#tagging is not my strong suit and especially not at four am

[shadedheart138]

I snatched a headcanon from @shitposting-puppet on the LU Discord server and went absolutely bonkers. It made more sense in my brain but then again it's like four am and I haven't written in a while. Hope you enjoy the little thing that grabbed me by the throat and shook me until I put exhausted fingers to work. I behold- The headcanon of Four having an oral fixation on putting metal in his mouth to chew on.

XXX

They noticed immediately that Four was a little different. Then again, they all were different. Whether it be gender, tics, mannerisms, you name it. Everyone was a bit different. Some more than most. Four was a little more noticeable than the others.

Four specifically had a habit with chewing metal, and anything at all metal that they could get their hands on.

Legend had gone off on them one time because she found dents in one of her rings after Four had got a hold of them. Four had also freaked Sky out when they were caught chewing on a small dagger. (It wasn't sharp, Four had tried to explain, but no one listened.)

Warriors had given Four an old key, after a while of this, and had tied it to a chord. "Just chew on this, instead of taking a dagger or a ring to your mouth? We've all got the little stims, the little actions that comfort. If you need to chew on metal, we want it to be safe, yeah?" Four had agreed, perfectly content with their new key. Before the night was over they'd already started working dents into the surface of it. It stayed around their neck always, when it wasn't in their mouth.

XXX

By the time they'd reached Four's Hyrule again, the key had been worn to bits. Harsh dents, and slightly sharp sides were not at all pleasing to be chewing on anymore. Four had been using the key less and less, and had gone back to stealing Legend's rings- he really had too many- and some of the metal spoons.

No matter how good it was to be home, Four wanted to get into the workshop. They could make themselves something better than a key! Something less dangerous and more appealing. After socializing with their grandpa for a good while, Four went off to the workshop, donning an apron when they got inside and pulling out the Four Sword.

They always got stuff done faster when there were four.

As always, Vio tried grabbing the nearest metal object- a drill bit- and before it could get to their mouth Red had put a firm metal sheet the size of their palm in Vio's hands. The sheet was already covered in teeth marks.

Green got to work as soon as he figured out what to do. He donned glasses- he was the only one who needed reading glasses- and started going through metal sheets.

Blue started going through molds right next to Green, while Red started firing up the furnace. Seemed like lots of work for such a small object.

The mold was eventually settled on, as was the metal. They all got to work on it, Vio doing a few engravings and Red braiding the chord it would rest on.

XXX

When it was done, and Four was merged again, they were quite impressed with themself.

It was a small, circular thing. A few texture bumps across the surface, and it was the size of Four's palm. It would keep them occupied for a while.

Four left the smithy satisfied, with his creation firmly between his teeth.

[dragonmaiden39point5]

No Escape (1)

Been working on this for months, was a one shot but now it's not. Lol. As usual hope you enjoy.

All characters depicted are over the age of 18.

Summary: You grow tired of Bakugo's bad behavior and after 4 years as a couple, you make a run for it.

Katsuki Bakugo x Black!Reader

Darkfic. Stalking, humiliation, dub-con, mild Daddy!kink. Potentially some untagged triggers.

@palettesofrenaissance as requested I am tagging you on my first part!

The stars had abandoned the sky, leaving the night black as pitch. The bladed edge of the cold air sliced at your ashen skin as you shuffled through woods. Here amongst the silent, barren trees, you were safe-- Far from the disaster of turbulence that was your relationship.

Katsuki was not right for you, a fact that you realized all too late after you were already involved. He didn't come on super strong when he first asked you out; He honestly had behaved as if he could've cared less if you were interested. However, within weeks of that first date, he was blowing up your phone with calls and texts every second of the day. It was cute-- even endearing at first, but as the honeymoon phase ceased, it was beyond overbearing.

With no regard for when you were at work, he was ceaseless in his seemingly sudden obsession. When you finally did hang out, he was all over you in near desperation, yearning for your completely undivided attention. It felt like you were suffocating as he consistently crowded your space and cut out all of the people in your life that mattered. You're not even entirely sure when you moved in with him. More and more of your stuff just kept turning up at his house, until he 'convinced' you not to go back to your apartment.

The clingy attachment got worse after you yielded to the pressure of living with him. You weren't allowed to keep a code on your phone anymore and only hung out with people he knew personally (most of which looked as if they wanted to go into a rut when they saw you). These things weren't something you took quietly though. There were countless screaming matches and arguments, all of which ended with him taking advantage of your heightened emotions and fucking you stupid across the nearest surface or piece of furniture after you had given up and started crying (you weren't exactly proud of that fact).

The highest point of contention after you'd yielded everywhere else, had been your job. His parents died and left an unspeakable amount of trust-fund money, so he didn't work which (to him) meant you shouldn't either. Plus, with you being in real estate, he outright said that he didn't want you, "Dressing up to be surrounded by a bunch of low-life bastards." There was also, the fact that you could ride around sometimes one or two towns over for hours ignoring him-- which especially caused him grief.

His solution was to track your car, stalking your every move when you left the house and actively attempting to make you quit. At one point he'd slashed all four tires of your car while you showed a house so that of course, you had to call him to pick you up. A different time, you took a (male) client and his son out to lunch to show him what the local attractions were like, and you went outside to a kicked in windshield, as well as all 4 windows busted out. Not even the sideview mirrors were spared.

Your management team was able to turn a blind eye those times and let you lie and claim random acts of vandalism or mistaken identity, especially with all the love you got from clients and other customers alike. However, not to be defeated, Bakugo upped the ante and had his buddy from the police force send SWAT to a house that you were doing a walkthrough on. They kicked in the doors and windows with guns and helicopters claiming that they received an active shooter notice for the address. You had been scared shitless, that is until the SWAT team carried you out and you saw Iida suited up, looking completely unbothered despite the 'severity' of the situation. He actually lit a cigarette and subjected you to an entirely unnecessary, way-too-thorough body search behind one of the police cruisers. Seconds later a familiar orange mustang with orange rims drove by and you knew what was going on. Luckily, the police presence spared you from being fired, as management had believed there was real danger. (The event was breaking news and blocked traffic for hours).

With that one having backfired and you crying and throwing a fit, he bought you a dog to 'apologize' though he never actually said the words. He later proceeded to double down on arguments about you quitting your job and broke your phone. Of course he ended up replacing it with a fancier more expensive one-- But you soon realized that it had only the contacts of people that had earned his approval and a monitoring software.

It was never ending with him, but trying to leave or break up face to face only made him hold you hostage until you promised not to leave. After waking up handcuffed to the headboard the last time you tried that, you chose not to try it again.

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Meanwhile, hard work and dedication (and screaming matches with your boyfriend) afforded you the senior salesperson promotion, meaning you were one step from a sales management position. With this title under your belt, you could step into a leadership role with more freedom than before.

To build reputation and show management potential, you were given the chance to sell a house of your choice and then would go through a shadowing and training process, meaning you were about 6-8 months shy of your dream position if everything worked out okay.

You'd spotted the perfect property and bought it on behalf of the company. There hadn't been too much confidence in it due to its age compared to other homes in the area, but with the right renovations and staging, and a well advertised open house, buyers would flock; that much was certain.

Late nights, early mornings, a dozen gallons of coffee. There was nothing your heart desired more than for the success of this house-- the success of you. It would be perfect and even set a new standard for open house events within the company.

There were unfortunately several out of budget expenses, like hiring a caterer and setting up before and after photoshoots for the property. The cost of landscaping had gone over due to several rotted tree removals, and sod placement for quite a bit of the back and side yards. There was also no way you were going to fill in the inground pool, which would become a major selling point after fixing it's disgusting condition. Repiping, rewiring, new insulation, trash removal (it was previously a hoarder's house), and a pool remodel... Everyone warned you about taking on a foreclosure sight-unseen for your first solo reno, but in your excitement, you tended to be exceedingly ambitious and with no HOA there were no limits.

At this point your job was the only thing you had control over, the only thing that gave you relief. And as you nitpicked yourself to a perfectionist's standard, your boyfriend remained oddly quiet. He actually volunteered his own money so it didn't look to anyone that you had technically far exceeded the company budget. The words of encouragement he offered while you worked were foreign, but you appreciated not having to fight when you were so tired. He was acting all warm and supportive like everything mattered to him so much..

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The house had turned out incredibly. Inside and out, there was no sign of the safety hazard that it had been, only an amazing dwelling that would belong to a happy family, hopefully in the near future. Before leaving home, you checked that all of your equipment was fully charged and ready to go: Laptop, tablet, phone, and USB that contained all the photographers pictures and video edits of the newly revived property.

Bakugo had a prior engagement and would be at the grand opening of his friend Midoriya's gym (a timing overlap that was very intentional on your part), though he would be dropping you off to the open house. The ride was silent, but not due to the aftermath of a huge argument; it was because something was up with Bakugo. All of his body language read that he was on edge, frequently tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. He only behaved this way when there was something on his mind.

"You good, Kats? You look really tense."

He smiled gleefully before glancing your way with sharp red eyes. "I'm alright."

"Aight then." You shrugged. "Make the next right and the place is at the other end of the street, on the cor-"

"I know where it is."

"Of course you do." You sighed, throwing your hands up.

Pulling up to your destination a few minutes later, you got out of the car and Bakugo followed suit. Grabbing your bag for you, he stood on the sidewalk for a moment.

"Wow." He commented, admiring the property. "Way to turn this shithole around. Nice job."

"Uh, Thank you." You smirked, heat creeping up your cheeks. "You look surprised."

"Well, I haven't followed you in like a month. Been busy helping Deku with his shitty new hires."

You sighed, rolling your eyes. It wasn't like you didn't know that he did it, but you preferred he not mention the stalking.

Showing Bakugo around the inside, you wanted to make sure that everything was in place for guests. Design wise, it was perfect; Every accent wall on the first level of the house had the same pattern which became the theme for the furniture colors and pillows. The upstairs followed the same trend, just with a different color/pattern combination. The curtains for each level were in the respective opposite color of the accent walls-- But it was the little details that mattered, so you went from room to room spraying air freshener and placing a scented candle in each; it combatted the smell of recently dried paint. You also needed to sit out the gift bags that had your business card and number tucked within and set up the projector so that it linked to your laptop.

Bakugo was actually impressed and would've stayed to watch you all day (his own words) but he had to leave for Izuku's event. Meanwhile, the caterers had arrived and were putting together shrimp cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, in time for the early bird guests showing up.

It didn't take long before a steady stream of potential buyers filled the property. They were encouraged to mingle and look around on their own or join in as you gave a tour with details about the artwork on the walls, insulation, and the re-pipe/rewire. One of your assistants also helped you to do a live stream showing each room, while another managed the gift card raffle, and the third made sure that every single guest left with a gift bag.

The event went on for roughly 2.5 to 3 hours, which you were on your feet networking for the duration of. You'd picked up 4 more potential buyers for a few different properties after chatting up countless people, as well as several who wanted this one. A bidding war was most certainly on the horizon.

For everyone that stayed to the end, a film reel of before and after shots was assembled. You and your co-workers had the remaining people gather in the media room of the home, where the projector had been set up at. "Alrighty ladies and gentlemen! This will be the final act of our showing. We will put on display what each room looked like before the transformation, with side-by-side images recapping the final product you've seen here today-- The point of which is to highlight just how hard earned the beauty of this house is, and why it would be perfect to live and raise your beloved family in."

The video came on in clear, perfect hi-resolution, starting with a series of credits for all the companies involved in the renovation of the property (clean up, photography, landscaping, pool fix etc). In the meantime you slipped out of the room and down the hallway, heading to the mother-in-law suite on the front side of the house and closing the door. You wanted a hair and makeup touch-up before it was time to shake hands and say goodbye.

Pushing your blazer off and stepping out of your heels you went and opened the chest of drawers to pull out your tote bag. Out of habit, the first thing you did was grab your phone but strangely enough, there was only one text message from Katsuki awaiting you from about half an hour after the open house had started. "Made it."Was all it said. You hummed curiously, tossing it on the bed in favor of your makeup bag, flats, and spray bottle. It was severely, out of character for him, but you had to worry about closing out the evening.

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The audience sat politely through the first minute or two of the presentation. It consisted of the credentials and numbers for the separate business entities that collaborated on the house. Completely normal.

However--

Things took a turn for the worst just moments later after you stepped out.

The screen went black for about 5-10 seconds and the gruff voice of a male could be heard in the background. When the image on the screen resumed, it was of a man in peak physical condition from the chin down, proud erection sitting between toned thighs as he stroked it rapidly. There was a plain black band on his left ring finger with a diamond studded behemoth on the middle one. He had a sleeve of colorful tattoos and spider bite piercings under the right corner of his mouth ."I love these little tantrums you throw, Baby." He grunted through his teeth. "Gets me so fucken hard when you act like a spoiled brat..." He stopped stroking with his hand and began to thrust fiercely into it instead. "But no matter how mad you get..." He said, breathing ragged and labored, "You'll always belong to Daddy." He moaned, shooting his load straight up, allowing it to land on his incredible abs.

It felt like an eternity for those watching, but the clip was less than 20 seconds long. Some astounded viewers quickly vacated, while others lingered feigning disgust, gasps and whispers.

But not one of your coworkers-- the so-called 'work family' moved to stop it, even as the next clip started immediately.

This one was of the same man, face still obscured, but from the point of view of the woman he was on top of; you. The camera seemed to have been recording from just above your head and tilted downward, so your face wasn't showing either. It was likely placed in the headboard.

Length buried fully into you, with your legs wrapped around his waist, his usual tone was down to a gritty pur. "Shit girl... I fucking love when you act like this...You want Daddy to make you cum?"

Your hands ran up his arms as you pulled him down flush against you. "Yes please.." you whimpered from beneath him.

"Louder." He hissed biting your neck.

"--Yes, please Daddy! Make me cum!"

"Hehehe...Of course.." He pulled completely out for a moment and you began to protest.

"Wait, please, I--" you whined, before he soothed you:

"It's alright Baby Girl, just hold on."

Pushing your knees up to your chest so that your ankles were on his shoulders and getting into a kneeling position, he sunk into your tight pussy from a new angle-- both of you groaning unified bliss. Suddenly, his pace was fast, breathing labored as he fucked into your wet hole.

That's what you saw when you were finally coming back from your bathroom break-- just in time to look down the corridor that opened up into the media room and see yourself squealing in delight as you squirted all over your boyfriend.

It was so astonishing you stopped dead in your tracks, staring confusedly down the hallway for a minute as you tried to figure out what you were seeing and why. A vicious pang of sadness struck your heart as tears began to ruin your freshly redone make-up.

Meanwhile, a third clip started-- This one with you standing, facing the camera from the neck down, with Bakugo sitting behind you on the edge of the bed. There could've been plausible deniability that this wasn't you, that this was a data breach of some sort and the computer had been hacked-- but right there, dangling between your gorgeous bouncing titties-- was the necklace that currently adorned you. It was too distinctive, (a diamond studded hand-grenade with a flash behind it, engraved with the date you and Bakugo met) and you wore it every day.

Less than 2 minutes of footage, had effectively ruined your entire professional life.

Had you not been afraid of someone keeping or distributing this imagery, you would've marched right out of the front door and never looked back. Instead, you dragged your feet the rest of the way down the hall into a room full of scornful sneers from colleagues, and horny perverts that didn't care to avert their eyes from the video of you getting fucked.

It looked too good; with him having pulled you back on to his lap and lifted your legs up. The view of how accepting your tight cunt was of such a big dick would live forever with these people, partnered with the sound of your moans as your pussy was filled with cum.

You slammed the laptop shut and snatched it free from the cords of the projector, numbly walking out of the room to get your bag and go. After all of the measures that were taken to keep something like this from happening, it still ended up being a disaster. The laptop that you were using was at least 6 years old. You kept it as messy as possible, with file folders saved across the home screen and the taskbar full of miscellaneous interests. It wasn't synced to any accounts, all apps that weren't games were deactivated for the most part. No Docs, no Cloud, no Adobe suite. Just plain PowerPoint, which was over a decade old at this point. You wracked your brain, trying to figure it out; Where had you gone wrong? How did Katsuki even manage this!?

Heading down the walkway, the orange monstrosity that he drove was parked on the sidewalk waiting for you. The negative emotions within you undulated like snakes in a pit. You slammed the car door as you got in and didn't spare him a glance.

He didn't react, other than the smirk that he forced himself to suppress, expecting a blow-up any minute but it never came. Instead, you cried silently. The tears just started pouring down your face as you stared straight ahead. Immediately he felt a wash of guilt. He hated when you cried but you really forced his hand; You liked to go to work and pretend he didn't exist, like you were single and work was your everything. So it was your own fault. Still, he would forgive you with no hesitation as soon as you shed a tear.

"How?" You asked, voice low, still not looking at him.

"I switched the videos when you dozed off last night...You left everything open."

You didn't bother to respond, a massive sob coming from you instead as tears kept coming.

Bakugo was certain that he had never seen anyone cry like that; almost completely silently with no noise other than the occasional sniff and nose wipe with a handkerchief. Definitely a far departure from your usual. You winced when he rested his hand on your thigh but otherwise did not protest.

"Kats, I'm tired. Please head home, I've been on my feet all day."

"Uh, yeah." He didn't know how to respond.

"Thank you."

The rest of the ride was silent. You had screamed, shouted, and broken things more times than you could count and at this point, you just didn't have the energy to do that. Tired and angry for sure, but at the core of it all you were sad. That he could do such hateful things. That he could care less about what you wanted for yourself. That he would be so unnecessarily cruel, while still claiming to love you.

This was the last straw.

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For a few months, you plotted and played your role. If you wanted to go somewhere, you asked him to bring you. You wore overly revealing clothes and climbed all over him in public. You stopped using his name, referring to him exclusively as Daddy no matter who was around. You would initiate sex, begging him to fuck you; beg to fuck him. You even took to sending him video and pictures of you playing with yourself when he left you at home, sometimes in his oversized clothes, other times nothing at all-- (which would make him come back much faster, if he could help it). You really made him feel his victory.

Kats was too busy loving that you didn't resist him anymore and was all too eager to have you all to himself; You, he, and the dog had been to 5 countries in the three months since. It was easy to get swept up in the gifts and vacations (and mind-blowing orgasms) and forget he was something that you needed to get away from, since he had been absolutely perfect since you started acting the way he wanted. You almost felt bad about your brewing plot to leave.

Well, it actually wasn't much of a plot, you were you going to take a few thousand out of his home safe, get the dog, and ghost. He was just too unstable and insecure, and at this point it was clear that he could only behave properly when you were 'obedient'.

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The sole opportunity to leave came with the passing of another month. When he wasn't traveling, Bakugo habitually visited his parents' headstones on the Saturday of every third weekend, at sunset. It was the absolute only time that he left you devoid of incessant phone calls, messages, and his suffocating presence. A cloud of guilt shrouded the decision to leave at such a time... But you'd never know peace if you didn't. What other choice did you have? You had learned from the last several times you attempted to break up with him that it would only intensify his crazy.

When he left that evening, you waited until receiving the text that he was there to make your move. You left absolutely everything behind other than Thunder with his dogfood and cash from Bakugo's safe-- On foot, hence lurking through the woods that started on the edge of the property instead of taking a main road. The location of motion cameras on the edge of the acreage that surrounded the house were something that you had carefully mapped out the boundaries of-- And after almost 4 years, you knew where they were by heart.

There was also a small plan that was put into play as a distraction; He always took the smaller, more low key of the cars when visiting the cemetery. In turn, you sent his chef to a store over an hour in the opposite direction of where you were going, in his easy to spot orange car.

It would be hours before he knew you were gone...

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[dorarakei]

i will be home (nanami x reader)

cw: major shibuya arc / jjk s2 spoilers. fluff-angst. at some point reader becomes depressed and delusional. implied death. my first time writing, i hope you can enjoy it^^

pairing: nanami kento x reader

i recommend to listen to this playlist while reading:

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whenever nanami has to go for a mission, especially the long ones, he never forgets to leave his watch- the classic tag heuer carrera -on your vanity.

at first, he didn’t really understand why you insisted for him to do so. as the matter of fact, he found it rather.. peculiar, that you want to have a hold on his watch whenever he has a mission.

he just knows that it’s something that you really want him to do, and since you want it so much, nanami believes that there must’ve been a strong reason on why you want him to do it, even though you didn’t tell him why.

besides, the little gesture seemed to help you a lot with your uneasiness when he’s needed whether at the school or at any other places to exorcise curses which… overtime, have grown even more frequent and dangerous.

as long as it makes you happy, nanami is more than willing to do it.

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it was already so late (it’s 3 AM something, actually) when nanami finally came home after an arduous mission that lasted for some days… honestly, at this point, he has lost track of the time he spent for the mission. four days? …a week?

he quietly discards his tie and cream suit which had specks of curses' blood.. some of it, undoubtedly, also came from his injuries.

soon nanami found himself tiptoe-ing to the bedroom which he shares with you. for some reason, he’s feeling this… some sort of anticipation.

a funny, fuzzy feeling, if one may say. to finally be back to his home… a home he shares with his beloved. to finally be able to completely rest in his bedroom.. which he shares, too, with his beloved. to finally be able to hold you close, to nuzzle into your neck, to smell the familiar scent of yours (which is completely preferable rather than smelling the foul stench of curses), to rake his fingers on the strands of your hair… and just… just to feel you, warm and breathing.

nanami opens the door slowly, afraid of causing a creek or any other unwanted sounds that will disturb his beloved from her peaceful sleep. he takes a peek before entering the room… and there you are, all bundled in this little cocoon of your blanket. just with the sight of his beloved, being safe and sound, is enough for nanami to relax his tense shoulders and let out a soft sigh of contentment.

after a moment, nanami makes his way again to be near you. not only did he see you, with your mouth slightly agape letting out some soft snores. but he saw it, too. his watch, glistening under the lamp light. no longer placed on her vanity… but now, on the nightstand right next to you. some soft tick tick ticks can be heard filling in the silence of the room.

nanami might think that he’s being sneaky enough to not wake you up. well, he is. but after some years of you waiting for him to come home from his missions until you fell asleep which causes nanami to either wake you up delicately or to carry you back to the bed, you have developed some sort of… otherworldly sense which allows you to feel if he is getting close to you in your sleep.

and so you slowly stirs from your slumber. you know it's nanami- it's absolutely him. you knew it already just by listening to the soft shuffles of his feet on the wood floor, or even from the familiar smell of him.. which got mixed with that particular metallic smell of blood.

seeing you waking up at such a late hour because of him, nanami can’t help but to feel slightly guilty. he quickly cradles you and shushes you quietly- a series of i’m sorry i didn’t tell you i will be so late and i’m fine, sweetheart, don’t worry along with some i love yous coming from him- his lips didn’t stop showering your face with soft kisses.

you give him a tight, desperate embrace in return, as you snuggle yourself to his chest. you feel your eyes start to tear up and nanami’s constant reassurances are making those crystal beads fall down.. your breath becomes somewhat erratic, all you do now is to cling onto him. you desperately grab some parts of his body just to feel that it is him- he’s here, sitting on the bed, cradling you. he’s alive- you can feel his heartbeat you were so worried so sure that something had maybe gone wrong with him-

and yet his reassurances, too, are the ones who give your racing mind some comfort and a sense of security- nanami might be gone for a while with no news whatsoever but you know he will always come back to your arms alive and well, that’s for sure. right now is the proof of it, isn’t it?

slowly, but surely, your breathing started to calm down, though your tears are still dampening his shirt. you can feel his breath and heartbeat getting slower, too… as you feel nanami's warm hands stroking your head and your back, his lips giving you never-ending kisses on your face. you both stayed in the embrace… accompanied by the sound of soft tick tick ticks from nanami’s watch, still sitting on the nightstand.

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weeks has passed since nanami stepped out of your home for something that he calls an urgent mission. you remember the day of his departure very well: nanami looks unusually.. troubled. 

well, he usually does become restless when there's something in his mind, especially when it's related to curses. but on that day, 31st august, you remember, his demeanor feels... just different than usual.

even when nanami isn't looking and texting on his phone- which you're sure that's how he coordinates things with his colleagues for the newest mission that you had know idea what it is about- the furrows on his eyebrows and tension on his face remains visible throughout the day. you can't help but to ask him about it.

as usual, nanami just brushed it aside, telling you gently to not worry about it. but you know better than that- along with his knitted eyebrows you realized that even his gaze looks different. there's a tinge of… nervousness? … or even fear? you don't dare to question it…

… and so you didn’t. you know how nanami tends to be reluctant to share details of his daily missions to you. that's okay, you tell yourself. it's just one of his ways of protecting you, to care for you, to love you.

just before nanami stepped out of the door to do his mission, after he embraced you and kissed your lips for (hopefully not) the last time as a goodbye, you returned his affection by kissing his forehead..  right between his eyebrows, hoping to ease him even just a little. 

it worked, just as what you hoped. his furrows slightly easens after your soft lips gave it a peck.. and for a second, his eyes widens a bit before turning back to his usual loving, adoring one staring right into yours.

after a moment, he takes off his watch- just like he usually does before his other missions - places it on your palm, and interlocks his fingers with yours.

"i will be home." nanami whispers it quietly, as if it's meant to be only heard by the both of you. you look intently at him, taking in every detail of his face- all the contours, the wrinkles, the corner of his thin lips, everything… 

you nod to him, being pliant as ever when it comes to his missions.. but you know that deep down you don’t want him to go. you never want him to.

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you lost track of the time again. you don’t know how long you have been sleeping; but you know it’s long enough that you got a headache upon waking up…

you rub your eyes- trying to wake yourself up- your throat has been so dry, a glass of water would very much be appreciated… ah, is that tears… on your lashes? now that you think of it, your cheeks have been feeling rather sticky and damp… you can certainly feel your face has, for no reason, puffed up too.

wait.. have you been crying again?

well, why wouldn’t you? a few days ago, several people came to your home, claiming that nanami met his end during his mission. a heroic death, one of them said. nanami holds his principles high even until his very last breath- he’s so badly injured yet he didn’t waver, he knows he has to protect the students and everybody else, even though his body was literally-

no. no. you don’t even want to remember what has happened to him… what they have said to you is truly grotesque and insensitive, you think. you refuse to believe in it- even had a hunch that it wasn’t true. he probably just accidentally separated from the group due to how chaotic the mission is and hasn’t been able to contact them. that must’ve been it… yes, yes, he’s still alive- they just can’t find him yet.

you let out a long sigh… all of this thinking made your headache feel even worse… forget about getting a glass of water. it’d be easier for you to just sleep your dry throat away… soon, you won’t even remember that you have such discomfort in the first place.

the soft tick tick ticks of nanami’s watch has been your only companion during these weeks of his absence. it has become your daily reminder of the day when he came back after days of no contact nor any news… his promises and reassurances, too. all of it becomes the only strength of you when you start to grow anxious about him.

…you know he’s always there with you, and you know well that he will always come back to you.

[kmomof4]

To Sir Graham, With Love Ch. 5

Here we go, y'all!!! We are going now to updating twice a week!! I am SO UNBELIEVABLY EXCITED to share this ch with you! It is my favorite in the whole fic! I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!!

Once again, all the love and thanks in the world to @jrob64 , @whimsicallyenchantedrose , and @motherkatereloyshipper respectively for their beta services and the gorgeous artwork above!!!

And more happy birthday wishes to @snowbellewells for whom this fic is written!!!

Summary: After a year long secret correspondence, twenty-eight year old spinster Ruby Jones decides to accept Sir Graham Humbert's offer of a visit to see if they might suit for marriage. Unfortunately, he failed to mention that he was the father of twins, and they are not thrilled with Ruby's appearance.

Ch Summary: The Jones brothers descend.

Rating: M (for smut in later chs and mentions of physical abuse)

Words: Approx 7300 of 68k

Tags: Red Hunter Fic, Birthday Fic, Inspired by Eloise Bridgerton's Story, Smut

On ao3 From Beginning / Current Chapter

On Tumblr Prologue Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4

Tagging the usuals. Please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed.

@jrob64 @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @the-darkdragonfly @jennjenn615

@donteattheappleshook @undercaffinatednightmare @pirateherokillian @cocohook38 @qualitycoffeethings

@booksteaandtoomuchtv @superchocovian @motherkatereloyshipper @snowbellewells @pirateprincessofpizza

@djlbg @lfh1226-linda @xarandomdreamx @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic

@anmylica @laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate @gingerchangeling

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@thisonesatellite @jonesfandomfanatic @elfiola @zaharadessert @ilovemesomekillianjones

@mie779 @kymbersmith-90 @suwya @veryverynotgoodwrites @myfearless-love 

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

We all miss Father, especially this time of year. But think how lucky you were to have had eighteen years with him. I remember so little, and I do wish he could have known me, and all that I’ve grown up to be.

–From Ruby Jones to her older brother, Viscount Liam Jones, upon the occasion of the tenth anniversary of their father’s death

~*~*~*~

… you will never know how unfortunate you are, dearest Mary Margaret, to have sisters only. Brothers are ever so much more fun.

–From Ruby Jones to Mary Margaret Blanchard, following a midnight ride in Hyde Park with her three older brothers

~*~*~*~*~*~*

It occurred to Graham that Ruby might have given him a bit of warning. Not days necessarily, but certainly more than the seconds he got before four rather strong and very angry men burst into the dining room. 

Brothers. It was quite ill-advised of him to court a woman with brothers. Especially four of them. It was a wonder he wasn’t dead already. 

Though that wasn’t out of the realm of possibility at the moment. Not with two pairs of hands wrapped around his neck.

“Liam!” Ruby shrieked, “Stop!”

Liam, or at least Graham presumed it was Liam - they hadn’t exactly bothered to go through the necessary introductions - tightened his grip.

“Killian,” Ruby pleaded, turning her attention to the other one currently engaged in squeezing the air out of him. “Be reasonable.”

Killian turned to look at Ruby, which turned out to be a mistake, since in their haste to rip every limb from Graham’s body, they failed to notice Ruby’s spectacular black eye.

Which, of course, they would think he was responsible for.

An inhuman growl came out of Killian’s mouth. He adjusted his grip and jammed Graham against the wall so tightly that his feet came off the ground.

Wonderful, Graham thought, now I really am going to die. The first stranglehold they’d had on him was uncomfortable, yes, but this…

“Stop!” Ruby yelled, jumping on Killian’s back and yanking his hair. Killian howled as his head jerked backward, but unfortunately Liam’s grip held firm. 

Graham couldn’t help but be impressed with Ruby’s fortitude as she tried her best to yank Killian’s hair out. It was a rare woman who knew how to fight to win. She rather resembled a fury crossed with a banshee crossed with Medusa herself, as far as Graham could tell, as his vision was starting to blacken around the edges from lack of oxygen.

“Good God!” Killian croaked out. “Someone get her off of me!” It was all he could get out since Ruby’s arm was wrapped around his throat, her forearm wedged neatly under his chin.

No one moved to help him, unsurprisingly. Graham certainly wouldn’t have desired that kind of fury directed at him. The blonde leaning against the door looked simply amused at the whole spectacle.

Liam’s face was suddenly only inches from his, the fury in his eyes a true wonder to behold. “Did. You. Hit. Her?” he growled.

As if he could utter a single word in answer.

“No!” Ruby shouted, briefly taking her attention off of tearing Killian’s hair out. “Of course he didn’t hit me.”

Liam looked over at her with a sharp expression as she resumed pummeling Killian. “There’s no of course about it, Ruby!”

“It was an accident,” she insisted. “He had nothing to do with it.” Ruby huffed indignantly when none of them made any indication that they believed her. “For heaven's sake, do you really think I’d be defending someone who struck me?”

That seemed to do the trick as Liam abruptly released Graham, allowing him to sag to the floor, gasping for breath.

Four of them. Had she told him she had four brothers? Surely not. He’d have never considered marriage to a woman with four brothers. Only a fool would have. And he did consider himself a man with at least a modicum of intelligence.

“What did you do to him?” Ruby demanded, jumping off Killian and hurrying to Graham’s side.

“What did he do to you?” one of the other brothers demanded. The one who’d punched Graham in the chin before the others decided to strangle him instead.

Ruby shot him a scathing look. “What are you doing here?”

“Protecting my sister’s honor,” he shot right back.

“As if I need protection from you. You’re not even twenty!”

Ah, her youngest brother, Graham realized. Damn, if he knew she had a younger brother, then she must have told him about the others. He had no one to blame but himself.

“I’m twenty-three,” he bit out, with all the irritability of a younger sibling.

“And I’m twenty-eight,” she snapped. “I didn’t need your help when you were in nappies, and I don’t need it now.”

“He wanted to come along,” said the blonde, the only one who hadn’t yet laid a hand on him. Graham decided he liked this one best, especially when he wrapped his hand around the youngest’s forearm to prevent him from launching himself at Ruby.

Which, Graham thought, was nothing more than she deserved. Nappies, indeed.

“Well, you should have stopped him,” Ruby said, oblivious to Graham’s mental defection. “Do you have any idea how mortifying this is?”

Her brothers stared at her - quite rightly, in Graham’s opinion - as if she’d gone mad.

“You lost the right,” Liam bit out as he advanced on his sister, “to feel mortified, embarrassed, chagrined, or in fact any emotion other than blindingly stupid, when you ran off without a word.”

Ruby backed up a step or two in the face of her brother’s wrath, but still muttered, “It’s not as if I’d listen to anything he has to say anyway.”

“As opposed to us,” the blonde murmured, “with whom you are the soul of meekness and obeisance.”

“Oh, for the love of God,” Ruby muttered, rolling her eyes in annoyance and sounding rather fetchingly unladylike to Graham’s stinging ears. Stinging? Had someone boxed his ears? He wasn’t sure. Four-to-one odds did tend to muddle one’s thinking.

“You,” Liam said, pointing at Graham, still sitting on the floor, “don’t go anywhere.” Then he turned to Ruby, his voice low and deadly. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”

Ruby tried to sidestep the question with one of her own. “What are you doing here?”

And apparently succeeded when Liam actually answered her. “Saving you from ruin!” he yelled. “For the love of God, Ruby, do you have any idea how worried we’ve been?”

“And here I thought you wouldn’t even notice my departure,” she tried to joke.

“Ruby,” he said, “Mother is beside herself.”

That sobered her in an instant. “Oh, no,” she whispered. “I didn’t think.”

“No, you didn’t,” Liam replied, his stern tone exactly what one would expect from a man who’d been the head of his family for over twenty years. “I ought to take a whip to you.”

Graham started to intervene, because really, he couldn’t countenance a whipping, but then Liam added, “Or at the very least, a muzzle,” and Graham decided that the man knew his sister very well indeed.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Killian asked him, and Graham realized that he’d begun to stand. He immediately plopped back down to his rather impotent position on the floor.

Graham looked to Ruby. “Perhaps introductions are in order?”

“Oh, yes,” Ruby said, gulping. “Of course. These are my brothers,” she said, her arm waving about in an all-encompassing gesture.

“I gathered,” Graham said, his voice still rather raspy.

She shot him an apologetic look, which Graham thought was the least she could do after nearly getting him tortured and killed, then turned to her brothers and motioned to each in turn. 

“Liam, Killian, David, Henry. These three,” she added, motioning to the older ones, “are my elders. This one,” she waved dismissively to Henry, her lip curling in disdain, “is an infant.”

Henry looked ready to throttle her, which suited Graham just fine, since it kept his murderous intentions off of him.

Then Ruby turned back to Graham and said to her brothers, “Sir Graham Humbert, but I expect you know that already.”

“You left a letter in your desk,” said David.

Ruby closed her eyes in agony. It looked like she was saying stupid, stupid, stupid.

David smiled grimly. “You ought to be more careful in the future, should you decide to run off again.”

“I most certainly will,” Ruby shot back, though she was losing some of her bite.

“Would now be a good time to stand?” Graham asked.

“NO!” It was difficult to discern which Jones brother was the loudest.

Graham remained on the floor. He didn’t tend to think himself a coward, and he was, if he did say so himself, quite proficient with his fists, but hell, there were four of them. Boxer he might be. Suicidal fool, he was not.

“How did you get that black eye?” David asked quietly.

Ruby paused before answering. “It was an accident.”

He considered her words for a moment and then lifted an eyebrow, his gaze on her shrewd. “Care to expand upon that?” he asked.

Ruby swallowed uncomfortably and glanced down at Graham, which he really wished she wouldn’t do. It only made them (as he was beginning to think of the quartet) further convinced that he was the one responsible for her injury.

A misapprehension that could only lead to his death and dismemberment. They didn’t seem the sorts to allow anyone to lay a hand on their sister, much less blacken an eye.

“Just tell them the truth, Ruby,” Graham said wearily.

“It was his children,” Ruby confessed, wincing at the admission. But Graham didn’t worry. As close as they came to strangling him, somehow he didn’t think they were the type of men to harm children. And he was quite sure Ruby would not have said anything if she’d thought it might place Nicholas and Ava in peril.

“He has children?” Liam asked, looking at him now with a slightly less angry and distrustful expression.

Graham decided Liam must be a father as well.

“Two,” Ruby replied. “Twins, actually. A boy and a girl.  They’re eight.”

“My felicitations,” Liam murmured.

“Thank you,” Graham answered, feeling rather old and weary at the moment. “Sympathies are probably more to the point.”

Liam looked at him curiously, almost - but not quite - smiling.

“They weren’t especially keen on my presence here,” Ruby said.

“Smart children,” Liam said.

She shot him a decidedly unamused look. “They set a tripwire,” she said. “Rather like the one David,” she turned to spear him with a hostile glare, “set for me in 1804.”

“You remember the date?!” David exclaimed.

“She remembers everything,” Killian interjected.

Ruby turned her glare upon Killian then.

Even with his aching throat, Graham was starting to enjoy the interaction.

She turned her attention back to Liam, regal as a queen. “I fell,” she said simply.

“On your eye?”

“On my hip actually, but I didn’t have time to break my fall, and I hit my cheek. The bruising spread to my eye.”

Liam looked down at Graham, his expression quite ferocious. “Is she telling the truth?”

“On my brother’s grave,” Graham nodded. “The children will own up to it as well, should you feel the need to ask them.”

“Of course not,” Liam said gruffly. “Stand up,” he ordered, but softened his tone by extending his hand to help him.

Graham took it, having already decided that Liam would make a far finer ally than enemy. He eyed the four male Joneses warily, though, and his stance was defensive. He stood no chance if all four decided to charge him at once, and he wasn’t convinced that that was not still a likely possibility.

At the end of the day, he was either going to be dead or married, and he wasn’t willing to allow the Jones brothers to vote on the matter.

Then, after Liam silenced his four younger siblings with nothing more than a stare, he turned to Graham and said, “Perhaps you should tell me what happened.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ruby open her mouth to interrupt, but then close it again when Liam turned his stare back on her. She sat down in a chair with an expression that, if it wasn’t actually meek, was the closest thing to meek Graham had ever imagined gracing Ruby’s face.

Graham decided that he needed to learn how to glare like Liam Jones. He’d have his children in line in no time.

“I don’t think Ruby will be interrupting us now,” Liam said mildly. “Please, go on.”

Graham glanced over at Ruby. She looked about ready to explode. But still, she held her tongue, which seemed a most remarkable feat indeed.

Graham briefly recounted the events that had led to Ruby’s arrival at Romney Hall. He told Liam about the letters, beginning with Ruby’s letter of condolence and how they had begun a friendly correspondence, pausing in his story only when David shook his head and murmured, “I always wondered what she was writing up in her room.”

Graham looked at him quizzically. He held up his fingers and explained. “Her fingers always had ink on them, and I never knew why.”

Graham finished the tale, concluding with, “As you can see, I was looking for a wife. From our correspondence, Ruby seemed to be intelligent, reasonable, and a fine candidate for my purposes. My children, as you will quickly realize should you remain long enough to meet them, can be rather, er…” He searched for the least unflattering adjective, “rambunctious,” he finally settled on, satisfied with his word choice. “I’d been hoping she would be a calming influence on them.”

“Ruby?” Killian snorted, and Graham could see from their expressions that the other three agreed with his assessment. 

And while Graham might smile at Killian’s comment about Ruby remembering everything, and even agree with Liam’s about the muzzle, it was becoming quite apparent that the Jones males did not hold their sister in the regard she deserved. 

“Your sister,” he said sharply, “has been a marvelous influence upon my children. You would do well not to disparage her in my presence.”

He’d probably just signed his own death warrant. There were four of them, after all, and he really shouldn’t be insulting them. But even if they had charged halfway across the country to protect Ruby’s virtue, there was no way he was going to stand here and listen to them snort and deride and make a mockery of her.

Not Ruby. 

Not in front of him.

But to his great surprise, not one of them said a word of retort, and in fact, Liam, who was still very much in charge, was staring intently at him with a look of cautious respect, assessing him carefully as if he could peel back the layers and see exactly what lay in Graham’s soul.

“We have a great deal to talk about, you and I,” he said quietly.

Graham nodded in agreement. “I expect you will need to speak to your sister as well.”

Ruby looked gratefully at him. He didn’t imagine she’d appreciate being left out of discussions pertaining to her own life. She didn’t appreciate being left out of discussions, period.

“Yes,” Liam said, “I do. In fact, I think we shall conduct our interview first, if you don’t mind.”

As if Graham was stupid enough to disagree with one Jones while three more were glaring at him. “You’re welcome to use my study,” he offered. “Ruby can show you the way.”

That was the wrong thing to say. None of the Jones brothers cared to be reminded that Ruby had been here long enough to know her way around.

Liam and Ruby left the room without another word while the other three brothers continued their stony silence.

“Mind if I sit?” Graham asked, because he had a feeling he was going to be here for quite some time.

“By all means,” David offered. Killian and Henry continued to glare menacingly at him. David didn’t look all that eager to strike up a friendship either. He might have been slightly more amiable than his brothers, but his eyes were sharp, and he’d already proved his shrewdness with his earlier question to Ruby. Graham knew he’d be wise not to underestimate the man.

“Please,” Graham said, motioning to the food still on the table, “eat.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” David said jovially, while the other two continued to scowl as if he’d offered them poison.

“How can you be thinking about food right now?” Henry asked angrily.

“I always think of food,” David replied, searching the table for the butter to spread on the roll he’d just plucked from the serving plate. “What else is there?”

“Your wife?” Killian drawled.

“Ah, yes,” David agreed then turned a hard stare to Graham. “Just so you are aware, I’d much rather be spending the night with my wife.”

Graham nodded, quite at a loss of how to reply to that statement. David took a huge bite of his roll, then spoke with his mouth full, the etiquette breach a clear insult to his host. “We’ve only been married a few weeks.”

Graham raised one of his brows in question. 

“Still newlyweds, you know.”

Graham nodded, since it seemed that some answer was expected of him.

David leaned forward. “I really didn’t want to leave my wife.”

“I can imagine… that… you wouldn’t,” Graham replied.

“Do you understand what he’s saying?” Henry demanded.

David turned and glared at his sibling, who’d obviously not yet mastered the fine art of nuanced and circumspect speech. Graham waited until David turned back to him, offered him a plate of asparagus (which he took), then said, “I gather you miss your wife.”

There was a moment of silence before David spoke again, after sending one last disdainful glance at his brother, “Indeed.”

Graham looked over at Killian, since he was the only one uninvolved in the latest spat. 

Big mistake. Killian was flexing his hands, still looking as if he regretted not strangling him when he’d had the chance. Graham turned his attention to Henry, whose arms were crossed angrily over his chest. His entire body practically quivered with fury, perhaps aimed at Graham, but perhaps aimed at his brothers, who’d been treating him like a green lad all evening. Henry’s chin jutted out, his teeth clenched and Graham decided he’d had quite enough of that.

He looked back at David, who’d somehow charmed the servants into bringing him a bowl of soup. He’d set down his spoon though and was inspecting his other hand, flexing each finger in turn, murmuring a word as each pointed out toward Graham.

“Miss. My. Wife.”

“Bloody hell!” Graham finally burst out. “If you’re going to break my legs, would you just go ahead and do it now?”

~*~*~

“Here are your choices,” Liam said, sitting down behind Graham’s desk as if he owned it. “You can marry him in one week, or you can marry him in two.”

Ruby’s mouth dropped in a horrified O. “Liam!”

“Did you expect me to suggest something else?” he asked mildly. “I suppose we might stretch it to three, given a sufficiently compelling reason.”

She hated it when he talked like that, as if he were reasonable and wise, and she was nothing more than a sulky, rebellious child. It was far better when he ranted and raved, then she could pretend that he was mad in the head and she was a poor, beleaguered innocent.

“I don’t see why you would object,” he continued. “Didn’t you come here with the intention to marry him?”

“No!” she exclaimed vehemently. “I came here with the intention to find out if he was suitable for marriage.”

“And is he?”

“I don’t know,” she mumbled. “It’s only been two days.”

“And yet,” Liam said in that same mild, reasonable voice she hated, “that’s more than enough time to ruin your reputation.”

“Does anyone know I’m gone?” she quickly asked. “Outside of the family, that is.”

“No,” he admitted. “But someone will find out. Someone always finds out.”

“There was supposed to be a chaperone,” Ruby said sullenly.

“Was there?” he asked conversationally. He sounded like he was asking if there was to be lamb for dinner or if a hunting party was to be arranged. “Too bad for her that I arrived first.”

“Too bad for everyone,” Ruby muttered.

“What was that?” he asked, again in that conversational tone that told her he’d heard every word.

“Liam,” she said, and his name came out like a plea, even if she had no idea what she was pleading for.

He turned to her, his blue eyes blazing, the force of his stare so violent that she was quite thankful he was her brother and loved her and wouldn’t hurt her. Even so, she took a step back. Anyone would have when faced with Liam Jones in such a fury.

But when he spoke, his voice was even and controlled. “You’ve made yourself a rather messy little bed here,” he said, his cadence even and precise, “and now, I’m afraid, you will have to lie in it.”

“You would have me marry a man I don’t know?” she whispered.

“Is that even the truth?” he asked. “You seemed to know him very well in the dining room earlier. You certainly leapt to his defense at every opportunity.”

Liam was talking her into a corner and she hated it. “Not enough for marriage,” she insisted. “At least not yet.”

But Liam wouldn’t let up. “If not now, when? One week? Two?”

“STOP!” she burst out, wanting to cover her ears so she couldn’t hear him anymore. “I can’t think!”

“No, you didn’t think,” he corrected, angrily. “If you’d taken one moment to think, to use that tiny portion of your brain reserved for common sense, you never would have run off.”

She crossed her arms and looked away from him. She had no argument and it was killing her.

“What are you going to do, Ruby?” Liam asked.

“I don’t know,” she muttered, still not able to look him in the face.

“Well,” he said, still continuing in that awful, reasonable voice, “that puts us in a bit of a bind, doesn’t it?”

“Can’t you just say it?” she asked, her fists held rigidly against her sides. “Do you have to ask so many questions?”

He smiled humorlessly. “And here I thought you’d appreciate my soliciting your opinion.”

“You’re being condescending and you know it.”

He leaned forward, thunder in his eyes. “You can be very thankful that I am able to hold on to my temper with both hands.”

Ruby wisely held her tongue.

“You ran off in the middle of the night,” he said, rising to his feet, “without a word. Without even a note…”

“I left a note!” she cried out indignantly.

He looked at her completely disbelieving. 

“I did,” she insisted. “I left it on the side table in the front hall. Right next to the Chinese vase.”

“And this mysterious note said…”

“It said,” she began, swallowing hard before continuing, “not to worry. I was fine and would contact you all within a month.”

“Ahh,” Liam said, sarcasm dripping from his lips. “That would have certainly set my mind at ease.”

“I don’t know why you didn’t get it,” Ruby murmured. “It probably got mixed up with a pile of invitations.”

“For all we knew,” Liam continued, taking a step toward her around the desk, “you’d been kidnapped.”

Ruby paled. She’d never even considered that her family might think such a thing. It hadn’t occurred to her that her note might go astray.

“Do you know what Mother did?” Liam asked, his voice deadly serious. “After nearly collapsing with worry?”

Ruby shook her head, afraid of the answer.

“She went to the bank,” Liam continued. “Do you know why?”

“Can’t you just tell me?” she asked wearily. She hated the questions.

“She went there,” he said, taking slow, purposeful, terrifying steps toward her, “to make sure that all her funds were in the proper order should she need to ransom you!”

Ruby shrank back at the fury in Liam’s voice. I left a note, she wanted to say again, but it didn’t signify anymore, and she knew it. She’d been wrong, and she’d been foolish, and she didn’t want to compound her stupidity by trying to excuse or justify it.

“Mary Margaret was the one who finally figured out what you’d done,” Liam said. “We asked her to search your room, since she’s probably spent more time there than the rest of us combined.”

Ruby nodded. Mary Margaret had been her closest friend. She still was, in fact, even though she’d gone and married David. They’d spent countless hours up in her room, talking about anything and everything. Graham’s letters had been the only secret Ruby had ever kept from her.

“Where did she find the letter?” Ruby asked. Not that it mattered, but she couldn’t curb her curiosity.

“It had fallen behind your desk.” Liam crossed his arms. “Along with a pressed flower.”

Somehow that seemed fitting and it made Ruby smile. “He’s a botanist,” she whispered.

“I beg your pardon?”

“A botanist,” she said, louder this time. “Sir Graham. He took a first at Cambridge. He would have been an academic if his brother hadn’t died at Waterloo.”

Liam nodded, digesting the information as well as the fact that she knew it. “If you tell me that he’s a cruel man, that he will beat you, that he will insult you and demean you, I will not force your hand.” He looked at her sternly for a moment before continuing. “But, before you speak, I want you to consider my words. You are a Jones. I don’t care who you marry or what your name becomes when you stand up before a priest and say your vows. You will always be a Jones, and we behave with honor and honesty, not because it is expected of us, but because that is what we are.” 

Ruby nodded, swallowing hard as she fought the tears that were stinging her eyes.

“So, I will ask you right now,” he continued. “Is there any reason you cannot marry Sir Graham Humbert?”

“No,” she whispered. She didn’t even hesitate. She wasn’t ready for this, wasn’t yet ready for the marriage, but she wouldn’t sully the truth by hesitating with her answer.

“I thought not.”

She stood still, not certain what to say or do next. She turned away from her brother, quite certain he knew she was crying, but unwilling to let him see her tears anyway. “I’ll marry him,” she whispered. “It’s just that I’d… I’d hoped…”

Liam stood silent, respecting her distress, but when she didn’t continue, he spoke. “What did you hope for, Ruby?”

“I hoped for a love match,” she said, even softer than before, finally turning to face him. 

“I see,” he said, his hearing superb as always. “You should have thought of that before you ran off.”

She hated him in that moment. “You have a love match,” she choked out. “You of all people should understand!”

“I,” he said in a tone that told her he did not appreciate her trying to make the conversation about him, “married my wife after we were caught in a compromising position by the biggest bloody gossip in all of England.”

Ruby let out a long breath. She felt so stupid. It had been so many years since Liam had married Elsa, she’d forgotten the circumstances.

“I didn’t love Elsa when I married her,” he continued, “or,” he added, his voice growing a bit softer, more gruff and nostalgic, “if I did, I did not yet realize it.”

“You were very lucky.” Ruby could only hope and pray that she’d be that lucky with Sir Graham. 

And then Liam surprised her. He didn’t scold and he didn’t reprimand. He simply said, “I know.”

“I felt lost,” she whispered. “When David and Mary Margaret married…” She sank into a chair and let her head drop into her hands. “I’m a terrible person. I must be a terrible person, horrible and shallow, because when they married, all I could think about was myself.”

Liam sighed and knelt next to her. “You are not a terrible person, Ruby. You know that.”

Ruby looked up at her brother and wondered when he became so wise. If he’d yelled one more word, spent one more minute speaking to her in that mocking condescending voice, she would have broken. She would have broken, and something would have been utterly and irreparably destroyed between them.

But here he was, Viscount Liam Jones of all people, who was arrogant and proud, and every inch the arch nobleman he’d been born to be, kneeling at her side, placing his hand on hers, and speaking with a kindness that nearly broke her heart.

“I was happy for them,” she said. “I am happy for them.”

“I know you are.”

“I should have felt nothing but joy.”

“If you had, you wouldn’t be human.”

“Mary Margaret became my sister,” she said. “I should have been happy.”

“Didn’t you say that you were?”

She nodded. “I am. I am. I know that I am. I’m not just saying it.”

He smiled gently at her and waited for her to continue.

“It’s just that suddenly I felt so lonely, and so old.” She looked at him, wondering if he could possibly understand. “I never thought I would be left behind.”

He chuckled. “Ruby Jones, I don’t think anyone would ever make the mistake of leaving you behind.”

Her lips curved into a wobbly smile, marveling that her brother of all people could actually say the exact right thing. “I suppose I never really thought I’d be a spinster,” she said. “Or, if I was, then Mary Margaret would be one too. It wasn’t very kind of me, and I didn’t really think about it much, but…”

“But that’s just how it was,” he said, doing her the kindness of completing her thought. “I don’t think either one of them ever thought they’d marry. Much less to each other. But love can rather creep up on a person, you know.”

She nodded, wondering if it could creep up on her. Probably not. She was the sort of person who would need it whacked over her head.

“I’m glad they’re married,” Ruby said.

“I know you are. I am, too.”

“Sir Graham,” she said, motioning toward the door, “we’d been corresponding for over a year. And then he mentioned marriage.” She shrugged. “And he did it in such a sensible manner. He didn’t propose. He just inquired if I might like to visit, to see if we would suit. I told myself he was mad, that I couldn’t possibly consider such an offer. Who would marry someone she didn’t know?” She let out a shaky little laugh. “And then David and Mary Margaret announced their engagement. It was as if my entire world flipped sideways. And that was when I started thinking about it. Every time I looked at my desk, at the drawer where I kept his letters, I couldn’t get them out of my mind.”

Liam said nothing, nor did he move from his place on the floor. Merely squeezing her hand in understanding.

“I had to do something,” she continued. “I couldn’t just sit and wait for life to happen to me any longer.”

Another chuckle escaped his lips. “Ruby,” he said, “that is the last thing I would ever worry about on your behalf.”

“Li…”

“No, let me finish,” he interrupted smoothly. “You’re one of the special ones, Ruby. Life never happens to you. Trust me on this. I’ve watched you grow up, had to be your father at times when I wanted only to be your brother.”

Her lips parted as something squeezed around her heart. He was right. He had been a father to her. It was a role neither of them had wanted for him, but he had done it for years, without complaint. Not that she was complaining about Liam filling that role, she was very thankful to have had him there. Now she squeezed his hand, not because she loved him, but because it was only now that she realized how very much she did.

“You happen to life, Ruby,” Liam said. “You’ve always made your own decisions, always been in control. It might not always feel that way, but it’s true.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head. “Well, that’s what I was trying to do when I came here. It seemed like a good plan.”

“And maybe,” Liam said quietly, “you’ll find that it was indeed a good plan. Sir Graham seems an honorable sort.

Ruby raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You were able to deduce this while you had your hands wrapped around his throat?”

He shot her a thoroughly condescending look. “You’d be surprised what men can deduce about one another while fighting.”

“You call that fighting?” she cried. “It was four against one!”

Liam shrugged. “I never said it was fair fighting.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“An interesting adjective considering your recent activities.”

Ruby felt herself flush.

“Very well,” Liam said, his brisk tone signaling a change of topic. “Here is what we are going to do.” And Ruby knew by the tone of his voice that whatever he said would be exactly what she would do. “You will pack your bags immediately,” he continued. “We will travel to My Cottage and remain there for a week.”

Ruby nodded. My Cottage was the rather odd name of Killian’s country home, situated not too far from Romney Hall in Wiltshire. Seeing that his wife, Emma was expecting their third child in another couple of months, they’d elected not to go to London for the season. It wasn’t a large home, but it was plenty big enough for a few extra Joneses.

“Your Sir Graham may come visit each day,” Liam continued, which Ruby correctly understood to mean Your Sir Graham will come visit each day. Ruby nodded again. “If at the end of the week, I determine that he is good enough to marry my sister, you will do so. Immediately.”

“You’re certain you can judge the measure of a man’s character in one week?”

“It rarely takes longer,” Liam stated, “And it is even more rare that I am wrong in my assessment of a man’s character. But if for some reason I am unsure, we will simply wait another sennight.” 

“Sir Graham might not care to marry me,” Ruby felt compelled to point out.

Liam leveled a hard stare at her face. “He hasn’t that option.”

Ruby gulped.

“Do we understand each other?” he asked, one brow rising in an arrogant arch.

She nodded. His plan was reasonable. She couldn’t deny that. Much more reasonable, in fact, than many other older brothers of the ton would have allowed. And if something happened, if something went horribly wrong and she decided she couldn’t possibly marry Sir Graham, well then, she had a week to figure out a way to get out of it. A lot could happen in a week. She huffed. Just look at the last one.

“Shall we return to the dining room?” Liam asked. “I assume you’re hungry and if we tarry much longer, David is liable to eat our host out of house and home.”

Ruby nodded. “That, or they’ve killed him by now.”

Liam pursed his lips in consideration. “It would save me the expense of a wedding,” he mused.

“Liam!”

“It’s a joke, Ruby,” he said, shaking his head at her. “Come along, now. Let’s make sure your Sir Graham is still in the land of the living.”

A few minutes later, Ruby and Liam entered the dining room again to see the four men lounging around the table - Graham, Killian, and Henry with empty plates before them looked quite satisfied, and tipsy as well. David was still eating.

“And then,” Killian said, “ the tavern wench arrived and she had the biggest…”

“Killian!” Ruby cried, shocked.

Killian looked over at his sister with a supremely guilty expression, yanked back his hands, which were demonstrating the size of what was clearly an impossibly endowed female, and muttered, “Sorry.”

“You’re married,” she scolded, thoroughly embarrassed at what she’d walked in on.

“But not blind,” David cheeked.

“You’re married too!”

“But not blind,” he repeated with a sly grin.

“Ruby,” Henry began with what was quite possibly the most annoying use of condescension she’d ever heard in her life, “there are some things in life that are impossible not to notice. Especially if one is a man.”

“It’s true,” Liam said. “I saw it myself.”

Ruby gasped as she looked from brother to brother, looking for some semblance of sanity in this cesspool of masculine madness. Her eyes fell to Graham, who, by the looks of him, not to mention his quite inebriated state, had formed a lifelong bond with her brothers during the time she’d been closeted away with Liam.

“Sir Graham?” she asked, waiting for him to say something acceptable.

But he just offered her a goofy grin. “I know who they’re talking about,” he said. “Been to that inn many times myself. Mildred is quite famous in these parts.”

“Even I’ve heard of her,” Killian said, with a knowing nod. “I’m only an hour away on horseback. Less, if need calls.”

Henry leaned toward Graham, his green eyes gleaming with interest as he asked, “So, did you? Ever?”

“Henry!” Ruby yelled. This was unconscionable. Her brothers should never have been talking about such things in front of her in the first place, but even more, the last thing she wanted to know was whether Sir Graham had ever tupped a tavern wench with bosoms the size of soup tureens.

But Graham shook his head. “She’s married,” he said. “As was I.”

Liam turned to Ruby and whispered, “He’ll do.”

“I’m glad you have such high standards for your beloved sister,” she muttered.

“I told you,” Liam remarked, “I’ve seen Mildred. This is a man with restraint.”

She planted her hands on her hips and looked her brother squarely in the eye. “Were you tempted?”

“Of course not! Elsa would slit my throat.”

“I’m not talking about what Elsa would do to you if you strayed, although I’m of the opinion that she would not start at your throat…” Liam winced. He knew it was true. “I want to know if you were tempted.”

“No,” he admitted, shaking his head. “But don’t tell anyone,” he whispered. “I was once a rather well known rake in my younger days. Wouldn’t do for the ton to think I’m completely tamed.” The charming smirk he sent her was almost enough to make her laugh - knowing just how in love her brother and his wife were - but she was able to suppress it under a haughty eye roll.

“You’re appalling.”

“And yet, my wife still loves me to distraction,” he said with a grin. “And that is all that really matters, isn’t it?”

Ruby supposed he was right. She sighed. “What are we going to do about them?” she asked, motioning around to the jolly quartet.

Liam shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re going to do, but I’m going to join them.” 

Ruby watched, her mouth hanging open slightly, as Liam sat down at the table and poured himself a glass of wine. Thankfully the conversation had moved on from Mildred and her tremendous bosoms, and now they were talking about boxing. Or at least, that’s what Ruby thought they were talking about. Graham was showing Henry some kind of hand maneuver and then punched him in the face.

“So sorry,” Graham said, patting Henry on the back. But Ruby could just see the right corner of his mouth curving up ever so slightly. “Won’t hurt for long, I’m sure. My chin is feeling better already.” 

Henry grunted something that was probably along the lines of it not hurting a bit, but he still rubbed his chin nonetheless.

“Sir Graham,” Ruby said loudly, “might I have a word with you?”

“Of course,” he said, standing up immediately, although all the men should have been on their feet, since she’d never vacated her presence in the doorway.

Graham walked quickly, or as quickly as he was able in his inebriated state, to her side. “Is anything amiss?” he asked.

“I was worried that I was going to return to find that they’d killed you!” she hissed.

“Oh.” He smiled, that loopy, three-glasses-of-wine sort of smile. “They didn’t.”

“I can see that,” she ground out. “What happened?”

He looked back over at the table. Liam was eating the meager scraps that David had left behind (almost certainly because he didn’t realize they were there), Killian was tipping back in his chair trying to balance it on two legs, and Henry was humming to himself with his eyes shut and a rather pleased smile on his lips - presumably thinking about Mildred, or more likely, certain large and squishy parts of Mildred. Graham turned back to her and shrugged. 

“When,” Ruby said, holding on to her patience and her temper with both hands, “did you all become the best of friends?”

“Oh,” he said, nodding seriously. “Funny thing actually. I told them to break my legs.”

Ruby just stared at him, mouth agape. As long as she lived, she’d never understand men. She had four brothers, and quite frankly should have understood them better than most women. But after twenty-eight years, she finally came to a quite certain realization: All men were freaks.

Graham shrugged again. “It seemed to break the ice.”

“Clearly.”

She stared at him, and he stared at her, and Liam stared at them from the table. Graham sobered. “We’ll have to marry.”

“Yes, I know.”

“They really will break my legs if we don’t.”

“That’s not all they would do,” she grumbled, “but even so, a lady might like to think she’s been chosen for a reason other than osteopathic health.”

Graham simply blinked at her.

“What?” she snapped. “I’ve studied Latin.”

“Right,” he said, drawing it out like men did when they were trying to disguise that they really didn’t know what to say.

“Or at least,” she tried again, desperately searching for some other word that might be loosely interpreted as a compliment, “if not a reason other, than perhaps a reason in addition.”

“Right,” he said again, but nothing more.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked over at the table. “How much wine have you drunk?”

“Only three,” he assured her. “Or maybe, four.”

“Glasses or bottles?” He didn’t seem to know the answer to that. Ruby could see four bottles littering the table. Three of them were empty.

“I wasn’t gone that long,” she said, incredulously.

Graham shrugged again. “It was either drink with them or let them break my legs. Seemed like a very sound decision.”

“Liam,” she called. She’d had quite enough of Graham, her brothers… everything, in fact. Marriage, men, giant bosoms, broken legs, and empty wine bottles. But most of all, she’d had enough of feeling so out of control, so helpless against the tides of her life.

“I want to go,” she said.

Liam nodded and grunted, still chewing the solitary piece of chicken David had missed.

“Now, Liam.”

He must have heard the crack in her voice, the hollow note that choked on the syllables, because he stood immediately, her other brothers quickly following suit.

Ruby had never been happier to see the inside of a carriage in all her life.

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing! I'd love to know what you think! Next ch will post before I go to bed Friday night!

[chrisevansonly]

Secret Magazines & Hitting The Road

Pairing: Harry Styles x Female Reader

Summary: Hidden magazines, and fun future plans, this year with your favourite human was starting to look more and more exciting

A/N: this can be read as part of angel au or not, so no one come for me with how I tag my stories lol anyway just a lil something I whipped up, AGAIN it can be tied to the AU or NOT, but there is use of y/n in here, okay? okay. 😭

Word Count: 725

 You couldn’t help the giddy smile that was on your face as you arrived back to your shared home after a long day at work, Harry was already home judging by his car that sat parked outside, so right away you knew it’d be harder to sneak the magazine you bought upstairs to the safety of your office. Hiding it underneath your purse, you were quick to discard your jacket and boots, putting them away into the closet, hanging your purse up and placing the magazine behind your back 

“Harry?”

You called out almost as a precaution to try and figure out where he was, and to know if you’d be able to sneak past him, your plan quickly fizzling out when he walked around the corner, his face lighting up at the sight of you

“Hi my angel, have a good day?”

You nodded shuffling forward to press a kiss to his lips, a slight smirk on his face when you pulled away 

“So, you gonna tell me what you’re hiding there?”

“M’not hiding anything baby, don’t know what you’re talking about” 

He hummed before attempting to walk around you to see, but you just kept spinning to he wouldn’t be able to see the magazine you’d bought 

“Aw come on love, don’t be shy…”

“Nope. Never.”

You walked backwards away from his prying eyes and now hands as he kept following you, eventually trapping you against the wall in the hallway, walking backwards was never your strong suit apparently, considering you’d missed the steps to go upstairs  by a long shot

“What’s your plan baby?”

He thought for a second before his hands slid under your sweater, a shiver climbing up your spine at the contrast between your warm skin and his very cold hands, the few simple rings he wore didn’t help either

“It’s supposed to be secret, just for me…”

“Just for you huh?”

Harry pressed a few kisses to your lips, working to distract you further as he grabbed a hold of the magazine and pulled it from your hands, a quiet laugh escaping when he noticed what you’d bought

“Angel, all that trouble just to hide me?”

You flushed 

“Well, I didn’t want you to see…just looked so handsome on the cover I had too”

You pouted feigning innocence as a cocky smirk pulled at Harry’s lips 

“You really are obsessed with me aren’t you baby?”

“Oh yeah you wish pretty boy”

You snatched the magazine back holding it close to your chest 

“What else am I supposed to look at when you leave for the next while”

“Hmmm”

You narrowed your eyes suspiciously 

“Spit it out Harold”

Harry laughed, he almost felt like teasing you more but knew better knowing you hated suspense

“I was thinking, you come to California with me, then the BRIT’s and come finish out tour with me…”

You stared at him in shock, it had been a while since you’d gone anywhere with him, truth be told you could use a break from work

“What about my shop...?”

“Already covered if you want to go, Poppy said she’d come down and run it and watch the house and Penelope for us”

Harry was always four steps ahead of you, and after the long day you had and now this exciting news you couldn’t help the tears that welled in your eyes, especially thinking you wouldn’t see him for a while 

“Really…?”

He took your face in his hands and pressed a soft kiss to your lips 

“Really Y/N, I want you to come and travel around with me, like old times”

“I’d love too”

If you’d said it any quieter he wouldn’t have heard you, but judging by his excitement he caught your answer, wrapping his arms around you and pressing a firm kiss to your lips, when you pulled away you smiled 

“Just so you know, I’m still bringing my magazine.”

Harry laughed shaking his head as you still clutched the magazine to your chest, his heart filling with warmth at the realization that you’d be going back on the road with him. It had been a while since you two had gotten to do anything together, and you both were more than excited to take off and get on the road…even if you had to hide a couple magazines from him.

[wolfiepyxie]

Writing pattern tag game

Ok, so I have been tagged by the lovely @malicmalicwriter for this game, so here we go. Now I do not have many recent fics, but I do have ten SPN fics (most of which are WIPs) so I will be using those. Starting with my two completed bang fics and then I shall be working my way down from there.

Rules: list the first line(s) of your last 10 posted fics and see if there's a pattern!

The Main Attraction

Peeking out the slight gap between the curtains hiding him and the stage from view, Dean took a deep breath. And then immediately, his ribs twinged in protest when his lunges tried to expand to take in the breath fully.

2. Fairies Wear Boots

Castiel let out a long sigh as his car door shut with an audible thud. Why he allowed Charlie and Gilda to talk him into this he did not know. Ok, maybe he did know why.

3. Necessities for Survival

Castiel Krushnic watched on with a stoic expression and cold, blue eyes as the door before him was busted open. The first group of highly trained bratva members filed in immediately after.

4. Death's Angel

Life was a fleeting existence, but death was a constant. Dean knew this all too well, for he once had life but now he was Death. Yes, that Death, one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.

5. The Coin; The Promise

Do it for Sammy

Dean had to remind himself of the shining light that gave purpose to this life of his every day. This toxic life of his.

6. Skin Deep

Dean let out a low groan as he slowly opened his eyes. Only to squint against the harsh light coming from the hanging overhead bulb. As his eyes got used to the harsh lighting, his surroundings slowly became focused.

7. Instincts

Coping had never been Dean's strong suit; he was more partial to numbing the pain with alcohol than dealing with it. Processing emotions properly was not something that came quickly to his family.

8. A Supernatural Adventure

The telltale sound of a pen scratching against paper had become a constant in Bucky's life now. After all of the chaos involving the new Super Soldier serum it was always just another day and another name scratched off his list.

9. Devil In Red

Dan sighed slightly in annoyance as he left the club, pinching the bridge of his nose. He thought this would be an easy case where all he needed to do was look into the death of the singer Delilah. And then the only witness to the killing threw the LAPD detective quite the curveball.

10. Healing Of The Heart and Soul

Wanda knew that watch she had done to WestView painted a negative picture of her in the eyes of many people. Especially those of the people who suffered as a side effect of he grief induced reality warping.

I personally have not noticed a pattern other than the fact that unless it is a bang fic I have an aversion to completing fics before I start a new one. If you want to read any of these then you can find them on my Ao3 account SakuraKitty. Now then, time for me to bring this very long post to an end by tagging people. Sorry in advance to those of you who I tag.

I am only following a few writers, one of whom I doubt have even noticed me or the fact that I am following them. So here goes it 😅

@anyreiart, @friendofcarlotta, @hexentaenzerin

Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to read this.

[izdatazn]

S.U.I.T.S: Outbreak

XEANIDES 3 - TAVERN

Asuka walked through the hallways accompanied by three other people. There were two other females and another male.

"Would you look at that," teased another member, "Your boy toy is not here, so you're finally hanging out with us after two years, right Yoon Bora?"

"Shut up, Takahashi Amane," blushed Asuka. "I'll have fun with my boy toy as much as I want."

"She neglected us and has been having wild rides with that boy toy of hers," persisted Bora. "I'm surprised you aren't pregnant yet."

"Why am I the only male in this group gossiping about Asuka's boyfriend?" he shrugged his body. "I feel disgusted."

"Oh, shut your mouth, Hien Ngo," retorted Asuka. "You're just jealous that he isn't your boy toy. And no, I'm not giving him to you."

He's always interested in gossip.” Amane teased Bora, and Asuka agreed with her as they observed Hien's confident and sassy walk in the hallway.

Asuka first encountered Takahashi Amane during her time in middle school when they were assigned to evaluate a damage report in Hokkaido. Since then, they have formed a strong bond, despite the significant age difference of sixty years between Amane and Asuka.

As for Yoon Bora, Asuka became acquainted with her through Lee Miyoung while on a scouting mission in the outskirts of Busan in their first year of high school. Amane was with Asuka when they met Bora. Following that encounter, Bora decided to join Asuka's crew. Interestingly, Bora is around the same age as Lee Miyoung.

Regarding Hien, Asuka and her team were investigating an anomaly on Jeju Island. By chance, Hien was also visiting Jeju Island for vacation and they coincidentally met in a cafe. The crew and Hien quickly became close friends, officially forming a squadron. Hien is slightly older than Asuka by ten years.

Asuka's squad entered the living room, where an eerie silence enveloped the space. Eight individuals stood together in the center of the room. Taking the lead, Asuka stepped forward, positioning herself in front of the group. With her teammates standing faithfully behind her, she meticulously examined each person's name tag displayed on their chest.

"Who do we have here?" Asuka inquired.

"My name is Ioana Adept from Romania. I am 24 years old and the leader of the Firebolt squad, specializing in assault," Ioana answered.

"I am Carla Muller from Germany. I am 20 years old and trained in heavy weaponry," Carla answered.

"I am Jean Monet from France. I am 19 years old and the second squad leader, specializing in support," Jean answered.

"Antonio Romano is my name from Italy. I am 21 years old and trained as a sniper," Antonio answered.

Asuka seemed impressed by their confident voices and inquired about the other four individuals standing behind the younger ones.

"I am Talia Cohen from Israel. I served in Israel's Sayeret Matkal for 15 years. I am 36 years old and I am the leader of the Cyclone Team," Talia informed.

"I am Chloe Pernet from France. I served in GIGN, the Gendarmerie Intervention Group, for 10 years. I am 32 years old," Chloe mentioned.

"I am Deepak Chopra from India. I served in India's MARCOS, the Marine Commandos, for 16 years. I am 39 years old," Deepak answered.

"I am Ricardo Vicinelli from Italy. I served in the Italian GIS, Gruppo di Intervento Speciale, for 5 years. I am 29 years old," Ricardo said.

Asuka applauded and praised, saying, "Your voices were excellent, everyone." She was the only one clapping among the group gathered in the living room. "However, this alone won't take us far, especially when considering the younger ones." Asuka continued, looking at each person in the room, "I share the same opinion as Kobayashi and Kumiko. I disagree with Daisuke and Zion about humans not being involved in the mission due to their lack of abilities that we SUITS agents possess. Even with the technology provided to you, it will not be enough to tackle the problem ahead." Asuka paused for a few seconds and then continued, "Look out for each other. Take care of each other's well-being because I am not hopeful that I can bring all eight of you back in one piece, including the 250,000 humans on this fleet.”

“With that out of the way, Admiral Hannibal, are you there?” Asuka asked.

"Hello, Team 2. Admiral Hannibal of the Magpie fleet here, speaking to you from The Horus, The Magpie’s Capital Flagship,” greeted Hannibal as his massive holographic figure materialized in the living room. "Today is January 20th, 2082, in the Earth Time Zone, five days since our departure." 

Hannibal, renowned as Rome's fiercest adversary and leader of the Carthaginian forces during the Second Punic War, was eventually defeated by Scipio. However, he was revived by SUITS, had his memory erased, and put into a dormant state until recently awakened. As the second of the seven Admirals of The Establishment's defense fleet, Hannibal was selected for the mission on Asuka’s mission.

“What is the estimated arrival, Admiral?” Asuka asked.

"Admiral Hannibal replied, 'We still have a full Earth day left to reach our destination. However, we have plenty of time to explore Xeanides, an impressive hub located in the Milky Way Galaxy. Xeanides is an ecumenopolis, which means it is a city that spans across the entire planet, leaving little to no available land for exploitation. Xeanides heavily relies on imported food and raw materials from other planets. It is considered a neutral planet, inhabited by trillions of residents from diverse backgrounds, all making a living on the planet's surface and underground. The underground area extends to as much as fifty levels deep, while the surface continues to be expand upwards. On this planet, both our allies and enemies coexist, as it is greatly influenced by both sides. Being the hub of the Milky Way Galaxy, Senators and Delegates from active planets gather at the Chamber Rotunda," Hannibal continued. "The Magpie fleet will keep a safe distance to avoid drawing attention from the local residents of Xeanides. Asuka and her teams will fly in with their stealth ship, as it is more preferable than triggering an alarm for Xeanides's Defense Fleet.”

"Our Forward Operating Base is actually a tavern owned by Rax's brother, Xas. It's situated atop the urban sprawl, which is fortunate for all of us. At least for now, we don't need to delve into the depths of the underground," Asuka explained. "By the way, Nehir, when was the last time you visited Xeanides?"

"In the year 1460 of Earth's calendar," Nehir replied, recalling her past experiences working in SUITS. "I was just beginning my journey when I was assigned, along with a few thousand others, to intercept General Viphon's attacking fleet in the Majoris Galaxy. However, for some unknown reason, a few of us were redirected to Xeanides." Nehir continued, "Fortunately, Xas's small tavern provided us with a sense of familiarity, as if we were back on Earth. I am genuinely looking forward to meeting the asshole.” Nehir chuckled.

The Magpie Fleet emerged from lightspeed at a safe distance from Xeanides territory. Asuka and her companions boarded their Sparrow class stealth starfighter. The pilot detached the starfighter from the Horus's hangar bay and descended into space. Asuka stood on the bridge, observing The Sparrow as it approached the bustling hub of the Milky Way Galaxy. It was Asuka's and a few others' first time witnessing the grandeur of a city planet where the space around Xeanides was heavily congested with various starships and space cargo coming and going.

“This is the The Sparrow’s pilot, Vu1tur3, to Xeanides Space Traffic Control Line Director requesting to dock.” The pilot spoke.

“Request granted. I will send the coordinates to you.” The Line Director answered. “Welcome to Xeanides.”

The Sparrow gracefully swooped past the busy traffic in the controlled areas of space as it made its descent towards the city planet. Asuka and her companions were filled with awe as they reached the atmospheric levels and witnessed the stunning beauty of the surface. Towering skyscrapers and unique landmarks were scattered all around, creating a breathtaking sight.

Guided by Xeanides’s Air Traffic Control, they were directed towards a particular busy skylane. The pilot followed the crowd. It was during this journey that Asuka caught sight of a pyramid-like structure followed by a peculiar pantheon-shaped building. However, that was not the only thing that captured her attention. As the Sparrow flew past, she noticed a majestic temple strategically positioned, impossible to miss.

Curiosity got the better of her and Asuka couldn't help but ask Nehir, "Is that what I think it is?"

Nehir responded, "Certainly, what you have just witnessed were the Egyptian Pyramid and the Greek Pantheon. On your right side, you can see the Angkor Wat temple from the Khmer Empire and the Sigiriya rock fortress from Sri Lanka. What you learned in school only provides a basic understanding. The Khmer Empire, Egyptian Empire, Greek Civilization, Mesopotamia, and even Atlantis were highly advanced societies that existed much earlier than originally believed, all thanks to SUITS. Mesopotamia and Atlantis served as the epicenters of technological advancements. Each of these civilizations played a crucial role in successfully thwarting the initial invasion of the Sol System by General Viphons and Zolxi. Our advanced prehistoric civilization, with its futuristic technology, deemed their menace highly perilous. As a result, the decision was made to wipe the memories of the population, turning them back into hunter-gatherers, and embark on a journey through the cosmos to continue the fight against our adversaries.”

"And where are they now?" inquired Asuka.

"Who knows, they're probably extinct," answered Nehir. "Whenever I am assigned to a location, I typically discover our ancestors' structures on various planets."

"What about that temple?" asked Asuka. "It seems to be much larger, taller, and wider than the Pyramids, Pantheon and Angkor Wat combined."

"That specific temple is owned by the Father and his cult, which they are named as The Keepers of the Ancient One," Nehir responded. "The Father holds significant importance as one of our main targets, referred to as The King of Spades."

"Then that implies..." Asuka whispered.

"Yes, The Father is already aware that we will be arriving on Xeanides, thanks to his personal connections," Nehir cautioned. "We must stay away from that territory and any of the smaller temples he possesses."

"Understood," Asuka replied.

The Sparrow smoothly maneuvered out of the crowded skylane and gracefully entered a less congested one, making its way towards the intended destination. After a few minutes, it started descending, enfolded by medium-sized skyscrapers. The Sparrow touched down on an unoccupied landing port, guided by the port instructor. Despite the scarcity of other star or cargo ships docked in the port, the ground level appeared bustling when Asuka observed through the transparent window of the bridge.

Asuka joined the other teams as they prepared themselves in The Sparrow's hangar bay. The smaller hovercrafts positioned themselves in the hangar of the bigger hovercraft carriers. She gathered around Miyagawa Akane, Imani Zammit, and Nehir Dogan.

"Do you think it's too flamboyant to have four massive vehicles rolling out of the port?" Asuka asked, worried.

Nehir laughed. "Do you really think our vehicles are drawing attention, when the city-planet has more interesting things to look at than four random vehicles? We're just another group of species from a random planet, participating in a little vacation. We’ll be fine.”

"If you insist," Asuka said, breaking away from the group and stepping onto the bridge of her hovercraft. "This is the Lady Himiko, a Super Heavy Hovercraft Carrier, reporting for duty."

"The Ryujin, a Heavy Hovercraft Carrier, is online," Akane declared.

"The Ifrit, another Super Heavy Hovercraft Carrier, is stationary and prepared," Imani announced.

"The Tengri, a Super Heavy Hovercraft Carrier, is activated," Nehir added.

Asuka's Lady Himiko, followed by Akane, Imani, and Nehir, launched out of The Sparrow's hangar. They followed the designated signs that led them out of the port and onto the empty highways. As they looked at their map, they realized that the tavern was their intended destination. However, Asuka could already see the massive tavern in the distance through her window.

"You didn't tell me the tavern was this big, Nehir," Asuka remarked.

"It's been a while since I last saw it," Nehir replied. "It used to be a small, crappy hut instead of this massive infrastructure. Did the tavern become popular after I left?" he wondered aloud.

"Scout the perimeter, which is five clicks away from the tavern, and once you are finished, return to our designated destination," Asuka instructed. The three vehicles veered off in separate directions. Diwata and Anita Patel launched their own hovercraft from the Ryujin's hanger bay and also veered away. Li Fen remained behind while Asuka's vehicle continued until she reached the tavern.

She parked Lady Himiko in an empty space next to the tavern and proceeded to gather her team - Firebolt Unit, Cyclone Team, and Li Fen's team. Suiting up, they all stepped out of the vehicle and made their way towards the entrance. Firebolt and Cyclone closely followed behind. Despite the chaos that engulfed them, the front area of the tavern strangely remained calm, which struck Asuka as peculiar given the typically disorderly atmosphere of her surroundings. Li Fen's team carried out patrols in the nearby areas and then signaled to Asuka that it was safe to proceed, while her team stood guard around the perimeter.

Out of nowhere, a quartet of inebriated beings stumbled out from the tavern, engaged in their own unintelligible conversation. These creatures possessed elongated faces, slender figures, and were decked out in armors and harnesses. As they spotted Asuka and her team, they mumbled incomprehensible words towards them. Completely baffled, Asuka's helmet's user interface swiftly detected and translated their language in real time.

"Look, water sacks!" one of them laughed. "It's been a while since we've seen one!" The first creature continued to laugh.

The second creature chimed in, "You know, human meat has a high price these days! And there are four of them!" The second creature laughed. "Seems like we're going to get rich tonight!”

"Whenever you are ready, Asuka," Li Fen spoke. "I am in position." Asuka observed Hien's slight movement and promptly halted him, discreetly instructing him not to initiate the attack. She subtly directed the other teams to refrain from aiming at the adversary in front of them. The team held their ground while the four creatures brandished their weapons at them.

“I wonder if their meat is tasty like the previous one from long ago.” The second creature growled. 

They were suddenly drenched with disgusting water from inside the tavern, leaving them soaked. After a few seconds, they felt intense pain from the liquid that had been thrown at them and quickly moved away. Another creature, covered in scales and with four mechanical legs and three tails, emerged from the tavern, holding an empty bucket.

"Don't you dare start a fight outside my tavern!" the creature growled. "I don't need any trouble from the local security!"

The creature then noticed Asuka and her teams, who were standing there. "It's been a while since I've seen water bags like you walking around," the creature grunted, as it turned around and walked sacks into the tavern.

Asuka and the others followed the creature inside the tavern, which appeared empty despite its large size. "Are you Xas?" she inquired.

“Who is asking?” The creature snarled.

“I am.” Asuka began.

The creature interrupted, saying, "I come from the backwaters system of a backwater planet known as Terra." It tossed the bucket aside and continued, "I am aware of your origins, and inform your companions to enter. They are wasting their time as my home is well-protected." The creature proceeded to climb over the bar, adding, "Furthermore, you can remove your helmet now. The air inside the tavern is safe to breathe unlike the outside." Asuka complied and removed her helmet as she stepped into the tavern. The two teams discreetly spread out to confirm that the interior was clear. As she approached the creature at the bar, Xas inquired, "How is my detestable brother, Rax, spending his time on that backwater planet?" Her team joined the creature at the bar, where it reached for some bottles, and stated, "And yes, I am Xas, the proprietor of this tavern."

"So you know our mission?" Asuka asked.

"I received the message from Zion 400 days ago," Xas answered, mixing the liquid with another one. "While I was waiting for your arrival, I cleaned up the place."

"It doesn't look clean to me," Hien answered, looking around.

"Well, you see, things can get quite chaotic when you have a tavern that attracts people from all corners of the globe and even the underground," Xas chuckled heartily. He effortlessly slid a drink down the bar to Amane, all the while preparing the next one. Xas continued, "By disguising it as a tavern, my place can serve as your headquarters. Your living quarters are located one level below. It's wise to remain hidden from the inhabitants of this planet, as they perceive you as insignificant, much like the ones who came before." Xas laughed again.

"That's good to know," Hien said, questioning as he removed his helmet and reached for the drink, while Xas slid the next one across the bar.

A device attached to Asuka's right temple quickly pinged, alerting her. "The third floor is clear," Ioana spoke.

"The second floor is also clear," Talia informed.

Asuka stole a glance at Xas, who was already on his fourth drink. He spoke, chuckling, "See? What did I tell you? It's completely safe." Asuka remained silent as Xas continued to explain, "Just because you're hiding the Hub attached to your temple doesn't mean I don't know what's going on. It doesn't require a genius." He persisted, "Take it off and show me."

Asuka smoothly detached the magnetized device from her temple and presented it to Xas on her open palm. The device, referred to as the Hub, was a compact secular gadget that served as a neural inference tool. It was connected to SUITS' central network, offering a vast array of applications such as 3D visual holographic communication for both nearby and distant interactions, 3D navigational maps, information gathering, health diagnostics, visual playback, and numerous others. Asuka then returned the Hub to her temple. 

"Compared to its predecessor during my time in SUITS, this model is more advanced," Xas grumbled, improving the grammar. "Make yourself at home. If you have any questions, I will entertain the guest upstairs," Xas slammed the last drink on the bar and walked away.

"How does it taste, Hien, Amane?" Asuka asked.

"Surprisingly, I haven't died from this disgusting drink," Hien answered. "It's actually not bad."

"At least it's undrinkable," Amane answered, pushing the drink away. "But I can't promise anything if something happens to you the next day."

"What's the situation in the outer perimeter?" Asuka asked.

"It's secured," they answered one at a time.

"Do you still feel suspicious?" Amane asked.

"Did Xas purchase any of the land around his tavern?" Asuka wondered.

They left the bar and proceeded towards the stairs that descended to the lower level of the tavern. The area below felt snug and offered enough room to accommodate a large number of people in the expansive main room. In the middle of the room, a round table stood out as the central focal point. Another stair lead to another level. However, that wasn't the sole distraction; Asuka spotted ancient hieroglyphics and symbols inscribed on the walls as she crossed the room.

"Initiate scan, Lady Himiko" Asuka commanded, turning around to face forward. The Hub, attached to her temple, emitted a ping and began scanning the room.

Lady Himiko responded, "Unknown language."

"But these are Egyptian hieroglyphics, Chinese writing, Sumerian cuneiform, and Scandinavian runes," Bora argued, touching the wall. "These are not unknown languages."

Asuka explained, "These writings existed before the discovery of ancient civilizations. They are a combination of written languages used by our Ancestors who existed before the ancient civilization." Asuka turned around and directed her attention towards the wall, becoming suddenly aware of the small slits that ran across it. "Certain writings and drawings in this collection show variations from the writing we don’t see in present-day ancient civilizations." She carefully observed the slits, taking a few steps back as her Hub highlighted them, causing them to grow larger and connect with a few other slits. Eventually, they formed a triangle shape that extended to every edge.

“Lady Himiko, what lies beyond that wall?" Asuka inquired.

"It is unknown," Lady Himiko eplied. "The entrance door is enchanted with a spell that cannot be forcefully opened."

"What about these three holes located on the edges of each triangle?" Asuka asked.

"They are ancient artifacts used to unlock the tomb," Lady Himiko answered.

"Artifacts can encompass various items," Amane added. "Such as a talisman, amulet, or totem."

"What secrets are they concealing?" Asuka approached the inscribed wall and touched it. "What is hiding behind here?”

[ack3rlady]

The Universe Had His Back - Chapter 7

Summer

Chapters: Six | Seven

Master List

Warnings: Fluff, Fluff and more Fluff

Word Count: ~2.74k

Inspiration: Don't Go - Exo

A/N: And with this chapter, I conclude this series. Thank you for all the love you all gave my baby project!

Tags: @sooibian, @queenofcurse, @red-n-tall, @badbitxhbuckybarnes , @sweet-assh0le

‘Why am I nervous? We've done much more than just kiss. For fucks sake! I'm the mother of his child.’

You took a few deep breaths to calm yourself down before pushing the cart from behind your truck towards the large glass doors of the café. You had offered to take today’s batch of bread and pastries to Levi’s to snag a chance to see him, much to Mikasa’s annoyance.

“Oi, brat! You’re late.”, Levi remarked without looking up from his laptop when the bell above the door rang with your entrance, expecting her to have finally arrived.

“Levi, I’m so sorry! I made an impromptu decision to come here instead of Mikasa and -”, you emerged from behind the lofty stack of boxes.

Your hair was up in a messy bun, you were panting from hauling the weight and the resultant perspiration made you glow. Your continual rambling about why you were late, instantly gave him a feeling of Déjà vu, hurling him eight years back in time to the morning when he first laid his eyes on you.  Mirroring that day, he couldn’t focus on anything you were saying, gawking at you with unblinking eyes given how stupefied he was by the sight before his eyes and the sound of your voice.

“Levi? Are you listening?”, you waved your hand in front of his face, disrupting the mental movie playing in his head.

“Huh? Oh, y-yeah. Hi.” he shook his head vigorously and blinked a few times to bring himself back to the present.

Both a blushing mess, you stood by the entrance to the cafe, smiling at each other like two smitten high-schoolers.

“Are you finally back together?”, a shriek from the opposite end of the seating area made your ears ring.

The cacophony was loud enough that Erwin’s head immediately peaked out of his office; his face riddled with confusion. Both your necks snapped towards the source - Hange was running in your direction with the brightest grin on their face. Every head in the room was turned towards you. Eren and other new members of staff at the café, Armin, Jean, Sasha and Connie were slack jawed with their gaping eyes fixed on you after being subjected to this abrupt and unnecessary announcement. One look from Levi sent them scrambling back to work.

“Fucking four-eyes.” he mumbled as they came closer.

“I knew it! You lovebirds couldn’t stay apart for long!”, they squealed with joy enveloping you both in an spontaneous group hug, not giving Levi an opportunity to flinch away.

“Shhh! Calm down, Hange! We’re not back together. Yet.”, you tugged on their hands trying to free yourself from their clasp.

Levi's eyes met and stayed on yours when you uttered the last word, the way his heart fluttered at the sound of it clearly reflecting on his face.

Yet.

“But you were together last night. You have both put in way too much effort in your appearances today. And the color on Short-stack's cheeks can be spotted from Mars! What am I missing here?”, they observed, unaware of the heat rising within their two friends thinking about their final moments together at the Ackerman home yesterday.

Always the perceptive one, Hange. They weren’t entirely wrong. You did spend forty minutes in your closet hunting for the one floral lemon-yellow dress that Levi loved seeing you in; piling on deodorant while simultaneously cursing the hot summer. You picked your reflection in the mirror apart for way too long, fiddling with the necklace he bought you ages ago while rehearsing what you would say to him.

By the looks of it, he did too. He looked oh-so handsome today. Granted, he always did. But today was different. He wore your favorite navy-blue button-down shirt with slate grey slacks, sleeves folded to reveal his toned fore arms, and the top two buttons left open to aid with the sweltering heat; or was it because he knew that it made you weak in the knees when he wore his shirts that way? And his cheeks and ears were definitely a brighter shade of pink than the raspberry compote on the cheesecake you brought.

He stood pinching the bridge of his nose, his breathing starting to speed up. You figured it was his attempt at suppressing the strong urge to smack the grin right off Hange’s face.

“Hange, I promise, I’ll give you all the details later. But for now, Levi and I have things to discuss.”, you pulled him away before he could act on his impulse.

Taking a seat at the table by the large bay window, kissed by the morning sun, you watched the city slowly rise awake with your cheek resting on the palm of your hand. Levi, who was walking back from the kitchen with a cup of tea for himself and a caramel latte for you, stopped in his tracks to mentally frame this image. It was as if you were a different person than who he met over the last two days.

There were no signs of the anxious but adoring mother from yesterday nor the bewildered, pained ex-wife from the day before; you were the same clumsy, moody, garrulous, as well as kind, selfless and mesmerizing woman he fell madly in love with when you walked in through the doors of this very place eight years ago. How could one person flood his heart with a barrage of different emotions this way?

You acknowledged him with a soft ‘hi’ accompanied by a smile when he sat down on the chair opposite to you, nervous about the forthcoming conversation. You stole occasional glances at each other while sipping your beverages, hesitating to be the one to say the first word.

“Do you hate me?”, he asked out of the blue, his gaze locked on his cup.

“No! Why would you think that?”

“Uh- you obviously had a chance to think about what I said to you after going home last night. Why would you possibly want to still see me?”

“Well, I’m here, aren't I? I want to work on us if you’re willing to try as well, Levi. I want to see where this takes us.”, you smiled, placing your hand on his.

"Me too."

.

.

Four months later

The day of Suki and Furlan's wedding was finally here. The venue was set, guests had arrived and you were busy helping the bride get ready for her special day, having spent all morning with her, Isabel and the other bridesmaids in the bridal suite, chatting away in excitement and anticipation for the day ahead.

“Honestly speaking, Suki, I’d have a hard time keeping my hands off you if I were Furlan”, you teased while draping the veil into her hair, causing her to bury her face into her palms.

“You’re one to talk! Levi has been looking for reasons to see you all morning. I had to turn him away thrice already. I'm pretty sure he is going to murder me after the wedding is over.”, Isabel shot back with a smirk.

The last four months had been nothing short of a whirlwind. After that morning at the cafe, having breakfast with Levi turned into a routine. He brought Luna along on most days, and the three of you spent time chatting and admiring the toddler’s antics over tea and scones while sitting at your usual table by the bay window. Sometimes you’d have her accompany you to the patisserie to give Levi a much-deserved break.

Everyone there was enamored with the little firecracker. Her Uncle Miche had always been her favorite because the gentle giant ferried her around the large kitchen on his shoulders. Bertholdt and Reiner would happily comply to all the orders their mini boss belted out. Annie, although a little awkward around her, listened intently to her endless stories; Mikasa secretly pampered her with numerous treats even after several warnings from you, and Nanaba would fuss over her all the time and try to keep the little one all to herself, earning protests from the others.

The evenings varied between taking Luna to the park or the pier, or just spending time indoors at your place or his. You even celebrated her fourth birthday two weeks ago. All your friends and family, along with some little friends the birthday girl had made at the park were invited. You spent a beautiful evening in the backyard of your house around a bonfire, with a delectable meal and wonderful company.

Levi especially made sure you knew that you were being wooed by taking you out on date nights every now-and-then to the finest of restaurants, walks on the beach, to the drive-in theater a few miles outside your town, or star gazing from your favorite spot up the nearby hill. You both were working through your differences and had barely had any disagreements during the time spent together. Things were slowly falling in place; in fact, this newly re-built relationship with him felt much stronger than ever before.

The flashback ended when the wedding planner knocked on the door indicating it was time for the ceremony to begin. You, Isabel, and the other bridesmaids ushered Suki to her designated spot, making sure her dress, hair, make up and flowers looked perfect.

.

.

Standing at the altar by Furlan’s side as his best man, Levi was relieved that he would finally be seeing you soon after being apart all morning. Lately, the two of you spent most of your time together; and this sudden separation had him feeling restless.

On cue, the two harpists seated on either side of the rows began to play heavenly tune of ‘A Thousand Years’ by Christina Perry, a prompt for the bride’s party to start making their way towards the altar. He watched patiently as bridesmaids accompanied by groomsmen walked down the aisle, waiting for you to finally appear. He almost forgot to breathe when your form eventually entered the nave, walking a short distance behind Isabel and one of Furlan’s friends.

You wore the emerald gown from your encounter with him at the store four months ago, and looked a million times more beautiful this morning. Your usually open hair was tied into an elegant loose braid with some curly strands framing your face. The sun rays falling on your silhouette from the towering stained-glass windows of the church made you look like an angel descending solely upon him. He finally began breathing again when you smiled at him and mouthed “breathe”, after taking your position at the altar.

Levi only peeled his eyes away from you when Luna’s giggles reverberated off the stone walls as she waddled down the aisle, scattering petals of baby pink roses, about the same shade has her chubby cheeks, on the ivory carpet. You wiped a stray tear rolling down your face as you both proudly watched her play the part of a flower girl with utmost perfection. Upon making it to the end, she ran to you and buried her face in your gown, suddenly feeling shy from the cheers and applause she received from the smitten guests.

You instantly scooped her up and held her close, letting her nuzzle into the crook of your neck, cooing sweet words of encouragement into her ears. Levi was so taken by this divine scene before him that he failed to notice the bride's much awaited walk down the aisle; surprised to directly find Suki standing at the altar, facing Furlan with her lips curved into the widest smile before his attention found you and Luna again.

He lost track of how long he was marveling at his two perfect girls for, until he felt an elbow harshly crash into his ribs, knocking the wind out of his lungs.

“Is this revenge for your wedding?”, Furlan frowned.

Levi blankly stared at him, having no clue what he was talking about

“Ring, Levi!”, the fuming groom growled.

Oh, right. He pursed his lips in embarrassment melting under the scrutiny of the baffled guests while he handed over the ring that was in the safety of his blazer’s pocket. His eyes darted towards an alarmed Suki and silently apologized to her. Then his gaze moved back to you, an impish smirk on your face as you stared back at him, knowing exactly what was going on in his mind.

Fuck! Furlan was not going to let this go for a long time.

Luna had lost interest in the festivities midway through the nuptials and had fallen asleep in your arms. After the ceremony, when everyone began to make their way outside the chapel, Levi swiftly moved over to walk beside you and offered to carry the snoozing toddler. You groaned after her weight left your body, stretching your sore shoulders and aching back .

“Stop that. You have no idea how hard it is to control myself from jumping your bones, especially when you look this gorgeous.”, Levi whispered in your ear, snaking an arm around your waist.

You glanced around awkwardly making sure his words did not fall on any prying ears and gave him a quick smack on the shoulder, trying to suppress the heat creeping up your neck.

.

.

Time skip – Evening

The wedding reception was underway. You sat at a table sipping lemonade, watching the newlyweds grooving to the beats of music being played by DJ Zeke. Levi swapped his usual glass of Macallan for a cup of ginger lemon tea; His reason being that his throat was sore from carrying out best man duties. But you knew he was just being supportive of your goal to stay off alcohol.

Erwin and Hange sat by the bar, socializing with Furlan’s Boss, Mr. Pyxis while Luna was busy playing duck-duck-goose with some new toddler friends she made at the venue. Levi needed to be physically restrained from ambushing Isabel who he had discovered slow dancing with the same groomsman that walked alongside her at the ceremony. Miche and Nanaba were spotted in a rare public embrace, dancing leisurely to the slow music; and your army of helpers consisting of Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Sasha, Connie, Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie took the lead on setting up tables as yours and Levi’s patisserie and café were the official caterers for the evening.

The choice of DJ Zeke's next track brought a sparkle to your eyes. Your smile spread from ear to ear when ‘Fly me to the Moon' by Frank Sinatra emanated from the speakers. You sang along and began swaying cheerfully in your seat to the melody.

“Remember, Levi? This was the song we had our first dance to at our wedding.” you reminisced; a nostalgic smile spread across your face.

“How can I forget?”, he asked.

His eyes were unfocused, lost in memories of his own. He remembered how ethereal you looked in your white wedding dress. How your diamond jewelry shimmered under the spotlight, how you whispered honeyed words into his ears when he felt exceptionally uncomfortable dancing in public, how warm your hands felt wrapped around his body, how your breath tickled his neck. He’d give anything just to go back and relive that moment.

You gaze was still lost among people enjoying themselves on the dance floor when a stretched-out hand entered your line of vision. Your eyes followed it to land on Levi’s face. A quirk in your eyebrows wordlessly asked him what this action meant.

“Let's dance.”, he said.

“You, Levi Ackerman, are willingly asking me to dance? Did someone spike your tea?” You smirked, earning an eye roll from him.

“Oi, brat! Let’s go before I change my mind.”

“Only if you ask nicely.”

“May I have this dance with you, my love?”

You accepted and the pair of you headed towards the dance floor. He gently pulled you close to him and firmly held on to your hand. His other hand wrapped firmly around your waist and you rested yours on his shoulder. You both moved to the slow rhythm in perfect harmony, as you drowned in those gorgeous blue-grey eyes. It felt like the world around you had dissolved and it was just the two of you and the music.

“You look nice today. I see you bought the same gray suit you hated with a fiery passion.”, you teased.

“How could I not after you said you liked it?”

You looked over his shoulder to Suki and Furlan flashing you a wide grin from across the dance floor. And so did Hange, Miche and Nanaba from over that the bar. Erwin gently raised his drink in your direction. The heat from the from the sudden metaphorical spot light you stood under was cooled by the kiss Levi planted on your cheek.

“Did I tell you how lucky I feel to have you?”, he whispered into your ear as while brushing strands of hair off your face.

“I could stand to hear it more often.”, You hid your blush by resting your forehead on his shoulder, feeling too shy to keep his gaze.

“It's true. You’re the most beautiful woman is this room tonight, scratch that, you’ll be the most beautiful woman anywhere, any day; and I get the honor of calling you mine.” he cooed, drawing gentle circles on your back with his fingers.

“You’re awfully talkative today!”, you lifted your head again to reveal a contagious coy smile spread across your lips.

“Don’t be stupid. I’ve always been talkative.”,

“Come with me.”, he moved you off his chest and tugged at your hand.

“Where?”, you asked in utter confusion, and a bit of annoyance at the wonderful moment being ruined, just to receive silence in response.

Levi quickly glanced over to find Luna munching on garlic bread sticks with Erwin and Hange, as he guided you away from the venue and towards the lake nearby. The ripples in the water gleamed under the moonlight, resembling liquid silver. Warm yellow light from the lamps on either side of a wooden dock dimly illuminated the path that led to a gorgeous gazebo that stood at the end, its ceiling sprinkled with fairy lights that defined the intricate floral carvings in the wood. You stood in the center of the structure and slowly spun around, marveling at the work of whose ever brilliant hands built it.

“Levi, this is stunning!”, you said gazing in all directions, running your fingers over the sophisticated engravings.

“Yes, it is.”, Levi agreed, his eyes not on the architecture, but instead on the human embodiment of radiant sunny day that stood by his side.

Not remotely expecting anything to outshine the sight before you, your vision was captured by an extravagant display of red, green, and gold against the dark blanket of the night’s sky. You jumped when the sound of the first soaring explosion caught you off guard. An arm slid across your waist and a kiss was placed on your temple. You were enamored by the shattering sparks of the fireworks, eliciting frequent oohs and aahs, until a voice snapped you out of your reverie.

“Marry me.”

It took you a few seconds to fully register what you just heard. But when you did, overwhelming feelings of joy rendered you speechless; fingers absentmindedly running over the carved railing of the gazebo, stunned orbs darting between the brilliant sky and the love of your life.

This time Levi had to remind you to breathe.

Your eyes and lips both turned into wide Os, and you slapped your hands to cover your gaping mouth when he slowly lowered himself to kneel before you, opening a little black box containing the same gorgeous ruby ring from all those years ago, which he sneaked out of your nightstand during one of his visits.

“I know that you said you wanted to take this slow. But the last four months with you have been the most precious of my life, where I got a glimpse of what having a perfect family would be like. I learnt the hard way, what I lost when I lost you and you gave me a second chance at finding happiness when you decided to come back. I promise to love and protect you every single day for the rest of my life, and even after. You complete me, love, and you complete our family. So, will you do me the honor of being Mrs. Ackerman, again?”

“Levi...”, your trembling voice was barely audible.

“Yes.”, you breathed, letting the floodgates finally open when he slid the ring on your finger.

He got back on his feet and engulfed you into the tightest embrace as you wept joyous tears into his shoulders.

“I love you so much!”

“I love you too!”, moving to look into your eyes, he cupped your face with warm hands.

And finally, his lips found yours.

It felt... like home;

Like laying in a cozy bed after a long day of work, like the warm chocolate sauce on a cold scoop of ice-cream, like wearing a fuzzy sweater on a crisp autumn evening, like walking barefoot on the beach at sunset, like taking a cool shower on a blazing summer afternoon, like everything you ever needed.

After being torn apart from the one person who made your life perfect, you were finally back in the soothing confines of his strong arms, resting against his able chest, ready to fall apart; all while the fireworks in the sky mirrored the fireworks in your hearts.

“Mama! Papa!”

You were awoken from this surreal euphoria by the most beautiful squeal you had ever heard. Both your heads turned towards the source of it – a tiny figure running towards you with all her might while all your near and dear ones including the newlyweds watched from a distance, cheering merrily.

“They knew?”, you gasped, sobbing and sniffling from the joyous tears.

“Yeah, pretty much everyone but you knew.”

Luna flew into Levi’s open arms when he bent down to receive her. The three of you merged into one blob of a positively smothering family hug, only pulling away to pepper each other with more kisses. Levi held his two girls close. His sun and moon were now back together in the sky of his life. He looked into Luna’s crescent shaped eyes and whispered,

“Moon beam, Mama’s coming home.”

[perpetual-stories]

How To Fight Writers Block

hello, hello. hope everyone is doing well. as you can all tell, this post will be about how to fight writers block.

it’s really annoying to me when I hear people say “oh you don’t have writers block, you’re just lazy.”

first of all, yes, I am naturally lazy. second of all, how dare you. writing isn’t as easy as many think. granted, all you have to do is write down words on paper, but it’s not always easy to find the right words to express what you are feeling, or what you wish to say.

I have had terrible writer’s block for the last few days and it’s horrible! as a business owner or a small writing store, I have to be ready to write and fulfill my clients’ ideas and orders.

it’s not easy. It takes a heavy toll on my imagination, and digs me a deep pit of blockage, drowning in the lack of originality because of the constant writing and repetition or certain phrases and sentences in different projects.

i am making this post in the hopes to remind myself about over coming the dreaded and sometimes skeptically believed writer’s block.

What is writer’s block?

Yeah, I know. We all know what that is, but let me define it.

is the state of being unable to proceed with writing, and/or the inability to start writing something new

some people believe it to be a real problem, others believe it's “all in your head”

What Causes Writer’s Block?

in the 1970s, clinical psychologists Jerome Singer and Michael Barrios decided to find out

they concluded that there are four broad causes of writer's block:

Excessively harsh self-criticism

Fear of comparison to other writers

Lack of external motivation, like attention and praise

Lack of internal motivation, like the desire to tell one's story

How to overcome writer's block: 20 tips

1. Develop a writing routine:

Author and artist Twyla Tharp once wrote: “Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits.”

it might seem counterintuitive

if you only write when you “feel creative,” you're bound to get stuck in a tar pit of writer's block

The only way to push through is by disciplining yourself to write on a regular schedule. It might be every day, every other day, or just on weekends — but whatever it is, stick to it!

2. Use "imperfect" words:

A writer can spend hours looking for the perfect word or phrase to illustrate a concept

You can avoid this fruitless endeavor by putting, “In other words…” and simply writing what you’re thinking, whether it’s eloquent or not

You can then come back and refine it later by doing a CTRL+F search for “in other words.”

3. Do non-writing activities:

one of the best ways to climb out of a writing funk is to take yourself out of your own work and into someone else’s

Go to an exhibition, to the cinema, to a play, a gig, eat a delicious meal

immerse yourself in great STUFF and get your synapses crackling in a different way

Snippets of conversations, sounds, colors, sensations will creep into the space that once felt empty

4. Freewrite through it:

free-writing involves writing for a pre-set amount of time without pause — and without regard for grammar, spelling, or topic. You just write.

The goal of freewriting is to write without second-guessing yourself — free from doubt, apathy, or self-consciousness, all of which contribute to writer's block. Here’s how:

Find the right surroundings. Go somewhere you won't be disturbed.

Pick your writing utensils. Will you type at your computer, or write with pen and paper? (Tip: if you're prone to hitting the backspace button, you should freewrite the old-fashioned way!)

Settle on a time-limit. Your first time around, set your timer for just 10 minutes to get the feel for it. You can gradually increase this interval as you grow more comfortable with freewriting.

5. Relax on your first draft:

Many writers suffer form perfectionism, which is especially debilitating during a first draft

“Blocks often occur because writers put a lot of pressure on themselves to sound ‘right’ the first time. A good way to loosen up and have fun again in a draft is to give yourself permission to write imperfectly.” — editor Lauren Hughes

perfect is the enemy of good,” so don't agonize about getting it exactly right! You can always go back and edit, maybe even get a second pair of eyes on the manuscript

6. Don’t start at the beginning:

the most intimidating part of writing is the start, when you have a whole empty book to fill with coherent words

instead of starting with the chronological beginning of whatever it is you’re trying to write, dive into middle, or wherever you feel confident

7. Take a shower:

Have you ever noticed that the best ideas tend to arrive while in the shower, or while doing other “mindless” tasks?

research shows that when you’re doing something monotonous (such as showering, walking, or cleaning), your brain goes on autopilot, leaving your unconscious free to wander without logic-driven restrictions

showering is my favourite thing to do if I may add

8. Balance your inner critic:

successful writers have in common is the ability to hear their inner critic, respectfully acknowledge its points, and move forward

You don't need to completely ignore that critical voice, nor should you cower before it

you must establish a respectful, balanced relationship, so you can address what's necessary and skip over what's insecure and irrelevant

9. Switch up your tool:

a change of scenery can really help with writer's block. However, that scenery doesn't have to be your physical location — changing up your writing tool can be just as big a help!

if you’ve been typing on your word processor of choice, try switching to pen and paper. Or if you're just sick of Google Docs, consider using specialized novel writing software.

10. Change your POV:

great advice from editor Lauren Hughes: “When blocked, try to see your story from another perspective ‘in the room’ to help yourself move beyond the block. How might a minor character narrate the scene if they were witnessing it? A ‘fly on the wall’ or another inanimate object?

11. Exercise your creative muscles:

Any skill requires practice if you want to improve, and writing is no different! So if you’re feeling stuck, perhaps it’s time for a strengthening scribble-session to bolster your abilities

12. Map out your story:

If your story has stopped chugging along, help it pick up steam by taking a more structured approach — specifically, by writing an outline

13. Write something else:

Though it's important to try and push through writer's block with what you're actually working on, sometimes it's simply impossible

feel free to push your current piece to the side for now and write something new

14. Work on your characters:

It follows that if your characters are not clearly defined, you’re more likely to run into writer’s block

15. Stop writing for readers:

write for yourself, not your potential readers

this will help you reclaim the joy of being creative and get you back in touch with what matters: the story.

this is something I really need to do. because of my etsy business i don't write for fun anymore, but instead as a business and a deadline. i'm going to have to pull out my old crappy wattled fanfics or write some new ones.

16. Try a more visual process:

when words fail you, forget them and get visual. Create mind maps, drawings, Lego structures — ideally related to your story, but whatever unblocks your mind!

17. Look for the root of it:

writer’s block often comes from a problem deeper than simple “lack of inspiration.” So let's dig deep: why are you really blocked? Ask yourself the following questions:

Do I feel pressure to succeed and/or competition with other writers?

Have I lost sight of what my story is about, or interest in where it's going?

Do I lack confidence in my own abilities, even if I've written plenty before?

Have I not written for so long that I feel intimidated by the mere act?

Am I simply feeling tired and run-down?

once you identify what's wrong, it'll be so much easier to fix.

18. Quit the Internet:

If willpower isn’t your strong suit and your biggest challenge is staying focused, try a site blocker like Freedom or an app like Cold Turkey

19. Let the words find you:

meditate, go for a walk, take that shower

Word Palette is a great app that features a keyboard of random words, allowing you to simply click your way to your next masterpiece.

You can also try AI auto-completers like Talk to Transformer, where you can enter a phrase and let the app “guess what comes next.”

even though they often produce nonsense, it's a great way to help that writer's block.

20. Write like Hemingway:

And if your biggest block is your own self-doubt about your prose, Hemingway offers suggestions to improve your writing as you go

it's a pretty cool app if you ask me.

it highlights your sentences (if need be) and makes suggestions on how to improve them!

well, there you have it! a lengthy post on how to fight writer's block. now i just hope i can combat my own soon.

like, comment and reblog if you find this useful! feel free to reblog in instagram and tag me perpetualstories

Follow me on instagram and tumblr for more writing and grammar tips and more!

[awkwxrdapple]

Fallen Angel (Part 1) - Peter Parker x reader

Request: Hi! I love your writing! I was hoping you could do a peter x reader where the reader gets badly hurt and captured and it takes a long time for the avengers and peter to find her and once they do, she is scared half to death, jumpy, nervous, and stays by Peter's side during pretty much everything. They are living in the avengers tower with everyone and since they are the youngest, Peter is particularly protective of her during her recovery. Thank you!

Word count: 1.6k 

WARNINGS: mentions of anxiety, light torture, injury, trauma (after reading if you think I should include any others please let me know thank you)

Part 1

Simultaneously, you removed your headphones and slammed the textbook shut in front of you. Your assignments were getting tiring. It wasn't that they were hard and you were struggling, it was just that after being part of the Avengers, doing calculus and algebra seemed too easy for you. You could do it easily, but after all that you had done and seen already in your life, you knew your time could be better spent. 

Being the youngest Avenger alongside Peter Parker was exciting. You felt unbelievably honoured to be given the opportunity to be part of a team that did wonderfully amazing things. You had made friends for life, and most especially so with Peter. When you had come to New York you were enrolled into the same school as Peter. Midtown High was a good school and you enjoyed it, it also meant spending more time with Peter even though you both lived in the Avengers Tower now. 

Lying back against your bed you realised you were hungry, you'd been studying for what felt like ages. 

Knowing you had nothing sweet that you wanted to eat in the tower you decided that a quick trip out would let you get what you needed. If you were going to carry on studying you were going to need all the help you could get. 

Grabbing your purse from your dresser, you wandered down the corridor to where Peter's room was. The door was slightly open but you knocked anyway and waited for his reply. 

"Hey, I was just going to go to the store, do you want anything?" 

He, like you had just been, was sitting on his bed with papers strewn around him. When he saw you he gave you a warm smile. Having Peter living with you in the Avengers tower was amazing. Peter really was your best friend and you trusted no one more in the world. 

"I'm ok, but thank you. What are you going for?"

"Chocolate, ice cream, cake, anything." You said. 

"Homework giving you a hard time too?"

"Is it that obvious?" You laughed before placing your hand on the door handle again. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Bye Y/N."

Taking the elevator it didn't take too long to get to the ground floor and out into the centre of New York. You knew there was a little grocery store a few blocks over that made homemade chocolate cake. 

Unknowing to you, a set of eyes were watching you leave the tower, cross the street and make your way down the sidewalk. It was busy, and you were tired. Your instincts were slower and less aware of your surroundings. The one set of eyes soon became two, then three, then four. You were blissfully unaware of the imminent danger you were about to find yourself in. 

Taking a swift left at the next building you passed, your face collided with a hard arm and sent you stumbling backwards. Jolted out of your oblivious state, you raised your guard and lunged to land a punch square into your attackers chest. They struck back, using their larger build to throw their weight towards you forcing you to the ground. The air was knocked out of your lungs. 

Kicking back up from underneath them you tried to force their body off you, but they were heavy, and armed. You could feel a gun strapped to their hip pressing into yours. Rapid footsteps were heard around you as more people wearing a similar black combat suit to your assailant emerged and began to hold you down. You continued to fight in any way you could but soon all your limbs were rendered useless. 

"You're coming with us. Don't try to resist." A low male voice spoke into your ear as a cloth was placed over your face, a strong smell evaded your nostrils and then you relaxed back into the concrete. 

+ + +

Upon waking, you found yourself cold, aching and stiff. Your head hung towards your chest and a dull throb emanated from your forehead and rang throughout your skull. Your hands were tied behind you back and placed behind a chair, with your legs also tied to the chair legs completely restricting all of your movement. 

Fear and panic flooded through you and your chest became horrifically tight. The room around you was incredibly dim, with the only light coming from a single dull light bulb above your head. Feeling your breathing become hastened you remembered your training.

Don't panic. Be calm. Assess the situation.

The situation looked bleak. There were no sounds to be heard so you couldn't even begin to work out where you were being held. You remembered the last memory of being free, but couldn't place the people from anyone or thing you had seen before. 

You weren't kept guessing for long as a door creaked open to your left and two figures entered the room. The door was roughly closed behind them and a click of the lock was distinctly heard. You nervously swallowed and waited for one of them to speak. 

"We hope you aren't too badly hurt, Y/N." One spoke and made his way over to you. His voice was calm, and in any other situation you would have mistaken him for a nice man. 

"How do you know my name?" You ignored what he had actually just said to you. It was far more disturbing that your first name was known to these people. 

"That doesn't matter. We may know a few things about you, but you know much more than we do about things important to us."

"And those would be?"

The other man laughed coldly at your attempt to sound confident. 

"Your friends." The first man now knelt down a meter away from where you were sat. 

"My friends?"

"The Avengers."

To this you had nothing to say. You instantly felt guilt at being caught in this way, no other member of the team would be trapped like this. It made you ashamed. These people needed you for whatever heinous reason they had. 

"We understand you know a great deal about the runnings of that Tower, and of the inner workings of the group itself." The man continued. "We think you would be very useful to us."

"I won't tell you anything."

This brought a sigh from him. It was almost sarcastic. 

"We thought you would say that." 

He stood up and took a few steps backwards, allowing the other man to walk into your focus. 

"Maybe this will change your mind."

The first strike to your face stung. The next hurt. The third, numb. The intensity of the punch quickly removed all feeling. You could taste your own blood as your lip was cut upon the second blow. 

"It… it won't change my mind." You spluttered. Tears welled up in your eyes but you were not going to give them the satisfaction. You would never betray your friends, your family. 

"We shall see."

+  +  +

"Has anyone seen Y/N?" 

Peter was worried. You had left the tower four hours ago, and still had yet to return. 

"No I haven't, why?" Nat answered him as she wandered into the shared living room and kitchen space. 

Peter told her that you'd told him you were quickly going to the store and that you weren't back. 

"I'm sure she will come back soon. Maybe she ran into a friend?" Steve offered as he sat holding a mug of black coffee. 

"Yeah… you're right." Peter tried not to think about it too much. But after an hour or so that he hadn't heard you walk down the corridor, he went to check your room to find it empty. And he couldn't find you anywhere in the tower. 

Wanda gave Peter a small smile. She had seen how close you two had become. It was only natural that Peter was concerned. 

"If she isn't back tomorrow morning, we shall then worry, yeah kid?" Tony walked behind Peter and placed a brief hand on his shoulder. 

"Ok…"

The next morning resulted in Peter's worry increasing exponentially. He had sent you multiple texts and phoned you many times to receive no response. Usually you would let him know if you were staying with a friend. The whole situation seemed off. 

"Still no sign of Y/N?" Tony asked as Peter wandered through the kitchen on his way to school. 

"No. I am worried." 

Tony considered Peter for a second. 

"Come with me, I might be able to find her." Tony stated and headed for the elevator. "School is important, but it can wait."

Walking into one of Tony's labs, Peter realised he hadn't been into this one before. Tony tapped on a screen and brought up a map of New York on one of the monitors. 

"Mr Stark, what is this?"

"I regret not telling you sooner but I have tapped yours and Y/N's phones. So even when it's off, it can be tracked."

"You're going to track her phone?"

"I think that's what I just said." Tony raised his eyebrows. "Let's see if she still has it with her." He could see how upsetting this was to Peter. He began to wonder if you two were just friends, or something more.

After putting more information into the computer a yellow dot appeared on the map, quite far from the Tower, but still within the city. 

"Is that her?" Peter asked urgently. 

"It should be. I don't like the fact she's in a decommissioned warehouse though."

Peter suddenly felt a sudden urge to drop everything and run to you. 

"According to this, the signal hasn't moved in 12 hours." Tony turned round to face Peter. 

Peter's jaw was tight. Tony could tell he was ready to fight. 

If you would like to be in the tag list for part 2 or any of my other Peter Parker imagines please let me know! 

"Alright kid, suit up."

PART 2

Tag list: @unmistakablyunknown

Masterlist

[jaws-and-canines]

AU: The Casino

A Count The Days AU where Angelo is the one to recapture Haskell. This is a scene that at the moment doesn’t really fit anywhere but I’ve always wanted to write it, so here we are. Content warning for being followed, choking and death mentions.

---

I am, as most of the Rangers are, trained to spot if we’re being tailed. And I am. I definitely am. I spotted the same black coat three, four times, I doubled back, spotted it again. It’s pouring outside, I’m soaked, my hair slick to my skull and plastered to my face, my beard damp and my suit wet through. Most people have ducked into the casino as well, shaking off umbrellas, putting down hoods and trying to warm up so it’s a good place to hide and try to mark out whoever’s following me.

In through the revolving doors comes the man in the black leather coat again. Dog tags dangling down his front, hip holster, black hoodie with the hood up, fingerless gloves, a metal dual-filter mask loosely around his neck. I pause, frown, and face one of the slot machines by the door, looking at his reflection in the glossy front of it. He takes down his hood and with a clench of my chest, I recognise the face. Angelo. Damp grey hair, chewing bubblegum. He blows a bubble and bursts it, still looking around. I try to walk down the center of the atrium, in the path either side of the blackjack tables each on a raised dias. It’s a good place to lose him because I’m not very tall and it’ll be hard to see me over the tables.

He doesn’t seem to lose me. I speed up, take a left between two tables and push my way into the crowd milling by the bar. The bar is one of the new ones, staffed by a shiny red robot that someone’s put a bow tie on, and I duck behind one of the serving robots and glance behind me. There he is, standing there, arms at his sides, ready to pounce. Just walking towards me.

“Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck,” I breathe, and turn out of the bar and into a row of brightly flashing and loudly chiming slot machines again. I glance behind me as I speed up, almost running now, in time to see Angelo clear the bar and stride towards me. Even if I ran at this point, he could run faster. His face abruptly changes to cheerful and welcoming. “Hey man, I haven’t seen you in a while!” he says with a smile, holding his arms wide. 

“I don’t know you,” I say hurriedly, and keep trying to walk. It takes a few strides for him to catch up with me and he draws me into a hug. “Funny, huh? I haven’t seen you in so long, I’m so glad to see you.” 

I find myself pressed against him, held in his iron grip. “Angelo, let me go, Angelo, I’ll scream,” I hiss. “I’ll scream.”

“And if you do that I’ll throw you down on your stomach and arrest you like that. Trust me, this is nicer.” He slips his hand off my shoulder. “Please don’t fight me, just relax,” he says.

“Angelo, what are you doing? Stop!” I hiss. He slips his free hand to my neck and holds me tight to his chest so my head is buried in his coat with the other. "I don't have a sedative with me," he says. "This is going to be unpleasant but I promise I won't kill you."

Before I can question him on that, he presses his fingers against either side of my throat. I gasp, feeling the heat rise straight to my face, feeling my head start to pound and my knees go weak. I collapse onto him and he holds me up, still hugging me tightly. I smack my fists weakly against his back as the pounding in my head just gets worse and worse and worse. My weak struggles have no effect. He just holds me in a hug with one hand and carries on choking me with the other and he's far too strong for me to break free. Especially not now. "I'm sorry," he says quietly, rubbing me between my shoulders as I feel myself start to slip out of the world. "I'm really sorry." I tremble a little, my vision going dark, my ears ringing, and then I'm gone.

I wake up with a thumping headache, slumped on Angelo's shoulder. I groan, and blink away the dark spots in my eyes. I try to sit up and find that my hands are cuffed to the railings I'm leaning against. Angelo just rubs my shoulder as I try to pull free, growling. I glance behind me and realise we're up on a gantry above the casino floor and it's milling with Department soldiers up here. Angelo points to a sniper across the way from us. "See," he says. "They wanted to just shoot you from up here. Hope you'd survive, no big loss if you didn't. But I said no. I'm not going to let them hurt you."

I look at him and shake my head. "What the fuck do you think will happen to me now?" I lick my lips. "What do you think, Angelo? They'll hang me, that's what. Either that or I'll spend the rest of my miserable days in chains. Because of you."

He looks at me blankly. Like he doesn't understand my anguish. He doesn’t, that's the truth. He can't. "I tried to help," he says, pained. "I saved your life, was that not the right thing?"

I say nothing.

[axwalker]

If The World Was Ending: Even if he was wicked

Synopsis: When Bianca leaves her son without looking back, Drake has to live on the streets until he finds a home with Angelica Ortiz--Lexie’s grandmother and a foster mom. With the Ortiz, Drake finds a family and falls madly in love, until a tragic night changes everything, threatening the life Drake fought so hard to get.

To catch up (HERE)

Pairing: Drake Walker x Lexie O’Brien (MC) The Royal Romance.

A/N: This will be a very angsty, full of drama, small town romance.

Words: 4,120

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Pixelberry, except for Lexie’s grandmother and mother.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Child neglect, abandonment, sexual assault, prison and a very entitled, “evil” Liam

Due to the several trigger warnings and some of the subjects I’ll be dealing with, I will only tag people who actively asked for it. If you want to be tagged in the following chapters --or untagged, please leave a comment. 

Drake

2008

When I was 12 years old, my mother took off with my little sister leaving me in Cordonia with my father's best friend. I reminded her too much of my father, too much of a life she would do anything to forget. That "anything" included abandoning her oldest son. I'd like to say I was surprised, but the truth is I wasn't. Bianca Walker had never been a motherly woman. The only reason she had taken Savannah with her was that my Aunt Leona adored her. I was sure my mother would dump my little sister on her and never look back. I hoped that was the case, Leona despised me, but she was great to Savannah. 

A short time after that, Bastien passed away and my mother was nowhere to be found. That's when I started to go from one home to another. The first year and a half were the hardest ones. I lived with four different families, each one worse than the last. First, the Lockes, where the family barely talked to me. Then, the Ruiz that made me take cold showers and sleep on the floor. The Godwins where the “mother” used the check the state gave her to buy alcohol instead of groceries. And finally the worse, the Fields. They seemed nice enough when I met them. Not kind but polite. The first few weeks everything seemed normal. Then one day, I got in trouble at school, and Mr. Fields --the pastor of his community, beat me up to “teach me some manners.” His punishments became a usual thing after that. 

Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore, so I escaped. Better to be on my own than believe some family was going to love or adopt me. Obviously, there was something very wrong with me. My own mother had left me, and I had never found my place anywhere else. 

I lived on the streets for 6 months. I did all kinds of jobs. Not a lot of them were legal but there were few opportunities for a 14-year-old runaway kid. The most money I got was when I stole car parts that I got to resell to a gang called the Mercy Park Crew. The boss, Mr. Kaneko was fair and paid well enough. I could’ve kept living by myself if something hadn’t got terribly wrong at my last job. One of the boys from a rival gang decided to teach me a lesson and I ended up in the hospital with a concussion. A nurse called social services so here I am in a car with another social worker on the way for another foster home. It doesn’t matter, I know it won’t last anyway. 

When you’ve been in the system as long as I had, you learned to look for certain warning signs when placed in a new home. Drugs, ulterior motives, threatening fathers, drinking mothers. After an hour, we drove through a town looking like something straight out of a movie. Valtoria. I’d heard of it before. The family my dad had been protecting when he died lived there. The house we pulled up to, was a large two-story construction with dark brown siding and an immaculate green lawn. 

Joelle, my new caseworker had popped up out of nowhere in the hospital and told me I was coming with her. Just like that. From the way Joelle talked about the new place, I figured it was some sort of transitional home for rejects like me. Too old to get adopted and too troubled for anyone to voluntarily take on. I didn’t ask her anything else because I knew I didn’t have a fucking choice. Besides, I knew words don’t mean anything. I was a kid in the system. I went where they took me. Sometimes, I hated it. Sometimes, I really hated it. This time was different. In more ways than one. Usually, I was dropped off by my caseworker, and the people receiving me were about as excited as they were about junk mail. No one has ever come out to greet me before. As long as the woman at the door wasn’t sizing me up for a skin suit, it didn’t matter.

The social worker got out of the car as I grabbed the trash bag that I used to carry my shit around. She rang the bell, and a small, older woman opened the door. Joelle had told me in the car that the woman fostered several boys and I knew what that meant. She wanted the money the government gave her for keeping us. Well, I wasn’t going to make it easy for her. If she wanted to cash a check at the end of the month it was going to cost her. I’d make sure of it. 

I had seen it all, but I still was caught by surprise when the tiny woman opened her arms at me and gave me a one-sided hug. A fucking hug. 

“I’m very happy to meet you, mijo,” she said in a strong accent. “My name is Angelica Ortiz but everyone here calls me Abuela. Grandma in Spanish.” 

The woman was deluded if she thought I’d call her grandma. She was obviously trying to impress the social worker with her fake kindness, hugs, and stupid names. I wasn’t going to be fooled that easily. 

I didn’t even answer her as we stepped into the house. Another woman, a younger version of the one staring at me was waiting for us in the living room. 

“Hi, you must be Drake. I’m Elena. Welcome.” She gave me a smile. Fake, I was sure but at least she hadn't tried to hug me. The older woman was talking to Joelle about me. Probably about my problems with authority, anger issues, and lack of communication skills. I knew my file by heart. 

I barely nodded at Elena, and the three women exchanged a look. “Let me take you to your room, Drake. You’ll be sharing it with Maxwell. He’s doing his homework with my daughter in our house across the street. You’ll get to meet all the boys and my daughter Lexie tonight.” 

She walked me to a room on the second floor of the house. It seemed clean and comfortable. Another ploy for the social worker. Two bunker beds with blue blankets and a wooden desk full of books were the biggest pieces of furniture. The left side of the room was covered in posters of who I figured were famous boy bands. There were a few of David Beckham, the only guy I recognized. Other than that there were clothes everywhere. That Maxwell dude was a fucking slob. Great. 

“I told Max to take down some posters so you can decorate half of the room to your liking; This is your room as much as it is his. He's usually much more organized than this." I notice she speaks with a sort of fondness. "It was picture day for the school yearbook and he took hours getting ready. ” 

I shrugged. I wasn’t planning to stay long anyway. I couldn’t care less if that Max kid left his posters on the walls or not. 

She glanced at my garbage bag. “Are those your clothes, mijo?” 

I scowled at her. I knew what mijo meant and I was nobody’s son. “My name is Drake.” 

She smiled. “Of course, Drake. So, are they?”

I didn’t bother with an answer. A nod was enough. 

“I cleared you this part of the closet, so you can keep them there. When you’re ready come downstairs; my mom and I will show you the rest of the house. The boys are out but we’ll all diner together tonight. Do you like Mexican food?”

I shrugged.

The woman smiled. “Shrugging is not an answer, mij- Drake. Either you like it, you don’t, or you haven’t tasted it in which case I can tell you, you’re missing out. Especially when mami cooks.” She winked at me as if we were friends or something. The woman was insane. “So, what is it, Drake?”

I’d never had it before, but she wasn’t going to tell me how to answer a damn question. “I hate it.” 

She frowned --clearly disappointed, and I almost felt bad for her. Almost. “I’m very sorry to hear that. We already made Enchiladas for tonight and we don’t waste food. You can tell us your favorite dish though so we can make it for you.”

I shrugged again. Generally, that's when the person talking to me loses her patience but Elena Ortiz only smiled at me again. “Think about it. Every Sunday night, we pick someone’s favorite and cook it. It’s really fun. Next Sunday will be your first here, so you get to pick. Mami is a great cook and she can make anything from a mean chocolate cake to the best cheese pizza. See you downstairs, honey.” 

Great. I’ve only been in this house for a few minutes, and I already hated it. The only thing worse than a home where you were beaten up as a welcome was a home where people pretended to care. My third foster home had been like that. Ms. Godwin had been all kind and nice at first. I almost felt like she cared about us. A week later, she had gotten drunk. For two days, neither I or the two girls she fostered had anything to eat because she hadn’t bought any groceries. I had to steal a twenty euro bill from her purse to buy food. She got angry and called the social worker who had come for me and taken me to the Fields. The worst home I ever lived in. 

I wasn’t going to go downstairs but I decided that if I wanted a chance to escape it was better if I knew the house. Before I could explore a little, I heard my name from what I assumed was the kitchen. 

Elena was crouching in front of the oven. “Drake has such sad eyes, mami. He’s only 14.” 

The woman that had asked me to call her abuela, answered as she chopped an onion. “This boy has been living in the streets for more than a year. Do you realize it? Pobre angelito. So young and he has already seen more horrors than most people see in a lifetime.” 

“Joelle told me that he had escaped from his last foster home.”

The older woman scoffed. “Home? If that’s how you call people that foster kids only for the money, they get in exchange. I don’t want to imagine why he fled those places." She turned to her daughter who had finished whatever she was doing in the oven and was drinking a bottle of water. "Stop watching me work, Elena and help me with diner, por Dios.”

Why was she pretending she didn’t care about the money? It was obvious. No one did anything for free. There was always a catch. 

“Dónde está mi venadito?”

“Lexie and Max are at our house doing homework, mami. Be careful, though, if Lexie hears you calling her “your little deer” she’ll kill you. The boys called her Bambi for months after they heard you the last time.”

“Nonsense. She’s my venadito and that’s that. You two will come to eat here tonight. I want Drake to meet everyone.”

Elena rolled her eyes but patted her mom on the back. “Yes mami. Lexie is dying to meet him, she and Max made a chocolate cake for him. I’ll call her in a minute. Where are the boys by the way?” 

“Bertie is trying to teach Leo how to drive. Poor boy, I hope he makes it alive.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure Leo will be careful. Bertrand will be fine.”

“Oh, it’s not Bertie I’m worried about, it’s Leo. Bartie has no patience with him.” 

I left the kitchen before they said anything else. I was sure I was going to hate this stupid place. I was angry. More than angry. Furious. After a year of successfully running away, I was back in the damn system. Back in yet another home where people seemed to care about me in front of the social worker just to ignore me –or worse, once she left. I had to admit that my new foster “moms” played their part better than most. The old one had hugged me and the other one had given me a smile that seemed real. But I knew better. No one really cared for me. No one gave a shit where I slept, what I ate, or if I was ill or scared. Not that I was ever scared. I had seen everything. 

The front door was locked so I went to the backyard. I saw a small wooden house on top of one of the trees. I decided it was a good place to hide and be myself. 

I sat there for a few moments when I heard someone climbing the tree. 

“Hi!”

I looked up and saw a girl a couple of years younger than me. She had the biggest pair of brown eyes I’ve ever seen and was smiling at me as if I was her best friend. 

“I’m Lexie! I live across the street. I’m Angelica’s granddaughter. You’re Drake, right?” I didn’t think it was possible to smile more but the girl proved me wrong when her grin widened. I simply nodded. 

“Welcome! I know that it must be hard for you to feel at home because you like just arrived but you’ll love it here. I promise. Valtoria is great. We have lakes and the mountains and when it’s warm enough we can go camping all night. You’ll love the house too. I mean between you and me the boys are kind of a pain in the ass but they’re pretty great when they want to. Or when they're not teasing me. Especially Leo and Maxie. Bertrand is a know-it-all. He thinks because he’s sixteen he knows everything." She rolled her eyes clearly offended by the idea that someone could know more than her. "Abuela, that how we all call her because she’s Mexican and would murder us if we call her grandma, is amazing. I mean don’t get me wrong, she's super strict, and as my mom says the woman is never wrong but she’s the best person I know.” 

I blinked. I didn’t know a person could talk that much without taking a single breath. 

“Do you camp?” She asked as she folded her legs in front of her.

I did before. Before my dad died and my whole life blew up in a million pieces. Not that I would explain any of that to the chatty girl, so I just nodded again. 

“Great! It’s getting warmer and Leo wants to go to a new camping site next weekend. Don’t tell him I said this but he’s like the worst camper ever. I have to double-check everything he does but I don’t tell him anymore because my mom said it wasn’t nice.” 

I wondered how could someone carry a whole conversation by herself. I hadn’t pronounced a single word since the girl had shown up. 

“I want to be your friend but I can see we’re about to have our first fight.” She told me in a teasing tone. “You’re wearing a Liverpool t-shirt. We worship Barcelona in this house. Well, Abuela, Leo and I do. The others couldn’t care less about soccer.” 

I looked at the shirt she was wearing. It read "If they don't have soccer in heaven, I'm not going." 

She noticed I was looking at her shirt and beamed. "Abue said my shirt was disrespectful to God but mom thought that was dumb and bought it for me anyway." 

"Do you like soccer?" I finally asked. 

“Like it? I love it! Did abuela saw your shirt? She hates European teams. She thinks Tigres is the best.”

“Tirgues?”

She laughed, and the sound of it did something weird to my stomach. “Tigres. It’s a Mexican team. She goes crazy when they play.”

“What team you like?”

“Barcelona, obviously.”

“Liverpool made it to the finals of the last Champion’s league.” I pointed out. 

She shrugged. “They lost so it doesn’t count. Do you play?”

“Sometimes.” I tried not to show how much I loved it. It was something else my dad and I shared that had stopped when he died. 

“I play too. How old are you?”

“Fourteen.”

“I'm twelve. Well, almost thirteen, my birthday is in May.”

I frowned. “It’s November.” 

“I know. I’m almost there.” She beamed. "I'm almost closer to thirteen than twelve anyway." 

“Do you always talk this much?”

She laughed and my belly did that weird thing again. “My mom says I was a parrot in another life. I talk more when I’m nervous.”

“You're nervous?” I liked that I could make her nervous but I didn't know why. 

She blushed and I liked it too. “A little. What happened to your eye?” 

“I got into a fight.”

“Wow. You can’t do that here. Leo is always getting into fights and abuela has to ground him.”

She sure mentioned that Leo guy a lot. “Is Leo your boyfriend?”

“Gross!! Leo’s is like my brother. He, Bertie, and Max live with abuela. We’re a family. You’re family too.”

Fuck that. No matter if the girl was sort of cute. I didn’t have a family. “No, I’m not. I’m not staying.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I don’t belong here.”

“Yes, you do; I swear. Plus, I need someone to coach me, so I can get into the school team next year. Leo promised he would, but he never has time.” 

“I suck.”

She shook her head and smiled at me again. “Somehow I don’t think you do.” Then she gave me a conspiratorial look as she pulled out something from her jacket pocket. "You can't tell my mom about this but I took this from her room." It was a white iPod. After scrolling a little through the screen she settled on The Beach Boys. She couldn't possibly know it but they were my dad's favorites. She passed me an earbud and we didn’t talk after that. We just sat together for a while hearing music until we heard our names being called. 

“That’s abuela. We should go. She hates to wait. Plus, I'm starving and we're having enchiladas. You'll love them.” 

Lexie ran to her house to --as she put it-- 'hide the evidence.' I went back to her grandma's house and stepped into the kitchen. 

“Drake, pass me the salt, mijo. It’s next to you on the counter,” Angelica said as she kept on turning the sauce she was making. “You like enchiladas?” 

What was with all these women asking me what I liked to eat? I leaned against the black counter while she opened the lid of another steaming pot on the stove, and stirred its contents with a long wooden spoon. I shrugged. I didn’t know if I liked it. But it smelled better than anything I ever tasted, so it couldn’t be all that bad. My mouth started watering, and my stomach growled. Come to think of it, it had been a while since I’d last eaten.

“You know, I know you feel weird now. And you don’t like to talk a lot. Soon, you’ll learn that this is a safe place. We aren’t gonna judge a single word that comes out of your mouth or any of them that don’t.” 

I suddenly felt like I owed her a verbal response in exchange for her kindness. Fake or not. Besides, I just knew the chatty girl I’ve just met wouldn’t be happy if I was rude to her grandmother. “Yes, ma’am.”

She smiled at my verbal response. “But just so you know. We do have a few rules in this house.” 

Here it comes. The catch. Angelica put the lid back on the pot and leaned over the counter on her elbows. “You just need to go to school, find a hobby or sport you like, don't swear, respect the curfew and keep your room clean. Every child in this house has chores but it’s too soon to figure out yours. For now, you only have to get to know us.” Her eyes crinkled as she smiled at me. At that moment the timer of the oven rang and Angelica took a huge dish out of it. She covered it with more steamy, tomato sauce, sour cream, and grated cheese and put it back in the oven. At least, I might get some good food while I figured what I was going to do next. Because no matter how nice and kind everybody acted, I was not going back to school. I used to be good at it without much effort; I had friends and a soccer team. But I had missed a lot in the last two years. I felt dumb and stupid. 

Suddenly, the front door slammed open. “Cuidado muchachos! Be careful with that door against the wall, or you’re going be spackling and repainting this entire house,” Angelica yelled out. Three teenage boys filed into the house, followed by just as many apologies. 

“Sorry.” “Oops.” “It was Max’s fault.” “

“These are Maxwell, Leo and Bertie,” Angelica introduced. “Boys, this is Drake.” 

“Hi, man!” The blond one said with a shit-eating grin. “Abuela, Lena, you guys didn’t tell me you were buying a Liverpool fan.” 

“Adoption is not a purchase of people, Leo” the oldest one --Bertrand, corrected. 

“Yeah, cause if it was, then you got Leo from the clearance rack,” the youngest one joked, checking his reflection in the hallway mirror, smoothing back an out-of-place dark hair. “I hope you kept your receipt.” 

“Fuck, off,” the blond one replied with a middle finger. 

“Watch it, Leo,” Angelica warned. “Boys.” 

Max kissed her on the cheek. “Sorry, abue.” She forgave him with a smile, then swatted at his hand with her spoon when he dipped his finger into the pot. 

“I’m glad you’re here, bro” Leo said. I stood, and he gave me a fist bump without touching my hand. 

“Me too! And we’re going to be roomies,” the kid named Max said. He grabbed a stack of plates from the counter. I followed him over to the long dining room table and helped set the table for seven people.

2020

I lost count of how many days I’ve been in the hole. It wasn’t my first time in here and it sure as hell it wouldn’t be the last. It was always the same routine. Days and nights blended into one making it impossible to know what day it was or how much time I had been in here. 

I have been in jail for six excrutiating years. I had known from the day I heard the sentencing that the only way I was going to survive was if I didn’t think about her. It was the hardest thing I had to do but after a while, my routine was running smoothly and when my head hit the pillow at night, I was too fucking exhausted. She haunted my dreams and my nightmares, but I didn’t think of her beyond that. Except for the hole. Locked up there, cold, hungry, and utterly alone her face, my memories of her were the only thing that helped me go on. 

I replayed in my head our first encounter, our first kiss, our first time. I obsessed about her full lips, her expressive brown eyes, her gorgeous smile. I could spend hours picturing every single corner of her soft delicate curves. Sometimes, I wondered if --maybe, I didn’t start fights in the hope of being sent to the hole where I could spend my time fantasizing about her. It was pure torture, but I couldn’t help myself. The memories I had of her, of us and our short time together were the only light in my otherwise bleak life. 

She still wrote me every week but I hadn’t open any single one of her letters. I didn’t want to know if she was moving on with her life or worst if she was waiting for me. Because that was what Lexie didn’t understand. Even if nothing happened and I was released in one year, I would never be that boy again. The Drake Walker she had known and loved was dead and she wasn’t going to like the man that had been left in his place. I was damn sure about that. 

Tagging:

@mskaneko

@burnsoslow

@kingliam2019

@kat-tia801

@petiteboheme

@tinkie1973

@twinkle-320

@thegreentwin

@forallthatitsworth

@marshmallowsandfire

@marshmallowsaremyfavorite

@princessleac1

@lilacsandwhiskey

@lovingchoices14​

@lovingchoices14​

@nomadics-stuff​

[silentfcknhill]

FAVORITE SHOWS IN POSTERS

Well, we’re back for another installment of this tagged meme, this time for TV shows! I also stole this from/was indirectly tagged by @jcmorrigan. My taste in shows also differs a bit from my taste in movies, as I tend to like a lot of comedy shows with not as many horror ones. I’m not into shows as much as movies overall, but there are some that I am very passionate about so I picked twenty again. So, here we go for part 2, in order:

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend Of Korra (2005-2014)

I'm including these as one show since they take place in the same universe and tell a continuation of the same overall plot. Altogether this is probably the best piece of media to ever exist, including movies. It has so many great characters and villains especially and some of the most epic sequences, charming humor and heartwarming moments ever. I've never met a person who didn't like these shows, even people who normally don't like cartoons. My dad, who is biased against animation? He loved it. My mother? She loved it, watched it with her multiple times. My grandmother? Loved it. My ex-boyfriend? Loved it. My best friend? Loved it. I dare anyone not to, and I'm so glad it's making a resurgence since it's on Netflix for a new generation to enjoy.

2. Black Butler (2008-2014)

I never was big into anime growing up and only really started watching anime when I was like 16 and above, but this is one of the exceptions because holy shit is it ever dark and epic. I'm not sure I'd really recommend it for kids, it's more of a teens and young adults kind of anime and that's probably why it's so good, because it isn't afraid to explore dark and mature topics and do it with all of the intensity and gravitas required to do said topics justice. It has lots of great characters, and the story of demons who make deals with children who have a dark side is fun to watch play out.

3. Seinfeld (1989-1998)

My dad was a huge fan of this show so I watched it growing up since I was a toddler and it became a classic for me. I've watched thw hole show through at least 8 times, and I'll never stop because it never gets old or boring. It's also my only comfort show when I'm having a panic attack because of one time a few years ago when I was having a drug-induced psychosis episode and watching it calmed me down, so now it's like the opposite of a trigger and whenever I'm having an episode or something I watch it to bring me back to reality. For that reason it's more than a show to me, it's a medical treatment and I'm forever grateful to it.

4. The Good Place (2016-2020)

The big four shows made my Michael Schur all made it on this post (The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Office and Parks And Recreation), either in the main list of the honorable mentions, but this is my personal favorite of the four. It's so funny, quirky, relatable and basically tailor-made to suit my interests. Not only is it an entertaining and wholesome show, but I think watching it helped me come to terms with a lot of things like mortality, ethics, philosophy, religion and my relationships with other people. It gets  alot of different viewpoints across and if you're a very analytical and philosophical person like me you'll probably enjoy seeing it all play out. Not to mention, every single character is 'favorite character' material. It's rare you find a show with no filler characters in the main cast, but I genuinely can't choose who is best.

5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-?)

Another of Michael Schur's shows, this one is just barely under The Good Place and to be honest it was tough to pick my favorite between the two because they're both equally funny. I know it's kind of controversial right now because of the whole law enforcement thing, but I actually think they do a good job of handling social issues in the show and remaining respectful of real-life systemic problems. As for the characters, this is another one of those shows where every single character is gold and I think that tends to be a trend among Schur's shows in general. He produces damn good comedy, and damn good characters. I can't wait to see what they bring next.

6. Rick And Morty (2013-?)

This is unfortunately one of those cases of 'great show, horrible fandom' and for that reason I don't get involved in the fandom even though I love the show. It's a shame because it really is a great show, so funny and, again, such good characters. I think it's a lot more accessible than the fandom likes to claim, so I'm hoping more people will give it a chance and not get put off by the intellectual elitism of the fandom because it does have some of the most entertaining and batshit crazy episodes ever, poking fun of some of the staples of science fiction in media while also poking fun of itself the whole time. Unlike the fandom, the show doesn't take itself seriously and that's enjoyable nowadays.

7. Orange Is The New Black (2013-2019)

While this show is a comedy, it is also a lot of other things and it's probably made me ugly-cry just as many times as it's made me laugh. Well, maybe not as often, but those few scenes (if you've watched the show then you know the ones I'm talking about) made me hysterically sob hard enough to be worth like fifty minor sads. But I didn't even mind because the show is just that good, and it makes you /feel/ something in a real way. Probably because of just how real it gets in terms of telling stories that happen all the time in the real world, sometimes with inevitably tragic endings. But these things do happen every day, and it's important to shine a light on that. It's not just representation for LGBTQ+ but also for POC, the neurodiverse, the poor, and many more. Give it a watch to broaden your perspective!

8. Big Mouth (2017-?)

This is probably the grossest show I've ever seen but by god is it ever funny. Maybe it's because I have an immature sense of humor or something, but I love this show. It definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea and I don't recommend you watch this show with anyone else around because it will get awkward. I think part of its appeal to me is that everyone I talk to who likes it considers it so relatable to their lives growing up but for someone like me who grew up on the autism and asexual spectrum and who was physically an early-bloomer by years, nothing about this show is relatable to me in any way so it makes it all the more crazy and bizarre watching how the people around me must have experienced things. Did y'all really have these experiences with puberty in middle school???

9. Dexter (2006-2013)

I recently heard that this show is coming back for a reboot soon and I'm so excited because this is my absolute favorite drama/thriller show, as evidenced by the fact that it's the highest one on the list so far that isn't a comedy. I love the idea of having a protagonist who is sort of a villain (or at least morally dubious), and the idea of a serial killer who only kills bad people is particularly satisfying for some reason. Maybe because he's the vigilante we all deserve and want in this unjust and evil world of modern times? Idk but the very premise of this show set it up for big things and aside from the ending I think it delivered consistently.

10. Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)

This show took us on some journeys, and you can't deny that. Sure, maybe it didn't always finish what it started and didn't always end in the most satisfying way, but part of its charm is that you didn't care because the experience was just so much fun. They took characters and stories that have been told to death and somehow managed to put a unique and unexpected twist on them, and that alone is admirable. Good twists, good villains, and pretty much every cliffhanger known to man will keep you hooked on binge-watching every episode.

11. RuPaul's Drag Race (2009-?)

A bit different than the other entries on my list in that it's not fiction but a reality competition show, but I couldn't leave Drag Race out because it's just so fucking iconic and perfect. Even when you disagree with the judges or can't stand a certain contestant you'll still be having a good time. It's got the personalities you love to love, the ones you love to hate, and the comedy that's completely meme-able. I mean just how much has this show contributed to pop culture and the internet? More than most of us, henny. I've watched every single season, even the international ones and all of the spinoffs. This show will probably be on for another thirty years when Ru is throwing shade from a hospital bed and I'll still be watching.

12. House (2004-2012)

Some people hate on this show, and I don't get it. I love House. Yes, he's an ass. That's the point. He's supposed to be unlikeable, and that's why I like him. Maybe because I always love the rude, sarcastic, misanthropic jerkass-genius characters for some reason. And I also love procedural shows, so it's a win-win. I also work in the healthcare field so it appeals to me for that reason too, because obviously the whole premise is outlandish which is what makes it funny. Of course it's not realistic for a hospital, so just enjoy the absurdity and don't get too hung up on the details of medical accuracy and professional ethics and you'll be fine.

13. The Office (2005-2013)

The third of Michael Schur's show and the last one that made the main list (sorry Parks And Rec, I love you too but there was just so many good shows to choose from and I saw you last so the nostalgia isn't as strong!) I don't think I need to hype this show up any, it's already a classic and you can't even turn around online without getting hit in the face by a dozen Office memes. You'll have to pry this show and it's relatable characters (especially Michael Scott) from my cold, dead hands.

14. All Hail King Julien/The Penguins Of Madagascar (2008-2017)

Like Avatar/Korra, I also consider this as one show for the sake of this list because it also takes place in the same universe (Madagascar, specifically) and I just couldn't choose one over the other because they're both so perfect. They're funny and I love all the characters (it cut out the weaker links of the Madagascar film series and just focuses on expanding the standout side-characters like King Julien and the penguins). It also delved into some lore, particularly the first show, and even though I didn't also agree with the directions it took (you may have seen me get salty about the ending because I cared too much), I can't deny how much I love it.

15. Bones (2005-2017)

One of the other scarce non-comedy shows on this list, it still has it's funny moments. It's also, like House, another procedural show that involves some medical stuff, but this time on a more scientific and forensic level which is even more interesting. It's nice to see a lead female with Asperger's, too. There's a lot of cop/law enforcement shows where they try to solve crimes, but this one is the best, and I'm saying that as a fan of CSI as well. Don't fight me on this, I'm right. Oh yes, it's corny, it's campy, it's cheesy, but I love every minute of it. Don't watch if you have a weak stomach though.

16. The Simpsons (1989-?)

We all grew up with this show, don't lie. It's been around longer than most people on tumblr have even been alive. Should it have ended seasons ago? Hell yes. But that doesn't take away what the first like 20 or so seasons gave us (there's a lot of argument about when the show jumped the shark, for me it wasn't until much later than the popular consensus). The characters are amazing, but the secret to the show's longevity is that they always return to status quo and there's comfort and nostalgia in that. Bart will still be in 4th grade when you're out there pushing 90. This show is persistent. This show is eternal. This show will outlive us all.

17. Ash Vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018)

Sorely underrated. This show is hilarious, gruesome and campy as hell and I love it. I don't think you necessarily have to watch the Evil Dead movies beforehand in order to get the plot of the show, although it would probably help. In my opinion this show ended way too soon and I'm hoping someday we'll get a comeback because Ash is the reluctant, self-absorbed hero we all need and it's 2020 so at this point there really might actually be a demon-zombie apocalypse and who's gonna save us then if not for the impulsive womanizer with a chainsaw for a hand?

18. Malcolm In The Middle (2000-2006)

Another show I grew up with, I don't think it gets as much credit as it deserves. It has some damn funny episodes and great characters, and it did a lot of the popular sitcom tropes before they were 'cool'. Some other great sitcoms, The Middle in particular, took a lot of influence from this show and it helped pave the way for the future of sitcoms at a time when they were about to make a comeback. If you want a good show about the real experiences of growing up, this is a much more accurate representation of the highs and lows of being an awkward tween from a dysfunctional home.

19. A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2017-2019)

Unlike most people I actually liked the movie version from the early 2000's, and I read the books growing up so I was excited when I saw there was a live action television adaptation of it on Netflix because I felt like they cancelled the movie franchise too soon. I was interested to see how new actors would handle the roles, and I was not disappointed. I wouldn't say I liked either portrayal of the characters better or worse, they both added their own twist to it and this show is a great and loyal adaptation to the books, probably because the author was so heavily involved. He knew just when to stick to the books and when to improve upon what he had done with the benefit of hindsight. This show is basically the books, but remastered.

20. Winx Club (2004-?)

Sort of an odd one out on this list, but I really love this show even as an adult and it may surprise you to learn it is still going on and the most recent season came out last year. They take big breaks sometimes in between seasons, but it's still going strong and in multiple countries. The only thing I don't like about watching this show is all the different and inconsistent dubs since the original show is Italian and each dub only goes for a couple seasons so by the time you get used to one set of voices/names for the characters oyu have to abruptly switch to another, but it's still worth it for the beautiful animation and cool characters (especially the villains!)

Honorable Mentions: 

13 Reasons Why, America's Next Top Model, American Horror Story, Arrested Development, Bates Motel, Battlestar Galactica, Black Mirror, Care Bears, Chernobyl, Courage The Cowardly Dog, Criminal, CSI, Duck Dodgers, Goosebumps, Kenny Vs. Spenny, Kim Possible, Kingdom Hospital, Lazytown, Lost, Making A Murderer, Mayday, Mindhunter, Modern Family, Monster High, Obsession: Dark Desires, Parks And Recreation, Prison Break, Project Runway, Queer As Folk, Queer Eye, Salem, Schitt's Creek, SCTV, Spongebob Squarepants, The Emperor's New School, The Good Doctor, The Haunting Of Hill House/Bly Manor, The Middle, The Pretender, The Walking Dead, The X-Files, Through The Wormhole, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Unsolved Mysteries, Yugioh

Tagging: @bullet-farmer​ and anyone else who wants to!

[captain-josslett]

Broken Melody - Part Six

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven,

Summary: Grammy Award winning Emma Danvers is the first to say she has a pretty good life. But what happens when it implodes around her and it looks like things will never be the same again?

Words: 3.2k+

Warnings: Smut (ish), Fluff

Pairings: Emma Danvers x Lena Luthor

This Part: It’s the morning after the L-Corp New Year’s Eve Gala.

Okay... So I lied... This is the last part before the angst part comes in! Blame @finleyfray​

As always B!D is named.

Thank you for reading and let me know if you wanna be tagged or any general feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Taglist: @thewitchandtheassassin​, @finleyfray​, @life-is-hella-unfair​, @natasha-danvers​, @supergirl-writingz​

Lena woke on New Year's day with a smile on her face. Slowly she opens her eyes and realises someone is holding her. Carefully she looks behind and her smile grows when she sees a still sleeping Emma.

Last night hadn’t been a dream.

Emma’s arms are wrapped around Lena, holding her close and a strong thigh was nestled in between Lena’s legs. She carefully moves so she’s facing Emma, making sure not to jostle the blonde.

Her eyes move across Emma’s face, taking in every detail and she smiles softly. Still not believing the events of last night and the early hours of the morning took place. She blushes, remembering how she dragged Emma from the Gala. She hadn’t drunk much but obviously enough to boldly take the next step with the blonde. Honestly Lena feels like the luckiest woman in the world as she continues to watch Emma sleep.

“You know.” Emma’s voice, heavy from sleep at how much she screamed last night, speaks out. “Some find it creepy having someone watch them while they sleep?” Emma opens her eyes and gazes at the flustered raven haired beauty.

“Oh?” Lena raises an eyebrow.

Emma hums. “Luckily for you, I’m not one of them.”

“You’re not?”

Emma shakes her head. “No. Cause I’d probably do the same to you.” Emma smiles softly and reaches out and gently runs her fingers down Lena’s jaw. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Lena responds gently before leaning over and kissing Emma’s lips. They deepen the kiss and soon their moans fill the room.

A few hours later Emma is trying to gain her breath back when her stomach rumbles loudly.

“Someone’s hungry.” Lena laughs as she kisses Emma’s lips and removes her fingers from between the blonde’s legs.

“Well I am a Danvers.” Emma chuckles but pulls Lena back into a kiss.

“Come on.” Lena pulls back and gets off the bed. Grabbing Emma’s oversized hoodie she borrowed... stole, a while ago and puts it over her naked body. “I wouldn’t be a good girlfriend if I let you waste away.” Lena starts to walk out of the bedroom, not realising Emma had frozen mid roll out of the bed.

Emma’s eyes grew wide. “Girlfriend.” She whispers. Testing the word in her mouth. A bright smile graces her lips and she picks up another hoodie Lena borrowed... stole.

Making her way to the kitchen Emma can’t help but feel the butterflies fluttering around her stomach. She sits on the kitchen stool and watches Lena make lunch. They both laughed when they realised how late in the day it actually was.

A ping of Emma’s phone draws her attention away from the raven haired beauty. Looking around she sees her clutch by the door. On the floor by their discarded high heels. She quickly goes over and picks her clutch up as another message rings out. She walks slowly back to the stool as she looks through her many messages. Mainly from her sisters wanting to know if she’s coming to the Superfriends get together later tonight. It’s still basically a normal games night but Kara wanted to make it sound more special with it being New Year’s day.

The tone of Alex’s messages get more and more teasing the longer Emma doesn’t reply. She chuckles and starts writing a message to them.

Emma: Yes, Lena and I will be at the Games Night… I mean… The get together tonight.

Alex: She lives! Seriously I was getting worried something had happened to you.

Emma: Well…

Kara: Nope! Too weird! Don’t want to know!

Emma: Ah come on Kar!

Kara: You can tell Alex but leave me out of it!

Alex: Prude.

Kara: Am not!

Emma: Erm… Kind of agree with Alex on this one Kar. But I get you. Don’t worry I won’t make things awkward for you.

Kara: Thank you.

Alex: Speaking of awkward… Don’t tell Lena I plan on giving her the shovel talk as soon as I see her.

Emma: Uh oh! Please be nice!

Lena watches bemused as Emma’s facial expressions change with each message from her sisters.

“Love?” Lena says while leaning on the island.

“Yea?” Emma looks up and smiles brightly at her, causing Lena’s heart to melt.

“Lunch is ready.”

“Awesome!” Emma’s smile brightens at the thought of food and quickly messages her sisters that she will see them later and for Alex to not jump on Lena right away.

Alex: No promises.

Emma groans at Alex’s message. She puts her phone onto silent and places it with the screen facing down. She watches Lena dish up the pasta and her stomach rumbles again, causing Lena to smile.

“This smells so good Lee.”

“Thanks Love.” Lena places the food in front of Emma and her plate next to Emma. “Do you want any wine?”

“No thank you. Do you have some soda?”

“Sure.” Lena says while pouring a glass of wine for herself and grabbing a can of pepsi max from the fridge for Emma. Lena’s eyebrows rise when she sees the blonde waiting patiently for her.

“What?” Emma tilts her head as she takes the can from Lena.

“You waited for me.” Lena explains while turning her stool so she can see Emma better.

“Of course!” Emma laughs and picks up her fork.

“Your sisters wouldn’t.”

“Ah well, they don’t have my… What did you call it? My gentlewomanly charm?”

Lena snorts and they start to eat.

“Hmm Lee! What’s in this?”

“Pasta with passata, onion, garlic and herbs.” Lena lists off. “Something quick and easy to stop the hangry monster from making an appearance.”

“You’re my hero.” Emma declares passionately, causing Lena to smile at her. “Actually.” Emma places her fork on her plate. “I wanted to ask you something.”

Lena stops chewing for a moment at the seriousness of Emma’s tone. Swallowing she grabs her wine glass. “Oh?”

“Yea. Earlier you said you were my girlfriend.”

“I did.” Lena nods and searches Emma’s eyes. “Why? Does that bother you?”

“No! I mean, what we did last night and this morning… You know… Urgh!” Emma rubs her face as she tries to find the words. “How is it I can write award winning songs but not say what I want too?” Emma closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Opening them again she looks over at a nervous Lena. Immediately Emma reaches out and takes her hand. “No, Lee, don’t look like that. This is all good! I just… You know my relationships have never gone well or lasted long.” Emma looks down at their joined hands. “Not because I didn’t want them too… I just… Never felt enough for them. The beginning was always great but then they would stop communicating with me, or get jealous at my success.” Taking a deep breath she looks back up at the woman who has her heart. “But with you, things are already so different. With you I feel safe and like I could take on the world. I love you so much Lena Luthor and I know we haven’t spoken about… You know… making it official… But… Erm.”

Relief floods Lena’s body and she relaxes. Giving Emma a small smile she scoots her stool closer and takes both of Emma’s hands in hers. “I love you too and you have helped me grow so much since I’ve met you. You made me see the world in a new and wonderful way and… Emma Danvers, will you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?”

Tears slip out of Emma’s eyes and she laughs. “That was so cheesy!”

“I know!” Lena laughs as tears fall down her cheeks too.

“Yes, I would love to be your girlfriend Lena Luthor.” Emma says softly and wipes the tears from Lena’s face. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Lena tilts forward and kisses Emma’s lips. They pull apart for air and continue eating while holding each other’s hand.

“Oh, and expect a shovel talk from both Kara and Alex. Mainly Alex.” Emma tries to say lightly.

“I figured as much.” Lena chuckles.

“Kara has already given me a shortened version.”

“Really? When?” Lena asks intrigued as she takes a sip of her wine.

“Erm… After the Christmas party.”

Lena’s eyebrows rise.

“I might have told them how I feel about you when they cornered me about the kiss we had under the mistletoe and I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have but as you know Alex can be very persuasive especially when she can kill you multiple ways with one finger and-”

“Em, love, it’s okay, I’m not mad.” Lena cups Emma’s face to stop her panicked blabbering. “I know you have a close relationship with your sisters and I wouldn’t change that for anything.”

The blonde takes a deep breath and smiles in relief.

They finish their meal and Emma stands to start cleaning up.

“Love, you don’t need to do that.” Lena tries to protest.

“You cooked Lee.” Emma kisses Lena’s lips as she passes. Carefully she loads the dishwasher and turns it on. “Well.” Emma turns towards Lena and smirks at her. “I don’t know about you, but I could do with a shower.” Slowly she pulls her hoodie off and walks backwards towards Lena’s bedroom. “Do you wanna join me?”

Lena doesn’t answer but immediately stands, discards Emma’s other hoodie and follows the blonde into the en-suite.

-- -- --

The new couple climb the stairs up to Kara’s apartment. Both giggling at how the delivery boy almost dropped all the pizza’s when he saw Emma holding the door open for him. Emma made sure to give him an extra tip and gave a few of the boxes to Lena to carry up while she carried mostly all of them.

When they get to Kara’s door Emma kicks it a few times to get someone to open it. The weight of the pizza’s getting more and more heavy with each second.

“Pizza!” Kara yells when she opens the door.

“Well I can see where my sister’s love lies.” Emma grumbles as the boxes are taken from her hands by the excited blonde. She turns and takes the few boxes from Lena’s arms and follows Kara to the table and places them down.

“Did you pay for this?” Alex asks while walking towards Emma to give her a hug.

“Nah I stole them.” Emma says sarcastically while rolling her eyes.

“Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.” Alex laughs while pulling away to grab a slice.

“Yea, yea.” Emma shoves her playfully shoulder into Alex who shoves right back.

“Be grateful you got the pizza at all.” Lena laughs while grabbing a plate.

“What do you mean?” Kelly asks.

“The Pizza boy almost toppled with them when he saw Emma!” Lena laughs remembering the sight.

“I seriously thought he was going to faint!” Emma shakes her head and smiles at her friend… Girlfriend.

Alex leans over to her and whispers. “What’s that smile for?”

“What smile? I’m just smiling.” Emma shrugs and tries to move away from her eldest sister but Alex follows her.

“Uh huh. Your smile grew.”

“I… Er… Kara, you might as well come over as you’re listening in.” Emma mumbles and the other blonde skips over to them.

“What’s up?” Kara smiles brightly.

“Emma’s smile grew.” Alex tilts her head and Emma looks past her at Lena. Who is chatting with Sam and Kelly and tries to look casually over at the sisters. They make eye contact and Emma’s face lights up.

“There it is again!” Alex looks behind her and sees Lena. Who quickly averts her eyes and tries to hide her own smile.

“Yea and your heart rate increased.” Kara nods while taking another bite of her pizza.

Emma sighs, remembering what Lena said earlier about not minding how Emma shares with her sisters. “Lena asked me to be her girlfriend.” Emma says quietly.

Kara squeals loudly causing all the Superfriends to look at the sisters. “Oh my gosh!” She superspeeds her plate on the coffee table and lifts Emma into the air in a tight hug.

“Kara… Can’t… Breathe!” Emma gasps out but laughs when she’s placed back on the floor.

“Sorry! I’m just so happy for you and Lena!” Kara gushes.

“Thanks Kar.” Emma smiles and then realises Alex hasn’t said anything. She turns to where Alex was standing. “Uh oh.” Emma’s smile drops and she quickly looks towards the kitchen. Alex has cornered Lena and Emma starts to move to get to her girlfriend.

“Wait.” Kara grabs Emma’s hand as she listens in. “It’s okay Em.”  

“Is she being too harsh?” Emma asks worriedly, looking between her sister’s and Lena.

“She’s being Alex.” Kara shrugs and picks her plate up again. Offering Emma a slice which the blonde takes, not taking her eyes off Lena.

“Has she said the line of knowing how to kill someone with her little finger?”

“Yup.”

“Of course she did…” Emma rolls her eyes and chews on the pizza.

“I hear congratulations are in order?” Kelly and Sam grin as they approach the two blondes.

“I guess you’re right.” Emma tears her eyes away from Lena to look at her two friends.

“Now Emma.” Sam clears her throat and Emma starts feeling more nervous. “As Lena’s longest and dearest friend I feel I need to say, that if you ever, ever hurt her. I will hunt you down and make you wish you’d never been born.”

Emma’s eyes go wide at the scary tone Sam’s voice took. Even Kara is startled and freezes her chewing, especially remembering how Reign sounded.

“I promise I won’t.” Emma tries to reassure the brunette.

“Good!” Sam smiles, happy with Emma’s answer and gives the blonde a hug. “I’m really happy for the both of you.”

“Same. Took us months of planning to get you together.” Kelly laughs as she gives Emma a hug too.

Emma pulls back and blinks at Kelly. “Wait, what?”

“On our first date Alex was telling me about her family and she mentioned how you and Lena are really close. When I saw how close you were, we devised a plan to get you together. We’ve been trying for a while but it only succeeded a week ago.”

“The mistletoe!” Emma quickly turns to Kara who has a look of slight panic on her face so she quickly shoves the rest of her pizza into her mouth so she can’t talk. Emma glares at her sister before looking back at an amused Kelly and Sam. “Well… Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Kelly smiles brightly at her girlfriend’s baby sister.

“What are you welcoming Emma about?” Alex appears by Kelly’s side and kisses her cheek.

As Kelly starts to explain Emma quickly looks for Lena and finds her nursing a glass of red wine in the kitchen. She narrows her eyes at her oldest sister and rushes over to her girlfriend.

“Hi love.” Emma whispers softly as she wraps her arms around Lena and lays her head on Lena’s shoulder.

Lena smiles faintly and turns to face her girlfriend. She lifts her arms and holds them behind Emma’s head. Emma searches Lena’s green eyes to see if she got affected by what Alex said. “That’s my line.” Lena says gently.

“Well, I did think about your pet name. Stuff like princess, babe, beautiful, but love just feels right.”

“Yes, princess doesn’t really suit me.” Lena scrunches up her nose.

“Yea you're more a Queen than anything.”

Lena smiles and kisses Emma. “And what does that make you?”

“Your humble servant?” Emma kisses her back, momentarily forgetting about the other people in the room. Who mainly avert their eyes. Other than Kara who watches with a huge smile on her face.

“No, you are too important to be a lowly servant.” Lena rests her head against Emma's forehead. “You are my Queen.”

“Aww!” Kara’s voice calls out and Emma and Lena turn their heads to look at the blonde. Who blushes in embarrassment and tries to look busy talking to Nia.

Emma and Lena both chuckle before looking back at each other.

“I hope Alex wasn’t too harsh to you?” Emma asks while gently running her fingers against Lena’s jaw.

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Hey love birds!” Alex yells, catching their attention. “We’re ready to do the New Year crap stuff before we play a game.”

Kara huffs while sitting on the floor by the coffee table. Emma reaches her hand down to Lena’s and hovers there. Lena smiles and takes her hand, weaving her fingers through.

“Pass a few cushions over please?” Emma asks as they have to sit on the floor due to all the seats being taken by the time they get over to the coffee table. When they settle Lena immediately rests her head on Emma’s shoulder.

“So, due to L-Corp’s Gala last night we weren’t able to do the tradition of saying a highlight of this… last year and something we hope for next… this year.” Kara’s forehead scrunches up in confusion.

“Don’t hurt yourself there Kara.” Emma laughs and Kara throws her pillow at her. Which Emma catches easily, knowing what the blonde would do.

“Who wants to go first?” Sam asks looking around.

“I think our new love birds should do it.” Nia smiles at Emma and Lena while snuggling into Brainy.

Emma turns to Lena. Emma could see Lena felt uncomfortable so she squeezed the raven haired beauty’s hand. “Me first?”

“Sure.”

“So…” Emma thinks quickly about everything she’s done over the year. “Okay… This is actually quite hard! Cause winning the Grammy’s and other awards was a definite highlight. Travelling the world is always a plus. But, I think, realising I am in love with my best friend, tops everything.” Emma pulls Lena’s hand up to her lips and kisses it. Lena looks down feeling slightly overwhelmed by her emotions.

“That’s so disgustingly sweet! I’m getting cavities!” Alex yells dramatically and everyone laughs, including Lena. Who looks back up and quickly kisses Emma’s lips

“What do you hope for the year ahead?” Kelly asks intrigued.

Emma tilts her head. “Hmm. I mean there’s so much that’s going to happen. The American tour with Axis, my solo album which will most likely lead to another tour… On my own.” Emma frowns. “That’s weird to think about.”

“Won’t you have a band with you though?” Sam asks, tilting her head in wonder.

“Yea, I guess. It’s just weird thinking it will be new people. The auditions should be fun though!” Emma smiles lightly. “But, what I hope for in this New Year is… For things to remain as they are. I mean I get to do something I love as a job, I have the greatest friends in the world, the best sisters in the world and I found a love I never thought possible.”

“Awww!!” Kara, Nia, Sam and Kelly say in unison and Lena smiles softly.

“Serious cavities.” Alex rolls her eyes but flinches when Sam whacks her. “Ow!”

“Behave.” Sam laughs and Kelly kisses Alex’s cheek when the redhead pouts.

The Superfriends go round telling their highlights and what they hope for. Emma listens with a smile and continues to hold Lena’s hand. For Emma, she couldn’t wish for anything more.

(Part Seven)

[cg29]

Old Fanfic Alert... This was my first fic inspired by a TAG episode - A prequel to Grandma Tourismo.

Synopsis: John needs a break but he refuses to stop. (Based around John calling Virgil his big brother)

Also available on AO3 & FFNet

Big Brother

“Virgil, I’m absolutely fine!”

“John, you’re tired and overworked, you need to stop before the obvious exhaustion you’re feeling gets to you!”

“Virgil, you seriously need to stop with the nagging! I’m a little tired from the back to back missions we’ve had, but I know what my limits are, and besides I’m needed here.”

“John, you need some time off. EOS can handle an emergency call if one comes in, and if she does have any problems she can contact you or one of us on the island. Now, get your butt in that elevator and get down here before I come up there and carry you down myself!”

“I’d like to see you try!” John threatened.

“I will come up John!”

“Oh Virgil,” John said, releasing a laugh. “You hate that elevator and I know you’re not keen on space. Besides, I have complete control over all my systems and there’s no way I’m letting you up here. Now stop nagging bro, and go and get some sleep. Big brother as spoken!”

… …

A few hours later:

EOS’s lights blinked when John released his fifth consecutive yawn in the past 2 minutes. “John, you appear to be tired. I believe some sleep would help.

John released a heavy sigh. “EOS, I’ve had enough of this grief from my brother.”

“Yes John, I was there when the call came in. Initially I believed Virgil was wrong and you didn’t need any time off.”

“And now you do?”

“Well, my scans are showing that your energy levels are down to 55 percent.”

John released another yawn.

“Make that 52 percent!”

John shook his head. “EOS, I really don’t need a lecture from you as well. I know what I’m capable of, and I’m telling you that I’m fine!”

“Yes John, understood!” EOS replied, her lights flashing from green to purple.

“And don’t frown like that, I know what your colour changes mean.”

EOS blinked her lights to signal an apology and then flickered off, so she could think about what John had said. She really didn’t think she was wrong, John’s energy and reaction levels were lower than usual and from the information she had read on humans, she had discovered that they needed a regular sleep pattern to reenergise. After observing John and his brothers she had deduced that their habits had been different, and they seemed to operate successfully on less downtime. However, they still needed time off, especially after they had been particularly busy. EOS did another quick scan of John without his knowledge; his reaction and energy levels were now down to 47 percent. He did need to stop, otherwise his body would stop for him, and she really didn’t want that. Knowing though that John would not listen to her advice, EOS knew there was only one way that this could be done. She needed to contact his brother.

… …

“Virgil,” EOS called.

Virgil stopped playing the piano and smiled at the hologram of a small red headed girl that was floating above his piano. “Hello EOS, I like the image you’ve chosen.”

“Thank you,” EOS replied, “all of you are always saying that John is like my father, so I thought it best to pick something that resembled him.”

“Well, it definitely suits you,” Virgil responded. “Anyway, what’s the reason for your call, do we have a rescue?”

“No Virgil, it’s John… I’m worried about him!”

“Why, as something happened?” Virgil questioned, a hint of panic in his voice.

“No… But I’m worried that if he doesn’t rest like you suggested earlier, then something may happen.”

“Yes EOS, I believe you’re right… But what can we do?”

“Earlier you said you would carry him down. Out of all his brothers, I believe you could do that. You’re the biggest, and therefore I deduce that you’re stronger than John, even though you are younger.”

Virgil smiled at the compliment. “Yes, I did. Unfortunately, John controls the system, there’s no way he would let me come up there.”

“He doesn’t know I’m making this call,” EOS stated, “I can gain access to the lift without him ever knowing it’s being used.”

“EOS, are you rebelling?” Virgil asked.

EOS went quiet for a short moment while she checked her databanks for the meaning, when she finished the image of the little red-haired girl smiled. “Yes, I believe I am! Is that okay?”

Virgil grinned. “Yes EOS, it certainly is! Now, I’m just going to let the others know where I’m going. I’ll be ready at the lift in ten minutes.”

“Can you be quicker?” EOS enquired. “John’s energy and reaction levels are now down to 43 percent!”

“FAB!” Virgil responded.

… …

No calls had been made in the past twenty-four hours, and even though John was glad no one was in danger and his brothers weren’t out risking their lives, he was desperate for something to do. He had figured out shortly after EOS had gone quiet that both she and Virgil were right, and he did need a break. However, if he was to stop now, then that would alert them that they were right, and he was wrong. He really didn’t want to admit that to them, he knew he wouldn’t hear the end of it. Especially from EOS.

John rubbed his eyes as he tried to suppress a yawn. He really needed to keep his mind active. He’d tried a book, but after staring at the same page for more than five minutes he had given up. Maybe a game of chess would work. “EOS?” He called out.

“Yes John?” EOS asked.

“How about a game of chess?”

“Sorry John, I’m busy.”

“Busy?” John questioned.

“You will see!” EOS replied.

“EOS, what are you up to?” John frowned, releasing another yawn.

EOS lights flashed to indicate a smirk. “If you turn around you will see!”

John turned. “Virgil?”

“Hey big bro,” Virgil grinned, picking John up and slinging him over his shoulder.

“You know something Virg,” John began, after desperately trying and failing to get out of his younger brother’s strong grip. “From now on I’m going to refer to you as the big brother!”

“That’s fine by me,” Virgil grinned, depositing John into a chair in the elevator, “okay EOS, we’re are ready to go.”

“FAB Virgil,” EOS responded, beginning their descent, “enjoy your time off John.”

John shook his head and smiled. “I will EOS, especially now I’ve got two big brothers looking out for me!”

[writingtoforgetreality]

Basement Of No Hope (Rob Benedict x Reader)

[Actors-Masterlist]

Summary: Louden Swain had a few upcoming gigs & you decided to rent a house in the area. Jason & you tagged along, being the opening act for each show. The house was big, six bedrooms, enough for everyone. When you could not agree on who would occupy which room, you let a good old game of rock paper scissors decide for you. Today was your lucky day, apparently.

Words: 2,430

Warnings: language, mentions of nightmare (I had to bring some angst in there, okay?), Rob being dramatic af (other people write songs about heartbreak, dude, but it’s alright), strong dislike of basements (from personal experience lmao), soooo much fluff it’s kinda disgusting

Inspired by: “Basement Of No Hope” by Louden Swain (aka Robbie & his dramatic ass writing a song because he lost a game of rock paper scissors – no, really…if you haven’t watched the video, pls do, it’s hilarious)

If you like my work & wanna support me: a coffee would be highly appreciated ❤

You were at the airport in Nashville, currently waiting on your luggage. The flight had been rather relaxing, you even managed to get an hour or two of sleep in. Rob’s shoulder was used as a pillow but he did not seem to mind. Here you were, with the Swain boys & Jason. The following nights, Louden Swain had multiple gigs lined up, all in the area. They had asked Jason & you to join, to be their opening act. Having a few songs on your own & being more than comfortable to perform next to Jason, you agreed. Of course you did. Rob & you were…something, after all. Neither of you knew what you were but you were something. Best friends, but you were best friends with all of the boys. The only difference was that you did not want to kiss them when you looked them in the eyes. Rob was the exception. Everyone was aware of your crush on him. Everyone but him, it seemed.

Two vans were waiting for you all. They were supposed to bring you to your accommodation for the next few days. Rob, Jason & you were occupying one car while Billy, Stephen & Mike seated themselves in the other. Most people were confused because you only ever hung out with men but you did have girlfriends, too. Well, they were Rob’s friends first but you guys hit it off immediately. Besides, it was great to hang out with people who shared your passion for music. Your music career was still in the starting blocks but you had released your debut EP not too long ago & luckily, a lot of Louden Swain’s fans loved your music as well.

It was late when you arrived at your destination. Lazily, everyone dragged their suitcases inside, putting them in the entrance area. The moment you wanted to grab your stuff, Rob beat you to it, sent you a wink & left you standing outside, dumbfounded. He could be such a dork. After shaking your head & chuckling quietly to yourself, you followed him inside. Looked like you were interrupting a heated discussion. Listening to it for a few moments, you could make out that apparently, they were arguing about who would get what room to sleep in. Rolling your eyes, you were annoyed by their childish behavior. It was moments like this where you asked yourself if they were grown ass men or defiant children. Today, it was the latter.

“Guys, guys, guys. Can y’all turn it down for a second?” your voice was loud but not loud enough for them to hear you. Crossing your arms over your chest, you tried again, this time literally yelling.

“GUYS! SHUT UP FOR FUCKS SAKE!” like a switch, the discussion died down & five pairs of eyes were looking at you.

“Thanks. Okay, let’s try this again, shall we? Billy, what’s the matter?” knowing Billy was usually the one to keep it cool in situations like these, you turned to him & waited for his answer.

“Really? You’re asking him?” Rob chimed in. Rolling your eyes once more, you focused on Billy, waiting for his explanation.

“So, there are six bedrooms for six people, right?” you nodded, signaling him that you understood & he continued. “Stephen checked all of them. They are okay. All except one. The one in the basement. It’s…creepy.” he finished. Letting out a quick laugh, you were not sure if he was kidding or not. But his look told you that he was being serious.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” you mumbled under your breath.

“No, really, (Y/N). You gotta check it out. It’s bad.” Jason spoke up & motioned for you to follow him. Heading downstairs you were shocked to say the least. Okay, you had to admit, it was not luxurious whatsoever. The exact opposite. When you made your way back to the entrance area, the boys were waiting for you reaction.

“Okay, I get it. But guys, come on, it’s late…Can’t we just go to bed &, I don’t know, deal with this later?” an exhausted sigh escaped you.

“Sure, you can take the bedroom in the basement then.” Stephen suggested.

“Forget it. I won’t sleep down there. Dude, I’m scared of basements, you know that.” being annoyed at Stephen for even bringing this up. Good Lord, this was bound to be a long night.

“Let’s play rock paper scissors to decide.” Mike said after a few seconds of silence. Rob eyed him carefully, not really knowing if he was serious or not. But before you had enough time to tell them how stupid Mike’s idea was, the other four agreed with him.

You were standing in a circle, ready to beat the boys. As long as you did not have to sleep in the basement, you were good to go. Literally every other room would do. Stephen shortly explained the rules. Getting in position, you started with your first round. The first round ended quickly. Everyone won against Rob & when the realization set in, you all started laughing so hard that tears made their way down your cheeks almost instantly. Rob cursed & complained about how everyone had cheated which made this entire thing even funnier. He was pissed. Like, deeply pissed. And even though you felt a little amount of pity for him, the majority of you was just happy that you did not have to reside in that creepy ass bedroom downstairs. Rob grabbed his stuff & made his way downstairs, not longer caring about the rest of the game.

“Go fuck yourself.” was the last thing you heard from him. Again, you all ended up laughing like crazy. This was too good to be true.

Billy lost next, followed by Mike & Jason which left Stephen & you for the final battle. The first round went to Stephen. You won the second one. The last one would settle who would get to sleep in a nice king-size bed. The second place would get a great room, too, so whatever was about to happen…it would be a win-win situation. The others were circling you, cheering for the both of you. Stephen told you to close your eyes, he would do the same, so that the others knew the outcome before you. The damage was done, you went for scissors.

“Guess (Y/N) gets her well needed beauty sleep.” Billy joked & you opened your eyes. Stephen lost with paper. But before you performed a little winning dance, you made sure to playingly slap Billy for his awful joke.

“No need for beauty sleep, the princess is always looking flawless.” swaying your hips when you left for your earned room, carrying your suitcase with you. It was only then when you realized how heavy you had actually packed. In no way would you ask any of the guys to carry your luggage upstairs. Well, there was one person you would actually ask but this certain someone was residing in hell aka his incredible basement bedroom for the time being.

Wanting to experience the softness of the mattress as fast as possible, you quickly went to the bathroom to take a quick shower & to brush your teeth. You wrapped the towel around your body & walked back into your room to search for a suiting t-shirt to sleep in. In the end, you decided on one of Rob’s old shirts you stole from him a while ago. He was never wearing it anyway & it was freaking comfortable, so why not? Pushing it over your head, you did not bother with pants. The shirt was too big on you & you were in this room alone. A yawn escaped you & only a second later, the warmth of the bed was embracing you.

It did not take long before you shot up from your bed, breathing heavily. Shit, another nightmare. Usually, you could handle them just fine. Especially when you were with other people, they pretty much disappeared. You were confused why you had experienced one now. Unfortunately, or fortunately, you could not remember what it was about but since your heart was beating incredibly fast, you assumed it had been a bad one. There was no way you could be alone for the rest of the night. It was not something new to you to share a hotel room or a bed with one of the guys. Sometimes it was just easier, especially at Conventions, to share with another person in order to not take up too many rooms. Mostly, though, you did end up with Rob.

Looking to your door, you were contemplating going to him. But nope, that was not happening. He was sleeping in the basement & while basements themselves creeped you out, the thought of actually having to walk through the entire house by yourself scared you even more. Checking your phone for the time, you were shocked when it read 3:00 am. Shit, if you were not about to tell anyone about your nightmare you might as well not get any more sleep this night. The upcoming gig came into your mind & you knew you had to be well rested to perform perfectly.

It seemed like your hands were moving by themselves & all of a sudden you were calling Rob. Which was stupid, really. He would not hear his phone when he was asleep but you were desperate & still pretty shaken up from your previous nightmare.

“Yeah?” his sleepy voice interrupted your thoughts.

“Robbie?” your voice was small & you did not think it was possible, but your voice cracked by just saying his name. Damn nightmare.

“(Y/N)? You alright?” hearing bedsheets shuffling, you assumed Rob was sitting up. His voice was filled with concern. He knew you would not call for no reason, especially not in the middle of the night & definitely not when you were in the same house.

“Um…I-I had a nightmare & I just…I don’t even know why I’m calling you. I’m sor-“

“What room are you staying in?” right, he did not know because he was too pissed off to stay for the rest of that stupid game.

“The one with the king-size.” you mumbled, not really sure what he was getting at.

“Got it.” the call ended & you were left confused. Would he come to you?

The door squeaked open slightly after a soft knock. Your eyes had adjusted to the dark & you could see Rob’s silhouette in the doorway. He began walking over to you & took a seat on the bed. Immediately, you could feel his arms wrapping around your frame & pulling you close to his body. Being in his presence calmed you down in an instant & for a while, he just held you without saying anything.

“Looks like you won the game.” Rob’s whisper broke the silence in the room. You let out a chuckle & he did the same.

“Yeah, & you’re lucky enough I saved you from that hell hole. I’m sure that bed was uncomfortable as shit.” pulling away, you looked at his face. The darkness did not hide his features & you were happy that he was here with you right now.

“It was, which is why I haven’t slept yet.” he admitted with a laugh.

“You serious?”

“Yep. Doesn’t change the fact that I’m fucking tired…Do you wanna talk about it?” his eyes locked with yours & that was the point when you were sure that you were in love with him. The way he cared for you, genuinely cared, would forever be a mystery to you.

“I can’t remember what I saw but it was…bad.” sighing frustratedly. “I just knew I didn’t wanna be alone & I sure as hell didn’t wanna wander around the house all by myself. That’s why I called you.”

“Do you think you can go back to sleep?” because he would have stayed awake with you if that was what you needed.

“Yeah, now that you’re here…” if it were not for the dark room, Rob would have seen your blush. He simply nodded & pulled you down with him. His arm was draped over your waist & he hugged you close to his chest. A soft kiss was pressed onto your shoulder & this simple action sent goosebumps down your skin.

“Goodnight, (Y/N).” he mumbled into your neck.

“Night.” you whispered & soon enough, the both of you were fast asleep.

A loud voice woke you from your peaceful slumber. Whoever it was was about to get punched.

“Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty. Billy is making breakf-…Robbie?” of course it was Jason. He knew you could not stay mad at him & this man had never learned how to knock.

“Do I even wanna know? Um, you know what? I don’t…Anyway, breakfast is about to be done. At least I don’t have to go to the basement to wake Rob now.” the last part sounded farther in the distance because Jason was already turning around & walking out of your room. You could feel a chuckle behind you & soon, you found yourself laughing with Rob.

“Good morning, slept well?” turning around in his arms, you stared into perfectly blue eyes. When he saw you, he could not help the smile that was forming on his face.

“How could I not when you were literally next to me?” you blushed at his words. He could be so cute sometimes, it really was disgusting.

Getting up from the bed after a few more minutes of just enjoying being in Rob’s arms, he let out a whistle.

“My shirt looks good on you.” you brushed off the warmth that was spreading on your cheeks with a shake of your head.

“I’d hurry up, Robbie. Billy’s pancakes are to die for. Your fault if you’re too late.” you winked at him & put on some sweatpants before leaving Rob alone in the room. The two of you had spent nights sharing a bed before but there was never cuddling involved. Usually, you would stay on your sides & that was about it. Tonight changed everything. He knew you could tell as well. And that change was for the better. It was bound to happen. Literally everyone but you knew it would happen sooner or later. And here you were, after so long of keeping your feelings pushed down, finally moving into the right direction. All of it happened because a damn game of rock paper scissors...

Published (04/01/2021) by Cathy

Tags: @chelseashurley, @traubellianfirebuilder (thanks for your support <3)