#when its -40 but that fancy car looking like it need to be keyed
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kiwi-peep · 2 years ago
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The Canadian winters can get cold, and sometimes Frank doesn't realize that till the Legion is already out. I was originally going to have Frank's mask in front of his toque, but I prefer it this way, it looks like he just quickly put on the hat without a second thought. Now that he's all bundled up, the Legion is ready to graffiti some walls and key cars >:D
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lizzieislife94x · 1 year ago
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Best Friends Sister (w.m)
WandaxG!P Reader 
AOU era You and Pietro are best friends
As always requests are always open
Y/ns POV:
I have to hold my stomach from laughing so much pietro hit the floor so hard popcorn everywhere "dude..that was fucking hilarious are you ok" I say composing myself as he gets up glaring at me "come on man it was" I stop talking as soon as his twin sister walks in "oh my god what happened in here" she says looking around at the popcorn all over the floor she looks directly at me expecting answers "oh uh em pietro was walking in with the popcorn and slipped and fell" I say my face heating up I can't seem to control my emotions around her I've had the biggest crush on her for the last 4 years but could never do anything about because she's my best friends sister she smiles and walks towards me sitting beside me as she giggles fuck, I purposely spend as much time here as possible just to see her "pietro youre such a dork but you need to clean this up" she looks at me "so y/n what are we watching" I feel nerves flare up as I look at her then the TV "eh um I don't think you'll like it it's a horror movie" she looks at me then pietro and smirks "well it's a good thing youre here to protect me" I blush instantly and nod "yeah sure sure sure" she giggles as pietro walks over"ew just make out already this sexual tension and constant flirting is gross" I look at him with a glare unable to form words "yeah right wanda wishes she could make out with me" I smirk as I regain my composure which is suddenly gone when she leans in to whisper into my ear "oh baby if I wanted to make out with you I'd do it anytime any place" I turn my attention to the TV trying to ignore my flustered state "let's just watch the movie" i say shyly. 
Half way through the movie wanda cuddles into me hiding her face in my neck I giggle and wrap my arms around her "I got you" I whisper as she smiles against my neck after the movie ends I feel wandas dead weight on me causing me to look over at pietro "dude wandas asleep " he laughs and shrugs "that's a you problem I'm going to bed gotta be well rested for the party tomorrow" i glare at him as I flip him the middle finger as he laughs walking upstairs I look down at wanda and smile "you are so unbelievably beautiful wanda" I whisper as I accept the fact I'm not moving anytime soon I close my eyes and quickly fall asleep. 
I groan as I wake up with the sun hitting my eyes once my eyes adjust to the light I look down surprised to see wanda still asleep in my arms I smile as I look at her admiring her beauty in the morning light "its rude to stare" I hear her mumble in a groggy morning voice "I uh I mean I wasn't staring I was admiring completely different, anyway can you move I can't feel my arm youve been asleep ontop of me all night" I say with a giggle as I see her start blush "well I felt safe so I must have fell asleep I'm sorry" I smile standing up shaking my arm "don't be sorry its ok but once I get the feeling back in my arm I have to head home to get showered and ready for the party so can you tell pietro ill be back in a few hours" she smiles and nods as she walks upstairs after 5 minutes I get all feeling back and grab my car keys off the table and head to my own house it takes 40 minutes to get there as soon as I get inside I go make a coffee and relax on the couch taking a minute to think about the fact wanda cuddled into me most of the movie then fell asleep ontop of me after an hour of relaxing me time I head upstairs to put my phone on charge and look at the time it's 12pm so I have a few hours to get ready I head into the bathroom and shower and brush my teeth after an hour and a half I walk into my bedroom throwing myself onto the bed. 
I rummage through my wardrobe looking for some nice casual clothes forthe party its just a house party nothing to fancy I decided to go with white ripped jeans with a white jumper and white Calvin Klein bra and boxers I decided to leave my hair down and curly and put on some light make up before getting dressed I look myself up and down in the full length mirror happy with how I look I quickly spray some Calvin klein perfume I quickly skim through my jewellery box and grab 2 thumb rings and 2 rings for my index fingers I grab my phone to shoot pietro a text
Me:Dude it's almost 7 will I head over? I have 2 bottles of vodka too let's goooo 
Dickhead: Yeah absolutely head over when you're ready there's people arriving nowanyway, also I over heard wanda telling her friends something I'll fill you in when you get here so GET HERE. 
I look at my phone a little concerned before sliding it into my pocket and heading to the kitchen to grab my car keys and 2 bottles of vodka I quickly make my way to the car to start the semi long drive I put some music on and jam out the whole ride only turning it off when I pull up outside the twins house I grab the vodka and head out towards the house walking straight in say my hellos to a few people I know I look through the crowd and spot wanda dancing and laughing with her friends causing me to smile I quickly diverted my attention as soon as her gorgeous forest eyes met mine I can't see pietro anywhere fuck I need to go ask wanda I quickly make my way to her she instantly smiles as I approach "hey glad your here y/n" she says as she wraps me in a hug I smile at the contact hugging her back before pulling away "hey wands where's pietro" I yell over the music she leans in and yells "upstairs finishing getting ready" I nod to acknowledge her before leaning in to yell "you look good ill catch up with you later I have to go talk to pietro" she nods as I make my way to the kitchen through the crowd of people I put the vodka down before heading upstairs and knocking on pietros door "dude its y/n can I come in" after a minute he opens the door "please tell me I look ok the girl I've been crushing on is here and she looks smoking hot I know she's only here because she's wandas friend but she's here" I look at him and fix his hair a little "there you look good buddy ima make it plan to get you together I think some old fashion drinking games will come in handy" I say with a smirk followed by a giggle he sits on the bed looking at me "so I over heard wanda telling the girl I like and another girl about last night about how she was cuddled into you most of the movie and how she fell asleep in your arms but then she told them you called her the most beautiful girl in the world or something but dude her smile was so bright when she was talking about it and they where all screaming and freaking out" I take a second to process what he said before thinking of what to say "wait really you're not fucking with me but why would she tell her friends" I feel myself freak out a little before he grabs both my shoulders "y/n she likes you like really likes you and you really like her I see the way you look at eachother when you think no one's looking I see the way you guys flirt I see the way you guys blush like fools around eachother, and I'm fine with it if I want to see my sister with someone I'd rather it be you someone I know and trust, someone I know will treat her like a queen and never hurt her, I know you've liked her for a long time and from the bottom of my heart I love and respect you for never crossing that line because she's my sister but I'm telling you face to face I don't mind you and wanda together I promise my best friend and my sister i think that would be really cool because i know how much of an amzing girl you are and i know you would never hurt her" I look at him shocked and stunned as I feel my eyes water a little without words I wrap my arms around him and hug him tightly "thank you" I simple whisper both of us feeling a little emotional we quickly break apart "come on let's go party and let's go get your girl" I say with a sly smirk he groans and we both head downstairs to join the party we spend the next 3 hours dancing laughing and drinking during that time I dance and laugh and chat with wanda on and off it's almost 11pm so I jump up on the table as pietro cuts the music "guys drinking games are starting in 10 minutes get ready we're starting with truth or dare then 7 minutes in heaven" everyone screams making me laugh my eyes landing on wanda as she waves shyly I wave back and send a wink in her direction she smiles and blushes as I jump down off the table and grab another drink as everyone sits in a circle I grab my phone and pull up wandas number.
Me: I need your help the blonde beside you, pietro has a crush I need you to help get them together for a little kissy kissy. 
As soon as I hit send I cringe at my words but get distracted by wandas giggle I look up to see her typing. 
Greeneyes:Yes!! She never shuts up about him, also who do you have your eyes on like who do you want to kiss tonight I know at least 9 girls here that are hoping to go into a closet with you.
I smirk reading the message as I start to type
Me:Oh now that would be telling so you're saying there's at least 9 chances of me getting lucky tonight? Sweet 😋 nah I'm joking I have my eyes on one girl but I can't tell you who it's a secret 
I look up at her reading the text and notice her frown damn she looks annoyed I quickly look down as my phone dings and almost chock on my drink.
Greeneyes:  Oh honey that won't be happening if you think youre kissing someone other than me tonight you have another think coming I'm done playing I'm done with the endless torture of flirting both of us scared to do anything about it last night sealed it for me it put things into perspective when you held me though the movie I felt safe I felt at home and don't hit me with some joke about me litterly being at home it made me realise that in your arms is where I want to be so if you think ima let any of these chick's touch or kiss or even look at you to long your delusional sweetheart.
I can't help but smile like a fool forgetting I'm surrounded by people and that possession fuck me it was so sexy I bite my lip and send a simple reply.
Me: Yes ma'am I completely agree 
Greeneyes: Good girl now why don't we just sneak away and go to my room and make out and ill tell blondy that pietro is into her to go talk to him. 
Me: Yes yup let's do that ill slip away first you follow. 
I quickly slide my phone into my pocket as I stand up and run upstairs towards wandas room bumping into pietro "woah what's the rush y/n" I blush and rub my neck "uh um nothing me and wanda are gonna skip the games and sit in her room to uh em talk" he smirks and puts one hand on my shoulder "good luck but hurt my sister ill never forgive you" I smile and nod "I'd never hurt her oh and by the way your little crush likes you slip away before the game starts and tell her or make a move you both like eachother" he smiles and nods as he walks away and I head into wandas room I sit on her bed waiting for 5 minutes before she comes running In shutting the door with a giggle I hear her lock it before running over to me jumping ontop of me to straddle me she slowly leans in both of us smiling "hey" she whispers before kissing me passionately I wrap my arms around her kissing her back with just as much passion. 
AN: no smut oooops and she stops right at the smut don't worry I'll post a part 2 to this tomorrow which will contain smut it's just I'm at 2.3k words already and if I don't stop it will be hella long lmao hope yall enjoy nevertheless hope yall are doing well all feedback welcomed and appreciated the people that be voting on all these one shots are real ones I still appreciate everyone that reads and doesn't vote 😊 as always requests are open (part 2 will be posted in a few hours)
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bluestar22x · 1 year ago
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Mr. Henley
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The Rockford Files - Mr. Henley
Summary: A rich man is murdered and you and Tim must figure out which of his family members poisoned him.
Pairing: Tim Rockford x F!Reader (both in their mid/late 40s)
Rating: 18+ Series
Word Count: 13,800 (ish)
Warnings: Smut (w/no protection), violence, a very angry ghost, inaccurate detective work, medical examiner gore, fictionally speedy DNA results, and a mention of euthanizing a pet (cat).
Author's Note: This part was a long time coming - I almost didn't finish it in October. Ack! But it was worth it. I think I'm happy with the results. This has some inspiration from the Merge Mansion ads. I'm not sorry. Also, it seems 2nd parts are for smut in my little writing world. I have a pattern. ha
xxx
October 10, 1996 (Thursday)
You felt like you were being driven straight into a horror movie setting. An early morning fog encroaching on the long, deserted winding road that led to a Victorian styled gate with golden decals. Tim stopped his car at the front and you noted the number twenty-six that was painted onto one of the stone walls the gate was attached to. You were at the right address. You just weren't sure that you wanted to be.
Tim slid out of the driver's side, leaving his door open as he approached the gate with the key he'd been handed earlier by Chief Bronson, opening it up and letting the gate swing widely inward on its own.
When he climbed back into the car you began tapping your fingers on your knees, unsure of what you’d soon be walking into.
It didn't take long for the sparsely colorful forest surrounding the driveway to clear into a neatly maintained lawn lined with pink rosebushes, spread out before a massive white mansion that looked as old as the gate, although they likely hadn't been built earlier than a half a century ago.
Rich people, you thought to yourself, rolling your eyes at the obvious choice the owners had made to flaunt their money. Nobody in American history who had owned such a home had ever actually needed over thirty rooms to themselves. Most people who'd had twenty plus children couldn't afford a mansion.
"We have an hour before we have to be back at the department to question the family," Tim reminded you after parking the car, as if you needed to be.
You just nodded at him. A year ago you would've rolled your eyes, thinking he was being impatient, trying to rush you, but you'd learned with time he just worried about being late. He was a reliable person. If he could help it, he was always on time. You couldn't say the same, and you'd butted heads with him more than once over it, but eventually you'd both decided it wasn't worth it.
He fixed the position of the dark rimmed glasses that rested over the bridge of his nose (a recent addition to his attire, much to his dismay) and followed you as you strolled up the marble steps leading to the heavy looking white front door. After he used another key to unlock it you shoved the door open and stepped inside.
You didn't know enough about mansions and fancy furniture, but you knew enough to know that everything inside was mind boggling expensive. The trims were definitely made from real gold. The living room was the size of your whole apartment.
And everything was spotless - except for the dining room you headed straight for like a woman on a mission. Even though it was just you and Tim in the house, at the moment, you didn't want to give the mansion's owner the satisfaction of you having gawked at the place.
The only sign something had gone wrong in the dining room was the yellow tape and the bowl of cereal that was still, disgustingly, out on the glass table, half full of soaked flakes and rotting milk. The stench made you block your nose.
At least the body had already been picked up by Joe while the rest of the Forensics team had scoured the mansion. And the man had been found fairly quickly after his death, so the room didn't also smell like rotting flesh. You always tried to look at the bright side of things.
"I see Elliot Henley was a Frosted Flakes kind of guy," you observed humorously. "It's kind of comforting that corn flakes could potentially unite the rich and poor."
Tim snorted quietly at that, amusement sparking in his normally serious eyes. You beamed back at him. You'd taken a liking to trying to make him laugh with you rather than at your expense, like it had been at first. You were getting better at it.
"You getting any vibes, Psy?"
Where once that nickname had been at your expense, it had long since turned friendly, and in turn, you'd grown fond of it. Only from him though.
"Nothing yet," you replied with a sigh, "I'm not even creeped out by the knowledge that a dead man was sitting at this table at eight o'clock last night, face planted right on the table alongside this very bowl."
Tim arched his eyebrows, surprised. "That once bothered you?"
"It still bothers me often enough," you admitted. "I got this job because of my gift, not because of my tolerance for being around dead bodies. You?"
He shrugged. "It got better with time. It's rare a case really shakes me up."
You know exactly what kind of case shakes him up after Annie. Anything with kids. For most people in your field of work, that was the line, but it was especially true for him.
You hadn't asked Tim about his sister. You didn't need to. Helen had given you more than enough information and it wasn't your business. He was your partner, a friend, you might even dare say, but your relationship was very professional and that meant you didn't get to be nosy.
"I'm going to take a walk through the whole place, alone," you decided, "Just in case he's shy. But it's quite possible Elliot's already moved on. Even if our suspicions turn out right, that he didn't just die of a stroke or heart attack, that doesn't mean he'd linger. You know how it goes."
Tim gave you a quick nod. After working over two dozen cases with you he did know enough of how things worked, or at least how you believed things worked, since you'd yet to convince him your mind wasn't conjuring up these spirits.
Stubborn man.
He left to stand by the main entrance while you wandered room to room, trying to keep your mind focused solely on your surroundings, without paying too much attention to how absurdly "classy" everything was.
You walked the east wing first, finding Elliot's mother's room at the far end. Everything was so white it was near blinding. It felt too clean. Unlived in, except for the hairbrush with silver hair intertwined in the bristles that lay on the desk in the corner of the room next to a big bay window.
You wondered if the room had always been this way or if it had only become so sterile after her husband had died.
You concluded that it probably had always been that way when you searched the west wing and found Elliot's room to be in a similar shape, and the same for his older brother's.
Like many rich kids who hadn't worked a day of their youth away because of their parents' wealth, Elliot and Richard Henley had stuck around after they graduated high school, even into their late thirties.
It was interesting to you that Hazel, their mother, had them stay in a separate wing. For privacy or because she couldn't stand them? Either option was likely. Maybe it was for both reasons.
It took you a half hour to thoroughly check each room and give time for any presence to make themselves known, but none did, and with a long sigh you headed down the hall to return to Tim's side.
He was leaning against the door, arms folded, clearly trying to be patient, but still appearing annoyed. When he spotted you moving towards him he grunted. "Took you long enough."
"There's a lot of rooms," you said defensively.
He dropped his arms to his sides. "Please tell me you at least got something."
You shook your head apologetically and he groaned. "Great. So, this was a bust."
"Mostly, yeah," you agreed. "But I did find out that Hazel sleeps as far away from her sons' rooms as possible."
"They probably partied late into the night," Tim guessed.
It was as good of a guess as yours, but for some reason your intuition was screaming at you that there was something more to it, and in your experience it was wise not to ignore it. You'd definitely have some questions to ask the family when you got back to the police department.
Tim gestured to the door and you both stepped outside together, back onto the porch. As he locked the door again, a gust of wind ripped through the sheltered area and you shivered. It could have been just from the cold weather, but normal wind didn't usually make your skin crawl.
You glanced around warily and Tim noticed. His eyes filled with concern at your discomfort. "You sense something now?"
"That gust didn't feel right," you informed him, wrapping your arms around yourself for warmth and a sense of security. "Too cold for the season." You snuggled your nose into the wool jacket you were wearing.
His eyebrows furrowed at that. "What does that mean to you?"
"If Elliot's spirit caused that sudden gust of wind," you hesitated, not wanting it to be so, "Which I'm almost certain of, he's furious at something. Probably someone. Not necessarily who killed him. I've had several cases where the spirit was upset about something that happened right before they were murdered, since sometimes they aren't aware enough to remember what happened to them." You bit your lip. "Angry spirits aren't discriminatory. They want to lash out, get revenge, and it doesn't matter who's on the other end of their fury, as long as they are affected. Not everyone is, but sensitives like me are."
"You've been hurt by spirits before?" The lines between Tim's brows deepened. You wondered how much of it was from disbelief and how much was from genuine concern, but the fact there was concern at all was nice.
"No, I haven't had a spirit hurt me physically," you answered. "But they're great at causing nightmares and I had one purposely spook me into stumbling backwards. I was at the top of a flight of stairs."
You could've sworn a flicker of fear flashed in his eyes in reaction to what you'd disclosed, but it was gone in the blink of an eye. "Let's get you out of here then."
You didn't need to be told twice.
x
The first stop you and Rockford made after returning to the department was the Forensics Division to check for updates. You sought out Joe, finding him in the basement examining Elliot's body.
It was your first time seeing Mr. Henley outside the few family photos that had been scattered about in the mansion, and it was unsettling. It wasn't the first time you'd walked in on an autopsy, but it was the first time you'd seen a brain outside a body, in the gloved hands of the medical examiner. Your stomach did a little flip at the sight, and you tried to keep your eyes from directly looking at it and Elliot's open skull after.
"Got anything for us, Joe?" Tim inquired.
The rail thin man continued his study of Elliot's brain while he spoke. "I've got enough. Elliot here had a cardiac event. Some of his heart valves are damaged. But it wasn't natural. And my conclusion has nothing to do with him being thirty-five. Look at this."
Joe placed Elliot's brain back into his head and pointed out some dark pigmentation scattered on his skin and under his nails. "Hyperpigmentation." He pulled out a kidney that was sliced in half. Even for one that belonged to a deceased person it didn't look too healthy. "Renal damage. Any guesses as to what happened to him?"
You frowned as you pondered over it. A lot of things could cause these symptoms. But there were few that would make Joe behave this way. "Poison," you said in unison with Tim. You both glanced at each other. "Jinx," you declared, chuckling. He grunted.
"Arsenic to be exact," Joe told you, theatrically gesturing to his desktop computer in the corner of the room. "The blood results were positive for it. The hair samples are still being studied to figure out when the poisoning began, but by the evidence it seems it has been a long while."
"Arsenic is natural though," Tim pointed out. "He could have ingested too much of it by mistake through drinking water or food."
"Ah." Joe nodded. "Yes. But a very high dose was in the milk sample we took from his bowl this morning. That's not typical of pasteurized, grade A milk. Guessing he wasn't dying fast enough for whoever was adding it to his diet so they threw caution to the wind. Funny enough though, the high dose wasn't in him long enough to be the reason his heart failed. That was from the previous attempts stacking up."
"Please tell me someone's on their way to pick up that bowl before someone else gets dosed by accident," you said, though you were certain no one would dare eat from that disgusting bowl.
"Katie's on her way to rectify our mistake of leaving it behind," Joe assured you.
"Do you know if he sought out any medical attention?" Tim asked.
"I called the local hospital," Joe stated, "His primary care doctor works there, but hasn't seen him in two years and he hasn't shown up in the Emergency Room ever. I have no doubt he was suffering for weeks from this, but for whatever reason he never went to the hospital. Maybe he had nosocomephobia?" He shrugged.
"What's that?" you questioned, squinting at him in confusion.
"It's an intense fear of going to the hospital," Tim informed you. "My great tia Lucia had that phobia. She broke a hip one time, fully separated it. Despite the pain, she insisted it couldn't be broken even as she tried and failed to stand over and over. My grandmother was with her at the time."
"That's awful," you remarked, mouth agape. You'd never broken anything before, but you knew hip fractures were one of the worst breaks a person could have. She should have been seized up with pain.
"Fear is pain's greatest competitor," Joe told you solemnly.
Tim tilted his head in his direction.
"So, who do we think did it?" you quizzed. "It must be someone in the family, right?"
"Usually is," Tim replied. "Hazel would be most likely."
"Isn't their mother like eighty?"
"Seventy-eight," Tim corrected you. "And it doesn't take a body builder to kill someone by poison. You should know murderers come in all shapes and sizes and ages."
"Of course." And it wouldn't be the first time you'd helped investigate a murder where the mother killed their child.
"Anything else?" Tim asked Joe.
Joe shook his head. "I'll let you know if there's anything else useful to you as the results come in."
"Time for the interrogations then," you figured.
Tim was already halfway out the door.
x
Upon your arrival at the Homicide Division, Pete Woodward, a young, eager homicide detective-in-training approached you and Tim. Practically flew at you, really. "We've got Hazel and Richard Henley in separate interrogation rooms, ready to talk with you, Rockford. Victim's sisters will be in at noon."
Having lived in the same home, being family, Hazel and Richard were the priority to talk to. They'd been brought in as soon as the investigation had begun, though not officially arrested since there wasn't any solid proof either one of them had motive to kill Elliot yet.
You followed Tim into the first room finding Richard standing inside in a corner, looking bored out of your mind. You wouldn't have expected that from a man that had just lost his brother. Maybe suspect number two was actually the murderer?
"You want to take a seat Mr. Henley?" Tim inquired, gesturing at the gray chair across from yours and his as you both sat down.
"Call me Dick," Richard told him, plopping down on it.
"Really?" You couldn't help the slipped comment. You just didn't understand why anyone would be willing to take on that nickname, especially as a rich person. Did he not notice the possible implications of using it?
Richard either didn't hear you or didn't care; either way he paid you no attention. Tim's eyes however did dart to you for a second before he cleared his throat. "This conversation is going to be recorded, Dick. Is that alright?"
"Whatever you must do, detective. I've got nothing to hide."
Tim pressed record on the voice recorder to his left. "What can you tell us about your brother?"
Richard snorted. "Besides him being a hopeless lazy leech?"
"Aren't you also living with your mother?" you countered.
"I work," Richard informed you defensively, "I only moved back in because I recently got divorced and my new home hasn't been finished yet."
"Uh huh." You'd barely started talking with him and you were already starting to lean more towards him as Elliot's killer than their mother. He had clearly held disdain for his younger brother. That was a pretty good motive.
"Did your brother have any enemies?" Tim questioned.
Richard shrugged. "None that I know of, except his own damn self. He was a loner, mostly. Spent a lot of time online playing games."
"Do we dare ask you how he was with your family, with you?" you inquired.
He chuckled and leaned back. "He was Dad's favorite when he was alive, for some damn reason. Mom loves him out of duty. Our sisters and him get along fine but they don't hang out."
"And you and him?"
"I don't like him not putting in any effort to make his own life," Richard told you, eyes narrowing, "But I wasn't upset enough over it to kill him, if that's what you're wondering."
"We have to consider every possibility," Tim explained to him. "Murders often are committed by those closest to the victim."
"So it is murder?" Richard asked, pursing his lips. "You sound certain."
"We've got evidence that suggests Elliot was slowly poisoned with Arsenic," Tim replied, "Found some in his bowl of cereal."
Richard's eyes widened. "Shit."
"Who normally fed him his meals?" you prompted.
He frowned. "He usually made his own cereal whenever he chose to eat later at night."
"Was he the only one in the house who drank two percent milk?"
His jaw slacked a little. "Yes. Mom and I drink whole milk. You think maybe whoever did this poisoned the whole bottle?"
"I only just considered it now," you admitted. Your eyes flicked to Tim. "Looks like Katie's going to have to bring the jug in now too."
"I'll call her," he said, standing up as he dialed Katie's number and leaning against the wall as he explained to her that she needed to go back to the mansion a third time in less than half a day.
Poor Katie, you thought.
"Who besides you and your mother have access to the fridge on a regular basis?" you pressed.
"The cook, maid, the gardener, the whole family," Richard listed. "None of them have motive to do it."
"That's for us to decide," you told him as Tim sat back down.
Richard turned to him. "Anything else you want to know?"
"Plenty," he said, lifting his eyes to meet Richard's. "Where were you this morning?"
x
It was nearly a half hour later when Tim finished with Richard, letting him go with a warning to not skip town. You were ready to feel that twist in your stomach, your gut instinct, to tell you letting him go was a mistake, but you didn't get it. As much as you'd thought Richard's attitude towards his brother was bordering hate you didn't get murder vibes from him. His nickname suited him well, but being a dick didn't automatically make someone a killer.
The interrogation with Hazel, their frail appearing seventy-eight-year-old mother who looked every bit like the grandmother to four she was, went similarly to the one with Richard. Although Hazel did not share the anger Richard had towards Elliot, she wasn't shedding any tears either. It was so odd to you. You'd had a shaky relationship with your mother before she passed, but you still had felt the loss after she died. You'd still sobbed when she was laid to rest in the cemetery of your hometown. You'd heard of people being numb at first to loss, like they were in some kind of daze, but you doubted that was it.
You started to truly understand for the first time what kind of people tended to find themselves leading successful businesses. You didn't like what you saw.
"Mrs. Henley, did you hate your son?" you inquired boldly.
Her eyes grew wide. "Of course not. I wouldn't have let him stay home if I did. To most he was lazy, but he helped me around the property. Spent time in the garden with me every afternoon. Adopting him was the best decision I ever made."
For the first time in the last fifteen minutes you and Tim had been talking with her there was sadness in her eyes.
Maybe she isn't a psychopath after all, you mused.
"You adopted Elliot?" Tim prompted.
Hazel nodded. "We knew his biological mother. When she died, we decided to take him in, treat him as our own. It's what friends do."
"So kind of you," you said, trying to sound sincere. You couldn't help but think that there was something more; that there was no way this lady had adopted a child out of the goodness of her heart. Adopting him had probably come with tax breaks or something like that.
Elliot and Richard's older sisters, Heidi and Jeanine, who were both in their forties, blonde, and mothers to two children each, all in their teens, weren't much better than Hazel and Richard, clearly not much more than spoiled trophy wives to their rich husbands.
"Maybe Elliot poisoned himself," Heidi suggested, "He didn’t have a lot going for him, you know? I loved him, but he was always the mess up of the family. It had to have eaten at him."
"My brother was kind, but didn't make anything of himself," Jeanine said later during the interview with her. "I'd think him committing suicide makes more sense than murder. None of my family are capable of that."
The linear ceiling light above started blinking furiously above the three of you and you felt the air get thick with tension that was cutting knife worthy. Anger. Your breathing picked up to compensate for the lack of oxygen getting to your lungs. You shivered as a draft hit the back of your neck. Out of habit your eyes darted to and fro, looking for danger but finding nothing visible.
You knew he was there though, watching, and he was trying to tell you his sisters' theories were way off. He definitely had not killed himself.
Tim and Jeanine clearly hadn't felt anything in the air change, surprised by the intense reaction you'd had to the lights flickering, but they had at least seen the lights go off. Once again Tim was studying you, expression trained. "You alright?"
"I'm okay," you answered, "Nothing new for me."
It was true it wasn't new, but it had still shaken you. Kind Elliot Henley seemed to have a lot of hate in his soul in the afterlife. You honestly couldn't blame him though. None of his family, even his sisters who were supposed to like him, had shed any tears in front of you and you were pretty sure shock couldn't account for any of it.
After the interviews were over, you and Tim headed to the office you shared.
"What a piece of work that family is," you muttered as he closed the door behind you. You turned on your heels to face him.
Tim nodded. "Sure is."
"I’m almost certain there's no way either Jeanine or Heidi murdered him though."
"Their alibis are too solid," he agreed. "And they sounded more like they pitied him than were angry at him."
"Exactly."
"We're still going to do a solid background check on them."
"Of course."
He sat down at his desk and you at the computer one, and you both got to work.
x
After thorough searching you and Tim uncovered that the Henley family were generally law-abiding citizens - except for a few speeding tickets (Richard) and a couple court cases for tax evasion by Hazel and her belated husband Roderick, one that had been proven and had ended with him being in prison for a few months. Not with the general population, of course. You'd bet his prison room had been private and clean. Safe.
Though the day had mostly been a bore, you still found yourself exhausted by the end of your twelve hour shift, not hesitating to turn down an invitation to eat out with the floor secretaries from Helen. All you wanted to do was make a sandwich, eat it, and go to bed, as much as you liked Helen.
And that's exactly what you did, not even taking time to read before bed like you typically did.
You startled awake just after midnight to a loud cracking sound. It sounded like one of your potted plants in the living room had been knocked down from one of the wall shelves and had broken when it hit the hardwood floor.
Back in your early thirties you'd taken in a smokey gray cat with stunning light green eyes named Blue that had been owned by a woman who had been murdered in a burglary gone wrong. He'd been a serial houseplant tipper. It had been almost guaranteed one of your houseplant pots would fall victim to him during the course of a week until you learned to tape the underneath of each one to the shelf beneath them.
In your sleep haze you figured he'd finally managed to knock one down, but after a few moments your mind caught up and you remembered that you'd had to give Blue’s vet permission to euthanize him over six years ago, his kidneys having failed at the ripe age of twenty.
Dread seized you, tightened your throat. Had someone broken in? Had you forgotten to lock the door? You were usually very careful about it, but you had been pretty tired.
You reached blindly under your bed for the handgun you kept there, locked away in a black box in the off chance you'd ever need it, and without switching on any lights loaded the chamber with a couple bullets before heading down the short hall with it, into the living room.
You turned the corner carefully, gun at the ready, finger curled right next to the trigger, but the room was clear, except for the spider plant and its pot that had shattered on the floor, spilling most of its dark gardening soil all over the surrounding floorboards.
You sucked in a deep breath and moved into the kitchen but no one was there either. There had to have been someone though. Unless there had been an earthquake, but one of that magnitude would've jostled you awake before the pot had fallen.
You felt it then. Him then. That eerie feeling of being watched by someone no longer quite human creeping under your skin, making you quake, as it often did.
Saying that you were alarmed would be an understatement. Bullets didn't harm spirits.
You slowly twisted around to find him there, looming smack in the middle of the start of your hallway, half hidden by the shadow of your fridge, barely seven feet from you. He was standing with a hunch in his back and an arm curled around his belly, a stance of someone with some kind of severe abdominal pain. His eyes did not hold any of that pain though. All you could see in them was rage.
It was the kind of expression that would make any sane person flee, especially since he wasn't a little guy, so that's what you did, bolting for your car keys on the table and then the front door.
Before you could make it out, as you were slipping through the doorway, you felt searing pain as something sharp dragged down your back, and you concluded in terror that he'd scratched you, all the while racing for your 1991 Taurus.
It wasn't until you'd already driven a mile out from your house that you were able to breath properly again. It was at that exact time the tears spilled from your eyes and everything that had happened during the previous ten minutes settled into your memory.
Elliot was severely pissed, feral. The worst kind of lost spirit. And it had taken him less than a day to get that way. It seemed that the kind man his family had described had hidden an inner darkness. Maybe he'd been successful in life at beating it down, but in death all bets were definitely off. You'd never known a spirit to lose control so fast, even those who had managed to attach themselves to their murderers.
And he'd clearly latched onto you, followed you home. It wasn't the first time a spirit had, but it was the first they could actually harm you to any degree by touch. You swallowed hard. You'd only temporarily escaped. He'd find you again. It would be instant if you returned home any time soon, so you drove around the city aimlessly for a couple hours, after hiding your gun in the glove compartment. You didn't have a concealed weapon permit, but you didn't think leaving it on the passenger seat was wise either if a patrol cop happened to pull you over.
It was past two when you found yourself rolling up into Tim's driveway, not sure where else to go. You knew where Helen lived too, but you did not want to chance dragging her into the mess you found yourself in. She was just a secretary. At least Tim had some training dealing with violent situations, not that it would help much in the face of a being he could not see, let alone hurt.
That was your reasoning at least as you studied the plain looking two-story house in front of you. It was encased in white painted wood where yours was in brick, but with the addition of that second floor it was bigger. Probably not much more expensive though. The house was old, aged by at least three decades where yours had been built less than a decade ago. The paint was also chipping, the outdoor upkeep of it clearly not a priority for him.
Despite the house looking prime for a haunting it called out to you, beckoning you inside, because the man who called it home was your most trusted friend and you knew his presence could at the bare minimum comfort you after the trauma you'd just been through.
You approached with the energy of a woman half your age, sprinting up the front porch steps and pounding on the oak door more demandingly than you had intended.
Tim swung it open a full minute later, in nothing but dark gray sweatpants, his heavy eyes peering out at you, his hair tussled from what had probably been a deep, satisfying sleep.
You'd have felt guilty for waking him if your heart hadn't nearly stopped at the sight of his bare, broad shoulders, defined upper arm muscles, and soft belly.
You'd admittingly dreamed of him more than once in the last year you'd known him, your subconscious mind not caring one bit that he was your partner, but your brain hadn't quite done him justice. You wondered in what other...areas your dreams failed him, but you refused to let your gaze drop below the beginnings of the happy trail on his lower stomach.
"Psy, what are you doing here?" he asked, eyes widening as soon as his brain registered who was standing in front of him.
"Can I please stay here tonight?" you pleaded hurriedly, afraid if you didn't get what you wanted to say out fast that you'd chicken out.
"What's going on?" he questioned, pursing his lips. There was worry in his eyes again. He stepped aside before you could answer, gesturing for you to enter his cozy home.
You did so gratefully and folded your arms self-consciously over your chest. It had just occurred to you that since you were in nothing but thin cotton long sleeved forest green pajamas that your breasts were well defined underneath, especially after standing outside in the chill of an autumn night for some time.
"Elliot's spirit followed me home," you informed him, rubbing your upper arms with your hands, attempting to warm them up. "He attacked me."
"Attacked you?" Tim sounded startled. You met his eyes and saw his concern deepen. He hadn't thought to say that it was impossible because it was all in your head. You wondered if he was finally starting to come around to the idea that spirits existed.
If he wasn't, he surely would after what you'd do next.
"He scratched me," you continued, voice shaky as you turned your back to him and curled the tips of your fingers around the hem of the back of your shirt. "How bad is it?"
You rolled it up as high as you thought the scratch went and heard Tim inhale sharply as you revealed it to him. You felt his rough yet gentle hands glide over yours as he lifted your shirt up just a little higher to take in the full damage.
"Elliot did this?" he growled, sounding outraged, a fierce anger in his tone that you had not been prepared for, typically a man who was subtle with all his emotions.
"How bad is it?" you repeated, wanting desperately to know.
"There's three long marks diagonally along the center of your back," he stated stiffly, attempting to rein in his upset. "They are about four inches in length, start to finish. Luckily they don't look too deep, but judging from the blood on your shirt, they did bleed for some amount of time."
You stepped away from him and dropped your shirt back into place before facing him again. "I wouldn't do that to myself."
"I know," he said firmly. You could tell from his tense expression alone that he believed you. "There's no way you could've reached back there to scratch yourself up like that. No normal human's nails could mark you that badly anyway.”
There was great relief from him finally accepting that spirits were real, especially that night. You desperately had needed him to believe it after having been shaken up so significantly. Your sight was blinded by tears again.
Tim reached out to squeeze your left shoulder supportively. "Does it hurt? Do you want to go to the hospital? I can drive you."
You shook your head, unable to prevent the smile that briefly adorned your face, remembering how'd he been with you when you first met. Oh how the times do change. "No, I just need a place to crash. Can I take your couch?"
"Better yet, you can take my spare bed," he replied, dropping his hand back to his side. "Follow me up. I'll show you to the room and get a fresh shirt and dressing for you. Going to need to clean those marks to make sure they don't get infected."
You nodded and trailed him as he climbed the stairs to the second floor without another word, flipping on lights as he went.
He entered the first room on the left and made his way in the dark to the nightstand to turn on the white lamp centered on its surface. The light emitted from it was dim, but good enough to use while cleaning your wound. Without a word Tim gestured for you to sit on the edge of the bed and strolled out of the room to collect the items he'd need to treat the scratches on your back.
He returned a few minutes later with scissors, gauze, medical tape, disinfectant, and an old plain black t-shirt in hand. He offered the shirt to you as soon as he was within your reach. You noted the charcoal gray t-shirt he'd slipped on while he was gone.
"I didn't think you owned anything besides black and white suits," you teased, trying to lighten the mood as you accepted it, folding the black shirt up on your lap until you could switch it out with your bloodied pajama one.
"We've never been around each other on our off days," he pointed out, a hint of a teasing tone in his voice. "I like to be comfortable just like anyone else."
For some reason it had been hard for you to imagine him in anything else but his work apparel. It was strange seeing him in casual clothes. Strange because it felt almost intimate. Like it was a part of his life you shouldn't have seen as his professional partner.
"Gonna sit behind you," he informed you quietly, gruffly. "Can you hold up the back of your shirt while I clean your wounds?"
You nodded, finding yourself tongue-tied, and couldn't help but note how much the mattress sank as he settled on it just outside of your peripheral vision. You could feel the front of one of his knees lightly brushing against your back after he was seated. You tried not to think about it as you lifted your shirt so he had easy access to the scratches.
"This is going to sting," he warned.
Nodding again, you tensed as he pressed a wet gauze to your upper back, hissing at the sting of the disinfectant he was using. It was the only painful thing about Tim tending to your wounds. His calloused hands occasionally brushed your sensitive, slightly inflamed skin, but they were as gentle as they could be. You found yourself trembling under his touch, and it wasn't because of the pain. With every feather light glance of his fingertips the desire you'd consistently tried to stomp out for months flared with newfound strength.
"Sorry," he apologized in the softest tone you'd ever heard him speak in. "Almost done."
You clutched at the mattress beneath you as he taped gauze to your upper back, trying to focus on that rather than his presence, grateful that your reactions were only coming off as ones of pain to him. He wasn't completely wrong.
“All done,” he finally announced, and you expected to be relieved when his hands pulled away from you, but instead you felt your hunger for him surge within you. You couldn’t keep still. You needed his hands back on you.
You twisted in place, dropping the shirt that had been on your lap, and crashed your lips into his desperately, hands splaying out on his chest as you prayed silently that he would respond, and respond he did, tugging you closer, curling a hand around the base of your neck, licking into the heat of your mouth, and you realized in that moment that he had desired you just as much.
When you both took a breath, he pulled his head back far enough to study your face, searching for anything in your expression that could tell him what more you wanted from him. He would only give as much as you asked for.
You answered his silent question with another searing kiss, your hands traveling to his back and up into his hair, ruffling it as you sought purchase. You pressed yourself closer to him and he embraced you, arms wrapping around your lower back, careful to avoid your bandaged wound.
It wasn’t long before you guided his hands to the edge of your shirt and he got your message instantly, easing your sleep shirt up off of you and chucking it to the floor.
The chill in the room had your bare nipples immediately hard, and he didn’t miss it, his thumbs tracing your stiff buds, blown dark eyes flickering between your breasts and face. “Okay?”
“Yes,” you whined. You lolled your head back and one of his hands left your chest to support your neck again as he leaned towards you to lave at your exposed neck. Your fingers slipped into his short, slightly wavy hair again as you hummed under his attentiveness. "So good."
You reached for the chord of his sweatpants to untie it, the back of your hand brushing against the hardening bulge behind it, and he groaned as he jerked away from you, as if it was painful to do so. “We don’t have to do anything else if you don’t want to.”
“Where’d you get the idea I didn’t?” you chuckled. You definitely did not want to stop.
“I don’t have any condoms on hand,” he admitted after a few moments. “The last box I had expired.”
“Well, lucky for the both of us I’ve already gone through menopause,” you told him, kissing the corner of his mouth fondly, his moustache scrapping pleasantly against your lips. “And I’ve been just as focused on work as you have been the last few years or so.”
He caught onto your underlying meaning and tilted his head to catch your full mouth again as you loosened his pants, tugging them down as far as you could while still on the bed, revealing his black and white checkered boxers.
In a brief, humorous thought, you made a mental note to get him items of clothing that weren’t black, white, tan, or gray for his next birthday. The man needed more color in his life.
He didn’t notice the amusement on your face as he stood and kicked the pants the rest of the way off him, and when you laid back so he could remove your pants, it was gone. Nothing but want to invade your mind and your face.
Slowly but surely the last articles of clothing remaining on you both were added to the pile on the floor as your mouths and hands explored each other greedily. Once you were free, you knelt on the edge of the bed in front of him and reached out to hold the heft of him in your hands, stroking him confidently, spreading the precum leaking from his head up his entire length. Your firm, yet caressing touch had his knees buckling, and he groaned into your mouth as he braced himself against the bed with an arm, the other molded around your hips. You glanced up at his face briefly as you continued to pump him with your hands and the edges of your mouth lifted, taking delight in watching him watch you work him up with hooded eyes.
Once he was firm you shuffled back on the bed to make room for him to join you, mirroring your kneeling position. He reached down between your legs and you gasped as his fingers made contact with your clit, circling and tracing it until you were thrusting against his hand and him sliding two thick fingers inside you was enough to make you come, a warmth flooding your core as you lurched forward, panting against his chest, giving yourself time to enjoy the waves of ecstasy that followed. It had been quite some time since someone had made you feel that way.
When it was over you firmly pushed him back onto his palms and heels, a soft smile on your face. He raised his eyebrows slightly at you, wondering what you had in mind, but did not resist, curiosity winning out over any yearning he might have to be in control.
You had an idea of what you were doing, but most of it was instinct, wanting to be face to face with him without either of you being on your backs. You clung to his shoulders with your arms, lifting yourself up high enough to hover over him as you climbed onto his lap and folded your legs around his waist, lining your entrance up with his head before you let yourself slowly drop down on top of him.
He was thick, and it was a tight fit, but the foreplay had done its job, making you slick enough to take him deep. The drag of his cock inside you had him gritting his teeth the whole time you slid  him into you. He wound his strong arms around your lower back to brace you as you began to roll your hips against him and he joined in your rhythm, gliding in and out of you at a steady pace. Your faces stayed close, cheek to cheek, his beard prickling yours. You whimpered when he hit you particularly deep and he turned his head to nuzzle his nose against yours. “Okay?” he rasped between soft grunts.
You nodded vigorously, eyes snapped shut, breaths heavy. There were no other words spoken between you as you rocked together, letting your bodies and the sounds that slipped out of your mouths do the communicating.
It took you a little longer than it would’ve when you were younger, but when he found that special spot inside you his insistent press into it had you squeezing him and moaning loudly, invoking praise from his lips in the form of your name. He stilled in you soon after, cock spasming, spurting hot inside you as he emitted a low satisfied hmph, kissing along your lower jaw through both of your aftershocks.
When it was over, he let himself fall back onto one of the bed pillows and you followed him, still on top of him, allowing him to linger inside you as he softened, as your racing hearts returned to their normal rhythms, as you caught back your breaths. You were silent the whole time, not saying a word, just enjoying the intimate closeness with him. Trying not to let any of the fears and doubts knocking at your door in as your mind cleared from your lustful haze.
Eventually you rolled off him and he made a move to stand, only having managed to sit up when you pressed a palm against his broad chest in attempt to stop him from moving anymore.
“Stay with me, please?”
His eyes turned up to the doorway then back to your face, his expression saying what he wouldn't. He was uncertain if he should stay, though you could tell he wanted to. A brief kiss to his shoulder was all it took to convince him. "Alright. I'll stay."
You both took time to clean yourselves up in the bathroom across the hall, dressed back into your sleep clothes (you wearing his black t-shirt), and unmade the bed together, curling up under the thick blankets immediately after. You flipped onto your side, a hand folded under your pillow, and you smiled as he molded his burly body against your back, careful not to put any pressure on your wounds. His right arm draped over your stomach and you reached down to clasp his hand in yours, grateful for his affection. You felt safe in his arms, in a way you hadn't felt in a very long time, not when violent deaths and literal ghosts were a consistent part of your work. The warmth radiating off his body relaxed you as well, lulling you to sleep.
The last thing you felt as you drifted off was him burying his face into your neck.
x
You woke in the early morning to the beginnings of daylight spilling into the bedroom from the small window inside it. You were still warm, but when you registered that Tim's body was no longer pressed against yours, dread filled you. Had he decided to go back to his own bed after all?
You forced yourself to stand, quietly moving down the hall to peer into the next room over, the only other one with a bed in the house. The bed had been clearly used the night before, but it was empty, and when you dared to walk over to touch the sheets, they were freezing cold. You couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped your lips at that before you tip toed back out the room. It had to be a good sign that he'd stayed the whole night with you, right?
You chewed on the inside of your cheek as you headed for the bathroom and locked the door behind you so you could pee in privacy, still trying to push away your anxiety over how this morning would go. How Tim would be with you, what he would say. Where would you stand? You couldn't imagine the previous night being the one and only time you ever spent with him intimately, but you knew if he didn't want a real relationship you'd turn down any halfway offers. You weren't built for sex without emotion tied to it. It was in part why you hadn't had any for years, besides the forementioned workaholic issue.
You tried to ignore the ache that was forming in your chest as you washed your hands then brushed your teeth, splashing water in your face after, in an attempt to look put together when you were anything but after all that had occurred with Elliot and then Tim.
You strolled into the kitchen, finding Tim at the counter, pouring steaming hot coffee into two mugs. "Just in time," he said, his back still turned to you. You mused that he must have better hearing than you if he'd heard you padding into the room in your socks. None of the floorboards had squeaked. Maybe it was the job that had made him hyper aware.
"You want some coffee?" he asked, like everything between you was the same as it had been twenty-four hours before. You felt a tinge of annoyance that he could act so normal, but you hid it from him.
"Sure, if you have sugar and milk."
"Of course." He nodded at you and reached inside the fridge so he could grab the whole milk inside and mix a teaspoon of it into the coffee mug on his right, followed by a teaspoon of sugar from the canister on the countertop. He left his free of additives, preferring his black, something that still had you twitching your nose even after having seen him drink it nearly every day for the past year. You couldn't imagine drinking coffee as is, even if it was made with high quality whole beans.
Tim passed you your mug as you sat down at the small kitchen table in the far corner of the room. Instead of joining you he leaned back against the counter, eyes focused on his mug when he wasn't sipping from it.
"Are we going to talk about last night?" you inquired after a few minutes, the silence bothering you more than the fear of the conversation you were about to push.
Tim lifted his head to meet your eyes, appearing a bit ashamed. "I shouldn't have. Should've backed off. You were afraid. Seeking comfort. I feel like I took advantage of you."
You huffed. "I didn't sleep with you because I was afraid. I slept with you because your hands felt good on my skin. Because I trust you. Because I have feelings for you. Have for a long time. Do you know how good you look in suspenders?"
He snorted quietly, eyes falling back to the mug in his hands. "I've felt something for you for a while too. I've just been denying it to myself."
"Because of my abilities?" you guessed, trying not to be bothered by what was in the past.
He shook his head, looking back up at you. "I've been in denial about that too. Last night was not when you finally convinced me the spirits you see exist. It was slow, it snuck up on me, my belief, increasing with every case we took on that had an active one interacting with you. The way you consistently knew things you shouldn't have. The occasional unexplained eerie feeling I got sometimes right before you'd react to one showing itself to you. That's what eventually sold me. I just never imagined one would hurt you."
You recalled his reaction when he saw your scratches for the first time. "You were afraid for me. Last night."
"Of course," he confirmed with a growl. "Still am. He hurt you, he could hurt you again, and because Elliot's already dead I can't do shit about it."
There was a hint of defeat, of helplessness in his voice that made you feel like your heart was in a vice grip. You wanted nothing more than to run up to him and hug him, to reassure him it would be fine, but you denied yourself of that moment to further the conversation.
"The only way Elliot leaves me alone is if we solve the case," you told him. "And we've got a little over a couple hours before we can get back to that task. In the meantime, we need to figure out where we stand."
"Like if we pretend this never happened or we report to HR?"
"Something like that."
He peered back down at the coffee in his mug. "What do you want?"
"What do you think?" You curled your fingertips tighter around your mug. "I want whatever you want, unless that boils down to meaningless sex. I can't do that. What do you want?"
He sighed heavily. "A part of me wishes I could take last night back, and another part has no regrets." You swallowed hard, but said nothing as he continued, "This will complicate things at work. No matter what route we take. There's a reason HR frowns on people in the same unit having any kind of intimate relationship with each other."
"Because they're stupid," you muttered, sipping at your coffee, eyes shifting to peer up at him, waiting expectantly.
He couldn't help but chuckle even as he shook his head disapprovingly at you.
"I asked what you wanted, not HR," you reminded him, as you abandoned your mug at the table to join him by the counter.
When you got just within arm's reach he cupped your face with one palm gently, stroking his thumb over your cheek. "I want to see where this goes," he admitted.
"Then let's do that," you said as a weight lifted off your chest. "Screw HR."
Tim grunted. "We'll have to tell them eventually."
"Well, eventually is not going to be today."
He nodded his agreement as he guided your face closer to his, pressing a kiss to your lips more sweetly than you could've imagined him capable of.
When he pulled away you touched your forehead to his shoulder. "I need to get my work clothes at my house."
Elliot was not likely waiting there for you, and he could turn up anytime, anywhere, he even could've popped up right then and there in Tim's kitchen, but you still were not looking forward to it.
"I'll go with you," he offered immediately. "Let me put on my glasses and a pair of jeans and I'll drive you, go inside with you. You can grab whatever you need to get dressed for work and bring it back here. If that would make you feel safer."
He knew as well as you that it didn't matter to Elliot where you went, but he also knew going back to your home so soon after the attack would be difficult for you and that him being there would make a difference to you mentally.
"Thanks," you murmured. "I'll take you up on that."
"You can also stay here until the case is solved," he added, "No strings attached. I'm not expecting last night to happen again any time soon. I'm not trying to rush things. I just don't like the idea of you being alone while Elliot's still around, even though I know logically I wouldn't be able to stop him from hurting you again."
You beamed at him and wriggled your eyebrows. "Who says I don't want to repeat that any time soon?"
He cursed under his breath as you pulled away from him with a playful smirk and headed for the door. "I'll wait in the car."
"That's not fair, Psy," he called after you.
You didn't look back, but you were smiling warmly as you exited the house.
x
Luckily your fears of returning home were unwarranted, your quest to gather a few sets of clothes and beauty products uneventful. Maybe it had something to do with Tim standing formidably in the doorway to your bedroom as you packed your suitcase. Did the dead ever get intimidated by the living?
In any case you were grateful to get out of there without another confrontation with Elliot.
As soon as you and Tim arrived back at his house you both showered, him in the master bathroom and you in the hallway bathroom. He was dressed in a half hour and you in an hour, barely finishing up in time to not be late for work.
You and Tim took your own vehicles (well, he took his detective car), not wanting to spike the curiosity of any prying eyes and nosey noses in the department. Helen, bless her soul, would've been the first asking twenty questions and it was the last thing either of you wanted with your newfound relationship literally only hours old.
When you entered the Homicide Division you spotted Tim towards the back of the room having a conversation with Katie. You strolled up to them, a polite smile on your face.
"Anything new, Katie?" you asked lightly as you came to a stop between them, making sure you were no more closer or farther from Tim than you usually positioned yourself.
"Nothing with me personally," she told you, "But the Henley case, oh boy. Dex, the poison expert on our team tested a mystery substance in a gas can found half buried in the woods behind their mansion."
"And there were traces of arsenic."
"Of course," she said, "But that's just the beginning. There was blood on the canister. Just a speck. Looks like the killer cut themselves on the hard plastic trying to open the lid. I swabbed it and compared it to the oral samples we took from each of the Henley’s. Compared it to a blood sample from Elliot for good measure..."
You waited but after several seconds of silence you huffed. You hated when people stretched out tension, like a reality show going to commercial break right before the winner is revealed. "What'd you find kid?"
You could've sworn Katie's eyes were glowing with excitement. Whatever information she had was juicy.
"First off, you remember how Elliot is adopted, right?"
You raised your eyebrows. "Yeah..."
"Well, turns out he is actually related to Richard and his sisters," Katie informed you, "But not Hazel."
"Roderick cheated on her," you concluded, eyes broadening. "And she let him adopt his son when his mistress died?"
"She might have not known," Katie offered, "Not until now at least."
"Are you suggesting she's our prime suspect?" Tim quizzed.
"I would be," she replied, "...if it wasn't Richard's blood on the canister."
"He described Elliot as a leech," you recalled. "A lazy one at that. It wouldn't be a big stretch to think that after finding out Elliot is their father's bastard son that he might consider him unworthy of living in their mansion. Worse than an interloper; living, breathing evidence that their father was not faithful to their mother."
"We've got enough for you to get an arrest warrant," you stated.
"Let's get going then," Tim said, buttoning up his trench coat. "The sooner we have that warrant the better."
He didn't mention that it was because Elliot had become a threat.
x
By mid afternoon Richard was back in the same interrogation room he had been in the previous day, dressed in a suit and tie, having been caught on the front porch of the mansion right after returning home from a business meeting.
At first he wouldn't stop rambling, mostly about how he was going to sue the whole department for every penny for falsely accusing him, but he'd been quiet since Tim had revealed that Forensics had DNA proof that he'd opened the canister of arsenic, the gravity of his situation having finally sunk in.
"I know you said you're not going to talk anymore until your lawyer gets in," Tim started as he sat down in front of him, "But indulge me. Let me tell you how I think everything went down."
Richard stared at him, maintaining a neutral expression.
"I think somehow you found out Elliot was actually your half brother," Tim continued, "And I think you decided your good-for-nothing half brother had to go. You couldn't risk it getting out that your father, the head of your family, had once had a mistress. You had to keep your family's reputation clean of that kind of scandal for the sake of your business' success. Am I right?"
Richard had been well trained in the art of, well, training his face, but you had trained yourself well in the art of observation and you'd had several more years than him to practice. When Tim had called Elliot his half brother Richard's eyes had widened just a bit.
"You didn't know he was your biological brother," you realized. "You didn't murder Elliot." You took a step towards him, away from the wall your back had been pressed against. "Who had you open the gas canister, Dick?"
He refused to speak.
"Was it Jeanine? Heidi? No..." You paused, "It was Hazel after all, wasn't it?"
"Dick, without your statement, without the truth, we will have to go ahead with prosecuting you," Tim declared. "All the evidence points to you. Unless you can say otherwise or tell us of other evidence that would contradict what we've gathered."
"Guess I'm going to prison then," he snarled.
"Well, no one can argue you're not a good son," you said with a shrug, trying to act casual. "Guess there's nothing left for us to say here."
You headed for the door and Tim followed you out. "You have an idea."
"Actually, I don't," you admitted. "I was hoping you did. Since my little ghost problem won't go away until we put his real killer behind bars."
Tim worked his jaw. "We let Richard sit in prison for a few days, then let Hazel visit him and talk with her again after. Maybe she loves him enough to confess."
"A few days?" You arched your brows and he narrowed his eyes at you, his expression warning you not to say anything else.
"I don't have any ulterior motives behind the time frame," he told you. "We have the weekend off and Richard needs time to stew. To realize how awful prison truly is. Either he breaks or Hazel does."
You couldn't help the crooked smile that formed on your face. "Cold..."
“Apt.”
"True."
x
You spent the rest of the day digging up information on the Henley family history at the public library seven minutes away from the department and going over some photos that had been confiscated from the mansion.
One in particular got your attention. A wedding photo of Hazel and Roderick. “They look so happy,” you observed from over Tim’s shoulder as he studied it in one hand, his glasses grasped in the other. Something occurred to you. “Do you think she killed him too, for cheating?”
Tim shook his head. “I checked into his death. It was from lung cancer. He was a heavy smoker.”
"Of course.”
Tim checked his watch. "Time to clock out. Do you want to head out to a bar?"
It was a fairly common for him to ask you if you wanted to hang out at Liquid Alchemy on a Friday night, or after a case was closed, but it was the first time he had suggested a bar and not Liquid Alchemy by name. You cocked an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"
"There's this upscale full bar in the Lazy Queen restaurant on the other side of the city," Tim informed you. "I've never been, but I've heard good things. Though it's a little pricey for everyone here. For one night it wouldn't hurt to indulge though. I'll pay."
You got the message. The bar's location and prices would keep anyone you knew from work away and would allow you both to enjoy the rest of the night without prying eyes.
You glanced at the doorway of your shared office, making sure no one on the floor outside of it was within earshot. "Sounds like a date."
"If you'd like it to be."
"I would."
Tim dropped the photo in his hand on the desk and put his glasses back on before pushing himself up onto his feet with a small grunt, his left hand briefly clutching at his stiff lower back. You held back a comment about him needing to get a new office chair. You'd already mentioned it to him several times before, but he was stubborn.
"I'll head out right now," he told you as he shrugged on his trench coat, which had been draped over the chair in front of his desk. "Give me five before you follow me. We'll meet up at my house and you can jump in with me, okay?"
You grinned. "Sounds like a plan."
He dared a quick kiss to your temple as he passed you on the way out of the room and your lips pulled back even more.
Dating Tim was going to get dangerous. You could get used to him being affectionate with you.
x
The Lazy Queen's restaurant had the best Margaritas you could ever recall, and they hit hard too. After only a couple your usually not-so-lightweight self had become a chatty twenty questions kind of gal. It was so out of character for you Tim was amused by your behavior, lips quirking up on several occasions as you continued through your list of questions which he all answered patiently.
"Horror or action films?"
"Action."
"Have you ever seen snow in person?"
"Of course. It snows in Portland. Just not every year. Heard rumors we might this December, but it's not something to bet on."
"What's the story behind this?" you quizzed, stretching forward to clasp his left hand in yours, displaying the small target tattoo in between his thumb and index finger.
"I got it when I first started basic training," he answered. "It was to remind myself to hit bullseye every time. Literally and figuratively. To never lose sight of my goals."
"And have you not?" you inquired.
"Not what?"
"Lost sight of your goals."
He shrugged, taking a sip of the fancy drink in his right hand, and you realize you've forgotten the name of it. You pushed your current Margarita, your third, away from you. "I've had to take a few failures like everyone else. We can't solve every case."
There was something in his dark eyes, a hint of grief and guilt, that sobered you up a bit because you knew then that he was thinking about his lost sister.
"Think you're sober enough to drive us home?" you asked him with a sigh.
His eyebrows shot up. "You moving in permanently?" He was smiling lightly, teasing.
"Not yet," you huffed. "You know what I meant. Your home."
"Yeah," he said, an index finger circling the edge of his glass. "I'm sober enough. I don't even have a buzz. I've been nursing this lone drink all night. You didn't notice?"
"Shut up."
x
You were running barefoot through the forest at night at full speed, in a flowing white dress that reached your knees, eyes darting over your shoulders on occasion to make sure whatever you were trying to escape wasn't gaining on you. It was too dark out to see that far behind you though.
Fallen leaves crunched under your bare feet, damp moss made you slip twice, and you had to leap a few tree roots that stuck out of the ground but you didn't slow your pace for even a moment.
You heard a river roaring in the distance and for some reason you were convinced that crossing that would save you, so you aimed for the sound, stretching your legs out as far as you could in hopes of covering ground even faster. You stopped looking back, certain if you kept moving that you'd get to safety.
You pushed through a thicket of trees and had to skid to a stop, narrowly preventing yourself from falling off the cliff on the other side of it, one of your feet halfway over the edge. You were right next to a waterfall. You gasped at the close call.
Remembering that you had been running from something you twisted around and your eyes grew into saucers when you spotted it. A black human shaped mass easily flowing through the trees, into the same open space you were in.
"You can run, but you can't hide forever," said a furious masculine voice. It was coming from the black mass, though you could not see a mouth, let alone see it move.
"Why are you chasing me?" you demanded fearfully.
"Because you are fleeing," the voice growled, like it was the simplest thing. Maybe it was to him. Nothing but a predator chasing prey.
You swallowed hard as he took a step forward. "I spent so much time living fictional lives, I forgot how entertaining the living could be to mess with."
Your eyes grew bigger. "Elliot," you whispered. "You don't belong here."
"In your dreams, or in the world?" he hissed as his form reshaped into the man you'd seen lying dead on a cold table less than forty-eight hours ago.
"Both," you replied. "Spirits who stick around can become troubled fairly quickly."
"You think I'm one of your troubled ghosts?" He chuckled, a gleam in his already eerie gray eyes. "All I've done is discover the benefits of being dead."
"This isn't the man who sat with his mother in the garden," you noted.
"No," he agreed. "That man was murdered by her. Apparently."
At your surprised reaction he beamed. "I was there when you interviewed my brother for the second time. I just made sure you couldn't tell. I'm getting better at stuff like that."
You shivered. "This isn't you, Elliot." You knew it to be true in your gut. Everyone had the capacity to commit evil, some more than others, but what mattered was how you had behaved, and while Elliot had maybe been lazy, nothing you'd heard or read about him had hinted at him behaving badly in any kind of way. The in between had twisted him beyond recognition.
"Who says anyone has to stay the same?" He strolled towards you and you took another step back, finding yourself teetering, dangerously close to falling over the cliff. He grinned. "It's fun messing with you."
He shoved you, catching you off guard for a second, sending you flying over. You heard your skull crack against a stone before you collapsed into the frigid water at the bottom.
x
Your eyes snapped open and you pulled ragged breaths from your lungs as you shot up into a sit in Tim's guest room bed. For a few seconds you didn't move other than to press your right hand to your chest and close your eyes as you focused on recovery.
It had felt so real, but it had all been a dream. You could hardly remember the last time you'd been so relieved. It was short lived though, as you realized that Elliot might've been the crafter of your nightmare. After all, though it was rare, it had happened before with other spirits. It would explain why you were still shaking. He was nearby, close enough to affect you, for you to sense him on some subconscious level.
On the way back to Tim's house you'd both decided that sleeping in separate bedrooms would be best for your relationship for a bit, not wanting to rush into it any more than you'd already had.
You regretted that as you rolled over and ran your hand over the cold spot next to you on the mattress in an attempt to seek comfort. You'd taken pride in yourself all your life for being independent, for not needing anyone else when you left the office, but there were occasions, nights like these, when the solace of another body besides yours would've been much more preferable.
For the first time in your life when a spirit had taken the reins of your subconscious, you had the option to change your situation. To seek that comfort you wanted so profoundly. You slid out of bed and walked into the doorway of the room next door, quietly knocking on the solid oak, trying to wake Tim without startling him.
He still flinched a little when he woke up, glancing around sleepily as he rolled from his side and onto his back. When he noticed you wordlessly standing in his doorway he blinked at you, confused. "What's wrong?"
You were suddenly shy, feeling stupid. Like you going to see him was childish, even though your nightmare hadn't been just a nightmare and you had every right to be afraid. "Elliot's nearby."
Tim sat up in bed quickly, the blankets that had covered him up to his shoulders slipping down to his waist. He had kept on the plain red shirt that he'd worn that night to bed with a fresh new pair of light gray sweatpants. "Where?"
"I don't know," you replied. "But he was in my dreams. He said he overheard that it was his adoptive mother who killed him and then he pushed me over a waterfall and I woke up."
"I'm sorry, Psy," he said, standing so he could rub your arms comfortingly. "Maybe waiting for Hazel to confess was a mistake."
You shook your head. "It's the only good plan we have. Any other could've screwed up the case. It's not your fault. And at least he didn't show up here in the house."
You still weren't exactly sure why.
"Do you want to stay with me?" Tim questioned. "Share the bed? Would that help?"
You shrugged. "Maybe. He doesn't seem to like interacting with me when you're around for some reason."
"He is shorter than me," he stated as if it made total sense.
You snorted at his joke but some part of you wondered if Elliot really was intimated by him. Sometimes spirits still acted like they were living and breathing. That could include fearful behavior.
In any case, you weren't about to turn down the offer you'd been hoping to get. "I'll take the right side, if that's alright. I sleep better there."
"You're in luck," Tim told you. "I actually sleep on the left most nights."
He returned to his bed, lifting the blankets high enough so you could easily follow, tucking yourself into his side. "Is this okay?" you asked him.
"Perfect."
Saturday and Sunday night were also spent cuddled up with each other in the same way. Tim didn't complain, and since you didn't have sex, you figured you were still complying pretty well with the promise you'd made to each other to slow things down while you began to learn each other on a much more personal level than you had before.
You were really reconsidering it though.
x
Monday morning you and Tim returned to work refreshed, coming back from a mostly relaxing weekend filled with old movies, takeout, and the background noise of rain.
You were so ready to get back to the case on that crisp, sunny day that it startled you when you spotted Hazel waiting for you both outside of the department's main entrance, extending her wrists out towards Tim in a gesture telling him to arrest her.
You and Tim both nearly dropped the coffee shop cups in your hands.
"I've come to confess," she declared, as if she needed to. "I killed Elliot."
Tim slapped the pair of cuffs he always kept on him while on duty onto her wrists and made sure they were secure. "Hazel Henley, you have the right to remain silent..."
x
Within ten minutes you, Tim, and Hazel were settled into one of the interrogation rooms, and Tim was holding up a voice recorder in front of her, flicking it on to record. "Start from the beginning. State your name and explain why you are here."
"My name is Hazel Henley, and I am here to confess that I killed Elliot Henley."
There was a slight tremble in her voice, but you were almost certain it was from having to admit to a crime and not because she regretted that he was dead.
"Mrs. Henley, why did you kill your son?" you prompted, trying to ignore a thickness that started to fill the air, making it a little harder to breath, putting something deep inside you on edge. Elliot was in the room, and he wasn't trying to hide it.
"Because he wasn't mine," she huffed. "Not really. Not at all in my eyes."
You frowned. "You didn't care about him; not even when you intially adopted him?"
"No," she answered bitterly. "How could I? Knowing he was my husband's bastard son?"
Tim lifted a brow. "You knew?"
"Of course I did," she said with annoyance. "I'm not stupid. Roderick was the one who came up to me suggesting we adopt him, nearly begged me. It was obvious. He would've never begged for a kid that wasn't of his own blood. Son of a friend or not."
"You knew Elliot's mother?"
"She was a neighbor of ours," Hazel explained. "Born into her money. Loved doing charity work as a job. The only sweet thing about her. She lived alone but had a way with people. Knew how to intertwine herself into everyone else's lives, make them worship her, or at least invite her to parties. She probably got pregnant on purpose in attempt to make Roderick leave me for her. I got the last laugh. Or so I thought, until the bitch died in a car accident."
"Why'd you agree to adopt Elliot?" you inquired, genuinely curious.
"Because Roderick always got his way," Hazel told you. "I wasn't always a strong-minded woman. I was worried saying no would be the last straw in our already broken marriage. I was trying to mend it."
"Then Roderick died..." Tim trailed.
"Then Roderick died," Hazel repeated. "And I was free to get rid of him before I got too old, before he could get a cent more of our money."
"Why did the canister of arsenic have Richard's blood on it?"
Hazel raised both of her hands in the air, palms down. They were tremoring slightly. "I can't get a good grip on most things nowadays. I needed someone to twist the lid open and pour some into a few smaller jars."
"He had no idea what you were doing?" you asked.
"He didn't even question what was inside," she replied. "He just poured it and left. My ever loyal son. I'm only confessing because he doesn't deserve to be in prison because of me. He has so much life left ahead of him."
You felt a flash of anger lick at your insides. Even though Elliot's spirit had attacked you twice, he'd only done that because of what Hazel had done to him. "Elliot had so much life ahead of him too."
She scoffed. "Playing video games? He was just like his mother. Living off his father's money. No ambition."
"You'd be surprised the money people can make playing games while others watch," you told her. "Some make millions."
"He wasn't," she assured you, eyes narrowing. She turned them back to Tim. "Anything else you need to know?"
"Plenty more," Tim said, "Starting with where you got concentrated arsenic."
She nearly smiled at him. "That's an interesting story, but a long one."
He gestured at her to go for it. "We have all day if necessary."
So she jumped into a story about how she found herself buying from black market dealers.
It was afternoon by the time you and Tim were done with her, by the time a prison guard was pulling her away from you both at the door where prisoners were dropped off.
On your way back to Tim's car you spotted Richard walking free, out of the chain link lined yard, a duffle bag over his shoulder. And Elliot was right there behind him, leaning against the fence, watching.
He must have felt you peering over at him because Elliot glanced up in your direction, and what you saw in his eyes surprised you. Getting justice must have calmed him because his expression was nothing like the one he'd worn either of the times he'd attacked you. It was like the madness had finally been lifted.
Strange how that sometimes worked.
You hesitantly gave him a curt nod and he gave you one back, disappearing immediately after, to God-only-knows where. Or maybe gods-only-know where.
You just knew that a subtle, insistent tension you hadn't really noticed was there before snapped and it seemed like the sunny day had become even brighter.
Elliot was gone.
x
That night Tim followed you back to your house, wanting to be there as you unpacked and settled back in, even though you'd assured him that Elliot had most definitely moved on.
That had eventually led you to asking him to stay for popcorn and a movie, to which he agreed to readily. It was almost ten o'clock when he got off the couch to leave.
"I'd better go," he said decidedly. "Getting late for a work night."
"I've been thinking," you told him.
"Oh?"
"About our agreement," you continued, standing up to give him a swift kiss on the mouth. "And I was thinking we should amend it."
Tim arched an eyebrow. "What were you thinking?"
"That we just do whatever feels right in the moment," you answered. "Within reason of course. We still have to be professional at work, of course. Even after we tell HR what's going on with us."
"So...no more slowing things down?"
"Technically we've already been in a relationship for thirteen months," you told him. "Just not a romantic kind. And we had our first date. Already have done plenty of cuddling..."
A subtle smile played on Tim's lips. "What are you suggesting, Psy?"
"You could stay here tonight," you replied, placing your hands on his suited chest. "You could show me what you'd have done that night if I hadn't taken lead. If you want."
He dived in to kiss you until you were both panting, until you were burning up inside. "I want," he confirmed, barely a whisper away from your mouth.
You grinned. "Then lead the way."
xxx
Tagged: @harriedandharassed
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wiypt-writes · 4 years ago
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Stark Spangled Banner
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Ch6: That Makes Two Of Us
Summary: Things heat up between Katie and Steve as their relationship progresses, but when Tony caches them out, he’s on the war path.
Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark
Warnings: Bad Language, Smut (dry humping, oral- male receiving) NSFW, 18+. and a VERY angry Big Brother...
A/N: One of my favourite chapters. Thank you to @angrybirdcr​ , its a pleasure to have your edits for the repostings!
Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.
Chapter 5
Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist
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End of May 2013
“For the one hundredth time, no, Tony I am NOT coming.” Katie groaned as she pulled up outside Steve’s apartment building “I have work to do.” “But the damned meeting is in DC!” Tony protested “Surely you can manage to spare an hour! You’re part of the board!” “You know full well that’s only to make sure that Starks maintain a controlling stake!”
“So basically what you’re saying is that you don’t care about our business.” Her brother’s voice took on a petulant tone. He could be such a child at times. “Stop being a dick.” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose “Look, I’m busy with work, I can’t just drop everything you know just because you-” “Have you got a man on the go?” Tony asked suddenly, cutting her off “Because I’ve not seen you for weeks. Do I need to prep a Shovel Talk?” “Goodbye, Tony.” Katie cancelled the call before she stepped out of the car and headed to the lobby door.
In his apartment Steve was reading a proposal and groaning to himself. They wanted him to record videos to talk to high school kids about puberty, keeping fit, being in detention, not doing drugs…and he had agreed, just to shut them up mainly, but he was already regretting his decision. With a final wrinkle of his nose, he threw down the document he was looking at and was about to make himself a coffee when the buzzer to his apartment went off.
“Hey, Handsome.” Katie’s voice rang over the intercom and he smiled just as he always did when she called him that, a habit she’d slipped easily into over the last three weeks of dating, which had consisted of early morning breakfast meets on their way into work, stolen lunchtimes away from the office where they could hold hands with a slice or a burrito as they walked around the Mal, three more intimate evening meals at quiet restaurants and one trip to the cinema. That had been Steve’s favourite date so far, not just because it had been his first time in a movie theatre since the 40s, but more so that he he’d enjoyed the feel of her as she leaned into him when he’d put his arm round the back of her chair, sharing popcorn, stolen quick kisses on the lips in the dark as they sat on the back row in between their bursts of hysterical laughter at the film. They had gone to see the third and final instalment of the Hangover trilogy, which Katie had been ridiculously excited about. She loved those films and Steve had to admit he agreed they were pretty good, as all three had made him laugh in places until tears rolled down his face. Movie and TV nights in their apartments had also turned into something special too as they snuggled down together, sharing snacks and personal space along with deep kisses that left him wanting a lot more… “Hey Sweetheart, come on up.”
He waited for her by the door and felt his breath catch as she emerged onto the landing from the stairs. She was wearing a blue and white LA Dodgers T-shirt, which was tight and finished just above her hips and clung to her chest flashing a strip of her toned stomach, tight grey jeans which fit snug to her ass and black baseball boots. Steve had seen her in all sorts of clothing items- jeans, tops, dresses…but never like this.
And fuck, she looked hot.
“Hi!” She greeted him with a huge smile and a gentle kiss, standing on her toes to meet his lips, before she stepped into the apartment and headed into the living room. Spotting the file on the coffee table she picked it up.
“What’s this?” She asked, opening it.
“A proposal from Fury. I’m going to be doing some videos, for high school kids..phys-ed classes that kinda thing.” “Videos?” “Yeah, apparently they get Celebrities to do them normally but they thought they’d use me this time.” Steve shrugged. “You’re not some kind of performing monkey they can trot out when they want.” She winkled her nose in distaste as she remembered those awful USO videos as she thumbed through the file. 
Steve smiled at her indignation on his behalf. “It’s only a couple of videos.” he assured her. 
“Hmm.” she dropped the file with disdain onto the table “Anyway, enough about that. You busy?” “When it comes to spending time with you? Never.”
“Oh that was smooth, Captain Badass!” She smirked and he gave her a quick shrug and a smile.
“What you got in mind?”
Grinning like a Cheshire cat she pulled out what looked like two tickets from her back pocket and suddenly it became apparent why she was dressed as she was.
“Are we…no, you’re kidding?” Steve couldn’t help the childish grin which flickered across his face “Baseball?” *****
“Oh what?” Katie cried out, jumping to her feet as the umpire made an atrocious decision for what felt like the 100th time, turning to Steve in disgust. “Is this guy blind or just really fucking dumb?”
Steve let out a snort, leaning back in his seat with his hand gesturing to the field. “Blind, he has to be. No one can be that stupid. I mean he’s been calling bad ones all game.”
Katie angrily dropped to her chair and Steve gestured to the vendor for two more beers. He passed one to Katie who hesitated as she took it.
“I bought the car.” She said, looking at him.
“Sweetheart,” he leaned over, kissing her cheek, “ridiculously fast metabolism, remember? I can’t get drunk. I’ll drive home…”
He handed over his money, waved away the little bit of change he would have received before he turned back to his girl who was pouting at him.
“The last time you drove Rainey you didn’t respect her. You drove her through a fuck tonne of puddles.”
“Doll, it’s a…”
“Er, she.” Katie looked at him. “She is not an it…”
Steve rolled his eyes. She was ridiculously attached to her Range Rover. He had to admit, as far as cars went it was pretty damned nice both to be driven in and to drive. White with black wheels and windows, and every gadget in it known to man. Mind you, he expected nothing else from the Starks.
“Ok, she is a damned four by four…” He raised an eyebrow for her. “They’re supposed to go off roading, so what’s a few puddles?”
“Off roading?” Katie spluttered, her eyes wide. “No! You’re so not driving her ever again.”
“Fine I’ll drink both of these then.” He shrugged, moving to take the beer he’d handed her back, and she moved it out of his reach, glaring at him. The desire to drink and have fun won out over protecting her car from a haphazard Captain who was on the sly a bit of a speed demon and probably never actually completed any kind of driving lesson in his life, let alone a test. She dug into her pocket and handed over her keys.
“One scratch and you’re a dead man.” She narrowed her eyes playfully.
“I’ll take good care of her.” He said solemnly, putting the keys into his pocket.
As the game progressed, despite his protestations that the LA Dodgers just weren’t his team, he found himself rooting for them and he was getting more and more frustrated at the current batters method. The guy was swinging it around with more force than Thor wielded his hammer and it wasn’t working. But just as Steve was about to let out another cry of frustration, the bat suddenly connected with the ball, and it was a good hit. Both Steve and Katie got to their feet shouting for the players to speed up and go for home. When they made it the pair both let out a loud cheer, and Steve hugged Katie, grinning wildly. At that moment, stood there, surrounded by strangers but with the girl who made him feel so grounded, he had never felt so normal since coming out of the ice, and he loved it. 
The rest of the innings passed far too fast, but at the end of the game, the Dodgers won, much to Katie’s delight. They joined the throng of people streaming out of the stadium hand in hand and Steve, still grinning like an idiot felt Katie tug on his hand.
“Shall we head for a drink?” She asked as he looked at her.
He nodded, tilting the peak of her cap back slightly and giving her a quick peck on the lips. “Sounds great.” And it was a great idea. Until they parked up, walked into the sports bar and spotted half of STRIKE in there round a table.
“Turn around.” Katie hissed with a groan and, just as they were about to do so, Rumlow yelled from the bar.
“Hey Cap, Nova…”
“Too late.” Steve muttered as Katie rolled her eyes and turned round.
“Fancy seeing you here!” Rumlow smiled and Katie shrugged.
“Yeah, small world, huh?”
“You want a beer, Cap?” Rumlow gestured to the bar and Steve nodded.
“Sure, thanks.”
“Stark, what do you…woah, what is this shit?” Rumlow pointed at her shirt and it didn’t escape Steve’s notice that the man’s gaze was lingering far too long on her boobs. He took a deep inhale, his fists clenching in his pockets as Katie let out a scoff.  
“This shit just kicked the Nationals asses!” she responded, jabbing Rumlow in his chest.
“Whatever man!” Rumlow shook his head. “Fucking Dodgers…” They didn’t have much option then but to join the rest of the team. Rumlow took the opportunity to eyeball Katie at every given opportunity and it was really starting to piss Steve off. At one time Katie looked up and caught Steve simply glaring at Rumlow, and in an attempt to keep him calm she gently squeezed his knee under the table. Steve was glad when it was his round, giving him an excuse to leave the table, Evans following to give him a hand.
“Enjoy your date?” Thee ginger haired man looked at Steve with a smirk.
“What?” Steve replied, a little too quickly. “I saw you and Stark kissing.” Evans popped a shoulder. “Outside the stadium. Don’t worry, no one else did.” Steve let out a sigh. It wasn’t like they were doing anything wrong, but he knew that Tony didn’t know yet and the pair of them were simply enjoying the early stages of a new relationship on their own before the inevitable tornado of interest hit once they did go public. Glancing at Katie who was talking to Rollins and Rumlow at their table, he turned back to Evans and dropped his voice slightly.
“We’re not deliberately keeping it from everyone, it’s just early days, don’t want everyone sticking their noses in, get what I’m sayin’?” “Secret’s safe with me.” Evans nodded. “Although I suspect it won’t be a secret for much longer if Rumlow keeps eye fucking your girl.”
Steve let out a snort as he took his change from the bar tender. “He’s a pain in the ass.” “Yeah well do me a favour, Cap.” Evans chuckled, picking up three of the glasses “When you do eventually snap and beat on him, make sure I’m there. Been waiting for someone to smack the shit outta him for years.”
****
Later that evening the coffee table at Katie’s apartment sported a number of empty plates, which had previously contained several frozen pizzas, and a good quantity of empty beer bottles. Katie was happily snuggled under Steve’s arm, curled against him and he was enjoying the closeness and comfortable silence that had fallen over them as they watched another ‘Game of Thrones’ episode. Katie had gotten him hooked on the fantasy programme and promised not to watch any of the latest season until he had caught up on the last two. As the episode finished he felt her stir and he didn’t want her to move, thankfully she didn’t too far, simply shifting her head slightly.
“So I never asked if you enjoyed yourself” She asked, looking up at him.
“Doll, it was amazing. Thank you.” “We should go more often” She mused “I haven’t seen a game live in years but I really enjoyed it.”
“You know what I didn’t enjoy?” He looked down at her, the soft light from the lamp illuminating her pretty face, highlighting the freckles spattered across her nose. “Sitting in that bar with Rumlow watching him looking at you.”
“Aww were you jealous?” She teased, sitting up.
“Not at all.” He shook his head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as he recalled what Evans had said at the bar “Just don’t appreciate him eye fucking my girl.”
She let out a large snort before she looked at him, as her brain registered what he had just said.
“Your girl?” Her tone was teasing but the look in her eyes told him she was anything but, in fact she looked almost nervous. “Is that what I am?”
Steve hesitated, realising that he’d never actually asked her that question before. Was three weeks too soon? He had no idea. To him it wasn’t, he’d been waiting to be able to call her his for months now, but was he outside of modern day dating etiquette?
He looked at her and took a deep breath, before he swallowed and spoke quietly, the nerves making his stomach flip slightly. “Well I’m kinda hoping you wannabe. I mean, if it’s not too soon.”
“It’s not too soon, it’s not too soon at all.” She whispered as she looked back at him, her features soft, eyes alive in the dim light of the lamp. “Stevie, I already am.”
And that was it, his lips crashed onto hers and he was kissing her like he’d been wanting to kiss her all day, his arm curling tighter round her, pulling her close. Katie took the initiative, every inch of her body was on fire for him, and she wrapped her arms round his neck and pulled him down as she fell slowly backwards, sinking into the couch. The movement came as a not-entirely unwelcome surprise to Steve and he didn’t resist. Automatically his hands crept to her hips, settling just under the hem of her top as she placed both hands on his face, the pads of her finger tips cupping his jaw. She broke away this time to breathe, head laying back on the arm of the couch and he dropped his head, pausing his lips inches from her neck.
“Can I kiss you here?” He whispered softly. .
“God, yes.” Katie sighed and he obliged, pressing his mouth to her neck. He gripped her hips again and they gave a little jerk of their own accord, pushing up against him and they she let out a soft moan at the feeling of his crotch bumping against hers. At the noise Steve pulled back to stare at her again, almost as if he was needing her permission to carry on. Katie wordlessly answered by tilting her hips up again, causing him to give a little grunt as she did so, before he took a deep breath and swallowed.
“Doll, I don’t want to rush you or do anything-”
“It’s okay Steve,” Her voice was low and slightly breathy as she looked at him, her eyes, locking onto his. She wanted this, more than she’d wanted anything before. She pushed her head upwards, lips pressing back to his and her hands slid under his t- shirt. His muscles twitched at her touch as the sensation of her gently dragging her nails across his stomach sent a spike of desire, like a red hot poker through his entire body. At that point, something snapped inside him and he let out a growl and Katie paused, hands still on his stomach.
“Did you just growl at me?” Her eyes flashed, dark, a smirk on her face. She was enjoying the effect she had on him, and right now so was he.
“Yeah.” he nodded, simply.
Her smirk grew wider as she grasped the bottom of his T-shirt. He held his arms up so she pull it over his head, and once he was free, he glanced down to see Katie looking at his chest.
She’d never seen him topless before and she was momentarily stunned. She let her hands wander, tracing the lines of the flowing muscles and Steve let out another groan wanting to feel her skin against his. He interrupted her hands exploration by gripping her top and looked back at her, ever questioning. As means of an answer she moved her arms and sat up slightly to allow him to yank it up and off, her hair falling around her shoulders, his lips catching hers as he gently slipped one strap of her bra down at a time placing a soft kiss on each of her shoulders. Her breasts spilled over the tops of the lace lined cups and his groin twitched, the crotch of his jeans now painfully tight.
“You’re beautiful.” He whispered gently, and then he kissed her again. Her fingers gently took his hands and she guided them onto her, sliding them up her rib cage to her chest and he obliged, boy did he oblige. Gently at first, softly squeezing and kneading the soft flesh and white lace, before his hand slid into the cups, teasing her taught nipples with his thumbs, acting completely on instinct, listening and watching her as she groaned gently, arching her back, her reaction telling him he was doing something right as all the time his groin bumped against hers.
Katie could feel the fabric of her underwear sliding in her jeans with every thrust of his hips against hers, that’s how wet she was. Steve was rocking hard against her and she buried her fingers in his hair, pulling sharply, forcing his head back, almost violently. As she tugged he let out another low growl and when she let go he stared down at her to see her smirking as she watched him, his pupils blown so wide there was hardly any blue left.
The rhythm of his hips was growing more frantic and their kisses were growing more desperate. “More,” she moaned into his mouth, and he gave her what she wanted, moving his hips even faster, rubbing against her in ways that had her clutching at his back like her life depended on it. Steve had never felt anything like this in his life. It was so good, so right, in a way nothing had ever felt so right before. This was a first for him, rutting up against someone fully clothed. Making out, Bucky had called it, but none of Steve’s bedroom experiences had ever entailed anything like this, and God, his head was a whirl of lust, desire, and he didn’t give a fuck about anything else at that moment other than her as she lay underneath him.
He started to lose his rhythm and he let out another groan as the tell-tale tightening across his lower stomach warned him he was fast approaching his release. This was too soon, he needed to get her there first. Clenching his teeth he desperately fought back the high as he pushed his hips down hard, making her gasp and claw at his back.
“Sweetheart, I’m close.” He breathed. “You almost there? Tell me your close baby, please?”
He needn’t have worried, at his words it was all she could do to moan brokenly and nod and his mouth fell to that spot on her neck which seemed to drive her wild. She tipped her head back as he gently nipped beneath her ear with his teeth and a few more thrusts of his hips against hers and she was done, fingers wrapped around his hair as the lights exploded in front her eyes and she felt the coil in her stomach unravelling as she came hard underneath him, hips bucking upwards, almost violently. Her voice was broken as she gasped out “Stevie…”and it was the single most beautiful sound he’d ever heard in his life. Her name for him, the name that no-one in this day and age called him other than her, tumbled from her lips and seeing and feeling her fall apart in his arms sent him over the edge right behind her in a pure surge of ecstasy. He fell forward, his arms shaking as he fought to keep his body up, not wanting to crush her under his weight. His head dropped forward, as he lowered himself ever so gently onto his elbows, his face pressing into the crook of her shoulder and she gently ran her fingers through his hair as they both breathed deeply as they waited to regain control of their bodies. Eventually both of them evened out and he raised his head to look at her, to find her smirking a little, her eyes twinkling with what looked like humour.
“What?” He managed to ask, his nose sliding against hers.
“I haven’t dry humped since I was about sixteen.” she said closing her eyes again with a smirk.
“Dry humped?” He snorted. “What-“
She laughed “Dry humping, making out, whatever. It’s been a while, Rogers.”
He felt himself chuckle again and she pressed a soft kiss to his lips, one of her hands running up and down his spine causing the muscles to gently twitch at her touch, neither of them in a hurry to move, but Steve’s arms were starting to hurt.
“You ok?” Katie looked at him, seeing the tension in his muscles and he nodded.
“Yeah, just, my arms.”
“Lay down.” Her hands moved to his biceps, gently trailing shapes on his skin.
“Doll, I don’t wanna hurt you.”
“I’m not made of glass, handsome. I promise you, it’ll be fine.”
Steve licked his lips and with a deep breath he lowered himself down gently, shifting and moving lower, pressing as little of himself to her as he could, despite the fact he could have happily smothered her to feel her body pressed against this. He closed his eyes and lay his head gently on her chest as she carded one hand through his hair, the other softly trailing down his neck and across his shoulders. Her touch was soothing, relaxing, loving even, and h felt himself beginning to doze off.
Katie was also growing sleepy, so she gently kissed his head and whispered a single word to him.
“Stay?”
It was a question to him, an invitation to stay with her that she was desperately hoping he’d take up.
He opened his eyes to blink lazily up at her. “Do you want me to?” he asked, his voice thick.
She nodded, “Let’s go to bed.”
He made to stand before he remembered his trouser predicament having just shot his load into them like a pubescent teenager and stilled, his cheeks flushing even more.
“I uh…I think I need to…”
“There’s some stuff of Tony’s in the spare room.” she said, looking at him cutting him off knowing exactly what the problem was because she was also in need of a clean-up “Should be a pair of sweats in there. Might be a bit short on you but…”
With another soft kiss, he pushed himself up off the couch before offering her his hand. She took it and he pulled her up, a little more forcefully than he had intended and she fell forwards, crashing into his chest.
“Steady on Soldier.” She grinned and he apologised, dropping a kiss to her forehead as his gaze once more dropped to her chest. With a certain glint in her eye she turned around, undid her bra and slipped it off before bending over in front of him, picking up his T-shirt from where she’d tossed it to the floor before heading over to the stairs.
Steve was hard again like it had never left.
After he had cleaned himself up and managed to calm himself down, he thrown on a pair of Tony’s sweatpants retrieved from the spare room and exited the main bathroom, heading to her room. She wasn’t asleep as he found out as he settled down in the bed next to her, and she moved to rest her head on his bare chest tangling her legs into his as his hand stroked her back, gently underneath his T’shirt, light fingers brushing her soft skin.
“This is mine…” He teased with a yawn as he tugged at the bottom of his shirt and she moved laying a soft kiss onto his lips.
“You can have it back tomorrow.” She said, laying her head back down on his chest. As her breathing grew even he felt himself start to drift off too, the warm feeling in his chest made him want to burst with happiness.
*****
When Steve woke the next morning it was peacefully. Katie had shifted positions through the night and now her back was to him pressed as close as she could get, he still had his arms around her, his face buried in her hair. She smelt so familiar and comfortable. As his sleepy brain reminded him of the previous night he smiled and felt a familiar twitch. He was hard, again, which wasn’t uncommon when waking up, but suddenly he felt her stir, and then he realised with horror that she was going to feel him poking her in the back.
It took Katie a few seconds to recall the night before, but when she felt a solid, warm wall of muscle pressed against her, a small hum of contentment rumbled in her throat as she pushed back further into him. They both lay there for a moment, silently, basking in the warmth and softness of each other before Katie turned over and looked up at him. Her face was devoid of any make up, not that she wore a lot anyway, but her freckles were more pronounced, clear skin was bright, cheeks flushed and her hair was tousled in waves around her shoulders. He reached out to tuck a long strand that had fallen over her cheek behind her ears, when she looked up at him, her eyes glinting.
He was about to wish her good morning, but before he could she kissed him, hard and fast, tongue tangling with his. And then she was straddling him, his head against the pillow, as her lips began to trail down his chest. By the time his sleep and lust addled brain had caught up with what was going on, she had reached her destination and had flipped the waist band of the sweats he was wearing down, taking his erection firmly in one hand, making him hiss slightly.
His size had taken Katie slightly by surprise, although she knew with retrospect it shouldn’t have. She looked up and locked eyes with him before she gave him one final smirk and took him in her mouth. Steve panicked for a second, this had never happened to him before, his hands flying to the bed sheets either side of his waist, but it wasn’t for long, as all worry flew out of his mind as she began to work him.
From the noises he was making Katie knew he was enjoying himself. Which was her aim. After a short while, she pulled off of him to suck at the tip and worked her hands over the rest of his length. When she glanced up at him, he had his head thrown back against the pillow, face contorted in utter pleasure. She continued to lick, suck, and when she pulled away slightly to suck at the sensitive tip, working the rest of his length with her hands he let out a loud groan and he looked at her. Her eyes locked onto his and he felt that tell-tale warmth rising in his groin and stomach.
“Katie, sweetheart, shit.” His voice was raspy from desire and the fact it was morning and Katie was beyond aroused at the sound as he babbled the first words either of them had spoken since waking. “I’m gonna-” his words caught in his mouth as she took him in hers again, this time all the way to the back of her throat. At that, he was gone, his fingers gripped her hair tight the other clutched at the bedsheets, noises escaping him that he’d never heard before as he spilled himself down her throat and slumped back completely blissed out.
Katie rolled onto her side watching, as he finally opened his eyes and looked down at her.
“Morning, Handsome.”  She grinned and he felt himself chuckle.
“Morning, Gorgeous.” he said, still fighting to control his breathing.
“You want breakfast?” She asked, leaning over to peck him on the lips. He hummed a response and she smiled once more before climbing out of bed. Steve watched her head into the bathroom and found himself thinking that as far as mornings went, he’d had worse.
She emerged a few moments later, her hair slightly less wild, and she was still in his T-shirt, which fell to midway down her toned thighs, giving him a better look at that intriguing tattoo that adorned her right which he still hadn’t seen in full properly. She flashed him a smile, fully aware he was looking her up and down, and then she left without a word, clearly with no intentions of getting dressed fully yet. Which was fine by him.
Katie turned the radio on and set about making coffee, singing softly to herself as she replaced the filter paper. She tossed in a liberal amount of Columbian Roast and was just pouring two mugs when Steve, who was now out of bed, appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. She smiled at him and slid a mug of the coffee over the island where the creamer and sugar already lay waiting and he took it with a thanks.
“How hungry are you?” she asked and he arched an eyebrow over the top of the mug and she gave a laugh. “Sorry, dumbass question. Fancy pancakes and fruit?”
“Don’t got to any trouble, Doll.” He began to protest but she shook her head.
“It’s no bother, I can whip up a batter in five minutes.”
Turning away from him, she reached up into the cupboard for the flour and the T-shirt she was wearing rode up slightly giving Steve a perfect view of her ass which was clad in black lace panties. The fraying tendrils of self-control he had been holding onto snapped completely and stood up from the stool he’d been perched on, right hand still clutching his coffee. He rounded the island in three long strides and placed the mug down on the counter beside her, his hands falling to her hips and he gently spun her to face him. She giggled slightly before his lips met hers and he reached down and cupped her ass in both hands picking her up easily and setting her down on the counter.
“Something got you worked up Captain?” She teased, looking up at him. Last night had clearly unlocked something in the Soldier, and she was liking what she was seeing, and feeling.  
“Yeah, the sight of you wearing nothing but a pair of panties and my t-shirt…” He said raising an eyebrow as he reached for his mug again, taking another drink, trying to play it cool. But it wasn’t working clearly, as she simply laughed and slid both arms around his neck as she leaned in to kiss him again. His free hand slid to her thigh, tracing a path up until, just as he had reached the bottom of her panties, they were interrupted by the sound of the lift doors opening.
“Hey Kiddo, you in?” Steve and Katie exchanged a look, utter horror spreading from Steve’s head to his toes as Tony’s voice hit his ears.
“Kiddo?” he shouted again. “I can smell coffee, you in the kitchen?”
“Shit…” Katie said as she gently pushed Steve backwards, jumping down from the counter, adjusting the T-shirt. Steve was now a shade of crimson pretty much from his neck upwards as he desperately tried to rearrange his pants to hide his once more ebbing arousal. She debated telling Steve to hide in the bedroom but there was no way he’d get across the open plan living space to the stairs without Tony seeing him.
They were well and truly caught.
As she clocked the utter horror on Steve’s face she was suddenly overcome with giggles at how ridiculous the entire situation was. A super soldier and a SHIELD agent, both of them having faught aliens, deadly terrorists and weapons traders, were stood in her kitchen panicking about being busted fooling around by her brother.
“So, the damned board meeting was cancelled which would have been fine had I not already been on the jet over, so I thought seeing as I now in town with nothing to do we could hang for the day or if you’re too busy at least have breakfast…” Tony’s voice was getting louder as he walked through the apartment.
Steve looked at her in utter astonishment as she began to laugh now because frankly he couldn’t think of a single thing that was funny about this situation if he tried. Her laughter didn’t stop even as her brother walked into the kitchen, his brown eyes flashing from his sister to Steve and their various state of undress, a look of utter horror on his face as he processed the implications.
“Oh you have gottta be fucking kidding me…” Tony muttered, dropping the box he was carrying onto the kitchen counter. “Please tell me there’s a perfectly innocent explanation for this…” “Explanation yes, innocent…not so much.” Katie said through her laughter and Steve let out a groan. This was not how he wanted Tony to find out.  “Don’t you know how to buzz Dickwad, before just walking into my apartment?”
“I have a key…” “For emergencies…” she shot back. “Stop changing the subject.” Tony demanded his eyes flashing dangerously and Katie folded her arms and tilted her chin up defiantly.
“Look, this isn’t a big deal, Tony…”
“No, this…this is a very big deal…” he snapped back as he looked from her to Steve, every line on his face was contorted with anger and shock.
Steve took a deep breath and placed his mug down on the side. “Tony…” he began trying to placate the billionaire but he was cut off.
“What, you gonna tell me this aint what it looks like?” he shook his head. “That Captain America isn’t banging my little sister? I might be like nearly 60 years younger than you old man but I wasn’t born yesterday.”
Steve took a breath, his nostrils flaring at Tony’s snipe.
“Tony, I’m 29 next week, I can do what or who I like” Katie snapped at him “And besides you’ve no room to talk, the amount of times I’ve walked in on you and whichever bimbo you decided to bring home that night…”
“That is completely different!” Tony spluttered.
“No it isn’t” she shot back, hands going to her hips.
Tony’s eyes locked onto hers, before he looked back at Steve who held his gaze evenly, before the dark haired man shook his head and looked at the super soldier.
“Can you go and put some clothes on please, frankly the amount of flesh on show is disturbing me.” “Well I would but your sister is still wearing my shirt.” Steve shot back, his temper rising. Tony gave another growl and then he stopped, open mouthed.
“Are those my sweats?” He spluttered, his voice practically a squeak.
“Yes.” Katie replied simply, and at that point she grabbed Steve’s hand and pulled him out of the room and up the stairs. The initial humour she had found in the situation had ebbed away and now she was livid at her brother.
“He is…” she started, opening the various drawers to pull out a hooded top. Taking Steve’s T-shirt off, as she threw it over the bed to him. “The biggest hypocrite going…”
“To be fair I can kinda see it from his point of view…” Steve said shrugging on his T-shirt and making a point of averting his eyes as she strode over to her dresser, naked bar her panties.
She pulled on a hoody and narrowed her eyes at Steve. “Don’t defend him…”
He chuckled and crossed the room, walking round the bed. “I’m not.” he placed a peck on her lips “But I do think that I should go, let you talk to him alone…”
“Yeah, probably for the best…” she breathed out a sigh and followed him down the stairs where he retrieved his sneakers.
“Wait, do you wanna take my car or…” He gestured up and down his body, and she took in his trainers, slightly too short joggers and a T-shirt “Nah, Baby Girl, I’ll run.” She smiled at the term of endearment that he hadn’t used before then, as he dropped a kiss to her cheek.
“I’ll call you later.” He promised, before disappearing in the elevator.
Katie took a deep breath and walked back into the kitchen. Tony eyed her from where he was leaning against the counter, mug of coffee in his hand.
“Don’t start.” Katie warned him, to no avail
“Oh I’m gonna!” Tony spat, before he paused and looked around “Where is the Star Spangled Ass-hole?”
“Gone home.” Katie folded her arms.
Tony snorted “I bet he has…” “You know I don’t remember me reacting like this every time you brought a girl home, which from my recollection happened quite a lot.” Katie sniped back, as she walked to where he was stood by the coffee pot and reached round him to pour herself a fresh mug.
“That..that was different…” Tony stammered at her back as she walked to the counter for the creamer.
“How so?”
“Because, well, it’s him…” he whined “I mean, seriously? Of all the men in the world…”
“Yeah because the last one worked out so great…” Katie said sarcastically, replacing the carton down with a slightly harsh action, causing some to spill over the top.
The room fell silent bar the chink of the spoon on the edge of her pink unicorn mug as she stirred in sugar and milk. She took a sip of her drink and turned to face her brother who was hunched over the counter slightly, eyes on his mug. Eventually he straightened up and met his sister’s eyes before he spoke again, this time his voice was softer.
“How long?” he asked,
“Three weeks, give or take.”
“Three weeks, and I’m only just finding out?” “Yes, Tony.” she groaned, with the air of someone talking to a small child “And your reaction is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you.”
To be fair, Steve was right. It wasn’t an ideal way for him to find out, but she knew the reaction from Tony wasn’t about her being caught, it was about her being caught with Steve. The two men got on okay, which hadn’t always been the case, but after the battle of New York Steve had spent a lot of time with them both at the tower. Tony was still a little reserved with Steve, more so due to the fact that Captain America was someone their dad had idolised but, whilst the two men were immensely different, there was a mutual respect between them and Katie was hoping now that that was going to be enough for Tony to be reasonable about the situation.
“Please don’t kick off about this. I care about him, a lot.” She said gently, looking at her brother, appealing to his better nature and the fact that she knew he would want her to be happy.
And sure enough, that was exactly what Tony asked as he looked at her.
“Does he make you happy?”
“More than anything.” she replied honestly. “I really like him Tony, I want this to work.”
Tony studied her face for a moment before he let out a deep sigh, looking away. “Damned it.” He groaned “I can’t believe I’m going to have to have the Shovel Conversation with Captain America.”
In the silence that followed Katie debated pointing out that Steve wouldn’t be frightened in the slightest of Tony’s various threats anyway, but who was she to rob her brother of his opportunity to try and protect her?  Instead she placed her mug on the counter and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Tony who sighed again and reciprocated the gesture.
“Suppose he is an improvement on Agent Shitweasel” he said, resting his chin on her head.
“That’s not exactly a glowing endorsement.” she snorted.
*****
Steve was reading a book in his lounge when Katie messaged him later that afternoon. Apparently Tony had calmed down enough to take her for lunch at some Italian place in the Business District following which they’d had a walk round the city together before Tony had left to go back to New York. Steve was pleased, he knew that despite the fact that he drove her insane at times, she loved the bones of her brother which was why his reaction before had pissed her off. He messaged back, telling her he was glad she’d had a good time and that he would call her later before he picked his book back up, but he’d only managed another chapter or so before there was a buzz on his intercom.
“Rogers, it’s me.”
Steve sighed “Come on up.”
He wasn’t surprised Tony was on his doorstep, he’d been half expecting it. And, judging from the lack of stupid nickname, no Spangles, no Capsicle, no Old Man, he wasn’t here to exchange pleasantries. A fact that was confirmed when Stark didn’t wait for Steve to invite him in, he simply pushed past the door into his flat and stalked inside, glancing around.
“You can tell Kiddo helped you decorate and furnish this gaff, far too modern to be your doing. There’s no Dig for Victory posters or wind up radios…” Tony said, causing Steve to roll his eyes “Holy shit, is that an original Dekka?”
“Katie said you’d like that” Steve watched the inventor cross the room and run his hands across the sleekness of the record player’s casing. “But I have a feeling you didn’t come here to admire my music equipment.”
“Perceptive” Tony turned to face him, his eyes flashing. Steve took a deep breath.
“Tony, I…” “No, you don’t get to talk, you get to listen. And you better listen good.” the billionaire cut him off “Katie was heartbroken when Agent Shitweasel did the dirty on her. She came home and I held her as she cried herself to sleep for 2 goddamned weeks before she shipped out to New Mexico… ”
“Tony…”Steve began, knowing already where this conversation was going. He wanted to assure Tony that he would never do what Ward had done, ever. But Tony ignored him.
“I hated him.” Tony said “he was an absolute dickhead with her at times and she changed because of it.  And then, after New York she seemed to go back to being her old self. She was laughing, socialising…and that was down to you” Tony looked at the Super Soldier, who cocked his head slightly to the right as he listened, a small smile tugging at his lips “ She had a friend, something she hasn’t had much time for since my little sioree in an Afghan cave, my bad, and for the first time in ages I can see she’s over it, you know…” he took a deep breath and Steve waited for him to finish “But Katie puts her heart into everything, and I gotta ask Cap, is this serious for you or you just after getting your dick wet?”
“What? No, of course it’s serious for me Tony…” Steve said, his temper flaring slightly at his crass tone. “I can’t believe you think that little of me that you had to even ask me that!”
“Oh get off your high horse, Rogers!” Tony shook his head, and Steve raised his eyebrows “This has nothing to do with what I think of you, this is about my sister…you know the girl I brought up from the age of 7.  The girl I couldn’t love any more if she was my own. I’d die for her you got that? Die for her!”
“Well that makes 2 of us!” Steve said loudly, silencing the other man. There was a moment where no sound was heard in the apartment bar the ticking of the clock on the wall and Tony raised his eyebrows slightly as Steve looked down at the floor taking a deep breath.
“Look, I know you’re not happy about this…” Steve sighed, looking at Tony again “But do I care about her Tony, more than you know, and nothing you do or say to me is gonna change that.”
Tony’s eyes softened, but his jaw remained set. Steve took a deep breath and wet his lips before he continued.  “And, for what it’s worth, I think you did a damned good job of raising her. She’s an incredible woman.”
“She’s a pain in the ass…” Tony sniffed, Steve was glad to hear his tone was less confrontational “And she’s stubborn, always thinks she knows best…”
“Wonder where she gets that from?” Steve said cheekily
“Absolutely no idea” Tony deadpanned back.
Steve’s face cracked into a smile as did Tony’s.
“Look.” Tony sighed, “I just want her to be happy and with someone that treats her right…”
“I don’t ever want to hurt her, Tony. You have my word…” Steve said, honestly.
“Good, because if you do, make no mistake I will fucking kill you, slowly and painfully and there will be no defrosting 70 years down the line.” Tony’s brown eyes flashed slightly as he stared at Steve, And Steve knew, absolutely 100% that he meant it. He was surprised to find himself slightly unnerved by the threat. Hoping that his face didn’t give him away her merely nodded and then Tony’s demeanour changed completely and he turned back into the Tony Stark that Steve knew, and had to admit quite liked after all.
“Good, this was a good talk…” Tony said, clapping Steve on the shoulder.
Steve smiled as the weight he hadn’t even realised he’d been carrying was lifted off his shoulder. Having Tony’s, albeit grudging, approval would mean the world to Katie, and if he was honest, it meant a lot to him as well. Not only was Tony his friend also, but he was the closest thing Katie had to a father, and he wanted him to be alright with the fact the two of them were together.
He offered the man a coffee which he politely declined, stating he needed to get back to New York. The two shook hands on the threshold of Steve’s door before Tony gave him one last look, raising his index finger and middle finger of his right hand to his eyes, before turning them to point at Steve in an “I’m watching you” gesture. Steve raised his eyebrows in understanding and felt his mouth tug upwards at the side as Tony turned on his heels and left.
He retreated back to his living room and pulled out his phone.
“Hey Badass” Katie greeted and Steve chuckled.
“I’ve just had a visitor.” Katie groaned into the phone as he sat back on his couch
“Let me guess… my darling brother turned up to give you the shovel talk?” her tone was exasperated. “No mention of a shovel, just threatened to kill me slowly and painfully if I hurt you, and you know what? I have absolutely no qualms about the fact he would.” Steve grinned as he spoke.
“Don’t tell me Captain America is scared of Iron Man?” she questioned playfully. “No, Steve Rogers is slightly disconcerted by Tony Stark.” He corrected as she let out a chuckle.
“Best make sure you don’t hurt me then aint ya?” “I’ve no intentions of doing doll.” He said, honestly before he let out a breath, smiling “I really enjoyed last night.”
“And this morning?”
“Yeah, another first.” He said, unable to stop the smirk on his face spreading into his voice “I’ve never, errr, had a woman use her mouth on me before…or vice versa for that matter.”
“I like being your first.” she said softly and his chest warmed at her words.
“You know what else was a first? Waking up next to my girl.”
There was a pause before she replied, and he could hear the smile in her voice.
“And you know what else I like? You calling me your girl.”
A shit eating grin crept back across the Captains face. “Well, you better get used to it, Doll.”
**** Chapter 7
**Original Posting**
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lost-in-the-80s · 4 years ago
Text
Bloodletting Part III - Y/N
Words: 2,245k.
Summary: Guns n Roses are already known for being dangerous, but how dangerous would they be if they were vampires? Would it be a wiseful decision to fall for one of them?
A/N: This part is more focused on explaining the Vampire world and introducing Y/N. 
Part II | Bloodletting Masterlist | Playlist
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2020 - New York - 02:40 am
Duff walked through the dark streets of the city, the cold wind hitting his face as his feet touched the floor with an almost inaudible sound. He had just closed his bar, leaving a ton of glasses and utensils to be cleaned the next day.
It was autumn, and he took the opportunity to go walking towards the bar, ironically called Bloodletting, which now meant he’d have to walk back home, or more precisely, Izzy’s home. He didn’t mind walking though, being a vampire had its advantages, and not getting tired was one of them.
He stopped abruptly when a familiar smell got his nostrils, vampire smell, or more specifically, the lack of any smell accompanied by the slowly fading away human scent, mixed with a small hint of embalmed corpse. 
His head snapped towards the smell, curiosity taking a hold of him. It was someone new, he knew it because he was familiar with the scent of every vampire who lived in the city.
Over the years he learned how to identify each one of them based on the smell of things that constantly stayed around them. Like the smell of Slash’s snake, or the smell of cigarettes in Izzy’s clothes. And he was sure, this vampire, whoever it was, was someone new. 
Turning left he walked down a couple of streets until he found a dark alley, the smell of blood was strong and fresh, and coming closer, his eyes adjusted to the light, allowing him to see you on top of a man, his body laying on the ground.
Focusing on his hearing Duff realized that the man was still alive, and judging by the expensive clock on his wrist, he knew that you had made a huge mistake in choosing your prey.
“That wasn’t very smart of you.” He said, entering the alley.
You turned towards him and he realized that you were around his age. Your hair was all messed up and you were wearing party clothes. There was blood dripping from your lips and your pupils were dilated.
You ran towards Duff, pushing him against the wall, your mouth moving towards his neck as you got on your tiptoes. But Duff was older, which allowed him to be stronger than you. One of his hands grabbed your neck, pulling you away from him and inverting your positions, making you hit your back hard against the wall.
“Yep, you’re definitely not smart!”
Your eyes widened in shock.
“I’m gonna let you go, ok?” He said after a few seconds.
You nodded slowly, and so he removed his hand from your neck, taking one step back.
“You shouldn’t have chosen him.” Duff said, starting to walk towards the man, who by now was dead.
“Why?” You finally spoke.
“See this watch?” He removed the accessory, throwing it towards you. “Costs 30 thousand dollars.”
Duff searched for personal belongings in the man's pockets, throwing his wallet and his car keys towards you. Standing up, he threw the body over his shoulder, walking a few steps towards a dumpster and throwing the body inside of it. 
“Take the money and the credit cards from inside of it and then throw the wallet in the dumpster too.” He said, taking a pocket knife out of his leather jacket.
“Why?” 
He rolled his eyes. Is that all you know how to say? He thought.
“We need to make it look like it was a robbery.” He answered, stabbing the man’s neck where two small holes used to be. 
You did as he said, running weirdly with only one shoe on towards the dumpster and throwing the wallet there. You turned around realizing that Duff was nowhere to be seen.
“Stranger?” You shouted.
“Here.” 
You followed his voice, finding him leaning against a black Porsche. “You don’t need to yell you know.” 
He took a cigarette out of his pocket, lighting it up. “Here!” He threw the car’s keys towards you. 
“Find a junkyard and use that money to pay for someone to destroy the car.” 
You looked at him dumbfounded as he started walking away.
“Wait!” 
He stopped, turning around.
“I- I…” You tried to think of what to say, but nothing came out of your mouth.
Duff eyed you for a while, before realizing what was going on. “When did you wake up?”
“This- today... a few hours ago.” You looked so lost.
“Shit.” He mumbled. “It’s normal, most of us don’t remember anything personal after the transition, it can take you some days to remember everything.”
“Transition?”
“You weren’t like this before, honey.” 
You frowned.
“You used to be a human, like him.” He pointed towards the alley. “Now you’re a vampire, like me.” 
“Why?”
“Because someone wanted you to.”
“Who?”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t fucking know! But clearly wasn't decent enough to raise you.” 
“What- What do I do?”
“There’s nothing you can do, this is your life now.”
You stared at him as he heard your heart racing and could see the tears that started to form in your eyes. 
“Do you remember something? Anything?... Your name, maybe?”
You nodded slowly. “It’s Y/N.”
Duff threw away his cigarette, before opening the driver’s door of the car. 
“Come on, Y/N, let’s get rid of this car, and then I’ll find somewhere for you to stay.” 
---
The sun was rising on the horizon when Duff and Y/N entered the house, everyone showing up as soon as they smelled your scent, curious about the new guest.
“Brought some company, Duff?” Axl asked, walking down the stairs, stopping in front of you and picking up your hand, taking it to his lips, pressing a delicate kiss on it. “All yours or will you share with us?” A smirk appearing on his face.
Duff said nothing, putting his coat on the hanger and walking towards the library, finding Izzy reading by the window. 
“It's a new-born, doesn’t remember anything, I think it’s better if you give the lecture.”
Izzy lifted his eyes from his book, thinking for a second before closing it and exiting the room with Duff on his track. 
“Y/N, these are Axl and Izzy, Steven is the guy looking at you through the backyard windows and Slash is the one up there.” He pointed towards each one of them, stopping at Slash who was on the second floor, looking at them.
You looked to your side quickly, a little startled by Steven’s presence, but soon you saw curiosity in his eyes and his figure waving at you, and you realized he wasn’t creepy. You slowly waved back at him, before having your attention caught by Duff again.
“Izzy is gonna explain to you some things, since he’s older than me.”
Izzy motioned for you to follow him, walking further into the house.
You looked at Duff hesitantly, but he nodded, reassuring you, making you walk behind the brunette until you were inside a fancy office, filled with wooden shelves and expensive furniture. 
Izzy sat behind the desk, making a gesture for you to sit in front of him.
You eyed each other for a few seconds, in an awkward way before Izzy spoke up.
“What is it that you’re curious about?” 
You took a moment to reply as his accent hit your ears. "I don't know…"
"You don't know?" He raised one eyebrow.
“What am I?”
“You’re a vampire.”
“Yeah, but Duff said that I wasn’t- he said I was a human before.”
“All of us were, until we transitioned.”
“Transitioned?”
“It’s what we call it. A vampire transformed you.” 
“How does it happen?”
He leaned against his chair, taking a long breath before replying. “They give you their blood, which is poisonous to a human, as soon as it touches your stomach, you die. After a few hours you wake up, and you’re no longer a human.”
“Why me?”
“I don’t know, the only one who can answer that, is who transformed you.”
There was a pause before you spoke up again.
"Why can I remember random things, but not my birthday?"
He shrugged. "No-one knows, it's just how it is."
You looked at one of the walls, observing a big old map on it, the once white paper was now in a dark shade of beige. “So it is like in those movies?”
“Pretty much.”
“Will I shine in the sun?”
He chuckled lowly, “No. You’ll most probably burn.”
You looked back at him, widening your eyes. “Like, catching on fire?”
“No," He chuckled again. "More like going to the beach on a very sunny day without sunscreen. Of course, if you stay underneath it for too long your skin will start to look like barbecue and it won't be a pleasant feeling… but, on a cloudy day, sunscreen and hats do the job for you.”
“What about sunny days?”
“Forget about those. We usually isolate during summer, just going out during the nights.”
“So I- I really am a monster?”
“A monster, a god, a beast… there are many definitions, depending on the culture, but we usually go by vampires.”
You took in a long breath. “So my heart stopped beating?” You touched your chest.
“Of course not, nothing survives without a beating heart." He smiled, trying not to laugh again. "It's just beating slower… if we stay silent and you pay attention, you'll hear it”
“That- that’s a lot of information.” You gulped.
“Yeah, but it’s better for you to learn it in the beginning.”
He crossed his own fingers, eyeing you.
“Why do we drink blood?”
“Why do cows eat grass? Why does a wolf eat the sheep?... It's the food chain ... we are predators." 
You looked at his Persian rug for a while before coming up with another question.
“Do we still eat normal food?"
“We don’t actually need food anymore, but food gives your body energy and we can make good use of that.”
“So you guys still eat?”
“Sometimes… the same goes for drinking anything.”
“We don’t need water anymore?”
“Technically, no. But if you spend too much time without drinking it you’ll look like a raisin.” He smiled faintly.
She nodded slowly. “Garlic?”
“That’s bullshit, you can eat garlic if you want.”
“Crosses?”
“Another lie. Some of us are still religious, so no, crosses don’t do anything to us.”
“Who was the first?”
“No one knows… There are many legends and stories, but nobody knows exactly.”
“Legends like Dracula? Do you think he was the first one?”
Izzy chuckled at you. “Axl is older than Dracula, so no, I don’t think he was.”
“He is… older than Dracula? That ginger?” You pointed towards the living room with your thumb.
“I am!” You heard his voice coming from there.
“As you probably noticed, we don’t age.” He got a cigarette from his vintage cigarette box on top of his table, lighting it.
“And what is this? Is it like a fraternity, or something?”
He shrugged again. “There isn’t a correct definition for the collective of vampires, we usually call them clans.”
“Are there too many clans?”
He looked at you for a second, and you could tell that he was annoyed by the number of questions you had. But he answered anyway.
“Not really… Vampires aren’t the most sociable species, we hardly hang around each other."
“And why do you guys do?”
He shrugged, blowing out some smoke.
“What should I do now?”
“You need to wait.” He placed the remains of his cigarette on his ashtray. “As soon as your human blood is replaced by the vampire, you’ll remember your personal information and will start to have full access to your new abilities.”
You nodded, fixing your eyes on a black-covered book on his desk.
“Where will I stay?” Your posture changing with discomfort.
“You can stay here until you remember everything, then you’ll have to leave.”
“But what will I do alone?” You bit your bottom lip, trying not to cry for the second time that day. 
Seeing the tears forming in your eyes, he stood up. “That is not something you should be worried about now. Go upstairs and sleep for some hours, it will help with your mood swings.” 
“So we can sleep?” You got up, walking past the door.
He didn’t answer, stopping by the door and looking up. “Slash, can you find a room for Y/N?”
The man still on top of the stairs nodded, and so you walked towards him, following him down the corridor.
“Here, this room ain’t taken.” He opened a door to his left.
“Thank you.” You entered. 
“If you need anything, just say it, we can hear you easily.”
You nodded and he closed the door behind him, leaving you alone in the room. Your mind racing and aching with all the information you had gathered.
Loneliness and sadness soon hitting you like a train. You removed your shoe, laying on the bed and closing your eyes as silent tears left them.
You hated not knowing what was happening, or more precisely, what had happened, and even if you tried to remain calm, you couldn't help the frustration that started to build up in your chest.
So you laid on your side, squeezing your pillow closer to you as you tried to sleep, hoping that when you woke up, everything would have been just a dream.
Tag list:  @roger-taylors-car @metalheartofgold @slashscowboyboots @ginny-rose-sixx @bigdaddylars @dynamitebabe @tuffduff @mitchgrassified @gamsbeans @no-stone-no-bone @ladieswttda @teasid @hooloovooblue @littlemisscare-all @rumoured-whispers @1800endmeplease @izzys-nose-ring @motley-cruer @angxlxc @oihanasstuff @dazeduchess @claire-xox @polka-dot-duff @mudkicker @izzysjujuhounds​ @pinkpatiencecreepers​ @axlswhiteshorts​ @apovanity87​
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haiyuta · 5 years ago
Text
|| sugarbaby.com || bang chan
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Summary: Struggling college student Y/n is on her last year of college as the bills stack she’s in a tough situation. Her roommate recommends her a website for local sugar daddies. That's where she meets Mr. Bang Chan a producer who is just a nice guy that has a lot of money.  
word count: 5.1k || genre: smut, lots of smut, kissing, dry humping, light choking, praise kink, soft dom chan, like soft, like he’s a caring daddy btw, light barely their daddy kink. 
a/ n: the end plot is so sloppyyyy but I put lots of plot and love and smut this could be better but its 5k of hard work so enjoy yall~
Chewing on your lip you eyed the website your finger hovering on and off the signup button.
Sugarbabys.com the website read on the front page in a quote read "where sugar babies meet high-quality Sugar daddies".
Taking your finger away you gave it a thought all the scenarios going through your head. What if it didn't go well? What if the men were creepy? Your friend already gave you tips 'meet in a public place' 'only if you want to you have to' things like that.
Your bank account was desperate though. Between school and working, you were left with little money. Lingering in the back of your brain you knew you couldn't the reality of having to borrow more money from your friend making you cringe.
Were you desperate enough for money to even sign up for this site? It was something you considered before knowing a few girls who used the website your roommate included for a while until she got what she wanted her debt paid off.
'Its easy just sign up it couldn't hurt' she explained to you. You grimaced it could hurt the many thoughts popped up in your head bad and good.
Your finger hovered over the signup button with great reluctance decided to sign up. Entering your email and information you looked at the rules. It was simple enough the men contacted you based on profiles near them. They recommend you do a date in public for safety reasons etc.
Some of the profile content was questions like the financial level you needed and what you could provide and some small information about yourself.
Your fingertips hovered over the keys writing some info about yourself.
"Hello I'm a graduating student soon with ambitions to join the workforce soon financial help would be the main  and I am very open with new options and experiences"
Finishing off with some fun facts age and a pretty picture your friend took of you. etc you clicked the finished profile you sat back looking at the website shaking your head you closed your laptop work was going to be early tomorrow.
You didn't check the website but a lingering message sat in your inbox.
As the week went on it a few messages popped in your inbox with a variety of guys some seeking immediate sex for money, some promising you the world but then there was one message.
Bang: Hello I'm sure you got many messages you're very pretty I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date with me. I'll pay of course and see if we are matchable. If not just ignore this.
The message made you quirk your eyebrow it felt real and raw in a way the others didn't. And with no picture, you decided to go and message 'Bang' back.
You: Thanks for messaging me I would love to just send your phone number and I'll talk to you more.
Nerves in your stomach grew as you waited for his message. A night went by until his reply.
Bang: Thanks so much here's my number can't wait to talk to you more :)
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You've been texting back and forth with Chan for a week till he scheduled a date setting a date that was good for both of you.
You were nervous your stomach turned with butterflies, the restaurant you were in was a fancy Italian restaurant downtown it had deep mood lighting with a clean crisp look to it.
"May I help you," the hostess gave a kind smile.
Shifting in your tight black dress your own but the gold necklace with a nice handbag were thanks to your roommate.  "Um yes," you said nervously "I have a dinner date with Mr. Bang," you said.
Looking at the list she nodded "oh yes he's waiting for you," she said leading you to the back.
Walking through the restaurant your stomach twisted leading towards the table. Questions ran through your mind. Why were you even doing this? It was to late to back down now you thought.
"Here you go," she gestured to the table. Laying your eyes on him you were slightly taken aback at his appearance. He was handsome.
Looking up from his phone a handsome smile lit his face. Slipping the device into his pocket he got up quickly.
"Let me," he gave a sheepish laugh moving toward you. The smell of his cologne filled your senses it was nice really nice.
"Thank you," you said sitting putting your loaned clutch on the table. Drinking in his features you noted he had sandy blond hair, deep dimples, and perhaps an accent. Dressed simply in a black button-up and black jeans expensive chan sat handsomely on his neck.
An awkward silence filled the table until he chuckled "I'm sorry I didn't even introduce myself I use Mr. Bang on my profile but you can call me Chan," he said. Yup, definitely an accent you noted.
His friendly smile radiated causing you to let a small smile "I'm Y/n thank you for taking me out". More like thanks for messaging me and taking me to a restaurant normally college boys would take you out to the best they could do. A local taco joint close to the university which was amazing but you did yearn for something romantic.
"You were beautiful I had to," he flirted with a charming smile. Stomach knotting at the word beautiful and how his foreign accent whispered them out.
"Thank you," you beamed shifting in your seat. The more you talked to him the more comfortable you became with him.
"So, you work in the music industry," you asked wanting to get to know him. Quickly thinking of his profile on the website. Young, producer and money to spend. The website though matched you and you couldn't directly message them until they choose you. Chan would be snatched up quickly if any sugar baby could choose.
"I do I'm a producer I also sing and rap a bit," he explained, "its something I like to do a lot" he added.
"That sounds like a lot of fun," you giggled poking at your food already full from the soup and salad but wanting more.
"It's long hours of editing and writing music," he perked up his eyebrow you noted he had a small cut in his eyebrow. "Hearing my music be sung by artist and people loving my lyrics is all worth it."
"But it's my passion but sadly my passion is mostly inside so it's hard to meet people," he explained eyeing you.
"May I ask why a guy like you would be on a sugar baby website," you said hoping you weren't overstepping your boundary. "I mean not that you can't be on these sites," you quickly blurted out feeling warm at the question you asked.
He laughed a little "I'm not a 40-year-old businessman with a wife and kids," he smirked out.
"Kind of," you trailed off staring at him.
"Well some of my friends were doing it recently saying they met some great people," he said "I also like showering my girl with money might as well see if this will work." he finished.
"Ah okay," you hummed eating some food.
"I'm just a nice guy who has a lot of money," he grinned his cheeky dimple popping out.
You snorted at the comment "wow," you laughed a little.
"Sorry was that cringy," he gave a sheepish smile.
You nodded covering your mouth trying not to laugh out loud.
"Anyway what about you," he asked.
You explained a bit about yourself adding what he needed to know you were almost out of college the struggle to finish was getting harder. He understood explaining he came to Korea from Australia looking for a fresh start. He found his talent when he sold one of his songs for the first time. You were shocked that it was called "Why so lonely" a classic a song that use to be on your freshman playlist every day.
The experience was new but something you would soon treasure a good conversation a lovely meal and getting money for it.
"Did you like the meal," he asked eyeing you placing his black card in his wallet writing down a quick tip.
"It was amazing," you gave a gentle smile. A little bummed this dinner had to end. Also anticipating if he wanted to continue this.
"May I drive you home," he asked giving you his arm. You smiled nodding slipping your arm through his arm.
The small private parking lot on the side as you browsed the expensive cars till you landed on his BMW with admiration a beautiful car that fit his aesthetic. Playful yet luxurious. Sliding into his car you shivered at the cold leather seats.
"Where do you live," he asked.
"Student apartments right next to the university," you explained "just that general area," you said hitting yourself of how dumb you sounded.
The car ride had light chatting he played some music from he wrote. You were shocked to find out it had some of your favorite artists under it. Learning he did some music for a trio group named 3racha.
Coming up to your apartment you sighed glancing at him "thank you so much," you paused letting out a soft "sir" at the end of it.
A moment passed over the both of you until Chan let out a laugh "Sir," a deep cute laugh.
A blush went to your cheeks at his laugh"You're cute enough you don't have to try okay," he assured his you pressing his hand to your cheek gently.
Your face was warm but his hand felt warmer. "Sorry about that," you said softly cringing at yourself. How natural this felt was amazing.
"May I kiss you," he whispered out his lips so close.
Your eyes connected to his light brown eyes your lips wanting to touch his "please."
It was a swift moment as his lips capturing your own. It was soft as he greedily consumed your kiss you were shocked at how good it was to be kissed.
Pulling gently apart your eyes flickered to his noting his eyes were so warm and deep you could drown in them.
"Um thank you for everything," you said feeling warm and frazzled at him. Opening the car door you could feel your heartbeat a little faster and your mind swirl with want.
"Your welcome baby girl," he winked watching you with as you trailed yourself up the steps and into the apartment building.
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Its been a few months since your first date with Chan. Honestly, it felt too good to be true. Soon as got home he texted you some information and the next thing that morning a pretty number with 4 digits now sit in your account.
It took all your will not to scream in a pillow at the money. That's what you make in a month for a date.
As the relationship continued Chan was giving you money for your attention dates, kissing, sex all of the above. Honestly, he could pay you nothing and you would still jump at the opportunity to sleep with him. You shuttered a little thinking of the sex simply put it was amazing.
Some basic rules were gently inforced. 1. You or have the right to end it at any time 2. Stressed the fact that this was an exclusive relationship. Light rules but Chan was very laidback.
Currently, you were in a store way too expensive well use to be way too expensive picking out a dress that would look good for this event with Chan. "This one," you hummed walking out in a cream-colored dress. It hugged your ass but the color was sort of off-putting.
Chan sitting on the seat in the private dress area leaning back his hair messy and untamed with a touch of curls. Your fingers always itched to touch those curly locks.
"I don't love it," he hummed eyeing you up and down. "Just the color it looks amazing on you though," he grinned. Sitting next to a pile of dresses that you both didn't like very much.
You frown this was the fifth dress you've tried but to be honest you didn't love it that much either.
"Okay I have a few more," you bit your lip as you went back to the dressing room. The event was tomorrow night performance of some underground rappers and Chan said he might perform with 3racha if he had time. Being on his arm for this event was important.
You shyly claiming you didn't have many dresses for something like that.
Sipping into the dress that caught your eye the most a deep rose gold dress with just a touch of sparkle. Eyeing yourself you smiled at how the dress fit you the price tag with the glaring 1k on the tag.
Slipping out the dressing room your gazed landed on Chan his eyes ran up and down your body. "Wow," he whispered out getting up to inspect the dress. "Do you like it," he asked placing his hand on your hip.
"I love it," you paused eyeing you and Chan in the mirror admiring how you looked and how he looked next to you. His eyes glazed with lust. "It's pricy though," you hummed looking at the price.
Chan leaned over kissing your temple "you know I'll buy it for you," he grinned pushing his hips closer to you.
"You spoil me," you hummed posing lightly in the mirror. It complimented your skin the way it fell made you feel utterly amazing.
"You look beautiful," he said pressing his body against yours. His chin resting atop your head as he stared at your dress in the mirror. You giggled at the reflection. He looked at you with an admiring lust-filled look. You perked up when you felt his bulge pressing against your ass.
Glancing at him through the mirror his deep brown eyes basically told you what he wanted. You've had sex with Chan before and to say the least you would fuck this man for free. You were just lucky enough he was paying your tuition with a sweet payday every other Friday.
You pushed your ass into him feeling his eagerness waiting for you. "We shouldn't," you hummed glancing at him. Leaning over he hummed his lips connecting with your neck. You sighed at the kisses leaning away for more access.
"We just need to be quiet," he whispered in your ear. Grabbing your hand he lead you to the small bench settling you on his lap.
His lips captured yours hungrily your mouths moved in a gentle rhythm. Pulling away Chan looked at you grabbing your exposed thigh placing you across his jeans. "Come on baby we don't want to wrinkle this beautiful dress up," he said pushing the dress up.
A small mew slipped out of you at the feeling of Chan lightly bouncing his leg. Wrapping your arms around his neck to steady yourself you moaned as he added more pressure to your clothed slit.
Your body was heating up at the feeling "come on baby girl," Chan whispered in your ear. Biting your lip you squeezed your eyes closed feeling your stomach twisting at the sensation. God, he got you off so good your mind raced with want.
Clenching your thighs around his you gave a soft moan as you rocked against his leg. The lewd act of humping his leg made your stomach twist with want.
Chan let out a light chuckle you gave him a small embarrassed glare at your current position. "Don't pout you look adorable," he gave a small smirk. "We better finish this off before we are found," he grinned as he proceeded to bounce his leg.
You were already damp as it seeped into Chan's black jeans. Pushing your head into his neck you let out small whimpers as you got closer to the edge. Ready to fall any moment but Chan holding you so tight you never wanted to let go. Pushing down on his thigh you gave a deep moan as you desperately humped his leg.
Leaning over you placed your lips moaning in the kiss. Your eyes twisted shut as waves of heat rolled down your body.
Chan pressed his lips hard against you as you sloppy kissed him. You came down from your high it took a moment but you felt Chan hand run up and down your back.
Biting your lip you gazed up at him giving him a light smile "we should get out of here," you hummed pushing your dress back down and getting up,
You lightly grimaced at his leg with had a decent size wet mark on them. "Fuck sorry," you said also eyeing his bulge.
He hummed grabbing your hand "don't worry about it lets just buy the dress and go back to my place," giving you a wink.
Your stomach stirred thinking of going to his house with him laying in his bed as he pushed your deep into his sheets "Let's," you grinned eagerly.
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"How does it look," you asked your roommate coming from your room in the dress you bought last week. It took a dry clean to get the smell of sex from the dress but it still looked clean and new.
Her gaze went from her phone taking a double-take at your dress. "Look at you in that dress," she hummed. Smiling you gave a small twirl the gold shimmering.
"I know I love it so much," you hummed going to the mirror to check your makeup and hair.
"So Y/n how's Chan," she said leaning on the couch her eyebrow raised at you.
"He's good he's taking me to a club tonight," you said.
She nodded "so you don't have feelings for him or anything right," she hummed out looking at you.
Pausing you stared at your eye makeup looking at her through the mirror image you felt your heart leap "of course not he pays me," you told her.
"Yeah I mean your college semester is almost over when will you break it off," she asked. You paused wondering if you would. You did get mostly what you wanted. Clothing, money, your schooling has been paid up to last semester. The thought of breaking it with Chan made your stomach drop.
Before you could answer you heard your phone ring. Grinning you picked it up avoiding your roommates grilling question.
"Hey baby are you ready," Chan spoke.
Glancing at your makeup and outfit you looked good. Shyly remembering what you did in this dress earlier that week. "Yeah I'm good," you hummed out.
"Great I'm downstairs," he said.
"Okay bye," you said clicking off the phone.
Your roommate was still looking at you "you're like into into him," she commented.
"I'm into his money," you easily lied to yourself. The money was great the clothing, the tuition all was amazing. But Chan as a person he was the best of all the gifts. Repressing these growing thoughts was the best you could do.
"Sure you are," she said pulling out up her Netflix. "Just let me know when you move into with him so I can find a new roommate," she teased.
Rolling your eyes you stuck out your tongue  "will do but won't happen," you said leaving.
"Have a nice night," she called out.
"Thanks," you yelled back leaving. Your stomach turned excited to see Chan. Hurrying downstairs you quickly came outside to see Chan leaning on the side of his car. You eyed him loving his outfit.
"Hey," you grinned going to him wrapping your arms around his neck. Your eyes held his from the told of his dirty blond hair to the way he had a smile chain around his neck and his signature black style.
"Aw you missed me," he grinned a small dimple popping out.
"Always," you flirted back.
Giving you a quick peck he opened the door for you. The drive to the small club was nice his hand firmly on your thigh as he navigated the roads driving up to the club.
"You'll meet some of my friends just fellow producers," he explained. The word date stuck to your brain well you were his date. The words girlfriend would be amazing to hear out his mouth.
"Do your friends have any sugar babies," you asked out the blue. Remembering he told you months ago some of his friends use the site.
He pursed his lips "some do some have two or more," he explained closing the door on the side parking.
Taking his arm nerves bubbled up in your stomach as you entered the low lit club. It was loud with live music on the stage was a male he had dark black hair with deep black makeup and he was rapping.
"That's Jisung he's a close friend and producer," Chan said leading you toward the back. The club was lowkey as people enjoyed the fast rapper on the stage.
"He's really good," you called out to Chan.
He nodded "yeah we are underground rappers are normally producers but we like to stay out of the limelight," he added. "I'll be on stage in a bit hope you'll cheer for me," he grinned.
"Always," you grinned. Sipping on the drink you were introduced to lots of people Felix an upcoming solo artist in the company.
"Time to get on stage baby girl," Chan hummed giving you a light kiss on your lips. His eyes lingered on you for a moment "After my set will get outta here," he said.
"Sounds good," you replied.
Felix stayed next to you as you two chatted while Chan was in the back. "Yeah, Chan told me a lot about you."
You nodded "can I ask about," you asked curiously.
Felix nodded his head "just you're really good for him is what I'm going to say," he explained.
Before you knew it the lights went down once again as Chan got on stage with Jisung and another male "who's that," you asked Felix.
"That's Changbin he is just an underground rapper Chan likes to promote with they call themselves 3racha," he explained.
You watched Chan on stage it was like he was a natural. His smile lit the stage his outfit clean making him look fashionable and handsome. That messy hair was darkening.
Your heart speeds up as you watched his performance him bouncing on stage, the way he hyped up the crowd and his fellow rappers.
Chan never really talked about the performing aspect of this. You were transfixed on the performance the lyrics, his movements it was all amazing. Then cheers filled your ears Chan had a small layer of sweat on his forehead "thank you for coming everyone we have so many new acts tonight please keep a lookout for them," he yelled in the mic.
"They were amazing," you said excitedly.
"Yeah, I love watching them perform," Felix agreed. "It doesn't happen often but when it does it's always great," he praised his friends.
Soon after Chan came back to the table with Jisung and Changbin behind him. A layer of sweat on all of them. "Guys I want you to meet Y/n," he said. "My girlfriend," he said glancing at you for a second.
Your eyes widen at the work girlfriend but decided to act cool "um Hi guys I love your music Chan's showed me some samples," you said.
"Ah thank you so much welcome to our little circle Chan's been meaning to introduce us to you," Jisung said giving a wide smile.
"Has he well my boyfriend is so mean not introducing me to his friends sooner," you side-eyed Chan. You felt Chan wrap his arm around your waist.
"Well we should all get together for some food soon," Felix added.
"That would be great," Chan said slipping his arm around your waist. "Sorry to be rude me and Y/n have to dip," Chan said. Giving his friends a few fist bumps he pulled you out the dark club soon after.
The cool night hit you giving you some much-needed space to breathe. "So Chan girlfriend," you quirked an eyebrow stepping away from his. Your insides turned at the word.
"I'm sorry that just slipped out," he spoke quickly apologizing, a red from the tips of his ears to his cheeks maybe from performing but it made him look different. Vulnerable to you like a confession. "I meant it I'll admit it," he added.
There was a pause as you looked at him and he looked at you. Before you knew it your lips were on his. His plush lips felt so good your heart beating rapidly at his confession and you think you got your answer across. He wrapped his arms around your waist pressing deeply into the kiss.
Pulling apart you gazed up at him he had a handsome smirk on his face. "your place," you bite your lip.
He hummed "I gotta hear it one time," he raised an eyebrow.
"Can my handsome boyfriend take me to his place," you admitted your arms thrown around his neck.
Grabbing his keys he and you hurried to his car. You praised his performance as you rode to his place. His hand now firmly placed entwined in your hand.
Stumbling into his condo you and his lips were attached to one another. Closing the door behind him you giggled as his hand slide through your once neatly curled hair now messy from the night.
Grabbing your hand you lead him to his bedroom it had deep blacks and grey al round. Your lips met in a messy haze of lust.
"Fuck you do things to me," Chan whispered pulling his lips away from you. His fluffy hair was now matted to his forehead attractively from his performance those brown eyes of his blazing with want.  
Sitting on his bed eyeing you from the high ground. "Look what you've done," he chuckled out touching himself. Your fingers itched to unzip him and help him.
"Can I," you asked reaching for his zipper.
"Ask properly," he leaned his hands behind him his hooded eyes stared you down.
"Please daddy," you whined out  On your knees, you unbuttoned his pants revealing Calvin Klein's you loved so much. When you got a peek of those they really set you off.
Slowly touching the hard outline you licked your lips in concentration as you teased him from the base circling around the tip feeling he was wet.
"Fucking hell Y/n," his hips involuntary jerked up to your touch. Your fingers raised under his black tee feeling his solid abs under your fingers tips.
"I love your body," you hummed feeling his stomach circling little shapes right above his waistline.
"Yeah," he stared down at you with hunger loving the praise that you gave him. Something you learned early about Chan is praise could get you a long way. Your nails dragged down his abs loving the feeling of them under your fingertips.
Pulling him out you admired his length. You gave his slick head a small kiss as you gently bobbed.
Chan lifted his hips letting you slip more into his mouth. "Fuck," he moaned as he started to hit the back of your throat.
"Relax your throat Y/n," he said gently brushing your hair. Chan gently rolled his hips deeper in as you relaxed your throat. You lightly choked on it pulling off quickly. You blushed realizing even with the training you couldn't take him very far.
"Sorry," you flushed embarrassed you couldn't even deep throat him.
Pulling you onto the bed Chan's eyes were gentle and lustful. He lightly patted your head lovely "you got better," he hummed. Grabbing your wrist he gently took it placing gentle kisses across your wrist. He stared at you with a smoldering look of want.
Leaning down his mouth attacked your neck you felt so close to him you could hear his heart race just like yours. His dick hard against your thigh so close to your entrance.
"Chan I need you," you moaned in his ear as he left wet kisses across his neck.
Pushing your dress up his fingers went to your panties taking them off "where do you need me," he groaned. His finger went across your slit petting you lightly.
"Right there," you moaned body heating up from the petting. He pulled your hips so close to him "please chan," you hummed desperate him to fill you.
He gave a cheeky smile "no need to beg," his Australian accent deep and thick. He grabbed your leg hiking you up. Hooking your leg around his hip as he entered you. The feeling of him stretching you making you wince as you took him between your folds.
"Ah fuck," he cursed out his face twisting into pleasure. His nose scrunched up in pleasure as his hips rocked into you.
Pushing your head into the pillow you let out mews of pleasure as he gave gentle thrust. The closeness of him in you made your head twirl. "Harder," you panted feeling him almost hitting that sweet spot.  
You felt his hips pace start to pick up as he went deeper. "Ah," you moaned out feeling the tingle of an oncoming orgasm come. You pushed the feeling down trying to savor the feeling of the pleasure.
Looking up at Chan his mouth slightly slacked as he focused on his thrusts fuck he was handsome you thought. A vulnerable look of want and pleasure twisted on his face.
He looked down at you a small smile lit on his lips "you look hot on your back for me." His words made your stomach twist with want and love.
"May I," he hummed his fingers wrapping around your neck. Your stomach tingled with want something about choking made you excited.
"Please," you begged.
Wrapping his hand on the side of your throat made you lick your lip making your head dizzy. Honestly, you didn't know you had a choking kink until Chan introduced you to it.
"Thank you, daddy," you hummed loving the way he pressed lightly on your throat his thumb gently tracing your windpipe. His thrust hit hard as he tightens his hold restricting your breathing.  
"Your welcome baby," he said thrusting into you deeper. Lifting into him you enjoyed the way his body pressed into you.
"I'm close," you moaned out feeling him hit that spot over and over making your eyes roll back.
"Hold your breath baby," he said tightening his hold. His pace got faster as he chased his own orgasm small groans left his lips lovely. "Fuck," he moaned "You feel so good," you moan feeling the sudden warmth of his cum spurt out. The warmth of it pushed you over the edge.
Clutching your leg behind his back black and white spots filled your vision. Chan let out sensual groans as he came down from his high. His hand released your neck as he went to pet your hair. 
Shifting your leg you felt him pull out of you. You bite your lip smiling at the feeling of him pulling you close. 
“Fuck,” he moaned taking off his shirt laying on the silk sheets. You turned to him a grin on his face. 
Wrapping his arm around your midsection he curled up to you. “Chan you smell like sweat,” you whined at the smell. 
“You know you love it,” he grinned as you pushed your face into his curly hair. 
“Mmmhh,” you hummed feeling him pet your head as his fingers up and down your body. 
784 notes · View notes
eddieismypimp · 4 years ago
Text
Tough times Oscar X Reader
@spoonful-of-sugar8 @chonisberonica here you go babies :) sorry it took me so long, I wanted it to be good. I still feel like it's bad but I didn't wanna make you guys wait any longer.
request: you and spooky have been bestfriends since high school. you have always been there for the core four and basically helped Oscar raise Cesar. Cesar sees you as a mother figure and eventually you and Oscar get together.  A/N: just a real quick thing, this story won't really be the same as the show it won't be totally different either, and in this Oscar has just turned 18, the reader is 17, and Cesar is 7. ALSO, I'm a black woman so the "reader" (you guys) will always be a black woman. but, if you want any other race or gender or anything please let me know because I don't want anyone to feel left out.<3
warnings: cussing, a little bit of arguing, and i tried not to put so many time skips like my other stories but there's still a lot so its kind of messed up in my eyes.                           
                                                         Y/N POV
"Ugggggggh." I groaned out loud hearing my phone alarm go off. I fucking hate that sound with a passion. I looked at the time. 6:30 a.m. "Uuuuugh, fuuuuck meeee." I exclaimed as I quite literally rolled out of bed. School starts at 8 but I take about 30 years to get ready. I laid my outfit which consisted of sweatpants and a t-shirt. I real life dress bummy as fuck. Don't get me wrong, I clean up nice, but like... I don't got no one to impress. I took a quick shower and did my hair before I got dressed. It was almost 7:40 so I grabbed my phone and my backpack and headed out to my car. My car wasn't nothing fancy considering I was ACTUALLY POOR, just a grey Subaru. but it was absolutely everything to me. I hooked up to my aux and started driving.                                                  
                                                    -time skip-
7:55. Made it to school with 5 minutes to spare so I went to my locker to grab the books for my first class, math. I'm not the smartest but I love math. The teacher was nice and working with numbers was lowkey easier for me. I walked in and saw my best friend. Oscar. Damn he's fine with his full head of curls and sexy ass smile. I thought to myself. Okay bitch, you need to pull yourself together, don't be acting no type of way. I took the seat next to him. "Hey boo." I said smiling at him. "Hey." He said back with a smile. We conversed for a while until the teacher walked in and started the class.
                                    -time skip to the end of the school day-
"Finally bro, this day lasted forever." I said as me and Oscar walked to my car. "You need a ride?" I asked him. "Yeah, if it's not to much to ask." He said. He's been quiet all day. "Of course it's not to much to ask you crackhead." I said laughing a little. We got in my car. "What’s wrong Oscar?" I asked. " You been quiet all day." He just shrugged. "Come on, Oscar." I pleaded. "You can tell me anything, you know that." We sat there for a minute in complete silence. "It's my dad..." He started. I immediately grew worried because I knew that Oscar and his dad didn't have the best relationship. I didn't say anything and waited until he continued. "He wants me to take over the santos ." He said quietly. "Oh fuck.." I said under my breath. This is not good. "Well... is there anything we can do?" I asked full of concern. He shook his head. I got teary eyed. I do NOT want Oscar in this life. He has so much potential. "Oscar, he cant expect this from you... you're only 17. Isn't there anyone else that can take his place? Why does it have to be you?" I said. "Who's gonna take care of you and Cesar?" "There's no one else Y/N! It can only be me don't you see that?!" He yelled. I jumped at his sudden outburst, he NEVER yells. "Cesar and I have no one but the santos so I have to do this!" He said a little quieter this time but his voice was still loud. "Oscar, let me help you. " I said quietly. "You can't Y/N, there's nothing you can do..." He said. I knew he was right but I wasn't about to let him go through this shit alone. "At least let me be there for you and Cesar... please." I begged him. He sat there for a second before he finally gave in and nodded. I sighed. I gave his hand a light squeeze before I started my car and began the journey to his house. We arrived at his house and he was about to get out of the car when I stopped him. "Do you want me to come in?" I asked. He shook his head. "I think it's best if you go home right now." He said. That hurt... "Oh. Okay... call me if you need me." I said. I hope he didn't hear the sadness in my voice. I waited until he walked inside before I drove off.                        
                                                    -time skip-
It was currently 9 p.m. and I haven't heard from Oscar all day. I was worried. I got my pajamas on and layed down, turning on netflix. I was about an hour into clueless when I saw my bedroom door open. The fuck? My parents are on a business trip. I got up quick as shit ready to fight whoever it was when I saw Oscar limping into my room. I forgot he had a house key. I couldn't see his face because he had a hood on and he was bent over in what seemed to be pain, but I knew it was him. "Oscar..." "Are you okay?" I asked. He limped over to my bed and threw himself down with a groan. I finally got a glimpse of his face and gasped. It was bloody and bruised. "Oscar.. what the fuck happened boo?" I asked worried, sitting down next to him. He was breathing heavy. He took his hood off and I nearly cried. His beautiful curls... they were gone. "Oscar...please." "Tell me what happened." I pleaded. "I... I got jumped in.." He said between pants as he took off his hoodie and I saw all of the bruises. That's when the water works started. I hugged him as I cried. This is it.. it's official now. He's part of the santos.                      
                                                -the next morning-
I don't know when I fell asleep but when I woke up, Oscar was no where to be found. I teared up again thinking about the events that occurred last night. My poor baby... I didn't want to go to school today but at least it was Friday. I threw on some leggings and a hoodie. I brushed my hair into a bun and grabbed my stuff. I arrived at school at 7:50 and just headed straight to class. I didn't see Oscar anywhere. This is gonna be a long day.                                           
                                                   -time skip- 
It was lunchtime and this day could not have been going by slower. I couldn't concentrate on anything. I finally decided I couldn't take it anymore and walked out of the cafeteria to go to my car. I drove to Oscars house. When I got there, I saw a few santos sitting in his front lawn. I recognized them. They were cool people. "Hey, any of y 'all seen Oscar?" I asked walking up to them. Alejandro answered. "Yeah, he's inside with Cesar." "Thank you." I thanked him and walked inside the house. I didn't need to knock since I've known Oscar for like, 4 years now. I heard Oscar and Cesar in one of the back rooms so I followed their voices. I quietly peeked through the door to see Oscar and Cesar playing with hot wheels. The sight real life warmed my heart. Oscar is really good with kids. "BOOM, know your car is blowed up!" Cesar yelled.(I'm sorry, idfk how children talk) "Hey man, that's totally not fair!" Oscar whined. I giggled at how childish he sounded. At the sound of my giggle, Cesar and Oscar's gaze turned towards me in the doorway. He smiled and got up off the floor as Cesar ran towards me and hugged my abdomen. "Hi baby." I said ruffling his hair. "Y/N! I missed you!" Cesar said hugging me tighter. "I missed you too my darling." I said smiling and kissing the top of his head. Oscar walked up to us and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Why aren't you in school?" He asked. "I was worried about you...how are you feeling?" I asked him. "I'm alright, still sore though." He said. I just nodded sadly. "Why isn't Cesar in school?" I asked him as I looked at Cesar who went back to playing with his hot wheels like we didn't exist. "Our father got arrested this morning." He said, my eyes widened with worry. "So I told him he could stay home with me today." He said. "Awww." I said. "Oh come on, don't get all gushy on me." He said laughing. His laugh caused me to laugh too. "So.. would you and Cesar wanna go to the beach with me to get your mind off things?" I asked him. At the mention of going to the beach, Cesar jumped up from his spot on the floor. 'Yeah! I wanna go!" He jumped up and down in excitement. "I guess now you ain't got no choice." I said grinning at Oscar who huffed in fake annoyance. "Okay, okay. Fine." He said. "Go get ready." He told Cesar. "Yayy!" Cesar yelled as he ran to get ready. "Go get ready, I'll wait for you guys in the living room." I said to Oscar, standing on my tip toes to kiss his cheek. "Alright." He said. I sat in the living room for about 10 minutes until they finally came out. Cesar ran up to me hugging me again. This kid is so clingy and it's the cutest thing ever. "You guys ready to go?" I asked looking down at Cesar. "Yup!" He said cutely. I smiled at him. We all piled into my car and started off for the beach. Oscar and I was so deep into conversation that I didn't even realize we were already at the beach until I heard Cesar yelling. "Yay, the beach!" I laughed. We got out the car and Cesar started running towards the sand. "Aye! Stay close to us." Oscar yelled out to Cesar which made him stop dead in his tracks and wait for us to catch up. I smiled. He was such a good kid. We sat our towels down. Cesar kicked his flip flops off and dashed towards the water. "Don't go to far into the water Cesar." I called out to him. "Okay." He yelled back. When I turned back around, Oscar was sitting down on his towel. I took off my shorts and top so I was in my bathing suit. Oscar was watching Cesar. "You wanna get in the water with us boo?" I asked. He shook his head. "Nah, I don't want Cesar to see the bruises." I looked at him sadly. "Are you in pain right now? Do you need anything?" I asked him full of concern. He chuckled at me. "Nah boo, I'm okay at the moment." "Okay, let me know if you need anything." I said kissing his cheek and walking towards the water to swim with Cesar.                             
                                                   Oscars POV
She's to good to us... I don't know what I did to deserve her. If it wasn't for her, we would have literally nobody. I thought to myself. I just sat back and watched how well she got a long with Cesar. That kid really loves her.                          
                                                      Y/N POV 
After about an hour of me and Cesar acting complete fools in the water, and Oscar laughing at us. We got out and hung out with Oscar so he wouldn't feel left out. After a while of us running around chasing each other, we got hungry. "Do you guys wanna go to Dwayne's and get some food?" I asked them. "Yeah!" Cesar said. "Yeah, that sounds good." Oscar responded almost the same time as Cesar. We got back in my car and went to Dwayne's. We sat down, Cesar and I on one side of the booth and Oscar across from us. Dwayne came up to us to take our order.                       
                                                    -time skip-
"That was great." I said smiling at Oscar as he put Cesar in his bed. After we ate , lil baby passed out. "Yeah, today was amazing. We really needed that." He said pulling me into a hug. I smiled up at him. We just looked at each other for a while. Then he kissed me. It caught me off guard but I kissed back anyway. It was a quick kiss. It ended way sooner than I would have liked. "What was that for?" I asked him quietly. "Just... for being you I guess." He said shyly which I thought was the cutest because Oscar is anything but shy. I chuckled a little. I pulled back after realizing we were still so close. "Uh, I gotta go." I said. "Okay, I'll see you later I guess." He said. I walked away smiling. When I got in my car, I was still smiling. When I arrived home, I couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. Even though it probably meant nothing to Oscar, it meant everything to me. I decided to take a shower. After my shower, I instantly fell asleep, worn out from the beach. When I woke up, the sound of someone knocking on my door made me unwillingly get out of my bed. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and opened the door to see Oscar and Cesar standing there. "Y/nnnn!" Cesar said jumping into my arms. "Hi baby." I said kissing the side of his head and putting him back on his feet. "Hi." I said to Oscar giving him a kiss on the cheek and ushering them inside. I closed the door behind them. "What brings you guys over at 11 in the morning?" I asked goofily. Oscar chuckled. "I have to drop Cesar off over at Ruby's for a playdate with all the kids and I wanted to know if you wanted to spend the day with me. I tried to contain my smile but I couldn't help it. Maybe that kiss did mean something to him. "Yeah, I would love that." I said. "Just let me get ready okay?" "Alright, we'll be waiting for you." Oscar said leading Cesar into the living room and turning on some cartoons. I ran to my room and threw on a flowy white dress with different colored flowers on it and some white sandals. I put my hair in a high bun with two braids in the front. I grabbed my phone and my purse. "Okay guys, I'm ready whenever you are." I said walking into the living room to see them watching Tom and Jerry. They're cute. I thought to myself. Cesar stood up and ran over to me as Oscar stood up and turned the t.v. off. I grabbed Cesar's hand and we walked out to Oscar's sexy red car. We all got in the car. "Cesar, you buckled?" Oscar asked. "Yes." Cesar said with his cute little voice. Oscar nodded his head before starting the car and driving off. The next 10 minutes consisted of comfortable silence. We arrived at Ruby's house and Cesar had already unbuckled ready to dip out this car to go see his friends. "Hold on baby, you gotta wait until we park." I said to him giggling as he pouted. We all got out of the car and Cesar ran up to the door. Geny opened the door for us and we walked inside. "Bye Cesar." Oscar said kissing the top of Cesar's head. "Bye baby." I said giving Cesar a small hug. Cesar and Ruby joined Monse and Jamal in the play room. I smiled as I heard them giggling and just having fun. They're my favorites. "You ready to go?" Oscar asked me. "Yeah." I said smiling at him. "Where are we going?" I asked him as we got in his car. "I got some drop offs, then imma take you to dinner." He said nonchalantly. "Mr. Diaz, is this a date?" I asked jokingly. "I mean, it could be." He said shrugging his shoulders. I was shocked for a second but played it off as if it was nothing. "I just wanted to thank you for being there for Cesar and I. We had a really good time yesterday." "No problem Osc." I said smiling at him. We arrived at his first drop off. Not gonna lie, it was kind of scary being with him when he did this but I was to giddy about our "date" to be sketched out. After a few more stops, we we were on our way to dinner. "Are you gonna tell me where we're going?" I asked him for the hundredth time. "Girl no, its a surprise." He said. "Uuuuuugh" I groaned. He laughed at me. I giggled as we pulled up to Dwayne's. "What you laughin at me for fool?" He asked looking hurt. "Sorry I didn't take you to a five star restaurant." "I'm not laughing at you fool, I think you're cute." I said pushing him slightly. "And I don't care that its not a fancy restaurant, I love Dwayne's." I said. He smiled at me and got out the car. I followed his lead and got out as well. "The fuck is wrong with you fool?" He asked me. I looked at him mad confused. "A man is supposed to open the door for a lady." He said seriously. "Oh shit, that's my bad. You want me to get back in the car?" I asked jokingly. "Yes, I do." We laughed and walked into Dwayne's. We sat down at a booth and were immediately greeted by Dwayne himself. "Hey guys, can I start you off with some drinks?" He asked. "Ladies first." Oscar said looking at me. "I'll take a sprite please." "I'll take a coke." "Alright, do you guys already know what you're going to order or do you need more time?" He asked us. "I already know what I want." I said. "I'll take the barbeque chicken please." I said smiling at him. "Okay, how about you Oscar?" He asked. "I'll just take a burger with a side of fries." He said. "You're so basic." I said laughing. Dwayne laughed too. "So y 'all gangin up on me now?" Oscar asked. I laughed again. "Nah, I'm just playin." He said laughing too. We talked for about 30 minutes until Dwayne brought our food out. "About time, fool." Oscar said. "Hey, watch it. I can take this food and give it to someone else." Dwayne said jokingly. Oscar put his hands up in surrender as I laughed. (I laugh WAY to much in real life, like my sense of humor is actually fucked so I'm sorry if I'm putting to much laughter in this lmao) Everything was going amazing, the food was good and spending time with Oscar was very much needed. It was great to see him laughing. One second we was laughing, the next, Oscars eyes went cold as he stared at the door of Dwayne's. I turned around in confusion to see what he was looking at. My heart dropped. There was two officers walking towards Oscar and I. I turned back to Oscar and grabbed his hands. "It's gonna be okay boo. They probably just wanna talk." I said in a quiet voice trying to comfort him. They walked up to the table. I gulped trying to hide my fear. "Are you Oscar Diaz?" One of the officers asked. "Yeah." Oscar said nonchalantly. The officer pulled out his cuffs. "You're under arrest for illegal drug trafficking." I gasped. I started crying as they put the cuffs on him and read him his Miranda rights. "Hey, hey, look at me." Oscar said. "It's gonna be alright. Tell Cesar I love him." I shook my head in shock. "Please, he didn't do anything." I begged. They didn't listen. They kept dragging him out like he was a dog. I was full on having a panic attack now as Dwayne hugged me. I stood there in disbelief for a few minutes before I came to my senses. I had to go get Cesar. As much as I wanted to go home and never leave my house again, I couldn't leave Cesar alone. Oscar keys must have fell out of his pocket because they were on the seat. I picked them up and ran out to the car. There was so many emotions running through me right now. I had to calm down before I got Cesar, I didn't want him to see me upset. Fuck... how was I gonna tell Cesar...                       
                                                  -time skip-
I pulled up in front of Geny's. I got out and took a deep breath before I knocked on her door. She opened and her face fell. "What happened mija?" She asked with worry. I teared up again. She took me in her arms and lead me into the house. Luckily all the kids were in the play room. "Oscar.. he got arrested." I said trying not to full on cry in Geny's house. She gasped and pulled me into a hug. I let go and wiped my eyes after I regrouped. "Can you get Cesar for me please?" I asked her. "Of course." She said walking towards the playroom. I took the extra time to make myself look as happy as possible. Cesar ran to me and hugged my torso. "Hey boo, how was your day?" I asked him. "It was awesome!" He said happily. I smiled at him. "Where's Oscar?" He asked innocently. I almost broke down but I held it together. "Um, he had some stuff he had to do so he let me borrow the car." I said trying to sound as convincing as possible. I don't think he bought it but he still went along with it anyway. "Oh okay.." "You ready to go?" I asked as I rubbed his head. "Yeah." He said smiling at me. We walked out to the car. "Can I sit in the front pleaseeee?" He asked. "Just one time, Oscar doesn't have to know." He said sweetly. "Okay, but only this one time." I said smiling as he cheered. We got in the car and drove to my house. "how would you like it if I stayed with you for a few nights?" I asked Cesar. "Yeah!" He yelled. I laughed. "Okay." I parked and we walked into my house. "Here boo." I said handing him the remote. Watch whatever you want while I go pack some clothes." "Okay" He said sitting on the couch and turning the t.v. on. I walked in my room and shut the door behind me. I was really trying not to cry right now, I didn't want Cesar to worry. I grabbed my duffle bag and put as many clothes as I could fit, my personal hygiene stuff and basically anything that I would need to live. After I gathered up all of my stuff, I walked around the house and made sure the lights and stuff were off since I wasn't gonna be here for a while. I walked into the living room after making sure everything was turned off and everything. "You ready to go baby?" I asked him. "Yes." He said getting up and turning the t.v. off. We got in my car and drove to the santos house. "What you want for dinner boo?" I asked him. "Uhh.... chicken!" He said. "Okay boo, go play and i'll start dinner." I said kissing his head. About an hour and a half later, dinner was done. I made baked barbeque chicken, fried potatoes, green beans with bacon and baked mac and cheese. I made our plates and called for Cesar. Immediately after I said grace, little man dug in. He was done in about 15 minutes. "Damn boo, was you hungry?" I said laughing a little. He just giggled and went into the living room. I smiled to myself. I love that kid. I finished eating and did the dishes. I decided I had to tell Cesar. It was now or never. I walked in the living room where Cesar was laying on the couch, watching amazing world of gumball. He looked at me and smiled as I sat next to him. I smiled back, but it was a sad smile. "What's wrong y/n?" He asked full of concern. He was pretty smart for a seven year old and he could pick up on peoples emotions really easily. " Cesar... there's something I have to tell you." I said turning my body on the couch to face him. "What is it?" He said sitting up. I didn't know how to sugar coat it so I just told him straight up. "Oscar got arrested today.." I said looking down at my hands. It was silent for a while until I heard sniffling. Cesar was crying. "Come here baby." I said pulling him into a hug. "It's gonna be okay boo, I'm gonna be right here with you. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." I said kissing the top of his head and rubbing his back in a soothing way.                       
                                                 8 Years Later
Today is the day Oscar gets out. It's been eight years. The night I told Cesar, he took it pretty badly. But after a while, he got used to it being just me. We did pretty well too, for me only being 18 taking care of a 7 year old. I got us an apartment after I found it way to painful to stay in the santo house without Oscar. We grew closer and he was for real like my son now. I looked over at Cesar. "You excited boo?" I asked him. "Yeah, just a little nervous though." He said. "It'll be okay baby." I said kissing the top of his head.  After another few minutes of waiting, I started getting anxious. Finally, the gates opened and I saw Oscar. He looked so different. I mean, of course Cesar and I visited him but... there was something different about him. He had a few new tattoos also. He ran up to us and scooped Cesar up in his arms. He got hella buff. "I missed you hermano." He said. "I missed you too." He put Cesar down and turned to look at me. I gave him a soft smile. "Hey boo." He said goofily, picking me up and kissing my cheek. "I missed you so much." I whispered. "I missed you too." He put me down. "Okay, lets get you home, I bet you're hungry." I said handing him the keys and walking to the car. We stopped at a taco truck before making our way back to Freeridge. After an hour and a half of driving, we finally made it back to the santos house. There was hella santos in the front lawn waiting for us to get home with Oscar. "God it's good to be home." Oscar said as he parked the car. He got out and was swarmed with hella santos. Cesar and I got out the car. I stood back and watched as Oscar chatted up with Cesar and the santos. I didn't know all of their names but I got close with a few of them during these 8 years. Especially Jose, whos better known as sad eyes around here. Speaking of the devil, he walked up to me. "Why ain't you over there with the others?" I asked him. "I figured I would wait until everyone wasn't crowdin him. We got all the time in the world now." He said. "True, true." I said. We stood in silence for a while. "Hey, I just wanted to say that just because Oscar is back, doesn't mean I'm gonna act some type a way around you. It's gonna be just like how it was when he was locked up, I don't got nothin to hide." He said. I smiled at him. "Okay, that's good because I didn't want you to treat me different." He chuckled. We stood there and talked for a while. I didn't even notice that the santos had left and Oscar was walking up to me and Jose. "Hey compa, how was it in the pin?" Jose asked as he dapped Oscar up. They both laughed. Oscar wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek. Him and Jose chatted up for a while, catching up with me joining in occasionally. At some point in their conversation, Oscar had moved his arm off of my shoulders. "Alright homie, imma head out and let you get some rest." Jose said dapping Oscar up once again. He turned and kissed my cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow." He said. " Bye." I said smiling and giving him a small wave.                                                 Oscars POV
The fuck kinda shit was that. Why my boy kissin on my girl like that. He knows she's my wifey.                                                   Y/N POV
"You ready to head inside?" I asked looking at Oscar. "Yeah." He said wrapping his arm around my shoulder, leading me inside. I yawned. "i should really be heading home." I said. "Oh come on, it's my first day back, why don't you spend the night" He asked. I thought about it for a second. "Alright, I'll stay, but only for tonight." I said. Oscar smiled at me. Cesar was in the living room watching t.v. He smiled when he saw us walk in and got up to hug his brother. They both sat on the couch as I made my way into Oscar's room where I still had some clothes. I decided on some Nike shorts and a plain grey shirt. I hopped in the shower. About 45 minutes later, I got out. I moisturized, brushed my hair and got dressed. When I walked in the living room, they were both asleep and Cesar had his head on Oscar. It was the cutest thing ever. I took a picture right quick and went to get them a blanket and pillows. Oscar was awake when I got back. "You take for fucking ever in the shower." He said tiredly, rubbing his eyes I chuckled. "My bad." I said. I lifted Cesar's head gently and put the pillow down, then I covered him up. "You can crash with me if you want." Oscar said walking towards his room. I followed behind him. We layed down facing each other. For a few minutes, it was quiet until Oscar spoke up. "Y/n.. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you. I love you so much." I was at a loss for words. This is one of the very very few times I've seen Oscar this vulnerable. "I love you too Osc.." I said. He leaned in and kissed me. That kiss soon turned into a full on make out session and that turned to something else.                       
                                                  -3 weeks later-
It's been 3 weeks since Oscar got out of prison, 3 weeks since we shared that intimate moment. I've been staying at my apartment since that night and I've only hung around a few times. Cesar and the rest of the kids was at my apartment everyday for the first two weeks but stopped coming after that. I was confused as to why but I didn't question it. I didn't wanna hang out with everyone even though I missed Oscar so much. He's been pretending that night didn't happen and I don't want him to feel like I'm trying to force things. He started being more involved in the gang shit after a week of being out. I thought going to prison would put some sense in him and I'm very disappointed to find out that it in fact did not. I decided I was going to talk to him about everything that's been on my mind after work today... I hope things go well.                           
                                                     -time skip-
It was finally 9:30. The end of my shift. I gathered my things before walking and locking the building doors. I decided I was gonna go straight to the santo house to talk to Oscar instead of going home first. When I got there, there was only a few santos sitting outside, including Oscar and Jose. I got out of my car and walked up. "Hey guys." I said as Jose stood up and kissed my cheek. Oscar glared at him. "Can I talk to you for a second Oscar?" I asked. "Yeah." He said a little to quickly, getting up and walking to the house. I followed behind him. He spoke up when we got inside. "What kind of shit was that?" He asked. "What the hell are you talking about?" I asked in utter confusion. "Why was sad eyes all up on you like that?" He asked calmly. I'm glad he wasn't like those dudes that be yelling and shit, that shit ain't attractive. "It ain't even like that." I said. "Oh, okay. It ain't like that but he's kissin on you?" He said, not believing a word I said. "Oscar... chill out. It for real ain't like that. We just got close when you were locked up. He's like family." I said calmly. "Alright.. I'm sorry." He said. "It's okay.. but you have me confused." "How's that?" He asked. "One minute you act like you don't care about me and like that night meant nothing, and the next you're getting mad cause someone else kissed my cheek... like I just don't understand you." I said. He sighed. "Y/n... it's complicated right now." "How is it complicated Osc, just tell me how you feel." I said softly. "Please." "I love you.. and you know I do. I just... don't want anything bad to happen to you." He said looking down at his hands. I started laughing. "Hey, this shit isn't funny." He said sounding a little hurt. "It's not that Oscar, I just think you're cute." I said as I walked up to him and squished his cheeks, kissing his puffed up lips. He smiled at me. "So are we official or nah?" I asked him. "We are if you wanna be." He said. I smiled and kissed him again. " I'll take that as a yes." He said when I pulled away, causing me to life. He smiled and pulled me into a hug. "Where's Cesar?" I asked. "I want to tell him the good news." Oscar stayed silent. I didn't like that at all. Usually when he's silent that means something is wrong. "Oscar.. what's going on?" I asked. "You don't need to worry about it y/n." He said, all emotion wiped clean from his voice. "Don't need to worry about it?" I repeated incredulously. "Cesar is like my son, where the fuck is he?" I asked getting a little upset. I didn't get to upset and I didn't raise my voice because I didn't wanna ruin the cute moment we just had. "Oscar please tell me." I said growing more worried. "I don't know where he is.." He said finally. "What?..." I asked. "How do you not know where he is?" I asked. "I.. I had to kick him out." He said. "You had to do what?" I asked very upset. "Why would you do that Oscar, he's 15 years old, and you just got out of prison. All he wanted to do was spend time with you." I was starting to get teary eyed. I really did not want to cry right now. "Y/n I know but he disrespected the gang. When I had him jumped in.." I cut him off. "Hold the fucking phone.. you had my baby jumped in and you didn't talk to me about it first?! I told you I didn't want him in that life no matter what and you agreed." I said not being able to believe what I was hearing. "Y/n.. you have no say in this. I'm sorry but you don't..." He said. "I really can't believe this right now, we were having such a cute moment..." I was very upset right now. "Y/n, I'm sorry. I'm gonna make this right I promise." He said standing up and grabbing my hands. "I really hope so Oscar..." I said pulling my hands away from his. "I gotta go." I said walking out of the front door, Oscar followed behind me but didn't try to stop me. "Aye, where you going?" Jose asked standing in front of me, pulling me in a hug. "I gotta go find Cesar." I said pulling away from the hug. He looked at Oscar shocked. I got in my car and made my way to Monse's, she had to know where he was. I was very upset that he didn't immediately come to me but I decided to push that thought to the back of my mind and focus on making sure my baby was safe. I got to Monse's and jogged to the front door, knocking a little to loudly. She opened it after a few seconds. "Y/n.. what are you doing here?" She asked. "Have you seen Cesar?" I asked worried. I was praying she had seen him. "Uh, yeah. He's here." She said. Oh thank God. "You can come in if you'd like." "Thank you so much." I said walking in as she closed the door behind me. I walked to her bedroom and saw Cesar laying on her bed. He immediately sat up when he realized it was me. I walked up to him and hugged him. "I'm so glad you're alright. Oscar told me what happened." I said kissing his head. "Where in your mind did you not think to come to my house, that's your house too and you know it is." I said lightly slapping his arm between each word. "Ow, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't want you to worry." He said. I frowned sadly. "I'm always gonna worry about you boo, no matter what. Same goes for Monse, Ruby, and Jamal. You guys are my babies." I said pulling them both into a hug this time. "Please, come stay with me. You can come too if you'd like Monse." I said in a soft voice. "Okay.. we'll come. Just let us gather up our things." Cesar said smiling at me. I smiled back. "Okay, I'll be waiting for you." I walked out of her bedroom and into the living room. About 5 minutes later, they walked out with their bags of clothes. "You guys ready?" I asked. "Yup" They both replied. We got in my car and drove to the apartment. When we got there, they invited the other two. I made us all dinner and we had a fun little movie night. I woke up the next morning to loud knocks on my front door. What the hell? I thought as I unwillingly got out of bed. When I walked in the living room, I saw Jamal and Ruby sprawled all over each other on the couch. I giggled. They're the cutest. I didn't see Monse and Cesar so I figured they were in Cesar's room. I opened the door to reveal Oscar. "Osc, what are you doing here?" I asked moving out of the way so he could walk in. "I need to talk to Cesar, I know he's here." He said looking into the living room seeing Ruby and Jamal sprawled on the couch. "Yeah, he's here, but he's sleeping right now." I said as he pushed past me walking down the hallway. He didn't know which room was Cesar's so he opened every door until he got the right one. As I suspected, Cesar and Monse were in Cesar's bed cuddling. "Aww." I said. They were so cute. Oscar gave me a side glance before walking towards the bed and shaking Cesar to wake him up. When Cesar opened his eyes, he jumped up in shock. "Oscar, what are you doing here?" He asked. "I need to talk to you." Oscar said motioning Cesar to follow him before walking out the door. Cesar put his shoes on and followed behind him. After about 20 minutes, Cesar came back in. "Hey, everything okay?" I asked him worried. "Yeah, Oscar has a plan to make everything right. We gotta go." He said kissing my cheek. "What's the plan Cesar?" I asked. "It's nothing to worry about y/n, everything's gonna be okay." He said trying to reassure me. "What if it ain't, what if something goes wrong?" I asked. "Y/n, it won't I promise. Just don't tell Monse and everyone where I went." He said.  "You guys please be careful." I said pleadingly. "We will y/n, I promise." He said before walking out the door. I had a sunken feeling in my stomach but I decided to push the feeling away and make breakfast for everyone, not wanting them to wake up and go hungry. I finished cooking and went to wake the boys up first, then Monse. When Monse woke up, she was really worried. "Where's Cesar?" She asked immediately. "Don't worry baby, he just ran to the corner store for me." I said, knowing I was lying but not wanting to worry her. "Oh, okay." She said a little more calmly. "Come on, I made breakfast." I said holding my hand out to her. She grabbed my hand and I lead her to the kitchen where the boys were already eating. After everyone got done eating, they went in the living room to chill. After about an hour, Cesar and Oscar walked into the apartment. "Oh thank God!" I said running up to them, kissing Cesar on the top of his head and wrapping my arms around Oscars neck giving him a kiss on the lips. Everyone looked shocked but I didn't care. "What is he doing here?" Monse asked incredulously. "Don't worry Mons, everything's fine now. We fixed it." Cesar said wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "What do you mean you fixed it?" Jamal asked. "How?" Ruby asked right after him. Oscar spoke up before Cesar could. "Don't worry about it, just know its taken care of." "That made the children stop questioning. "Are you guys hungry?" I asked them. "There's still some breakfast left." "I'm starving." Cesar said walking to the kitchen with Monse following him. "How bout you boo?" I asked Oscar. "Yeah I could eat." He said smiling.                       
                                                    -3 years later-
I was doing laundry, thinking about how far we've come. It's been three years. Monse went to a boarding school, Jazmine and ruby got together, Jamal joined the football team. We all still keep in touch even though Oscar, Cesar and I moved to the suburbs. Oscar got out the gang life and we got married. I got pregnant and everything has been going great for us. We couldn't be happier. Of course there's still times when Oscar forgets that he's safe now and he doesn't need to carry a gun everywhere but we're working on it. "Y/n, where you be at?" I heard Oscar yell. "In here babe." I yelled back. He walked in seeing me struggle to get the clothes out of the washer to transfer into the dryer. "Let me do that bebe, you don't need to be staining yourself when you're 8 months pregnant." He said taking the clothes out of my hand and putting them in the dryer. "Thank you baby." I said kissing his cheek. "Go sit down doll, I made dinner." "Aww, my sweet man." I said cooing at him. "Don't act like I don't make your lazy ass dinner all the time." He said. I laughed. "I know, I know." I said. He turned towards me and wrapped his arm around my waist. Pulling me into him, kissing me. After we ate dinner, we ended the night with me laying down with my head on his lap and him rubbing my pregnant belly. I really couldn't be happier.
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weshallc · 5 years ago
Text
Easter Bernie.
(A Crown Jewels/Call the Midwife AU/ Also on FF and A03)
Chapter Two: Good Friday
I completely forgot what happened in this chapter. I read this morning not a clue what was going to happen🙄, it’s only been a year. Thank you for reading or re-reading and all the kind comments.😘🤗
There is a green hill far away. Without a city wall (Alexander, Brennan, Cass, Horsley)
Bernie sat calmly next to the little less calm Tim, ready to turn the pages of the worn creased sheet music. Reverend Julia was in position in the pulpit, in full regalia today, befitting the occasion. In black with a striking red scarf Lucille Anderson stood composed in front of the choir, smiling reassuringly at those assembled nervously before her, also dressed in black and red. The vicar nodded at Bernie, the signal for the service to start. Bernie took one last glance down the crowded pews, full of the shuffling and mumbling. She sighed.
As if on cue, the recently closed, dark oak inner doors opened and a tall man in his late 40’s dressed smartly in a dark suit entered. He was accompanied by a striking blonde woman in her late twenties, dressed in a fitted sage suit. The odd couple tiptoed in trying to look inconspicuous and failing badly. Bernie’s shoulders dropped and she permitted herself a tight smile. She nudged the teen next to her and whispered, “He is here.” The boy rolled his eyes and pressed the pedals below his feet.
Paddy and Trixie had found a seat next to Matron Crane, “Cutting it fine you two.”
“Barrel of Bernie’s Bitter needed changing,” as if that was explanation enough. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Phyll?”
“Could say same about you Paddy, dare say I am here for the same reasons.” Paddy lifted an eyebrow, Phyllis continued, “Supporting my family, Councillor.”
Paddy smiled and rose to his feet, as Trixie placed half a stiff hymn book, she was wrestling with, in front of him.
He looked up to see Tim looking so grown-up and self-assured in this environment that had previously been so foreign to him. It was still reassuring to see Bernie by his side. The dark blonde in the simple navy blue dress looked up, she gave the swiftest wink that only the person it was meant for caught. Trixie shook slightly as Paddy flunked the first note at the sight of Bernie’s smile.
#There is a green hill far away without a city wall #
***
“So anyone fancy a pint?” Paddy grinned.
Tim had stayed behind to talk to Lucille. Phyllis had agreed to have a night cap with Reverend Julia. Bernie had caught up with Trixie, who was puffing on a stubby and Paddy, battling with something that smelt like parma violets. The pair lent against the cool church wall, they had been chatting easily about things they had observed throughout the evening service.
“Well I certainly do,” replied Trixie instantly, “but it will have to be a pint of diet lemonade,” she sighed wistfully.
Paddy wondered whether he should apologize for his lack of thought. But the fact was, he lived in and ran a pub, there was no getting around that. To try and insulate Trixie from that was nigh on impossible and as he looked at her in that moment, she did not seem in any need of protection or over sensitivity.
Bernie on the other hand did not look as carefree, “It’s Good Friday Paddy, we have just been to church.”
“I know, thought we could all do with a bit of unwinding.” Some more than others he thought.
“I didn’t think you would open at all today, in the circumstances.” Bernie shrugged but there was disapproval in her voice.
“Oh Bernie, the laws about closing on Good Friday changed years ago,” he tried to sound nonchalant, but she could hear a hint of guilt in his defence.
Bernie wasn’t letting him off that easily, “Yes, to allow freedom of choice, you could have chosen not to open.”
Paddy was looking nervous, Trixie amused.
“We did have fish on the specials board today,” Paddy was struggling.
Trixies amusement trickled into the night air.
“Cod Parmo does not make up for Violet, Valerie and Jack not being able to attend service on a Good Friday.”
“Violet could have gone if she wanted to, we had stopped serving by then. Jack and Val didn’t request any time off or early finishes today. If they had I would have accommodated them.” Paddy had no idea why she was trying to pick a fight, he had attended the Good Friday service, wasn't that enough?
Bernie snorted and marched ahead. Trixie had stopped laughing and wasn’t finding things as funny. She linked Paddy’s arm, partly because of the vexing cobbles and partly so she could lower her voice.
“It’s just the time of the year, Paddy,” she whispered.
“April?”
“No Easter, well Lent to be specific.”
“You are not serious,” Paddy asked incredulously.
“Well she is always a bit on the grizzly side, when she has to give up biscuits every year,” Trixie bit her lip
“Every year, this happens every year?” Paddy sounded flummoxed.
“I have never seen her this upset though, it might be more to do with...” Trixie stopped.
Paddy didn’t notice, he was too busy thinking, “You said had to, there is no had to about this, it is ridiculous.”
Bernie had reached her little cottage and was fiddling in her handbag for her front door key. Cursing Trixie for insisting she locked up. Paddy was beside her and took the key straight off her once she had retrieved it. He put his arm around her and guided her firmly to the nearby Crown. Outside Val and Jack were just getting into Val’s car. They waved enthusiastically before they drove off, Paddy was relieved to see them gone. He waved back and so did Trixie from about five feet behind, still not fully competent on the cobbles.
Inside Paddy lifted Bernie from the waist and sat her down on her favourite stool and told her to wait there. She huffed but did as she had been told.
Paddy then went to the inn door, where Trixie had just arrived and gave her Bernie’s key. He asked her if she wouldn’t mind giving the couple a few minutes. Trixie went to say something, but instead kissed Paddy on the cheek, squeezed his arm and left.
Bernie swung round on her stool and watched Paddy move behind the bar. He stood opposite her and from under the bar he placed a packet onto the counter. Bernie looked down at the packet of Pink Wafer biscuits in front of her. She gulped and sniffed.
Paddy pushed the carton towards her, “Have one.”
Bernie glared at him and wailed, “You know, I can’t, why are you being so mean.”
“Because I can’t bear seeing you so miserable, it’s not worth it Bernie.”
Bernie sniffed and was unable to stem the flow of tears tumbling from her eyes. “It’s not the biscuits, it’s not Lent’s fault.”
Paddy remained quiet, too afraid to ask what the problem was, a familiar feeling of foreboding was making its way through his body. He reached behind him and placed a tumbler glass under the premium gin optic, he added some ice left in the bucket and plopped in a black straw. He put it in front of the unhappy woman sat at the bar. He deftly removed the cap off a tonic water with the bar secured bottle opener and sat it next to the glass, for Bernie to add as she wished.
“Tell me.”
He handed Bernie a serviette from the holder and she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
“Trixie...” Bernie began, Paddy broke in,
“Oh no, what has she said, honestly she just doesn't think before she speaks...”
Bernie’s turn to interrupt, “It wasn’t Trixie...someone said something to her and she told me.”
“Who? Someone at church...or the Crown?” Paddy said incredulously.
“No,” Bernie continued slowly breathing each word, “The Mission.”
Paddy stopped for a moment, he hadn’t been expecting this, it was out of his territory. He wasn’t sure how to proceed, this was part of Bernie’s life that was a mystery to him, it was unknown.
“Go on,” he eventually added.
Bernie bit her lip and between sobs explained; Trixie had gone to the Mission office to tell them she had found full-time employment elsewhere and was leaving. Remarks had been made questioning; what was the attraction of this Poplar-on-Tweaven? The village that had taken two of their hardest workers and most passionate evangelists from them. Paddy did raise an eyebrow at that point, he wasn't sure if Trixie had introduced the two or Bernie was just being kind.
“So that was a compliment, that’s nothing to get upset about,” he said as cheery as he could watching Bernie obviously hurting. He was holding her hand is his, stroking her palm. Bernie shook her head. Paddy knew she saw the good in everyone, so this sense of doubt concerned him, he didn’t want to brush off her anxieties,
“Well there might be some sour grapes or even jealousy. You have both done well for yourselves. No one could dispute Trixie has fallen on her feet, being taken under Patsy’s wing. You have your own home now and two very desirable jobs,” he give a cheeky grin trying to comfort her.
Bernie gathered herself and blurted out, “They think I have turned my back on them and even worse, led Trixie astray too”
Paddy really had to hold in a snort. Bernie, on occasion could be shrouded in a mist of grumpiness, that never really had any substance or lasted any length like a fragile sea fret. But the idea of the devout Bernadette leading the worldly, streetwise Beatrix Franklin astray, was hard to comprehend.
“I am sure that’s not true, you know how dramatic Trixie is, it’s the way she told it.”
“They are disappointed in me, I have let them down,” Bernie was inconsolable, she just managed to sniff, ”They think I have betrayed them.”
Paddy didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know these people, he hardly knew Trixie. He did know Bernie and this was his worst nightmare coming into reality. His girlfriend’s obsession with service and doing the right thing, being in the right place was reasserting its hold. He thought, hoped, they had got passed this.
Inwardly he cursed Trixie for probably innocently telling Bernie about the horrible conversation. He would have to give her the benefit of the doubt, she adored Bernie and as far as he could tell approved of him. She had been thoughtless not destructive. He cursed the leaders, he had never met and hoped he never would. Again they could have meant no harm, Trixie could have misinterpreted their misplaced humour. They might be horrified to learn the distress they had caused their former golden girl.
Paddy let go of Bernie’s hand and walked round to her side of the bar and wrapped his arms around the sad looking soul perched on the bar stool. The publican held her close stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head while she sobbed into his best shirt.
****
As Good Friday turned into not so certain Saturday. Paddy sat on Peggy and Frank’s bench against the back wall of the Crown Inn. He watched the bulbous full moon form contrasting shadows across the Cleveland Hills. He puffed on his parma violet vaporizer and sneered at the mechanism and pushed it onto the table he was tapping his foot against, in an uneven rhythm.
He was focused on only one thing, how could he get Bernie Mannion to truly trust in him, Poplar and most of all herself? How could he stop her trying to always please others and be able to live a life that pleased her? He had considered, especially after the Noakes’ wedding, that a ring might allow her some sense of security, but Bernie wasn’t one for empty gestures. No, for them an engagement would mean plans and dates and he knew Bernie wasn't ready for that.
Paddy felt out of his depth, things had been so different with Marianne. In spite of their differences in life views, personalities and backgrounds, they had known pretty much straight away they would end up spending the rest of their lives together. As it turned out her life.
Bernie was completely different their relationship felt like a 3D game of snakes and ladders. He would climb the dizzy heights of Bernie’s love, one step at a time. Just to feel the snake of doubt, cynically hissing in his ear. He sipped on his Aberlour malt he had brought out with him, in need of something to take the sting out of the memory of Bernie’s tears, still ringing in his ears. But the teasing Speyside tang on his lips and the sweet, but spicy finish, only reminded him of her.
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allie1804-fan · 4 years ago
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New Beginnings (Chapter 11)
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New Beginnings Baby Drabble
New Beginnings Baby Drabble No2
Warnings:mentions of babyloss
For the remaining weeks of the pregnancy Emily and Keanu made a pact to check in every day on how they were each feeling. Their short-hand was to say whether they were at O (Optimistic) or SS (Scared Shitless) or maybe somewhere in between.  A day wasn’t to go by when they didn’t check in on their status.
Emily continued to work until her 36th week after which it became too much to sit in a writers’ room all day long.  She needed rest  for her brain and body. Keanu was still training but he’d cut down a little so he had more free time to spend with Emily as well as run her to appointments and oversee the decorating work to transform one of the guestrooms to a nursery.
 The day after the session with the counsellor he’d hired a van and collected the crib and other equipment from his mother’s house determined to stop thinking of everything he did as a potential jinx.
Midwife appointments were weekly from week 34 – that was a little more than the norm but they both needed that reassurance as the baby’s movements got less with time – quite a normal pattern but not easy to deal with in their situation.
At the childbirth classes, Keanu was visibly more relaxed as well which helped Emily feel she could join in with conversations rather then hover on the edges to protect him. At one session the leader asked the parents to share their fears. Emily could sense Keanu visibly tensing and she caught his eye, subtly shaking her head and he nodded his agreement knowing exactly what she meant.  Their main fear was the same and they had no desire to freak the hell out of everyone else there. They could just agree with someone else’s comments.
As they worked round the room, the leader asked Claire and Aiden, a couple Emily had liked from the beginning but not really talked to much, how they were feeling.
“well I really don’t want to bring everyone down”, Aiden said “but our biggest fear is that our baby dies, because our first was stillborn”
There was a sharp intake of breath from some and a sigh of relief from Keanu and Emily!
When it came to them, Keanu was able to say “We’re on the same page as Claire and Aiden and I think they’re really brave to share it in a room like this. I lost my daughter to stillbirth 21 years ago and we had an ectopic pregnancy last year, so yeah, that’s our biggest fear too. Rationally  I’m confident it won’t happen but that doesn’t entirely stop the fear”
He looked at Emily who was kind of thunder-stuck to hear him share so openly with a group of strangers. He was so private normally but she knew speaking its name was a big part of helping him conquer the fear. She squeezed his hand and whispered ‘I’m so proud of you’ in his ear.
When the  session was over, everyone stood chatting and Keanu went over to Claire and Aiden
“Listen, we were planning on grabbing a bite to eat after, do you fancy joining us? I know a place where they do  really good noodles”
Aiden burst out laughing.
“’Really good noodles’ like in the Matrix?” he asked making air quotes.
Keanu chuckled, only then realising what he’d just said.
“Oh yeah sure - you remember that line?”
“Man every time I have noodles I think of it -  am I too much of a Matrix nerd to have dinner with you two?”
“Nah,  no man, it’s cool  - and thanks”
Emily caught Claire’s eye and rolled her eyes skywards, smiling broadly at Aiden geeking out with Neo!
They headed over to the Jinya Ramen bar and had a good time getting to know each other a little better. Keanu repeated how brave he thought Aiden had been to speak up.
“I mean I was sitting there thinking “death man, death is my fear but that’s gonna fuckin freak them all out so I’ll just say some generic crap and then you were like ‘bam’
Aiden laughed.
“the things is, it really is my only worry and I thought, you know what, shit happens and people are scared of it so let’s just cut the crap and stop pretending!”
“Fair enough” Keanu agreed
“But you were brave too, being who you are, to just open up like that”
Keanu took a gulp of his beer
“Yes I don’t quite know what got into me, that was err, most unprecedented!”
They all burst out laughing then, recognising the Bill and Ted quote.
“Yes way” Aiden said clinking his beer to Keanu’s who grinned back thinking to himself “I like this guy”. Emily looked on, secretly thinking ‘bromance!’
By week 37, they were basically at the clock watching stage. Everything was ready and Emily spent most of her time reading,  watching TV or sleeping.  If Keanu was home when she took a nap, he’d join her and spend the time stroking the bump or leaning his head against it talking softly to the little one who’d usually make his or her presence known with a little shove of one if its limbs. Sometimes they’d kiss and pleasure each other though Emily was struggling to move easily so everything was tender and low key rather than intense. Neither of them really minded, their focus was all on meeting their child in just a few weeks.
Chloe had organised a Baby Shower, the hospital bag was packed and ready, the nursery was waiting stocked with nappies and neutral coloured baby-grows and a sort of birth plan was ready but they both knew they would have to go with the flow on that one.
“control what you can, like a playlist and speaker, your snacks, what t shirt you’ re going to wear and have an idea of your other intentions like pain relief and so on but just go with the flow  on the day” was Chloe’s wise advice.
Through weeks 38 and 39, Emily had lots of false alarms when the Braxton Hicks contractions felt like they were the real thing beginning but still nothing materialised. They were well into week 40 when things actually got started.
It was mid morning on a Wednesday and while Keanu had confirmed that the contractions were in fact regular and he’d let the hospital know, they wouldn’t have to go in until 1 minute long contractions had been coming every 5 minutes for at least an 1 hour.  For now it was every 10 minutes but varying in length and intensity. Emily chose the living room to either lie down or pace or sit on a birthing ball or hang onto Keanu’s broad shoulders to help breathe through the pain. At its worst, it felt like a really bad period pain or indigestion for now so mostly she could cope on her own and that’s kind of how she preferred it. She felt a bit like an animal, wanting to go into a quiet corner and have her baby out of sight of everyone!
By lunchtime, the pains were definitely getting more intense but still only coming every 8 minutes. Keanu made them a sandwich then at around 2 she got her maternity swimming costume on and spent an hour floating in the pool. The sensation was soothing  - they were hoping it would still be possible to use a birthing pool at the birthing centre but it wasn’t guaranteed. It would depend on her condition and if they were all in use by other mothers. Even Keanu’s money couldn’t guarantee a pool unless they had done it at home and neither of them had been of a mind to do that  - they wanted every medical expert right on hand.
As evening was falling,  the contractions actually seemed a little milder and were still only at 8 minute intervals so they ordered pizza take out. Later on Emily had a bath and to her annoyance, things were still no further on come bedtime so they settled in for the night wondering if she would sleep at all.
4am Thursday morning
Emily woke with a start as a strong contraction tightened her stomach and made her groan with pain. Keanu sat up straight away – he’d been sleeping but only very lightly at her side all night and so was quickly fully awake.
“was that a big one?”
Emily nodded but didn’t speak since she was managing the pain by slowly breathing through it, kneeling up slightly and grabbing onto the headboard of the bed.
She relaxed when it was over thinking there’d be a few minutes wait for the next one but it seemed to hit very quickly and she shot Keanu a nervous look.
Breathlessly she asked Keanu to get his phone to check the gap.
“Fuck that was just 4 minutes he said, wide eyed as the next one came “ we gotta go”
Fortunately, she hadn’t got into nightwear, so they just needed to slip on some shoes, grab the bag, get in the car and go.  Keanu was still a little freaked out that they had missed the 5 minute gap point but he knew in his rational mind that 4 minutes was what most advice said and they’d  simply gone with 5 minutes to be super cautious! And it was still early and pre rush hour so there wouldn’t be any traffic.
As they set off and Emily gripped onto the door handle as another contraction hit, she joked
“just don’t drive like John Wick or Jack Traven OK!”
“No mam” he grinned glad of her lightening the mood just a little.
The empty streets and soft grey light across the city helped to calm them both down and within half an hour they were pulling into the birthing centre car-park.
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New Beginnings Baby Drabble
New Beginnings Baby Drabble No2
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temporalwaveofmischief · 5 years ago
Text
Two pairs of feet were pounding against the gravel.
Tim opened both the driver and passenger side doors. After assisting Jay get into his seat, Tim got in and slammed the door, turned the ignition, and sped the hell out.
Tim's mind was in a million different places. His mind felt staticky. All his mind could think of was just getting the hell out.
He would never get used to its effects.
But, he managed to stand up to it right? He didnt even pass out. What changed? It could've been the adrenaline. From running into the tall grass field screaming Jay's name, to facing that asshole, it was possible.
'Okay.' Tim thought.
Next thing, where the hell were they going to sleep at? The car was the least ideal place for sleeping. And that thing and Alex were still out there. Motel it is.
Tim clutched the steering wheel until his knuckles were white.
The adrenaline was starting to wear off. They needed to find a motel soon.
Finally.
At Jay's side of the car there was a dingy motel. Tim pulled into the parking lot and parked the car near the entrance.
When Tim turned off the car, he checked on Jay. Jay was babbling incoherently. His eyes were unfocused, and his mouth was slack.
"Jay," Tim began, "I'm going to check us into here. Can you follow me to the front desk and wait?"
Jay said nothing.
Then, Jay looked around.
"Mmhmm."
Tim exited out of the car, and helped Jay out of his seat. Tim slung an arm around Jay's shoulders and approached the lobby.
A woman who appeared to be in her late 40s was manning the desk. She had a cigarette hanging out of her fingers.
The lobby itself reeked of smoke and bleach.
When Tim walked inside, the woman looked up.
"Hello. Whaddya want?"
Geez. So much for feeling at home. Well, it is a dingy hotel that looks as though it was a local hangout for druggies. So, quality was not going to be part of the equation.
"Ah, yes, we would like to book a room."
The woman goes to the cork board behind the desk and gets a key. She hands it to Tim.
"What's wrong with your friend?" She asked, her lazy, glazed eyes suddenly observing Jay.
"He's drunk. He is a light-weight." Tim said tiredly, waiting for this lady to leave them alone so that they can sleep.
The lady surveyed them. Then she gave out a huff and said, "Enjoy your stay."
Tim and Jay went to their room and sat down on the bed. Since money was running low, they only got one.
"How're doing Jay?"
Jay just stared up at him.
Sigh.
"I think both of us need a good night's sleep. We'll be better once we recharge."
Jay remained silent.
Tim gave up and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash up.
Tim set up the camera on its tripod, and shed his trousers. Tim crawled on the bed and got underneath the covers.
"Come on, Jay. Time for bed."
Jay didn't respond.
Jay needed his sleep, so Tim got up and carried Jay to the bed. He tucked him into the covers and made sure he was warm.
Then, Tim got in beside him and turned off the bedside table.
"Good night, Jay."
Tim wrapped his arms around Jay's waist.
Tim woke up to a screaming Jay that was thrashing and crying. Tim tried to restrain Jay and calm him down, he received a kick in the face in return.
Tim fell to the floor in a dazed shock.
After the pain subsided after a few seconds, Tim restrained Jay again. Tim petted his hair and whispered comforting words like, 'everything is going to be okay.'
Gradually, Jay settled down and slowly went back to sleep. Tim wrapped his arms around Jay's form even tighter and kissed his hair.
Morning arrived when slivers of sunlight filtered through the blinds and hit Tim in the eyes.
Tim slowly opened his eyes, glaring at the sun for not allowing him to sleep longer.
Tim glanced over at Jay's sleeping form. Tim smiled at just how blissful he looks. Being on the road and running from people (and entities) that want you dead can rob a man of blissful peace. Something that most take for granted. Only when it's gone do you realize how much you've really needed it.
Tim ruffled Jay's hair and slowly got out of bed.
"Hey."
Tim was startled out of his mind. He was so startled in fact, he fell to the floor.
"O-oh. Hey Jay."
"Is tha' my name?"
Tim froze.
No. He can't. He-he can't!
"Jay, do you remember anything?"
Jay shook his head.
Tim pulled back his hair and brushed through them with his fingers.
Tim remembered his breathing exercises and let out erratic breaths. Slowly, he calmed himself down.
"Your," Tim began, "Your Jay Merrick."
"J-jay." Jay replied.
"Merrick." Tim finished. Jay looked down, and slowly wrapped himself in a blanket cocoon.
"And you're in a motel with me."
Jay looked up.
"Who are you then?"
Tim's heart wrenched.
"I'm Tim. Tim Wright."
Jay looked down again, immersing more of his body into the cocoon.
"Tim. Tim. Tim." Jay repeated his name over and over.
Tim let out an awkward chuckle, "Yeah, that's me."
Jay went silent. His eyes now had a blank film over them.
Tim shook Jay.
Nothing.
Sigh. At least that's progress.
Tim retreated to the bathroom and got showered and dressed. Once he got out, he made sure to replace the tape in the camera.
Tim's mind reeled. What was he going to do?He pretty much had no income, they were on the run from people trying to kill them, and Jay was mentally checked out.
But, his train of thought was soon disrupted when his stomach let out a loud, unruly growl. Before he was going to answer these questions and assess their situation, he was going to eat.
Tim went over to the bed.
"I'm going to get breakfast, Jay. Stay where you're alright?"
Where would he go?
Jay didnt respond.
Tim sighed once again, and tucked Jay snuggly into the blankets on the bed.
Tim went outside of their room and locked their door.
--------------------------------------------------
Tim unlocked the locks and stepped inside their room.
The breakfast was not the most terrible thing in the world, surprisingly.
He had eggs (which was burnt in some of the corners), fluffy pancakes drizzled in cheap syrup, and orange juice. His time in the café area was calm. He thought out some plans and ideas while he ate.
The plans were this: wait until Jay recovers.
Jay is in no condition to travel. If Tim were to go searching for something, and anything were to happen to Tim, then Jay would be vulnerable. And who knows what would happen to him.
"Breakfast." Tim called out to Jay.
Jay just laid there in the bed, his eyes transfixed in a nondescript corner of the room.
"You need to eat."
Tim put the breakfast on the nightstand. It was a simple breakfast: a muffin with some eggs and apple juice.
Tim grabbed the plastic cutlery and sat Jay up in the bed. Tim began feeding Jay.
Once he was finished, Tim disposed of the trash in one of their trash bins.
"Get some rest, bluejay."
Tim got out Jay's laptop and opened it up. He went to their YouTube and Twitter pages.
Tim spent the past few days in this routine.
Wake up. Get dressed. Check on Jay, make sure he's taken care of. Check their channel. Decipher codes with their followers until it was well into the night. Go to bed. Start again.
Then, there was a video uploaded to the channel.
The hooded stalker was looking for something in an abandoned building. Tim's blood ran cold when he saw it was a gun.
Then, the figure was descending down a street. Then, it turned down to a particular house, Tim's.
It was searching through his home. The cabinets, the living room. But then, he discovered that someone else had been in his home. Alex.
Fucking. Fantastic.
This set Tim incredibly on edge for the past few days.
To the point where Tim just. Cried in the bathroom. He threw things. He kicked and screamed. Tired. Just so fucking tired of this bullshit.
Jay seemed to make no progress whatsoever. Everytime he had tried to get him to do something. But, Jay would either respond with silence with that near lifeless glaze over his eyes, or with screaming.
Tim was in an especially dark place during that time. Self harming was on his mind frequently. He was just so. Fucking. Tired.
He had been dealing with terrible shit happening ever since day one.
But, if he did go through with the final act, Jay would get left behind. And, a small, possibly foolishly optimistic part of his brain didnt want to remove a chance of a happy ending for both of them.
To combat these feelings, Tim would play his ukulele and write in his journal. Just, random things. From little nonsensical stories he had been making up, to plans of what to do after this shitfest ends. It was... cathartic for him.
Then, a small beacon of hope came.
Tim was out on his usual run to get snacks from the gas station. It wasnt fancy, but it should get him going.
Tim drove back to their motel room.
Tim almost had a heart attack.
Jay was wandering outside of their motel room. Tim immediately got out, with the groceries, and led Jay back inside of their room.
"Where have you been?"
Tim froze. Jay seemed to be better. More coherent.
"Gas station." Tim replied, "needed some food."
"Are you alright, Jay?"
"Yeah?"
"You were really out of it for the past two weeks."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You were either staring off into space, or you were screaming. You didn't even remember your own name or where you were."
Jay sat in a stunned silence, digesting this information.
"W-what happened, Tim?"
Tim summarized everything that had happened and what their current situation is.
"We need to go back." Tim said.
"No, we do not."
"Yes, we do. We're at a dead end here. Alex was there. He was there waiting for us."
"Thus, we shouldn't go back."
"We have no other leads, bluejay." Tim said softly, his voice breaking on the last word. Tim began crying. He didnt know why he was crying. It could have been all the built-up stress and dark thoughts he had for the past few weeks.
Tim put his head in his hands.
Tim felt two arms snake their way across his body. This was what he needed. He just needed to be in Jay's arms.
"Let's get something to eat, yeah? You mentioned getting food from the gas station." Jay brought up.
"Y-yeah." Tim responded shakily.
Jay went over and got the contents from the bag.
They ate in silence.
They cleaned up, and went to bed.
Tim curled up against Jay, and Jay followed suit.
"Night, Tim."
"Night Jay."
And outside of their walls, there are entities beyond human comprehension, people who are willing to kill them without a moment's hesitation,
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lizzieislife94x · 1 year ago
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Woman In Red Pt.2 (e.o)
LizziexFem Reader
Also guys i forgot to say PLEASE if anyone finds these one shots offensive please done report them please just move to the next story still crushed about the original being removed by wattpad. I don't need to put warnings on these because they're ALL 18+ all smut.
I wake up to the sound of my phone ringing in my ear groaning I answer with my eyes still close "hello" I instantly smile at the voice on the other end "I'm sorry did I wake you baby?" I open my eyes and sit up a little "yeah but I don't mind being woke up to the sound of your beautiful voice babe, what's up are you ok?"
Lizzie: yeah I'm OK y/n just missing you and so excited for our date tonight I can't wait to see you I can't wait for these interviews to be over I just wanna be cuddled up in your arms
Y/N: I can't wait either babe and don't worry you'll be in my arms tonight with lots of hugs and kisses I can't wait to take you out
Lizzie: ok ill see you later y/n can't wait
Y/N: bye beautiful see you in a few hours.
I end the call with a huge smile and jump out of bed to do my morning routine then head down to make some coffee and eggs about 30 minutes after I eat breakfast and make some phone calls to make sure everything's set up perfectly for tonight now time to decorate the bedroom just in case, I take the Rose pettles and candles heading upstairs and decorate the bedroom and smile to myself.
It's currently 7pm I've spent the day getting things sorted for tonight, I fix my black dress that hugs my body perfectly and quickly fix my hair biting my lip slightly yep y/n you look smoking hot, I giggle to myself and grab my car keys heading out and start to drive to lizzies it should take almost 40 minutes due to the awful traffic but my only thought is the gorgeous woman in red waiting for me, I grab my phone as I sit in the last bit of traffic and text lizzie
Me: hey baby almost out of the last bit of traffic I'll be there in 10 minutes can't wait to see you♡
Woman in red: Eeeeee I'm so excited I feel like I've not seen you in weeks, I know I seen you 3 nights ago for our walk but it feels like so long ago I'm pouty hurry and get here.
Me: I know babe but I'll be 10 minutes and take that pout off your face beautiful or ill need to kiss it away ;)
Woman in red: Thats my plan, so the pout stays
I just giggle and let out a content sigh god that woman will be the death of me its official I've fallen madly in love with her, before i know it I'm parking outside lizzies house, i close the door and walk up ringing the doorbell why do i feel nervous as the door open i go to say hi but I'm met with a pouty lizzie jumping into my arms hugging tight I let out a giggle "I missed you too babe" I start to leave kisses all over her face making her giggle and eventually gently kiss her pouty lips and she instantly kisses back I could kiss her forever "ok as much as I want to stay here kissing your amazing lips we have to go baby we have a reservation for dinner" she smiles and looks me up and down biting her lip and I do the same to her she's wearing a dress similar to mine but red and she's fucking stunning "god you really are my woman in red" she blushes gently pushing my shoulder "what do you mean your woman in red?" She asks softly, fuck "well when we first met when we bumped into each other you had this beautiful red pant suit on and even tho I knew your name every time I'd think about you I'd refer to you as the woman in red" I feel my face instantly heat up "y/n that's so fucking adorable by the way after we first met I couldn't keep my mind off you either and fate seemed to bring us together out of all the banks I unknowingly ended up in yours" she smiles and leans in to place a gentle peck on my lips and I hold her there mumbling against her lips "it sure did beautiful now let's go" we head to the car and I open her door for her and we drive to the fancy restaurant I booked.
We spent the night laughing flirting and occasionally giving each other kisses and I couldn't be more happy "one more stop before we go back to my house babe" I say as we leave the restaurant and head to the car "lead the way y/n wherever you go ill follow" I smile and intertwine our fingers as we walk to the car I open her door and she gives me the most adorable smile I drive us to the little milkshake shop she first took me to and the excitement on her face is priceless "ohhh my goshhh your so fucking cute y/n taking us to the place we kinda had our first date, this place will forever be special to me" I squeeze her hand gently as we walk into the shop "me too lizzie me too" we enjoyed our milkshakes and spend an hour enjoying eachothers company before we head back to my house on the drive home lizzie rests her hand a lil high on my thigh and I unknowingly squirm in my seat and she clearly noticed "what's wrong y/n you seem a little tense" she smirks and bites her lip sliding her hand higher "I um I I I'm not I'm fine" she giggles and looks at me with a smirk "that dress looks fucking sexy on you y/n but you know where it would even better?" She asks innocently I swallow the lump in my throat and shake my head at a loss of words and she leans over and whispers in my ear "on the bedroom floor" I let out a moan I didn't mean to and she licks her lips "I also want to hear lots of that" I feel the pool of wetness gather in my underwear, we need to get out this car now,
As soon as the front door of my house closes lizzie has me pressed against it kissing me like there's no tomorrow I let my hands travel her body and land on her ass and she let's out a moan god that sound is sexy I break the kiss and smile "come with me baby" I take her hand and lead her up to my bedroom and open the door and watch her smile grow as she enters "you done all this for me?" I smile and nod "I just wanted to make everything perfect for you " she crawls onto my bed and bites her lip looking straight at me "come here babe" I walk towards her and unzip the side of my dress letting it fall to the floor "fuck y/n you look so sexy" I blush and crawl onto the bed and start kissing her neck while I unzip her dress and she unclipped my bra letting my breasts pop out and before I know it she flipped us so she was on top "fuck please touch me lizzie I need you I need to feel you" she kisses her way down to my nipples and sucks the left and rolls the right between her fingers pinching sending moans flying out my mouth she lowers her kisses to my stomach then pantie line and looks up to me to make sure she has permission "please lizzie touch me" i beg and quicker than I could blink my panties where on the floor beside my dress and her tounge runs through my wet folds and all I can do is whimper "mmh fuck this wet for me baby? And you taste so fucking good y/n" I try to form a sentence while biting my lip "you make me so fucking wet lizzie it's all for you" she moans and slides 2 fingers inside my tight cunt while she kitten licks my clit and all I can do is moan her name her fingers and licks get faster she must have curled her fingers because I'm so close to Cumming "fuck lizzie right...right there fuck don't stop I'm going to fuckkkk" I cum all over her fingers and my full body spasms I try to catch my breath but lizzie continues to finger me and before I know it I'm Cumming all over her fingers again and again fuck that woman has skilled fingers.
After many rounds of mind blowing sex she's curled up close to me as she sleeps soundly.
AN: sorry if it's not great but I'm making these up word for word as I write I think I'll be able to write better if I have requestes something to have a lil inspiration to work with so feel free to either comment your request or message me here on wattpad 😊 word count 1.5k
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aerialsquid · 6 years ago
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Metashipping?
Title: The Men Upstairs Fandom: The LEGO Movie, The LEGO Batman Movie Pairings: Batman/Joker (…sort of), The Man Upstairs/OC Characters: Finn, The Man Upstairs, Batman, Joker, Original Male Character Tags: Meta Fic, Dating, Legos, Metafiction, Symbolism, Parenting, Fatherhood, Businessman Description: Borrowing from the meta reveal at the end of The LEGO Movie, where we find the plot to be a metaphor for a child playing with his father’s Lego sets, this offers a ship-ish look at the meta subtext behind The LEGO Batman Movie. Closet nerd Jack goes on a lukewarm date with a closet LEGO collector, and finds a Batman in dire need of a Robin…and maybe a Joker too.
"-so the main goal is increasing our audience base by 40%. Which let me tell you, is hard when we've got a 30% churn rate, but our senior initiatives team is expanding the database capabilities to-"
Jack made eye contact with the overexpensive coffee maker on the other side of Hank’s overexpensive kitchen. This was he didn't date people in the business. Why in the heck had he decided he should go on a date with someone in the business? Especially one who was just some stranger he’d met on a dating app?
Oh, right. Because he was an idiot who had a hard time saying no.
“Yeah, audience segmentation’s tricky,” Jack said with as much passion as he could manage, which was the same amount of passion he raised for an extra ketchup packet at McDonalds.
“Exactly!” said his date, raising his glass of wine emphatically. “Especially when the sales demographics are changing so fast.”
Jack’s plan had been to get to the bar, have two drinks, and if the guy wasn’t done being dull by two drinks Jack would find an excuse to go wash his hair. Unfortunately, when they got to the bar a sign in the window indicated it was closed due to “Personal Issues, Don’t Ask, But It’s All Her Fault”. Jack’s date had mentioned that his own house was right up the road, and his kids were at tutoring. They could still enjoy a few glasses of fancy nineteen-whatever French wine, and they wouldn’t have to worry about overpaying for imported cheese and French bread.
And Jack was an idiot who had a hard time saying no.
Jack was considering discretely texting his BFF an SOS for GTFO support when the door opened. A kid with a frizzy, curly mop of hair and a solemn expression usually reserved for priests conducting funerals entered, one hand tugging along a younger girl and the other holding a tiny bag of bulky toys.
Hank snapped around, wine sloshing out onto the cheese platter as Jack leaned out of splatter range. “Finn? What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be with Susan!”
Finn looked up at his father with a dulled expression. “She didn’t show up.” The kid sounded as if this sort of thing was business as usual – being left behind, left out, ignored, forgotten. The younger girl took the bag of toys from his hand and wandered off into the depths of the house with it clutched tightly to her chest.
Hank rose to his feet, nearly snapping the stem of the wineglass in his hand. “And how did you get home?”
“Bus.”
“Bus? You went on the bus alone? The school just let you get on the bus alone?” Hank’s voice was rising in pitch with each sentence, heading towards a shriek. It didn’t seem to make a dent in Finn’s dulled demeanor.
“Yeah.” He gave an idle shrug.
“Oh, I am going to murder them!” Jack’s date stormed upstairs, likely to get his phone, leaving Jack forgotten next to the fancy cheese.
Jack and the kid stared at each other.
“You’re…Finn, right?”
“Mhm. He’s pretty mad,” the kid noted. He grabbed a slice of cheese with cracker and stuffed it into his mouth. “Who are you?”
“Jack. I’m a friend of your dad. We were…talking.”
“About business?”
Jack opened his mouth for a yes. Then he looked the kid in the eye as Finn stuffed grapes into his mouth, and considered the sad way that the word ‘business’ had tumbled out of his mouth. Hank had barely talked about his family life but Jack knew enough about Hank’s job to practically do it himself.
“Honestly, I hate business,” he said instead. Jack leaned over, elbows resting on his knees. “What do you like, Finn?”
Finn shrugged. “Stuff. TV shows." When it was clear Jack wasn’t going to move on to another topic, he mumbled, “Legos.”
“Oh. Cool. I love Legos.”
The sound of a very angry middle class white man tumbled back down the stairs. Hank’s exact words were muffled but the intent and emotion behind them was fairly clear.  Jack winced.
“I think your dad’s gonna be busy for a while.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you think I should leave?”
“I dunno.”
Jack sucked his teeth and considered the matter. Something about the kid just made him ache. It was that look in his eyes, like this was inevitable. A kid shouldn’t feel like he was an extra load.
Jack knew that much from experience.
“Hey, Finn? You want to show me your Legos?”
“Wwwwwwow. When you said Legos, I didn’t think you meant you were running an entire Lego store out of your basement.”
“Dad collects them,” Finn said. “And builds them. He’s got all the sets. He likes to build the sets.”
Jack’s jaw hung open as he wandered the basement, staring at models of Isengard and the Sears Tower that were almost as tall as he was. The figures could have been shop models for how perfectly they were built, each Stormtrooper storming the plains of Hoth and pirate swinging across the ratlines of the Black Pearl in perfect position. “Your dad collects enough Legos to build a literal house and he had me talking about demographic segmentation?” That asshole.
Jack followed Finn around as Finn named off the sets in regimented order. The constructs were built box-picture-perfect but each had some endearing little quirk to it. Firefighters were trying to get a kitten down from the Eiffel Tower. Gremlins had invaded Hogwarts and built a crude airplane on the parapets so they could sit on its wings.
“He used to keep them to himself, but now we play together sometimes. When he’s not doing business.” Finn said the word business like it was a slur, which was something Jack could get behind.
“I love it. This is amazing. Oh my god, is that a Batman set? That’s huge!”
“That’s Arkham Asylum. It’s from a set. This is Wayne Manor, I built this one, and the Batcave one.”  Finn pointed to an immense house construct.  It was furnished with at least two dozen rooms, each with small chairs and tables or cute little plastic toilets. On the shelf below it was what was indeed the Batcave, full of at least a dozen Bat-appended vehicles.
“Have I mentioned I’m a huge Batman fan? Huge.” First crush huge, but he wasn’t going to say that in front of the nine-year-old.
“Really?” Finn gave Jack a once-over. Jack realized what an absolute square he must look like, wearing his finest business casual and looking as professionally average as possible. It made him regret everything he was doing with his life.
“You want my cred? I got cred.” Jack whipped his phone out and swiped through Facebook, back through the carefully curated archive of incredibly dull, employer-safe vacation and brunch imagery. He stopped on a specific photo and held it up, gloating.
“This was me last year at Halloween.” he said, pointing to the central figure in a generic ‘badly lit people at table in bar with beers and arms around each other but not in a sexy way’ shot. “Check out what I’m wearing.”
Finn leaned in to look at the picture, then giggled. “You have Batman pajamas?” he squeaked, one hand over his mouth.
“Batman pajamas with cowl.” More of a onesie, really. There’d been a sale at ThinkGeek.
The first real smile Jack had seen on Finn for more than a few moments began to creep to the surface. Upstairs he could still hear the faintest of yelling—if Hank was the kind of guy Jack thought he was, he’d be there a while and ask to speak to at least two managers. Jack’s eyes roamed the table until he found the airport set (with a little TSA and metal detector, wtf).
“So now I’m going to need you to show me your Batman cred. Trivia time. What if, uh….so what if there was a plane coming into Gotham city that was full of bombs, and explosives.” He leaned over to the ‘Old West Gold Mine’ set and grabbed a pile of TNT. Finn looked mildly concerned as Jack distributed the explosives around the plane like salt on pasta.
“Aaaaand it got taken over by ninjas!” Jack ran to the Samurai set and plucked up fistfuls of ninjas. Finn’s expression went from concerned to alarmed.
“You’re mixing up the sets…”
“It’s fine, I’ll put them back later.” Jack was on a roll now. He grinned eagerly, distributing the ninjas on top of the plane and walking a few of them inside. He looked over his shoulder and eyed Arkham Asylum. “They’re toys, right? What’s the point if we’re not playing with them?”
Damnit, he was going to entertain this small child if it killed him.
“—and I always come to work with a smile!!!!”
Jack grinned wide, wiggling the tiny Joker menacingly between his fingers. The little pilot cap balanced on the molded hair fell off and he quickly balanced it back on top of one tiny green spike.
Finn was silent, staring at him from the other side of the table. The little pilot figure that Jack had forced into his hand hung loose between his fingers. Jack could feel his pulse pounding in his throat. “You should be terrified,” he prompted.
Finn offered another of the apathetic shrugs that were starting to be cheese graters on Jack’s soul. “Why?”
Jack pitched his voice high again. “Because! I will be taking over the city!” he made the little Joker dance back and forth.”
“Hmmm.” Finn’s eyes roamed around the model city as he let out a noise of unclear emotion response.
“What? I mean it!” The high pitch in his voice grew higher and just a shred more desperate. He felt like someone trying frantically to start their car by turning the key again and again, each roar of the engine even more subdued and upsetting.
The moment of ‘hmmmmmmmm ‘ stretched out again, until finally Finn looked up, humor dancing in his eyes, “Batman will stop you.”
Yes!!!!
Jack blew a gleeful raspberry. “Pffft!”
“He always stops you.” Finn insisted.
“No, he doesn’t!”
“Yes, he does.”
“No he doesn’t!”
“Like that time with the two boats?
“Your dad let you watch—I mean, this is better than the two boats!” Finn was still looking up in skepticism. Jack wracked his brain, trying to yank in what little shreds of his improv classes hadn’t been violently repressed by his mind. “Tonight is going to be different! Tonight is my greatest plan yet! And trust me, Batman’s never gonna see it coming.”
“Like that time with the parade and the Prince music?”
“Hey, quiet! Your city is under attack by Gotham’s greatest criminal masterminds! Including...”
Jack scrambled for the Arkham Asylum set, ripping tiny plastic figures off their pedestals and out of their cells.
“Riddler! Scarecrow! Bane!” He snapped the characters down to the table one by one, their arms upraised in defiance of the law and common decency. “Two-Face! Catwoman! And let's not forget Clayface! Poison Ivy! Mr. Freeze! Penguin!”
Jack dove into the plastic bin of spare minifigures and started yanking out random bodies, slapping capes and hats onto scowling figures and setting them down on the table one by one.
“Crazy Quilt! Eraser! Mime! Tarantula! King Tut! Orca! Killer Moth! March Hare! Zodiac Master! Gentleman Ghost! Clock King! Calendar Man! Kite Man! Catman! Zebra-man! Annnnnnd the Condiment King!”
He paused, panting as he set the last little caped figure on the platform, tapping a tiny red bottle into its hand. A row of hastily cobbled second-stringers stretched out down the length of the table, all glaring menacingly towards the perfectly constructed cityscape.
Finn raised an eyebrow at him. “… Okay, are you making some of these up?
“Nope, they’re all real!” Jack winked. “Probably worth a Google.”
Hank came down the stairs just as Batman was delivering t-shirts to the orphanage, and stayed silent until the Batmobile slid elegantly into the Wayne Manor and Batcave sets.
“What are you doing?”
Both Finn and Hank froze, their expressions of childish guilt almost identical.
“We’ll put it back, Dad,” Finn mumbled.
“We just saved Gotham City anyway, so I think this episode’s wrapped up.” Jack sat back on his knees, disconnecting the Joker from his little balloon harness. Finn was already collecting up the ninjas and running away to quickly put them back into position.
“Well. I’m glad you have that handled,” said Hank, his expression carefully free of every emotion, including that of apathy, which on reflection was kinda impressive.
Jack rolled the airplane back to its landing pad next to its little government-empowered metal-detecting autocrats.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this? Heck, why isn’t this the first thing in your dating profile?”
“Some people think toy collecting’s a little childish.”
“Some people can suck my Loot Box Exclusive Batarang Multi-tool. Seriously. This is great.” He began stripping the plane of tiny bombs.
“Hey, Hank? Why don’t you have a Dick?”
Jack’s date stopped, jaw working as he tried to muster up a reply. Jack’s penny dropped and he rushed in with “A Dick Grayson! A Robin! Red shirt, yellow cape, green tights. Sorry. Finn says you have about fifteen different Batmans but there’s no Robins.”
Hank blinked. “Oh. I think the dog ate it. I haven’t replaced it, I haven’t been into the media tie-in sets for a while.”
“You should get one. Actually, I will buy you one if I have to.”
“Uh. Why?”
“Batman’s got all this crap but he hasn’t got a family. I had to dig the Alfred out of the back of the Wayne Manor set. Batman needs people to back him up, always has. And Robin’s his son. I mean he’s adopted, or at least the Dick Grayson one’s adopted, and they’ve got this really tight bond, and I feel like Finn would really relate to that.”
“You sure you’re not getting a little too into this?”
“It’s not me who’s getting into it. I mean, not just me.” Jack looked over his shoulder at Finn, who was cleaning up the discarded piles of Batvillains and neatly placing them back into Arkham. “It’s him. Kids work out stuff through play, and his idea of a strong person isn’t one that needs to deal with sidekicks. His Batman doesn’t need a family, and he definitely doesn’t do ships.”
“Ships?”
“Relationships. Connections. He’s not even that into the Joker and lemme tell you, every good Batman has some twisted fixation on Joker. This the kind of Batman you get in the Nolan movies where he’s emotionally stunted, not the kind that winds up opening up to people like in some of the better comics. I’m not sure that’s…”
Jack abruptly stopped the word fountain flowing from his mouth, biting down hard on his thin lip to keep the words inside. His gaze fell away as the weight of adulthood abruptly fell down on his shoulders. Here he was, a grown man with a professional job, messing around in some other guy’s basement with his Lego models like he was one of Finn’s colleagues here for pretend play and video games after elementary school, talking his head off about the significance of superheroes having sidekicks.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I’m a huge dork.”
“No. It’s, um.” Hank peeked over Jack’s shoulder. “Hey, Finn? We’ll clean this up, why don’t you go start your homework?”
“Okay, Dad.”
Hank lowered his voice once Finn had scrambled up the stairs. “It’s hard to get him out of his shell with other people,” he whispered. “He’s up in his head so much of the time, and he’s so shy with other kids. I’ve never seen him just click with someone like that. I’ve been trying to play with him more but I can never seem to get it right.” He reached over and readjusted the angle of the airplane, almost looking guilty for needing to do so. “I don’t think I’m on his level. I spend so much time around people hyperfocused on the profit line that I forget how to be a kid.”
“You’re saying I’m immature?”
Hank smiled. He reached out to take the Joker from Jack’s hand, and his fingers lingered a few moments longer than necessary against Jack’s skin. “I’m saying that’s not the worst thing in the world for me right now.”
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slashersrus · 7 years ago
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Jeremiah Valeska x Reader - Assassin
Y/N is an assassin who Oswald hires to kill Jeremiah after their encounter, except will she actually kill him?
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BANG!
I smirked as the bullet flew through my targets head, perfect bulls eye. My target, a middle aged sleaze bag. The guy I had been paid to kill was stealing business from a rival company, I had been paid one million to kill him. The pay was a lot less than I usually got, however I was bored and it was an easy target. Packing up my sniper rifle, I gently placed the strap over my shoulder and climbed down the side of the building. I was in no hurry. Currently, security and body guards were rushing to the body, guns out and looking for the shooter. They would not find me however, as I had made the shot from three blocks away. Normally, I would do the kill in person, with my pistol or my well know black katana. My katana, know as the Black Death, was made from a material stronger than steel. It was practically unbreakable. Like I said, I would usually kill my targets that way, but today I was feeling lazy. Sliding onto my motorbike, I pulled the blacked out helmet over my head, covering my pitch black hair and crystal blue eyes.
I had no more targets today so I decided to go back to my hideout, an expensive, luxury penthouse. No one knew where I lived, I bought the apartment under a fake name and I never do business deals at home. I'd hate for someone to pop in unannounced and try to kill me at an unfortunate time, for example when I'm painting my nails, I would hate to break a nail.
Falling backwards onto my sleek black couch, I kicked off my combat boots and switched on the news. I expected to see some live broadcast announcing the murder I just committed, that is not what I saw. Leaning forward slightly, my eyes widened as I saw and heard a news broadcaster talking about Jeremiah Valeska and his plans to blow up the city. Shocked, I jumped up and grabbed a rucksack, packing my stuff. If Gotham is going to go up in flames, I'd rather not be here when it happens.
I had never had the opportunity of meeting Jeremiah Valeska, however I knew Jerome. Jerome was my friend, probably my only friend, he hired me when he escaped Arkham. I talked with him on multiple occasions, even when not needed, simply because I enjoyed his company. I didn't get attached though, getting attached is the worst thing you can do in my business.
He hired me to kill Theo Galavan if anything was to happen to him, he paid me up front. He paid 20 million, which he obviously stole from under Galavan's nose. Kinda ironic that he paid me with Galavan's money to kill Galavan. I did the job, I killed him before Gordon and Oswald could get to him. Oswald was furious. I hate being in the bad books with one of Gotham's strongest contenders so I said I owed him one. He can ask one, and only one, favour from me and I will do it.
RING.RING.RING.
Hearing my annoying ringtone, I sighed, throwing the bag to the door and walking over to grab my phone from its spot on the couch.
"This is Y/N." My business tone, cold and confident, was in place as I answered. I never let any emotion into my voice when speaking to clients, not wanting to show my cards or any weaknesses I may have.
"Y/N. It's Oswald. I wish to call in that favour you owe me." His voice, trying to sound polite but ending in a snap. He was clearly very frustrated but he also knew that it was a very bad idea to snap at me. He was trying not to anger me.
"Who do you want killed?" I remained calm, cold as my eyes scanned the apartment checking if I had missed anything, I hadn't.
"Make it quick. I'm leaving town." I spoke again, hearing him start to stutter slightly.
"Jeremiah Valeska." Those two words caused me to freeze. He was extremely protected, this would be hard for me.
"40 Million." I stated my price, waiting for his answer.
"40?! You owe me a favour!" He snapped causing me to grow angry at his disrespectful tone.
"The favour, Oswald, is accepting this job. If anyone else was asking I would refuse. Jeremiah Valeska is a very smart man with a small army of followers. He is also about to blow this city up. Anyone else was asking, I would have already hung up. That is your favour. So, 40 million. Your choice." I growled losing my patience.
"Fi-Fine! 40 Million! Just kill that menace!" Hearing him stutter made me smirk, loving to hear the fear in his voice.
"Consider it done." I spoke with finality in my voice before hanging up.
Grabbing my large rucksack, I made my way down to my garage. Multiple cars and bikes sat waiting for me, all fast and fancy. I am one of the best assassins in the US, meaning I get paid a lot of money. Grabbing one of the keys of the wooden wall rack, I walked over to my black BMW. Throwing the rucksack into the boot, I then walked over to the opposite wall, pressing a small panel. After scanning my hand print, a wall panel popped open, exposing the multiple weapons I keep here. Smiling excitedly, I grabbed my katana, a small throwing knife and my gun. Getting in the car, the engine purring to life, I sped off in search of my target.
After a while of searching, I finally found what I was looking for, one of Jeremiahs followers. Parking in a dark alley, I hopped out my car and casually walked up to the young woman. She was whistling and had vibrant green hair. Pulling my katana from my back strap, I jumped forwards and placed it to her neck causing her to freeze.
"Now, you are not my target, so I don't have to kill you. I'll give you a choice. Tell me where Jeremiah Valeska is or die." I spoke with a scary calm voice as I came into her view. I was in my element.
"Never! I'll never betray Jeremiah! JEREMIAH! JEREMIAH!" The woman started to chant causing me to roll my eyes and sigh.
"Pathetic. But don't worry, you'll talk. They always talk." I laughed before dragging her to my car shoving her into the back and taking out my small throwing knife. Smirking, I climbed in after her.
Half an hour later, I knew his location and his follow was dead. Pulling up to the building he was in, I climbed out my car and grabbed my katana. Breaking into the building was easy, an easy lock to pick. I assume Jeremiah believed that the location was far too hidden to be found and didn't bother with reinforcing the place. His mistake.
Following the many corridors, I heard pained screaming coming from one direction. Following the terrified screams, I finally found Jeremiah Valeska. I finally found my target. Silently, I walked up behind him, he was gazing intently into a room. Following his gaze, the sight shocked me, he was burning his followers alive. I expected him to want to keep Jerome's followers.
"Well, that is disappointing." He spoke, annoyance in his voice, before he turned to leave.
"Disappointing? On the contrary, that was an entertaining show." I spoke with humour in my voice causing him to jump whilst spinning to face me and reaching for his gun.
"Ah, ah, love. I wouldn't." I smiled, lifting my katana to his neck, gesturing to the gun he was holding. My British accent flowing through clearly.
"Who are you?" He hissed at me, dropping his gun and glaring.
"You don't know me? Huh, you really didn't get out much did you? I mean, even your brother knew me." I taunted, knowing that mentioning Jerome was bound to get on his nerves and make him angry.
"You knew my brother?" He growled, his insanely green eyes glaring at the weapon pointed at his neck before returning to my face.
"Oh yeah. Fun guy. He hired me to avenge his death and kill Galavan. I'm Y/N." I loved the reaction I was getting out of him, his jaw was clenched as his eyes blazed in anger.
"Y/N? I've heard rumors about you, didn't know what you looked like. I'm guessing you're here to kill me. Who hired you?" His eyes light up in recognition as he heard my name.
"Oswald Cobblepot. Whatever you did, he's really pissed. I don't ask questions, I just take the money. Shame, you could have been great." I trailed off, my mind being consumed with thoughts of how big he could have become in the Gotham underworld.
"Oh well, bye." I tilted my head to the side, raising my katana to kill him.
Before I could make the lethal swipe, he grabbed the blade, unflinching as the blade cut into his skin. My eyes widened at the fact he was showing no acknowledgement of the pain in his hand.
"Wait!" He yelled, pushing against my blade, blood streaming down his wrist and arm rapidly, soaking his suit and staining it red.
"How much is he paying you?" I knew this was just a desperate bid to get me to spare his life, but I decided to indulge him anyway.
"40 Million." Returning my attention to the task at hand, I went to finish my job and kill him before being interrupted yet again.
"He's lying. He can't pay you." The words caused me to freeze, lowing the blade an inch so he could talk.
"He was trying to leverage me into getting him 50 million today. He needs money. He doesn't have 40 million to give you. I, however, can offer you something better. You're very skilled, I could use someone like you on my side. Once I destroy Gotham, you can anything you want. Money. Power. Anything." He spoke so fast, I could barely keep up with his raspy voice.
Stepping back, I slid my katana back into the sheathe, watching as he rubbed his neck where I cut him slightly. I was truly considering his offer.
"If you are lying..." I trailed off, leaving my threat hanging in the air.
"Why would I lie when the truth is so much better?" He stepped towards me, the burning room of his followers long forgotten.
"Fine. Where do we start?" I asked, agreeing that I would work for him for the mean time.
He simply grinned in response, his blood red lips pulling into a crazy smile, before gesturing for me to follow him and walking off. I followed.
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harrycook · 7 years ago
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27
June 12th 2018 was my 27th birthday.
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Here are 27 things I feel like I have learnt about life so far:
1. Don’t Argue With Stupid People.
You get nowhere. It’s like playing scrabble with a dog, no matter how well you play, the dog will end up shitting on the board and walking away like he won anyway.
2. Eat The Damn Cake.
Yes I know that eating right and exercise is important for your health, but if you are in the vicinity of a cake or delicious bite of something, just eat it.
3. Working Is A Part Of Life, Not The Entirety Of Life.
Unless you adore what you do for a living and it is your pasison and life’s mission, take a deep breath and don’t take it all so seriously. At the end of the day, a job is to pay the bills and have pocket money to go and enjoy yourself when you’re not working. Unless you are genuinely passionate about your career, don’t sweat it. Don’t break your back worrying about a job that would replace you within a week if you dropped dead.
4. Don’t Take Anything Seriously, Seriously.
Unless you are performing open heart surgery or have the cure for cancer in your back pocket, lighten the fuck up. No matter what your job is, ask yourself if it will matter in 100 years? If not, giggle and let it go. The world won’t stop spinning if you miss a deadline or make a mistake. Breathe. It’s all good.
5. Ignorance Is A Choice.
Yes. It’s 2018. There is no excuse for ignorance or stupidity when we have more information on our phones than a public library. If you don’t understand something, research it. Pick up a book, scan the internet, question everything, especially the news. Be curious, ask questions and most of all, don’t be lazy. Educate yourself so the world can be full of kinder, more worldly individuals who know what they are talking about.
6. Throw Away Anything You Thought You Knew That Doesn’t Sit Well With Your Values.
We grow up in a society that feeds us garbage from the moment we enter the world. Boys are taught to be one way and girls are taught to be another. It’s a system that hasn’t changed in hundreds of years because society wants us to constantly keep within the mold. Screw that. Break the mold and let people be who they want to be. Go after a job you want, not what society wants for you. Travel, see the world, stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and go after the stuff that means something to you.
7. Laugh At Every Chance You Get.
Nothing beats a good belly laugh. Plus, it’s also extremely healthy. Laugh as often as you can. This goes straight back to the not taking anything seriously thing. Giggle more. It works wonders for the soul.
8. Get A Hobby.
The past year I have picked up the piano again (not literally 'picked it up', obviously, but started learning again), attempted to learn Spanish, set a goal of reading a book a fortnight (up to book 25) and started working out a minimum of three times a week. Each year older I start realising how quickly time goes and how many amazing things are at my disposal to learn or try.
9. Read The News, Then Read It Again, And Then Research Some More.
Don't take anything at face value. Just because the news tells you one thing, don't take it as gospel. These news shows are run by multibillionaire white men and corporations with agendas. Don't take it at face value. Look in to things. Read as much as you can and become your own private investigator for the truth. Just because a news show says something, doesn't make it fact.
10. Read More.
Nothing opens up the heart and mind more than a good book. The excuse of not having enough time to read doesn't cut it. Instead of watching an hour of Netflix, take an hour to open a good book. It's good for the soul. Trust me.
11. Get A Pet.
YASSSSSSS. Get a dog. Then get another dog. Then when you think you simply can't handle the amount of snuggles you are getting, get another dog!! In all seriousness, dogs are extremely good for your health. They reduce stress and anxiety, boost happiness and are wonderful snuggle buddies. Adopt don't shop! There are plenty of rescue animals in need of good homes.
12. Sometimes People Hurt You. It Sucks.
Yes. Sometimes the people you never in a bazillion years thought could hurt you, will hurt you terribly. I had an experience in recent years with extended family that completely shifted my entire outlook on people in general. Sadly, some of the people you think you know are far from what you think. It sucks, yes, but once you acknowledge it, it slowly stops hurting. You can move on with your life when you realise that sometimes a wake-up call is all you need to realise that you're better off without certain people in your life. And that's totally ok.
13. Log Off. Often.
The age of social media is WONDERFUL for so many reasons. Keeping in contact with people, viewing beautiful content, learning things with a click and the hours and hours of streamable content are all fantastic reasons to use social media. But on the flip side, it can also be an information overload and I highly advise switching off, taking a bath and leaving your phone somewhere away from you for a few hours. It can't be healthy getting a constant stream of negative news 24/7. So unplug. Those cute puppy pics will be there when you get back.
14. Exercise.
I know, I know, YUCK. Exercise isn't the most fun of activities, and I am the first to admit that whenever I heard someone say "but the endorphins are good for your happiness levels" I'd roll my eyes so far back in my head I could see my brain. But it's completely and utterly true. Just a 40 minute run 3 times a week has improved my mood ten fold. I've suffered with depression, anxiety and addiction for years, but exercise allows me to completely refresh and enjoy the day on a belly full of endorphins. Do it for the feeling you get, not to achieve some unattainable body. It works a treat. Trust me.
15. Napping Is AMAZING.
Yes. Napping is one of the best damn things to do. Nothing beats an afternoon nap. It refreshes you for the rest of the day and is a great way to reboot the system. Don't let people tell you otherwise. It's bloody fantastic.
16. Journal.
I've written a journal since I was ten years old and looking back on all the adventures, worries, achievements and memories throughout the years is something I cherish so incredibly much. Studies have shown that journalling is really healthy for the mind and soul. Grab a notebook and get doodling.
17. Take Photos.
If taking selfies is your thang, go for it. If taking pictures of trees, animals or the sunset gets you going, snap away. Taking photos is therapeutic for a number of reasons, but most of all it's a lovely way to document your life with things to look back on. Get snapping.
18. Never Think You Know It All.
It's easy to be arrogant when we are conditioned all our lives with things we are expected to believe. "Boys should do this", "girls should do that". But just because we've been taught it from a society that has never been challenged to think differently, doesn't make it right. Question everything. Stay curious. Look into things and don't dismiss stuff you know nothing about. Not only is it a really ugly personality trait, it gets you nowhere in life. Opening your mind and heart is a surefire way of experiencing life in all its' beauty.
19. Go After What You Want In Life.
Jim Carey did a graduation speech about his father who never went after his dreams because he wanted to do the ‘safe thing'. Have a 'stable' career that would provide for his family. From memory, his father failed and lost everything in his 'stable' career. The moral being that if you are going to fail at something, at least let it be something you love, because the fact is it is just as possible to fail at something you hate. Give it a go. Life is too short to not go after what you want.
20. Travel. Travel. Travel.
See the world. It'll show you that we humans are all the same. It replaces ignorance with knowledge and shows you how vast our planet is. Get out there.
21. Someone Who Is Nice To You But Not Nice To The Waiter Is Not A Nice Person.
I love this quote because it's so damn true. Don't be a dick to service people. Don't think you're better than anyone because you're not. End of story. Period.
22. Get Over Yourself.
Sort of a continuation of the above, this is just a reminder to get over yourself, have a giggle and realise that just because you have a fancy car, a nice suit or well manicured hands means absolutely sweet F.A. Being a good person, showing kindness, empathy and caring about the planet and human beings as a whole is what counts in my books. Just be a good person. It's that simple.
23. Tell Your Loved Ones You Love Them And Don’t Go To Bed Angry.
Pretty self explanatory this one, but all the same, something to remember constantly. Life is far too short to go to bed angry at someone. Throw away silly arguments and tell the people you care about how you feel.
24. Screw What People Think Of You.
I mean it. Who cares what someone else thinks of you? That's their stuff. How they perceive you and how they feel about you is none of your business. Water off a ducks' back. Let it go.
25. Try Not To Worry So Much.
I know. Easier said than done, but sometimes it helps to take a step back, take a deep breath in and ask a few key questions: Can I do anything to change the current situation? If yes, do it. If not, let it go. Breathe through it and remember all we ever have is right in this moment.
26. Meditate.
YASSSSSSSSS times a million. Meditating is one of the most powerful things I have ever learnt in my 27 years on this planet. Taking a moment to just sit and reflect and focus on the here and now is one of the most intensely wonderful ways of reconnecting to what matters. There are a million different apps you can use or simply sit and count your breaths. It works wonders.
27. Life is what you make it, but most of all it’s about love.
Love, family, friends and making memories is the most important thing in life. Every year on this earth I realise more and more how utterly stupid it is to worry about material things. Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy material stuff whatsoever, but it shouldn't be what you go after in life. Nobody ever gets to the end of their life clutching on to their Chanel bag. The things that matter are the people you love and the memories you make.
So go for a walk, take in the view, have a laugh and breathe in every moment of every day. It's all we ever have.
- Harry.
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greenroverman · 6 years ago
Text
Needs A Title...
The sound of chewing snapped me out of this incredible dream I was having about a redhead in a convertible, a glossy red Ferrari with camel leather interior and custom chrome wheels with the high performance, low-profile tires. I just wanted to drive it around the block four or five times and see what it could do, maybe hit the open road and really open it up. In my dream, I was just about to ask the redhead to scooch on over and then sit in the driver’s seat when I heard the loud gnashing sound. I could feel tingling and moisture on my arm, sharp teeth were tearing into my hand. Surprisingly, I couldn’t feel pain – I guess that’s the first stage of shock. I believe shock is appropriate when being chewed on by a very upset chipmunk. It serves me right for falling dead asleep in that old sagging oak tree in the middle of nowhere. The most important question I had at that time was not: what was a pissed off rodent doing snacking on my arm, but where were my pants?
     Pants are strangely important when lost in the middle of nowhere. My keys, wallet, and a fancy pistol that I took from an exotic dancer named Mercedes were also missing. I’m hoping they were together, waiting for me, maybe huddled together. After kindly removing my bloody appendage from the chipmunk’s mouth, and scolding the little rat for taking advantage of a passed out traveler, I sat up and looked around. The tree was the same, but last time I checked Earth had a blue sky, not green, and we only had one moon not five. I think this situation might bump the pants down to priority two. The air smelled like rotten garbage mixed with old motor oil. The green sky was surprisingly clear and the five moons shone bright, lighting up the vast emptiness surrounding me. I’ve got an oak tree, a chipmunk, and no pants – what was in that last cocktail? This is either an incredibly vivid trip or the most elaborate hoax I’ve ever seen. I guess a distant third choice was that I wound up on some alien planet after having the most insane night ever. I think I’m going to have a flashback here…
     Things had started normal enough: dinner at Jimmy’s Fine Italian dining with my buddy Sal, then out to Bubble’s club on the west side – where there was this amazing act involving a…chipmunk! I knew I had seen that little guy before – he does good work! From there I was just a passenger in Ms. Cheeky LaPoosh’s limo. Cheeky kept plying me with social lubricant to get me to talk about what I do for a living, but why would Cheeky be interested in a trauma monkey like me. I told her I worked the late shift at the Emergency Center on the south side, the one in the neighborhood where gunshot wounds were passed out like popsicles on a summer day at kid’s camp. My job as a surgeon was a lot like an Asian kid in a Nike sweatshop – keep on sewing and keep the stitching tight. I suppose I was getting good at it – made employee of the month in June. But that was all she was getting out of me, at least at that moment.
     The limo stopped at a place called Flush and we all stumbled out. The bouncer recognized Cheeky and hurried us to a private booth in the back. And that’s when thing got interesting: a bottle of some unrecognizable liquid and 3-4 bags filled with an assorted rainbow of pills. I wasn’t the type to participate – I usually just watched and waited for someone to pass out, knowing first aid would be needed. I’m not sure if something fell into my drink or if it was deliberate, but I think I swallowed a green and a red, and maybe a blue. I do know that the room was spinning and I was either on the floor or the ceiling. I finally woke up in the back of the limo with Cheeky and Sal and 4-5 other people I didn’t recognize. A deep conversation about some pop psychology drivel was forming, something about hand washing and moral purity. The theory presented by the pleather couch brigade was that people who wash their hands frequently were more likely to be upstanding humans. Based on the amount of pills and alcohol consumed, this brood had certainly never washed their hands in their lives. But honestly, I couldn’t hear details over the roar of the freight train running through my head. Someone handed me a bottle of something and I drained it – thankfully it was only water. I leaned my head back against the window and closed my eyes.
     I was startled awake by a gunshot and a scream, the smell of gunpowder was close so “we” must’ve done the shooting. Of course, the sound of the scream was also close, so “we” must’ve been shot! One of the girls with us, a delightful stripper stereotypically named after a luxury automobile, Mercedes had shot Sal in the leg for having inappropriate body boundaries, which is normally appropriate, but there may or may not have been a transaction or barter. Can’t say I blame her either way. But eight years as a trauma surgery in the nastiest hospital in the metro-area had prepared me for this moment. I doused the wound with a half-bottle of Vodka then used the ice cube grabber to dig into the wound to remove the bullet. My tie made a decent tourniquet and then my Armani shirt became a compress. Did you know that Armani uses a specific type of wool found only in one particular area of Italy known for its high-absorbance properties – in fact after a rain, the sheep usually can’t move because of the amount of rain they soaked up. Crisis averted, I took away the gun from Mercedes and stuffed it in my suit coat pocket – why did she need a .40 S&W pistol with custom grips, easy-pull trigger, and 16-round high-capacity magazine? I suppose there are those out there that would question why I wouldn’t need one. Although, the thought occurred to me that we do live in a rather violent time in a violent city with creepy guys like Sal around.
     Sal was a little worn out at this point, wanting to go home. We dropped Sal off at his place, it was a dump – walking in you would think that the place was tossed by thieves looking for something, but no, Sal was just a slob. I made sure he was tucked in bed with some pain killers and the roaches. I figure I would check up on him tomorrow on the way to work. I glanced at the clock on the microwave while walking out the door, it screamed 3 A.M., plenty of night left.
I decided to hitch a ride back to my car with Cheeky. I had parked in a dimly light space on the second floor of the hospital parking garage. Cheeky invited me back to her place for a night cap. I figured it would be prudent to turn it down at this point and head home – plus after witnessing the shooting of my best friend, and the strange mixture of whatever I had taken earlier, I figured that would be the safest place for me.
Unlocking the door of my midnight black Mercedes-Benz AMG coupe, I sat in the plush leather sport seat for a moment to catch my breath. I had expected a simple dinner and maybe a few drinks, instead I wound up hanging out with a stripper queen named Cheeky, a gun wielding psycho, and had one hell of a headache. Time to go home, take some Tylenol, (yes, Doctors really recommend it) and go to bed!
I backed out of my space carefully. Despite my foibles, I was a fairly cautious driver, mostly. I cruised down the spiral to the garage exit. The road was empty, so I gave it a blast with my right foot. The twin turbo V-8 engine with excessive horses roared to life and left a decent strip of tire and smoke in my wake. The ridiculous zero-to-sixty time passed smoothly and the speedometer told me I hit 100 mph in around 6 seconds.
Yellow lines blurred into a paste smeared behind me as I cruised on the highway. I decided to take the long winding road, the path I rarely travelled. I had the speedo pegged at about 110 mph when a deer bound out into the middle of the road. Hitting anything at that speed is like running full speed into a brick wall – it’s going to hurt and something will break.
Blood splattered the windshield. I went off the road straight into a tree. I heard the bang, slam, and smelled the acrid smoke pouring out of the engine compartment. Hollywood would lead us to believe that the car would burst into flames at this point and then explode into a three-story fireball. Fortunately, fireballs don’t happen most of the time. The Mercedes was a crumpled mess. I survived, thank God for air bags, and opened the door – good engineering required that the door still be able to open in a catastrophic accident. The deer was in the middle of the road, writhing in pain.
     I never shot anything before, but the poor bastard didn’t deserve to go out like this – suffering from grievous wounds. The .40 S&W was a powerful, highly accurate round – the bullet caught the deer just below the eye socket, leaving a small entry wound but the back of its skull was blown out onto the asphalt. I figure that was the most decent thing I’ve ever done in my life.
     This is the point where I get a little fuzzy. I was standing there shaking from the crash and from putting the deer down and I remember a bright light. I heard a ringing in my ears and a loud sound like a bomb exploding – and no, it wasn’t the Mercedes exploding into a Bay-esque fireball, I checked.
And that’s when I woke up to being a chipmunk snack.
The green sky and the smell of the air had a disconcerting effect on my fragile mind. I had one weird night, but this was over the top. Where were my pants? I don’t swear much, but I feel that this circumstance warrants it. So I looked at the beautiful five moon sky and let out a stream of obscenities that would make a trucker blush.
Bearings. I needed to get my bearings. I was standing in a field next to an oak tree. The chipmunk was a sleep – maybe he was dead – I could only hope! I stretched my legs, after a nasty car crash you would think that I would start to feel sore or cramp up. I surprisingly felt…alive, like I could run, jump, or wrestle an angry chipmunk.
Scanning the horizon, I saw a glimmering object about 30 feet away, hoping it was my pants, I walked towards it. It wasn’t my pants, but the gun. I worked the action and checked the magazine like I’ve seen in the movies; I knew I had at least 2 bullets. I would imagine that having a loaded weapon in a strange world would have a calming effect, but I felt scared. Where was I? What would I face? How do I get home?
I decided to keep walking in the direction I found the gun, maybe my pants were close as well. In front of me was a dense forest of blue pine trees – not blue spruce, but actual blue pines. Was I in a Dr. Suess book? The important thing to note is that they smelled like pine trees, that sweet sappy smell that I love. I closed my eyes and breathed and it was as if I was at home in my backyard. I lived on 20 acres in the woods – I might be a highly-skilled medical doctor, but I was a country boy at heart. Pine has a calming effect on my spirit.
Venturing into the woods further, I crossed a creek that ran with green water. Flowing over rocks and around sand bars, I figured it was safe to drink, even if it seemed to have a high algae content, at least that’s what I figured it was. The banks of the creek were lined with broad leafed plants that formed natural cups. I plucked off the nearest leaf and dipped it into the cool, flowing water. I had to test it, so I dipped my pinky into the water – it didn’t burn or melt my finger off. Test one, successful. I dipped my finger in again and put a drop in my mouth. It was the best tasting water I have ever had in my life. Although it was cold, I felt warmth in my stomach. I took a long pull from the leaf and immediately felt refreshed. I drank until I was satisfied – about half of a leaf full of the amazing water.
I decided to keep moving, those pants weren’t going to find themselves.  After walking for what seemed like an hour, the forest started to thin out. I stopped at the edge of a clearing and there ahead of me was the most amazing sight I had ever seen in my life. A wall. This was a special wall, it was 100 feet tall – I guess. And it looked like it was made out of solid gold! But in my mind, all that mattered was that a wall meant civilization, that meant people, and that meant…pants.
The wall was a journey in itself. It took three hours of hiking around the circumference to find an entrance. The break in the wall was a wooden door, about 20 feet tall. There were cobwebs on the door and rust on the hinges – this obviously wasn’t the main gate. I tried the knob on the door, figuring it was locked. Surprisingly it was not and it opened rather easily. The door opened into the pitch black, but better there than in the woods – I was one step closer to pants.
I figured the room I stepped into was filled with books. There was that musty smell of old paper and leather, aged with time into a crisp mildewed odor mixing with the sweet mahogany of the bookshelves. I felt along the wall of the room for a switch, and was shocked to actually find one. I flipped the switch and a single light bulb flickered and began to give off a faint hum and then warmed into a steady dim glow. Sure enough, I was in a library or archive of some sorts, but from all the dust and spider webs I figure it hadn’t seen visitors in years.
The room wasn’t particularly large, about as big as a bedroom in a suburban house – one of those planned community things – little boxes as the song says. Shelves covered every wall floor to ceiling – and dust covered that. There were a few tables in the room, covered in books as well – stacks 10-12 books high in places, others were open and laying on top of the piles. The floor was just as dusty as the rest of the room and I didn’t see any footprints or signs of life – other than mine.
I had found civilization, but it sure seemed abandoned. I decided to look at the books that were open on the table to see if I could recognize anything about them. Imagine my surprise when I was able to read the writing! I picked up the book and sat in the only place in the room, a huge high backed wooden chair covered with intricate carvings in a foreign script. The seat was padded and covered in a rich red leather – and dust. I began reading the tome and found that it was a treatise on patience and I immediately wanted to skip that book to the next, but I decided to read a few paragraphs and found myself becoming calmer. As I read it seemed as though time stopped and I forgot I was in an alien environment. I finished the book and was amazed at the clarity and reasoning, I felt a measure of new confidence and security – was that book magic?
I picked another book from the pile; it had a wooden cover with the same intricate carvings as the chair, totally unrecognizable symbols. The book was heavy, much heavier than its size would let on, and after reading the first paragraph I figured out why it had so much weight – the subject matter was very deep.
A ship from a safe port had set out to sea, unsure of its destination. It began moving through the ocean in one direction and ran into a terrible storm. The waves pounded the ship and damaged the rudder. The poor ship was throw like a baseball from one wave to another, the sails were torn, and the crew was terrified.
When the storm had passed, the crew made a few repairs to the sails and started moving again, further into the ocean rather than back to the safety of the harbor. Another storm struck the vessel and tore at the mast and ripped at the crew, many lives were lost and the ship took on much water. But then calm came again and the remaining crew set about repairing what damage they could – a tattered sail with patches was the best they could muster. They continued on towards the open waters, hoping to find a new port for repairs. Eventually they came to a port, but it was filled with pirates and thieves, the crew barely escaped in their damaged ship.
Again they sailed out into the open ocean and finally, they ran into a hurricane. The waves ran higher than they had ever seen. The fierce wind hit like a sledgehammer. The ship, already damaged, was destroyed and the crew drowned in the horrible blackness.
The end of the book had a single note:
Think of your life as the ship and the storms as the trials you face. Do you continue aimlessly or do you return to your port of safety?
I sat for a moment after reading and wept. I realize that I had always lived my life going from crisis to crisis, my crazy night was a prime example. What did I need to learn from this?
That’s when I saw something that caught my eye on the table. A tall yellowed piece of parchment with bold lettering across the top: WANTED. The image was a familiar face – button nose, cruel eyes, buck teeth, and whiskers. Apparently his name was Charmine the Chipmunk. He was wanted for horrible, horrible crimes that I won’t mention here. Dead or Alive – I immediately felt for the gun tucked into my tattered underwear. How I wish I had pants!
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thelabyrinthoftime · 3 years ago
Text
Slade and Barcher, is it?
DID YOU KNOW IT’S A MALTESE FALCON REF--
Of course. It’s probably the only reason I was interested in the movie in the first place. I was, anyway. It’s been tainted-by-associated, but maybe it’s been enough years that I can watch it again. I missed a good chunk of the beginning, anyway.
A couple nights ago, I gave an impromptu tour of the Labyrinth, after we read some not-so-cozy reviews of the game on Steam. It’s frustrated to read about how the graphics look dated. Yeah, it’s dated. It’s 1993. But it’s about as absurd as saying the Mona Lisa is dated. That it was made on a computer with the limitations of the time does not diminish the appreciation of the artwork in my mind. In fact, I don’t know if I’d like it as much if it was in 4KHD or something like that. Low resolution can be good like Lo-Fi music. Capitalism has rotted people’s brains out, that something must have the highest resolution possible, in 14.1 Dolby Surround Sound, all these other things that can only be truly appreciated on the newest, most expensive of electronics.
One valid complaint- although one should still remember it’s a product of its era- the ways the game becomes unsolvable without telling you, especially when it’s intuitive to take action in the game that will render the game unwinnable. It’s funny- I mentioned the game ending move of going down into the well without a lantern... and that’s what I did!
Ha!
Earlier, there’s the supposed game ending movie of putting a quarter in the jukebox without already having 13 on hand. This is ridiculous. All of it is ridiculous. Why would you put a quarter in a jukebox and have a key suddenly appear in the coin return. Did machines like that even have a coin return?
The funny thing is, I always got the Silver Key by just taking it when looking at the jukebox. I always assumed it was on the jukebox, or under it. It’s a glitch, but one that makes the game still winnable. You don’t need any quarters to get through the game. You don’t need a hat, either.
So I started wondering about in-universe possibilities for this. I’m sure the real answer is just “IT WAS ONLY A STUPID GAME!”, but that’s no fun, and since the game is so finite, I can’t help but do a little world building off the Labyrinth.
The detective’s office and the 1950s diner seem to be in the same time period. The time period of both is unclear, despite the name of the area where the jukebox can be found.
I’ve wondered if the year on the quarter(s) is purposefully 1949. You’re leaving a quarter from 1993 in the 50s. It might stand out if that quarter was from the future. However, if the diner really was from the 50s, having a quarter from 1949 would avoid arousing suspicion... Uh, and I guess it would also have to represent the quarters that come out of the phone, too, yeah? Again, putting it in 1949 eliminates the possibility of it sticking out... I guess.
But I’ve wondered if the diner, and thus, the detective agency, are really from some 40 years prior. Those pictures of classic cars most definitely look like a product of the era in which they were taken- they’re colorized, with a look that is definitely not something you would have found from the 1950s. I’ve also wondered if 25 cents to use a toilet would have been steep. Let’s see. Today, that would be about $2.84. Without looking, I’m guessing in 1993, it would have been half that.
Wouldn’t 25 cents have been a lot for a phone call from the 1950s, too? That it spits out all these quarters is kind of a big deal...
Hmm... could there have been other time travelers trying to use this phone, used to paying larger amounts of money to use it? You know... time travelers... from 1993. Perhaps Daedalus tried to get other people to help... and they ended up spending their money before they got to the toilet... or fell down the well... or gave a mirror two coats of paint... or was in jail the night Revolver Springs burned down. Yikes!
That’s a lot of money to be accidentally given to you. 13 quarters, $3.25...  I’m reading $38.62, which is a little inconsistent with the numbers I gave earlier. Different conversion site? I’m just repeating what Google is telling me. Still, that’s an awful lot of money to just rip off from that diner. Know what? That’s what they get for charging 25 cents to use the bathroom.
But I wonder... true to the whole detective genre, was someone else after that map that Maddigan took to his grave? Were other people after the Mayan Talisman? I mean, the detectives were looking for someone else, his case just intersected with the mystery of what happened to Mad Dog Maddigan. Either way, I wonder if people were trying to get to whatever information “Slade and Barcher” had on hand.
I don’t know, would there be a reason to do that, to hide the key? I guess if someone wanted to be subtle about breaking in, they wouldn’t bother trying to break the glass or in through the window from outside...?
It just seems like you don’t just accidentally put a key into a jukebox, nor would you expect to do anything but clog it by then putting in a quarter.
Also, their offices look way too fancy for being from the early to mid 20th century. I see a few places describe as being from the 1930s... Sure, all the Art Deco stuff, but that became pretty big again in the 80s.
Didn’t I already write about this?
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