#this epilogue is gonna slap hard balls and hearts

[maiaspen]

THANK YOU to the mega-talented @c0ffeebee for bringing this scene from the “Oblivion Gin” epilogue to life!💙💚 I always imagine Kit as Jason Momoa-ish with tentacles, & here he is! I aim to release the epilogue later this year, catch up on the story here!

one more illustration commissioned by @maiaspen as a visual sneak peek for the future scene in the story “Oblivion Gin” that they are writing 💚

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[mistymazzello]

Cruel Summer | part viii

high school!joe mazzello x reader

summary-they used to be best friends, but now that y/n has a boyfriend (that everyone hates), joe and y/n can’t seem to come to terms with their feelings, but it’s no secret to anyone how they truly feel.

warnings-cussing and maybe a teeny bit of angst

word count-2.4k

taglist- @seven-seas-of-ham-on-rhye @briarrose26 @mrsmazzello @im-an-adult-ish @iamthebeth @cobaincreates @almightygwil @timmvrphy @free-pool-trash @inlovewithaxlrose @findingillyria

a/n-this is the second to last chapter! there will be nine chapters in total and then an epilogue after that. so sad this is coming to an end and i’m so pleased at the feedback this is getting. i love all of you!!

based off of cruel summer by taylor swift

“Joe, how many times do I have to say I’m sorry?” Ben pleaded. 

Joe ignored him as he walked into the dugout of the baseball field. 

“Can we at least talk about it?” He asked.

Joe sighed as he sat down on the bench. “Talk about what? The fact that you’re literally in love with my girlfriend?”

“It’s not even like that!” Ben defended.

“What’s it like then?” Joe shouted.

They were lucky that they were the first ones there, the baseball field almost deserted except for a few members of the opposite team in their own dugout. “I just liked her, okay? I wasn’t going to do anything about it and I wasn’t even going to tell her, she just kind of figured it out herself and made me tell her.”

Joe shook his head. He had been completely blindsided by all of this. With not very much time to process it all, he had freaked out. Everyone was hoping all of this could be forgotten, but that’s kind of hard when this is the least forgettable thing to ever happen in the friend group.

That’s why Joe was hoping for some normalcy while playing baseball. Summer baseball had always been one of Joe’s favorite things about June. It wasn’t serious, there was no pressure, he could just relax and play the game that he loves.

Relax. Ha. That’s funny.

Nothing was relaxing about the tension in the air that was thicker than the heat of Summer. Ben and Joe sat squished together, thigh to thigh. Joe’s leg bounced, his arms crossed over his chest as they announced the line up. 

Ben felt bad, he really did. He didn’t want Joe to be mad at him for the way he felt, but at this point, there was nothing he could do. He had already told you about his feelings, and it was mortifying to have to sit next to your boyfriend while you watched in the stands.

Joe and Ben could both see you, sitting between Gwil and Lucy. Joe’s heart skipped at the sight, while Ben’s sunk. They both thought you looked beautiful, your elbow on your knee with your chin in your hand. 

“It’s not your fault, Y/N.” Gwilym stated.   

“But it kind of is, I should have told Joe.”

“Yeah but Joe needs to understand why you didn’t.” Lucy piped up.

You sighed, crossing your legs. 

“I promise it’ll work out. You’re just in an awkward position.” Gwilym said, rubbing his hand over your back. You nodded and took a deep breath. 

A beat passed and Lucy giggled, causing the two of you to look at her. “How awkward do you think it is in the dug out right now?”

“Oh my god. It’s probably horrible.” You said, looking over at Ben and Joe, who were sitting next to each other. You all watched as the boys stood up and started clearing the dugout to go onto the field.

“Carter, look, your bitch is here.” Aaron Thompson said, leaning against the wall of the dugout and gesturing towards you.

“Yeah I saw her staring at me when I got here. God, she’s so fucking obsessed. Follows me everywhere.” Carter said.

Joe heard from across the bench and looked over at him. “Carter she has you blocked on everything.” he said very matter-of-factly. 

Carter's head whipped in Joe’s direction. “The fuck do you know?” He sneered. Joe shook his head, holding back the whole ‘she left you for me’ insult.

“You know they’re dating, right?” Ben spoke up, tying his shoe on the bench and not even bothering to look up at Carter.

“Yeah. I heard.” Carter said. “She can’t be single for longer than a day, can she. She’s got abandonment issues.”

Joe could feel his face getting red with anger. “No, I don’t think that’s the case here.” He said. He knew very well that you had terrible abandonment issues, but the entire baseball team didn’t need to know that.

“So what’s the case then?” Carter asked. 

“Carter, are you stupid? She left you for Joe.” Ben said, still sitting on the bench. Joe looked over at Ben with appreciation, his lips slightly upturned. 

Carter turned to Ben and laughed out of embarrassment. “I bet she’s giving you the same treatment she gave me.” Carter said to Joe. At this point the entire baseball team was listening and the dugout was so silent, you could practically hear Joe’s pounding heartbeat, quickening by the second.

Joe laughed. “Right.” He said. He didn’t want to be in this situation anymore, and he knew that he was above Carter. He wasn’t bothered. 

Carter smiled. “Does she still have that thing with hair-pulling? That was weird but you know, it was kinda hot.” A few boys laughed and some slapped their hands over their mouths. He was just trying to get a dig at Joe, and he knew it worked when he looked at him, completely speechless.

Joe’s vision went blurry with pure, unadulterated anger. Ben had seen that look in Joe’s eyes before. He recognized it from the night at the party before Joe hit Carter. He knew they were close to recreating exactly what happened that night. He stood up and grabbed Joe’s arm. “Don’t even bother. It’s not worth it.” He muttered to him.

Joe glanced at Ben. Ben shook his head and Joe sighed, giving into Ben and turning around. He stormed out, Ben following close behind.

The game started and it was pretty slow at first. Your team started in the outfield, Joe playing second base and Ben playing centerfield. You could tell within the first 5 minutes that Joe was having a bad day.

Joseph Mazzello had never had a bad day in baseball. Even the days that he would consider “bad” were good. He was the star player on the team and everyone knew it. 

When the second inning came around, Joe was 2nd up to bat. He struck out within the first 3 pitches. He threw his bat on the ground and stormed into the dugout.

“Yikes.” Gwilym said.

“He’s never like that.” Lucy noted.

Watching him intently as he sat down on the bench, you sighed. You knew he was pissed off, you could tell by how he was over-swinging. As he scanned the crowd you locked eyes with him and gave him a sympathetic smile. He looked away.

You watched in agony as the game went on, Joe doing worse and worse. Joe knew he had never fucked up this bad before and he was humiliated to say the least. Every time he saw you in the crowd, or remembered you were there, he let it get under his skin. He was letting his personal life and personal problems seep into his baseball skills.

In the 5th inning, the bases were loaded. The sun was high in the sky and the field was quiet as the next player stepped up to bat. Joe was in the outfield, punching his hand into his glove, trying not to lose his mind.

A loud crack let everyone know that the ball had been hit. It flew across the field, straight in Joe’s direction. It bounced once on the ground and he caught it. He turned towards home and wound up, throwing the ball as hard as he could. The second he let go, he knew he had made a mistake. He felt something rip in his shoulder, pain overtaking his whole left half. Soon he was on the ground, holding his arm. 

“Oh, fucking christ.” You breathed, standing up to run to the fence.

At first, not many players noticed. A few walked over to him, bending over to ask if he was okay.

Ben saw the commotion from all the way across the field as the umpire called a time-out. Ben ran across the diamond and weaved through players of both teams to kneel at Joe’s side.

“Holy shit, Joe, what happened.” He asked. 

“My fucking shoulder.” Joe groaned through gritted teeth. The coach was crouched on the other side of him, all of them equally confused as to what to do. 

You clung onto the fence, trying to figure out what was happening. “I think it’s his arm or something.” You said.

“Looks like his shoulder.” Gwilym added, standing next to you.

The coach lightly took Joe’s hand away from his arm. “Yeah, it’s dislocated.” Joe groaned again and sat up. 

“We’ve got to get him out of here.” The coach said to Ben, the only other person really trying to help.

“Joe, can you stand up?” Ben asked. Joe nodded and, with a wince, stood up. You all sighed in relief as he slowly walked off of the field, Ben right by his side.

You, Gwil, and Lucy all ran to the dugout that Joe had sat down in. Gwilym was the only one to hesitate to go in, not knowing if you were allowed. You practically ran in to see Joe sitting on the bench, the coach crouched down in front of him.

Joe looked up and met your eyes, and the second he did, he started crying. “Oh my god, Joey, are you okay?” You asked, walking over to him.

He shook his head and continued to cry. “I fucked up my shoulder.” You moved to where the coach was previosuly, crouching down in front of him on the bench. You looked up at him and put your hand on his cheek to wipe his tears that were mixing with his black under-eye facepaint.

“We’re gonna call an ambulance.” The coach said.

“We don’t have to do that.” Joe spoke up. 

“Do you want to drive 20 minutes to the hospital with a dislocated shoulder?” The coach asked. Joe shook his head sheepishly. 

You pulled your phone out and went to his mom's contact. “You wanna talk to her or do you want me to?” You asked as it rang.

“You can tell her.” He sniffed. 

“Hello?” His mom said.

Standing up, you scratched the back of your head. “Hey, Mrs. Mazzello. I’m at Joe’s baseball game right now, and don’t worry, he’s okay, but I think he dislocated his shoulder.” You said.

You paced in the dugout while you were talking to his mom and Ben sat down next to Joe. He put a hand on his back and rubbed it a few times. Despite the current situation, you were still a little bit shocked by the way they were getting along.

Sirens sounded in the distance as you hung up the phone. “She’s meeting us at the hospital.” You stated.

As Joe was being put into the ambulance, you all watched. None of you were allowed to go in the ambulance with him since you weren’t family and he wasn’t in critical condition.

“Okay, let’s follow the ambulance.” Gwil said, setting a hand on your shoulder.

“Yeah we should probably go now, then.” Ben said.

You turned to him. “You don’t want to stay and finish the game?” You asked.

“Are you crazy? I’m going to be with Joe.” He said. “Now, let’s go.”

The rest of the day felt like a blur. You remember having to leave the room when they were going to snap Joe’s shoulder back into place, not being able to stomach it. At the end of the day, right before he was going to leave, you and Joe were left alone in his hospital room. You sat in the small cushioned chair next to his bed and sighed.

“I guess this is what I get for playing like shit.” He laughed.

You shook your head, giggling. He reached out his hand, opening it for you to grab. You took his hand in yours and he smiled smally. 

“I don’t know if this is the right time to do this, but I’m sorry for the way I reacted the other day.” He said.

Tightening your grip on his hand, you locked eyes with him. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you, I should’ve told you sooner.”

He sighed. “I know it’s not his fault or anything.”

You nodded. “I just feel so bad.”

It was silent for a moment, the cool hospital air almost making you shiver. “Just promise me you’re mine, okay?” He asked softly.

“I promise, Joe.” You said. He lifted your hand to his lips and kissed it.

Coincidentally, Ben entered the room. “Hey.” He said, standing in the doorway. “You good?” 

Joe nodded. “As good as I can be after tearing 5 ligaments in my shoulder.”

He laughed. “Okay, well I’m gonna get going.”

You both said okay and he started to turn around, only paying a little attention to the fact you were holding hands. 

“Thank you, Ben.” Joe said. Ben turned back to look at him. “I know you didn’t have to help me today or come here or anything, and I would understand why if you didn’t, but you did. So thanks for that.”

“Of course.” It was quiet again. “You’re my best friend.” He said, immediately holding his breath after saying it, scared of Joe’s response.

Joe nodded. “Yeah.”

Ben smiled and turned around, finally leaving the room. After kissing Joe goodbye multiple times, you left the hospital. When you got home, you flopped onto your bed and pulled out your phone, texting Joe (per his request) that you had made it home safe. 

You opened Instagram and saw that Ben had posted. It was a picture of Joe in his hospital bed, Ben sitting in the chair beside him as they both gave the camera a thumbs up.

The caption read, “When life gives you lemons, you throw the lemons so hard that you dislocate your shoulder.”

You let out a small laugh at the caption and liked the post, then scrolled to the comments. 

Joe commented, “I have the best friends ever. (I am typing this with one hand.)”

You couldn’t help but smile. Things were normal.

[thadelightfulone]

The Firm - Epilogue

Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14

A/N: Happy Birthday to Me and this is my gift to you!

--- Two Years Later ---

"E! Come on, we need to go," LaNyah yells from in front of the full-length mirror. She is putting on her silver and black dangling earrings and smoothing out her dress. She chose an ombre maxi dress that starts as lilac at her neckline and ends in a deep purple at her feet. Her hair is pulled up in a slick top bun with a few loose curls on the sides.

Erik comes up behind her in black pants and an unbuttoned lavender dress shirt. "I think you forgot something." He looks at her through the mirror as his eyes meet her gaze. He holds her necklace in his hands, and it matches her bracelets and earrings. She holds her hand out to take it from him. "No, I got this. Stand still." Nyah is watching him through the mirror, tilting her head back as Erik drapes the necklace in front of her. Closing the clasps, he leans down and kisses her neck.

“Thank you, now go finish getting dressed.” She tries to step forward as Erik pulls her by the waist into him. “Erik, we do not have time for this.”

"You sure about that?" He continues to kiss along her jawline. Nyah closes her eyes and relaxes into his embrace. Erik grabs her hips, and LaNyah softly moans at his actions.

Pulling his hands away, she turns around, facing him, "No, we do not." She pulls his shirt together and buttons the top while fixing the collar. "You got the rest of this, right?" She pats him on the chest, "Good." Erik chuckles as she sashays away from him.

“Wow, really babygirl?" He finishes buttoning his shirt and looks at himself in the mirror. If someone had bet him money two years ago that he would be in a serious relationship, he would have double-downed and lost. But here he is, a California resident and living with his amazing girlfriend. He moved the base of his operations, and Green set him up with space in the GBI building.

Erik ended up buying the condo he stayed at when he first got to Irvine. That's where they are now. He decided to move after a year of long-distance and back & forth, traveling to visit one another. When he told LaNyah what he wanted to do, he told her that it would only happen if she moved in him. She was out of her apartment by the time his plane landed the following week.

Moving the business was the most natural part; he can work from anywhere. So, his former home office is now one of three satellite offices for his consulting company. He no longer offers personal security, but he has plenty of employees to call if needed for any job. There is only one person he wants to protect these days. He heads to the closet door to grab his jacket as Nyah comes back into the room.

“Really, E? I have been gone like five minutes, why aren’t you ready yet?”

“Sorry, I was just thinking.” Nyah was packing items into her clutch when she stops.

“You can’t think and get dressed at the same time?" She taps her watch, "Time is ticking." Erik jumps at her, swinging her around the room, causing her to laugh. "What is it, man?"

“Nothing.” He sets her down, putting his hands on her waist as she wraps her arms around his neck, “I love you.” She looks up at him and smiles.

“And I love you, too. But we gotta go. NOW!” She pecks his lips and walks back out of the room, leaving a smitten Erik behind. He will never tire of hearing that. He picks up his jacket and follows her out of the room.

Erik opens the passenger door for Nyah and gives her the presents when she is seated. He walks to his side of the car and jumps in. As he starts the car, he grabs Nyah's hand and kisses it before settling their intertwined hands on his lap. "So, why couldn't Ashley just celebrate her birthday with her husband?" LaNyah releases his grip and slaps his shoulder.

"Don't be mean. You know this is a special birthday for Ashley, and she wanted to be with friends and family tonight."

“Everyone turns 40. So, again I ask – what is the point?” Out of the corner of his eye, he can see her balling her hand into a fist. He catches it mid-air before she touches him, lowering her hand.

“True, but at least she is letting me help throw her a birthday party unlike someone I know,” she blinks and pouts at him. Erik looks at her and shakes his head. It was the only time he didn’t let her have her way. He grabs her hand again.

“Fine. Fine. But we aren’t gonna be there all night, right?” Nyah snatches her hand away as he laughs and puts his hand back on the wheel.

She looks out the window excited about heading over to Ashley’s house to celebrate her birthday with their friends. A few days ago, when they met for their weekly lunch date, Ashley shared something with her. And it has been hard as hell keeping it from everyone, let alone, Erik.

Erik. She turns to stare at his profile while he drives. It’s been about two years since they decided to take a chance on one another. And it’s been one of the best decisions she’s made. They have had a few struggles, especially since they started long-distance, but it helped each of them realize how much they meant to the other. You know that whole, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder.' She is a firm believer in that now.

Right around the time, Erik moved to Cali; she was offered a team leader position for the Accounting department. Six people now report to her about the same accounts that changed her life forever. And Stacey finally trained her on all that other system access, as well. Word has it -- they are the only two who have that kind of access for the company besides the CEO. She smiles, knowing that Alex trusts her that much.

They pull up to the house, and Erik looks over at Nyah. "Ready?" She nods, and he gets out, going to her side and opening the door. As he pulls her out, he lifts her up to him and kisses her.

“Will you stop?” She giggles at his pout, “What is with you, being so playful today?” She eyes him as he sets her back down.

“Nothing. I’m good.”

“Uh huh,” she was about to continue when they hear footsteps running towards them. “Hi sweetheart!” LaNyah bends down to pick up the little girl, smiling big and bright with her two front teeth missing. She’s Alex and Ashley’s 3-year-old foster daughter, Tiffany. She has been in their life for about 6 months now.

“Hi Nyah. Mr. Erik.” She giggles as Erik pulls on her pigtails.

“Why can’t I be Uncle E or something?” Tiffany looks up at him and shakes her head. He whispers into Nyah’s ear, “One day." She shifts Tiffany onto her hips, and she curls her tiny body around Nyah.

“Guess Mr. Erik has to take the presents in the house.” She laughs as he makes a face at her, “I seem to have my hands full.”

He pecks her cheek, “Go on. I got everything.” He watches as the two of them walk away. As he enters the house, Erik sees LaNyah talking with Stacey and Ashley while still holding onto Tiffany. He set Ashley's gift on the table and takes the wine and whiskey to the kitchen, where he finds Alex and Jai hanging around.

“Yes, thank god. I ran out of my good stuff last week." Alex rushes Erik for the bottle of whiskey, and Erik puts the wine in the fridge.

"You ok, guy? I thought family life was going great."

“It is, it is. Don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I wish we got a boy instead. You know I don’t balance more than one woman well.” Erik and Jai burst out laughing. “Not funny,” Alex replies as he pulls three glasses from the cupboard and pours them all a drink.

Erik daps up Jai, “So, how is the art world treating you?”

“Very well, man. I can’t complain.” She takes a sip of her drink, “I have a gallery opening next month. You and Nyah gotta come through.”

“She wouldn’t allow us to miss it.” He laughs into his drink.

"Who won't allow what?" Stacey asks as she and LaNyah enter the kitchen. She walks over to Jai and grabs her drink, sniffing it. She gags, "Nyah, they already started drinking the hard shit." Nyah passes Alex to go to the fridge, pulling the bottle of wine out, and Stacey nods. “So, what did we interrupt?”

Jai takes her drink back from Stacey. "I was just telling them about my show starting next month," Jai answers, wrapping her arm around her.

"Did she tell you that I was her inspiration for her latest works?" Stacey chirps, and Nyah laughs. Erik reaches behind him to get three wine glasses for her. She hands him the bottle of wine to open as well. Nyah watches the newest couple in the group.  

Stacey and Jai met at one of the Paint & Sips that they went to, Jai was the local artist of that evening’s painting. Then after months of flirting and ‘lunch’ dates, they became an item. They have been together for about a year now, and LaNyah has never seen Stacey happier.

“Aye, don’t get drunk before we eat.” Ashley walks into the kitchen without Tiffany. “I can’t believe you guys.” Nyah walks over and hands Ashley a glass of wine, “That’s better. Dinner’s ready.” She pushes everyone towards the dining room.

Around a meal of lamb chops, roasted vegetables, and various salad options, the group catches up on all new happenings since they last got together a month ago. As dinner winds down, they take their dessert and conversation to the living room. Alex brings Ashley’s gifts over while Jai and Stacey refresh drinks.

Lifting up a big gift bag, Ashley pulls out a painted tote bag, and inside is a small paint set complete with a wooden palette and various sized brushes. She looks over at Jai, "I can go get Tiffany since you want to bring gifts for her instead of the birthday girl."

Jai lifts her tumbler towards her, “Mama’s gift is still in the bag.”

Ashley digs back inside, pulling out two envelopes. She opens one card, and concert tickets fall out. She picks one up off her lap, “To see Masego and SiR? OMG, I have been waiting for him to go back on tour.” She stops, “Wait, I can’t go. What about Tiffany?”

“Mommy deserves a day out with the girls.” Stacey responds, “Besides, I am celebrating my promotion. I can’t do that without my girls.” She waves her to open the other envelope. Ashley opens it and finds a spa day package for the works.

"Well, when you put it that way. Mommy does deserve all of this." She holds the cards to her chest as they all laugh. "But, I don't get the painting tote bag."

Looking towards Stacey, “So, we couldn’t help getting her something, too.” Jai answers. “And you can never start them too young.”

“Wow. Who else has something for her?” Ashley asks. LaNyah raises her hands as Erik points to her, “Unbelievable." Everyone laughs at that. Ashley reaches for their box. She pulls out a beautifully crocheted infinity scarf in shades of pinks, reds, and browns. Ashley cracks up with laughter. “OMG, no you didn’t.”

"Yeah, I finally got around to making you that scarf," Nyah speaks up. “I think this is much better than anything I could have given you at that time.”

“Erik, how many do you have?” Alex whispers to him, and Erik shakes his head in response and sits back with his arm behind LaNyah.

“Stop that, you, too. He loves everything I have ever made for him.” Erik sips his drink, not making any eye contact with her, “Okay. I see you. Ashley, there is more in the box.” Nyah points to it.

"I see that. And actually, we have an announcement to make." Alex helps her stand up, and Ashley holds his hand before looking at everyone, “So, we have made the decision to move forward and adopt Tiffany.” The group cheers for them as Stacey and Nyah rush Ashley.

“Great, because you already know that’s my niece.”

“And we all love her to pieces.” Stacey and Nyah blurt out.

Alex accepts pats on the back from Erik and Jai. “So, does this mean I need to bring a bottle every time I see you?” Erik jokes.

“Nah, I love my girls. I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.” He takes a drink of whiskey, “Why do you think I hired Stacey to become the new COO. I know she will be able to handle things for the entire company while I focus on my growing family.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Erik looks over at LaNyah, who shoved Ashley’s box at her. “And that’s a great look for Stacey, too. She deserves it.”    

“Open, open, open.” She begins to chant.

“OK Nyah.” Ashley pulls the final item out, and it’s a smaller version of the scarf that LaNyah made for her. She tears up immediately.

"I mean, my little sister has to be styling just like her Mommy." Nyah pulls Ashley into a big hug. All is quiet for a few moments, while the trio wipes tears from their eyes. Stacey runs to get some Kleenex.

“What is that?” Stacey yells upon return. Everyone turns to look at her trying to figure out who she is addressing. She reaches out and grabs LaNyah’s hand, “This ma’am.” She lifts her hand to show off the diamond on her right hand. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well, well, well.” Alex looks over at Erik, who grins as he turns back to him and Jai.

"I was gonna tell you, but I just wanted to keep it to myself for a while," Nyah answers back.  

“What?” He keeps his eyes on the giggly group of women.

“So, details. How did he do it? When did he do it?” Ashley pulls Nyah over to the couch with Stacey following them.

“Congratulations, E.” Jai pats him on the back. “Guess this is turning into one big celebration.”

"He proposed last month. It was simple and sweet." Nyah smiles, thinking about that night. "That's it. There's nothing more to tell."

"Thanks Jai." Erik looks at Alex, who is still staring at him. "Man, what?" Alex just shakes his head at him.

"Come on, Nyah." Ashley snaps her fingers in her face but realizes she is staring at Erik. "I'm not surprised, but it took him long enough,” she turns speaking to Stacey.

When Erik makes eye contact with her, Nyah blows him a kiss. He grabs it from the air and puts it in his jacket pocket, near his heart. Returning to the conversation, “Nothing, I just love my girl.”

A/N/N: So, we have come to the end of Erik and LaNyah’s journey. Thank you to everyone who has come along and enjoyed the ride. It has been so much fun. 

Taglist: @killmongersaidheyauntie @muse-of-mbaku @panthergoddessbast @youreadthatright @princessstevens @nahimjustfeelingit-writes @stark-red19 @kreolemami @bidibidibombaclaat @iamrheaspeaks @missumuch1918 @simplyyamberr @cherryblossomgirl20 @ajspencer1892 @chrismarcs @loosewindmill @sydneebleu @semianta @eyeknowmywrites @alexundefined @itsjustmezari @goddessofthundathighs @guccixcucci @kissmyafropuff @gimmeface @fd-writes @jozigrrl @soufcakmistress @scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade @shaekingshitup @localtrapgod @post-woke @theesotericqueen 

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball GT Retrospective (7/7)

[Note: I wrote this on January 16, 2013.  Originally, I had embedded a video of Goku Junior slapping his bare ass for like ten hours, but it’s down now :(   Such is life.)

Well, I know I said I finished watching Dragon Ball GT, but there's one last thing in the box set: Dragon Ball GT: The Movie

This actually isn't what it sounds like.  I'm pretty sure the "movie" was actually a TV special, and it didn't really have much at all to do with the characters or plotlines of GT.   Really, it's more of an epilogue tale of the future, set one hundred years after the events in Dragon Ball GT.   Of course, GT was set some forty years after the beginning of the first Dragon Ball storyline, so it seems like a jump too far.   From what I understand, the original plan was to wrap up the GT series with the end of the Baby Saga, but something happened and they ended up making another twenty-odd episodes.  In between all that, they had this GT special set up, probably as a final sendoff to all things Dragon Ball.   This was somewhat undermined by flashing a hundred years back for Super 17 and Shadow Dragon Sagas, but in the final episode of GT, they flashed forward yet again to tie the series finale with the special.   So, the premise of the special is pretty straightforward.  One hundred years after Baby's defeat, Goku and everyone else from Dragon Ball is dead.  The only one left is Pan, who's looking pretty spry for a a centenarian.  Actually, I'm not sure 100 years was the best time frame to use.   Goku's master, Master Roshi, was already three hundred years old when Dragon Ball started, and he survived all the way to the end of GT, never really aging much.  The implication was that his lifetime of martial arts training somehow allowed him to unnaturally extend his lifespan, but it was never actually explained.   Further, we never really found out what the lifespan of a Saiyan is.  Goku and Vegeta aged very little across the timeline of DBZ/DBGT, and Vegeta explained that Saiyans have a much longer physical prime than humans do.   Humans like.... Master Roshi?   I don't think anyone really put a lot of thought into this, probably because no one ever seriously planned to cover the world of DragonBall that far into the future.   Even if we knew how long Saiyans and humans can normally live in that universe, the Saiyan-human hybrid characters would still be an x-factor.   I guess what I'm trying to say here is that we really can't tell what keeps Granma Pan so fit.  Is it because she's one-quarter Saiyan?  Is it because of advances in that Earth's medical technology?  Is it because any human in that world could live past 100 with proper diet and exercise?   Or is she tapping into the same ki techniques that preserved Master Roshi for so long?   What I kind of dig about the special is that no one really knows, and we may never know.  The world of Goku and his friends is gone, lost forever like a forgotten dream.  Pan seems to be a minor celebrity in her own right, but it's because she's Pan, not so much because she was related to the mysterious Son Goku, daughter of the brilliant scientist Son Gohan, or the heir of the legendary world champion Mister Satan.  If she married, her husband is never seen or mentioned.   We have no idea if she had brothers or sisters.   She must have had at least one son or daughter, but the only reason we know this is because of her grandson, Goku Jr.  There's a melancholy to that.  Maybe some of these missing figures are still alive, but they're clearly not part of Pan's life anymore.   It's just her and her grandson living in Satan City.   Goku Jr. probaly knows the city was named to honor his ancestor's heroism at the Cell Games, but the information is meaningless to him.   It's ancient history, especially to a small boy.  Goku Jr. is the spitting image of his namesake, but this doesn't mean that much to him either.   He knows Goku was a great warrior, someone whom Pan respects tremendously, but he might as well be Abraham Lincoln.  He looks in the mirror and sees himself, not a cartoon character who could blow up entire planets with his fingers.   Pan tries to train Goku Jr, but he's kind of a klutz.  More to the point, he's timid and doesn't want to fight.   A bully named Puck takes a cool-looking novelty pen from him, and he just lets him keep it.   Pan gives him shit for not standing up for himself, but he doesn't see the big deal.   During this conversation she has a heart attack or something like that, and we cut to the hospital, where Pan is apparently in bad shape.  Goku desperately promises to train harder and fight anyone he has to if it means she'll pull through.   This is where Pan realizes she's been too hard on the boy.   I like this scene because it would have been too easy to forget that Pan was kind of a pushy jerk when she was a kid.   The adult Pan is still demanding and refuses to take crap from anyone, but she's been wanting Goku Jr. to be like her grandfather, and he has been all along. Son Goku wouldn't start a fight over a pen, no matter how many cool floaty things are inside it.  But he would go through anything to save Pan, and that's what Goku Jr. is determined to do, too.   When Pan takes a turn for the worse, Junior heads home, and notices a photo of Pan as a child, holding a Dragon Ball.  He flashes back to a time when Pan tried to tell him the story of the photo, but he was too preoccupied playing video games.   PAN: Hey, check this out.  It's a picture of me and my robot friend Giru.   And I had a dopey orange bandana, and I whined all the time, and Vegeta never got to do anything cool, and-- GOKU JR.: That sounds really boring, granma.  I'm gonna play more Super Mario World.   It's hard not to like Goku, Jr., is what I'm trying to say.   Anyway, Goku Jr. doesn't know the whole mythology of the Dragon Balls, but he does vaguely understand that they grant wishes, and the four-star ball was sort of a family heirloom, so he devises an ill-conceived plan to travel to Mount Paozu and search his ancestor's home for it.  A truck driver offers him a lift, but this is just a trick to get all the stuff in his giant backpack.   Evil Truck Driver is perhaps my new favorite GT character. GOKU JR.: So what's in this truck?   ETD: It's full of hamburgers, kid.  It's pretty awesome.   GOKU, JR.: Wow, you sure have a lot of food in the cab.   ETD: Yep.   I've got even more food in this bag here, too.   You want some?   GOKU JR.: Nah, I've got my own food in my backpack.   ETD: ... Really?    Uh... say, you want to hop out and take a whiz?   It's a long way to go.   GOKU JR.: Yeah, I guess I'd better.   I'll just leave my backpack stuffed with food in your truck filled with even more food.     ETD: Delicious.  Uh... I mean, scrumptious!  I mean!  I'm driving away and taking your food with me!  Ha ha ha! I feel really bad for whoever's expecting those hamburgers to arrive.   Actually, maybe he's not even a real truck driver.  He just stole the truck one day and he's been living off its cargo ever since.   Ironically, this turns into a lucky break for Goku, because he meets Puck while he walks to Mt.  Paozu on foot.  Puck had heard about Goku's plans before he left, and he was so impressed with his daring that he wants to tag along and watch when Goku is eaten by wild animals or bandits.  The thing is, Puck's a pretty fair outdoorsman, so as they get closer to their destination he's able to help Goku live off the land.  Along the way, Puck begins to bond with Goku Jr., and they have a few minor adventures.   Wolves attack them, but they're rescued by a woman with a shotgun who takes them to her home for the night.   Unfortunately, she turns out to be a witch or a demon or something.   Whatever she is, she eats people.  Goku Jr. is suspicious from the start (due to his past experience with Evil Truck Driver), so he and Puck manage to escape.   Their partnership comes to an end on a rickety bridge.   Goku Jr is afraid to cross until Puck proves it's sturdy enough.   Even so, the bridge nearly collapses, and Puck falls off in a failed attempt to rescue Goku.  Goku manages to climb back up on his own, and then he rescues a bearcub from one of the same demon bandits he escaped earlier.  In gratitude, the bear’s mother escorts Goku to his ancestor's home, but they're once again attacked by the bandits.   This time, they're joined by Lord Yao, their leader.   The mommy bear tries to fight him off so Goku can take her cub to safety, but she's hopelessly outmatched.   Worse, the baby bear slips away and tries to help, so Goku can't even save him.  Frustrated with his powerlessness, Goku Jr finally loses his shit and transforms into a Super Saiyan.  He clobbers Lord Yao and frightens his henchmen away.  When he reverts to normal, he has no memory of the battle, and believes the bears did all the work.   With all that out of the way, Goku Jr. locates the Four-Star Dragon Ball in the ruins of what was once his ancestor's childhood home.   This is really a melancholy scene.  The house belonged to Son Gohan, the kindly old man who adopted the elder Goku when his spaceship crashed on Earth.  When Dragon Ball begins, Goku leaves that home to begin his adventures, and aside from a couple of trips to pick up his things, he never really returns.   Now, some 140 years later, it's still standing, but derelict.  No one remembers the kindly old man who lived there, or how his compassion changed the universe for the better.  Someone must have left the four-star Dragon Ball there to honor his memory, but even the significance of that gesture is lost in the sands of time.   Goku Jr. doesn't understand how the Dragon Balls work, so he starts praying to the four-star ball, asking the Dragon to restore his grandmother's health and bring Puck back to life if at all possible.  When he gets no answer, he becomes upset, and then he notices the original Goku standing beside him.   He introduces himself as Goku Jr.'s great-great-grandfather, and explains that the Dragon Balls only work when you have all seven of them.   Nevertheless, he congratulates his descendant for his courage and strength, and then Pan and Puck arrive on the scene in an aircraft.   Apparently they didn't die after all.   The elder Goku disappears without a trace, and Goku Jr. is left with the lesson that his inner strength was what saved the day.     I'm not crazy about the ending of the story, since it's never explained how Puck survived his fall.   Pan's recovery is no big deal.   No one knew for sure whether she would live or die, so it's entirely plausible that she got better, went home, and realized where Goku Jr. must have gone.   But Puck fell off a bridge into a deep canyon.  Unless Pan swooped in and saved him in the nick of time, I don't see how else he would have survived.   Of course, some other superhuman resident of Mount Paozu might have stepped in, but the special seems to be built on the idea that the superheroics of old are no more.   Of course, based on the finale of Dragon Ball GT we might infer that Goku Jr.'s wish really was granted after all.   In the final episode of the series, Goku merges with the Dragon Balls as Shenron exiles himself from the earth.   So if the Four-Star Ball was sitting in his old house, it must have been Goku himself who put it there, because no one else would have had it.  And it's reasonable to assume he had the other six with him, so when Goku Jr. made his wish, he really did get it to work after all.   The implication is that Goku is the Dragon, and he's not too picky about the rules.  I think this is what Toei was going for, but they wanted to keep it ambiguous.  Maybe Goku did come back from death to grant his descendant's wish, or maybe Goku Jr. imagined the encounter, and Puck and Pan's survival was just a fortunate coincidence.   The next time we see these characters is in Episode 64 of the regular GT television series.  Goku Jr. has learned to harness and control his powers to become a talented martial artist.  He enters the World Tournament and faces one of Vegeta's descendants in the final round of the Junior Devision.  Pan is still in good health, and she meets Vegeta Jr.'s mother, indicating a friendly, if not close, relationship still exists between the two families.  The elder Goku reappears once again to watch the tournament finals, but Pan only glimpses him for a moment before he vanishes again. There's a bittersweetness to the special that really makes it worthwhile.   Beyond that, it's actually kind of boilerplate.  It reminds me a lot of the "Episode of Bardock" special that was recently produced.   In that, Goku's biological father Bardock miraculously survives the destruction of his home planet by getting thrown back in time, where he becomes the hero of the pre-Saiyan Planet Plant and turns Super Saiyan at the climactic moment.  It's not a bad story, it just doesn't have a whole lot else going for it other than being a callback/tribute to the main Dragon Ball storyline.   A lot of fun was had with these future scenarios, depicting heroes who would carry on after Goku: Future Trunks in his alternate timeline, Uub at the end of DBZ, Pan as the heir apparent in GT, and Goku Jr. in this special.  But none of these characters ever really goes anywhere new.  At best, they follow a path similar to the one charted by Goku and his contemporaries.  The moral is that the story is the same no matter who the main character is.  Goku Jr. barely knows the legend of his famous ancestor, but he carries on the tradition nevertheless.   That's the "hero's legacy".  Goku might be forgotten after a few generations, but the things he stood for, the causes he fought for, the example he set, those things are timeless.   And that brings us full circle, because I think the chief mistake of Dragon Ball GT was in trying to de-age Goku to artificially loop his character arc.   Toei wanted to make Goku his own successor, when they probably would have been better off making Pan the main character, having her own goofy adventures with Goku and Vegeta chilling out in the superhero retirement home.  Or they could have skipped ahead and made the series about this Goku Jr. kid, since he has the look they wanted without all the baggage.  GT ended with a ham-fisted morality play about how the Dragon Balls had been overused, which is humorous coming from a studio that couldn't let the Dragon Ball franchise end with dignity.  With the special, they kind of got it right, but only for a moment.

[junionigiri]

Ruby Red and Caramel Ch 10: Caramel

Summary: Momo is a hero; Katsuki gets another chance. They go home.

Relationship: Bakugou Katsuki/Yaoyorozu Momo

Rating: T

Warnings/Notes: some blood mentioned but all medical. Also... last chapter? :) if i get another episode of hyperfocus I’ll upload the epilogue soon!

“Why the hell are we doing this to ourselves?! Aggh!”

Tetsutetsu is the one who yells this against the chilly night outside of Momo’s apartment, where he and Yosetsu and Itsuka are having a break. It’s a highly improper thing to do in such a quiet neighborhood and Yosetsu tells him off for it. Momo, however, is inclined to agree with his sentiment.

It’s hard not to. All they’ve done the entire year was to study, up until finals, where they studied harder than they ever knew they could.

“’Cause we want to help people. Make a difference and all that,” Itsuka supplies without any of her usual vim and vigor. The usually upbeat redhead is all but drained of her positivity studying mutation-quirk anatomy.

Tetsutetsu makes a frustrated noise again before dropping on the concrete like a block of metal. “Yeah, I know I know, but it’s so hard to think of that when all we do is study our asses off!!! It doesn’t make me feel like I can help people, it just makes me feel like I might be too dumb to be a doctor!”

“You have a point,” Yosetsu deadpans, earning him a stern glare from Momo and a big-handed slap from Itsuka. “Hey, I’m agreeing with the first part of his statement!… and only just a little bit of the dumb part.”

Another slap rings throughout the night. Tetsutetsu doesn’t seem that offended though. He might be too much of a sport, or just too tired, or both.

Momo takes this opportunity to chime in, “But you know, it’s times like this where I wonder what it would be like if we didn’t go to medical school.”

Her three friends eye her in curiosity, Yosetsu especially. “You’re thinking about your middle school fantasy again, Momo?” he says teasingly.

She smiles at him with a shrug. “Don’t you?”

Itsuka chuckles at that. “Yeah, definitely. I think everyone does from time to time.” She stretches her hands up above her and stares at them in interest. “I wonder what my life would be like if I had pushed through going to UA instead of Shiketsu GS? Would I be a distinguished pro-hero right now?”

Without missing a beat, Tetsutetsu shouts with a grin, “Of course you would, Kendo! And I definitely would be Battlefist’s biggest fanboy!!! I’d be your fanclub president!”

“You’re already Battlefist’s biggest fanboy,” Yosetsu says flatly, as Itsuka giggles with a blush.

“But you’re onto something there, Yaoyorozu!” Tetsutetsu swings his fists meaninglessly into the air in front of him, making it sound. “I thought a lot about bein’ a pro too! Still think of it, even though it’s too late for us since we’re old and all. But it kinda freaks me out sometimes, y’know… I mean, it ain’t exactly a safe job and all. We could break our necks out there, or worse!”

Yosetsu nods sagely at that. “Yeah… being a pro ain’t a joke. Remember that thing that happened when we were in middle school? The one with All Might?”

“Yes, I imagine everyone does,” Itsuka says, her ponytail bobbing as she nods. “That’s what stopped me from applying in the first place. From the start, Mom and Dad were iffy about me going to heroics, but… I mean, if that terrible thing could happen to a kid and All Might himself, even with all the heroes around...”

They fall silent, as if to reminisce collectively on the events that happened. When All Might saved that child and all the consequences happened, everyone was exposed to the brutal truth of heroics: that heroes are humans who put more than their lives on the line, and sometimes heroes can’t be saved.

And with so little heroes, who is there left to stand up for the rest of them? Times like this, Momo wishes that she stood her ground into going to UA even more. With all due humility, she thinks she would have been a good hero. People need a versatile quirk like hers, and she thinks that she is competent enough to make so many things to help them…

An alarm sounds from her phone, signalling the end of their break. The four of them collectively groan.

“Well, that’s about it for our flashback scene,” Itsuka says, dragging a protesting Tetsutetsu by the arm to the apartment. Momo and Yosetsu follow, with him putting an arm around her and her leaning her head against his shoulder.

Perhaps noticing her exhaustion or her sudden glumness, he rubs a hand comfortingly over her shoulder. “You’ll be saving people one day too, Momo. So don’t look so down.”

“You think so?”

He nods, obviously tired but very confident. “Definitely. You won’t be a pro, but you’re gonna be someone’s hero one day.” And then, with a teasing grin, he adds, “And you don’t need to traipse around in a hot red bathing suit to do it, either. Not that I mind that wardrobe in particular, but--”

“Yosetsu. ”

He laughs and sticks out his tongue, the teasing grin on his mouth not going away.

They spend the next few hours cramming medical knowledge in their head, until one by one they drop on the floor, asleep and practically dead to the world.

 *

 The operating room is emptier than it’s ever looked, and it disorients Momo at first. Besides her and Katsuki, only Dr. Kayama the anesthesiologist and a lone nurse who goes in and out of the operating room, obtaining all the tools they need. Apart from that, the patient being tended to by Dr. Midnight, as she’s called sometimes, are the only living beings in the usually crowded room.

Gloved hands up, Katsuki looks across her, ruby red eyes burning intensely between cap and mask. “Ready when you are, doc.”

Momo nods. “Let’s do this.”

All of their patients are victims of the attacks on the three districts infiltrated by the Nomu who suffered from head trauma. Some cases are harder and more complicated than others because of quirks that make the structures of their skulls, skin, and even the anatomy of the brain different.

“Quirk suppressants running, Dr. Yaoyorozu.” Dr. Kayama, despite the looming emergencies they have lined up, looks utterly confident. Years and years of experience makes her look like she would do no wrong.

Momo wishes she can smile the way she is right now. It’s only the first patient and already the self doubt creeps at the back of her mind. At the first cut of the skin, at the first drip of blood seeping from the line, her hand freezes.

She doesn’t know how long she stares at the cut, but Katsuki snaps her out of it with a bark of her name and a glare of ruby eyes. “Focus,” he says in the fierce and gentle way that only he can do. “You know what to do next.”

And Momo realizes that he’s right. The freezing happens once or twice more, and each time Katsuki’s voice gets her out of the fog. She doesn’t know how she manages it, but they manage through the operation in an hour and thirty minutes.

One patient comes out, another comes in.

They look at the scans and the cases with Dr. Kayama and Kendo, who goes in and out of the OR and makes sure everyone is all right. As they set up for the next operation, Katsuki urges her to eat something, even though the adrenaline in her bloodstream doesn’t let her feel hungry.

The next operation starts. Momo’s thin hands getting more acquainted to the feel of the drill. The self-doubt is there, but it’s easier to ignore the voice this time as her movements become more practiced, more confident. Katsuki is focused and silent, quick to do what he needs to do on the field without being told.

One patient comes out, another comes in.

Momo wrings her hands, making sure that they’re steady. They’re thin outside of the surgical gloves, and pale. Katsuki forces another rice ball into her, and scrubs in for the next case.

They operate again. The drill cuts through bone and makes a great noise that reverberates through the haze in her head.

One patient comes out, another comes in.

They’re in there for a half day or more. Momo isn’t sure. They try to get the operations done under two hours at a time. There’s a lot of them though. Momo knows; she saw the people thrown by the monsters, crushed by debris, caught in between the pro’s fights or the other civilians desperately evacuating through narrow sidestreets. Shinsou tells them that he and Dr. Aizawa are transferring as many emergency cases as they can to the other hospitals, but it’s difficult because of all the damages in the roads. There isn’t much to that could be done to the massive influx of patients.

One patient comes out, another comes in.

“Momo,” Katsuki calls out.

She’s midway into cauterizing through skin. Momo tries to tell her hands not to shake so much. No, not now, not while they’ve just started.

She will do more harm than good with this knife in her hand. Closes her eyes, takes a deep breath. “I need a moment.”

The digital clock on the other side of the room reads 02:05. She doesn’t know if it’s AM or PM. The numbers don’t mean much anymore.

She feels a gloved hand over hers. Katsuki stares at her meaningfully. There’s fatigue there, but not the slightest bit of doubt.

“I got this,” is all he says.

Quietly he takes the tools from her hands and gives her the handfuls of gauze in his hands. There are many reasons why she should stop him from doing this--he isn’t affiliated with this hospital. Best Jeanist will take the brunt of the responsibility if he makes a mistake, at the risk of both their licenses. He hasn’t done surgeries for a year or so, except when he stitched up Endeavor’s neck earlier and saved his life.

She doesn’t even know if he’s done this before. If he knows this type of procedure apart from reading books or watching what Momo has done all day.

But all Momo has to do is to look at Katsuki, his fiery gaze, his steady hands, the way his body pulses in pure determination. And she realizes that she can trust him on this, with all her heart.

So she does.

The laser-focus look in his eyes, the same one he had earlier, comes back. His hands move precisely, every minute motion with a purpose, without an ounce of hesitation. When he speaks because he needs something done it’s in his usual bark, but more concise, leaving no room for confusion.

They eventually close the patient up without further problems. Katsuki doesn’t look like he did his first neurosurgery after so long. When Kendo comes in he tells her exactly what needs to be done for the patient without any unnecessary fanfare.

One patient goes out…

Time passes; Dr. Kayama keeps telling them to rest, but Katsuki and Momo keep refusing. “No matter what happens, this is the last patient we’re operating on, for heaven’s sake. I’m not as young or as fired-up as you two,” she says, brandishing her fuzzy pen like a whip.

Katsuki replies to this with a precise, totally impolite tch. “We gotta keep goin’ as long as there are patients coming in, old hag.”

Her brow twitches in offense at this. She looks like she has half a mind to sedate him, but luckily Kendo comes in and tells them good news. “We transferred the remaining emergency cases out, and we have no urgent need to operate on anyone right now. Nice job, you two.”

Dr. Kayama sings a brief hallelujah and tells them that she’s going to sleep in one of the rooms outside. Meanwhile, Kendo tells the two of them to sit on the floor while she gives them updates on the world outside.

Momo obliges, and only feels then how sore her feet and lower back are. The floor isn’t or comfortable by any means, but it feels heavenly after hours and hours of standing up. Katsuki falls in next to her.

“I can’t believe you two took on so many cases after fighting out there,” she tells them. “Actually, everyone really pushed themselves today… Honenuki and Todoroki and Amajiki-senpai. Tetsu and the other guys from ortho. Even Shishida and Tsuyu-chan found a way from the blocked streets to get to the hospital and went straight to OR and just operated until the patients stopped coming.”

“What the fuck else are we supposed to do, Dr. Ponytail #2? This fuckin’ hospital is lucky that a lot of us are still standing after all those fuckin’ Nomu tried killing us all,” Katsuki snarls without volume or vitriol. Kendo laughs softly, apparently too tired to do anything else but to accept her new nickname. 

“I dunno. All of you are on the verge of collapse, but are too stubborn to stop and rest. I mean, it’s heroic and all, but it’s pretty reckless, yeah?”

Kendo is one to talk. Momo heard talks of her and Tetsutetsu volunteering to transport much needed blood products via motorcycle while the Nomus were still ravaging the streets. She looks like she hasn’t had a moment to close her eyes since then, nor does it look like she intended to rest at all before this. Maybe this is the first moment she’s had to sit down too. 

The orange-haired doctor sighs with a tired smile. “It’s been twenty-seven hours since the code, did you know that?”

Twenty-seven hours. Maybe that’s why the room looks sideways and a little unfocused.

“... Yaoyorozu?”

She decides then that Katsuki’s shoulder is a really nice place to rest her head, although she feels the stiffness of it when he shifts to put his arms around her as if to support her.

“‘M fine, Kendo-san,” she says. Or she tries to. She probably didn’t speak clearly enough, because her orange-haired friend doesn’t look like she understands what she says very well. “You were saying?”

The sturdy thing she’s leaning against--it’s Katsuki, of course, she knows it’s him, even though for some reason she can’t raise her head to look at him or confirm his presence just now--breathes deeply and shudders with the movement. “Doesn’t matter, Momo. Just stay there, all right?”

“That’s right.” She sees Kendo go sideways too, teal eyes fluttering closed. She should tell her friend that the floor’s not a cushion and she should find a better place to rest, but she can’t tell her otherwise because they’re eye-to-eye and it means that they’re in the same place after all. “Y’know… it’s a good idea if we stay here for a bit, right?... rest and all. Bakugou-kun, it’s fine if Momo and I are like this, right?”

“Mm.” The surgery suite’s floor isn’t that dirty, but definitely isn’t designed for anyone to take a  nap on. Still, never has an idea sounded better to Momo. She knows she needs to shift her body this way or that way so her neck doesn’t strain or her back doesn’t get any more sore, but her arms don’t want to move. Her eyes don’t want to open. Her mouth doesn’t want to protest, not even when she feels something shift beside her and do the moving for her, leaving her curled up on the floor in what is probably an undignified heap.

She’s already dreaming by the time she’s wrapped in warmth and lifted to somewhere that makes her feel like she’s floating.

 *

 She wakes up from a dreamless sleep to softness and warmth and sunlight streaming through the windows.

She tries to rub her eyes, but feels something taped to the back of her hand. Flexes and stretches her fingers, feels the soreness of sleepiness as she does. She sees the line pierced through her skin, the bottle hooked to it. She wonders how she got there and who carried her there until she sees a head full of sandy blonde hair snoozing peacefully over the side of her bed.

She wants to smile for his presence, and frown as well--the IV line with the sugar solution flowing through it must be his doing. Really, she knows that she needs to rest after everything that’s happened, but he may be going a bit overboard.

He of all people needs sleep more than anyone, yet he’s doing it in such an uncomfortable and inefficient position. Still, he does so soundly, face relaxed as if secure, in the way that Momo loved to see.

Still, he should really take care of himself first and foremost. He of all people deserved to sleep on a bed after all that’s happened There’s room on the hospital bed for one more person. Even though it’s technically against protocol, she’s sure that Hosu Gen will let them sleep side by side, just this one time.

She runs a hand through deceptively soft blonde strands.

He sighs at the touch. It doesn’t take long before he’s already sitting up and blinking himself awake.

Bleary red eyes search hers. The natural scowl is on his face, but without the usual lion-like fierceness behind it. “Morning, Sleeping Beauty,” he rasps out.

“Good morning, Katsuki.” She watches him for a while, allowing a small smile to form on her mouth as she watches him stretch and rub his eyes more awake. He looks exhausted, but different from the previous mornings they spent together. Calm, for some reason. “Is this your doing?”

He smirks as she holds up her hand with the IV line. “You don’t have any fat left on the rest of yer skinny ass. Gotta make sure you don’t die from the crash. Geez, you fuckin’ doctors really can’t take care of yourselves, huh?”

She raises one eyebrow at him. “You have some nerve, Bakugou Katsuki. Have you rested at all since...”

Wait, how long has it been already since she slept on the floor? Her sense of time gets challenged every now and then thanks to sleepless hospital shifts, but not to this extent. She fumbles for her phone on top of the side table and frowns. “... is this correct?”

Because if her eyes do not deceive her, it’s been three days since the Nomu attack; twenty seven hours spent in the operating room, and the rest of the time she spent knocked out cold, apparently.

Katsuki stretches and grunts in agreement. “Yeah… actually, most of you just slipped in a fuckin’ coma at the same time. Ponytail 2 did say that all of us fought with our quirks to get to the hospital, so it figures that we’d all crash since our bodies ain’t used to that kinda strain.”

Katsuki looks at her then, making her follow suit. She hasn’t had a chance to look at herself closely during the height of their operations, but it’s clear now how she’s literally skin and bones and on the verge of breaking apart. 

How hideous. Suddenly self-conscious of her appearance, she covers her front with two thin arms. “I suppose you’re right. It was really reckless of us to act like heroes when we weren’t. We really put ourselves in danger, and--”

She stops speaking when Katsuki holds both her hand. She thought he’s been looking at her this entire time, but the way he does it now, with such intensity and emotion, makes her wonder how she hadn’t noticed his eyes the entire time.

“You’re a hero, Momo. One of the strongest ones there is,” he says in such a quiet voice that burns low in the center of her heart, making it catch flame.

You’re a hero, the words echo in her soul. She realizes then how long she longed for someone to tell her these words on a podium, in a ridiculous costume, in front of the most important people in the country.

She never imagined how much more meaningful it is to hear it in this disheveled state, while wearing a hospital gown, in front of one of the most important people in her life. Before she knows it, there are tears flowing out of the corners of her eyes and a smile working its way on her face.

Katsuki huffs, but smiles fondly as the tears flow. One hand rises to cup her face, thumb rubbing against the damp trail on one too-hollow cheek. “And definitely the most beautiful one on the face of this fuckin’ planet. So if you keep lookin’ at yourself like you’re a fuckin’ bog witch, then I’m forced to remind you otherwise.”

Her voice is wet when she giggle-sobs at his ridiculous words. “Remind me again, Katsuki.”

He obliges, and then puts his lips on hers and holds her close, like he means it.

And she knows he does, because his kiss and his touch and his breaths are gentle and soft, subtle and uncharacteristic of him that it’s almost unreal. Oddly enough she’s aware of him, his realness and his presence, the thoughts running through his mind, the throb of his pulse, the blood running through his veins. She feels all of him, and she feels right at home.

Safe and sound.

It only lasts a few moments. When they pull apart, she suddenly doesn’t feel as fragile as she ought to feel.

“That good enough for ya?”

She hums in assent. “I suppose, but you might have to remind me every now and then.”

She swears she isn’t being needy when she links her thin hands with his strong, searing ones. It’s just that she’s sure, more than ever, that she’d like it very much if he stayed right there next to her.

She might truly be falling in-love with him, after all.

(And this might be the first time the words are spoken in her mind so clearly.)

He looks like he has words to say by the way his eyes look soft, but they sharpen in the next second when someone clears their throat behind him.

“Oh. Awase-san. And Midoriya-san?”

How long have they been standing along the doorway like that? She hopes that it isn’t too long, but she thinks it might have been, by how Yosetsu is scowling at Katsuki and how pink-faced Midoriya is.

“What the fuck are you nerds hanging out there like a couple of perverts, huh?” Katsuki growls, but with less bite than Momo expects.

Yosetsu returns his glare, but fortunately looks disinterested in another fight. He points his thumb at the stammering Midoriya and tells them flatly, “I just got here to visit Yaoyorozu. Not sure ‘bout this guy though--looks like he’s been standing outside the door for a long while before I got here.”

“You shitty--”

“Ahh! K-kacchan! It’s not like that!” Midoriya flails helplessly as Katsuki advances, and it looks so comical that Momo barely suppresses a giggle. “I was going to--I mean, Best Jeanist called us both to, um, assist him again just now, but you and Yaoyorozu-san were… Um, I didn’t see anything, but--”

“Holy shit, shut up fuckin’ nerd!” Katsuki looks like he’s a half-step away from straight-out physically assaulting Midoriya, but thankfully he just looks meaningfully at Momo as if to say I’ll handle this and shoves his hands in his scrubsuit pockets. “Is it a fuckin’ emergency? Just go right in and spit it next time already, you damn nerd!”

“S-sorry, Kacchan! Ah, it’s fine, the patient’s on the way up from ER, so anyway let me tell you about the case first…”

The unlikely duo begins to make their way out of the room, inexplicably amicable despite the profanities, as if the past hanging off their shoulders weighed absolutely nothing. Momo watches Katsuki’s back and all his easy confidence and feels more than enough comfort from it.

“So,” Yosetsu says with a lopsided smile, after a moment of silence spent staring after Katsuki’s shadow, “you love him yet?”

Momo’s face instantly warms, her mouth falling open stupidly at his flat, questioning gaze. “I--Awase-san, what are you--”

He sighs in mock exasperation. “So you don’t? What’s that smitten look on your face for, if not ‘cause of that bastard?”

She shakes her head free of her blush. “I--please, don’t call him a bastard, Awase-san. It’s unseemly and unfair, because he’s strong and kind and earnest and--”

“--and you’re in-love with him.”

She puffs her cheeks when he laughs at her undignified sputtering. After she recovers from it, she gives him her best haughty look and clears her throat. “And if I am? It’s… it’s not improper of me to feel this way about him, is it?”

“Of course not.” Yosetsu sits at her bedside and looks at her warmly. “For what it’s worth, Momo… I’m glad you found a guy like him. As weird as it is for me to say.”

He’s as straightforward and sincere as he’s ever been. It’s amusing that he is, and that he isn’t threatening violence for once, considering the subject of their odd conversation. “What do you mean by a guy like him?”

He hums. “Well… It’s not like I liked that guy from the start. He’s the biggest fuckin’ jerk on the get-go, he called you Dr. Ponytail in front of the whole hospital, he looks like he thinks of himself too highly--he’s just as obnoxious as Monoma, for cryin’ out loud, and that’s saying something--and worst of all he pulled that shit with you before…”

It’s funny that he looks like he’s thinking over his words carefully to be considerate as he says one insult after another. Momo would feel offended for Katsuki, but she knows that Yosetsu’s got a point to make at the end of all this.

“… and on top of that, the two of you together is just fuckin’ chaotic. I don’t know what the heck is up with you guys, pulling the shit you did with Endeavor and against those Nomus. You could have died, you know? And if it weren’t for the police being preoccupied during the time, you could both be facing charges for public usage of quirk--”

She flinches and apologizes weakly. Why is he scolding her out of nowhere, weren’t they talking about how Katsuki is good for her? Maybe she should interrupt him now because it is taking him a while to get to the point. 

“But… you know, despite all that, somehow he brought out the best in you, and vice versa.” He finally gives a thoughtful huff and looks at her in the eye. “When I saw you working by his side, I was sure that the you I knew back then is different from the you now. I dunno how, but you’re definitely stronger than before.”

She laughs weakly. “You all say that, but look at me.” She waves her hands briefly, showing off the IV line hooked to her vein.

He looks at her, small and frail in her hospital gown, and doesn’t bat an eyelash. “So?”

She sighs. “I almost died doing those reckless things… I probably caused a lot of trouble as well.”

“But you didn’t,” he says bluntly. “I’d say that’s pretty strong. And the fact that the bastard being with you somehow got those two blockheads to kiss and make-up… I’d say that’s monster-tier levels of amazing.”

She scrunches her eyebrows. “Those two--you mean, Midoriya-san and Katsuki are…”

Yosetsu’s face flashes in annoyance briefly. “Yeah. Dunno what the hell happened since I was also out cold when those two talked, but when I woke up they were already working together and taking on some of the emergency cases with Jeanist.” He leans forward with a look on his face designed to annoy. “So… looks like he’s aspiring to be less of an intolerable asshole? Sounds like love to me, Yaoyorozu.”

The blood returns to her face with a vengeance. Much to her chagrin, he notices this and laughs at her obnoxiously. And he accuses Katsuki of arrogance!

“You’re as annoying as ever, Awase-san,” Momo says, not without affection.

If it’s true though, she’d feel so very ridiculously proud of Katsuki for letting go of his pride and resentment, and she’d have to give in to the impulse to kiss him on his silly face all over. Seems she has a lot of questions to ask of him after all this is over, it seems.

“Well, you got the rest of your lives, I guess?” Yosetsu stands up and stretches. “As for me, it’s enough for me to see that you’re alive and that Kendo and Tetsutetsu have nothing to worry about. Sorry for you, expect some noisy visitors later.”

Speaking of which, hasn’t it been a while since the four of them were in the same room together? Things are so different from medical school, so much more painful than any of them expected, but all of the unexpected changes are worth it.

She smiles warmly at him. “Thanks for visiting, Yosetsu.”

He gives her a lopsided grin and holds her shoulder--a gesture so familiar and affectionate in a different way from Katsuki’s, but not any less valuable.

“Take care, Momo,” he tells her in all sincerity before leaving the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

 *

 The operation is simple enough, and after two hours Hakamata leaves the field to write his post-op notes in the chart. It’s not his usual habit to leave closing the operative site to trainees, since stitching shit up is kind of his thing and he’s famously anal when it comes to doing it with such precision as to leave minimal scars, but after responding to the code even the denim bitch must be feeling a tad too tired to do things in his usual annoying way.

It’s about fuckin’ time that the bastard trusted his juniors with these simple tasks, but unfortunately it leaves Katsuki alone with the fuckin’ nerd to close up the drugged little kid’s head together.

He wordlessly takes the lead suturing up the patient, grunting every so often when he needs Deku to do something. The green-haired nerd complies each time, sniffing and shaking like a snotty kid who watched the entirety of The Land Before Time.

What the hell. Who cries when doing surgeries? Katsuki thought that the year without him yelling insults in the background might have been better for the nerd emotionally, but it looks like you can’t outgrow being a fucking crybaby if you’ve been that way all your shitty life.

“I’m sorry, Kacchan,” he says, as a helpful nurse wipes his tears before they fall in the sterile site. “It’s just.. I can’t believe we’re working together again, it’s been so long, I didn’t think you’d come back, and now you are, and--”

And ain’t it just peachy that Deku’s extra emotional after everything that’s happened. “Shut the fuck up, Deku. We’re still working, if you haven’t noticed.”

“I know, sorry,” he says, still sniffling. “I mean… I really didn’t know what to do earlier, you know. I didn’t mean to do it--I thought you would hate me for it, but I really had to --”

Katsuki’s mouth twitches under his mask. “You mean punching the lights out of the administrator who talked shit to me and told me to get the fuck out or kiss my license goodbye? While wearing a robot suit made by fuckin’ Ingenium’s engineer? While crying like the fucking useless nerd you are?”

He looks like he’s on the verge of another loud nervous breakdown complete with tears that will rival the Niagara falls, but the nerd manages to keep it together. “Y-yeah! I mean--the robot suit thing was just, um… I needed to use it to fight when the Nomus were out there, you know, ‘cause I’m quirkless and they were really strong and the rehab center had a lot of patients in it but--”

If he mutters any more, Katsuki would bark at the circulating nurse to punch the living daylights out of the fucking nerd.

“... anyway, I know you hate it when other people speak for you,” Deku says, not bothering to say that he’s learned it the hard way after all these years, “but at the time, I really had to do it, Kacchan! He was telling you that you were worthless and you had no right to be here and who knows if you can handle the pressure?”

Katsuki snorts. The administrator’s fuckin’ wrong, of course, but he had a point. He only had Jeanist to back him up, but to the rest of them he’s just a general practitioner whose license is expiring next year.

Besides, hearing those things isn’t new--he’s had to listen to iterations of those words from his superiors back in Musutafu, and most of all from himself.

And in a way, he’s had to hear it from shitty fuckin’ Deku, who treated him like he’s a fragile little butterfly who would keel over any given second. Always saying shit like you looked like you needed help, not trusting that Katsuki knew how to take care of himself. It’s very hard to let go of all the built up shame and resentment over the years, but…

“... but I know you! You’re super capable and smart and nobody knew what they were talking about,” the nerd says with a fierce determination. “I mean… you aren’t weak or worthless, Kacchan. You’re totally the opposite of it, and it sucked that no-one listened…”

He never knew how to handle praise from this shitty nerd who says one embarrassing thing after another. If this were a manga he’d have torn his shitty speech balloon to shreds with his fangs, if he had to. Still, this isn’t that type of story, and so he had to settle with a snarl and an insult. “Fucking hell, don’t go around punching people just because they talk shit! Only I get to do that! What kind of idiot are you?!”

It certainly was a shocking sight to see. Katsuki’s aggravated that the nerd just had to decide to grow balls and act out against authority after years of better opportunities and reasons to do so.

(And more aggravating is the tiny part of Katsuki that thinks that it looked fuckin’ badass, tears and all. What the fuck. He’ll never say so out loud.)

“Sorry, Kacchan,” he says for the hundredth time, and it just gets more annoying each time, but he manages to continue the sutures. “I’ll never do that again, promise! I’m just happy that you aren’t as mad at me anymore and you gave me a chance to work with you again.”

They cut the last of the sutures. Katsuki cleans the area briefly before covering it up with gauze. “Don’t get me wrong, shithead. I still can’t stand your guts.”

His voice is quiet when he says this, without the usual piping hot vitriol underlining the words.

“And I’m workin’ with you ‘cos half the workforce is still recovering and we got no choice,” he continues, avoiding how Deku brightens up noticing how not-angry his voice is. Fucking hell. “After this I ain’t operating again. Not like I have any right to.”

Deku looks like he’s about to protest, but a haughty voice beats him to it. “Is that so, Dr. Bakugou? And here I thought you were regaining your conviction once more.”

He jerks violently as Best Jeanist ambles up to them in that usual self-assured way of his, the way that makes him wish that a tornado would come and muss up his stupid 3/4 partitioned hair. “What the fuck did you expect me to do, Denim Fucker? Did ya think I can go back to operating just ‘cause you want me to?”

“Yes,” the bastard replies shamelessly. “More importantly, you seemed like you were on your way back in this world. Am I wrong to assume that this,” he gestures plainly to the patient sleeping underneath the drapes, witless of the life-threatening blood clot they removed over her brain, “is something that you truly wanted to do, and that you did not just merely comply to my selfish wishes?”

Katsuki growls. “Fuck you! I ain’t here just ‘cause your pansy ass ordered me to be here, okay?! I’m here because I belong here!”

And it’s true--he stepped back into this world after a year of avoiding it simply because lives were at stake. He didn’t tell Momo back then, but he was scared shitless when he stood in the almost-empty suite for the first time in a long time. But he got into the groove of things easier and more naturally than he thought, and before he knew it he was taking the scalpel from her shaking hands and doing things he didn’t think he’d ever be doing again.

And, fuck if it didn’t feel like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

It doesn’t matter though. He’s only allowed here because the hospital is desperate, and also because the shitty nerd punched the lights out of anyone who tried to stop him. Still, after things have settled down properly, any self-respecting hospital shouldn’t allow him into an operating room. He doesn’t have enough training, nothing to show for the knowledge and technique he honed for the past years.

It isn’t that fucking simple as this fucker says, and he knows it.

“That’s all I need to know.” Dr. Hakamata’s mouth is obscured behind that ridiculous denim collar, but dare he say it, the crease in his eyes makes it look he’s smiling and not sneering like the world’s prissiest bastard, for once.

Before Katsuki can cuss him out again, the tall doctor flaps a thin folder briefly in front of him and the stunned Deku and drops it at a nearby table. “Application forms,” he explains, when neither of them can think of any coherent words to say. “Get this ready by next week, after which I expect you seven AM sharp in the doctor’s call room the following Monday.”

Katsuki makes a confused sound similar to a cat whose tail is being stepped on and blurts out, “What the f--are you shitting me?! It was pretty clear that Musutafu wasn’t gonna take me back--”

“It can’t be,” stammers Deku, eyes wide. “D-do you mean that they changed their minds?”

“No,” answers Best Jeanist plainly. “But you are being considered for a position as a pediatric surgery fellow here, in Hosu General Hospital with my highest recommendation.”

Bakugou’s jaw is hanging stupidly at this point, but thankfully his face is still covered by a mask.

“You have a lot of questions. We have a lot of details to iron out. I get it.” Jeanist walks closer to him, voice unnervingly gentle and mentoring and it’s enough to disorient Katsuki. “All you have to know at this point is this: as unruly as you and your hair are, Dr. Bakugou, I have a lot of faith in you. You’ve proven that you can help a lot of people, and I would like to give you another chance to get you to the place where you can do that without people telling you that you can’t.”

A hand is placed on his shoulder without hesitation. It’s weird, but that point of contact carries with it a surge of gratitude that his unruly self does not know how to handle.

“Hands off,” he grumbles with a flinch. After rearranging his thoughts and trying not to explode from the sheer confusion of it all, he manages to mumble, “You aren’t just shitting me, right? This chance is real, right?”

Dr. Hakamata, the Fucker Who Believes, shrugs. “All that’s left is for you to take it.”

He leaves the operating room after that. That piece of shit Deku starts to cry again and would have thrown his arms around Katsuki bawling if the blonde didn’t shove him off with another threat. He babbles excitedly about Katsuki being back in action before he volunteers to take care of the patient, you know, so he could work on the forms.

Katsuki leaves without another word, head spinning from lack of sleep and confusion and outright exhilaration and he does not know what to do about all of this. Folder in hand, he wanders the bright hallways of the hospital and somehow makes it to the room he left earlier.

He enters the room and finds Momo sleeping quietly on crisp, white sheets. She’s still thin, the hospital gown loose around her shoulders. IV’s still dripping quietly next to her bed. There’s clutter next to her table: black coffee and flowers and packages of sweets probably brought by her friends, making her look like a proper patient who needs care.

Other than those trifling details, she looks absolutely ethereal as she sleeps. Moonlight falls through glass and onto raven hair and lashes and onto pink lips that his eyes can’t stop focusing on.

He drops on the chair next to the bed, quietly searches for her hand under the sheets. Holds it softly, firmly. Memorizes the shape of it against his.

Is this how it feels like to have things fall into place?

The surge of bothersome things don’t stop. He tries to sleep and finds himself resting his head next to her lovely hand, and inhales her jasmine scent.

 *

 After another twenty-four hours spent entertaining noisy visitors (the noisiest of them being Tetsutetsu, who tells Momo of how he punched Nomus in steel form while riding at the back of Kendo’s Harley-Davidson), eating hearty meals, and holding Katsuki’s hand throughout the night, Momo is officially discharged from Hosu Gen with no other prescriptions than proper rest, a healthy diet, and exercise.

The code has been terminated for more than twenty-four hours now, with enough manpower to run the parts of the hospital not damaged by the attacks. Amajiki-senpai orders Momo to rest at home for another twenty-four hours despite her protests. This time, Katsuki doesn’t fight back and drags her out of the hospital with his best efforts.

The sun hangs low over the city when Katsuki walks Momo back to her home across the street. Along the way, they see Kaminari and Jirou waving from inside the cafe. Besides the missing panes of glass and the repairs going around the street, they work as if nothing happened.

“‘S a miracle they haven’t burned the place down yet,” grumbles Katsuki as he glares at them in acknowledgment.

Momo giggles. “Trust in them. They’ll be running the cafe for you in two weeks, right?”

It’s no exaggeration that her heart feels more than full hearing that Katsuki was offered a position in Hosu Gen, and he accepted it without an ounce of hesitation. She heard of the odd story involving Midoriya-san after it, and even though it involves some violence in their green-haired colleague’s part, she promised herself to treat him to more meat pies from Monoma’s out of sheer gratitude.

“Tch. Might as well say goodbye to it. If that pikashit runs it, it’s goin’ down in no time.” It’s odd, but there’s a certain fondness to the way he says it. Momo knows that he’s leaving his beloved cafe to them with a clear conscience.

In a short while they’ve made it to her building, and into her unit after that. She missed this place; she realizes this the moment she steps in. She missed her couch, her kitchen with her fridge full of take-out, her shower, her bed--

She feels Katsuki’s forehead against the nape of her neck, feels his arms wrap around her torso. Feels the surge of warmth over her skin and all over her, inside out, when he kisses her and breathes words against her skin.

“What was that, Katsuki?” She turns around to look at him.

Once again she’s reminded that he’s here with her--warm, in one piece, breathing. Sense of purpose burning within. Moving forward with her.

Those eyes of his search hers in the sunlight-stained space between them, glinting like precious rubies.

He smiles in that intoxicatingly devilish way of his and puts his mouth over hers, repeating the three words in a murmur that resonates within her very soul. The words come out of nowhere and they surprise her, but she melts into them, melts into him so naturally, continuously learning that she feels the same way, and this is where she belongs.

She understands him and she tells him so, and kisses him back.

Now it feels like home.

-end-

[ladynonsense]

A Royal Disgrace (TRR/PM Crossover) Part 10

This is just about it, folks. Only the epilogue to come after this. It’s been fun.

Catch up on my masterlist

Pairings: Damien x Liam, Drake x Riley, Liam x Riley

Rating: NSFW 🍋

Summary: Damien’s no good, very bad day continues. Nadia has her big art show opening. Riley makes a decision. Largely lifted from Perfect Match chapter 1 and TRR book 2 chapter 16, because I am unoriginal I wanted to connect this back to canon.

Words: 4700 (sorry...got away from me)

Tag List: @hustacks @hopefulmoonobject @brightpinkpeppercorn @choiceslife @perriewinklenerdie @pixieferry @nazariobae @zaffrenotes @ritachacha @h3llostrang3r @blackcoffee85 @wannabemc2 @sleepwalkingelite @debramcg1106 @furiousherringoperatortoad @bobasheebaby @sawyeroakleyscowboyhat @jlouise88

Damien drove home in a daze, climbed the stairs to his apartment feeling like he was wading through wet cement. Just keep moving, moving, don’t think, just put one foot in front of the other.

He opened the door of his apartment and was immediately and violently shoved back out by small soft hands with pretty pink nails. The door slammed in his face. He stood, blinking, staring at the closed door. Mara, still stationed outside his door, gave an indifferent shrug.

A minute later it reopened, Riley standing in the doorway still wearing his t-shirt and his gym shorts now too, drawstring pulled to within an inch of its life to hold them up on her slender frame. It finally dawned on him that she had arrived in an elaborate ball gown and abandoned all her luggage at the hotel room he’d forbidden her to return to. She wasn’t wearing his clothes to be cute, she was just desperate and sad and stranded here like his prisoner.

And he kept staring at her clothes, because if he kept his eyes down he wouldn’t have to look at her puffy red eyes and her tear-streaked face.

His mouth started moving without his permission. “I...Riley...please…”

“I guess I can’t keep you out of your own home, you miserable asshole.” She moved aside, letting him pass, her furious stare burning into his back as he moved past him.

Drake sat on the couch, his expression inscrutable. He raised his hand in greeting, not letting his eyes meet Damien’s. Damien hesitated, standing in the kitchen, unsure where to go or what to do.

“Well?” He looked back to see Riley leaning against the door, arms crossed over her chest, tears streaming down her face and rage written all over her features.

Damien took a deep breath and let it out, trying to find the courage to face her. When it wouldn’t come, he grabbed a glass and a bottle of rum. Glancing between Riley and Drake once more, he added two more glasses.

Riley accepted the drink silently as Drake came over to join them and collect his own. Damien threw his back in one shot and started pouring again.

“Damien…”

“Yeah,” he croaked, clearing his throat awkwardly. “So I’m guessing you heard the recording.”

“Imagine my surprise when I answer a blocked call thinking maybe, just maybe Liam had decided to bend the rules and actually contact me over the phone. And then I hear him...and you.” She slammed her drink down on the counter and Damien saw a crack appear in the glass, not quite enough for it to shatter.

He looked anywhere but her eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Oh, I want to know everything.”

“No, you don’t.” He found himself feeling very aware of Drake’s presence. His size. Part of him hoped he was going to get his ass kicked; maybe it would hurt less.

“Tell me.”

Damien forced himself to look at her, the numbness wearing off, tears starting to well in his own eyes. He worried he might vomit, which might have the unpleasant effect of sobering him up before he could numb himself again. He fought the urge back. “I...fell for Liam.”

She laughed bitterly. “You fell for him? You literally just met him.”

“Isn’t that exactly what happened to you? One romantic night and you abandoned your whole life for him? All I did was fuck him.” Bad. Bad. Regretted the words the moment they left his mouth.

She slapped him then, and he welcomed the hot sting of pain on his face. “Fuck you, Damien. It wasn’t enough for you to break my heart, you had to steal the love of my life too? Why couldn’t you just let me have him?”

Drake downed his drink and retreated to the couch. Riley stared after him, a deep sadness settling on her pretty face, replacing the naked rage that had been there a moment before. Damien lowered his voice so only she could hear. “He thought...I thought...maybe you had moved on to someone else.”

The look on her face broke his heart. The realization that she’d been caught...the same horrible sickening feeling he’d felt back at the hotel when Bastien confronted him with the recording.

Words started pouring out of his mouth again, desperate to ease her obvious panic. “He knows, Riley, but he isn’t angry. He’s hurt, and he’s sad, and he’s scared, and he doesn’t know what to think because neither of you will acknowledge what he knows. And he loves you, still, I know he does. The only reason I’m in his life at all is because he needed me to help and protect you, and all I’ll ever be to him is a distraction.” He was running out of breath, the words coming too fast for him to filter. A distraction: that was the truth, the cold realization settling over him even as the word left his mouth.

He could try to pretend that Liam was just a distraction for him too, and maybe he was. But mostly he was an obsession. Something that had wound its way through his thoughts, leaving its mark everywhere. All roads led to Liam, every train of thought arriving quickly at memories of his kiss, the sound of his voice, the feel of his skin. It hurt to think of him but he couldn’t stop. He needed to relish the anguish of it, couldn’t let it go, not yet.

Riley was crying again, apparently running out of things to say. Damien took a deep breath and spoke again. “Do you really want to know everything?”

She nodded, whimpering. “Yes. I have to. Please.”

“We hooked up. More than once. I know it’s bullshit to say ‘it just happened’ but that’s the best explanation I have. We were drinking and he opened up to me and he was so fucking sad and I just...I wanted to kiss him and he wanted to kiss me and it felt good and we didn’t stop. I knew it would hurt you but you were hurting him and I rationalized it and...fuck, I’m sorry, I know it doesn’t make it right.”

She looked mournfully at Drake, who seemed to be trying to disappear into the sofa. “I need to talk to Liam.”

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

The next two days passed in a blur, Damien drinking too much and working too little. Mara announced the day after the recording surfaced that it was time for Riley and Drake to rejoin the rest of court, and off they went. Damien learned from the Cordonian gossip sites that he frequented now that Liam’s engagement to Madeleine had been called off.

As soon as news broke of the cancelled engagement, after a press conference where Liam and Madeleine were all smiles and tact as usual, showing more warmth towards each other than ever before now that they didn’t have to pretend to be in love, the general consensus was that Liam had left her for Riley. But the fact that Madeleine was quietly named the Duchess of Krona on the same day did not go unnoticed by some outlets.

What the hell happened to her parents? Whatever it was, it was kept absolutely quiet, only small independent news blogs even bothering to look into it. No news of arrests or discipline. They just vanished, as far as Damien could tell.

The recording, mercifully, did not surface in the media. He knew he had Liam to thank for that, but didn’t dare spend too much time contemplating what he may have had to compromise to appease whoever had made it. Not knowing whether it might surface again, or how it had been handled, made him crazy. An unknowable, uncontrollable variable. All he could do was trust that Liam had more to lose than he did, and was taking care of it.

Damien was still deep in his own wallowing when Kai texted him.

K: Don’t forget Nadia’s art show tonight. She will literally kill you if you bail.

He groaned; he definitely had forgotten.

D: I can’t. If I have to hang around with pretentious rich art people all night I will scream.

K: We’ll tell people it’s edgy performance art. You’re coming.

D: Please

K: See you at 8

He arrived at the show later that night, forcing himself to shave and get dressed for the first time in days. The gallery was absolutely packed, which shouldn’t have been a surprise. Even he could tell that Nadia’s art was exceptional.

An unfamiliar blond man sidled up to the refreshment table next to him. “Hey! Are you Damien? I think I’ve seen your picture around my girlfriend’s apartment.”

He blinked at him, confused. “That’s...um...oh. You must be Steve.”

“Yeah, that’s me!” His enthusiasm was unnerving. “So you and Nadia have been friends a long time?”

“That’s right,” he answered, studying Steve’s face for signs of jealousy or obsession or just garden-variety creepiness. “We met when I was investigating her stalker.”

“Oh, wow.” He looked genuinely impressed, not worried or intimidated. Damien was unconvinced. “That’s great! She’s so lucky to have people looking out for her.”

“...Right. Speaking of which, I’m gonna go look for her.”

“Nice meeting you, Damien!”

“You too, Steve.”

Through the crowd he spotted Kai and Nadia. He plastered on his ‘supportive best friend’ smile and approached them, just catching the tail end of Nadia’s hard pitch for some matchmaking service.

“Don’t tell me Nadia has got you drinking this ‘matchmaking service’ Kool-Aid too, Kai. You of all people don’t need some fancy matchmaking service.” A server passed by and he swapped out his empty champagne glass for a fresh one, ready to settle into a comfortable buzz for the evening.

Kai greeted him with a glowing smile, and he immediately felt better about this whole outing. “I’ll take that as a compliment. But you can’t argue with the results. Steve seems like a catch.”

“Yeah, I talked to Mr. Perfect on the way in. Haven’t found any flaws or dark secrets yet. But give me time.”

Nadia punched his arm viciously. “Really, D? We’ve known you for like, four years. I thought you would’ve dropped the tough, cynical act by now.”

He scoffed. “I’m a private investigator. I catch liars and cheaters for a living. ‘Cynical’ is basically my job.”

Nadia scowled and turned her back on him, focusing on Kai. “Don’t listen to him, Kai. He’s like the Grinch when it comes to love. Eros is the best matchmaking service ever! I’ll schedule you an appointment for a consultation!”

Damien grinned. Bickering with Nadia was his natural element. “Yeah! A vague secretive company providing little to no contact information...What could go wrong? Just keep your guard up, Kai...Maybe bring pepper spray, or hold your keys like a claw.”

Nadia waved him off. “Ignore him. It’ll be amazing! I know you’re gonna find someone perfect for you!”

Was Kai giving him a teasing look, or was that just his natural smile? “Can’t wait!”

Nadia excused herself to talk to some art critic, leaving him standing alone with Kai. He sipped at his champagne silently, pretending to study a nearby painting.

“So…” Kai began awkwardly, “How are you holdin’ up, buddy?”

He sighed, considering whether he really wanted to open up to Kai. But if not him...there was no one else to talk to. “I haven’t heard from Liam.”

Kai frowned, moving closer so they could speak in hushed voices. “Nothing?”

“Nothing. He’s just...gone.”

“Is he still in New York?”

“I think so. I staked out the hotel for a few hours before I came here and saw some other members of the Cordonian court and King’s Guard come and go. No Liam though.”

Kai frowned, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. “Damien...you can’t stake out your ex.”

“I’m not...he’s not my ex, we weren’t dating, but he’s a client, and I’d be irresponsible to just…”

“He fired you, D. It’s over.”

He nodded slowly, considering Kai’s words. It’s over. It’s over.

“How can I just let this go?”

“You won’t. You never let anything go. But maybe for your own good you should step away from this particular mystery for a while. I know I gave you shit but it’s obvious he got under your skin. Do yourself a favor and focus on something else for a while.”

Damien laughed ruefully. “I must be in bad shape for Kai Park to be my voice of reason.”

Kai laughed in return, shoving his shoulder. “Get out of here. I don’t need your negativity.”

“No problem. I should go get busy investigating this shady matchmaking service before they sell you into sex slavery.”

“Oh my god, Damien.”

“Stranger things have happened. See you around, Kai.”

“Yeah. See you around.”

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

The wind gently tossed Riley’s hair as she looked out over the water, gazing at the skyline. The dress Maxwell and Bertrand had chosen for her glittered, reflecting the city lights. Everything was so beautiful, but it felt wrong, the air between herself and Liam filled with secrets and unspoken pain. She sighed, trying to relax and enjoy the evening. “I’ll never get tired of this view.”

Liam stood close enough that the smooth fabric of his coat brushed against the bare skin of her arm. “Neither will I,” he said, and she looked up to realize he was focused on her instead of the skyline. A warm blush spread across her cheeks, but she forced herself to hold his gaze, smiling.

“So is this the last stop of the evening?”

He sighed, his smile faltering. “It’s not, actually, but before we continue...I think we need to talk.”

Her stomach dropped. He was absolutely right. But no part of her relished the idea of hashing out their issues. She nodded, already feeling a slight tremble settle into her jaw.

Breathe in. Breathe out. You can get through this.

Liam sat on a bench overlooking the water, motioning for her to join him. She sat next to him, careful to give him room. He felt miles away. “So…” he began, letting out a deep exhale, “I heard you received an upsetting phone call.”

She swallowed hard, nodding. “I did.”

“I don’t know what explanation I can offer for myself…”

“Are you OK?”

He snapped his gaze back to her, startled by the question. “What do you mean?”

“The recording...why did it exist? Is someone using it to hurt you?”

“Oh…” he placed his hand gently over hers, his thumb tracing over her knuckles. “I have it under control. I made a compromise that I don’t love, but I’m confident that’s the last we’ll hear of it.”

She smiled, relieved. “I’m glad.”

“I thought you’d be angrier. You have every right to be.”

Riley shrugged. “I was. And I mean...I am. What you did was wrong, but I can’t help but feel I was just as wrong.”

Liam nodded, studying her face carefully. “I knew what he had meant to you. I should have kept my distance, out of respect for you. Running to someone else was a foolish way to handle my own hurt and confusion.” He spoke in his usual clear, confident voice, but there was a slight tremble at the edges of it.

“Oh, Liam.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. “Stop. You’re allowed to fuck up. I wish you had come to me when you found at that I’d been seeing Drake. But I can’t blame you for reacting badly to my betrayal. I kept telling myself it was nothing, that we were friends and he was just helping me through a hard time...he kept saying he didn’t want to hurt you...I don’t know why I let it go so far.”

Liam’s face was buried in the crook of her neck, and she could feel his hot tears on her skin. “He was there for you when I couldn’t be.”

“He was. And I used him. I led him on, wondering if maybe he was who I belonged with after all. But that was just fear talking...fear of what being with you would mean. The responsibility. The scrutiny.”

“I know,” he whispered. “It’s a lot to ask.”

She pulled away from him, holding him at arm’s length to look him in the eye. “No. All of that...it’s part of the privilege of being with you. How could I ever ask for more?”

He laughed, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe the tears from his face. “You mean that? You still want to be with me, after everything? You’re not in love with Drake?”

She winced a little at his name, still raw from breaking things off with him that morning. “I’m in love with you, Liam. It’s always been you.”

They wrapped themselves around each other, squeezing tight, silently enjoying the closeness and the cleared air. After some time, Liam pulled away, smiling. “Like I said, we have one more stop to make tonight.” He took her hand and guided her to a small foot ferry. It was empty, save for the captain and one crew member who waved at them as they approached. “After you, my lady.”

Riley chuckled. “You know, for a guy who doesn’t like boats, you sure have a lot of them…”

He was beaming now, squeezing her hand in his. “I may be coming around.”

They boarded the boat and the crewmen pushed them off. As it slid through the water, Riley realized they were heading for the base of the Statue of Liberty.

“I knew it!” she exclaimed. A short ride later, the boat docked at the base and they disembarked. They strolled a few paces before stopping to enjoy the view. “She really is something, isn’t she?”

Liam nodded. “She is.” They stood for a moment, shoulder to shoulder, seized by the dramatic view of the statue against the stars twinkling in the night sky.

Riley was brought back to the moment by the caress of a light breeze whispering through the branches of a nearby tree. Liam turned to face her.

“Riley, do you remember the Coronation?”

Her face fell. “How could I forget?”

His face had become serious, his gaze intense. “I was going to propose to you that night, in front of the entire court. Not doing so will remain the deepest regret of my life.”

A gust of wind rustled her hair, and Liam reached out to brush a strand out of her eyes. She noticed the beginning of a smile on his lips and her heart skipped a beat.

“Still, perhaps it’s destiny that it happened this way. That my arrangement with Madeleine fell apart just as we returned to New York...as we came full circle.” He reached into his pocket, fidgeting with something she couldn’t see.

“Riley, you’ve opened my eyes...it has been a true honor to witness your strength in the face of every challenge you have overcome. It’s a strength which lends me courage. I know that I will be a better man for having you by my side.

“All I want in this world is to dedicate my life to being the best man and king that I can be...for you.” He sunk to one knee, his eyes locked on hers. There was an intensity in his gaze, something both vulnerable and passionate. He reached out and grasped her hand.

“Lady Riley Brooks, queen of my heart, I have yearned to say these four words for a very, very long time…”

Her breath caught in her throat, her heart racing a mile a minute. “Liam…”

“Will you marry me?”

He revealed the ring box tucked into his hands, opening it with an ardent smile. Riley looked down at the ring, the moonlight gleaming against its facets.

“Oh, Liam...yes! A thousand times yes!” Tears welled up in her eyes once more as he carefully slipped the ring onto her finger. The wind picked up as he rose, staring deep into her eyes for a moment, his expression utterly unreadable save for his smile, more brilliant than she’d ever seen before.

“Riley…” He breathed her name as he swept her off the ground and spun her through the air. “I have never been happier than I am in this moment!”

He kissed her, holding her body tight against his. She wrapped her legs around him, sinking into his embrace. After what felt like a blissful eternity, they stopped for breath. He let her slip down to the ground, his arms still around her, his forehead resting against hers.

“Liam…” she whispered. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” He sighed happily. “When I think about everything it took to bring us to this moment… I can’t help but be amazed by you. I have no doubts in my mind that you are not only the right choice for me, but the right choice to be Queen of Cordonia. There is no one I would rather have by my side.”

Riley couldn’t stop smiling, her cheeks starting to ache from her wide grin. “That’s good, because I’m certainly not about to give you up now. And I can’t wait to see what kind of life we’re able to build together.”

“Neither can I. But for now...I did have one final stop in mind for tonight’s adventure, if you’re interested. I arranged for a private excursion to the top of the Statue of Liberty. I thought it would be nice to spend the evening alone together...to enjoy our private moment before we share the news with the world. Just the two of us...”

“Mmm, just the two of us, huh? Well, I can’t pass up an opportunity like this, can I?”

He gave a wicked smile. “I had hoped you wouldn’t be able to.” He led her toward the entrance to the statue, where they began the long ascent.

When they emerged hand-in-hand onto the topmost observation deck, Liam pulled her close for a sweet kiss before releasing her and turning his gaze toward the skyline. “It’s breathtaking.”

“Yeah, it really is.”

“Riley...there’s one more thing I wanted to say to you tonight. Especially in light of our new...circumstances. He reached for her hand, his fingers toying with her ring.

“What is it?”

He took a deep breath, looking her straight in the eye. “You will always have a home in Cordonia, for as long as I am king. And I will never let anyone threaten that...or you...ever again. I promise you.”

She nodded solemnly. “Thank you, Liam.”

He studied her intently, something like reverence in his expression. He somehow looked handsome and regal and vulnerable and loveable all at once, and her heart swelled with longing for him. She leaned into him, and their lips were immediately drawn together in an electric kiss.

Suddenly, Liam pulled back. “I have never wanted you more…” He cupped her face in his hands and her eyes connected with his, which grew closer as he moved to kiss her. The hair on the back of her neck raised when his lips found hers, and she smiled against them. “Riley…”

“Oh, Liam…”

His tongue traced a line on her lower lip, sending shivers down her spine. She placed a hand on his chest to steady herself. In the next moment, he thrusted her up against the window. The cold of the glass contrasted sharply with the heat of his body.

She let out a soft moan. “I want you.”

“As ever, your wish is my command.”

He used one hand to brace himself against the glass while the other traced a line from his jawbone to her neck to her chest. He kissed her hungrily.

She buttoned his jacket, her fingers working the buttons as she kissed his ear and neck. Liam moaned, leaning into her. After pushing his jacket off his shoulders, she moved on to his shirt, soon discarding both on the ground at their feet. Her hands explored the bare skin of his chest as he unzipped her dress, letting it pool on the ground as her fingers travelled to the waistline of his pants.

Liam grabbed her by the hips and spun her around, pinning her against the window, his body pressed against her back. He toyed with the elastic of her lace panties for a moment before delving down, slipping his fingers between her folds and rubbing small circles against her. She moaned shamelessly.

“Yes?” he whispered in her ear, his breath hot against her.

“Yes…” She melted into him, grinding her hips against him as his hand firmly pressed against her. “I mean, no…I’m not quite done with you.”

She turned and knelt at his feet, unbuckling his belt as she pressed soft kisses to his abdomen. She slid his pants down his legs, her fingers trailing over his firm thighs as she went. He gasped as she wrapped her fingers around his length, admiring it. “It feels like it’s been forever…”

“Too long,” he agreed, reaching down to gently stroke her hair. “But we’re together now. Openly. Nothing standing between us.”

“Mmmm…” she wrapped her lips around him, enjoying the taste of him as her tongue gently circled his tip. She paused, looking up at him, studying his face.

“What is it?”

“It’s kinda hot, you know.”

“This? I noticed.”

“No…” she felt herself blushing again. “You with...him. Could he do the things that I do for you?” She took him in her mouth again, all the way to the back of her throat, making him groan with pleasure.

“He...he has his charms. But he has one flaw I just couldn’t get past.”

“What’s that?” She continued working him with her hand, teasingly slow.

“He’s not you.”

He pulled her to her feet, his hands grasping at her hair as he kissed her deeply. When they broke apart, breathless, he laughed softly. “It’s weird to admit but...you and Drake together...that’s pretty hot too.”

She looked away, suddenly shy. “Yes, well..it never happened.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Never?”

“Never. He wouldn’t...not until I picked him.”

Liam frowned. “And you didn’t.”

“I didn’t.”

“Is he...OK?”

Riley shrugged, trying not to feel the emotions he was bringing up in her. “He will be. He’s your best friend. He’ll always support you...even when it hurts.”

Liam kissed her again, for longer this time, kissing her until she forgot about every other man in the world. He broke away to grab his jacket, laying it out over the cold floor. Riley laughed.

“You really never have paid a dry cleaning bill in your life, have you.”

His brow furrowed, perplexed. “I have laundry service at the palace.”

“Of course you do.” She sat on the edge of his jacket, pulling him down on top of her as she slid backwards to the ground. “And for the record...you could’ve invited me to join.”

His eyes went wide as he pulled up in surprise. “Excuse me?”

She grinned. “You heard me.”

Now he was blushing, a chuckle escaping his lips. “I don’t think I could handle the two of you at once.”

“I don’t think you could either…” She grasped his hips and pulled him against her, both of them groaning as he slid deep inside her, “...but I would’ve loved to see you try.”

Their cries echoed through the space as he thrust into her with all the passion he’d been trying and mostly failing to hold back for the past months of the ill-fated engagement tour. Her body arched off the ground, meeting his intensity with every movement.

She screamed his name as she came hard, electricity buzzing through her body with every touch of his lips against her skin as he gasped and grunted through his own orgasm. He collapsed onto the ground next to her, laughing.

“I’m glad you came up here with me tonight.”

[hollands-poppet]

WISE GUY PT 6 LAST PART/ MOB! TOM HOLLAND X READER

Summary: you’re studying abroad with school when you suddenly find yourself at the hands of one of London’s most powerful mobsters.

Word count: 2.5K 💛

Warnings: SLIGHT FLUFF, ANGST, BLOOD, VOILENCE, DEATH..

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Epilogue 

-

-

I hug Tom hard, my arms around his neck. I kiss under his ear, and kiss his cheek til my lips reach his lips.

I let this kiss last, I had this weird feeling inside. I really took in his smell of his cologne, his grip and his beautiful smile. I pulled away and tap his nose, “I’ll see you soon,” and as he holds me by the waist, he responds, “I’ll be with you in no time, poppet.”

And with that I walked with Tom to the entrance of his mansion, Alex and Haz finished having their moment. We don’t want to leave our men but we knew we would all be reunited soon, and in LA it was going to be great.

I was going to show Tom around my city, and we were gonna be happy. We were going to go to the beach, go to Hollywood, see shows, and just be together. We would stay in LA for two weeks, come back to London and start building our life together. We would get another dog so that Tessa would always have company. 

Tom would propose to me in a year, our wedding would almost be as extravagant as the royal wedding. In exchange for my heart, Tom would give me his heart, and the world. We would have kids, make Alex the godmother of one of them and we would name one of them Cesar in his honor.

I was excited for what was going to become of my life, had I only known what was to come next... maybe I should’ve held my breath a bit longer.

I hold Tom’s hand lightly as I start to take one step down the stairs, I turn back “Promise you’ll make it back to me.” He holds on until he can’t hold on to my hand anymore, “I promise [Y/N], I love you.”

I smile, I feel my heart beating faster and slower at the same time, “I love you too, Tom.” Alex tugs my shoulder, “Come on we’re gonna miss our flight. Bye Haz, Love you!”

I look back at Harrison who makes a face, I feel like this is the first time he hears Alex say this. He responds with an I love you too. We both get into Harry’s car, I roll down my window and keep contact with Tom.

Tessa appears next to Tom and starts barking wildly. Tom breaks his contact to shush Tessa and that’s when I become unsettled.

-

-

I’m sitting in the front sit with Harry when I notice it. I notice a call coming from a name that I knew was dangerous.

I want to call Tom on my burner phone that he bought but I knew something was going to go down. I had to get Alex and I out of this. Now I know who was relaying information to the person who killed Cesar, to the people who were hunting Alex and I down.

I let Harry take the call, he answers with a couple yes and no, and that he would see them soon. He puts the phone down and that’s when I ask, “How long have you been doing this?”

He tries to play off the question, “I don’t know what you’re talking about [Y/N],” he says as I make eye contact with Alex in the rear view mirror.

“Don’t act dumb,” I start reaching for my burner phone slowly when he pulls his gun out at my temple. He starts to laugh at me, “Don’t fucking move. I don’t owe you shit.” Alex starts to yell, she’s probably so confused and scared shitless.

Harry yells, “SHUT UP.” And that really does quiet Alex in a heart beat, and I press my lips together. Fuck that. I’m not scared anymore, “Why would you do this to your own blood?” I’m disappointed in him, I couldn’t believe his own family would do this.

He keeps his gun at my temple while he drives with his right hand, “Tom was always greedy with the power. It’s my turn now.” I begin to shed tears, I’m hoping I can get out of this one. It’s all happening so fast. 

And with that, Harry knocks me out by banging his gun against my head.

-

-

I wake up to a thumping headache, my vision is slightly blurry. I feel liquid pulling down my eyelids, I keep blinking til my eyes are able to clear what’s in front of me.

I see slight red liquid on my eyelash, whatever is running down my face has to be blood. I feel my arms sore and my wrist are on fire. I look up to see my hands are tied and the rope is tied to the ceiling. I’m barely on my tiptoes, I look in front of me and see Harry and a blonde woman.

The blonde from the photo. Germanotta’s daughter. She’s taking photos of me, I look down to see cuts and bruises forming on my body. I’m only in my undergarments. I let out a slight moan of pain, “What do you guys want?” The blonde walks up to me and puts a knife under my chin, “I want Tom’s power.”

I look up from the ground into the blonde’s eyes, “Then what do you want with me?” She smiles devilishly, “You’re the only thing that’s going to bring him down here.” She pulls out her phone, and FaceTimes Tom, the ring takes a moment until Tom answers.

Before she can speak, I yell “TOM DONT LISTEN TO HER, DONT COME HERE!” She slaps me across the face and tells me to shut the fuck up. My head is down, she slapped the life out of me.

I bring up my head as much as I can, and watch as she reveals herself on the phone, I hear Tom say her name, “GREY! HARRY! YOU FUCKERS.” Harry laughs at the phone and takes it from Grey, “Shouldve known I was working on the inside big bro,” He walks towards me and grabs me by my chin, “Look what I have here.”

He has the phone camera pointed at me, Tom can see me but I can’t see him. “I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU TOUCH HER-“ He let’s go of my chin forcefully and replies “What Tom? What you gonna do?” I’m losing life, I can feel it.

“JUST LET HER GO. I’LL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT.”

Grey takes the phone and laughs, “I want your power Tom, I want the power my father left to you instead of me.” I’m watching through the bloody hair in my face, I see while Grey is taunting Tom, Harry approaches me.

I make up enough strength to look ask him, “Where’s Alex?” He looks at his nail buds and then me, he takes a step closer and whispers “We took care of her, don’t worry.” And that was enough to spark enough energy, and I kick Harry straight in the balls.

Whether Alex was dead or alive, they’ve done something to her and I can’t do anything about it. I’m bleeding so much, I can only imagine the torture they’ve done to me when they knocked me out. This was a mess, I hear Grey laugh as she tells Tom what I did to Harry.

Tom ignores her and keeps pleading for my life, “Kill me, Grey. Leave her alone.”

I yell to Tom, “TOM DONT, DONT COME. SAVE YOURSELF.” And before I can hear a response, Grey hangs up on before I can hear him respond.

She taunts me, “Aw, poor baby,” she walks towards me and pushes my head up, “How sweet, wanting to sacrifice herself for the love of her life.” I frown st her, I can’t do anything other than just take her shit. She grabs my chin and pulls me into her close, I try to move my face but she brings it back to hers.

“If he’s smart, he’ll come alone.” I let out a light laugh, “He probably won’t.”

I spit in her face and she immediately socks me. I had a feeling I was going to die.I’m not mad at it though, I would rather Tom live than me. I would rather him kick the shit out of his brother and take Grey down than me. I couldn’t live without Tom, he was tougher than me. He could carry on stronger than I ever could. He was raised to deal with these situations.

I start to remember the conversation I had with Tom in his office, and how he would never leave this lifestyle. Tom knows it better than I do, and he can survive better than I can. He was born to be London’s most powerful mobster.

Harry stands up from the floor, “You little shit-” he raises his hand as if he were going to slap me but he’s stopped by Grey, “She’s had enough.” They both start to walk away, “She’ll be dead in no time.” That is the last thing I hear before they leave me hanging there in the dark room.

I have no idea where I am to be honest. I’m in a black room, with one light hanging above me. I hear drop after drop, as the puddle below me is growing. I’m in and out of it, I don’t know how long I’ve been here. I’m in pain though, my arms hurt and my tip toes are burning from trying to keep my arms at a comfortable position.

That’s when I hear it, I hear guns shoot consistently. The sounds getting closer as I hope to see Tom walk through those front doors. He’s gonna come in, he’s gonna give me good news that he killed Grey, that he took care of Harry and they found Alex. That was what I’m hoping for.

The guns are right by the door that lies ahead of me, I hear one last gunshot right by the door when I see the doorknob turn.

It’s Harrison. I mean still somewhat good news.

He stays at the door and puts his index finger to his lips, signaling me to keep quiet. I didn’t even have enough energy to scream, he comes up to me and starts untying me. “You’re okay, [Y/N]. We’re gonna get you out of here.”

Once he unites me I immediately fall into his arms, I don’t even hug him because I can’t. My arms are aching from being up for so long, I can’t stand because feet hurt from being on my toes. I manage to let out a something so quiet he barely hears me, “Haz.. find Alex please..”

His eyes widen, he must’ve been looking for her while looking for me. I feel terrible, he was probably hoping to see Alex instead of me just like how I was hoping to see Tom instead of him. He sits me on the floor, and I tell him to go look for Alex, he tells me that he can’t. That he needs to protect me.

I’m in my own puddle of blood while Harrison is trying to get me together, I let out a slight cough, “Haz, I’m already dying...just go. Tom will understand.” And with that Haz gives me the biggest hug, his whole suit is bloodied up. I tell him I love him while he runs out of the room.

I sit on the floor and bring myself to my knees. I don’t have a lot of strength and I fall forward, I land on my forearms, I have no strength at this point.

As I stay in this dog position, I hear more gunshots. I hear running towards my room, this is it. Tom was gonna save me. I hear feet scramble towards me, and instead of an embrace I am pulled up roughly by my hair.

It’s Grey. She gets me in a choke hold position, and puts her gun to my temple. In a matter of seconds, I see Tom at the door. He is pointing his gun in our direction. He is horrified by what he sees. His queen now in this horrible compromising situation.

While I stare at Tom, I just go through all our old memories together. The first day I met him, the first time we interacted, how careless and how happy I was to be with him. I’m not mad at him. This isn’t his fault, I should’ve never brought up leaving to LA. This is how I knew that I loved him with all I had.

His gun is shaking, “Let [Y/N] go..now..” he starts putting his gun down slowly, “Take me, Grey. Please just stop hurting her.”

I let out a sigh, “ Tom...I’m begging you don’t give in,” I’m holding onto Grey’s forearm, I’m concentrating on this moment, this was the last time I was ever going to talk to Tom, stranger turned best friend. The man who called me a whore but was still able to swipe me off my feet. Ironic but it was true. I wanted to apologize, I wanted to give him one last hug.

Whether Tom gave in or not, I was going to die anyway. I had to make sure he lived, “Tom.. don’t be dumb..” he stops lowering his gun.

Grey laughs, “You should listen to your “poppet”, she’s smart unlike you.” She pushes the gun harder against my temple.

I spit out blood that’s salivating in my mouth, “You know she’s still gonna kill me after she’s done with you.” Her choke hold is getting tighter, I feel my oxygen slowly being cut off, “I love you Tom.” I don’t speak anymore, I can’t. I can’t even hold myself up right anymore.

Tom holds his gun right up, while Grey is enjoying every single moment of this.

She yells at him, “I’ve been working towards this moment for the past 4 years!”

Tom scoffs, “You haven’t won yet, don’t get too excited.” Harrison and a few other guards appear at the door, and all hold up their guns at Grey. I could see slightly through my blurry vision, there are about six of them including Tom with their guns drawn at her.  

She seems defeated, I can’t tell. Her chokehold is only getting lighter, my oxygen is coming back. “Your men don’t scare me Holland, at least I’ll be able to take something away from you just like you took my family’s power.” Grey pulls the trigger.

The last thing I hear is Tom’s voice yelling “NOOOO!” My hair is pulled back by Grey, I look at Tom and memorize his face as fast I…

-

-

OMGGGGG guys, I swear writing this series has been so amazing. I loved every moment of it. I hope you guys don’t hate me for this ending. If I get enough feedback that requests an epilogue I’ll write one. I tried to portray this story as accurately as I could to what would really happen to someone that gets in involved with the mob. Love y’all, hope to hear for some feedback.! -Amy 💛

Taglist: @highladyjel @bubbles1642 @princesssparklesxo @ladybirduris@arctltaylor@its-justmaya @onceitoowasinnocent @stargirlish2@philophobiamaniac@nightfallparker @sarah-moss2015 @yourwonderbelle@chennyetomlinson@omalleysreads @angry-kylo @rileywinchester09@queenofhawkins@imjakeharrison @completefictionaltrash @hollandsglamour@hollandsmuse @abbytheninja @justmesadgirl​

[fortheloveofpearlet]

Straightjacket Feeling - Pearlet [Chapter 13 - Final]

A/N - The final chapter is here! This was originally meant to be a chapter and a short epilogue but honestly I’ve lost the will to live with this fic so I just want it to be over now! Hope you’ve enjoyed! The rest of Wilting Flowers will be being posted soon :)

Chapter 13

Crawling Back to you.

Matt was getting dressed when Jason woke up the next morning. He looked like a man that was imminently going to be led to his death, not a man getting married today. Jason took a second to just watch him. He wanted to take him all in, the way he looked, the way he moved, every inch of him. He sighed lightly, this was so fucking hard knowing he wasn’t going to see Matt again but he knew it would be for the best in the long run. 

‘Planning on running out on me again?’ Jason croaked and Matt spun around to look at him a little guilty.

'I thought it might be easier that way you know? I don’t know if I can do the whole long drawn out goodbye thing. Not with you.’ Matt shrugged sadly. Jason slipped out of the bed and put his boxers on.

'But I haven’t even given you your wedding present.’ He went to his wardrobe and rummaged in the back.

'Jay you should not have gotten me a wedding present.’ Matt sighed. Jason pulled out a tattily wrapped gift and blew dust off of it. 

'Well it’s more of a belated graduation present actually. I’ve had this wrapped up for five years, we were on such bad terms when you graduated I didn’t want to give it to you. But here.’ Jason’s hands were shaking as he handed it over to Matt. Matt’s hands were shaking too as he gently tore the paper away. A smile sprang to his lips and tears to his eyes as he looked at the item in his hands. He looked back at Jason.

'You got me the Pearl Liaison tank top I asked you for.’ A small tear rolled down his cheek.

'Not exactly. That’s mine. I couldn’t afford to buy you one back then.’ Jason laughed a little but it was a sad laugh. Matt held the garment close to his chest.

'Thank you.’ He sniffed. 

'Never forget me yeah?’ Jason stepped closer and wiped Matt’s tears from his cheeks.

'I couldn’t even if I tried.' 

'Be happy Matt, that’s all I ask for. Always be fucking happy ok?' 

'I’ll try Jay, I’ll really try.’ Matt pressed his lips to Jason’s in a magical yet sad kiss. 

'Goodbye Matthew.’ Jason sniffed feeling his tears brimming. Matt nodded sadly and stroked Jason’s cheek one last time.

'Goodbye Jason.’

'Matt?’ Jason sniffed. 

'Yes Jason?' 

'Do you think there’s an alternate universe somewhere where an alternate Jason and Matt made things work?’ His lip quivered. Matt smiled through his tears.

'God I hope so pumpkin, and I hope they are deliriously happy together.' 

'I’m sure they are.’ Jason croaked. Matt made his way to the door and opened it but before he stepped out he turned back to Jason.

'Oh and by the way, a Violet Kiss is just equal parts amaretto and cherry liquor, topped up with coke and tiny dash of lime. You know, in case you’re ever missing me.’ Matt smiled sadly.

'That’s it?’ Jason chuckled a little. 'All these years that’s been driving me crazy and that’s all that’s in it?’

'I never said it was special.’ Matt shrugged. Jason bit his lip.

'It was to me.’ He whispered.

'Then my work here is complete.’ Matt sniffed. Clutching his present in his arm he blew Jason a kiss and closed the door on them forever, both physically and metaphorically. Jason collapsed and cried in a ball on the floor. Pain consumed his entire body and it didn’t take long for his eyes to flutter closed as the world closed in on him.

——————————–

Matt managed to sneak into the grand old building without anyone noticing. He’d found the suite where his tux was waiting for him. He’d showered and changed and was working on his tie when the door flung open.

'Oh my fucking god where the hell have you been?’ Jake yelled, slapping him on the back. 'I’ve been calling, I’ve been calling everyone you fucking know! Where the fuck did you disappear to last night? I’ve been having to lie to Court, I had to tell her that yes we had a great night last night and yes Matt’s feeling fine and no he’s not nervous at all. I almost didn’t think you were going to show!’ Jake fumed. Matt rolled his eyes and continued to work on his tie in the mirror.

'I almost didn’t.’ He shrugged. 

'That’s cold feet. You’ll be fine. Are you gonna tell me where you were?' 

'It’s not cold feet Jake.’ Matt turned to face his friend. 'I don’t love her.' 

Jake pulled a face, shaking his head.

'Nerves dude, that’s all. Don’t be crazy. And stop ignoring my ques-’

'I’m not being crazy! I don’t fucking love her! I don’t think I ever have.’ Matt sighed, getting agitated with his tie he tugged it off and threw it to the floor.

'What the hell is going on? Where were you last night?’

'I was with someone else!’ Matt blurted out even though he wasn’t sure he’d meant to say that. 

'What the fuck?’ Jake gasped. 'No way man you’re lying.' 

'Why would I lie about that?’ Matt raised his eyebrow at him. 'I was with someone else, I’m in love with someone else! Fuck I don’t know what I was thinking proposing to Court! I’ve always loved him, I’m such an idiot! I can’t go through with this, I need to speak-’

'Him?’ Jake cut him off when he realised what he’d said. Matt froze. Had he just come out? He hadn’t meant to let that slip.

'Uhm…well the thing is…’

'Oh my god.’ Jake stopped him again. 'It’s Jason isn’t it?’

'What?’ Matt scoffed. 'No, why would you think that?’

'It all makes so much fucking sense now.’ Jake mused. 'I’ve always seen the way he looks at you but I thought it was just some crush. That night you hit him, he was said something about you not seeming straight and something about your dick! He vanished last night but we assumed he’d gone home. And he was the only person I called last night that didn’t answer. You were with Jason!’

'Fuck.’ Matt shook his head. 'Yeah, yeah I was.' 

'You and Jason?’ Jake looked dumbfounded. 'How long?' 

Matt fell to one of the chairs in his suite and ran his fingers through his hair.

'It feels like forever.’ And then he told Jake the whole story from the beginning right up until their painful goodbye this morning. 

'Holy shit.’ Jake exhaled when Matt was done. 'I had no fucking idea.’

'That was kind of the point. But he doesn’t want me anymore Jake, I told him to just say the word and I would leave Courtney but he said he couldn’t forgive me after I hit him and I don’t blame him. So now I’m never going to see him again, and it’s fucking killing me.’

'This is a lot to take in.’ Jake exhaled heavily again and stared at Matt. 'You know you can’t marry Court right? It’s not fair on either of you.’

'I know.’ Matt bit his lip. 'I need to find her and talk to her.' 

'I’ll be here when you come back.’ Jake patted his friend on the shoulder as he got up.

'Thanks Jake.' 

'What are friends for?' 

——————————–

Matt felt like he had the weight of the entire world on his shoulders as he went in search of Courtney. He felt fucking horrible, he was going to break her heart on their wedding day. But he knew if he didn’t do it now, he would regret it the rest of his life. Jason had been right, just because he didn’t want him, didn’t mean he had to marry Courtney. He wished he realised that before today, anything would have been better than being the guy that left his fiancé on their wedding day. But he couldn’t live a lie anymore. He came to a stop outside the door to Courtney’s suite. He took a few really deep breaths. His hands were shaking. He just hoped when he came face to face with her he didn’t lose his nerve. He knocked on the old oak door.

'Court, it’s me. We really need to talk. I know its bad luck and all that bullshit for me to see you but this can’t wait.’ He opened the door. His heart stopped beating. Matt felt a white hot rage burning inside of him in an instant. His vision blurred a little; sounds around him became distant. The walls felt like they were closing in on him.

'Matt, oh my god!’ Courtney exclaimed although Matt couldn’t really hear her. Her cheeks turned red as she pulled her panties up and her beautiful off-white vintage wedding dress down. The other man in the room turned his back Matt, presumably tucking away his dick that had just been inside Matt’s fiancé. 'Matt, say something.’ Courtney spoke again but Matt still didn’t hear her. He felt nauseous all of a sudden and he bolted from the room towards the nearest exit. He threw himself outside, a wave of fresh air hitting him. He doubled over and vomited in the grass several times. Courtney was having an affair. Courtney was fucking some guy on their wedding day. And Matt knew he had no right to be mad, he was just as bad as she was. Once he’d emptied his stomach of its contents he fell back to the steps he’d just run down and lit a cigarette. He felt oddly numb. He heard the door open behind him and he felt her sit down next to him. He said nothing. He didn’t even look at her.

'I’m so sorry Matt.’ She was crying. Matt couldn’t bring himself to.

'Who is he?’ Matt’s voice sounded devoid of any emotion, creepily robotic.

'My yoga instructor.’ She sniffed. 

'How long?’

'Does it matter?’

'How long?’ He repeated as though he hadn’t heard her. He heard her blow her nose before she spoke.

'I don’t know, a few months I guess. After you proposed you became so weird and distant. I thought any day you were going to tell me you’d changed your mind. You didn’t take an interest in the wedding plans, you were always out at the bar with the guys and even when you were home you weren't really there. I needed someone and that’s when I met Diego.' 

Matt continued dragging on his cigarette, staring straight ahead. Courtney had no idea what he was thinking.

'I guess that makes us even then.’ He croaked, he sounded like he’d swallowed sand paper.

'What do you mean?’ She put her hand on his leg and finally turned to look at her.

'I’ve been cheating on you too.’ He told her in such a dead pan fashion. He hadn’t been planning on telling her why he was leaving her because he didn’t think it was fair to tell her the gory details. But it didn’t matter now. 'With a man.' 

Courtney gasped and put her hands to her face. 

'What?’ She was staring at him wide eyed in shock. Matt took another drag.

'Jason.’ He told her again in such a robotic way. Courtney gasped again and shook her head.

'No, this is a joke right?’ Her mascara was running down her cheeks and her false eyelash looked as though it was going to come loose. Matt simply shrugged.

'Nope, no joke.’ He tossed the cigarette but lit another one immediately after.

'Oh my god.’ Courtney muttered. 'Well that’s ok, so we’ve both done some bad things. Like you said we’re even now, so it doesn’t mean we can’t get still get married right?’ She forced a smile and took hold of Matt’s free hand.

'I don’t love you.’ Matt said with another shrug and pulled his hand free. 'I’m in love with Jason. Always have been.’ He turned away from her and looked out into the distance again. 'I was coming to tell you that it was over.’

'You were going to end things on our wedding day?’ She sounded outraged, Matt just scoffed.

'That’s worse than you fucking another guy on our wedding day?' 

'We can work this out Matt, I love you.' 

'You’re not listening to me!’ Suddenly Matt found himself raising his voice. 'I love Jason! I need Jason! Jason is the only person I’ve ever felt this way about and I actually feel as though I am dying inside not being able to be with him. I was so concerned about you finding out about us that I punched him just so he wouldn’t confess anything. And because of that he never wants to see me again. I pushed him too far! I’m nothing without him. He means the whole fucking world to me and I messed everything up.’ He tried to stand up but he felt too weak and he collapsed to the grass in tears. Courtney came over to his side, lifted her dress a little and knelt next to him.

'I had no idea.’ She cautiously rubbed his back as he sobbed.

'You weren’t supposed to. It’s too fucking late, I ruined everything. I can’t even put into words what that man means to me, he is literally my everything. He is my ray of light of a cloudy day, he’s the anchor that helps steady me when things get rough. He’s my sun and my moon and all the fucking stars in the sky and I fucked it all up because that’s just what I do isn’t it?’ He was yelling a little but the anger was directed at himself. 'You don’t want to hear all this, I’m sorry.’ He shook his head. Courtney continued to rub his back.

'It’s not great hearing the man you were about to marry talking about the person he loves no, but I care about you Matt, I only want you to be happy.’ She cupped his face and wiped his tears away. 'Maybe I should have known. There’s always been something between you and Jason, and I always had a slight suspicion that you were never fully in this. Is it because of Jason you were so upset when we first met?’

Matt bit his lip and nodded.

'Look Matt, maybe we were destined to fail from the beginning. I guess we were never meant to be together. And that hurts because I do love you, but I think you need to tell Jason how you feel about him.’

'He knows.’ Matt wailed. 'And he doesn’t care.' 

Courtney half-smiled at him and pointed at something over his shoulder.

'I wouldn’t be so sure.’ She whispered. Matt swallowed and turned to look over his shoulder. Jason was stood awkwardly scuffing his shoe in the grass. Matt turned to look at Courtney who gave him an encouraging nod.

'I’m not going to stand in your way anymore Matt.’ She stood up and helped him up and kissed his cheek. 'Don’t make all this for nothing.’ She whispered in his ear and then although it hurt like hell, she left them alone. Matt wiped his tears on the sleeve of his suit jacket before turning back to look at Jason.

'You’re wearing a suit.’ Matt croaked.

'Yeah well I thought jeans and a tank were too casual for a wedding.’ Jason shrugged.

'I thought you weren’t coming?' 

'I wasn’t but I couldn’t stop feeling guilty. We’ve been friends a long time now and it didn’t seem fair for me not to be here. I had to put all my feelings aside and tell myself that no matter what I knew you wanted me here. Even if it killed me to do so.’ Jason sighed. 

'How did you know I was here?’ Matt raised an eyebrow at him.

'The alters like right there.’ He pointed behind the building. 'We could hear crying and stuff but I think everyone was too polite to say anything about it. And then Jake comes down in a panic looking for you. He told me you were going to leave Courtney. And that’s when I realised it was you I could hear crying.’ Jason shrugged. 'You left her?’

'Yeah. Well I mean I was going to leave her but then I walked in on her fucking Diego the yoga instructor and it all kind of fell apart. I told her about you, I told her everything.’

'I know I heard.’ Jason scuffed his shoe in the grass again. 'Did you mean all those things you said about me?’ He asked shyly.

'Of course I fucking did! That stuff I said doesn’t even scratch the surface of how I feel about you! Since the day I first laid eyes on you Jason, I was captivated. I had no idea what it was about you, but I always knew there was something. It was like magic, this spark ignited inside of me every time I looked at you. It still does.’ Matt stepped closer to Jason and took hold of his hands. He felt them shaking as held them. 'Jason, I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. What I did to you, there is no excuse for that. But do you think that maybe, in time you could grow to forgive me?’ Matt was staring intently at Jason and Jason felt a tremble down his spine. 

'No.’ Jason sighed. 'Because the truth is, I’d already forgiven you.' 

'What? But…you said-’

'I know.’ Jason cut him off. 'I know what I said but it was a lie. When you told me you’d leave Courtney for me, I didn’t believe you. I didn’t want to say yes, leave her and be with me because I didn’t think you ever would. I didn’t want to set myself up for a fall again.’ Jason shrugged, his bottom lip quivering a little.

'I would have done it. I have done it.’ Matt squeezed his hands. 'Be with me. I love you Jason and I can’t bear to be apart from you for another minute. I’ve got a lot of making up to do, all those years of lost time to account for. But I want to spend the rest of my life showing you just what you mean to me.’ Matt let go of Jason’s hands and cupped his face gently. A tear escaped Jason’s eyes. 

'I’ve waited to hear you say that for so long.’ He sniffed as Matt’s thumb wiped away the tears. 'No more games? No more fucking bullshit drama? If we’re doing this, I’m in it for keeps Matt. If you want me, you better never fucking let me go.' 

'Never ever.’ Matt smiled and threw his arms around Jason’s neck pulling him in to the most passionate kiss either of them have ever had. 

'I love you pumpkin.’ Matt stroked Jason’s cheek when the kiss broke.

'I love you too Matty.’

Crawling back to you.

——————————–

'I still don’t think this is fair.’ Jason sighed sipping his fruity cocktail as he stretched out on his sun lounger. 'This was supposed to be Courtney’s honeymoon too.’

Matt sat up and dug his toes in the warm sand.

'You’ve been going on about this for almost two weeks Jay.’ He chuckled reaching over to stroke his boyfriends arm. 'She gave up the right to a honeymoon when I caught her fucking Diego the day of our wedding.’

'Oh 'cos you’re so innocent?’ Jason teased sitting up also. 'May I remind you that you were fucking me the night before your wedding?’

'Yeah well I paid for the honeymoon so I think I should get to take who I want.’ Matt leaned forward and kissed Jason. 

'Hmm ok.’ Jason gave in. 'What do you want to do today? It’s our last full day, I thought maybe we could go on a boat trip or go scuba diving or something?’ Jason put his hands on Matt’s thighs. 'Or…we could spend all day fucking in as many places as possible?’ His eyes went dark with lust. Matt bit his lip, God he would like that a lot. But he had things to do.

'As much as I would love to fuck you all over this island, I have some things I need to take care of.’ Matt kissed him softly before standing up and putting his t-shirt on.

'Things? What things? We’re on vacation!’

'I know, I know. It’s kind of a surprise though so if I told you, it would ruin it.' 

'You’re leaving me alone on our last day?’ Jason pouted. 

'It’ll be worth it I promise.’ Matt stroked his hair and kissed his head. 'Meet me back here at sunset.' 

'Vague.’ Jason rolled his eyes. 'Ok, I guess I’ll just work on my tan.' 

'We’ve been here two weeks and you’re still as pale as the day we left babe. I think you could sunbathe on the actual sun and not get a tan.’ Matt laughed and Jason slapped his ass.

'Not all of us can be beautiful sun kissed gods like you.' 

'It’s true.’ Matt beamed. 'I’ll see you this evening ok? Behave.’ He bowed his head and kissed Jason again. Jason grumbled and fell back to the lounger as Matt walked away. He didn’t like secrets, god knows they’d kept enough of them over the years. He felt a little uneasy. He sipped his cocktail and tried to ignore it.

——————————–

After a day of sitting on the beach and catching absolutely no sun on his pale skin Jason went back to their beach bungalow. Over the last two weeks they had christened every inch of this bungalow; it would probably have to be sterilised once they left. When he reached the room there was a clothes bag hanging on the door. Jason frowned and took it inside. He laid it on the bed and saw the handwritten note pinned to it. 

Put this on and meet me down by the shore. Tonight will be a night you never forget pumpkin. 

Jason blushed, he always did when Matt called him pumpkin. He unzipped the clothes back and inside was a pair of white linen trousers and a matching white linen jacket. Jason frowned a little, he certainly wouldn’t have picked this out for himself. But Matt wasn’t here for him to argue about it. He showered and tried on the trousers, they didn’t look as bad as he thought they would if he were honest. He scrutinised the jacket.

'What am I supposed to wear under it Matt?’ He muttered under his breath, shaking his head. He decided on his Violet Chachki tank top as it was black and not overly gaudy and worked well with the rest of the outfit. He tied his hair back in a bun and decided to go barefoot, he was going to miss the feeling of the sand beneath his feet when they went home and he wanted to make the most of it. 

——————————–

As the sun began to set Jason nervously left the bungalow. He had no idea what to expect and it made his stomach churn in anticipation. He made his way back down to their secluded spot on the beach they had spent most of their time on for the past two weeks. He stopped frozen to the spot for a second when he got there. There was an illuminated path of candles down the beach coming to a stop a wooden archway by the shore. The archway was covered in violets and underneath it stood a few faces he recognised and one he didn’t. Jason’s whole body was shaking as he walked between the two rows of candles towards Matt. Matt had a large smile on his face and he wore matching linens to Jason and under the jacket he wore the Pearl tank Jason had given him. Jason’s eyes were already welling up as he took in the other people gathered around the archway. On one side Kurtis, Jake and the Brian’s all had similar darker linens on and smiles on their faces. Matt’s parents were on the other side, his mother in a long flowing violet coloured dress and matching bouquet of flowers in her hands and his father had on the same coloured linens as their friends. Next to Matt’s mom was the biggest surprise: Jason’s own mother. She had a matching dress and flowers to Mrs Lent and she had the biggest smile on her face and tears behind her eyes. There was a man Jason didn’t know stood under the arch. He turned to Matt as his tears started to fall.

'No.’ Jason sniffed. 'No this isn’t happening.' 

Matt beamed and stepped closer, taking hold of Jason’s hands.

'Some people might think this is too soon and it’s crazy but I don’t care. We’ve been going round and round in circles for almost six years now Jason and honestly, I can’t wait another second to start the rest of my life with you.’ Matt got down on one knee in the sand and Jason’s tears fell heavier. He pulled the ring box from his pocket and opened it. 'Jason Dardo, you are the love of my life, I still don’t know what I did to deserve you. But would you make me the happiest man alive and marry me? Like right now?’ Matt’s own tears had started to fall. The ring was simple yet elegant and it made Jason’s breath catch in his throat.

'You are absolutely insane.’ Jason laughed through his tears. 'But that’s just one of the many things I love about you. Of course I’ll marry you, you dork!’ He screeched. Matt slid he ring on Jason’s finger and Jason pulled him up for a kiss. 'I can’t believe you did all this.’ Jason wiped his tears away before wiping Matt’s. He looked over at his friends who were still smiling at him and then at his mom who was crying now. 

'Only the best for you.’ Matt took hold of Jason’s hand and led him towards the archway where the pastor was stood. 'Hang on, I just need to do one thing.’ Matt reached up and gently pulled Jason’s hair from its bun. Jason shook his hair out and Matt was beaming. 'Much better.’ He whispered. 

'Ladies and gentlemen we are gathered here today to witness the joining together of Matthew James Lent and Jason Dardo.’ He spoke. Matt squeezed Jason’s hand when he felt the younger boy shaking. 'Do you have your vows?’

'Oh god I knew I’d forget something.’ Matt chuckled. 'I’ll give this a go. I’m not great at thinking on my feet but here we go.’ He took a deep breath and turned to face Jason holding both his hands. 'Jason, I’ve told you this before but from the moment I first laid eyes on you I knew there was something magical about you. It took me a while to figure out that thing I was feeling, was love. But we all know I can be a little slow at times.’ He chuckled so did the others. 'I love you because you make me feel like I have a purpose. You give me a reason to get up in the morning, and that reason is to protect you. I love you because you make me feel alive, you make me feel as though I can conquer anything as long as I’m by your side. I love the way you cling so tightly to me when you’re sad and the way you smile so brightly that you light up entire rooms when you’re happy. Most of all, I love that you are finally mine. We had a lot of ups and down getting here, more downs than ups, but I honestly wouldn’t change a single thing. I think sometimes we have to weather the storm to really appreciate the sun. And you Jason Dardo, are my sun. I love you with every little piece of my being, always have and always will.' 

Jason’s tears had come back full throttle as he listened to Matt’s speech. He even heard Kurtis sniff behind him. Jason shook his head and squeezed Matt’s hand. 

'You fucking asshole.’ Jason chuckled. 'Sorry mom.’ He added, giving her a soft smile. 'This is never going to sound as good, I’m rubbish with words, we’re not even married and you’re already showing me up.’ Jason wiped his tears and took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself. 'I love you for so many reasons that if I were to say them all we would all die of old age so I’ll try and keep this short and sweet. I love you because you make me feel safe. No matter what happened between us, you’ve always made me feel so, so safe. I always felt like when I’m with you, I’m a better Jason. I’m happier, I’m more confident, I’m just an all-around better version of myself because of you. If I’m being honest, a few weeks ago I had finally lost all hope in us. All these years I’ve clung to this tiny shimmer of hope that one day we’d work this out and we’d be able to be together. But the morning you left me to go to her, I thought that was finally it, that was finally the end of our story. But my mom always used to tell me, it’s not over unless there’s a happy ending. I guess she was right after all. This is the happy ending I’ve always dreamt of, but really, this is just the beginning for us. I love you Matt, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of our story has in store for us.’ Jason was amazed he managed to keep his tears at bay. Matt hadn’t, he was crying now so Jason wiped his tears for him.

'Who has the rings?’ The pastor asked the line of men. Jake and Kurtis stepped forward. Jake handed Matt one of the rings.

'Repeat after me.’ The pastor told Matt what to say. Matt bit his lip and swallowed before repeating his words. 

'I call upon these people here present to witness that I Matthew James Lent take you Jason Dardo to be my lawfully wedded husband. I give you this ring as a token of our love and friendship, as a symbol of all that we share and in recognition of our life together.’  Matt slid the ring onto Jason’s finger. 'You’re stuck with me now.’ Matt added and chuckled a little. Jason rolled his eyes but he was smiling.

'Now your turn Jason.’ The pastor motioned for Kurtis to hand Jason Matt’s ring which he did. Jason took a deep breath.

'I call upon these people here present to witness that I Jason Dardo take you Matthew James Lent to be my lawfully wedded husband. I give you this ring as a token of our love and friendship, as a symbol of all that we share and in recognition of our life together. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.’ Jason slid the ring on Matt’s finger. 

'In the presence of your friends, family and witnesses it gives me great pleasure to pronounce you husbands. You may now seal your vows with a kiss.' 

Jason grinned and grabbed Matt by the collar of his jacket and kissed him hard. Matt wrapped his arms around Jason tightly. 

'Alright guys get a room!’ Jake told them as the kiss got a little heated. 

'I now present to you Mr and Mr…uhm did you decide on a last name?’ The pastor asked them. Matt and Jason looked at each other for a few moments, communicating with their minds. When they spoke, they spoke in unison.

'Lent-Dardo.’ They chucked as they both spoke. 

'Ladies and gentlemen, I now present, Mr and Mr Lent-Dardo.’ Their audience cheered and confetti started raining down on them. Matt squeezed Jason’s hand again and started leading him down the candle lit path.

'Is this really happening? Did we actually just get married?’ Jason sniffed, shaking his head.

'We most certainly did Mr Lent-Dardo.’ Matt let go of his hand and wrapped his arm around his husband’s shoulders. 

'I wonder if alternate universe us are this happy?’ Jason mused. Matt pulled him to a stop and cupped Jason’s face. 

'Not a chance.’ He kissed him softly. 'There is no one in the universe that is happier than I am right now.’ He played with a strand of Jason’s hair. 'And you want to know the best part?’ Matt lowered his voice.

'What’s that?’ Jason asked him in equally hushed tones. Matt beamed that smile that would never fail to turn Jason’s legs to jelly and he kissed Jason’s cheek before placing his lips really close to the younger boys ear. 

'This is only the beginning.' 

Crawling back to you.