#stood 7+ hours under the sun to see them

[seungjjangg]

Perhaps this is what heaven is like 😌

[queers-gambit]

Mother Knows No Bounds

prompt: you are Rhaenyra's daughter, married to Prince Aemond, and the subject of Alicent's hatred. one day, she takes it too far.

pairing: Aemond Targaryen x female!reader technically Velaryon!wife!reader, but you can pick and choose

fandom masterlist: House of the Dragon

word count: 5.7k+

note: 10,000 points to your Hogwarts House if you can find the Lord of the Rings quote

warnings: cursing, vilified!Alicent, Aemond needs his big brother. descriptions of potentially triggering content: miscarriages, natural abortions, toxic family being toxic; um is this technically neglect? abuse? potentially triggering description of medical phenomenons, i guess OC Aemond ?

please note again and do not proceed if you are triggered by any of the following content: descriptions of potentially triggering content: miscarriages, natural abortions, involuntary termination, depiction of medical procedure.

you are not missing anything by skipping this, please value your comfort!

The city had come to a screeching halt the moment extreme temperatures skyrocketed, citizens unable to bear the scorching sun during waking, working hours. It was only the brave, stupid, poor, or accommodated persons that dared venture about their lives when the heat index had tripled; silent, since the heat was so sweltering, nobody wanted to add to it by talking. Even the animals were quiet and scarce around the streets, most seeking shelter under any shade they could find.

Women skinny dipped. Children ran around without their clothes. Men forewent any and all armor, most even going shirtless.

The guards were on short patrols and constantly rotated to try and save them from heatstroke. The fishermen all left port to spend time on the water since it was cooler than being on land. Whores wore less than ever before. Vendors constructed makeshift fans for their own air current.

The temperature spike was truly murderous. At dusk, gravediggers traveled the city with a bell and horse-toted cart, announcing if anyone wanted their dead disposed of, now was the time. The heat caused any elderly to dehydrate, their hearts simply stopping; and for young children to overheat and catch too-high fevers.

It was a dreadful time to be alive in King's Landing because the city had next to no coverage, so, the sun beat down on citizens in a suffocating, unbearable, offensive manner. None stood a chance: the young, old, rich, poor, everyone was a target.

For some reason, the fat Lords of the Realm had demanded the King hold court to voice their complaints; temperatures making many operate on short fuses. However, due to his sickly, deteriorating state and wicked weather, King Viserys was unable to sit the Throne; the responsibility falling onto the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower. And because she was Queen, his daughter, Alicent was always in attendance.

Yet for some reason, she had sent guards and servants to retrieve her children - including you.

You'd been married to Aemond about 21 months, and while a seemingly short time, certain single days felt more like three when loved by a man you considered your best friend. You had known the One Eyed Prince back when he had no need for an eyepatch, sapphire, or silly nickname, and for years, you were decent friends before growing to attach at the hip. He was kind, sweet, intelligent, and best of all, he was a wildly good listener. Even as a child, he didn't talk too much, but still more than he did now; and all his life, he was simply a listener. It made for a peaceful and trustworthy marriage.

21 months of marriage, and now, (almost) 7 months pregnant.

Aemond was over the moon with pride, joy, and excitement when you told him the news. He was eager to meet the babe, and the moment he learned, Aemond started gathering whatever material and furniture he could. He commissioned 11 Septas to knit a series of baby blankets; most with Targaryen colors and / or design. Otto was happy to see his grandson looking forward to married life, and Helaena was elated for you both. She's always liked you like a sister, always thought you were kind, just, and fair, with a healthy balance of being stubborn - all topped off with heaping loyalty. To everyone's surprise, even Aegon sincerely offered congratulations to you both when you broke the joyful news, telling you and Aemond he was excited to meet his newest niece or nephew.

However, amongst the fanfare and triumph, two women remained permanently dismayed by the entire marriage that the prospect of a child genuinely angered them.

The first woman was your mother, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, but she was annoyed simply because she knew the Targaryen Curse was real and thought this was not something you should endure. You were her firstborn, her brightest star, her dearest love; she worried herself to the brim about you, and while she respected your marriage, she's never offered approval.

The second woman was Aemond's mother, Queen Alicent Hightower, who chose to silently seeth to herself (for a time) instead of voicing any opinion or emotion. Years ago, she and your mother were the closest of friends, and after she married Viserys, Alicent lost her friend and the tension has only festered from there. However, now that Rhaenyra was living on Dragonstone, you were the only person close enough to take the brunt end of Alicent's anger and she found new ways to project that. Simply put, she despised you - but she would've hated whoever "took" her (unofficial) favorite child "from" her; who became the leading lady in his life. Alicent's anger was justified, but only towards Rhaenyra - not you.

Yet communication and emotional intelligence was rare in this day.

Alicent knew you were innocent of everything. Yet somedays, she could not restrain her anger and would lash out like a dog chained-up; but you had thick skin. You always endured her quick jabs, sharp tongue, and snarling insults because you loved and respected Aemond too much to bite back at his mother. However, while most days, Alicent was amicable, some days, she was a downright bitch, and other days, she was absolutely diabolical.

Alicent's anger took over and when this happened, she was powerless towards impulse; resulting in usually terribly stressful events that honestly have no business being so fucking stressful - or even further, by becoming catastrophic. For example, years ago, when Luke cut Aemond's eye from his socket, she took the King's dagger from his person and tried to attack Rhaenyra. She ended up slicing the Crowned Princess' forearm, but far more damage was already done, and nothing would ever be the same.

Alicent's anger often blinded her and drove her to impulsive decisions or reactions, and this today, in this heatwave, she went too far.

You were sat in your bedchambers, Aemond at your side as you both listened to a sweating Grand Maester; both your hand and your husband's resting on the curve of your pregnant belly.

"Now, remember, Princess, in these conditions, it's important to lay low for the sake of your health and the baby's. Don't be on your feet in the heat too long, don't exert yourself, drink more water than you usually would, and rest as much as possible." He handed you a tea bag, explaining, "For the nerves before bed."

"Thank you," you agreed, taking what he offered. Aemond saw the Grand Maester out of your chambers as you sighed, using a handheld fan to wave cooler air over your face.

"It's criminal, this heat. Gotta get someone in here with a fan," Aemond mumbled to himself, leading you to a lounge chair to rest on. "Can I get you anything, sweet love?"

"Water, if you'd please," you smiled.

He agreed and stood, but just then, a knock sounded at the door. "Come in," Aemond permitted, moving to the table in the room to pour you a goblet of water. The guard who entered wasn't known to you by name, but Aemond greeted him casually, "Ser Mythos. What do we own this pleasure?"

"The Queen's requested you both in the Throne Room, my Prince."

"Do you know why?" Aemond grit.

"The Queen's requested you both in the Throne Room, my Prince."

"I've asked you why."

"The Queen's requested you both in the Throne Room, my Prince."

"Fuck's sake," you snapped, "we heard you! Yeah? Gods," you cursed, head tilted back in annoyance; eyes squeezing shut as your child kicked your bladder.

"The Queen has requested you both in the Throne Room, my Lady and my Prince."

Aemond glanced at you, sighed shortly through his nose, then turned to Ser Mythos to snap, "I will be along shortly, but my wife was told to rest in this heat for our baby's health. We'll need palms brought in for fanning."

"And the Queen has requested you both in the Throne Room, my Prince, both of you. Both, my Prince, both."

Your eyes rolled, telling Aemond, "I think the Queen wants us both, my love." Then shifted your glare towards the messenger, sounding as tired as you looked, "All right, fine, fine, fine, fucking fine, give us a moment to dress and we will be there presently."

"My Lady," the guard accepted, turned, and left the room.

"What could Mother want with us both?" Aemond snipped at you when the door shut with an echoing-clang.

"Does it matter? She's called for us," you frowned.

"They can at least call you by your proper title - we are married now. You are a Princess of the City, they should address you as such."

You waved him off, "Who cares about that? C'mere. Help me up, my love, please. Your kid's sitting heavy."

You and Aemond dressed for court in thin clothing before fixing your hair so it didn't cling to either of your necks. It was already far too warm to even think properly, and surely, nobody would judge if you attended court with your hair pulled up, nor judge Aemond for the fashionably bun you convinced him to wear. No make-up was used, no heels; no corset, nor any pinch of leather. Aemond didn't like the last bit, but you were stern in your worry, telling him that leather would retain his body heat and today was already stifling enough.

When ready, you vacated your chambers and walked to the Throne Room, seeing it filled with a sizable crowd that surely would do nothing to help the sticky heat hanging in the air. Aemond held your hand tightly with his head held high to lead you towards his mother, who stood at the base of the Iron Throne. When close enough, Aemond asked, "You called for us, Your Grace?"

"I did," she eyed you both. "This is a good learning opportunity for you both, I thought it best we were all here."

"Mother, it's too hot for - "

"We are all suffering the same heat," she cut Aemond off.

"Yes, but my wife is pregnant, Mother. The Maester told her to rest, not stand in court with a hundred bloody people."

"You mean to tell me she has a higher priority than - "

"Yes. That is what I am saying, Mother. My wife certainly has priority over everything else as far as I am concerned."

Alicent shook her head, "For as long as we hold places in court, we will attend court. All of us, as a united family. Now, pay attention, you both will hold places here after King Viserys, best you know this all now."

So, you stood there like an obedient dog as slowly, one person after another approached the Throne to tell Ser Otto Hightower their grievances. They yapped up all the advice and court rulings; Aemond standing at your side, and while he was listening to what was being said, he also kept an eye on you out of sheer worry. There was no air to blow, no window to open; mediocre fans and palms brought in to manually wave by a few sets of servants. Yet it wasn't enough.

Sweat bulleted on brows. Pale cheeks flushed with heat. Legs started to shake from stress. Clothes dampened and clung to skin.

You were all of the above and then some!

The heat felt criminally offensive, and you knew you wore your displeasure on your face. Discomfort while pregnant isn't easy to hide, your hand smoothing over your belly as you exhaled a slow, calming breath that did literally nothing to aid your tangible anger. The common folk still reported to Otto, but you knew this was far from over, trying to blink back your discomfort as your stomach churned; twisted; started to cramp with increasingly stabbing pain. The heat festered a headache and soon, the nausea set in.

Taking another deep, long breath, you focused on the man complaining about his neighbor stealing his crops, his silver, and how the other man was fucking his wife - in his very own barn! The man asked for permission to sentence the neighbor to trial by combat, and for the life of you, you could not understand why you needed to be present for this.

Another farmer came up, saying there were too many maggots in his fields and needed the King's coin to bring in specialized mulch for himself and all the farmers in all of the Riverlands - who were plagued by this contagious maggot infestation.

Some Lord of Some Lineage From Some Castle of Some Place came up and asked for an increased patrol of "the King's Men", sell swords sent to "keep the King's peace." A group with radically different tactics than Daemon's Gold Cloaks.

This "Some Lord of Some Lineage From Some Castle of Some Place" even presented his daughter, saying she was fit to marry the Prince Aemond. Eyes turned to you and for whatever reason, you felt embarrassed by the sudden attention. So, you shied away from it, shifting slightly closer to Aemond as Otto spoke with a bored expression, "Prince Aemond is wedded already. As is his brother, Prince Aegon."

"What 'bout the li'l one?"

"Pardon?" Otto blinked.

"The Queen's last son?"

"With respect, my Lord, our son is still a child learning the ways of the world and is no way fit to marry quite yet," Alicent cut in, your feet going numb and making you sway slightly. "The Crown has learned from other marriage pacts to examine all offers carefully," but Alicent's sharp words flew over your head as something in your stomach pinched sharply like a severe period cramp. Your breathing came out in shudders; holding onto Aemond securely as he looked down at you with worry.

Your entire face, neck, and chest glistened with sweat. It clung to your hair, raced down your chest, and when he got a closer look, he didn't like the discoloration to your skin. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong...

"Then it shall be a long engagement so you might consider my daughter well!" The Lord barked, laughing gruffly. "She is not a disappointment, my Lord Hand."

"The Crown will consider your offer, Lord Peregrin, but the Crown must weigh other presented offers before marrying young Prince Daeron to anyone," Otto spoke diplomatically.

"Aye, I'll offer her dowry. Twenty thousand good men for your army, and I can spare about 500 Gold Dragons."

"Our army? Are we at war?" Otto faked a chuckle, your vision starting to blur but you refused to cause a scene. Your mouth had cotton in it; tongue sticking to your roof and your cramps were getting worse. You sweat so much, it was running down your neck, forehead, shoulders, lips, thighs, chest.

"Well, no, perhaps not in this moment, Lord Hand - Your Grace - but we know the rumors about the King's lineage," the Lord spoke boldly, making your blood boil, but the pain was over-powering your ability to speak. Tears actually coated your eyes. "Prince Aegon should be named the rightful heir to the Throne, so, if the time comes that he needs an army, my daughter's marriage to Prince Daeron would guarantee those men and swords."

Otto sighed as you gulped harshly, wincing in pain, a single tear rolling down your cheek. The cramping intensified, the bolts of pain setting your muscles on fire and radiating into your organs - or so it felt like. The Throne Room was too hot for you to withstand much longer; there was no water, and you'd been standing there going on three hours. Not to mention, you had been throwing up terribly violent in the night and mornings, meaning, you were probably (very likely) very dehydrated and that wasn't good for you nor the baby.

The longer you stood there, the sicker you felt. The longer you stood there, the more Aemond worried. The longer you stood there, the more time you had to develop a strong resentment towards Alicent. Your hand went to your belly, trying to regulate your breathing, but even your dress gave you away - sweat darkening the hemlines. Since finding out you were pregnant, you and Aemond agreed you would no longer wear corsets, and for a whole weekend, he took you to Highgarden to visit the tailors. They created a whole new "maternity wardrobe" that was loose but still womanly by being formfitting. They were made of breathable material, since Highgarden was tropical and often warm; and Aemond adored the sight of your bump.

"Aemond," you whispered, your husband looking down at you but so did Alicent. "I'm not feeling well, my love. I-I need to sit, I need water."

"We're almost done - "

"This is not the time to distract everyone," Alicent snapped quietly at you. "Focus, and let Aemond focus, too, he's the Prince. You don't need him for your every whim."

You only nodded and closed your mouth, clearing your throat of emotion, knowing something didn't wasn't right. It was more than a gut feeling now, you just inherently knew something was wrong. Disconnected. Short circuiting.

The hall was too hot.

Stifling hot. Suffocatingly hot. Stuffy sort of hot.

Overwhelmingly hot.

Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, so fucking hot!

Your nausea got worse to the point you were going to hurl at any moment. You know that feeling? C'mon, yes you do! You start to feel a little shaky, then your mouth starts "sweating" (or watering) and you even get a little clammy; maybe you even start to look gaunt? Maybe your skin changes color? That feeling? Yeah, that's exactly what was happening!

So, to keep calm, you just start taking long, deep breaths. The last thing you wanted to do was panic when surrounded by so many members of court... Then something that felt like urine raced down your inner thighs, yet you barely noticed it, too distracted with keeping upright. Blood puddled beneath your skirts on the stone but nobody noticed yet. More Lords came and went, some Ladies, more and more farmers with trivial disputes. Fathers, sons, uncles, neighbors, you name it!

However, to your earnest shock, when a particularly amusing man came to speak to the King('s Hand), Aegon had glanced at his brother with an amused smirk, but caught sight of you, requiring a double-take. "Brother," Aegon turned from his 'front row seat', showing a rare moment of emotion by looking concerned at your being. "Oh, Gods, fuck," he worried, looking ready to extend his arms to you.

"Fuck," Aemond breathed, turning you to face him. "Can you hear me, sweet love? Hey, hey," he spoke your name, "can you hear me?"

But it was as if you were in a trance. Waves crushed over your ears, sweat rolling down your skin, appearing clammy and as if not in your own body. Aegon jolted forward when your eyes rolled back in your head, knees buckling, forcing your husband to catch you before you began your descent to the ground. When he caught you, it revealed the blood from under your skirts, and when Aemond got you on the ground, he realized your legs were coated in slick, mucus, and both dried and fresh blood; indicating you had been bleeding for hours.

"Call the Maester!" Aemond barked. "Get the bloody Maester!"

"She's bleeding," Aegon pointed out.

"I have eyes to see, brother, I know she is bleeding!" Aemond snapped, his panic tangible. "Love! My sweet love, please, open your eyes, please. Fuck's sake, please, open your eyes - let me see them. Sweetheart, please, c'mon - FUCK! Brother! Brother, help, please, there's blood! There's too much blood! Aegon! What do I do!? Aegon, please! What do I do!?"

"Let her breathe, brother, the Maester's are coming, it's gonna be all right, I-I've heard this can happen. Okay? Just gotta wait for the Maesters, Aemond," Aegon nodded, reaching a hand to his younger brother's shoulder in comfort. Otto descended the Throne to get a closer look as guards surrounded your unconscious body and Aemond's panicked, kneeling form.

"What happened?" Otto demanded.

"She passed out," Helaena frowned in worry, looking as if tears would soon fall. "And there's blood - she's been swaying, I-I think she was ill."

"It's the heat," Aemond snapped, tears down his cheeks. "We were told she needed rest in this temperature, but no." His glare turned to his mother, "We were both expected here."

"You saw the Grand Maester?"

"We did."

"He told her to lie down?" Otto asked, looking and sounding confused.

"To rest," Aemond nodded, supporting your limp head and neck.

When the Grand Maester arrived, he wasted no time in demanding your limp form be brought to his chambers for monitoring and examination. Aemond picked you up and carried you, leaving everyone else behind - or so he thought. The Maester spent a grand total of 43 minutes conducting diagnostic tests, and when the last exam was brought up, he asked Aemond to step out of the room as the examination would turn more intimate.

When Aemond stepped out, he was surprised to see Aegon and Helaena standing there. Aegon instantly pushed off the wall, asking, "Well? How is she? What's happening?"

"One last test," Aemond answered in a low mutter. "What're you doing here?"

"We wanted to make sure you were both all right," Helaena, his sweet sister, answered.

"Mother didn't demand you stay?"

"No, Mother actually called an end to court," Helaena told Aemond. "Grandfather was very angry."

"He was?"

"Never seen him like that," Aegon agreed, telling Aemond of the words Otto raged at Alicent.

When the chamber doors opened, Aemond was invited back inside. He took to your side instantly, but there was a knowing look in your eyes. You never looked at the Maester, only at your husband, as it was explained that due to the heat, you had become dehydrated over time and then spending the day in court, it was just too long a time being on your feet without water or fresh air. You had toppled over the side of heat stroke, the lack of hydration causing you to involuntarily miscarry.

The child would not grow and for your safety and health, the Maester would have to preform essentially what is an abortion to eliminate exposure to rot. Aemond blinked in astonishment, feeling confused about the turn of events, but when he realized you weren't able to respond, he looked at you.

He made the decision, seeing tears streaking your cheeks and the dead look in your eyes.

You were prepped for the procedure and while the Master tried to escort Aemond out, nobody was able to move him from his place at your side. It took the better part of an hour, but when it was over, not only were you given an additional dose of Milk of the Poppy, but Aemond was also given several vials for you in the coming days. He was also given a plethora of herbs, spices, remedies, salves, therapies, and treatments; being given explicit instruction and detail about all he was given, being told when to use what to best help you.

Aemond stooped to pick you up, again, refusing to let anyone else touch you, and the Grand Maester held the door for him. Aegon, Helaena, Alicent, and Otto were all revealed, but Aemond didn't even so much as blink at them; whatever life might've been left lurking behind his eye being completely snuffed out. He made a direct beeline for your chambers with the intention to let you rest in a soft, familiar bed for however long you needed, but he was followed by his family and knew this would be anything but a peaceful time.

"L-Love?" You whimpered when your husband laid you on your marital bed. "Aemond? Aemond?" You asked a little more frantically, being soothed swiftly.

"I'm here, I'm right here, sweetheart," he hushed, ignoring the audience; one hand holding yours as the other pet your hair back. "Hey, just breathe for me, darling, I'm right here. I've got you."

"I-I might be sick," you complained in a whisper, eyes unable to open as sweat bulleted on your skin.

"'S all right," he assured, grabbing a basin to leave on the bed beside you so he could sit at your side. "'M right here, you're not alone."

Aemond watched the way you harshly gulped, a hand dragging up to press to your belly. "W-What happened?" You mumbled, making his heart clench. "I just... There was a lot of heat and then pain." Your eyes finally opened to meet his, "I remember pain, Aemond."

With a glance up at his family, Aemond told you stiffly, "You remember correctly, love. The, uh... The heat was too much for you to handle, sweet girl, and that wasn't your fault." He took a long breath, clutching one of your hands in both of his, "But it was just too much. We couldn't save them... We couldn't save her."

"I-It was a girl?"

"It was," Aemond confirmed, reaching for your other hand to hold tightly. "And you didn't do this. Hmm? You hear me? This is not your doing."

"But my body - "

"No," he refused with a harsh tone. Realizing you were not the one to take his anger out on, he cleared his throat, "Sorry, love, I just," he took a breath. "Listen to me, okay? No, my sweet love, we were told to rest - you and I were told this heat was too much for the babe and that you would need rest. We meant to, we had every intention to follow the Maester's orders, but..." Another pause as he fought off the emotion clawing through his chest. "But for some reason, royal obligation was more important than our family, and Mother refused to let us miss today's court appearance."

"Huh...?" You breathed, still relatively drowsy from the day. But the emotion was real, your husband saw your pain. "What're you talking about, love? Aemond? What's - What the hell happened to our baby? Where's our baby?"

Aemond's jaw steeled and a tear streaked down his cheek as he forced himself to explain, "The Queen demanded our attendance in court today. And standing in the heat for hours cost us our daughter's life. I am so sorry, my sweet love, but we do not have our daughter because she is... She isn't in your womb anymore," his hand laid over your belly, your own automatically following. "She can't ever join us, our family," he spoke slowly, then tearing his glare away from your tired figure to his mother, sneering, "because my mother can't let go of a decades-old feud with a woman no longer living in this very city."

"Aemond," you whispered, heart shattered in your chest but still managing, "do not take this out on her."

"No?" He snapped, still glaring at his mother but clutching your belly, "If not for her, our daughter would still be safe in her mother's womb and we'd still have the chance to one day hold her. But no," he spoke as slowly as he stood to his feet, pulling his hands away from you, "no, we were unjustly denied that chance."

When her (favorite) child faced her with such hatred, dread, distraught, soul-sucking eyes, Alicent frowned with tears in her own eyes. She had so much to say, but only managed, "I did not intend for this."

"This hatred you feel for Rhaenyra is literally costing lives! For the love of all the Gods, my wife is nothing like her mother! They are not one in-the-same, this does not make her your new target to unleash Hell upon - she has done no wrong and yet suffers these heinous consequences!"

"I did not intend for this! You must know that!" She repeated in desperation. "I only wanted you both to partake in your duties - soon, you will be the ones conducting business at court and you must be readied for what may come!"

"That does not give you the right to forfeit her health!"

"How was I to know - "

"The bloody Maester told us - but evidently, the word of the trained professional is not good enough for you!" Aemond raged, something in his heart snapping. "We are denied the right to meet our daughter because, what? What is it? You cannot reach Rhaenyra right now so you will take the closest thing - being my fucking wife!?"

"Aemond," Otto tried to step in, "perhaps this is getting out of hand."

"It was already out of hand," Aegon defended with a sharp snap, "the moment the Maester was ignored."

"You refuse to respect us," Aemond snapped at his mother, everyone silencing themselves when another tear fell down his cheek. "You refuse to respect us, to listen, and all for why? You think you know better than the Maesters? Or because she is daughter of Rhaenyra?"

"Aemond," Alicent warbled through her tears.

"You've gone too far," his head shook, devastation taking hold, "and I do hope you find deliverance from the Gods, because from me? I do not see how I can find a shred of ability to forgive such a sin."

It was quiet. Helaena's head was bowed, Aegon glared at his mother like Aemond; Otto frowned as he avoided all eye contact.

Imagine everyone's surprise when bare feet padded over the stone ground, two shaking hands raising to press into Aemond's stomach from behind. "My love," you mumbled softly, "please, do not speak so hatefully in this prolonged grief. We will do all we can do now and pray on this, but if we want to heal, we will need to learn to forgive. This was not a malicious, thought-out plan executed in partner with the co-conspiring weather; it was a terrible circumstance that the Gods have chosen us to endure. Your mother can pray for forgiveness, she's owed that right; and we will say our own, but I know that one day, we will be blessed and bring a child into this world. Because it's you and I, Aemond, and our child would be the full embodiment of the purest, truest love - and for something that perfect, we'll need time." You took a breath, looking sickly, gaunt; eyes full of tears as you ended, "But it is not this day."

Aemond turned to wrap his arms around you, insisting, "You should be resting." When he got you to turn to move for the bed again, he snarled at his mother, "She's the one who just lost a child and yet still defends you."

"Perhaps it's best we leave them alone," Aegon recommended. "We'll have meals sent for you both," he told his brother with a meaningful nod. "You both just take your time."

"Thank you," Aemond sighed, easing you back to the mattress; laying a single, thin sheet over your body. When Aegon had ushered everyone out, Aemond just stared down at you for a long moment, sighing sadly and whispering, "I'm so sorry, sweet love."

"Just lay with me," you requested.

He moved to strip himself of his linens, the heat still sweltering, and laid beside you; instantly cuddling you into his bare chest. Aemond knew you didn't want to talk, but this needed said, and he whimpered, "This is my fault."

"What?" You gaped, looking up at him in shock. You quickly pulled his leather eye patch off to force his full attention, holding his cheek and demanding, "What did you just say?"

"If you and I did not marry, if I had not pursued you - courted you," he shook his head, brows crinkled from restrained sobs, "we would not be in this position, you would not know this pain. We knew the tension in our family, we knew the hatred between our mothers, and still I wanted you. This is my fault, I shouldn't've done this - you should not have to endure this."

Your hand reached up to caress the side of his face; foreheads pressed together to breathe the same air, warm the same space, sweat onto one another, but never wanting to be apart. It was a sticky embrace but you both needed it, and you hushed, "I regret nothing about us. Nothing, Aemond. If I knew how this would play out, I'd do it all again because I know I love you beyond words. Beyond," you giggled lightly, "rational thought, even. Aemond, everything you are, I adore, and all we are together is... It's the greatest pleasure of my life. My greatest honor."

"I do not deserve a woman like you."

"Perhaps not," you teased, "but you have me anyway. And what do we do with rare women, my Prince?"

His lips found yours in a sweeping kiss that stole the breath from your lungs. When he pulled back, he whispered, "We love them well."

A week later, King's Landing would find relief from the unwavering, record-breaking heatwave - only to be blasted by a wave of dragon fire. It was only then the Prince Aemond was seen with his wife for the first time since "The Throne Room Incident", and both were dressed in the traditional color of funerals: black.

You were bestowed an incredibly small bundle of black cloth, and with the rest of the Royal Family following, ventured to a distant hill where a funeral was to take place. Because your daughter was still so very tiny, she was laid in a fiery basin with only you and Aemond to preside over; offering prayer in High Valyrian. He held you close, the wind from the coast whipping all clothing around, and just behind everyone, Vhagar landed with a distinct thundering thud.

You didn't move, staring into the flames.

Aemond looked back, and when Vhagar saw the tears in her master's eye, noting the way he turned back to comfort you and grieve over your daughter, the dragon roared. A roar so loud, it was heard from the Riverlands. A roar so powerful, it shook the ground they all stood on. A roar so terrible, it made a few throats swell in emotion. A roar so sad, ballads would be written about it.

King's Landing might've been relieved from the weather's temperature, but as Vhagar felt her master mourning his daughter, she released an angry flame into the air that the citizens all felt.

For years, on the contrary, the entire city would feel Prince Aemond's cold shoulder to his mother, Queen Alicent, but for now, the heat of grief demanded to be felt.

requesting rules and masterlist

HOTD masterlist

[hughjackmansbicep]

Delicate

a/n: hi friends!!!! im hoping to make this into a multi part series, got lots planned for this mini fic :))))) this is kind of the prolouge to the real deal, needed to get the setup for it started before we divulge. expect lots of twists n turns my friends!

Pairing: Logan Howlett X F!Mutant!Reader

Warnings: uhhhhh none lol

Word Count: 2.4k

Summary: The government has successfully began the eradication of all mutant species in the United States. Lucky for you your dad has taken careful precautions to protect you from the evil that lurks in the streets outside. Tucked away in a concealed basement you sat and rotted away clinging to your old life and dreams. What happens when one day you've got a severe hankering for some ice cream and he ran out of beer the same night? Both finding yourselves in the right place at the right time.

The world as you knew it was slowly coming to an end. Mutants everywhere were dropping like flies after the government slowly started poisoning everyone's food. Unless you were an off-grid loner living off the land, you succumbed to the same fate as everyone else, 6 feet under. Lucky enough for you, your father kept you pretty sheltered. Tucked away in your fully renovated basement, the world is ignorant of your existence. It was safer this way; I mean, sure, you missed going out to bars and seeing your friends; hell, you even missed those 8 a.m. bio classes you used to take. But this was safer; at least that's what your father always preached. “It’s safer down here, away from all those evil people.” He'd remind you every day, “You're to never leave my site, kiddo, and never step outside those doors.” Not like you could anyways, while your mutation allowed you to control the atoms around you and morph them into anything your heart desired, you had one weakness, adamantium. Your house was coated in it; every doorknob, lock, and even the goddamn windows were coated in the shit. 

It was 3:00am, no one was home, and you found yourself craving ice cream. It wasn't uncommon for your dad to leave you to your own vices. He still had a job he'd have to attend to, and that more often than not led you to solidarity on his trips. And here you were in the middle of the night, the light from the fridge illuminating the dimly lit kitchen, tearing your freezer apart hoping to magically find a pint of Ben and Jerry’s buried deep in the frost. You groan, sinking down to your knees, met with disappointment and an ever-growing craving for the sweet, delicious taste of The Tonight Dough. Sure, you could've totally put in an Uber Eats order, but where would the fun in that be? You stood in front of the adamantium-cladded door, using all your strength to melt it to the ground, but to no avail. The only thing between you and your Jimmy Fallon-adorned ice cream was some space metal, and to hell if your dad really thinks that's going to curve the urge.

For the next hour, you ran around the house like a lunatic looking for a weak point. Maybe your father missed just one spot—one tiny spot in this prison he calls a home. A small hole fit for the size of a mouse teased you. Sure, you control all the atoms around you but your own? You'd never even attempted to entertain that idea, although the worst that could happen is you turn your body into a permanent pile of slop. That didn't sound too terrible when compared to being a basement dweller for the last 7 years. And it turns out it wasn't as bad as you'd thought; you melted your body down into a pile of liquid, slithering your way through the walls of your house before you were spit out from a hole in the bricks. The air on your skin cascaded goosebumps along your body; you honestly couldn't remember the last time you felt wind grace your skin or the sun illuminating off your shoulders. 

You skipped happily toward the corner store, taking in every sound around you. The sound your feet made when they hit the pavement, the distant chatter of the locals crowding down the sidewalks, even the obnoxious sound of a car horn brought a smile to your face. You finally understood the saying, ‘the city that never sleeps.’ You reached the corner store, swinging the door open and prancing inside as if it were Disney World. Your happy fantasy faded as the man behind the register yelled at you to put some shoes on before walking into his store. You looked down, wiggling your free toes, with all the excitement of liquifying yourself to get a taste of the outside world, common societal rules had slipped your mind. “I um.. Just came to grab a pint of ice cream; I’ll be really quick, I promise.” You pleaded sheepishly, offering him a quick smile to butter him up a bit. He simply rolled his eyes in disgust and turned his back to you, mumbling something under his breath.

You made your way around the convenience store towards the dairy section when something, or rather someone, caught your attention. He looked tall, and even with a leather jacket on, you could tell he was huge. He had some silly-looking facial hair and even sillier-looking cat-ear-like hair, but man, he still looked good. Your eyes slowly traveled down his arms to his pants. Cute butt, you thought to yourself. He stifled a laugh before turning in your direction and saying, “Thank you.” He grumbled, turning back towards the beer cooler. “What?” You ask, heat rising to your cheeks once you realize you'd accidentally said that out loud. He didn't acknowledge you, just went back to scanning the cooler. You took that as a hint to keep moving, finally landing in front of the ice cream section and grabbing the last pint of your favorite ice cream. Carefully looking around to make sure nobody was watching you, you pulled the lid off and used your mutation to pull out all the atoms belonging to the anti-mutant poisons that were mixed in with the delicious sweet treat. Floating above the ice cream, you cautiously manipulated them into a different container of food and made your way back towards the front. What you didn't know was that the unfortunate corner store owner had been watching your freak act on the CCTV cameras the whole time.

Turning around one of the aisles, you had spotted two men in suits talking to the man upfront. You couldn't make out what was being said as they whispered, but watching him point to you using your mutation on the TV screen explained enough to you. You backed up slowly, trying to even your breaths out before you had a panic attack. You felt someone grab your shoulder, spinning you around into them. It was Mr. Cute Butt; he must be working with those suited men too. Your eyes go wide as you focus all your energy on him. You were attempting to melt him, freeing yourself from his grasp, but it wasn't working for some reason. He just stared at your brows laced together, trying to figure out what in the fuck were you doing. “You're going to shit yourself if you keep straining like that.” He whispered a low chuckle, following after.

You froze, looking up at the man with pleading eyes. “Please don't hurt me; I just wanted some ice cream. Please i'll leave right now, sir.” You rushed out searching his face for sympathy or remorse something in hopes he'd release his grasp on you. He looked confused at what you were saying to him as if you were speaking some foreign language, but that didn't last long once you two heard footsteps approaching you. “C’mon kid.” He grumbled out, dragging you by your arm, ducking in between the small isles towards the exit. “They're over here!” The man upfront yelled, and the mystery man beside you just groaned before scooping you up into his arms and rushing you out of the store. You both quickly fell into the crowd, blending into the sea of people that populated the streets of New York. As soon as you two were outside, he'd set you on your feet, his arm still gripping your wrist, dragging you through the city with him.

“I need to go home, sir; please don't hurt me. I'm so sorry.” You cried, tears adorning your cheeks as you pleaded with him; if your father knew what was transpiring at this very moment, you'd be toast. Absolutely never allowed outside your basement ever again; you could kiss the sun goodbye because you'll probably never see it again once he gets home. He ignored your pleas though as he pushed through the crowds to a parked motorcycle on the road. “Oh no, I am not getting on that thing.” You halted your movements, digging your heels into the ground. “Suit yourself, sweet cheeks.” He laughed at you dryly hopping onto the bike, “They'll find you eventually.” He kicked the stand up, revving the bike on. You looked through the crowd behind you, worry etching onto your face. Maybe he's right; maybe I should hop on that bike and ride it into the sunset with this beautiful specimen, or he's no better than those suited men and could ultimately be leading me to my death. “Just get on the fucking bike.” He growled at the sound of sirens roaring closer to you two.

Begrudgingly, you hopped onto the back of the bike, plopping the helmet latched behind you on your head. At this rate, your sure your dad is going to skin you alive and hang you up to dry. “Hang on tight, princess.” He turned around to smirk at you. You snaked your hands around his torso, and he took off, the force causing your face to smash into his back and your grip on him tightening. You were sure if you had been gifted some form of super strength, you would've popped his torso clean off his legs with how tight you were squeezing him. You attempted to give him directions back to your house, but he couldn't hear you and kept heading in the opposite direction. He totally could hear you too, but he was ignoring your requests to return you home.

The quick 15-minute drive felt like an eternity with how utterly petrified you were. Matter of fact, you were so scared, eyes clenched shut, arms squeezing all the oxygen out of his lungs, you hadn't even noticed that you'd arrived at your mystery destination. He pried your arms off him, causing you to open your eyes; you were in complete shock. A gorgeous castle-like building stood before you, surrounded by trees, and a long gravel driveway trailed in front of it. A voice broke you from your thoughts, but this sound didn't come from the man sitting in front of you; no, it appeared like it came straight from inside your head. 'Logan, would you please introduce me to your new friend? The voice sang through you, your head whipping around frantically to find the owner of these words. “C’mon, I got someone for you to meet.” The man in front of you finally spoke, helping you off the bike and placing the helmet back in its spot on the rear. He guided you through the mansion all the way to the back, stopping at two huge double wooden doors.

“Come in, please.” Rang the same voice you heard earlier, the double doors slowly opening before you to reveal a small, bald man sitting in a chair. “And who might this be, Logan?” He questioned, looking towards the big man next to you. Logan, huh, you thought to yourself, cute name and a cute butt. Logan awkwardly shifted beside you, the bald man sending a booming laugh throughout the room. “Oh my God.. Did I say that out loud?” You whispered heat rising to your cheeks once again. Ignoring you, Logan started explaining to the bald guy, whose name you quickly learned was Charles, what happened earlier. Logan had seen what you were doing in that small store—how you made some substance float out of the ice cream and back into another pint. He assumed you were attempting to do something similar to that when he had grabbed you, and you began shaking like a Chihuahua, yet all you could think about during their discussion of the previous events was how you never got to eat the ice cream you risked your whole life for. “So,” Charles spoke, directing his attention to you. “What can you do exactly? What were you doing with that ice cream?” He hummed his eyes, raking you up and down, studying all your features. hoping they might tell him about who you are.

You were fairly normal-looking; I mean, to the average human eye, they couldn't tell you apart from another human. You felt like a deer in headlights right now, though; you'd never been asked or questioned about your mutation. You never dared to speak about it aloud; hell, your dad wouldn't even let you use your powers ever; it's like he was ashamed of you. “I can... manipulate things, i guess.” You spoke quietly; it felt taboo to you to speak about this, like this was some intimate, inappropriate topic to discuss. “And what do you mean by that?” He mused, deeply interested in your mystery. “I’m not exactly sure, sir. I just know I can do this.” You focus your eyes on the pen sat upon his desk, watching it quickly fall into a liquid puddle. “Fascinating.” Charles smiled up at you, “Can you change it back?” You trained your eyes down on the mess you created, quickly blinking as it slowly morphed back into its original shape of a pen.

Charles laughed in amusement before clasping his hands together. “We have much to discuss, little one, but for now Logan will show you to a room you can rest in. We'll talk more tomorrow.” He nodded at you before Logan had turned around out the door. You took this as your sign to follow, doors shutting behind you both. He guided you up the stairs, stopping at a random white door and handing over a towel and toothbrush he'd picked up on the way to your room. “Just try and get some sleep.” He shoved his hands in his pockets as he spoke. “I’m just up the hall if you need anything, i guess.” He nodded his head in the direction of his door. You just smiled, turning around into your room and softly closing your door. 

You had no clue where the fuck you were or what these strange men were planning to do with you. You've heard the horror stories from your dad about how the government would poke and prod you if anyone knew what you could do. you'd be a test subject for rich white males to toy and play with. You'd set the towel and toothbrush down on a chair in the room you were assigned and slowly stalked your way to the bed. As you crawled into bed attempting to get some shut eye all that you could think to yourself was, "Man my dad is soo going to fucking kill me when he finds me."

[billys-pretty-babe]

Come Here, Dressed In Black Now

Pairing : Older!Billy Hargrove x Fem!Reader

Summary : It was rare that Billy dressed up, but when it comes to attending weddings, it was his specialty.

Warnings : Smut {oral - both receiving (69), unprotected piv, creampie, throatpie, talks of anal (doesn't happen)}, Swearing, Aftercare, Age gap (Billy is 38, Reader is 28)

Word Count : 3,490

A/N : Took a hiatus to get my life together but I'm back! Requests are open

The Hagans, Tommy and Carol, had decided to have a traditional wedding twenty years after being eloped right after their high school graduation. Billy was dressed in black slacks and a black dress shirt with two buttons undone and his hair was messily pulled back out of his face. His beard was trimmed but still full as the gray hair peaked through.

The two of you walked into the venue, his hand on your waist as you walked beside him. You didn't know Tommy or Carol but you had seen a picture of them with Billy in his house at their high school graduation. He guided you to two seats and he sat beside you before leaning into you to whisper, "You look beautiful." You smiled, thanking him. He kissed your cheek and held your hand as they rested on his thigh.

The doors opened as Tommy walked down the aisle before his groomsmen walked with Carol's bridesmaids, his best man walking with her maid of honor. The doors opened again as Tommy and Carol's daughter walked with the basket of flowers before she stood with the bridesmaids. Carol's dad walked her down the aisle and she stood before Tommy.

Everyone's chatter quieted down as the officiant began speaking and Billy tightened his grip on your hand a little. The wedding didn't feel long because before you knew it, Tommy was dipping her as people applauded. Everyone left the venue to go to the reception and you followed your boyfriend, keeping close to him so you wouldn't get lost in the large crowd of people you didn't know.

Tommy and Carol greeted Billy when they saw him as they walked to the two of you and Tommy looked at you before looking at Billy. "I don't think we've ever met," Tommy said, putting his hand out to you. You cautiously shook his hand as he introduced himself to you and you told him your name. He raised a brow, "No Hargrove?" You shook your head.

Billy rolled his eyes at his friend, "Stop asking when I'm getting married. I'll do it on my time." Tommy put his hands up in mock surrender before whisking Carol off to dance. You sat at a table with Billy, eyeing the little bit of chest you could see. You crossed your legs, putting your hands in your lap and he looked at you and he smirked as he saw the look in your eyes.

"Guess I'll have to dress like this more often if it gets that reaction out of you." You scoffed, "I have no reaction, I'm just hot." He hummed, looking at you as he nodded, "Yeah you are." You laughed, rolling your eyes as he laughed with you, throwing his arm over your shoulders before he leaned to your ear, "Give it an hour and we'll leave." You nodded, leaning into him.

He smiled and kissed the top of your head. The two of you mingled for an hour before he decided to leave. He let Carol and Tommy know, blaming it on bad eyesight that the two of you had to leave before the sun went down. Tommy laughed, "The youngest out of us but can't see shit, how ironic." Billy rolled his eyes before hugging his friends, congratulating them before ushering you out of the venue. He opened the passenger door, helping you inside before he went to the driver's side.

He began driving, his hand on your thigh as he moved it under the fabric of the dress. The metal of the ring felt like it was burning into your thigh, not because it was cold, but because he was gripping you. Billy had a deep need for you, nearly feral for you. You were the same, if you could, you'd have him 24/7, 365 days a year, but life didn't work like that.

He sped just a little, needing you three hours ago when he first saw you putting the dress on. "Baby, your dick isn't gonna fly off. You can slow down a little." He glanced at you and eased up on the gas pedal a little. "According to you I'm old so I might get erectile dysfunction all of a sudden." You laughed and looked down at his pants, his bulge pressing against the zipper, "Yeah, I don't see that happening anytime soon." He laughed, patting your thigh.

Soon, the house was in eyesight, and he pulled into the driveway, using the garage opener as he pulled the car into the garage. He killed the car and shut the garage door and he got out of the car. He walked around it, letting you out as he practically pushed you into the house. You laughed at his eagerness as you put your clutch down. You gently grabbed his face and kissed him. He hummed, holding your waist as he pulled you close. His hands moved to your back as he moved them down, grabbing handfuls of your ass and squeezing, making you moan a little into the kiss.

He blindly guided you down the hallway, kicking his shoes off as you did the same. One hand went down to undo his belt as he dropped it, the metal of the buckle ringing out throughout the hallway. His hand went to the zipper on the dress and undid it before he opened the bedroom door as he guided you inside. The kiss was messy, filled with love and lust as it smudged your lipstick onto the both of you. He kicked the door shut and finally pulled away, the two of you breathing heavily.

He spun you so your back was to him as he gently pulled the straps of your dress down, so it pooled around your feet. He whistled softly as he looked at your figure, the only thing on your body was a pair of black underwear and the necklace he had gifted you with his initial on it. You turned around, your fingers finding the buttons to his shirt, and he laughed at your haste.

You undid the last button, and he shrugged off the shirt, his chest hair and necklace now being shown as well as the tattoo on his ribs and his collarbone. His shoulder tattoo had faded slightly but it still looked good. His body was decorated with different pieces of ink, and you had your favorites, but you'd never tell him what they were.

Your nails ran down his tones stomach as he let out a needy breath when your nails caught onto his pants. You unbuttoned them and unzipped them, your tongue between your teeth. "Why the fuck do they put fasteners and buttons?" Billy laughed at your slight frustration at the hook and eye fastener. He undid it for you, calling you impatient with a slight tease in his voice. His black boxers showed, and you laughed, "We're matching." He laughed, shaking his head at you.

He pulled you close, your chest on his as he kissed you again and your hands went to his hair as you took the hair tie out of his hair, letting it fall to his shoulders, a few shorter pieces falling on his forehead. "You're so hot," you whimpered when you pulled away from his lips. The corner of his lip tugged upwards, he was cocky and you were feeding his ego. "Let's get you on that bed, baby." You nodded and he moved you to the bed, laying you down as he moved so he was hovering over you and he kissed down your body, starting from your jaw until his lips ghosted over your underwear, making your knee twitch.

He grabbed the waistband and looked at you, "Can I take these off?" You nodded, "Yes." He nodded and took them off, watching as strings of your arousal broke off, "So needy and I've barely even touched you." He dropped your underwear to the floor as he kissed your slick thighs and you stopped him. He looked at you, looking in your eyes to see if he could detect discomfort or uncertainty. "I wanna suck your cock." He laughed, "Yeah?" You nodded and he stood up, stripping his boxers off. His tip was nearly dripping precum as it hit his stomach. A long vein ran on the underside of his shaft, right below his tip.

He moved you and laid his head on the pillows before he maneuvered you so you wouldn't kick him in the face again, like the first time you had tried this position with him. "Back up just a little, baby." You backed up a little and his hands grasped your thighs. "Oh yeah, that's good." You looked back and his eyes were admiring your ass. You gently slapped his thigh, scolding him as he laughed before diving into you, licking a fat stripe from your clit to your entrance.

Your nails dug into the meat on his thigh before you grasped him in your hand and licked up before licking his tip. He moaned against your clit, the vibration going through your body, making you moan around his tip. He grasped you tightly like you were going to run away or vanish. You moved your lips down, taking him into your mouth further until he hit the back of your throat. You used your tongue to drag it on the skin as you moved your mouth. Your left hand grasped the last few inches, twisting.

He sucked on your clit before swiping two fingers through your slick as he gently pushed them into you. Your toes curled as you moaned as they stretched you. His fingers were thick, and his fingers paired with his tongue were a deadly combo. You pulled off of his cock, strings of saliva connecting you to him. You took a few deep breaths before you tapped his tip on your tongue, feeling him moan against you.

His fingers held your thigh tighter, and you knew there would be bruises by the end of the night, but you weren't too worried about it. You closed your lips around his tip before taking most of him back into your throat again. You took in more than you meant to as you gagged, her stomach lurching. His hand left your thigh as he rubbed your back before he finally pulled his mouth away from you.

"Easy baby, easy." He was breathless as he moved your legs a little wider and he whistled, "Bingo." You were completely spread open for him, there was no hiding how wet you were and how swollen your clit was from him sucking on it. "So fuckin' pretty, you hear me," he asked as he palmed your ass before laying a smack to it, making your body jolt forward.

He watched the way your head moved, your throat taking him as best as it could. He felt the way your saliva dripped down his cock, down to his balls and into the curls around his base. His head fell back against the pillow as his left hand continued to pump two fingers into you. He curled them and your body tensed at the sensation, and he smirked, knowing he just hit your g-spot.

He continued to drag his fingers across that spot before he put his mouth back on you again as he licked your clit. It was sloppy and messy but he didn't care, he needed you, every single part of you. Your hand continued to work over his saliva coated cock, your hand occasionally meeting your lips. You licked the slit on his tip and his hips jerked up.

He was twitching in your mouth, and you worked a little faster as he moaned against your pussy. You felt his face try to get closer as he tried to pull your ass down. You pulled off of him once more, laying your head on his thigh as you used your hand, using your other to cup his balls and you squeezed a little.

Your legs tried to move closer together and he took his fingers out of you, holding both of your thighs apart, caging his ribs as he continued to work his tongue and lips on you. "Billy," you moaned, tightening your hand on his cock and he moaned again. Billy loved eating pussy, if he could do it all day then he would, especially if it was your pussy he was eating.

He let go of one of your thighs, gripping your lower back as he tried to bring you closer, but you were as close as you could get. He let out a sound of displeasure, wishing he could flip you over and fold you up so he could get closer. He knew he'd come in your mouth before you came in his as he tried to plan out how he'd flip you.

You put your mouth back on him, doubling your efforts and soon enough, his seed coated your tongue, and you swallowed it down, suckling his tip before you pulled off, holding his thighs. He rolled you off of him and you raised a brow. He grabbed under your thighs as he moved your legs so your knees were touching your chest and he moved so he was laying on his stomach as he licked at you. Your head fell back, touching the side of the mattress and he looked up, snickering before moving you so you wouldn't have to strain your neck.

You reached down and pulled his hair and he sucked your clit, his teeth barely grazing it as you cried out, back arching up. He licked from the bottom of your entrance to the top of your clit before dipping down as the tip of his tongue dipped into your entrance and he hummed as your slick entered his mouth. Your breathing got heavier, your moans were closer together.

He knew how close you were but he stayed at the same pace, not wanting to speed up and ruin your impending orgasm. "Baby, please," you begged. His eyes flicked up, they weren't the blue you saw in the mornings, they were darker, feral and needy. He took his hands off of your legs before grabbing your own so you could hold your legs up.

"Good girl," he murmured, and you shivered. Two fingers moved through your slick before he carefully pushed them in, feeling your walls clench. "Oh baby, you're close huh?" You nodded quickly before feeling his fingers hook up as his thumb rubbed your clit. "There you go, just feel it baby, don't fight it." His voice was enough to make you let go of the tension in your lower stomach as your orgasm came in waves. He continued to use his fingers and added his tongue to lick up your arousal, humming at the taste.

He watched and felt you come down from your high and he gently pulled his fingers out before looking at you and you giggled, putting your head on the bed. He laughed and hovered over you, "Good?" You scoffed, "You dick." He laughed and kissed you. You tasted yourself on his tongue and he tasted himself on your tongue. He pulled away first, "You want on top?" You nodded and he sat against the headboard and helped you mount his lap.

He kissed your chest, latching his lips around your nipple before pulling with his teeth and let go. He held the base of his cock before helping you sink down. "Good girl, go slow." You nodded, holding his shoulders for balance as you dug your nails into the skin and muscle. A minute or two passed and your hips were on his. His fingers gripped your hips tightly as he helped you bounce on his cock.

"Does that feel good, pretty girl?" You whimpered and nodded. You were still sensitive from your last orgasm and you knew it wouldn't be long before you had your second one. He brought his right hand to his face as he licked his thumb before placing it on your clit and rubbing small circles. He kept the pressure light so he wouldn't quickly overstimulate you.

You moaned, digging your nails in deeper, "Feels good, really fucking good." He smiled, "Yeah?" You nodded and bounced a little faster. He watched your entire body move before he let go of your hip and began pinching your nipple as well as running the pad of his finger over the peak. You let go of his shoulders, your nails scratching down his chest as you continued your movements on him.

"Fuck," he moaned at the feeling of you scratching him up. It didn't take long before the room was filled with the squelching sound that he was causing your pussy to make. Your thighs clapped against his and the springs in the mattress were creaking loudly, begging you to stop or slow down. "Billy," you chanted his name like a mantra the closer you got to another orgasm.

He pushed your back so you two were chest to chest. He moved so his knees were bent, and his feet were planted into the mattress as he began thrusting up into you. You grasped at him for leverage as he held you tightly. The pleasure was all-consuming as you bit into his pec to keep yourself quiet, not needing the entire neighborhood to hear you two going at it. He hissed in pain and pleasure at the feeling of your teeth on him. He knew you wouldn't break the skin as all of the blood in his body rushed to his dick and balls.

He went a little faster, his balls hitting your ass, giving you a new feeling to enjoy. "Squeezing my dick like a goddamn vice. Let go babe, I'm right here." His voice invaded all of your senses as you held him tighter and his own hands and arms held you tighter, his biceps bulging against your back.

You finally let go, your legs squeezing his body, your pussy contracted around him so he couldn't move. He held the back of your head to his chest as he watched you ride out your high. "There you go, that's a good girl." The aftershocks came soon after, your thighs shaking along with your body. "I'm almost done, baby. Can I keep going?" You nodded and he tsked with his tongue, "Words, come on," he said as he tapped your ass a few times.

"You can keep going." He nodded and kissed the top of your head before he continued his thrusts. They were softer, not wanting to hurt you but they got him stimulated enough that he came inside of you, painting your walls with his seed. His hips kept thrusting as he rode out his high, his breathing was ragged as he kept moaning your name along with swears.

You watched him, his brows were furrowed a tad, his face had a light sheen from sweat, his hair was a mess and you weren't sure how, but most of all, his pupils were blown out but as he came down from his high, you watched the blue slowly restore. His thumb rubbed your back as he looked down at you. "Did I hurt you?" You shook your head, "Not at all." He nodded and brought his hand under your chin as he pinched it to bring your lips to his.

You smiled against his lips before kissing him, squirming your way up his body so you could hold him better. "I love you." You smiled at the whispered confession that you had heard a million times over the past two years. "I love you too, B." He smiled and rubbed your back before pulling away from you.

It wasn't long before the two of you were cleaned up and cuddling on new bedsheets. His fingers traced down your back as you laid on his stomach, your hands beneath your head as you looked at him. "Can I pitch something to you and you shoot it down if you don't like it or don't think you'll be into it?" You nodded, your fingers lazily moving across his stomach.

"Do you think you'd ever be down to try anal?" Your eyes widened a little and he chuckled at your reaction. "Uh I don't know about you sticking your dick in my ass. Maybe a finger or two." He nodded, "Was just wondering." You nodded and moved so you were snuggling up to him. You yawned and threw your leg over his hip. "I'm taking a nap, you fucked me too good." He laughed and kissed your head before patting your back.

"I'll be right here when you wake up." You smiled sleepily, "Promise?" He smiled, "I promise." That was all the confirmation you needed before falling into a deep sleep in the arms of your lover.

[sky-is-the-limit]

Title: Inverness.

Summary: At the end of MW3, we see Price, Gaz and Ghost scattering Soap's ashes into the wind because he had no one back home. What if he did?

TW: Mentions of death, Grief, Angst, just pure sadness.

WC: 2.1k

You scrubbed the frying pan with an intensity that would have made your hands bleed if you could still feel them. The sponge grated against the metal but there wasn’t a single speck of dirt left to remove.

It gleamed just as it had every morning for the past five months, yet you kept at it, as if scrubbing could erase the nightmare that had become your life.

You didn’t want to think, didn’t want to feel, so you focused on the pan. This useless, spotless pan that he used to make you both breakfast that cursed morning.

The sound of the clock ticking gnawed at your nerves but you welcomed it. It was better than the silence that screamed in your ears, the silence that reminded you of everything you had lost. The same ritual, the same time, 7:05 a.m. Every single day.

Johnny’s face flashed before your eyes. How he looked that morning. Smiling, though you could see the worry in his eyes, deep into his features. You kissed him goodbye, your hands clinging to his uniform.

''Promise you’ll come back to me.'' You whispered, your voice barely more than a breath and he smiled, that crooked smile that always made your heart stutter, ''I always do.''

But promises were lies and you were a fool for believing them.

You hadn’t slept, not really, not since the nightmares began. Two, maybe three hours a night, if you were lucky. But even then, sleep was just another form of torture, bringing images you couldn't escape.

You saw him in your dreams, his body broken, bloodied in a thousand different ways. And no matter how much you screamed, no matter how desperately you reached for him, you could never save him. He was always just out of reach, just beyond your grasp, dying over and over again.

Then your hand slipped and the sponge clattered to the floor but you didn’t pick it up. You just stood there, staring at the wall, your breath hitching in your chest.

You should eat something, you knew that. You should go outside, feel the sun on your skin, breathe air that wasn’t thick with misery. But you couldn’t. The walls of your apartment had become your prison and you were too afraid to leave, too afraid of what waited for you outside.

Your friends had tried to help, bless them. They had come, one by one, sitting with you in that same kitchen, trying to coax you back to life. But nothing worked. Their voices were just noise, their concern an unbearable weight.

So you pushed them away, retreating further into the darkness, until the only company you had was this cursed frying pan and his ghost.

Turning your face to the side, your gaze drifted to the kitchen table, where the letter sat, still sealed, still untouched. What had arrived in his place, delivered by his Captain with a look that told you everything before he even opened his mouth.

The letter that contained words you couldn’t bear to read because once you did, it would all be real. Once you did, Johnny would be gone, truly gone, and you would be left with nothing but the ghost of a promise he couldn’t keep.

They say grief comes in waves and at first, they’re so overwhelming that you feel like you’re being pulled under. These waves hit unexpectedly, crashing into your sense of normalcy and flooding you with tears you thought you’d left behind.

But as long as the letter remained unopened, you could pretend. You could pretend that he was still out there, somewhere, alive and breathing, just waiting to come back to you.

It was a lie, you knew that but it was the only thing holding you together, the only thing keeping you from falling apart completely.

You couldn’t let him go. You weren’t ready. And maybe you never would be.

That day, life felt worth living, as if everything was falling into place without any effort. The sun was warm, the sky clear and your mind blissfully at peace. Johnny’s return was only days away and the thought of it made everything seem brighter.

You woke up that morning after a full eight hours of sleep and greeted the day with a smile, like always. Work had been the usual, nothing out of the ordinary and the evening was spent with friends, savoring every minute at your favourite corner cafe. There had been no reason to expect anything would change, that it would all come crashing down at exactly 6 p.m.

The knock on the door was unexpected, startling you from your thoughts. For a brief moment, you thought that Johnny would walk in but you paused, puzzled.

He had his own set of keys, so it couldn’t be him. Maybe it was the courier with that package you’d been eagerly awaiting, a little surprise wrapped in lace for when your boyfriend would return and so humming to yourself, you crossed the room.

Opening the door, your smile was ready, friendly and sweet, the kind you always wore when greeting strangers. The very first thing that made Johnny fall in love with you when he first met you.

However, the man on the other side wasn’t a courier or a familiar face.

He was tall, in his 40s if not more, though perhaps it was the untamed beard that added those extra years. He stood there in jeans and a black jacket, a beanie pulled low over his head.

For a moment, the thought crossed your mind that he might be a new neighbour, someone coming to introduce himself.

''Hi! Uh, Can I help you?'' You asked, welcoming, completely unaware of what was coming. He didn’t answer right away.

Instead, he stood frozen, like a statue, his expression a mask of unreadable emotions. Something about the way he hesitated, the way he just stared at you, began to chip away at your mood. Then, the envelope in his hand caught your eye and the world started to tilt.

''My name is John Price, ma’am-'' He finally said, tone low and controlled, though you could sense the strain in it. He paused, as if the next words were lodged in his throat, refusing to come out.

Everything after that moment was fragmented, slipping through your fingers like grains of sand. You faintly remembered him asking if he could come inside, his eyes reflecting a sadness that seemed to share in your grief. But it was not the same.

''I’m so sorry.'' The sympathy was genuine but it was also detached.

For him, Johnny was another soldier, a memory he would eventually leave behind.

For you? Johnny was everything. The beginning and the end of your world, the very essence of your existence. His death was not something you could ever move past. It was an abyss that consumed everything.

Price, was it? His name was Price. He placed a hand on your shoulder and squeezed. He kept apologizing, saying something about the funeral but the words were swallowed by pain.

As the door clicked shut behind him, the world around you fell apart. The room felt like it was collapsing in on itself, the walls closing in, pressing you into the earth.

A cry escaped your lips, raw and jagged, repeating over and over,

''No, no, no-'' The sound was guttural, a plea that couldn’t change anything but was all you could manage.

Falling to your knees, the floor seemed to rise up to meet you. Every breath was a battle, each inhale a ragged gasp that barely filled your lungs. Your hands clutched at your chest with a fierce desperation, gripping so tightly that the skin began to tear as memories started creeping through,

//

"I’m gonna take ye to the Highlands next summer." Johnny murmured and the smile in his voice was so vivid, you could almost see it without opening your eyes.

''Mm?'' The only reply you managed, a sleepy whisper against his skin.

"My dad’s side’s from Inverness-" He continued, his tone like a soft melody. "It’s so beautiful, lass. Ye hae to see it. I spent most summers there when I was a bairn."

A soft kiss on his neck was your only response, your eyes heavy with sleep.

''I’m gonna marry ye there.'' He declared, the promise as sweet as his voice.

Sleep had already pulled you under, leaving his words hanging in the air. The last thing you felt was the warmth of his body, the steady beat of his heart and the dream of a future that felt as certain as his arms holding you.

//

Finally, the pan was set aside, the water dripping off your numb fingers. They felt like they were encased in ice after being wet for so long and your throat was parched, having gone without water for hours.

If Johnny was here, he would be furious. He’d lecture you about not eating enough then insist on cooking your favourite pasta dish, all while talking your ears off with his affectionate scolding. He would take care of you, as he always did.

The letter still sat on the kitchen table, mocking you with its presence. No amount of wishing could make it disappear. It was a cruel reminder of what you couldn’t escape. You weren’t sure what was inside. Perhaps a confirmation of his death, or a note from his supervisors but the uncertainty terrified you.

In the quiet, as if Johnny’s presence was a whisper against your ear, you heard his voice, soft and reassuring, ''Dinnae be afraid, lass.. Ye have to open it. Ye have to set me free.''

Tears streamed down your cheeks as you moved closer to the wooden surface and the letter was now within reach, a final step toward confronting the truth you had been too afraid to face. The weight of it seemed almost unbearable before a ghostly encouragement echoed in your mind.

''Ye can do this, baby.''

Listening to him one last time, you reached for the envelope, your heart pounding in your chest. With a deep breath, you ripped it open, pulling out a piece of paper that was clearly torn from a larger sheet. The paper wasn’t formal, it was barely a ragged scrap.

''My Dearest,

I hope this letter finds you well, though I wish I was there to see your smile in person. I miss you terribly.

Every day here in England feels like hell, endless rain everywhere. I swear, the weather’s enough to make a Scotsman lose his patience! I keep dreaming about the day I can sit in that little pub next to our apartment, with a cold beer in hand, and laugh about how much I hate the English… weather, of course.

I wish I could be there right now, to hold you and tell you how much I love you. It’s not easy being away from you, and I’m counting the days until I can see you again.

I know things are hard right now but please remember I’m doing everything I can to stay safe. I have to remind you, though, with this shitty job, there’s always a chance I might not make it back. But I promise, I’m fighting to come home to you.

If something does happen and I don’t make it home, there’s something for you in my nightstand. I was saving it to give to you myself, but if I’m not there, I want you to go into our bedroom and get it.

It’s not meant to hold you back or keep you in the past if I’m not here. It’s a promise—a reminder that I will love you forever, in this life and the next one.

I love you more than words can say and I can’t wait to be with you again.

Yours always,

Johnny."

Sobs wracked your body uncontrollably as you clutched the letter to your chest, desperate to keep your tears from staining its precious words.

With shaky breaths, you began walking towards the bedroom, as if Johnny's voice was gently instructing your every move. You placed the letter gently on his pillow and sat on the edge of the bed. It felt right, a final gesture of love and farewell.

You had to do this, for him and for yourself.

With trembling hands, you opened the nightstand, the drawer sliding open with a hesitant creak. Inside, nestled in the shadows, was a small blue box. Underneath it, a postcard. Inverness.

The sight of it made your breath hitch. You already knew what was inside and the realization cut through you like a knife.

Slowly, with a sense of dread, you opened it.

There it was. A beautiful silver ring, its band engraved with intricate floral patterns on the inside.

With trembling hands, you slid the silver ring onto your finger. The cool metal felt strange but the emerald sparkled softly in the dim light, though you didn't pay it much attention. Instead, you laid down on Johnny’s pillow, you let your tears soak into the fabric. His scent was still there, somehow. Maybe you'd imagined it.

As you closed your eyes, you promised him. You'd carry on, for him and for you. You'd carry on and visit Inverness with him, so he would rest there.

[viesanterieures]

𝐓𝐨 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 | 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏.

William Killick (The Edge of Love) x fem Reader

next chapter

note: This story is set in May 1936, William is about 27 and it takes place years before the actual movie.

summary: William Killick takes a break from his London life and spends a few weeks at the country estate of the wealthy Hallward family. The family take an instant liking to William and try to get him to marry their beautiful daughter Norma. Also on the estate is the reader, who works as a maid. When William receives anonymous poems, he ends up falling in love with the mysterious writer instead of Norma.

word count: 2000+

warnings: … none!

masterlist

"Excuse me sir, we've reached the end of the line." Yawning, William opened his eyes as he heard a voice behind him and stretched sleepily, curious to see who was speaking to him. A woman in a uniform with a dark skirt and matching hat stood beside him. "Are we there yet... What time is it?" he asked her. "It's just after half past seven, sir," the train attendant replied with a friendly smile. As William straightened up in his seat and then saw that the landscape before him had changed from the brown roofs of London to green hills and beautiful mountain scenery with small lakes. "My God... I must have slept for hours." The train attendant smiled at him kindly and wished him a good journey.

William felt the train slow down and grabbed his suitcase from the luggage rack. Once outside, he set it down on the floor and took a deep breath. The air smelled fresh and the wind blew through his hair. Although he had never been to this place before, he had the strange feeling that he belonged here. He closed his eyes for a moment. The orange light of the setting sun shone through his eyelids. The green hills of the Scottish Highlands stretched out before him, surrounded by a light mist. Green meadows, colourful flowers and streams dominated the landscape. The sky was cloudless and the air smelled of fresh moss. William could hardly look away. It was so different from London. The grass rustled softly under his shoes as he made his way to his accommodation for the next few weeks.

Curious, he looked up at the big building. It was built entirely of stone, with small windows adorned with red, ivy-covered shutters that glowed in the evening sun. William dragged his suitcase up the stairs that led to a wide wooden door. The muffled sound filled the silence as William knocked on the door. It opened with a squeak to reveal an older, very elegantly dressed lady with shoulder-length curly hair.

"Good evening, you must be our new guest, Mr Killick, aren't you?" Her voice sounded friendly and welcoming. "That’s right. And you must be Margaret Hallward, the owner of the estate," William replied. The lady nodded. "I am. Come in, you must have travelled a long way, sir." William followed her into the warm house. Mrs Hallward disappeared for a moment behind a wooden counter and handed William a key. "Room seven is yours. The dining room is in the ground floor and the common room is on the second floor. Breakfast is tomorrow from seven to half past eight. YN, would you be so kind as to accompany our guest to his room? And take some of his luggage."

"Of course, Mrs Hallward," a quiet voice sounded behind them, and William turned around curiously. In front of them stood a young woman in a red apron and white blouse. William smiled kindly at her. "No, wait, I can carry that," he interrupted her when she tried to take the suitcase off. Shrugging her shoulders, she finally gave up and told William to follow her. They walked along a corridor decorated with old paintings and photos of the country estate and stopped in front of a room door with the number 7.

"Thank you so much, Ma'am," he said, putting the room key in the lock. The young woman smiled and wished him a good night before disappearing without another word.

****

William had slept very well that night. It was probably because he was quite tired from the long journey. When he finally entered the dining room for breakfast, it was already quite full. He took an empty seat at a table where an elderly man was still sitting, reading a newspaper.

"Tea, sir?" It was the young woman again who had shown him his room yesterday. "Yes, thank you“, he said. "What was your name again?"

"YN," she said quietly, and poured some tea into a small cup.

"Beautiful name."

William could clearly see her cheeks turning slightly pink at the words. "Thank you, sir." But they were interrupted by Mrs Hallward, who approached the table with a big smile. "Good morning, Mr Killick! Did you sleep well?"

"Very well, Mrs Hallward," he replied. "I don't think I've slept as well as I did this morning for months. So I'm really going to enjoy my holiday."

"I'm glad to hear that." She laughed. "Oh, I'd like to introduce you to someone, wait a moment please " She turned to one of the tables and called out in a loud voice. "Norma! Will you come here, please?"

"Yes, Mother." Another woman joined them at the table, she was about a year or two younger than William. She had white-blonde hair, red lips and was wearing an elegant purple dress with ornate embroidery. She was very pretty, William realised.

"Mr Killick, this is my daughter Norma. She lives in Glasgow at the moment, but is here for a few weeks. She grew up at the country estate. If you like, she can show you around the neighbourhood and the town."

"It would be an honour. How about we meet outside the estate at three this afternoon?," Norma chuckled softly as she twirled a strand of her blonde hair between her fingers. William was very happy about the Hallward's hospitality and gratefully accepted the offer.

"But now we won't bother you any longer, Mr Killick. Enjoy your breakfast," Mrs Hallward said with a smile as she took Norma's arm and led her away from the table. As they walked, he heard them whispering to each other, catching bits of sentences like 'isn't he lovely' or 'he looks like a prince from a fairytale'.

Slowly, William turned in the direction where YN had last been, but she was gone.

***

William spent the morning in the garden of the country estate, sitting on one of the benches beneath a cherry tree. The weather was warm, and the birds chirped softly in the treetops. Eventually, he closed his book and stood up to return to the house. As he passed one of the large flower beds, he paused. He saw a person sitting there, gardening.

"Nice to see you again, Ms YN," he said kindly. She didn't seem to notice his arrival and flinched when she heard his voice behind her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," William apologised immediately. "It’s alright, sir," she said, turning her attention back to the bed.

"Call me William, please."

She immediately looked at him in surprise. She had never expected that. A gust of wind came up and brushed through William's dark hair, and his bright blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight. She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

"Shall I help you?" he asked her, pointing to the bucket of weeds. She immediately declined his offer. "No, William, you're here on holiday. Not to work." William shrugged. "Anything where I don't have to be in London is a holiday for me. I really love this city, it's my home. But sometimes I really need to go somewhere else." YN nodded briefly. "I've never been to London or any other big city. I imagine it's stressful."

He laughs and shrugs. "I can't deny that it's stressful sometimes." Slowly he knelt down beside her and began to pluck the weeds from the ground in front of him. "You don't have to do that," she said quickly. "It's okay," William replied quietly, continuing to work.

YN laughed. "This has never happened to me before. A guest helping me with my work. If Mrs Hallward finds out, she'll scold me." William smiled a little. "Tell her I did it voluntarily. "You already have enough work." When they were finished, the young woman smiled briefly, then took off her gloves, stood up and reached for the bucket. "I have to go now."

"Wait, don’t you want to stay here a bit longer?" William asked hastily.

"Sorry, I've still got a lot to do. But thank you for helping me, that was very kind of you." She waved goodbye to William and finally turned round. William looked at her for a moment, a bit disappointed. Then he glanced at his pocket watch and flinched. It was ten minutes past three, Norma was probably already waiting for him.

He quickly grabbed his book that was laying in the grass and hurried to the front gate. Norma was waiting there, her arms crossed over her chest, looking at him with raised eyebrows as he finally greeted her completely out of breath. "Sorry I'm late."

She finally smiled and said in a friendly voice, "It's okay." Her hair was pinned up in an elegant braid, her lipstick was the same colour as the new pastel pink dress she was wearing, and she carried a matching handbag.

"I was in the garden talking to YN. I must have lost track of time."

One of her blonde eyebrows immediately raised again and she looked at him as if he had just said something completely stupid. "You're talking to household staffs? They're working for us, it’s far below our class."

He looked at her, confused. "But why shouldn't I talk to her? She's really nice."

Norma stayed silent, grabbed his arm and pulled him along without a word. She led him through the Scottish Highlands, down a small forest path, until the roofs of houses appeared in the distance. This had to be Tobermory. The air smelled of salty sea and a fresh breeze as they walked along Tobermory's coastal road, lined with colourful houses. High mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks shrouded in a gentle mist. "Wow, it's beautiful!" marveled William.

"I know, right?" Norma replied giggling, taking his hand and pulling him towards a small café.

"My aunt works there," she said. "She makes the best cakes." They entered the café and sat down on a corner bench by a small window. "Norma, how lovely to see you again." A lady with bright red hair came up to them and pulled her niece into her arms, laughing. When she noticed William, she looked him over from head to toe, smiled and turned back to her niece. "And who is that handsome young man next to you? Did you meet him in Glasgow?" Norma shook her head, laughing. "No. He's a guest of Mother's. She asked me to show him around."

"Oh, how lovely. You know, Norma, it's time for you to get married. Can I bring you both some of my Dundee cake?" William frowned slightly when she mentioned marriage. Did the Hallwards already see him as their future son in law?

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the little café, William telling Norma about his home in London, his job, his family, and she seemed to be very interested. But William hadn't forgotten her nasty comment about YN. He was torn by Norma.

After they said goodbye that evening, William went to his room tired. In the corridor he saw Mrs Hallward talking excitedly to YN. "You forgot to fluff up the pillows in Room 9! How many times do I have to tell you?" she snapped at her in a harsh tone.

"I'm sorry, Mrs Hallward, I..." But she didn't let YN finish, because when she noticed William, she put on a big smile again: "Oh, Mr Killick, how nice to see you. Did you have a nice day with Norma?"

"Yes, I did, thank you for asking," he replied. He looked at YN, but she avoided his gaze, holding a white sheet in her arms.

"You know, Norma is still not married and we're looking for a suitable husband for her. Or do you already have a wife?" Mrs Hallward wanted to know. William shook his head slowly.

"She is such a beautiful young woman. But no man has ever met her standards. You're the first one she has shown interest in", the lady explained to him. "Come, YN, you need to get back to work now, the dishes need to be washed."

"Good night, William," YN said to him as he walked past, nodding to him.

"Good night," he replied.

As soon as he entered his room, he took off his jacket and shirt and yawned softly. He intended to read, but he was so tired that he just wanted to lie down in bed. Suddenly he heard something crunching under his feet and looked down in surprise. There was a small piece of white paper under his shoe. Someone must have slipped it through the gap under his door. He bent down and picked it up carefully. It was no bigger than William's hand, made of good quality and written in black ink.

Holding his breath, William began to read:

𝓣𝓸 𝓦𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓶 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮

ℐ𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝒶𝓇𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝒹𝑜𝓌𝓈 𝒹𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒, 𝒶 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝒷𝓎 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒.

𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀 𝒽𝒶𝒾𝓇 𝒻𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒻𝒶𝒸𝑒, 𝒷𝓁𝓊𝑒 𝑒𝓎𝑒𝓈 𝓇𝑒𝒻𝓁𝑒𝒸𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝒸𝑒.

ℋ𝒾𝓈 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝒹𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽, 𝒽𝑒'𝓈 𝒻𝓊𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝑔𝑒𝓃𝓊𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝑒, 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓎 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓇𝑒.

Confused, he turned the letter over in his hands. Was it from Norma? But she had been with him all afternoon, hadn't she? Who else was writing him poems?

****************************************************

Thank you so much for reading! If you want a part 2, let me know! 🖤

[thatacotargirl]

Flower of the Dawn Court

Please enjoy this little oneshot 🌼🌸

Summary: It is Thesan's wedding day and all of Prythian seems to have been invited. His daughter's, y/n and Dalia, have played wedding planners ahead of their father's big day; but nothing ever goes to plan when the 7 High Lords come together.

This oneshot is set at the beginning of A Court of Mist and Fury.

Reader's POV

It was a beautiful, warm morning in Dawn Court. The sun had slowly started to rise over the horizon, the birds were singing their love songs quietly, the tune carried by the breeze. You were stood on the balcony of your bedroom, a coffee in hand, enjoying the peacefulness of nature before the day fully erupted.

Today was your father's wedding day. After his experiences under the mountain, he hadn't waited a single second before letting the Captain know his true feelings and the pair agreed to marry as soon as feasibly possible. The wedding was the first to take place since Amarantha was slain and it felt like all of Prythian had been invited to Dawn, including the remaining 6 High Lords.

A door opens to my left and I turn to see Dalia, my sister, appear with a steaming cup of coffee to join me. Dalia and I were adopted by Thesan as babies when we were left on his doorstep. Dalia arrived a few months before I did, but Thesan treated us like we were his own flesh and blood; raising us in Dawn amongst the greats. Rumour had it that Dalia was even next in line to inherit the title of High Lady of Dawn, despite not being a blood relation. I grin at my sister as she reaches out an arm to embrace me.

"I can't believe the day is finally here", she says, pulling me closer into her side.

"He deserves this, every bit of happiness the world can offer him and more". Dalia nods her head in agreement as we gaze out over the gardens, watching the staff begin to set up the arch and the seats for the ceremony.

Turning the my wardrobe, I pull out the dress that was custom made for today. A beautiful shade of deep crimson with golds heels and jewellery to match. Dalia was to wear similar, only hers was a deep shade of blood orange. We looked magnificent.

"Time to get ready", I grin to my sister, as she rushes forward to pull her dress from the hanger.

Several hours later and both Dalia and I were dressed and ready, our hair and make-up perfect. We watched with tears in our eyes as Thesan and the Captain shared their first moment of seeing each other dressed for their wedding, and took more photos than there were stars in the sky as our newfound family of 4. We could hear the hustle and bustle of guests arriving and taking their seats, and soon the bell called to let us know it was time for the ceremony to begin.

"I love you girls with all my heart", my father said, pulling Dalia and I in for a hug. When we finally let him go, he walked to the entranceway and began his walk up the aisle.

Dalia and I were next. Our heritage remained unknown, with neither of us caring too much to know more about the family that had abandoned us, but it was clear from which court's we heralded. Dalia was without a doubt a descendant of the Day Court, her power to wield sunbeams could rival even the most talented magic in her native lands. I, however, was born of Spring; and beheld the power to command flowers. Dalia used to tease me that I had the 'flower power' when we were children, especially when our father was teaching us how to manage our powers and I accidentally caused flowers to bloom from every wall, floor, and ceiling of the Dawn Court palace. One time I even bloomed a flower from the top of my head and couldn't quite grasp my magic enough to make it vanish - leaving me with a real-life flower crown for several days. Thankfully, Dalia and I had mastered our powers eventually, and could put them to good use today.

Arms linked, we walked down the aisle, smiling around to our many guests. Dalia commanded the sunlight to shine down and spotlight our father, with wisps of sunbeams dancing around the garden to the tune of the choir. With soft gestures of my arms, I yielded flowers from my fingertips, allowing them to fall from the sky amongst the seats and along the aisle. As we rounded off to the alter, kissing our father's cheeks as we went, we watched as the Captain appeared at the entrance of the walkway.

The ceremony was nothing short of jaw-droppingly beautiful, and the crowd roared with delight as our father and the Captain were pronounced married. The 4 of us embraced at the altar and we walked hand in hand back down the aisle towards the evening celebrations.

On arrival at the reception, with a glass of champagne in hand, Dalia and I made our way around the guests to welcome them to Dawn. The High Lords had all agreed to attend and many were staying in rooms at the palace tonight, allowing them to indulge in the festivities to their heart's content. Only Kallias of Winter and Beron of Autumn were leaving tonight; Kallias to return home with his heavily pregnant wife, and Beron because - well - he's Beron.

A brief disagreement caught our attention as we turned in the direction of the Night Court table. Rhysand and his Inner Circle were all present for the wedding, as was Rhysand's plus one - Feyre Cursebreaker. It was made public soon after what happened under the mountain that Rhysand and Feyre had made a bargain that she stay at the Night Court for a week per month, and it looked like Rhysand had decided to take that week now, stealing Feyre as his guest to the wedding so that Tamlin wasn't able to. Dalia chuckled, clearly enjoying the drama of it all. Honestly, Prythian was slowly turning into a real-life drama production these days.

We approached their table to greet them, bowing to Rhysand and offering our hand to the Inner Circle members.

"Thank you for attending the wedding, High Lord", Dalia offered, her head still bowed as she addressed Rhysand.

"It was our pleasure, Dalia, thank you for inviting us. The ceremony was wonderful", he replied.

As you made your way around the table, greeting each member, you reached out a hand to greet Feyre. Although she sat with a frown on her face, her body caved inwards and away from Rhysand, she offered out her hand to shake yours.

"Thank you for coming, Feyre", you offered gently. You felt her hand untense in yours as you addressed her personally, and she relaxed her posture slightly.

"It was a beautiful day. Your's and your sister's powers are really something else, I know my sister Elain would love to be able to create flowers at her whim".

You smile as you withdraw your hand and Feyre looks up to meet your eyes. You see her's widen and she quietly gasps. Not quietly enough, however, to evade the notice of everyone sat at the table, who turn to look at you with confusion.

"Is everything ok, Feyre?" you ask with concern, taking a step backwards in case you startled her.

"I'd know those eyes anywhere".

You look at her your face laced with confusion, as you turn to look at Dalia for assistance. She offers you a shrug as you both turn to Rhysand, hoping for an explanation. He, too, however, looks completely at a loss.

"Feyre?", he asks, reaching out a hand to touch her shoulder. The entire table is silent, waiting for Feyre to respond, but her eyes remain frozen on yours.

"Feyre?", you try, crouching down to be in front of her seat.

"I'd know those eyes anywhere", she repeats. "I fell in love with them".

The entire table exchanges confused glances, now becoming concerned that Feyre is speaking in tongues and not making any sense. You stand and turn to Rhysand, about to offer to get Thesan in case Feyre needed a healer, when Amren, Rhysand's second in command, also gasps.

"By the Cauldron", is all she could get out, looking past your shoulder to the crowd behind you.

You turn, trying to find the source of Amren's shock, only to lock eyes with a pair of matching emerald ones that were staring back at you, widened in surprise. Eyes that mirrored yours in every way. Eyes that could belong to no one other than your biological father.

The High Lord of Spring.

[cherry-queens-blog]

OVERHAUL FANFIC

Overhaul x Reader

(MINORS DNI)

Summary- You were brought in by Chrono who had witnessed your quirk and knew you would be useful to the shie hassaikai gang. After bringing you in, you are questioned by the big man himself Kai chisaki. After months he takes quite the liking to you and wants you to fully be his and is ready to claim you. Content- Overhaul x reader, shower sex, nsfw, telekinesis quirk, blood spill, violence, consensual sex, killing.

Note- It took me a bit to come up with a start of this and I think reader having a strong quirk that would be of use to overhaul was a good idea in order for reader to join the gang members. I hope you all enjoy the story!. I have a few other stories coming soon involving Dabi or shigaraki, and All Might. This took me a good 7 hours to type out. it was a one shot fic.

YOU'RE MINE NOW

It was starting to get a bit late in the day around 8:34, the sun no longer visible in the sky as Chrono and mimic stepped outside having a chat about the things that had happened today only to have their chat cut short by some noise coming from the alleyway that was next to the shie hassaikai building they had came out of. Chrono and Mimic looked towards each other before looking towards the dark alley wondering if someone was was looking for a way in or something else. They begin to walk over to check it out, Chrono keeping his hand on his gun just in case until his and Mimics eyes land on the scene before them. Through the dimly lit alley they spot a young woman who had her arm extended with a man pressed against a wall by some invisible force holding him firmly against the hard brick wall when she closes her hand into a fist and the man began to yell. "AHHH wait WAIT!" Chrono and Mimic watches as the man yells out, and when she turns her hand and opens it the mans head bursts into pieces, blood splattering all over the wall and getting on the girl. Chrono and Mimics eyes widen a bit at what they just witnessed and honestly thought that, that was rather impressive and would be useful for yakuza. Mimic looks at Chrono who looks back at him. Mimic: are you thinking what I'm thinking? Chrono: she would be a good ally for the yakuza...

Overhaul was sitting in his office going through some papers when he hears a knock on his door, looking up to see Chrono and Mimic walking in with some girl who had some blood painting her which made him feel agitated a bit, A look of disgust forming on his face as he sees the filth on your body.

Chrono: Hey boss I brought someone who might be of interest to you

Chrono says allowing you to step forward. Overhaul glared a bit but he was curious to know why you were here. What was it that Chrono had brought you here for? What was so interesting about you?. Mimic goes over and sits on the arm rest by Kai ready to see how things will play out and if you would agree to join and work under their boss.

“And what about her should be of interest to me?”

Kai asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"her quirk... it's like a telekinesis quirk.." Chrono responded as Kai's interest was now peaked. He set his pen down on the table. He was definitely interested in people that held useful quirks, and this one wasn’t half bad. He stood up, staring over you with an intense gaze.

"A telekinesis quirk hm?"

He questioned a bit now wanting to see it for himself. "Show me then, I would like to see this" He stated and without much hesitation you raised your hand up quickly and Chrono had flew back hitting the wall pretty hard knocking the breath out of him. Kai’s eyes widened at the demonstration and He definitely found that interesting. Useful, even. He nodded, agreeing with Chrono that you would be of use to their plans.

“Indeed. I could see her being extremely helpful.”

He said while returning his gaze back to you with a slight smirk appearing on his face. "What's your name girl?"

"it's Y/N" You respond. answering his question as he took a few steps up to you but not getting to close and keeping a rather appropriate distance since you are filthy and if anything he hates anything dirty. He eventually stopped looking you over.

“I am Kai Chisaki, you can call me Overhaul. I run this business here. And I must say, your quirk is indeed interesting.”

He said, the grin staying on his expression under his mask. Chrono stands up and dusts himself off and looks at overhaul.

"What do you plan to do with her boss?"

He asks Kai who glanced at him with an amused expression.

“I want to take her in. She’s going to be an useful addition for the Shie Hassakai. An asset, if you will.”

He responds casually to Chrono as Mimic watches from the couch quietly. Kai looked at you once more.

“What do you say, girl? You want to work with me?”

He asked you but you did have slight doubts about it, thinking it over and having questions of your own to ask this man in front of you.

"What will I be doing exactly?" You ask him wondering what kind of work he will be having you do. It was a good question to ask him since it would be good to know so you could make up your mind on rather you want to or not.

“You’ll be working for me directly. I’ll have you by my side for various operations and duties. You’ll be trained by me, personally.”

He said with a slight shrug. You think about it more and decide to trust this man and with a nod you agree to work under him. He nods back before looking at Chrono.

"Show her to the bathroom so she can get cleaned up and make sure she doesn’t snoop around and keep an eye on her. Wouldn’t want anything going wrong, now would we?”

Kai demanded Chrono who nods as Kai goes back to his work looking over the documents he had. Chrono takes you out of the office and towards a small room where he grabbed a gown for you to wear for now which looked like something a hospital would make a patient wear before leading you to the bathroom, showing you where the towels were before taking his exit shutting the door and standing by the bathroom door waiting for you to be done. The shower was nice, as the hot water ran down your skin washing away the dried up blood from the guy you killed awhile ago before Chrono and Mimic brought you in to overhaul their boss. When you stepped out Chrono nodded and guided you back to Kai for sleeping arrangements to be made. You sat on the couch across from Kai who looked at you and chrono. Kai was finishing up his work for the night as he glanced over at the both of you. "where will she be sleeping boss?" “She’ll be staying in the room across from mine. She needs to be under close watch - make sure she’s settled in.” "Yes boss, understood"

Chrono agreed give a slight nod as he spoke. Kai turned back to the little bit of work he had left. He then gestured for Chrono to take you to your room that will be across from his own. It was clear Kai didn't fully trust you quite yet but he might eventually if you behave and follow his orders.

Chrono helps you out with getting settled into the room you were put in before taking his leave and letting you sleep for the night. When morning rolled around you sat up in your bed and realized it was around 7:56 in the morning. Tossing the blanket off you stand up and head towards the door opening it and stepping out of the room to see a few men walking by talking to each other. One seemed drunk as all hell holding a bottle in his hand while the other guy was a pretty large guy and pretty buff as well. Kai approaches you while you watch the men walk down the hall. "Did you sleep well?" The sound of his voice had slightly startled you a little bit as you didn't expect him to suddenly appear behind you. Turning around you look at him as he chuckles slightly knowing he had slightly startled you a little. "Oh uh... yeah" You said rubbing the back of your neck while looking down at the ground. Kai narrows his eyes a little feeling displeased that you didn't look him in the face as you spoke to him. "Look at me when you speak to me, That's an order not a request" You lift your head up to look at him seeing the slight annoyance in his eyes as he said that. "Sorry.." You muttered to him making his expression soften a bit as you apologize to him. You didn't know the rules yet so he would have to go over them with you if you're gonna be staying with the yakuza.

"Since you're new and don't know the rules around here, I’ll give you a pass this time, but whenever you speak to me or even address me, you need to look at me straight on. Don’t look at the ground, or at anything else. Only look at me. Understand Y/N?"

He was pretty strict already but you nod your head in understanding of how he would like to be addressed by you.

"Good… Now, I’ll be having someone bring you some clothes today. I cannot have you wearing that all the time, you need something more practical." He stated to you putting his hands in his pockets as he looked down at you with his golden eyes. "Now I'll be showing you what you'll be doing while your hear. Come with me" He ordered you. You start walking by his side as he continued to walk, keeping a slow pace so you could keep up. He was heading towards a certain area in the building, not saying anything as he walked towards that location. He took a glance at you as he decided to speak up again.

“You might be able to tell, but I very much care about hygiene and making sure the environment around me is clean. If I see anything that doesn’t meet my expectations, I’ll make sure it’s gone. So don't be filthy here.. You make a mess you clean it up"

"Yes sir... I understand" "Good, and while you are here you will listen to my orders, and act exactly how I want you too, I am the boss so you follow what I say when I say it. Got it?" "I understand sir"

"Good. Now for right now I'd like to really test your quirk out. See how long you can use it until you reach your limit." You decide to agree to the testing he wants to do as you both step into a room together. It was pretty spacious and empty as if it was made for training or something. When you look over at Kai you watched him pull his glove off of his hand and you started to wonder if training was gonna be an actual fight against him. You weren't worried really since your quirk was strong and you could just keep him away from you at all times which will just be a piece of cake. Kai stuffed his glove into his pocket as he stepped forward towards you calmly bringing his hand up and grazed your shoulder with his finger.

Everything had went black after that until you started to feel an unpleasant amount of pain as if your body was being reconstructed back together. It hurt so bad for a good minute or so as Kai was building your body back up after blowing you to pieces with that simple touch of his finger. Your eyes began to open and you looked at him.

"What the hell was that?" You muttered as he finished up the process of reconstructing you. He smirked a bit as you asked him that. You thought he was just gonna explain what was gonna happen not kill you on the spot then bring you back?. You were confused big time as you laid there on the floor.

"I just gave you a feel of my quirk" He stated as he stood up with hives now on his face.

"Now get up, and don't hold anything back either. Wouldn't want to disappoint me" He walked over to the middle of the room as you stood up from the floor looking at him. Kai definitely wanted to fight you and see what you could do for himself, and get an idea on how long you could hold off against him. Without warning Kai drops down and touches the ground a large amount of spiked rock came at you which surprised you but in a good way. You put your hand up and every single one shatters into pieces and with a swift motion of your hand the rocks fling towards the wall. Kai smirked under his mask knowing this will be interesting and not boring like all his other opponents. This will be harder and more entertaining for him. "Not bad Y/N, But I'm just getting started" He growled out before pulling off his other glove tossing it to the side ready to come at you with everything he's got. Kai placed both hands on the ground now sending out more your way which You react the same shattering the spiked rock, slamming them on the ground before finding the right opening to use your quirk to throw him against the wall only to release him due to your body growing tired and weak already. Kai looks at you and could see an opportunity to strike you down since you were becoming exhausted which showed him you couldn't use your quirk for to long. You lift your head up to look at him just as his hand touched the ground and sent the spiked rock towards you, impaling you in three different spots.

"AHHNGH!"

Your eyes watered up due to the pain you felt, the tears running down your face. Blood dripped onto the ground from your wounds he in flicked on you, leaving the sharp rock pierced through your shoulder, leg, and side. You couldn't help but cry from the pain until he reconstructed the ground the spiked rock fading back to the floor. You drop to the ground, blood coloring the floor as Kai walked over placing his hand on your body and reconstructing the wounds which sucked for you. After that Kai stands up and dusts himself off, the hives still on his skin.

"I need a shower.." He muttered before turning his gaze back to you sitting on the floor drying your tears off your face.

"Were gonna work on that quirk of yours.. I can't have you getting tired after 5 minutes" He stated in a rather harsh tone feeling a bit annoyed at the filth.

"Get up and go shower as well.. You're filthy" He said gesturing for you to following him. You stand up and follow him out of the room. You both go to separate bathrooms to clean up. Once you both finished Kai offered for you to join him for breakfast which you did, enjoying the rest of the morning with him as he showed you around the place, going over everything with you.

Months soon passed and you were able to last for a good hour now using your quirk thanks to Kai himself training you every morning and night every single day and pushing you past your limits none stop. You stood up from the ground as Kai was walking off before he stopped and looked back at you.

"Oh and if you could do so and be a good girl for me, I'd like you to join me in the shower tonight.. And don't make me wait on you, yeah?. It would be a real shame to have to wait on you." He stated making you pick your head up to look at him, a faint blush spreading across your face as he walked away. You were frozen in place for a good minute trying to figure out if you actually heard him correctly. He wanted to shower with you? really? you wondered to yourself though you will listen to him and do as you're told. You head to your room first grabbing some clean clothes and made your way to the bathroom Kai was in and walked in shutting the door, seeing him pulling off his jacket and setting it aside. His hands move up undoing the straps to his mask pulling it off as you sit there just staring at him as if your in a trance just admiring him.

"You know it's quite rude to stare, now get undressed" You snap out of it as he pulls off the rest of his clothing as you start pulling your clothes off. He steps into the shower letting the water run down his body. You step in after him, his eyes roaming over your body with a slight smirk forming on his lips before he grabs a sponge and tosses it to you. "Now scrub yourself thoroughly. I won't tolerate any impurities."

His voice was stern leaving no room for disobedience. You put soap on the sponge and started washing your body with it as he watches you, never breaking eye contact. Once you finished scrubbing yourself down with the sponge Kai grabbed you and pulled you close to him under the running water, bodies touching each other, as he lowered his head to your neck while his fingers tangle in your hair, gripping it firmly as his mouth brushes against your neck. You close your eyes and your mouth falls slightly open as butterflies are felt in your stomach being this close to him like this as the water cascades over the both of you. He kisses up your neck getting up to your ear, taking your earlobe between his teeth and pulling on it till it slips away.

"You're mine now and I'm going to claim you"

He says before pulling away and having you turn around so your back is against him and he places his arm around your neck as he positions his hard member at your entrance before pushing it in. A faint moan escapes your lips as he enters your heat.

"do you like that?. Good" He mutters in your ear as he began to thrust at a nice slow even pace letting you adjust to him.

"mmm.. Kai" You groan out in a gentle breaths. Your hand hold onto his arm as your head falls back resting on his shoulder, lowering his arm a bit until his hand is resting on your breast, gently kneading it as he thrusts into your warm wet heat.

"You feel amazing Y/N" he purrs sliding his other hand around, fingers brushing against your sensitive nub making your body twitch a bit from the contact, placing kisses on your neck.

"I love you Kai" You muttered through slight short gasps as his fingers play with your nub as he thrusts.

"I love you too Y/N"

He began to pick up his pace a little bit making your moans grow a bit louder, your grip on his arm tightening slightly as he pounded his member deep inside your pussy.

"mmm Kai" You moaned, pushing your self against him to to make him go deeper while the water pours down your bodies.

"You feel so fucking good"

He groaned in your ear before placing a kiss on your neck, hand gripping on your breast firmly, finger playing with your nub making you twitch and squirm a bit as gasped moans fill the room with the sound of running water. You started to feel close as your body started to tense up a bit.

"hmm you don't get to cum yet unless I say so" Kai mutters pulling his hand away from your sensitive nub being a tease. He slows his thrusting down a bit as he keeps his eyes on you.

"Kai please.. let me cum to you" You begged him making a smirk appear on his lips.

"Well since you asked so nicely."

He bends you over placing one hand on your waist and the other hand on the shower wall and begins to pick up his pace again being more forceful with his thrusts. You began to gasp with moans escaping your throat, as he pounded into your tight heat.

"ngh fuck Kai.. I'm close" You whimpered out as your body tensed up.

"I am to.. fuck" With one last thrust he spills his hot seed deep inside you as you gasp out your last moan as you hit your orgasm same time he does. Kai keeps ahold of you as he pulls out letting the shower wash away the fluids that dripped out of your pussy. He holds you as he sits up against the shower wall with you in his arms in the shower pushing your hair behind your ear and kissing your forehead.

"That's a good girl"

[ukulelevillainwrites]

who follows the rules anyway?

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9

final part

pairing: anthony lockwood x reader

word count : 6.3k

note: so here we are, some 8 months later this series is done! having mixed feelings rn but anyway i'm so glad i got to share this with you guys and there's a lot more to come

taglist: @demigoddess-of-ghosts ; @sub-text ; @mothman21 ; @aislinrayne ; @oblivious-idiot ; @neewtmas ; @maraschinomerry ; @bella-rose29 ; @bobbys-not-that-small ; @novelizt ; @fudosl ; @archiveoftara ; @cassiopeiia24

[from Lockwood’s pov]

It was still early when he started to emerge from his dreamless sleep. The few hours of rest he managed to get weren’t enough to drown out the confusion that had taken over his thoughts ever since Barnes had showed up yesterday. The sun wasn’t up yet. Time stood still and everything was quiet. He tossed and turned trying to fall back asleep but the blinking of the ghost lamp around the corner kept lighting up his room in a soft fluorescent light.

After y/n had gone up to the attic yesterday, he had stayed with George discussing new plans. They had spent dinner going over their notes from the previous weeks, their scribbling blackening the white cloth with new ideas. The problem was that they needed to take on new cases and planning for the party had already exhausted them. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that Dufour would have to wait a few more weeks until they were ready to strike again. The plate George had prepared for her was going cold and not seeing her come down, Lockwood had tried to bring it up for her. He had been relieved to find her fast asleep and not brooding about Barnes’ news. Even though she had woken up late after the night they spent at the fundraiser, she hadn’t seemed to be doing so great. He really hoped it was the champagne and not something else.

Thinking back to the night before, it was a miracle she had talked to him at all that afternoon. He had tried from the very beginning to separate work from his personal life. Whatever was the nature of his feelings towards her, whether it be hatred or otherwise, they had to have each other’s back in the field and that was all that mattered. Somehow, she still managed to tear down his walls of defense. Saying he had lost control at that party would have been an understatement. From the moment her lips stained his cheek red, all logic flew out the window. Between his proximity, his jealousy and the few terms of endearment that had slipped his mouth during the night, he had turned their working relationship into a minefield without a doubt.

She had rolled over, interrupting his train of thoughts. He had looked at her with fondness while she stretched in her sleep before settling back on her side. He then had gone back downstairs, thinking that rest would probably do her some good. He hadn’t had the opportunity to bring her even more bad news that night. But now here he was, the following day, with this unpleasant discussion still ahead of him and it certainly wasn’t going to let him fall back asleep. He reluctantly pushed his blanket away and pulled his grey hoodie over his head.

After his usual breakfast tea, and a second mug for comfort, Lockwood paced around the library while he waited for y/n to wake up. He had to tell her she wouldn’t get her revenge any time soon, the sooner the better. But did he really have to? The last time he refused to help her they had one of their worst fights. He certainly didn’t want that to happen again. All he wanted was for them to get along. That was a lie. What he really wanted was for her to look at him with the same fondness she had the night before, even just for an instant. He wanted her to tell him what she had meant when she’d admitted she had let her feelings get the best of her. He wanted to hold her in his arms again. What a mistake this had been. The three of them would go under if they didn’t take on new cases soon. And they would all have him to blame, just because he let his feelings get in the way of his work.

When he looked back at the clock on the wall, it was already 8:30. y/n had been supposedly asleep for twelve hours now. Granted she didn’t look too well yesterday, she still should have been awake by now.

For the third time, he went back to the kitchen for another mug of tea. He ran towards the door when he finally heard footsteps coming that way. He was greeted with George’s disheveled look instead of the person he was expecting to see. His smile faltered and he went back to standing next to the counter without saying a word.

“Good morning to you too…”

He poured his friend a cup of tea as a form of apology.

“Sorry,” he said while handing it to him, “I thought you were y/n”

George stared at him with a torn expression, hesitating between a snide comment or a sarcastic joke. He took a sip of his tea and sighed.

“She’s been asleep for a while now.”

Before Lockwood could share his worry, a knock on the front door interrupted him.

“Did we have any appointments scheduled today?”

“No, the last one I scheduled is tomorrow at 10”

He frowned and went back up the few steps and answered the door. Lucy and Norrie smiled at him, brandishing a dessert box from the corner shop.

“Lucy, you shouldn’t have. We owe everything to you. I should be the one buying you doughnuts.”

“It’s not too late for that!” She winked.

“Did everything go well with DEPRAC?” Norrie asked.

“Well…” He hesitated. “Not exactly. Come in.”

He ushered them inside, explaining the talk they had with Barnes the day before.

“How did she take it?” Norrie asked about y/n.

“I’m not sure…”

Lucy placed the box of treats on the small table in the hall to take off her coat and knocked over some of the items lying there.

Apologizing, she bent down to retrieve them. She put them back and handed Lockwood a camera film.

“You shouldn’t let that lie around out of its wrapping paper, the dust could damage it.”

“What’s this?”

“I don’t know I knocked it over just then.”

He put it in his pocket, wondering where it could have come from, and looked nervously at the clock in the living room. Lucy hung her coat in the hall before taking back the box they had brought and making her way into the kitchen. It took him a second to realize that her coat was hanging in the spot where y/n’s usually was. He looked down and noticed her shoes weren’t there either. Either she had gone to bed with them, or something was wrong. And he had a hunch it was the latter. He didn’t think twice and climbed the steps two by two in a rush to the attic. As he had suspected, her bed was empty. It had been a long time since she had bailed on them, and he thought he wouldn’t have to handle this kind of situation anymore. But apparently, he had failed to see how much this issue affected her. Barnes had told her explicitly to not go look for evidence herself and she had done the exact opposite. Though it would be unfair to blame her for it, he probably would have done the same thing. He rushed back downstairs and stormed into the kitchen.

“y/n is gone.”

The serious look on his face was enough to make the room go silent.

“Where could she be?” Lucy asked, worried.

“Considering this,” he tossed the camera film from earlier to George, “I’m going to guess she went to get evidence herself last night.”

Another silence stretched as they all considered his words. George seemed to shut down. He stared at the table without a word. When his eyes came back into focus, he asked

“When do you think she left?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t hear anything. Did you?”

“I thought I heard something, but I figured it was you. “

“When was it?” Lockwood pressed.

“Around three?” He stood up and pushed his chair back. “Or four maybe?”

She had been gone for over five hours and still hadn’t come home. She could have gone anywhere, she could have met anybody… before he could spiral any further, George got up. He didn’t wait for Lockwood to answer and headed towards the hall.

“Where are you going? We need to think! Where could she have gone?”

“I don’t know but I’m going to find her.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll figure it out.”

Lockwood had to put himself between the door and his friend to keep him from taking a step further. George looked back at him defiantly.

“George, no. I’m not losing you too because you wanted to play hero.”

“That’s rich coming from you!” He yelled back. “I’m doing this. She’s only going after Dufour because I shared my suspicions in the first place. This is all my fault and I need to fix it.” He mumbled.

“We,” he emphasized, “need to be smart about this.”

“We don’t have time! The last time she wandered by herself at night she got chased by relic men, she could be-”

“I know!” Lockwood shouted.

They stared at each other, considering the unspoken words. The air was thick with tension and panic started to clutch his chest tighter.

“Someone needs to go after her.” George insisted.

“And someone needs to get DEPRAC.” Lockwood stared at his best friend with an unspoken plea. George looked back at him with a furrowed brow, fidgeting with the zipper of his orange parka. Lockwood was used to the researcher’s passive expressions. Sometimes, they could barely be called expressions at all. But now his eyes were filled with worry, a genuine please begging to let him go.

“I… I’ll take care of DEPRAC.”

George sighed in relief and reached for the door once more.

“But you are not going there alone.” Lockwood said, resting a hand on his shoulder before he could run off.

“We’ll go!” Lucy intervened.

“Are- are you sure?” Norrie asked, surprised by her girlfriend’s sudden interest for dangerous missions.

“She’s our friend too, and she needs our help. Where do we begin?”

---

[back to reader’s pov]

The sound of a window breaking jolted her awake. Her head was hurting, an ache pressing on her temples so much her vision was blurry. She released a pained sigh, barely noticing the girl getting up from her fall through the back window who was shaking the last remnants of glass out of her wavy auburn hair. She only noticed she was there when she took her by the shoulders, shaking her awake. It took her embarrassingly long to realize that Lucy was the one coming to her rescue. Before she could open her mouth, the girl slapped her across the face, hard enough to make her lose balance and trip over the edge of the chair she was sitting on. The ties at her wrists and feet kept her in place and the sudden pain from tugging on them woke her up for good. Through heavy eyelids she turned her head to see the back window intact and the room she was in empty.

The sun was up now. She wasn’t quite sure how she had ended up here but clearly her suicidal plan, if anyone could even call it that, had backfired in the worst way. She vaguely recalled leaving the house in the middle of the night with nothing but a camera in her bag and heading towards Fittes. The rest of the night was a blur. She guessed from the ache at the back of her head that she had found who she had been looking for but they had found her too. Their identity became clear when she heard voices coming from the corridor leading to the room she was held in. She pretended to be unconscious and listened as their steps echoed closer.

“I’m not in the business of knowing what he’s up to. I sell him the sources he asks for and move on. But with that DEPRAC audit, I’m losing my biggest client.”

“What do I care?” A man’s voice asked dejectedly.

“No clients for me means no payment for you, you idiot. We need a new buyer and we need them now!” A door slammed, making her jump. She kept her eyes closed, listening to the voices becoming less muffled with each step.

“Can you find me a contact in the Society, or do I have to ask someone else?” Dufour asked, as pleasant as she had known her when she got fired.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Yes, you will.” The two of them entered the room she was held in. “And watch her, make sure she doesn’t cause any more trouble. You know what to do if she does.”

Despite the shudder running down her spine, y/n remained still. She would not let the ominous threats break her spirit. She would not give into her fear. Time stood still when the door closed, leaving her alone with who she could assume was a relic-man armed to the teeth. She listened to his footsteps pace the room while trying to keep her breath steady. However, she could not help flinching when the footsteps stopped a few steps away from her, the sound of heavy boots resonating in the room before stopping in an even louder silence.

“You can stop acting, you’re really terrible at this.” Said a familiar voice.

She had expected a low, menacing voice but instead it was El’s sardonic tone that made her open her eyes. To her surprise, the first thing she saw was in fact a relic-man standing menacingly a few steps away from her. El was leaning against the wall on her left, playing with a pocketknife.

“So… I see you’re still terrible at making decisions.”

“You really think you’re better when you have me tied up in a basement?” The pounding in her head made it hard to think.

“This isn’t a basement and we wouldn’t have had to if you had just minded your own business.”

“Where are we then?”

“You really think you’re that clever? You’re not subtle. The only thing you can do is mess things up!”

“You mean keep you and Dufour from dealing relics you stole from your clients? I won’t let you get away with it that easily, no.”

“You ruined everything.” Their voice sounded final, decisive. A few nights ago they had threatened her without shame. Today, it was a death sentence.

“What did I do to you El? We were friends. Then, out of nowhere you trick me to get me fired and you get murderous tendencies?”

“It must be nice remaining so unaware all this time.” They sighed dreamily, however their face remained stern.

“What are you talking about?”

“Before coming to Fittes, you worked at Tendy’s, correct?”

“How did you-”

“My uncle died seven years ago. My cousin took it hard, and I’d always been close to them, so it wasn’t easy for me either. He came back, and they had to hire someone to fix it. Tendy’s agents came by, messed up the case. They couldn’t find the source so we had to watch them take every last thing that belonged to my uncle to burn it in the furnaces. Grieving wasn’t easy after that. Those stupid kids took every last memory we had of him because they were incompetent. Then, a few years later, guess who happened to be my new roommate?”

y/n stayed silent.

“Not only did I have to live with you but I had to see you succeed and get promoted above me when we both knew perfectly well how unfit you were for the job.”

“I was thirteen. I followed what my supervisor told us to do.”

“You didn’t get any better at making decisions later on! Listening to you and your amazing cases working with Kipps, saying how much you wanted to climb the corporate ladder of the Fittes organization. Not on my watch. You didn’t deserve it then and you certainly don’t deserve it now.”

“And getting me fired wasn’t enough?”

“Of course not! When I applied to get the spot I deserved all along I got denied because Kipps took your side! I had to work with Dufour because of you!”

She eyed Dufour’s arm man, wondering if El’s words were going to put them both in danger.

“Believe me if you had worked with her longer, you would know that Rasler won’t stand up for her.”

She sent them a sorry look. Despite the ties around her wrists and ankles, she couldn’t help the guilt that rose in her. She vaguely recalled the case El mentioned but not enough for her sympathy to sound genuine.

“It’s not too late. I can put in a good word for you with Kipps, you can join his team!”

“None of it matters now. All I want is to make sure you won’t cause any more trouble.”

They turned their back to her and nodded to Rasler. The man loomed over her with a menacing stare, taking out a knife to execute orders.

“El please! I swear I can make it up to you!”

They ignored her, only turning around to enjoy the view with a sly smirk.

“Please!” She begged, tears filling her eyes.

Rasler was upon her, the blade resting against the crook of her neck, the cool of the metal sending shivers down her spine. She shut her eyes, waiting for the fatal moment. Before her executioner could finish what he had started, the sound of a window breaking resonated in her ears. She didn’t know if she was hallucinating again or not, but one moment the knife was pressing down her neck and the next it was gone. She tentatively opened an eye to see if she was dreaming. Lucy was holding the man down, disarming him of his weapon. Behind him, Norrie and George were keeping El from escaping.

They tripped Norrie who cried out in pain and used the distraction to slip out. George ran after them. In the commotion, Lucy lost focus long enough to give her adversary the advantage back. He reached for the knife he had dropped. Lucy lunged to reach it before him, tackling him in the process. y/n couldn’t do anything but watch the scene unfold as she pulled on her ties to try to help her friend. She should have known that her previous hallucination meant Lucy was coming to her rescue. It had been right before. The least she could do was return the favor, but her ties wouldn’t let go. She yelled at Lucy to watch out when Rasler caught the knife that was inches away from his fingers. He swung the blade at her face making y/n flinch. When she looked back up, Lucy had gotten away. She grabbed the first thing she could find, in this case a steel chair lying around, and hit the relic-man with all her strength. The man went down instantly. She grabbed his knife and cut y/n loose. Her wrists were burning from the tight rope that had almost cut all circulation in her hands. She thanked Lucy, tears filling her eyes again, but before she could hug the girl, she shouted

“Come on! We have to catch the other one!” and left the room in a hurry. y/n followed closely to find El stuck, their back under George’s knee. He had a tight grip on their arms and was holding them down on the ground. The look they sent her way made her blood run cold. Norrie came rushing back, saying how she had lost track of Dufour. Her friends were already planning their next move, but she still hadn’t registered the fact that they were here. They were all here to save her even though she had walked into a death trap of her own volition. She was still dizzy from the blow she must have received on the head and the adrenaline wasn’t mixing well.

“Are you okay?” Lucy placed a hand on her shoulder, stabilizing her spinning head. y/n wrapped her arms around her shoulders, hugging the girl close and taking her first deep breath in almost an hour.

“Thank you for coming.” She said between tears.

Caught up in the moment, she didn’t realize the commotion and the noises getting closer to them. The doors flew open and five or six DEPRAC agents stormed in, relieving George and handcuffing El. As soon as he stood up, she hugged him tightly too without letting go, even when she spotted Dufour in DEPRAC’s custody in one of their vans. George had never been one for physical affection, but he didn’t let her go either.

“How did you find me?” She mumbled, her mouth half smashed against his shoulder.

“Don’t ask me it was all Lucy. She led us to you in record breaking time.”

“Really?” She parted from him and looked at the girl with a questioning stare.

“I don’t really know I just… had a hunch.” Lucy replied. They exchanged a complicit glance.

“You know,” George added in a lower voice, “I think she could be a great addition to the team. You two seem to complement each other quite well.”

“I agree.” y/n smiled.

“I’ll talk to Lockwood once this is all over.”

“Wait, speaking of, where is he?”

George didn’t have to answer. She spotted him outside the warehouse, right at the entrance, talking with inspector Barnes. The discussion seemed to be heated. She threw another glance towards her friends, thanking them again for saving her from her idiotic mistake.

“Don’t worry about it.” Norrie said. “We all make mistakes.” She paused, noticing y/n’s insistent stare somewhere above her shoulder. She looked back and smiled.

“You should go see him, he’s been really worried.”

y/n smiled back at her before heading towards him.

“This is not what we agreed upon!” Lockwood retorted, losing his usually impenetrable composure.

“Keep complaining and I make it three.”

Lockwood sighed, looking away in anger. Whatever they were discussing, he did not seem pleased. He crossed his arms, his jaw clenched. Suddenly he froze, noticing her approaching. He did not hesitate and walked over to her in two short strides, holding her close before she could say anything. She hugged him back, his familiar scent enveloping her in a comforting embrace. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, but she could feel his was too.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“I’m so sorry, Lockwood.”

He held her closer at those words, leaving a kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes and leaned into him. One kiss turned into a second, then a third at the corner of her eye, on her cheek, her jaw. His nose was practically touching hers. She thought she might start to levitate further and further away from the ground. He stared into her eyes, determination highlighting his sharp features. Her heart sank to her stomach and took flight at the same time. The sudden feeling surprised her yet made her feel light as a feather. She smiled so much her cheeks hurt, and she couldn’t help her eyes dropping to his lips with anticipation.

“I can’t blame you for being a little reckless now, can I?” He smiled and everything was right again, nothing else mattered now.

“Lockwood!” Barnes shouted after shutting the door to the van taking El to Scotland Yard’s headquarters. He straightened up and took a step back, startled by the inspector calling his name. “I’ll see you three on Monday. Don’t be late.”

He looked down and frowned, frustration slowly turning to resolution.

“What is that about?”

“Let’s get you home now.” He defiantly ignored her, his usual wolfish grin proudly trying to win her over.

“Lockwood…”

“I’ll make you tea!” He added to convince her.

She would let it go… for now. The only thing she wanted more than honesty was going back to Portland Row, back home, back to safety.

The five of them went home and settled around the Thinking Cloth to finally enjoy the treats the girls had brought earlier that day. The tea tasted particularly sweet now that this whole case was finally put to rest, relieving everyone’s mind. The group was cheerful, happy to share a moment of peace. After the first round of doughnuts, a comfortable silent fell over the kitchen, the only noises coming from the clinking of mugs.

“I need to thank you all again.” y/n said.

They all smiled warmly at her.

“I wouldn’t be here without you, you saved my life. Lucy you came in just at the right time.”

“And I’d do it again.” The girl answered without a trace of doubt.

“I thought you wanted to stay as far from the field as possible?” Norrie asked, surprised.

“Well, that wasn’t really a case…”

y/n sent a look to George who was already staring at her, the same thought probably crossing his mind.

“George, thank you for giving me a home.”

“I’m the one who got you in this mess… I’m the reason you got fired in the first place.”

“El would have found a way to get me fired no matter what you did. None of it is your fault.” She reached out and squeezed his hand.

“And Lockwood, thank you for letting me stay.” She concluded. She looked back at him. He simply smiled. The intimacy of the moment they had shared a few hours prior brought heat to her cheeks.

When the box of treats was finished, the girls got up and y/n hugged them again, still overwhelmed and grateful. The five of them walked back into the hall, agreeing to spend a day together soon to get their minds off work, whatever it may be. When y/n opened the front door to usher the girls out she found herself face to face with Quill Kipps.

“I just heard about Mrs. Dufour!” He said, panting. “I’m glad you’re okay! This is all behind you now.”

“Yes, it is. Thank you for checking up on me, it’s very sweet.”

“Well, actually I come with news. Dufour’s arrest means that Fittes is considering offering you your job back. As your team leader the final decision is mine to make, and I think you know what I’ve decided. The question is, would you like to?”

“Come back? To work at Fittes? With you?”

She couldn’t help but look back into the hall, where George and Lockwood stared at her expectantly, waiting for her answer. She looked back at Kipps who waited with the same anticipation.

“Um I-I…”

“I’ll give you time to think about it. We can always discuss it over coffee, you still owe me one.” He winked. “I’d love to work with you again.” He climbed down the few steps in front of the door before turning back into the street.

This offer was the last thing she had expected that day. She hadn’t even considered the possibility of Fittes wanting her back if she managed to prove the truth about Dufour. But now the dream she had pursued most of her life was rising up from its ashes and Kipps had dropped this on her like it was a regular everyday decision. Norrie and Lucy smiled as they walked passed her, patting her on the back before leaving her to it, not uttering a word as to not disturb the tumultuous contradicting thoughts flooding her mind. She shut the door and turned around to see George still staring at her. Lockwood was gone.

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t… know. I mean… It was my dream until a few months ago. But I’ve moved on. I’m happy here with you guys. But if I don’t take it am I missing out? What should I do?”

“I can’t tell you what to do, but I’ll support you no matter what you decide.” He looked up towards the landing. “I’m sure Lockwood will too.”

She looked in the same direction he did with a sad smile and slowly went up the stairs. On the first floor, she heard shuffling coming from Lockwood’s room. She got closer and saw him pacing around his bedroom. He stopped when he caught her eyes looking through the half-open door. He tried to smile at her, but Kipps’ offer definitely had an effect on him.

“I don’t know what I’ll do yet.” She tried to reassure him.

“You should take it.” He said, his tone definitive, like he had made the decision for her.

“I’m not sure.”

“Yes, you are. It’s what’s best for you. I can’t offer you what he can. Not the same wage, not the same reputation, not the same freedom…”

The last criteria made her chuckle slightly.

“I’m pretty sure I’m still more free here than at Fittes.”

“Not anymore…”

“What do you mean?”

He stayed silent.

“That conversation with Barnes…” She understood. “What did he say.”

“Lockwood & Co. is under a tutelage of sorts. We can’t work on any case that Barnes didn’t assign and without his supervision…”

The terms seemed extreme. She couldn’t understand why all of a sudden the inspector would apply such restrictive conditions to the small agency.

“Why would he do that?”

“Because otherwise he refused to help me.”

“Help you?” It took her a moment to register. “Oh… Oh! I am responsible for this?”

“No! This isn’t your fault.”

“But if I hadn’t gone through with my mediocre plan and gotten into that much trouble then none of this would have happened!”

He took a step closer and looked down at her with a stern look.

“This is not your fault. His terms could have been twice as bad and I still would have agreed to them.”

She looked at him with a matching intensity, unable to argue. No matter how much she wanted to apologize again, promise she could make it right, she couldn’t find the words.

“The next two months will be hard, but it’s worth it.”

The sentiment was sweet and the intention behind his words was enough to make her heart leap but laughter was all that managed to escape her mouth.

“Two months? You’re being that dramatic for two months of supervision?” She laughed harder, holding on to his arm. “I’m sure you’ll be alright.” She smiled at him, softened by how ridiculously attractive he looked when he took offence.

“I still think you’d be better off with Kipps.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

With a confidence she had never expressed before she closed the gap between them. Her hand was still on his arm, her grip tighter to bring him close. His lips were soft against hers but she could feel how he froze at the unexpected contact. She didn’t insist and drew back, apologizing for her sudden inappropriate behaviour. He caught her hand before she could take a step back, his intense stare still set on her with a determination she had only seen him exude in the field. It was his turn to close his hand firmly around her arm to bring her back to him. His other hand found the back of her head. The awkwardness of her apologies was quickly forgotten when he brought his lips down to hers, the need to be closer to him overpowering everything else. She brought her hands up behind his head, fingers buried in his hair while he wrapped his arm tighter around her waist. She forgot where she was, barely noticing the wall he was pressing her up against. Nothing in the world mattered anymore. The lack of sleep, the hostage situation, Kipps’ offer, everything seemed a mile away. All she wanted was to feel his breath and his lips against hers as long as possible. They didn’t want to let each other go. When he pulled away for air, she barely gave him time before kissing him again and when she pulled away, he chased her lips like it was his reason to live. Each kiss grew hungrier and more passionate than the last. She bit his bottom lip on a dare and the response she got made her want to do more. The noise that escaped his throat as he breathed into her made her knees buckle and she sighed with desire. He slid his tongue against hers, his hand holding on to her neck tighter, his strong fingers making a mess of her hair. Just like he had done earlier that day, he drifted from her lips to her jaw before kissing down her neck, leaving marks here and there.

“Please stay.” He begged. She had rarely heard him so vulnerable.

“Of course I’ll stay.” She said. “I could never leave you.” She wanted to add, but he was already kissing her again, thankfulness mixed with something more.

“Lockwood-”

He looked up into her eyes, leaving her neck for a moment.

“Please, call me Anthony.”

She was caught off guard by the request. She had never used his first name, not even once. It felt strangely intimate using it. She kissed him softly, touched by his trust.

“We should probably discuss how we’re gonna work together if we’re a thing…”

“Yes definitely.”

There was a silence, neither of them knowing where to start. He was still holding her close and her arms were still around his neck, the proximity filled with unresolved tension.

“Maybe we could… take it slow? Sleep on it and see how it goes tomorrow?” She offered hesitantly.

“Yes that’s… that’s a good idea.”

They remained a while longer, gazing into each other’s eyes. Reluctantly, she slid her hands down, stroking his shoulders and chest before letting go. He unwrapped his hand from her waist and she instantly missed his touch.

They didn’t look away from each other as they walked out towards the door to his room. They must have looked ridiculous but she didn’t care.

“George will probably call us down for dinner any time now.”

“I’ll see you then.” She said with a small smile before heading towards the attic.

None of it felt real. Once in her room she realized that she didn’t even know why she went there. Mechanically, she picked up her hairbrush to untangle the mess done by Lockwood’s hands. Anthony’s. She corrected herself. Her lips were still tingly and soft purple marks started to show on her neck. George would have a lot to say about that. George who was probably preparing something delicious downstairs and who would call her any minute now. She wasn’t hungry though and didn’t know if she could eat anything after a day like that. Guilt crept up on her when she realized she would probably skip dinner, but it was quickly replaced by an overpowering feeling from deep inside her. A different kind of hunger.

She climbed down the stairs leading to her room and opened the door to find Lockwood already standing there.

“I don’t want to take it slow.” She said and he smiled instantly. He obviously had similar ideas.

She led him up the stairs in a hurry. The few minutes they had spent apart felt like she had been stuck underwater and she was finally coming up for air now that his lips were against hers again. From the moment they first met she had loathed his confidence and how pretentious it made him. But now that he slid his hands under her shirt, their warmth spreading across the skin of her back, she had to admit that she was rather fond of it. She traced his jaw with her fingers and lowered them down his neck until she reached the collar of his shirt that was getting in the way. Slowly, she untied the knot of his tie, and she could have fainted from the noise he made. His tie hit the floor and was quickly joined by her shirt, the two of them collapsing on her bed blissfully unaware of the warm plates waiting for them three floors below.

---

She poured George his tea and prepared it the way she knew he liked it, trying desperately to make up for the night before. She was sorry they had left him eat by himself, but she wasn’t that sorry if she was honest with herself. She had not stopped smiling since she had woken up next to Lockwood and she couldn’t help it, not even with George insistently staring at her.

“So… I guess you’re staying with us then?” He tried to ask innocently but his smile betrayed him. “Where’s Lockwood?”

“He’s taking a shower.” She answered a little too fast.

“He probably needs it.” George mumbled to himself.

She threw the dish towel at him, making him laugh. She was not going to hear the end of it. But her smile hadn’t left her lips. When they sat down in their usual seats, they heard Lockwood in the hallway speaking on the phone. A few moments later he joined them, his smile matching hers. He kissed the top of her head before sitting next to her.

“So, what do we do now?” George asked.

“Well, inspector Barnes just called to assign us our first supervised case.”

“You seem oddly happy about that.”

Before he could make any other comment, he understood his friend’s good mood was not coming from work but from the girl he was gazing at.

“Is this going to be a problem? We have work to do!”

“No, you’re right.” y/n said, putting distance between her and her now boyfriend. “Please continue.”

With his usual grin, Lockwood settled back into his role as agency leader.

“George, do you know anything about Kensal Green cemetery?”

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - Summer Fling Part 7/10

Part 8 and Part 9 are out on my Patreon for free!

Summary - Reader has landed a research job at a marine biology lab in Portugal. She is, therefore, staying with her sister and her sister's Portuguese boyfriend for the summer holidays. There she meets Ruben Dias who is on vacation with his friends after the 2024 Euros. However, the two meet under the circumstances in which Ruben believes that Reader is a prostitute.

Enjoy ☀️

Your sister had always been a wild child in her own way. Her view of life was naive but at the sametime she was well aware of what she wanted out of it. By that time the boys in secondary school were no longer up to her standards, Maki did what any girl would do, she went on to explore the likes of older men five, even ten years older than herself. This is where her needs were met, knowing the great lengths many of those men would go to please her, to keep her happy as she kept them happy. When you first heard of the likes of Diogo, this had been your initial thought. Your sister had found another pathetic male to finance her adventures abroad. Someone she could rely on for housing in exchange for partnership. Back then your sister was already drawing a thin line between a mutual relationship and prostitution. But you never thought she'd cross that line. Let alone, drag you across it with her. It was an unforgivable betrayal. One that made you sick to your stomach just thinking about it.

"Y/N?"

You flinched. Surprised by Gavin who approached your desk. However, his smile faltered seeing your tired face. "My God Y/N, have you been here all night?"

You nodded. "I thought I'd run some samples from the corals that were brought in yesterday."

"But all night?" His head shifted around  the empty lab. "Y/N, I know I ask a lot of you as a marine ecology major, but lack of sleep is never recommended, not even by me."

Your lips trembled, tears welling up in your eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong?" Gavin rushed to your side, pulling you in for a hug. Your arms wrapped around his waist, really needing that hug.

"Sorry." You said, after a few minutes of sobbing.

"Sssh." He hushed, pressing your body against his, a hand stroking your hair. "We all have our moments in life. It's okay to let your emotions show."

It was a bit overwhelming, these past seventy-two hours. Trying to do a good job at work was more wishful thinking if anything.

"Come on sweetheart, I'll take you home." Gavin drove you all the way to your apartment building, parking his car outside. "You know my offer still stands." He said, draping an arm around the passenger seat. "I'd love to take you diving off the coast. It might help you take your mind off things."

"Thanks Gavin, really. You wiped the last of your tears. "I just have a lot to deal with right now. Family matters."

"I get it. Family matters can be tricky. I haven't been back to Australia in years, God knows I can't stand my family."

"Really, why?" It's not like you couldn't stand your sister. It could never go that far. However, what she did wasn't easily forgiven.

"You know how it is." He waved dismissively. "It's complicated."

"It always is." You nodded.

Silence fell in the car.

Gavin's eyes searched your face, your lips to be exact. He leaned in to kiss you. But you were quick to pull back.

"Gavin I—"

"What?" He chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling in the sun. "It's not like I'm your professor." He leaned in once more, parting his lips. You pushed him away, your free hand unlocking the car door. "I'm sorry Gavin, I can't do this."

You left his car and rushed back to your apartment, where your sister stood in the kitchen flipping pancakes.

"Y/N, you're back early!"

Her joy disgusted you.

"Here, have some pancakes." She said, making you a plate.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry."

"What do you mean?" She stopped you from walking past her and into your room. "I thought you loved my pancakes?"

"Not any more." You bumped her shoulder, knocking over the plate in her hand.

"Look what you did, you idiot!"

"I guess we're even then."

She looked up from where she had crouched down on the floor, watching you eye her with such distaste. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you even say that?" She stood, now eye level with you. 

"I don't know Maki, perhaps because you haven't had the guts to tell mom and dad that you're a whore."

"Excuse me?"

Your heart pounded in your chest, fueling your anger. "Was it even necessary for you to waste their money on a psychology degree if all you were going to do with it was to shove it up some rich soccer player's ass?"

"Y/N, what the hell are you talking about?"

"You sold me." You emphasized, tears welling up in your eyes again. "You let your boyfriend sell my body for money."

"Y/N, I…" Your sister seemed lost for words, not expecting such an ambush, especially not from you. "I swear I didn't…"

"It doesn't matter." You snorted. "What else could I have expected from you?" You made your way past her, into your bedroom where your suitcase already lay on the floor since last night. There was only one thing stopping you from taking the next flight home. However with Gavin's recent advances you saw no point in staying for the sake of a job.

"I fucked up, okay!"

You stayed hunched over your suitcase, not bothering to give your sister the time of day. However, you could hear it in the thickness of her voice, she was crying. "I made a mistake, okay. But you have to understan—"

"Please get the fuck out of my room"

"W…what?"

You stood, contemplating pushing her out if it came to it. "Get. The fuck. Out." 

Your sister had never looked more pathetic, trembling her lips like some lost school girl. No wonder you mom and dad always held you to a higher standard although you were the youngest of the two of you.

"Do you need me to spell it out for you again?"

"Y/N, why are you doing this?"

"Maki, you literally let a man take advantage of me for money and now Ruben thinks—"

"Ruben?" Your sister frowned. "So all of this is over some guy? Since when have we ever let a guy come between us?"

"I dunno, since when did you start letting guys come in between your legs for money?"

A sigh as she rolled her eyes. "I can't deal with this right now."

"Yes. Run away like the bitch you are!" You followed her back into the kitchen.

"Oh so I'm the bitch?"

"Yes, it's literally what you do for a living."

"Well, sorry that we all can't be perfect little virgins like Y/N the marine biologist."

"Real mature Maki. I see you haven't changed at all since moving out of mom and dads."

She shook her head, regret in her eyes. "I fucked up, alright. I know that. I want to fix this and I can fix this. I just need some time and money so that I can finally get away from him."

"Who, Diogo? We can pack our bags right now and be gone by tomorrow, Maki."

"No, not Diogo. His boss...our boss. He's much worse and doesn't like it when any of the girls come off short. That's why Diogo insisted on bringing you on the boat. We made a lot of money that night, me and you. Money that made sure that my boss wouldn't come after me for quite some time. Believe it or not, but Diogo was just protecting me, he has always protected me. That's why I love him."

"How does this even happen?" You rubbed your temple, a headache coming on. "How did you end up in this world? And if you needed help, why didn't you call mom and dad, or me?"

"You?" She chuckled. "Y/N, all you've ever done is judge me. And I know that you don't believe that I can take care of myself. You've never done so."

"Well, you obviously can't."

She sighed, slumping down on the couch, covering her eyes with her hands. You watched your sister sobb for a minute or two. A sad sight indeed.

"So how much money are we talking about?"

"What?"

You joined her on the couch, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"How much money does it take for you to get out of this…lifestyle?"

She shrugged. "Maybe a hundred thousand euros."

"A hundred thousand— Maki?"

"I know, I know. But you must know, the captain pays for everything. This house, my car, even—"

"The Captain?"

"That's what he wants us to call him. All the girls do it."

There was no way you could recover from extracting such amounts of money from your bank account. Those were money saved up for future research funds. However, there might be another way.

"I think I know where we can get the money."

"You do? From where?"

"From who." You corrected. "But if I do this you have to promise me that we'll hop on the next plane back to Sydney, got it?"

"But Diogo—"

"Promise me Maki." You were not playing around. You'd go great lengths to save your sister, the greatest of lengths. But this time you were forced to go beyond what your heart could take and for that you need her reassurance.

"I promise." She nodded.

"Good, now pack your bags. We're leaving as soon as we've paid your boss that money."

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Part 8 and Part 9 are out on my Patreon for free!

[edenjohansson]

Chapter 1

teacher's pet

Y/N's pov :

Here it is. The end of summer. I miss it already. The start of the school year is tomorrow and I already have everything organized for it. My outfit is ready too. I have to make a good impression on my boss if I want to stay in NYU. It's been my dream since I'm child to work in this university and now that I have the opportunity I can't let it go.

"Y/N? Did you want me to drop you to NYU tomorrow?"

Lolly, my best friend, who works at a coffee shop just in front of NYU, always has the habit of driving me to work every morning. It was our moment in the morning when the sun started to rise and we played our favorite music in the car. Usually she had to drop me at my last college away from New York center but this time was different because I would have the opportunity to see her every day and even take lunch with her.

"Yes! With pleasure!" I answered, joyfully.

I heard her laugh from across the apartment that we were sharing for almost 7 years. She was more than my best friend actually, she was like my sister. We were sharing everything, everytime. We lived for so long together that I think she knows me better than my mom.

I heard my phone buzzing at the exact same moment and when I looked at it I smiled at myself even more.

"Hi Mom! How are you?"

"Fine and you? Not stressed for tomorrow?"

"Not at all, you know me mom, I would never be stress for something like that"

That wasn't entirely true because for the first time I knew that if I fucked things up that would end my carrier as a teacher definitely.

"Be careful tho. I love you honey"

"I love you too mom"

I hung up the phone and finished writing my lesson. I had 2 months in advance of class already prepared so I could focus on my students and help them from the beginning. Learning a new language is never easy and students have to work hard if they want to catch up quickly.

"Girl, how are you dressing tomorrow?" Lolly asks as she enters my room.

"Like that" I pointed to my red set of blazer and pants.

"God have mercy on your students souls then because this outfit let you look like a goddess"

I blushed at the comment and already imagined the face of my students when they're going to see me in class. My first one was at 10a.m with a whole class of first year girls and my second one was at 2p.m with a class of third year students.

"I'm sure they'll be fine" I winked at her and closed my laptop.

"Maybe you'll find a cute professor there" Lolly said with her characteristic eyes.

"Oh no no no don't start this conversation now I have to sleep" I said as I pushed her out of my room, giggling.

"Yeah yeah sleep well Y/N"

"Sleep well too Lolly"

I watched her reach her room and closed my door. I walked to my bathroom to get my pyjamas on and brushed my teeth before heading to my bed. I settled my alarm at 8a.m to have time to get prepared. I fell asleep quite fast for once and without a dream.

**

6a.m. I'm already awake. I knew I would be awake early but not that much. I stood up and decided to go for a walk to start the day without a fuzzy mind. I grabbed a simple set of matching shorts and a sports bra and grabbed my long hair in a ponytail. I left a note to Lolly in case she wakes up early too and leaves my apartment with my headphones on.

I came back 1 hour and a half after and directly ran under the shower. The hot water hit my skin and I sighed as my hair got wetter. I washed out the sweating and walked in front of my huge mirror to get dressed.

I put on my underwear, my pants and start my makeup before putting on my blazer. I applied some mascara and some red lipstick and decided to let my hair free on the back of my head. I grabbed my tote bag which was already full with my laptop, my glasses and my wallet and walked out of my room.

"Bitch you're gorgeous" Lolly told me as soon as she saw me.

I didn't respond to her but hugged her tight and smiled at her.

"We should go. I don't wanna be late for my first day"

She nodded and grabbed her keys. We reached her car and drove for almost 15 minutes. It was a really nice district with a lot of architectural buildings and so much open space. I let Lolly go to work as I started walking inside the huge university. I ended up at the administration quarter for my badge and to see the director.

"Miss Y/L/N. What a pleasure to have you as our new French teacher. I heard a lot about you during the summer break. I know you will be an amazing teacher"

Mr Hamilton was the most remarkable school director of all New York and I was so happy that he decided to choose me as one of his teacher's team.

"I'm so grateful to be there with you and to work here. Thank you so much"

We started talking about the organization inside the university and he presented to me some of his assistants and some other teachers. He showed me my class and I decided I should go before the ring starts.

I walked among some students and arrived at my new class. I heard some voices already inside as I approached and I finally entered the room.

"Hi everyone" I said to the few students who were there.

There were only 5 girls. All of them were watching me like I was a ghost but I didn't care and just arrived at my desk and settled down my stuff. I sat and started to prepare my first lesson. The girls were already chatting again and I took the opportunity to look at them. They were looking so young. I waited 5 minutes and saw 4 other girls walking inside the class. They all smiled at me and said hello to me in French.

"Already speaking French? How impressive girls" I said to them, smiling.

"Yes we practiced a little before so we could say "Bonjour" to you" One of the girls explained to me.

"That's nice to hear. I see that you are only nine in this class so I assume we have everyone. Let's get started then" I finally said to all of them. 

[notyour-valentine]

His World ~ Tommy Shelby X Reader (Fluff)

[Masterlist] [Taglist]

Summary: When Tommy wants her to join him in his world, she agrees, even if the thought made her skin crawl

I do not consent to my work being translated, copied or posted elsewhere on this platform or any other. This hasn't been beta'd so I apologise for typos or mistakes

Warning: societal sexism, heavy flirting

Wordcount: 3727 words

The gravel crunched under her feet as she tried very hard not to run the short distance from the western exit of the house towards the stables.

They had already been grand, but Tommy had expanded them as soon as he had signed the contract to make this house theirs.

That had been more important to him than all the other renovations, or the reshaping of the garden or the furnishing. For all that, he had given her a blank check and the promise that he'd love whatever she chose anyway, sealed with a kiss to her cheek.

But the absolute regency did not extend to the matters regarding horses. Anything and everything to do with them went over his desk and his desk only, from the expansions on the stables, to the manufacturing of the saddles, to food and hay.

Any staff they hired had faced harsher tests and trials than those that might have been hired for the King's household, only the punishment for mistreatment would be far harsher on the grounds of Arrow House than Buckingham Palace.

Polly had told her once, about the first man Tommy had ever wanted to kill, back before he really knew what killing was. He had been barely more than a malnourished, small boy from the streets of Birmingham, who had somehow managed to wrestle the bullwhip from a man thrice his size after seeing him use it on a frightened horse. According to his aunt, Tommy hadn’t stopped even when hardly anything remained of the man’s shirt but crimson coloured rags.

At first, she hadn’t believed it, after all Thomas Shelby was not a cruel man, nor did he enjoy the sight of suffering, unlike many people she had the displeasure to meet.

But he was also a man who, when pushed to the threshold and faced with the abyss, was fully capable of crossing it without batting an eye.

The man who had owned the horse all those years ago was not the last who had learned that to their peril.

She found him outside of the stables, but she had nearly missed him in her hurry, as he stood amidst the tall and proud animals, almost blending into their group to the point of nonrecognition.

Sometimes, she thought that this was his intention.

The man she saw there, was different to the one he showed the world, who entered board meetings and business negotiations, no matter if they were held at Number 7 Watery Lane or at the polished mahogany tables of the London offices of Shelby Company Limited.

To all those who only knew him as the man from the paintings in the house, he would be entirely unrecognisable now, but also because they had never truly learned to look.

Tommy Shelby wore no suit and no jacket, no riding habit of his own.

His dark trousers had gotten stained and crumpled, and the sleeves of his simple, collarless shirt had been rolled up almost carelessly, with his clasps on dark suspenders slightly lopsided. The hours spent in the sun had made a thin sheet of sweat appear on his brow to which a few loose strands of his hair clung.

With any trace of the shrewd, sharp businessman forgotten, it made him look younger than his years.

(Y/N) watched, as he caressed one of the steed's fur, rubbing the side of her neck while whispering soothing words into her ear - words she would not have been able to understand even if she stood right beside them.

She had always liked horses. Their proud posture and noble stride had captured her imagination ever since she had been a child, whether it be from looking at the life size portraits of long dead warriors and kings, or when she herself had begun her riding lessons at the appropriate age of six.

She had liked the warmth and the softness of their fur, and later the feeling of freedom when she could gallop down a green hill, ever trying to outrun her instructor.

But she had only grown to love them when she learned to see them through his eyes.

Tommy preferred their company to that of most people, and sought them out whenever the world of men turned too loud for him.

There was some form of sanctuary they could provide his ever restless soul that he would never find anywhere else, not even her arms.

That had been a hard truth to accept, and if she loved him any less, she would have let any affection she had for the animals turn to hate.

But she couldn't hate them even if she tried, not when she saw how his eyes lit up and how the corners of his lips twitched into a small, almost boyish smile.

(Y/N) had fallen in love with the man he was, but that did not mean she did not relish these moments in which she could see the glimpses of the boy he had once been.

Here, with the horses, in the open air, far away from all the smoke and noise, she could see him, truly see him.

But even now, his carefree and sometimes even playful nature, did not mean he was any less diligent. He was patient, yes, more patient than she had ever seen him, but still precice and strict.

And so (Y/N) had soon learned not only how to rub down a horse, but how to clean its fur, how to refill their hay and even how to clean out their hooves. It wasn’t a task she was naturally suited to, nor one her parents would have allowed her to attempt, but it was one she took upon herself gladly if it meant she could spend more time watching him in their presence.

When he was in their company he was so much at peace, she could not only see it in his features, but feel the tranquillity and calm radiate from him.

It was not something one could often say of Thomas Shelby.

Stillness yes, but tranquillity was not a luxury he got to experience often, let alone share.

“Hello you.”, he greeted, his back still turned to her.

“And there I thought I was being sneaky.”, (Y/N) mused as she allowed herself to step closer, leaning against the only recently painted fence.

“Not quiet enough for her.”, he said, patting the steed’s side.

“How is she?”, she wanted to know, a slight frown forming on her brow. She was getting so large now, it was a marvel she could still stand upright.

“Restless.”, Tommy said, “it won’t be long now, before the foal comes.”

That filled her with an almost giddy excitement.

“Shall we put the veterinarian on alert?”, she asked. Tommy had found a man from Dorset he liked, who took thrice as much money as the usual rate. But he was good, and apparently he had treated the horses in France too, which made Tommy trust him above all others.

He only shook his head.

“When we get closer, I’ll call Curly up. He knows more.”

With a final whisper, he patted the horse on the side and turned to face her fully.

A sly smirk spread on his face as he saw her.

“So you decided to wear fancy dress then, hm?”, he asked, as he climbed through the fence, glancing up and down. “At least you left the circus hat inside.”

The circus hat was what he called the black tophat and net which had accompanied every single riding habit for at least two centuries. So much had changed in the war and after, and the fashion hadn’t been exempt, but still the riding habit stayed the same. Tight leather riding trousers under wide dark skirts and a matching jacket, a blouse, a black ribbon and a tophat.

“You said we were going riding.”, she reminded him as he took her hand, leading her back in the direction of the stables. As they walked, her dark green skirts brushed against his legs just like they did against her own.

She found Dancer already outside, lounging in the shade. But there was no other horse.

“Tommy, what’s this?”, she asked, glancing at him suspiciously.

“A horse.”, he only said.

“Well I can see that.”, she huffed, “but why only one?”

“Because you’ll be the only one riding today.”

There was something in his voice that told her she was missing something, but never mind what she was missing. The horse was missing something too.

“I’ll go fetch the saddle.”, she said, but his grip tightened slightly, not nearly enough to hurt her, but enough to stop her hand from slipping away from his grasp.

“No need.”

She sighed.

“Tommy, I know you are able to ride a horse without a saddle, but I’m not.”

He smiled softly, and there was that glint in his eyes again - that glimmer of mischief and that tell tale sign that he had planned something.

“Well today you’ll learn.”, he said.

Her eyes widened as she stared at him in utter disbelief.

“You want me…to ride a horse without a saddle?”

“Yes.”

She shook her head.

“Tommy, I can’t. It won’t work. I’ll just slip off.”

There would be no way she wouldn’t, not even if the horse moved as slowly as possible and a trot would send her flying.

“Not if you ride properly, you won’t.”, he mumbled.

Only then did she catch his meaning.

“No.”, she said, shaking her head. “I can’t…it’s not allowed.”

He snorted, almost rolling his eyes at her. She knew all too well that he saw no value in what society taught her to consider proper. He even hated the word when it came from her lips.

“I know you’re wearing trousers under there so just get rid of the skirt and we are good to go.”

She wanted to argue again, to explain to him that if they were to be seen it would be a scandal, that her parents would never allow it, that it just wasn’t right, but she bit her tongue and watched how he began to rub Dancer behind the ears.

When the horse gave him a playful nudge, he grinned in amusement.

This was his world, and he was asking her to be a part of it.

(Y/N) knew she would be a fool if she didn’t sacrifice a small part of the world she came from to appease him.

“I’ll need your help with the buttons.”, she finally dared to say.

They were small and many, and right at the back.

As always, Tommy was more than happy to oblige.

When she stepped out of the dark green fabric that had pooled at her feet, she couldn’t help but feel - naked.

She still wore trousers, but they were far tighter than any trousers those daring flappers and fashionistas in the cities wore, who preferred men’s clothing over women’s.

And her face burned.

“Whatever you want to say,”, she hissed under her breath, “don’t.”

“You might have liked what I wanted to say.”, he teased.

She glared at him.

“This is already daunting enough, so please don’t make it any more difficult.”, she admitted, as they approached Dancer.

“No need to be scared.”, he assured her. “People have been riding horses without a saddle for far longer than they have been riding them without.”

(Y/N) gave him a doubtful look.

“Are you sure about that?”

He only shrugged.

“At least they’ve been riding without one far longer than they’ve put women in those things from the carousels.”

The wave he gave was nothing short of demeaning and so was his almost childish tactic of not dignifying things he despised with their appropriate name.

Her riding habit was ‘fancy dress’.

Her tophat was the ‘circus hat’.

Her aunt with her archaic values and constant recommendations was only referred to as ‘old bat’, her father’s valet as ‘head clown’.

And so her side saddle was that ‘thing from the carousels’, because apparently if one rode side saddle, one wasn’t riding at all but merely sitting on the horse the same way one would do on the painted one’s at the fairs.

According to him it was unnatural, illogical and not really riding, but all that didn’t make it any less daunting, as she approached Dancer.

She wasn’t the tallest horse they had in their stables, but by no means short, and very capable of going at a rather swift and daring speed if she wanted.

Almost in preparation, her loins began to ache.

“Don’t worry.”, Tommy assured her, coming up right behind her.

“I’m right here, eh?”

“Well, then you might tell me how I am supposed to get up, because you’ve not only forgotten the saddle, but also the stepping stool.”

He grinned as he laced his hands together.

He can’t be serious, she thought, but he was. And so she had nothing left to do but place her knee - and her trust- in his hands.

With one smooth motion he hoisted her up the horse.

And then she sat, frozen in place with her hands braced on the back of the horse. Her legs were spread wide over the back of the horse, stretching the muscles in her thighs like they hadn't been before.

But she also felt the warmth of the horse against her legs, with nothing, no saddle, no skirt and no posture to separate her body from that of the animal.

"You good?", Tommy asked, walking around Dancer to see if she was sitting properly.

"Well, I don't think it will get better.", She confessed, as her heart thundered in her chest.

He attached a rope and began to lead the horse away from the stables and towards the green plains.

She had spent countless hours on the back of horses, but this might as well have been the first day she had ever seen one, that was how different it felt- how foreign.

When she sat side-saddle she could feel the horse's movements as well but now she could feel the muscles work.

Every tensing and relaxation, every single shift, it was almost as if they were no longer two separate bodies but one, single being.

Once they had left the gate behind them and were out on the green grass, Tommy began to step back, letting the rolled up rope slip through his fingers.

"Now you urge the horse not with the reins but with your thighs.", He said.

I know, she wanted to mumble, but that didn't make it any easier to do.

"A bit more. The horse has to be able to feel it. Don't be shy."

Her face burned as she tried not to think of how inappropriate all of this was.

"Good.", Tommy said, as Dancer began to move forward. "Off you go."

As long as I'm not going to a hospital next.

Even if Dancer was only leisurely trotting, she was jostled with every step and feeling ever more like a sack of potatoes. Inelegant, undignified and untalented.

"Put your right shoulder back.", Tommy advised.

No matter what she tried, she just couldn't keep her posture, and soon the instruction came once more.

"You're leaning again.", He warned her.

So (Y/N) moved her shoulder back, only for Dancer to dip slightly in her trot, making her gasp and lean over to keep her balance. But in her instinct, she overreached and for a frightening second she felt herself slip.

It was over in a heartbeat, but not fast enough for Tommy not to notice.

With a single spoken command, he got Dancer to slow, giving her the time to compose herself again.

"That's what I mean with leaning. Sit up straight.", He told her.

"I'm trying.", She confessed. "It's not nearly as easy as you make it look."

"Just try to move with the horse and not against it."

Well that fixes everything, she thought, but kept her complaints to herself as she urged the horse on, with her thighs and not the reins.

(Y/N) had barely circled him once more when he corrected her again.

"If you keep that up, you will be sore tomorrow. Move with the horse."

"I am moving with the horse.", She argued, making sure to keep her back perfect.

She circled him once more, then Tommy began to roll the rope up again, approaching both her and Dancer.

"I'm getting cramps just watching this.", He said.

(Y/N) bit the inside of her lip and glanced down.

She hadn't exactly had a great time today, not nearly as much as she would have had if he had let her saddle her horse the way she was used to, and she had tried.

But now, the cold, biting feeling spread in the pit of her stomach, spurred on by the fact that she had failed- worse, that she had disappointed him.

"Hold this?", He asked, shoving the rope into her hand.

"What are you doing?", She asked turning her head as he reached up, one hand in front of her, the other behind.

(Y/N) had needed help getting up, but Tommy Shelby managed to get on without much of a struggle.

"Don't mind me.", He said, his breath hot on the back of her neck as he reached for the rope. Not only was his chest right behind her back, his legs brushed against hers from behind.

"I'm just the passenger.", He assured her. "You tell Dancer where to go. Use your legs."

Her heart thundered in her chest, as she squeezed her thighs. Relief flooded her when the horse started to move.

"Good.", He praised.

"It's always easier to learn something than to unlearn it."

"Huh?", She asked, but by then his hand had already slipped in under her arm, a palm reaching up and pressing against her right shoulder gently.

"You're trying to keep the balance the way you did with both legs on one side so you overreach.", He explained calmly.

(Y/N) inhaled sharply and shuddered as his other hand ran down the length of her back, two knuckles on either side of her spine.

When she tried to evade his touch, the hand on her shoulder kept her in place.

"Don't tickle me.", She insisted with a breathless giggle.

"Just making sure you're back's straight.", He assured her, unable to hide his amusement.

When his lips pressed a soft kiss to the back of her neck, it made her stomach flutter the same way it had done when he had kissed her there for the very first time.

"Straight as an arrow. Like standing to attention. Keep it that way.", He instructed, before allowing both of his hands to drop.

Now, in the absence of the rope, she had to guide Dancer through the curves on her own, applying more pressure with one leg than the other.

"Speed up a little.", Tommy asked, before dropping his head into the crook of her neck, on the right side- the one she had been leaning over too far.

While her shoulders were and stayed in line now, a second problem soon became apparent, because with every step, she felt herself bounce to the point where it began to cause an ache.

"You need to move your hips with the horse. Don't try and force them to be still."

"Sorry.", She mumbled.

No bouncing. No stillness.

Still, she didn't know what to do with her hips.

With a hum, his hands found her hips, intent on guiding.

"Don't tease me.", She insisted, as she felt the pressure he applied, and the rhythm he applied it in.

"I'm not teasing.", He argued.

"Yes you are!"

Her face was burning again.

"No. Feel the difference?"

To her shame, she had to admit that she did. It didn't hurt nearly as much, although it broke all the rules of what was right and proper and what she should be doing or how she should be moving anywhere, let alone in public.

Even when he removed his hands, she continued the movement, rocking her hips in sync with the horse.

It wasn't made easier by the fact that he was right behind her, brushing against her, legs and hips and backs and all.

She knew she should be focussing on her hips and her shoulder and her thighs, but she couldn't focus on anything but him.

It didn't help that he didn't exactly keep his hands to himself.

Not that he was actively doing something- his hand was just resting on her thigh, as she moved the way he had instructed her to move.

With him behind her, she felt safe enough to try to go faster, and even leave the green plains to ride along the treeline. He let her, leaning into her and whispering advice and encouragements in her ear.

"Back to the stables now.", He finally said once they reached the river side.

She turned the horse around and guided Dancer back.

They rode the distance in silence, apart from whispered breaths and the clicking of hooves.

Once back there, he jumped off and took the reins from her.

"Good girl.", He praised.

"Me or the horse?", (Y/N) wanted to know.

"I'm talking English, aren't I?"

"Oh,", she mumbled as she felt her cheeks heat up for the upteenth time today.

Tommy only grinned as his hands clasped her waist, lifting her off of the horse.

She leaned into him as her legs began to quake.

"Careful now.", he warned, his arms curling around her tighter.

She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed.

"The things you make me do, Thomas Shelby.", She mumbled into the fabric of his shirt.

He smelled of green grass, of horse and hay.

"Well, you always enjoy them in the end.", He reminded her.

"Am I enjoying this? I can't tell.", She mused, only lifting her head be able to see his eyes, and the slight smirk he wore on his lips.

"Can't you?", He asked.

"No.", She said. "And I have the haunting suspicion that I will be very, very sore tomorrow."

Humming slightly, Tommy's hand found her chin, his thumb just barely brushing along her bottom lip.

"Let's see if I can do something about that, eh?"

The End

~

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed. As always, I loved to hear from you all!

Taglist

Overall

@lilyrachelcassidy @jyessaminereads @chlorrox @watercolorskyy @books-livre @quarterpastmidnight  @lilyevanswhore  @polishcrazyone  @zablife  @just-a-harmless-patato  @stevie75 @flyingjosephine-blog @runnning-outof-time @cillmequick @alex-in-the-wilderness @babayaga67 @butterfly-skinnylegend @shelbydelrey @mrkdvidal1989

Tommy

@knowledgefulbutterfly @babayaga67 @signorellisantichrist @lespendy @geeksareunique @look-at-the-soul @lothbrokcore @rangerelik

[jaydaaasworld]

Baby thoughts

Warning:pregnancy pregnant baby

Since the second you found out, Buck had been glued to your side. It had been three weeks since you took that test, since your doctor had confirmed it and in that time you had, had to convince him every single day that he could leave you and go to work. Every day he fought you, wanting the both of you to stay home so you could rest and he could wait on your every want and need, but you couldn’t do that. You were only thirteen weeks along and there was hardly any reason to be confined to the bed just yet. You knew that he was only concerned about the safety of you and the peach you currently carried in your womb. It was endearing and one of the sweetest things you’d ever seen, you hadn’t thought that Buck could get any sweeter, but here you were one act away from having a mouth full of cavities.

What hadn’t helped was that Buck had been responding to several pregnancy calls in the past few weeks a few resulting in sadder endings than anyone wanted. They had struck a chord with Buck and had only made him hover all the more.

Adding the water to your cordial, you took a sip of the orange, a light buzz filling your taste buds. You had become obsessed with anything orange-flavored since your pregnancy diagnosis. Whether it was orange Skittles (which Buck had kindly sat and sorted out for you), or orange flavored chocolate, or even the orange-flavored cupcakes you had found at the grocery store and ate within an hour of buying, anything orange and you were all for it.

Walking back into the garden, your entire body seemed to clench a little as you stepped back into the gaze of the sun. As much as you were enjoying this downtime with the 118, it was so hot. The heatwave had only hit LA in the past few days but already it was in full swing and you were feeling every beam of it.

“Y/n,” you turned over to where Athena was sitting with Hen and her daughter May. The three of them stood around the mini bar that Athena had installed, in direct sunlight. Already hot, you fought down the urge to grimace as you moved to stand by them, the sun glaring on your skin. “We were just telling May about Buck and that kiddie ride at the mall. She doesn’t believe us.” Hen informed and a grin split across your lips, taking your mind off of the sweltering heat.

“Oh my, God. I have a photo, hang on,” You pulled your phone out of your shoulder bag and set your drink on the bar, thumb flicking through the many photos in your gallery in search of the one from the Saturday before. “He thought it was funny and I tried to tell him he wouldn’t fit but he insisted,” You giggled and turned your phone for May to see. “I honestly thought I’d have to call nine-one-one.”

Displayed across your screen was the photo that still had you giggling a week later. There sat Buck, who had squeezed his way into the small metal bus which was aimed for children 7 and under. But Buck had twisted his body at all kinds of angles and had somehow managed to worm his way into the ride. His head was poked out of the door hole, his legs curled up against his chest, unable to stretch out in the tiny space that his body was occupying.

What Athena and the others didn’t know was that Buck wouldn’t have gotten into the ride if it wasn’t for you. That morning your hormones had been playing you like a fiddle and every little thing had upset you, the bin bag had broken when you were trying to change it out for a new one, somehow a red sock had slipped in with your whites and now everything you owned was slightly toned pink and they had shown that advert with the puppy sat in a box, in the rain, on the side of the street with people walking past ignoring it. It seemed, that morning, that everything was stacked against you. Buck had offered to come with you to the mall so you could pick up your clothing order from a store, you had ordered certain items that they didn’t have in stock and they had delivered to the store the day before. You were buzzing to see the new pair of pumps you had ordered. You knew that in a few months if not weeks, the shoes would probably be pressing against the sides of your feet and ankles because of the pregnancy swelling, but that hadn’t stopped you from ordering them in your size. However, like everything else that morning, even that didn’t go as planned. The shoes had been delivered in the wrong color and in a size smaller than you wanted, making them impossible to wear. Buck had seen how disheartened you had been when you left the store, trying not to cry in frustration. He had wanted to do something to cheer you up and in a joking manner, he had made a bet with you that he could fit inside the kiddie bus ride.

It had succeeded in cheering you up, if not from how silly he looked, his large muscular frame curled up inside the ride, from when he got stuck and couldn’t get himself out straight away. You had done what you could to help him out, but you were giggling so hard your entire body went weak. When he had finally gotten out, the two of you had continued to giggle all the way home and your mood had been lifted for the rest of the day.

“Oh, my God,” May giggled. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. Please send me that!” she begged.

“Of course,” you agreed with a laugh of your own. “I could never gate keep on a photo like this.”

“What made him get in there?”

“It’s Buck, does he need a reason?” Hen scoffed. As the ladies continued to giggle, the heat seemed to make its presence known as it glared down at you. The side of your temples was beginning to throb and your skin was starting to get slick and sticky, sweat oozing from your pores. You raised a hand to swipe at your brow, glancing around the garden for the closest seat, your legs aching.

As you moved towards one of the sun loungers, your boyfriend’s eyes caught onto your movements, already on high alert.

“Y/n? What’s wrong?” he asked, abandoning his drink at the grill and rushing towards you, one arm slipping around your waist to help guide you to the seat.

“Buck, I’m-”

“Dammit, it’s too hot out here for you. We should’ve canceled,” he began muttering to himself. “Are you dizzy? Do you need a drink of water? What about something to eat? Is your blood sugar low? What if you’re dehydrated?” The only thing making you dizzy was the hurricane of questions Buck was sending your way, not even leaving a chance for you to answer them. One of his hands instinctively came to rest on the front of your stomach.

“Babe? Baby?” You tried to pull Buck out of his panicked rant, his eyes not once meeting yours as he kept scanning you for any visible injuries. Not that there were any, but the paranoia was getting the best of him and the heat probably wasn’t helping.

“We should get you in the shade,” he decided. “Shit, you should’ve stayed inside. You’re carrying precious cargo now, baby. You and Peach can’t take this heat. We shouldn’t have come. This is all my fault-”

“Buck!” You pressed your hands to the sides of his face, directing his eyes to yours so you could try and ground him. “Buck, baby, I’m fine. We’re fine. I’m just a little hot and tired that’s all. It’s normal.” He still seemed a little uncertain, and his eyes held a lifetime of worry for you and his unborn child. “We’re okay. I promise.” You offered him a reassuring smile, your thumb coming to brush against his bottom lip rhythmically, giving him something to focus on. His eyelids pressed shut as he breathed slowly for a second.

“Are you sure? ‘Cause we can go home-”

“We’re fine. I just need to sit for a minute that’s all.” You peeked over his shoulder. “While I’m sitting, we should probably talk to the people behind you, they seem a little shocked. You kind of let the cat out of the bag.” Buck twisted his head to look around at the team behind him, everyone stood, jaws dropped and eyes wide. Eddie was the most comical of the bunch, his glass halfway raised to his mouth ready to take a sip but frozen in time with the news that Buck had unintentionally shared.

“H-Hey, guys,” He chuckled awkwardly with a sheepish grin. “I guess we have some news to share.”

[localariesenemy]

Rivals Series Playlist

Okay, so this will be the first ever post I’ll do on this app and I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry about it being about a Yuri on Ice fanfic from years ago that haven’t left me since the first time I read it.

This is a list of songs you can listen to here that I thought fit Yuuri and Viktor’s feels in the Rivals series by @kazliin, which you can find here:

Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches

Of Bright Stars and Burning Hearts

Rivals- Past, Present and Future

I’m not kidding when I say it’s absolutely life changing (I reread it every year so safe to say it’s my absolute favorite). I would like to list down every single lyric and the intricacies of how I arranged the songs in order but the sane part of my brain is refraining me from doing so. Let’s just say that I followed the progression of both POVs and matched that up with the lyrics of the songs.

It’s almost 4 hours of pure feels so buckle up, here we go.

1. You’re Still a Mystery- Bleachers

2. State of Grace- Taylor Swift

3. Into My Arms- COIN

4. See Through- The Band CAMINO

5. Untouchable- Taylor Swift

6. O Mio Babbino Caro- Giacomo Pucini

7. You Are In Love- Taylor Swift

8. gold rush- Taylor Swift

9. Belle- The Shock Band

10. I Can See You- Taylor Swift

11. Crashing- ILLENIUM, Bahari

12. Movement- Hozier

13. Sun and Moon- Claude-Michel Schönberg, Lea Salonga, Simon Bowman

14. On My Own- Lea Salonga

15. Say Don’t Go- Taylor Swift

16. Let The Light In- Lana Del Rey, Father John Misty

17. K.- Cigarettes After Sex

18. Say My Name Cover- Hozier

19. illicit affairs- Taylor Swift

20. Foolish One- Taylor Swift

21. Never Change- COIN

22. Felt This Way- Carly Rar Jepsen

23. So Close- Jon McLaughlin

24. Magkasuyo Buong Gabi- Agsunta

25. Dark Eyes- The Broln Czech Radio Orchestra

26. Wake Me- Bleachers

27. First Light- Hozier

28. First Time- Hozier

29. Break My Fall- Doc Robinson

30. Pretty Boy- The Neighbourhood

31. TALK ME DOWN- Troye Sivan

32. Fucked My Way Up To The Top- Lana Del Rey

33. The Louvre- Lorde

34. august- Taylor Swift

35. The Other- Lauv

36. Somewhere Only We Know- Keane

37. Fire Meet Gasoline- Sia

38. Don’t Let Me Go- Cigarettes After Sex

39. Francis Forever- Mitski

40. Like a River Runs- Bleachers

41. You Are In Love- Taylor Swift

42. Daylight- Taylor Swift

43. One And Only- Adele

44. Water Under the Bridge- Adele

45. The Last Time- Taylor Swift, Gary Lightbody

46. Bravado- Lorde

47. The Archer- Taylor Swift

48. Falling Slowly- Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová

49. The Night We Met- Lord Huron

50. Yuri on ICE- Taro Umebayashi

51. Long Live- Taylor Swift

52. Holy Ground- Taylor Swift

53. I Love You Always Forever- Donne Lewis

Forgive me for the abundance of Taylor Swift, she clearly read the Rivals series and made those songs for them specifically.

I tried my best to incorporate both POVs but I think it leaned too Viktor-centric. However, my fav Yuuri song on here is Bravado, it captured his anxiety during the Scandal so well and I resonate with that. It was hard to pick for Viktor but One And Only really stood out to me, it reads like his plea to Yuuri. BUT if I had to choose one song to explain their dynamic it’s Untouchable, applicable for both Yuuri and Viktor and just as heartbreaking.

[demigodsanswer]

Twice Upon a Pointe: 7/13

Vision

Percy woke up to the soft early February sun on his face as it poured in through Annabeth’s large bedroom window. He cracked his eyes open, squinting at the light, and saw that she had already gotten up. He rolled over to check his phone – 8:30 a.m.

They both had today and the next day off as other casts ran their dress rehearsals. Usually he spent his days off wandering the city, catching up on TV, or bothering Grover to play video games with him when his 9-to-5 ended. But those days off didn’t usually start in Annabeth Chase’s bed – in fact, none of them ever had. He hoped that maybe they’d end up spending the day together.

Or maybe she’d ask him to leave as soon as he got up.

He stayed there for another moment, trying to think of the perfect “spend the day with me” line, but he came up blank. He imagined what Grover might suggest. “ Have you tried,” he imagined Grover saying to him, “ ‘spend the day with me?’” 

He’d just have to wing it.

 ~

He opened the door and stepped into the living room. Annabeth was standing in the kitchen over a frying pan, still in her pajamas (now rumpled from a night of sleep), and her blonde hair was up in a high ponytail, the ends tangled together.

She looked up and smiled at him. If Percy thought his affection for her was under control and barely perceivable, that delusion was thoroughly shattered by the sight of her in the morning. Something in his chest tugged at him -- a desire to see this every day. Even sleep rumpled and eyes still puffy from the night before, she was gorgeous. He did his best to pull his thoughts back down to earth.  

Before he could say anything to her, though, she told him: “You drool when you sleep.”

Percy flushed, a hand going up to his mouth to wipe away any trace of drool that might still be there. She laughed at him, and he smiled. 

She turned back to the frying pan. “I’m making eggs. I hope that’s okay.”

“Eggs are great,” he said. “I thought you didn’t cook.”

She shrugged. “I told you, I’m not completely incompetent. I can scramble an egg reasonably well.” She said, dishing out the servings onto two plates.

Percy took a seat at the table. “How long have you been up?” He asked.

“‘Bout half an hour,” she said. “Coffee?” 

He nodded, and she put a mug down in front of him, and then his plate of eggs and avocado toast.

She sat down at the other end of the table.

“Thanks,” Percy said, about to dig in.

He piled some eggs on top of his toast and took a bite. They were good, although he would struggle to find an adult who couldn’t make a decent scrambled egg. “How are you feeling?” He asked.

“Better,” she said. “A lot better. Thanks for listening to me and for staying the night.”

Percy smiled. “Of course, any time.” He felt his ears get hot. “Anyway …” he tried to think of literally anything else to say, but nothing came to mind. He tried to keep his face neutral, but he was pretty sure his pupils had become heart shaped, and his eyes were about to spring out of his head as steam came out of his ears. He tried to find the right words for spend the day with me? 

“Do you have any plans for today?” Annabeth asked.

It took a moment for Percy to register what she had said. He was preoccupied by the casual way she sat at the other end of the table, sunlight bouncing off her curls, as if they sat together like this every day. 

Finally, though, he remembered she’d asked him a question. “No, not really,” He told her. 

“Do you want to hang out downtown for a little while?” She asked.

Percy smiled. That was one way to do it. “Sure, that’d be great.”

 ~

Percy stood in front of Annabeth's bathroom mirror, which had fogged up with steam from his shower. He leaned forward and drew a smiley face on her mirror for her to discover the next time she showered.

He dressed quickly, only having the same sweatpants and tee shirt from the night before, but it would have to do.

Annabeth was waiting on her couch for him to get ready. She was dressed in a light pink sweater and light jeans with her hair braided over her shoulder.

“Ready to go?” She asked.

Percy nodded. They grabbed their jackets and headed out the door.

~ 

They walked down the avenue to Washington Square Park, stopping on the way to indulge in some hot chocolates. It was just starting to get a little warmer – their daily temperature tended to hang out in the forties during the day, rather than what Percy called ‘face hurting temperatures.’

Still, he wished it was a little warmer so they could sit on a bench or the grass for a while and just relax in the Spring sun. But the cold sun of the end of February would have to do.

It did come with its perks, Percy realized, when a cold wind blew, prompting Annabeth to instinctively move closer to him. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his chest for a moment as the breeze blew by. When it was over, they parted, neither blushing or uncomfortable.

Sure, he was usually physically close to her, but stage intimacy was far less erotic than many people assumed. On stage or during rehearsal, both were sweaty, trying not to breathe too hard, and mostly worrying about their own steps and safety and the safety of their partner.

A gentle closeness so far removed from the studio, though, felt deeply intimate. He almost reached down to hold her hand, but she had it in her jacket pocket. He left his hand by his side in case she had the same thought, but she never reached for it.

When they reached the arch, Annabeth paused in front of it. “You know, if I hadn’t joined the company, I probably would have gone to school for architecture.”

“Really?” Percy asked, looking at her.

She nodded. “I guess I kind of am or was at least,” She said. “I was part time at NYU for a few years, but between being a principal, and planning a wedding, then calling off the wedding, and everything that came after that, I haven’t taken a class in almost …” she paused, “almost two years, I guess.”

“Why architecture?” Percy asked.

She shrugged. “Aesthetics, partly. I really enjoy aesthetic, design, and flow. Obviously, I do, or I wouldn’t be a dancer. But buildings can have all of those things too, just not in the same way.” She sipped her hot chocolate. “It’s also the opposite of dance. Buildings are static, and they’re so permanent.”

Percy nodded. The fleeting nature of ballet loomed over all of them. Most men could go until thirty-five at least, and a lot of women made it to forty, if not longer. But one bad injury could end a career in an instant.

“Do you want to be an architect when you retire?” He asked.

She shrugged. “Maybe, but that’s a hard career to start at forty. Knowing myself I’ll end up directing or choreographing. I don’t think I could ever really leave it behind, you know?”

“You could design theaters,” he suggested.

She smiled at him like she had had the thought before. “Yeah, I could.” Her hand dropped out of her pocket and rested near his, but he didn’t feel courageous enough to take it. “What about you?” She asked.

“Oh, I have no idea,” Percy said. “I barely graduated high school. College is not my speed, so I’ll probably linger in the ballet world as long as they’ll have me.”

She bumped him with her shoulder. “Come on, you have no ideas?” He shook his head. “Wildest dream? If a genie showed up right now and told you he’d give you your dream career, what would it be?”

“Well,” Percy said, “if I’m wishing for stuff, I’d just wish to be able to dance forever.”

“Alright that’s on me,” Annabeth said, laughing, “I set the bar too low.” She took his hand as they kept walking, lacing their fingers together, and he smiled. “Seriously, I won’t judge you.” She squeezed his hand, and Percy felt his smile get wider against his will. 

It was a hard question to answer. Percy had spent a lot of time in his training thinking about what he’d do if he didn’t get a company contract when his training ended. Teaching was one option, but he didn’t know if he’d like doing that if his own dreams had fallen through. With his poor grades, he always figured he’d just get a retail or restaurant job and try and work his way through management and dance on the weekends.

But if today were the day that he had to stop dancing …

“I guess I’d teach,” he admitted, “but I don’t know if I’d want to teach at SAB.”

“Why not?” She asked. They started walking out of the park and towards the street, wandering aimlessly through the West Village.

He had never really wanted to teach at SAB, he realized. Sure, the prospect of training a new group of kids who would go on to join City Ballet, and other top companies like Miami, Royal Ballet, Pacific Northwest was exciting, but he was lucky to have had that training at all. So many things had to go right in his life to even make it into their ranks – a good ballet teacher off the bat, scholarship money, his mom marrying a man who had a savings account and cared about her son. Without any of those things, Percy wouldn’t have a career.

“I was on my own at SAB,” he said, “one of the only kids who started late and didn’t have great training before that. Most other kids were,” like you, he thought, but he didn’t say it, “born lucky. They had exposure to ballet young, good training, and they never had to worry about how they were going to pay for things. I had to worry about that all the time. And I was still luckier than most.” He said. “Just think about how many talented kids there are just on my block alone that will never get my chance.” He looked ahead towards the street. The West Village had once a bohemian shithole, but (thanks in no small part to NYU) it had been gentrified into one of the most expensive areas in the city. “I guess if I could do anything I’d just try and help those kids. Don’t know how I’d do it, but that’s what I’d really like to do.” He told her. “I know it’s crazy.”

She stopped walking and pulled him to the side of the path, getting out of everyone's way.

“It’s not crazy,” She said.

For a moment on the edge of the sidewalk, hugging the wall of some coffee shop, neither of them moved. She looked at him, tilting her head up just slightly to look him in the eye. When she licked her lips slightly, Percy’s heart almost exploded, sure that she was going to lean in. But instead she broke the tension, turning back to the middle of the sidewalk to keep forward, dropping his hand.

“At least,” she said, not looking at him, “not as crazy as wanting to pivot to architecture.”

He jogged to catch up with her. “That’s not crazy either. Besides, if I know you at all, I know nothing will stop you from getting what you want.”

She smiled, looking down at the sidewalk as she walked forward. “Nothing stops you either as far as I can tell.”

“I am notoriously scrappy.” He said, pulling a laugh out her, which dissolved any remaining uncomfortable tension while taking away any remaining hope of a kiss.

~

When they finally got too cold to stand walking around any longer, they ducked into a dimly lit pub.

“Do you ever just wish you had a job where you didn’t have to worry so much about what you ate and drank?” Annabeth asked him. They did eat a lot, of course. They both probably ate more than the average person, they just also had to eat way healthier than the average person.

“Pretty much every day.” Percy said. “Every time a season ends, I just crush a cheeseburger, first thing.”

Annabeth had been to the pub before, and guided Percy through some good options on the menu.

Their conversation stayed light – childhood stories, embarrassing moments, favorite TV shows. When Annabeth started to ramble about how architecture was a universal language for people, one that was like dance -- beyond words -- Percy couldn’t stop smiling. Her gaze was distant, but her eyes were bright. Percy was delighted to see her so happy.

There were still so many little things he’d never known about her, he realized. For all their rehearsal time, for all of the detailed ways they understood one another, and everything they’d shared the night before, Annabeth was still a bit of a mystery to him. 

“You said you have a stepmom?” He asked. 

“Yeah,” she said, barely hiding her contempt for the woman. 

“Is your birth mom …” Percy trailed off, realizing the question was maybe too rude or invasive. 

Annabeth took a bite of food, stalling to decide what she would tell him. “She left when I was a baby. I never knew her.” She paused, her fork pushed around the peas on her plate. “Sometimes I wonder if she’ll come to the ballet, if she’d recognize me. Or if I’d recognize her walking down the street. I don’t think I would.” 

Percy reached across the table and took her hand. It was becoming incredibly mundane to hold her hand, he realized. Maybe this was a date. He ran a thumb over her knuckles to comfort her. 

“I never knew my dad either,” he paused before sharing the ridiculous part. “My mom told me he was lost at sea.” He watched Annabeth bite her lip to keep from laughing. “You can laugh, it’s an incredibly 19th century way to die.” She let herself smile, even giggled a little. “I have a hard time believing it, honestly. It always sounded like the deadbeat dad equivalent of your dog going upstate to live on a farm.” 

“So, one dad lost at sea, the other drowned in the river?” Annabeth asked. 

“We insist Paul stay away from large bodies of water for his own safety.” 

When the check came, Annabeth grabbed it off the table before Percy could even reach for it.

“Absolutely not,” Annabeth said when Percy reached across the table. “You’ve done so much for me the last few days, buying you lunch is the least I can do.”

Percy didn’t protest anymore, instead just choosing to thank her for the meal. He hoped it wasn’t the last one they got to share together.

~ 

As the afternoon went on and the sun started to set, Percy realized he needed to go home. He didn’t want to leave Annabeth, but he also didn’t want to be wearing the same clothes for twenty-four hours.

“I can come back if you need anything, or if Luke comes around,” he said as they headed towards the subway.

Annabeth shook her head. “I should be fine. I think I’m going to call Beck and Silena and talk some things out with them.” You can talk to me, Percy wanted to insist. But he knew she was closer with them than with him, no matter what he wanted to be true.

“Call me if you need anything,” he told her. She nodded and promised she would.

They stood at the top of the subway stairs, doing their best to stay out of everyone else’s way, but that was almost impossible to do when you were standing still on the New York City sidewalk.

“Percy,” she said looking up at him, “thank you. Seriously, thank you for everything.” She pulled him into a tight hug, burying her face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to hold her even closer. Her hair smelled like lemons.

“Anytime,” he told her. He pressed a gentle kiss into the top of her head; if she noticed or minded, she didn’t show any sign of it.

Annabeth pulled away after a little too long (not that Percy minded) and smiled at him. “Get home safe,” she said, before turning to head towards her apartment.

~ 

Percy rested his head back against the subway window, grateful for a seat on his way back up town, trying to remember the way Annabeth’s hair smelled, and the ways her eyes lit up when she was excited.

He hoped that they stayed close when they weren’t dancing together anymore. They have to, he figured. They were friends now, not just coworkers or dance partners.

He knew from experience that performances come and go too quickly – a month of rehearsal just for four shows? It was almost unfair. Lee’s husband, a Broadway actor, had once complained about his eight shows a week schedule at a company party. Eight Sleeping Beauty’s a week was probably physically impossible, but Percy did sometimes miss doing six or eight ballets a week as an apprentice or corps member. He certainly wouldn’t pass up one or two extra performances of Sleeping Beauty if he had the chance . He wanted to hold onto it for just a little bit longer.  

~

When Percy woke up the next morning, his chest was already tight with anxiety, his heart thumping loudly. He didn’t remember his dream, but he’d had enough pre-show nightmares to imagine what public embarrassments his subconscious had created for him. He performed tomorrow, he remembered. He took a deep breath, but it didn’t do anything to calm his anxiety. He did his daily morning routine of breakfast, pilates, and stretching, the rapid beating of his heart calming only ever long enough for him to notice. 

He had fleeting moments of confidence as a dancer – moments where he was sure he was good, that he was going to succeed, moments where, if he closed his eyes, he could swear that he was flying, not just jumping. That feeling of freedom. But mostly he would rag on himself for things he couldn’t do or didn’t do well. Those fleeting moments of confidence could be diminished by any small error.

He had to succeed. His mother had sacrificed so much just to get him to dance practice and to keep him enrolled at the school. There were so many years of his career where principal felt impossible. But now he was so close. If he never made it that next step …

When he was twelve and his YMCA teacher told Sally that he should be in more advanced classes, Sally asked him if he wanted to continue ballet. Just say no, he had told himself, knowing that there was no way his mom could pay for all the lessons he’d need. It would hurt less to stop dancing at twelve than to make it all the way to fourteen or fifteen only to give it up then.

He had spent as much time dancing as he spent worrying that at some point the rug would be pulled out from under him, and he’d lose it all. That there would be a point where he just couldn’t continue. He already spent most of his training playing catch-up with people who had been dancing since they could stand.

But when the words “No, I don’t want to keep dancing” had left his twelve-year old mouth, his mother looked at him with knowing eyes. 

 “If you want to do it, we will do what we have to do,” she told him. 

That meant he had to switch to public school and working jobs to pay for summer intensives and after-school classes. Dance was more than just a way to stay out of the house, away from Gabe. He’d started getting into fewer and fewer fights. Once Gabe was gone, he really shaped up. He’d never even met the principal of the public school he went to before moving to SAB. Even his grades improved. He was no Einstein, but he’d gotten a B in his science class. 

Even with all that, and his scholarships, it was Paul that made any of it possible. He’d gotten lucky; finally, some of that luck that seemed to grace some of the worst people finally trickled down to him and his mom. She had married a man with a savings account and love of the arts. He had no problem helping them pay for his summer intensives or his academy tuition.

He thought of his meeting with Chiron at the end of his last year at SAB. The year before, when he was seventeen, he had been encouraged to stay another year, and to try out for other companies. “An apprenticeship isn’t out of the picture,” Chiron told him, but Percy had barely heard it.  

He stumbled home in a daze. He didn’t know what he’d expected. He felt dumb for hoping even a little bit that he might finally earn a spot. 

When he opened the door to the apartment, he tried to run past his mom, who shouted after him asking about his day. Chiron never scheduled the one-on-ones in advance; it made the whole thing more and less anxiety inducing. He threw his bag on the bed, filled with a familiar anger he hadn’t felt in years. He wanted to hit the wall, or go outside and find some bully he could punch. It wasn’t fair . 

His door cracked open, and the anger dissipated. 

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” She asked. Percy couldn’t remember the last time he cried. He thought he’d lost the ability to really, really break down somewhere in middle school. But he was out of practice holding back tears with anger, and with the anger gone, there wasn’t anything to stop it. 

Before he really knew what was happening, his mom had him in her arms, sitting him on the bed as she hugged him. 

“I’m so sorry, Mom,” he cried, guilt and disappointment cut through his stomach and chest like a knife. Sally had tried to assure him that he wasn’t a failure, but that didn’t change any of his thinking on the issue. “I tried so hard.” 

When Nutcracker season came, and Percy wasn’t offered an apprenticeship, he figured that it truly was over. “Men almost never get chosen this time of year,” his friend Rachel reminded him. “They need girls.” Her eyes were rimmed red; he’d noticed the way she’d snuck out once word got out that the apprentices had been chosen, and she hadn’t been one of them. 

He went through the motions of audition season, determined to get a spot in a different top five company, or at least one in an exciting location, like England or Germany. After weeks of no positive news, he had almost gotten to a point where he thought his entire dance career was over, until Lupa Lopez had called him back about his audition, and offered him a spot at Miami. He and Rachel were the only two from SAB she’d chosen. His mom had let him have a glass of champagne to celebrate.  

Chiron was less enthusiastic than his mother had been. When Percy told him the good news, he kept a straight face and asked, “Have you signed anything yet?”

“No.”

“Good, don’t.”

He was called into the office two days later. “Lupa and I have the same eye for dancers,” he said. “She’s taken some of my best away from me. So, it wasn’t surprising to hear that she was interested in you joining her company. She must see the same things in you that I see.”

Percy’s eyes went wide.

“You’re talented, Percy,” Chiron continued, “and disciplined,” that was the first time a teacher had said that about him, he realized. Chiron handed Percy a stack of a few papers. “And you should stay with City Ballet.”

It took Percy a moment to realize what he was looking at. His dyslexia only acted up when he got stressed. Finally, he deciphered it. “Wait … is this for real?” He was holding an apprentice contract with his name on it.

“Sorry for making you go on all of those auditions,” Chiron said. He wanted to ask why it had taken so long, but he held back his pride long enough to make it out of the office without fucking up his career before it started. 

Percy hadn’t even waited to get home to tell his mom. Instead, he found a quiet stairwell where he could tell her and cry with her. He thought she was going to break his ribs with how tightly she hugged him when he got home. “I’m just so happy,” she said, “that you don’t have to move to Miami.”

He was tired of barely succeeding – barely making it into SAB, barely getting an apprenticeship, barely getting leading roles. He wondered for a moment if she had these fleeting moments of confidence met quickly by self-doubt, before he remembered their last “Diamonds” rehearsal. It had taken her nine months to come back to New York, to step on stage again. Even now, in The Sleeping Beauty rehearsals, she sometimes faltered, losing confidence in her left foot, or some other part of herself. She hadn’t just gotten injured during “Diamonds.” She had broken something much deeper; she had hit a level of doubt and pain that you can’t easily pull yourself out of.

He didn’t have the luxury of breaking, though. He could only bend.

Annabeth couldn’t break either. Luke had been in the wings during “Diamonds,” he remembered. He thought then what everyone else thought -- just a fiancé watching his girl. He felt a chill, and remembered the way Luke hadn’t moved a muscle to help her when she fell. He was waiting, Percy realized, for her to fail. And he was in New York now, waiting in the audience for her to fall again. 

Don’t let me fall, she’d asked him during their very first run of the pas together. He wouldn’t, he decided. He didn’t care what they had to do, they were going to hold each other upright. 

They both had to bend and bend far. Four shows, Percy realized, four shows to get it right. Just don’t forget the choreography, and don’t drop her. He told himself. And if you forget the choreography, just make it up.    

Luke had left a principal male spot open that Chiron still hadn’t filled. In a fleeting moment of confidence, Percy told himself You’re the perfect fit.

He felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, but he couldn’t see what was at the bottom. He was safe as long as he stayed on land. If he jumped, he could die, or he could land safely in the water. There wasn’t another way forward.

[haloud]

Writing Patterns

Rules: Share the opening of your last ten published works or as many as you are able to see if there are any patterns!

I was tagged by @ajna-eye-cogitations and @angrycowboy :)

through the looking glass

Michael closed his eyes to the feeling of Isobel petting his hair. Her fingers worked nervously, the rhythm soothing neither of them, doing nothing to tether Michael to his body—but that was for the best.

2. parted from me and never parted

For most of Jim’s life, people had told him he had a problem with authority. Some of them even meant it kindly. It frustrated no one so badly as Captain Pike, the one authority Jim did trust. He’d say again and again that Jim would get people killed one day, thinking he knew best, thinking he could test a limit that shouldn’t be tested. Well, Jim disagreed with that assessment—had barely restrained himself from a deeply point-proving emotional reaction to Pike thinking little enough of him that he’d ever endanger his crew like that.

3. main sequence

They were a half-mile from the ship when the sky opened up. The distant setting suns turned the raindrops blue and violet and gold; Alex was running, Michael was laughing, and Michael grabbed his wrist and pulled him under an overhang to wait out the storm as water pooled on the rocks and streamed down in technicolor rivulets. Alex stood stock-still for a minute, arms slightly outstretched as his clothes and hair dripped, until Michael yanked him in closer to kiss him, kiss his lips, kiss the water from his face.

4. straight on 'til morning (final chapter)

Michael trailed his fingers across the outer curve of the console as he approached the captain’s chair. His eyes were fixed on the distant stars outside, barely visible from the ambient blue light of Aun. One of them was Oasis. Maybe this would be the last time he ever saw his own planet with the naked eye. Good riddance.

5. forever in a day (nsfw)

“Michael, Michael, fuck, Michael!” Alex cried.

6. like clockwork

The world was getting colder. Day by day, frost crept over the creosote and sagebrush in the mornings, and Walt walked the three miles to town in men’s boots and three pairs of socks, the sky high and blue and watery above him. He got less and less work these days, but he knew how to stretch a dollar, and he knew Roy Bronson’d buried a hundred of ‘em in a tin pail “just in case” and where to dig, and soon enough he’d get his growth spurt, and once he was fit for working the fields, no one there would care about scars, not like shopkeepers and society ladies did.

7. morningmist

The three of them made a party as dismal as the weather as they rode through the mist at a snail’s pace. None of them spoke. Zidan and Xiaodan, of course, often needed no words, but even between them, this silence was a different one.

8. rivalry series

Panting, Isobel swung herself back onto the bench and bashed her stick against the low wall with a scream of rage muffled behind her teeth.

9. thunderstorm warning

Alex groaned and smacked his head back against the pillow. He’d been in bed for an hour, tossing and turning, folding and flipping his pillow, fighting with the blankets, changing sides, switching back and forth between his side and Michael’s, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t get comfortable. The bed was too cold, or he was too warm under the blankets, or the house was too quiet, or every little sound jerked him to attention.

10. torrential

The house was quiet when they came home. Peaceful. They weren’t even gone long enough for the air to grow stale—only a faint hint of rain lingered in the air, and that was home, too.

Only used solo published fics because I genuinely can't remember who wrote the opening lines of most of my cowrites. I'm not sure what patterns to draw here...It appears that I don't typically start a fic with dialog, and I tend to start in media res, though the degree of the action varies. Only two of the fics include establishing information before the action begins, and I would honestly deduct "like clockwork" from being evidence of a trend there, because that fic had a deliberate structure that by definition would buck any trends I have in my writing.

for anyone wondering, the two non-rnm fics in this list (parted from me and never parted + morningmist) are fics for star trek: strange new worlds and a book called Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco respectively. pls read vampire book. thank you and goodnight.