#you could lock them in a closet and they'd dig their way out with a spoon before even considering confessing

[curiositykilledtheradiostar]

My rebutal to the argument "if wolf 359 doesn't have romantic plotlines then explain Jacobi and Kepler" is simple. it's unresolved homoerotic tension not romance and that's an entirely different beast. It's not a plotline it's one way to interpret the subtext

[cheyohara]

The oversized tee hanging on her lithe frame was most definitely one of Max's. It had been folded and sat on top of a stack on the bed in the guest room. She'd grabbed for it without thinking and put it on when she'd arrived home from the university. Priority number one had always been to get comfortable, and while she enjoyed the professor side of herself it wasn't what she considered the real her.

It had been a natural progression with his clothing mixing in with hers the longer and more often he stayed, the more space his belongings filled, and they were all washed with her own and folded. It was apart of her routine now. The only thing she didn't do, mostly because actual thought pulled her from autopilot, was put it away. Either in the closet or dresser. It felt presumptuous.

They hadn't had that conversation yet. Was Max staying because he wanted to, or was he staying because he felt he needed to, that he had to take care of her?

Reasons why it hadn't come up were simply because it hadn't felt needed yet. It felt good having a companion. That, and— Chey was afraid of the answer.

For now she wanted to revel in the comfort of his presence. Of the smile it put on her face every time she heard that key in the lock or him call out a greeting whenever he'd come through. It was too much to give up the warmth and comfort of having his arm around her while they slept. There was also the attachment that was growing stronger day by day.

Seeing the color flush his cheeks and neck caused Chey to resist putting her hands on his skin. Fingers curled around the scrunchie in her hair so that she could pull it free from the messy bun she'd quickly pulled it back into earlier. T-shirt and leggings, the professor chuckled softly and easily at Max's comment. "Careful with that," the brunette playfully warned as she got up and approached him.

“You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.”

It was one of her favorite quotes from The Little Prince and a small smirk curled the corner of her lips as she gently scratched her fingertips against his sternum when she passed him to head toward the payload he'd brought home with him.

"You must be exhausted," Chey commented after she'd listened about Max's busy day. "I'd offer to run you a bubble bath and give you a massage but I have a feeling we'll likely pass out on the couch after we're full and comfy with a movie playing." The intimacy of her offer wasn't lost on her but she treaded lightly, attempted to cover it up a little so it didn't come across as a big deal.

"Oh my god this is one of my favorites," her hand pat his leg in excitement to see the title come across the screen once they'd gotten settled on the couch and she was munching on a few fries. As easily as she'd lost the weight during her grief it wasn't coming back on quite the same, perhaps because Chey still didn't have much of an appetite. The slight thinning of her figure had been a point of insecurity for her lately, as she had already been lean. Now people pointed it out.

'Have you lost weight?'

'Gosh you're so thin now!'

'What's your summer diet secret?'

They hadn't known the weight she'd steadily been putting on was due to a little blessing, but these were little reminders she wanted to counter by not giving room for them anymore.

The pad of her thumb went to the corner of his mouth and brushed the salt away as she attempted to bite back her grin at his teasing and with, well, how cute he looked. "Maybe. Wanna hit me with your best shot?" Her thumb found it's way into her mouth where she gently sucked the granules of sodium off.

"I'm just trying not to be greedy," and also reminding herself how much she needs it, "thank you for this. Maybe you should stop staring at me and dig in yourself, buster." / @max-cortez

She wasn't broken. He wasn't broken either. Their shared loss had forged a void within them that would possibly never be filled, but it hadn't broken them. Not entirely in the sense that he'd feared, at least. Broken people couldn't heal, but he'd watched in awe as the curve of Chey's mouth had slowly worked its way upwards. It didn't matter that it hadn't lasted long, or that it had been followed by another moment of grief.

His fear of commitment had been lost entirely when it came to her. As if bound to his schedule, he'd treated her home much like his own. He'd slipped the spare key into its place as if it should have been there from the start. His key, she'd told him.

There were moments where he found himself fumbling with said metal in between clients. How could a single key mean so much? It spoke volumes to the trust they'd built in one another, the kind of trust that didn't happen with just anyone. No, what had been built between them was unmatched, a fact that he wouldn't wish upon any other person in life.

The softness in her voice caused a sense of warmth to flush through his veins. He'd never had much a routine, let alone one like this. "Figured. No point in acting like we're civilized now, huh?" Gaze swept over her desk and while he normally would have urged her away from the paperwork, now it was the very thing she needed. If her mind was elsewhere, perhaps she'd get a moment of reprieve, but that seemed more like wishful thinking than fact.

Heart thudded harder with every step closer she took and the lazy smile on his mouth doubled in size as her lips brushed the side of his own. For a moment, he lingered in the peace he'd felt with her so close, but a beat later, he was turning to follow her towards the holy grail of the home.

"Busy. We had more walk-ins today than we've had since I started. You would have thought we were doing a goddamn flash sale," he exhaled with a shrug. Between the walk-ins and the commission pieces he'd already accepted, it was a wonder he'd left the shop at all.

If the heaviest decision of the night would be picking a movie, he'd be a content man. "That's a tough one," he exhaled with a quiet hum of laughter as he settled onto the couch and took in the sight of the full spread before them. He'd gone all out, but at least with options, something would spark her hunger.

As he'd done plenty of times before, he reached for the remote with one hand and his glass with the other. A few clicks later and the original Halloween was on screen. "It's about that time, right? Might as well start early."

Pausing, Max plucked a french fry from the basket and popped it into his mouth with a boyish grin that beamed in her direction. "You waiting on me to say grace?" He was teasing, tone light and gaze fixed on hazel hues.

[azikarue]

MayBlade 2022 : Day 7 : Lace

Rick/Mariah | FFN Rating: T | FFN Link ❖ Rick was getting used to Mariah taking him by surprise. She wasn't half as sneaky as she liked to think, but she had a habit of deciding things and crossing boundaries without consulting him.

They'd started sharing a room during her stays when she started sleeping in his. She'd gotten him into a routine of grocery shopping on Sundays and laundry on Wednesdays. Saturday nights were date nights. One time he'd come home to his living room redecorated, because she'd taken it upon herself to do so.

Rick bitched about all of it at first, but she was just as stubborn as he was when she wanted to be, which was always. She could dig her heels in like no other. In the end it was always more appealing to decide he didn't give a shit than to listen to her harping on.

So when he came home to the unexpected surprise of her wearing his clothes, it was par for the course.

“Oh, hey Rick!” She beamed at him from the corner armchair and tucked a bookmark into her novel. She was always so happy to see him.

“What the hell are you wearing?” he scoffed, eyeing her up and down.

She had on one of his tank tops and a pair of his sweats. She had to tie the shirt up in a knot and pull the drawstring of the pants as tight as it could go to keep them from falling off. The sleeve was still sliding off of her shoulder and he could see the pink lace of her bra peeking out where the arm holes were way too big.

“They’re your clothes, Rick – you don’t get to make fun.”

When she stood up, the pants dragged on the floor. There had to be an extra foot of material gathered around her ankles.

“I’m not making fun of the clothes,” he said with a smirk, tossing his jacket over the back of the couch.

Mariah huffed and screwed her face into a glare that was cuter than it was menacing. It was a sure sign she wasn’t taking his teasing seriously, because she could be pretty damn terrifying when she tried. Not that he’d ever admit it when she was a whole foot shorter than him and easily flung over one of his shoulders.

“Well if you weren’t so ridiculously large,” she shot back and shuffled over to pick up his jacket. She had this thing about coats being in the closet where they belonged. Rick didn’t understand why they had to put away things he used on a daily basis but keep five pillows on the bed that they never slept on. “If you were the size of a normal human, I’d fit in your clothes just fine.”

Rick smirked and waited until she was halfway to the closet to say, “You’ve never complained about my size before.”

She squeaked and tripped on a pant leg.

It only took one of Rick’s longer strides to reach her before she hit the ground and snag her around the waist. Then he hoisted her up onto the kitchen counter amid her protests. His jacket was abandoned somewhere on the ground. He couldn’t give a shit about that when her borrowed shirt had slid even further off center, showcasing the delicate scalloped edge of her bra.

“You did that on purpose!”

He squeezed the smallest part of her waist where his hands had come to rest and she inhaled sharply, arched her back just a little.

“And what are you gonna do about it?” he asked, leaning in. He knew what he wanted her to do about it.

Mariah’s eyes gleamed and narrowed. She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him so hard towards her that she even slid forward some. She was strong for someone so petite and it was one of the things that drove him fucking crazy about her.

Her legs locked around his back and her lips met his in a deep, rough kiss. When he smirked against her mouth, happy to have gotten his way, she sank both pointed canines into his tongue in retaliation. He hissed. She knew those things hurt, just as well as she knew he didn’t mind the sting.

His hiss tapered off into a groan when she tangled her hand tight in his hair, between his ponytail and scalp. She pulled his head back, even though she was the one that had kissed him in the first place, and redirected his mouth to the base of her neck.

“Bossy,” he mumbled against her golden skin. Despite his protest, he was already hooking her bra strap with one finger and coaxing it down over her shoulder to join the sleeve of her pilfered shirt. He followed the path with his mouth, Mariah’s nails tightening against his scalp with every kiss.

“And what are you gonna do about it?” It pissed him off that her voice was so steady when her chest was heaving with every breath.

Rick growled. He pinched her ass with one hand and went for her drawstring with the other.

“I’m gonna see if your underwear match your ridiculous bra.”

[roselen-mylady]

the game

"First one to kiss Thor wins." Wanda suggested. Y/n tried to hide her scoff but judging by Nat's elbow in her ribs, she hadn't been successful. "Come on, Y/n!" Wanda groaned, rubbing her forehead in frustration. 

"Oh, you come on! What? Are we going to play 'would you rather' after?" Y/n joked, earning yet another jab from Nat. The two red heads glared at her annoyed but Y/n didn't care as she took a sip of champagne.

Pepper had convinced Tony to hold another party in hopes of boosting the team's morale and while it wasn't the first time he'd done it, the parties were still enjoyable. Y/n couldn't help the enthusiasm and joy that came with drinking, dancing and mingling. Everyone came, at least everyone she knew, along with a hundred other people Tony knew. Even Peter had started to attend the last few parties, granted Tony only made him a frequent attendee once he'd reached 18.

The parties were fun, yes, but still being the drama and excitement addicts they were, Y/n and her closest friends craved the thrill of their little games. They played them at every party. The first was a simple game of truth or dare and the second had been the cliche spin the bottle. But with each gathering their dares and games grew more and more risky. And Y/n loved it. They all did.

But tonight was different.

Tonight was boring.

"You're just upset that Bucky didn't want to make out in the closet with you last time we played." Nat accused. A deep frown settled on Y/n's lips from the stab at her pride but she quickly waved off Nat's insult with a dismissing hand.

"That's because he knew I was drunk off my ass. I didn't really wanna make out with him either, he's my friend. You know what alcohol does to me." She argued, getting a short disbelieving nod from Wanda in return.

"Uh huh. Or maybe cause he knows you're into his best friend." Nat suggested, sipping her own drink with a smirk as she narrowly dodged Y/n's threatening hand. Wanda giggled at the interaction, knowing there was truth behind Nat's words. She had seen into Y/n's mind and her fondness toward Steve practically screamed back at her.

"I'm not into Steve. The man is too self righteous for his own good and you know I'm into bad boys." Y/n shrugged, her attempt at hiding her feelings becoming transparent in her friends' eyes.

Yet before either of them could argue further and perhaps bring up the kiss she almost shared with Steve during spin the bottle, Sam and Bucky arrived. "Who's into bad boys? You've come to the right place ladies, I'm the baddest of them all." Sam flashed a charming smile to which they all rolled their eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sam, but I think Bucky has you beat on bad boys." Y/n challenged, sending a playful wink toward the soldier. Sam gasped, mocking hurt while Bucky rolled his eyes rather unamused with the discussion.

"That's right, weren't you the second shooter in the JFK assassination? That's gotta be as bad as it gets." Nat commented causing a dark flush on Bucky's face. A short flash of guilt appeared on his face but he instantly brushed the comment off deciding not to dig into his cloudy memory for the truth. The second shooter was just a conspiracy theory anyways. But then again, so was the Winter Solider...

"What are you, a cop?" Bucky let out a strained chuckle, bringing his drink to his lips subtly trying to pull himself from the conversation. Y/n offered an apologetic smile and he returned it gratefully before she turned her gaze away.

Despite his closed off nature she'd actually become a sort of friend to Bucky and while at first it was rocky, she rather enjoyed her friendship with him. Through Bucky she heard stories about Steve when they were growing up and she saw another side of him that she wished she'd known.

"You ladies up to another game?" Sam questioned suddenly. Nat nodded sharing a look with Wanda but Y/n's focus had been drawn away. While lost in her thoughts about him, her gaze had drifted to the man of her fantasies and she shamelessly watched as he talked with Tony and another man she didn't care to remember.

He was smiling, a sight that she cherished even if he'd never notice. The blue of his eyes seemed to shine brighter than any fireworks she'd ever seen and her heart skipped a beat just looking at them. His blonde locks had grown out while she had been snapped away but not enough to make him appear drastically changed. In fact she wasn't sure if anyone else had really noticed. Maybe she was just a stalker.

"Well, we were going to play one but Y/n thinks it's not big enough." Wanda replied, giving Y/n a glare as she turned back to the group.

"Well, it wasn't. I feel like everyone's used to our shenanigans so there's no challenge." Y/n shrugged, peering at the others with a bored stare. Sam shook his head, refusing to let the tradition die.

"What did you guys have in mind?" He asked, looking over the three women as they glanced around the party.

"Wanda suggested a competition to see who could kiss Thor first." Nat explained. Bucky scrunched his nose in disdain at the dare, exchanging a exasperated look with Y/n.

"Thor would do anything, if you asked him." Sam sighed, drinking whatever liquor he had requested. Y/n remembered him saying something about woman being attracted to a man who can handle hard liquor but she had chosen to ignore him. Though she did have to admit it must've been hard for him to compete with both of his best friends being able to drink without the effects of the alcohol they consumed.

"That's what I thought! Thor would gladly abide anything if it made us happy. He's too kind for his own good." Y/n playfully rolled her eyes as they looked over to said god. He had slimmed down significantly during his time with the guardians and Y/n could almost swear that there wasn't an ounce of body fat left on the man. His hair had been cut as well, returning to his signature length and his beard had been trimmed down to a reasonable length. In other words, the Asgardian had almost every girl swooning once more.

But Y/n was swooning for another.

The same man she had for years.

"We could make it more of a challenge." Nat proposed. The group turned to her with interested eyes, the only one who hadn't seemed to match their intrigue being a very grumpy Bucky. "We could expand the dare to all Avengers. Unless you guys wanna be pussys and limit it only to men." Nat winked.

Wanda's face flushed at the suggestion and quickly shook her head. "I have a hard enough time kissing the people I've known for years let alone all the new Avengers." She squeaked. Sam chuckled nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, not that you guys are pussys I'm just saying that is a lot of people. That'll take forever. Let's just stick with Avengers pre-snap." Sam's laughter grew at Y/n and Nat's disappointed expressions, having reaped them of the extra challenge they'd been searching for.

"How about this?" He began realizing without a catch the game wouldn't be that much fun for any of them. "You have to get them to kiss you but only using cheesy ass pick up lines." Sam explained, looking rather proud of his game plan.

"What type of kiss?" Y/n questioned suspiciously.

"Any." A buzz of laughter and eagerness flooded over the girls and Y/n smirked knowing she'd been born for this challenge. "Are we all in agreement?" Sam asked looking to each for affirmations. Once everyone was on board they put their hands in the middle, a sort of ritual they had developed as a way to insure everyone's commitment.

But another presence had been added to their usual group and they turned to Bucky to see what he would do. He had never been on the scheming side of the games and usually was a victim but now he had a choice. Though he'd rather be removed from the plan all together he figured he'd might as well get it over with while he still knew what was happening.

"Yeah, alright but I'm not doing make outs. You guys do your lines or whatever, get your kiss, then I'm out." Bucky told them, putting his vibranium arm into the middle along with the rest. With childish grins on their faces they let their hands fall as Sam stepped forward.

"As per tradition, you all start off with a good luck kiss from moi." Sam explained, putting a dramatic hand over his chest as he turned to Wanda. She scoffed at his attempt at charm allowing him to peck her lips with a teasing smirk. Turning to Nat, he hesitated allowing her to quickly kiss him, learning the hard way that coming onto her was an easy way to get a black eye. The smack of her lipstick made Bucky shake his head, his 40s mindset unable to grasp how easily they'd all accepted the concept.

Sam then turned to Y/n, noticing the way she subtly glanced in the direction of Steve as his arm came around her waist. "Looking for someone? Cause your prince charming is right here." Sam flirted earning an eye roll from the woman before him.

"I thought we were supposed to do the crappy pick up lines." Y/n raised a brow, keeping a hand on his chest to get some distance.

"I said cheesy not crappy. I'm offended." He frowned playfully only to have it wiped off his face by the soft peck of her lips. She pulled away just as quick, slipping out of his hold and shaking her head.

"Oh, how will you ever recover?" She replied sarcastically, making the girls laugh quietly beside her. He smirked turning to Bucky.

"Alright, Buck. Let's get this show on the road." Sam announced patting Bucky's shoulder roughly as he urged him forward. Surprisingly Bucky seemed more nervous than he did annoyed so Y/n decided to take the lead this time, stepping closer to the brunette.

Deciding to keep it simple for Bucky's sake she trailed her fingers along his forearm, giving him a gentle smile. "Hey, can I borrow a kiss? I promise I'll give it back." She spoke smoothly. Sam cackled behind them but Y/n paid no mind instead smiling back at Bucky as he chuckled softly, grateful she hadn't used one of the dirty lines he was sure she had.

Shaking his head he leaned down, placing a gentle kiss to the corner of her lips. Though he made it seem like he was annoyed by the games he was forced into every party, he found Y/n made them more enjoyable, being one of his only friends.

"Go on. You better win since it's your fault I'm a part of this." He grumbled and Y/n laughed, nodding before running off to claim more lips.

On the other side of the room a certain blonde had caught sight of her, his eyes narrowing slightly in interest as Tony leaned closer to him. "I think Y/n's playing another one of those games. I swear that girl is going to be the death of me. Let's just hope Morgan stays innocent." Tony mumbled, bringing his glass to his lips as he surveyed Steve's expression.

"Yeah." Steve replied dully, his focus directed at the only girl in the room he couldn't keep his eyes off of. Tony smirked knowingly, deciding he'd allow Steve to ignore him just this once.

•••

Y/n had this in the bag.

Thanks to Sam she had a wide range of pick up lines to try out and she planned to use the right one with each.

The first person she recognized in the crowd was T'Challa and she made her way to him slyly, his gaze falling on her as the crowd parted. "Ah, Ms. Y/n. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He questioned, a bit of mistrust in his eyes when he recognized the smirk on her face.

"Just seeing how my favorite pussy cat is." Y/n replied with an innocent shrug. He squinted suspecting her ulterior motives. He'd been to enough of Tony's parties to know that she along with Nat and Wanda usually had some kind of game and while he was entertained by it he also knew he needed to maintain decency being a King.

"He is very happy you're here to make things interesting. He was just telling me about how boring this party was. Also he was telling me he should ask you when you're going to bring Peter to Wakanda, that boy won't get off my back." Shuri spoke up, stepping closer to the pair with a pleased smirk. T'Challa didn't seem to share her amusement but knew most of what she had said was true.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that I have to be in Wakanda next week, I'll see if he's free to tag along." Y/n replied, turning her gaze to the spider boy. He still seemed to follow Tony around like a lost puppy but Y/n hoped maybe their field trip to Wakanda would break him out of his shell.

"Would it be wishful thinking if I hoped your visit to our kingdom is the only reason for your presence now?" T'Challa questioned. Shuri and Y/n laughed answering his question. There was another game going on. "What's the challenge now? Let me guess, I should be expecting Ms. Romanoff and Ms. Maximoff next?"

"More than likely. But there's a twist this time." Y/n explained, noticing the bit of curiosity in his eye as she sipped her drink. "If you like my pick up line, you have to give me a kiss."

Shuri giggled next to them excited to hear whatever line Y/n had planned. The young princess was always up for some mischief especially if her brother was the victim and this was what made her adore Y/n so much.

"And what if I don't?"

"I'll just have to try again, I suppose. You know how persistent I am." Y/n winked. T'Challa shook his head, catching sight of Wanda across the room having already collected her kiss from Thor. With a silent sigh, he turned back to Y/n figuring he'd best not hold her up any longer.

"Fine." Y/n smiled, locking eyes with Shuri for a moment before turning back to T'Challa. She stepped forward, the soft click of her heels sending a chill down his spine as she put a hand on his upper arm. Her lips curved into a smile and he braced himself for the line that seemed to bring her so much pride.

"Meow you doin'?" Y/n smirked, her voice smooth as velvet as her eyes stared into his. Laughter erupted from his sister and he turned to her as Y/n burst out into her own fit of giggles.

"I don't get it." T'Challa told them, dumbly trying to use the little bit of context he was given to understand the joke.

"Oh, brother! As soon as we return home we are watching Friends! Now give her a kiss so that she may have a chance at winning!" Shuri spoke through laughs. T'Challa shook his head but lifted Y/n's hand nonetheless and placed a soft kiss to her knuckles.

"I feel cheated." He grumbled but the laughter from both girls was enough to take his mind off the pick up line that went straight over his head.

"Pleasure doing business with you, King T'Challa." Y/n curtsied before turning away to find her next victim, leaving T'Challa and Shuri with entertained smiles.

Next on her list was Bruce Banner, the most lost out of all of the men who had experienced the game. The first time they decided to target just one person, he had been the focus and while he enjoyed Nat's kiss, Y/n and Wanda following in the act seemed to put him in a daze for a week.

"You got T'Challa right off that bat? Sometimes I hate how good you are at this." Nat's voice cut into Y/n's thoughts as the two stood together surveying Bruce.

"There's nothing to it, my friend. Give a line, get a kiss. It's science. Did you already get Clint?" Y/n questioned, trying to see where she was at as far as the competition went.

Nat shook her head softly, glancing over at the other men they'd still needed to kiss. "No. He's not here. He says he wants us to take his retirement seriously so until then he won't be at the parties, I guess." She explained and Y/n nodded quietly. One less guy to convince, she reasoned.

"You know I'll never get used to his transformation thing." Y/n commented, gesturing toward Bruce with a nod. Nat followed her gaze, leaning into Y/n to see past the crowd of people in front of her.

"Yeah, me either." She replied. Y/n's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she glanced at Nat through the corner of her eye but ultimately decided it wasn't something she really desired to question further.

"You better save your best pick up line for Steve." Nat warned, the smile on her lips all too knowing for Y/n's liking. Her mouth ran dry and the familiar rush upon hearing his name coursed through her making her face burn.

"For the last time, I'm not into-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Too bad though. He's been watching you ever since the game started." Nat whispered, turning Y/n's head in his direction with a poke to her chin.

The red on Y/n's face grew darker at the sight of Steve looking back at her, his eyes locking with hers over the rim on his glass. A soft shade of pink settled on his cheeks to match her own and his gaze faltered before returning to the man he'd been talking to.

"Save the best for last." Nat teased softly as Y/n turned back to her. She tried to brush off Nat's words as she stalked off toward Bruce but she couldn't get the image of Steve out of her mind.

Had he ever looked at her like that before? Was she losing her mind?

A long sigh escaped her as she tried desperately to focus on racking her brain for any science puns she had.

"Y/n! Hey, long time no see!" He cheered, pulling her into a side hug. The laughter that bubbled out of her chest was involuntary as she practically disappeared under his good arm.

"It's nice to see you too, Bruce. How's the arm?" Y/n questioned gesturing to the cast that seemed to be permanent on the larger than life limb. Bruce offered a tentative shrug, looking down at it.

"Tony and I aren't sure if it's ever going to heal. He's been looking at the possibility of getting a prosthetic but I don't really mind it. We beat Thanos, that's all that really matters to me." He replied. Y/n smiled kindly at him, putting her hand on the cast as her fingers trailed Steve's signature. She couldn't help the racing of her heart when she realized he'd signed right below her own.

"So, Nat tells me you guys are doing another game. Why do you guys do that anyways? Don't you get embarrassed?" He asked, genuinely interested. Whatever Nat had told him seemed to make him more aware and Y/n found herself open to his questions.

"I don't know. I trust everyone on the team so kissing them isn't a big deal. If anything I think it makes us more open to one another. Not to mention half of us are touch starved and probably need a kiss every so often." She laughed thinking back to her poor Bucky.

Bruce laughed too, "Well, maybe next party you'll find a way to get everyone to play. That'll be a sight." He chuckled imagining everyone competing against one another in some intimate game. Y/n nodded perhaps taking the suggestion maybe a bit too seriously.

"Maybe...I've gotta win this game first though. I'm sure you know the rules." She raised a playful brow and crossed her arms. He nodded remembering Nat's line with a loving smile. "Good. Let's see."

Her hand rose to her chin, staring up at the ceiling for a moment as she thought. Bruce watched with a entertained smile as her eyes lit up before looking back at him.

"Hey, baby. If you were an enzyme I'd be a DNA synthase so I could unzip your genes." She nudged Bruce's side making him laugh.

"That was the worst." He chuckled and Y/n laughed as well, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, but you laughed so..." He nodded wrapping his free arm around her shoulders and leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head, the most accessible spot from his outrageous height.

"I'm gonna remember that one." Bruce told her, his head bobbing unconsciously as he already began practicing the line in his head. Y/n bowed proudly before disappearing into the crowd once more.

"Who's next?" She mumbled to herself, running her hands along her dress, absentmindedly flatting the bunching in the fabric. The dress had been her favorite, hugging her perfectly as many of the tailored clothes Pepper sent her did. But this one was different.

This one was blue. But not just any blue. It was the same dark navy Steve wore on every mission. A color she found herself buying more often, whether it be on a folder or on a dress. She was almost attracted to it as much as she was to Steve and while it seemed a little silly, it made her happy knowing she could express her hidden feelings through little things such as that. She truly was head over heels but she could never tell him that. She could never risk the rejection she feared she'd be met with if she dared make a move.

So she loved him from afar.

•••

"Oh no. Not pick up lines." Tony groaned next to Steve, his eyes nearly disappearing into the back of his head as he rolled them. Sam chuckled, nodding his head.

"It's true. Everyone is going to get hit on in the most undesired way possible tonight." He grinned, his lips still buzzing from the kisses he'd recieved.

"Yeah, you have bird brain here to thank for that." Bucky grumbled from Steve's left. Sam frowned, glaring at the semi stable hundred year old man.

"That's not what you said when you kissed Y/n." He retorted.

Steve tried to fight the jealousy that boiled in his gut but Bucky had already noticed the frown that reached his best friend's face.

"Only because I want her to win. She's my friend." Bucky explained, hoping his emphasize on 'friend' would put Steve at ease but the super soldier would never truly be at ease unless he had her in his arms.

He'd lost so much over the years including her and now that he had it all back-had her back, it felt wrong that they weren't together like he hoped. But he couldn't just tell her. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if he lost her in a way that no infinity stones could reverse?

"Personally I'm rooting for Wanda. That girl's smile would make you wanna kiss her. Not to mention her mind control stuff." Sam argued, using his hand to mimick Wanda's powers.

"Is this going to happen at every party?" Fury remarked from behind them making them turn to him, some with annoyed glances.

"You're not allowed to say anything about this, 'Mr. Off-Limits'." Sam proclaimed, feeling a tad responsible for keeping Fury out of the games. Especially after what happened last time.

"I won't be forced to partake in childish games like that. Y/n had it coming." Fury explained, any remorse he might've felt long gone.

Steve crossed his arms, his shirt tightening around his arms as he tried to bite his tongue. "You nearly broke her arm." He suddenly spoke up. Sam's suggestive smirk made him regret it instantly but thankfully Sam chose not to say anything.

"Gotta admit. Her resolve is pretty firm. It's actually pretty hot." Sam wiggled a brow at Steve. The poor blonde wanted to curl up and die in shame but Sam wasn't wrong.

Perhaps it was her determination and strong will that had attracted him. They were characteristics he was known for as Captain America but yet somehow her will was more powerful than his own.

It was one of the many things that he had loved her for. And one of the things that kept him going during the five years without her.

"Ugh. Can we please not talk about my niece like this?" Tony groaned, hating the idea of them sexualizing the girl he'd practically raised since she was a teen. Steve agreed, unsure how much longer he'd be able to stand them talking about her.

"Ooo, look. She's onto Thor now." Peter piped up pointing a finger toward Y/n as she made her way to the golden haired god. Yet the warning glare he received from Tony was enough to make him quiet again and he silently sunk back into the crowd behind them.

"I've got too many kids."

•••

"Thor!" Y/n cheered. Upon hearing his name, the Asgardian turned returning her smile with a brilliant grin. The flask in his hand was opened yet there was no flush to his face signaling he was either only mildly buzzed or close to it.

"Lady Y/n. I was beginning to wonder when you'd come around. I do cherish our time together." Thor's smile was kind and radiant but she couldn't help but think there was still one smile that could outshine even that of a god's.

"Oh, you know I'd never miss a kiss from you." Y/n returned the charm, allowing his arm to come around her waist, resting at a comfortable distance from her hips. Thor had been the most accepting of their games and never seemed to go through the confusion that the rest did. Or maybe that was just her.

"I was just telling Valkyrie of your little games. She finds them truly amusing. Perhaps I'll convince you to accept her into the tournament." Thor explained, gesturing the hand holding his flask toward Valkyrie.

"Well, it's not exactly a tournament, just a little fun to keep things interesting. You're welcome to join if you're up for it." Y/n smiled, offering a small nod of acceptance toward the warrior woman.

"A competition among women where men are the victims? Sounds like my kind of crowd." Valkyrie replied, an excited smile landing on her lips as the two woman shared a look of mutual approval.

"Wonderful." Thor praised, the joy in his tone seeming to radiate off of him, infecting Y/n with each passing second she was in his grasp. "Now Lady Wanda spoke of this night's challenge. I believe you have a suggestive comment in which to lift me yes?" He spoke, looking down at Y/n as she began to giggle uncontrollably.

"Yes, Thor. In return for the pick up line, I get a kiss. But only if you enjoy it." She recited the rules earning a heartfelt smile from him in return.

"If it is spoken by you I'm bound to enjoy it." He told her earnestly. There was something in the way he would speak that made a girl's knees weak and while Y/n was able to withstand it better than most, she wondered if he was striving for that reaction from her.

Y/n shook her head at him, giving him a half-hearted glare as she looked up at him. "Alright, here it goes." She warned him, taking his attentive gaze as a confirmation to continue.

"Hey, gorgeous. Was your father a thief? Cause someone stole the stars from the sky and put them in your eyes." Before Y/n could even offer a wink or a smirk, thunderous laughter sounded from the man beside her, drawing the attention of everyone around them.

A flush of pink bloomed on her face, slightly embarrassed under the eyes of so many, especially Steve, yet she wasn't able to dwell on it for long as she was swept up into the air. Ever the enthusiast, Thor had excitedly boosted her into the air and spun her before allowing her feet to reach the ground again, a little unsteadily from how fast he'd acted.

"You've certainly lifted me, Lady Y/n." Thor told her, bringing her smile back as she regained her balance. "Are you ready for your kiss now?" He inquired, his hand resting comfortably on her waist as he insured she was still willing to welcome a kiss.

With a small nod she leaned up accepting his lips in a teasing yet modest kiss not unlike the one they'd shared before. They pulled away a moment later, smiling at each other as Thor's hand easily slipped away from her waist.

"I'm afraid I must send you off in order for you to return victorious." Thor said, a hint of reluctance in his tone yet in a taunting way similar to friendly banter.

"And that I shall. I'm the best, you know." Y/n declared. Valkyrie laughed beside her, lifting her own glass toward Y/n in a sort of cheers.

"For now. We'll see next time who's the best." Y/n clinked her empty glass with Valkyrie's nodding respectfully as she made a note to get more champagne.

"May the best woman win." Y/n smirked, oblivious to the eyes on her as she walked off toward the bar.

Part Two

[purposefully-lost]

Telling him had been a bad idea. Alex crossed his arms over his chest, frowning as he watched him seem to struggle with everything that had been said. He knew it was a lot to take in, but Andy should've understood. He called him Jonny for a reason. He knew what Rabbit was.

"You said you still have sympathy for him," he replied, still watching him intensely. He felt his heartbeat start to pick up. His chest had been tight since the moment Rabbit had forced him out, but now he really felt like he couldn't breathe. Andy was a damn good source, and a trustworthy one. If he said anything when he walked out of that door, there wouldn't be any reason for someone to think he was lying. Alex would be in a cell by morning.

If he were someone different, if there were a chance in hell he'd end up close enough to Rabbit to speak to him, he wouldn't mind the thought so much. But he knew better. If he wasn't dead within the week, he wouldn't even have the means to send a letter. Everything he'd so carefully thought through, every plan to get his way into that facility under the guise of an interview, would mean nothing. It'd be well and truly over. He couldn't let that happen.

Would that Andy had shown up a few minutes later, after Steph had gone to work. Chances were Alex wouldn't have answered the door in the first place, and if he had- no one else would've known he'd been here. There'd be some chance at getting him to shut up.

"Andy," he said, his voice soft, and almost pleading whether he liked it or not. "You said you knew him. A- and you did! You fucking knew him the way I do. If you'd been there.." He thought about Rabbit passing back his glasses, after they'd cracked during that first meeting. The way he'd kissed him like he'd never done it before. It was hard to say that the man in front of him wouldn't have understood if he'd lived through it. Alex bit down on the inside of his cheek. There were photos and videos he had hidden away that were for his eyes only. No one else would ever get to see them and he was perfectly fine with that. They were his, moments he'd stolen away with Rabbit that he wasn't going to let go of. But if it'd convince someone that Rabbit was as cold as they said he was...

Alex pushed himself off the counter and stalked off down the hall. There were a pair of cardboard boxes in his closet that were each halfway filled with clothing or other junk he didn't mind getting rid of- he'd been intending to carry them off to a storage space somewhere where he could keep them locked up and further hidden by whatever else he could shove in there, because underneath it all were the tapes and film that carried his year with Rabbit. He spent a moment digging, chewing down on his cheek until it was sore and considering if this wasn't going to make things worse. If Andy revealed not only what he'd done, but that he had more recorded evidence...

Landing on a tape labelled with a date from somewhere about three months after he'd met Rabbit, he pulled it out and returned back to the living room. He switched on the TV and looked back at Andy. He studied his gaze before he spoke, and when he did, he was quiet. There wasn't anyone listening in and he knew that, but it felt worse to say it at a normal volume. "I.. took videos, while I was with him," he told him. "Photos, too. It was a.. a failsafe. When the cops found out I'd been involved, I handed some of it over, made it look like I'd been collecting evidence until the moment I could.. expose him." He pressed his lips together, looked down at the cassette, and drummed his fingers lightly along the plastic. "..I kept the tapes that showed too much of.. what was real. You know?" He hesitated again, then offered it out towards Andy. "Put it in, if you wanna see what I mean. You've gotta understand why I couldn't leave him."

"Alex?" Steph stood at his door, having just barely cracked it open to peer inside. He was lying in his bed with that dog he'd gone and adopted, her head cuddled to his chest while he fondly scratched at her ears. Some of his clothing was scattered around the room, half-packed for the trip he planned to take to his mom's to get out of the city while there was still so much heat on the Jack Rabbit story. There was a wariness in his eyes when he looked up at her. She hated to bother him. "Um. There's someone here for you."

His eyes narrowed. Alex pushed himself up, though one of his hands still scratched at Baby. "I told you not to talk to anyone. And I'm not saying shit to any kind of press."

"That's the thing," she replied. "He's not a reporter."

"Reporters lie, Steph." He frowned at her. "Tell him to go away."

"I can pretty well verify he's not a reporter." Stephanie crossed her arms. "He's like a.. baseball player, or something. Or he used to be. I think I've seen him when I visit the schools." Alex's frown turned more confused, but before he could talk, she cut him off. "Look, I've gotta get to work. If he's some.. creep, I'll kick him out, but I can't just leave him standing at the door. And it's just.. weird, so I thought-"

"Okay, fine. I'll.. look, I guess." Alex nudged Baby so she'd move. The dog let out a whine of protest, but complied when he gave her another small nudge. She didn't go far from his side as he moved out of his room and stared down the hall towards the front door. There, standing just inside, was a face that he almost didn't recognize. They'd only met the once, and sure, he'd caught a couple of the games, but.. "What the fuck are you doing here?" He called out, lacking in anger but full of a kind of bewilderment. Alex marched down the hall and stopped a few feet away from him. He'd changed his mind by that point. There wasn't any reasonto entertain this, whatever it was. "Listen, man, I'm not taking visitors."

@smallvillecrows

[jackies-wearing-khakis]

Marriage and Murder Pt. 1 (Shelby!Reader)

a/n: I'm a bit disappointed I had to post this in two parts, but alas, the original one-shot was too long for Tumblr.

summary: Things get progressively darker as you try to survive Tommy and Grace's wedding night.

words: 3101

warnings: Themes of drinking and sexual assault.

 "(y/n), for fuck's sake, hurry up!" Polly shouted from the betting room. She, Ada, Finn, John, and Esme were dressed in formal clothes, waiting for you to get ready.

  "Five minutes, Pol!" you called from your bedroom.

  "I swear to God," your aunt said under her breath as she checked her watch. "It's her own brother's wedding and she's decided to take her sweet time."

  "What's taking her so long anyway?" Finn asked, bored to death.

  "She probably looks ugly as hell and can't stand to face it," John whispered, earning a chuckle from Finn and a smack to the back of the head from Ada. 

  "I don't care 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 she's doing, if that girl's not down here soon we're leaving without her." Polly huffed.

  What Polly and the others didn't understand was that you were by 𝘯𝘰 means taking your sweet time. If anything, you were practically tripping over yourself to try and find a dress to wear to Tommy and Grace's wedding. You'd accidentally ripped the dress you were supposed to wear the night before when you'd gotten your arm stuck in one of the sleeves. Now, you were caught between a rock and a hard place; go downstairs and face humiliation, or stay in your room and face Polly. You could tell today was going to be stressful.

  You were legitimately considering cutting off the sleeves of your dress entirely when Polly came bursting into the room without warning.

  "Pol, wait!" you shouted, instinctively holding your arms in front of your head for self-defense.

  "I don't give a shit if you're ready or not, we're going," Polly growled. She grabbed your arm, unknowingly pulling at the rip in your dress. With one strong yank, your aunt had doubled the size of the tear. The two of you froze in shock at the damaged material.

  "𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴, (y/n)," Polly muttered.

  "I know, it's awful." you sighed.

  As you stood there, Finn peeked his head into your room. Immediately, he saw your dress and gasped.

  "𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵, (y/n)." Finn chuckled. "What the hell did you do?"

  "Go away!" you shouted angrily. You grabbed one of your shoes and chucked it at your brother, hitting him in the shoulder. He stumbled out of the room laughing.

  You threw yourself face-first onto your bed in utter despair, sighing dramatically.

  "Oh, Pol, this'll be the death of me," you whined, your voice muffled by the covers. Your aunt rolled her eyes as she lit a cigarette.

  "Stop feeling sorry for yourself," Polly spoke. "We'll figure something out."

  It wasn't long before Ada and Esme had made their way upstairs and into your room. The four of you sat in silence, quietly brainstorming. Suddenly, Esme stood up.

  "I've got a dress that might work," she said, and immediately rushed to go fetch it. Your face lit up, and you excitedly hopped off your bed to go with your sister-in-law. Ada and Polly exchanged glances.

  You followed Esme into her and John's old room, where she was digging through her closet.

  "Now, (y/n), you're a bit smaller than I am, so hopefully this won't look too awkward on you," Esme said, tossing clothes in every direction.      

  "Now, if only I could find the damn thing."

  "What's it look like?" you asked.

  "See for yourself," Esme responded, pulling out a green shapeless dress with beaded lace embroidery.

  You gawked at the beauty of the thing; it was an excellent balance of elegance and youth. Not too modest, not too sexy; it was superbly tasteful.

 "Oh my God, Esme, it's perfect." you breathed. 

  "Hurry up and try it on!" she urged, pushing the dress into your arms. With that, she rushed out of her room.

  To your relief, the dress fit perfectly. You barely had any time to show it off to the others before Polly had rushed everyone out of the house and into the cramped car, practically dragging you all by the wrists. 

  The five of you slipped into the chapel quietly as you could. Tommy gave you all dirty looks as you scooted into the pews one by one. 

  "Where the fuck've you been?" Arthur whispered to Polly as she sat down next to him.

  "There was a complication," Polly answered. "Nothing worth worrying about now."

  "Complication my arse. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 one took forever to get changed." John scoffed, pointing his thumb towards you.

  "It wasn't my fault, the dress ripped!" you whined. 

  "It was 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 your fault, (y/n)," Finn added smugly.

  "I swear to God if you three don't 𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘱 I'll drag you all home by the ears." Polly threatened under her breath. Nobody had anything to say about your dress after that.

  John grumbled as Grace entered the chapel.

  "Here come the fucking cavalry, late as usual." he griped.

  "I don't get it, why's everyone hate them?" you asked in a whisper.

  "Well, first of all, they weren't supposed to wear their uniforms. Just goes to show they're disrespectful bastards." John whispered back.

  "𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺? That's all it is?" you questioned.

  John sighed as he tried to find the right words for the situation.

  "Listen, (y/n), just stay away from them. Half those men are self-righteous pricks who'll take advantage of you if you give 'em the chance," he warned.

 "Hush." Esme chimed in, squeezing John's hand. "They're exchanging vows."

  Your gaze turned to the men in red uniform as Tommy and Grace stood at the altar. You accidentally locked eyes with a boy who couldn't have been older than twenty. Not sure what to do, you smiled politely at him. To your surprise, he smiled back.

   Your exchange was cut off by the sound of Jeremiah Jesus's voice filling the room.

  "I now pronounce you man and wife." he declared, and everyone in the chapel applauded as Tommy and Grace shared a kiss. You couldn't help but feel a pang of pride as you watched your brother smile at his new wife. There was something magical about the way he was able to just 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘹 in her presence, especially since you couldn't think of another day Tommy wasn't trying to take over Birmingham.

  𝘖𝘩, 𝘛𝘰𝘮, you thought wistfully, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦?

   Unfortunately, the warmth of the wedding ceremony quickly faded as everyone gathered outside for the family photo. Nearly ten minutes went by as the Shelby clan struggled to organize themselves into a tight group.

   You initially tried to stand behind Polly and Arthur to be near the other women, but that plan quickly failed when you realized you were too short to stand behind either of them. It was a tremendous effort to try to force yourself in between them, and the result left you in a painfully awkward position where you were left standing sideways. The ultimate solution was to have you stand with John's children; you were mortified.

  "Christ, I look like a 𝘬𝘪𝘥," you whined, showing the picture to Finn. The two of you sat together at the base of the stairs in Tommy's house, trying your best to avoid the crowds of people wandering the halls..

  "It's not that big a deal," he said plainly, taking the picture in his hands. "Nobody really cares."

  "It's a big deal to me." you mumbled.

   You could see John and Arthur approaching from a distance. By the looks of it, they'd already gotten their hands on some champagne.

  "Finn. Tommy wants a meeting in the kitchen." Arthur spoke as he passed by.

  "I should probably go with him." Finn sighed as he stood up.

  "Wait, take me with you!" you pleaded, grabbing onto his arm. "I've got nobody else to talk to."

  Finn quickly leaned over the stairs to check if Arthur and John had gone. Once he saw the coast was clear, he turned back to you.

  "Fine. But you shouldn't say anything," he advised.

  "Wasn't planning on it."

  You and Finn had assumed the meeting would be family only, but as you snuck your way into the kitchen you were surprised to find a swarm of Blinders men crowding the room. You instinctively stuck close to your brother, trying your best to avoid bumping into anyone. The two of you slowly hovered towards the center of the room, where the immediate family gathered. There Tommy stood in the midst of it all with a cigar in his hands. 

   "Right. Today is my wedding day." he began, and the room fell silent.

   "Yeah, and you said there'd be no uniforms, Tom." John interrupted, and a few people murmured in agreement.

  "In spite of there being bad blood, I'll have none of it on my carpet." Tommy continued, ignoring John's comment. "For Grace's sake, nothing will go wrong today."

   Tommy began circling the room as he spoke, making sure to lock eyes with every man present.

  "And if any of you fuckers do 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 to embarrass her, kin, cousins, your kids, your horses, 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.."

  Just as he was about to finish his sentence, Tommy noticed you standing there next to Finn. He froze for a moment, then furrowed his brows. You cursed under your breath.

  "What are you doing here?" Tommy asked, but it felt more like an accusation.

   You realized every man in the room had their eyes on you. You shifted uncomfortably.

  "It's a family meeting, isn't it?" you grumbled. "Last I checked I was a Shelby."

   Tommy sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes in annoyance.

  "𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵? I'm glad you're here because there's something I should say." he began. You crossed your arms defensively.

  "You've been wild these past few months, (y/n), don't think I haven't noticed."

  "So?" you scoffed.

  "𝘚𝘰, I won't have any of it tonight. I swear, if I find out you've been drinking, flirting, or doing 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨  that might damage this family's reputation, I assure you that you'll live to regret it. 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥?"

  You didn't know how to feel about Tommy's words. In a way, he was right; you'd been drinking more than usual as of late, not to mention fooling around with some of the boys you were going to school with. You didn't understand why that was such a big deal though, especially since you were a saint compared to your brothers. Really, the whole thing seemed unfair.

  "Yeah, I understand." you finally answered. "I'll just spend the night boring myself to death while you boys do whatever you want." 

  "That's the spirit." he shot back.

  "Tommy, what about snow?" Isiah asked from across the room. You silently thanked him for taking the attention off you.

  "There'll be no cocaine," Tommy answered sternly. A few men in the room sighed.

  Tommy took the opportunity to get back to his speech.

  "No sport. No racing. No sucking the petrol out of their cars. You give them 𝘯𝘰 excuses to look down their noses."

  The room was uneasy. Nobody was sure what to think as Tommy stood there, almost desperately trying to talk sense into his men.

  "But the main thing is, you fuckers.." he began.

  "Why are you mad at 𝘶𝘴, Tom?" Finn mumbled.

  "..in spite of provocation from the cavalry.."

  Tommy walked along the line of men standing around him, getting close to Arthur, then John, then Finn, then finally you.

  "..no fighting. 𝘕𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨!" 

  And with that, everyone was sent out of the kitchen.

  The party started slow, and you found yourself wandering around the house aimlessly with nothing to do. Everywhere you went people were already drinking, and a part of you wanted nothing more than to join them. The other, more sensible part remembered Tommy's warning and decided to avoid alcohol for the night. As much as you wanted to piss him off and indulge yourself, you knew getting drunk would only prove that you were irresponsible. 

  Dinner in the great hall was an absolute disaster. You sat between Finn and Ada, who were both caught up in their own conversations. You were starving, and Tommy and Grace had been taking a suspiciously long amount of time to get ready. Even after they'd finally come downstairs, Arthur had to get through his speech before anyone could eat.

  "Now, I'm not one for speeches." Arthur began. The poor man looked like a deer trapped in headlights.

  "Sing then!" John shouted. Esme grabbed his arm wearily.

  "I've got a speech written down here. but it's not everything I want to say." Arthur droned on. You buried your head in your hands.

  "Arthur, just read what we've written down," Tommy said softly.

  "I will, Tom. But first, a few words from the heart." 

  Arthur gently placed the small piece of paper into one of his pockets, then cleared his throat.

   "𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬." Tommy breathed.

   "I'd just like to say that my brother helped me survive hard times. Trouble in my head.."

  As Arthur gave his speech, you noticed Polly staring at a man who sat opposite her. He was older than she was and wore a dark suit that matched his serious expression.

  "Who's that?" You leaned over and whispered to Ada.

  "Kaledin something," she whispered back. "Don't bother talking politics with him, I've already tried."

  Unlike Ada, you weren't interested in having political debates with strangers. Still, there was an air of mystery surrounding the man. Something about him made it impossible to look away, even when he met your eyes with his. You felt a shiver run down your spine.

  Arthur's trainwreck of a speech was eventually cut short by Tommy. You felt bad for your eldest brother, but you were desperate to eat. Polly gave you a disapproving look as you scarfed down your food, but you didn't care; you were too hungry to act like a lady.

  An hour had passed since the food was served, and by then everyone had made their way into the ballroom.

  John and Arthur had set up a boxing area outside with Tommy's reluctant permission. After hovering around Polly for nearly half an hour, you finally gave in and went outside to watch the fights.  

  You were used to seeing your brothers fight, so not much could faze you in the boxing ring. Tonight was different, though. The men had such anger in them as they landed their punches. It was almost disturbing to watch Finn get knocked into the ground by a man in a red uniform.

  "Gruesome, isn't it?" A voice asked from behind you. You turned around to face the very same cavalry boy you'd locked eyes within the chapel. Only now, he was standing a mere foot away from you and the two of you were practically alone.

   "William. Fraser." the young man said, extending his hand.

  You took his hand in yours and shook it. The dim light from the boxing ring illuminated your faces, and you were able to get good looks at each other. To your excitement, not only was he young, he was 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦.

  "(y/n). Lee." you introduced yourself, lying through your teeth. You were done being a Shelby today.

  "Mm. I thought you were a gypsy." William spoke. You raised your eyebrows in amusement.

  "Really? How could you tell?" you asked.

 "It's the dress. Very... 𝘣𝘰𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢𝘯," he replied.

 "It was a gift, it's not mine," you assured, flattening the dress out. You suddenly felt a pang of self-consciousness.

  "Oh, well it suits you well enough." And with that, William placed his hand on your waist. 

   "What are you doing?" you asked, chuckling nervously. 

  "Enjoying myself."

  He slowly started to pull you into a kiss when you noticed Finn in the boxing ring. Another one of the cavalry boys had landed a particularly heavy blow onto his gut, and he fell onto the ground in defeat. You pushed William away to watch the scene.

  "You know him?" William asked.

  "He's my brother," you responded quietly, not taking eyes off Finn.

  "He fights well enough for a boy his size, I didn't expect him to last as long as he did." William retorted.

  "He's really good, actually. Likes it a lot, too," you said, relaxing as you saw Finn get up and shake his opponent's hand.

  William took the opportunity to pick up where you left off and started to wrap his arms around your waist. You hesitated and stepped back.

  "Wait, we shouldn't. Not in front of them." you gestured towards the crowds of people who were watching the fights.

  "Good point." the young man hummed into your neck.

  You lead William to a fairly secluded area of the gardens. There was a small, wooden bench that was nestled in between some of the bushes that lined the back wall of Tommy's mansion. The two of you sat together; there was an uncomfortable sexual tension between you.

  William kissed you slowly as his hands wandered around your torso. You kept trying to cut him off, but he was persistent. If you would grab his arm, he would use the other one to pull you closer. If you turned away, he would kiss your neck. 

  "William I don't think we should do this," you whispered.

  "Don't worry, love. nobody's around. You won't get in trouble." he assured.

  "𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦, just stop." you pleaded.

  "Relax, I promise I'll make it worth your while.

  With that, you'd had enough. You started smacking your palm against his shoulder, and he finally separated. 

  "𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵? I thought you wanted this!" William snapped.

  "Why didn't you stop?" you asked him with a hurt look on your face. "I was 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 you to stop!"

   "𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯, don't act like you didn't want it. You took me out here for a reason." he countered.

  "I didn't think it would happen so fast!" you shouted.

 William huffed, stood up, then brushed himself off.

  "𝘎𝘺𝘱𝘴𝘺 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩." he spat, then walked away.

  "What the 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬 did you call me?" you shot back. "Do you even know who the 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 I am?"

   William froze in place and turned around. He gave you a dark look as he lit a cigarette. The red glow of the tiny embers illuminated his face.

  "My name is (y/n) 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 Shelby." you hissed, and William's expression changed. 

  "You're related to the groom?" he realized.

  "I'm his sister," you spat.

  The young man sighed deeply and ran his fingers through his hair. 

  "𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘵.. I had no idea. Let me make it up to you." he began, but you were already leaving.

  "𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶." you scoffed as you passed him. 

You made your way back to the ballroom, leaving William standing there alone.

 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, you thought, heading straight for a bottle of wine.

[asfixiafloral]

Anna perks up at the mention of a villa after he completely ignored her little teasing but the way his body visibly tensed up and his soft gaze hardened for a moment did not escape her, Johan recovered quickly though, his neutral expression was plastered back on his face. His mask was up but there's some cracks here and there due to last night's events "Is that where you've been hiding out this entire time?" She can picture him standing in a nicely furnished room and not even bothering to use the bed, wandering around the house like some sort of vampire hiding in the shadows. But then he suggested they moved there and she visibly faltered, she didn't say a word for a while, the possibilities and options weighing in her mind "You're right... it's not ideal to keep you here, specially when they're still on the look out for you..." She puts her fork down and leans back against her chair, "Though they'd never suspect the heavily sought out for mass murderer Johan Liebert is hiding in poor Nina Fotner's apartment" The police was finished questioning her, they squeezed whatever information they could out of her already, there was nothing to dig for anymore.

"But... I do live downtown, and I can't keep you locked up forever..." She starts to sound a bit stressed out here, "I have work, I've worked hard for my law degree, and even more for the bar exam... but, I've never taken a break before" She looks out the small window by her kitchen sink, the decision is easy relatively easy to make, but she's prepared to regret it later if anything happens "I'd like to go see this villa of yours" Deep down she knows that even though she so desperately wants him to stay by her side, one day he might just get up and leave and she's afraid she won't be able to stop him. So Anna doesn't really know what she's getting into as she accepts his offer, "I'll have to make a few calls, and pack a bag... assuming you're offering me to stay the nights there with you for a while" She now looks at him and frowns as he suggests she tries to kill him again, "I'm not sure you'll be able to survive a third brain surgery Johan" Anna takes a few sips of coffee, it burns her tongue "I'm not planning on shooting you, or killing you, please try your best to stop bringing it up" Another sip, this time the pain is tolerable because her coffee is so sweet, "You forgot about the gun I keep hidden in a black shoebox at the bottom drawer of my closet..." She puts her cup down and manages a small smile, "It's like you've made yourself at home already, going through my stuff..." Anna shakes her head but really couldn't bring herself to care much, it's just the way he is, she's learned to accept him.

She silently waits until Johan stops picking at his food and takes his plate because she knows he won't be finishing his food, and that's alright, she's just glad he ate something. Anna pays him no mind as she washes the dishes and wipes down the counters, leaving the hot pan with oil aside to dispose of it later. She walks to the living room and feels his footsteps behind her. Anna stands by the phone to start making a few calls, apologizing for her absence and announcing that she'll be taking a prolonged break. She doesn't call Dieter, Tenma, Dr. Reichwein or Dr. Gillen because she knows they'll question her too much and be quick to find out what's going on. She knows she'll have to tell them eventually, but it can wait "Would you like to leave today?" Anna asks as she walks back to her room, opening her closet to start picking some clothes. She surprises herself by how fast she's moving, she must look insane, her decision was quick and a bit irrational but she can't find it in herself to care too much. Not when Johan's here, she's been waiting for him for a long time, she won't let this opportunity slide just because of work. She reminds herself that she's exceptional at what she does and will be able to get back into the field any day, any time.

@theartifxce

asfixiafloral​:​

Anna beamed at him once more when he accepted her offer to join her for breakfast. She arranges their food in two plates while absentmindedly humming the little tune she couldn’t get out of her head, “Here you go,” Anna carefully sets the plate in front of him and hands him some utensils and a napkin, “I brewed some coffee but if you don’t want it, there’s milk in the fridge… do you still drink a cup of milk every morning?” Before she can sit down she pours him a cup anyways just to make sure. If you told Anna she’d be sitting at her table having breakfast with her estranged brother she would’ve never believed you. Moments like these were only possible in her dreams, but here they are, eating in comfortable silence. That is, until Johan speaks up.

Anna thinks about her answer as she slowly chews on her bread. Dr. Tenma’s face pops up in her head, she remembers all the hardships he’s been through because he decided to chase after her brother, because he decided to help and look after her whenever their paths crossed. He truly is a wonderful man, and she’ll never be able to repay him for everything he’s done. She smiles sweetly at the thought of him but the smile fades quickly, “He’ll definitely be alarmed, worried… and would try to drop by to make sure we don’t do anything harsh…” She takes another bite, “But he wouldn’t be surprised, he’d be understanding… or try his best to understand. He will always respect my wishes and would not take action if I tell him I’m okay with having you at my side” She recalls that night in Ruhenheim again, “When that man shot you, I was the one that begged Dr. Tenma to save you, you know? I told him I had forgiven you…” Anna takes a sip of coffee and makes a face, she adds more sugar “I’m aware Johan, I’m prepared for whatever obstacles I have to go through if it means I get to keep you by my side… I know I might sound delusional to you, you may even think I’m being way too optimistic about our situation” Another sip of coffee, this time, it’s sweet enough “But I don’t care Johan, I don’t care what anybody else says or thinks… it’s my choice, and I’m not going to change my mind.”

Anna watches him, and there’s something satisfying in seeing eat the food she made. He trusts her too, he trusted her enough to fall asleep in her arms too, and even thought it was her bed, there was trust involved in sleeping next to her as well “Did you sleep well? It felt… nostalgic, sleeping next to you again” She smiles as she remembers the last time they shared a bed, and vividly recalls the way Johan had kissed her so intensely, back then she had called him weird and laughed it off but now, she still can’t understand the reason why he did it “Gave you a goodnight kiss, but you were asleep” She brings up her hand to point her finger on her forehead, and smirks “Stay, okay? If you’re uncomfortable sleeping with me I can maybe get you a small mattress? You’ll have to be okay with sleeping on the couch for a little while…” She thinks that maybe she can ask her landlord how much it would be to get a place with two rooms, but that could wait, she shouldn’t be rushing it but she couldn’t help it.

Anna was determined on keeping Johan by her side, she wanted to do whatever she could to make him feel at home, to give him a home. She didn’t want him to feel so lost, so lonely anymore, she was offering him everything she had and it irritated her to no end to keep getting rejected. It’s probably deserved, she did reject him plenty of times in the past and hurt him so deeply. It was probably her turn to hurt.

@theartifxce

☓  —- | There was an odd feeling of displacement that came from it all; the casual mentioning of his usual cup of milk – her smile, sitting around a table for breakfast. It made him remember the trivial details; that he was always drinking milk in order to grow strong – it wasn’t because he enjoyed it. It was just necessary for their survival. Nina’s chirpy demeanor was a bit overwhelming – because for the first time he could not tell if she was acting or not. After the events that transpired the night before; he assumed she was celebrating her victory. Johan remained silent; choosing the cup of milk to sip on while listening to her attentively as she answered his previous inquiries. 

Her naïve optimism was something Johan wanted to crush – but not out of malicious intent; but for her own benefit. Tomorrow he could very well be arrested or shot on the spot.  Johan knew she was the one who asked Dr. Tenma to save him; she told him on more than one occasion during his comatose. He could not move an inch, but he heard and felt everything; Dieter going to school and standing up to bullies – Dr.Tenma getting recognition around the world; Nina’s stressful days in law school – her hand on his begging for him to wake.

He would not reveal that she was foolish enough to expose her vulnerabilities to a sleeping monster. So he chose to not entertain her conversation and remained silent.  He took slow bites into the food, not necessarily feeling hungry but knowing that it would make his sister feel more at ease if he ate something.  However, he froze when she mentioned her little goodnight kiss.

He picked up his eyes; and they warned with a sudden distance as they rested upon her. She teased and he could only tense. They shared one and the same thoughts – but she was asleep during his venture down memory lane.  He cursed mentally; that of all things she had to remember – it was of that sleepless night at the Lieberts.  He cleared his throat and put the cup down, not meeting her gaze when he casually said,

“I have a villa on the outskirts of town; up by the mountains.” He lifted his fork and stabbed the piece of ham and nibbled. “I think it would be easier if we just relocated there instead.” The room got quiet and he felt the discomfort growing in the room. He so easily asked her to drop everything she worked so hard to build as if none of it meant anything. He wouldn’t be able to understand her attachment to the sentimental things people clung to. “It is not ideal for me to hideout in the middle of town; you are considering this right, Nina?” He puts down his fork and looks at her, that nameless smile making an reappearance.

“Also, if our long winded discussions end with you shooting me with the gun you’ve hidden against the pipes in your kitchen sink, no one else will hear it from up there.”  And he speaks of his death so casually.

@asfixiafloral​

[herawell]

#give me a moment to shift my perspective from the usual ''Kepler is Maxwell and Jacobi's dad'' and pretend I actively ship kepcobi#first off its very bold of you to assume Jacobi has a single romantic bone in his entire body. he'd rather die#the closest he gets is emotionally charged ballroom dancing while undercover and that's all either of them want to get#is there mutual attraction? you could argue that!#would either of these two characters do anything with that? Absolutely Not did we listen to the same podcast#this is Warren ''my work is my life'' Kepler and Daniel ''processing my emotions in a logical and healthy way is for chumps'' Jacobi#you could lock them in a closet and they'd dig their way out with a spoon before even considering confessing

My rebutal to the argument "if wolf 359 doesn't have romantic plotlines then explain Jacobi and Kepler" is simple. it's unresolved homoerotic tension not romance and that's an entirely different beast. It's not a plotline it's one way to interpret the subtext