#tag yourself i'm marlow

[zaxal]

Self-rec time! What are your favorite five fics that you've written and why? After replying to this ask, feel free to tag five other writers to spread the love. 💗

thanks for the tag @ripeteeth !!! i've been sitting on this for a few days because i have not had the fortitude to say nice things about myself or my writing without also being incredibly critical, but i think we're there today.

all of these are the ones that i remember being the most fun to write, the most fun to reread, and the ones i'm proudest of :}

Breaking But Not Yet Broken - Psych, Shassie, M, ~8.1k, 2012

After being held captive and hurt, Carlton's relationship with Shawn starts getting complicated.

this was my first ever whump fic, and it was so fun to write that i have simply never stopped writing whump since lol. like, yes, technically this is me projecting on lassie for 8k words, but it is also an exploration of the loneliness of healing after trauma (even when someone went through the same traumatic event as you!) and allowing yourself to Be vulnerable when you already feel that all your defensive layers have been forcibly removed from you.

both shawn and lassiter are characters with a ton of these defenses, and they try to default back to them or find comfort in them (with mixed amounts of success) but even when they aren't working (and they can recognize that they aren't working), they can't simply Stop their bullshit.

Mistakes We Never Made (Until Today) - Psych, Shassie, E, ~3.6k, 2015

Things pick up from where they started. His marriage is on its last legs, and Shawn Spencer comes waltzing back into his life.

so this is a post-canon fic where happily-ever-after fails, the canon relationships break up (and it IS the men's fault to be clear; juliet and marlowe have never done anything wrong in their lives--), and these two decide to use each other to self destruct.

and i love it kdsjfksd. look. i love fluffy shassie. i love romantic shassie. i love slow burn shassie. but they are both capable of being such unrepentant assholes, and writing them being their worst selves is so much fun. an extreme vibe of 'bitter exes but they just started dating.'

everything lost - Good Omens (TV), Aziraphale/Crowley, Gabriel/Aziraphale (One-Sided, Abusive), E, ~33k, 2023

For two-thousand years, Aziraphale was sexually harassed and assaulted by the Director of Heavenly Operations. Years after Aziraphale and Crowley break free from Heaven and Hell entirely, Gabriel shows up on Aziraphale's front step with no clothes, no memories, no divine powers, and an inexplicable, unshakeable attachment to Aziraphale. Old and new trauma alike plague Aziraphale as he struggles to get rid of Gabriel without bringing the wrath of Heaven down on him and Crowley both.

i saw the GOs2 trailer and lost my mind. this plot bunny sprung forth from my mind fully formed like athena. she was written and published before the season dropped because i felt in my heart that gabriel would get a face-turn and people would get weird about dark!gabriel fics, and because i wanted it to be irrefutable that i knew nothing about the season before writing.

which didn't need to be a thing i was worried about at all lol. but i had a trailer, a poster, a feather duster, and a dream, and i made it work.

aziraphale whump, my beloved. love using aziraphale's kindness, pragmatism, and manners to keep him locked in a deeply unpleasant situation that's slowly whittling away at his nerves and sanity.

i also really love putting crowley in an outsider position. aziraphale hasn't told him what happened; it's supposed to be over. when crowley wakes up and starts to help him, the presumption is that they'll get this settled and then never see gabriel again, so what point is there in bringing up old hurt? i love writing crowley and aziraphale as a Team, but they spent 6k years pretending they aren't, and i like thinking about the residual habits that they're gonna have to work to get rid of.

Ash and Blood - Psych, Shassie, E, ~61k, 2015

A string of identical murders leads Lassiter down a dark and treacherous path.

in 2012 @inouken asked me to write a lassie vampire fic and i emerged three years later with a novel. like a normal person!

this is really long lassie whump with some shawn whump thrown in for spice. it could count as case fic, if you're good with knowing who the killer is in the first 5 chapters.

because this is one of zax's first wordcount monstrosities, i had a lot more room to play around with characters. shawn and lassiter's relationship develops fast, but i had more room for them to become serious about each other instead of it being right away immediately (even tho those feelings were already there). i played around with some OCs and tested them against the main ship. my biggest regret is not doing more with gus and juliet, but the bits of them that are in here really lead towards the strong relationships they have with their respective partners and are v in character and i'm proud of them.

but OVERALL i really love this fic. i feel like there's a good balance to psych humor vs being in lassiter's head (when babygirl is naturally grim and grumpy when he's Not dealing with suddenly dying and becoming a vampire), relationship fluff vs people dying and figuring out how to fight back, and developing an understanding of the OCs i introduced (feds and santa barbara vampires) and how they fit into finding/taking care of The Killer.

Lambs To The Slaughter - Good Omens (Book/TV), Aziraphale/Crowley, Lucifer/Aziraphale, E, ~142k WIP, 2019 - Present

An angel and a demon dance along the knife's edge of destruction together in an eternal waltz. The demon who had been Aziraphale and the angel who would be Crowley answer to powerful forces that care not for the individual cogs in their celestial machines. This will be their undoing.

twirling my hair, so this is lambs, my reverse omens fic where aziraphale is the sheep demon azram and crowley is the star-spinner seraph corvai. it's my pride and joy and wouldn't exist without @transfemmbeatrice for brainstorming, obsessing with me for YEARS, writing large portions of the middle-end and end with me, and making corvai and azram Real with me.

i go into many AUs with the mindset that i want to push my faves off script. i want them to still be recognizable as themselves, but i wanna see just how far i can twist them around the core of Who They Are.

and i went into lambs with the idea that i wanted azram to be someone terrible but not irredeemable. the idea that he would be simply 'evil' and written off as such didn't appeal to me. i wanted to ask Why a character like aziraphale (a blended form of book and tv; this is why god uses they/them pronouns to set them apart from both) would become harsh, cruel, possessive, sadistic, beyond just Falling and just Being that way after. and how to balance that with the softer parts of who aziraphale is (as said earlier in the bit about everything lost: kind, despite everything, and so capable of loving both crowley, humanity, and earth to his own detriment).

corvai is, similar to aziraphale, a good angel. she is what a good angel should be. unlike aziraphale, corvai is a punk with authority issues and a lot of anger at heaven, at god, and at themself. trade in canon crowley's anxiety for constantly simmering anger and a lack of experience dealing with demons other than azram that means corvai lacks crowley's defensive layers of cool. he's very open and earnest, even when he knows it's a quick way to getting hurt.

i originally wanted there to be some question about whether corvai was secretly raphael but i added the tag to clarify later that they're not. azram will take his time learning this, because azram is an idiot even though corvai, unlike the rest of the seraphim, cannot heal, and raphael is, famously, the healer.

i could keep going but i'm going to cut it off there bc this post is long enough and our power blinked so i'm scared if it'll even post and if you read this far, congrats! i'm sorry!

tagging: @transfemmbeatrice @anethara @andithil @alivingsaint @christocentricqueer

[sidhelives]

Word Search Tag Game

@kittynomsdeplume has brought me back to the land of the living with her tags, and for that we thank her.

The words I have been given to search for are Seek, Fault, Bruise, Wisdom, and Cherish

Letsa go!

Seek - Listen Closely (Skyrim)

Above his disemboweled torso, the vampire's expression was frozen in shock. He had not expected death to come calling, despite what he was. A mistake Diem would do well to learn from. There was no complacency in half life, no peace for creatures like them. To seek it was to invite destruction. To forget their nature was to welcome annihilation.

Fault - Pitfall (Dragon Age Inquisition)

Shaking her head, she put her arms around his neck. "No, don't do that. It's not your fault." She sighed. "I should have known better than to wander off in the middle of the night when there's a contract on my head." "The only one at fault is the asshole who did this," Bull stated firmly. "And he's not going to hurt anyone again."

Bruise - I'm Sorry I Ruined Your Party (Dragon Age 2)

Of course not. At dawn the very next day, like vultures, the nobles had descended, no thought in their minuscule minds but their own advancement and, knowingly or not, Bran's suffering. The onslaught had continued, unabated, since then. He turned all of them away, much as he had done before Marlowe's death, but the insistence with which they reappeared was reminiscent of rats flocking to a garbage heap. It would begin again come morning, he knew, and Bran let his head thump against the door again in something like despair. "You're going to give yourself a nasty bruise," a slight, feminine voice informed him. "Not the best look for when the nobles come nipping at your heels."

Wisdom - I Guess We Have Some Time to Kill (The Mariner's Revenge Song)

So I did as you taught me to in times of uncertainty. I prayed, and asked the Lord for guidance. And the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, provided.

Cherish - Crowns of Violets and Roses (Dragon Age Inquisition)

"Loghain?! That is who I was thrown aside for?" There was fire in her eyes and her body rigid with fury. "I threw you aside for no one! Had I not done what I did, one of them would have perished slaying the Archdemon, leaving the Wardens without a Commander or taking yet another cherished life from Hero. Would you have chosen either for the sake of fidelity?"

Sorry if that last one seems like cheating, it was the closest I could find.

Tagging: @beaubartley @crown-laurel @fiannans @hezjena @jrastegar @noire-pandora @rosella-writes @starsandskies @the-cryptographer

Your words to search for are - Charm, Waste, Crew, Uncertainty, and Aloof

[oddcryptidwrites]

15 Questions

Thank you @keysandopenmind for tagging me in this! I'll tag @halleyuhm @delusionisaplace @spademuses @pga-books @nemaliwrites and whoever else wants to play (no pressure!)

I'm gonna take a little shift and do this for Councilors Shanna Miles and Marlowe Sidney from Not Your Typical Fairytale

Rules: Answer the questions as yourself or one of your OCs!

Are you named after anyone?

Sidney: Marlowe and Greyson don't come from anywhere but Silas is my father's name. There's a family tradition of using your parent's name as your middle name, and it goes back several generations. Miles: No.

When was the last time you cried?

Sidney: When I get stressed I cry as soon as I'm in private. Also known as yesterday evening. Miles: Stress-crying is pretty common for me. I had a bit of a breakdown the other day after I got done putting up with Councilors Mason and Johnson.

Do you have kids?

Miles: I had two daughters. They should be 8 and 10, but I haven't seen them in six years. Sidney: Not yet, but me and my partner both would like to have kids once...we get this all figured out.

Do you use sarcasm?

Miles: Never. Sidney: I find it pretty hard to understand, so I like to think I don't use it often.

What's the first thing you notice about others?

Sidney: How they react to me. Do they flinch back? Do they approach with confidence? How do they see me as a person? Miles: How well kept they are. Piers usually comes to meetings looking like they rolled out of bed and threw the first business attire on they could find. Johnson always looks put together with a crisp suit.

What's your eye color?

Miles: Light brown. Sidney: Grey!

Scary stories or happy endings?

Sidney: Happy endings. Miles: ...Happy endings.

Any special talents?

Sidney: I'm pretty good with sciences and I work off and on a genetics project. Miles: I don't know? Maybe legal writing? I'm pretty good at writing up legislation and the like.

Where were you born?

Sidney: Athens Zone of Safety, Georgia! Miles: Savannah

What are your hobbies?

Miles: I don't really have a lot of free time. I spend most of my time working on my duty-related work. If anything, it's crocheting. Keeping my hands busy. Sidney: If I'm not working, I'm down in the Laboratory with Dr. Panya. That's my hobby.

Do you have any pets?

Miles: My wife had a cat. Sidney: We have a family dog back home, but he's not with me in ATLZoS

What sports do you play/have played?

Sidney: I don't do sports. Miles: I used to play football and baseball as a kid with my little brothers, but nothing seriously

How tall are you?

Sidney: Six foot, ten inches Miles: 5'7"

Favorite subject in school?

Sidney: Of course, it was science. Specifically chemistry, although I do a lot more bio-related stuff. Miles: History.

Dream job?

Miles: I used to be the Mayor of Savannah, and I'd love to return to that role, but I've served my term limit. Sidney: If anything, I'd like to work and live in the Lab with Dr. Panya full time. The government stuff really isn't my jam.

[birdiesbirdies]

@partyinthemysterymachine thanks!! for the tag!!

Rules: tag 10 (or fewer) people you want to get to know better [oh god. i am CHRONICALLY shy but if u follow me consider yourself tagged! I see you in those notes. hi.]

relationship status: skip!

favorite color: yellow! A warm gold-yellow, like a dandelion kind of color. 1. its pretty 2. i got a little synesthesia and the letter n is yellow and my name starts with n so! That's my color :] I also like jewel tones because of my buddy marlow's Dark Influence. Marlow come do this game.

song stuck in my head: Example #22 by Laurie Anderson..... i've been on a Laurie kick lately... TURNS OUT!! SHE HAS SONGS!! THAT ACTUALLY INCLUDE. THINGS THAT MIGHT TRADITIONALLY BE CALLED "SINGING" AND "MUSIC" INSTEAD OF " DIFFICULT TO CATEGORIZE PERFORMANCE ART". that being said. hit song "walk the dog" my favorite laurie anderson piece past and present.

three favorite foods: LISTEN. YOU CAN'T SIMPLY ASK ME THIS. I HAVE STRONG OPINIONS HERE. okok so from least to most important to me 3. The [Mexican fast food chain] order that I've been getting for actual years now. Rice + tomato salsa + lettuce + cheese + steak + a *little bit* of guacamole. The flavors Balance Each Other Out. The Temperatures Balance Each Other Out. Cold Salsa Cheese Lettuce Warm Rice HOT Steak you put it in Your Mouth and the textures combine so beautifully... hello darling 2. Omurice. My dad makes the worlds BEST omurice it is so light and fluffy.. you put some Tabasco on that bad boy... little bit of ketchup... breakfast food of the gods 1. MANTI YOU KNOW IT YOU LOVE IT. unless you come from one of the many many cultures that doesn't have manti. in which case google it right now. and if you live in the us find a turkish or armenian place as soon as possible and go directly to it <- this advice applies to any situation at any time. go to a turkish/armenian place. Anyways this plays in to the earlier balance of temperatures thing. The yogurt sauce should be cold but THE BUTTER SAUCE MUST BE HOT. i feel so strongly about the sauces and spices i'm putting the directions in here. when the manti is done cooking the order of operations is: yogurt (base), mint then sumac, then paprika (assuming you want paprika and didn't add it to your butter tomato paste sauce. start melting the butter and tomato paste together about a minute or two before your manti is done cooking, so its still bubbling when you pour it over the rest of the sauces as a finishing touch. if you add paprika to the butter tomato paste it should happen after everything is already a liquid. thank you for coming to my ted talk. cook this.

Sorry about the Manti Moment. Back to tag game.

last song I listened to: Let X=X (Live) by Laurie Anderson... It's a sky-blue sky... Satellites are out tonight

dream trip: Take me to the abandoned mining towns itll be so fun... we can go hiking when we're not exploring the town... we can Go Inside Empty Buildings... imagining it....

last thing(s) i googled: alan turing telepathy. i am not taking questions at this time.

THANK YOU!! make delicious meals listen to beautiful music live wonderful lives im going tf to bed goonight

[marlowethelibrarian]

Writeblr Interview!

tagged by @saturnine-saturneight [here] !! Thanks for the tag!!

Short stories, novels, or poems?

I've written short stories and I'm working on a novel!! I think my short stories have all been pretty ass tbh. I think most of the ones I wrote were trying to be novels actually. I think I should read more short stories before I write them.

I'm not a super poetry person though lol

What genre do you prefer reading?

I read a lot of fucking fantasy. Other fiction too, but fantasy is pretty much where I sit in the readersphere.

Are you a planner or a write as I go kind of person?

I think I'm a bit more of a write as I go kind of a person in that my best ideas tend to pop up in the process of writing though I usually have a larger structure I'm vaguely following.

I've done enough reading that I think I've internalized some things about pacing and story beats that it just flows out.

What music do you listen to while writing?

Villain playlists on youtube. I don't really think about the songs too much in general tbh, I just want a catchy beat.

Favorite books/movies?

Stuff that makes me think!!! I love a good grip on character and an examination of why people Do That. The locked tomb book series is such a vibe for me rn, and I really liked Everything Everywhere All at Once. That shit laid me right out.

1000x Resist is also a video game that has it's fucking grip on my soul rn.

Any current WIPs?

I've got Project Cannibalism and the summer leagues OCT right now! I'm playing with some other ideas rn but that's just play atm.

If someone were to make a cartoon out of you what would your standard outfit be?

Wizard outfit.

I do, in fact have a wizard outfit I made myself, because I'm a huge nerd and a LARPer. It's why my little sphere self has a wizard hat. It's because I'm a wizard.

The wizard hat is a brown wool with a gold hat band and gold bead and chain dangles from the brim. The hat is a long maroon red duster with gold embroidery on the cuffs.

Create a character description of yourself:

Marlowe's round, expressive face grins wide and laughs a touch too boisterously, the short floppy crop of black hair bouncing over the brow framed lenses.

Do you like incorporating actual people you know into your writing?

Not on purpose! I often feel like I am exploring a type of person as I write a character and trying to portray someone I know already from the outside in feels counter productive to that.

Are you kill happy with your characters?

There's more interesting ways to make characters suffer than killing them.

Coffee or Tea while writing?

I just forget to drink, honestly.

Slow or fast writer?

As it turns out, I write pretty damn quickly.

Where/who/what do you draw inspiration from?

I think I draw a lot of inspiration from going like wouldn't be fucked up if a guy hit another guy with a rock?

Also tbh from rps I've had with my partner, books I read, questions I have about life, or people. I like looking at the natural world and being like wow how about that thing no fantasy author would have made up in a million years that actually exists in our actual factual world?

But sometimes it really is just

wouldn't it be fucked up?

And to explore the implications out from there.

If you were in a fantasy world, what would you be?

Wizard!! We've covered this, I'm a little wizard guy. I'm a library wizard. Wizard is my gender, I'm a wizard.

Most fav book cliche:

Idk, usually i prefer execution over cliches. I do enjoy a good enemies to lovers though.

Least favorite cliche:

Right now I'm pretty tired of reading about revolutions ngl. I think it's overused, especially by people who don't actually understand what it means to do a revolution. Especially YA revolutions where it's like some kind of metaphor for finding yourself and the evil government is like wantonly murdering their own subjects because they "failed at their jobs" or whatever.

1000x Resist managed to do a revolution I wasn't immediately rolling my eyes at though, possibly because it was a story about a revolution and not necessarily a revolution about other things. It was rooted in real life politics and it didn't pull its punches, didn't romanticize the idea of revolution.

1000x resist is honestly so good everyone go play it.

Favorite scene to write?

I really like writing scenes that make me cry and will hopefully hurt any reader's feelings ngl. I also quite enjoy a fight scene!

Reason for writing?

Idk I just do. I like to write and I've been writing since I was 10, typing my first self insert naruto fanfiction out on word and being excited that I was the one who was making the characters do things. I'd been a voracious reader since even before I could read myself, bothering my parents to read me books constantly. Trying the magic myself seems kind of inevitable.

I'd like to be published some day though! I'm hoping to shop Project Cannibalism around to publishers though I'm not opposed to self publishing either.

tagging: +open!!!

[ginger-grimm]

OC SUMMER CHALLENGE

Day 9: Sleepover

Eversince Riley arrived in Beacon Hills, she and Marlow have used their Saturdays for sleepovers. When Nixie and Tilly got to town, the fun doubled.

The girls use their Saturday sleepovers to cool off, vent about the guys in their lives, and prepare for the following weekdays.

Sometimes it gets a little deeper than they intended it to. But if you can't have some deep conversations with your friends every once in a while, then what's the point of it all?

BONUS:

TAGGING: @hughstheforcelou @firsthorror @eddysocs @raith-way @foxesandmagic @reggiemantleholdmyhand-tle @decennia

[seanfalco]

Okay, I'm not a fan of Jet Trash, but I'm a fan of you 🧡 what if Lee saw someone hitting on the reader, maybe she's a waitress... and he defends her?

thank you for indulging me bb 💚

The Regular

Lee x f!Reader

Word Count: 2.6k Warnings/Tags: mention of drugs/selling drugs, alcohol, attempted assault/non-con a/n: eyooo my first Lee fic and another new rob character under my belt!  Please comment/reblog if you enjoy!

The night started out like most others.  Outside, the London night was cold and damp, but inside the club, behind the bar, the pounding music seeped into you while the heat from the press of bodies warmed you.  You’d tended bar since you were old enough to set foot inside one, and the familiar rhythm of the job soothed you, your worries melting away as you poured the drinks.

Night after night it was the same, and after a while, the faces that approached the bar melted into each other, except one in particular.  He’d been frequenting the Aqua Club for the past few months, nearly as long as you’d been working there.  Tall and thin, he approached the bar, flashing you a disarming smile and you met his emerald gaze from under his neat mop of dark curls.

“Back again, Lee?  What’s that, th’third time this week?  I’m startin’ to think you might have a drinking problem.”

An amused snort ripped from his nose and the grin he flashed made your pulse spike.  “Well, can y’blame me?  Not when y’mix the best drinks this side of London,” he chuckled, slipping you a tenner in exchange for his usual.

“Besides, th’drinks almost pale in comparison to the view,” he added, raising a cheeky eyebrow.

“Flatterer,” you muttered, rolling your eyes in return as you slid the glass across the bartop to him.  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were only here t’see Vix,” you ventured, fixing him with a level stare.

Lee shrugged and tipped back his drink.  “Well, I do hafta speak with her,” he admitted, avoiding your knowing look, “but it’s only business,” he emphasized, dropping his empty glass to the bar with a soft ‘thunk’.

“Uh huh, that’s what they all say,” you countered doubtfully and Lee held up his hands.

“I swear, luv!” he cried, that damn smirk sending butterflies swarming inside you.  “I’m tryin’ t’get her t’set me up a meeting with Marlowe.  I need an in,” he explained, his lilting voice sobering and you let out a sigh.

“Just be careful, yeah?  Marlowe’s dangerous.  Would hate t’see that pretty face o’yours get messed up.”

“You think I’m pretty?” Lee taunted, latching onto the wrong part of your warning.

“Did I say that?  I don’t think I did,” you quipped back, a slight grin tugging at the corner of your lips.

“You think I’m attractive,” Lee replied smugly, smirking as he leaned in, his eyes flicking up to yours as he wet his lips.

Before you could respond, however, a patron across the room caught your attention, impatient for his drink and you let out annoyed huff at the interruption.

“Don’t press your luck,” you murmured, stepping past Lee as you took the man’s order out to him.  

As you walked away you could feel Lee’s gaze on your back, but you fought the urge to look over your shoulder at him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had any effect on you.  By the time you finally turned back around, he was gone.

Letting out a soft huff, you made your way back to the bar, annoyed at yourself for the spike of jealousy that pricked you.  Usually you didn’t envy the woman the attention she got, but this was different.  How could you compare with Marlowe’s star entertainer?  Vix was mysterious and graceful, and you were just a bartender.

Lost to your thoughts, you gave a start as the man behind you reached out to pinch your arse, snapping you back to the moment, the music rushing back into your ears.

“Oi luv, I’m runnin’ low, can I get a refill?” he asked, shaking his empty pint glass at you.

Scowling, you grabbed the glass and returned to the bar, taking a steadying breath to calm you as you held it under the tap til foam spilled over.

“You okay?” your coworker asked, noticing the look on your face.

“The customer at table three’s gettin’ a little handsy,” you explained and the other bartender let out a sympathetic sigh.  

“I got it,” she offered, placing his drink on her tray and heading back out to the floor while you silently thanked her.

However, it wasn’t long before the same man made his way to the bar, trapping you so you couldn’t escape, not keen on being brushed off.  Reminding yourself how good the tips were here, you plastered a smile to your face.

“What can I get for you?”

“How ‘bout your digits, luv?” he asked cheekily, leaning against the bar.

“Sorry, that’s not on th’menu,” you replied, your smile slipping, hoping the bloke would take the hint and bugger off.

No such luck.

Taking a seat at the bar, he leaned in closer, the alcohol on his breath overwhelming.  “Aw c’mon, your shy or somefin’?” he pressed, leering at you, his hungry gaze making your skin crawl.

Just as you were about to open your mouth to tell the guy off, a voice to your side brought you up short.

“Hey, back off, man.  She’s clearly not interested.”

Lee wore a self assured grin as he leaned against the bar, sizing up the other fellow as he chewed his gum, his nonchalant demeanor belying the sharp edge to his gaze.

“Fuck off, mate.  What d’you know?” the bloke spat, his expression turning dark.

Lee merely shook his head, tutting softly.  “I know th’owner,” he answered, blinking innocently.  “You want I call Marlowe out t’settle this?” he asked, his brows raising.  “Cause I don’t think he’ll be too pleased t’hear you’ve been harassing his best bartender.”

Lee’s threat did the trick and you watched as the colour drained from the man’s face.  “Whatever,” he scoffed, pushing away from the bar, clearly trying to save face.  “Fuckin’ prick,” he muttered under his breath as he stumbled away.

“You alright?”

Lee’s question snapped you out of your daze and you quickly nodded, turning to him.

“Yeah.  Yeah, I’m alright.  Thank you.”

The Irishman inclined his head as if it were nothing, but his gaze still followed the drunk as he disappeared into the crowd.

“So, how did it go?  Did you get your meeting?” you asked, changing the subject and Lee blew out of a long stream of air.

“Not yet, I don’t think Vix likes me very much,” he shrugged.  Though he seemed unperturbed, his brows pinched slightly, and you wondered if Vix’s aloofness bothered him, or if he was merely dismayed at the obstacle in his path.

“Hmm, too bad,” you mused, wiping down the bartop, trying not to appear too pleased at the news.

“Yes, well.  I’m not given’ up that easily,” Lee replied.  “I’m not the quittin’ type.”

“I’ve noticed,” you murmured wryly, bringing a smarmy grin to his face.

Jesus, that smile would be your undoing one of these days.

“I mean, unless you wanted t’put in a good word for me with your boss…” he said, leaving the suggestion hanging.

“I’ll think about it,” you conceded, and Lee’s grin widened.

“That’s all I ask,” he replied, spreading his hands.  After a moment, he cleared his throat.  “So, uh, when d’you get off?”

“About an hour,” you answered, raising your voice to be heard over the music.  “Why?”

“Thought I’d walk yeh home.”

“You don’t have t’do that,” you exclaimed, shaking your head.  You knew if he followed you to your door you’d end up inviting him in.  It was inevitable.

“I want to,” he insisted and you let out a soft huff of resignment.

“Alright,” you gave in.  “Meet me by the back door.”

Lee flashed you a parting grin, winking as he slipped away, and you rolled your eyes, silently kicking yourself for giving in so easily.

By the time you were free to go, you grabbed your coat and bag, slinging it over your shoulder as you hurried to the side door, while trying not to look like you were hurrying.  As soon as the heavy metal door swung shut behind you, you fished in your bag for a cigarette, bringing it to your lips as you peered down both sides of the alley for Lee.

“Oi luv, been waitin’ for you.”

The voice that emerged from the shadows was familiar, but at the sound of it your blood ran cold.

“Thought you could give me the brush off and I’d just take no for an answer?” the man from the bar asked, grabbing your wrist as you tried to step away from him.  “Where y’goin’, ey?” he laughed, forcing you back against the alley wall and caging you in with his arms.

“Get off me!  I’m meeting someone!” you warned, struggling to push him off you as adrenaline flooded you, your heart rate spiking and your stomach flipping.

“Well, they’re just gunna have t’wait til I’m done, now aren’t they?” he sneered, leaning in closer.

You flinched back, turning your head away and squeezing your eyes shut, every cell in your body screaming out in disgust.  

“You’re even prettier up close–hey!”

Suddenly your attacker jerked back with a yelp, his rank breath disappearing from your cheek and when you opened your eyes, you found Lee hauling him away by the scruff of his neck, an expression on his face you’d never seen before.  With a growl, the other man broke free of Lee’s grasp and rounded on him, throwing a punch that Lee easily avoided.

Barely giving him time to regain his footing, Lee grabbed the drunk by the collar, his fist connecting with the man’s nose in a spray of blood.  The man cried out and stumbled to the side, clutching at his broken nose.

“You like that, do yeh?” Lee taunted, pulling his fist back again for another punch.  “Y’fancy another?”

“No!” the man cried, quickly holding his hands up in defense.

“No?” Lee asked, no hint of amusement on his face.  “So you do know th’meanin’ of the word,” she spat, shoving the man back in disgust.  “Don’t show your ugly mug around here again, or I swear you’ll get much worse than this!”

The man didn’t wait, scarpering off down the alley, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste as Lee crowed in victory.

“You alright?” he asked, turning back to check on you.

“Yes, I-I’m fine,” you answered, taking a shaky breath, unsure if you were trying to convince him or yourself.  “Thanks to you.”

“C’mon, let’s getcha home.”

The walk back to your flat wasn’t too far, but after the night you’d had, you were grateful for Lee’s company, his arm brushing against yours as you walked, his touch comforting.  You almost reached out to take his hand more than once before thinking better of it.

“This is my place,” you said, stopping in front of the steps.

Lee tilted his head to survey the building, his breath misting in the cool night air.  “Would it be too presumptuous of me to ask for a nightcap?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow at you, waiting for your answer.

“Yeah alright,” you replied, giving in, unable to resist that fucking smile.  “But only one,” you warned, jabbing him in the chest with your finger.

“Hey, I’ll be th’perfect gentleman,” he assured you with a laugh, holding his hands up innocently.  “You’ll be th’one beggin’ me t’stay, you’ll see,” he teased, making you crack a smile in return.

“We’ll see about that.”

Unlocking your door, you shouldered it open and turned on the light, letting Lee in ahead of you.

“Have a seat,” you offered, gesturing to the kitchen counter as you slipped off your boots and hung up your coat near the door.  Following him over, you washed your hands at the sink before pulling out two small glasses and a bottle of whiskey.  As you poured two shots, you noticed the dried blood on Lee’s knuckles and the way he cradled his hand against him as if it pained him.

“Let me see that,” you murmured, hissing out a sharp breath as you reached out to take his hand in yours.  “Jesus, Lee—” you muttered, clicking your tongue in consternation.

The Irishman merely watched you, not saying a word.  Though when you finally met his gaze, you found amusement and something unreadable dancing in his verdant irises.

“What?”

“Nothin’,” he replied, his lips twitching up at the corners.  “Your hands are cold,” he pointed out, brushing his thumb over your skin.

Though it was only a small gesture it sent heat flooding you, warming your face, and you quickly pulled your hand from his.

“We need t’clean that,” you exclaimed abruptly, turning to search for your first aid kit, leaving Lee chuckling to himself.

“You worried about me or somethin’?” he teased when you returned and threw him a dry look.

“This may sting a bit,” you muttered, disinfecting his cuts before he had time to argue.

“Jay-sus!” Lee yelped, nearly pulling out of your grasp in surprise.  “A little warning would be nice,” he hissed, whining like a petulant child.

“I told you it might sting,” you laughed, glancing at his face before pulling a small roll of gauze from the kit and winding it gently around his hand.  “Hold still,” you murmured.  “It’d be a shame t’lose a regular over something so easily treatable, especially one that tips, even if it’s not a lot,” you teased, meeting his amused expression with a smirk of your own.

“Oh, I see how it is,” Lee shot back.  “Y’know, once Marlowe lets me sell my gear in th’club and I start rakin’ in the dough, I’ll be able t’tip much better,” he pointed out, holding your gaze.  “I could even take care of yeh…” he added, his lilting voice softening.

For a long moment you couldn’t seem to breathe, your heart pounding in your ears.  

“I can take care of myself,” you murmured, swallowing, Lee’s hand still gripped in yours.

“I know that, but what if I wanted to?” he replied, and you couldn’t tell if he were serious or just joking around.

Your eyes flicked up to his, searching them for something, though you weren’t even quite sure what, and before you knew it, you found yourself leaning in—drawn in—and your breath hitched as his nose brushed against yours.

A voice in your head told you to pull back, to thank him for making sure you got home safely and see him out, but you found it all too easy to shove the voice aside.  Lingering only a moment longer, you closed the rest of the distance, pressing your lips to his.  When he kissed you back, slipping his hand along your jaw, a tingling sensation spread through you, starting in the pit of your stomach.  

His lips were softer than you’d imagined—not that you’d imagined it often.

“Lee–” you breathed, pulling back before things could get too heated, your gaze seeking his.

His lashes fluttered as he shared your breath, not wanting the kiss to end.  “Hmm?” he hummed, his lips close enough to brush yours as he waited for you to tell him to stop.

“Thank you for walking me home.”

“It was th’least I could do.”

“But maybe you should…” your voice trailed off, the words not wanting to come.

“Should what?” he mused, caressing your cheek, a grin playing at his lips, still so close to yours.

“Should… head… home,” you managed, your eyelids fluttering.

“I don’t think you really want me to.”

“I– I want…”

Shutting your eyes, you let go, the last bit of tension holding you back dissipating.  Shaking your head, your lips collided with his once more, mouth opening to deepen the kiss.  Your tongue hesitantly sought his and he moaned at the brief moment of contact before growing bolder himself, his hand at your jaw slipping behind your neck to pull you closer.

“I want you to stay.”

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