#this is where stuff starts going off the rails a little but next chapter. you will See. how far Everything is off the rails

[placeinthemiddleofnowhere]

All I wanna do is go the distance

Pairing: König x Reader

Summary: You’re determined to find out why everyone thinks König is so scary, afterall he’s just some guy that’s taller than most people right? He’s probably harmless! Well, he’s a little scary, but you still like him anyway.

(No use of y/n or mention of gender/race)

AN: Hey guys, I'm super excited to give you guys this next chapter 💕 I have big things planned hehe

I would reccommend reading this oneshot, but as I am not jon favreau, you don't have to read extra stuff I make to understand the main stuff. Enjoy 😈

Part 7 of A Rocky Start - Full Masterlist Here

-☠️-

It had taken a few weeks for your head to get completely right again after the concussion. On some days you worried that you’d never get through the fluorescent infested hallways of the base without jamming your fists in your eyes ever again. Sometimes you’d catch Price staring at you with those concerned world weary eyes of his in the worst moments, when the headaches were screaming outwards, bursting through your skull. Though with enough time, and a lot of pain killers, the pain died down and dulled until you were completely back to normal.

It was a good thing too. For one, getting Price off your back while you were continuing to sneak around with König was a must, being under the microscope was only making the head trouble all the worse. And for another, which you were sometimes shocked to think was the secondary reason, you’d been going on more and more missions again as the 141 and KorTac got ever closer to tracking down Rousseau. Things were getting tense now, Ghost had been falling under a lot of pressure to perform and his temper was all over the place. Oftentimes you’d be the lucky one that had to chase him and calm him down.

In the months and missions after you’d come back you’d put away three of Rousseau’s men behind bars, including a very high level man that acted as his consigliere. Apparently he’d been worked on quite a bit since his capture. 141 weren’t privy to the intimate details of course, that was up to the CIA and KorTac, but as far as you’d all been told he’d given over a wealth of information on Rousseau’s location and even some limited blueprints of his hideout. 

Price had told you all in advance that intelligence would be confirming your next mission in a matter of days, so you should all stick close to the base. You were actually getting ready for an upcoming training exercise, Rousseau’s man revealing the details on his base meant that command were adamant that you did a run through first and came up with a successful strategy for the big boss’ take down. 

Luckily for you, because of the stay close order, that meant more time in your little airbnb paradise. The place was starting to feel like home. You were both etching yourselves into the apartment, carving your living narratives into it. 

You could identify marks where König had been clumsy and dropped things or scuffed his boots against the wall. There was a tiny stain on the couch from where you’d come and sat after a mission. Lastly, but not least of all, was the curtain that had been sneakily stitched up to the railing after you and König had accidentally pulled it off several of its hooks when you’d grabbed it a little too enthusiastically one night. And on top of it all was the lingering smell of the room spray you’d bought a few weeks into renting the place, preferring the smell of ‘violet rain’ over the faint notes of tobacco that clung to the walls from other renters.

Sometimes you and König even liked to tell each other ‘see you back at the house’. It was becoming all so humdrum to you both.

You smiled as you glanced over at König one night, ruminating over your little routine. The warmth of you could’ve lifted the apartment into the air. It just felt so good to know that you had something that was yours, something that wasn’t your job, something that wasn’t a material thing, you had a life with König. It was most apparent to you when you watched him, when he was free of his hood and his armour and plates and he lay on the bed on his phone, unburdened from rules and duty. He undressed himself from the myth and lay comfortably as König the man, lounging in his boxers and T-shirt like any boyfriend would act with their partner.

Though that night, his brows were knit together in concentration and his lips were pursed, he was adamant that he be left alone for a minute to do whatever it was that he was doing. It intrigued you because he was rarely so mysterious, normally he’d tell you if it was a work thing, but this time he just waved you off and told you not to be nosy. That being the case, you were watching him closely trying to see if he’d give you any hints or signs of what was so captivating on that screen of his.

“I can feel those doe eyes burning a hole into me,” he chuckled, finally gracing you with his attentions.

“Can you blame me? You’re being all suspicious,” you shrugged, tilting your head a little to see if he’d explain himself.

“I’m not being suspicious, I just asked for some quiet.”

“You said ‘Sneaky, I have something I need to do, but don’t look’ and then when I asked if it was work stuff you said no. That - is suspicious.”

“Well it gave you an excuse to imitate me, so that’s something isn’t it,” he scoffed. 

“Well, you know I do it so well,” you grinned, watching with delight as he rolled his eyes.

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” you repeated, feeling as if you were copying him perfectly. 

“If you think that’s how I sound then I'm surprised you have any kind of attraction to me,” he laughed.

“Well some days are a struggle more than others, but-”

You weren’t given the chance to finish your sentence, he’d forgotten all about his phone and thrown it from his lap, launching himself at you faster than any RPG you’d seen. In a matter of seconds you were pinned to the bed and fighting for your life, tears pouring from your eyes as he tickled you and trapped you underneath his annoyingly unyielding legs. 

“What happened to the Sneaky that cried when I told them that I was bullied for my accent in school, hm? Now you’re making fun of me? I’ve got to say, that hurts me Sneak,” he said, an overdramatic fake upset lacing his tone. “You deserve every bit of this!”

You cried out and tried to protest, making a grab for his hands, but were merely shoved away when you made any kind of headway in distracting him. You wriggled and squirmed and screamed, but it was all for nothing. There was no way to make him stop until he wanted to.

“Kö- K…König, please!” you yelped, struggling to breathe. “Enough!”

You were beginning to feel like a struggling furnace as you endured his torture. Your lungs were burning from their failing efforts and you only screamed more as you grew tired of trying to fight back. The second he finally stopped his assault, you gasped in a huge lungful of air and laid back, groaning as you looked up at the blaring lights overhead and registered your sweaty forehead. 

“Remind me not to bully you again,” you sighed, finally finding your voice again.

“Mhmm. I tell you all the time, but you just always insist on being so mean to me regardless,” he chuckled, unhooking his legs from your sides.

König came to rest beside you and tucked a stray strand of hair back in its place. His eyes scanned over your heaving chest and he laughed as he watched you attempt to struggle into a sit. Nevertheless you managed to wobble yourself upwards on the shaky mattress and looked down at him, then over to his forgotten phone. 

“Will you do that again if I try to ask what you were doing so suspiciously on your phone?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” he smiled.

His new favourite line. The way he said it, it always had the undertones of a threat, but it was never said outright maliciously. König could affect his voice with so much masked intent it would have your head spinning sometimes trying to work out what he’d do next. Sometimes you’d get lost thinking about how long he’d practised that. The unfortunate people that had come across his path and challenged him, ending up with a far worse fate than just your tickling. Though you never liked to dwell on it for long. 

“What were you suspiciously doing on your phone, König?” you said, pulling yourself out of your thoughts before you got too sucked in. 

“Well, if you must know…” he trailed off and made a jump toward you, pretending he was going to attack again.

“No! No, no, no! Not again,” you cried out, leaping away from the bed. 

You made a mental note to thank Soap and Ghost one day, all their messing with you had made you quick on your feet. Instinctively, you threw your hands up ready to fight and narrowed your eyes, watching his every movement like a hawk. König remained on the bed though and sat up, laughing and shaking his head to himself as he picked up his phone again and scrolled through it. 

“Please, Sneaky, you really think I’m going to be threatened by those fists?” he tutted, not even looking at you as you remained in your defensive stance. “Put them away and come sit down.”

“These hands have killed people!” you defended.

“Yes, I know that, you’re a good soldier.”

“Exactly, so you should be threatened,” you retorted.

“If I was anyone else, sure. You’d never hurt me though,” he said, looking up from his phone with a smug grin. “I’m your boyfriend after all.”

You felt your cheeks heat up and immediately covered your face in your hands. Every little bit of you was drowning in the feeling of your thundering heart.

König didn’t much care for that particular title, he usually preferred to say partner, but he knew how it made you feel and he weaponised it as much as he possibly could. Knowing that he was all yours still scattered the butterflies in your stomach and you always felt like a little kid in the face of his teasing. You couldn’t help that him being officially yours still got you so excited.

“Are you ever going to stop using that against me?” you mumbled, finally coming to sit by him.

“No. I like watching you get flustered,” he chuckled. “It’s very cute.”

Before you could protest anymore though, he slung his arm around your waist and pulled you in for a kiss, softly releasing all the fight you had left with his teasing lips and tongue. You were locked together for a few moments and sighed contentedly when he broke away, pressing your head to his shoulder and feeling ready to sink down into the bed with him. 

Though it wasn’t time for that yet.

“Would you like me to show you what I’ve been working on?”

You opened your eyes and faced him again, watching his nervous smile grow. Seeing him look so sheepish re-sparked your curiosity and you nodded, ready to see what it was. He hurriedly entered his password and the screen flashed open, landing on the homepage screen with a shot of you both from one of your photobooth pictures from an impromptu date months before, before your concussion. Pictures he was adamant that he couldn’t let you keep because he had to protect his image, even if he was wearing his half mask at the time. As if he was somehow a much better secret keeper than you.

You smirked at the memory of all the playful bickering you’d done over those photos and shook your head, eyeing the screen again as König brought up his tabs. He clicked onto the latest one and it opened onto a confirmation email. It wasn’t what you’d expected, not that you were sure of what you even were expecting. As you read it you raised your brows and looked up at him, wondering what was happening. 

“This is a confirmation email for renting a hire car from some company in Austria,” you stated. 

“Some company has a name,” he retorted. 

“I’m not going to insult you by trying to pronounce that.”

“I see you’re restraining yourself now,” he laughed. “Well yes, it is a hire car confirmation for a cheap company in Vienna.”

“And you’re hiring a car in Vienna because?”

“Because, in a few months time, I’m taking you to Austria. Now, wait! Before you protest, I’ve thought it all out and you don’t need to worry about explaining any passport stamps to Price. I’ve found us flights to Slovakia and a train that can take us from Bucharest into Vienna, and from there I can take you around to see the country for a few days.”

He hastily explained himself and you smiled as you watched his hurried hand movements, his body in a flurry of motion. It was particularly fun to see him turn his hand into, what you figured, was a high speed train. He looked at you seriously as he finished, waiting in a suspended state of worry to see what you’d say. 

As if you’d disappoint him. 

“You sat and booked all that just for us?”

“Of course. I’ve really wanted to take you for a while now, so when you said you had time booked off and the higher ups indicated this mission will be coming to a close soon...I thought, this is the time. So what do you say? Will you come with me?”

“Obviously! I’m so excited, I can’t believe it. I’m getting to go on holiday with my Boyfriend,” you laughed, this time making yourself squeal. “It's gonna be so good! We’re gonna eat so much good food and see so many cool places and oh-  I wanna see those mountains you were talking about! Can we go?”

“We will see the mountains, yes. I’ve put time aside for that,” he laughed.

“You’ve planned the whole trip already?” you asked incredulously. 

“Sneaky I’ve been planning this for weeks,” he smiled. “I just finished the last arrangements there. I want to keep most of it a surprise, but…I actually have one thing on there that I need to ask you about before we go though.”

“Oh?”

He pursed his lips again and looked away before looking back to you. 

“I was wondering if you’d like to go out to Burgenland? To my mothers house.”

Your heart skipped a beat and somehow you managed to reach new levels of excitement. Meeting König’s mum meant a lot more to him that it did for most people. It came with a lot more meaning. Meeting König’s mum meant that he was accepting you as part of his family, it meant that he wanted you to know more of his annoyingly buried secrets. It meant that he’d have to tell you his name. 

It’s not like his own mother would call him König. 

It had been a sore subject for a little while. The cause of your only serious fights so far. You’d pushed to know a couple times, complaining that he wasn’t letting you in and that it was ridiculous that you were a couple and you wouldn’t even know what to call him  if anything should happen. Something could happen to him out in the field and all you’d know is a codename, he could be taken away from you and you’d never know who he was. 

Of course König argued that that was ridiculous and you knew more than almost anyone knew about him - excluding his mum of course. He claimed that his name was just a burden, that it was just something that would give people an excuse to take from you. Though you argued about that as well, if someone wanted to hurt you to get to him then they’d do it anyway. It didn’t matter if they believed you knew his true identity or not. 

The last time you’d gone almost hysterical because the whole thing was so silly to you. The little airbnb walls felt like they were going to go flying with all the verbal mortars being thrown, like you were going to be swept up like something from the wizard of Oz. You’d both bickered back and forth, forming a dark comedy sketch, two squeaky little cartoon characters that were on the verge of strangling each other as you both held your ground.

“Why does it matter if I know! You keep saying people will come for me, and that it's more dangerous to know you, but it's not that. I know it's not that! Otherwise you wouldn’t be seen with me, you wouldn’t have let me come this close. You just can’t face that all your walls would have to come down. You just don’t want to let me in.”

“It is dangerous to know who I am, how many times must I list the reasons? But you know what, fine, you’re right.You win! I’d love to let you in fully, but yes I am afraid of letting you close! Even though you have no idea how much you’ve taken already. I’ve given you more of me than anyone else has ever gotten, even while it’s been hard. You have no idea how hard all this is for me.”

“Hard for You? I’m in a relationship with someone that won’t tell me their name!”

 “Because it's the last thing I have to protect myself! If you leave me, what then? You could decide you want out of all this complication and find someone nice and simple and then where would I be? You’d have taken everything from me.”

“What am I taking from you? Knowing who you are is not taking anything from you König. Besides, I’m not leaving you. Why do you think I’m so hell bent on trying to find someone else when I spend all my time jeopardising my job just to be here with you? You think I like facing down Price knowing that he’d turn on me if he knew what I got up to in my spare time? I put the respect of someone that I deeply care about on the line, just so that I can be with you and you’re acting like I’m ready to run off at the first chance!”

“Because you’ve done it before!”

“That’s not fair and you know it.”

König may as well have turned and stuck a ten foot spear through your heart. You’d felt a tide of tears wash up in your eyes and you’d walked away from him then, not willing to let him see how much he’d hurt you. Not that that was an option. From his widened eyes alone, you knew that he’d known it was a mistake to dredge up old wounds, his sparkling blue irises dimming as he lost his self conviction. 

“Wait! Hold on, I’m sorry.”

König raced up to you and stopped you in your tracks. His strong arms wrapped around you fast and held you snugly against his chest as pathetic droplets of tears streaked your burning cheeks. You didn’t bother trying to free yourself from him. You just whimpered and clung to him as he shushed you and apologised for what he’d said, kissing your dampened face like it was nothing.

“I’m so sorry. What I just said was stupid. Will you please come sit with me for a moment… I have something I want to tell you.” 

A flare of anger and rebellion flared in you for a second. It was stamped out immediately, but just for a moment you wanted to storm off and tell him that if he wanted to keep you from knowing him then he’d done a great job - that that was it. Though, you couldn’t bring yourself to follow through. Even when you hated him at that moment, you couldn’t bear to see him upset again. You knew that you’d hurt him badly already that day you’d run from him in the park outside the base, you knew that you couldn’t bring yourself to do that again. 

“Ok,” you’d sniffled.

He’d sighed and taken you to the couch, sitting across from you after propping you up against your favourite fluffy pillow. You held onto it with one of your hands, losing yourself in its soft textures as you threaded your fingers through it. König watched you play with the loose strands for a second before looking you in the eyes, his face a perfect picture of remorse. 

“You didn’t really run away from me, that was silly of me to say.”

“I did run from you though, I ran from you that day you tried to explain yourself after the mission” you frowned, not able to help your crackling feebly. “You were  right, I can’t act like I haven’t given you reasons to be wary.”

“No. You didn’t leave me then though. You agreed to work through things and I suppose that’s what we’ve been doing…with mixed results,” he said, laughing dryly. “You haven’t really given me reason to be like this. This is what has happened after years of keeping people out and I suppose…I’m just having a hard time adjusting to what it feels like to let someone in.”

“I know. I know that really,” you sighed. “It's just hard sometimes because sometimes it feels like things are as they should be, like everything we have is so normal. Then I snap back to reality and there’s all this stuff with work where we have to pretend to hate each other and then we have missions that don’t line up and we don’t get to speak, like not even a phone call a lot of the time. Then there’s this intrusive voice I have over it all saying- well saying ‘you don’t even know his name, what is it we really even have together’ and I know its ridiculous and we care about each other and I should ignore it all-”

“It’s not ridiculous,” König soothed. “I feel the strain of these things too.”

He leaned forward then and grabbed your hands, making you jump as you were taken out of worrying at the pillow. His calloused fingers rubbed against yours and his warm grip kept you grounded into reality. The scars that scraped up the backs of his arms jumped up at you in the warmth of the yellow lights, his whole body a patchwork of battered skin. You traced your eyes from his rough hands and arms, up to his bobbing adam's apple and to the depths of his ocean eyes and worried face.

König’s jaw was tensed and he breathed as he worked up to what he was going to say. Your own breath was held then, lungs burning as you waited for him to speak.

“Other people have let me down in the past. My mother moved us to Germany for a manipulative piece of shit that hated me and looked to rid himself of me at every opportunity. I grew up with few friends, in a country that wasn’t mine, and fought so hard for so long that I didn’t know how to be vulnerable. I met a woman after I was forced to join the army that told me I was a hollow shell of a man, and that no one should have to be sentenced to dealing with me…There’s times I’ve agreed with her too, I’ve moved through life feeling like half a person some days. Then I met you. None of what I’ve told you is any excuse to treat you badly, but sometimes I’m so set in my distrust that I can’t let myself cross the lines I need to be able to get to where you are….And- and for you…I’m working on crossing those lines, because you’re the only person I’d ever want to give myself to, but for now its a slow process. You’ve seen my full face, we’ve made love and I have given you almost everything that I can give you for right now. All of this is to say…well - to ask - if you would give me a little more time and allow me to keep working on things with you.”

Listening to him then, as his voice crackled and wavered with emotion, was so very difficult. He kept a hold of your hands the whole time, his fingers shaking as he went on. His whole body looked ready to crumble as he explained himself.

Though before he could be brought down by everything you leaned over and held him, winding your arms around him as tightly as they would go. You hugged him close for the rest of the night and whispered to each other in the darkness when you went to bed, giving your affirmations, like a secret promise, that everything would be ok. 

As you thought back to that night, your body shook with an icy cold shock of frisson. You didn’t want to go through that again. 

“I would love to meet your mum, König,” you said softly, swallowing as you tried to tactfully avoid another horrific argument. “Does this mean…that you’ll tell me your name soon?”

He smiled knowingly at you and nodded, stroking the warm apple of your cheeks fondly. 

“I will tell you sometime soon, yes,” he confirmed, speaking warmly.

You felt a beaming smile shine brightly over your face and jumped on König, feeling full force  of excitement as things seemed to be heading in a good direction. Everything was lining up. Your mission would be done soon, you and König wouldn’t have to worry about sneaking around anymore because the taskforce would have some downtime until you were called upon again for some other earth shattering mission. After that you were going to finally learn his name. 

You sighed. It was almost too good to be true. 

“You just gotta promise me one thing,” you said, shifting your tone seriously. 

“What?” he asked, breaking away from your hug so that he could look at you properly. 

“If it’s something ridiculous you have to prepare me in advance.”

He rolled his eyes and groaned, falling comically backwards onto the couch. 

“I’m being serious,” you laughed. “If it’s something crazy like Wolfgang or Ferdinand I need to be prepared!”

“Do you really think that that’s what Austrian people are called?” he giggled.

“I have no idea! This is what I’ve been saying, I could see your passport in a few months time and could be having to fight myself not to laugh!”

“You would really laugh at my name if you thought it was silly?” he snorted. 

“All I can promise that I’ll try not to,” you grinned, crossing your hands over your heart while he stared back at you with a displeased glare. “All I’m saying is that if I see something mad I can’t be held accountable for my actions.”

He rolled his eyes again and sighed dramatically, throwing his hands up into the air. 

“I can’t believe I’m being lectured on silly names by someone called ‘Sneaky’.”

“Hey!”

-☠️- 

When Price called you all in the next day, nothing could’ve prepared you for the shitstorm that was going to ensue. Though you were feeling the full force of it as you stood in the darkened labyrinth of the warehouse that had been set up to emulate Rousseau’s hideout. The 141 and KorTac had been told to find the best way to clear the base and get to Rousseau, but the problem was that you were taking too long and being overwhelmed by too many of Price’s fake men. There were just so many rooms that were connected to other rooms and it meant that a lot of men could get by each other undetected. It was a nightmare.

You’d run through the exercise around eight times already and the more that Price was making you reset, the more tension was being put on the team. It was only a matter of time till someone snapped. Although, given their quick temper and worn down attitude in the last few months, you were sure of who that person was going to be the entire time. 

In the latest reset, you stood next to one of the floppy wooden walls and bit your tongue, watching on with fear as Ghost marched up to König and got in his face. They were almost mask to mask, eye to eye as Ghost took what little gap there was between them and cinched it tight. You felt every little notch in the wood then, backing yourself into it just so that you could force yourself not to get yourself in trouble by intervening.

“Stop fucking around you useless pile of shitting cloth!”

ouch.

“You’re blaming me for the reset?” König scoffed, squaring up his shoulders. “If you would stop lagging through the hallways and would get them cleared properly, then we might be able to get through one of these attempts successfully, Lieutenant.” 

“It was your bright idea to split off with Soap and Gaz and leave us with Horangi. So far it’s been nothing but problems with you and your team rushing and getting hasty and now I’m done. We’re doing it my way again. Slow and methodical. Like it or lump it, king cunt.”

“Problems aren’t from me going too fast, they’re occurring because your team isn't clearing the halls properly, Ghost. I need Soap because Fender is out of the country, I need someone to blow the doors so I can breach plus the extra cover. Your idea failed five times already, why don’t we try to execute mine properly, hm?”

“I’ll fucking show you an execution, König!”

Ghost rammed König and sent him back peddling into the wall you were leaning against with heavy thud. You were sent flying forward as the wood bounced and watched as it rattled with the men’s efforts to take each other down.

It was like watching two stags lock horns, they were grabbing onto each other furiously and neither man seemed to want to let the other go. König swung his fist and Ghost dodged. Ghost tried to knock König unbalanced with a kick, and only succeeded in almost sticking his boot through the cheap chipboard.  

The rest of you watched on helplessly. There was very little anyone of you could do to pull the two titans off of each other -  Not if you didn’t want to get taken out of action in the process. 

“Right! That’s enough boys!” 

Price’s voice echoed through the warehouse, powerful and commanding as it sailed through the air like a brick. It smashed through the two fighters and in a matter of seconds König and Ghost were standing to attention, looking up at Price from his spot on the balcony. The blue light of the warehouse shone starkly against the white in Ghost’s mask, but it failed to stick on the inky black of König’s hood. 

“I appreciate that its been a long day gentlemen, but that doesn’t mean you get the luxury of turning into little school boys that can’t contain their fucking tantrums!” Price bellowed, continuing to reset the temperature. “König, stop pushing so hard when the others are still trying to clear the rooms on the left side. Ghost, work faster and spread your team out. Reset and do it again!”

The Captain’s word was final. Even at the height he stood, illuminated by a few bulbs that flickered like burnt orange like cigarettes, you saw that he was in no mood to be argued with. He’d stood watch for all of the attempts and with every one that failed he grew more and more dissatisfied as your joint teams disintegrated into in-fighting. 

Well, that wasn’t going to be a problem on this attempt. Not unless anyone was in the mood to invoke Price’s wrath. 

All you marched off without another word, dragging your feet as you made your way back to the start point. Ghost was glaring so hard at König it seemed like all of you were staying purposefully clear of his path; attempting to avoid the crossfire. Soap and Gaz grunted a few words of annoyance toward each other on the way, but luckily you all made it in one piece.

A few tense moments proceeded to ebb slowly by. The clatter of doors and scrape of fallen soldiers and obstacles being reset was echoing throughout the building, the heavy breaths of men around you intermingled and all too eerily you began to feel like you were in the belly of a beast. It certainly appeared that way to your eyes, you couldn’t see much through the darkness. You’d have to position your night vision down again. 

In the briefing before training, when you’d had the blueprints and locations revealed to you, you’d been told that your guys would be able to cut the power beforehand. They were sending your two teams in while Price waited with another team on standby. That way if Rousseau tried to make a clever escape, Price would be there to close in on him while you rid his headquarters of his followers.

All of it was easier said than done though apparently.

“If we fuck this up again I’m going home. Fuck the dessertion charges, prison’s better than this,” Gaz muttered.

“If we fuck this up again,” Ghost growled in disbelief. “You mean If your team fuck it up, Garrick.”

“Aw, putting the blame on us, LT?” Soap chuckled. “You’re so sweet. Maybe it's me just looking to spend a little more time with you.”

His laugh still held a little humour in it, even for all the torture you’d all been through. Although he knew for a fact that he had nothing to do with it. It was his big lumbering steam train of a teammate that couldn’t be let off so easily. 

It was true what Price said, he had been moving too quickly. König was frustrated. Somehow, despite not even being able to see him most of the time, and at times just barely through the green haze of your goggles, you could tell he was finally feeling the strain of working with your team. He was getting antsy and forceful, trying to power through so that he could escape the stifling atmosphere that the other men created for him.

You wanted to tell him he’d only make it worse by prolonging the day. Though it wouldn’t have been a good idea to speak to him then - not with Ghost feeling the way he was. 

“If we spend any more time down here you’ll all be wishing for a nice cosy jail cell by the time I’m done,” Ghost spat. 

You flickered your eyes over to König and held your breath. He looked like he desperately wanted to make a comment on the situation, his eyes were narrowing in a familiar way, the kind of look he got when he was about to fight a point. You silently begged him to stand down and cast a wary glance over at Horangi, hoping he’d stop his friend from doing anything dumb.

Though in the end it didn’t matter. Price interjected before König could air his thoughts, entering the scene like a benevolent god shouting from above. 

“Alright. Begin again in 5…4…3…2…and…”

The warehouse descended into complete darkness, all lights were off and it was just you and your two teams, huddled together in the lonely gloom. Ghost silently gestured for you all to get moving and with the rehearsed speed of a broadway play, you filed into two teams and braced as Soap got the first charge ready. 

You drew in a breath and felt your heart thudding in your chest, it made you tighten your grip on your gun as every booming beat cracked out like thunder. You swallowed and scanned your eyes through the green fog, watching bleary eyed as Soap set the first charge. You looked away and hunched your shoulders, already tensing for the first explosion. 

The door broke away and the charge sounded off with a dull boom, soon enough your teams were ‘firing’ on your fake enemy with your fake rounds. The guns clacked and clicked in a foreign kind of way and instead of screaming or disappearing in a spray they took a moment to notice the hits and would drop to the ground like seasoned actors. 

Even despite that all though, the adrenaline felt all too real. The soldiers were growing smarter smarter, even hindered by the darkness,they had begun to forsee your oncoming attacks and fought back twice as hard as before now that they'd seen your strategy a few times. It was taking longer and longer to clear the first room. 

Nevertheless, determined to stay in the exercise and take it through to its bitter end. You kept down behind Ghost and shot out at the hostiles, doing your duty and hoping it would be enough. Luckily for you the men fell after trading a couple rounds of fire.

“Horangi, stay on me. Sneak when I say the word I want you to move up ahead to the first room on the left. Horangi and I will cover you while you clear it and block the entrance on the otherside,” Ghost ordered. 

“Copy that,” you responded, also hearing Horangi sound off similarly. 

König had moved up already, but rather than have Soap and Gaz blow the next door, they were all taking cover and helping your team with the oncoming flood of men. Even as two separate teams you were now united in a common purpose - to improve the strategy and ensure you’d never be put through the exercise again. 

Most of you hated having to do those sessions, rehearsing for the main event. After All It’s not like you can account for everything that can happen when the real mission goes live. Its not like the men would be expecting you like the hapless new recruits, that was only natural as you reset the mission for the ninth time in a row.

With that in mind, you kept your gun in your hands like it was superglued to you and marched on, following through with Ghost’s plan as he directed you forward. You gulped and sprinted toward the room, taking cover behind the door and angling your head so that you could spot the men that were spraying heavy fire just inches from where you stood. You blinked and took a breath, reminding yourself that you had the edge. You had night vision. 

In a flash you whirled around and took out one of the men closest to you, diving behind a desk before anyone else could get to you. Already marking out your next target, you were relieved when you spotted Ghost in your peripheral and shot up.

“Support pillar, LT!” you shouted, marking out your ‘kill’. 

Ghost acknowledged you and directed his gun toward the other two, and soon enough you were standing in an empty room, listening to the fire outside. Though you weren’t done, you hustled over to the entrance on the other side and tipped a desk over the doorway, making entry very difficult. Then seconds later another explosion went off and Ghost signalled for you to follow him, covering the rear of team König. 

“On me, team!”

Horangi and you followed Ghost as closely as possible, heeding his every command as you cleared the rest of the rooms with slow and steady precision. König battered down every door with Soap’s help and with he and Gaz ploughing forward, you were able to keep watch of the rear as more men crawled out of the woodwork in an attempt to surprise you. 

Even with the fake ammo your blood was pumping around your body like white water rapids and your breathing came fast and heavy. The clack of the guns and the sound of feet scrabbling against the crumbly warehouse floors were echoing around your head and before long you were beginning to feel wired, could feel your body shake as you grew ever closer to the end. This was it. An escape from the labyrinth and the endless blurry green of the night vision goggles.

“Ready?” König asked, standing prone at the last door.

Ghost and Horangi took out a couple of stragglers, and once they were down and static silence was ringing all around you, König was given the go ahead.

“One last door and then we’re home free, Gazzy,” Soap grinned, setting the door to blow. 

“Yeah yeah, just blow the door, Soap,” Ghost growled.

The last breach felt strong enough to shake the ground you were standing on. Though you’d concede that by the time the charge went off, you were starting to shiver a little. You were full of anticipation, ready to sit down and get some rest before the actual mission. A good night’s sleep was within your grasp. 

Once that door swung out, you’d realised that you’d never been so relieved to see a potential hostage. 

The new recruit made a mighty effort to mimic Rousseau, he tried to go down fighting and raised his gun at you all. Though with six people on him he didn’t have a chance. All of you shrank back from his shots while he attempted to flee, though when you noticed that the recruits back was turning to run, you took your chance and barrelled toward him. 

With every ounce of strength that was left in your body you tackled the man to the ground, landing softly on his thick padding - something Rousseau definitely wouldn’t have when it came time to dive on him. Even with your body protesting, exacerbated limbs crying out for a break, you wrestled his gun from his hands and pinned them to the ground. Fake Rousseau had nowhere to go after that, he was stuck below your body even as you heaved out heavy breaths and soon was surrounded by the rest of your team.

At long last it was game over. 

“Alright, very good team,” Price’s voice called, “You can take off the night vision and we’ll turn the lights up.”

You were all too eager to follow Price’s command. You whipped the goggles up and looked around in the sheer darkness for a moment until the blue lights faded on and were then chased up by the stark flicker of the overhead lights. 

Everyone was blinking hard, adjusting to the brilliance and grimacing as you all looked around the grotty old warehouse with new eyes. When it was set up with low lighting there was something very intimidating about the training area, though now that you looked at it in the new light you couldn’t help but compare it to waking up the morning after a one night stand. 

The chip boards looked floppy and pathetic and the huge towering walls beyond your little simulated maze were covered in warning signs and caution notices. The mirage had cleared, and finally you could look up at Price properly, settling your strained eyes on his terse expression.

“Much better. That’s the sort of performance I expect from you lot, and that’s what I want when we launch tomorrow. Get yourselves cleaned up and get ready to meet in the hanger for oh-four hundred. You’re all dismissed.”

-☠️- 

“Fucking Training exercises.”

You lumbered behind Ghost and made your way to the bathrooms, getting ready to wash up with the rest of the team, hearing bed calling out to you sweetly before your early start. Soap and Gaz were unsuaully quiet, meanwhile König and Horangi were their usual type of quiet. Ghost wasn’t satisfied with that though, he was muttering to himself and stomping down the hallway like a man about to fly himself off to Rousseau and end the mission himself.

“At least it’s over now,” you sighed. 

“Would’ve been over a long time ago if we hadn’t started improvising with the hired help,” Ghost groused.

“How many times, Ghost. We tried your plan and we failed, we worked mine out and we passed,” König growled. “Doesn’t matter how many times you whine about it, the plan worked and that’s all that matters.”

“Is it? Is that all that matters?”

“Yes. We all wanted out and now we’re out. Job done,” König groaned. “What else is there to bitch about?”

“It’s not bitching when I have legitimate concerns about letting a private contractor shit all over my team’s dynamic and split us up!”

“What dynamic is that? The one where you get them all killed?”

Ghost flew toward König again, except this time none of you were allowing it. You, Gaz and Soap leapt toward your Lieutenant while Horangi acted as a barrier, keeping a steady hand on König’s flaring chest. All of you struggled as Ghost threatened to explode, but in a matter of seconds he calmed enough to see he wasn’t going to be allowed his revenge and broke away, grumbling that he’d leave it. 

König watched the exchange between you all and laughed to himself, the little titter escaping the thick fabric of his hood even as he tried to keep it soft. You glared over at him, not appreciating his antagonising just as you’d managed to get a grip of Ghost, though he rolled his eyes at you and walked off. 

Only when he was around the corner did you finally feel it was fit to let Ghost have it.

“What the fuck was that, LT?”

“What do you mean what the fuck was that?” he growled.

The way Ghost looked at you, the way his eyes glinted like he was settling on a new target, normally would’ve had you crumbling like brittle harling in a storm but you were resolute in your mission. You straightened your shoulders and walked up to him, not letting the disappointment fade from your face. 

In your periphery, you caught your fellow teammates giving you a shared look of fear. Soap and Gaz more than made up for what you lacked in that moment, but you ignored them keeping your mind focused completely on Ghost. 

“Price cleared the op to run just as we practised it there, just as it was successfully run and you want to have a go at König because he happened to make a valid suggestion?”

“I’m not having a go, I’m pissed that we’re taking orders from paid guns that shouldn’t even be here in the first place! This was supposed to be our mission, Price assembled our taskforce back together all to take down Rousseau and what happens? The government get involved with KorTac and suddenly we have to play nice with money grubbing slime balls. It’s all not right, Sneaky, and I won’t sit by and take it!”

“It might not be right, but it's the situation we’re in. You might not like König, and things have been…not ideal with all thats happened, but like it or not he made a good call and Price recognised it for what it was.”

Ghost grunted and was about to fire back another load of verbal ammunition, though Soap interjected before he could say anything else.

“Sneak’s right, Ghost. If they’re telling you to let the König thing go, then let it go. Sneak has the most right out of anyone to be pissed about König calling the shots, and they’re not. Fuck sake, Ghost, even Price hates the man. If Price likes his plan, then its a good plan.”

You raised your brows, surprised at seeing Soap opposing Ghost for once. He walked over to you and stood shoulder to shoulder, holding the giant back as he teetered on the verge of a rampage. The warmth of Soap brought a calm to your bones and now that you knew you had someone else supporting you, you let out a breath you’d barely been aware of holding. 

You so rarely had to butt heads with your Lieutenant, you’d never get used to the feeling. Your bones felt like they were rattling with the energy it required.

“You don’t have to worry about the team dynamic, Ghost,” you continued, hoping to expel the last of his anger. “In fact arguing with König is more of an issue than anything that he or any of KorTac can do. We get through this mission and take down Rousseau, then KorTac will leave and we can get back to our jobs until the 141 is called on again. If we fuck this up then we’ll be dealing with losses and we’ll have to keep working with them. We just need to get through this and its done…ok?”

Ghost sighed and cast his eyes down to the floor. Silence reigned for a few beats, but eventually he looked back up and eyed you and Soap and Gaz who’d moved to your other side. The blue in his darkened irises could’ve been swamp water with the way they’d been tainted with frustration. Though even with all of his anger at the situation, he had visibly sagged as he recognised he was looking at things wrong.

“You’re right,” he grunted, rubbing his head and furling up his mask. “I’ll go apologise and see if I can’t get through the rest of our time together without murdering the bastard. Like you say, Sneak - not long till he fucks off.”

With that he left to go slink down the hall and catch König, still grumbling to himself even as he retreated. You and the rest of 141 laughed as he turned the corner and eyed each other, smiles slowly spreading across your mouths as if you’d just turned up to a mad hatters tea party. A moment of euphoria shared as you thanked your lucky stars that Ghost didn’t go Godzilla on all of you before he carried on with murdering König just as he’d said.

Though a small part of you still worried for your boyfriend. You’d winced a little when Ghost insulted him, but on the other side of the coin, you realised that with the mission coming to a close soon you’d be able to stop the obligatory concerns that came with König being on base. Soon you could carry on with your illicit affair and not worry one bit that Price would be any the wiser. What you can’t see can’t hurt you, right?

“Thought for sure ma neck was gonna get snapped there,” Soap chuckled.

“I know, I was picturing being the next skull he wore,” Gaz laughed, his nervousness expelled in a low rasp. “Fuck, Sneak. Next time you want to go on a crusade, give us a bit of warning.”

“I’d have loved to have given myself warning,” you snorted, still in disbelief you’d stood up to Ghost. “It just came out of me out of nowhere. If anyone was getting scalped there, it was gonna be me.”

“Well…at the very least, thank jesus,” Soap smirked, “Ghost listened rather than wringing yer little brass neck. But you know what, Sneaky? Next time you decide to have a brave moment like that, leave us the fuck out of it!”

“Yeah, let us get out of the blast radius first, and then go at him,” Gaz laughed, slapping your shoulder. 

With that they both walked off to the showers together and you rolled your eyes, following after them so that you weren’t hanging around the hallway by yourself. Your weary boots slapped against the floors and you continued to joke as you rounded the corner, feeling at ease as you got your mind focused on getting ready for the mission and the calm that would ensue after its completion. 

When you got to the changing room though, you frowned when you saw König’s things scattered. Normally he wasn’t one for throwing things around, he was usually quite careful to pile things up. However his shirt was sprawled on the ground and his trousers were hung over the benches like a set of bowlegs straddling a horse. Most unsettling of all was when you’d glanced down and saw the wooden bird you’d given him months before laying on the floor just under his upturned pockets. 

“Huh, big man must’ve been in a hurry to shower,” Soap noted.

“Probably wanted to try and hurry to avoid Ghost,” Gaz snorted. “Not that I can blame him, I’d hide from the LT too if I knew he was after me.”

You laughed along with the guys because it seemed like the thing to do, but the smile on your face dropped instantly afterward. Something wasn’t right. You gulped and looked over the mess of his clothes one last time and bit your lip, barely feeling the harsh scrape of your canine against your soft flesh. 

“You gonna wash up, Sneak?” Gaz asked, elbowing you out of your thoughts.

“Huh?”

“You’re standing there like a spare prick, Sneaky,” Soap laughed. “You gonna shower? Or are you cooking up a little pre-mission prank?”

“Don’t encourage that, Soap,” Gaz laughed. “We need to put all that to rest. Like Ghost said, this is the last time we have to see the guy. Let’s just get past it and pray we don’t ever work with KorTac again.”

“I’m not planning anything,” you said, stopping Soap in his tracks just as he picked up the hem of König’s shirt. “I agree with Gaz, let’s leave it, alright? I’m just gonna see where Ghost got to first then I’ll go shower. His stuff’s not here, so he must’ve gone off and I figure I should make sure he got away from König in one piece.”

“Ghost getting away from König?” Gaz snorted. “Think I’d worry more for the other way around…if I gave a shit about König that is.”

You gave another little weak laugh and walked off without anything else to say. You didn’t have anything else in the chamber. Your mind was too busy reeling and wondering where Ghost got to and why König’s stuff was laid out everywhere and all the ways you could combine those pieces of information into horrible conclusions.

You walked through the doorway to the opposite corridor and mindlessly carried yourself forward while your skin burned too hot and your stomach tightened into tiny knots. 

Did they have an argument? Did Ghost notice something about König’s things that gave you both away? Had he seen the bird and known it was yours? If so, how? You’d never shown anyone else the bird that you could remember, but then you cursed to yourself as you remembered your less than sound mental state and struggled to try and remember if you possibly had told the guys or shown them the bird at any point. 

Why did König have to carry it around with him? Why couldn’t he have left it in his room on base or secreted it away somewhere safe?

Were you being crazy? You reasoned you were being crazy. Maybe he really had just left his things in a hurry. Perhaps he did just want to get through his-

You felt your blood run cold when you heard a low growl tear you from your thoughts and speak your name, your real name.  

“You look lost.”

You glanced up after trailing your eyes along the gloomy grey floor and shivered as you finally noticed Ghost towering above you, casting a mighty shadow. He had his eyes fixed on you like a shark, cold and deadly as he surveyed your trembling form. He was glaring hot pits into your skin and from that moment on you had absolutely no doubt that he was onto you. 

He’d never looked at you like that in his entire time leading you. He looked furious, distressed, agitated, so many emotions were etched those glaring dark eyes of his and you were losing track trying to figure out how to best appeal to him. 

“I was trying to find you,” you murmured, barely speaking above a whisper. 

“Why would you be doing that then, ay?” he gritted out, walking toward you cornering you into a wall.

His boots sounded against the floor like canons. With the way he was acting, you worried he’d shove you and crush you underneath them. Though maybe that would be kinder than the fate he had in store for you…

“You.. you- uh, tossed König’s things didn’t you?” you whimpered.

“I did.”

“Why?” you breathed, feeling your eyes welling with tears before you could even attempt to think of calming yourself. 

“I’ll admit I got angry at the thought of having to go crawling and apologising to him and I lost it. I knocked his things off the bench. It went everywhere and shit went scattering out his pockets, y’know he left his wallet in his trousers, stupid cunt. Shouldn’t even have personal shit on a training exercise, but I suppose that’s what happens when you hire a bunch of undisciplined mercs… you know what I happened to see when I spotted his wallet though? You have any guesses, Sneak?”

You gulped and all of a sudden, it became all too clear to you exactly how Ghost had caught you out. 

“The photos,” you whispered.

“That’s right,” Ghost growled, “I saw the fucking photos of you two poking out of it.”

Next part here

[tightjeansjavi]

blue jeans n’Texas dreams | part 13

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” 𓃗

Pre! Outbreak/no! Outbreak Joel × horseback riding instructor f!reader

A/N: it’s here finally. This is the longest chapter I have ever written for any of my fics. This chapter will make you swoon. It will make you laugh, cry, and feel. Horse dad! Joel and Clover are very special to me. Thank you for being patient, and happy reading.

~word count 13.3k (you heard that right!)

Summary: 4th of July weekend at Joel and Tommy’s family lake house proves to be one for the books. Summer lovin’ never felt so real. (and a pack of raccoons stealing your bra and panties)

Warnings: smut (protective p in v) fingering, oral (f receiving), dirty talk, teasing, filth, a little handjob action, reader has a size kink (if you squint) Joel is an ass man, skinny dipping, mentions of alcohol consumption, public sexual activity, fear of getting caught (but it’s a turn on) praise kink, heavy use of pet names, Joel has some serious horse dad! Rizz, riding it like a cowgirl on the kitchen floor, fluff, some angst, admittance of feelings, Joel talks you through it, soft! Joel, sweetie pie! Joel, sunshine reader, no physical description of reader, no use of y/n, readers nickname is clove/clover because you’re Joel’s lucky charm. Tommy being himself, Sarah showing support for her dad, Ellie exists in this universe and is Sarah’s best friend! (+18) minors dni!

blue jeans playlist:

“Remember, kiddo. Toes up, heels down and eyes forward. If you look down at Frankie’s head, he’s not gonna know where you want him to go. Try and look right between his ears and make sure he’s not cutting off those corners. Good job!” You praised Sarah as she confidently trotted Frankie along the rail. Her and Joel had just started taking joint riding lessons together, and Sarah was ecstatic that her dad wanted to learn with her.

“Joel, honey...”

“I know, I know. It’s my diagonal again ain’t it?” Joel responded gruffly, followed by a light huff. He was wearing the same hot pink leopard spotted helmet from the time you went on a trail ride together. He knew you loved how cute he looked in it so of course he'd have to wear it again, just for your enjoyment.

“Dad, all you need to do is remember to rise and fall with the leg on the wall, it’s easy!” Sarah chimed in as she trotted Frankie through the middle of the arena.

“Easy enough for you, sweet pea.” He bantered back as he eased Whiskey to a gentle halt alongside you and Ezra in the middle of the arena.

You glanced over at your boyfriend with a gentle smile as he reached down and gave Whiskey a light pat on his furry neck. “Are you just taking a breather cowboy?”

“Of course. Jus’ a quick one. Was hopin’ maybe I could get a quick kiss or somethin.’ I think it might really help me remember this whole diagonal stuff.” Joel glanced over at you with a teasing grin playing on his lips.

“Oh? You think it’ll help you remember? Well, in that case..” You trailed off. It was difficult to say no to your Texas tall glass of water, especially when he was looking at you with those big brown puppy dog eyes of his. “Alright. Just one little kiss. That’s all you get.”

“M’so lucky that I jus’ get a little one.” He chuckled warmly as he leaned over the saddle and pecked your lips softly.

“GROSS! Frankie, cover your eyes!” Sarah giggled, her nose scrunching up like a bunny’s nose does.

You couldn’t help but pull Joel in for one proper kiss before you playfully pushed him away. “Alright, you’ve had your kiss, now get your cute ass back on the rail mister! Whiskey has barely worked up a sweat! Get to it!” Your tone was playful and a little teasing as Joel gave you a playful salute in response. “Yes ma'am! Right away!”

When Joel and Sarah’s lesson was finished for the afternoon, they spent the next hour bathing and grooming Frankie and Whiskey before turning them out to the pasture. It was sweltering out under the blazing Texas sun and Joel found you sitting underneath a nearby apple tree close to the pasture fence. You were busy scribbling something down in your notebook. His boots were soft along the grass as he sank down alongside you with a soft grunt. His arm loosely draped across your shoulder as he pressed a light kiss to your sweaty temple. “How’s my girl doin’ today?” He rasped softly.

Your hand subconsciously drifted to his jaw where the pads of your fingers were lightly brushing across his beard. “Pretty good. It’s so fucking hot out though and I literally feel like i’m melting.” You laughed softly.

“Mhmm. Hotter than satan’s asshole, that’s for sure. You still look gorgeous as ever, even if you are meltin’ like an icecream cone left out in the sun, sprinkles and all. I’d still lick you–”

“Joel Miller.” You teasingly warned him.

“That’s yours truly. What’s the matter?”

“It’s too fucking hot for me to be getting horny. You can’t be talking about licking me up, Jesus christ.”

Joel laughed and it rumbled deep within his chest as he gave your shoulder a light squeeze. “Okay, okay. I’ll keep the suggestive commentary on the low, okay?”

“You’re too kind.”

“Speakin’ of the heat, do ya have any big plans for 4th of July weekend?” Joel asked casually, but definitely out of the blue.

You found yourself craning your neck upwards a little so that you had an easier time looking over at him. Your brow raised at the deliverance of his question. “No, I don’t have anything planned at the moment..probably just going to be in my apartment with takeout or something. Why do you ask?”

“Well, umm..I was wonderin’ if uh, maybe you’d like to come up to my Grandad's lake house? Tommy already went ahead and invited Ryder, and Sarah and her friend Ellie are comin’ up as well. I know maybe it's..sorta a big ask of ya? I’d just really love to spend the holiday weekend with you.”

The smile that slowly washed over your face was nearly contagious as your thumb gently swiped across his lower lip. “I’d love to spend 4th of July weekend with you Joel. That sounds like an incredibly fun time.”

“Tommy and I have been goin’ up there since we were kids. Grandad built it himself, and it's got all the rustic charm that you could ever dream of. Got a speed boat as well at the end of the dock, and innertubes as well. Nice big fire pit close to the water and a screened in porch. It’s like a little slice of heaven, y’know?”

“It sounds perfect, truly. I’ll ask Ryder if she wants to go and get a mani pedi with me. It’s been so long since I went on a vacation. I think the last time was in highschool..maybe?”

“I uh—can I pay for you to get your nails done? I know, I know. You got a thing about me not payin’ for ya, but let me treat you, okay?”

“Joooeeeel.” You let out a light huff as you leaned over and pecked his cheek affectionately. “Fine. You can pay for my nails under one condition, I want you to pick the color out.”

“Oh no no. Darlin,’ I ain’t equipped for that. I don’t know nothin’ about nail polish colors. Sarah’s painted mine about a dozen times, but she always picks the color out.”

“Baby, c’mon. It would make me oh so so happy if you picked the color. I want it to be a color that you like. Please?” You lightly fluttered your lashes at him.

Joel laughed, shaking his head slightly before he ultimately gave in. “Alright, I’ll pick out a color for ya, but in order for me to do so, I need ya to stay super still so that I can admire your beauty.”

“You’re such a dork.” You stifled a laugh as he was intently studying you, and your features. From the tone of your skin, to the color of your hair and eyes. He wanted to make sure he picked out the perfect color to compliment your features that he loved so dearly. “I’m thinkin’ any shade of blue. Maybe even a light blue or teal? I think that will compliment you very well, baby. Jus’ know that you can pull off any color regardless.”

“Hmm. Light blue, or teal? I think I can handle that. Any specific reason why you picked those colors?”

Joel looked over at you with a tender, soft smile. “Jus’ think those colors will really bring out the color of your eyes.”

Goddamn your Texas tall glass of water always being a total sweetheart.

“He offered to pay for your nails too? Goddamn girl. If that ain’t a man in love..” Ryder was sitting next to you in the pedicure chair while she flipped through the latest tabloid magazine.

“Ryder, don’t be ridiculous. We haven’t been together that long for him to feel about me that way. He did get all bashful when I asked him what color nail polish he’d like to see on me.” You looked over at your best friend with a small grin. “Then he proceeded to study my face as if I was the Mona Lisa or something.”

“Honeybun, that man is so fucking in love with you, I’m surprised he hasn’t fallen over his two feet just from you walking into the room. Babe, you are the Mona Lisa in his eyes.” Ryder reached over and gently gave your arm a squeeze.

“Just like you’re the Mona Lisa in Tommy’s eyes.” You shot her a playful wink.

“Speaking of our Miller men, what are you going to wear this weekend? Don’t you dare say whatever you have in your closet. I will drag your ass so fast to the nearest mall.” Ryder threatened you playfully.

“Ryder, you know I can’t stand the mall. Besides, I was just going to pack a few t-shirts and shorts and a bikini or two.”

“Nuh-uh we’re going shopping. We’re going to find you a bikini that was quite literally made for you. Joel’s going to take one look at ya and his brain is going short-circuit. Trust me on this one babe.”

“Okay, fine. We can go shopping. Just know that I’m only agreeing because I love you.” You leaned over the armrest of the chair and pecked Ryder’s cheek playfully.

“Damn, I think Tommy has some serious stacked competition now!” Ryder giggled as she leaned into your kiss.

The mall was surprisingly not as busy as you were expecting it to be. Ryder was already grabbing your hand and pulling you to the nearest summer wear store she could find. She grabbed numerous bikinis for you to try on before ushering you into the nearest dressing room.

“Are you sure it’s necessary for me to try every single one of these on Ry?”

“Babe, yes. We have to find the perfect one and it’s definitely in that pile that I gave you. So, how are you and your Texas tall glass of water?” You could picture Ryder wiggling her eyebrows suggestively through the otherside of the dressing room door.

“Pretty good. Him and Sarah are taking joint riding lessons together now. She’s totally kicking her dads ass when it comes to remembering to trot on the correct diagonal. He’s an absolute good sport though, and Whiskey seems to like him.”

“That’s so fucking cute that they’re both taking lessons now. Tommy and Callus get along pretty good as well. We should all go on a trail ride or something one of these days.”

“How about when we get back from this trip? We can pack a picnic too and make it an all day adventure.” You had just finished trying on the first bikini. It was a soft white color with ruffles, and enough coverage for it to still be family friendly.

Ryder looked up from her phone when you had slipped out past the dressing room door and gave her a little twirl. “Oh, babe! I love this one. How do you feel in it?”

“It’s super cute, and I’m a fan of the cut and the straps..just feel like it’s missing something y’know?”

“Absolutely. Well, there’s plenty more for you to try on so get your cute ass back in there!” She gave your hip a playful tap.

“Don’t mind me prying.” Ryder continued, “the last juicy details you gave me were when Joel went down on you. Anything else exciting happened since then?”

You could feel the heat rise to your cheeks as you adjusted the straps on the next bikini you were trying on. “We haven’t fucked yet. Ever since that whole incident with Logan, things haven’t progressed. Which is honestly totally okay with me. Is it bad that I’m hoping that maybe it’ll happen this weekend?”

“Oh girl, I bet he’s also hoping that it’s going to happen this weekend. Can’t say I blame him, you’re the entire package wrapped up with a pretty bow. If there’s ever a moment where you and Joel want to get some alone time, just holler for Tommy and I to watch Sarah and her friend. I think we can definitely keep our hands to ourselves for a few hours.”

“Fuck. Do you really think that he’s feeling that way too? I mean..I was going to bring a few condoms regardless. I just also don’t want to rush him, or make him feel like he’s pressured to have sex with me.”

“Babe, I bet he and Tommy have already discussed it. Hell, they probably are talking about it right now. I don’t think you could ever make that man feel pressured to do something, hun. You’re the sweetest person I know, and you’re both so considerate of one another’s feelings. My best advice to you is to just go with the flow. If it happens, it happens. I’m definitely rooting for y’all regardless.”

“Yeah, we both are really considerate of one another’s feelings. He’s just—he’s so sweet. He’s so patient and honestly I’m still getting used to being in a healthy and stable relationship. I wake up everyday not worrying about where or who he’s been with. He respects me and my horses. He’s amazing with his daughter. He’s—”

“Babe, are you sure that you’re not in love?” Ryder asked with a raise of her brow. “You sound like a woman madly in love. I’m just so happy that you’ve found a man that treats you so well. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve it.”

“Okay, maybe I’m just a little in love. Just a tad. Just an itty bit in love.” You checked out your appearance in the mirror. You liked the way this bikini accentuated your body. You liked the color and the multicolored flowers scattered about the fabric. It was perfect, and you couldn’t wait to see Joel’s reaction when he would see you in it.

“Oh my god, that’s it! That’s the one! Oh, you look so so beautiful!” Ryder gushed as you stepped out of the dressing room.

Before the day was up, you couldn’t help but text your boyfriend about trying on bikinis, and how excited you were for the long and fun weekend ahead.

Hey, handsome. Wait until you see the bikini I got today ;)

Joel was out to dinner with Tommy and Sarah at the local diner when he saw your text. He couldn’t help the rosy shade that washed over his cheeks. It made him feel like he was back in highschool, with his first crush and all the giddy feelings that came along with it.

Yeah? I can’t wait to see it and take it off of you, baby ;)

“What’s got you smilin’ at your phone like a love struck fool Joel?” Tommy asked curiously from across the table.

“S’nothin. Jus’ my girl askin’ me how my day went.”

Tommy couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his lips that were resting along the rim of his beer bottle. “Mhm. I’m sure it was just that.”

When Joel got home later that evening and Sarah was tucked away in her room, he found himself sinking down onto the comforter with a heavy sigh. It was an incredibly long day on the job. His back ached, and his feet and calves were sore, but then he thought back to your text from earlier, and a sudden confidence washed over him as he laid there. He pulled his phone out of his pocket before grasping his belt and pulled it loose as he shimmied his jeans down his legs and kicked them off to the side. He scooted himself back against the pillows for leverage. His thoughts drifted to you as he used his teeth to hold the hem of his t-shirt up so that you’d be able to see his happy trail and abdomen. It didn’t take long for him to get hard as he imagined just how fucking amazing you were going to look in a bikini. His freehand reached for his phone and he quickly snapped a picture with his boxers visible and just the bottom of his face where you could see his teeth holding up his shirt.

He sent the image to you along with the words,

for u ;)

You had just gotten back to your apartment when your phone buzzed in the cup holder. The last thing you were expecting was for your boyfriend to send you a very cheeky photo of himself in his boxers. You stared at the message and the photo for a good couple of minutes before typing back,

That’s not fair :( I wanna see your handsome face dammit

Okay, I won’t lie. I am incredibly turned on right now.

Look at you being all cheeky ;)

I like this side of you, Miller. Can’t wait to see more of it x.

Joel was already in the shower while you had innocently blown up his messages. He may, or may not have tugged one out while moaning your name under his breath while his palm was resting flat against the shower wall. His free hand was wrapped firmly around the base of his hardened cock. Everytime he twisted his wrist and dragged his thumb across his leaking tip, he thought about you. He took his lower lip harshly between his teeth as his lashes fluttered shut. Who knew he could be a little naughty.

When he got out of the shower he wrapped a towel loosely around his hips as he grabbed his phone from the countertop. He eagerly checked to see if you had responded to his picture, and he couldn’t help but let a chuckle slip past his lips as he read your messages.

He sent you another photo, this one was a selfie of him in the steamy shower mirror. His hair was damp and curly and the towel was just barely hanging onto his hips. God, did he look so handsome.

Is this better? ;) his message read.

Much better x. You responded back.

Friday morning had rolled around in a flash and Joel was in his room checking to make sure that he had grabbed everything he needed for the weekend ahead. He almost didn’t catch the glaring obvious box of condoms sitting on the top of his opened weekend duffel. Not only were there condoms, but there were also handcuffs..and lube? “God fuckin’ dammit Tommy.” The older Miller brother muttered under his breath. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers with a shake of his head when he found Tommy’s note under his generous gifts.

Here’s to you getting laid this weekend big brother ;) xoxo -Tommy

Joel stuffed everything back into his bag before he zipped it up and tossed it over his shoulder. “Hey Sarah, Kiddo? You almost ready?”

“Yeah! Just gotta grab the snacks from the pantry and then I’m good to go!” Sarah responded from down the hall.

Joel reached for his phone that was resting along the nightstand. He checked the time before sending you a quick text while he slipped past his bedroom door.

Hey darlin, heading out shortly. Gotta go pick up Sarah’s friend, and then we’re gonna stop at a Starbucks before picking you up. Can’t wait to see you x.

When you heard the familiar sound of heavy truck wheels rolling into your otherwise quiet parking lot, you quite literally raced out of your little apartment, weekend back strung over your shoulder as you excitedly descended down the old metal staircase. There was no reason for you to hide your genuine excitement to spend the weekend with Joel, his family, and your best friend.

Joel tipped his sunglasses down over his nose as he watched you gleefully run down the steps. His lips curved up into a grin when he saw that you were wearing a simple yet pretty sundress. It was light yellow with little flowers scattered throughout the flowing fabric. What he really zoned in on was your smile. It was the brightest he had ever seen it, all teeth with your eyes crinkling in the corners. You were beautiful, and Joel was a man truly, madly, and deeply in love.

“Oooh so that’s your old man’s girlfriend?” Ellie was grinning from ear to ear in the backseat where she was seated next to Sarah. “Hey, Mr. Miller? How the hell did your ugly mug end up with that?” She teasingly asked.

Ellie was like family to both Joel and Sarah and she was as much of a little trickster, as she was a sweetheart. It was no wonder that her and Sarah became best friends one day on the playground back in kindergarten.

“Kid, I actually have no clue how I ended up with someone as beautiful as her. I’ll let ya know as soon as I figure it out, Kay?” He shot the two girls a little wink before he slipped out of the driver's seat to meet you just outside at the front of his truck.

“Christ almighty. Ain’t you just a sight for sore eyes? That is one hell of a dress, and one hell of a woman wearin’ it.” Joel lowly whistled as he pulled you in for a hug, lifting you off the ground slightly as he inhaled the sweet smelling perfume that you were wearing.

“Hey handsome, happy to see me?” You looped your arms loosely around his neck as he stole a quick kiss from your lips.

“Happiest goddamn man alive. He pecked your cheek sweetly as he set you back down onto the pavement. “Lemme take that for ya. Latte’s waitin’ for ya in the cup holder. Sarah loaded up on snacks as well.” He slipped your overnight bag off of your shoulder, ushering you to the passenger door with a light tap to your ass that had you looking over your shoulder at him with a soft giggle.

“Oh wow, so he’s like really in love with her huh?” Ellie asked as her and Sarah watched the way you and Joel embraced without a care in the world.

“This is truly the happiest I have ever seen my dad. She’s so freaking cool too. I’m just so happy that he finally has someone, El.”

Joel had safely secured your duffel bag along with the rest of the luggage in the bed of his truck. He had one more surprise for you in the glove box and it was a certain CD that he just knew would bring a smile to your face.

Once you were situated in the passenger seat you said your hellos to Sarah and Bella as you buckled in.

“Open the glove box f’me doll.” Joel softly requested as he started the ignition.

With a curious raise of your brow you popped open the glove box where you found Spirit Stallion Of The Cimarron soundtrack CD.

“Oh my god, did you really? Joel! Are you sure you’re ready for what you’ve just signed yourself up for? Sarah and I know all the words to every song.” You leaned over the center console pressing a soft kiss to his cheek as you took the CD out and slipped it into the slot.

“Baby, I think you’re forgettin’ that I also know all of the words. The soundtrack, as Sarah says, is bumpin’ and I gotta agree. Bryan Adams is a genius.” He toggled with the volume when soundtrack #1 Here I Am crackled through the old speakers.

Here I am, this is me

There’s nowhere else on earth I’d rather be

Here I am, it’s just me and you

Tonight we make our dreams come true

For the entirety of the drive it was filled with laughter, singing and Ellie’s shitty puns book that she took with her everywhere.

Joel and Tommy’s family lake house was everything you imagined it to be, and more. It was nestled between a grouping of pine trees overlooking the shimmering water below. It has a long wooden dock leading down to the water's edge. There was a stone path off to the left leading to a fire pit surrounded by handmade chairs with peeling chipped paint. They were obviously well loved and you couldn’t help but imagine a very young Joel Miller sitting on his granddad’s lap with marshmallow fluff and chocolate smeared all over his face.

At the end of the dock was a decent sized speed boat covered with a thick blue tarp. Adjacent to the boat was a pair of Yamaha Jet Skis.

Ellie and Sarah wasted no time to grab their bags from the bed of the truck and set them down before they raced to the dock, their girlish giggles filling the air as Joel hollered after them to not go into the water without an adult present.

“I’m surprised that Tommy and Ryder aren’t the first ones here.” You remarked as Joel handed you your bag.

“I ain’t that surprised. They probably ended up stoppin’ for gas or somethin.’ Maybe a little more than just gas, huh?” He wiggled his eyebrows at you suggestively as he hauled out two cases of beer.

You playfully swatted his shoulder with a teasing smile. “You think they fucked in a gas station bathroom?”

“Wouldn’t put it past ‘em. Especially Tommy. He’ll fuck just about anywhere. Pretty sure I found a cum stain on the passenger seat in his truck the last time I was in it. Haven’t been in there since.” He hopped down from the bed of the truck and slammed it shut.

“and..what about us?” It was bold to ask but after Joel had sent you those pictures..you couldn’t stop thinking about it since.

“Us fuckin?’” He finished the sentence for you and all you could pay attention to was the way his voice dipped down an octave and his Texas drawl grew thicker. He was standing close to you now, hands slowly clasping around your cheeks as his cinnamon brown eyes bore into yours. “Baby, of course we will. We got all night to get into those shenanigans, okay?”

His close proximity, his tan biceps, lingering aroma of cologne, mixed in with his suggestive verbiage had your mind spinning as you wasted no time to close barely-there gap between you. Your lips slotted together as his hands dropped from your cheeks and found purchase around your waist, bunching the fabric of your dress between his fingers—

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Fucking Tommy.

“Well, I’ll be damned! Don’t y’all go’n stop on our account!” Tommy whistled from the open window of his truck.

Joel loosened his grip around the fabric of your dress as his lips detached from yours. With one hand on your ass and the other with his middle finger angled high in the air, you just knew that this weekend was most definitely going to be one for the books. “Show ain’t for free! Y’all gotta pay up!” His voice vibrated warmly up your chest.

“Pay up?! Hell no brother! Ain’t payin’ you shit!” Tommy hopped out of his truck.

“C’mon.” He whispered against the shell of your ear. “Wanna give you a tour of the house before these two try’n ruin it. Last stop will be our room.” He drawled out ‘our room’ with almost a low purr that sent shivers trickling down your spine.

You caught Ryder's knowing wink from the passenger door as Joel steered you towards the front door, his arm securely fastened around your waist as if he was stuck to you like glue.

The house was rustic and homey. You could tell right off the bat that Joel’s grandparents were maximalist’s by their decorating style. Handwoven quilts laid perfectly across the arm rest of the dark teal couch. There were photographs of Joel, Tommy scattered about. There were quite a few of Joel and Sarah as well. The kitchen was dated, yet charming but you didn’t pick up on most of the details because Joel was already pulling you up the staircase to the room in the house that had the best view of the lake. “Gotta be quick when pickin’ out a room. Tommy usually always snags this one but not this time.” He closed the door softly behind you with a light click.

You could already feel the excitement pooling deep within the pits of your tummy and between your thighs as your eyes landed on the fairly large bed pressed up against the wall. “I see why you picked it. The view is amazing..”

“It is quite a beautiful view indeed.” He wasn’t talking about the lake of course. He was talking about you.

You could feel his warm presence coming up behind you, strong arms winding around your body as he pulled you flush against his chest where you could feel his rhythmic heartbeat skip a beat. His hands splayed across your hips scrunching up the fabric of your dress once more. All he had to do was dip his fingers a little lower..

“Joel?”

“Yeah baby?”

“How long do you think we have till they come looking for us?”

“Ten minutes tops. Why? You got somethin’ mind?” His lips were brushing against the exposed skin of your shoulder, pressing soft kisses against your warm skin. His teeth playfully nibbled on the strap of your dress as he dragged it down slowly, listening to your harsh intake of a jagged breath as your back arched into his broad chest.

“How fast do you think you can make me cum?” You whispered through the thick growing tension that coated the air in an aroused filled haze.

“You challengin’ me? 5 minutes tops. Maybe even a little less. S’Nice that you’re wearin’ somethin’ accessible. It’s so easy for me to just..” he slowly dragged his hand down your stomach feeling you clench inwards as his fingers dipped under the fabric of your dress and brushed over your covered core where he could feel the damp patch growing through the thin fabric of your panties. “Y’want my fingers or tongue? Can getcha off either way my dear.” He purred.

“Fingers. I want to see what you’re really made of, Miller.”

“Think that’s a challenge I’m willin’ to participate in. Just need’ya to relax. Spread your legs a little f’me. Use my chest for support. Atta’ girl.” He praised you as his thumb hooked along the side of your panties and pulled them aside. “What’s gotten you so riled up, hmm?” He dragged his fingers slowly through your sticky wet puffy lips, gathering up your arousal as he played with you.

“Y-you. You’ve gotten me so riled up the second we got here.” You stammered as one of your hands braced itself against his strong thigh.

“Me? Mmm. Anythin’ in particular that I did to get you so fuckin’ horny? Surprised you ain’t fuckin’ my hand already. You’re absolutely drippin’ for me baby. Y’want two fingers or one?” His thumb brushed across your sensitive, needy clit and your knees nearly buckled.

“Your confidence really gets me off. I love it when you act so sure of yourself. It’s fucking sexy as hell. Two, please.” Your nails lightly dug into his thigh as you braced yourself against his chest.

“You’re so fuckin’ sweet n’filthy. How’d a man ever get so lucky?” He nibbled along your shoulder as he easily slipped two fingers inside of your sopping wet hole while his thumb worked your clit in expert tight circles. “Y’gonna let me hear those pretty noises that y’make baby? I love hearin’ ‘em.” He flicked his wrist slowly as he curled his fingers in a come hither motion.

Your eyes languidly rolled back into your skull as a whimper slipped past your parted lips. Getting fingered by a man never was an enjoyable experience until you met Joel Miller. He just seemed to know exactly how to work you into a putty at his feet with a literal flick of his wrist. “Fuck me. That feels..hnngh..so fucking good baby.”

“Tonight, baby. I promise. Y’gonna ride it like a cowgirl?” He chuckled against your skin as his free hand tightened its grip around your middle, holding you in place against him. His presence and grip on you was deliciously overwhelming. Your hips bucked up against his hand as his fingers ruined you into oblivion. It was almost embarrassing how quickly your Texas tall glass of water coaxed an orgasm out of you. Your little whimpers and mewls egged him on and created an uncomfortable tightness in his cut off shorts as he slipped his now glistening fingers out of you.

You could faintly hear Tommy and Ryder calling you just down the stairs as your body settled into a post-orgasm daze. Your eyes flitted down to his fingers coated in your cum and much to his and your own surprise you grabbed his wrist and brought his fingers to your awaiting mouth.

He let out a guttural grunt deep within his chest when your warm lips wrapped around his fingers and licked them completely clean and soon he had you pressed against the door, lips fervently pressing to yours so he could get a proper taste himself.

“I’m going to do more than just ride it, Cowboy.” You mumbled against his lips as he caged you against the door.

“I ain’t gonna doubt that for a second baby. Why don’t ya freshen up and get changed. We’re gonna go out on a boat soon. The girls are gonna wanna go tubing. You up for it?”

“I’m up for anything and anything.” You were quick to respond.

“That you are my girl. That you are.”

Joel and Tommy had just finished removing the heavy duty tarp from the speedboat while Sarah and Ellie were swimming along the shoreline where both Joel and Tommy could keep an eye on the girls. You could never be too careful.

Ryder had found you shortly after Joel had left the bedroom and she barely got a word in before you told her what just went down. You giggled about it like two little school girls as you changed into your bikinis. Your skin was still tingling from Joel’s touch as you slipped your little woven cover up skirt over your bottoms. You slipped one of Joel’s baseball caps over your head along with a pair of sunglasses and flip flops.

On your way down to the dock you each grabbed a beer from the stacked fridge in the kitchen. There on the fridge you noticed a photo of a younger Joel, holding a very very tiny Sarah and a woman next to him that you easily figured out was Sarah’s mom. He looked to be in his early 20’s, with the same boyish grin on his face that you had fallen so hard for. He was beaming like a proud father in stark contrast to the facial expression of Sarah’s mom in the photo.

Joel was a good father, and a good man. You couldn’t imagine why anyone would ever think to leave him and Sarah like that. For this reason you hoped you’d never meet his ex-wife.

Joel and Tommy were too busy making sure that the boat was up and running when you and Ryder descended down the dock. Tommy had noticed first and he gave Joel a light thwack on the head eliciting a grumble from the older Miller brother before he too looked up. His jaw just nearly dropped to the floor when he saw you in your bikini matched with your smile that could light up even the darkest of places.

“Hey, Miller? You keep your mouth open like that and you’re gonna catch flies!” You teasingly spoke.

Sarah and Ellie both giggled at your comment and Joel playfully narrowed his eyes on them. “Y’kids wanna get your life jackets on? Tommy is gonna finish hookin’ up the inner tubes and then we’ll be all good to go!” He shot you a wink as he offered you his hand to help you onto the boat.

You graciously took his hand as he barely broke a sweat on lifting you onto the vessel. You couldn’t help but imagine what other ways he could lift—

“Cat got your tongue darlin?’” He questioned suggestively.

“Can’t say it in front of the kiddos I’m afraid.” You gave his cheek a loving pat as you slipped past him and plopped down on one of the seat cushions, tipping the rim of the beer bottle back against your lips as you took a sip.

Tommy helped Ryder on in a similar fashion as Sarah and Ellie climbed onto the inner tubes attached to the back of the boat. Joel being the father he asked both girls to check to make sure their life jackets were secured and once he was satisfied, he gave Tommy the thumbs up to start driving.

“Hey, uncle Tommy?” Sarah asked as she gripped onto the Velcro straps along the tube. “Can we go faster than we did last time? Pretty please?”

“How fast are we talkin’ kiddo? Y’know your dad is a bit of a sour puss with this stuff.” Tommy chuckled from the driver's seat of the boat.

“Dad? Pleaseeee can we go super fast? I’ll even help with the dishes after dinner!”

“Kiddo, you’re on vacation. Just have fun, okay? Hold on tight. You girls have sunscreen on..right?”

“Yes dad!” Sarah quickly responded. “Yes we do Mr. Miller!” Ellie followed.

They did not in fact have sunscreen on as Tommy revved the engine up.

A few fast circles along the lake was all it took for the girls to go toppling into the water with excited screams. It looked like they were having an absolute blast back there and you wanted in on the fun. Joel was sitting alongside you, his arm draped along your shoulders with his head tilted back and soaking in the sun's rays. He’d take an occasional few sips from your beer as he knew you weren’t much of a drinker yourself. “You wanna go out for a spin? It’s as fun as the kids are making it look. Trust me. Tommy and I always had a blast out here as kids. Grandad always made it his personal mission to knock us off the innertube.”

“Let’s do it.” You responded with a grin as you were already hopping up from your seat. Ellie and Sarah had just swam back to the boat and successfully climbed back on. They were all smiles.

“Are you and dad going on it? Can I join you guys?” Sarah squinted up at you through the bright rays of the sun.

“Of course you can kiddo!”

Joel couldn’t help but feel the warmthness in his heart burst when Sarah had asked if she could join the two of you. Even more so when you had helped her back into the water with the utmost care. You were more of a mother figure to Sarah than you possibly knew.

Once the three of you were situated on the innertube with Sarah securely in the middle of you and Joel, Tommy sped off with no warning given as you let out a surprised scream, gripping onto the handles for dear life.

Ryder had managed to sneak a photo of the three of you on her Polaroid camera looking like the happiest bunch just before Tommy took off like a speed devil.

Hours of fun on the lake proved to be tiresome for the two young girls and by 4pm they were pooped. Sarah had fallen asleep against your shoulder at one point with her arms wrapped around you loosely. Once the boat had been parked alongside the dock, Joel carefully lifted Sarah into his arms, kissing the top of her damp head. “I’m gonna bring her inside and then start prepping for dinner. Would you like to join me?” Joel asked you softly.

“Of course. I’d love to.”

A small crooked smile graced his face at your response as he carefully climbed off the boat. An equally exhausted Ellie followed after him back towards the house. Joel helped both Ellie and Sarah out of their life jackets and hung them outside on the porch to dry. Once both girls were tucked away in the bunk room, he padded down the hall to the kitchen just as the porch door creaked open.

“Hey, Tommy and Ryder said they’re gonna take the jet skis out for a bit so it’s just you and me. What’re we cooking, good looking.”

“You’re adorable. I was thinking chicken, roasted potatoes and a few veggie sides for the herbivore?” He softly teased as he opened the fridge.

“You mean the veggie-saurus? That all sounds delicious. You’ll have to show me around the kitchen baby. Y’know, since we got a little preoccupied earlier.”

“The cutest veggie-saurus there ever was. Oh, we got preoccupied alright.” He chuckled as he set out bags of produce along the counter. “Stove can be a little wonky at times, but we do have a perfectly workin’ grill outside. Y’know if you wanna see your man in his element grillin’ shirtless.” He playfully bumped his hips with yours. “Cutting boards are in this cabinet and we got all kinds of prep bowls and stuff like that. Knives are to your left.”

“I think the grill is the logical choice here. Any excuse to see you shirtless is a good one. How do you feel about some roasted asparagus with parmesan and garlic along with the potatoes, and then a good old hearty salad? I make a really mean vinaigrette.”

“How do I feel about that? My tummy is rumblin’ already. You sure know the way to a man’s heart huh?”

“Through his stomach and his—”

Joel silenced you with a chaste kiss to your lips as his arms wound around your waste. “Keep that dirty talk up and I’m gonna say fuck the dinner, and I’ll just eat ya instead.” He grumbled.

“Nuh uh. You are not missing out on my vinaigrette.” You kissed him back with a grin plastered on your lips.

“Then I suggest we get cookin, good lookin.’” He swatted your ass playfully before pulling away from the kiss.

A comfortable silence fell upon you and Joel as he prepped the chicken while you prepped the vegetables. Through the open window in the kitchen you could hear Tommy and Ryder’s laughter echoing over the lake as they raced one another on jet skis. You could hear birds chirping and squirrels chattering in the trees above. It was both peaceful and stimulating. The purest form of dopamine you could grasp your pretty hands around.

The soft crackle of a record player tore you from your sweet internal bliss. You were so at peace that you hadn’t realized that Joel had departed from your side, and was digging through his granddad’s old records in the family room before choosing one. It was Elvis Presley, Can’t Help Falling in Love. A true classic.

The needle slowly fell upon the record with a soft hum as Joel padded over to you. The knife currently grasped in your hand to chop vegetables, was gently removed and replaced with his warm palm clasped around yours. The sun had slowly begun to descend from the sky creating a warm orange-pink hue through the billowing curtains along the kitchen window. A wordless exchange as Joel gently pulled you into his chest and slowly swayed you. His forehead was lightly pressed against your own, eyes soft in the early evening light.

Wise men say

Only fools rush in

But I can’t help falling in love with you..

The moment was interrupted when Tommy and Ryder came in through the porch door rather loudly. They were in love, and you and Joel couldn’t be mad if you tried.

Elvis continued to serenade you as you returned to your prepping duties. “Joel?”

“Yeah honey?”

“How old were you when you had Sarah?..” it was a question on your mind since you had seen the photo of him, Sarah and his ex-wife on the fridge.

“I was twenty-two at the time. Only a couple years out of highschool. Sarah’s mom and I were already married. My graduation day was also my wedding day, and that picture was taken up here. It was Sarah’s first time up at the lake house. Shortly after that is when her mom left us. Left me feeling pretty confused if I’m being honest. As far as I was aware, we were pretty happy.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry or anything. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t feel comfortable doing so, okay?” You reached over with your freehand and gave his bicep a light reassuring squeeze.

“S’alright. I don’t mind talkin’ about it with you. It’s a part of me that I think you should know. Anyway, I was young and naive back in the day. I didn’t realize that she was pretty miserable and resentful till it was too late. It was devastating to come home to an empty house one day. I loved her, y’know? I was ready to drop everything to raise our daughter together. She was gone, and I had to grow up overnight for Sarah. Went through the 5 stages of grief all at once. Thank god Tommy was there to pick me back up.”

“I can only imagine how devastating that must have been. I know you loved her, and it’s disappointing that she didn’t respect you enough to at least tell you that she was not happy in the marriage, or as a mother. That’s the part that breaks my heart the most because you’re such a wonderful father, and man. You do everything for your daughter and I pity your ex-wife for that reason.”

“Part of me wishes that she could see just how well Sarah and I have been doing. That I wasn’t going to end up like a deadbeat father struggling to make ends meet. I’d never wish ill upon her, and I genuinely hope that she found her own happiness. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have Sarah. I wouldn’t be a father and who knows, maybe I would have never met someone as wonderful as you.”

“You don’t wish ill upon her because you’re a good person, Joel. You have a pure heart and you deserve all the happiness in the world. I hope you never forget that okay? You mean a lot to me, and I’m so happy that I’m here with you.”

“Are you choppin’ onions right now? Is that why my eyes are waterin’? Goddamn you and your sweet angelic soul.” He chuckled through his tears brimming over his waterline. He sniffled a little as he wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. “Y’know Sarah really likes you. Always goin’ on about you and when I’m going to see you next. You—you don’t even realize it darlin’, but you complete our little family. You just nestled yourself into my heart, and hers without even tryin.’”

You couldn’t stop your own tears from spilling over as you found yourself embracing him tightly with your arms wrapped around his middle and cheek pressed against his chest. “I’ve never thought of myself..ever being a mom, but I love that kid as if she were my own.” You mumbled softly against the well-loved fabric of his t-shirt.

I love you so much

The words were trapped in his throat as he hugged you tightly to his chest with his chin resting along the top of your head.

Dinner was enjoyed out on the back porch table, and your grilled asparagus with parmesan and garlic was the hit of the night. When you and Ryder attempted to do the dishes and clean up the dishes, your men were ushering you outside with the girls to catch fireflies instead. It was the bare minimum, but absolutely mouthwateringly attractive for your two Texas gentlemen to insist on doing the dishes themselves.

The four of you were down along the dock under millions of twinkling stars. Sarah had her childhood firefly lamp looped around her wrist. The base of it had all kinds of stickers on it. Some of them were faded and torn but it was a memory of her childhood only being filled with happiness and love.

“I love her, Tommy. I really fuckin’ love that woman out there.” Joel announced as clear as day while he was drying off the dishes that Tommy had washed alongside him.

“I know you do, brother. I know. When are you gonna tell her? If you..haven’t already?”

“Tonight. I’m going to tell her tonight. After we roast marshmallows, and the girls go to bed. Would you and Ryder maybe mind givin’ us some alone time later?..”

“Of course. We won’t mind at all. I think we’re more than capable of creating our own entertainment.” Tommy responded with a wink. “She wants me to teach her how to play poker and backgammon. Who am I to deny my lady her wishes?”

“Regular poker..or strip poker?” Joel asked with a tiny grin.

“Regular poker to start, but a little strip poker never hurt anyone. What are you and your girl gonna do?”

“I think I’m gonna ask her if she wants to go skinny dippin.’”

“‘Atta boy.” Tommy clapped him on the shoulder with a wolfish grin.

Joel was torn away from his present naughty thoughts when Sarah rushed into the kitchen with her lantern in hand. “Dad! Dad! I caught sooo many fireflies! You gotta come see! We saw a baby fawn with its mom too! It walked out right in front of us and you totally missed it!”

“Woah, how many fireflies are we talking here kiddo?” He hung up the dish towel as he slipped past his brother and carefully took the lantern from his daughter's hands. “Wow! There’s gotta be hundreds in there! You wanna help uncle Tommy grab the stuff for the s’mores? Old man’s gotta go chop some wood for the fire.” He handed her the lantern back with a soft kiss to the top of her head.

“There’s millions more out there! I’ve never seen so many!” She beamed up at her father. “I have to let these little guys go and then I’ll help uncle Tommy!” She raced back outside before he could get another word in.

“Now that’s a happy kid if I’ve ever seen one.”

Tommy had already grabbed the bag of marshmallows, Hershey bars and graham crackers from the pantry.

“Yeah, she is pretty happy huh? Hope she’s always happy like this.”

You and Ryder took equal pleasure in watching Joel and Tommy chop down firewood with their equally rugged hands. Even in the lowlight you could see the muscles rippling in Joel’s back from each heavy swing of the ax.

“What’re you gals looking at?” Sarah and Ellie asked in unison as they plopped down in the wood chips. Both girls had mud on their knees and arms as they had opted to catch frogs now instead of fireflies.

“You’ll understand when you’re older.” Ryder responded with a small smile.

“What is she talking about?” Ellie whispered to Sarah with a light giggle.

“I think they’re checking my dad and uncle out. Y’know, girly stuff.”

“That’s so gross.”

Once the wood was properly chopped, Joel and Tommy used their boy scout’s knowledge to produce the perfect marshmallow roasting fire. In the meantime, Joel headed inside to grab a hoodie and his guitar from his room before he returned to his seat next to you. When he saw that you had a bit of stray chocolate and marshmallow fluff on the corner of your lips, he reached over and swiped it away with his thumb sucking the sticky sweetness into his mouth.

You visibly swallowed hard at the innocent gesture.

Goddamn him.

As more marshmallows were roasted, Joel began to mindlessly thrum his fingers along the strings of his guitar. It had been some time since he played, but it was just like riding a bike. “What’ll it be tonight folks? Somethin’ old, or somethin’ new?”

“It would be downright un-American if you didn’t start with Take Me Home, Country Roads, Dad.”

“Country Roads it is!” Joel started to play the old familiar tune, tapping his foot to the beat and lightly bobbing his head.

The entire time he was playing the guitar, you watched him with subtle softness in your gaze. You loved this man with everything your being possessed. Tonight, you were going to tell Joel exactly how you felt. You were going to tell Joel Miller you loved him.

More laughter and songs were shared as the fire began to die down and you and Joel could equally feel the electric anticipation that swirled between you. It bounced off your shoulders like ping pong balls. It shimmered like the brightly twinkling stars in the dark milky sky above.

Ellie and Sarah both let out an unenthusiastic groan when Joel announced it was their bedtime. He told you to wait up for him while he put the girls to bed. After tucking Ellie in, and then Sarah, Joel was stopped by his daughter's hand reaching out and gently wrapping around his wrist. “Dad?..”

“Yes, sweet pea?”

“Are you going to tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“Are you going to tell her that you love her? I know she does. She’s just too nervous to say it outloud, but I see it in the way she looks at you when you aren’t paying attention.”

Joel slowly crouched down so he could be at Sarah’s level. His knees cracked and his back felt strained but he didn’t care. “Of course I am going to tell her, sweetie. I’m tellin’ her tonight, I promise. Get some sleep, okay? Sweet dreams babygirl.” He kissed the top of her head, smoothing her curls down softly with his freehand.

“Good. I’m glad that you are. I love you, dad. I’m so happy that you’ve found someone.”

“I love you too sweet pea. Love you so so much. Don’t you go lettin’ them bed bugs bite either.” He kissed her head once more before standing up. “You too El. Sleep tight kiddo.”

“G’night Mr. Miller..or should I say lover boy?” Ellie said with a giggle.

“You’re a goofball. Now I’m serious, girls. Lights out. You’ve both had a very long and fun day.”

“Daaaad. We get it. Go and tell her that you love her!” Sarah swatted at him playfully.

“Alright, alright. I’m goin.’ See ya kids in the mornin.’” Joel quietly shut the room to their bunk room closed. On his way out the porch door he bid Ryder and Tommy a good night, swallowing the lump that was beginning to grow in his throat as he walked back to the fire pit.

“Was beginning to think you had ditched me.” You leaned your head back gently against the headrest on the chair as you looked over at him.

“Me? Ditch ya? Never baby. Everyone’s gone to bed for the night. It’s just you and me now..how do ya feel about doin’ a little skinny dippin?’”

“Sounds like a fucking fun time to me.” You responded with a lopsided almost devilish grin. “Race ya down to the dock?”

“You’re on, baby.” Joel was already peeling his hoodie over his head as you raced past him yanking your own hoodie off and dropping it with a playful giggle. Your t-shirt was next as the wooden dock creaked and groaned as you ran across it. Soon you were just down to your panties with your bra discarded at your feet. The air was a little chilly and your soft nipples immediately pebbled from the sensation as you shimmied your panties down.

“Don’t ya go and pussy out on me!” Joel yelled from a short distance behind. “I will not hesitate to toss your ass in!” He was slightly out of breath as he struggled to pull his shorts down without eating ass in the process. You had made it look so damn easy.

“Oh, shut up old man!” You giggled.

“Who the hell are ya callin’ old? Thirty-four years old you little shit!” He tossed his shorts to the side muttering about how maybe it was too cold to be doing something as frivolous as this. “Shouldn’t we have grabbed towels!”

“That’s pretty old to me! Hey, it was your genius idea to go skinny dipping cowboy!”

“Oh, that’s it. You’re fuckin’ toast sweetheart!” Joel had grabbed ahold of you just as you were about to dive in. He lifted you up with practiced ease before he jumped into the lake with you secured to him.

“Joel Miller—” you were cut off as your body hit the water with a big splash. Fuck, was it cold. You resurfaced with a squeal as you proceeded to splash him.

“It is fucking freezing in here you asshole! My tits are going to freeze off! I swear, they make this shit look way more romantic in the movies!”

Joel resurfaced shortly after you, shaking the water from his hair and he held his hands up in defense as you splashed him. “Hey! I ain’t ever said it was gonna be warm!” He laughed. “How is this not romantic? We’ve got the stars and the moon and okay, my balls are probably gonna freeze off. Gosh darn it! You got any idea how fuckin’ pretty you look with the moonlight kissin’ your skin like that? So pretty. Y’gnna keep splashin’ me or come over here for a kiss?”

You were swimming over to him before he could utter another word as your arms comfortably looped around his neck while his arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you in close as you instinctively caged your thighs around his hips. “What was that about coming over here for a kiss?” Your fingers lightly twirled the wet strands of hair resting along the nape of his neck.

“You mean this kiss?” Joel whispered, his nose lightly brushing against yours as his lips found their home. His hands found purchase around your thighs as he squeezed them gently, kneading the soft flesh through the water.

Your eyes fluttered shut as you kissed him deeply, lips moving in sync as your chest were flushed tightly together. He could feel your pebbled nipples against his skin. Your lips detached only for him to brush them down your jaw, nipping lightly at the skin as they descended southwards. You tilted your head to the side, granting his mouth easier access as he peppered kisses down your throat, dragging his tongue between the valley of your breasts—

“What the fuck was that?” Whispered as something brushed up against your ankle.

“What was what?”

“Something fucking touched me and it felt slimey—”

“Probably was a fish or somethin.’ We are in a lake after all, honey.” He teasingly remarked.

“What if it was a snake?”

“Honey, I doubt it was a snake. Probably just a fish or maybe even some seaweed—” he felt it now too. “Maybe we..get out now?”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.” You pressed one last kiss to his lips before slipping out his arms and quickly swam back to the dock. He was right behind you, gently lifting you up before he pulled himself over the edge with a huff.

The two of you sat side by side on the dock still completely bare. His arm gently wrapped around you as he pulled you against his side. “Sarah’s birthday is comin’ up soon n’a couple weeks. I’ve taken some extra jobs with Tommy to make a little more money. I’m a little worried that she’s gettin’ too attached to Frankie, so I’ve decided I’m gonna get her a horse for her birthday. One of her very own. Would ya help me out with that? I’d really appreciate it.”

“Joel..you won’t have to worry about getting Sarah her own horse.”

He slowly looked over at you, confusion etched between his brows as he tried to decipher what you had meant. “Whad’ya mean I won’t have to get Sarah her own horse?..”

You turned towards him, slowly looking up at him as you spoke, “Joel, you won’t have to worry because I am giving Frankie to Sarah for her birthday. I have never seen a kid so happy with a horse before. Frankie adores her, and they make such a fantastic team. They share a real connection, and I want them to be best friends forever. Please let me know if I’m overstepping. I care about your daughter so much Joel. She’s such a wonderful kid, and I’m hoping that you’re okay with this.” He could sense the hesitation and nervousness in your tone. His heart leapt out of his chest and flopped along the wooden dock like a fish out of water. He was in shock that you cared so much about his daughter that you wanted to give one of your horses to her.

He blinked a few times as he struggled to compose his words. Here was his moment. His opportunity to tell you just how much he loved you. He could throw it all out on the table right here, right now. He was ready, and never more sure of something in his entire life till now. With his courage gathered and warmth filled in his heart, he finally spoke.

“I’m so in love with you Clove, it fuckin’ hurts.” He whispered his confession like a warm breeze floating across your skin. His words melted into your pores like oozing bubbling chocolate. A shuddered breath escaped your parted lips as you looked at one another. He awaited your response as the crickets chirped their nighttime tune. “Clove?..”

“Clove, Clover. You’re my lucky charm, baby. It’s fittin’ dontcha think?” He choked out. Feeling slightly stupid for confessing his feelings. He could already feel his brain mocking him for thinking that you’d feel the same way that he did about you. Did he read the signs wrong? Did he overstep? Oh god, did he ruin everything just like that?

His thoughts stilled as your hand gently reached up and cupped his jaw. Your eyes were brimming with tears as you stroked your thumb across his beard with gentle ease. “Joel…baby, I-I—”

“I know honey, I know. S’okay. I jus’ had to say it. I’m so fuckin’ in love with you. You don’t have to say it back. I understand if it’s too much right now and I’m—”

You cut him off by gently pressing your finger against his lips. “Joel, shut up for just a second, please. Of course I love you, you silly man. I love you so much.”

“You—you do? You ain’t just sayin’ it cause you feel obligated to..right? I don’t want you to feel pressured to say anythin’ you don’t want to say.”

“Joel, you sweet wonderful man. I love you. I’m not just saying it to say it. I am so unbelievably in love with you, Joel Miller.” There it was again. That soft smile that only made its presence known when you were around him.

“Been wantin’ to say it for a while. Didn’t want to scare you away or nothin.’ Then you tell me that you wanna gift Frankie to Sarah for her birthday and my heart just..it burst like goddamn fireworks.” He chuckled softly through his brimming tears. “C’mere, my sweet girl. Make my heart burst a little more will ya?”

Joel didn’t have to ask you twice as you crawled into his lap, straddling his hips as you pressed his back against the dampened dock from your drenched bodies. You kissed him everywhere you could possibly reach. Tasting lingering sweat and droplets of lake water on his tanned skin. When your lips descended downwards and brushed across his navel, his hands gently found your face and pulled you level to his. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t have enjoyed your mouth on him, he just wanted all of you instead. “‘Nother time, kay sweetness? Let me jus’ take care of ya.” His lips found yours in a sweet embrace as he gently flipped you over onto your back. “Just wanna have one taste of ya and then we’ll go inside. How’s that sound?”

Your fingers slipped through his damp locks as his head descended downwards between your parted thighs. There was something so distinctly erotic, and downright hot that Joel was willing and eager to go down on you under the soft glow of the moonlight. He made quick work of his tongue, kissing your clit lovingly as if he were worshiping it and your body. He moaned deeply against your core as his tongue worked you in slow languid strokes. He devoured you like a man starved under the stars while your soft moans and whimpers filled the nighttime air with the tune of the crickets and frogs croaking.

“Wrap your legs ‘round me.” He requested as he kissed his way back up your body in a haste. His strong arms wrapped around your back as your thighs clamped around his hips. He had no struggle in lifting you and him up from the dock as he proceeded to carry you inside. He didn’t bother to bend down to pick up your discarded clothing. That would become tomorrow's problem. Now, his sole focus was only you.

Somehow he managed to safely carry you back to the house without tripping over his two feet. You made it increasingly difficult towards the end when you began to press soft kisses to his neck. Your soft touch alone sent blood flowing southwards to his cock as he pressed open the porch door with his shoulder.

“Keep that up and I’m gonna have no choice but to fuck you right here on the kitchen floor baby.” Joel warned you with a low hiss under his breath.

“Mmm. That’s tempting..maybe we can do that later?”

“Christ, woman. You’re gonna be the death of me.” He carried you up the steps, silently grateful that he chose the room that was furthest from everyone else’s as he padded down the hall. Your bodies were still fairly damp as he playfully tossed you onto the made up bed.

He watched as you stretched your legs out, propping your knee up with your arms casually resting behind your head. “Did you bring condoms?..I brought some just in case.”

“Course I did baby. Been planning for this all week.” He went straight to his overnight bag unzipping it as he grabbed the box of condoms and tossed them onto the bed.

Your eyes widened the slightest when you saw what size condom Joel wore. You weren’t the slightest surprised. A broad man such as himself? Of course he was packing. “A whole box, huh? You really did come prepared.”

Joel could feel the nerves slowly creep up his spine as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. It had been awhile since he had last fucked someone and he just wanted to make sure he was good enough for you.

You could sense his hesitation as he slowly sank down along the edge of the bed with a huff. His cock hung heavy between his thighs as you scooted up behind him, pressing soft kisses to his back and shoulder blades as your arms loosely wrapped around his middle.

“Hey, is everything okay? We don’t have to do this tonight, Joel. It’s okay. I promise I won’t be upset or anything. There’s no rush.”

“S’not that I don’t wanna.” He leaned back into your soft touch, his eyes fluttering shut from the sensation of your lips along his skin. “Jus’ been awhile for me and I uh—I wanna make sure it’s good for you. Y’know? I’m just..well, big. I don’t mean it in a tool douchebag kinda way. Jus’ don’t want to hurt ya.”

“Joel, baby. You’re so fucking sweet. I promise you that you’re not going to hurt me. In fact, I don’t mind a little pain. I can take it, trust me. Besides, I like the feeling of a cock stretching me out a little, filling me up. You think you can do that for me cowboy?” Your hand was lightly resting along the swell of his tummy. You liked that he was both muscular yet soft in all the right places. What you would give to kiss and love on his tummy, maybe another night.

Joel let out a shuddered breath and his cock twitched along the comforter from your words. He tilted his head to the side and upwards so he could properly kiss you while his hand found yours and slowly dragged it southward. He turned his body more so he could cup your cheek gently while his other hand guided yours around his cock. The softest groan slipped past his lips as your fingers wrapped around him. “Y’feel how fuckin’ hard you just made me? That’s all for you baby. All fuckin’ for you.”

You stroked your hand around his length slowly twisting your wrist as you eased yourself onto your back, scooting against the mass of pillows. Joel braced himself on his elbow as you reached for the condom and detached your lips to gently tear the packet open. He nestled himself between your thighs as you slowly rolled the rubber on, inch by inch. Words of praise were equally exchanged between you as your thighs spread open more.

“Please, jus’ let me know if it hurts at any point, okay?” His concern for you was genuinely sweet and you reassured him with a gentle kiss to his jaw, his arm rested above your head as his fingers locked down over the headboard.

“I promise I’ll tell you if it hurts. Okay? I promise Joel.” You whispered with your hand still firmly wrapped around him as you guided his tip to brush against your folds.

A shuddered hiss fell between you as he slowly sank into your warmth. His cock was girthy, with thick veins protruding along the skin as he stretched you open. He could feel your pussy fluttering and squeezing around him already as he bottomed out with a harsh grunt. You used your fingers to spread your labia lips open and his eyes drooped down to where your bodies were connected. “Y’gnna play with your pretty little pussy while I fuck her? S’that what you wanna do baby?” He pulled his hips back before thrusting them forward, repeating this a few more times as he fell into a rhythm.

“Mhmm. I want you to watch while I play with myself, baby. I want you to see just how good you make me feel. That’s it. You see how well I’m taking your cock, big boy? I can feel every inch of you stretching me apart.”

“Fuck. Yeah, you’re takin’ my cock so well baby. So fuckin’ well. Y’look so pretty playin’ with your pussy f’me like that. ‘Atta girl. Keep doin’ that.” He rolled his hips into yours a little faster, working between rhythmic slow thrusts where you could feel every inch of him to fast harsh thrusts that shook the bed and headboard into the wall. Your fingers sped up their pace along your clit as you lifted your hips up slightly to meet his thrusts. He was hitting the spongy soft spot inside of you at a deeper angle, and it was heavenly for both of you. You nearly came along his cock when his head dropped down and he spat a glob of saliva right between your fingers working on your clit.

Your moans intermingled in hot puffs of breath as your back arched against the pillows. “Fuck, yes. Please! Please don’t fucking stop, Joel! Don’t stop. I’m—I’m so close.” Your eyes rolled back as the familiar tingling sensation crept up from your toes and ascended up your ankles and calves. Your stomach muscles tightened as his cock twitched inside of you.

“Not gonna stop baby, I promise. Fuck! Want you to cum all over my cock, okay? Think you can be a good girl and do that f’me? Want to feel you completely coat my cock, sugar. C’mon.” His thrusts grew sloppy as he drove himself repeatedly into you. His lips found your shoulder where he kissed and nipped at the skin, biting down harshly as he spilled himself into the condom. The pleasure mixed with the pain sent you into overdrive as your walls convulsed and pulsed around him.

His arm dropped from the headboard as he softly collapsed on top of you with a grunt. His face was pressed firmly into your neck, and his sweat stained damp hair was lightly tickling your cheek. He whispered praises against your skin as he softened inside of you, letting out a shaky exhale that turned into a rumbled chuckle.

Your arms found purchase around his neck as you gently threaded your trembling fingers through his soft tendrils. “What’s got you laughing, Hm?” You couldn’t help but softly giggle along with him.

His strong arm latched around your lower back as he made himself comfortable. “Jus’ feel fuckin’ fantastic right now. Think your pussy sent me into cloud nine baby.” He pressed a sweaty kiss to your throat.

“Yeah? Well, I think your cock fucked me stupid.” You scratched his scalp lightly with your nails, earning a soft hum to creep up his throat.

“Think we mighta fucked ourselves stupid.” He concluded.

“Think you’re right on head with that one Joel. What are we gonna do with that entire box of condoms?”

“Fuck our way through ‘em. Now that I know how amazin’ your pussy feels around me, those condoms will be gone by the end of the weekend.” He gruffly whispered.

“Is that a challenge?”

“Nah. That’s the truth, baby cakes.”

“Round two?” You giggled.

“Baby, let me close my eyes for a few seconds, kay? Your sweet pussy milked me dry. Dontcha worry. Just need to get some fuel in me and you can take me for a real ride. How’s that sound, cowgirl?”

“Deal.”

Joel gently rested his weight on you for a few more minutes before he reluctantly slipped out of you. He disappeared into the bathroom to dispose of the condom and grab a towel. He sunk down onto his knees and gently wiped between your thighs. It was past midnight by the time the two of you made your way downstairs for a light night snack. You were wearing his hoodie and a pair of panties while he had nothing but his boxers and his cowboy hat on.

“What’s the lady got a fixin’ for tonight?” He whispered as he opened the fridge door quietly.

“Grilled cheeses.”

“Fuck. Those do sound good. Okay, two grilled cheeses coming right up.” He tipped his hat in your direction with a lopsided smile.

Once the grilled cheeses were made you and Joel found yourselves sitting side by side on the kitchen floor. He told you stories of all the summers he spent up at the lake house. How Tommy accidentally threw an entire box of sparkles into the fire pit along with all of the lighters. It created quite the colorful show.

How Joel had to get stitches on his eyebrow one year because he ate shit running down the dock.

How Sarah took her first steps and how proud Joel felt to witness them.

How he’d spend early mornings out on the lake with his granddad fishing and giving him life advice.

How you were the first woman Joel had ever brought out here since Sarah’s mom left.

The empty plates were discarded to the side as you found yourself climbing into his lap. Good thing he remembered to bring a condom down with him. His shorts were hanging low on his hips as you rode him, and at one point you had stolen his cowboy hat and placed it on top of your head. All he could focus on was the way your face twisted in pleasure as your hips continued to roll against his. When you both feared waking someone up, your hands gently clamped down over your mouths to muffle your noises.

Somehow fucking Joel on the kitchen floor was the perfect mixture of filthy, and sweet.

It was 3a.m by the time you had pulled yourselves up from the cool tile and proceeded to finally go to bed. There was no reason for clothes to be worn in the bedroom as you both plopped down onto the tousled comforter. Whispers of, ‘I love you’s’ and soft tender touches were shared as you drifted off to a blissful slumber.

Around 7a.m Tommy emerged out of his bedroom to start a pot of coffee. No one else was up and the first thing he noticed just outside the kitchen window was clothes strewn about on different sections of the dock. He took a sip of his coffee with a knowing smirk on his face as his older brother descended down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His hair was a mess and he smelled faintly of lake water and sex.

“Mornin’ brother.” Tommy tipped his mug in Joel’s direction.

“Mornin’ Tommy.” Joel gruffed out a response.

“Say, you may wanna pick up those clothes from the dock before Sarah and Ellie wake up. You wouldn’t want to have to explain that to them..right?” Tommy was grinning stupidly over the rim of his mug.

“Fuck me. I knew I was forgettin’ somethin’ last night.” Joel casually stepped over the spot along the kitchen tile where you and him fucked like bunnies just hours ago.

“Yeah, think ya forgot your pants out there.” He chuckled. “S’there a reason why you’re avoidin’ that spot on the floor?” Tommy asked with a raise of his brow.

“What’re you goin’ on about? I ain’t avoidin’ nothin.’” The heat was already rising up his cheeks.

“No fuckin’ way. You didn’t. You fucked her on the floor? You dirty, dirty dog. Now we’re gonna have to disinfect it n’everythin.’” Tommy tsked under his breath.

“No. You got it all wrong I’m afraid. She rode me to town on that floor. Fuckin’ wore my cowboy hat like a little minx. Absolutely had me speechless. Anyway, I’m gonna go gather up Clover and I’s clothes before the kids wake up.” He saluted Tommy with a small grin.

“Holy shit. Did she really? Goddamn. That’s hot. Hey, Joel?”

“Yeah?”

“Did ya tell her?”

“Course I did.” Joel confirmed.

“Oh thank fuck. I take that she said it back?”

“She did. She’s also giving Frankie to Sarah as a birthday present. You keep that a secret, okay? It’s gonna be a big surprise.”

“Sarah’s gonna be over the fuckin’ moon when that happens.”

“I know. She loves that horse so fuckin’ much. I couldn’t believe it when Clover told me. I was elated jus’ knowin’ how much she cares about me and Sarah.”

“I’m happy for you big brother. Truly, I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you, I’m glad I waited for the right one to come along. Oh, and Tommy?”

“Yeah, lover boy?”

“You think you’d be up for being the best man at my wedding again?”

“Fuck yeah I’d be up for it. You betcha.” Tommy couldn’t help but pull his brother in for a big hug, squeezing him tightly. “Seriously though, do we have to disinfect any other parts of the house? Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Joel clapped his brother on the shoulder as he hugged him back tightly. “Jus’ the kitchen floor. Haven’t tarnished any other spots in the house, yet.” He loosed his grip around Tommy giving him another nod before he poured himself a cup of coffee and slipped past the porch door to gather up yours and his clothes.

Your bra and panties were mysteriously missing..damn raccoons musta gotten to them.

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[haveatthee83]

The Princess and her Fool (Buggy D. Clown/Reader) 3/4

Inspo: TIMEZONE-MÅNESKIN

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Word Count: ~9.7k

Warnings/Notes: Cursing, canon typical violence (very minor), angst(?), flashbacks.

A/N: MÅNESKIN is Buggy coded, no I won't elaborate, all chapters are inspired by different MÅNESKIN songs. Hope you like this one! Thank you all for all the love on my fics! It's been literally amazing! I am like constantly checking my activity tab to see all the little likes, comments, and reblogs. I can't stop like squealing in excitement every time one of y'all interacts. It's literally one of the biggest highlights of my day. Thanks so much for reading!

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You weren’t ready. Your mood dropped instantly as you saw the island on the horizon through your spyglass. Arlong Park. It was mere minutes away, really. Less than an hour. You swallowed the lump in your throat as you handed your spyglass over to Zoro next to you.

“Almost there.” You whispered, leaning against the railing of the ship.

“When are you going to tell him?” Zoro muttered, scanning the area with your tool. You quirked an eyebrow, “You gotta tell Luffy you’re leaving.” He mumbled.

Your heart skipped a beat, “Oh-oh…I’m not leaving.” You started, playing with your fingers.

“Yeah, you are.” Zoro scoffed, “You’re all goo goo eyed over that fuckin clown. You’re worse than the cook.” He jeered, nudging your shoulder.

You shook your head, heat rising to your cheeks, “I’m not going with him. I have stuff I need to do first.” You explained. “I’m here through Loguetown.”

Zoro nodded, handing your back your spyglass, “After that?”

“I’m going off with Buggy.” You admitted. “I told Luffy from the start that I wasn’t gonna stay with him permanently.” You mumbled with a sorrowful look in your eye.

Zoro sighed, rolling his neck, “You gonna be happy with him?” he asked, turning his head to look at you fully, “Cause if you’ll be happy, Luffy will be happy.”

You nodded softly, “He makes me a happier person.” You said, “I think I really love him.” You said it so softly that Zoro could have thought it was his imagination, but he knew better.

“Just…talk to Luffy soon. Don’t put it off or I’ll tell him.” Zoro said finitely, walking away from you, toward where Usopp and Buggy were arguing on how to best maneuver getting to the island.

“I will.” You promise to the wind.

Getting onto the island was easier than you all had thought, using Buggy as a guide through the thicket toward the park.

You and Buggy sat outside Nojiko’s small home in Coco Village, you were leant up against a tangerine tree and holding Buggy over your stomach, stroking his hair and quietly reading through the last chapter of your book, “-as the princess stood tall for her final stand, hand in hand with her beloved knight, she couldn’t help but smile wide, whispering to her beloved at her side, ‘I love you more than this world will allow, my dear. I cannot wait to hold you and love you without bound in the next.’.”

Buggy sank himself deeper into your hold, melting under your gentle ministrations. “You should braid my hair again, eh pretty girl?” he muttered as you finished the last chapter, the bittersweet ending a satisfying conclusion, but a heavy reminder of your circumstances.

You hummed with a small smile and set the book down on the ground beside you, “Okay, but I want to keep playing with your hair. Can I just do one little one?” you asked, raising Buggy’s head up to your face and planting a quick kiss to the tip of his nose.

Buggy scrunched up his face and wiggled it a bit, “I don’t mind, but damn, Doll. We’ve talked about the nose!”

You rolled your eyes and planted another kiss to his brow, “I remember talking about how much I love your nose, eh pretty boy?” you teased, running your hand through his soft blue hair. “So just let me love on you while I can.” You chastised, bringing him in for a longer, deep kiss on the lips, your thumb stroking his cheekbone right under his eye, his lashes brushing against the very tip of your finger.

Buggy nipped at your bottom lip as you pulled him back, making you huff out a low laugh as you settled him back in your lap, already separating a small section of hair from right behind his left ear to braid.

“I’m gonna miss you, Starshine.” He mumbled, relaxing into your touch.

You smiled sadly, pinching the braid in one hand and using the other to stroke the side of his face soothingly, “I’ll miss you too, Bugs.”

That night, you and Buggy slept under the stars, cuddled up close, his head resting comfortably under your chin.

When you and the other Straw-hats properly invaded the park, you and Buggy could feel the deep pull of anxiety as you both separated to find the rest of him.

After darting around a bit, you crested a hill and then he saw it. His body. It was strung up alongside some prizes in a game booth. You skidded to a stop, scanning the area to make sure it was clear, all the while, hugging Buggy’s head to your middle.

When you deemed it safe enough, you rushed over to the counter, letting Buggy float out of your grip as you got close enough. His head reattached to his neck and with glee he detached his hands and feet just long enough to free himself from his bindings, landing hard on the ground.

Buggy smiled wide, hopping over the counter and scooping you into his arms, spinning you for a moment. When he laid your feet back on the ground, you beamed, grabbing his face and drawing him into a deep kiss, his hands traveling over as much of your body as they could.

“Oi! Clown!” You and Buggy drew away from each other. It was Zoro. He was looking for Buggy somewhere nearby.

Buggy rolled his eyes but turned to you, “You sure you can’t come with me, Doll Face?”

Your heart dropped to your feet as you shook your head, “I can’t, Buggy. I…If I go with you now, I’d never forgive myself. I made a promise.” You said resolutely, “I’ll see you soon.” You whispered, nudging him to go.

Buggy nodded, “See ya, Sweet Cheeks.” He muttered quickly, pecking your cheek before bolting.

Zoro came around the corner, rushing to your side, “Where did that fucker go?”

You smiled and shrugged, “He had to go.” You said, boldly wearing his red kiss mark on your face, wiping at your stained lips.

The fight with Arlong and his fishmen had been difficult, not to mention those damned Marines, but you found the hardest part to be seeing poor Nami’s suffering. You wanted to find it in you to hate the younger woman for betraying you all, but you couldn’t. You understood duty and desperation, more than most.

So, there you all sat on the Going Merry, a fragile air of comradery on the deck. Your next stop was Loguetown. You looked out over the calm waves, glistening under the setting sun, and you couldn’t stop the little melancholy smile from spreading along your lips.

            Buggy missed you. He constantly found himself turning to the side to tell you some joke or snide comment only to be met with Cabaji’s face, not yours.

Buggy saw you everywhere. He found a stone on one of the islands he’d stopped on. It wasn’t anything super special, but it just happened to be a perfect color match for your eyes. Buggy had scowled at the stone, almost wishing he could explode it with his mind before chucking it back down at his feet into the incoming waves and stormed off. Only to immediately turn around, cursing the sky and sea and go to find it again. He had to make multiple attempts to grab it because the waves kept getting a bit too close or too high for Buggy’s comfort. It took him a half an hour to grab the stone again, but he did.

Cabaji had seen his captain’s antics from the ship but didn’t say anything. He did, however, note that he’d often see his captain with his right hand in his pocket, clearly holding onto something. Sometimes when Cabaji would come into Buggy’s room to communicate goings-ons of the ship, he’d walk in on Buggy tossing the stone in his hand, over and over. Sometimes he’d simply be holding it, staring at it, stroking its smooth surface with his ungloved thumb. Cabaji didn’t understand why he held on so tightly to the little rock. It would have made a good skipping stone, sure, but other than that, it was…just a rock. But nonetheless, his captain kept it with him. Cabaji often found himself breaking Buggy out of little bouts of daydreams, bringing the clown back to earth during meetings and rehearsals. Cabaji was concerned. What had happened while Buggy was with those Straw-Hats? Why was he so…different?

There was a crewmate on the ship that had the same hair color as you, and Buggy’d find himself whipping around on a dime, thinking he’d seen you, just trying to lay eyes on you, but of course, you weren’t there. You were at least three time zones away, sailing with those Straw-Hats. Buggy would scowl at the thought, crewmates flinching away from him. Buggy was one more sleepless night, missing the sound of your humming and feeling your fingers in his hair, from snapping and demanding his crew hunt the Straw-Hats down. All so he could finally have you to himself. The only reason he held himself back anymore was the conversation you’d had right before he’d had to run away.

“I can’t, Buggy. I…If I go with you now, I’d never forgive myself. I made a promise.”

Buggy’s jaw set at the memory, his thumb running over the stone in his hand, the candle next to him licking over his fingers and its dull scent wafting over him. He wasn’t mad at you per say. More so mad at the situation. He wanted you right there with him, lying next to him when he wakes up in the morning, cheering him on during rehearsals and shows, he wanted to teach you a few circus tricks. You seemed to already be good at knife throwing, just like him. Buggy often felt his chest swell with pride at the fact that you remembered how to do that, he had taught you after all.

Buggy kept having to remind himself that you didn’t abandon him, the opposite in fact. You wanted him, you wanted to be around him. You just had something to do first. Buggy could wait. Absolutely. He…could wait. Maybe.

Buggy frowned as he walked his way through the main town center. He had his eye out for one thing and one thing only, the bounty board. ‘God where is it?!’ his gaze roved over the square, finally landing on the patchwork bulletin board. Buggy shoved his way through the crowd, making a beeline toward it, only stepping on a few people’s toes. When he made it up to the board, his eyes darted over the board faster than he thought possible, finally landing on what he was looking for. You had a poster. You had a bounty of 8,000,000 out for you, alive. Buggy studied your face, looking for an inkling of a grin, but he found no such thing, only finding a look of disgust aimed at the camera, a snarl curling your face, your arm pulled back to lay a punch onto whatever unfortunate Marine had tried to get your picture. You hadn’t found it yet.

“Son of a bitch!” Buggy exclaimed, ripping your poster down and stomping back toward the docks, heading back to the Big Top. “Can’t catch a break, dammit.” Buggy mumbled and grumbled as he made his way through the crowded streets, shoulder clocking someone, “Watch where you’re going.” He hissed.

“Rude, Captain.” It was Cabaji. He held Buggy’s eye with a disappointed glower, “Permission to speak freely?”

Buggy was taken aback, “Uh, sure I guess.”

Cabaji nodded, gesturing for Buggy to follow him into a quiet alley nearby. When they were far enough away from the crowds to not have to call over the noise, Cabaji settled, leaning against the damp stone wall and frowned. Buggy stood across from him, hands in his pockets, one running a thumb over the rock. Cabaji noted this with a furrowed brow, “Captain,” he started with a sigh, “You’ve been…weird lately.”

Buggy recoiled, face scrunching in annoyance, “Fuck you mean?”

Cabaji rolled his eyes, pointing at Buggy’s hand, still in his pocket, “You’re holding onto a rock. Not gold, not a gem, some normal ass rock,” he stated, “You’re more snippy than usual, which is saying something, and you just don’t seem very…present.” Cabaji finished, fingers beginning to fiddle with the ends of his hair.

Buggy’s jaw clenched, but after a moment, he sighed, slumping his shoulders before slowly dragging his back down the wall, sitting on the cobbled ground. “I know.”

Cabaji’s eyes widened, “See! Even that’s weird!” he insisted, gesturing wildly, “You would usually throw a damned knife at me for saying any of this! What’s wrong?” He asked, crouching down to level with his captain. “What happened while you were with those Straw-Hats?”

Buggy scowled, ripping his ungloved hand out of his pocket, the stone in the center of his grip, and studied it as he spoke, “It’s not like they tortured me or something.” He started, causing Cabaji’s confusion to visibly grow, “I mean they weren’t nice obviously, but…” Buggy hesitated, finding his words. “One of them was.” He finally said, meeting Cabaji’s eye.

Cabaji blinked a few times, trying to process what that could mean, “How does that-“

Buggy cut him off, “It was Gale.” He spat, cradling the stone more. Cabaji’s mouth dropped open a bit and he sat down fully then, cocking his head to think. “She didn’t even know it was me, but she was…great!” Buggy continued, “She fed me, read to me, let me sleep in her bed, hell she washed my damned hair!” he exclaimed, squeezing the stone tightly. “And she likes me.” He mumbled, pushing his knees up to his chest. “She really actually likes me.”

Cabaji took a moment, unsure how to proceed, “Well, do you like her?” he asked awkwardly, fiddling with his hair again.

Buggy rolled his eyes with a huff, “The fuck do you think?” he snapped, holding up the stone where Cabaji could see, “I carry around this stupid rock because it’s the same color of her eyes, I have her bounty poster,” he continued, ripping the paper out of his pocket, shoving it into Cabaji’s lap, “And I still have this braid in my hair because she did it.” Buggy finished, tugging the small braid out of his bandana. “I’m fucking whipped!”

Cabaji couldn’t help but smirk a bit, “Sounds like it.” He chuckled, “Did you close the deal?”

Buggy felt heat rise to his face, eyes suddenly focused on the stone again, “I was just a head, so…kinda.” He coughed out.

Cabaji threw his head back in a cackle at that, “Holy shit, Captain!” he chided, smacking Buggy’s leg, “Still got it, huh?”

“Never really had it.” Buggy mumbled, rolling his eyes.

Cabaji grinned and unfolded the bounty poster in his lap and his brows shot up, “You bagged her?” he asked incredulously, “She’s fuckin gorgeous!”

“Hey! That’s my girl you’re talkin’ about!” Buggy hissed, snatching the poster. “But…yes. I don’t know how I did it.” He chuckled, looking at your snarled face in your picture.

“Where is she?” Cabaji asked, “She still with the Straw-Hats?”

Buggy frowned, “Yeah.”

“Let’s go get her.” Cabaji stated simply, “I mean if she likes you, I don’t think she’d mind.”

“Can’t.”

“Why?”

“I have to wait.” Buggy explained. He saw Cabaji’s mouth open to ask why, but he cut him off, “She’s looking for something, Straw-Hat’s helping her. When she finds it, I can find her. We made a deal.”

Cabaji frowned, “Shitty deal.”

Buggy shrugged, “I’m not gonna stop her from doing what she has to do, I just…” he sighed, “I miss her, I guess. I want her here now, but I know I’m gonna have to wait.”

Cabaji nodded, mulling it over in his head before standing, extending a hand to his captain, “Let’s go. I’ll help with preparations for her arrival and ask some contacts to keep tabs on her, make sure she’s safe.” Buggy smiled softly, clapping his hand into Cabaji’s who hoisted him up, “Know where about she is?”

“Loguetown.” Buggy replied, walking stride for stride with the unicyclist, “That’s where her…thing is.” He explained.

Cabaji wanted to know what this ‘thing’ was but didn’t want to pry so he just nodded and kept walking. “So…” he asked, sunlight flowing over them as they emerged from the alley. Cabaji smirked a bit, “How’s she feel about the uh-“ he stopped himself, gesturing to Buggy’s face, especially the ‘center’ if you will.

Buggy’s eyes narrowed, “Shut the fuck up about my nose.” He growled, punching Cabaji in the arm.

Cabaji laughed, rubbing the sting out of the area, “Sorry, Boss. Curiosity killed the cat, you know?” Buggy rolled his eyes and kept walking. They remained in relative silence for the rest of the trek to the ship.

When they reached the ship, Buggy turned to head up to his captain’s quarters but hesitated, turning briefly to Cabaji, “She likes it.” He called, turning on his heel and getting back to work, all to the tune of Cabaji’s barked laughter.

Your eyes roamed over the expanses of Loguetown, clocking Marine after Marine through your spyglass. “This’ll be a close one,” you muttered to Luffy, “Crawling with Marines.”

“We’ll be fine.” Your captain said, waving you off, “We’ll get you your-“ Luffy cut himself off, sweeping the area, seeing you were both alone in the crow’s nest. “-fruit.” He whispered, “And then we’re off to the Grand Line! Easy peasy!” Luffy exclaimed, patting your shoulder.

You smiled at the boy, “We need a plan, Luffy.” You reasoned, resuming your sweep of the island from afar.

“Nami’s coming up with something, don’t worry about it!” he exclaimed, taking your spyglass out of your hands. Luffy’s smile shrank a bit as he closed it, “Zoro told me I need to talk to you.” He muttered lowly.

You pursed your lips, sighing deeply before guiding Luffy to sit with you, “Luffy. Do you remember our deal?” you asked, holding his hand.

“Which one?” he chuckled, “We have two.”

You huffed out a laugh, “Both, I guess.”

“Yeah.” He assured, squeezing your hand. “I remember.”

“I’m ready.” You explained, “I’m ready to go off and do my own thing, live my own life. I want to try and pursue my dreams now, all thanks to you.” You nudged his shoulder with yours before wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

Luffy smiled wider, “You’re gonna go perform?” he asked, eyes sparkling. “Where?”

You bit your lips together before speaking, “You remember Buggy?” Luffy nodded, “Well…I love him.” You confessed, waiting for Luffy’s reaction before you continued.

Realization dawned on Luffy’s face, “Oh! That’s what that was!” he exclaimed, “I was wondering why you looked at him like that.”

You felt heat rise to your face at that, “Yeah,” you took a deep breath, “I want to go with him, and I told him I would after I found my…thing.” You explained.

Luffy nodded, taking this all in, “You want to join his crew.” He reasoned, wobbling his head side to side, “Okay.”

Your eyes shot wide, “Okay? Okay what?”

Luffy shrugged, smiling all the wider, “Okay, you can go. I won’t make you stay.” He explained, “Just don’t forget about us. Maybe visit every once in a while.”

You beamed at the boy, wrapping him up in a tight hug, “God, you’re such a good kid. You’re gonna be an amazing King.” The hug lasted for a good while, neither wanting to let go.

Luffy pulled back from the hug to look at you, “You said you knew Gol D. Roger?” he asked.

You nodded, “Yeah! Not for very long.” You said, “Remember how I was telling you about Cardinal and Peacock?���

“Yeah, Shanks!”

“They were still sailing with Roger when I knew them. It was a few months before they disbanded.” You elaborated, “So they brought me to meet Roger. I got to listen to his stories over dinner, and he let me onto the ship anytime I pleased while they stayed on my island. He even tried to get me to join them after he saw how well me, and the boys got along.”

“Wait.” Luffy said, cogs turning hard in his head, “If Cardinal was Shanks…the clown said something about sailing with Shanks when they were young.” He said, watching as your eyes widened in realization, “Would that make Binky Peacock?” he asked, beaming up at you.

You visibly flinched back at the thought, “Oh my God.” You whispered, “Buggy’s Peacock.” You shot up to your feet as you said that, beginning to pace as you spoke. “It’s been so long I couldn’t remember their faces, I only remembered Buggy’s eyes! Oh my god, it’s him!” you exclaimed. “Luffy!”

Said boy shot up with you, waving his arms around, wildly, “He’s your friend!”

“Oh, you beautiful, brilliant boy!” you squealed, picking him up and spinning him in an embrace, “We have to get that fruit now!” you exclaimed, setting him down. “Cause I gotta see Buggy!”

Luffy nodded with you, ready to climb down and tell the other Straw-Hats to hurry up the plans when he stopped, handing you back your spyglass, only a tiny grin pulling at his lips now, “I’m gonna miss you Clown Lady.”

You melted a bit, reaching out to hold the young boy’s face for a moment, “I’ll miss you too.” You said, a mischievous grin spreading over your face, “Call me when you’re king if you ever need a jester.” You chided, pulling him into a final hug, handing him something before descending to the deck below.

“So, I have Marine uniforms for everyone,” Nami stated, everyone surrounding her as she pointed to different points on the map of Loguetown and their Marine base. “We’ll sneak in here,” she said, pointing to a back way vent system, “And they’ll be keeping things like treasure and such here,” she said, pointing to a treasury room of sorts, eyes on you. “You’ll go there, Usopp made you a few bombs to blow open the vault door, okay?” you nodded, “As for the rest of you, we need to stock up, so I’m assigning you to-“ she trailed off in your mind as you stared at the map, trying to memorize it as thoroughly as you could.

“Then who’s with Clown Lady?” Luffy asked, pointing at you, “She doesn’t have a partner.”

“Yes she does,” Nami chuckled, “Me!” she exclaimed, “I’m gonna steal a bunch of their Berry for us, and see what else they’ve got.”

You locked eyes with her for a moment, nodding, “Okay, if you’re going with me, I’m gonna need to talk to you after this meeting, okay? Gonna explain what I’m looking for.” You said, her cocking a brow, intrigued.

The meeting wrapped up shortly after, everyone grabbing a Marine uniform and heading to other parts of the ship, only you and Nami remaining. You turned to the young woman and sighed, “Can I trust you?” you asked tentatively, Nami’s face scrunched in offense, going to retort, but you held your hands up and continued, “This is very important to me, and I need reassurance that you really are on my side here. I need to know you won’t try to take it.”

Nami set her jaw, still clearly a bit peeved, “I won’t take it.” She said, raising a hand to clear her hair out of her face, “I promise.”

You nodded, taking a deep breath, “It’s a Devil Fruit.” You explained, Nami’s eyes shot open, “It’s been in my family for as long as there’s been Devil Fruit. The Marines stole it during my father’s funeral, and I want it back.”

Nami nodded slowly, “Okay, but why?” she asked, “Like you don’t seem the type to want powers or something.”

You sighed, leaning against the table that still housed the maps you had been using, “It’s my duty. I have to eat it.” You explained.

Nami shrugged, “What happens if you…don’t?”

You blinked a few times, trying to process things, “I can’t let the Marines have it. It’s too powerful.” You reasoned. “It would only make their corruption worse. Nami, it’s called the Kaku Kaku no Mi, the Paint Paint Fruit. It can make soulless versions of living things, you just have to paint it. They could paint an army.” You explained.

Nami sighed, “Why does it have to be you? Why can’t you just, I don’t know, throw it in the ocean? Or keep it with us and we’ll put it on the top of some mountain, or we could find someone better to eat it.” She suggested, a soft look of concern on her pretty face, “You shouldn’t have to eat it if you don’t want to.”

“There’s too much risk in that, I mean, what if someone finds it in the ocean, or it washes up somewhere? If you guys keep it, what if you get raided, or worse targeted for having it.”

“Have you tried destroying it?” Nami asked, “We could burn it.”

You thought for a moment, “Would it come back if you burned it?”

Nami shrugged, “I’ve heard of it working but I’ve never seen it. If we do it on the ship, worst comes to worst, it’ll be on my tangerine tree, and you can eat it then. Just…wait?” she suggested.

Your mouth went dry, but you nodded, “I can wait.”

Getting inside of the base went much easier than you expected, you and Nami sneaking around effortlessly, you subtly laying a trail of ‘breadcrumbs’ in case you needed to find your way out that’s less dramatic than a window. The vault is on the third floor, after all.

When you reached the treasury room, you saw a large vault door, guarded by two young Marines, ‘Really? They put fresh meat on the vault?’ you thought to yourself as you and Nami walked up to them.

“Shift’s over boys,” you barked, hoping your age and tone of authority make them listen, “I don’t know what you did, but you pissed off Smoker big time. He wants you in his office, immediately.” The two young Marines straightened up in fear, eyes wide as they stammered, saluting you quickly before rushing down the hallway, away from you two.

Nami grinned, “You gotta teach me how to do that,”

“I’m just a very persuasive person.” You shrugged, digging in your pockets to find the low-level explosives Usopp made you, placing them along the corners of the door. When they were in position, you stepped back, arm out to make Nami move with you, other hand occupied by a dead man switch, your thumb indenting from the pressure of you holding it. “Cover your ears.” You said with a smile, letting go of the button.

BOOM, CLANG.

The door now laid flat at your feet, and you and Nami hurried in, Nami immediately shoving Berry and gems and gold into a bag she had brought, while your eyes scanned the room, landing on the large, colorful fruit, “There you are, you bastard.” You hissed, grabbing the thing and shoving it into your own bag.

“Hey! Freeze!” bellowed an older Marine from the other end of the long hallway, already calling on backup.

You grinned and stepped out of the vault, Nami right behind you, “Window?” you asked her, nodding to the large pane of glass next to you.

“Window.” She nodded, both of you stepping back before launching at the pane of glass, shoulder first, it shattered around you, both of you freefalling for a moment.

When you landed, Nami was a bit more graceful than you, rolling onto her back. You however hit the ground with a heavy ‘oof’, but popped up quickly, breaking into a dead sprint with your crewmate toward the docks. After a moment, you pulled something out of your pocket, a little cackle leaving your throat. Nami looked over at you and saw a remote in your hand, looking back when you pressed it, skidding to a stop.

BOOM

The marine base lit up in a chain reaction of explosions, ending right where you two had jumped out of the window, a rise of massive, orange flames.

“Usopp’s not the only one who’s been busy making stuff.” You exclaimed, grabbing Nami’s arm and resuming your mad dash to the dock.

“What if you hurt the others?!” Nami yelled, running right next to you, “That was stupid!” You shook your head, “You sent them to wings that wouldn’t have been hurt by the bombs, and they’re already out!” You called over the wind of your momentum, “Luffy gave me a signal!” you said, gesturing to a small transponder snail connected to your ear. “He’ll pick us up at the dock!”

Nami was befuddled, bewildered, amazed, “You really are meant to be with Buggy!” she yelled, a laugh breaking through.

Your cackle rose through the air as you spotted the dock, a certain rubber captain waving you over, ready to launch you all onto the ship. “There he is!” you yelled, pointing to the boy. “LUFFY!” you yelled, waving your arms to tell him to get ready. He grinned wide, readying his stance.

Just when you and Nami were stepping onto the dock, you saw something, a gleam out of the corner of your eye. It was a camera. You smiled wide as you ever had and saluted at the lens.

‘I’m coming, Buggy.’ You thought, heart fluttering.

“Okay, everybody!” Came the booming voice of your captain, Luffy gathering all of your attention under the night sky, “I have an announcement!”

You all gathered around him, chatter dying down.

Luffy smiled, “Today, we helped our dear Clown Lady achieve one of her goals.” He began, gesturing to you. A chorus of little whoops and whistles resounded with raised liquor bottles and smiles, “Now, I have to let her achieve one of her dreams.” Causing a few confused glances around the group. You smiled at your captain, your hands wrapped around the bag that sat in your lap, “Very very soon, our Clown Lady will be leaving us.” Luffy explained.

A look of understanding overcame your crewmates’ faces, “She will be joining another crew, following her heart like I tell all of you to do.” He said, his smile never wavering. “She will be missed, but I don’t want to mope with the time we have left. Let’s celebrate, give her a sendoff she’ll never forget!” He exclaimed to cheers, motioning to Nami, who popped up and quickly retrieved something, a metal barrel with branches and dry grass inside.

“Can I have a light, Sanji?” Nami asked.

The blond cook nodded, “Of course,” he said, taking his lighter out of his pocket, “Anything for my girls.” He said, lighting the flame and lowering it down to the dry kindling, watching it take immediately.

The fire took quickly, a bright orange tower of flames licking into the inky sky above.

Luffy called your name, gesturing for you to “take the stage”. You chuckled and rose, taking your captain’s position, him stealing your seat.

“I bet you guys have been wondering what I went to all of this trouble to find.” You began, nervously fiddling with the seam of the burlap bag you still had hung over your shoulder. “Well, here it is,” you said, scooping the large fruit out and holding it up for them all to see. A few shocked gasps resounded from Usopp and Sanji, Zoro only quirking a brow. “This was my father’s Devil Fruit, and his father’s, and his father’s and so on and so forth as long as Devil Fruit have been around.” You explained, looking at the colorful skin of this thing that has caused you so much strife. “I am meant to be the next in line to eat it, to keep it out of the government’s hands. But…” you trailed off, meeting Nami’s eyes, “I don’t think I want to.” You finally said. “I never wanted powers or anything like that. I just want to be…normal. Well, as normal as you can be when you’re a pirate.” You joked, a few snickers around the circle. “Nami suggested we try to burn it. See if that destroys it once and for all.”

Zoro frowned, “What if it doesn’t?”

“Then my one of my tangerines will become the fruit and we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Nami explained, urging you to go ahead.

You took a deep breath, the sweet scent of the fire offering you a bit of comfort as you held your hands out, hands shaking as the fruit hovered above the fire. “I’ll see you in hell, you dumbass fruit.” You said, dropping it into the flames, cheers of your crew mates resounding through the air. The flames ate at the fruit greedily, charring the outside and peeling its skin. The flames kicked up and grew as if you had poured gasoline onto it. As the fire bit into the flesh of the fruit, the flames curled and writhed, heating up even more. The fire burned hotter and faster, consuming the fruit until nothing was left, not even ash.

All was quiet other than the fire as you all eyed the tangerine trees, silently praying that they would stay tangerines. After a solid five minutes, nothing happened and your eyes welled with tears, “I think…I think it worked.” You whispered, smiles growing all around the crew.

Luffy got up to his feet, bounding up to you, taking you into a swinging hug, “You’re free, Clown Lady!” he exclaimed as you sobbed into his shoulder, arms wrapped around him tightly.

You sniffled as he settled down, “I’m free, Luffy.” You whispered.

“Let’s party!” Luffy yelled, pulling back from you. “We got a lot to celebrate!”

Buggy had just docked at a new island, on track for the Grand Line, and frankly on track for Loguetown. He had practically leaped off of the ship when they managed to anchor, running to the town square as quickly as he could.

“Sir.” Cabaji said, pushing open the door to Buggy’s captain’s quarters, a grin he was trying to suppress on his face, “There’s been an explosion at Loguetown’s Marine base.”

Buggy went rigid, head snapping up to look at the unicyclist. “What?”

“I think she found it.” Cabaji said, “I’ve redirected us to the closest port so you can check.” He explained, letting the smile spread onto his face.

“Where is it, where is it?” Buggy mumbled, searching over the area to find the bounty board. “There!” he exclaimed, rushing to it. “Croc, me, Rubber boy, Sword fucker, the cook…” Buggy trailed off as his eyes landed on yours. Your poster. It was a new one, freshly printed. Your bounty had been raised to a clean 20,000,000. But what made him pause was your picture. You were in a Marine uniform, looking right at the camera, a bag strapped over your shoulder, something large and round inside. You were smiling with a little two fingered salute. A big beaming smile. You found it. You blew up a Marine base, and you found it. He’s in love.

Buggy smiled wide, snatching your poster off of the board, running straight back to the docks, “CABAJI! WE’RE GOING BACK OUT! SHE GOT IT!”

Buggy couldn’t drop his smile as he sat on the clown figurehead at the front of the Big Top. His freaks were perturbed, and kept checking on him, making sure he was okay, bringing him food. Buggy hadn’t sat up there in years, getting too afraid of falling off, but not now. Now he was sitting on the clown’s head, beaming.

Buggy laid back, arms behind his head and looked up at the stars, wondering if you were looking up at them too. He was having his crew sail through the night, impatient and ready to have you in his arms again. Hell, he didn’t even want to sleep. He wasn’t going to, but Cabaji practically dragged the clown into his captain’s quarters, violently tucking him in. Buggy thought he wouldn’t be able to doze off, but after a while longer of daydreaming about you, he slipped into actual dreams. Dreams of holding you and of quiet nights with you braiding his hair.

When he woke up, he immediately scrambled back onto the figurehead, using binoculars to try and spot the Straw-Hat’s ship. He had slept in, kind of by force, Cabaji not allowing anyone near the captain’s quarters or any loud noises all throughout the ship, all in hopes of forcing Buggy to sleep through the trip to where Cabaji’s contact said the Straw-Hats were anchored, presumably waiting for them.

So there Buggy sat, practically vibrating in excitement, eyes on the horizon. “You really are whipped,” came a voice from behind him, Cabaji coming up to sit beside Buggy.

Buggy scowled, “I’ll push you off.”

Cabaji barked out a laugh, “I bet you would!” Buggy rolled his eyes, “So, I thought I’d help you kill some time.” The unicyclist said, clapping his captain on the back, “Tell me something about your little Nightingale.”

Buggy huffed out a laugh, “What do you wanna know?”

Cabaji shrugged, “You take her on a date yet?”

Buggy shook his head, “Kinda did when I was fifteen, but I don’t know if it counts.” He chuckled.

“Whatcha mean?”

“Well,” Buggy began, setting his binoculars in his lap, “First off, we weren’t dating. Second, we didn’t kiss, and third,” Buggy lost the end of his sentence to a laugh for a moment, “we ended it by running for our lives.” He said, taking off his signature gloves, shoving them in his pocket.

Cabaji smirked, “Best dates do.” He said, nudging Buggy’s shoulder, “What happened?”

“Do-do you want to go see a play with me?” Buggy asked, wringing his hands in front of him, afraid to meet your eye.

You grinned and nodded, “Of course!” you exclaimed, “Is Cardinal coming or is it just us?”

Buggy slumped forward a bit, his whole face feeling like it was on fire, “I-I was hoping it’d be just you and me, Nightingale.” He stuttered out, “But-but I can ask if he wants to come if you want me to!” Buggy added on quickly, waving his hands in front of him, worried he’d made you uncomfortable.

You giggled, grabbing Buggy’s waving hands, “I’d like that, Peacock. Just you and me.” You said, giving his hands a quick squeeze.

‘SHE’S HOLDING MY HANDS!’ Buggy thought with a start.

Buggy melted a bit, knees a little unstable, loving your laugh and smile, “Go-good!” he exclaimed, “It’s a new play at the theater in the square, it’s called ‘The Princess and the Fool’.” He continued, still having trouble meeting your eye, “It’s apparently really good, I’ve heard tons of people talking about it in the markets today.”

“That sounds great! How much are tickets?” you asked, beginning to walk toward the center of town, still holding one of Buggy’s hands. Buggy’s heart skipped a beat, but he recovered quicker this time.

Buggy snickered, “You think we’re paying? You’re with a real-life pirate!” he exclaimed, jamming a thumb in his chest, “We’ll sneak in! Get into the best seats in the house!”

You laughed, “And where would that be?”

“The balcony, duh. I’m gonna get us into the rich people seats!”

“Oooh,” Cabaji hummed, “I see why you had to run.”

Buggy shook his head with a mischievous smirk, “Just you wait.”

When the two of you reached the heart of the island, you stopped, turning to Buggy, “Do you want to get some dinner first? Or do we have time?” you asked, scanning the area for food stands.

Buggy nodded, “If we get something fast, we can eat it during the show.” Buggy looked around before an idea dawned on him, “You-you can pick what we get!” he insisted.

You thought for a moment, still scanning the area, “How about some arepas from over there and some fries from that one,” you suggested pointing to the different stands, “and we can get some sodas from him!”

 Buggy nodded, already walking you two towards the arepa stand. “Sounds good to me!” he chirped, “You know these stands better than I do!”

You laughed loudly as Buggy practically dragged you toward the savory smelling stand. You waved at the happy, portly man who owned and ran it, “Hello Mr. Ricardo!” you chimed.

Mr. Ricardo smiled wide, “Hello, chicken girl!” he chortled, “The usual?”

Buggy turned to you briefly, “Chicken girl?”

You smiled and waved him off, “Two of em.” You said, “Make sure it’s all of the good stuff, my friend here hasn’t been here before.”

“Yes ma’am!” he jokingly saluted you, turning to grab a few of his arepas, placing them in wax paper and folding them in a way that made it easy to hold, handing them to you with a grin, “Here you go!” you took the food and said your thanks, reaching into your pocket for your stash of Berry, but Buggy beat you to it, slapping a few notes onto the wooden counter before dragging you to the next stand, you protesting the whole way, “See you later, chicken girl!”

“You didn’t have to pay for me!” you exclaimed, kicking Buggy in the knee.

Buggy’s hands went to cradle it, hopping on his good foot, “Let me be nice, woman!” he chuckled, “I wanna treat you tonight!”

You pouted a bit, “I feel bad though, you don’t have to waste your money on me.” You whined, kicking at some dust on the ground.

Buggy’s smile softened a bit, “It’s never a waste if it’s for you, Gale.” He said, taking one of the sets of arepas from you. You opened your mouth to protest, but he cut you off, “Now, I have two questions, one, what’s an arepa, and two, chicken girl?”

You sighed, walking with Buggy toward the stand you wanted the fries from, “Well, arepas are basically fillings like cheeses and meats inside of some special kind of flatbread.”  You explained, ripping off a piece of the shell of one of your arepas, holding it up for Buggy to try, “Here. Try some!”

Buggy felt his ears burn, but he relented, taking the piece you offered into his mouth, careful not to touch your fingers. Buggy liked it, the taste was basic but warming and almost buttery, Buggy hummed in approval, “That’s good.” He said.

You smiled, putting your hand at your side, “It’s even better with all of the fillings and stuff.” You explained. “And he calls me chicken girl because he never remembers my name, and one time I was helping another stall nearby and one of their chickens got out, so I had to chase it! It took all afternoon! I swear that thing was smarter than me!” you both laughed at the silly tale, coming up on the stand you were looking for, “Of course he remembers that and not my name.”

You waved at the new stand owner, holding up two fingers with a smile. She nodded and got to grabbing two paper cones, filling them with the crispy fries. You took them from her with a smile, and she motioned something with her hands. Buggy tried to give her a few notes of Berry, but she waved him off, giving him a wink. Buggy blinked for a moment, putting the money back in his pocket. You frowned and motioned with your hands, communicating something with displeasure. The stall owner simply stuck out her tongue, turning away with a smile.

You sighed and started your way toward the next stand, “She said she gave us fresh ones,” you explained, handing Buggy a cone. “She never lets me pay even though I try, says she owes me.”

“What for?” he asked.

“I babysit her younger sister all the time,” you explained, “she has trouble finding help.”

“Why didn’t she talk?”

“She’s deaf. Her whole family is.” Buggy hummed in understanding, grabbing one of his fries out of his cone with his teeth, hissing at the hot potato, “I go over to their house for dinner sometimes. They love me.” You chuckled, “They think it’s really cool I learned sign language so I could talk to them.”

“Is that what that was?” Buggy asked. You nodded, “You should teach me some.”

You grinned at the boy, “I’ll teach you a couple after the play.” Buggy agreed eagerly as you got to the last stall. It was actually a cart run by a young boy with one front tooth and a Marine’s cap with the ‘Marine’ crossed out.

“Brat.” You acknowledged the boy with a curt nod,

“Witch.” He nodded back, “Whatcha need?” Buggy looked between the two of you, bewildered.

“Two Tony’s please.” You said simply.

‘Brat’ nodded and dug two bottles of orange liquid out of some ice, setting them onto the counter, “Hundred Berry.” He said, a nod of finality.

You scowled, “I’ll knock out your other tooth, you little shit.”

The boy blanched, “Two berry.” He amended, rubbing the nape of his neck. “God you’re damned scary.”

You narrowed your eyes at the boy, “I’ll tell your mother you’re hiking prices and cursing.” You hissed, lowering your head to his level, “I know it’s only one Berry for two you ass.”

Buggy looked at you in shock, taking in your threatening aura with awe. He couldn’t help but think you’d make a damned good pirate.

You ripped a single berry out of your pocket, slapping it onto the cart and grabbing both bottles by the neck, “I’ll see you tomorrow, you little conman.” You said, knocking the boy’s hat off of his head. You hooked your arm through Buggy’s and started walking, “Come on, let’s go get our seats.” You insisted.

Buggy laughed loudly, “You gotta tell me the story there.”

You rolled your eyes with a frown, “He’s my neighbor. I have to watch him all the time for his mom when she goes out to fish, and he’s such a thorn in my side.” You explained, guiding Buggy to the theatre.

“Sounds like it.” He chuckled.

You motioned in front of you with your head, “We going in the front or the back?” you asked.

“What do you think?”

“I shouldn’t have asked,” you sighed, walking the two of you around to the back end of the large building. Back there you found two windows and an employee’s only entrance. “Door or window?”

“I’ll try the door first,” Buggy said, pushing at the painted wood with no success. “Window it is.” He said, backing up to get a better look. “I think I can reach-“ “It’s a pull door, Peacock.” You chided, holding open the door.

Buggy blushed, “I knew that.”

As you made your way through the back halls of the theatre, you avoided workers effortlessly, often having to grab Buggy by the hand or the collar and drag him behind corners or next to a crate of some kind. At one point, you found a stray top hat, and put it onto Buggy’s head with a giggle. You quietly made your way up a set of stairs, finding a door that led to a low lit, patterned carpet hallway, “Must be the right way,” you whispered, “It’s looking fancy already.” You both snickered to each other for a moment before quickly making your way down the hall, finding a small set of crushed velvet curtains.

“After you, m’lady.” Buggy said dramatically, giving you a bow, top hat in hand and holding open the curtain for you.

You gave a deep, dramatic curtsy, “Thank you, m’lord.” You tried to hold in your smile, but you couldn’t, a grin splitting your face as you went into the little booth, grabbing Buggy’s hand on the way, causing him to drop the hat.

There was no one else in this particular booth, leaving the two of you alone, only two seats in the little closed off area. You both sat down quickly, settling in and situating your meals between you.

“Oh, here.” You whispered, grabbing one of the bottles of soda, “Lemme open it.” You quickly put the lip of the bottle cap on the balcony railing and slammed your free hand down onto it, the lid popping off and clattering to the ground. You held the bottle out for Buggy who took it eagerly. You grabbed your own bottle and opened it in the same way. Once it was opened, you leaned back in your plush seat and turned to Buggy, facing him fully, “This is my favorite drink. It’s only on our island, it’s a peach and mango soda one of our people came up with!” you explained, holding up your bottle. Buggy did the same, going to clink it against yours, but you wrapped your arm around his, “Bottoms up, Peacock.” You said cheekily, taking a sip.

 Buggy swallowed dryly before trying a drink of his own, enjoying the sweet flavor and the bite of the bubbles. “That’s good shit.” He muttered as you untangled your arm from his.

You nodded, pointing to the food he had in his lap, “Eat up! While it’s still hot.” You said, grabbing one of your arepas and taking a bite.

Buggy grabbed one of his own and took a bite, ‘Damn. All the food is so good here.’ He thought to himself.

“You know,” you said through a bite of your food, “I’m glad it’s just you and me tonight.” Buggy almost choked on his food, having to take a double take, “I mean, I think I’m gonna miss you the most, Peacock.” You muttered, taking another bite. Buggy swears up and down his heart stopped for a moment when you said that. He tried to say something, but you continued, “I think you’re really cool, and I hope I’ll get to see you again after you leave.”

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” Buggy couldn’t say what he wanted to, your attention stolen by the man on stage, announcing the start of the play. The lights went down quickly all around the crowd, a spotlight on the announcer, “Welcome!-“ Buggy tuned out the man’s spiel, eyes focused on you. Your eyes were wide with wonder as you watched the stage, completely enamored by the theatrics.

Throughout the first act, Buggy found himself looking at you for every reaction, every minute emotion on your face as you watched. You two saw the princess sworn off to a duke of a far-off land to stop a war, as a result she fell into deep sorrow. Her father, the king, saw this and sent his court jester to amuse her, make her laugh, but try as he might, she just can’t seem to even smile. Day after day the jester tried, and day after day the princess’s sorrow grew. Finally, she had enough, the wedding was days away and she couldn’t take it. She held a dagger over her heart, ready to take her life when the jester appeared. He stopped her and took away the knife, soothing her as she cried. As the act drew to a close, the jester gave a soliloquy about how he was falling in love with the beautiful princess, but he couldn’t hope to marry her for fear of execution, speaking as he wrote his thoughts into his journal alongside waxing poetics and jokes to try out, determined to make her laugh. The last scene of the act was of the king’s advisor finding the journal and opening it, when he did, you gasped and took Buggy’s hand in shock, giving Buggy a heart attack.

“Oh my god, Peacock!” you gushed as intermission began, “This is amazing!”

Buggy smiled, “Glad I got you to come.”

You still held onto Buggy’s hand, leaning closer to him, “I really hope they get to run away together.”

Buggy stiffened slightly, a lump forming in his throat “Do you think she’d go with him if he asked?” he said tentatively.

“Of course!” you insisted, “She’s clearly already falling in love with him, and she hates all her responsibilities in her home.” You scoffed, “Sounds like a dream come true to me.” You mumbled, resting your head on Buggy’s shoulder.

Buggy stared at you for a moment, hesitant, “Would you…would you want to go with me?” he whispered, his grip on your hand tightening a bit.

You went rigid briefly, “What are you asking, Peacock?”

Buggy swallowed his nerves, “Would you like to go away with me, sail with Gol D. Roger?”

You lifted your head, reaching your free hand out to cradle Buggy’s face, sorrow in your eyes, “I can’t.” you whispered, moving your hand to the back of Buggy’s head, threading your fingers in his hair. “I want to more than you’ll ever know, but…I have to stay here.” You said, bringing Buggy’s head close, resting your forehead against his.

“Why?” Buggy whined, watching as you winced slightly, closing your eyes.

“I’m my parents’ only child, and they’re getting old. If I leave, no one will be there to take care of them.” You reasoned, opening your eyes to stare into his, “If I could, I would sail across the horizon with you tonight.”

Cabaji scowled, “Sounds like she has a lot of shit with her parents and responsibility.” He said.

Buggy nodded, forlorn, “She’s loyal to a fault. Always has been.”

You and Buggy were interrupted by muffled voices in the hall behind you, making you pull away to listen to the intrusion, “What’s this hat doing here?” came a gruff voice. You and Buggy paled, eyes wide. “Check through those curtains,” another voice suggested.

The curtains pulled back, showing you a trio of uniformed Marines, “Fuckin asshats.” You mumbled, you two putting your feet on the ground slowly, readying to run.

“What are you little shits doing in here?” asked the tallest of the trio. The three immediately blocked off the whole exit, shoulder to shoulder. “C’mere.” The tall one commanded, waving you both over.

You and Buggy shared a look, but walked behind your seats, facing the men head on. “What do you want?” you spat, crossing your arms.

One of the Marines with glasses cackled at your abrasive attitude, “Feisty one, heh?”

The last of the three, a man with a patchy beard looked you up and down, a smirk on his face, “Pretty lil thing, aren’t cha.”

You snarled, about to speak when Buggy beat you to it, “Shut the fuck up, you nasty perv.” He hissed, stepping in front of you, moving you behind him.

Beardie scowled, “The fuck you call me?” he growled, grabbing Buggy by his collar, “Cause I know some freak with a fuckin pomegranate for a nose ain’t talking shit to me.” Buggy glared, grappling at the hand holding his shirt.

“Put him the fuck down!” You yelled, throwing a right hook against the Marine’s jaw without question, knocking him back. You grabbed Buggy’s hand and kicked beardie in the crotch, dodging away from the other two Marines, and sprinting into the hallway, back out the way you came in, dodging actors and technicians alike, practically dragging him through the theatre.

“GRAB THOSE FUCKERS!”

You two burst out of the building, eyes taking a moment to adjust to the light change, but you plowed onwards, dragging Buggy toward the center of town again, weaving through the stalls. “MARINES!” You yelled out, “MARINES CHASING US!” Now, your island was no normal island. Your island actively chased out or maimed Marines who do anything other than be peaceful and buy shit. So much so, that the second you announced their presence, half the square pulled out a weapon of some kind, going after the trio that tailed you.

You slowed as you approached the fountain in the middle of the square, sitting on its rim, heaving for breath, “Damn, Peacock.” You coughed out, “You know how to show a girl a good time!” Buggy gave a sarcastic chuckle, sitting next to you, slumping into your side.

“I did have fun though.” You said through your heavy breathing. “We should hang out one on one more before you leave.” You laughed.

Buggy nodded with a laugh that turned into a coughing fit, “Don’t die!” you teased, patting him on the back.

Buggy flipped you the bird as he caught his breath, “Fuck you, Gale.”

You smiled and bit your lips, thinking. After a moment you nodded to yourself and leaned into Buggy, laying a peck on his cheek. Buggy’s face lit up beet red, sputtering, trying to find the right words to say.

You just laughed, laying your head back on Buggy’s shoulder, “Thank you, Peacock.”

Buggy sighed, fiddling with the binoculars in his lap, “I had to leave only a few days later. When I left, me, her, and Shanks all promised to see each other again, but we never were able to. Not until she helped that Rubber Fucker steal the map.”

Cabaji nodded, a genuine smile on his face, “She sounds like a good catch, Cap.”

“She is.” Buggy sighed, bringing his binoculars back up to his eyes, scanning to the left. “How much farther?” Cabaji laughed, and nudged Buggy’s gaze forwards, to the right. “Holy shit!” Buggy exclaimed, popping up to stand on the clown head, Cabaji following shortly, “THERE IT IS! SHE’S RIGHT THERE!”

“Let’s get your girl, Captain.” Cabaji said, clapping Buggy on the back before turning back and guiding the man onto the main deck again.

Shortly after, the ships pulled up next to each other and the Big Top laid anchor, Buggy’s crew slamming down a large plank to connect the ships, a chorus of curious murmurs echoing through the quiet space. Afterall, their captain had said nothing of a raid, and he wasn’t even wearing his hat and coat.

“After you, Captain.” Cabaji said lowly, gesturing for him to walk ahead. “Go get her.”

[whumblr]

it is the binge anon again teehee just sent in the last ask about yk jay opening up about all the shit zayne did to him to dennis i read through this one drabble about how he reveals off everything to his family post getting out of the hospital, if it's not too much trouble, can we have a follow up to that? like how his parents reacted during the info drop, how jay handled it, so on ughhh i just love how you humanize him so well. you're a lovely writer

I actually cut this part from that chapter. Luckily I hoard cut out stuff, and I freshened it up a little for you <3

Follow up to Everything.

-

Relive

“I’ll tell you what happened.”

And so he did.

That rotten news article stirring up chaos and snitching on his flaying only started at the last pages of his story. He settled back against the cushions, bracing himself for a long and difficult tale to tell. Not really how he imagined his day would go… But perhaps it was better to get it out. Get it over with.

He took a deep breath. “This started two years ago. That time I was hospitalised.” That time where he only told them about the interrupted preparations for a robbery and about a pissed Zayne beating the shit out of him for meddling. At the time, he could barely make sense of what had happened. Now that he had all the pieces, it was easier to tell. Not to mention that he’d processes it a bit more.

“Zayne was tasked with making sure I wouldn't run off to the police. Well, he... he didn’t do just that," he said with a wry smile. And that was the explosive start to it all, with Zayne in the middle of the blast.

He avoided going into too much detail at first and the lengthy introduction helped, to get his story straight, to get his emotions ready for… for the later gritty details.

Another thing he desperately avoided was eye contact. As he spoke, his gaze lingered just over his father’s shoulder, on his mother’s earring, and he tilted his head towards Laura sitting next to him to include her in the group, but his gaze merely brushed over her cheekbone to make it feel like he was looking at her, and immediately shot towards the window every time he did.

It was hard. It was so damn hard telling all this. But now that he’d gotten started, there was no stopping. Everything had to get out, everything that was bottled up, all the tears, his shame, everything.

They all listened without interrupting him, letting him stutter, hiccup, and hesitate as much as he needed.

And his hesitation and stuttering only increased when he had to tell how Zayne invaded his life again two years later. How he’d ambushed him, threatened him, and was waiting for him several times a week. That first beating where every bit of cropped up anger was punched out, without any measure of control or holding back.

“He pretended otherwise, putting responsible on me to hide everything, but he quickly realised he had to tone down if this was to be a regular thing. And so... that’s... that’s when he went for a more... controlled way of... of inflicting pain. Instead of off the rails beatings… So every couple of days, he’d drop by and... erm, well, it was basically just—“ His breathing grew ever more shallow with each word. He heaved softly, swallowed hard past the growing lump in his throat. “Just torture,” he whispered, “It was just—”

He couldn't get the word out again. It stuck in his throat, firmly nestled behind that lump of tears. His breathing grew more forced, heaving in soft gasps, shallow at first, going deeper and deeper to hide the sobs, until hyperventilation kicked in and—

A shuddering breath and his father suddenly stood up.

Jay flinched, the sudden movement snapping his attention back. Back from a dark place, deep in the recesses of his mind, to the present, to his living room, to his family. To a safe place. His exhale finally released.

“I’ll put the kettle on,” his father grunted softly.

Jay gave a single nod and swallowed hard. They were all in need of a little break.

His eyes followed his dad, gaze on his back as he retreated to the kitchen. His lips started to tremble as he looked his mum in the eyes, seeing the tears pool. And he lost control over the muscles in his face as he felt Laura lean into him.

His face scrunched up. He brought up a fist, hiding his lips. His jaw clenched so hard as he tried to contain his sobs he could hear his teeth gnash over each other. Fingers tightened into the fabric of his pajama pants. But everything exploded in a single sob. He rested his wrist against his forehead, hiding his face.

“Sorry,” he managed, voice fragile, brushing away tears.

“Don’t.”

He took his glasses off, letting his emotions spill over his cheeks.

His breathing calmed but his thoughts were still racing. How was he going to breach this subject. How was he going to tell… that he was pinned down and— He meant to go for ‘carved up’, but that was a bit too strong of a word. It was true, it was the exact word that described what happened but, as a writer and now storyteller, he had to consider his audience here. He didn’t want to downplay, he was past that now, but god, he had to thread carefully, not wanting to make things any worse either.

His father silently handed out cups of tea. Jay mouthed a thanks.

Then he started again, voice now clear and calm.

“Zayne's favourite was his knife.” And he told them about the cuts and scars covering his body. He didn’t tell about Zayne’s experiments or creative tortures; mostly just hovered in-between beatings and knifeplay. Just the bare minimum to explain his wounds.

“So these…” Laura started, touching over his wrist to draw attention to the scars on his forearm.

Jay fought the urge to cover them up. “Yes,” he merely said, avoiding how some of those were self-inflicted. The details didn’t matter; as far as he was concerned, Zayne was the cause of those, regardless of who brandished the knife at the time.

He felt uncomfortable, all eyes now focused on his scars. With all his hiding the last couple of months, sitting in just a t-shirt made him feel almost naked, especially with the scars on display. He quickly moved on.

By the time he reached the shock of Emery being involved, his head started to pound, the tension in his body, the strain behind his eyes reaching its toll with the pain heavily settling on his brow.

Mercifully, he could leave the hardest bit behind now that he explained the cause of his injuries. But Emery proved to be an even worse enemy than Zayne could ever be. And Zayne grew more and more tense and unpredictable. Teetering from more cruelty to actually saving his life.

How after that, everything spiralled out of control. To the point where he couldn’t handle things alone anymore and called in Dennis. How they’d worked together, pressured Zayne, and how that ended in abduction.

He recounted that night, the night in the warehouse, how he and Zayne had tried to help each other out, having to hold on and depend on each other to delay Emery’s plans until help would arrive.

“And… and this is…” his mother stuttered, fiddling with the newspaper in her lap, voice barely more than a whisper.

“Yes. That’s… that’s what happened...” He paused, shifting a little against his pile of pillows, careful not to put pressure on his back. He repeated what he’d just told Laura, about Emery trying to force him to tell where Dennis was. Taking extreme measures. With this, he didn’t spare much detail; better that they hear it from him, better that he prepared them for what they were going to hear in court.

Not to mention, to prepare himself. Get it out, because he was going to have to tell this again. Repeat the story in front of an audience. No… not repeat. Relive. As soon as he stuttered out the first words, the fresh memories gripped his body, seeped into the healing wounds, reminding him of the pain.

“It was… it was worse than anything Zayne’d ever done… I thought I was going to die, I was sure I was going to die…” Maybe he even wanted to in a brief moment when the pain was too much, but he swallowed the despair he felt at that time. “I couldn’t do anything. Couldn’t even raise the gun Emery forced into my hand… It hurt. It hurt like hell. It was hell. I—”

He stopped for a second, the sound of the whip echoing in his mind, the stabbing in his throat as each scream tore through his windpipe like that goddamn whip tore through his back, flaying his throat from the inside, each scream just hurting and— He swallowed hard. There was no stab of pain anymore, no sting, no bite.

It was healing. He was healing.

He looked up, a soft smile on his lips, finally looking them all in the eyes, reassuring them.

“But it’s healing,” he finally said, echoing his thoughts. “I got through. I got out. And I’m still here with you.”

-

Tag list: @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @burtlederp @castielamigos-whump-side-blog @hurtmebeautifully @rougenoirofthepurpleterror @susiequaz12 @whump-me-all-night-long @rippedjeansandfadeddreams @im-just-here-for-the-whump @restrainthenmaime @freefallingup13 @whatwasmyprevioususername @myfriendcallsmeasickwoman19 @firewheeesky @redstainedsocks @hold-back-on-the-comfort @whumpawink @break-so-beautifully @approach-me-and-ill-cry @painsandconfusion @afabulousmrtake @wormwriting @soopytime @whumpedydump @pickleking8 @itsmyworld98 @whumpifi @painless-and-colourful

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Don’t Go Blindly Into The Dark

Summary:

To hide that he can't read, Jan Van Eck has been forcing his son to pretend he's blind since he was eight years old. Wylan is now attending Ketterdam University, and meeting Jesper Fahey may very well be about to change his life. But is he safe to tell Jesper the truth? And what will Jesper say if he does?

Jesper is struggling to weigh up his life in the Barrel and his life at the University of Ketterdam, and there's a good chance that his growing debt is about to make the decision for him. He hasn't attended class consecutively for months, but maybe that will change when his newest project includes partnering up with Wylan Van Eck. But can he really leave the Barrel behind him? And how long can he keep up the pretence of who he thinks Wylan wants him to be?

Meanwhile there is a darkness growing in Ketterdam, and it seems a killer may be stalking the streets of West Stave. An unknown evil is closing its jaws over the city, and it’s starting to feel like nowhere is safe.

Tags: @justalunaticfangirl @lunarthecorvus @i-need-help-this-is-my-obsession @devoted-people-hater

If anyone else would like to be tagged let me know :)

Content warnings for this chapter: death references, grief, loss of parents, loss of friends, implied abuse references, implied child abuse references

AO3 link

Chapter 61 - Jesper

“I’m starting to think we aren’t destined to get coffee,” Jesper smiled, trying to keep his voice light, as he led Wylan up the stairs. 

The staircase was narrow enough that Jesper had to stand on the edge of the step above Wylan for them to be able to keep their hands intertwined, and he tried to keep half an eye on Wylan’s footing as they climbed. He remembered that Wylan had taken the steps outside the library slowly even with his cane, his free hand tight on the railing, and without it the motion would be harder - especially since the stairs at the Slat probably wouldn’t be considered very even. 

Wylan had one hand around Jesper’s, the other of the wooden rail, and although he knew that, understandably, stairs weren’t easy for Wylan, Jesper still thought they might be moving noticeably slower than usual. He lingered on his step for a moment as Wylan moved to follow, feeling the warmth of the boy’s hand in his, unsure of what to say or what to do. They walked the rest of the way to Jesper’s room in silence, and Jesper quickly shoved some of his stuff out of the way so Wylan could sit down on the bed. 

“Do you want a drink, or anything?”

Wylan shook his head, but Jesper poured him a glass of water anyway and told him where it was on the side in case he wanted it. He sat down a little tentatively next to Wylan, but was saved from trying to figure out what he should say next by the sound of a broken sob escaping from between Wylan’s lips. 

“I’m sorry,” Wylan whispered, as Jesper looped his arm around the boy’s shoulders and pulled him close. 

Jesper hushed him gently, letting his hand find loose purchase against Wylan’s as he buried his head into Jesper’s shoulder. Jesper rocked slowly, ever so slightly, from side to side as they sat, and after a minute Wylan lifted his legs up onto the bed to tuck his feet beneath him. He still took the time to haphazardly kick his shoes off, which Jesper couldn’t help but smile at. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, softly, as Wylan shuffled and lifted his head. 

For a moment there was quiet and Jesper thought Wylan might not be ready to answer, but then he ventured into the still air: 

“I just… I really thought for a minute that she might be okay. I thought… maybe I could finally help her,”

There was something, maybe, more to that that Wylan wasn’t saying, but Jesper didn’t push. 

“I never helped her,” he whispered, “I did nothing and now- and now-”

Wylan’s breathing began to speed up, audible and erratic. Jesper grabbed his hand, his palm pressed against its back as he laced his fingers between Wylan’s. 

“Breathe with me,” he murmured, “Count three in, out for four,”

“Jes-”

“In for three, out for four,”

Wylan obliged, perhaps slightly begrudgingly, as Jesper counted out loud. They did the same twice more, then breathed in for four and out for five. By the time they’d reached six counts in, Jesper could feel Wylan’s pulse relaxing where he’d gently pressed his thumb into his wrist. He squeezed his hand. 

“I promise you,” he said, “this is not your fault,”

“I should’ve… I could’ve-could’ve…”

“Could have done what?” Jesper asked, half surprising himself with the feeling of intensity that had begun to burn in the back of his throat. He adjusted to take both of Wylan’s hands, twisting so they were face to face kneeling on the bed, “Wy, I don’t know what happened in that house and I don’t expect you tell me any of it, but I know you were not in any kind of position to-”

“Don’t,” said Wylan, tears sliding down his cheeks now. His hands tensed beneath Jesper’s, but he didn’t pull away, “Please,”

“Wylan-”

“You can’t justify this,” he shook his head, “Nothing can fix… She was five houses away. We were on the same street,”

Jesper wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, not knowing the full story of what happened to Anya, but he would ask Nina for the details if he needed them. He wouldn’t make Wylan say anything. 

“I never even looked for her,”

“Alright,” Jesper pulled his feet round to sit cross-legged, vaguely regarding his boots on the bedspread and thinking he probably should’ve kicked them off like Wylan did, “How would you have looked for her?”

“I could have-” Wylan hesitated, briefly, “I could have asked around, or spoken to Joras-”

“Joras, being…?”

“A Squaller at my father’s house,”

“You think there’s a chance Joras knew where she was?”

Wylan looked down, then very lightly shook his head. 

“Who else could you have asked?”

Silence, for a moment. 

“I could have asked someone when I first moved to the Barrel. Nina, someone else. If I’d tried sooner-”

“Alright,” said Jesper, again, “Let’s say you found out where she was, another house on the Geldstraat, yeah?”

Wylan nodded. 

“What could you have done? Once you knew?”

“I… I don’t know, but I could have done something, I-”

“Maybe,” Jesper shrugged, “But that’s a lot of maybes, Wylan. There isn’t any way of getting rid of that feeling, okay? That guilt? It isn’t an easy thing to live with,”

Curiosity might have briefly passed through Wylan’s features, but if Jesper hadn’t imagined it then the boy had noticed and controlled it well. He released Wylan’s hands, moving to drop his legs back over the side of the bed, then tucked one arm gently round him. 

“But you do have to find a way, in time. It’s going to fucking suck,” Jesper smiled as Wylan laughed very, very softly, “And some days are worse than others, I know. But this was not your fault, Wylan. Grief is something you carry with you forever; sometimes it’s the heaviest thing you’ve ever held and other days you can just slip it in your pocket, but it’s always there - and that’s good, that’s normal. That’s love. Guilt isn’t like that; guilt is like trying to handle a deadly snake with no experience. You might get lucky for a while, but if you aren’t sensible - and you don’t figure out what you’re doing - it might swallow you whole,”

Wylan shuddered, another tear tracing down his face as he turned to rest the side of his head against Jesper’s shoulder. 

“How?” 

“Oh, I wish I could tell you,” Jesper smiled, “I’m afraid that’s something everyone has to figure out for themself. It makes it easier, though, if you have people to help you. Someone who cares about you, and who you can talk to freely. No-one can really teach you how to carry it though, or how to charm the snake. Not in my experience, anyway,”

They sank into the silence for a time. Jesper focused on the feeling of Wylan’s hand in his, the weight of his head pressed against his shoulder. He moved his free hand in slow, silent patterns against the bedsheet, studying the wall ahead. 

“What was your mother like?”

Wylan’s voice was so quiet that Jesper wasn’t immediately convinced he’d spoken. He glanced down at the top of Wylan’s head. 

“You don’t have to answer,” Wylan filled the pause, “Sorry, I shouldn't have-”

“She was the best,” Jesper smiled, “She taught me to shoot,”

She taught him lots of other things, too. Jesper’s mother had been Grisha, like him, and the only person who’d truly understood his restless energy. He remembered her making bread rise just by looking at, then making him promise not to tell his Da.

“This is our little secret,” she’d say, “Okay?”

Jesper only remembered asking her why once, when he was very small, and all she’d said was that she didn’t want to make Colm worry. 

“I don’t really remember mine,” Wylan whispered, “Not properly. I miss her, though. Sometimes… Sometimes I think I shouldn’t. It’s not my pain, if I don’t even remember her,”

Jesper shook his head. 

“That’s not how it works,” he promised, “Of course you miss her,”

Jesper could admit, to himself though not, of course, out loud in front of Wylan, that he wondered about Wylan’s mother sometimes. He wondered what she’d been like, and whether… well, it felt awful to think it, but whether she had loved her son. In all the ways her husband clearly hadn’t. He wondered if she’d been safe, all those years ago. He wondered how she’d died. 

Wylan lifted his head, as though he were looking at the wall opposite them, and clutched Jesper’s hand like he was afraid he would melt away. 

“Why are you so nice to me?”

“Would you prefer it if I made fun of you once in a while? We could start with your dress sense,”

“I dress well,”

“You don’t dress too badly - for a blind person,”

Wylan laughed, which relieved Jesper slightly. 

“Oh, don’t worry,” he smiled, “Nina already told me how bad your dress sense is,”

Jesper gave a fake, melodramatic gasp as he announced:

“I dress impeccably,”

“Well, I suppose I’ll have to take your word on that,”

A short quiet settled over them once again. Wylan began to cry again, after a minute or so; silent tears falling over his cheeks and dripping into his lap whilst he refused to wipe them away. 

“Remind me when it gets easier?” he whispered, a half-hearted attempt at teasing creeping into his voice. 

Jesper squeezed his hand. 

“A little while yet, I’m afraid,”

Wylan turned his face towards Jesper’s, his chin tilted up, his eyes still reddened and his cheeks still damp. He leaned forwards, and then upwards, and then before Jesper even had time to think Wylan’s lips were brushing against his. 

Jesper had wanted to kiss Wylan since… well, he couldn’t remember knowing Wylan and not wanting to kiss him. He’d felt some curiosity towards the boy since the day he’d walked into that business class, and spent more time in the few lectures he’d attended staring at the boy from across the room than he had paying much attention to the session. The desire to flirt the merchling into a corner, just to see what might happen, had crossed his mind more than once when he passed him in hallways or happened to hear him talking about some rich-sounding nonsense or other. But knowing Wylan, in the library, in front of the sunset, on the side of the canal and giving him a bunch of flowers outside the Slat – that was very different. That brought a change in it, for Jesper. He wanted to make Wylan laugh, he wanted to feel that little hitch in his chest when their fingers intertwined, he wanted to lounge in a chair and listen to Wylan talk to him about mathematics he couldn’t understand just so he got to see that shimmer in his eyes, the smile that had a different edge to it than other smiles. He wanted to lie on top of his bed and stare at the ceiling holding Wylan’s hand, talking about nothing and everything. He wanted to listen to him play the flute, he wanted to tell him stories. And, Saints, he knew that he wanted to kiss him.

But not like this. 

Jesper pulled away. 

“Wylan…” 

Wylan’s cheeks turned crimson as his face flooded with horror, panic spiralling in his eyes as he shook his head, leaning backward. 

“I’m sorry-” he managed, “I shouldn’t- I’m sorry, I-”

He stood up. 

“I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry, I’ll go, I-”

Wylan took a pace away but Jesper grabbed his wrist, immediately regretting it when Wylan flinched but all the same not letting go; he needed to hold him there. He needed him. 

“Wylan,” Jesper gave his arm a gentle tug and Wylan relented, moving back to sit down on the side of the mattress. He didn’t look at Jesper, “It shouldn’t be like this,”

There was a pause. Jesper let his hand slip away from Wylan’s fist and down towards his palm, his thumb resting against Wylan’s knuckles, his fingers still just high enough to feel Wylan’s pulse beneath them. 

“I’m not stopping you because I don’t… because we don’t both want the same things,” he breathed, his voice barely feeling like it existed in the cold air between them, “I’m stopping you because you don’t want to do this,”

A beat passed before Wylan tilted his head towards Jesper’s, just slightly, his eyes roving upwards even though they couldn’t see him. Jesper couldn’t really explain why he lifted his free hand towards Wylan’s face and slowly ran his thumb over the lowest ridge of scar tissue that crossed through those beautiful, piercing blue eyes, he only knew that he did it and it felt like he never should have done anything else. 

“You’re grieving,” he murmured, “And you want to be distracted,”

“I-”

“I don’t want to kiss you just because you’re hurting, and you don’t really either. Not right now. It would be unfair to let you,”

Wylan closed his eyes for a moment, and another tear leaked through his lashes and onto Jesper’s thumb. He nodded.

“Besides,” Jesper’s voice lilted, ever so slightly, “I have selfish reasons too,”

Wylan’s eyelids fluttered as he tilted his face back upwards, and Jesper felt the rush of their eyes meeting even though Wylan could see his. 

“I want to be something to you, Wylan Hendriks. But I don’t ever want to be something you regret,”

[runningfrom2am]

the sea around us; chapter twenty-two

In which Rafe Cameron has to choose between his dad and a pogue who's changing his outlook on life more and more every day.

(rafe cameron x f!oc)

(eventual!jj maybank x f!oc)

warnings/tags: violence, drug/alcohol use, smoking, sexual content (if you squint), slowburn, older brother’s best friend, (these tags are obv not exhaustive but regardless it’s pretty PG13)

wc: 1.8k

my masterlist

series masterlist

requests

*:･ﾟ✧*:･

The next day, I'm taking a bath to help me relax, then I get out and join Rafe on the porch where he's smoking. I sit down next to him silently and lean my head on his shoulder.

"Look, uh, I invited Wheezie over, she's just coming to drop something off, alright?" He says to me, wrapping his arm around me and rubbing my shoulder.

"Yeah, of course." I smile softly.

"Uhm... full disclosure she's bringing me some cash, I just need it to pay Barry and then I'll almost have fully paid him and I'll have my shit back together and dad will let me come back home because I'm gonna fully quit, like I'm actually done. I need to put you first now. I'm getting it together." Rafe rambles off and I nod.

"If you need money you can ask me, you don't have to ask your little sister," I tell him and he starts shaking his head before I'm even done talking.

"No, no. I'm not doing that."

"Rafe, it's fine, seriously. I don't work three jobs for nothing. Let me help you." I smile softly. "You're always here for me, I need you to know I will do the same for you."

"Yeah, I know you would, but you shouldn't have to. The thing is, Wheezie can get that money back from my dad if she just asks. He loves her, I'm on my own though." I nod slightly and look up as the patio door cracks open. Rafe reaches down and quickly puts his bong under the table.

"Uh, sorry.." He says to her.

"Hi, Wheezie." I smile, giving her a slight wave.

"Hey Snowy." She smiles, walking over and putting her bag on a chair next to us before leaning on the railing.

"Uh, so, you want some? Or..." Rafe offers and I laugh, hitting him lightly on the arm.

"Did you legitimately just offer me drugs? I'm thirteen." Wheezie says, raising her eyebrow at him.

"Uhh..." Rafe says, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How are you, Wheezie?" I ask her, deciding to move on from this conversation.

"I've been better. How did you get the Glisson's to let you stay here?"

"I didn't- they're out of town for the summer. Don't tell anyone." Rafe tells her and I look over at him, shocked.

"Not unless you let me stay here whenever I want." Wheezie says, sitting down on the chair next to us.

"Yeah, sure." Rafe nods. "Why, trouble in paradise?"

"No, I'm just officially dad's least favourite daughter."

"What happened?" Rafe asks her.

"Dad's taking Sarah to the Bahamas, and did they ask me if I wanted to come? No." She sighs, and I look over at Rafe, my thoughts running a thousand miles per minute. The gold. He has to be moving the gold, and taking Sarah with him to keep her away from us.

"What? They're going to the Bahama house? In the summer?" Rafe asks her and she nods.

"They said it's some business thing." She sighs, leaning on her hand.

Rafe gets up quickly, running his hand through his hair before extending his arm out. "I, I- I know like, a million times more about the business stuff than Sarah does, that doesn't even make sense."

Wheezie shrugs. "We're the black sheep of the family. That's why." She digs into her bag pulling out a hand full of cash and holding it out to Rafe.

"Here, my life savings." Wheezie says, handing the money to Rafe who fumbles and drops it all on the floor.

"I promise I'll pay you back, okay?" He says as he picks it up.

"Yeah, whenever." She sighs.

"Thank you, Wheezie." I tell her, smiling sadly. I feel so bad for her, I see the twins in her right now. I know Rafe cares about her a lot, and I couldn't imagine being in such a spot where I'd have to ask Anna or Declan for money. I miss them.

Rafe sits back down next to me. "I'm gonna get my shit together, okay? I'm gonna get it like- like tight. You'll see." He says, hitting the cushion next to him with his fist.

Wheezie leaves, and I'm already plotting what my next move is. Do I tell my friends? I definitely should, but I'm not totally sure if I'm right.

"Why do you think they're going to the Bahamas?" I ask my boyfriend. "Sarah didn't tell me she planned on going."

Rafe shrugs, clearly still frustrated. "I don't know, Snowy. The Bahama house is way too hot in the summer for just a vacation. I still- I don't get why he's not taking me if it's business stuff."

"Why not see if you can go?" I suggest stupidly, and Rafe shakes his head.

"If he wanted me there he would have asked. I'm better off here anyways."

I nod a little, diving head first back into my thoughts.

"Hey, in the morning can you drop me at the chat? I have to work and I want to have my car." I lie, and Rafe looks at me, confused.

"I thought it was at Tannyhill?"

"Oh! Right, yeah. It's all good, my work clothes are at John B's anyways so... I'll get changed and take the Pogue instead, I'm working at Heyward's tomorrow." I try to explain, and he accepts this. I think.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･

The following morning, I'm wearing some of Rafe's pyjamas when he drops me off at home. I give him a quick kiss and a wave goodbye, but both of our minds seem like they're elsewhere. Mine is, for sure. I walk up to the house, and quickly get changed. When I see peek out the window and see his truck gone, I run out onto the dock through the back, where I see everyone but Pope already there.

"Guys- guys." I say and they all look my way. "Have you heard from Sarah? Ward is taking her to the Bahama's on 'business'." I say, using finger quotations.

They look around at each other. "We haven't, but who cares?" JJ says.

"Guys!" We hear someone yell, feet hitting the dock as they spring down towards us. It's Pope, dressed to the nines. His interview- I completely forgot.

"Hey." He says, leaning his hands on his knees as he's breathing heavily.  "I ran all the way here."

"I can see that." Kie says, raising her eyebrow at him.

"John B. I'm sorry about the gold, man." He says, looking at the boy who's laying on the dock, his cast laying next to him.

"All good." He shrugs.

"How was your interview?" I ask him.

"Shit. I bailed halfway through- but only because I have information that is tactically relevant." He says, looking around at all of us.

"My dad couldn't stay with me because he is being paid to go clear out and extend the runway for the Cameron's big plane, because it's too heavy."

"Okay, yeah, Snowy said Ward and Sarah are going to the Bahamas." John B replies.

"Yes, but why would you need to extend a runway for a plane that is much, much heavier than normal?" Pope says, waiting for us to get what he's saying.

"The gold. I knew this was about the gold!" I exclaim, jumping up and down excitedly.

"We have a chance still, guys!" JJ smiles, hugging me. "John B, what do you say?" He says, turning to his friend.

"Alright. Let's go steal that shit back."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･

We quickly all pile into the Twinkie and speed to the airport, with absolutely zero plan. We park in a wooded area next to a fence with a straight view of the runway, and get out some binoculars that John B keeps in the car. Why? Not a clue.

We're all taking turns watching them load up the plane with this heavy looking cases.

"No way that's not the gold." JJ says, just as John B takes the binoculars from him to look.

He stays silent for a moment. "Shit." He grumbles, adjusting the settings to see better.

"What?" Pope asks. "Tell us."

"It's Sarah." He says, and we all squint to try and get a better look on our own.

"They're fighting..." John B adds, and we watch as the trucks carrying the gold pull away.

"He- he's hurting her." John B says, holding the binoculars up to Kie's chest for her to take them. As she looks and we watch as they get in and start the plane, we hear the Twinkie start out of nowhere, and when we all turn John B is behind the wheel, almost unrecognizable because of how upset he is.

"Woah, wait, John B? What are you doing?" Kie and I yell.

He guns it towards where we are standing by the fence, and I can kind of hear him yelling at us to move. JJ wraps his arms around me and pulls me out of the way, and I fall right on top of him, breathing heavily.

"Holy shit." I say through my breaths, and we just stare at each other for a second before scrambling to get up and look down at the runway.

"Guys, guys what do we do?" Kie says as we watch John B speed down the runway next to the plane.

None of us know what to say.

John B speeds up, passing the plane and skidding to stop horizontally in front of it- I didn't even know the Twinkie could go that fast. We watch in horror as the plane speeds towards him, and I turn and bury my face in JJ's chest as we expect to hear the impact. But we don't.

We all slowly open our eyes again, straining to see what's going on as John B jumps out of the car and to the passengers side of the plane.

"I don't know what to do." Pope says as we all try and get a better view at what's happening. Just then, we hear sirens and look down the runway to where the plane came from, seeing a police SUV speeding towards them.

"We've got to get out of here." Kie says, looking at us.

"I can't get arrested." Pope says and JJ nods in agreement.

"Yeah I'm on probation." He says.

"Okay, we're no help behind bars so let's get out of here." Kie says, but my eyes are trained on the Cameron's truck that's now also speeding towards the scene.

"Snowy- hey, we have to go." JJ says, pulling lightly on my arm.

"That's Rafe." I hear myself mumble, earning a confused 'what?' from the boy next to me. I get a horrible gut feeling, and before I know it I feel my feet hitting the grass as I run across the field towards the plane.

"Snowy!" I hear my friends yelling for me to come back, but I know I can't stop. As I get closer, I see Rafe getting out of his truck, holding something in his hand. It's a second before I realize it's a gun.

"Rafe!" I shout at him, but he can't hear me.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･

taglist: @boo22sstuff @madelynie (message me or reply if you want to be added!!)

[lonsdalewrite]

Monthly Writing Summary - June 2023

🫀 THE CLAWS OF THE OUNCE 🫀

Draft: 1

Words written: 12,225

Current word count: 93,725 (93.7% of goal... though based on actual story progression, it's probably going to end up at ~110K)

Chapters finished: 3

Current chapter: 24 out of 28

Snippet:

He opened the balcony door and stepped through. Standing at the edge of the railing, he stared out into the sky, shining eyes turned away from the street. From her vantage point, the waxing crescent of the moon hung right above his head. It made him look ethereal. That was the last thing she saw before she slipped back into dreamland.

Notes / Accomplishments:

Finished Part 3, and am over a quarter finished with Part 4. The end is in sight!

Wrote a few major scenes (including the Ash x Mailhairer sort-of-confession).

Goal for July: I might be able to get to 110K / the end if I change the daily goal from 400 to 525 words.

🪴 A SUMMER WITH THE IMMORTAL 🪴

Unfortunately, I didn't manage to publish it this month because of some personal stuff. But you can expect an update soon!

🦋 VERDANTLAND TRILOGY 2 🦋

Draft: 1

Words written: 8,390

Current word count: 10,000 (13.3% of goal)

Chapters finished: 3

Current chapter: 3 out of 20

Snippet:

“Lead the way, o mistress,” Taryn smiled, “to the paper-bound places where a good story may be found.” Florence went into the aisle. Two steps in, she picked a pink-covered book from the shelf. “This was my favourite from last year,” she said as she gave it to Taryn. “It’s about a woman who has to break a curse put on her and her painting business. As she travels across the land, she falls for her guide, a seamstress who can talk to plants.” “Nice.” Taryn jiggled the book a little, feeling its weight in her hands. Florence was the best at finding woman/woman romances.

Notes / Accomplishments:

Started off by writing 1K words in one day (most of them in one sitting).

Introduced the two new POV characters for this book, and succeeded in giving them distinct voices.

Wrote some scenes I’m proud of re: autism and ADHD rep.

Goal for July: Get to 20K.

🧤 THE GIFT OF GLOVES 🧤

Draft: 1

Words written: 7,100

Word count: 30,000

Chapters finished: 1

Current chapter: 8 out of 9 (close to the end)

Snippet:

The land never took long to recover from the winter. The grass and shrubs came back to life in a matter of days, turning the scape from brown and grey to vibrant purple and pink. It was always stunning to watch as everything bloomed. Taigex took comfort in the fact that no matter what happened next, she would at least have seen this one last beautiful thing.

Notes / Accomplishments:

This was the most productive month by far. Up until now, I’ve only written 2K a month (at most) for this WIP.

Like with The Claws of the Ounce, the endgame is finally in sight.

Came up with more neat worldbuilding.

Goal for July: ACTUALLY FINISH THE FIRST DRAFT.

Overall

This is the single most productive month I’ve EVER had. I wrote 27K - my previous record was 18K!

Although I unfortunately did not meet my goals for A Summer with the Immortal or The Gift of Gloves, I feel the sheer amount that I wrote makes up for it somewhat. Here's to hoping I meet ALL my goals next month!

Tag list (no pressure): @ashen-crest @writeblrfantasy @kirsten-is-writing @emwhyarentyouwriting @edj-writes

[mimiexe15]

chapter 3: seeing orange

Mira Magica

After what happened today, Mira decided to head home for the night. Kyubey joined her for the night to tell her more about the magical stuff she had just submitted herself into it she still has a lot to learn before going into her new life

Mira pov:

It's only been two days, but my life felt like it changed forever. Now that I made a wish, It might change forever, but there's still so much on my mind. Where did that girl come from? What's the purpose of being a magical girl other than making your wish? 

I rolled my head over and looked at my soul gem. Kiki is hoping to teach me the ropes tomorrow. That's what she told me. At least. sure I get a cool outfit when I transform, but still, I don't understand the power and weapon. 

"kyubey? Do magical girls get random weapons or stuff after they make a wish?" I looked at Kyubey when I asked him that, and he simply blinked at me and scratched his ear. "Not exactly; most of the time, your wishes are based on what abilities and powers you receive, for example."

kyubey Jump down from the counter and onto my bed "if you wish to heal someone, you would have the ability to heal yourself quickly if you wish to be invisible to someone, then you the power of invisibility" 

Kyubey looked at me and then blinked. It's hard to tell any expression from his face. "However, there are also some wishes that can't be made into abilities. For example, if you wish to erase something from your mind, you would probably get a random ability. It's quite simple really" Kyubey said

"Huh," I looked back at myself, and then at my soul gem. There was a little yin-yang symbol on it, I didn't get why it was there "You should probably get some rest. You do have a big day ahead of you tomorrow." Kyubey said as he swung his tail back and forth. 

"I guess you're right. Good night, Kyubey." I said that to him before I turned off the lights, hoping that maybe things wouldn't be so bad.I still have so many questions, but maybe it's best to ask them tomorrow.

Timeskip

"Uhg..." I was trying to regain consciousness as I heard beeping next to me was it already morning?..can't help, but feel like something was stalking me....Quickly sighed. I should've expected this. Things aren't gonna be the same, are they?

" Mira, come downstairs; breakfast is ready." Right, breakfast. I should probably get dressed and head downstairs. We didn't have school today, so I didn't need to wear my uniform, which is a relief. I swear that thing is hard to put on.

I got up and got dressed. I went over to the bathroom, grabbed a brush from the counter, and started brushing my hair. Looking in the mirror, I grabbed a red ribbon and tied my hair back into a braid. 

I grabbed onto a railing and started walking downstairs I head over to the dining table  my dad has already laid out pancakes with syrup and butter on top for me "guess who makes the best food"I looked at my dad who had a cocky expression as he said that "you make the best food" I rolled my eyes chuckling at him

My dad has always been a goofball, though, I silently signed to myself as I ate my pancakes. At least I woke up every morning eating something delicious. My dad then put his elbow on his table. "Something wrong ?"he said as he looked at me.

"Oh, not really, just you. You know, I'm going to hang out with my friends today, "I said to him. He put his hand on my shoulder. "Mira, you can tell me if something's wrong." Yeah, if I was able to tell you that.

I heard honking outside and saw a limo that's probably Kiki and Raya I got up from my chair as I finished eating my pancakes "relax Dad I'll be fine" my dad looked at me "don't forget, come back before 8 o'clock" he said as he picked up the plates "I know Dad I know"

open the door and got in the limo to see Raya, Kiki, and Raya's brother Kaito and..Kyubey..right on Kiki's shoulder..I was stunned for a minute. Does Kaito not see him?.."um, hey, guy" I said to them I was still concerned about the whole thing

I got in the car and then leaned over to Raya, whispering in her ears, "Can your brother not see him.." I was concerned for a second. "People who don't have magical potential cannot see me, so therefore, yeah, Kaito does not see me." I was frozen when I heard Kyubey's voice in my mind

Kyubey had telepathy!? Great, now my mind isn't even saved "Hey, is your friend OK?" I heard Kaito ask, looking at his sister Raya. "Yeah, she's fine, brother, she's just...umm spacing out, yeah, just spacing out."

Yep, definitely not going to be normal "Oh, by the way, Kaito, if you like, we can drop you off at karate class first,"Kiki said smiling "That will be great, thank you," Kaito said, replying, "By the way, what are you girls doing?" Kaito said, looking at us Raya immediately sweated 

"oh, you know, girl stuff, girl, things those kinds of, "I replied, trying my best not to blow this whole covered thing. Kiki was trying her best to keep "if you say so," he replied; I'm surprised that actually went through him.

"Let me out, let me out"

"When I heard those words, I immediately turned around. I thought I heard someone or something. It sounded like my own voice, but I couldn't even tell anymore. might just be my mind playing tricks on me.

I looked around for a couple of seconds. "Did you guys hear that?" Kiki and Raya then nod their head no at me I swear, I thought I heard something. We dropped Kaito off as we waited in the car for a bit. We were going to head to an abandoned building so no one could see us

Narrative pov:

 "so this is the place, huh?" Mira looked around as she said that. "Kiki said we should practice in an open space where no one could see us and suggested this would be the best area." replied Raya with an uplifting smile

"So how is this going to work exactly," Mira said as she looked at her friends Kiki then took out soul gem "All you have to do is hit the target," Kiki said Raya and Mira just looked at her, confused as they watched her transform to her magical girl self

"With what exactly it's just an emp-" Before Raya could continue saying anything else a web cocoon immediately formed in front of her "right i forgot her power was Web manipulation," Raya said kyubey decided to sit on the sidelines and watch

"OK, that should be an easy target. All you have to do is hit the cocoon with your weapon."Kiki said smiling at Mira to give her a go Mira give a confident look well, at least her best at it and  take out her soul gem

She then took out her wand and ran towards it, hitting it a bunch of times each time, there was a different weapon that would materialize. The first one was a sword, the  second a hammer a spear, a trident, anything you can imagine

Raya's eyes sparkled, seeing the potential Kiki looked concerned magical girl was supposedly only to have one weapon. Why does Mira have multiple of them? Despite Kiki being curious, they were unaware of an orange messy hair Girl with a side ponytail watching them.

Even with a bit of practice, Mira had some times where she was falling missing and she even lost her weapon. She was definitely going to need some practice if she was going to defeat witches from now on.

The three girls decided to take a break for now since Mira kept hearing some voices. She was staring out the window. Kiki, however, went up to her. "You ok?" She asked in a concerned voice, "Yeah, I am fine, I guess.." Mira sign as she looked down

 "Are you sure you look like you're in a bit of distress? "Kiki said, tilting her head. Mira looks back at her. Mira simply smiles at her. "You know me I'm always in distress." she just smiled, trying to hide what she's been going through.

Kiki looked at Mira with expression, knowing something was up, but before she could do anything else, a sickle was thrown at her. Raya immediately got in the way as her arm stretched out, using her axe to block it.

"Well at least one of you came prepared" The sickles with chains around it, pulled it back straight to the orange, messy-haired girl's hand as she crunched on a pocky in her mouth"I was just expecting it to hit you, maybe some of you do have decent training "

Mira was surprised for a minute. Kiki put her guard up, and Raya was just grinning her teeth. Did another magical girl seriously try to attack them? The orange, messy-haired girl had a somewhat bored expression, eyeing them.

The orange hair messy girl was standing on yellow tiles that look like coins in air playing around with her hook "might as well introduce myself name Jiko we might see each other more then once sooo..." she immediately launched the hook once again

Mira being the first to come in contact with the hook immediately panicked and took out her wand, which became a shield. Mira signing she felt a bit of relief crossing her she smiled. She might not know how to use the weapon correctly, but she hoped she's doing right. "Look I did it.!"Mira said

Kiki  panicked along with Raya their face is trying to tell Mira something as they waved their hand she was confused for a minute, but when she looked back, she noticed that. Jiko was above the shield, swinging her sickle around. "You know what never mind" Mira said.

Approximately two seconds later, the three girls were latched out in a pile of smoke Raya landing on her feet and launching back in. Kiki landed on her feet as well and immediately summoned a web to catch Mira in. "thank you, Kiki"

Raya Immediately bounced back into action as her axe clashes with the sickle Jiko "why do you keep coming back?"jiko said she seemed to have a bit of a temper, not liking someone very persistent.Raya simply smile back."What can I say? I'm just cocky like that"

Jiko simply granted her teeth "your also a pain in the head" Jiko said getting frustrated with each passing second

Mira got back up Kiki got her grenades out just in case Raya needs back up Mira grunted when she heard that little voice in her head again like she wanted it to help her and she doesn't even know who it's from.

kyubey pov:

These might be the right girls after all everything has gotten successful their relationship stats. Maybe they'll be the ones to defeat the council they just need a bit of preparation. I need to find two more members.and then they can stop her whole heaven an- ..

Wait a minute..I noticed two figures running in the distance we already after them I need to warn them But before I could even run, something grabbed my tail "long time no see kyubey"the funeral witch tilted her hat at me she was spinning me around on my tail

"Nice to see you too Homulilly"I blinked at her as I said that "I'm guessing those , two figures were Oktavia and Ophelia" she continued, twirling me around "smart as always Incubator" Homulilly labyrinth immediately started forming under her and all around her. 

Mira pov:

We were still fighting Jiko I was trying to figure out how to control this thing it keeps shaping and..this girl has some serious anger issues..Wait, what's happening to the ground below us 

I felt stunned for a minute in fact, everyone was done Kiki and Raya too labyrinth jiko  was concerned why would a witches labyrinth spawn out of everything? I didn't even see any grief seeds nearby

Get your guard up they're here

That voice again what do they mean? They're here "you know originally I was just planning to get the grief seeds from you guys, but something tells me we have a bigger issue" jiko said  A couple seconds later, a bunch of swords appear around us

I looked up from where it came from, and I saw some thing that scared me. It looked like some sort of knight.and a weird candle ....I have a feeling I and also my friends may be in trouble

To be continued

Finally, after all these years chapter 3, finished. after this I need a break I felt sick most of my days and it's also summertime for me right I will post chapter 4 some point but right now I just need a break. Hope that isn’t too much to ask.

[phoniex742]

Chapter 1 Jane berry  

The best day ever 

Jane had always had a good life. Her mom Janet Barry and father Joseph Berry were a couple. Many would be jealous of a caring and beautiful smart mom who ran her own thriving beauty company and her father who was a laid-back but outstanding comedian. Today started out like any normal day but it was her first day at a new school in california in Firestone road going to a school called phoenix high Jane was immensely  excited she couldn't wait to make new friends and have a bunch of different experiences she couldn't wait she heard the alarm  from her phone next to her red bed go off she pulled off her strawberry themed huge blanket and a few of her pillows which were a variety of red and green and even one that was a cherry shape  and made sure her cherry cartoon shaped stuff animal didn't fall off the bed she got up and immediately sprinted to her dresser her room was small it was covered  in strawberry wallpaper red and green it had a nice red closet that was open and a nice small red and green dresser covered in pictures of her mom, and her old friends before she moved and also some souvenirs here or there she wasn't sure why they had to move so suddenly but she trusted her parents so she didn't ask shaking her head she quickly put on her causal red and green sweater and brushed her hair before finally placing her red cherry hair clip that her family all had it was like a symbol after finishing up the final touches she smiled to herself admiring her red eyes that almost seemed like fire  she  looked  at the cool heart design on her sleeves and the middle of her  hoodie  which seemed a darker shade of red  she also seemed to have some white little hearts patched over her  longs sleeves that shaped up over her hands shaped like an oval. She rushed downstairs of her house her mom and dad usually slept upstairs as well she grabbed the brown railing going down the grayish fluffy stairs she entered the living room first which was pretty normal it was a small living room with a blueish couch and a fluffy red carpet and a regular white wall her mom and dad were thinking of getting red and green everything and she was excited about the idea she saw a couple of black bookshelves for movies and a small platform for a fairly decent sized black tv laying there turned off there were a few empty boxes it seemed so long ago ‘I. can't believe it's it took us a month to move and half a week to just get everything ready!' 

Jane thought to herself as she entered the door that was in the middle of the living room a white door open there a regular  white kitchen but with a few differences the counters were red and some of the cabinets where as well there was also a door on the left leading to the dining room she glanced at the white fridge seeing her baby photos before she spotted a piece of  bread left on the red counter suddenly she noticed  voices coming in and she turned and saw her mom she was definitely more beautiful than her  she was helping her dad fix her tie  Her mom looked a lot like herself she had the same hair expect her hair went over the other eye and her mom had red heart glasses she had a green fluffy necklace with and a  red stone and a red shirt with a  read heart  and green ruffle sleeves and a red and green flowing dress and red and pink heals  she even had white highlights the same as her and  she had a  cherry clip in her head as well she tutted a bit as her dad chuckled at her trying to fix his loose red  tie unlike her mom her dad had his hair shorter but it still went over his  right eye he had a red shirt and green baggy pants like hers and red sleeves with green cuffs and red boots with pink fluff like Jane's he did not have glasses and had red eyes like her and her mother he  had red hair and white tips and  a cherry hair clip he saw her  and with a carefree deep voice stated "ah Jane ! Are you ready for your first day?"Jane immediately jumped up and down excited by the fact of making new friends ``yup I  can't wait, I gotta go!" Her mom spoke out "have fun dear!" Jane nodded and already headed out " bye mom, bye dad love you!"Jane smiled to herself as she headed to school 'this is going to be the best day ever 'she thought as she stepped out of the door slamming it closed behind her.

[wardencommanderrodimiss]

Chapter 11 is (halfway) here! It ended up totally out-of-hand so I chopped it in half, and you’ll get the second half tomorrow morning, which is now, I guess, chapter twelve.

[Beginning] [Chapter Masterlist] [ao3]

“I expected it to look more haunted,” Clay says, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets and staring in the window, where the name Wright Anything Agency is written in two different fonts – one for Wright and one for Agency – and one clearly-by-hand scrawl – on Anything, and Apollo remembers Trucy ripping the stickers from the window to rename the office within his first two days being there. “Like, some cobwebs, broken glass, y’know – the works.”

The door is unlocked and Trucy is kneeling on the couch, leaning over the coffee table, one hand keeping herself propped above the paper, the other holding the magatama up to her eye like a monocle. She clacks it down loudly before looking up. “Hey Apollo! And – is this your roommate? Did you bring him after all?”

“You must be Trucy,” Clay says with a grin, but Apollo watched him glance up at the doorway as they entered, looking for warding charms that aren’t there, and he doesn’t offer his hand to Trucy to shake. “I’m Clay. Nice to meet you.”

A slow smile spreads across her face. “Awesome!” She unfolds herself and springs off the couch, over the table, and lands with unexpected grace on her feet. “Polly said he wasn’t gonna ask you for help but here you are!”

“Polly?” Clay repeats, incredulously, turning his head with his eyes wide in an owlish way to grin at Apollo. He regrets everything.

“You are not allowed to call me that.”

As Trucy explains to him the situation and what secret knowledge the paper is supposed to yield to them, Apollo picks up the magatama and tosses it in his hand several times. Now that he isn’t caught by surprise, now that he isn’t looking through it and horrified by what he sees, it feels like just an ordinary stone in his hand – a little cold, but that goes away in the warmth of his palm. How long has Phoenix had it, he wonders, and slowly raises it up to his eye. Clay looks like Clay, and over Trucy’s shoulder he raises an eyebrow at what Apollo is doing – but Trucy is surrounded by a soft green mist, the glowing wisp of blue and pink at her shoulder. She waves a hand, gesturing something, and there is a flash of gold near her hand, on her arm, before she turns and Apollo quickly, guiltily, lowers the magatama.

“Yeah, I looked at the page with that,” she says, obviously assuming that he was trying to puzzle out the mystery they were discussing instead of the mystery that she is. “Nothing. If it’s magic, it’s more involved than I know, and if it’s not – we’ll figure it out.”

Clay jumps at the knock on the door. “You don’t have to be so twitchy,” Trucy says, and before she has picked her way through the mess to the door, it opens and Ema enters, looking as disheveled as ever. Apparently she wears a lab coat in her time off, too, just with jeans and sneakers. “Ema! Yay! You made it!”

“Sure did.” She swings her bag from her shoulder and drops it on the coffee table, where it sits heaped, awkwardly positioned but apparently stable. “Not like I had weekend plans, so sure, I’m game for cursebreaking or whatever. Haven’t thought about doing anything like this in years.” She casts a glance around the office, her gaze softening as it lands on the plant, Mr Charley, in the corner, and the tall dusty bookshelves. “Been even longer since I was here.” There’s something almost wistful in her voice. Apollo remembers how immediately she warmed up to him and Trucy when they said they were with Phoenix. “Anyway, who’re you?” She jabs a finger at Clay.

“Er – Clay Terran.” The look Ema casts at him is disdainful, her eyebrows raised in continued questioning. “Apollo’s roommate.”

“Ah. So he tricked you into joining us on this batshit goose chase?”

“I did not trick him!” Apollo protests, while Clay laughs.

“He used to say I was suspicious and paranoid, and now look who’s laughing.” Clay’s grin collapses at the corners, while his mouth remains open. “None of us are laughing. It all sounds a little fucked up.”

“You’d be overly suspicious if I had worked at any other law office,” Apollo says. If Clay wasn’t one degree of separation from the Wrights and the Gavins, if Clay’s roommate was anyone else and had any other life, this wouldn’t need to be happening. This wouldn’t be happening, and his caution would seem eccentric, excessive.

“Eh,” Clay says. “But LA still sure is a city, y’know?”

Clay had asked Mr Starbuck about witches and gotten an answer full of fear. Everyone in the greater LA area has a story about a friend of a friend of a friend who brushed elbows with something terrifying, just distant and small enough to them that the rest of the world doesn’t pay much mind. Apollo sometimes wishes that when he was dropped in this country he was dumped in San Diego. He could live with its celebrity-movie-tv culture because it isn’t this culture and the mountains to the north.

“So what’ve you got so far, Trucy?” Ema asks. “Magatama?”

Trucy shakes her head. “I looked through it and nothing. And last night I heated it over a candle, to see if it was invisible ink—”

“You’re probably lucky you didn’t set it on fire,” Apollo says.

Trucy continues with no change to her expression, either not having heard him or, more likely, her great acting skills at work. “—so if it’s invisible ink, it’s got to be revealed by something other than heat, and if it’s magic it’s…” She throws her hands in the air. The frustration now written on her face is of an intensity Apollo has never seen. He’s used to Trucy the actress, the performer, her mask of cheer upheld no matter what. “It’s some magic I don’t know, I guess!”

That’s her family’s legacy, there, that diary page in that pink envelope. That’s all she has left, and it’s dangling out of her reach. No wonder she’s frustrated.

“Would he really just, basically, stick it behind a locked door and throw away the key?” Clay asks. From what Phoenix had to say about Magnifi, Apollo isn’t sure that he wouldn’t. “It was given to you, right? So there’s got to be a way for you to find it.”

Trucy paces a small circle around the clearest patch of floor. “He didn’t give it to me – he gave it to my dad, and I don’t know what he knew how to do, and he never went after it in seven years, so he couldn’t figure it out, either!”

“Or never tried,” Ema says.

Trucy stops moving. “But why wouldn’t he try?”

“Well…” Ema sits on the arm of the couch, knocking her heels against the floor. “It’s easier to carry a piece of paper that – we don’t even know what we’ll find with this, yeah? ‘The source of his magic’, that could be some incorporeal font of energy, that could be a big fuckin’ spellbook – we don’t know, and maybe your father didn’t either. And when you’re a fugitive from the law you don’t want to be weighed down by something more than an envelope – not,” she adds, holding up one finger, “that I have ever been a fugitive from the law.”

“That was gonna be my immediate question,” Clay says. “If you were speaking from experience, and—” He tilts his head to listen to the streets outside, the melody of the city, the traffic and distant sirens fading in and out. “They found you.”

“Daddy says if I want to barricade the door to not use the piano,” Trucy says. She is smiling again a little and Apollo is grateful to Clay for that. “He says his desk would be best.”

“I don’t want to know why you’ve discussed this,” Apollo says.

“Oh, I totally do,” Ema says. She drums her fingers against the couch and then her cheek. “In seriousness, though. Trucy. Another possibility: do you know if there could have been something else he was running from?”

Apollo is about to object, on basis of there being no evidence to point in this direction, on it being no more than a shot in the dark, and – though he doesn’t want to voice it in front of Trucy – on this conversation probably already having gotten painful enough because it centers around her disappeared, murdered father. But he looks at Ema’s face and stops. Her eyes are hard, her jaw tight. “Someone he didn’t want to lead back to this magic?”

“I – n-no.” Trucy looks confused more than upset, her eyebrows sinking into a sharp V. “He didn’t have enemies” – there’s a murder case to contradict that point, and Apollo isn’t going to say that, either – “and I – I guess he could have been trying to keep it from Uncle Valant, but they were friends, but they were – no.” She raises her chin. “No. He wouldn’t be afraid of Uncle Valant.”

Even though the man did try to get him framed for murder.

“And Valant knew all the same magic that he did, so he wouldn’t need to wait for him to figure it out and follow him, he could do the same if he had the page—”

“Alright.” Ema holds up her hands but it doesn’t stop Trucy’s chattering, like she thinks she can piece together the mystery if she just talks through it all. “So maybe not. Maybe it’s just about running from the law – whatever we’re looking for is probably too close to the city for him to get back to it.” She lets herself fall backwards onto the couch, her legs hooked over the arm. “Let’s think about this scientifically.”

“It’s magic,” Clay says. “It’s like, diametrically opposed to—”

“It doesn’t have to be!” Still laying sprawled, Ema raises her arm and jabs an objecting finger in the air. “There’s patterns, and some rules, and it’s absolutely inaccurate to say that you couldn’t study it scientifically!” She lets her arm drop. “It’s just… super difficult, since people are so afraid.”

“With good reason,” Apollo says.

He thinks of Vera.

He thinks of the heavy black noose around Phoenix’s neck.

“Hear out this possibility: it’s not about how we look at it, but where.”

“Is our plan really to travel to Faeryland to look at a piece of paper?” Clay asks.

“Just stick it in a faery ring,” Ema says.

“Which entails stepping inside it yourself—”

“Don’t worry! I’ve got this one!” Trucy runs for the precarious shelves near the piano, fishing out from behind them a hula hoop that she flings to the floor. “Here we go!”

“Wait,” Apollo says. “You told me specifically that isn’t a faery ring.”

“Not without specifically invoking it as such,” Trucy says. “If you don’t want it to be when you step in it, it won’t.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

Ema sits up and leans herself over the back of the couch. “Well?” she asks.

“I’m getting to it!” For all her apparent eagerness and confidence in bending (metaphorically) the hoop-ring to her will, Trucy still hesitates, hitching up her shoulders and with them, the diary page, nearly in front of her face, before she takes one large step into the center of the hula hoop. Apollo doesn’t know what he expects – an ugly transformation, like Kristoph’s, glamour stripped away to some terrible truth –

But she’s human. Of course she’s human, and her shape doesn’t change; rather, it seems to light up, soft green pulsing around her like an aura, a little purple ball of mist at the side of her head, hard golden light at her wrist, and the ever-present wisp Mr Hat bobbing around her shoulders.

“Nothing,” she says, spinning on her heel and lowering the diary page and stepping forth from the ring before Apollo can see her face, if there is anything about her eyes. She kicks the hoop halfway under the couch. "What if --" She taps her chin, lets the page fall from her gloved hands. "No. Ema, what do you know about invisible ink?"

"I doubt it," Ema replies. Trucy's frown deepens. "Me if I was hiding something, sure, but magic is your family's thing. Why turn away from it then?"

"But that's exactly why he would," Trucy says. "Keep it extra safe in a way nobody expects."

"Is it possible," Clay asks, "for there to be some sort of enchantment on it that needs to be nullified, like with salt or iron or something?"

"Maybe," Trucy says, "but we don't really keep much of either around here, except when we get Eldoon's for lunch--"

"Here." Apollo removes the ring from his finger and offers it to Trucy. Clay blinks at it, the obvious question on his lips -- “You still wear that?” and if they have to discuss this Apollo is never going to hear the end of it even though there’s plenty of good reasons to keep iron on hand thankyouverymuch-- but the catastrophic crash from within the bathroom draws far more attention.

“Was that a window?” Ema asks.

They creep forward together like a shuffling pack of penguins to cautiously peer into the room that doesn’t have windows. The light is on, glinting off the shards of mirror where they lay fallen, shattered, on the floor. “Oh,” Trucy says. She straightens up and puts her hands on her hips, like she’s scolding the mirror or the room itself. “Daddy’s going to be mad he has to get a new one.”

Or, more likely, the man Apollo knows won’t bother to replace that. Ema might share that opinion, from the look she gives him from behind Clay. He’s wondering whether to vocalize that thought when Trucy gasps, clapping her hands to her face and spinning about to face them. “Of course!” she cries. “Mirrors – reflections – somewhere else! Where we look at it!”

“What are you talking about?” Ema asks.

“Gramarye!”

“Yeah,” Clay says. “Yeah, that’s your name—”

She pushes them aside to dash back into the main office, snatching up the diary page and brandishing it in the air like a flag. “We had our own place! The Gramaryes! Our own little pocket to live in, to pop up wherever people were looking for us!” Her purse sits on the piano and she digs from within it a small compact mirror that she holds in her palm in front of her like she is presenting it to someone. “Gramarye, Gramarye, Gramarye!”

The air in front of her ripples, like a pebble dropped in a pond, and when it solidifies again she stumbles, wobbling back toward the coffee table. Apollo puts out a hand to stop her before she trips over it. “That’s - that’s harder than I remember it was,” she says, making no move to support herself on her own two feet again and still leaning against Apollo’s arm. “Maybe because it’s been so long -- Gramarye!” Apollo prepares himself to be bowled over on her falling backwards again, but this time, the ripples begin on the tiny surface of the mirror and spread outward, down to the floor, shimmering silver and darkening on the inside. Apollo gives Trucy a small shove to nudge her back onto steady footing. “Ha! I did it!”

“What the hell,” Clay says.

A quivering archway stands in front of them, and on the other side of it, wooden stairs that disappear into the dark. It doesn’t look like it belongs in the world, like it’s just two dimensions. The mirror in Trucy’s hand has turned black.

“Maybe in here we can read this stupid paper!” She holds it aloft, triumphantly, and for her sake Apollo hopes that this is the answer, but -- she’s not going to try and drag them all down there, is she? “C’mon! What’s everyone waiting for?”

Oh, she is.

“What the hell,” Ema says, and it is not the question that Clay’s was but rather a verbal shrug, a casual acceptance, and she slings her bag back over her shoulder. “Let’s see if this works.”

Apollo looks at Clay. He’s been the voice of inconsistent caution in Apollo’s life, urging him toward Klavier and away from everything else that seems shifty, and now they are here. Here they are, and Clay has to decide how deep into this mess to step. Apollo already decided, a while ago, for Trucy’s sake if nothing else, for all they have in common, for all she’s lost. “I can’t say I’m not curious,” Clay says.

“Then don’t.”

“Or that this is anything but a bad idea.”

“Then don’t.”

“C’mon, guys!” There is an ethereal echo to Trucy’s shout, warped and warbling up the shadowy stairs.

“But you’re going to anyway.” Clay’s stare is nothing magical, nothing supernaturally insightful, nothing more than steady years of knowing Apollo, but it’s enough to read him. “With or without me, because of her.”

Because Apollo knows all about being shut out in the cold by a family of magic. “Yeah,” he says.

“Well, then, fuck.” Clay slaps Apollo on the shoulder, which serves to push him a little closer to the yawning mouth of magic. “For better or probably worse, we go together.”

He still lets Apollo venture ahead of him, down steps that creak with a promise of their corporeality but Apollo doesn’t trust to crumble to ash beneath his feet. The walls are tight and grow tighter as they descend, another illusion of solidity -- is it an illusion when Apollo can feel it but knows it’s summoned and disappears on a whim? The light at the bottom of the stairs, when it appears, spills forth through a rectangular doorway, cold yellow and wholly unwelcoming.

Trucy stands stock-still just to the side of the threshold, her hand frozen in the air in the midst of snapping her compact mirror shut. Ema’s hands are clasped behind her back so as to touch nothing by mistake or absentmindness. There is a couch, faded as though by sunlight, standing tilted on three legs, the fabric torn and threads fraying. Maybe it was once pink, or gray; whatever it was probably clashed in color with the gold hexagonal table, and certainly clashed in style. The chandelier is gold, suspended from its fixture by wires, and the light flickers. There is more to the room, but it sinks into shadows and bunched-up carpeting.

“It used to be…” Trucy’s hand slowly falls. She misses slipping her mirror into her purse and it thumps to the thick carpeting, faded just like the fabrics. Purple, once, perhaps? Red? “It used to be more. So much more.”

She did say it had been a long time. How long -- seven years long? “I’m sorry.”

Clay stoops and offers Trucy the mirror back. “It’s okay,” she lies. Apollo can see it’s a lie, hear it’s a lie, her forced cheer cracking at the end of the words. “I’m -- oh! Look!” That is genuine, enough to cause Ema to turn around, all of them to look at Trucy and the diary page she has triumphantly held out, a looping black script curling slowly across its surface. “This was it!”

“What’s it say?” Clay asks. “What’s it say!”

They crowd around Trucy, a little huddle all craning to see the page and what appears to be a map slowly unfolding as though drawn by an invisible hand. Only north and west are marked on the compass in the top left corner of the page before, in the bottom right, a diamond is marked, with a diamond inside and beveled corners, like Trucy’s broach. From it, a thin dotted line extends on a curving path northwest to the cluster of mountains, where at the base, a spade like on a deck of playing cards fills in black.

“That’s not entirely helpful,” Ema says. “We know we’re going toward the mountains, but that’s a bit of a broad area.”

“No, look.” Trucy wiggles the page back and forth and Apollo would swear that the inked diamond doesn’t move with it. “I think it’ll show us, where we are, how close, now that it’s activated.”

Like a little magic GPS to lead them up to the mountains of Kurain, the place in the world that Apollo wants to travel to least. “So,” Trucy says, her voice suddenly loud in the silence, “do any of you have a car?”

“Finally, my time to shine,” Clay says.

“Great!” Trucy is bounding on her heels now, her smile, if a little smaller, back on her face. “At your apartment? Where is that? I can get us there.”

“What?” Apollo asks. “How?”

“This door can open anywhere,” Trucy explains, leaning over Clay’s arm to look at something on his phone. A map? Photographs of their apartment? Fear courses through Apollo as he imagines Trucy materializing in the living room at midnight to drag him on some horrific adventure. “So if we know when we leave that we’ll end up at your apartment, then we will.”

“No way,” Apollo says. “I’ll believe that when I see--”

Trucy, without looking at him, slaps him on the arm. “No! You have to believe it will work. Otherwise it won’t!”

That means something important, and also nothing at all. Magic doesn’t make sense is the moral.

“Yeah, I believe it,” Ema says. “Shit happens around Mr Wright.”

Trucy straightens, propping her hands on her hips. “Okay!” she says authoritatively, her voice like a gavel, an announcement of something ending, or beginning. “Everyone ready to go?” She hooks her arm around Apollo’s elbow. “So you,” she says sternly, “don’t get lost with all your skepticism.”

“I’m a lawyer,” he protests. “I deal in evidence.”

And evidence is --

Well.

It’s part of something. But with everything Apollo’s seen, a jury might easily come to the conclusion, believe what Trucy says will happen, will happen.

Apollo hadn’t realized there had been a door at the bottom of the stairs, and that it closed behind them, until Trucy extends her hand with a flourish to the solid wall and it opens for her, a rectangular mouth back up into darkness. “Maybe,” she says, “you should all just hang onto each other so that no one gets lost.”

“What would happen if we did?” Clay asks nervously. He takes Trucy’s advice by putting a death grip on Apollo’s shoulder, like his caution and wisdom have finally caught up to him, a little late for this situation he’s found himself in.

“Probably just end up back at the office,” Trucy answers, “but maybe somewhere in the city in between there and your apartment.” She shrugs. The motion jostles Apollo too.

“As long as we don’t end up in limbo somewhere,” Clay mutters.

With the way Trucy is holding his arm, Apollo can’t walk facing forward up the stairwell. He moves with something a little more like a stumbling crab-step, tripping on the uneven stairs as Trucy, without care or hesitation, drags them on. She stops, and he hopes it is before the door, but he can’t see to know, and her wisp lights up the darkness with swirling pink and blue lights, putting them back in a blackness that seems even deeper when it dips forward and vanishes instantly. Trucy’s voice rings out clear, without an echo. “Okay. Let’s go.”

This door opens like the first entrance did, the littlest window spilling outward, like a bright pupil in an eye responding to darkness. Trucy tugs Apollo’s arm and they all shuffle forth into a parking lot, the blacktop potholed and the parking lines faded. Apollo turns around to see their door, their portal, slowly close like the denouement of a yawn.

“No fucking way,” Clay says.

Apollo lifts his head. Behind them, above them, is the back side of their apartment building.

[chibipeachu]

Saving The Miracle

Summary: Continuation of Beauty & The Seven Foot Frame but it’s the actual movie but with bruno and y/n’s kids in the mix.

Villain!Bruno X Reader

Beauty & The Seven Foot Frame Masterlist

Chapter One

CHAPTER TWO OUT NOW!!

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Today was the day y/n and bruno dreaded. It was the twins' fifth birthday and in madrigal fashion they got to have their ceremonies. The couple had different reasons as to why they dreaded the day, Y/n dreaded the day due to her babies getting older while Bruno dreaded the day was because what would the town think if they had gotten gifts that the town deemed useless or cursed like they did his. Y/n had tried to reassure Bruno that the town wouldn’t but Bruno still chose to worry.

Y/n and Bruno woke and quickly realized they had unexpected visitors in the bed as well. Victoria’s foot was right in Bruno's face while victor’s arm was across y/n side. They both helped each other get out of the bed without waking the little devils.

The twins woke up when y/n and bruno were getting ready to help set up for the ceremony. “We get our gifts today, papi!” Victoria told Bruno as he picked her up from the bed where her and victor sprawled out. “I know mi corazón!” Bruno helped victor with one hand to sit up on the bed while y/n got their outfits for the day out.

“Do we need to wear these mama!” Victor asked y/n as he tugged on his little white suit y/n had sewn for him. “I love my dress!” Victoria spun around, showing off the white dress y/n had also sewn up. After y/n and Bruno had gotten the twins ready, they walked out the door and right into the madness of the preparations for the ceremony. “Morning Tio, Tia! Victor, Victoria!” Isabela greeted them as she walked around growing flowers all around the railing of the second floor. 

“Morning Isa!” The twins greeted back as they walked behind their parents down the stairs into the courtyard where y/n and Bruno ended up splitting apart to go and handle stuff on their own. Victoria followed y/n to the bakery where days prior y/n and Bruno went and ordered a lot of sweets for the ceremonies. “Hi tio victor!” Victoria greeted her tio as y/n and Veronica got out the orders from the backroom “Hi mija! Good luck tonight!” Victoria nodded at her tio.

After a very chaotic and crazy morning it was now time for their ceremony. Isabela grew a curtain of flowers to hide the twins behind. “Are you ready?” y/n asked the twins who nervously nodded “Me and papi are gonna stand by your guys door alright! y/n explained to her kids. “You’ll do great! I know it!” Bruno told the twins as he followed y/n out.

After y/n and Bruno left, the twins started to get nervous. “Toria! Could you hold my hand while we walk?” Victor shyly asked his sister who giggled and nodded and grabbed his hand as casita made a spotlight on the two and made a red carpet type pattern on the tiles. They both took a breath before they started to make their way up the stairs toward alma.

“Will you both use your gifts to honor our miracle, will you serve this community and strengthen our hope?” The twins nodded at alma. 

Victor got to touch the candle first since he was older than victoria by a few minutes. Victor walked over to his door and touched the doorknob, the door revealed Victor with his eyes open, glowing as he had outlines of people behind him. Y/n and Bruno looked at each other confused. Victor looked at his door then looked back at Alma and jumped as someone stood next to his abuela. “What’s wrong mijo?” Alma asked Victor cautiously. “Abulo?” y/n and Bruno looked behind Alma and saw no one there. It dawned on y/n what his gift was. y/n smacked Bruno lightly, “I think he can see the dead!” Alma smiled as Victor laughed at something his abuelo told him.

Alma walked with Victoria to her door. Y/n and Bruno held each other as victoria touched the doorknob. The door showed victoria with water all around her. “Mama, papi?” Victoria looked at her parents before she decided to test her theory of her gift and evaporated into a puddle of water. Bruno, Alma and y/n started to panic for a minute before victoria transformed back into herself, giggling about her abula’s and parents reaction. Alma walked over to the railing and announced “We have new gifts!” Everyone cheered for the twins.

Victor opened his door and the room slowly showed itself, victor had a huge peaceful garden in his room. Victoria excitedly ran to her room and opened the door. Her room had a huge waterfall in the middle of the room. 

While everyone celebrated in Victoria's room. They found out not only could she turn into a puddle but she could also control water. 

“We’re so proud of you both!” y/n and Bruno told the twins as they hugged their children. 

The twins quickly ran off to go and play with their cousins. Y/n and Bruno joined everyone in celebrating the twins' new gifts.

During the party y/n had walked out of her daughter’s room and walked outside to get fresh air. While being outside y/n overheard two of the encanto’s biggest gossipers talking outside in the courtyard. “I feel so bad for Bruno's son, he doesn’t deserve such a terrible gift!” one of them said to the other “I know their daughter, oh boy, good luck with her! She’ll be another isabela!” y/n scoffed and walked inside and saw the two ladies look at y/n scared at what she would say to them.

“Hello ms.sanchez, mrs.diaz!” y/n greeted the pair as she walked past them. “Don’t talk about mine and Bruno's children! Or else I'll get Alma to throw you out for talking bad about her first paternal grandchildren. Now if excuse me I have my children’s party to get back to!” Y/n smiled and walked up the stairs. Bruno chuckled as he watched his wife be defensive but elegant at the same time.

“What?” y/n asked as she walked towards Bruno who leaned on the railing. “Nothing. Just the fact that you’ll always defend victor and toria!” Bruno smiled back at y/n. “Well yeah! Those are my babies!” y/n leaned on bruno as they watched the stars.

“Thank you y/n...” Bruno thanked his wife. “For what?” y/n turned her head to look at him. “For all of this, not leaving me when we first got married, for giving me kids. For loving me.” Y/n smiled and kissed Bruno on his cheek. “It’s no problem. I would do this all over again if i could. That’s a lie I wouldn't wanna go through finding your vision again!” The couple chuckled as they watched the stars for a bit before they went back into Victoria's room to celebrate with everyone.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please give me feedback on my writing! I hope you all have a lovely day/night! 

Taglist (Open) : @elfwoodfae​ @rhys-cosmos​ @diasnohibng​ @millyrious​ @quiznakblue​ @cadet-m​ @rihoko-ack​ @mikalei​ @uselesssapphickitten​ @rennaisancebaby​ @savagenctzen​ @slytherinxhunter​ @simpfortheratking​ @piscesarts​ @peachyistired​ @somanyminidragons​ @localdepressedvampire​ @psychadelichues​ @zavagebaby​

[teacupcollector]

A Helping Hand - Chapter 3

Series Masterlist Summary - As a woman who is pregnant you are doing anything if it means survival. Even so you found yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time, or was it the other way around? Now you are in the community of Jackson and you can’t help but attract a certain pair of hazel eyes.

(Hello! I would like to note that this is much longer then what I usually write for a chapter so I hope it doesn’t come as a bother. I hope you all enjoy!)

From then on those thirty minute talks became a regular thing between the two of you. You and Joel would meet up, mostly at night on each other's porches and just talk or maybe just sit in silence. He seemed to be very rough around the edges in the beginning especially when it came to questions about his past. All you really knew about Joel before the outbreak was that he was a divorcee and was a carpenter. You decided not to push it and talk about other things. As of right now you both were currently sitting on a porch swing on your porch. He had his guitar in his lap playing a soft little tune and humming.

"You ever play?" He asks out of the blue. "What? Oh no I have never played." You say. "Would ya like to?" He asks. "I couldn't even if I tried." You laughed. "My belly is almost the size of a full grown watermelon. The guitar wouldn't fit in my lap." You say and he chuckles. "But I will say this little sucker likes hearing you play." You say rubbing your belly. "He looks between you and your belly. "Does he?" Joel asks. "Yes definitely! They wouldn't give me a break until you started playing." You say with a warm smile. "And how do you know they are a 'He?' How can you tell?" You asks and he chuckles. "You're carrying low." You give him a confused look and he chuckles. "That means the weight is lower. With a girl it would be more elevated." He says setting the guitar against the railing of the porch. "And how would you know that?" You ask. He pauses for a moment before saying. "I had a daughter before all of this happened." You try not to have a reaction. You place a comforting hand on his arm. "You don't have to talk about it Joel." "I uh... I'll tell you one day okay sweetheart?" He asks and you nod with a blush.

There is a silence before Joel asks. "If you don't mind me asking. What happened to the father?" You sigh and look down removing your hand from his arm. "Well it is kind of hard to explain." You let out a nervous laugh. "It was mainly a friends with benefits thing..." You says looking ahead. "... But he did step up when he found out I was pregnant. I would be dead if it wasn't for him." You say with a quiver present in your voice. "There were these fucking hunters that attacked us. We were talking about baby names." You say with a laugh as tears fill your eyes. "We were best friends from the start actually. It was just us against the world." You sniffle. "He sacrificed himself to save me and I have to live with the thought that I got him killed." You say wiping your eyes as tears begin to fall down your face. "You didn't get him killed (Y/N)..." "Yes I did." "You didn't." "I did!" You cry out. Joel immediately wraps an arm around you bringing your head to his chest.  "All I can think about is that he got chopped up into tiny pieces!" You say into his chest. "I-I went back even though he told me not to. I went back to see if he was dead and... And all that was left was his head!" She sobs into Joel's chest grabbing onto his jacket. He wraps his other arm around you, one cradling your head and the other rubbing soothing circles on your back. He stands up with you and guides you inside to your bedroom. He makes sure you lay down and tucks you into bed. "D-don't leave! Please..." You whimper and he nods bringing your desk chair over and sitting down. "I'm sorry..." You murmur as your eyes drift close.

Ever since that day Joel made sure he did his best to make himself available to you. When he isn't on patrol or with Ellie he is with you. The early tells of Spring has just arrived so as a small celebration everyone decided to get together in the square of Jackson. Kids were playing and singing, there were streamers and fairy lights hanging off the buildings, there were small fold up tables with drinks and food on them, and then there was you. You were in some black flats wearing a beautiful maternity sun dress and Joel couldn't keep his eyes off of you. Your hair was styled differently, or maybe it was the same but never have you looked so beautiful. His eyes traveled from your smooth exposed legs, to the swell of your stomach and hips, to the fullness of your breasts, up your neck, then finally your beautiful side profile. When they say that a woman is glowing when she is pregnant, that would be an understatement when it came to you. He was convinced that you could outshine the sun if you wanted. He is nudged to the side slightly breaking him from his trance. He looks beside him to see his little brother next to him. Tommy had a shit eating smirk on his face. "What?" Joel grunts. "She's beautiful ain't she?" Tommy asks looking to see his brothers reaction. Joel only grunts and looks away. "Why don't ya just tell her?" He asks and Joel sighs. "She is to young for me Tommy..." Tommy sighs. "She isn't that young, she is in her thirties." Tommy says trying to reason with his brother. "She is going to have a baby Tommy. She shouldn't have to deal with an old man like me..." Joel says with sadness filling his voice.

"You know she talks a big deal about you right?" Tommy asks. Joel looks at him curious urging him to continue. "She boasts about ya. Sayin' how helpful you are to her and stuff." Tommy says before continuing. "You both were the talk of the town when you went off on Seth. You have been spending a lot of time with her." He says then nods in your direction. "Ellie seems to like her as well." Joel looks up and sees you smiling and laughing with both Dina and Ellie. Dina seemingly can't keep her hands off you bump and the two teens eyes widening with excitement when they feel a kick from the little life that is inside you. There was currently music playing as couples begin to pair off with each other. He sees you place both hands on your belly and go to sit on a bench that was placed near the square for this event. Joel sighs and continues to admire you. "You deserve to be happy brother... Now you go ask that pretty lady to dance." He says elbowing Joel's side gently and Joel nods and begins to make his way over to you.

Despite all the ruckus in the square you have never felt happier. This was your first town event since you have been here and you couldn't be more excited. When it came to the preparation and set up of this event you wanted to help in any way you could. Maria decided it would be best if you didn't do any hard labor since you were coming up on eight months now. Maria thought it would be a good idea to distract the children so they wouldn't get in the way and you gladly accepted. You spent all morning coloring, reading books, and playing with them. They all were very curious about your stomach and you allowed them to feel. All the kids decided to color you and the baby when he or she arrives. They all also made a book of names for you to choose such as: Hotdog, Teddy, and Sprinkles. You giggled and laughed all morning until one of the mainly residents came to let you know that the kids are allowed to go to the event. You had them walk in two single file lines all the way to the square and to say that the parents as well as Maria weren't impressed would be a lie. Maria went up to you immediately and offered you a spot for helping and or teaching the kids. You accepted but only after your baby was born to which she agreed.

As of right now you just got out of a conversation with Dina and Ellie. You were happy to be talking to them despite the fifteen or sixteen year age difference. You decided it was best to sit down and get off your feet for a bit. You let out a sigh of relief as you sit down on the bench. You roll your ankles in circular motions in order to relieve some tension. You close your eyes and hum along to the music when there was suddenly a tap on your knee. You open them to see one of the kids standing next to you. He had brown hair with many freckles and brown eyes, he was maybe around  eight years old. "Would you like to dance Miss (Y/N)?" He asks and you smile. "Of course good sir I would love to dance with you." You stand up and walk to a free space where people weren't dancing. You had to lean down  slightly in order to hold his hands as you both sway back and forth. The child went on and on about how his day was going, what his friends were going to do at the sleep over, and even how you were his favorite teacher. The conversation was interrupted when Joel tapped on the young boys shoulder. "Mind if I cut in?" He asks with a small smile and the boy shakes his head before going to run off with his friends. Both you and Joel stand there for a moment before he reaches out his hand. "Hi..." He says seemingly gazing at you. "Hi..." You say taking his hand. He brings you as close as he could despite your belly getting in the way. He places his other hand at the small of your back and begins to sway from foot to foot. "How are you?" He ask. "I couldn't be better." You say smiling. You look him up and down to see him in a button up flannel of sorts. His sleeves are rolled up to expose his forearms and to say he looked good was an understatement. " You clean up nice. " You say with a smile before releasing his hand wand wrapping both of them behind his neck. "I try and look nice every once and a while." He says with a smirk. "And you dance too?" You ask. He nods before taking your hands off his neck and slowly twirl you to where your back was against his chest. You let out a joyful laugh and look over your shoulder to smile up at him. "You've got moves huh Mr. Miller?" You says smiling. "That I do." He says looking down at you. Your eyes are locked in a trance as you both can't seem to stop. You were sure you could feel his heart beating out of his chest against your back. You find yourself glancing down at his lips and he does the same. You begin to lean in and up slightly closing your eyes when suddenly you feel him pull away. "Sorry..." He mumbles before walking away from you leaving you on the dance floor by yourself. To say your heart didn't ache would be a lie.

[clairecrive]

Hello beautiful person! Do you take requests which ask you to write a second chapter for your writings? If you do, may I ask a second chapter for "Rare"? And if you don't could you please let me know so I can be careful for another time when I ask a request?

I hope this is not something that disturbes or irritates you. I love your writing, it is beautiful and sometimes I read your pieces over and over again. 😁

Thanks for blessing us with your writing. Have a nice day.💕

A/n: First of all anon, thank you so very much for your sweet words! They mean the world to me <3 Also, your request could never irritate me! I love them and I love the fact that you consider me half a decent writer enough to send me your thoughts <3 I'm sorry it took me so long to get around this but I hope you like this and are still around to read it x

I've decided to pair it with a request for juicy time with Eddie. there's no actual smut but it's suggestive let's say.

Warnings: bit of angst, fluff,

Word count: 2.4K

Tags: @mollybegger-blog, @evelynshelby, @br0ck-eddie, @fandom--0verdose, @shadow-of-wonder, @innerpaperexpertcloud, @sopxhiea, @fuseburner, @for-bebbanburg, @crazyclownchick ( fill in this form to be added to my taglist)

Part 1

TOM HARDY MASTERLIST

You weren't exactly new to heartbreak. You had been a teenager after all but your experience with adult relationships had not been that good either.

You knew that you'd be over Eddie even if it may take you some time. It's true that you had only been dating for a few months but you had really grown attached to him. It was one of the things you hated about yourself: the way you got attached way too soon, way too much.

Especially, in this case, seeing as Eddie hadn't been 100% in it in the beginning you had hoped that the more time you'd spend together, he'd see that you weren't so bad and that he'd grow to care for you. At least a little bit.

Turns out you were wrong.

As much as you hated being wrong, the thing that hurt you the most was that despite your best efforts, Eddie still didn't think you were enough for him. And how could you be when the benchmark was perfect Anne?

You stood no chance. You had been a fool for even trying. And now you were experiencing the burn for your foolishness.

This had happened often enough that you had developed a routine for dealing with heartbreak:

1) crying your heart out and indulging your sadness with whatever helped (mostly comfort food and Friends)

2) enough with indulging, it was time to pick yourself up. No more overeating although you still allowed yourself to cry if you felt like it

3) "I don't need him anyway" phase where you'd make a mental list of how your life was before and after whoever you had broken up with to remind you that they weren't as important as you made them out to be

4)"put yourself out there again" phase where you started going out again with the intention of meeting new people or simply having a good time.

As of this time, you were in phase 3. You noticed that there were some of Eddie's things littering around your apartment. So, you picked up a box and collected them with the intention of returning them to him, effectively closing this chapter. As you did, you made that aforementioned list. This time, with the added reason for your break up, it was a bit easier to remind you why breaking up had been the right decision.

When your hands closed on your favourite hoodie of his though, you couldn't help the pang in your heart as a flood of memories hit you.

You and Eddie doing a Friends marathon every Friday night.

Eddie giving this hoodie when you were sick because he knew how much you liked it.

Eddie taking the hoodie off for a whole other reason almost ripping it...

No.

Shaking your head, you pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand.

Enough of that. It was over.

It was only a week later that you finally got the time to come around Eddie's apartment. Sure, you could have called him, he could have come himself to pick them up or you could have dropped them at his job but that would have required you to call him. And recalling how that went last time you tried to reach him you decided you'd spare yourself the humiliation of him not ghosting you again.

Taking a deep breath, you straightened your shoulders and knocked on his door.

"Y/n." You were met with a dishevelled Eddie.

He looked like shit but what's new with him. He also looked very surprised to see you at his door and you also couldn't blame it for that. You would have reacted the same way if the roles were reversed.

"Hi, Eddie," you hated your treacherous voice that wobbled when you spoke. Clearing your voice, you tried again.

"Sorry to come here unannounced. I've found some of your stuff in my apartment and I thought you'd like to have them back." You explained as you handed him the box, his eyes taking it in for the first time.

"Oh," he paused as he considered your words. Was that disappointment in his voice? "Thank you, y/n. You shouldn't have." He smiled weakly as he took the box from you, your fingers touching briefly.

"It's not a problem, Eddie. I was just passing by anyway." You and Eddie actually lived far from each other. The truth is that there was no reason for you to be in this part of town if it wasn't for him. Eddie knew that but he was kind enough not to point that out.

He just nodded, accepting your words as he held the box close to his chest.

You awkwardly stared at each other for a while, you didn't know what to say but neither of you wanted to end this exchange quite yet. When you felt that you had been standing like a fool in front of your ex's door, you went to leave but Eddie beat you to it.

"So how have you been?" Your first reaction was to scoff at this attempt of small talk. Neither of you was very good at it. And truthfully, it was rich coming from someone who had not made any effort to keep in contact with you even before your breakup.

The scroll of your shoulders was the only answer Eddie got. You weren't in the mood to pretend nor did you want him to know how you were still suffering for him.

"I should ask that to you." You reverted the question to him. He really didn't look well.

"yeah, it's been a rough couple of weeks," he confessed scratching the back of his head.

"That, I don't find it hard to believe," you hummed as your eyes took him in, really took him in since you knocked at his door. You could also see behind him that his apartment was a mess.

"Yeah, don't have to worry about me though. I'm fine."

"Of course." You nodded at his dismissal, remembering harshly the situation you were in."Well, I'm going to go now. Take care." Cold but still polite you turn around, ready to put this -Eddie and this exchange- behind you.

"Y/n, wait!" he called when you were about to climb down the staircase. "Do you want to have a drink or something?" Stay for a while? he meant but didn't dare to say.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Eddie." You called over your shoulder, hand still on the railing.

"Please, I owe you an explanation." You didn't know if it was the desperate note in his voice or the fact that he really looked like shit but you turned around almost convinced.

"Don't you think it's too late for that, Eddie?"

"Maybe it won't change anything between us but you deserve to know." You knew Eddie and you knew how much he cared about transparency and honesty. This may not mean that you were going to get back together but he was right, you deserved an explanation.

"Okay," you agreed as you walked back and then into his apartment. Eddie closed the door behind him and set the box he was still holding down behind the coat hanger.

The sneak peek you had before was definitely right: Eddie's apartment was even messier than usual.

"Why does it look like a tornado hit your home?" You couldnìt help but point out. You knew Eddie wasn't that bothered by tidiness but this too much even by his standards.

"That would be my fault," a new voice answered you.

At first, you didn't register the difference in tone or accent even though you should have had because Eddieìs voice wasnìt that low or raspy. But then a black tendril entered your vision field catching your attention making you turning your head to better inspect it.

What.the.fuck??

"Eddie?" You asked perplexed, eyes fixed on this thing? even if you were addressing Eddie.

"Y/n meet Venom, Venom meet y/n." He gestured awkwardly with his hands.

"It's so nice to meet you, Eddie's always thinking about you, you know? It's a bit annoying." this time the voice didn't come from a tendril but a face. A fucking alien face with long sharp teeth and wide white eyes.

His words went straight over your head. How the fuck was this true? What were you even seeing? Did this thing come from Eddie's body??

"Fuck, I know I'm heartbroken but now I'm even seeing things?"

"Y/n," Eddie tried to get your attention. You thought you had only thought that but apparently, you had spoken the words. "You're not seeing things, this is part of the explanation I owe you."

"I think it's better if you sit," he said motioning to his couch when you did nothing but stare at Venom. Prompting by Eddie though, you sat down and listened as he spoke.

He told you everything. About Carton Drake about his project with aliens, about Venom and their rather troubled relationship. He even explained how Anne had got involved and how she and Danny had helped him.

It was definitely a lot to take in. But somehow, the thought that he could be lying to you never crossed your mind. The proof was right in front of you, wasn't it? Venom, as he had introduced himself, stood next to Eddie while he spoke. It had never spoken again and you were inwardly thankful for that. That he was giving you space to digest all of this.

"Why didn't you tell me when you came around that day, Eddie?" You asked once you thought you had wrapped your head around it.

"I didn't want you to drag you into this mess," he said with a shrug, head cast down he didn't meet your eyes.

You didn't know how you felt about all of this yet but you nodded anyway. Well, there was nothing you could do anymore, could you? He had already taken care of everything on his own and it wasn't like you had any right to worry about him anymore.

"Thank you for explaining, Eddie. I appreciate your honesty." Did this change anything for you?

"I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like you weren't enough of if Anne meant more to me than you did. That's not true but I didn't know how to tell you that without telling you what was happening." He nervously fiddled with his fingers without meeting your eyes.

You could see his point now that you knew what happened. Still, it hurt you that he decided to just keep you out of it without a word. He could have at least told you that something was going on, that he didn't or couldn't tell you anything - not right now. You would have understood and given him space. Did he really act like this to keep you safe or was it a way to dismiss you?

"I don't know if this changes things, Eddie. You still turned up to her when a major life-threatening event happened. I think this tells me everything that I need to know." You point out after a while, eyes fixed on the end of your shoes.

"She has been involved from the moment we broke up, Y/n. Hell, this was the reason we broke up in the first place." Eddie's head snapped up at your words. He looked surprised at your words like he couldn't believe that you thought Anne's involvement had been something he had actively sought out.

"That may as well be true, Eddie but still, you didn't tell me even after everything settled down. If I hadn't come around to give you your stuff I still would be none the wiser."

"I was afraid, y/n. How could I come back to you after how much I had hurt you? 'Sorry if I went m.i.a. for a while, I was infected with a parasite who knows permanently with me?' Come on, y/n, I wouldn't take me back either." Now upset, Eddie started to gesticulate frantically to prove his point. His eyes flickered between yours, he leaned toward you, his hands a touch away from yours as if he wanted to touch you but was preventing himself from doing so.

"I'm not saying I would have believed you straight away but still- aliens are way better than self-loathing you know?" You scoff at him- why was he so upset? He wasn't the one who had been beating himself up since that fight for being a worthless piece of shit, was he?

"I know I've never done a good job at showing you but I do care about you. Deeply." Almost as if he couldn't bear to not be touching you any longer, Eddie now reached for your hands. His hold on them tightening as he spoke the words.

You looked at him for a moment. Aside from that fight, your relationship with him had been good. The start wasn't promising, seeing as he was still taken by Anne but Eddie had treated you good. He was attentive and caring in his own way. Looking back to it now, you realized that the period where you started feeling him pulling back from you was the time when this whole alien thing had started.

But now you had settled this, right? So, could this mean...

"If I give you one more chance to show you," you spoke tentatively, enthralled by the twinkle in his eyes, "do you promise me to be fully transparent with me this time around?"

"What? Why would you do that?" He looked shocked but his eyes were hopeful.

"Are you trying to talk me out of it, Eddie?" You challenged him, arching an eyebrow.

"Like hell I am." He scoffed, a smile on his lips. "Nono, of course I do. I swear, y/n. You'll never feel like you don't matter to me again."

"Good." You gave him a small smile at the gobsmacked expression on his face. Oh, Eddie...

He does nothing but stares at you for a while. Like he hadn't seen you in a while and now that you were in front of him, he wanted to commit to his memory every little detail of your face.

"So," you said after a while, "do you plan to stare at me or would you like to get a head start on your promise?" you provoke him with a suggestive tone.

Eddie's mouth fell a little at that, Venom said something to him but you didn't understand him. Shaking his head, Eddie smirks at you.

"I would like nothing more." And with that, Eddie's lips are on yours making up for the lost time.

[lipstickstainz]

true lies - s. r. (9/15)

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader

Series Summary: Spencer is furious, when you rejoin the team after a year and after you left him, when he got arrested. Little does he know, that you leaving him was the only option to ever get him out of prison.

Chapter Summary: Spencer and you talk about your friendship.

Warnings: angst, alcohol consumption

Word Count: 2.4k

A/N: this is angsty and I’m so sorry! hope you enjoy! gif not mine.

Series Masterlist

previous part

“Have you read that book I brought you the other day?", Spencer asks as you get off the elevator together in the morning.

You nod. "I started it, but I haven't finished it completely yet. But it's really well written and, above all, very exciting", you answer him, giving him a smile, which he happily returns.

"Another book of his was made into a movie last year. We could watch the movie together sometime, if you like", he suggests as he holds the glass door open for you, like a gentleman, so you can go through first.

"I'd love to, actually."

You are - apart from Emily, of course - the first of the team to arrive today, but you don't mind. You both leave your bags at your desks before heading to the kitchen for your morning coffee. While Spencer fills the cups, you find the sugar and milk before adding both to his coffee in prodigious amounts. Your grips are rehearsed, because lately it's become routine for you to get your coffee together, and it feels good to stand so close to him and feel his warmth through your clothes, which you don't let on, of course. But being friends with him is so easy, so simple, you can't help but enjoy it.

Spencer playfully nudges you with his elbow as you put the sugar back. Before you can nudge back, you hear Emily call out. "Y/N? Will you come into my office for a minute, please?" She stands at the railing and her gaze darts from you to Spencer before she turns and disappears again. You nod, though she's already gone, before smiling once more at Spencer and walking up the few stairs. When you enter the office, Emily is already sitting behind her desk, quickly closing a file that says "top secret" on it, which gives you pause, but you don't address her on it.

"What's up?", you ask her as you close the door behind you.

Her expression is composed. "We need to talk."

You sit down on the chair in front of her table, coffee in both hands. As far as you know, you haven't done anything wrong, which is why you're a little unsure what Emily wants to talk to you about and where this conversation should lead. But you don't have time to think about it, because she gets straight to the point.

"I'm really happy for you that Spencer and you are getting close again", she says, clasping her hands on the table in front of her. Your gaze drifts to her kneading fingers, and something tells you this isn't a conversation between friends.

"But?"

She smiles weakly. "Do you think it's the right thing to do?"

You raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Emily sighs. "While I think this friendship is good for both of you, or whatever this is between you, I also think it's not fair to him."

"Not fair?" you inquire, even though you know exactly what she's getting at. Emily nods.

"After all, your current friendship is based on a lie, Y/N. You told him you didn't love him, and apparently he believes you. But what if something more develops between you? Are you willing to keep lying to him and pretending you didn't make the deal?"

You'd love to get up and leave, but Emily's gaze has softened, and it tells you she's worried not only about Spencer, but about you, too. "I know exactly what I'm getting into. I made the deal, after all."

"I'm aware of that, and I'm not trying to force anything on you, Y/N. And certainly not trying to change your mind. I just want you to think hard about where this friendship can take you. And how far you're willing to go for it." She gets up from her chair and circles the table until she stops in front of you.

You have to swallow hard. "We've got him, Emily. It's all right." Your voice trembles, because you know full well that Emily is right. It's not fair to Spencer. None of this is fair to him at all. You lower your eyes and look into your cup of coffee as if it holds all the answers. "What do you want me to do, Emily? I love him." It's been ages since you've said it out loud, afraid that something bad might happen, but it just bursts out of you, lifting a weight off your shoulders that you didn't know was weighing you down. As you look at Emily, a tear runs down your cheek.

Carefully, Emily takes the cup from your hands and sets it down on the table before pulling you from the chair and hugging you tightly."This is up to you, Y/N.  Just know that I'm always by your side. No matter what you decide."

-

"You're the absolute best", you grin at David as he hands you a glass of whiskey. He winks at you before dropping onto the lounger next to you. You carefully sip your drink, and the cool whiskey is a pleasant contrast to the weather, though it burns a little on the finish.

It's unseasonably warm for this time of year, which has enticed much of the team to storm Rossi's mansion on a Saturday off, enjoying its large garden, cold drinks, and the pleasant waters of the swimming pool. While Emily, David and you occupy the loungers by the pool and the sun warms your skin, Tara and Spencer sit on the terrace playing chess. You try to tune them out, concentrating on the chirping of the birds and the pleasant breeze - if it ever comes - but in between you hear Tara swearing and have to grin. No one wins against Spencer at chess. No matter how many times you try.

"Thanks for putting up with us", Emily grins at David, pushing her sunglasses down her nose a little before leaning over and looking over you in his direction. "And for the drinks, of course. I don't think anyone else here can afford booze that expensive." She holds her glass out to you and you clink yours, resulting in a nice sound.

"I invited you to enjoy the nice weather with me", David begins, taking a sip of his drink. "Not for you to drink all my good stuff." His complaint is feigned, as he can't help but smile. Emily leans back and has to grin as well.

The sun beats down on you relentlessly, and you're glad you slathered on sunscreen beforehand. In fact, it's so warm that you unceremoniously pull your shirt over your head to let more air get to your hot skin. The movement draws Emily's attention back to you and again she pushes her glasses down a little.

"Nice bikini. Is that new?"

You shake your head. "Bought it ages ago, but never had the time or opportunity to put it on." You grin at her. "Unfortunately, when you have to work around the clock, you don't have the free time for some things."

"I already took the hint," she replies with a smile, sipping her drink before giving you another look. It lands on bare skin just below your bikini top. "I didn't know you could speak French."

"I can't." You feel the alcohol burning in your throat as you drink every last drop of the whiskey. Both Emily and David look at you uncertainly, but say nothing in response. They also say nothing as you try to avoid the conversation by getting up from your seat with the glass in your hand. You pretend not to notice the looks they exchange among themselves. "You guys want anything else?" They both shake their heads, and Emily watches you as you slip on your shoes and disappear toward the house, where the bottle of whiskey is waiting for you.

As you walk past Tara and Spencer, you feel his gaze on you. "Are you okay?", he asks. You raise your empty glass and nod at him.

"Just need to fill it up", you reply and walk past them into the house without turning around.

You find the bottle in the kitchen on the counter. You pour yourself a little into your empty glass before closing the bottle and putting it back.You let the glass swirl in your hand, watching the liquid circulate inside before taking a hearty swig.

Actually, you don't want to be here. You didn't have any particular plans for today, but being around Spencer hadn't been on your to-do list at all.

Actually, you didn't want to be here. You didn't have any particular plan for Saturday, but being around Spencer hadn't been on your to-do list at all.You'd actually been avoiding him lately, hoping he wouldn't notice, but he's a good profiler.  So you're not surprised when he enters the kitchen and stands on the other side of the kitchen island. Right in your field of vision.

"You shouldn't drink so much if you're going to stay out in the sun all day." You don't lift your eyes from your glass, but feel his on you. Without looking at him, you raise an eyebrow. "Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate, which can lead to circulatory problems and unconsciousness", he continues to explain, letting his fingers dance across the cool marble slab.

"Good to know", you reply, taking another sip. Spencer puckers his mouth into a thin line, which doesn't escape your notice, but you don't want to ask either. You've resolved to spend as little time with him as possible, and asking him drunk if everything is okay with him would be a pretty bad start.

"Are you okay?", he finally asks you, you nod slowly even though it's anything but the truth. It hurts to have him so close, and to have to keep yourself away from him. To want to, you correct yourself in your mind. "I don't believe you."

You smile weakly at him. "That's not my problem." You're about to leave the kitchen, but he grabs your arm and holds you tight. "What are you doing, Spencer? Let go of me."

"Not until you tell me what's going on." As he swallows, you see his Adam's apple bounce. "That's what friends are for, Y/N."

You suppress a laugh. "This was a really bad idea."

"What?"

It's now or never. You gather all your courage and point to the space between you with your free hand. "This. The friends thing." Your gaze lingers on the spot where his long fingers curl around your arm. You feel his warmth on your skin, almost burning into your flesh, and you want most to snatch your arm from him and flee, but his grip is firm.

"Why would it be a bad idea?" As you meet his gaze, there's something in it, but you can't put your finger on what exactly.

"You shouldn't want to be friends with me, Spencer."

"And why not? Because you broke my heart?" Though his hand comes away from your arm, his voice and cool and determined.

You exhale deeply. "I think we need more time, more distance from each other, to make it work."

Something collapses in Spencer's face and you have to look away. "I've had a year. I don't need more time, or more distance. We were good friends then, Y/N. Why can't we be now?"

You blink away the tears in your eyes before looking at him again, hoping he doesn't notice them. "There's been too much going on, Spencer. I don't think this friendship is going to move us forward. Or do you any good. You shouldn't want to be friends with the woman who left you at the altar. You should want me to go away and never come back, not to spend the day with me like nothing happened." You realize you're talking yourself into a frenzy, but you can't stop.

"I have. For a whole year, and I don't want that anymore. I don't want to feel this anymore. I don't want to feel that way anymore. I want to be friends with you so I can be done with it." He doesn't wipe away the tear that has crept down his cheek. As he continues to speak, his voice breaks. "I want to be friends with you so I don't have to love you anymore." When you don't say anything, he runs his hand through his hair. "I don't want to love you anymore, Y/N, because that's what's not good for me. Because I lie awake at night wishing you were lying next to me. I don't want that anymore."

Spencer's words hit you so unexpectedly that they knock the air out of your lungs. You don't know if it's them or the whiskey making you feel like you're going to throw up, but you pull yourself together. You don't want him to know how much it hurts you. You'd like to answer him, but you don't know what either, which is why you stay silent and just look at him.

"I can't hate you because it's eating me up.And I don't want to love you because it's destroying me. The only middle ground I can think of is for us to be friends, and I thought you'd want that too."

"Spencer," you begin, your voice barely louder than a whisper. "It's not right. And you know it." Before all the dams really burst on you, you push past him. You're careful not to touch each other, because you couldn't bear it.

"If you care so little for me," he calls after you, and you stop without turning around. "Why did you get that saying tattooed in my handwriting?"

Tears run down your cheeks, and you leave without looking back.

next part

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[greenhappyseed]

Things are getting dark in the BNHA manga, so I wanted to return to brighter times and do a post on Inko Midoriya and her many parallels with All Might. Their interactions are some of my favorites in BNHA, not as a ship (although I am multi-ship friendly) but as two adult humans with little in common and no overlapping life experiences that nonetheless become co-parents because of deep empathy and one determined kid with a knack for bringing people together. The canon Inko-All Might interactions are short, but they occur at critical points in the story and touch on almost all major themes of the series.

The main chapter where All Might and Inko meet starts with them depicted as adversaries, facing off for a fight. #1 hero vs mama bear! Except...they don’t actually fight. They talk through what they each want for Izuku and come to a mutual understanding. These characters really see and trust each other in a way that contrasts with the Todoroki “watch me” story. Before I dive deep, check out the difference between the beginning and the end of Chapter 97, because this art is everything:

Ok, now for the good stuff.

1. In a story about succession and what we owe future generations, Inko is All Might’s predecessor with respect to Izuku. If Nana Shimura gave him OFA and made him a hero, Inko gives him a second life and unofficially-but-actually-officially makes him a “dad.”

2. Much like how All Might can’t be the sole pillar supporting society, Inko can’t be the sole pillar supporting Izuku. The difference is that we watch Inko arrive at this conclusion in the span of one chapter while All Might and, uh, society, aren’t there yet. When Inko truly sees how much Izuku is driven to become a hero, and how much he NEEDS something she can’t give, she starts to back down. Unlike Endeavor, she knows her son’s future is not about her.

Izuku wants this so much he won’t stay with Inko and will “go wherever”.... and it’s almost like All Might will follow to help Izuku be that hero...

3. Speaking of, allowing Izuku to move out at 15 and having All Might “raise” him is an incredible sacrifice on Inko’s part. She’s unexpectedly “retiring” as an active day-to-day parent and letting go of the one thing she spent her life building and protecting. Trusting your life’s work in someone else’s hands is really, really hard, but she does it. (Can All Might?)

After the Overhaul arc, we see Inko acknowledging the progress Izuku has made, which includes All Might by extension (because she’s clearly thinking about him too). Seeing how Izuku can grow without her, Inko is slowly getting comfortable with her decision to “retire.” (Can All Might?)

4. Inko’s weight gain parallels All Might’s weight loss in that both characters neglect themselves to help others (parenting and hero-ing) and they PARTICULARLY ignore themselves when worrying about Izuku.

5. Izuku, Inko, and All Might all seem to know when people need a little saving. Starting with Inko...when All Might flexes into his iconic muscle form and performs dogeza (and then poofs down to his true form), he’s not merely apologizing — he’s showing deference to Inko. She has power over All Might AND she’s not sold on the bloody reality of her son becoming a hero, even if she supports his dream. From here, she could block the next symbol of peace. She could take away the child All Might loves. She could extract whatever she wanted from the longtime #1 hero. Just think about what some other, less charitable characters might do.

But Inko doesn’t take anything from All Might. Instead, Inko sees how much Izuku and All Might need each other (I mean, LOOK AT THEIR FACES when they think she’s saying no!!!). She moves to reassure All Might that Izuku needs him, that she doesn’t hate UA (even though she railed against the school minutes earlier), and that she doesn’t want an big, heroic sacrifice. Inko trusts he will help Izuku “walk a path” different from his bloody one. She just wants a happy child, and All Might is integral to that because these 2 boys are a bonded pair. Izuku lives for All Might and All Might lives for Izuku. All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall. Inko sees how deeply All Might respects and cares for Izuku, to the point that the next symbol of peace is secondary (unlike Endeavor, who is invested in Shoto carrying on his legacy above all else).

Oh hey, 200 chapters later, it turns out All Might IS willing to follow Izuku anywhere, because he just can’t be apart from his boy. And, after Inko and All Might built mutual respect in Chapter 97, we see in Chapter 309 that All Might is not afraid to cry in front of Inko and show his real concern about Izuku. (He doesn’t cry in Chapter 97, but he readily lets the waterworks flow in Chapter 309.)

Now, we don’t see Inko’s reaction to All Might beyond the second panel below, but we know she previously decided to trust the boys despite her own fears. It’s not out of character for her to trust them again. In fact, it’s kinda sweet to see them both reassure her [while still clinging to their dumb plans, sigh]. Izuku makes clear he’s not intending to sacrifice his life, and All Might won’t let Izuku go alone. Of course, both of these promises will be...challenged...in chapters 310+, but the intent is there and that’s all Inko can ask for (I mean, that was all she originally asked of All Might in exchange for her consent — no sacrifice + “look after” Izuku.)

Finally, note how All Might stands throughout the scene, projecting a large, protective presence because it’s his turn to give back. Izuku extends his hand to his mother; All Might extends his height above them both. For all of 309 he’s high above Inko and Izuku; in 97, he’s shown equal to or below Inko except the brief moment he looms over them just before kneeling to the floor.

6. Inko and All Might only interact twice in the manga, but both times are critical turning points between acts AND both times are shortly after encounters with villains — Shigaraki/AFO in particular. The first is in the immediate aftermath of Kamino and All Might’s retirement (literally, All Might retires at the beginning of Chapter 96 and he meets Inko at the end). The second Inko-All Might interaction is in the immediate aftermath of the war and jailbreak (Chapter 309). At a meta-level, Inko’s character page is at the end of Chapter 94, right after we see Izuku & Shigaraki with AFO saying “it’s your turn.”

Interestingly there are TWO earlier near-interactions in canon. The first is in the School Briefs light novel, taking place just after the internships/Stain arc and before final exams. TL;DR: There’s a Parents Day at UA that involves a villain kidnapping 1A’s parents (spoiler: it’s really a rational deception by Aizawa and the parents are in on it). But things go awry and Inko nearly falls into a fire pit for real. A playing-the-villain-but-actually-in-his-true-form All Might swoops in to save her, of course! Afterwards, Inko runs over to thank him, thinking she’s talking to a local theater actor. :)

Lastly, in Chapter 70, right after Izuku runs into Shigaraki at the mall, Inko and All Might are both near Izuku at the police station. However, neither one speaks to or acknowledges the other, and the art doesn’t even show them together. The closest we get is the bottom right panel:

Despite both All Might and Izuku knowing about these two near-meetings, neither one tells Inko. My head canon is that they do this to avoid embarrassing her — she’s obviously terrified when All Might visits her home, so All Might saying, “we’ve met but you didn’t know” would be impolite. Likewise, if she at all remembered All Might from the police station, she doesn’t say so. Kindness all around!

I don’t know if it’s likely, but I’m really hopeful that a “found family” with most (all?) of these characters will happen in the end (maybe with Shigaraki too??)....I enjoy them way too much!!

[phantomato]

I take issue with the concept of “out of character” (OOC).

It comes up frequently in meta spaces, in discussing tropes or ship dynamics or reviewing fics, and every time I see it, I want to scream a little bit. Mind, that’s a me problem, not a fandom problem. But this is my space, and I am screaming.

See, the issue I have is that OOC is nearly always used synonymously with disliking a fic/ship/etc. “Character A was OOC in that fic” means “I didn’t like that fic.” “Ship A/B is OOC” means “I don’t like ship A/B.” And disliking a thing is fine—my tumblr is a testament to the idea that I dislike many things—but what gets me is that by reframing a personal dislike as an objective truth, one can more easily condemn the fans who like the things that are ‘OOC’. There’s a veneer of respectability to it, even.

My tastes are better than your tastes because my ship is in-character (IC). My set of traits for A are IC. My favorite fic is IC.

It’s the same argument used to condemn alternate universes or original characters or readerfic—“Well, I read fanfic to see more of the canon characters and canon world, so why would I touch that stuff?” Except now the argument can encompass characters who exist in the canon, too, because someone writing A or A/B or whatever not to your tastes is interpreting canon incorrectly. Character A would never.

My problem with this is that interpretations of canon are inherently subjective. What I see as the core set of character traits for A aren’t likely the same as what you see, nor the same as what the hundreds, thousands, millions of other consumers of the canon see. There will be more and less common interpretations, fandom will coalesce around a few different definitions of a given character, but everyone has some line from the canon, some scene they can cite that gives them the impression that character A has a given trait. If we’re all basing our understanding of these characters in our subjective read of canon, how can anything actually be OOC?

I’ve got this theory that the label OOC gets used primarily for two reasons: bad writing and a mismatch of expectations.

Lots of fanfic is written poorly. That’s something to be celebrated, others have written about this topic, I won’t rehash it here except to reiterate its truth. And a hallmark of poorly-written fanfic, aside from the spelling and grammar errors and the like, is when a fic fails to live up to its ambitions. You’ve seen it before: an epic adventure plot that resolves too quickly and easily, a romance that drags for 50k words longer than it needs, the fic that balloons to hundreds of thousands of words without a clear plan, etc. Plenty of authors start with the core ideas that would make a successful story (A/B, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity with a slow-burn romance), and then blow it because their pacing or dialogue or plot or whatever just isn’t good. It’s a bummer.

It’s also not OOC, in my mind.

I can see the blueprints underneath the story that align with canon characterizations. Often, it’s a matter of looking at the summary or tags or first chapter, where it’s clear that A and B both fit some widely-accepted standard for their characters. Things go off the rails from there because the fic doesn’t show us the emotional growth, or it wallows too long in their inner lives, or or or. But a poorly-written fic is no more proof of OOCness than stick-figure fan-art is proof that the artist drew the wrong body type for a character.

So, onto the next: expectations.

I mentioned earlier that fandoms tend to coalesce around a few different interpretations of a character. Protagonist A is written a certain way in het fics, a slightly different way in slash fics, and maybe there are some subtypes out there for when A is paired with someone on the same side versus someone on the opposite side of the main conflict, or when A is the older versus the younger character in the relationship. In gen land, A’s traits might center more around their trauma in gritty-realistic fics and more around their badass heroism in power-wank fics. And the more popular the character, the more likely there are to be a lot of subtypes with their own particular fanbases.

It’s usually also the case that fans of A are not fans of every single version of A. Maybe a fan is happy with all of the slash characterizations but not the gen or het, maybe someone is primarily here for the power-wank and will read any type of ship as long as it does the power-wank tropes, maybe someone really identifies with part of A’s backstory and that must show up in a fic for them to enjoy it. And what I see is that, when fans peer out across their boundary/preference walls and are confronted with other styles of writing the same character, they react negatively. OOC is one of the major categories of this negative reaction.

Which all makes sense in the way that their A, with a given subset of A’s canon traits and particular emphasis on a subset of A’s canon scenes, probably wouldn’t be a good fit for ship A/B or whatever it is that throws the reader off. But those A/B shippers aren’t writing that version of A—comb through discords or tumblr posts or Twitter threads about A/B and you’ll find plenty of citations of canon text or canon ideas that are used to justify why A/B is a fantastic ship, why it’s the best match for these characters and why it’s such a perfect distillation of who they are. The disconnect isn’t that A/B is OOC for A, it’s that people who read A in a different way expect that all stories featuring A must be written in the way they most like, the way that they personally interpreted the original canon. And that’s just not true!

Our subjective interpretations influence what we enjoy, what we’re primed to even consider possible. And, hey, proof of that is that plenty of the poorly-written fic I discussed above is perfectly popular with readers and interpreted as IC because the readers, like the author, understand the intent and can follow along from the same starting point, even if the journey is a bit rocky. Are there probable edge-cases where OOC truly is the most accurate label for a given fic? Sure. Are they nearly as common as a fic being poorly-written or the reader and author having mismatched expectations? I don’t think so.

So I’ve excised OOC (and IC) from my fandom vocabulary. I would rather say what I mean: I don’t like reading a given character that way. It results in far less needless debate over the ground truth of canon, and far more interaction with people who connect with the same things I do.