#sorry there's only six fics in this post :c

[lostintransist]

Sacrifice Doesn’t Hurt Less if They Don’t Love You

I can't decide if I want to write a whole fic for this chapter that spawned fully formed in my head but a mutual told me I could post it here.

Context. Soap and Ghost are lovers. They are both wanting to work through some issues and ask reader (female pronouns) to become their third for a time. Reader was unsure about joining a thruple, so they offer to pay her. Reader is a soldier and works with the 141.

CW: Mentions of onpage violence, can be read as suicidal ideation, self sacrifice.

Watching Soap and Ghost share a look of goodbyes with only their eyes cements for you the knowing, deeper than your bones, that no one will ever love you like they love each other. No room exists for you to shelter inside of their love. The pain is freeing somehow. Like every message pounded into your head about being unlovable was true.

The call of the void had abated for a time, since they paid you for your body. The urge to jump without pulling your shoot, to kink the hose to your oxygen lessened. It returned now. It didn’t call though, it sang. Staring into the horizon where blue became intangible you know that even if you listened to the haunting call if you go home today an ‘accident’ would befall you soon enough.

A hand on your thigh pulls you back from the discordant notes. You look from the hand to the face and see Price looking at you, concern in the crinkles around his eyes.

“You with us Everest?”

“Sorry Cap. Just mentally gearing up.”

He nodded, accepting the strange behavior and the explanation. He had used the shared channel everyone could listen in on over the headphones. Helicopters were not the place for private conversations.

Feeling Ghost’s eyes you turn. Looking at one eye and then the other you find nothing but the mask inside and out. The horizon draws your attention again as you listen to the symphony from within the void.

Price had organized groups of three before everyone piled into the helicopter. You had been assigned to Soap and Ghost. As the ghost ship came into sight you slipped into your operator role. Rearguard would be you duty. They trusted you to step backwards over the dodgy doorways and ensure no one attacked them from behind. A place of trust.

Everyone knew the mission. Locate and terminate the computer that would signal a series of bombs dotting major cities. It would be highly guarded and most likely booby trapped. Six teams split as they enter the darkness of the ship. It creaks with each bob of the waves and every step as if she is moments from careening into the depths to become a home for the deep dwelling fish.

Soap takes the lead, heading aft. None of you encounter resistance until six levels down. Movement from barely beyond your vision as you step down another set of ladders. You fire off two shots, a body falling into the light. Not one of yours. A hand on you shoulder is the warning you get before Ghost and Soap step over the body, heading deeper into the darkness.

Smaller stature is not often an advantage in your line of work. But tiny halls become your safe haven because you are not an overly large man.

Moving before your mind can process you are grappling for a knife that connected with your vest. A man had stepped from the deepest shadows and swung at you after the guys had stepped through the next porthole. He pulled back and swung downwards, aiming for your neck. Leaning back you caught only a nick from the blade along the crease where jaw meets neck. Because all wide swings must be returned by an equally wide swing you step in and jam both hands into his forearm.

The enemy fights his arm up, your upper body strength no match for his. Instead of fighting him in a losing battle you place one boot on the wall behind you, leveraging your best asset in the fight.

It impressed the men on the 141 that you could match or often beat them in dead lift squats. They did make fun of you for how low your numbers were on upper body though so it all came out in the wash.

The man brought his second arm up to support his knife wielding hand, the tip of the blade inching closer to your face. Forcing your second boot up the wall you press with all the power your foremothers blessed you with. The light bouncing around from your rifle shines off whites of the mans eyes as you shove the blade into his windpipe. He slumps as his life flees.

Gravity takes hold of you now that friction has abated and you slam to the ground with a grunt. Your knee took the bulk of the blow. Up on your feet you limp after your lovers. They must have circled back to find you since you find them only three rooms away.

“What happened Everest?” Ghost barks at you.

“Your job is to protect each other, my job is to protect you. I did my job.” You snap at him. He would want to take it from your hide if there was a later. On jobs he was your superior and sass could not be accepted.

Soap reached around him and lifted blood from your collar.

“We are here to protect you too Ev.”

The sweetest blade to your heart came from Soap’s tongue. Lies, because if they were here to protect you they would have noticed sooner that you were gone.

His finger hovers as you turn your head slightly away from his touch.

“We’ve got more ground to cover. Let’s go.” Voice harsh, you focus on limping forward.

Several more engagements occur, but the guys don’t leave your sight once. After clearing a particularly well guarded tiny red room you find what you have been looking for. Soap drops to a knee at the computer, typing away.

You and Ghost take up opposite positions staring down the hallways watching the darkness.

“Why didn’t you call for help?”

Ghost’s even tone hits like a lash across your back.

“Didn’t really have time with a blade at my throat.”

“Why are you mad at us?”

Even now the distinction between your place and theirs is hammered home in the phrasing of the question. Us denotes a you, an outsider.

“Now is not the time to unpack our relationship problems, Simon.”

“I’m getting no response from the computer and I don’t dare move it. This group really loves their bombs to trigger when people touch things.”

A head poking around the walls you to fire off a few rounds.

“I’m jammed, Soap replace me. I can work on disabling the computer.” You step into the small, red, red box trading places with Soap who steps into the hall, gun drawn on the shadows.

The instant his heel passes beyond the door frame you swing the heavy metal door shut, slamming the bar into place. Faraday cages are interesting things. They can be made by accident, or opportunity.

You couldn’t disable the computer you had fought so hard to get to the bowels of the ship, but you could stop it from sending a signal. As the bar clanged down, the bell tolling of your death, two irate faces appeared in the small window. Two men you love more than any reasonable person could understand stare at you, yell at you, beat at the door demanding entrance.

A beep from the computer tells you there is four minutes left until the signal is sent. Your lip trembles. Mouthing the words so carefully they can understand even beyond the slightly distorted glass you give your final goodbyes.

‘Love you.’

Blowing a shaky kiss to their horrified faces you slide the cover in place, sealing your tomb.

The void’s lilting tune is sweet in your ears. The pounding on the door stops. No sounds squawk from the radio in your ear, your play worked. They would be safe. They didn’t need you anyways, a matched pair didn’t need a third.

With nothing left to do but breathe in the last of your oxygen you decided to strip down to your uniform. Emptying every weapon on you of its rounds you place them gently on the floor a fair distance from the door. No need for them to get stepped on when someone can finally reach your body. Next goes the holsters and the heavy tactical gear.

It’s getting harder to breath now, your lungs heaving for a breath more. You sound like a baby you once saw with RSV. You place a hand to your ribs, finding the flesh pulling between the bones with each breath. Laying down seems the best option now. Your mind feels pulled, stretched. Taffy for brains. Stretching out you get comfortable. With your eyes fluttering you can almost imagine yourself on a cot somewhere in the tropics.

Distantly a beeping starts, the thirty second countdown. One long beep reaches through the fog of oxygen deprivation, you strain your ears. Even in the bowels of the ocean you would have heard something, shouting, if you had failed. When none occur you sigh and surrender to the darkness.

You might not have been important to them. They might have never loved you. But god dammit you were going to be remembered.

I also write COD over on AO3, same handle.

Masterlist

[fettuccin-e]

As Long As I Want

so yeah i may have not posted a fic in two months and WHATABOUTIT no i'm kidding i'm really sorry for the little hiatus!! my pedro pascal obsession circa 2021 has relapsed and i'm terribly sorry lol so yeah pls enjoy this short little fic that is only about sucking frankie's dick

Tags: Frankie "Catfish" Morales x Reader, fem!reader, oral (m!recieving), size kink, deep throating, this is so nasty lol (w/c: 1.5K)

Francisco Morales is a pretty unassuming man. He’s tall and lumbering, but his patchy beard and ever-present baseball cap allow him to sink into the background of most things, which is exactly where he likes to be. He isn’t a standout, he knows that, and he’s plenty content with it. As long as you love him, he’s just fine.

And you do, god, you love him. You try to tell him constantly, try to express how fucking hot you find him, even if he shrugs you off with a shy chuckle and a blush on his scruffy cheeks. With his pretty dark eyes and soft hair, how he towers over you and how his broad chest presses against your back when he hugs you from behind, and when he fucks you from behind. Frankie is, by far, the sexiest man you’ve ever seen, and somehow, he’s yours.

And, as unassuming as he is, Frankie also has the fattest, biggest cock you’ve ever seen.

He hides it behind baggy jeans and boxers, but you pride yourself on being very, very familiar with it. It took the first six months of your relationship to take it all the way into your cunt, the thickness of it stretching you till you thought you were bound to break, the length of it bullying so deep you thought you would feel it in your fucking throat. Even now, four years later, you still need to be prepared thoroughly before taking Frankie, a process that he takes great joy in.

Frankie will spend hours between your thighs, sucking at your clit and fucking you open on his calloused fingers until you’re sobbing and shaking. He loves to pull your thighs apart when you try to close them, keeping you wide open and dripping for him. You beg for him to fuck you, that you’re ready, but Frankie also loves to ignore you, content to keep lapping at your twitching cunt, murmuring a, “quiet, princesa, I’m working.” You want to strangle him. 

You also love him so much that it hurts sometimes. 

He’s perfect, everything is perfect, except for the fact that, although he’ll spend an entire night eating your pussy like a man starved, he won’t let you return the favor. You can count the amount of times in four years that Francisco Morales has let you suck his cock on one hand, and you wouldn’t even use all of your fingers. Whenever you’re between his legs, working him between your lips, inch by thick inch, he always wrenches you off him with a grip in your hair, before he bends you over and fucks you until your pussy is gaping and your brain is mush.

But you know you’ve got him this time. His hands are bound with a silky scarf around the head board, the pinkness of his blush spreading down to his chest as he watches you with heavy eyes.

“Princesa, please, just- you can sit on my face, yeah? And do what you want to me, but baby, I just gotta...I gotta make you feel good, please?” he grunts with that deep voice of his, raspy and needy.

You kiss him softly as a reply, brushing a hand through his soft curls. “Frankie,” you whisper. “I want to suck your cock today. I told you that, baby, didn’t I?” Frankie nods tentatively. You grin at the way his lips part, big eyes watching you like you’ve hung the moon and stars, just for him. “Then you’re going to shut up and let me suck you as long as I want, you got that?”

Frankie nods again, and nearly whines when you pull away from his face, brushing your lips down, down. You lick over the softness of his stomach, around where his cock, throbbing and red and dripping, lays against it. You avoid sucking the sticky tip into your mouth right away, instead moving lower to bite at his quivering thighs. You can hear Frankie’s breaths growing louder, desperate for your touch. 

“Please, mi vida,” he whimpers, hips bucking up ever so slightly. His cheeks burn at the sound of his own desperation, but when you smile at him, almost shyly, at his words, it almost becomes worth it.

“Okay, Frankie,” you whisper, and he gasps when you move back up his body, ever so slightly, to lick hungrily over the length of his cock, moaning at the taste.

He groans deep in his throat at the feeling of your hot tongue trailing over the veins and crevices of him, memorizing every thick, throbbing inch. You make your way up until you reach the tip, and, with one final glance at Frankie, his pupils blown wide as he meets your gaze, you close your plush lips around the tip.

Frankie’s back arches, just a bit, off the bed when you suck hard on the tip of his cock, tongue dipping into the slit as you swallow everything he has to give. “Ah- oh God, oh God, por favor, baby,” he whines, not even knowing what he’s begging for from you.

But you know, you always know. 

You can’t exactly smile around Frankie’s cock, not with your mouth stretched as wide as it is around the girth of him, but it’s a near thing. You slide down the length of him, tongue running along every new inch you let into your pretty mouth, watching as Frankie’s eyes roll into the back of his head, soft stomach heaving with every labored breath.

You brace yourself with your nails digging into his thighs as you push down even further, the tip of him finally budging into the back of your throat, and though you try to swallow around it, you can’t help but gag a little.

Frankie’s eyes snap open at the feeling and sound, his body going suddenly still. “Baby, do you need to stop? Fuck, you can stop if it’s too much, we can just-” You shake your head gently, not daring to slide him out of your mouth just yet. “Okay, okay, mi vida,” he breathes. “Just, please, I don’t want to hurt you.”

You could never, you want to say, but your mouth is far too preoccupied. Instead, you push just a little further, shoving him just another inch into your drooling mouth.

Frankie never lets you do this, never lets you have your fill, and you’re drunk off the taste of him, eyes rolling into the back of your head at the tip lodges in the back of your throat. And even as it does, even as his fat cockhead makes you choke, you keep sinking down.

He slides deep into the length of your throat, forcing you to breathe through your nose. Your eyes are watering at the stretch of him, your nails digging little indents into his hairy thighs. You fucking love it.

Frankie loves it too, evidently. With every inch, he whines, crying your name in stuttered gasps. You just keep moving, bobbing your head up and down just slightly to get more and more of him in, until you finally, finally, reach the thick base of his cock, the wiry hairs tickling your nose.

“Oh God, fuck princesa, you’re so perfect. Shit, your mouth is so good, you- you’re so good to me, baby, oh fuck, no one’s ever gotten this far, I-I-” he gasps, head thrown back and eyes clenched shut.

Oh. Your head feels like it’s underwater, delirious with the fact that you’re the only one to ever do this for Frankie. The only one that can do this for him.

You gaze up at him, entranced by his sweat-slicked, heaving body, pretty and needy. He blinks his eyes open, looking down at you when you stop moving, utterly still with his cock buried deep inside your throat. You, all pretty with your cheeks flushed and eyes watery, lips stretched wide and sticky and utterly obscene. You gaze back, your stare unrelenting, and suddenly swallow hard around the entire length of him.

Frankie nearly screams at the feeling, completely unreal and new. “Ah- ah!”

And you just keep doing it, bobbing slightly while you milk him with your hot, wet throat. Overwhelmed tears are leaking down Frankie’s face, his hips hitching up just barely to meet the minute movements of your head.

“I- Princesa, I’m gonna- I can’t hold it, ‘m sorry, can’t- it’s so good, too good mi vida, I-”

Frankie tries to pull his hips back, but you hold yourself onto him, keeping him buried within you as he spills hot, sticky cum down your throat.

You keep sucking him, milking him as the last dregs of his orgasm die away, before finally pulling yourself off him.

“Good?” you whisper, you voice sounding raspy and fucking used.

Frankie’s eyes widen in shock. “Good? Holy fucking shit, baby,” he mutters, head thrown back to look up at the ceiling, as if to ask God is she being fucking serious right now?

“You untie me, right fucking now, princesa. I’ll show you how ‘good’ that was. Until you pass the fuck out.”

[spencer-sweets]

Marvel Fic Recs | Loki&Thor (GEN)

let me prefice by saying this is all gen (non slash) fanfiction. if you are looking for thorki you are looking on the wrong blog sorry.

so i as the youngest of four brothers and the one hated the most by my parents, i have always had a soft spot for brotherly fic. Thor and Loki's dynamic really resonated with me as i went through my teen angst phase while my older brothers were all getting ready to settle down and were all already married. so if you are looking for a fic rec that centers the brotherly relationship between thor & loki you have found the right place.

one last warning is that most of these are loki-centric in case thats not your thing.

life's great lie by Laeveteinn Teen+ 7,787 Loki stares at his hands, slowly realizing that magic still works in the TVA. Perhaps not every kind, but Asgard’s sorcery can take hold here- in particular, Asgard’s illusion magic. Loki’s proven it with every step he’s taken. If magic didn’t work at all, he’d be entirely blue. (Or: even beyond the edges of space and time, he is Loki of Asgard.)

Cute post loki season 1 fic

i couldn't change (though i wanted to); by unintentionallyangsty General Audiences 20,640 Given the team's circumstances--travelling through the cosmos and headed for Midgard on a previously unplanned voyage--Loki taking up a newfound fondness for shapeshifting on a whim is hardly the weirdest thing that has happened to any single member of the Revengers in the past several months.  In fact, it doesn't even make the top three.  (Or; Three times Loki shapeshifts following Ragnarok, and one (1) time he does not. (Alternatively, how Loki unintentionally ends up bonding with the Revengers on the Statesman as a number of different creatures)).

so cute - this fic has influenced many of my loki headcanons and is just adorable

run down the vows of me by siv_siv_siv Mature 44,609 Thor is banished to Midgard. Only, this time, Loki is banished with him. An alternate Thor (2011) fic, where Loki tells the truth about letting the Jotnar into the vault, just after discovering the truth of his heritage on Jotunheim.

thor rewrite that focuses on thor and loki growing together during the movie plot.

~ Comeback ~ by anastacianott General Audiences (I would rate Teen+) 63,867 AU: Coming back for Loki's abandoned body led to the most incredible results Thor could ever imagine. Post Thor TDW.

shameless h/c fic set post t:tdw

Let Me Know if It Gets Above a Six by Sundial_at_Night Teen+ 65,188 “Mr. Loki?” asked the Spider cautiously. “Aren’t you—like—a bad guy?” he asked, voice full of only curiosity, as far as Loki could tell. His first thought was, yes. His second thought was no. His third thought was, sometimes? “It varies from moment to moment,” Loki answered honestly, prying his eyes open after they threatened to fall close. “But on a scale of one to ten, where are you at right now?” “Maybe a three?” The Spider-child nodded. “Cool,” he replied. “Let me know if it gets above a six. Or: Five times Peter Parker was there for Loki when it 'got above a six', and one time he wasn’t.

Im gonna be real with you the thor&loki takes a backseat to the loki&peter parker in this one but it is absolutely amazing and so much fun.

On Yonder Hill by bedlamsbard Not Rated (Id say Teen+) 80,394 “This is a terrible plan,” Loki said. “Absolutely dreadful.” “But you’ll do it, right?” Bruce said. “Of course.”   Five years ago, Thor died on the Statesman and Thanos wiped out half of all life in the universe. Now the Avengers have a plan to undo the Snap, but they're going to need the help of the last King of Asgard. That's not a problem; that's where things get interesting. That tends to happen around the God of Mischief.

avengers endgame rewrite that focuses on loki after losing thor and his efforts to bring him back along with those snapped

Memento Mori by GwendolynStacy Teen+ 81,637 Of the many people capable of carrying the fate of the universe on their shoulders by travelling back in time, Loki would have been the first choice of exactly nobody. With no allies, no plan and nobody on his side, Loki will just have to wing it. Or: That awkward moment when you've completed your redemption arc, but nobody else got the memo.

another time travel fix-it that i honeslty don't remember the specifics of but i must have loved it since it was in my bookmarks.

Grievance by PeaceHeather (Restricted) Not Rated 92,518 For a fill in Round 17 of Norsekink: "Someone starts to notice that Odin treats Loki in ways that are neglectfull and borderline abusive and starts to feel very uncomfortable about it. It becomes worse when people at court start to take after Odin's treatment of Loki. But they still don't feel comfortable voicing they're doubts out loud. And then the lip-sewing incident happens and they can no longer sit idly by while this happens. So this person just stand up and calls the rest of Asgard out on this bulshit, seriously the boy just cut of some hair, it's not like it wont ever grow back on it's own again.

loki-centric but has great loki & thor content within. is not the most friendly to odin or the warriors three though... but it has some great references to mythology thrown in!

also you have to have an ao3 account to read.

Fate's Guardian by PeaceHeather  (Restricted) Teen+ 98,531 Set roughly a year post-Thor:TDW, reference to events in Guardians of the Galaxy. Pretty much a shameless fixit fic. No pairings. A being shows up on Earth looking for Loki, the Avengers get pulled in to see what's going on, and they all learn what Loki has *really* been up to all this time. I dunno, I was in a mood to write something like this, so I did. First posted to FFnet, if you prefer to read it there.

by the same author as grievance. also need and ao3 account to access this one. shameless fix-it fic that is loki-centric. loki is the anti-hero/hero in this one but it is heavy with thor&loki content.

Skýli by PeaceHeather  (Restricted) Not Rated (Mature) 111,988 See also "Skeletons, Scenes, and Snippets" Chapter 9 - the one where Asgard's magic users go on strike and quietly evacuate Asgard, after Odin passes sentence on Loki post-Avengers. Some of them turn up on Earth, and SHIELD has to assess whether or not this is another invasion. or: SHIELD is called to Iceland to investigate a village that appeared out of nowhere, and discovers that Asgard's magic users have quietly gone on strike and left their realm completely. The reasons are unsettling, and the potential consequences could shake the Nine Realms before all is said and done.

So far, no one has wound up on as many fic recs of mine as PeaceHeather. they are probably my favorite fanfiction author of all time - having written 3 fics that are on my favorite fanfiction of all time rec. this one did slip through the cracks when i initially made this list because i had gone through my bookmarks for the loki&thor tag but this one has no relationships tagged.

it is another brainwashed loki fic that deals with asgardian politics, the avengers, and expands upon the magic system within the thor movies.

You Screamed For So Long We Forgot To Care Anymore by GalaxyThreads Teen+ 126,180 Five months after Thor drags his half-dead brother to Earth to plead asylum, things take a turn for the worse. With the older Asgardian out of commission and a sizeable threat overshadowing them, Clint becomes aware of two facts: One: Loki was tortured, mind-controlled, and manipulated into attacking Earth. Two: Loki knows none of this. (gen, no smut)

mind controlled and tortured loki with heavy hurt/comfort and a focus on thor & loki. the other avengers are also in this one

Awake Within a Dream by Thursdays_Angel Teen+ 126,582 What if Loki had believed the invasion and subsequent battle on Midgard to have been nothing more than an illusion?

tortured!loki and a lot of hurt/comfort. odin is good in this one.

Castles in the Air by cosmic_medusa Teen+ 182,326 Loki's first act as King is to collect his banished brother to aid his regency, however brief. Thor discovers that the political landscape is far from what it seemed, and that the lies of Odin have resulted in the threat of both his sons' safety and sanity. Drama, angst, double-crosses, butchering of folklore and history, and the epic bromance of Asgard's Princes ensues.

up there as one of the best pieces of fanfiction ive ever read. god i love when these fics explore asgardian politics and norse mythology. This focuses on loki as king and thor's relationship with him during it.

Ásgar��rian Galdr by Valerie_Vancollie Teen+ 479,713 What if Loki was able to warn his past self, so he did not lose control during his regency and was able to act as he normally would? What if he had been able to remain calm and in control of himself, and the situation? "How?" Loki demanded. "Betrayal," his future self stated simply, rage clear in every syllable. "But you must control your reaction and come to see me, or you will repeat my mistakes and we will miss an opportunity to take control and alter things in our favor." It would have changed everything.

this is literature disguised as a marvel time travel fanfiction. god this is amazing and has everything i love in this side of the fandom - politics, sci-fi, mythology... it's supposed to have 3 sequels but im not exactly counting on it. its still beyond amazing standing on its own. the things i would do to have a physical copy of this....

i'm not currently hyperfixated on these two but going through my bookmarks has brought me great joy. I might add more to this one day or maybe not. i'd love to hear your thoughts if you read any of these!

originally posted: 8/13/2024

[mbakuetshurisprincess]

Love for Duty’s Sake Part 5

AN: Hello loves! Wow when I tell y’all I was FIGHTING in the editing room with this fic because I couldn’t tell if I should split this in half or not. I ended up just keeping it as one because I felt bad for ignoring democracy (sorry lyric) and posting Anything But Love P2 before I posted this one. A couple of fun facts about this fic because I literally have nowhere else to put them lmfao. In the convo with Griot, the reason Y/N’s argument works on him is because it follows a valid rule within arguments/logic called Hypothetical Syllogism. Basically, If A leads to B and B leads to C then you can correctly assume that A should also lead to C. Google it if you’re interested! Also, in writing Shuri’s interactions (esp the “in my wife's name” parts) it's like very heavily inspired by the way Dracula talks about Lisa Tepes in the Castlevania show!! 

Holy fuck don’t know how I could ever forget this. As always, any of my fake dating stuff is dedicated to the lovely @pinkwright. This is my writer bae y’all have no idea, L4DS and ABL posts are always made with them in mind. 

Summary: As the only daughter of Genelia, there were things you just had to do, and marrying the Queen of Wakanda was one of those things.

Pairing: Shuri x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Cussing, violence, brief mentions of bad relationships with parents that’s it I think.

Word count: 6,213 (you see why I was thinking about splitting it up now??)

Part 1.  Part 2.  Part 3.  Part 4.  Masterlist.  Taglist.

Suggested listening: Glock Six (Bonus) - 6LACK 

“No need to state the obvi', I be close to your heart I know you looking for real love I got my hand on my Glock, posted on the block I might just let off a shot, at anyone tryin' to kill her”

The feeling of your body sliding off of your wife and onto the hospital pillow below you was the first hint that something was off. You knew Shuri didn’t mean to be so rough with you, even if you hadn’t been injured. She just hopped off of the bed quicker than her mind could remember that you were laying back on her. Only when you grimaced slightly did Shuri think enough to look back at you. 

“Ndicela uxolo sthandwa sam (I’m sorry my love).” She muttered to you softly, scanning your body just long enough to ensure that you weren’t really hurt before turning her attention to Aneka. “When was this posted?” 

“Ten minutes ago.” 

Shuri took a deep inhale, rereading the post. “How did she even know about the shooting to post?” 

The question was impossible for Aneka to answer, knowing something like that wasn’t necessarily in her job description. You, however? You were used to political moves like this. “She knows because the shooting happened in her city Shuri.” 

“What?” Shuri turned to face you.

“I’m just saying, if something goes down in the Golden City, you’re made aware right? The same thing goes for DC. Especially on a day like today, foreign powers come into town. I’m sure she was all over it.” As you spoke, wheels started turning in your head, the scenario surrounding the events of your shooting. Everything was almost too perfect like it had been orchestrated. 

“Listen to what you just said Y/N, I’m notified when something happens in the Golden City, not you. So why would she be the one posting about this instead of the President?” Shuri’s tone was harsher than you would have liked, posing the question to you as if you were a child misunderstanding basic math. 

You sat up in your bed. “Because President Carter isn’t leading the show, Mallory is.” 

“Why would you say that?” 

“Because I know it’s true.” You folded your arms across your chest, starting to get annoyed at Shuri’s refusal to see what was clearly right in front of her. “Do you not trust me?” 

The question was loaded and the Queen’s response came instinctually, “The question is not if I trust you, we are married of course I trust you. But you make it increasingly harder to trust you when you put forth ideas like that.” Shuri mimicked your position, crossing her arms over herself. 

Her response stung and the look on your face made Shuri regret saying it immediately. “I did not mean-” 

You cut Shuri off, not wanting to hear what she had to say. “Nope. You said it. What do I know anyway? Not like I come from a family of politicians who would make this exact same move given the chance.” You turned your attention from where Shuri and Aneka stood back to the tv, effectively disengaging from the conversation. 

Warning signals were going off in Shuri’s head and she knew she fucked up. Taking one more look at the screen she made her way back over to your bed. Kneeling next to you and taking your hand in hers. “I am sorry, sthandwa sam. (my love) I didn't mean to brush off your idea like that.  Your attention still faced forward but the Queen could feel the race in your heart rate when her thumb traced over the lines of your knuckles. 

The silent treatment you were giving Shuri was frustrating her, if she had just slowed down as Okoye said, she would've thought about what she was saying before she said it. “I promise I will make it up to you-”

The buzz of Shuri’s kimoyo beads pulled her attention away from you and her apology. 

Speak of the devil and she shall appear.

It was a message from Okoye letting her know that they had all made it back safely to Wakanda and that Liam Drockers was in the lower-level interrogation rooms. Aneka must’ve gotten a similar message from Ayo because when she made eye contact with Shuri, she gave her a knowing nod as she left the room. 

“I will make this up to you… when I am free again.” The end of the sentence tumbled slowly out of Shuri’s mouth, knowing it was going to garner a reaction from you. 

“What?” Instead of your voice sounding angry like the Queen had expected, it almost sounded more hurt or scared. This new tone pulled at Shuri’s heartstrings. “You’re leaving?” 

While yes, you were literally just ignoring Shuri ten seconds ago, you hadn’t expected her to just up and leave like that. Especially given how physically close you two had spent the last hour, part of you had grown attached to her in a way you never imagined possible. Addicted to the safe feeling that only seemed to come when you were in her arms. 

“I have some council business I have to take care of.” Her rubbing of your hands still hadn’t stopped, tracing every detail of your knuckles. 

You looked at her now, teeth biting at your bottom lip. “What do you have that’s so important?” 

“Just some time-sensitive stuff I need to handle. It should be quick, I don’t imagine it will be long.” Her eyes were averted, so you had no read on what possible clues they could be conveying. Something about this bothered you, normally she was so demanding of your eye contact and now she wasn’t even looking up. But you knew Shuri, whatever this was she wasn’t going to give up easily. You needed something to garner her attention first before you asked her what you needed to know. 

“I think I’m gonna call home.” Shuri’s eyes instantly flashed up to yours.

“Really?”

“I think so, I don’t want my family worrying about me, you know? I don’t want them thinking I’m dead or anything. Now that Mallory has so kindly let the world know about this.” 

Shuri hummed in response, debating asking the question at the forefront of her mind. “I thought- I mean, I didn’t know you had a way of contacting them.” 

This made you feel a little bit guilty since you had made it seem like you’d given Genelia up for good. “It's a direct line to my father's advisor, only for emergency purposes.” Your eyes flickered around her face. “I’ve never used it, I didn’t think I’d have to.” 

Shuri felt assured in hearing this, the slight worry that had slipped into her mind about you secretly planning to leave her dissipated. “Oh, okay.” She savored these last few minutes of her hand tracing yours, knowing that soon those same hands who held yours so delicately would be used in the complete opposite manner. 

“Shuri?” The way you called her name was soft, the same way you had in the restaurant before all of this had happened. It made her feel warm inside, lowering her guard just as you intended. 

Her response once again was just a hum, her eyes studying every detail of your face the way her hands did yours. 

“You wouldn’t lie to me right?” Your question caught her off guard but her rubbing never stopped. 

“Kakade hayi, sithandwa sam. (Of course, not my love)” Her eyes conveyed no sign of lying so you continued. 

“So it’s really council business that's so pressing you have to take care of it right now? Not anything to do with me?” You asked the question confidently, not taking your eyes off Shuri, searching for a tell. Anyone else would have missed it but you didn’t, the brief second when Shuri’s movements faltered. When her hand stopped rubbing yours. 

“Yes.” 

“Yes, what?” 

She stood up now, letting go of your hand. Being at eye level with you was too much right now, it felt too connected given the fact that she was literally lying to your face. “Yes, it’s council business like I told you before. Very time sensitive.” Before you could respond she spoke again. “Aneka!” 

The Dora appeared in the door frame with lightning speed, “Yes, ngangamsha (your majesty)?” 

“Guard Y/N’s side of the ward while I deal with this business, make sure no harm comes to her.” Shuri’s words were confident and her arms now crossed her chest signifying her demeanor change. 

“Shuri, I don't need a babysitter, I’m fine.” You protested. “Plus Aneka has yet to see Ayo, let them see each other.” 

“I am fine, my Queen. Thank you for your kindness but ensuring your safety is more important.” Aneka responded quickly, earning a nod of agreement from Shuri. 

Your wife looked down at her kimoyo beads. “I’ll be back in an hour, mfazi (wife).” Placing a kiss on your forehead, she looked down at you one more time before she left. “No trouble while I’m gone?” 

“I’ll try my hardest.” You replied as she walked out of the room, Aneka behind her taking her spot guarding your room. 

This left you alone with your thoughts and while a million things were running around your mind there were two prominent thoughts. One being, your wife was lying to you. 

You couldn't be a hundred percent sure about exactly what she was lying about but you knew it had something to do with you. While you wanted to snoop around and try and figure it out, the second of the thoughts found its way to the forefront of your mind. Having to call you family. 

Looking around you found your physical phone, the one that Shuri still referred to as ‘primitive technology’. Scrolling until you found the contact you didn’t think you’d ever have to press. Saying a prayer you pressed call and hoped for the best. 

The line rang only one time before the person picked up. “This isn’t some sick joke, you’re really calling me?” 

“Marcos, I told you I’d only call you in an emergency. I wouldn't play a joke like this.” 

You could hear him recite a prayer on the other end of the line. “Everyones worried sick about you Y/N, I mean your parents think you’re…” His voice trailed off and it made your heart hurt thinking about the stress this whole situation inadvertently caused your family. 

“I know, I know, that’s why I called. Can you just tell them that I’m alright? It’s nothing to worry about and I’ll be fine?” 

Marcos contemplated your words, “Y/N, your father will kill me if he finds out I spoke to you without giving him the opportunity.” 

The sound of movement from the other end of the line had you concerned. “Marcos wait, you know I don’t want to speak to them.” It was a useless plea and you knew it. As much as Marcos cared about you like you were his own daughter and wished to protect you as such. At the end of the day, he worked for your father. 

“I’m sorry mon papillon (my butterfly)” The term of endearment did little to quell the feeling of betrayal as Marcos moved to give the phone to your father. 

“Whoever it is Marcos, tell them they will need to call later, I am grieving my daughter.” 

“It is about Y/N, sir.”

Your father looked between his advisor and the phone before picking it up. 

“Yes?” This was the first time you had heard your father's voice in years. It had become too painful to go back and watch old home videos from before Yara’s death so part of you wondered if you’d forgotten what he sounded like. But as soon as his deep voice bellowed through the phone, you remembered. 

“Dad? It’s me.” You were scared to speak the words at first, questioning how he would react. 

“Y/N, is that you? Oh my god! Josiah, get your mother from the chapel, our baby is alive!” The outcry from your father made your heart hurt, had he been that concerned?

“Dad-” You tried to speak but his rambling cut you off. 

“When we saw the news honey we were so worried about you, I thought you had died. But you didn’t! God brought you back!”

“Dad-”

 “He’s bringing you back home to us!” He ended his rejoicing when you finally spoke up. 

“Babba! What are you talking about?” Your pain medication must have been making you delirious and mishear things. 

“What do you mean Y/N, this is a sign! You were almost taken from Genelia, from us. We need to come together and give thanks that you’re still with us.” Your father's words were confusing you, why was he saying that you were taken from them as if they weren't the same ones to send you away? 

“I’m not coming home Dad, I was just calling to let everyone know I was okay-”

“Nonsense!” Your mother spoke now, you weren't aware when she arrived in the room. “You must come home, we miss you. This was a wake-up call, don’t you think?” 

You paused now and took a deep breath. What they were asking was encroaching on a boundary you had set the day you left Genelia. To never come back. “I just, I don’t think it’s a good idea guys.”

It was now your parent's turn to pause while they thought about what they could say to change your mind. But it wasn’t them that spoke, instead it was a different voice. One that clearly held the tonal characteristics of a man but was still slightly squeaky signifying they hadn’t fully finished maturing. 

“So you’re just never gonna come back? Is that it then?” If it wasn’t for your father's words earlier you wouldn’t have even been able to guess who it was. But of course, it was your little shadow who spoke up now. Josiah. 

“Siah-”

“No, you don’t get to call me that anymore. My sister, who loved me and didn’t just get up and abandon her family for a fancy new life in France, called me that. I don’t know who you are.” 

Josiah’s words cut through you like the sharpest blade known to man, cutting deeper than any slick comment from Shuri. Is that really what he thought happened? That you left your family behind to go chase your dreams in a foreign country? 

You didn’t care about your parents, quite frankly fuck them. Any emotional ties you felt towards them had long left you, so saying no to them while it was hard; it didn’t hurt. Saying no to Josiah though? Hearing the disappointment in his voice? He didn’t deserve this. To be caught in the crosshairs of the relationship between you and your parents. 

“Fine!” 

“Fine?” Your mother and father's voice asked in unison. 

“Fine, I will come back to Genelia to visit.” 

“Tomorrow?” Josiah’s voice questioned.

“Tomorrow? Siah I just got shot.” You tried to reason with your brother, and while you didn’t feel any of the effects of the shooting at this exact moment you still didn’t know if traveling so soon would be wise. Plus you still needed to explain this all to Shuri. 

“You’re married to the smartest woman in the world and live in the most technologically advanced country. I’m sure they can figure something out.” Josiah left no room for argument in his sentence. 

“Fine Siah, I will come to Genelia for a few days, flying in tomorrow. Happy?” You didn’t even understand why you were agreeing to this. 

“Not in the slightest, I have no idea who you are anymore. I did that for Mom and Dad.” 

That hurt more than Josiah knew. You tried to tell yourself that he didn’t mean it, but something in you couldn't believe it. 

“Okay well, I’ve got to go. I’ll um talk to Marcos about arrival times and everything.” You needed this phone call done, the gravity of what you had just agreed to started to weigh on you. 

“Parfait! We can’t wait to see you soon Y/N. We love you!” You could hear the smile in your father's voice and felt guilt not only that you didn’t feel the same happiness but that you couldn’t reciprocate his “I love you” truthfully.  

“Yeah I um, I’ll see you guys soon.” With that you ended the call, throwing your head back against the pillow. 

As you sat in silence you digested what had just happened.

1. You called Marcos, just to let him know that you were alive. 

2. You ended up on a phone call with your parents, speaking to them for the first time in years. 

3. After declining to come to Genelia, you were guilt-tripped into returning by your little brother. Not because he wanted to see you but because he knew his parents wanted to.

All of this made your head reel and you longed for the peace and comfort that your wife provided. But she wasn’t here with you, her wife who had just been shot. Instead, she was dealing with council business.

“Griot.” 

“Ah your majesty, I am glad you are in good health again. What can I do for you?” 

You paused wondering if Griot was even able to give you this information. “Where is Shuri right now?” 

“Shuri has programmed me to not disclose her location to anyone unless it is an emergency, I am sorry your majesty.” 

Of course Shuri had done so, always wanting to keep tabs on everyone but not thinking anyone else needed to keep them on her. You wanted to give up before an idea popped into your head. “Griot, Shuri programmed me into your system as a Queen, correct?” 

“Yes your majesty, she has programmed you with the same clearance as she has.” 

Jackpot. 

“And Shuri has access to her location status I would assume?” 

“Yes, your majesty.” 

“Great, so she has access to her location status, and I have the same clearance level as her/  You can give me her location.” Your reasoning was solid, creating a logical path that the AI could follow. 

“Yes, your majesty, that does appear to be correct. One moment please.”Success. “Queen Shuri is in the basement, interrogation room one.” 

“Interrogation room one?” You asked Griot again, you didn’t even know the palace had a single interrogation room, let alone multiple. 

“Yes, the Queen has been in that room since she left you in the hospital wing.” 

So she had been lying to you. 

“Thank you, Griot, that will be all.” 

There was no doubt in your mind that this had something to do with your shooting and that Shuri thought she was doing good by you by keeping you away from all of it. Trying to shield you from more pain. But that wasn’t what you asked for, it was what she decided you needed. 

You touched your abdomen, trying to gauge your pain level. As Josiah had said, you were in the most technologically advanced country so truly your recovery wouldn’t take more than a few days. Right now, you felt good enough to hobble out of bed and make it out of your room. 

Shuri wanted to lie to you? Fine. But you were going to go down to the basement to figure out exactly what she was up to.  

You made it no more than five feet out of your room before a body in front of you haltered your progress. 

“What are you doing out of bed ngangamsha (your majesty)? You should be resting.” Aneka’s concerned look surprised you. While you knew it was her job to protect you, you saw a twinge of genuine concern in her eyes. 

“She lied to me Aneka.” You took a step to the side and then forward so she was no longer in your path. The dull twinge of pain let you know that this might be more difficult than your first few steps had made it appear, nonetheless you were going to make the journey. 

“Intoni? (What?)” 

“Shuri lied to me. She told me she had council business to take care of, but she didn’t. She’s downstairs in the basement right now. So I’m going down there to see what could be so important that she felt the need to lie to me.” You continued your walk towards the elevator pleasantly surprised that Aneka didn’t appear to try and stop you. 

You took a few more steps before suddenly something pressed against the back of both of your knees, causing you to lose your balance. Falling back right into… a chair? Aneka stood above you, her hands on the handle of the wheelchair that she had just gently gotten you into. “I am not condoning you doing this, however, I know I can not stop you.” 

You nodded, grateful to hear that. 

“But,” Of course there was something. “I will not let you rip your stitches hobbling down there.” 

A smile passed across your face and a similar one came to Ankea’s. 

“Plus, I can talk to you while we make our way down there. I should fill you in, it is for the best.” Aneka pushed you forward as she began to explain just who was awaiting you in the basement. 

While you two made your way down, Shuri, Ayo, Okoye, and your assailant were deep into their interrogation session. 

To Shuri’s credit, she tried to be diplomatic about the whole situation. When she first walked into the room and saw Liam Drockers sitting down with Ayo and Okoye on either side of him, she imagined what her brother would say to her. 

“Patience sisi.” He would say. “Regardless of what he has done, he is deserving of a fair questioning, the same as you and me.” 

And she tried to take T’Challa’s advice, asking Liam simple questions at first.

“Are you an employee of Judas’s Ice Cream shop?” 

No response.

“Are you working for the United States government?” 

No response. 

“Were you aware the person you shot was the Queen of Wakanda, Y/N Y/L/N Udaku?”

A small smile creeped up on Liam’s face after she finished speaking, but still, he said nothing. This infuriated her and she was about ready to cast this whole morally right thing to the side and get the information she needed through more direct means. 

But then her mother's voice came into her head. “Do not let him remove you from yourself intomba (daughter).”

The Queen calmed herself, “I asked you a question. Were you aware the person you shot was  Y/N Y/L/N Udaku, the Queen of Wakanda?” 

While Liam's eyes had largely remained on the floor he pulled them up to her now, showing off the bored look they held. “I didn’t miss, did I?” 

Shuri’s heartbeat increased, so he knew what he was doing. This was a planned attack on her wife? He knew who she was and still chose to take the shot?

“You still thinkin’ bout showin this fool mercy?” No. That was the one voice she didn’t want to listen to. 

Okoye saw the look and Shuri’s eyes and when their gaze finally met, a wave of concern washed over her. She was losing Shuri to this. 

Okoye’s suggestion for a break is what brought them outside, Shuri pacing up and down the hallway trying to decide how to move forward. 

“Is it really that hard of a decision little cuz?” 

“Shut up.” She spoke out loud. Ayo looked over to Okoye wondering if they should step in but Okoye shook her head, hoping that whoever Shuri was speaking to would provide the young girl some clarity. 

“I’m just saying what you’re really thinking here. I mean he shot ya wife, you really cool with letting that slide?” 

“I am not ‘letting it slide’, I’m going about it the diplomatic way N’Jadaka. Something I know you know nothing about.”

Erik laughed at that “Aww shit little panther got some bite to her huh? But you’re right I don’t know shit about the diplomatic way, what I do know however is how to get results, quickly. It’s cool though, give this mother fucker the time and respect he didn’t give to your wife. I’m sure that’s smart.” 

His last comment drew Shuri over the edge. Done with the conversation and confident in her decision, she made her way back over to the door where Ayo and Okoye awaited her. She knew the decision she had come to was harsh but the only thing on her mind was ensuring your safety and getting to the bottom of this. 

“If you do not want to stay for the next part of the interrogation, I am not ordering either of you too. This is the time now to back out of this, without any blood on your hands.” She thought for a moment about how literal her figure of speech was about to become. “Ngokunzulu (Seriously).” 

Okoye looked Shuri up and down. It was in moments like these that she no longer saw the young girl she had watched grow up over the past ten years. The youthful glow had faded over and now left Shuri with a hard exterior that seemed to be ever-present. “Are you sure this is what you want to do ikumkani wam (my queen)?” Okoye offered this out to Shuri now, one shot to think clearly about her decision.

“A hundred percent.” Was Shuri’s simple reply. 

That’s how they ended up here, Ayo holding Liam’s cuffed arms behind his back while Shuri issued blow after blow to his abdomen, turning him effectively into a human punching bag. 

“You done with the games now Liam?” A punch landed on his stomach. “Are you ready to say something and give me the information I need to know?” 

The whole ordeal hurt Okoye to watch but she understood why Shuri had shifted to such drastic means, it was only out of necessity. 

Liam gathered his breath as Shuri removed the jacket she’d been wearing, leaving her in a compression shirt. “No words Liam, really?” She cracked her knuckles and delivered two more blows, one after the other. “That’s okay I’m sure soon enough you will.” 

He shifted in Ayo’s arms for a few seconds for spitting the blood that had pooled in his mouth down at Shuris feet, giving her a defiant stare. 

A smirk rose to Shuri’s face as she looked at the few drops of blood that had gotten on her sneakers. “You know Liam, I had been holding back in the name of my wife. I’ll tell you a secret since, quite frankly, the likelihood of you making it out of Wakanda to repeat this is slim to none. I don’t know much about my wife, we do not have the most conventional marriage so the real things I can say I know about her are few and far in between. But what I do know about my lovely Y/N, she hates violence and views it as the very last play in the book. Convinced me not to kill a spider once just because she said it wasn’t necessary.” 

Shuri smiled at the silly memory of you cussing her out at home when she tried to kill a spider instead of releasing it outside. 

“So, in her name, I haven't been using any of my enhanced strength. This,” She points to the purple bruises that had started to form on the skin of his stomach. “It's all me. But, since you want to be disrespectful and spit blood on my shoes, we’re giving all that up.” Quicker than anyone in the room could have seen, Shuri put her hands up and delivered a devastatingly strong blow to his stomach. Providing enough force that even Ayo had to take a step back to steady herself and absorb some of the shock of the blow. 

You watched in horror from the other side of the glass in the interrogation room as Liam doubled over in pain, gasping for air. Aneka and yourself had been in the room just long enough to watch him spit blood on your wife's shoes. 

“Now, we’re going to try this again.” Shuri started with the same line of questions from before. “Are you working for the United States government?” 

Once Liam pulled himself together, he gave the Queen no answer, just continuing his stare of contempt. 

Shuri chuckled, “Again then? Okay.” She let out another punch, Ayo being more prepared this time held Liam’s body tight. 

“She’s gonna kill him Aneka.” You spoke quietly from the wheelchair as you watched the whole ordeal take place. “We can’t let her kill him, that’s not her.” 

Aneka nodded, “But there is nothing we can do right now my Queen. Ayo and Okoye are in there with her, they will not let it go too far.” 

“I need to get in there.” Shuri wasn’t going to listen to Ayo or Okoye, you didn’t even know if she was going to listen to you. But as far as you were concerned this had already gone far enough. You started moving your wheelchair towards the door but Aneka stopped you. 

“Your majesty I cannot let you in there, bringing you down here was a breach of protocol enough. To have you in there would just be a blatant disregard for the Queen’s wishes.” Aneka declared. 

Both of your attention was brought back to Shuri and Liam when she hit him in the same spot again, leading him to cough up more blood. 

“You go in there and bring my wife out to me or I go in there and bring her out myself. Two choices, you pick.” You folded your arms like a child, waiting for Aneka’s response. 

She looked into the interrogation room and back to you. “Bast you two are perfect for each other. Stubborn just alike.” 

With that she left you, walking out and knocking before entering the other room. 

“ikumkani wam,” She interjected, pulling Shuri’s attention from the man and onto the Dora. 

“What is it Aneka, I am busy.” Shuri looked at her impatiently. 

“uY/n ulapha kwaye angathanda ukuthetha nawe (Y/N is here and would like to talk to you).” Aneka switched to their mother tongue so Liam couldn’t understand what they were saying. 

Shuri’s face faltered for a second. You were here? How long had you been watching? How much had you seen? “I am in the middle of an inter-” 

The sound of you banging on the wall to indicate you didn’t care what she was doing cut Shuri off. She looked at Liam before speaking to Ayo and Okoye. “Put him down, I will be back shortly.” In a second Shuri was out of the room and opening the door to the other side of the interrogation room, meeting your icy gaze. 

“What are you doing out of bed sithandwa sam (my love)?” Shuri’s concern was real, raking her eyes over your body. 

“You lied to me.” You weren't wasting time tip-toeing around the subject, 

“I was protecting you.” Shuri’s justification came quickly, as she took a step closer to you. The light illuminated her face better now and you were able to see the small spots of blood that had splattered on her face. 

Against your better judgment, you called her closer to you “Come here.” She obliged kneeling so you two were at eye level, mimicking the position you two had been in this morning. You reached to hold her face in your hand, wiping the small dots of blood away with your thumb. “You lied to me,” You said again looking into her eyes. 

“I was trying to-” Shuri tried again to explain this to you but you cut her off with a gentle tap to her lips with your free hand. 

“I know you were trying to protect me Shuri, but I am your wife. You can’t lie to me.” The look in your eyes conveyed the seriousness of your comments. 

The excuses started to form in Shuri’s mouth but she stopped them. “I- I know and I’m sorry. I should have told you what I was doing.” She let her head rest in your hand and averted her eyes down, fiddling with the material from your hospital gown. 

“Yes, you should have.” While your words were harsh, the tone and way you caressed her face let her know you weren't really mad with her. 

“Let me make this right umfazi (wife).” Shuri declared sitting up so she looked you in the eyes once again. “The man, his name is Liam Drockers he-” 

“I already know Shuri.” You smiled at your wife who looked at you cluelessly. “Aneka filled me in on our way down here, I know everything. I want to speak with him.” 

Shuri pulled out of your grasp now, appalled you would even ask something like that. “Absolutely not Y/N, there is no logical reason to risk your life by putting you in there with him.”

“First there is no risk to my life, not only is he handcuffed but Ayo and Okoye will be in there with us. Second Shuri, you owe me. This has everything to do with me and you tried to keep it from me, I deserve at least one chance to speak with him. Alone.” You were confident in your rebuttal, Shuri tried to find a counterargument for every point you made but she couldn't. 

“Five minutes with Okoye, Ayo, and Aneka inside with you.” Shuri brought her demands to the table and you thought about it for a second. Was she seriously that worried for your safety that she thought you needed three Dora’s in there with you and a restrained and beaten man? 

“Deal.” 

With that Shuri wheeled you out of the viewing area and to the interrogation room. Aneka held the door open and your wife pushed you through the entryway, stopping at the frame per your request. 

“Oh yeah and pack a bag, we’re going to Genelia tomorrow.” You shut the door leaving your very confused wife on the other side. You two were going where? 

In front of you sat a very bruised Liam Drockers, Ayo, and Okoye on his sides You always found it so funny how no matter how big or bad someone seemed, at the end of the day they were made of flesh and bones just like you. 

Wheeling up to the table you sat and stared at your attacker for a moment. Trying to search for something you were never going to find, a reason or justification. 

“Alright, Liam I’m going to make this very easy for you.” You interlaced your fingers and let them sit on the table, this is where you shined. “In the other room, my wife is waiting with bated breath for me to tell her it's okay to come in here and continue to beat the living shit out of you. Now me personally, as you heard before, I’m not a fan of violence. I think it's an unnecessary evil of the world, something we really can function without.” You paused letting out a chuckle. “Not that I think that you believe the same,” You gestured down to your stomach. “You clearly favor my wife when it comes to that way of thinking.” 

Liam's eyes moved all over you, attempting to size you up as a threat. 

“So, now that you know that much about me, let me tell you how this is going to work. Either A. we can make this super simple, you answer every question I have and agree to the plan we have in place. Or, I call my wife back in here and she beats you to a pulp.” 

A wheezing breath came from your attacker and you couldn’t help but notice how weak he looked now, the beating from Shuri having done a good chunk of damage. “I’m not sayin shit, I know my rights.”

You smiled at this, leaning closer to him. “Your rights? You think your rights will protect you here?” The look on Liam’s face changed for a split second, his facade slipping. “You’re in the basement interrogation room of the most technologically advanced country in the world because you shot one of their Queens. You were flown in on a top-secret jet, there's no record of you ever even being in Wakanda. Nobody knows you’re here.” 

“That’s- that’s not true.” Liam stammered out. “There are people out there who know who I am, who are looking for me.” 

This got the heartiest laugh from you yet. “Mallory? Really? You think she’d save you?” The idea he was pushing was almost comical. “You were a gun for hire, you served your purpose and now there's nothing left for you to do, you were disposable from the beginning. Do you seriously believe she’d risk a national incident to save one measly hit man?” 

The truthfulness of your words hit Liam like a ton of bricks, there was no getting out of this. 

“So,” You began. “I’ll ask the question my wife has been trying to ask. What the fuck was your mission and who do you report to.” 

Liam shifted in his chair, looking around the room as he assessed his situation. “It all started with Mallory.” 

Taglist:  @shuriszn @sokkasbae25 @verachii @cuddl3s4shur1 @takeyaki @jinnie10101 @letitias-fav @sweetalittleselfish-honey @beautybyfire @6-noir @mocha-aya @yvxmpire @mysticalmarss @ziayamikaelson @youralphawolf72 @n7cje @inmyheadimobsessed @shurisjournal @shurisbigtoe @saintwrld @pinkwright @chatitajens @playhousedistee @motheroffae @injeolmiee @tchhairbandhere @._mrqs @msudaku @lppriceisright @bratydoll @blackqueengold @iheartsolo @cafehyunji @abenomeiiii @naomis-daydream @ilroachsworld @locoforshuri @nrc-06

[nori-writes]

Hii! I was wondering if you could do either headcanons or a small fic for; Cassidy with a chubby fem s/o? It could go from how they met to the established relationship but anything would be great ^^

Cassidy x Chubby!Fem!Reader

Cassidy x Reader

W/C: 850+

A/N: Oh my god! Thank you so much for the request, I would love to write more like this! I really hope I did your ideas justice. One last thing, while writing this I did also write an angst/comfort that goes along with this fic, I’ll be posting that soon! (also I don’t know how far into the future OW2 is after OW1 disbanded, I’ve seen some places say only a year and others say 2-3 years, for the sake of this we’re going to say 2-3 years) Tysm anon!

You guys met between Overwatch 1 and 2!

He met you in a small bar at night.

When you guys met you were sat alone at the bar.

He is flirty, but a gentleman of course, he asked to sit next to you,

You said yes

Why wouldn’t you

“What is such a lovely lady doing sitting here all alone?” A gruff voice said behind you. As you turned around you were met with a man who looked to be about six foot with a cowboy appearance which held a smile, that of which you returned.

“I just came out alone, needed some time to myself, you’re open to sit here though, as long as you aren’t a creep,” You let out with a little laugh at the end.

He held a hand to his chest taking an offended look to his face, “Me? A creep, never,” He said, removing his hat and taking his seat next to you, “I’m Cassidy, Cole Cassidy.”

“Y/N L/N,”

Cassidy held a glass in his hand taking a sip, “Quite the beautiful name that fits a beautiful person.”

You felt your face heat up at his comment, “You’re hilarious, but I don’t know about all that cowboy.”

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out, scanning it before quickly finishing his drink, “I’m sorry to quickly cut this off but, I’ve gotta go. But, it’s been lovely meeting you even if it wasn’t for long. Would ya mind if I asked for your number?”

Who were you to say no? “Of course,” you said with a smile, pulling out an old receipt from your purse and a pen, writing your number on the back of it, and handing it to him.

He gave you a quick smile thanking you before heading on his way, not forgetting to text you that night.

After you guys talk for awhile you learn about Overwatch and such

You guys also finally go out!!!!

You choose where you want to go on a first date, he’s totally down for anything you want to do.

He is literally the perfect significant other after you two are together for a while.

He loves contact with you, cuddling? No need to ask, he’s already there.

He loves laying on your stomach, thighs, anywhere and everywhere he just loves it.

He can and will cup your face for the lil smoosh look (That’s the best i can describe it i hope that makes sense)

He finds it absolutely adorable!

Ever upset about how you look? He will literally sit there for hours talking about how much he loves every single atom of your body.

He would kiss your body up and down if that’s what he needed to do to get his point across to you.

Don’t even get him started with pet names, Pumpkin, darlin’, sweetheart, doll, sugar, and so so so many more

PDA? Yes. Your his, nobody else’s, he’s gotta let everyone know

He doesn’t get jealous, just protective

He totally gets jealous

By the time Overwatch is back together you guys have been together for a couple years.

You’re not an agent but you two do still live together.

It is canon that Cassidy loves chubbiness and you cannot argue, it’s final.

Your eyes slowly drifted open from the feeling of a pair of arms being wrapped around you and Cassidy’s resting figure flooding into your sight. All you could do was appreciate mornings like this. Mornings where Cole was home, he was in no rush to leave or get ready. It was just you and him.

You took in his figure, his silky chocolate brown hair in a bedhead type state with an ethereal expression, you wished you could stay like this forever. Moments like these only to be interrupted by the growling of your stomach.

As you tried to make your way out of bed you realised that Cassidy’s arms still had their hold around your body. You gave Cole a small little shake, attempting to wake him up, a hum to be let out as his eyes opened immediately fixating his gaze onto you.

“Will you let you out please?” You asked with pleading eyes, much to no avail.

The male let out a groan before a deep, gravely morning voice of his tiredly spoke, “Five more minutes…” The end of his words trailed off as sleep began to take over him again.

You shook him again this time with a whine attached, “Baby please, I’m hungry. I’ll come right back, I promise,” You wiggled but his grip around you only tightened at your attempts.

“Five more minutes sweetheart, then you can go get whatever food you want, alright?”

You nodded to his words, “But only five,” you said, finally agreeing, “no more than that.”

Content with your answer Cole found his head laid onto your chest. However, you knew five minutes was never only five minutes. But, a couple extra minutes in the morning with your lover never killed anyone.

If you enjoyed, my master list as always is here 💜

[wastemanjohn]

2, 11, 14, 19, 20, 31!

THANK YOU! <3

2. Anything that you'd like to write but feel like you're unable to?

i'd love to be able to write a proper, well thought out in depth case fic. but i... just don't know if i'd be able to pull it off. i have three kind of "c-plot" case fics going on in my deanbobby epic but 2 out of three are quite basic and i have struggled with them so hard! i think i'm more of a moments and emotions writer than a plot writer generally so. can't have everything!

11. Three tropes that are fine but overrated. just in my opinion... not going to say officially they're overrated bc everyone enjoys different things... but soulmate AU, bed sharing and fake relationships just don't do much for me (sorry!)

14. Write and share the first sentence of a new fic. Just that. from technically my newest but a while until finished: When Dean shows up on Bobby's doorstep under witching hour skies, he insists it's not as bad as it looks. (this isn't THE deanbobby it's another oneshot)

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

a bit of hellverse just for you hehe:

Eternity is all wires, rhythms and staccato beeps.  John tunes into his surroundings at random moments, like a busted radio. 

It’s morning now, he thinks. The room feels bright even if he can’t open his eyes to see it. He can hear the beep-beep of his heart monitor. Worn sneakers squeaking against floor Cloroxed within an inch of its life.

As the nurses move around him, John can feel the heat of their bodies. Hear the flow of their blood. The rhythms of their breaths. He feels attuned, somehow, to their basic, mundane aliveness. His body trying to relearn just that.

One of them helping to reposition him on the bed is wearing this sickly floral perfume. It rushes his nose every time she leans over him. John has to wonder what the point is of trying to smell pretty when you’re surrounded by death and disease every day. Maybe it makes her feel better about it all.

20. Do you work on a single project or many at the same time? How does that work for you?

just one. if i start a project and then move onto something else there's a good chance i won't finish the original project. that's why i haven't posted in forever lol i'm not allowing myself to finish anything, even if i start it, until deanbobby is done dusted and posted! which hopefully won't be too much longer!

31. What was the most difficult fic for you to write (but in the end you made it)?

this be the verse: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47426149

it was hard going emotionally due to all the rape involved in the past and present lol. and it was also just so complex, weaving all the narratives and emotions together. i worked on it on and off for nearly six months and its only around 7k words!! I'm extremely proud of it though!

writing asks

[notasapleasure]

WIP ask meme

@stripedroseandsketchpads tagged me in this. And oh my god. If you think there are Too Many Words in the fic I publish, you should see my poor notes app. Here is a sneak peek of its contents. I haven't edited for brevity/those I'm actively working on, these are just all the unfinished files I could find. Some I don't intend to do any more with, others I'd really like to pick up again. The only ones being actively worked on right now are the Andor Saga AU and the first one on the list for Andor.

I put ALL the Lymond I could find in mainly for @oughtaagh who has been leaving the most lovely comments on my Lymond fics that I have totally failed to respond to. I'm sorry! I will cycle back round to Lymond one day, it's inevitable <3

Tagging uh.... @distressednoise, @r0b0tb0y, @faceofpoe, @donnaimmaculata, @batri-jopa, @elwenyere, @notabuddhist and anyone else who wants to say I tagged them! Also sorry if you'd already been tagged, I'm not keeping up with the dash very well at the moment!

Anyway please send me asks/comments/cease and desist orders about these. xxx

ANDOR

C: We decided we were thirsty, and you wanted to go to Cavo's. As yet untitled Brassian alternative scene - what if instead of a great collaborative cover story this was a great collaborative fuck? Almost(?) finished?

Saga AU pt 2. This actually does have a working title of 'The Bear and the Berserk' but this doc is just a short bullet point list of plot things for a specific part of the fic.

Cassian pov. It's a Cassian pov chapter! For...drumroll...the first chapter of the Saga AU pt 2! The rest is going to be back to Brasso FPN. The file actually includes a rough first draft of chapter 2, as well.

"You're up early this morning," Bix says lightly. A follow-up chapter to Only Ever Just One Night started back when I had epic plans for continuing this, bringing in Cinta and Vel and Luthen, whumping the hell out of Brasso, and having Cassian rescue him. This is just one scene of awkward conversation with tea though.

Oh god it developed Plot. Related to the previous chapter - a bullet-pointed list of things that might have happened in this fic I Wil Not Write (not least as I'd rather just see what happens in S2 first anyway).

AND THEN WE DANCED

It was a sunny day in Batumi... Patchy few paragraphs of the next chapter of Inchoate.

Plannnnns (again). Plans for how Inchoate would/will continue.

THE LYMOND CHRONICLES

Canon-verse/other AUs

Multiple pieces of follow-up to The next man with a ladder, Danny/Jerott post-canon: It was dark when they rode into the port town... [Chapter 3, basically done, plus most of Chapter 4 but it devolves into broken paragraphs at the end]. "I'm going to the other bed," Danny said in a voice like someone was standing on his throat... [??? there's loads of this written! This is the file where they Get Down To It] Stitch the scenes together [a few paragraphs in which I hoped to make a logical leap from Chapter 4 to fucking, but seemingly never quite got there].

Lymondar saga draft. Actually two files of the abortive first effort at writing a saga AU. I was trying much harder to write in saga style and playing with lacunae in a way that was fun for me but exceedingly nerdy. I think I found the idea more fun than the execution, too.

St Seb. Remember ages ago when I was writing a post-canon 'Jerott gets shot full of arrows and has to admit his feelings because he thinks he's gonna die' fic? This is the file! Some bullet points and some text, some of which I even posted as Sunday sixes way back when iirc.

Fait prosperer qui n'est à croire vain. Fuck me, there's LOADS of this. Pawn in Frankincense/Ringed Castle AU where Marthe steals Lymond's ride with Kiaya Khatun and persuades her they should take over Russia together. Meanwhile Francis is left with Jerott. Hahaha. It kept getting longer because Francis kept trying to escape and I kept finding ways to drag him back, but the 'and now kiss!!' with the two of them behaving in character was just not coming easily.

Francis Crawford's Holistic Inquisition Agency. I wrote this??? One chapter of a Lymond/Dirk Gently AU, where Francis is obviously Dirk and Jerott is a furious/bemused Todd.

She tried every instrument, she redrew every chart. A few short chapters, never finished, of Marthe wrestling with her role in canon and her fate as assigned by La Dame. A couple more paragraphs of a similar sort of thing in Volos.

Malta. Half-arsed few paragraphs of wondering how Jerott would cope with meeting a fellow Knight being imprisoned for sodomy.

Band AU (my 1980s rock band AU for the series, see also @theartistknownaslymond)

Au of an Au. What if, after the Battle of the Bands at Solway, Jerott went to stay at the Edinburgh townhouse for a while and he and Francis got to collaborating in the shed? There's quite a lot of this and it's quite fluffy.

Out out out! The band celebrate Thatcher's downfall. Happy epilogues for everyone! However it's an epic task trying to do all the characters justice, so I was trying to write it as vignettes to match each song on the playlist. Six-ish are written. And earlier draft with plan for characters intercting is in Ding dong the witch is dead.

Jerott/Marthe - four times it just about worked, one time it really didn't. What it says on the tin? aka you just know Jerott has said 'Francis' instead of Marthe at least once when he comes. Only the beginning of the first time exists in this chapter, but I think I explored the idea elsewhere, whenever I dig up that file...

DWTH missing scene. Jerott/OC missing scene from Don't wake the house. Not finished, probably not going to be finished. I think I have enough Jerott smut on the go.

Workshop. Patchy draft of pre-canon Jerott and GRM 'therapy' session in which GRM learns about Francis Crawford and what a hold he has on the boy he thought of as his own plaything. GRM doesn't like sharing.

F/P. Draft of a fluffy kiss prompt someone (@erinaceina? @notfromcold?) sent for Francis/Philippa. Post-canon pregnant Philippa and worried Francis written when it was too hot in summer. It's probably complete enough to post tbh! hmu if you want it posting.

Jerott behaving badly (again). Somehow this ended up in the 'comfortember' section of the notepad, which...no? Maybe it was intended to be originally, but it grew a life of its own. Post-canon, post split-up with the OC, pre-getting together with Danny. Joining the mile high club and regretting it, then ending up crashing at Joleta's (who he meets coincidentally at the airport, NOT who he's screwing in the airplane loo!!). It's meant to end up cathartic, but didn't get finished :') I'm actually really pleased with what I have - post-canon Joleta is so much fun to write!

Somewhere (Google Drive?? an actual Word doc??) there is also loads and loads and LOADS of Pawn in Frankincense band AU around Baron Morgan's place (the Aga Morat), featuring fucked-up Francis/Morgan, fucked up Marthe/Kiaya, fucked up Francis/Kiaya, and bewildered cold turkey Jerott. There's also some Jerott/Marthe from later on.

Other

Crossover. A sequel to my ATWD fic I will shake mountains, where Merab and Irakli encounter celebrity diners in the restaurant they work in: respected musician Francis Crawford and friends take the boys for a drink and share queer/artistic inspiration/history with them. There's quite a lot written but I couldn't quite manage to finish it off.

St Mary's. Another ATWD/Lymond crossover, placing Merab and Irakli among the mercenaries of St Mary's. Mostly bullet points.

3m. Furious that there was no fic for the film Three Months I decided to jot down a scene I wanted to see afterwards. I wrote four lines and cannot remember what my plan was at all.

[comfortlesshurt]

August 2024 Plans!

Hello again, and I am sorry to tell most of you, I am still only obsessed with Voltron. That being said, here are my plans for Keith for this month.

General Goals:

Newly published word count: 5,071/10,000

Have total VLD published WC surpass Spider-Man: 48,364/100,258 (I'm not calling this a failed goal! I never planned to publish 50k+ in a single month, to be clear. This is a long-term goal that I'm hoping to hit in 2025.)

Test new weekly writing schedule: my choice of any three weekdays from 6pm to 9pm and any one weekend day from waking up to going to bed (with short breaks as needed). Possible exceptions on the weekend hours during any pre-planned social events because I'm too good at isolating myself already. Schedule TBD during work travel but will be much less for those times unless I can get comfy writing in-flight lmao.

Bonus uncontrollable achievement for funsies: 250k total hits on AO3 (starting the month around 244k)

Augusnippets:

All are drafted because I overachieved last month

Publish 15 total snippets

Posting out of order because all my fills take place in one series, and it was more important to me to get the series order right than the challenge order

Currently working on c*mm*ssioning art for this story!

Bingo prompts:

Finish and publish at least one more bingo prompt this month (I'm open to requests for Keith!)

One request received! (Working on outlining it and expecting to draft and publish this month)

40k in 42 Days:

Drafted word count (not necessarily published like the goal in general goals)

Start 8/4

Complete by 9/14 (On track to achieve this one!)

Probably major focus on LTS(LTFH), but I'm counting all drafted words during this time period

(My Write Club linked above! Feel free to friend if you're participating in this or if you use it at all.)

LTS(LTFH):

Cleaned these goals up a little mid-month!

Finish full outline for fic 1

Continue drafting fic 1: 35% of 100k goal

Draft what I know of fic 2: 30% of 50k goal (with focus on events surrounding Augusnippets fills until I finish final fic 1 details)

Draft fic 0 (<5k prequel to provide background on a certain event)

Continue fine outlining fics 2 through 4 as new plot points are decided in fic 1

Incorporate feedback from Augusnippets for characterization/events

Refine expected publish date at end of August (starting August expecting fic 1 to be drafted and edited for continuity errors by end of December 2024; expecting to complete technical editing chapter by chapter to start a weekly posting schedule in January 2025)

Prep for next month:

Resist the urge to take on any September writing challenges

Filter through my published list and rank works by how much they need a solid round of editing (I'm hoping to edit everything next month, but I'll be prioritizing in case I can't get through it all.)

Longer term:

I don't know where I'll be in six months, obviously. These are loose plans, subject to adjustment.

August 2024 - LTS(LTFH) focus

September 2024 - edit existing works & draft LTS(LTFH)

October 2024 - possibly Whumptober (possibly LTS(LTFH) instead)

November 2024 - NaNoWriMo (I'm now 90% sure I'll be focusing on the third chapter fic in LTS(LTFH) for this project)

December 2024 - back to editing, focusing on unpublished works

January 2025 - begin publishing fic 1 of the big series; continue drafting fic 2

[elizaviento]

Green on the Vine — Strawberry Wine (Part 7 of ?)

(Stardew Valley — Shane/Female Farmer/OC)

This chapter is rated SFW — 4298 words.

Note: Covid is kicking my ass, y'all. But these two continue to be silly idiots...

(FYI: Additional chapters of Green on the Vine — Strawberry Wine can be found in the Stardew Valley Fic Masterpost link in my blog description.  Or, you can click the #green on the vine strawberry wine tag in this post, within my blog, to access all additional chapters.)

*****

Kristen struggled with the wheelbarrow, good hand wrapped around one handle while she tried to balance the opposite side with her hip. After it toppled over for the fifth time, she kicked the rusty bucket and groaned, wondering why she'd told Shane there was nothing else to do on the farm for the remainder of the day.

You were too busy freaking him the fuck out, she thought, sinking to the ground in front of the discarded hand truck.  Did you really think his reaction would be anything other than what it was?

No. In truth, she'd expected it to go much worse. All the headway she'd made with Shane over the years was hard-won with ample amounts of patience. Approaching him with such a rash proposal out of the absolute fucking blue would never end with his immediate acquiescence. She'd been arrogant and foolish, hoping that a shift had transpired in their relationship. An inkling of such a shift had made itself known when Shane offered to be her personal farmhand without so much as batting an eye, but Kristen overstepped, misinterpreting his kindness for something else. Something more. And now, here she sat — ass in the dirt staring forlornly at a field full of overripe tomatoes, praying they wouldn't rot overnight. Praying even harder that Shane would return in the morning, all memory of her awkward proposal wiped from his brain.

"Hey! Farmer!" 

The voice was deep and not immediately familiar to Kristen as she searched for its owner. The sun was beginning to sink low, brilliant splotches of fire and gold obscuring her vision as a form bled through and drew closer.

"Alex?" she asked, finally recognizing the burly physique. He was carrying a large basket with a sack slung over one shoulder. His stereotypically handsome face greeted her with a smile, along with a six-pack carved from marble.

"Yeah." He was close enough now that he offered a hand, and she took it, soon finding herself on her feet and failing not to stare. "Sorry — was in the middle of a workout when Gran asked me to bring this stuff over," he explained with a smug expression, obviously aware that his outfit was a distraction.

"No need to apologize," Kristen said, waving him to follow her as she turned toward the farmhouse. She had the almost uncontrollable urge to compliment his routine but bit her tongue, convinced that accidentally flirting with someone like Alex would end in Haley hunting her down and scratching her eyes out like a cat in heat.

They'd made it to the front porch before Alex spoke again, slinging the bag on the rocking chair and placing the basket near the front door.

"You really are fucked up, huh?" he asked, eyeing the farmer's injured hand as she wiped sweat from her brow with her forearm.

"Oh — yeah. Guess I am."

"Need help with anything while I'm here? I'm pretty strong, you know."

Kristen suppressed a smirk as the gridball jock threaded a hand through his perfectly manicured hair, not-so-subtly flexing as he did so. Only then did she notice just how tan he was and wondered if it was from a bottle. 

"Actually," she began, allowing her eyes to rove over his form. The outfit choice made sense, given his earlier excuse, but she was certain he would have had time to change if he really wanted to. "Have you ever harvested tomatoes before?"

Kristen winced as she watched Alex rip each fruit from the stalks. She was confident half her plants wouldn't be viable to produce again, convinced she'd find them snapped in half if she went to investigate, but beggars can't be choosers. Once again, she mentally berated herself for spooking the one man she actually wanted to watch working in her fields as the last drops of golden sunlight melted below the horizon.

"Done," the jock declared, parking the full wheelbarrow at the side of the porch. Sweat glistened on his perfectly sculpted abs and bulging thighs, reminding Kristen of Teen Beat pinups her high school girlfriends would tape to the inside of their lockers.

"Thanks, Alex. I was afraid they would rot before —"

"Well, I'm not doing anything else tonight," he said, cutting her off mid-sentence. He'd obviously not been listening to a word Kristen said, instead calculating his next move. The farmer raised one brow in question, and he continued. "We should watch a movie or something. Gran packed some food, and I brought some beer."

Kristen balked, realization dawning on her like a brick to the face.

"Wha — Alex, how old are you?" she blurted, the question leaping from her throat before she could stop it. She already knew the answer but hoped that his saying it aloud would cement just how ridiculous his thinly veiled attempt actually was.

"I'm 21. Why, that too young for you?"

A barking laugh sprung from her chest, and she clapped a hand over her mouth to suppress another. No matter his intentions, she didn't want to offend someone who had just gone out of their way to help her.

"It's not about that," she clarified. Deep down, she was a bit flattered that someone his age would be interested in her. In fact, that's probably what he was banking on.

"I dunno, we're both single. You're hot. I'm hot. You gotta be bored out here, right?"

She blinked and shook her head, wondering why she wasn't outright offended. She may have been if there was any indication whatsoever that he was trying to play her for a fool. But he seemed utterly genuine.

"I —"

He cut her off again, only this time, his words were so on point that she nearly fell over while processing them.

"You got it for someone else, huh? That Shane guy? Yeah, I dunno why; he's kinda mean to everyone. That's cool, though. Wouldn't wanna step on his toes, you know." He appeared a bit dejected but quickly shook it off, giving her another show-stopping smile. "If you change your mind, lemme know. We could probably have some fun, and I wouldn't tell anyone if you don't want me to."

"Yeah, sure…" she said, still dumbstruck. Alex was known to be a flirt, and this wasn't the first time he'd done so with her, but his rock-solid confidence shook her to the core.

"And don't worry, I won't tell Shane either," he continued with a wink. "Though you should probably just make a move on him or something. He seems kinda dumb. I would've had you in bed already if you followed me around like that."

Kristen’s mouth fell agape, too flabbergasted to respond. But the voices in her head were anything but silent.

If Alex fucking Mullner can tell, everyone can. Everyone in this town knows. Everyone. EVERYONE!

"Anyway. Guess I'll take my change of clothes with me," Alex said, unphased by the farmer's lack of response. "The basket has the food and beer. Keep the beer. I think you probably need it."

Again, she slowly blinked and waved like a moron when he retrieved the sack from her rocking chair and strutted back toward town.

❦❧🍓❦❧

Kristen took her time hauling in the tomatoes from the wheelbarrow, almost one by one, washing them in her sink and placing them in cardboard boxes lined with paper towels. She'd call Pierre in the morning and ask if he'd be willing to come pick them up, knowing he would discount his travel cost from the final bill of sale, but it was better than the alternative of the entire crop going to waste. The process was slow and tedious; night had fully fallen by the time she flopped down on her living room couch to grab her phone.

9:01 PM: 1 missed call from Shane Davis

9:02 PM: 1 missed call from Shane Davis

9:03 PM: 1 missed call from Shane Davis

The farmer furrowed her brow, checking the current time. She'd missed his calls by just a few minutes but was far more concerned with the back-to-back notifications. Shane wasn't the serial calling type. 

The second he picked up the call, Kristen recognized the clamber of the Saloon, and she closed her eyes. He might have been just chatting with Emily and Gus. Maybe he'd had a beer or two. But something told her that was wishful thinking. And when he finally spoke, she was proven right.

Initially, she'd been hotly upset. Not because Shane was drunk but due to the accusations he'd so casually tossed at her, implying she'd hopped into bed with someone in the few hours since they'd last seen one another. It was absurd and equally perplexing. It never failed to amaze Kristen just how fast gossip flew through this minuscule town, and she wondered how warped the story had become when it reached Shane's intoxicated ears.

Regardless, the farmer had a game plan for these situations: Coffee, bread, and more coffee. She set a batch of the black gold to brew while pulling a fresh loaf from the basket of goodies that Evelyn had packed. It must have been divine intervention, the old woman including such an essential item for Kristen's current predicament. Then again, maybe Alex inherited his unsettling intuition from his Gran…

Kristen practically stomped her aggression out during the walk to the Saloon, the first half spent in solitude as she followed the footpath leading toward the bus stop. By the time she'd crossed the threshold into town, she'd cooled off considerably and found herself smiling and waving to those few town folks out and about. Annoyance still simmered below the surface but low enough that she could control it in the face of wandering eyes. 

"Kristen!" Emily called, frantically gesturing the farmer over as soon as she entered the Saloon. Her eyes quickly scanned the bar, shoulders sagging when she failed to locate her target.

"Hey, Em. How long ago did he leave?" the farmer asked, taking Shane's usual stool at the end of the bar next to the fireplace. An empty mug and a glass of melting ice water sat side by side in front of her.

"Not long after he hung up with you," Emily replied, whisking away Shane's leftovers. "He seemed upset. I told him to call you, hoping it would calm him down. He hasn't had a night like this in a while."

"Yeah…" Kristen confirmed, rubbing her eyes with her good hand's thumb and middle finger. Her injured hand throbbed, reminding her that she hadn't taken any painkillers since that morning. "It's probably my fault."

Emily gave the farmer a sympathetic look before fetching a fresh glass and filling it with her favorite soda.

"You can't hold yourself responsible for a grown man, Kristen. You've helped him turn things around, but it's ultimately up to him to stay on the right path," Emily said. It would have come across as a lecture from any other person, but the farmer knew that Emily held more wisdom in her pinky finger than most people did in their entire bodies. "Whatever haunts him, it's not up to you to chase it away. But —" she took Kristen's hand and held it gently, closing her eyes as if she were channeling something unseen, "— he trusts you. He obviously sees your friendship as something to be cherished. Don't take that lightly."

Kristen sighed, again taken aback by an observation so apt that a verbal response eluded her. Instead, she simply nodded and sipped her drink, gathering her thoughts.

She would have to find Shane; that much was clear, and she knew exactly where to look. What wasn't so clear was how she would address their shared bizarre behavior of the day once she sobered him up. The night was young enough that it was still possible, so she knew she had to try before Alex and Emily's revelations faded into soft obscurity in the back of her mind, tucked away and forgotten. It was easy enough to let Shane's reaction to her earlier proposal sit on her nerves and make her crazy with uncertainty, but it was another matter to honestly examine her own feelings and admit to herself why her immediate solution was to move him into her home.

Kristen attempted to pay for the soda, but Emily, of course, refused. She tucked several bills under the glass anyway and blew the blue-haired woman a playful kiss when she caught her eye exiting the Saloon. Not for the first time, the farmer counted herself lucky to have made such a friend during her time in the Valley. Someone who could speak to her plainly but still provided a perspective she wouldn't have stumbled across otherwise. It was refreshing, even among such a tight-knit community.

"Please, at least be semi-coherent by the time I find you," Kristen mumbled under her breath as she stepped out into the cobblestone walkway. She'd spent more time in the Saloon than she'd realized and groaned when she checked her phone. Shane could do a lot of damage in an hour and a half, and Kristen wagered it would be midnight by the time she found her way to the Cindersap lake dock. At this rate, she'd be lucky if he was even conscious.

He's come a lot farther than that, she chided herself. But the farmer was ultimately a realist. During their short phone call, Shane's tone didn't give her much hope that he was curbing his impulses.

Just as she'd predicted, she found him on the dock. Initially, fear gripped her heart when she saw him lying there motionless, several beer cans littered around him. How many times had she come upon a similar scene? It never got easier.

He drank the coffee and ate the bread as she presented it to him. A cup here. A hunk there. They sat in silence otherwise, the chirp of crickets and the croak of toads providing the only soundtrack. It was peaceful. Comfortable. The world shrank around them until only the pair remained, their breaths seeming to sync as Kristen sank into her thoughts and Shane slowly sobered up.

"Um —" he spoke after what felt like millennia. Kristen jumped slightly, her eyes focusing on his face in the darkness. She'd switched off her flashlight ages ago but could make out the curve of his jaw and the motion of his hand as he scrubbed it down his face. "Sorry."

She wasn't sure how to respond. Apologizing felt hollow somehow. Something massive sat between them. Dense and burdensome. And she knew they wouldn't leave this dock until they addressed it properly.

"Shane. We have to talk."

"I know," he replied with a weary sigh that exasperated her. She felt defeated before they'd even begun. Like no matter what she said, he'd simply take it and shrug it off as if it didn't phase him in the slightest, despite his earlier belligerence. 

"What exactly do you know?" she asked, challenging him. Her voice had already risen an octave, indicative of her current state of vex. She hated that her emotions had already slithered from their cage, but attempting to wrangle them back in was no use. Her injured hand throbbed as her heart rate spiked, and she suddenly found herself holding back sobs. Chest wracking, breath hitching sobs of pure frustration.

"I know I'm an asshole. I know I dragged you out here in the middle of the night — again. I know I blew everything out of proportion and then tried to drown it in beer because that's what I do. That's how I cope. I know I'll probably never change, and you're just wasting your time."

"Shut up," she said, ripping a hunk from the bread loaf and shoving it into her mouth. The act of chewing gave her precious seconds to swallow the snarky words she wanted to follow along with a heavy dose of carbs. "You actually don't  know  shit, Shane. You really, truly don't."

"What?" he asked. It seemed some of the farmer's frustration was leaking into the atmosphere of their tiny bubble, infecting the man who she was effectively holding hostage.

"I need you to sit there and just listen to me for a little bit, okay? Because what I'm about to say is something I've been shoving down and trying to ignore. I'm good at pretending things don't exist, but it always catches up to me, and then I end up here — frustrated and upset because I'm too chicken shit to admit what's really going on."

"Kriss, you don't have to do this."

His tone had shifted, and he suddenly sounded… scared? Apprehensive? She wasn't sure. And for a moment, she hesitated. Did she really want to lay all her baggage at his feet just as he crawled from the swamps of inebriation? She could very well be shoving another case of beer down his throat.

"Shane."

She reached for him in the darkness, fingers slipping through his palm before settling in the groves of his own. His wrist was limp for longer than she hoped, and she considered pulling away. But then he curled his fingers around hers, properly holding her hand for the very first time. She suddenly felt like an inexperienced teenager and was thankful for the darkness, acting as an invisible buffer between her swelling emotions and the unsuspecting man they were directed toward. After another stretch of silence, Shane shifted slightly, positioning their hands more naturally, settling them atop one of his thighs. Nothing he could have said aloud would have been a more precise indication that he was prepared to accept what was next, so Kristen sucked in a deep breath and continued.

"This thing between us… it isn't just friendship. You know that, right?"

She paused, not expecting an actual response but giving herself space to accept what she'd said alongside him. In her peripheral vision, he nodded before tilting his face toward the sky. She did the same, mapping the glittering dots above them with her eyes, connecting one by one like plot points in the story of her life. Each line had led her directly to this moment with this man. Sitting on a lake dock in the middle of the night, fingers intertwined, so many things unspoken.

"I told you about my divorce," she said, still struggling with assigning words to her feelings as they swelled and threatened to consume her.

"Yeah," Shane answered. His fingers flexed in her grip as he shifted again uncomfortably. "But you don't have to talk about that."

"No, I do," she protested, even as words caught in her throat, thick and sticky. "Because it matters. I left everything behind to escape a life I ruined. I came here thinking I could hide away on my grandpa's farm forever. I'd given up. But then I saw you and thought I could… I don't know. I thought maybe I didn't have to be alone."

Kristen paused again, a shaky exhale slipping past her lips. She'd spent far too long denying how she felt and could only imagine how blindsided Shane must have been earlier in the day and now. And how unfair it was for her to assign him to such a position in her life, despite his initial protests. It was like she'd literally forced herself upon him, pushed and pushed until she wore him down, and he had no choice but to accept the new farmer as a reluctant companion. The words 'Stockholm syndrome' floated up to the surface of her mind like a dead fish, and she almost laughed aloud. It actually resembled the pyramid inside a magic 8 ball, displaying the answer to her question of why Shane would continue to put up with her obvious emotional manipulation.

"We didn't just split up," she spoke again, her thoughts finally flowing freely. "He cheated on me. I was so consumed with my career that all I wanted was to get ahead, and I ignored him. For years. By the time I was ready to leave Joja, it was too late. He'd moved on."

Shane shifted again, only now he turned to face her. She still couldn't distinguish his features in the dark, but his aura was cautious as he untangled their fingers. For a dreadful second, she thought he was about to get up and leave, simply walk away and leave her alone with her selfish confessions. But he wrapped his free arm around her waist instead, gingerly settling his palm on her hip. She stiffened momentarily out of pure shock, recalling every instance he refused to hug her back and how he would put distance between them when she got too comfortable in his presence. Something had finally changed between them, and she felt her heart flutter as she placed her hand on his thigh and scooted closer to his side.

"Why are you blaming yourself for that?" he asked. His voice was imploring, displaying interest past the haze of alcohol, and Kristen figured he'd crested the surface of sobriety. 

"I don't know. Societal pressures? I was expected to be the perfect wife with the perfect career. When he told me he wanted kids, I kept putting it off because I was so close to clawing my way up the ladder. I told him we'd be set once I became Senior Corporate Counsel. But that all fell apart, and by the time I'd licked my wounds and crawled back to him, he'd gotten someone else pregnant and served me with divorce papers."

"Jesus, Kriss…" Shane breathed, unconsciously tightening his grip on her waist. Kristen followed his lead and scooted closer to his side, resting her head on his shoulder. Despite the balmy night air, a chill hugged her bare arms, and she suppressed a shiver. "So you came here after?"

"Yep," she replied with a bitter laugh. "Imagine going to law school only to end up a farmer."

"What happened at Joja?" he asked. Again, his tone was cautious, and she couldn't blame him. She'd dodged this question before, not ready to rehash the shame. After a while, he'd dropped the subject entirely, but it was only natural he'd still be curious.

"Can I promise to tell you about that later? For real this time."

He nodded, and she released a breath, glad she didn't have to spill the whole of her sorted history in one sitting. But, as it was, she needed to finally get to the point before she tied his brain into a pretzel.

"So, what now?" he hedged, reading her thoughts. Kristen froze, realizing it was truly now or never. What did she really have to lose? Besides her best friend…

"I still want you to move in with me, but…" She cleared her throat, stalling for time. Shane remained quiet at her side, giving her that reprieve. She buried her face in his shoulder as she flushed, apprehension manifesting as beads of cold sweat rolling down her spine.

Just do it. Say it. Tell him now.

"I'm sorry I've been so confusing and frustrating to deal with. I'm sorry if it felt like I was stringing you along. I'm sorry I sprang this on you out of the blue. For me, it's not such a rash request." 

She paused again, holding her breath to gauge the steady quality of his own, deep and even. She hadn't a clue what he must be thinking as she rambled like a lunatic, but she was beginning to lose her nerve. 

"I'm crazy about you, Shane. And I've spent the last 2 years trying to pretend I'm not because I don't want to get hurt again. I've been too scared to make a move like a normal human being because I'm fucked up. So instead, I ask you to upheave your entire life to come live on my farm like it's the logical next step in any normal friendship."

"Kristen. Wait…”

During her tirade, he'd shimmied from their awkward embrace and turned to face her fully, placing both hands on her shoulders. The utterance of her full name took her aback, and she clamped her mouth shut, terrified that this was finally it. He was going to tell her he didn't feel the same. He wanted to stay friends. Or worse — he wanted to go their separate ways.

"What?" she croaked. Tears welled in her eyes. She swiped them away quickly, cursing her urge to blink. Humiliation rolled over her like a truck, and she wanted to flip herself into the lake and sink like a stone until she settled on the bottom for eternity.

"Will you, uh — I mean, let's go to the ranch. Marnie's not coming home tonight, and Jas is at Vincent's."

"Why?" she asked, wiggling from his grasp and wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, dulling the throbbing of her injured hand, causing her to tremble. 

He's blowing you off. He wants to distract you so you'll stop making a fool of yourself. 

"I just — please?"

He rose to his feet, snatching her backpack from the dock and retrieving the flashlight from a side pocket. The LED beam exploded from the tiny device, and Kristen squinted her eyes, shielding them with her bandaged hand while the other pushed herself up to join him.

Crickets and toads filled the silence again with their nightly crooning as the pair walked, twigs snapping under their feet. The occasional scuttle in surrounding bushes reminded them of the life that thrived in the woods, tiny creatures unconcerned with the complicated emotions of humans and the silly way they sabotaged joy for the sake of convenience.

Kristen wished to be like them someday. Happy and free. 

[sixtysixproblems]

obligatory newbie post + my ficlist but at least im not from twitter

What's up tumbleweeds i will no longer be a meance exclusive to ao3! This'll probably be a 90% star wars blog because unfortunately I can't choose my special interests aparently, and my brain picked the fandom where everyone dies to be my main thing. sigh.

Ao3 = Kalidescope_View. (i know kaleidoscope is terribly misspelled, shhhhh)

Names + Pronouns - He/Him, minor, could not care less what you call me. Sixes? Kaleidoscope? Kalidescope? That fucking guy over there? Whatever works.

My fic list (all clone wars for now)

"fluorescent mistakes" - an ongoing chat-fic that spiraled out of control and became my main project

Cody: Look, it's the vod who's so basic he's off the PH scale Wolffe: cody you nerd what the fuck does that even mean ~-~-~-~ Cody creates a chatroom for his batch. He really, really shouldn't have. Featuring: some blyla + codywan + vox, a lot of sibling love, even more sibling chaos, and *checks notes* ...plot???

"mistakesverse" series - all of them are canon in fluorescent mistakes, but all function as standalones for now/not needed to read fluorescent.

>"fairness" - ponds & rex h/c oneshot, kamino era but not too heavy angst wise >"get it on flimsi" - coruscant guard chatfic oneshot >"godzillo v crypto bros" - the zillo beast arc but make it a crack chat fic

"i accidentally made a modern au" series - a bunch of stand-alone oneshots set in the same highschool au universe.

>"pastel" - the fetts have an easter egg hunt in the background while wolffe is being a little shit and trying to set up codywan >"i want you (for worse or for better)" - Vox miscomunication except it's only the part where it gets resolved + outside your door in the pouring rain trope, ft peanut butter m&ms >"petals" - codywan flower gifting, the teasing that comes with siblings, wolffe is a little shit again >"(SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH" - a chatfic where cody nearly gets caught in a thunderstorm, set during fett family vacay + ft eggo poptarts

"id kiss you as the lights went out" - Ongoing Vox 5+1 hurtcomfort, but it's more like a 5+2

“Vos,” Fox says, forcing his grip to relax so he doesn’t wrinkle the flimsiwork he’s working on, “Are you aware you’re dripping blood on my carpet?” “Uh,” Vos looks down at the few drops of crimson now staining the ugly beige-colored floor, and quickly puts a hand over his side, “...I’d say sorry, but I mean, you must have gotten wine on it at some point, so it'll just...Blend in?”

"warmth" - self-indulgent vox hurt/comfort with a bad title.

Quinlan Vos had been hovering around Fox like a particularly annoying fly for the past two months now, for no particular reason. Well, none Fox could discern at least. Oh, not that Vos wasn’t telling him why. Vos had plenty of "reasons", he’d explain them with a smirk that Fox supposed he’d find charming-- if he had never put up with the Jedi’s shenanigans. And if he didn’t know that Vos and his excuses were full of shit.

"stitched" - no plot only vibes drunk sibling nonse (fox, cody, wolffe)

"Force, you are old," Wolffe drawled, and Fox tried to project his glare as best he could through his helmet. Cody snorted from somewhere behind them, but Fox was too drunk to tell where-- which sent off a prickle of anxiety.. "I see you do not want a present from me for life day," He grumbled, trying to banish his stress. He’d have none of his usual paranoia tonight. Wolffe put his hands up in mock surrender. "Fine. It's impressive. I wouldn't have the patience" Wolffe amended, and picked up Fox's knitting to study it with, annoyingly, what looked like at least some genuine interest.

have a nice day folks!

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

jamie+zoe "i missed him every day of my life" gay

so far both tegan and zoe had their moment of "who i became after my travels shaped who i was / i tried to what the doctor would od". really feels like it's continuing the theme started in s1 of newwho and that has been developed every season since (+ in spin offs)

not much else to say cause i never connected to the second era emotionally tbh sdlkfj

six+peri

SIX AND PERI FINALLY GETTING THE CLOTHING THEY DESERVE

bro nicola is so good wtf. give this woman an spin-off

"your story is far from over"? OH "for both of us" this is so tru metatextually. no doctor's story is ever over. six and peri are still having new adventures every year in eu and fic. and they'll contineu to have them forever. these character's story really aren't ever over. (oh how i wish newbie fans understood this when they start to get too dramatic over regeneration)

"some i would rather forget" yeah… very metatextual for six lol

man i really need to listen to their big finish. they've dev'd their performance so much.

cant wait to see what idiot's lantern sketch troupe does with this lol

clyde + jo

clyde and jo is such a deep cut…. god honestly how can fans have the time to get all frisky about the "series 1" naming thing when THIS is literally happening at the same time. when the whoniverse announcement is happening at the same time. when FINALLY you don't have to scourage long-hidden dailymotion account to watch the classic stories with 144p quality. this fandom really misses the forest for the trees (misses the STORY for silly branding stuff)

they are so chaotic i love them

i love that this continues the SJA thoughtline of sarah jane really managing to build her own legacy, her own world, her own family after the doctor. it's so heartwarming.

"by the way, i heard, and im sorry" "thank you" THIS IS SUCH A DEEP CUT

"good… she's good…" rani/clyde shippers everywhere DISTRAUGHT

(sooo these companions that went on to "fight climate change" (jo grant, tegan, rani, ryan)… do we think they went to X.R.? Earth First? J.S.O?…formed an ecosocialist party? lol "fighting for the environment" can mean a lot of things) -RANI/CLYDE SHIPPERS EVERYWHERE R E J O I C

(cries again)

steven + viki

ngl i do love that between all the over-archiving "where are they now"s you have vicki like "i planted olives". icon.

"i got my little sister back" doNt ta Lk T oM E

"can you imagine the doctor wearing something like this?"

hm have to agree with others saying this could have focused more on steven. when i think of "unresolved angst" in doctor who steven is defo up there at the top lol

im also not sure im too into the idea of him becoming a king post-show. then again, havent kept up with his eu so idk it might be a thing. i thought it was more of a diplomatic position?

idk idk. the vicki stuff WAS good but i think this is the only one in this series that's a bit weaker for me ( im super glad it exists tho)

ace + seven

ace's rainbow pin…………………………………………

"last time i saw you, you were a hologram" continuity !!!!!! cry me a river anti-chibnalls lolol

man i really need to read their books!! 7 era really is something else with all the like… poetic, cosmic-philosophy dialogue style.

"i needed someone to blame" damn…good line. says a lot about how seven is to blame for A Lot but Ace had to learn to separate things and not make it All about him. Really good character stuff.

ngl some of this dialogue could really work with thasmin SKLDJ like, make it less paternal and more romantic of course... but the template is there… i really love how ace and yaz have come to be kind of mirrored / connected in the eu tbh (and likewise how 13 and 7 have come to be foils. but more comparative foils than how previously 7 and 5 were antagonistic foils) (i hope this is all ground that is explored some day in the eu. would love to see something like Cold Fusion but with 7/13)

"it was london ONTARIO"

"it was your destiny you set in motion" obsessed with this dialogue

"the best it yet to come" sTop maKing me CRy

"we made a great time" "we were wicked" TOT

...i guess for me this is one will have to be pete mctighe's redemption for kerblam lol

me dropping all my rl obligations to scream about the blorbos for two hours

[kockmin]

Jikook Fic Recs!

Hi everyone! I’ve been reading a lot of jikook fanfiction recently so I thought “why not make a fic rec for my followers?” (even though you’ve probably already read these fics) so here you go guys and thank you for 2.5k+ followers :)))

Fic recs part 2!

In no particular order:

Sugar, we’re going down swinging by aborescent (One shot)

“Modernsherlock!au - The first time Jeon Jungkook meets Park Jimin, the other boy is dissecting what looks like a penis.”

I absolutely loved this fic. It has some suggestive themes (as you can tell by the summary), but its not really nsfw. I really like how the writer portrayed Jimin (cute, smol cinnamon roll) and his way of thinking and solving cases, as well as the jikook dynamic (just kiSS ALREADY). It’s a really interesting and sweet fic that also inspired me to draw some sketches about it. I am currently obsessed with this oneshot!

You're My Genie, Lamborghini (You're My Teeny Weeny Meenie) by mindheist (One shot) (M)

“You know those people who say technology is driving people apart? Yeah, fuck them.”

Really good fic where Jimin’s thirst for Jungkook is super real (Also, thanks Taehyung!). Jungkook and Jimin are both youtuber and fate (more like an injury) brings em together! There is smut in this fic so keep that in mind. I loved the twitter and snapchat edits that this oneshot has, I thought it was really creative and a different take on au jikook!

More golden than the golden snitch by aborescent (One shot)

“Everyone knows that the first year Slytherin seeker Jeon Jungkook's biggest fan is not from his own house but a third year Hufflepuff named Park Jimin.”

I’ve realised I’m a sucker for cute Jimin and this Harry Potter!au is so adorable and I just- ahhhh words can’t explain how much I like this fic. This fic has so many cute moments between them is great and Jungkook is very popular, but also very sweet towards Jimin. This is my daily dose of cuteness tbh.

More fics under the cut!

Listen to my heartbeat (it’s calling you at its own will) by poplolli (Completed) (M)

“Park Jimin has fluffy sweaters, green glasses, chubby cheeks and a smile what could make flowers grow. Jeon Jeongguk has Reputation (with capital R), a motorcycle, way more black leather jackets than necessary and a Secret (with capital S). And may or may not, Jeon Jeongguk has a teeny tiny Crush, too. (It's really tiny though, the capital C must be a mistake, okay.) AKA the high school!AU where Jeongguk secretly likes cute things and Jimin has sweater paws.”

Jungkook, Jimin and cats; need I say more? Nah, but seriously, this 8 chapter fic shows badboy!jungkook being the most adorable cutie pie and Jimin (already an established cinnamon roll) meeting during detention and well, lots of stuff happens from there haha. The summary should be enough to attract you and I think jungkook’s thoughts and actions are sometimes funny and kinda cute (there’s also a bit of jealous!jungkook). Oh, btw this fanfic also has smut in it (yay!).

Dream Maker by Graesun and Polkari Seuta (VeritasEtVita) (Completed) (M)

“Oh, dream maker, you heartbreaker / wherever you're going, I'm going your way. 

Several days in the lives of Jimin and Jungkook living off instant ramen and lots of kisses.”

Where Jimin and jungkook barely have enough money to pay the rent, but still try to be happy. We get to see all the different things they go through in all 12 chapters and seeing their reactions to them is so interesting and feels... very human?, I feel it’s really important to show the readers not only the good and fun side of jikook living together, but also the hardships they have faced, that they get stressed and frustrated when things don’t go like they'd like them to and that’s what this fic does. It’s incredibly sweet seeing their bond remain so strong after everything occurred and they always think about the other one first. Heartbreaking at times and a really good fic! *whispers* there’s also smut :).

Okay this fic rec was only going to be 5 fics for the sake of this post not being super super long, but I just could not not put a really angsty rec here so here you go!

Wonder by wordcouture (Completed)

"You see, one loves the sunset when one is so sad." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

I don’t actually remember what exactly happened in the book “The Little Prince,” but all I know is that this fic ripped my heart into tiny little pieces with its two chapters and its just so sad that jikook are in this apocalyptic world and they can’t be happy and I can’t write anything more without using spoilers so check it out if you’re into angst ;-;

Aaaaand there you go guys! Thank you again for 2.5k+ followers and if you want me to make some other fic recs (there’s a lot of fics I love)  message me on/off anon! I tried to keep these as spoiler free as I could, but I‘m sorry if they’re still too spoiler-y I tried ;-;. All of this fics are great and you should definitely check them out if you haven’t already!

[martsonmars]

Hello friends! First SSS of the year for me. Also an early post because I want to write after sleeping and maybe some validation early in the day will help 💖 I have six snippets from six WIPs to share (only the fifth one written today, which makes me sad because I really wanted to share new new words, but it's okay) and I want to talk about them, so I'm throwing everything under the cut with the tags.

You can vote for the WIP you'd like me to continue the most (except Like We Had A Clue, because I know people are waiting for an update and it would skew the vote hahaha). Pick one of the other 5! Though as always I'll follow inspiration and not what the people want.

Love you all <3 hope you're taking care of yourself in these trying times.

1. First EGF WIP. I have many ideas for EGF, but considering a) possible writer's blocks, b) exams, c) other non EGF related WIPs, I honestly don't know how much I'll manage to write. This one is the most “urgent” one because it's a collab with @aroace-genderfluid-sheep and he's already done so many cool things for it and I'm so excited!!! The snippet I'm sharing is all I've written for this fic. Oh well!

“You could've at least sent us to Dante's inferno. That would've been intellectually stimulating.”

“This place is plenty stimulating.”

Of course it is. It's a fucking sex dungeon.

2. Second EGF WIP. I shared something from this already. There's hope I'll finish this one because it's short, but knowing myself I can't make promises hahaha.

“I’m sorry,” they say. Their voice is deep and smooth, like I imagine a cello would sound if it could talk. “I don’t think I can have dinner with you tonight.”

I can’t hide how much it stings. Of course my monster under the bed would come out just to reject me.

3. Like We Had A Clue. Chapter 5 is outlined in detail but I'm still struggling so much with it. Have some sentences I might have shared already in the past because I wrote them months ago!

“Are you trying to trap me, Snow? Keep me here to make food for you forever?”

“What if I am?”

I raise an eyebrow. His hand is still on my arm. He lets it fall.

4. WIP I shared from a couple of weeks ago. I want to have fun with this so I'm not forcing myself to write it, but I also really want to finish it. It's a struggle, always 🤣

(There's nothing innocent about four thousand words of Fangvald having a pity wank after Cherry spat on his face and demanded to know the true motives behind his betrayal.)

But it's fanfiction. Exploring fictional worlds and fictional characters and fictional relationships.

It would say nothing about me if he hadn't also linked two of my longest 4am rants about loneliness and deserving love.

5. Mystery WIP. I started plotting it yesterday and I've already lost steam. We'll see if it ever gets written.

25/12, 11:27AM

basiltea: Of course I'll help you.

basiltea: You can't be trusted to handle this alone and make it work.

Excalisbury: I LOVE YOU

basiltea: I'm just saving you from yourself.

6. Picture book story! The issue with this one is that I have to rewrite it completely. I have @johnwgrey's super useful notes, but I hate rewriting and editing with a burning passion, and this story needs so much work it hurts. But I'll do it!

Of course Snow had no reason to trust him. The fact that Baz had decided he’d never even try to hurt him again couldn’t erase five years of antagonism. Especially because Snow didn’t know about his change of heart. (It would’ve been ridiculous. Hey, Snow, I decided I don’t hate you anymore. Quite the opposite, instead. Can I kiss you?)

That was a lot. I feel like Simon and Baz are possessing me because I want to write SO MUCH, I literally can feel the words pushing to get out, but the second I open a doc it all fades out. Ugh. Hopefully I'll be more motivated in the morning.

So many no pressure tags for you lovelies:

@wellbelesbian @urban-sith @tea-brigade @sillyunicorn @mostlymaudlin @facewithoutheart @palimpsessed @otherpeoplesheartachept-2 @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @forabeatofadrum @fatalfangirl @prettylightsbigcity @whatevertheweather @jbrrring @confused-bi-queer @moodandmist @bookish-bogwitch @letraspal @dragoneggos @captain-aralias @takitalks @excalisbury (stealing your @ for Simon's Discord username hahaha) @otherworldsivelivedin @cutestkilla @ileadacharmedlife @gekkoinapeartree @bazzybelle @basiltonbutliketheherb @messofthejess @ivelovedhimthroughworse @nightimedreamersworld @artsyunderstudy @foolofabookwyrm-activated @ionlydrinkhotwater @yellobb @orange-peony @ic3-que3n @whogaveyoupermission @katmiscellanious @yeonjunenby @erzbethluna @larkral @chen-chen-chen-again-chen @shrekgogurt @raenestee @onepintobean @stitchyqueer @hushed-chorus

[emf005]

Picture Perfect Chapter 1

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been working on a few different fics and also finals are coming up, so that' kicking my butt! Anyhow, I hope you guys enjoy this one, its a two-part series!

Warnings: Bullying, a bit of swearing, Draco being adorable. James being a ass hat. Mentions of death. Pretty much it I think. Let me know if I missed anything!

James Sirius Potter x Malfoy!reader

Summary: James Potter isn't one to be a bully, unless its to a certian Malfoy. But, what happens when his little sister starts dance classes and her teacher is the one and only Y/N Malfoy?

“Mommy! Come on!” A six year old Lily Luna Potter called, waiting for her mom, dad, and brothers at the doors of the dance studio. James ran up to his little sister and picked her up. “Jamie!” She giggled.

“What? Too old to be spun around? Is that what happens when you turn six?” he teased. She giggled.

“No.” James sat her down and looked up at the building, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

“This it?” He asked Harry and Ginny. Albus came up and stood besides his brother, looking at the large dance studio. Lily had been begging to go to dance classes since she was three. Lily and Harry had assumed it was a phase and never acted on it. But every year since that's all Lily asked for her birthday. 

“Yep,” Harry said looking up at the studio. It was a magical incorporated studio, said one of his coworkers who had sent his daughter there. Apparently a lot of magical students went for the summer. But it also had muggle students attending, so both magical and muggle money was accepted. “Ready to see what its like inside?” Harry asked, leaning down to his daughter’s level. She nodded and ran to the door throwing it open and running inside. James and Albus on her heels. James had his muggle camera strapped over his body in case his sister did anything or wanted a picture of anything. 

He had taken an interest in muggle photos back in his first year of Hogwarts when he found some stuck underneath his mattress that were old and faded. And, ironically, it was of his name sake. James Sirius, Remus, and Lily. There were a few with Peter in them, but he just ignored the man who got his grandparents killed. 

It had obviously been his grandmother’s camera that had taken them, since she was the only muggle born, but ever since then he had begged his parents for a vintage camera. Albus had taken up poetry, strangely. And James used to tease him about it until he actually read it. Now, apparently, it was Lily’s turn to get an art to pursue. 

“Hello,” a woman smiled from behind the desk. “What can I help you with?”

“We would like to sign our daughter up for classes,” Ginny answered, pulling her daughter off the desk. The woman smiled and looked down at Lily.

“Of course. A whole year or half?”

“Whole until she’s eleven,” Harry answered. The woman nodded. 

“Very good.” She leaned down towards Lily. “Would you like to look around? I’m sure one of our teachers would be pleased to show you around.” LIly nodded. 

“Yes please!” 

“See you, Margret!” You called, sliding your dance back higher up your shoulder and making sure your shirt was covering your whole body. 

“See you, Y/N!” She called back and you walked out of the back room. You had just finished four hours of vigorous dance training. You didn;t mind though. You loved to dance. You were headed to the back which was the fastest way home without apperating, which you weren’t legally supposed to do yet. But what's the harm in getting ahead of the game?

“Y/N!” You turned to see Miss Rosen calling you to the front. You smiled and walked up to her, braiding your Y/H/C hair as you went. It had been up in a bun for hours, but you didn;t want it to get in the way. 

“Hi, Miss. Rosen! Whats up?”

“We have a new student and I would like you to show her around.” You smiled. New students were your facvorite, although you did like working with the older ones as well. 

“Of course!” ou stepped into the lobby to see a little red haired girl looking up at you with bright green eyes, freckles decorating her face. You smiled. “Hi,” you bent down to her level. “I’m-”

“Malfoy?” 

Oh no. 

You looked up to see James Potter. The one person in the entire school who despised you. 

“James? What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he spat. You sighed. Sadly, James Potter hated your guts, but you loved his. Everything about him. You couldn’t help it! But how could he ever love a Malfoy. Or even give you a chance. 

“Well, I dance here. And teach.” You glanced down to LIly and back at him and his parents. Harry and Ginny Potter. “I’m assuming this is your sister.”

“Y/N?” You looked over to see Albus walking in the door. You smiled and waved. Albus was a natural at potions, but not so much at transfigurations. You had been tutoring since his first year. He had slowly grown to like you, which you were grateful for. It also helped that he was friends with your half brother, Scorpius. 

"Hey, Albus!" You looked up at Harry and Ginny quickly tabdung and sticking out your hand. "Hello, sir, ma'am. I'm Y/N Malfoy. I mean, you probally already got that from your son's calling me by both," you laughed awkwardly. "Is it alright if I took your daughter round and showed her the studio? You can come as well if you'd like." You said polightly. You knew there was still tension between your families, still a lot of hate on the Malfoy name. You and scorpius had been trying to figure that out it, slowly, over the years. You were now in your fith year and Scorpius in his third. 

"Of course," they shook your hand and you could tell they were hesitant. Still, didn't blame them. "You two can go ahead on your own."

"Great! Wanna come back wit-"

"Can I come?" You looked up from Lily to see James standing there with his arms crossed. You noticed he had his camera across the side of his body, which wasn't unusual to see. "Can I go back with her to check it out. I want to make sure my sister has the best school she can," he narrowed his eyes at you, making you swallow. Why did he have to hate you? 

"Thats alright with me, just take off your shoes, the both of you." They nodded and took off their shoes, then the three of you headed back. You showed her the diffrent dance rooms introduced her to some teachers and some of your friends at the studio. 

"Hi! I'm Margret!" Your red haired friend introduced. She was one of the best in your studio. Also one of the kindest. If she was a which she would be a Hufflepuff you had decided long ago. "I see your going to be taught byY/N. She's one of the best in the studio. Don't worry, you'll see," she said excitedly to the little girl.  You rolled your eyes at your friend.

"Ok, yeah. Thanks for the encouragement, Margret." She bumped your shoulder and laughed before eyeing James. 

"Are you going to be joining too?" She asked, batting her eyelashes. Oh, did you mention she was a complete flirt? But, sadly, so was James. 

"No, but if you dance here I might just consider it," he winked, causing her to giggle and you and Lilly to gag. 

"Alright, Margret, she's already signed up, no need to flirt with her brother." She smiled sweetly at James. 

"Y/N/N, that wasn't the reason I was flirting," you nearly gaged again. 

"Disgusting. Alright. Theres one more studio I want you to see. It's the largest one in here," Lily grabbed your hand and you lead the two into the large. It was a studio as big as a stage with the wooden floors and folding mirrors that would some out or appear to be an audience. There was a balcony up top for parents and younger ones to whatch, which they always did often, pressing themselves up against the railing to watch the older girls dance. 

"Wow," she gasped when you lead her in. You flipped a switch and the mirrors folded to appear as if there were any audience and the lights hanged to resemble ones of a stage, even the heat was the same, she gasped again. You smiled at her reaction. It would never get old watching younger girls get excited over the first time they walked in. That's one of the reasons you had a camera in the corners. You would often go back and watch your first tape when you felt distraught. It reminded you why you got j to dancing in the first place. 

"I'm still not convinced. You haven't shown us if this studio teaches well enough for my sister to join," James scoffed. Lily's mouth fell open, halting at her. Brother and warning him to shut up and not ruin this for her. You just smiled. 

"Well, what would convince you?" You asked, no malece in your voice. I mean, you were talking to James Sirius Potter, could you even have malece in your voice?

He looked you up and downs nd smirked. 

"You dance." You raisrd your eyebrows.

"Pardon?" You squealed out.it was a known fact you didn't dance in front of audiences. Ever. Your father and half brother had tried to convince you, but you wouldn't budge. Your stage fright was to sever. And now you had your crush, yelling you to dance for him and his little sister to see if your good enough. Lily looked up at you with wide eyes. 

"Would you?" You swallowed and bit down on your lip. You sighed. 

"Fine. Fine. Here," you pulled your phone out of your back pocket, they were issued to all the girls for music and communication with muggle friends. Lily looked at the device curiously and James jus raised his eyebrows. 

"You have one of those?"

"How else am I supposed to have the music, record my various dances to study, and play the music out side of the studio and the ballroom in my home?"

"You have a ballroom in your house?" You shrugged. 

"Part time. Half the summer we live at Malfoy manor and the other half we stay at the cottage, which me and dad prefer but…"you shrugged as if saying it is what it is. You scanned your music until you reached the song you were looking for. "Could you hit play when I say so, please?" Lily nodded and grabbed the phone. You dropped you that and started to take off your shit. 

"What in the hell do you think your doing!" He yelled and covered your eyes. You crinkled your brow at him before it clicked. A coy grin spread on your face. 

"Something bothering you, Potter?" You teased and you slid off your pants as well, leaving you in your leotard and a pair of pink tights. His eyes were still covered and Lilly was stifling giggles. You tied a black ballet skirt around your waist and leaned on the bar. "For Merlin's sake, Potter! Do you really think I'd strip nude in front of you?" You laughed. He brought his hands away from his face and recomposed himself seeing as you were still covered,. It  matter how scandalous the outfit was. 

"N-no," he stuttered, still not looking. At you. He knew as soon as he did he would start to blush and he would not give you that satisfaction. You set yourself up and took a breath removing them from the world like you had to do in class. 

"Lily? Can you play it please?" Your voice came out shaky. The music began to play and you settled yourself before starting the routine you knew by heart. You had to make sure not to focus on the other two persons in the room. Yas soon as you took notice of them you knew your stage fright would over all of your senses and you would become a stuttering limp noodle incapable of doing anything. You were very careful with who you danced around. Your father watched you on a regular basis because 'he paid for lessons and for ficks sake he was goin to watch it'. You always laughed at him and then let him see. But your half brother and step mother never saw a lick of anything. Well, that's a lie, Scorpius' had walked in on you ounce, but you had caught him and broke your ankle. He had felt so terrible that he couldn't meet your eyes for weeks. 

You finished the dance with grace and let the last of the music settle in your bones before coming out of your finishing position and, shyly, face the two of them. You wrapped your hands around your body and ran back to your jeans and t-shirt. You quickly changed. 

"So, worthy of your sister?" James closed his mouth, still in shock something so beautiful could come out of a Malfoy. How a Malfoy could actually look beautiful. He snapped himself out of it quickly enough though and nodded. 

"I suppose it'll do. But if I hear one complaint I will march down here and demand a new teacher," he sneered. You smiled and slung your bag on your shoulder again, taking a drink of your water and ready to pass out. 

"Well, I'm glad you approve. How about you, Lily? Do you want to dance here?" She nodded vigorously and smiled. You couldn't help but reciprocate her smile. She was too cute.

You walked the two back out of the maze of studios and offices and back to the lobby where her parents were waiting. Ginny was looking at leotards and tights with a pained expression, like she didn't know what she was doing. 

"We're back!" You said. Lily ran from your grip and latched onto her mother's leg. 

"Is miss.Malfoy going to be my teacher? Please say yes! Please please pleeeeeease!" You chuckled and leaned against the doorway.

"I'm sure if you ask nicely," Ginny responded looking at her daughter lovingly and making you jealous. You had never had a loving mother look at you like that. You had a father who looked at you like that, but it was just different. 

"Miss. Malfoy, will you please teach me?" She begged. You smiled. 

"I think that can be arranged, Lily. And please, call me Y/N. I'm no one special enough to earn that much of a title," you laughed. She beamed and launched herself at you, hugging you tightly. You hugged her back and sent her to her mother and father again. Ginny walked over to you. 

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about… Apparel or anything would you?" You smiled at her. 

"I know a bit. What are you having trouble with? " Well, I'm not sure on what to buy or how much or hair or… any of it really," she shrugged guilty. "Quidditch I can do. Ballet?" She shook her head. You smiled. 

"You'll get the hang of it. You should have seen my dad when I started," you laughed. 

"Telling stories about me, sweet heart?" You looked up and saw you father step in. You ran over and hugged him. 

" No." You grinned cheekily. 

"Uhu." He poked your nose. “What did I tell you about lying when you can;t do it.” You laughed and pushed him out the door. 

“I’ll be out in a second. I just have somethings to finish.” He smiled and patted your head before walking out. “Sorry about that.” you walked back over to Ginny “As I was saying, you’ll get the hang of it eventually. But anything you need I’m here.” She smiled gratefully while Harry was eyeing you strangely. He had never seen Draco act like that. Not at school, not at work, not the few occasions he had seen him out of work. It was strange. 

“Harry!” Harry snapped out of his mind as Ginny yelled at him. “Stop staring at the poor girl! Unless you want to do this,” she offered and handed him a leotard. He backed up with his hands up. 

“No, definitely not.” You chuckled. “Sorry, I didn’t realize I was staring at you,” you brushed him off quickly. 

“It's no problem, sir. I get the death glare from parents a lot. Any how, what days work best for you? I am here everyday.”

“Wednesdays?” Harry just shrugged. 

“Why did I even bring you?” She sighed. 

“It's no problem, just send an owl here or just come down personally whenever you figure out the best day or times. Like I said, I’m here everyday from opening till closing.”

“And sometimes longer,” Miss Rosen scoffed. You sent her a smile. 

“You’d miss me if I weren’t here so much.” She grumbled something and collected her papers, heading to the back. 

“Lock up when you're done. You still have your key?”

“Yup, have a good night, Miss Rosen!”

“Uhu,” she called over her shoulder. You walked to the desk and started collecting some papers to start a file for Lily and for the Potters to fill out. 

“Are we here after hours?” Ginny asked. You looked up at her. 

“Not really. I mean, technically, yes. But I’m here after hours so much that I have a key and often lock up.”

“They gave you a key?” James scoffed. You faltered for a moment before putting the smile back on your face.

“It beats having someone stay with me here till ten.” You handed Ginny a few papers. “If you could fill these out and just give them back whenever you decide on a day and time. Its just a few questions and health information. Also, her first day, if she would just come in leggings in a t-shirt or a tank top that would be lovely. We’ll get her measured for a leotard and tights then, we’ll also get her shoe sizes in order.” Ginny took the papers. 

“Thank you, Y/N. We’ll be back when we get these filled out.” You smiled and started to sort things in order on the desk which had turned into a complete mess. They started to file out. 

“Oh! Mrs.Potter!”

“Yes?” She turned back around and you bit your lip. 

“I know your family and my dad don’t exactly get along but… if you see my dad out there, could you tell him to just go along without me? It's a mess in here and it’ll bother me all night unless I clean it up.” She smiled. 

“Of course, dear.” She smiled and they disappeared. You let your smile drop slightly and you quickly cleaned up the desk before triple checking all the rooms to make sure they were clean enough for the night. 

The Potters stepped out of the dance studio to see Draco leaning against the building. He stood up when he heard the door, expecting his daughter, but only saw the Potter’s. He leaned back against the building. 

“Malfoy?” He looked at Ginny. He hadn't expected to be addressed. “Your daughter said to go on without her. She’d be a few minutes.” Draco just chuckled and continued to lean against the building. 

“Wasn’t expecting her to walk out with you. She’s always late. I swear she’s here more than her actual house. Thank you for the heads up, though.” Harry eyed Draco suspiciously. 

“Did you just thank us?”

“I did, Potter. I wouldn;t get used to it though,” James scoffed and Ginny shot him a scolding look. Draco eyed James and raised his eyebrows. “I suspect your James?”

“I suspect your Draco,” James drawled. Draco rolled his eyes. 

“Looks like he has just as good of comebacks as his father was,” Harry went to say something but Ginny squeezed his arm telling him to keep his mouth shut for the sake of not proving the man right. Draco nodded to Albus who waved awkwardly. “I’ll be going to see if my daughter needs any help inside. Thank you for telling me my daughter's message.” he turned and walked into the building. Ginny watched the door for a moment. 

“How did he end up with a daughter as nice as she was?” She mumbled. 

“He didn’t,” James muttered. They all started to walk away. 

“What do you mean?” Albus asked. “She and Scorpius are two fo the nicest people in both our years. Just because you don’t like who her father is doesn’t mean she’s rude.”

“And how do you know how nice she is?” James shot back. 

“She tutors me in transfigurations. She had some of the highest grades in your year, ya know.”

“She told you that?”

“No, professor Mcgonagall did when she suggested I ask her for help.” Albus shrugged.

You walked out to the front again with your arms full to see your dad leaning on the door. You frowned. 

“Why are you still here? I’m going to be here for a while.” He smiled. 

“Think I’d leave you to suffer this work all by yourself?” You smiled gratefully.

“Isn’t Astoria waiting at home?” You asked, putting some of the flies away. 

“She’s not the most important girl in my life,” he kissed your head and put a file on the top shelf. You smiled at hearing that. 

Astoria Greengrass. Your step-mother. You were happy she made your dad happy. You wouldn't have asked for anything better for him. But, she hated you. She preferred her own child and would make that perfectly clear when you were anywhere near her. 

Knowing that your father still cared about you made you smile and feel welcomed in your home. Well, the manor wasn't your home. You had never felt at home there. It was too large for you, though the ballroom was extraordinary. You preferred the smaller house, which was still particularly a large place. But it wasn’t as large as the mansion, it also never felt dreary like the mansion. Both you and your father preferred the “smaller” place, while Astoria preferred the mansion. Scorpius was indifferent to the whole ordeal. He could make himself comfortable on a bed of spikes, you often joked with him. Normally earning a dry sarcastic laugh from him. 

“How was class today?” Draco asked, breaking the comfortable silence as you handed him a few more files to put on the shelves that you couldn’t reach.

“It was good. I got my grand jete a bit higher today,” you said excitedly, though you knew this was all forgien to him. 

“That's great!” You smiled. 

“Still have no idea what I’m talking about do you?”

“Not a clue, but you seem excited about it.” You smiled wider. “That Potter kid wasn't giving you crap was he?”

“Lily?”

“The other one.”

“Albus?”

“No the other other one.”

“James?”

“That's the one. Seems like a piece of work, that one.” You chuckled and blushed lightly. Yeah, a piece of work indeed.

“No, he’s just protective. Wants the best for his siblings and such,” you shrugged. Draco scoffed. “What?”

“I was a prick like that. That's not the only thing going through his mind.”

“Dad,” you warned. 

“What? I’m just saying. The other two seemed fine. He was an egotistical control freak who, let me guess, has a new girl on his arm every other week. Wait, and let me guess, it gets better, right? He also bullies the less fortunate.”

“You almost described what you were like as a kid.”

“That's because I know what they look like. And that kid was me, just different.” You rolled your eyes, your mind wandering back to the school year and the various jabs he made at you… the less fortunate…

It had been a few weeks since you had taken Lily on as a student. Since she was new to dance you had suggested twice a week and found that Lily was a very capable dancer. She caught on quickly and was very confident in her movements, though you could tell she got stressed when she wasn't able to get something right. 

“That was excellent, Lily!” You praised. She smiled brightly at your praise. How about we move to the large room if you’d like, maybe even get your mother and father to watch,” you suggested. Her face lit up. “I’ll go get them. If there's someone dancing just stand on the side like usual, alright?” She nodded and practically pranced off to the large room.

You smiled at her and quickly walked to the waiting area. Her lesson was nearly over and Harry and or Ginny were normally there already. Your smile dropped when you noticed James leaning on the wall looking down at his camera.

“Hey, Potter,” You smiled. He looked up and his gaze made your heart go mad. “Your parents here?”

“No. They sent me to pick up Lily. Is she done?”

“We were going to run her routine in the large studio. Would you like to watch? She’s very proud of it.” 

“Sure.”

“Follow me.” you walked him back to a door. “Just go up these steps and you’ll be on the balcony. I’ll send her up to you when she’s finished.” You left him to go up the stairs and to the balcony. 

The large room was emptying out from the previous class when you entered. You had class right after you taught Lily so there was a few minutes break in between. 

“Ready?” She nodded and ran out to the middle of the room. “I’ll jump in if you get stuck, ok? Just keep going if you forget a step.” She nodded and set herself up. You pressed play on the music and her music started. You watched her from the sidelines, making mental notes on what to work on with her next lesson. You jumped in on the new part and helped her through it, which she seemed grateful for. 

The music ended and you smiled. 

“That was great, Lily! Keep practising and I’ll see you next week. Your brother is up on the balcony if you want to go meet him. You remember how to get up there?” She nodded. 

“Yep! Thank you, Y/N!” She hugged you and ran up to meet her brother as your friends started to walk in. You joined them in center to begin to stretch for class. 

James was waiting for Lily when she came running up the stairs. He put his camera away and picked her up. 

“That was beautiful! I got a few pictures of you doing it as well,” She smiled brightly. 

“Can we watch, Y/N dance?” She asked. “She has class right now and I wanna see what the older girls do.” James forced a smile, hating the idea of being in the same room as you longer than he had to, but agreed for his sister’s sake. He carried her to the edge as they watched you and a group of girls warm up. You were talking to Margaret as you stretched. You had taken your shirt off so you were in a backless red leotard; he was slightly surprised that the leotard wasn’t green.

“Hey isn’t that the girl you're teaching and her adorable brother?” You looked away from your curly hair friend to see James and Lily watching the class. You waved and Lily waved back as James just glared at you. You slowly brought your hand back down and turned back to Margaret. “What was that about?”

“He hates me,” you shrugged. 

“Why?”

“We go to the same school.” Her eyes widened. 

“Wait, that's the kid who bullies you?”

“I wouldn’t say bully.”

“I would. Want me to beat him up?” You laughed. 

“Maggy!”

“What? I will.” You rolled your eyes and slipped into your split. 

“No. I don’t want to lose his sister as a student. She is very talented, and a joy to teach.” Margaret frowned. 

“Well, whenever you want me to beat him up I’ll be all over it.” You laughed and your teacher began class. 

You notice James pull Lily out half way through, which you didn’t blame him for. Class was about three hours, and that wasn’t even the end of your day. Lily looked upset, but let him carry her out without a fuss. Margaret nudged you and nodded up towards the balcony.

“What?” You whispered, pirouetting a few times. 

“They left.”

“She’s probably exhausted. She danced for a vigorous hour with me.”

“Or maybe he likes you and couldn’t stop his heart from beating at the sight of you,” She hummed. You glared at her. 

She and Scropius were the only two who knew of your crush on James. And now you were regretting telling her. 

“Or maybe he couldn;t stand the sight of me anymore because he hates my guts.” You whispered back. She rolled her eyes. 

“Probably hard,” she muttered. You smacked her shoulder and stifled laughs. 

“Margaret!” She smiled at seeing you laugh. You had looked so off when you noticed them. Your stage fright getting the better of you. Now that they were gone you seemed more at ease. 

“Y/N!” You looked at the teacher. 

“Yes ma’am?”

“Class has ended.” You smiled. 

“Sorry ma’am. Would it be a problem if I stayed here for a bit longer?”

“By a bit longer do you mean ten tonight?” You chuckled. 

“Is that your hint that my day is over and to get out?” you asked with a grin. She rolled her eyes. 

“Well, my day is over. Good evening, Miss. Malfoy.”

“Good evening.” You went to the player and set up your music. You had some routines you wanted to run, as well as throw some tricks. 

James was tearing his already messy room apart, mumbling how he could not believe he lost something or other. 

“Jamie?” Lily asked coming in. “What’s wrong?”

“I think I left the cap to my camera at the studio,” He sighed and flopped down on the bed with a huff. 

“Y/N might not have left yet. She normally stays after closing.” James scoffed. 

“Like I want to be in there alone with her.”

“Wouldn;t surprise me,” Albus smirked from the doorway. 

“Go away, Albus.”

“You like her, admit it.”

“Why would I like a stuck up Malfoy?”

“Maybe because she isn’t stuck up?” Albus offered. “Come on, James. You know that better than anyone.” James scoffed and stood. 

“I need my lid, so I suppose it's worth a shot. Tell mum and Dad I’ll be back later.” He slung his camera over his body and grabbed his jacket heading out of the room, grumbling angrily.

He walked slowly down to his sister’s studio, semi praying that it was closed and he wouldn’t have to see you. He even stopped and took pictures of random things on his way. But, alas, it was not to be. 

When he got to the studio he pulled on the door which opened with ease. 

Maybe he wouldn’t see you?

Wrong. 

He walked up to the balcony and immediately heard someone on the floor. Being the curious person he was he peaked over to see you in front of a mat, pressed up against the wall on your toes. You ran and flipped in the air, landing on your behind. He cringed, but you got out of it with another trick. Had you meant to do that?

“Are you going to just watch me all day or are you going to at least say something?” You called up to him, prepping for another trick. He scowled and leaned over the railing. You glanced at him, sending him a small smile before running again and doing a front aerial, landing it perfectly. Though, you went over everything you could've done better in your head. 

“I was just looking for my camera lid,” he grumbled down at you. 

“Is that why you were studying me do a suicide?” You asked. His eyes widened. 

“A wh-what?” You chuckled. 

“Don’t think I didn’t see you cringe. I have excellent eyesight. The trick when I-oof-” you pushed off the ground into a roundoff back handspring. You landed it and rolled your shoulders, turning to him. “Landed on my butt. Its called a suicide. And the trick afterwards is a valdez,” you informed him. He just glared at you. You nodded awkwardly. “Nice talk. Oh, and your camera lid is on the desk out front.”

“How’d you-”

“I make sure no one left anything around the studio. If they do I leave it on the deck. You just happened to label it. J.S.P. Kind of hard not to know who that is.”

“Oh.”

You stood backwards against the mat and did four back handsprings, grimacing when you came up from the last one. You really needed a rest day. But a rest day would mean not coming into the studio. And you weren’t going to stay home with Astoria. 

Walking back to the other end of the mat nearly every bone in your body cracked or creaked in some way, making james cringe. You smiled up at him. 

“Not a fan of cracking bone?” You chuckled. 

“There was just so much. Is that normal?” You smiled to yourself. 

“Yeah. For me at least. I’m not naturally flexible so I crack a lot and I have to stretch every day in order not to get back to point A.” You stood against the wall and ran into your Front Handspring, immediately going into your back handspring. 

“Will Lily be able to,” he waved his hand at you. “Do this?” You chuckled and sat down on the mat, needing to stretch for a moment. 

“She’s very flexible. Her split is already down and her straddle is close. I could work with her during her lessons with acrobats. It's best to get them started young when they're growing. It gets harder when you're a teenager. So, if she works hard, yes. She could do this.” It was quiet for a few minutes as you stretched. “Your sister is very talented like her brother’s. You should be proud.” You smiled at him, standing and doing a backbend, sitting in it for a moment before coming back up, groaning as you did.

“I am. She works very hard at it.”

“Well, like you saw today, she’s moving quickly. By the time we go back to Hogwarts she should be ready to join a group class.”

“Is that good?” You smiled. 

“Yes. Group classes are fun and though they don;t cover as much as a private lesson does they’re just as challenging.”

“Really?” You chuckled at his confusion. This family knew nothing about ballet or dance at all. 

“Yeah I should know. I take at least four a week.”

“Four a week, really?”

“Yep. I teach on all of those days, plus one where I don’t have a lesson. And I have two days off. But, I’m still here working on technique.” You shrugged. 

“So you practically live here,” he joked. 

“Yeah. This is more of a home than Malfoy Manor ever has been.”

“Why, don’t love your parents?” he scoffed. 

“My dad I adore. We’re surprisingly close. Me and uh, Astoria, have a… forced relationship.” He raised his eyebrows in shock at you using her first name. 

“Must be honest, from the stories I've heard about the Malfoys, I wouldn't expect him to be a good parent,” James scoffed. You smiled sadly.

“Yeah, a lot of people wouldn’t. But I wouldn’t ask for a different one, as cheesy as that sounds.” You backed up against the wall and sprang off into a roundoff back tuck landing on your head. “Ah!” You sat up and rubbed your neck and head. That was going to be sore tomorrow. “Dammit!” You swore, smacking the mat. You stood up and walked back over to the end of the mat, getting ready to do it again. 

“Are you alright?” You glanced at James, yoru vision swimming for a moment before focusing on him. You blinked a few times to clear the spots from vision. 

“Yeah. Not the first time I’ve landed on my face,” you chuckled. You felt a tear slip down your face and wiped it away quickly. 

“You're crying.”

“Thank you captain obvious,” you joked, laughing. “It just hurts a bit,” you snifled and willed the rest of the tears away, rubbing your face and neck. It was definitely going to bruise. “Yet again, not the first time. Gotta fall a couple times before you stick the landing." You got ready on the wall to push off again, but your vision fell to the side and you knew you weren't going to be able to tumble any more. 

Dad’s gonna be pissed that he has to fix my head again.

You quickly rolled up the mats and looked at James who was studying. You smiled. 

“Did you eat yet? I’m positively starved and I know a good pizza joint down the road.”

“Why would I want to join you?” he sneered.

Moment of being civil over. 

You shrugged.                              

“Just thought I’d offer. My treat if you decide to join.” You looked around the room making sure everything was in place and clean. 

You nodded and left the room, shutting off the lights. You checked the other rooms and grabbed your bag, changing into jeans and a black crop top with your jean jacket. You walked out and grabbed your key from your bag. You saw James bouncing awkwardly on his feet. You smiled at him.

“Change your mind?”

“You did say you were paying,” he defended. “And I am not one to pass up free food.” You laughed and double checked everything. You grabbed your notebooks from the counter and shoved them in your bag.

“Well, let's go then. The pizza place is about a block away.”

“Don’t you need to get home?” He asked.

“Worried about me, Potter?” You asked teasingly as you locked up the studio. He scoffed. 

“Just asking.”

“My dad’s used to me coming home late. Though he might have to fix my head tonight,” you laughed and touched your forehead.

“It hurts?” You shrugged. 

“I mean, I did land on it with full force. I didn’t jump high enough or use nearly as much power,” you chastised yourself. “It was doomed from the beginning.” 

“Yet you're walking straight?”

“You were walking straight after you took that bludger to the head last year,” you chuckled. He rolled his eyes.

“That's because you Slytherin’s play dirty.” You laughed. 

“I can’t control the bludgers! I’m not even a beater!” You defended yourself. 

You opened the door to the pizza place and a fresh whiff of oregano cheese and dough filled your senses. You sighed. 

“Donte!” You yelled. A teenager walked from the back with crossed arms. 

“Y/N! What do you think I am? Your personal pizza maker?” You laughed and batted your eyes at your muggle friend. 

“Maybe.” 

“Your usual?” You nodded. 

“Yeah, but my friend here has never been.” Donte looked at James.

“Well, take a look at the menu. I’ll tell Dominique to start making your order.”

“It's appreciated!”

“Uhu,” he called back, already headed to the back. 

“Come here often, then?” James asked. You smiled. 

“Is it that obvious?” You walked with him to the counter where they had a menu above the counter for ordering. 

“What's good here?”

“What isn’t,” you laughed. “What kind of food do you like? They have pizza fries, garlic knots, pizza, pizza bread. Everything, realy.”

“What is it you get?”

“Garlic knots and a half of a calzone normally. I think that's what they’re cooking up back there. To be honest though I never know. They surprise me some days.”

“Who knew a Malfoy would be friends with muggles,” he sounded surprised. You hummed, holding back a snarky response. 

“Did you decide? I’m Sure the little dancer over here wasn’t much help.” You rolled your eyes at his nickname. 

“She really wasn’t. What do you suggest?”

“Well, if you like pizzas we sell smalls that are about six pieces. Great for taking home. Our garlic knots are pretty well known, but she’s already getting those, so I assume you’d just share with her.”

“Why would you assume that?” You asked, offended.

“Aren;t you two, ya know, a couple?” You laughed and so did James. The only difference was you cheeks flushed, wishing you were. 

“No,” You answered. “He hates my guts. I just happen to teach his sister. And then he came back to the studio because he forgot something.” Dante’s confused look dropped into one of murder. 

“Oh. So you're the one who’s picking on her,” he crossed his arms. 

“Donte!”

“Want me to beat him up?”

“How are you and Margaret not an item yet? She offered the same thing, and no. Just-Just order him the same as me but with pizza fries.” you huffed and turned to a both near the corner. James followed you, glancing over his shoulder at Donte who was still glaring at the two of you. 

“What was that about?” He scowled at you. You kept your eyes on Donte’s back, ignoring James. 

“I’d be careful when he brings the food over. He’s not opposed to spitting in people’s food,” you warned before fiddling with your napkin and waited for your food. You weren’t joking. You were starving. You hadn’t had time for an actual breakfast or to pack a lunch that day. You only had an apple before you left the house and a granola bar for lunch and you couldn’t wait to get some actual food in your body.

“So are you ever going to answer me?” James asked after a moment. You looked up. 

“What?”

“About your… friend?... Threatening to beat me up. Like he could touch me.” You laughed. 

“Donte is the most bad ass kid in this town. I bet he could beat you in a fight.”

“That was cold, Malfoy. Saying a muggle could beat me up.” 

“Oh? Would you cast a few spells on him so you’d get the upper hand?”

“Possibly.” You rolled your eyes.

“Because that sounds fair.”

“Since when do Slytherins care about being fair?” You mouth parted, but you had no words. Yet again, civil and then your back to reality. You slumped in your seat. Donte came over and glared at James as he gave you your food. “Thanks, Donny. I haven’t eaten all day,” you sighed, smelling the spices and ingredients better now that they were even closer to your nose. 

Your friend pointed to you threateningly. 

“You better start eating.” You laughed. 

“I missed my alarm!” You laughed. 

“And you had to get to the studio before your first lesson because?”

“Because I needed out of the house.”

“Mansion,” he coughed. You threw a fry at him. 

“Get back to work, Ankenson!” You laughed at him. 

“Of course, Miss. Malfoy,” he sarcastically bowed and left to continue working. You rolled your eyes and pulled apart one of your garlic knots. James watched the scene before grabbing a fry and eating it. 

“What?” You asked when you caught him studying you. He shook his head. 

“Does he know about the wizarding world?” 

“Yeah. I honestly should've obliviated him but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. He found out my first year after I got home from school." You frowned and shoved the bread in your mouth remembering your first year. All the kids up to no good wanted to make nice and be your friend. Thinking you were the stereotypical Malfoy. You had no friends that year and got picked on by James like there was no tomorrow. 

“Ya know, you still never answered my question. Why did he want to beat me up?” You shoved a garlic knot in your mouth. 

“Becuas woo wick end e,” you mumbled. 

“Come again.”

“He found out I was getting.. Uh… picked on.. I guess,” you shook your head and shoved another piece of the knot in your mouth. 

“You can handle yourself though.” You looked away. 

“Yeah. He’s just over protective.” 

And for a good reason. You liked to think yourself strong, but you knew you weren’t. You could hold it together in the moment, but would completely collapse when you were alone. That's actually how you two met. 

You had gotten into another fight with Astoria when you were eight and had been packed and leaving the mansion. Scorpius was crying in the parlor because you were leaving and your father was still at work, so there was no one to talk the situation down. 

You had made it to the back of the pizza shop before completely collapsing and succumbing to sobs when a nine year old in jeans and t-shirt was walking by and saw you crying. He had taken you home after calming you down. He may have been a punk, but he was still kind. He had taken you back home and father was beyond furious at both you and Astoria. Mostly Astoria, though. You had just scared the crap out of him because he actually thought you would have gone through with it, and losing his kid was his worst fear. You and Donte had been friends ever since. 

The two of you finished in near silence. The only time one of you spoke was to see if the other could have fries or a Garlic knot. You had ended up paying, like you said you would. 

“I’ll pay you back in wizard money,” James said, his hands in his pockets as you two stepped out. 

“Nonsense! I told you I would pay. Besides, I'm pretty sure he gave me a discount.”

“How do you even have muggle money?”

“I work at the studio, so I get paid in both since I teach magical and non-magical kids.” You explained, hopping onto the curb and balancing like you always did. 

“Huh, weird. You’d think you didn;t even need to get paid.” You looked at him. 

“WHats that supposed to mean?”

“Well your family’s rich.”

“So is yours,” you countered. 

“Well, we don’t act like it,” he snapped back. 

“Oh? So just because I don’t dress down all the time and we throw a few parties with stuffy know it all pure blooded Slytherins that makes us act like it?”

“Yeah, actually. It does!”

“Fascinating, Potter. Your way of thinking is quite dizzying. A poor, simple minded Slytherin like myself is having a hard time keeping up. Should I bow down to the Gryffindor prince now?”

“Like you don't expect everyone to do the same,” He scoffed. 

“I don’t! You do understand that I hate the way people view me, right? I hate that my last name and all the little things that come with it! Having people look at me like I’m some monster! That I’m supposed to act like Slytherin’s princess!”

“Well aren’t you? You're from a family full of murders and monsters. Doesn't that automatically make you one to? A monster? A murderer?” You froze at the word murderer. Tears welled in your eyes and you turned away from the boy.

“Before you go around picking on people, James,” your voice cracked as you tried to keep your emotions in check, but obviously failing. “Try and get to know them first, they might just surprise you.” You bolted down the sidewalk and did not stop until you got home. Or, rather, to the manor. 

Tears were running down your face at this point and you were sobbing, the words murderer and monster ringing in your head. You slammed the door shut and pressed your body up against it, putting your hand over your mouth to quiet the sobs. But your father had heard you arrive and stepped out of the parlor, expecting a happy daughter who had just got back from dancing. This was not what he got. 

His smile fell when he saw you and quickly ushered you into the parlor where he had come from. You completely broke down and he just held you, worried about what happened. He rubbed your back until your sobs had quieted. He then sat you down on the couch. 

“What happened? What's wrong?” You shook your head, looking down at your hands. “Hey, sweet heart, what happened?” You sniffled and wiped the tears from your eyes.

“Dad, am-am I a monster? Because-because of mom?” he stared at you for a moment and shook his head. 

“Of course not, that wasn’t your fault. There were multiple compil-”

“But it was because of me,” you said sadly. “Because she had me. I killed mom,” you couldn’t look at him. James was right. Wherever your last name was, death happened. You had caused it last time. It was your fault that your mother died. Your real mother. 

“Look at me, Y/N,” he pulled your face up to meet his. “You did not kill your mother. Whatever put this thought in your head, get it out right now. Do you understand me?” You nodded and sniffled. “Where did this come from?” 

“It's-its just a thought, I've been entertaining for a while,” you mumbled. It wasn;t a complete lie.

“Possibly, but who brought this up?”

“He didn’t mean to, I don’t think.”

“Who?” He knew it couldn't have been Donte. He’d met him a few times and, though he was a rebel and got into fights every other day, he seemed to take care of his daughter and he was grateful for that.

“James,” you mumbled. He almost didn’t catch it, but he wanted to be sure before he went around throwing accusations. 

“Could you say that one more time?”

“J-James. But please don’t do anything!I don't want there to be more problems!”

“More?” He raised an eyebrow and you flinched back. 

Oops. 

Your father may or may not have known that you had been getting picked on at school. You didn’t want him to do anything rash, like you knew he was going to do now. 

“I-I mean any. Because there would have to be problems to begin with for there to be more. But-but there aren’t any problems. Ever. Nope. None.” you faked a yawn and looked up at the mantel’s clock. “Would you look at the time? I’m beat! I-I’ll see you tomorrow, Dad. And please don't say anything. To any one. Ever.” You rushed out of the room, hoping he wouldn’t say anything. 

But as Draco watched you scurry out of the room, he knew he had to. He didn't even know you were getting picked on. And by a Potter! How many times had a Potter made you cry and he was unaware there was even a problem? No way was this going to slide by him. Not happening. 

“Potter!” Draco called and jogged over to Harry who turned and looked at him suspiciously. 

“Yes, Malfoy? Can I help you with something?” Draco hesitated. 

“Can I talk to you in private?” Harry gave him a look but complied. They walked into an empty office. 

“What do you want?”

“I want to talk about your son and my daughter.” Harry furrowed his eyebrows. 

“I don’t understand.”

“Your son said a few… choice words that made my daughter upset the other night and apparently it has been going on for a while.”

“Like what?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but she came home in tears last night asking if she were a monster because of a…” He cleared his throat. “An accident that happened when she was born.” Harry understood immediately. He had known about Draco’s first marriage and how that ended. “I then asked why she was thinking this and she asked me not to say anything, but I care for her… a lot.” Harry nodded. 

“I’ll talk to James. I’m sorry she had to go through that. You as well.” Draco nodded and cleared his throat again. 

“Yes, um, thank you.” Draco walked past Harry and out of the conference room. Harry thought about how the tables had turned. But it still wasn’t right. No matter what happened in their childhood. 

“James! Can I talk to you for a second?” Harry called to his son who was playing with Lily in the yard as if nothing had happened yesterday. He had spent the night convincing himself that she had deserved it. That Malfoys and Slytherin’s like that didn’t have emotions. It cleared his conscience and took away his guilt.

“Yeah, dad!” He dropped Lily and ran into the house. Harry took him to the empty dining room, not wanting to rope Ginny into this. “Whats up.”

“Did you say anything that might’ve upset Y/N Malfoy yesterday?” James’ mouth dropped. 

“The snitch!”

“So you did?”

“She deserved it,” he grumbled. “I can’t believe she snitched to her father,” he scoffed. 

“She didn’t.” James looked up, confused. “Apparently she came home in tears the other night because of whatever you told her. What did you say exactly.”

“Uh-” James rubbed the back of his head. “Just that all Slytherin’s like her never had good intentions and uh- that her family was full of murderous monsters?” Harry stared at his son. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. 

“James, do you know about her at home life?”

“She lives in a grand old manor with a huge ballroom, and her parents.”

“Parent. Astoria isn’t Y/N’s real mother.”

“Ok? That sucks but-”

“Her mother died from complications of childbirth.” Harry clarified. James stopped. He hadn’t known you had an actual mother. Albus walked in and read the uncomfortable air. 

“What did I just walk in on?”

“Just talking about the way James treats a few of his classmates.”

“You told him you bully Y/N? Thank Merlin!” Harry’s eyebrows shot up and he glanced at his son who was glaring at his other son. “Oh. That wasn’t the conversation, was it? I’m just going to leave now.” He ran out of the room before James could grab him. Harry crossed his arms. 

“So you're also a bully?”

“She’s a bi-jerk. Thinks she’s better than the rest of us.” Lily came prancing in the room with Ginny, who was holding a bag. 

“Hi, Harry. Hi James.” She kissed the two on the cheeks and Lily jumped on the counter. 

“Daddy! You should come next time! Y/N taught me a new turn and asked if I had an interest in par-su-ing acrobatics!”

“Pursuing,"he corrected her with a smile "I thought you didn't have a lesson today sweetie.”

“I had to run to a few places and Lily didn't want to go. We stopped at the studio to pick up a few things and Y/N asked if she would rather take an extra lesson. So while I ran boring errands, she got a free dance lesson.”

Harry eyed James. 

“Jerk? Really? She sounds horrid. Have you even ever had a conversation with her?” James grumbled a no. Ginny looked between the two. 

“What happened?”

“James made her cry the other day.” Ginny raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms at her son. 

“Did he now?” Lily frowned at her brother. 

“Thats rude. Especially since she took you to a pizza place yesterday.”

“How’d you know about that.” Lily handed him his camera lid. 

“You forgot this again. She also told me to ask you to forgive her for whatever she said wrong. She seemed upset today,” Lily frowned.

“See! She’s using my family against me. Manipulative! She told her dad in, obviously fake, tears and told him to complain to you about a miniscule fight!”

“A minuscule fight where you called her entire family murderous monsters. And she told Draco not to say anything.”

“You called the Malfoys murderous monsters?” Ginny asked, looking at her son, half proud half disappointed.

“I-I didn’t think she’d cry about it! She never does!” Albus walked in, deciding it was a good time to stop eavesdropping. 

“Actually she does. Every time. Same spot by the lake. She’s fine until she’s alone. Scorpius and I saw her sobbing one day.” James’ mouth went dry. He had made you sob everytime he picked on you? How did you still have tears? “What did she even do to you?" Albus asked, actually curious. He remembered James complaining about you since the first summer after Hogwarts, though he had never given a reason why. 

Ginny and Harry gave him a disappointed look. 

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry! I didn’t know!” James yelled in defense. 

“And that makes it better?” Ginny asked, disappointed in her son. 

“No,” he mumbled. “I’ll apologize.”

“You better bet your-”

“Ginny.” Ginny took a breath.

“Yes you will. Tomorrow. Go to bed.” James rolled his eyes and walked up to his room without complaint. 

James woke up late that day, dreading his task. Not only did he have to apologize to a Malfoy, but he had the strange feeling of guilt. Were you as terrible as he thought? He had only talked to you once before he found out you were a Malfoy. On the train. He had been utterly lost and you had wandered into his compartment asking if he wanted to share your bag of sweets, which was quite large. It was literally a duffle bag filled to the brim with all sorts of candies. 

“Mind if I join you?” An eleven year old you asked. He looked up from his wand to see you standing awkwardly at the door. Butterflies beat in his stomach. 

“Uh-yeah, sure!” he smiled. You smiled and slid into his compartment. You settled in front of him and sat the bag on your lap. You looked out the doors and back at him, motioning for him to come towards you. He leaned forward in his seat. And you smirked, making him nervous.

“Wanna see my stash?” He eyed you suspiciously. Before he could say no, you opened your bag to reveal it filled top to bottom and everywhere in between with chocolate. His mouth dropped open at the sight of it all. There was so much. 

“Wow. Where did you get all this?” You laughed and dug in it, pulling out a chocolate frog. 

“I have my ways. Want some?” 

“Can I?”

“Wouldn’t have offered if you couldn’t!” You slid the bag from your shoulder and sat it on the floor in between you so you could both eat it at your pleasure. You two talked the entire train ride. The butterflies in both of your stomachs were going insane. 

You were careful not to reveal your last name to him. Maybe if he got to know you first he wouldn’t hate you, like you assumed most people would when they heard your last name. But then you heard him say his last name.

“By the way, I’m James Potter,” he smiled. Your heart sank. The stories of your family history goes back centuries of Potters and Malfoys hating each other. Your father and his. Lucius and James. It went back even further than that. You smiled through the panic. 

“Y/N. So you like quidditch?” You had quickly changed the subject, not wanting him to ask more. Luckily, he didn;t seem to notice and he adored quidditch, just like you. But then it all just went wrong at the sorting Ceremony. 

He stared at his ceiling for a minute. Those same damn feelings rising in his chest when he thought about you. Not about how you were a stuck up Malfoy, but how you were an eleven year old girl on the Hogwarts express asking to share some candy with him and talk about his family and anything quidditch. 

“I’m just a jerk,” he mumbled to himself.”

“A big dumb jerk, yes,” Albus said from the doorway. He sat up and stared daggers at his brother. 

“What did I say about coming into my room?”

“And what did I say about you liking her?” He sneered at his younger brother.

“I don’t like her.”

“Lies.” Albus walked into his room. “You better get down to the studio soon. They close in about three hours. And don’t screw up. Just because her dad was a jerk to ours doesn;t mean she’s rude.”

“Yeah, thanks for the second lecture. Now get out of my room.” Albus held up his hands and walked out leaving James to get ready. He threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt, still half asleep and the other half of his thoughts were on you. “Merlin, I’m a mess,” he muttered as he slid his camera over his shoulder and headed downstairs. Harry was sitting at the dining room table with Ginny. “Morning.” He grumbled out and went into the kitchen to grab a drink before heading out. 

“It's afternoon!” Harry called into him. 

“So I see!” He chugged a water and looked towards the cupboard that had the chocolate stash. Without a second though he grabbed a small fabric drawstring bag from the shelf and filled it with chocolate. “I’m going down to apologize,” he muttered. Harry nodded in approval and James left the house, quickly making his way down the sidewalk and to the dance studio before closing hours.

He stepped into the building and walked past a bunch of girls who he knew were staring at him. He walked to the front desk and smiled at the woman working. 

“Hello, can I help you?”

“Yes, I’m looking for Y/N Malfoy. I have some business I would like to discuss with her.”

“She is currently teaching the new ones, but you can wait up in the balcony for her. I’ll send someone back to tell her you want to speak to her before she goes back to work on her other dances. She didn't look well today, probably landed on her head again and didn’t get it checked out,” she sighed. James swallowed. Had he made you so upset yesterday that you hadn’t gotten your dad to look at your head?

Why did he care this much? Maybe it was because since he found out that you had cried about it, he realized you weren't heartless like he had tried to convince himself. That you were actually kind and that he had wasted five years picking on you instead of talking to you. 

He sighed and walked up the stairs to the nearly empty sitting section. He went to his spot by the railing and looked over. You were helping itty bitty ones, looked around three and four. You cheered for them, teased them, and held them. He noticed how gentle you were with them. He frowned deeper. 

Merlin, I’m an ignorant jerk. 

You were helping Abby with her plie when Margaret walked in. You looked up at her and waved with a smile, but she didn't have the same expression on her face.

“What's wrong? Why are you still here?”

“I was heading out when Miss. Rosier stopped me. Apparently someone,” she glanced up in the balcony, “is here to see you." You followed her gaze to James. “Claims to have some business.” Your entire body tensed. Your heartbeat picked up and you looked down. “I can stay. This is the last class today so it would just be us thr-”

“It's fine, Maggy. Go home. Your mum must be ready to kill you for not being there already. She has four little ones to juggle,” you chuckled and went back to helping the little girl. 

“Are you sure?”

“I’ll be fine. Thank you, though.” Your friend eyed James before nodding and leaving. You swallowed. You weren’t emotionally prepared for this. 

Class finished up too quickly and the girls left the studio to go home and to their families. You stayed in the large studio and James stayed where he was up top. 

“Might as well come down here, Potter. No matter how much you think I’m not going to cast a curse on you.” James walked down and into the studio, you noticed he had his shoes in his hands and was grateful for that. It was one of your biggest pet peeves. “What was your business with me?” You asked, turning around to meet his gaze. 

“I wanted to say I was sorry. For what I said the other day.” You shook your head. 

“I know my father went to yours. You probably think me a snitch along with a murderous monster.” He swallowed at your words. He hadn’t exactly meant what he said.  

“I don’t think you any of that.”

“Then why did you say it?” He stayed silent. He couldn’t answer that question. You sighed and sat on the floor. 

“I’m also sorry for the way I’ve been treating you since first year. Since I found you were a Malfoy and all.” You smiled sadly. 

“Yeah, well, there was a reason I didn’t tell you my first name on the train. Especially after you told me your last name.” He sat down in front of you. 

“I-I shouldn’t have judged you based off of your last name. I know better. I knew better.”

“It's fine, really.”

“But it's really not.” He sighed. “I mean, my brother is friends with your brother and I don’t go picking on him. It's not fair and I really am sorry. I’m not just saying that. And I also didn’t know about your… your mom,” you swallowed. 

“It was a long time ago.”

“But you blame yourself and I didn’t help. You're not a murderer, and neither is your entire family. I really am sorry about that. And for the loss of her.” You looked him in his eyes and only saw sincerity. You smiled. 

“Thank you, James. It actually means a lot to me.” He smiled and handed you the bag of chocolate he had brought. “Whats this?”

“This is my stash. Wanna see?” He whispered. You smiled and he opened it up to reveal chocolate. You laughed and smiled brightly. Sadness was still laced throughout it, but it was happier. 

“You remembered our first meeting?”

“Considering I thought you were going to ask me to do drugs with you, yes.” Your eyes widened. 

“That is not what you thought! Did I really look like a drug dealer?” He smirked. 

“No. I just figured that's what the bag was about when you said it the way you did.” You laughed and looked at the bag. 

“Can I?”

“I brought it for you, a peace offering. Maybe to try and start again?” You smiled and took out two chocolate frogs, handing him one. 

“Hi, I’m Y/N. Want to share my chocolate?” He smiled and took the frog from you. 

“I’d love to.”

“Don’t you dare eat on this floor though!” He laughed and put the frog in his pocket. 

“I wouldn't dream of it.”

“No, he’s just protective. Wants the best for his siblings and such,” you shrugged. Draco scoffed. “What?”

“I was a prick like that. That's not the only thing going through his mind.”

“Dad,” you warned. 

“What? I’m just saying. The other two seemed fine. He was an egotistical control freak who, let me guess, has a new girl on his arm every other week. Wait, and let me guess, it gets better, right? He also bullies the less fortunate.”

“You almost described what you were like as a kid.”

“That's because I know what they look like. And that kid was me, just different.” You rolled your eyes, your mind wandering back to the school year and the various jabs he made at you… the less fortunate…

It had been a few weeks since you had taken Lily on as a student. Since she was new to dance you had suggested twice a week and found that Lily was a very capable dancer. She caught on quickly and was very confident in her movements, though you could tell she got stressed when she wasn't able to get something right. 

“That was excellent, Lily!” You praised. She smiled brightly at your praise. How about we move to the large room if you’d like, maybe even get your mother and father to watch,” you suggested. Her face lit up. “I’ll go get them. If there's someone dancing just stand on the side like usual, alright?” She nodded and practically pranced off to the large room.

You smiled at her and quickly walked to the waiting area. Her lesson was nearly over and Harry and or Ginny were normally there already. Your smile dropped when you noticed James leaning on the wall looking down at his camera.

“Hey, Potter,” You smiled. He looked up and his gaze made your heart go mad. “Your parents here?”

“No. They sent me to pick up Lily. Is she done?”

“We were going to run her routine in the large studio. Would you like to watch? She’s very proud of it.” 

“Sure.”

“Follow me.” you walked him back to a door. “Just go up these steps and you’ll be on the balcony. I’ll send her up to you when she’s finished.” You left him to go up the stairs and to the balcony. 

The large room was emptying out from the previous class when you entered. You had class right after you taught Lily so there was a few minutes break in between. 

“Ready?” She nodded and ran out to the middle of the room. “I’ll jump in if you get stuck, ok? Just keep going if you forget a step.” She nodded and set herself up. You pressed play on the music and her music started. You watched her from the sidelines, making mental notes on what to work on with her next lesson. You jumped in on the new part and helped her through it, which she seemed grateful for. 

The music ended and you smiled. 

“That was great, Lily! Keep practising and I’ll see you next week. Your brother is up on the balcony if you want to go meet him. You remember how to get up there?” She nodded. 

“Yep! Thank you, Y/N!” She hugged you and ran up to meet her brother as your friends started to walk in. You joined them in center to begin to stretch for class. 

James was waiting for Lily when she came running up the stairs. He put his camera away and picked her up. 

“That was beautiful! I got a few pictures of you doing it as well,” She smiled brightly. 

“Can we watch, Y/N dance?” She asked. “She has class right now and I wanna see what the older girls do.” James forced a smile, hating the idea of being in the same room as you longer than he had to, but agreed for his sister’s sake. He carried her to the edge as they watched you and a group of girls warm up. You were talking to Margaret as you stretched. You had taken your shirt off so you were in a backless red leotard; he was slightly surprised that the leotard wasn’t green.

“Hey isn’t that the girl you're teaching and her adorable brother?” You looked away from your curly hair friend to see James and Lily watching the class. You waved and Lily waved back as James just glared at you. You slowly brought your hand back down and turned back to Margaret. “What was that about?”

“He hates me,” you shrugged. 

“Why?”

“We go to the same school.” Her eyes widened. 

“Wait, that's the kid who bullies you?”

“I wouldn’t say bully.”

“I would. Want me to beat him up?” You laughed. 

“Maggy!”

“What? I will.” You rolled your eyes and slipped into your split. 

“No. I don’t want to lose his sister as a student. She is very talented, and a joy to teach.” Margaret frowned. 

“Well, whenever you want me to beat him up I’ll be all over it.” You laughed and your teacher began class. 

You notice James pull Lily out half way through, which you didn’t blame him for. Class was about three hours, and that wasn’t even the end of your day. Lily looked upset, but let him carry her out without a fuss. Margaret nudged you and nodded up towards the balcony.

“What?” You whispered, pirouetting a few times. 

“They left.”

“She’s probably exhausted. She danced for a vigorous hour with me.”

“Or maybe he likes you and couldn’t stop his heart from beating at the sight of you,” She hummed. You glared at her. 

She and Scropius were the only two who knew of your crush on James. And now you were regretting telling her. 

“Or maybe he couldn;t stand the sight of me anymore because he hates my guts.” You whispered back. She rolled her eyes. 

“Probably hard,” she muttered. You smacked her shoulder and stifled laughs. 

“Margaret!” She smiled at seeing you laugh. You had looked so off when you noticed them. Your stage fright getting the better of you. Now that they were gone you seemed more at ease. 

“Y/N!” You looked at the teacher. 

“Yes ma’am?”

“Class has ended.” You smiled. 

“Sorry ma’am. Would it be a problem if I stayed here for a bit longer?”

“By a bit longer do you mean ten tonight?” You chuckled. 

“Is that your hint that my day is over and to get out?” you asked with a grin. She rolled her eyes. 

“Well, my day is over. Good evening, Miss. Malfoy.”

“Good evening.” You went to the player and set up your music. You had some routines you wanted to run, as well as throw some tricks. 

James was tearing his already messy room apart, mumbling how he could not believe he lost something or other. 

“Jamie?” Lily asked coming in. “What’s wrong?”

“I think I left the cap to my camera at the studio,” He sighed and flopped down on the bed with a huff. 

“Y/N might not have left yet. She normally stays after closing.” James scoffed. 

“Like I want to be in there alone with her.”

“Wouldn;t surprise me,” Albus smirked from the doorway. 

“Go away, Albus.”

“You like her, admit it.”

“Why would I like a stuck up Malfoy?”

“Maybe because she isn’t stuck up?” Albus offered. “Come on, James. You know that better than anyone.” James scoffed and stood. 

“I need my lid, so I suppose it's worth a shot. Tell mum and Dad I’ll be back later.” He slung his camera over his body and grabbed his jacket heading out of the room, grumbling angrily.

He walked slowly down to his sister’s studio, semi praying that it was closed and he wouldn’t have to see you. He even stopped and took pictures of random things on his way. But, alas, it was not to be. 

When he got to the studio he pulled on the door which opened with ease. 

Maybe he wouldn’t see you?

Wrong. 

He walked up to the balcony and immediately heard someone on the floor. Being the curious person he was he peaked over to see you in front of a mat, pressed up against the wall on your toes. You ran and flipped in the air, landing on your behind. He cringed, but you got out of it with another trick. Had you meant to do that?

“Are you going to just watch me all day or are you going to at least say something?” You called up to him, prepping for another trick. He scowled and leaned over the railing. You glanced at him, sending him a small smile before running again and doing a front aerial, landing it perfectly. Though, you went over everything you could've done better in your head. 

“I was just looking for my camera lid,” he grumbled down at you. 

“Is that why you were studying me do a suicide?” You asked. His eyes widened. 

“A wh-what?” You chuckled. 

“Don’t think I didn’t see you cringe. I have excellent eyesight. The trick when I-oof-” you pushed off the ground into a roundoff back handspring. You landed it and rolled your shoulders, turning to him. “Landed on my butt. Its called a suicide. And the trick afterwards is a valdez,” you informed him. He just glared at you. You nodded awkwardly. “Nice talk. Oh, and your camera lid is on the desk out front.”

“How’d you-”

“I make sure no one left anything around the studio. If they do I leave it on the deck. You just happened to label it. J.S.P. Kind of hard not to know who that is.”

“Oh.”

You stood backwards against the mat and did four back handsprings, grimacing when you came up from the last one. You really needed a rest day. But a rest day would mean not coming into the studio. And you weren’t going to stay home with Astoria. 

Walking back to the other end of the mat nearly every bone in your body cracked or creaked in some way, making james cringe. You smiled up at him. 

“Not a fan of cracking bone?” You chuckled. 

“There was just so much. Is that normal?” You smiled to yourself. 

“Yeah. For me at least. I’m not naturally flexible so I crack a lot and I have to stretch every day in order not to get back to point A.” You stood against the wall and ran into your Front Handspring, immediately going into your back handspring. 

“Will Lily be able to,” he waved his hand at you. “Do this?” You chuckled and sat down on the mat, needing to stretch for a moment. 

“She’s very flexible. Her split is already down and her straddle is close. I could work with her during her lessons with acrobats. It's best to get them started young when they're growing. It gets harder when you're a teenager. So, if she works hard, yes. She could do this.” It was quiet for a few minutes as you stretched. “Your sister is very talented like her brother’s. You should be proud.” You smiled at him, standing and doing a backbend, sitting in it for a moment before coming back up, groaning as you did.

“I am. She works very hard at it.”

“Well, like you saw today, she’s moving quickly. By the time we go back to Hogwarts she should be ready to join a group class.”

“Is that good?” You smiled. 

“Yes. Group classes are fun and though they don;t cover as much as a private lesson does they’re just as challenging.”

“Really?” You chuckled at his confusion. This family knew nothing about ballet or dance at all. 

“Yeah I should know. I take at least four a week.”

“Four a week, really?”

“Yep. I teach on all of those days, plus one where I don’t have a lesson. And I have two days off. But, I’m still here working on technique.” You shrugged. 

“So you practically live here,” he joked. 

“Yeah. This is more of a home than Malfoy Manor ever has been.”

“Why, don’t love your parents?” he scoffed. 

“My dad I adore. We’re surprisingly close. Me and uh, Astoria, have a… forced relationship.” He raised his eyebrows in shock at you using her first name. 

“Must be honest, from the stories I've heard about the Malfoys, I wouldn't expect him to be a good parent,” James scoffed. You smiled sadly.

“Yeah, a lot of people wouldn’t. But I wouldn’t ask for a different one, as cheesy as that sounds.” You backed up against the wall and sprang off into a roundoff back tuck landing on your head. “Ah!” You sat up and rubbed your neck and head. That was going to be sore tomorrow. “Dammit!” You swore, smacking the mat. You stood up and walked back over to the end of the mat, getting ready to do it again. 

“Are you alright?” You glanced at James, yoru vision swimming for a moment before focusing on him. You blinked a few times to clear the spots from vision. 

“Yeah. Not the first time I’ve landed on my face,” you chuckled. You felt a tear slip down your face and wiped it away quickly. 

“You're crying.”

“Thank you captain obvious,” you joked, laughing. “It just hurts a bit,” you snifled and willed the rest of the tears away, rubbing your face and neck. It was definitely going to bruise. “Yet again, not the first time. Gotta fall a couple times before you stick the landing." You got ready on the wall to push off again, but your vision fell to the side and you knew you weren't going to be able to tumble any more. 

Dad’s gonna be pissed that he has to fix my head again.

You quickly rolled up the mats and looked at James who was studying. You smiled. 

“Did you eat yet? I’m positively starved and I know a good pizza joint down the road.”

“Why would I want to join you?” he sneered.

Moment of being civil over. 

You shrugged.                              

“Just thought I’d offer. My treat if you decide to join.” You looked around the room making sure everything was in place and clean. 

You nodded and left the room, shutting off the lights. You checked the other rooms and grabbed your bag, changing into jeans and a black crop top with your jean jacket. You walked out and grabbed your key from your bag. You saw James bouncing awkwardly on his feet. You smiled at him.

“Change your mind?”

“You did say you were paying,” he defended. “And I am not one to pass up free food.” You laughed and double checked everything. You grabbed your notebooks from the counter and shoved them in your bag.

“Well, let's go then. The pizza place is about a block away.”

“Don’t you need to get home?” He asked.

“Worried about me, Potter?” You asked teasingly as you locked up the studio. He scoffed. 

“Just asking.”

“My dad’s used to me coming home late. Though he might have to fix my head tonight,” you laughed and touched your forehead.

“It hurts?” You shrugged. 

“I mean, I did land on it with full force. I didn’t jump high enough or use nearly as much power,” you chastised yourself. “It was doomed from the beginning.” 

“Yet you're walking straight?”

“You were walking straight after you took that bludger to the head last year,” you chuckled. He rolled his eyes.

“That's because you Slytherin’s play dirty.” You laughed. 

“I can’t control the bludgers! I’m not even a beater!” You defended yourself. 

You opened the door to the pizza place and a fresh whiff of oregano cheese and dough filled your senses. You sighed. 

“Donte!” You yelled. A teenager walked from the back with crossed arms. 

“Y/N! What do you think I am? Your personal pizza maker?” You laughed and batted your eyes at your muggle friend. 

“Maybe.” 

“Your usual?” You nodded. 

“Yeah, but my friend here has never been.” Donte looked at James.

“Well, take a look at the menu. I’ll tell Dominique to start making your order.”

“It's appreciated!”

“Uhu,” he called back, already headed to the back. 

“Come here often, then?” James asked. You smiled. 

“Is it that obvious?” You walked with him to the counter where they had a menu above the counter for ordering. 

“What's good here?”

“What isn’t,” you laughed. “What kind of food do you like? They have pizza fries, garlic knots, pizza, pizza bread. Everything, realy.”

“What is it you get?”

“Garlic knots and a half of a calzone normally. I think that's what they’re cooking up back there. To be honest though I never know. They surprise me some days.”

“Who knew a Malfoy would be friends with muggles,” he sounded surprised. You hummed, holding back a snarky response. 

“Did you decide? I’m Sure the little dancer over here wasn’t much help.” You rolled your eyes at his nickname. 

“She really wasn’t. What do you suggest?”

“Well, if you like pizzas we sell smalls that are about six pieces. Great for taking home. Our garlic knots are pretty well known, but she’s already getting those, so I assume you’d just share with her.”

“Why would you assume that?” You asked, offended.

“Aren;t you two, ya know, a couple?” You laughed and so did James. The only difference was you cheeks flushed, wishing you were. 

“No,” You answered. “He hates my guts. I just happen to teach his sister. And then he came back to the studio because he forgot something.” Dante’s confused look dropped into one of murder. 

“Oh. So you're the one who’s picking on her,” he crossed his arms. 

“Donte!”

“Want me to beat him up?”

“How are you and Margaret not an item yet? She offered the same thing, and no. Just-Just order him the same as me but with pizza fries.” you huffed and turned to a both near the corner. James followed you, glancing over his shoulder at Donte who was still glaring at the two of you. 

“What was that about?” He scowled at you. You kept your eyes on Donte’s back, ignoring James. 

“I’d be careful when he brings the food over. He’s not opposed to spitting in people’s food,” you warned before fiddling with your napkin and waited for your food. You weren’t joking. You were starving. You hadn’t had time for an actual breakfast or to pack a lunch that day. You only had an apple before you left the house and a granola bar for lunch and you couldn’t wait to get some actual food in your body.

“So are you ever going to answer me?” James asked after a moment. You looked up. 

“What?”

“About your… friend?... Threatening to beat me up. Like he could touch me.” You laughed. 

“Donte is the most bad ass kid in this town. I bet he could beat you in a fight.”

“That was cold, Malfoy. Saying a muggle could beat me up.” 

“Oh? Would you cast a few spells on him so you’d get the upper hand?”

“Possibly.” You rolled your eyes.

“Because that sounds fair.”

“Since when do Slytherins care about being fair?” You mouth parted, but you had no words. Yet again, civil and then your back to reality. You slumped in your seat. Donte came over and glared at James as he gave you your food. “Thanks, Donny. I haven’t eaten all day,” you sighed, smelling the spices and ingredients better now that they were even closer to your nose. 

Your friend pointed to you threateningly. 

“You better start eating.” You laughed. 

“I missed my alarm!” You laughed. 

“And you had to get to the studio before your first lesson because?”

“Because I needed out of the house.”

“Mansion,” he coughed. You threw a fry at him. 

“Get back to work, Ankenson!” You laughed at him. 

“Of course, Miss. Malfoy,” he sarcastically bowed and left to continue working. You rolled your eyes and pulled apart one of your garlic knots. James watched the scene before grabbing a fry and eating it. 

“What?” You asked when you caught him studying you. He shook his head. 

“Does he know about the wizarding world?” 

“Yeah. I honestly should've obliviated him but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. He found out my first year after I got home from school." You frowned and shoved the bread in your mouth remembering your first year. All the kids up to no good wanted to make nice and be your friend. Thinking you were the stereotypical Malfoy. You had no friends that year and got picked on by James like there was no tomorrow. 

“Ya know, you still never answered my question. Why did he want to beat me up?” You shoved a garlic knot in your mouth. 

“Becuas woo wick end e,” you mumbled. 

“Come again.”

“He found out I was getting.. Uh… picked on.. I guess,” you shook your head and shoved another piece of the knot in your mouth. 

“You can handle yourself though.” You looked away. 

“Yeah. He’s just over protective.” 

And for a good reason. You liked to think yourself strong, but you knew you weren’t. You could hold it together in the moment, but would completely collapse when you were alone. That's actually how you two met. 

You had gotten into another fight with Astoria when you were eight and had been packed and leaving the mansion. Scorpius was crying in the parlor because you were leaving and your father was still at work, so there was no one to talk the situation down. 

You had made it to the back of the pizza shop before completely collapsing and succumbing to sobs when a nine year old in jeans and t-shirt was walking by and saw you crying. He had taken you home after calming you down. He may have been a punk, but he was still kind. He had taken you back home and father was beyond furious at both you and Astoria. Mostly Astoria, though. You had just scared the crap out of him because he actually thought you would have gone through with it, and losing his kid was his worst fear. You and Donte had been friends ever since. 

The two of you finished in near silence. The only time one of you spoke was to see if the other could have fries or a Garlic knot. You had ended up paying, like you said you would. 

“I’ll pay you back in wizard money,” James said, his hands in his pockets as you two stepped out. 

“Nonsense! I told you I would pay. Besides, I'm pretty sure he gave me a discount.”

“How do you even have muggle money?”

“I work at the studio, so I get paid in both since I teach magical and non-magical kids.” You explained, hopping onto the curb and balancing like you always did. 

“Huh, weird. You’d think you didn;t even need to get paid.” You looked at him. 

“WHats that supposed to mean?”

“Well your family’s rich.”

“So is yours,” you countered. 

“Well, we don’t act like it,” he snapped back. 

“Oh? So just because I don’t dress down all the time and we throw a few parties with stuffy know it all pure blooded Slytherins that makes us act like it?”

“Yeah, actually. It does!”

“Fascinating, Potter. Your way of thinking is quite dizzying. A poor, simple minded Slytherin like myself is having a hard time keeping up. Should I bow down to the Gryffindor prince now?”

“Like you don't expect everyone to do the same,” He scoffed. 

“I don’t! You do understand that I hate the way people view me, right? I hate that my last name and all the little things that come with it! Having people look at me like I’m some monster! That I’m supposed to act like Slytherin’s princess!”

“Well aren’t you? You're from a family full of murders and monsters. Doesn't that automatically make you one to? A monster? A murderer?” You froze at the word murderer. Tears welled in your eyes and you turned away from the boy.

“Before you go around picking on people, James,” your voice cracked as you tried to keep your emotions in check, but obviously failing. “Try and get to know them first, they might just surprise you.” You bolted down the sidewalk and did not stop until you got home. Or, rather, to the manor. 

Tears were running down your face at this point and you were sobbing, the words murderer and monster ringing in your head. You slammed the door shut and pressed your body up against it, putting your hand over your mouth to quiet the sobs. But your father had heard you arrive and stepped out of the parlor, expecting a happy daughter who had just got back from dancing. This was not what he got. 

His smile fell when he saw you and quickly ushered you into the parlor where he had come from. You completely broke down and he just held you, worried about what happened. He rubbed your back until your sobs had quieted. He then sat you down on the couch. 

“What happened? What's wrong?” You shook your head, looking down at your hands. “Hey, sweet heart, what happened?” You sniffled and wiped the tears from your eyes.

“Dad, am-am I a monster? Because-because of mom?” he stared at you for a moment and shook his head. 

“Of course not, that wasn’t your fault. There were multiple compil-”

“But it was because of me,” you said sadly. “Because she had me. I killed mom,” you couldn’t look at him. James was right. Wherever your last name was, death happened. You had caused it last time. It was your fault that your mother died. Your real mother. 

“Look at me, Y/N,” he pulled your face up to meet his. “You did not kill your mother. Whatever put this thought in your head, get it out right now. Do you understand me?” You nodded and sniffled. “Where did this come from?” 

“It's-its just a thought, I've been entertaining for a while,” you mumbled. It wasn;t a complete lie.

“Possibly, but who brought this up?”

“He didn’t mean to, I don’t think.”

“Who?” He knew it couldn't have been Donte. He’d met him a few times and, though he was a rebel and got into fights every other day, he seemed to take care of his daughter and he was grateful for that.

“James,” you mumbled. He almost didn’t catch it, but he wanted to be sure before he went around throwing accusations. 

“Could you say that one more time?”

“J-James. But please don’t do anything!I don't want there to be more problems!”

“More?” He raised an eyebrow and you flinched back. 

Oops. 

Your father may or may not have known that you had been getting picked on at school. You didn’t want him to do anything rash, like you knew he was going to do now. 

“I-I mean any. Because there would have to be problems to begin with for there to be more. But-but there aren’t any problems. Ever. Nope. None.” you faked a yawn and looked up at the mantel’s clock. “Would you look at the time? I’m beat! I-I’ll see you tomorrow, Dad. And please don't say anything. To any one. Ever.” You rushed out of the room, hoping he wouldn’t say anything. 

But as Draco watched you scurry out of the room, he knew he had to. He didn't even know you were getting picked on. And by a Potter! How many times had a Potter made you cry and he was unaware there was even a problem? No way was this going to slide by him. Not happening. 

“Potter!” Draco called and jogged over to Harry who turned and looked at him suspiciously. 

“Yes, Malfoy? Can I help you with something?” Draco hesitated. 

“Can I talk to you in private?” Harry gave him a look but complied. They walked into an empty office. 

“What do you want?”

“I want to talk about your son and my daughter.” Harry furrowed his eyebrows. 

“I don’t understand.”

“Your son said a few… choice words that made my daughter upset the other night and apparently it has been going on for a while.”

“Like what?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but she came home in tears last night asking if she were a monster because of a…” He cleared his throat. “An accident that happened when she was born.” Harry understood immediately. He had known about Draco’s first marriage and how that ended. “I then asked why she was thinking this and she asked me not to say anything, but I care for her… a lot.” Harry nodded. 

“I’ll talk to James. I’m sorry she had to go through that. You as well.” Draco nodded and cleared his throat again. 

“Yes, um, thank you.” Draco walked past Harry and out of the conference room. Harry thought about how the tables had turned. But it still wasn’t right. No matter what happened in their childhood. 

“James! Can I talk to you for a second?” Harry called to his son who was playing with Lily in the yard as if nothing had happened yesterday. He had spent the night convincing himself that she had deserved it. That Malfoys and Slytherin’s like that didn’t have emotions. It cleared his conscience and took away his guilt.

“Yeah, dad!” He dropped Lily and ran into the house. Harry took him to the empty dining room, not wanting to rope Ginny into this. “Whats up.”

“Did you say anything that might’ve upset Y/N Malfoy yesterday?” James’ mouth dropped. 

“The snitch!”

“So you did?”

“She deserved it,” he grumbled. “I can’t believe she snitched to her father,” he scoffed. 

“She didn’t.” James looked up, confused. “Apparently she came home in tears the other night because of whatever you told her. What did you say exactly.”

“Uh-” James rubbed the back of his head. “Just that all Slytherin’s like her never had good intentions and uh- that her family was full of murderous monsters?” Harry stared at his son. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. 

“James, do you know about her at home life?”

“She lives in a grand old manor with a huge ballroom, and her parents.”

“Parent. Astoria isn’t Y/N’s real mother.”

“Ok? That sucks but-”

“Her mother died from complications of childbirth.” Harry clarified. James stopped. He hadn’t known you had an actual mother. Albus walked in and read the uncomfortable air. 

“What did I just walk in on?”

“Just talking about the way James treats a few of his classmates.”

“You told him you bully Y/N? Thank Merlin!” Harry’s eyebrows shot up and he glanced at his son who was glaring at his other son. “Oh. That wasn’t the conversation, was it? I’m just going to leave now.” He ran out of the room before James could grab him. Harry crossed his arms. 

“So you're also a bully?”

“She’s a bi-jerk. Thinks she’s better than the rest of us.” Lily came prancing in the room with Ginny, who was holding a bag. 

“Hi, Harry. Hi James.” She kissed the two on the cheeks and Lily jumped on the counter. 

“Daddy! You should come next time! Y/N taught me a new turn and asked if I had an interest in par-su-ing acrobatics!”

“Pursuing,"he corrected her with a smile "I thought you didn't have a lesson today sweetie.”

“I had to run to a few places and Lily didn't want to go. We stopped at the studio to pick up a few things and Y/N asked if she would rather take an extra lesson. So while I ran boring errands, she got a free dance lesson.”

Harry eyed James. 

“Jerk? Really? She sounds horrid. Have you even ever had a conversation with her?” James grumbled a no. Ginny looked between the two. 

“What happened?”

“James made her cry the other day.” Ginny raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms at her son. 

“Did he now?” Lily frowned at her brother. 

“Thats rude. Especially since she took you to a pizza place yesterday.”

“How’d you know about that.” Lily handed him his camera lid. 

“You forgot this again. She also told me to ask you to forgive her for whatever she said wrong. She seemed upset today,” Lily frowned.

“See! She’s using my family against me. Manipulative! She told her dad in, obviously fake, tears and told him to complain to you about a miniscule fight!”

“A minuscule fight where you called her entire family murderous monsters. And she told Draco not to say anything.”

“You called the Malfoys murderous monsters?” Ginny asked, looking at her son, half proud half disappointed.

“I-I didn’t think she’d cry about it! She never does!” Albus walked in, deciding it was a good time to stop eavesdropping. 

“Actually she does. Every time. Same spot by the lake. She’s fine until she’s alone. Scorpius and I saw her sobbing one day.” James’ mouth went dry. He had made you sob everytime he picked on you? How did you still have tears? “What did she even do to you?" Albus asked, actually curious. He remembered James complaining about you since the first summer after Hogwarts, though he had never given a reason why. 

Ginny and Harry gave him a disappointed look. 

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry! I didn’t know!” James yelled in defense. 

“And that makes it better?” Ginny asked, disappointed in her son. 

“No,” he mumbled. “I’ll apologize.”

“You better bet your-”

“Ginny.” Ginny took a breath.

“Yes you will. Tomorrow. Go to bed.” James rolled his eyes and walked up to his room without complaint. 

James woke up late that day, dreading his task. Not only did he have to apologize to a Malfoy, but he had the strange feeling of guilt. Were you as terrible as he thought? He had only talked to you once before he found out you were a Malfoy. On the train. He had been utterly lost and you had wandered into his compartment asking if he wanted to share your bag of sweets, which was quite large. It was literally a duffle bag filled to the brim with all sorts of candies. 

“Mind if I join you?” An eleven year old you asked. He looked up from his wand to see you standing awkwardly at the door. Butterflies beat in his stomach. 

“Uh-yeah, sure!” he smiled. You smiled and slid into his compartment. You settled in front of him and sat the bag on your lap. You looked out the doors and back at him, motioning for him to come towards you. He leaned forward in his seat. And you smirked, making him nervous.

“Wanna see my stash?” He eyed you suspiciously. Before he could say no, you opened your bag to reveal it filled top to bottom and everywhere in between with chocolate. His mouth dropped open at the sight of it all. There was so much. 

“Wow. Where did you get all this?” You laughed and dug in it, pulling out a chocolate frog. 

“I have my ways. Want some?” 

“Can I?”

“Wouldn’t have offered if you couldn’t!” You slid the bag from your shoulder and sat it on the floor in between you so you could both eat it at your pleasure. You two talked the entire train ride. The butterflies in both of your stomachs were going insane. 

You were careful not to reveal your last name to him. Maybe if he got to know you first he wouldn’t hate you, like you assumed most people would when they heard your last name. But then you heard him say his last name.

“By the way, I’m James Potter,” he smiled. Your heart sank. The stories of your family history goes back centuries of Potters and Malfoys hating each other. Your father and his. Lucius and James. It went back even further than that. You smiled through the panic. 

“Y/N. So you like quidditch?” You had quickly changed the subject, not wanting him to ask more. Luckily, he didn;t seem to notice and he adored quidditch, just like you. But then it all just went wrong at the sorting Ceremony. 

He stared at his ceiling for a minute. Those same damn feelings rising in his chest when he thought about you. Not about how you were a stuck up Malfoy, but how you were an eleven year old girl on the Hogwarts express asking to share some candy with him and talk about his family and anything quidditch. 

“I’m just a jerk,” he mumbled to himself.”

“A big dumb jerk, yes,” Albus said from the doorway. He sat up and stared daggers at his brother. 

“What did I say about coming into my room?”

“And what did I say about you liking her?” He sneered at his younger brother.

“I don’t like her.”

“Lies.” Albus walked into his room. “You better get down to the studio soon. They close in about three hours. And don’t screw up. Just because her dad was a jerk to ours doesn;t mean she’s rude.”

“Yeah, thanks for the second lecture. Now get out of my room.” Albus held up his hands and walked out leaving James to get ready. He threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt, still half asleep and the other half of his thoughts were on you. “Merlin, I’m a mess,” he muttered as he slid his camera over his shoulder and headed downstairs. Harry was sitting at the dining room table with Ginny. “Morning.” He grumbled out and went into the kitchen to grab a drink before heading out. 

“It's afternoon!” Harry called into him. 

“So I see!” He chugged a water and looked towards the cupboard that had the chocolate stash. Without a second though he grabbed a small fabric drawstring bag from the shelf and filled it with chocolate. “I’m going down to apologize,” he muttered. Harry nodded in approval and James left the house, quickly making his way down the sidewalk and to the dance studio before closing hours.

He stepped into the building and walked past a bunch of girls who he knew were staring at him. He walked to the front desk and smiled at the woman working. 

“Hello, can I help you?”

“Yes, I’m looking for Y/N Malfoy. I have some business I would like to discuss with her.”

“She is currently teaching the new ones, but you can wait up in the balcony for her. I’ll send someone back to tell her you want to speak to her before she goes back to work on her other dances. She didn't look well today, probably landed on her head again and didn’t get it checked out,” she sighed. James swallowed. Had he made you so upset yesterday that you hadn’t gotten your dad to look at your head?

Why did he care this much? Maybe it was because since he found out that you had cried about it, he realized you weren't heartless like he had tried to convince himself. That you were actually kind and that he had wasted five years picking on you instead of talking to you. 

He sighed and walked up the stairs to the nearly empty sitting section. He went to his spot by the railing and looked over. You were helping itty bitty ones, looked around three and four. You cheered for them, teased them, and held them. He noticed how gentle you were with them. He frowned deeper. 

Merlin, I’m an ignorant jerk. 

You were helping Abby with her plie when Margaret walked in. You looked up at her and waved with a smile, but she didn't have the same expression on her face.

“What's wrong? Why are you still here?”

“I was heading out when Miss. Rosier stopped me. Apparently someone,” she glanced up in the balcony, “is here to see you." You followed her gaze to James. “Claims to have some business.” Your entire body tensed. Your heartbeat picked up and you looked down. “I can stay. This is the last class today so it would just be us thr-”

“It's fine, Maggy. Go home. Your mum must be ready to kill you for not being there already. She has four little ones to juggle,” you chuckled and went back to helping the little girl. 

“Are you sure?”

“I’ll be fine. Thank you, though.” Your friend eyed James before nodding and leaving. You swallowed. You weren’t emotionally prepared for this. 

Class finished up too quickly and the girls left the studio to go home and to their families. You stayed in the large studio and James stayed where he was up top. 

“Might as well come down here, Potter. No matter how much you think I’m not going to cast a curse on you.” James walked down and into the studio, you noticed he had his shoes in his hands and was grateful for that. It was one of your biggest pet peeves. “What was your business with me?” You asked, turning around to meet his gaze. 

“I wanted to say I was sorry. For what I said the other day.” You shook your head. 

“I know my father went to yours. You probably think me a snitch along with a murderous monster.” He swallowed at your words. He hadn’t exactly meant what he said.  

“I don’t think you any of that.”

“Then why did you say it?” He stayed silent. He couldn’t answer that question. You sighed and sat on the floor. 

“I’m also sorry for the way I’ve been treating you since first year. Since I found you were a Malfoy and all.” You smiled sadly. 

“Yeah, well, there was a reason I didn’t tell you my first name on the train. Especially after you told me your last name.” He sat down in front of you. 

“I-I shouldn’t have judged you based off of your last name. I know better. I knew better.”

“It's fine, really.”

“But it's really not.” He sighed. “I mean, my brother is friends with your brother and I don’t go picking on him. It's not fair and I really am sorry. I’m not just saying that. And I also didn’t know about your… your mom,” you swallowed. 

“It was a long time ago.”

“But you blame yourself and I didn’t help. You're not a murderer, and neither is your entire family. I really am sorry about that. And for the loss of her.” You looked him in his eyes and only saw sincerity. You smiled. 

“Thank you, James. It actually means a lot to me.” He smiled and handed you the bag of chocolate he had brought. “Whats this?”

“This is my stash. Wanna see?” He whispered. You smiled and he opened it up to reveal chocolate. You laughed and smiled brightly. Sadness was still laced throughout it, but it was happier. 

“You remembered our first meeting?”

“Considering I thought you were going to ask me to do drugs with you, yes.” Your eyes widened. 

“That is not what you thought! Did I really look like a drug dealer?” He smirked. 

“No. I just figured that's what the bag was about when you said it the way you did.” You laughed and looked at the bag. 

“Can I?”

“I brought it for you, a peace offering. Maybe to try and start again?” You smiled and took out two chocolate frogs, handing him one. 

“Hi, I’m Y/N. Want to share my chocolate?” He smiled and took the frog from you. 

“I’d love to.”

“Don’t you dare eat on this floor though!” He laughed and put the frog in his pocket. 

“I wouldn't dream of it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`~~~~~~~~

Let me know what you guy thinkin the comments I hope you liked it and stay tuned for chapter 2 next week!

[gunmetal-ring]

I'm so sad you left Caryl fandom. You've got to do you and self-care is important, and you've been on your way out the door for a while now, so it's hardly a surprise. Still, the loss of your voice and presence in our fandom leaves an empty space.

You were one of very few people whose fics struck the right note between the heaviness and the playfulness that encompass Caryl, while still keeping them in character, so that will be missed too.

I wish you happiness, in life and your new fandom.

Aww anon 😥 you are so sweet and kind and your words uplift my spirit wow. This is one of the nicest compliments ive ever gotten

Granted i did mean all of that when i said it - i knew i was being dramatic lol but it definitely still hurts too much. Also makes me too angry. So its still how i feel now.

But...

BUT...

BUT....!!!!!!

Putting it under a read more bc holy fuck its SUCH a long fucking unnecessary response lmao sorry in advance

If - IF - the rumors are true, that caryl will be in daryl does paris, TOGETHER, with ACTUAL SCENES TOGETHER, not this whole a story/b story, trying-to-find-each-other-and-making-amis-along-the-way bullshit (amis is french for friends bc i think im funny) that lasts until the last scene of the last episode of the last season that twd loves to do...

IF we see caryl ON SCREEN, TOGETHER, doing whatever THEYRE doing, TOGETHER, on THEIR spinoff, AND they are UNAMBIGUOUSLY CANON - for those of you at amc fervently reading my blog (lol) that means a kiss on the lips with romantic intent, i.e. FRENCHING (how appropriate) and confessions of being IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER FOR YEARS AND WISHING THEY DIDNT WASTE SO MUCH TIME WHEN THEY COULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY TOGETHER, and then FOLLOWED WITH AN UNAMBIGUOUS SEX SCENE WITH EACH OTHER, bc if we can have french zombie strippers we can have a fucking sex scene...

If we get that - if we get caryl together, both in physical proximity and romantically - then i might return. If we get proof (which, apparently, can no longer be a greenlit show or pilot script or location scouting or contracts or YEARS of press or fucking talking about it IN THE MAIN SHOW) - proof such as melissa and norman posting pictures of themselves on set, bts photos released by amc, interviews with melissa and norman talking about theyre filming the spinoff and theyre having fun and how its nice to be filming together again after having collectively 1 hour of screentime together in 24 episodes, hype from amc both in print and on sm about the spinoff, promo art with them together, officially naming the spinoff as something to do with CARYL, not just daryl dixon, a table read of the pilot script (where caryl is actually, yknow, holding a conversation, not just carol talking to some french dude and daryl talking to fleur delacour), positive statements straight from mels mouth/her agents (rather than jdm tweeting angrily at 2am and norman parroting the tweet for six months that deliberately and directly contradicts mel's statement along with amc's statement), sneak peeks of CARYL TOGETHER on THEIR spinoff, things that are unambiguously proof that a) mel is back on HER show, b) carol actually has screentime, c) caryl actually has screentime, d) that theyre actually filming with the intent of releasing the show, e) that its not just daryl does paris with a carol cameo at the last scene of the last episode...

IF we get this kind of proof... not only will i resubscribe to amc+ like amc so desperately needs, but i will watch and rewatch until les vaches (french for "the cows" lol) come home.

And then you know what will happen? The caryl fandom, as always, will do the heavy lifting for amc. They will create gifs, fanart, praise the show on sm, spread the word, buy tickets to conventions, buy merchandise FROM AMC, PAY FOR AMC+, tune in to the talking dead (if thats even going to happen? I hope chris hardwick is far far away ugh), write fanfic, create fanvids, post and repost and repost this content all over sm, which will entice carylers who left the fandom due to constant ship trolling and baiting and refusal of amc to do what theyve been implying theyll do for like 8 years - including carylers who left the fandom fucking YEARS ago, as well as carylers like myself who have given the fuck up due to s11 and the spinoff fuckery - and all of this will hype up the spinoff for the general audience too. Even if GA viewers arent specifically carylers, carol is a fan favorite. Carol and daryl is a fan favorite dynamic. People want to see them together.

Amc is finally realizing that they have nailed the coffin shut with this bullshit and thats why theyre scrambling to dangle the possibility of melissa/carol in every single press release and interview they can. They are aware now of the massive fuckup that is daryl does paris. Far too late to make amends, but if they pull this off, they can save the sinking ship (lol) that is amc. Theyre losing money left and right and laying off staff bc they cant keep their fucking heads on straight, and they are well aware its bc the money they were banking on - daryl does paris - is a complete and utter shitshow and will ultimately cost them far more money than it will bring in.

The only way to salvage this is to bring back caryl. Thats it. Bring them back in the 1st episode - together - and in every single episode following that - TOGETHER. No separation, not ambiguous will they wont they, no ship baiting, no cameos.

Actually the exception to the cameo can be the last scene of the 1st episode. Ill allow it.

Wow i went off on a tangent lol. But the point remains: if they do the CARYL SPINOFF right, they will get me back in the fandom as well as everyone else who bailed.

So who knows? Maybe we have a chance. I know @weaintashescltv has been loud and proud on Twitter about what we need to see. Maybe ill even join them lol. Even tho Twitter is an absolute hellscape full of bottom feeding goblins lol

All in all... maybe ill be back.

As for the new fandom its probably a hyperfixation lol considering the main ship i have is 2 dead teenagers that would make literally no sense to ever bring back to life - altho i have to say its refreshing that both of the actors (and even other tertiary actors on the show whose characters interacted w/ had a dynamic involved in the ship!!!) have so much respect for the ship and the fans and the shippers and have spoken at length abt how they also absolutely intended for the ship to be canonically romantic. A couple ships on that show do that, actually - no trolling or baiting or inciting fandom wars or whatever.

Theres something to be said about an obsession w a literally dead ship lmao. Esp when the rest of the show is like GENUINELY good and interesting (like how s1-s5, and then s9-s10 of twd was) and not just the shop.

Goddammit another tanget. This is why all my fics are like 30,000 words longer than i intend them to be. Sorry for the word vomit lmao. But thanks again for popping in anon ilu and wish you happiness and i hope you will continue to find love and fulfillment in one of the greatest ships in television history (and in case its unclear, im talking about caryl)

💗💗💗

[ramp-it-up]

It Takes Two

Pairing: Soft Dark!Chris Evans x Reader

Warnings:  18+, Minors DNI. Curate your own experience. Cursing, drinking, cheating, breakups, rehab, recovery, deception, lies, celibacy, manipulation, wedding planning, semi-public explicit, rough, sex, oral sex (m receiving), degradation kink, breeding kink, choking, dubiuous con (b/c of deception). Darkish! Scott Evans. This is not proofread!

A/N: @lovebittenbyevans gave me a great idea about still dealing with Chris when commenting on The One.  I thought that the Chris in that fic could really go left and get pretty Dark and dirty. And then.... 

Anonymous asked:

Imagine Chris cheating on Y/N …

That made me think up this fic. It is a sequel to The One. I hope you like it!

-----

You left him.

You flew to Montreal to surprise him on set, trench coat and lingerie and everything, and when you opened the door to his trailer, you saw Heidi on her knees giving Chris a blowjob.

You cussed him out, threw the ring back in his face and turned around and left. 

You blocked his number, moved out of his house and cut off all contact.  You were done.

The audacity of Chris being indignant about your warnings about Heidi when he was boning her all along.

You loved Scott, but you had to cut him off too after he tried to explain that Chris was drunk when you found him, and was going to rehab to deal with his issues. 

 It was classic celebrity bullshit and you didn’t have time for it.

You decided to center yourself, and swear off all relationships and sex. You wanted to purge your mind of all that weighed you down. 

You concluded that love, sex, and Chris Evans made you feel heavy as fuck. 

You moved to New York City. It was far enough away from Chris and your folks in Houston to give you some peace. 

You could still run your business and even think about a storefront.  It was the perfect location to live your best life, eat healthy, exercise, socialize and network. 

You fell in love with yourself, and you didn’t think much about Christopher Robert Evans at all.

Only every time you went on IG or Twitter, even though you blocked him and his hashtags.  And every time you went to Target, because his fucking movies and merchandise were everywhere. 

But you were cool, because you were doing you. You weren’t looking for love.

Of course, that’s when it found you.

Six months after you left Boston, you were at a natural beauty products expo in Brooklyn hawking your wares.  

Your business had taken off, with almost a half million dollars in sales, and you were being interviewed by a major news outlet of color when one of the correspondents caught your eye. 

You flirted, exchanged numbers and ended up going on a date. In another three months you were engaged to him.  

Kevin Watts made you feel safe, protected and loved. And he wasn’t just after sex. He was well off, and secure in himself and you.  It just felt right. 

When Kevin proposed, it was just you and him at your favorite restaurant. So romantic. 

Not like the rowdy family 4th of July party at which Chris asked you to marry him last year, in front of both your parents.

The laughter and the joy was just a little much. 

This was perfect. You didn’t miss Chris at all. You set about planning your wedding with a profound sense of peace and safety.  

You and Kevin were meant to be.

----

Chris was nothing without you.

Nothing but an award winning actor and producer, a multi-millionaire and founder of a major organization dedicated to bringing opposing political viewpoints together. 

All of that was cool, and it kept him going, but when he lost you, he lost his motivation.

Chris didn’t take any more roles after the sequel with Heidi, and he dumped her post haste. He did enter rehab and realized that he depended way too much on alcohol to dull his emotions. 

He got drunk off his ass when he was away from you because he missed you so much, and that led to him letting Heidi think that she could have him.

She’d had him physically, but never his heart. Or his mind. You owned those.

Chris followed your business closely, and was proud of your success. 

Of course he followed your social media on burner accounts and saw that you were doing well. 

You looked like you enjoyed being single and seemed healthy and happy.

He couldn’t ask for anything more for you.

Except to be his again. 

Chris was just biding his time for your reunion, deciding to give you a year before he made his move. 

Now he felt every emotion, and he knew that you must still love him too.

You just needed to realize that your life would be even better with him back in it.

The year apart would be just punishment for what he’d done to you, and when you came back together, it would be better than before.

Everyone speculated on his bachelorhood, wondering if he would settle down, speculating and gossiping about who he was with, but he just played coy and kept quiet.

No one would know that he was yours and yours alone, and that you were still his.  

You just didn’t know it.

But you weren’t going along with the plan that you didn’t know about. 

About seven months into his self-imposed purgatory, a complication started popping up on Chris’s feed. 

Kevin. 

And a couple of months after that, a post of a proposal, in a restaurant.

The asshole probably didn’t even ask or involve your folks.  Chris was in a rage for a week. 

He almost started drinking again, but as he got ready to drive to the liquor store, Kevin’s face flashed on his screen doing a report on the election.

Instead of making him even more angry, he smiled, elated at the thought that came to him.

Chris had a new plan, and it was going to be even better than before.

-----

The last three months had been a whirlwind, and you never thought it would turn out this way.  

You were planning your wedding with your mother, discussing the seating at the reception, and you deciding where Chris Evans and his date would sit.

What a time to be alive.

Your mother only let it slip a couple of times that you should be marrying Chris, but for the most part, she kept it cute.

You explained to her that everything was squashed between you and Chris, and that he and Kevin had a great relationship, were friends, even.  

They’d bonded over politics when Kevin interviewed him, and became buds before Chris even realized that you and he were together.

Kevin knew, but he wasn’t the jealous type, and he didn’t want to make things awkward. Surprisingly, Kevin insisted that he be at the wedding. 

You thought about it and decided it would be the ultimate closure for Chris to watch you marry someone else. 

You were pleasantly surprised at Chris. He was handling this very well. He never tried to contact you, and according to Kevin, never even mentioned you. That was growth. 

Maybe you too could be friends. 

You felt good about it. So much so that you unblocked him and started a dialogue.

-----

Hi.

Chris saw your number come across his apple watch and he practically did a dance. It was 9:24 pm.  He picked up his phone and stared at the word, forcing himself to wait and not respond.  He went to work out.

47 minutes later, he responded.

Hello?

This time, he sat and waited for your response, which came 7 minutes later. 

I just wanted to say, I appreciate the way you're handling this.

Chris bit his lip, imagining you sitting there, thinking of what to say and staring down at your phone.

I’m sorry, I don't know who this is. You may have reached a wrong number?

He grinned at the play. 

----- 

Your heart dropped. Did he no longer have your contact?  

Why would he do that?

You don’t know why you felt some kinda way; you’d blocked him. 

Maybe he had changed his number and this was no longer his. Your heart was beating fast when you texted back.

Is this Chris?  This is Y/N.  I was just texting about Kevin Watts.

You anxiously watched the thought bubbles on imessage.

----

Even though you’d texted back almost immediately, Chris kept you hanging for just a couple of minutes. His dick was hard at the thought of communicating with you. 

Fuck, you were such an aphrodesiac.

Oh shit! Y/N I’m sorry.  I got a new phone.. You know how it is…

He knew you wouldn’t believe that. That’s why he said it.

You just stared at the phone. That was bullshit. You can easily port your contacts into a new phone.  You just never believed that Chris would really move on.  And you didn’t know why. 

You had.

You took a deep breath and continued.

Lol, No worries!  Just wanna say thank you for being cool with my Boo. I’m gonna turn in now. Check you later.

You tried to keep it light.

Chris ignored the ‘my Boo’ comment and focused on the thought of you in bed. 

You usually slept in a tank top or t-shirt and panties, and the top would invariably come off because you got hot. 

And then things would invariably get hotter if he was in bed with you….

Cool! Sweet dreams. Check you later. 😉

Chris made sure to exit your message thread and come back so that you wouldn’t see the thought bubbles that he saw when you kept staring at the text.

You  were lost in the times that Chris always used to say that to you, and when he whispered “Sweet Dreams” in your ear when he was far away, you always had wet dreams about him. 

And that wink. 

How could a fucking yellow emoji turn you the fuck on?

You reached for your bullet vibrator as you continued to stare at the interaction.

Chis had already started stroking himself when you told him you were going to bed. 

Knowing that you were thinking exactly what he wanted you to got him close, and he didn’t even have to pull up your old videos to get off. 

Not tonight.

-----

Over the next few weeks. you’d texted a few times, Chris ‘made amends’ and you accepted his apology. 

Then, you started texting more regularly, mainly joking around about sports, your Celtics/Rockets rivalry ever raging. 

From your perspective, Chris was always appropriate and respected your relationship with Kevin.  You were glad because you’d missed your friendship with him.

You felt giddy that your life was working out so well, and you traveled to your weekend getaway in the mountains for your bridal shower with a light heart.

Chris attended Kevin’s bachelor festivities with only a week to go until the wedding.

——

From Chris’s perspective, things were working out better than he’d hoped. 

Scoring an invite to the wedding was more than he’d imagined, and Kevin inviting him out to his Bachelor party was just icing on the cake.  

Maybe he could make Kevin slip up enough so that you would dump him before the wedding. Chris was hopeful.

If not, Plan B was the nuclear option. 

-------

Kevin was following the stripper’s ass like a puppy. He was lit on booze and pills (that Chris provided) and his guard was down.

Kevin considered Chris a friend. 

Chris just wanted to keep Kevin close because he was the enemy.

They were talking about you.

“She’s so fucking innocent. A sweeter angel there never was. I’ll have to teach her how to fuck.”

Chris almost choked on his water.

“I'm sorry. What now?”

Kevin just barreled on, ignoring the question.

“That's how I know I need to wife her.” He was talking to Chris, but still staring at the stripper.

“She would never chase the D. Hell, she won’t even touch mine. You know, her being celibate and all.”

Chris raised his eyebrow and smiled, which Kevin never noticed. Chris shook his head at your antics.  His little beautiful love.

“That’s why I was never pressed that you are her ex. I mean, I’m impressed you were with her as long as you were.”  

Chris just smiled and nodded, curious as to where this was leading.

“A man like you don’t have to put up with that. You must have punani lined up for days, bro.”

Chris’s heart lept. This dullard did not have access to your pussy. HIS pussy.  Never has.

Chris could fuck a lot of people a million ways from Sunday with one text. Except for you. And you were all that mattered. 

“I don’t know about all that.” Chris put on his best, ‘aw shucks’ act.

Chris was over the moon. You were still his. In every way.

Kevin kept tipping the stripper and was trying to call her over. He asked her about a private lap dance.  Chris’s eyes lit up. This asshole was making it too easy.

The stripper nodded and went back to finish up her set.  Chris walked over to the bar.

“Aye!” Chris summoned tha bartender over. 

“What can I get you, Sir.” 

“I don’t need a drink.  I wanna take care of my friend over there. He’s gonna have a lap dance with Star. It’s his bachelor party.  I need it to be extra special.”  

Chris started peeling off hundreds so the barkeep could see. 

“And I need him to have some keepsakes, so he’ll remember it always.” 

More hundreds came off. The bartender’s eyes got bigger and bigger. “That’s no problem.”

Chris flashed his famous smile.  

“Great, let me tell you where to send them. Wanna make them a wedding present.” He wrote down an address on a napkin. 

He was now on Plan C. And it was perfect.

------

A week later and the rehearsal at the church was more fun than you thought it would be.  You weren’t allowed to participate, just watch, as the result of an old wives tale.

The church secretary found you in the pews. She handed you a manila envelope.

“This was mailed here yesterday, probably an invoice of something for the wedding, I put it aside for you, sweetie.”

You smiled back at her and tucked it into your purse, not wanting to distract yourself with more wedding bills. 

Later, when you and Kevin were in the back of the car to the restaurant for the Rehearsal Dinner, you pulled it out and opened it. You couldn’t believe your eyes.

“What the ENTIRE FUCK KEVIN!”  

You threw the pictures of him fucking a stripper in his face, startling him out of staring at his phone.

He picked one up, his mouth dropped open and started talking. 

“Look, Baby, Baby! I can explain!...”

“DO NOT FUCKING LIE TO ME KEVIN!  WE HAVE OVER 300 PEOPLE HERE FOR OUR WEDDING TOMORROW MORNING.” 

Kevin was on his knees in the back of the suburban. 

“Listen to me.. Listen.  I’m a man. I have needs…”

“Kevin, I swear to god….”

“Okay, okay… I admit it…”

You listened to him and your heart went silent.  You couldn’t even absorb what he said.

When you pulled up to the restaurant, you straightened your dress and looked at him coolly.

“I am NOT going to deal with this tonight. Tonight was supposed to be a fun celebration of our wedding. I will decide later if it's still going to happen.”

Kevin was terrified.

“Right now, you and I will go into this place, greet our friends arm in arm and pretend that you are not a fucking narcissitic asshole who just ripped my heart to shreds. Got it?”

“Yes, but I-”

“Do NOT speak to me unless I speak to you first. Or it's automatically off.”

Kevin just nodded and cleared his throat.

You raised your chin and said, “Let’s go.”

-----

Two hours later, dinner was over, and you were lit on your way to TURNT.

Chris observed you, from the moment you entered holding hands with Kevin to the second you dropped his hand in disgust, to the way you held yourself away from him at dinner, but then put on a sweet face when everyone spoke, to Kevin, who was an absolute mess.

He figured you got the pictures. He suppressed the glee that was coursing through him.

But he couldn’t figure out why you were still going on with the charade.

Chris didn’t make a beeline for you like he wanted to, he just let the natural flow of the party lead you to him.  He was talking to your cousin when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around.

“Hey you.”  

You cocked your head at him in that way and looked up at him, your smile brightening your face.  Damn, he had to plant his feet. You smiling at him like that made him feel faint.

You both heard your cousin say something, but you didn’t pay attention, caught up in your own orbit.

“Hey.”  

Chris crossed his arms, and you swore that he was recalling the time when you told him your forearms made you horny. Fuck. Chris made you wet and you were fresh out of fucks tonight.

“So, I can’t have a hug?”  

Chris shook his head at your line and opened his arms to embrace you, keeping a respectable pressure and distance until you hugged him tight and pressed close.  

He couldn’t help but pick you up, but he put you down immediately, cleared his throat and backed up, looking uncomfortable.

That wouldn’t do. You wanted more of his scent, his warmth, his HIM. You pouted unconsciously in your buzzed state.

Chris’s cock stirred.  That fucking mouth had haunted his dreams for almost a year. He was pleased that you were flirting, but he had to work the plan.  Couldn’t go too fast.

“You look… great.  I can’t wait to see you tomorrow in your wedding dress. You will be a beautiful bride.”  

Chris broke his voice in just the right place to convey a wistfulness, making you think that he thought he lost you.

You felt bad.  Chris was so sweet.  You thought about him and you thought about Kevin. 

What was the difference between what Chris did and what Kevin did?  

And who did you have more chemistry with? Chris.  

Why were you even marrying Kevin?

You looked over at him looking at you and Chris like a lost dog.

You had no idea why you were marrying him.

“You look… Like Chris fucking Evans.” You two laughed.  

“I bet you’re fighting them off with a stick.”  You sideyed him.

Chris reveled in your interest in his sex life.

“Well, you know. After rehab, I’ve laid off the... physical part of my life. It only brought chaos, you know. I’m trying to be more… zen. Haven’t really had… that  for the better part of a year.”

He watched your eyes get big.  

“Word?”  You smirked. “So you…”

Chris held up his hand.  The one you knew he jacked off with.  You grabbed it and started drawing on his palm.  Chis pulled it back and cleared his throat again. 

You pouted again. Him being hard to get made you wet.

And Chris knew that.

“So… you ready to marry the love of your life?”

 Chris’s sea blues looked you deep into your cocoa browns. You were transported back in time.

“Yes.” 

 Then you snapped out of it.  

“I mean… the church is set up, the dress is bought, everyone’s here. I guess so.”

Chris laughed as if you were telling a joke.  

“I miss your sense of humor.”

You all made small talk and you caught up a little before you asked what you wanted to know.

“So what are you up to tonight?”

Chris looked at his watch.

“I’m actually about to go to my condo an turn in. I get up early to work out.” He felt your eyes sweep up and down his body, and he flexed even though he was fully dressed. It was true. Working out was a regimen. He wanted you drooling for him. 

“It’s the Marvel condo in Brooklyn?”

You nodded, remembering good times.

“So you have a car picking you up?”  Your mind was whirring.

“I actually have a rental.” 

You gulped your drink down, not daring to look in his eyes. Now, not only was your pussy wet, your nipples were hard as hell. 

“It’s in the parking garage down the block.”

“Well, I need to clear my head. I’ll walk you there, and you can drop me back?”

Chris looked down at your cute face, and then around the room, spotted Kevin and gave him a nod.

“You sure that’s a good idea?”  

You looked at Kevin, too.  You wanted to stick your tongue out, but you just took Chris by the arm and headed toward the door.

“I’m a big girl. Nobody owns me.” 

You looked up into Chris’s eyes and instantly regretted that statement. You played it off and pulled him through the door.

You didn’t talk at all the entire way, both of your heads deep in the clouds of you and him.  The chemistry was crackling the air between you.

You held on to his arm, and he let you, reveling in your touch.

When you reached the parking garage, Chris pressed the button with his knuckle and you got in, headed for the top deck.

You just stared at each other, both thinking the same thing. Chris chuckled.

“You’re dangerous, night before your wedding, you probably have cold feet, I’m here. Maybe you want to be sure that you’re sure…”

You cocked your head. “Who said I wanted to fuck you, Chris Evans?”

Chris cocked his head too, mirroring you.  “Who said ‘fuck?’ I was thinking you wanted to talk.”

He smirked and you scowled as the door opened.

Chris left you in the elevator stewing as he walked over to the black Tesla he’d rented. There was no other car on the deck.

You scoffed, and followed him out.

He was about to walk around to the driver's side door when you grabbed his arm before he made it. He stopped directly in front of the car.

“Do you mean to tell me that you don’t want me?”  You were hot, in more ways than one.

Chris leaned back against the hood.

“That’s not what we’re talking about, y/n. You’re getting married tomorrow. To someone else.”

You smiled and reached up, fingers grazing his neck and playing with the hair at his nape. You ran your fingers through his beard.  Kevin’s couldn’t compare.

“That’s tomorrow. Tonight I’m single as fuck.” 

You stood on your tip toes and brushed your lips against his, reveling in the moan that came from his throat.

Chris fought to control his urge and continued with his act. His fingers tightened around your waist and you thought this was it.  He turned you around in front of the car and then let you go, stepping back to pace back and forth.

“What? What is this? You’ve had almost a year. Kevin’s my friend. What do you want from me?”  

He advanced on you, and you had to remember to breathe.  He knew what you wanted.

“You. I want you, Chris.”

Chris attacked your lips with his own.  He took two seconds to savor them before he ravaged your mouth with his tongue.  You moaned and he broke from your mouth to re-discover your face, your neck, your cleavage.  He had to control himself not to rip the bodice of your blush pink chiffon dress.

He had a raging hard on, which you were feeling up, remembering how you always struggled to take him.  You wanted him to hurt you with it now.

“Give me this Chris… please…”

You were reaching into his pants, thumb caressing his wet, thick tip. He was leaking for you.

“Remember when you told me that I would meet you in a parking lot, and let you fuck me over the hood of your rental car? Even if I was with someone else?”  

You pulled your hand out and started sucking your thumb, closing your eyes at the taste of Chris after so long.  You pulled it out with a pop.  

“You were so right.”

Chris practically growled, grabbed your arm and spun you, pushing your back until your chest hit the hood of the Model X.  He leaned over you, pushing his covered crotch into the back of your dress, you moaned, wanting more.  His mouth was at your ear.

“Oh, so you want to be my cock whore on the eve of your wedding to someone else.”  You moaned because it was true.

“It’s been so long, Chris…”

He reached down in between you and flipped the flouncy skirt of your dress up, exposing you to the wind of New York City.  He looked at it for a minute, your ass always his favorite.

He caressed it with both hands, pressing into you with his thumbs.  

“So you want me to feel you up?”  He pulled his hand back and sucked one of them, practically jumping for joy when he tasted you. 

“You want me to pull your panties to the side….” and he did so, seeing your slick shine in the moonlight, and playing in it for a minute, tracing your lips and making you quiver around nothing.

The way you were moaning his name was everything right now.

Your face was pressed against the cool metal of the car, and it was the only thing tying you to the earth.

“Oh yes, Chris…. Please please yesss...fuck me… damn...stretch me out…”

Chris’s dick pulsed and he needed you around him. He moved close again and unzipped his pants, the sound making your knees weak.

He teased your cunt with his tip, collecting your arousal and smearing it not only around your pussy, but around your asshole.

“I know you’ve fucked him, but have you let him have your ass?  Am I still the only one…?”

Chris was still playing the game. 

“No, no, no… I haven’t let him… I haven’t given him anything. I’ve been celibate, too.  It’s still yours Chris. All of me is still yours.”

Chris almost came just hearing you say it out loud. He already knew, but hearing you say it was the shit.

He pushed into you with a grunt, and it was difficult.  He didn’t make it. Your cunt squeezed him out.

“Ffffuck, y/n. You’re practically closed down.  Is it true?”  

He started rocking his tip into your pussy slowly, both regretting and reveling in the fact that he didn’t stretch you out with his fingers beforehand.  Then he decided that he wanted you to feel this fully.

You couldn’t answer, only responding with moans has he painfully breached you. You welcomed it, though.

“Ah, ah, ah, ah… yes Chris.  Only you.. Since you and I….”  Talking about it and the fact that you were taking him again made you wetter, and eased Chris’s way, although your pussy was already stinging with his girth. Your eyes rolled back in your head.

You would never get over this and were so grateful for the feeling again.  

Chris watched you and had to grit his teeth to hold back from the reality that he was taking you again. 

He leaned over you, hot breath huffing in your ear, puffing and groaning as he fucked you slowly.  He was trying to feel every sensation. He wanted you to know that each and every millimeter of your glorious wet, tight pussy was his.

‘Ohhhh. Fuck Chris… YESSSS!”  Your voice echoed off the concrete walls, and Chris wanted you louder.

“This what you wanted?  You wanted your thick cock inside you again. Hunh?  You wanted me to stretch your walls and fuck you raw, hunh?”  He started speeding up in time with your moans.

“Such a fucking filthy cockslut for me, baby.”  Chris grabbed your neck from the back. “Why didn’t you let Kevin hit, hunh?”  

You didn’t answer, you just moaned and Chris smacked your ass, hard.

“Chris! Fuck!”  

You screamed. You missed his ruthlessness when you fucked, you missed him making sure that you knew that he knew that you knew. You belonged to him. 

 “Please!”

“I know why.” 

Chris stopped fucking you and pressed down harder on your back, reaching around to find your clit.  He swirled around it once, then started to press down slowly. 

“Because you would never beg him for that subpar dick that he has. You’re MY whore. You belong to me.”

He pressed down roughly, and you detonated around his dick.  He didn’t have to move.  Chris pulled out, leaving you cold and bereft.

You turned around and leaned up against the hood, panting and still desperate for him.  He stood there in front of you, dick sticking out of his pants, which were ruined, and still rock hard and ready. He was in a quiet rage.

“Why did you leave me?” 

You searched his face.  He sounded like he was about to cry.  You couldn’t quite see his entire face, but his eyes shone, bright with liquid.  You went toward him.

“You hurt me Chris.  I couldn’t stay. But let me take care of you now.”

You got on your knees in front of him, the hard concrete of the parking structure digging into your knees.  

Again, you welcomed the physical pain, distracting you from what you were doing to Kevin, to Chris, and to yourself.

Chris felt like he could fly.  You on your knees for him again was a dream. 

He took his cock in his hand, stroking it, while moving close to you. In no time, the back of your head was in his palm, and you opened wide to accept him, hand coming up to stroke what you couldn’t fit.

“Ah, ah. Let me.”  

You looked up at him to see an evil grin shine down on you. 

Chris looked down on an angel trying to swallow him whole. He brushed the tears away from your eyes as you struggled to breathe. You were perfection.

Moaning around him, you relaxed your mouth and throat and let him use you.  It was difficult, because you were out of practice, but you welcomed the letting go of all thought. 

You dripped down your thighs as Chris pumped into you, ready to accept what he had to give. 

After a few minutes, he stopped, and pulled out, grabbing you up to your feet. 

Then he bent down and grabbed you by the back of your thighs and you wrapped your legs around his waist, kissing him and trying to grind down on his still-erect cock as he backed you to the car.

Your ass hit the hood, and Chris reached between you to first tear your panties off. He put them in his pocket as he swiped his dick up and down your dripping wet folds.  

He looked back up to watch your face as he pushed inside you, now, an easier path to nirvana.

He pulsed as he watched the pleasure take over your face, with your mouth slack and your eyes glassed over. This was his main purpose in life and he almost lost it.

He brought his hand up to bring you closer, breathed into your mouth as he squeezed your throat. You were high instantly, and clamped down on his cock as your body was wracked with waves of pleasure.

Chris let your body descend back down to the car as he pumped his seed into you, his mind fantasizing that he was impregnating you. 

He shook your body as the last ropes of cum spurted out of him. He ran his hand down your body as he pulled out, zipping up his pants as you came back to your senses on the hood of the car.

You stared at the stars as you realized what you had done.  You sat up and adjusted your dress, gingerly climbing back down to the ground.  

Chris kissed you on the forehead, and this time you let him get into the driver’s seat. You got in the passenger side and Chris reached into the glovebox and handed you some wet wipes.

“Fix your face. And your knees.” 

He nodded down to your legs, which were dirty from the parking structure floor.  He watched you wipe your knees off, but stopped you as you went higher.

“No. I want you to feel me all night long.”  

You wanted to be a brat, but you didn’t feel like sass right about now. You felt kinda terrible.

You got another wet wipe and fixed your makeup as best you could as Chris drove you back to the restaurant.

“Chris, I…”

“I know.  None of that meant that we’re back together.  That was for some kind of something, I dunno, something Kevin might have done?” 

You looked down, ashamed. Chris lifted your chin up with his hand.

“I want you to come to me on your own.  You’ve gotten that out of your system, and I’m glad to be of service.”  You looked up into his eyes and at his wry smile.

“But remember, you still have a choice. I’m here if you choose me.”  

He leaned over and gave you a tender kiss in front of the restaurant.

You smiled at him and climbed out of the car, watching as he drove off.

Chris’s heart was beating out of his chest as he watched you turn and go back inside. He fought the urge to turn around. It was better this way.

----

You walked in the restaurant, and pulled Kevin over to the side of the restaurant in dark alcove. 

“Listen. Do you still want to marry me?”

He looked you up and down, taking in your state, from the faint marks on your neck to your scuffed knees.  He knew exactly what was up.

You raised an eyebrow at him.  

-----

Three hours later, a sleepy Chris answered the doorbell in Brooklyn.

He smiled at you, in the Captain America t-shirt and jeans that you’d stolen from him after a photoshoot, looking like his favorite Disney princess. You.

You took him in, clad in grey sweatpants that hung off his magnificently cut body.  He blinked at you sleepily.

“The wedding is off. Chris, I….”

He reached out and grabbed you, pulling you in the brownstone and shutting the door behind you.  He had you pinned up against the wall as you tried to speak.

“Shut up and let me taste you.”  

You grinned and wrapped your legs around his waist as he carried you upstairs.

--- 

The next morning, Chris was on the phone with Scott.

“Yes, tell the workers at the warehouse to dump all the products….I don’t care, the river, the landfill…. Y/N can’t find out that I bought up all her stock…. We’re going to be married..... I know what the fuck I’m doing Scott. We leave for Aruba this afternoon. Listen, I’ll call you later.”

Chris hung up and turned to find you in the doorway, frowning and rubbing your eyes.  

“We’re going to Aruba?”  

You smiled and yawned, sleepily stretching.  That was all that you’d heard of the conversation.

Chris gave you his stunner smile.  

“Yes. It was going to be a surprise.” 

He reached down and swung you up in his arms, carrying you into the bathroom bridal style.

“Now let’s get in the shower.  You’ve been very naughty, gotta get you clean for your wedding day.”

You giggled as you relaxed in Chris’s arms. “It takes two to be naughty, Chris.”

He winked at you as he turned on the shower. “Don’t I know it.”

-----

I know it’s different. Let me know if you like it. Like, comment, reblog! 

Tags:

@olyvoyl @summerofsnowflakes @sillyteecup @riiyy @honeysucklechocolatedrippin @theselilwonders @lonelydance @chattykathysquietsister @anh1020 @nissameta1782 @afriendlyblackhottie @betterkeepmewetterthanabayou @jbrizzywrites @stilltoyou  @donutloverxo @my-soulmate-is-mycroft @kiwisa @food8me @aiikaa @marvelfansworld  @london-grunge @pheebsyells @thesecretlifeofdaydreams-bl-blog @douxtille @ximaginexx @fofisstilinski @bertieandberries @ladystrawberry @bit-of-a-timelord @chesca-791 @calimoi @fangirlfree @bbaengtan @karolsboo @aliceforbes @insertpithyusername @sickknik @photmath @whorekneebrain  @anacrcarvalho @iconicshit @spicybibimbap @chaoticsteverogers@txtsfromyourex @sadthotsonlylove @ikatieebabyy@nerdymugsharkempath @maroonsunrise83