*

It really was a waste, to hide this man in a suit everyday. She had to bring her emotions back under control, Mulder was her partner, her exceedingly handsome partner, the devilish voice corrected her. But what she had missed most were his eyes. They were truly the gates to his soul. Everything she needed to know, every feeling he had, was always reflected in them.

Mulder came back wearing one of his usual gray shirts. In the meantime Scully had sat down at the table, the leftovers from the breakfast still in front of her.

"Scully, how can that be? I mean, do you see everything?I mean ... you know, like…“ That was typical for Mulder, at one minute he fired allusions in her direction without batting an eye and in the next minute, he was unsure and almost shy.

Mulder was the most multifaceted man Scully had ever met. And that were precisely the facets that might make him seem weird to others who didn’t know him.

"I don’t know Mulder, I can’t explain it. I don’t know what could have been the trigger.“ After a brief sip from her teacup in front of her, she continued, „It all is still a little fuzzy, and everything is a little garish, but I think this is because my eyes need to get used to everything again. "

As a response to her words she got one of these few, but wonderful Mulder smiles. Far too often for her liking, she saw expressions of worry, guilt and nightmares written on his face.

She would have liked nothing more than to fling herself into his arms, after missing to be able to see his face for such a long time. But over time, she had developed  something akin to a reflex to protect herself from being too emotional And therefore, stuck to bantering and humor to avoid physical intimacy.

Why did she had to tease him? Why couldn’t she give into the urge to fall into his arms? In her innermost, she knew the answer to all these haunting questions.

Mulder's constant presence and his selfless help, the loving way he supported her and his seemingly limitless loyalty had transformed her feelings and put her emotions into a rollercoaster. In order to not drown into those confused feelings, the usual Scully-control was necessary.

She put that need for control over her desire of intimacy and closeness. She just hoped that Mulder didn’t think of her as ungrateful. Lost in thought, she sipped at her tea agin.

"Scully get dressed!“ Mulder said out of the blue and she gave him a puzzled look.

"Trust me Scully, get dressed!“

Had there ever been a time when she hadn't trusted him, Scully wondered before she went to her room and changed clothes quickly. She decided on a pair of jeans and her moss green cashmere sweater. From the ground floor, she could hear some clanking and rumbling sounds, which she couldn’t exactly identify.

She just hoped that she could get something to eat before Mulder came up with some crazy ideas again, dragging her on some wild chase. At this thought, she had to smile, because even if he would do that, she would not be angry. That was another bit of normality, from which she had been separated for far too long. If she was honest she missed his crazy ideas and their adventures.

For a moment, she stood in front of the wide window of her room and tried to take everything in, absorbing all the colors. The cliffs, the different shades of blue of the sea, the lush green of the meadows, the golden sand. It seemed, as if she was granted a look into a new world. She realized how little she had appreciated all of this until now. 

A relieved sigh about her new opportunity and her second chance escaped her lips. She had not believed that the moment would come where she could see again. But once again, she was proved that one should never give up on a miracle.

They saying was true; you only knew what you had when you lost it. She wiped away a tear of joy from her cheek, which she'd allowed  to fall in this silent moment. Only now, as she stood alone in her room, the scope of what had happened consciously sunk in. She had gotten back a large part of her old life.

Scully closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened her eyelids slowly. She just had to be sure that all of this was not a dream. Mulder's voice calling for her, ripped her from her thoughts "Scully everything okay up there?"

„Yes, everything is okay Mulder, I'm almost done," Old habits die hard, and Mulder's concern and caring, would never stop.

When she finally went down the stairs, Mulder was already waiting in boots and a leather jacket at the front door. Mulder saw Scully's skeptical expression and had to smile.

"Scully, I told you to trust me.“ A wry grin accompanied his words.

"No aliens, conspiracies, mutants, cornfield circles, ghosts or psychopaths.“ She said and

Mulder looked like a child from whom you had stolen a lollipop. "Scully you take away all the fun!“ He replied sulkily.

„I just can’t handle Aliens, conspiracy and everything else on an empty stomach.“

"Okay then, we just look out for immortal photographers, prehistoric forest creatures, vampires, people devouring giant mushrooms, satanic occults, Big Foot ..." he rambled, and Scully knew Mulder could have gone on forever if she wouldn't stop him.

„MULDERRRRR!" She sighed and went through the door Mulder held open for her.

"And what about Nessi, zombies,  possessed physicians ..."

„MULLLLDDDERRRR" Scully whined annoyed.

"Alright Scully, I only wanted to make sure." Mulder's mischievous smile, warmed her heart every time. It was a sign that he was relaxed and felt comfortable.

30 minutes later

After a short drive, Mulder stopped in front of an old lighthouse. As Mulder had already jumped out of the car, Scully did the same. Her gaze lingered over the perfect picture postcard scenery that before her. Meanwhile, Mulder fished a backpack out of the trunk and went to her side.

"Come on, Scully…“ He grabbed Scully's hand and pulled her out of her thoughts. While holding on to Scully's hand, he walked past the lighthouse to a small wooden staircase which led down between the rocks to a small stretch of beach, which was nestled in between the cliffs.

After winding down the stairs, Mulder stopped at the bottom of the stairs for a second and took off his shoes.

Scully saw how he left his shoes behind and trudged through the sand barefoot. Scully wasn’t sure what Mulder had in mind and stood there not sure if she should follow his lead. Mulder noticed that Scully had not followed him, he turned  around and looked at her in surprise, "What's wrong Scully? Would you rather we go searching for mutants? Because you know you just have to say the word and I can find us an X-file out here… "

Mulder knew his challenging tone would get her to.

Because Dana Scully never backed down from a challenge. So Scully kicked aside her shoes and followed Mulder through the sand. He waited until she had caught up with him and took her hand again.

A few meters from the water, Mulder stopped and opened his backpack. He took out a large, checkered picnic blanket and spread it out. Gradually, he put everything you needed for a breakfast on the blanket.

Scully stared disbelievingly down at Mulders crouching form. Her astonishment had not escaped him. He heaved himself up from the blanket and stood in front of Scully again.

"Hungry?" He asked, doubting whether he had gone too far with this trip. Scully looked from him to the picnic, further down to the beach and back again into his uncertain and loving green eyes. “Mulder, you didn’t have to do this…“ Scully was visibly moved by his gesture.

"I know, but I thought it is a special day and that's the least I could do." Mulder looked into her eyes and saw the firework of emotions playing in them. Her smile, that underlined the sparkle in her eyes was able to ban all the shadows from his heart.

"Scully, you have no idea how happy I am for you. And I hope you are not too uncomfortable or angry about this, because if you are just say the word and we can go grab breakfast at some diner.“ Such a thing could only come from Mulder. Sometimes, it was a mystery to her how insecure he could be while pulling off something so incredibly nice.

Grinning incredulously, Scully shook her head and went on to stand in front of Mulder "No I'm not angry or uncomfortable, it's really beautiful here," Scully hugged Mulder gently and whispered a quiet "thank you" into his chest.

Mulder's heart beat faster, while Scully hugged him. His arms automatically wrapped around her and he held her close to him. He could smell the scent of her hair and at that moment, the gray that  had surrounded him for the longest time changed into a lively sea of colors.

Only reluctantly they broke both away from their embrace. Mulder pointed to the blanket and pulled Scully towards it, so they could enjoy their breakfast. Completely sated, Mulder plopped down onto the blanket.

One hand supportively put under his head while the other hand rested on his belly and with his eyes closed, he sighed satisfied "That was good, very delicious…but I think I couldn't eat one more bite…“

"You ate for 5" Scully chuckled at the sight of Mulder. He cracked his eyes open "Scully, the way you say that I almost get a guilty conscience. From tomorrow on I will watch my figure.“ He announced theatrically.

"Mulder you're crazy! I just do not know anyone who can eat as much as you can at one time. But if it makes you feel any better your metabolism is doing a great job so your eating habits don’t have any consequences for you…“ she replied, while her eyes examined his long and lean stature. Before Mulder caught her at it, she averted her eyes and looked down to the sea.

Mulder closed his eyes and let fresh air blow over his face. It was one of those places where you could spend an eternity without getting bored of it. This place held no problems. Everything you could find here was a pleasant solitude, peace and quiet.

Unbeknownst to Mulder, Scully rose and ran to sneak down to the beach where the waves of the sea struggled against the sand. Her toes were caressed by the cold water.

Scully glanced over her shoulder back to Mulder, he looked relaxed lying on the blanket. Seeing him like this made her soul warm up and a smile appeared at the corners of her lips. She had noticed how worn out he had looked. The last few weeks had left its mark on him as well, and it seemed that he needed the calm just as urgently as she did.

Her eyes went back to the endless sea landscape that unfolded before her. The cold wet on her feet, made her feel alive. Back when she was a child, she loved to feel the foamy waves and the related tickling that came with it on her skin.

Scully looked down at herself and once more she realized how far she still was away from being herself, to be able to feel these things again like she had before. Since she was here though, she could now at least rest easier and feel the tranquility in her dreams from time to time. It was a step forward, but everything seemed, like she was moving down an endless path in slow motion.

She was again lost deep in her thoughts. Her eyes fixed on the blue before her, it was like a canvas on which she was watching her martyrdom play out. Her experience did not know the city limits of DC and so it didn't stop following her where ever she went. An escape was impossible, because there was no place, no island that could protect her from her own demons.

Scully crossed her arms over her chest. The wind blew unimpressed over her. As a feeling of melancholy washed over her, she slowly closed her eyes. Silently dreaming of another world, she wished herself away from this hell, which followed her everywhere and left her being an emotionless shell.

To escape it all, to escape from herself was a dream, a wish, that would remain unfulfilled and therefore died quietly in the fleeting thoughts of her mind.

The waves were fighting continuously against the sandy shores of the beach and were lapping hard against her feet, but it did not bother her.

Mulder opened his eyes briefly ,blinded by the brightness of the sky. When he turned to his side, and his eyes couldn't find Scully besides him, a flash of panic shot through his veins. Where was she? How long had he slept?

Frantically supporting himself on his elbows, Mulder inspected his surroundings. Seeing a petite figure down by the water, he sighed with relief.

He stood up and strolled over to Scully, who stood motionless watching over the sea. She reminded him of the paintings he had seen done by Vladimir Volegov. Standing there being unaware of how beautiful he was. When Mulder was only a few steps behind her, he decided to make himself known as to not frighten her.

She seemed to be completely absorbed in her thoughts again, as he had seen many times over the past few weeks. Most of the time that wasn't a good sign.

"Scully," he asked gently.

Surprised, her head turned around and her eyelids sprang open. She saw the many questions in his face .

“I didn't want to wake you up, it looked like you could use a little sleep. And then I thought, I could stroll down here and have a look how the water was. Sorry if I worried you.“ Scully smiled apologetically, meeting his eyes before she turned her head back to the sea.

Mulder took a step forward to stand beside her. Both looked wordlessly at what lay ahead of them. From the corner of his eye, Mulder saw how Scully folded her arms more tightly around herself.

„Cold?" he asked barely above a whisper.

Scully's only response was an unsure shrug of her shoulders. She was too lost in the swirl of her thoughts to pay attention to the simple things like feeling cold.

Without further ask, Mulder took off his jacket and put it lovingly over her shoulders.

"Sometimes I'd like to know what's happening in this pretty, sometimes stubborn, head of yours." That won Scullys attention and she looked over her shoulder to Mulder, who was now standing behind her, with his hands resting lightly on her shoulders.

The look she gave him, was one of contrasts, hope and despair, confusion and willpower, humiliation and strength. Soundlessly, Scully directed her gaze back to the ocean.

Her voice began to speak and it did so quietly and almost reverently.

"Mulder I just drift along… The things that I'm doing what do I do them for? I ... I'm looking for some support, something to hold on to but ... somehow I find nothing.“ She stumbled over her words before she continued.

„I just want to be free, be free and ... run and leave everything what happened behind. But no matter how fast I run ... I'm trapped ... it's as if there is no going back and no forward. I ….I don't even know why I’m saying it out loud. I sound like a human wreck. A great partner you've got Mulder ... „ a sarcastic smile crossed her face, as she looked at Mulder. Her eyes, however, reflected her unspoken fears, which she otherwise hid very well.

Cautiously, he put his arms around her shoulders „Yes I have. And she’s not only great, but the best I could ever wish for. And therefore I can think of no better partner than her.“ His joyful tone became more serious without losing its gentleness.

"Scully, I can’t tell you what you're supposed to feel. I can’t tell you how long it will be so you feel like yourself again. But what I can tell you is that my hand will always be there for you to hold onto. You only need to let yourself allow to grasp for it.“ Mulder acknowledged her slight nod.

Gently, he pulled Scullys back against his chest. He hugged her to his chest and whispered "And no matter what comes Scully, I’ll never let go of you."

Mulder's words were like balm on her branded soul. His embrace warmed the blood pumping through her veins. Scully enjoyed how Mulder's arms felt around her. She could feel his heart beat. It was a soothing rhythm.

Together they looked out at the sea.

After a few minutes, Scully turned around in his embrace to face him. Their eyes met and they both knew they could get lost in the eyes of the other. Mulder's hand went to her cheek. His thumb drawing little circles on her soft skin. His touch was light as a feather.

With every second that they looked into each others eyes, the heady feeling of uncovering the suppressed truth between them became stronger.

Mulder slowly lowered his head. Scully slowly stretched up to meet his awaiting lips. Their lips approached gradually.

Scully felt the warm, inviting breath of Mulder on her lips. Devotedly, her eyelids closed in anticipation of imprinting this moment forever in her mind and soul.

A deep male voice coming from above the cliffs, ripped them from their togetherness „Sorry to disturb you lovebirds but the car isn’t allowed to be parked here."

Both twitched apart. Mulder bit down on his lip, incredulously looking up, towards the man who interrupted them. Inevitably, Mulder had to grin because that was just his luck. Fate really seemed to enjoy making bad jokes on his behalf. Scully just blushed slightly, as if she had been caught doing something forbidden and naughty.

After Mulder had been the one to overcome his state of shock first, he gave Scully an apologetic look and loosened his arms from around her "Well then, let’s pack up and leave my little lovebird."

[some-cookie-crumbz]

Thoughtful Impracticality

Title: Thoughtful Impracticality - Kidge Week Day 7 Prompt Fill Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Pairing: Keidge Summary: They say the best gifts come from the heart, right? Standard Disclaimer: If you read and enjoy this, please give it a like/ reblog so I know if I should write more. AN: Just call me Chester, because I’m a filthy cheetah. Anyway, same forewarning for the other two fics; read through once for problems so be aware.

She wasn’t really expecting to be so completely blindsided by him.

She knew that Keith was smarter than some people they knew – Lance – gave him credit for. She’d spent enough late nights talking with him and too many hours bonding through training exercises for the improvement of their teamwork to not know a great many things about him; all these facts ranging from being trivial to important. The two most important – in her expert opinion – were that he was a sentimental soul who actually called his Lion partner Rose in secret because it made her feel special, and that he could be quite clever with his tactics when devising an attack plan. He was pretty good at stealth, sneak attacks, and was extremely observant, so his being a great strategist wasn’t too terribly surprising. The only person more observant than him on the team would be Pidge herself, or maybe Shiro.

Keith had a bad tendency at being impulse and stubborn, though. He’d charge in like a starved wolf without thinking over current risk factors or later consequences, focused only on taking down his opponent and the victory closest at hand. She didn’t have too much room to talk, seeing as she herself could be just as impulsive and brazen as him, but she still found herself floored by his thorough planning and ability to lead when he actually took the extra time for strategy.

Perhaps that was why she fell for him as hard as she did.

They’d been on Team Voltron for three years and had been dating for nearly one year. They hadn’t told the rest of the team about their relationship, though, due to fear of the reactions they’d receive. They knew they really shouldn’t be keeping secrets and that, when the mechanical cat was inevitably let out of the castle-sized bag, there could be terrible repercussions for their deceit. They felt awful about it and were dreading the day, but they also knew that they were professionals at this point and didn’t want to get lectured about fraternizing being a risk to themselves and their teammates. They’d proven time and again over this last year that their personal feelings for one another could be placed to the side when it was necessary for the safety of the team. Pidge feared the others not seeing it that way, and Keith knew that Shiro would have quite a few examples on hand of how it could all go down the drain.

They had docked on their most recent exploration planet only a few hours ago, with the planet’s night cycle on the horizon. Allura and Shiro agreed that exploring would be something best done in the daylight and suggested the others spend the time getting some well-deserved rest. Pidge, thinking the idea of sleep actually sounded pretty good for once, had headed off to her own quarters and dozed off near immediately after swapping into an oversized green tunic that functioned more as a nightgown for her. After only a few hours of slumber, she’d been poked in the nose, causing her to scrunch it up and groan loudly.

Her response was an all too familiar voice, cooing teasingly, “Aw, poor sleepy bird.”

“Go. Away. Sleeping,” She grumbled, turning so her back was facing him and nuzzling deeper into her covers. She let out a contented sigh as well, hoping that it would be enough to coax him into leaving.

She had forgotten who she was dealing with, apparently.

Keith felt a grin turn up on his lips, seeing the challenge and feeling pride that he knew how to approach it. Whether by design, a sense of necessity, or simply her own preference, Pidge spent most of the time she had to herself working on decoding this or programming that or preparing this upgrade for that lion and so on. It made certain tasks easier – such as rounding her up for training – but on the flip side, she was an absolute workaholic whom would occasionally skips meals from being so focused on her work. On days where she was so engrossed in her work that meals and hygiene fell to the wayside, Shiro would be sent in to peacefully extract her. But on days where Shiro was preoccupied helping Coran and Allura with battle plans or navigations or something of that ilk, the other three paladins would typically draw straws to see who would have to find a way to coax the aggressive pigeon from her perch.

Years of being selected as the unenthused bird keeper most often had prepared Keith Kogane for this moment.

Their being in a relationship didn’t necessarily mean he would be spared from taking pointed elbows and surprisingly forceful kicks to the shin; Pidge Gunderson showed no mercy when it came to getting her way. Her fortitude and refusal to give up were admirable qualities but when those same qualities were applied to her temper tantrums, it was far from charming. He tended to be the best at coercing her to deviate from her own plans – second only to Shiro, but he understood why and took no offense to that fact – because he could be just as bombastic and stubborn and just plain mean as she would be.

Her attempts to shove him out of the hanger would typically end with him throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He would retaliate to the jabs and blows she’d dish out in her indignation at being carried with small pinches to the backs of her knees and rounding a corner quick enough to clip her foot or shoulder. And, the cherry on top, was that Pidge herself had taught him how to hack into the controls on the bedroom doors once when they were pulling a prank on Lance. He very rarely ever made use of the skill, but it had occasionally come in handy during spats or disagreements between them.

Keith leaned over and pinched at her side gently, knowing all too well how ticklish she was there. She yelped and shot upright, shifting to try and dig an elbow into his side. He anticipated that move, however, and side-stepped smoothly. She tumbled over the side of her bed and hit the ground, her equilibrium still drastically skewed from her being half-awake, becoming a mess of flailing limbs and tangled covers. She scrambled to sit upright, the blankets pooling around her, and blew a few strands of hair out of her face. “What do you want, Keith?” She growled through clenched teeth.

He squatted down so they were eye level - Pidge noting that he had changed into his Paladin armor - and flashed a huge, proud grin. She’d seen this grin on his face before; he usually sports it right before flipping his opponent flat on their back during combat training. The expression caught her interest, cooling some of her fury with a balm of curiosity. “Get geared up, grab your bayard, and meet me in the hanger. I’ve got a little surprise for you,” He said.

She hummed quietly in thought before getting up. “Alright, alright. But if this isn’t worth it, I’m volunteering you to help Lance practice new pick-up lines,” She warned, scooping up her covers and tossing them into a heap on the bed.

He rolled his eyes and headed to the door. “Whatever you say, Katie,” He hummed before disappearing out the door.

She waited until she could hear his footsteps echoing down the hallway before putting herself back together. She contemplated going back to bed out of spite but she knew that he would just come and wake her up again; or, even worse, he’d find some other thing to do for vengeance. On top of that, the use of her actual name had her especially curious.

It was only in their most quiet and intimate moments that he ever called her Katie. Only Shiro and Keith were aware that Pidge wasn’t her actual name – more because neither Hunk nor Lance had seemed particularly interested in that information – and while she’d gotten somewhat used to hearing Shiro call her as such, whenever Keith called her, it still left her heart skipping beats. She changed into her armor as she was told, grabbed her bayard and a hair tie, and headed out.

She walked into the hanger to find him leaning against one of Red’s paws and checking a stop watch, the hanger doors already open for take-off.

“Okay, what is this oh-so-phenomenal surprise you felt the need to wake me up over?” She asked while setting her helmet down on her make-shift desk at her work station. She then started to comb her fingers through her hair to tie it back. Since revealing herself to her team, she’d decided to grow her hair out again, having honestly missed having long hair to play with.

Keith made a small noise in the back of his throat as he approached her, swiping the hair tie from her grasp and taking over working on her hair. “Why didn’t you tie this back before you even got here?” He asked.

In all honestly, she’d done it because the feel of his fingers combing through her hair and gently working the tresses into quick buns or French braids was relaxing for her; however, she wasn’t going to tell him the whole truth. “Because it’s more fun to make you do it for me. A small price you have to pay for waking my happy ass up. Now answer my question, you dodgy jerk,” She hummed back.

He smirked a bit as he finished up the quick bun for her, flicking the little knot of hair lightly. “First, get in Green. Then follow me, and I’ll show you,” He said before retreating to climb into Red’s cockpit.

She scowled and made her way to Green, tugging on her helmet. “That boy may as well be a damn ballerina with all those fancy moves,” She grumbled bitterly. She could feel Green’s amusement as she headed in to Green’s cockpit as well. She flopped down in her seat and reached for the controls. “Did Red give you any hint as to what exactly he’s got up his sleeve?” She asked as she watched the other metal feline shift and walk toward the exit

Green laughed lightly. “Sorry, little one, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy. Lion’s honor,”

“Well aren’t you just helpful today?” She sighed before Green lurched forward, following their comrades out.

Once they were a good distance from the castle ship, they went by the mechanical beasts’ paws instead of relying on their flying capabilities, much to her surprise. But then again, that was probably part of his plan too; the planet was certainly a gorgeous one. Red and Keith led them through rolling hills of what she assumed was pastel orange grass, halting at pools of some kind of liquid – or so she hoped, given past experiences they’d had over the years – gleaming a deep, rich purple hue with glittering silver and gold stones of some sort at the bottom. Keith hadn’t said anything over the communicator to her – only pausing at certain points to wait for her to catch up and gawk a little – before he and Red would charge ahead again.

She was left in their dust and in awe at one trail they cut past in specific.

The trees on the planet reminded her of an odd hybrid between birch and weeping willows; pale, alabaster trunks that stretched out high and wide, but their leaves dangled far off the branches like wisps of unruly hair. The leaves were the real game changers, though; they were translucent and came in various shades of yellow, orange and red, catching in the light like stained glass and casting colorful shadows along the ground in the rising light. She felt her breath catch as she looked around, wondering how long Keith had been milling around exploring earlier, before she pulled him up on the communicator. “Keith, this is amazing!” She said excitedly as he appeared on the small holographic monitor.

He flashed a small smile. “I’m glad you’re enjoying, but this isn’t the surprise,”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Wait, what?”

“I mean, I’m glad you’re enjoying the sights, but I had no idea it looked like this. It was really nice at night, though, so I should have figured it would be pretty during the day too. Consider this a happy accident, I suppose,” He explained with a small shrug, guiding Red further into the thicket of trees to settle underneath one. She had noticed he was starting to pick up her habit of occasionally rambling when answering question, though he didn’t do it for nearly as long and he typically stayed relatively on topic. “No, what I wanted to show you is just up ahead, in a ravine, but we need to leave the Lions here to make sure we aren’t detected.”

She wanted to ask why they didn’t just come in one Lion if he was concerned about being spotted – especially since Green could cloak for short bursts of time – but decided not to argue. She supposed he was thinking it’d be better to have two Lions if they did end up in a fire fight with any unfriendly faces. Green sidled up beside Red and settled comfortably for Pidge to disembark. Keith was waiting a few paces ahead for her, smile still in place and his bayard already pulled out.

She slipped her own bayard into her grip as she fell in step with him, matching her footfalls to his. He had helped teach her how to walk more quietly, move more carefully, shift her weight to make her movements a bit more graceful; a skill that was useful for missions and sneaking back and forth from his room when her nightmares made sleep near impossible. “So, were you just out exploring instead of sleeping, then?” She asked.

He hummed lightly. “When we landing I thought I saw something. Allura said to leave it be for now, since it seemed to be a ways off and hadn’t noticed us yet, but it was bothering me. I figured it’d be a good idea to get some intel on whatever it was,” He said calmly, shifting a bit closer to her as the mouth of the ravine came into view. When they walked, his hand occasionally bumped against hers, the soft clack of their armor creating a surprisingly comforting background noise.

As they peered over into the large, deep ravine below, she was stunned.

It was a Galra camp of some sort, but she wasn’t entirely sure at first. There was a huge hole carved into the side of the gorge – or, she reasoned, perhaps it was the mouth of some sort of cave – and that seemed to be where all the action was taking place. There were sentries posted here and there but there were two actual Galra guards standing watch by the entrance. There were two large buildings – windowless, dilapidated husks more than buildings, really – and two small shacks positioned in between the two buildings. Both buildings were in just as sad a state of repair but one of them had a hanging sign above the door; a wooden sign, hanging loosely from chains, with a red cross painted on it. A sick bay of sorts, she assumed. There was a Galra ship settled to the far left of the ravine and a few more guards and sentries were exiting the ship.

As one of the Galra headed toward one of the larger buildings, a blaster and megaphone clutched tightly in his hands, it dawned on her what they were staring at.

“I’ve been observing this place ever since I found it,” Keith supplied, taking her slack-jawed expression for the epiphany that it was. She flinched at the sound of his voice then turned her head to look at him with wide eyes. “I caught them toward the end of the day before, so I didn’t get a good look at the workers, but one of the few I saw looked a lot like you. Did… Did your brother walk with a limp?”

Your father was sent away to a work camp.

Matt and I were sent to the arena.

Matt was scared.

Grabbed a guard’s weapon and struck Matt.

Take care of your father.

Despite how long ago the conversation had been had, she could still remember it clear as day. Shiro had saved her brother Matt from dying in the arena by injuring him. Shiro assumed that the Galra would heal Matt’s leg – they had the technology to do that much, he was sure of it – but assuming that they opted not to, it could make sense. Shiro admitted that it had been a deep cut he had inflicted. If the Galra had only given him basic treatment to get him work-ready then he could have suffered after effects. “You found him,” She finally wheezed out, her breathing starting to pick up and her eyes watering.

He settled one hand on top of hers and squeezed gently. “Happy anniversary, Katie,” He said simply.

She broke down, letting out embarrassing little sob-giggle hybrids as tears started to fall. “You… You found my brother as an anniversary gift?” She blubbered, squeezing his hand back as tightly as she could, but she was smiling.

“Well, I found this place while I was just trying to find a nice spot for, like, a picnic or something. I mean, Lance has raved about how that’s a great way to woo a girl,” He said with a small laugh. He held up his free hand and held out his thumb and index fingers as he ticked off two points. “But then I realized that we don’t exactly have a lot of options for picnic-y foods – because I still barely understand how to cook half the stuff Hunk has found that’s edible – and also that I doubt we could bluff our ways out of it if we got caught on the picnic. So I thought that, as far as woo-worthy gestures go, helping you spring your brother from an intergalactic concentration camp might be a nice alternative.”

She stared at him before she squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed hard to fight back more hiccups and laughs and tears. Of course Keith would be the one to find something like this and put the knowledge to an oddly impractical use. “I feel like such a smuck now! I was just going to upgrade your bayard so that you could alter the length and curve of your blade however you wanted!” She choked out lightly.

He laughed, clinking their helmeted heads together lightly. “Are you kidding me? That sounds like a kickass anniversary gift! Lance will never win another sparing match again,” He beamed, eyes shining in enthusiasm and delight. He gave her hand one more squeeze before looking back down at the ravine. “So, from what I’ve seen, we have about ten minutes before they’ll start sending the workers into the camp. You should get Green and go into cloak mode; you could plug up the cave hole and deal some damage to the ship to prevent an escape. I’ll jump down and keep them from getting back to the ship until you can take it out.”

“They have a decent amount of troops, though; should we call for some reinforcements?” She asked while taking a shuddering breath to collect herself.

“I already got that covered; once you get in Green, Red’s gonna send a distress signal to Black, Blue and Yellow. If my timing is right, then they should show up in time to help finishing taking out the Galra and start the job of taking care of the workers,”

“Shiro’s gonna be so pissed at us,” She said, shifting to slide farther back down toward the Lions.

Keith flashed her a smirk. “He’ll get over it once he sees it’s for a worthy cause,”

She felt her heart beat pick up and she nodded, blinking back a fresh wave of tears. “God, I love you so much,” She whispered breathlessly before darting back to Green.

[frank-a-lank]

Missed Shots (McCree/OC)

Fandom: Overwatch

Pairing: Jesse McCree/ OC (Anela Kahale)

Rating: T

Summary: No one ever accused Jesse McCree of not taking opportunities as they appeared. 

At least....until he met Anela Kahale 

There were fond memories of Blackwatch, even McCree had to admit that.

Like the time he and some of the other agents shot fireworks off the roof when they weren’t supposed to. He and his closest friend, Bryn McFinnigan, were the ones who took the fall when Reyes came storming up on the roof, but they got through their punishment together.

Or the time he and Reyes had a long heart-to-heart on the Dia de los Muertos one year.

He and Genji being shitheads.

Anela.

She was the best thing that came from his time in Blackwatch, and of course he screwed that up, just like he screwed everything else up. He pondered it, riding on the top of yet another train. Winston had contacted him and McCree promised to look into a potential lead in California before heading to Gibraltar. He looked up at the stars above, wondering what Anela was doing now.

The first time he saw her could have been taken right out of a cheesy movie, as Bryn so kindly put it.

It was just another day at the base.

Just another day, doing the same ol’ assignments and chores with the same ol’ people. Until Reyes radioed him into the main aircraft hangar.

Jesse usually wasn’t present when new recruits came along, so one could imagine his surprise when Reyes told him they were greeting a potential new Blackwatch member.

“What’s so special ‘bout this one?” Jesse asked, tipping his hat up.

Bryn was there too, probably to get the new recruit registered in the computer systems faster. She was their tech genius, after all. Got a computer or tablet problem? Get the Irishwoman. Is your scope actin’ funny? Get Bryn. She hated it, but she helped anyway.

Reyes glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, crossing his arms. “This medic is on Angela’s level when it comes to fieldwork. She’s efficient and the Navy Seals suggested her to Overwatch.”

Jesse arched a brow. A medic? Not many medics wanted to help Blackwatch, for the obvious reasons. Their ops were dangerous and their people were twice as dangerous. Hell, Jesse didn’t even want to think what one of the agents could do with only a copper wire. He glanced at Bryn.

“I may be hearin’ things, but I thought I jus’ heard you say medic.”

“No shite. A medic?” Bryn grumbled, tapping on her holopad. “Yep. A medic. Damn good one if her stats are accurate. Specializes in field medicine. Graduated from Stanford with honors at the age of 20. IQ of 180. What’s she doing joining Blackwatch?” Bryn turned the tablet, almost as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her mane of curly red hair fell over her shoulder as she started to tilt with the tablet.

“You heard right, ingrates. You should be grateful we have a medic willing to work in the field with us at all.” Reyes’ mouth turned down into a frown.  “I’m assigning her to you for her orientation, cabrón. I want a full report on her fighting abilities and what we need to work on with her by the end of the week. I can’t have a medic we need to coddle.”

“Sure thing, Jefe.” Jesse scratched his head. “Why me though?”

 “Apparently she prefers a pistol, like another idiot I know.”

 Jesse made the ‘okay’ sign with his hand. “Got it.”

The transport landed and Jesse reached up to hold his hat on his head and his bandana whipped up to smack him in the face. Bryn snickered and he elbowed her. He heard her mutter, “Shithead,” before she stood at attention. He smoothed his bandana down, holding back a yawn. Great, now he had to babysit a soft medic, US army or no, she probably didn’t know much beyond protecting herself. She was going to have to know more than that for Blackwatch.

Reyes put on his ‘commander’ face and Jesse tried to school his into something slightly resembling interest.

The transport opened and time seemed to stop when the passenger hopped out.

“Oh,” Jesse breathed, eyes widening.

She was…something.

It was an extremely rare occasion for Jesse McCree to be at a loss for words, and this was sure as hell one of them.

The woman had her black hair pulled up into a bun on the back of her head, and she was looking around with big, round eyes. She looked Hawaiian, if he had to guess, with warm, copper toned skin and round features.

She was the most gorgeous thing in the hangar.

His bandana flew up in his face again.

Reyes scoffed and elbowed him. “Keep it in your pants,” he growled before moving forward. Bryn snorted out a laugh, sending him a teasing glance before adjusting her goggles and following him.

Jesse quickly pushed his bandana back down and stepped forward behind Reyes. Shit, he had to pull it together.

“Agent Kahale,” Reyes shook her hand, “Welcome to Blackwatch.”

Jesse barely listened as Reyes went through his usual speech and gruff warnings. He was too focused on sizing up the new recruit. She was about 5’5”, give or take. Her arms and legs were stockier than he would expect of a medic and her face was stoic as Reyes continued his speech. She actually kept eye contact with the bastard, which was a feat in itself.

Jesse found himself getting distracted by other things before long. She had full, round lips that were set in a firm line and her golden brown eyes held a determined, intelligent light that wasn’t common in new recruits. Bryn was talking to her now, getting her into the Blackwatch system. Kahale glanced over at him and Jesse felt his heart skip. Damn, he was screwed.

“This is Agent McCree, he’s going to be your guide during your orientation. If he gives you any shit, kick his ass,” Reyes huffed, an amused glint was in his eye.

“Hey now, I happen to be a nice person,” Jesse drawled, grinning. “Nice to meetcha, darlin’. Name’s Jesse.” Jesse held out his hand.

Agent Kahale glanced at it before looking him in the eye and shaking his hand firmly. “Anela.”

Reyes excused himself and went off to do other important stuff. Bryn muttered something about doing some work on a new weapon in the lab, leaving Jesse alone with the new recruit.

Jesse gestured to the entrance to the hanger. “Well, I suppose I should show you the barracks and the med bay, shouldn’t I?”

Kahale arched a brow. “Show the medic the med bay? You’re full of great ideas.”

While her low, smooth voice was almost monotone, Jesse could hear the faint hint of sarcasm in it.

“I usually am,” Jesse retorted, winking at her.

She only gave him an eye roll back, but a hint of a smile was showing up on her lips.

Their conversation after that was pretty professional. Jesse told her the rules and showed her everywhere she needed to know and told her to report to the training room at 0600.

He didn’t know how bad he was going to have it until later.

Winston’s lead in California held true. Both Vishkar and Talon had their claws into the major cities of the state and there were whisperings about a new God Program being created.

McCree sent in what he found and he snuck onto a plane heading for Spain. It wasn’t hard to come up with a disguise and alias. Didn’t mean he didn’t sleep with one eye open the whole ride. Jesse looked out to see the clear blue of the ocean below them halfway through the flight.

Anela loved the sea.

“So what made you want to join us rough folk?”

Jesse had asked the question during a break in their training session. Kahale was proving to know how to take care of herself and she almost gave Jesse a run for his money a few times. Despite her short stature, her stocky build helped give her leverage in a fight. And she had pretty damn good aim too. Jesse was pleasantly surprised to find out that he would give Reyes a good report for once.

He also was surprised he was able to keep his head on straight during the whole session. Didn’t mean he didn’t look at how her hair curled when a few locks fell out of her bun. Or how the sweat made her skin glisten.

Nope, he didn’t need to focus on that.

The question hung in the air between them for many moments. Jesse had dropped to the floor, leaning back on his hands. Kahale just sat on the bench nearby, drinking from a bottle of water.

“I joined because I worked for the Navy Seals in the US. This is familiar to me.” She played with the cap to the water bottle, not meeting his eye.

Jesse arched a brow. He knew something else was up. “And?”

Kahale huffed. “And what?”

“Ya know that Reyes forces most of us to be able to read people?”

She rolled her eyes. She rubbed the back of her neck with a big sigh. “I also knew that if I went to Overwatch, all my research and work would be second to Zeigler’s. I wanted to make my own mark without being in anyone’s shadow.” She gave him a look that said, ‘Happy now?’.

“I can respect that,” Jesse stated, taking a drink from his own water bottle.

“What about you?”

Jesse let out a laugh. “Let’s just say I really had no choice, darlin’.”

“Hm.”

She didn’t push it, and Jesse was grateful for it. They fell into a comfortable silence and Jesse decided break time was over. He stood up and stretched, letting out a groan as his muscles loosened up and his shoulders popped.

“What part of the US are you from?” she asked.

Jesse glanced at her over his shoulder, seeing that she stood as well. “Santa Fe, New Mexico.”

Kahale grinned. “Thought so.”

Jesse huffed out a laugh. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She reached out and grabbed his hat from it’s spot on the bench and plopped it on his head. “I recognized the accent. I worked with a bunch of good soldiers from the southwest.” She crossed her arms with a smirk. “And the cowboy look is a little overkill.” She gestured to his boots.

Jesse tipped his hat up. “Darlin’, I’ll have you know that a lot of folks aroun’ here love the cowboy look.”

Her arched brow was his only reply.

“What? Don’t believe me?”

“No.”

Jesse let out a dramatic gasp and covered his heart. “Darlin’ yer so cruel!”

And for the first time that morning, he finally got a laugh out of her. His heart skipped with the sound and he couldn’t help but grin at her. “So where are ya from?”

The started to pick up the equipment they used and she blew a lock of hair out of her face. “I’m from Honolulu.”

“Honolulu, huh? Bet it was pretty nice,” Jesse mused, thinking about all of the pictures he saw of Hawaii. He dumped the dumbbells and fake guns into the bin near the equipment rack.

Kahale’s face fell a little. “It was...I wanted to get out and see the world though.” She put the equipment back carefully, looking solemn. She looked out the window at the bay and Jesse noticed the longing look she gave the sea.

That wouldn’t do.

“Didja swim a lot in Honolulu?”

She gave him a deadpan stare. “Of course.”

“Surf?”

“Yes, I love the ocean.”

“Didja hula dance? Always wanted to watch that and—“

A snort of laughter and a light punch to his arm ended his questions. “Yes, I know how to hula,” she moved so she was in front of him. “And no, you cannot see.” She pulled his hat down.

“Damn, worth a try though.” He grinned at her as he pushed his hat back up.

Her giggle was his only answer.

It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Gibraltar was just like it was the last time he was there.

McCree whistled as he strode through the streets. It was strange to not be completely on the run right now. While the bounty on his head wasn’t international, that didn’t mean he didn’t need to be careful. He kept his eye on the various shops and restaurants of the downtown district.

He slowly stopped in his tracks in front of one shop.

He stared at his reflection, almost not recognizing the scoundrel staring back at him.

The memory of a younger scoundrel and a beautiful young woman took it’s place.

Jesse was getting sick of the crap in the kitchen at the base and he had to get something that wasn’t the same ol’ same ol’.

He was munching on a candy bar from his almost overflowing bag of groceries, almost groaning in delight. It’s been way too long since he had chocolate.

He almost choked on a piece of hazelnut when he saw a familiar face walking down the street toward him.

Anela Kahale didn’t seem to expect to see him either, but her surprised expression soon became a big smile.

It had been about six months since she joined up with them and she melded in with the group in no time. She was a damn good medic too. Their agents already had better morale because they knew she was watching over them. Some started to call her the Black Angel, to counter Angela Ziegler’s angel routine.

And, damn, she was looking angelic at the moment.

Her long, black hair was down and it fell past her shoulders in frizzy waves. She was wearing a blouse and a long skirt with sandals and she looked happy to see him. Her skin glowed in the warm, Gibraltar sun and her smile was growing by the second.

Jesse considered himself blessed.

“Well, fancy meetin’ you out here,” Jesse laughed, stuffing the candy bar back in the sack.

Anela plucked it right back out. “I love this brand! Where did you find it?”

“Just a little ol’ store down the street here.” Jesse readjusted his grip on his bag. “You can have the other half. I bought at least three of ‘em.”

She beamed up at him before breaking off a piece of the chocolate bar and popping it into her mouth. “That’s dangerous information, Jesse McCree. Who says I won’t take them all?”

Jesse laughed. “Darlin’, I’d happily give ‘em up.”

She rolled her eyes again, gesturing to his bag. “Well, I’ll let you get going, I was going to explore for a little bit.”

No one ever accused Jesse McCree of not taking opportunities as they appeared. He leapt on this one. “How ‘bout I show you around a little, darlin’? I know all the good places and I’ve been speaking Spanish since I was old enough to walk.”

Anela perked up at that. “You don’t mind? I mean, you have your groceries. “

Jesse laughed, holding out a box of snack crackers. “Darlin’, it’s all non-perishable junk food. I needed my fix.”

A thick, dark brow arched. “You know all the crud in those is bad for you, right?”

“Yep. Still gonna eat ‘em.”

Anela snorted out a laugh before popping another piece of chocolate in her mouth. “Lead the way then, Santa Fe.”

Jesse took his role as a guide very seriously. He showed her all the little shops, hole in the wall restaurants, and whatever else the tourist part of the city had to offer. He then helped her in the grocery store so she could get her own groceries.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had been in the fresh produce section of the grocery store, and he could feel himself detoxing with every breath.

“Darlin’, why’re we in this part?” he asked, looking at some apples.

Anela arched a brow up at him with an amused expression. “Because I need my fix, Santa Fe.” She put the coconut she was holding down, after turning her nose up at it.

Jesse never thought one person would need so much fruit as they walked out.

“And here I thought the pineapple and coconut thing was just a stereotype,” he laughed, helping her carry some of her bags.

Anela readjusted her grip on the bags she had, rolling her eyes. “They’re good for you. And do you know that coconuts have many uses? I burnt my hand on a stove and my grandma just had to put coconut water on it.” She grinned. “She made the best snacks from the coconut too.”

Jesse was suddenly reminded of his own abuela. She had the weirdest quick fixes too.

“Mi abuela was a fan of the aloe plant herself. She had at least 10 of ‘em growin’ around the house. She liked her cactuses too. Made the best grilled cactus.”

Anela’s eyes widened. “Grilled cactus?”

“Yep. Best stuff.”

Anela tilted her head in curiosity, causing her mane of dark hair to fall over her shoulder. “Was it just you and your grandmother?”

Jesse cleared his throat. Shit, he didn’t mean to bring up his past. The only people he really talked about it to was Reyes and Ana. He hadn’t even told Bryn much about his past, at least before Deadlock.

“Yeah, fer the most part. Never met my dad. My mom was barely around so…yeah.”

Anela always seemed to surprise him. She didn’t give him a sympathetic or pitying expression he expected. Instead, he saw…relief?

“Me too. My parents died during the Crisis. Just me and my grandma.”

A somber silence fell over them, and Jesse wasn’t going to stand for that. He reached inside his own grocery bag again and dug out another candy bar.

“Here darlin’.”

She grinned and took it from him with a snort of laughter. “Why do you call me that?”

“What? Darlin?”

“No, Anela.” She playfully pushed on his shoulder. “Yes, darlin!”

“Jus’ a habit o’ mine. I call Bryn darlin’ all the time. Why? Think yer special or somethin’?”

Anela went deadpan. “Thank god, and here I was thinking you singled me out.”

Jesse couldn’t stop his shit eating grin if he tried. “I could call you somethin’ else.”

A look of horror came to her face. “Oh god no.”

“Sugar?”

“No.”

“Sweetpea?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Buttercup?”

“That just sounds gross.”

“Dumplin?”

“Now I’m fat!” she huffed.

Jesse couldn’t hold it in any longer. He threw his head back and started to laugh. “That is the last thing I’d call ya, Sweetie.”

He yelped when he was suddenly yanked down. Anela had grabbed his ear and pulled him down to her level, which was a good 8 inches. “I detest Sweetie,” she hissed. The playful glint in her eye gave her away. She let him go. “But really, don’t call me that.” She grimaced. “Reminds me of all the old men I had to suck up to in school and the army.”

Jesse shuddered himself. Those same guys probably would’ve called him ‘son’. She still had the shittier draw.

“Hm…Sunshine?”

Anela playfully whacked him in the arm. “No.”

“Punkin?”

“What?”

“Sweetcheeks.”

“Nuh uh.”

“Yer killin’ me darlin’! I’m gonna have to use Spanish soon enough!”

Her laugh was his only answer. And the crinkle of the candy bar wrapper.

“Give me one I like and I might share this with you!” she teased in a sing song voice.

Jesse caught up with her, wincing when a pineapple banged into his knee. “I bought that there candy bar, thank ya kindly!”

“And you gave it to me! So, HA!” she retorted, breaking off a piece. “Give me a nickname I like.”

“Puddin?”

“Nope.”

“Cupcake?”

“Wrong.”

“Sweetheart?”

“Old man sounding again.”

Jesse went through his whole repertoire of names. Finally, he got to one she liked.

He never knew saying ‘Angel’ would give him a victory so sweet.

McCree found himself walking out of that same damn grocery store with a couple of the candy bars and some other snacks he hadn’t had in a while, heading back toward the base. Damn, he was getting old if this walk was starting to feel long. It used to be nothing back in the day.

He munched on the chocolate, glancing down at his left arm, which was covered by the sleeve of his leather jacket. Being on the run meant he had to be ready to change his looks at any point. The leather jacket was a little warm for Gibraltar, but he knew he stood out less in the jacket than his usual serape. The gloves he wore covered up his metal left hand.

Anela even left her touch there.

“Jesse! Talk to me, McCree!”

Jesse could barely hear through the ringing in his ears. He groggily looked around, trying to push himself up on his hands.

That’s when he felt it.

The pain was the worst thing he ever felt. It was white hot and mind numbing.

He let out a choked scream, staring down at his left arm.

Or what was left of it.

“Jesse!”

Anela scrambled through the piles of rubble around them until she reached his side. She was bleeding from a cut on her forehead and dirt and god knows what else covered her. She looked down at his arm and her face went blank.

Jesse recognized the ‘doctor face’ by now.

Anela dropped to her knees and reached into her pack, pulling out a roll of bandages. She tore a long strip off and folded it many times. “Jesse, I hate to tell you this, but I can’t give you morphine right now.” She propped his arm up on her legs. “If I give it to you, it might slow your breathing and that’s really not good with the amount of blood you lost, okay? I’ll give you something else but it’s not as strong.” She quickly cleaned off a place on his arm and she stuck a syringe in.

She brought the cloth to his lips. “I need you to bite down on this.”

Jesse just did as he was told. He was starting to get tired. And his head hurt. Holy shit his arm hurt.

The pain only got worse as she tied a tourniquet above the end of the stump. His scream of pain was muffled by the bandage.

Anela brought her finger up to her ear. “Commander Reyes, I need transport. Jesse’s wounded.” Her face turned down into a scowl. “Five minutes isn’t good enough! I need that transport now!” she snapped. Jesse would’ve made a comment about her sassing off their commanding officer if he wasn’t so fucked up at the moment.

She grumbled and reached into her pack again. Jesse vaguely remembered how he and Bryn called it the Mary Poppins bag at some point.

She had the stump of his arm and everything cleaned up in no time and she already had bandages over the end. She cleaned off a place on his arm and stuck a syringe in. “This’ll help thicken your blood so you won’t bleed so much.” She then got out her canister with nanotech she helped develop and she opened it over his arm. The nanobots hovered over his arm like a flickering flame. Soon she had an IV stuck in his other arm and was holding up a bag of clear fluid.

Jesse felt his breathing just get quicker. Panic was starting to set in and he couldn’t stop it. He reached up for her and clung to her sleeve. “Angel.”

Anela stopped what she was doing and looked down at him. He finally saw the fear in her eyes. Shit, he must be getting ready to go up shit creek without a paddle if she was scared.

“I don’t wanna die, Angel.”

Anela started to blink back tears and Jesse could feel his heart thumping faster in his chest. She reached down and cupped his cheek in her hand. “I’m not going to let you die, Jesse McCree.” Her thumb ran across his cheekbone and Jesse felt his throat close up.

“Keep talking to me, Jesse. Don’t ever stop talking to me. I need you to stay awake,” she ordered, getting more of her tools out. How she did all of this while holding up that damn bag, he didn't know.

“I don’ know what to talk about, Angel,” he wheezed. He reached around with his hand. “Where’s m’hat?”

Anela grinned a little. “You and that damn hat.”

He let out a shaky laugh. “It’s part of my look, y’know?”

“I’ll buy you a new one.”

“Promise?”

Anela cupped his cheek again and rested her forehead against his. He was amazed to find some of his anxiety melt away with the touch. “Promise. Keep talking. Where did you get that damn hat? So I know where to go.”

The next five minutes felt like five years.

Reyes’ gruff voice suddenly sounded out and he came scrambling through the rubble too. “Jesse!”

Jesse absolutely knew he looked like shit if Reyes’ face fell as fast as it did. “Oh chiquito.”

“Ain’t so bad, jefe. I’m all right now.”

Anela didn’t even chastise him for the bad pun.

Jesse found himself on a transport with Anela barking orders to the other medics. Reyes stood by his head, holding onto his remaining hand. The rest was a blur. Jesse remembered fading in and out of consciousness. Anela told him they were giving him a drug to sedate him and he barely nodded in understanding before passing out.  

His mouth was dry as hell when he woke up. And there was something shoved in his mouth.

“Jesse!” The damn tube was pulled from his mouth. “I need you to wake up now.”

Anela’s low, smooth voice barking orders at him was the sweetest sound in the world. That meant he wasn’t dead.

His answer wasn’t too dignified. It came out as a groan.

“That’s it. Wake up, Jess. I’ll let you sleep in a second, okay?”

Jesse forced himself to open his eyes. Anela looked like hell, then again, he probably didn’t look better. She had bags under her eyes and her hair looked frizzier than usual.

“Keep your eyes open, Jess.” She adjusted some of his IV bags and she started to type things into a holotablet she was holding. “Your vitals are stable, thank god.” She mumbled something that sounded like ‘heart rate still too high’ and ‘probably from blood loss’ and he just brushed it off. She was the genius doctor here, not him. “We’ve got you on fluids, pain meds, and antibiotics right now. God knows what you could have possibly picked up.”

Jesse looked over at the tube they had in his mouth. Damn, good thing his gag reflex was shit. He wasn’t new to surgery. He knew why they shoved the damn thing down his throat. Still bothered him to see it.

“Okay Jess,” she stood up and went to the foot of the bed. She pressed down on the tops of his feet. “Push up.” He did. She moved her hands to the bottom of his feet. “Push down.”

He knew how it went. She did her assessments and when she finally deemed him stable, she messed with his IV again. “You lost a lot of blood. Thank god you and Reyes are the same blood type. We had to run a transfusion. You almost went into shock.”

Jesse stopped paying attention, looking down at what was left of his arm. Everything from the elbow down was just…gone. An empty, hollow feeling started to slowly radiate from his chest. Was he going to be okay? Was he ever going to be able to run ops again?

He tried to move it, but Anela’s fingers snapping in his face stopped that. “I need you to keep that arm on the pillow. If you move it, it could get contracted and that makes the possibility of prosthetics and therapy harder.”

Right. There was a reason it was propped up high on a pillow for everyone to see. Even if the crowd was only Anela, he still felt a little ashamed.

Anela seemed to realize how quiet he was because she sat in her chair on his right side again and she cupped his cheek so he was forced to look at her. “Talk to me, Jess.”

Jesse shrugged, suddenly feeling very tired. “Not much to say. Just lost an arm.”

Anela’s thumb brushed across his cheek. “I’ll let you sleep, then we can talk, okay?”

To be honest, he wouldn’t want to talk about it with anyone else, he knew Blackwatch’s Angel well enough to know she would never think less of him.

Hot tears started to blur his vision. “I lost an arm,” he choked out.

Anela’s hand moved to the back of his neck and she pulled him toward her, resting her forehead against his again.

They stayed blessedly silent until Jesse fell asleep from exhaustion.

Anela had helped him through every step of the rehabilitation process for his arm.

She was the stern voice barking orders when he needed motivation and the kind hearted soul he needed when that empty feeling would come back.

Anela had let him put the skull on the design, glaring at Angela, Morrison, and anyone else who objected.

McCree had come to terms with the loss of his arm, and he was back to fanning the hammer and running ops again in no time.

He had her and Angela to thank and he sent a small thanks their way whenever his new arm came in handy.

McCree pulled up the cuff of the glove, looking at the metal that peeked out between it and the end of his jacket. He owed Anela plenty of things. It was only after the arm incident that he realized his feelings for her ran deeper than friendship. He had thought his attraction had only been a short term thing. He was a charmer, as Ana put it. He never truly invested in anything of that sort.

But, Anela…that woman just wiggled her way around his defenses and latched onto his heart without even trying.

She didn’t need to put up with the likes of him, though.

McCree had made the decision early on to spare her the trouble of being with a scoundrel.

Everyone seemed to be focused on teasing Jesse.

Ana started to send him teasing glances more frequently during their training sessions and Jesse didn’t indulge her.

Reyes rolled his eyes whenever he and Anela were close to each other.

Bryn, Angela, Fareeha, and god knows who else teased both of them. Even Jack Morrison teased him once. Reinhardt was just downright embarrassing when he saw them, spouting stuff about young love and all that. Jesse started to hang out with the new sniper, Jaramogi, more and more simply because she didn’t seem to care. Jesse assumed that was due to the mental training from the illegal group she came from, though. She even gave him a confused look when he said he and Anela were just friends.

Ana was the one who finally broke the ice.

“Jesse,” she said, putting her rifle aside, “I want you to clear something up for me.”

Oh no.

Jesse quickly holstered Peacekeeper and moved to start walking out of the shooting range. “Welp, would you look at the time!”

“Jesse McCree, I will not hesitate to use a sleep dart.”

That stopped him in his tracks.  

“Look, ma’am, I know what yer gonna ask about and—“

“I want to know why you won’t take the opportunity in front of you,” Ana started, not batting an eyelash, she walked around so she stood in front of him. “And if I recall, you said you never shy away from an opportunity.”

Dammit.

He let out a long sigh, turning slightly and putting his hands on his hips. He tipped his hat up a little. “Whatcha want me to say, ma’am? It ain’t meant to be.”

Ana arched a brow. “Says who.”

“Says me.”

“Why?”

Jesse knew he couldn’t glare at her because the woman taught him most of her tricks and she saved his ass more times than he could count. “Ya don’t need to know why.”

“Jesse, you’re not in trouble. I just want to know why my favorite gunslinger looks like a kicked puppy when the woman he loves isn’t looking his way.” She set her gun aside. “You and I both know the answer.”

A heavy silence filled the air and that dreaded word echoed in Jesse’s ears.

It had been a long time since Jesse even entertained the idea of love. Shit, it took him forever to care about the people around him here at Overwatch. Ana and Reyes managed to break down the walls he built. Bryn and Fareeha came along and basically obliterated the walls with both of their no shit attitudes. It was something that was familiar.

But love, in the sense Ana was talking about, was something completely new and unfamiliar to him.

His flings in the past had no true meaning to him. It was an itch to scratch. And he didn’t really have time for that in Blackwatch. He was either busy or spending his precious free time with his friends.

But Ana was like a bulldog when she got her teeth into something and Jesse knew he wasn’t getting out of this easy. He pulled his hat down. “Rascal like me don’t deserve her. Sparin’ her the trouble.”

The silence continued and Jesse could hear his own heart in his ears. Saying it aloud was different than thinking it, and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t being a yellow bellied chicken about it. And the fact Ana saw right through him and just wanted him to admit it was humbling in itself. That woman had an intuition greater than his abuela’s.

“And you are the only one who gets to decide?” Ana said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder. “You’re mistaken if you think you can make any decision for her.”

A huff of a laugh escaped him before he could stop it. Trying to make Anela do anything was a joke.

“I just want you happy, Jesse, and so does everyone else.”

She left him blessedly alone, the soft tap of her feet the last thing he heard before she closed the door.

He slapped his hat on his thigh. “Shit,” he hissed.

Ana was right, but he was going to stand by what he said.

He was still working through his own past, regardless of what anyone assumed. He knew Anela knew about Deadlock, but he wasn’t going to tell her that shit anytime soon.

McCree walked through the main gate of Gibraltar’s base.

The familiar towers, aircraft, and roads were comforting in their own way, even if they seemed lifeless now. He had many memories in these walls. And he was glad to say most of them were good.

And, of course, a good majority of them involved Anela in some way or form.

<hr>

One of his and Anela’s traditions was to watch movies during the little free time they had.

They took turns every Friday they didn’t have an op. He would pull out his worst spaghetti westerns and old movies and she had various favorites.

This Friday was a treat.

“I’m sharing something extremely dear to me, Jesse McCree, so you better not make fun of it,” Anela had warned, sticking the movie in.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Angel.”

She rolled her eyes and sat next to him on the couch. They sat shoulder to shoulder, her leaning heavily against him while eating popcorn out of the bowl in his lap.

Jesse almost laughed when he saw the cartoon main menu. “Lilo and Stitch? Never heard of it,” he said, tossing popcorn in his mouth to stop himself from teasing her. A kid’s movie? He never thought he’d see the day Anela Kahale would watch a kid’s movie.

“It takes place in Hawaii and it has aliens.” She looked up at him with an arched brow. “What? Didn’t think I enjoyed cartoons?”

“You sure complained during Fieval Goes West.”

“Because it’s animation is so old.”

Jesse tugged on a lock of her hair. “Movie snob.”

“I like to call it superior movie taste, thank you very much,” she playfully quipped, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

She pressed play and leaned against him. Jesse decided to drop their ‘debate’ and focused in on the movie. The movie actually turned out to be hilarious and heartwarming, all while showing the beauty of Hawaii. Jesse even recognized some of the Elvis Presley songs.

“Ya know, for as long as I’ve known ya, I still don’t know many Hawaiian words,” he teased when ‘ohana’ was brought up again. He flashed her a wink when she gave him an amused look.

“Really? I can teach you some.”

They traded Hawaiian and Spanish words throughout the rest of the movie.

“Let me guess the movie you picked this week,” she said when Lilo and Stitch ended. She tapped her chin in fake thought. “True Grit?”

Dammit. She knew him too well.

Halfway through the movie, Jesse looked at her to say another Spanish word, but his mouth clamped shut when he realized she was asleep.

Her head was on his shoulder and he could hear her evened out breathing. She nuzzled into his shoulder a little before letting out a soft sigh. Knowing she didn’t get much sleep in the first place, Jesse let her be, watching the movie.

The gunslinger kept getting distracted, opting to look at what he could see of her face and the top of her head instead of watching the movie.

Jesse had always been an impulsive person, and that hasn’t changed.

He leaned forward and pecked the top of her head. His heart raced and his throat threatened to close up as he stayed close to her. Her hair smelled like flowers and her warmth radiated through him. He couldn’t ever let her know he cared about her, but damn did he want to. Keeping his lips close, he barely breathed out a, “Love ya, Angel,” before pulling away and watching the rest of the movie.

He assumed she never heard, since she never mentioned it when she woke up.

Getting back into the swing of being part of a team again was easy enough.

McCree was glad to see old friends and to make new ones. Tracer had been one of the first to greet him, along with Winston. Angela eventually came along, not happy at first but willing to help. Then Genji showed up with Zenyatta in tow. Bryn came back, and it was so damn good to see her. Fareeha waltzed in one day, eager to help. Jaramogi came back, smiling and laughing more than she did in the past. Reinhardt and Bridget raced in, the old man bellowing at the top of his lungs.

The shock of seeing Jack and Ana again made everything more bittersweet.

It was almost strange, being part of the mixed-matched family only Overwatch could provide.

One face never showed back up, though, and it caused McCree to be worried yet relieved at the same time.

“Heard anything about her, Brynnie?” he asked, one night, nursing a beer with his favorite Irish woman.

Bryn tipped her own beer back, looking out at the sunset. The sun looked like it was drowning in the sea on the horizon. Anela would have loved the sight. She always did like coming up here with them.

“She was helping people in the New Zealand area, last I checked. Doing damn good work out there,” Bryn reported, giving him a knowing look.

McCree nodded, feeling a little relief.

“Have you at least contacted her, Jesse?”

Tipping his hat down, he grumbled, “Can’t talk to the people yer close to on the run, Brynnie.”

Bryn snorted. “Then what does that make me? You called me all the time.”

McCree gave her a wide grin. “Yer hell personified when you’re threatened. You can take care of yerself.”

She huffed, but she had a wide grin on her face now.

McCree sighed, thinking about the last time he ever saw his Angel.

They were standing on the roof of the Switzerland Base, looking out at the moon.

“So you’re going to do it?” Anela asked, not looking at him.

Jesse flinched at how cold her words sounded. Blackwatch had been going downhill lately. With every op he ran, Jesse felt like he was back in Deadlock more and more. Reyes was starting to scare him, and Jesse was ready to do the only thing he could think to do to save his skin.

Run.

“I can’t stay here, Angel.” His throat closed up as he tugged his hat down. “I feel like I’m back at Deadlock.” He took a shaking breath. “And I can’t go back to that, Anela. I jus’ can’t.”

“But—“

“I can’t.”

A tense silence fell over them, and Jesse could feel her looking at him. They’ve had this conversation many times, about how things were changing around them and how they didn’t like it. He meant it this time. He was going and was ready to give hell to anyone who tried to stop him. His fingers curled around the railing they were leaning against. He stiffened when he barely felt her fingertips running along his left arm. The prosthetic dulled the sensation.

“Wait here.”

Jesse watched her walk back inside, wondering what she was going to do.

His thoughts swirled through his mind as he waited, wondering what she was thinking, what exactly he was going to do when he got out, wondering how Bryn was going to get out too.

The door opened again and he turned to face her, almost feeling like he was facing a firing squad. She was carrying a small bag and she wiped at her eyes.

Dammit.

Jesse’s heart dropped when he saw more tears forming. She sniffled a little. His throat clenched up and he tried to swallow down his own tears. Dammit, he didn’t want to leave her behind. He didn’t want to risk not seeing her again. But he had to get out.

She was by his side and Jesse looked down at her face, trying to remember every detail. His heart swelled in his chest when she smiled through the tears. Before he could stop himself, he reached up and cupped her cheek, wiping some of her tears away.

God, as much as he wanted to get out, he didn’t want to leave her.

Tears started to form in his own eyes when she reached up and rested her hand on the back of his neck. It was such a familiar gesture now, and he knew what she wanted. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and just breathing her in.

“Stay safe, Santa Fe,” she whispered.

He took the bag from her, gulping down the lump in his throat as they pulled away from each other.

Jesse had many regrets in that moment. He regretted not spending more time with her. He regretted not telling her how much he appreciated her. His biggest regret was never telling her how much she meant to him.

It would be shitty of him to do that now, so he did something shittier.

He pulled her close and pressed a long kiss to her forehead. “Come with me, Angel.”

“Jesse—“

“Come with me,” he urged, resting his hand on the back of her neck. “Things are ‘bout to get real ugly aroun’ here, and I’ll sleep better knowin’ you ain’t in the middle o’ it.”

Anela gestured to the base. “I have patients here, Jess.” She took a shaky breath. “I can’t just leave.”

Jesse knew it was stupid to argue with her, so he took the next best option. “Promise me, then.” He rested his forehead against hers. “Promise me that you’ll leave. Get outta here while ya can.”

They stared at each other for many moments, but Jesse wasn’t going to budge on this.

Finally, she nodded, blinking rapidly as she tried to stop her tears. “I promise, Jess.”

It was physically painful to pull away from her and bid her one last goodbye before he went inside.

When he was finally on the train going out of Switzerland, he looked in the bag she gave him. His heart constricted in his chest when he saw the first aid supplies and extra tools to maintain his arm. He even saw some of her special canisters full of her nanotech. He noticed a letter, but he wasn’t going to read that just yet.

He never did.

McCree looked down at the letter in his hands. He sat on the edge of his mattress, leaning his arms heavily on his thighs.

He kept it for 7 years, always keeping it folded in the breast pocket of his shirt.

Now, he felt stupid enough to actually read it. Using his metal thumb, he carefully opened the envelope, taking great care to not rip the delicate paper. Right as he moved to pull the letter out, he got a message on his communicator. Grumbling, he raised a finger to his ear. “Yeah?”

“Shithead, get up here. We have another old face coming back,” Bryn ordered, sounding deadpan.

McCree frowned. “Why do I gotta be there?”

“Winston told me it’s an old Blackwatch face, so he wants us there. Don’t make me come down there, gobshite.”

McCree rolled his eyes, taking her threat to heart. He folded up the envelope, yet again, and tucked it in the breast pocket of his shirt. He threw his serape over his shoulders and grumbled more as he put his hat on. Tucking his hands in his pockets, he started to amble up to the transport bay.

He wasn’t surprised to see Hana sitting in one of the main corridors close to the bay. Apparently the wi-fi was better up there or something, so she was always up there with a handheld game.

“Hey, Eastwood,” she greeted, not looking away from her screen.

McCree liked Hana. She had a no shit attitude and still managed to keep a brave face in most situations. The girl knew no fear sometimes and she reminded him of himself back in the day. And ever since she and Lucio had caught him watching The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, he earned the nickname. He didn’t care though. If they got entertainment out of it, it didn’t bother him none.

“Hey Squirt. Beat that high score?”

“Nope.” She furiously mashed at the buttons on the handheld. “Bryn walked by here looking really happy, not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.” She finally spared him a glance. “Make sure she isn’t about to kill someone.”

He tipped his hat. “Gotcha.” He gestured to the game. “Don’t play too hard now.”

She gave him a wave of her hand before going back to her game.

McCree kept walking, wondering who in the hell could make Bryn happy to see them.

When he reached the hangar, he saw Bryn, Winston, Angela, Lucio, and Ana standing in a group. He couldn’t get a good glimpse of who was in the middle of them, but he started to get suspicious at how all of their medics were there.

There was no way.

He walked cautiously, trying to get a good look at who had arrived.

Then he heard it.

Her laugh.

Just like when he saw her for the very first time, it was cliché.

Bryn caught his eye and stepped to the side, nudging Angela. Angela noticed him and smiled brightly, stepping to the side as well.

And there she stood, looking as beautiful as ever.

McCree felt his heart pounding in his chest and he swore he felt lightheaded when their eyes met.

The brightest smile he had ever seen showed up on Anela’s face and he was running toward her. She gently pushed her way through the group, almost sprinting. When she got close, he opened his arms, catching her. He let out a soft laugh as he spun her around. Her laughter in his ears was the sweetest thing he heard in years. They finally stopped and he set her down, resting his hands on her waist.

“Well, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes, Angel,” he declared.

Amusement filled her eyes, which now had slight crow’s feet, and she tipped his hat up. “What is on your face, Santa Fe?”

McCree smirked and reached up to rub at his beard. “What? Ya don’t like it?”

She hummed in thought, going deadpan.

McCree stepped back and put his hands over his heart, making a pained sound. “Not even five minutes and yer hurtin’ me already, Angel!”

He earned a playful shove for that and his heart felt too big for his chest as she threw her head back and laughed.

Gibraltar finally felt like home.

McCree didn’t let anyone else show Anela around and reorient her to everything.

He introduced her to the new members and he knew she liked Hana and Lucio just as much as he did.

Eventually, they ended up at one of their usual spots. This time, it was their spot on the beach at the base of the cliffs. Anela was standing in the water, letting the water lap at her feet. She managed to somehow talk McCree into taking off his boots and stand next to her.

God, it was almost as if they had never been separated.

“So, Santa Fe,” she started, putting her hands on her hips. “How in the hell did you get a 60-million-dollar bounty on your head?”

Her eyes were narrowed in amusement as she smirked at him.

McCree sighed and retold the tale of that fated train ride. Her face fell when he mentioned how he recognized old Blackwatch agents among the Talon agents he confronted on the train. She stared out at the water for many moments. Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath, tilting her head up as the breeze swept over them. McCree took that moment to truly drink her in again. She cut her hair since he last saw her. It fell just past her shoulders instead of halfway down her back. She had faint laugh lines and crow’s feet. Her figure was curvier than he remembered and she was just as gorgeous.

She let out a deep sigh and he looked away before she could catch him staring. “I was worried about you,” she said quietly, looking up at him again.

“Aw, darlin’, I’m flattered.”

Her expression didn’t change. It remained somber. “I’m serious, Jess. I worried about you.”

McCree gulped down the lump beginning to form in his throat. “Worried about you too,” he admitted, finally looking her in the eye.

Her lips turned up into a sad smile and she looked out at the sea again.

Just like the old days, that wouldn’t do.

“Your gift came in mighty handy. I never got ta thank ya properly fer it,” he stated, stepping closer to her.

“Good,” she glanced up at him with a grin, “Knew you would need it.”

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close to his side. “I really did miss ya, Angel.”

He could feel her stiffen next to him before she relaxed again. She wrapped her arm around his waist and they both looked out at the sunset.

The letter seemed to burn in his pocket the whole time.

“So, you and the new medic, huh?”

McCree almost spat out his coffee. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling and praying for patience while holding back a groan.

Lucio had innocently asked the question about a week after Anela’s return to Overwatch. She already made a big impact on the team, which was no surprise. It was hard to not like her and she was a damn good teammate.

McCree had been wondering when the questions would start again, and his heart would ache a little more every time. It didn’t help that Anela had kind of blew him off the past couple days. He knew the difference between when she was mad at him or truly busy. It was the former in this situation. McCree could think of a lot of reasons why she could be irritated at him, but none of those reasons happened in the short time since she returned. He had absolutely no idea what he did to piss her off.

That soured his mood.

“What about us?” McCree asked, calmly taking another sip from his mug before sitting down at mess hall table across from the musician.

Lucio’s smile became teasing. “Aw, come on man! It’s obvious you guys have some history together.”

“She’s one of my closest friends.”

Confusion settled over Lucio’s face. “So you guys aren’t…”

“No. We ain’t,” McCree confirmed, feeling his mood going more sour by the minute.

With every moment he spent with Anela, the more he realized how much he still cared about her. He had hoped that time and them changing as people a little would make his feelings reduce a little.

If anything, they grew stronger.

Anela was still the same woman he knew, even if she was a little jaded now when it came to Overwatch’s ideals.

He stared down into his coffee cup. He then looked at his metal arm. Anela had scolded him earlier that week for not taking care of it as well as he should have.

“Sorry, Eastwood. I shouldn’t have—“

“Naw, don’t you worry ‘bout it. Ain’t the first time someone thought that way,” McCree quickly said, waving the apology off.

“Cool.”

A heavy silence fell over them.

Lucio, being the ray of sunshine he was, broke it again. “Why don’t you say something? I know she’s into you.”

McCree sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Drop it.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll drop it.” Another silence. “Didja see they’re making a new remake of True Grit?”

“Again?!” McCree groaned, crying inside. The last remake was awful.

Lucio’s words stuck with him the rest of the morning and his mood only soured more in the afternoon. He couldn’t go talk to Anela about it for obvious reasons. He already knew what Bryn or Ana would say. They would tell him to grow more chest hair and tell Anela how he felt.

Grumbling, he stomped around the shooting range, going through various simulations until he ran out of bullets.

He took a breather, leaning heavily back against a wall.

Dammit, he needed a smoke.

“Yo!”

McCree shouldn’t have jumped as much as he did. Genji used to do that shit all the time back in the day. He looked up, and sure enough, the cyborg was perched on one of the rafters above him.

“Really?”

“Yes,” Genji replied, dropping down to the floor. “I have to stay true to my ninja ways. Just as you must stay true to your cowboy ways.”

McCree waved him off, holstering Peacekeeper.

“I heard Anela is back. I’m sure you must be happy about that,” Genji said, crossing his arms.

McCree huffed out a grunt and put a cigar in his mouth. “Yep.”

“You don’t look happy.”

“Whataya want me to say, Genji?”

The cyborg tilted his head, and Jesse couldn’t tell what he was thinking due to the face plate and lack of body language at the moment.

They stood in a long silence, Genji barely moving and McCree gnawing on the cigar.

“Why do you hesitate?”

McCree almost growled in frustration. “Why’re y’all in my business anyway?”

“Because I’m confused. If you have a chance to be happy, you should take it.” Genji stepped closer to McCree, resting a hand on his shoulder. “So, my friend, I ask again. Why do you hesitate?”

McCree thought it was ironic that Genji was the one doing the talking for once. McCree was usually the one giving him pep talks in the past.

“I ain’t good fer her. I wasn’t then and I ain’t now.”

Genji tilted his head. “Oh?”

“Yeah.”

Genji stepped back again and crossed his arms. “May I be honest?”

“Go fer it, partner.”

“You’re an idiot.”

McCree took the cigar out. “Don’t need ya to tell me that.”

Genji shrugged. “I was just making sure you knew.”

They were silent again.

“You’re a good person. Do you truly think Anela would be this close to you if she didn’t think so? I believe she’s one of the smartest ones on the base.”

That…was not what McCree was expecting Genji to say.

“What? No lecture about how I need to get off my ass?”

“No. I’d be wasting the little breath my partly artificial lungs can make.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Jesus, McCree forgot how much of a little shit Genji could be sometimes. The cyborg stretched. “Now, I need to go bother my brother, who also is being stubborn.”

“I ain’t being stubborn! I’m savin’ her the—“

“Trouble? I think you cause more of it by hesitating.” McCree could imagine the shit eating grin on Genji’s face.

“Shithead.”

“Just telling the truth!” he said in a sing-song voice.

“Git outta’ here and bother your brother already.”

Genji saluted and walked away, leaving McCree with his thoughts. He became acutely aware of the folded envelope in his breast pocket. Heaving a heavy sigh, he pulled it out and looked at the folded, slightly torn edge of the flap holding it closed. Finally, after seven years, he opened the damn thing.

He gingerly pulled out the letter and unfolded it.

As he read, his heart started to thunder louder and faster in his chest. She wrote about how he was one of her first friends in Blackwatch and how accepted he made her feel. Her words told him how he went above and beyond for her. He helped her through the hard times and she hoped she helped him too. She wrote he was her most trusted friend. The last lines were what caused his eyes to tear up and burn.

“I wish I had the courage to say this to you sooner, but I never could find the right time. I never wanted to lose what I had with you so I always kept my mouth shut. That is my biggest regret now.

Jesse, travel safely so you can make it back to me someday.

Aloha au ia ‘oe.”

From the little Anela had taught him, he knew exactly what that meant in Hawaiian.

Without a second thought, he started to bolt toward the medbay, cursing at himself the whole way.

“Look, I know why yer mad at me.”

McCree had busted into Anela’s office in the medbay and he instantly regretted it.

Angela, Ana, Morrison, and Anela were there and he didn’t know who looked more annoyed than a stepped on rattlesnake.

It was a tie between Anela and Morrison.

“You’ll have to be specific, Jesse,” Angela replied, looking confused.

Ana just arched a brow and she started to give him a knowing smirk.

That wasn’t a good sign.

“Angela, Jack, I believe we should discuss this later,” she said, primly picking up her teacup.

Morrison frowned at her. “But—“

“Jack, that wasn’t a suggestion.”

Ana was truly terrifying when she wanted to be. McCree was just wondering how Morrison didn’t shrink under her passive aggressive stare.

The vigilante grumbled before picking up some blueprints and walking out of the office, Angela behind him and Ana on her heels. Ana gave him a pointed look before she left, closing the door behind her.

“Jesse—“

Before she could say another word, he took out the letter. “It’s about this, ain’t it?”

Anela’s mouth clamped shut and her lips tightened into a thin line.

“Look, I ain’t gonna lie to ya. I didn’t read it until just now.”

She arched a thick brow, crossing her arms. Her face was blank, which meant McCree better think of something quick.

“I didn’t read it because I was afraid of what it would say. I’m a right bastard.”

He stepped closer to her desk, setting the folded up letter on top of it. The silence that sat between them was almost deafening and soon, the only thing McCree could hear was his heart thundering in his ears.

“And now that you’ve read it?” Anela finally asked.

McCree didn’t miss how her fingers tightened their grip on the sleeves of her lab coat. Or how her jaw clenched. It was her eyes that caused him to feel worse. He saw hurt, confusion, and just plain ol’ anger in them.

He missed the shot big time.

“Anela,” he started to move to her side of the desk. She didn’t move, which was a good sign. “I cared about you since day one. And-“

“That’s good and all, Jesse,” she interrupted, looking up at him, “But why didn’t you ever say it to my face?”

Wait, what?

“I’m not an idiot. You’re transparent sometimes,” she stated, turning to fully face him. “And maybe I heard you almost every time you did say it?”

Oh shit.

He knew saying it when he thought she was asleep was going to bite him in the ass.

“And maybe,” she poked him in the chest, “I never said a damn thing because I was waiting for you to work out whatever damn funk you got going on and say it to me for real.” She stepped closer, almost chest to chest and she put her hands on her hips, glaring up at him. “I knew I’d lose you if I did say anything. So maybe when I didn’t hear from you for seven damn years I assumed you didn’t mean it that way and you were letting me down easy. So you can’t expect to come in here and fix everything by saying ‘I cared about you since day one’ and for me to be happy about it!”

Well, McCree expected this. He knew this conversation wasn’t going to be all sunshine and daisies. “I’m not expectin’ anything from ya. I have no right to now, and I get that.”

“Then what do you want, Jesse?” she demanded. McCree saw her gulp heavily and tears were starting to form in her eyes. “Because I’m tired of this and—“

Before he could think, he put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He buried his face into her hair, closing his eyes and gulping down the lump of fear forming in his throat. This was it. The moment of truth. “Cause I ain’t good fer ya, darlin. I never thought I was.”

She stiffened in his arms, and he could feel her fingers clutching at his serape. “What?”

“I did a lot of shit in my past, angel. I made mistakes and hurt a lot of people. I did even more shit for Blackwatch.” He gently pushed her back, turning to leave. “And I didn’t want you to have to deal with the shit that came along with being with me and—“

“You shut the hell up right now, Jesse McCree,” she snapped. Pulling on his serape to make him look at her again. “You’re not good for me? What kind of bullshit is that?”

“Angel, I didn’t want to make you—“

“Don’t ‘Angel’ me and let me talk dammit,” she huffed, “I happen to think you’re the most kind-hearted, loyal, and hard-working man I have ever known. And it hurts me to think that you were thinking you had to...” she paused and moved her hands as she searched for the word, “Protect me, or some shit.”

That damn lump in his throat wasn’t going away, and he was happy she let him back away a little and lean back against the bookshelf she had brought in.

“And who said you would have been making me deal with anything? Last I checked, I put on my own bra and I can make my own decisions,” she declared, crossing her arms and not breaking eye contact with him.

“And I decided to fall in love with you, Jesse McCree. And I’m still in love with you.” She stepped back so she could sit back against her desk. “So now the question is, what are you going to do with the cards you’ve just been dealt? Because I’m not going to wait for your sorry ass this time around.”

McCree stared at the toes of his boots.

His thoughts finally stopped swirling around in his head and he grinned with a sad chuckle.

A lot of people have accused Jesse McCree of not taking an opportunity as it appeared, and he made the decision to not miss the shot this time.

“I’m going to bet it all, angel,” he said quietly, looking up at her. “At least, I am if yer willin’ to.”

A small, barely-there grin started to come to her lips. “Well, Santa Fe,” she started, pushing away from the desk, “You have seven years to make up for. I hope you have a good plan.”

Tentatively, McCree moved toward her, reaching for her hand. Anela let him take it, giving him an expectant look.

“Let’s do it right this time. I’ll take ya out and treat ya.” He said, lifting her hand to press a kiss to the backs of her knuckles.

“Oh? What else?” She arched a brow.

McCree lifted his other hand, the metal one, and cupped her cheek, brushing away a lock of hair with his thumb. “This.”

A kiss had never tasted or felt so sweet.