#valentines fic 2023

[make-me-imagine]

A New Experience

Plot: John wants to confess his feelings to you during Valentines, but you aren't originally from Earth, and have no idea what Valentines Day is.

Pairing: John Shepard x Gn!Alien!Reader

Prompts: "What are these for?" "Valentines Day." "Why?" + A takes B's hand to help them down steps/wall, and doesn't let go

Requested By: @gaitwae & Anonymous

Warnings: A kiss at the end. Mention of roof ledge (sitting on).

Words: ~1.2k

-

As John made his way around the Atlantis base, his eyes scouring every room for you, his heart beat nervously in his chest. Over the course of the few months you had been settling in at the Atlantis base, becoming a new team member, John had fallen completely head-over-heels for you.

He debated constantly when or if he should tell you about how he felt, often chickening out last minute. But as the Earthly holiday of love slowly infected the Atlantis base, he felt more courage than he had before.

So here he was, looking desperately for you, hoping to whisk you away to his room, where he had set up a dinner for the two of you. He got flowers chocolates, and hopefully the confidence to tell you exactly how he felt.

"Hey Zelenka!" He called out as the scientist walked past "You seen Y/n?"

"Oh yes, roof, I believe."

"Roof." John sighed out with realization. You often went out to look out at the water to relax.

Quickly making his way up to the roof, he took a few deep breaths, hoping to quiet his anxieties.

As he made his way out onto the roof his eyes moved around, before finally spotting you sitting up on a roof ledge, legs dangling over as you peered out at the water. He always felt a nervous flutter in his stomach when he saw you there, so close to danger, yet appearing so peaceful.

Making sure his steps could be heard, so he did not startled you, he walked over. Turning your head to look back, you smiled as you saw him.

"Hello John." You greeted, your own heart fluttering in your chest as you saw his familiar warm smile.

"Hey Y/n." Leaning on the edge of the wall, he looked over for a moment before looking at you "You got any plans for this evening?"

You shook your head with a soft smile "No, why?"

"Well, I thought you might join me, for dinner."

You felt butterflies in your stomach as you smiled "I'd love to."

You'd often sit in the mess hall with John or the others and eat, you enjoyed spending that time with them. You wondered if the others would be joining you again tonight.

"Great!" He said with a bright smile "You hungry now?"

You let out a soft laugh "Yes actually I am. I was planning on heading in to eat soon."

As you turned around, facing the roof, you moved to jump down. John reached out his hand or you to take as you did so, and you smiled softly as you took it.

Jumping down from the ledge you expected John to release your hand, but you were surprised when he did not, instead he smiled almost bashfully at you as he lead you inside.

You felt your cheeks and neck warm up as his hand continued to hold yours. You were not averse to the action, far from it actually, but you were definitely caught off guard by it.

As you stood in the lift, making your way down, John cleared his throat, "I think you'll like what I got for dinner."

You frowned slightly, unsure of what he meant. "What do you mean? Are they serving something unusual today?"

As you said this, John realized he had made an error. He was not specific enough.

"Oh, no, uh, when I asked if you would eat with me, I meant just the two of us, I had something special made up for us."

Your heart was now pounding in your chest, and the reason behind his holding your hand started to make a bit more sense.

You smiled at him "Oh, I see, that sounds wonderful."

He smiled at you, obviously relieved you were still happy to have dinner with him. He glanced down at your still intertwined hands and smiled to himself.

As the lift doors opened to the floor where you knew John's room was on your stomach grew tighter as you began to grow nervous. You had feelings for John, you had since you first met him.

Now your mind was full of thoughts of what this dinner was for, why was he holding your hand, did this mean he felt the same as you? The way he looked at you seemed to express enough, but you still held doubts.

Making your way into John's room, you were stunned to see a table set up for dinner, complete with candles. John quickly pulled out his phone and you watched him for a moment before he looked back up at you.

"Our food will show up son, I had the kitchen hold it while I looked for you."

You smiled fondly at him as he seemed to hold a nervous energy about him.

"Oh!" He exclaimed softly, before grabbing something off the counter, turning back around he handed you a bouquet of beautiful red flowers "I got these for you".

You looked at them in awe before looking up at John "Oh they're beautiful, what are they?"

He smiled "They're called dahlias."

As you smelled them, you looked back at John "What are these for? What is all of this for John?" Your tone was bewildered but obviously pleased.

John smiled "Valentines day."

You blinked a few times "Why? What is, Valentines day?"

As realization washed over John, he let out a soft chuckle "It's an Earth holiday, obviously, I thought you may have heard about it by now."

You shook your head "What does it mean?"

"Oh, that's- uh, well, it's a holiday for people to celebrate love, and relationships of all kinds."

"So you are celebrating our...friendship?" You asked softly, worried you misinterpreted what this was.

He smiled "No, not really. Uhm, it is a holiday mostly celebrated by couples, it's a romantic holiday. And a lot of people, including me in this case use it as a way to express how they feel about someone."

Now your heart was beating faster again, maybe you did not misunderstand after all.

"And what it is you are trying to express to me?"

He smiled as he took a step closer to you his eyes grazed your face softly before he spoke "I wanted to express that I am crazy about you." As you smiled brightly at his confession, he felt more confident "And I've been a coward these past couple months having not told you and I'm sorry it took so long."

You smiled bashfully at him before you spoke softly "I have been a coward too then."

He grinned at you, as you stared at each other for a moment in blissful silence. Reaching over, he gently caressed the back of your hand before he met your eyes again "I really like you."

"I really like you too John."

Leaning closer, slowly, his eyes drifted from your eyes down to your lips. Gently, your lips met in a soft kiss, as John's hand gently drifted up your arm, before he cupped your chin and deepened the kiss.

You had a feeling you were really going to enjoy this new holiday.

xx End xx

General Taglist: @criminaly-supernatural, @imaginesfire, @onuen, @witchygagirl, @alexxavicry

Stargate Taglist: @hybrid-omegaverse, @gatefleet, @cs-please, @fandomdancer,

[roseglazedlens]

⦑ THE FUCKING DEAD ⦒ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

➠ series masterlist | 🔃girl’s route | 🔃boy’s route |

𝐒𝐌𝐔𝐓┇𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐑┇𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐅𝐈𝐂┇𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 LEON S. KENNEDY & CARLOS OLIVEIRA X AFAB GN! READER ADA WONG & JILL VALENTINE X AFAB GN! READER chapter synopsis: You are amongst the top five selected for this infiltration to take down Glenn Arias. An argument unfolds between the agents and you are forced to pick a side. chapter content: smut in next chapter, resident evil: vendetta spoilers, zombies, haunted mansion, explicit themes throughout this series. a/n: welcome to my second series!! (need to finish my first one oops) on a thursday one month ago, i thought to myself 'zombie threesome hehehe', then i took the idea and sprinted with it and this series is born. so, uh... zombiefuckers rise up?? « 3.3 k words | general masterlist | ao3 | reblogs appreciated! »

Millions are dying—Mass infections are happening across the globe swamping the streets with an unbeknownst fear. The symptoms of this virus are faint, indecipherable next to an x-ray of a man who is perfectly healthy. Not even the carrier themselves are aware of how the virus lies underneath their veins, dormant, until a click of button is pressed from a commander far away, then their symptoms worsen: a headache, a cold, veins turning purple as the poison hatches in them, spreading, until the only thing that can manoeuvre their limbs is the word: KILL.

That’s the greatest strength of this virus. Anyone can be infected, and maybe, you already are.

This product first reached the underground market three months ago. Called the A-Virus; a bioweapon succeeded in the market for its ability to infect targeted communities remotely and leaving no evidence on the perpetrator, which no other distributors had successfully produced before.

Engineered by Glenn Arias, the researcher sold over thousands of this bioweapon, becoming a billionaire overnight at the cost of lives lost from the whims of the rich. He supplied the wealthy and corrupted, like insatiable brats, with new remote-controlled monster trucks, who only aims to tear down families and have their victims beg mercy to a monster that will not speak reason.

Hence, this problem brought attention to a global scale, having the DSO come in alliance with the BSAA and other independent mercenaries to hunt down the vaccine and put a stop to Arias’ grand schemes. Handpicking five agents who are equipped with both experience and skill to combat a zombie attack on this scale of doom and urgency.

Those five agents are Jill Valentine, Carlos Oliveira, Leon S. Kennedy, Ada Wong, and you.

A plan is already in place. A distraction concocted with your intel and the help of a senior researcher of all things bioweapons, Rebecca Chambers. While Arias is busy attending fake business meetings on the other side of the world, the five of you will infiltrate his private mansion to retrieve a concentrated sample of the A-Virus. Rebecca can use the sample to reverse engineer it into a cure and send her findings to facilities across the world.

The plan sounds brilliant in writing, but when you arrived his private mansion in Queretaro region, Mexico, something is off about this place.

Arias is a mastermind, you had been warned many times, in which you appropriately prepared all your best gear for this mission to treat it with utmost gravity. You’re thinking armed guards, well-equipped security, BOWs. But when the five of you pushed open the front doors of his mansion, it was quiet.

Empty. Not a single soul. Just five of you greeted by the whisk of wind through weakly hinged windows that somehow makes the humid air stick to your skin further. Did Rebecca get the wrong info? No one lived there. From what you heard when you were in town, not even the locals dare to venture anywhere near the odd gothic mansion on the top of the hill. They said it’s abandoned, cursed, rumoured to whisk away young children if they ever step foot inside.

It’s a story they say to stop the naughty kids, you remind yourself. It’s not haunted. And you’re not a kid anymore.

The inside is abandoned. Cobwebs lay thick between cornices and carved columns, the floors laced with a film of dust on the luxurious dark wood flooring, creaking with worn age as you take each step. Besides the chandelier, every single piece of furniture is either the same colour of black or red, or nothing else. The soft red velvet upholstery and the rug are made with the same fabric. And you can find the same dark wood in every corner of this house. It’s in the tables, the shelves, the chaise, the painting frames, and stone-like head sculpture whittled with the same exact dark wood, ridged the exact uniform way.

Then, you look at the wall. Black patches of mould smearing across the burgundy wallpaper like a crime scene.

Something creaks behind you. The hair on your arms stands up as you shiver, immediately followed by a wave of embarrassment. Despite the number of times you had taken down hordes of incoming zombies like they’re cardboard targets, why is a bit of wind freaking you out? It’s not a ghost, just old foundations, maybe mice, or wind kicking something off a table, like how every old house sounds like. You look around to see if anyone else catches you jumping at nothing, before Jill says, thankfully unaware of your worry:

“God, the smell. What have they done to this place?” Her hand flies over her nose as if that will help to shield any smell whatsoever. Unfortunately, the building is moulded far beyond salvageable that the stench lingers in every part of the mansion.

“I’m sure it’s not that bad. We get weeks-old corpses in body bags every day. It’s absolutely retching.” Jill’s earpiece fizzes into life, and she recognises the familiar playful lilt of Rebecca’s voice on the other side of the line.

“At least that’s refrigerated and contained, Rebecca. This fucking stinks.” Jill scrunches her face like she just ate something unpleasant.

“I’m sending my sympathies from my well-conditioned lab right now.”

Carlos appears from Jill’s behind, placing a firm, teasing hand on top of Jill’s shoulder. His wavy curls catch in the wind and his teeth glistens sparkly white. “Yeah Jill, got a problem with my natural musk?”

Jill shrugs his hand off, grimacing at his attempts at flirtation. “Take a shower first, then we’ll talk.”

In which Carlos laughs, holds his hand out at his heart as if it was just torn into shreds. “That hurts my feelings, Jill. Why aren’t you ever saying things like that to pretty boy over there?”

“I have a name, Oliveira.” The blond man turns around at the call of his nickname, familiar with the nickname, but it's not pleasantly received by him.

“I think pretty boy suits you more, Kennedy.” Carlos replies, a glint in his voice that hints something a bit less than friendliness between them.

“Ah, so you do know my name.” Leon quips back while staring directly into Carlos’ eyes, before getting cut off by Jill.

“I would, Carlos, but if I have to hear one more corny ass comeback from Leon’s mouth, I’ll throw myself out the window right now.”

“Takes a genius to get my humour.” Leon smirks.

Your eyebrows raise almost immediately to chime in. “Erm… I think we have different meanings for the word ‘genius’.”

Quiet chuckles ripple through the room. It helps that you have worked with these guys throughout the years and had come to know and get close to them—some a bit closer than just friends—but none of them are strangers by far. Usually, you would be working with only one or two of these guys, never in a big group like this, but it seems that everyone is already well-acquainted with each other.

You toss a glance at Carlos and catch him staring at you, smiling. Ah, you see now. Carlos must have been trying to lighten the mood because you had been jumpy ever since you had arrived. You nod at him, a silent thank you before the five of you venture deeper into the eerie atmosphere.

The goal is to arrive at Glenn Aria’s office. According to Rebecca’s intel, Arias hid a concentrated sample in a safe last time he was here. You will need Ada to crack the safe to retrieve the sample and deliver it to Rebecca. As you traverse the corridors, it twists and turns in different directions—whoever engineered this did not enjoy unexpected guests at all. But under Rebecca’s guidance, she walks you and your team through the labyrinth with ease and precision.

But unfortunately, not ease and precision on your part. You trip over your own leg and almost fall to the floor as you round a harsh turn according to Rebecca’s instructions, and Jill catches you right on the arm before you fall.

“Easy there.” Jill pulls you up the ground, and you regain some balance. “You good? Mind your step.”

“Why did I agree to babysit?” Ada speaks, finally, for the first time in this mission. Despite how quietly she spoke under her breath, her words abruptly cut through the air, and all attention is on her and the red sweater dress that curves into her frame perfectly now.

“Oh, I bet once you get your paycheck it will be worth it. Or will you be betraying us, huh, Ada?”

Leon smirks loudly. Ada’s face goes from tired to exhausted in one second. “You just can’t let bygones be bygones, can you?”

“That’s rich coming from someone who used to work for Wesker.” Ada’s heels come to a stop, and with a slow turn, she stares deeply into Leon’s eyes that speak a million threats without needing to be utter a word. Oh, and believe me, you do not want to be messing with Ada. You learnt that the hard way.

“Woah, guys. Let’s keep this civil. No need to get heated.” Carlos rushes to stand right between them as the duo glares at each other with passionate fury and resentment.

You nod, joining Carlos’ side to stand by him. “Carlos’s right. This is not the time to pick a fight.” But it falls on the deaf ears of Leon and Ada.

“Thousands were killed. I want what’s good for the people, and I’m not sure Ada here is on the same page.” Leon continues, adding fuel to the fire.

Ada lets out a disbelieved gasp in response, before recollecting herself and replying in her usual tone of calmness: “Someone has to pay the price. I’m just the executor.”

“Regardless of our motivations, we all are on the same side here.” Carlos attempts at resolution again, putting his hands up in between them, and fails embarrassingly once more.

The air is heated with hostility; Leon and Ada’s eyes are locked in a trance, a hazy spite that reigns their composure, that looking away from each other means forfeiting. You don’t see either of them walking away first, they are both prideful people after all.

“Uh… Jill? Some help?” Carlos looks around to find Jill, who is leaning against a wall, her arms relaxing by her sides, unphased by the fire stirring right in front of the crowd.

“Not my circus, not my monkeys.” Jill is merely waiting for either one of the parties roll over.

You feel speckles of flame through the two of them, as if steam is retreating over the top of their heads, burning not just them, but also everyone else in the room. Until the boiling point hits, and it erupts all in one second. The duo walks away, off to different directions in bitter adrenaline, until you and Carlos are just looking at each other.

“I guess we’ll take five. There’s a safe room up ahead.” Carlos is speaking, but you’re the one listening.

The five of you enters the safe room in silence. It is a storage room—despite its name, it’s quite large for a normal storage room—with boxes stacked on all ends that made the room seem smaller in comparison. A ceiling light illuminates the room dimly, but it isn’t enough to shade away years of old animosity from their past.

The lively conversations you had mere minutes ago is gone now. Just silence and awkward rustling as each of you sits in your own designated corner. Carlos and Jill find themselves a seat on top of a firm box. Leon and Ada giving each other the silent treatment, standing on farthest end of the room to each other. You are simply minding your own business, gathering materials to craft a flashbang to pass the time. Doesn’t hurt to have more supplies anyway.

There is a notable division on each side, an imaginary alliance that you choose to be on neither side. Until Leon crosses the boundary line, somehow making his way to you. He picks up an empty grenade case next to you, assembling the pieces together for your project.

“Sorry you had to see that.” A little guilt tugs at Leon’s voice.

“Not at all. I get why you felt that way.” Leon nods, a look of gratitude hanging softly through a smile. His other finger seals the flashbang cap and hands it back to you. “But you need to learn to control your temper. Especially when it comes to Ada.”

Speaking of Ada, a shiver runs down your spine suddenly. The feeling of someone sending laser signs and telepathic warnings towards you. You turn around towards the direction of the aura to find Ada, her back leaning against the wall, arms crossed without engaging or acknowledging anyone in the room. She stands by herself alone, and that’s how you had always known Ada—distant and in her own mysterious world. Not really a chatter, despite the number of times she had saved you in the past.

Ada does not look at you, but you can feel her glaring down—either you or Leon—with her entire body.

“Good to see the two of you getting along at least.” Carlos holds out two plastic water bottles to you two from a supply crate he found in the room, which Jill has finished downing two of them already.

You two gesture ‘no thanks.’ Ada does not spare Carlos a glance at his direction when he offers.

“You’re welcome, I guess.” Carlos says sarcastically, before taking in a generous sip from his drink.

There’s a moment of silence. Then, a moment of dry coughs; a squeak of footsteps, a joint click from a stretching neck. Then silence once more.

“I’ve had enough.” Jill slaps her hands on her thigh before pushing herself up from her seat. “You guys gonna keep acting like kids? Grow up, this isn’t high school anymore. Take your drama outside. If we’re gonna take down Arias, we have to get along. And yes, that means moving on from shit that happened… five years ago? Five years ago and you two are still hung up? Unlike you all, I’m actually looking forward to go home and get a decent shower, hopefully soon.”

You nod in approval as Jill speaks her mind, and you are glad at least the few of you have their priorities in order. Ada flicks her head away from Jill, but her silence is telling of how much she is thinking over Jill’s words.

“Leon, can you accept this?” Jill asks.

There’s a bit of reluctance in his voice, but he agrees anyway. “Fine.”

“Ada?”

Before Ada can respond, smoke is creeping into your vision, coming in quick. It merges into your view, obscuring it, and you whiff something artificial, some kind of chemicals that is piercing to your nose and eyes. You can’t help but wince, hands groping the air in attempts to find comfort in the person closest to you—anyone for that matter—to indicate you’re safe and is indeed not under attack. Your fingers find themselves in a fistful of someone’s shirt, muscles tensing tightly underneath the fabric on their shoulder cap.

“Leon. Is that you?” You cry out.

“It’s me. Stay close and don’t let go. It’s an ambush.” Leon pulls your arm towards him, securing your safety with his hand in yours.

There is some coughing through the air, faint panic in voices underneath the hissing of gas that seems to be coming from above. You hold onto Leon a bit tighter.

Carlos calls out desperately “Where are you guys? Is everyone okay?” as he flaps his hand around the smoke to stir it away. He finds you and Leon almost immediately, and looks down to your hands, finding them clasped tight against each other. Your hand lets go of Leon flying behind your back, but Carlos already saw it.

Jill is coughing deep from the smoke. “I-I’m here!”

“It seems like we’re all here.” Ada says, composed as ever despite the circumstances.

The smoke dissipates—until most of the fog fades away, escaping through the cracks underneath the door to the other side. Leaving the five of you standing in the same storage room darting eyes around, seemingly unharmed, and even more confused.

After what feels like a while later, Jill finally breaks the silence: “Huh. What was that?”

“No enemies.” Ada unholsters the pistol from her belt, inspecting the room and the door behind the room. “Clear on this side too.”

It’s strange. If this is an ambush, why isn’t there an attack?

Leon places a finger on his earpiece to activate his microphone. “Rebecca, come in. We’ve just been ambushed by some kind of smoke, but nobody’s hurt. Happen to know what’s going on?”

His earpiece buzzes into life. “Hmm, let’s see. From the architecture plans, I see the vents are connected to a lab below. It seems abandoned, there are no signs of anyone triggering an attack on my end.”

“Whatever it is, we need to investigate.” Leon’s voice is firm and serious. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

You swallow deeply, fear settling back inside you. “You think it’s a trap?”

“I think…” Leon pinches his chin. “…Arias knows that we’re here.”

Your heart drops—Bundle of fear, anxiety and stress springing back into your nerves as you probe at the possibility of Glen Arias knowing where you are. What you’re trying to do. Making sure you will never reach that sample despite your hardest wills.

“He shouldn’t. Rebecca, didn’t Arias get on the jet?” Carlos is also thinking too.

“Affirmative. Security footage showed Arias walking into his private jet, and it took off four hours ago. He should still be in the air. No signal of them making a pitstop anywhere.”

You hear black pumps clacking against the hardwood floor. “I’m getting the sample.” Says Ada, her foot is already halfway out of the door. “Follow me or not, I don’t care. I’m here for the objective, and only that.”

“And what if something happens to you?” Carlos asks, genuinely concerned.

“I’ll deal with it if it happens.” Ada waves dismissively.

“Ada’s right, we could be set on a wild goose chase.” Jill chimes in. “Millions of lives are dying. We don’t have time to waste.”

“I guess it’s just you and me then, pretty boy.” Carlos rounds his arm around Leon’s neck, bringing him closer in an almost choking grip, a little too close and tight to his liking. And with Leon’s history with Carlos, Leon refuses to believe this is just a friendly gesture.

Leon grimaces, removing Carlos’ hand over him. “So that’s it? We’re splitting up?” The answer is unanimous. “Fine. I guess we’ll cover more ground if we split up.”

Rebecca, through the other side of your earpiece, speaks: “Be careful everyone. You don’t know what kind of schemes Glenn Arias had set up. Please stay safe.”

“We’ll be fine, as long as we don't have any traitors in our team.” Leon says the word ‘traitor’ while maintaining eye contact with Ada. She ignores him, simply deadpans.

“Well, what about you?” Leon nudges at your arm.

You are faced with two options. Indulge in your curiosity and find the source of the gas, or stick to mission as planned? Both options will be dangerous. So who will you trust with your life?

[OPTION A] “I’ll follow the girls.”

[OPTION B] “I’ll follow the boys.”

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 thanks for reading! come check out my other works! —yours truly, rose. i love my beta reader @scar-crossedlvrs! series taglist: @j3llyd0nut @ovaryacted @daydreamrot @madcap-riflette @access--granted @obsolescent @briermelli @secretiveauthor @ghosty-frog @navstuffs @slowcryinginthedark @rentaldarling @lesbntired © roseglazedlens — please do not repost, plagiarise, or feed to ai.

[barnesafterglow]

betting

summary: bucky's yours, it's just that not everyone knows that yet

pairing: college!bucky barnes x reader

word count: 824

warnings: mention of drinking, making out in public, passing mention of smut

a/n: here is day one of my 2023 valentine's blurbs with the prompt pulling your lover closer by the waistband !!

main masterlist - challenge masterlist

i no longer have a tag list but you can follow @theafterglowlibrary and turn on notifications for post updates! 🤍

The music vibrated through the club so hard you could feel it in your chest, replacing the heartbeat that was supposed to be there. Wanda had dragged you to another house party, though lord knows you hadn’t done anything else with your weekends since she met Sam in her biology lab.

He and his friends were known on campus as stereotypical party boys, and they fit the description perfectly. Even in the few weeks you’d known them, you were amazed at their ability to attend class and maintain their grades when they were blackout every weekend. It was something of a talent, if you were being honest.

Though that wasn’t their only talent, you thought as a flush creeped down your neck, remembering just last weekend how one of said friends had managed to get you alone in their hall closet and drop to his knees to worship every inch of you.

Bucky’s flirting had started out as just that - simple flirting. He had a bit of a reputation for being a playboy and, even though you weren’t looking for anything serious, you also weren’t looking to be a notch in his bedpost. But he was relentless, from the very first night Wanda brought you around, and soon drunken makeouts every couple of weekends turned into secret dates and a weekend getaway that you still weren’t sure how you had managed to keep your friends from finding out.

And you were sure your luck was running out, because every weekend brought a new place in the house to hookup, a new opportunity for the two of you to get caught in a very compromising position. And it didn’t seem like Bucky had any intention of stopping any time soon.

You never really stopped to wonder why the two of you had decided to keep your situationship a secret; it had started out as nothing serious, but the more you fell for him, the more you wondered what it would be like to have his intense focus on you not only in the comfort of empty apartments and hotel rooms, but in front of your friends as you sat in his lap at a party or next to him in the library.

Every thought left you anxious, scared that Bucky didn’t want the more that you did, scared that he would laugh in your face and leave you for the next person, even though you all but knew for sure that he was just as taken with you.

With more than a little liquid courage in you, you decided that tonight would be the night to risk it all - you couldn’t take not knowing anymore.

Eyes searching, you followed Bucky’s movements across the party, moving from the kitchen and serving drinks to the living room, partnering up with Steve for a round of beer pong. You sidled up to Wanda and Sam - playing opposite Bucky and Steve - and she looked at you knowingly; it was like she could read your mind.

You waited as the game went back and forth, sipping on your drink but trying to maintain a relatively straight head, and took your chance as Bucky sunk the last cup, winning them the game.

He threw his hands in the air, high fiving his friends all around, before his gaze fell on you. He pushed through the small group of people that had gathered to watch, halting right in front of you. Your eyes met his, not sure what his next move was, as he reached for you. He moved slowly, giving you a chance to push him away, to stop whatever decision he was about to make, but you wouldn’t dream of it.

You let his hands run gently down your arms, caressing the exposed skin and leaving goosebumps in his wake. His eyes searched yours for any sign of hesitation and, when he saw none, he hooked a finger in your belt loop, pulling you flush against him. His other hand came up and rested at the nape of your neck, tilting your head up until your mouth met his.

It was as if the rest of the world melted away; even the cheers and whoops of your friends were muffled as Bucky’s lips moved over yours.

When you finally broke apart, Steve was begrudgingly shoving a twenty dollar bill in Sam’s outstretched hand, a smug smile on his face, and Wanda looked on ecstatically. 

“Took you long enough,” you teased, leaning into him as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders and guided you towards your friends.

“No kidding,” Sam said. “Another week and Stevie here would have won, and I just couldn’t have that.”

Steve grumbled under his breath as you laughed, feeling happier than you had in a long, long time.

“No,” Bucky replied to Sam, though his attention was still solely focused on you. “We certainly couldn’t have that at all.”

[liaromancewriter]

New Year Wishes

Premise: New Year’s Day is a special time for making wishes that come true.

Book: Open Heart (post series) Pairings: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff. Words: 1,435

A/N: Submission for @choicesjanuary2024 Day 1 writing exercise prompt; for @choicesholidays New Year and @choicesficwriterscreations holiday event. I'm using @choicesflashfics week 66, prompt 1.

Part 1: The Legend

The first snowflake fell, and with it, a new tradition began. Inside the mansion by the sea, Christmas decorations hung across the mantel. The star above the tree in the corner twinkled when the weak rays of a winter sun briefly shone through the window panes.

It was the first day of a new year, and the air was full of possibilities, like magic on a moonlit night. Flames crackled in the fireplace, spreading its warmth toward the family of four sitting by the hearth.

Four-year-old Cassie Valentine rubbed her sleepy eyes as she cuddled on her mother’s lap, content with the familiar scent and feel of her mom’s arms around her. When she heard a loud yawn, she squinted at her twin brother Max, who was similarly nestled against their father’s chest.

His blond hair was messy, flopping over his forehead; his face was practically hidden in their dad’s big arms. One green eye popped open as if sensing her gaze, and he smiled sleepily at her.

The twins protested when their parents removed them from their comfortable position and onto the shaggy rug in front of the fireplace. Cassie leaned into Max’s side, curling her legs beneath her, and yawned widely. She rested her face on her brother’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

She wasn’t sure why her parents had woken them up so early or carried them down to the family room. It wasn’t Christmas morning. She knew because Santa had already brought her and Max presents last week.

“Cass honey, wake up,” Daddy said gently, lifting her head and brushing his hand down her hair. “Your mom and I have a surprise for the two of you.”

The word ‘surprise’ made Max perk up and sit straight in attention.

“Do you know what today is?” Mommy asked, her eyes crinkled around the corners as she smiled.

They shook their heads, and she continued. “It’s New Year’s Day. Legend has it that if you make a wish, write it on a piece of paper and throw it into the fire, it will come true. Isn’t that right, Robert?”

“My old nanny told me it was so.” Cassie saw her father smile in a dreamy way she didn’t quite recognize. “And she was right. When I was your age, I wished for a life full of adventure. Then, one day, many years later, your mother spilled her drink on me. I haven’t been bored since.”

“Robert!” Mommy gasped in shock before throwing her head back in laughter and then leaning in to kiss him on the lips.

Cassie giggled, and Max groaned, making gagging sounds.

“Six years of adventure, my love,” Mommy said softly, resting her head on Daddy’s forehead. “Every day, I fall in love with every little thing that you do.”

Cassie watched her parents gaze into each other’s eyes and thought there must be something to this wish legend. And if Daddy was right, she was definitely wishing for a puppy.

Part 2: The Wish

Many years later, in an elegant condo overlooking Boston’s waterfront, Ethan Ramsey propped himself up on one elbow and leaned over his wife. He ran his finger down her cheek and brushed aside a wisp of hair that fell over her face.

“Time to wake up, love,” he murmured, watching as Cassie’s eyes drifted open.

The fogginess gradually disappeared, dreams faded and reality intruded.

“What time is it?” she asked, yawning.

“Almost eight,” he said, his lips tracing the slope of her shoulder.

The strap of her nightgown slid down her arm, almost baring her breast, and he peppered kisses along her exposed collarbone.

“We don’t have time for you to seduce me,” she protested, even as a moan escaped her lips when his hands eased the bodice down to expose her breasts to his heated gaze and pushed the gown lower.

“I’ll be quick,” he said, covering her body with his and nudging her thighs apart with his knee.

Ethan snagged her bottom lip between his teeth and nipped it before slanting his lips over hers. He’d just started to kiss his way down her body when he heard the sound of running feet.

Ethan barely had time to throw the covers on top of Cassie’s naked body when the bedroom door slammed open.

“It’s Wish Day! It’s Wish Day!”

Their five-year-old twin daughters, Sophie and Eloise, rushed in, singing the words excitedly at the top of their lungs.

“Daddy, you’re not wearing a shirt!” Sophie giggled.

“Girls, what have we said about knocking?” Ethan swung his legs off the bed to sit up and glared at them over his shoulder.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Cassie wriggle under the covers and then ease her back up against the headboard, the silky straps of her nightgown back in place.

“Knock first, wait for an answer and then enter,” they parroted the oft-repeated words while gazing innocently at him.

“And did you do that now?” Cassie asked, lips twisting in a half-smile as her eyes met Ethan’s exasperated expression.

“We forgot,” they said with a pout.

They launched themselves on the bed before Ethan could scold them further and started jumping up and down.

“B’sides, it’s Wish Day, Daddy,” Eloise giggled as she crashed into her sister. “It’s tra…trad…,” she stumbled over the words, “tratidition.”

“Tradition,” Ethan corrected automatically, padding into the walk-in closet.

He thought privately that his daughters were just as stubborn about celebrating traditions as their mother.

“Mommy, get up. We’ve been waiting forever to make our New Year wishes!” Sophie’s laughter mingled with her sister’s as they both bounced higher.

“Not too high, girls,” Cassie called out worriedly. “Ethan?”

Ethan returned to the bedroom, tugging a tee shirt over his head and down. He grabbed Eloise mid-bounce and then Sophie, holding each girl under his arms as if carrying a football.

They giggled when he adjusted his stance to accommodate their weight, jostling them in the process.

Cassie shook her head at their antics and shoved aside the covers to climb off the bed. She reached for the robe folded on the ottoman at the foot of the bed, and his eyes locked on the top of her breasts framed enticingly between the vee of her gown’s neckline.

She caught his stare and arched one brow. “To be continued tonight?”

After a quick glance at their daughters, now preoccupied with whispering to each other, he smirked.

“I’ll get them settled while you freshen up. Don’t take too long or…,” Ethan grinned lasciviously, scanning her from chest to crotch, “…else.”

Almost twenty minutes later, the four of them settled in front of the fireplace. Ethan wrapped one arm around Cassie’s shoulder while hers slid around his waist. The twins were nestled between them, their tiny bodies practically vibrating with excitement.

“Ready to make your New Year wish?” Cassie asked.

Eloise looked questioningly at her sister. Sophie nodded in confirmation. They both turned around and stared at their parents. Ethan noted their thoughtful expression and wondered what that was about.

“If we both make the same wish, does it come true twice?” Eloise asked.

“We want a dog,” Sophie piped in.

Ethan grinned when Cassie muttered, “Get in line” under her breath.

He knew a puppy had been on her wish list for years. In fact, if he recalled the tale correctly, it was her first wish when Robert and Olivia started the annual New Year wishes tradition.

“Why don’t you send the wish into the fireplace? You never know when the universe will grant your wish,” he added, keeping his face neutral when Cassie hissed, “Hogwash!”

“It might take years,” Eloise said, angling her head sideways as if lost in thought.

“Just like it took forever and ever for Grandpa Robbie to get his wish when he met Grandma Livvy,” Sophie added excitedly. “El, we’re getting a dog for sure!”

“And another tradition continues,” Cassie laughed as the girls babbled excitedly while scribbling their wishes on paper.

Ethan rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Times like this, they’re more Valentine than Ramsey.”

“I disagree,” Cassie snorted, laughter in her eyes. “But then I’m biased since I fell in love with a Ramsey.”

Ethan gently grasped her chin and lifted her face to gaze into her eyes. His mouth lowered and captured her lips in a tender, heart-wrenching kiss, losing himself in the magic of the moment.

Eloise and Sophie stopped writing to watch their parents kissing, shared a furtive glance and silently giggled. Forget the dog. Maybe they would get a brother instead.

-----------

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @lucy-268 @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @youlookappropriate @zealouscanonindeer

[boltlightning]

do you need someone, do you need a new me?

Once-Paladin Danse joins the Minutemen. fallout 4, post-blind betrayal, a handful of missing scenes. one-shot, ~2k words

Danse does not know how to answer that. “It — it smells. The water.”

“…yes.”

“But does it actually smell?” Danse leans back, glancing aside at Preston, who crouches curiously beside. “Am I merely experiencing the olfactory sensors using processing power to tell a chip that it smells? Do I like the smell, or am I remembering that I liked it? Did I make this call? Did someone else?”

Preston wrinkles his nose — a very human gesture. Even before the revelation, Danse had been told he did not emote near as much as his comrades. He assumes this observation would count among those offenses and quietly tucks it away for himself.

“It smells,” Preston declares, “and you’re thinking way too hard about this, Danse. Everyone’s got sensors and processors and all that, just…made of different material.”

(read on ao3!)

[dilly-oh]

Firsts

“Oh shit, Hatake, on your six,” Genma hisses in Kakashi’s ear, who has to smother the urge to snap the other man’s neck at the sudden intrusion of his personal space. “Check out the new cutie at the mission desk.”

Okay, maybe he can forgive him.

Kakashi glances over and lets out an unimpressed grunt. Sure, the guy’s got a nice face, but he’s a little mousy-looking with that scruffy ponytail and array of pens in his pocket. A new Chunin, obvious from the freshly-pressed flak jacket and lack of PTSD. Nice complexion, decent body. Scar’s a little sexy. Guy’s a solid B. Nothing to scream about.

“I’m gonna ask him out,” Genma says with grim determination. “Cover me.”

“Naw, you got this, champ,” Kakashi says, shoving their mission report into Genma’s hand and slithering out of the room. He’d rather not see Genma perform his mating ritual or whatever is the equivalent of making an ass of himself before the gawky Chunin stammers out a polite ‘no, thank you, Mr. Jounin, sir’.

Which is why he’s utterly flabbergasted when Genma goes sailing by overhead as he’s walking out the building. He looks up in bafflement to see the Chunin decisively slamming the second-story window shut and locking it for good measure.

“I think I’m in love,” Genma croaks from the dumpster.

Kakashi thinks he might be a little bit, too.

---

Kakashi has a mission report to turn in and no friends around to pawn it off on. If he waits one more day it’ll go from being fashionably late to downright obnoxious. And when he pokes his head into the Mission Office of course the Chunin is there on duty, straightening the line with nothing but a sharp glance and incurring silence with a single frown. Word had gotten around about Genma’s fate, as well as the fate of several unfortunate Jounin who’d tried to retaliate and instead found themselves also ‘dumpstered’, as the term had been coined. Now everyone knew not to cross him.

Resigned to his fate, Kakashi joins the line.

When it’s finally his turn, he takes a deep breath, drops the scroll on the desk, and spins on his heel to leave.

“Wait.”

Kakashi’s feet are rooted in place. His eyes snap to the window. How far away is the dumpster again? If he can get the trajectory right, he can use his own momentum to land on his feet and avoid-

“Hatake, right?” The Chunin glances up at him, smiles a little. “I haven’t had a chance to introduce myself to you yet. I’m Umino Iruka. Pleased to meet you.” He extends a hand. Kakashi stares at it like a hissing viper. Is this some kind of new move? Maybe he’ll snap Kakashi’s arm before tossing him out the window. Break a finger or two. “Oh, come on, I don’t bite.” Iruka laughs, a warm, bubbling sound. Against his better judgment (and years of ninja training), Kakashi slowly reaches out and shakes the other man’s hand. It’s just as warm as his laugh, calloused and strong. Kakashi’s gaze travels up the toned arm, past surprisingly broad shoulders to meet a pair of mischievous brown eyes. “Pleasure.” Iruka flashes him a devious smirk and winks.

Kakashi can kinda see what Genma was talking about.

And then Iruka looks down at the scroll and scowls.

“Is this your handwriting or did a chicken walk all over your paper? …And then shit on it?”

On second thought, fuck Genma.

---

Kakashi freezes in the tree outside Naruto’s place. A second chakra signature is inside the run-down apartment, oddly familiar. Kakashi peeks around the window, his suspicions confirmed: Iruka is inside, bustling around the small kitchen with Naruto in tow. He’s cooking for him. More than that, he’s actually attempting to teach Naruto how to do it.

The most Kakashi’s ever done is bring over some packets of instant Ramen and a couple fresh vegetables. Maybe put down a little newspaper and spray some Febreeze. That sort of shit. Nothing this…domestic. He’s a ninja, for god’s sake, not a nanny.

He sits outside in the tree, watching, for a long time.

---

“You know you could join us, next time,” Iruka says when Kakashi stops in to pick up his newest assignment from the mission desk. He stares back at him blankly, hand still outstretched. “For dinner,” Iruka clarifies after the silence becomes so painfully awkward Kakashi almost wishes a Missing-Nin would jump out of the garbage can and kill him. “Naruto would enjoy it. What’s your favorite meal?”

“…Miso soup,” he finally says, taking the scroll. “With eggplant.” Iruka nods and gives him that damn smirk again.

“Sounds like a date.”

Kakashi absolutely does not trip a little as he turns to leave.

---

The dinner (singular) turns into dinners (plural), with and without Naruto. Which is fine, seeing as Iruka is a font of amusing stories involving his rambunctious students, whose exploits are so absurdly idiotic that Kakashi is seriously concerned for the village’s next generation of ninja. Then again, he’s met Naruto, so he shouldn’t really be surprised.

They settle into a familiar rhythm, the two of them enjoying food or drinks a few nights a week, filled with stories, laughter, and a little harmless flirting. Nothing more.

Kakashi tells himself he’s content with this. It would be selfish to ask for more, especially when he has nothing to give in return. This is enough. He repeats that, again and again, until he almost believes it.

Until Iruka’s pulling him into a searing kiss.

Until he’s dragging him inside his apartment.

Until he’s holding him in his arms.

And then just like that, Kakashi’s perspective of Iruka has gone from safe and friendly to something terrifyingly close to love.

So Kakashi does what he always does when faced with feelings.

He avoids it like the fucking plague.

---

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Iruka stands in the doorway of Kakashi’s hospital room, glaring so furiously he can feel the heat even through the haze of painkillers. “You ghost me for a fucking MONTH and then have the gall to ask me to bring you fucking ICHA-ICHA while you’re on your fucking deathbed?!”

“…Gai’s out on a mission,” Kakashi rasps, his throat still sore from the feeding tube.

The resulting silence is filled with such murderous intent an ANBU pokes his head in the door to make sure everything is alright, spots Iruka, and gets the fuck out of there.

“You…” Iruka swells up, like he’s about to literally explode, angry words choking in his throat.

And then his face goes carefully blank. That scares Kakashi more than anything. Anger, he can deal with. It’s a familiar enemy, one he can beat. This cold resignation isn’t something he knows how to fight. Or at least recover from.

Without a word, Iruka drops the books on a chair and calmly walks out of the room.

Kakashi really can’t blame him.

He’d dump himself, too.

---

Months go by, and Kakashi heals. Physically, at least. He sees Iruka at the mission desk, but there’s no smiles or winks for him now, just a stiff “thank you, Jounin” before moving on to the next. He’d almost rather be dumpstered. He takes more missions, longer ones, just to get away, to try to forget. He’s had breakups before, but none of them ever hurt this bad. It almost feels like someone is stabbing him the chest, sliding a knife right between his ribs- no, wait, that’s the Missing-Nin who is doing literally that. Kakashi curses, rips them apart with a Chidori, and blacks out.

He wakes up to find Iruka sitting in the chair beside his hospital bed, Icha-Icha open on his lap.

“I wasn’t reading this,” Iruka says quickly. “I was reading it…to you. It doesn’t count.”

“…Did I miss any of the good bits?” Kakashi asks, his voice weak and scratchy.

“Kind of hard to when there aren’t any,” Iruka snorts back.

The silence that follows is punctuated by the beep of Kakashi’s machines and the drip of his IV.

“I miss you,” Iruka says quietly. It hurts more than getting stabbed, and that hurt like a bitch.

“…I miss you, too,” Kakashi replies, even softer. Iruka looks at him, and the anger is still there, but it’s anger FOR him, not AT him, which isn’t something he’s ever experienced before.

“Why did you run away? What could possibly make you attempt to go off and get yourself killed? What the fuck are you afraid of?”

“…You,” Kakashi says simply. Iruka blinks, gaping at him in disbelief.

“Of…what? Me? Why? Because you love me or something?”

“Yes,” Kakashi replies, because it’s true, and because he does.

“Oh my God, Kakashi…” Iruka heaves a weary sigh, covering his face with his hands, which is a shame, because Kakashi hasn’t seen it in a while. “Could you at least…act like a fucking grown man and talk to me? Instead of just avoiding the issue? Maybe, I don’t know, voice your concerns so I can help you through them? You might not realize this, but I care about you, asshole.” Iruka lowers his hands to glare at him, and there’s tears shining in the corners of his eyes. “Did you ever stop to consider that I might actually feel the same?”

He hadn’t, honestly. He’d been too busy running.

“…Do you?” he asks, voice shaking a little. Iruka gives him the most insultingly condescending look.

“Of course I fucking do.”

Kakashi has to force himself to stay calm, otherwise his heart monitor will go haywire and a nurse will come rushing in and fuck everything up.

“So…” Iruka goes on, “if you want this…if you want me…I need to know. None of your self-destructive bullshit. No running away. Just answer. Yes…or no.”

Kakashi swallows, his throat painfully dry. His chest aches, but he can’t tell if it’s from the stab wounds or his own anxiety. The fear is still there, but Iruka is, too.

And that gives him the courage to answer.

“…Yes,” he says in a hushed whisper.

Iruka sits there for a long moment, digesting that, then nods.

“…There room in there for two?” he asks, jerking his chin at the bed.

There isn’t, but damn if Kakashi’s going to say so.

---

“You know you don’t always have to wear that,” Iruka teases, running a hand through Kakashi’s hair.

“Of course I do,” Kakashi says, admiring the gleam off the golden band on his finger. “It’s a first for me.” Iruka snorts beside him on the bed and smacks him in the face with a pillow.

“And your last, dumbass.”

Kakashi wholeheartedly agrees.

-End-

(Written for KakaIru Valentine’s Week 2023, Day 1 Prompt: Firsts, hosted be @kakairu-rocks)

[cariantha]

Accidental Valentine

Book: Open Heart, Book 1

Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Sawyer Brooks)

Rating: Teen

Warning: A little bit of sexual innuendo

Category: Fluff

Word count: 4K

Summary: It’s Valentine’s Day and Ethan and Sawyer get “stuck” spending the evening together.

A/N: This takes place after Miami but before the opera. Inspiration drawn from an episode of Grey's Anatomy, 🎶I Wanna Remember, 🎶My Body, and 🎶If Our Love is Wrong.

February 14, 2023

4:30 p.m.

Ethan guided Sawyer through the dimly lit maze of construction materials in the new wing. Instinctively, his hand hovered just inches from her lower back. In the eerily quiet section of the hospital their pagers buzzed simultaneously. The unexpected noise startled Sawyer causing her to stumble as she stepped over a bundle of cables.

“Whoops!” 

“Are you–”

She felt the warmth of his palm as she found her footing and awkwardly laughed off the mishap. “I’m good.” 

Checking his pager, Ethan read the new notification and groaned. “And so it begins.”  

For the past two days, the National Weather Service warned of severe blizzard conditions. Local news stations ran stories showing empty grocery store shelves as Boston residents took precautions to shelter in place. Chief Emery reviewed emergency protocols and prepared hospital staff for the influx in the emergency department.

Offering his hand to help her step over the next hazard, Ethan cautioned, “Careful… watch your step. The page was for more doctors in the E.R., not patients.”

Sawyer took his hand but not before giving him a gentle side-punch for his jab about her clumsiness.  

Minutes later they waited for the elevator to arrive, and ever the gentleman, Ethan gestured for Sawyer to enter first as the steel doors slowly slid open. “After you.”

Once Ethan was safely across the threshold, Sawyer pushed the button for the first floor. Rolling back and forth on her heels, she waited for the digital number above the door to change. 

Ethan stood against the side wall, a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth as he admired her profile. 

“What?” she asked, feeling the burn of his gaze as she watched the floor number change from five to four.

“Nothing,” he answered, shifting his eyes to where her attention was still focused. 

Before the number changed to three, the elevator jerked violently coming to a sudden stop. The jolt caused them both to stumble backward a step or two. 

“Whoa!” Sawyer yelped, trying to keep her balance.

Ethan tried to reach for her but lost sight in the now pitch black box. “Are you alright?” he called out.

“Yeah. You?”

“Fine.”

Sawyer pulled out her phone to illuminate the small space helping Ethan locate the emergency call button.  

“It’s not working. The storm must have knocked out the power. The generators should kick on shortly. Do you have any service?” he asked, pulling out his own phone to check.

“No, I don’t have any bars.”

The emergency light above them finally buzzed to life, the soft glow just enough for them to make out each other’s faces. 

Ethan backed up to the wall and supported himself on the handrail. “I guess there’s not much else to do but wait it out.” 

5:30 p.m.

They had talked easily, not realizing how much time passed until Sawyer checked her phone.

“Ethan, it’s been an hour. Shouldn’t the generators have kicked on by now?”

“Yeah, they should have.”

Concern etched across his face as he thought about the patients who might be in danger, particularly Naveen. But before he could share those concerns, they were interrupted by some banging and a distant muffled voice.

“Hello? Can anyone hear me? Anyone there?”

“We can hear you!” Ethan responded with his deep booming voice. 

“This is Richard from Maintenance. Are you okay?”

“Yes, we’re fine.”

“Ethan? Ethan, is that you? It’s Harper. Who else is with you?”

“Yes. Dr. Brooks is here also. Why haven’t the generators kicked on yet?” he shouted back.

“They have. But the computer system controlling the elevators crashed. We haven’t been able to reboot it. We’ve called for a technician but the storm is making travel impossible right now,” Harper explained. 

Ethan shared a look with Sawyer.

“Make yourselves comfortable. It’s gonna be a while,” Richard hollered down. 

Sawyer sighed as she moved to sit on the floor, “Well, you heard him.”   

6:00 p.m.

Ethan had finally joined her on the floor, propped up against the opposite wall. 

“Okay, lightning round.”

Scrunching his face in confusion, “Pardon?” 

“I’m going to ask you five random questions and you can’t think. Just answer with the first thing that comes to mind. Are you ready?”

“Uh…”

“I said no thinking!” she pointed and laughed.

“Fine, go ahead,” he reluctantly consented. “Hopefully these will be better than the ones you asked when we tested the fMRI.”

“Let’s find out. First celebrity crush?”

Without missing a beat, “Jennifer Love Hewitt.”

Sawyer nodded in quiet approval. “And if you had the chance to hook up with her tonight, would you?”

Ethan squinted looking into her eyes. “No,” he stated confidently.

“Okay, hmm… What’s your favorite carb: bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes?”

“Pasta.” 

“When people stand up for a standing ovation, are you usually one of the earlier people to stand up or one of the later?”

“I rarely stand at all.”

“Yeah, that’s on brand,” she laughed thinking of what to ask next. “Say something cool.”

“That’s not a question.”

Sawyer rolled her eyes then her hand to encourage him to answer anyway.

“Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.”

Shaking her head with a giggle, “You’re such a nerd.”

Ethan shrugged. “Is it my turn now?”

“That was only four questions. I get one more.” 

“It was five… celebrity crush… if I’d hook up–”

“The hook-up question was merely a follow-up. It wasn’t an official question,” she argued with a smile. “Last one. Favorite type of muffin?”

He tilted his head slightly and raised his eyebrow with a questioning glare.

“What’s that look for?” she genuinely wondered until it suddenly dawned on her. “Oh my god! Stop! I wasn’t trying to bait you. It was an innocent question. When I stopped at Derry’s the other day, I thought it would be a nice treat for you and Naveen, but I didn’t know what flavors you liked.”

“Riiiiight.”

“It’s true!” she insisted, kicking his foot. “And given how quick your mind went there, I guess I have my answer.”

As their laughter died down, Ethan jutted out his chin to start his line of questioning. “If you had to choose another specialty, what would it be?” 

“Borrrrring,” she faked a yawn. “Is that really the best you’ve got?”

“What? It will tell me a lot about you. Especially if you say something absurd like ‘surgery.’”

“Emergency medicine.”

He pursed his lips together and nodded. “I can see that. Okay, um…what book are you reading at the moment?”

“Yours.” 

Ethan rolled his eyes.

“I’m serious. After the Platt case I wanted to read the Rethinking Symptoms chapter again. Remember that case? The horrible PITA you assigned me a while back.”

“I remember,” he quietly acknowledged, a twinge of guilt knotting his stomach. His only intention was to challenge her. Had he known just how abusive Platt had been to her and the nursing staff, he would have intervened much earlier. 

Sensing he got lost in thought, Sawyer urged him on. “Next question?”

“Hrm… What’s the most reckless thing you’ve ever done?” 

She looked down for a moment and bit her lower lip before hesitantly reconnecting with his curious eyes. “I made out with my boss on a work trip.” 

It was a half-truth. She couldn’t speak the whole truth. Because the truth was, allowing herself to fall for him was the most reckless thing she’d ever done.

And if Ethan was asked the same question, it wouldn’t be a prank from medical school, or a drunken one night stand, or even Patient X. It would be that he fell for his intern.

As the air thickened in the confined space, Ethan decided it was best to put an end to the game.

“Alright, I think that’s enough speed dating fun,” he concluded trying to keep his tone light.

“Wait, if that was speed dating, then I have to know… would you have wanted to see me again?”

“Probably not.”

Offended Sawyer threw her hands into the air, “WHAT?! Why not?” 

“Because my first impression of you would have been an ass-kissing, E.R. adrenaline junkie, with questionable morals. Need I say more?” he teased with a rare full smile. 

“Well, for what it’s worth, I would have wanted to see you again.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. You would have had me at ‘pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.’ That was hot,” she winked.

7:00 p.m.

GRRRRRRRRRR.

“Hungry?” he asked.

Embarrassed, Sawyer clutched her stomach with her hands, “You have no idea what I’d give for a cheeseburger and fries right now.” 

“When was the last time you ate today?”

“I shared a late breakfast with Naveen.”

Ethan shook his head silently admonishing her as he shoved his hand into his coat pocket. He could hardly lecture her though. He was about to hand her the silver-wrapped candy bar that he purchased from the vending machine in lieu of taking his own lunch break earlier. “Here,” he politely offered.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, she moved to sit at his side, thanking him for the sugary sustenance. As she started to peel back the wrapper there was another rumbling sound. But this time it didn’t come from Sawyer’s stomach. Snapping the candy bar down the middle, she offered Ethan the other half. “Here, we'll share.”

With a shake of his head, “It’s fine, Rookie. You go ahead.”

“I insist,” holding it in front of him until he finally took it from her. 

Sawyer took a big bite from the corner of her mouth. She moaned softly, leaning her head back against the wall as she savored the chocolate-coated pillowy goodness. “Mmm.”

It was a sweet, familiar and arousing sound that transported Ethan to a night not that long ago. A night when conversation flowed as easily as the gentle sea breeze. When mouths not only tasted the salt in the air, but the salt on each other’s skin. And when her hips rolled against his, like waves lapping the shore.

Noticing he was lost in a daze, Sawyer gently steered him back to the present. “Hey, everything okay?” she asked softly. 

“Hmm?” Registering her voice, he shook the fog from his head, “Uh, yeah. Just remembering something.”

8:00 p.m.

Ethan checked the time on his watch and sighed.

Curiosity got the best of her, wondering if he was late for something. “Did you have any plans tonight?”

“As a matter of fact, I did,” he confessed. “A quiet night in with takeout, a movie, and the promise of interesting conversation.” It was subtle but he caught how she lowered her head to pick lint from her pants, masking what seemed like disappointment. 

“I feel sorry for your date…” she muttered.

The insult caught him off guard. “Excuse me?”

She slapped her hand over her mouth and then clarified, “Oh god, sorry. I didn’t mean it like that! I just meant that they are getting stood up on Valentine’s Day. That sucks. I think the only thing worse than that is getting left at the altar.”

“I’m not worried about it. When Naveen finds out I spent the evening with you instead, I think he’ll be quick to forgive me,” he winked. It wasn’t a secret that Naveen picked up on their chemistry and attempted to play matchmaker often, much to Ethan’s chagrin. 

This time as punishment for his teasing Sawyer shoulder-bumped him while mentally breathing a sigh of relief.  

“What about you? Surely you had plans tonight.” Ethan was well aware of the fact that Sawyer had many admirers at work. There was a high probability that one of them would have extended an invitation to her for the evening, especially the cocksure Dr. Lahela. Ethan noticed how the Malibu Ken doll hung to her every word, and even worse, held on with his self-proclaimed “magic” hands. It appeared to Ethan that the scalpel jockey was incapable of having a conversation without having an arm around her waist, fingers massaging her neck, or hands rubbing her shoulders. And in the last couple weeks, it irked him more and more.  

“Nothing concrete. I was keeping my options open.” With a slight blush pinking up her cheeks, “I know it’s silly but I was really hoping this cute boy from work was going to ask me to be his valentine today.”

Ethan met her eyes in a challenge. “Is that so?” 

Not backing down she looked him dead in the eye. “Yeah, but I don’t think he will. Even though he likes me too.”

“Maybe it’s just bad timing,” Ethan regretfully looked down at his hands. 

“That’s a possibility. But one of the nurses did tell me that Justin also likes Miley, the peds transfer from MK. Apparently he can’t make up his mind which of us he likes more and doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.” Sawyer laughed and tapped his foot with hers to lighten the mood, as a small smile formed on his lips. “I mean, Miley’s really cute, but c’mon,” she lifted her hand up and down gesturing to herself, “I’m the full package.” 

“No argument there,” he agreed, tapping his foot to hers this time.  

8:30 p.m.

Bored, Sawyer stood and stretched in front of the bulletin board. She scanned the flyers advertising rooms for rent and used cars for sale, as well as outdated posters promoting health and wellness. She snorted when she lifted a couple layers to find the “What to do in case of emergency” instructions buried underneath it all. Removing a few of the flyers, she returned to her spot on the floor.

“What are you doing?” he inquired.

“Arts and crafts. Want to join me?” she chuckled expecting him to pass.   

“Sure. Hand me a couple of those flyers.”

“Really?”

“I’ll have you know I’m pretty good at origami.”

“Of course you are,” she rolled her eyes. 

As Ethan got to work folding and twisting a piece of paper, Sawyer carefully creased a couple lines into hers. Having torn off one of the edges to make a perfect square, she continued folding and creasing, then folded each corner toward the center of the page, repeating the process until she had achieved the right shape and size. 

She leaned across Ethan snagging the pen from his chest pocket, “Can I steal this?”

In that split second, Ethan’s senses were overwhelmed. Her hand on his thigh as she reached across with the other. The hints of coconut and tropical flowers that tickled his nose. The closeness of her body against his. He cleared his throat, “It appears that you already have.” 

Already back to work on her project, Sawyer wrote numbers on one side and colors on the other. After carefully pinching the paper to change its shape, she pulled four flaps up and wrote a random phrase on each one. Finished, she excitedly showcased her final product, “Ta-da!” 

“What is it?” he glanced up momentarily from his own craft.  

“A paper fortune teller.” She positioned her fingers to push and pull the points of her device and asked the first question. “Will we ever get out of this elevator?”

Her fingers moved the paper contraption back and forth as she spelled and counted out loud. “B-L-U-E. One… two… three… four.” Peeling back the tab over the number four, she read the fortune. “‘Outlook not good.’ Grrrrrreat.” 

“Geez, I didn’t realize being in my company was so horrible,” he inserted, still concentrating hard on his art project.  

“It’s the worst,” she said, dramatically rolling her eyes and feigning annoyance. “Ask a question. You can keep it to yourself if you want.” 

“Uhhh…” he thought for a moment, working on the final touches of his origami. “Did I make the right decision in Miami?” he asked himself. “Okay, I’ve got one.”

“Pick a color,” she instructed, showing him the options. 

“Green.” For the color of her eyes he decided.

“G-R-E-E-N. Now pick a number between one and eight.”

“One.” Because she was the number one intern, his number one pick for the program, and the first person he thought of when he woke up these last few weeks. 

Sawyer peeled back the tab. “Reply hazy. Try again later.” She heard Ethan’s unsatisfied snort. “Not the answer you were hoping for?” 

“Not quite.”

Sawyer assumed his question was about finding a cure for Naveen and offered him a sympathetic smile. Noticing that his hands were now still in his lap, she pointed to them. “Let’s see your masterpiece.”

Ethan presented a nearly perfect paper rose complete with stem and leaves. “For you.”

Surprised and flattered, Sawyer accepted the sweet gesture. “Wow,” admiring the level of detail as she twirled the delicate flower in her hand. Then looking into his waiting eyes, she held the paper blossom to her chin, “Thank you.” 

9:30 p.m. 

Ethan circled his ankle and bent his knee up and down a few times trying to improve the circulation in his leg.  

“Leg falling asleep?”

“Yes.”

An idea forming in her head, Sawyer unlocked her phone and opened her music app. Scrolling through her favorite playlist, she found a befitting tune and pressed play. Rising to her feet, she extended her hand to Ethan. “May I have this dance?”

Ethan stared at her hand considering, then met her eyes. 

“C’mon,” she reached down to take both his hands and helped pull him to his feet. “We need to stretch our legs. And honestly if I don’t move around I might pee my pants.”

“Well, we don’t want that.” Still holding her hands, he raised his left hand and folded his fingers around hers. He guided her other hand to his shoulder and placed his right hand on her waist.

They began to sway back and forth making circles in the small space of the elevator car. At first they avoided eye contact. But as the words of the song sunk in, their eyes met more frequently until they were finally locked on one another.  

I wanna memorize you, wanna stay here forever 'Cause I-I-I, I-I-I I take a picture in my mind so we're always together 'Cause I-I-I, I-I-I wanna remember

When the song ended, Sawyer was the one who broke the trance. She was just about to pull away when Ethan spoke. 

“One more?”

The corners of her lips lifted into a radiant smile. “Okay. Let me find another song.”

“I rather liked the last one.”

After hitting the replay button and returning the phone to her pocket, Ethan took her hand again. As the intro music played, he slid his other hand around to her back pulling her body close until there was no space between them. Her arm wrapped around his waist. The side of her face rested in the crook of his neck.

This feels like One of those moments moving by so fast You wanna do something just to make it last You wanna do something to remember Breathe it in The feel of your body on my fingertips The moonlight on fire and the clothes we're in We gotta do something to remember We don't wanna forget it

As they rocked side to side in each other’s arms, Sawyer could see their reflection in the stainless steel walls. His chin rested on the top of her head literally breathing her in as the lyrics suggested. 

The song ended and Ethan placed a quick peck on the top of Sawyer’s head. Ever-so-soft, she wouldn’t have even noticed had she not still been looking at their reflection. When they finally pulled away, Ethan brought her hand to his lips. “Thank you for the dance.”

11:00 p.m.

Tired and cold, Sawyer sat by Ethan’s side using his shoulder as a pillow. He encouraged her to try and get some sleep, but the cold steel against her back and dropping temperature in the elevator made it difficult. 

When she hugged herself to help control the shivers, Ethan nudged her to sit up and removed his lab coat. “Come here,” he patted the floor in front of him. 

She did as she was told, nestling herself in between his legs as Ethan draped his coat over her like a blanket. Pulling it up just barely over her mouth, Sawyer breathed in the familiar and intoxicating scent.

With a hand on her shoulder, Ethan guided her back against his chest. Framing her sides with his bent knees, he transferred his warmth and Sawyer melted into him.

Ethan leaned his head against the wall and took long slow breaths. His mind and body were engaged in conflict. He summoned all his strength to resist temptation and tamp down the twitch in his pants. As his head said “no,” his body urged him to lean down and nibble her earlobe. Massage her pulse point with his tongue. Slip his hand down her shirt to know whether her heart still beats as it did in Miami.  

As they laid there quietly for a few minutes, an occasional shiver still coursed through Sawyer even though the cold no longer affected her. She felt Ethan take a deep breath, her own body moving with the rise and fall of his chest. “What are you thinking about?” she asked softly.

He wanted to tell her. He wanted to give her the honesty she asked for that day in the lab. He took a moment to think of how he wanted to phrase it, and when he was ready, he leaned down and half-whispered next to her ear. 

“Stavo pensando che mi fai sentire qualcosa che non ho mai provato prima. So di aver detto che questa cosa tra noi è sbagliata e non dovremmo. E per la prima volta nella mia vita... non voglio avere ragione. Perché voglio che tu sia mio.” 

Sawyer didn’t understand anything he said, but she felt the meaning deep in her bones. Turning her head and shifting her body, she looked him in the eyes. There was longing and desire, and she watched how they slowly drifted down to her lips. She leaned in ever so slightly and Ethan pushed forward the rest of the way capturing her mouth. His hands held the sides of her head as he kissed her over and over. As her lips parted, he lightly introduced the tip of his tongue, moving deeper as she opened to him further. They continued to take each other’s breath away until at last the need for air had him closing the kiss with a soft peck. 

Needing to slow the pace before things went too far, Ethan rested his forehead against hers and begged, “Tell me something. Anything.” 

Sawyer caressed his face as a beautiful smile spread across hers. “This has been the best Valentine’s date ever.”

He leaned back a bit, raising his eyebrow in disbelief. 

“I mean it. Great conversation and lots of fun. You gave me chocolate and flowers. We danced. You spoke sweet nothings in Italian. At least that’s what I heard… you could have said I had amateur scalpel technique for all I know… but it was still romantic. And that kiss,” she sighed softly. “I’ve never been one for traditional Valentine’s Day gestures, but you may have convinced me otherwise, because tonight was perfect.”

Ethan was just about to say something when the elevator jerked back to life. 

They both stood dusting off their backsides and straightening their clothes when Ethan tried to speak again. “Sawyer?”

She already knew how this was going to end. “You don’t have to say it, Ethan. I know where things stand when these doors open.”

He nodded sadly. “Right. But I was also going to say, ‘Happy Valentine’s Day.’”

“Oh,” she said, surprised. 

The chime indicated the elevator finally reached the first floor. “Ethan?” Sawyer stepped out into the hall and turned around to face him. Smiling affectionately, she held the paper rose close to her heart, “Thank you for a lovely time tonight.”

A/N: Here’s what Ethan said in Italian: “I was thinking that you make me feel something I never have before. I know I’ve said this thing between us is wrong and we shouldn’t. And for the first time in my life… I don’t want to be right. Because I want you to be mine.”

Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @potionsprefect @jamespotterthefirst @annfg8 @peonierose @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @jerzwriter @quixoticdreamer16 @mysticalgalaxysstuff @inlocusmads @txemrn @trappedinfanfiction @mvalentine @takemyopenheart @ofmischiefandmedicine @openheartforeverinmyheart @doriopenheart @coffeeheartaddict2 @genevievemd @starrystarrytrouble @hopelessromantic1352 @kyra75

[tardisesandtitans]

I FINISHED A WIP!

[heyhilana]

Day of Love (Joel Miller)

Summary: While journaling, you count the days and realize that it's Valentine's day, your favorite holiday, and when the outbreak happened. While Ellie is interested and Joel shows detest, a restaurant that happens to be Valentine's day themed brings out the best in you both.

A/N: Hi lovelies! This is the first story I've published since last year and it was sorta random idea that was stuck in my head. Also, I apologize if Joel doesn't sound as southern since I didn't want him to sound like Whiskey, nor did I want to overdo it. I tried to find a decent balance. But, I hope you enjoy it since it's a shorter story and it'll help me get back into the groove of things. As always, drink water and love yourself <3 Happy Valentine's Day!

Pair: Joel Miller x F! reader (Use of Y/N!) (honestly, this can be gender neutral but since I added sweetheart I didn't want to add a !gn reader when it wouldn't be fair)

Warnings: None surprisingly :)

Word Count: 2.4k

February 14, 2034

21 years. 21 years of when life as I knew it turned upside down. How I managed to survive all of this chaos is beyond me. Maybe my guardian angel is working overtime due to my carelessness and I owe them a drink. Well, more than once after I’ve caught myself in more near-death experiences than not. Damn, maybe I have a penchant for death since it’s all around me.

Alright, I promised to not be so morbid since I have to have a little hope now that I’m around Ellie. She doesn’t know what a normal life is, but I don’t want more of my cynicism to rub off on her. She’s gone through more than the average child or should I say, the previous average child should’ve gone through. And Joel is enough already. So grumpy, always short with words, so tall, handsome, strong-wait! I can’t waste any more paper on that. It was hard enough to find this book in the bookstore a while back. But he rubbed me the wrong and right way the moment I met him. Hard to read, yet I want to read him in any way I can. God, hitchhiking with them was not a good idea since this should’ve gone away already. What is this? High school? Spending my days writing in this tiny notebook so I don’t lose my mind with thinking while we walk to god knows where? Please, I’m losing my mind and I know it’s only going to get worse.

“Y/n! We don’t have all day now. You done writing?” Joel turned to face you and while the twinge of annoyance grew, you felt a softness grow in your heart.

“I am now.” You snapped, closing your small book and getting up, dusting off your back legs.

“What do you write in there?” Ellie asked.

“Depending on the day I write down how long it’s been or what may have happened when the infected attack me. Helps so I can fight them off later on.” You answer, noticing that Joel was starting to walk ahead. You put your notebook in your bag.

“How many books do you have?” You both tried to catch up with him while he was watching the surroundings.

“I’ve lost some pages due to fights but I recovered most of the days. With this new book, I have 5. Keeping the entries short helps to save space.” Ellie was shocked by how many you had.

“What’s today’s date then?”

“February 14, 2034. Valentine’s day.” That earned a groan from Joel which you ignored.

“Valentine’s day?” She scrunched up her face a little. 

“You never heard of it?” She shook her head no.

“I heard about Christmas, but never that. What’s it about?”

Before you could speak, Joel interjected. “It’s a day where two people act in love for one day and that’s it.” You rolled your eyes at his poor explanation.

“Sounds like you hated it.” Ellie noted.

“Seeing two people lie to each other for the day was something I hated.”  He clarified, slowing up a bit to let you both walk by his sides.

“They didn’t all lie. A lot of them actually loved each other.” You could see the detest on Joel’s face, and it made you want to wipe it off his face by either punching him in the arm or kissing him.

“Most did. Didn’t you see that when you were in high school?” He looked at you and you sighed over his usual mentions of your age when everything started.

“You act like I’m a million years younger than you.” You stopped in your tracks and so did he, him folding his arms as he stared you down.

“You couldn’t file taxes when it all happened.” Another blow, this one earning a scoff.

“And you were headed towards retiring by the morning.” You shot back, making Joel’s jaw tighten.

“Sweetheart, you don’t know about life like I do.” He walked up to you, closing some distance.

“Don’t you tell me what I know.” You closed more of the gap, the glares creating more tension that could only end in one of two ways. Heart racing, you didn’t want your irritation to cloud your judgment but faintly you could see that his jaw was tight but his eyes were softer, perhaps contradicting himself more than he intended.  

“Enough! You guys fucking argue all the time.” Ellie quite literally got in between you both, pushing you both back. Not much was said as Joel continued walking and you kept your distance from him, staying near Ellie.

“It’s a regular day, nothing more.” He affirmed, but he was quieter.

“It was a special day. People would celebrate in many ways, buying flowers and chocolate, gifts, and going out on dates.” You remembered the commercials on TV and how everyone was on the day of, spreading love in all the ways that were possible. Glorified in some ways, but it was a time when humanity was at least in a better mood for the most part.

“Sounds like something I would’ve hated.” You rolled your eyes.

“That’s one thing she’s said that I can agree with.”

“It was one of my favorite days. Wish I could go back to when things were simpler.” While neither of them said anything, you could see the quiver in Joel’s lip but you didn’t push it.

“Up ahead. What does that look like to you?” You looked up atop the hill, seeing a boarded-up building but you couldn’t make out the sign as it was decayed. The rest of the exterior looked to be fine, which gave you hope that the interior would be the same.

“Looks like it’s intact. Worth going into?”

“Only place we’ve seen that might have resources.”

“Let’s go then.” The three of you walked up the hill, with Ellie in front of you both and you and Joel still keeping some distance for civil sake.

“Why do you tell her about the past all the time?”

“Because she deserves to know that before this life existed there was a beautiful way to live. It’s the least I can do is since everything turned into a hellfire.” You looked around as the trees cascaded over you, the sky finally clear after days of clouds. Hope was all you had, and why would you dash it in someone who was now the beacon of hope everyone needed.

“A hellfire is an understatement.” You drily laughed, knowing that there was not a word in what was left of a dictionary that could explain the hell on earth you lived through day by day.

“It is, but she deserves to know. Just because our worldviews are fucked up doesn’t mean hers has to be the same.” He hummed in response and you took it, focusing on getting up this hill without losing your breath.

You reached the top of the hill and saw the building. It was still relatively unidentifiable but intact, with no spores or dead infected on the outside. You looked around and you didn’t see or hear anything, the familiar clicking or groan long gone as you walked to the building. You still kept your gun on you as you walked to the side door, but when you went to open it, it was locked.

“You have a pin?” Joel asked. You gave him the pin in your pocket and he got down to unlock it, jiggling it around before he heard the click. He turned the handle and opened it, and thankfully no spores were in there. Breathable, you walked in and you saw the familiar hues of red, pink, and even some white lining the room. Tables scattered, red tablecloth hanging on by a thread, a stage to your right, and you knew where you were at.

“A restaurant.” You saw that the front door was open and there were scattered items left behind.

“This was a restaurant?”

“Yeah. They were in full swing for Valentine’s Day before the outbreak.” You walked down and the broken glass cracked underneath your boots. You walked to one of the tables that were still standing, two glasses lined with dust and the unopened bottle of champagne that sat in the middle.

“Unopened surprisingly.” You held it up and dusted it off.

“Open it.” Ellie asked as Joel walked over to the kitchen. You picked up the knife that was on the table and used it to pop open the bottle, letting the cork fall to the ground as you brought it to your nose and smelled it, aged perfectly in the midst of chaos.

“Nothing here or in the back. We should go.” Joel popped out from the kitchen, hand near his side. You put the bottle down and turned to him.

“Why can’t we stay here for a few more minutes?” Ellie walked up to the stage and grabbed the mic stand.

“It’s a waste of time.” He was out of breath and you took out his meds from your bag.

“It’s not. We’ve been walking all day and I can see by your side that you need a break.” You walked up to him to hand him the bottle but he pushed you away.

“I can push through.”

“Joel, we’re staying here for a few minutes until you can get some relief. Take your meds.” You handed it to him again and he glared at you, taking them and swallowing them with the water you also gave to him. You both walked over to the chairs as Ellie began to play around on stage as a performer.

You both sat in silence as you watched her up there, the perfect distraction as you would normally feel goosebumps with how close Joel was to you.

“It’s nice to see her being a kid.” He commented, his voice not as strained.

“It is. She’s gone through so much and to see her happy is worth it. Even this place is nice to be in.”

“This place is an insane asylum.”

“Why do you hate this holiday so much?” You turned your head to look at him, seeing that he was not holding his side anymore, his hand laying close to yours.

“I told you earlier, y/n. It’s the people that made it stupid. When you love someone, you love them not just for one day, but every day. You don’t need a special day to show off your love.” Despite the earlier debate, you were inclined to listen to him, or maybe take longer glances at him.

“But the day also had wonderful moments as well. To have a day designated to be with your lover, all the PDA, and creating memories on a special day. The day doesn’t have meaning, but the people can make it special when it’s genuine.” You reasoned.

“You have to make every day a special day when you’re in love.” He locked eyes with you as he uttered the last few words. Your words were caught in your throat and your lips parted and closed again.

He was at my throat not too long ago and now he’s looking at me dead in my eyes. Another notebook entry for tonight.

“You must have experience with that.” You finally spoke, the evenness in your tone wavering slightly.

“I do. When you give up on that, you give up on the relationship.” His tone wavered slightly, but not in a twinge of pain but a hint of uncertainty.

“Fair point.”

“You guys are going to just sit there?” Ellie was smiling widely, clearly enjoying her imaginary concert.

“That stage is all for you, Ellie. We’re fine down here.” You told her, seeing her go back to what she was doing.

“I would ask why you love it so much but you gave me your answer.”

“It’s not so much the day but that it reminds me that love still exists. Love can be found through anyone and everything no matter what stands in the way. I’ve seen some couples still standing after all these years, or some that have found each other along the way. We all need connections, and it’s important to find them because it keeps people alive. Don’t you believe in that?” You were surprised that you could say all that when you felt his eyes on you, listening to you attentively. His face was softer, and the lines on his face were not as prominent. He looked at peace when all you thought was your presence gave him irritation.

“21 years ago, I did and it made sense to me to live that way for as long as I could. Since then, I’ve spent all these years surviving. Learning to get out of one shitty situation from the next, meeting other people, losing them, or leaving them behind. I’ve done that for a long time, and only now it’s changed.” He looked away from you for a moment, looking at the hearts that lined the stage wall. He looked as though he was contemplating something, as were you about the words that were lodged in your throat, threatening to come out with each passing second.

“Changed how?” He didn’t say anything, instead taking your hand in his and squeezing it. You hesitated to do the same, but you followed your heart and did so anyways, matching your heartbeat.

He turned his body to face you this time, his other hand moving up to your jaw, tilting it up to match him. Your heart was beating just like you were a teenage girl in high school, the memories of what life was all encompassed with Joel at this moment. “Sometimes the people you come across can change everything you thought you once knew.”

Your lips parted instinctively as he let his impulses rule over his body. He kissed you softly, testing the waters as you squeezed his hand again gently. As hardened as Joel appeared to be with good reason, his softness was always there and you were experiencing it firsthand, finding a rhythm until you both pulled back, still staring at the other in adoration rather than irritation.

“Finally! I didn’t know how long I had to wait up here until you guys got it over with!” Ellie walked down from the stage and smiled, earning a grin from you and a hum from Joel.

[mistressheroine]

Can You See Right Through Me? by Mistressheroine

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

My new fic, written for the BHF23 Valentine's Day prompt 'Love Letters' is now available to read on the link above. I hope you enjoy discovering the story of Luke and Sarah alongside Beth and Daryl.

[make-me-imagine]

Exactly My Type

Plot: When going to dinner at Raymond's for what you think is a work dinner, takes a turn.

Prompt: 'First Kiss'

Pairing: Raymond Smith x Gn!Reader

Requested By: @will-grammer

Warnings: Just the kiss.

Words: 1.5k

-

As you walked up the path to Raymond's front door, you tried to ignore the butterflies in your stomach. No matter how many times you saw him or spoke to him, they were always there.

After ringing the doorbell, you wiped your hands down your top, hoping you didn't over-dress for this dinner. It was only to discuss work, you needed to remind yourself of that. It wasn't a date, just a casual work meal.

As the door swung open, Raymond revealed himself to be in his usual suited appearance, though with an added apron draped from his neck.

He smiled "Right on time."

"Like usual." You added on with a smile, knowing he always appreciated punctuality.

He held open the door or you you stepped inside. You began to take off your jacket, but hesitated when you suddenly felt Raymond grab it from behind. Looking back, your eyes locked and he smiled as he helped you remove it. You felt a shiver run up your spine as his fingers grazed your skin through the fabric.

"Thanks." You muttered softly.

After he hung it up, you followed him into the kitchen. Looking around, it was just a spotless and pristine as usual. But your eyes lingered on a new addition. A bouquet of flowers sitting on the table.

You felt your chest tighten as you wondered who he got them for. You knew quite a lot about Raymond, but he never mentioned personal relationships. You wouldn't be surprised if he had a partner, though you would be lying if you said you didn't feel disappointment at the idea.

Sitting at the bar as Raymond got some glasses, you didn't have to say anything as he immediately prepared your favorite drink. You smiled to yourself as you noticed this, your cheeks warming up a bit.

Looking over to the stove you spoke up "Need any help?"

He shook his head as he placed the drink in font of you "It's done, just need to plate it."

He motioned his head to the dining room table, where you normally ate. Making your way over, you began to sat down, surprised again by Raymond sudden appearance behind you as he pulled out your chair for you. You smiled in thanks as he walked back to the kitchen.

After you began eating, you started to talk about the reason you came, but you were surprised to learn that Raymond had already begun to resolve the problem.

And every problem you brought up, he seemed to have a resolution for as well. You started to wonder why you were here at all.

"Are Mickey and Rosalind aware of all of this?"

He nodded "Yes, but they don't need to worry right now. They went to The Maldives for Valentines Day."

You hummed "Sounds nice. How long are they staying?"

"A week. I hope to have everything resolved before they return."

"I don't doubt you will."

You saw his mouth twitch up at this, and you felt your chest burn a little warmer.

After cleaning up from dinner you and Raymond continued to sit and talk, new drinks in hand. You couldn't stop your eyes from occasionally looking over at the flowers. You hated how the curiosity burned in your chest.

Finally finding the courage, you spoke, though with reserve heavy in your voice. "Are you doing anything? For Valentines Day?"

Raymond looked at you in silence for a moment before adjusting his glasses "Should I be?"

You shrugged and took a sip of your drink "Well, if you finish this business for Mickey, you could give yourself some time off as well." You motioned your head towards the flowers "Looks like you've already started planning."

Raymond looked over at the flowers and you noticed how he repressed a smile "I have."

Your chest clenched at this. You were hoping he'd deny it.

"That's why I already prepared everything like I said."

"Are you going to tell me about them?" You asked, feigning a smile and curiosity, hoping Raymond couldn't see through it to the pain you were actually hiding.

He sat back in his chair for a moment, seemingly considering if he should. Adjusting his glasses again he cleared his throat.

"I've known them for quite a while now. They aren't what they seem like on the outside. People tend to think there is nothing more to them, but they're always wrong, there is always more."

You could sense pride in his voice as he talked about them and you'd be lying if you didn't feel a little jealous.

"Is that what won you over?" You asked with a slightly joking tone.

He smiled and shook his head "Not just that. It's also their bravery, kindness, skill, willingness to help anyone they can. Not to mention their sense of humor."

You smiled at him "Sounds like they got it all."

"They do. But they don't realize it themselves."

Clearing his throat he stood up and walked over to the table. You watched him closely as he approached the flowers before he grabbed them, bringing them over.

Oh great, was he going to talk about them some more? Are these their favorite flowers? Maybe you shouldn't have pushed.

Walking up to you, he set the flowers down in front of you before he put his hands in his pockets. You could see them more clearly now than before. It was a mix of white roses, dark pink dahlias and light pink peonies.

Reaching up you gently touched them. These were some of your favorite flowers.

"They're beautiful, they'll love them."

Raymond smiled softly in amusement as he gazed down a you. You met his eyes and suddenly felt like you were see through.

"What?"

"There for you, you toss-pot."

You felt as though a jolt of electricity went through you "What?"

"I was talking about you." He smiled a bit wider.

"Y- You were?"

Moving past you, he sat in the chair beside you facing you, his knees pressed up against your leg.

"I didn't invite you to talk work, I just wanted to have dinner with you. And I hoped, somewhere along the way I'd get a chance to give you these."

He could see your brain working in overdrive as you remained speechless, putting it all together.

He continued to smile softly at you before he reached over and placed his hand on top of yours, slowly linking his fingers around yours.

"I hope this stunned silence is not leading up to a rejection."

Finally taking hold of yourself you shook your head. "No, it's not, I'm just really surprised."

"Why?"

You shrugged your shoulders as you smiled a bit bashfully "I didn't think I was your type."

He grinned "You're exactly my type."

Your heart started pounding in your chest as he reached towards your legs with his other hand. You repressed a grin as he turned you so you were facing him, your legs now pressed against his.

As his eyes stared into yours, your ears burned hot. You had never seen him look at you like this. You saw his eyes flick to your lips for a split-second and your heart skipped a beat.

"Raymond?"

"Yes?" He asked softly.

"Thank you for the flowers." You replied with a softer voice.

"You're very welcome." Tilting his head slightly his smile turned into more of a smirk "Now about Valentines Day."

You quirked your brow.

"You are free I hope?"

You smiled and nodded "Yes, I'm free."

"Good, I wasn't looking forward to having competition."

You chuckled and shook your head "No competition. No one could compete anyways."

He smiled and you swore you saw a blush crawl across his cheeks for a moment.

"So, Valentines Day?" You added on.

"Yes. What we will be doing is a secret. I just want to make sure you have the day free."

"The whole day?" You asked with lightly surprise and he shrugged his head. You leaned forward and spoke with a light sarcastic tone "Are you going to try and seduce me Raymond?"

He smirked and leaned in as well "I thought I already had."

You grinned "Bold assumption."

His smile grew as well and you saw his eyes flick to your lips again before his gaze held yours. He moved his face in closer, so your noses were almost touching.

"I suppose I should try harder then."

Leaning in in sync, your lips met and your heart jolted. Raymond's hand quickly rose to cup your face before he cupped your head, deepening the kiss. You laid your hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating heavily. After a second, his other hand come up as he gently place it on top of yours, squeezing lightly.

After a few more moments, you parted, somewhat breathless. Your eyes locked as you both had soft smiles. Bringing his hand back to cup your face, he gently brushed his thumb over your lips as his eyes lingered on them.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time." He said softly before he met your eyes again "And I'd very much like to do it again." He spoke as he slowly leaned in closer.

You smiled as you met him in another kiss, softer and slower this time, as he linked the fingers of his other hand through yours.

xx End xx

Kind of an abrupt ending, but I didn't know where to go with it where it would end naturally lol I hope you liked it!~

General Taglist: @criminaly-supernatural, @imaginesfire, @onuen, @witchygagirl, @alexxavicry

Raymond Smith Taglist: @will-grammer, @venusthepirate

[roseglazedlens]

⦑ THE FUCKING DEAD ⦒ 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥’𝐬 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 ➠ series masterlist | ⏪prologue | 🔃boy’s route | ⏩part 4

𝐒𝐌𝐔𝐓┇𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐑┇𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐅𝐈𝐂┇𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 JILL VALENTINE X AFAB GN! READER ADA WONG X AFAB GN! READER synopsis: You split ways with Leon and Carlos, choosing to accompany Jill and Ada to Glenn Arias' office. One of you is already infected... content: 𝐒𝐌𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐃𝐍𝐈, dubcon, threesome, zombie fucking, oral (reader & f! receiving), toys (vibrator + strap-on in one hole), squirting, fisting, knifeplay, overstimulation, multiple orgasms, latex kink, face sitting, cervix penetration, tonguefuck, hand & finger kink, nipple play, mating press (kinda), choking, body marking, body horror, slight objectification, body fluids, and pet names (kitty, darling). a/n: am gay thanks for cumming to my ted talk « 6 k words | general masterlist | ao3 | reblogs appreciated! »

The five of you parted ways—for better or worse. Is there a choice for you anyway? This is unanimous from everyone. So, you decide to follow the most logical choice: complete the mission as you are instructed, instead of seeking distractions with time you can’t afford to lose.

Leon and Carlos bid the three of you farewell, venturing underground to locate the source of a gas that may or may not be a distraction or an ambush. You, Jill, and Ada will continue upstairs to infiltrate Glenn Arias’ personal office, retrieving the concentrated sample with utmost priority, and regroup with the rest before Arias has a chance to discover his merchandise has gone missing.

The plan is perfect, what’s there to be worried about?

“Our intel says Arias’ office should be on the top floor. The coordinates are on your watch. Proceed with caution, everyone.” Rebecca calls out into your earpiece. Twisting your elbow, you glimpse at your watch. It blinks with your location in green, and destination in red, two floors above you.

“Copy.” You and Jill acknowledge Rebecca, but Ada ignores, simply hiking forward with her pistol leading the way.

“She must be fun at parties.” Jill snorts, following behind her.

This is the first time Jill talks after splitting up with the boys. And even then, she only ever converses with you, and never to Ada. They have almost nothing in common between them, besides their stubborn attitude that only butts at each other’s heads. If you aren’t around, there will only be an air of dead silence between the duo.

But these two are your friends, and you like them both for different reasons.

You recall a past memory between you. “She’s not usually like this outside of missions. We went to a bar one time, and Ada got me free drinks all night. Poor suckers, she swindled them all.”

“Just the two of you?”

“No, it was an afterparty. Rebecca was there. I think you had to stay back for work that day. Why?”

Your eyes meet Jill in confusion, and they quickly dart away. Jill clears her throat to speak again. “So you and Ada are close, huh?”

“I think so,” Jill’s face hints a bit of disappointment, but she tries to force her lips to upturn into a nonchalant smile. You don’t notice this and continue talking: “But not exactly. She saved me a few times, so I’m grateful for her. But I wouldn’t call us friends.”

“And that’s all?”

You wonder where all of this is coming from. Didn’t take her for the kind who enjoys bars and loud spaces anyway. Spending time with Jill is usually just the two of you watching TV, laughing at the over-the-top reality drama from the comfort of the couch, cuddling up right next to each other like a couple of platonic best friends. Before you can speak, you feel a presence in front of you, standing in your way. You pause quickly at the last minute, almost colliding into the figure. Ada. She only looks at Jill when she’s talking.

“You two lovebirds done? Stay alert.” Ada deadpans with no intention of being friendly and warming. “Don’t hold me down.”

“Take care of your shit and I’ll take care of mine.” There’s bitterness in Jill’s voice, and Ada ignores her because your watch is beeping. The green and red dots overlap each other. You’re here.

You put your game face on. You land yourself on the other side of the wooden door to Arias’ office, while Jill and Ada have their backs against the wall closest to the door knob. Ada signals, counting down from three, and then finally kicks down the door. The three of you rush in, guns aimed forward in order to take down any security patrolling the perimeters.

“Huh?” You raise an eyebrow. You lower your gun when realisation sets in that you are indeed in an empty room.

You recognise this dark wood flooring. It adorns proudly, and even more repetitively, throughout the mansion. This room is no different. The desk, cabinetry and shelves are crafted with the same sinister timber that weighs down Arias’ office. Rows of portraits from Arias’ ancestors stare down at you with hollow beady eyes. A tall window, slightly ajar, to let in the cold nocturne wind. No mould.

This room had been cared for—dusted, cleaned, and prepared. Papers spread across the table, fresh ink, even the nameplate is polished into a shimmer. Arias frequents here, either for work—or for other sorts of shady businesses.

Ada immediately gets to work, and she finds a painting with a secret hinge to the side. It opens into a safe with two rotary dials. The sample is so close now, so close to your reach.

“I’ll check for any other clues that may help us.” Jill declares, and she’s flipping through papers on the desk for any information she can send to Rebecca.

But your eyes are still fixed upon Ada with her back facing you. Not leaving her even for just a second. Ada might have saved you a few times, but the amount of times she betrayed you is far greater. A memory sticks out from a conversation in the saferoom when Leon pulls you aside:

“Be careful. Something is very wrong about this place. I don’t know what it is yet…” His words hold weight and sincerity as he speaks. “And about Ada… I don’t trust her. You shouldn’t too. Don’t make the same mistake as I did.” Then Leon loosens the grasp on your arm, and reluctantly lets go…

You refocus, keeping your eyes peeled on Ada, before noticing how beautiful her hands are. How they pinch the dial with ease and precision, almost gliding as she hears the very faint click inside the clockwork of the safe. Her nails are short, painted dearly with scarlet red polish, palms so silky that they almost glisten lightly under the moonlight. You didn’t know the hands of a mercenary can be so pretty, unlike yours, calloused and scabs healed over.

“Are you done watching me?” Ada is still listening to the safe, but she knows you’re looking.

“Huh? I wasn’t—” Your cheeks redden from being caught.

“You think I’m as dense as that rookie? I see you guys talking. Did Leon tell you to watch over me?” Oh. She must be talking about Leon’s warnings in the safe room.

“It… wasn’t about you.” You hesitate and fiddle with your thumb. You are not a great liar, not by far.

“Just tell me.”

Ada turns around to look at you now, telling of how much she knows you. And it’s definitely well enough to see through your lies like translucent paper. Your words tumble under pressure: “He’s just concerned. Told me to keep an eye out.”

Ada scoffs; she’s turning the dial a bit more aggressively this time. “Of course he did. Predictable. The rookie thinks I’m out to get him every single time.” There’s another sigh of exhaustion.

“Well, isn’t that what you did?”

“That’s besides the point. It’s his fault for getting in my way.” Ada clears her throat. “Rest assured, I’ve been compensated well for this job, so you’re safe.”

“For now. I’m not taking my eyes off you.”

“Didn’t take you for the kind to let others tell you what to do.”

You clamp your lips shut. She’s right, and you know it. Your brain racks within itself for a comeback to defend your integrity, and realising instead: Why are you trying so hard to prove yourself to Ada?

Ada is challenging you for sure. Or entertained by you. You can’t tell the difference with her teasing grin that could be either, or both. Are your eyes fooling you, or does Ada seem more... relaxed? Her demeanour is drastically different from when you were in the saferoom, or when you were speaking to Jill. If you didn't know better, you swear Ada actually enjoys your company, maybe even a little bit more than friends.

The safe beeps, signal flashes green, and the hinge loosens to an open. The two of you peek inside. There’s a gold bar. A stack of paper (letters?) bound by a delicate string. But beyond that, nothing.

You hear rustling in the background. Papers falling to the floor. You turn around to see Jill frozen.

“We got the safe open. Did you find anything?”

Jill’s eyes are far off, fixed upon a particular spot. You look towards the direction of her glance, and beyond the window, it overlooks the mansion’s luxurious home garden, overgrown with weeds and wilt. Behind that, a bench and what appears to be either a figure or the trick of a light. It’s too dark to tell.

“Jill.” Ada repeats, slightly raised eyebrows indicating suspicion. Jill returns from her far off location, and sees the two of you in front of her.

“You okay?” You ask, wanting to put your hand on her shoulder. She shrugs you off.

“I’m fine.” Jill’s fist is holding some paper, and she scrunches it to hide it in her back pocket. “Nothing useful. Just old accounts… and stuff. You know.” Ada is watching. Jill changes the topic fast.

“But look what I've found in the drawers.” Jill removes a box from inside the drawer and opens it. It contains a bunch of oddly shaped devices, attached by a belt or some sort.

“Are those what I think they are...?” You question, not quite sure what to make of it just yet.

“In every colour too.” Ada says. “Seems like a 'hobby' of Arias'.”

“Maybe Arias had been using this toy in this room.” Jill snickers, pulling one of them out by the belt, and the girth of the black shaft is thick and erected.

“Jill, stop playing with it.” Your face looks visually disturbed. “Oh my god, my pure and innocent mind...”

“Don't tell me you've never used one of these before?” Ada is grinning, as if you just asked a silly question.

“And you have?”

“Who hasn't?” Jill laughs too. Meanwhile, you are still standing, a look of confusion in your eyes. They look at you, and look between themselves, a synchronous 'oh' left their mouths at the same time. You are still confused.

“Don't worry about it. So what do you guys got there?”

You pick up the stack, and read aloud the first sheet that is addressed to someone.

Dear Sarah, The world had been too cruel to us, separating us from each other far too suddenly, far too soon. Our lives were only just beginning, and fate had to take you away from me. We should’ve had so much more time. And we will. Don’t worry, Sarah, all of this is only temporary. I took your wedding dress to the dry cleaners and safekept it for your return. I still remember how beautiful you looked in that dress walking down the aisle. Yours forever, Glenn

You bring the sheet back to read the next letter.

Dear Sarah, My research was successful. I did it, Sarah, I DID IT!! I can finally bring you home, my love. Didn’t we always said we wanted a child? You told me underneath the moonlight you want to name our daughter Renee. And now, we can finally have them. We can finally be together. Things are in order to make this happen. Me, you, and Renee, for eternity. I’m so excited I’ve painted Renee’s nursery in your favourite colour, green. So much work to do, I’ll write to you again soon, Sarah. You won’t have to wait any longer. Yours forever, Glenn

“Is this Arias’ wife? What do you mean ‘bringing her back’?” Your whole body shudders at the thought.

“She’s dead. One of the many innocents that died in the wedding.” Jill almost punches the wall. “It should’ve been him.”

“He’s trying to revive her? …And have children with the dead?”

“What kind of fucked up shit is he planning?” Jill is shocked, grossed, disgusted all at once on her face.

Meanwhile, Ada, calm and unreactive as ever, is rummaging through the safe again. “No sign of the sample—” Ada confirms, and she withdraws her hand holding a gold bar to transfer it into her gear’s pocket. “—another dead end.”

“Did you just steal something?” Jill is in disbelief.

“Mind your business.” Ada shoots back a glare at her.

“There’s something really fucked up going on in this mansion, and this is how you act? Have some sympathy for the dead, would ya?”

“It’s been dead for a while. Doesn’t matter what we do or what we say, they can’t hear it. All we can do is focus on the present.”

“Why you—” Jill stops midway, like she accidentally swallowed back her words down the wrong hole. Her head is throbbing, heart racing, body attacking her from all sides within. Her throat is closing up, and for a second, Jill can’t breathe. She falls; collapsing onto the table with a loud thump, barely supporting herself with her elbow. Jill coughs; there’s blood.

“Jill! Are you okay?” You cry out, running to her aid, your arm rounding across Jill’s shoulders. It feels cold. Dry. Like you’re touching the furless coat of a dead animal with no warmth left in them.

“I… nnh, I’m fine.” Her voice is straining, but there’s some breathing at least.

“Don’t be stubborn. The colour on your face is gone.” You dip your hand onto Jill’s forehead. The cold sensation fades, and now it’s warm to the touch again, burning like a fever. You question yourself whether the coldness before was an illusion. Bringing your arms around her, you reach to your earpiece. “I’m calling Rebecca.”

“No. Don’t.” She coughs even harder with her weight leaning against you; she’s turning frailer and frailer by the minute. “I’ll be fine. We need to s-stop Arias.”

That is when you hear a click, cold metallic surface pressing against the fabric of Jill’s back. The safety’s off.

“Ada?” Your voice escapes like a pleading squeal, a forced laugh through hopeful desperation that it’s all a prank, that Ada isn’t going to hurt and betray you, just like all the other times. “…What’s up with you?”

“Jill. Get off. Now.” Ada raises her volume to a stern demand, and this time, you know she’s definitely not joking. Jill ought to do as she says soon, or else both of you may catch the bullet with a press of Ada’s finger.

“Ada—” Your voice shrivels into a pitiful whisper. Betrayal again? After everything?

“Jill’s infected. Face it. Thought it was weird why you’re acting funny. The virus is in your body as we speak.” Ada points her gun at Jill.

“Wha—What’re you talking about?” Jill’s face turns white. She coughs once more, hard. There’s blood all over her hand and on the corner of her lips.

“Ada. We need to take her to the hospital now.”

“Does she look okay to you? I’m not going to save your ass again. So get out when I tell you to.” Ada’s finger is firm on the trigger. Determined.

Jill scoffs. “This again? So you’re working for Wesker? You’re trying to take us out one by one. It’s not gonna work.” With a weak grip, Jill grabs her pistol with her remaining energy to aim right back at Ada. Ada doesn’t shoot. She should’ve, but she can’t.

Ada’s guard is up again. “Believe what you want. If you’d like to die today, be my guest. I won’t hesitate to shoot.” She flicks her wrist, demanding you to move aside. “This is your last chance.”

“Ada, please listen! She wasn’t bit. We were together the entire time. You were there too, Ada! She can’t be infected. She can’t be—” You yell in distress, but your sentence trails off into a mumble.

“The gas. The gas has something to do with it.” Ada says.

“Won’t the two of us be sick too?” You say.

Ada’s eyes glare harshly against the two of you, but you can see her thinking, the cogwheels in her brain processing the facts, and her speculation wavers. There’s pity behind the cold blooded glint. Sympathy. Ada’s pistol lowers—

And that was the mistake that costs their lives. Jill turns, roundhouse kicking the pistol off Ada’s hand in her moment of vulnerability. The gun falls, crashing against the rug far from reach. Ada is already reacting, drawing her TMP out but Jill moves faster. Too steadfast. Too superhuman. She tackles Ada to the ground, hands steady against her neck.

Jill’s gaze is obscured by flames, something blinding and controlling from something within her veins and arteries. Despite looking directly at Ada, she can’t see, nor can she distinguish friend or foe. Her hand tightens around Ada’s windpipe, leaving her grasping for air.

You pull up your rifle in a panic frenzy, unloading your round onto Jill. But she does not flinch, does not even look your way. There’s a dent in her skin where your shots land, but there’s no blood. “Goddamit, what the fuck, Jill! What is wrong with you?”

But Jill can’t hear you. Only the crackle of flame and roar of wildfire burning and reverberating through her head. Echoing twice and thrice over. Ada is grunting soundless moans, still attempting at escape with how she continues to fumble for the TMP on her waist belt. Then, Jill steps on Ada’s hand with sheer force and unnatural strength, crushing the smooth palm with the sole of her feet, twisting it until all the delicate bones become unrecoverable. And all hope was lost again.

Jill sinks her teeth into Ada’s neck, not with much mercy either. There is a sound of flesh torn, a blood crying scream to taint the air. The blood velvet rug paints a deeper red and Jill releases. Ada flops to the floor, paralysed, but not deadly enough for a fatality. Her beautiful skin, once full of vigour and charm, stained red with her own blood, the veins around turning deeper purple thriving like tree roots across the earth.

You look at Jill—and she’s smiling. It’s not the slight curve of her lips you’re used to when you tell her that her haircut is nice. Or the reluctant embarrassed grin she has when you thank her for standing up for you. This was something else.

This was something from hell.

She’s no longer the Jill you know. ‘Jill’ turns around to meet you in the eye. You back away, rifle aiming forwards despite knowing it’s all fruitless. Your hands shudder from within, none of your shots will hit even if you try. But you had no choice. You have to try even if it’s fruitless. Then you aim at Jill directly on the head. It’s harder than it looks, killing your best friend, even if they are a zombie.

It misses and lands on her shoulder instead. There’s a notable grimace on Jill’s face as she flies to catch the bullet from within her shoulder. She flicks the bullet away and her grin spreads widely, and she chuckles a sinister giggle. “That hurts, you know…”

“Jill?” These BOWs aren’t supposed to speak. They should be monsters. This is your first time meeting one of these too, and you did not expect them to be one of your closest friends. You should be careful. If they can speak, do they have the intelligence to manipulate you too?

“What’s wrong, kitty?”

“Fuck you.” You grit your teeth. “I’m not turning into one of you.”

She merely laughs. “Admit it. You think this is hot.”

“Fuck off.” You have Jill’s eyes locked, other hand inching closer and closer to your back pocket, reaching for the radio. But it was no use. A hand—bloodied and broken—grabs you by your wrist, twisting it behind you forcefully. You wince. Ada is right behind you, her eyes looking into yours with the same blank stare Jill has. She’s turned. And so quick too?

“Our darling, can’t seem to stay put? I think it needs punishment.” Ada’s breath is blowing against your neck. You shiver.

“Oh… like what kind?” Jill’s eyebrows are raised and intrigued.

Jill answers the question herself by unsheathing her pocket knife. You swallow hard as she takes each purposeful step towards you, savouring in your fear. Your wrists struggle against Ada’s grip, which she responds by tightening it further that your bones are almost breaking from her touch.

“It’ll hurt more if you resist.” Jill drawls out her words, licking the surface of the knife. She brings her knife forward, laying the flat edge of the knife against your cheek, drawing a little blood at first, then a bit more droplets gather onto the knife. She slurps on it, licking the crimson nectar clean off her knife. “Just relax, kitty. It’s us. Jill and Ada. Your teammates.”

“We won’t hurt you, darling. You can trust us.”

For a moment, through the hazy blink of a spell, you see your friends. Ada, mysterious yet always saving you during trouble. Jill, indifferent yet is always the first to defend you. They’re absolutely right. These are your friends. They mean so much to you, and you’ve just realised that now. You’ll do anything for them.

You let your body relax, your eyes stare into Jill, then Ada, then back at Jill again. She caresses your cheeks in her palm, bringing your face closer to hers with lips that only want to close the distance, and you close your-

Wait! No. Stop this! This isn’t right!

-eyes, before your lips crash together in a series of tingles. Jill deepens the kiss, her tongue prying between the seams of your lips, meeting your own tongue in the middle. You still taste a bit of blood, but that doesn’t deter you from returning the kiss. Jill licks your lips once more before finally parting with a heaved gasp. You slowly open your eyes, before another pair of familiar lips comes colliding back on yours and you’re nudged to close them again. This is Ada’s lips, rounder, thicker, with an unexpected forwardness. She nibbles on your lips, demanding, making room between the gaps of your lips, and kiss you just as passionately as Jill did.

Between kisses, a button pops off. Then another. You help each other out of your fabrics. Earpieces removed, abandoned by the floor. Jill strips off Ada’s dress and bra, and you help Jill out of her skinny jeans. A paper scrunches up from her back pocket. It’s been torn by hand, scribbled a note on lined paper where the words are either smudged or peeled off. Only one word is still faintly visible.

[ WATER ]

What could it mean?

You spend no time to ponder with Jill pulling you back into the present. Your naked torsos flush against each other as the duo fight for another taste of your lips. They catch your breath, one after another, with no intention of letting you out of their sight. Jill brings her hand around you, her fingers are already sending-

I need to get out of here! I need to warn-

-a violent fizz through your body, and Ada helps you fall to your legs onto the velvet rug underneath you. All the whilst your lips are trapped in Jill’s, and so is your body.

“That’s it… Be our good little darling.” Ada slips right behind you, letting your relaxed body lean against her, then running a hand up your torso with the friction of her latex gloves, before settling against your neck in a firm grip.

“We’ll take care of you, kitty.” Jill whispers into your ear, and you can’t hear any malicious intent. Jill and Ada aren’t hurting you, some part of you is very sure about this.

Then you hear something. A faint sound in your mind, a warning, a scream from far away. It’s telling you to run, run so far and fast before it’s too late. “Nnh… I…” It rings in your ear like a constant drum, forcing you for a response. But why? You feel so good right now…

“Stay with us, darling.” Ada coos, moving downwards to kiss along the strip of your neck. She’s gentle, enchanting you in her lovingness. The voice grows fainter, like a distant chatter that fades into the background.

And their hands are all over you, exploring every curve your skin has to offer. The crook of your neck, the gentle folds between your belly, thighs filling out into their palms, plushness against plushness. With how both of their breasts lay against you, it reminds you of a marshmallow cloud, and you’re drifting away into it. Away from the mortal world where only the three of you remain.

Ada runs her hands down your body, her latex glove palming your cunt now, circling it fully and firmly. You feel everything move, your hips rutting to find more friction against your clit. And she retracts her hand, pressing down against your clit as if you hears your demands, holding you and your emotions hostage, before repeating all the motions again.

“Shh… We’ll take care of you, kitty.” Someone says this, you don’t know who. You are much too focused on the pleasure throbbing in your body to notice. Ada moves her head downwards to watch your cunt more closely, pleasant to see you already drenching, soon to succumb to the inflictions of her loving touches.

“Goodness, so wet for me, darling.” Ada rewards herself with a finger down the stripe of your cunt, scooping your juices with the latex and licking her finger clean. Ada is taking her time with you, pecking gentle kisses along the seam. A few times you feel the firm pad of her tongue on you, but she retracts it before you can truly react to it.

Jill is still kissing you; her hands are groping her own breasts to satisfy herself, while you lay limp under the command of the two. You moan back into the kiss, clearly aroused by Ada toying with your body underneath, and she grows increasingly jealous: “Having all the fun without me?” She abruptly parts your lips, and gently lowers your back onto the floor.

“Come on, kitty. Help me come too.” Jill pecks one final kiss on you, which you, too engrossed in the knot in your chest to struggle to even pucker your lips. She rounds her legs over your face, and your face is shaded with the shape of Jill’s cunt. Her arousal glistens in the darkness, seemingly twitch, maybe a bit vulnerable with how your eyes are fixed upon her aching parts.

“Put that tongue to good use, kitty.” Jill drops herself onto your face, fucking herself onto your nose. A moan escapes her lips, and yours too, your grunt muffled underneath the pressure, but she can still feel the vibrations through her cunt. She ruts against you, a signal for ‘more’, and you obey. You stick your tongue in, swirling and springing your tongue to feel Jill’s walls against the flat surface of your tongue.

Jill lifts herself temporarily, just enough for you to breathe and release the groaning mess that is trapped in the back of your throat. She slams herself back down onto you again. Your breath quickens, back arches in; you’re close. So fucking close. Ada isn’t stopping now, her lips are flushed against your cunt, extending her entire tongue inside of you to tonguefuck you until your heavy breathing is inside of Jill’s cunt.

“I.. nnh…fuck…” You cry, a tear gathering in your eye.

“Don’t be shy, kitty. Just let it all out.” Jill looks down at you, grinning, taunting. She drives her cunt deeper onto your face. And with her encouragement, you do. The sensation wells inside of you, stimulated on both end bringing your orgasm to escalate in speeds unimaginable. Your juices start to flow, without warning—you couldn’t control it even if you tried—and all your fluids spills directly onto Ada’s face, catching into her eyes.

“That’s it. Well done, kitty.” Jill praises, smoothing a hand over your hair.

Ada doesn’t wince from your juices in her eye, she doesn’t even feel the pain. Her irises are shifting red from her kind hazel brown. Her skin, paling, wherever she was applying pressure at you, those parts of her turns distinctly blue. And that’s when reality hits you: you don’t know them. But there’s no stopping now. It’s too late. At least you can make your death memorable—enjoyable—by getting fucked inside out.

Jill is feeling it too, her hips shaking, your tongue going into overtime eating her out, until she finally releases. She tries to lift herself off, but it was too late when Jill begins to squirt, her one finger guiding herself on her clit, drenching your face and some of your hair with her fluids. You wipe your face off with your hands, huffing and puffing. Whatever you two had, it was intense. Far more intense than any relationship you had with any other sex.

Ada lands right next to you on the rug. She’s reaching down to circle on her own clit and thrusting her fingers inside of her dripping mess at the same time. God, Ada looks so hot touching herself.

“Please. Ada. I want to taste you too.” You nudge Ada’s fingers out of herself, giving them a lick to clean those pretty, battered fingers off. Even damaged, her manicure is still perfect, and the skin still feels soft to the touch. You roll on top of Ada, exchanging places with Ada’s fingers to bottom her out.

Ada’s cunt is so smooth, cleaned and trimmed, just as put together as the rest of herself. Her hole is wide open, as if taunting you with how much she can take at one time. You hook her legs over your shoulder now, pressing them down closer to her body and reaching over to her swollen nipple to pull against it. When your fingers enter her, it’s like dipping your finger into melted butter. With one finger, it was loose. So you add one more finger, then another, until all four of your fingers are deep in her cunt.

“God, Ada.” You swallow back a heavy drool. “You’re all stretched out.”

“I have higher pain tolerance like this. That’s the best part about being a zombie.”

“Does that mean I can…” You thought four fingers was Ada’s limit, but after wiggling your hand around, you manage to slip the fifth finger inside. Ada lets out a delighted whine, swallowing your entire fist with a quick rut of her hips.

My god, Ada looks so beautiful like this. With how big she’s taking in, you swear that she’s more used to this than she’s letting on. But you don’t get to ponder long, because Jill is right behind you. She’s watching over you, grabbing your cheeks from behind and something is nudging between your thighs.

“I want to try something on you.” There is a belt around her, and a strap bouncing high and proud into the air. “Stick up your butt for me, kitty.”

The idea of getting fucked by Jill excites you very much. You perk them up, despite your eagerness, you don’t want to lose momentum with Ada in front of you, still squirming under your control. You expect your cunt to meet with Jill’s silicone tip, but instead she puts some kind of device inside of you. It vibrates in the lowest setting, only a tingle of sensation in your already aching and throbbing pussy.

“J-Jill?” You let out a low grunt, unsatisfied. The device is so small, you still feel empty even as it vibrates within you.

“Don’t worry, kitty. I’m just gonna write some thing on your body. It won’t hurt, I promise.” She picks up a knife, previously abandoned in the corner. She runs the sharp end of the knife along your ass cheeks, and you wince as Jill drags the knife down until it carves off a letter. ‘J’ on your left cheek, ‘A’ on your right cheek.

“Kitty looks amazing with our initials on it.” Blood is trailing along your butt. Jill lied. It hurts a lot. But the combination of pain on your skin and pleasure of the vibrator takes you to your wits end. Jill makes up for it by consoling the cuts, planting kisses and licking the blood off your cheeks. Then she grasps harshly onto the plush meat, and the pain is back again.

“Kitty…” She coos, fingering out some of your stickiness to lubricate the silicone. It lines up against you, ready for entry. You take in a deep breath, and Jill shoves all of her length in one go. Your body flinches, tongue stopping for a moment to recollect your composure as your internal walls fight to wrap both the vibrator and Jill’s strap at the same time, filling you up so fully.

“That’s it, kitty. Take in both me and the vibrator. Feel so good right now… So good for us.”

But she’s not stopping. Not intending to stop until you come over and over again, until you stain the rug with every bit of your juices. Moans ripple through the room. Each thrust heavy and welcoming to your pussy as you stretch wide to accommodate to this newfound size. You chase your euphoria, as it crash at you wave after wave of limitless pleasure. Jill tips you further into overstimulation, fucking the fluids of your orgasm back inside of you.

But you can’t speak, despite the desire to release your choked out breath, you are determined to make Ada come too. She’s close. You press her legs further down to flex her into a pretzel, her thighs touch her head, and your fist finds its easier to reach her cervix, abusing at her favourite spot over and over again until she’s bound to release her fluids onto your hand.

“You’re mine now…” Jill and Ada speaks almost simultaneously.

And the rest of the night was a blur. You aren’t sure how many times you came tonight, you only feel the aftermath of it. The inside of your walls are sore, penetrated repeatedly by tongue and silicone, and you find your consciousness fading… and fading… until you are gone completely.

A buzz. It rings in your ear like a fly in your sleep. Is this your alarm? No… Did you not leave for Arias’ mansion? How long ago was that? Why are you asleep? And where’s Jill and Ada?

You are alone. The portraits watching your naked body as you lie—criticising you? You hear the windows clacking against the hinges, night air whining inside and all over your bareness. But you don’t feel cold. Your body hasn’t felt anything in a while. Joints weakened everywhere and your lips feel like something dried over.

You hear the buzz again. This time much closer. There’s static. It’s saying something.

“Ji- Ad-”

You move your limbs, cumbersome from the soreness of your muscles, to reach to the sound underneath your clothes. An earpiece. You fumble it on.

“Jill! Ada! Are you guys there? Come on, why won’t this damn thing work?”

It’s Rebecca. You know this girl. From somewhere. It’s getting harder to think.

“Reb—” You try to talk, but it escapes like the low grumble of a zombie. You don’t have much time left.

“Finally! Thank god it’s you! Are you guys safe?”

“Water... It’s the water… The water’s infected…” You muster whatever bit of strength left to talk.

“Hello?? Shit. I can’t hear you… What did you say about the water?”

Your eyes feel heavy. It sinks without intention. All that remains is a fragile pulse at the hearth of your body. Not enough for you to move or think. Darkness envelops you, and there is silence once again in Arias’ office.

Then, a man steps into the room.

thanks for reading! come check out my other works. —yours truly, rose. kissing @scar-crossedlvrs and @obsolescent for beta reading this!!!! tags: @j3llyd0nut @ovaryacted @daydreamrot @madcap-riflette @access--granted @obsolescent @briermelli @secretiveauthor @ghosty-frog @navstuffs @slowcryinginthedark @rentaldarling @lesbntired @redvleanli @vinsiliors @whoisgami @gaylorvader @wxwieeee @eddsthemunson © roseglazedlens — please do not repost, plagiarise, or feed to ai.

[cellsshapedlikestars]

to all the boys...

Sansa has always been a romantic. It is her biggest flaw, per Arya, but mom always said it was her biggest strength. The problem with being a hopeless romantic is that she reads too much into everything, and her crushes on boys are often intense. One day, sobbing to her mother about how Loras didn't love her back, mom had sighed and told her to maybe start a diary. Write her feelings out so that she could process them.

Instead, Sansa decided to write letters.

for the @jonsa-valentine​ event, day 1: letters

read it here on ao3

[liaromancewriter]

Making It Work

Premise: After a solo outing, Cassie and Ethan come to a realization about their relationship.

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine); feat. Max Valentine Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff. Format: Text Fic

A/N: The fic took a weird turn. I'm using @choicesflashfics Holiday prompts 3 and 10. Submission for @choicesjanuary2024 day 16 prompt "relationships" and @choicesficwriterscreations Holiday event. Using a visual prompt sent by @elbellswriter

Part 1: Going Solo

Part 2: All About Elves

Part 3: The Relationship

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @lucy-268 @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @youlookappropriate @zealouscanonindeer

[tessa-liam]

Smoke and Mirrors

Smoke and Mirrors 

Chapter 4: As the Smoke Clears 

Book: The Royal Romance Finale AU 

Series Premise: Hidden in the shadows, poised to challenge the status quo are enemies of the state. The loyalties and honesty of family and of friends will be tested. ‘Keep your friends close, your enemies closer.’ 

Catch up: Smoke and Mirrors Masterlist  

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!MC Riley Brooks-Rys, OTP ‘LiRi’ 

2nd Pairings: Leo Rys x Amalas, Drake Walker x F!OC Delaney Leigh 

All characters belong to Pixelberry, except Delaney Leigh and Officer Cossoy 

Rating: M🔞*Series Warnings: NSFW material, sexual innuendo, adult language/swearing/drinking 

Category: Alternate Universe/on-going series/angst/fluff 

Words: 1821, Read: 8 minutes 

Chapter 4: As the Smoke Clears 

Chapter Summary: Celebrating Valentine’s Day of lovers, family, and/or friends. The search for Lena continues in Monterisso. Not Beta'd-please excuse all errors. 

A/N1: @choices-february2023 @lucy-268 #choicesfebruary2023 #choices monthly challenge Day18- Romance|Seafood|Hanging by a Moment by Lifehouse – Music Inspiration 

A/N2: @choicesficwriterscreations #cfwc valentine 2023 Prompt, Here and Now – OTP celebrates with their kids 

A/N3: @choicesflashfics Week #20, Prompt #3 - “Are you flirting or starting a fight?” 

A/N4: @peonierose – Thank you for the picture/prompt 

Royal Chambers, Cordonian Palace 

It was an early Tuesday morning and Riley was taking full advantage of the terrace overlooking the gardens. Sipping her coffee, she relished her quiet time. 

It’s Valentine’s Day.  

...and today, her focus will be on her family. 

Starting with baking home-made chocolate chip cookies that were now cooling on the counter. Promising to help Ellie with her Valentine gift for her father, she made one of the cookies into a giant heart for her to create and decorate her gift for Liam. The royal kitchen prepared 3 colors of royal icing for the princess to help her complete her decorating project. 

For Liam, Riley has a surprise romantic dinner planned on the royal yacht tonight. A surf and turf feast with all his favorite dishes, prepared by the chef, cruising under the moonlight. 

They had been planning a trip to Monterisso since finding out about the possible missing sister/fugitive, ‘Lena.’ The timing could not be more perfect for sailing, rather than flying to the island. Leo was already there with Amalas; Leo being the King’s representative involved with the search led by Interpol. 

“Mm mm... what have we got here?” The sound of Liam’s deep groan caught her attention. 

Riley turned to look inside the kitchen and saw him take a bite into a cookie. 

“Hey, you,” she walked into the kitchen, smiling. 

“Is this for me?” He grinned, staring at the huge heart she made. 

“Yes! Yes, it is.” Riley smiled wide at his expression. Shaking her head, “it is part of Ellie’s Valentine gift for you. Do not touch, not yet!” 

“Ellie wants to surprise you at lunch after your meeting by personally delivering it to you in your study.” 

“This is my favorite kind of cookie," he said, reaching to grab another before turning back to her. “I’ll take care of these. You go finish your breakfast.”  

“Ha, ha, your majesty,” Riley chuckled. Don’t take too many cookies back to your study with you.” 

“Oh, and love.... bonne saint valentin a l’amour de ma vie.” Liam lifted her hand to kiss and then twirled her around. Riley reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered, “buon san valentino all’amore della mia vita,” followed by a deep kiss. 

*** 

Leigh Townhouse, Capital 

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Drake!” Delaney rolled underneath the bed sheets to her side to face her boyfriend coming out of the bathroom after his shower. His eyes were closed, and she smiled at how cute he looked with his wet hair sticking up all over his head and a towel wrapped around his waist. He opened his eyes and gave her a grin.  

Walking to the bed, he bent down to whisper, “hey baby,” wrapping his arms around her and kissing her lips. Delaney smiled up at him as she laid there feeling safe and secure with the man she loved. 

“I love you,” she told him as he kissed her again. 

Drake sighed happily, “I love you too. Happy Valentine’s Day.” 

He pulled himself away from her and headed towards the closet. 

“Wait, what are you doing?” Delaney asked playfully as she watched him pull out his boxers from the drawer. 

“Getting dressed....” 

“Well, I thought that since you came out of the shower wearing nothing but your towel,” Delaney replied teasingly.  

Drake smiled back at her as he sat down on the bed next to her. He reached under the sheet to pull her bottom close to him. “And how do you know I wasn’t wearing anything?” 

Delaney blushed. “Umm...well...” She looked away, embarrassed. 

“Well, what?” he asked again, playing along with her. 

“Well, you know I didn’t see much of you last night.” 

Drake laughed. “I’m sure there was plenty to see.” 

He looked down at Delaney's expression and she did not look happy. “Are you flirting or starting a fight?”  

“A little bit of both?” Delaney replied frustrated. 

“Drake, it's the best answer I can give you right now. 

It is Valentine's Day! I thought you could stay home today with me, but instead you are going out.” 

“Baby, after the council meeting, I am coming right back here with your Valentine gift.” Drake replied with a grin. 

*** 

King’s Study, Cordonian Palace 

“Are you ready, princess?” Riley asked Ellie as they walked hand in hand down the hallway to deliver Liam’s valentine gift. 

As they approached his door, the royal guards bowed. 

Ellie raised her hand and tapped. When she heard her father's voice say, “come in,” a royal guard opened the door for Ellie and Riley. 

“Daddy!” Ellie rushed in and went around his desk. Liam picked her up and placed her on his knee.  

“Well, hello princess,” he said, smiling at her. 

“Oh Daddy, Happy Vawindines Day! I brought you a present.” Ellie handed him the giant heart-shaped cookie she had personally decorated. 

Liam kissed her cheek, “Happy Valentine’s Day, my little love. Thank you so much, will you help me eat it?” 

Ellie nodded excitedly as he placed the giant cookie on his desk. 

Riley was watching the exchange between the two of them as she sat down on the sofa. 

Liam looked over at Riley and winked. 

“Princess, I have Valentine's Day presents for you and mommy, too.” 

Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands. 

“Tonight, after your lesson, we are going on a boat. That is where I put them. And guess where we are going on that boat?” 

Ellie furrowed her brows, and asked, “where, Daddy?” 

“To visit Micaela in Monterisso.” 

*** 

Royal Yacht, enroute to Monterisso 

After getting Ellie settled into her bed for the night, Riley changed into her evening cocktail dress. 

As the servers placed platters of crab legs, scallops, and calamari on the table, the chef set down individual plates of steak and lobster for each.

The music played softly in her ears as she walked out onto the deck after dinner. Standing there, she felt like she was floating on air. A smile spread across her face when she felt Liam’s hand gently stroke her bare back. 

“You look so beautiful tonight, my Queen,” he whispered, as he leaned forward for a kiss. 

“Thank you,” Riley deepened the kiss. 

“Come dance with me,” he said, taking her hand. 

As they moved effortlessly to the music, Delaney watched from the window, sitting at the dining table inside. It was the most romantic setting she had ever seen. 

“What are you thinking about?” Drake asked her, but he was fairly sure he already knew. 

“It must be hard being married to a King. But Riley makes it look so easy.” 

“Well, Riley is an incredibly unique woman.” Drake said in reverence. 

Delaney raised an eyebrow, waiting for Drake to continue. 

Riley noticed Delaney watching them, as the song ended. 

“Let us join Drake and Delaney inside, we still have dessert to eat.” Riley smiled as Liam kissed her hand. 

“After you, love,” Liam gently turned Riley to go inside. 

As Liam went inside to sit down at the dining table, Riley met with the chef to begin dessert service. 

“Delaney, I hope you are enjoying yourself.” Liam enquired. 

“I am. I have never been on a yacht before.” 

“Li, this is a 5-star resort on water. Thank you for including Delaney and I on this cruise.” 

“Oh yes, especially on Valentine’s Day,” Delaney exclaims. 

Riley smiled. “No problem, we are happy you could join us.” 

As the servers set their desserts in front of them, Liam squeezed Riley’s hand. “My love, you always indulge me.” 

Delaney took her first bite of the baklava, “this is delicious.” 

Drake grins at Liam and lifts his glass to propose a toast. 

“To great food and good friends.” 

*** 

As the evening progressed, Liam and Drake moved to the outside deck to discuss the game plan on the search for Lena.  

While Riley and Delaney went to the lounge area of the yacht. 

Both women being American, shared that commonality, but moreover, Riley wanted Delaney to feel comfortable in Cordonia. Since Liam and Drake are best friends, Delaney will be included with Royal court functions that Drake attends. 

“So, how did you meet Drake?” Riley asked, as she sipped her infused sparkling water. 

“We were in college together, about 10 years ago, at the University of Houston. I really liked him, so when he left to come back here, I tried to stay in contact, but I lost touch with him.” Delaney explained. 

“That must have been difficult for you. How did you eventually find him?” Riley asked. 

“I went to student services and found his forwarding address information. I kept trying to get in contact with him hoping he would remember me. He finally called me one day and it turned out that we reconnected after all those years.” Delaney sighed. 

“Yes, you were here at Halloween last Fall.” Riley smiled. 

Delaney grinned, “yes.... he was so sweet!” 

“Now, let’s talk about you. Drake told me that you had some very bad experiences when you came to Cordonia. 

Riley laughed, “where do I begin?” 

Drake murmured to Liam, “should I be worried?” Liam replied, “man, you are so screwed.” His laugh bellowed and Riley looked up to him with a smirk, hearing his comment. 

As Liam and Drake walked inside the yacht, they both took notice of the blossoming friendship of Riley and Delaney.  

*** 

Translations:  “bonne saint valentin a l’amour de ma vie.” 

~ Happy Valentine’s Day to the love of my life en francais 

“buon san valentino all’amore della mia vita”  

~ Happy Valentine’s Day to the love of my life, in Italiano 

***

✨️Please let me know if you want to be added or removed from tags⚘️✨️

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TRR: @busywoman

Leo & Amalas @twinkleallnight

[dilly-oh]

Pick-Up Lines

“Oh my GOD, how long does it take two grown men to pee?” Iruka groans to himself, balancing precariously on a rickety stool at the bar as he waits for Kotetsu and Izumo to return from their bathroom break. He sets down his soda (he’d been saddled with the role of designated driver) and glances over at the restroom in annoyance. “They’d better not be making out in there-”

“Excuse me,” someone says from behind. 

Iruka blinks, then turns and opens his mouth, readying his most ‘fuck off’ tone of voice for whoever dares disturb him.

‘Whoever’ turns out to be a stupidly hot guy with a shock of silver hair, stormy gray eyes, and the sexiest mole he’s ever seen perched on the corner of an even sexier mouth. Iruka instantly wants to bite it off.  

“…Yessss?” he manages, the tone of voice coming out more of a ‘fuck me’ with a little hint of ‘please’. 

“Sorry, can you help me out?” the guy asks, looking worried. “I dropped my phone and now I think it’s broken. Could you try calling to see if it works?”

“Oh. Yeah, sure.” Iruka takes out his phone. “What’s your number?” The man rattles it off and Iruka punches it in distractedly. It rings for a second, then picks up. “Hello?”

“I didn’t mention before, but I dropped my phone when I saw you.” 

Iruka stares at the guy for a full ten seconds, phone to his ear, completely deadpan. The guy gives him a flirty little wink.

“…You did NOT…just set me up like that,” Iruka says slowly, lowering his phone, “for a shitty pick-up line.” 

“That depends,” the guy replies. “Did it work?” 

“Absolutely not.” Iruka refuses to be won over by a cheesy pick-up line. He has standards. Even if the guy is stupid hot. “Seriously, is that the best you’ve got?”

“Oh no, I’ve got plenty more where that came from.” The guy clears his throat. “I ought to complain to Spotify for you not being named this week’s hottest single.”

“I use Pandora,” Iruka shoots back. “Try again.”

“Are you a library book? Cuz I’m checking you out.”

“Good God, do you have them all memorized?” Iruka is equal parts impressed and horrified. “How many do you have?”

“Oh, hundreds,” the guy answers, then barrels on. “Are you a parking ticket? Cuz you got ‘fine’ written all over you.”

“Heard that one before,” Iruka says, taking a sip of his drink.

“I’d like to take you to the movies, but they don’t let you bring your own snack.”

Iruka snorts into his Pepsi. The guy grins and tries again.

“Are you a loan? Because you have my interest.” 

“I have student loan debt. Triggered.” 

“If you were a Transformer, you’d be “Optimus Fine”.”

“Hmm, docking points for the repeated usage of the word ‘fine’, get a thesaurus,” Iruka quips.

“Then it won’t make any sense,” the guy argues. 

“They’re pick-up lines, they’re not supposed to make sense. They’re supposed to be dumb and silly and not work.” Except they kinda are but Iruka is damn well not going to admit it. “Come on, let’s hear another. Make it religious.”

“Okay, sure.” The man gives him a deep, soulful look. “I’d say ‘God bless’…you but it looks like he already did.”

Iruka laughs at that one. 

“If I had a nickel for every time I saw someone as hot as you, I’d still only have five cents.”

Iruka laughs harder. 

“Are you a cell-phone plan? Cuz I’d like to discuss your full coverage options.” 

Iruka almost falls off his stool. 

“Enough!” he wheezes, catching himself on the bar. “Alright, you got me. Those were some good ones. I’m impressed.” He gives the guy a thorough once-over from head-to-toe. “What’s you name, Mr. Pick-up Artist?”

“Kakashi,” the guy replies, shooting finger guns, “but you can call me… darling.” 

“Aaaand you lost it.” Iruka spins around on his stool.

“No shit wait-”

“I’m kidding.” Iruka turns back around with a scoff. “But seriously, if you ever do finger guns again, we’re over.”

Kakashi slowly holsters the guns, completely straight-faced. Iruka struggles not to laugh again.

“Can I buy you a drink?” Kakashi asks, leaning an elbow on the bar and giving Iruka a grin that sends a shiver down his spine. 

“No, sorry,” he says with genuine regret, fighting back the heat in his cheeks. “I’m the designated driver tonight. I’m here with-”

“Oh my God, emergency,” Izumo suddenly stumbles over into the bar stools, almost knocking Iruka off his perch. “We were making out in the bathroom and then Kotetsu got sick and threw up in the toilet. And the sink. And the floor.” He pauses. “And me. And then I threw up a little. It’s a MESS in there. Anyway we gotta go-” 

“…Why am I friends with you two,” Iruka whispers, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stave off his approaching headache.

“…Because then we can split the rent?” Izumo says after a beat. Iruka sighs.

“…Alright you got me there. Let’s go.” He gets to his feet, then hesitates, glancing uncertainly at Kakashi. 

“It’s alright.” Kakashi nods in understanding. “Bros before hoes.”

“…You do understand that you’re the ho in this situation-”

“Before you go,” Kakashi cuts in, “do you have a name, or can I call you… mine?” 

“Dude, marry this guy,” Izumo whispers in Iruka’s ear. 

“Get OFF.” He shoves him away. “It’s Iruka,” he tells Kakashi, “and the only reason I’m letting you get away with the cheesy pick-up lines is because you’re cute.” 

“Oh no, are you gonna hold me in contempt?” Kakashi coos eagerly.

“ENOUGH.” Iruka turns to Izumo, who’s nervously scanning the bar like a bouncer’s about to leap from the shadows. “Where’s Kotetsu?”

“I stashed him in the car. Hopefully he doesn’t puke in it. I think he was about empty.”

“He’d better be, or he’s crawling home.” Iruka gives Kakashi a final lingering look. “Well, you already have my number. Text me later, okay?” Kakashi moves to do finger guns again, freezes, then awkwardly turns it into double thumbs-up. Iruka snickers one last time, then follows Izumo out the door. 

---

After he finally gets home and hauls his friends up the stairs and into their respective room, he checks his phone and is greeted with a text. 

I seem to have lost my number. Thanks for letting me have yours.

Iruka rolls his eyes, but can’t resist a parting shot. 

Let’s get coffee tomorrow. I like you a latte. 

-End-

(Written for Kakairu Valentine’s Week 2023, Day 6 Prompt: Pick Up Lines, hosted by @kakairu-rocks)