#this is probably another case of her getting an idea and just immediately rolling with it

[vamptastic]

i don't have a car and the bus runs on a really limited schedule on weekends so i normally just visit home every week or so and grocery shop with my dad (he does the shopping every weekend) and also fill my prescriptions and all that but this week for whatever reason my mom just texted me saying she'd refilled all my medication and is having it delivered to my apartment. odd.

[vixstarria]

Are you mine?

So I was initially going to do maybe 500 words worth of them being cute and cuddly, but then this happened. I have no control at this point, I am just the messenger. 

Astarion x F!Reader, Astarion x Tav, Astarion x Bard Tav, soft Astarion, Astarion POV 

Mostly fluff and comfort with a bit of hurt (Astarion’s past recollections), basically just pillow talk, cuddling, banter, non-explicit, no spoilers 

Very late Act 1 / early Act 2 (pre-confession). I’ve already written past this point earlier, but I think it’s such a fun time to return to for anything flirty, with Astarion being in love but being pissed off and / or in denial about it.  

Approximately 2,000 words 

AO3

Being able to get by with little sleep was both a blessing and a curse. In no time at all you were ready to take on whatever the day would throw at you. You were rested, alert, ready for battle. The downside? The amount of time you had to spend alone with your thoughts.   

You weren’t fully alone, not exactly. You laid on your side with your nose buried in her neck, one of your arms underneath the pillow, the other wrapped around her, your leg following the bend of hers like you were chasing her warmth, bare skin on bare skin, your bodies filling each other’s nooks so perfectly.  

You could have been up and doing something useful, you supposed, but you didn’t want to waste a precious second of being able to just hold her. 

You winced and sighed, having caught yourself on that thought.  

Pathetic idiot... 

The truth was, you knew you were living on borrowed time.  

Oh you toyed with the idea of amassing more tadpoles for more powers and seeing how long and how far you could take this, but in your heart of hearts you knew this was a lunatic idea. The absolute best-case scenario was that one way or another, the tadpole would be removed from your brain, removing all its benefits alongside it. 

Then, you would spend the rest of your eternal life in the shadows, forever looking over your shoulder in fear of being dragged back to Cazador.  

You would never see the sun again.  

You would probably never see her again.  

Suddenly feeling choked up, despite not really even needing to breathe, you pressed your lips against the small of her neck, pausing then landing a few more small, soft kisses along her shoulder. 

She stirred and rolled over onto her stomach, looking at you with a knowing smile through her mess of hair. 

Shit. 

“Oh... I thought you were asleep,” you said. 

“I know...” she replied, stretching lazily. “You only kiss me like that when you think I’m sleeping.” 

So many implications in that statement. Your mind immediately churned out a dozen ways to respond, deflecting, denying, joking or otherwise brushing it off. But you wanted to see where leaning into it might take you.  

“Do I..? Here, I’ll fix that.” 

You leaned toward her, placing a soft kiss on her lips. Just your lips brushing against hers, petal-soft. She closed her eyes and hummed in pleasure as you trailed your lips further along her skin, leaving featherlight kisses from the corner of her mouth further up the side of her face.  

You were careful to keep the kisses tender rather than sensual. Not something you were accustomed to, at all. She smiled and squirmed a little as your lips dipped below her jawline near her earlobe. 

“That tickles...” she murmured, making you chuckle.  

“My sweet girl,” you whispered, nuzzling her ear. 

Ugh, where in the hells did that come from..? you thought, startled. 

She noticed. Of course she noticed. 

She shifted onto her side, propping herself up with an elbow and resting her head on her hand.  

“Am I? Yours?” There it was again, that knowing, quizzical look.  

“Are you not?” you asked.  

“Hmm... How can I tell?” 

“Isn’t it obvious?” you flashed her a roguish grin, which she ignored. 

“Should it be? Is there something you’ve done to claim me as yours?” 

Her words might have stung, had her tone not been so playful rather than mocking. She was encouraging, not denying you.  

I don’t suppose she’s going to count all the unspeakable things we’ve done to each other. I guess I wouldn’t either. 

“Is that what you want me to do?” you asked, slowly tracing a finger down her arm.  

“That depends... Do you want me to be yours?” 

This conversation was idiotic. Why was it making you increasingly giddy? 

“Come now, we have been doing this for how long? Are we really going to be coy about whether or not we like each other?” you asked, trying to sound assured rather than flustered.  

She leaned forward, as if to reveal a secret for your ears only. 

“That’s not quite what we’re being coy about, now is it?” she whispered, before placing a lingering kiss on your lips.  

You were completely out of your depth in this kind of flirting, if one could call it that. Concentrating on the physical and sexual, dropping innuendos, hinting at promises you had no intention of keeping, teasing, arousing, adding in just the right amount of vulgarity to otherwise honeyed words to make them blush and stammer in trepidation... That you could do all day as an afterthought, all while mulling over something you had read earlier, or otherwise being a thousand leagues away with your thoughts.  

But this... It was like she was playing with and delicately caressing your innermost, rawest feelings, all whilst inviting you to do the same with hers. Sex was barely even a consideration. This was an entirely different dance. And it was exhilarating. 

Before you could think of what to say, she moved on. 

“You know, Lae’zel propositioned me earlier,” she said, briefly burying her face in her hands and shaking her head with a quiet, incredulous laugh.  

“She did what? ...And how did that go?” 

“It was very... Lae’zel. I wasn’t sure whether she was offering to kill me or fuck me at first. I had to politely decline.” 

“And you didn’t tell me?” you frowned. 

“Should I have?” She studied you with a curious look, resting her chin on her hands. “How would it make you feel? If I accepted her offer?”  

Like the whole world was pulled out from beneath my feet. Again. 

“You and Lae’zel? Hmm. Sounds like something I’d pay to watch.” 

“That’s not what I asked.” Her eyes seemed to be piercing straight into your soul. You had to quickly do a double-take on whether your tadpole might have been betraying anything to hers, before rebuking yourself. She wouldn’t pry like that.  

Your eyes roamed around the tent as you tried to assemble some words that weren’t too far from or too close to the truth. 

“Lae’zel is... exotic. Far be it for me to stand between anyone and such an... ‘outlandish’ experience. But I would prefer to have you all to myself, if it’s all the same to you. I don’t devote all that time to making sure that pretty head of yours stays on your shoulders just to have Lae’zel decapitate you in her throes of passion.” 

“That’s still not what I asked, but I’ll let it slide,” she rolled her eyes. “Getting a straight answer from you is like trying to seduce a blushing maiden.” 

“A riveting challenge?” 

“A tiresome one. That’s most likely not worth the effort.” 

How many blushing maidens have you seduced?   

“Alright, fine, I admit I might be a bit jealous. ...On top of being concerned for your wellbeing, darling.” 

“Just a bit jealous?” she teased. 

“Matters of honour would demand that I challenge her to a duel,” you sighed. 

“You have no honour. And she would crush you.” 

“I know. But I would die a hero’s death. Songs about me would live through the ages. ...You might need to write them for me.” 

“Sure, right after I wrote songs about how I conquered a githyanki,” she snorted. “Or perhaps songs about being conquered by one myself? I could spin it either way. Which do you think would stir more loins?” 

“I don’t know and my own loins are taking no part of this. Now are you going to keep talking nonsense, or will you go back to sleep already?” 

“Why, so you can sneak more tender little kisses on me?” she laughed. 

You didn't really want her to fall back asleep. Talking with her kept your darker thoughts at bay. What you did want, was to feel her wrapped around you again. 

“You know what? If you’re not going to sleep, you may as well carry on with your business, and I’ll meditate sitting up for a change.”  

You snatched the blanket from her, making her exclaim a sharp “Hey!” as the cold mountain air touched her bare skin, and wrapped it around yourself, settling in a cross-legged position. Moments later, she was on your lap, facing you with her legs wrapped around your hips. Just as you anticipated. You smirked and accepted her in your blanket cocoon, wrapping an arm around her waist and holding her close as you kissed her. 

“So, my blushing maiden,” she said as she leaned away from you, slightly, stretching her arms around your neck and resting her forearms on your shoulders. “It seems I have you backed up against a wall. I won’t force you – do what you will with your virtue. But you must decide. Will you give in willingly? Or deny me, and spend the rest of your life wondering: what if?” She leaned in to whisper the last two words dramatically. “I will ask you again: do you want me to be yours?” 

You wondered if she had any idea how apt that comparison really was to how you felt. 

Or how eerily similar it was to some of the tactics you yourself employed when luring in your victims. Hells, even the words were almost identical to some of the ones you’ve used. To make them surrender with reckless abandon, throwing all caution to the wind, blinded by your promises. Cattle rushing happily to the slaughter. 

You knew all this. You’d seen it countless times. But just then, you also saw there was no malice in her eyes. Only something like hope that she was trying to mask with mischief.  

Wherever she was leading you, you wanted to follow.  

“Fine,” you said softly, looking into her eyes. “I do want you to be mine. And no, I don’t want to share you with anyone.” You felt oddly elated as the words left your mouth. “I’d feel compelled to dismember any hand that touched you, so to give me a fair chance at survival, could you stay away from Lae’zel? Please?” 

She grinned and grasped your face in her hands, pressing her lips against yours. 

“Good girl,” she purred, still grinning, earning herself a sharp pinch on her bottom, making her jolt before she continued. “This leads me to my next question: do you want to be mine?” 

There it was. The trap beyond the lure. You saw it clear as day. And still, you wanted to follow her. 

“Darling, after the past 200 years, I’m really not disposed to letting anyone else claim ownership of me”. You watched her smile falter, and you hurriedly continued before it turned to sadness or disappointment, or worse, pity, and spread to her eyes. “But I just might make an exception for you… If the offer is mutual.” You took one of her hands in yours. “So, are you? Mine?” you asked, placing a kiss on her knuckles.  

Who’s backed against a wall now? 

"Of course I am. As if you even needed to ask.” She touched her forehead against yours before placing another kiss on your lips. Did she have to sound so triumphant saying that? “I am yours and no one else’s. Now you say it.”  

Ah, still me. 

Still, you fought hard not to laugh as a feeling of relief spread warmly throughout your body. You hadn’t even noticed how tense you were. 

“Alright, alright...” You cleared your throat and held a dramatic pause before continuing. “You are mine and no one else’s.” 

She let out an exasperated growl and grabbed and twisted one of your nipples. You chortled even as you yelped, grabbing the offending hand and holding it behind her back. She immediately made another attempt with her other hand, which you also successfully intercepted, now holding both her arms behind her. Refusing to give up, she went for your shoulder with her teeth, with a maniacal giggle, as you laughed and tried to fend her off with your chin.  

“Yes, I’m yours, I’m yours, you feral wildcat! I’m yours... Only yours.” you declared hastily into her hair somewhere near her ear, as she calmed down. “I mean it. Now behave! I always ask before I bite, don’t I?” you said, releasing her arms. 

She attempted to glare at you, her eyes narrowed, but couldn’t keep her face straight and broke into a grin again.  

“Well... Look at us...” she drawled, placing her arms back onto your shoulders. “Snatched up onto the nautiloid with nothing but the clothes on our backs, and now we’ve each got a whole other person.” 

She looked so pleased and happy... Why..? This couldn’t last. No matter how much you wanted it to. …Could it..?  

You were falling, deeper and deeper. 

My love... My sweet, sweet love... Where are you taking me? 

~~~~~ 

Next in series - Gentle warding bond

Want more of these two? There’s more. Series master list. 

AO3

[phosph-ate]

Tether

Dr. Phosphorus x GN!Reader

Rick is sent to collect someone from inside of seemingly haunted woods. He realizes he's bit off more than he can chew a little too late.

CW: violence, gun violence, swearing, canon divergence, no use of y/n

Word Count: 2k

A/N: they/them used for reader!! this veers away from the show. it is not set in it. it's just an idea i had and i want to run with it. it probably won't be too many parts/chapters. also, there is an oc in here, she is important to the story. just in case you have feelings about ocs! reader's abilities will be touched on more thoroughly next chapter! divider made by cafekitsune

The woods were considered haunted. They had not always been that way. In fact, they used to be beautiful and lively. But now, a heavy fog and dark shadows shroud them. Not a peep could be heard from inside once in them.

“This can’t be normal.”

“No, Phosphorus,” Rick sighed, “it fucking can’t be normal.”

Bride, Nina, and Weasel stood a little behind Phosphorus, who was directly behind Rick. After what seemed like an hour of trekking through the heavily wooded area, they stumbled upon a cabin.

“This is it.” Nina chimed in from behind them. “This is what the hunter described.”

“You all wait back here,” Rick begins to walk towards the cabin. “I’ll handle this for now.”

Phosphorus groaned but stayed put. The only one seemingly not antsy was Weasel. He stood there, patiently. Or as patiently as he could.

Rick walked onto the porch. He immediately noticed spots of blood scattered on it. The wood creaked loudly; it was very noticeable considering how silent the area had been. Before he could even knock the door was swung open. Someone who could not be older than sixteen stood in front of Rick. She was chewing, no smacking, some gum.

“Who the fuck are you?” The teenager looked Rick up and down, staring at him with distaste.

“I was about to ask you the same question.”

The girl peeked over Rick’s shoulder and noticed the group a little way from the porch. She rolled her eyes. “Well,” She stepped to the side. “I guess you can come in.”

“Huh?” Phosphorus was loud and confused. “You’re going to let some monsters into your home.”

“Not my home.” She shrugged. “Anyway, we’ve been expecting you.”

“We?” Bride asked. “Where is the owner?”

“Resting.” The girl seemed too calm. Rick hummed a response. The girl walked back to the couch and picked up a controller and continued playing some old game. “Any of you want to play with me?” She motioned to another controller. “We’ve got plenty of games! Diddy Kong Racing, Mario 64, and Donkey Kong!” She was excited to share. “I’m positive I’d kick all of your asses simultaneously at any of the games… But I’m not going to stop you from playing.”

Phosphorus looked down the hall. His head cocked to the side. “Where is the owner?” He sounded more assertive than Bride had earlier. “There is no way some kid is living out in these creepy woods by herself.”

“I said they’re resting.” The teenager snapped. “Now get your ass back in here. They don’t like people pokin’ around. I’d hate to see what would happen if they came out to you looking through their home.”

Phosphorus walked towards the steps and huffed. “We need to see them. Who are they? More importantly, who are you?” The doctor turned his head towards the girl.

“I’m Oli.” She gave her name quickly. “And I thought you knew who they were.” Oli mimicked Phosphorus’ huff. “Why else would you be here?”

“We’re here because people have been going missing in these woods. One man got away and was heavily traumatized.”

Oli went pale. “Not people.” She was short. She turned back to her game. She began to play again, and Phosphorus groaned.

“Look, kid!” He shouted. He started to walk towards Oli, and she froze. She went pale. A scream ripped from her throat, and she began to wail for something. For someone. A name Rick was not familiar with ripped through the air, straight from Oli’s lungs.

The house began to shift. The floor creaked and the lights flickered. The TV shut off and Oli fell off the couch and hit the floor, covering her face, still screaming.

“I’m not-” Phosphorus had no time to defend himself.

The wall behind the TV, closest to Oli, became covered in shadows. A black ooze dripped from the center of the wall. A loud crack, the crack of bones, came from the other side of the wall. Wind whipped outside and suddenly birds could be heard all around. The silence had been broken in the worst way possible.

Fingers creeped out from the wall, and then a hand was visible. It grabbed the wall, pulling whoever it belonged to out from the shadows. Bones continued to crack as whatever the fuck was coming from the shadows made its way into reality.

“What the fuck!?” Phosphorus screamed.

A distorted yell came from the person and once they dragged themselves from the shadows, they stood over Oli, protecting her. Their eyes were pitch black, no sclera, and their body cracked as they stood up straight.

“That must be the owner.” Nina said, eyes wide and full of shock.

You had been trying your best to replenish your energy. To recover from the earlier visit. But when you felt Oli’s fear and heard her screaming you could no longer rest. You pulled yourself together long enough to crawl out from your hiding spot.

When you stood over her fearful form and looked up to see the exact people she said would be paying you a visit you groaned.

“Oli,” Your voice was distorted. You peeked down at her before looking back around the room, assessing the situation. “You’re okay.” Your voice slowly returned to something more normal. “Aren’t these the people who you said were coming?”

“Yes.” She sat up and looked up at you with a smile. “They wanted to meet you!” She grinned, proud of herself.

“Excuse me?” You scoffed at her, “You just did all of that for me to come out? You couldn’t just say ‘Hey! The people from the fucking prophecy are here!’ That would be just as effective, Olympia.”

Oli stood up. “Do not call me Olympia.” She gave you a nasty look. “You are not my-” She paused. She took in a deep breath and looked at the TV. “Anyway,” She turned it back on, “I gotta restart my game now. Because you turned the TV off when you showed up.” Her voice was low. “Go take care of whatever the fuck they need you for.”

You narrowed your eyes at Oli and turned back to the group of people in your home. “Sorry about, uh, earlier,” You gave them a nervous smile. Your eyes had returned to their normal color, “unless of course you came to kill me. Then I’m not sorry and you will not be leaving this property-”

“We are not here to kill you. My name is Rick, and we are investigating the missing people-”

You interrupted him. “Missing? They’re where they belong. Those men were fucking evil.” You rolled your eyes. “I try to keep this place unreachable. And yet, some people just cannot help themselves.” You glanced towards Oli. “Look, I’ll let you all go. I’ll make a path for you. It’ll be safe. I’ll even let a little sun come in, but I’m not going anywhere. We aren’t going anywhere.”

Rick ran a hand through his hair. “That hunter that escaped, was he…-”

“Oh!” You waved a hand around, “He was just a hunter. Happened to see a little too much, but he seemed like a nice enough guy.” You walked towards your front door and opened it. “I hate that I didn’t get to know all of your names, but… goodbye!” You smiled widely at them and motioned for them to leave.

“No.” Rick stood his ground. “What the fuck are you two doing out here? You just have this kid out in the middle of nowhere, where are her parents?”

“Dead.” Oli looked back from the TV and at Rick. “My family is fucking dead.” She paused her game and stood up. “Did Waller not tell you that? Or did she not know?” Oli snapped. She walked past you and straight towards Rick.

“Who’s Waller?” You asked, while quickly placing yourself in the middle of her and Rick. “What are you not telling me, Oli?”

Rick looked down at Oli with the amount of confusion you seemed to be in. “We were not aware you were here. We were told to bring them,” he pointed to you, “in. That is the extent of our knowledge.”

Oli’s nails were digging into her palms. Something in her seemed to snap. “You are not doing that!” She snarled at Rick. You tried to calm her. “That is not- I didn’t see that! You’re supposed to help us!” She had tears in her eyes.

“Olympia!” You grabbed her face. “What are you talking about?”

Her eyes glazed over, and her knees buckled. You were quick to grab her and hold her up and keep her from hitting the floor.

“What is happening?”

You looked up to see the obviously irradiated skeleton speaking. “She- She’s-” You did not get to finish your sentence. Oli sucked in air harshly, and her eyes widened. She looked at you in fear. You felt every ounce of her fear. Your stomach flipped.

“Oli,” your voice was soft, “What did you see?”

“Me-” She sucked down a sob, tears filling her eyes. “Dead.”

You sat at the kitchen table with Oli. You had insisted your visitors leave, she insisted on them staying. Because of that, you had learned who each of them was. Bride, Dr. Phosphorus, Nina, and your personal favorite: Weasel.

You grabbed water for Oli and sat down beside her. “It could be nothing.” You tried to reassure her, keep her calm.

“My visions are never ‘nothing’.” Oli sipped on her water. She sighed and looked past you and at the group of people in your home. “I haven’t been telling you everything…” She shut her eyes tight and gripped the glass in her hand. “The people who are coming to these woods, they aren’t coming for me. They’re coming for you.” She looked at you with a scared look.

“Well,” Dr. Phosphorus clapped his hands together and began to walk towards you, “we’d better get you out of here then!”

“I can’t leave her!” You snapped at him.

At the same time, Oli whispered “I can’t leave them.” She sounded defeated.

“Why?” Nina cocked her head. “Do you not have anyone else?”

You were growing frustrated. “No!” You pulled Oli into your arms and stood over her as she sat at the table. “Her family is gone! She was wanted for her abilities. I took her in and she’s safe with me-”

“I’m their tether.” Oli sounded distant. You froze, arms falling slightly, but not leaving her sides. You were shocked she would give that information away so freely. “If I die-” She stopped talking and closed her eyes tight.

“What is she talking about?” Rick swallowed hard. Things got a lot harder if what she was saying was true.

“I’m their tether,” She repeated. “You know how when a baby duck imprints on, like, a human?” She looked back at the group of monsters standing in your home.

“What does that have to do with this?” Bride crossed her arms.

“We found each other in times of need. And somehow, their need was much greater than mine. I’m keeping them sort of… holding onto humanity.”

You were standing there silent. She was talking like you were not even there. So, you decided to speak up. “If she dies, I’ll feel it. And I’m afraid of what I will do.” You watched the group, face deadpan. “I’m not leaving here. We are both safe here.”

There was a heavy silence before Dr. Phosphorus spoke up. “That’s too fucking bad, we need you to come with us.”

You groaned. And then you felt it. Something was getting close to your cabin. Your hair stood on end, your head snapped towards the window behind you and walked towards it. Oli pouted, she knew what that meant by now. You tried to pinpoint where they were coming from. Your head began to pound.

“What are you do-”

The window shattered and a bullet flew through, hitting you straight in the forehead. You heard Oli scream. Her fear was palpable. She was at your side in a second. “There’s blood!” Oli wailed. “They can’t even bleed!” Her screams wrecked you. Everything went black.

[shogunish]

𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱.

synopsis. all you wanted was a nipple piercing and what you got on top of that was satoru's cum inside you, free of charge.

contents. reader has small boobs, piercing procedure, mentions of blood, so many pet names oh god (sweetheart, hun, baby, etc..), cunnilingus, semi-public sex, unprotected sex, groping, inappropriate aftercare for piercings lmao, unedited/not proofread, flirty satoru, ...

words. 3.5k

note. i haven't written smut in ages pls be gentle 🧍🏻‍♀️

comments and reblogs are highly appreciated! <3

Maybe it was a stupid idea to get pierced right after a messy break-up, but it was something you desperately needed. A change. A change more drastic than just a new haircut or new hair color, but a change that wouldn't be completely unhinged.

“Hmm..let’s see..”

Even though the walls were painted a deep black, the pink neon signs attached paired with several other decorations gave off a cozy and calm atmosphere. A song, probably a decade old and one you knew well, played in the background, soothing your antsy nerves as you skimmed through the little folder filled with pictures of piercings.

You were humming along to the song, slender fingers turning yet another page as your eyes scanned different snapshots. A helix piercing would definitely suit you, but you wanted something completely different. Something that you usually wouldn't do. So many choices were right in front of you: dangly earrings, pretty gemstones in vibrant colors, studs and piercings even you didn't know the name of.

Maybe, you should've come with a plan beforehand.

“Anything caught your eye yet?” A deep voice brought you out of your thoughts and when your eyes caught sight of the piercer with white tousled hair and vibrant blue eyes, your breath caught in your throat. The black compression shirt accentuated his bulging biceps and certainly did not help your case. Satoru was his name, if you remember correctly.

With a certain amount of grace and charm, Satoru maneuvered his way around your body and came to a stop behind you. Leaning over your shoulder, his cologne immediately enveloped you like a warm blanket while the warmth he exuded seeped through the top you wore.

Satoru caught sight of your flushed cheeks and the flustered glimmer swimming in your eyes just because he popped into your personal space. A smirk tugged at his lips as cerulean eyes watched you fumble with the folder.

What a sweet thing you were.

“Ah..this one.” Quickly, you put your finger down on a picture that you had been eyeing for quite some time. A nipple piercing with a few small gemstones on each side. They reflected the light in all colors possible and honestly..it did look too pretty to pass up.

Satoru whistled, the pitch low and impressed. “Damn. Who broke your heart, sweetheart?”

Closing the folder, your brows furrowed and gave Satoru a confused look, head tilted to the side and all. “..how did you know?”

Satoru took a seat on his stool, rolled over to the piercer table and offered you the seat on the cushioned chair. A chuckle rumbled in his chest. “A pretty thing like you wanting a nipple piercing for her first time. It's easy math, hun.” He said, looking more amused than sorry and for some reason, it was a nice change of pace. One that made you chuckle despite the nervousness bubbling in your guts.

He was right. Maybe it was pretty cliché of you to get your nipples pierced after a messy break-up.

Nimble fingers prepped the tools that Satoru would need for your piercing. The scent of disinfectant lingered in the air and slightly stung in your nose. Satoru had to have seen the face you pulled or else he wouldn't laugh. “Indulge me. What did that jerk do to fumble a pretty girl like you?”

All those pretty nicknames were getting to your head if the flip of your tummy and the warmth in your limbs was anything to go by. But you never told Satoru off. You liked it, the attention and the feeling of it all. It was nice.

You chuckled, the hint of a smile on your lips. “Are you sure you want to know? I don't wanna dump on you.”

Satoru rolled his eyes at you, playfully so as he snapped on a pair of latex gloves. A little smack bounced off the walls. “I'd be bored as hell if my clients didn’t gossip with me, y'know? So come on, tell me what he did.”

The memory of what your ex did was still fresh in your mind, yet it didn't hurt. Perhaps, you'd been looking for a reason to break up with him until he delivered you a good one. It was good riddance, really.

“I caught him in bed with another woman.” You explained with a sigh slipping past your lips. “Looking back on it, he was horrible anyways.”

How often had Satoru listened to stories of people cheating on each other? Way more than he could count. Most of the time, his clients would end up crying at the memory, but you appeared to be unfazed.

Raising a fine eyebrow, Satoru gently nudged your knee with his own and let one his charming smiles curl his lips. “Horrible? Come on, don't keep the juicy details to yourself, babe.” Then, he pointed at your top and stated: “Oh, and you can undress now.”

Suddenly, a wave of shyness came over you as you hooked your fingers into the hem of your top, pulled it over your top and unclipped the front of your bra, freeing your breasts. As a piercer, Satoru had seen any kind of body shapes and other things that were absolutely natural. And despite repeating it over and over again in your head, you still wrapped an arm around your midsection and gulped down the lump in your throat.

The stools wheels smoothly slid across the wooden floors and came to a silent stop in front of you. Satoru was about to prompt you for more details, but he stopped when he saw how absolutely insecure you suddenly were.

“[Name], there's nothing to be shy about. It's just us here, yeah?”

“Yeah..I know. It's just..” And then you went on to tell Satoru about your ex, how he made you feel bad about having small breasts, how he always said he liked bigger ones and wanted to watch them bounce during spicy time. How embarrassing it was to say all these things to a stranger, but Satoru listened patiently and rubbed his gloved hand over your thigh as if to tell you that it was okay.

He clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed by the way your ex made you feel about your body. “That's bullshit. Your breasts are perfect the way they are.” Satoru refuted swiftly and painted a smile on your face, making you feel safe and validated. Cerulean eyes traveled from your face down to your breasts, examining them for a moment before he smirked in satisfaction. “Personally, I prefer them smaller. I like ‘em perky like that.”

Although Satoru's comment sent heat straight to your cheeks, it also made you feel at ease. Like he had injected some of his self-confidence into you. Unraveling your arms, you supported your weight on them and presented Satoru your small pair of pretty tits.

“Now that's a good girl.” He laughed and brought a hand up to your breast, brushing his thumb over your pert nipple. “Ready to get pierced, sweetheart?”

With an eager nod of your head, Satoru began the procedure. Preparing the needle, getting some cotton dabs for the bleeding and of course the little jewelry for your pretty nipples that he diligently sterilized. The scent still made you visibly cringe, but at least it served as some sort of entertainment to the piercer who held your nipple between two fingers and brought the needle to your skin.

“This might hurt, sweets. Sorry ‘bout that.” Satoru murmured and quickly pierced your little nipple with the needle.

You yelped and squeezed your eyes shut as the pain was sharp and started to throb. Nails dug into the soft cushion, knuckles turned white and your breathing deepened, but other than that, you didn't move much. Was it painful? Hell yes. Would it look pretty in the end? Hell yes.

Pain was temporary, but the beauty of the piercing would last.

“Shh, relax. You're doing so well for me, sweetie. Yeah, breathe. That's good.” Satoru showered you with praise, his breath hot and moist as it fanned across your pierced nipple while his voice dropped by an octave.

With skilled fingers, Satoru inserted the piercing through the sensitive flesh and fastened the gemstones on each side of your nipple before he tended to the bleeding. Dabbing the cotton around your nipple, he wiped the blood away and applied light pressure to stop the scarlet liquid from leaking out any more. A grimace of discomfort settled on your face, but at least it gave you a chance to breathe, to take a quick break.

“You good?” Satoru asked, looking up at you from his seat right in front of your tits.

“Yeah. Keep going.” Pain was laced in that usually sweet voice of yours and oh, how badly Satoru wanted to take that away from you. But you were such a brave little thing that he obliged your words.

So, Satoru pierced your other nipple as diligently as he did before. He was focused, wanting to make the experience as painless and quick as he could, but he knew that it still hurt quite a bit. At his heartstrings, a hint of pity tugged, but now that your little nipples were pierced, he couldn't help but feel a certain type of way.

“There. All done.” A satisfied look was painted all over Satoru's face. Large hands caressed your little tits, carefully feeling the flesh without causing you too much pain. It absolutely wasn't a necessary procedure, but for some reason, Satoru couldn’t help himself around you.

“Fuck..” you cussed, voice a little hoarse and Satoru swore that sound sent a good portion of his blood straight to his cock. “It hurts.”

“Told ya it would hurt, princess.” Satoru snickered before he took off his gloves and cleaned the little table with his equipment on it. “If you want, you can go take a look in the mirror. It looks pretty on you. Really.”

Hopping off the chair, you stood in front of the full body mirror and regarded Satoru's handiwork. Sure, your nipples were a little swollen, but the running ac cooling the air made the swelling go down with each passing moment. A couple of gemstones now glimmered on each side of your nipples, reflecting and breaking the light in beautiful colors.

“Wow..” you breathed, carefully touching your breasts to squish them together and admire the jewelry piercing your skin.

You were so busy admiring your new jewelry that you barely noticed Satoru standing behind you before he popped up in the reflection.

“Pretty, hm? Your ex didn't deserve these, anyways.” Holding your waist, Satoru admired his work on your body. By now, your nipples were all hard and stiff, really bringing the piercing out now.

A little shiver slithered down your spine at Satoru's touch. When you caught sight of your erect nipples, you quickly covered them up with your palms and a little blush on your cheeks. “S-sorry..it's been a while since..y'know..anyone touched me in any way..”

With slow movements, Satoru gently moved your palms away and carefully caressed your freshly pierced nipples. “Oh? Your ex and you didn't do it regularly?” He asked, rubbing your buds in circles. He relished in the way you shivered under his touch and gulped.

How cute you were. Absolutely ravishing.

You shook your head. A little pout on your lips. “No. He stopped touching me months ago.” Satoru managed to draw a little sigh out of the back of your throat, making your voice just a tad bit breathy. “He was too vanilla, anyways, always wanting to do it missionary.”

Satoru was baffled. How could any man resist touching you? The audacity your ex had of depriving you from some fun times was unbelievable.

“Do you know what you need, sweetheart?” He whispered in your ear, his voice dripping down your spine like warm honey.

Shaking your head, you watched Satoru rubbing your nipples before gently twisting them between his thumb and index finger. “W-what..?” You stumbled over your words, hardly trusting your own voice.

“A night of hot, kinky sex with a man who knows how to treat you right.” Satoru peppered butterfly kisses along the delicate skin of your neck. Each kiss was a little bit wetter than the last one while a large palm slid from your breast down to your stomach and stopped just above the hem of your skirt.

Like hot chocolate, you melted in Satoru's arms. You leaned your head back against his shoulder and nuzzled the flesh of your ass against his steadily growing erection with a smile on your face and a flush dusting the apples of your cheeks. His touches, so light yet insistent, left your skin burning and sparked flames in you that had long died out.

“Be a naughty girl for me and bend over, sweets.” Satoru whispered in your ear, teeth catching your lobe in the process.

When you pressed your palms flat next to the mirror and bent your body over, rough hands flipped your skirt up over your waist and revealed your dampening panties. Kneeling down, Satoru gripped the plush of your ass cheeks and groped them thoroughly. “What a good girl you are..already getting wet for me.”

He caressed the expanse of your inner thighs and chuckled at the little shiver going down your spine. Oh, how sweet you were. If Satoru had met you earlier, he would've taken you all to himself every night.

Fingertips traced the edge of your panties and slowly rubbed your cunt through the cotton.

“S-Satoru..” you gasped, thighs shuddering around his hand. You wanted to close your legs out of embarrassment. It wasn't like you to hook up with some guy, let alone doing it in public.

“Shh, you're doing well for me.” Satoru assured you before he hooked his fingers into the elastic of your panties and pulled them down mid-thigh. He licked his lips at the sight: your glistening pussy all wet and your folds just slightly swollen, your little hole just begging to be eaten and filled. “Let me do this for ya, sweetheart.”

Before you could question Satoru, he buried his face in your pussy from behind and wrapped his mouth around your sloppy folds. Licking a bold stripe from your entrance up to your clit, Satoru let your taste consume his taste buds and sucked at your pussy.

“Fuck..your pussy's fucking delicious, baby..” Satoru groaned, his eyes fluttering shut as he made out with your cunt, nastily tonguing at your hole and his fingers massaging your throbbing clit.

You grabbed a fistful of his snowy hair, nails scraping against his scalp as you pulled at the roots. “Oh fuck..Satoru..a-ah..” Soft, breathy moans tumbled from your lips.

Satoru buried his face deeper in-between your legs while his palms kept your legs spread. Sneaking his tongue inside, he thrust his tongue slowly in and out of your pussy, savoring the taste. Your juices dribbled down his chin and down his throat; he was like a man dying of thirst and your cunt happened to have the sweetest nectar.

“Yeah, you like that, don't you, little girl?” Satoru growled and pulled away momentarily to rub your cunt and admire his handiwork. You were all messy with his spit and your juices that shamelessly trickled down the inside of your thigh. Perfect.

You nodded your head eagerly. “Y-yeah..I love it..”

Through the reflection in the mirror, you watched how Satoru spread your cunt open and stuffed you full of his tongue again, making you whimper in pathetic tones. His tongue didn't even reach that sweet spot and yet, you were squirming on Satoru's face, panting and digging your nails into the flesh of your palm.

“Gonna have so much fun fucking this sweet pussy..” Satoru murmured into your cunt. Giving your ass a swift spank, he almost laughed at the way you jumped and pouted at him through the mirror.

“Well..” you huffed, clearly out of breath, “why don't you?”

A little smirk tugged at the corners of your lips as your gaze collided with baby blue eyes in the mirror that dared you to say that again. The erection not-so-subtly hidden in Satoru's pants twitched at the thought of taking you right then and there.

Just a small quickie wouldn't hurt, right?

“You're a devious one. I like it.” Chuckling, Satoru got back up to his feet, unbuckled his belt and pulled his hardened cock free from its confines. A groan of relief fell past his lips, cock standing large and proud.

Grasping your ass cheeks, Satoru prodded at your entrance with the blunt head of his leaking cock. A hum vibrated in the back of his throat. “Think you can take me, sweetheart? Your cunt is so tiny.”

As if to entice him, you wiggled your butt from side to side and whined. “Just put it in, Satoru. You can't eat me out and then expect me not to– Oh, fuck..”

With a swift thrust of his hips, Satoru buried his cock deep inside your cunt until he was balls deep in. Your walls gripped him so tightly, your heat almost made him melt on the spot. Almost.

“So fucking tight..” A sigh fell from Satoru's lips as he drew his hips back and snapped them back against your ass. “So fucking good..”

Without any shame, Satoru grasped your hip with one hand while the other groped your tit. He was hunched over you, groaning in your ear and bullying his cock into your poor cunt. Squeals and moans of pleasure escaped your throat. No longer did you care about anyone walking in or hearing what was going on in Satoru's piercing room.

All you cared about was getting to cum on his cock which deliciously against that sweet spot, rubbing and kissing it in ways that usually only your toys could.

“Ah yeah..right there, Toru..” With each thrust, your tits would sway and the flesh of your ass rippled, hypnotizing Satoru. Your voice, sweet like sugar and addicting, drove him insane. He just had to cum inside you.

“I know, sweetheart..I know..” Furrowing his brows, Satoru buried his face in the crook of your neck to muffle his own moans and groans. Hot and moist, his breath fanned over your skin, sending a fresh wave of heat straight to your squelching cunt.

He was all over you; your neck, breasts, tummy and of course your pretty pussy which gripped him oh-so-tight and sucked his cock right back in. Like you didn't want him to leave your walls anytime soon. He didn't want to, either.

Each snap of Satoru's hips was mean, causing your body to bounce and jolt with the strength he poured into each thrust. His balls slapped against your clit while your ass collided with his hips over and over again.

“T-toru..” you whined, panting and meeting his eyes in the mirror. It was absolutely filthy in the way you could watch yourself get fucked stupid by your piercer. “I-I'm so..ah!”

“Close, baby?” Satoru laughed breathlessly before placing a kiss on your cheek. “Me, too. It's okay, I've got you, sweetheart.”

His saccharine words combined with a particularly sharp thrust was enough to send you over the edge. You curled in on yourself, calling Satoru's name in a way that only you could as he made you see heaven with his cock alone. He held you tightly, stilling his hips as ropes upon ropes of thick cum filled your cunt up.

“Fuck..yeah, that's it. Take my cum, pretty..take it..” With a few slow, gentle thrusts, Satoru rode out the wave of his high and held your body close to his, keeping you up on your wobbly legs.

It only happened slowly, the heat of the moment disappearing. The scent of sex lingered in the air and fuck, did you feel sticky now that Satoru had dumped his load inside you. But you wouldn't want it any other way. A laugh made it past your lips.

“What's so funny, huh?” Satoru chuckled, pulled himself out and fixed his appearance before helping you with yourself.

To your surprise, he was gentle as he snapped your panties back into his place, fixed your skirt and tried to smooth out your hair. Except for his semen sticking to your underwear and skin, it was one of the sweetest things anything had ever done for you post-orgasm.

“Nothing.” You said, shrugging your shoulders with a playful but satisfied giggle. “Just thinking about the hot, kinky sex we'll have tonight.”

A look of mild surprise crossed Satoru's features. He had expected you to regret your decision or be done with it, but the fact that you wanted more amused him. “Someone got hooked on good dick, yeah?”

You snorted. “Something like that.”

With a certain pep in your step, you snatched one of Satoru's business cards, a pen and scribbled your number on the backside of it.

“Text me when you're off work and tell me where to go. I'll be there.”

Satoru smirked as he looked at the number you gave him before storing it into his back pocket. No way in hell would he lose that little gem.

“I guess I'll see you tonight, sweetheart.”

taglist. @cinnamonmon, @torusmochi, @risuola, @kissyystyles, @pandoraium

[neoymm]

taken inspiration from Rozen Maiden (THE PEAKEST ANIME EVER)

and also i have no clue why this post is this long, im just rambling and yapping out of my head.

okay, so dolls.

billy and mary are the twin pair of dolls among the dolls siblings

they have exist for a while, like, in the 1800s perhaps, or earlier than 1500s because we got no clue when the dolls is actually made in the rozen maiden series 😔

they only given the name of William, later nicknamed to billy, and Mary stays as Mary, their father, the creator of the dolls, will be the wizard cuz he fits in that roll.

the other dolls is given the name of Frederick (later shorten to freddy), Darla, Pedro and Eugene.

they are dolls, but they are alive, because of one thing: father (/wizard). wanting to be the chosen one — a human; aka alice in rozen maiden; aka i have no idea the substitute name in this post.

CC and Marilyn are a couple, in 1940s, who happens to be archaeologists, found two strange letter in their two cases. and out of curiosity, they accepted the letter despite it being strange.

the letter stated: wind up or dont wind up

the couple thought it was weird and circled wind up.

immediately two wooden boxes appeared, they are big, like suitcases. so curious again, they opened it.

in the boxes, they found small humanoid things, dolls, and they look like twins pair of dolls. so Marilyn holds Mary, found the doll’s skin is very human-like. while CC found this wind up doll key and understood somewhat, that these dolls is a moveable dolls.

so he set the key, twirls it on billy and mary, the couple waited and slowly, the dolls move. but the movement is strange, it’s like a child learning how to walk but was more ‘dolly’ and ‘robotic’.

then the dolls opened their eyes on their own, getting use to the movement, becoming more ‘alive’. (WHICH THEY ARE, BECAUSE OF ROSA MYSTICA IN CANON ROZEN MAIDEN BEING THEIR SOUL)

the couple of course, shocked, wondering how the dolls works. and decided just to take the dolls as their ‘children’, aka take care of them. faking the dolls as their children because it’s insane to be seen with ‘alive dolls’. and the dolls passed as a literal 5 (or younger) years old.

the dolls introduced themselves as Billy and Mary, with the last name ‘Batson’. they are the third and fourth doll.

later, CC and Marilyn finds it strange that the dolls will disappear to somewhere in a while, like middle of the night-ish. so all on that adventurous spirit, they followed the dolls and found out there’s a mirror connecting to the other dolls’ worlds.

and they found mary and billy fighting another doll, Darla. In their powered up form that CC and Marilyn never know before, until this night of course.

Darla is definitely young, youngest of all when CC and Marilyn found out, she was made as the last doll, the ‘sixth’ doll. but they are not so much different because of the base build for dolls. but actions speaks louder amirite? Darla lost, expected to be killed by her rosa mystica taken away by either billy or mary.

billy and mary didnt want to, since living for 1 week (i guess?) with CC and Marilyn has made them somewhat better than they were before. less spoiled and less arrogant of a doll. but also how they missed the other siblings, they don’t want to lose the siblings because of these death battle and only one can remain. so they spared Darla, taken her in with CC’s and Marilyn’s permission.

sooner joined by Freddy, who has this talent for music typa doll, he is very weird though, but he is in fact the oldest one, aka the first finished doll to be made. then later on joined by pedro, who is probably the strongest of the dolls, the fifth doll, he suddenly appeared by flying with his case. crashed in, did a small fight and gone. but he do visit frequently with peace.

Then eugene, the smart one, the second doll, who didn’t really care much, currently just roaming around and sometimes do a small stay with CC and Marilyn with other dolls.

but, where’s the fun when Black Adam didn’t appeared? So black adam, the secret, imposter, seventh, but also is the ‘zero-th’ doll, appeared to claims all of the dolls rosa mystica to be the chosen one. be human.

he was the first doll to be made, but never finished, until someone else other than father (wizard) finished him and gave him the chance to be human. filled with rage, he took that chance and made a rampage, but he has to manipulate the situation first, using his powers to made it hard for the other dolls.

this is where the other villains from captain marvel appeared, sivana, mr mind, sabbac, ibac, etc etc. and it has going on for decades now, there has been multiple times where the dolls has to go back to their hibernation (box).

in which meanings, CC and Marilyn has died, either due to black adam, or just natural causes.

the time is now twenty-something (20??) the billy box is suddenly opened, no mary in sight, billy is confused. shazamed (using his doll power) and find mary. but in the way he helped a weird ass costumed team (soz), the Justice League.

JL was thankful for this strange man who appeared out of nowhere and helped them fought the enemy. asked him to join the team, billy was hesitant at first, because of his doll sister. but of course is a little afraid of black adam finding him and get him before he can even find mary.

but he accepted. and shenanigans issues.

also sivana and mortal enemy of captain marvel will appeared during this time rather than before JL thingy

mow, im done for today, thanks for reading, signing off

[waynes-multiverse]

Polaris – Chapter 2

Series Summary: When Beau Arlen moved to Montana, he left behind a past he wasn’t proud of. But when a series of murders requires the FBI’s help, Sheriff Arlen‘s ghosts come back to haunt him one by one. With a wrong turn waiting at every crossroads, it’s hard to make the right choices and find his way back home – back to you.

Pairing: Beau Arlen x FBI Agent!Reader

Warnings: 18+, flashbacks to past relationships, awkwardness, mentions of cheating

Word Count: 6.1k

A/N: Jenny and Cassie should come with their own warning 😂 Probably the lightest chapter of this series. Just some getting-to-know fun (& tons of awkwardness on all sides). Enjoy the peace while it lasts 😉

Series Masterlist || Main Masterlist || Tag List

Chapter 2: No Signs, No Compasses

Motel coffee sucked. It was a well-known, globally accepted fact.

You had tasted enough of those in your career to know it wasn’t even worth a try at this point. Thus, finding a good source of caffeine became sort of an adventurous challenge on every work trip. Back in Houston, you had your spot and the server knew your order by heart. Here, in Helena, you were new and still had to navigate your way around.

In search of a decent cup, you passed a sign on the highway and entered the Blue Fox Diner. It was a bit on the outskirts of town, but, frankly, you had no idea where the border truly ended. Everything was damn far apart from one another, the only houses which adjoined were the ones on Main Street USA. That was it.

The diner was bright and comfy, giving you an immediate welcoming feeling of home-cooked food and a good roast. Your first sip of black, delicious liquid confirmed it – this was your spot.

“Special Agent Y/L/N?”

Your head snapped up from your cup of joe to a female voice, recognizing the blonde deputy from the Sheriff’s Department yesterday.

“Deputy Jenny Hoyt, right?” You gave her and her friend a smile as the two women sat across from each other in a booth by the big window. You could tell by their curious and mischievous looks that your spectacular entrance wasn’t lost on them.

Great…

“Uh, yeah. You wanna sit with us? Heard you’re staying for that serial killer case,” Jenny said and offered you a seat next to her.

“Sure.” You accepted her invitation without hesitance, knowing you had to get over the awkwardness at some point. After all, you had to work together, and you wanted to get it out of the way rather sooner than later. How did you so gloriously fuck this up in the first place? You usually were professionalism personified – someone J. Edgar Hoover would’ve been proud of.

Right. Beau. There was your answer.

“Cassie Dewell,” the other woman introduced herself and shook your hand as you slid into the leather seat next to Jenny. “I’m a private investigator in town. Special Agent Y/L/N, was it?”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve passed by your agency. Nice to meet you,” you said, smiling. “And Y/N is fine.”

“So, how do you like Helena so far?” Cassie asked curiously, although you caught the underlying question between the polite smiles. ‘How do you like our sheriff so far?’

However, you weren’t going to make this easy for them. “Well, uhm, not seen much aside from my motel, the Sheriff’s Department, and this diner. Coffee’s great, though.”

“Leave it to Donno to brew a decent pot,” Jenny muttered with a bitter huff and rolled her eyes.

You threw her an inquisitive look, partially amused. “You don’t seem to be a fan.”

“Oh, it’s about the owner, Tonya. Jenny doesn’t like her,” Cassie explained.

“Then, why exactly are you here?” You were happy the conversation steered clear of you. For now. You knew this bliss and peace wouldn’t last forever. They were just warming you up for the Spanish Inquisition.

“To keep an eye on her. She used to work for a cartel,” Jenny replied.

“Before she went legit and became a real estate agent,” Cassie added.

“Legit my ass,” the blonde huffed. “Pretty sure she stole those fifteen million…”

“She did help us with Gigi,” Cassie countered, which didn’t seem to convince the blonde too much. “And that whole Avery situation.”

“Well, you know, you could always tip off a rivaling cartel. Might get rid of your problem,” you suggested jokingly. “I have a few contacts.”

Jenny’s lips curved into a delighted grin. “I like that idea.”

Cassie snorted, laughing. “Yeah, nice.”

“So… you and Beau are… dating?” Jenny questioned quite forward.

And there it was. The one you’d been waiting for. You sighed internally.

“Jenny!” Cassie chided and threw her friend a look over her directness as the blonde mouthed back an innocent “What?”

Your cheeks blushed slightly, but you were all about being direct as well. You cleared your throat, tapping your nails on the table. “It’s fine. After my more than embarrassing entrance, I deserve the third degree.”

“Good answer.” Jenny smiled encouragingly, making you feel a little more at ease. They weren’t aiming to claw your eyes out; they were just curious about you. If the roles were reversed, you’d be as well.

“And it wasn’t that embarrassing,” Cassie placated your nerves. “Trust us, me and Jenny had our fair share of drama. You’re good.”

“Well, I’m glad, I guess…” You let out a relieved chuckle, hoping you wouldn’t stay the small town gossip for long. “And, uh, to answer your question: No, we’re not dating. He’s a nice guy, but it’s nothing like that. We just go way back, and I guess old habits die hard.”

And boy, was that true. Beau and you had once been inseparable. It still felt weird to think about that now you weren’t and hadn’t been for a while. Your heart still ached and longed all the same. That stupid, useless feeling of missing him. He was cut out of your soul, but the phantom pain remained.

Jenny nodded and shared a look with Cassie. “Honest. I like it.”

“Me too.” Cassie’s mouth formed a smile of agreement and reassurance. “So, how long have you guys known each other?”

That was when the cop portion of your chat started. You hadn’t expected anything less, but you were determined to keep it professional and, most of all, shallow. Chitchat and oversharing were more Beau’s territory, but it certainly wasn’t yours.

“About ten years.”

Jenny nodded pensively, thinking about her next question. “You worked a cartel case together, right?”

“Oh, a few cases over the years, actually. I’m stationed at the FBI field office in Houston. Used to work Narcotics before switching to Major Crimes,” you said.

“Hence the serial killer here,” Jenny filled in.

“Can’t believe we’ve got another one,” Cassie remarked with a huff, shaking her head into her coffee cup.

“Oh yeah, right! Heard about the Bleeding Hearts Killer at that campsite.”

You remembered a newspaper article about it. Occasionally, you did still check up on your ex like every sane person would. You even followed him on Social Media, although all he ever posted about was fucking trout fishing. But that same news article had also informed you about Beau leaving his early retirement in the rearview mirror, being referenced as the acting sheriff on the case. It almost seemed like a weird coincidence that one of your active cases would lead you right to him not long after. Cosmic jokes and such.

“Yeah, Sunny and Buck Barnes,” Cassie provided.

“Cassie is actually dating their son,” Jenny told you, smirking at her friend.

“Yeah, we’re not that official yet,” Cassie deflected but noticeably blushed. “You guys need any help with your serial killer?”

Jenny looked at you, knowing you were the one who called the shots now.

Nodding, you twitched your shoulders. “Sure. The more the merrier. More female eyes might even help, considering we’re probably dealing with a woman.”

Jenny cocked a brow. “A female serial killer?”

“It’s rare, but our profiler sure thinks so. As do I,” you confirmed.

“Oh, this just got interesting.” Cassie grinned, intrigued. “We sure never had that one before.”

“No, we did not,” Jenny reiterated, chuckling.

“What didn’t we have?”

Beau’s gravelly voice startled you from behind, but you tried not to let it show. Of course, you’d run into him. It was a small town, after all, and this diner was probably the only place to get good coffee. Avoiding him was not only improbable, but it was an impossibility.

Beau was a good man. But the truth was that he was more than the Southern-charming, bad-dad-jokes, never-shutting-up sheriff everyone had grown to love in Montana. There was another side to him. A side that defied authority, broke rules, and caused trouble. A side you knew better than anyone.

“Female serial killer,” Jenny supplied with a grin.

“Really? A woman?” Baffled, the green-eyed sheriff lifted a brow and looked at you.

“Why, you think a woman can’t do it?” Cassie challenged him with a teasing grin. You knew there was a reason why you immediately took a liking to her.

You watched Beau purse his lips as he struggled for an answer. You had a feeling he had to do that a lot with these two. It almost seemed unfair.

“No, women can do murder just fine. Especially you three,” Beau retorted and then circled the booth with his finger, sipping his coffee. “The three of you bonding is my nightmare.”

“Oh, c‘ mon.” Jenny snorted in amusement.

“Yeah, we’re harmless,” Cassie added.

“Right… Who are you tryna fool here, huh?” Beau chuckled and scratched his beard. “Mind if I sit down?”

“Sure, hop in,” Cassie said and offered up the seat next to her.

“Yeah, I was about to head out anyway. Have to call my supervisor with an update,” you excused quickly and stood up before Beau even sat down. “By the way, I have eight boxes of files in my trunk. It’s gonna be a fun afternoon for us.”

“Well, I’m looking forward to it,” Beau said, trying to remain professional, even though you could tell he was bothered by your abrupt exit.

You, however, weren’t ready to face him yet and spend a whole afternoon with him. You needed more time… and space. Which was hard, considering you two had to work a case together.

Hard but not impossible.

“Oh, uh, Beau, that’s not necessary. Cassie offered to help, so we have enough hands on deck for now,” you said innocently and tried to hide your astute smile as best as possible. “I don’t wanna keep you from your sheriff duties. I saw the giant pile of files on your desk. But I’ll let you know when we need you.”

Admittedly, that was a little mean. You knew how much that man hated paperwork.

Defeatedly, Beau pursed his lips and overplayed his loss with a sour smile. “Yup, alright… thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” You grinned and didn’t care he knew exactly what you were doing.

“Hey, Y/N, you know, uh… it’s kind of a tradition to buy a round of tequila when you first arrive in town,” Cassie noted with a smug smile.

You matched it, amused, although you could smell an ambush from a mile away. “Oh, yeah? Well, that’s a tradition I can get behind. Where and when?”

“Tonight? Bar called Boot Heel around eight o’clock?”

“I’ll be there,” you accepted the invitation. “But just a heads-up, pouring tequila into me isn’t going to make me open up more.”

“Really isn’t,” Beau confirmed wryly.

“Dammit,” Cassie sighed in feigned disappointment but grinned nevertheless.

Jenny coolly shrugged it off. “Was worth a shot.”

Beau watched you leave with dread in his heart. As soon as the glass door fell closed behind you, he let out a longing sigh.

“Alright, what did you do?” Jenny’s voice ripped him from his thoughts. The blonde crossed her arms over her chest and arched a brow.

He had almost forgotten they were here, too.

“Yeah, she’s been barely here twenty-four hours. That’s fast, even for you,” Cassie chimed in with a teasing smile.

“Okay, I didn’t do anything, alright?” Beau defended with a creased brow and a bark in his voice, but his curiosity soon got the best of him. He leaned in closer, resting his elbows on the table. “Why? Did she say somethin’?”

“Yeah, he stepped in it,” Cassie commented dryly and looked straight at Jenny, taking his question as a confirmation of their theory.

“Yup.”

Beau rolled his green eyes, his patience already thin after the sleepless night he had. “Alright, did she say something to you guys or not?”

Cassie sighed. “No, she was very… courteous.”

Jenny nodded in agreement and shrugged one shoulder. “Yeah, she kept it professional. Said you were nice.”

Beau felt a surge of relief. “Well, that’s good, right?” he asked but watched both women shake their heads with pursed lips. “It’s not-… it’s not good?”

“Nope.”

“Nuh-uh,” Jenny retorted, “You don’t wanna be called nice. Not in that way, at least.”

“I don’t?” Beau cocked his eyebrow at the two, feeling rather confused at this point. “So, what’s the verdict?”

“Depends on what you did there, cowboy,” Cassie taunted him with a grin, which was mirrored by Jenny.

“Oh, I’m not telling you guys,” Beau huffed, shaking his head. Contrary to popular belief, he knew when to keep his mouth shut.

“You’re not talking for once?” Teasingly, Cassie popped an eyebrow at him.

“Must be bad then,” Jenny finished the thought. “Did you-, you know… cheat with her on Carla?”

Perplexed and slightly offended, Beau furrowed his brow. “What? No! Nothing like that. Carla and I were already separated. As in papers served and signed… I’m a very loyal-commitment kinda guy, alright?”

Beau didn’t want to admit his answer might have been a slight overcompensation on his part. While it’s true that he never cheated and would’ve never even considered it, he wasn’t without faults, either. There had been certain feelings towards you fermenting in his stomach, slowly but surely festering in his heart before he even knew what was happening and could put an end to it.

“That sounds like she was your rebound,” Jenny pointed out.

“Yeah, and casual,” Cassie threw in.

“No, it was nothing casual, alright? And she wasn’t my rebound,” Beau replied with an exhaustive breath. Jesus, did you get the third degree as well? At this rate, he should consider himself lucky if you were still in town by tomorrow. His head was spinning. “I mean, if she was my rebound, I was hers, too.”

Dammit, he said too much. He knew the two women would take that piece of information and run with it over the mountains of Montana, probably even making it over the border to goddamn Canada.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jenny questioned as expected. “Is she married? I saw the ring on her finger.”

“Yeah, looked like a wedding band,” Cassie mused.

“Okay, Sherlock and Watson, enough, alright? She’s not married,” Beau replied, but only to save both your reputations. “It’s a sentimental thing. There’s a lot of history there.”

“What kinda history?” Jenny’s knitted brow practically stared at him.

Beau grew tired of their interrogation and dragged a palm over his face, leaning back in his seat. “It’s complicated.”

The two women then shared an inquiring look that held an entire conversation, knowing their interview had run its course. Beau wouldn’t answer any more of their questions.

“Want our advice?” Cassie offered.

Beau hesitated for a moment, puckering his lips in thought. He was desperate, and they could smell it like coyotes. “Alright, lay it on me. What d’you got?”

“Nothing.” Cassie twitched her shoulders and met his annoyed glare with a pleased smile.

“Yeah, see, you actually have to tell us first what happened before we can help you,” Jenny elaborated.

“Alright, I’m done,” Beau said frustratedly, tapping his knuckles on the table once as he rose from his seat.

“Oh, Beau, c’mon, we’re just messing with you.” Cassie chuckled softly and looked at him apologetically. “Fine, you want our advice? Apologize.”

“For whatever you’ve done,” Jenny added.

Pensively, Beau nodded and clicked his tongue. “What if I’ve done that already?”

“Do it again,” Jenny advised simply. “Until she hears you.”

“Yeah, get down on your knees, you know,” Cassie deadpanned. But as Beau suspiciously eyed her at the particular word choice, she burst into laughter.

“Nice.“ Jenny joined in, tears stinging the corners of her eyes as the two clinked their coffee mugs together for a toast to their cleverness.

Beau chuckled out of sheer uncomfortableness, his cheeks flushing embarrassingly red. “Oh, you two are hilarious… I’m heading to work,” he grumbled. “You know, you might wanna join me if you wanna keep your job, Hoyt.”

With a sigh that resembled a yawn, you stretched your shoulders and spine as you got up from the uncomfortable wooden chair in the Sheriff’s Department. You checked your watch and noticed it was already past 2pm.

“Alright… you guys want something for lunch? I’m buying.”

Technically, the government was buying, but you would take any chance you could get to make yourself a little more popular with your colleagues. Jenny, Cassie, and Deputy Poppernak (who told you to call him Mo and started looking you in the eyes again after you brought him a sandwich and a coffee this morning) then gave you their lunch orders, and most importantly, where to get it. What you didn’t expect, though, was Beau appearing behind you out of nowhere after he had locked himself (pun intended) in his office all day and had given you your requested space.

That courtesy apparently was over.

“I’ll come with you,” Beau announced. And although his facial expression resembled a friendly, soft Golden Retriever, you detected the stern bite in his voice. He wasn’t going to be cast aside again.

Stubborn as you were, you still had to try.

“Oh, you don’t hav–,” you tried to interject, but he swiftly waved you off.

“Nonsense. You can’t carry all that alone. I’ll help. Part of the sheriff duties,” he said in his most neighborly tone and grinned triumphantly at you, beaming with Southern chivalry.

You huffed a sigh. Great…

Ignoring Beau Arlen was like trying to avoid air – it was impossible unless you planned on suffocating. Not even a fast pace could get him out of breath enough to stop pestering you. His voice trickled like slow poison into your mind. One of these days, it would infect your heart and destroy your defenses.

“Y/N, hey, can you slow down a little? I didn’t bring my marathon shoes to work, alright? Don’t make me write you a ticket for speeding!” Beau huffed behind you in a half-joking tone, chuckling at his own wit. “C’mon, I just wanna talk. Lord knows you already had your fun today.”

With a heavy sigh, you stopped in your tracks and turned to face him on the sidewalk, Beau almost crashing into you. He clearly hadn’t expected you to actually listen to him.

With a fierce glare in your eyes, you crossed your arms over your chest. “Look, I’ve got nothing left to say to you, okay? Can we just keep this civil?”

Beau pursed his lips but quickly recovered, offering you a charmingly desperate smile. “Well, lucky for you, you would just have to listen.”

You rolled your eyes and started marching ahead again, feeling Beau hot on your trail.

“Y/N, c’mon!”

“Dad?”

At that, both you and Beau spun around, recognizing the voice in an instant as Emily walked out of a shop.

Beau’s face immediately lit up. He gave her a tight hug, kissing her temple. “Hey, kid.”

“Aunt Y/N?” Emily’s face tilted in surprise, brow knitting as she noticed you and left her father’s arms. She greeted you with a bright sunshine smile.

“Hey, Em,” you said and happily mirrored her smile. You had always loved that girl since she was little. Something she wasn’t anymore. It had been a while since you’d last seen her. “Wow, look at you. You’re all grown. You look like you’re about ready to head off to college.”

“Don’t remind me,” Beau mumbled with a sigh next to you.

“Yes, please don’t make him cry,” Emily begged you, chuckling, but her look was still pleadingly serious. It made you laugh. You remembered how protective Beau was of her. It was endearingly sweet, which made it a little harder to be furious with him. “What are you doing in Montana? Are you visiting Dad?”

“Oh, uh, I’m here for a case, actually,” you replied, swallowing, and shot Beau a quick glance to check how much you were allowed to share.

“What kinda case?” Her brow furrowed as she looked at her dad with concern. It broke your heart a little to know that, whenever you were involved, Emily thought her father was in danger.

“Em,” Beau warned her softly.

You had figured he still refrained from talking about work with his family, not wanting them to worry unnecessarily. After what his daughter had been through this summer, you couldn’t really blame him.

“Right, sorry,” she said meekly and bit the inside of her lip.

“Beau?”

Every molecule in your body shuddered at the sound of that voice. God, you so didn’t want to do this right now. The last time you’d seen Carla, it didn’t end well. If you could, you’d teleport yourself somewhere else – preferably Hawaii.

Beam me up, Scotty!

Beau flashed you a glance over his shoulder that said pretty much the same thing – shit. With a thick swallow, he angled his face toward his ex-wife and forced an awkward smile to his lips.

“Hey,” he rasped, his throat drier than the Death Valley.

“Y/N?” As soon as Carla spied you, her brow arched and her features turned sinister. The unhappy surprise of finding you here was written all over her face. And if it hadn’t been, her words soon made her feelings for you abundantly clear. “What are you doing here? Wrecking more homes? At least you’re wearing clothes this time that don’t belong to my ex-husband.”

Yup. You hadn’t expected a warm welcome, but that even exceeded your expectations. You gaped at her, a bit speechless. Even Beau seemed temporarily at a loss for words and was taken aback. Only Emily looked the most upset and voiced it, too.

“Mom! Really?!”

Carla then looked apologetically at her daughter, aware of her inappropriate comment, her mouth falling open in shame. You knew it was a knee-jerk reaction.

“And that’s my cue to leave,” you retorted. As you spun around, you glanced up at Beau and touched his shoulder comfortingly, letting him know you were still here, even when you were mad as hell at him. “Call me when you’re finished here. Or if you need an alibi…” you muttered into his ear in passing.

“I’m coming with you,” Emily announced with a scowl over her shoulder at her mother. She hopped next to you and looped her arm through yours, following you inside the restaurant.

As soon as you and his daughter were out of sight, Beau glowered at his ex-wife and shook his head. “Really, Carla? Was that necessary? You know nothing ever happened when we were married.”

“I know, I know,” Carla agreed and sighed, clasping her temples. “I’m sorry. I really am… It just came out. I guess it’s just old wounds, you know? I was surprised to see her here.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Beau bobbed his head in understanding, smacking his lips. He hated everything about this and knew he could only blame himself for it. “I mean, c’mon, you two used to be friends once, right? What happened? You’d think after what you went through with Avery, you’d have a little more compassion for what she’s gone through.”

Carla pursed her lips and bit the insides of her cheeks, surely stifling a fiery comment. “You wanna know what happened between us? You did, Beau,” she snapped, but before he could open his mouth to respond, she heaved a sigh and shot him a remorseful look. “But you’re right. I’ll apologize to her later.”

“Thank you,” he said graciously as his shoulders deflated and passed the tension.

“What’s she doing here? Everything okay?” Carla asked, lines of worry etching her brow. It told Beau that she still cared about him, even if it was just a smidge.

“Uh, yeah. Just work. Serial killer,” he replied. Since their eventful summer, Beau tried to be more open and honest, keeping a clear line of communication with his ex. It was a step forward. “Three victims so far.”

“Serial killer? Again?” Carla raised her brow and scoffed. “I guess it’s good I’m bringing Emily back to Houston, then.”

“You still wanna do that?”

A part of him hoped they’d stay because he wanted to stay here. Montana had given him a fresh start. One that was much needed. Houston, on the other hand, was haunted and full of ghosts he didn’t want to face. He had been running from them for a while now, although they were slowly catching up to him.

But he also needed his family, his daughter. He wanted to be a constant in her life, not just a variable.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Carla sighed and looked a bit torn and helpless, which was rare for her. But Avery’s secrecy and death had done quite a number on her, and Beau supposed she was still working through a lot. “What d’you think?”

Beau thought it was ironic she was suddenly asking for his input, considering she didn’t ask for his advice the first time she took their daughter and moved several states away. But he knew better than to say that out loud, especially since he was partially at fault.

Rubbing his beard, your earlier words reverberated in his head. His daughter wasn’t a little kid anymore and would fly the nest soon, as much as he didn’t want to admit it.

“Maybe we should ask Em what she wants. I mean, she’s almost seventeen. If your work isn’t a factor, then maybe we should let her decide.”

Carla nodded pensively as if she was actually considering it. “Yeah, okay,” she agreed and let out a sentimental sigh. “She’s growing up.”

Beau’s smile carried a drop of sadness. “Yeah, she is.”

Surprisingly, his talk with his ex-wife went better than expected. He just wished things would be as easy with you. All he wanted was just a chance to make it right. He couldn’t screw up another relationship.

“Beau… For the record, I want you to be happy, okay? No matter how, where, or with… who,” Carla told him and gifted him a cordial smile that showed her sincerity.

He appreciated her words. There’d been bad blood between them. Divorce made people bitter, he supposed. But old wounds had to heal eventually, too.

As you stepped outside the restaurant with Emily, you flashed an insecure glance at Carla. You averted your gaze to Beau, holding up a big brown paper bag. “You ready? Got the food.”

Beau checked quickly with his ex-wife, who nodded, letting him know that they were done here.

Carla then turned to you and cleared her throat, and you were sure it took a lot for her to even look at you. “Y/N, I’m sorry about earlier.”

You nodded, accepting her apology. You’d never done anything wrong, but the situation was complicated. It was hard on all of you.

“It’s fine. We’re good,” you assured her and gave her a half smile. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry, too. I heard about your husband.”

“Thank you,” she replied courtly and motioned for Emily to follow her. “C’mon, honey. Let’s go.”

“Bye, Dad.” Emily waved at her father.

Beau quietly watched his family saunter down the street before he glanced at you and offered you a clumsy smile. “Well, this went better than expected, right?”

You didn’t share his humor, however, and threw him a dark glare. You spun on your heel and trudged back to the Sheriff’s Department. “I have to get back to work.”

Beau exhaled heavily. This wasn’t how he had imagined his outing with you, wishing for a sign or at least a damn compass to show him the way.

March 2014

“Maybe it was the courier?” Beau suggested as he caught the pigskin before throwing it back to his partner across the desk. Passing the ball had become a ritual, helping them work through their case theories one by one.

“Nah, I don’t think so.” Randy shook his head when it was his turn. “What about the maid? She certainly had motive.”

A few more exchanges and tosses back and forth happened before you waltzed into the police station. Randy missed his catch, the football almost flying through the Captain’s window, but you gracefully caught it just in time and placed it securely down on the desk.

“Nice catch,” Beau complimented you, impressed.

“Hi, honey,” your husband greeted you and found your lips, kissing you deeply. You giggled and locked your arms around his neck as he pressed you into the edge of his desk.

“Geez, really? Get a room you two,” Beau huffed jokingly, making both of you laugh enough to stop your make-out session but not enough to detangle yourselves from each other.

“We’re newlyweds. We’re supposed to make you sick and scratch your eyes out,” Randy quipped with a grin.

Smiling warmly, Beau shook his head at the two of you. “You got married eight months ago. When’s that honeymoon phase ending, huh?”

“Never,” both of you replied in unison and started kissing again, causing Beau’s eyes to roll back.

“God help me…” He sighed dramatically.

His sigh of exhaustion was soon joined by a second one. “Ugh, again?” Carla asked as she stepped into the station and tilted her head at you and your husband.

“Yeah,” Beau confirmed, amused, and kissed his wife’s cheek. “How did that court case go?”

Carla exhaled a breath of fatigued annoyance. “Y/N’s buying drinks tonight. Thanks to her Oscar-worthy performance on the stand,” she replied as you grinned winningly at her. The two of you had a deal – whoever won a court case was inviting the other for consolation drinks. “You know, I’ve never seen someone so convincingly fake-cry during cross.”

“You’re welcome.” You smirked slyly. “My high school drama teacher taught me that. I think he would’ve been proud of me today. Those were real tears, you know?”

“Oh, the jury certainly thought so.” Carla laughed bitterly.

“So you lost?” Beau glanced at his wife. “I’m sorry, darlin’.”

Carla arched an eyebrow and knowingly crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you, Beau?”

“Nah, not really.” He laughed and said, “You did defend a tweaker who killed three people over a little bag of meth, so…”

“Well, I know better than to argue with two cops and a federal agent over the rights of American citizens,” Carla fired back.

Beau snorted in amusement. “Wow, okay. Y/N really pissed you off, huh?”

“Again, you’re welcome.” You beamed with self-satisfaction.

“Oh, you both are pissing me off,” Carla retorted jokingly and then looked at you, smiling. “I gotta get back to the office. I’ll see you at the bar.” She then turned to her husband, pointing a finger at him. “And I’ll see you at home.”

Beau leaned in to kiss his wife goodbye, but Carla already rushed out of the station before he got a chance. He heaved a small sigh, his eyes drifting to Randy and you as you giggled like two lovesick teenagers.

“I gotta get back to work, too,” you said as you withdrew from your husband’s lips. But then you noticed an opened case folder on Randy’s desk. Curiously, you tiptoed up and spied over his shoulder to get a better look at it. “Unless you two got something fun here…”

“Ay, hands off! That ain’t your jurisdiction,” Beau warned you playfully and stopped short of batting your hand away.

“C’mon, we’re stuck. She might be able to help,” Randy interjected with an innocent shrug and a puppy dog look.

Beau heaved an exasperated sigh and then smiled challengingly at you. “Alright, what d’you think, Special Agent Y/L/N?”

Grabbing the file, you leafed through it for a moment and then mused, “Hmm, couldn’t have been the maid. Her schedule doesn’t match time of death. But maybe it was the courier? There’s a theft ring hitting several states. They use bike couriers.”

Beau’s smile widened to a triumphant grin as he pointed a finger at his partner. “Ha! That’s what I said.”

“Alright.” Your husband groaned defeatedly. “Let’s check it out.”

“Oh, now you suddenly want to, huh? After the wife said it? That hurts, man,” Beau teased.

Randy shrugged smugly. “Yeah, well, she’s a lot smarter than you.”

Beau pursed his lips and nodded, hiding his smirk of amusement. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

“Well, you guys have fun with this,” you said and kissed your husband’s lips one last time. “I have to get back to work. The tweaker Carla defended gave up his supplier in Brownsville. The DEA wants me to come down to Matamoros with them tomorrow. They think the guy is Gulf Cartel.”

Randy furrowed his brow, and you could see the concern shimmering in his eyes. “How long will you be gone?”

“Two weeks maybe?” You shrugged, not knowing exactly how long assignments sometimes could last. Worst case, you could even be undercover for a couple of months, and your husband knew that.

“So, we’re gonna have fun tonight?” Randy smirked and wiggled his eyebrows, resting his palms on your hips as he pulled you closer.

You grinned smugly. “You bet we are, baby. Bring the handcuffs home.”

“Guys, c’mon, I’m standing right here,” Beau complained and threw his arms up, making both of you laugh and blush.

“Alright, be careful,” Randy reminded you with a peck on your lips.

You nodded and then turned to Beau. “You’re gonna protect my boy here while I’m gone, Arlen? Have his back?”

“Yes, ma’am. With my life. Promise,” Beau said and smiled at you reassuringly, putting you at ease before you walked out of the station.

Randy let out a worried sigh as he watched you leave. He looked up when Beau patted his shoulder in comfort.

“She’ll be fine. She’s a tough one,” Beau said in an attempt to calm his partner’s nerves.

“Yeah, she is,” Randy agreed quietly before his teasing nature returned. He grinned up at him and quipped, “You couldn’t handle her.”

“Sure, I could! Have you met Carla?” Beau retorted as both of them fell back into a brotherly banter. “Trust me, once your sickening honeymoon phase wears off, you’re gonna be right where I am.”

“What, happily unhappy?” Randy sassed and cocked an eyebrow.

“Exactly,” Beau replied wryly, clicking his tongue.

“Nah, man, that’s not me and Y/N,” Randy stated with a surefire grin.

“Alright, lover boy, let’s put our courier in the hot seat. C’mon,” Beau grunted with a roll of his eyes and brushed off his feelings on the subject, although he began to doubt his own statement. He was admittedly a bit jealous of his partner’s relationship.

Maybe some couples were just happier than him and Carla.

Beau tossed the old football into the air and caught it again. With a thoughtful sigh, he placed it on his desk and sunk back into his chair, his palm still resting on the ball.

“You were right, man. Who would’ve thought…” The sheriff clicked his tongue. A knock on the door ripped him from his trance, his green eyes darting to the visitor.

Jenny carefully peeked her head inside and checked on him, “You okay there?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he assured her. He didn’t bother to form a smile, though.

She pursed her lips, clearly not believing him, but nodded her acceptance. “You wanna join us at the bar? Might give you a chance to talk?”

“Uh, yeah, but you girls go ahead. Still have a few things to finish up here,” Beau said.

“Alright.” Jenny gave him a small smile, but she didn’t leave yet, her hand resting on the doorknob. “You know, when I first saw you with Carla, I thought I had it right. But this-… this is an entirely new look.”

Beau grimaced. “Shut up.”

Jenny laughed lightly. “If you love her, you should tell her.” Beau only shot her a deadpan glare, to which the blonde raised her hands in capitulation. “Alright, just sayin’…” With that, she closed the door behind her again.

Beau’s eyes then landed back on the football on his desk, smacking his lips in thought. Sometimes the guilt was eating him alive, burning him from the inside out like acid.

“You’d be okay with this, right? I know you’d want her to be happy,” he verbalized his thoughts out loud, hoping it would give him some clarity. He wasn’t sure, however, if he was just saying it to alleviate his own guilty conscience and justify his actions.

“I think I could really make her happy, you know? At least, I’d try,” Beau said. Two fingers rubbed his mouth as he spun on his chair and glanced out the window to the dark sky and the stars above. “C’mon, man, I just need one small sign…”

Chapter 3: Pour The Whiskey

More glimpses into the past and maybe some much needed talking coming next week! Let me know all your thoughts in the comments, loves 🤍

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[novamariestark]

Hiiii ☺️☺️

I’ve got an Alden Parker x reader request idea if you’re open to it! Basically the team is working a case where they end up  interviewing an older woman as a witness (older than Parker) who clearly thinks he’s handsome but he politely stays professional (we know Nick would tease him for it). But later he ends up meeting her granddaughter and this time he’s the one that starts flirting with her despite the age gap. 

A Tale Of Two Flirts

Summary: When interviewing witnesses, Alden finds himself in an awkward position when one of them starts flirting with him. But later on, he finds himself flirting with her granddaughter, you.

Warnings: quite possibly the worst thing i've written 😂 and I know I say that a lot.

Word count: 2777

Fandom: NCIS

Pairing: Alden Parker x f!reader

[A/N] I know this is bad, 😂 I’ve literally been working on this for like 2 months and every time I thought I’d finished, I restarted it because I just thought it wasn’t good enough. There isn’t that much flirting in here like the request asked and I hope that’s okay, it’s just that I flirt like a potato.

You may say to yourself, “Nova, potatoes can’t flirt,” Exactly 🤣

And the title is shitty too, I’m so sorry. But right now, I get started and I think I’m on a roll but then my brain’s just like “Haha bitch, just kidding”

Hope you like it though

The wooden steps creaked slightly under their weight. As they approach the door, Alden raised a hand to knock firmly against the wooden door.

Knock knock

The faint hum of a television could be heard from inside but the sound immediately disappeared and the sound of footsteps replaced it.

Alden took out his ID as the door flew open, revealing and older woman, early 70s, with bright blue eyes and slightly greying hair. He holds it up to her and Nick behind him, does the same thing, “Good morning, ma’am, I’m Special Agent Parker and this is…”

The woman smirked and leant on the doorframe, “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,”

A snort from behind him made Alden turn around and glare at the owner of the sound. He turned back to the lady.

"So, you saw the whole thing?" Alden asked, his brow furrowing slightly as he tried to steer the conversation back to the case. The witness he was talking to, a woman in her early 70s with silver hair and piercing blue eyes, seemed more interested in him than in answering his questions. Every so often, he could hear a snicker or a snort from beside him, where his partner Nick Alvarez sat, struggling to maintain a straight face.

“If only I did,” the woman said with a coy smile, her voice low and seductive as she leaned in closer. Alden's face turned a shade of crimson as he stole a quick glance at Nick, silently begging for help, but Nick was too busy trying to stifle his laughter.

"I was referring to the homicide, Mrs. Walsh," Alden explained, his voice maintaining a sense of professionalism even as a blush started to appear on his cheeks. Mrs. Walsh responded with a mischievous wink before replying…

“It’s Ms. Walsh,” she corrected him, her smile widening into a grin.

“Ms. Walsh," Alden corrected himself quickly, "Did you see who did this to Petty Officer Lindsey?” He asked, hoping to keep the conversation on topic. Ms. Walsh leaned back in her chair, her eyes narrowing as she thought.

She shook her head, “By the time I made it to the window, it was all over. I heard a lot of yelling and screaming,”  she replied. Alden and Nick continued to ask her questions and each of her answers included a flirty compliment in some way or another.

Just as the two agents began to walk away, the older woman spoke up again, "You know, dinner might make me feel better. What are you doing later?" she asked, giving Alden a sly smile.

Alden laughed nervously, again looking at Torres for help but he just smiled and walked away, “Probably solving the case, Ms Walsh,” he said politely and excused himself. He walked down the steps of the porch and headed towards Torres.

“Thanks for your help there, Torres,” he said, sarcasm dripping from his tone, “I really appreciate it,” Torres just shrugged with a smirk on his face.

The team headed back to the Navy Yard to continue the investigation. Over the course of the day, Alden had suffered at the hands of Torres’ endless teasing.  He thanked God that he drove over with McGee and not Torres, although his luck ended as soon as they all got into the elevator.

“So, Parker, when’s the special day?” Nick asked with the childish grin on his face, as if he’d just asked what he was getting for Christmas.

Jess and McGee looked at each other, with confused glances. Of course, they didn’t know what was going on, they weren’t there when it happened and Nick kept quiet in the car ride over here, wanting to save it until he was in the same room as Alden, and everyone else was around to hear.

“Wait, what special day?” Tim asked for both him and Jess.

Nick slapped a hand on Alden’s shoulder, his grin getting wider, “Parker’s getting married,”

“What?!” they exclaimed in unison.

“When did this happen?" Jess added, a confused look crossing her face. Two questions went through her head. How on earth did she not know her boss was getting married? And how did Torres keep his mouth shut about it?

Torres was about to speak, but Alden cut him off, “It didn’t,” Alden ran a hand down his face before continuing with the real version events and not Nick’s “There was just a witness that showed a… particular interest in me,”

“She wanted to see all of it” Torres continued, emphasising the word all, to convey that the woman desired to see Alden in his entirety.

“I take it you didn’t help him out?” Tim asked Torres. thinking he probably didn't. Why was he even asking?

Torres shook his head, “Of course not, it was funny,” he looked back to Alden with a smirk and asked, “Can I be best man?”

Alden scoffed, “No,” he said as he turned towards the door as it arrived at their floor.

Unfortunately for Alden, this continues throughout the day. By the end of the day, he felt like someone had been whacking his brain repeatedly with a hammer. He couldn’t wait to solve this case, go home and relax. Preferably before he gave into the urge to get out his gun and shoot Torres with it.

***

You met him on Saturday, when he came over to your grandmother’s to ask her if she recognised the suspect or if she’d seen her around.

You had arrived the day before after work and you were shocked to find the house next door was an active crime scene.

It being a Friday, you were headed to your grandmother's for the weekend. But as you walked from your car towards her house, you noticed her neighbour’s house covered in yellow police tape. “What the hell happened?” you asked yourself, your heart raced as you took in the sight before you. Your eyes widened as you noticed the broken window and the red stains smeared across it that you could only think of being blood. And considering the police tape, it wasn’t that much of a stretch.

The chill of the evening air nipped at your skin as you approached the scene, the flickering streetlamp casting eerie shadows on the ground. You pulled your coat closer to your body, hoping to shield yourself from some of the cold of the night or maybe the sight in front of you.

You couldn’t look at it anymore, so you continued on your way. The first thing you asked was if your grandmother was okay. After she reassured you that she was, you asked what happened.

She started to talk to you about what happened and how her neighbour was murdered and she was telling you everything she knew but somehow, for some reason, she began talking about something completely different.

A man. And it seemed that he had made quite an impression on her. So much so that you actually wanted to erase the last 5 minutes. The last thing you wanted was to hear your grandmother explain to you, in detail, all the things that she wanted to do to this man.

The next morning wasn’t any better. She began by telling you that she had a “lovely dream”, and she “hadn’t had one in so long”. You almost spat out your cereal at what she was hinting at.

“Gross, really?”

“Don’t be such a prude, how do you think I had your mother?”

You shuddered in disgust just as the doorbell rang and you couldn’t get out of your chair fast enough. You rushed over to the door, noticing two figures standing outside through the translucent glass.

As you opened the door, the two figures become clearer. Surprise briefly flashed on the face of the one lurking in the background before a smirk began to form. The one in front was looking down, fiddling with some papers.

“Sorry to bother you Ms Walsh,” he started as he continued, rummaging through the pages, “We just need you to look at some photos see if…” he stopped as he looked up at you, the words dying on his tongue.

Who is she? He thought. He looked to the side of the door at the number. 242, well he had the right house.

“Are you okay?” you asked him, he looked thoroughly confused.

“Yeah, sorry, I wasn’t expecting a beautiful woman to come to the door,” he stammered out, which you thought was cute but then again, was he calling your grandmother unattractive? He seemed to know what you were thinking and quickly corrected himself, “Not that your grandmother isn’t but y-you are,”

Realisation hit you. This was the agent that your grandmother was telling you about. When he turned around presumably for help from his partner, you took that time to check him out to see what the fuss was about.

To say you didn’t enjoy the sight in front of you would have been the biggest lie you told since you told your math teacher that you couldn't do your homework because your pet goldfish had a midlife crisis and decided to swim away with all of your textbooks.

Your eyes quickly returned to their previous position when his head began to turn back towards you.

“She’s just in the kitchen,” you said, lazily gesturing over your shoulder, “Do you want to come in for some coffee?” you asked them with a smile.

Alden opened his mouth to reply but his partner beat him to it, “That would be great, thank you,” he said passing Alden but not without patting him on the back. Alden followed you through the door, gently closing the door behind him and then following you towards the kitchen. As he did, he lingered behind, his eyes tracing over your figure, he was so lost that he almost let out an audible groan but your grandmother caught sight of him.

“Oh, Agent Parker, what a wonderful surprise,” she greeted as she came into the little dining area. Her hand patted her hair to make it look as good as possible.

Alden cleared his throat before responding with a nod, “Uh yeah, we just had some photos for you to look at,”

“I’ll help in any way I can,” she smirked, fiddling with the neckline of her shirt. You groaned, your face hiding itself in your hands.

Alden smiled awkwardly before placing the pictures on the table, spreading them out so each photo could be seen, “Do you recognise any of these people?” he asked, mainly to your grandmother because she was the one who lived here.

Your grandmother leaned in, purposefully close to Alden as she studied the photos. Your discomfort was evident on your face as you looked away momentarily, your eyes landing on the other agent. He seemed to be enjoying his partner’s discomfort and evidently yours.

Your eyes moved back to the photos when your grandmother said that she didn’t recognize anyone. Your eyes skimmed the photos and you did in fact recognize a few people in them, albeit slightly due to the quality of the pictures and the fact that they look like they were taken in the dark.

Your finger tapped the one closest to you first, “This is Jade, Sarah’s former college roommate and best friend,”

Alden scrunched his eyebrows and turned to look at you, “Are you sure? I know the pictures aren’t great,”

You pointed to the handbag that the figure was holding, “That is a Louis Vuitton. Jade got it a couple of months ago and she couldn’t wait to rub it in everyone’s faces,” Your fingers then hovered over the other picture, “This one is strange because it looks like Jade’s ex-boyfriend, Connor from college. They broke up because of her obsession with Sarah’s boyfriend,”

The two agents exchanged glances as if you had just given them a piece of the puzzle but that was ridiculous right? Jade was a stuck-up bitch, but she wouldn’t kill her best friend for a man… would she?

“Thank you,” Alden said, his eyes returning to you for as he began to pick up the photos. You notice how his gaze seemed to always linger on you, a little longer than his partner or your grandmother. She, of course, noticed this too considering she wouldn’t stop undressing him with her eyes.

After he collected everything, him and his partner slowly walked towards the door with you close behind to escort them out. They opened the door but stopped on the porch. Alden seemed to want to say something and it looked as though he was trying to talk himself into it.

“I hope you get who did it,” you smiled softly.

“We will,” the younger agent promised as he began to walk down the steps but stopped when he realised Alden wasn’t following him.

“There’s a uh… pastry shop, not far from here I want to try, do you know if it’s any good?” he asked finally after a couple of minutes of silently arguing with himself. Another argument started about how lame that starter was.

“Sugar & Spice Delights?” you asked with a small smile on your face, you nodded because you actually frequent there, “Uh yeah, it’s a great little shop, ask for Rhea and tell her (y/n) sent you, she may give you the friends and family discount” you said with a smirk.

“Or maybe you could accompany me,” he replied without missing a beat. His eyes closed and his head dropped. Why was he messing this up so bad?

You made a sound as if you were thinking about it and what come to mind was the fact that your grandmother seemed to like him a lot and it seemed wrong to say yes, no matter how much you wanted to, “Oh umm,” you paused looking over your shoulder when you heard footsteps approaching. Your grandmother of course and you were starting to feel bad, especially when she started to look at you disapprovingly.

“If you don’t say yes, I am going to have to disown you,” she said, causing you to lean slightly away from her, your eyebrows moving up towards your hairline.

You turn back to Alden with a small smile that only seemed to get bigger when you uttered the word “yes,”

Alden was beyond happy that you said yes, but also really surprised, especially considering the age gap. Over the course of your next few dates, you kept reassuring him that his age was anything but a concern for you, in fact it was kind of a turn on. In fact, you used the word experienced.

A month into your relationship, he wanted to show you just how experienced he really was. And he really was experienced. He knew exactly where to touch you at the right moment to have your toes curling and reaching for things that weren’t even there.

Pretty soon, after all your date to the little bakery, Alden qualified for the friends & family discount even when you weren’t there, much to the delight of his team. You got to meet them properly three months in which is exactly how long it took for Torres’ teasing to die down.

You were immediately bombarded with questions about you and what was Alden like outside of work, although, they mostly referred to him as Parker. Alden had told you about the teasing that Nick had put him through about you and your grandmother and he even asked if she was still interested in him, so you decided to have a little fun with him.

“Well, she always did have an eye for quality,” you said with a smirk, he was about to reply with some silly remark, but you beat him to it, “You should probably take notes, maybe you could learn something,”

Tim and Jess were in stitches, Alden was stifling his laughter but his amusement was evident by the smirk on his lips.

Once he got over the initial shock of what you just said, he walked over and held his hand out for you to shake, “Well played,” he said as you put your hand in his.  

Pretty much after that, you became one of them. You and Nick actually got on really well and aside from Alden, he was the one you spent most time with and occasionally Victoria when Jimmy and Jess needed some alone time.

But most of your spare time was spent with Alden either on cute little dates, or tangled in the sheets and each other’s limbs or as you called it… Heaven.

[lemonxdaisybby]

Hiking with the Ichigang

Honestly, I have no idea what this is lmao they are extremely dumb.

Not the type of headcanons I planned on writing, but the idea randomly came to me, and they were fun to make. ✨

Ichiban Kasuga:

Ichi is probably the one who suggested a little hiking day trip to be honest. Most likely got the idea whilst skimming through the magazine rack at the convenience store, and spotted some article/ad about hiking and nature and what a great experience it is.

Immediately thought it would be a fun bonding session to have with the gang, but he is wrong.

Organised the outing, but is somehow the least prepared.

Probably made a dumb footwear choice, like flip flops or sandals. Ends up with sore feet very early on, and stubs his toes on stones constantly.

Also did not bring enough water, and has to scrounge off the others.

Also brought no food/snacks. Luckily Zhao made an entire feast for the trip.

To be honest, once he’s there he just has no idea what he’s doing or where the gang should go. He’s having a great time regardless though, and is ultra enthusiastic as always. He’s just happy to be with his besties.

No thoughts, just vibes.

Yu Nanba:

He is absolutely exhausted after about 30 minutes of walking. Let this man nap.

Just wants to sit down and chill. Maybe even watch the different birds and critters go by.

He can appreciate nature, he just doesn’t really appreciate the exercise/walking part.

He would be grumbling and complaining constantly, to be honest. An absolute vibe killer.

Poor guy strikes me as unlucky, and would definitely get stung by a bee or a wasp.

Grumpy.

Adachi Koichi:

Somehow becomes the dad of the group, and has to take control after it becomes apparent that Ichiban the Organiser has no clue where to go, or what to do.

Is actually pretty prepared. Has appropriate hiking footwear, a backpack with the appropriate amount of food and water, and even medical supplies just in case.

Also has a map, but still somehow manages to get the group lost.

Blames them getting lost on the map being wrong, but it’s not the map. It’s him. It’s all him.

Saeko Mukoda:

Honestly, it’s not her vibe, but she enjoys spending time with her friends and wanted to give hiking a fair shot.

Sure she appreciates nature, but she prefers to appreciate it from afar.

Another one who complains that her feet hurt not long after starting the hike, and also did not wear appropriate hiking footwear.

She would enjoy taking pictures of the scenery, and selfies with the gang.

Would make herself a flower crown, and feel like a fairy princess.

The vibe would be ruined when one of the gang points out there’s a huge bug on one of the flowers. She probably ends up chucking the crown on the ground and stomping on it.

Wouldn’t despise the trip and would have some fun, but definitely would not be up for hiking again.

Seonhee:

This queen would probably do just fine on a hike, as long as any bugs stay away.

She’s not entirely sure how she got dragged along on the trip with these buffoons (minus Joon-Gi), but she can definitely appreciate the environment.

A nice change of pace/scenery for her.

Probably wants to ditch the rest of the group, as they’re all annoying her with their constant whining.

Must have rolled her eyes at least 276695290 times during the entire trip.

Saeko takes the prettiest candid shots of Seonhee just looking all regal and like an absolute queen, surrounded by all the pretty trees and flowers.

Joon-Gi Han:

OVER-PREPARED.

It was meant to be a little day trip/hike, and the gang would all be back home way before nightfall.

But Joon-Gi has packed a TENT. He has supplies to make a FIRE. He has CLIMBING EQUIPMENT, and also them stupid ass hiking poles even though it is a completely flat hike.

Has multiple backpacks just full of unneeded things.

The other guys can’t even see him. He’s just a bundle of walking backpacks.

He is just full to the brim of random survival tips.

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

He would have to take the map off Adachi, and would get the gang back on the right track. He would also officially ban Adachi from giving them directions ever again.

Tianyou Zhao:

Definitely worked so hard the day before cooking food, and making little snacks and lunchboxes for the gang.

Probably made too much food, let’s be honest.

Would definitely be roasting Joon-Gi for taking the hike so seriously.

Would also roast Adachi for getting them lost.

Like Seonhee, he has no idea how he got roped in to a hiking trip with his favourite losers.

And like Ichi, Zhao is not 100% sure what is going on, but he too is just vibing.

[wikiangela]

tease tidbit tuesday💀

tagged by @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @daffi-990 @fortheloveofbuddie @disasterbuckdiaz @hoodie-buck 💖

hi! so, yesterday I randomly opened the doc with the buddie death cast au - which is a fic I started writing last summer on vacation and never got back to it but then made progress lol it's gonna be MCD, which i know is not everyone's thing so feel free to ignore this 🤣 it's basically buddie in the universe of the "they both die at the end"/"the first to die at the end" books so it's gonna be sad, sorry lol (I never even read mcd, idk why i'm writing this but this idea just wants to be written i guess haha) gotta put this weird mood I've been in lately to good use and finally write this 🤣 not sure if I'm happy with this snippet, but it all needs editing, the first two snippets were written on my phone and haven't been edited yet lol

I posted two snippets so far, gonna link them both snippet 1 | snippet 2

___

“Is all of this clear, Eddie?” she asks in the end.

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” he says shortly. He should've just hung up immediately. Or cancel this stupid subscription after Shannon died. Sometimes he wonders if maybe people who get the calls and coincidentally get into accidents, for example, just give up and refuse to fight because they think it’s their time. Not like Shannon could do much, her injuries were too severe when they got there, but the point stands. Maybe they get more reckless, thinking it doesn’t matter anyway. 

There’s a short pause on the line, but then Jane speaks up again, her tone softer, more sympathy seeping through.

“I know it’s not easy to accept, if you’d like some help with that, on out website you can find therapists and grief counselors specializing in-”

“Listen.” Eddie interrupts. He’s spent enough time in therapy. He’s not doing it on his supposedly last day. “I know it’s all bullshit. I don’t care. You said what you had to say, I listened, for whatever reason.” he rolls his eyes. He really should’ve hung up, or not answered at all. “Is this conversation over yet?” he asks and is met with another moment of silence. She’s probably wondering what everyone else always is: why is he even spending money on this if he doesn’t believe. He has an answer ready to go, but that’s not what she asks.

“Can I ask you a question?” she says quieter, whispering, probably not allowed to go too much off-script. 

“Sure, why not.” he shrugs. He’s wide awake now, anyway, he’s not in a hurry. Not like he’s dying anytime soon.

“If it was your last day, how would you spend it? You don’t have to answer, just think about it.” she adds quickly, her tone much softer and gentler now. Eddie’s mind immediately supplies a picture of Christopher and Buck, just a casual hang-out, like usual, maybe going to the movies, or the aquarium, or the planetarium, something fun for his kid. And later a gathering with the rest of their family, maybe a barbecue at Bobby and Athena’s, with Maddie and Chim, and Hen and Karen, all their kids, just everyone having fun together. Yeah, that’d be a perfect day. “There’s no harm in spending today just like this, if possible. Just in case.” Jane adds, still whispering. He doesn’t tell her that’s more or less his plan, anyway, for the evening after his 12-hour shift. During which nothing will happen to him, because Death-Cast doesn’t know shit. “Well, lastly, Eddie,” Jane’s voice is back at normal-volume, tone strictly professional but sympathetic, as she recites the end of her script, “on behalf of everyone here at Death-Cast, we’re so sorry to lose you. Live this day to the fullest.”

Eddie hangs up without a word.

___

no pressure tags: @elvensorceress @gaydiaz @diazass @thebravebitch @silentxxsoul @shortsighted-owl @eddiebabygirldiaz @arthursdent @911onabc @housewifebuck @rogerzsteven @watchyourbuck @underwater-ninja-13 @eowon @loserdiaz @evanbegins @ladydorian05 @wildlife4life @nmcggg @diazpatcher @lover-of-mine @king-buckley @monsterrae1 @thewolvesof1998 @puppyboybuckley @weewootruck @buckaroosheart @spagheddiediaz @steadfastsaturnsrings @exhuastedpigeon @jesuisici33 @theotherbuckley @rainbow-nerdss @malewifediaz @giddyupbuck @diazsdimples @jeeyuns @epicbuddieficrecs @pirrusstuff @honestlydarkprincess @hippolotamus @spotsandsocks

[blindmagdalena]

I love your content on here, it’s really great. You are one of my fave accounts on here rn. Anyway, how do you think homelander would be with his s/o’s parents? Especially with those really overbearing moms and then the dads that try to act like they don’t care but really adore their children (even if they’re grown).

I could see like the s/o’s mom asking them 100 questions making sure they are healthy and everything and then demanding to talk to Homelander to ask the

So I don’t remember exactly where I left off with the ask about homelander with his s/o’s parents, but I do have a general idea. If I’m remembering correctly I left off with saying something about the mom being kind of overbearing and the dad being one of those that tries to pretend like he doesn’t care but actually is really protective and caring with his children even when they are grown. Maybe the mom calls to talk to the s/o but somehow ends up talking to homelander and asking him a million questions and just checking in on him and everything. Or maybe they are over at the parents’ house for a family dinner and homelander ends up bonding with the dad over baseball or other stereotypical father/son bonding moments. I also think it would be funny to see how he handled a physically affectionate mom since our boy does terribly in that department, or when the s/o is getting another call from their parents and it like “jeez my mom/dad is calling again” and homelander is jumping at the opportunity to talk to the mom/dad and tell them all about his day like a little kid coming back from school and telling every detail of their day to their parents. Of course with these types of parents questions about marriage and grandbabies would probably get asked a lot

I feel like if homelander had an s/o that had parents that treated him like a son or even just filled that need for parental gratification and guidance he would be so much more attached to his s/o. Or if they broke up and Homelander had to process that losing his s/o would also mean losing their family (that would be a nightmare). I think in some cases it could possibly lead to Homelander trying to baby trap his s/o so they all have to be around him if the family wants to ever see the baby. Tbh I love the idea of Homelander healing his inner child and parental issues with the help of his s/o and their family. Anyway sorry for the huge ask and that it’s kind of all over the place😅

Can't stop laughing at the mental image of picking up your phone, and it's your mom, who immediately asks to talk to Homelander. You roll you eyes with a smile and offer him the phone, saying, "It's for you," even though you both know he heard it loud and clear for himself. He grabs the phone from you with a broad grin and says, "What's up, mom?" Because of course he started calling her mom almost immediately, and she's tickled pink by it.

Dad was a harder sell for sure, but Homelander is charismatic as fuck when he wants to be. He's programmed with an extensive back catalogue of Toxic Masculinity In America: Advanced Edition, and grumpy old boomers are his exact demographic.

Eventually Homelander is the one practically dragging you to family dinner every Sunday night. Your mom buys him a sweater, which naturally he puts on over top of his suit.

You never have the heart to say no when he wants to hang out with your family. At first you might have been a little worried that he wouldn't be interested in your family, he wasn't much a fan of your friends, or sharing you with them, but it's so obvious how badly he craves the American dream of a nuclear family.

Baby-trapping absolutely IS the next logical step. There's no way he can be at risk of losing you AND his new parents.

[givemea-dam-break]

Hello! I love your work!! If possible, could you do a Lockwoodxreader story where the reader has to rescue Lockwood from some peril and comfort him through the aftermath please?

a/n: ahhhhh yes absolutely! i'm so glad you like my writing, so i can only hope I've done your request justice!

warnings: minor injury detail gn reader

"I'm going to kill you. I'm going to take my rapier, and I'm going to run you through."

"No point in telling me your murder plans. Now I know exactly what you're going to do. And, might I ask why exactly you want to kill me?"

You mutter some very insulting things under your breath before saying, "Because we currently have two Type Twos waiting down the hall for us, when this was meant to be a simple Type One job, hence why Lucy and George are back at home, relaxing and probably drinking my tea."

Lockwood looks over his shoulder at you, offering up that infuriating smile. "We'll be fine. We've dealt with worse together. Remember the ghost of Eleanor Hart?"

"Eleanor Hart was a Visitor whose only purpose for haunting her old house was because her cat had died and she never buried it."

"And, yet, she still tried to kill us, but we defeated her."

"You're not helping your case, Lockwood," you growl. "We should postpone for tonight, come back tomorrow with Lucy and George."

"No," Lockwood says, keeping his rapier steady in front of him. "I'll distract them, and you find the source."

You want to scream at him, but you keep your voice light. The Visitors are already getting agitated. "And what are your ideas of what the source is? These are two murder victims, judging by the gunshot wounds in their chests, but I don't think the goddamn gun will be the source if it's even here."

"Well, it's your job to find that out. Ready?"

"No, Lockwood, let's take a minute to think about -"

Before you've even finished your sentence, Lockwood leaps out of the iron circle and sprints towards the ghosts, capturing their attention. He darts into one of the rooms - the massive lounge - and you can hear the banging of exploding salt bombs as you hurry over.

Your Sight isn't your greatest Talent, but it's enough for you to see faint deathglows in the study, just beside each other. As the sound of Lockwood's battle increases, you creep into the room, placing your hand on the ground between the glows.

Echoes of voices fill your ears, the words unintelligible, but the tones clear enough: anger, insecurity, rivalry. Something about a competition where something went wrong - one betrayed the other. A gunshot, followed immediately by another, so loud that it knocks you off your feet.

"They killed each other?" you murmur, frowning. "So what would the source be...?"

Lockwood yells in the other room, and you jump to your feet, clutching your rapier tightly. You need to figure out what the source is and fast.

"(name), hurry!"

Panic flares in your chest, but you bury it down.

You don't think, you just run through to the Lounge.

Lockwood is stumbling, holding his side as if in pain. His rapier is in his left hand rather than his right, which looks like it's bleeding. He throws a salt bomb - his last - at the spirit on the left, and it dissipates, reforming over to the side a little, and... there.

A portrait hangs on the wall, depicting a beautiful woman. It's not a modern painting by any standards, but it's no more than a few decades old, and it clicks.

The men, the Visitors, had been fighting over her and, in a fit of rage when one sabotaged their competition to win her heart, the other drew his gun. Both were armed, and both shot each other, killing the other instantly. You want to roll your eyes at the stupidity, but you have more pressing matters.

Lockwood slashes at one of the ghosts with his rapier, but he's weaker with his left hand. The spirit draws nearer, reaching out a spectral hand as the other circles around to the side.

"Lockwood, duck!" you shout.

You throw a salt bomb at the spectre on the right, momentarily getting rid of it, and leap forward, cutting through the other with your rapier. When you reach Lockwood, he's panting heavily and limping as he moves. There's a look in his eyes, a glimpse of doubt and regret, and it spurs you on. You toss him your remaining salt bombs.

"Watch my back. We left the silver net in the hall."

Without giving him a chance to respond, you slice through the newly formed ghosts and tear the portrait off the wall. It's heavier than you expected - probably because of its massive frame - but you know that your guess was right. The ghosts wail with rage, following you as you sprint away with the portrait.

The hall seems longer than you remember, and you're sure you would've been ghost touched if not for Lockwood throwing salt bombs to protect your retreat. Your heart is hammering in your chest, and it hurts a little to breathe, but you can't stop. Your feet slide, and you crash into the wall, cracking your head on the old brick, but you manage to make it to the iron circle and fish out the silver net from the duffle bag, wrapping the large portrait in it.

Immediately, the hall becomes silent, and the Visitors disappear. All you can hear is your gasps for breath and the limping footsteps of Lockwood before he slides to the ground beside you, leaning against the wall.

"You okay?" you ask, turning to look at him, shaking off the wave of dizziness that occurs.

"Always."

You frown at him, shuffling closer on your knees until you kneel beside him. Gently, you pry his hand off his left side, eternally grateful to find that there's no blood. His right arm is trembling in your grip, possibly overextended or whacked on something.

"This will hurt," you warn before pressing your hands onto his left side.

Lockwood grits his teeth as you feel around his ribs. They're swelling a little, and they're obviously sore, but nothing feels broken. It's a similar process for his arm, probably sprained, and you sit back on your heels, breathing a sigh of relief.

"You're alright," you say softly. "Nothing broken, but you'll be sore and probably bruised for a little while. What happened?

He takes a deep breath, shifting slightly. "Threw me across the room, whacked against the fireplace."

You try for a smile. "Well, you're okay. I'm okay, it's all good."

"You're bleeding," he says with a frown. "(name) -"

Gingerly, you touch the side of your head, fingers coming back red and sticky. You don't remember hitting the wall that hard.

"I'm alright," you say. "Just a scrape."

All of a sudden, his fingers are gently brushing your hairline just beside the cut, brows furrowed and lips parted. Something in your heart squeezes at the sight of his worry.

"Lockwood, I'm alright. I promise."

"I'm stupid," he says, his hand travelling down your face slowly, cautiously, until his hand cups your cheek. Instinctively, you lean into his touch, ignoring the warmth of your face. "You were right, we should've left and come back tomorrow."

Your hand grips his, intertwining fingers. "Hey, yeah, you were a bit stupid, and I'm still tempted to run you through, but we're alive. We've done it."

"You've done it."

"Okay, I might've secured the source, but I wouldn't have been able to do that without you lobbing salt bombs at the Visitors."

His eyes are angry, but not at you, at himself. In the dim lighting of the hallway, he's awfully pale, and the faint bags under his eyes seem so much darker. From the corner of your eye, you might've believed him to be a ghost himself.

"Listen," you say. "It's done. It's over. We're alive, yeah? We're alive, Lockwood."

He hesitates, looking up at you with eyes you could just fall into. "But, what if it had gone wrong? You're all I - I can't lose you."

You turn your head in his hand, pressing a light kiss to his palm. "It didn't go wrong. You haven't lost me, see? I'm alive, I'm breathing, and I'm going to take you home and make you a nice cup of tea, then I'll put you on bed rest for a couple of days."

His pulse beats fast in his palm, and you could probably chalk it down to the adrenaline rush you always feel during a case fading off, but some part of you feels triumphant - a little action on your part flustered him.

"Let's go home, yeah?" you say, squeezing his hand softly. "I'll get you all patched up and fed."

"And will you -" Vulnerability flashes in his eyes, something you've rarely ever seen from him before. "Will you stay with me?"

Your heart flutters in your chest. "As long as you want, Lockwood."

His hand moves from your cheek to brush through your salt-encrusted hair, and a little, slightly smug, smile plays at his lips.

"There's the Lockwood I love, eh?" you murmur before blanching. Did you just say...?

Lockwood has a similar reaction, his jaw becoming slack as he stares at you. Your face feels hot.

"Um." You stand abruptly. "Come on, let's get you home."

You grasp his arms gently, pulling him to his feet and looping one of his arms over your shoulders. As you begin walking, all you can hear is your heartbeat pounding in your chest, deafening.

"Did you mean that?" Lockwood says, free of his typical charming tone. No, now he sounds... nervous?

Trying to act nonchalant, you shrug. "Maybe."

"Maybe, huh?"

He laughs, and the tension writhing in your stomach eases. His laugh is contagious, and, soon, you're laughing together, shouldering your bags as you trudge out of the abandoned mansion.

Something in your chest feels at ease from the absence of Lockwood's rejection. Part of you wonders if he feels the same, but the other part waves it off. You're both injured and probably out of it, right?

"I feel the same, for what it's worth."

Those four words, god, they're enough to make your knees weak and set off fireworks in your blood. You can't help the grin that parts your lips.

"Good," is all you can say.

Maybe it's the head injury, but you swear you can feel the gentle press of lips on the top of your head as you step back out into the outside world.

[reidsc0nverse]

A Rose by Any Other Name (Chapter Four)

Summary: Reader and Spencer get to it on that coffee date and throughout the day finds herself to be a lot more apparent in her fondness to the genius. Her day only gets better when she receives some big news.

Warnings: Language

AN: Things are happeningggg

Series Masterlist

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I did indeed get a text from him the next morning. 

From: Unknown Contact

> Hey, it's Spencer. How does that coffee sound about now?

I smiled to myself and replied to him.

You know just the way to a girls heart <

I got out of bed and made my way to the bathroom, work started about an hour so I had enough time to do whatever I needed.

> Great, how about Laurent's Brewery in 30?

Perfect <

I hopped in the shower and started to get myself ready. Afterward I got dressed in one of my favorite work outfits and did some light makeup.

About twenty minutes later I left my apartment and walked to the coffee shop, it's a cute little place and not too far. Before walking in I hear my name. Turning around I see Spencer walking towards me.

"Right on time." He smiled.

"I enjoy being punctual." I say smiling back. He opens the door for me as we walk in.

We walk to the front and order our drink and sit down at a nearby table. 

"Did you seriously ask for five sugars?" I ask laughing at the ridiculous sweet tooth this man has.

"What can I say? I like sweet things." He says with a slight smirk for a moment then goes back to his dorky smile.

Was he flirting? 

I shake my head as the barista calls the both of our names as we grab our coffees and sit at the table again.

"So, have you taken any extra thought on it?" he asked me.

"Extra thought on what?" 

"Pulling through to become a profiler."

I bit the inside of my cheek, I really hadn't thought any more about the topic. I mean of course I wanted to do it, but right now with filling in for JJ, I just have too much on my plate to actually execute anything. 

"In all honesty, no." I say, taking a sip from my drink.

His eyebrows furrow, "Why not?"

I shrug, "I've been too busy, I guess."

"I hope you can find some time, it'd be nice to have you around with all of us. I mean, when JJ gets back..I don't know I think we'll miss you around that's all. Rossi seems happy you're around too." He says while fidgeting with his hands a little bit.

I smile warmly at him, "Aw, yknow, I've never felt so welcomed like this before." I say while picking at the side of the cup.

He tilts his head, "Really?"

I nod my head no and shrug, "Nope."

"I don't know how, as soon as JJ introduced you to us we kinda immediately had no doubts about you. Which is weird for a bunch of profilers."

I laughed and took another sip to hide my face. "I'm glad to hear that, I was so nervous I wasn't gonna fit in."

He scoffs with a smile, "Not at all."

I look at my watch, "We should probably get to work huh"

He looks at his own and nods his head, "I can give you a ride." 

I thank him and we walk out to his car, getting in and beginning to head for the office. 

"You have no idea how much I needed that coffee." I say slumping in the seat.

"Last night was, um, definitely a treat. We need to stop hosting parties at Rossi's the night before paperwork days." He laughs.

We pull up to the building shortly after and walked in together, Morgan's eyes shooting to us and his cheeky ass smile plastered on his face.

Walking to us, he smirk and begins, "Well well well, so you go home together, and now you come to work together, did pretty boy get it on or am I missing something?" 

I roll my eyes at him, "Ha ha. Not so lucky, Derek, sorry to burst your bubble."

"Right..right." He laughs and claps his hand on Spencer's back, who, is now blushing. 

"I mean, that wasn't the case this time, who knows." I tease and walk to my office, leaving him standing there. 

This confidence has got to be left over from last night. 

Paperwork's a bitch. After documenting everything from the previous case for a couple hours I only looked up from my writings when I heard a knock on the doorway to see Spencer.

I blinked hard from the light adjustment  from the dark office to where he was standing. "Hey what's up?" I asked.

"Need any help? I finished all mine a little while ago and I thought I'd do something better with my time." He said with his hands in his pockets awkwardly. 

"So you decided to come spend some time with me. That's definitely an improvement from Derek trying to force you to do his own." I joke and he laughs in agreement. I motion for him to take the seat in front of me across the desk which I now cleared off some space for him.

As he sits I hand him one of the final pages in which is needed to fill out and finish the one I'm working on. 

I felt his eyes on me as I completed my writing and finally looked up at him.

"Look, sorry if what I said earlier made you uncomfortable or anything-"

"What? No, no. Not at all."

"Then why are you looking at me like that?" I ask. 

A beat of silence and then a smile grew on his face.

"What?" I laugh, now seeing his demeanor.

"Nothing. I finished it up, here." He said with his smile still on his face as he handed me the paper and started to walk out.

"Hey hey hey, pump your breaks pretty boy." I say, standing up. 

He turns slowly to me while sucking his lips in to hide his smile.

"Y'know your nose scrunches is when you're flustered." 

"What? No it doesn't." I say playfully, at least I don't think it does:

"It happened when we talked last night while we were cleaning up, this morning when I told you about how I like my coffee, and when I asked to help you." 

God I hate profilers. 

"Your point?" I asked crossing my arms.

"Last night I admitted to you making me nervous, and no matter how confident you seem...I don't know, it seems like I return the favor." He said with a smirk.

I had to literally keep my mouth from opening in that moment, I scoffed and looked away from him trying to compose myself even though I knew it was pointless; he'd see right through me. 

"Wow, you are good at your job." I say with a faint smile and avoiding looking at him but I could feel the tension between us rise until I get snapped out of it hearing my dads voice.

"Y/N, I need to talk to you." He says across the hall and I compose myself and walk past Spencer to see him. 

My dad meets me with kind eyes and puts his arm around me, guiding me to the round table to see Section Chief Strauss and Hotch.

"What's this about.." I ask with worry in my voice. "Did I do something wrong?"

Strauss smiles softly and responds, "No, at least not to my knowledge." 

"A little birdie informed me of your interest as profiler." My dad choked in. 

My eyebrows furrow and he continues, "I had a quick talk with Erin here and we discussed a possibility of including you onto the team within some time." 

My face brightened up, "Seriously?"

Hotch comes in, "Of course you still need all the training and it may take a little while, but even as liaison you've shown evidence of having the skills to make a great profiler." 

Strauss finishes up, "You continue your time here filling in for JJ and keep up the work that you've proven as being impressive, then we can start the work on getting you set up." 

I'm pretty sure they could physically see the excitement spilling out of my pores. "Oh my gosh..thank you! Seriously this is huge, I mean, I'm so grateful." I say and the others nod knowingly. 

My dad shakes me from under his arm in congratulations and leads me out the room to leave Strauss and Hotch.

"It won't take too long, not if I have anything to do with it." My dad says mischievously.

I roll my eyes, "A little bird told you huh." 

He shrugs and we walk down to everyone else's desk as my dad goes off to the break room. Emily catches a glimpse of me and walks over, "What did Strauss want with you?" She asks with annoyance in her voice, not everyone is very um...fond of Strauss.

"Oh, nothing bad." I say, biting the smile on my face.

Emily catches up on it and cocks her eyebrow, "Mhm..you know I could always analyze you to figure it out." 

"You'll find out soon enough." I smirk and she squints her eyes with a smile. 

I look over my shoulder and see Spencer sitting at his desk attempting to hide a smile behind his fist as he's holding his head up. 

Little birdie. Right.

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taglist: @darkenwolfie @justlivinginadaydream @daddy-dotcom @itsametaphorbriansblog @rosesandlavendertea @4karaa @lockwoods-coat-and-reids-vests

[borrowedtimeandspace]

A Hard Day's Night

Alien

From this list of g/t prompts

Part 1 of 2. [Part 2]

AU: The Donna Trilogy side story; set during the interlude, 'If I Could Turn Back Time'

Note: Look, I only had Dan Lewis for a day and a half and he is best boy. I just wanted to keep him in my pocket forever! But that's not what we're doing today.

Obviously I'm playing this year's g/t July way more loosey-goosey. This prompt got long enough that I could split it into two parts, and I'm debating whether to post it to IICTBT once both parts are out since it doesn't quite fit there. Idk, let me know what you think. PLUS I have another idea for the Alien prompt that I'm very excited about.

Also I'm on the Epic the Musical hype train and I had to really stop myself from titling this 'Pride is a Damsel in Distress'... I'm fine

~~~

“Thanks again for the hand, Dan,” said Wilma as she set the last pallet of donated goods on top of the stack. “As always.”

Dan Lewis gave a small shrug and a smile. “Y'know me, happy to help.”

Wilma only just began removing cans of soup from the stack when her mobile's ringtone blared. With a grumble she shifted everything into one arm to fish the phone from her pocket. Her face immediately fell.

“Of all times…” she sighed, then sent an apologetic look Dan's way. “Mind if I…?”

“Take it,” Dan waved her off and took the cans from her. If it was who he thought it was on the other end of that call, he reckoned it might take her a while. “I'll get this sorted, no worries. Take your time.”

Letting him unburden her, Wilma hurried to step outside. “Glad to have you back,” she called over her shoulder as she lifted the phone to her ear and turned the corner.

Dan stood there for the briefest moment of reflection. It hadn't been long at all since, as far as most were concerned, he'd returned from his stint traveling. He couldn't exactly tell anyone where he'd been traveling, of course. Even after all the madness of the Flux, there weren't many people on Earth who would remotely understand life with the Doctor.

Now it was just a matter of adjusting to living life day to day back in the 21st century. Falling back into old habits like volunteering at the food bank gave Dan a sense of normalcy that didn't feel mind-numbingly mundane. He was still helping people, making a difference in their lives. So long as he could see them smile and know they wouldn't go to bed hungry, that was enough.

While he went about stocking the shelves, something skittered by in the corner of his eye. 

Whatever he'd caught a glimpse of was small but fast, and probably would have gone overlooked by anyone else. Living a dangerous lifestyle throughout time and space even for a short time had heightened Dan's senses for these things, but as he glanced around the storeroom, he couldn't spot any further signs of movement.

Dan decided to leave it for now. It didn't exactly feel like a threatening presence just yet, and he could keep an eye on his back just in case.

He'd just started stocking donated pasta on a higher shelf when a clatter behind him made him jump. He whirled around to find a few cans of soup rolling across the floor after what seemed to be a spontaneous spill from a low shelf. 

What got Dan's feet moving faster than usual was the other sound he could swear he heard in time with the crash– a faint but pained voice.

Dan hurried to kneel next to the mess, shaking his head when he noticed some volunteer before him thought it would be a bright idea to stack the cans on their side in a pyramid one shelf up from the floor. No wonder they'd gone rolling.

He was about to start reorienting them, but paused at the sight of something tucked slightly under one of the cans that remained on the shelf, near the base of the former pyramid. It seemed at first to be a tiny bundle of dark cloth, until Dan looked closer and saw part of it moving ever so slightly up and down. Like it was breathing, quite quickly.

Before he thought better of it, Dan reached out a hand to brush back some of the fabric.

The little bundle flinched, and Dan jerked his hand back with a choked, startled sound. Some of the cloth fell away as the thing twisted to face him, revealing it wasn't an it after all. Seemed to be a he.

Dan and this tiny figure stared at one another with wide eyes for a moment, the latter with what seemed to the former like little pinpricks of cobalt blue. Now that he had the context of what he was looking at, the wee fellow looked human-like, only he was small enough to fit in Dan's hand.

The bloke had a darker complexion than Dan's fair one, and short copper-red hair that he'd kept hidden under a hood before. His chin had a bit of scruff in a similar color, though Dan noticed a patch or two that were turning white. Among all the questions flooding Dan's head, he briefly wondered if he and this little person were of similar age.

That all went away as he took in the rest of the teeny figure, and found that one of his legs was jammed under the can.

Dan’s hand moved in again the second he saw that, pausing only when he saw the little fella recoil and raise an arm in defense. He tried not to let his heart sink to realize just how frightening he was.

“S’okay,” Dan whispered in a way he hoped was reassuring. “Not gonna hurt ya. Let's just get you outta there.”

The tiny man frowned but didn't seem swayed. Dan went ahead anyway, moving slowly so as not to startle him again. With one hand he held the other cans in place to keep them from rolling about again, and with the other he lifted the one pinning the poor man's leg.

With the weight lifted, the man wasted no time rolling away and jumping to his feet, but he gave another pained grunt and stumbled away to lean on an upright-standing can. Dan put down the one in his hand and made sure it kept the rest in place before he removed his hands just as slowly.

“Alright?” Dan asked, watching with concern as the man slid himself down to sit. He got a sharp side-eye in reply before the man focused on examining his leg. Biting back a wince to watch him tenderly prod at his ankle and shin, he added, “I could fetch a first aid kit if you're hurt–”

“I'm fine!”

The little man seemed almost as surprised by his sharp response as Dan was, and they ended up in another short staredown. When Dan seemed to back down without further argument, the man huffed and mumbled, “I will be fine…”

Dan was quickly distracted from the observation that the little fella didn't sound Scouse and the curious thought of how far he'd come to get to Liverpool, when the man drew up his trouser leg for a proper look at the state of his ankle. Bruises dark enough for even Dan to plainly see mottled the lower half of his leg, and the deeper parts were a little swollen. 

Then he blinked when he thought he saw the bruises were getting smaller. Sure enough, he watched the edges slowly turn purplish, then yellow, and then return to light brown much more quickly than Dan had ever seen a bruise heal.

“Are you one of them aliens, like?” Dan blurted before he could think twice about it.

He found himself once again locked in a wide cobalt-blue stare as the little head whipped around. Dan couldn't tell if he was defensive or simply surprised by the question.

“I…what?”

Dan gave a shrug. “Wouldn't be the first I met. Couple a’ my mates were aliens! And if ya want, I could put you in touch with someone who's worked with em a lot, if you're stuck here and need any help gettin’ home–”

“I'm not a bloody alien, man!” he snapped, shutting Dan right up. “And I don't need your help!”

“Alright, mate, easy now,” said Dan, putting up his hands in surrender. “Only a suggestion…”

He saw the man tense up to see his hands, so Dan put them down. Miniscule shoulders released the slightest bit of tension as he went back to tending to his ankle.

Dan noticed the swelling hadn't gone down much near the joint, nor had the bruises lightened yet. “How long does, er, that usually take?” he asked tentatively.

This time he was ignored. The man sharply shoved his trouser leg back down to cover his ankle, and he set about carefully laying it out in front of himself.

[theunbearableweightofpedropascal]

Be my Baby chp.3

A/N: I have the plan for Chapter 4 but I'm not so sure about the will. It will get done, just not sure when. Enjoy tho😘

Warnings: (angst, oral f. receiving)

Summary: You and Fish have your first date.

Word Count: 3.7k

Frankie never thought he would have to script a conversation to talk to his wife but here he is. His lunch date with you was nice but he wanted to see you more outside of work. He needed to talk with Maria when she was free so she’d be home with Rosie. Although the situation is a two-way street he still feels awkward bringing it up. 

He hears the front door open and turns to see Maria and Rosie holding grocery bags. Frankie immediately goes to help with the bags but Maria brushes past, saying she’s got it. Rosie though is holding her tiny hands out expectantly. Frankie laughs as she takes the opportunity to break free from grocery duty. Before entering the kitchen he heaves a sigh knowing this won’t be pleasant. 

Maria’s back is turned to him as she places boxes of cereal in the cupboard. He places the grocery bags on the counter before sorting what goes where. 

“I uh was wondering what days you’ll be home next week.” Frankie scratched the back of his neck while waiting for an answer. 

“Chris is probably taking me out to dinner next Wednesday, but we’ll probably see each other a few more times.” Maria’s answer still doesn’t help him figure out a day to take you out.

“Well, do you think you be home on Tuesday night then?” 

“Look Francisco I’m not sure I’ll be in the mood for your idea of a date night.” Maria rolls her eyes at the thought. 

“That’s not what I’m asking, I did what you said and I set up a date so I need to know when you can be here with Rosie.” Frankie is almost fed up with this conversation but he keeps his voice neutral. 

“In that case, I’ll clear Tuesday out.” Maria is shocked and Frankie can tell. “How’d you two meet?” 

“Benny introduced us.” Frankie maneuvers to put up the groceries he sorted. 

“I can’t imagine that lasting long.” Maria laughs at her dig against Frankie and Benny. 

Frankie ignores her. The way she reacted when she thought he was asking her on a date was hurtful, to say the least. She always said she liked his plans. The dig at Benny wasn’t much better either, he may not have to greatest track record but he means well. At the rate they’re going divorce is more probable than actual reconciliation. And honestly, Frankie wouldn’t mind that.

………..

With all the time you dedicated to getting Benny and Will’s system up and running you neglected your best friend. It’s been weeks since you guys physically went out. The both of you understood work and extracurriculars would keep you both occupied at times, but you always kept a line of communication. You called off work and proposed you both get brunch with bottomless mimosas. Your outfit consisted of high-waist flared jeans, platform sandals, and a yellow tube top. 

Veronica should be arriving within the next 15 minutes so you go over your outfit again making sure there is nothing out of place. The both of you agreed you would wear something yellow and you bet she chose for it to be her pants. 

You decide to put mascara and blush on just in case you get fucked up after bottomless mimosas, again. You begin unraveling your hair from the braids you put them in last night, rubbing oil into your palm so it doesn’t frizz up on you later. The loud chime of your doorbell alerts you that Ronnie has finally made it. 

You open the door to see her in a white floral scrunched top, yellow pants, and platform sneakers. You figure the sneakers have to do with what happened last time you guys did brunch. The pair of you fill the air with various compliments towards one another on the way to the car. 

The brunch place you picked was known for its music selection, you could hear 50 Cent while you two pulled into a parking space up front. You both opted for an outside table so you could listen to the music and be as loud as you wanted. One of the seating hostesses sat you down and handed you menus before heading back to the busy crowd.

“So what have I missed?” You ask Veronica knowing she’ll have 50 stories to tell you.

“You remember bitchy Kathy from HR, turns out she made untoward advances at an insurmountable amount of people.” Your jaw drops remembering how hard a time she gave Veronica about the clothes she wears to work. “Not only that but she would only do it to guys under 30, such a creep.” 

“Wasn’t she the same bitch telling you to ‘be a lady’ she should’ve taken her advice.” Although you would hate anyone your best friend does Kathy was unpleasant. Even through word of mouth. 

“Don't get me started, anywho I think Dante is gonna propose soon. I saw so many ads for engagement rings on the computer that it couldn’t be a coincidence. Then I saw a text from my mom telling him to go for Saphire.” She narrows her eyes at you, “Do you know anything?”

“If I did, and I don’t,  just know the ring is gorgeous, but you’ll never expect the proposal so don’t try.” Dante had reached out to you for confirmation he was looking at the right rings, but he had done pretty good so far. You were glad she found someone so attentive and sweet. 

“I’ll be sure to return the favor when it’s your turn. But tell me what’s up with you lately, it’s like pulling teeth to get a text back.” You grimace at how truthful her statement was.

“I’m sorry, I had a bunch of organizing and digitizing to do throughout my day and when I would get home I’d just go to sleep for dinner.” Veronica nods understandingly at your exhaustion. “But I’ve finished most of the grunt work so I’ll be way more available.” 

The waitress, Sarah,  greets you both before asking what she could start you on. Once she writes down your drink orders she moves on to your food orders. Veronica decides on avocado toast with a feta and spinach omelet, you go for the blackened chicken with grits. While you look down to check your phone you see a message from Frankie.

Would you be available Tuesday night for a date? -F

Tuesday sounds perfect, can’t wait.

“Who’s got you smiling at your phone like that?” Veronica leans over the table hoping to get a look at the conversation.

“His name is Frankie and he's kind of my boss, like he’s close friends with Benny and Will. I thought he was cute when I saw the picture but I found out he was married and was reasonably disappointed. Then he told me he was in an open marriage and I was like yeah ok that's what they all say but he is in one. Plus Benny and Will were talking about how she brought up the whole thing to get back with an ex. Mind you, I was not supposed to be eavesdropping but good thing I did.” After your speech Veronica’s eyes bulge.

“You’ve been sitting on this gem the whole time and you let me think the Kathy story was good?” She shakes her head in disappointment.

“But it was good, I enjoyed it.” You reassure her.

“Enough with Kathy, I need more on this.” You oblige and begin telling her all of your and Frankie’s interactions. You need her input on how to proceed with him. Although she feeds into every one of your delusions.

Drinks start flowing through the both of you as you use this brunch for a gossip session. Veronica makes sure to tell you to be careful because situations like this get messy, and you heed her warning. Once you show her Frankie she tells you he’s your exact type, and the fit of laughter you two get into draws attention from other patrons.

…………

Francisco and you stand outside the movie theatre looking through the selections. He wants you to pick but you’re having a hard time choosing between Bottoms and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. Ultimately you choose the former and Frankie pays for the tickets before opening the door for you to get inside.

“Do you want anything from the concession?” Frankie’s arm snaked around your waist while he waited for your answer. 

“Popcorn and a blue raspberry slushie please.” You smile at him before leaning closer. 

“No candy?” He leans down to speak directly in your ear. 

“A sour patch kids would be nice if you insist.” You playfully roll your eyes so you have the chance to turn your face away from him. 

While he gets you snacks you take the time to admire him from the back. He wore dark-washed boot-cut jeans that he paired with work boots. The tips of your ears burn while you think of his red and black flannel outlining his broad back. The best part was that he gave his hat the night off and his curls were free. You slide in underneath Frankie before grabbing the popcorn and candy. Auditorium 19 is on your right and you wait for Frankie to join you again before heading there. 

“So what exactly is the plot?” Frankie tried looking up the trailer when you suggested it but still didn’t understand the premise. It looked funny though.

“Two girl friends make a girl fight club to get laid by their crushes.” That’s all you’d heard about it.

You end up opening the door for Frankie this time and when he passed you made sure ‘accidentally’ slide your hand over his butt. Frankie looked back feigning offense at your bold gesture. With the trailers still playing you and Frankie continue to goof around on the way to your seats. 

Throughout the movie, neither of you could stop laughing. If you weren’t laughing at a scene you were making jokes to each other. The popcorn was finished before you were 30 minutes in, and the candy didn’t stand a chance. When the credits roll you have Frankie take your picture and then you force him to do the same. On the way out you make sure you’re tucked underneath him, which has nothing to do with how good he smells. 

“What are we gonna eat?” You could feel your hunger building and soon enough you wouldn’t be good company.

“I thought we would go to the same diner we had lunch at.” His questioning tone leaves room for you to disagree but you smile. 

You both get settled in the truck before making your way to the diner. The soft sounds of Marc Anthony’s voice fill the car, and light comes in and out of the car from the overhead street lights. Frankie sings along softly thinking you can’t hear him over the background trumpets. His right hand comes down from the steering wheel and gently caresses your thigh. You already wrote down the song to look up and translate later. 

The lights were bright enough to illuminate the parking lot, so when you stepped down from his truck you left your hand in his. From the view you got it is less busy than lunch but not empty, most of them being older couples. Given how late it was you knew Amelia had gone home to her family. The chime of the bell interrupts the love ballad playing softly from the jukebox.

The young waitress perks up from her book and rounds the counter to seat you two in a booth. Though it isn’t the same one it is still close to the jukebox. ‘Tessa’ takes your orders that haven’t changed since you last came in and heads to the kitchen. Frankie surprises you by getting up and heading to the jukebox, you watch as he presumably flips through the catalog of songs. 

Once he picks his song he hurries back to his seat across from you, waiting for the intro. When you hear the familiar beginning you smile at his 

“Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. I’ve got to say I’m impressed young Jedi.” You jokingly tip your head at him. 

“Bet you can’t do better.” He raises an eyebrow at you before looking back at the jukebox. 

You don’t dignify him with a response as you slink back to the jukebox. Since he picked a love song you follow suit and pick your favorite song off of the grease soundtrack. Hopelessly Devoted to You. By the time you return to the table your milkshake and Frankie’s coke have arrived. 

“I know I’m young but I am something of a music connoisseur.” Frankie choked on his Coke and placed his hand up as a surrender. You can see he’s about to respond but his phone pulls his attention. Maria, who you presume is his wife, is calling him. He briefly apologizes before excusing himself to take the call outside. 

As hard as you try you can’t help but look at him and you can tell it’s a tense call. He’s pacing and pinching the bridge of his nose as if he were on his last nerve. You hadn’t given thought to how this would turn out long-term, it’s not like you could marry him. The thought left a bitter taste in your mouth. Tessa came with your food and you thanked her, while you wanted to wait for Frankie you had to focus your mind elsewhere. 

By the time he came back to join you half of your fries were gone. The atmosphere between you two seemed to shift as you both ate in silence. When you finish your meal you look outside at the bright headlights of cars passing by. Frankie's hand reaches out to yours and gently caresses your palm lines with his finger.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin our date.” Frankie keeps his eyes on the table and you can tell from his voice he’s hurt. 

“You didn’t ruin anything.” You keep your voice soft and reach out to hold his other hand. Frankie’s head jerks up as if he didn’t hear you correctly. “I mean it, this is the best date I’ve been on.”

“Dinner and a movie is the best date you’ve been on?” He isn’t sure if you’re being serious. 

“Yes.” You make eye contact with him before continuing, “I like your company so it doesn’t matter what we do. Even at work, it’s like I get paid to flirt with you.”

His eyes brighten at your words, “I like your company too, makes me feel comfortable.” 

Your face warms at that, having anyone say they feel comfortable around you was the best compliment to receive. You turn your head to look out the window but Frankie moves his hand to your chin, getting you to look back at him. Looking into his eyes you can feel the words he’s not saying. He pulls back and begins counting out the amount for the food and tip. 

When he gets out of his side he holds his hand out for you, you happily link your arms with his. Just like that the two of you were back to the jovial undertone you had all evening. 

…………..

Wait until she finds out about your drug addiction Francisco, Do you think she’ll still be with you?

Maria’s words cut deeper than he’d like to admit. That’s the downside of being with someone as long as they have, you know exactly where to twist the knife to make it work. When she called he thought something happened with Rosie but all she wanted to know was how the date was going. When he reminded her he never asked her for specifics, she reminded him that he came with overweight emotional baggage.

Even with your insistence that he hadn’t ruined anything Frankie still wanted to make it up to you. He kept one hand on the wheel and one on your thigh, finding comfort that you’re right next to him. Your head rested on his shoulder while soft snores left your mouth, you barely lasted 2 minutes before passing out. 

The light illuminating your porch reminded him that he had to leave soon, as much as he wanted to stay in the moment with you. Frankie gentle roused you from your sleep before turning the car off. He’s sure you’re up but he keeps his arm firmly around your waist just in case. At your door, you don’t immediately rifle through your stuff for your key. 

“I had a great time tonight Frank.” You place both hands on each side of his stubble while he clasps both arms around your center. 

“So did I baby.” He leans down to give you a peck but you chase after him on your tiptoes. Very quickly the innocent kiss he meant for you two to share was filled with tongue, teeth, and spit. 

You pull back before going through your purse for your key. Once you find it you waste no time unlocking your door and pulling Frankie inside. You push him against the door before continuing what you started outside. Frankie’s hands slip down past your hips and cup your ass while your tongue explores his mouth. He loves how much you show him you want him. The way your chest pressed against his, and the feel of your hard nipples rubbing against his chest. 

Your hands grip his shoulders as if he’s gonna let you go. Strawberry flavored lip balm that you wore was now all over his lips and mouth. Despite there not being any space between you two he needs you closer. His hand moves from your ass to the top of your thighs, and without you jumping he lifts you to wrap around him. Your lips move from his mouth to his ear, lowly giving him directions to your room. 

When he reaches your room he makes a beeline for your bed before tossing you on your bed. You giggle and try to sit up but he’s already on you, pushing you back down. His lips kiss a trail down your neck, and the heat that sits low in your belly expels itself through your pants. Frankie’s imagination wasn’t as good as the real thing, the rise and fall of your pebbled chest had him eager to see what was underneath. 

He feels your hands trailing down his chest, but as they make their way to his pants he stops you.

“Let me take care of you first.” The fluttering in your stomach sinks lower and you let Frankie take over. His rough hands slip under your shirt and squeeze your breasts before groaning into your neck. His reaction to your body pleases you. When he rolls your nipple between his fingers, you arch into him breathing heavier than before. 

Slowly, Frankie slides your shirt over your head and then resumes his ministrations. As good as his playing with you feels you’re ready for him to deal with the ache plaguing you. Frankie laughs at your impatience but furthers his descent on your body. He presses chaise kisses down your belly before reaching the top of your shorts. 

All your breathing ceases while he unbuttons and tugs them down your legs. Panties included. Frankie cups the back of your knees and pulls your legs apart so he can look at you. He loves seeing your pussy glisten and clench around nothing. 

Frankie kisses the insides of your thigh before dipping his mouth to kiss your clit. He feels you trying to close your legs but his hands remain firm as he begins sucking. A shiver runs through your body and all you can do is grip your comforter while moans tumble out of your mouth. You throw your head back when you feel Frankie’s tongue flicking your clit at the same time. Frankie can’t help himself as he groans into your pussy, the way you react to him gives him a high. He takes one hand off your leg and slips two fingers into your weeping pussy. Your hips jerk on their own accord, the only thing you can think about is keeping Frankie’s face buried between your legs.

The feel of Frankie’s fingers gives you a new sense of need, your hands forget their place on the comforter and go for his chocolate curls. When you tug at them to bring him impossibly closer you feel the vibration of him groan against you. Your bundle of nerves is building and you know it won’t be long. As if Frankie can feel what you do, he works his fingers until he finds that spongey spot. He knows he’s got it when he hears you let out a string of curse words. 

Frankie feels you dripping around his face and he revels in how he’s making you feel. Your eyes are scrunched tight with your mouth open, he’s never seen anyone as beautiful as you at this moment. A sudden tremble in your body that has you rocking your his into his face clues him into your orgasm. He pulls back and kisses your thighs until you are back in this plane of existence. He was that good. 

“If I said I love you would you think I’m crazy?” When you open your eyes to look at Frankie, all of your juices cover his lower face. When Frankie slides in bed your jaw drops at how shiny his face is. 

“Of course I would. But I would appreciate it.” His response makes you smile. 

With your body mostly functioning you turn on your side before addressing Frankie, “Can you spend the night?” 

“As long as you don’t mind me getting up at 5.” Frankie undresses until he’s in his boxers and gets under the covers with you.

“Can you make me breakfast?” You counter as if you’ll eat it.

“If I’m persuaded.” He mutters from behind you. 

Frankie texts Maria that he’ll be home in the morning to drop Rosie off before he turns on Do Not Disturb. He places a kiss on your forehead before flipping on his side to go to bed. 

Taglist:

@emilianamason , harriedandharassed

[skylarmoon71]

Mick Davies (Supernatural) - Extra 1

Taking down a nest of vamps felt like nothing more than a milk run. 

Especially with the advancement in tech. There were still times when things did not go according to plan.

Like Mick getting jumped by a vamp. Dean was clear, he was supposed to stay in the car until you all were sure that all the vamps were there. Yet, Mick had taken it upon himself to get involved and now his little gadget was on the ground, crushed. With the machete in your hand, you glared at the vamp in front of you. Mick was groaning on the floor after the hit he took.

“What you going do, cut me with that knife little girl.”

The older man taunted. He rushed at you, probably assuming you shared the same inexperience as Mick.

A bad call on his part.

With one calculated swing, his head rolled onto the floor, teeth still beared, eyes open. You whipped the blood off your blade, turning just as Sam and Dean rushed into the room with similar bloodied weapons.

“I think we got all of them.” Dean reported. When he saw Mick on the floor along with the golden circular weapon, he groaned.

“We told you to stay in the car.” Dean lectured.

“There were three more outside, I thought you could use the assistance.” Mick said, picking himself up off the ground.

“Not much help when you’re vamp meat.” You spoke harshly.

You were angry, and he could understand why.

“Next time you want to play hero, at least learn how to use a blade. Just in case you try to get yourself or one of us killed.”

Your words were laced with venom, and you walked away, not even offering him another look.

Dean dropped his arms in defeat.

In truth, things have been strained for the last month. After your little care bear incident, things went back to normal. Except you appeared to have no memory of what happened. Dean intended to tease you about it, but after they saw your irritated look from the headache the spell brought, he figured it was smart to just leave it alone.

They’d also realized that Mick had decided the same.

They assumed it would be smooth sailing, but you were a bit more prudent in your hunts and you seemed to direct strong looks and words at Mick any time he did something you didn’t like. The smallest mistakes ticked you off, but they said nothing.

Not until today.

As you all stood at the trunk of the car putting away your weapons, Sam nudged his head in Dean’s direction as he mouthed words. Dean made a face that immediately changed when you looked up. Dean gave an awkward smile that made you raise a brow.

Sam realized that he would have to intervene.

“Sooo, you’ve been a little tough on Mick, don’t you think?”

Sam words don’t earn a desirable reaction.

“I didn’t realize you both were best friends.”

You dropped your bag of weapons in the trunk of the car, and Dean exchanged a look with Sam.

“I’m not saying we’re best friends. I just think if we’re going to keep working together, we’ll need to actually work.”

“I’m working.”

Nothing else is said, because you walk around, opening the door, sliding in. The slamming of the door causes Sam to sigh.

“Told you, never get in the middle of budding romances. It’s always messy.” Dean spoke.

“Shut up Dean.” Sam retorts.

The drive back was pretty quiet. Thankfully Mick had come in a separate car. Dean wasn’t looking for any more awkwardness. The second you’re all through the door, you’re headed for your room.

“I’ll be unpacking, try not to need me until tomorrow. “

You disappear down the hall, and Dean just frowns. When both brothers turn to Mick, he’s confused.

“What?”

“Dude, just talk to her. She’s been a pain in the ass because of whatever weird thing you both have going on. Hurry up and just tell her what happened so we can all just make it through a case without a painfully quiet five hour drive.”

Mick felt like that would be a bad idea. It’s clear that the last person you wanted to talk to was him, but Dean was right. This needed to be sorted.

Mick nods, following down the hall.

“Grab the first aid kit, just in case she pops him.” Dean advises.

At this point, Sam isn’t even surprised.

Walking down the hall, Mick slows his steps when he comes to your room. Usually he’s all about manners, but you’ve been unnaturally hostile, so there’s really nothing else he could do to get you angrier. He opens the door and the second he’s there, you register it closing and you just let out a sound of annoyance.

“Dean, I said I would be unavailable until tomorrow.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, love.”

The accent just added to your agitation.

“I thought you Brits were all about being gentlemen.”

“When the occasion calls for it, we are.”

You snort, unzipping your bag as you stay on task.

“I’m not usually one to read into these types of matters, but you’ve been quite withdrawn as of late and even more curt with me. Have I done something?”

“It’s nothing, you’re overthinking.”

“I don’t think I am.”

His line of questions was worsening your mood.

He would have let it go, but there was more to it.

He could tell.

You refused to look at him, still unpacking your bag that was on your bed.

For some reason you seemed extra harsh with him. Your words were a little tighter and your interactions felt strained. At the start he didn’t think much of it. After all, the both of you hadn’t exactly been best lads. Yet, as his mind trailed back to the start of that behavior it became clear.

This was more than just impatience for his bad hunting.

It must have been…

“You remember everything, don’t you?”

You froze in place, hands gripping the bag.

His little confrontation here in your room was like a reminder of that evening, and when you turned, recognition sparked in his eyes. He could see it.

He was right.

“Why did you lie?”

It didn’t make sense.

Though now your attitude is starting to add up.

“Because it’s wrong!!”

Your yell wasn’t what he expected, and you were wearing that look again.

Not anger specifically, but fear.

“I-I can’t have feelings for you because if I do and you…you betray us then I..”

You were close to tears, and suddenly it made sense. You’d been fighting these feelings for who knows how long, just to protect yourself. You’re scared. You’ve voiced on many occasions how much you love the boys, Cas, Mary. How you would risk everything to keep them safe. So of course a potential threat to them would terrify you.

Mick takes a step forward.

“I would sooner take my life.”

His statement was sobering, and when he looked at you, moving closer, you could see the sincerity in his eyes.

He is standing right in front of you, pleading for you to have faith, believe in him.

“I may not have come into this partnership with the same views as you and the Winchesters, but I understand now what’s important. Trust, your trust means everything to me. I would never betray that.”

You released a breath, hands a bit shaky. It had taken everything in you to stay strong, to pretend that those feelings didn’t exist, but it was hard. Looking at him everyday, and acting like you didn’t want to be closer. Reaching out, you cup his cheeks, and his eyes soften. Swallowing, you move closer, and his breath staggers with each inch that disappears.

The second your lips touch, it feels like no time has passed. Like that day in the bedroom had just happened. Your arms wrap around his body and he holds you close, a soft appreciative hum echoing in the space. Your hands tug at his hair, lips joining and parting with a sense of urgency. Before you know what’s happening, you’re pushing your bag off the bed, and he’s guiding you down against the mattress, climbing on top.

After an array of hurried kisses, he finally pulls away, breathless. You lick your lips, legs tightening around his hips.

“I take it, you know what third base is now love?”

His cheeky comment makes your cheeks flush and you can only offer a half hearted glare.

“S-Shut up.”

You grumble.

He just smiles, leaning back in to capture your lips. 

[yansimstorythatiwillnotworkon]

#3

Wednesday

Info-Chan was being suspiciously generous today. Out of nowhere, Info comes up with an “idea” to get Osana expelled for having things in her bag that she shouldn’t. Cigarettes, answer sheets, so on and so forth. And since Ayano apparently did Info-Chan such a “big” favor with Mai’s phone, it was enough to get her a freebee from Info-Chan. In this case, that was cigarettes.

As she walks into the class, she notices that a couple of students are still hanging around in there. Two of them were from outside of her class anyway. One of them was Kokoro Momoiro, who was meant to be in class 1-2, and Bea Gemron, another transfer student who was meant to be in class 2-2. They seemed to be hanging out with Hana Daidayama at the moment.

Outside of them, there was Enpitsu Byoga, who actually belonged to the class, although it was strange that he was here instead of outside of his clubroom. When Ayano approached him, he looked up suddenly, but looked back down, just as suddenly disinterested. “Hello, Ayano.”

“Enpitsu. What are you doing in class?” Ayano asks, tilting her head to the side.

Enpitsu shrugs. “I’ve been in several rooms. Geiju told me that if I’m so focused on beauty, then I should draw all the girls in school and figure out which ones would work as the best muse.” He rolls his eyes. “Which is a complete waste of time- we all already know who the most beautiful girl in school is.”

The artist was always pretty narcissistic. If anything, his obsession with beautiful girls probably stems from him wanting someone who “measures up to his beauty”, or something of the sort. So far, the only person he’s bothered with trying to get as his muse was Meka Nikaru, who ironically has rejected his attempts.

“Simp says what?” Bea calls to Enpitsu, who turns to her with a raised eyebrow.

“What?” He asks, but scoffs as soon as he realizes that he fell for that trick. “She’s just jealous. “

“Of you or Meka?” Ayano asks, only receiving a shrug in return.

Instead of answering Ayano’s question, Enpitsu taps his pen in his notebook. “Have you ever thought of letting your hair down and styling your hair differently, Ayano?”

Ayano furrows her eyebrows. “I am not going to style my hair like Meka’s.” She states in finality.

Enpitsu sighs, “I guess asking you to dye your hair wouldn’t work out very well, either.” He mumbles, sketching something on his notebook. “I do recommend changing your hairstyle, though. Some people might bother approaching you if you did. Maybe they’d even give you compliments.” He shrugs nonchalantly.

Ayano frowned but did contemplate that idea. As she did, Enpitsu received a text on his phone. His eyes widened briefly, and he paused in thought before slowly lowering his phone and giving Ayano a smile. “Yan-Chan, my favorite classmate!” He purrs, and Ayano herself cringes at his purely artificial smile.

“You know, we’ve been friends for a while..” He starts, but immediately stops when he sees Ayano’s unamused expression. “I need you to convince Meka to be my muse.”

“Why?” Ayano inquires, tilting her head to the side.

“Why do I need her to be my muse, or why should you?” Enpitsu asks, but waves her off and answers both anyway, “I need Meka because she’s the most beautiful girl in this school. My one goal is to capture beauty, and yet she runs from me.” He sighs.

Meka didn’t actually flee from Enpitsu, but Ayano was sure she would if it came to it. From what she’s heard, Meka just locks the doors to the club room until he goes away. “As for why you should..” Enpitsu scans the classroom, sweeping a hand beneath his chin in thought. He then shrugs, “A favor for a favor? I’ll tell my whole club that you’re just the sparkliest angel out there. Even though the majority of them won’t care. Myself included.”

“I’ll take the favor bit.” Ayano claims, folding her arms and shrugging. “How would I get her to do that if you couldn’t, though?”

Enpitsu hums in thought, but likely not much thought considering he continued drawing for at least 20 seconds before speaking back up. “Uh, maybe she needs a new perspective? Some artists work better while looking from a different angle at the same project. Maybe if she hears from another person that she would make a lovely muse, she’ll cave!”

“Meka isn’t an artist.” Ayano points out. In return she only gets an irritated sputter and dismissive hand-waving from Enpitsu.

“I’ll even pay you to get this done, Ayano.” Enpitsu claims, digging into his bag. “If I don’t get this task done Geiju says he’s going to make me draw something hideous instead. Plead her if you have to.” He says, standing up and putting a twenty dollar bill in Ayano’s hand.

“Right..” Ayano rolls her eyes, putting the money in her pocket. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Enpitsu twiddles his fingers with a satisfied look. “You’re the lovliest!” He cheers. “Still not the most beautiful, though..”

Ayano glares at him, tempted to throw him a middle finger, but just realizing that that would probably lessen the reward. She pulls out her phone as she walks down the hallway. Texting Info-Chan, she asks:

Yan-Chan: How would I go about befriending Meka Nikaru?

__

Uekiya hums lightly, pruning some plants in the greenhouse with a pair of scissors. “Hey, Uekiya.” A familiar voice calls out to her.

“Oh, Kyuji. Hello, dear!” Uekiya places the scissors down and takes a handful of the access leaves that she cut off. She brings them to a corner of the garden that serves as compost. “Have you reconsidered joining?” She asks, wiping her gloved hands together briefly.

Kyuji hums, rubbing the back of his neck. “I.. I want to, but..” He pauses briefly, deciding on how he should word it. “I’d.. like to join with… that girl I told you about? If I can convince her to join. I just.. I guess want to stay with her? But- that’s only after I manage to confess to her.” He says, trying his best to sound confident but immediately faltering at the thought of his crush.

Uekiya giggles. “Aw, that’s so sweet! You sound just like my father!” She claims, “He used to go on and on about how he would always try to stick to my mother’s side when they were in highschool. So cute!” She hums, putting a hand on her cheek sweetly.

Grabbing the scissors again, Uekiya slips the gloves off of her fingers and hands them to Kyuji. “I’ve given you plenty of tips so far, I want to see how well you cut some flowers!”

“I, uh.. Me..?” Kyuji asks, slowly putting the gloves on and taking the scissors. “I mean.. Which ones do I even cut?”

“Anything on that row.” Uekiya points to the left side of the greenhouse. “Pick whichever ones you think Osana would like. I’m sure it would mean a lot more for the both of you if you could proudly say that you cut them yourself!”

Kyuji blushes lightly at the thought. “..maybe.. Wait, how’d you know it was Osana?”

“‘Kyuji totally stopped hanging out with his friends to stalk Osana’! ‘Bros before hoes where??’” Uekiya laughs at the fact that she was even using such language. “I’m sorry.. Those gyaru girls really do have mouths on them. No one takes it seriously, of course, because of how dramatically it’s formatted online, but plenty have heard of it.”

“Ah.. God, that’s…” Kyuji sighs, “How much do you wanna bet that Osana or her friend already saw that?” He asks, nervously rubbing the back of his hand.

Uekiya hums, pulling her mouth into a stiff smile. “I… think it’s best not to worry about that right now, hehe..”

Kyuji exhales, attempting to rid of all of his dread at that realization, and instead focuses on what flower he would pick for Osana. Hopefully if she did hear about the rumours, it wouldn’t affect how she sees him.

__

Meka furrows her eyebrows, tilting her head to the side at Ayano’s explanation. “Did Enpitsu send you to convince me to be his muse?” She guesses immediately and correctly despite Ayano’s attempt to seem social and friendly. Maybe that didn’t appeal to Meka?

Sighing, Ayano deflates visibility. “How’d you know?” She asks, despite reaping no positive reaction from Meka she still continued her girly-ish persona.

“He’s sent his club mates and a couple of his few friends to convince me before.” Meka explains. “But none of them have bothered doing anything for me in return, so I always refused.” She shakes her head in disapproval. “God forbid I ask Enpitsu to do something himself.”

Ayano crosses her arms, allowing her friendly mask to drop just slightly. “That’s ironic. I’m doing this in exchange for a favor from him. I’m sure I’ll love hearing him complain afterwards.”

Meka nods, her face still straight. “Aye, as many can agree. I’m sure if Enpitsu could learn to look outside himself he’d be a much more pleasant company.” She clears her throat. “But that’s besides the point. I’ve a favor if I have to become Enpitsu’s muse.”

“Thought so.” Ayano hums, smiling lightly in an attempt to return to her “girly” persona.

“I’d like to use the storage room frequently since it’s really only ever used for…well, storage.” Meka crosses her arms, “If you could move some things out of the storage room and place them elsewhere in order to make room, I would be grateful. I know a lot of that stuff is pretty big, so at least pushing the majority from one side to the other would be very much appreciated.”

Ayano nods. “I’ve got it. I’ll get it done in no time, you just wait!” She says with a confident smile before heading downstairs to get started on the task immediately.

__

The storage room was generally pretty clean. Some shelves and spare chairs were in the way. Not to mention a large chest in the middle of the back of the room. Maybe it would be alright if Ayano just moved everything she could from the right side to the left. Everything on the right side seemed to be generally light anyway.

Ayano exhaled, stretching her arms, legs and back before starting off with the foldable chairs and tossing them on top of one of the vaulting boxes. There was what looked to be a spare dolly to the right as well. Assuming that Ayano would need it to move something else, she moved it outside of the storage room, which caught the attention of one of the Sport’s Club members. One of the slowest ones, who was still in the middle of his stretches.

“Yano-San?” Mantaro called, jogging over. He was clearly exhausted from whatever his clubmates were still in the middle of doing, but tried his best to slow down his breathing. “Uh..what’re you up to?” He asks, looking at her and then peeking to the storage room.

Ayano stands up, kicking the dolly away a bit. “I’m neatening up the storage room for Meka. She said she’d likely need the room, and chose this room due to it hardly ever being used.” She explained, putting a hand on her hip confidently.

“It’ll take a while alone, won’t it?” Mantaro asked, blushing a bit with a shy smile. “I mean.. Would you… like some help? It’s- totally fine if you don’t need it.” He assured her nervously. Ayano wondered if his nervous demeanor was normal when talking to acquaintances or if her attempt at a confident stance was working on him.

“I’d appreciate that, Mantaro.” Ayano said with a smile before holding a hand out to the shelves. “I plan on moving those over to the left side so that the right side is completely clear. I’ll need to move all the access maps and vault boxes off of it to make it easier, though. Do you think you could help me with all that?” She asks, placing her hands on her hips.

Mantaro nods with a big smile. “Totally! I mean- of course, you can count on me!” He says gladly, happy to be able to help at all, Ayano assumed. He rolls up his sleeves and Ayano kneels down to grab a couple of mats.

By the time the two were finished, it was 7:45. A bit of time left, but Ayano did need to hurry up if her goal was to get this whole process over with efficiently. “How’s this look, Yano?” Mantaro asks, his brow dripping with sweat.

The entire time, Mantaro rushed to do several things that Ayano was planning on doing, likely as a workout or maybe to make out that he wasn’t with his club at the moment. Or maybe just to be even more helpful. Whatever the reason, it worked out significantly for Ayano, as in the end the storage room was cleaned up and nearly cleaned out and she’d hardly broken a sweat.

“Perfect!” Ayano gives Mantaro a firm pat on the back. “Good job, Mantaro. You worked great there!” She assures him, making Mantaro blush and beam with pride.

“No problem! Call on me any time, okay?” Mantaro holds two thumbs up to her, “I’m gonna go finish up with my club, though. See ya!” He waves happily, jogging out of the gymnasium.

Now that that hassle was out of the way, she just needed to stop by the science club and then Enpitsu. Perhaps he could call Hana, Kokoro and Bea out of the classroom for a moment? That would give Ayano just enough time to put the cigarettes in Osana’s bag, Ayano decided.

__

“I see.” Meka hooks a hand beneath her chin as she admires the photo Ayano took of the storage room. “I’m impressed you could do all of that on your own. And in such a short amount of time.”

“Actually, I got a lot of help from Mantaro. One of the sport’s club members.” Ayano explained. She was sure that if she’d claimed all of the credit for the work that was done, Meka would assume that she was a very strong and efficient person. Which she wasn’t just yet. With enough gym classes, though, Ayano was sure that she could fix that quickly.

Meka nods. “I appreciate the help, Ayano. I’ll be sure to thank Mantaro as well later.” She says to Ayano, “Tell Enpitsu that I’ll be his… muse during cleaning time. I’ve things to do until then.”

“Got it. Thanks a bunch, Meka.” Ayano waves, heading downstairs and towards her own class.

Once she arrived at the classroom, she saw that all four of the people that were there earlier were still inside. Enpitsu’s expression lights up as he spots Ayano, and he raises to his feet. “So? What’d she say? Did she finally agree? What took you so long?”

Nodding, Ayano puts a hand on her hip. “That’s right.” She furrows her eyebrows at his last question. “I did a task for her in order to get her to agree. She says that you’d never bother getting your hands dirty.”

“Ha! She knows me so well.” Enpitsu chuckles and shakes his head, flipping some of his hair in his regular narcissistic fashion. “Anyway, did you need that favor now or can I–”

“--I need it now.” Ayano interrupts. Enpitsu rolls his eyes at this with a reluctant expression. “Distract them for a minute.” She nods to the trio of bullies.

Enpitsu looks back at the chatting girls before raising an eyebrow Ayano’s way. “For what?”

Ayano shakes her head. “I just need you to. Get them out of the room for a minute.” She demands, crossing her arms.

“Right, so you can put a whoopie coushin on Hana’s chair.” Enpitsu rolls his eyes again. Despite his sarcasm, he does end up getting up and swiftly walking out of the room.

After a moment, he peeks his head back in. “Hey, there’s, like.. A wad of cash on the floor in the cafeteria?”

“It’s mine!” Hana claims, darting out of the room. Kokoro gapes, likely not wanting Hana to snatch someone else’s money, but stays quiet and follows her.

“Watch it be, like, two bucks.” Bea chuckles, following the two. Now that the three of them were out, Ayano was able to swiftly slip the cigarettes into Osana’s bag.

Ayano sighs, not feeling as accomplished as she hoped she would, likely because the process was a lot longer than she thought it would be. Maybe she should try doing her peers’ tasks more often. Maybe that would prevent having nearly no one to ask for help?

As Ayano thinks over more ways to make her schemes more efficient, Hana’s whining comes to her attention. “This is what you call a wad of cash, Byoga?!” She hisses, throwing the two dollars back at him. Enpitsu only shrugs with a smile, walking back to his seat.

Bea quickly snatches the money up and snickers. “Hey, two dollars is two dollars. I can buy eight whole gumballs with this.” She claims, stuffing the two dollar bills into her skirt pocket.

“Whatever.” Hana rolls her eyes, sitting at her own seat as Kokoro and Bea sit on a desk near her to continue chatting.

Ayano leaves the room, heading towards the guidance counselor downstairs. Enpitsu watches as she leaves, wondering what exactly she did, but shrugs it off and continues sketching.

__

Genka’s eyes widen slightly at Ayano’s accusation. “And.. you know this how?” She asks, folding her arms with a serious expression.

“I saw her move them from her pocket into her bag this morning.” Ayano claimed, tapping her fingers onto her other hand in faux nervousness as she avoided Genka’s gaze.

“That’s a clear violation of the rules, not to mention completely illegal. This could call for serious punishment..” Genka sighs, neatening up a stack of papers on her desk. “Strange. She’s usually such a well-behaved young lady.” Shaking her head, Genka continues. “I’ll ask her about it later. Thank you for telling me this.” She says, nodding to Ayano.

Ayano respectfully bows her head to Genka before quietly leaving the room. Serious punishment, huh? Considering a minor smoking is illegal, she should face expulsion, right? It only makes sense, surely.

As Ayano hoped, Genka came to Ayano’s class and called for Osana. Around five minutes later, Osana came back looking ashamed, but not holding the expression of dread Ayano thought any suddenly expelled student would have. As Osana sits down and puts her bag back on the hook of her desk, her question is answered. She wasn’t expelled.

“What happened..?” Raibaru asked quietly, her voice low as to not get the teacher’s attention.

“Miss Kunahito found…cigarettes in my bag. I’m not sure how they got there..” Osana says with, frowning. Raibaru gave her a shocked look. “Not even my parents smoke. It doesn’t make any sense..!”

“Osana.” Mrs. Fukahori called, glaring at the pigtailed girl. “Miss Genka already had a talk with you. I expect no further interruptions.” She said, putting a hand on her hip.

“Right. Sorry, Mrs. Fukahori.” Osana bows her head quickly, getting a nod from Mrs. Fukahori, as she turned to continue writing on the board.

As Osana pays attention to her book once again, Raibaru whispers. “Glad to hear you aren’t in any serious trouble.” She smiles and nods, and Osana smiles back.

But why not?

Ayano’s phone vibrated quietly, and she took a look up at her teacher’s back before looking down to her phone.

Info-Chan: I don’t think just one event will get Osana expelled.

Info-Chan: If anything, you would probably have to frame her for the whole week.

Yan-Chan: Why didn’t you tell me this before I went through all of that effort?

Info-Chan: It’s one thing to hear about something and another thing to experience it :)

Yan-Chan: I’m running out of time. What the hell do I do?

Info-Chan: Let’s try again tomorrow. We can probably get something done then :D

Ayano: But we have the rest of the day.

She doesn’t recieve a reply from her oh-so-helpful informant, and she quietly stuffs her phone back into her pocket. What was Info-Chan planning? Did she have a plan? Or was she just stringing Ayano along until she inevitably failed?

Ayano puts her cheek in her hand as she leans her elbow onto her desk. What could Info-Chan gain from all of this playing around? Was this the form of entertainment that she really wanted? Just leading Ayano astray instead of allowing her to properly stop her rival?

“Aishi!” Mrs. Fukahori smacked a ruler against the board, making Ayano flinch. “What on Earth has got you all so distracted?” She sighed, pointing the ruler to a question she’s written on the board. “Can you answer this?” She asked.

“Sorry.” Ayano replies blankly, “Yes, I can.”

__

Tomorrow was a “new day”, Info-Chan would say. But what good is a new day if it’s your last? Or second to last?

What non-harmful plan could Ayano even try at this point? If this didn’t move fast enough, she would have to take drastic measures.