#she said if a car is on the line they'd never park next to it well that would have been useful info to know

[hystericfae]

Everytime I step out for a drive I feel actual guilt tbh

[htttg]

I fell for you - Alessia Russo x reader

Summary: You and Alessia Russo are both strikers on the England team, but you've never got along. The friction between you two explodes after a drunken night and leads to a whole bunch of unresolved feelings being brought up.

Angst -> Resolution

6k words (longer than I expected)

It was getting later as I pulled into the McDonald's drive thru line after having a quiet evening to myself for the first time in forever. It was weirdly busy for a late evening, and I had been waiting to order for about five minutes when I got a call from Tooney, one of my best mates.

"Tooney? What's up?"

"Are you doing anything right now?"

"No nothing really. Why?"

"Can you do me a favour?"

"Sure,"

"Can you go get Less for me?"

"You want me to... go get Russo for you?" I asked, a little baffled at the request for multiple reasons.

Firstly, I didn't know what the situation was where I'd have to go and pick up Toone's friend for her. Secondly, when Tooney wanted a favour is was normally picking up something from the shops for her. Thirdly, although Alessia Russo was a really great friend of Ella's, the football player had made it very clear in the past that she didn't want anything to do with me.

"Yes please, it's important,"

"Okay firstly why? Secondly why can't you? And third where from?"

"Oh my god, so you'll do it,"

"Yes, yes if you need me to, but answer my questions at least,"

I pulled out of the drive thru, annoyingly I was next in line, but I reluctantly drove off.

"She's in the pub we went to for Mary's birthday, and well I got a call from Leah, saying they'd gone out with a few friends and apparently she's got really drunk really quick. Leah asked if I could pick her up because they're all drunk but I'm with my family and I've been drinking as well so I can't go. You're the only person I know who's close enough,"

"Alright, yeah I'm on my way. I'll be there in 10,"

"You are genuinely fantastic, I owe you alright?"

"Yes, you really do owe me big time,"

"Text me with any updates, mkay?"

"Sure, yeah, talk to you later,"

"Bye! Thank you!"

I sighed after I hung up, and continued the drive to the pub. I parked in the car park around the back of the pub, and went in, becoming oddly conscious of my sweats and tshirt, not something I'd usually wear to a pub.

I went in, and caught Leah's eye, and she came over to me quickly.

"Tooney sent you?" she asked, just as confused as I'd been when I got the call.

"Yeah. She's drinking and I was nearby,"

She nodded, but her furrowed brow told me she still didn't really get it.

"Well you really are saving us right now. We were gonna head to a club after this, but I don't even know how she got so drunk. She's been really up and down all day though,"

"Alright, well I'll just take her home and you can get on with your night out,"

"Genuinely thank you so much," Leah said, and led me over to a booth where a couple of the girls were sat, Alessia in the middle, evidently extremely drunk, talking to Keira very loudly about something that happened in training.

She made herself laugh, and giggled obnoxiously. Keira chuckled at her antics, but looked very relieved to see me come up to the table.

"C'mon Russo, let's go," I muttered. The girl turned to look at me sharply, her smile dropping.

"What are you doing here?"

"Taking your stupid arse home because you got wasted at pre's,"

"I'm not drunk!"

"I really don't care, but I'm taking you home, alright, because Tooney asked me to,"

"I'm not going anywhere with you,"

With a lot of persuading from the girls and the promise of another night out soon, the forward finally climbed out the booth and stood up to come with me.

She wobbled on her feet and fell into me a little. I tried to help steady her, but she just pushed me away.

"Just take me home or whatever,"

"Whatever you say," I mumbled.

I said goodbye to the girls, who gave me some very thankful looks and with Russo stumbling behind me, left them to it.

I made sure to go to the bar first and buy a couple bottles of water, which because it was a pub, cost me 12 quid. A stupid price really, but at least it was quick.

I helped Russo into the passenger seat of my car, which she ended up mostly falling into, and passed her a bottle of water, telling her to drink. I grabbed a carrier bag from my boot, just in case and handed it to her as I got into the drivers seat.

"Why are here? Huh? No one told me you'd be here. You weren't invited,"

"I was, actually, but decided to have a day to myself. That's gone to shit now because you can't handle your fucking drink,"

I started the car, with Russo mumbling incoherent insults beside me.

"Right, you're gonna have to help me out a little bit here and tell me where you live,"

"No,"

"Well, it's either that or you're coming back to mine instead, which would you rather,"

"I'm not telling you where I live," she said stubbornly with a pout.

"Are you-" I started to argue but stopped myself. It wasn't the time to start this whole thing, not with her barely seeing straight, "never mind, to my house it is,"

I turned out of the car park, conscious of Alessia fiddling with my car, searching the glovebox and cupholders and every other little pockets for something.

"I don't- I don't like this car," she complained right when I'd pulled onto a busy road. She started fiddling with her seat belt.

"Russo! What are you- don't!"

She'd undone her seatbelt and I had to last minute pull aside, causing the car behind me to beep at me. I grab Alessia's arm to stop her from trying to get out the car completely.

"Get off me!"

"Alessia fucking Russo sit the fuck down. I don't care if you don't like me and I don't care if you don't like my car but you didn't leave a whole lot of options when you got super wasted at a random bar on a Saturday night, alright? You thinking I want to be spending my night driving someone who hates my guts back home? I didn't get a whole lot of options either darling so just shut up and sit down and don't you dare move,"

I surprised myself with my outburst, and evidently shocked her too as she stopped trying to get out the car and sat there, stroppy expression on her face and arms folded.

"Ok, good," I mumbled, "seatbelt back on. Russo? Alessia, seatbelt!"

She didn't move, so I grumbled and leant over her to pull her belt across her. I was expecting her to complain or shove me away, but she stayed deadly still and just let me.

I pulled back onto the road and continued the drive to my house. It was silent in the car for all of five minutes before she started complaining again.

"Why did Tooney send you? Huh? Trying to punish me for having a little drink?"

That continued until I pulled into my driveway.

"Where are we?" she asked, confused.

"My house. You wouldn't let me take you to your house remember?"

I got out and went to her side of the car, opening her door and helping her out. She was even less stable on her feet now, and she let me walk her to the front door and into the house.

I sat her down on the stairs, took off her shoes as she drank some more water, took her coat off and hung it on the bannisters and then took her upstairs. She knocked down some pictures on the wall as she went, I gritted my teeth.

"I need to piss," she mumbled.

"What do you want me to do about that?"

"I-" she sighed, "nothing,"

I took her to the bathroom, and then let her get herself on the toilet. She was unaware of her movements and ended up hitting stuff off the sink and stuff.

"Wow, such a big girl going to the toilet all by yourself," I teased, ribbing her as I watched her struggle as I left the bathroom.

As she did that, I went to my bedroom and started tidying it up and gathering some spare blankets and pillows. Downstairs, I set up a bed on the sofa and then went back upstairs when I heard retching from the bathroom.

"Oh, in my bath, great!" I mumbled but went up to her and tied her hair back. I shifted her to the toilet instead and sat with her on my bathroom floor until she stopped throwing up. She pushed herself away from the toilet, which I flushed, and she curled into a ball on the floor.

"This is so soft," she hummed, stroking my bathmat.

"You wanna know what's even softer? The bed, okay? Come here,"

I helped her stand and took her to my bedroom, sitting her down on the bed. She quickly started pulling off her clothes, which took me by surprise a bit, but I grabbed a spare t-shirt and shorts and threw them towards her.

As she struggled to pull them on, I refused to help with this part and just kept tidying my room so that if she decided to spew vomit everywhere, my stuff was safe.

"Right, I'm gonna put a bowl here, alright, now please don't throw up in my bed,"

"Your bed?" she asked a little puzzled.

"Yes,"

She was quiet as I continued to prep my room for her to sleep - closing the windows and curtains etc.

"Y'know, I don't really hate you that much,"

"Oh wow, best compliment ever!"

"Well- I mean at all,"

"If this conversation is going to happen, let's wait ‘till morning. Here drink some more water,"

I sat next to her to prompt her to drink water, which she did.

"You're being nice,"

"Funny enough I don't think now really is the right time to be pissed at you. You're drunk, almost everyone deserves a little bit of help when they can't even walk straight,"

"Why are you pissed at me?" she asked, which made me roll my eyes.

"You're joking, right? I'm clearly not your favourite person ever but you could've at least tried to be a little nice to me."

"No, I couldn't,"

"And why now, ay?"

"Just because,"

"Right. Just because, now it all makes sense,"

"Because otherwise I would like you too much,"

I froze at hearing that come out her mouth. I didn't know what she was trying to say, just it couldn't have been anything like what came out, no way.

"Sleep. We can talk in the morning. I'll look forward to your post-drunk clarity,"

I got up to leave, hearing her say one more thing as she crawled under the covers.

"You're funny,"

I left the room and did some general chores. I made sure to put her phone on charge and tidied up the house after Russo had knocked some things over.

I headed to my make-shift bed on the sofa, and crawled under the blankets and tried to sleep, but it was obvious that it wasn't going to work. That thing that Russo had said, obviously she mixed up her words - right? She was too drunk to know what she was saying - right?

-- The next morning --

I was woken up by a million texts coming through on my phones. Tooney.

"Hey Tooney,"

"Hey, did it all go alright last night?"

"Oh fuck," I mumbled, suddenly remembering the events of yesterday and that Alessia Russo was asleep in my bed.

"What?!"

"Oh, no it went fine, you just woke me up is all,"

I stood up and wandered to my kitchen and made myself a coffee.

"God, I'm never sleeping on my sofa again - that thing is uncomfortable!"

"Why are you sleeping on your sofa?"

"Because there's a hungover sleeping footballer in my bed. She refused to let me take her to her own place yesterday, so now we're here. You owe me 12 quid from water by the way,"

"12 quid?"

"Yeah, absolute rip off for water and just because it comes in a glass bottle, I guess it suddenly becomes liquid gold," I groaned with a yawn.

"So it really went okay last night?"

"I don't know, I mean I haven't checked on her at all but yeah, we're all alive,"

"Good,"

"She said something really weird to me yesterday,"

"What'd she say?"

"Hmm, to be fair she was absolutely shitheaded and obviously didn't know what she was saying, but she said something about having to hate me because otherwise she'd like me too much. Whatever that means,"

"Yeah, that's weird, but if she was that bad, I guess it can't mean too much. Look just- I have to go but thank you so much for last night, I wouldn't have known what to do without you,"

"Yeah, I would say no problem but eh, that wouldn't be so true, but yeah. You owe me, and you better make it up to me, blah blah blah, I'll talk to you later,"

"Course, yeah, bye,"

"Bye,"

I drank my coffee and had a banana for breakfast and then heard the sound of footsteps upstairs. I made some toast and got a glass of water and shortly after, Russo came downstairs, rubbing her temples and squinting in the bright light.

"You look like shit," I mumbled as she sat down on a stool.

She gave no reply, and I just nudged the food and drink towards her.

"God, I can't," she groaned.

"Suit yourself," I responded and just grabbed a drink from the fridge for myself, "you got a ride home?"

"Really?"

"What?" I asked bluntly.

She just rolled her eyes and I saw her jaw clench.

I ignored it, and went to the living room, where I tidied up the makeshift bed on the sofa and dumped the blankets and pillows in the corner of the room. I sat down and put on a film.

A couple minutes later, Russo walked in. She was actually eating the toast I'd given her and had the water in the other hand.

"Tooney's picking me up in 10,"

I gave no reply and kept my gaze fixed on the tv. I didn't know whether or not I should ask her about what she said yesterday or not. She probably doesn't even remember, but the sentence was circling my brain.

"You could at least acknowledge what I just said," she huffed as she sat down on the opposite side of the sofa.

"And you could acknowledge the fact that I gave up my evening to pick you up yesterday,"

"And to think you were actually somewhat nice to me yesterday,"

"I made you toast. Speaking of don't get crumbs on my sofa,"

"Did you sleep here yesterday?"

"Wasn't about to climb into bed next to you for a cuddle,"

"You're so-" she stopped herself from what she was about to say.

"I'm so what? Say it,"

"This film is boring,"

"So leave,"

"Tooney's on the way, what do you want me to do? Walk the two hours walk back to my house?"

"I'd prefer it, yeah,"

"You're so frustrating, my god!" She stormed back to the kitchen, but for some reason I couldn't let it go and followed her.

"I think you forget sometimes that I was actually nice to you when we met. Like I actually wanted to be friends and you just started icing me out,"

She was silent, and just took another bite of toast.

"I picked you up last night. I let you sleep in my bed. I-"

"Alright I get it. I'm too hungover for this right now,"

"Oh wow, the consequences of your own actions, surprise surprise," I calmed down a little, "look, I picked you up yesterday as a favour for Ella, so you don't wanna say a word of thanks then fine. You do owe the girls an apology though, stressing them out and shit,"

We fell into silence once again.

The doorbell went, and I went to get it, being greeted by Tooney outside. We would've talked for a bit, but I had no energy. She sensed the tense atmosphere, deciding not to make any jokes or anything.

"She's in here," I said, leading Tooney to the kitchen.

Russo was sat up on the counter, which weirdly bugged me, finishing off her toast.

"Ready to go Less?" Ella asked.

"Yeah,"

"God, you look rough," she commented, which normally would've earned a chuckle from Russo, but she just didn't react.

She finished the last bite of toast and hopped off the counter. She left the plate on the side, which I then moved next to the sink. To be honest it was a purposeful decision, just to make her see how I had been picking up her shit all night.

"Let's go then," Tooney spoke.

"Mm, please," Russo replied, making me roll my eyes.

"Keep the clothes, I don't want them back," I muttered, which went ignored by Russo.

They left, and I was finally alone. I ventured upstairs to my room, which now smelt like a mixture of perfume and vodka. I grimaced, and just changed the sheets on the bed.

I spent most of that day deep cleaning my house, which I knew wasn't necessary, but I didn't want a single reminder of any of it.

At training the next day, I showed up early to get the kit out, help set up, and get a head start on the warmup. Tooney was there too, and we talked and joked a little as we went. The girls started showing up gradually, and Russo walked onto the pitch.

Part of me had hoped she wouldn't turn up, which was stupid, I know, especially considering that playing for England was a big deal, not something you skip just because you want to. Well, here she was, right on time and walking up to me.

I had been playing two-touch with a few of the girls and stepped away when I saw Russo call me over.

I gave Tooney a bit of a look, a mix of confused and annoyed.

"Your clothes. Washes and dried," Russo said, handing me a bag.

"I said I didn't want them back,"

"I know you did, but still. Also, I think we should talk,"

"About what exactly?"

"Hating each other doesn't make us play better, okay? So either we talk or Sarina's gonna notice us avoiding each other and make us talk. I don't know about you but I'd rather do it on my own terms,"

Before I could respond, Sarina called us over and she started setting up a quick game.

She allocated teams, and I stuck on a bib. Russo was on my team, annoying but fine.

The game was standard enough, there was a lot of back and forth but both sides got a couple goals in.

About half an hour later, and the ball ended up at my feet. I reacted quickly, dribbling it over to the goal, speeding past the defenders on the other side.

I was getting closer to the goal and could see two defenders coming towards me from different sides.

"I'm here," I heard Russo call from a little distance away. She had a better position, and also didn't have two defenders and a keeper focused on her, but I kept the ball.

I got into the penalty area and kicked the ball just as I got tackled to the ground. I landed on my hip, sending pain through my body but I didn't care, and followed the ball with my eyes.

It breezed past Mary's fingertips and went right into the back of the net. I breathed a sigh of relief and bounced to my feet. I held out a hand for Greenwood, who had tackled me and helped her to her feet.

"Sorry, that was a bit heavy," she apologised, but I tapped her shoulder and shrugged, dismissing it. She ran off.

A hand landed on my shoulder, a bit roughly and it caught me off guard, so I tripped forward a little. It was Russo.

"I was right there, why didn't you pass?"

"I got the goal, no one cares," I shrugged, avoiding making any eye contact. I jogged away.

The interaction didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the team, or Sarina. A couple glances were exchanged, making me grit my teeth but the game continued.

After the game, Sarina told us to get on with some drills, and started pulling each of us aside to talk and give some feedback.

"Y/N," I heard my name eventually be called up and I jogged over to the England coach, "right, you looked good today, good job. Stamina, great. Ball control, great. Just improve that drive a little more, maybe you were a little distracted or something but keep it up. Some lovely goals,"

"Thanks coach," I replied.

"Ok, who's next," she muttered to herself, "Russo!" she called to the forward who promptly left her exercise.

I turned to leave, retreating back to my drill.

"Hold on, Y/N I didn't say go,"

I froze and turned back to Sarina, my nerves and heart rate increasing and my jaw clenching.

Russo reached us, and I sensed her glance at me.

"You know what I will say, and I don't really wish to comment, but I want it sorted by practice tomorrow,"

"Yes coach," Russo responded and Sarina turned to me for a reply

"Yeah, course,"

She dismissed me, and I went back to my drill.

After practice, I headed to the showers along with a few others. I'd normally just wait till I got home to have a shower, but I was a little more muddy than usual and my muscles ached a little, so I hopped in now.

I turned the hot water up, enjoying the heat.

I got out and went over to the big mirror, where some of the team were chatting and brushing their hair. I joined them, brushing through the tangles in my hair whilst we talked.

Eventually I packed up my stuff and headed to my car. I stopped short seeing Russo standing by my car. I wanted to go back inside and hide out until she left, but that was stupid, so I just went over.

"I think you've got the wrong car," I told her, making her look up from her phone. I didn't mean it solely as an insult, but it came out that way.

"Can we just go for a drive or something?"

"Fine,"

The first few minutes of the drive were silent, an awkward air hovering. I broke the silence with the question that had been playing in my mind for days.

"I couldn't be nice to you because otherwise I would like you too much,"

"What?" she asked, completely puzzled.

"That's what you said to me, in your hammered state you said that. I wanna know what you meant by it,"

"I- What? That- doesn't matter," she stammered.

"Except it does,"

It was quiet for a moment.

"You should’ve made that pass to me today,"

"Well, I didn't, I don't know what you want me to do about it now,"

"Can we- can we just not speak like this? It's tiring and pointless,"

I sighed, silently agreeing.

"I- I honestly don't know how to talk to you any other way," I mumbled.

"God, I wish we could just start over. I shouldn't have ever treated you the way I did, and honestly, I don't know why I still kind of do,"

"That's nice to hear," I said truthfully, "wanna go get a coffee?"

"Sure, that'd be nice,"

We drove in silence to the Starbucks drive thru.

"What d'you want?" I asked.

"Iced vanilla latte, thanks,"

I ordered her latte and got myself a caramel macchiato and we hit the road again.

"Tomorrow, at training, I'll make that pass to you. I know I should've done it today,"

"It was a nice shot though,"

"It was. I don't- it's- I'm normally better when it comes to those things. Like, leave the baggage at the door type of thing. When I play normally people just- just become shirts really, maybe that's weird. But I get asked sometimes how I feel about playing against a friend of mine, and to be honest I just don't care much. It doesn't normally change anything about the way I play,"

"I get that, it's not even that you're picking your team over your friend, it's just instinct,"

"Yeah, exactly. I guess I broke that pattern today,"

"Mhmm, wow I feel a little special now," she teased.

I gave her a sarcastic look, a smirk finding its way onto my face.

"Don't think I've ever seen you smile properly, not anywhere near me at least,"

"Been watching me Russo?" I joked, but she actually went a little quiet. I brushed it off and had a sip of coffee.

After the momentary silence lifted, we continued chatting. Surprisingly to both of us, we actually got on well. Talking was pretty easy when I pushed the past to the back of my mind. However, I couldn't shake the confusion about what she'd said still.

We were getting along, so why had she been so against this when we met?

"Russo, I know you said it doesn't matter, but I think it does. I still don't get what you meant the other day, about liking me too much, and I'm trying to forget it, but-"

"It was a drunken mumble," she quickly became defensive, "I guess I just saw you being kinda nice to me and got my words mixed up,"

"I- I don't think that was it,"

"It's getting late, I think we should just call it a day,"

"No! No let's not do that, I can forget it, it's fine,"

I knew now that if we couldn't become civil after today then it might never happen, and Sarina would be on our arses, and we'd lose some cohesion in the team. It would go downhill very fast and wouldn't be good for anyone.

I started a new conversation, leaving my nagging thoughts to eat away at me, remaining unanswered. It was best.

When we did end up saying goodbye, it was well into the evening and ended up being a nice day.

At training the next day, it was clear something had improved. Sarina nodded reassuringly, giving me some new confidence in me and Russo, despite the fact that I still had questions.

I went home that day, mind fogged. It was starting to really eat at me from the inside, but I shoved it down, way down, and tried to get on with my day.

I got a call from Leah in the evening, asking if she could come over for a little evening in and some drinks. I quickly agreed, in need of a distraction and she was over 20 minutes later.

We snacked on some popcorn as we chatted over some random film on in the background.

"You've actually been playing really well recently," Leah mumbled.

"Don't sound too surprised Hun, I can play football funny enough,"

"Well, maybe on your good days,"

I giggled a little and slapped her arm jokingly. The effect of a few beers starting to make me a little merry.

"What's going on between you and Russo lately though, it's been really weird,"

"Ugh, I don't wanna get into it," I groaned.

"Oh okay, you don't have to,"

"Actually, I do," I stated bluntly, realising now how I needed to unpack everything, "but please don't tell anyone Leah, I just need to unpack a little,"

"I wouldn't do that,"

"I know you wouldn't. Normally this is the type of thing I'd talk to Tooney about, but to be honest I'm a little nervous that it would get back to Russo, considering how close they are and how chatty Tooney can be, especially when she's tipsy or something,"

"So, what's going on?"

"You remember when Russo and I first met, I thought we were gonna be friends, but she acted like she wanted nothing to do with me?"

"Yeah, I remember,"

"Well after I picked her up the other day from the pub, she crashed at mine, and I was actually being somewhat nice to her, cause obviously she needed some help being so drunk. But she kept ribbing me in the car and what not, just sort of our standard stuff really, except worse because she was drunk,"

"Right,"

"Anyway, we've actually got a little closer from it, partly because we weren't arguing at the whole time for once, and also partly cause Sarina basically told us to get our act together,"

"I saw that conversation, didn't look fun,"

"It wasn't, but we went for a drive that day and actually got along, like it was pretty fun,"

"So what's been eating away at you then? I can tell there's something on your mind,"

"It's this one thing she said to me whilst she was drunk. She said something along the lines of 'I couldn't be nice to you otherwise I would like you too much' and I haven't been able to figure out what she actually meant. I mean that's weird, right? Whenever I push her on it she just gets defensive and it ends up worse than before,"

"Yeah, yeah that's definitely weird," Leah agreed, but it looked like she was suppressing a small smirk.

"What?" she just laughed a little, "Leah what is it? What do you know that I don't. C'mon please tell me,"

"No, no I can't. I think you need to figure this one out yourself,"

"Leah, please, it's been on my mind constantly. It's affecting the way I play, it's affecting my life, I just can't deal with it anymore,"

Leah had a look on her face now, as if she was contemplating something really hard. I guessed she was debating explaining what she knew to me.

"Look, I think you should talk to Russo, she's rational and I'm sure-"

"I can't Leah, she'll just get irritated, and then it'll make it all worse again,"

"Okay, okay fine," she said and paused a lot.

"Leah, please-"

"Yeah, yeah it's just- look, when you two met, everyone thought that Russo might, well, might- no, no I just can't. It's not my place,"

I groaned dramatically at her back and forth with herself.

"You have to tell me now, you can't just leave it at that,"

"Well, everyone thought that Russo might have, well, a little... thing for you,"

She cringed at herself, and looked over to me, studying my blank expression. My head had exploded with thoughts.

"Obviously, we didn't know if it was true, I mean sure she'd stare at you when you played, and- what am I saying, oh god. Look I shouldn't have said anything, can you just pretend you didn't hear any of that... Y/N?"

I was staring off into space, mouth hanging open a little and eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh," is all I could manage to respond with.

"You should talk to her, okay. it wasn't my place to say anything and what do I know anyway. You should talk to her, it's not fair on anyone to just keep secrets,"

"No, I- I'm glad you told me. I will talk to her, I will,"

"For now, can we just- watch the film or something,"

"Yeah,"

"Popcorn?" she offered the bowl to me.

"Umm, no, thanks,"

She had a bit of a guilty expression on her face as she turned to the tv. I couldn't focus on the screen, or on anything really, my brain flicked between buzzing with questions to completely empty.

I got to talk to Russo the next day, she picked me up from my house in her car and we drove into town.

"Russo, I-"

"I know what you're gonna say, and I don't want you to say it,"

"Russo, okay please, it's been eating away at me, and I've tried to push it down but I just can't,"

I wanted to hear it from her, so I didn't mention anything Leah had said the day before. Russo kept her focus strictly on the road, acting as if I hadn't said anything.

"Russo, you said you couldn't be nice to me otherwise you'd like me too much. I hate to push you; I really do but I just have to get something from you. I don't know what you meant by that, and it's making me questions everything. I just can't keep thinking about it, I want to know, please,"

"I didn't mean anything by it, and I don't get why you can't just drop it,"

"I've tried!"

"I don't know what you want me to say,"

"I want you to tell me what it meant,"

"It didn't mean anything! I was drunk off my head, I couldn't even see straight I don't understand why you're holding me to something I said when I didn't even know what I was saying, and I don't even remember it!"

I couldn't think of anything else to say. She absolutely refused to explain what she'd said. If anything, her defensiveness just confirmed my suspicions that it had actually meant something - something she didn't want to admit.

"Alessia-"

"No, stop, I can't have this conversation right now,"

"Alessia, you've treated my awfully since we met, and granted I did the same to you, yes, but now you're telling me that maybe those years of resentment between us could've been avoided. And they can be avoided now if you tell me what you meant,"

"I can't believe you're still going on about this,"

"Of course I'm still going on about it, you won't tell me what it means and I can't eat I can't sleep I can't focus and I-" she interrupted my rambling

"Okay fine, I had this-" she started to say, but she stopped herself. It broke me when she was so close to giving an explanation but stopped. I felt sick at this point, there were tears starting to roll down my cheeks and my heart hurt.

"Pull over,"

"What?"

"Pull over, I need to get out. Pull over right now!"

"I'm in the middle of the road, there's nowhere to pull over, I can't just-"

"Alessia Russo pull over goddammit!"

"I fucking fell for you, ok, fuck. I'd known you for two days and I fell for you and I couldn't stop thinking about you and it hurt so much. I just couldn't live my days having feelings for you and shoving them back. I was the one who couldn't eat. I was the one who couldn't sleep or focus or breath or function. It hurt to see you laughing with someone else, it hurt to feel so much for someone who would never ever feel the same way. I just-"

"Please pull over," I whispered, and finally she did, the person behind her honking.

"I- shit. I- no- I," she started to stutter as I tried to organise my thoughts. I couldn't listen to her voice anymore, I just couldn't.

I kissed her. She was finally quiet. I kissed her, she kissed back. Her lips felt perfect. Her hand resting on my cheek felt perfect. Eventually I pulled away for air.

"I-" I started but this time it was her turn to interrupt me, pulling me back to her lips.

This time the kiss was deeper, more passionate. It was everything. Our lips moved together in sync; it was desperate, hungry. Our teeth were clashing, the occasional nibble on my lips. She shuffled around to get more comfortable, settling into the kiss until she accidentally hit the horn.

I jumped in surprise and pulled back. We sat back in our seats, not saying anything, just breathing heavily.

"I- I don't know what this means," she mumbled after a while of just sitting in contemplative silence.

"It means I fell for you too,"

I'm actually pretty proud of this, so hope you enjoyed!

[nightcall99]

Dreams from 16.5.24

Dream 1 I was at McDonald's looking at the faded menus on the wall because I felt like having a sweet treat. I was looking between the pictures of an ice cream sundae or an ice cream cone and decided on the former because I liked that it had colorful sprinkles. When I ordered it, I asked for chocolate sauce to be added but the man serving me said that I would have to tell him that later when he was preparing it and not right now. Then I had to wait in line again to receive my order and it was taking ages. It was so busy, there was at least 20 people waiting. Everyone had their receipts in hand, ready to show the man, since it was set up in such a way that he needed to take a look at it to know what to make for you. The line was moving so slowly. It was just this man and another lady who were taking and making orders. There were male kids in front of me who had the Macca's app up on their phones and it was making cha-ching money sound noises for all three of them, like they'd won something. Probably a free bit of food. I was finally making headway with the line when something abruptly stopped and they couldn't get out anymore orders. I saw a conveyer belt that got stuck. There was still heaps of people waiting and I just wanted my damn ice cream. Then I think maybe they got things working again and eventually I was second in line. But I wasn't sure if I was second or first because those three kids were either standing a little in front of me or behind me, who knows. It was hard to say who was actually next because of the way we were standing and now we'd forgotten. I just let them go first.

Dream 2 I was at SN's (boss's daughter) birthday party and AL was there too. I was just about to leave and then something happened and I must have said something to cause offence to SN without meaning to because she turned really cold toward me. I don't know what I'd said, it was probably something that was too honest. But because it was time to go it didn't really affect me, even though I felt the feelings of being iced out. Usually I would try to make things okay again but I simply thanked SN for the party invitation, to which she didn't respond and then I headed out. AL was cold too, she felt very distant from me, as if she had taken SN's side. I felt nothing toward that either. I didn't feel anything coming from either of them anymore. As I walked out, the feeling that I should let things happen as they happen became resolute within me. The energy of this knowing flowed through and set my heart free. I knew that there was no point in repairing these relationships, I am leaving now. I should just let the energy do what it wants to do, just let it go and let it pass.

Dream 3 I think this dream takes place right after the previous one because I get into a car, probably an Uber in order to get home from the party. But as we take off onto the road I realise that there is no one in the driver's seat, the car is just navigating itself to my house. I was a little surprised by this and became hyper-aware of the car's movements in case an accident occurred but it was fine, I got home in one piece. It was only a short ride. It even parked itself in the parking spot at the end of our drive way that I never use. When I got out my parents looked at me amused, as if they knew this was going to happen. Someone said something about it being called a 'directionless car'. but typing this now I think my subconscious was trying to tell me 'driverless car'.

Dream 4 I was at school, sitting in a lecture theatre with a whole bunch of people and AL is here with me. I think class is about to start. I suddenly get the realisation that AJ is coming, that he is approaching right now. I'm excited for AL to finally meet him. When he turns up, there is something a little off about him even though he looks the same as always. I don't think he is there, he is talking and engaging with me as usual but he seems on repeat and on auto-pilot. Nevertheless I'm glad he's here and I want to be close with him again. During the break, he disappears and I'm waiting for him to come find us. I worry about about whether AL will understand him because of he is bit different compared to neurotypical people.

Dream 5 I caught a glimpse of a work roster where my name had been moved to the far right of the roster, as if I wasn't part of the full-time team anymore. Usually my name is third or fourth in line. I felt my stomach drop, the energy was that I didn't belong anymore, like I was an outsider.

Dream 6 I'm not sure if this dream belongs with dream 1 or if I am somewhere else like a supermarket, but I was waiting in line and it was almost my turn to be served. I think I was second in line. Unprompted, I start to have thoughts about how I should take spontaneous holiday trip in June. I should go to Europe. I should just pay the really expensive plane fee as it would be, since it's so last minute, and just book everything and go. I don't have much time left here and my money is just sitting in my bank account doing nothing. What have I got to lose? But I don't know who to go with since I don't want to go by myself. I wonder if my sister might come with me but I don't think she will since she is busy with her boyfriend these days and I haven't given her any notice. But then I think something happens and it ends up not being a choice that's available to make anymore. The influx of energy that was open in those moments that allowed me to make these 'almost' decisions, was abruptly blocked from flowing. I felt nothing anymore.

[floosies]

An Angel Cried

pairing: mob!Andy x poc!fem!reader

summary: love is the ultimate debt, one which either makes a man or breaks him (an impromtu part 2 to My Blue Heaven)

warnings: violence (not towards reader), cursing, and mentions of sexism/racism

a/n: thank you to @kthynes for suggesting a continuation 💖

The Barbers were a happy couple, Andy's wife was his heaven sent on earth. Her happiness meant everything to him. She loved him regardless of his mistakes and his trade in life.

They'd been on a rolling streak of good news and peaceful nights despite his work. Her choice in acknowledging it but never interacting with it made it all easier at home. It was a quiet debt he owed her, even if she never mentioned it.

Dinner had just finished and she started to clean. He gathered their plates helping her when she spoke up as she turned on the faucet, "Nancy called me." Johnny boy's girl, one of the few people she could stand who was part of the lifestyle, "oh really? What'd she want?" He was now standing by her side next to the sink.

Washing the dishes she answered him, "wants me to help her pick out furniture for the new place Johnny got." The kid was one of Andy's best, "well do you wanna go with her?" He asked curious if she actually would want to. She shrugged, "Nancy's not bad company. I told her it'd have to be in the early afternoon." He nodded, "well if you see anything you think we need let me know."

She knew he was partially joking, but he also really wasn't, she didn't mind be a home maker. Anything she wanted she could have, but she didn't ever want much. Nevertheless, she still looked around that day. Nancy was fidgeting over every furniture piece the store had. Then they reached the couches, "Nancy its a couch that everyone will be sitting on by christmas time," the younger woman sighed, "I know but everyone is still gonna see it."

Just as she was getting annoyed, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around she saw a man who worked for Andy. He smiled at her, "Mrs. Barber right?" She nodded with a smile, "yes. You're-" He stopped her, "Don." She nodded, "ya know I didn't really believe it at first but here we are." She stood looking at him with a confused gaze, by now Nancy was at her side, "pardon?" He took a second, "oh well ya know, that Andy would really be going full ice cream shop when choosin a bride." Now she was more confused, but she was getting the gist, "Don i'm not sure what you mean." She said giving him a small laugh, "oh ya know you're his flavor of the week and i'm sure by the next one he'll be lookin at another one." The disrespect wasn't at all missed but she knew better than to cause a scene. Giving a hearty fake laugh she shook her head, "well lets hope not." He kept on with a stupid grin on him, "well I'll leave ya to your furniture it was nice meeting you." Just as he turned to leave he turned around again, "lets hope the furniture is sturdier than Andy huh." Then he took off with a laugh.

Now she was truly upset, but they were here for Nancy. The women finished their shopping and in the car as she got into the drivers seat Nancy spoke up, "why didn't you put that creep in his place? You're the boss' wife." She sighed thinking back to the tweed jacket, "Andy has enough going on I don't want him worrying about what some deadbeat like Don has to say." She ended the argument there.

That night Andy came home late, but she wasn't up. He found her sound asleep in bed, which he was thankful for. Little did he know she'd cried herself to sleep. She knew the comments were horse shit but still, in his line of work he could have whoever he chose, even if he was married.

In the morning Andy woke up to something unusual. She'd left early to go grocery shopping? Something was going on. His office was at back of the laundromat his folks owned and as he parked in the lot behind the place, he noticed Johnny's car already there.

Stepping out of the car he saw as Johnny head his way. Before the kid could say anything he spoke, "inside. Ya know the drill." The kid nodded and waited til they were behind the door of the building. Then he spilled what he knew, only thing is he didn't have all the details. Nancy came in a half hour later and told him everything. Andy's blood was boiling by the time she told him everything.

He wanted Don's head on stick. He was gonna kill the fucker. The only problem was not making it everyone's mess. A few calls and a few smoothing outs, and there it was. He planned the thing, he had it set. He was macbeth, he would kill for her, no one would ever disrespect her.

Still he wanted to pass by their home before he went out to his vendetta. She was cooking dinenr when he got there. With a slight cough he got her attention, "you're home early honey." She smiled with the face of an angel as she cleaned off her hands on her apron, "ya want me to fix you up something well dinner cooks?" He wasn't good at hiding his expressions, "you know about yesterday don't you." He sighed walking towards her, "why didn't you tell me?"

She hated getting in the way, "Andy we've always known people weren't always going to agree-" His fist came down on the cutting board, "fuck'em. You're my wife and it doesn't matter if they don't agree." Her eyes held a sadness about them, "it's just me Andy." He shook his head, in a whisper he spoke, "you've stuck by me through all my shit." His hands cupped her face gently. She stared into his blue eyes, the same ones she'd first seen all those years ago in the classroom, "you've cleaned blood off me. Its more than that to me. You mean everything and if some fuckin clown thinks he can talk to you like that, he's got another thing coming." Looking at the floor, she quietly said, "well then take some trash bags with you and a change of clothes."

That was it, that was all that was said. She knew he was right. They had promised in health and in sickness. Ultimately there was more inbetween those words, and now was the moment of testiment to his vows. She promised to wait up for him and he to be safe.

As the night went on she did the house chores. Meanwhile he played some version of god. She folded the clothes and he made a man beg for his life. She picked out her dress for a dinner he had to attend later on in the week and he finished up cleaning the mess he'd made.

Andy got home in the early morning. She noticed he was wearing the change of clothes she'd packed him. Quietly she heated up his dinner, "the word's out everyone should get the memo." She only nodded and kissed the left temple of his head as she put his plate on the table. As he ate, her hand reached his and their fingers entwined, the light of the chandelier in the kitchen making the gold of their wedding bands shine, "life is strange. Maybe we should think of having a little one running around the house." His eyes glimmered and his hand squeezed hers, "we could make that happen honey, if its what you want."

Here it was the one rare phrase in her vocabulary, "I do. I want it please." That's all the reassurance he needed.

[boop-le-snoot]

main masterlist ☀️ taglist & faq

hot wheels | natasha romanoff x reader

explicit, 5,2k words, f/f. meet-ugly but still very much wholesome. we love a girlboss. natasha catches some random woman keying her brand new car but decides to be the better person for once and hear the woman out. turns out, being the better person can even get one laid! warnings: singular use of the d-slur, references to an abusive ex, lesbian sex.

[no y/n, no "you", nickname only, no reader description - race/age/body type neutral, she/her pronouns]

Natasha gave the tall, lanky boy an unimpressed look as she side-stepped the arguing couple to avoid colliding with the annoyed, teary-eyed woman the boy was groveling to. It was nearing rush hour and there was shopping to be done before the heavy NYC traffic could steer her already busy schedule down into an unmanageable chaos.

"But, Foxy, you know I didn't mean it! I love you, more than anything!"

The items on the spy's list were checked off methodically, item after item landing in the cart with a quiet thud as the redhead maneuvered through the isles with tactical precision. The usual afternoon crowd began to fill the store, taking up the so-needed breathing space; Natasha's shopping trip wasn't a moment of leisure and with her neverending to-do list full, she hurried to the self-check-out register, flying through the motions mindlessly.

Scan, place, beep, boop, pay, load up the bags, make way to the car, load up and pedal to the metal.

Scratch that. No, scratch - Natasha's eyes bulged as she neared her shiny, brand new Charger, seeing the obvious defects even from a mile away: the paint, previously cherry red and gleaming in the sun, ruined by a series of thin, gray lines, standing out unpleasantly on the otherwise pristine vehicle.

And the culprit, who's tuft of hair peeked over the hood of the car on the other side of the Charger, almost fully hidden between her car and the large Chevrolet in the next parking spot over.

Natasha's fingers clenched around the handle of the cart as she fought the urge to reach for her knife safely holstered under her leather jacket. "Excuse me?" Tone quiet and deadly, the spy prepared herself to fight or at least slightly shake up the hooligan.

The figure froze, vaguely familiar clothing and a puffy, tear-stained face slowly rising from behind Natasha's car. "In my defense, he deserves it," the girl - Foxy - the one that was arguing in front of the store earlier, declared through a stream of angry tears. "Call the cops if you want, I don't care." It was unclear if the girl recognised her, the Black Widow, as she made no move to run for the hills, just pathetically sniffled, pocketing the keys she used to scratch Natasha's car.

"That's my car," The spy responded flatly, a great deal of amusement crawling into her face as Foxy's eyes bulged, jaw fell slack, horror plain and evident overshadowing the waterworks. Natasha quickly pieced two and two together but patiently waited for the initial shock to subside before popping a question. "A word of advice, if I may?"

Foxy nodded, dumbfounded, frantically scrambling for the contents of her pockets, searching for something with the agility of a panicking cat, more than half of the contents spilling out onto the ground.

Natasha unlocked the car, popping the trunk and loading in her bags as she raised her voice to be heard over the noise of a busy parking lot. "Don't mess with the paint, the insurance will cover it. Slash three tires - not four - or take a swing at the front bumper and the headlights," the trunk slid shut with a quiet click as the spy inspected the damages close-up. Her Charger looked like it was attacked by a pack of aggressive, feral cats with nails of steel. "And always check the number plates before committing acts of vandalism to make sure you're enacting revenge on the right person." The last part was said with a smirk.

As the spy stepped closer to Foxy, she noted the excessive puffiness of her cheeks and the shaking fingers that held a checkbook and a pen. The woman looked torn between terrified and apologetic, worrying her lip between her teeth. "I'm so, so sorry. Todd just got his new car, it's identical to yours and I didn't get the chance to memorize the number plate yet," the offending man's name was said with a pitiful growl. "How much?" She weakly motioned to the ruined bodywork.

"What'd he do?" Natasha didn't resist her curiousity, leaning against the driver's side door and sizing up the other woman. She was pretty, well-dressed and reasonably wealthy on the first sight. "Yeah, he looked like a Todd," The quip slipped from the redhead's lips as she remembered the man from earlier. Foxy looked way too good to be wasting her time on someone who looked like an adolescent that hadn't outgrown his skater boy phase.

Foxy chuckled shyly at Natasha's remark, smoothing a hand over her face. "Lord, where do I even begin..." The sigh was loud and long. "He lived in my apartment rent-free, made me give up my cat by lying about his allergies, went through nine low-wage jobs in two years, did nothing but play video games in his free time and developed a pot addiction, thus spending all his money on it," she began steadily but her tone grew in pitch with every added offence as Natasha's eyebrows climbed higher and higher. "My last straw was when he took out a loan he couldn't pay off to buy his brand new cool car," the words were spat out with venom. "I threw him out last Saturday. He's been following me around all the time," Foxy continued, growing dark in the face. "And then I found out he had been cheating on me for I don't know how long. I just... I just lost it," she finished pathetically, all but crumbling into a pile of human misery.

Natasha's face had frozen into mute disbelief somewhere around the first half of the story, repulsion and astonishment mixing into a flurry of quiet rage on the random woman's behalf. Menfolk were bizarre animals, and as much as the spy felt herself annoyed by her roommates at the tower, she couldn't help but feel relieved that the men surrounding her were far from douchebags of the casual variety. This Todd, however, was no amateur, and had done Foxy really, really dirty.

The redhead made up her mind rather quickly. "That's a lot to unpack," she carefully studied the micro-expressions on the other woman's face. "I have a couple of nice bottles of wine at my place and nobody to share them with. Care for a glass?"

Foxy's eyes widened once more. "I don't- I don't want to take up your time, I mean, I'm sure you've got more important shit to do, like save the world and y'know..." The stammering was followed by a shy look to the side.

So, Foxy had recognised her. And she didn't go running the other way like most people that encountered her in disadvantageous situations did. "I actually don't, I was just getting my shopping done for a lack of better things to do," Natasha lied seamlessly, motioning to the other side of the car. "Hop in." Mission reports and Barton's pizza date could wait.

The woman made quick way around, buckling into the seat in seconds, right before Natasha peeled off from the parking lot towards the Avengers tower at breathtaking speeds. The car was a gift from Tony - one of the rare things he managed to get right - and an absolute pleasure to drive.

"What's your name?" The redhead asked, juggling the steering and her smartphone effortlessly.

The woman rattled of her first and last name on between attempts to fix her runny make-up and wipe the dried snot and tears off her face. "Foxy is a nickname my gramps gave me, said I used to excessively play with fox pelts in the attic when I was a kid," the woman added with a snort, totally oblivious to Natasha's eyebrow raise as the spy read the information on her in-between overtaking slower cars.

Good student, good family life, stable income and good career growth in a prospective sector. What did Foxy even find in a guy like Todd? The most important information, however, was also most pleasing. No ties to any kind of intelligence gathering organizations.

As Natasha parked and popped the trunk once more, the other woman offered a hand with her shopping bags. Friday acknowledged the newcomer, startling her, causing Natasha to roll her eyes and mention, loudly, that if Tony decided to pay them a surprise visit, he may end up castrated or shot on sight, much to Foxy's bashful snickering.

Once the shopping was put away and the wine opened, the spy let herself curl up on the couch opposite the woman who studied her Spartan style apartment with curios eyes. The lack of knick knacks must've been a surprise for her: Natasha's apartment looked bare compared to what she'd seen in other's people's homes but the desire to make the environment more cozy had never been strong enough to actually act upon it. She wasn't used to staying in a place for very long.

"Do you still want to get back at the bastard?" The redhead asked once the first bottle was coming to an end. The alcohol was sitting low, pleasantly warm in their bellies and the food that they'd ordered in the middle of a casual chit-chat lulled them into a state of comfortable stupor.

"I want to gouge his eyes out and wear them as a battle trophy," Foxy was slightly slurring her words, much more affected by the wine than the stoic, experienced agent. "But I guess I can settle for petty crime or arson."

"I'm sensing you didn't tell me the whole list of grievances," true to her words, the spy felt as it there was a possibility quite a few things were being left unsaid.

Foxy sighed once again, placing the empty glass on the table and using her palm to prop her flushed face against it, blankly staring off into the far end of the room. "I came out as bisexual last year and he was giving me so much shit for it. Todd kept pushing for a threesome and when I refused, started accusing me of cheating during our fights, called me a whore a couple of times," the more she spoke, the higher Natasha's anger levels rose.

Not only was a Todd a dick, he was an abusive one. Truly, the grand prize of Asshat Lottery. "I have an idea or three," the spy twirled the remaining red liquid in her glass before downing it. "But it'll have to stay between us two."

"I'm listening," Foxy turned to meet Natasha's face, eyes considerably more alert than seconds before.

A few days past their amicable wine-and-revenge get-together, Natasha's doorbell rang as if she wasn't already had been made aware by Friday that a visitor was coming up to see her. Boxes of hair bleach and dye laid stacked on the living room table, surrounded by jewelry and assorted accessories. A pitcher of fresh sangria topped the ensemble, two clean glasses placed neatly on the tray next to it.

"Hi, Nat," Foxy's smile was a mile wide - a far cry from the sniffling sad sack of a woman the spy had first met. The nickname flowed freely from the woman's lips, as calm as Natasha's own answering grin and greeting. "I gots the stuff," waving her purse about, the woman kicked off her shoes by the door, approaching Natasha with the same smile that seemed to be more effective at lightening up the room than Tony's expensive designer lamps.

As Natasha's plan achieved a solid state, the two women had quickly come to a realization that Natasha was far too recognizable with her signature red hair and over a flurry of text messages, the decision to switch to a warm caramel blonde was made unanimously. Foxy had rebuked any and all Natasha's attempts to affirm she'd be able to do it herself and the spy gave into the other's chiding, relenting to have her hair dyed by a person who at least had a possibility of seeing the back of her head without having to perform acrobatic tricks.

Foxy was an easygoing, non-problematic person. She was fun to have around, quiet but witty, with intelligent eyes and a realistic view on the world. It was something Natasha valued, alongside the lack of probing questions regarding her past or her job - her insides clenched uncomfortably at the thought of having to lie about those things, or even worse, having to admit to the wrongdoings in her past, however Foxy carefully steered away from topics that were sensitive and never gave Natasha as much as a side-eye if the spy appeared to lack some minor detail that normal women her age all seemed to be aware of.

The curiosity had her ready to burst. Nat's natural defense mechanisms were quite confused, not sure what to make of the woman who almost too friendly to be true, but the kindness in her eyes and the sometimes shy, awestruck looks she gave Natasha when she thought the redhead wasn't looking made up for it in spades.

"What do you think?" The noise of the hair dryer finally ceased, Foxy's voice echoing in Natasha's luxuriously large bathroom.

The newly-blonde spy studied her reflection with a tilt to her head. The ombre was a nice touch - her own hair was naturally darker than the caramel and honey blonde she had chosen, so the almost-brown shading at her roots took much away from the contrast between her lighter hair and darker brows. It was just another disguise for the spy, but somehow, this one felt more like home than any of the previous faces she had worn.

"I like it, you were right about the ombre," Natasha voiced her thoughts, eyes sliding over to the smiling woman behind her, feeling the corners of her mouth begin to creep upwards in involuntary response.

"You looked good with red hair, don't misunderstand me," Foxy briefly raised her hands. "But you have a light complexion and lighter colors do wonders for bringing out the youthfulness. Even if we don't have much joy these days, a good hair color is an opportunity to showcase the bit," she briefly touched her own hair in an exaggerated attempt at driving her point home.

The fun part was done, the time came to execute the revenge. It wasn't exactly anything special; rather, the plan was quite simple - let Todd make a fool out of himself in front of his friends and perhaps (a slightly, teensy possibility) get himself arrested. The two women took their time to get dolled up, not too much - but rather, adding just that little bit to themselves to easily attract moderate amounts of attention from men.

The bar was busy, noisy and full of people when the two women stepped through the door. Natasha's eyes scanned the room out of habit, easily spotting the tall, lanky Todd in the far end of the bar, laughing and boozing with equally pathetic-looking man-children. The urge to gag was almost irresistible.

The spy let herself to be led to the bar by Foxy who looked mildly uncomfortable. Natasha was sure that if she was to touch the other woman's face, it would be flaming under the circumstances. "Try to relax a little, I won't bite," with a quip to her companion, Nat ordered them a vodka cranberry each, sitting down with her back to the men. "Tell me when he notices us and starts moving this way."

Foxy nodded minutely, clutching her drink for dear life and taking generous sips to calm herself down and relax like the spy had requested. They talked about everything and nothing in between, Natasha's hand on Foxy's knee crawling closer to her hip as minutes passed by without interruption. Loud noises of men playing darts and drunkenly cheering reached the womens earshot every now and then, causing Foxy to throw increasingly infuriated glances towards her ex-boyfriend and the Black Widow's current victim of choice.

Sitting opposite the perfectly composed, smiling woman, it was clear as day she was, indeed, best of the best. Despite knowing Foxy for only a few days, Natasha managed to pull off a very convincing girlfriend: her body language was nothing short of absolutely besotted and the googly eyes the spy was making had Foxy constantly remind herself that it was only for show. There was no way this gorgeous, incredible human would be interested in someone as plain and ordinary as herself.

"Heads up," Foxy's smile suddenly grew a mile wide as she stared directly at Natasha, eyes alight with fury at the scene about to unfold. Natasha's reply was to briefly tighten the grasp on the other's leg in silent support.

"Hey, baby," Todd was drunk enough for the stench of his breath to reach both women. "Oh, I see you're with a friend," his attempt at flirting only made Natasha scrunch up her face like a cat that accidentally smelled a lemon.

"Leave me alone," Foxy stated firmly, knowing the phrase wouldn't do anything to deter her overzealous ex, but this time - she counted on it.

"It's okay, I can share," the slurred words had a couple of people nearby raise their eyebrows at the audacity.

"I'm not interested," Foxy snapped. "In fact, there is absolutely nothing your freeloading, cheating ass can bring to my table."

The woman radiated satisfaction as gasps sounded out around them; Todd was a regular at this bar and most people there knew him in one way or another. The moment of joy, however, was brief.

"Listen, bitch, you have no business talking to me like that," full of drunken bravado, the man spat angrily, taking unsteady steps closer to Foxy. "What you need is a decent man that can handle your outbursts, not some dyke..." before he could even utter another offensive syllable, Natasha had his wildly gesturing arm twisted painfully behind his back, easily forcing the inebriated man to his knees.

"Wanna try that again, champ?" Sarcasm flowed freely from the spy's lips as the patrons in the bar gasped. The civilian clothing and the new hair color might have been an effective short-term disguise but once the crowd had seen her neat little party trick and had taken a good look at her face, nobody was doubting her identity. "Call the cops, will you?" She addressed the shocked bartender who immediately scrambled to obey.

"I didn't do anything!" Todd cried out, eyes drunkenly darting between the Black Widow's quiet rage and Foxy's grim stone face.

"Huh, that's weird. Because I clearly heard and saw an attempted hate crime," Natasha's voice attained a sardonic tint. "And I have a bar full of witnesses," the spy shrugged, letting go of his arm but keeping a boot firmly planted on his back to prevent him from escaping. "I hope you have a lawyer."

Foxy snorted, reaching for her unfinished second drink. "Tough luck."

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Todd's friends inching closer to the exit door second by second, as if they could stand a chance against a professionally trained secret agent. Luckily for them, Natasha wasn't interested in the remainder of Todd's gang of losers and merely raised an eyebrow when the other men reached the door, a tiny smirk appearing when his pleading eyes didn't cause any reaction in his friends, the spineless worms, hopping out of the door without as much as a goodbye to the man laying face-down on the dirty floor.

As soon as the police arrived, awestruck by one of the NYC's most famous superheroes just casually standing in a bar, they eagerly collected the inebriated offender, briskly escorting Todd to the squad car. The bartender and several other patrons confirmed Natasha's words that an attempted hate crime had taken place. Cops were in and out in less than fifteen minutes and the otherwise-pleasant hole-in-the-wall bar returned to its usual evening bustle.

"Celebratory shots?" Natasha laughed as Foxy exhaled, deep and slow, once her racing heart calmed down.

"My treat," the other woman motioned for the bartender and soon, a line of colorful glasses appeared in front of the women. Each downed a glass easily, slamming it back on the table. "Man, this is everything I never knew I needed," Foxy confessed with a shy smile. "Thanks, Nat. You're the best."

The spy responded with a satisfied smile, picking up another glass and holding it out for a toast. "To revenge well-deserved," the glass clicked, alcohol slid easily down their throats. "So, what now?"

Foxy's eyes shone in the bright lights of the bar, relieved and tipsy. The small empty glass twirled easily between her fingers. "Dunno," the shrug came and went. "Maybe go on vacation. To Florida."

Natasha let out a belly laugh, downing her last shot without as much as a stutter in her movements, Foxy's eyes lingering on the stray drops of alcohol running from the spy's plump lips. "A vacation with the crackheads? Romantic," the quip was received with an eyeroll from the other woman.

"Spoilsport," Foxy, too, finished her booze and placed the money and a hefty tip on the bar, tapping twice to get the bartender's attention. "I meant more like - lay on the beach, sip mimosas, look at sexy people in swimsuits..."

"Florida is for old people," Natasha objected, pulling her leather jacket back on and leading them both outside. The evening air was crisp, bringing a clearer head and re-arranging the thoughts back into a more sensible state.

Foxy easily picked up her pace to match Natasha's precise strides leading them in the direction of the former's building. The warm buzz of vodka coupled with the fresh air and her desire for retribution well-fed, Foxy settled into a comfortable silence next to the spy. They reached the building quickly, their pace brisk and distractions lacking.

"Care for a nightcap?" She didn't know what prompted her to blurt out the words; as soon as the words registered in her brain, they were already out and Foxy's face heated, fingers fumbling for the keys in her pocket, Natasha's touch still warm and lingering on the side of her leg.

The spy seemed amused, studying Foxy's nervous habits with a crooked smirk. "Sure," she agreed amicably, following the woman into the apartment building, not missing both the rigidity of her back and the added spring to her step.

A moderately sized, well-decorated apartment revealed itself behind the open door, scarcely illuminated by the NYC lights coming in from a glass wall in the living room, reflecting the vast living space furnished with a large couch.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Natasha turned around, stepping into the other woman's personal space with the grace of a predator. Two shining eyes stared back at her in the darkness, framed by fluttering lashes. Foxy's bottom lip disappeared behind her teeth, skin gleaming with perspiration.

The recently-turned blonde spy wasted no time caging the other woman between her body and the door, chests almost touching. The air around them was charged, Foxy's heart thudding loudly in her chest as she gulped. Natasha studied her expression, "You want this?" she whispered against her lips, sharing the oxygen between them.

"Ye-yeah," a short nod and a gasp later, the women were devouring each other, grasping at their hands and shoulders like they were drowning. Hot and wet and sharp from the booze, the kisses were as graceless as their fingers haste in removing each other's top layers of clothing.

The sharp corner of the living room archway dug painfully into Foxy's back, bringing an additional sense of awareness: this was real. This was happening. Natasha's blonde locks flowed through Foxy's fingers, soft and silky, a contrast to the teeth pulling on her lip in impatient hunger. Foxy grunted in response, parting from the other woman to send her t-shirt flying somewhere in the direction of the kitchen.

"Bedroom," mere minutes in and she already sounded utterly and throughly ruined.

"Couch," Natasha was equally feverish to get to the good parts. Her belt was unbuckled and the nice button-up she'd worn hung open, a plain white bra iriscendent on her alabaster skin.

Letting herself be led to the couch, Foxy could barely take her eyes off the woman in front of her, making sure she wasn't ogling Natasha outright yet secretly hoping to be caught anyway. The blonde was like a porcelain doll, unreal, firm and soft at the same time.

The moment Foxy gracelessly landed on the couch, Natasha was all up in her space, straddling the other woman with the grace of a savage cat; lips once more attached to her flesh, Natasha left a trail of hot, wet marks starting at the jawline and ending at the cups of Foxy's bra.

Not knowing what to do with her hands, Foxy grasped Natasha's hips, unable to hold back a moan heavy with lust as the spy ground down with her hips. It was exhilarating to see the other woman affected by their heavy make-out session; nothing short of absolutely smitten to see Natasha pull back, panting and disheveled, to shed her shirt and her bra.

Unable to resist the urge, Foxy's hands reached out to cup the spy's round breasts, tugging her closer to pop a rosy nipple into her mouth. Natasha shivered, arching into the caress, holding onto the other woman's hair and tugging it in the direction only she knew.

Natasha wasn't loud, she wasn't wild; her moans were more like muted gasps but her body spoke for her louder than any words: the grinding was getting more impatient, Natasha's hold grew stronger. As Foxy fumbled for the button of Nat's pants, she felt the soft, delicate lace underneath. Natasha had come prepared.

"Hold on," the spy mumbled, hopping off Foxy's lap to quickly push her pants and panties down her legs with practiced ease. The other woman followed suit, leaving herself to be bare besides her underwear, the attempt to remove them intercepted by Natasha. "Let me," quiet words tickled the skin of her throat where Nat had immediately attached her mouth.

Foxy scrambled to intake the oxygen she needed, letting herself feel the hot glide fully, having lost herself in pleasure, missing the exact moment Nat's fingertips breached the waistband of her panties. Soft and nimble, so different to a man's roughened skin, the sensation was as strange as it was sweet. The urge to arch and rock her hips against the nearest surface intensified and Foxy could only keen, quiet and high, causing Natasha to chuckle to herself.

"Enjoying yourself, sweet girl?" The miniscule trace of coyness seeped into the blonde's voice. The engorged, puffy, moist flesh of Foxy's lower lips parted eagerly to Natasha's experimental dip.

"Yeah, yes," the woman slid down, spreading her legs in invitation. "Please, touch me," begging to be filled in all the empty spaces, Foxy threw her head to rest against the back of the couch, watching Nat through unfocused eyes.

"Oh, I will," the spy purred, sliding lower to put her face next to Foxy's dripping cunt. The spy's fingers glistened with arousal and she popped them into her mouth, licking them clean before doing the same to her lover's swollen folds. The response was instantaneous and loud, Foxy shook under Natasha's expert teasing. "Stay still," she ordered quietly, patting Foxy's belly.

Molten, honeyed waves of bliss overtook common sense and awareness, tiny sparks shooting up Foxy's cunt every time Natasha suckled at her clit. The spy read her body like an open book, following the movements of her hips with her mouth, always a step ahead and slightly south. Foxy's peak was imminent, approaching rapidly, as Natasha's sweet merciless assault wrung every single drop of the thick, precious liquid out of her cunt.

It only seemed to gush more, the woman pushing her cunt into Natasha's face as the latter doubled down on her efforts to bring her to ecstasy.

The waves began deep in the pit of Foxy's stomach, making her legs tremble, her toes curl and the flutters of her cunt increase in speed and intensity. Silky soft and typhoon wet, her orgasm crashed her mind into million pieces and Nat dutifully extracted everything until the last drop with the skillful touch of her tongue and fingers.

"Tash," Foxy moaned. Her legs quivered at the slightest touch to her oversensitive cunt.

"Mhm," was the blonde's reply, contented humming getting closer and closer until the womens lips met once more in a fierce, passionate kiss.

Foxy's hands immediately sought purchase on Natasha's hips, searching for the spots that would make the spy's body song in the same way she'd done to Foxy; seemingly much more reserved, quiet but happy sighs broke past Nat's lips in response to gentle hands stroking where she was most sensitive.

"I've got a vibe in my bedroom," clarity finally broke through the orgasm haze, Foxy's brain slowly coming back to reality.

"No, I want your fingers," Natasha's reply was assertive as she moved her hips in tandem with Foxy's hand, dripping the sweetness of her around all over.

The urge to pop the fingers into her mouth was strong, so Foxy did just that, moaning at the tangy taste, Natasha's breath quietly stuttering at the sight in front of her.

"I want to eat you out," the words barely had left Foxy's mouth as Natasha flipped them so she was the one laying on the couch, spread-eagled and open for the other woman's eager mouth to explore. Wet, sloppy and so, so tender, Foxy let herself taste the arousal of her lover.

"Yeah," so soft, one could easily miss it, the approval didn't get lost in the headrush nonetheless. With grace, Foxy sought the spots that would force Natasha to break her silence with slow, broad motions until the blonde had no choice but to arch her hips into the sensations, chasing her pleasure, losing the aura of restraint she'd so carefully cultivated.

No time for self-control. The temperatures were climbing steadily with every single movement, both lost in their imperfect shared rhythm, the soft of Foxy's tongue and fingers like finest silks on Natasha's eager cunt. Two fingers slipped in without resistance, immediately seeking out the soft, spongy spot that made the blonde's toes curl and mouth open in a silent scream.

Foxy's free hand groped around for Natasha's ass hastily, bringing her hips closer to her mouth, tongue never ceasing its assault on the blonde's clit as her body grew more rigid, fingertips going white with the force she was gripping the comforter.

"Gospodi bozhe," came the mumble, the only warning before Natasha's powerful thighs locked Foxy in place as the blonde rode out her orgasm, violently shivering, dousing the other woman's face in her sweet release. Dutifully, Foxy stroked the silk of Natasha's skin everywhere she could reach, her hot breath on the blonde's pussy easing her back to Earth through the aftershocks.

Natasha's eyes opened, feeling her lover's look of adoration, and she cracked a reluctant but genuine smile. There was something about Foxy that was just so-

Natasha taglist (open, see fic hat for info; crossed out nicknames are the ones I couldn't tag, please update your info):

@mikariell95 @letsby @sleep-i-ness @toomanyrobins @persephonehemingway @bluecrazedandbeautiful @slothspaghettiwrites @xoxabs88xox @marvelsbanner @sapphicnoodle69

[voxmortuus]

Silly Crush | POSSIBLE CHAPTER SERIES

Stu Macher x F!Reader

Scream FanFic

TW: Fluff, mild language, heated make-out session

Forgive my writing. It’s been a while.

GIF created by @2026

Late summer of 1996, just before school starts back up again. The summer fair had come to town, this year it decided to not skip town, the weather was perfect for it! Being the loner you usually steered clear of these things, but you had befriended Tatum and Sidney. It was nice to have friends that you could talk to, to trust, plus the added perks of Stu's flirtatious nature, though you could never bear to tell him that you had a crush on him, you'd be risking your friendship and likely look foolish, there was no way you thought that Stu would be into someone like you... I mean, after all, he was Stu Macher, he and Billy were kind of known around Woodsboro High.

Slipping into your favorite pair of black overalls, one strap off, and slipping on a black crop top and a pair of black LEI black platforms a touch of makeup, and braided your hair into long pigtails, and headed out. Tatum loved your outfit. "We'll meet the guys there, Stu had to do something." Tatum chirped while you hopped into her red Volkswagen bug and takes off down the road. "What did have to do?" You casually ask. "Something with Billy, said they'd show up after, some project they're working on." Sidney chimed in. "Yeah something stupid important." Tatum mocked. With a chuckle, you shake your head and watch out the window.

Getting out of the car after she parked it you three look around and decide to head to the benches waiting for the two boys to arrive. Tatum played with her gum and Sidney reading a book, you sat there, people watching, three unlikely friends, but so far so good, this was going to be good for you, real good, so you hoped, minus the odd guilt of crushing on Tatum's man. Letting out a soft breath, Stu and Billy approach from behind startling their better halves. Stu looks at you and gives you a sweet smile. "Hey Y/N. Glad you made it." It could be he was being nice, but the feeling behind his words was something more. You give a kind smile back and flush slightly. "Me too." Clearing your throat and with a side stare from Tatum and a smile from Sidney the girls hop up and look around.

Without any hesitation Tatum looks a Stu, "It's time for that big blue dog you promised me!" She grinned taking his hand and dragging him away. Sidney looked at Billy, "Ferris Wheel?" with a shrug and a nod. "Sure." Sidney looks at you. "You can come if you'd like." You shake your head and give a smile. "Nah, I'll be good, I'll be here. It's just nice to get out of the house." Sidney nods and pats your shoulder before she and Billy take off to the wheel while you sat there, alone, like always. "I knew this was a bad idea." you tell yourself before letting out a sigh and slump on the bench picking at your glitter nail polish and staring at the ground a bit.

After a few hours had passed Tatum started to feel sick, of course, that's what happens when one inhales two cotton candies and a thing of funnel cake and a corn dog and a diet soda. She looks at you. "Hey, I'm going to head home, thanks for coming with us, Stu is going to take you home if that's alright?" You look at her "Yeah, that's fine. Feel better." You tell her. "Billy, Sidney you ready?" she askes them almost feeling ignored you look down at the ground, your jaw clenches, Sidney touches your shoulder again and the three of them take off. Stu sits next to you and looks ahead of himself. "You know, she doesn't mean to be a bitch all the time." You look up and over at him and arch a brow. "She's not a bitch, just, set in her ways." With a chuckle, he shakes his head. "No need to be polite. She brought you here and ditched you. Personally Bitch move." He stated

Shaking your head you know how people like that can be, you slump a bit more. "Nothing like being a third wheel." you chuckle. "It's alright though, it was nice to get out of the house." you state with a soft voice and maybe some optimism. Looking at you he smiled. "How about I make up for it?" You quickly shake your head and smile. "You don't have to, there's nothing to make up for." Shaking his head again. "I don't think you understand. Let me make it up to you. I don't think I'm giving you much of a choice." Clearing your throat you look down and pick at your nails again and nod your head. "Okay Stu."

Standing up he takes your hand and your whole body gets warm, flushed, and nervous as he takes you to win you that blue dog he botched trying to get for Tatum. "Until I win the big blue one Merve." He tells the man behind the counter. "Anything for you Stu." He chuckles and hands him some baseballs. You watch as he looks at you. "I'm bad at this." He laughs throwing a few, "Not too bad." you reassure him. After a good five minutes, he wins you the large blue dog, smiling you bite your lip taking the dog. "Thank you," you tell the man and then at Stu. "And thank you. I have the perfect spot for him in my room." You beam a smile nuzzling into the dog a bit.

"Next stop!" He takes your hand and takes you to get something to eat. You blush a bit as he took it upon himself to order for you. Taking a seat a the picnic benches Stu looks at you and looks around. "There are a few more stops before we hit the big ending." He nodded to the Ferris wheel. Biting your lip and taking a bite of your burger you look at him and back at the end of the strip and let out a shaky breath. Nerves are going to get the better of you, you know this and grip the large paw of the dog and look at Stu. "Thank you, for all of this so far." He laughed. "Don't thank me until the end." He tells you.

Finishing food he takes you to the water guns, the ball toss and ends up winning you a goldfish, the thunderbolt, and last but not least, you two are standing in line for the Ferris Wheel, your stomach is turning, nerves, the Ferris wheel was a special ride. "We don't have to do this." You tell him. "Nonsense, we're going." He laughs taking your hand and getting into a cart and closes the door. Placing the dog and the bag with the goldfish on the bench across the way Stu decides to sit next to you with his arm around your shoulders, pulling you close. Taking in his cheap cologne your eyes close, feeling this odd sense of safety.

The ride takes off and you jump a little and he pulls you closer. "Heights make me uneasy." you tell him, looking down at you. "I'll protect you." He tells you with a cheeky grin and looks around. "Thank you for tonight, I'm glad I came." She smiled. "I'm glad you came too." A few times around the wheel stops, Looking around Stu chuckles. "Uhhh, bad news, we're going to be stuck here for a bit." Your eyes grow wide and you get closer to him and bite your lip harder. Stu holds you petting your head a bet and you look up. "Well I guess, we should talk... I need to distract myself. I'm a horrible friend Stu." You tell him.

With an arched brow, he looks at you, "How so?" you fidget and he looks at you, waiting for you to speak. "I've uhh, I've got this thing for someone, and this someone has someone, and this someone's someone had befriended me this summer and I feel like a bad friend for liking this someone." You state, "Vague... I'm sure Sidney would understand, everyone's got a thing for Billy." He moves away a little bit. Shaking your head you look up at him. "No Stu, I like you, and Tatum would have a cow if she found out." Stu looks at you. "You like me?" He asks you, nodding your head he chuckles and smiles. "I like you." He tells you.

With a nervous laugh, you lean into him and bite on your lip. He looks down at you, and tilts your head up, and presses his lips to yours, his hand resting on the side of your neck as you grip his shirt and press into the kiss a bit more. His tongue dances with yours as the kiss becomes a bit more heated, his hand moves from your neck to your breast gripping it in his hand as the other pulls you closer. He pulls you on top of him and you look over his face, moving your hips a bit and he lets off a soft groan, pulling you closer back into a kiss as his hands rest on your butt pulling you even closer, any closer and you'd melt into him. His hand slips under your shirt playing with the perky bit of flesh and the suppleness of your breast while your fingers play with his hairline.

Tongues dancing together he lifts his hips up into yours. Looking over his face. "We shouldn't do this here, not here, and it's too quick, and I... Stu..." Stu looks at you. "Yeah Y/N?" He askes with a smile. "Do you love Tatum?" You ask him. "I wouldn't call it love, she's annoying, needy, and overly clingy... I offered to take you home, I wanted to tell you I liked you, and was hoping that maybe you'd be my girl." He looked over your face. Hugging him you nuzzle into his neck. "Yes, absolutely. Tatum is going to shit." You chuckle shaking your head. "She will at first, but she'll find someone else to occupy her time." He smirked and places you next to him and fixed your shirt, taking care of you, holding you close.

The wheel starts moving again and when you two get off the wheel, he smiles taking your hand, and escorts you to his car where he then takes you home. "I'll come by tomorrow we'll go see a movie or something. After I tell Tatum see ya." He chuckled planting a kiss on your lips before you get out of the car and make your way inside with your dog and fish. Your mother looks at you. "Well well, looks like you had fun." You smirk big and nod. "Night mum. Love you." You kiss her cheek and rush upstairs. Putting the fish in a bowl and the dog on the foot of the bed you strip down into something comfortable grab your journal and being to write. "Dear Diary, Tonight, was the best night EVER!"

—————————————————————————————————

If you want to be tagged let me know. This is the first of many stories! I am also taking requests!

@luciferslittleastre

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios University

Today was looking fantastic so far. The kids were quietly playing, Theo's demon training charm would be ready for pick up later on that week, and Abe didn't suspect a thing. Abe’s job placement was going well, and even though he was basically just cleaning equipment and slides, there was room for advancement. All he needed was a letter of recommendation from his soon to be ex stepmother, and the next promotion that came up would be his.

The twins loved Abe, and they kept Theo out of trouble. It could have been all of the demonic suppression vegetation Roman was putting in their meals, but there hadn't been a single fire or dark form sighting in weeks. If Roman started the twins off early with the promised charms, maybe they and Theo could work together to responsibly learn to channel any powers they'd inherited.

"Did you sleep well?" Abe asked, planting a quick kiss on Roman's neck as he walked by with Luci and Addy's breakfast.

"Yep!" Roman said quickly, turning away from Abe's line of sight before he saw Roman's face. "No nightmares. None that I remembered anyway."

"I wish I was as lucky as you," Abe said with a laugh. "You had a hell of a nightmare last night. It nearly woke up the kids. The cat hissed at you for ten minutes afterwards."

"I guess I am lucky then," Roman lied. "I never remember anything. I kind of thought that they'd stop after the deal and everything settled. I guess not. I wonder what they're about."

"Well, I'm in them at least," Abe replied. "I have been since they started, or so you say."

A dark shadow passed over Roman's face as he remembered all the times he had woken Adrian up screaming about Abe. That was a hurt that he would carry with him as long as he lived.

Roman made a noncommittal noise and tapped Theo on the shoulder as he walked by.

"Put the cat down and help with breakfast," he ordered. "Grandma's coming to pick you up soon."

"And why is my mom taking the kids today?" Abe asked curiously. "Was she going to take them somewhere, or did you ask her to take them?"

"I asked her. They’ll keep her too busy to bother with Oriana."

"Dad says we're going to the park," Theo announced proudly.

"No, you're not," Roman corrected, placing Abe’s finished pancakes on the table for him and returning to the sink.

"But I heard you!" Theo protested. "You told Grandma we were going to the park!"

"Eat your breakfast or your sisters will eat it," Roman called out while throwing some dishes in the sink.

"Why did you ask my mother to take them?" Abe asked again, a little more strongly than before. "You've been very secretive lately. Should I be worried?"

"No."

A simple answer. Abe didn't know what to make of it. Something was up, and all of Lucy's recent concerns about Roman’s behaviour rushed to mind.

He tried his best to bury his fears and enjoy his breakfast. He trusted Roman. This relationship would never work without trust, but there were times when Abe just wanted to scream at Roman to just be open with him.

"Oh, the car's here," Roman called as Elaine pulled through the gate. "I guess she's getting that in the divorce for certain now."

"She's never driven it all the years she's had it," Abe grumbled. "No one was allowed to drive it and now all of a sudden she's teaching Nathan to drive in it and taking it everywhere."

"There's benefits to being heir," Roman replied, wiping Addy's mouth and picking up some stray dishes from the floor. "Theo, get your shoes on. Help your sisters get ready. Abe, finish your food, we need to leave soon too."

"To go where?" Abe asked, beginning to lose his patience. "I'm not one of the kids, you can't just order me around."

"Yes, I can. Go get the car seats for your mom and then meet me outside of the gate when your breakfast is done. We have somewhere to be and we can’t be late."

[neptunetheplanet7]

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐡

DM ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE PUT ON THE TAGLIST!!

;mikasa ackerman x fem!lesbian!reader

;modern au, band au

word count: 2.0k

warnings: swearing, eren is a wee bit dramatic, a singular pervert

listen to the music masterlist

prev | next

"Shit!" Eren yelled, starting to chase after the police car Zeke was now in the back of. "That's my brother! Let him go!"

He shouted multiple profanities as he ran. He almost hoped they'd reach the ears of the cops.

"Eren, wait!" Armin ran forward after him. His hands latched onto Eren's shirt to stop him from running any further.

He was pulled back by Armin and he collapsed on the concrete. The yells he emitted made his voice scratchy and hoarse. He sat on his knees, breathing hard. The cars disappeared from your line of sight as Armin helped guide Eren to the group.

A deep voice made you tear your gaze away from them. "I apologize on behalf of Levi. He usually keeps a cool head." Looking up, you saw the blond man from before looking at your stumbling friends worriedly.

"Oh, yeah. I apologize on behalf of Zeke. He's always in some sort of trouble. Was that your wedding ring he pawned?" you asked.

He sighed. "Yes, it was." He paused and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Levi was really upset when he came home without it. But you don't have to apologize for what Zeke did. It's in the past and we can always just get more rings. I'm Erwin, by the way." He moved his hand forward to grasp yours.

You returned his kind smile. "I'm Y/n, nice to meet you. You should probably go before my friend gets back over here." You gestured to Eren, who was slumped against the blond beside him. "He can get pretty temperamental too."

Erwin smiled again. "I'll take your advice on that one. Take care, Y/n."

"You too."

After a few minutes, he reached his car and drove away. You couldn't help but wonder if Erwin's husband had anything to do with Zeke and Nebraska. However, you figured pawning something wouldn't get you banned from a state.

You decided not to dwell on it at that moment. So many things happened throughout the night and you didn't need another add-on.

Eren sat against the bench, sliding down the back. Armin was still by his side.

Annie and Bertholdt exited the restaurant, Bertholdt holding the door for her. Reiner trailed behind them.

They made their way over and stood by the bench. Reiner spoke up, "Everything's on the house, according to Marcel. Porco said we should probably get out of here, though."

"We didn't even get to eat!" Sasha whined. Her dress creased against the pavement as she kicked her legs.

Connie nodded and frantically looked around as if some food would magically appear from the ground. He wasn't far off.

"Holy shit is that a food truck?" He pointed across the road, and sure enough, there was one running in the parking lot of a plaza.

"I didn't even know food trucks were out this late. I'm thanking my lucky stars they are, though," Marco grinned.

Sasha's eyes lit up at the sight and she bolted across the parking lot. You were sure you had never seen anyone run that fast in your life.

"Christ, Sasha. Wait for me at least." Connie jumped off the sidewalk and charged after her.

The rest of you followed the two at a slower, more reasonable, pace. Careful to watch for cars instead of just running into traffic like your idiot friends.

The employees of the truck were pleasantly surprised when they saw the sudden line of people gathering at their window.

Eager chatter about the food you all would order quickly arose. All your stress from earlier events seemed to dissipate when Mikasa urged you into a conversation.

When the two of you reached the front of the line, the guy running the truck recognized you. He referred to you as 'the hot guitarist from that one band.'

Mikasa was visibly disgusted when she trained her cold eyes on the man. Grabbing the food, she ushered you away and glared over her shoulder as you sat on the ground in front of her.

The whole group was sitting on the pavement since there were no benches nearby in the empty parking lot.

Stores lined the end of the lot that faced your back. Dim lights emitted from inside a few of them. Other than that, there was only light coming from the food truck plus some street lamps.

The air was light and the sky was dark. Stars shone amongst the barely visible clouds. Your gaze shifted up at them just as you finished eating. They stared back down on you and a closed-eyed smile broke out on your face.

Mikasa stopped laughing with Sasha when you caught her attention. You looked so contempt and peaceful, especially after the night you had. Your foot tapped lightly against the concrete. Your face was illuminated by the moonlight.

She was entranced by you and couldn't avert her eyes. Coming back home made her fall into habits from a long time ago. Habits she used to be ashamed of.

The sound of Armin dropping their paper plate as he stood made Mikasa finally snap her eyes away from you. She blushed and Sasha side-eyed her with a teasing smile.

Eren dropped his plate next to Armin's and pushed himself up. He gestured excitedly to a liquor store behind you and proudly declared that all drinks were on him.

Ymir cheered loudly at this. She stood as well and tried to get others to join in. Historia chipped in a small yell of triumph as Eren dragged Jean into the shop to stock up.

Armin reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. A wide smile stretched his face. "Do you guys like the idea of music right now?"

Reiner nodded enthusiastically and looked over the blond's shoulder at their playlist. He grinned and leaned over to hit shuffle.

Armin turned up the volume and set his phone down. An old song filled the atmosphere and he began to dance along.

Reiner joined in alongside Marco, Ymir, and Historia likewise. Sasha and Connie's dance moves were very uncoordinated compared to the others. Their limbs flailed in the air but at least they had the spirit.

Bertholdt was awkwardly overlooking the scene until Annie grabbed his arm and led him into the dancing circle. It was nice to see her letting loose, even if she was only making Bertholdt's obvious crush worse in the process.

Laughing to yourself, you got up to dance with your friends. You beckoned for Mikasa to come along and she didn't hesitate to follow.

After a few songs, Eren and Jean emerged from the liquor store with cases of beer. Ymir emitted another cheer and helped them unbox some of it, taking a bottle for herself and her girlfriend.

Mikasa stopped dancing to grab bottles for the both of you. After multiple attempts, you claimed to be too weak to open yours so she gladly took up the responsibility. You thanked her and drank it happily.

Eren stepped in to dance and stole Armin's attention from Reiner. A hurt look graced his features for a moment before shaking it off as quickly as it came. He opted for intruding on Bertholdt and Annie.

Jean took hold of Marco's arm and spun him around over and over while they laughed like idiots.

Ymir was loudly singing along while twirling around in various parking spots with Historia.

A few yards away from the others, you kept swaying to the music with Mikasa. Sasha and Connie were snickering to themselves and pointing but you pretended to not see them.

Mikasa snorted when she looked at your clumsy form. "You're not a very good dancer. I guess that's one thing that'll never change."

Your jaw dropped as you feigned offense. "That's rude. I happen to be a great dancer. Remember homecoming?"

She smiled and laughed. "Do I? You must've stepped on my feet at least fifty times."

"Damn, sorry about that. But if I'm so bad then you must be great. Teach me your ways, Mikasa," you jested. Even though you were joking, you still felt your face heat up at the idea of her showing you how she danced so well.

Her smile was still evident when she took hold of your hands and moved you along to the beat. "I'll take you up on that offer."

She never took her eyes off of you as her hands guided your body to move with the music. You flushed under her stare and prayed it didn't show in the moonlight.

Each time she sent you a reassuring smile you wondered if she was thinking like you. Not that it mattered much. All you knew was that when you met her eyes, there ceased to be any problems nagging your mind.

By the time Armin's songs replayed for the third time, you had your fair share of drinks. A lot of your friends had drunk a little heavier, though. The only ones who weren't extremely drunk or passed out were the designated drivers and, coincidentally, you and Mikasa.

At this point in the night, the food truck was long gone. Eren and Armin were making fools of themselves trying to dance together. Marco was doing his best dealing with Jean's clinginess but he was barely holding on by a thread. Ymir and Reiner were fast asleep on the ground on either side of Historia. Sasha was surprisingly sober, you guessed she had to drive a drunk Connie home.

A slower song started to play and Mikasa made the bold move to pull your arms around her shoulders and put her hands on your waist.

"Like them," she whispered and nodded to Bertholdt and Annie. You would've shrieked at the sight of them dancing so closely together if you weren't already so surprised by Mikasa's suddenness.

You swayed with her to the rhythm of the song as she led the dance. You hoped the clicking sound you heard behind you wasn't Sasha's camera.

Continuing the quiet dance, you knew the familiar song was coming to an end. Call it the alcohol talking, but you felt a sudden burst of confidence run through your veins.

You adjusted your arms around her neck to pull her closer and she did the same at your waist. Butterflies swarmed in your stomach as you eased into her embrace.

When you looked into her eyes you realized she was leaning closer to your face. She stopped to ask, "Is this okay?" Her voice was shaky as she whispered. Her warm breath tickled your nose from the proximity.

You nodded. Your hushed words came out even shakier than hers, "Just listen to the music."

You didn't fight the feeling when your lips collided with hers. A warmth spread throughout your chest and you felt like fireworks were exploding inside of you. Her kiss was soft and her scent was intoxicating. This is really happening.

When you finally parted to look up at her, you felt everything and then nothing at all. The world faded from your view and you were no longer staring into her eyes when it went dark.

posted: 9/9/21

neptunetheplanet7© 2021

no reposts, edits, or modification to my work by anyone other than me.

[lelenoir]

characters;; wong kunhang, wong yukhei [ft: yuna and sejun (ocs)]

word count;; 4.8k

warnings;; hallucinations, implied character death, hendery discreetly trying to kill you

part of @starryqian & @takitaro 's stephen king collab,, this is very late im so sorry :(

shoutout to @jenoir for proofreading this messy baby :')

sorry if comes off as a bit rushed :(( i was ✨struggling✨ and i wanted to get this out soon

NIGHT SEVEN

Run. Run as fast as you can. Run till your legs burn. Run till the sun dies out. Your life depends on it.

The woods were an unforgiving place. Especially at night when the lights turn off and the mind is at its all time high. The sounds you were hearing were unmistakable. The footsteps and the chunk of leaves cracking beneath them told you they were close. And they were coming in fast.

Your breaths came out in pants while your legs begged you to stop. But you couldn't, not when you came all this way. Suffered days in the harsh wrath of mother nature. No, you couldn't afford to die now. And as if things weren't worse enough, you tripped on an overarching root. A wild thorn grazing the skin of your ankle, making you hiss.

The sounds were getting closer now but your legs had already given up. Already turning to jelly as soon as you'd stopped running. You huddled yourself against a nearby tree in hopes of its protection. The low growl that erupted from whatever was out there echoed around the trees like a villain toying with its prey.

Your instincts were telling you to gather whatever you could. To pray to whatever higher being was up there for one last miracle. But you knew better. There were no gods that could hear you within these woods.

So you count to ten like Hendery taught you and braced yourself at the mercy of whatever being was on the other side of the trunk.

Five… four… three… two… one.

DAY ONE, TWO HOURS BEFORE

Friends. You love them. You care for them. And you'd do pretty much anything for them. Right now you really hated that concept. And you really hated the way you'd fallen for it.

Sitting in the backseat of a car with your friend and her boyfriend arguing in the front was not how you expected your Friday to go. You grumbled under your breath, looking out the window as you watched landmarks pass by. You were such a great friend. And in your greatness as a friend, you let yourself be strung along to what you've just declared as 'the worst weekend of your life'.

"If you want to stop then stop! I'm just saying that with all the places you want to stop by we might not get to the one place we actually want to go in time." She argued, putting air quotes on the words 'stop by' with an over the top eye roll. That's your friend, Yuna. She wasn't like that most of the time, the opposite actually. In your friend group she was considered as this huge ball of sunshine. Her current boyfriend just brings out the worst in her, which, in your book, is reason number one on why she should break up with him.

"You say it's okay but then you always add something like that. If you don't want to just say it! No need to act like such a saint." And on the left corner was, you guessed it, her boyfriend Sejun. As an individual, he was okay. A little douchey but everyone has a bit of douchiness inside of them in your opinion. However, pair him up with Yuna then that's a different story. They were like monsters, only acting up when close to one another. It makes you wonder why they're still holding on to each other. But, alas, humans are very complex creatures. You'd rather read a book than try to understand them.

So you do. You whip out 'Alice in Wonderland' off your bag and start reading. You didn't like butting into other people's relationships, much less going on weekend trips with them but Yuna, your sweet amazing friend, managed to convince you to go with them. How? Through bribery. Yup, after promising you that you were free for this and next month's rent, you were quick to settle your belongings. You were a simple girl with simple priorities and at the top of that list of priorities is surviving college.

You'd read at least two chapters when they'd decided to stop at some mountain. Being the sporty and outgoing couple that they were, they weren't here to take pictures nor eat at the local diner. No. They were here to hike.

You sighed in defeat when Yuna visibly beamed at you. You reluctantly placed your book down next to you before grabbing your small bag of food and water.

The two were now giving each other the silent treatment while Yuna held onto you like a leech. It was awkward to say the least, especially with the side glances they keep giving each other and you were in the middle of it. Like a small child in the middle of their parents' divorce all over again. You hated it.

You could already feel the energy getting drained away from you and you hadn't even stepped on the mountain yet. That's how intense they were. You never voiced it out. Too afraid that they might gang up on you instead of each other. They may be worse against each other but together, they're a nightmare. You much preferred them going at each other's throats rather than yours.

The mountain was as green as you expected it to be. There was a clear path set out at the foot of it with little to no people standing by. It was higher than most you'd climbed and a vast forest enveloped it. The place was quiet and it looked like one of those towns that rarely had anything bad happen to it but on the off chance that something did happen, it was bad. Really bad.

"Okay so we have like an hour here before we continue on our trip." Yuna said, looking at the map in her hands. "This should be fun."

Really? You wanted to ask. But oh you were such a good friend. You scoped the mountain once again, already dreading the experience as Yuna gestures you to come forward and Sejun already walking up the path. You sighed to yourself, opting to give yourself an internal pep talk as your legs carried you to the start of a very begrudging journey.

You can do this. You can do this. You can do this.

An hour had passed. And you know it had, based on the watch you'd carried on your wrist. The small diner at the bottom of the mountain had already left your vision minutes ago.

On your way up, the ground diverged into two paths. The right side leading towards a secluded resort while the other pointed towards an upward slope. The couple opted to take the left. Your frown deepened.

One hour, my ass! You screamed in your mind, throwing a mini tantrum as you glared at Yuna's back. Your feet stomping on the (thankfully) dry ground, lips pursed and brows stitched together. You hated being a good friend.

In the midst of your childish antics, you heard a chain snap off your bag. You quickly turned around to see your treasured key chain on the ground. It was a gift from your late mother, a small remembrance of the time you both went to Disneyland. The first and last time. You bent down to pick it up when a sudden flash of white tore through your line of sight.

A white rabbit stood in front of you, your keychain tucked in between its mouth as it stared at you. As if waiting for you to chase it. Its red eyes bore into yours.

They say when your eyes focus on one thing, everything around you blurs in the distance. Nothing but muffled background noises and subtle outside forces. That should've been your first warning.

"Why are you even yelling at me?" Sejun complained, snapping your attention back. They were back at it again. You hadn't even heard Yuna yell at him during your short daze. You held back for a while, watching them argue as they walked. That should've been your second warning.

Like a magnet, you felt your gaze shift back to the rabbit. Indistinct whispers emerged around you. That should've been your third. You glared at the small creature still holding on to your precious trinket before it suddenly dashed in the woods. You clenched your teeth, unable to stop yourself as you followed after it. Strike.

DAY ONE

You cheered in triumph as you retrieved your belonging, smirking at the rabbit as it looked up to you. The rabbit cocked it's head on one side, as if to question you, before hopping away from you. You furrowed your eyebrows before finally looking around where you were. Your eyes widened at your surroundings. The green scenery of the trees covered your vision as you cautiously stepped forward. The path was nowhere to be found and dead silence engulfed the air.

"Yuna?" You called out anxiously. "Sejun?" You tried once more. "Yuna!" You say louder but there was no reply. You looked up to the beating sun. It was noon. You couldn't tell which was east or west.

"Yuna!" You screamed. A flock of birds flew in the distance. The loud crows and scampers of the forest animals harmonised with your echo. "Sejun!"

You gulped. You looked in between the trees, trying to decipher even a small silhouette of a clearing. You narrowed your eyes, loosening up your shoulders and hands before taking another step. Then another. And another until you're finally walking towards god knows where. You were slow but you weren't really in a rush.

You pulled your bag closer to your body.

The slightest of sounds rang in your ears making you snap your head to every direction only to see that there was nothing there. That never eased your paranoia. You can feel its eyes trail along the fabric of your jacket. Feel its breath on the back of your neck. Hear its growls close to the shell of your ear. You clasped your shaking hands together, your nervousness evident as your legs began to turn jelly.

"Y-yuna!" You called out helplessly. Tears began to tickle the sides of your temples. "Anyone!?"

It was like that time you went to an amusement park with Yuna. The loud thundering rhythm in your chest, the strong rush of adrenaline leaving your body as soon as it entered, not to mention the growing anxiety constantly increasing as every second passed. It was almost hard to breathe. Almost difficult to take another step.

You collapsed on the ground, spent and shaking. Your hands stayed close to your chest in an attempt to keep warm as the air seemed to have gotten cold---despite being scorching a few moments ago---vision already hazy as you began to slip out of reality.

Just then, a figure emerged from the trees. His tall stature crouched down to get a better look at you. You couldn't even muster up a smile in relief at the stranger. Too tired to feel the cold hand on your cheeks, lightly slapping you back to reality.

Then you let yourself be engulfed in darkness.

DAY TWO

You jolt awake at the impact of his toes on your knee. Your eyes, still blurry from exhaustion, had a hard time adjusting to the harsh light of the afternoon sun.

"You're awake." A voice sighed in relief. You turned your attention to the sound, unsure and terrified as you drew your arms in front of you. "Woah, no need to fight there, little one."

"I'm not a child." You tell him but the stranger merely cocked his head to the side. His gaze curiously fixed on you before smiling.

"Then why are you here?" He shot back. The question seemed to hang in the air and an unsettling ominous feeling creeped up your spine as you mustered up your answer.

"I got lost." You say, face almost a breath away from his as he leaned in closer before prompting his head to nod.

"Exactly." He grinned. "Surely an adult wouldn't get lost within these woods. Especially for a silly trinket such as this." He holds out an object engulfed in his hand. There lay your keychain, dangling in the air and close to your face. You lifted your hand to take it until the stranger dropped it on the ground. It was not much of an action but it was humiliating as you tentatively picked it up from the soil.

"You must be hungry, aren't you?" The stranger lifted his body off the ground.

"Who are you?" You asked, voice still weak as you struggled to support your weight.

He smirked, staring down at you in utter confidence. "Hendery will do for now." You furrowed your eyebrows as he crouched down, once again, in front of you then putting your bag on your lap. "Eat up, little one."

Meanwhile…

"I didn't even notice. God what kind of a person doesn't notice her friend has gone missing." The girl sobbed for the nth time that day. Only a few of the officers paid her any mind while a boy, he assumed to be her boyfriend, sat next to her with his arms engulfing her in a comforting hug.

Lucas sighed at the pitiful sight, there was really nothing much he could do now. The map splayed in front of him was scribbled with a small 'x' within a large circle. He stared menacingly at the location.

"Detective," one of his subordinates came up to him. " What's our course of action?"

He sighed, closing his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

The subordinate couldn't understand his superior's reaction. Why did he look so distressed? It's only been a day since the victim has gone missing. They could be weak or injured, but that's about it. Throughout his time here, a handful of people got lost and all of them have been found.

"Sir?" He succeeded in getting Lucas out of his reverie. The detective then moved his fingers to rub at the lines on his forehead.

"Have everyone search in pairs around the perimeter." He finally ordered.

The subordinate nodded before scurrying off to relay the command.

It was futile. Lucas wanted to say but then that would make him look lazy. He never liked the word, but it was one that described his opponent greatly. He's been lazy. It was suspicious that he managed to find those lost tourists so easily, often they were found by their companions if they searched hard enough, but somehow this search has now stretched for a day.

The missing person, L/n Y/n, was last seen by her two friends yesterday, November 15, XXXX. It has been a day since then. The longest search in five years.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at the small x located at the north east side of the map.

What are you playing at, Kunhang?

xxx

"Keep up, little one. We have a long way ahead of us." Hendery calls out, walking a few feet away from you. His strides, quick and wide, has you picking up your pace. You couldn't help but pant as you trail behind him, the food in your pack weighing you down a bit but you couldn't afford to leave them behind.

"Why are you doing this?" You askes in between heavy breaths. Relief washed over you when he paused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Why are you helping me?" You finally caught up to him. You splayed your arm out to the nearest tree as you calmed your breathing.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" He shot back as if it was stupidly obvious.

"Yes but--"

"You hear a person desperately calling out to someone for help and they sound incredibly in need. Wouldn't you help them?" You stared at him in shock, both of you quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "Isn't mankind built to be rational and compassionate? Do you doubt me as a person?"

"N-no I was just curious." Hendery narrowed his eyes at you, pursing his lips as he thought deeply. Not long after, a smile stretched on his face.

"Right, curiosity does come from rationality. I can't really blame you for being human I guess… but you must understand, little one, curiosity is a double edged sword. Once you wield it recklessly, the consequences may be severe." He looked away from you, eyes focusing on whatever was ahead before assuming his previous trek. "Keep up, little one, the sun won't last forever."

"Where are we going?" He smiled at that and you noticed that he had gone at a slower pace than before, walking side by side with you.

"You've used your curiosity well I see. We are going to find shelter. It's been hours now so the police are probably already looking for you. I don't know where you started running but let's hope this area of the forest is still part of the search. Daylight is slowly dying and we need to find a safe place rather than that clearing you passed out in."

"Why are you here then?" You asked. "In the forest, I mean."

"One thing about mankind is that they don't recognize chances." He whispered under his breath. A sound of confusion escaped your lips, he either ignored it or didn't hear it. "Some things are better left a secret, little one. Use your curiosities wisely."

DAY THREE

"If an animal comes rushing at you, what do you do?" Hendery asked one morning as he sat at the edge of the small stream you'd found.

In the years you'd watched documentaries and survival movies, one thing always played a vital role in human survival: water. So when you happened to come across the stream, the both of you couldn't say no to the opportunity. During your walk yesterday, the both of you came across a small shack hidden by the trees: its wooden walls looked old and were infested by moss; however you weren't really picky. It was the only shelter you could find and you lacked the supplies and skills to even attempt making a tent. There was a small window on one side and a few empty shelves on the other.

You thought for a while about his question before telling him the first answer that comes to mind. "Dodge it, I guess."

He stood up from his seat, walking towards you before sitting next to you. In a flash, you felt his hand push against your collarbone, sending you back on the ground.

He looked down at you and hummed. "Seems pretty ineffective."

You glared. "I wasn't ready."

"And what makes you think that you'll be ready when the attack comes?" He raised an eyebrow. You opened your mouth to retort but no words came. "I thought so."

He pushed his body off the ground once again. This time, to inspect the plants behind you.

"What would you do then?" He smirked.

"Like you said, I'll dodge." He starts, swaying his body slightly for a moment before suddenly running towards you. "Then attack." He whispered, just by your ear and you felt a chill run down your spine. A small shadow rose above you and it's then that you saw a large rock in his hand, parallel to the skull of your forehead. You sensed the object pick up its pace and you barely had enough time as you moved your head away from its course.

Hendery smashed the rock to the ground. His body slanted forward and you took this chance to stand and land a hit directly at his nape with the side of your hand. He jolted forward at the force and you started to distance yourself away from him.

"What the fuck, Hendery?" You watch in slight horror as he chuckled lightly before turning to you with a smile.

"No need to worry, y/n." He picked up a piece of the rock. "It's shale," he held it up with his fingers before breaking them, "practically harmless."

You let him walk past you before making your way towards the remnants of the stone. Looking back, you see him occupy himself with some berries on a nearby bush. You gently picked up a small piece of the rock, imitating what Hendery just did with his fingers.

It wouldn't budge.

You furrowed your eyebrows, this time using both hands to break it. The sheer force of your finger tips made your skin slip. A small cut was drawn on your thumb and you narrowed your eyes on it.

You looked over to Hendery who was now picking out some berries. You glared at his back. This fucker was trying to kill you.

You decided not to voice out your concerns. It was smarter to observe him for now and run away later.

Use your curiosities wisely. The words echoed in your mind as you gripped the strap of your bag tighter.

It'd been a while since he's had this much entertainment. From a human, no less. Usually they would've been dead by now or begging for their pitiful lives. But you? You were something special.

Hendery couldn't help but smirk.

DAY FIVE

"You don't trust me." You flinched at the sound of his voice. All of the forest seemed to have stopped moving for a second as you scramble for your thoughts.

You whip around, ready to deny the accusation before he lifted one finger up to silence you. "I don't really blame you about this but then why are you still here?"

Why were you still here?

You had an answer to that of course but admitting it out loud would've exposed you further to the man in front of you. You were afraid, weak and very fragile at this point. Your body was growing unbearably hot and your head has been in pain since yesterday. You didn't want to inform him of your state.

"There's safety in numbers. I don't know what's out there and frankly, I'm not prepared to face them either." You answered curtly. The response heightened Hendery's interest and he couldn't help but wonder: why would you lie?

Fortunately, he let it go. Being as he was, he asked you another question. "If an animal stalks you while you're powerless, what would you do?"

"Another one of your hypothetical scenarios?"

He shrugged, "you'll never know."

"Guess I'll die."

Hendery blew raspberries at that, unable to contain his laughter at your blunt reply. "You really are amusing, aren't you?"

"What do you suggest I do then?"

"Good point," he thinks for a moment, resting his chin on his fingers in a childish manner that made you slightly confused about the different sides he held. He sighed in defeat, "it really is a hopeless case!" He groaned, "the least you could probably do is count to ten and hope for the best."

You raised an eyebrow at him, holding back a humoured smile. "Thanks for the tip."

He grinned, "you're welcome!"

xxx

That night, a low rumbling growl awoke you from your slumber. You jumped up from your position, the thin blankets of leaves rustling below you as you looked around the dark room. The dim glow of the moon didn't help much but you could faintly see a huge silhouette of a figure standing right outside the window. Its back was turned in your view and you couldn't identify what it was.

You looked to your side to see Hendery gone. You panicked, the adrenaline spiking up to your lungs as you began to panic. The figure was still out there and it was not going anywhere.

You take a cautious step forward, the floorboards creaking as you did so. You tensed at the loud sound. Your whole body froze, keeping an eye at the window when the door of the shack suddenly opened.

"Did I wake you?" Hendery asked, rubbing his temples while he stood at the door. "I needed to pee."

"N-no?" He only nodded his head before groggily walking to his spot on the floor.

You were now wide awake. The will to sleep abandoning you as you hesitantly lay on your back.

The shadow was still there.

DAY SEVEN

"Hey y/n," you looked up from your seat to the man next to you. The slight flinch of your shoulders didn't go unnoticed by him.

You'd been exceptionally jumpy since yesterday and Hendery knew why. Fear was a cord that humans could never cut off. Once you're introduced to an unknown being, your whole body freezes as you desperately try to make sense of what you've witnessed, just to ease your irrational mind.

"We don't have any food left." Hendery says, holding out the empty wrappers of the bread you ate the night before.

You thought for a while, the image of the shadow pushed to the back of your head for a short while. "I guess we need to start looking for something to eat? I think there are some edible berries and plants we can collect."

He appeared to be considering it before nodding his head. "Okay! I'll go look for something to eat. Go start up a fire y/n to keep us warm while I go in the woods."

You nodded your head, already preoccupied with the grass, thoughts wandering back again to whatever it was that you saw.

With the way you were going, it almost felt like Hendery had only been gone for a few seconds when he came back just to see you hunched over; the same stance you had when he left. He sighed.

"You okay?" And there you were again, jumping a few good centimeters away from him. "I told you to start a fire."

Your eyes widened in shock before sputtering out multiple apologies. Hendery pressed his lips to a thin line.

"I'll start it, don't worry y/n. Just stay here." You nodded, eyes focusing on the ground that you failed to see the smirk on your companion's lips. He handed you a leaf filled with mushrooms, berries and some nuts.

"I hope they find us soon." You huffed, lifting a few of the food to your lips. Hendery watched you intently, smiling to himself before picking at the edibles on his makeshift plate.

"I hope so too. It's already been a week."

Suddenly, you felt your vision turn hazy. You furrowed your brows, concentrating on a specific tree as it morphed with its surroundings. "H-hendery?"

You lazily turned your head to your side, the weight felt light on your neck that you whipped faster than you've anticipated. Thus, your brain began to ache. You focused on Hendery's features, his expression unreadable as he, too, became a blurry mess of lights and shadows.

Once your eyes finally closed, Hendery let out the chuckle he's been holding in. He lifted your body off the ground.

Thus the game comes to end.

NIGHT SEVEN

Four… three… two… one…

You opened your eyes when you realised your limbs were still intact. The animal was nowhere in sight. Still, you couldn't shake off the overwhelming presence you felt all around you.

Looking around, it was pitch black. No shine of the moonlight peeked through the leaves of the trees, no sound of the whistles of the wind as you stood up from your terrified stance. Cautiously, you took a step forward. Your bag slumping down your shoulders before falling to the ground.

Your whole body felt weightless and you didn't find enough care in you to pick it up. Not even when the gleam of your treasures keychain sparked your vision.

You were tired.

You fell forward, a flash of bright white lights shocking your eyes as you squinted. A hum of a familiar lullaby and a chorus of footsteps neared your fragile body. You allowed your eyes to close as you finally relaxed, feeling the warmth of an embrace wrap around you. The smell of mint and chocolates killing you to sleep as gentle hands lift you up.

The soft song never faltered, vibrating across the person's chest and to your warm cheek.

You were going home.

xxx

In the shadows, Hendery watched as multiple police officers circled your body. One of them, Wong Yukhei, lifted you off the ground. He shakes his head in disappointment and regret at the state you're in: head bloodied, limbs bruised, and skin already blue.

Cold hands and feet already limp from the games he played, strumming your chords throughout the week until you eventually snapped.

Hendery hummed, a sweet lullaby in contrast to his wicked deeds. There was no shadow, no animal, nor a Hendery to begin with. It was all a byproduct of the scared, fragile and lonely human mind.

"How unfortunate, little one."

[supersizemeplz]

Perhaps She Did

Part Two

Abraham “from Us” x Black Female Character

Another #supersizedfic short. This is the second and last part to this series, and hopefully it flows like it did in my mind. Enjoy!

One night turned to two. Two turned to four, four to eight, and eight to ten before the line had been drawn. That face was imprinted into her memory, burned into the forefront of her mind. Every moment she'd surrendered to a restful slumber was overcome by the mystery of him. His tall frame towering over her as if she'd shrunken. Those dark eyes that seemed all too focused on her, as if she were the most fascinating thing alive. The large, rough hands that had touched her skin as delicate as they'd known how. Almost afraid that they'd break her somehow.

Exhaustion was a understatement.

Tired didn't seem to hold weight to what she felt. None of the dots she'd made connected. He was a complete stranger, but none like she'd ever seen. As much as she hoped she never seen him again, it annoyed her that a small part of her wanted answers. All the scenarios she'd made about him -including how he could be a deranged killer or crazed pervert- failed to stop her thought of going back to that place. Something made her think neither of those were the case because he spared her.

Putting her fairly new car into park, she pressed the start button to silence it. The headlights cut off and she sat in silence for a moment. "Am I really doing this shit?" Laying her forehead against the furry steering wheel cover, she sighed with closed eyes. "Fuck. I guess I am."

It took three deeps breaths and a encouraged 'get it over with, bitch' to get out of the car. Her attire was much different from the first night she'd encountered the cool breeze of the beach. She zipped the jacket to her tracksuit, slipping her keys and hands into the small pockets. The running shoes on her feet were a bit dated, only seeing the light of day when she had to run a quick errand and wasn't dressed up.

The fair ground was definitely creepier when it was damn near deserted. Honestly it could've been because the fair music still played. A few people straggled around, consisting of a handful of employees and booth owners that were cleaning up. Though with them being focused on trying to finish and get home, she slipped by with ease. A few rhymed two steps down the stairs and she stood before the abandoned house of mirrors.

She took slow steps up the stairs to the building, holding a hand to her chest in hopes to ease her heartbeat. "I'm really doing this shit." The phrase left her lips three times before she silenced. There at the door of the place that's held her mind hostage, she popped her knuckles and nibbled her bottom lip in hopes of relaxing. As if her nervous ticks would help the situation.

Finally putting the sandy sole of her right shoe to the wooden floor, she swallowed her fear. Or at least half of it. She felt like she was in a scary movie, and she was being that one girl that always went towards the danger no matter how much people yelled at the screen for her to do different.

"You got this, girl. You got this, girl. Yo- Fuckkk." The curse came out high pitched with widened eyes and a jump back towards the entrance. Her heart began its racing at this point. "That fucking owl. I knew it was coming and yet it still scared the shit out of me." The angered mumble was more to herself, making her roll her eyes.

Once she'd reached the big room of mirrors where the maze began, she just stood there. Her reflection looked right back at her. Waiting for something she wasn't even sure was real. "Well, we're here. Now what?" She spoke to her reflection, yet it said nothing back. Just as she'd expected. Honestly, she didn't think she'd get this far so her plan wasn't really a plan.

Looking around, she seen nothing jump out to her as a hint. There was no sign to help her figure out the next step. "Hello?" The unsure greeting left her lips without a thought otherwise. Nothing. Another minute passed before she sighed, partly relieved that there was no reply.

That was until she heard the floor creak. Coming from her right. She turned to the sound with a quickness, hugging the pepper spray that was attached to the key ring in her pocket. Just in case it wasn't him, but also if it was.

She calls her greeting again, gulping once he showed himself. So she wasn't tripping. He was just as tall as she remembered, and getting taller the closer he came to her. His steps were heavy and slow like the steady beat of a bass drum. The same red jumpsuit hugged his body, showing a peek of his chest from behind where the second button was supposed to be fastened.

Once he makes it to her frozen being, she's tilted her head back to keep her eyes on his face. He still sports that same mean mug as he reciprocates the interest. Squinting even in the tinted spotlight that adorned them both. Her hands stay to her sides, clenching softly once he lifts a hand to her face. The grunt of acknowledgment that followed was like his greeting, at least to her it was.

He seemed to like the feeling of her skin, it's softness compared to the harsh contrast of his. His thumb stroked her cheek to take in its fullness. The grunt he repeated broke her from her frozen state. Maybe he was trying to communicate?

She swallowed for the third time that night, slowly inching her hand to lay over his. "Hey.. I don't know if I sound crazy.." This was a crazy situation, why wouldn't she? "But i haven't been able to stop thinking about you since the other night. And what you are.. Who you are..."

Her soft hand eased to his face, hoping not to startle him. As if he was a squirrel and not a full grown male. He leaned into her touch without hesitation to her intention. Probably because she didn't look like any threat to him, especially since he was twice as tall it seemed.

His beard was full of thick and healthy coils, dark as coal against his skintone. For someone who lived in an abandoned fun house, he was groomed well. For the most part. His short nails were clean though his hair and beard could use a trim.

"Perfect.." He struggles to say the word, but she makes it out just fine. The hint of a smile tugs at her lips. He thought she was perfect? If she could count the amount of times she'd been called that on her hands she'd only be five fingers in. Was she really this desperate for affection?

He just stared at her, looking to her with those dark eyes. The scent of her perfume caught his nose and inched her closer. Leaning forward, his lips were mere inches away from hers. It reminded him of the show from the television in the break room of the basement below. His odd yet familiar world.

The women always swooned for the man, and the moments where they were this close ended with kisses. Oh shit, is he going to kiss me? She panicked mentally, not wanting to suddenly frighten him. A kiss would be weird right. So to prevent the moment in case it was happening, she spoke. "Do you have a name?"

The question was a bit shaky, but he stepped back to think about it. She let go of a breath she didn't realize she had. For the first time that tonight, he looked away from her. He was definitely trying to think of his name, but it looked like a struggle. His eyebrows pushed together once again, and he opened his mouth before closing it again.

He touched his throat, rubbing the area as if it was sore. "A-Abe" The word was repeated hoarsely, as if there was more to it. Yet he stopped trying, making a pained face as his hand kept rubbing his throat. Water. She'd had a water bottle in the car.

"Do you need a drink to help?" He looked to her as she asked the question. Confusion was apparent on his face so she explained further. "Hold on, I'll be back." She took a step backward and he watched her intensely. Turning away from him, she quickened her step to get out of the building. The owl didn't scare her this time.

The trip to her car was quick, mostly because she ran. Thoughts of firing up the engine and dipping crossed her mind, but she didn’t really want to leave him here. In that sad place, probably alone and eating off whatever poor animal found it way down there. Breathing a curse, she made her way back to him. Water bottle in hand.

Don’t do this.

She scolded herself on the current thought dancing in her head. Her footsteps drowned out the thoughts until they were hushed by the sand. They slowed once she’d reached the building again. Don’t do this. He stood outside the door, gazing up at the stars above. They held his attention for a while, ignoring her presence for a moment. After a while and a cool breeze passed, he looked to her. Something different was in his eyes.

She held the water bottle out, motioning for him to take it. Don’t do this. He looked at the bottle before looking back to her. His larger hand reached for the plastic container, taking it from her softly. Though it crackled in his large hand when he pulled it towards him.

Don’t do this.

Standing there watching him scarf down the water, that nagging thought never left her mind. He was here all alone and she was supposed to be what? A savior to him, helping him from this traumatic life. Shaking her head, she took a turn to look to the sky before looking back to him.

He stared at her, tilting his head to study the change in her body language. She took a step forward, accepting the empty water bottle he held out. His other hand caught her wrist, holding it as he stepped closer to her. “Perfect.” He spoke the word again, a bit clearer since he’d had water.

His hand never loosened to release her, but then again he had no intention to. She gulped, watching as he looked back to the building. But the first step he took towards it with her in tow scared her. “Wait..” He didn’t spare her a glance, ignoring her as she fought to loosen his grip. Panic rose within her, creeping up her neck and holding back the scream she wanted to give.

He kept his focus on his path, whispering ‘Perfect’ as they both entered the building. Her putting up a fight and refusing to be easy prey. It barely bothered him, only being a persistent quick pain from her hits to his arms. Suddenly stopping her assault, she complied for a moment.

He’d eased his grip, just enough to stop the pain in her wrist. She mumbled his name, saddening her voice and it actually made him stop. His dark eyes looked back to her as she caressed his hand. That soft skin never failed to fascinate him. Just long enough for that owl to pop out and give a hard hit to the side of his head.

His hand slipped as he went to hold his head, growling at the sudden pain. This was her break. She turned away to get her running start. Her feet hit the wooden boards beneath her with force. Each step getting her closer to freedom. “Shit!” A force caught the back of her jacket, pulling her back. Away from the entrance and more into the darkness.

In a quick moment of thought, she started at her zipper. Fighting her from the confines of the warm jacket, lifting the force off her and free her once again. This time she wasted no time getting out. Her heavy, ragged breaths only got louder the farther she ran. Feet fighting against the sand, her knee met the wood of the stairs that get her to the fair ground.

The cold air fought against her as she made her way to the car sitting at the parking lot. His animalistic grunt called behind her, definitely from the man running behind her. She fought the fearful tears that threatened to taint her cheeks. Get to the car. The chant was her encouragement, even when she’d heard those thuds make it to the old wooden steps of the fair.

Her hands fumbled with the keys, shaking as she heard his footsteps coming closer. Another angry growl and she’d managed to opened the driver side door. Scrambling into the car, she brought it to life and locked the doors behind her. As she quickly threw the car in reverse, she didn’t dare look back until she’d made it to the street.

Catching the dark red of his jumpsuit showing the silhouette of his body in the red of the taillights. Tall and beastly as he watched her, yelling after her. The tears flowed freely as she tried to calm her breathing. She’d be damned if she crashed anywhere near this place because of blurry eyes. This was a defining moment in her life, for her future.

Was this going to be the last night she stayed in this god forsaken town? Perhaps it was.

__________________

Taglist

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[lumassen]

June in Reykjavík - 17.06

(for a nice reading experience, listen to this song while reading!)

A cool rush of sulphur filled air engulfed Emil as he stepped off the plane and down the steps to the runway where he waited for the shuttle bus to the terminal with the rest of the mix both of tourists and his own citezens who had been on his flight from London Gatwick to Keflavík. Once inside the bus the exited bubble of chatter in all sort of languages grew as they neared the terminal.

Usually a man of reserved expression, Emil couldn't help walk with a spring in his step as he pulled his suitcase behind him as he stepped off the bus and approached the customs desk. The attendant recognised him and gave a shy smile.

"Velkomin heim, Mr Ísland." she said as she handed his passport back to him after stamping it, and Emil's heart sang at hearing his language glide over her tongue as she welcomed him home.

He nodded to her in thanks then slipped through the gate and followed the signs for the airport car park. A few of the other airport staff recognised him as he walked through the corridors, and he nodded at them and smiled as he always did, the happiest when among his people.

Once at his car where he'd left it parked three days earlier, Emil unlocked it with the push of a button, slung his suitcase onto the back seats and slid into the driver's seat.

He sung along to Hjaltalín as they played on the radio as he drove along the long road away from Keflavík and towards Reykjavík. The windows were down and the wind blew through his hair making a mess, but he couldn't care less as the June sunshine warmed the breeze.

Soon he was on the 40 road, and the tree-less barren landscape of dark rock contrasting with the shades of green mosses that crawled over them began to turn into winding roads lined with colourful houses and billboards. The waters of the North Atlantic that lapped the shore as he passed along the coastal road through Fossvogur sparkled in the sun, though the way the sun illuminated the waves was misleading as they would still be freezing cold if you were to dip your toe in.

He slowed down as he reached the edge of Reykjavík, unable to stop a grin breaking out across his face when he caught sight of the bunting that hung from street lamps and houses, and every flagpole that he passed was flying the Icelandic flag. It had already been 76 years since Iceland had become independent, and yet he still remembered it like it was yesterday. His people had such a unique culture, a deep love for their country and their home, and Emil wished with every year that came and went that they never lost that pride.

Once in the city centre he parked up just off Vonarstræti near the City Hall ready for his celebrations later with his Prime Minister and Government, but first he wanted to celebrate with his people.

He could already hear that the marching band had begun, the brass instruments resonating over the city, and he quickened his pace as he made his way towards the main streets where the parades were passing through. Summer in Reykjavík wasn't always pleasent, and Emil was so glad that the sun was out and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. He passed families laid out on the grass with chairs and blankets that they'd brought out from their houses, windows and doors were thrown open and drinks were flowing all round as people crammed into the bars and restaurants.

Jogging up the grass verge to stand atop the hill behind the City Hall, Emil closed his eyes for a moment and drew in a deep breath, feeling more alive today than ever, the high spirits of his people pulsing through his veins before he opened them again and looked down at the streets filled with hundreds of revellers.

In a country with a population so small where everybody knew everybody, it was hard for Emil to keep his identity as a Nation hidden. Although he wasn't blatantly obvious about it, he didn't ever try to dissolve any of the rumours either and just let his citezens draw their own conclusions.

"Hey, Ísland!" a voice called from behind him, and he turned to see a group of young adults sat on a blanket on the grass, beers in hand and their faces flushed from a combination of happiness, alcohol and sunshine. He didn't recognise any of them, but it was clear that they recognised him. He turned to face them, and caught a can of Gull as one of them tossed it to him.

In a land full of traditions based on folklore, tales of trolls and a still strong belief in magic, the people of modern Iceland had no fear or scepticism when it came to the rumours that their Nation personification was living among them.

The young man beckoned Emil over and patted an empty space next to him where he sat cross legged on the blanket then cracked open his can.

Chuckling to himself, Emil's heart swelled as he made his way over to the blanket and sat himself down, shaking hands with the circle of humans who sat around him before opening his own can. His company held up their drinks, and they clinked them together with a cheer of Skál.

The weather was warm, his people were happy, and Emil had some time to spare before he was needed by his government all suited and booted. What was an hour or so of his eternal life spent kicking back with the people who's very existence were the reason there was blood in his veins and a heart in his chest.

Gleðilega þjóðhátið kæru vinir! - Happy Independence day, dear friends!

Also, this is the car that Iceland drives and you cannot convince me otherwise. I spotted it when I was in RVK last year. If APH Iceland is real then I found his goddamn car.

[r3b3lgrrrrrrrl]

A LunaTic and her Gunn (Part 98) "Ring Around The Ruby"

@creatureofthen1ght-v3 @crystalbaby12 @mgkobsessed @backoftheroomandnotbelonging @5sosfam1dlover @lovemythsworld ...still trying Bra 🖤

Are we sure we have everything??" Luna asks as she plays with her padlock, she finds herself doing that whenever she's nervous.

After breakfast with Casie. A morning ShowerFuck, lines and a burn session with Colson in the bathroom. Luna's dressed in a simple, white, silk dress. Black chucks and light makeup. Shockingly, she throws on no jewelery except her ring, which never comes off. Her long hair flowing around her. Looking around their hotel suite, Luna has a hard enough time keeping track of herself, let alone two other people's stuff.

"You double checked that you've got your necklace, Diablo shirt and sunglasses?" She asks Casie.

"Yup." She nods proudly at Luna.

"What Diablo shirt?" Colson whips around.

"Your purple one....." Luna answers.

"Why didn't you give her yours? It's smaller." He challenges her.

"Because I've already altered mine... To fit me." She answers with her eyebrows raised.

Fully aware of what she's hinting at, Colson's dick twitches. The memory of their first performance and Luna's homemade Diablo shirt floating around in his brain.

Colson sighs out a Fine with a smile at Casie. She can have anything she wants. Of his or The World's. Not even caring as long as His Peanut is happy. Unknown to him, Luna had already grabbed a replacement. The Three of Them taking care of each other in ways they don't even realize. --------------------------------------------------

Outside The Jacquard, Colson's Eleven are the same Assholes they always are. Each loudly squeezing Casie tight with huge kisses on the cheek. Slim spinning her in circles until they're both dizzy and laughing.

"Uncle Slim!!!" She giggles as she sees triples.

Finding her balance, Casie spots Sam. Through the week they had become great friends.

"It was really rad to meet you." Sam says as she squats down to do her secret handshake with Casie.

"Will you be at EstFEST for our wedding? She asks.

"I'll be at both. I wouldn't miss them for a thousand crabby patties." Her response making Casie laugh as she jumps into Sam, knocking her down.

Caught off guard, Sam laughs loudly with her as she falls back onto the pavement. Shockingly pleased by The Cool Ass Kid's grip.

Baze and Luna both watching them. Luna's soul flittering at this new side of Sammy. Baze almost sure he's in love with the Wild Drummer.

Hugging her bestfriend, Luna teases her lightly in her ear. "Fuck you." Sam laughs.

Gripping each other tight, they agree to see each other in Seattle. Behave... Luna smirks to another one of Sam's Fuck Yous.

As Luna and Ashleigh hug GoodBye, she Thanks Luna again. To her solid squeeze and Stop. Both knowing their friendship is genuine. Flowing beyond their relationships with Colson.

"Alright... Alright... She's only gonna be gonna for two days!" Colson laughs at the two of them.

"Two days too long!!" Ashleigh complains, loving another woman on The Bus with her.

Ashleigh and Sam get along very well but Luna helps Ashleigh run shit. With Luna by Colson's side, this has been Ashleigh's least stressful tour. In almost 10yrs.

With the uber arriving to carry The Three of Them to the airport, The Boys hug and kiss Luna and Casie a dozen more times. Laughing at Colson and giving him daps when he complains about Where's His Love.

"We'll see you tonight, Bitch." Rook laughs at him as he squeezes Luna. "Good luck, Bro.... Not that your badass needs it." He grins after pecking her cheek as they squeeze GoodBye.

Rook is Luna's favorite Drummer Boy. Luna is Rook's favorite Bitch. She rocks with all The Boys but those two are true Roll Dawgs. Both appreciating each other since their first conversation the night of Colson's Birthday Dinner at Tao.

"WE LOOOVE YOUSSSS!!!" Luna hollers out the car window as she heads off with Casie and Colson.

Preparing for the 13hr ride in front of them to Boise, The Remaining Eight fuck around a bit longer. Climbing on, The Bus feels a little off without Their Core. This does not stop the smoke, music and drinks from flowing though. It just makes it feel.... Different.

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

Sat in first class between Luna and Colson, Casie is talking a mile a minute. Both Luna and Colson requesting a Bloody Mary immediately. Grinning at each other over her talking head.

It's a 3hr flight. Having them hit Cleveland before 4P. Pulling out her carry on, Luna shares her art supplies with Casie.

Colson sips his drink as His Girls draw. Casie excitedly talking about Their Weddings.

"You know what we've still gotta do?" Luna asks the rambling child.

"What?" She asks as she lifts her face from her artwork

"Get you fitted you for your dresses." Luna shines into her sketch book.

"Dresses!!! Like TWO!!" Casie yells with wide excited eyes.

"Yeah, Dill. Two weddings. Two dresses, SugarPop." Luna laughs at her, looking up from the drawing she's working on.

"Jesus fucking Christ, I fucking love her." Colson thinks as uncharacteristic tears well in his eyes.

"AHHHH!!!" Casie shouts in excitement to both of their grins.

Colson reaches over, turning Luna's chin to sink a grateful kiss onto her lips as Casie's mid squeeze. The girl not minding being crushed in between the love of the two of them.

Just as they're about to land, Luna hands Colson her sketch. It's a crude drawing of the two of them embracing.

"Fuck. I love it." His heart beats faster as he studies it. "Tuck it in your book until we get home?" He asks to her smiling nod.

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

"Oooh!!!! My BAAAABY!!!" Emma exclaims as Casie runs into her open arms.

"I missed you so much, Mommy!!" Casie says as she falls into her tight grasp.

Colson and Luna watching the two. Their love for each other overflowing all over their front yard as they roll around in hugs and laughter.

"She's such a good mom." Luna whispers to Colson in admiration of Emma.

"She really is." Colson says proudly as he throws his arm around Luna.

Smooching her cheek, he grabs Casie's bags. Carrying them inside. There are many things that can be said about Colson Baker. Attentive to His, should truly be the first description.

Inside Casie erupts into the details of her week long adventure. Performing OnStage, swimming, jumping and diving last night, sitting with Patti during the taping of Ellen, The Planetarium and The Butterfly Exhibit. Forgetting about the Splash Park as she happily yells about how the butterflies flew all around them, kissing her and Luna's skin. All the while, simultaneously showing Emma her new treasures.

"We went EVERYWHERE, MOMMY!!!" We even bought a house in NY. MOM!! I LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY NOW!!!" She shouts while bouncing around the kitchen.

Those words cause Emma to shoot a quick Look between Colson and Luna. Wondering WHAT THE FUCK HER CHILD IS TALKING ABOUT.

"We're about to make settlement on a brownstone so we have a place in The City. Kinda like here and LA." Luna speaks up to reassure her.

Emma giving Luna an accepting and understanding nod. She turns back to the chattering little girl.

"So, you had fun?" She asks her daughter.

"SO MUCH FUN, MOM!!" Casie screams to Emma's laughter.

Colson and Emma touch base as Luna helps Casie with her luggage. Alone in the kitchen, Emma speaks freely.

"Don't fuck this up, Kells. She's good for you and Case already loves her. I know you're getting married next month, but, PLEASE. Don't fuck this up. For you or her." Emma pleads with the man she's known almost longer than half of her life.

"I don't want to, Em...." Colson replies with concerned eyes. "But, I'm so fucking afraid I will."

Emma reaches to hug him. "Keep that fear and you won't." She tells him honestly as they embrace tightly.

There's something to be said about co-parents who are friends that genuinely care for each other. It's a beautiful thing. Truly.

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

Outside, before Luna and Colson catch their uber to his house, The Family embraces each other GoodBye individually. There's a comforting warmth that flows through them.

As Colson and Casie say their GoodByes, Luna and Emma hug each other tightly. Probably tighter than they've ever held each other before. Emma whispering a Thank You for Taking Care of My Baby Girl. Luna squeezing her a smidge tighter to Thank Emma for Trusting Her With Casie. Breaking apart, the women look each other in the eyes. Both happy to have each other in their lives.

"I loooooove YOOOOU!!!" Luna swings a laughing Casie around. "See you soon?"

"Yup." Casie grins.

"Find a new home for your necklace for bed and shower time?" Luna asks with a tinge of authority.

"YES." Casie asserts, grin wider.

"Good shit. Love you, Dill." Luna holds Her Girl close and tight.

Emma appreciating the way they interact with each other as she watches them. Knowing Casie is safe with Luna.

"Ready, Kitten?" Colson asks as he kisses the top of Luna's head.

Before leaving, he grabs Casie again loving on her like there's no tomorrow. Giggling as his kisses tickle her skin.

After setting Casie down and saying their final GoodByes, he grabs Luna's hand. Leading her to the waiting uber. While in Cleveland, Colson has a specific mission.

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

On The Bus, somewhere between Colorado and Idaho, Sam has convinced Ashleigh to get fucked up with her and The Boys.

Cards are being thrown with jokes as music flows. Smoke billowing throughout The Bus.

Leaning into Baze, Sam seductively asks "How pissed you think they'd be if we stole their bed tonight?" Wicked grin spreading across her pretty face.

"Wanna find out?" He grins back to her tantalizing giggle.

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

Inside The Cleveland House, Colson heads straight upstairs. Luna outside to smoke a cigarette. She doesn't like smoking around Casie so it's been HOURS.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Opening the door to his safe, Colson pulls out a tiny box. Opening it, the huge ruby gleams at him. Solidifying that he knows he made the right decision.

Having been almost a month since he last gazed at it, he can't help but be proud of himself. And Rook. "It's perfect. Beautiful and unique. Just like her.... She's gonna love it." He thinks excitedly.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Luna's chain smoking on the picnic table out back. Letting the warm summer sun kiss her colorful skin.

"Come're...." Colson tries to coax her.

"Whhhhyyyy.....?" Luna whines as she scrunches her face, wanting to light another cigarette.

"Just shut the fuck up and come here." Colson tells her.

"Fine." Luna pouts as she takes his hand.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Walking into the kitchen, Colson hits play on a remote. Taking Luna in his arms as Clapton begins to float around them.

He sings to her the same way he did the night they first met. Holding her close and changing whichever lyrics he chooses. Luna's so dumb she doesn't know what's happening. She just thinks Colson's sweet as she rests inside of him.

As the ending guitar chords float away, Colson drops to his knee. Having the song on repeat, he takes Luna's hand as it continues to drift around them.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She asks, slightly bewildered.

"Doing this shit right." He asserts.

Looking up at her, Colson sees his entire future in Luna's eyes. Taking a deep breath, he has nothing prepared as usual. Their whole relationship is based off of instinct.

"I know you love the ring I made for you but I bought you a real one way before it. If you don't like it, we'll fix it or...." He says as he holds her left hand, slipping the metal string off her finger and setting it on the kitchen island. "You can keep the one you have.... Just as long as you promise to still marry me." He says as he pops the lid.

It's a gorgeous 10 carat oval ruby. Surrounded by small diamonds. Taking Luna's breath away on sight.

"I know you don't do diamonds, so, it's your birthstone with mine wrapped around it to protect you.... Not that you need protec...."

Colson can't even finish his sentence before Luna's on her knees in front of him. Tears falling down her cheeks as her kisses shut him up.

Her bare hands run up the sides of his face as she sinks her deep kisses into his mouth. Pushing him off his knees to straddle him. Their kisses are passionate and heavy as Colson tangles his fingers in her hair. Pulling out of her kiss, he gently holds her face in his large hands.

"Is that a Yes?" He asks.

"That's a FUCK YES." She laughs as she pushes her mouth back onto his.

Unable to contain themselves, Luna unbuckles Colson's belt. Lifting up, he helps her pull them down. Only bothering to pull her panties to the side, Luna guides him inside of her. Both groaning in pleasure.

Kissing each other sloppily as Luna slides up and down on Colson's cock he needs her body. Pulling her dress over her head, he's beyond pleased to find her braless as he suckles her pierced breasts. Naked, she bucks against him. Wanting her more than ever before, he carefully flips her on her back.

Throwing her legs over his shoulders, Colson pushes deep inside of Luna. Making her moan in pleasure as he fucks her on the kitchen floor. Mouth kissing hers as if they'll both die without the other. Moving to her cheeks, he kisses anywhere he can reach. Both whispering Sweet Nothing's instead of their normal Dirty Words.

Feeling her thighs grip his waist and walls clench his cock, he nuzzles into her neck and ear. Claiming I FUCKING LOVE YOU as they cum for each other.

Satisfied, Colson rests on top of her. He's by no means fat but Luna's tiny and with her gunshot wound he feels like he has to be extra careful with her. Kissing her forehead, he rolls out of her. Reaching blindly on the ground around them, he finds the box.

Sliding his arm under her head, he presents the symbol of their commitment. Asking Yes? With love pouring out of her eyeballs and heart, she gives him a teasing smile.

"I mean I guess I could say Yes for the 110th time." She laughs as she rolls towards him, locking her lips onto his.

Their kisses say EVERYTHING. Things that even couples who've been married for 50yrs still can't say.

Holding her hand out, Colson slips his ring upon her finger. Holding her hand out in front of them, they clutch each other while they both try to hold back tears.

"It's fucking beautiful." She happily sighs.

"I told you not to doubt me." He lightly chuckles as he pulls her tighter.

Teasing her about how he knows what she likes. Laughing out a Fuck You, she climbs back on top of him.

Taking her time as she slowly rides him. Enjoying every inch of his dick along with every touch from his hands and mouth.

Luna and Colson don't make love. They fuck like animals but on the kitchen floor with his ring on her finger their touches are softer. Kinder. Gentle as they enjoy every inch of each other in the afternoon sunlight.

It's a long, hard cum. Both feeling like they may seize out from the pleasure. Completely entwined in each other, they take a light, naked, engaged, snooze on the kitchen floor.  The excitement of a life together dancing in both of their heads.

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

Colson stirs first. The hard floor waking him up against Luna's warm body. Brushing her hair from her face, he looks down. The huge ruby glistening on her finger catches his eye as her hand rests on his chest.

"Fuck.... How'd I get so fucking lucky?" He questions himself. "Em's right.... I can't fuck this up." His heart begins to panic.

Feeling his chest pounding under her hand, it's as if her sixth sense kicks in. Opening her eyes, she asks if He's Okay.

"As long as I'm with you." He answers, kissing her sweetly on her forehead.

"Mmmm..." She nuzzles into him contently. "What time is it?" She asks.

"I don't know, but we should move. We gotta be outta here by 9P...." He answers.

Luna pouts as she nuzzles into his chest. Asking if They Can Quit Their Jobs And Be Pirates. Please. Colson lightly laughs at her fantastic request. Asserting that Being Pirates Would Be Awesome Buuut He Doesn't Think It's That Easy. Leaving Luna to sigh in disappointment.

"Come on...." He begins to shift off the floor.

"Noooo.... I don't wanna...." She whines as he moves to pull her up to stand with him.

"I know... Me neither. 10 days though." He reminds her with a twinkle in his eyes.

This makes her move. Slapping his ass, she shouts Race You as she bounds up the stairs to the shower.

"Grab my real ring, please?" She hollers down the stairs.

Unable to stop the smile that is hurting his face he hits his IG before following her upstairs.

×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

"110xs I've asked her and she keeps saying Yes. I'm lucky AF and she's crazy insane. Imma 🔐 that sweet ass down quick. Bet. Saturday at #EstFest One of the most IMPORTANT days of my life. BE THERE. CUZ SHITS GONNA BE 🔥🔥🔥 #badthings WILL happen bc I LOVE A FUCKING LUNATIC 😈❤🐈 💯"

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Luna's upstairs waiting for him. Naked. Joint in mouth. Lines cut out. Drink in hand. Hot shower running for them.

Tossing her arms around him, he lifts her up. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she holds the joint as he hits it and carries her into the bathroom.

The way they easily move with each other makes their synchronicity enviable. Puffing on the joint, Luna drops it in an ashtray on the sink before he takes both of them into the shower.

Slowly and softly fucking each other. For a moment, before their hunger and animal instincts take over.

"Bend me over..." Luna huskily begs in Colson's ear.

Happily indulging her, he pulls her hair and fucks her the way they both like. Gripping her hips as he pushes himself deep inside of her. Leaving Luna to shake in pleasure as she feels his cum fill her insides.

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

Out of the shower they blow the lines waiting for them. Lighting a joint as they get dressed. Kissing and playfully teasing each other as they burn along the way.

"Where's my other ring?" Luna asks.

"Right there..." Colson points to the dresser.

Luna grabs it, slipping it onto her right hand. Wiggling her fingers she admires both.

"You're gonna wear that one too?" He asks.

"Uhmmmm. Fuck yeeeaahhh." Luna looks at him weirdly. "It's my original."

Thinking she would toss it, Colson adores her logic. Along with her Love of Them

Throwing on black skinnies and a cutoff hoodie, Luna laughs as Colson pulls his black Chucks on too.

"Come're Kitty....." He swings her around on the bed to tie her shoe.

"I fucking LOVE yooou." She states as she watches him with adoration.

"Love-LOVE YOU." He grins, kissing her newly blinging finger as he pulls her up.

Colson orders an uber as Luna collects their things. Pulling off the black hoodie he had put on, Colson looks for the particular one he wants. They're both headed out. On separate flights. Him to Boise to meet up The Boys for another show. Her to Mexico City for a performance with Ashley.

Getting the alert that their ride is there, Luna grabs Colson. Gripping him tightly around his waist as she burrows into his naked chest. Inhaling his sweet smell. It's a mix of weed, his cologne Jean Paul and Luna.

"I love you." She states as she looks up into his brilliant blue eyes.

"Forever?" He asks.

"Beyond." She answers as she pulls him down for a kiss before letting him go.

Finding the grey hoodie he wants, Colson grabs Luna's ass cheek. Also kissing her face cheek as he asks If She's Ready.

With her nod, he shouts "We Out!!!"

Her laughter tickles his soul as they head back on The Road. Holding hands along the way

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

Luna flies out at 10P. Colson 11P. Walking her to her gate, they hold each other for as long as they can.

Calling for boarding, Colson grabs Luna. Lifting her high for her to wrap her entire being around him. The way they both like.

"Two days." They reassure each other with laughter at their jinx.

Pulling back, Luna tells him She Loves Him before kissing him solidly.

"I love you. Go kill Mexico City and come back to me." He tells her, causing a rise of small tears in her eyes. "Heeey... Two days, Bunny Love." He tries to reassure her again.

"I know...." She lightly whimpers. "I just hate to leave you...." She sighs as a solid tear drops.

It breaks Colson's heart as he wipes it off her cheek with his thumb. He hates when they're apart.

"Then... Seven days. Me and you. Married. With nothing else.." He grins as he reminds her of their short and long term goals.

Squeezing him tighter with her thighs and arms, Luna kisses him with everything inside of her. Pulling back, she looks him in the eyes before softly pecking his lips.

"Seven days." She asserts with a woeful sigh.

"Go." He tells her with a kiss on the lips and solid slap on the ass.

Luna can't help but break out into a grin over and for him. Kissing him quickly, she grabs her carry on before heading down the terminal.

"Seven DAYS!!!" She shouts as she looks over her shoulder. "I FUCKING LOVE YOU!!!" Her voice lingers in his ear as she disappears.

Heart throbbing for Luna immediately, Colson halls ass through Cleveland's airport. Barely making his own 7hr flight. Missing it would've been worth it to him just to see her off.

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

Settled, Luna touches her new ring. It's so big and different from her original. Looking at both, her eyes well up at Colson's words. Looking down at the new one, she sees him wrapped all around her. Missing him instantly.

"Seven days......" She sighs to herself. Already missing her puzzle piece. Popping two bars to sleep through her own 7hr flight.

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

To be continued.....

[quietpoeticheart]

The Coffee Shop: Part Four: Part One

Summary: Bucky is a retired military veteran suffering from PTSD. He meets Avelyn, a headstrong entrepreneur, one day at her cafe with Steve and then everything changes.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Black! OC

Word Count: 1.7k+

Warnings: None

A/N: This is just a brief little fluffy filler which is half of the original chapter 4 that I couldn't finish because I just finished school exams and I'm probably going back to school just now despite Covid-19 so I haven't had much time to write. The next half of chapter 4 should be up in a week hopefully and it'll be a whole lot more interesting than this

PREVIOUS PART

Later that evening, an hour before closing, while Avelyn was taking a nap, she heard the bell for the shop go off and a knock at the door because she wasn't stupid to leave the door open. It was New York after all, she'd get robbed or worse kidnapped, not like her mother would mind if it happened.

"I'm coming." She yelled walking towards it. As she unlocked the door, a familiar figure bounded inside. "Were you sleeping on the job?" Morgan said.

Avelyn shrugged, "I'm my own boss. Why are you here?"

"I said I'd pick you up." Morgan stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah at nine. Its five."

"Well its nine somewhere, plus I remembered that I can't trust you to get ready on your own." Morgan wasn't lying, if left up to her, she'd go to the club in a pair of jeans. She was really over her socialite days but Morgan didn't exactly care, if Avelyn was going out with her, she'd look damn good.

Avelyn was grateful to have a best friend that cared about her wellbeing as much as Morgan did but at the same time, it did get a little frustrating and tiring because Morgan was pretty high maintenance at times.

"Fine, just lemme close up."

"Oh, so this is what it looks like when it's open, could've fooled me."

Avelyn rolled her eyes, "You're lucky I love you." As she moved behind the counter to organize her stuff, Morgan took a seat at the same stool Bucky was on earlier.

"So what are we gonna do about lover boy?"

Avelyn's eyes widened in panic, there was no way in hell she was letting Morgan get involved. She'd scare the boy off because the Starks weren't exactly known for being the most subtle people ever.

"There's no we in this Morgs unless you're speaking French."

Morgan glared at her, "Avelyn, you gotta stop shutting me out like this. All I ever do is try to help you and you just push me away. You've gotten away with the excuse of being busy with the shop for too long now, when the truth is, you're just like Bucky, everytime someone tries to care for you, you push them away and I'm getting tired of it."

As much as it stung to hear, Avelyn knew what Morgan was the truth. She felt like a hypocrite really, judging Bucky for the same thing she'd been doing for over a year.

Avelyn sighed, "I'm sorry Morgan. You're right, I shouldn't push you away like that. It's just hard with everything that's happened."

"Lynn, we've been friends for almost our entire lives. I know you better than you know you, it shouldn't be hard. Instead of  making excuses, take accountability."

"I hate it when you're right." Avelyn said. Morgan rolled her eyes, "Ever since we met, I've always been right."

Avelyn thought back to the day when she first met Morgan.

It was the first day at her new kindergarten and Avelyn was incredibly nervous to be going to a new school. At school, she was called up to the front of the class by her teacher Ms. Birch to introduce herself.

"Hi, I'm Avelyn." That's all she could manage to get out in front the class. Ms. Birch had smiled gently at her and pointed to the only free seat, a red chair next to a pretty brown haired girl, "Go sit by Morgan."

Avelyn clutched her yellow backpack to her chest and reluctantly took the seat next to Morgan.

Morgan had smiled widely at her, "You were scared, weren't you?"

Avelyn nodded. Morgan was surprisingly articulate for her age but you couldn't expect less from the daughter of one of the smartest men in the world

"You don't speak much, do you?" Morgan asked.

Avelyn nodded again. To her, Morgan was intimidating, she was bold enough to start a conversation with someone she didn't even know. Oh, how she wished she could be like her.

"Well I talk enough for the both of us." She said, extending her hand, "I'm Morgan Stark and you are?"

"Avelyn Forsythe." Avelyn shyly took her hand and shook it.

"I think you and I are going to be great friends Avelyn Forsythe."

After that day, Avelyn and Morgan were practically inseparable. Her mother had been excited when she found out that Avelyn had made a friend, until she found out whose daughter Morgan was.

When she did, she tried everything to break up the friendship but the bond formed that day was inseparable and while Ava wasn't pleased, she ignored the friendship and avoided all unnecessary interaction with Morgan and after several very uncomfortable encounters at her house, Avelyn decided that it'd be best if she went to the Starks instead of letting Morgan come over.

Tony and Pepper, on the contrary were excited that Morgan had made a friend, because most of the other children were scared of her. Morgan had a tough shell but underneath that exterior, she was a total softie but most people didn't stick around long enough to find that out but Avelyn did and over the years, the Starks began to regard Avelyn as their own child, even letting her call them mom and dad.

When her own parents weren't there for her, Tony and Pepper were. For every fight with her parents and school dance, for her first date, boyfriend and heartbreak, for every birthday and Christmas, for every single event in her life, the Starks were there. Ava and Adam might have been her biological parents but Tony and Pepper were the ones who raised her into the woman she was.

"You're thinking about it too aren't you?" Morgan asked.

"About what?"

"The day we first met."

Avelyn had to admit that Morgan's sense of perception was annoyingly uncanny, "Yeah, I am. How'd you know?"

"Because I was thinking about it too." Morgan's voice was wistful and longing and in that moment, the air was thick with nostalgia. The memories of childhood innocence and naivete, of the happier days before the heartbreak and pain swirling around them and for the first time in a while, the coffee shop didn't seem so gray.

It was like the cloud of hopelessness and broken dreams surrounding the place had been lifted and Avelyn felt something in her chest, that hadn't been there in a while: the joy and hope she'd had the day she'd signed on the line to buy the shop.

The moment left as quickly as it came but Avelyn knew that something had changed.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled at Morgan, "Let's get out of here, we got a club that's calling our name."

"Now, that's the spirit Lynn." Morgan clapped her hands excitedly.

When Avelyn stepped around the counter, Morgan wrapped her hand in hers and began pulling her towards the door and despite all the craziness of the world, right then and there, it was like she and Morgan, were just two little kids running hand in hand on the playground, like they used to years ago.

"Thank you."

"Always."

When Morgan parked the Porsche in her driveway, Avelyn had never been more happy to get the hell out of a car. Morgan, just like her father drove like a maniac, she was pretty sure they'd committed at least fifteen driving offenses. The fact that they hadn't been pulled over was nothing short of a miracle.

"Now I remember why I don't get into cars with you." Avelyn gasped clutching her hand to her chest.

"Don't be such a baby Lynnie." Morgan rolled her eyes.

"I'm not a baby Morgs, you're just crazy."

Too caught up in their argument, they didn't even realise that Tony was walking towards them.

"Well, I see my car made it back in one piece."

Morgan shrugged, "I learnt to drive from you daddy."

"Which is exactly why I'm scared. Avelyn looks like you nearly killed her." Tony said taking in Avelyn's shaking form.

"Dad, I'm telling you she's a psychopath." Avelyn wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Tony smiled as he held her, "I missed you around here kiddo."

"I missed you guys too." In Tony's familiar arms, she felt at ease.

"Then maybe you should come round more often, you've always been my favorite child." Tony teased.

"Hey!" Morgan objected.

"I'm just joking Morgan, I love you both equally. Now why don't you kids run in and see your mom."

Walking into the Stark mansion was like coming home. The walls were covered in pictures of Tony, Pepper, Morgan and her, unlike her house where if you didn't know that Forsythes had a fifth child, no one would know about Avelyn.

As they walked towards the stairs, they heard the familiar clack of heels on the marble tiles and turned to see Pepper running towards them.

"Lynnie it's so good to see you again, I've missed you." Pepper squealed pulling Avelyn into a hug.

"I missed you too mom."

"How's the shop going?"

"Its honestly a mess." Morgan piped up. Avelyn turned and glared at her. Morgan shrugged innocently, "I'm just being honest."

"I wish you'd let us help you. We're more than willing." Pepper said gently.

Avelyn sighed, maybe it was time she put aside her pride and take the offer because if she didn't start making money soon, she'd lose the shop.

"I'll think about it, I promise."

Pepper smiled, "Good, do you girls want snacks or anything?"

Morgan rolled her eyes, "Mom, we're twenty six and going drinking, we do not need snacks."

"Lynn just make sure that she eats something. You know how she gets when she gets drunk on an empty stomach." Tony says walking into the room and pulling Pepper into a hug.

After holding back Morgan's hair in various club bathrooms for years and putting up with the crying and the extreme hangovers, Avelyn knew better and she mouthed a yes to Tony over Morgan's protests.

The familiarity of going out with her friends and just being back here with her family made Avelyn the happiest that she'd been in so long and internally she committed herself to having fun tonight because she deserved it. She swore not to think about her family or the shop or even Bucky but just to let loose and enjoy her first night out in over a year.

—————————

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and my taglist is open if anyone wants to be tagged for this story or all of my fics.

[straight-to-the-pain]

"Whatever you want"

Alright, a quick foreword before we begin the latest instalment of the Sam and Maia saga. My friend is adamant that if the person being kidnapped is okay with it, then it simply can't count as a kidnapping and more just 'blindfolded and tied up surprise going somewhere'. Hence, this is not my fill for the kidnapping square of my bingo, but I would still like to consider it an honorary kidnapping.

It was a Saturday night, and Sam found themself alone. A few weeks had passed since their last encounter with Maia, the burns having faded into small purple dots, and the gash in their shoulder healing thanks to their sister's careful stitches.

She had been worried when she'd seen it, of course she had been, but they managed to explain it away as an occupational hazard, while she sighed and daubed at the wound with antiseptic.

They still kept that crumpled piece of paper that Maia had given them, and they reached for it absently, getting it out of the inside pocket of their jacket, and turning it over in their hands. They'd acted on the information and the bust had been successful, but still they couldn't bring themself to throw it away. The number written at the bottom, in small, red letters had long been committed to memory, but they kept it still, tracing their fingers over the neat curves.

They were alone, with Alice visiting her girlfriend and John on a separate assignment, but it was more than that. The truth was, they were lonely. They wondered if it was the nature of their work, or just their personality that prevented them from making friends. So they sat on the floor in their room, holding their phone in their hands, a step away from dialling the number.

And the next thing they knew was a familiar voice in their ear. "Maia Chan, who wants me?"

"Hi, it's me, Sam," they began, more hesitantly than they'd meant to. Somehow, hearing the sound of her voice made them forget what they were going to say, so they fumbled uselessly for the right words.

From the other end of the line came Maia's soft laugh. "I've been waiting for you to call. What do you want?"

The question caught Sam off guard, and they paused. What did they want? It was easier to list the things they didn't want. They didn't want to think or to work out their feelings. Why were they calling? They didn't know themself.

"Whatever you want," they finally spoke. "Whatever you want to give me."

Another dark chuckle. "I don't have any information for you." A pause. "Unless you want something else from me."

She didn't need to say it for Sam to understand what she meant. "Yes, anything," they replied quickly, before they had the chance to reconsider.

Maia's voice turned cold. "What if I wanted to kill you?"

"You wouldn't." It wasn't an answer, but a statement, said with conviction.

Another beat of silence. "Meet you in the park, by the pond?", Maia finally asked, as casually as if the previous conversation had never even happened.

-

Sam stood completely still, looking out at the pond and the ducks that called it their home. It was getting dark, but in the twilight they could still see the leaves on the trees and the flowers in the grass.

They heard footsteps approaching from behind, but they didn't turn around. "Maia," they sighed.

"Sam," came the response, before a dark cloth was wrapped around their eyes, blocking their sight. The fabric was pulled tight until it was almost uncomfortable, but they didn't struggle, their only response a small smile.

"Are all the theatrics really necessary?", they asked calmly.

"I don't want you to know where I live," came the reply. "Besides, it's more fun this way, don't you think?"

Somehow, Sam couldn't argue with that, so they let themself be dragged along at a pace a little faster than they would have liked, tripping over rocks and steps in their path to Maia's obvious amusement.

She stopped, and they heard a click as a car was opened, before they were unceremoniously shoved into the back seat. Their hands were tied together behind their back, making it impossible for them to remove the blindfold, not that they particularly wanted to in that moment anyway. It could have been worse. At least they weren't in the boot.

The journey lasted a while, roads becoming bumpier as they went along, but Sam didn't bother trying to figure out where they were heading. Maia was playing music, something mellow and sappy, about love or heartbreak, and they idly noticed that they were completely calm.

Eventually, the car stopped moving and they were yanked out again and shoved up some steps, through a door, then another door, and then down some more steps. They almost fell a few times, and they were sure that Maia was doing it on purpose, letting them go just a bit to watch them panic and then catching them before they actually collapse.

A rough hand on their shoulders shoved them down to their knees, and when the blindfold was ripped off, they found themself facing the concrete wall of what appeared to be a basement.

To be continued...

[la-appel-du-vide]

Lake Powell 2021 🌊

Ohhhhh Lake Powell. What a PLACE!

After we had such a blast last year, we wanted to do another trip this year - especially because now Brady has a Jeep that can tow! We figured it would be cheaper to rent a pair of waverunners in Utah and then drive them down ourselves. Plus, Brayden had NEVER SEEN Lake Powell, which is both crazy and not acceptable. (;

As the summer went on, and the lake levels kept dropping (they're currently the lowest they've been since the lake was originally filled up), we were getting nervous that our trip wouldn't happen. Ramps at Wahweap and Bullfrog were closed and auxiliary ramps had to be used instead - the photos of the ramps so far out of the water are absolutely crazy! Houseboats were encouraged to pull out of the water. Things weren't looking super good. But when the time came to pull the trigger, we took the risk and hoped things would work out. And they did!

We rented two waverunners from a guy in Provo, and that was a horrible experience. We told him we'd be picking them up on Thursday night between 7:30 and 8:30, and he said to give him a 45-minute heads up. We texted him when we were about 35 minutes out, and he didn't even leave until 40 minutes later. He literally did not get there until 9:15. I was livid - we still had a 5-hour drive to Page. On top of that, the waverunners were NOT in good shape. Deep gashes covered in paint/duct tape, one that was missing its registration sticker (literally illegal), one that had no mirrors, neither of them had dry box lids (he tried to tell me that was normal, that they ALWAYS break off on every machine he's ever seen - BS, and I called him on that), they had a tiny amount of storage space, and they were already low on fuel. Perfect. He insisted that we take 6 life jackets, even though we only needed three, so he didn't have to put a special note on the reservation. Annoying. He talked to us about useless information for almost an hour, so we left SO much later than we wanted to, and didn't get to Page until almost 3 AM. Good start to the trip, right?

We stayed in a little townhome Airbnb - it was fine, but a bit outdated (the green carpet was a clear giveaway haha). We got a quick four hours of sleep before we were up again, exhausted, to hit the lake. We stopped by the place Beach and I rented from last year to see if they wouldn't mind giving us a map - we LOVED the map they gave us last year. Clear, helpful, and plastic so getting wet doesn't hurt it. It was awkward though, when I explained we weren't renting from them this year, but certainly would again in the future because we were having a very bad time, but that we'd really love a map again. She gave us one, but didn't seem happy about it. Yikes. Then we stopped at the store to get some snacks for the day, and finally stopped at Maverik to fill the stupid things up. That's where the next sign of trouble occurred - Beach took the turn too sharp and rammed the trailer right into the bollard in front of the gas pump. It was SO loud and shook us all. And yep, it left quite a dent in the trailer. It was still functional, but that's no way to start a day. Morale was quite low for a bit.

But then we finally got to the lake. Much needed. The line wasn't long at all - I think many people are afraid to launch after hearing the things we'd heard. We launched like pros and hit the lake! I was really conscious of enjoying the sun on my skin, the sound of the water, and the way it felt to cruise around the lake. I get so sad at the end of summer, because the warm weather really keeps me going. We went to see the dam, and took an inaugural dip. We LOVE our little dips - always refreshing, and never too cold. Plus, you dry almost immediately when you get out! We drove the channel (insane, of course) down to Antelope Canyon, and then hit a no-wake zone up until we got to a spot to park. Because the lake levels are so low, there's a ton of muck in the water (I'm not sure how that correlates, but it must, because it wasn't like this last year) when you get to the ends of canyons. There was a THICK layer of sticks/debris coming into the Antelope Canyon parking area. Brayden and Beach had to swim us in so we didn't get the machines full of that crap and ruin the engine.

It's amazing how much less crowded it was this year than last year. We only saw a handful of people while we were hiking Antelope - last year, it was pretty packed and we had to do a lot of waiting to get photos. I liked this part of the change haha. It's such a stunning canyon and hike - the beautiful wave patterns along the red rocks are just unreal. It doesn't feel like it's something that could have happened naturally, and it's absolutely mind boggling. We are so lucky to have something like this so close to home, so we can experience the magic so easily. Ugh, I love it. I got a little nauseous on the hike back, because I always do when I don't sleep and then physically exert myself. BUT I didn't throw up, so W! We took a small break to eat an apple, drink some water, and rest in the shade before swimming the waverunners back out through the muck hahah (poor B and Beach - I got a ride). We did have to do some serious work to ensure that the engines were clean and clear of debris before we started them up again, and that was a little stressful, but it all turned out fine.

Then I hopped on with Beach and we drove Navajo Canyon, which is really just one of my favorite things to do. By the time you get to the end (it's pretty long) it smoothes out so nicely, and there is NOTHING better than absolutely cruising on glass water on a waverunner. We were gliding so fast, taking smooth, wide turns through the canyon... gave me absolute life. At one point, Beach hopped on with Brayden and they took a video of me riding side-by-side with them, and it's so great.

Then trouble hit us yet again. My waverunner alarm started going off to alert us of low fuel. We knew it was time to head back to the marina anyway, so we could load them up before it got dark. We started heading out and just decided to take the fastest path back to the marina, because we obviously weren't familiar with these machines and didn't know how far we could get once the gas light was on. We took a right out of Navajo Canyon to go look for the small channel that leads from Warm Creek Bay back to the marina - which we used quite a bit last year. But..... we couldn't find it. I was pretty sure I was losing my mind. We drove that whole bay up and down a couple of times, and I was getting so frustrated by how I could possibly be missing it. Eventually, we stopped by a houseboat to ask where it was, and apparently it's LITERALLY GONE. The entire channel DRIED UP. In the span of a few months. That is WILD. And we'd wasted all the gas I probably even had left looking for something that doesn't exist anymore. So the bad news was, now we'd have to go ALL THE WAY AROUND to get back to the marina. Their gas light was on too now (by the way, the alarm would scare us so bad when it went off, and it lasted like 3 minutes before it would turn off - so annoying) and we figured we would run out of gas before we made it that far. We ended up stopping by another houseboat (a SUPER nice one) to ask if they'd be willing to let us borrow a couple of gallons of gas. They were super nice about it and let us have some. Then we went guns ablazing to try and get back to the marina before it got dark. Going the long way, though, you hit THREE wakeless zones, so it just takes forever. We ended up completely forgoing the rules and flying through them. The sun was setting FAST and it was getting SO DARK. It's definitely not safe to be out there in the "pitch night" hahaha as Beach said. By the time we dropped Beach off to go get the car and trailer, it was literally black outside. I could hardly see anything. Some of the buoys had lights on, which was so helpful, but we still had to be so careful. Our only saving grace was a broken down boat at the bottom of the auxiliary ramp that had a light on, so we could find the ramp in the dark. Loading was difficult, especially once we realized that the roller poles on our trailer were SO LOOSE. We texted the rental guy about what to do and his response was "Lol, guess those need to be tightened." And he suggested we try to tie them on with a rope. SO helpful. All of his stuff was shotty.

But we DID IT. What an adventure. We stopped for dinner at Denny's on the way home, because we looked like hell and hadn't eaten all day. And then we were so exhausted, I'm pretty sure I've never slept deeper. I couldn't even keep my eyes open for a minute.

To be continued...

[musical-writtings]

Raid on Monroeville Mall

Monroeville, Pennsylvania

2017

"This Way, Come on!"

Dex lead Cook and Lynxelle on as they ran down the employee halls. Cook had a bit of a hard time to catch up due to his weight but he couldn't let that stop him. This was a golden window of opportunity and he was not going to force his friends to slowdown for him, He will push on!

As the trio took a left down the hall, they saw the double doors of the generator room.

"We gotta go through the generator room! Once out, we're home free!" Dex exclaimed as he reached the doors.

BOOMPH!

The door exploded. Dexter was flown back from the shockwave, his ears ringing from the loud boom. He could've sworn he heard Cook or Lynx call out to him but he couldn't hear it too well, and even then he was transfixed by what emerged from the door.

From the ruins of the door, he saw him. This soldier wearing a black uniform and a gas mask. He looked at Dex, the goggles glowing in a red light as if they were eyes piercing through the darkness. The grunt raised the assault rifle at the guy, the laser pointer aiming directly for the forehead. Dex was paralyzed with fear, he should've runned or screamed or something... Instead he just looked at his assailant. And the last moment before his brain was shredded with a 5.56mm round was someone, he didn't know who, scream out to him

RUN!

TZUMP!

Cook and Lynxelle didn't see the aftermath, they ran away from the busted door as the sound of boots and radio chatter filled the halls of the mall.

*******

Tati's arm hurt.

She tried to get up from the backseat of the cadillac with just one arm. She peaked out from the front of the car and saw that it had crashed into a baby store. She moved ahead, seeing Piotri laying on the wheel of the car.

"Piot..." She whispered

There was no answer.

She shook the body, hoping maybe he was just unconscious. The headed tilted from the shaking, revealing it to not only be smeared with blood but to have also recieved a nice shot in the left eye. Tati jumped back in terror, hurting herself again from the force. She didn't pay attention to the squadron of black uniformed grunts pouring in through Monroeville Mall, gunning down any of the oily zombies that had been following Tati and Piotri's Cadillac Shenanigans.

She tried to stand up again, this time looking back just in time to see the undead catch fire thanks to a hazmat soldier with a flamethrower. The undead flailed, screaming in agony as they poorly tried to put out the fires that's killing them. As the grunt stopped setting fire, he turned to see the small white haired lady peaking out from the crashed cadillac, raising her arms up as if to show she wasn't infected.

"Please... Help!"

The grunt turned to his companions, who were finishing off any of the infected that had begun to swarm in from plaza.

"CARRIER SPOTTED!"

Tati didn't know what that word meant, but the tone he said it in was not good.

Two grunts stopped what they were doing and ran to the flamethrowing soldier pointing at the cadillac. It was when they arrived and aimed their rifles at the car when Tati knew: This was not a rescue mission.

She ducked away, just in time before the cadillac's back recieved a taste of burst fire from the assault rifle. She turned to the door and tried to open it with one hand, using all the force she had left in her to open the car door out and escape. When the rifle fire stopped, that's when Tati was lucky enough to push herself out of the car. She stumbled backwards into the baby store, with little to no cover as she looked out from the store entrance and saw the grunts were reloading again.

She struggled to get up, quickly hobbling towards what she hoped was a backdoor entrance.

"THERE SHE IS!"

She pushed open the door. She thank god she fell down just before the bullets whizzed past her. She looked up and she thanked him again, the door was another employee hallway. She crawled away and kicked the door shut before getting back up and continuing to escape.

*******

Alex looked on at the events transpiring from the camera.

From the parking lot, He saw the trucks park in as shadowy grunts stormed out from the night and entered through the mall. From the food court, he saw the zombie numbers dwindle down as a squad rolled up in a wall, practicing short controlled burst. This should've been the point where Alex would be cheering, thanking god that someone has come to rescue them.

But then he saw Dex get killed on the screen. And now he was just hoping to god that the cook and coffee shop lady could just get out of here! To run away and hide from the oncoming death squad. He could see the desperation in their eyes as they escaped into the Jacy's.

BROOMPH!

The door locks exploded.

Alex jumped back, Falling backwards from his chair as the squad of grunts rolled in and aimed down at him.

"PLEASE! WE'RE NOT SICK! WE'RE NOT SICK!!"

His words were drowned out by a shotgun blast to the face.

*******

Of all the time's Lynxelle has ever been to Jacy's, she's never thought about it with paranoia or fear. But considering everything that's been going on, with the Killer Soldiers, Jacy's is starting to feel less welcoming now.

As Cook and Lynx made their way through the men's clothes section, they stopped at the checkout Kiosk. They could hear the employee doors kicked open from a distance.

"Shit, Where do we go?" Cook whispered.

That's when Lynxelle looked around the store for a second. She saw the circular shirt displayers and thought they'd be perfect for her... Not so much for Cook. She kept looking, hoping maybe there would be another spot.

"Hide in the hanger circle!" Cook ordered silently

Before Lynxelle could even realize what was about to happen, she heard the boots marching in from a mile. She couldn't argue with Cook, she ran into the hangars while he jumped into the back of the counter. She tried to control her breathing as the boots walking came further.

From behind the clotheline, she could hear them. The breathing of the gas mask, the careful steps they were taking as they searched around for the two. She could feel her little heart race as they nearly stepped closer to her line.

"I think we should split up. Maybe cover more ground." One of them spoke through the radio filter.

"No" His companion replied in this low growl. Lynxelle thought it sounded demonic, as if whatever was behind that mask isn't human.

There was silence for a moment.

'What was going on out there?' Lynxelle was thinking.

Maybe if she moved to have a peek outside, she'd probably would find something.

BAMF!

Lynxelle covered her mouth. A barely audible "aumf" escaping from her mouth. She could hear hangars fall to the ground from a distance, along with the sound of a shell clacking on the ground. Her eyes widen with realization just what is happening.

BAMF!

The clattering came from far left of her.

BAMF!I

To her right, but it sounded a bit close.

BAMF!

Its close!

BAMF!

It's right next to her hangar.

Lynxelle was shaking, nearly reaching a breaking point as she closed her eyes, the tears nearly escaping from her eyes.

BEEP-BEEP!

"HEY, BEDUT! YOU READING ME!" A radio crackled.

The shotgunning stopped for a moment.

"This is Bedut. Where in the middle of something." Said the Demonic Deep Voice.

"You guys anywhere near the employee halls or -"

"Negative." Answered the normal voice one, "We just came out of there. Currently tracking two carriers into a store."

The Radio crackled back.

"We're gonna need you to go back. We got a stray running around in the halls. Short, White haired, wearing a green jacket and stripped shirt."

There was another brief period of silence, followed by the sound of a boot stomping and a weapons ammo moving around inside the gun as the normal one was whispering "easy easy..."

"We will be on our way." The Demonic one said, sounding really annoyed.

With that, the boots began to slowly walk away. Before it was just one pair of boots instead of the two. She was imagining the demonic one was probably looking back, preparing to finish off Lynxelle with a shotgun blast.

"Hey, Come on!" The normal one shouted out from a distance.

The sound of boots began to walk away, returning the Jacy's to the sound of silence, with the occasional gunfire from the distance. Lynxelle remained inside the hangar, nearly at the point of crying.

She then heard shoes walking out of the counter, approaching the coat hangars.