#straight up saw a response to that story about a woman having to carry a kidney-less baby to term

[marchlione]

ok, but like, why do christians romanticize suffering and subservience so much 🤨

[sleekervae]

The Bride [0.9]

Masterlist

A/N: fair warning before you read but the plot only moves a little bit here, mostly filler and background being talked about with a smidge of violence. I promise the next chapter will have more action!

Pairing: billy the kid x fem!reader

Summary: Eleanor comes upon an old threat

Warnings: cursing, slander, mentions of shooting

Word Count: 4,029

Tag List: @poppyflower-22 @ponyslayer

Jesse remembered the first time he ever laid eyes on Eleanor.

It was one of those rare, cooler afternoons when the sun cut through the mist, casting a silver glow over the world. He’d been sitting in front of the saloon, boots up on the railing, nursing a bottle of whiskey that had long gone warm. The last thing he expected was for her to show up. She was like a wild animal, something who would easily spook if you moved too fast.

She was down on her luck. That much was obvious. Clothes dusty, her face drawn with exhaustion, but there was a defiance in the way she carried herself, chin lifted like she was daring the world to break her. She didn’t say where she was coming from, but he could tell she was running. Running from something big.

“What’s your story?” he had asked, more out of curiosity than anything else, though he hadn’t expected a straight answer. People like Eleanor didn’t give those easily.

“I don’t tell my stories to strangers,” she’d shot back, her voice sharp but low, a defensive edge to it. There was something about the way she spoke, though, that caught his attention. She wasn’t looking for sympathy, and she wasn’t afraid.

And maybe that’s why Jesse had kept talking to her. “Well, I’m not a stranger if I offer you a job.”

That had piqued her interest. She hadn’t said yes right away, of course, but he saw the way her eyes flickered with cautious curiosity. Jesse had been looking for someone to keep tabs on old Billy Matthews, could case the place so his gang would know when to strike for the cattle, and Eleanor seemed like the perfect fit—someone who could blend into the background but still hold her own if things went south.

“I need someone to keep an eye on a ranch,” he’d said, watching her closely. “Pays well enough. And it’s better than whatever’s chasing you.”

She hadn’t flinched. Just gave him a long, calculating look before finally nodding. “Tell me what you need.”

From that moment, Jesse knew she was different. Something about the way she moved—quiet, but deliberate—told him she wasn’t some ordinary woman. Eleanor Aubert was trouble, and he liked trouble.

Jesse couldn’t deny it—he was drawn to Eleanor from the start. There was something about her that kept him restless, an invisible pull he couldn’t shake. She moved through his life like a quiet storm, always there but never close enough to touch.

It started with small things. The way she’d tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, focused, as if the world outside her didn’t exist. Or how her lips would twitch into the faintest smile when she thought no one was watching. Jesse was always watching, though, always waiting for a crack in her armor. But it never came.

No matter how hard he tried to get close, Eleanor kept him at arm’s length. She was all business—always had been. To her, Jesse was a job, nothing more, nothing less. And he hated it.

There were nights when he’d offer her a drink, try to start up a conversation. Maybe ask about her past, drop a line about what she was running from. Every time, her response was the same—a blank stare and a change of subject. Cold as stone.

“You don’t trust me, do you?” he’d said one night, half hoping for an answer that’d give him a way in.

She’d paused for a moment, just a flicker of something crossing her face, but then she turned away, her voice flat. “Trust isn’t part of the deal, Jesse. I do the job. You pay me. Simple as that.”

That was the thing about Eleanor—she was never cruel, just distant. He couldn’t blame her, not entirely. Whatever she was running from, it had left its mark. He saw it in her eyes, the way they darkened when someone got too close.

But damn if Jesse didn’t keep trying. He found himself making excuses to keep her around. Every job she finished for him, he found another. Told himself he needed her because she was the best at what she did, but deep down he knew better. It wasn’t just about the work.

He wanted her to see him. To see that he wasn’t like the others, that maybe he could be something more. He fawned over her, complimenting her sharp mind, her skill, anything he thought might make her drop her guard.

But she never did.

He’d bring her whiskey, ask her to stay a little longer after a job was done, but Eleanor always kept her distance. Always walked away, like he was just another man in a long line of people she couldn’t afford to care about.

Still, Jesse couldn’t shake the hope that one day, maybe she’d come around. Maybe she’d stop looking at him like he was just a paycheck and see him for who he was. A man who, despite his flaws, would’ve done anything for her.

But then there was Billy.

When they had found him out in the desert, half-dead and baking under the relentless sun, Jesse should’ve just kept riding. But Billy was his friend after all! He had taken the boy under his wing, sure he got him into some trouble, but he held out for Billy!

He didn’t think much of it at first. They brought Billy back to house, left him with Eleanor while they rode out on another job. She was just a woman, after all; tending to the men, taking care of them was her job. Jesse figured she’d patch Billy up, they’d send him on his way, and that would be that.

But it wasn’t.

When they came back, Jesse noticed it right away. The way Eleanor lingered near Billy, looked at him, talking to him in that low voice she reserved for moments of real care. It set Jesse’s teeth on edge. He’d been trying to break through to her for months, and here was this half-dead kid, stealing the attention that Jesse had never managed to claim.

Even after Billy left, the pain burned. Jesse watched as Eleanor slowly let her guard down, piece by piece, only to put it up again. Her eyes softened whenever she thought of him, the chip on her shoulder was always a little less. Nevertheless, she was sad because she missed him. Jesse had never seen her like that—not with him, not with anyone.

He hated it. Hated the way Billy had gotten under her skin so easily, while Jesse had spent months scraping at the surface, only to be pushed away time and time again. No matter how skilled or useful Billy was—and he was, Jesse had to admit that—he couldn’t shake the gnawing envy that ate at him every time he thought of them together.

Billy wasn’t even trying. That’s what infuriated Jesse the most. He didn’t have to beg for her attention, didn’t have to carefully lay out reasons for her to stay. She just… opened up to him. Let him in without hesitation, the way she’d never done with Jesse.

It grated on him when they came to Lincoln, because Jesse knew that despite Billy's words that he would go out and see her. Talk to her, touch her in a way that Jesse never could. No matter how many jobs Billy helped with, no matter how well he fit in with the crew, Jesse couldn’t shake the anger. The resentment.

Because in the end, Billy had gotten something Jesse never could—Eleanor’s trust. And no matter what Jesse did, it didn’t seem like she was ever going to look at him the way she looked at Billy.

So, when the opportunity arose, Jesse did what he’d always done best—he took what wasn’t his.

The morning he stopped her in front of the bank, ready to pull his gun, daring her to fight him, it was too easy. It wasn’t just about the money; it was about getting back at her, for rejecting him. For choosing Billy.

It was about the power. About hitting her where it hurt because she’d never let him in, because she’d never given him a second glance the way she did with Billy. It was a childish, spiteful move, and he knew it, but Jesse couldn’t stop himself.

Taking from Eleanor was the only way he knew how to regain some sense of control, some twisted form of justice for all the ways she’d made him feel small. Petty? Absolutely. But to Jesse, it felt like evening the score. If he couldn’t have her, he could at least destabilize her job, leave her with a hole as big as the one she’d left in him.

Eleanor swept the floor of Tunstall’s store, her jaw clenched tight as she replayed the events of the last few days. The sharp scent of soap filled her nose, but it did little to distract her from the bitterness gnawing at her insides. Jesse had robbed her -- robbed her boss -- plain and simple, and she’d let him walk away without a fight. No consequences, no comeuppance—just a silent agreement that she’d let it slide. And that was what pissed her off the most. How easily she’d let him get away with it.

She paused, wiping her hands on her apron as the familiar heat of frustration rose in her chest. Jesse had been a thorn in her side from the moment they met, always trying to get closer, always pushing for more. She’d kept him at arm’s length, making it clear that he was nothing more than a job. But he wanted more. Wanted something she wasn’t willing to give. And when Billy came around, Jesse had lost whatever patience he had left.

The fact that he’d turned on her so easily, stealing from her like she was just another mark, stung more than she cared to admit. She should’ve seen it coming. Jesse was petty, vindictive, and jealous, but she hadn’t expected him to stoop so low. Now, every time she looked at the empty shelves, she was reminded of her mistake. Of letting him in, even just a little.

And then there was Billy.

She hadn’t seen or heard from him in days, and the knot of worry in her stomach grew tighter with each passing hour. Billy wasn’t the type to disappear without a word. He had a way of making her feel like she wasn’t so alone in this mess of a world, even if she’d never admit it out loud. But now, with him gone and Jesse lurking in the shadows, Eleanor felt the weight of her isolation pressing down on her like a heavy blanket.

She hated that she cared so much, hated that Billy had wormed his way into her thoughts. But the truth was, she missed him. Missed the way he’d look at her, like she was something worth fighting for. She hated that vulnerability, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Meanwhile, out in the desert, Billy sat by a dying campfire, his face illuminated by the soft flicker of flames. The Seven Rivers gang was out on another raid, Jesse leading them like a pack of wolves, tearing through farms and ranches with ruthless efficiency. Billy’s gut twisted as he thought about the bloodshed. It wasn’t just men they were killing anymore—it was women and children, innocent families who had nothing to do with their quarrels. The violence made him sick, but he kept quiet, burying his unease beneath a mask of indifference.

But the more he thought about it, the harder it became to ignore. He wasn’t like Jesse. He didn’t take pleasure in the slaughter, didn’t get off on the power trip that came with a gun in his hand. And the thought of Eleanor’s face if she ever knew what he’d been a part of—it haunted him. He didn’t want to be that man. Didn’t want to turn into someone she couldn’t recognize.

Billy’s meeting with McSween had been brief but to the point. The lawyer was a sharp man, with calculating eyes that seemed to size Billy up the moment he walked into Tunstall’s office. McSween didn’t waste time on pleasantries, diving straight into the heart of the matter: Tunstall was looking for men who weren’t afraid to stand up to the corruption sweeping through the county, and Billy—well, Billy was known for his willingness to take risks.

That’s when Tunstall had come into the picture.

The man had a reputation for being fair, for standing up to the gangs and the violence. He’d seen something in Billy, something that made him extend an offer—work for him, protect his land, and maybe, just maybe, Billy could clear his name. It wasn’t much, but it was a chance. A chance to get out, to start fresh. To be someone Eleanor could be proud of.

As the fire crackled and the distant sounds of Jesse’s gang echoed in the night, Billy made his decision. He wasn’t going back. Not to Jesse, not to the violence. He was going to take Tunstall up on his offer, even if it meant crossing Jesse in the process.

Billy leaned against the bar, arms crossed as Irene Riley slid up beside him. He barely noticed her at first, his mind heavy with everything else. Jesse's orders weighed on him, the memory of McSween's words from their meeting echoing in his head: a chance to clear his name. Then there was Eleanor—always Eleanor. He couldn't stop thinking about her.

"Hello there, Billy," Irene's voice cut through his thoughts, silky but filled with intention.

Billy straightened, glancing over at her. "Mrs. Riley."

"I wanted to see you," she said, her gaze lingering a little too long, a little too boldly. "I want to talk to you. I need to."

"Uh… maybe now's not a good time," he muttered, already half turned to leave. But she wasn't having any of it.

"Oh, no. Definitely now." She flashed him a smile that might’ve worked on some other man, but Billy just felt uneasy. She leaned in, her perfume sharp and overwhelming. "I have something to say."

He sighed inwardly, already knowing where this was headed. "Get me another drink, will you?" she added, tapping her glass against the counter.

"Sure," Billy replied, moving to get it for her more out of habit than anything else. He passed her the drink, waiting for whatever she had on her mind. His thoughts slipped back to McSween. The lawyer's offer was tempting: a way out of this violence, a new start. And Eleanor… maybe if he could walk away clean, they could have something more. Maybe—

"I want to tell you about my husband," Irene interrupted, her voice low and dangerous.

Billy blinked, pulling himself back to the present. "What about your husband?"

"I… I hate him." Her voice dropped further, leaning closer into his space. "He treats me so bad. You can't even imagine."

Billy shifted uncomfortably, his fingers drumming against the bar. "Maybe this isn't the place to talk about this."

But Irene was persistent. "No," she said sharply, lighting a cigarette and taking a slow drag. "Light my cigarette, will ya?" He did as asked, though his mind was already wandering again, back to Jesse, back to Eleanor.

"Thank you," she whispered, her gaze trailing up his face. "You know, you're very good-looking, Billy." Her voice had dropped to something more intimate, something he wasn’t interested in hearing.

Can we go somewhere? I like you," she said softly, her fingers brushing against his arm.

Billy recoiled inwardly. His mind flashed to Eleanor, how she looked at him, how she made him feel. Not this. This was something else entirely, something hollow. He shook his head, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Her hand lingered on his arm, her voice pleading now. "Please. Please, Billy. I told you I hate him. I have to get away."

"No." His voice was firmer this time, more resolute. He could only think of Eleanor—her strength, her fire. She wouldn’t be caught in a mess like this. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Riley."

For a moment, her expression faltered. Then, she straightened, pushing herself away from him, the bitterness flashing in her eyes. "Never mind," she muttered, blowing out another puff of smoke. "It's not your fight." She turned away, but Billy barely noticed her leaving.

His mind was already elsewhere, locked on Eleanor and the war inside him.

Eleanor did up the buttons of her coat as she glanced around the dimly lit store. It was time to close up for the night. She’d grown used to the quiet of the evening, the way the fading sun cast long shadows across the shelves, how the world seemed to slow down just before dusk. She began locking the doors, mind already wandering to the things she needed to take care of at home when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of something—or rather, someone—that made her blood freeze.

Across the street, parked at an angle, was an army caravan. The sight of it made her stomach twist in knots. Stepping out from the caravan was Captain Harbinger, his uniform crisp, the gleam of his medals catching the last bit of sunlight. It was like seeing a ghost, a reminder of everything she had run from.

Eleanor’s heart pounded in her chest, her breath catching as she backed away from the door, hoping—praying—that he hadn’t spotted her. She pressed herself against the frame, eyes wide as she watched him scan the area, his eyes sharp and searching. He couldn’t see her. He couldn’t find her. Not here. Not now.

She slunk away into the shadows, heart racing, her mind frantically calculating the safest path home. There was no way she could risk walking out in the open. Not with him so close. With quick, quiet steps, Eleanor slipped out the back of the store, taking the long way around the alley, her every nerve on edge. The sound of her own hurried footsteps echoed in her ears as she kept her head down, weaving through the backstreets, desperate to stay hidden. She couldn’t afford to be seen.

As she walked, her mind raced just as quickly as her pulse. Harbinger being here wasn't a coincidence -- the US Army had a steady presence here in Lincoln. But that didn't mean he hadn’t forgotten, hadn’t given up on the thought of his 'bride'. As far as she had tried to run, her past caught up to her once again. The life she’d built here, the small sense of safety she’d started to feel, was now under threat.

Her breaths came shallow as the truth settled heavy in her chest. There was no way she could stay. Not with Harbinger here, sniffing around like a wolf hunting its prey. She’d been down this road before—moving, running, hiding. She hated it, but it was all she knew how to do. She couldn’t risk being caught.

Eleanor stopped for a moment, her hands trembling as she leaned against the cold wooden wall of the alleyway. She had to leave. That much was clear. The thought of it filled her with dread, but the alternative was worse. She couldn’t let Harbinger catch her, couldn’t let him drag her back into that life. Not after everything she’d done to get away.

So Johana Delile would have to disappear, and she would become someone else. She would have to pick up and move again, find somewhere new, somewhere far from here where he wouldn’t think to look. But this time, something tugged at her heart—a small but undeniable thread of hesitation. What about Billy? What if he came back, looking for her? Could she really leave without telling him?

Eleanor froze mid-step, her heart pounding as the sharp crack of a gunshot shattered the evening air. The sound echoed through the town, slicing through the murmur of voices and the rustle of movement. Panic surged as people dropped their tasks, their faces pale and eyes wide with fear. Frantic, curious bystanders surged toward the source of the commotion, their footsteps pounding on the ground like a stampede. Eleanor’s instincts screamed at her to move, to escape the chaos closing in around her. She forced herself to keep walking, her pace quickening as she desperately sought refuge in the growing darkness, knowing that the safest place was far from the unfolding violence.

The night outside the saloon was thick with tension. The crowd spilled into the street, murmurs turning into shouts as people pressed forward to see what had just happened. The sudden crack of a gunshot had silenced the raucous laughter inside, and now the night air was filled with panic.

John Riley stood over his wife’s body, panting heavily, the smoking gun still clutched in his hand. Irene lay crumpled in the dirt, her dress stained dark with blood, eyes open but lifeless.

"She's dead!" someone shouted from the crowd, their voice laced with a mixture of horror and disbelief.

Billy stepped out of the saloon just in time to catch sight of the chaos. His gaze landed on John, trembling, wild-eyed, still holding the gun.

"What did you do?" one of the onlookers demanded, their voice sharp as they turned to John.

"She shot me!" John bellowed, clutching his side where a shallow graze was visible. "She tried to kill me!" His words were frantic, his voice cracking under the weight of what he'd done. "Now get me some fucking help!"

The crowd surged forward, but Billy moved faster, stepping in front of John before things escalated. "Hey, hey!" Billy barked, trying to keep things under control. "What the hell is happening?"

A man in the crowd pointed at John, eyes wide with shock. "Your friend killed his wife!"

John swayed on his feet, blood seeping through his fingers as he continued to press his hand to his side. "She shot me, I swear!" His voice was desperate, pleading, as if saying it loud enough would make it true. "Look at me!"

Billy's eyes flickered between John’s injury and Irene's body on the ground. He knew John, knew how he could lose his temper when he’d been drinking. But this… this was different.

"Okay, okay," Billy said, keeping his voice steady, trying to calm the rising panic in the air. "Just…" He glanced at the revolver in John’s hand. "Put it down, John."

John’s eyes were wild, darting between the crowd and the gun in his hand, like he didn’t even recognize what he was holding anymore.

"Billy, put it down!" one of the townsfolk urged him.

The tension crackled in the air as Billy held his ground. "Someone go fetch the doctor, huh?" he called out over his shoulder. There was no time for arguments. He needed to get control of the situation before it spiraled out of hand.

One of the men nodded and took off running down the street.

Billy turned back to John, voice softer now. "Come on, John. Let's go inside, all right? I’ll help you." He stepped forward slowly, hands out in a gesture of peace. "Come on."

John’s grip loosened on the gun, his face slack with shock, as if the reality of what he’d done was starting to sink in. He let Billy take the weapon from his hand.

"Good," Billy muttered, swallowing hard as he tossed the gun aside and wrapped an arm around John's shoulders, steering him away from the scene. Irene’s body lay still behind them, but the crowd’s attention shifted to John, muttering about justice, about calling the sheriff.

"Fuck," Billy cursed under his breath. He had a bad feeling about this.

"We need a sheriff!" someone yelled from the crowd, but no one moved. They were all too stunned, too horrified by what had just happened.

"Just go!" Billy snapped, glancing over his shoulder before leading John back into the saloon.

[the-hinky-panda]

I don't think you're right for him (Hey) think of what it might've been

You can read the previous parts of this series here.

Relationships weren’t your thing. They never really were. You had been married once, when you were young and dumb enough to believe the promises that people made to you. It lasted for three years before you ended it and cut him loose. Two years after that came the double whammy of a life-saving hysterectomy and the MS diagnosis. You were helping another professional when you came off the horse and the rail splintered, impaling you in the abdomen. The hysterectomy saved your life but it also opened the door for them to run more tests when they saw a shadow on your spine from one of the scans to look at the internal damage caused by the rail. 

The nurses had tiptoed around you, fearing weeping and wailing over the loss of not being able to have children. But you had never wanted them to begin with. You certainly didn’t want them when you were with your ex. As a single woman trying to make it in a man’s business, you didn’t want the complication that a baby would bring. And now with the monster of MS staring down at you, a pregnancy would bring about too much of a strain on your body. Not to mention the possibility of passing it along to your child. 

You tell Filip this, with the orange dawn light peeking through the lace curtains of the hotel room in Ireland and his fingertips trailing over the raised scar on your abdomen. He’s the first man that you’ve told about the surgery, about how your diagnosis came about. This, laying in his bed, with his hands still on your skin, while you tell the story of the worst day of your life, and it’s far more intimate than anything else that has happened in the bed. 

You can’t just walk away from him now. This is not a one night stand where you both go back to your lives as if nothing significant has happened. There are signs, little tells that occur when reality starts bleeding back into your world that he feels the same effect. Bags need to be packed, flights need to be caught. Business as usual. Except it isn’t. He carries your bag downstairs for you, gets you both coffee while you wait for the cab to take you to the airport and yours is fixed exactly the way you like it. You sit close together in the backseat of the cab, hands entwined so naturally you didn’t even realize it until you arrived at the airport. 

You’re not a touchy-feely type person. You used to be though. As a child, you felt everything, the entire range of emotions. You felt connections to people, animals, the earth itself. That’s what drew you to the horses, you felt like you spoke the same language. But then people started to demand things from you when you became a teenager. They wanted that connection you had to the horses, they wanted your riding talent. And when your body changed, they wanted that too. Alcohol and drugs dulled the feelings of being used so that you could enjoy the horses. No one could touch you when you were on the back of a horse so that’s what you lived for. But as you sit next to Filip on the flight from Belfast to Newark, you wonder what it would be like to live for something else. 

Someone else. 

You study his profile on the flight, your thumb absently dragging over one of the bulky rings on his hand. The sweep of his iron gray hair, tucked behind his ear. The straight line of his nose, the deeply etched scar across his cheek. You know he’s smiling when a dimple appears and you quickly avert your eyes in slight embarrassment. 

“What?” 

“Nothing,” you respond, continuing with your fiddling with the ring. 

“Uh huh,” comes the disbelieving response. “You haven’t said hardly a word all morning. Normally, you can’t stay quiet. Something’s going on inside that head of yours.” 

This is the part when you would disappear, slink away to get lost on the dance floor or go to another club and get tangled up with someone else. But you’re stuck on a plane, somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, and there’s no place to hide. Maybe that’s a good thing though, not having an escape route this time. You have to face this, face him. Because out of all the one night stands and possible suitors, Filip Telford was worth taking this chance. 

You’re not able to find the proper words, or any words to address his observation until you’re both sitting in an airport bar waiting for your flight to LAX. You’re on your second martini when you blurt out the truth of the matter in the most simplest terms you can manage. 

“I don’t know what I’m doing.” 

His dark eyes scan your face, looking for any clues as to what you’re talking about. The comment he had made about you being quiet had happened three hours ago so confusion over your statement isn’t unexpected. “Don’t know what you’re doing with what?” 

“This. Us.” You rub a hand over your face. “Relationships.” 

“Ah.” 

You hear the defeat in his voice, realize there’s some untold story behind the disappointment, that you’re not the only one with baggage. You have no idea what to say because you have no idea what has happened to him to make him jump to the worst interpretation of your statement. You brush your fingertips over his knuckles. “Filip, listen…” 

***

“I can’t do this anymore.” 

He had heard the music, some R&B shit that Althea plays whenever she’s in the trenches of self pity and doubt. The scent of weed came after he opened the door to her apartment. It was going to be one of those nights. And he’s tired. So bone weary exhausted that he doesn’t have it in him to play this game. But he has to say something. They can’t stare down each other until the other blinks. It’s best to give her the floor, let her rant and see where they end up afterwards.That’s the dance they step to, that’s what’s so tiring.“What?” 

“I don’t know what I was thinking. Jesus, I’m an idiot. It’s not you, Filip.” 

The side of his mouth quirks up in a disbelieving grin. The old “it’s not you, it’s me.” He would have hoped she was a bit more creative than that. Maybe she’s tired too. 

“I always put myself in these situations where, that just can’t go anywhere. I just seek out shit that I know is going to crash and burn. I’m sorry, I should have never let this happen.”

No, he shouldn’t have let this happen. Certainly not for this long. The cop and the criminal. Only one of them is going to win at the end of the day. If she loses, she’ll be dead. If he loses, he’ll be incarcerated. There are no happy endings in sight for either of them and the old feelings of failing in a relationship, failing someone, start to rise in his chest. He’s twenty-two and leaving Ireland, leaving a wife and sweet faced baby girl all over again. So much for waiting over twenty years and trying it again. Failure was his destiny. 

He took the joint from Althea, inhaled a couple deep breaths, and blew it out in a long stream of smoke. “Okay.” 

He stood up and grabbed his kutte, pulling it back on. He heard Althea get up from her crouched position on the floor. “That’s it? ‘Okay?’” 

He sighed and raised his eyes to the ceiling. “What do you want from me, Althea?” 

What does anyone want from him? God, he was so fucking tired. 

That tiredness settles like a familiar weight on his shoulders. He knows what’s coming next. Last night was fun but…This was just an international fling…you understand, right? 

“Filip!” 

Your fingers are still tapping on his hand and he slips it out of your reach, picking up his scotch glass. “Aye, I heard you.” 

“I don’t think you did.” 

He glances over at you, sees that smart ass slight twist of your lips. He’s struck with just how beautiful you really are. And how that doesn’t matter anymore. “Then what is it?” 

“I’m trying to tell you I’m shit at being in a relationship. But,” you take a deep breath, “but I want to try. With you. If you want.”

He feels some of the weight start to lift. This isn’t a “go separate ways” speech. This isn’t a “it’s not you, it’s me” excuse. You want the opposite. You want to continue this back in Charming. And the hope that blossoms in his chest forces him to tamper down the relieved smile that wants to appear. Instead, he tones it down to a half grin and takes a sip of his scotch. “You really are shit at this.” 

You huff in annoyance but there’s no real edge to it. “You’re not much better, are you now?”

Maybe this is how it’s supposed to work, this open acknowledgement of not knowing what to do and moving forward anyway. Maybe he’s not giving the two of you enough credit. He finishes the scotch before laying his hand over yours. The tattoo on your wrist is peeking out from the cuff of your cardigan and he traces it with the pad of his thumb. He asks the same question he posed to Althea that night, the night he should have continued to walk back out the door. 

“What do you want from me?” 

Your hand turns as you slip your fingers between his, you go back to playing with the heavy silver of his rings. “Just you, whatever you’re willing to give.” 

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Ikemen Sengoku - Kanetsugu

These translations are not intended as a replacement for the game. Please support Cybird by buying their stories. Expect grammatical errors. I kind of rushed this one.

The sun was beginning to set.

Mai: "Well, that's it for today. Good work."

Boy: "Okay! Thank you."

I came to help at the school and saw the boy leave, smiling.

At that moment, I suddenly saw a shadow.

Kanetsugu: "You seem to be doing well."

Mai: "Kanetsugu!"

I turned around, startled by the unexpected visit of my lover.

Mai: "You came too."

Kanetsugu: "Yeah. I'm here to restock the brushes and paper. You can never have too much here."

Kanetsugu: "Are you done helping?"

Mai: "Yep, just now."

Kanetsugu: "Then let's go home."

(I'm so glad we're going home together. His timing is perfect.)

Mai: "Are you here to pick me up, by any chance?"

Kanetsugu: "Still clever as always."

Mai: "So, I guess that means I'm right, huh?"

I looked up expectantly, and Kanetsugu sighed a little.

(I knew I was on to something.)

I couldn't help but smile at Kanetsugu's kindness for taking the time to pick me up and not allowing me to know about it.

(My lover is really a wonderful person.)

We both left the school together, happy.

Kanetsugu: “We’ll stop by a shop before we return to the castle. I’ll buy you an obidome.”

Mai: “Huh?”

Kanetsugu: “You said the other day that your obidome’s accessory was broken.”

Mai: “Don’t worry, I’ll buy it myself.”

I shook my head as I hurriedly refused, still happy that he remembered me.

Kanetsugu: “You’ve taken the initiative to help out with some of the unfamiliar tasks at the school, so this is my way of saying thanks for that.”

Kanetsugu: “If you don’t mind, take it.”

(Kanetsugu...)

My heart skipped a beat when he looked me straight in the eye and said this.

Mai: “Okay. I’d be happy to.”

His expression softened a little at my acceptance.

When we came to the front of the small store, the shopkeeper saw him, and his eyes lit up.

Shopkeeper: “Oh, if it isn’t Master!”

Shopkeeper's wife: "What? Lord Kanetsugu is here?"

In response to the shopkeeper's voice, his wife came out from the back of the store.

Kanetsugu goes by the name "Echigo's Master" and is sometimes addressed as "Master" even in the castle.

I felt proud whenever someone called him that, which was both friendly and respectful.

Kanetsugu: "You both look like you're in good health."

Shopkeeper: "Of course! It's all thanks to you that I've been able to procure my supplies."

Shopkeeper: "I actually wanted to thank you."

Kanetsugu: "I see. But I only offered you a potential supplier. It was your skill that made the negotiations successful."

Shopkeeper's wife: "Oh, come on, sir. This guy gets carried away if you praise him too much."

Shopkeeper: "Who's going to get carried away?"

Shopkeeper's wife: "You, you silly."

Their banter was fun to listen to.

Mai: "You two really get along."

The couple laughed a little shyly, and I felt even more warm and fuzzy.

Shopkeeper: "By the way, what can I get for you today?"

Kanetsugu: "I want to buy some obidome for Mai."

(Some!?)

Mai: "Kanetsugu, one is enough."

I hurriedly pulled his sleeve to stop him.

Kanetsugu: "You're gonna need extra when it breaks again."

Mai: "I won't break it so easily."

Kanetsugu: "Just choose. I don't mind spending some money on something you're going to use."

(He says that kind of thing so casually.)

I was speechless as I felt how much he cherished me.

Kanetsugu seemed to have no intention of giving it up, and the couple at the shop were beaming at us.

Shopkeeper: "He really loves you, okugata-sama."

Mai: “Huh?”

My heart skipped a beat, hearing him say that.

Mai: “No, we’re still not married!”

Kanetsugu: “You’re overreacting.”

Mai: “Because...!”

(Do I look like Kanetsugu’s wife?)

Shopkeeper: “Oh dear. I thought you were already married, since you’re getting along well.”

Shopkeeper’s wife: “I don’t like to impose on you, sir, but you shouldn’t keep a woman waiting.”

(Ah, she’s pushing it!)

Before I could say anything, Kanetsugu, standing next to me, spoke up.

Kanetsugu: “It won’t be too long now.”

(----!)

I couldn’t stop blushing with surprise and joy.

That night, just as I was getting ready for bed and getting into the futon...

Mai: “Is what you said about marriage earlier true?”

I asked, unable to suppress my excitement, and his wisteria-colored eyes met mine.

Kanetsugu: “That’s right.”

Mai: “..........”

He confirmed, and joy once again spread through my heart.

Kanetsugu: “Are you that happy?”

Mai: “Of course!”

Mai: “I want to get married, but the thought of committing my future to you makes me even happier.”

Smiling naturally, I expressed my feelings in words, and he stared at me, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Kanetsugu: “I see.”

(Ah...)

His soft smile made my heart flutter.

(I want to touch him.)

My growing infatuation gently pushed me.

Mai: “Kanetsugu, can I kiss you?”

Slightly embarrassed, I looked up at the man I love and asked for a kiss, but what came back after a short silence was his sigh.

Kanetsugu: “No.”

(What!?)

Mai: “You’re thinking about marriage, yet you can’t kiss me?”

Slumping my shoulders dejectedly, he reached out and forcefully lifted my chin.

Kanetsugu: “I’ll not wait for you to kiss me.”

Kanetsugu: “I will kiss you myself.”

Mai: “Mnn...!”

After declaring it, he kissed me roughly, and while I was at the mercy of it, his eyes shot deep into my heart.

(Kanetsugu...)

His wisteria-colored eyes yearned for me and held a heat that almost burned me.

Mai: "Mnn...unfair..."

Kanetsugu: "Unfair? What is?"

I protested, out of breath, between kisses.

Mai: "I want to kiss the person I love too."

Kanetsugu: "You really want me to kiss you harder, huh?"

He growled softly and kissed me even harder to shut me up.

I lay in bed tonight, seeking the one I love and feeling the happiness of being desired by my lover.

(The fabrics I just saw were beautiful. Oh!)

A few days later, I passed the thrift shop on my way back from my shopping trip and saw the couple at the storefront, looking as friendly as ever.

(They both look really happy.)

(Someday, I'll marry Kanetsugu, too.)

Just thinking about it makes me fidgety.

(Huh? But how is marriage done in this period?)

(I wonder how it differs from my time. Come to think of it, I don't know anything about it.)

Once I realized that, I instantly began to worry.

Not paying attention to my surroundings, I walked around wondering where I should learn when suddenly一

Mai: "Whoa!?"

I tripped on a stone and stumbled.

But at that moment, someone grabbed my arm and supported me.

Yoshimoto: "Are you okay, Mai?"

Mai: "Yoshimoto!"

Yoshimoto: "You're lucky you didn't fall."

Mai: "Y-Yes, thank you."

After thanking him, Yoshimoto let go of the hand supporting me.

Yoshimoto: "You seem to have been thinking about something."

Mai: "That's..."

(What should I do? I don't know if I should ask for advice.)

After staring at me for a brief moment, Yoshimoto smiled softly.

Yoshimoto: "I can at least listen to what you have to say if you like. We can talk about it over tea at the teahouse there."

Mai: "So that's how it is."

Yoshimoto: "I see. Well, it's only natural that you don't know."

I confided to him that I had no idea about marriage in this era, and he nonchalantly chimed in.

Yoshimoto: "I can tell you what I know if you want, but what bothers you exactly?"

(There are many things that bother me.)

Mai: "First, where do people in this town celebrate?"

I asked him a simple question that popped into my head while he sipped his tea and blinked once before answering.

Yoshimoto: "We're not doing anything too grandiose like that."

Mai: "What!?"

(Hm, his answer is unexpected.)

When I returned home that night, I was lost in thought, recalling my conversation with Yoshimoto.

Apparently, in turbulent times, people don't usually hold formal ceremonies.

(Most often, couples here become husband and wife before they know it, and most of the ceremonies are political marriages of samurai or noble families.)

(Now that I think about it, it's totally different from my time.)

For the first time in a while, I experienced a bit of culture shock.

Also, for some reason, the word political marriage weighed on my heart like a heavy stone.

Kanetsugu: "Mai, are you listening?"

Part 1╏Part 2╏Premium╏Epilogue

[baybtron]

𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹

fem!reader + itadori yuji

𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰. i unwrap for you today, a fiction following the life of a college student who struggles with her drug addiction and depression. with no plans to fix herself she continues to create a ditch in which traps her in her studies and failing exams, until meeting a guy when working after a busy night shift. one that she didn’t know would change her life, drastically.

𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. college!au heavy!angst, violence, use of over the counter or prescription drugs/ medications, heavy!drugs use, panic attack, family issues mentioned?, depression, use of weapons, slow burn?, light!fluff, fem!reader.

𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲. this is my first fan fiction ever 1) and 2) there are many details from this in which i’ve taken from euphoria.

i started this story on Monday, December 18th at 11:46.

maybe if you weren’t such a nuisance, maybe just maybe life would be better. or at least that’s what you thought, but what about what other people think? maybe they feel the same way. but who knows? who’ll ever know what other people trul— interrupted by your thoughts is your professor calling out your name from the front of the class. you practically jump out of your seat, swallowing thickly as you adjust yourself before setting your eyes on the professor. “i apologize, professor.” you say quietly, almost quiet as a mouse as you lean into your hand. your elbow resting on the desk, legs crossed as you try to focus. the professor nods his head in response, “please do try to pay attention.” he speaks aloud as he clears his throat, turning back to the board as he resumes his lecture.

though, it was hard enough for you to pay attention. being sleep deprived, and also being as high as a kite in class was not a good idea. you chuckled quietly at your own internal thoughts as you stare blankly at the board. all these other students must have a clue on what’s going on, unlike you. some woman putting her intelligence to waste by being high all day, words your mother would say if she were here.

you didn’t have much friends— or any at all. you didn’t need any, and coming from a thought that wasn’t in a way your mother would want it to be, friends were a nuisance. much like you saw yourself as one.

you trotted through the hallways of the college campus, hands in the pockets of your sweatpants as you counted each one of your steps. staring into the distance as you could feel the world around you spin, flake, disappear and come back, dissolve and bounce. carrying your black book bag— yeah, you still carried a book bag around like it were your highschool days. who cares? certainly not you. it was actually a comfort, being reminded of those days of youth. being so lost as you wobbled through the empty halls, too busy to take notice in the guy who was heading right towards you.

there was a large thump, the guy dropped his phone. you on the other hand stumbled back quite a bit, as if you were knocked out of your thoughts and back into reality. so much for a fifty dollar cart. you sighed as you scratched the back of your head lightly. “sorry, i wasn’t paying attention.” you said as you looked up at the guy whom you had ran into. Yuji Itadori.

wow, what a perfect guy. not even saying this appearance wise, but he was just perfect. ideal. he was a student athlete, full paid off scholarship from three whole sports. he was tall, dirty pink hair, light brown eyes like the autumn leaves. he had perfect grades, a perfect life, a lot of friends— he was definitely going somewhere in the future. much unlike yourself.

“no, don’t worry. that was my fault.” he gave a cheeky grin, holding up his hand as he held himself accountable. he then kneeled down to grab his phone, standing up straight again as he looked towards your direction. “trust me though, the other guys here would’ve made it a bigger deal than it should’ve been.” he chuckled in thought before tilting his head. analyzing you and your physical appearance. “you used to be on the girls baseball team in high school, right?” he questioned curiously.

oh? that was new. he’d actually recognized you, catching your interest. you just nod your head slowly, though it was still a bit hard to respond with such a slow processing time. “yeah, i.. uh..” you stammer on your words for a second before pushing a strand of your hair behind your ear. to seem… more sober. “yeah, i was.” was. “i quit, after junior year though.” you gave a quick smile, before it going away. yuji nodded in understanding, “understandable.” he replied with a smile. “you look different, a good different though don’t get me wrong!” was he trying to keep this conversation up? he wasn’t doing good. “yeah— thanks.” you said bluntly. “i, uh.. really have to get going..” you gave a slightly empathetic chuckle, and a nervous smile. “i have an exam, i’ll catch up with you later though, yuji.” you said quickly, but before he could utter another sentence you’d already walked past him.

“y—“ …”yeah.” he said, looking back curiously as you walked off. “a good different.” he muttered under his breath before looking away, continuing his path as he placed his hands inside his pockets.

‘what a nuisance.’ you thought to yourself as you let out an annoyed huff.

later that night, you lie in bed, staring at your ceiling as puffs of smoke leave your mouth. your hair spread out on the white silk sheets, your arms and legs spread out as you stare at the euphoric glimmer of the sky. “i want to go to space.” you slurred out. staring into the ceiling of what was now the galaxy.

you wore a large white t- shirt, in which you had gotten from your older brother. before he had left, before the family split, before… before you were engrossed in drugs. funny, how then your mother would always say;

‘don’t get addicted to things you know you can’t go cold turkey on, pumpkin.’ pumpkin? she’d never say that. “maybe more of uh..” you muttered to yourself. “ ‘don’t do drugs, kid.’ “ you chuckled. “yeah, that sounds about right.” you said as you stared up at the galaxy patterned ceiling. which was all just a figment of your imagination of course, the floral designed underwear you wore designed in red rubbed against your skin. you lifted your arm, holding the blunt to your mouth as you inhaled.. andd exhaled. you closed your eyes. and the alarm rang. time for work.

that’s right, you take classes at 10 in the morning, leave at 12, go home for about 15 minutes.. get high and reminisce leave at 12:26 to go work, work until 2 in the morning.. go back to your apartment… and repeat.

you put on your uniform, tying your hair into a ponytail as you stared at yourself in the mirror. your eyes weren’t as bloodshot as they were in class. i mean? you didn’t need a cart for work, of course.

you thought that as you picked up your cart, stuffing it in your pocket. feeling rather prestigious knowing you can’t go anywhere without the feeling of euphoria following you around!

you sat on the edge of your bad as you put your shoes on, standing up before stretching as you let out a soft groan. “the cycle repeats.” you mutter to yourself as you grab your things and make your way out of your room, shutting the door behind you before walking towards the bathroom. sighing as you opened the mirror-cabinet to grab a small pill container. fluoxetine. didn’t help like weed carts did, but it helped enough to stay on it so when you say ‘i ran out of weed!’ you can just get more. except.. it’s given to you… and prescribed!

you closed the container before setting it back in the cabinet, closing the mirror door before switching off the light and walking out. yanking your keys from the holder as you unlocked and opened the door slowly, walking out as the burst of never-been-outside air hits you. shutting the door on your way out, you shift to your right on your heels. walking down the hallways, onto the elevator, through the lobby and outside to your car. as you got in you slumped in the drivers seat, i mean.. you could really crash into this whole complex right now and just… “boom” you emphasized to yourself before adjusting your body in the seat. setting your keys on the center console you push the start car engine button, buckle yourself in before letting the car heat up.

yeah, sure, your shift was going fine. you made it a few hours into it without bringing your cart into involvement. nor getting scolded for not cooperating by your manager. the loop was changing!

or so, you thought.

it was about 12:30 at night. tables had been cleaned, no customers until a group college students had walked in. in which you knew, and hated. though you put on a smile as you made your way to their table. “welcomeee, and what could i get for you lot.” you say in your best customer service voice.

the girl with a short black bob began to speak. “can i get—“ the girl was interrupted by a tall bulky guy with brown hair, and green eyes. he let out a loud obnoxious laugh as he analyzed you from top to bottom. “i know you.” his voice deep, husky. he tilted his head to the side.

“i, uh.. don’t think i recognize you.” well, how could you. on cloud 9 almost all the time, it’d be a surprise if you did remember.

the guy chuckled.

“i used ta’ be your dealer. till’ you basically said.. fuck yourself, and didn’t pay me.”

“i don’t recall.”

“ya’ know ya’ do.”

“maybe you’re mistaken.”

“you callin’ me dumb, bitch?”

“maybe i am.”

he chuckles. “yeah. maybe you are.” he says, his smile slowly fading. his face falling into a glare, though you knew you were fucked. you thought nothing of it.

and for the rest of that shift, you found yourself high in the clouds again. it helped with the anxiety.

about an hour later, you found yourself taking the trash out. couldn’t your colleagues have done this? or maybe something to help. you scoff. but you were feeling great, so who even cares? as long as you were feeling it so was everyone else. you pushed the back door open as you entered the slim and dark alleyway, the black trash bag in hand as you began to toss it in the trash. you stood there for a second before hearing a whistle in the distance.

“yo, bitch.” a voice you recognized called out, standing in the distance was the guy from earlier, his buddies.. and more buddies. you sighed as you held up your hands, “look.. i.. don’t want any problems.” your voice slurred slightly, but he was too angry to notice.

he trotted over, your reaction timing was moving in space time. so you had literally no time to react at all, as he punched you square in the face. you swear you could feel every bone in your face shift as you fell back, you let out a loud groan. looking up as your eyes widened slightly, but so gone only half of you didn’t realize what was going on.

a few more of his guys joined in, assaulting a cafe worker at 1 in the morning.. in the middle of a dark alleyway. how ironic. after a while you were sat against the brick wall, a cut on your swollen cheek, a bloody nose, and a pool of blood leaking out of your mouth.

“what a nuisance.” the guy spat at you. walking away with the rest of his buddies. your eyes followed him.

“where have i heard that before?” you muttered out as you leaned your head back against the wall. your hand slowly making its way into your pocket as you pulled out your cart. bringing it to your mouth.

inhale, exhale.

closing your eyes as your lungs inhaled the euphoric air.

“yo.”

a voice echoed through your head.

“yo!”

“yoooooooooo!”

your eyes shot opened, coming to your senses as your turn your head slightly to the side. your eyes adjusting to the darkness as you see a silhouette of a man kneeled down in front of you. at first you were able to recognize who it was. but your eyes did you justice, only to realize it was yuji. what a coincidence.

“sheesh.. what happened to you? you look beat up!” he says as he analyzes your face. grabbing your had slowly before helping you up. you couldn’t balance yourself though, so he held you on your feet by the waist. barely conscious as his voice began to fade from your ears. as he walked with you you were completely out of it. he didn’t know any info on you, where you live.. or anything really, except that you did girls baseball in high school, the same one he went to. and had a few conversations with you.. but did you even remember?

he looked concerned as he kept his focus on you, he had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

you woke up hours later, laying on your back in bed. staring up at the bright ceiling as the sun trickled through the curtains. but this wasn’t… your bed. hell, this wasn’t even your room. “what the.. fuck..” you muttered confusingly as you sat up. wincing a bit in pain, bringing a hand to your face as you felt the bruise on your upper cheek.

the room had navy blue walls, consisted of posters of Jennifer Lawrence, random movies in which you’d never seen, video game consoles and a desk. yeah, this definitely wasn’t your room.

“you’re awake.” your head almost snapped as you turned to the right, facing where the voice had come from. standing in the doorway was yuji. you analyzed him as he stood in his sweatpants and Jennifer Lawrence shirt which had pictures of her face collaged onto it. you cringed. then looking back at his face. “oh, um.. hi. yeah.” you pulled your legs over the edge of the bed. only to realize you were in large red pajama pants, which weren’t yours. and your t shirt, which was under your work uniform before.. all this happened. “sorry, but what am i doing here?” you ask.

he leans against the doorframe. your figure was small in his pajama pants, he didn’t do anything weird or creepy he just wanted you to feel comfortable rather than sleeping in work pants that could wake you up with an ache in your legs. “you really don’t recall?” he asked curiously.

“yeah, i mean…—“ you shot a frown. “can you just..- enlighten me, einstein.” you mutter. he blinks, chuckling a bit. “okay, no need to get aggressive” he said as he made his way in, handing you strawberry yogurt with a spoon. sitting besides you on the bed as you reluctantly take it. “found you unconscious, all beat up in an alleyway. i woke you up for a second, but you just passed right back out.” he chuckled. “brought you to my place—“ he held up his hands. “and i swear on my life, didn’t do anything weird. i just changed you into my favorite pajama pants— so you weren’t uncomfortable. i didn’t sleep in the same bed as you either. slept on the couch.” he said, in full honestly before putting his hands back on his lap.

not that you cared, anyway. if he even did do anything, you were unconscious anyway. “oh, and i also put some stuff to help with the bruising and scratches on your face. i also stopped your lip from bleeding.. it was pretty busted.” he said with a grin. it made you raise a brow, this guy was mindful. and he was proud of himself for it… well, not that being careful and mindful was bad but— “never mind.” you muttered to yourself, he raised a brow. “what?” he said suddenly. you almost shot up, looking back at him. “oh.. err.. nothing, sorry.” you said awkwardly before shooting up again. “and— thanks.” you were a bit of an awkward and anxious person— when you weren’t under the influence of drugs, it’s clear that you didn’t care about your own wellbeing.

“well—“ you said suddenly before yuji spoke up again, “y’know..” he said quietly. you turned your head to face him again. and he faced you. “smokings not good for you.” he said with an almost innocent gaze, before standing up and stretching with a groan. “keep the pants, by the way.” he said with a pure smile. if you were high, you’d laugh. but you could just stare in silence as you slowly stood up. “my.. uh.. my car.” you said quietly. “hm?” he turned to you, “oh, i have your keys. car is still by the cafe. if you need me to help ya’ cause you’re a little woozy i can help.” he said softly as he pulled out your keys from his pocket and tossed them to you.

you caught them with both hands, cringing slightly at his offer. “er, no thanks.” you said quietly. “but thanks.” you said again.

when you two stood at his door you had all your things gathered, though you still had his pajama pants on. which he said was fine. “thank you, again, yuji.” you said, you were thankful. you really were. you just couldn’t express it. “no problem, bun.” he said with a smile. ‘bun’? you raised a brow. what an odd guy. as you were about to walk away he suddenly spoke again. “hey.. sorry.. but uh..” he stammered a bit. you turned around to face him, a bit curious as to what he had to say. “we should really.. like.. hang out more.” hang out? “and er—“ he scratched his head. “you really should quit the smoking thing.” the smoking term, again. that’s funny. you thought. but the thought of him wanting to hang out.. also sort of peaked your interest. “….okay.” you said softly. you hadn’t even realized you had uttered that out. but you did. you now had a friend. maybe?

later that day you lay in your own bed, you had taken a shower so your hair was still a bit damp. your body was curled up as you hugged a stuffed animal. you weren’t high.. not one bit. but you were thinking of the words of yuji, ‘you should really quit the smoking thing.’ you almost scoffed aloud as you thought of it again. “as if.” you muttered before your hand slid under your pillow, pulling her cart from under it.

a smirk on your face as you brought it up to your mouth, but stopped as it was only a few inches away.

‘you should really quit that smoking thing.’

“that smoking thing.” you snorted. pulling the cart back from her face, before tossing it the other way. “okay, yuji.” she muttered to herself.

‘ why does some silly boy have a huge influence on me? ‘

the next day you found yourself getting ready again for your classes, you missed the other day so there was an unexcused absence. you didn’t mind— well, usually you didn’t. but you found yourself today feeling a bit.. stressed maybe? not sure. it was an odd feeling.

you dressed yourself in a t shirt and jeans, adjusting how your clothes looked on your body you made your way into the bathroom. staring at yourself in the mirror for a few minutes.. that felt like.. forever.

“i look weird.”

you say quietly to yourself.

“i feel weird.”

you say in a louder voice, almost jumping out of your skin when you realize how loud you can be. as if you didn’t know you could be any louder.

you just sigh, feeling weird. but your body feels oddly warm. in a good way of course. you almost crack a smile as you open the mirror cabinet, pulling out the container of prescription pills. “these wouldn’t count.. right?” you stared at them. you then let out a heavy sigh before putting them back, closing the mirror and walking out of the bathroom.

“no.”

you grab your bags as you slightly adjust your hair.

what are you doing that for? you catch yourself, questioning in your head as to why you would even care about things such as your own hair. you take a minute to think before brushing it off. you grab your phone, shoving it into your pocket as you walk out of your room, making your way to the front door as you slip on your black uggs. you twist the doorknob after unlocking it, grabbing your keys before standing there for a second.

you’re forgetting something.

you stare at the doorknob as you dissociate from your body. “it’s probably nothing.” you mutter out before walking out the door, shutting the door behind you as make your way out.

unlike your job, the college campus was literally right next door! all you had to do was a little bit of walking. you’d be fine, right?

“you made it early for once.” your professor said with a small smile. you looked up from wherever you stood. staring for a second before shaking out of your thoughts. “yeah.. i uh.. i.. i made it.” you give a small yet awkward smile. “well, take a seat then.” he offers kindly as he turns around and starts cleaning off the board. you nod in response as you make your way to your seat in the front row, crossing your legs as you look around.

“you know…. in the beginning of the year, you were my best student.” the professor said. you looked over, he was a scrawny old man with long grey hairs. he seemed sweet too. “oh..” was all you could mutter out. wanting to tell him more for some reason, he just tilted his head. “what happened, young one?” he questioned curiously. though you could sense a feeling of warmth from him, “well..” just before you could speak, mote students came flooding in. interrupting your train of thought and voice, you just stopped. and looked away. though, your professor didn’t pry. he just nodded, and faced the other students.

after that class you found yourself, yet again walking through the hallways. you looked around as you sort of.. admired the campus view. “why’ve i never noticed this?” you muttered to yourself as you looked around. you nodded your head as if approving the beautiful scenery like never before. you chuckle to yourself before heading into the library, which you’ve never done before. quite odd of you.

pulling out your phone as you quietly walk in, the library filled with books of every genre. i mean, of course. it’s a library. you sit down at a nearby table, there were a few other people here as well. scattered around studying, or just reading.. but you didn’t mind. you felt a sense of peace? maybe. until you heard a familiar voice.

“yo!” a male voice said aloud, a few voices shushing him in the background. you looked up as you noticed him, a small smile appearing on your face, before fading as you noticed four other people following behind him. a rather tall male with black spiky hair, following by a shorter guy with white hair and a black mask. a girl with a short brown bob, and another with a long black high ponytail. they all waved and sat down.

“hey!” the female with the brown eyes and short brown hair said with a smile, “we’ve heard a lot about you, from yuji of course!” she said happily. the others agreeing. she held out her hand to shake yours as she leaned over the table. you looked down at her hand, hesitant. you looked back at her and then smiled. she awkwardly pulled her hand away. yuji smiled, “don’t be nervous. these are my friends, nobara, megumi, maki, and toge. wanted to introduce them to you.” he said happily.

“tuna.” the white haired male introduced as toge spoke. in which the girl, maki, with the long ponytail agreed with him. she pushed her glasses up slightly as she sat up. “you have an odd scent— don’t get me wrong, you look good but usually— and i see you around campus a lot.. usually you look out of it. are you feeling okay today?” she asked curiously.

“oh— i.. uh..” you stammered.

“maki! why would you ask such a question?” nobara butted in.

megumi peaked in from his phone. “maybe she’s just having a good day.” he mustered.

toge responded, “tuna mayo.” which you didn’t quite understand.

yuji tried to speak a few times but they continued to argue a bit more, they’d ask you questions but wouldn’t let you answer them. overwhelming you as they argued and argued and argued.

you felt yourself getting overwhelmed, your face felt like it was heated as your chest started to become heavy. your eyes darted from each of them before standing up quickly, gathering your things and walking off without say.

yuji noticed you before anyone, standing up as he watched you rush away. he shouted your name, “wait! please—“ he called after you. but you kept walking, you walked until you were off the campus. looking around as cars passed by, people laughed and chatted as you rushed through. the sidewalks seemed like they were always crowded.. but why now? why now when you felt the world caving in on you? why now when you felt as if you couldn’t breath.

why now when you felt isolated?

you rushed to the student apartment complex as your hand never left your chest, trying to catch your breath as if you just ran a mile. your eyes darted around making sure no one followed you, fumbling with the keys in your pocket as you made your way up the stairs. “mom.. mommy.” you muttered under your breath. as if she would even come. what was wrong with you?

finally opening the door you yanked your keys out of the lock and slammed the door behind you, not even locking it as you dropped your things. you rushed around, rummaging through your things.

“where is it?” you shouted, as if you were in fear. as if you were hiding from someone. you destroyed your room, the living room, your cabinets, drawers, until you moved onto your bed next. you grabbed your pillow and threw it as your breath scurried away from you. tears filling your eyes as you destroyed everything in your path… until you found it. your cart, you yanked it towards you quickly. putting it to your mouth.

inhale, exhale.

but you felt nothing.

you opened your eyes, your breathing getting increasingly quicker as you stood up. “what the fuck? what the fuck.. what the fuck!” you shouted as you pulled your hair. you kicked your dresser as you rushed around your room. god, you ran into the bathroom. you looked through everything.. to find nothing. nothing, nothing, nothing.

more tears left your eyes, you sat against the wall as you banged your head against it. thinking, thinking, thinking.

you had no money— you had nothing. you couldn’t just call up a dealer. you had nothing. nothing…

your eyes shot open. you stood up quickly, looking around as you swallowed thickly.

something.

you slowly made your way into your room, walking towards the closet as your hands shakily moved towards the knob. opening it slowly as you looked up at the upper shelf of your closet, there sat a gun. you stood on the tips of your toes grabbing it barely with the tips of your fingers as you brought it down.

you stared at it, taking a deep breath as you closed your eyes. shakily holding it up, you pointed it towards your head. closing your eyes slowly. god, you were so lost that you didn’t even notice..

“what the hell are you doing?” your eyes shot open. turning around quickly as you looked at the person.. yuji? your breath began to quicken again. and before you knew it you pointed the gun at him. “get out.” you muttered out.

his eyes widened. staring at you, his eyes darting from the gun and back to your face. he took a step back. “look— i.. i don’t know what happened out there, but i can help you. i really can.” he nodded his head as he took a step closer. “just.. please p—“ you interrupted him. aiming it straight at him, your tears drying. “don’t come any closer.” in which he nodded. “right..” he muttered as he held up his hands. “look, i promise. i can get you the help you need— anything just d..”

“stop acting like you’re my friend, yuji.”

“what?”

“i said: Stop acting like you’re my friend.”

“i.. i am your friend. you’re mine.”

“we were never friends! i never asked you to be my friend— i never did! you just decided to come into my life!”

“…”

“you ruined it all! i felt so good.. so relieved.. so alone. and you came and ruined it!”

“you were already ruining yourself!”

“—and how would you have even noticed? you’ve never even spoken to me.”

“but i have. don’t you remember?”

“what..?”

“of course you don’t. when i said i knew you from high school— i didn’t just know you as that big shot on the girls baseball team. we met at a party— and we talked.. and.. we danced. but of course—“

“you’re lying.”

“you would’ve remembered if you didn’t drown yourself in drugs every day and night.” he spat. your eyes widened. lowering the gun, only slightly.

that’s right.. that’s right.

the music was loud, you stood there in your short sparkly royal blue dress as you danced. your friends, people you didn’t know surrounded you as the music blasted. your friends giggled as you all danced, and shouted to communicate over the music.

you felt a bit dehydrated, as all you did was drink and dance. drink as in alcohol.

“i’m uh.. gonna go get a drink!” you shouted to your friends, in which they all nodded. as you pushed your way through the crowded room full of dancing high school students you walked over to the table full of foods, drinks, alcohol.. but you grabbed a water. twisting the top off as you brought it to your lips.

“fun party, right?” a male voice from behind you said. you turned around, a smile tugging at your lips. yuji itadori. “funny seeing you here.” you said with a soft chuckle. “but yeah, fun, i guess.” you replied.

“you look good!”

“what?”

“i said, you look good!”

you giggle to yourself as you tap your ear, the music blasting.

“i can’t hear you!”

yuji chuckled to himself before taking a few steps closer, “i said you look good!” he said with a smile as he stared at you.

you stared at him, a bit surprised by the compliment before smiling. “thank you, yuji.” you said softly, staring up at him.

the two standing in front of each other with soft gazes.

now stare at each other in fear, confusion, and despair.

“please.” yuji says again, “put the gun down.” his voice breaking a bit. and all you do is stare, the tears welling up in your eyes as you just collapse onto the floor. sobbing like a child. the gun beside you, but not in your possession.

and without hesitation itadori runs towards you, kneeling down as he helps you up slightly. “it’s okay, don’t cry, don’t cry.” his voice soft, he wipes your tears with care as you sit up on your knees. holding you in his arms as he sits on his own knees. “i’m here.” he says softly.

“i’m sorry, yuji.” you choke out as he wipes your tears, staring at him as he holds you in his arms.

“i don’t know what i’m supposed to do.” you sob out.

he lets out a heavy sigh. “i’ll be here with you, okay?” he pulls you closer to him. and you let him. your head lay against his chest, he leans back against the foot of your bed. holding you close to him as he tilts his head back. stroking your hair as you sob into his chest.

“just the two of us.”

[saintgoths]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴇɪɢʜᴛ

CHAPTER EIGHT - THE MIND, THE SOUL, AND THE HEART.

WORDS - 3,893.

RATING - 18+.

SUMMARY - the rest of the institute finally learns what serena is.

"You're tryin' to save me, stop holdin' your breath, And you think I'm crazy, yeah, you think I'm crazy, Well, that's nothin." The Monster by Eminem featuring Rihanna.

feedback would be appreciated! and i would like to say, this story is a will romance story, but i just want you to be aware that serena is a man-eater...

previous chapter.

Serena had thought she must’ve looked like a madwoman when she rushed back into the institute, her rushed movements had alerted those there, specifically, Cyril and Thomas who had rushed to her to see if she was fine.

“Lady Serena!” Cyril called out, immediately to help the woman stand up straight, Serena heavily breathed, she hadn’t realised how hard it had been raining outside, aware that her hair and clothes had stuck onto her body, too shocked to speak to what had happened to herself, all she could do was stare at them, she had looked like a fish out of water.

Though, when she finally had the strength to speak, she stuttered. “I---I, I was attacked!”

Footsteps paced after, it had been Davidson, he had been in his long sleeves, and a sword against his back, his hair bounced at every step, if it had been before, Serena would’ve reached out to him, but now, she had her jaw clenched as three men commenced to question her.

She played with her gloves, quickly slipped them off, the fact that she had fought the people who were apart of her family’s death had stung her, so her breathing began to get heavier. “Serena!” Davidson called out with fear, both of his hands against the curve of her shoulders as he gently shook her.

Quick, Davidson picked her up and finally responsive, Serena had tried to get him off her, but he had been stubborn. “You’re having a panic attack!” He yelled as he carried her to her room, and when she returned to see the unfinished paintings of her family all over her room, her eyes widened.

She had wished they had killed her.

“I wanted to see them,” Serena continued. “I wanted to see my family----”

“What on Earth are you talking about!” Davidson cried out.

On the edge of her bed, Serena’s nails dug into the fabric, her eyes dismissive to how Davidson knelt in front of her. “What are the three principles of Aphrodite?” He questioned; his dark eyes mirrored into hers. “The mind, the soul and the heart,” Serena listed slightly calm of the reminder, she had felt Davidson reach for her hand.

‘Look at me,” Davidson whispered and so she did. “Vazhla Venusian,” he ordered and obedient, Serena looked down.

“Afhero ménva, vaola, herazh,” Serena said and calm, the Venrosa woman leaned against his shoulder.

Tears stained his clothes as Davidson gently hushed her as he stroked her hair. “Everything will be okay,” he sighed.

Serena had then cried out. “It was them---they came to the Mortal Realm---" but she stopped the moment she felt Tessa and Will’s presence step towards her room. When Will saw the two of them hugging, his brows immediately snapped down.

“What happened?” Will questioned, his voice impolite at the sight of the two of them.

Serena pulled away from Davidson, but she had still felt the way his fingers laced her skin. “Nothing,” Serena said as she wiped her tears.

With a frown, Tessa then spoke. “Cyril and Thomas told us you were attacked.”

“I was able to defend myself,” Serena cut, and ill-mouthed, Will pulled himself from saying anything that could upset her.

He flexed his fingers, eyes trained on Serena who had avoided his gaze. With what had happened yesterday night, they hadn’t spoken to each other since, but there was a silent craving for one more touch, to explore her more and to taste her secrets. “I wish to be left alone with Serena,” Will said and with her arms wrapped around each other, Serena finally looked at Will.

“I wish to be left alone with Davidson,” she said, and Will had wondered how silly he must’ve looked with the deep frown on his face.

“An engaged man?” Will questioned but Serena glared at him, as if it had been their dynamic before they kissed each other.

With barely any movements, Serena closed the door on both Will and Tessa with her magic and with the chaos that was pressed against the door and had flowed like a magical lock, it was hard for anyone to re-open her bedroom. Surprised, Davidson spun to Serena. “Serena, you’re forbidden from---!

Serena had then slapped him.

“Ow!” Davidson yelled as he held his face.

“That’s for not telling me anything about you and Cersei being engaged----and fucking me!” Serena screamed as she went to hit him again. “How dare you!” She yelled as she hit his chest. “Be so sneaky and still think you’re righteous enough---” she said within her hits. “That you can come and protect me without even trying to speak to me about it!”

Annoyed, Davidson grabbed her wrist as he slammed her against the bed. He had held her other wrist and pressed both above her head. “You need me here!” He shouted, his knees locked besides her waists, his intention to have no method for her escape, but the only other way she could was if she used her magic. “If I wasn’t here no one would’ve been able to remind you of the Three Principles of Aphrodite!”

Serena flared her nose at him before she kneed him. She had aimed for one of her finished bottles to whack him with it.

“Serena, calm down!” Davidson cried out, he had been on his bottom, one hand to defend himself from her rage.

“Calm down?” Serena mocked him. “Cersei is my best friend!” She shrieked. “You allowed me to betray her!” She yelled as she aimed the bottle his way, but with anxious speed, he had caught it.

On her feet, Serena picked up another bottle, smashed it against the edge of her dressing table to make a weapon. She had then jumped towards him, but Davidson had been fast and leaned his head away from the weapon, only having one cut at the side of his right eye. He caught her wrist, shocked by the anger she had portrayed towards him. “I know you have much anger for me! But don’t you think majority of this anger is coming from you fighting the people who killed your family?”

Serena screamed.

With both of her hands she used immense force to attack Davidson, intended to harm him, claws formed in her fingers and Serena reached towards him, howbeit, just in time Serena had then been stopped by the loud voice of Charlotte that had vibrated through her locked door.

“Serena!” Charlotte yelled as she fuddled with the doorknob. Paused, Serena breathed heavily as she turned to look at the door. “Open the door right now!”

Serena had finally placed the broken bottle away, she didn’t look back at Davidson but had slid herself back to her feet, and while heavily breathing, Serena reached for the door.

♡⊹˚₊ ❦ ❀ ₊˚⊹♡

DAYS PASSED

Serena was quick on her feet, she had felt the way her brother Vincent moved as if he had been the speed of air itself, sometimes whenever he fought, it was like he was in a fierce dance.

Both Serena and her eldest brother had worn blind folds, each other’s wooden swords had collided against each other every other second. Vincent had been practising with swords the moment he was out of their mother’s womb, but Serena had talent that was boosted due to her Venusian Spirit abilities.

“I can feel the arrogant smirk,” Vincent said before he swept her off her feet. “Remember your feet position Ahzera,” he said but Serena had done a flip and landed back on her feet. Ahzera had been her middle name, it had been the name of the Goddess of Love in Venusian. “There’ll be a moment in your life, where you could be in a position when you cannot use your powers,” Vincent said with a tone of authority.

“You’ll have to use everything around you,” he said as the two of them circled each other, in their main training room. There had been four statues of Aphrodite by each corner of the room, others ignorant of Aphrodite would wonder why the Goddess of Love was placed in a room of such violence not knowing that She, had also been a Goddess of War. “Everything around you can be a weapon.”

With a brief nod, Serena tightly held her sword. “On the count to three,” Vincent said as once he counted down, the two resumed to fight. While Anya, had played her violin by one of the statues of Aphrodite. Her music intense as it balanced with the pace of their fighting.

As Serena was about to smack the wooden sword out of Vincent’s hand, he chuckled, aware of his defeat while Serena pointed the curved point of her weapon towards him. Her smile was wider as she pulled off the blindfold from her face with her other hand.

Once he did the same, her brother began to clap. “Belladonna, you’re amazing,” Vincent said. “But will you be able to take on Anya?” He questioned and immediately, the two siblings looked at the eldest sibling.

Her hair was braided into a long pony tail, she had looked exactly like father, but with their mother’s pretty eyes. “Not yet,” Serena breathed out, Anya---aside from being a violinist, was a part of the Five Swordsmen of Venus, she had wanted to become a Shadowhunter and defeat Down Worlder’s from different realms.

With a sword, Anya was the Goddess Artemis herself.

As Vincent retrieved the wooden sword from Serena, he returned them to where they normally were set. “Food must be ready by now.”

“Finally,” Serena groaned but with a nudge, Anya walked by Serena.

“The both of you have to shower before mama complains about the two of you smelling,” Anya said and with a sparkling smile, Serena responded.

“Of course,” Serena said while the rest of them walked out of the training room, pleased by the savoury scent of their mother’s food that hit their nose immediately.

Anya smiled at the smell. “Maybe next time I can train you,” Anya said.

Serena laughed. “I’m not ready to be murdered yet.”

“The way you doubt yourself,” Vincent says as he closed the door behind them. “And the way you speak about Anya’s skills as if mine are not of good use.”

Serena frowned ready to defend herself. “That isn’t the case,” Serena lightly joked. “It’s just that, Anya’s the best.”

“The best to do it,” Anya corrected. “There’s a reason why they call me the Knight of Venus,” she winked and Serena looked at her with admire.

“I wish I could get a cool title like yours,” Serena wished and with her hand on top of her sister’s head, Anya pulled Serena into a side-hug.

“Don’t worry Vaeronazh, you will one day,” Anya promised and with a huge smile, Serena returned to her bedroom.

♡⊹˚₊ ❦ ❀ ₊˚⊹♡

PRESENT

“At this point, you’re the Demon of the Institute,” Will said as they all walked into the drawing room.

Serena had said nothing to him. Had avoided the gaze of Davidson or anyone else as Charlotte dragged the rest of them to sit. Serena’s bedroom had currently been cleaned by Agatha and Sophie, Sophie who had quickly helped Davidson with the blood and the cut Serena had caused, and was surprised that the girl who she thought was quiet turned out to be a woman that had rage of fire.

Arms folded; Serena had focused her sight onto the opened curtains. Almost everyone was in there, aside from Henry. Serena had heard that Henry had a laboratory, and had been surprised the man had never questioned the girl about her abilities.

“Whatever is going on between you,” Charlotte began and with respect, Serena turned to look at Charlotte.

“There’s nothing between us,” Serena said and rudely, Davidson scoffed.

By the doorframe of the drawing room, Will had leaned against it, both hands in his pockets with a knowing look on his face. “Are you having a secret affair with an engaged man?” Will asked and immediately silence had fell upon the room.

Serena could feel everyone turn to look at her, anticipated for her response while Serena had felt like Will had awful intentions behind his question. She could see the mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he waited for her to speak. Thus, with a large frown, Serena shook her head. “No,” she scoffed. “Nothing of the sort,” she answered and with a tight expression on his face, Will looked at Charlotte.

“You still did something you weren’t supposed to do,” Charlotte said, and with a sigh, Serena threaded her fingers through her hair.

“What?” Serena questioned as she sat up on the chair she was on. “Reveal my powers? They might as well know, there’s not point of hiding it here anymore.”

“The truth is coming out?” Jem said as he popped his head in. “I would like to be here to hear it all,” he smiled and annoyed, Serena flared her nose.

Like a child, Serena crossed her arms and moved her sight back to the window beside her. “Serena attempted to murder Davidson,” Will said as he glanced at his Parabatai.

Jem frowned, not in a discouraging manner but he had a more of a look of interest. “Quite the temper,” he muttered. “First Jessamine, now Davidson?”

With a frown, Charlotte looked between the boys. “What happened between Jessamine and Serena?”

Serena wanted to scream. “Institute Devil here slapped Jessamine the other day,” Will explained before he looked between Serena and Davidson. “Is that the reason they call you sticky fingers?” He asked and with a scream, Serena threw the closest object around her towards him.

“Calm down Serena!” Davidson cried out as everything around them began to shake, shocked, everyone quickly held onto something.

The tables and chairs moved as the lights threatened to fall. “Three Principles!” He had reminded her, but Davidson had been worried that she had been far too gone with the darkness that had crowded her eyes.

The mind, the heart and the soul.

Serena pulled herself together and stopped everything, aware that everyone had looked at each other wildly, Jem had been the first one to speak. “Did you just cause a tremor?” Jem questioned with horror, but Serena didn’t say anything.

“If she’s no Warlock,” Will commented as his eyes were trained on her. “Then what the bloody hell is she?”

With a look of reassurance sent to Serena by Davidson, the Salvatore man spoke up. “Do I have the consent to explain?”

Serena snorted. “Go on, it’s not like you needed my consent anyways, since you always do what you want.”

Will laughed at what she said, but Tessa had still been in shock of what had just happened. “Are we going to dismiss the fact that Serena just caused an Earthquake?” Tessa cried out

Stressed, Charlotte fixed her hair. “I’ll fix everything that’s been broken,” Serena promised and with a look of interest, Charlotte’s eyes widened.

“You can do that?” The woman had asked and with a nod from Serena, Will pulled himself closer.

“If that’s true, I have something in my room that needs fixing,” Will chirped and slightly annoyed, Jem had nudged him before informing his best friend that he had wanted to hear what Davidson wanted to share.

Silent, Will pressed his finger against his lips. Davidson had explained why Serena was here, what Realm they had come from, what she was and her abilities, and when he was finished, the entire room fell silent.

Surprised, Tessa had been first to speak. “You’re from Venus?”

Serena had then dropped her accent. “Yes,” she said, a side of her relieved.

Relieved that she did not have to put on an act any longer, her hand against her neck, Jem and Will glanced at each other speechless of her existence. Serena had then pulled herself to her feet. “I would like to leave now,” she said, and without giving anyone the opportunity to speak, Serena passed by the other trio without looking back.

♡⊹˚₊ ❦ ❀ ₊˚⊹♡

“Lady Evaline, I cannot deal with this anymore, I wonder if you are even receiving my letters, you have not sent anything back and I feel like I am being ignored, ignored everywhere. I may be over-thinking things, but my emotions, I cannot handle them any longer, so my sincerest apologies if I take too much of your time with what I want to say.

My past has been catching up with me, and it is not because of what I am, but of what I’ve done in the past. When I was young, I slept with Lyonel Sapphire countless of times, Cersei knows which I’m eased about as she informed me she had no judgement against me. I’ve felt too guilty hiding that crucial information from her, but the burden of secrets have, have not been entirely lifted from my shoulders just yet.

I also slept with her fiancé, Davidson Salvatore, countless of times. Though it was twice before I found out they were engaged. I need someone to talk to, so please, when you receive this mail, send one back, just one.”

She needed a drink, all the alcohol that was once in her room was cleared by Sophie and Agatha, and Charlotte had forbidden Serena to leave the Institute as the Rosehunters were now in the Mortal Realm, hunting her.

Serena raked her hands through her hair, observant of the footsteps that stalked towards her bedroom door, Serena picked up that it was Tessa. “Come in,” Serena said before Tessa could knock on the door. Surprised, the Gray woman pushed the door open, she hadn’t said anything but had focused on Serena who’s back faced towards her.

There was silence between them, Serena hadn’t cared for it, but Tessa had felt awkward, aware that she’d have to be the first one to speak. “Hello,” she said, her voice almost a whisper.

Serena looked back at her, her hair covering more of her face, she had looked like a mermaid that had pulled itself out of the water. “Hello,” Serena greeted, she had noticed that Tessa held a book, a Greek one.

“I’m sorry for everything that’s happened to you,” Tessa said as she closed the door behind her. “To lose everyone and everything you cared for just like that,” Tessa continued and she made way to her paintings, unsure if she could touch them or not. “If there’s anything I could do to make you happy,” Tessa said, in wonder what Serena could request from her.

Serena had then smiled. “You cannot do anything to aid me to my happiness. Because, what I want, you cannot do, and that is to take me home.”

Tess sharply breathed in. “Well, if there’s any home for me to go back to,” Serena finished with a poor look on her face.

“I completely understand you, even if your circumstance is indefinitely different to what I experience You belong to another realm, Venus,” she shared as she walked towards Serena. “Your home you miss which I think is considerably different to this one.”

Serena didn’t say anything, but she had realised how much of a chatterbox Tessa could be. She didn’t say anything about it though. “From what happened in the Drawing Room, I went to the library after,” Tessa said as she sat at the end of Serena’s bed. “I couldn’t find anything on Venusian Spirits,” she emphasised. “And the Institute Library is supposed to have everything.”

“So, I focused on finding a Greek Lore book,” Tessa said and interested, Serena fully looked at Tessa who had smiled once she realised she had gained Serena’s interest. “I like the story of Persephone,” Tessa shared and awkwardly, she dragged the texture of her fingers against the edges of the book. “Would you mind if I read it to you?”

Serena gently tapped her finger. “No, I wouldn’t,” Serena said as she turned back to write, and with grace, Tessa commenced to speak out loud of the story of Persephone while the Venusian finished her letter for Lady Evaline.

Tessa had noticed there was much unfinished paintings in the room, but she didn’t allow that to take her attention away, she had gently smiled when she saw Serena finish her letter by the peripherals of her eyes, and had kept her head low when Serena moved back to her bed, but Tessa had made space for Serena to lay down on her cot, comforted that her skin was close to hers.

She could feel Serena’s attention was somewhere else, but she still focused on the story, Serena’s eyes had been trained on her unfinished paintings of her family. She could never get to finish their faces, almost as if she had forgotten how they looked like, but she was tired. Tired to do anything about it, thus, she allowed Tessa to help her sleep with story of Persephone.

♡⊹˚₊ ❦ ❀ ₊˚⊹♡

It had been the day the Clave would handle De Quincey, Serena had overslept and had wondered why no one attempted to wake her up. Yet, she had considered everyone knew the days prior were intense for her, thus the reason they left her alone.

She had written another letter to Lady Evaline, her yearn for her response creeping into an obsession, Serena had known how deep she had fallen, and had bitten her lip as she silently encouraged herself for this to be the last time she’d send a message before she received a response from Lady Evaline.

As she looked for Thomas, who was usually the one to take it to the post office for her, she had smiled when she recognised the brown-haired man, and he smiled back at her. He had been aware that she held another letter in her hand and had found it quite amusing that Lady Serena had been a woman of exchanging numerous of letters.

“Another one?” The man questioned and embarrassed, Serena pulled her hands behind her back.

“I’m desperate to have Lady Evaline speak to me again,” Serena said, quick to defend herself, but Thomas couldn’t help but find comeliness with the way her voice shied away. “I need her…”

Empathetic, Thomas looked from the letter to Serena. “If that’s the case, you might as well give it to Master Herondale.”

Serena blinked. “Huh?”

“He forces me to give him your letters so he could drop it off,” Thomas explained, unsure if what he had done was the wrong thing with the way her smile had dropped. Confused, Thomas’s eyebrows furrowed. “He never told you?”

Her face twisted, Serena shook her head, she didn’t realise how much she must’ve been shaking, but Will had known everything about her all this time. What she was, her affair with Davidson, Lyonel, everything. She had wanted to collapse, and apologetic, Thomas had moved towards Serena to hold her but she snapped away from him.

“My apologises…Lady Serena,” Thomas atoned as Serena’s back faced towards him, she hadn’t said anything but had focused on confronting Will. She hadn’t known if she had wanted to drop on her knees and cry or fight him, but what she had known was that she had wanted her letters back.

story masterlist

masterlist

[silverefflux]

Never Forget You

König bumps into his childhood bestie.

A/N: There's no real ship here. Just König in a café and a look-see into his life.

Photo by Annie Spratt

Never Forget You // Noisettes

“Here you go,” a waiter said as he set a cup of coffee down on König’s table. “By the way, I’m really sorry for the plate thing last time.” 

“It’s all right, danke,” he replied with a nod.

König’s eyes trailed the waiter as he walked away when he saw a woman standing tall in front of the counter waiting for an order, which he assumed she was having to-go. She looked elegant in a tweed blazer and trousers. Her auburn hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. While he was almost certain he never met her before, her face seemed familiar.

Ok, don’t stare too much, he thought. Might be creepy.

He looked down and feigned inspecting his coffee, albeit too intensely. Then he realized something.

“Bruno?” said a woman’s voice.

There was only one person who would call him that.

He looked up and realized the lady in tweed was now in front of him, excitedly waiting for his response.

“It’s me, Lutz!” she continued.

His best friend from childhood.

Despite the uncanny resemblance with their faces, the Lutz he knew carried herself entirely differently. Back then, Lutz sported shaggy, jet black hair that was up to her chin. Her eyes looked sharp thanks to smudged eyeliner. She dressed like a boy and punched other boys, especially those who would tease him. If the boys in his hometown were mean, she was meaner—except to him.

Not this Lutz. This Lutz looked like a sweet woman who had her shit together.

Lutz made waving gestures before him and slowly raised her brows. “Still the silent type, huh?”

“Oh schei—” König awoke from his mild shock and pulled himself up to shake her hand. “It’s been a while,” he chuckled, running his other hand down the back of his neck.

“Eh, what’s this? Don’t we do this instead?” she responded, slapping the back of his hand.

And a slap to the back of her hand. Fist bump. Then the top. Then bottom. Lock fingers. One shake. Explosion thing—pshhhh….

“I didn’t forget,” he assured her proudly.

They both erupted into laughter over them remembering such a silly thing. They went on to catch up with each other’s lives. They were quite the duo when they were little. A classic story of an extrovert kid randomly adopting an introvert one. At some point, she invited him to secretly check out this “new stupid film about Austrians” with her and they found it funny. In reference to the film, they jokingly agreed to give each other bizarre nicknames. He was Bruno because it sounded like his surname, Brunner. And she was Lutz, his assistant’s assistant.

By high school, they both did their own thing, König preferring to hang out by himself and Lutz finding new friends. But every time someone tried to bully König, Lutz still fiercely had his back. After they graduated, they never spoke again for no apparent reason other than growing apart. In the years that passed, though, he stayed with the military until he retired and was back and forth between Germany and Austria ever since. She went off to college, found work abroad, and settled there.

“A banker? That’s great to hear, but very different from the old Lutz,” he said.

“Right? Younger me would’ve been straight-up an outlaw. And I’m glad the military worked well for you too. I really couldn’t see you wanting to do anything else after high school.”

“Me neither. Ah bitte, have a coffee with me?” he offered, gesturing to the chair in front of his.

Her smile turned upside down. “Oh sorry, I’d love to but I’ll just be quick. Gotta get these drinks around before they get cold.”

Suddenly, a kid’s giggle rang out in the distance. “Mama!” the same voice called out. Some meters behind Lutz was a little girl, the exact image of her face. Same pale skin, same ginger hair. Lutz’s daughter ran to her mother and hugged her leg.

“Sweetie! You came here early, darling, I was going to fetch you. Where’s Papa?”

The child pointed to a man who was now walking towards them. Lutz was relieved to see her husband not far from their child. She greeted him with a kiss.

“I should introduce you,” she said to König, “This is my husband, Alex, and our daughter Emma.” She moved her gaze towards her husband and gestured to König. “This is Lukas. We grew up together in Austria.”

König and Alex shook hands. Meanwhile, Lutz picked up her daughter in her arms.

“Sweetie, say hello to Uncle Lukas.”

“Hallo,” she murmured before hiding her face in the crook of her mother’s neck, which earned chuckles and awws from the adults.

It wasn’t long before the family had to bid their goodbyes to König.

“Well, I guess we have to go now,” Lutz told König in mild sorrow, “See you around, maybe?”

“Yeah, tschüss,” he said, giving a short wave goodbye.

König sat back down and watched the family leave. Bumping into his childhood buddy after so many years made him feel as if the world was indeed small. It was sweet seeing her again. Also, he would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t find this new version of Lutz pretty. If he denied that his stomach dropped at the sight of her daughter, then her husband. If he convinced himself that he didn’t wonder how things would have turned out had they met again sooner.

Nevertheless, he is genuinely happy for her, and in no way does he want to ruin someone else’s family, especially that of his friend’s. There is not sadness, but emptiness gnawing inside of him, basking in the what-ifs and maybes brought about by nostalgia. A longing for the familiar. After all, she was the only girl in his life whom she had the deepest connection with. But then, he understood that was simply the way things are. All that would just be a passing thought.

He sighed, and did what he recently would in the face of heavy thoughts. He took a red bracelet out of his pocket and looked at it, rolling it around in his hand to look at the intensity of its color and the way light reflects on it. He then threaded his fingers into the bracelet, almost stretching the string that bound it, then let it loose, the beads sticking together in a synchronous click. He would do the same thing over and over to soothe himself. Thread. Click. Thread. Click.

He stopped himself, remembering that the clicks of the beads were audible in the cafe. To avoid further embarrassment, he paid the bill and headed out, continuing his fidgeting on his walk home until his thoughts quieted down.

Thread.

Click.

Thread.

Click.

Thread.

Click…

[parcequecestnotreprojeeeet]

Hello! It's Winter! I wrote a second part to my graduation story. I hope everyone likes it.

Teasing & Punishment - Part 2

She thought everything was fine when they left the graduation ceremony. He had held her hand as they said their final goodbyes to their family, he even so much as helped her to the car. Unfortunately, the ride home told a much different story. 

He was suspiciously quiet, not saying more than 2 words to Brigitte as they travelled back. 

“What’s wrong?” She whispered. Not even once, had his hands touched her skin as they sat side by side in the car. For a man who didn’t need a reason to touch her, and did so at every opportunity, he was keeping his hands to himself right now. “I thought we were fine.” 

“We will talk about it when we get home.” He mumbled. 

It wasn’t much, but at least he uttered a complete sentence this time. 

6 more minutes until we’re home. 

She braced herself for the shit storm that was coming as he slammed their bedroom door, cursing under his breath. Within seconds, he removed his shirt and kicked off his shoes, not caring where they landed. 

“I didn’t think you were still mad at me,” she remarked, flinching when one of his shoes hit the wall. 

“I’m not mad!” He hissed. 

“If you’re not mad then ….” 

“I’m turned on, Brigitte! Your skirt was so distracting that I had no choice but to look forward and not speak to you in the car,” Emmanuel replied, ashamed that he couldn’t control himself around her. This perfect woman, whom he was lucky to call his wife, controlled every. single. part. of his body. 

Brigitte felt his warm breath on her neck as he smashed his body against hers. It didn’t come as a surprise when she felt his arousal brush across his ass, “it’s funny that I still have that effect on you.” 

She reached around to cup his erection, feeling how hard he was through the fabric of his pants. He sucked in his breath, “be careful. You’re playing with fire.” 

“Good,” She moaned, “because I love fire.”  

Taking her off balance, he lifted Brigitte off the floor and carried her to their bed. Once he climbed on top, he aggressively pulled down the zipper of her skirt. Unfortunately, he heard the material rip as the fabric came apart at her hips. 

“I’m so sorry, chérie!” He stopped for a moment, waiting to see her reaction. 

“Fuck the skirt, keep going.” She breathed. “I’ll buy a new one.” 

“Like hell you will!” 

With her skirt and blouse on the floor, the only thing separating the two of them was her bra and panties. 

He placed gentle kisses on the most intimate part of her body, feeling her wetness against his lips as he came in contact with her black panties. 

Without warning, she slammed her legs shut, merely avoiding crushing his face between her thighs. 

“What’s wrong? Why did you do that?” Emmanuel asked, sitting up. 

“I know what you’re going to do. You’re going to tease me and I don’t want that.” She whispered in fear as she voiced her concern. It was because of his teasing earlier that she felt he wanted revenge, stopping just before she came (like he had promised). 

“Brigitte,” he placed his hand on her chest, “I’d never do that. Please trust me. Please.” 

The fear slowly vanished once she realized he wasn’t going to tease or torment her. She looked him straight in the eyes and saw nothing but unconditional love. 

“May I continue?” Emmanuel asked, needing full consent before he continued his magic between her legs. 

“Of course,” she smiled, welcoming him back to his favourite spot.  

By the time he was done licking, sucking, tasting, rubbing and kissing her most sensitive body part, she was out of breath. He gave her body a minute to settle down, enjoying the view of her afterglow. 

“How was that?” Emmanuel asked, knowing damn well how he performed. He couldn’t hide the arrogance in his voice, blissfully aware he was just responsible for one of her most powerful and longest-lasting orgasms. (Well, he was the reason for all of her orgasms in the last 25 years.). But this one, moments ago, was truly earth-shattering. 

“It was alright,” she teased. “Average.” 

“Really? Just alright? Average? I mean, we should ask your body the same question because, for a minute, your mind and body weren’t even one anymore.” He leaned in to kiss her lips, instantly forcing his tongue inside her mouth to deepen their connection. 

She moaned when she tasted herself on his tongue. 

“It’s my turn to have some fun with you.” She moved down until she was looking directly at his erection, smiling at the beautiful sight in front of her.  “I want to taste the two of us together.” 

Hellooo Winter! ❤️

Yes! So glad you decided to go for a part 2 of this piece!! Manu all turned on and Brigitte thinking he was mad hahaha mad alright, but other type of mad 🤭 And oooopsies, there goes the skirt hahaha he was dying to stop her from wearing it again anyways!

“It was alright. Average” hahahaha that should deserve other punishment 🤭😂

Thank you so much, Winter! ❤️❤️❤️

[ohwalley-blog]

My most powerful talent.

Wow, I can not believe it has been 4 years since i have written in the blog and a lot has happened!! A lot. Even so, let me tell you about last week.

One of our more "complicated" patients were admitted during the night. A lot of "He said, we said, they said" went on, but nothing was done. A table of nurses, pharmacist, physicians and other disciplinaries were sitting around the table and no one understood what the plan was for this patient and where to even start. Then I felt 7 pairs of eyes look at me and one said "So what are you going to do about her ma'am?" I couldn't believe I solely had the responsibility to figure out the care and plan for this patient.

As the day went on, NO ONE, i mean no one wanted to touch this patient. Then, I took over the conversation and placed things in perspective and BOOM. There was momentum in her care and she got what she needed. Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians Assistants and registered nurses all listened to me. I was simple, straight forward, but real.

On that day, I used my talent, my most powerful talent: my tongue and it gave that girl life.

A couple days later I saw my L and he told me some terrible things. That I had said some things and it made him feel unwelcomed and ungrateful on my birthday! It was so hard to hear those things. He continued to say that my words were so hurtful that he did not want to spend my next birthdays with me (I am still trying to process that). I cried, for like an hour.

It took me over 2 years and so many miles to build this relationship, this foundation with my L and it came tumbling down after just a few words.

In one week, my most powerful talent, the one thing I am very much known for, gave someone life and healing, but then killed the relationship of me and my L.

I don't want that same tragedy to happen to people. Today I am given the opportunity to do Children's Story and THAT is what I am going to teach about: the tongue - our double edge sword.

I am going to write out this next portion as I am going to speak about it in church. This is one of my favorite stories.

Happy Sabbath boys and girls! Welcome back to children's story where this time during our church service is specifically for you!

Anyone here know what a weapon is?

A weapon is used for two things: to either kill or to protect.

Who here has a weapon? Everyone here carries a weapon, I know I have a weapon with me at all times! This weapon on me is so strong that it can make people move, scare away bears and it is so powerful that it can kill someone else and your weapon can do the same thing!

Can anyone guess what that weapon is? YOUR TONGUE!

When people tell me: don't say bad things, I always think about the "bad words" that are inappropriate, but this lesson is deeper than that.

Before we start our lesson, let's read our memory verse: Proverbs 15:1-2

For the bigger kids & adults behind me, if you want to follow along with our lesson, please open up your Bibles to 1 Samuel 25:1-38

In the book of 1 Samuel chapter 25, there was a very rich man named Nabel. This guy was rich! He owned property near the town of Carmel and he owned 3K sheep and 1k goats! Sounds rich huh?

He married this woman who was described to be sensible, smart and can manage his riches. He sounds lucky huh?

Lucky, for Nabel, King David had his 600 men were stationed near his property. while King David's men were there, Nabel's animals were never harmed, Nabel's shepherds were safe and were never robbed.

Sounds like Nabel was living the good life.

One day, one of King David's men found Nabel and said "Hi Nabel, we were sent by King David and we have been providing your flock and shepherds with protection. Would you be kind and please share with us some food and water?"

Do you think rich Nabel would be able to afford it?

This is what Nabel said in return

"David? Who is this David? Who does he think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their master. Should I take my bread, my water and my meat that I harvested, slaughtered and sheared myself and give it to these people who came from who knows where???"

Well, Nabel's words got back to King David and it infuriated King David. "Get your swords!" King David said and with 400 men, his plan was to kill Nabel, everything he owned and his family!

Meanwhile, one of Nabel's servants told Abigail who had no idea any of this was going on. Abigail had to think smart and had to think fast.

So she gathered meat, bread, grains, fruit, wine and packed her donkey. She and her servants went to face King David themselves!

When she came face to face with King David, he was so angry!! Abigail fell at his feet and asked for his forgiveness. "Please my King.. I accept all the blame for this. Please do not pay attention to my husband Nabel."

King David looked at her and said "I did a lot of good for Nabel, because of the protection I provided, Nabel prospered!" but at the same time, was impressed with how her words calmed him down and decided not to kill Nabel after all.

Before they departed ways, Abigail used her words to bless him. "My King, I know the Lord lives in you because he kept you from murdering my husband and taking vengeance on your hands. So let all your enemies be cursed."

In this entire story, did you hear me say any "bad words" any inappropriate words? No, the words that were spoken in this story are words that we use and say every day.

But our words matter. The way we say our words, where you say it, how you say and who you say it to... all matters.

Nabel's words almost got himself, his animals and family killed. King David's words was able to provide protection at first and then ordered a murder! Then Abigail was able to use her gentle words to save her husband and gave him life.

Before we separate, i just want to share one more Bible verse:

James 3:10 Blessing and cursing come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters it should not be this way.

[catt030516]

The burning fire of our fallen tree makes me reminiscent youth. Coon hunting till late, starting a big fire, pulling the trucks around it. Getting drunk.

Being in love like never before.

You can’t replicate being naive. We actually never used anything. I think we thought we were going to just have babies and live happily ever after.😂😂😂 we never had any which must have just have been the universe.

But, he broke up with me because (I told you the cologne story) I wasn’t forthcoming about hanging out with someone of the opposite sex. Then his dad signed him out of school the next day.

In response to him having a cheating scandal or two with his ex and Mary.

Like I said I miss being naive. Because now that I look at it without the “buts…” it’s harder to just blame me. He hurt me w/o excuse. I did the same. Wish I’d have been stronger and then I’d have been less scared of the truth. And he had no reasons to cheat on me. That was mean.

Just saw Mike in my driveway today. Asked me how the fire was.

I instantly thought:

“Kelly? Cate? For the love of Christ why did you fuck that up and give this man another shot when he was clearly fucking another woman???!?!?”

Fear.

Fear of change.

Fear of what others would think.

Its almost always fear. Fear prevents more unhappiness then any straight up abuse does.

I was scared to lose my kids. I was afraid he’d take them from me. At that point in his life, Buoy did nothing but support and love me. He was good with Evan who was two. And I never appreciated that until it was too late.

And damn, Bukowski said it best:

“…and there’s nothing ever worse than “Too late.”

We get such a small flicker of time on this wheel of karma tic life, and it’s amazing what lengths we go to to gain the favor of someone or everyone else but ourselves. Just so we can live another lifetime ( I believe within our own family lines) and try to do it correctly.

**If I’m rambling quit reading because I’m copying it/pasting it for the journal entry I have to do😂😂**

I think the hardest decisions are the ones the ones we carry out in length because we are afraid. Afraid of hurting someone. So we what? Hurt ourselves? Hurt other people with us? Hurt our futures.

There was a time, when for approx. a month I would be sat down on Sundays prior to leaving to go home. You’d give me these dancing words, basically you were trying to say, “Look, I feel like lost. I need more of you.”

You are human. It would be hard to process, but with Evan, hell, I have asked his father. Even 6 months was not unreasonable. But in your confusion you let her, exactly a year to the week,come and tell you you were together.

Which was made clear to everyone but her.

After every sacrifice I’d ever given you. After all of the missed holidays, swallowed grief, sleepless night, long drives. Shared secrets. Shared motherfucking secrets.

Just because you could never look up and say, “yes, Dawn. You moved out I’ve been seeing someone. It’s going well. I don’t hate you. You are the mother of my children. We both made mistakes. But I understand and respect the life you’ve made this year as well. I’m sure you will respect my life as I respect your

Instead, it was jokes and dancing instead of answering the direct question. Who knows WHAT you are are afraid of. Maybe your just a borderline who can’t exist without the presence of chaotic relationship? I honestly have to admit I DONT know. I can’t know you at all after any of that, can I?

So for about a month you’d have these talks with me. Usually right after sex once I was dressed and ready to leave to make the drive home. Instead of saying, “I’m lonely don’t leave” you’d act like a stepdad/someone who was not Ron. You’d tell me how you weren’t divorced. All this bullshit I will never listen to again in my life. You acted like I didn’t have someone I just lost! Someone your cowardice denied me the right to sit at his funeral. The nerve of you.

Yes, I was very caught up in my feelings. When Ronda found me passed out barely breathing there’s no way to describe how angry I was she found me. I acted like Sylvia Plath.

And why wouldn’t I? I was begining to experiance the very long eulogy that is burying a man that never existed. Whose not physically dead. But there’s nothing NOTHING left of who I thought I knew.

I understand a lot of people live the way they do. It’s about the years, not the rules or any degree of happiness. I want you to remember (and I’m sure you do) who was really there for you, when you were hard? working Friday nights, when things were upside down with your mom. Did you ever have to worry about me running around Ron, Did you? Did you ever? Did you care when your kids heartbeat stopped or were you relieved? I at least bought in to the fact I was part of your family. I introduced myself to the nurse as your girlfriend. Stupid me. Should’ve told her to hurry in and close the door.

“ I’m the mistress. Yes it’s been a year my boyfriend is afraid of his wife finding out and not being his friend anymore.”

😂😂Could you fucking imagine? Me putting up with you in that capacity??

Yeah, I can’t either.

That fear made all of that even harder then it had to be. Just because you couldn’t just say the truth. You drug this out so long, have said or done things nearly unforgivable ( I forgive once I process, for very selfish reasons.)

I hope you had a nice time we were together. I hope you long to feel how wonderful it was since wAaaay back in Angola. I hope it felt good to have me there next to you. Inside of me in our bed you now share with Dawn.

Because unless you’re

on your knees pleading for apologies for your egotism and dishonesty, you’ll never so much as kiss my cheek.

Ron Stroupe died last December. I don’t know who you are or why you’d think I’d put up with any of your antics. Please don’t cause this home, the home that brought you in without question, anymore damage.

The Ron Stroupe I knew had an estranged wife. He isn’t afraid to tell her about me. He wouldn’t have done that to us. He was a man. Hard or not, he was a man, not a coward.

6/23/2023

Can you celebrate 29 years or do you have to jump back to year 27 1/2?😂😂😂

[solaroptile]

hii!! i saw ur requests were open and wanted to ask for fluffy camilo x fem!reader??

basically reader is passive-aggressive to seemingly everyone (not kids but no one knows that bc kids r scared of her 😭) but camilo fell for her bc he always spotted her when she was calm looking at the moon and such so when he asked her to help with his chores at casita, she did it bc he helps her alot (even w/o her asking) and when they were done she spotted antonio who came up to her and asked her to play while camilo was distracted and when he found reader she was playing with antonio and his animals and confessed maybe ??

sorry it’s alot 😭😭

if u get to it tysm ❤️

this prompt is adorable i love it (i did change up the last bit just a little though so hope you're okay with that!)

camilo madrigal with a passive aggressive s/o || camilo x fem!reader

pairing(s): camilo x fem!reader

warnings: slight angst (and build up. so much build up)

word count: 4423

you've always been told your attitude is one the more derailing aspects of your personality. lucky for you, one little shapeshifter is willing to overlook your passive aggressive nature.

adults/18+ dni camilo's 15 just remember people go to jail for this

(requests for camilo, isabela, luisa and maribel are open! send in an ask at any time; requests already sent are being worked on <3)

"excuse me, dear, but would you mind taking this plate of empanadas down to señora mazia for me? she mentioned she wasn't feeling well this morning."

you raised an eyebrow at the request, shuffling the laundry basket you held in her hands to look your neighbor straight in the eye. "i'm busy right now. any reason you can't do it yourself?"

señorita yzma chuckled somewhat awkwardly, avoiding your cold gaze with a cough behind her blouse sleeve. "w-well, dear," she stuttered. "you see, i have been very busy with my chores today, and-"

you sighed, and ultimately decided to evade this conversation any longer by taking the plate from the woman's hand with a heavy huff. "it'll be done by sundown," you proclaimed harshly, and walked off without another word.

you weren't a fool. you've heard what the other townspeople have said about you, even ever since you were young; your reputation hadn't always been the best, to say the least.

"hey, isn't she the one who told off señora pala for having to help carry stuff for mirabel madrigal's quinceañera?"

"woah, you're right! wow, i didn't know people could be so mean."

"not to mention that one time she scared off the town's kids with her horrid temper."

"sometimes i can't even believe she's still allowed to live here."

you'd never done half the things they gossiped about. as you had learned from an early age, people loved to twist stories whether it be for personal gain or just entertainment purposes. it was horribly unfair.

however, unbeknownst to you, a certain camilo madrigal knew better.

you hadn't even known he was there that night. it had been quite the long day, having been forced to run all around the encanto to finish all of your chores before the sun fully set in the sky. (including señora mazia's empanadas- sure, they were a bit cold when they were finally delivered, but at least it was done.)

it was around midnight when you decided all of your responsibilities for the day had been completed, and you were exhausted. not only physically, but mentally. so, you had wondered, why not take some time to yourself?

it wasn't recently you had taken to watching the moon as a sort of release from your stress. you had actually developed this habit when you were much younger, when you were always belittled for your attitude towards other children your age. you had stomped off on your own one night, embarrassed and stressed out of your mind, and had accidentally stumbled across the most breathtaking cliff you've ever seen. it was just at the edge of the encanto, overlooking a sea of jungle and extravagant greenery. adorning this cliff, right above your head, sat a full moon in all of its magnificent glory. with this moon came a sudden sea of calm that washed over you, and you'd been hooked ever since.

today felt eerily similar to that night, and you decided to take some time to yourself. so, you snuck out of your home after you were certain the rest of your family was asleep, and began the trek to your beloved cliffside.

as soon as the moon appeared in full view you could feel your tense muscles relax immediately. you settled in your usual spot atop the cliff- a fetal position with your head tipped upwards- and begun your simple yet calming routine: staring at the moon, occasionally looking over to count all of the constellations you could recognize, then back at the moon again.

it was twenty, maybe thirty minutes into your moongazing session when you heard what sounded like a soft gasp from the edge of the clearing behind you. your head swerved to look for the source of the sound, only to see the slightest disturbance in a bush nearby. you rose to your feet to investigate the sound, but there was little to no trace of someone else being there other than the rustling of leaves and other quiet noises all throughout the jungle.

must've been an animal of some sort, you thought to yourself. but as you settled down in your spot once again you couldn't help but feel as if there was someone else watching the moon with you.

---

the days that followed after that night were... interesting, to say the least. somewhere along the line you had attracted the attention of the camilo madrigal, and to your surprise, he was very adamant that you notice his advances. you weren't sure why or even how he knew you existed, but you supposed you could play along.

at first, it was the small things. he had approached you one day seemingly out of the blue, a charming look in his eyes as he offered to take the laundry basket in your arms off your hands. you shrugged, assuming this was just one of the many times the madrigals were instructed to help citizens in the encanto and handed it off to him with a somewhat cold "they just have to be hung up" before wandering off to complete the rest of your chores for the day. still a bit suspicious, however, you looked over your shoulder the second you were about to turn the corner, and when you did so, camilo was happily pinning up each article of clothing with an almost dreamy smile on his face. you were slightly confused, yet now content that he would follow through on the rest of the laundry, and continued on.

the day after, camilo returned, and this time he seemed determined to follow you around similar to a lost puppy looking for its owner. it was certainly endearing, you decided, especially when he attempted to kill a fly or two meandering about near the top of your head as you worked. he offered to help from time to time, however at his displeasure you refused. while you appreciated the thought, you couldn't just rely on him to do everything for you.

plus, said a quieter yet still nagging thought at the back of your head, soon he'll realize you're just as mean as everyone says you are and decide you're not worth his time.

but, weirdly enough, as the days went on this thought was continuously proven to be wrong. nearly every day he offered to help you with your chores or simply followed you around. he chased off pesky bugs, covered conversations for you when it was excruciatingly apparent you weren't up for irritating small talk, or just simply watched you work with what appeared to be admiration glimmering in his olive gaze. not to mention the occasional questions about yourself and what you liked to do. nobody ever stayed around long enough to know half the things you mentioned in fleeting conversation with him. it was... different. unexpected.

so, when about three weeks passed and the time came for camilo to ask you to return the favor, you couldn't find it within you to say no.

"oh, mi alma! there you are. i've been looking all over the encanto for you." there it was again. the nicknames. they weren't all that prominent at first but recently it seemed as if you couldn't get through a single conversation without being called some form of an endearing name from the other.

"camilo, we talked about the nicknames." you put down the crate of oranges you were holding and turned to face him. as you did so you were greeted with a cheeky smile and eyes that made your heart feel like it was about to beat out of your chest. an usual feeling at least.

the shapeshifter hummed, leaning against the wall of the house next to you as you both talked. "i know, i know," he sighed. "but i'm just speaking the truth! how else would you be able to know how much i adore you?"

you'd be lying if you said your face didn't nearly flush at that. you turned your head slightly, assuring your cheeks were out of his field of vision before continuing on with stacking the rest of the crates in their proper places. "you don't have to do any of that," you muttered. "but if you're trying to butter me up you can help me move all these boxes."

camilo chuckled at that, and leaned forward to take the crate you were already holding in your arms in his own. "anything for you, mi vida." he saluted you with another smile and began going to work at your side. on occasion he shapeshifted into someone a bit stronger when he was struggling with carrying a crate, but most of the time when you looked over all you saw was a determined look in his eyes, as if he was trying to prove something. what exactly, you weren't quite sure.

you both worked in silence for a while, moving boxes of apples and various fruits and vegetables onto a small platform for someone to pick up later, before camilo cleared his throat and looked over at you. "say," he began. "mi mama wanted me to help out around casita this afternoon. i thought maybe i could ask you for help, since you-"

"so you were trying to butter me up."

"i-" camilo paused. "i wouldn't call it that. consider it a sort of sweet talking encouragement, eh?"

you rolled your eyes. "that's still the same thing, camilo."

"okay, maybe there was a bit of buttering up, but..." he trailed off with a quiet sigh. "well, would you mind helping out for a while? it wouldn't take all day."

camilo watched you with expectant eyes as you thought about his offer. eventually you sighed and shook your head in resignation. "alright, fine," you conceded. "consider it me paying you back for helping out all the time."

the shape shifter blinked in surprise when you agreed, almost as if he wasn't expecting you to do so. once he recovered from the initial shock camilo smirked cheekily and lifted one of the final boxes from its spot on the floor. "we better hurry then. i may have told mama that i'd only be a few minutes, so she might be a bit..."

a quiet flash of thunder sounded from the now cloudy skies above. "moody?" you sighed.

"just a little bit."

---

"okay, you stay here. i think the cleaning supplies are somewhere upstairs, and while i'd love for this to be the way i introduce you to my family, mama doesn't exactly know i asked you for help."

you raised an eyebrow. "wait. pepa doesn't know i'm here? couldn't you get in trouble for that?" you asked, receiving a laugh from camilo in response. "only if we get caught, mi vida." his sneaky grin wasn't exactly encouraging, but nonetheless you watched him wander off in search of whatever it is you needed to do the necessary chores. la casa madrigal didn't appear to look all that dirty, but you just assumed that was just one of the many magical properties the house contained.

you weren’t exactly known for your patience, and as a result it wasn't even 5 minutes before you started getting antsy. you'd never been in la casa madrigal, excluding some gift ceremonies when you were younger, so it was only now you could truly appreciate the wonder of the house. it was as if the walls and floors were thrumming with power beneath the surface, and you supposed that was entirely possible with how the house seemed to have a mind of its own. the soft smell of roses and other flowers surely grown by isabela added to the tingling sensation the house brought to your senses, and while not exactly calming, you found your irritation beginning to cease the longer you stayed in your spot on the tile floor.

it wasn't long until you spotted a hummingbird chirping happily at a single carnation plant nearby. you assumed it was just extracting nectar from the purple flower and decided to pay no mind, however as soon as you looked away from the animal a slight hum could be heard from its direction. it turned its head to face you, and flew off in a different direction of the house when you made eye contact. or, at least, what you assumed to be eye contact; its eyes were a bit small.

that was... weird, you thought to yourself, and eventually settled with your back to the wall as you waited for camilo to return.

"hi."

you jumped in surprise at the sudden sound, swerving to find where the voice came from only to be greeted with the sight of antonio madrigal. the little boy had a toucan on his left shoulder, and as you took in his appearance you noticed the same hummingbird from earlier was settled precariously on the top of his head.

"uh, hi." you blinked in mild surprise at the calm look on antonio's face. kids typically hated you from first glance, or even tried to pull pranks on you if they were brave enough. antonio, however, just looked at you with a sort of innocent curiosity. a surprising change, yet welcome.

you recovered from your initial astonishment incredibly quickly, and crossed your arms as the young madrigal gazed at you without saying a word. "can i help you?" you asked, an almost defensive tone to your voice as you despised when other people stared at you without warning. antonio just shrugged in response and reached his hand out, allowing the hummingbird to hop down and dangle itself on his finger.

"you wanna come play with us?" he finally asked. "mama's getting onto camilo for not cleaning his room earlier, and bella said you looked lonely."

"bella as in... the bird?" you questioned, sounding a bit hesitant. antonio nodded. "she also said you smelled like oranges."

you clicked your tongue. "oookay." while you weren't exactly keen, you could sense your heart growing softer the longer you looked at antonio and his animals. in all honesty, you had a huge soft spot for kids (not that anyone knew that due to all of the running and screaming the towns children did when they even looked at you) and this was the first time in quite a while one of them wasn't too scared to face you. plus, you coincided, it wouldn't be a bad idea to do something fun while waiting for camilo to return. you had heard him complain on occasion about how long pepa's scoldings could be, and while you weren't all that patient you would feel bad leaving without letting him know much less helping with any of the chores.

"uh, sure," you eventually decided, and it was as if your agreement caused antonio to light up with excitement. "let's go to my room! that's where all of my animals like to stay." he grabbed your wrist with both hands and began pulling you towards the stairs, and to your own surprise, you let him.

---

"so, what exactly did you want to do?" you and antonio were both sitting on the floor of the latter's room - tree? you weren't quite sure - and it was clear with the rigidness of your posture that you were unsure what exactly you were meant to be doing.

"miguel likes to chase sticks. you can throw one if you want." antonio seemed incredibly at ease compared to you, a sight that you would rather die than admit made you envious. the animals inhabiting his room almost seemed to coddle him, as they were constantly circling or snuggling up against him as if he was one of their own. it was certainly an interesting sight to behold.

"right. and miguel is?..." antonio pointed behind your shoulder. "miguel's the jaguar," he explained, and it took everything in your power not to jump out of your skin. "the... jaguar." you repeated, voice hollow as what the little boy said processed in your mind.

antonio blinked, as if he was questioning why you seemed so hesitant. "yeah. he gets really playful, but he's nice as long as you don't tease him too much."

it was then you decided to turn around, and was greeted to the sight of a jaguar not even half your height sitting down. its eyes were a hazy green (not at all reminiscent of a certain madrigal. of course not) and its gaze seemed to pierce through you as it stared. while looking the small cat in the eyes was intimidating, you couldn't help but feel your heart melt at the sight of it.

"oh. hello there," you cooed, and as if he could understand what you were saying miguel purred as loud as his tiny body would let him and curled his tail tightly around your wrist. you hesitated once again as the jaguar stood, its tail still coiled around you, and stared almost expectantly at a single branch at the ground. you glanced over at antonio, and once you received a nod of encouragement, leaned over to pick up the stick and threw it across the wooden platform. in a split second miguel darted after the large twig in a flurry of tan and black fur. it was only a moment you had to wait before he was back at your side, the stick retrieved and now in his jaw and an excited look in his gleaming eyes.

you exhaled softly in astonishment. you hadn't expected him to come back so quickly, and especially with such speed. it didn't take you much prompting to throw the branch again, and again, with miguel pursuing after it every time. eventually a few more animals joined the excitement, and you could only watch in silent amazement as coatis, capybaras and even a toucan or two playfully tussled to be the one successful in bringing the stick back to you.

eventually the crowd of animals chasing after the toy grew immense, and it wasn't long before in their haste to bring the stick back to you that they were too excited to slow down and a sea of fur and ears barreled into you at full speed. you fell to the ground with a loud "oof", just barely biting back a swear as your head hit wooden planks. a ring of animals crowded around you, some squawking in surprise and what you interpreted to be concern, others still panting excitedly at the wild chase of attempting to capture the toy. for a split second you struggled to sit upwards, but the animals waited until you were back in your proper sitting position before diving towards you yet again.

"woah, woah, calm down! hey, that's my hair- ow, miguel! stop, your claws hurt-" a loud laugh elicited from your throat as you struggled to push the animals off of you. "here, go get the stick!" somewhere within the mix your hands made contact with the object of their attraction, and you threw it in a random direction in an attempt to prompt your attackers to follow. a toucan squawked loudly as it watched the stick fly in the air, taking off to meet where it had landed. the other animals immediately followed suit, excluding the pesky jaguar who still had its claws pinned to the sleeve of your blouse. "alright, c'mon, get off-"

the jaguar ignored your prompting, instead choosing to dig its head into the crook of neck and pawing at your stomach as it fought to unleash itself from the fabric. you laughed again, a soft smile on your face as you unhooked its claws with a gentle hand. once it was free the animal purred loudly and ran off to join its friends, leaving you sighing in relief.

"oh, hi, camilo!"

your body froze at the sound of antonio's call of greeting. you turned your head towards the door where you had entered the room minutes before, and you let out an almost silent squeak when you spotted the shapeshifter staring at you from a few feet away. his jaw seemed to be attempting to drop to the floor, eyes unblinking and wide, and you shrunk back under the intensity of his gaze. for some reason it felt as if you were caught doing something you shouldn't have, and you could feel the temperature in your cheeks steadily growing hotter as you registered just how vulnerable and at ease you had truly been in the moment. it was an unusual feeling for you, especially to display in front of others, so the feeling of being "caught" was almost overwhelming.

"i- um. hi," camilo spoke, and he almost seemed to move in slow motion. "i was coming here to ask if you knew where she was, but..." he trailed off.

you sat in shock for just a few moments, still attempting to register what raw emotion you had just displayed, before hastily clearing your throat and rising to your feet. "well, antonio, it was great talking to you and your animals, but it looks like camilo needs me now, so i think i'll get going-"

"actually, mi vida. do you mind if we, uh. go on just a quick walk? i just need to grab... something." it was then you realized camilo's face was incredibly flushed. from his cheekbones up to his nose the boy was peppered with a rosy blush, and you would be an idiot not to notice the sudden stutters in the other's voice. this caused your own blush to coat your cheeks, and internally you felt your panic begin to surge with embarrassment. "yeah, i can- okay, sure. um, nice meeting you properly, antonio. take care of miguel for me, and all of that!-"

and with that you raced out of the door, waiting not even a split second for camilo to trail behind you before walking off towards what you believed to be the back door of the house. "hey, mi vida! wait up a bit-" you immediately skid to a stop, turning around to make sure camilo wasn't that far behind only to feel him collide into your back at full force. "oh, ouch-" he groaned, reeling back and nearly running into a pillar just a few inches behind him.

"camilo, are you okay? i swear, i didn't mean to-" you turned and grasped his face in your hands, pure adrenaline and embarrassment coursing through your veins as you searched for any injuries. you didn't register the close proximity between you two until your worried gaze met his astonished olive eyes, and released him from your grasp almost immediately.

"sorry, sorry. okay, this is getting us nowhere." you took a few steps away from the shapeshifter, allowing yourself a moment to breathe as you both attempted to register just what exactly was happening. camilo seemed to gain his bearings rather quickly for just smashing his nose against your shoulder blade, and flashed you a charming yet soft grin.

"ay, amor," he murmured, the nickname causing a white hot rush of energy to leave tingles across your already burning cheeks. "no need to get so hasty. if you wanted to be so close, you could've just asked."

you gave the boy a sharp glare, crossing your arms across your chest indignantly in an attempt to save some of your dignity. "c'mon," you muttered. "let's just get this last thing you were talking about and get these chores over with. today's been tiring enough as is."

"actually, i, um, need to talk to you about something first." you rose an eyebrow at camilo's sudden change in tone. "okay," you said slowly. is pepa kicking me out? i swear, i knew it would be a bad idea to help without asking-"

camilo quickly shook his head. "no, none of that," he reassured, and reached over to take his hands in yours. "i just..." the shapeshifter took a sharp breath. "i just need you to listen, and try not to run away again. it's just me and you. no one else, alright?"

you hesitated before nodding slowly. "alright. go ahead," you breathed, and a sharp pang of anxiety hit you square in the heart as camilo cleared his throat. this was it, your brain told you. he saw that side of you and now he wants nothing to do with you. you knew it was all going to fall apart and yet you still got close-

"mi vida. amor. you are- how do i even begin to describe you? you're intelligent, and independent, and strong. you're not afraid to defend yourself, even when no one else seems to be listening to you. i've seen you work, and it's just... it's hard to describe how much i admire you. you always talked about how much you disliked my nicknames, but i couldn't help myself; the hidden smile on your face that you had whenever i used them was too tempting to not try and draw out. and then in antonio's room, with the animals. you just looked so... carefree. happy, even, and i-" camilo took a breath. "i want to make you laugh and smile like you did for them. every day, if you give me the chance. to cherish you and the look in your eyes you get every time you see something you like, and even the way you lash out when you're stressed. for you, i'd be willing to sit through any scathing remark you have. not to mention your beauty; you, mi amor, are breathtaking. i guess what i'm trying to say is... will you give me the privilege of taking you out on a date?"

it was if a cord inside you snapped. as soon as the last word left camilo's mouth you launched yourself forward, wrapping him in your arms and squeezing as tight as you could. for the first time since you were young, you finally felt seen. someone appreciated you for you, and that raw fact was so overwhelming you didn't even bother attempting to quell the tears threatening to spill across your cheeks. camilo flinched, not expecting the embrace, but quickly wrapped himself around you as well, shushing you quietly as you sobbed.

"is..." your body heaved with the effort to speak, and you pressed your face deeper into the crook of his neck. "is all of that true?" you eventually whispered, and camilo let out a soft murmur of affirmation. "every word," he spoke, and those two little words made the many, many walls you built over the years crumble.

[hotch-stufff]

hiii 47 and 7 for angst hotch

i love ur writing btw <3

Drunk

gif by hoe-tchner

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Reader

Warnings!: mentions of abuse, stalking, and death, past abusive relationships, normal criminal minds things, angst, crying, pining, but a fluffy ending

Promtps: Angst #7 "Are you drunk?", Angst #47 "You flinched"

Author's Note: Thank you so much <3, hope you enjoy reading!!

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

In hindsight, it probably wasn’ the best idea to get drunk at a bar. Especially alone. But you weren’t exactly thinking straight when you had stepped off the jet after a long case. And it had been a LONG case. Nearly a week of going through the same evidence over and over again scouring for a lead. Finally finding a lead, and coming to a dead end. 

The eventual lead that you did catch, led to the unsub already standing over her next victim’s body. At least you got a full confession. But you had been the one that had found the unsub. If that wasn’t enough, this case had already been hitting way too close to home. 

A woman was murdering victims of domestic abuse to “save them” because her mom was never “saved” from her father’s abuse. She had grown up watching it. Her victims had all had y/h/c hair, with y/e/c eyes. The same height as you, same style, just overall very similar. The only difference the team saw had been that you were never abused. At least that was what your file had said.

You had been able to keep it on the low for as long as you had been at the BAU. But you were terrified one of them would figure it out. That you would flinch at the wrong time, or you would do something to give it away.

You had gotten lucky and no one seemed suspicious. You ended up hiding in the back of the jet, curled up. No one bothered you. They all assumed that the case had just hit you harder. The one thing you hadn’t known though was that Hotch had been keeping a very close eye on you.

You two had become close, and would often hang out at each other's apartments. Spending tjme just talking about nothing and everything for hours. He had quickly become one of your best friends. You always went to him when you were upset.

But tonight, you just needed to get away.

Which is how you found yourself in this bar, downing your fifth drink. In the back of your mind, you knew that you wouldn't be able to drive home, or even walk without tripping over your own feet. You needed to call someone, and your drunk self called Hotch. While the phone rang you checked the time. 3 am. He was going to kill you.

“Hotchner.” You giggled drunkenly at his formal response.

“Why so serious bossman?” He recognized your voice immediately. 

“Y/n? Are you okay?” 

“M’great. Havin a blast.” You slurred.

“Are you drunk?” He asked and you giggled again.

“Mayyybe.” You slurred, concerning Hotch even more.

"Where are you?”

“Mabel's I think. But let me tell you. I think you need to come get me because there is no way m’drivin home.” He huffed as you heard noise coming from the phone.

“I'm on my way, stay there!” But you hung up. You were so excited to see him. Truth was you had definitely developed a crush for the man. Telling him that was going to be difficult, mainly because of your past, but also because he was your boss, and about 12 years older than you.

You waited for about 10 minutes before you heard the door ring as it opened and Hotch ran inside, frantically searching around. He found you and was quickly at your side.

“Y/n, are you okay?” You nodded sleepily. You always did get sleepy after your sixth drink. He gave you a concerned glance before reaching for your arm. You flinched slightly, but Hotch didn’t say anything about it. He picked you up because there was no way that you could walk, and carried you out to his car. 

“You’re staying with me tonight.” He had said once on the road. You lazily watched  out the window as buildings went by. 

“M’kay.” You mumbled. Hotch sent you another concerned glance. Something was wrong, but he couldn't quite figure out what. Usually when a case hit you hard, you would spend the night talking with him. He had been surprised when you hadn't shown up at his apartment. Even more shocked when you had called him drunk. He cared about you and it hurt him to see you like this.

Soon he found himself pulling into his driveway. He parked and quickly ran to your side of the car to help you out. He opened your door, and reached his hand over to unbuckle you when suddenly you shifted back. Your arms came up as if to block a blow and a whimper escaped your lips. 

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. I promise!” You let out, sounding much more sober now. Hotch stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. 

“Y/n, it’s me, can you hear me, its Aaron?” You moved your arms from your face, peeking out wide eyed. You pulled your arms the rest of the way down. 

“Sorry Hotch. That was just, um, that w-was-” But he cut you off.

“You flinched.” He paused looking at the tears in your eyes, realizing that he needed to get you inside before you broke down in the car. “C’mon, let's go inside.” You bowed your head and nodded. 

“Okay.” You said softly. He helped you out of his car slowly, and walked you up to his apartment. Once there, you plopped on his couch, sobering up for the conversation you knew was going to happen. He walked in the room, a glass of water in hand. He handed it to you, sitting next to you. he waited a few moments before beginning the inevitable conversation.

“Y/n, why did you flinch?” He asked hesitantly. He didn't want to push you, but he was concerned and he wanted to know. So you told him. Every detail, every heartbreaking moment. The bruises, the scars, the hospital trips. Everything. The reports, the disbelief, the arrest, the divorce. Then the even worse parts. The escape, the stalking, the attack, the death. Every little thing. You could feel the tears falling down your face as you spoke about your ex-husband. 

Hotch sat as he watched the beautiful woman sitting in front of him break down. He didn't know any of this, none of it was in your file. He knew that Strauss had to know though, because you never would have been accepted without background checks and psych evals. 

His heart broke a little more every time you shared another detail. On one side it felt so nice to get it off your chest. On the other hand, it was weird opening up to Hotch like this. He was seeing so much more of you than you had ever allowed anyone since your husband. He sat in silence once you finished speaking. 

“Y/n. I'm so sorry. You never should have had to go through that.” And the tears came even faster, until they were silent sobs. Hotch, well he was more Aaron in that moment, brought you into his arms holding you tight, bringing you a comfort you hadn’t felt in a long time. “Shh, shh. It’s okay. I’m right here. It’s okay to cry.”He silently whispered into your hair. You looked up at him then, sighing softly at the beautiful man before you. 

“Thank you Aaron.” He loved the way his name sounded coming from your lips. But before he could tell you, he looked down to find you asleep in his arms. And that's how he stayed until morning. 

                       * * *

The next morning you awoke to a strange bed, with strange sheets, in a strange room. But one sniff and all you could smell was Hotch’s cologne. You soon recognized that there was a warm body behind your own, an arm wrapped around your middle. 

You almost didn't remember what happened last night, but once you did, you began to panic. What if he hated you? What if he was disgusted by you? He probably had just pitied you.  

He must have felt you shift, because he was waking up. His arm tightened around you, and he leaned up looking you in the eyes. He saw your panic and was alert rather quickly for someone who had just woken up. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked quickly, eyes scanning you frantically. 

“You must be disgusted with me.” You paused taking a deep breath. “I'm sorry Hotch. I ruined your night and then cried all over you with my pathetic life story. And you probably just pitied me. I'm sorry.” He shook his head. 

“Y/n, look at me.” You looked into his eyes. “I am and never will be disgusted by you. I am amazed by you. You are so strong and beautiful and you never deserved a thing that disgusting man did to you. I don’t pity you, not at all. All of this has just made me fall more in love with you than I already was.” You looked at him wide eyed.

“You love me?” He leaned a little closer.

“Of course I do. It's impossible not to.” You dared closer still as he moved a piece of hair from your face. The loving gesture warming your heart. 

“Thank you. For everything. I love you too Aaron.” And he sealed your lips. It was intimate and explosive at the same time. And in the most cliche way, fireworks exploded as you kissed him. 

You moved together passionately. Your noses bumped ever so slightly as he kissed you deeper than you had ever been kissed. He was an amazing kisser, to say the least. He broke away a moment later, smiling down at you. 

“Give me a chance to show you what real love is, what it's supposed to be.” You nodded.

“Of course Aaron.” And you kissed him again, sliding your hands around his neck into his hair. It was the happiest you had been in a very long time. 

So in hindsight, maybe getting drunk wasn’t such a bad idea after all. 

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

Thanks for reading! Requests are still open, so ask away! If i don't get to yours, I'm sorry!! If you would like an idea of what to request, here is my prompt list, and if you would like to read more of my work, here is my masterlist.

[house-of-slayterr]

Mother Has Fallen:

Tag: @oceansrose2002 @myers-meadow-selfship @vincent-sinclair-deserved-better

An: This happens right after Blinky’s mom shows up. Sorry the story is so disjointed, I honestly feel like this is how Blinky would tell their story. Just random memories in no particular order. Once I’m finished with backstory it will be more straight forward lol.

CW: Smut and harsh language (D Slur)

Macy’s POV:

I wasted no time getting on my bike. Blinky’s voice sounded tired and exasperated over the phone. It pained my heart to hear, and I couldn’t stand to watch idly by if my partner was in trouble. I forwent laws, driving as fast as my bike could go. I had quick reflexes and not many people were on the road at this time. When I finally made it to our spot, I barely had time to park before I was rushing over to them.

They somehow looked even smaller in the oversized hoodie they were wearing. And even in the dark I could see some tear stains on their face. They finally looked up at me, and smiled, but it didn’t come close to reaching their eyes. It was a pity smile.

“Oh, Sweetheart.” I said.

Engulfing them into a hug.

“Hey, I’m here, what happened?”

They shook their head, their curls falling into the face. This was one of the few times I saw them with their hair down. They never really let it be entirely natural before. I kicked myself for thinking it looked nice at a time like this. And quickly pushed the thought from my mind.

“It’s ok, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. Where do you want to go?”

“Yours.” They said simply.

I froze. There was no possible way I could take them home. It would be like throwing a steak into the lions den. I couldn’t do that to them.

“Blinky, my family-“

“I don’t care. I want to be with you right now. Only you, I don’t care about anything else.” They said desperately.

I sighed, bringing them tighter into the hug if that was even possible. It looked like they were about to cry again and I wasn’t going to let that happen. I pulled them back, leaning down and holding their face in my hands.

“Just, stay beside me ok?”

“Wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else.” They said flatly.

I turned to grab things from my bike satchel. I handed them a helmet and they looked confused.

“I got it custom made for you. Your hair should fit.”

They smiled up at me, more akin to their usual one, but no where near as heart stopping. I watched as they put their helmet on, and was relived to know it fit well. I helped them onto my bike and didn’t say anything else until we made the long drive home. I knew they appreciated the silence. It wasn’t awkward for them, but my head was spiralling. What the fuck could have happened?

It was quite late when I picked them up, but the sun was dawning on the horizon now. Peaking its head through the clouds, which I was thankful for. It seemed no matter the season, Texas always managed to have uncomfortably humid weather. Despite this, I could feel Blinky shivering in front of me. I tried to move my body even closer to help warm them up. But I’ve wasn’t sure the shivering was entirely due to wind chill. It was about midday when I finally made it home.

I helped them off my bike, their legs wobbling slightly.

“I’m good, I’m fine.” They said, like it was an automatic response.

“I don’t care, I’m carrying you inside.” I said firmly.

I wouldn’t let them fight me on this. Whatever reaction their body was having to their distress, didn’t look good on her. She almost looked like a scared child. Of course, their size didn’t help. It never did. I put our helmets on the handles of my bike and scooped them up. Not without some grumbling from them which made me laugh a little. They said something about it being “unfair.”

I knew the house would be busy right now, so I tried to think of the quickest path to my room. But luck was not on my side today. As I pushed open the front door, I was immediately greeted by the smell of Luda cooking. If there was one thing that woman was good at, it was making food. She must have heard the front door open.

“Macy, is that you?”

“Yeah Ma, it’s me.” I grumble shouted.

“Come here, I need your help reaching something.”

I sighed, looking down at Blinky in my arms. Somehow they seemed more relaxed, they lazily nodded toward the kitchen where they heard Luda speak. I carried them into the kitchen, setting them down on the dinner table.

“What do you need?” I asked.

She finally looked away from the pot she was stirring and her eyes locked in on Blinky.

“Who’s this?” She asked.

At least she was attempting to be in a polite mood today.

“A friend, Ma what do you need?” I asked again.

Trying my best to draw attention back to myself.

“I need the pasta off the top shelf, your brother put away the groceries.”

Normally I’d laugh, but I wasn’t really in the mood. I quickly made my way over to the cabinet and grabbed it down for her.

“Anything else?”

“You’re moody today.” She commented.

I rolled my eyes.

“Introduce me to your friend.” It wasn’t a request and I understood that.

“Ma, this is Blinky, Blinky this is my mother Luda Mae.”

Blinky sent a polite wave. I could tell they were exhausted. They looked like they hadn’t slept in days. Which wasn’t far off from how they normally looked. But I was more concerned than usual.

“That’s an odd name? You’re parents named you that?”

I groaned. Already with the insults.

“No ma’am, my sister named me.”

There voice came out small, but it was by no means nervous.

“Your sister a crack baby?”

My eyes widened, I turned to look at Blinky but they didn’t seem perturbed in the slightest. Still lazily kicking their legs back and forth, a stim they did a lot. It was the quickest way to calm them down, get their feet off the floor.

“You got a problem with people suffering from addictions Miss Luda Mae?” Blinky asked.

They never faltered in eye contact, staring my mother down. Something few people dared to do and live. I started to get nervous, but I was also curious. Who wouldn’t be, I’ve never seen Blink behave like this before. Other than that one time a man tried to grab my ass, and she practically growled at him.

My mother squared her shoulders, but kept up her polite host persona. But I could tell it was quickly cracking. But I’d be able to get Blinky out of here if I needed to step in. Perhaps they would be offend if I did. I knew they could handle themself, but it was natural instinct to be protective.

“I guess not. Got any other siblings?” My mother went back to stirring her stew.

I knew what she was cooking. I could smell the blood in the basement from here. Tommy was probably very busy right now, which sucked cause he was the only person here I actually wanted Blinky to meet. And I knew he’d be comfortable with it, I’d been talking about Blinky since the first day I came home. Trying my best to retell their kooky stories as well as they could. Thomas was always begging to hear more of our biweekly meetings. Kept entirely secret from anyone else.

“Three, I think… my family doesn’t really define those relations.” Blinky shrugged.

Luda squinted her eyes.

“I know Macy’s got Tommy.” Blinky added.

My mother tensed, turning her attention back to my girlfriend. Mama was always overprotective of Thomas. Which I was genuinely thankful for. I knew she at least had his back when the others ganged up on him.

“What do you know about my boy Thomas?”

Oh no, this wasn’t good. I was going to step in but Blinky beat me to it.

“I know that he’s a lovely boy, who loves his Mama.”

Blinky smiled politely, but with a vastly different look in their eyes. They were testing my mother back. Luda huffed.

“You staying for dinner?”

“That’s entirely up to your daughter Ma’am”

“We’ll be in my room Ma.”

Luda hummed in distaste. I quickly took Blinky’s hand and tried to drag them up stairs. But as fate would have it, Hoyt and Monty were home.

“What are we kidnapping children now?” Hoyt commented.

I groaned, roughly planting my foot on the ground and stopping our momentum. Naturally Blinky turned to see who was talking. But as promised, they remained at my side. Hoyt stood up from his chair, ignoring the screen. He was still dressed in his work clothes, which I was sure Blinky took note of. They didn’t exactly have much trust in cops, but I didn’t really blame them. I’m sure Hoyt would have been itching for his trigger if his gun was in his holster right now. I growled under my breath.

“This where you been?” He asked me, ignoring Blinky entirely.

“The fuck do you care?”

“You’re staying in my house.” He challenged.

Blinky squeezed my hand slightly, a silent gesture of comfort.

“And we’re just about to go to MY room. We ain’t gonna bother ya.” My accent got thicker when I was upset.

I knew I didn’t have the best education growing up, but I tried to sound smarter in front of Blinky. Not that they asked me to, or ever made me feel I had to. I just wanted to be better for them. I even read on of their favourite books that they had gifted me last visit. I wasn’t finished by I was damn close. I’d certainly have a lot of questions, but I knew she’d have answers and I was looking forward to it.

“Taking girls to your room again?” Uncle monty asked, but his tone was disgusting.

I rolled my eyes. I had just about enough of this.

“Yes Monty, I’m taking my GIRLFRIEND to my room, if you have a problem with that, shove it up your ass old man!”

“What, couldn’t find a man so you moved onto teenagers?” Hoyt scoffed.

“I’m an adult thank you very much.” Blinky said, their voice flat once more.

But I could tell they were upset, with the way their hand trembled slightly in mine. I thought for a moment they were scared, but I was very very wrong.

“Whatever Dykes, you disgust me girl.” Hoyt got up in my face.

I was going to defend myself, but I didn’t want to start something in front of Blinky. If this got physical, they could get hurt. What I wasn’t expecting was for Blinky to drop my hand and step to him.

“Call her that… one more time…” she said lowly.

Hoyt let out a cackle.

“And what are you gonna do about it? Runt? I called my niece a Dyke cause that’s what she is, fifthly woman loving queer.” He leaned down, getting in their face.

Blinky pulled him down by his collar.

“I am going to cut off your dick, and shove it so far down your throat, you’ll choke. Maybe if you get a dick in you, you’ll find out being gay ain’t all the bad. Looks like you haven’t been fucked in a while you walking old corpse.”

Then they let him go. Stepping back and struggling themselves out. I stood there completely stunned.

“He homophobic to me all you want, call my girlfriend a slur again, you’ll wake up with a knife in your tiny, none existent heart. ffycin dyn rhyfedd.”

They never once raised their voice, keeping it calm and monotone. Even their Welsh hadn’t sounded that different, just sounding a little more natural in their mouth. They told me on our third date that they weren’t so good at English, but I had to politely disagree. Their English was better than mine half the time. I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face, as I watched Hoyt try to decide if he would call their bluff or not. He simply scoffed and walked away. I was quick to lead them to my room and close the door.

“I’m sorry about them.”

“Don’t. Don’t apologise for their behaviour. It has nothing to do with you.”

I frowned, we’re they upset with me now? Maybe I should have defended them against my mother. The sighed, rubbing their face on their sleeve.

“I didn’t mean to raise my voice. Im just-“ they let out an annoyed grunt.

“Why are people like this?” They sighed.

“I don’t know Blink.” I shrugged, pulling them into my lap as I sat on my bed.

Apparently this was the wrong move, well, not wrong, I certainly wasn’t complaining about what they did next. I blinked as they pulled me in for a passionate kiss. I laughed as I pulled away.

“What was that?”

“Wanna make them really angry?” They asked.

A sparkle coming back to their eyes. How could I say no to a face like that. They turned around on my lap, straddling one of my thighs and putting their arms around my neck to pull me in for another kiss. I hadn’t even expected them to want to be touched right now, let alone this. Sometimes touch overwhelmed them, and I respected that. We’d never really gotten farther than kissing. Which was nothing like my previous relationships.

Most of them started out as friends with benefits, and never progressed past that. Expect for the last one, but I shouldn’t be thinking about her right now. Not when Blinky was on top of me. I leaned back on the bed a bit, propping myself up on the bed and leaning away from the kiss. Blinky looked at me confused.

“Blink, you’re upset, maybe we shouldn’t do this right now.”

I wanted to do things right with her. I really really liked her, and I was afraid to scare her off. This was probably the longest I’d ever held back in a relationship before. But they were also younger, not by much. But they probably didn’t have much experience. I wanted to take things slow.

“What does that have to do with anything.”

“I’m just saying, maybe you aren’t thinking with a clear head is all.”

They removed their hands from around my neck, and crossed them over my chest.

“Macy.”

“Yea?” They has my full attention, it wasn’t like there was much competition.

“I’m literally throwing myself at you right now. Don’t think I haven’t noticed your pent up frustration. And I’m supposed to be the socially oblivious one here.” They chuckled slightly.

“You were crying a few hours ago.”

“And now, I want to fuck you. You in, or not?”

If this is what they were like when they were angry, then this could be fun. That seemed like pretty clear consent to me, so I pulled them in for another kiss, this one sloppier than the last. I was still holding back, not wanting to hurt them. Not unless they asked me to of course. They giggled into the kiss, much more like them normal self now. I was a little surprised when they bit at my bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood.

“Oops” they said, bringing their finger to their lip and licking the blood off of it.

It was in that moment that I couldn’t even think about earlier anymore. I didn’t give a damn that anyone was in this god forsaken house. My pupils were probably blown wide by now. I stared at them hungrily. God they were so hot right now. I wrapped my hand around their waist, which covered most of their back. They kissed my cheek.

“I’m sorry, did that hurt?”

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything, just licking the rest of the blood of my own lip. They then kissed near my jaw.

“You’ll tell me if I hurt you yeah?”

They kissed the crook of my neck. I let out a little laugh, breaking out of my trance.

“If you hurt me?” I mused.

“Mmmhmm” the mumbled, sucking down on my neck like their life depended on it.

I certainly didn’t expect them to be this excited about it. Or feel this good. Maybe patience was a virtue. Or whatever the fuck the phrase was. The stoped attacking my neck to go to the other side, reaching to unbutton my shirt. Normally I’d take the lead, but I was curious to see how far they’re go before they got shy. I stabled us with my other hand still on the bed.

“Careful Bumble Bee, you really sure you want to do this?” I asked one more time, just to be completely certain they wanted this.

They stopped sucking on my neck and pulled back to look at me.

“Macy, will you just shut the fuck up? Or do I have to do it for you?”

I raised a brow at them, daring to open my mouth. They quickly pulled away, and I watched as they managed to skilfully remove their sports bra out form under their shirt. The crawled back over to me, and before I could get a word out they shoved it in my mouth. They smiled wildly.

“Better. You don’t normally talk this much.”

With a surprising amount of force they pushed me down onto the bed. Of course I wasn’t going to stop them. They crawled on top of me, sitting down on my waist. And made quick work of rooming my shirt. They placed open mouth kisses slowly down my chest, I mumbled something into the make shift gag, and they rolled their eyes, taking it out of my mouth.

“What was that?”

“Have you ever been with a girl before?”

“I’m sure I can figure it out.” They smiled smugly.

I didn’t even give them a chance to put the gag in themselves, grabbing it and shoving it back into my mouth. If this is how they wanted to play it, fine, let’s play. Maybe this would be a good way for them to release whatever stress they were under. Whatever made them run away from home. And I wanted nothing more than to provide that outlet for them. I helped her out by undoing my bra and letting it fall. I watched their eyes darken.

“I swear to Satan, Macy you were sculpted by Aphrodite herself.” They said lowly.

They seemed hesitant for a second, so I guided their hands to my breast. They slowly began to need at it, closing their eyes at the feeling. They looked blissful in this moment and it was turning me on. They leaned down and began attacking my other breast like they had my neck. Shamelessly leaving hickeys all over my body. Which I would wear proudly. They splayed their other hand over my stomach to stabilise themselves. I leaned my head back. Enjoying the feeling. It wasn’t often I was in this role, so I figured I’d enjoy it.

My hands slowly made my way to their shirt, asking them to take it off. Which I was happy to help them with. They didn’t have much there, but I never cared about any of that. Big breast, little breast, they were all the same to me. I reached up to touch them, but they smacked my hand away. Detaching their tongue from my nipple and looking down at me displeased.

“If they’re going to distract you I’ll put my shirt back on.” They warned.

God, why were they being so mean? I wasn’t the one that pissed them off, so why take it out on me? They pinched my nipple, rolling it between their thumb.

“You gonna get distracted Macy?”

I shook my head no.

“Good girl.”

God what where they doing to me right now? This had to be a dream. There was no way this was actually happening. The crawled off me and I let out a whine at the lack of content.

“Poor you, you still have your shoes on. Let me help you.”

They unzipped my boots, taking them off my feet while keeping eye contact. How were they so good at this. Nobody had ever made me squirm in anticipation before. They took their time, feeling up my legs and reaching for my zipper. It was odd how they still asked for permission, despite being so clearly dominate right now. But they paused, retracting their hand.

“Think you can help me out a little?” They asked seductively.

Fuck, I hadn’t shaved. But I honestly didn’t think that mattered at all right now. I doubt something like that would stop them from this little quest they were on. I quickly kicked of my pants, throwing them somewhere in my room. Leaving me in only my panties, and then just topless.

“Look at you, listening so intently. You really wanted this didn’t you fy nghariad”

I recognised that word, they used it often. Told me it meant “my love” a tears of endearment they had settled on for me. I nodded excitedly.

“Now if you’re good, we can remove that gag. Don’t you want your family to hear how good I’m making you feel? You gonna be good for me and let me please you Macy?”

The reached over to remove the object.

“Yes.” I said simply, honestly.

I couldn’t think to say much else right now honestly. I’m was completely in awe. She kissed me quick. Smiling into it. She softly ran her fingers along my bare legs, making me shiver as they were so much colder than my skin.

“Your hands are cold.” I muttered.

“I’m sorry darling, maybe you could help me warm them up.”

The sorry seemed sincere, but the rest do the sentence negated that with how suggestive it sounded. I leaned up on my elbows, grabbing their hand and slowly leading it to my mouth. I licked up their fingers before slowly popping two of them into my mouth. They never once dared to break eye contact. They ran their other hand up and down my body, pawing at my breast again. Trying to use the friction to heat them up.

I moaned around their fingers when they started playing with my nipple again.

“You like that?”

I moaned once more to tell them they were going in the right direction. But I honestly couldn’t take it anymore, I had waited so long for this. And they weren’t moving fast enough for me. But I didn’t want to discourage them. They’d never done this after all, but they were doing so well so far. I rubbed my thighs together, to try and ease the pressure building down there. Which didn’t go unnoticed by them.

“Somebodies impatient.”

I removed their fingers from my mouth with a loud pop.

“And somebodies being cruel. I like it” I said, pulling her in for a kiss.

They slid their hands down my thigh. Pushing them apart which I happily obliged. I’ve never been this wet before, but I didn’t have the mind to be embarrassed about it. Why should I? I had my hot partner trying their best to please me right now. There was nothing embarrassing about that. This is where they seemed to pause again, but this time not as part of the scene. I gently guided their hands to my core.

“Small circles like this.” I instructed.

They didn’t take offence to my helping, taking the suggestion with stride. Their hands were nibble and their fingers flexible. They played with my pussy like someone trying to beat the boss battle of a video game. At this rate I didn’t think I could hold back. I’d never come this quick before, but I couldn’t help it. They just felt so good.

“Yeah, just like that baby. You’re doing so good.” I praised.

Easily slipping back into my normal headspace. The praise seemed to spur them on with new vigour.

“Can I taste you?” They asked.

It sounded so sweet and innocent. The complete opposite of how their hands were using my body right now.

“Go ahead Bumble Bee, I’m all yours.”

They brought their hand up to their mouth, licking my slick off their fingers and whining slightly. I wanted to take them right then and there, but I remind patient. Reminding myself I was letting them take the lead for our first time. Sure it wasn’t the most romantic moment, but fuck that if it felt this good. They had licked their hand completely clean, and they seemed to want more.

Because before I could even Blinky, their head was between my legs. I couldn’t even look at them anymore, throwing my head back and giving into the feeling. The licked my slit hungrily. Devouring me as if they had done it a thousand times before. I couldn’t stop the moans i let out, and I didn’t want to. Fuck it if they heard. They weren’t the ones getting their world rocked right now.

“Oh fuck, Blinky.” I moaned.

They pulled back for a moment.

“Want me to keep going.”

“If you stop now, I swear I’m going to make it ten times worse for you.” I warned.

They didn’t need to be told twice, adjusting their position, and pulling me closer to the edge of the bed. I helped of course, my body weight being nearly twice theirs. I didn’t know how much time had passed, all I knew was that I was getting dangerously close. I tense my legs, desperately trying not to crush their head. But they didn’t seem perturbed in the slightest. Adding their fingers back in and flicking my clit in rhythm with their tongue.

“Shit Blinky I’m gonna-“

I didn’t get to finish my sentence before they experimentally skipped a finger in. I threw my head back, letting out a loud moan as my body shook. My orgasm crashing through me violently. They pulled their mouth back, but kept going with their fingers, slipping another one inside of me. They waited for me to stop shaking, before they wiped off my cum from their mouth with the back of my hand.

“You sound pretty like that.” They commented.

Looking down at me. I smiled lazily up at them.

“You’re surprisingly good.”

Maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say at the moment. But I knew Blinky. They wouldn’t be upset by my words.

“Yeah? They asked, brushing a strand of their hair behind their ear.

I couldn’t take it anymore, caging them in on the bed, as I switched out positions.

“You have no idea how many times I’ve dreamt of this.”

“I have some idea.” They smirked.

I rolled my eyes.

“Aren’t you sassy today? First you challenge Luda, then you threaten Hoyt. We’re you serious about that by the way?” I asked.

“Dead.” They said, staring right into my eyes to prove their point. “People like him disgust me.”

I never knew there was this dark side to them, perhaps they hid it because they were scared. And maybe the should be, this was dangerous. I didn’t think it possible to be more attracted to them. But the thought of them hurting Hoyt for me, had me wanting to cum all over again.

“Sorry if that’s intense.”

“Oh you’re going to be sorry for something else in minute. That was very rude of you to slap my hands away earlier.” I teased.

They frowned, and I thought for a second maybe I took it to far.

“I’ve never had anyone touch me before.” They admitted.

I was surprised. They seemed to at least have some experience.

“I’m really good at giving though.”

“I’ll say, you know, I’ve never cum that fast before.” I smiled.

“Never?”

“Not even close.”

They seemed to get lost in thought for a second. And I wished I could pick their brain. Of course I was still worried about them. But hormones were running high right now and my brain was foggy.

“I could make you feel good, I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

“You don’t have to-“

“Blinky, relationships are give and take.” I started.

“I was going to say you don’t have to be gentle. I can take it.”

Those were bold words. But for now, I would keep that promise I made. I didn’t want to ruin them. But it seemed unfair that I had to bare their mark, and they wouldn’t have mine. I wanted everyone to know they were mine. I lifted their chin with my finger.

“Remember when you told me to shut up earlier?” They nodded. “Let me do this for you. You get uncomfortable for even a second, you tell me to stop ok?”

“Ok”

It was the same ok they always gave when they fully understood something. I pulled them into a kiss, still trying to go fairly slow with things. But the fuzziness in my head was trying to get me to skip straight to the main course. But I couldn’t do that. Your first time could hurt if you weren’t careful. Most people learned that the hard way, and got turned off from the idea of sex all together.

As I kissed down their neck, they giggled slightly. A far cry from their earlier behaviour. But perhaps they had gotten it all out of their system. Taking out their anger on me, so sweetly.

“That tickles.” They laughed.

“Yeah?” I said, smiling into their neck.

It was cute how easily they became submissive. Even their little show of dominance earlier had been more akin to a sub trying to please their partner. I rubbed my nose into the spot where the skin met their collar bones, licking down on them after and watching them shiver at my touch. Even if we stopped right now, this was more than enough. They looked so cute right now, trying to squirm away from my touch.

They never mentioned it directly, but I was smart enough to pick up on things. I could tell they had sensory issues at least, and were a little awkward with communication. So I wasn’t going to take the chance and let their body language decide my actions. Verbal confirmation was better. Plus, if they could talk, I could check in to make sure they were really ok.

“You want me to keep going?”

They nodded.

“Use your words Bumble Bee.”

“Yes please.”

I had to fight back a smile at how cute they were right now. Oh Lord, I felt almost dizzy from it. I gently cupped my hand around their left breast, engulfing the whole thing with my hand. They blushed slightly. I slowly began needing them.

“Does that feel good darling?”

“So good” they stuttered out. “Dont stop.”

I could feel their heart hammering in their chest, at just a light touch. While they had quite a similar effect on me, it wasn’t nearly this bad. I didn’t know the situation, but that didn’t matter. How could you dare to touch this beautiful creature without caring for their pleasure. It was obscene and I was disgusted.

I moved my knee between their leg. A natural habit I guess. They let out a soft hiss, and I paused.

“No no, keep going. I’m good. I’m really good Macy.”

This time I didn’t bite back my smirk. I decided to try something. Switching out positions suddenly. They let out a quick yelp, but but down on their tongue.

“Sorry.” I chuckled, “forgot my strength.”

They couldn’t even respond. Just looking up at me in adoration. I moved them so they were facing me, straddling my thigh again. They looked confused. I knew they would need sleep tonight, and the easier way to ensure that was to get them tired out. Make them work for it. Sure, maybe my sadistic tendencies were skewing my decision a little. But it was so delicious to watch them squirm.

“I want you to grind down on my thigh.” I instructed.

When they still looked a little confused, I helped them out, placing my hands on their hips and helping them move them a little. They hit down further on their lip, throwing their head back a little.

“That feel good bunny?”

Another nod.

“Words.” I reminded.

“It feels so good Macy.”

They way they said my name made my heart jump a little. Their noises were small, but they were positively adorable.

“Then use my thigh pretty girl. I’m all yours.” I encouraged.

I kept my hands on their back, keeping them from falling off of me. But I couldn’t pay much attention to anything else with their perfect titties in my face. I couldn’t take it anymore and I hungrily sucked at their nipple. They continued grinding down on my thigh, mewling the whole time. I swore to god is someone dared open that door right now, there would be blood and lots of it. Nobody was allowed to see them like this, nobody but me. No matter how much I wanted Hoyt to eat his words from earlier.

“That’s it’s gorgeous, just like that. Let me make you feel so good.” I said, before moving onto their other breast.

I was carful with my word choice, gaging their body language to make sure I wasn’t saying the wrong thing. I knew they weren’t entirely comfortable with their body. But it seemed if I switched evenly between neutral and feminine terms they were just fine with it.

“Who’s making you feel this good.” I asked.

“You are.” They answered breathlessly.

“That’s right, and is anyone else allowed to touch you?”

“N-no.” They stuttered out.

Their breath was getting quicker and I could tell they were getting close. I wanted to see how soaked they could get those leggings they were wearing. I would get them some of my clothes after. Of course they would be huge on them, but I didn’t care. The sight of Blinky in my clothes was a sight I would never want to forget. That, and the look on her face right now. I could feel the tension slowly easing from their body.

“Macy, I can’t, it’s too much.” They said.

They scrunched their face up like they did when they were getting overstimulated. I felt bad, even if it was overshadowed by my other emotions right now. But I knew they had it in them, and she would feel so good after.

“Come on Bumble Bee, you’re so close. Just a little bit longer.” I urgedZ

“O-ok” they stuttered out.

Tiny tears escaped from their eyes, and I felt bad cause it was only making me hornier. I switched my attention, gently licking the tears from their face. I leaned in whispering in their ear.

“It’s ok, you can let go.” I said.

They squeezed their eyes shut as their body shook. I could feel a wet spot on my thigh and I gave them a satisfied smirk. Kissing all around their face as they came down from their high.

I breathed in and out slowly, trying to encourage them to copy me. They tiredly leaned into my chest, holding me close. I rubbed my hand up and down their back.

“You did so good for me Blinky. I’m so proud of you.” I praised.

Every word was the truth, and I made sure they knew that. They were fairly quiet, but I had expected this. They always got quiet when they were overstimulated, I didn’t think this would be much different. Though I wish I could have heard them scream. We sat for maybe ten minutes as I let them calm down. Just holding them tight, so they knew I wasn’t going anywhere. They slowly moved their head to look up at me.

“That’s it, there’s those pretty eyes.” I smiled.

“How are you so perfect?” They asked.

“I could as the same of you. You did so well for me Bunny.”

They gentle rubbed their eyes, pushing the rest of the tears out. I kissed the tip of their nose softly.

“I made a mess.” The said softly.

It was so innocent, so cute.

“That’s ok Blinky. I’ll get you cleaned up.”

They tightened there grip on me, as I tried to get up.

“I’m not going anywhere ok, just grabbing some stuff to get you feeling better.”

“Ok” they said softly.

I gently wrapped my blanket around their shoulders.

“Sixty seconds.” I said.

They began counting slowly, hugging the blanket tightly. I quickly rushed to the bathroom, Hoyt passed me sending me a nasty glare in the hallway. I just stick my tongue out at him. I quickly grabbed a washcloth, some lotion and my tooth brush. I got back to the room by the time they were on 55.

“See, told you I’d be right back.”

They smiled sweetly up at me.

“Let’s get you out of these pants yeah?”

The nodded, letting me peel them off their body. I slowly removed their panties as well, carful not to touch much down there, as it would still be sensitive. I looked up at them.

“I’m just gonna clean you up a little than give you a massage, does that sound nice” they nodded.

Going completely non-verbal now. But I could accept that. They knew I wouldn’t hurt them. I couldn’t never even think of it. I gently wiped the wet cloth on their thigh, cleaning up the rest of their mess from earlier. I stood up, instructing them to lay down on the bed. I sucked in a breath as they rolled over. I had never seen their bare ass before, and god was it perfect. I sat on the bed beside them, as they watched me carefully. I put some lotion on their back and gently began rubbing it. They closed their eyes, enjoying the feeling.

I had to turn off the horny part of my brain right now, as much as I wanted to go again, they would need rest. I could sort myself out later if I really needed to, after they were asleep. I didn’t say a word, letting them enjoy the quiet. When I was done, I handed them a sweater and some shorts from my closet. The smallest pair I had. I knew none of my undergirded would fit them, but I could sort that out tomorrow. I didn’t know how long they were staying for cause we never discussed it. As they got comfy, I lifted their chin so their eyes met mine again. Just checking in on them one more time.

“You ok?”

I wasn’t expecting the next words that came out of their mouth.

“My mother is going to die soon.” They said. It was so quiet I barely heard them.

“I’m- I’m sorry.” I said.

Why would they tell me what was bothering them now of all times? But Blinky just kinda said whatever came to their mind, it was how they functioned.

“It’s ok.” They said.

I had thrown on some sweat pants and a sports bra before I had left the room. And right now it didn’t seem important to get proper pyjamas on. I crawled into bed next to them, pulling them into me as they cuddled into my chest. I had left the tooth brush and a glass of water on the nightstand. We could take care of that later.

“What you did for me today, thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything sweetheart, I was just being a good girlfriend.”

They shook their head.

“No Macy, it was more than that. You made me feel safe. This didn’t feel gross like all the other times.” They said.

I frowned. What the hell did they mean all the other times? Gross? Who had hurt them that much? I wanted to rip the head off of this person.

“I never want you to feel gross.” I said softly. “I’m glad you could trust me to do that for you.”

They cuddled closer to my chest, and I held them tightly, draping the blanket over us. I didn’t really need it, I produced plenty of body heat oh my own. I tried to think of something to distract them. I should have anticipated they wouldn’t have entirely felt better after our little play session. But I didn’t want their first proper experience to be clouded by this feeling. Sadness, anger, I couldn’t quite tell. It mostly all looked the same on Blinky. Joy was the only emotion they excelled at flawlessly. You could always tell when they were happy, but everything else was a guessing game.

“Why don’t we get those pretty teeth of yours brushed?”

I saw them push their tongue through the gap where one tooth was missing. I meant to ask them about that, and maybe right now wasn’t the right time. But it just slipped out.

“By the way, what ever happened to that one tooth?” I asked, as I grabbed the tooth brush that already had a bead of tooth paste on it. I would just brush mine in the morning. I didn’t mind.

Blinky laughed slightly, their mood slowly shifting.

“I got punched by a racist.” They laughed even more.

“Blinky that’s not even remotely funny.” I said.

But their smile was contagious.

“At least tell me you punched him back, little miss I’ll cut off your dick if you call my girlfriend a slur again”

They paused, looking up at me.

“Yikes, did I really say that? I’ll have to put more money in the jar when I get home.”

“You have a sweat jar?” I laughed.

“I don’t like using mean words very often.”

“Maybe you can give yourself a pass this time Blink, it’s impossible to not call Hoyt a dick.” I laughed.

But my laughter quickly died down.

“I am sorry about your mom though.”

“Don’t worry about it, she’s going where she belongs.”

Their voice was harsh and cold when they said that. I’ve seen that look before, on Tommy before he killed a particularly nasty victim. Preservation mixed with disgust. I didn’t want to push and ask more, but I could already tell I would’ve hated their mother if I got a chance to meet her, maybe it was for the best she was dying. But if my hunch was right, Blinky and I would have to have a very serious conversion soon. Maybe they weren’t so innocent after all. Not that that mattered to me.

They’d be eating breakfast with my family in the morning. And that deserved a fair warning on my part. I watched as they brushed their teeth. Spitting the water back into the empty cup. I would take care of that in the morning. I leaned down, giving them a quick kiss on the lips as the cuddled back into me.

“Try to get some sleep Blink, I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you. And in the morning, you’ll get to meet Tommy for breakfast.” I smiled.

They let out a little yawn.

“I get to meet Tommy?”

“Mhhmm” I smiled down at them as their eyes closed.

They fell asleep with a content smile on their face. I wasn’t looking forward to our little chat before breakfast. But that was tomorrows problem. I turned off my lamp, and rolled over, pulling them impossible closer to me. Using them like a little teddy bear as I fell asleep.

An: I’m oddly proud of Blinky for taking charge on this one. Victims of assault often have a hard time in the bedroom, but they really love Macy and trust her.

[arvinsescape]

Free

A/N: I finally got my new laptop and was able to write again so I wrote an idea that’s been in my head for a while, it’s loosely inspired by Luther, a series that I’ve re watched recently, I hope you all enjoy.

Summary: Tom just knows you had something to do with your husbands murder. His problem? He can’t prove it.

Warnings: Swearing. Smut, unprotected sex (wrap it up, condoms are a barrier from many things), oral (Fem receiving), mentions of murder, talks of an abusive relationship. (Minors do not engage). I think that’s all.

This is purely a work of fiction. I accept constructive criticism. 

W/C: 3.6K

You were driving Tom insane, he knew, in his gut, he was so sure that you had something to do with your husband’s disappearance. The case had landed itself on his desk when missing persons had deemed it a murder case, even without a body. Could he find the hard evidence that linked you to the murder? No. Was he sure it was you? A thousand per cent. Your case had been dropped months ago but he couldn’t get it or you out of his head.

“Tell me what happened?” Tom asked as he sat opposite you for the first time.

“I’ve already answered all of these questions.” You replied, Tom could tell you were nervous, you had a hard expression, but he saw straight through it.

“I don’t believe some of the answers that you gave.” He said as interlocked his hands on the desk, leaning slightly closer to you.

“I’m not really bothered what you believe, it’s what happened.” You fired back.

“People don’t just disappear.”

“Sure, they do. That’s what missing person’s is for, right?” You said as you cocked an eyebrow at him and he almost smiled, slightly enamored by the way you were handling his questioning. He’d gained a reputation for getting people to crack, but you? You seemed unfazed by his line of questioning.

Ultimately Tom had had to let you go because he couldn’t find the evidence, he needed to convict you. It drove him mad, it had him stumped for months just trying to figure out how you’d done it. How you’d evaded his thorough analysis of your property and workplace. You were smart, that was glaringly obvious to him, every time he thought he’d found something, he came up short.

A week ago, he’d found himself with a similar case on his desk, only this time the body was found. Again, there wasn’t much evidence but there were so many similarities between your case and this one. He found himself up for hours cross referencing your case file and this one, although the woman they suspected this time wasn’t as intelligent as you were, she’d lied about her alibi. Unlike you she’d said she was with a friend who denied it. You on the other hand had said you were at home all day and he couldn’t confirm that as truth and so this evidence became inadmissible in court.

He’d found himself on your doorstep, almost wanting to beg for your help, it was strange, he’d never felt like he needed anyone else’s help before yet here he was outside your door.

“Detective Holland. A man I thought I’d never seen again.” You said once you opened your door. He couldn’t help but note how beautiful you looked, he shook the thought away as he showed his badge and entered your home.

“Mrs. Leigh, I need your help.” He said in a matter-of-fact manner, he noted the small smile that had appeared on your lips and fought his own back, yours was so contagious.

“It’s Miss L/N now.” You politely corrected him.

“My apologies.”

“What could you possibly need my help with?”

“A case I’m trying to solve.”

“Forgive me but I’m not sure how I could be of help to you.” You said with furrowed brows.

“I think you could.”

He talked you through the case and his theories, all the holes in stories and suspicious behavior and you just drank it all in, nodding in certain places but ultimately you kept quiet. It wasn’t until e was done that you spoke.

“I mean, and this is all hypothetical, you’d hide the weapon in plain sight.” You answered as you made your way over to your fridge.

“That would be stupid though.” Tom said confidently, there was no way he’d missed something that was in plain sight. He watched as you pulled the bottle of wine from the fridge with a sigh. What had urged you to help him was beyond you, but a part of you knew that your case still haunted him, and you somehow felt guilty for it.

“People like you will always overlook stupid.” You said with a confidence he couldn’t quite place.

“So, you’re saying if someone wanted to hide evidence, they’d do it in plain sight because we’d overlook it?” Tom was bewildered, there was no way that this could be true, he’d spent hours going over the case files, there’s no way he missed such major evidence such as the murder weapon. He watched as you nodded mindlessly before digging through the drawer for a bottle opener.

“The autopsy report indicates a stab wound to the neck.” He continued. “They bled out. I’ve searched that house and I couldn’t find a single knife small enough to fit that wound.” He spoke. He knew the evidence for this case was in the house, the timing of everything would not have given the perpetrator any time to hide evidence away from the house.

He watched as you took the cork out of the bottle, once you’d removed the cork you placed the bottle opener on the counter, the tiny blade used for taking the paper lining off the bottle top was shining at him, almost mocking him.

“I could think of a few.” You hummed as you filled a wine glass. Tom was filled with excitement as he realized you were right, the small knife was easily concealed within the opener, he had overlooked it, not thought for a second that such a small knife was in the most basic household item.

“All I need to do is tie the murder weapon to her and case closed.” He beamed and you smiled, genuinely smiled for the first time since Tom had met you and he couldn’t help but return it, he really was enamored with you.

“Case closed.” You smiled as you sipped from your wine glass.

You had started to infect the young detective’s thoughts in a different way. He used to obsess over how you’d done it and now he was more obsessed as to why. He couldn’t understand how a woman like you, who was so quiet, kind and charismatic could have harmed another person. He started to wonder if he was wrong, if you’d had anything to do with it at all but his gut told him you did.

All the evidence for his current case came together and the victim’s wife had gone to prison for his murder, pleading guilty. She’d killed him because she wanted his money. He thought back to your case, your husband had had a lot of money, but he couldn’t see that being your motive, he couldn’t think of anything that would motivate you to murder someone. Over the time it took him to gather the evidence, he’d sought out your help more than once and he’d become enchanted by you, he found you intriguing, he wanted to get to know you better.

He wondered if that was what had brought him to your doorstep yet again. He should have been out celebrating the win, but he found himself outside your door. He knocked and wondered if you’d answer, it was late, he noted but he found himself hoping you’d open your door for him. When he heard the lock click his heart raced with excitement, he hoped you’d have that lovely smile on your face that you always had.

“Detective.” You smiled and he laughed.

“Tom.” He corrected and you smiled wider at him.

“What brings you to my doorstep Tom?”

“I wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me?”

“I’m not sure I’d have found that evidence had it not been for our chat, so thank you.”

“Well, you’re welcome. Did you want to come in? I’ve just opened a bottle of red.” You asked with that oh so contagious smile.

“How could I refuse?” He said as he made his way passed you and into the living room that he’d become so familiar with.

A bottle of red wine shared between the two later had them both feeling slightly tipsy. Tom knew he should probably make a move, but he didn’t want to, not unless you wanted him to. He found he very much enjoyed your company and wanted to stay in it as long as possible.

“Thank you for helping me finish the wine.” You smiled.

“Favor returned?” He smirked and you laughed.

“Sure. I suppose I won’t see you now.” You thought aloud.

“I suppose not.” He said, you’d moved closer to each other now, faces inches apart. “Unless you want to help me solve more cases.” He continued.

“I don’t think you’ll need my help again.” You said quietly, eyes flicking from each other’s eyes to each other’s lips.

“You never know.” He answered as quietly as you had. Tom licked his lips in anticipation, he probably shouldn’t be entertaining the idea of kissing you, but he couldn’t help it. You hummed in response as your noses brushed one an other’s. He couldn’t stop himself as he closed the small distance between you.

Your lips met in a desperate kiss, his hands finding your hair as you fisted his shirt in a desperate attempt to pull him closer to you. His mind felt blank as he became completely consumed by thoughts of you and what he wanted to do to you. He’d found you attractive the second he’d brought you in for questioning all those months ago but the more he’d gotten to know you the more he found you attractive. The rational part of his brain that was telling him this might be dangerous shut off as bit your bottom lip and you moaned slightly.

Your lips disconnected as you both needed air, both as breathless as each other. You looked at him and the look in your eyes drove him wild, your beautiful eyes were looking back at him completely list blown. He reconnected your lips as you straddled him, his hands finding your waist, lifting your shirt slightly to feel your skin.

“Bedroom?” He asked through a breath as your lips briefly disconnected.

“Upstairs, third door on the right.” You said quickly before reconnecting your lips, the kiss was hot and heavy as Tom stood, carrying you effortlessly to your bedroom, not breaking the kiss for a second. As soon as he found himself in your room, you both fell onto the bed, Tom’s back hitting the mattress. He almost moaned as you rocked your hips into his, the friction causing him to stiffen even more than he thought possible.

“You’re so fucking hot.” He said as he sat up, his lips connecting with your neck. You rolled your head back to give him more access and he took the opportunity to trail kisses down your throat, listening to the small gasps you were exhaling. He was more aroused than he’d ever been in his life, he felt completely drunk off you.

“Tom, I really want you to fuck me.” You spoke and Tom groaned at the filthy words that left your mouth, he wasn’t expecting it.

“Wanna taste you first.” He spoke as he flipped you both over, your back easily hitting the mattress as your lips reconnected. He trailed kisses down your neck as his hands went to the hem of your shirt, pulling it from you effortlessly. He unclipped your bra and threw both your shirt and bra onto the floor. Kissing down your chest as he took a nipple into his mouth, slightly grazing it with his teeth before licking and sucking at it.

Your moans grew louder, and Tom found himself entranced by the sounds you were making, he doesn’t recall ever being with anyone who sounded as pretty as you did. He continued his attention on your nipples, switching from one to the other.

“Tom, please.” You begged and he smirked against your skin.

“What?” He asked as he made eye contact with you, his fingers moving to roll your nipple.

“I need you to move lower.” You moaned.

“Whatever you want baby.” He spoke as he placed a final kiss to your breast before moving down your body.  

He quickly removed your shorts and groaned when he realized you didn’t have underwear on. He looked at your glistening heat and almost moaned at how wet you were for him.

“So wet, look at this.” He said as he ran a finger through your folds. “I’ve barely touched you and your soaked.” He smirked as you rolled your head back into the pillow.

“Please.” You begged as he let out a breath over your heat, watched as you jolted slightly from the sensation. “Tom.” You moaned as he ran his tongue through your heat.

“You taste fucking amazing.” He said before practically diving in, sucking your clit as he listened to your moans. He continued to lick and suck at your clit as he heard your moans grow louder, you must have been close he thought to himself as he sucked your clit and listened to the high-pitched moan you released.

He felt as your hand moved to his hair, almost keeping him still as he continued to lick and suck at your clit, your hips bucking up to meet his movements and e found it so incredibly hot, the way you’d started to use his face to almost get yourself off was driving him wild.

You let out a moan of his name as your orgasm crashed through you, Tom felt your legs shake and helped you through your intense orgasm, feeling proud of himself for not disappointing you. Once you’d come down from your high, he pulled away, moving back up your body, your legs continuing to shake through your aftershocks.

“So perfect.” He mumbled as he gave you a quick kiss, taking in the blissful expression on your face. “Did so well for me. Fucking hot.” He said again as you removed his shirt, placing a kiss onto his chest. You continued pressing kisses to his chest as he fumbled with his belt, almost getting frustrated as it got caught.

“Here.” you said as your hands took over, taking his belt into your own hands, undoing it almost like it was second nature to you. He found it all the more of a turn on. You made short work of his pants; they found their place with the rest of the clothes on the floor of your bedroom.

“You sure you’re okay with this?” He asked.

“Yes. I want you to fuck me Tom.”

It was all the confirmation he needed as he slipped into you, both of you moaning at the contact. Fuck, you felt good, almost perfect for him. You were both a moaning mess as he thrusted into you over and over again. His hand gripping your thigh to hoist it higher around his waist. You almost screamed as he found your g spot from his new angle, your nails clawing at his back which only made him thrust into you harder.

“Fuck, that feels good, you feel so fucking amazing.” He said as he felt you clench around him. He shifted your leg higher to get an even better angle on your g spot as he continuously pounded into you, listening to your moans of his name. he felt his own orgasm approach as you tightened around him, he knew you were close, and he watched in awe as you reached your own hand to your clit and started to rub it.

“That’s it baby.” He said and after a few more thrusts he felt you come around him which brought on his own orgasm, he removed himself from your tight heat and released his load all over your stomach with a moan of your name.

It took you both a good few minutes to recover, he was collapsed on top of you as you ran your fingers through his hair. He kissed your shoulder every few minutes and found himself more happy and content than he’d been in a long time. He removed himself from the top of you and went into the bathroom to find a warm cloth to wash the two of you off.

Once you were both cleaned up he laid in your bed with your head on hi chest as you slept soundly, and he ran his hands through your hair. He was deep in thought as he thought about your case and what had happened and now he was dying to know what had driven you to commit such an act. He was so sure in his gut you’d done it but having you here in the state you were he wondered how you could harm an insect, let alone another person.

“I wish you’d tell me what happened. Just be honest, everything’s different now. I’d want you to confide in me as your partner not see me as a detective who’s looking to lock you away. Fuck Princess, I think I’d move the Earth if you asked me to.” He whispered and he meant it, he didn’t want this time with you to end, he was so infatuated with you by this point. He fell asleep after a while, thoughts of you completely on his mind.

**

“I need to know how you did it.” He spoke after a while of you both being awake, you were spooning now as his hand rubbed your bare skin, he pressed a kiss to your bare shoulder.

“You’ve read the file.” You spoke.

“That says you didn’t do it, but I know you did Princess.”

“My case is closed, why don’t you leave it at that?”

“I can’t. I’m obsessing over it.”

“I’ve already told you.” You said after a while and Tom furrowed his brows as he turned you onto your back so he could look at you.

“No. You haven’t.” He spoke carefully, maybe he’d missed something, a confession maybe.

“For a Detective Inspector, you can be pretty stupid.” You laughed and he thought on your words for a second. Thought about how much help you’d been and what you’d said, of course you knew how this woman had done it, it was how you’d done it. The only difference was that you’d managed to dispose of the body.

“So, you did do it?” He said quietly, a small part of him was proud he was right, his gut was never wrong, but the bigger part of him wondered why.

“You just need to prove it.” You said as a tear made its way down your cheek. Of all the things Tom expected, this wasn’t one of them, he wasn’t expecting you to cry.

“Hey,” he said as he swiped the tear away with his thumb. “Tell me what happened.” He urged in the most comforting manner he could, he needed you to know you could trust him with this.

“Have you ever felt trapped? That’s how he made me feel, like I had no way out. I tried to leave him so many times, but he wouldn’t let me, he had me by the throat and it felt like he was squeezing the life out of me.” You said through your tears and Tom’s heart dropped, this wasn’t a usual case where the wife murders the husband for a payout. “He wasn’t the nice rich guy everyone thought he was, he hit me, took all his anger out on me but I could never prove it, if I had bruises I wasn’t allowed to leave the house until they weren’t visible, which wasn’t often. I snapped.” You spoke and he pulled you into a hug.

“Y/N…” He said and you interrupted him.

“But it never matters to people like you. You don’t give leeway for the small amount of people who had no other choice. That’s why I never came clean, never admitted to what I’d done, I didn’t want him to trap me any more than he had, I didn’t want to go to prison because of him.” You said as you finally let the tears out that you’d kept in for so many months.

You hadn’t intended to kill him; it was an accident. You cried for ten minutes as Tom held you, placing comforting kisses to your temple. Something about finally telling the truth was freeing, you knew he could and would probably arrest you for this, but it felt good to finally tell someone the truth that was eating away at you.

“I’m not going to do anything.” Tom spoke after a while.

“What?” You asked through sniffles as your tears ceased.

“I understand now. You’ve been punished enough. Your secret is safe with me.” He said sincerely and you believed him, but you didn’t want to drag him down with you.

“You could lose your job, go to prison if anyone found out.” You said and he kissed your cheek.

“They won’t, your case has become a cold one. There’s still no body, I doubt they’ll reopen the case.” He said through a small smile. He didn’t want to ask what you’d done with the body, he assumed you were clever enough to make sure it was never found and if it was he would make sure none of the evidence led to you, he would make sure that all the evidence ran dry, he felt like he would do anything for you.

“So, I’m free?” You spoke, hope lacing every word.

“You’re free baby.”

[giorno-plays-piano]

Abominable Part 1

Pairing: mage!Peter Parker x mage!Reader

Warnings: yandere, obsession, stalking, murders, possible gore in the future chapters, pretty dark story overall.

Words: 1543

Summary: An investigator of the Mage's Association, you are sent to discover the mystery behind a series of murders before more sinister events take place.

P.S. This was inspired by The Garden of Sinners particularly. I loved it dearly when I was a teenager.

To avoid any confusion, the reader is neither good nor bad due to the nature of her profession. Peter is an adult.

____________

Stepping on a platform with a vintage Samsonite briefcase in your hand, you looked at the people standing aside, most of them waiting for other passengers to leave the train. Although you knew the face of a magus who was supposed to meet you, it was hard to recognize him in the crowd, and you stared at all those people in front of you, clenching the briefcase’s handle. You hated waiting.

Of course, Lord Pierce wasn’t too happy with your arrival: the old fool thought he was untouchable even after a series of murders and an unnatural magic activity in Tombra that got the Mage's Association alarmed. You remembered the revulsion in Mr. Stark’s voice when he talked of Alexander. The old aristocracy, Lord Pierce was an outstanding magus who had long abandoned practicing any decent magic and instead preferred to exploit the strength of his numerous successors. While he still had some friends in the Association, Stark hated him greatly and was happy to remind him who was in control.

Naturally, Pierce knew why you came to Tombra, and the conversation between you two didn’t go well. You didn’t hide your intentions: you were the Investigator of the Clock Tower, and your job was to figure out what was happening in that megalopolis where Lord Pierce resided proudly. It meant you were going to be a great disturbance and a possible danger to many aristocratic families under Alexander’s protection. 

It wasn’t surprising he chose the most useless assistant to help you find out the truth. His name was Peter Parker, and he was class D+ magus who attended neither Clock Tower nor Atlas Academy. His role was to slow you down, you thought and sighed. 

Suddenly, you saw a familiar face when a young man hurried to you, his cheeks red, sweat running down his face: apparently, he was late. You snickered, looking at his formal attire - his black tie was so long as if he stole it from his father.

Once he was close enough, the young man stood tall, at attention, waiting for you to say something as he stared at you with awe and horror.

“Lady Ragna of the Clock Tower,” you named your rank coldly, and your companion nervously bit his lower lip, acting exactly how you expected of him.

“Peter of Tombra! Pleased to make your acquaintance!” He sounded too excited, and his hands were trembling a little, although he tried hiding it.

Gods, what was he good for in a situation like this, unless he possessed some extraordinary powers not stated in his file? Well, now was the time to discover that, you thought as you narrowed your eyes at the young man.

"Your primary magecraft?"

"B-bounded fields and healing!"

Nothing spectacular there, but bounded fields could be of use to you if you would ever be attacked while performing magic.

"Elements?"

"Water and wind!"

This was better: magi controlling more than one element were still rare, and the boy could make a nice apprentice if he were to be send to the Clock Tower. Besides, with Tombra surrounded by a river, a liquid manipulation skill Peter definitely possessed could be valuable, too.

"Magic circuit composition?"

"N-normal?"

"Any familiars?"

"None."

He was clearly feeling like a mouse in front of a snake, his face getting even more red with every second, and you found the situation rather funny.

"Your motto?" You stared him dead in the eye.

For a second Peter looked horrified, his mouth slightly open as if he were to say something, but you heard no sound coming from him. Then, as if struck by lightning, he gibbered with fear, "Live p-proudly?"

Oh boy. He really thought you were being serious when you talked rubbish with a stony face. If anybody was to talk about a personal motto, even the most pretentious magi of the Clock Tower would burst out laughing.

Rolling your eyes skyward, a gleam of deviltry in them, you smirked, "It was a joke. Don't ever use a motto, it's a terrible idea."

"Thank goodness! I thought it's something high magi of Clock Tower have." The next second Peter made a sigh of relief, and then the both of you laughed loudly, making other people on the platform throw glances at you.

Although you realized the young man had much less experience than you, you still felt he would be fun to have around. If he could make your life a little easier, you would accept his help.

Moving away from the platform and soon passing through the station's hall, you went straight to the city streets instead of catching a taxi. Peter hurried after you, still perplexed at your refusal to let him carry your bag - you guessed he expected you to boss him around, and it made you chuckle. What Pierce was doing with young magi here if Peter had such an impression about higher-ups?

"Lady Ragna, I was informed that the cottage where you chose to stay is in the suburbs. Did you decide to change it?" He asked, seeing you walking to a completely different place.

"No, it's the same cottage. If you wonder why we aren't driving there right now, I'd prefer to patrol the streets tonight to get to know the city. We can discuss the details of the job in the meantime."

You walked away fast, not looking at your companion anymore and watching the night city instead: you had never been to Tombra before, but many magi from the Clock Tower were born there, and their talk about the city always made you a little jealous. Born in a small town to a simple human woman who knew nothing of magic, you always wished to know what it was like to grow up in a true magic society like the one in Tombra, a home to many noble families, albeit smaller and less significant than those living in the capital. 

The city looked exactly like you imagined it: giant grey buildings stood besides the streets, and while they didn't look particularly pretty, you loved those countless neon signages and bright posters that were shining even in the darkness of the night. The streets were busy with tourists admiring the city, couples walking out of the fancy restaurants and cinemas, and young people, recklessly snooping around some nightclubs and bars, trying to get in despite the security glaring at them and requiring them to show their ID cards while the kids pretended they forgot them. There was also a small marketplace with colorful food trucks and booths, offering both local and international cuisine, and you blended into the crowd immediately, taking some crepes and then buying takoyaki - Peter, following you like a puppy, looked shocked.

"I can't do my job on an empty stomach," you smirked and handed him some takoyaki.

Funny enough, he accepted the second you showed the plastic plate into his hands, eating so hungrily as if he had been starving the whole day.

"Well, now since I feel a bit better, let's talk business," you motioned the young man to follow you, and turned to a narrow alley, leaving the noisy market that was going to be full of people for at least a couple of hours more. "Do you have any idea why I have been sent by the Association?"

Licking his fingers, Peter looked somewhat shyly at you, probably afraid he would say something silly, "From what I understand, the reason is some unnatural magic activity the Association couldn't trace, and the involvement of its user in several murders."

"Correct." Crossing the alley, you scratched the chipped paint from an old building in front of you and looked at your fingers, furrowing your brows. "To be precise, the reason why the Association didn't leave these murders to a human police is the method how these murders were carried on. Whoever did it pretty much sucked the soul out of victims' bodies."

Peter frowned, staying still while you kept examining the concrete wall in front of you, drawing strange symbols that started glowing immediately as you finished them.

"It may sounds funny, but the ritual necessary to prevent the soul of a dead person to come back to Akasha is known only to a couple of magi, and each of them is considered a great danger to the society by the Association. This alone is a threat, but Mr. Stark's other concern is the indefinite nature of magic practiced in Tombra. It is likely that the magus responsible for the deaths is planning something much more sinister, and we can't allow this to happen."

Finding what you were looking for, you nodded to yourself and moved further, Peter walking right beside you with a concerned expression on his face. He was probably surprised you didn't need his guidance, but you spent the last three days memorizing Tombra's map.

"Do you mean that the souls of victims can be combined to become a power source for some... dark ritual or something?" He asked nervously, licking his lips.

You smirked, turning to him and pointing to the wall of the next building that started to glow subtly as you got close, "Exactly, Peter."

__________

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[jess-unkommentiert]

[14] Thunderstorm

-> Heartbeats 💕 Masterlist → The story on Wattpad

November 28th 2022 - Atlanta On his way to set Sebastian went to a Starbucks to get a vanilla latte for y/n and an Americano with oat milk for himself. He also decided to buy some of the big and chewy chocolate chip cookies to share with y/n. She would love them because they were the sweetest cookies he every had in his entire life.

After the weekend in New York he was excited to see her again. He really missed her and he was sure she missed him as well. They texted a few times during the weekend, but he was very busy so he didn't had as much time for her as he wanted to. After the conversation with Christina on Saturday he was even more passionate about whatever he had with y/n. He wanted to explore their relationship together and figure out where it can go.

When he arrived on set he made his way straight to the hair and make-up trailer. He was scheduled first today as he needed some VFX make-up for the scenes this week. This week they were shooting some scenes of Bucky in a hospital after a mission abroad gone wrong. This was kind of a turning point for Bucky in the story so Seb was really excited to shoot the scenes.

He entered the trailer with a loud "Good Morning sunsh..." but immediately stopped when he saw the black-haired woman in front of him that was obviously not y/n.

"Oh I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you to be here, Jennifer. Didn't want to scream at you, sorry again!" he mumbled while scratching his neck with the hand that was not holding the tray and the paper bag with cookies.

"It's alright, Sebastian. Y/n called me this morning and said that she is not feeling good and won't come to work today. That's why I am here to do the make-up on you." Jennifer answered and offered him a smile.

He didn't feel like smiling. Y/N ill? He was concerned because she didn't text him or let him know that she won't be here this morning. How ill was she?

"Oh no. Did she tell you what's wrong with her?" he asked Jennifer, whose smile disappeared as she saw his concerned expression.

"Not in detail. She said that she was feeling dizzy and queasy. She hopes to be back within this week, but she wasn't sure. I told her to see a doctor if it's not better tomorrow."

He nodded and mumbled a "Mhm-mhm" as response. Jennifer raised an eyebrow - unsure why Sebastian was reacting like that. She saw him carrying a tray with two coffees and a paper bag. She pointed on it and said: "You brought me coffee?" with a laughter to brighten up his mood.

"Actually it was for y/n, but you can have it. It's a vanilla latte and it's very sweet." he answered with a little smile on his lips and hold the tray in her direction so she could grab the coffee cup.

"Not my favorite - but it will do it. Thank you!"

"Oh and here's a cookie for you as well." he said and showed her the now open paper bag that was filled with two large chocolate chip cookies.

"Wow! I love chocolate chip cookies, thanks. Y/n should be out of order more often, so that I can steal her breakfast." she laughed and he also smiled - but it wasn't an honest smile. He was still worried and decided to text y/n while Jennifer was working on his fake wounds. Bucky was beat up pretty bad, so it would take a while to turn Sebastian into Bucky.

Sebastian Good morning, sunshine. Hope you're better soon. Let me know if I can do anything to cheer you up. Read 7:08 am

He put his phone down on the desk in front of him - screen down. He would hear it buzz when she had answered him and he didn't want Jennifer to read his texts.

Jennifer was working on all the fake wounds in his face and it reminded him of his role as Nick Fowler in 'The 355' that came out in the beginning of the year. Nick was also beat-up really bad and he had a lot of fake wounds (including a gun shot wound) for this movie.

Jennifer excused herself as she needed to get some more fake blood and he grabbed his phone so see if y/n had answered and he just didn't hear the buzz. He was talking with Jennifer a lot about literally everything. She was a nice person and easy to talk with. Y/n hadn't answered his text although she had read them. He decided to send her another text to hopefully make her smile:

Sebastian

Jennifer makes me look like Nick Fowler again this week. But this time I am not wearing a fancy blue suit as Bucky has a hospital gown. Can you image the Winter Soldier in a hospital gown? Can't believe you miss this! This is amazing blackmail material, y/n!

Read 8:26 am

Jennifer came back after a few minutes and finished his make-up. It was around 9:30 am and he went to the hospital set to start shooting. Not much work to do for him today as Bucky was lying literally just in a hospital bed with Sam and Sharon having an conversation by his side. The next days will be more interesting for him as they will shoot scenes when Bucky is awake and discusses with Sam about their new enemies as well as when he was discharged from the hospital.

During their lunch break Anthony told Emily a lot of embarrassing moments from their shooting of 'Falcon and the Winter Soldier' in 2019 and 2020. Although Emily was in the show she just had four days on set as she was not having many scenes with the two guys. So she didn't knew all the funny stuff that happened.

"When there is someone like Mackie on set, it doesn't feel like you're working. It feels like a school trip to the zoo or somewhere else where the teacher desperately try to not lose one of the students. And Mackie is that ONE STUDENT who drives the teachers crazy all the time. But he's so much fun to work with." Seb said after laughing too hard for the last minutes. His abs were burning but he didn't care. He missed working with Mackie.

Right before the end of their lunch break he checked his phone again to see that y/n hadn't respond at all. He was worried. Was she too weak to answer him? He decided to get her some food after work and bring it to her apartment to check if she was okay. Maybe she needed some medicine as well.

The rest of the day went by really slow. He caught himself checking his phone between every take - just to be sadder every time he realized that she still hadn't answered his texts. He send her another: "Are you okay? I am worried!" in the afternoon - she read his message but didn't respond.

He was really happy when they were finally finished with the scene so he rushed to his trailer and changed his costume to his own clothes: a black jeans and a plain with t-shirt. He put on a camel brown jacket with a fluffy collar that he was wearing as Frank in 'Endings, Beginnings'. He loved that jacket because it was stylish and comfy at the same time so he was really happy when the costume crew let him keep it after the movie was done.

On his way to y/n apartment he got Chinese food - some noodles with a lot of vegetables, egg and chicken. He hoped that she wasn't still feeling greasy so that she could eat at least a little bit. He decided to buy some plain bread sticks in a grocery store nearby in case she wasn't able to eat the Chinese food.

He arrived in front of y/n apartment complex at 6 pm, stood in front of the door and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure what to expect but he was worried and he really wanted to check if y/n was doing okay. He entered the building and managed to go to y/n's floor without ringing her doorbell as one of her neighbors just left the building when he stood in front of the door. He walked down the corridor and waited in front of her apartment door.

Another deep breath. Then he rang the doorbell.

A few seconds pasted and nothing happened. Maybe she wasn't at home. Maybe she was with Susan because she needed someone to look after her. Or she was asleep.

He rang the doorbell again - still no response from the other side of the door.

So he decided to knock at the door and said with a loud voice: "Hey y/n, it's Sebastian. Please open the door, when you're at home."

A few seconds later he heard some sounds from behind the door what told him that someone was there. Maybe she was fallen asleep and he woke her with his screaming. He immediately felt guilty.

"What do you want?"

Y/N voice came from across the still closed door - she sounded more angry than exhausted from being ill. He was confused but maybe her voice just sounded different because they were talking through a closed door.

"I brought you some food. I am worried. You hadn't respond to me the entire day. Jennifer said that you're not feeling good and I wanted to check if you're okay."

There was no response at first but he heard her moving behind the door.

"Well, I am good. Still talking to you, so I am alive. You can leave now." she answered in a lower but still angry voice. Now he was sure that she was angry. He could hear the tremble in her voice.

"I brought you some Chinese food. You need to eat something so that you're better soon." he said and tried to cover his concerned voice. He was not sure what was going on. Maybe she was angry because he woke her. People are usually grumpy when they are disturbed while sleeping.

He heard a very loud sigh from the other side before she unlocked the door and opened it. Her face was pale like she was snow white, but her eyes were puffy and red. It looked like she had cried a lot in the last hours.

Her appearance made him worry even more as he didn't know what the hell had happened to her. All he wanted to do was pulling her into a tight hug and tell her that everything was going to be okay soon. That he was there for her and would look after her until she was feeling better.

"Are you really pretending like nothing happened or are you just really really dumb, Sebastian?"

"What do you mean?" he said with honest confusion.

"What do I mean? What do I mean? WHAT DO I MEAN?" she mimicked him - her voice getting louder every time. She wasn't able to hide her anger anymore and she didn't want to. She wanted to let him feel and realize that he fucked up big time. Unfortunately Sebastian didn't had any clue what the heck he did wrong. It was like a scene from a comedy movie.

"Listen, y/n. I really don't know why you are angry and what happened. Can we just go inside and talk about it please?" he pleaded.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to have this conversation with him now. It still hurt too much and she knew that she couldn't be neutral in a fight. This Instagram post caught her unprepared and it felt like her whole world fell apart. She really liked Sebastian and he even asked her for an official date. Things were good between them. But one weekend in New York and everything changed. Christina and Sebastian - in love with each other?

Are they dating now? And why did he asked her for a date then? She was so confused. And angry. She didn't want to see, text or hear Sebastian and Christina until she was able to clear her mind, but there he was - standing in front of her with an honest confusion on his face.

And she hated him even more for not knowing how much he fucked up.

After what felt like a lifetime for Sebastian, y/n sighed and stepped aside to let him come inside of her apartment.

He went straight to the living room - closely followed by a silent y/n. He could only hear her sniffle. As he turned around and pointed on the bag of food in his hand she turned her head towards the dinner table to let him know he should place it there.

She was already sitting on the turquoise couch with a tissue box and a lot of already used tissues on the coffee table in front of her. Next to the tissue box he could see one bottle of Baileys and one bottle Tequila.

To not invade her personal space he grabbed a chair from the dinner table and sat in front of her - the coffee table in between them. He observed her closely and realized that she must have cried even more than he thought before. He felt guilty again - although he was still confused why she cried.

He looked at her but her gaze was on her thighs as she was avoiding him. They sat in an awkward silence - that was only broke by her sniffles from time to time and his heavy breathing.

Right before he wanted to say something she raised her head and locked her eyes with his. He could see tears fill her eyes and he hated seeing her like that. He considered to jump up and hug her until she feels better - but he thought that this wouldn't be what she wanted right now. Although (and Sebastian obviously didn't knew that) y/n didn't want anything more than being in his arms - forever.

"Are you dating now?" was the only thing she could say - the tears falling down her cheeks while she was speaking.

"Listen, y/n. I still don't know what you mean. Who am I dating? What happened? Why are you crying?" he answered desperately.

Her tears stopped falling as her face became angry again. She stood up from the couch, raised her arm to point at him with her index finger. Her voice was loud and harsh as she almost screamed at him.

"Are you kidding me? Seems like you had a lot of fun with her in New York. Confessing your love to each other, going out together. Did you even sleep with her?"

"Christina. She is talking about Christina" he finally realized. But before he had the chance to explain everything to y/n and defend himself she continued her rant even louder.

"Why the hell you even asked me on a date? Why did you come over to cook with me. Cuddle with me. Is this how you do it? Having someone to hang around and maybe even fuck when you're filming abroad? But now you finally have Christina and you can be a happy family. Go fuck her and marry her and start a family with her. Like you could have done it years ago at Rutgers."

Tears were running down her face again after she literally spitted out every word. She needed a few sobs and deep breaths as a break and it looked like she was having trouble breathing through her swollen nose. He wasn't sure if this was his cue to say something so he waited a few seconds if she wanted to continue. And yeah - she wasn't done with him yet.

"I am so fucking stupid. I really thought we had some kind of special connection. The tension between us, the sparkles in your eyes when you looked into mine. I really thought I am something special for you. But I am just a naive fool. This didn't mean anything to you. One weekend in New York and everything we had is just - boom - gone!" she said while her hands made a gesture of an exploding bomb.

Wasn't it while she was ranting on him - he would have thought that her way of expression herself with so many gestures looked very cute and adorable.

Before she could continue with insulting him and also herself he took the chance to say something himself.

"Y/N! Listen to me. I am not dating Christina and I don't have any intentions to do so in the future. Nothing happened between me and her. I promise!" he lifted himself up from the chair and tried to grab her hands to comfort her. But she pulled back her hands very quick and a glance of fear were in her eyes. He remembered Christina's words and pulled back his own hands to raise them in front of his body as apology. He sat back down on the chair and y/n fell back in the cushions of the couch. She was still sobbing - but it looked like she was able to finally breath normal again.

"But why the Instagram post?" she said with a still angry voice.

"I don't know. We thought it was just funny that after 20 years we realized that we were in love with each other all the time but none of us was brave enough to tell the other. We were just not meant to be." he said with a shy smile on his face.

He tried to look into her eyes but she was looking at her thighs. There was silence between them again and he could feel the awkward tension in the room.

"I am so stupid. Oh my god. I am so sorry Sebastian. I overreacted and didn't even gave you the chance to explain yourself. I... stupid..." he couldn't hear the rest of her words as she had her hands in front of her face and was crying again.

He made his way to sit next to her on the couch and put his arm around her shoulder as she was still crying and sobbing - with shallow breathing.

"Shhh, y/n it's okay. It's my fault. I fucked up. I was to dumb to realize that this photo and the caption wasn't a good idea." he tried to comfort her with a calm voice, slowly caressed his fingertips over her upper body.

It seemed like it helped to calm her down. Suddenly she leaned into him, her arms entwined his chest. He could feel his shirt soaking with tears but he didn't care. He had her in his arms again. That's all he wanted for the last days.

He was still caressing her back when he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

A brief moment of tenderness between them that made y/n feel butterflies inside of her stomach.

She let him go from the tight hug she gave him and looked at him. She was surprised when she saw some tears fill his beautiful steel-blue eyes. He quickly blinked them away and smiled. Then he cubed her face with both hands and wiped away her tears with both of his thumbs.

Her heart was galloping fast in her chest and she could feel that his was too. Two hearts beating in the same rhythm. Their glazed locked at each other for - what felt like - eternity before he said:

"I never wanted to hurt you. You're the only one I want to go on a date with."

His smile was even wider than before and she couldn't help herself to smile back at him. Pale skin, puffy red eyes but a wide smile.

He let go of her face and placed both of his hands at her waist - her body still close to his. Her green eyes looked even greener with all the red skin bordering them. She was beautiful - even when she was looking like an absolute mess.

Suddenly she closed her eyes, leaned in and places her lips on his.

It took him by surprise and so he needed a second to close his eyes and kiss her back. Big fireworks exploded in both of their stomachs when she put her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. His tongue gently touched her bottom lip - asking for permission. Her lips parted and gave him access to her own tongue. They met and gently discovered the other one.

They broke the kiss in urgency to breath and y/n leaned back. She smiled at him and he smiled back at her. There was no need for any words - the tension between them sparkled like it was a lightning in a thunderstorm.

"I can't wait to go on a date with you, Sebastian Stan." she broke the silence.

He leaned in and gave her another gentle kiss on the lips.

"Do you want some food?" he clapped his hand and looked at her.

"Oh yeah. I am starving. Being a jealous little bitch is exhausting." she chuckled and turned around to head to the dinner table to grab the Chinese food. He followed her closely.