#shout out to B for texting me this quote because I thought on this immediately and now me is sad

[harmandmac]

{x}

[realllllfangirllllll]

More Than Friends ||

Chp. 37

Masterlist

CEO!Jaehyun AU x Reader

College Student!Jaemin AU x Reader

Summary: After a complicated relationship with the infamous CEO, you want nothing more than to live your life as a normal college student; however, Mr. CEO just can’t let you go.

{ Previous / Next }

Jaehyun’s pov

The feeling of my comfortable chair gave me a tiny ounce of relief. I let my body sink into the furniture as the slow jazz music played in the background of my study room. Although the music was relaxing, my mind was not. I ran my hand through my already messed up hair as I recalled the events that happened the past days.

The moment the projector screen lit up, I knew someone was set to sabotage the night. What I didn’t know was that they would stoop so low as to sneak into my company and expose my personal love life.

I quickly ushered the security to come forward in an attempt to bring down the video that never seemed to end. I hate to say this, but Jaemin was actually of help. Not only did he stop the projector from playing, but he even assured his father in as many ways as he can to prevent an argument. As the two of us tried to explain to the chairman, we were rudely interrupted by a wave of reporters. Suddenly, the speakers intruded our eardrums.

This is the true identity of the person you plan on working with. An office romance with an intern? How can someone be so unprofessional… I am hugely disappointed and so should you.

The distorted announcement kept ringing in my ears. My heart shattered when I scanned the ballroom, desperately searching for y/n, but to no avail did I find her. I panicked and rang the group chat in an attempt to find her whereabouts. I was worried sick at this point, not even bothering about the rowdy reporters and their flashing cameras. It was a bad idea, but I did it anyway. I pushed through the crowd and left the chairman to explain himself. 

This very action made it final that Starship will not be working with my company anymore, but the only thing on my mind was my girlfriend. I wasn’t going to leave her alone in this situation. I know her well enough to know that she will put all the blame on herself when in actuality, it was all my fault. 

My phone buzzed and I quickly checked the notification. The next thing I knew, I dropped my phone and ran to the women’s bathroom. As I ran past the many hallways and doors, my heart sank deeper and deeper. At that moment, it felt as if I was seven years old again, running to the hospital to find my mom. I remember running away from home when I witnessed my father’s affair, reaching my mom’s hospital room a little too late, and the letter she left me that caused me to cry in the middle of the hospital until my eyes burned.

On the letter, it read: If you get this letter, then it must mean you got in a fight with your father, my husband. Don’t be too mad at him sweetie, you’ve been a good boy and have done nothing wrong. I was simply too weak to provide your father any happiness so he did what any other person would do. Please forgive him, son. However, your father’s and my actions do not define who you are. You are special. You are not just any other person. Makeup with your father, but do not be like him. You are too pure-hearted for this world and so you must grow up to be strong and only love those you can trust. Never fall for those who want to benefit from you, but never lose those who make you feel at home. Home is where your heart lies. My dear son, follow your heart and everything else will follow. Love you always, Eomma~

At that very moment, I followed my heart. I ran like my life depended on it, because it did. I prayed to the gods that the love of my life was ok.

When I reached the ladies restroom, I found Soyeon with a tear-stained face, sitting against the wall. I was about to lose all sanity, thinking of the worst case scenario. Roughly, I gripped her shoulders, shaking her to snap her out of her sorrow daze. “What the fuck happened to y/n?!” I shouted louder than I wanted to, fear taking over me. I continuously shook her, trying to get an answer from her.

She slowly snapped out of her daze and turned to me, wiping her face, she softly answered, “S-she fainted. I didn’t know what to do...” She continued to explain with her eyes shaking in fear, “I kept tapping her but s-she wouldn’t respond. I-I called Mark over and he took her somewhere...”

I kneeled down in front of her, a wave of relief washed over me after hearing that Mark was taking care of her. I silently comforted Soyeon, getting ready to take her home from this chaotic mess I caused. 

As soon as I got home, I relentlessly tapped my phone. I contacted y/n and everyone that might know where she is. I need to know she was fine, but I received no response.

The next day, I turned on the tv to see news about y/n and me scattered all over the channels and on my tablet. I figured she’d seen them all by now, so I had to text her again to make sure she was ok.

I waited and waited for her response but nothing came. 

Finally, I ran to my phone when I heard it buzz, but the next thing I knew, my heart shattered into a million pieces. 

Jaehyun... I don’t think I can do this. It’s just too much... bye

I stared at the text she sent me. I know she’s only doing this as a habit of running away from her problems. I know. I know that it was exactly like how she ran away from me after developing feelings for me during our complicated relationship. I know it. I just know she still loves me and that's why I text her back, trying to set everything right. Trying to convince her to stay with me.

But she doesn’t reply.

I call her.

But her phone is turned off.

Rage took over me and I threw my already cracked phone across the living room, not even caring that it left a hole through the glass window.

The next few days, I spent my time locked up in the study. Neither did I slept nor did I talk to anyone, not even Johnny or Lucas. Occasionally, I would hear Soyeon pounding on my door, but I paid no attention. For the only thing on my mind was losing the love of my life.

It was all my fault. I dragged her into this lifestyle knowing she did not want the spotlight. I made her hide our love for the sake of my reputation. I was too caught up with loving her that I never realized how much I trapped her. It was nobody’s fault but me and my selfish tendencies. I was too greedy to ask for both success and love so now I’m face to face with its consequences. 

The vinyl record stopped playing and I was brought back to the present. I walked forward to change the record, a familiar R&B song played and immediately, I was thinking of her again.

This was the song that played whenever I was with y/n. I recall the morning after sleeping with her. This time, I was sober enough to feel every part of her. The song was playing in the background while she fell asleep on my chest. I would chuckle at how she acted so tough but ended back up in my bedroom. Her soft breathing would send shivers down my body. Back then, I thought it was only lust I felt. However, even then, I felt a warmth surround me every time we slept together. Her very presence made me feel at peace, whether we were making out or endlessly bickering. I loved every moment I spent with her, even when we were only sleeping buddies.

After our childish tickling battle and yet another intense session of fucking, I softly played this song in the bedroom as y/n hogged all my blankets on the bed. Her soft breathing and the sound of the music meshed perfectly into a serene tune. I remember laughing to myself. Never would I have thought anyone would know about me being ticklish nor thought I would do such childish things and laugh so hard from it. She made me feel like a kid that day, a kid that said “lotion” instead of “sorry.” That day, I only cared about having fun and not having to worry about why my father did what he did nor about my company struggling because of a spoiled brat. I felt like I was truly myself when I’m with her.

This song also filled the bookstore while I read her my favorite quotes from Pride & Prejudice. That wasn’t a mere coincidence, however. I did purposely tell the cashier to play the record when I saw it in midst of the endless boxes of vinyl. That was one of the first time I shared an innocent kiss with her. Ironic that the innocent kiss came after all the endless nights of lust. Nevertheless, my heart felt something that day. It was as if it was doing flips over and over again. Maybe it was because she initiated the soft kiss first, or maybe it was because she called me cute afterward. Or maybe it was just the fact that I had already started to fall in love with her.

Again, the song played in the background of my living room as I lulled her to sleep. I remember smiling to myself as I stared at her puffy eyes, having cried from watching The Notebook and was then clinging onto me while falling asleep. It was the very first time she truly believed that love in fiction could exist. She believed in it so much that she cried. It made me realize just how much our existence changed each other. I was the hopeless romantic who read romance to never forget how love can make up for so much. On the other hand, she was the atheist who read romance novels to see how love was just “fiction.” Although we both shared the same tough act toward others, we gradually changed. We became our real selves when we were together. We were each others’ safe haven. We weren’t just in a relationship, we formed a home.

Tears rolled down my eyes as I thought of our shared memories. She was my home. My heart only beats for her, and only her. 

My mom’s words suddenly filled my mind:  Never lose those who make you feel at home. Home is where your heart lies.

I wiped the tears off my face. That was it. I loved her too much. My world revolves around her and I am not going to lose her. It’s time for me to man up and show her that our love can overpower all hatred.

I rushed out of my study and left my house. I knocked wildly on Soyeon’s door. The moment the door flung open, I said with all seriousness, “I know what I need to do now, and I need your help again.”

———

• I was so stressed as I wrote this ashdkdhdkj •

• Stream BOOM 💥 •

• Omgg also I love The Rose sm so imma have to promote my bbys •

• Stream RED by The Rose 🌹 •

[jamielea81]

Take a Chance on Me

Chapter 2

Description: On your thirtieth birthday, you had everything you needed. A steady job, a nice new apartment, your cuddly cat Moto, and your two best friends Natasha and Wanda. Suddenly you were half way through age thirty-three and nothing had changed. You were never the type to need to be in a relationship, but you just thought it would have happened by now. Never one to take risks, you decide to shake up your life by creating an online dating profile.

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings for this chapter: A couple of curse words. Drinking.

A/N: Italics indicate internal thoughts. Tag list is still open. Likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated.

Chapter 1

You spent a good hour dressing for drinks with your Find Love match Bucky B. You still weren’t entirely sure that was really his name, but you would give him the benefit of the doubt. You then spent an additional hour changing out of the outfit you picked and re-doing your hair and makeup. The first look wasn’t you, and while you were trying to get out of your comfort zone, pretending to be an entirely different woman looks wise was too much too soon.

You snapped a couple of selfies and sent them to Wanda and Natasha. Immediately your phone was dinging with texts from the two.

Wanda: You look so pretty!

Wanda: But I think you need a clip in your hair. Do you still have that green one?

Natasha: Someone’s getting lucky tonight!

Wanda: Natasha!

Natasha: What?

Natasha: You need a jacket. Wear the black leather one.

Rolling your eyes at the two of them, you found the green clip and pinned back the hair on your right side. Digging through your closet you found the jacket Natasha mentioned and set it on your bed.

Y/N: Thank you Wan. Found the green clip.

Y/N: No one is getting lucky tonight, except for maybe you and Bruce. You know I don’t do that on a first date.

Y/N: It’s too hot for a jacket, but I’ll bring it with me.

Natasha: Since when?

Y/N: Not since college.

Wanda: Good for you Y/N. Make him wait.

You tucked your phone in your crossbody bag and slugged your jacket over your arm. Your friends do mean well, but the two of them were stressing you out and you hadn’t even left your apartment.

Jake’s is only three blocks away, so of course you left a half hour earlier than you needed to. No matter how hard you tried, you were always early to your destination. Weddings, birthdays, work, baseball games, you’re always the first to arrive. You tried to walk slowly, but it was no use.

A few smokers and a young couple arguing outside the entrance, Jake’s was kind of packed for a Monday night. Heading inside, Stacy, the server that you’ve come to know over the last few years spotted you and gave you a wave. Her dark brown ponytail swaying side to side. You headed away from the bar to your usual table and took a seat.

Stacy plopped herself at an empty chair, elbows immediately resting on the table with her face in her hands.

“Hey girlie. Where’s the crew?”

“Just me tonight.”

She gave you a questioning look, scooting her chair closer to yours.

“Are you looking to hookup? Is that why you’re all dressed up?” She asked.

You looked down at your clothes and back to her. “Do I look dressed up? I wasn’t going for dressed up.” You put your jacket on. You would keep it to yourself that you ended up wearing the jacket. You didn’t need an ‘I told you so’ from Natasha.

“You look fine. You’re usually just here in jeans and a tee.”

You leaned in closer to her. “I’m actually meeting a blind date.” She raised her eyebrows. “Technically it’s not a blind date. I actually met him on a dating site.”

“Uh oh. What if he’s like 60? What if he’s married?”

You shook your head. “You aren’t helping.” You whined. “He had a couple of pictures on his profile. If it’s not the same guy, I’ll know right away.”

“Ohhh, let me see.” Hand tapping the table.

You pulled your phone from your bag and opened the app. “Here.” You handed her the phone and she flicked through his photos.

“He’s here!”

Quickly scanning the bar to no avail.

“Where?!” You asked excitedly.

She nodded her head towards the bar. You stood up to look and she pushed your shoulder down.

“Unless you are going to go say hi, don’t stare.” She says plainly. “I think you need to take a couple of breaths and then go introduce yourself.”

You nodded and took a few deep breaths. You put your phone back into your bag and reapplied your lip balm.

“Okay. Wish me luck.”

She stood up as you did and squeezed your arm.

“Good luck.” She sing-songed.

Now that you were standing and actually looking at the bar, you did see him. Beer bottle relaxed in his hand and a pretty blonde practically in his lap. Okay, she wasn’t in his lap, but still. They were definitely flirting. She was leaning in close and he was smiling at her. Touching her hand that she had resting on the bar top.

I just need to go over there and introduce myself. This is your date; she needs to go.

Countdown to self-doubt in 5, 4, 3, 2… What if he double booked us? What if it’s like a competition? Do I have to dance or sing?

You feel the sting before you see her. “Go!” Stacy says, smacking your ass as she walks by.

You promptly stick your tongue out at her because you’re an adult and proceed slowly to one Bucky B.

You can tell he’s confident without even hearing him speak. Good looks and that smirk. That smirk is trouble. He slides his jacket off and you can clearly see that he has a prosthetic arm. It’s not something your used to seeing, metal instead of flesh colored. He flexes it and the blonde gushes, reaching over to touch it. You reach the bar and stand next to the blonde who is still touching his arm. You roll your eyes and Bucky chooses that moment to notice you.

“Sorry, darlin’, my date’s here.” Slight Brooklyn accent that you love coming through.

She turns around to face you, frowns, and turns back to Bucky. “Call me.” She struts away. Like literally struts.

You pull your gaze away from the blonde and look back to Bucky who is watching you with curiosity.

“Y/N, I presume.” He stands and pulls out the stool next to him.

You kind of do an awkward nod like wave thing before the words come to your lips. “Yep.”

Get it together!

“Nice to meet you.” You spit out.

You take a seat and attempt to get the bartender’s attention. You need a drink and you need one fast. Bucky raises his hand high and the bartender comes from the other side of the bar a moment later.

“What’d you like doll?” Bucky asks.

You crack a partial smile and your face instantly heats. You really need to date more.

“Beer please. Whatever he’s having.”

The bartender nods and reaches into the cooler below him grabbing a brown bottle out. He pops the top and places it in front of you. You grab it and quickly drink about half of it down before placing it back on the bar top. Bucky smirks and takes a swig from his bottle.

“Thirsty?” He asks.

“You could say that.”

He smiles and stares at you for bit. It definitely makes you feel uncomfortable but you find the nerve to smile back.

“So, Bucky, that’s an interesting name.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot actually. It’s a nickname. My middle name is Buchanan, so Bucky kind of stuck.”

“I like it. It’s cute.” You were flirting. This was flirting, you were pretty sure.

He ducks his head down a little bit, fingers tip brushing against the bar top. His eyes find yours again and he winks.

“You’re pretty cute.”

“Thank you.” It comes out smooth as butter and you’re surprised you were able to pull that exchange off so confidently.

“How was your weekend?” You ask. It’s a decent question, it’s Monday after all.

“It was great. Just got back from a trip with my buddy Sam.”

“Oh, where’d you go?”

“Shawangunk Ridge. Ever been?”

“Uh, no. Haven’t been there.” You didn’t even think to look up places for these so-called adventures you’ve taken.

Note to self, look up Shawangunk Ridge.

“Yeah, great place to climb. Where do you usually go?”

Shit.

“Ah. You know, I usually go with my friend Wanda. She plans these trips. She’s the one that got me into climbing. I just kind of follow. We’ve been up North and to Colorado.” You lie.

He gives you a sideways smile and you quickly down the rest of your beer. You tip it back and forth, waiting for him to speak.

“You ready to get out of here?”

Your head jolts up, eyebrows furrowed. “Where do you want to go?”

“Probably your place. My roommate is home.” He stands up. Slaps a $20 on the bar top and looks back to you.

You sit, staring blankly at the brunette you found charming up until a minute ago.

“You want to go back to my place?”

“Well, yeah. It’s the end of the night.”

What does that even mean?!

You scoff. When you can’t think of what to say, you scoff again. He sits back down on the stool, crossing his arms and raises an eyebrow at you.

“That’s not happening.” You shake your head.

He sighs. “Come on. Everyone on that site knows it’s a hook up site.”

“It’s called Find Love. Love. Not find a hook up.” You defend.

He chuckles, mostly to himself but you hear it.

“I put looking for a committed relationship on my profile. You did as well.” You practically shout.

“Everyone does that. It’s still a hook up site.”

You’re so heated and embarrassed you don’t know what to do.

“Well, that’s not what I’m looking for.” You pull your bag over your head and stand up.

“You lied on your profile too doll.”

You drop your butt down on the stool once again. “What do you mean?”

“You’re not into rock climbing. I doubt you’ve gone snorkeling or jumped into a waterfall as you said in your profile.” He says with air quotes.

Suddenly extremely hot, you pull your purse off your body and take your jacket off, slinging it over your lap.

“Well, those are things I want to do. So, while I’ve never done them, it’s something I am planning on doing. Eventually.”

You run a nervous hand through your hair, pulling the clip with it. It slowly falls off your leg where it landed and onto the floor. Bucky bends down and picks it. He turns it in his hand and then extends it to you.

“Pretty.”

You gently pull the clip from his hand, fingers grazing his skin. You feel a little bit of a shock, but quickly shake those thoughts away. He isn’t interested in dating you, he only wants to sleep with you.

“Thank you.” You say politely, a hint of a smile on your face.

“Listen doll. You need to meet a nice guy at someplace like the grocery store or work. Someone who’s looking to date a nice girl. Just stay off dating sites, they’re full of guys like me.”

You look down, suddenly interested in the string that’s hanging from the pocket of your jacket.

“I should set you up with my roommate, Steve. He’s a nice guy. An accountant.”

“I’ve dated enough accountants.” You say softly.

“He’s not just an accountant. He’s my best friend and he really needs to get out of our apartment once in a while. His girl ended it about a year ago because she was moving overseas.” He points at you. “That’s the type of guy you need.”

You roll your eyes and turn back to face the bar waving over the bartender. Might as well buy yourself another drink with the way this night turned out. Another beer is placed in front of you. The sound of another bottle being placed on the bar top draws your attention. Bucky raises his bottle to you in a mock salute and you look away.

“You’re still here?”

“Might as well wait around and see who else shows up. Bar’s not closed yet.”

“Sure.” You reply.

You decide to finish your beer in silence, choosing to ignore the man to your right who you can see is looking at you from the corner of your eye.

Why do the really attractive ones have to be this way?

Half way through your beer, you start to form an idea. It’s silly and really doesn’t help you find that long term commitment you’re looking for, but it’s an idea.

You gulped down the rest of your drink and place the empty bottle on the bar. You turn back to Bucky who apparently has his attention on Stacy now. You tap him on his shoulder and he turns his gaze back to you.

“I have a proposition for you.”

His face lights up, it reminds you of an excited puppy dog. You quickly shake your head.

“Not that kind of proposition buddy.”

He frowns. “I’m listening.”

You take a breath and put on a pleasant smile. “You need someone to go on a date with Steve.”

“Dates.” He interrupts.

“Dates, with Steve. And I want to go on adventures. Why don’t we help each other out?”

“How so?” He asks. Crossing his arms once again.

“I go on dates with your friend Steve and when you go on your adventures, big or small you take me. Of course, this all depends on Steve agreeing to see me.”

He nods. “He’ll go out with you if I ask. He may just need a gentle shove.”

“Charming.” You grin.

He bites at his lower lip, slightly tipping his head back and forth repeatedly. He slaps his hands on his thighs and sticks out his hand to you. “Deal.”

You smile big and proud and place your hand in his. “Deal.”

Chapter 3

Tag list: @marvelousnomad @rainbowkisses31 @violetadefebrero @tanelle83 @thejourneyneverendsx @ly-cia @caps-lockdown @thefandomzoneisdangerous @ladywintersoldat @not-another-tmblr @chita0027 @estillion14 @lookwhatyoumademequeue @i-am-not-a-goat @theonelittleone @captaineef @banriombeansidhe @lumar014 @humandasaster @joannie95 @booktease21 @fanfiiiiiiics @formulafun @verygraphicink @perfect--weapon @buckysthing @midnightsinger @blazeshira @sweetbeary713 @panic-naran @xxloki81xx

[itskateak]

Oceans and Stars - Chapter 3

(Art by itskate....do not repost without permission)

Story Summary: A story of how Bucky Barnes falls in love with oceans, stars, and the woman who gave him the reasons to.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Velika Dante King (Fem!OC)

Chapter Summary: Something has Velika on edge but she refuses to talk about it. She's looking for answers and takes the team with her. 

Words: 1.9K

Warnings: Mentions of war, anxiety, and death

A/N: The version of this song our choir did can be found through this link, now. :) It's a rehearsal version as we didn't get to perform it...so my choir teacher talks at the very end. 

Masterlist

                       ⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅ 

𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓭𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓭?

The helicarrier touched down on the Arctic tundra, expertly maneuvered to land on the edge of the coast. The engines melted divets in the thick snow as they powered down. The water froze to create an icy sheen as soon as the engines shut off. The setting sun painted the land with soft pinks and oranges. It was still early enough in the winter season that the sun hadn't set for the few months to cover the tundra in a long night.

Velika pulled a heavy fur cloak around her shoulders, securing it at her neck. The bear fur would keep her warm even in the subzero temperatures when the sun was fully below the horizon. She tugged a pair of gloves on, tucking the ends into her jacket sleeves, and took a deep breath as the tailgate lowered to the edge of the ice. The cold air blew in immediately, swirling snow onto the landing.

"Christ, that's freezing!" Sam gasped, wrapping his arms around himself. He rubbed his arms quickly to generate some heat.

"We're above the Arctic circle, Wilson. Of course, it's freezing," Velika responded, starting down the ramp.

"So, what're we looking for?" Tony met her outside, hovering above the ground. "I'll do an air recon and see if I can find whatever it is."

"Ruins or a temple made of ice. If the temple is still standing, then the ice should look like it's holding galaxies and the aurora." Velika flicked her flashlight on and pulled her scarf up to cover her face.

"Got it. Magical ruins." Tony nodded and blasted off, heading north. He disappeared into the light of the sun, his armor blending in with the star.

"Don't make me carry you through the snow," Bucky teased, pulling the fabric mask up over his nose. "I am not doing that again."

"Serbia was different!" Velika shot him a glare. "The snow was three feet deep and I had two bullets in my leg." 

"She's got you there, man," Sam said through their coms. He was staying at the ship to track their GPS locations because he didn't like the cold. He refused to trek out into the frozen lands.

"No one asked you, Wilson," Bucky grumbled, tucking his chin into the collar of his jacket. He shoved his hands into his pockets despite wearing gloves. 

"At least someone's on my side." Velika shifted the fur cloak to block against the wind blowing from the east. "Once we get on the ice, the snow won't be so bad."

"Ground Control, this is Major Tom. I'm seeing nothing to the north. Gonna follow the coast down to the east before circling back to the west." Tony's voice made her sigh in frustration. Anxiety was already building in her chest. They had to find it.

"This is Ground Control to Major Tom. We copy." Velika took the lead toward the west. She squinted through the darkness, scanning her light from side to side. The ice flow was silent other than the howling wind and the conversation between them.

"Since when is he a Major named Tom?" Bucky asked, brow furrowed. 

"It's a David Bowie song. Come on, Barnes!" Sam sounded exasperated as he sighed.

"Who?"

"David Bowie was a musician from the sixties and made music pretty much until he died in twenty-sixteen. He acted in a few movies as well. Played the Goblin King in Labyrinth. Ground Control to Major Tom is a quote from his nineteen sixty-nine song Space Oddity," Velika explained absently, scanning the horizon for anything that might indicate they were heading in the right direction.

"See! Even Velika knows who Bowie is!" Sam's grin could be heard in his voice.

"Sam, my brother slept with the man back in the eighties. I had no idea who he was before that," Velika laughed, shaking her head. Sam sputtered in her ear in disbelief. 

Bucky smiled to himself, glancing behind them to make sure there wasn't any wildlife to threaten them. He hadn't heard her laugh in a while and it made him relieved. 

"East is clear. Heading west." Tony interrupted. Sam confirmed that he had him on the radar. 

"What do you expect to find out here?" Bucky asked, catching up with Velika. He lifted his shoulders to block the wind from whipping his face and squinted as a particularly strong gust blew past.

"Someone who can help." She responded, dropping her head. "I hope."

                       ⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅ 

"She's really snippy today." Natasha mused as she poured herself a glass of milk. 

"I heard her on the phone the other day talking in a language I didn't recognize. She said her brother's name once or twice and kept running her hand through her hair like she does when she's stressed," Wanda tossed a piece of popcorn in her mouth. Her laptop was open in front of her and she had just paused the tv show she was watching.

"I don't know what's up with her. I asked and she shook her head and clammed up." Natasha wrinkled her nose up.

"Even Bucky has no idea what's bugging her," Steve sighed, looking up from Bucky's text message. The team's dynamic had been tense for a week after Velika's sudden personality shift. "He's tried to talk to her but she just shakes her head and walks away."

"I suggested that she needed to get laid or something but she just glared at me and left the room." Sam leaned against the counter, his arms folded across his chest.

"Guys, I need a favor." The woman in question suddenly swept into the kitchen with a notepad in her hand. 

"Oh, hi. You're chipper today," Sam shot her a smile and got a glare in return.

"Try me, Wilson." She growled. "I'll be in conference room B. Meet me in ten minutes." Velika left as suddenly as she arrived.

The room was silent for a beat before everyone glanced at each other with the same thought. Something was up.

                       ⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅ 

"You want to do what now?" Tony asked, a brow arched.

"It sounds crazy, I know. But if there's even a chance that it's real, I need to find it. It's important." Velika had spent the last hour reading through her annotated version of an old legend about an ice temple that was home to Fate. She was sure she'd found the place it was describing.

"Well, I'm not doing anything this weekend so I'm game." Tony shrugged.

"I'll go as long as I get to stay in the helicarrier," Sam said. "I don't do cold."

"I'll go," Bucky, who had been silently worrying the inside of his lip the whole time, finally spoke. He looked up from the table and nodded once to double down on his statement.

"I only need three other people." Velika smiled for the first time in a week. Her eyes were alight with relief and her shoulders sank like a weight had been lifted off them.

"Let's get prepped, then."

                       ⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅ 

"Velika, we've been out here for two hours. It's getting darker by the minute." Bucky called from a few paces behind her. His metal arm was starting to stiffen and twitch. "We need to head back to the helicarrier."

"It has to be here! We can't go back without finding it." She shouted back, eyes squinting to peer through the darkness. The wind had died down out of nowhere and the sky was completely clear of clouds. The stars did little to light the way and the moon was entirely in shadow.

"Velika!" Bucky grabbed her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. "What's going on with you? The last week you've been moody and distant. Now we're searching through some barren and cold land for a legend."

"It doesn't matter. We just have to find it." Velika tried to pull away from him, but he held her in place. "Bucky, please. I have to find it." Her eyes glistened with tears and her voice faltered. "There's no other option."

Bucky furrowed his brow in concern. He opened his mouth to question her further when she suddenly let out a broken sob, tears spilling onto her windburned cheeks. "Velika?"

"It's the last chance any of us have. The only option to save us from war." She cried, wiping the tears from her face before they froze in the subzero temperature. "I don't wanna fight, Bucky. I don't wanna face them. Don't wanna risk being dragged back to be put under their control."

"I don't understand." Bucky stepped around her, ducking his head to look her in the eye. It was hard to see in such darkness.

"Rising tensions between Hell and Heaven means that war is closer than it's ever been." She hiccuped, her chest heaving as she tried to breathe. She had kept this breakdown at bay for so long but now that she was faced with the prospect that the expedition failed, everything fell apart. "Any attempt at peace with Heaven we've tried to make has failed and if I don't find this temple and talk to Fate..."

Bucky pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly. "Velika, I think it's just a legend. If we haven't found it by now, I don't think we'll find it at all. I'm sorry." 

She clutched at his jacket, shaking in his arms as she sobbed. His heart ached for her. When America had been on the verge of joining World War Two, he had been praying they wouldn't. But he knew they would in the back of his mind. "I don't wanna leave you guys. I don't wanna fight."

"I know. But you've done all you can and now all you can do is wait to see if war even breaks out." He soothed, rubbing her back. "And spend as much time as you can with the people you care about.

Bucky continued to hold her as she calmed down, whispering what he hoped were comforting words. War was a huge weight on anyone's shoulders. The fact she was trying desperately to find a peaceful solution to avoid it just to stay with them made his heart swell, but he felt that was selfish. 

Velika lifted her head after taking a steadying breath, eyes soft and expression vulnerable. Her lips parted slightly and she looked past his shoulder in wonder. "Look."

Bucky turned his head to follow her gaze. "Oh, wow."

The Northern Lights were dancing overhead in vibrant colors of green. Purple lined the top with a pale red barely flickering at the tips. They moved like waves in the ocean, lighting up the sky brighter than the stars. 

Velika drew in a shuddering gasp. A coil in her ribs made dread settle in the pit of her stomach. The lights were telling her something. The answer to her question. They were the temple she was looking for. "Two months." 

"What?" Bucky turned back to her with a questioning look. He hadn't quite heard her while he was distracted.

"Gorgeous." She said, louder, covering up her revelation.

"They are. Come on. Let's head back to the helicarrier. I'm starting to feel the cold." Bucky gave her a lopsided grin and took the flashlight from her hand. He started back toward where they had come from and she sighed sadly before starting after him.

Two months later, Velika received a letter announcing the death of her ex-commander and the birth of war. 

𝓢𝓸 𝓯𝓪𝓻 𝓪𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓱𝓸𝓶𝓮?

Taglist-

[bangtaninspired]

Lakeview High (1)

1. “Welcome to Lakeview High”

“Y/N!”, you’re mother snaps at you bringing you back to reality. You sigh and have a bite of your cereal.

“Good morning to you too”, you say sarcastically after taking your time to finish your bite. She picks up a box with your name scribbled messily on it and points at it.

You stare at her blankly. “Y/N I almost tripped over this box!”, she yells.

You raise your eyebrow. Well that’s weird-because you literally almost finished unpacking the first day you got here and it’s been a week.

“How is that even possible? I put all my boxes away the other day”, you say truthfully.

Your mother rolls her eyes and slams the box on the table. “Seriously y/n. I can’t keep picking up after you, you’re getting way too old for this.” She says as she walks out of the room making you completely dumbfounded.

Your mother decided that moving would be the best decision for the both of you… after the divorce- meaning its best for herself that she’d get out of the city and move to a more… isolated place.

Lakeview is a small small small town, far away from the big city that you had come to love. She said that she lived here before going into the city to quote on quote find herself.

All your friends,opportunities, and so on were left in the city and now you are living in a town with such a bland name. Lakeview- come on they could have come up with a better name than that. It’s literally only named that because it has a view of the lake.

You finish up your cereal and then head over to the sink to wash your bowl.

Turning on the tap and automatically going into pilot ‘DO the dishes!’ mode. You stare out the window and spot a dark haired boy hunched beside a motorcycle next door.

He’s wearing a black leather jacket in this weather-what the hell? Does he go to lakeview high?

Your mother walks into the kitchen and notices you spacing out again.

“Y/N…”, she says softly. You hum in response, still looking out the window completely focused on the guy next door. The water running only hitting your hands this point. “Y/N”, she says again and you look in her direction for a split second then return your gaze onto the guy.“Yeah what’s up mom?”, you say.

“I know the move has been hard on you.”, she says abruptly- completely catching you off guard. You look at her and she is sitting down. “I just really needed a fresh start and thought of this place”, she mumbles.

“It’s alright, It doesn’t even matter that much, It’s not like I’d still be friends with anyone from my old school post secondary”, you state and her expression seems to fall. “Besides, no one has even asked or texted me so trust me a fresh start is definitely okay with me”, you chuckle with a hint of sadness. But it is true. Nobody- not even your best friend from your old school has texted you.

“Okay dear… I just needed to get that off my chest”, she says as stands up. You look back out the window and make eye contact with the dark haired boy. What the-

“M-mom who is that?”, you ask and turn off the tap.

“Who?”, she asks and slowly makes her way over to you. You walk over to her and grab her arm to make her move faster towards the window. “The-“ you point out the window and no one is there.

What???

“No one is there y/n, stop fooling around”, she says in annoyance starts to walk out of the kitchen.

“B-but there was-“, you start but are cut off.

“Your first day of school is tomorrow and I swear if you are rushing around in the morning struggling to get ready, I will ground you!” She shouts as she leaves the room.

You look back out the window at the neighbours house and sigh.

Lakeview high… a fresh start.

Your alarm goes off and you groan. 

“No~”, you mumble as you slowly sit up to reach for your phone.

Well fuck.

You get out of bed and slide on your slippers because the floor is cold. Walking towards the stairs you yawn, you had around an hour to get ready.

Shuffling into the kitchen you grab a bowl, cereal and milk.

You walk over to the breakfast bar and sit there. A bright pink sticky note gets your attention and you pick it up.

“Y/N, I had to go to work early so I can’t drive you to school but”

“Uh-Hey?”, you hear a deep voice from behind you and you immediately jump.

You jump out of your seat, spoon still in hand. It’s the dark haired boy???

“Who are you? Why are you in my house?!”, you ask… well more like demand.

“My name is Hoseok- I’m your neighbour… I’m guessing you didn’t read that note fully”, he says and points towards the sticky note. You extend out your arm with the spoon towards him and shuffle towards the note picking it up again.

“Y/N, I had to go to work early so I can’t drive you to school but, when I was leaving this morning I ran into the boy next door and he offered to give you a ride to school! Look at me getting you friends already, I deserve a pat on the back! Have a good first day at school. -Love Mom”

“Oh…”, you mumble. You slowly lower your spoon. “Thanks, I really didn’t want to get attacked by a spoon this early in the morning”, he says. The room goes silent. “Your mom told me to make myself at home”, he says and then he grabs your arm and takes the spoon out of it. He grabs the cereal and takes a bite out of it.

“Okay-No. That is not what make yourself at home means”, you frown at him and he smiles.

O-Oh my god his smile is blinding!

“I don’t think you have time for breakfast. School starts in twenty minutes and besides this is you paying me back for the ride I haven’t given you yet”, he takes another bite of the cereal and you raise your eyebrow and cross your arms. “Hah hah funny…school starts in almost an hour”, you say snarkily.

He looks up from the bowl of cereal and laughs. “School starts at 7:30 not 8- look it up if you don’t believe me”, confidence oozes from him with every word he says. ShitShitShitFuckShit! You run upstairs without saying anything more to Hoseok. It takes twenty minutes just to get dressed!

Somehow you manage to get dressed and ready in 15 minutes. You run down the stairs and slide back into the kitchen. “Lets go! I don’t want to be late”, you hurriedly say and then run to the front door to put on your shoes.

You walk outside and Hoseok struts his way towards you and you raise your eyebrow.

“Where’s your car?”, you ask- slightly starting to sweat because you don’t want to be late.

“Car- hah no”, he scoffs then points towards his house and the motorcycle you saw yesterday is there in the driveway.

“I ride that”, he says.

You mentally facepalm considering the fact that you literally watched him working on said motorcycle yesterday.

He walks towards it sits down and looks at you.

“Are you coming or not?”, he asks and you run over and hop onto his motorcycle.

“Isn’t this dangerous?”, you ask and almost on cue he hands you a helmet.

“Hold on to my waist, don’t let go. Wouldn’t want the new kid to die on their first day now would we”, he chuckles and puts on his own helmet.

You wrap your arms around him and he starts the engine and pulls out of the driveway, speeding towards the school.

Hoseok slows down to a stop at the front of the school and you can’t help but notice people staring and whispering about the two of you. 

What? Was Hoseok the only kid with a motorcycle or something?

“Alright get off kid”, he says abruptly.

You get off and look at him.

“You’re not coming?”, you ask. “I’ve got stuff to do cupcake, give me my helmet tomorrow or something”, he starts the engine again and speeds away.

Cupcake… what type of crappy nickname is that. You look down at the helmet and proceed to sigh.

Looking up you notice that everyone was staring at you. Another sigh escapes from you, then you start to head towards the front entrance. New life… no one knows you. Who cares what anyone thinks- plus you just rode in on a motorcycle! Maybe you can be the badass, mysterious new ki-

Your face hits what seems like a wall and you back up. Dropping Hoseok’s helmet on the ground, you groan and place your hand on your head.

Looking up you are faced with a tall man who had a boyish looking face.

“Oh sorry!”, he says.

You continue to stare at him.

He’s hot.

“Hot- I mean Hi”, you say awkwardly.

“Wait, I haven’t seen you around… are you new?”, he asks.

He smirks and bends over to pick up the helmet, hesitating a bit before standing back up to face you again. The look of confusion flashed across his face.

Tucking a strand of hair behind your ear you extend your hand out for the helmet.

“Yeah, I just moved to Lakeview”, you say, unfortunately continuing to speak in an awkward tone.

He places the helmet in your hands and a smile appears. “Oh cool! Well I’m Jeon Jungkook”, he says.

You both just look at eachother. An awkward silence between the both of you.

“You’re not going to tell me your name?”, he asks.

You mentally facepalm again.

“Right~ I’m Y/N! Sorry-“

He cuts you off with a small chuckle.

“No don’t apologize it’s fine-”,his phone buzzes and he takes it out from his jacket pocket. “Sorry one second”, he states and you just stand there awkwardly observing him.

A loud set of footsteps can be heard coming straight towards the both of you.

Before you could blink a blonde haired boy appeared and he has Jeon Jungkook in a choke hold. “Dude come on! We can’t be late to first period”, his voice coming out in a low raspy tone.

Jungkook shoves his phone back into his pocket and manages to get free from the blonde kids hold.

“Namjoon chill- What’s the rush?”, Jungkook asks.

The blonde kid- ah Jungkook called him Namjoon.

Namjoon seems to finally have taken notice of you but it didn’t seem like he gave a care.

“We have Ms.T! Don’t you remember-she’s the really hot teacher who-“, Namjoon excitedly starts his sentence but Jungkook slaps his hand over the other boys mouth and laughs awkwardly.

“Ah ha ha… I guess we better get going! Y/N see you around”, Jungkook says and then the two scurried off down the hall.

You smile to yourself and spin around.

That was weird- a good weird.

You start walking around looking for your locker but to no avail you can’t find it.

Shit… you’re really going to be late if you can’t find your locker.

The layout of the school was confusing you. You see a large yellow fish at the end of the hallway.

A mascot?

They must be getting paid for that. Standing in the middle of the hallway on a hot day in a big ass fish costume.

The fish seems to be staring at you but you couldn’t really make that conclusion since the eyes of the costume were huge.  You sigh and then continue to walk down the endless amount of halls.  You seem to be getting more lost.

You look over your shoulder out of habit and see the yellow fish mascot slowly walking behind you.

Doing a double take, you raise your eyebrow. It definitely is the mascot.

The hell? Did they follow you?

Okay, you’ll find your locker later. First period is English and in… room 200.

All you have to do is get there and pretend like everything is alright. Maybe the fish wasn’t following you, maybe you are just paranoid.

You speed up a little bit and turn a corner. Noticing the room numbers 250,248,246,244,242… you must be getting close.

At this point no one else is in the hallways and you know for a fact you’re late.

You sigh and continue to walk down the hall.

Looking back again out of habit you see the mascot again- but this time they were walking at a much faster pace.

Okay… no way in hell that this person wasn’t following you.

Fucking creepy.

A bell finally goes off, alarming you that class is starting.

Fuck.Shit.Fuck.

You start to run towards the end of the hallway.

Looking back again you notice the Mascot was full on sprinting behind you. What the actual fuck?! You quicken your pace and full on start sprinting down the hallway. 

208,206,204,202,200.

You burst through the door, completely out of breath.

The room is silent and you look up to see the students and teacher staring at you in awe.

Making an entrance yet again.

“You must be Y/N L/N”, the teacher says and you nod.

Looking back out the door to see if someone was behind you but you see no one, no fucking psychotic fish,nobody,zero people.

What the hell?!

“You’re late. But since you made such an effort to get here… seeing that you are out of breath, I’ll let it slide”, the authoritative voice spoke again.

“Thanks…”, you say awkwardly as you look around the room for an empty desk to sit at.

Most students still staring at you in awe, the others on their phones.

As you are peering around you notice a boy with plush lips holding a camera in his hand and pointing it straight at you.

Was he taking a picture of you? He couldn’t be? Why would he?

You spot an empty seat and quickly walk over to it.

The kid with his camera turned his body as you passed by him. He was definitely taking a picture of you, or recording you -either way it’s creepy and making everything so much more unwelcoming than it already is.

What type of school is this?

It’s not even lunch yet and a person in a fish costume has chased you through the halls- that ironically no one seemed to be standing in and a random person is taking pictures of you.

The only normal thing that happened today was talking to that Jungkook guy.

You shove the helmet in your backpack and then hang the backpack on the back of your chair.

Sinking into your chair, you find yourself wishing that the day would be over already.

The teacher starts to take attendance. Calling out your classmates names slowly, sometimes twice because someone didn’t hear what he said.

“Park Jimin”, he shouts.

“Here”, a quiet response is barely heard.

You look for the person who responded to the name.

It’s the kid with the camera. Your phone buzzes and when you open it, you realize its a text from an unknown number. Click Here to answer the text.

[flabbergabst]

CCBMV: “At Least Give Her Something”

To @dragonydreams, Happy Valentine’s Day!! Without a prompt to work with, I just went with my guts. I hope you’ll like it <3

Also on AO3

"Come on, Lenny. You could at least give her flowers or something."

"No."

Lisa was over at one of Leonard's safehouses and the man just told her, in excruciating detail, where he's been and what he's been doing. This two-day shore leave allowed all of them to go back to their cities and catch up with their families.

He took this chance and Lisa was all-out excited for him; quite disappointed that she wasn't recruited. But of all the time-traveling stories his brother told her, the one thing that stood up was that he's traveling with a female assassin.

Lisa stood up and walked up to his fridge to fetch their third batch of beer.

"Listen, jerk. It's almost Valentine’s Day and you and this Sara are going undercover as a married couple on your next mission which, surprisingly, falls on February 14. A husband should get something for his wife," she said as she sank back down on the couch opposite Leonard.

He looked up from the tinkering he's doing with his gun and said, "Undercover mission, Lisa. We're not actually married. We're not even anything."

"But you wish you were," Lisa murmured, loud enough for Len to here, but chose to ignore. He doesn't have the heart to deny it.

 After a few minutes of Lisa just scrolling through her phone, she yelled: "Lenny! A new diamond waiting to be released from its glass! I've been planning it for two weeks. Just a jewelry shop four blocks down. Perfect gift for your assassin girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"Let's see how you've told me about Sara so far, okay?" Lisa replied.

As a response, her idiot of a brother just replied a brief "No."

Groaning, Lisa put her foot down and ran down through what Leonard may or may not consciously said about Sara all throughout his story.

"To quote you..." Lisa started, counting and raising a finger.

"Shut up." It was Leonard’s only retort.

Making air-quotes, his sister spoke: "Sara, this badass assassin, broke this thug's wrist like it's toothpick."

"It was true, though."

Second finger up. "You said she's tough in a fight, but graceful when she moves."

"Always like a dance."

Third. "You couldn't let her do it. Kill the old man. You said it'll be a setback from everything she's accomplished."

"And a member of the crew will die."

Fourth. "And I quote: 'She was cold. I gave her my jacket'."

"She was dying."

"And so were you!", Lisa shouted, forgetting the count. "But you gave it to her anyway. Because you like her! Look at how you just told me about her. You don't even realize how much you're deep in this infatuation of yours."

 Knowing that he'll always lose to his sister, he answered: "I don't like her, Lisa. Okay? Just drop it."

Rolling eyes, Lisa grabbed her phone again and went through her contacts, and called Mick, placing the call on loud speaker.

 "Princess," Mick gurgled through the background noise that is obviously a bar fight.

“Hey Mickey, you done drinking? Lenny and I need help with something,” Lisa said innocently. “Please?”

Mick groaned on the other line and replied, “Your brother can do it alone with his eyes closed. Why do you need me?”

Leonard glared at his sister but it obviously has no effect on her.

“Well he’s not exactly cooperative,” she said, rolling her eyes as if Mick can see it. “I want to help him steal something for his girlfriend. There’s this diamond I’ve been eyeing for myself but it isn’t everyday that Lenny falls head over heels for…”

Before Lisa could finish her teasing, Mick interrupted her. “Wait, you talking about Blondie?”

Leonard rolled his eyes and dramatically sighed.

Lisa immediately had a huge grin on her face. “She’s blonde? Well that’s a first. I thought you’re not into blondes, Lenny?”

“I’m not into her,” Len faintly said but enough for Mick to hear.

Mick laughed out loud, slowly sobering up. “Oh he’s into her. She’s hot.”

“I bet she has nice butt. Does she have nice butt?”, Lisa asked curiously with a Snart smirk on her face.

“Very nice ass,” Mick replied, a shuffling on his end of the line, wordlessly telling the Snarts that he’s about to leave the bar.

“Of course,” Lisa responded.

“If she heard you say that, Mick, you’re a dead man,” Leonard said in reply to the two, putting together the pieces of his Cold Gun.

Lisa interrupted the partners’ bantering and said, “Okay, Mick, I’m hanging up. I’ll just text you the address and meet us there in 10.”

Seeing as Leonard has no plans of moving from where he’s sitting, Lisa threw a discarded sock on his face. “Get up, loser. We’re going shopping.”

---

Opening the lock to the jewelry shop was easy. A no-brainer. Lisa and Mick went in excitedly while Leonard stayed outside, standing uninterestedly, not wanting to participate in their casual thievery.

Once Lisa took care of the security cameras, Mick forcefully dragged Leonard inside. Their rule was to take a few selected expensive items, not all as not to raise suspicion. That’s why the two just scoped the store, looking for the item with the biggest rock.

“Bingo,” Lisa whispered. “Look at it, Lenny. Do you think she’d like it?”

Lazily, Leonard went to check the glass case where the jewel was kept. It was a ring. It screamed of elegance and grace. It was beautiful but no—not something he’d give her.

“You take that one, sis,” he drawled and walked towards the front shelves of the store.

Stomping her feet, Lisa turned to her brother and gritted, “Valentines, Lenny!”

Mick walked closer to the glass. “You’re not one to say no to pretty things, Boss.”

“Not interested,” Leonard said, picking at his nails. “Just take it, Lisa. Then, let’s leave.”

Two items were found missing the next day. Only one was paid for.

---

It was the day they’ll be picked up by Rip in their Central City drop-off point and Lisa, being the annoying little sister that she is, refused to be left alone. She needs to see the ship for herself, along with the people traveling with her family.

She’d also really like to see Sara.

 The Rogues arrived abode a minivan, as not to be suspicious. They saw a tiny figure seating on the gravel ground. Their vehicle’s arrival roused the figure, making her stand up from where she was sitting down.

“Is that Sara?”, Lisa said, parking the van. “Wow, she’s gorgeous. You don’t stand a chance, Lenny.”

“Shut the hell up and don’t say anything stupid,” he reminded her before exiting the vehicle.

 “You’re early,” Mick said, walking towards Sara, followed by the Snart siblings.

“They’re late,” she said with her low, raspy voice. She then smirked at the sight of Leonard. “Crook,” she added, a small smile forming.

“Assassin,” he replied, nodding and hiding his smile.

 “Not even five minutes and the eye-sex is already starting,” Mick murmured beside Sara, making the brunette giggle.

Sara then noticed her. “I’m guessing you’re Lisa,” she said, extending a hand, one which the woman eagerly took. “My name’s Sara.”

“I know. Lenny told me about you,” Lisa blurted out, earning an ice-cold glare from Captain Cold himself.

Sara raised an eyebrow in question and Lisa immediately said, “About all of you. Your mission. Your adventures.”

The assassin just nodded, then after a heartbeat, Lisa dragged Sara off, away from the men—much to Sara’s amusement.

What did they talk about? Leonard would never know. But it was enough for him to have beads of sweat on his face.

 They eventually had to say goodbye to Lisa, who pulled both Mick and Sara into a hug, and then to her brother, hugging him longer.

“I take it back,” she said to Leonard. “I think you have a chance. Just act fast, Lenny.”

He then felt her drop something in one of his winter parka’s outer pockets.

Lisa kissed him on the cheek and walked towards the van, waving goodbye. Before the Waverider took off, her van was already en route to another safehouse.

---

They landed in Norway, 14th of February, year 2019. The crew was given the full-detailed mission. Rip sent Leonard and Sara to the fabrication room to change into time and place-appropriate clothing.

Leonard was the first to come out of the fitting room, wearing long sleeves with a vest and a oat, along with a blue tie picked by Sara herself. He was fixing his cufflinks when Sara emerged from the fitting room wearing a navy blue business suit. He didn’t even know he was staring.

“Not that good?” Sara asked as she fixed the collar of her attire, noticing that Leonard is looking at her seriously.

Leonard tilted his head and stood behind here, both of them facing the mirror.

“Something’s missing,” he replied.

Sara furrowed her eyebrows and looked at how she looked from the bottom, up. When her eyes went to eye level, she saw Leonard holding a necklace, dangling from his closed fix.

“This would complete it, I think,”

Without saying anything, Leonard placed it delicately on her neck and avoids the trembling of his hands by locking the necklace from behind her swiftly.

“Saw it in a trip to a jewelry store,” he said, watching Sara admire the little bird pendant. “It reminded me of you. Get it? ‘Cause it’s a bird?”

Sara laughed at his mumbling and remembered what Lisa told her in private:

“Hey, Sara. It’s very nice to meet you. Listen. My brother likes you. A lot, actually. And I just want to ask—does he have a chance? I’m sorry to be too forward about this but I want him to be happy. We’re not the best kind of people but he deserves it for everything he’s done for me. And I’ve only known you from two days worth of his stories but he always has this small smile on him everytime he mentions you.”

“Wow, that’s…”

“Oh my god, I’m sorry. I ruined it, didn’t I? Oh god. Please, just forget I said anything. I’m really sorry, Sara. I should just go.”

“Wait, Lisa. I want you to know that your brother is the closest to me in this mission. He has saved me many times—he saved my humanity. He has proved me wrong a dozen times and to answer your question—yes. Don’t tell him this, but, I really like him back. We keep on dancing around each other, flirting and teasing, but we fail to really try it out. And I’m willing. Could you tell him one thing for me?”

“What’s that?”

“Tell him to act fast, because if not, I’ll have to make the first move and we both know that’ll hurt his ego. Besides, I don’t think I can wait any longer.”

 “A bird,” Sara replied, “yeah, I got it. You stole this?”

But Leonard quickly defended himself.

“My sister stole something. I, however, bought that,” he said, pointing at the necklace. “The tag said $25 so I took it and left money on the shelf. Happy Valentine’s Day,” the last part he added shyly.

Before Sara could say anything, he immediately defended himself again.

Leonard took a deep breath and started: “Well, only because you’re going undercover as my wife, so might as well…”

Sara interrupted him with a light tone: “I’m worth $25? As your pretend-wife, I’m offended.”

“Well I could’ve stolen you the biggest rock but it wouldn’t be you. It’s not…you. This $25 bird necklace is you,” he said in one breath. “I’m not making sense, am I? Just take the goddamn Valentine gift and say thanks, Assassin.”

“Thank you,” Sara said, turning around and placing both hands on his arms.

 As if forgetting his random drabbling, Leonard stepped away and changed the topic. “So who are we going as? Mr. and Mrs. Smith seem very overused.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Snart,” Sara replied, looking at the mirror again while fixing her hair. “Would that be okay with you? Easier for us to remember and for the team to call you…”

“Yeah,” Leonard said, putting one hand on his pocket, the other fixing the alignment of his tie.

Sara turned to leave the fabrication room, stopping only when she’s beside Leonard. With little effort because of her high heels, she tiptoes and gave Leonard a kiss on the cheek.

“Happy Valentine’s, Leonard. This is the first Valentines gift I’ve received in a long time. Also probably the best Valentine gift there is. This $25 gift.”

With a sway on her hips, she walked out of the room, leaving Leonard speechless, one hand still on his pocket.

Gripping tight the ring box Lisa dropped on his parka. He’s not sure why he kept it nowhere else but his pocket, but he might have to thank his sister for this.

Not this time, though.

Not this time, he told himself. Maybe someday.

Maybe when he’s finally ready to see what the future holds for him and Sara.

But one thing’s for sure. He’ll be acting fast.

[kendrickavant]

This Is Happening

So, here I am. The definition of a PlayMaker, one who accepts responsibility for his family's success. I'm happily married with 4 awesome kids. I am a honest teacher with a set of EXTRAORDINARY communication skills. I retired January 16th, 2016 because my health was shot. I fought the feeling of burnout for years. I kept thinking, "Maaaan, this is killing me. I hate getting up.  Not today. Am I sick?" I absolutely love working with young people. It's the reason I know I was an passionate teacher. Working with young people offered me the opportunity to showcase my communication skills and develop trusting relationships. I could write a book about my 14 years in the education system, the parents, the kids, the teachers, the principals. Hell; I have a story about a big shot in HR, but nope. I'm not opening that Pandora's Box now. I'm sure I will but not now. Now, I'm a honest teacher with a set of EXTRAORDINARY communication skills. Wait, I retired January 16th, health issues. Turns out it was NOT burn out. I MADE the decision to retire Sunday, January 3rd. Christmas vacation was over and teachers were to report the following Monday. I was too sick Monday, told my principal Tuesday and by the next Friday, it was over. My last project was for students to research careers assigned after an online personal skills test. Of course, I took it and it came back insurance salesman or sales in general.

Insurance salesman?

Sales?

I did my research and the FIRST thing I read was 80% of millionaires come from insurance and real estate. Are you kidding me?!  I'm a honest teacher with a set of EXTRAORDINARY communication skills; but, I'm retiring January 16th. My health is a concern. When I left, I snatched my retirement savings and bet on my GOT damn self. I figured, communication skills + people + insurance = PAID. I paid for an insurance class with Texas Insurance Training and met the most interesting man. He was our trainer and a former insurance broker of highly successful proportions. I could go on here but I'd completely derail this first attempt at a blog. I met another gentleman of seismic aspirations and motivation; PLUS, he was the first Philadelphia Eagles fan I met since high school. Again, I will NOT go astray of this introductory blog attempt. I passed the tests, first attemp, and signed on with AFLAC. Why? I'm an Oregon Duck fan since Akili Smith AND AFLAC has the duck commercials. Seemed like the right move and I was excited so...

IT WAS A CATACLYSMIC MISADVENTURE ! I toughed it out Feb-April but never made a sale. Plan B was real estate classes. I should've known better! In college, I tried a summer gig working at a telephone giant. We kept headsets on, connected to random landlines and were to sell folks on upgrading their service. I spent the entire 3 weeks disconnecting from the "server" and calling other employees, like Marcherie. Marcherie is my wife, my coach and the most... butterfly-est person I know. Nope, let me stick to the introduction. It took about 6 weeks to get my real estate license. Last day of class, I heard a couple of REALM Real Estate Professionals. The two reps blew my mind with their personal stories and I was hooked. I'm a honest teacher with a set of EXTRAORDINARY communication skills. Well, I was. I retired January 2016, remember? Now, I'm a Realtor and licensed insurance agent. See, teaching had become a chore but it was NOT burn out. I chopped up my plans and vision for how I could build a business with Marcherie. It would be #oneloverealestate. I would put people in homes and protect families. She rolled with it and we pushed forward. #oneloverealestate was my idea as I sat brainstorming with my former college roommate. Dude is like family and I'll leave it like that. Anytime I texted that I retired, one of these guys showed up and gave me love and support. Well, he and I ran various names through Google until one popped, #oneloverealestate. His quote, "Bro, I'm shocked. Grab EVERYTHING you can! Go email, website, FB, IG, EVERYTHING. NOW!" Shout out to 140! He drew what I thought. My brother-in-law cleaned it up. Voila!  Teaching had become a chore but it was NOT burn out. AFLAC had me walking door-to-door. In the full armor of GOD business edition. Houston, Texas. Insurance quickly became a GRIND. Real estate seemed pretty close to teaching. My communication skills had to be the key to success. It was obvious, right? My wife and I bought a house in May 2016 with the expectation of closing June 4th. Guess who was the agent? ME. Nevermind the stories of how the new crib wasn't ready until late July. We spent most of that summer house-hopping, stints in seedy hotels and stay-cations with our parents in Nacogdoches. Kids loved every minute of it. We slid on a flight to Florida and took the kids to Disney World. FANTASTIC! Every summer, our team, our squad, our Family goes BTTW. It started with four of us in the Dominican Republic 2013. Whoa. I mean, it was Hang Over epic. We've added 5 more people since but nothing has compared to the sheer number of ridiculous gambles the four of us took. Think I'm playing? At one point, security surrounded me. For what felt like an hour, they questioned me about the disappearance of my wife... My bad, I'm off the introduction. Its 2016 and the team has returned from Costa Rica. It was a great vacation. Stories, fun, everything you want in a summer trip with NO kids. The 2nd day of our return home to the new crib, new career and the good life, my wife and Wisdom are with me. The neurologist says with the quickness, "You have MS. I'm sure you've been dealing with this years. We'll run MRIs immediately." DAAAAAAAAMMNNNNN! It makes perfect sense. I'm a walking timeline of Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. It wasn't burn out that shook me from educating young people. October 2016, MS explained the chore of simply getting up. The constant aches, quarterly sinus affections, numbness of body parts, tremors and imbalance was MS. Walking for AFLAC that spring in Houston exacerbated my symptoms and I struggled to exercise. After the Costa Rican fun-in-the-sun, I struggled to WALK. I agreed to immediate agressive treatment and fusions. MS kept life interesting and I couldn't start those treatments or fusions. I collected pneumonia TWICE, flu, emergency rooms visit in Dallas and dun-dun-dun, Spondylosis in November 2016. Again, this is the introduction so back to the introduction. By March 2017, I'm dragging. Treatments, grind of insurance, speed of real estate, fired from another gig and general MS had taken a toll. My neurologist takes me off fusions. Not good, more tests. With my wife's supervision and cooking, I go pescatarian and focus on natural medicine & food. Its not a diet, its a lifestyle change. I dove headfirst into self-improvement books, each impressionable. I. FELT. Good. My tests were not good but I felt good. Its 9 weeks in and I'm ready to introduce myself. I am a man of Good. I've learned Love is Gratitude, Attitude and Passion. Every action, every experience, EVERYTHING has led me here to the belief that my communication skills will build trusting relationships with people. I will put people in homes and protect families. I'm sharing, in real time, the effects of diet and natural medicines for a life-changing incurable disease, MS. I'm sharing, in real time, the effects of positive thoughts. I'm sharing, in real time, the journey of a Family building a brand and business. I WAS a honest teacher with a set of extraordinary communication skills. I retired January 16th, 2016 with MS. As a Realtor, my set of extraordinary communication skills and love for working with people will develop trusting relationships. This is an excursion of awakening into positive thinking, entrepreneurship, and natural healing while living life.  I'm sharing, in real time, #oneloverealestate.